#and then she tells me that??? like ma'am. how do i explain that youre shitty at listening to me i am Going to be Frustrated
Boo's Dollhouse
Chapter 3: Boo
Boo was a young 32, tired of working a 9-5 and dealing with low budget sugar daddies who could only pay a bill or two. She wandered through the old New Orleans occult shop searching for a woman called Muerte. According to a trusted source, Muerte was a old and powerful cajan witch who could grant any wish, cure any sickness, and even stop the signs of aging.
Boo flew over quickly as soon as she had the time. She had a special request, but the shop seemed to be unattended except for a healthy Himalayan cat that slinked through aisles of random old cluttered junk. Who'd want to buy this shit she did not know. It looked like 20 years of a shitty yard sale. The fat cat watched her from a distance and went into the backroom giving her the absolute creeps. She was only mildly superstitious but cats in a creepy shop, no ma'am... Still, Boo followed and found in that backroom a bathroom and tiny storage along with another exit leading to outside. The funky cat walked out into sticky summer afternoon heat so Boo did too, finding a pretty young girl no older than 22 lounging outside in a chair drinking what looked to be fresh squeezed lemonade. She rolled her eyes like Boo was bothering her on her short break.
"What do you want?"
"Muerte?"
"Depends. Who sent you?"
This was the OLD powerful cajun witch? She looked fresh off of breast milk.
"Nola," the name rolled like butter off Boo's tongue.
Muerte stared at her and gestured for her to sit in the empty seat. "What are we talking about?"
Boo took a breath and produced a picture of the 71 year old Larry Buschall. "I need to marry him."
Muerte spit her lemonade in disgust.
"Girl not like that, he's rich," Boo explained. "But he's married to a white bitch. I need that trick dead and buried so I can move in."
"Ooh.."
"And when he's dead it'll all be mine. But I need his children out the picture for that to happen and the only way that can happen is if he signs a revised will that cuts them out."
"Okaay," Muerte followed.
"His ass is stubborn. I'd end up killing him before he could. I need full control over Larry so I can make him do what I need him to do."
"Now this is up my alley," Muerte smiled wickedly. She reached for the photo and instantly dropped it, a stunned look flashing briefly before understanding set in. "This man's soul already is owned by a powerful demon."
"What dat mean," Boo's brows shot up.
"Ol' Larry millions ain't come from building."
Boo kissed her teeth, resigned. "I knew it was something. Nigga can't even spell let alone make a million!"
"Wait," Muerte picked up the photo. "I didn't say you couldn't get the money.. Let me keep this. Come back tomorrow, I'll have an answer."
Boo did what Muerte said and returned to the shop the next day, propping her elbows on an encased row of old supposedly cursed objects. There were a few wandering customers if you could call them that. Muerte leaned in.
"How bad do you want this money."
"Can I get it without dying or selling my own soul?"
"There are worse things," Muerte stared. "Larry Buschall has a deal. He lives rich and free to 88. The demon that owns his contract, when he comes to collect, will make Larry his slave for eternity."
"And Larry knows this?"
"He suggested it."
Boo's eyes widened, but Muerte continued.
"There's a catch to his contract.. He must live on to 88, but it doesn't have to be in this plane... Take this," she slipped a tied cheesecloth bundle and a folded sheet of paper in Boo's hand. She whispered. "You have to make the move to meet him. Kill his wife. Make him consume your blood. Say these words and when he's yours to control, boil this satchel in water. Have him drink it just before bed. Read those words as he sleeps as long as it takes for him to leave his body. He'll still be alive.. until his 88th birthday."
Boo stood wondering how she'd get close to him. She had to play this smart.
"One last thing," Muerte smiled. "Tell Little Nola.. come back and see me sometime. Her great aunt.. hasn't seen her in over a year."
Boo looked her in the eye deciding it was best not to even ask. She wasn't stupid, she passed the message but she left the shop and shortly after, Louisiana. She went back to Texas where she could track the multi-millionaire and his bitch.. through media and socialite circles.
Research told Boo that the 58 year old plastic bodied blonde Karen Buschall enjoyed shopping with the top brands, eating at Masraff's, getting her hair done every other week, and visiting the gym a lot to keep her slim figure. Boo prowled these places, always ready and fantasizing methods and escapes. She'd kill Karen and get away with it. The thoughts were constant. It would be a smooth murder.
The moment Karen walked into Boo’s sight sitting on the exercise bike ahead with her hydroflask and air pods, Boo played it cool casually continuing her run on the treadmill. She watched subtly, pressed hair wrapped away as the woman did her time on the bike and moved to another machine. Boo moved through her circuit as well only looking up again when she noticed the woman wasn't on any machine, she was gone. A quick wipedown of her own machine and a search of the premises revealed Karen's location.. she was playing racquetball alone.
Boo circled the block and went back to the racquetball room, knocking to be let in. Karen immediately looked inconvenienced.
"What do you want it's occupied! Move along!"
Boo pushed her way in.
"It's a public room. You can play me or leave."
"You get out now before I have you removed," Karen threatened stepping closer but Boo picked up a racket holding it firm in her hand ready to knock a bitch head clean off. "Now you jungle freak," Karen pointed angrily at the door.
"Make me." Boo grabbed a ball and hit it against the wall, starting a game with herself. The ball whizzed by Karen's head.
Karen boiled over nearly screaming on her way to find someone who would kick out this negro girl. It made Boo laugh. She didn't wanna play, she had a darker motive. She waited to leave, dropped the racket, and went a different way to catch Karen alone and slipping.
Karen led an employee to the racquetball room but it was empty. The employee left her there and she stood with her hands angrily on her hips. That's when Boo made her presence known and purposely walked by so the woman would follow.
Boo was followed into the changing rooms where Karen thought she had her cornered. She walked right up on Boo as she was heading to a shower and got a knife swiped across her throat from one end to the other.
She fell onto the shower floor and couldn't talk or scream for help because she was gurgling on her own blood. Boo hadn't left a strand of evidence. She was like a ghost that had snuck into the gym and left as smoothly. She turned on the water and shut the curtain, escaping. No one would discover the body for some time.
She let the situation breathe for a few months. The murder was unsolved. The law couldn't do much and Larry was still Larry. The only ones who cared about his wife's death were her family members and there was nothing they could do.
Boo knuckled up and did some heavy scheming to schedule a business meeting with Larry himself. She had a vial of her own blood and needed him in a room alone. She couldn't swing that, but what she could do was infiltrate his business as a custodian. It was her way in and she used it to catch him in the men's restroom alone and not washing his hands. He saw her standing there with a head wrap, a rag, and a mask so not to breathe in chemical.
"You must be new, you a look a lil lighter than the help around here," he snarked. "Come open this door and act like ya good fa something."
Boo walked behind him and jumped on his back smothering him with the cloth. And squeezing her legs so not to be knocked off with all his flailing. It took a minute but he was down. She locked the door, held his mouth open, dripped her blood down his throat, read the spell, and left to enjoy the rest of the bright spring day in celebration of her accomplishment. She treated herself to a new pair of shoes. Who'd believe him or take him seriously if he did tell? She laughed about it to herself over a glass of red wine.
This time she drove straight up to his property's gate in her blue Hyundai dressed smart like a Meghan Markle with a lavender pressed button-up, pencil skirt, and scarf wrapped around her head and shoulders. With her sunglasses on she rolled her window down and smiled into the camera waiting for security to ask about her presence there.
"He's expecting me, he just doesn't know it yet. Be a doll and let him see who's waiting."
Within minutes the gate opened Boo rolled into the estate, parking and walking the stone path in her heels.
On site, the old geezer looked her up and down salaciously.
"SCRAM ya numbskulls," he waved to his security. "ARE Y'ALL DEAF? GET THE HELL ON!" He chuckled to himself as he circled Boo on his cane. "I needed me a nice young thing to look at 'round here. Hm. Can tend to this here tiguh." He lifted the waistband of his pants. "Aw yeah, this'll do just fine."
Boo stood like a Barbie and smiled.
"Well ain’t you somethin!" She rubbed his bald scalp. "So smoooth. You should let me show you a way to get an even closer cut."
"Aw nah baby, this hea' done fell out it's not coming back."
"Oh," Boo's hand shrinked back, "But you still have some," she touched the perimeter. She smiled inside watching his insecurity surface. She kept a poker face. "Oh," she giggled breathily, "You should let me give you a green tea mask it helps the circulation and also these dark marks."
"DARK?! Gimme the damn mask."
And that was how Boo worked her way into the mansion. Small command after small command she walked him inconspicuously like a dog on a short leash. He did everything she asked, unable to say no though he still had a disgusting mouth.
He gave her everything she wanted complaining the entire way and in return she played wife, secretary, and nurse.
She married him despite suspicions, fucking him only for appearance sake and she waited three years to make another move, using the time to integrate naturally.. getting to know security, the maid, the kitchen. She familiarized herself with the premises, the surrounding grounds, the finances, the assets, and the people in Larry's social circle. What she found made her smile. He didn't have one. No one liked or even respected Larry.. Not a soul. Not even his late wife or his three black children. Boo never met them. He didn't even keep pictures. According to Larry, he hated their black asses too. Still, they were set to inherit his riches if Boo did absolutely nothing so she did what anyone would do. She made her move.
"Sign this," she commanded as he was working. He glanced at the familiar document but it had obvious changes.
"What the hell is this?"
"Your will, dear."
"Bitch I can read, why the fuck is your name on it?"
"I'm your wife, silly!"
"Like hell-"
"Sign the paper," Boo grabbed his face squeezing it in her hand, her nails nearly in his cheeks. No one was around. He had no choice. She had all power over him. All the money would go to Tamara Leigh-Buschall. All of it. All the assets. Even his business which would be sold or dissolved. "Don't say a word about this to anyone," her eyes flashed devilishly.
She fixed a smile on her face and skipped off to submit the paperwork immediately in his name.
Two weeks later, she came to him in the kitchen. "Drink this," she commanded watching him take the brewed potion unaware of his compulsion to do so.
"Bitch what the fuck is this!? This tastes like shit," he smacked spitting half of it on the ground. "HELP THIS JIGGABOO TRYNA POISON ME."
"Shut yo old ass up." She gripped his throat. "Drink it, it's good for your body."
He couldn’t say a word.
She helped him up the stairs and into his own bed where she rubbed his forehead peacefully and let him talk shit about everyone including her until he fell asleep. She read the spell again and again like a mantra in a whisper until she had it memorized and no longer needed the paper. She whispered it in his ear and rubbed his forehead. She did this until sunrise, yawning and fighting sleep. She checked his pulse. The potion had stopped it and was mimicking death.
She called security immediately to check him, acting shocked when they declared him dead. There were no questions, no investigations.. No time was wasted putting him in the ground. His spirit was no longer in his body and by the time his pulse returned it would be too late. He was 6 feet under.
No one was interested in a funeral and no one was sad or upset. They were relieved.
Boo's first order of duty was to double salaries as a way to secure eternal loyalty. With everyone on one page, everything became simple. They were a team.
Boo sat happily in her new studio going over legal documents.
"Oh you frog-legged wide nose ragamuffin bitch," Larry's voice rang out frightening her. He was supposed to be gone. She looked around not finding a source for the sound. "I oughtta smother you in yo sleep."
"Try it you'll be a twice dead mothafucka."
She took another look around finding nothing. There was only one explanation. His spirit had left his body and remained in the mansion. She had to live with it until he turned 88 or move out and she wasn't going anywhere.
"You ain't gone run me out of here," she settled back into her chair crossing her legs. "I worked for this shit. Harder than you ever did."
"You gone get'chos... Best believe. You. Gone. Get Yos."
"Boy bye, I got money to make."
She revamped and redecorated it all for a new start and started her own business.. something she knew a lot about and could get up easily. All she needed was a team of bad bitches about their money who could be trusted to keep private matters private and she knew just where to look.
Thus, Boo's Dollhouse was born.
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Best Summer Ever (Yang Jeongin x Reader) Part 1
Genre: Fluff, Angst, Coworkers-to-lovers.
Summary: After the end of her long term relationship with Han Jisung, Y/N finds comfort in her coworker Yang Jeongin.
Warnings: Drinking, Jisung is a bit of a jerk.
Words: 2,079
Masterlist
A/N : This is inspired by my own recent experience in terms of relationship, a very much romanticized version of it. It's a multiple parts because I am currently in this situation and I am as confused as Y/N. If my actual 'crush' reads this, I'm so sorry. Anyway, enjoy!
" Ma'am, I'm sorry but I assure you it is not 20% off, I checked in the system already" I sighed as the lady in front of me starts fuming.
She left the grocery store fast walking without saying a word. As she got to the exit, she almost bumped into my coworker, Jeongin, who stepped aside quickly from the woman's trajectory. His eyes grew in surprise and he gave me a look to which I responded with a shrug.
"What was that?" he asked as he joined me at the front desk.
"Another rude customer, nothing new" I simply answered before going back to my job. "So I counted the 3 cash registers and made sure your breaks were all lined up correctly so you should be fine with closing tonight"
"Again, I'll be fine. I'm not a newbie anymore"
I rolled my eyes at his response. I have been a supervisor for more than 6 months and an employee for more than 2 years. Meanwhile, he got here a few months ago and got promoted 2 weeks afterwards.
"You still don't know the computer's password" I said.
"Chan sent it on the groupchat! As if I needed to remember it" he exclaimed causing me to chuckle. "Oh well, the devil himself"
Chan was a nice colleague and yet, he never once tried to befriend Jeongin and I. The younger man, though, was a social butterfly. Even if I was slightly upset it took him a shorter amount of time at work to get promoted than myself, he remained one of the only genuine friends I made in this shitty workplace.
"Y/N, you're aware you're done, right?" Chan said putting himself between Jeongin and I as I answer with a smile.
"I know, I just love you guys too much, I want to stay longer" I joked.
"Yeah, well, we do need to go" I heard from afar on my left. I turned around and saw my boyfriend, Jisung, at the cash register finishing his transaction.
"Looks like this is my cue, bye guys" I said before joining Jisung.
We left the store in silence and Jisung's pace was rather rapid. I tried to catch up but he was already in the car starting the engine while I wasn't anywhere close the car. Once I got in, I closed the door harshly before glaring at him.
"What is it, again?" I grunted in frustration.
"You told me to come pick you up at 3, it's 3:30 and you're talking with Jeongin making me wait" he responded in an annoyed tone as he left the parking lot.
Focused on the road, I didn't answer and simply crossed my arms in annoyance. Once we reached a red light, I found the timing more appropriate to explain.
"He was gonna come in late and I'm not allowed to use my phone while I'm working, so I'm sorry if I couldn't reach you to tell you to come pick me up later. You also know he's a dear friend of mine and my boss doesn't let us work together anymore so I kind of have the right to enjoy the small amount of time I have with him"
"There might be a good reason why she doesn't let you work with him" he whispered, but I clearly heard the words leaving his mouth.
"Han Jisung, every goddamn time you have to make a big deal out of nothing. We were happy for months and since the start of the summer, you've been sensitive about the slightest thing happening. What is wrong with you?"
I could see his jaw clench as he took a deep breath. He pulled over on the side of the street and parked the car.
"You are right, I'm an asshole to you" he says in a small voice. "You don't deserve this and I know how hardworking you are and how much of a good friend you are to your coworkers because of your situation with your boss. I have been on the edge because I think my love for you is dying... and before you say anything, it's nothing against you. You are amazing, but I don't think it's gonna work out"
"I know" I sighed in defeat. "I really love you, Jisung. And I appreciate your honesty. I'm not mad, I knew it was gonna happen sooner or later" I said trying to stop the tears from falling out of my eyes.
"And I really did love you, but we both know what happened"
"I know"
We stayed in silence for a bit before my phone rang. I looked at the screen and immediately wiped off my tears.
"I need to take this, sorry" I clicked on the green symbol before trying to say hi in my best happy tone.
"Y/N? Are you alright?" Hyunjin says from the other end of the line.
"Yeah, I'm good, what's up?" I lie.
"Uh, Jeongin asked me to call you to know where you put the keys for the safe... are you sure you're okay?"
"I am" I reassured him. "The keys are in the first drawer on the left, and can you pass the phone to him please?"
"Sure, give me a sec"
It took no time for him to call out for Jeongin and the boy's voice called your name worriedly.
"Hey, Jeongin. Listen, do you mind if you open the store tomorrow instead?"
"Of course, no problem" he said before I hung up.
Not two seconds later, I received a message from Hyunjin:
Hyunjin : I know you don't feel well, wanna talk about it?
Y/N : Not really but to sum it up, Jisung and I broke up.
Hyunjin : Oh Y/N, I'm so sorry... wanna come over to my place after? I got movies and snacks.
I smiled reading the message and Jisung noticed as he let out a small laugh.
"Already moving on to another man?" he jokes.
"You know me better than that" I shot a glare. "Can you drop me off at Hyunjin's please? I'll text you in the next few days so we can get our stuff back"
"Sure"
Not too long after, I could see Hyunjin in his sweat wear outside of his house as Jisung pulled over. I gave my ex-boyfriend a last long-lasting hug and I joined my friend in his parking lot.
"I thought you said movies and snacks?" I laughed as I approached his car.
"Thinking back now, Starbucks and late-night drive with music sounds better" he smiled while getting in the car as well.
After the car ride, it was getting late and Hyunjin was also opening the store the next morning. He dropped me off and I thanked him for the night. As I was about to walk to my house, I received a message from Jeongin.
Jeongin : You were right, closing tonight was awful... I couldn't find any of the things I needed and there was a whole ton of customers.
Y/N : I told you haha! You managed to do everything tho?
Jeongin : Yeah, fortunately...
Y/N : That's good. Again, I'm sorry for asking you to take my shift again, but I really won't be in the right mindset to focus properly.
Jeongin : No worries, I know you'd do the same.
Y/N : Has Hyunjin told you?
Jeongin : He didn't, but I figured. You said you'd had a nice date with Jisung tonight, but your tone said it didn't go as planned.
Y/N: It didn't, lol, but I'll be fine".
Jeongin : Wanna call a bit?"
He didn't need to tell me twice before I hit the call button.
~ 3 weeks later ~
I was fumbling my way out of the bar while Changbin, Felix and Seungmin were watching my every step. I had way too many shots and Felix wanted nothing more but to yell at me for being so stupid to drink this much when I knew I was working an early shift the next day. Of course, I was protesting saying I would be fine and that I don't need that much sleep to be productive.
Once the boys got me home safely, I was texting Jeongin on the way to my room and he quickly noticed I wasn't sober. He made fun of me but I was not able to text properly anymore. So I called him.
"Yes?" Jeongin answered.
"Jeongin!!! How are you?" I chuckled.
"I'm good, but you're definitely not okay" he laughed.
"I am though, I swear!"
"Y/N, I swear if you come in late tomorrow and look like a zombie, I'm quitting early" he threatened and you pouted knowing your favourite coworker was no longer going to be a part of your team by the end of the summer since he wants to focus on his studies.
"Don't you dare to leave me alone with that bitch! She's been bossing around freaking Bang Chan, the only supervisor she still had respect for"
"Yeah, I don't think she ever had respect for any of us" he laughed.
We kept talking for a good part of the night before he convinced me I should go to sleep.
The next morning, I unlocked my phone and wanted to cry as soon as I saw the messages exchanged with a few friends the night before and the time Jeongin and I were in the call; 2 hours and 43 minutes. I could barely remember what was said and I was freaking out. It was not like I could have said something I should be saying to him, but I knew, real deep down, that I could have said something like 'I like you'. Not like I would admit it anytime soon, but I still feared the possibility of spilling out personal stuff.
I got ready for work and left, not so much in a rush since I was not looking forward to facing Jeongin. The inevitable happened and he was right at the desk when I walked in the grocery store.
"Slept well?" he teased.
"Shut up" I rolled my eyes as I walked towards the backstore to punch in.
I came back to the cash registers as I was tying my hair up in a ponytail and making sure I didn't forget anything.
"We need to talk about yesterday" Jeongin interrupted my thoughts.
"Yesterday? What do you mean?" you said, unsure.
"Oh my god, did you really forget what we talked about?" he laughed.
"O-of course not"
"Don't lie to me, you totally did"
"Alright" I admitted. "I'm missing some parts here and there but I remember most of it. I didn't say anything too embarrassing?"
He paused to think but ended up laughing.
"Nothing that embarrassing, except you asked me 10 times what game I was playing"
I dropped my head in my hands in embarrassment while Jeongin was laughing even more.
"Alright, guys, I'm glad we can have fun at work but we have to count the inventory" Hyunjin interrupted as he handed me a list. "And Y/N, dear, you have some things to tell me" he winked and left.
"What did he mean by that?" Jeongin asked and I couldn't answer with anything else but a simple shrug.
After my shift ended, I was about to leave when I saw Hyunjin waiting next to my car.
"You're serious, Hwang?" I complained. "No need to be so serious about this"
"You should be the one serious about this, you called him until 3am, Y/N" he exclaimed.
"This is not what it looks like" I pouted.
"Listen, I know you just broke up with Jisung and it's really not a good idea to get a rebound, especially not with poor young Jeongin"
"I swear, Hyunjin, there is nothing happening with Jeongin, he's not my type anyway. We are just really good friends"
"Just be careful"
"Always" I smiled and there a pause. "You waited cause you needed a ride back home, didn't you?"
"Please" he pleaded. "My mom took the car this morning, I had to walk all the way here"
"Drama queen... get in" I said as I unlocked the doors.
Copyright © 2022 skzhua. All rights reserved.
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ngl if you say shit like “dont go all teenager-y on me” i kinda hate u. theres a reason they act like that and its probably not listening to them or making them feel like theyre not welcome to come to you and then making them feel like shit when they bottle stuff up or something. or just not trusting adults in general cause they did shit like this to them. like.
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woke me up from the longest dream
Summary: Alex and Michael follow up on a lead and find something powerful.
Tags: canon compliant (for the most part), visions, road trips, my deep sky still sucks agenda
ao3
"Why is it so fucking cold?"
"Welcome to Montana," Alex said dryly.
Michael made a face and shoved his hands in his pockets. He was doing his best to be mature about Alex inviting him on this trip. It was another loose lead he found and he was irritated that he didn't find it until after he came back home. Michael had offered to help after a grueling time in self-induced misery and Alex had agreed and he had planned to use this time to show Alex how much he'd grown.
However, there was something about being alone with Alex that made him feel a little like he hadn’t.
"Are you not cold?"
"Didn't we deduce that your species is from a really cold planet due to your body temperature and the clothing Tripp described they were wearing?" Alex asked back.
Michael was used to a vaguely snarky Alex, it was in his genetic makeup. This was a different level though. Alex was in one of the worst moods Michael had ever seen him in that didn't result in a fight, instead it was all icy silence and irritated answers. Michael wasn't sure if it was because of his breakup with Forrest or if it was something else entirely. Maybe it was the fact that Michael was here at all.
He decided to keep quiet.
"You got me," Michael said, taking slightly bigger strides to keep up with Alex.
They were in a small town that served as a hub for a few even smaller towns that surrounded it. It had one small stretch of road with all the local businesses in it, a shabby hotel, a diner, and a farmer's market being the three biggest options. There were a couple others buildings, but Michael couldn't say what they were by just looking at them from the outside.
Alex seemed to know where he was headed though and he waltzed up to a building that was only identifiable by a sign that was meant to say CORRIE'S but was missing a few letters and said CORE instead. He pushed the door open and Michael followed. The inside had the heater blasting in a way that immediately smothered him, but he managed to keep his face even. It looked like a convenience store with only three rows of shelves in the middle. A sign at the back door read GAS PUMP IN BACK. Michael thought that was bad advertising.
"Hello," an older woman at the counter greeted. She seemed to be the only one here.
"Hey," Alex said, approaching her and turning on an easy smile. Logically Michael just knew he was being charming to get what he came here for. Illogically, it felt like Alex could be nice to everyone but him.
How many times could he tell himself to grow up?
"What can I help you two with?" she asked.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but this place is owned by someone who used to live in Fort Belknap?" Alex said, not even beating around the bush to charm her more. That was the only thing to convince him it wasn't just him.
The woman stared at him, face unchanging.
"Who's asking?"
"Holt," Alex said, smiling and tilting his head a little bit, "Carla Holt, to be more specific."
She breathed in and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them a few moments later.
"Their timing has always been impeccable," she said, gesturing towards a door behind her, "Come."
"Who's Carla Holt?" Michael whispered to him as they followed. Alex grabbed his arm and squeezed, nearly causing Michael to fully trip over air.
"Just follow my lead. Stay quiet," Alex explained quietly, "I'll tell you later."
And Michael did as he said.
"You must be the littlest Manes boy," the woman said as she led them into a little office. It was cluttered and didn't really seem like the top secret place Michael was imagining.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Corrie," she corrected, "I never did like the sound of ma'am."
"Alright," Alex said, laughing lightly even though didn't reach his eyes, "My mother told me the same thing."
"I bet so," Corrie said, digging through messy drawers of a desk. She sat down heavily into the beat up chair and started digging through a file cabinet. "I kept telling myself it'll eventually come and bite me in the ass, carrying secrets for someone I only hear from once every few years, but you never know what you're getting yourself into until after you're stuck."
"Yeah, I know how that feels," Alex sighed. Michael's eyes drifted to him. He avoided eye contact completely.
"I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting you. Your brother, maybe. Part of me expected your father to bust down my door more than anyone," she went on. Corrie pulled out a small box and opened it, looking in and making a face before closing it and tossing it over her shoulder.
"Guess I'm the sucker who agreed to clean up duty."
Corrie laughed.
Truly, Michael expected more danger and more difficulty. He expected a fight or at least tension. Instead, Alex and Corrie made small talk about their shitty affiliations while Corrie dug through decades worth of clutter. Eventually, she pulled out a box and opened it and took a deep breath. She closed it again before giving it to Alex and Alex didn't reopen it so Michael had no idea what was in it. All he knew was that it went into Alex's bag.
"Thank you "
"Keep it safe," Corrie said, "Keep yourself safe." Then for the first time her eyes drifted to Michael. "You too. There aren't many of you left."
It was hot in the building, but somehow Michael felt like he'd jumped in ice water.
"Thank you."
"Mhm. Now get the hell out of my store before somebody follows you."
"Of course. Thank you again," Alex said politely and then he did as she said, turning on his heel and walking away. Michael wanted to stay and ask more–if she knew what he was, maybe she knew things he didn't and they could get rid of Mr. Jones–but Michael simply followed Alex's lead.
"Alex," Michael said, nearly having to jog to keep up. Alex opened the door of the store and a blast of cold hit Michael in the face, colder than before due to the extreme warmth inside. It took him a moment to reboot his mind enough to finish what he was saying. "Alex, what's in the box?"
