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leaentries · 3 days

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HEADS OR TAILS - 1ST EDITION

PAIRINGS- college!nico x reader, college!luke x reader, possible nico x reader x luke

WARNINGS- swearing, not proofread

WORDCOUNT- 4.14k+

NEXT EDITION

SERIES MASTERLIST

Behind your closed eyelids danced dreams of meadows and flowers. The soft wind blowing through your hair as you laid against the soft grass. Nothing felt more perfect than that moment. You felt completely and utterly content.

Yet, nothing can last forever.

You were suddenly ripped from your dreams by the aggressive shaking of your roommate. Her hands gripped your shoulders as she practically jumped onto the small, twin sized bed. It was almost a wonder how it managed to hold the weight of you both.

“Come! On!” Dakota shouted at you. Her normally soft voice rung through your sleepy mind. In all honestly, if you weren’t still so tired, you’d be contemplating murder.

You turned to bury your face into the pale blue pillow beneath your head. You took in a deep breath, the stale scent of your shampoo clouding your senses. Dakota was not impressed at your efforts to ignore her, this time opting to grab the spray bottle she kept for the plethora of plants on her side of the dorm. Barely registering the first hit of water, you rolled yourself further into the comforter.

“If you don’t get up right now, I’m calling Jack.”

You let out exasperated sigh, choosing to sit up in order to dodge the wrath of your best friend. Grimacing at the flood of light from the lone window on the opposite wall, you glared at the brunette who stood a foot away from the dark wood of your bed. Her downturned eyes and slanted nose complimented her bright green eyes beautifully, but not when they were scrunched in annoyance. Especially towards you.

“Seriously?” She scoffed, “That’s what gets you out of bed? Not the fact that you’re already 15 minutes late for class?”

You all but shot out of bed, nearly tripping over the white comforter wrapped around your legs. You could have sworn you set your alarm last night, no, you knew you set your alarm. Either or, you did not have the time to worry about whys and whats of your least favorite part of the morning. Rushing around the room, you somehow managed to throw on a decent looking outfit and thanked yourself for at least packing your backpack up the night before.

Bidding Dakota a quick farewell, you left the dorm, practically sprinting down the sidewalks of your university. Anyone who saw you, would probably think you’d gone mad, but others would recognize that familiar look of panic that came partnered with being late to class.

Through the speed and adrenaline of rushing, you found yourself not fully paying attention to your surroundings. One minute you have the Chance Building in your sights, then the next you’re colliding with a large mass, and seemingly ending up on the concrete.

The air left your lungs as your ass collided hard with the ground. You could feel the little pebbles dig into your hands and the slight pain that now radiated from the scrape on your knee. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. Of course, this would happen when you’re already late.

“Shit…” You cursed to yourself as you attempted to grab your bag off the ground.

But you were quickly beaten as a calloused hand wrapped its fingers around the black strap. As you peered up, you felt your heartbeat pick up slightly. However, you’d blame that on the adrenaline, definitely not the hockey captain who was currently looking down at you.

“I’m so sorry, it was my fault, I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you alright?” His thick accent flowed like warm honey. You took a moment to take in his appearance, strong arms and legs, likely from intense hockey workouts. Thick brown hair that would most certainly fall into his eyes, if it weren’t for the backwards cap he sported.

You were drawn back to reality by his other hand now reaching out to help you up. You couldn’t deny the tingles that ran up your spine at the feeling of his warm skin on yours.

“Thank you, Nico.” You replied politely, earning a confused crook of the head from the boy.

“How do you know my name?” He chuckled brightly.

You could feel your face heat up, “Oh, uhm, well, I’m best friends with Jack, and he talks about you a lot. Not to mention, I’m pretty sure everyone single person on this campus knows who you are.” You looked everywhere but his face, “You know, since your hockey captain and all.”

A lightbulb seemed to have gone off in his head, as he nodded knowingly, “Ahh, yes! You must be Y/N.”

It was your turn to be confused, “You know my name?” You mimicked his previous tone.

Nico let out a melodic laugh, nodding in agreement once more, “Jack talks a lot about you, too. Honestly, so does Luke.”

You felt your stomach turn at the mention of the younger boy.

Luke was Jack’s curly-haired younger brother. He was tall and lanky, yet still riddled with course muscle. Along with Nico and Jack, he was also a detrimental asset to the university’s hockey team, taking place as a top defenseman. You have known Luke since middle school, the both of you bonding over mutual love for Harry Potter, you quickly became close friends. Him being Jack’s brother was just a bonus.

Plus, you and Luke had something going on. What it was, still remained unknown to you.

“Jack? Not surprised, but Luke talks about me?”

Nico smirked at you, “Oh, yeah. For sure. He talks about how pretty you are, and I can’t say I blame him.”

Your eyes widened at the remark. Was Nico…flirting with you? You smiled at him sweetly, not really knowing what to say next. Luckily you were saved from an awkward silence as your phone began to buzz. You swiped open the texts spamming in from Jack.

Rowdy🤠: bro where are you

Rowdy🤠: youre literally about to miss all of chemistry

Rowdy🤠: are you okay??

Rowdy🤠: y/n/nnnnnnn

Rowdy🤠: i can see youre reading these

You: okay, okay, i’m coming right now

Rowdy🤠: watch the attitude miss ✋

You turned off your phone, looking back to the tall hockey player in front of you, “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go, I’m super late for chem and Jack is blowing me up.”

Nico sent you an understanding smile, handing you your bag.

Just as you turned to walk away, Nico called out to you, “Are you coming to the game tonight?”

Of course you had planned to go to the game, but you decided to play around a bit. While still walking away you yelled back, “Why should I?”

“Because I want you there!” Nico replied almost instantly.

You felt that pesky heartbeat stutter again. Stupid adrenaline. Yet, you couldn’t stop the wide grin that tore through your features. You quickly turned to face the boy who still remained where you left him, “We’ll see!”

And with that you hurried to catch the last hour of class.

Finally making it into your classroom, you quietly file in beside Jack, not failing to miss the expectant glare he was giving you. He slid over his notes for you to copy, nonetheless. You quickly grab your white notebook and pen, opening to a fresh page.

“Where were you?” He leaned in to whisper as you began writing.

“I woke up late.” You replied, opting out of telling him about the little run in with his captain.

“I know that, dumbass,” He rolled his eyes, “Kota texted me earlier. But you took much longer than it normally takes you to get to class.”

“Are you timing me or something, now?” You spat sarcastically.

Jack let out a deep huff, clearly agitated with your lack of cooperation. He yanked his notebook back, preventing you from finishing the last few bullets about chemical bonds. You dropped your pen, turning your body to fully face the blonde boy.

“Jack!” You deadpanned, “I need to finish those.”

He shook his head stubbornly, “Not until you tell me the truth.”

“I did tell you the truth, I woke up late.”

“And I’m aware of that, but you had a weird smile coming in here. Not to mention you were later than normal.”

You sucked in a breath, “Fine,” Your gritted out, “I ran into someone and we got caught up talking.”

Jack perked, “Was it Lukey? You looked awful smiley.” He gave you suggestive eyebrows. Jack was never quiet about his infatuation about you getting with his brother. He always claimed you were like his sister, but being with Luke would make it official. You couldn’t deny that you had feelings for the boy, and that, he too, also had feelings towards you, but the two of you hadn’t put labels on anything.

You shook your head slightly, “No, it wasn’t Luke.”

Jack’s smile faltered, “Oh. Well, I hope you’re not cheating on my little brother.”

This time, you rolled your eyes, “First off, we aren’t together. Second off, even if we were, I can talk to other people.”

“Whatever, you and Luke will be together soon enough,” He appeared pleased with himself, “Lukey and y/n/n sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” Jack sang.

You quickly grabbed his notebook and began to finish the notes, Jack laughing as you ignored his mocks.

After class, you walked with Jack to the cafe on campus. The trees blew violently as the wind began to pick up.

“Jeez, is it supposed to storm today?” Jack asked aloud.

“I didn’t think it was, but possibly.”

As the two of you engaged in meaningless conversation, you hurried into the building, escaping the harsh whips of the wind. The cafe was busier than usual, no doubt due to the weather, and your typical spot in the back corner had already been taken. You didn’t have much time to worry, as you quickly spotted the familiar curly-headed boy sitting in a booth.

You nudged Jack’s shoulders, “Luke’s over there,” You nodded towards the boy.

Growing closer to the table, you noticed the familiar cup and chocolate croissant you always ordered. You smiled, realizing Luke must have went ahead and ordered for you. Luke’s eyes lit up the second he noticed you and his brother making your way to the table. You situated yourself in the ugly, green booth next to Luke, Jack sliding in the opposite side. The older brother’s eyebrows pinched as he noticed the drink and pastry now firmly in your hands.

“What the hell?” He brought his eyes to Luke, “Where’s mine?”

Luke just shrugged, “Go order something.”

Jack narrowed his eyes at his younger brother, visibly annoyed at the special treatment you were getting, “This is totally unfair.” He sassed as he proceeded to exit the booth. As soon as he was out of range, Luke turned his body towards you. His eyes scanned your face, mouth parting slightly.

“How was your day, y/n/n?”

You smiled at him, “It was okay. I almost missed my chemistry class.”

“Oh?” He tilted his head. Luke knew you weren’t one to regularly miss class, “Did something happen?” A comforting warmth spread through your body at his concern. The worried look on his face resembling that of a puppy.

“I just woke up late, my alarm must not have went off.”

He nodded understandingly, eyes coasting down to where your hand toyed with the cardboard sleeve on your cup. Luke’s eyebrows furrowed as he reached to pull your hand into his.

“What the fuck happened?” His voice was laced with concern, taking note of the scratches that littered your palms.

“Nothi-“

“It’s not nothing, y/n. You have cuts all over you.” Luke’s eyes continued to scan your body, gently inspecting your hands and knees. You bring the hand not occupied up to cradle the side of his face.

“I’m okay, I promise. I just was in a rush to class and accidentally ran into someone.”

“Who’d you run into? I can beat them up if you want me to.”

You could help the laughter that spilled from your lips. The idea of Luke trying to pummel someone, let alone his very own captain, was quite the image.

“I don’t think you’d want to beat the crap out of your captain, Lukey.”

His face shot up in surprise.

“You ran into Nico?”

You nodded your head mockingly, “Well, duh. That’s what I just said.”

“Oh…Well, yeah, sorry y/n/n. I won’t be pissing off cap right before a game, no thank you.”

Luke took a bite out of your croissant, earning a whine of protest from you. The boy only served you a charming smile in return. Rolling your eyes, you took a sip of your drink, Jack finally making his appearance at the table. This time he had a pile of chip bags and a few water bottles. He dropped them on the scuffed tabletop, Luke having to lean over to catch a stray water bottle from meeting its doom. You raised an eyebrow, silently questioning him.

“I had to stock up before the game tonight. The girl a register said they were getting rid of all these and that I could have them if I wanted.” Jack said nonchalantly, “Who am I to turn down free food?”

Luke reached to pluck a bag of plain lays from Jack’s array. The blonde opened his mouth to argue, but Luke turned his attention back to you.

“You’re coming to the game tonight, right?”

Remembering Nico’s invite, a warm rosy hue began to cover the apples of your cheeks. You nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

When you got back to your dorm, you noticed that Dakota had already left for her night class. You flopped onto your bed, the familiar creak echoing through the room. Rolling on your back, you started at the ceiling contemplating everything that happened that day. You thought about Luke and how sweet he was, but inevitably your mind drifted to the dimpled hockey captain who managed to set your skin blazing with a single touch. You could feel your cervix throb as you remembered his thick muscles and warm brown eyes.

Nope.

You cannot be thinking of Nico that way. Not when you were “involved,” so to speak, with Luke. It would break his heart, not to mention, you couldn’t even guess what Jack would do. You shook your head, ridding your thoughts away in turn to start getting ready for the game.

You quickly threw on some yoga pants and a comfy hockey sweatshirt, donned with the familiar red and black of the school. Keeping your hair the same, you touched up a few sections, the wind having messed it up. Once you checked the time, you grabbed your bag, sent Dakota a quick text as to where you were going, and made your way to the arena.

Luckily, your dorm was only a 10 minute walk from your destination, so you didn’t have to worry about driving. Meeting up with a few other friends, you made your way inside the cold dome, not failing to grab a hotdog before finding your seats.

Jack had texted you before the game, letting you know to come down to the locker rooms after and wait for them.

You could feel your heartbeat quicken as the loud warm-up music began to echo throughout the crowded arena. An internal battle fought within your gut, but you couldn't quite decipher why. With eyes glued to the tunnel, you and your friends began to pound on the glass with excitement as the boys took to the ice. The sheer speed at which they skated never ceased to amaze you.

You caught a glimpse of that shaggy, dark hair peaking out from the sides of his helmet, brown eyes meeting your own. Nico sent you a small smile, clearly pleased to see you. A lump caught in your throat as he skated closer to you.

"You came," He stated cheerfully. The loud music paired with the thick plexiglass muffled his voice.

You nodded, "I did."

Nico removed his helmet, your breath hitching as his hair fell in messy tendrils around his face, "I thought I was gonna have to come find you," His eyes glimmered in the bright lights, "I'm glad you didn't keep me waiting."

His accent was clearer without the bucket, his welcoming dimples fully on display.

"Oh, please," You quirked, "I'm only here so Jack doesn't cut my head off."

"Whatever you say, princess." He smiled as the buzzer went off signaling the end of warmups, "But I know you're here for me."

You opened your mouth to protest, but Nico skated away before you could even manage a word.

You watched as he interacted with his teammates on the bench, each one so entranced by every word coming from his lips. It was truly mesmerizing the way he commanded attention and obedience, you couldn't help but stare. Too lost admiring the captain, you missed Dakota slipping into the seat next to you.

She noticed your deep gaze, following your sightline. Dakota smirked as she saw what, more like who, you were staring at.

"Achem," She coughed.

You jumped slightly, startled by her presence, "Jesus, Kota!" You grabbed your chest, "How long have you been standing there?" You looked around as if she appeared out of thin air.

"Long enough to see you making puppy dog eyes at the captain." She stated with a quirked brow. Her manicured fingernails tapped expectantly against her crossed arms.

You scoffed, "I was not making any sort of eyes. I was simply admiring Nico's leading abilities." You had to bite back the cringe that threatened to flood your features. Although it wasn't a complete lie, you knew Dakota would see right through you.

"Right, and I'm into Jack. Apparently, we are just saying things that aren't true." She exclaimed into the crisp air. Dakota's eyebrows furrowed, her lip twitching. This was a tale-tale sign she thought of something, "Wait," She looked back over at the bench, then back at you, "What about Luke?"

"What about Luke?" You repeated back.

"Aren't you guys," She hesitated a moment, "Like a thing?"

Your words died on their way out. In all truthfulness, you didn't have an answer. It's not like the two of you were official in any way, but neither of you had been seeing other people. You went on dates and acted the part...sometimes. Luke, as sweet as he was, wasn't always the most outgoing. He didn't erupt tingles through your body with every touch, but rather soothed. He was comfortable. But was comfortable gonna be enough?

Before you could answer, the game started.

It was now halfway through the third, and it was intense. Tied 1-1, the game had been brutal so far. With unfair penalties being called, along with the rival team targeting Jack, you were heated.

"What the fuck was that?" You screamed as they called a tripping penalty on Luke. It was obviously baited, Luke didn’t even touch the guy. You sat back down in your seat, leg bouncing as the two team took their places in the face-off circle. You watched as the team fought with everything they had not to let them gain a one up lead.

As the penalty kill counted down, just as you felt your breathing return to normal, Luke came out of the box at full speed, gaining possession of the puck and now headed straight for the net. You rose once again, ready to cheer Luke on, but the familiar “ding” from the crossbar had the whole arena deflate with a collective sigh.

The final seconds passed, the boys slowing as the horn blared, signaling the end of the third.

Overtime.

Dakota looked over at you, laughing to herself over how worked up you got over these games. In her opinion, they were pointless. The whole concept of getting angry, depressed, having anxiety over men with sticks seemed so foreign to her. But, she enjoyed coming to them to watch you. She enjoyed being able to watch you in your element, analyzing the plays and explaining them back to her when she got lost. It was just how the two of you functioned.

You took a large sip from her cherry coke, letting out a deep breath after you swallowed.

“You doing alright?” Dakota mused.

“Not at all.”

Overtime finally started, Nico ultimately ending up on a breakaway. You gripped the edge of your seat, your breath getting caught in your throat as he came one-on-one with the goalie. He handled the puck expertly as he approached the right side of the net. With quick deception, Nico sent an insane wrist shot, the goalie leapt for the puck, but it managed to barely scathe by.

Nico had won the game.

You jumped from your seat, beating the on the glass. Even if it wasn’t necessarily a huge game, it still meant a lot to the fans and the team.

After celebrating the win for a few minutes, you helped walk Dakota to the exit, her sister waiting for her outside.

“You promise you’ll be alright?” She asked.

You nodded reassuringly, “I promise. You know the boys wouldn’t do or let anything happen to me.”

She pursed her lips, nodding tightly before heading out the large glass door. You turned the other direction, following the concrete floor to the opposite side of the arena where the staircase down to the locker rooms is. Once downstairs, you waited, leaning against the wall that was neatly decorated with red and black.

After a few minutes, you felt your phone buzz.

Rowdy🤠: so sorry, we are running late. be out in a bit.

You sighed, letting your head lull back against the cold stone.

“Tired of me already, princess?”

Your stomach swirled at that damn accent. Lifting your head, you turned to see Nico walking towards you. You couldn’t help but rake your eyes down his form. His hair was covered by a ball cap, but you could still see the water droplets from his shower dripping down onto his gray t-shirt. He wore black sweats, paired with some Adidas slides.

Fuck he looked good, not that you'd ever admit that to him.

"How could I ever be tired of you?" You mocked with false admiration.

Nico just smirked as he came to lean next to you, his left shoulder propped against the wall.

“I’m sure I could find a way to tire you out,” His voice was low and husky.

You had to hold back from squeezing your thighs together as a dull throb strummed in your core.

Feigning nonchalance, you chuckled, “Wow, such a flirt. You know, Nico, if I were somebody else, I’d think you were hitting on me.”

Nico took a step closer, your chests almost touching. It was only now you realized how tall he actually was. He towered over you by at least 6 inches. For once, it made you feel small. You didn’t miss the way his adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed, or the way his tongue would drag out to wet his lips before opening his mouth to speak.

“Well, I’d think you were right.”

His confidence was alluring. It drew you in rapidly, his whole personality did. Before you could stop yourself, you reached a hand to brush away one of the stray strands of hair that fell from his hat. You could have sworn you saw his cheeks tinge a few shades pinker. Nico brought his other hand up to cradle yours before you could pull it away.

You shivered.

There were those tingles again. The ones that only Nico seemed to be able to give you. Your eyes were locked with brown ones, fully prepared to drown the dripping honey around his irises.

“Y/n?”

You backed away from Nico instantly at the sound of Luke’s voice. You only hoped he hadn’t seen much, especially the way Nico’s hand subconsciously chased yours as you pulled from his touch.

