#also her scene of being afraid of going backward but won’t even say the word vampire lol

[nora-phina]

“season 5 has a m*rgan storyline!” i’m literally canceling my netflix account if they try to force a redemption arc

#‘she gets to address her trauma and heal’ too little too late #also her scene of being afraid of going backward but won’t even say the word vampire lol #it’s so performative it makes me sick #character on a redemption arc selling her soul to h is VERY telling. #sigh. gonna go back and watch stranger things again

[loveelle]

Saturday

Luke Patterson x Reader

Request from Anon: Luke Patterson prompt? Luke (ghost) likes to flirt with reader every chance he gets? Kind of like the scene with Julie/Nick at her lock? He even gets a little jealous?

And Request from Anon: Julie and the boys try to convince her best friend she’s in love with a ghost? Luke Patterson x reader?

A/N: Two requests done in two days??? Who is this girl writing because damn she’s productive for once!??! I’m also sorry that this one is like so abrupt in the ending, I write the same damn endings for every fic and it’s fine, but I’m getting bored with myself, so I’m trying to figure out where to go with the endings, which means... absolutely nothing. lol.

WC: 3.2K

MASTER

---

“Do you think this shirt makes me look good?”

You nearly jump out of your skin and let out a squeak as the sudden appearance of Luke next to you. Offering the people around you an apologetic smile, you hold up your phone and pretend like someone was talking to you. As soon as the attention was off you, you turn back to Luke who was laughing hard and send him a glare. “Must you decide to jump scare me when I’m at school?”

He smirks at you as he leans on the lockers and crosses his arms. “When I get that kind of reaction? Of course, I must.”

You roll your eyes at him. “What did you want?”

“Oh, does this shirt make me look good?” He pulls his shirt out from his body, making you gulp as your eyes flicker down.

“Nope.”

Luke scoffs playfully at you, knowing you were just messing with him. “Haha.” He mocks and you can’t help but smile.

“Why did you need to know? It’s not like anyone could see you besides me and the band.”

“Well, yeah.” He shrugs and the smile on his face only gets bigger. “Always gotta look good in front of a pretty girl.”

You feel your cheeks heat up at Luke’s flirting as you turn back to your locker, lodging your phone which you had been pretending to talk on, between your shoulder and your ear when you pull out the last of your books. “And you went with that shirt?” you joke and watch Luke put a hand on his chest and pretend to be wounded. You laugh softly before you close your locker and start your walk to class with Luke next to you.

“Y/N! Wait up!” A voice calls out from behind you two as you spin around, seeing a kid from your math class jogging to catch up with you. When he finally stops in front of you, you hesitate glancing to Luke only to see his jaw locked as he stares down the boy.

“Gotta go. Bye.” You say into your phone before shoving it into your pocket. “Hey Daniel, what’s up?”

“I was hoping to get to walk you to class.” The smile on his face makes Luke’s jaw clench only more as he looks to you, only to see the smile on your face.

“He wants to walk you to class.” Luke says and you pretend to ignore him, focusing on Daniel.

“You don’t have to do that.” You assure him and Luke forces a smile, turning to square up to Daniel.

“Yeah, you don’t have to do that. I’ll walk her.”

“It’s no trouble, it’s on the way to my class.” You know there wasn’t much of a way to get around this so you suck in a breath and nod. As Daniel moves to walk by your side, you shoot a glance back to see Luke jaw dropped as you walk away with Daniel. You chuckle softly at him and he snaps out of his daze.

“I’m coming with!” He shouts over the sea of kids and sooner than not, Luke was on your other side.

“So, I was wondering,” Daniel begins, turning slightly as he walks to talk to you, “if you were free this Saturday like I am, maybe we could hang out.”

You were taken back by Daniel’s offer. “Uh, Saturday? Like, tomorrow Saturday?” you ask and Daniel nods, hopeful that you’d say yes. You ignore the comment Luke made under his breath as you think about Daniel’s offer. “Uh, I think I might have plans tomorrow.”

Luke furrows his brows and scoffs. “You don’t have plans tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I have plans tomorrow.” You repeat, looking away from Daniel briefly to Luke and scowl at him. You wince, however, when you realize Daniel couldn’t hear Luke refuting your plans.

“Oh.” Daniel frowns. “Maybe Sunday?”

“How about never?” Luke mumbles and you bite your lip, tightening your hold on the books in your arms.

“I’m not sure. I have to check.” Daniel’s face brightens at the possibility of going on a date with you and you feel bad for knowing Sunday would come and go and Daniel wouldn’t be getting that date. “This is my class.” You point briefly to the door that was ajar for students to enter and Daniel moves past you to his own class as he turns around to talk while walking backwards.

“You have my number, right?” He calls out and you nod, pulling your lips into a thin line to at least try and smile. “Cool, uh call me or text me if you’re free!” He points at you and you give him an awkward thumbs up. He smiles at you one last time before running down the hall to his own class.

“She won’t!” Luke calls after him before turning to you smugly. You let out a heavy breath and pull out your phone before resting against the wall and avoiding looking at Luke. “So, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Luke.” You chastise him, giving him a glare that you quickly drop out of fear there was someone behind him thinking you were glaring at them.

“I’m just asking you know, in case you wanted to drop by Julie’s and watch us practice. You know how much I love seeing you there.” He leans on the wall next to you, meeting your eye as his lips tug up in a smile. “That is, unless you did already have plans?”

You roll your eyes and control the smile making way on your face. “If you weren’t already dead, I’d kill you.”

“So, I will be seeing you Saturday?”

“Yup.” You say before shoving your phone in your pocket and walking into the classroom.

You hear Luke laugh behind you and you can’t control the smile any longer, letting it take over your face as he shouts at you. “I thought so.”

“Oh, shut up.” You mumble and fall into your seat, beginning the long wait until class was over and you could go over to Julie’s and relax.

---

You were draped across the couch in Julie’s studio, Luke’s guitar in your lap as you strum gently on it, playing the chorus of a song that’s been stuck in your head for almost a week. While you were humming under your breath, you don’t notice Julie walk into the studio.

“Luke’s gonna kill you if he catches you playing that.” Julie calls over, making you laugh.

“He can try.” You smirk. “But I’m not afraid of ghost boy.” Despite not being afraid of Luke, you did put his guitar back where you found it.

“Let’s not ignore the fact he wouldn’t kill you because you’re both in love with each other.”

You let out a laugh and Julie raises a quizzical brow at you. “Luke’s not in love with me and I’m definitely not in love with him. I think I’d know if we were in love with each other.”

“Y/N, Luke could get down on one knee and propose to you and you’d still think he just sees you as just a friend.” Julie deadpans and your jaw drops. The corners of your mouth twitch into a smile as your best friend doubles over in laugher.

“You are so mean!” you gasp out, picking up a pillow and tossing it over at her. In the middle of doing so, the boys appear right in your line of fire. The pillow went right through Luke’s chest as he furrows his brows, looking between you and the girl behind them who can’t control her laughter.

“Did we miss something?” Alex points between the three of you and you shake your head, not wanting to repeat what Julie had just told you. There was no way they were right. Luke wasn’t in love with you and you weren’t in love with him. Simple as that.

“Okay then.” Luke’s words were slow as he eyes you and blow away any confused thoughts as he takes the spot next to you, draping an arm over the couch behind you.

“Nope.” You say and shoo him off the couch. “You have rehearsal.”

“Oh, but I’d rather stay here right here next you.” Luke’s smile had your cheeks heat up but you pretend to gag, making everyone laugh as well Luke. He pushes himself off the couch, refusing to look away from you until he has his guitar in his hands and turns to his friends. He was met with several different smirks knowing exactly what Luke was doing flirting with you.

Julie moves past him all the way until she was by your side and sending her smirks to you. Your eyes widen and you grab another pillow and hit her with it. She grabs it before you can get a second swing in and hit you back with it.

“Stop!” you laugh out a Julie keeps hitting you with it, giving you enough time to grab the last pillow on the couch and try to defend yourself. The band was watching on, Luke’s focus was strictly on you, trying to memorize the way your smile made your eyes close tight and the way your laugh fills the air. Until you land on your back on the floor and knock over the glass of juice you brought out to the studio with you before rehearsal began.

You freeze as the cold drink covers you, your mouth still upturned in a smile as Julie stands over you. She drops the pillow back on the couch, her hands covering her mouth as she gasps. “I’m so sorry!” You let out a small laugh, reaching your hand up for her to help you up.

“Don’t worry about it.” You assure her when you get to your feet, looking at the way your shirt was soaked.

“Are you okay?” Luke asks you and you gave him a funny look before sighing.

“It’s just juice, Luke. I think I’ll live.” Luke nods, glancing to the ground before meeting your eyes again and you took a deep breath before turning to Julie. “Hey, Julie? Can I borrow a shirt?”

Julie nods and grabs your hand to take you inside. You follow her without a word, only a glance back over your shoulder to see Luke watching you. Once you were out of Luke’s sight, Luke tosses his head back and groans.

Reggie and Alex laugh at their friend’s struggle. “Dude, just ask her out.”

Luke rolls his eyes at Alex’s advice, knowing that a relationship between you and him wouldn’t work. “I’m not going to ask her out.”

“Why not?” Reggie faked whined and Luke gave him a pointed look.

“Should I start with the fact that even though we can touch each other, I’m dead and she’s not? Or the fact that she’s not interested?” Alex and Reggie share a look that made Luke’s brows draw close. “What?”

“She’s interested.” They say at the same time and Luke take a deep breath, glancing to the door before shaking his head.

“How do you know?”

“We know.”

“Then could you let her know?” He points towards the door, his finger dropping seconds before you and Julie and enters the studio and you were donning one of the oversized sweaters Julie had stashed in her closet.

“Thanks again for letting me borrow this.” You tell her, holding the door open until she was inside.

“Course, you can just give it back tomorrow when you come over for rehearsal.” You nod at her, making a note to wash the sweater tomorrow morning before you come over.

“Oh, you didn’t hear?” Luke interrupts your thought as you and Julie glances up, seeing Alex and Reggie growing confused like you and Julie were.

“Hear what?” Julie speaks up, looking between the boys, thinking it had something to do with them. You catch Luke’s eye, seeing the way his lips tug in a smirk and you realize what this was about.

“Luke.” Your voice was low and he knows you were trying to get him to keep things hush.

“Y/N’s busy tomorrow.” He reveals and falls onto the couch, kicking his feet up on the table in front of him.

“What?” Alex calls over, a look of surprise struck across his face and you kind of take offense to it. “You are?”

Your mouth opens, not knowing what to say before you shake your head. “No.”

“No?” Luke repeats, pretending to be confused.

“No.”

“But I thought you were and that’s the reason you couldn’t go out with Daniel?” Your eyes close and you let out a sigh as Luke spills and you weren’t prepared as Julie gasps and grabs your arm.

“Daniel asked you out?” She looks almost mad as you turn to her.

“Um, maybe?”

“And you said you were busy? Are you crazy?”

“Well, I-” you stammer out, trying to form a thought on what to say.

“Y/N!” Julie stops you from coming up with an excuse. “You have to go out with him!”

“Woah,” Luke was off the couch in an instant, suddenly realizing that the idea to mess with you wasn’t all that smart considering Julie was stubborn and would get what she wanted, which in this case was for you to go out with someone who wasn’t him. “Well, I don’t think she has to do that.”

“Quiet Luke, this doesn’t involve you.” Julie snaps at him, seeing him gulp as he looks between you and Julie.

“I’m just saying, like maybe she is busy!”

“She’s not.” Alex butts in once he realizes that this could be Luke’s chance to tell you how he felt.

This time your look of annoyance was sent to Alex and he knew you wouldn’t last much longer. “I’m am.”

“Doing what?”

You bite your lip, letting your eyes move around the room inconspicuously until your mouth speaks on its own. “…Pilates?”

“Pilates?” Julie clarifies and you run a hand through your hair, hiding your face briefly before nodding. “Y/N, I don’t even think you know what Pilates are.”

“I know what Pilates are!” You practically screech as your friends all glare at you, except Luke who looks almost as panicky as you. “Okay fine,” you give in. “I just didn’t want to go on a date with Daniel.”

“Why not?”

Luke lets out a breath you were sure he meant to be a laugh, but you could almost sense his nerves. “Does she have to have a reason?”

“Yes!” Everyone shouts at him at once you cover your face, backing out of the room and letting yourself outside to get some air.

Luke wanted to go after you and apologize for bringing up Daniel’s date, but the moment he took a step, Alex stops him with a hand on his chest and shakes his head. “You should stay here.” He says and Luke scoffs.

“I’m not going to-”

“Luke.” Julie cuts him off. “We’ve got this.” For the first time since the argument started, Luke believes they’re on his side and lets them go outside and leave him alone in the studio, only growing more anxious by the passing second.

You were seated on the steps outside as Julie, Alex, and Reggie all come outside, making you groan. “You guys, I really don’t want to talk about Daniel anymore. Can you just go back and rehearse?”

“How about we stay out here and don’t talk about Daniel?” Reggie offers and you hesitate before nodding. That sounds… fine? They take seats on the steps around you before Reggie throws his arm over your shoulder. “Let’s talk about how you’re in love with Luke.”

You groan, shoving Reggie’s arm off you and turning to Julie. “You told them your stupid theory?” you grumble and Julie puts her hands up.

“I didn’t need to. They figured it out by themselves.” You roll your eyes.

“There’s nothing to figure out.” Your voice was quiet as your head dips, chewing on the inside of your lip. No one said anything as your sights move up from the ground, clocking each saddened look before you give in. “What do I do about it?”

Evil grins, that’s how you would explain the 3 different looks being shoot your way. Of course, none of your friends were evil, only excited, but nonetheless, you were terrified.

“Well, we have good news.” Alex begins and you listen eagerly. “If we can tell that you’re in love with him- and don’t fight back on that, you are- then we can also tell that Luke is in love with you.”

You inhale deeply. “You’re sure about this?” 3 eye rolls were all you receive. “I just have to know before I go in there and screw up the best friendship I’ve got.”

“Hey!” Julie nudges your arm. “I thought we had the best friendship!”

“We do, Jules.” You say sweetly and Julie’s brows raise out of annoyance and unbelievability.

“She’s just not in love with you.” Reggie adds on you hide your face as you groan, hearing your friends laugh all around you.

“Advice. That’s all I need.” You remind them and the laughing stops, finally being replaced by your friends telling you what to do.

---

Luke had been pacing since the moment his friends all stepped outside. He knew Alex and Reggie at least knew how much he liked you and it was the only hope he had that Julie wouldn’t convince you to go on a date with Daniel.

His thoughts ramble in his brain until finally the door opens and you step inside alone, tugging on the sleeves of Julie’s sweater. He freezes only seconds before your eyes lift up to his. Luke takes a breath of courage. “I don’t want you to go on a date with Daniel.”

His words stun you as your brows lift briefly and you clear your throat. “Um, and why is that?”

Luke couldn’t answer. He can’t. He wants to tell you that it was because he was falling for you, that every time he’s flirted with you it’s because he likes you and he likes hearing you flirt back, he likes imagining that someday by some miracle, you’d be a couple and do actual couple things, that he could make you happy. His mess of thoughts were cut off by a pair of lips. They were soft and plump, and had several bite marks lining them, but they felt perfect against his.

Luke pulls you closer as you kiss him, your hands gripping the sides of his tank top as he cups your face to pull you closer. Alex’s advice plays on repeat in your head and suddenly, you were very thankful you decided to listen to your friends.

Just forget everything and kiss him.

.

.

.

.

#Luke Patterson x reader #Luke Patterson imagine #Luke Patterson fanfiction #Luke Patterson #Jatp #Jatp x reader #Jatp imagine #Jatp fanfiction #Julie and the Phantoms #Julie and the Phantoms imagine #Julie and the Phantoms x reader #Julie and the Phantoms fanfiction

[separatist-apologist]

Part 7

I'm considering our little serial to be completed with this chapter. Thank you @forestwitch7 for the prompts, I enjoyed writing them. I was thinking we could continue our serials with a new prompt, and my asks are open if you want to see something that could be extended over the course of a week or longer. I do have a jealous Elain prompt (non-smutty) and a jealous Lucien prompt (smutty) that I want to complete, so if you're hoping to see either of those things, they are in the works.

As per usual, this is NSFW, 18+, edited with my eyes closed, and more soft than teasing. It's also the longest chapter thus far (as warning). These two dorks can't help themselves.

--

--

Elain was nervous when Lucien stepped into the River House, a stack of paperwork tucked beneath his arm. His eyes slid through the room, surveying the occupants without betraying his emotions. If he cared she sat there, needlework abandoned in her lap, he didn’t say. Rhysand met him just outside the hall and gestured for Lucien to follow. He left without a backwards glance. Starfall had happened weeks ago and though they’d had a nice night, he’d left the next day and hadn’t said a word since. She felt nervous and, if she was honest, a little hurt. It had been her first time being intimate with a man that way and she supposed she’d hoped he might…call on her that next day.

Take her on a real date. She’d fretted over his silence to the point of anxiety and now that he was back, she couldn’t untangle what it meant. Had he come to see her or for some urgent political matter that could not wait? Elain turned her thoughts over and over in her head until she was a mess. Feyre joined her, Mor at her side, the two unaware of Elain’s inner turmoil as they drank tea and discussed the previous evening at Ritas. Elain listened absently, letting herself tune out her own thoughts in favor of their excited gossiping.

“Elain?” Lucien’s voice cut through the chatter just as the sun began to set. All three women silenced, their eyes locked on his face. Besides Solstice, had anyone ever seen the two of them friendly in the same space? Judging from the surprise on both Mor and Feyre’s faces, Elain guessed not.

“Do you want to get dinner?” He asked smoothly, arms crossed over his hunter green jacket. His expression was almost a dare. Say no. Reject me in front of your family.

“Yes,” she replied, too breathless. No one in that room believed this was the first time he’d asked her to spend time with him after hearing her response. If there was any doubt, Elain knew she squashed it when she stood quickly, tossed her needlepoint onto the chair behind her, and walked confidently towards him. Lucien was smiling with such open affection it made her heart flutter.

She waited until they were out of the River House and walking down dark, paved streets before she asked, “Are we really getting dinner?”

“I do plan to eat,” he replied, causing her to flush. “Sorry I was gone for so long. There was a disturbance…but I thought I’d show you something.”

“Oh?” She asked, her heart pounding a near painful beat in her chest. Lucien only smiled, both eyes focused straight ahead.

He stopped her in front of a pretty brick building half covered in inching, leafy vines. Lucien pulled a silver key from his pocket, slid it into the door, and gestured for him to follow her. The interior was beige and housed two doors on either side of the walls, with a staircase leading up. Lucien walked her up two flights of stairs to the third floor and opened the door with a shiny number 7 hanging just above a peephole.

“I have an apartment in the city,” he told her with a wink, pressing a spare key into her hands. “I should have told you about it ages ago.”

“That’s okay,” she swore breathlessly, stepping inside. She wondered if Lucien had decorated it or if it came furnished. She supposed it musthave been him, given the rich oranges, browns, reds and yellows that stared back at her. It was very much an Autumn pallet, bright and lovely and put together by someone with an eye for art and fashion.

“You can come even if I’m not in the city,” he continued, walking her through the living room and down a hall where his bedroom lay. “If you ever need to get away…or you miss me.”

He said that last part like a joke. She opened her mouth to inform him she missed him all the time but got tripped up when her eyes fell on a huge, four poster bed hung with sheer white curtains. A bed. On the floor were dozens of fat red pillar candles and with a snap of his fingers, each sprang to life.

“You’ll get wax on the wood,” she whispered, frozen in the doorway.

“A small price to pay,” he shrugged, putting his hands on her shoulders. “You can say no, you know. It doesn’t have to be tonight.”

Elain nodded, her mind forcing her to compare the scene before her with her only other experience. The room had been dark and cold, sparsely decorated and entirely masculine. She’d just assumed that was the height of romance in the moment but even though Lucien’s room, too, was masculine, he’d softened it considerably with the candles and the draped curtains. Even the blankets were a soft brown with a cream-colored throw tossed over a corner, making his bedroom feel warm and inviting. She looked over her shoulder at him, unsurprised by the flame burning in that russet-colored eye. His gold eye was wholly fixed on her face, and she wondered if he could see past her flesh.

And though there had never been a choice in whether they would be together, hearing him tell her she could say no if she wanted, that he wasn’t in a hurry, did something to her. He made her feel seen, feel special.

Loved, even, though she was too afraid to admit that was what was happening out loud. What had started as her attempt to get Azriel’s attention, to distract herself from her own boredom, had become much, much more. She almost laughed at how different things were, how important Lucien had become to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck instead and pressed a kiss to his mouth.

“I want it to be tonight,” she told him softly, her lips touching his as she spoke. Lucien smiled, his skin practically glowing.

“Good,” he replied, hoisting her off her feet and into his arms. “Because I’m tired of waiting.”

Lucien dropped her to his bed, climbing onto the mattress with her. Elain yanked down his neatly made blankets as Lucien shucked off his shoes, jacket, and shirt. Her fingers moved towards the buttons at the back of her gown but he stopped her.

“Let me,” he asked, his voice rough with desire. She nodded, nervous and excited, shivering when his hair brushed over her collarbone and his fingers slid down her spine, quickly undoing the buttons of her dress. She watched, eyes wide, as he slid the sleeves slowly down her arms, the skin of his hands rough against her own.

Lucien leaned back, shirtless and gleaming beneath the flickering candlelight, eyes reverent. “You are so damn beautiful,” he murmured, reaching out to brush her cheek. The way he looked at her and the way she spoke the words made her feel as though her value to him was not just her beauty.

“No, you,” she replied, pleased when a flush stained his golden cheeks. He smiled, charmingly embarrassed by the compliment, before going back to her under garments. She let him fully expose her, resisting the urge to cover herself with her hands as she looked at her again, his jaw slack and eyes wide just as he’d been when she’d come out on Starfall. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. She wanted to tease him but something about his expression made her stop. Instead she settled back against the fluffy pillows on his bed and gestured for him to come to her.

He did without hesitation, his lips slotting between her own quickly. He poured all his unspoken words in the kiss as he settled between her body. She wanted to tell him, wanted to say the words but she was afraid she’d break the spell.

So she poured back. I love you. Don’t leave me again. I love you. I love you. I love you.

Lucien’s hips ground against her, proof of his want and Elain gasped as memory of his cock in her mouth flooded back. He was so very large, much bigger than Graysen had been. Would it hurt, she wondered, running her nails down his back.

“I can feel your thoughts,” Lucien gasped, nipping down the side of her neck. “I won’t hurt you.”

She frowned. Had he felt everything? “Yes,” he replied again, smiling against her skin. His fingers tweaked against her nipples, the sensation hooking roughly in her gut. He looked up, his face resting in valley between her breasts, his eyes impossibly soft. “I love you too, you know.”

She started to say it back, a giggle bubbling in her throat, but Lucien’s mouth clamped over one over sensitive nipple, and nothing felt funny anymore. Desire coursed through her veins, taking over her body just like the day he’d taken her in the garden. She felt needier now, desperate in a way she hadn’t then.

He surged forward again, kissing her hotly, his tongue messy against her own. It was a prelude to what he planned to do between her legs, and she wished he’d stop teasing her and get on with it. She was way too shy to just ask and when he broke the kiss, she whined, pushing his head down her body.

Lucien chuckled darkly, his breath warm on her cool skin. “Say please,” he whispered, rubbing the flesh of her thighs just close enough to the crease of her center without actually touching her. She lifted her hips and wondered if he’d deny her if she didn’t do as he asked.

“Please,” she begged, delighted at the groan that slipped from his throat.

“Embarrassing,” she teased, squirming against his fingers.

“Oh you don’t know the half of it, sweetheart,” Lucien crooned, lowering his mouth to her body. She squealed, delighted by both the nick name and how willing Lucien was to play along. Her thoughts vacated at that first swipe of his tongue, dragging her back to that place of limitless burning heat. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, his hair spread over his broad, muscular shoulders, one hand pressed against her lower abdomen to keep her pinned to the bed. His eyes were closed, the expression on the part of his face she could see utterly lost, as though he were experiencing some form of nirvana just by touching her. She could see his hips grinding against the bed in time with her own and she wished he wasn’t wearing pants. She wanted to see him fully undressed.

She felt electric beneath his touch, building up, up, upbefore she shattered around him with a scream and a fistful of his hair, forcing him to stay clamped between her trembling thighs. He didn’t stop, his tongue sweeping over her in quick, efficient circles until she was sobbing mess. She tugged and he came, his mouth covering hers with an intensity that excited her. She hooked her fingers in the waist of his pants and tugged.

“Impatient,” he tried to tease but the word was more groan. She watched him roll over and stand quickly to shuck off his pants.

“Wait!” She cried, drinking in the hard, naked, muscular body standing in front of her. Lucien shifted his weight from one foot the other other, his cock twitching beneath her gaze.

“Now who is beautiful?” She asked while he crawled back to her.

“Still you,” he promised, kissing her gently. She hesitated when she felt the crown of his cock notch against her entrance.

“Go slow,” she murmured. Though his expression seemed pained, Lucien nodded, his hair creating a curtain between the pair of them. She could pretend they were in their own little world where no one but them existed.

She sighed when he slid that first inch in, her body stretching but not in a painful way. It was pleasant and comfortable and by the time he was fully seated inside her, Elain regretted asking him to go slow. Lucien seemed to be strained above her, his body weight braced on his elbows beside her.

“Are you okay?” He gasped and she nodded, leaning up just enough to kiss him.

“You can move,” she told him with what she hoped was a sweet and not deranged smile. Lucien nodded, sliding himself out too slowly for her liking, grunting as he came back in. She let him for a moment, worried that perhaps he needed to prove to himself he wouldn’t hurt her, before she hooked her legs around him and drove her heels into his ass, forcing him to snap into her hard.

“Oh,” she gasped at the same time he did. “Again.”

Whatever leash Lucien held himself with vanished and Lucien thrust hard, the sound of their flesh meeting punctuating the silence around them. She was building again, writhing beneath him, doubly so when his hand snaked between them to rub quick circles over her already swollen clit. She was panting, begging.