Alex managed to close his eyes and shake his head in disapproval without slowing his pace.
"Can you wait until we get to the hotel?" Alex asked, cold again. Michael nodded despite the fact Alex couldn't see him, deciding that a verbal answer probably would be annoying in itself.
The problem with silence was that it was a sure way to get Michael to spiral. He had discovered very recently that being alone when he wanted to be alone the most was the worst idea. Now, he didn't want to be alone as much as he wanted answers. Walking in silence down a street while wondering what was in Alex's bag, who Carla Holt was, why Alex was angry, etc, etc, etc, was only making his mind race.
By the time they stepped into the lobby of the hotel, Michael was sure that Alex had just borrowed a bomb from an old lady and he was going to explode himself and whoever Carla Holt was was going to hunt Michael down in revenge. He of course didn't say that. Instead, he tapped his foot as Alex requested a room with two queens and didn't realized that the worker snorted because he was assuming they were two queens until after they were already heading to the room.
"Should I go spit in his drink?" Michael asked when he realized.
"No," Alex said, "You'd probably make it taste too sweet."
Michael again found himself stumbling over nothing and he looked at Alex, wondering what the hell was he talking about. But it was the nicest thing he'd said to him the whole trip and Michael decided to take it very personally.
"You sayin' I'm sweet?" Michael asked, grinning. A smile pulled at Alex's mouth that he very quickly schooled, slowing as he came to their room.
"I'm saying your saliva, and probably your other bodily fluids, have a higher concentration of a glucose-like chemical," Alex said, "As proved by Kyle and Liz when we got drunk."
"You guys drunkenly tested our saliva's glucose levels?" Michael asked, laughing a little. Alex finally speaking to him made his brain stop wandering as much. Not completely–he was still wondering about that box–but enough.
"We were talking," Alex said, unlocking the door with the keycard, "And noticed we all thought you three tasted sweeter than other people we'd kissed and, well, you know. So we did some tests."
"That's... Interesting," Michael said, letting the door close behind them.
Alex walked over to the bed closest to the door and carefully sat his bag down. Michael watched him, staying near the door. He was still unsure about where they stood. He knew Alex cared about him and he knew Alex didn't hate him, but he was also still holding him at arm's length. And then there was that box. He didn't want to push.
But Michael wasn't known for his patience.
"Alex," Michael said, "What's in that box?"
Alex swallowed and looked up at him for a moment before patting the bed beside him. An invitation. One that made Michael's stomach drop and twist in 11 knots. But he walked closer, sitting beside Alex. Alex stared at him, his features slowly loosening up to betray his feelings. His eyebrows pulled together in that kind of worry that meant he felt like he was drowning, scrambling to pull himself to the surface and never able to get a good grip. Which would explain the coldness, he supposed.
"You know you can trust me, right? I'm... I'm working on not being so self-destructive, and, like, knowing I'm helping you out kinda helps when I feel shitty," Michael said. Alex huffed a small laugh and shook his head, dropping his chin to his chest for a moment. When he looked Michael in the eye again, he was back to being serious.
"I did something stupid," Alex said, softly like it was a secret, "I agreed to something without knowing what I was getting myself into. And I'm kind of stuck right now."
"Stuck? What do you mean stuck?" Michael said, following his lead and whispering.
"I'm figuring it out, alright? Don't worry. I'll tell you later," Alex said, reaching out to squeeze his arm before dropping it back to the bed, "And I checked before we even left that I wasn't bugged and I've kept my eye out to know that we aren't being followed. And my computer definitely isn't. We're good. They're tracking me, but only to the extent I'm letting them. It's okay."
"That doesn't sound okay," Michael said.
"Trust me like I trust you, alright?" He said. Michael reluctantly nodded. "I need you to hold something for me."
Michael blinked. "The box."
"Yeah."
"Who's Carla Holt?" Michael asked. Alex smiled softly
"It's not a who, it's a what. It's a code from my mom's side of things. She knows more about the alien shit than she let on," Alex sighed, "I didn't stand a fucking chance not being involved with this shit. My dad, my mom, you. So, you know, if you ever feel bad about that, it's my fucking destiny."
Michael swallowed and nodded, feeling more eager by the second to know what was in that box. Needed to keep hearing Alex say how fated they were to know each other. Needed Alex to touch his arm again and smile.
"Okay," Michael said, trying to stay in his own space, "So we're fated. Cosmic connection. Called it."
Alex broke into a wide smile, genuine and welcoming as he shoved Michael's shoulder gently. "Shut up."
"Show me," Michael said instead. Alex's smile faded just a little.
"Do me a favor and double check our surroundings," Alex said. Michael nodded and tilted his head, sending a chair to lodge itself under the doorknob and pressed the curtains tightly to the wall. His eyes slid closed as he did a mental sweep of the building, not noticing anything out of order. When he opened his eyes again, Alex seemed to be closer. "Thanks."
"Show me."
Alex sighed and nodded, hesitantly reaching into his bag and pulling out the box. It was clear now that it was made of really nice wood, intricate carvings covering it. Alex handled it with an extreme care that Corrie didn't have with it. His eyes flickered between the box and Michael a few dozen times before he hesitantly opened it and Michael leaned closer to see.
"It's just a ring," Michael said, almost disappointed. It looked like a normal, silver band that was old and unpolished after years of being tucked away.
"Not just a ring," Alex said, he kept his fingers very precise as he picked it up. Michael didn't miss the way it seemed to ripple at his touch.
"Something alien," Michael acknowledged.
"Something alien," Alex confirmed, "Most of the glass and even the rocks that you've had so far all seem to be crafted and at least heavily altered by your people to be as useful as they are. This... This was passed down as a pure substance that was mined and cut into a wedding band to mimic human customs." Alex looked at him. "It pre-dates your mother landing here, Michael."
Michael let out a shaky breath, eager and hungry for knowledge for the first time in a long time. He'd poured over Tripp's journal over and over, poured over Caulfield and Project Shepard records, all of it painful and sickening with an unhappy ending. And now there was something new– old –that might actually give him something more. Proof that aliens were here before his mother, proof that there was a reason they came to Earth of all places. More secrets he craved to uncover. He missed the feeling.
"It's powerful and, as far as I can tell, the last of it left. The rest was probably destroyed with your planet. But it's old and... and sentimental. One of the older women on the reservation told me the sentimentality powered it more. Because it's not just a ring that symbolizes love or a bond between two people, but it's a new start. Blending the past they chose to leave behind together with something new and different. Safer and secure. Together," Alex said. Michael swallowed, eyes unable to break away from Alex's. Alex cleared his throat and looked back down at it. "That's what she said anyway. There was probably two at one point, but I'm sure the other is lost to time."
"Yeah, okay. Okay," Michael said, agreeing without hesitation, "I'll take care of it and keep it safe."
He went to grab it, but Alex pulled it out of his reach.
"Michael," he said, "When I say it's powerful, I mean the moment you put it on, something's going to… happen."
Michael hadn't really intended to put it on, but it seemed Alex knew him well enough to know that eventually he would.
"What kind of something?"
"I don't know, Michael. I just know legend says it has unspeakable levels of power. So, please, be careful with it. I'd prefer you do it with someone around in case it overloads you or something," Alex said. Michael didn't point out what Isobel had before–he was the only one who didn't have a limit.
"Why not just put it on right now?" Michael said, "We're in the clear and you're here. Why not?"
Alex breathed in and out, staring at him with that same worried, downing look. Michael selfishly enjoyed it for a few moments–enjoying that he cared that much. So he smirked and held out his left hand, feeling confident.
"Go ahead, Alex. Put a ring on it," he said. A smile pulled at Alex's lips that he fought, but he relaxed his shoulders and grabbed Michael's hand with his empty one.
Alex's hand was warm. Michael was sort of obsessed with the feeling of it. Why hadn't they been holding hands this entire time?
"I'm right here, okay? So if you need me to take it off or if you feel like you're going to lose control, let me know. Try not to throw me," Alex said. Michael rolled his eyes.
"I don't give a shit how much power I have injected into me, I'm not going to hurt you," Michael said. Alex raised an eyebrow. "Physically. Come on now, cut me some slack."
"Maybe," Alex said, putting the ring closer. Michael could feel it now that it was millimeters away from his skin, the power of it overwhelming. And Michael was intrigued. "Ready?"
"Always."
Alex slid the ring onto his ring finger.
The wave of power hit him instantly and, before he could adjust, sent him into a mindscape. Or–he thought it was. The room was damp and dark, unwelcoming. Michael looked around for something, someone, but he was alone. It was crowded with things, though, inventions and technological structures. It looked like his own lair but significantly less familiar, less comforting.
“Michael?”
Michael turned towards the voice and saw Alex at the top of a ladder, staring down at him with a face that said he was doing everything to stay calm. He had red stains on his clothes. Michael stared at him, unsure what to do. Alex was down the ladder and centimeters away from him so quickly that it could only be achieved by him seeing something that wasn’t happening just yet.
“Are you okay?” Alex asked, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” Michael said, instinctually, “Where are we? What is this place?”
Alex looked around the room, his face betraying his pain before he met Michael’s eyes again. Then his hand was on Michael’s cheek with a warm and grounding presence. Michael’s heart was about to burst out of his chest.
“My research,” he sighed, “Half of it’s destroyed anyway. Let’s go.” Michael didn’t really think that sounded right. This didn’t feel like Alex’s space. He’d been in enough of Alex’s spaces before to know what they felt like. This wasn’t it.
“Your research?” he said. Alex gave him a look and stroked his thumb over his cheekbone.
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Stop that,” Michael said, his voice sounding more irritated than he meant. He could feel the anger in his body, but he didn’t know the source. “Stop not telling me things. You keep doing that. You need to tell me.”
“You’re right,” Alex agreed, swallowing, “But we need to get out of here. I swear I’ll tell you once we get in the car. But we need to get out of here.”
“You promise you’ll tell me in the car?” Michael said. Alex nodded.
“I promise.”
They were upstairs just as fast as Alex had been downstairs. Michael saw blood. He turned his head to find the source, but Alex’s hand was back on his neck to stop him.
“Don’t look. Let’s just go to the car.”
“What, you tryna baby me?” Michael asked, “You know I’ve seen some shit.”
“Yeah, I know,” Alex said, still leading him towards the door as his thumb dug slightly into the muscle on his neck, “Doesn’t mean I have to show you more.”
Michael sucked in a breath and he was thrown back into his body, the power from the ring still thrumming through him and teasing a possible second surge. It was old and unused and desperate to stretch out some of it's pent up energy.
Alex was there, staring at him and holding onto him. He was so close, so real, and so was that memory that was just in the opposite direction. Michael stared at him, taking him in.
"What happened?" Alex asked, hands squeezing his biceps. His hand started to slide up, but stopped at his shoulder. "Hey, you with me?"
"Yeah," Michael said, "I'm okay."
"What happened?"
"I think, uh," Michael breathed, swallowing. His throat felt dry again. The heat of the hotel seemed to work with the heat inside him; he was on fire in the best way. "I got, like, That's So Raven'd."
Alex blinked a couple times, his thumb moving in slow circles against his collarbone not too far from where it’d been moments ago in his vision. Michael wanted to let his eyes roll back into his head and just sink into the bed with Alex beside him and let this undeniable strength course through him.
"You saw the future?" he said, "Like one of Maria's visions?"
"I think so," Michael confirmed, "Only… mine wasn't of something bad. I mean, not really, anyway."
"What was it?" Alex asked.
Michael licked his lips, studying Alex for a moment. The ring on his finger fit perfectly as if it was made for him. The power it gave settled nicely in him, pulsing and eager to be used just a little bit more, but in a childish, playful way. It wanted to stretch after too many years being cooped up.
"Hey, I'm going to try to see something else," Michael said. Alex's eyes went wide as saucers.
"What? Tell me what you saw the first time," Alex pressed, his hand shifting just enough to cup the side of his neck. Michael layered his hand over his, feeling bold and unperturbed. At some point, they were going to get there. He was sure of that more now than ever.
And he wanted to see more.
" Michael ," Alex said, but Michael closed his eyes and breathed in, letting the power in the ring take him somewhere else.
And he was somewhere else.
He was standing at the end of a driveway. He looked around and tried to grab some sort of identifier, but all he saw was a house behind him and then a school bus headed towards him. It stopped in front of him, a kid stepping off and running towards him with a backpack almost as big as she was.
"Daddy!" the kid yelled and Michael tried his damnedest to act like he was meant to be here as the little body slammed against his legs for a welcoming hug. "Is Dad home yet? Can you tell him to get ice cream? I think we need ice cream."
"Oh, you think we need it?" Michael asked, walking with the kid towards the house. It felt natural, oddly enough.
"Yes," the kid said simply, running towards the door. She threw it open and Michael laughed and jogged the rest of the way. He could hear her already telling a story about school and he was trying to stay close enough to follow.
He walked into a foyer, pictures lining the wall. Family portraits.
Him and Alex. The three of them.
When Michael came back to his senses, Alex was right there again and staring at him without faltering. The ring was still alive, but it was at a sated hum now that it had been used a few times. He wondered how it would feel doing something he understood. He couldn’t wait to try.
“Hey,” Alex said, soft and comforting as he welcomed his weight. The vision he had was definitely not what he was looking for, he wanted to know more about Alex’s research and why it all felt so wrong and where the hell they were, but the second one…
“Hi,” Michael said, breathing and his eyes drifting down to his lips. Michael had experienced a lot of urges to kiss Alex before. Somehow this felt more dire.
“Please don’t do that again,” Alex said, “Maybe we should take it off.”
Michael shook his head carefully, eyes scanning him, “No, it feels fine now. It just needed to be used after being in a little box for decades. It’s good. Feels good.”
“Okay,” Alex said, still clearly hesitant. His fingers played with the hair at the back of Michael’s neck. There were two beds, but Michael was trying to figure out how to convince him to share one. They could fit. They’d shared smaller. “What’d you see?”
Michael breathed deep, wanting to get closer. He kept his hands to himself no matter how much he wanted to touch. He was being good. To get to where those visions said he was headed, he had to be good. Good for himself and Alex.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Michael said softly, “What are you researching? Who are you working with?”
Alex blinked once, twice before dropping his hand off of Michael. Which definitely hurt, but the fact that Alex didn’t move away definitely helped.
“What did you see?” Alex asked again, more pressing, “I know you saw that I’m researching something.”
Michael shrugged. He technically did, but he didn’t see anything identifiable. He didn’t know what it was. He would like to. Then again, he’d always wanted to know everything about Alex Manes.
“I didn’t see what,” Michael said, “I just saw that someone’s going to fuck with it. I think. I don’t know, we were in this basement looking thing and it felt really off and, and not like you, but you said your stuff was in it. And you had blood on you and when we went upstairs, there was more blood. But you said not to look. I don’t know what you did or what happened, but, like, if you told me, maybe we can prevent it getting that extreme.”
Alex stared at him for a long moment.
“You saw that both times?” Alex asked softly. Michael hesitated before shaking his head. “What else did you see, then?”
“Um,” Michael breathed, trying to think of the right words to say, “Uh. I don’t think, um…”
“ Michael.”
“Family portraits,” he said carefully, figuring that was easier to start with than a whole person who called them dad, “Like, ours. Um. I know we don’t belong in suburbia, but I guess we fucking get it anyway.”
He laughed. It wasn’t funny, but it was easier to say it like it was a joke. Alex looked at him, face confused.
“Suburbia? Like. White picket fence kinda thing?” Alex asked. Michael took a slow breath.
“I, uh, I didn’t see a fence, I was too focused on the‒” he stopped, licking his lips. Michael rubbed his thumb over the ring. It seemed to purr at the attention. Michael couldn’t wait to get back home and see what he could really do.
“On the what?” Alex prodded, reaching out to rest his hand on his leg and reigniting the contact. It felt so good. Michael really liked when he was touchy, it was his favorite thing about Alex.
“Um,” Michael breathed, feeling drunk off the attention and the ring all at once. He thought about lying, maybe that they were babysitting because that was close enough, but he was so tired of lies and half-truths and I’ll-tell-you-laters. “On the kid.”
Alex froze for a moment, “The kid?”
“Yeah,” Michael said, shrugging softly, “I, uh, I guess she was ours. She was calling us dad. Do we have any water? My throat is super dry.”
“I… I don’t think you’re seeing the future then, I’m never having kids. Do you realize how awful of a parent I would be? Awful. Neglectful. That’s not… And after I clearly fucking hurt people?”
“Maybe not,” Michael said, not about to argue right now. He was too busy feeling good. Alex kept his hand on his knee. “But whatever it was, it was good.”
Alex stared at him, quiet and clearly thinking things through. Michael let him. It was easier to give him space and time now. He’d gotten better at it before his visions, but they solidified to him that they were on a good path. It felt like they were making good choices and taking good steps. This was just a part of it.
Alex eventually took a deep breath, looked him in the eye.
“I’m gonna tell you what I’m doing, but you have to promise you’re going to stay out of it and trust me,” Alex said, “You promise?”
“I promise.”
“And you’re gonna promise to be honest with me?” Alex said, “And stay safe. Like, seriously. Don’t be reckless just because. I know you.”
I know you.
“Yeah. I’m doing better now,” Michael said, stretching his hand out, “I am. But I’m… I’m tired of not doing shit together. Doing stuff separately always gets us in shitty situations, Alex, I wanna be a team. Can I be on your team?”
Alex swallowed and moved his hand up, tucking Michael’s hair behind his ear.
“Yeah. Be on my team. Let’s be a team,” Alex said. He shifted and Michael waited patiently, watching him. “Okay, so. Deep Sky. It’s… it’s got some good people, I think, but it’s overall fucked. I don’t trust anyone in there, but it’s where I’m doing my research. Sort of. So I’ll tell you.”
It almost felt too good to be true to hear, but he didn’t need the ring to know that Alex was being honest. It showed him anyway. Truthfulness radiated off of him in vibrant blues and whites. He didn’t even need to get in his mindscape to be sure of it. It was strange to feel like that was unnecessary, like his body didn’t need confirmation because it already knew. It didn’t feel like he was stepping off a ledge. He hoped Alex had the same confidence, wondered what would happen if he put the ring on him.
If Alex still felt like he was stepping off the ledge, he was going to be sure to catch every inch of him this time. No piece would hit the ground like all the times before.
He was going to make this work.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
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You Changed But Still the Same
Pairings : Ex! Katsuki Bakugou x Ex! Reader.
Writing Style : 3rd Person
Warning : Cussing
Word Count : 3428
3rd Person's POV
A Year ago since that fateful day where everything ended and the only thing that's left were the memories and promises from the past. Y/n and Bakugou who were High school sweethearts had quite a past together but sometimes all the good things come to an end .
That's exactly what happened, Bakugou at some point in his life had to pick between two things , y/n or his Hero Career. He picked His Hero Career even though y/nl tried to desperately persuade him that it could work out. She tried her best to persuade Katsuki that They can grow Together.
Even though it was painful, Katsuki still stuck to his choice leaving everything behind . Leaving y/n with her heart that has been shattered, Leaving her to pick up all the broken pieces herself.
He had to pick his Hero career because he knew he needed to become stronger, strong enough to Be confident that He will be able to protect her in the future. Strong enough to flaunt her to the world without worrying how many villains would be after his lover. As surprising as it may seem his reason why he picked his career over her was because of her, not because he wanted to be number one... He'll admit that, it was his former goal but after meeting her everything changed.
He actually wanted to become a better version of himself because no matter how good he is, theres still a nagging feeling at the back of his head that says he does not deserve her because she deserves so much more.
Today was a special Day because Class 1-A was holding a reunion party. And Katsuki normally turns down events like this bit this time , he was excited because he knew y/n would be there. Now he was ready, Now he was confident, Now all he needed to do was to get his Girl back.
Y/n, She was never the same after that dreadful day. She never knew why she was Never Enough for Katsuki... She doesn't know why she's not a good enough reason to be picked. She never knew why He had to leave her in the dust, Hurt and alone. And honestly no matter how hard she tried to forget him. It never worked, She was still hung up on him like before and because of that. She hated him so much.
She started overworking herself doing more hero work than necessary since it's the only thing that could keep her mind away from him.
Her smile faded and she was never the same, she moved to another city because being in the same city where there's a possibility for her and Katsuki to work together is too painful for her.
She managed to rise to the hero rankings in the city she moved in. She was well known and villains feared her. But she started distancing herself from others, always taking on solo jobs and gradually turning colder by time.
It took a lot of persuading from the girls for her to eventually agree to this little reunion and she wasn't looking forward to it.
Because he was going to be there, it was already 6 and she was late since the agreed time to meet was 5 sharp bit she got caught up fighting Villains on her way . Of course the girls were furious but after hearing her reason they were much more understanding than expected.
They were supposed to meet in a Restaurant the boys booked all for their class and of course wearing something fancy was required because according to Momo they should ' Dress for the Occasion ' .
So of course y/n did try to make an effort to dress up because She wanted to prove to everyone that she was fine without Katsuki. Because back then when they broke up, Everything fell apart and she stopped caring about everything around her.
She loves the girls because they almost Wrestled Katsuki for hurting her , and some of the Boys even attempted to fight him because Y/n was a wreck back then.
But now look at her. She's not a narcissistic bitch but she really outdid herself. She wore a red sleeveless fishtail dress that clung onto her curves like it was her own skin, the dress had little crystal details that matched her hair. Her make up was Smoky and elegant and her lips were a crimson color of red. Her hair was curled on the ends and she did end up dyeing her hair to H/c, she also had a few accessories on, like the emerald necklace, a few bracelets she randomly picked out and a small Phoenix Hair clip.
She looked gorgeous and she could tell from the way passersby looked at her when she got out of her car right infront of the restaurant.
She walked towards the receptionist who was oogling on her figure.
Clearing her throat she caught the attention of the receptionist.
" I'm here for Denki Kaminari's Party " Y/n stated and the receptionist immediately stumbled towards the door opening it for her.
" This way ma'am "
" Thank you " Y/n thanked the man who started nodding his head nervously and she made her way inside.
The whole place was noisy and she could see her old classmates chatting and drinking the night away.
The first one to notice her was Momo.
" Oh my God Y/n!? Is that you " Momo exclaimed running towards y/n and giving the girl a tight hug.
The whole room was quiet, everyone's attention was directed towards y/n. She really was a head turner. The states she was getting was a bit overwhelming but she didn't mind. Someone in the room did Though.
" Woah! You really did dress to impress Missy! Where the hell have you been? " Mina joined in and y/n didn't hesitate to hug her as well.
" You're Drop Dead Gorgeous! We didn't even recognize you... I mean... Look at You! Damn " Hagakure complimented slapping y/n's ass.
" Hey keep your hands to yourself " Y/n muttered as she shoved Hagakure playfully.
" My goodness! I can't believe my eyes, Don't tell me you don't have a boyfriend!? It's kinda impossible for you Not to if you Look that Hot " Uraraka joined their little group and soon the boys also gathered around her to Either greet and hug her or comment on how she looks.
The attention she's getting was flattering but a bit suffocating.
" Ok, enough about me. How are you guys? " Y/n tried changing the subject but none of them were up for it.
" Well Duh, we all work in the same city and some of us gets paired up from Time to Time so there's nothing new about us that we didn't Know. You on the other hand moved to another fucking City and we barely have any contact with you so don't change the subject " Jiro stated and everyone seemed to fire their questions towards me one by one.
" So how are you? Are things good over there? I heard you ranked 2 in your city"
" Yeah everything is alright , things are pretty stressful though "
" You're pretty popular there! I see you on the news all the time "
" Er... Well... I can't even get some alone time without people trying to shove themselves to me "
As y/n was bombarded with questions a certain blonde male kept his gaze glued to her figure, she was gorgeous that's for sure and he could barely keep his eyes off her figure but that doesn't mean everyone else had to do that.
Even if they aren't together anymore. She is still considered to be his property and it's pissing him off that she didn't even try to acknowledge his existence. It was spissing him so much that she gave everyone a hug and not him. Why is she so happy talking to other men when he's right here waiting for her to finally look at him.
It's fucking irritating . She was beautiful... Too beautiful that he feels like someone else would take her if he even dares to look away.
It was painful to see how much she had grown without him. He's starting to regret his decision. Damn it. He knew he missed her but fuck. He didn't know he missed her to the point where it's actually painful to see her here but ignore him like he's nothing.
His mood was foul and everyone noticed, sure they were pissed that Bakugou Had the face to hurt y/n but they saw how hurt he was too, and one time during a small get together Bakugou started screaming her name and yelling why he left while sobbing angrily like a sick lunatic. And they finally understood why he made such a rash decision. It was because of his insecurities and nobody thought that this Haughty Hero was actually insecure about something.
And everyone felt bad for him because after y/n left he was a reckless Asshole who kept getting himself hurt over and over again as if he's pushing himself to the brink of death on purpose. Everyone knew he regretted his past actions and that's exactly why they were gonna help these two love sick puppies out.
" Hey! Let's play Seven Minutes in Heaven! " Denki suggested and everyone got the message.
" Really? Denki why would we play that here?" Y/n laughed but to her surprise everyone was in on it too.
" Yeah sounds fun! "
" I'll get the bottle! "
" Who's going first? "
____________________
Everyone was seated on the floor forming a circle.
" Ok I'll spin the bottle and if the bottle lands on you, you have to go in the closet with the person the end of the bottle is pointing towards. Simple as that " Kirishima explained and he started spinning the bottle.
" Hey y/n have you heard about the latest trend lately? " Momo asked y/n who's eyes we're torn away from the bottle and her attention was snapped towards Momo.
Sero moved fast and immediately pointed the bottle at y/n and Bakugou.
Bakugou saw the whole thing and he stared at his friends in disbelief.
" Kaachan.... I think you deserve a second chance " Izuku muttered and everyone gave Bakugou a thumbs up or a supporting look.
Bakugou was touched as he stared at everyone with thankful eyes but he was a prideful asshole so he turned his head away muttering.
" I don't need your help shitty extras " His comment made everyone chuckle.
" You better not ruin this Bakugou or else I'll poke your eyes out " Jiro threatened before she turned to y/n
" Y/n! You're going in the Closet with Bakugou! "
Y/n froze at the mention of Bakugou's name her eyes trailing down to ten bottle that was pointing at her and Katsuki.
" What? No" Y/n grumbled her tone filled with venom. Bakugou noticed her tone and it almost made him flinch.
" It's only seven minutes y/n...dont tell me you still love him that's why you refuse to do so " Denki stated slyly earning a menacing glare from the girl that made him shiver.
" I'll fucking do it and you better watch me you Prick " Y/n stood up from her place stomping her way towards the closet, opening it as she pointed inside her gaze landing on Bakugou.