“Luke!” You breathed out.

Luke gazed weirdly at his captain who looked the opposite direction. Nico’s body was tense and rigid, a stark change from a few seconds ago. You walked over to Luke, hand brushing against his bicep.

“Ready to go?”

He looked at you, “Yeah, Jack’s already outside.”

You nodded following the boy through the hallway. Just before you rounded the corner, you took one last glance at Swiss you left abruptly, only to find him already staring. There was a certain gleam, a flame in Nico’s eyes that signaled this wasn’t gonna be the last encounter the two of you share.

You shook your head, ridding yourself of thoughts about the hockey player, deciding you needed to focus on the one leading you out the door.

A/N: this college is completely fictional, any specific place and/or buildings mentioned are all from my head.

TAGLIST: @alwaysclassyeagle @crazyjadedstar @emaanemaa @heartsforhischier @favsrachz @natalieeyyy

#heads or tails au!#nico hischer x reader #nico hischer #luke hughes x reader #luke hughes #jack hughes #lea writes stuff ♡

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delicatebarness · 2 days

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“While they’re happy” I’m going to hyperventilate.

Maybe a request where Bucky shows up again after a fight but is a bit extra drunk as well, and is just so extra lovey and touchy with crybaby. And he sleeps on her couch again. I think that one part you wrote was so sweet when you wrote that one time when they were laying together.

cry baby | "my safe place,"

Summary: ^^ Requested.

Warnings: Fluff. Drunk Bucky.

Word Count: 517

Series Masterlist

Tags: @winterslove1917 | @thetorturedbuckydepartment | @thezombieprostitute | @buckys0whore

Late one night, there was a soft knocking at your door. You opened it to find Bucky, looking worse for wear. Bruised knuckles, a cut above his eyebrow, and his expression was mixed with frustration and something softer. He swayed slightly as he leaned against the doorframe, it was clear he overdid it at the bar.

“Hey, Sweetheart,” he slurred, using the affectionate name he’d adopted for you back when you were children. “Mind if I stay here again?”

Stepping aside, you let him in. “Bucky, are you okay? What happened?”

He shrugged, a failed attempt at acting nonchalant. “Just a little fight… Nothing I can’t handle.” He paused, his eyes softened as he looked down at you. “I missed you.”

Closing the door behind him, you sighed. “You shouldn’t be fighting, Bucky.”

The alcohol made his smirk a bit lopsided as he reached his arm out for you. “Couldn’t help it… but, being here with you makes it all better.”

You guided him to the couch, helping him to sit. As he flopped down, you felt his gaze on you as you wandered into the kitchen, fetching him a glass of water. He immediately pulled you down to him after you placed the glass on the coffee table.

His arms warped around you, burying his face in your shoulders. “God, you always smell so good,” he murmured, his voice muffled.

Despite the worry that gnawed at you, you couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a mess, Bucky.”

“Ah, but I’m your mess,” he said, lifting his head to catch your gaze. His eyes were soft, the blue almost vulnerable. He pressed a gentle kiss to your temple. “You’re my favorite person, you know that?” his breath reeked of beer, yet you found yourself craving the scent of it.

Your cheeks rushed with heat, you tried to steady your voice. “And, you’re mine.”

“Good,” he mumbled, his eyes fluttering closed.

As he drifted off, you managed to move him so he could be lying down on the couch. Grabbing a blanket, you covered him before sitting down on the floor beside him. His hand found yours, and even in his sleep, he held onto it tightly.

Bucky has a tough exterior, but it comes with a soft side that only you were trusted enough to see.

You rested your head against the couch, closing your eyes. Within moments, you felt Bucky shifting, his hand tugging at you lightly. “Come up here,” he sleepily murmured.

Carefully, you climbed onto the couch, lying beside him. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer to his chest. “That’s better,” he whispered. You nodded in response.

The night grew quiet, his arms wrapped around you, and you felt a sense of peace. You could feel him lightly tracing shapes over your shirt, sending soft tickles over your skin.

“Thanks for being my safe place,” he whispered, his voice barely audible as he placed a gentle kiss on your forehead.

Your eyes began to well, a sniffle escaping. “And you, mine,” you whispered back to him, tilting your head to kiss his nose.

#cry baby series #cry baby #bucky barnes x cry baby #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky x y/n #bucky x female reader #bucky fanfic #james bucky barnes #bucky fic #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x rogers!reader #biker!bucky #biker au

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porcelainseashore · 2 days

Text

Into the Ether (9)

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Vampire! Toreador! Leon Kennedy x Fem! Reader

Summary: At the all-night events cafe you run, you’ve become acquainted with an elusive patron, Leon, though you can never remember the last moments of your interactions together. After a harrowing encounter, a love-hate relationship develops between the two of you as you grapple with your newfound status in a world of darkness and investigate the reasons behind the untimely attacks.

Content & Warnings: 18+ Resident Evil x Vampire: The Masquerade crossover, horror, mystery, romance, slow burn, strangers to enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, eventual smut, swearing, smoking, non consensual blood drinking, blood bond, vampire turning, violence, injury, mild gore, torture, religious themes, minor character death, RE ensemble, VtM concepts.

Authors' Note: Implied child kidnapping ahead.

Taglist: @admirxation @angelstargel @miss-oranje-disco-dancer ❤️‍🔥

AO3 Link

Chapter 9: Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Another night, another part of the mystery to solve. But first, you had agreed to go into work. Nothing was going to stop you, not even the ‘Prince’s orders’. Something about having a nightly routine kept you sane and grounded you in reality. Not that what you were experiencing wasn’t real, but you didn’t want to lose touch with the living. You didn’t want to become like… Leon?

You heaved a disheartened sigh thinking about it. You’d been giving the man the silent treatment ever since returning from the Spencer Mansion, and you didn’t like it one bit. Hurting people wasn’t something you enjoyed — be it ignoring them out of spite or acting in a way that would lead to someone’s unfair demise. It didn’t help that you were constantly being reminded of how powerless and insignificant you were. Was this the best you could do when taking a stand? Or was there something more?

Working felt like walking. You went through the motions: socializing with your colleagues, pandering to customers, planning out the next month’s events program, making a couple of calls along the way, and your personal favorite — sorting out the cafe’s finances. Even the Redfields showed up, informing you and by extension, Leon, that they were still on the suitor’s case and would have something juicy for you soon.

“Do you ever miss the sun?” you wondered out loud.

It had barely been a week since you turned, but you were already bemoaning the fact that you wouldn’t be able to live to see it. Although the nights were longer now that the year had entered into its colder period, you had thought ahead, speculating how it would be like when summer returned again. That was depressing.

“Always,” Claire responded, patting your shoulder empathetically.

“Best not to think about it,” Chris chimed in, taking a swig from his beer bottle. “You’ll get used to it at some point, and besides, there’s always YouTube.”

“Very helpful, Chris,” his sister huffed in disdain, forcefully backhanding her brother so that he choked on a bit of his beer.

“What the fuck, sis?” he groaned, wiping the beer stains off his clothes with his bare hands in annoyance. “On my nice shirt as well.”

For some reason the constant bickering between the siblings caused you to double over in laughter and they looked at you in amusement. After you recovered from your giggling fit, you pointed to Chris' bottle, asking, “So you can do that thing of actually enjoying what you eat and drink?”

“Uh huh.”

“Maybe you can teach me?” you tested the waters. “Leon was supposed to, but—” You stopped yourself in your tracks, realizing that you’d have to share a lot more than you would be comfortable with.

Unfortunately, Claire was perceptive enough. “Trouble in Paradise?” she suggested, only to continue on her train of thought when you didn’t answer, “Whatever it is, you don’t have to tell me. He may be a prick who needs a nudge in the right direction, but he’ll come around.”

She pressed her arm against the wall and leaned forward with a mischievous grin. “And I hate to say this, but he’s actually a good guy.”

The expression on your face must’ve given away how you felt when Claire had uttered those last words. She quickly peppered it with, “He must’ve screwed up pretty bad, huh?”

“Let’s just say it’s one screw up after the other,” you finally replied.

Chris gave a low chuckle, “Sounds like him alright.” He shrugged. “Can’t blame the guy for trying though.”

“Alright, I’ll let you in on something,” Claire began, only to be interrupted by her brother.

“Oh man, not again! Can’t ever keep your goddamn mouth shut, can you?” he scolded.

“Shut up, Chris! She’s cool with us, you know that,” she retorted and he conceded, though you could still hear him grumbling in the background.

Turning towards you triumphantly, she continued, “I’ll keep it short. He saved my brother's skin; I owed him a life boon, and Chris probably did too, but he turned it down in the end.”

“Yeah, said something about not wanting to take advantage,” Chris piped up, shaking his head in disbelief. “To this night, it still floors me.”

What they had said gave you some pause. It seemed as though Leon had a bunch of demons to confront, and there was always an internal battle waging. You just hadn’t been able to break through. But did you want to in the end? Or would you just leave him to rot in his own misdoings? You weren’t anyone’s savior and you didn’t want to be. You simply wanted to do what felt right to you.

“Guess there’s a lot more to him that I don’t know about,” you mused.

Chris’ wide palm met your back with a loud thump that reverberated across your chest. “Hey, chin up, kid. It’ll take a while, but you’ll get there. Us Brujahs don’t give up without a fight.” His brown eyes lit up and crinkled, fine lines of crow’s feet fanning out from the corners. “And no matter what anyone says, I still think you’re one at heart.”

“Brujah, huh? I like the sound of that.” A crooked smile played across your lips as you laid your cards out on the table. “I’ve heard you’re fierce fighters. Mind showing me a few tricks? Just so I know how to fend for myself.”

Chris stood taller, eyeing you with curiosity as a sense of pride visibly swelled in his chest.

“I could throw in a supply of beers on the house to sweeten the deal,” you added, pointing at the empty bottle he was clutching at his side.

He barked out a laugh before responding, “Well, now that you put it that way, you’ve got my hands tied.” Placing his bottle down on a table beside him, he agreed, “Sure, I’ll give you some tips, but a word of warning: I don’t go easy.”

The rest of your shift went by without event, until Leon dropped by to pick you up for the next meeting planned that night. Since neither of you had gotten any real leads on the case yet, he thought it best to visit the Bakers first before heading back to NEST, where the Primogens' offices were and where Jill would be waiting impatiently for answers.

In the jeep, the atmosphere was thick with tension, though along the way, he tried to cut through it with some advice. “I know you’re still upset and don’t want to talk, but I need to prepare you for this.”

He tapped on the steering wheel nervously. “As Malkavians, the Bakers all suffer from some form of affliction following their Embrace. In this case, they believe a little girl called Eveline is part of the family, except no one else can see her.”

“You mean she’s invisible?”

The car swerved off-center as Leon glanced over at you, startled by your response. It was the first time you had spoken to him in a while. You clung onto the grab handle and yelled, “Keep your fucking eyes on the road!”

“Shit, um, sorry!” He focused his attention back to his driving, quickly stabilizing the vehicle before he spoke up again. “And, uh, no. I mean, we don’t think she actually exists.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Okay, and is that going to be a problem?”

“Not if you pretend she does,” he stated plainly. “Otherwise, they’ll get really provoked if you don’t interact with Eveline.”

“Right, thanks for the heads up.” You nodded curtly. “Anything else I should know?”

“Yeah, well, uh, just be—”

“Careful. Got it,” you finished the sentence for him.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” he emphasized. “These folks have always been rather isolated from the Camarilla. Last I heard, they don’t take kindly to strangers sticking their noses where they don’t belong. So, if all hell breaks loose in there, I want you to book it and run, alright?”

You frowned, shifting your gaze in his direction. If his intention was to allay your fears, he had done nothing but heighten them. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me.” He flashed you a reassuring smile, but you could make out the hint of unease in the curl of his lips. “Take the car keys when we reach the place, so you have your escape route if needed.”

You let his words linger in the air as you kept quiet throughout the rest of the ride.

━━━━━━━━━━━

Reaching the outskirts of Raccoon City, you were traveling along Stone-Ville Road, where there was nothing but open land. The trees had been cleared from the forest, and multiple estuaries flowed from the Raccoon Dam. The area was sparsely populated, with only a smattering of houses spread out from each other in the distance. At some point, Leon made a left turn into a side road, heading towards a decrepit-looking estate that was slightly off the beaten track. It appeared to bear some similarities to the Spencer Mansion back in Arklay Forest, causing a spine-tingling shiver to sweep through your body.

“Designed by the same architect from the Trevor & Chamberlain fame,” Leon pointed out, seemingly able to read your mind.

“That guy from New York?” You remembered reading about him in magazine articles and the mystery of his disappearance as people mourned the loss of a genius.

“Yeah, so expect surrealist stuff, including puzzles and secret passageways,” he cautioned.

You balked at the thought of having to enter yet another labyrinth like the one at the Tremere Chantry.

“It’s just for a friendly chat,” he asserted, his calming blue gaze meeting yours. “I doubt there’s any need for us to explore the house, unless they make things difficult.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” you muttered, tucking the car keys into your pocket as you stepped in front of a formidable, rusty gate.

It was unlocked, and as Leon pushed it open, it screeched on its hinges like a dead woman's wail, beckoning you towards the crumbling building before you, which was long past its heyday. The refurbished plantation house, where you assumed the Baker family lived, was part of a larger ranch estate, and it looked like something straight out of a slasher flick.

Leon pressed the doorbell, waiting to see if there was any sign of life. A light switched on, its mellow rays filtered through the window shades, and you heard hurried footsteps on the wooden floorboards until the door swung open. An older lady with her dark hair tied back in a loose ponytail peered at both of you in confusion. She wore a tattered, sweat-stained button-up blouse and a brown skirt. Her coarse and wrinkled skin still carried an unfaded tan, suggesting a life of manual labor, where she had tended to the animals and fields under the sweltering sun.

“Can I help you, miss, mister?” she asked in a heavy Southern drawl. “We weren’t expecting anyone at this time.”

“Ma’am,” he dipped his head politely in acknowledgement. “Sorry for intruding on you like this, but there wasn’t any other way to contact you.”

“Well, we don’t want no trouble, young man. Just mindin’ our own business, that’s all.” Shifting nervously from foot to foot, she fiddled with the hem of her cotton blouse, glancing over her shoulder every now and then at a blank space behind her.

Your attention was drawn to the area she kept looking at, and as you concentrated on it, the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end. You had the strangest sense that someone was there, but you couldn’t make out any shape or figure, just an energy. An icy chill gripped your head, as if cold hands were feeling along the grooves of your brain. You shuddered, realizing that whoever it was knew that you were aware of its presence.

“We don’t want any trouble either,” Leon assured, raising his palms slightly to indicate a truce. “We just have some questions we could use your help on, regarding an attack a couple of nights ago.”

The woman still clutched onto the door apprehensively. “Why? Who sent you?”

“The Prince put us on the investigation,” he disclosed warily.

At that moment, a shadowy figure materialized behind the woman, taking a few seconds before you could make out his features in the dim light. He was an older man, around the same age as her, balding and wearing spectacles. Likewise, his yellow striped shirt and beige pants were worn and filthy, as though he hadn’t changed out of it for decades.

“Prince?” he questioned defensively, placing his hand on the small of the woman’s back. “What does the Prince want? We didn’t do nothing wrong, son.”

“No, you didn’t,” Leon agreed, quickly following up with an explanation to assuage the man. “We have the assailants in custody, but it appears they’ve been brainwashed and manipulated through Dementation — a skill that you’re well-versed in.”

The man eyed him like a hawk as Leon continued, treading on thin ice. “We thought we could use your expertise, and if you might’ve picked up on anything out of the ordinary in the vicinity.”

There was a pregnant pause before the man relented, “Fine, you got 5 minutes to ask us anything you wanna know, son.” Pushing the door wide open, he gestured for you to enter. “Come on in.”

As you stepped into the gloomy premises, he pointed at you, flashing a warning glance in your direction. “And no more snoopin’ around, young lady.”

Oh, right. You must’ve unwittingly activated one of your powers earlier to sense his presence, when he had relied on his Obfuscate Discipline to remain hidden. “Sorry, my bad,” you mumbled. “It was an accident.”

He nodded, turning around to make his way into the living room where a dining table was situated. “You girls can come out now,” he hollered.

You saw a younger woman with jagged, short hair emerge in a similar fashion to how the man did before, sitting at one of the chairs at the table. Despite that, you greeted two people as Leon had instructed, and he followed suit. A round of introductions followed, where you learnt that the older couple were Jack and Marguerite and their two daughters, Zoe and Eveline, with the latter being the youngest at 10 years old.

Marguerite disappeared into the kitchen for a bit, only to return with a tray of crockery. She handed out cups to everyone and poured a red, viscous liquid from a teapot. Jack grumbled in the corner that it was meant to be a short meeting, but at the same time, couldn’t help but appreciate his wife’s hospitality. Bringing the cup to your nose, the liquid smelled musky, like earth, and you wondered where it came from.

“It’s the best I can offer at such last minute notice,” she apologized, wiping her hands on her blouse as she sat herself down. Twisting her head in the direction of the empty seat next to Zoe, she cooed, “But Evie likes it, don’t ya, sweetheart? That’s it, drink up now. Little piggy’s blood is good for you.”

You watched as the cup on the table remained motionless, while Marguerite bombarded the invisible entity with sweet words of encouragement. Trying to ease the awkwardness in such a situation, you took a mouthful of the liquid from your cup. It was the first time you tasted animal blood and as much as you hated to admit it, it was incredibly bland compared to human blood. Like a simple gruel versus a gourmet meal. Then again, neither could bagged blood beat the real thing, though you tried not to dwell on it. You smiled politely over at Zoe, who threw you a sympathetic look.

“You’re new, huh?” she asked shyly, cocking her head as she gazed at you.

“Mm hm, about a week.” You took another sip and pursed your lips, swallowing the liquid like a chore that had to be done.

“Ooh, a baby!” Marguerite interjected, suddenly interested in the conversation between you and Zoe. You imagined she was the social butterfly of the group. “Maybe Evie can show you a few tricks.”

At this, Leon rested his hand over your arm protectively, forcing a strained smile. “Perhaps another time? We really should get down to business.”

“Ah, city boys and their ‘business’,” Jack remarked, stretching his legs out and crossing them at the ankles. “Well, what can we do for ya?”

You heard Leon speak, but his voice seemed to drone on with the others, and out of nowhere you started to enter a tunnel vision. In your line of sight, you spotted a framed photo of the Baker family, though something was amiss. There was a young man in the picture you hadn’t met yet. He was thin and lanky, and had a hoodie on that obscured part of his face. Leaning back on the couch, he stared directly back at you with a bored look in his hollowed eyes.

It took you a while, but you managed to snap out of it, uttering the first thought that came to your mind, “Is that your son, mister?”

All at once, the mood in the room shifted, taking a dramatic turn for the worse. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on you as Jack ordered ominously, “Get the hell out.”

You opened your mouth in protest, but Leon beat you to it, rising up from his seat as he contended, “Look, she didn’t mean anything by it. We’re sorry, alright? Could we just—”

“Shut your goddamn mouth, boy!” Jack bellowed, his command resonating across the room.