“Harder,” she heard her voice plead, half stunned at the sound. “Don’t stop, Lucien, please.”

Lucien grunted again, sweat dripping down his back. “So fucking wet,” he groaned, the sound more animal than man. “So tight. Fuck, Elain—”

His words were drowned by the sound of her scream, so loud she was sure his entire building heard it. Lucien didn’t stop though the snarl that erupted from his throat made her shudder even as blinding white pleasure stole her last little sense of self. She was an extension of him and he the other half to her. Connected, Elain felt as though life suddenly made sense.

“Again,” Lucien demanded, somehow increasing his speed, pounding into her with an intensity that threatened to drive her mad. She was whimpering, her whole body overly sensitive beneath his hands. She moaned at the feel of one of his hands palming her breast, tweaking her nipples before gliding back to the quivering nub of flesh at her apex. “Again.”

And whatever it was that existed between them, the bond or their connected souls, made her desperately want to please him. She bit her bottom lip so hard she tasted blood, her hips unable to keep up with the pace he’d set, her thighs still trembling from her last release. He didn’t let up, even in the wake of her pleas.

“Please, Lucien. Lucien, Luci—” Her climax was edged with pain, the scream hoarse. Lucien growled with pleasure, pumping once, twice, and then once more before he held himself over her, groaning loudly with his own release. She could hardly catch her breath, her vision spotted, her body utterly wrung out when he collapsed atop her, head buried in the crook of her neck.

“Did I hurt you?” He asked, kissing along her jaw.

“No,” she whispered, her words threatening to turn to hysterical laughter. “You were perfect.”

His teeth tugged along her ear and though she was exhausted, more arousal speared through her.

“Are you hungry?” He asked, withdrawing himself from her body. She frowned, mewling with protest. Lucien merely smiled as he clambered from the bed, padded across the room, and returned with a warm rag to wipe her up with.

Elain propped herself up on her elbows to look at his flagging erection, his beautiful body, his absurdly lovely face. “I love you,” she said, tasting the words as she said them. Lucien beamed, seeming as though he were lit with some inner light only she could see. He tossed the rag back into the bathroom before joining her in the bed again. He dragged the blankets over them, cuddling her into his arms.

She smiled when he kissed the top of her head. “I love you, sweetheart. Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” She admitted, snuggling closer into his chest. “But it can wait.”

“Tell me what you want, Elain.” “You,” she said without hesitation. “With me, all the time.”

His thumb stroked over her cheek. “Consider it done.”

#elucien fic #elucien prompt #elucien smut #elucien #elain x lucien #@forestwitch7 #seven whole parts can you beleive??? #i had a great time

[tennessoui]

Mobi wan stressing about Anakin wanting to leave him (both before and after they get married) and then kuwsk obi wan stressing about Anakin wanting to move out (both the Thanksgiving incident and the router incident) like man being afraid of being left behind is really an integral part of the infinite sadness and I am feeling it bigtime

🥺 oh no you're right this is part of infinite sadness and that's really sad 🥺🥺 i have this sorta related scene from KUWSK that's planned out where Anakin and Obi-Wan (post final kiss in the classroom) talk about their relationship going forward now that they know they're in love and it's a relief but it's also just all new kinds of vulnerable.

This was supposed to be a snippet and in Kit fashion it's 1.3 words i blame the fact that i was listening to @usetheforce 's beautiful KUWSK playlist . Anyway this is an exposition on the fear of being left behind something something how love is trusting the person you love that they won't leave you, even if you don't know why 🥺

Obi-Wan feels silly for having his arms crossed. It's not like this is a fight. They're not fighting. They're telling each other their secrets. They're telling each other their dreams, their hopes, their feelings. It's not a fight, but Obi-Wan feels like his crossed arms are the only thing holding his body together.

Anakin doesn't look much better. He's staring resolutely down at the carpet between his feet. He's sprung for a nice hotel room for this. He's also sprung for a double, probably so Obi-Wan doesn't feel pressured.

All Obi-Wan feels is love for this man, hopeless, endearing, enduring love.

But Anakin is right. Love is one thing. A kiss in a classroom with an audience is one thing.

Attempting to rearrange their entire lives--that's another thing. There are people at stake. The twins. There's more here than love. There's so much that can go wrong.

Anakin knows that too, that's why he hasn't looked Obi-Wan in the eye since he stuttered out his own version of I'm in love with you.

That's why they're here in this nice hotel room, thirty minutes from home. That's why they're doing this here and not in the house, so if this doesn't--if they can't--if they decide not to--

Then hopefully they won't think about this moment every time they step through the front door.

If they stand on the precipice and decide to walk backwards, to not fall off that ledge, then they still need to be able to return home. They still need to be able to look each other in the eyes.

Obi-Wan’s said his bit. Obi-Wan’s said everything he knows how to say. I’m in love with you, for a start. You have given me more than I have ever thought I wanted, let alone needed. But the truth was I needed all of it. I still do. I have a home now. That’s priceless. There’s no equivalent that I can give you in exchange. Everything I am and will be and have become is already yours. Because I love you and I had not even noticed because it just made sense. Loving you has always made more sense than not loving you.

Not in those words, of course.

But Obi-Wan’s said his bit, and Anakin’s said his too, and now there’s no more secrets.

There’s just a decision to make.

Obi-Wan uncrosses his arms and sits on the end of the bed next to Anakin, two feet of space between them. “So then,” he says.

“Do we?” Anakin finishes the thought, half-turning towards Obi-Wan to throw him a sad little smirk.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan admits. “Do we?”

“Is it bad that a huge part of me wants to say. Let’s do it. Damn the future?” Anakin asks with a huff of a laugh.

“Of course not,” Obi-Wan reassures him, reaching across the bed to rest a hand on his knee. “I would say that I understand the impulse. Damn the future. I love you. You love me--” he says these words wondrously. He still can’t quite believe they’re true, that Anakin means them the same way Obi-Wan does. “Let’s move in together.”

Anakin shoots him an incredulous look and lets out a genuine snort. “But I know...we shouldn’t do that.”

Obi-Wan fights his every impulse to retract his hand from Anakin’s knee. He knows the words have a certain truth to them. He knows what Anakin’s thinking of. He knows he has a point. It still hurts to hear. “We need to talk about it,” he says diplomatically.

“Talk about it?” Anakin sounds hurt. “Why? We both already know. What if--what if we were to--to date, to try and make this work and then we can’t? Obi-Wan, the twins love you. They love you. They’re--you’re their other parent. They need a stable home environment, they--if we--if we try and we can’t do it, then what happens to them? What happens to you and them?”

They’re worries that Obi-Wan has thought of himself ever since the kiss this morning. But it feels different to hear them in Anakin’s voice, to hear them spoken out loud. If Obi-Wan and Anakin dated and then broke up, they probably couldn’t continue living together. Obi-Wan tries to imagine living with Satine in the months following the divorce papers being signed, but he can’t.

He knows people do it. He knows himself well enough to know that he wouldn’t be able to. If Anakin were to break up with him--the only way Obi-Wan can imagine their relationship ending--Obi-Wan would need months if not years before he was able to look him in the eye again. If ever, actually.

If Anakin were to break up with him--to hold everything Obi-Wan is in his hands and cast it aside for something else, like Satine had, like...like his father had, then Obi-Wan would not be able to see him everyday without breaking down into tears and begging him for a second chance, for a detailed list of all the things that he did wrong, all the things about himself that were so wrong that no one can stand to stay for long.

“If,” Anakin says, breaking the silence when it’s clear Obi-Wan isn’t going to say anything. “If we try and then you...you leave, I don’t--”

He stops himself and clears his throat, shaking his head and looking down at his hands. “Obi-Wan, it’d break my heart.”

Obi-Wan stares at him for a second, confused and mouth slightly open. Anakin sounds as if he’s operating under some serious misconceptions.

As if Obi-Wan would be the one to leave. Obi-Wan can’t imagine there’s anything Anakin could ever do in order to make him want to leave. It’s Anakin. Seven months ago, before Obi-Wan even realized he was in love with the man, he’d gotten wine drunk with Padme Amidala and asked her quite insistently how the fuck she could have turned Anakin down, not once--but twice.

It’s Anakin.

And if...if Anakin is half as sure as he sounds that the only way they would ever break up is if Obi-Wan decided to leave, then...then maybe it’s worth jumping off that precipice. Damn the future.

But Obi-Wan thinks maybe this future won’t be so bad at all.

It’s a strange kind of numb bravery that has him moving his hand from Anakin’s knee to his palm. “Anakin,” he says quietly, and he feels as if he’s watching this happen from someone else’s point of view. Surely this isn’t Obi-Wan Kenobi about to put his heart firmly and resolutely into another’s hands. Not after last time.

But the truth is, it’s been there for years already. It’s about trust. It’s about trusting Anakin to always think that Obi-Wan could leave and never entertain the possibility that he could.

“Anakin,” he says again, until Anakin looks up at him from beneath his lashes. It’s suddenly not enough for him. He wants closer. He wants his turn to kiss Anakin and mean it.

He leans slowly in, raising his other hand to tilt Anakin’s chin up to meet his mouth. He’s giving Anakin plenty of room to move away, but Anakin doesn’t. Anakin stays.

Maybe it’s time they start giving each other more credit for that.

He feels his eyelashes flutter closed just as his lips touch Anakin’s so carefully it’s hardly a kiss at all. Butterfly wings have more substance than this kiss, but Obi-Wan would not change it for the world. Anakin needs to know they can go slow, that they can be gentle with each other. Anakin needs to know that Obi-Wan will never hurt him.

Anakin needs to know that--

“If I were capable of ever, ever leaving you,” Obi-Wan murmurs, pulling back until their lips are just brushing with every word and opening his eyes just enough to see the perfect picture Anakin makes like this, “I would have done so when Luke was going through that phase where he insisted upon only eating orange foods.”

Anakin’s eyes flutter open in shock and then the words register, and the meaning behind them does as well. Slowly, a sort of breathless smile breaks across his face.

It’s the most beautiful thing Obi-Wan has ever seen.

#asks #KUWSK #did i say i had a scene planned? #i meant i had thought up the last line of dialogue here and knew i wanted to use it #you just know anakin's thinking the same sort of thing #where he's like? if i could get drunk with satine i would have to ask her why she left obi-wan? #voluntarily? #willingly? #i dont understand but doesnt mean i would give him back if she were to come to her senses now

[alwaysfeelingsaintlike]

Just One Night [G.W]

description: George is out for his stag party and you’re out for your hen night, but the two of you just can’t seem to stay away from each other.

pairing: George Weasley x Reader

word count: 5.8k 

warnings: very light smut, oral sex, alcohol

taglist: @p0gues4l @amourtentiaa  (let me know if you want to be added!)

                                                           X

“George, it’s just one night. We’ll be fine,” you said as you finished packing your bags.

“Y/N, we haven’t spent a night apart since you finished at Hogwarts,” he pouted, as he lounged across the bed, watching your every movement.

“I repeat, it is one night. I think we’ll survive.” You didn’t want to admit to George that you’d miss him this one night, even though it was the truth. If you gave him an inch of indecision, he would convince you not to go at all, and this was not a night you wanted to miss. After all, it was your hen night. 

He sulked some more and you added, “George you will have a wonderful time out with the boys tonight and you’ll forget all about me.”

“Impossible,” he smiled. You shook your head as you zipped up your suitcase. George had moved from the bed and was now standing behind you with his arms wrapped around your waist.

“Don’t leave me darling,” he whispered in your ear. You took a deep breath, finding it difficult to resist him. He started kissing your neck and you breathed in, “George…”

Before you realized what happened, George had you pinned down to the bed and his lips were locked on yours. Both your arms were wrapped around his neck as his hands caressed your torso. Before things got too heated, you pulled away.

“George I really need to go,” you whispered.

He smiled and gazed into your eyes, “You can be a little late.” You couldn’t help but smile and his lips found yours again as he began peeling off your clothing. Moments later you were both exposed and you were straddled on top of George. After some mutual foreplay, you were both ready for things to get more intimate. You positioned yourself on his shaft and started slowly rocking back and forth, planting gentle kisses on his chest and neck. You increased your pulses as your breathing quickened and several small moans escaped from your lips. George smiled, getting off on your pleasure and he placed his hands on your hips, quickening your rhythms. 

George suddenly changed the pace, pushing you backwards so that he was on top of you. Your head was just barely off the edge of the bed, giving you the feeling of lightheadedness. George sucked on your neck as he thrust deeper inside of you. You felt your fingertips starting to tingle, knowing you were nearing a climax. 

“Oh George,” you breathed, running your fingernails across his bare back. He continued at his pace as your back arched and you started to orgasm. You felt George cum inside of you as his full body weight crashed on top of you. You laid there motionless for a moment, both of you catching your breath and recovering from your intimate moment. You ran your fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead.

“I love you, Georgie.”

“You know you aren’t supposed to say that after sex, dear.”

“I know, but it’s true and I don’t want you to forget it.” He lifted his head from your chest and kissed you lightly on the lips. You let out a big sigh and said the words you knew he was dreading, “I do really need to go now.”

“I know, I know. I won’t fight you this time. Have a lovely night with the girls and don’t forget about me.”

“Now you know I could never do that. Enjoy your night out as well. I want to hear all the stories tomorrow morning.”

“Yes of course, love. Now get going before Hermione apparates over here to retrieve you.”

You magically summoned your clothes and ran a finger through your hair to gussy up. “I love you,” you smiled as you apparated.

“Love you more!” You heard him shout as you were transported to London. 

                                                           X

“Y/N! There you are! We thought you’d changed your mind.” Hermione said, as she embraced you in a warm hug.

“Oh no, nothing like that. Just got caught up packing,” you lied as a slight blush crept up your cheeks. You hugged Ginny and Angelina, and to your surprise, Fleur. You had invited her out of courtesy, assuming she wouldn’t be interested, yet here she was. Hermione had booked you all a suite in a luxury hotel in the center of London. Her parents had some connection at the hotel and managed to get the room for you free of charge. You told the girls you wanted to do something different for your hen party and Hermione suggested you go out in London and explore some of the muggle bars, where you wouldn’t run into any familiar faces. You were a little enamored with the idea, as it seemed like you knew everyone in the local wizarding community. Venturing into London also gave George more freedom to bar hop along the usual spots. You imagined he would spend some time with Madame Rosmerta in the Three Broomsticks before returning to some of the bars in Diagon Alley. You and George both loved having a good time with friends, but it wasn’t often that you went out without one another. You were excited to have your girls’ night, but you knew you would miss George’s presence.

“Come on now, get changed. We’ve got dinner reservations!” Ginny urged. You found an empty room in the suite and magically unpacked the bag you had brought, evaluating your options. You had brought a selection of white dresses, all of different cuts and styles. After magically curling your hair, you selected a long sleeved white v-neck dress with a twirly, skater skirt. The top was made from lace that was sheer and snug around your arms. The flirty skirt was the perfect combination of classy, yet fun. You put on long gold chain earrings and a pair of gold heels. You stepped out of the room and found your friends all dressed in beautiful black dresses. 

“Shall we save the sash and the willies for the bar then?” Hermione said, holding up a bachelorette sash and some decorative penises. You burst out laughing and nodded, wanting to save the attention for the bar scene. With that you grabbed your things and headed out for dinner.

                                                             X

“I wonder what Y/N’s doing right now…” George said, falling distracted yet again.

“I’d say at this point she’s probably getting a lap dance from a male stripper dressed as a bobby,” Ron stated. Harry and Lee let out chuckles.

George snapped out of his daze and responded, “Is that where they’ve gone?”

“No, you wanker. I’m only joking,” Ron replied. 

“You need another beer,” Lee added, flagging down Madame Rosmerta. “Mate, this is one of your last nights as a single man. Stop harping over Y/N.”

“I know, you’re right. I just don’t like being apart from her.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re getting married,” Bill said, bringing a pitcher of beer for the group.

“Is this how you were with Fleur?”

“Sure. I never liked being away from her, especially when times were darker. I was so afraid that if we were separated I’d never see her again. Now I don’t have to worry so much about that, which makes it easier to be away. “

“George, if there’s one thing I know about you and Y/N, it’s that you can make it through anything. I don’t have a doubt in my mind that you two are meant to be together. Now, can you stop pouting over her and get drunk with us?” Ron commented. George couldn’t help that Y/N was his focus point of the night and he didn’t want to be a downer when his mates were all there to have a good time with him. He decided to try and shift his focus on the night ahead. He wanted to have stories to tell Y/N, knowing she would be enjoying herself tonight and would be eager to share her memories with him.

George responded to Ron’s comment by raising his glass and downing the fresh beer. All the guys cheered him on and started to get a little rowdy, preparing to finally get the night started.  

                                                            X

“Okay, give me a little bit of a break before the next shot,” you stated, letting the lemon drop shot settle just a bit. Dinner had ended and you had reached your first bar. It was very modern, with dim lighting and lots of sleek furniture. After some convincing, you had finally agreed to wear the bright pink sash. The girls convinced you that wearing it might get you a few rounds of drinks on the house, and so far they were correct. When the bartenders weren’t giving you free drinks, bar patrons were eager to treat you to a round after testing out their best pick up lines on the group. You didn’t hate the attention, but you would’ve preferred to be flirting with your husband to be.

You made rounds around the bar, moving between the bar itself and a comfortable table in the corner. Ginny soon convinced the four of you to head out on to the dance floor to let loose a little. You were feeling more than a buzz from the numerous rounds of shots and drinks and thus, you were easily convinced to go dance. Fleur and Angelina seemed to be willing to follow the group, but Hermione was the challenge, acting as your babysitter tonight.

“You all go dance and I’ll sit here and save the table for us,” she offered.

“Hermione….come on. Come have fun with us!” you contested

“Honestly, you all go out. I’ll come join you in a bit.” 

You were close to arguing further with her, however Ginny dragged you out on the club floor. Once again, you received looks from all the surrounding gentlemen. You couldn’t blame them, you were a group of good looking ladies. Thankfully, none of the admirers approached you, seeing as most of you were taken. It was then that it occurred to you to check on Hermione. You told the other girls you were grabbing a drink of water and would be back momentarily. Hermione seemed distracted but her face lit up when she saw you approach.

“Hi, are you having a great time?” she asked.

“I am, thank you for putting this all together for me. But I do wish you’d come have fun with us.”

She looked down before responding, “I’ll come join you in a bit.”

You furrowed your brow, “Hermione, is everything all right?”

She looked conflicted, which was unsettling. “It’s fine,” she said unconvincingly. “This is your night, I don’t want to make it about me.”

“So what if it’s my night, you’re upset about something. You’ve put so much work into this for me and I want to make sure you have a good time as well. So get on with it, what’s the matter?”

“I’m not sure it’s necessarily a bad thing, I’m just feeling a little nervous and unsure about things.”

“Is this about Ron?”

“Em, yeah a bit. I mean, things with him are great, better than I expected actually. It’s just…” she hesitated. You put your hand over hers to comfort her. She leaned toward you and whispered into your ear, “I think I might be…pregnant.”

“Hermione,” You responded with a surprised smile on your face. You instinctively wrapped your arms around her in a tight hug. “Is this a good thing?”

She giggled a little, “Yeah, I think so. You’re the first person I’ve told and now thinking about it’s made me very excited.”

“Ron doesn’t know yet?” you asked.

“I haven’t figured out the best way to tell him yet. You know how emotional he gets. I think maybe after the wedding. I don’t want to take away your spotlight.”

“Well I’m extremely excited for you. I promise I won’t tell a soul until you choose to announce it, not even George. And please let me know if you need anything at all.”

“I will, and I’m sorry that this is all coming up tonight. I didn’t mean for it to come out this way.”

“Don’t even worry about it. I just want to make sure you’re having a lovely time as well. Now come join us on the dance floor,” you took her hand and dragged her out to join the remainder of your group. The girls cheered as they saw you returning and you saw Ginny run off to fetch a round of shots.

                                                            X

“Oy, can we get out of here already? Madame Rosmerta’s staring me down…” Ron stated. He had just knocked over a few pints with his drunken storytelling and it was evident Madame Rosmerta was finished with the group’s antics.

“To Diagon Alley?” George suggested. The boys all agreed and they closed out the tab although their tab at the Three Broomsticks was never really settled. They owed Madame Rosmerta so much over the years. They all huddled together outside and apparated to the familiar street George called home. The boys found themselves in front of the shop. The lights inside were out and George could barely see the products lining the wall. He left the light on outside not only to assist him in getting home tonight, but just in case your plans changed and you ended up coming home.

Diagon Alley was bustling, like it had been previously. Except now it was home to more bars than shops. During the dark time, many of the shops closed down. How the joke shop managed to survive was a surprise to everyone. People seemed to need a place to escape and forget about the state of the magical community. They found solace in the joke shop, as well as the bar. Several pubs began popping up along the strip and once those that threatened the magical world were defeated, the pubs stuck around. You and George had made yourselves familiar with many of the bartenders in town, coming out for the occasional nightcap and sharing stories and laughs. It had been a while since George had been out with a rowdy group though. The boys fit right in with the weekend crowd, all witches and wizards letting loose and enjoying each other’s company. George offered to pick up the next round of drinks, despite several protests from his brothers and friends, while the guys found a table big enough to fit the group.

“Well, well, well…look who it is. How are ya, George? What can I get for you tonight?” Salvador asked. He was one of the bartenders you and George were very familiar with at this particular bar. He told you both stories about his experience growing up in the magical realm of Spain. 

“Just a pitcher of beer and a handful of glasses,” George ordered. Salvador quickly prepared the pitcher and the stack of glasses.

“What brings you out tonight? You don’t normally make an appearance on a bustling Saturday night.”

“It’s actually my stag night. The boys have dragged me out to get drunk and ogle random women.”

“You don’t say. So no Y/N tonight?”

“Sadly no. Missing her like crazy though.”

“I can imagine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two apart.”

“It happens very seldom. But I’ll survive without her for a few more hours.”

“When’s the wedding?”

“A few weeks from now. It almost seems silly because we basically are married as it is. But we wanted things to be official.”

“Well congratulations my friend! This round is on the house. Enjoy your night.”

“Thanks Sal,” George brought the beer back to the table and felt himself finally starting to get a little bit buzzed. Typically he held his alcohol pretty well, but it wasn’t often that he engaged in binge drinking. This was the first time he felt himself getting drunk in a long time.

                                                          X

After what seemed like hours of dancing and kind strangers buying rounds of drinks, you all settled down at the bar, trying to regain your balance somewhat. You couldn’t remember the last time you had been this drunk. You and George were casual drinkers. You had a drink a night, but you never got overly drunk, unless it was a special occasion. And while it was flattering to have all this male attention, you were seriously missing your partner in crime. 

Fleur was sitting next to you at the bar and while you were waiting on your next round of drinks, she put her arm on your shoulder and leaned close to you. “Come to the bathroom with me?” she asked.

You nodded and embarked, as the others flirted with the latest round of onlookers. Fleur grabbed your hand and you scurried off. This was unique for you. You and Fleur had always been civil but you wouldn’t say you were ever close. You accepted each other because you realized you would one day be related. The only things you really had in common was your involvement with the Weasleys.

Once in the bathroom, you were alone and you saw Fleur reach for her purse to touch up her makeup.

“Y/N, thank you so much for inviting me. I’m having such a wonderful time and I’m just happy to be a part of this.”

Her sentiment was sweet and your drunken state got the best of you. You gave her a hug and said “Of course Fleur. I’m happy to have you here. Thank you for coming.”

“You and George are completely perfect together. I honestly can’t wait to officially welcome you to the family.” 

‘Thank you Fleur. I can’t wait either. Honestly being apart from him tonight has been tough.”

“I understand. I miss Bill too.”

“I wonder what the boys are up to tonight.”

“Oh, they’re in Diagon Alley. At The Den or something like that.”

The Dragon’s Den. It was one of the local bars you and George frequented. You smiled, knowing he was likely having a wonderful time with the boys.

“Y/N, come with me.” She took your hand yet again and a moment later you were apparating. Before you realized what had happened, you were in The Den.  Crowds of people were lined around the bar as you stood in the vacant hallway.

“Fleur! We shouldn’t be here!” you whispered through a giggle.

“Nonsense, we’ll only be a moment. Now stay here, out of sight.” She sauntered into the room and you saw her sneak up behind Bill at a high top table. The other guys seemed to be invested in something else and didn’t notice her. She kissed him several times and then whispered in his ear. The two turned toward your direction, with brilliant smiles. Fleur snuck away from Bill as he rejoined the group of guys. You saw him pat George on the shoulder and pull him away from the crowd. Moments later you saw George head your way with a puzzled look on his face. You hid in the hallway so you wouldn’t be spotted and soon enough you felt his presence nearby.  

He turned the corner and didn’t notice you right away. He looked like a confused and lost puppy, looking without a purpose.

“Psst…” you finally said to capture his attention. He turned around and his face lit up when he saw you.

“Darling!” he smiled as he picked you up. He planted several kisses on your lips and said, “What are you doing here? You’re breaking the rules! You should be getting drunk with your friends.”

“I’m full of surprises,” was all you offered.

“I’m so happy to see you. I hope you’re having a great time tonight.”

“I am but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss you.”

“I missed you too,” he said, kissing you again. “How did you pull this off anyway?” he said, still holding you in his arms.

“It was all Fleur actually. I didn’t even know where she was taking me. Suddenly we apparated and ended up here.”

“Well I’m very glad she snuck you here.”

“Me too,” you smiled up at him. He kissed you some more and it was then you realized he was more than a little drunk. He always got very touchy when he was drinking, which you didn’t mind one bit. He kept whispering sweet nothings in your ear between kisses and you couldn’t stop giggling. You were desperately wishing you could end your night now and head home with George, but you knew soon it would be time to head back to the bar with the girls. 

He suddenly pulled away and smiled down at you, “I can’t believe you came here.”

“I didn’t mean to crash your party, but I just missed you so much.”

“I love that you crashed my party,” he said, before kissing you again. You continued kissing for what seemed like mere seconds before you were broken up by Fleur and Bill.

“Alright mate, you’ve had your fun. Y/N better get back to London before anyone notices she’s missing.”