" Get in so we could get this over with " She hissed before stomping inside Bakugou who was a bit astonished by how fierce she had become. But nonetheless he followed her inside the closet closing it as he stepped inside.
It was quiet, far too quiet but he was determined to change that.
" Y/n...I-"
" Shut up" Y/n cut him off sharply and he can't believe he was this sensitive when it came to her because damn it hurt when she said it like that.
" I'm sorry... I know it's not gonna fucking Cut all the shit I put you-"
" You fucking bastard I said shut up " Y/n growled but Bakugou continued.
" I was the biggest idiot in the world --"
" Bakugou. Fuck off. "
" Please just lis--"
" Did you listen to me?! Did you listen to me when I begged you to not end things between us? Did you know how much pain I felt losing you? Because you didn't have the fucking balls to choose me? Do you know how worthless I felt? I felt like I wasn't a good enough reason for you to choose me. I felt like I wasn't enough, because you never looked back on your decision and just kept going leaving me behind ... To pick myself up and pretend like nothing happened. Stop this Bullshit Katsuki, Let's just pretend like we're strangers causing its better that way---" Y/n was cut off with Katsuki's harsh tone.
" Don't you dare Fucking Go there woman! I'm a poor excuse of a boyfriend I know! And I regret the day I made the decision in leaving you because everyday is like walking in an eternity of hell without you.. I missed you so damn much... I missed your laugh... Your smug smile... Everything... I missed you! You wanna know why I ended things? It was because I felt weak, I felt like you deserve better so don't you dare say that you're not enough! Because you're more than enough! I was scared that villains may come after me and they'll take you because I wasn't strong enough! That's why I dedicated my time in trying to be better because the day I'll be ready is the day I'll claim you back . Today is the day.... And you have no idea how painful every passing day is for me without you.... And you turned me into this pathetic shitty love struck idiot who becomes soft and mushy when you're around!... I'm pouring out my feelings here because this may be the last! And I'm not good at this shit you dumbass! You knew that from the start but... I'm begging you Please... Give me another chance Because I Fucking Love you" Bakugou's voice broke at the end of his sentence and y/n was conflicted.
Was this why he left? It still doesn't count for what he did! He hurt her yet why does she feel so happy to hear him say that? Why is her heart beating so fast when he said those three words she never knew she craved. Why is her mind and heart urging her to give him another chance? Simple she knew the answer and it was because she never stopped loving him at all. Even though she hated him, she still loved him the same.
The room was filled with silence and y/n couldn't mutter another word. She wanted to say Yes. But her pride was getting in the way.
Bakugou was losing his patience, growling in frustration he lunged himself at her pinning her to the wall with both of her hands pinned above her head by Katsuki's hand.
" Screw it Bitch, I miss you too much to Just Let this shit slide. If you Kiss back you're Fucking Mine Again you Hear me!? " Bakugou yelled and he didn't give y/n any time to protest because his lips were already on hers.
Kissing her lips with Vigor and Neediness. It almost seemed desperate , he continued Kissing the girl with everything he had, devouring her lips with his and it didn't take long for y/n's pride to hold out because but broke the second Katsuki's Lips touched hers.
She kissed back with the same intensity. Katsuki let go of her hands and her hands immediately flew up to his neck pulling him closer as her fingers ran through his hair, she dug her fingers through his hair tugging on it desperately . Katsuki's hands were roaming her body in any way they could until finally stopping on her waist.
Fuck he missed her so much, he missed her so Fucking much and right now. He's gonna savor every moment of this. He missed these lips and how she kissed him.
If Oxygen wasn't much of a problem then neither of them would have pulled back.
Panting and breathless Katsuki pressed his forehead along hers a deep chuckle vibrating from his chest.
" So.... Was that a Yes? " Y/n could her the smugness of his voice making her growl at him.
" I Fucking kissed you back didn't I? " She snapped rolling her eyes.
" Well... I didn't quite feel it... Oh well, Looks like we're gonna have to do it again " Katsuki smirked and he was about to dive in for another round but Kaminari had slammed the door open making the two flinch.
" Times up---oh" Kaminari grinned as Katsuki and Y/n glared daggers at him.
" You shitty Pikachu! Can't you see we're busy here!? " Katsuki roared as he tried grabbing Denki who immediately ran away form the door.
With a sigh y/n dragged Katsuki out of the closet and everyone was looking at them with playful eyes, some even giving Katsuki a suggestive wink.
Y/n's eyes trailed up to Katsuki's face and she paled almost immediately seeing the red lipstick smudge on his lips.
" Katsuki you Fucking asshole! You smudged my lipstick! " Y/n barked smacking Katsuki's head and Katsuki was fats to react.
" Haah!? I didn't hear you complaining when I was sucking your lips woman! " Katsuki barked back.
" How the fuck was I supposed to complain when you were practically shoving your lips towards mine!? " Y/n said in defense as she raised her hand about to smack Katsuki's head again but he caught her hand .
Katsuki bent down and slung y/n over his shoulder carrying the angry girl.
" Shut up woman, I'll buy you a whole mall of lipstick if it makes you feel any better, and you extras!... Well... I'm only gonna say this once... T-Thank you " Katsuki muttered and everyone cheered and teased the blonde boy who was now cussing everyone for laughing at him.
" Put me down! " Y/n yelled pinching Katsuki's back but it had no effect because the boy didn't even flinch.
" We're heading out early! " Katsuki yelled but the entrance was blocked by the girls.
" Umm, No! We were the ones who put in a lot of effort in bringing her here Bakugou! You can't just take her away! And everyone missed her you asshole! " Jiro growled and Katsuki was immediately pissed off.
" She's Mine! Of course I can take her away! " Katsuki barked glaring daggers at the girls.
" Well looks like we're gonna have to fight in order to see who's keeping her then " Momo stated as she pulled out a staff from her arm.
Y/n was snatched away from Katsuki's shoulder by none other than Izuku who had a smirk on his face.
" Sorry Kaachan but we wanna hang out with her too" Izuku smiled and it only angered the blonde even more.
" You Fucking Extras! Give her back! "
" Why don't you guys just calm down and let me Go Home! " Y/n yelled throwing her arms up helplessly.
" No! " Everyone responded almost immediately.
" I believe we can't do that y/n because Tonight you're the prize for whoever gets to take you out of the door first! " Kids yelled and everyone was excited except for y/n who knew this wasn't gonna end well and she knows for a fact that this restaurant will become nothing but a pile of debris and rocks once everything is over.
" Oh it's on! " Uraraka jumped in excitement.
" I'll Fucking kill all of you Extras and Take back what's mine! " Katsuki yelled angrily sparks coming out of his hands.
And Y/n was right, by the end of the day the whole restaurant was destroyed, everyone was injured the moment yeh fight ensued and nobody won because y/n stepped out of the restaurant herself.
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How exactly would companions react to sole jumping off of a really high place? I know we get the quote or whatever in the game, but how would it pan out?
Excluded companions: Piper, Preston, Old Longfellow
Note: Yaay! First react ask! I hope my shitty writing does your ask justice!
Cait: She likes a good adrenaline rush, but jumping from a height like that was something she wasn't about. A good fight was one thing, breaking your ankles was another. Shes just glad when they jab a stimpak in and keep moving. She wasn't eager to carry them back to the nearest settlement.
"Jumping off of that was pretty stupid if ya ask me."
Curie: Shes more concerned with your health than anything. You must have had a good reason for jumping from that height, so she just hoped you weren't hurt to badly. She quickly pulls out a stimpak and some fresh water from her first aid pack while asking questions concerning your physical health.
"Have you sustained injuries? Such a fall. Please, do be careful next time."
Deacon: Hes done his fair share of knee splintering jumps, but ouch.. that really looked like it hurt. He couldnt help but flinch at the sickening crack that followed Sole's landing. At least they stuck the landing. Although, he can't quite keep his mouth shut while he searches for something that will, hopefully, fix his buddy's legs.
"I can't believe you survived that jump. You got thrill issues."
Dogmeat: As soon as the pup sees his human leap from the building, hes barking and running around where Sole is about to drop at. When they land, hes glad they're still okay and alive, but that crack he heard has his ears fall back against his head and him letting out a few pained whimpers as he goes to check on his master.
Hancock: Although he was concerned when Sole's feet hit the ground, he felt a tad bit better when the vault dweller brushed themself off and carried on like normal. Knowing Hancock, he probably digs some med-x or something out to help out with any pain they're in from that leap. Other than that, he just shakes his head and trails after them.
"You've got some serious thrill issues, ya know that?"
Nick: He knew the vault dweller had done some questionably dumb things in their time in the wasteland, but jumping from that height? He hoped they didn't break anything. He really didn't want to explain to the doctor in Diamond City, or worse, Dr. Carrington, why Sole had their ankles where their knees should be. Although he already knew the answer, he felt inclined to ask anyway.
"You nuts or something?"
Danse: Hes honestly so used to having his power armour on, he often forgets how painful a fall from that hight can be. As such, his reaction is a little underwhelming. He doesn't even flinch when the vault dweller's feet his the ground and they stumble a bit as they regain their footing. He even makes light of the fall if Sole shows little to no signs of injury.
"You like roughing it, huh?"
Macready: Hes very concerned when Sole launches themselves from that height. Hes seen his fair share of people die from leaps like that, so when Sole nearly sticks the landing, hes glad he didnt just watch his dumbass friend die. He still feels inclined to let them know what he thinks.
"That was reckless."
Strong: He gets slightly concerned with the crack that follows after Sole hits the ground, but after they jab a stimpak in and take a breather, hes content that the puny human is still in fighting shape. He still makes sure that Sole knows he thinks what they did was dumb, though.
"Strong think that was bad idea. Not want to get smashed by ground."
X6-88: He's honestly appalled that you decided to do that. Was this person really the right choice for the future leader of the Institute? He has his doubts when he sees Sole plummet to the ground. He passes them a stimpak and makes his concerns known.
"Why the hell would you do a thing like that? The Institute needs you alive, ma'am/sir."
Porter Gage: You will never see someone look as done as Gage when Sole decides to jump from ankle breaking heights. He gives the boss a minute to jab a stimpak in and check themself over before letting loose that snarky comment he had been holding back.
"Can't lie. If you break something next time, I'm likely to laugh."
Maxson: He had never seen someone take a leap like that without power armour and live to tell the tale. Needless to say, he nearly has a panic attack when he sees his best soldier jump from such a high place. While hes a bit shocked that they not only stuck the landing, but walked off the fall like nothing happened, he still feels the need to scold them, no matter how cool he secretly thinks that was.
"That was reckless and irresponsible. You should be ashamed, soldier."
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Chapter 1!
Date: August 2,2017
Time: 8:04 am
P.O.V: LaMelo
Location: 📍BBB Estate📍
"ughhhhh!" I groaned and rolled over at the sound of my ugly older Zo brother pounding on my door for me to get ready for school. "tell him to get up he won't listen to anyone else but you and big baller. And as you can see big baller ain't here." "What if he doesn't remember me- it has been two years Zo."I got closer to my door listening to the odd conversation outside of it. Whoever Zo was talking to had a HEAVY New York accent."Ay melo get u- ow!?!"i yelled as i felt the hard wood hit me face "oh my bad" A lightskin girl said. She had to be about 5'4, her hair was out in its natural dark brown curly fro. She had piercings and tattoos all over. She's pure pressure not gonna lie "I know i'm cute but you done staring down at me, we do have school?" she said. "uh why would I be taking you to school I don't even know your name let alone how you got in my house?" I asked genuinely confused. "Zo I told you he wouldn't remember me!" She yelled down the hall."oh well" Zo yelled back, I gave her a confused look. "Wait are you deadass right now?" she asked her voiced cracked in the smallest way. "Uh yea ion think we've met before." I said still confused. "oh I'm Azlia but you can call me Azi."She stared at me for a little longer than usual."No I wanna call you mamas " I said smirking and pulling her close "Ion think ya girl would be okay with that." Azi said laughing and pushing me off her. I already love her laugh and I just met her. "Ion got a girl what is you talking about?" I asked. "Melo stop playing and come downstairs." She said grabbing her bookbag "I made pancakes , sausage and eggs your plate is in the microwave ." Azi said running down the stairs "Thanks" I smiled"No problem." She returned it."Damn Azi you got him using his manners he ain't said that since 08 " Zo said. "How is Denise doing." I said while flicking him off " Pretty swell actually" He said smiling."um no she actually mad at you right now."I said laughing "fuck you" I scrunched my face up."no thanks save that for- wait you can't even save those two inches for Denise"Zo chased me around the kitchen counter."Shut up bitch" Azi was dying the whole time "I'll see you at school Melo ok." Azi said grabbing her keys and wiping her tears from laughing. "why don't we just take the lambo?" I asked . "Um I don't think you little girlfriend would be okay with that. " Azi said laughing bring this 'girlfriend' up once again. "Um what little girlfriend." I said "you serious?" Azi and Zo said at the same time. "Yea I don't have a girlfriend" I said laughing. "Pops melo said he don't got a girlfriend.I heard she clipped you." Zo said laughing. Some bald man walked in and said " melo what are you talking about you and Ashley broke up? He asked with a confused look on his face "I don't know who you or this Ashley is."I raised an eyebrow."Boy if you don't stop playing and take yo ass to school." He said in a serious tone. "Momma who tf is this in the kitchen." I asked "hold on moms I'm coming." Zo said as he went towards the living room. "you better watch ya mouth wild boy" he said "Aye bald bitch- " Before I could even finish ,Azi have covered my mouth which I wasn't expecting because I'm 6'5 and she's 5'4. "Momma who is this and why do you have to walk with a cane?"My voice cracked "Melo? You....ok?" She asked her words were spaced apart and she was stuttering . "Yes no I don't know I wake with zo banging on my door, then Azi a girl that I barely know no offense, "none taken", hits me in the face with my own door, some random man is in the house, you have a cane and your words are spaced apart and you're stuttering ." I said rambling with tears threatening the brim of my eyes. No one said anything they all just stared at me. There were three knocks on the door and Zo had beat Gelo to it zo flicked him of and started dancing "hey babe" some girl i'm assuming was Ashley walked through the door. Zo sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes. Gelo snickered. "Why are you here?" Ashley asked Azi with slight annoyance in her voice. She was cute I guess but she wasn't anything compared to Azi "I'm here because i'm wanted to be here can't say the same about you though." Azi said shrugging he shoulders Zo, mom, and Gelo snickered "ughh whatever" Ashley said rolling her eyes. Azi didn't looked fazed at all."If yall are tryna prank me it ain't workin. idk who you are so don't call me babe, the only person i want to call me that is Azi." I said Azi I both blushed but tried to hide it by looking at her toes those perfect little toes.I an into toe-suckin ight but if I was damn "Huh" everybody I palmed myself in the face "Thinking out loud " I said shrugging my shoulders."Melo, baby you alright?" this Ashley girl but this timed she tried to kiss me. "aye bruh Ion know who you are but you need to chill with allat." I said annoyed "I'm out man Azi you coming?" I asked "uh no I can take my car I'll be fine" She with a genuine look on her face. I got in hopped in my lambo and Ashley soon came running and knocking on my window. "What? I asked. "I thought we were going to school together." "um no were not I don't know who you are." I said pulling off and driving to school.Soon Going Bad by Meek Mill Featuring Drake filled the speakers of my car. I saw Azi pull up next to me at a red light blasting the same song. I motioned for her to roll her window down. "What ?" She asked "first if you wanna be like me just say that, second-naw don't do that if anything you wanna be like me" she said cutting me off. "uh excuse me ma'am; second , if I win this race I get to take out on a date." I said smiling showing my pink and green braces. "No ya lil girlfriend would not like that." she said I rolled my eyes "She is not my girlfriend!" I said hitting the steering wheel"Ok whatever you say just know yo ass finna get blasted in this race." She said cockily before I could even say anything back she rolled her window up. It was a strait shot to Chino so there aren't any turns or anything. Azi started revving her engine so I started revving my too. As soon as the light hit green we zoomed off. she cut me off and I as taken back a little by the way she was switching lanes. Azi can drive her ass off. I wasn't gone let her punk me like that so I had to drive past her just to be funny. I saw her flipping me off through my rearview mirror and I laughed to myself about how goofy she is. As soon as I pulled into the Chino parking lot I saw Azi's green car parked in my usual spot. "looks like you can't take me out on a date". Azi said cocky manner and popping her invisible collar. I hopped out my car. "Um I do what I want I'm gonna take you on a date" i said wrapping my arms around my waist and burying my face in neck kissing it a little. I don't know why but I felt like I had a strong connection to this girl somehow. We were at my locker by now."Dip chill"she moaned a little "You can't be grabbing on me like you used to you got a girl ok."She huffed "I don't have a girl me and Ashley never dated and if we did or still do were over i'm gonna tell her after school!" I said annoyed I heard sniffles behind me "If that's how you feel melo then so be it." Ashley said. "No that's not what I meant.I don't remember anything at all." I said annoyed once again. "I don't want to sound harsh or break your heart but when I feel a certain way I'm gonna explain how I feel.I'm sorry but Ashley but when I'm with you I don't feel anything." "Melo chill out I'm not worth fighting for, You and Ashley are well were together until you said what you said I can't get tangled up in your mess again." Azi said with her voice cracking once again. "why do you think that? when i'm with you I feel something that I think that I've felt before. I just I can't remember anything I'm tired of having to choose between people over and over again." I said with tears threatening my eyes. why am I being so emotional? "I need to get to class." Azi and I said at the same time. I swear I'm falling in love with this girl already.We laughed and went our separate ways. Ashley just stood there looking dumb.
Science
"Mr.Ball you're late." My science teacher said I sucked my teeth and kept it pushing my day was already being fucked up. I heard heels clicking behind me "Yo you good?" My teacher asked me "Yea? how old are you?You don't sound like a teacher" I asked. she started dying "melo you a fool bruh for real is everything ok?" "I just said I'm fine can you just go back to teaching." I said with an attitude.There were ooo's going all around the classroom. "Melo ion know what you got going on today but you need to fix. Ian never have I won't have a problem with sending you to the office." she said she sound like she was from New Orleans. I rolled my eyes and went to my seat. "Aye melo you good bruh" some bronwskin boy asked me.He had a nose peircing and half his dreads were red and the other side black. "uh yea" I said keeping it cool and giving signals ian wanna talk. "ight whatever you say dip." he said shrugging his shoulders. "how do you know my- uh nevermind my day is already shitty enough." i said i plugged my headphones and started watching Trollhunters on Netflix not caring about what was going on.
Azila pov
Math
"why are you late Ms.Williams?" my math teacher questioned me. "oh my bad I had to deal with something before class." I said shrugging my shoulders.I'm already over this day. I can't get myself wrapped up in his mess not again, I have to figure out what's wrong with melo he's seemed so off this morning.
SKIP SCHOOL
Melo Pov
"You trippin ian finna go over there ion know them people." I said pissed my day has just been bad all around. "your going...ok." Mommy said .
After two hours of being around people I didn't know, i finally got home. "To prove there is nothing wrong with me why don't we go to the doctor?" I proposed "come on mommy let's go to the doctor " i said with puppy eyes "no" she mushed me "mommmmmmyyyyy pleaaasseeee" I asked annoying her on purpose again."ugh fine" mommy said. Out of nowhere Ashley facetimed me "How do you have my number?"I raised an eyebrow "listen dip I don't know what's going on with you but you need to cut the act. You've been so distant lately and I wanna know why." "I haven't been acting distant I just met you this morning." I hung up and walked towards the car.
15 mins later
"The Ball family,your number room is 082200"
"ooou my birthday" i said dancing "me-lo" my mom just laughed I love when she's happy.
We all got up and walked towards the door
"Hi I'm doctor Amanda Johnson and what will we be discussing today?" She asked, she was really perky, a little too perky "Well melo here started acting unusual this morning".The bald dude said touching my shoulder I started to yank away but mommy gave me that look. "How"? "Well he was saying-Let Lamelo" talk she cut off gelo. he stared in disbelief "I don't think I was acting weird.I woke up to get ready for school and zo and this girl Azi were talkin outside my door and the she hit me in the face with it. I asked her who she was yadayadayada apparently that bald dude is my dad and I got in to it with my science teacher who im guessing i was cool with?." I said recapping everything that happened this morning. "Ok um I'll need to do just a little check up height, weight, the usual." she said I stood up out the chair "holy sh- um how old are you?" she gulped you could hear how intimidated she was when I stood up. "I'm 16." I said nonchalantly."sixte- nevermind lonzo can you help me with the stadiometer" she was like 4'11 "sure" zo said in a weird tone. I sat on the little bed thing. She checked my heartbeat and allat good stuff. "Everything seems to be fine." she said hopping off the stool and started typing away on he desktop."Hmmmmm" The doctor said with a blank stare looking at the computer that's why I hate doctors you never know what they're saying smh. "?Well?" I said "Well there might be a scan that we can do next week to see what's going on with you because that "bald dude" is your dad in fact".She put quotations around bald dude and gave me a weird look. "lady no disrespect but i'm pretty sure i'd remember who my dad is." I said returning her confused look zo slapped the back of my head."ow" I whispered rubbing the back of my head. "Alright I'll see you guys next week." "th-thank you! mommy said.
Later...
Azlia Pov
"Uhh yea oh wait let's get the purple confetti instead." I said to Lee. Today is my mom's birthday so I'm tryna go all out. "Target has better balloons and candles." I said walking out of Walmart "Azi we've been to 8 stores already, are you sure?"Lee said laughing "Yes I'm serious, Mom is turning 42 we gotta go bi-" Before i could finish my sentence my phone started ringing.Incoming cal from Him💕 "Yes?" I smiled"nothing I just wanted to see you're face" he said laughing I rolled my eyes . Before lee could say some shit I muted the phone."Is tha- Yes it is lee now mind the business that pays you" I laughed and unmuted. "why'd you mute ma?" he questioned "Lee was saying outta pocket shit about how I'm always at target." I said rolling my eyes. "You literally got to target Every day!" Melo exclaimed "You in my business don't do that." I laughed"I'll call you later ok? Alright byebye." I hung up"It's his contact name still being him with the heart for me." Lee shut up and help me look for balloons" I said laughing."Tell me why simi just texted me and said: Ik you at target or Walmart get me sum gummywors" I laughed
Aziiiiiii😒
Fuckkk no
Simi😊👎
Azi rs stop playing
Aziiiiii😒
Fine troli or Haribo?
Simi 😊👎
Troli🙏
Aziiiii
Sike you thought hoe😊
Simi😊👎
fuck you monae
Azi😒
Ahhhhhh not the middle name💀😔
read 5:14 pm
Fine i'll get you some
*not delivered*
Simi?
*not delivered*
Aye ho- I mean simii?😃
*not delivered*
Azi
tell simi unblock me or he aint gettin shit
Teneal😘
just like that bett!💀
Teneal😘 sent a voice message
"Azi said unblock her or you aint getting shit. Im tellin momma" She laughed and Simi yelled
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Acid trip anon,
First of yes let's have the whole 'let's put you to bed mee maw' attitude is good for the mauruaders stans who don't want to acknowledge accountability but also wishes every morally Grey charecter that is mentally fucked up to do so. (it kind of reminds me of the whole arguement where people go 'get therapy and stop projecting your problems!!!' and this is told to someone who dead ass lives with limited resources and when you ask for more ways to help the person they then pull the arguement of 'you don't deserve help because you were a shitty person' and then again shout 'get therapy' like how tf does that make you a better person???? did you sniff your purity cocaine???? did you get the approval????)
Second, regulus black being seen as a slytherin hero despite him being a hero cuz he pulled a lord of the rings move (elf fucker) will always make me cackle. He's a bit confused but sure he's got the spirit.
I tried explaining to my mom the whole hp plot and when I started introducing jily she straight up eye rolled ( like I said it's a bland trope and not many people find it comforting in real life becuase if someone did that in real life you automatically I personally put them in the list of 'will that turn out to be a shitty marriage and should I be concerned')
Finally, I think the clear distinction between the snape fans and mauruaders stans is that despite both of us having a deatheater in our team one of us straight up can understand why people can be displeased by snapes cruel actions and say :yes! What he did was a shitty thing and if you ask me why he did it or what caused him to act that way since I enjoy this charecter, perhaps I can give some reasoning but that being said I whole heartily agree it was a shitty thing' while the other cannot fathom that you can hold people accountable and still like them (and also that people who like charecters that are not generally accepted or seen as problematic but most importantly will have literally no impact to anyone's life and to anyone who did not read or watch hp deserve death threats and apparently executed anyways ciao)
Another clear distinction is when asked ' what would you do differently if you were snape if you knew this his how he turned out' you can automatically assess whom is whom. Because collectively everyone who enjoys severus snape straight up went : okay so we all agree that Hogwarts was not a safe place for him, despite it claiming to be a welcoming space for all. He grew up isolated, bullied and with limited resources. that straight up makes him vulnerable to be exploited, he had no one to actually help him and was in an environment that was downright miserable. the obvious solution is to clearly GTFO, out of Hogwarts or England go anywhere else choosing to stay in a place that makes you feel unsafe is ridiculous. Give this man a scholarship make him leave and not be relevant to the plot of pain!!!! Basically let's give him less trauma :).
While every mauruaders stan in the block went :I would simply not hate on harry, not be someone's boggart. Yall you are tripping how the fuck did you miss the point. You literally went I don't care if this man had trauma if I were him I'd be normal I'm built different ya you built like a clown first of you straight up complain that this man is not sane or stable despite us telling yall that there most likey is a REASON why he's like that. and when given the choice to do something different on the same charecter that you know wish not to acknowledge (or maybe you did acknowledge) had a difficult life,,, your choice was to make him go through all of that and also be normal. Just say you hate mentally ill people who have unhealthy coping mechanisms because it doesn't fit with your purity mentality / your bad boy good girl rom com where you change the person in one full month ma'am you are not a 2001 make over movie that person still has depression.
"just say you hate mentally ill people who have unhealthy coping mechanisms because it doesn't fit with your purity mentality / your bad boy good girl rom com where you change the person in one full month ma'am you are not a 2001 make over movie that person still has depression."
so true bestie!!!
I've said this before, the reason Snape antis hate him to such a degree, and the reason they simultaneously wouldn't bat an eye if you told them you love Bellatrix, Voldemort, Satan, even Umbridge herself, is that Snape feels real while the others feel cartoonishly evil.
It's exactly because he's both good and bad that they have this need to bash people for liking him. If he was a straight up villain, who had only done bad things, nobody would say anything; irrationally enough, the fact that he also did good things and thus gives us things to love him for, makes people go crazy over said love.
And another thing that you mentioned, snaters being like "I simply wouldn't be Neville's boggart" etc... That argument that Snape overrules even Neville's parents' tormentors in how much he scares Neville...Do people realize that that scene couldn't work with someone else other than Harry having a high stake boggart? The whole point of the scene was to underline Harry's boggart, how would having Neville have Bellatrix as a boggart help? It had to be something trivial like all the others.