Leon’s body grew rigid and he remained mute. Dread seeped into your bones as you observed the previous scene of peace and tranquility descend into an utter nightmare.

“Mama, Evie’s getting upset,” Zoe announced in a tiny voice.

“Argh! See what you’ve done now?” Marguerite shrieked as she stomped around the room in a temper tantrum. “This is your fault!” she accused, glaring at you and Leon.

“You barge into our house and threaten my family? This won’t do!” Jack shook his head menacingly as his eyes glowered. “I’m just gonna have to teach you a lesson.”

His eyes changed into an otherworldly shade and Marguerite joined him, speaking in tongues. They gazed at Leon as if engaged in a séance. However, Zoe remained separate from their antics, looking on in fright. You stood rooted to where you were, bracing for the worst, but nothing happened. It was only when you saw Leon sink to the ground on his knees, his face pale as a sheet, that you realized he was bearing the brunt of your transgression.

He was taken back to years ago, at the height of his blood bond, where he would do anything to win Ada’s affection. Her interest in him had begun to wane and he was sure she was seeing another lover. But this time, he would bring her the vessel that would change her mind about him and guarantee her everlasting love.

There he was, at that godforsaken group home, the one linked to the Catholic church he had frequented when he was still alive, and where he would sell his damned soul for a second time to the Devil. All it took was a flash of his police credentials and a charm or two from his arsenal of skills he had honed to entrance the nuns keeping watch over the children.

“Sherry, are you ready to go?” He extended a hand towards her.

This wasn’t his first rodeo. Ada and him had been noticing the little girl for a while, testing to see if she would be a worthy vessel for the Prince himself. After all, Ventrues were extremely fussy drinkers and Wesker expected a Michelin star meal every single time. The only thing stopping him from delivering the girl over was a vague sense of morality he still had within him. But he was desperate enough now to dash it to the ground for a chance at his sire’s approval again.

The girl had dressed into her school uniform, a hairband holding her blond tresses out of her face as she peered up excitedly at him. “Yes, let’s go!”

She would have done anything to get away from the home where she never slept well and felt alone despite being in a room full of kids around her age. Where Leon was taking her sounded like a glorious fairytale. A palace with a prince, she imagined, a place where she would be treated to all the luxuries her current life could never afford her.

“Oh god, no!” he cried out, doubling over on the grimy floor of the Baker House.

Sherry was haunting him again. Everywhere he looked, he saw multiple copies of her like a cracked mirror reflecting her ghost on its uneven surface. He heard layer upon layer of her laughter, jumbled and out of sync, mocking and taunting him. Paranoia sank in and he curled himself into a fetal position, pleading for no one in particular to forgive him.

“Sherry, please, we have to go!” he urged.

This was years later, when he had some sense knocked into him from the time he hung out with the Anarchs. He wanted to right his wrongs, and free the girl who was never meant to be trapped in the underworld in the first place.

But she had changed. She was older and wiser, and knew exactly what she wanted — it was definitely not to leave.

Yanking her hand back, she kicked her feet, stamping on the ground as she yelled, “No! I want to stay!”

He was shocked by her absolute conviction in remaining within the prison where she was held, like a pretty songbird for the rest of the Kindred to gawk at. “But…”

“You can’t make me!” she screamed, red in the face.

Rendered speechless, he didn’t know what else to do than stare at the crying child before him with his jaw hanging open. He thought he was saving her, like a knight in shining armor, but she didn’t need any saving. She was perfectly happy where she was.

“One day, I’ll get you out of there. I promise,” he babbled on repeatedly, reduced to nothing but a trembling mess before the Malkavians.

During the entire period when Leon appeared to be suffering from a mental breakdown, you were torn about what to do. He had told you to bolt the minute something like this took place, but you couldn’t leave him to fend for himself in this state. You didn’t understand what he was blabbering on about. Was Sherry his sister? Where was she? What happened to her?

A million thoughts raced through your mind, but you shut them down. You needed to pry Leon away from the family’s cold clutches and keep him safe. Mustering your courage, you approached the one who seemed to be the most reasonable of the lot. She still sat in her chair, gazing upon the scene with a vacant yet troubled expression.

“Zoe?” you called out softly, hoping it wouldn’t escalate the situation. “Please, we don’t mean any harm.”

Her eyes darted towards you.

“I know you’re just trying to protect your family,” you deduced, especially from the way they had been on edge the moment you stepped onto their property and inadvertently brought up one of their own.

“We need the information, but I swear to you we will keep whoever it is you’re trying to protect safe,” you promised.

Her breath hitched, and she looked at you with glassy eyes. In the background, you could hear Leon’s gut-wrenching whines of pain.

“Zoe, please!” you begged, your brows furrowing and tears on the verge of spilling from your eyes. You couldn’t bear to witness him in such agony any longer. It felt like your heart was shattering into pieces, though you couldn’t explain why.

“Eveline, stop,” her calm voice sliced through the air and the buzzing energy died down.

Her parents came out of their hypnotic state and Leon stopped shaking uncontrollably, though he backed himself into a corner in fear. You rushed to his side, holding him in your arms as you checked his eyes to see if he had fully returned to the present.

“You stayed…” he whispered, reaching out to touch your face, as though he was trying to ascertain if you were real.

In an instant, you pulled him into an embrace, rocking him gently as you stroked his hair. “You’re okay, Leon. You’re safe.”

After a while, he relaxed into your arms and his breathing returned to its normal tempo. The Bakers exchanged worried looks but said nothing as they gave him time to recover. Finally, Jack broke the silence. “I-I’m sorry about what happened there, son. Just been a lot going on these days.”

You turned around, deciding to take the reins as you spoke for the two of you, “I understand, and as I promised your daughter, we’ll make sure that, um—”

“Lucas,” Marguerite offered.

“—Lucas won’t get hurt.”

Jack nodded, taking off his glasses as he wiped the sweat off his brow. “You see, how we work is through what others call premonitions or clairvoyance, and all that mumbo-jumbo.”

Clearing his throat, he continued, “Well, lately we’ve been sensing a bunch of Sabbat activity in the city. Their symbols are everywhere, like little red hotspots across the center. They’re planning more of these attacks for sure, just heading down along the river.”

“Circular River?” you probed.

“Uh huh, the one closest to town,” he concurred. “And, uh, I’m guessing you were also here about the Cobweb?”

“Yeah.”

He swallowed anxiously as Marguerite took over. “It don’t always speak to us, and sometimes it’s hard to make out what it says. But we heard somethin’ the other night.”

She paused, adjusting her hair restlessly before she divulged, “It was Lucas’ voice, carried like a wave by a thousand voices, saying his name is nobody. That stood out, but we don’t know why.”

Nobody said they were nobody…

You caught a flicker of recognition in Leon’s eyes as you recalled what the man had said during Jill’s interrogation. Was Lucas responsible for all of this?

“Where’s Lucas now?” Leon asked, his voice still a little unsteady.

“He don’t want to be found.” Jack shrugged dejectedly. “My boy’s always been a real firecracker. Left home one day and never came back. We think he’s with them — the Sabbat.”

“But he’s a good boy,” his wife insisted. “Please don’t hurt him.”

“We just want him to come home,” Zoe added. “Evie wants her big brother back.”

The joy and curse of familial bonds. You could get behind that.

“We won’t breathe a word about Lucas,” you pledged, overriding your sire’s authority as you answered on behalf of him as well. “Right, Leon?”

You could see the discomfort in his expression, though he grunted an affirmative reply.

As Jack showed you out of the house, you thanked him and his family for their assistance, though a final question came to your mind. “Can Dementation have long-lasting effects?”

“With the right choice of words, it can.”

━━━━━━━━━━━

To play it safe, you took over the driving on the way back as you and Leon discussed the information you had gleaned from the Bakers.

“You think Lucas is the one?” you asked as you stopped at a red light.

“No, I don’t think he worked alone,” he opined. “It took two of the Bakers to bring me to my knees.”

There was a momentary pause as he clenched his fist at the memory, exhaling another deep breath of air. “I know we are talking about manipulating a group of lesser vampires, but unless he’s a prodigy we’ve never discovered, there were most likely others involved at the same time.”

“Makes sense,” you agreed, easing off on the brake pedal to switch over to the accelerator as the lights went green again.

“You still want to protect the guy, even after what he did?”

Your grip tightened on the steering wheel, causing your knuckles to turn white. A promise was a promise, and there was more than enough bloodshed these nights.

“Yes,” you forced the answer out through gritted teeth. “Got a problem with that?”

“I admire you,” he murmured, dispelling your misgivings. “Your compassion.”

You felt your anger dissolve as you followed up with a suggestion. “It’s never too late, you know?”

He gave you a weak smile but remained silent for the ride home.

Back at his apartment, you noticed that he still seemed shaken by the night's events as he kicked off his shoes and sat on the couch, gazing blankly into space. Was he going to doze off in that position? You had already changed into a loose muslin nightdress and gone through the usual bedtime preparations.

Strolling over, you sat down beside him, trying to strike up a conversation. “They spooked you real bad, huh?”

He didn’t laugh at your joke, though he acknowledged it. “You can say that again.”

This wasn’t like him at all. You grabbed his shoulder in concern. “Hey, you don't seem okay.”

“I’ll be fine,” he sighed, looking away from you to his lap. “And… thank you for back there.”

“I would never abandon you like that,” you stressed, even if you hadn’t forgiven him for turning you… yet.

He glanced at you with his watery blue eyes in appreciation, but you could tell that his mind was in a distant place elsewhere. Even though he tried to hide it, you saw his hands quivering, and you hoped that what the Bakers had done wasn’t permanent. You knew he was trying to put on a brave front, but a part of you felt uneasy about leaving him on his own.

“Um, why don’t you sleep next to me today?” you offered hesitantly.

He peered at you quizzically. “You sure?”

“Yeah, just get dressed, alright?” You made your way up the stairs and waited for him by the bed before he could argue any further.

He joined you later, clad in a plain t-shirt and sweatpants, keeping a respectable distance as he lay beside you. There was a nervous energy to him.

You drew nearer, caressing his arm tenderly. “We don’t have to talk about whatever you saw in there,” you affirmed. “I’m here if you need me.”

He tucked your hair behind your ear as a stray tear fell onto his face. Wrapping your arms around him, you closed the gap, breathing in his scent as you felt his hands along your waist. It seemed as if an eternity had passed before you released each other. His nose nudged against yours as his warm breath grazed your cheek. When his gaze lowered to your lips, you didn’t have to think or doubt what would come next.

Leaning in, he placed his soft lips over your own, kissing you intimately as he savored your taste in his mouth. Instinctively, you kissed back, running your fingers through his messy locks as your tongue licked across the seam of his lips. A low moan escaped his throat as he pressed up against you, claiming your lips again and again. It was the last thing you remembered as daysleep enveloped you like a cocoon, lulling you into a temporary hibernation.

#leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy #leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy angst #leon kennedy fluff #resident evil #vampire au #vampire the masquerade #vtm #crossover #porcelainscribbles

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lovelyo · 2 days

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Season 3 part 2 will be Ass. Let me Tell You Why.

Cause in the end, Penelope, Lady Whistledown, the one who has left devastation in people’s lives will get all what she wants. The man that she wants, the attention that she wants, the family she always wanted to be(so envious of them she talked shit about them ), will get her best friend back, might have the heir for that dumbass Featherington plot line, might get the Queen’s pardon and above all else, will most likely not give up LW cause they made LW such an integral part of the show.(so in that case, she’ll be even more filthy rich)

And if we go by leaked spoilers, it is said that Colin will be mad at Penelope for like 1 episode until Kanthony talks some “sense” into him. So that just tells me Kanthony will be OOC because there’s no damn way Anthony would let that beast comment about his wife slide.

There are no stakes when it comes to this season cause we all know how it’s finna go down. If Penelope gets any type of consequences, then her very undeserved HEA is doomed so everything is going to have to go her way for the already idiotic plot to make some form of sense. It’s like the love triangle in part 1, what the hell was the point of Lord Debling when everyone and their ancestors knew Colin and Penelope were end game? So we can see Colin’s cringe angst? If we already know the answer to the love triangle, there’s no point. The “find you a husband” plot line was stupid as shit anyway, but it’s whatever now.

Ugh, then we have to sit through more awkward love scenes between asshat 1 and 2

Eloise threatening Penelope with her LW identity is going to amount to nothing cause we know Penelope isn’t gonna receive any comeuppance. Matter of fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made Eloise apologize to Penelope for…🤷🏾‍♂️🤷(let’s apologize to the toxic friend for not dealing with their toxicity)

For Penelope to have a happy ending, she has to get away scot free and that’s what boils my blood. I hate in media and literature when a character goes around, creates chaos and receives nothing for it or just a slap on a wrist. I’ve noticed an increase in it lately too. Also, I’m tired of writers not severing their bias from their writing. I’ve been encountering many series lately where the writer(s) have favoritism towards a specific character and gives them the easy route, bends the world for them and pull punches just because they like them so much. It’s really aggravating cause you see everyone else getting put through the wringer and then you see the favored character walking through Candyland. It hurts the story, the character, and frankly makes you hate the character.

Everyone around Penelope is gonna act brain dead in order for Penelope to get what she wants and I’m not here for it. Even the general audience ain’t for it. The only people cheering this madness are the asylum patients called Polin fans with delusions that Penelope deserves the world.

I’m not even looking forward to Francesca and John’s story cause of the Poolin fecal matter I’ll have to swim through to get there. At this point, I’m might just watch spoilers of part 2 cause it’s not worth it.

P.S. Watch Cressida get the short end of the stick cause she’s the “bully” of the show and Penelope is the “victim”. Watch them break Creloise because of the “I don’t want you hanging around Eloise” subplot which will ultimately fuel Eloise and Penelope becoming friends again. Also, Penelope and Cressida competed for Lord Debling just for Penelope to go “sike” and marry Colin so she wasted Debling’s time and made Cressida feel like shit because she wasn’t chosen. P.S.S- Polins are huge ass hypocrites cause they ragged on Eloise being privileged and having “everything” but are silent about Penelope being privileged. By the end of this season, Penelope will basically have everything, even more so than Eloise, but sure, Penelope is definitely not privileged 😑. Penelope is privileged inside the world and outside by production, why are we denying this?

#anti penelope featherington #anti polin stans #anti polin #bridgerton season 3 is already a 4/10 #Penelope irks my soul #Get ready for everyone to be OOC for Penelope #Colin is an idiot #Cressida > Penelope forever and always #No stakes at all in this season #Eloise please stay friends with Cressida #bridgerton

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missmatchablossom · 4 hours

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Gojo x Reader Royalty AU | Part V.

summary: you are a princess in an arranged marriage with the crown prince of the country, satoru gojo. gojo leaves on a trip, leaving you to face your true feelings for him

a.n.: I just wanted to thank everyone who follows this series and takes the time to leave me comments about it! you are the reason I enjoy writing it <3 enjoy the angst + fluff of part 5!

tags: @lysaray @nourhanfarid13 @geniejunn @weirdoaroundtheblock

A soft rain pattered against the windows to Gojo’s bedroom, casting the grand space in a cool gloom that mirrored your own melancholy.

“Do you really have to go?” you asked quietly, wincing as soon as the words left your mouth. You meant to come off as playful, casual even. But you sounded more dejected than anything as you sat atop Gojo’s enormous four-poster bed, watching your prince pack away his clothes.

Though, by the way Gojo paused to shoot you a smile, he didn’t seem to mind.

“Please accept my sincerest apologies, princess. I tried getting out of it, but apparently I’m so important that ghosting them could cause a cold war or something. Stupid, isn’t it?” he said, the corned of his lips upturned.

You rolled your eyes as you chucked one of his pillows at his head, which he caught easily in a fit of laughter. You layed onto the bed in a huff, curling up towards the edge with your back facing the prince.

Am I the only one sad that he’s leaving? you thought, burying your face into the pillow you hugged to your chest. The familiar sweet scent of his shampoo was a welcome distraction from your inner turmoil.

Gojo would be leaving the palace tomorrow morning to embark on a two week-long trip to visit the neighboring countries. He would be meeting with fellow blue bloods, doing important work to strengthen relations before your wedding.

Rationally, you knew two weeks wasn’t a long time. But when you were used to ending your nights cuddled into his side, it felt like eternity. There was an unspoken agreement that Gojo would slip into your room at night, and no matter how late he finished his work, you’d be up waiting for him. He’d outstretch his arm, beckoning you towards him with a smile on his face no matter how tired he was.

Your jolted in surprise as Gojo crouched beside the side of the bed you were on, leveling your eyes with his. He tilted his head slightly as he looked at you, sending your heart into a fury with his proximity.

“Are you mad at me?” he asked softly, reaching out to brush a lock of hair behind your ear. It was a gesture he repeated often, but it nearly coaxed your heart out of your chest each time he did it.

“No,” you began, cheeks burning as you fiddled with the pillowcase. He watched you patiently, all traces of his earlier teasing mood gone.

“I’m just going to miss you.”

You watched as your favorite blue eyes softened before you. He shut his eyes, leaning forward until his face was buried in your side, the cool, delicate skin of his eyelids pressing against your arm.

“Maybe I don’t have to go after all,” he murmured.

You giggled as you slipped your hands into his hair, something you did for him often to help when he had heacaches. He sighed as he leaned into your touch.

“Just come with me,” he said.

Oh, how you wanted to. But your schedule didn’t allow it, since you were undergoing strict “crown princess training,” filling your days with historical and political lessons to match Gojo’s education.

“I tried getting out of it, but apparently I’m so important that skipping training could cause a domestic war. Stupid, right?” you said, reveling in the hearty laugh he released. You heard him mumble something along the lines of such as smartass before he turned his head to the side so that his face was mere inches away from yours.

“Will you pick a few outfits for me to pack? That way, when someone compliments me, which they undoubtedly will,” he said, throwing a quick wink your way, “I can say my princess picked it out for me,” he finished, the faintest dusting of pink decorating his cheeks.

You mirrored his smile, chewing on the inside of your cheek to mask just how giddy his words made you feel.

“Mm, it will cost you,” you said cheekily, loving the way his eyes danced with humor as he shook his head at you. His eyes always seemed the prettiest when he was looking at you.

“You’re a greedy little thing, aren’t you,” he said, laughing to himself as he disappearing into his closet.

“Good thing I came prepared,” he said, coming out with a stack of his hoodies. You threw your head back and laughed as he set them down beside you, raising his brows expectantly.

Gojo knew you loved wearing his hoodies. It wasn’t because you admitted how much you enjoyed the way his cologne clung to the fabric, making it feel like you were being held by him. You didn’t explain how you loved how casually intimate it was, wearing something of his. You weren’t sure what he thought, actually. Just that you must’ve loved them because of how often you asked to borrow one.

“Well? Do we have a deal, princess?” he said, making sure to drawl out his voice as he called you by his favorite nickname. The one that almost made you blush everytime you heard it, especially when he said it the way he just did.