You both pouted as you said quick goodbyes and before you knew it, you were back in the bathroom where you came from. 

“Fleur, did you have that whole thing planned?” you asked with a smile.

“Oui,” she smiled and flipped her blonde hair behind her shoulder, “Bill and I both knew you’d want to see each other at some point in the night.”

“That was very thoughtful. Thank you,” you smiled and hugged her. She had surprised you tonight. She was invited as a formality, but she had proved that she knew something about you and what would make you happy. 

You quietly returned to your friends, who had barely noticed you were gone. Hermione was perceptive though, and her lack of alcohol didn’t seem to help your case. 

“You were gone a while…” she said with a smirk.

“Oh, long line in the bathroom,” you lied with a smile. She nodded, not believing your bullshit, but she didn’t press you any further. You could see her losing steam quickly and you felt the night begin to wind down. You had another drink or two before you collectively embarked back to the hotel. Hermione helped you navigate the unfamiliar streets as you all giggled together and stumbled in your heels. Upon arriving at the hotel you ordered room service and ate your weight in pizza and chips. Hermione, being ever responsible, forced you all to drink water to minimize your hangovers the next morning. You all knew she was preparing a hangover cure for the morning, so you didn’t take her suggestions very seriously. One by one the girls trickled off to bed until it was just you and Ginny. While you had stopped drinking a little while ago, Ginny popped a bottle of champagne for the two of you, even though you hardly needed it. 

“Y/N, I can’t wait for you to be my sister.”

“Ginny…” you replied, bringing her in close for a hug.

“My whole life I’ve wanted a sister, and now I have three. Although I never felt too close to Fleur, she's growing on me. And Angelina is such a dear, but tough as nails. She’s lived through the circle of life and she doesn’t complain at all. And then there’s you. You’re so happy go lucky and you bring joy to everyone around you. You’re just so calm and level headed all the time. You handle every situation with such grace. When we were growing up, you were my role model. You were so confident and sure of yourself and that was something I struggled with. I always thought of you as an older sister, even when we weren’t super close. And now I feel like I can finally call you my sister.”

“Ginny, you’ve always been a sister to me. And you know I’ll always be here if you need anything.”

“Thanks for being so great. And thanks for everything you’ve done for George. I don’t know if you realize how happy you make him. He never would’ve gotten through everything without you.”

“That really does mean a lot Gin. I can’t imagine my life without him. He’s made me happier than I could ever imagine.”

The conversation dwindled and you both sauntered off to bed. You changed into one of George’s T-shirts that you had brought with you and crawled into bed. You thought bringing this small piece of George would help you through the night, but it only made things worse. You kept smelling his scent on you and all you wanted was to be wrapped in his arms. You tossed and turned in an attempt to get comfortable but nothing was working. You even turned on the television to try and shift your focus to whatever late night show was on, but it didn’t help. After what seemed like hours you gave up trying to fall asleep. You moved to the common area of the suite in search of something to snack on.

To your surprise, Ang was seated at the table with a pack of biscuits open in front of her and a book in her hand.

“Can’t sleep?” she asked you.

“I can’t remember the last time I slept alone. I thought I might enjoy the extra space but…” you trailed off, unable to vocalize your thoughts. “What about you?”

“I’m okay, I just miss little Freddie. I know Molly’s taking good care of him, but it’s still hard to be away.”

“I hear that…the funny thing is, I was the one who brought this up. George didn’t want to spend the night apart but I insisted because it was tradition. And now I’m regretting it because I miss him laying next to me at night.”

“You should go to him,” she said, passing you a biscuit.

“What?”

“Go home and surprise him. Everyone else is asleep, they won’t mind if you sneak home.”

“It would be kind of fun to surprise him…are you sure?”

“Sure, do what makes you happy. But before you go, let me give you your bachelorette gift.”

“Ang you didn’t have to get me a gift.”

“Oh but of course I did. And now you can get some use out of it tonight.” She brought out a pink box tied with a black bow. You quickly pulled the bow loose and opened the box. Inside was a lacy black bra and matching thong. “I hope you like it. I know you like simplicity so I didn’t want to get you anything that was too much.”

“It’s perfect,” you smiled. You felt the booze come back to you again as you started to feel giddy on the inside. This was unpredictable which was something you weren’t great at. You tried on the lingerie and showed it off to Angelina. She gave you the compliments needed to increase your confidence. You threw on the long trench coat you had brought in case of rain and slipped on the gold heels you had been wearing earlier in the night.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” you smiled to yourself in the mirror, as you touched up your hair and makeup. The action wasn’t completely wild, but it was out of character for you. You just kept thinking about how George would react and the thought of being with him brought a smile to your face.

“Go have some fun,” Ang said as she gave you a hug.

‘Thanks for helping me do this.”

“What are sisters for,” she grinned. After one more glance you apparated to Diagon Alley. 

                                                            X

You landed outside the shop and unlocked the door, careful to disarm the alarms before they sounded. Once inside, you locked the shop door and walked up the steps to the apartment. You stood at the front door, wondering how to best play this situation out. Even though you had a key to the apartment, you found yourself knocking on the door. George was a light sleeper so even if he was in bed, the knocking would wake him up.

You heard footsteps across the hardwood floor and tried to maintain your composure. The door swung open and you saw George’s tired face try to comprehend what was happening. 

“Special delivery,” you said with a coy smile. His tired eyes widened as a grin spread over his face.

“How did I get so lucky,” he smiled at you. A moment later his lips were on yours, kissing you tenderly. You stayed in the doorframe for a moment before he pulled you inside.  You managed to pull away for a moment and you pushed him back into the kitchen table.

“Sit,” you instructed. He quickly turned a kitchen chair to face you and sat down. You sauntered across the room and took a deep breath. With your back turned to him you used your wand to turn on the radio in the kitchen, which began to play some slow R&B. You turned around to face George and slowly started to take off the trench coat, first untying the belt then slowly undoing every button, taking a step forward with each button undone. Once the coat was completely unbuttoned, you dropped your shoulders and let it slip to the floor.

You weren’t sure what was coming over you; perhaps it was the last few glasses of champagne you shared with Ginny. You were never one to be overly dominant and in control. But you knew George was enjoying himself. His eyes were locked on you and he was taking in deep breaths. His face gave you the confidence you needed to continue.

You continued toward George and found yourself circling around his chair. You placed your hands delicately on his shoulders and slid your hands down his chest. You planted sweet kisses up his neck, gently sucking on his soft skin. When you reached his ear you tugged on his lobe with your teeth, slowly pulling until his skin slipped through your chiclets.  

“Oh Merlin…Y/N…” he whispered.

“Shhh….” you said, placing your finger over his lips. You gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before quickly changing positions. You slung your leg across him so that you were straddled across his lap. 

You ran your fingers through his ginger hair before tracing his jawline with your knuckles. His hand was gently resting on your waist, but you casually slid it down past your hips, giving him access to your ass. Once again, you moved your lips to his neck and started slowly gyrating your hips on his lap. He tightened his grip on your backside and you moved from his neck to his lips. He quickly accepted your tongue into his mouth and you could taste his hunger, but you wanted to make sure you prolonged this experience for him. You slowly pulled away as he looked longingly at you. You failed to hide the sly smile that was slowly spreading across your face. You quickly unhooked your bra and gracefully flung it to the side. George let out a deep breath and you took that as a sign to continue. You pulled his shirt over his head and planted kisses down his neck and chest. You carefully slid down off his lap and knelt on the ground as you fished out his member from his sweatpants. You began massaging his shaft with your hand before taking him into your mouth. You heard him exhale, clearly enjoying himself as you continued to pleasure him. George was typically a giver in bed, so he wasn’t used to having all the attention on him. You only hoped he was enjoying himself and that you made him feel special. After a series of moans, George ran his fingers through your hair and pulled you up towards him. He placed you back on his lap and cupped your face in his hand.

“What are you doing to me, Y/N?” he said with a smile on his face.

“I just want to give you a stag night that you’ll never forget.”

“Well you are certainly succeeding,” he said, planting a sweet kiss on your lips.

“And now we are going to move to the bedroom where we will make love for the rest of the night.” You kissed him on the lips and stood up, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. Before you could lead him toward the bedroom, he picked you up so that you were facing him with your arms wrapped around his neck and your legs wrapped around his torso. He quickly found your lips and carried you toward the bedroom with a sense of urgency.

                                                             X 

“That was…wild,” George said, catching his breath. Your head was resting on his chest and you were struggling to breathe regularly.

“That’s a good way to put it,” you muttered. He chuckled lightly before tightening his embrace around your bare shoulder. 

“I can’t wait to marry you,” he said, kissing your forehead.

“Just three short weeks until I can call you my husband.”

“That is entirely too long.”

“Would it be crazy if we got married tomorrow?” You were kind of spewing off without thinking, but after you spoke you started considering this more and more.

He let out a big sigh, “Y/N, we’ve had this conversation before. I know you don’t want a small wedding.”

“Okay, but hear me out. We can still have the party and the wedding we planned out with everyone. But we’ll just already be married. It’ll be like our little secret.”

“You seriously want to do this?” he asked.

“I don’t want to wait anymore. And then this way it takes some of the pressure off of the big day. Who cares if things don’t go perfectly. We’ll already be married.”

“I’m having a hard time coming up with a counter argument.”

“Do you want to marry me tomorrow?” you asked. You sensed some hesitation from him and you wanted to ensure this was something he wanted.

“Y/N, I’ve wanted to marry you since the day we met. I don’t care what kind of wedding we have, as long as you’re happy. Is this something you really want?”

“Yes. I want to marry you tomorrow and I want it to be our little secret. This is for us, not for everyone else.”

“If that’s what you want then that’s what we’ll do. Although, I will check in with you tomorrow morning to make sure you haven’t changed your mind.”

“I can tell you right now, I’m not changing my mind.” George shifted underneath you and then moments later he was on top of you, squeezing you tight. You wrapped your arms around him and planted sweet kisses on his neck.

He popped his head up and looked in your eyes, “I really love you.”

You pecked him on the lips, “I really love you too.” 

#george weasley x reader #george weasley x y/n #george weasley fanfic #weasley twins fanfic #hp fanfic #george weasley x you

[blitheringmcgonagall]

My Gallant Lad - Part IV

So I got a wonderful anon telling me that this is their favourite Lily Rescues James fic, it’s part of my finished canon marauders fic We Can Be Heroes. But, because it works as a stand alone story, I posted it here in four parts. I hope you enjoy it! Set during the first wizarding war, Lily is very BAMF (but tbh so is James)

TW: angsty and violence

Part I here: After their worst row ever, Lily and James get captured by Voldemort...

Part II here: James tries to save Lily

Part III here: Lily tries to save James

PART IV

(PS this is not pro- Snape at all, quite the opposite, for this to make sense you’ll have to read the other parts, lol!)

Mulciber swallowed.

“Now help me lift Potter, and for fuck’s sake be careful, he’s perilously close to death as it is!” Snape said.

He was so angry his body was shaking in agitation.

Mulciber lifted James’ body as though it were made of glass.

                                       ***

“I’ll take it from here,” Snape ordered.

They were standing underneath the main door of the castle, which led into the courtyard.

“I thought we were bringing Potter and his vile mudblood to the Dark Lord?” Mulciber said, frowning suspiciously.

“Change of plan, Mulciber,” Snape said matter-of-factly. “I want to try and get Evans to talk, that way if Potter snuffs it, we won’t risk being beheaded by him.”

“What do you mean?” Mulciber looked at him in bewilderment. “If you attack Evans and manage to injure her also, we’re doubly fucked!”

“I won’t fuck it up, unlike you dithering idiots I actually know what I’m doing!” Snape says angrily.

Mulciber stared hard at him.

“Are you sure you’re Snape?” he said, narrowing his eyes and reaching for his wand. “You’re acting strangely and I-“

“He’s Snape all right, but under the Imperius Curse,” Lily interjected. “Expelliarmus!”

Mulciber’s wand flew into Lily’s outstretched hand.

“You?” Mulciber seethed. “How in Morgana’s hell did you manage to Imperio him? Last I heard you were wailing painfully awful songs from your cell, giving us all a headache! I thought you’d given up!”

“The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad, for all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad,” Lily shrugged. “You just hadn’t experienced the merry part yet!”

“You’re not a man,” Mulciber sneered.

“Ha!” Lily’s face broke into a harsh smile. “What Chesterton didn’t say about Irish women is that when they’re angry, all their wars are won!”

Mulciber stared at her sullenly.

“Not my fault that you consistently underestimate me, Mulciber!” Lily shot back. “You think you’d have learnt by now!”

Mulciber’s face looked like curdled milk.

“Too late,” Lily said. “Obliviate!”

Mulciber’s expression changed slowly to one of utter confusion as he looked between Lily, James and Snape. He hadn’t even seen the spell hit him.

“What happened to him?” he said, scratching behind his ear and staring at James’ body. “Where’s your Head Girl badge? Your uniform?”

“Quidditch injury,” Lily said flatly. “Vicious Slytherin tactics. One hundred points from your House, now back to your common room before I have you expelled!”

“Whaat?” Mulciber said, looking utterly bewildered.

“I’m counting till ten. Ten… nine… eight…” Lily said.

Mulciber stumbled and turned immediately, muttering incoherent protests.

“Not bad, Lily Evans,” Snape whispered with a vicious grin. “Not bad at all.”

                                                  ***

“Outside! Now!” Snape ordered.

Lily Evans remained silent as she walked outside at a steady pace, Snape following her and dragging James Potter’s body along the ancient flagstones.

“Now, it seems that nothing will persuade Dumbledore’s man to reveal what has happened to the Dark Lord’s precious treasure, a book Dumbledore’s men stole! Potter nearly died refusing to tell us. I’m ordering you to tell me, or I’ll make you kill your own husband!” he called out.

“No, I won’t tell you anything,” Lily said with effort.

“Wow! That’s dope!” Villiers whispered loudly to Wilkes.

The two men were sitting on the battlements having a smoke and peering down with interest at the scene unfolding below them.

“Look what Snape is up to! I never thought he was into that shit!” Wilkes replied. “He usually lets us handle that kind of stuff, says it’s boring!”

They looked at each other and grinned.

“Massive!” Villiers giggled, bumping fists with Wilkes.

Snape picked up his wand.

“Last chance, Miss. Evans,” he said, dragging James closer to the middle of the courtyard.

He was holding two other wands in his hand.

“What is going on here?”

Snape whirled around.

Voldemort was standing at the castle gate, and with him Evan Rosier. Voldemort’s wand was pointed at him.

“I am quite simply trying to establish the whereabouts of your missing book, my Lord,” Snape said. “I thought this might work.”

“Rosier here tells me you have been acting exceedingly strange,” Voldemort’s voice was icy. “He thinks you may be under the Imperius Curse.”

“Rosier is neither observant nor intelligent, my Lord,” Snape said stiffly.

“Be that as it may, Severus, you are not yourself, you would not usually dare speak to me with this much courage,” Voldemort replied, stepping forwards.

“My Lord?” Severus replied.

“Let us see what happens, shall we?” Voldemort said, whirling around at the last minute and pointing his wand at Lily.

“Stupefy!” Voldemort said with a lazy swish of his wand.

Lily Evans crumpled to the ground. Snape stood motionless, as though unsure what to do.

“Ah, the spell fades, I see. I had hoped you would not be so easily overcome by it. You disappoint me, Severus, I thought you were stronger than that. I thought you knew the mudblood well enough to watch out for any tricks she might play? Or were you too enticed by her beauty to focus on doing your job properly?” Voldemort spat out. “You shall pay for this mistake! And the object of your affections will most definitely pay.”

“I’m afraid I underestimated the mudblood,” Snape said, with a condescending smirk at the Dark Lord. “I don’t know her as well as I thought I did. She should perhaps have been sorted into Slytherin. It appears that Lily Evans is a devious little bitch!”

Startling emerald eyes glared at Voldemort from Snape’s face. As the wheels in Voldemort’s mind whirled, Snape removed a leather bracelet from his wrist and tapped it, revealing a large glittering brass key.

“Póg mo thóin, Riddle!” he said, flicking the V at Voldemort (who looked momentarily stunned) as he grabbed hold of James’ arm and apparated into thin air.

“I don’t get it,” Rosier said, looking at Voldemort and rubbing his forehead as though in pain. “Was that Snape? No, hang on.. what was..?”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” roared Voldemort, raising his head as his blood-curdling screams carried over the courtyard and into the surrounding forest.

He kicked out viciously at Rosier’s leg sending him hopping around in circles howling with pain. A family of carrion crows, disturbed by the commotion, flapped and squawked upwards from the turrets and battlements.

“Which one of you is the imbecile who allowed Lily Evans to escape?” he screamed at Rosier. “Why did none of you stop her?”

Villiers and Wilkes ducked down behind the walls of the battlements, grimacing.

A splash of white bird dropping landed on Voldemort’s nose. Rosier stared at him.

“You have some…” he said, pointing to Voldemort’s face. “Just there?”

Voldemort looked ready to kill him.

“If you don’t permanently dispose of this group of crows by Salazar’s soul, I will feed you to them myself!” he shouted wildly, waving his wand at Rosier, and rubbing his face furiously with the back of his sleeve.

“A murder of crows, not a group, but whatever,” Rosier muttered to himself, looking peeved, as he aimed Avada Kedavras at the screeching birds.

Voldemort walked over to the body of Lily Evans and stared at the darkening hair and sallower skin, Snape’s eyes looking up at him.

“Legilimens!” he intoned.

The memory was tampered with, powerfully, so that he was unable to see some of the earlier incidents, but he could see the conversation between “Snape” and Avery, Fuck Voldemort, I hate that bastard! Avery running off to hide from him. Seething with rage, he grabbed Rosier’s arm and touched his dark mark.

He watched as all his followers apparated around him, all except Snape who lay half-stunned on the ground, and Hugo Avery.

“Find Avery, bring him to me, now, or you all die!” he hissed, the red veins in his sclera protruding menacingly. “Nooooowwwww!!!!”

                                                  ***

 “I don’t know what happened,” Frank said, his croaky voice difficult to understand in between coughing fits.

“He needs to come with me to the Infirmatory,” Poppy interrupted, looking at Dumbledore and pointing towards the door.

Frank continued coughing and shook his head forcefully.

“We were ambushed… they were waiting for us… they wanted to get Black and Lupin,” he wheezed. “They got Lily and James… I wanted to create a diversion but before I could move, one of them released noxious fumes, no doubt to catch any other Order members, I was knocked out cold… I fell backwards and the thicket hid me from sight… woke up freezing cold a short while ago… I couldn’t find any trace of them whatsoever. I only got back just as Lily apparated here with James, he looks bad.”

The ancient double door burst open as he spoke, and Sirius Black stormed inside, his black jeans soaking wet, his leather jacket still in his hands, closely followed by a haggard-looking Remus Lupin.

“We came as soon as we got your owl. Where are they?” he roared, going straight up to Frank and grabbing hold of his collar urgently. “Where the fuck are they? Tell me!”

Remus found himself unable to utter a single word.

                                                     ***

The door of the Infirmary flew open, Sirius breathless as though he had just sprinted up five flights of stairs (which he had). He looked at Lily and seeing the pain and fear in her eyes, he forced himself to look at James lying unconscious in the bed behind her - it didn’t look like his brother, the bruised and battered body covered in what he immediately recognised as myriad curses, his usually tanned skin a deathly pale colour. He looked already dead. He looked back at Lily, the darkness under her eyes, her quivering lips.

“Lily,” he tried to say her name but no words came out, caught in his throat.

“I know, sweetie,” Lily’s voice a hoarse whisper.

Then they flung their arms around each other, gripping on for dear life. Sirius felt her chest heave and held her even closer as her quiet sobs filled the silent room, shattering his heart.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered back, his breath still caught inside his chest, trapped.

What could he say, hearing her heartbroken sounds?

“We won’t... we shan’t let him die,” he managed to say eventually, shutting his eyes tightly to stop himself breaking down. He moved to take both her hands in his own, looking down at her with tears in his eyes.

He didn’t even know was he trying to comfort her or was he trying to comfort himself.

“I… I used an Unforgivable, Sirius,” Lily said eventually, keeping her head down.

“I would have sprained my wrist throwing Unforgivables at the bastards!” Sirius said. “I wish I could have done it for you.”

He had badness in him already, let him hold it for all of them.

It should have been him. He should have been there instead of James, instead of Lily.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Lily’s voice shook. “I did it to save James… it felt wrong, Sirius, it is wrong and disgusting, but I know I’d do it again to save him. Am I a bad person, Sirius? I.. I saw what they did to him, I wanted them all dead… I thought about it... I wanted to. I don’t want to become like them, Sirius, but I wanted to kill them, so badly!”

“Lily, you didn’t kill them. You could have tried to, but you didn’t. You saved James. Merlin, you saved my brother, the only brother I have left, I can never thank you enough,” Sirius’ voice broke.

He wondered what he would have done in her place.

“It was Snape, he wanted to save me, but I had to find James, I couldn’t… he hurt James, I hate him for it,” Lily said desperately, squeezing Sirius’ arms.

“Fuck that creepy bastard!” Sirius said.

“What if Voldemort kills him? What if he dies? It will be my fault!” Lily whispered. “I hate him so much, but I don’t want to get him killed. I wouldn’t care if he died in battle, not now, not after everything he’s done to James! But being tortured and killed for trying to save me? I don’t want that, am I mad?”

“You had to,“ Sirius said, gripping her tightly. “You had to try to save James. You couldn’t leave with Snape, you know that would have been wrong! You are not to blame for anything Voldemort does!”

“I need James too, Sirius, he doesn’t see that, he thought I could manage without him, he’s so stupid, such a stupid, darling, beautiful man,” Lily stopped, her hand over her mouth.

“He can’t die, Poppy won’t let him die,” Sirius whispered back.

Lily nodded, still crying. He saw her sway and grabbed hold of her shoulders.

“Merlin Lily,” he said anxiously. “Sit down immediately! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Do you need Poppy? Will I get-“

“ No, please, Sirius, I didn’t get hurt, James-“ she stopped, unable to continue, and bringing her hand up to her mouth again.

He didn’t think he could handle hearing what had happened.

“Hush, Lily, you’re both safe now,” he heard himself say.

“He... I couldn’t... I tried...” she said. She closed her eyes and swayed again, sitting down suddenly and placing her head between her knees.

“I need some water, and something to eat,” she said, sounding suddenly anxious as her almond shaped clear eyes searched Sirius’ for reassurance.

“I... Merlin, yes of course, Darling, let me get that for you!” Sirius said, relief blossoming at some small task he could do to help. “Do you want a firewhisky instead?”

“No! I can’t drink now I’m ... I’m a bit dehydrated Sirius, I better stick to the water,” Lily said, placing her hand over her lower abdomen in a protective gesture.

“Yes of course,” Sirius said feverishly, throwing his leather jacket on.

“I’ll get it,” Dearborn was standing in the doorway looking at Lily uncomfortably.

“Lily, I know you already had a debriefing with Professor Dumbledore, but he was wondering if you wouldn’t mind answering a few more-“ he continued.

“No!”

Both Lily and Sirius spoke at once.

“Not now, my husband needs me here, Dumbledore can wait,” Lily said, staring at Dearborn with a hostile expression as she swiped at her red eyes furiously.

“Tell him to go fuck himself,” Sirius growled.

Dearborn nodded, recognising defeat.

“You get some food and water for Lily, Caradoc, I’ll tell Dumbledore,” Remus said. Remus stood quietly behind Dearborn, a grim look, no obvious emotions displayed on his tired face.

“Righto,” Dearborn nodded reluctantly.

“Hurry up,” Remus ordered. “We don’t want Poppy to end up with another patient.”

“Righto,” Dearborn said, looking relieved to have an excuse to leave.

                                                      *** “You wanted to speak with me, Mr. Lupin?” Dumbledore said, gesturing vaguely towards the chair in front of him.

Remus sat down. The silence made him nervous.

“You feel guilty for swapping your week on call with the Potters. You want to make sure that your friends are protected from danger as much as possible from now on?”

Remus felt his cheeks flush. He nodded, feeling even worse.

“Good,” Dumbledore said. “I can see why you’d think that way.”

Remus swallowed. Dumbledore blamed him too? He wanted to crawl under the floorboards never to re-emerge.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, looking down, unable to meet the Professor’s gaze. “I should have stayed…”

“That’s quite alright, Remus, these things happen, and we have to learn from them,” Dumbledore said.

Remus felt himself slide further down the chair. He wanted to cry. It reminded him of The Prank at the end of Fifth Year. It should have been him. He should have insisted Sirius go with someone else. He felt personally responsible for what had happened, and if James died because of him… if James died…

“What can I do, Sir?” Remus whispered hoarsely. “Tell me there is something I can do to help!”

He looked up and caught Dumbledore looking at him keenly, with an astute gaze.

“Of course there is something you can do to help, Remus,” Dumbledore said, steepling his hands together. “It will be dangerous though, the most dangerous mission I have ever given any member of the Order.”

Remus nodded dumbly.

“It is also top secret. You must not discuss this information with a single soul,” Dumbledore said, his blue eyes assessing Remus coolly. “Not the Marauders, not Lily Potter, especially not Sirius Black. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Remus said, sitting up straighter. “You can trust me.”

“I hope so, Remus,” Dumbledore said. “Most people wouldn’t.”

Remus froze, taken aback.

“I…” he stuttered.

“Luckily for you, I am not most people, Mr. Lupin,” Dumbledore smiled pleasantly. “Lemon sherbet?”

Somewhere in the back of Remus’ mind the words you bastard and what the fuck presented themselves as appropriate responses.

He declined politely.

“I have a singularly important and quite unusual mission, and it seems to me that you are the perfect candidate to volunteer for it,” Dumbledore said, sucking loudly on the muggle sweet and leaning back into his chair.

Somehow the wizard’s eyes seemed beadier in this light. Remus waited.

“I will of course understand if you turn down this opportunity, Remus, that you may be too frightened to go,” Dumbledore said. “Other Order members may be more-“

Remus’ jaw tightened. The words you bastard and what the fuck once more presented themselves as appropriate responses.