Also thank you for the videos you sent me, Rick Astley always helps during mental. break downs 😌
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Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears Theory
First of all, guys, your support on my whinging post was immensely appreciated. 💕 Secondly...
@bethanyactually said: I feel your distress. <3 Also, have you written a post about your CoT theory? *bats eyelashes*
I have not! I have a feeling I’ll end up ficcing it, but I need to watch it at least a second time beforehand. But I spent the mental escape moments of my day thinking of evidence to support it though, and I may as well share because god knows when I’ll have time to write it. So… *cracks knuckles* Crypt of Tears spoilers, mostly about the Phrack arc, below the jump:
First off, I’ll say (and haha, this is an element of GoT s8 as well so at least I’m consistent) that I don’t particularly care what the absolute intentions of the script as written were--I look at the final piece of media and evaluate it as a whole (script, acting, editing, etc) and look for internal consistency, and the veneration of Script Intentions Above All, as if scripts aren’t constantly shifting even as filming occurs, is one of those things that confound me. So Deb Cox could grace us with a video tomorrow saying the theory is wrong and I’d still believe it.
The theory itself is very simple: Crypt of Tears is not Phryne and Jack’s reunion following the events of Death Do Us Part (the season 3 finale), but a reconciliation arc after a previous attempt went awry.
Like, first of all, there’s nothing I saw in the film that suggests it is a post 3x08 reunion beyond fan expectations it would be, and plenty of evidence that it it’s not. And I know I’m going to forget some of my arguments to support this theory, but an incomplete list is better than none. (And some of these are not persuasive in themselves, but given the weight of evidence are worth including)
Dot’s line about Phryne breaking the inspector’s heart when she left actively contradicts 3x08. It doesn’t just take an interesting interpretation, it takes hope and relief and turns it into explicit heartbreak
Despite their estrangement, he calls her Phryne. He does, in fact, call her Phryne until the very end of the film when they are together. Why the fuck would he call her Phryne if they haven’t seen each other in 7+ months and he was mostly calling her Miss Fisher until that point?
Nobody is surprised that Jack is attending a memorial service in England--not Aunt P, not these perfect strangers. The depths of their connection are clearly somewhat public knowledge
In fact, the only person surprised he’s there is Phryne, which… if this is post 3x08 then she’d asked him to, why WOULDN’T he come to her memorial service??? (It’s more of a subjective thing, but this also explains the lawn scene a little better, emotionally, if they were together and the whole “I’m done with you” thing. Otherwise he’s done after a shitty aborted flirtation and not much else? Whatever, I’m not even trying to unpack that scene)
“You’re afraid I’ll turn you into a policeman’s wife”??? Nothing in canon supports this particular fear. General concerns about commitment, etc, sure, but that’s very specific and indicates a previous conversation/presumption. And connected to that…
“You said you weren’t the marrying kind and I respected that.” He knows she’s not, they have a conversation in Blood and Money about how it would take a brave/foolish man to propose to her. But respect? When would he be in a position to RESPECT that if they were literally never in a romantic relationship?
“I gave it to you a long time ago” I don’t think she’s talking about being in a relationship here, but it’s also odd phrasing--if you think she gives her heart sometime early season 2, she’s in love with him for six months or so before she flies to England, and then they haven’t seen each other longer than that (given the stage of Dot’s pregnancy). It’s fucking weird
That is not a first shag snog. It’s way, way too familiar given where we last saw them kissing-wise; it’s comfortable and playful and home. (BTW, guys, congrats on your fucking faces during that scene. That alone was worth the cost of the movie)
And finally, this is going into word of god/meta, but there were multiple interviews as the movie was being made/promoted that included things like “We find out what happened between Phryne and Jack” that certainly implied that we were getting a timejump and an incomplete picture. It’s the reason I went in expecting the film to be a classic reconciliation arc, because that’s an easy setup for new viewers. Nothing I saw in the film has persuaded me I was wrong. It’s possible everything went down via letter/telegram, but given their general disinclination to bluntly talk about their emotions I’m going with unlikely
While there are variables, the gist of what I think happened is this:
Phryne dropped her father off, either in London or (my personal favourite from the logistical/timeline POV) caught up with his ship/experienced mechanical problems/whatever that had her turning around home part of the way through her flight to England.
They were together, everything is new and giddy, they had discussions but didn't 100% commit to anything BECAUSE it was still new and wanting a relationship to work isn’t enough by itself. They are finding their footing
Some combination of (a) Phryne getting cold feet about a possible relationship (maybe Jack's reputation came up in the Sanderson-Fletcher case and made her think of a policeman's wife, maybe the intensity of wanting to come home hit her when she got there), (b) wanderlust, and (c) someone potentially requesting her help (possibly after the stock market crash, so not long after she got home) results in her leaving.
And, you know, this is new and even if they care a lot they aren’t going to necessarily leap to hashing out every single detail of their relationship--there are no concrete statements but they don’t BREAK UP either. They’ll just… pick up where they left off when she gets home
And then she’s gone longer and longer, because there’s always someone in the world needing to be saved (oh look, that makes sense of another line), and sure she’s communicating less and less, but Jack should have blind faith in her because even if she’s running scared she’s certain in them, what they do best.
Then WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA'AM she's married and then dead in short order and she didn't even bother to tell Jack (though she did tell Lady Lofthouse), and Jack’s frustrations about her marriage come from the fact that she did not tell him herself.
So, yeah, that’s my theory. If anybody subjected to my rants on this subject over the last few days remembers more of my arguments in favour, feel free to add them on. 😂
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choke on me—chapter four
breathe me in (prequel fic)
chapter three
chapter five
a/n: this is a pretty chill chapter, and chapter five is going to be the exact opposite so have fun with this one while you can ;) also for my bilingual readers, if i have any, please excuse my shitty Italian in this chapter, i'm literally just working off of google translate
rating: pretty gen...this time
warning(s): n/a
—————
Carmen couldn't have picked a better day for a carnival; It's not too hot out for it to be August nonetheless. A slight breeze ruffles Tony's ungelled hair, sending his bangs into his eyes. He smooths the hair back with a huff. So much for keeping it casual today. His brief irritation dissipates when he looks, truly looks, at his surroundings.
The scent of cotton candy and funnel cake and something smoky, no doubt barbecue, carries on the wind. There are two long lines of booths, rides, and rest places alike stretching for a good yard. The other volunteers are zooming about, dressed in bright red tees like the Avengers, finishing up last-minute preparations.
"She doesn't half-ass anything, huh?" Clint says. He sounds impressed and…a little excited. Tony can't lie...he's excited too.
"I'll say," Steve says, and there's no hiding the awe in his voice. "I can't believe some of these rides even exist."
Out the corner of his eye, Tony sees Thor lean down to whisper something in Bruce's ear, blue eyes dancing. Whatever he said makes Bruce laugh, a real one, not the sharp little chuckle that's usually full of self-loathing or sarcasm or both.
They're off to a good start. Even Natasha looks pleased, or as pleased as she can be, with her arms crossed in front of her. She's taking in their surroundings too, but Tony knows that a part of her isn't doing it for fun. She's looking for enemies, escape routes, any possible threats to her and the others.
"You can take an agent out of the field," he thinks. He hopes that maybe she'll loosen up by the end of the day, preferably without anyone getting hurt.
"Where's Solomita?" she asks. "I want to know what we’re doing.”
"I know where she is," Tony says and leads the way, picking out Carmen's chirpy voice, throwing out orders and praise with a megaphone, Jesus Christ.
"Make sure you're at your booths in ten minutes! The kids are going to be arriving soon!"
She's crossing things off on her clipboard when Tony and the Avengers following behind him pull up in front of her.
She hasn't changed a bit since Tony's last seen her. She's still tan, still short, shorter than Tony. Her dark wavy hair is pulled back into what she used to call her "business braid" for when she had "shit that needs to be done."
Tony clears his throat, and Carmen looks up, her big brown eyes going wide before a grin breaks across her face and—
Carmen pounces on him, full-on throwing her arms around Tony's neck. Tony catches her no problem and—Carmen's mood is so infectious—gives her a little twirl before setting her down.
"Jesus Christ," Clint says under his breath. "She almost took him out."
"Did not," Carmen says, and Clint has the good sense to look bashful. "This is normal for us. Especially when someone hasn't reached out in two. Years," she says, slapping Tony on the arm twice for emphasis.
"Ouch," he says, rubbing his arm. "I've been busy."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Save the world a few times, and suddenly you have no time for your friends," she says, grinning, so Tony knows she's joking. She turns to the Avengers, who've all been standing there awkwardly like they're the new kids in school.
"All jokes aside, I'm thankful for you guys, all of you," she says. "Who knows where we'd be without the Avengers." She sticks out her hand for them to shake and for a split second, nobody moves. Maybe it was the genuine gratitude in Carmen's voice, or the others were still trying to process Carmen's everything, but the smile on her face starts to waver at their hesitation.
Steve is the first to act, taking Carmen's hand in his own. "Thank you, ma'am," he says. "I know I speak for everyone when I say that we're glad the team exists, and we'll help out any way we can."
"Thank you," Tony mouths to him, and Steve gives him a slight nod, letting go of Carmen's hand.
Thor steps up next and, in true princely fashion, bows, bringing Carmen's hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of her palm. "A pleasure to be here, my lady," Thor says.
Carmen's face is red when Thor straightens back up, releasing her hand. After that, it's like the others shift into gear. Clint apologizes for his comment. Bruce offers her a kind hello until it's just Natasha who steps up until she's right in front of Carmen. Even though they're the same height, Carmen stiffens up, looking at Natasha like she's about to get chastised.
Natasha simply...sticks out her hand. "It’s nice to meet you,” she begins.
Carmen takes Natasha’s hand slowly like she’s expecting some trick.
“I’m actually a fan,” Natasha says. “I saw your work this February while undercover. Very nice.”
"Thank you," Carmen says. If she blushes anymore, Tony’s going to start worrying about her health. "I was actually inspired by your suit. The leather and the bodycon silhouette paired well with Fall and Winter."
"Oh, really?" Natasha says, raising her brows. Natasha looks her up and down, and Carmen, much to her credit, holds her gaze. "I have ideas for your spring collection if you'd like to hear them."
And just like that, the Avengers have won Carmen over forever. And Tony didn't even have to make any threats. Maybe today won't be a disaster after all.
"Yes, please," Carmen says, her voice coming out high and reedy. "I mean since you're offering—"
“Carmen,” Tony interrupts before she starts melting under the full force of Natasha’s undivided attention, “what’s the game plan for today?”
"Game plan. Right. We're here to work." Carmen clears her throat, a flush still staining her cheeks, and flips through some of the pages on her clipboard. "Okay, Tony, you're easy. You're running the basketball booth."
Basketball. He can do basketball.
"Mr. Rogers," Carmen says. Natasha starts humming "Won't You Be My Neighbor" until Steve shoots her an exasperated look.
"Sorry," Natasha says, not sounding sorry at all.
"Please, call me Steve," Steve says. "She already has that song set as my ringtone."
"Steve," Carmen says. "I know you're an artist. Think you could do caricatures slash portraits?"
Steve nods. "Easy enough."
The rest of the assignments go quickly. Natasha gets the sharpshooting booth, Clint's over Ring Toss, and Thor and Bruce will oversee the sack race. Now that introductions and assignments are over, there's a thrum of excitement to the air. Or anxiety. Tony's not sure yet.
"Nervous?" Carmen says to him. She's tucked her pen behind her ear.
"Maybe," he says. "Maybe not. It could just be indigestion."
"Gross," she laughs, wrinkling her nose. "I'm sure it'll be fine. I meant what I said, you know. I'm glad you guys showed up. You know how much A Helping Hand means to me."
Of course, he does. Carmen's like him...in more ways than one. She had been orphaned at nineteen when her parents' plane had gone down over the Atlantic.
And at twenty-one, she had also found herself the sole heir to a family fortune and no family to share it with. She got the idea for A Helping Hand after Tony's own parents had died.
Tony repeats what she had told him all those years ago. "Us orphans gotta stick together."
"Damn right," she says. "Siamo famiglia."
"Siamo famiglia," Tony echoes.
"Congrats on your new additions, by the way," Carmen says.
Tony's brows furrow. "What new additions?" he asks.
Carmen tilts her head at him like she used to whenever she thought he had said something stupid. "You're telling me that those five supermodels you call teammates just came here for shits and giggles?"
"They needed a day off," Tony explains. "I offered. Nothing else to it."
"They came because you asked them, dumbass. They're your friends."
Tony's not going to argue with her, mostly since the others have stopped talking amongst themselves and are looking right at them.
"Anyway," he says pointedly, "can you point me in the direction of my booth?"
*********
For the next three hours, Tony shoves Carmen's words from his mind and throws himself into teaching anyone who steps up to the basketball booth about physics. It wasn't cheating per se; Tony simply calculated the angle the kids would have to throw the ball along with the perfect amount of force. The looks of shock followed by unabashed glee after they made a basket more than made up for any guilt he was feeling.
His break comes faster than he wants it to, but he has to take one eventually and decides the best way to do that is to take a walk. His fellow volunteer, a young man named Jake, says he'll be able to hold down the fort while Tony's gone. Maybe Tony will check on the others, see how they're faring.
“It’s a great day to fly,” he thinks. The sky is a soft pale blue that soothes his heart. Cirrus clouds, like pulled apart cotton candy, lazily make their way across the horizon. Maybe after the carnival is over, he’ll take the suit out for a ride and cruise through the skies.
He wanders without direction, letting his feet carry him wherever they fancy. Seldom does Tony get quiet moments to himself like this. There was always a fire to put out, a project to work on, kittens to rescue from trees, that sort of thing. Not that he ever doubted her, but maybe Pepper was right. Maybe he did work too hard.
The sound of children squealing pulls him from his thoughts and brings a smile to his face. Carmen had spared no expense, not that he expected any less, as he takes in the Tilt-a-Whirl lifting its arms higher and higher. The riders throw their arms up in the air, their laughter carrying on the wind. For today, they would get to fly too.
Tony continues on, the shouts and whoops and laughs fading into the background; he's made it to a quieter part of the carnival where they tucked off all of the arts and crafts booths.
There's the finger painting table where plenty of toddlers and adults alike are flinging paint onto sheets of canvas. One kid rises from the face painting table with Cap's shield emblazoned upon his cheek and a booth over...there's Steve, drawing caricatures for the kids. There's a curve to his lips. Steve's biting back a smile at the little boy trying (and failing) to sit still in his chair as he draws him. Tony's heart jumps at the sight. He's tempted to slide into the line for Steve's booth himself, but something holds him back. It could be the look of contentment on Steve's face or the kid's near infectious excitement—Tony feels like he's intruding on something private. Someone else's life. Someone else's dream.
His heart pangs in his chest as the little boy jumps as soon as his drawing is finished and throws himself into Steve's arms. Steve startles but recovers quickly, giving the kid a polite hug back.
For some reason, Tony thinks of the kid he met not even a year ago when everyone thought he was dead: Harley. Tony didn't hug Harley. He didn't have it in him to hug Harley. The kid deserved it, though, for dealing with Tony's shit. Tony liked kids well enough, but having one of his own? He would never admit it out loud, but it scared him. And Steve...Steve deserved more than a coward.
There's less energy in his steps as he turns around and walks right back to the basketball booth.
He knows he still has time left on his break, but for some reason, he can't bring himself to care.
He finishes his shift with little fanfare, the carnival-goers opting for the rides and fair food after loading up on prizes for the day.
His head's all foggy like he just got up from a nap. He's so out of it, he doesn't even realize that the others are walking up to his booth. Tony blinks slowly, trying to ignore the pressure building in his forehead, a sure sign of a headache.
"Hey," Steve says when they make it to his booth. "You about ready?"
Tony winces, prompting the others to look him up and down.
"You okay? What's bothering you?" Clint asks.
"Just got a headache," Tony says, stepping out from his booth, giving Jake a wave. Jake waves back, trying his best not to look starstruck at the sight of the other Avengers.
"Did you eat at all?" Natasha asks, and as soon as she says something, his stomach growls.
"Guess not," Bruce says.
"You must eat," Thor says gently. "A warrior such as yourself must maintain your strength."
He knows they're right, but being confronted by all of them at once has his hackles rising. Carmen's words are getting all tangled up with Pepper's, and he can't. Stop. Thinking.
"I will," he says, aware that they're watching him more closely now. He hopes that he doesn't look as unsound as he feels. "But why leave just yet? Don't you guys want to check out some of the booths or rides before we leave?"
Steve starts to object, but Natasha is one second faster. "I did want to beat Clint at Shoot 'em Up," she says with a smirk.
Steve looks ready to protest, but Clint cuts him off. "Oh, you're on," he says. "Loser has to do the other's paperwork for two weeks."
"Prepare to drown in files, Barton," Natasha says, catching Tony's eye.
Tony nods at her. A Thank you.
She flips her hair over her shoulder. You're welcome. He doesn't know when they learned to read each other so well.
Clint and Natasha make their way to the sharpshooting booth, Thor and Bruce walking along behind them.
"You sure you're okay?" Steve asks, scanning Tony from head to toe. Steve can see through him so easily, his skin might as well be made of glass.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Tony says. "Come on. Let's catch up before they kill each other."
*********
Natasha and Clint tie in Shoot 'em Up. Since Tony is on a team that consists entirely of children, they extend their competition to every booth in the carnival. Steve warms up as the day goes on, even joining in on their little competition along with Thor. Tony and Bruce are just content to watch.
Thor ropes Steve into the strongman game, which attracts a crowd, but who would turn down the sight of two handsome, well-built men lifting heavy things and showing off their muscles? Tony certainly couldn't, and given the way Bruce eyes the bulge of Thor's biceps, neither could he.
Steve rings the bell easily and wins, of all things, a Captain Ameribear for his trouble.
"Aw," Tony says. "It has wings on its helmet too."
"Are we just going to ignore the fact that it came with a shield pillow?" Clint asks.
Steve blushes, but it's all in good fun. Thor, of course, breaks the game, the bell flying clean off the top of the tower. The game runner in awe (and a little bit of fear) gives Thor a prize regardless. Tony promises to compensate the man as soon as possible. Despite all of that, his headache has receded slightly. He needs to eat now, and that barbecue is starting to smell better and better.
Tony's so caught up in drooling over a rack of ribs or some trashed wings he barely notices the others walking off to the next booth, Steve lingering behind to wait on him.
"Sorry," Tony says. "Guess I'm out of it. You...you don't have to wait on me, you know."
Steve shrugs. "No one's forcing me. Spending time with you isn't a chore. This actually works out."
Tony smiles despite himself. "What are you planning?"
"Nothing," Steve says. "I just wanted you to have this." Steve hands the bear over to Tony, and Tony...Tony melts because Steve is so fucking cute and sweet, and how did the hell did he end up in Tony's life?
Tony takes the bear, and maybe it's the lack of food in his system, but the urge to cry at Steve's kindness strikes him. The bear is cute with Steve's signature red, white, and blue suit and the shield to go along with it. "Thank you," Tony says. "You sure you want me to hold onto this?"
Steve looks at him from underneath his lashes. "Tony," he begins, "it's a gift. I want you to have it."
"Okay," Tony whispers, feeling like the air is closing in on him. It's hard to breathe when Steve looks at him like that, like Tony means something to him.
"Besides," Steve says, leaning in close to him. "I'm gonna clean the booths out. I'm trying to beat the super spies. Can you keep him safe for me?"
Steve's breath, cool and minty, washes over his face. Tony has to blink a few times, processing what just happened before he can even think about speaking.
"Are you guys coming, or are you just going to gaze into each other's eyes?" Clint shouts from the next booth over.
Tony jumps and hurries to rejoin the others, Steve right behind him, staring into his back.
True to his word, Steve cleans out every booth they touch, until he's practically drowning in stuffed animals. They attract a crowd as they make their way to the food court. Tony's feet are aching, and his stomach is outright roaring for sustenance. He and Thor get the biggest plate of ribs they've got to offer. The meat's so tender it's falling off the bone and smoked to perfection. The sauce they used is homemade, all tang and smoky sweetness. He eats until his stomach is about ready to burst.
Thor's singing the cooks' praises and their delicious Midgardian cuisine and rises to go get seconds, Bruce trailing after him.
Clint runs off to the bathroom, and something catches Steve's eye. Tony follows his gaze to the herd of children trying (and failing) to watch them eat without freaking out. Steve rises from the table, taking his prizes with him, leaving just Tony and Natasha behind.
"Sometimes, I can't believe he's real," Natasha says, breaking the silence. There's no need to wonder who's the "he" she's talking about. Tony thinks it himself sometimes.
It's hard not to when kids start lining up single file for their turn to receive a stuffed animal from Steve.
"Me neither," Tony says. "Howard...he'd tell me all these stories of Steve and the 'good old days'...Steve single-handedly storming a HYDRA facility. Throwing himself on a grenade to give others the chance to live. I always thought he was embellishing a little. Making war stories more digestible for a kid, you know? But seeing him, knowing him? You can't help but wonder how someone can be so good."
"He's not like you," Natasha says. He doesn't even have it in himself to be offended. She's right. Steve isn't like Tony and will never be like Tony. A little rough around the edges. "He's not like me, either," she admits, catching Tony by surprise.
"He's the best of us," Tony says. He glances at her. Natasha sits forward, resting her head upon her palm. Her face is smooth, her cheeks still tinged pink from their rowdy tramping through the fairgrounds. She looks...raw. That's the only word to describe her. Raw and real and human. Not the robot switching personalities and names and appearances like most people change clothes.
"You make him that way," she says, shocking him again. His stomach drops, and whatever peace between them quickly disintegrates. What does she mean by that? What could she possibly know about him and Steve and all the complexities of their relationship?
“I don’t know what you mean,” Tony says, his voice coming out thin.
Something in Natasha’s face softens, and she tilts her head at Tony. “I’m not going to pretend I know all of the details, but…you’re good for him. And I think he’s good for you. You’re both...softer. You look happy.”
It’s like someone’s dumped cold water down Tony’s back; he’s so in shock he can barely register what Natasha is saying. He swallows. Natasha knows. Of course, she knows, and if it weren’t her job to gather intel and pick up on context clues, he’d be a lot more worried that the others knew. But she wasn’t blackmailing him or threatening him to stay away from Steve? She...approved of them? He remembers that debriefing after they had defeated Loki, what felt like a lifetime ago, and her casual dismissal of Tony and his relationship with Steve. He wants to bring it up, to confront her, but what’s there to confront?
He brings it up anyway. “Still think he wouldn’t touch me with a ten-foot pole?”
Natasha tilts her head at him again, and he hates how sweaty his palms have gotten, and the hummingbird beating of his heart, like his relationship with Steve hinges on her opinion.
“No,” she says slowly as if to weigh her words. “He wants you too much. I don’t think he could give you up even if he wanted to.”
As if summoned, Steve comes bounding back to their table looking boyish and vibrant in the evening sun before Tony can process her words.
"What I miss?" he says with a breathless grin, holding onto one last stuffed animal.
"Nothing much," Tony says before Natasha can say anything incriminating. His eyes dart down to the last stuffed animal in Steve's arms. It's an Iron Man bear, of course, all done up in the telltale red and gold of Tony's suit. "What's the deal, no one wanted him?" he says, nodding to the bear.
Steve looks down at the Iron Bear, and what he says next might actually make Tony melt into a puddle. "Nah. Couldn't bear to give him up."
Tony ignores Natasha's pointed look and hopes that his face isn't as red as he thinks it is.
“Clint, you’re riding with me on the Ferris wheel,” Natasha declares when everyone makes it back to their table, and Steve has successfully made Tony as red as his suit.
“A Ferris wheel?” Thor asks, arching his brow.
“It’s a carnival classic,” Clint says. “It’s a giant wheel that lifts you into the air. Perfect way to end the day.”
“It’s older than Cap,” Natasha throws in helpfully, smirking at Steve when he shoots her an exasperated look.
“Your Midgardian traditions are so strange,” Thor says. “Interesting, but strange.”
“I’m not hearing a no,” Clint says.
“Hm.” Thor turns to look at Bruce, who looked surprisingly (and thankfully) content with himself. “Would you like to ride with me, Doctor Banner?”
Bruce reddens, and Tony doesn't feel so alone because it looks like Bruce has his own beefy blond problem he needs to deal with. "Sure, since you asked," Bruce responds, leaving just...Steve.
Steve shares a look with Natasha, and Tony gets the sneaking suspicion that they planned this. Who knew that the fall of SHIELD would lead to one of the most dangerous alliances Tony had ever seen?
"Tony," Steve begins, sounding like he's about to propose, he's so serious. "Want to ride with me?"
His heartbeat quickens, and he's not sure why. It's not like it's a public declaration of love to ride with someone on a Ferris wheel.
It'd look weird if he takes too long to answer, so Tony says, "Yeah. Sounds like a plan."
They toss their trash and pick up their respective prizes they won throughout the day, Natasha with her light-up sword, Clint with his stuffed dog. Thor's lion hat from the strongman game sits proudly atop his head. Tony wants to make a joke about Hercules, but he also doesn't want to deal with the guaranteed headache he'll get when Thor replies with some mind-bending statement like he and Hercules are gym bros or other. Tony and Steve walk side by side, far behind the rest of their little group, bears in one hand, their free hands brushing with each step.
Part of him knows that if he just reached over...if he took that extra step for Steve's hand...Steve would let him. It'd be so easy…
The line to the Ferris wheel isn't too long, and by the time Tony works up the courage to take Steve's hand, the volunteers are strapping them in.
One of the volunteers lowers the bar over their heads, making sure that they're secure, and that's it. Tony's trapped. He's stuck on this Ferris wheel for the next ten minutes, and Steve is so goddamn close he can feel how hot his skin is from being out in the sun and—
"I'm not gonna bite, you know," Steve mutters when they start to ascend. He won't meet Tony's eyes. "I...I know you're afraid of me."
Tony swallows, his stomach twisting into knots at the thought of Steve thinking he feared him.
"I'm not...Steve, I'm not afraid of you," Tony says. Steve's still looking down. He doesn't know where he gets the courage, but he cups Steve's face and makes him look at him. "You hear me? I'm not afraid of you."
Steve's eyes have always been a weakness of Tony's, and right now, when they're so big and blue and so fucking sad, it doesn't do him any favors. They're almost at the top of the wheel. A stray breeze rustles a lock of Steve's hair, and Tony feels like he's on a cliff's edge.
"Then why—" Steve begins, only to be cut off by Tony's lips. Tony closes his eyes and answers Steve the only way he knows how.