Instead of responding, you slipped one of his oversized hoodies over your body, enjoying the indulgent look in his eye as he watched you.

Gojo leaving for his flight felt like a hazy memory, something that could’ve easily been a dream if you didn’t know better.

You vaguely remembered being awoken by the sound of shuffling and zippers. You lifted your head up, eyes heavy with sleep as you checked the spot beside you. The spot where Gojo usually occupied was empty, nearly sending you into a panic before you found him at the foot of the bed, the sound of a zipper reaching your ears. He turned to look at you, all dressed up in his formal attire. It had to be a crime to look so devastatingly good before the sun was even up.

“Sorry princess, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he whispered, casting you an apologetic look. You shook your head, too tired you verbally tell him you didn’t mind. It wasn’t his fault that your sleep was already fitful and light, like your body was rejecting a good night’s rest knowing Gojo was leaving.

Gojo padded over to you quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed closest to where you were laying.

Your prince reached out, stroking his hand across the back of your head. You closed your eyes as he cupped your cheek, swiping his thumb against the soft skin.

“Go back to sleep, love. I’ll be back soon.”

You could’ve sworn you felt something soft press against the top of your head before sleep took you, and you woke up to a cold, Gojo-less room.

The hallways seemed dimmer. Food tasted blander. The sky looked duller. Maybe you were imagining things, but you didn’t imagine the sadness that has been nagging you since your prince left. There was no way to prepare yourself for how everything seemed to take more time and effort knowing you couldn’t go to your room at the end of the day and crash into Gojo’s arms, where no stress seemed to exist.

He messaged you as soon as he landed, sending you pictures of himself holding up the sweets he was trying. But the messages lessened as his trip progressed, and the daily news report was eager to tell you why.

You found yourself tuning in to the chanel everyday, watching your prince walk across the screen and shaking hands with a new noble every day. He thrived under the media attention, shooting endless smiles and waves towards everyone itching to catch his gaze. But you knew Gojo, and you recognized the dullness in his eyes. He was definitely tired.

don’t forget to get some rest and eat properly! You texted, sighing. He still hadn’t responded to your texts from before asking if he had time to call.

he’s busy, he’s just busy, you reassured yourself. It was taking all of your mental strength not to worry about him, not to feel disheartened by his lack of contact. He didn’t owe you daily updates…did he? You weren’t married yet.

The impassioned voice of the news reporter ripped you from your thoughts.

“Prince Gojo was spotted sneaking away with another girl! Is a secret love affair going on?”

A sour feeling plagued your chest as an image flashed across the screen. It was an obvious paparazzi shot, taken from odd angles unbeknowst to the subject of the photos. But there was no doubt in your mind that it was Gojo in the photo - you’d recognize his tall frame and proud shoulders anywhere. But his arm was wrapped around the slender shoulders of a girl you didn’t recognize. All you could tell was that she must be someone important or rich or royal by the fabric of her dress, the shine of her hair.

You felt jealousing rearing its ugly head, burning through your body as a wave of nausea hit you.

Who is that girl?

Is he…seeing someone else?

But we’re fiances.

But he didn’t have a choice. He didn’t choose to get engaged to you.

But I thought we had something together?

But you never discussed it.

But he could have been in love with this other girl the whole time and you came between them and ruined it

But….but?

Your bottom lip trembled as you dropped your face into your hands, taking shaky, deep breaths in a failed attempt to stop the thoughts assaulting you.

Maybe you didn’t know Gojo as well as you thought you had.

It was really hard to ignore the palace staff, with the loud glances and whispers you’d been hearing. You weren’t sure if it was pity or concern, but it made you feel miniscule nonetheless. You went about your work with your head held high, meeting their stares with a smile that they quickly looked away from.

As soon as you were alone, your brave face would crumple. There wasn’t much you could bring yourself to do except wander the outskirts of the palace, where you found comfort in being hidden amongst the lush overgrowth. Hidden away from the heavy eyes of the palace, hidden from the tabloids speculating about your failed engagement, hidden from the texts Gojo sent you.

sorry princess, they’re working me to the bone

I’m free to call now if you are

I miss you

princess?

everything okay?

can we talk?

You plopped down at the base of a tree, sighing as you read over the texts you’d received but didn’t respond to for the past two days.

It’s okay, I know you’ve been busy. Don’t forget to eat okay? We can talk when you get back

As soon as you hit send, your phone began buzzing with an incoming call. Gojo’s contact picture popped up on the screen - a picture you took of him laughing and reaching towards the camera. It was your favorite photo of him you’ve ever taken, but right now looking at it filled you with dread.

sorry, I’m pretty busy. I probably won’t be able to talk for a while, you texted, feeling yourself flinch at the lie.

you’re a bad liar, princess

please talk to me

But you couldn’t. How could you talk to him when you were questioning if anything between you two was real, or if it was him just doing his duty? Sure, he treated you well. But he never admitted he had feelings for you. You could’ve been misreading him the entire time.

You knew what you were walking into with your arranged marriage. The most you could ask for was to get along with your fiance, some people were stuck with awful partners. Gojo was never obligated to love you, and it was never something you expected, so why were you hurting so much?

Because I’m in love with Gojo, you finally admitted to yourself.

You slowly sank down against the base of a tree, tipping your head up as the tears rolled down your cheeks. As you came to the realization, your scramble of emotions fought for their spot in the front of your mind. Relief at finally accepting your own feelings. Fear that your love was unrequited.

You sat there for a while, gathering your thoughts as the wind and leaves kept you company.

Once you arrived back at the palace, eyelids swollen and cheeks rosied from the cold, you were approached by one of Gojo’s retainers.

“Pardon me, your highness?” he called out, eyebrows burrowing as he took in your appearance.

“Are you alright?” You shot him a tight smile.

“I’m fine, thank you. Did you need something?” you said, hoping he wouldn’t keep you much longer. The older gentleman narrowed his eyes slightly, and you knew he didn’t believe you. But he didn’t press it.

“I have Prince Gojo on the line, he has been requesting to speak with you.”

Shit.

“Please tell him I’m unavailable,” you asked quietly, bracing yourself for the man to tell you he couldn’t do that.

But the older man looked at you once more, his face relaxing like he could see the exhaustion and stress lining your features.

“Of course, your highness,” he said, tipping his head kindly as you thanked him.

When you got to your room, a tray of your favorite tea and cookies sat on cart next to the door. You swore to give that man a raise when you had the power to.

You had one week until Gojo returned to the palace. One week to figure out how to talk to him again and how to address the photo of him with the mystery woman. One more week for you to chicken out and ignore his texts and calls.

The evening was nearing, and you found yourself once more on the palace outskirts. You leaned your head back against your favorite tree, stretching your legs out to get comfortable. Your eyes burned and your chest felt like lead, but at least you had a beautiful view.

Heaving a deep sigh, you closed your eyes and tried focusing on what you would hear, a grounding exercise you’d been taught recently.

unidentified birds chirping

water flowing

breeze shaking leaves

footsteps

Footsteps? Your eyes shot open. No one ever followed you out here.

“Princess.” a voice began. It was low, haunted even. And painfully familiar.

You turned as you saw Gojo standing before you, dressed to the nines in his navy suit he only wore for official business. His silver locks were disheveled, his face was pale, and he looked uncharacteristically serious. His sweeping gaze felt heavy as it ran over your entire body, as if he were checking you over for an injury.

You blinked up at him, waiting to see if he was an illusion that would disappear the next time you opened your eyes. But he didn’t. He was real, he was here.

“You’re back early,” you stated, offering a small, close-lipped smile. You couldn’t bear to look him in the eye, though.

The harsh sound of his bag hitting the ground surprised you. He reached up towards his neck, roughly loosening the tie you knew he hated wearing.

“I had a more pressing matter to attend to,” he said, and you flinched at the cold lacing his tone.

“Rushing through a trip like that could be bad for international relations,” you commented evenly, not addressing the second half of what he said.

“I could care less about international relations when my wife has been ignoring me for the past week,” he said sharply, running his hand through his hair.

“I’m not your wife,” you said softly, knowing it was a low-blow. He sucked in a breath, kneeling down to be at eye-level with you.

“You will be,” he said with confidence, as if there were nothing in the world that could challenge that. You still didn’t look at him.

He cupped your face gently with his hand, turning your gaze to finally look him into his eyes - where a storm of hurt, confusion, and exhaustion brewed. It was enough for traitorous tears to begin slipping down your cheeks. You shut your eyes as you wept silently, feeling the soft pads of Gojo’s thumbs brushing against the delicate skin beneath your eyes,

“What happened, love?” he said softly, hearing the desperation in his voice.

You took a deep breath, struggling to make out Gojo’s expression through your blurry vision.

“I saw the picture of you with your arm around that girl,” you whispered.

The hand on your cheek froze, and you braced yourself to see a flash of guilt over his expressions. But he continued to stare at you evenly, like he had nothing to hide.

“I know you didn’t have a choice in marrying me. But if I came between you and someone else you love, then I’m truly sorry. I’ll be fine if you w-”

“Okay princess, I’m going to stop you right there.”

“Her name is Utahime. We grew up together but there has been nothing between us ever. In fact, she can barely stand me most of the time,” he said, sweeping his eyes across yours.

“I needed a huge favor from her. We were walking outside and she slipped on something, so I caught her by the shoulder to steady her. If the paparazzi had a front angle, they would’ve seen her flicking my arm off and looking pissed that I helped her at all.”

It hurt your heart, the way his voice wavered as he spoke to you. You had never heard him sound so scared. He was worried you wouldn’t believe him.

“Please say something,” he begged softly, laying his cool hand atop yours.

“I believe you,” you said, flipping up your hand to grip his own. The furrow between his brows relaxed, the tightness in his jaw easing as he slumped down next to you, in what might’ve been the least princely manner you’d seen from him.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” you asked calmly, turning your head to look at him.

“You didn’t give me the chance. I was losing my mind trying to reach you, princess,” he said, his voice heavy as he gently slid the back of his fingers against your cheek, his hand traveling until his hand cupped the side of your face.

“I’m sorry. The rumors were affecting me more than I thought,” you began, pressing your lips together to steady yourself.

“All I could think about was how you are being forced to marry me. And I began wondering what you would do, who you would be with if you had a choice. How much happier you could be,” you said, the self-loathing thick in your voice as more tears slipped out.

He looked as if you had just struck him. He took a deep breath, a determined look coming over his features as he leaned into your space.

“You’re right that our engagement wasn’t my choice. But it was my choice to fall in love with you,” he said, lifting your palm to his lips.

You weren’t sure if there was a word for how you felt hearing those words. The relief, the joy, the disbelief that Prince Satoru Gojo was in love with you.

“You…love me?” you asked in a whisper, like the words were forbidden. A smile made its way across your lips as you spoke last few words. Gojo’s smile responded to yours - immediately softening his beautiful face.

“I am in love with you princess. I would choose you over and over again,” he said reverently, looking at you in that way of his that made you feel like the only person in the universe.

You launched yourself against him, wrapping your arms around his neck as he caught you with a surprised grunt. His big hands coming up to stroke your back, his arms around you pulling you in close against his chest.

You pulled back slightly, until your foreheads were nearly touching.

“I’m in love with you too, my prince.”

The breath left your lungs as the most gorgeous smile you’d ever seen stretched wide across his features, lighting up his eyes and brightening his face.

“You love me?” he asked, his arms around your waist tightening you even closer to him.

“I love you,” you said again, giggling at the pure, childlike happiness emanating from his face.

Suddenly, you were up in the air as your prince lifted you up and swung you in a circle, like the ending credits of a Disney movie.

The two of you laughed and spun until you were both out of breath, Gojo settling back down against the tree with you on his lap once more.

“You make me happier than I ever thought I could be,” he said, sending the blush straight to your cheeks. But instead of looking away in embarrassment, you shifted closer.

“You took the words right out of my mouth. You are more than anything I’ve ever dreamed of,” you said, leaning up to press your lips against the smooth skin of his cheek.

A beautiful pink dusted across his skin, but that brilliant smile remained on his lips.

“So, can I finally kiss you then?” you asked.

You bit back a laugh at the pure shock on his face - the way his eyes widened, pupils dilated, jaw slackened, like that was the last thing he ever expected you to ask him at this very moment.

“Fuck,” you heard him mutter under his breath.

“My prince?”

“Kiss me, princess,” he said, his voice heady as he spoke.

You smiled as you leaned forward, gingerly pressing your lips to his.

One soft peck to test the waters, the faintest brush of your lips. Then another one - your lips lingered longer, long enough to feel the press of his soft, full lips that chased yours when you pulled back.

You stared into his eyes for a moment, his eyes that looked glazed over and nearly black as he watched you with fevered intensity that must have mirrored your own. You leaned forward once more, tilting your head as you slanted your lips against his.

He groaned softly as he met each press of your lips, one hand cupping around your jaw to pull you even closer to him, the other hand sliding up the hem of your shirt.

“You are so,” he began, speaking in between kisses.

“Soft,”

“and warm,”

“and sweet,” he rasped, sending a shiver of pleasure down your spine as he lightly tugged your bottom lip between his teeth.

You broke away from the kiss for a second, your heaving chest a match to his.

“I love the way you taste,” you said, and it was true. His lips were sweet, and he tasted like the mints he always had.

But your words must’ve struck something in him, as those cerulean eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head as he tugged you to him with renewed fervor, kissing you like he would die if he stopped.

By the time you two finished, walking back into the palace well past sunset, the servants took one look at your linked hands and bruised lips and filled the halls with whispers and giggles.

38 notes · View notes

iamred-iamyellow · 1 hour

Text

je t'aime

♥ pairing: charles leclerc x fem!singer!reader

♥ smau

♥ fluff

♥ notes: here's some more smau while I work on the last part of the folklore series lol (none of the pictures are mine, all were found on pinterest)

♥ masterlist

liked by oliviarodrigo, taylorswift, jackantonoff and 658,892 more

I feel incredibly honored to be featured on the tortured poets department. thank you @ taylorswift <3

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taylorswift <3

*liked by original poster*

user6 A FEATURE???

user7 ~you look like Taylor Swift~

jackantonoff come sing with bleachers now

yourusername JUST SAY WHEN

user5 💗

user8 Y/N AND TAYLOR COLLAB THIS IS NOT A DRILL

user1 now we just need her and liv

user8 and gracie

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

liked by charlesleclerc, arthurleclerc, and 349,673 more

@ charlesleclerc wanna write a piano piece for my next album?

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charlesleclerc lets make it happen

oliviarodrigo goals

user12 how does he have time to write songs, own an ice cream business, AND be a professional athlete?

user8 ?!?!?!?

user7 taylor and now CHARLES??

user14 I'd literally pay to see this

user9 this is straight out of a fanfic

user2 right??!!

user1 unrelated but you're stunning

user3 THE SCREAM I SCRUMPT-

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

liked by charlesleclerc, tatemcrae, gracieabrams and 1,340,875 more

sixteen days is out now! special thank you to @ jackantonoff my amazing producer and @ charlesleclerc for writing je t'aime with me

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tatemcrae ITS SO GOOD

yourusername THANK YOU TATE ILY

charlesleclerc how about a full album next? 😉

yourusername 👀

user6 THE WINK-

user12 oh they're so in love

user9 don't tease us

user8 when are we going to talk about the lyrics in je t'aime???

user7 sixteen days... isn't charles' number 16?

user2 they're leaving crumbs

user4 I'm going full inspector gadget, national treasure, sherlock holmes right now

user3 this album is amazing

user18 JE T'AIME IS SO GOOD

user17 traffic and we couldn't stop are my favorite

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

time skip - one year later

liked by yourusername, arthurleclerc, and 506,723 more

happy one year mon cheri ❤️

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yourusername I love you <3

charlesleclerc je t'aime

user6 WAIT ONE YEAR?

user4 wait that means they've been dating since their first song together

user7 they've been dating this whole time???

user8 they're so cute

arthurleclerc does this mean I get free tickets to your concert

yourusername no

arthurleclerc I'm literally the one who got you two together

yourusername my extra ticket goes to leo

arthurleclerc fair enough.

38 notes · View notes

bitchesuntitled · 6 hours

Text

Friday Night

Summary: First time Frankie tells you he loves you and finally meeting the boys.

Part of the Parents to Lovers series, set between Paint with Me and Between Us

Warnings/Tags: MDNI, GO ON GET! Cuteness, little splash of smut, oral M!receiving, anxious reader, cussing, I think that's it but if anyone sees something I should add that I forgot let me know!

A/N: Happy Frankie Friday!!! Thank you so very much @beefrobeefcal, my fellow Frankie obsessed friend for taking a look at this and continuously helping me with my writing. @endlessthxxghts for also taking a look at this and offering your expertise much appreciated bb! Last but not least, @jay-zzle GUURRRLLLLL!!! Moodboards(like this one), story ideas, screaming with me about Pedro, thank you for meeting my delulu at the same level. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Masterlist||AO3 Link||Parents to Lovers

dividers provided by @saradika-graphics

“I’m so close,” Frankie hisses, gripping the couch cushion, knuckles turning white with the force. His cock twitches in your mouth, your hands feeling the tension in his thighs as you bob along his length, eyes looking up to watch him. His eyebrows scrunch together, chest heaving, his neck and face flushed with a crimson color.

He groans, watching your swollen lips wrapped around him as he comes into your mouth.

“I love you.”

Your eyes widen at his words as you swallow every drop with a hum. Releasing his length with a soft pop, you crawl into his lap. You couldn't help but let your smile spread across your face. Leave it to you and your luck to have the man you are smitten with admit he loves you as you make him come with your mouth.

Frankie's eyes remain heavy lidded as he watches you with a half-smile tugging at his lips.

"So," you giggle, walking your fingers up his chest with a cocked eyebrow. "You love me, huh?”

He grabs the back of your neck, smashing his mouth against yours in a desperate kiss.

“That’s not exactly how I wanted to tell you, but yeah,” Frankie says, neck and cheeks flushing with warmth even more.

“Hmm,” you laugh, “What a way to let a girl know.”

“It’s true though, ya know? I do love you. Definitely didn’t want it to come out that way, had thought of a better way to tell you but shit happens,” Frankie says with a shrug.

“I love you too.”

“Yeah?” he asks with a grin, “So, does that mean you’d want to meet the guys finally?”

The men are more so brothers to him than friends. He’s brought up introducing you to them before, but it just seemed too soon. It’s been five months, and things seem to be going in a more serious direction. You’ve tried to put it off, though now it seems like it might be the right time.

—

Frankie: Sitter just got here. Headed your way 😘

It’s Friday night, you’re finally going to meet Frankie’s friends, the men who mean just as much to him as Missy. Dressed in your favorite jeans, your lucky AC/DC shirt, and your sneakers, you’re pacing outside on the sidewalk waiting for Frankie to arrive.

“You’ve got this,” you mutter to yourself. If anyone were to see you they’d probably think you were nuts but you didn’t care; your nerves were getting the better of you, the voice inside your head making all sorts of suggestions like, why you picked that outfit or that you’re underdressed. “Stop that, you’re meeting them at a bar for fuck sakes,” you hiss at yourself.