“Other Order members have no idea how little I fear most things,” Remus said, his eyes narrowing.

“Yes, of course, Remus, I am well aware that compared to most-“ Dumbledore said, with a placating raise of his palms.

“What mission?” Remus asked.

“A mission to infiltrate Fenrir Greyback’s werewolf pack. I am aware you have already made his acquaintance,” Dumbledore said. “To see if they can be persuaded to abandon their leader and join our side in the war. And to spy on them, at any rate.”

Remus felt a cold shiver of dread run down his spine. His old Headmaster couldn’t be serious, surely. That was a hopeless mission, a pointless waste of life, a …

Greyback…

An ear-splitting scream of terror, his own. Rabid eyes. Massive yellow canines lunging towards him, saliva dripping off them. Laughter and howling.

“Tell your Daddy I said hello!”

A tearing sensation as huge teeth sank into his hip. Another ear-splitting scream, this time of pain…

He felt his hands tremble and gripped the edges of the armchair in agitation.

“If you’d rather not, I am sure I can persuade another member of the Order to pretend to be a werewolf. With some clever Transfiguration spells, which many of our members are particularly gifted at, especially your own friends-“ Dumbledore said.

“No!” Remus said, standing up suddenly and staring hard at the other man, his breathing erratic. “Merlin no! You have no idea…”

His voice trailed off again, his heart hammering wildly against his ribcage.

“So, Mr. Lupin, you don’t feel you can bring yourself to-“ Dumbledore said.

“No!” Remus practically shouted. “I’ll do it! Don’t even think about asking anyone else… I’ll do it, alright?”

“I see,” Dumbledore smiled kindly again. “My deepest apologies Remus, how very brave of you. I should never have doubted you.”

Remus bit the side of his lip. This was akin to agreeing to a suicide mission. Any sane individual would have refused to accept the offer. But surely Dumbledore had guessed he would never allow any of his friends or colleagues to go instead of him, to risk being turned? The bastard must have known all along. Yet he owed so much to this old man, this powerful wizard, the one they were all relying on to beat Voldemort and to win this war. The one who had given him a chance. Who had risked his reputation by allowing him into Hogwarts. Who had not expelled him after the disastrous Prank in Fifth Year. Maybe he was being unkind and unfair to the man. Perhaps this mission was genuinely important?

“No need to apologise, Sir,” Remus said with a small smile, extending his hand out.

“Thank you, Remus,” Dumbledore said, shaking his hand warmly. “I do appreciate your help in this war. I shall contact you shortly with more information about this entire affair. Please remember to keep this top secret.”

“Yes, Sir,” said Remus.

                                           ***

He opened the door quietly. The room was dimly lit by the fire and the large candles on either side of the infirmary bed. James looked the same, somewhere between life and death. Lily was sitting on a chair, her head lying on the bed beside him, still fully clothed, the dark shadows under her eyes more pronounced in this light. She was holding James’ hand. Sirius was nowhere to be seen, but at the foot of the bed, on top of the carefully folded blankets lay Padfoot. He was whimpering in his sleep. The shaggy dog opened his eyes briefly, fixing Remus with his mournful grey eyes.

“Sleep, Padfoot,” Remus said quietly. “I’ll stay up. I’ll call Poppy if there’s any change. There’s nothing more we can do.”

Padfoot yelped quietly, turning to look at Lily and James and then looked back at Remus and whined. He was looking at Remus accusingly. Where had he disappeared off to, why hadn’t he comforted Lily? Did he not care?

“I’m sorry,” Remus said.

It sounded curt. Inadequate.

What more could he say?

Padfoot whined once again, dropping his head into his paws, looking dejected. Remus sat on the ground, his head in his hands. He could go over, talk to Sirius, but his boyfriend always knew if he was hiding anything from him, and he was too tired to make up an excuse for what had just happened. Too tired, too traumatised, too selfish…

He stayed where he was.

Padfoot slept fitfully, beset by nightmares. Remus did not sleep a wink. He did not allow himself to sleep. The fear of nightmares kept him awake, as though he were four years old again. Besides, he did not deserve to sleep.

                                          ***

PS Póg mo thóin - kiss my ass in Irish

PS To find out if James is okay, and if Lily is in fact pregnant and if yes, what happens next etc, I’m afraid you’ll have to keep reading  We Can Be Heroes. If you just want to read on, it’s from Chapter 45.

 If you want, I can post more stand alones (Harry’s birth? the Jily engagement? Jily Wedding? Wolfstar first kiss etc??or the next part but it just leads into more stuff!)

#WCBH one shots #BAMF Lily #BAMF James #first wizarding war #defying voldemort #canon jily #canon marauders #angsty #I love Lily Evans #jily #wolfstar #poor darlings #it’s all a bit Angsty

[sappy-seresin]

left behind (j.m)

A/N: This imagine is based off of the song “All My Friends,” by AJ Mitchell. It doesn’t entirely relate to the song, and didn’t turn out exactly how I thought it would, but I hope that you enjoy it nonetheless. This is my first “Outer Banks,” related imagine, I’m sure it doesn’t do the show justice, but I thought I’d try because I can’t stop thinking about the show.

The sections in bold are song lyrics and flashbacks are in italics; just to clear any potential confusion.

Requests are open, as always, feel free to request anything Outer Banks related...or any of the other that fandoms I write for! 

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

“I’m done, I can’t do this anymore,” JJ broke down rushing around his room to aimlessly throw his belongings into his bag.

“JJ, please calm down,” I beg, reaching out to touch him until John B’s arms wrapped around my waist, halting my movements. I look up at him in frustration, trying to force myself out of his arms. 

“Stop, he needs to do this,” he commands softly, holding me against his chest. Kie, Pope, and Sarah watch the scene in silence, the tension in the room growing thicker as we watch JJ pack his bags. 

“JJ-”

“Don’t Kie, nothing you say is going to keep me from leaving,” he barks, glaring at her. His whole body trembling with anger due to argument that he had with his dad moments earlier. “I’m done.” 

My heart drops at the sight of him; knowing full well that even I won’t be able to convince him to stay. 

An hour later we stand on the dock watching hundreds of people board the ferry. Everyone stands in silence anticipating having to say goodbye, but seemingly afraid of the moment that we’d be forced to do so. 

JJ’s hand slides into mine tightly gripping onto my fingers. I close my eyes, trying to stay calm and support his decision of leaving the island, even though I want to beg him to stay. 

“It’s time,” Pope sighs, breaking the silence as we all share sad glances.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I whisper to JJ, pulling him into my arms. “I’ll talk to my parents, you know that they’ll let you stay with us. Please, just don’t leave me here.”

“I can’t move in with you,” he states, his words slightly muffled by my hair. “I have to go, and I need you to support this decision.”

“Then let me come with you,” I insist, frowning when he pulls himself from my grasp so that he can look at me. “We promised that we’d never leave each other-”

“We were four years old,” he sighs, shaking his head. “I love you but this is something I need to do on my own, okay?” I simply nod in response; not trusting my voice. He pulls me back into his arms one last time, whispering a “thank you” before he moved to say his goodbyes to everyone else. I stand to the side, looking anywhere but at my friends as each of them had their moment with him. 

Kie and Sarah joined me, giving me sympathetic looks before pulling me into side hugs so that we could stand together. I lay my head on Sarah’s shoulder, watching John B pull JJ into his arms one last time.

“Take care of yourself, JJ,” he stated as they pulled away from each other.

“You know I will,” he winked, clearly trying to lighten the mood and take our attention away from the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He takes a moment to salute at us, his eyes meeting mine one last time before he spun around to board the ferry without looking back.

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

“Why can’t I just hide in my room,” I huff exasperatedly flopping on my bed backwards tired of hearing my mom ramble about needing to get back to a normal routine.

“Listen to me, it’s been nearly a month. I know how deeply you care for him, but this has got to stop,” she states walking out of my closet empty handed. “You’ve never liked this house, and now it seems that all you want to do is spend your time here. As much as I love having you around, I’m worried.”

“Mom,” I groan, shifting to face her. “You don’t have to worry. I’m perfectly fine.” 

“I’m your mother. As much as you think you can lie to me, you can’t. So don’t start,” she warns, raising her eyebrows as she sat on the bed next to me. I sigh, shoulders slumping in defeat, as the front I attempted to put on slowly vanished. “Love is strong, especially when you’re young. Sadly, when you sign up for love you also sign up for potential heartbreak. The fact that you’re hurting so deeply just shows that it was real.” I listen intently, tears springing into my eyes at her words. 

“But I didn’t sign up for it, mom. He’s my best friend, not my boyfriend,” I huff, as if trying to deny what I already know is true.

“You and I know full well that you don’t have to be dating someone to be in love,” she replies, sending me a gentle smile. “Your relationship with JJ is a prime example of that. You’ve been in love with that boy for years and, from what I’ve seen, he is just as in love with you.”

“I know that you’re mourning what you lost, but you can’t stop living because of this,” she continues, tucking hair behind my ear, caressing my cheek. Her thumb wiping away the single tear escaping my eye. “You have friends that love you; who want to be able to walk through this with you and quite frankly, I’m running out of excuses as to why they can’t come see you.” A quiet laugh falls from my lips between quiet sniffles, still unable to muster up any words. 

“I know you feel alone, because you love him, but your friends are working through letting go of JJ too. You weren’t the only one the boy left behind when he left the island. He was their best friend too,” her fingers tenderly brush through my tangled hair, knowing how that it’s always helped me relax. “With that being said, I think you would start feeling a lot better if you stopped pushing them away, don’t you?” 

“I guess,” I sniffle, not enjoying the fact that she’s right. 

“Great, because I told them to pick you up on the dock in an hour,” she smiles brightly, scrunching up her face as she awaits my response.

“Mom,” I exclaim, shooting up from my bed. “Why would you do that? I haven’t showered in a week! There’s so much that needs to be done!” 

 She laughs from her spot on the bed, watching me haphazardly pull clothes out of my closet. I hurry towards the bathroom with a heap of clothes in my arms, pausing to drop everything on the bed to wrap her in a hug. “Thank you.”

------

Crowded but a lonely place

Sittin’ at a table full of double dates

And everywhere I go, I wanna see your face

I take a sip from the solo cup in my cold hands, shuddering due to the breeze that passed by. My attention on John B and Sarah seated across from me, laughing at something Pope had said. The boneyard buzzing with multiple groups of people due to the kegger currently taking place on the beach.

 I zone out from the conversation to study my surroundings. A familiar emptiness settling in as I mindlessly scan the crowd in search of JJ even though I know he isn’t here. Scanning my surroundings in search of him has become a part of my routine; seemingly a side affect of missing him. 

My eyes trail over my friends, each looking exceptionally light, carelessly engrossed in their conversation. Two months ago, I would have been happy at the sight but something is missing. Someone is missing and I’ve caught myself feeling completely alone in moments like this one. JJ’s arm should be carelessly draped over my shoulders but instead there’s an empty spot next to me, and a deep longing that never seems to go away. Our group has been perfectly paired up ever since Sarah and John B got together, Pope and Kiara following soon after, but now I’m always left feeling like a fifth wheel on a double date. 

“Hey,” Kie’s voice cals, pulling my attention back to my friends. The small fire in front of us casts shadows on each of them as I’m met with Kie’s concerned face. “You good?” Her question catches me off guard and forces me to shift uncomfortably in lawn chair under everyone’s gaze. 

“Um, yeah, I’m fine. I guess that it’s kind of hard to enjoy parties anymore,” I shrug, trying to muster up a reassuring smile. “They’re not the same without JJ.” Her concerned expression drops into one of sympathy and I immediately regret saying anything. John B whispers something to Sarah, pressing a soft kiss against her temple, before he moves to take the empty seat next to me. He wordlessly slings his arm over my shoulders and pulls me into him, resting his chin on my head.

“I miss him too,” he whispers looking down at me.

“I should’ve gone with him,” I state, John’s eyes softening at the tears filling my eyes. “When we were young, we promised each other that we wouldn’t leave unless we were together.” A tearful laugh falls from my lips at the memory. “Yet, when it actually came down to it, he didn’t seem to give leaving me behind a second thought. I should have tried harder to-”

“Stop,” John interrupts gently tilting my chin so I would look at him. “I know it hurts, but I love you too much to watch you do this to yourself.” 

His thumbs catch tears that I didn’t even realize were falling. “JJ is stubborn and hard to get through to, you know that. I know there was a part of him that wanted to take you with him but he needed to do himself. We’ve been cleaning up after him for as long as I can remember. I think he realized that he needed to be able to make his own decision without having anyone else to worry about.”

“I want to hate him,” I admit with a heavy sigh. “I feel like I want to be angry with him but I can’t.” John nods in agreement, seeming to understand what I meant. “I just feel so broken, JB. He’s my best friend.” 

“I know,” he sighs, pulling me against his chest again. “We’ll get through it together.”  ---------------- Pictures, I’m reminded 

Of good times, how we tried it

Don’t know how to get you out of my mind

I don’t have it in me to deny it

Sitting cross-legged on the floor of the guest bedroom at the chateau, I shuffle through the old photo album I’d found. My lips curve into a smile when I come across a couple of more recent photos that were haphazardly stuffed into the back of the tethered book. They were taken on a cheap disposable camera that JJ bought me after he overheard me talking to Kiara about how much I’d been wanting to buy one.

It was a beautiful day so we’d packed the HMS Pogue up with fishing supplies and snacks having opted to spend the day on the water. 

The sun had just started going down, each of us sun kissed and slightly tipsy as we waited for the sunset. I was curled up on the front of the boat with JJ, clad in his t-shirt with a blanket strewn across our laps. My back rested against his front, his chest vibrating with soft laughter as John B clambered back into the boat, soaking wet, after he’d lost his balance while wrestling with Pope. John B let out a string of threats as we all laughed at him, mostly due to the look on his face when he realized he was going down. 

I smiled at the way that JJ hugged me closer to him when our laughter died down. He adjusted me in his lap, his arms still wrapped tightly around my torso as I focused on the sunset ahead of us. I was so focused on the view that I didn’t notice Kie approaching us with my camera in her hands. We’d all taken turns taking photos on it because I was antsy to get them developed to see how they would turn out. 

JJ, also oblivious to Kie’s presence, pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of my head right as the flash of the camera went off causing both of us to jump slightly.

“My eyes,” JJ exclaims, a laugh falling my lips when his hands suddenly moved in front of my eyes as if he was going to protect them from another flash. I heard the camera click again causing JJ to protest. “Kie, I’m going blind here.”

JJ’s hands fell from my eyes; returning to their original spot on my waist. Kie stood in front of us lifting my camera again to taunt him. My head fell back against JJ’s chest, loud loud laughs falling from my lips, as JJ shouted threats at Kie. Pope and John B had since joined in on the fun, egging Kie on. JJ halted his movements, an endearing smile on his face as he looked down at me, watching me laugh.

“Now would be a good time to take a picture, Kie,” John whispered, prompting her to catch the sweet moment.

I shake my head; fingers delicately brushing over the pictures.

“I thought you’d be hiding in here,” John’s voice rang, pulling me out of my trance. I look up at him from my position on the floor. His arms cross against his chest, a lazy smile on his lips, as he leaned against the door frame.

“Yeah, sorry,” I blush, watching him stalk over to where I’m seated.

“I remember that day,” he smiles, taking one of the pictures from my hands. “Times we much simpler then.” I nod in agreement; wordlessly pushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“I thought he was going to kiss me,” I admit with a small laugh.

“Me too. I’m convinced that he would have if Kie hadn’t ruined the mood,” John replies, moving to flip through the photo album on the floor.

“Actually, the mood wouldn’t have been ruined if you hadn’t encouraged her to take the picture. So I think you’re the one to blame,” I joke, shoving his shoulder.

“That may be true, but at least we captured the moment and you can keep it forever.” He throws his hands up in surrender and gestures to the picture before returning his attention to the photo album.

“He loves you a lot. You know that right?” John asks, breaking the comfortable silence. “God, he always looked at you like that.” John’s voice broke with a lighthearted laugh.

“He did, didn’t he?” I whisper, relishing in the memories of how JJ always looked at me as if I was all that mattered. “I can’t stop thinking about him, John B. I mean, he’s been gone for weeks and hasn’t even bothered to call. Doesn’t he realize that we’re worried about him? I can’t walk into a room without looking for him or go to sleep without having nightmares about him being alone.”

“Hey, it’s JJ we’re talking about. He’ll come around eventually. I miss him like hell, but I know that he needed to go.”John assured pulling the pictures out of my hands so that I would look at him. His hand came up to caress my cheek, just like JJ had done since we were young. “I also know that he’d hate it if he knew how much this is hurting you.” 

“I just wish he’d call. I hate missing him.” 

“I know,” he sighs, pulling me into a loose hug. We stayed like that for a long time, John holding me against his chest as he quietly shared stories about his dad. We only moved when my head began lulling to the side, fighting to keep my eyes open. John wordlessly stood up, sticking his hand out for me to grab. “I’ll tell your mom that you’re staying over again.”

“Thank you,” I yawn, giving him a quick hug before he exited the room. I turn around, pulling on one of the sweatshirts JJ always left out for me to wear. It doesn’t smell like him anymore, but still brings me the same sense of comfort that it always has. 

Spending the night at the chateau is the only way I seem to be able to get a decent nights sleep nowadays. Something about staying in the guest room, that JJ practically claimed as his own, seemed to cure my tendency to lie awake at night worrying about him. I curl under the covers feeling myself relax almost immediately as sleep welcomed me.  --------------------

Cause everybody, everybody knows something I don’t

Where are they? I think to myself, eyebrows furrowing together when I notice that the Twinkie isn’t parked in front of John B’s house. I stalk up the driveway and let myself into the house. 

“Hello,” I call, only to be met with silence. I pull my phone out of my pocket, quickly dialing Kie’s number in confusion.

“Hey you,” She answers, sounding slightly nervous.

“Where are you guys? I thought we were meeting at the chateau,” I respond, ignoring her tone. 

“Pope was supposed to call you,” she sighs, only making my confusion grow.

“What do you mean, why?”

“Well, we all kind of got called into work last minute. The boys are helping Heyward set up for midsummer’s and I have to cover for a waitress that didn’t come in,” she explains, and I hear hushed whispers on the other line. 

“Why do you sound so weird? What’s wrong?” I ask, noticing the weird strain in her voice. 

“Weird? I don’t sound weird. Everything’s fine,” she dismissed. The whispers on her end of the phone only growing louder. I can’t make out what’s being said but I’m certain that John B was among the people whispering. 

“Kie, what is going on? Are the boys th-”

“Hey, I’m sorry I have to go. Sorry for bailing on the plans last minute, but it’s urgent. I’ll meet you at Sarah’s to get ready for tonight,” she quickly rushes before hanging up the phone. 

I slide my phone into my pocket with a frown, deciding to walk to Sarah’s now seeing as everyone else seems to be busy. I kick at loose rocks on the ground; thinking back to my conversation with Kie. They’re definitely hiding something. I furrow my eyebrows, feeling annoyed due to being in the dark about what was going on. 

I can’t seem to settle down,

Cause I’m waiting on you to come around

Midsummers has been going on for nearly an hour, and I’ve been on edge the whole time. This year was the first year that all of the Pogues, excluding JJ, are attending the party. Pope being here to help Heyward prepare food while John B is Sarah’s plus one. 

I’ve been eyeing my friends closely all night, noticing multiple moments of hushed whispers whenever I came back around. I’ve only grown more and more frustrated at their lack of explanation as to why they are acting so suspicious. 

“Okay, I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I’m over it. If someone doesn’t give me answers right now, I’m leaving,” I huff, walking over to my friend group, huddled by the food tables away from everyone else. They turn around in surprise, my tone clearly catching them off guard. I cross my arms, patiently waiting for someone to speak while they share a glance. Everyone’s eyes landing on John B. Whose eyes were trained on something behind me, a slight smile adorning his face.

“Leaving so soon? But the party just got here,” a familiar voice states behind me causing goosebumps to rise on my skin; my breath catching in my throat. My heart pounds against my rib cage as I turn around in shock, a loud gasp leaving my lips at the sight of the blonde boy standing in front of me with his hands in his pockets. 

“JJ,” I choke out, hands shooting to my mouth in disbelief. His figure blurs with the tears filling my eyes. I wordlessly watch him step closer to me, seemingly frozen in place at the sight in front of me.

“It’s me,” he whispers. “I’m right here.” All of my emotions hit me the moment his hands tenderly cup my face, thumbs brushing away the shocked tears. I throw my arms around him, trying not to make too much of a scene as quiet sobs fall from my shaking frame. A wave of peace rolls over my body at the realization that JJ is okay and is safely tucked in my arms.

The rest of the Pogues come around us, wrapping us in the middle of an emotional group hug. When the hug breaks, I cling to JJ for a few more seconds, not entirely convinced that he’s actually in front of me. His lips press a gentle kiss on my forehead, quietly assuring me that he was there. 

“Don’t leave me again,” I demand, pulling myself away from his grip. “My heart can’t handle it.”

“I promise, I’m here for good,” he laughs, pulling me into one more hug before we return to reality. We spend the rest of the party catching up and enjoying each others company. For the first time in weeks, things feel okay. 

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

And everybody lookin’ like a honeymoon

But all that I have been looking for is me and you

Glancing around John B’s living room, a content smile forms on my face. I take a mental snapshot of the moment; relishing in how good it feels to be together again. Our bodies clad in pajamas all squished together on the small pullout couch. We shared stories for hours, everyone falling asleep one by one until me and JJ were the only two left awake.

“Do you want to go to the guest room? As much as I love these guys, I don’t really want to wake up groping any of them,” he whispered, pausing when Pope stirred in his sleep. I smile, pressing my finger to my lips to signal him to be quiet as I slowly crawl out of bed, trying not to wake any of them up. JJ follows soon after, successfully making it off of the mattress without disturbing anyone. He nods toward the hallway, lacing his fingers with mine before pulling me towards the room. 

We wordlessly crawl under the covers and settle into a comfortable silence, noticing the sun beginning to peak through the blinds. JJ wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest with a content sigh. 

“I’ve missed this,” I murmur, breaking the peaceful silence. JJ hums in agreement, pressing a chaste kiss on my forehead mumbling a soft, “me too,” against my skin. My heart swells at the feeling, a sudden wave of confidence spreading through my body forcing me to sit up in the bed abruptly, pulling myself out of his grasp.

“What’s wrong,” he asks, mirroring my movements as he shifts to face me. I instinctively grab his hand; fingers tracing the lines on his palms to keep myself from looking at him.

“I need to tell you something,” I state after a few moments of silence, hesitantly tearing my gaze away from our hands. I’m met with a concerned expression, his hand moving to push my hair out of my face.

“What is it?” I sigh at his question, nerves beginning to settle in as I stare at him. You have to tell him, I think to myself, there’s really no going back at this point. 

“JJ I-” I pause, pressing my lips together in a thin line. The fear of telling him how I feel eating away at me, while he patiently waits for me to continue. 

“You can tell me,” he smiles, a slight glimmer in his eyes.

“The last three months have been absolute hell,” I admit, watching his supportive expression drop at my words. “I was forced to watch everyone else continue on with their lives while I was just stuck.”

He opens his mouth to say something but I shake my head, silently beginning him to let me continue. “You’ve been this constant thought on my mind. It’s kind of funny actually, it seems that you constantly demanded my attention even when you weren’t here,” I laugh lightheartedly, wiping away the tears that escaped my eyes. 

“Anyway, your being gone gave me a lot of time to think and I’ve realized that I can’t keep pretending that I don’t feel a certain way about you,” JJ’s eyes urge for me to continue as his hand gently squeezes my own. “JJ, I’m in love with you.” 

My words echo in my ears, heart beating rapidly in my chest, as I stare at my best friend. “I can’t keep pretending that I’m content with just being your best friend. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, but I have to be honest with you. All I could think about was-”

“Stop talking,” he interrupts, hands gripping my shoulders as a serious expression crosses over his face, making my heart drop. Our friendship is over. I just got him back and I’m going to lose him again. “You’re insane if you think I don’t feel the same way about you.” He moves his hands to cup my face, his eyes flickering down to my lips. “Leaving made me realize that the only time I feel safe is when I’m with you.” He hesitated for a moment before closing the gap between us with a kiss. His lips pressing against mine urgently as he pulled me into his lap. 

“God, you’re all I’ve ever wanted,” he sighs, after breaking the kiss. Our chests heaving slightly due to the previous lack of air. 

“Don’t leave me again,” I state, shoving him backwards onto the bed, watching him laugh in surprise. He flips us over, pinning me to the bed as his lips met mine again.

“I’m here for good,” he murmurs, pulling me into his arms after collapsing next to me. The beating of his heart lulled me into a peaceful sleep, resting on his promise to stay. 

#jj maybank #jj outer banks #jj #jj maybanks #jj maybank x you #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank concept #jj imagine #jj maybanks imagine #john booker routledge #john b imagine #john b #kiara carrera #kie #sarah cameron #pope heyward #outer banks #outer banks concept #outer banks imagine #outer banks blurb #outer banks tv show #obx #obx imagine #obx imagines #jj imagines #jj maybank imagines #sarah obx #kiara obx #pope obx

[lucky-katebishop]

8 Underrated Comedy Mysteries

So weird comedy tv shows are kind of my niche, and I realized I’ve seen a few comedy shows that revolve around mysteries and an intriguing plot line, so I wanted to make a list to share them in case you haven’t heard of them! Not all of them are mysteries, like Miracle Workers, but it does have a plot that puts you on edge and every episode does end with a cliffhanger, so I’m adding it!

1. Santa Clarita Diet

I’ve already talked about this show on one of my previous posts, but that’s because I love this show so much and is actually the one that inspired this post! Santa Clarita Diet is about a woman, Sheila, who mysteriously becomes undead, and her family who try to talk her out of her impulsivity to kill anyone she sees and get away with it. Her husband Joel tries to figure out how she became undead, how to stop it, while also trying to keep Shiela’s murders under wrap so they won’t be caught. The characters are adorable, the women are badasses and the men have the most respect for women, and the comedy is top notch. Every time I watch it, it blows my mind that all three seasons take place over the course of like two or four weeks because that’s how much shit they have to get through just to survive. It’s a tad gory, especially with the first episode (there’s a huge vomit scene but that’s easily skippable) but if you don’t mind blood and guts, this shouldn’t be an issue! It was cancelled with three seasons but I still say it’s well worth the watch!