It's cliche, but Tony swears he can see fireworks going off behind his eyelids. Steve's lips are warm and soft and pliant against his. Tony deepens the kiss and slides one of his hands into Steve's hair, the other remaining on his face. He can taste the remnants of cotton candy on Steve's mouth.
They break apart because, unfortunately, air is necessary to live. Tony has half a mind to invent a way for humans to survive without air if it meant he could spend the rest of his life kissing Steve.
This high up, with the sun setting behind them, Tony wishes he had at least brought a jacket.
Steve lifts his arm, "Here," he says. "Lean into me." Tony does just that and tucks his body into Steve's side, his arm is a reassuring weight around him.
The others are too far back to see Tony and Steve. It's easy up here, easy to forget that Steve's Captain America and Tony's a barely functioning former alcoholic with a slew of mental issues.
He looks at Steve out the corner of his eye, takes in his features shamelessly and selfishly, the allure of being above everyone reeling him in. He loves Steve's face, the cut of his jaw, and his long, pretty lashes and those eyes. It's painful looking at him. Sometimes it feels like his heart's gonna swell up and pop right out of his chest when he looks at Steve.
In that moment, he's glad they went to the carnival if only to forget the world for a little while.
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Bleed Into the Night
Title: Bleed Into the Night
Part: Three / ?
Characters: Hangman Adam Page x OFC
Summary: She wasn’t looking. Neither was he. For a brief flash, they found each other.
Word Count: 11,138
Warnings: Alcohol use. Mild cursing.
Previous: Part One | Part Two
Tagging: @adampage / @cowboyshit / @baysexuality / @lilmisswhiskeygypsy / @bigpixiefoot / @mindofasagittaruis / @kalliravenne / @sadlittlecountess / @baronsbelleevangeline / @brie-mode-activated / @xbreezymeadowsx / @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch /
-----
At first, it was easy. Adam didn't have to put too much thought into pretending to date Serena. When he opened Twitter and saw things she had posted, it wasn't difficult to like the post and keep going. When Britt asked him backstage, barely a week after he'd met Serena, if they'd gone on their first date yet, he was able to shake his head and tell her they were waiting for their schedules to mesh. And he was busy with work. He went to a toy convention to see the action figures that would be released in the fall. The next day he, Kenny, Nick, and Matt filmed a commercial for the figures. And it seemed that every day there were more and more media interviews to do. Podcasts to appear on. Not to mention he was just getting into the groove of shows on weekends. He was busier than he had been in years.
His sole interaction with Serena that wasn't on social media that first week was a late-night text to make sure they were really going through with the plan. She hadn't replied until the next morning, telling him that yes, they were. Ten minutes later she had texted again to let him know that Cole was trying to talk her into going to the AEW pay-per-view next month, since Cole would be accompanying Britt.
He didn't know how that would work. Surely NXT was putting a show on the same night? He messaged her to let him know if she was coming so he could see to it she got the proper VIP treatment.
And had received no reply.
After two weeks, he began to feel that just saying they were going to go out at some point was enough. Britt hadn't cornered him or pestered him anymore, merely asking if he'd talked to Serena lately. She seemed satisfied with his lie that they talked nearly every day, but when he told her that they were both too busy to have a date she looked skeptical.
Watching her walk away to sit at a table in catering, he heaved a sigh and pulled out his phone. This was bullshit. If he was going to fake date someone he would at least like to, if not literally go on a date, talk to them occasionally. What was the point of having a woman pretending to go out with him if he couldn't fucking talk to her?
Pulling up Serena's info, he hit the call button and made his way to an empty table.
"Hello?"
"Hey," he greeted. Remembering that he wasn't supposed like her, he wondered why the fuck he'd called her. But it was too late to hang up. "You busy?"
"I just finished up at the PC. What's up?"
"I was just checking in. Haven't talked to you today," he said, aware of Britt watching him.
"Oh," Serena said, dragging the syllable out. "Sorry about that. I've been busy."
"I know. Me too." He picked at the label on his bottle of water. "What were you doing at the PC? Working on your enzuigiri?"
"Fuck that move," she muttered. "No, today was promo work."
"How's your promo?"
"Abysmal." She sighed. "Hang on a second."
Adam took a sip of water, halfway listening as she spoke to someone about the show that night. Her promo was abysmal? He wondered why. He knew that company tended to script a promo down to breaths and pauses. Would she do better if given free reign? She was saying she was excited to wear her new gear and he sat back with a soft grunt. He had no idea what her gear looked like.
He had no idea what her wrestling was like. Yeah, he'd seen her a couple of times when he'd watched NXT. But truth be told, he'd only seen the ending of her matches. He was sure he remembered a powerbomb. But nothing else. And not even the vaguest memory of what her gear had looked out.
What a shitty fake boyfriend he was turning out to be.
"Sorry, what were we talking about?"
"Your promo."
"Ugh," she groaned. "They had me practicing babyface skills and do you know what?"
"What?" Was she a babyface? Or a heel? How could he not know anything about her career? Other than what she'd shared when they'd been in the pool, which hadn't been much. In fact, except for saying she'd been so nervous she'd thrown up before her first televised match, she hadn't mentioned WWE or NXT at all. No, she'd said that she'd applied and tried out for the hell of it and still couldn't believed she'd been signed. And what little bit he'd seen of her work hadn't been enough to know anything about her character.
"I am not cut out to be a babyface."
"No? I thought you just radiated sweetness and light," he teased. Because it was easy to tease her. He had only spent a few hours in her company, but he could imagine her eyes rolling. He liked teasing her, he decided when her reluctant laugh rang in his ear.
"Right now I'm radiating sweat because my car is hotter than the inner circle of hell. And I thought you were the sweetheart?"
"Yes, ma'am," he allowed. When she didn't reply, he pulled his phone from his ear to make sure the call hadn't been dropped. "…You still with me?"
"Yeah…"
"Where's the show tonight?" he asked after a moment.
She cleared her throat. "Jacksonville. I'm about to head that way now. Are you working tonight? Shit… I should know that, shouldn't I?"
"It's fine." He wasn't about to admit that he only knew she was working because he'd overheard her saying so. "We're in Jacksonville too."
"Ooh, competition," she cooed. "I'm surprised Cole didn't tell me."
"Yeah, Britt didn't tell me, either." Adam glanced over to the woman, but she was walking out of catering. At the door, she glanced back and gave him a smirk. What the hell—
"We're such dumbasses!" Serena suddenly yelped.
Adam rubbed his chin. "I'm not gonna disagree, but why?"
"They probably assume we both already know. Duh," she snorted. "We're supposed to be talking practically every day. Of course we'd know. Which means—"
"Yep." Adam lightly banged his fist against his forehead. He knew exactly what it meant. He bumped his forehead harder, as though to punish his brain for being so fucking stupid. For thinking that this would be even remotely easy. That explained Britt's face when he'd said they were still looking for a good time to go out. "Shit."
"It'll be weird if we don't."
He didn't have to ask what she meant. He already knew. And he couldn't ask her the question because the whole point of this bullshit ruse was that he didn't have to ask her. He almost drove his fist against his skull harder but stopped, dropping his hand to his thigh with a loud slap. "Fuck."
"No, no, we're smart. We can figure this out."
"You just said we're dumbasses," he reminded her, standing and carrying his empty bottle to the trashcan. Nodding in greeting to Matt, he headed in the direction of the locker room. "You could just come to my apartment?"
"And let everyone think we're having sex?"
He pulled the phone away and scowled. Did she have to sound like the idea was repulsive? "You got a better idea?"
"I think my hotel has a bar."
"Okay?"
"Then we can meet there."
And do what, exactly? Sit there and drink? He could do that on his own. He sighed. "Yeah, sure."
"We could go to a different bar," she suggested. "Unless you can come up with something else."
His mind went blank. He'd spent enough time in the city to know places to visit after a show. Had gone to several with his friends. And yet he couldn't think of one place they could go for their non-date. "I'll figure something out," he finally said. "Text me your hotel."
"Why?"
"So I can pick you up."
"Oh right. Southern gentleman." He heard a rustling, then the monotonous chime that meant a car door was open. "Sure. I'm about to get gas then hit the road, I'll text you before I leave here."
"I thought they got vans or buses when y'all were in Florida."
"I prefer to drive myself. And it's only a couple of hours."
"Not taking it slow today, huh?" he asked, smiling as he remembered their chat about drive times. He leaned against the wall outside the locker room, glancing up when Nick came to the door.
"I'm not on my own schedule so I can't," Serena said.
"Hey, we're ready to do that bit when you are," Nick told him.
Then the bastard stood there. Waiting.
"I gotta go," he muttered into the phone. "I'll see you tonight."
"I'll text you," she promised before the call ended.
Adam used the hem of his t-shirt to polish the screen before sliding his phone into his pocket. Feeling Nick's inquisitive gaze, he reached to run his fingers through his hair. And, when Nick didn't speak, he sighed. "What?"
"Who are you seeing tonight?"
Shit. "Um… Lots of people?"
Nick rolled his eyes.
"Britt introduced me to someone," Adam said. "We're going to meet up after the show."
Nick's lips parted, and Adam knew he was about to say Again? But he closed his mouth and nodded. "Is she coming to the show?"
"Nah, she's gotta work." He felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Two short vibrations to let him know he'd received two texts. Predicting they were from Serena, he didn't bother checking.
"What's she do?"
"She's with NXT."
"Yeah? Wrestler?"
"Yeah. Her name's Serena."
Nick shook his head. "I've heard the name but I'm not familiar with her."
Neither was he. He really needed to remedy that. It would at least give them something to talk about during their date that wasn't a date. Pushing away from the wall, he followed Nick into the locker room. He was surprised to see it empty. He pulled off his shirt and moved to get the one he was supposed to wear for the bit. "We met a couple weeks ago. We haven't been able to get together yet. They're in town for a show tonight, so…"
"Where are you taking her?"
"I don't have a fucking clue," he admitted. "Still trying to figure that out."
"I'm sure something will come to you," Nick assured him. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
A short while later he returned to the locker room and dropped onto the couch to relax for a bit before the chaos of the show started. Settling back, he reached for his phone to see the texts from Serena. Making note of her hotel, he propped his feet on the arm of the couch while the others milled around. He barely heard their discussions about that night's matches, merch sales, and everything else as he checked his social media. Twitter was calm for the moment, though he noted some more people had commented on his and Serena's tweets.
Apparently, fans were shipping them. Whatever the fuck that meant.
He moved to Instagram and pulled up her account. His thumb swiped the screen, scrolling past her most recent posts. He stopped randomly and tapped on the photo his thumb was hovering over, eyebrows lifting at the sight of her with teal hair. He wondered why she didn't keep her hair its natural hue. Eyes scanning the caption while Kenny, Nick, and Matt continued to chatter around him, he chuckled.
I'm an f'n mermaid. Trading in my wrestling boots for a fin ASAP!
He instinctively double-tapped the screen, then muttered a curse under his breath when he realized he'd done so. He almost unliked it then shrugged. It wasn't as though he'd gone to a picture she'd posted eight years before. Backing out to her profile, he scrolled towards her more recent pictures. There weren't, he saw, many pictures of her. She seemed to love sunsets and even as he tucked that nugget of information away for later, he wondered why he deemed it important. She also posted a lot of pictures of a cactus in a window. When he finally saw her face again he stopped to open the post, snorting softly at the sight of her standing next to a proud-looking Triple H. it must have been after her debut on NXT. He liked it then went through more and was taking a sip of his drink when he saw her most recent post.
It had been taken at Britt and Cole's. He immediately recognized the patio table with the spread of food, and the twinkling fairy lights above it. And there she was, back to the scene, her pink hair wet and messy, her lips tilted in a secret smile.
Damn, she was pretty. He let himself admire the dimple in her left cheek, then studied the rest of the picture, smiling when he recognized himself in the background, laughing. She must have taken it right before they sat down to eat. What had he been laughing at? He couldn't remember.
He just remembered that he hadn't laughed so much in a long time.
His gaze dipped to read the caption and he felt his lips tug into a smile.
Good times. Good friends. Good food. Good beginning?
"What's got you grinning?"
Adam jerked his head up to find his three friends looking at him, each with a mixture of amusement and confusion on their face. He grunted as water splashed from the bottle and onto his chest and sat upright. "Huh?"
"We've been talking to you for like ten minutes," Nick said. He looked the least confused.
No they hadn't. Adam hadn't even been in the room for ten minutes. Had he? Looking to his phone to check the time, he saw with irritation that an hour had slipped by. He hadn't been on her Instagram that long, had he? Surely not. Matt or Nick would have begun kicking him if he'd ignored them for so long. "What?"
"Who is she?" Matt asked.
A small part of him was surprised that Nick hadn't already blabbed. No, he shouldn't be surprised. Nick didn't blab. He didn't share things that weren't work-related unless he was specifically told he could. One of many reasons why Adam appreciated having him as a friend. Brushing the water from his chest, he looked to Matt warily. "How do you know it's a she?"
"I can see the picture, dumbass."
Oh. Fuck. He looked to his phone. "Oh. Right. That's Serena."
"She's very pretty," Kenny commented.
"Thanks." Adam screwed up his face. Thanks? Like he had anything to do with her attractiveness. "I mean, yeah, she is."
"Who is she?" Matt asked again, snapping his gum.
"I just told you," Adam said slowly.
"Lay off, Matt." This from Nick, who'd leaned to get a look at the photo. Leaning back, he smiled. "She is pretty."
"Britt and Cole introduced us," Adam explained to Matt with a sigh. "We're going out tonight."
"She coming to the show?" Matt's eyebrows raised.
"No. She's got to work. She's with NXT. Yes, she's a wrestler. We just met a couple weeks ago and haven't had a chance to go out yet. No, I don't know where I'm taking her, but I'll figure it out. Any more questions?"
"Can we meet her?" Nick asked with a smile.
"Fuck no."
"We'll be nice," Matt promised.
"Double fuck no." Pretend or not, if he introduced her to the clowns he called his friends, she would run for the hills. Or at least call for an Uber. God, just the idea… Well, he supposed Kenny wouldn't scare her off. But the doofuses asking to meet her? They would pester the fuck out of her. They'd ask her a million questions as though interviewing her for some extremely sensitive job. Matt, aggressively chomping his gum and firing off questions faster than she could answer, his manic energy in every word. Nick, watching her with that speculative gaze that unnerved people who didn't know him. He almost shuddered.
"C'mon, we want to meet her."
"No."
"Please?"
"If I say yes will you shut the hell up?"
"Yeah."
"Then yes. But also no."
"What's wrong with us?" Matt demanded.
"What isn't wrong with you?" Adam retorted.
"I'm offended," Matt gasped, clapping a hand over his chest. "You're ashamed of us, aren't you?"
"When it comes to this sort of shit? Yeah," he admitted. He looked down at his phone, made sure to like the picture, the locked it and shoved it into his pocket while he rose to his feet.
Matt's demeanor shifted to somewhat normal. "You really don't want your girlfriend to meet us?"
"She's not my girlfriend," he said quickly.
"Your soon-to-be girlfriend, then."
"She's not that either. She's…" Not interested in me at all and this is all a farce. Hah! Ain't that some shit? He tried to picture what their reaction would be. But all he could see was them as they were now. Kenny, interested but calm. Matt, eyes wide and anticipating an answer. Nick, a smile pulling on his lips.
"It's too early to say what she is," he finally managed. "We've only talked a few times—" Lies. "And… I don't know, man. She seems cool."
"Cool," Nick repeated, and Adam didn't know if he was questioning Adam's summation of Serena or just agreeing with him.
"So when do we get to meet her?" Matt demanded.
"Never," Adam muttered.
They continued to pester him the rest of the afternoon. Matt had questions, as always. Nick, too, but to a lesser extent. Kenny's only question was had Adam decided where he was taking her after the show.
"Not a fucking clue," Adam groaned while lacing up his boots.
His phone chimed behind him on the bench but he ignored it.
"Well you have to think of something," Kenny pointed out, reaching behind Adam. He chuckled. "Heart eyes?"
"What." Adam snapped upright so quickly his head swam. "Heart eyes?"
"Serena. Heart eyes. Heart eyes."
It was then that he saw Kenny was holding his phone. "Huh," he chuckled nervously, taking the phone and sitting down. He didn't know whether to tell Kenny she had done it or let the man assume he'd done it himself. But he was distracted by the message she had sent him.
Just got to the venue and it has been decided for me that I'm coming with Cole to Daily's. Told him I was leaving our date up to you and if you don't have something we're going bar hopping with him and Britt.
"Fuck me," he groaned.
"Bad news?"
"Not bad. Not good, either. But not bad." Just the worst.
"Come on. It's not the end of the world, is it?"
"No, no, it's fine," he murmured, hunching forward to compose a reply.
Bar hopping? I don't know. I was thinking just one bar. There's a little honkytonk I know that has karaoke on weekends if you're into that. I don't sing but it's a nice little place.
Her reply was quick. That sounds fun. You don't sing? Shame. I do. Will they kick me out if I don't wear cowboy boots?
He chuckled. She'd look cute in… No, no, he couldn't allow his thoughts to stray in that direction, no matter how enticing the idea. No, you can wear whatever. They might kick you out if you don't practice your enzuigiri though.
Just for that, I'm gonna make you sing tonight.
Oh no.
What had he gotten himself into?
***
What had she gotten herself into?
It had seemed so easy. Serena would drive Cole over to Daily’s, he and Britt would go off and do their thing, and she and Adam could leave to do… Whatever they were going to do. Simple. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, as her niece would say. She hadn't paid attention to Cole's threat of bar hopping. A nice little honkytonk sounded fun, and Cole wasn't into karaoke. It would all be fine. Right?
Wrong.
As it turned out, Britt was into karaoke. And wouldn't it just be so much fun for them to make it a double date? Cole didn't care as long as he could have a few drinks with his beloved.
Standing outside her car, Serena looked to Adam for help. It was already too late, though, because Britt was asking someone if they would take her and Cole's luggage to the hotel. Adam sent her an apologetic look, and damn the man for looking so adorably sorry that she couldn't be irritated with him. Not that it was his fault, anyway.
"You can put your stuff in the back," she said, hitting the button on her key fob to open the trunk. She moved to the back of the car, lifting an eyebrow at the sound of clinking when he placed his backpack on the ground.
"Tag team belt," he explained before slinging his suitcase into the trunk. He set the backpack next to it and closed the trunk with more force than necessary. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine, I slam it all the time."
"No, not that—Well, yeah, that too," he corrected. "I mean about them."
She shrugged. It was done now. She supposed they could be sneaky and leave before Britt and Cole made it back to the car, but she didn't relish their complaints if they did so. "How was the show?"
His smile was brighter than the lights illuminating the parking lot. "We tore it down."
"You and Omega are the tag champs, right?" She shrugged again when he looked to her. "I Googled you."
"Yeah, we're the champs." He looked over to the group of people that Cole and Britt were chatting with. "Do you know him?"
"No. Cole talks about him a lot, though."
"You want to meet him?"
"Meet him?"
"C'mon, he won't bite." Adam hesitated. "Unless you ask nicely."
The breeze carried her laugh away as she walked with him towards the group. Her steps faltered when she saw every head swivel to watch their approach and she tugged at Adam's sleeve. "You said Omega, not the whole damn roster…"
"It's not the whole roster," he promised. "Just don't let Nick and Matt intimidate you."
"Nick and Matt?" she echoed, but he'd already planted his hand at the small of her back and propelled her forward.
"New blood! New blood!"
"Man, chill, you know that's Cole's protégé!"
"Marq and Isiah," Adam said with a smile, nudging her forward a couple of more steps. "Guys, this is Serena."
One second, she was standing with Adam. The next she was being tugged into a welcoming hug by Marq – or was it Isiah? – and greeted excitedly. She could have sworn one of them said he'd heard a lot about her. From Adam? She glanced to him, saw his quick shrug, then turned back to the two men. "Hi," she greeted, reaching to push her hair behind her ear. "Nice to meet you."
They were fun and lively and brimming with youthful energy, and after two minutes of chatting she felt as if she'd known them for years. It was impossible not to smile while talking to them. Promising to come to a show to see them in action soon, she felt almost dizzy when they departed.
"Serena," a gentle voice greeted. She turned and, recognizing the man, smiled.
"Kenny. You've heard a lot about me too?" she guessed.
"Enough to know that you need to work on your—"
"Don't say the word," she begged, slipping her hand into his for a brief shake. "It causes flashbacks."
"Perhaps you need a better teacher?" Kenny suggested.
"Hey!" Cole protested.
"He acts like he's my teacher." Feeling a gentle hand on her back, she knew without looking that it was Adam. She wasn't sure how she knew and decided to not ponder that at the moment, instead smiling up at Kenny. "When he's really just my self-appointed brother, determined to make my life a living hell."
"Doesn't he do that to everyone?"
"Fuck you," Cole said, giving Kenny a light shove. Then he glared at Serena. "And fuck you, too."
"He always comes out with the 'fuck you' when he knows he can't defend the statement," Kenny said in an aside.
"But he'll keep trying," Serena sighed.
"You're goddamn right he will." Kenny's smile was pleasant. "It was great meeting you, Serena. I'll see you soon."
She watched him walk off, then turned to face Adam. His hand was still on her back, and she swallowed as her movement caused his arm to wrap around her. She lightly tapped his chest. "I think—"
"Cole! We didn't know you were coming!"
Serena watched Adam's face slide from easygoing to annoyed in half a second. She heard Cole say that he'd tagged along with her and could have sworn that Adam winced as the man who'd called to Cole spoke again.
"Serena? She's here?"
She turned at that and saw two men approaching. Recognizing them, she lifted her hand in a wave. Adam's fingers curled against her back and she thought she heard him mutter several curses under his breath. About to turn to ask what was wrong, she instead took a tiny step back when the men's faces split into wide grins.
"Oh, fuck," Adam muttered. Then, with a sigh, he said, "I'm so sorry."
"Why? What's wrong?" Confused, she looked to the two men. "Hi?"
"I didn't think he'd actually let us meet you."
"I thought for sure he'd never bring you close to us."
She blanked on their names. She knew they were the Young Bucks but had never paid enough attention to their looks to know which was which. The one on her right was just an inch or two shorter than the other, his thinly bearded jaw working furiously on the gum he was chewing. The one to the left regarded her with a faint smile, though she couldn't shake the feeling that he was inspecting her. Suddenly self-conscious, she took another small step back and looked from one to the other. "Why wouldn't he bring me close to you?"
"He's ashamed of us," the gum chewer sighed with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "Thinks we'll scare you off."
"Which is crazy, because we're two of the nicest people on the planet," his brother assured her.
"It's been my experience that people who brag about their niceness have a tendency to be assholes," she said without thinking. Grateful when they burst into laughter, she felt herself relax. And noticed that Adam's hand was still firmly on her back. As though prepared to haul her away from them.
"I'm Matt." The gum chewing ceased for two seconds. "And I have a feeling we're going to become the best of friends."
"Nick." He extended his hand with a warm, welcoming smile. "I promise, I try my best not to be an asshole."
Matt's eyes lit up. "So, where are you two headed?"
Serena faltered. "Oh. I, um. I—"
"We're going for a drink," Adam cut in.
"Really? Where? We might drop in."
"Adam said something about a honkytonk with karaoke?" Serena offered. Glancing down, she saw that she and Nick were still clasping hands and gently pulled hers away.
"The place we went to last time?" Matt asked Adam.
She watched his face as he processed the question. Felt his heavy sigh before he nodded. "But I don't—"
"We love karaoke!" Matt exclaimed. "Don't we, Nick?"
"You love karaoke. I love watching you make an idiot of yourself," Nick corrected. His blue eyes swiveled to Serena again. "He's always doing it, which means I'm always having a good time."
"You don't sing?" she asked.
"Only when no one can hear me," he laughed. "And when I'm far away from dogs and children."
"That bad?"
"Worse."
"I love to sing, but I don't know that I'm good. I don't even care if I'm good. I just like having fun. Like I know I'm a terrible dancer but that doesn't stop me from putting on shows for my houseplants when I'm home…" She was rambling. She forced herself to stop and looked at Adam, saw this his annoyance appeared to have eased. When he caught her looking at him, his lips tipped into a small smile. She felt his fingers relax and was surprised when his thumb began to lightly stroke. Probably an involuntary movement, she told herself. She gave the hem of his t-shirt a gentle tug and smiled up at him. She wanted to ask him if he'd mind of Matt and Nick went to the bar with them, since it was obvious that Cole and Britt would be tagging along. A group thing would be easier, right? There would be other people to talk to. He wouldn't have to feel obligated to talk to her much.
Or maybe he wanted to talk to her?
His fingers squeezed at her back. "We better get going. Don't wanna miss last call."
"Definitely not," she agreed, looking to Matt and Nick. "Great meeting you."
"You, too," they said in unison.
"They're nice," she said as she and Adam walked away.
"Yeah?" he sounded doubtful.
"Do they usually embarrass you?"
"More than you'd think," he admitted. He dipped his head so he could speak lower. "You want to try to leave without Cole and Britt?"
She sneaked a glance over her shoulder and saw that Cole was in deep conversation with Nick and Matt. "You think we can?"
"Don't say anything," he murmured. "We'll sneak away."
"Do you want to drive?" she asked softly when they reached the car. "Since you know where it is?"
While she passed him the keys and they climbed in, she kept expecting to hear Britt or Cole call out to them. They didn't, though, not even during the long while it took Adam to get the seat adjusted for his height. She sneaked another glance as she closed the door, and her sigh of relief mirrored his.
"Did you sneak out a lot when you were a kid?" she asked once he'd started the engine.
"Didn't really have to sneak out. I had to sneak back in a lot, though," he said with a chuckle. Planting his hand on the back of her seat, he turned to watch as he reversed the car.
"How do you sneak in?" She had to ask. Talking took her mind off the aroma of his cologne and the fact that her car suddenly seemed tiny.
"I grew up in the country, you know? So sneaking in meant I turned the headlights and engine off about a mile from the house and I would coast up the path. I always drove my dad's old truck and it coasted like a dream." His sigh was reminiscent. He waved to the security guard at the parking lot exit. "Mama locked all the doors at midnight, so I'd have to climb the tree at the back of the house and slip in the upstairs bathroom window because it was the only one without a lock. I only got caught once, and I was able to lie my ass off and swear I was in my room the whole time and was getting ready to take a shower. I don't think Mama believed me but she didn't catch me coming in the window, so I was safe."
"Why did you have to turn the headlights off?" She was enthralled. It sounded like something out of some stupid teen movie, but coming from him, it was believable in its ridiculousness. And so different from when she had missed curfew as a teen.
"So my brother wouldn't see them through the window and tattle on me. And I coasted because Dad's old dog would bark his head off if he heard an engine."