You hear Frankie’s truck approaching and stop your pacing. It’s darker out but you can still see him through the windshield, that standard oil ball cap on, and the wide grin on his face when he sees you. He stops beside the sidewalk, leaning over the center console to push the passenger side door open for you.

“Didn’t think you’d be waiting outside for me,” he laughs, as you get in the cab of his truck.

“Nervous,” you shrug, giving him a quick kiss before buckling in.

“Nervous?” Frankie asks, perplexed, “About what?”

“Just nervous they aren’t going to like me,” you say quietly, picking at the skin around your thumbnail.

“Baby,” Frankie says, grabbing your hand, “You make me happy and they know that. That’s all they care about. No need to worry about anything.”

You let out a breath, squeezing his hand. You’re already feeling more calm now that you’re with Frankie.

—

It was a short drive to the bar they frequent the most. Frankie’s told you many stories about this bar and their shenanigans there. As you enter the bar you can feel some of the tension leaving your body. It’s a nice little place, not very well-lit but it gives off a comforting vibe. There’s a jukebox in the corner, a rough-looking gentleman behind the bar, and a table where you see three men beginning to stand, waving at you and Frankie.

“Fish!” A tall blonde shouts, “You finally brought your girl!”

“I did!” Frankie says, his hand at your lower back guiding you over to his friends, “Finally talked her into meeting you assholes.”

Frankie began laughing and giving hugs to his friends before you all sat at the table.

“Alright babe, this is Will, Santi, and Benny,” Frankie says pointing to each man, who in turn raises their hand.

“So he had to convince you to meet us?” Will asked, raising his eyebrow.

“It wasn’t really like that,” you laugh, “I was just nervous is all.”

“We don’t bite,” Santi said with a smile, “Well not all of us,” he added, glancing at Benny.

“It was one fucking time. Will you let it go?” Benny grumbled, crossing his arms, “I told you if you didn’t let me go I was going to do it.”

“I’m gonna get a beer,” Frankie said, nudging your arm, “Want anything?”

“Margarita, please.”

“Sure thing,” he said, kissing your temple before leaving the table.

“So,” Will started, leaning closer to the table, “You get along with Missy?”

“Fuckin’ hell,” Santi murmured, “Ironhead, leave her alone. Remember meeting Nora at Missy’s birthday party last month?”

“Nora?” Benny asked, whipping his head towards Santi, “The one that hit me in the nuts with the water balloon?”

“She did what?!” You asked, “I’m so sorry!”

“Guys, this is Nora’s mom,” Santi explained, gesturing towards you.

“Oh fuck! I forgot you’re a MILF!” Benny exclaimed, earning him a smack from Will to the back of the head.

“Here you go, babe,” Frankie said, setting your margarita down in front of you. Immediately grabbing it to take a drink, hoping it soothes your nerves after that small interrogation from Will.

—

The conversation and drinks flow as you hear more stories about Frankie, Santi, Benny, and Will. From their time in the army and their many adventures in life after. You learn that the men have been there a lot for Frankie, his journey as a single dad, and the struggles he’s dealt with. It’s apparent that Missy is a big part of their lives just as she is in Frankie’s. They each spoke fondly of her and how much they adore her.

“I’ll be back,” Frankie grunts, standing up with a stretch, “Bout to piss myself.”

“Please don’t,” Santi laughs, “I don’t have a spare pair of pants this time.”

You give Santi a curious look as Frankie glares at him shaking his head, making his way to the bathroom.

“Story for another time, hermosa,” Santi says with a wicked grin.

“What’s the deal with you and Frankie?” Will blurts out, once Frankie is out of earshot.

“Yeah,” Benny agrees, “What’s the deal?”

“Not quite sure what you mean,” you start, “But if you’re asking what we are, he’s my boyfriend and I’m his girlfriend?”

“No, we get that,” Will replies with a sigh, “What I mean is what are your intentions with him? Where do you see this going?”

“Jesus christ, Will,” Santi scolds, “You need to leave her alone with the intense questions!”

“I’m just a concerned friend,” Will snaps, then turns towards you, “Do you see this lasting long term or is this just a fling?”

“Well,” you start, “It’s not just a fling by any means. I love Frankie. I know you are looking out for him and are protective, I can respect that. No need to worry though, the last thing I would want is Frankie’s heart to be broken or mine.”

“Do you get along with Missy?” Benny pipes in, “You never really answered that question earlier.”

“Missy is such a sweetheart. I have her over at my house all the time to play with Nora and she loves it when she gets to stay the night,” you smile thinking about the last slumber party the girls had, baking cookies together making a mess of your kitchen, “She’s a cool kid but we haven’t told the girls yet. We want to wait until we’re more sure of where things are going if you’re concerned about that.”

Will and Benny nod, listening to what you have to say. Santi gives you a warm smile.

“Told you guys,” Santi hums, taking a swig from his beer, “Why would you question anything when Frankie’s been so positive when he talks about her?”

“Rose-tinted glasses my friend, rose-tinted glasses,” Will replies, “We’ve all been there.”

“Hey guys, I’m back,” Frankie says, taking his place beside you, “Sorry, sitter called.”

“Missy okay?” you ask, concern etching your face.

“Yeah, yeah,” Frankie smiles, brushing his hand along your shoulder, “Just wanted to tell me good night.”

“She’s so sweet,” Will smiles fondly.

“She can be,” Frankie laughs, “So did I miss anything while I was gone?”

“Not much,” Will replies, nodding his head towards you with a smile, “Finally got yourself a good one Fish.”

Frankie smiles at you, tips of his ears going a slight pink, and he nods, “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”

#pedro pascal characters #frankie catfish morales #frankie morales x reader #frankie x reader #frankie friday #francisco morales smut #fransico catfish morales #frankie morales fluff

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the-masked-ram · 20 hours

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Fics for Gaza

Here I am taking the plunge. I'm a small blog but fast writer even when it comes to my slower times. So might as well put it to good use.

Planning on joining this fundraiser run by @ficsforgaza and help make everyone happy with some content in the process. Here is my plan of action for my wip and donation costs.

To participate- please make a donation to a vetted fundraiser and send a screenshot/proof of your donation to me in a DM. PLEASE MAKES SURE TO CENSOR ALL YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. (internet safety and all that jazz). In the message also let me know what fic you are donating to and I will adjust expected word counts. These screenshots are merely for keeping things as honest as possible and will be shared with @ficsforgaza

-I obviously will not be taking the money myself. Please send it to one of the vetted fundraisers mentioned in the link below.

$5.00 per 800 words or a full drabble series installment

Link to vetted places to donate here!

As soon as 50% of any of the fics are sponsored I will automatically start on them.

Drabble series-

Sweet and Sour- Ren Kaji x Fem Reader Drabble Series

Your the new girl in the city. You are tough, sassy, but don't know a lick about the gangs, and if your honest you couldn't care less. But something about Ren Kaji catches your eye. He may snap and bark like a feral dog, but you can see through it and he knows it too. Slowly, you become his sanctuary even though you are the one person he's most afraid won't accept him. And he thought he was past all that. (NSFW) 5.00 for full installment

Read Part One here!

False Immunity- Hiei x Fem Reader Drabble Series

Where Hiei learns the ins and out of human courtship. (NSFW)

Find Part One-Five on my masterlist here! 5.00 for full installment (Part Six sponsored, still accepting sponsorts for more parts)

Multichap Fics-

Flawed Hope- Astarion x OC (BG3)

Brit was a paralegal, someone who had a normal life and enjoyed what she did for the most part. Yet, the only true excitement she felt lately was when she played Baldur's Gate Three. A simple video game brought her more joy than her friends or fleeting romances. One night as depression crushes her she wishes to live one day in BG3. Her wish is granted, however the world of BG3 needs her far longer than her wish had originally intended. And the worst part? She does not get along with her favorite vampire in the slightest. (NSFW)

Read the first four chaps here! WC: 558/4000

Falling for Frogs- Sebastian x Fem Reader (SDV)

You are game developer about to make their debut into the market. The world you are about to venture into isn't exactly friendly to those of the feminine persuasion and as such you have flown under the radar using a masculine alias online. After a complete mental break down at a very important convention in Zuzu you realize you need to get away from the city for a bit so you can finish your game. Your best friend who runs a farm in Stardew Valley invites you to come stay with her. However as you stay there and get to know the locals, you realize the cute boy you saw at the con is her neighbor. What's even worse is he remembers you and just to add salt to the wound, he's one of your Kickstarters. (NSFW) WC: 0/3000

Read the first three chaps here!

The Unseen and Those Forgotten- Dabi x Fem Reader (BNHA)

The age of the Greek gods is long past. Dabi is one of the few left, his name in the ancient days had been Hades. Now he skulks among the humans, as a deity at half strength. With the old gods dying, the new ones have taken control of the humans’ feeble minds. There is a storm on the horizon though, quite literally, the end of days is nipping at mortality’s heels and the key to unlocking Kronos’s resting place, the only creature strong enough to put a stop to the apocalypse, is you. Sadly you have no idea what part you will play, after all, you are just an office worker who has an affinity for plants.... WC: 0/2000

Find the first three chaps on my masterlist here! The Hellebore Rift- Hayato Suo x Fem Reader (Wind Breaker) The town of Makochi has changed and so have all the gangs within it. Gone are the days of allies and rival schools. Gone are the days of delinquents battling for top spots and coming home with happy smiles from good fist fights. Now the world has been ripped apart by rifts that tear the very dimensions in two, spewing forth gigantic blood-thirsty monsters. It has forced the gangs to protect only their parts of town from everyone. Even the civilians, even those they once called friends. With those rifts and monsters, humans were gifted with powers, yet everything good always comes with a fall out. You are one of those few, blessed with the ability to Guide, to save those Espers from the toxicity that their own powers created within themselves when they protect their parts of town. You live in a small section Makochi outside any of the gangs control with a scant few Espers to call your own… or well you did until the day Hayato Suo found you. WC 0/2000 (no chapters yet)

Oneshots-

Dog Park with Megumi (no title yet)- You don't have dogs but you find yourself at the dog park everyday because you can't have pets. That's where you meet Megumi Fushiguro (NSFW)WC: 0/15000

A Bouquet of Deadly Thorns- Hanahaki Soulmate Gojo x Fem Reader

The world now is riddled with the phenomenon known as soulmates. You don't know yours but before you can even think about finding them, you must get rid of your growing feelings for Satoru Gojo, the only problem is they've grown suffocating and you've started coughing up blood and flower petals. (NSFW) WC: 3098/8000

Tetsuro Kuroo bar night (no title yet)- The first night you meet Kuroo he was celebrating with his friends who'd just won their volley ball game. You were drinking away your sorrows yet again from another shitty date. Fate had a funny way of making you forget things when he gets dared to make a move on you. (NSFW) WC: 0/10,000

Single Drabbles-

Jo Togame festival day (sfw) 5.00 for full drabble- fully sponsored

Jo Togame the baths (NSFW) 5.00 for full drabble- fully sponsored

#fics for gaza #wind breaker #bnha #mha #jjk #yyh #sdv #sebastian x reader #togame jo x reader #ren kaji x reader #haikyuu!!#kuroko x reader #bg3 #dabi x reader #astarion x oc #hiei x reader

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lucyfrostblade · 2 days

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Hi! Just saw your reblog and I'm so interested in your thoughts on Fig and Kipperlilly being similar, and was wondering if you'd share?

Yes! i am always down to talk about my two favorite fantasy high characters but before we get into it, some assumptions I have made about FHJY that aren't explicit in the text but I won't necessarily be justifying here:

(under the cut)

Kipperlilly was in some form or another manipulated by porter

Kipperlilly truly cared about Lucy, and to a lesser extent the rest of her party

The biggest and most obvious similarity between the two is the anger they feel. When we first see Fig she's a deeply angry kid. She hates her mom for hiding the truth of her parentage and for wrecking their family the way she did. And while she forgives Gilear much faster than Sandra Lynn, she also starts off incredibly angry at him.

Her anger is very justified, and it's centered around the ways the adults in her life mistreated her. Sandra Lynn by hiding the fundamental truth of who she is from her for so long, and Gilear by, before the start of the series, saying that she isn't a Faeth anymore.

Our introduction to Fig is her taking that anger out on both Sandra Lynn and Gilear, and she does almost immediately see the error of her treating at least Gilear the way she does.

Brennan: You see a little tear forms in his eye and you see he says, Gilear: I know that I said some hurtful things when I first found out. Fig: Yeah, you said, “You're no longer a Faeth,” and guess what, I'm not. I'm just Fig now. Gilear: Fig, I'm sitting here with beans on my shirt. Fig: I know, I saw you ate one on the ride here. Gilear: I was hungry, all right? I've put on some weight. You ever heard of a fat elf? You ever heard of it? I've never seen a fat elf in my life and I'm here with a bad comb over and beans on my shirt. Fig: Okay, fine. Gilear: And I'm reaching out to you. Fig: I'm sorry, Gilear, I'm sorry that I got angry at you. You're just some random man, I shouldn't be mean to you.

But for almost the entire season, Fig does not forgive Sandra Lynn. She's still so angry with her that she struggles to see Sandra Lynn as a complex person right up until episode 15 "Family Fires", is unsure as to whether or not Sandra Lynn is a good person worthy of saving:

Emily: Because I am undecided on my mom. Because at first, I felt like I, oh maybe she's a good person, but now I maybe feel like she's part of this ruby plot. Brennan: Go ahead and give me an insight check. Emily: (rolls) 14. (emotional acoustic guitar music) Brennan: (sighs) Your mom has never lived up to the standard you put on her of making your life good and perfect. She never was able to protect you from all harm and suffering in the world. And maybe that's not fair. And she's probably just a person, and those photos make it look like-- Emily: She's a complex person. She's allowed to be. Brennan: Yup.

So anger, and in particular the ways it can make someone lash out, is something that Fig is intimately aware of, something that she has had to fight to control herself. The difference is that the adults in her life helped her, they supported her. Gilear, Sandra Lynn, and Gorthalax all gave her the space she needed to be angry but also helped her move past that.

Kipperlilly didn't have that. To our knowledge she only had Jawbone, someone who only knew her through Aguefort and evidently did not know how to help her in the ways she needed.

There's also the matter of Porter who, in the third episode "After the Afterlife" singles Fig out when she audits barbarian class:

Porter: Let's see what everyone else in the class, [players laugh] what do other people, what do other people kind of think? Like young lady, what do you think about rage? Fig: What do I think about rage? Porter: What do you think about it? Fig: [sighs] Well, I kind of think it's inevitable, 'cause, I mean, like, people really let you down left and right. Porter: Yeah! Fig: So you're always gonna feel rage. It's just a matter of whether or not you use it productively or just whether or not you control it or it controls you. Brennan: A small tear forms in the corner of his eye. Porter: That's exactly right. That is exactly right. That is amazing.

He sees something in her. Porter sees the rage within her, and he encourages it. But more than that, Fig's perspective that "you control [rage] or it controls you" highlights another contrast between Fig and Kipperlilly. Fig learns to control her rage, while Kipperlilly literally gives control up to the shatterstar. But they still have that same rage, just on the opposite ends of expressing it.

We also know that Fig cares deeply about her friends, and that prior to the start of the series, her former friends abandoned her when she started to grow horns. She was alone when she came to Aguefort. She was isolated from her peers and from her family. She found the Bad Kids, and she is utterly devoted to her friends. She'll do anything for them.

But Kipperlilly? Brennan said in an interview with Caitlin Tyrrell that the Rat Grinders didn't know each other before forming the party. We don't know how the party formed really, but we know that she picked out the name the High 5 Heroes.

I think the High-Five Heroes part of it is sweet, but there's actually something even a little bit sinister to it to me, of being like, "We're the High-Five Heroes." And you're like, "You've pitched a name; we all just met. We don't have anything going yet." ( source )

He calls it sinister that she insisted on the name, but I can't see it as anything other than said. It speaks to me of a kid so desperate for friendship that she's willing to force inside jokes for just a hint of that. She doesn't want to be alone, and Fig might've put up a better act, but she didn't want to be alone at the start of Freshman Year either.

The difference is who they found. Fig got the Bad Kids, people who love and care about her. She had support from her friends and from her family. Kipperlilly was emotionally in a very similar state as Fig but with none of that support, and even had people who either couldn't support her (Jawbone) or wanted to encourage this isolation and rage (Porter).

Kipperlilly is Fig if the first day of school went different, if she ended up with people who didn't understand her like the Bad Kids did and if she couldn't get the support she needed from the adults in her life.

#kipperlilly copperkettle #figueroth faeth #fig faeth #dimension 20 #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year #does this make any sense #it's very clear in my head but i worry i rambled #or drew conclusions from no where

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jordyn14 · 1 day

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It Has Always Been You • Joe Burrow Mini Series

Chapter 1: “Hey, hey, hey. What’s with the staring?”

I'm Maisie, Maisie Moreau. The last name is in fact French. Before my mom and I moved to Athens, Ohio, we lived in Monaco. My dad was well known in Monaco because he was an f1 driver. My dad was amazing. Any chance he got, he was bringing me to the race tracks so I could either watch him, or climb in either him so he could show me what he see's every time he got in that car. Those cars that I grew up around, that I thought could do no wrong and were so cool, killed my dad. While he was coming around a corner, he lost control of the car and skidded off the track. Next thing I know, I was watching the car slowly becoming engulfed in flames. At the time I didn't really know what was going on, but my dad was trapped in his car and the rescue team didn't put the fire out soon enough. My dad died.

After that, my mom couldn't stand to live in that house...or in Monaco for that matter. Anywhere she looked, my dad was there, literally. Not only were there so many memories of him around the house or in their favorite restaurants or coffee shops, but there were pictures of him that people put out in remembrance of him. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to see that people were honoring him and his name after such a horrible accident, but we didn't want to keep seeing his face everywhere, it hurt too much. I was 7 when we left Monaco to come to Ohio. Don't ask me why we came to Athens, Ohio, though. Out of every single state that couldn't been home, she chose Ohio. The quiet, empty, high poverty and crime state. I would soon find out that that was the best decision my mom has ever made for us.

Coming into a new school as a second grader where everybody already knew everyone from first grade was scary-no, terrifying. My friends were all back at home and I expected to never find friends. Plus, even though I was raised around English and French, I kept forgetting how to say things, which just made kids laugh. I would come home crying most days asking my mom if we could go back home. I knew she felt terrible because it was a big change, Monaco...the richest country in the world, to Athen's, Ohio. That was until I met Arthur Burrow. Arthur saw me crying under the slide one day and asked me if I wanted to play with him and his friends, he said it was because I had a cool accent. The rest is pretty much history. We became instant best friends, and when I say best friends, I mean inseparable. Everywhere he went, I went, and everywhere I went, he went. Arthur even helped me with my English, even though I still struggle with it sometimes.