2. People of Earth

People of Earth is about aliens! It centers around journalist Ozzie who is investigating reports of alien abductions and meets a support group of alien abductees all the while actual aliens are looking at them from above. This was also cancelled but it’s a great mystery show which always ends on a cliffhanger. What makes it even more intriguing for me is that the aliens are able to go undercover as human beings so they can make sure that their identities aren’t being figured out, so it’s a great comedic fish out of water sort of thing. You’ll fall in love with the rag-tag team of alien abductors and abductees as you unravel whether or not the people of earth find out about what’s been going on. The comedy is witty and smart and you’ll quickly find that you won’t be able to stop laughing and watching. 

3. Search Party

This show is a fantastic millennial play on Nancy Drew (kind of like if it were mixed with Girls) where the main character, Dory, finds out that an old friend of hers disappeared and she becomes obsessed with it, trying to string along clues in order to find her along with the help of her self-obsessed friends. It’s so much more than I expected it to be, and I promise you, don’t give up on this show. The first episode is a bit rough but once you get going, you’ll become even as obsessed as Dory to solve the mystery of Chantal’s disappearance. I didn’t end up watching the other seasons, as I found season one to be so good that I was afraid of ruining the show for me (I kind of saw it as a perfect limited series and I was too scared that would be ruined) but from what I read, it’s still going strong with four seasons!

4. Barry

Okay, so this one isn’t that underrated, I’m sure you’ve heard of it, but it’s still nonetheless a very good show and I had to add it. It’s about character Barry who is a hitman who, while on his way to finish off an assignment, finds himself in the middle of an acting class and falls in love with it. He finds that giving up his old habits isn’t as easy as he expected them to, and he finds the balance between living a normal civilian life and carrying out the duties of his mercenary job a difficult thing to do, especially considering Sallie, an incredible actress in his class that he finds himself falling for. It’s hilarious, it’s depressing, it’s magnificent, it’s everything you didn’t expect but love and I really recommend this show to everyone (especially those who also had that weird Bill Hader phase after IT: Chapter Two came out). The reason I’m putting it in this category is because there is a mystery every season of whether or not his acting friends are going to find out about his secret life, and it’s very interesting and it always has me on the edge of my seat. 

5. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

What more could you want besides Elijah Wood, corgis, cute British detectives, badass female characters, and a really cool murder investigation? Oh, and a punk band! It’s been a few years since I watched it, so my memory is a little hazy on the plot, but what I can remember it’s about Todd (played by Elijah Wood) who becomes the main person of interest for a murder which he didn’t commit. Todd meets Dirk Gently, a man who claims that everything is holistic (meaning that everything everywhere is fundamentally connected in ways that is up to the universe), who begs him to join his detective agency to figure out the murder, which strings them along a very weird and very connected case. It has two seasons but was sadly cancelled, but the two seasons are extraordinary and hilarious. 

6. Trial and Error

Trial and Error is about new defense lawyer, Josh, going to goofy and backwards town South Peck to defend Larry Henderson who is being accused of killing his wife. It’s a hilarious take on murder mysteries, and each episode brings with a new piece of evidence. It has a wonderful father/son bonding relationship between Josh and Larry, and a colorful cast of misfits and oddballs who are all trying (in the words of the show) to get Larry off. I couldn’t praise this show more because of the goofiness and satirical nature of the jokes, all the while being incredibly heartfelt. It has two seasons, with season two revolving around the defense for self titled “Lady Killer” Kristin Chenoweth’s Lavinia Peck. 

7. Miracle Workers

What more could you want besides Elijah Wood, corgi- oh wait, sorry, this is Daniel Radcliff, my bad. An anthology series, the first season deals with angels Craig and Eliza who try to convince Steven Buscemi’s God not to obliterate the earth with the help of his right hand man Sanjay Prince by answering a miracle: getting awkward dorks Sam and Laura together. They only have two weeks to answer this prayer, which is a lot harder to solve when everything is going against them, including extremely shy Sam and Laura. It’s hilarious, it’s witty, it has Daniel Radcliff, I mean this is an extremely amazing show! Season two has nothing to do with a mystery, and revolves around the same cast as different characters in the dark ages, but I still highly recommend that one as well because it’s just as funny. 

8. Russian Doll

Thursday. What a concept! (Yes, that’s what that gif is from and in context it’s highly hilarious) This show is about Nadia, a woman who keeps her feelings to herself and her opinions out in the open, on her 36th birthday, who finds herself reliving the same day over and over again. She tries to solve the mystery and how to get out of that ridiculous time loop when she meets Alvin, a man who is also in the same time loop. It’s a story about love, friendship and loss, and I cry like a baby every single time I watch it. It has some of the most incredible writing and the pacing is excellent. It’s four hours of pure genius but it does also deal with trauma and depression so please check out the warnings. It came out in 2019 and I’ve watched six times, that’s how much I love this show! 

That’s the end of my list, I hope you agree with the shows on here and give me some recommendations if I missed some of your favorite mystery comedies. :)

#rutherford's reviews #please don't let this flop #i spent two hours on this #russian doll #santa clarita diet #miracle workers #dirk gently #Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency #trial and error #trial and error nbc #search party #people of earth #barry #bill hader #daniel radcliff #elijah wood #netflix #tbs #nbc #tv #hulu #mysteries #mystery tv #television #film #film tumblr #my posts

[imaginesupply]

Homecoming - Chapter Four

(Gif's not my own.) 

Summary: The day has arrived, Captain Syverson is going home. For good, this time. He is going home to a civilian life he can hardly remember and a wife he barely knows, with memories of the war still fresh on his mind. Love might not be able to heal everything on its own, but it’s a good start.

Genres: Romance, drama.

Story warnings: Smut (always fully consensual), mentions of PTSD and nightmares and mental health, angst, hurt and comfort, fluff, mentions of war (minor), mentions of cheating (minor), mentions of pregnancy (very minor), police appearance (very minor), violence (very minor).

Notes:

-It’s my first time writing for one of Henry’s characters and I’m unsure I did Sy’s character any justice.

-This is a Capt. Syverson x OFC (Ada) story, written in 3rd person POV but OFC’s physical description is very limited so it could also be read as Capt. Syverson x Reader, I think.

-English is not my first language, so there might be some mistakes. Proofread, but not beta’ed. We die like men and all that.

-Timeline is a little wacky: The movie takes place in 2003 and the U.S. forces were withdrawn from Iraq in 2011, but I never set a precise date because I don’t think it’s essential for this story. However, some elements might not be realistic because if we set this story in 2003: Phone cameras quality was not as good as it’s now, but for the purpose of the chapters, I will need you to imagine you could film great videos with your flip phone haha. Plus, it says Sy is coming back after being deployed for more than three years which makes no sense unless we set this in 2006 or later. I am asking you disregard any time inconsistencies.

-Also: I am not American. I only lived in the US for six months and it was in the Midwest, not Texas so please bear with me if I write something stupid.

-Finally: This will be a Christmas fic and I intend to post the last chapter (there will be seven in total) on or before Christmas. However, religion is never mentioned in this story and the Christmas-sy elements of this story are limited to family gathering, gift giving and tree decorating.

Chapter Four starts after the cut. (Chapter Three can be found here.) Let me know if you wish to be tagged in future chapters or if you wish to be removed from the tag list.

Chapter Four

Chapter warnings: PTSD, angst (or as much angst as I’ll ever write), couple’s fight, outdated expectations of marriage (is that even a warning?), mentions of masturbation.

This chapter is a little different from the previous ones and it’s stitched together weirdly. Also, there’s no smut (which is unusual for me!), but Chapter 5 will be more humorous and lighthearted.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

“When’s your next leave?” Harper asked from behind the wheel, knowing better than to take his eyes off the sand road. He had been transferred to the Special Forces after the whole water pumping station incident, with Sy’s approval.

They were at the very back of the convoy, like always. It was the only way Sy was able to keep all the Humvees in sight and look out for everyone.

“Not sure I’m gonna be seeing home before July.” Sy replied, blue eyes scrunched up as he tried making something, anything out in the darkness surrounding them. Doing this scouting mission at night hadn’t been his idea, but the order had come from higher up and it was when the guards were at their lowest.

Harper smiled, a short huff escaping his chest. “Ah yes! What are you going do once you’re home for good?” The soldier asked, the tiniest hint of teasing in his voice. “Give your wife a small army of Texan babies?”

Sy scoffed, his chest shaking beneath the heavy protective vest. “Eyes on the road, soldier.”

“Yes, captain.” Harper chuckled even as he obeyed the command.

The rest of the drive went by in silence. The whole point of doing it at night was to be unseen and unheard. Confirm it was an armory so that an airstrike could later destroy it. Quick and easy.

Sy absentmindedly rubbed his finger through the thick glove, trying to feel the wedding band beneath. He never took the thing off, but it still somehow eased his mind to make sure it was there – make sure she was there across the ocean. They had talked on the phone the night before and he could still hear her shriek as she stubbed her toe on the doorframe whilst pacing around the house as she spoke to him. She wanted to order new tires for his pickup truck because she was afraid the current ones would be expired once he got back. He told her not to worry about any of that, but she insisted and then asked about Aika, changing subjects. No matter what they talked about, he always slept better after hearing her voice.

The landscape changed ever so slightly. They were there, right outside the deserted town’s walls. Sy gave everyone the order to pull up and get ready. It was only when he stepped out of the Humvee, his feet landing swiftly on the soft sand and the cold night’s air hitting his face, that he realized that Sy had been there already. He was dreaming again.

He had been there hundreds of times, taken the same steps, given the same orders and run away from the same explosion. After having the same nightmare night after night, the shock and the surprise element had lessened, but the dread remained unchanged. Sy was cursed to relive the same scene again and again, for moments even wondering if he lacked imagination so much that his mind was unable to come up with anything else.

Still, every night, he'd try changing the outcome, attempt to take control of his past self and make different decisions: refuse the mission, take a different team, catch Lieutenant Wilkins before he had a chance to run into the trap. It never worked. The result was always the same with him shouting for everyone to retreat and grabbing on to the back of Wilkins' uniform, trying to drag him out of the building, unsuccessfully. Then the telltale detonation followed, the building shook and they were thrown backwards with the explosion. When Sy landed on the concrete, there was a corpse - or what remained of it - on top of him. It was what had shielded him from the worst.

He once tried to warn Wilkins about the child's voice asking for help, to tell him it was a trap and that they needed to ignore it, but he was unable to speak. They were there, on the exact spot, a large room right down the stairs with no windows or lights, only three parted doors. Unlike the first time, the real time, he knew what was about to happen, through what door the grenade would be thrown out of before rolling on the dusty ground. And he went through it all over again.

It was the noise that alerted him the first time, the impact as it hit ground and then the rolling sound on the uneven surface.

"Retreat!" Sy heard his own voice shout loud enough for the rest of the team behind them to hear, then an echo of hurried, heavy footsteps followed.

He knew what happened then. Sy waited for the faint, unidentifiable cry for help and for Wilkins to blindly bolt towards the voice, the grenade.  He knew he'd unable to stop him this time just like all the others. What was the point of making him relive the same failure over and over again?

"Help!"

Sy froze on the spot, unlike all the other previous nights. This time it was not a random infantile voice. It was Ada's. She was crying out for help, for him.

This time it was him who dashed after the voice, the grenade exploding before he could reach her.

°°°

Ada thought that they had dodged the bullet, that they had somehow managed to avoid all the stuff she had crammed her head with when she had found out Sy was retiring from active combat sooner than expected. The notes she had taken, the websites she had visited, the therapists she had researched and ranked according to online reviews; she had started to think none of these would come in handy. Apart from that small incident when grocery shopping and the whole thing with Tom, Sy was okay, they were okay. Or so she thought.

It only took maybe eight days of Sy being back home to find out that wasn't true. It was almost like when you took a plane and fly halfway across the globe. The first days you’d eat dinner at 3am and go to bed three hours later and nothing felt real. Then it settled in. But this wasn't a spontaneous holiday or a mid-life crisis, this was an honorable discharge. Sy wasn't leaving behind an unsatisfying career, he was leaving the war.

He came home. They reunited, caught up with each other, basked in other's presence. Ada had to keep reminding herself that she could fall asleep at night without the anxiety of feeling like she was wasting away his leave with something as frivolous as sleep.

Only sleep wasn't frivolous, Ada soon came to realize. Sy slept well the first few nights back home. The exhaustion helped, so did sex. Sy would kiss her, roll over, pull her into his arms and fall right asleep after it.

That changed quickly. On the eight night, she woke up to pee hours before dawn only to find his side of the bed empty. She found him downstairs playing on his new console. It was the jetlag that made him unable to sleep, he said. Ada knew better, even as she acquiesced.

The following night, after making love and taking care of her, Sy didn't even bother pretending he was going to bed. "I won't be able to sleep anyways and I don't want to keep you up," he claimed, putting on a t-shirt and some sweatpants before going out for a run. It was past midnight.

After going two days with barely shutting his eyes, Sy did finally fall asleep in bed with her. Ninety minutes later, he was awake again.

"You okay?" Ada groaned softly, forcing her eyes open but it was too dark to see anything. She had woken up with his tossing and turning.

"Yeah, just go back to sleep," Sy replied dismissively, turning on his side and facing the window away from her.

Ada was about to do just that, believing his words in her incoherent sleepiness, when her hand touched his clammy back. He had managed to sweat through his t-shirt, but his skin remained icy.

"You're not okay," she whispered to herself before switching on her small bedside lamp and sitting up.

"I told you to go back to sleep, Ada," Sy protested, still facing away from her.

She shook her head softly and tried to pull him into her arms, but he was too heavy, and she couldn't move him without his help. "If something's wrong, you can tell me, you know."

She waited in silence for him to answer, to say something, anything at all. She had planned on watching podcasts, meeting with veterans and whatever she could do to help, but Sy had come home several months earlier than planned and she didn't know what to do, what was expected of her as a wife, as his partner, as his support person.

"Alright, you don't have to talk if you don't want to," she attempted quietly, sliding back into bed and moving in behind him, doing her best to be the big spoon for once. "We can just cuddle until you fall asleep."

Apparently, that turned out to be the wrong thing to say. Sy jumped out of bed as if her touch had burnt him. "I'm not a fucking child, Ada. I don't need your cuddles."

She flinched at his tone, taking a deep breath but her voice still came out strangled. "I was not implying you were a child, Sy. I just thought - no - I just hoped that you would find some comfort with me," she admitted but he was already getting dressed, sweaty skin and all. "Clearly I was wrong."

His face was red behind his full beard. He was pissed, she could almost feel him buzzing as he tried to restrain his anger and not - she didn't know what he was keeping himself from doing. Whatever it was, Ada was sure his next words hurt just as much as whatever he was initially going to do.

"I don't need you to fucking comfort me, woman!" He spat out, putting on a pair of boots. "I don't need anyone's help and certainly not my wife's!"

With that, he marched to the bedroom door, forcefully throwing it open. "I'm going out for air. Don't wait up for me."

They barely saw each other the next day. Sy texted that he was going to spend some time with his mom. Still hurt and offended, even though she knew this was not about her, Ada left for the day without telling him her whereabouts.

She took her car and drove to the animal shelter to help out. No one was expecting her there, but they gave her some work to do and it did help her feel better for a couple hours at least. But it was barely noon when she was done and she refused to go home, meeting up with friends instead. None of them asked why she wasn't at home practically glued to Sy. They were used to their friend pretty much vanishing off the face of the Earth whenever Sy came home for two or three weeks, but they were wise enough not to question it.

His words had stung. Ada was aware he had been mad, and that people always said dumb stuff when they were mad, but she did find some truth in his words. Why would he need her comfort? Her help? Or even a wife at all?

Sy had lived thirty-three years without knowing her and then three more married to her but living continents' apart. He could command soldiers, lead missions, plan attacks and whatever it was that he also did back in Iraq. The house was his, his mom would be overjoyed to cook for him and do his laundry again if he didn’t want to do it himself and Ada didn't kid herself - if he wanted sex, all he had to do was walk into a bar.

So, technically speaking, she knew Sy didn't need her. He was a grown ass man who could survive on his own better than ninety-nine percent of the population. What had hurt her was that he didn't want her, nor her help or her comfort. And if he didn't want her to try and make his life a lil' bit better, what was even the point.  Ada didn't know and all the cocktails she consumed didn't provide an answer either, but they did end up forcing her to eat almost her own weight in food to soak up all the alcohol before driving back home at ten.

She was still fishing out her keys to open the front door, when Sy pulled it open with so much force, it almost flew off its hinges.

"Where the fuck have you been?!" Sy shouted as soon as she set a foot inside.

"I was out with friends.” Ada took off her shoes by the door. "How's your mom?" She looked up only long enough to find him staring down at her with his thick arms crossed in front of his chest.

"I sent you a dozen texts and called you just as many times, but you never picked up." Oh, his tone had switched to that unsettling calm before the storm.

"I apologize, my phone was on silent," Ada replied. It was true, though she had still noticed his calls and texts. "Look I am tired, and I am going to take a shower." She said before walking upstairs to their bedroom.

To her surprise, Sy followed her up, stopping only at their room’s threshold as if he weren’t allowed inside without her forgiveness. "I am sorry for yesterday," he sighed, leaning against the doorframe.

“It’s okay.” Ada shook her head, undressing rapidly and balling up her dirty clothes to throw them in the hamper. She smelt like a whole bar and she was desperate for a shower.

“I didn’t mean it, what I said,” he added, finally walking inside the room but still keeping his distances.  

“It’s okay, don’t worry.” She reassured him, disappearing inside the en-suite. This was just a fight. Couples had them all the time. Sy had even apologized. “I am sorry too. For today.”

His voice startled her, Sy was closer than she had expected. “Do you have need for me?” He asked, making her still as she bent down to fetch some fresh towels from the drawer. Did she have need for him? Ada frowned even though he couldn’t see her face. She heard him sigh again behind her.

"I felt useful back in Baqubah. I ran that city, commanded soldiers, gave my country something and then an explosion happens, two of my men die. And you know what they do? They send me home. Not to punish me for fucking up; they send me home because they thought I had witnessed enough shit and deserved an honorable discharge. Whatever the reason, my services weren't needed there anymore."

"Then I come home to my wife, to you, Ada. And you know what?” He asked before providing the answer himself. “The doors don't screech, the mirror has been replaced and my wife doesn’t even need me to take her out on dates or to the movies because she already has someone for that. So really, what's my goddamn purpose here? The house doesn't need me. You don't need me. Even my mother doesn't need me what with her new boyfriend. So why the fuck did I come back?"

He paused and Ada took it as a chance to stand up and face him. She didn’t know what this was. His voice wasn’t loud, he wasn’t shouting, and his posture didn’t appear hostile. They weren’t arguing, this was something different. “That’s not-” Sy cut her off.

"Then, last night, I realize that while you don't need me, I sure as hell need you, Ada. And that's not how I imagined my marriage would be. I should be the provider. I should be taking care of you, not the other way around."

"This is not the 1950s, Sy," Ada chuckled faintly despite herself.

"That don’t matter. It's how I was raised: preside, provide and protect. I don't care about the presiding part; I knew from day one that I'd never be able to boss you around and I didn't want to. But I still very much believe in providing for and protecting what's mine, and instead, you're the one doing that. So, not only did I fail my men back in Iraq, but now I’ve failed you too."

“No. Stop right there.” Ada interrupted him, more forcefully than intended. "Okay, first, you never failed me. Don’t you ever say that.” Sy huffed from his spot by the door, clearly unconvinced but she was determined to get this out. “Second, I... I think you need to stop settling for being needed and instead accept that you are loved, at least by me."

Sy stiffened against the doorframe, his face taking over an unreadable expression beneath his beard. Shit. Did she mess up again? "Did I say something wrong?"

He didn’t reply right away. Ada took a few steps to him when his words took her by surprise. "You said you loved me."

She stopped in her tracks, opening her mouth and closing it again a few times, stammering. Confusion was evident on her face. "Well, yeah."

"You've never said it before," Sy explained, the hint of a smile on his lips.

Ada frowned, a little unsteady on her feet as she thought back. "Are you certain? I'm pretty sure that is what I ended all our phone calls with."

He shook his head. "I meant in person.”

"Oh, I never realized.”

The cold bathroom tile floor was not the place either of them would have picked out under different circumstances, but it was where Sy finally allowed himself to be cuddled into the warmth of her embrace for the first time, his head resting against her naked breast with her slow heartbeat lulling him into a different kind of peace. “I do love you, Sy.”

Ada was no fool, this wouldn’t soothe all his troubles, but for now, it was a start. And that was all she could ask for.

°°°

Sy sat down on the chair in their study. Most walls were covered with Ada’s textbooks from floor to ceiling. He huffed at the sight. If you’d told him five years ago that he’d end up with an academic wife, he’d have laughed in your face. Now, he tested touched the shelves, watching them wobble slightly and decided he ought to build her something sturdier.

First, he had to take care of some administrative bullshit for the new job he'd be starting at Camp Marbry in January. He had always hated bureaucracy but there was no escaping it. He had learned it the hard way as a private. Maybe it was also time he started going through their utilities folders. Ada had taken over all of it when they got married, managing their bank accounts and paying the bills. Sy hadn't taken of that shit in years but he probably should relieve her of some of those chores.

His eyes wandered over to the neatly organized shelves under the office desk, trying to find the correct binder when his attention landed on what appeared to be a fancy silver notebook. Was that the one Tom had mentioned?

Sy knew he shouldn't go through her stuff, but he was curious and it was not like she had hidden it or anything. Ending his hesitation with a shrug, he picked up the notebook only for stray bits of paper to immediately fly out and land on the carpeted floor. "Shit!"

He bent down and gathered them all up quickly in his hand, lest Ada find out he was snooping and chide him like a soldier. He sat back on the chair and started reading through some of the bits and slips of paper he had caught: "shaving gel not cream!", "dog treats (the fancy ones)", "boxer briefs in L"... They were all dated too. Sy figured they were just old shopping lists until he opened the notebook.

The first part appeared to be a logbook of sorts with notes about each and every one of their calls for the past year. Sy went over some of them, grinning despite himself. He never imagined Ada took notes during their weekly phone calls.

"Sy says it's really cold at night in the desert."

"He seems a little down..."

"Aika has a sweet tooth." Damn, he missed that dog!

“Explosion. Two men dead.”

He skipped over the next few pages, remembering it all too well. After the logbook part, came a set of lists, all dated. "The monthly care packages," Sy realized, reading through them and concluding that this was where the bits of paper had fallen from.

All the care package lists were cross-referenced with the calls logbook. Sy had never understood how she always managed to send him exactly what he needed. He wasn't even aware that he had mentioned most of these small things to her. Most of the time, he didn't even understand how she managed to fit so much stuff into those small USPS boxes. Whenever he tried putting everything back in the cardboard box for safekeeping, half of it didn't fit back inside.

He flipped through a few more care packages before landing on a particularly long list. The date was highlighted, it was the package he had received on the month of his birthday. Ada had made him promise not to open it before the 18th. “You can open the box, but I will know if you open the present before your birthday, Sy,” she had warned him on the phone, trying to sound very stern.  “And if you do, I’ll come to Iraq just to whoop your ass.” He had laughed so loudly, Harper had knocked on his door to make sure he was alright.

Sy laughed again as he went over the list, remembering how the private from the deliveries and postal department kept on complaining because packages this big were 'not usually authorized' and that he was getting 'favor treatment' because he was captain and that Ada shouldn't even have been allowed to ship a box exceeding the maximum dimensions. Sy had taken the package from the soldier and asked if he fancied a trip to the infirmary. That had shut him up quickly.

There had been candy (no chocolate because it had melted through its packaging once when she had tried sending him some), gum, the two first James Bond novels, dog treats, a new photo of his niece and nephew, underwear that was way too fancy for him and a handwritten letter from Ada.

What had immediately caught his attention was the very neatly wrapped gift box with a big red bow and a small card that reminded him once more not to open it until his birthday and only when he was alone.

Sy laughed, remembering how giddy he was to open that damn box. They'd gone on a recon mission on his birthday and when they got back, everyone was exhausted and dirty. He had hurried to the showers, cutting off some soldiers and then rushed to his private room to open the gift.

In all his adult life, Sy could only remember blushing three times, two of them the same day. First was when Ada said 'I do’ and he tried sliding the ring on her finger, but nervous and tipsy like he had been, the damn tiny thing slipped off his hand and fell on the carpet. Second was when the limo supposed to bring them back to their hotel was caught up in traffic, and the two of them decided to get it on in the chapel's storage room while another couple was getting married. Not only did they promptly – and accidentally, might he add – knock over all the props, he literally ended up fucking her through the cheap and unstable dry wall. The look on the couple’s face had been priceless!

The third time was on his birthday. Inside the box, he had found a handful of professionally made photos of Ada in lingerie and sometimes not even that much. If that didn't have his mind spinning and his dick throbbing after so many months away, he certainly couldn't believe his eyes when he found a small tube of lube and a transparent fleshlight.

It was not the gift as such that made him blush. The photos had him beyond excited and he was all too eager to try out the fleshlight. No, the embarrassment only settled in afterwards. More specifically when Sy remembered that despite having a private room as a captain, the washrooms where shared and he found himself cleaning the fleshlight in the sink with the little water they had, hoping no one would see him.

"Oh shit!"

Sy jumped in his chair at her voice, he hadn't heard her get home, let alone upstairs.

"Fuck. You weren’t meant to see that, Sy.” Ada babbled, quickly walking up to him with a sheepish look on her face.

Sy smiled, interrupting her as he seized her hips and pulled her down to sit on his lap. "It’s okay, darlin'."

Ada's eyes widened incredulously. "Really? You’re not even mad at me for meeting with a therapist to get advice?"

Sy closed his eyes, nostrils flaring for a moment. Right. Admittedly, he had not yet made it to that part but while he wasn't exactly keen on discussing his private life with strangers, he felt no anger at finding out that Ada had tried to look after him. Her words from last night had somehow made it through his thick skull.