"He didn't bark if he heard the door shut?"
"Oh I just climbed out the window. Caught hell for leaving it down when it rained one night, but I was young and stupid." He stopped for the red light and looked at her. "Didn't you grow up in the country?"
"I grew up outside of Modesto."
"Britt told me you're from Montana."
"I was born there, but my parents moved to California when I was three."
"So you do have country roots."
"I don't remember it, so they're flimsy roots," she decided with a roll of her eyes. "I didn't learn how to coast a mile down the road and shimmy up a tree if I got home past curfew."
"What happened if you missed curfew?"
"Mom would call my cell phone to check on me. And she'd wait up until I got home." Serena smiled at the thought of her mother. She really needed to spend her days off with her parents. She missed the comfort of her family.
"I had a cell but I was always so deep in the sticks the signal wouldn't reach."
She opened her mouth to ask more about where he'd grown up. The only thing she knew about Virginia was what she'd seen of Richmond and Norfolk when going to shows. She had an inkling that his hometown was a far cry from either of those cities. Drawing in a breath, she grunted when her cell phone began to ring.
"How much you want to bet that's Britt?" Adam asked.
"It could be Cole," she pointed out, leaning to retrieve it from the cupholder. Turning to see the screen, she huffed. "You win."
"Knew I should've made you bet," he muttered. "Are you gonna answer?"
Serena looked at the screen for several seconds. Adam had told the Bucks where they were going. No matter what, Britt and Cole would show up. She concluded that she could handle Britt's irritation better once she had a drink or two and rejected the call, then silenced her phone.
"Now she's gonna call me," Adam told her.
"Are you gonna answer?" she asked, snorting as his phone began to vibrate on the console between them.
"Hell no."
"Good boy."
He turned his head slowly to look at her, and she saw his lips twitching into a small, pleased smile. His tongue darted over his lips before he looked forward, his breath exhaling in a stuttered rush.
He liked being called a good boy. Interesting, she thought, tilting her head so she looked out the window instead of at him. Wondering why, without warning, she felt a stab of desire.
***
A reedy voice was murdering a pop song when they entered the bar. Adam glanced around the barroom and motioned to a table almost in the corner, close to the bar. When Serena nodded, he slipped his hand to the small of her back to guide her in that direction, lifting his chin in greeting when he spotted a couple of familiar faces.
Just as they got their drinks and he was thinking of what to say, he heard a familiar voice from the entrance. Not wanting to be obvious, he glanced over while taking a sip of his beer, lowering the mug with a sigh. "They found us."
Her back was to the door, and she obviously didn't want to be obvious either. "Which they?"
He watched over her shoulder as the group of people entering grew. "Britt. Cole. Matt. Nick. Brandon. Cash and Dax."
"Do they see us?"
They were impossible to miss, what with her neon pink hair glowing like a beacon in the soft lighting. The thought had just crossed his mind when Britt's eyes landed on them. She waved, even though he wasn't looking directly at her, and they began to descend upon their table. "Yeah, they see us."
There was noise and commotion as the empty table next to theirs was dragged over to make more room. Chairs screeched across the floor in a way that made Adam cringe, and the weary-looking server approached with dread. He frowned against he rim of his mug when everyone squeezed in between him and Serena, then decided that he didn't mind. Until he saw Nick leaning in to speak with her. He wondered what he said to make her smile like that. It lit up her face, and even from across the way he could see her dimple.
The weary server returned with drinks, plunked a fresh beer in front of Adam, and smiled when Brandon thanked her sweetly. Conversations began to rise and fall around him, and he joined in when directly spoken to, the questions he had thought to ask Serena falling to the back of his mind.
What the hell were they talking about? Their heads were close together and he could see from the way Nick's hands were moving that they were discussing something important. Serena was nodding. Smiling. And when Nick's hand made a slicing motion through the air she began to laugh.
A foot slammed against his leg and he jerked up, glaring in the direction it had come from. Britt tilted her head to the side, eyes questioning, then announced she was going to sing. Some of the group at the table called out requests as she crossed to the small stage. Moments later a slow song began and there were several groans from his friends when she began to sing a love song.
"Leave her alone," Cole said, raising his voice so they could all hear him. "I'm the reason she sings love songs these days."
That only made the chorus of groans grow louder. Adam joined in, because tormenting Cole was fun, and was sliding into Britt's empty seat so he and his friend could bullshit when movement across the table caught his eye.
Nick was standing. Then Serena was, too. And then, with the barest of glances towards him, she took Nick's outstretched hand and let him lead her to the little dance floor.
Five heads turned to look at Adam, with varying degrees of puzzlement.
All he could do was shrug. So she wanted to dance with Nick. What was it to him? It wasn't like he wanted to dance. Not to the overly sweet, sappy song that Britt was crooning.
"What the hell, man?" Cole asked once conversation had resumed around them.
Adam shrugged again. "Not like I dance, Cole."
"Still."
"It's not that big a deal."
But, he thought when Cole shrugged and began talking about work, it felt like somewhat of a deal. Even if this whole thing wasn't real, it stung a little to see her obviously having fun with another man. He lifted his drink, intending to take a small sip, only to gulp it down when he glanced over and saw her being twirled.
Fucking Nick, he thought with a scowl. No, he corrected, reminding himself that Nick was one of his best friends. He was just being nice. Making sure she felt welcomed into their close-knit group. That was the Nick he knew. The people pleaser, the one who wanted to make sure everyone was being included and having a good time. Even when doing so made him forget to have a good time himself.
But did the bastard have to enjoy himself so much?
"Where are you going?" This from Cole.
Who, Adam realized as he rose to his feet, had been mid-sentence when he'd shoved his chair away from the table. Draining the rest of his beer in one gulp, he set the glass down with a sigh. "Bathroom."
He went in that direction, even though he didn't have to use it. He just couldn't fight the sudden urge to move. To look at something other than the two people dancing. Once in the bathroom he leaned over the sink with a sigh.
"Dammit," he muttered to the shadow of his head darkening the porcelain.
How the fuck could he be jealous over a woman he didn't like?
With another heavy sigh he lifted his head and glanced to his reflection.
Because, maybe, he did like her.
And how could he not?
He washed his hands, bending to scoop the cool water into his mouth. As though doing so could rinse away the sourness. Okay, so he liked her. That was fine. It didn't mean anything. He liked a lot of people. He liked Britt. That didn't mean he got upset when she spent time with her boyfriend.
As comparisons went, it was the palest possible. But it was the best he could do.
When he returned to the barroom the song was over. His gaze darted and he saw Nick at the table. The seat next to his was empty. He looked to the left, saw the flash of pink that was Serena's hair. She looked over as soon as his eyes landed on her, and her smile lit up the room. Then she was walking away from Britt, slipping by a group of women crowding the bar.
Walking straight towards him.
He felt his lips curving as she approached. Felt them pull further, until it almost matched her smile. "Hey."
"Hey, I think Nick is—"
"Someone you might be interested in?" he interrupted. Then, feeling like a complete ass when she reared back slightly, he groaned. "What?"
"I was going to say I think Nick is ready to leave," she said, enunciating each word with obvious care. Then her brow furrowed. "And what the hell did that mean?"
"He's been flirting with you since he got here," Adam pointed out. He was sure that if he looked over at the table, he'd see Nick watching them with that thoughtful expression. Like he was waiting for the opportune moment to play his hand. And he had no idea why the thought of Nick being interested in Serena bothered him. Or why the thought of Serena being interested in Nick bothered him more. He just knew that watching them dance slow together had caused his stomach to burn as though he'd gulped down fiery cinnamon flavored liquor. Unable to stop himself, he glanced to the table.
And saw that Nick was in deep conversation with Dax.
"No, he hasn't." Serena laughed, a nervous, self-conscious laugh that only irritated him further. It turned his attention back to her, and he saw the doubt in her eyes.
"Why's that so hard to believe?" he asked softly.
"Men don't flirt with me, Adam."
"The hell they don't." Isiah and Marq had. Of course, they flirted with everybody… But Nick sure as hell had.
"Are you one of those people that thinks normal everyday niceness is flirting?"
"Are you too blind to see that you're an extremely attractive woman that any red-blooded straight man would want to flirt with?" he fired back.
Judging by the way her eyes widened, she was. Her cheeks darkened and she shook her head a little. Her eyes dipped to the floor and when they lifted again, they were filled with hurt. And when she began to speak, her voice was small. "I'm not stupid, okay? Men are nice to me. They laugh with me. Not because they're flirting or they think I'm hot, but because I'm… I'm not. I'm safe. They don't have to impress me, because they're not trying to get into my pants or take me back to their place. I know I'm not hideous, but I don't disillusion myself into thinking I'm pretty or that men find me enticing. I know my place, Adam."
He stared at her. She was one of the most vibrant, upbeat, confident women he'd ever met. Stunned, he blinked slowly, mind racing to analyze the words she'd just said. He knew that she wasn't fishing for compliments. She wasn't saying what she'd said just to have him reassure her that she was beautiful. Could tell that if he uttered those reassurances, she wouldn't believe them. He was more than a little surprised by the sudden view of her insecurities and wondered why she trusted him enough to share them. In a flash, he remembered her scoff when he'd told her she could end this mockery of a relationship when the time came.
Like anyone would believe that.
And, suddenly, it was crystal clear. Someone, somewhere, at some point in time, had destroyed her heart.
"Serena," he whispered. "Who hurt you?"
"It doesn't matter," she said. "Because it's true."
"It's not true." When she shook her head again, he reached to cup her shoulder. "Hey… Your place is wherever the fuck you want to be."
"That's sweet of you to say." Her hand lifted, fingers swiping at the corner of her eyes, and Adam had the sudden urge to bring her close. To truly reassure her. To hold her, find out just how nice an armful she was.
To help her fight the demons he sometimes fought himself. To see if she could help him fight them, too.
Rocked by that urge, he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. He was a breath from tugging her close and putting his arms around her. He even shifted his stance, ready to let himself show that he liked her a little. And then, maybe, he could find a way to get her to call him a good boy again.
But in the blink of an eye the moment passed. She was smiling again, curling her hand around his wrist.
"Come on," she said.
"Where?"
"To the stage."
"Why?" he asked warily, dropping his hand.
"We're gonna do a duet."
"Oh no," he protested. "No."
"Come on," she encouraged, tugging on his arm. "Britt already picked the song for us."
"I told you, I don't sing." When she squinted her eyes at him, he sighed. At least she wasn't—
"Please?" The squint was gone. She wasn't pleading but damned if she didn't look adorable.
"If I say yes, will you promise to not bug me to do this ever again?" he requested, holding his ground. But when she gave a plaintive little sigh, he found himself already caving. "What song did she pick?"
"A classic."
"Zeppelin? Cash? Queen?" he guessed. He kind of liked her holding onto him. "Willie? Hank? If it's a fucking boyband—"
"Elton John."
"Dammit," he muttered, even as he smiled over her exuberance. Like a kid finally being allowed to ride one of the big coasters at a theme park, she dragged him along behind her towards the stage.
"You know it," she promised. And when she squeezed his hand it felt natural.
"I'm so glad that you can dive into my brain and know that I know something. Did you happen to catch what ate for lunch? Or maybe my bank account number?"
"You probably ate a salad with chicken."
He grunted. Because, dammit, she was right. But he supposed that anyone could have guessed that. It had been his go-to lunch for ages. "What kind of chicken?"
She rolled her eyes. "Grilled."
Adam snorted. "Lucky guess."
"Okay, you do me. What did I have for lunch?"
How the hell was he supposed to know? Tilting his head when she lifted her eyebrows, he took a stab in the dark. "Pasta."
"What kind?"
"Angel hair."
"Sauce?"
He wondered if his guesses were correct or if she was just teasing him. Licking his lips, he was about to take another guess when her hand let go of his. Taking the microphone Serena handed him, he motioned for her to step onto the stage first, squinting his eyes at the screen so he could see which song Britt had chosen for them. Hearing a rowdy cheer from the corner table he threw up his middle finger, recognizing it as Cole's. "How'd you know I know this song?"
"Everybody does," she explained with a shrug while picking up the second microphone.
She had a point. He did know the song. He felt his stomach tumble with nervousness, felt his breath hitch in his throat. Sure, he'd sung before. He liked to sing. In the shower. While driving. During bits on BTE. But this? In front of a bunch of strangers? He was going to make a fool of himself. He could only hope no one would film it and post it online for everyone to make fun of.
"Hey," she said an instant before the music started. Her hand touched his arm, gentle and comforting, and he didn't have time to wonder why, exactly, that her simple touch managed to ground him.
Taking in a breath, he gave in and turned so he looked at her. And, smiling, he began to sing.
***
"Don't go breakin' my heart…"
Serena nearly dropped her microphone when she heard his voice. He'd said he couldn't sing. Hadn't he? Surprised by the quality of his singing, she totally missed her first few lines, and felt her cheeks burn when he gave her a gentle nudge. Finally catching up, she made a face when he had the audacity to grin at her distress.
Was it wrong of her to hope someone was filming them? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she caught sight of Britt at the table near the stage, her phone trained on them. She was glad because she wanted to listen to him sing again. And maybe again after that.
"When I was down," he sang, lifting his eyebrows.
"I was your clown." She was rewarded with another grin and decided she hated him for enjoying that she'd lost her step. It seemed natural to lean closer to him as they sang the next line together, and she met his eyes, smiling. "Ooh, nobody knows it…"
"But right from the start." She saw his hand moving but was too busy trying to decipher the color of his eyes in the bar's dim lights to notice what he was doing. They had looked blue the day they met. Now they looked green…
"I gave you my heart," she crooned, going still when his fingers brushed her cheek. He slowly tucked the lock of hair back behind her ear. His fingers lingered and she felt her breath catch in her throat. "Oh… I gave you my heart…"
"So don't go breaking my heart." His fingers swept along her jaw before his hand lowered.
"I won't go breaking your heart," she sang with sudden feeling, gripping her microphone tighter.
Are you too blind to see that you're an extremely attractive woman that any red-blooded straight man would want to flirt with?
Who hurt you?
It was over too soon. She liked singing with him. Liked that their voices almost harmonized. Liked that he made silly faces that caused her heart to do a fluttery jump in her chest. Liked that halfway through the song he took her hand and practically serenaded her.
She placed the microphone in its stand and turned to step off the stage. Surprised to see him standing there, she was about to jump down when his hands caught her waist. "What—"
Lifting. Spinning. The lights inside the bar whirled and so did her brain. Her hands landed on his biceps during the seconds of weightlessness and she felt them ripple as he lowered her so both her feet were on the floor. His hands stayed for a few seconds, though, and she unconsciously squeezed his arms.
"Thanks," she said softly.
"That was fun." He was smiling.
And his hands were still on her waist.
"Yeah," she agreed, swallowing when his hands gave a brief squeeze. She would have thought she'd be relieved once they moved away but, oddly, she felt almost sad.
Are you too blind to see you're an extremely attractive woman?
"C'mon," he said. His hand slid to grasp hers and she was struck by how natural it felt, how easily he seemed to do it. As though he'd done it without thinking.
Without thinking, she tilted her hand so their fingers twined and walked with him back to the table. She murmured her thanks when his friends complimented their duet, too focused on how his hand encompassed hers to pay much attention to what they were saying. She bit back a laugh when Adam kicked the chair Nick was sitting in, causing the man to yelp, and turned to muffle her snort as they glared at each other.
"Move your ass," Adam finally said.
"There's an empty chair right there," Nick told him, pointing to the chair Adam had been sitting in.
She cleared her throat. "I'll go—"
"He'll move," Adam promised.
"Will he?" she asked when Nick threw up his hands.
The chair scraped back with more force than necessary, and the grin Adam sent her was smug. "See?"
"I'm only moving for Serena," Nick said, catching the back of the chair and turning it slightly. He gestured to the empty seat and waited.
Serena looked from him to Adam, then back again, then once more to Adam. She didn't know what to make of the tension she could feel radiating from him. One thing she did know was that Nick hadn't been flirting with her earlier. Their conversation before he'd asked her to dance had been about wrestling, and if she'd looked awed it was because Nick Fucking Jackson had said he'd watched some of her stuff and thought she had talent. She didn't know what Adam had seen, but it hadn't been flirting.
Okay, she had enjoyed the dance. Slow dancing was fun, especially with a good-looking partner. Double especially when said partner had natural rhythm. And, really, the twirl had given her a little thrill. But then he'd apologized for taking up so much of her time when she was on a date with Adam.
Adam. Who could sing so beautifully and had made her heart do that funny little jump. Adam, who was still holding her hand.
She looked to the empty chair, then at Nick once more. Saw understanding in his eyes when he smiled. And felt Adam relax when he let go of the chair and headed for the other empty seat.
He released her hand and she sat when he held out the chair for her. She nodded when he asked if she wanted another drink, and when the server approached after Adam's wave, she moistened her lips and requested a whiskey.
"Same for me. Double," he said, draping his arm across the back of her chair.
And she had to endure his fingers brushing her shoulder as she sipped her drink. The conversation around the table was lively, boisterous even, but she didn't try to keep up, too aware of him. Of his laugh when Cole or Matt shared an inside joke. His arm across her back when he leaned to set his glass down. The scent of his cologne and soap and Pantene shampoo. His thigh bumping against hers occasionally, because she learned in those moments that he couldn't sit completely still.
She didn't mean to, or even think about it. But when his thigh bumped hers again, she reached over and placed her hand on it, gulping her whiskey down as it went deathly still. His hand cupped her shoulder and she sensed his head turning, could feel his blue or green eyes looking at her. She kept her gaze on her hand, though, and began to pull it away when she remembered she had no business touching his thigh.
No matter how much she suddenly wanted to.
The hand resting on the table in front of him dropped down, covering hers. Serena lifted her head and pressed her lips together when he guided her hand back to his thigh.
"It's fine," he whispered, squeezing her shoulder.
"You sure?"
He leaned in and for a split second she thought he intended to kiss her. But he tilted his head at the last second, bearded jaw grazing her cheek as he whispered in her ear. "Britt's watching like a hawk."
"Fuck Britt," she muttered.
"I'd rather not," he chuckled.
His lips skimmed her jaw as he pulled back, and she couldn't fight the shiver that resulted.
"You alright?"
"Just tired," she said, going with the safe answer. She was tired. It had to be close to two in the morning. Just as that thought crossed her mind there was jangling noise from behind the bar, causing her to jump slightly, and she felt Adam's arm tighten around her shoulders.
"Last call," he said. "You want another?"
"I can't," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm driving."
"I thought I was driving."
"You're gonna drive me to my hotel then Uber back to your place?" she asked.
"Oh." He chuckled, ducking his head briefly. "Sorry. Forgot."
"I forget things too," she promised.
"I've had fun tonight," he said suddenly. "Even if you did make me sing… It's been fun."
She smiled again. "It has, hasn't it? Nothing like drinks and friends, right?"
"Yeah." He lifted his glass and gave her a small salute with it. "Drinks and friends."
"You ready to go?" she asked once he'd finished his drink and set the glass on the table. "I mean, we can stay—"
"Nah. Let's go."
She felt his hand squeeze her shoulder again and impulsively squeezed his thigh in return. He pushed his chair back and she did the same, standing while he reached for his wallet. When she offered to pay he shook his head, tossing a few bills to the table. There was a flurry of goodnights from his friends. Serena studiously ignored Britt's pleased expression when Adam reached for her hand, calling out a quick goodnight as they left the table.
The late-night air was balmy, the street quieter and dimmer than when they'd arrived. Adam's hand was gentle but firm as they walked to where he'd parked the car, and she got the feeling he was protective when he situated himself so he walked between her and the street. Knew he was protective when he released her hand and tucked his arm around her shoulders, guiding her close to him, as they passed three men smoking outside a twenty-four-hour diner.
She liked that he opened the door for her and made sure she was inside before closing it and walking around. Liked that he didn't drive like an asshole. Liked that his hand found hers a few times while he drove to his apartment building.
"Do you need help?" she asked out of habit after he parked and turned off the engine. Accepting the keys when he handed them over, she hit the button to open the back.
"Nah, I got it. It's just two bags."
She got out as well, glancing around the complex. "Where's your apartment?"
"Second floor." He pointed to the unit they were parked in front of. "It's not much."
"Just a place to hang your hat when you're here?"
"Exactly." He rolled his shoulders before pulling his suitcase out of the trunk. It hit the ground and tipped over. "Shit…"
She got his backpack while he righted the suitcase. Handing it over, she wondered what she could say to take the sudden awkwardness she felt away. "Hey."
"Yeah?" He bent to fiddle with his suitcase.
"You know when you leaned over to whisper in my ear at the bar?" She released a small laugh. It was embarrassing, but now it was too late to not tell him.
"Yeah…"
"I thought you were gonna kiss me."
He straightened, yanking the suitcase handle so hard the case lifted off the pavement. "What?"
"You know, because everyone was there. Watching. To keep the lie going," she added lamely.
"We agreed on no PDA," he said.
"I know that. It doesn't matter anyway. You don't want to kiss me." She scowled. "And I don't want to kiss you either."
"Sure," he said with a snort. "Then why the hell were you groping me?"
"I wasn't groping— You're disgusting," she told him, reaching to slam the trunk closed. He lurched back to avoid being hit by the door and she felt a tiny glimmer of satisfaction. "Goodnight."
"Putting your hand on someone's thigh? And squeezing it?" He scoffed. "Hate to break it to you, baby, but that's groping."
"I put my hand on your thigh because it kept bouncing like one of those jumping beans," she pointed out. She felt heated, and she hoped it was anger and not something more dangerous. "And you're the one who put your arm around me."
"Hey, I kept it above the waist!"
"You're such an asshole!" she snapped.
"Good thing we ain't really dating then, isn't it?"
"I don't even know if I want to pretend to date you," she muttered, turning to get into the car. Gasping when his hand caught her arm, she turned before he could pull, anger fleeing as she caught the vulnerability in his eyes. It was gone as soon as he blinked, replaced with irritation. Fire. And though his grip was as loose as possible, she didn't even try to pull away. "I didn't mean—"
"This was all your idea, Serena."
"I know," she whispered. She had expected to end up liking him. And that she would think he was attractive. But she hadn't expected to feel tiny sparks of longing when he looked at her or touched her. Or that he would make her open up and share one of her insecurities. And she would never have believed that he would react to that insecurity with apparent understanding.
Who hurt you?
"I'm sorry," she said, exhaling slowly as his hand slid down to hers.
"Me, too," he murmured. "This is supposed to be easy, right?"
"Yeah," she laughed. Looking down at their hands, she watched their fingers twine. And when his thumb stroked the back of her hand, she squeezed. "I didn't mean to grope your thigh, and I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable."
"I wasn't uncomfortable. Just surprised."
"You're not an asshole." She lifted her head in time to see his lips tilt into a smile.
"You sure?" He took half a step forward.
"Positive. In fact…" She mirrored his smile. "You're a good boy."
"Yeah?" His whisper was husky. His tongue darted over his lips and he released a quick breath, his cheeks darkening slightly.
And again that stab of desire pierced her belly. "Yeah."
"If you want…" He cleared his throat, and she watched his lips purse before he spoke again. "If you want someone to flirt with you, ma'am, just say the words."
"I'll keep that in mind." She drew in a breath of his cologne and Pantene. "I should get going."
But she didn't step away. Neither did he.
"I did have fun tonight," she said, meeting his eyes. Were they blue? Or green? In the light of the parking lot she couldn't tell.
"I did too. And… Not because of those assholes with us. I, um." His thumb skittered over the back of her hand. "I liked spending time with you."
"Yeah?" she asked, unable to keep the smile from pulling at her lips. "Me too."
"And we can do this again, right?"
"Sure. But—"
"Without those assholes," he added.
She grinned. "Absolutely."
"Shake on it?" he asked. Then, looking down at their hands, he released that nervous little chuckle she'd heard from him so many times over the course of the night. "Or not."
"Adam?"
"Hmm?"
She pushed herself up onto her tiptoes. She was going for another kiss to his cheek, like she had that night they'd met. At the last second, though, she wrapped her arm around him in a hug. She heard him sigh. Felt his chest expand. Their hands parted and she tucked her other arm around him. Then both his arms were around her, holding her to him, and she was touched by the tenderness of his embrace. Relaxing, she closed her eyes briefly, sighing softly when his hand raised and smoothed her hair. She let her head rest against chest, soothed by his breathing and the gentle echo of his heartbeat.
It was, she decided, much nicer than a kiss on the cheek would have been.
How long had it been since she'd just been held? It was so different from the hugs she gave and received so freely. There was something so comforting about being enveloped in a pair of strong arms. When he gave a squeeze and she felt his head lean against hers briefly, she had an hunch that he would be fantastic at cuddling.
They parted simultaneously, and she appreciated the way his hands held onto her waist for a few seconds before falling away. She didn't want to say anything that would burst the little bubble of wonderful. Wished she were witty enough to come up with a phrase that would be vivacious and a little dramatic, then get into her car and drive off. But she could only stare at him.
He slowly licked his lips and exhaled sharply. "We still don't like each other, right?"
"No?" She hated that it came out as a squeak. She tried again for a normal tone of voice. "No. We don't."
"Thought not."
"Do we?" she asked.
"No, no, definitely not," he answered quickly. "Not like we kissed or anything."
"Right. Yes." She bit her lip.
He smirked. "You want one?"
Yes, she did. But she shook her head. "Maybe next time."
"Sure. I'll see you soon?"
"Yeah. I'll call you?"
"Works for me." He stepped back, letting the balmy air between them again, and reached for his suitcase. She heard the rattling of his title belt in his backpack when he adjusted it on his shoulder.
"See you soon," she said softly, smiling when he reached to open the car door for her.
"Drive safe." He waited until she was inside and had brought the seat up before gently closing the door. Ducking to look at her through the window, he gave her a smile that made her heart do a silly tumble. "Good night, Serena."
"Good night, Adam."
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Shining Star | Part Three
Words: 3k
Warning(s): explicit language, sexual situations
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"Hello?" I answer the phone with a yawn.
"You just, like, left?" Nikki says from the other end.
"Don't say it like I knocked you up and left without a trace. I left you coffee, a pop tart and a thank you note." I shrug. "And how'd you get my number?"
"Tommy. So that's it? No relationship talk or anything?"
"N-No?" I furrow my brows a little.
"Really?"
"I mean, if you wanna date, sure. I guess."
"No, no, that's not what I meant...it's just, chicks usually get attached and stuff and cling." He explains. "So when I woke up and you were gone without me asking you to leave, I don't know. I just wasn't expecting it."
"Oh, well, you're welcome. I guess."
"But, if you wanna do it again sometime—"
"—I don't sleep with the same people twice unless we're in a relationship." I inform him.
"Worth a shot."
"Tansy, who's that?!" My mom calls from the living room.