Not only did we become best friends, but my mom became best friends with his parents. I mean they kind of had to, Arthur and I wanted to hang out any chance we got. We spend all of elementary school together and when we finally were about to go into middle school, my mom thought it would be a good idea to take us all down to Monaco for a little vacation, even Arthur's parents and brother. My mom kept the house which led to a private beach because she couldn't part with it and frequently visited, so when we got back home, it was like nothing changed. It felt so good to be around people who talked like me. It was like a breath of fresh air. We spent that entire week pretty much in the water, where Arthur learned that he absolutely loved boats. I of course, only 11, asked my mom if we could take the yacht back home. She obviously told me that that was impossible.

I guess it's time that I should also mention Arthur's older brother of three years, Joe Burrow. When people think of Joe Burrow, their minds probably go to the quarterback from the Cincinnati Bengals, but not me. My mind instantly goes to my best friend's dreamy and charming older brother who always had our backs. When someone would make fun of my accent and the way I would forget some words in English, Joe was always there to put them in their place, girls or not. Joe wouldn't let anyone talk bad about his brother or me. You see? Dreamy. That was a crush that started off very very small, but soon got very very big. The first day I realized that I had a crush on him was when Arthur and I who were in 6th grade, went to watch Joe play in his first ever varsity basketball game. The way he ran up and down that court and shot the ball was like sugar rush to me...at least they felt similar.

While Joe was off at LSU being an amazing quarterback and proving everyone wrong, Arthur and I were figuring out ourselves and what we were passionate about. When I was 16, my mom got a call from a modeling agency, and just like Arthur and I, the rest was history. When I reached the age of 18, my name was getting a little bigger and I was modeling for more places than just local businesses. My first big modeling job was for Nike, yes, it may seem small compared to some, but Justice and Gap were even smaller. From there, I started to travel around a little bit for these modeling photo shoots and when I was 19, I modeled for Prada, which was like a dream come true for me.

When I was 18, though, Arthur and I both went to Ohio State. I went for fashion design and out of high school started up my own clothing business, which has skyrocketed these past few years because I really got my name out there with modeling. Arthur went first engineering and now has a big boy job making a lot of money, but obviously not as much as his brother who always teases him about that.

Also at 18, my mom decided to move back to Monaco. It was the second hardest decision's she ever had to make, second to moving to America after my dad passed away. My mom needed to move back, though. Not only to keep my dad's memory alive, but because she missed it so incredibly much. She missed her friends, going to f1 races, going on boat rides whenever she wanted, living near the ocean, and more. We all could tell that she wanted to go back, she just didn't want to leave me, but I wanted to stay. I couldn't leave my best friend. It was hard without her for a while, but we FaceTimed any chance we got, and I also visited whenever modeling, school, or work wasn't in the way. Lucky, I picked up a few modeling shoots with hermés and Dior in Monaco so I could go there for the shoot and stay for a weekend with my mom.

Another amazing thing that about being best friends with Arthur was not only watching his brother go from cute to hot and see him find himself, but also make it to the NFL. It was hard to watch him at OSU and being the backup to the backup. There were so many times where the three of us would go out to lunch and all Joe could think and talk about was football, and it wasn't positive things, really. It was about how he was always the backup and how he never got the chance to prove himself. It was hard on him and we hated seeing him struggle, especially when he hurt his hand and became the backup to the backup. It literally had been amazing watching Joe live out his dream in the NFL because of that. His football career started off extremely rough and not promising, but now he's doing amazing and is proving everyone wrong.

Not only did I get to watch my friend become amazing at football, but I got to watch him while having the biggest crush on him. It was hard not to. He wasn't just extremely attractive and amazing at football, but he was an amazing person. Time and time again he showed just how amazing he was. Whether it was standing up for me and Arthur, helping me with my English when Arthur couldn't, or literally just being himself, he was amazing. He was nerdy, funny, handsome, kind, intelligent. It was literally impossible not to have a crush on him. But at the end of the day, he was my best friend's brother, which meant I always had to push those feelings aside. It wasn't like I ever thought Joe would start to have feelings for me, because that was extremely impractical, but I didn't want anything to come between Arthur and I, and me having a crush on his brother could do that.

Just like we did in Joe's first year of playing in the NFL, we packed our bags and headed to Monaco for a week vacation where Joe could calm down and destress before the first game. Arthur and I always loved visiting Monaco because the legal drinking age was 18, meaning the day we turned 18, we took a trip over here so we could drink legally. Now, at 22, we didn't have to worry about that stuff. Currently, we were all on our yacht, soaking in the last bit of ocean before we had to leave and go back to Ohio. The new season starting back up meant the stress would eventually creep into Joe and he would be insufferable after the losses, meaning that Arthur and I were really soaking up the last bit of fun and stress free Joe. My mom and the Burrow's were all at the front of the boat relaxing and catching up while the three of us were at the back of the boat.

I let out a deep exhale, the sun shining on me feeling amazing. My eyes were shut and I couldn't help but smile. This life was amazing. From in front of me, I could hear Arthur doing flips off of the boat and into the ocean under us. It was moments like these ones that I wish I could live in Monaco. Not only did I love the ocean and the sun, I also loved being around people who spoke the same language as me. Arthur and Joe tried to learn, but they only know how to out a few sentences together. On this yacht, I could tell Joe could forget about the things he was worried about back at home and put his focus into having fun. "Maisie, come in! The waters great!" Arthur yelled up at me from in the water. With a small laugh, I opened my eyes and sat up on my elbows so I could look down and into the water a little bit. Unable to see Arthur, he swam back a little bit and came into view.

As soon as we made eye contact, I waved down at him and we both started laughing. As you can see, I am suntanning. I have a modeling shoot tomorrow before we leave and I want my skin nice and golden." I said with a little "hmph.' After hearing this, Arthur started swimming over to the ladder on the side of the yacht and started to climb out of the water, water trickling off of his body. Don't you dare. When he made his way over to me, he bent down a little so he was closer to me and started to shake his head and body, water getting all over me. "Stop it, you're like a wet dog!" I screamed in French while laughing and got up from the chair. "One, why are you always tanning, and two, slow down your French because I can't understand you." Arthur said and elbowed me in the side a little bit.

Usually when I talk fast or out of nowhere, I will accidentally speak French, which happens more than I'd like to admit, but Arthur just finds it funny. "One, it's a lifestyle, and two, I called you a wet dog." I said and laughed as I watched Arthur's face drop when he heard me call him a wet dog. Scanning Arthur's face, a small smile started to appear before he nodded to himself. "Don't you dare." I said and backed away from him, putting my hands out in front of me to shield myself. All of a sudden, he lunched forwards and grabbed me in his arms, lifting me up off of the ground. I started to flail and hit his back while we both laughed like crazy. "You let me go right now!" I laughed and flailed some more, but soon just accepted it as he got closer to the edge of the boat.

I let out one last scream as Arthur jumped into the water with me in his arms. As soon as my feet hit the water, I plugged my nose to stop any water from getting in it before I was submerged. Arthur let go of me once we were both in the water. After a few seconds of staying under the water, I started to swim to the top and as soon as I surfaced, I looked over at Arthur who was already fixing his messed up hair. "Now I have to wash my hair." I laughed and dipped my head underwater to get the hair out of my face some more. "Good, it looked bad anyways." He joked with me as he started to swim towards the ladder. All of a sudden, I heard the door on the yacht open up and stopped moving so I was floating in the water. I looked up to see Joe walking out. Damn.

Joe was in nothing but his swimming trunks, and obviously a pair of socks since he always wore socks-except in the water, that is. I couldn't tear my eyes off of him and the way every single muscle was showing right now. My eyes scanned over his thick thighs, his muscular arms, his toned abs with the perfect amount of love handles on the sides. I gulped a little at the sight of his perfectly tanned body as he strutted out to us, his chest a bit red from not putting on enough sunscreen, though his mom kept nagging him about it. I would be lying if I said this wasn't one of my favorite parts about being out on the yacht. I was pulled from my thoughts when Arthur started to climb out of the water. Following his lead, I started to climb out after him and crossed my arms over my chest when I couldn't find my towel.

"Your mom is going to start taking us back since you have a modeling shoot in a few hours. Unless you guys want to get in your workout and swim back." Joe said. Both Charles and Joe started laughing at that last bit, knowing I wasn't the best at swimming long distances. Arthur, still chuckling, looked me up and down a little bit and said, "Maisie would drown. She doesn't have the stamina for that." I rolled my eyes while ringing out my hair a little bit. A bunch of water fell onto my feet and onto the boat. I looked up at Joe and saw that he was carrying two towels. "Sorry, I'm not a football player and I'm not a gym rat like you." I said while shaking my head. Joe chuckled a little bit and said, "maybe you should go to the gym with Arthur...beef up those twig like arms while you're at it." I scoffed a little and looked down at my arms. They definitely weren't twigs, they just weren't as big as theirs.

"Thanks but no thanks. My arms are just fine. Plus, I do work out for your information." I said with a little smile and a shrug. Joe just chuckled and held out his hand which held my beach towel. Arthur already grabbed his and was currently running it over his hair to dry it off. "Here you go, Zie." Joe said. My face instantly flushed a shade of red as I heard him call me Zie. Yes, Joe's nickname for me was Zie. When I was younger, I absolutely hated it. Everyone either called me Maisie, May, or Maise, not Zie. I asked Joe just to pick one of those three, but he insisted on Zie because he wanted to be the only person that called me that. That nickname has been such a constant thing that now I even like hearing it because when I hear it, I know Joe said it since he's the only person that uses it. "Thank you, Joey." I reached out to grab the towel from his hand, but noticed Joes eyes go from my eyes to my breasts.

After I grabbed it from him, Arthur started to talk to me about something that I wasn't even paying attention to. All I could focus on was the fact that Joe was looking directly down at my breasts and not talking, just staring. After a few seconds of him looking down at them, he realized what he was doing and quickly looked away and cleared his throat. I wrapped the towel around myself and quickly grabbed my clothes from the chair I was sun tanning on a little bit ago. "Just make sure you don't fall in on the way back." Joe said and turned on his heal. I couldn't take my eyes off of his back muscles and the way his hair blew in the wind as he walked away from us and towards the front of the boat. I couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to run my fingers over those muscles and through his hair.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's with the staring?" Arthur elbowed me a little bit, noticing how I was staring at him. I tore my eyes off of Joe and looked over at Arthur who was putting his shirt on. Deep down, he knew I found Joe cute, and I mean...who wouldn't. It's impossible not to be face to face with a tall, handsome man like Joe and not find him cute. But Joe wasn't just cute...he was totally hot. What makes him even more attractive is his personality and the way he respects everyone. He's gently, caring, compassionate, romantic-and I'm rambling. See what he does to me? That stuff shouldn't matter to me because he's off limits. I couldn't do that do Arthur. Still, it's hard to get Joe out of my head.

"Oh as if." I said and punched his arm. Arthur nodded a little bit and smiled. "Yeah, well, don't get any ideas." He said and wrapped an arm around my neck, pulling me towards him and into a head lock as we headed for the door that led inside where we could get dressed. After a little bit, we finally docked the boat and we walked home, which wasn't too far away. When we got to the house, Arthur and I ran inside to see who could get the best shower in the house firsts, which was the guest bedroom that he stayed in. Why did he get the best shower? I have no idea. All I know is that it's the best in the house and I needed a good shower since I have a modeling shoot soon. We both pushed past Joe who was walking in front of us, making him stumble to the side a little bit. "You guys act like children!" He called out after us as we raced each other, though I could hear him laugh after. "It prevents wrinkles, you should try it!" I looked back at him for a split second while running. Luckily I turned around when I did because if I didn't, I would've totally ran into an end table.

Before I knew it, I was jumping over the couch to get in front of Arthur and then he followed after me up the stairs. Finally, I made it to the bathroom before him and turned around to face him, looking victorious. "Haha, I win, loser. Now shoo. I need to shower quick so I can get to my photo shoot." I said, shooing him away so I could shower. Arthur glared at me for a few seconds before accepting that he lost and walking out of the room and probably another shower. I grabbed everything I needed for my shower including my clothes and then locked the bathroom door behind me and started to strip away my clothes.

Instead of my normal everything shower that took an hour, I showered in 15 minutes since I was in a little bit of a rush. Turning the water off, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me as I shivered a little. Reaching over to grab my clothes which were in my usual spot, my heart dropped a little bit. "Damn it." I said to myself with a sigh, realizing that I forgot them on Arthur's bed. Now I was going to have to open the door and let all of the cool air in. Great. With another sigh, I swung open the door. "Arthur, I think Maisie left you without saying goodbye." Joe chuckles with his back facing me, expecting me to be Arthur. "Oh my gosh!" I said quickly, not expecting Joe to be in Arthur's room while I was showering. Joe looked behind him after hearing someone scream and looked just as shocked as me when he saw that I was in fact not Arthur and I was wrapped in a towel.

Just as soon as he faced me, he was turning around quickly and said, "I am so sorry, I thought you were Arthur." I gripped onto the towel around me so it didn't fall and backed up into the bathroom. I started to shut the door but made sure there was a big enough crack so I could reach my hand out. Just as Joe was about to walk out of the room and give me privacy, I said, "wait," quickly. Joe stopped in his tracks and turned his head to the side so his ear was facing me, but his eyes weren't. Part of me wanted him to look at me and never take his eyes off of me. "Can you hand me my clothes real quick? They're on the bed." I said nervously, feeling stupid for forgetting my clothes and making Joe look at me with nothing but a towel on.

Joe glanced towards the bed and when he saw my clothes, nodded and walked over to them. "Of course." He said and grabbed them, making sure not to unfold them. When he started walking my way, I quickly leaned back from the door so he didn't catch me staring at him and so he didn't see me. I heard his footsteps getting closer to the door and then he said, "alright, reach your hand out." I reached my hand out of the small crack in the door and felt him place the clothes in my hand. "Thank you so much, Joey." I said. "It's no problem, Zie." With that, I heard his footsteps again but this time they disappeared out of the room. I shut the door quickly and leaned my back on it after hearing Arthur's bedroom door shut. "Shit." I said to myself, slapping my forehead.

Once I got dressed, I walked downstairs to see everyone sitting down at the huge table eating a post yacht snack. I always call it a post yacht snack since every time we get off of the boat, we all snack so much. "Alright, shower is free Arthur. I'm going to head out soon. I'll see you all tomorrow." I said with a smile and towards the table. Once I got to the table, I hugged Jimmy and Robin from behind and told them bye and then made my way over to my mom. "Drive safe, sweetheart. I love you." My mom said once I wrapped my arms around her from behind. "I love you more momma." I said and kissed her cheek when she tilted her head near me and patted my arm. Once I pulled away from her, I walked over to Arthur who stood up from his chair.

I wrapped my arms around Arthur and hugged him tightly before we pulled away. When I walked away, Arthur flicked me in the shoulder. "You're a bitch. No wonder why you're still single." I said in French as I continued to walk. My mom started cracking up laughing while everyone else looked at me and then my mom, wondering what I said. "What did you say? What did she say?" Arthur asked me and then my mom from the table, Joe laughed and then said, "she probably called you a jackass, jackass, which is why nobody likes you." I looked over while laughing a nodded a little bit. "Honestly that was pretty close." I told Joe while laughing. I grabbed my Keys from the key bowl on the counter and headed for the door. Before I reached the door, though, I turned around and said, "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye guys!" I said and opened up the door, hearing everyone say bye as I walked out.

A/n: I know this one is short and pretty boring, but the next one is going to be way better, I promise! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! 🫶🏼🫶🏼

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jerzwriter · 2 days

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Mostly Pleasant Surprises 4 / 4 And that's what happened...

This is the final installment of "how they finally got together." 😊 🎊🎈🍾🎊🎈🥳🥳🍾🎊🎈🍾🎊 You have no idea how happy I am that this is finally on 'paper'!

Book: Open Heart (Book 2 Timeline) Pairing: Tobias Carrick & Casey MacTavish (F!MC) Rating: Teen Words: 5,000

Series Summary: It's been months since the chemical attack, and "kind of" exes-turned-friends Tobias & Casey have been stubbornly denying their growing feelings for each other. But when a series of events threatens to come between them, will they find their way back together?

Part 4 Summary: Their friends have given up. Misunderstandings, misassumptions, and good old-fashioned fear lead to turbulence and turmoil for Tobias and Casey, but after a week of no contact, only one of them seems to be hurting, at least on the surface. Tobias is determined to move on, but will his haste put a nail in their coffin or help bring them back together?

A/N: It's finally done!!!!! Did I mention how excited I am? 🥳🥳🥳 I don't care if no one else cares, I CARE, and it's done! My babies deserve this! :) Participating in @choicesmaychallenge24 We've got wine, passion and "Good night, my love."

Series Masterlist || Tobias x Casey Masterlist Full Masterlist

Showing up early to work wasn’t out of character for Dr. Carrick, but showing up at 7:00 AM when his shift began at noon could only mean one thing... he couldn’t sleep. When his good friend, Sasha, realized he was already there at this early hour, she headed to Caffe Bene and purchased two cups of matcha latte. It was her hope that frothy green beverages would be part of a celebration and not something to lift his spirits, but to play it safe, she added his favorite honey bread to her order, just in case comfort food was required. She smiled when she stepped into his office, assuming her worry was for naught when she found him in such good spirits.

“Hey,” she smiled. “I got our favorite!”

“Awesome!” Tobias grinned. “That’s a big improvement over the Lipton tea bag I was about to brew.”

“You’re in a good mood so early in the day,” Sasha noted. “Is there a reason?”

“Sure is! I’ve got a big date on Saturday.”

“Really!” She squealed. “YES! You and Casey finally got your shit together! Now, give me the details! Where are you taking her? It better be someplace nice!”

Tobias took a long sip of his tea and slouched back in his Italian leather chair.

“Who said anything about Casey?”

“You said date... so I assumed... if not Casey... who?”

“Sophia,” he smiled to his friend’s consternation.

“Sophia? Who the fuck is Sophia?”

“I guess I hadn’t mentioned her. I treated her sister in the ER a couple months back...remember the gymnast from BU?”

“I don’t recall.”

“Her sister broke her leg during practice, and Sophia made it abundantly clear that she wanted to show her appreciation. I never called her because... well... I just didn’t. But last night, I figured, what the hell. Now... Saturday night, it is.”

“Jesus,” Sasha groaned, grabbing a slice of honey bread for herself. “You’ve spent the past eight months talking my ear off about Casey. Why the change up?”

“Because eight months is a long time, and Casey’s made it clear that she doesn’t want me that way. So, I’m done acting like some pathetic, lovesick schoolgirl. I don’t know what came over me to begin with.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Sasha insisted. “Love, you idiot. Love came over you.”

“Exactly!” He snapped his fingers. “Something I’ve always done my best to avoid, and it’s time I get back to that.”

“Tobias...” Sasha groaned.

“Tobias, nothing. This isn’t fun, Sash. All this time hoping for something that will never be, just to get my heart ripped out? Nuh-uh. I want to have fun again, and Sophia... she’s a sight to see. She’s up for partner at WilmerHale, and she’s sexy as hell. Old Tobias would have jumped on that months ago, and new Tobias is lucky dragging his ass didn’t ruin his chances.”

“So you’d rather be with Sophia than Casey?”