"No, I'm not angry, not even for that. I know you were just trying to-"

Sy opened his eyes again at her silence only to find his wife grinning like the Cheshire cat as she looked at the open page on the notebook.

"You didn't even make it that far, huh?" She chuckled, pointing at the list. "Nope, you were still stuck with that ridiculous birthday gift I gave you!" While her tone was accusatory, Sy could see that she was trying not to burst out laughing.

Rolling his eyes, he pried the notebook from her hands and set it down on the desk. "It was not a ridiculous gift. I kept it all," Sy reassured her, pressing her body closer to his. "Well, not the lube. That was gone in weeks. And the photos are definitely a little used now but-"

Ada kissed him out of the blue, shutting him up. "Sy, I really love you but you're giving me secondhand embarrassment right now."

The bear of a man laughed, holding ever impossibly tighter before kissing her forehead. "I love you too, wife." Then, another thought crossed his mind. “Do you think it’s possible to send a care package to a dog?”

@colourmeinblue​ @hail-horror-queen​ @youthought-iwasa-nicegirl​ @kmuir1​ @madbaddic7ed​ @coffeebreathy​ @purplelove75​ @summersong69​ @helenaellie​

#henry cavill smut #syverson smut #henry cavill x reader #syverson x reader #henry cavill x ofc #syverson x ofc

[thiswasinevitableid]

for mermay, indruck, 5, sfw? poison could refer to a love potion of some kind, or maybe a blue-ringed octopus (or other poisonous sea creature) mer?

Here you go!

Even with his future sight warning him this would be awkward, Indrid twitches his tail nervously as Juno, the volunteer checking him in to the venom donor clinic, frowns at her intake form. 

“See, trouble is, because today’s a mer donor day, most of them give their donations from barbs. You’re gonna have to give from your fangs right?”

“Yes.” Maybe he should just cut his loses, come back on one of the Naga days, and hope no one tries to kill him.

“Volunteers gotta go through special training for milking fangs, so you may have to wait until one of them is available.”

“I do not mind waiting. I came to donate, and I have no urgent engagements. Is there somewhere I can be out of your way?”

Juno smiles, “We got some nice sunny rocks--hold that thought. Duck, you just get here?” She calls this to a human in khaki clothing. His black hair is streaked with grey--matching Indrid’s tail--and his smile is so bright Indrid wants to bask in it.

“Yep! Thacker got to the station a little early so I could clock out sooner. Seems like you got somethin’ I can help with.”

“Sure can. Duck, this is” she glances at the form, “Indrid. He’s a mer, but he needs to donate via fangs.”

“Roger that.” The man holds out his hand, “Nice to meet you, I’m Duck. It’s a nickname.”

Indrid shakes his hand, his visions having taught him this is the correct way to reciprocate the greeting. 

“How long can you be outta the water?”

“Quite some time.”

“Great, in that case we’ll just go to the normal milkin station rather than me luggin things down here. Right this way.”

Indrid slithers up the beach behind him, drawing perplexed stares from humans and distrustful ones from the other mers. Duck holds open the flap on a tall, tan tent and Indrid heads inside. 

“You ever given venom before?”

“No. I, I am only recently back in the area. When I heard about the program I knew I could be of help.”

“Sure can. Sea krait, right?” Duck gestures to the silver and black of his tail. 

“Yes” Indrid smiles; most people just say snake.

“You reptile cousins can really fuck a human up. And who knows, your venom might be one of the kinds they can engineer multiple anti-vemons from.”

“I would like that. I like humans, and wish to help you. It is not your fault so very many things can kill you.”

Duck raises an eyebrow, “what happens if a King Naga bites you? Or even another venomous mer?”

“....I die. Ah, I, ah, see your point.” He smiles, sheepish, “apologies, although I wish to help humans, most of them prefer to stay far away from me, and so my manners are not always what they should be.”

“No harm done. Here,” he steps up onto a short stool, holding out a half circle of plastic filled with strong, astringent liquid, “put this in your mouth and bring your fangs out; we learned we have to disinfect them right before we milk.”

“PHeelphhh” Indrid winces as the liquid stings his senses. 

“I know, it ain’t pleasant. Won’t be much longer.” The human stretches a thin sheet of rubber across a shallow circle, checks his watch, and then steps back onto the stool, “okay, when I say open, open your mouth wide so I can slide that one out and get this one in position. Don’t bite down until I say to.”

Indrid nods, opens his mouth when commanded. Even with the disinfectant in his noses, Duck’s scent is overwhelming from so close up; sweat, sunscreen, soap, and something woody that must be his deodorant. He bites down when Duck says, drops of venom pattering into the container. The human keeps one eye on the time, explaining that he doesn’t want Indrid to exhaust all his venom accidentally, thus rendering him vulnerable or unable to hunt. 

“Aaaand done, go ahead and put those fangs away.” Duck removes the collection jar, labels it and puts it in a fridge as Indrid stretches his jaw, tensed from giving such a prolonged injection bite. 

“Now, we always give donors a thank you; come pick what you like.” He swings open a second fridge. Indrid cocks his head, studying the packs of what he knows to be sushi and the different types of fruit. Flicking out his tongue, he scents something delicious, and picks up a bottle of pink liquid.

“I will have this Guava Juice.” He pops the cap and dips his tongue in for a taste, then for a second and a third. A charming noise enters the air, like a bird who long ago gave up on being dignified. Duck’s laughing. 

“Sorry, wasn’t expectin that to be so cute.”

Indrid blushes; that’s not a word generally applied to him. 

“Thank you for the juice. And for acomodating me.”

“Any time. Welcome to come back the next time we host a drive.” The human holds the door open for him, waves as he slithers down the sand, sipping his juice. 

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

“Hello, Duck.”

Duck doesn’t even turn around before he replies, “Nice to see you back, Indrid.”

This marks the fourth venom donation day the mer has come to, and he always gets paired with Duck. Duck doesn’t mind one bit; Indrid might be alarming to look at, not the elegantly finned, otherwise humanoid creature most people expect a mer to be. His scales appear on his arms and shoulders, and there’s even a patch of them on the back of his neck. His eyes are blood red, his smile wide and a little alarming even without the fangs showing. He’s also sweet, in an odd way, and takes genuine interest in Duck’s wellbeing and daily life. 

Honestly, Duck wouldn’t chatting with him at a time when he isn’t jamming venom collection jars into his mouth. But asking to hang out with a patient is weird enough without the added difficulty of that patient needing to be in the water most of the time. 

They go through their usual routine, Indrid helping himself to a mango juice this time before waving goodbye. 

Two days later, Duck is checking on tree specimens when he senses red eyes on his back.

“You do not want to touch that trunk, there is a very large spider in that knot.”

“Indrid?”

“......no?”

“Just a prescient voice in the trees?”

“Yes. I am a very helpful tree.”

Duck turns in the direction of the river, one that feeds directly into the sea, “You know I ain’t gonna be mad if you wanna talk, right?”

“Of course, it was merely an attempt at a goof.” Indrid comes into view, peeking out from the bushes on the shoreline, “I was curious about your work and wanted to see you in action.”

“Afraid there ain’t much of that. What you’ve seen is kinda the gist of what I do.”

“I find it fascinating all the same. May I continue watching?”

Duck smiles, “Sure.”

Indrid turns out to be excellent company, in that he’s quiet for large stretches of time only to ask Duck about the exact thing he wants to talk about. It’s not until Duck is wrapping up and readying to head inland to the ranger station that Indrid asks an entirely new kind of question.

“You are a long way from home, aren’t you?”

He nods, “Spent decades in my home town, feelin like I couldn’t leave, like I had a responsibility to stay. When the chance to work out here, to try to preserve this fuckin amazin ecosystem, popped up, I decided it was time for a change of scene.”

He shivers as Indrid’s tail pets his ankle and the mer sighs, “I am glad you did.”

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

Indrid becomes a regular work companion after that. Sometimes he arrives with helpful information, like which paths might have tourists in need of assistance or where Duck can find the specimen he’s looking for, other times he comes just to talk or listen. These days, Duck finds himself hoping for the glimpse of silver and black in the water that announces his friend’s presence, and enjoying the appreciative looks he spies Indrid giving him when he thinks his back is turned. 

So when something slithers in the bushes behind him, he simply calls out, “What’d you think of those cookies Juno brought in yesterday?”

“I do not know of what you speak, human.”

He whirls, finds a King Naga staring him down. This is probably bad, probably the reason rangers are required to carry a machete or hatchet, but he doesn’t want to be wrong and hurt someone just because they startled him.

“Can I, uh, help you with anythin, sir?”

“Yesss, you can. Be a nice human and stay where you are. I hate having to chasssse my food.”

“Uh” he steps backwards, keeping one eye on the fanged mouth, “that ain’t necessary. Know plenty of places you can get food, if you want.”

“Meager portionssss. And not half assss tempting.”

“Look man, I don’t wanna fight, so please just back off.”

The naga hisses, winding closer at an alarming speed. Then there’s a burst of movement and a flash of silver.

“You stay away from him.” Indrid rises as tall as he can, his body between Duck and the threat. 

“Mind your own busssiness, ssseagoer.” 

“Someone trying to make a meal out of my friend is most definitely my business.” 

“Sssso be it.” The naga lunges. Indrid pushes Duck out of the way and catches his opponent, the force of the strike sending them both sliding down the incline towards the river. The naga outweighs Indrid by a considerable amount, keeps pinning him down only for the mer to wriggle free at the last moment.  Duck knows the agreement is humans stay out of Naga/merfolk conflicts, but there’s no way in hell he’s going to sit by and let Indrid get killed for his sake. 

Right as he locates a large, hopefully sturdy branch, there’s a tremendous splash. The naga thrashes in the water as he’s pulled downstream. Indrid is underwater, holding his opponent in such a way that, the next time he strikes, he has to put his head beneath the current. Right into Indrid’s waiting grasp. The mer keeps his head trapped as his tail whips back and forth. It’s only when the naga is mostly limp, and Duck afraid he’s just witnessed a murder, that Indrid releases him. The half-drowned creature drags himself onto the shore, slithering away without a second glance at Duck. 

“And, and do not come back!” Indrid pants from the shallows, struggling to pull himself back onto the sand. Duck hurries down to him, and Indrid reaches out his hand, concerned, “Are, did, did he hurt you.”

“No, not a fuckin scratch. ‘Drid, pretty sure you just saved my fuckin life.”

“Oh good.” Indrid’s smile is bright, even as his eyes grow blurry, “it is nice to end things with a worthwhile deed.”

Duck sees the puncture wounds in the merman’s arm the instant before he passes out.

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

Indrid wakes up, which is in and of itself a surprise. As is the fact he’s half submerged in water. Rolling over with a groan, he discovers he’s still on the beach where he fought the naga. His bandaged arm aches but is intact, someone has thoughtfully placed a pillow under his head, and there’s a small tent just up the incline. Sound asleep in a sitting position outside the tent is Duck. 

He wriggles and crawls his way to the human, arms giving out as he reaches him, which means his head lands in Duck’s lap.

“Huwhazzat? Oh fuck, ‘Drid, you’re up.” Instead of pushing him away, Duck cradles his head and pets his hair, “thank fuck, I was so fuckin worried. Dani said it might take a few days for you to recover but I couldn’t stop worryin.”

“Duck? How long have you been here looking after me?” 

“Since you got bit. So three days ago. Sarah got some anit-vemon down for you, and Dani swam up to bring you extra medicine just in case. Oh, and Barclay brought you food, I been tryin to get it into you when you were a little bit awake.”

Indrid manages to sit up, curling his tail around them, “You did not need to do all this for me. I knew the risks when I came to your aid. You did not need to save me in return.”

“Fuck need, I wanted to. You, you mean so fuckin much to me.” Duck strokes his cheek, runs his fingers up his tail, “I missed you so much the last three days, realized how so often the part of my afternoon was you comin to talk to me.”

The futures take an odd turn and Indrid shakes his head to clear them, certain he’s seeing wrong. 

“And, uh, and I wanted to ask, uh, when you’re feelin better do you, uh, wanna have dinner with me. Like, uh, on a date?”

“Yes, so very much” Indrid drapes his arms around him, resting their foreheads together.

“Mind if I get a little kiss to tide me over?”

Indrid dips his head down, planting a chaste kiss on his lips before rubbing their cheeks together with a purr, “Apologies, but my kisses must be close mouthed. I’d hate to nick you with a fang.”

“Fine by me.” Duck kisses his shoulders, rubs his tail, “any kind of kiss from you is a goddamn blessin. Besides” he murmurs in Indrid’s ear, “sure we can figure out lots of other things to do together.”

“Absolutely” Indrid purrs, “but for now, would you care to join me for a swim?”

#Indruck #indrid cold/duck newton #mermay #mermay fills

[keithan-p]

Hewo! Can I have a Lynette x The first years scenario? Like Lynette steals their first kiss and runs off victorious?

Yes yes , Scenario coming up!!

Ngl I also wanted to kiss them

If you guys want to request me, don't forget to check out the pinned post 🥀

And I'm not that confident of my writing so bare with my grammar 🥀

🥀Ace Trappola🥀

...

Ace was just walking along the corridors, simply trying to get his way to the canteen.

"Ahh- what a boring day... "

He muttered , as if he wanted something outrageous to happen. Though that's probably not possible since it's been like this for a while now...

Suddenly, a man's head appeared on his sight, he screamed as he fell backwards, "thump..." He fell to the ground.

"Oya, Ace-kun? You seem quite uneasy , I wonder what happened?"

Oh..it's just Lilia . He always appear out of nowhere, how could I not be uneasy? Ace thought

"Nothing- just tired that's all"

Ace brushed his head swiftly, and got up in a second.

"oh..I see-"

Just as Lilia was going to say something, they could see a figure ran right towards Ace and....

Ace felt something warm on his lips, he could barely see the person in front of him, but he knew...

He was kissing a person!

The person's lips brushed his, softly, delicately, like marshmallows melting on his lips, but the kiss broke when the person starts distance themself from him...

This time Ace could see clearly who is the person who kissed him... It's Lynette..!

Red faced, Ace covered his lips as he blushed madly.. his first kiss was stolen...well by the person he like I could add, that might be an honour for him yknow?

With a smirk, Lynette ran away like she just accomplished something. She runs off victoriously leaving the flustered Ace behind.

"Oya, now that's new"

Lilia grinned as he walks away .

🥀 Deuce spade 🥀

...

With a book in his hand, Deuce stares at the book with an intense look, what is he doing you ask me? Studying.

Why can't I concentrate? I had to memorize these vocabs before the test tomorrow, but it seems that I can't do that! At all! Thought Deuce slowly panicking.

"Nee, nee... Sometimes you just have to give up y know?"

Grim saw Deuce trying to memorize the vocabs, couldn't help but to comfort him and advised him.

"No! I- I couldn't give up!"

Deuce then show Grim his palm and said that with a very Firm tone， as if he has already decided his choice.

Grim couldn't help but sigh. Looking at Lynnette with a “He is hopeless ”look.

Lynette couldn't help but laughed a little while she starts staring at the very concentrate Deuce

Let's see.. taciturn... Right.. remember it Deuce you can do it! Hmmmmmmmm...

Thought Deuce while he stare at the vocab very closely,it's like his eyes are stuck on the book.

Suddenly, Lynette thought of an idea. She went towards where Deuce is,but Deuce couldn't feel her, maybe he was too focused on memorizing words... And just on the next moment...

Deuce's face got turned by Lynette and she got closer! Hold up- what's that feel? A warm stuff is on his lips... He couldn't describe it, but as he opened his eyes, he saw Lynette's forehead

"GEHHHH?!"

Grim screamed as he saw Lynette kissing Deuce , using his paws to cover his eyes.

Deuce also got shocked , he couldn't even move a bit! Like a stone, he sat there. The kiss didn't last that long , Lynette gave Deuce a wink as she said to him:

" maybe now you can concentrate better?"

Flustered, Deuce lost his balanced and fell to the ground, his first kiss was stolen, and by his crush? That's good but uh- someone bring him to the nurse office? he wouldn't move

Lynette then ran away as she grinned while she murmured softly:

"yes- I did it!"

🥀Jack Howl🥀

...

"Oya ? You want to train with me? Great choice Lynette! Training will make you get stronger!"

Jack gave Lynette a smile as he bring her to Savannahclaw's training area.

It's only two of them there , Jack could easily teach her without any other dorm students Interrupting them.

The training began as the first attempt is to do sit ups 30 times, Lynette swept her sweat as she starting going into work.

Jack really admires her boldness making him being more determined to finish his training .

Huffing and puffing, they both finished 50 sit ups , They both are very sweaty cause of the training, Jack decided to let them rest awhile

"Resting is also part of training, let's go to the lounge, I think there will be no one there at the moment"

Nodding her head, Lynette agrees and went to the lounge. Just as he said, there's no one there , Jack grab two bottles of mineral water and handed one to Lynette.

"you know I really admire-"

Interrupting Jack's speech, she placed her lips on top of Jack's , making the man blushed madly as he widened his eyes out of shock.

Normally he would struggle, but in front of Lynette,he couldn't.. that's right, he didn't admire her only, he had a crush on her, he sat there hoping the kiss will last longer but as he thought that it won't be that manly if he broke the kiss.

After the kiss, Lynette swiftly move her legs , she ran away holding the mineral water.

Shouting: "YES I DID IT"

Jack sat there, blank minded, wondering what just happen, then he heard a very familiar voice behind him

"Shishsihi... Jack had his first kiss ~ "

Ruggie and Leona were standing behind the palm tree the whole time-

Flustered, Jack couldn't help but storm back to his room.

🥀Epel Felmier🥀

...

"Ah? Want me to teach you how to fly? I don't want to"

With Epel's usual bossy tone, he denied Lynette's request as soon as she asks it. Epel can be himself in front of Lynette，so theres no need to be afraid being rude to her, since she wont mind.

"C'mon Epel-kun!! Pretty please?"

With puppy eyes on her face, Lynette begs Epel with a very tenderly tone.

"G-gah-! You know what, whatever sure! JUST- follow me!"

Give in to lynette's cuteness, epel had to accept her request . Too bad, he had a warm heart that is.

Before bringing Lynette to the field ,they had to change into their gym clothes, on their way there ,they met Cater ,heading back to his dorm

"Ah~! Isn't it my favourite kouhai's! How are you guys?"

Cater wave to us as he asked kindly.

"Ah, Cater senpai good morning, were just heading to the field as I'm going to teach her how to fly with the broom"

Epel totally changed his tone talking to Cater, showing his cute attitude while putting his hand behind his back.

Vil really taught him well

Lynette also nodded, Cater then praised Epel's attitude and continue his way back.

"tch- I can't believe I had to do that"

Epel can't help but complain to lynette about him changing his attitude.

"I think it's great you know, you're so charming when that happens"

Lynette praised Epel as she looks at him tenderly.

Epel started blushing faintly as he rambling about it,saying thibgs like:"don't lie, you're gonna say I'm cute right?" While Lynette just denied as she laughed.

In the next moment, Lynette asked Epel to turn his head to her, He did what she told and saw her getting closer to him.

The next moment he realised, he felt her lips upon his, it's like his lips covering a blanket, so warm and it made his heart beats faster.

Epel broke the kiss as he got surprised while slightly screeching.

"I-i-"

He always wished to kiss his crush but never knew that she would be the one kissing him, he couldn't handle it anymore as his face looks like it is burning. It's dead red!

Smiling, Lynette leave the scene as she runs off victoriously.

Epel couldn't focus on his classes after that.

🥀Sebek zigvolt🥀

...

Lynette was hoping to meet Malleus since she was about to gave him an invitation to her dorm party

Unfortunately,when she was at the Diasomnia dorm , There's a certain green haired boy stopping anyone who wishes to see Malleus. Wait, are those annoying reporters?

Lynette then ran towards the reporters and told them false news about Malleus being in the principal office,acting like a betrayed Subordinate.

"I never said I needed your help HUMAN! Well, uh thank you anyways!!"

Sebek thanked Lynette in a weird way , he then asked what was Lynette doing.

"Meeting with lord Malleus? I WONT LET YOU! He told me that he is doing something private with Lilia-sama and would not want anyone to interrupt!"

Hold up there's something weird in there-

"ANYWAYS I NEED YOU TO LEAVE HUMAN"

Sebek start urging lynette to go back，while she begs him with puppy eyes, saying instead let her roam around the Diasomnia dorm

After a lot of reasoning,he accepted and decides to introduce the dorm himself.

"Now Human, listen to me! This is the lounge area, THAT is the seat where lord Malleus sits, No guests could sit there"

Basically Sebek will introduce the place and things about Malleus,telling Lynette how Great Malleus is, Sebek really does admire Malleus huh.

When all the introductions are done, Sebek decided to send lynette home. Walking by her side, Sebek couldn't help but stare at her, she's very bold , he thought. And that what he admires her the most.

"Why are you staring at me , Sebek?"

Grinning, Lynette look at Sebek while she walks. They're almost towards the mirror....

"Nonsense, why would I stare at you-"

Just when he was started saying, Lynette leans over to his side and kissed Sebek on the lips

Sebek widened his eyes while he got shocked, he quickly broke the kiss as he covered his lips with his hand, flustered

"HUMAN YOU-"

Just as Sebek turned his body and tries to look for her, she went missing. Guess she already walk through the mirror huh

Sebek will never forget the kiss

NEVER

💮

#twst x reader #twisted wonderland #writing #twisted wonderland scenarios #heartslabyul #savannahclaw #pomefiore #diasomnia #ace trappola #deuce spade #adeuce #lilia vanrouge #cater diamond #jack howl #ruggie bucchi #leona kingscholar #epel felmier #sebek zigvolt

[besanii]

hello! first of all, let me just say that i love your writing !! second, i was reading shattered mirrors (bc that verse owns me thanks) and in the nightmare fic, wwx mentions a water prison, which sounds super terrifying and interesting so I guess my question is does wwx have a fear of water because of it? If so, does LWJ know? -C

[from here (#21) and here (#28)]

“Xian-er, my dear, a moment of your time.”

He feels Lan Wangji stiffen beside him when Wang Dafu wanders over to their table partway through the festivities. The other guests are in various states of inebriation and growing rowdy, although Wei Wuxian suspects they are behaving themselves more so than usual today. Usually around this time he would be excusing himself for some fresh air to escape the noise, but there had been little chance of it with Lan Wangji beside him, still as a statue, preventing his exit.

Wang Dafu bows to Lan Wangji.

“Er-wangye, may I perhaps be so bold as to borrow a moment of Xian-er’s time?” he asks. “I would like to have a word with him in private.”

Lan Wangji does not move. Wang Dafu starts to sweat under his stony gaze, glancing around for assistance without causing a scene. Eventually, Wei Wuxian takes pity on him and rises to his feet with an easy laugh.

“Of course, Wang-daren,” he says. “Shall we adjourn to your delightful little garden? I am afraid I have been terrible company tonight and should excuse myself before I displease Er-wangye any further.”

The cup in Lan Wangji’s hand hits the table top with a loud thud that catches the attention of everyone in their immediate vicinity. Within a second, everyone stops what they are doing to bow in the wake of his anger, cowering further when Lan Wangji rises to his feet. He ignores Wang Dafu completely and turns to Wei Wuxian with the same stony gaze.

Wei Wuxian hesitates, keeping his head bowed.

“Wangye…” he says, “if I have indeed displeased you—”

“You have not,” Lan Wangji interrupts him to say. 

His tone, however, is flat and abrupt. It has been a very long time since Wei Wuxian has heard this tone directed at him and it shocks him more than he would like to admit; he keeps his hands tucked into his wide sleeves, hidden beneath the silk veil he has yet to remove, unable to stop the way they tremble at the thought of Lan Wangji angry because of him.

“Raise your head,” Lan Wangji tells him. When Wei Wuxian hesitates to obey, Lan Wangji sighs. “W—Xian-er.”

The name sounds foreign on his lips—sounds wrong. He finds himself hating it, hating the sound of it, in that instant. But the moment passes and he raises his head, all smiles and good humour once again.

“Yes, Wangye?”

“I will join you in the gardens,” Lan Wangji says. “I also find myself in need of some fresh air.”

–

There is a large pond in the middle of the garden, which Wang Dafu boasts took months to create. It is deep, he says, deep and wide enough for them to be able to take a small boat around the perimeter and allow them some privacy.

Lan Wangji stays a ways behind to give them a semblance of privacy, watching as Wang Dafu leads Wei Wuxian to the water’s edge with a simpering, doting smile on his lips. Wei Wuxian responds in kind, with a hand on his arms, puncturing holes in Lan Wangji’s lungs with each whispered word and soft laugh that floats back into his ear. He forces himself to watch, even though he is too far away to hear what they are saying; each passing second burns bitterly in the back of his throat.

“Wangye,” a servant says quietly from behind him. “Would you like to take a seat in the pavilion to wait for the master?”

“No, I will wait here,” Lan Wangji says. “You may leave.”

“Yes, Wangye.”

He watches Wei Wuxian shiver just as the boat is pulling close to the shore, and Wang Dafu coos and fawns over him before he is striding off, calling for Mo Xuanyu to bring an extra cloak for his master. Wei Wuxian watches him go, his hands falling to his side, no longer shivering, the playfulness gone from his gait. Turning away from the water, he looks to a spot to Lan Wangji’s left and raises his voice.

“You can come out now,” he says.

A young woman, no more than twenty, charges out from behind a tree. One of Wang Dafu’s concubines, Lan Wangji realises, from the fine silks and gold ornaments in her hair.

“Liu-furen,” Wei Wuxian says. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“You bitch,” she hisses. “I know what you’re here for! You have your greedy little eyes on my husband. You think that parading yourself around like the shameless thing you are will get you out of your miserable little life? It won’t be that easy. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Wei Wuxian laughs, but it is not the soft, breathy laugh from before; instead, it is sharp and mocking, cutting through the woman’s fury like a sharp knife.

“Pardon me, Liu-furen,” he says. “I wasn’t aware you had any say. Did you not serve Wang-furen as a maid before you climbed into bed with her husband? And you dare to lecture me on being shameless?”