"I gotta go but I'll see ya later." I tell him.
"Bring your friend. I need someone to shit on." He replies and I roll my eyes.
"You need to be careful. Viv doesn't put up with bullshit for long."
"Yeah, yeah, see ya later."
"Later."
Me two years before then would've had a steel grip on his leg, refusing to let go.
I kind of had to train myself to accept that sex doesn't automatically equal anything more than just sex. After Vince got Tami pregnant, and slept with my mother—tell you about it in a moment—I had major issues with the perception of monogamous relationships, and to avoid being hurt again without being able to control it, I decided if I was going to be fucked over, I was gonna at least get to control who fucked me over. So I began building up my tolerance for sleeping with guys without getting attached, or at least tried. I'd still wipe a few tears on my way home if I truly liked the guy and realized he was just using me for sex, but never calling them back or acknowledging them as little as possible always helped a little.
That's all I'd seen, though. My dad always avoided my mom, my mom always dodged my dad like a bullet, even when they lived in the same house. They were never really in love—my mom was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and got pregnant with me in the back of a rusted truck with a Mississippi license plate. They decided to keep me and she moved in with him a state away.
My dad was a good dad. As good as he could be. He stayed drunk most of the time, just so he could tolerate being in the same room as my mom without having to mentally be there...but he adored me. He even cut back on spending money on booze to put it towards my beauty pageants.
Don't ask me why my mom felt the need to have me compete to be the prettiest two year old in our county, but she did.
With the money from two successful pageants, at three years old, my mom decided she and I were gonna move to California so she could pimp me out to an industry that was going to take everything it could from me.
My dad tried to fight for custody, but my mom played the "he's an alcoholic" card and got custody. He wrote often, and sent presents, and as much child support as he was able to, but anytime he would call she would hang up. He eventually drank himself to death when I was four, and that didn't phase my mom a bit. He'd been dead to her before she even gave birth to me.
One of the many things he and I had in common.
I hang up and finish stirring my coffee.
"That was Vivian." I tell my mom when I pass by to go to my room.
"You need to be spending some more time with her. She's a good kid." She states. "She knows how not to fuck every guy in her graduating class and beyond." She adds and I stop and glare at the back of her head before deciding it's not worth an argument.
"Don't forget you have practice at 3:00." She adds and I sigh.
How could I possibly forget? She never let me go a day without reminding me we were broke because she put all of our money towards my pageants and competitive cheer—things she wanted me to be in, not things I chose. They looked good. Pretty. Things 5'3", 120 pound barbie blonde's did. Things my mother did and things she'd be damned if her daughter didn't do, too…
One thing about cheering, though. In the midst of a stunt, where you're elevated anywhere between 10-15 feet, your equilibrium can't be fucked and fried. And after a night of snorting anything with a powder base, and drinking your throat raw with vodka or Jack…
"What the hell is wrong with you, Tansy, can you not understand what '1, 2, down, up,' means?!" My mom barks at me as the gymnasium spins from where I fell, my head aching while my vision splotches for a moment, my cheermates leaning over me, all of them asking me if I'm okay.
"I lost my balance." I shakily reply, trying to sit up, seeing my mom bulldoze through the girls to see me.
"No shit, Sherlock, if you were in proper form and prepared you wouldn't have fallen. Now get up and start over and if you fall again I'm taking you to the hospital and fucking leaving you there with the bill. Get up." She snaps.
I get up like a puppet master tugging the strings of their puppet, demanding it to move.
"You need to work on your front tuck. It's sloppy." Mom informs me once practice is over as we walk to the car.
"My hip is acting up again." I tell her, honestly, the joint of my left hip aching with each step and she sighs.
"I don't see how with all the time you spend on your back."
"Will you stop, mom?"
She looks at me with raised brows.
"I'll stop when you stop opening your legs for free. I'm gonna make you start payin' rent if you don't start sleeping with men that can write a check that doesn't bounce."
"I'm not a prostitute, mom."
"Oh, please, everybody's a prostitute, Tansy, but it's up to you what you accept as profit. Love isn't profit. Tangibles you can deposit into an account for interest or rack up value over time, is profit." She argues, pointing at me, before leaving me standing.
"Well, maybe I don't want 'tangibles' or whatever." I suggest, following after her.
"Okay, put it this way: everybody's gonna die at some point. Would you rather be well known across the country for actually being a somebody, or have your only claim to fame be 'that midget-short, blonde slut that did everything for a bindle of coke?"
Before I can answer she cuts me short:
"Well, you'll be the second one, regardless, but at least strive to be known as 'that rich and famous midget-short, blonde slut that did everything for a bindle of coke'."
"I'm not a slut, mom." I tell her calmly when we get into the car.
"Not what I've heard." She pulls a cigarette from her purse and cranks the car.
"Not everything you hear is true, you know."
"So, you weren't simultaneously sucking and fucking Chance Scarbors and Duke Vera a couple weekends ago at Tracy Lennols party you just had to go to?"
My heart sinks when she asks me and I look at her and can't confirm nor deny.
"If you could multitask like that while cheering, you'd be able to have a tighter front tuck than what you've got now." She states and I bite my tongue. "I wasn't a whore when I was in high school, it's obviously something you must've picked up from your dad. God, burn his soul, selfish bastard."
As she starts on a rant about how shitty my dad was, which I know he wasn't, I just close my eyes and zone out.
Every mistake I made was my dad's fault...at least to my mom. All my talent and looks was all her, but my rebellious streak, my addiction struggles, my "weak heart" and sensitivity...and people pleasing, was all my dad's fault. And honestly, maybe it was.
All he did was try to make my mom happy, he just had to have enough alcohol in his system to tolerate her screaming at him.
Looking back, it's safe to say I am definitely my father's daughter.
TWO MONTHS LATER.
"Fuck this." I grit out, trying to cover the dark circles under my eyes with concealer. To no avail.
Freshly washed, teased, blonde hair, blue eyes, healthy skin—aside from the dark circles.
I finish putting my makeup on and get dressed to go out tonight.
"Viv's coming at seven!" I shout down to my mom.
"Are you gonna eat while you're out?!" She calls back to me.
"Probably!" I reply.
She doesn't answer.
Once I hear Vivian's car pull in, I put my heels on and step to the living room.
"You can't eat if you don't have money to buy it." My mom tells me as I pass by where she's sitting in her chair.
"Viv's got money." I shrug.
"Vivian shouldn't have to pay for your lazy ass." She snaps at me.
"She doesn't care, mom."
"Hey," Vivian says when she comes inside, smiling at me. "You look so good." She adds.
"Vivian, c'mere," mom calls and I roll my eyes, clenching my jaw as Viv slowly goes to the living room, looking at my mom.
"Ma'am?" Vivian asks and mom blows her cigarette smoke past her lips.
"Where you girls headed?"
"The Rainbow to grab something to eat." Vivian lies.
"I heard you got a boyfriend." She says next.
"Um, he's not my boyfriend, we're just—"
"—He gonna be there tonight?" She interrupts and I cross my arms as Vivian shrugs.
"I don't know." She answers, honestly, and my mom looks at the two of us, skeptically before she finishes, "quit giving her free handouts." She motions to me, before waving us off dismissively.
We go to the front door and she adds, "don't do anything stupid!"
"'Just friends', yeah right." I say to Vivian as we get into the car.
"Shh!" She scolds me. "If your mom finds out she'll tell my mom and my mom can't know I even know Nikki or I'm screwed."
"No if Charlette Renée Kinston finds out her innocent Jesus-baby is getting fucked by Nikki Sixx on the regular—"
"—Will you stop saying it like that? It's not like that, we don't do that."
"Oh, please, Vivian. That's all he knows how to do." I reply. "Unless, like, you guys just 'make love'." I pretend to swoon and she cuts her eyes at me.
"It's 'sex'." She corrects me. "It's not screwing or 'making love'. Just say 'sex'."
"Technically I said 'fucking.' And there's a difference between 'screwing' and 'fucking'."
"Whatever you call it, just don't say anything to Tommy or Vince about it, alright? Tommy would lose it and Vince wouldn't let me live it down so just don't mention it." She tells me.
"Mention what? The fact that you lost your virginity to Nikki Sixx and have been bending over sinks and carhoods for him ever since? I wasn't going to." I reply and she glares at me. "You get, like, tested afterwards, right?"
"Ha. Ha. Funny." She tells me and I smile, chuckling.
"I was kidding." I say, buckling my seat belt.
"Probably wouldn't hurt to get tested, honestly." She thinks aloud and I laugh.
When we get to where we're going, she finds an empty place on the lawn crowded with azalea bushes and what seems like endless vehicles parked where they can fit.
"I swear if anyone hits my car…" she mumbles as we get out and shut the car doors.
We can hear the music from out here, and Vivian waits for me to catch up before following me inside.
"Shy or something?" I ask and she rolls her eyes.
"I don't know any of these people." She replies.
"And you think I do? This was the address the guys gave us." I remind her.
We head inside, people shoulder to shoulder and I can feel Vivian tense up.
Makes two of us.
"Okay, um, look for Tommy. He's gotta be the tallest person here." She says to me as loud as she can over the bustle of people talking and drinking.
"Got it." I nod.
Apparently I didn't get the memo we were splitting up because in a second, she uses her long-ass legs to her advantage and is leaving me behind.
"Ugh," I huff out, glancing around, not seeing anybody I recognized, and certainly not seeing ten foot Tommy. "Damn it."
Can't beat 'em, join 'em.
I go to find the booze, eventually finding it in the kitchen, keeping an eye out for Viv and the guys.
I spot the cooler and as soon as I reach for it, a hand bumps into mine.
I'm immediately looking up to see a sweet-faced guy with naturally curled, golden hair, and blue eyes.
Before I can say "sorry" he's snatching his hand away like mine burnt him or something.
"Sorry," I say anyway as he motions to the cooler and says, "no, you're good, go ahead."
I grab a beer, and hand him one, too.
"Thanks." He mumbles, not bothering to make eye contact.
Which is fine because it gives me a couple more seconds to examine him.
"Do I know you or something?" He asks me innocently after he catches me staring.
"I don't know, maybe I've seen you around…" I shrug a little, smiling at him. "I'm Tansy."
"Steven." He replies, grinning.
"Tans!" I hear someone yell and I turn to look through the crowd in the living room and see Vince.
"Um, I gotta go." I tell him. "But, I'll probably see you around some time." I add.
"Yeah, see ya around!" He says over the music as I'm walking away.
We did eventually see each other around, about four years later.
"The hell have you been?" Vince asks me with a half grin. "Been looking all over for you."
He slings his arm over my shoulders as we head upstairs and I roll my eyes.
"Why are we going upstairs?" I ask him, already knowing what's on his mind.
"I needed help finding the bathroom." He chuckles, slurring a little, and I raise a brow but don't argue.
People move down the hall, shifting into bedrooms in a frenzy as soon as others leave the rooms vacant, and I finally pinpoint a bathroom, opening the door, and stopping in my tracks.
Vivian's on the counter, legs wide open, her hand in Nikki's hair as his mouth coaxes between her legs.
She and I make eye contact for a split second before she's frantically pushing him away, accidentally poking him the eye in the midst of it, and he lets out a "fuck, Vi—" only for her to cover his mouth with her hand all while Vince approaches and asks, "what is i—"
I don't give him time to finish asking, my hand shoving at his forehead before he can peek around the door, knocking him back as I slam the door.
He sloppily, and dramatically, braces himself against the wall and looks at me with wide eyes.
"What the fuck, Tansy?" He asks me.
"Sorry, it wasn't empty." Is all I say. "Here, I'll help you piss in the azaleas outside."
"Whatever." He shrugs, grabbing my hand and I help him back downstairs. "Now my head hurts." He mumbles.
"Sorry."
"So I need a blowjob, too." He states pathetically.
"Yeah, yeah."
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Don’t judge a book by its cover chapter 2.
A Cap. Syverson story.
Triggers: talking about xenophobia, white privilege, crying; cursing; slang words; stalking, panic; metion of assault
Synopsis: Rebeca is an Argentinian girl who a few months ago moved to the USA (Washington D.C) to study in university thanks to a scholarship that she was granted. She’s lonely. People don’t treat her well. Some could be understood but most of them just hate her for being a foreigner. She meets Syverson because he’s a man from the South and she has not had a good experience with people from there, but she may find out at the end that she shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.
Chapter 1
Tag: lunedelorient
- So, what does a man from the South do in Washington? You're far away from home, cowboy. - Rebeca joked after asking the question as she handed him a cup of hot black coffee as he requested.
- Cowboy? Do I look like a cowboy to you? - he asked, amused.
- You certainly sound like one to me.- she replied
- You haven't been to the South, have you?
- Nope.- she said as she took a sip of coffee with milk.
- I must say, for someone who's pre-judge for being an outsider, you're pretty judgy yourself, have you notice that? - he pointed out as he raised an eyebrow
- Maybe, but you have to admit that I do have my reasons to be judgemental.- she reasoned. Then she sighed and continued- I was a really nice girl, truly. I was just a young woman living her dream of studying abroad, in the land in which dreams come true. I was given once in a lifetime opportunity based on my high grades in my university in Argentina. I heard about the programme that the embassy offered to students with high grades and decided to apply without even believing I would get it, but luckily I did. I couldn't freaking believe it. I came here excited to have the experience of a lifetime and found that life here is not like in the movies. The sweet lady I used to be had to be replaced by a living zombie. What I'm trying to say is, that I had to be tough to resist a lot of shitty things that happened to me here, but in the same time had to be as nice as I could to anyone, because even if I'm the "privileged Latina", I'm still a Latina, meaning I'm part of a minority and my actions count. It's hard, I won't lie. I'm still trying to adapt to this life in which I matter my own business...I work every day, weeks on the grocery store and weekends as a Spanish tutor; I study hard so I keep my high grades, the main reason I have my scholarship. I try not to bother anyone, so anyone will bother me. They still do it, though. - she sighed again.- The hardest part of all of this, and this is going to sound pathetic, is that I'm all by myself. My family is far away. I call them as much as I can, but in the same time I try to avoid them a little bit so they won't find out about everything that's going on, they would not be ok with staying here if they knew how things really are. And, on top of that, I have no friends. Being a "smart ass" wasn't much of a problem at my university. On the contrary, everyone wanted you around so you could help them if they had troubles understanding something. I think is mostly because people in the UBA - University of Buenos Aires - are mostly adults. There are people of all ages, but there's a lot of people in there who study and work, so you know that they take things seriously. Here, I came to find out, it's exactly like high school, just full of rich kids that only want to party. Most of the people at my classes never worked a day in their lives. The parents pay for everything, so they party all night, sleep all day. Then, the day of the exams come and they remember that they need high grades or their daddies will cut off their allowance or, in cases like Trevor, who's the captain of the football team, they could prevent him from continue playing. Is in those days that all the sudden, I became someone worthy of their attention for other things than scream "go back to your country" or "in this country we speak English" when they hear me speak to someone in my native language over the phone.
- Is that why he was bothering you today? - Syverson asked
- I assume so, yes. Every time there's an important test, he comes to me and tries hard to make me do his exam for him. I always tell him no, of course, I don't want to risk getting caught and losing my scholarship because of that.
- Has he ever tried to hurt you before? - he asked the was anger on his voice.
- No. He's always more into pranks than punches. He broke my window twice. I found dog's shit on my doorstep many times and one time I found a dead mouse on my bag. But he never went that far, probably because I always act nice. But today I was tired of his crap, so I defied him. He said something stupid like "Isn't weird that your parents named you Rebeca being Latina?" and I replied " Isn't weird that you have a brain a never use it?" and he got angry. As I said, I usually play nice, because I know he's bad news; but this time, I was fed up. And I almost ended with a black eye or a broken nose if it wasn't for you. So thank you for saving my ass.- she concluded with a smile.
- You have nothing to thank for. - he replied smiling back at her. - Do you have a pen and a piece of paper? - he asked.
- Ye...yeah, sure. - she said confused by the odd request and looked for what was asked for in her bag and then handed them to him. He wrote a number in the paper and gave it to her.
- That's my number. You call me next time someone messes with you or you're in trouble.- he told her. It sounded more like an order rather than a suggestion. He was clearly someone used to command; the authority in his voice was undeniable.
- I don't want to bother you. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.
- You won't bother me. This is the reason why I joined the forces. I didn't only want to fight for my country, I wanted to help and protect people. Believe it or not, the second being the main one. And you are clearly someone that needs to be looked after and since you don't have anyone else, I'm glad to take that job.- he said and smiled.
- Tha..thanks -she finally accepted. Rebeca wasn't used to asking for help. She always tried to manage everything by her own, as well as she could, but she had to admit that it was nice to know that someone was willing to help her if she needs it to. - So... - she said, returning to the beginning of their conversation - You never told me what are you doing in Washington?
- I live here- he replied
- Have you lived here for long? - she asked, curious.
- A few years. I used to live in Georgia, but after my mother passed away so I didn't have anything else for me back there and, at the time, I was seeing a woman and she wanted to move here, so that's what we did.
- So you are married. - she pointed out and he laughed.
- No, ma'am. I'm not. We were together for some time, but then duty called again and she didn't want me to go, but I had to go. I had to. They needed me there. She couldn't quite get that so she left. It's been only me since then.- he explained.
- Sorry to hear that.
- Don't worry, I had time to get over it. - he assured her and finished his coffee and got up from the couch - Well, I better get going. You probably need to rest.
Rebeca walked him to the door and he reminded her to call him if she needed him and then left.
The next few days were quite normal. Everyone in college heard about what happened with Trevor, which make some people hate her more, others started to like her a little bit and others were scared of her - well, they were scared that "Rebeca's boyfriend" would beat the shit outta them if they messed with her. She barely knew Syverson, but she didn't bother correcting them. If that helped her get some peace, so be it, let them believe she's Sy's girlfriend. She surprised herself more than once thinking about him and using Sy instead of his full surname.
On Friday, she had to work until late to cover for the hours that they allowed at work to take the test that she missed because of the incident with Trevor. Luckily, the people at the university received a note sign by a high range officer at the police station to use as proof that she spend the day testifying about the intent of assault, so she was able to take the exam another day. She left the grocery store and started to walk towards her place. It was twenty blocks away. She usually worked until 8 pm, but that day she worked until 11 pm - the store was always open until midnight. After her shift, the owners would take her place. Rebeca knew well the way back home and there was usually some people on the streets when she went to her place after work, but this time the streets were completely empty. Not a single soul was there and it was completely dark. She started to walk at a really fast pace, wishing to get to the house as soon as possible.
After walking for a few minutes, she noticed two men, both around 25-30 years old. They were walking in the street across her but then crossed to her street. They were at a block away distance from her. She tried not to panic. Maybe those guys just needed to be on that block, that's all. When she reached the corner of the street, she turned and continue walking for another street. She knew it was risky because she didn't know the place well and she could get lost, but she needed to know for sure that was just imagination. At the corner, she saw in a car's mirror that the two guys had also turned in the same street that she did. It wasn't her imagination. She was indeed being followed. Trembling, she grabbed her phone from her coat pocket, trying to maintain calm so they wouldn't notice that she knew they were following her. Without even thinking, she searched for a number in her contacts and presses the dial button.
- Hello? Who is it? - Syverson answered with his thick Southern accent
- It's me, Rebeca. - she mumbled; she didn't want them to hear her speak
- Rebeca? I can barely hear you. Are you ok? - he asked worriedly
- I'm being followed.- she said fighting the tears of fear.
- What?! - he questioned even worrier- Tell me where you are? Who's following you?
- I don't know. There are two men around 30 following me. I was on my way home after work and I saw them and I suspected but then changed my route to see if the still followed me and yes, they are still walking behind me, a block away distance. - she explained as well as she could, almost whispering and he could hear the terror on her voice.
- Ok. Keep walking, don't stop walking. I'm on my way.- he said as he grabbed the car keys and left his house- Tell me, what street are you on?
- I don't know the name.
- Look for a street sign or something I can use to track you down. - he ordered her and she started to look, as nonchalant as possible, for any clue.
- I see a coffee shop in the next block, next to a flower store. - she informed
- Is there a house with pink roses on the entrance on the corner of the street? - he questioned
- Yes.- she replied.
- I know exactly where you are, sweetheart. Continue walking, I'll be there soon. I have to hang out now. Be brave, you're gonna be ok, you heard me?
- Ok.-she try to sound calm by she was in full panic. She continued walking as fast as she could, even though her legs felt like jelly.
Syverson put back the phone on his pocket and turned on the car and went to her rescue. He ignored several red lights and over speeded, but he didn't have the time to care about that, he needed to make it on time. He had his gun with him. He hoped he didn't have to use it, but he was no going to let anyone hurt her.
Rebeca peeked at the men trough another's car's mirror and to her horror, they were even closer. Her legs were starting to give in. She was so afraid that her body was shaken and she was starting to feel paralyzed. It was only her survival instinct what was keep her going. Moments later, she saw a car light coming from the opposite direction in which she was walking. The car started to slow down the fast pace and then she could finally see it. It was him. It was Sy. He stopped the car and she started running. He got out of the car as fast as he could. She ran directly into his arms and hugged him as tight as she could and the started to cry because of the fear and because she was happy that he was there. She was safe now. The two men started to run back in the direction that they came off as soon as they saw Syverson and his gun. He wanted to run after them, if they were predators, they could look for another victim, but his priority at the moment was Rebeca. She was trembling and crying and he needed to make her feel safe and ok. He hugged her and caress the back of her head while telling over and over "It's ok, I'm here now. You're safe. I promise".
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Reddie; Isolation.
Richard Tozier had been in and out of various hospitals for the majority of his childhood, slowly transitioning into his teenage-hood. His condition was described as terminal - a phrase of with Richie didn't understand. He longed more than anything for his pain to be over. Whether this was through the form of a miracle, or his death - he didn't mind. When describing these feelings to his mother, she was distraught. And so, among the tumultuous amount of doctors and nurses came a psychologist, and a therapist. They barely helped however, and merely prescribed Richie to a diary, in which he would submit a daily entry - in an attempt to let some of his emotions out. Richie couldn't have seen true love if it had stared him in the face, and one day it did.
Eddie's trip to the hospital was in a whirlwind of emotion and colour. One moment he was confessing his biggest secret to his mother, and the next she was collapsed onto her knees - sobbing aggressively. Then then, through loud sirens and bright flashing lights, Eddie found himself in a hospital bed. Crisp white bed sheets were pulled tightly over his petite figure. His vision was slightly impaired, and he could barely make out who was lying in the neighbouring beds.
"Hey," A voice chuckled beside him, before stopping abruptly and muttering, "Welcome to hell,"
"God?" Eddie replied back snidely as the voice let out another laugh before letting out an audible wince. As Eddie's vision reappeared, he looked from his right (to an old man who was clearly unconscious) and then to his left. A boy, tall and lanky lay in the bed - less pristine than Eddie's. A wide pair of glasses were propped against his nose, reflecting his eyes back drastically huge. His curly ravenette locks flopped over his eyes, as he pushed it away clumsily. In a word, he was pretty. Weak and fragile, but pretty nonetheless.
"Why can't you laugh?" Eddie asked softly, propping himself up onto his arm and giving his fullattention the mysterious boy in the neighbouring bed to him.
"It's my condition," he said, weakly, "What're you in for?" He finished, mimicking a prisoner. Eddie chuckled, and Richie glowed.
"Just woke up here, maybe for my phobia of germs - but who would go to that extent?" Eddie said wistfully.
"Ah I see," Richie said, struggling as he stretched his hand across the beds, "I'm Richie,"
Eddie looked at the hand and shook his head gently, which Richie laughed at before groaning slightly and retracting his hand.
"Eddie," He said, gesturing to himself. Richie nodded, lying slowly back into his bed and sinking into the plump pillow below is head.
"What do you mean by hell?" Eddie asked softly, after a few moments of silence.
"I've been here my whole life. Like the opposite of a miracle," Richie whispered, "If it wasn't here, it was the next one, if not there - the next. I just want this shit to be over, to be honest,"
Eddies insides turned to mush inside of him in sadness and sorrow for the vulnerable boy in the neighbouring bed.
"Mh, I'm sorry," Eddie muttered.
"It's alright, 'specially when cuties like you get sick," Richie said smoothly, to which Eddie choked on his own saliva. Richie had read his sexuality like a book, and a small one at that.
"Mh," Was all that Eddie could utter, sinking into the bed below him.
"People don't compliment you much, do they Ed's?"
Eddie shook his head, blushing profusely.
"Who are your friends, anyways? I might know them,"
"You've been confided to a hospital bed your whole life," Eddie snorted.
"Family friends, Ed's," Richie said, feigning his exasperation as Eddie tutted, "The Denbrough Family are my bitches,"
"Wait, Bill Denbrough?"
"Stuttering Bill, the one and only,"
"He's like my best friend," Eddie laughed, "Fuckin' Bowers gave him that nickname,"
"Ah, Henry Bowers. The downfall of my childhood as I knew it. That prick still not thrown in Juvie yet?"
Eddie shook his head, wide smile spreading across his face.
"Sadly, a negative,"
"Mh," Richie let out a breath before saying, "Where's your mommy, Eddie Bear?"
Eddie spat out the water he had been sipping on silently.
"How in the hell do you know about that?"
"Mommy wouldn't stop yelling," Richie explained, "'Don't worry Eddie Bear! Mommy's here! Mommy's always here!'"
Eddie snorted at the shitty impression.
"She is always there," Eddie said, "Oh, and shut the fuck up Einstein,"
Richie laughed, and his pain was numbed. His insides felt like mush. Not the bad kind, however, not the kind his illness made him feel - but a good mush. Like Jello - as he would write later on in his diary.
"Whatcha' writing?" Eddie whined playfully.
"Diary or some shit - therapist gave it to me,"
"Aw shucks, that's a bit sweet,"
"More like chucks, I ain't some sexually confused tween,"
"Well.."
"I beg of you to stop talking," Richie said softly, turning back to the diary. Eddie shushed , closing his eyes and eventually falling into a deep slumber. He woke peacefully the next morning, as the sound of a gentle chattering filled the hospital ward, and the sun bounced off of his face.
"Mornin', sunshine," Richie chuckled wheezily, "Best seat in the house,"
"Far out," Eddie moaned, throwing his pillow over his head - shielding himself from the blindingly bright sun.
"Richard?" A skeptical nurse said, in a feigned gentle voice. Eddie lowered the pillow a little, in fear.
"Just Richie, ma'am," He replied quietly.
"Richard, it's time for your injections," She said as another nurse snapped he curtains back quickly. Richie didn't say another word as he was shielded from Eddie's view. A mere, painful hiss could be heard from behind the baby blue curtains - before they were shunned back quickly, leaving Richie clutching at the inside of his arm, eyes glazed over with tears.