“Look... I don’t love Sophia, and I don’t want to. I want to kick back and have fun. Eight months pining over Casey – longest goddamn dry spell of my adult life – nope. I’m done.”

“T,” Sasha cringed. “I don’t need to know every detail of your life.”

“Trust me, I wish I didn’t know that little stat either! It’s time to get back in the game.”

“Did you even give Casey a chance to explain what you saw?”

“I know what I saw.”

“But it doesn’t sound like Casey at all. And... even if she was on a date... you two weren’t a couple. Tell her how you feel, and I guarantee she’ll forget about this other dude in a nanosecond.”

He pushed back from his desk, the bravado he was trying so hard to portray beginning to crack.

“Sorry, but after all the time we spent together, all the kisses and her ‘I’m just not ready yet’ professions....”

“Wait! The what?”

“Irrelevant!” He snapped. “If she’d rather be with some mid-white-bread radiologist from Edenbrook, she can have him.”

“Tobias, would you listen to yourself!”

A knock on the door distracted them, and Aurora entered the room, to Sasha’s delight. Feeling the tension, Aurora looked nervously between the two friends and colleagues.

“What’s going on here?”

“Nothing work-related,” Tobias grumbled. “Sasha was just leaving.”

“Tobias, you’re such an idiot!” Sasha turned to Aurora. “Perhaps you can reinforce that after I leave?”

“Uh...he is my boss.”

“And I’m in hospital administration. I can have you transferred to another attending tomorrow.”

“Really?” Aurora grinned. “We may have to talk.”

“Hey!” Tobias yelled. “She’s my best resident! Emery, sit down! You’re not going anywhere. Goodbye, Sasha.”

After reviewing their morning cases, Aurora silently looked over her notes as Tobias grew increasingly restless. He tapped his pen against his desk incessantly before blurting, “What?”

Aurora looked around in confusion. “What, what?”

“Why don’t you just say what you’re thinking and get it over with.”

“Because I have nothing to say. But if you plan on asking me about Casey, don’t. I’m jumping off the Tobias & Casey train.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m not discussing her with you, nor talking about you with her. You two could drive the sanest person crazy, and I’m done.”

“Fine!”

“Fine.”

But Tobias was anything but fine. No matter how hard he tried to focus he turned to Aurora again after a few minutes of typing jibberish.

“Was Casey all right last night?” he asked out of nowhere. Aurora didn’t even look up from her laptop.

“If you’re so curious, I suggest you call her and ask.”

“I don’t want to talk to her. I just want to know if she’s OK.”

“Then it seems you have a problem. Because, as I said, I got off that train. Especially since you’ve got a date with someone else this Saturday.”

Tobias looked up, stunned. “How... how did you know....”

“Your voice carries Dr. Carrick,” Aurora said, shutting her laptop with a thud. “I could hear you and Sasha talking halfway down the hall.”

“All right, so I have a date. I’m single; what’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” Aurora agreed.

“Then, why the attitude?”

“Because I don’t get you. You’re one of the most intelligent people I know, a brilliant doctor, but when it comes to Casey, you act like a twelve-year-old. I understand this is probably predicated on fear and past issues, but if you don’t talk soon, you’ll both live to regret it.”

“There’s nothing to say; we’re just friends.”

“Fine,” Aurora rose to her feet. “Then don’t ask me about her. I like and respect you, Tobias, but mention Casey again and I’ll be talking to Sasha about that transfer.”

“You wouldn’t,” he challenged as Aurora reached the door.

“Oh no? Try me!”

~~~~~

Saturday night at eight o’clock, Casey was home from work and was eager for her own big plans: sweatpants, the couch, a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream, and a spoon. Her friends would be there, too, she reminded herself, so it wasn’t that pathetic.

How the past week had dragged at a snail's pace yet also went by in a flash remained a mystery to her. But not communicating with Tobias since Sunday likely inspired the former. This was the longest they had gone without contact since the attack, and while she put on a brave face, it was eating her alive. Seeing his jovial posts on Instagram didn’t help. She took them as reinforcement of what she believed to be true. He didn’t want her. At least not the way she wanted him, and he probably never did. If heartbreak wasn't enough to cope with, feeling like a fool just added insult to injury.

“I really think he’s merely protecting himself,” Sienna stated as the friends tried to agree on a movie. “He’s probably as scared as you are. We all know he cared about you.”

“Cared,” Casey repeated, bringing another spoon of ice cream to her mouth. “Past tense.”

“But that’s not true,” Bryce jumped in. “I ran into him just before he went to Donahue’s. He was heading there to tell you how he felt. I didn’t say anything sooner because you were so upset, but you should know.”

“Really? Then why the 180? He wanted to tell me how much he cared but saw me sitting across the table from Jake and did an about-face? Then he didn’t care as much as he believed.”

“In fairness, you were holding the guy’s hand,” Sienna noted.

“Barely!” Casey snapped. “Besides! He should have known better.”

“Oh, for fucks sake!” Aurora groaned as all turned her way. “Casey, stop it. I swore I wouldn’t reenter the Tobias/Casey drama, but I can’t take this anymore. You’re not exactly innocent either.”

“Excuse me?”

“Maybe Tobias jumped to conclusions because you had been giving him the cold shoulder for a week before he saw you with Jake. He probably surmised that was the reason why!”

“But she only did that because of Audrey’s post,” Sienna defended.

“Yes!” Aurora acknowledged. “Because Casey thought he was on a date with Audrey, but guess what? He wasn’t. But you were quick to believe the worst and wouldn’t give him a chance to explain. Does that sound familiar?”

“I was going to ask him about Audrey's post when we had lunch the next day... but he canceled.”

“You were going to ask him a week later? Casey, I know you’re both scared, but you’re so afraid of getting hurt that you are hurt when you don’t have to be!”

“But he didn’t even let me finish a sentence. Every time I tried to explain, he shut me down!”

“And how many of his texts did you ignore after Audrey’s post?” Bryce asked. “You need to talk to him, Case, before you guys blow this for good.”

“Exactly!” Aurora agreed. “All these games, and now he’s on a real date, and who knows...” she froze mid-sentence, her eyes wide when she realized what she just said.

“A what?” Casey stammered. “A real date? With... with who?”

“OK,” Aurora lamented, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know with whom, but if you refuse to talk to him, you have no reason to be upset if he moves on. If you don’t want him to... talk to him!”

The pain in Casey’s eyes was visible as she jumped from the couch and retreated to her room... insisting no one follow her. She wasn’t sure why she ran there, though collapsing into bed for a good cry sounded appropriate. She got into position to do just that, but the tears never came. Her emotions were a roller coaster ride she hadn’t been prepared to take. Regret, sadness, anger, and despair shifted inside her by the second, leaving her lost and out of control. The only certainty was another sleepless night ahead, and she couldn’t afford that. Reaching for a Tylenol PM on her nightstand, anger took control once again. She looked at the clock, 11:00. It was early enough. She jumped out of bed and threw on the first clothes she could find, rushing out the door to stealthily evade her friends. Tobias Carrick might be on a date, but when he came home? He was going to have to answer to her.

~~~~~

Tobias looked himself over in his bedroom mirror before heading out for the night. He had to admit... in his black silk long-sleeved Brunello Cucinelli t-shirt and matching chalk stripe trousers, he looked damn good. He slipped on his Burberry overcoat and sprayed one more pump of Oud Wood cologne for good measure, a grin spreading across his face. He still had it, and as he headed out the door for his first date in longer than he cared to admit, that old Carrick confidence was falling into place again.

Sophia insisted on meeting him at Contessa, strongly suggesting that their separate arrivals didn’t dictate how they’d depart if dinner went well. When she arrived, Tobias was already seated at their table, and he had to give her credit; the woman knew how to make an entrance. Her smile lit up the room as she sauntered his way in a spaghetti-strapped burgundy cowl-necked dress that hugged every curve and directed the eye to her most impressive assets. Her dark brown curls framed her face and spilled down over her bare shoulders, and as she got closer, Tobias felt his apprehensions melting away. Perhaps this night wouldn't be so hard after all.

“Tobias,” Sophia smiled as he rose to greet her. Taking his hands in hers, she leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. “You look wonderful tonight.”

“Me,” he simpered. “I lost any chance of being the hottest person in this room the second you walked in.”

“That’s OK. I’m fine being on a date with a man who comes in a very close second in that category,” she winked. “Can you handle that, Dr. Carrick?”

“Oh,” he grinned, motioning for the waiter to begin pouring the Volpaia Chianti Classico. “I can handle that and a lot more.”

“Good,” she smirked. “Then let the evening commence.”

Sophia was beautiful and captivating in every way. Her enthusiasm when discussing her quest to make partner at her firm or her little sister’s gymnastic career was endearing. And when Tobias spoke, she listened so intently he felt like the only person in the world. Things were going great... so why couldn’t he shake the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach? At any other time, he would have thought this date was off to a perfect start, but there was one big difference between this date and all the others in his storied career: this one took place after he had met Casey MacTavish.

Sophia looked over her shoulder when Tobias’s eyes lit up, and he waved at someone seated at the bar.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “That’s a board member from Kenmore. He and I have been playing phone tag for over a week, and I need to touch base with him regarding a grant we’ve been working on. Would you mind if I stepped over to speak with him? I promise I won’t be more than a couple of minutes.”

“Of course not!” Sophia replied. “Trust me, if I see one of the partners that will decide if I’m joining their ranks soon, I’ll ask you to return the favor.”

“Thank you,” he smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

Sophia took a sip of wine and decided to check emails on her phone while she waited. When she reached for her phone, a text came in on Tobias’s, which he left face up on the table. While she wasn’t proud, Sophia did manage to sneak a peek. A local politician’s robotext asking for campaign donations. Benign enough! But her thoughts on the date took a turn when something else she saw piqued her interest.

Tobias returned quickly as promised, apologizing profusely for the interruption. But, ever the attorney, Sophia wasn’t wasting time getting to the point.

“Tobias, I have to ask... are you married?”

“What?” He choked, placing his wine glass back on the table with a shudder. “God, no!”

“Then do you have a girlfriend? Because if you do, I don’t play those games.”

“Sophia, I’m single as can be...trust me. Where is this coming from?”

Knowing honesty was her only option, she tapped a well-manicured nail on his phone.

“A text came in when you were gone, and I saw the beautiful blonde on your screensaver. Who is she? And please, don’t tell me she’s your sister. I won’t believe you, and that would be creepy as hell.”

A line appeared between his brows as he clicked on his phone, and there it was.

It had been his screensaver for some time, and he never thought to change it. But staring at it now, he was transported to another time as he recalled that day.

It wasn’t long after the chemical attack, and Casey had been having an especially tough day. Even a ride with a promise of ice cream from Honeycomb Creamery in Cambridge couldn't pull her from the darkness she found herself buried in. As they sat in his front seat licking their cones, he told her she could select his new screensaver. Her face lit up in an instant as she grabbed the phone from his hands, playfully sticking her tongue out as she posed. She was delighted with the blurry, off-centered, silly-faced photo and immediately set it as his screensaver.

Tobias loved that picture. Not only did he think she was stunning, but she was happy. For a moment in time, when gloom surrounded her, she found a moment of joy. She was happy... and that’s all he ever wanted for her. In the months that followed, Casey often told him he could change the screensaver, but he had no intention of doing so. Unbeknownst to her, he had made himself a promise. That screensaver would stay in place until it could be replaced by a picture of the two of them... once she was finally his. He didn’t care if it took a year or a decade; he would see it through.

“I guess I should have changed this,” he muttered. “I’m really sorry... I honestly forgot it was still there.”

But it was Sophia’s job to pay attention, and there was no way she could misinterpret his reaction.

“Is she your girlfriend? Or... an ex?”

“No,” he said sadly. “But I wanted her to be with all my heart.”

He looked up at Sophia, sincerity in his eyes. “We were just friends, close friends... I guess I always hoped we’d become more, but it wasn’t to be.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Even so... I just realized I'm not even close to being over her. I’m really sorry I dragged you into this, but... I need to get over Casey before I can move on with anyone else. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“At least you’re honest,” Sophia shrugged. “It’s not like you screwed me and ghosted me when regret set in the next morning. So, I have to give you some credit.”

“I’d never do that,” he said emphatically. But Sophia responded with a smirk.

“Seriously?”

“All right, I would never have wanted to do that,” he grinned. “Well, now that I’ve ruined our date, do you want to call it a night? I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”

“Oh, hell no! You’re still treating me to dinner, Carrick! That’s the very least you can do!”

Tobias handed her a menu with a smile. “That’s more than fair, and please, feel free to order the most expensive items on the menu.”

“I assumed that was a given!” she smiled, reaching over the table to take his hand. “Why don’t we go the friend's route, Tobias. But... if time goes on, and this woman is too foolish to come to her senses and seal the deal with you, let me know when you’re ready. If I’m still on the market, I may give you a second chance.”

“Being friends sounds good,” he replied. “Though you’re quite a catch, I’m sure someone will snap you up before I come around.”

“Well, it will still be nice to have another friend,” she said with a squeeze of his hand.