She gapes at him for a moment, to stunned to speak. In the next moment, she raises her hand and slaps Wei Wuxian across the face, nearly dislodging his veil. Wei Wuxian does not retaliate, fixing the veil around his head to disguise how he raises his hand to still Lan Wangji’s furious step forward.

“Xian-er thanks Liu-furen for her guidance,” he says coldly. “I must remind you that I am here at Wang-daren’s personal invitation. What do you think your husband will say if he found out how you treat his guests?”

“I am his wife,” she says haughtily, but there is a trace of nervousness in her tone. “He would not believe the words of a slut over mine.”

“Pardon me, Liu-furen, but you are a concubine,” he reminds her. “And the lowest ranking one too. I would really advise you to worry about yourself first, rather than picking needless fights with me.”

She grabs his arm roughly to prevent him from leaving. The force of the motion has him stumbling backwards and crashing into her, causing both of them to lose balance and slip on the wet grass by the edge of the pond. She shrieks as she falls, and claws at him in a desperate attempt to regain balance. The ensuing struggle knocks his weimao to the ground and his long hair spills over his shoulder.

Lan Wangji, who had already started moving the moment he saw her lay her hand on him, gets there in time to catch Wei Wuxian by the waist, hauling him away from the water’s edge. The motion dislodges her hands in the process; she tumbles into the water with a scream, followed by a loud splash. He pays her no mind, attention already on Wei Wuxian, who has gone deathly still.

“Wei Ying?” he says softly. “Are you alright?”

Tremors start to run over his body, small and barely noticeable at first, rapidly building in intensity until he collapses in Lan Wangji’s arms, his legs giving out from beneath him. His breath comes in choked, dragging gasps, terrifying similar to the way his attacker gasps and struggles in the water behind them, and he claws at his throat frantically trying to draw breath.

“Wei Ying!” He takes hold of Wei Wuxian’s face between his hands and presses their foreheads together. “Wei Ying, focus on me. Listen to me. You have to breathe. With me. Listen to me. Breathe.”

Servants and guests alike have come out at the sound of the commotion, shouting for help. Someone fishes Wang Dafu’s concubine out of the water, spluttering and crying, but Lan Wangji does not concern himself with anything other than Wei Wuxian. He holds him close, keeps their foreheads pressed together so he can feel his breath against his lips, deep and slow, until he subconsciously starts to mimic the pattern. After a few deep breaths, his body begins to relax little by little. The colour returns to his cheeks and the eerie blankness fades from his eyes.

“Lan Zhan?” he rasps, muddled and confused. “Where—?”

“Shh, you’re fine,” Lan Wangji tells him. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

People are starting to crowd around them, shouting questions and clamouring to get a better look. Wei Wuxian flinches at the noise and ducks his head; Lan Wangji grabs the fallen weimao from the ground and places back over his head before sweeping him up into his arms. A startled gasp sounds from beneath the veil as shaking hands grasp the front of his robes tightly. Wang Dafu bursts out from the crowd as he is about to leave, wild-eyed and panting.

“Wangye!” he gasps, falling to his knees. “Please forgive my concubine for her offense! I will see to it that she is punished for her transgressions!”

“I am not the one you should be apologising to,” Lan Wangji says, his voice quiet and cold as ice. “This woman will receive fifty slaps across the face and confinement to the ancestral shrine for reckless endangerment of a guest of her husband’s house and failure to observe proper etiquette as befitting a concubine of her station. Wang Dafu shall receive fifty lashes and withholding of six month’s salary for the endangerment of a guest of his house as a result of his failure to enforce proper conduct within your household. Report to the Ministry of Justice at dawn.”

He adjusts his arms so Wei Wuxian is tucked securely in his arms, his head leaning against his shoulder beneath the weimao, and strides past the crowd without a backward glance.

Notes:

Liu-furen (六夫人) - Sixth Madam, or “sixth wife”

// buy me a ko-fi //

Master Post is here

#mdzs #wangxian #shattered mirrors au #shattered mirrors fic #王爷机 X 花魁羡 #my writing #wwx has a panic attack #lwj still doesn't quite know what's going on #but wang dafu is now out of the picture #sorry i was gonna go plotty #but it got long #and also it's 2.30am here #so i'll have to write the plotty some other time #he takes WWX back to Caiyun Pavilion #and WWX almost asks him to stay #it's almost the tipping point at which WWX decides to leave with LWJ #i'm so tired i'm just gonna roll over and sleep now

[thechekhov]

You guys have been asking for it so HERE it IS! An advice thread about comic-making for people who wanted to know my process.

Answering it every time with something like “JUST START!” and “do whatever!” is probably pretty discouraging to people who are legitimately lost, so I wanted to make something a bit more cohesive. This series of posts will be done over time, on different topics, and I will link each part when I make it.

1) Thinking of a story (this part) 2) Making characters  3) Drafting pages (coming soon) 4) Presentation (coming eventually, we hope)

So, without further ado, let’s get STARTED! 

*Disclaimer: I am NOT professionally trained. I have no creative writing degree, nor a comic-making or art degree. I am literally just sharing my own process and my own thoughts to help others, because they wanted to know. If you have beef with how I do things, that’s fine. Criticise away!

Q: I want to write a story. But I don’t know where to start.

Good! Start with that. Not knowing.

No, I’m serious. Not knowing is what gets us places. Not knowing gets us thinking. And we have a LOT of thinking ahead of us. 

Many storytellers admit that most of their writing starts in their head. Most of us go through our day in a sort of half-conscious haze, doing everyday things on autopilot, running errands while barely conscious of what the hell is going on. Inside our heads, we are writing. Well, not really writing. Imagining. 

I personally am a painfully visual person. When I have an idea, it’s like a goddamn AMV in my brain. I imagine the scenario like a movie, and most of it moves along on its own. I’m not really writing it as much as I’m just directing it - changing the camera angle, asking for a re-take when something feels a bit off. Then, I go home and try to write it down on paper, or draw it, and then I tear at my hair and go “THIS ISN’T LIKE WHAT I IMAGINED AT ALL, i’M A FAILURE” and then I go have some tea, calm down, try again, rinse, repeat...

So, what if you’re having trouble imagining? Well, you need practice. (You DON’T need visual memory, or the ability to visualize. You can think in words, conversations, concepts - whatever. It’s all a part of the imagination.)

I would start with a scene from a book or movie you really like. Just start with what you already have. Maybe it’s a calm moment. Maybe it’s the middle of a battle. Or the middle of an argument. Go there, immerse yourself into that moment, and then think “...but what if...?”

The “what if...?” is important. Keep that in your toolbelt. It’ll help us many times throughout this journey.

Stop thinking “I’m gonna write a story”. Start thinking ABOUT the story. Just start imagining, as hard as you can.

Q: I have a general idea of what happens, but I can’t seem to get it together into a plot.

Sometimes, it helps to write things down. It doesn’t need to be prose - just make it loose and to the point. Not even full sentences. Just “____ happens” and “___is sad” and “_____ dies”. Put them all over the page. Then, go through and connect them with a line. 

When I write plot, some of my brainstorming looks like this:

I think maybe if you spend enough time and channel this guy

...you will know what the hell I was trying to do here. But the point is, it’s not for the audience. It’s for ME. So it’s allowed to be messy. You can see how I labeled some concepts and connected them with string. The numbers are actually for chronological exposition. I was trying to keep track of which things I wanted to reveal first, and which would come later. 

Q: I know I should plan, but I can’t do it. I just wanna write! 

Good! I was also like this at one point. Actually, I hate planning on paper. I lose interest. (I still do it sometimes, but only for the most complex stuff.) 

So, if you don’t want to do it - don’t!! Who cares. 

Start writing. Start drawing. 

But leave yourself room to re-arrange. Learn tetris. Play tetris. (it’s a good game)

When I write/draw I often go in for the meaty parts first. I like this one quote:

which is basically - BASICALLY - the most succinct description of writing I’ve ever seen. 

The thing is-- The thing IS!! the REASON we read is JUST FOR THOSE EMOTIONALLY HORNY MOMENTS!!! Literally the only reason anyone is THERE, in the story, is to experience that peak of emotion, whatever it might be. It could be the excitement of a chance meeting between two characters. It could be the thrill of battle. It could be the pain of loss or misunderstanding. 

The rest of it? I’m sorry to say, but the rest of these things are just bridges. And yes, bridges can be LOVELY. They are absolutely important to have. But we can’t pretend that we don’t read some long drawn-out stories all the while thinking “but I really don’t care, can we please get on with it?”. 

So, don’t be afraid to focus on the stuff you just want to write. Because most likely, it’s the stuff other people want to read. Just get the meat and potatoes of it out there - fill in the salads later. 

Q: I’m not getting any new ideas. Help!

Drop it. 

No, I don’t mean the story - although I suppose that’s also an option - I mean the idea. 

I hear you - you dOn’t hAVE ANy!! But the thing is, ideas are all connected. If you have one idea, the rest cascade from it. If you get to a dead end in your story, you’re not on an island - you’re at the end of the road. You DO have somewhere to go - you can go backwards.

And yes, like dogs, authors sometimes have trouble with the concept of walking backwards because it’s uncomfortable and we get tangled up in the leash of the plot we’re on. But that doesn’t make it impossible to teach you a new trick. (Don’t give me those puppy eyes.)

If you have no new ideas, then you need to walk back to your last idea and ask yourself “how is this leading to a dead end?”. Or the last idea before that. 

“My character is stuck in an abandoned building but I have no idea what should happen now. I’m lost. :( ”

No you’re not. Your character is - why the fuck was she in the abandoned building in the first place? Why did she go there? Who sent her? Who is she? What are her motivations? Take the time dial and wind it backwards until you are at a fork in the road and try the other road. 

Rince, repeat.

Q: How do I get people to like my story? 

You don’t.

I’m sorry, but no amount of ‘please read this!’ or ‘CREATORS NEED REBLOGS, NOT LIKES’ will get people to engage with your story any more than they already are, aside from, well, their own volition.  

Some people just straight up won’t click with your story. Some will. Some will click HARD but will miss the point entirely. Some people will love it dearly but never, ever, EVER say a word to you. 

That’s just how people are. You can’t blame them for not being your Dream Audience. That ain’t their damn job. And as a content creator, unless you’re being commissioned to do something very specific, it also ain’t YOUR damned job to be a crowd-pleaser! 

Write what you love. Connect where you can. The rest will follow. 

That’s about all I have for writing - more will be added later! 

Cheers.

#chekhov gives advice #chekhov writes a text post #how to comic part 1

[somethinginthewayiam]

Request - Off limits

a/n: I’m sorry this took forever but I couldn’t come up with something that worked. I hope you liked how it turned out!

Warnings: angst, asshole!Henry, language, some PG (I guess) smut at the end

Words: 2247

Summary: You are a PA on the set of the Witcher and after just a few days, Henry requests you as his personal PA for the shoot. You’re super excited as you secretly have a thing for him, even though he is off limits as you work for him now. But he is not at all as you had expected...

You were a PA at the Witcher production. You were originally ordered to be a general PA, helping out where needed, but a few days in, Henry requested you to be his personal PA for the whole shoot. You were of course intimidated by him. He just oozed BDE and the arrogance that came with it.

You were into him long before you had gotten the job. Not that you could actually pursue him in any way as you worked for him and that meant he was off limits to you. Best thing about your job though, you were able to gawk at him all day and had the best excuse ever: it was your job! It was all fine in the beginning, but soon, things got weirder and weirder.

First of all, Henry wasn't as nice and a gentleman as everyone always made him out to be. At least, not to you. You saw him being the nicest and most polite guy to pretty much everyone besides you. It started with harsh orders to get him coffee, to bring his jacket or to get his car ready to go home at night. You felt more and more intimidated by him, afraid almost.

 Right when he first came across you on set, Henry was somehow fascinated by you and your whole nature. That’s why he requested you for himself. He regretted his decision pretty soon after as you were off limits to him because you pretty much worked for him (a rule he had set up for himself years ago and every time he broke it, he was reminded why he had set it up originally).

There were no real rules within the crew though that forbid from dating and definitely not from flirting. Henry had noticed that some guy from catering had caught your attention and you two flirted with each other in more or less subtle ways. To say he was annoyed was an understatement.

Henry was not allowed to have you, but that didn’t mean he liked watching you flirt with other guys.

 One day, when Henry ordered you to bring his food, he told you, you had to eat with him in his trailer. But not to get to know you as you had hoped in the beginning, hoping this would be the start of a better working relationship. No!

He didn't want to eat alone, but also didn't want to get into a conversation as he wanted to stay in character. That’s how he explained it to you in some short sentences when you dared to ask him. He didn’t want to be impolite to the rest of the team, but you didn’t count.

So, he forced you to eat with him in his trailer in silence. The tension in the room killed your appetite, but you still ate your lunch as you were afraid that he might get mad at you. When you didn't touch your food in the beginning, he literally growled at you in a Geralt kind of way until you started eating with hesitation.

 Every time he saw you talking to a man, he ordered you over to him and gave you a new task. You only noticed that a few weeks in because every time you talked to a woman, nothing happened.

What annoyed you even more in all of that was that you still thought about him in dirty ways. Being on set when they shot those love-making or after-sex scenes didn't help either. Being there when they shot the bathing scene for episode 5 almost killed you.

You handed him the bathrobe as he came to you after they yelled cut. He snapped his fingers as he rushed off, signaling you to follow him to his trailer.

You hurried to catch up to him and only did when he ripped open the door of this trailer. He stepped in before you and you quickly followed, closing the door behind you. “Hey, big boy”, you greeted Kal with a pat to his head when he came to greet you too.

“What was that?”, Henry turned towards you, burning a hole in you with this gaze. “I-I was talking to Kal”, you stuttered and stood up straight again. “And I thought you finally had a nickname for me”, he smirked at you with a dirty grin. You blushed immediately, your heart starting to pound faster in your chest.

“I saw you staring when I was in that bath”, he said and his voice was almost just a growl. The hair in your neck pricked up. Your whole body was on alert. You couldn’t tell if he was mad at you or making fun of you. Thinking of your working relationship over the past few weeks, it was probably the first thing.

“Help me get changed to go home and you might get another look”, he told you and leaned against the little table in the seating corner of the trailer, a smug grin on his lips. His hands were on each side of his body, supporting his weight on the table.

Your eyes narrowed at him, not knowing if he was joking. What exactly was he getting at here? And something in you just snapped.

He treated you like shit all this time and now he dared to make a move on you? You were fed up. You had enough of Mr. Big-Ego-Moviestar. You didn’t care if you got fired for this.

“I work for you, yes, but I am not your fucking slave! If you get off on that shit then get some bimbo to be your bitch and let me do my fucking job!", you called him out on all the shitty things he had done to you. Only when you’re done you realize that his whole face had changed. Even Kal had gone hiding under the little table of the trailer at your loud tone.

“I thought we’re just playing around”, Henry admitted, honestly shocked. “Maybe you were playing some sick game. I was afraid of losing my job, you, you…asshole”, you screamed at him. “Get off your high horse and try to live in the real world for a second. You were abusing our work relationship for your sick pleasure”, you spat at him.

You turned on your heels and stormed outside, finding Rebecca, the boss of all the PAs, close by. "You have to reassign me! I can't do this anymore. This guy is batshit crazy", you almost yelled at her as well. "Y/N, what are you talking about?", she asked you startled. "I'm talking about Henry! He is...", you said and as you talked you noticed how her eyes looked at something or someone behind you.

The next moment, you got lifted off in the air and thrown over somebody's shoulder. Not just someone, Henry's. As he still had the white-haired wig on, you recognized him although you couldn't see his face.

"What the fuck, Henry?! Put me down! Put me down!", you yelled at him, hitting his back with your fists. You probably hurt yourself more than him. He only put you down when he was back inside his trailer. He closed the door behind him and looked at you with a serious face.

“What the hell was that? Have you lost your mind?”, you asked and walked backwards until your backside hit the edge of the little table, which wasn't far. But every inch between you and Henry was better than nothing.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot”, Henry said and held up his hands, signaling you that he won’t come closer. “I think the only one that got off was you”, you snorted and crossed your arms in front of your body. Henry let his head hang in defeat and exhaled loudly.

“Please let me explain”, Henry tried again. You got startled because this was the first time he had used the word please when talking to you. You looked at him but kept your arms crossed.

“I requested you as my PA because I liked you”, he started. “What a way to show that”, you interrupted him and arched your left eyebrow. Your voice dripped with sarcasm. “I see that now”, he lightly nodded his head before he continued.

“But then I found myself liking you too much although I wasn’t allowed to and pushed you away before something could…happen”, he explained to you and it looked like he was in pain. Your brain had trouble comprehending what he was telling you as it was so far from everything you had expected him to say.

“What the hell are you talking about?”, you blurted out. You were getting a headache from his words spinning in your head.

He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He came the two steps towards you, standing very close to you now. You had to tilt your head quite far to be able to look him in the face. His eyes wandered from your eyes to your lips and back up. “I really like you, Y/N”, he said with emphasis on “really”.

“You seriously need to change your way of showing that”, you told him and put your chin forward. You had enough of backing down from him.

You were waiting for him to say something, having a comeback to your “suggestion”. But he just leaned down and kissed you. Just like that.

Your eyes got big out of surprise, but this way you saw that his were closed. You kissed him back almost immediately, your eyes fluttering close.

He came even closer and pressed you against the edge of the table, forcing you to uncross your arms and bracing yourself on the table top behind you. He bent you backwards while kissing by pushing his whole body against you, his hands resting on the table next to yours.

His tongue slipped in your mouth, exploring. The kiss was surprisingly gentle considering the tone of your relationship so far.

When he pulled back, his face stayed close to yours, your breaths quickened. “Fuck, it’s even better than I imagined”, he mumbled and you could feel his breath on your face.

He stood back up and you followed him like he was a magnet that pulled you with him.

“Henry…”, you breathed out and looked up at him. You didn’t know what to think let alone say right now. This came to you as a total surprise. And yet…it was everything you had ever hoped for.

“I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I really wasn’t thinking straight”, he apologized and took a step back. “And I’m sorry for the kiss. This was wrong for so many reasons”, he shook his head at himself.

Your fingers came up to your lips as they still tingled from his touch. To your surprise, you already missed his lips on yours.

You closed the gap between the two of you. You got on your tiptoes the same time your arms snaked around his neck, pulling Henry towards you. You pressed your lips on his again, your tongue darting forward. He opened his mouth immediately and welcomed you in.

His hands found your ass and squeezed it lightly before he went a little further and lifted you up. You put your legs around his waist automatically.

He carried you to the table and placed you on it. He stood between your legs and ran his hands through your hair as he deepened the kiss. Only when your fingers travelled up to his hair, you remembered that he was still wearing his wig. So, you were pretty much making out with Geralt right now.

You pulled back and broke the kiss. “I think you need to get out of your costume”, you mumbled, feeling light-headed from the kiss. Your lips felt a bit swollen and the skin around your mouth must be read from the scratches of his stubble.

Henry’s eyes looked equally cloudy as he came back to his senses. He still tasted you on his lips and he wanted more. So much more.

Only when he heard you talking, he realized that he was still in his Geralt-look. “I think you’re right”, he said and leaned his forehead against yours, a smile appearing on his lips.

“Will you still be here when I come back?”, Henry asked you. “It’s my job to be here”, you answered.

Henry pulled back and looked at you with furrowed brows. His eyes were scanning your face. “Do you still want to be here when I come back?”, he rephrased it.

Slowly, the corners of your lips started curling upwards. “If you behave from now on?”, you asked in return. “Do you mean the kissing?”, he smirked at you. “I mean everything BUT the kissing”, you replied and a devilish grin appeared on his face.

“I think we need to start this whole work relationship over”, he said and took a step back, helping you off the table. “So, you’ll behave from now on?”, you asked him again and didn’t know yourself if you were including what had just happened between you. “Only when you want me to”, he stated and presented you with a playful smile.

 You kept on eating with him alone in his trailer, but from now on, it was to get to know each other better and to steal some kisses before you had to be back on set.

#henry cavill #henry cavill request #henry cavill angst #request #angst #henry cavill imagine #geralt of rivia #the witcher #henry cavill fanfiction

[casey-v]

Trauma

Ethan x Casey

Here’s a one shot of chapter 13. The scene in the on call room didn’t feel like fluff, so this is mostly drama. This time it’s only Casey’s POV because for me it was too difficult to find out what was going on in Ethan’s head.

Disclaimer: characters owned by PB

Words: 2,3K

Casey stared at the door of the on call room that had just been slammed in her face. Hoping Ethan would come back, she just sat there and waited, not really able to capture what had just happened. But, of course, he didn't reappear. So, she left frustrated and wandered through the halls of Edenbrook, deeply immersed in her thoughts.

Why was fate messing with her like this? They had just started a wonderful relationship in which Ethan had finally opened up to her. Since Danny’s funeral, she had spent three nights at his apartment and every second of it was pure bliss. Being alone, outside the hospital, he was so relaxed and happy, it made her heart melt. Sometimes they had a wordless understanding that was amazing. When he was relaxed it was so easy to talk to him about nearly everything and they laughed together endlessly. And of course, they had......mmmmmh…..God, he felt so great.

And now a few minutes with his mother seemed to have ruined everything. That man in the on call room was a stranger to her. No, in fact, it reminded her of the Dr. Ramsey in the days of her early internship, when he was sometimes acting like a jerk and being rude and moody. She had thought that this man was long gone. But unfortunately, the encounter today brought him back and all the walls around him were back up again.

 Her feet had brought her to a certain office door. She didn’t know that this was, what she needed, until she was there. She hesitated and knocked. “Come in,” a friendly voice was heard from inside the office. When Casey opened the door, she saw Naveen’s face brighten up. Instantly she felt a little better. There was just something about him, that lifted your spirits. He was always good humored and positive, even last year, on his supposed deathbed. Ever since, they had a special bond and although they didn’t meet a lot, they were very fond of each other.

“Casey! So, rumors are true. You didn’t stay at home like I told you. But it’s good to see you.” He came over and hugged her.

“Good to see you too, Naveen. My landlord needed medical help this morning, so I brought him here and then I just stayed. It’s so boring at home and I like to keep myself distracted.” She smiled at him, trying to hide her current state. But he knew her to well.

“Well, if I may say it, you don’t look too good. Are you sure, this isn’t too soon?” He took her gently by her arm and led her to the couch to sit down. “Oh, it’s not work that is bothering me right now” She couldn’t keep her eyes from getting wet. Naveen sighed and rolled his eyes. “What has he done now?”

Through her tears she laughed. “Why do you think this is about Ethan?” Naveen had a sparkle in his eyes. “I know you and, most importantly, I know him, so this was easy to figure out. What happened?”

Casey’s expression darkened. “How much has he told you about his family background?” “A lot, I guess. Are you referring to his mom leaving?” She nodded and just spilled the whole story.

“She’s here. Came in this morning as a patient, unconscious on an opioid overdose. Ethan and I were in the ER at that moment. He was shocked. We gave her naloxone, then he just said something like ‘Nurse, take care of her’ and ran off. I found him later in an on call room, yelling angrily. He wouldn’t let me talk to him, just slammed the door in my face and left.” Naveen had listened closely, his gaze concerned. “I’m so sorry, Casey. I know he can be difficult at times. Ethan has this anger buried deep down inside of him, ever since his mother left him. Growing up with his father he never learnt to express his feelings or even worse, he never allowed himself feelings. He thinks he needs to be tough all the time. And then, when all those bad memories come rolling over him, he can’t deal with it.”

Casey thought a long moment about these words. Of course, it was perfectly clear, that Ethan had trouble talking about his feelings. But the last days had proven that he damn well was able to show his affection for her. “The thing is: Since my night in isolation a lot has changed between us.”

Casey blushed and didn’t dare to say more, but Naveen smiled and put his warm hand on hers. “You don’t have to be afraid to tell me anything. Even if I’m chief of medicine I’m also your friend and you know that I always wanted to see the two of you together. Ethan has changed so much since you came here and I’m really happy for you. He almost lost his mind that night of the assault.”

“It was terrible for all of us, but for what it’s worth it also brought us even closer together. Despite all the aftermath of the attack the past days have been great. Today though, it feels that all of this has vanished.”

“It’s a lot to ask from you in your current condition, Casey, but he needs you right now. He probably hasn’t said it yet, but I can see that he loves you with all his heart. Please don’t give up on him.” Naveen squeezed Casey’s hand tightly.

“I won’t, I couldn’t. But the question is: will he let me help him?””

***

Later Casey went to check on Louise. She was stable but not yet in a good condition. Talking to her felt odd, so she kept the conversation short. “Mrs. Ramsey, do you want me to call anybody?” It took Louise some time to answer. “I suppose you could call my ex-husband, Alan Ramsey. He lives in Providence, though.” “Sure, I’ll try to reach him. Ahm, a psychologist will stop by later. And if there is anything else you need, just tell the nurses.”

***

The rest of the day Casey tried to avoid meeting Ethan, but talking to Naveen had given her confidence, that everything would work out for the best. She didn’t want to confront the attending during working hours, so she planned to talk to him at night. The more she thought about it, the more she realized, that she may have overreacted after his outburst and that he probably would be much better by now anyway. How wrong she was became obvious the moment she stepped out of the elevator and saw Ethan and Alan standing in the hallway, involved in a heated discussion. “That’s all there is to say, dad. And now I have work to do.” Ethan’s face was red with rage. As he turned around to enter his office, he directly looked at Casey. “Dr. Valentine, in my office now.”

At first Casey was too shocked to move. Alan took some steps backwards, deeply embarrassed by his son’s behavior. “Hello Mr. Ramsey,” was all Casey could muster before she followed Ethan.

 The door wasn’t even closed behind her when he was at her. “How dare you call my dad!”

“Excuse me! How dare you talk to me like this. This has nothing to do with you. Louise asked me to call him and that’s what I did. That’s how we take care of our patients. You taught me, that every patient is worth any treatment. How can you deny her visitors?” Ethan was silenced for a moment and rubbed his neck. He seemed to calm down a little. “You could have asked me to call him or at least warn me.” In contrast to him, Casey was just getting heated up. “Really? After your outburst this morning? You said, you had more important patients and didn’t want to deal with her. Get a grip, Ethan, you’re being totally unreasonable. You say she’s nothing but a stranger to you, but never on earth would a stranger affect you the way she does. You tell me not to run away from my PTSD while you've been carrying around your own trauma for 26 years. This has to stop now!”