"You okay, 'Chee?" Eddie asked softly. Richie nodded in silence.
"Same thing as every day, needles man - I'll never get used to them," He sighed, "And, 'Chee?" He finished, grinning from ear to ear and facing Eddie now - letting go of his sore arm.
"It's cute, do not dare judge me,"
"You're cute," Richie muttered, smiling maliciously as Eddie turned a subtle shade of crimson, "Don't even try and hide your red ass face, Ed's - you know you love me,"
Eddie stared at him, wide eyed.
"Jus' pulling your leg, Ed's. Your face is a damn chuckalicious,"
"Shut up," Eddie giggled, covering his cheeks, "What is it with you n' that word? It's not even a word,"
Eddie was downright thankful for the change in subject, letting his cheeks return to their usual tan shade.
"Watch it become a word when we play Scrabble, though," Richie pointed out, to which Eddie frowned.
"When are we playing Scrabble, 'Chee?"
"This evening, my bed. Why, you got somewhere to be?" Richie feigned a pout before chuckling heartily and clutching his stomach.
"Fine, sook,"
"You," Richie said loudly in retaliation, before being shushed by an embarrassed Eddie, "Dumbass," He finished in a lowered voice. Eddie laughed - his trip to the hospital had not been too bad, indeed. As they finished their jokes, Richie's therapist entered the room - wooden clipboard clutched in her hand.
"Richard.."
"It's Richie, Miss,"
"Richie, time for your therapy session,"
"I'm okay, I promise Ma'am," Richie attempted to reassure her as she kneeled by the side of his bed.
"Just a check, honey," She said softly, to which Richie gave a little nod.
"Can we.. close the curtains?" Richie shifted in his bed slightly. The woman nodded and shunned them close - Eddie and Richie's eye contact being broken for the first time in minutes.
The woman and the boy spoke indistinctly for many minutes - hours, as it felt to Eddie. The curtains were finally shunned open again and the woman thanked Richie briskly, gave Eddie a small smile before departing.
"Hey, Rich?"
"Yes, M'Lord?"
"You never actually told me your condition," Eddie pointed out, "You're not allergic to laughter, are you?"
Richie shook his head.
"My bones are like brittle - like, really fragile. They're decaying over time. With my organs and shit. Started when I was younger and has spread ever since, I guess. I take pain meds and shots but they just slow the process,"
Eddie's heart broke in two.
"Holy.. shit," Eddie said finally. Unaware of it, tears were flowing down his face.
"Ed's, you're uh - crying,"
Eddie touched his face as his fingertips came back wet.
"Mh, fuck," He said, dabbing his face with the duvet cover. The tears continued to flow, and finally - a sob made its way out of Eddie's throat.
"Eddie, I'm fine - really," Richie tried to reassure him, wanting nothing more than to hold the shaking boy beside him. Wanting to hold him, press kisses against his head and lips-
Richie's breath stopped as the truth dawned upon him. Of course he would fall for somebody who he couldn't be with. Someone (according to Richie) out of his league by miles.
The days went on - and so did the relentlessly brutal and competitive games of Scrabble. It all fell apart one day, when a clipboard was turned upside down, in perfect view for a bored Richie Tozier to read. A small post-it-note sat, attached to the bottom of the clipboard. A small scrawled message was written precariously on it.
Sonia Kaspbrak states he is ill for being attracted to boys - agree and take cheque.
Richie's breath hitched. Eddie was sound asleep, and in a peaceful oblivion. Richie's heart ached with decision. Continue lying to the boy whom of which he had fallen for, or tell him the truth and possibly lose him forever. He lay back in his bed, dabbling the thoughts in his mind. Eddie woke eventually, gently. He sat up a little and immediately sensed Richie's discomfort. The clipboard had since been taken away by a doctor, who received glares from Richie.
"Rich, what's wrong?"
A lump in Richie's throat formed, and he pushed it down with an audible gulp.
"Mh, Ed's," Richie began, "You're perfectly healthy,"
"Excuse me?"
"The hospital, your illness - it's bullshit, Ed's. It's all bullshit,"
Eddie wiped sleep from his eyes before shooting a glare at Richie.
"You're bullshit, fucker,"
"I'm not kidding, Ed's,"
"Do not fucking call me that," Eddie spat, suddenly wounded.
"Look," Richie sat calmly, "Your mother payed these guys - bribed them, to keep you here because.."
His voice trailed of slightly.
"Because what?"
"Because you like dudes, Eddie!" Richie spoke clearly. The use of Eddie's real voice pained him, but he would have never showed it. As Eddie was preparing to retaliate, a nurse returned back to the foot of his bed.
"Excuse me, Miss?" Eddie asked, feigning sweetness. Richie rolled his eyes, but couldn't get enough of Eddie's voice.
"Yes, dear?"
"Is it true I'm perfectly healthy?" He asked quietly, fiddling with the duvet cover. The woman didn't say a word. Instead, she called over a doctor and had a quiet conversation with him.
"Edward," The doctor spoke, "You have to remain in the confines of the hospital, upon your mother's orders,"
Richie watched as tears began to well up in Eddie's eyes. He wanted to hold him, for the millionth time that day. Eddie shook his head, attempting to stand from the bed. The doctor placed a hand on his small wrist quickly. In a single movement, Eddie had slammed his left fist into the doctor's nose and sprinted out of the hospital ward - giving a fleeting, desperate look at Richie before disappearing in a flash. Richie sat still, his heart skipping a beat.
Months passed, and not a word nor sight from Eddie. Richie had begun to forget him. But the thought of him or the sound of his name hurt him more than his illness ever did. One day, a few days from his birthday - he was met by a strangely familiar sight. A petite boy stood at the foot of his bed. His rosy cheeks and honey brown hair glowed with the reflection of the sun in the hospital ward. Freckles were painted across his nose and cheeks, and his hazel eyes sparkled.
Richie practically fell in love all over again as Eddie stood at the foot of his bed.
"Ed's-" Richie began, before his face was smashed together with Eddie's. He immediately sunk into the kiss, and only began to pull away as he realised Eddie was standing in front of him.
"H-Holy fuck," He hiccoughed suddenly, as Eddie began chortling.
"I missed you, 'Chee," Eddie said, wide smile across his face. Richie couldn't say a word, instead sat stock still - face a glowing red. Eddie sat down on the bed and took Richie's head in his hand.
"I had to see you one last time," Eddie said gently, taking advantage of the silence, "I'm getting out of this shit hole, 'Chee!"
"Please don't leave me, Ed's," Richie managed to spit, before tears began to flow down his face. Eddie shook his head, as tears began to flow down his own face.
"Fuck.. 'Chee. You know I can't stay," Eddie chuckled slightly, despite the tears.
"I don't want to fuckin' die alone,"
"You're not going to die, 'Chee,"
"Who're you kidding, Ed's - look at me!" Richie said, weakly gesturing to his vulnerable figure, "I'm going to die, and I-I love you..”
"I don't want to watch you die, 'Chee," Eddie sighed gently, "I have to go,"
"You don't have to do anything," Richie finally said, before closing his eyes and stopping the flow of tears. He felt as Eddie pressed a kiss onto his forehead, down to his nose and finally his lips. Richie tried his best to not lean into the kiss, but ended up doing so - his hand resting on Eddie's cheek before Eddie pulled away, letting Richie's hand fall.
Years have passed since the two had their last conversation. Eddie left, contrary to Richie's belief. He came back months later, but it was all too late. Richie had passed, and buried in the nearby graveyard. Eddie still dwells upon their late night Scrabble sessions. He still dwells on the nicknames, sarcasm and jokes. The pain within the laughs, all that Eddie feels. Eddie's first, and only love. The love that would remain inside of his heart for centuries to come. The grave - littered with rose petals and flowers, all courtesy of Eddie. The sweet gifts that Eddie gives to Richie. The place he goes alone, always alone. Eddie never had the chance to say four simple words, four words that - for all Eddie knows, could've saved Richie's life.
"I love you too,"
With the second thoughtful;
"'Chee,"
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Finally, the legal proceedings begin again, with testimony from rather dull people, if he's being honest. The jury, it's clear to him at least, is fairly calm at the moment, but there's not a chance in hell that Cyrus is getting off. Not this time. And that terrifies him.
A man with nothing to lose is a very dangerous man. A mobster with nothing to lose? Absolutely fucking terrifying.
A few hours and legal spats between Diane and Helstrom later, court is adjourned until tomorrow, at 8 am. Which, he calculates, leaves Cyrus with a fifteen hour period to cause havoc before the next day.
He sighs, "C'mon, let's get you home," to an unresponsive Carly. "Carly?"
"What?" She asks, snapping back into reality.
"What are you thinking about?" Jason asks, mind running with concern. After all, normally when she's zoning out while thinking, she's making a plan.
And the last plan she made landed them in this courtroom.
"The testimony. I mean, they're genuinely trying to make it seem like you or I would concoct some plan and lure Cyrus into raping and kidnapping me. What the hell do they think of us?" Carly asks, a single tear dripping down her face. "I mean, neither of us are perfect, I know, but to think that I'd do that- that you would do that, it's insulting!"
"They're trying to get under our skin, okay? There's proof they're lying through their teeth right now, Carly. Cyrus is a sick bastard and he's going to jail for the rest of his miserable life. You and I get to walk free while he rots. We will win this." He says, sitting back down in his chair to hug her.
Carly lets out a sad laugh, "God, I hate this."
"I do too."
"I need to get out of here," she sighs, standing up. "You coming?"
"I'm the one who's driving, of course I'm coming," he smiles, holding up the keys just above where she can reach. "Ha, very funny. You're in no shape to drive. Let's go."
"You know, if you would just let me drive, I would be a lot happier right now because I'd have something much better to do than-" Carly starts, stopping her statement suddenly as they leave the courthouse.
He surveys the area immediately, seeing not one, not two, but three armed guys who don't exactly look like cops aiming right at the pair. Fuck. His fingers play at his belt loops, but he doesn't have a gun on him today; it's a court day, why the hell would he bring a gun to a courtroom? That's just plain stupid and it's practically asking to be arrested.
His instincts kick in and he realizes they're gonna make the shot. Unlike the other (relatively shitty) gunmen, assassin's, whatever Cyrus calls them that he's sent after Jason, these ones actually look like they're capable of firing a gun correctly. And they're getting paid hinges on whether or not they hit Carly and him.
Bullets fly out of all three guns at the same time and he shoves Carly out of the way, yelling, "Run!" and ducking down himself but it's too late.
He's been shot, he can feel it as he stumbles onto the ground. His head pounds in his skull and he swears for a minute he can feel his brain. Ow. "Jason!" Carly screams and he can hear her footsteps as he tries to figure out where he's bleeding. "Get back here you sick fucks!" She screams even louder at the gunmen, which probably means they're gone. "I'm going to shoot you myself the second I lay eyes on any of you I swear to god."
Turns out they were just getting paid to shoot him. Carly was just the way they'd manage it.
That knowledge is somewhat comforting as the pain of the bullet continues to hit him in waves, coupled with that of banging his head on the ground when he fell from it. It's a very painful situation for the assassin, who can hear himself moaning in pain.
He's enveloped by a haze of blonde as she cries, pulling out her phone. "I need an ambulance immediately at the courthouse. My best friend was shot in the chest and he's got a head wound." That explains the pain; a chest bullet hurts pretty damn bad. It's not a fun thing. Hence why he doesn't normally shoot in the chest, but rather either a non lethal area or something like the head or the heart. The head wound, though, that doesn't make sense. If he's got a head wound, shouldn't he be unconscious by now? "Well I'm not exactly sure why he got shot, lady, but you better get an ambulance here before I sue this goddamn town for negligence of a shot person!"
A chuckle leaves his throat through the pain as the world starts to get fuzzy around the edges, despite his best efforts to have it not happen like that. "Jason, no, keep your eyes open! Look at me!" A frantic Carly screams, pulling what looks like a really ugly scarf out of her bag and putting it over where he assumes the bullet is. "Just keep your eyes open. Focus on me."
In the distance, he can hear an ambulance's siren. "Of course I'm doing everything I can to keep him conscious, what the hell do you take me for?" She snaps at the lady on the phone through tears. Even when she's witnessing him get shot (and possibly dying, though this isn't exactly the way he planned on dying), of course she's still fighting random people.
"Carly, stop harassing the operator," he says, though he can feel it use quite a bit of his strength as the fuzziness intensifies.
"You do not die on me, Jason Morgan, do you hear me? I am not letting you die because of me, I will not be able to live with myself if you die like this and I have to witness it. Keep your eyes open and just focus on me," Carly practically begs as the sound of the sirens intensifies. They're probably getting closer to being here, maybe even pulled into the parking lot. He can't tell.
As Carly's rambling about something, he can't hear her very coherently anymore, the world turns black around him. Vaguely, he can distinguish the sound of her sobs and the pressure of the scarf around his chest.
"Jason, please, please, please, open your eyes," Carly begs, sobs overtaking her pleas as the ambulance approaches. This isn't happening, this is a nightmare, he's not actually shot and possibly dying. Right? He's fine, right?
"Ma'am, we're going to need you to step away from him so we can do our jobs and help him live," a random paramedic instructs her, earning a scoff as she backs away a few feet.
Who the hell does he think he is, ordering her around like that? Acting like he knows a damn thing about either of them, or like he's got any authority. He could be dying right now for all she knows! "I'm riding with you in the ambulance," she declares. "And you won't be able to keep me out so don't even try to."
"You'll just be taking up space-"
"I've been in these plenty of times before. There's more than enough space and," her voice breaks, a quiet sob leaving her lips before she continues, "he has the keys."
Shaking his head at her, the paramedic signals her to get in and she does just that as Jason's loaded into the ambulance her. "Don't die," she begs quietly to the unconscious man. "Please, god, don't die. This can't be the bullet that kills you."
"Say a prayer in your head," the paramedic says to her and she snaps.
"Stop acting like you know what I'm going through. I don't care if you don't understand what's going on here but let me explain it to you: your job is to make sure my friend here doesn't die. Got it? You can give up on ordering me around any minute now because I'm not in the goddamn mood to listen to it." Carly snaps, tears of rage streaming down her face.
The rest of the ride is mainly silent, save for a few sniffles and sobs from the blonde. With her luck, someone will be at the hospital and this'll be front page news tomorrow.
When they arrive at the hospital, Portia immediately takes Jason's gurney and brings it to a trauma room with a slew of nurses behind her. At least he's getting five star treatment, she thinks, sitting down slowly in a chair.
He got shot protecting her. And now he could die because of it.
"Carly, what's going on here?" Sam asks, storming over.
"Jason," she starts, voice breaking and unsteady as she continues, "got shot outside the courthouse. They're, uh, taking a look at him right now."
"What?" Sam asks, disbelief evident in her tone. "How did he get shot?"
"We were leaving the courthouse and I was fighting with him over driving home and I noticed these three guys, they had guns aimed at us. He noticed and I was stuck there, wondering what the hell they were doing outside of the courthouse and he shoved me out of the way. But," she continues, feeling shame and dread crawl into her veins as she watches it unfold again mentally, "he was too late in saving himself. He got shot in the chest and he fell to the ground. I kept thinking to myself, I've got to save him, I've got to save him for one of the million times he's saved me, so I call an ambulance and wrap his chest in a scarf. And I was begging him to live and bickering with the operator when, suddenly, he stopped showing any response. I don't know if he's dead or alive."
Near silent sobs are all that's heard for a few minutes by either of them, both trying their best not to scream. "He could die," Sam notes, "because of you. Because he has this need to protect you, Jason could die."
"What?" Michael asks, heartbreak evident on his face and killing Carly's heart even more. "What happened to Jason?" When he's met with silence, he asks his question again, "what happened to Jason, Mom, that Sam's blaming on you?" She meets his eyes and sees that he's begging for the truth.
"He got shot." The words seem to echo more than she expects, the full weight of them only now hitting her as she sobs loudly in the middle of the hospital, not caring who hears.
To be continued later in this life.
e
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Hell and Back- Chapter 43: All is Fair in Love and Rewards
Word count: 2299
Chapter warnings: Mild language, themes
-----
"Ah, whatever, a deal's a deal, I guess. I don't like breaking the rules." The man shrugged. "Anyway, I gave you your wish, you can go. Bye!" The man waved. Baekhyun looked to her, then they both looked back to him.
"What?"
"I said, Goodbye. Shoo. Thanks for playing. Get out of my building." He waved a hand.
"That's not how this works, you bastard-"
"Look," the man shrugged. "I'm sorry if you have a problem with it. In all honestly, I found it rather ironically redundant as well. That's part of the reason I picked it. Still, as I said just a second ago, a deal is a deal."
"We didn't even get to make the wish." Baekhyun said in anger, causing her to cringe. "You can't just assume you know what we want?" At this, the man's face seemed to light up.
"Oh, I see." Smiling ear to ear, he faced her with a strangely terrifying stare. "Little missy hasn't told you what's going on, has she?" She didn't say anything. "I supposed that makes sense, you never would have helped her otherwise..." Baekhyun's eyes slowly shifted from the robed man to her face, although she didn't make eye contact with him. She didn't want to see his face.
"Y/N?" She could feel the stare over her body, stabbing her in a thousand tiny pinpricks. "What's he talking about? Do you know something?"
"Let me tell you something, Baekhyun." The man said, leaning backwards nonchalantly. "There's a lot of mystery to this little game. I made it that way on purpose. I have abilities you could never hope to understand, mans and sources beyond your reach. That's how I do everything I do. Take your powers at my will, reward the wishes, etcetera. Of course, this means I can basically have whatever I want, whenever I want, which isn't any fun, now is it? That's why I'm playing this game. It will be entertaining for quite some time, as there are others desperate enough to play."
"I don't see your point." He snarled, attention now completely diverted from her.
"See, now that you know there's a person behind all this, I'm sure you've realized that there are no mistakes, it's not an automated system. At least, not to the extent to which you were thinking." Pausing, he rolled his hips in a dramatic turn.
"Y/N, dearest, on which trials were you selected to have your powers removed?" She forced herself to think back. The first set was... the time trials, at least as far as Tao had told her. There were a few scattered about after that, but... "Ones where your life was in danger." The man finished for her, seeing the gears turning in her mind. "You see, while Lay and Tao did pose somewhat of a problem to my fun, you... you were the worst. Of course, I later decided that it would be all the more torturous if you lived, but still..."
"This doesn't make sense. Why would you restrict her? She has no powers." Walking over to him and tapping the side of his head a little more than lightly, the man laughed.
"You're not getting it, Baekhyun. She does have a power. She's just never known, because she's never had to use it. Although, in my experience, it's not exactly a nice one." Looking down at her hands, she realized what he was insinuating. It couldn't be true, it didn't make sense, and yet... Everything lined up.
"Am I...?"
"Yes, ma'am! You're immortal. Tragic, really, seeing all the trouble you went through to get this wish."
"How is that a shame?" Baekhyun asked. "This is good." Snickering, the man lifted a hand to his mouth.
"Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. It's rude." Letting another chuckle fall from his lips, he said, "I almost never want to tell you, watching you sit there with your puppy-dog eyes is just so funny."
"Y/N, what's going on-"
"Do you want to tell him?" The man asked, "Or should I? I mean, you have the honors if-"
"Please don't." She whispered under her breath.
"Me it is then!" The man spun again. His movements were just as animated as they had been before as he showed no signs of growing bored with the two of them. "You see, while I'm powerful, I have limits. So I always want to check before I promise someone something to make absolutely sure that I can fulfill my end of the bargain." Leaning in with a soft smile, he muttered, "Which is why I require the wishes to be made before the game begins."
His eyes widened as he realized the gravity of that one, tiny statement. He stood frozen, mind reeling back to the day Y/N had told them about the trials.
"So basically, I can have up to fifteen people. And I figured you guys might want to help me out a bit?"
"So you can wish for anything?" Sehun asked, leaning forward with an intrigued glint in his eyes.
"I mean... yeah, it said that."
"We could totally wish to be rich, then." Kris suggested.
"Or famous!" Chanyeol added.
"Guys." Suho held his hands out, quieting their overlapping suggestions. "We could get the band." The whole group went into what almost looked like a frenzy, Y/N watching it with a glossy stare. She hadn't mentioned yet that she'd already made her wish. She just needed their help.
"This sounds awesome!" Tao cheered above the chatter, pumping a fist in a strange little dance. His and all the others' eyes were bright with excitement and hope, glittering with the promise of a better future. She didn't doubt that it was exactly the look that was on her face walking down the street the night before.
He turned to her, eyes watering, even though he barely had anything left to cry after everything they'd been through. Everything they'd been through for her. For the group. Only to find out that she'd been playing them the whole time.
"He's lying, right, Y/N?" He asked. She said nothing as her head hung. "Tell me he's lying." Still nothing. He ran on the bridge connecting the platforms, running to her and grabbing her by the shoulders shaking her violently. "Please tell me he's lying to fuck with us!"
"He's not lying." She whispered as she felt water slide down her own cheeks.
"H... what?"
"He's not lying, Baekhyun!" She sobbed, trying to grab his arms to cry into his shoulder, but he backed up from her frantically, as if her skin was burning to the touch.
"You... you lied to us?"
"I- I saw how excited you all were, a-and I needed help, I couldn't bring myself to say that-"
"So you decided to lead everyone to their deaths?" He said, completely breaking down now. "And for what? What did you even wish for?"
"There's the irony I was talking about." The man said, lowering his voice to add to Baekhyun's declining disposition. "She wished for powers." Adjusting his robes, he continued, "Of course, even I can't manifest that kind of thing out of nowhere, so I had to... borrow them. But, if Y/N's so greedy for more abilities, I think she'll find this solution rather satisfactory." Looking to her, he explained,
"You've been given the abilities of the fallen. Of course, this means you won't have light powers, since Baekhyun here has by some miracle managed to survive. If anything, killing them did you a favor!"
"I-" She stared down at her hands, horrified. "I have... everyone's powers?"
"Yes!" He said cheerfully. "So, that would be... Tao's time powers-"
"T-Tao is dead?!" She asked, crying beginning to make it hard to see.
"Well, not technically. He got himself stuck in a time loop trying to save you from that train. To be fair, your life wasin danger at the time. He knew the risks when he did it, though. Anyway, I was still able to retrieve his abilities for you, as they're basically useless to him now." Counting on his fingers, he continued, "So, in order, next was-"
"Suho." Baekhyun snarled under his breath.
"Yes, thank you. Suho's water abilities, electricity from Chen, healing from Lay, telekinesis from Luhan-"
"Luhan?" She asked, pulling herself up again. "He dropped out, what the fuck did you do to him?!" Putting his hands up in mock surrender, the man urged her to calm down.
"I didn't do anything to him. Do you remember his dropout penalty?" She looked down, and then to Baekhyun, who was refusing to interact with her. Sensing her inability, the man said, "That's alright. It was failure." Thinking back, she did recall that. It was confusing to say the least, and in asking the app, it gave them a snide response which she now realized must have been this man typing back.
"What does that even mean?"
"Well, after returning home from his little fear factor fit, he suddenly found that he'd been fired from his job. Unfortunate, really, but he was hopeful in your ability to win the wish, so he wasn't too worried about it. But then, he couldn't find another job. The rent was due soon, and none of you were around to pay it. He tried to get help, and failed. Things started piling up. It's surprising how shitty things can get in just a few weeks." The man said with a chuckle. "Soon, he had himself convinced that you all had won, and just decided that he didn't deserve to participate because of his performance."
"Oh, Luhan..." She muttered. She'd never want him to go through any of that. If he'd stayed... but that still didn't explain how he'd managed to get ahold of the man's telekinesis abilities.
"Well, I mean, his item was a gun, so," And, with an unachievable lack of decorum or politeness, the man made the motion of blowing his own head off with a finger gun. "Which left Chanyeol and Kai, who gave you fire and teleportation, and then Kyungsoo and Sehun, who provide earth and wind, Xiumin with his ever-popular ice abilities, and then finally Kris and his flight." Shrugging, the man said, "All in all, this turned out well for you. You're powerful, immortal, and you don't have to worry about the people who would have been mad at you about it. It almost makes me think that you planned it this way." Before she could say anything, she saw Baekhun rise to his feet.
"Baekhyun?" She said, watching as he turned around. "Baekhyun!" He still didn't answer. "You're just gonna let him leave?" She asked the robed man, expecting him to help her. He gave her a strange look.
"Why shouldn't I? The game's over. He can say whatever he wants to the police, but he'll just get committed for it. I don't plan on sticking around."
"But- I-" Groaning, she pulled herself up, running after him and grabbing his elbow, almost identically to how she'd handled Sehun. Shoving her off, he sent her sprawling to the ground, looking up at him with a hurt expression on her face.
"Don't fucking touch me." He said in a terrifyingly quiet, humorless tone. It was like he was a completely different person. "Don't ever come near me again. If I see your face, you'll be lucky if I pretend you don't exist. I would honestly throw you over the edge right now if I didn't know you'd survive."
"B-Baekhyun," She begged, "Come on, man, I made a mistake, I'm sorry-"
"Sorry isn't good enough!" He yelled, turning to her, his face a complete mess. "Sorry doesn't justify you killing my best friends! Sorry doesn't bring back the man who cared for all of us out of a fucking woodchipper, Y/N, sorry doesn't un-betray Kai after he died trying to save you. Sorry doesn't make Xiumin's death worth anything. I wish you'd died in the game so we could have at least done what we were planning to do!" Holding a hand to his head, he laughed shakily.
"Oh, God. All of us were banking on the fact that we could bring everyone back with that wish. But you knew." He looked at her. "You knew we were all fucking dying for real. How did you live with yourself? How did you sleep at night?" Shaking his head, he accused, "You're a psychopath. You must be really good at pretending to be a human being. Is that what it's been, all these years? Have you been pretending in case you needed something? I'll bet you knew you were immortal. You could be a thousand years old by now."
"No, Baekhyun-" She begged him. "I can still fix it, if I have Tao's time abilities, I can reverse it, I can save everyone."
"I don't know about that one, little lady." The man said from behind her. "That's a big jump. What happened to Tao? That would most definitely happen to you. It's not easy, manipulating the flow of things. Of course, I couldn't care less, as I'd be exempt, but... Are you sure you'd be willing to do that?"
"Would it bring everyone back?"
"Brand new." She turned to Baekhyun.
"I guess this might be goodbye."
"Hell if I care." He snarled, not even turning to face her. "Serves you right, you stupid bitch." She tried to smile as she convinced herself it would be the right thing. It had to be.
"For what it's worth, I really am sorry." She said. He didn't respond, and most definitely didn't accept her apology. Breathing in deeply, she turned to the robed man. "If that's the case... I want to make a new deal."
Go to Chapter 44
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