Ethan was pacing up and down, yelling back at her. “Don’t you think I know that. Do you think I like what she’s doing to me? But I will never forgive that she left, just like that, without a word, not caring about me anymore.”

Casey inhaled deeply to get her voice under control. “You don’t have to forgive her; you just have to understand what happened. Now is the chance for closure. Talk to her. Not for her sake but for your own. Hear her story. You need to hear the reason for her leaving. It's not your fault that she left and probably also not your father’s fault either. Maybe she already had mental health problems back then, who knows. Everybody is a victim here. Maybe she just couldn't stand herself, couldn’t handle her life. That doesn't mean that she didn't love you. If you don't talk to her now, you'll maybe never get another chance.”

Ethan was sitting on the couch now, his face in his hands and mumbled. “Ok, I’ll think about it.” Then he glanced back at Casey, forcing a smile. “Do you want me to cook dinner tonight?”

She shook her head frustrated, her arms dangling loose by her sides. “That`s it? You just change the subject? I don’t believe it. No, I don’t want to be with you tonight. This day has been exhausting enough, I need to relax, watch a senseless movie, go to bed early, whatever.” She turned around and opened the door to leave when she heard his tight voice. “Only tonight?”

As she glimpsed back at him over her shoulder, she felt so sorry for him how he sat there, slumped down, observing her insecurely. In the past they had argued a lot about work related issues and she always stood her ground, but so far, she had never stood up for herself when it came to their personal relationship. Being patient and accepting his wishes was all she had ever done. But for once, she knew, she had to put herself first, although the urge to take him in her arms was almost unbearable.

“For someone so intelligent you can be so stupid sometimes. Of course, only tonight. Do you really think I’ve been waiting all this time only to run away after the first argument? I couldn’t, even if I wanted to, because the problem is, I love you, however bad you treat me. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. You're not the only one who is able to slam some doors. “

With that she turned and slammed the door as predicted. She knew this was a bit ridiculous, but it felt really good. Only then did she realize what she had just said to him. Her hand flew over her mouth. That's not at all how she imagined saying those three words for the first time. She lingered a while in front of his door, unsure what to do, before she went home.

***

Instead of watching a movie Casey ended up playing video games with Elijah. Killing dark creatures helped her let off some steam and she enjoyed spending time with Elijah. They had just freed themselves out of a dungeon when her phone rang. There was only one person who would call her at that hour.

“Sorry Elijah, I have to take this.” She grabbed her phone and went into her room.

“Hey!” – “Casey!?” Ethan’s desperate voice made her cringe. “Can I come up?” – “Where are you?” – “Right outside.” A few seconds there was silence. Casey had told him, that she wanted to be alone, but it meant so much to her, that he came to her.

“What do you want?”

“To be with you.”

A single tear rolled down her cheek. “Ok, I’ll open the door for you.”

As he entered the apartment, she quickly pulled him past the grinning Elijah into her room and immediately found herself tightly wrapped in Ethan’s embrace. She smelled a mixture of his cologne and scotch. They clung to each other as if they had to shield themselves against a heavy storm. Casey felt his tears running down her neck. Soothingly her hand travelled up and down his spine. An eternity later he loosened his grip and touched her forehead with his.

“I’m so sorry, Casey. What kind of asshole pushes away the one person, that is always there no matter what?”

She lifted her hand and touched his cheek very softly. “Come on, let’s just go to bed.” Quietly they got undressed and crawled into the covers, her back against his chest, arms wrapped, fingers laced. Words weren’t necessary right now, the only thing they needed was to feel the presence of the other one.

As Casey was half asleep already, she felt Ethan’s whisper against her ear. “If I …, I don’t know yet, but just in case, …I mean …if I talk to her, would you come with me?”

“Is this a rhetorical question or are you really unsure of my answer?” She turned to look at him, their noses almost touching, and waited. He seemed to weigh his answer before he spoke again. “You know I’d hate to presume anything.”

Casey moved closer to put a sweet kiss on his lips. Then she sent him a warm smile and lost herself in his blue eyes, only lit by the moonlight. 

“Regarding me and you, Ethan, you always can presume.”

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

Thanks for reading. Please comment and share if you liked it.

 Tag list:

@queencarb @utterlyinevitable @schnitzelbutterfingers @nerdydinosaursweets @eramsey28 @mrsdrakewalkerblog @starrystarrytrouble @maurine07 @princessfuzzy12 @kenzierookie @binny1985 @adrex04​ @choicesficwriterscreations​

#open heart #playchoices #ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #casey valentine #ethan jonah ramsey #open heart 2 #2.13 #my writing

[carewyncromwell]

[POTC AU] Captain Orion Amari of the pirate ship Artemis and Captain “Carey Weasley” (Carewyn Cromwell) of the HMS Robin Moodboard

x~x~x~x

“Captain,” said Skye rather sharply, “are you sure about this?”

Orion didn’t answer. He was keeping an eye on the incapacitated HMS Robin through his naval telescope as his own white-and-gray painted ship, the Artemis, sailed away from it.

“Their crew won’t be able to come after us, while they’re stuck on that sandbar,” pointed out the first mate, McNully. “And even if they were able to lighten the load enough to get off of it, there’s only a 12% chance they’d decide to fire on us, while we have their Captain aboard.”

“It’s their Captain I don’t trust,” Skye said irritably.

“Captain Weasley surrendered himself to us honorably,” said Orion calmly. He lowered the telescope, tucking it away in the inside of his long olive suede jacket, and strolled past the helm. “We can afford to show him a bit of courtesy in return, considering how much easier he’s made things for all of us...”

“But tying him up and throwing him in your cabin?” demanded Skye, as she pursued Orion down the stairs to the main deck. “He should be locked in irons in the brig -- he’s our prisoner -- ”

“‘Prisoner?’” Orion repeated airily, raising an eyebrow. "I believe I called him a guest, when I first ordered you to take him aboard.”

“Most guests don’t require being tied up, Orion,” McNully pointed out amusedly. Given that he was missing both legs, he transported himself down from the helm by lifting himself up into some loose ropes in the rigging and then swinging and climbing down to his rolling chair left at the base of the stairs.

Skye, however, still persisted. “Captain, I’m serious about this. Something’s off about this Captain Weasley, I can feel it. He’s not acting like the other officers we’ve taken. He was way too calm, way too...nice.”

“I don’t know if I’d say ‘nice’ is the right word, considering he initially cut off one of my wooden legs, when I first arrived on the deck of his ship,” said McNully. “But he has been very civil since he surrendered to us, I have to admit.”

“Of course,” said Orion. “He cares about the safety of his crew, and the terms of our accord were that we take him and spare his crew and ship, was it not? It’s in his best interest to submit to our authority, at least in the interim.”

“There is a 64% chance he’ll fight back as soon as the HMS Robin is out of range of our cannons, though,” McNully warned him. “Perhaps we should break out some manacles, just in case...”

Orion seemed perfectly disinterested in the suggestion. He’d turned his focus to the sailors in the rigging.

“Set a course southwest, helmsman!” he called. “Heave to and full sail! We’ll make a quick stop in Tortuga for supplies on our way to drop off our cargo...”

Skye barreled in front of Orion to stop him from walking any further.

“Tortuga?! Captain, are you mad!?”

“Thanks to Captain Weasley trying and failing to lighten the load of his ship and escape the sand bar, our plunder was underwhelming,” Orion said patiently. “We still need soap and rum before we travel much longer.”

“But if we make port, then that Weasley could escape!”

McNully couldn’t bite back a laugh. “Escape? A Captain of the British Navy, escaping onto an island full of pirates? There’s not even a one percent chance of that happening.”

“Don’t underestimate him,” growled Skye. She snatched something out from the inside of her shirt. “I found this ‘round his neck, when I tied him up -- ”

She held out a gold chain -- dangling on the end was a round gold medallion engraved with a sinister-looking skull.

Orion’s shoulders stiffened noticeably. He held out his hand so that Skye could give the necklace to him.

“Dunno where it’s from, but it’s definitely a pirate medallion,” Skye said under her breath suspiciously. “That ‘Carey Weasley’ may be a Navy stooge, but he’s got links to piracy too, mark my words.”

McNully rolled himself around to get a better look at the medallion too.

“It looks to be solid gold,” he murmured. “Whichever pirate he got that from -- or stole it from, there’s about a 45 percent chance of that -- was likely one of the wealthier ones...”

Orion’s thumb ran over the medallion absently as he stared at it, his dark eyes rippling with a bizarre, indecipherable emotion. Then, after a long moment, he pocketed the medallion inside his olive coat and turned on his heel.

“Stay on course for Tortuga, McNully,” he said quietly. “I should have a private word with our ‘guest.’”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

Orion swept toward his cabin door at the back of the ship, just under the helm. His dark eyes lingered on the doorknob for a short, palpable moment, before he twisted it and pushed the door open.

Sitting in the center of the room was a short young man dressed in a navy blue and white Navy uniform bound to a chair with thick ropes. His ponytail was a shocking ginger red and his blue almond-shaped eyes were focused on the floor in front of his tall black boots rather than on Orion as he entered.

The pirate captain considered the Naval captain carefully for a moment as he slid the door closed behind him with a soft snap. After a moment, he spoke very levelly.

“...Greetings, Captain.”

The red-haired officer smiled in dark amusement.

“Good of you to remember to speak first,” he said coolly. “It’s bad enough luck to have a ginger on board your ship at all, isn’t it?”

His voice was a bit high, which like his perfectly clean face could hint to a very young man, but that voice still echoed with experience and intelligence.

Orion raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t take you for a superstitious sort.”

“I’m not. But I’m Captain of a ship, and I’m more than used to that particular wives tale. Every sailor with red hair becomes very used to letting everyone else initiate any conversations.”

“Must be difficult when there are two of you,” said Orion amusedly. “Like your Lieutenant. Percy, was it?”

Captain Weasley’s eyes narrowed upon the floor without looking up.

“Yes,” he said very coldly.

Orion’s eyes swept around the room, narrowing on a spot on the far wall. He’d had a pair of decorative swords hung up there...

Turning his gaze back to Weasley, he took a few slow, leisurely steps forward, his hand running along the scabbard attached to his belt.

“...How do you like the accommodations?”

“I don’t much care for being tied up,” said the Captain dryly.

“I suppose anyone else would feel similarly...” said Orion very solemnly, “...if they were tied up.”

CLANG!

In an instant, Orion had to bring up his sword to block a blow from another cutlass. The ropes had fallen completely lax and cut open to the floor, and Weasley had leapt to her feet, holding both of the ornate decorative swords that had been on Orion’s wall in his bleeding hands. He must’ve been able to move his chair enough to knock them off the wall and use them to cut his bindings, but catching the blades with his bare hands made him also cut open his palms.

Orion blocked again as the Naval Captain slashed and parried with both swords, beating him backward.

“You used my swords to cut yourself free, then?” asked Orion. “I’m surprised you were able to move enough to reach them, with how tightly Skye must have bound you...”

“I was captured by the Spanish five times, during the War,” the Captain shot back coldly. “I’ve had more than enough experience being tied up -- ”

Once he’d beaten Orion back into a corner, Weasley made a break for the door, but Orion quickly bent down and yanked the rug out from under him.

“AH!”

Weasley felt flat on his face. Orion lunged forward, and Weasley rolled over, blocking his cutlass with both swords.

“Five times?” said Orion, his eyebrows raised in interest. “And you presumably escaped every time? Impressive. I know full well how difficult it can be, to evade the Spanish.”

“Ha!” Weasley gave a very cool laugh. “I’m sure you do!”

Orion and Weasley crossed swords, slashing at the air and slamming their blades against each other in dangerous shings. Weasley kept trying to break for the door, but Orion stubbornly tried to force him back -- he was not going to let him get away.

“You’re very talented with a sword, Captain,” said Orion.

“I don’t need your flattery,” Weasley shot back sardonically.

“And I don’t need you running out onto the deck and causing a scene,” Orion said very gravely, his dark eyes narrowing upon the other Captain’s face. “You’d be surrounded within minutes, once you left my cabin -- ”

Weasley shot her leg out, kicking Orion right in the shin. Orion fell back with a grunt of pain -- within seconds, Weasley had crossed both of his swords against the pirate captain’s neck.

“Not if I have a hostage of my own,” said Weasley softly.

Orion’s dark eyes were wide for only a moment before his face relaxed again.

“A Naval officer resorting to blackmail? And after my crew and I showed you hospitality...I thought you were an honorable sort, Captain.”

Weasley’s eyes flashed dangerously. “You’re in no place to question my honor, Captain -- I know full well that all of the ‘hospitality’ you’ve shown me is only skin-deep.”

Orion raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?” he said, and his level voice betrayed a bit of edge despite himself.

“The Artemis has been capturing and marooning Naval officers up and down British shipping routes for months now,” said Weasley. “It’s terrified the British Navy and the common man alike. People don’t think it’s safe to travel, because they’re afraid that pirates will pillage and plunder any ship they might board -- and the Navy is finding fewer and fewer officers willing to sail those routes, for fear they might be next.”

“As intended,” said Orion placidly. “Less Navy officers on the route means less pirates hunted down like wild beasts.”

“And less people to protect civilians and merchants from those pirates who act like wild beasts.”

Weasley urged Orion up onto his feet, his blue eyes very cold upon the pirate’s face as he walked behind him, ushering him across the cabin toward the door. Blood dripped from his still bleeding palms down the blades of his two swords. 

“I don’t intend to be another statistic that can be used to strike fear into the hearts of others,” he murmured coldly. “I don’t care how gentlemanly you seem -- I don’t abide bullies, no matter who they are.”

“A shame you work alongside an entire Navy of them, then,” said Orion very softly.

He abruptly slammed his head backward right into the Naval Captain’s forehead.

“Augh!”

Weasley was stunned just enough for Orion to duck out from under his swords. Dashing back just enough to grab his sword back up off the floor, he prevented Weasley from again reaching the door by slamming his blade against both of the other Captain’s and pushing him back.

“Since when do you defend the Navy so passionately?” Orion challenged him.

Weasley’s blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. “‘Since when -- ?’ All of the Weasleys -- all of us, who are of age, were seamen, if we’re not still!”

Orion’s lips spread into a bizarre, detached sort of smile. “...Then ‘Weasley’ isn’t just a name you’ve borrowed: it’s a family you’ve found...”

Weasley looked oddly stricken. “What...?”

His eyes then narrowed as he slammed his right sword against Orion’s to push him back and then slashed at his shoulder with his left. Orion just barely avoided the blow, which swept through his long dark hair.

“I seem to recall you weren’t always so cold toward pirates,” said Orion lightly. “May have even harbored one or two, right under the Navy’s nose...”

Weasley’s face had gone very white, but he refused to show any fear.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he spat.

CLANG. SHING. Orion and Weasley leapt and spiraled around each other as if they were in a highly choreographed sword dance.

“Your sentiment was very much the same, back then, if memory serves me,” Orion plowed on, his voice remaining rather detached but going lower in his throat. “‘I don’t like bullies, no matter who they are.’ Except back then, that sentiment was directed toward the Navy -- ”

“Don’t patronize me!”

Weasley threw his left sword against Orion’s with another CLANG -- Orion managed to grab the Naval Captain’s right arm and twist his wrist.

“ACK!”

The blood-stained right sword fell to the floor with a clatter. Orion looped Weasley’s right arm behind his back, trying to restrain him.

“What changed you?” Orion whispered in the Captain’s ear. “What’s filled you with such hatred?”

Weasley tried to wrench out of Orion’s grip. Upon not being able to, he stomped on Orion’s foot and used the distraction to pull away and put some distance between them again. The Naval Captain was breathing hard, his blue eyes boring into Orion’s face critically, analyzing him.

“I don’t hate pirates,” said Weasley very softly. “But most pirates aren’t as gentlemanly as you, Captain Amari. Most, when they capture innocent people, don’t just let them go unharmed. Even you don’t drop them off anywhere inhabited -- even you follow the Pirate Code and leave them on deserted islands -- ”

“Along rum-runner routes,” Orion said softly. “They’re always found alive.”

“Even if that were true, you don’t give them back to their families!” Weasley shot back, and his voice for the first time sounded righteously angry. “You still rip them away from their lives, terrify them and their crews, and make them wait around, not knowing if they’ll ever see home again!”

“Those officers were not our enemy, nor are you. We don’t harm anyone who hasn’t given us a reason to.”

“You clearly do, by roping innocent people into this! You don’t think I know this is all to get back at the East India Trading Company, for pressuring the British Navy into hunting down pirates?”

“You don’t think I have reason, to want to protect my crew from people who have sold their souls to the Devil purely out of blind loyalty?” said Orion, and his voice and dark eyes rippled with a faintly icy edge for the first time.

“‘Blind loyalty!’” spat Weasley. “‘Blind’ -- I may be an officer, but my loyalty is not blind. The Company may think that they can buy our service, but they cannot buy any part of me. My loyalty is mine to bestow, upon the deserving.”

The Naval Captain’s blue eyes seared with a vengeful, painful kind of fire.

“The British Navy may be flawed, but it’s where I’ve made a life for myself -- and I don’t care how much you hate the Company, you have no right to separate good men from their families!”

Orion’s dark eyes widened slightly upon the Captain’s face. Then they softened, gaining a darker, almost sadder glint.

“Your brother,” he whispered.

Weasley stiffened sharply. He took a step to the side, which Orion mirrored -- soon they were circling each other, their swords at their sides as they considered each other.

“I have many brothers,” he said coldly.

“Only one blood one, if I’m not mistaken,” said Orion softly. “An older one -- a smart and talented man, who raised you after you both lost your parents...”

Weasley’s blue eyes darted over his face, narrowing almost to slits.

“...Who are you?” he whispered at last.

“You already know who I am. I’m Captain Orion Amari.”

“And yet I don’t recall colliding with an ‘Orion Amari’ previously, however many stories I’ve heard about him.”

Orion smiled slightly, but the expression didn’t quite touch his eyes. He sheathed his cutlass, holding his hands out with the fingers slightly spread, to showcase he wasn’t armed.

“I wouldn’t expect you to. It was a very long time ago -- it took me a while to recognize you, as well, after ten years. But this...”

He reached into the interior pocket of his olive coat and withdrew the gold medallion, dangling it in front of him by its chain. Weasley made a subconscious move as if thinking to grab it back, but he resisted.

“...I remember it very well,” murmured Orion.

His dark eyes drifted down to the medallion as it bobbed back and forth in mid-air.

“You showed it to me, to reassure me that you meant me no harm. Said your brother stole it from your grandfather’s cabin, before he stowed away with you in a jollyboat and you both escaped. Said your grandfather was a pirate too, but a much meaner one...Captain Charles Cromwell, of the ship Revenge.”

He could still see the gentleness that had been in those blue eyes -- feel the soft hand reaching out to touch his cheek, to try to comfort him when he was shaking from head to toe...

“...Soon after, the Navy caught up with me, and you hid me in a hole under a loose set of floorboards under your bed. You were able to charm the soldiers enough to persuade them you hadn’t seen me. Even your own brother believed you, until you came to get me, long after the soldiers were gone -- and immediately after you pulled the carpet up and helped me out, you -- ”

“Insisted you stay for dinner.”

Orion looked up, startled.

Weasley’s face was very white as he stared at Orion, his almond-shaped blue eyes very wide and alight with emotion.

“You were really thin and you weren’t very clean,” he murmured, “so I refused to let you leave until I took care of you properly. You were too scared to sleep at first, so I sat up and held your hand and sang songs to you until you fell asleep. And when I asked your name, all you would tell Jacob or me was -- ”

“‘Smithy,’” finished Orion, his voice oddly hushed.

His face didn’t break into a full smile, but his dark eyes had welled up with an intense, rippling, admiring kind of softness -- the kind more appropriate to see on the face of a man in love.

The Captain called “Weasley” stared at Orion for a long moment, his blue eyes rippling in amazement and disbelief. Then he dropped the remaining sword in his left hand to the floor with a clatter and swept right up to Orion, his arms encircling the pirate in a full embrace.

“It’s you,” he whispered incredulously, a smile rippling through every word. “After all this time...you’re alive...you’re here...?”

Orion had stiffened very slightly when the Naval Captain had reached him, but within seconds he’d tentatively brought his arms around him in return. Gradually, slowly, his grip tightened, his soot-blackened fingers digging into the fabric of the officer’s blue Navy coat and his chin resting on the other’s shoulder.

“...You believed me dead?”

“Well, you refused Jacob’s and my help -- we knew you had to be a fugitive, for you to give us a fake name, and when you left that night without a word and never resurfaced again...well...we feared the worst. I reassured Jacob for ages that you seemed resourceful, and that you might’ve had a way out of Port Royal, but...Jacob and I had only managed to get away from Grandfather because we could tag team to steal the jollyboat and then take turns rowing until we finally reached land. As far as we knew...you were alone. And no sailor can sail off an island alone.”

“I was fortunate enough to be able to stowaway on a merchant ship until it reached Portobello. I then enlisted with another crew, once I reached Tortuga.”

“That was the other part of it. With the Company demanding such brutal action against pirates...if you had somehow survived...”

“Weasley” exhaled.

“...all I’d hoped was that you’d somehow been able to go straight, so you wouldn’t end up a target.”

“You know full well how hard that is,” said Orion very solemnly.

“...I know.”

The Captain’s soft voice echoed with sorrow and compassion -- just as it had, when they’d first met...

Orion closed his eyes absently, breathing in slowly. He could smell rosemary...soap, no doubt.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” murmured the Naval Captain.

Orion slowly opened his eyes. “...I’m glad that that knowledge doesn’t disappoint you, Carewyn.”

The Captain called “Carey Weasley” -- in truth Carewyn Cromwell -- finally pulled away enough to look him in the face.

“Of course it doesn’t disappoint me,” she said severely. “I may be an officer of the Navy and I might have to march lock-step with the East India Trading Company sometimes, but I’m not that terrible.”

“I suppose with your family history, I couldn’t expect you to feel no sympathy, for our plight,” said Orion, “but with your brother having been taken by pirates...I admit, I wasn’t sure.”

Carewyn’s almond-shaped blue eyes were very solemn.

“Jacob joined a ship as their navigator, so as to earn enough money to support us,” she explained. “On the way back from Africa, however, his ship was attacked by a pirate captain named Howell Davis. Most of the ship’s crew made it out alive, but the pirates took all of their cargo...and Jacob along with it.”

Orion’s eyes narrowed. “Did they know Captain Cromwell?”

“I don’t think so. Even if they did, they probably wouldn’t have made a connection, since Jacob was using the name ‘Roberts’ at the time. But after he vanished, I had to find a way on my own...so I disguised myself as a boy and joined the Navy. It was there that I met Bill Weasley, who sort of looked after me, since we were the only two gingers in the ranks at the time. Then he figured out I was really a girl, and he decided I should use his last name so as to better hide my identity, since everyone in England knows the Weasley family is full of sons. Soon Bill’s brother Charlie joined up too, and since Charlie’s the same age as me, we played it off that we were twin brothers. Percy joined right after the War was over, after Bill joined the church and Charlie took up a blacksmith’s apprenticeship in Port Royal.”

“And you became a Captain yourself.”

“I didn’t have much of a choice. I don’t have any sort of dowry or money to my name, but Navy captains at least earn a better salary. And while I’m at sea, people won’t question why I’m not married and haven’t started a family yet...for now, anyway. I’ve already had to try to dissuade Governor Farrier from trying to matchmake me with his daughter so that I’d have a reason to stay near Port Royal and help him in his anti-pirate crusade...”

“It’s good to know that you don’t kowtow completely to your new masters, at least,” said Orion.

Despite the faint wryness in his smile, his eyes and voice were incredibly sincere. He felt so...so very happy, knowing that.

He reached out and took both of her hands in his. They were still bleeding from the cuts on her palms.

“Now then,” he said softly, “we should tend to those straight away. Your hands should never be stained with blood -- even your own.”

Carewyn smiled slightly as Orion led her to sit down on his bed before bustling over to find some bandages.

“Orion...”

The pirate captain’s shoulders tensed slightly.

“Yes?” he said as levelly as he could without turning around.

Carewyn laughed quietly. “I’m sorry...I just never knew your real name before. ...It is your real name, isn’t it? Orion?”

His heart gave a light flutter at her saying his name again. Her smile seemed to echo in every syllable...

Orion swallowed back the lump in his throat.

“...Yes,” he said softly. “It is.”

“Orion Amari,” Carewyn murmured to herself, almost like she was tasting it. “...It is really a very handsome name.”

“...Mm...”

Orion suddenly felt very shaky on his feet, and for once, it wasn’t due to the back-and-forth swaying movement of the Artemis.

“...much better than ‘Smithy,’ I suppose,” he said as airily as he could.

Carewyn giggled behind her hand. “I don’t know. I reckon ‘Captain Smithy’ could still catch on, if one were to put in the effort.”

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #au #pirates of the caribbean #potc au #carewyn cromwell #orion amari #aesthetic #moodboard #my writing #my fanfiction #bill weasley #jacob cromwell #charlie weasley #percy weasley #jules farrier #other people's mcs #yes bill is basically a quasi-will turner even if he's in the clergy and charlie's the blacksmith #bill is smitten with the governor's daughter <3 #and he charlie and carewyn are actually all saving up so they can buy their own ship and go into business as merchants together!! #since they're all rather poor #but yeah I had bill as being in the church because I kind of love the thought of this chill gentle priest suddenly whipping out a cutlass #and kicking everyone's arse #kind of like aramis in the man in the iron mask!! 8D #and yeah once charlie and bill learn carey's been taken they'll at first be terrified because 'THEY'LL FIND OUT SHE'S A GIRL D8' #and so they and jules (who's actually carey's surrogate sister in this universe too!) would commandeer a ship to go save her #only for yeah charles cromwell and the cursed pirates to show up #looking for their last medallion #and yeah yeah yeah you get the idea #huge mess