Tobias looked at their entwined fingers just as they parted. The vision of Casey holding Jake’s hand popped into his mind... and he realized he had been a total fool.

~~~~~

Tobias had walked Sophia home hours before, but the thought of returning to his empty townhome wasn’t remotely appealing. He decided a long walk was in order; it might help with all the thinking he had to do. His mind was in a fog as he meandered down Boston’s gaslit streets, too overwhelmed to notice the dropping temperatures.

Every so often, something pulled him out of his fugue: a honking horn, music from a passing car, or a police siren whooshing by. Those he could handle, but it was the laughter of a couple passing by that sent him reeling. Their arms were wrapped around each other as they whispered sweet nothings into each other’s ears, leaving Tobias frozen in place.

How did things go so wrong? The past few months with Casey had him believing he had grown up, but when it came to matters of the heart, he still had plenty to learn. He didn’t know what the future held for him and Casey, but he knew the time of hiding had come to end. He needed to talk to her, to tell her the truth. No more treading water... it was time to move on, one way or another. He took his phone out of his pocket; it was already 11:30. Too late to start that conversation tonight, but he vowed to call her as soon as he woke up tomorrow. It was time.

He pulled his coat closer as he turned onto his street, his clarity of thought finally making him aware of the cold; he was grateful he only had a half block to go. But as he neared his home, he squinted, trying to make out the blurry figure on his steps. His heart skipped a beat when she came into focus... wearing no more than a sweater and a pair of tights, Casey sat shivering on his front steps. Head buried in her hands, she didn’t see him approach, and she was startled at his words.

“Casey?” He blurted. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” she said, jumping to her feet in a visibly emotional state. “I was about to ask you the same thing!”

“Uh... I live here,” he said with confusion.

“I know that!” she snapped. “But you’re not supposed to be here! Or at least, you’re not supposed to be here alone!”

“Casey,” he huffed. “What are you talking about?”

She marched up to him, pounding her hand against his chest. “You had a date!” she fumed. “A freaking date!” Tears welled in her eyes as she continued. “How the hell could you have been on a real date tonight?”

“How did you even know... Aurora...” he grumbled.

“How I know is unimportant! What’s important is that you were on a date!” She struggled to hold back a sob as she continued. “So, how was it? I’m your good friend Casey, right? So you can tell me! Was it fun? Where’d you go? Did you take her anyplace we’ve ever gone together?”

“Casey, stop!” he exclaimed, reaching for her arm. But Casey jolted away as if his touch would sear her.

“No!” She hollered. “Answer me! Who was she? Is she pretty? Did you sleep with her?” She turned on her heel and began to pace, her hands flailing about. “Well, that’s a stupid question!” She spat. “Of course you slept with her! You’re Tobias Carrick!”

“What? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he chided, with a flash of anger in his eyes.

“You have a reputation, T! Everyone knows you’ve banged anyone you’ve ever dated – and god knows how many you didn’t even bother to date! Oh, everyone except for me, that is! I guess that makes me special, huh? You hear that, Boston?” She declared. “It’s me! I’m the one person Tobias Carrick dated and didn’t fuck! I’m more rare than a goddamn unicorn!”

“Casey, stop it!” He exclaimed. “Yes, I had a date tonight. But it ended before it began and, no... I didn’t sleep with her!”

“You... you didn’t,” she whimpered.

“No! I didn’t!” He said, frustration mounting. But frustration or not, all he wanted to do was scoop Casey up in his arms and never let her go, and it took everything in him not to see that through. He may have been able to ignore his desires, but he couldn’t ignore how her body trembled in the cold. He began to remove his coat, “Casey, you’re shivering; please take....”

“I don’t want your coat!”

“Then... then come inside and warm up a bit. It’s freezing out here.”

“No! I don’t want to!”

Exasperated, he threw his head back with a groan. “Then what do you want? Why did you come here? To scream at me? Insult me? Because if that’s all you want, I’ll call an Uber to get you home."

“I came here tonight because you were on a date!” She cried. “I was sure you’d bring her home, and I needed to see it with my own eyes.”

“What? Why? Why would you want to do that?”

“Because I love you!” She yelled, the shocked look on her face making it clear she was as surprised by her words as he was.

“You... you... what?”

She wanted to run, but there was no place to go now that the cat was out of the bag. She wiped her nose with her sleeve and summoned the courage to continue.

“I love you, Tobias. I love you.” She said through tears. “And if you don’t love me, then I need to know so I can move on. Because... I love you. I’m sorry I told you like this,” she rambled. “I never wanted to tell you like this, and maybe I shouldn’t have told you at all, but it’s too late now. I... I love you. I’ve loved you for....”

Maybe it was the shock, or perhaps because he moved with the speed of a gazelle, but Casey never saw him coming. Before she knew it, his arms encircled her, their lips came crashing together, and they gave in to the burning passion that had been ignited in them for so long. Neither wanted to let. Letting go might prove that this was just another dream. But this time, the bright smiles on their faces confirmed... they were very much awake. Tobias let out a grunt as their lips came together again, lifting Casey off her feet, she giggled t as he spun her around, placing her back down again against his gate.

“You... you love me?” he gushed, joy radiating from his face.

“I do!” Casey beamed. “I love you so very much.”

“Thank God,” he gasped, pressing his forehead against hers. “Because I love you Casey... I love you so much I swear, it hurts!”

She reached up and caressed his cheek, then his jawbone, gazing into his crystal blue eyes as if she were seeing them for the very first time.

“Love’s not supposed to hurt,” she smiled.

“Then let’s make a deal, from this moment on, you and me... we’re all about love without the hurt. Can we do that?”

“I’m in... I’m in if you are,” she grinned.

“I am SO in! Casey, my date earlier today ended practically before it began because the truth is, I want you and only you. Today, tomorrow, for the rest of my days. I want you, Casey Mactavish. I love you... and you have no idea how great it feels to finally say those words out loud.”

“I love you, too,” she cried, pulling him into a fiery kiss that melted the winter’s cold.

Tobias began to chuckle as his hands dropped to Casey's waist. Mid-kiss, Casey pulled back with a smirk.

“Why are you laughing about?”

“If I tell you... you have to promise to not get mad.”

Casey raised a brow and gave him a teasing look. “Oh, you’ve got my attention... you have to tell me now.”

“Having you in my arms... it feels like a dream... but....”

“But?”

“Can I grab your ass, Casey? Because God knows, I’ve been dying to grab your ass. I’ve dreamt about it, and if you’re OK with it....”

“Fine! Fine, fine, fine,” she laughed. “You can grab my ass, Tobias!.”

Without hesitation, he lowered a hand to her left butt cheek and gave a generous squeeze. Casey couldn't help but giggle as a grin spread across his face.

“There! Was that everything you imagined it would be?"

“Everything and more,” he growled.

“So,” she said, after another kiss. “Is that all you/ve been imagining doing with me... or is there more?”

“Oh, hell no,” he laughed. “I have a very active imagination, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

“Well, then,” she cooed, running her fingers down his lapel. “If the offer still stands... can we go inside? Maybe you could show me some of those... other things?”

Casey was right earlier that night—sleep was not to be had—but this time, neither she nor Tobias minded one bit.

Just before the crack of dawn, they lay together in his bed, Casey blissfully sleeping under his protective arm. Careful not to disturb her, Tobias reached for his phone to check the time, and there it was staring back at him... Casey’s goofy screensaver.

He held his sleeping girlfriend closer. No, they hadn’t had that conversation yet, but it was the first thing he planned to do when they woke. But he was confident—Casey was his girlfriend. He pulled her closer and snapped a quick selfie of them, immediately making it his new screensaver—a promise had been kept.

Placing the phone at his side, he rolled over and spooned behind his love, kissing the top of her head, he whispered.

“Good night, my love."

His love. At long last, Casey was his. He was hers. And he fell asleep soundly at her side, knowing that their new life had just begun.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

#open heart #open heart fanfic #tobias carrick #tobias carrick x mc #tobias x casey #playchoices #playchoices fanfic #open heart choices #choices open heart #choices the stories you play #choices fanfic #the end!

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hellfirecvnt · 1 day

Text

Subordinate (Part 1)

Summary: North Jackson has a new principal and your coworkers are not coping well. XOXO.

Warnings: Dastardly bisexual man in a loud suit getting absolutely babygirled. JK. This chapter has cheating, but it's not Y/N cheating on anyone and it's not Lee cheating on anyone. It's angsty. This is an angsty series, but it'll also be a little silly and super sexy.

Notes: Bitch, you already know what the fuck it is. Also, I usually try to work around the cheating bc I've seen a few people find it icky and I respect that, however me? I love a lil fake affair. Being chosen over his own wife? Absolutely. Do I have low self-esteem?... Anyways...

Bright and early Monday morning, Neal Gamby and Lee Russell are called to a meeting determining the new principal of North Jackson High School. The two men fire jabs back and forth at each other, cutting each other down and insisting they are the newly appointed principal.

"Thank you for joining us, gentlemen." Super Intendant Haas extends a hand to each of them, greeting them and welcoming them to the unoccupied principal's office for the meeting. "As you know, North Jackson High needs a principal." Haas's words kept both men at the edge of their seats, dying to know which of them was more qualified.

"Sir, it's been-" Gamby, prematurely starting an acceptance speech is promptly cut off.

"Mr. Gamby, Mr. Russell, this is Dr. Y/L/N." Super Intendant Haas introduces you as you round the corner to meet your two new underlings.

"A pleasure to meet you both!" You chime, shaking their hands, noticing the shock in their stunned faces. You're much younger than the usual principal select, and much younger than either of them.

"The Hell's the matter with you two?" Haas asks, sharply.

"Don't worry sir, I tend to have this effect on men. I leave 'em speechless." You wink. One certain glance grants them the knowledge that you already know what you're up against. What you don't know, is that each man is stunned silent for a different reason.

Gamby is blindsided by the results after being far too certain that the title was his. After all, he did tell his whole family he was the principal. Lee is just mesmerized. Neal excuses himself to have a nauseous panic attack in the restrooms while Lee and Haas show you around the school. As you reach each wing of the large building, Mr. Russell excitedly drones on about the history and lifestyle of the average North Jackson staff and students.

Lee's charming, if not just a bit of a try-hard, but you can appreciate that.

"Mr. Russell, Dr. Y/L/N," Haas bids you both farewell and heads out the door, leaving your new school in your hands.

"Well then, let's get to it, Mr. Russell." You beam before strutting off to your new office. Lee's attention lingers for a moment on your swaying hips as you pace away, but he quickly blinks the gaze away.

You spend the day getting to know each teacher and faculty member. Your favorite is Ms. Smith. She's awkward and nervous and you understand her somehow. She's seemingly always in tow as you make your rounds around the school today.

Gamby sequesters all the teachers into the lounge for a secret meeting. They all sit confused until Neal bursts out that Dr. Y/L/N has got to go. He offers a petition for everyone to sign to kick you to the curb, but no one will sign it.

"I don't want my name on that," says one teacher.

"Yeah, I like Dr. Y/L/N," says another.

Lee watches Neal's mutiny fizzle to nothing, laughing at him and stomping out his plan to overthrow. He derails Gamby's meeting and dismisses the teachers, seeming to have taken your side at this moment. Livid with no other options, Gamby takes his complaint to the school board. It's not until after that, that Lee comes to him and proposes they join forces to take a bitch like you down.

As the clock strikes 3:30 PM, dismissing the school for the busses, you sit back happily at your new desk. A new beginning for you and yours. It's been a long time coming.

The next day, it's as if you've fallen right into routine. You've never felt more at home in a community. Your coworkers are kind and attentive, it's all you could ever ask for. You happily make your rounds in your business casual pantsuit, strutting up and down the halls dominantly. The teachers appreciate how involved you are. Around every corner, just as you pass, a pair of hazel eyes track your every move for most of the morning.

Out in a wooded area past the field, Neal and Lee gather to conspire against you.

"God damn it, is it 7:45? Because my watch says 7:51 to me," Gamby stands from the rock he was perched on, waiting for Russell.

"Bitch needed a coffee," he lies. He was lingering behind to catch a few more glimpses of you. Of course you are their enemy, they have to be rid of you, but... Look at you. What's a man supposed to do? Neal further nags Lee about his tardiness and Lee pops off. After their little discourse, Russell reveals a binder stuffed to the brim with information about the new principal, you.

"Here take this, it's all the information I have on Dr. Y/L/N." He lists off the various kinds of documents he's ascertained.

"Did you make this yourself?" Gamby asks, a little disgusted, but also intrigued.

"Of fucking course I did. I have one on everyone in this school!"

"You better not have one on me," Neal grumbles, skimming the binder impossibly fast and passing it back to Lee. "Alright, I've memorized all the important information. Destroy it."

"What?" Lee looks fed up.

"I have a photographic memory."

"Yeah? Did you photographic memory the part where she fired every Vice Principal she's ever worked with?" Lee shifts his weight sassily to his right hip.

"Wait, where was that?" Gamby's face shifts to one of panic.

"Page one." The two men study the binder, learning more and more about you. You're an artist and you enjoy karaoke on the weekends. You smoke weed and you're known to partake in some social drinking every now and then. Then Lee's face flattens as he reads a fact about you that disappointed him the first time around too. You're married, and you have been for seven years.

"She's married?" Gamby arches a brow.

"Yeah, for a while, I guess. She uses her maiden name on her doctorate, though." Lee points to the paper.

"Average beta male, I'm guessing." Gamby shakes his head. "They'll never last."

"Gamby, they've been together for like seven or eight years." Lee rolls his eyes, frustrated by Neal's ignorance.

"So? Gale divorced me after 10 years. Christine left you after 20-"

"Okay, shut the fuck up, god damn it." He waves his hands in front of Gamby's face dismissively. "I don't wanna talk about that. This is what we need to be talking about." He points to the line containing the unfortunate demise of her past VP's employment agreement.

"You think she's gonna fire us?" Neal swallows the small lump in his throat.

"Why the fuck wouldn't she?" He taps his finger on the binder a few times before shoving it into Neal's chest. Sure, Lee may be taken by your beauty, but you're an obstacle for him first and foremost.

"Well, what do we do?" Mr. Gamby relaxes his shoulders.

"We need to get rid of the bitch. Pronto." Lee snatches his binder back, subconsciously a little protective of this Bible of you.

When the men return inside, Ms. Smith hastily scurries up to Mr. Gamby and advises him that you're waiting for him in your office. Lee and Neal look at each other, confused, before he makes his way to you. A gentle knock on the door announces his presence.

"Come in," you chirp, inviting your underling into your decorated office. You're really making it your own, decking the walls with photos of you and your husband with your pets. Gamby glances at the photos, noticing your big photographed smile next to your husband's blank face. He almost chuckles, having called it that your husband felt less than you. It's written all over his face. "Have a seat, Mr. Gamby."

Neal hesitantly takes a seat across from you, staring defiantly into your face. The room feels tense, but your eye contact is unwavering, and your smile remains soft and present despite your obvious disapproval of whatever you've called him in for.

"Mr. Gamby, someone's put in a complaint against me." You deliver this line like you're dishing to an old friend.

"That's... Strange. I wonder who would do that."

"Well, it says her 'Dr. Y/L/N is an unfit replacement for Mr. Wells. She is too young and inexperienced. Immediate termination is mandatory.'" You lie the small piece of paper containing the statement on the desk.

"That's, wow, that's something. Does it... Say who would send such a thing?" Neal's eyes glance everywhere, but at you.

"It does." He flinches as you say it. "Mr. Gamby, do you think my age stops me from running the school as well as you?"

"Well, it's just that the teachers-"

"What teachers? Names, Neal." You snap your fingers a few times. Rushing him only makes him trip over his words worse. He can't seem to piece together a lie. "Mr. Gamby, I'm not going anywhere. My age, my clothes, my car, none of it defines my ability to run this school. Now you can be on my team, or you can get your desk cleaned out. Your choice. Let's do better." You stand from your desk and gracefully make your way to the door where you hold it open, dismissing your subordinate.

Angry, one-upped, and tail tucked, Neal Gamby walks out of your office with a new understanding of his adversary. He schedules for Lee to meet him by the train tracks, another place the two come to meet off school grounds.

"I told your stupid ass not to send in that fucking complaint, let alone sign it," Lee sighs, utterly baffled by Neal's incompetence.

"Well, fuck!" Gamby tosses his arms up. "Now she knows I'm against her. She's gonna make my life a living hell."

"Oh, please. Give her some credit. She can't be that petty."

"You didn't hear her in there, Russell. I was almost just fired." Lee rolls his eyes at him, waiting for ages for him to stop bitching.

"Next period. She's got two back-to-back teacher meetings. That's a 72 minute window."

"A window for what?" Gamby's tone has calmed as curiosity overtakes anger.

"To get some dirt on this motherfucker."

Next period, just as Lee said, you're tied up with teacher meetings. The two men meet up in the parking lot and make their way to your home address, courtesy of Lee's information binder. When they arrive, they notice your husband's car in the driveway.

"That must be her fucking cuckold husband's car," Lee observes.

"God, don't tell me he's a stay-at-home wife."

"He's not. He's a pretty important figure at the law firm he works at... He shouldn't be here..." Lee narrows his eyes suspiciously. The two men very carefully park the car a few blocks away. Just as they're reaching for the handle to open the car doors, another car, a red sedan, pulls into your driveway. Lee and Neal duck down to hide, still watching the mystery car.

A beautiful, tan woman with long, thick black hair cascading down her back emerges from the car like a siren breaking past the surface of water. She's gorgeous. Even Neal finds himself at a loss for words. The lovely woman approaches the door to the home you share with your husband of almost 10 years and walks right inside. No knocking.

"I don't think her husband is the cuckold," Neal whispers. Lee's face is contorted into a devilish smile as he watches the perfect situation set up for him. He doesn't even need to get out of the car. Whipping out his phone, he dials the number to the school and does his best to disguise his voice. It works perfectly, and he advises that Ms. Swift alerts you right away that your house is on fire.

The two men return to the school, satisfied with the impending turmoil. Neal runs off to look busy, and Lee sits in the front office, waiting. He watches you receive the news, your face flushes white and your knees attempt to buckle before you bolt straight out the door. Mr. Russell wishes so badly he could be a fly on the wall when you catch your long-term husband in the hands of a beautiful, even younger woman. His secretary.

A few hours pass and you finally return to school. Your clothes are still perfectly styled and placed, and your hair is beautifully styled, but your make-up shows evidence of the flood of tears that has washed down your face. It's not easy to see, you'd have to be looking for the tear stains. And Lee was.

"Hey, there, darlin'. I saw you leaving in a hurry. Everything okay?" Lee catches you in conversation as you walk through the door.

"Everything's fine, Mr. Russell. False alarm. I guess I'm luckier than most," you smile warmly. So convincingly fine, he wonders if what he witnessed was even an affair at all.

"Well, are you sure? I-"

"Today is a beautiful day, isn't it?" You stare out the window into the sunny courtyard of the school.

"Uh, yeah. It's nice out."

"Let's just be thankful for that." You inhale and exhale with a big, peaceful smile before disappearing into your office. Lee's partially confused by your resolve, but he knows better than anyone how quickly that all fades away once reality sets in. The next few days, he's patiently awaiting your downfall.

To his dismay, every day you come in, you seem to be doing better and better. If he hadn't seen your husband stick his tongue down that woman's throat, he might even convince himself he dreamed the whole event. Lee's just about to give up on that scheme altogether until he stops by your office unannounced.

Without knocking, he swings the door open and steps inside.

"Hey, I got you your-" he stops in his tracks, two coffees in hand. You're sitting at your desk, sobbing in front of a photo of you and your husband at your wedding. Your shoulders shudder with every uneven breath from your heaving chest. All of a sudden, Lee no longer cares about the plan. He doesn't care if you go or stay. Guilt eats him alive as he listens to you try your hardest to keep quiet before you straighten up your appearance and make your rounds once again. He closes the door behind him and sets the drinks on your desk, only then do you notice his presence.

"Mr. Russell, I'm so sorry!" You startle, sitting up and quickly turning your chair away from him. You tap away at your wet face, but it's clearly a futile action. "Please excuse my hysterics. It's... been a weird week." You attempt to laugh the awkwardness away, but it lingers.

"I, um," Lee is shocked to find himself speechless. He always has something to say, especially when it comes to kicking an enemy while they're down. The perfect chance has just arisen, but when he sees the shine on your wide, watery eyes, he can't seem to force the venom out. "I brought you a coffee." You take the warm cup in your hands, reading the little logo from a locally owned coffee shop just a few miles down the road.

"Thank you, Mr. Russell." You smile weakly, appreciative of such kindness amid something so heartbreaking. For a moment, in your pitiful puddle of sadness, Lee can see himself. He's been through a divorce. In fact, it was his hellish schemes like his plan against you that ran his wife off. Guilt whittles away at him like a sharp knife against oak.

You're just about to take a sip from your gifted drink when Lee stops you, switching your cups.

"That one's mine, actually. Splenda." He smiles, nodding a silent goodbye to you and exiting your office. You watch as his hand reaches back inside, locks the door, and closes it for you, so you won't be disturbed again. It's been a while since it felt like someone did something kind of you just because, and not because you're the boss. This felt genuine, even for just a second.

"How is she?" Neal asks. Not in concern, but in reconnaissance.

"A fuckin' mess. I couldn't even fuck with her. It was like stepping on a puppy," Lee shakes his head as if he's disgusted, overwhelmed by the unexpected empathy he felt for you in that moment.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Russell. If you can't stick to the plan-"

"Don't even fuckin' start, motherfucker. You're the one comparing this shit to Christine." He waves a finger in Gamby's face. "It was a weird interaction. We're still going to break that bitch down, one way or another. I just need to separate myself from it." Gamby rolls his eyes at Lee's dramatics.

"Well, she needs to shape up. We've got a pep rally prep meeting in an hour." Neal and Lee head their separate ways and Lee finds himself lingering back around your office. That's when he hears the muffled sounds of your voice. You're on the phone. He puts his ear against the door shamelessly and tunes in.

"Mark, you can't fucking do this..." Your voice is low and calm at first. He can't hear Mark on the other end, but he gathers enough clues through what you're saying. "You don't get to do this, I get to do this. I'm the one who gets to leave... No, fuck you, Mark. You don't get to leave me! I'm leaving you! I caught you fucking your secretary, who, by the way, I feel terrible for! So I'm the one who gets to call this bullshit fucking marriage quits!... I will put you in the ground if you think you're taking my dog!" Lee hears the sound of you slamming the phone onto the receiver. Seconds later, you're opening the door, standing right in front of Lee. You're quite literally blind with rage, walking right past him and heading for one of the rear doors of the school.

"Dr. Y/L/N?" He trails behind you, quietly attempting to gain your attention, but you keep walking. He can nearly see the heat waves coming off of you. If physics allowed it, he just knows your head would be on fire right now. You get outside, but your feet don't stop there, and neither do his. You're deep in the woods, only 20 feet or so from Lee and Neal's meeting place. When you finally stop, you throw your head back and release the most guttural, angry wail he's ever heard. It only lasts a few seconds, and when you're done, it turns to a few short moments of shaky breaths before you finally feel like both of your feet are back on Earth.

"Mr. Russell, hello." You turn around, red from embarrassment having been seen like that.

"Dr. Y/L/N." He nods.

"Did you, uh, you followed me out here, huh? Saw some of... That?" You shift back and forth from the ball of your foot to the heel.

"Well," again, he can't make himself say the horrendous insults he had chambered, poised as harmless remarks. "I just got here," he says, and you know he's lying, but you appreciate it all the same.

"I don't usually react like that," you admit, taking a seat on a fallen tree. Lee glances behind him and then joins you where you sit. "I was doing a lot better."

"What do you mean?" Lee feigns a tone of genuine concern, though his curiosity is at the wheel as well.

"I have- used to have a little bit of a temper." Your shoulders drop as if a weight has been lifted off of them. Like you've been holding on to this. "I've been medicated for a while and I was in therapy a few years ago. I haven't really lost it in almost six years. Mark was such a big help, I guess this all just felt..."

"Like a punishment?"

"Yeah! Exactly!" You're shocked to see your eccentric coworker relating to you in this way.

"My wife left me last year," he confesses with a defeated smile. He looks at the ground, quickly reliving coming home to that empty house.

"I'm sorry to hear that..." A short silence lingers between the two of you as neither knows what to say to make it better, so Lee just changes subjects altogether.

"We uh, have a 'pep rally prep meeting' soon," he quotes Gamby.

"It seems we do," you sigh. "I'd appreciate it if we could keep this between us, Mr. Russell."

"'Course we can." He smiles a kind, fake smile and escorts you out of the woods. As you walk ahead of him, his facade drops and he silently scolds himself for yet again, dropping the ball. Not only did he not antagonize, he may have even helped just now. What the fuck?

At the meeting, you and Lee walk in together. Gamby eyes him suspiciously as you take your seat at the head of the room. The meeting is about trivial nonsense like themes, refreshments, and performances. The group comes up with several really good ideas, and you're left to be the deciding factor.

You settle on pizza and sweets, to treat the kids and get their energy high for the day of. As far as performances, you've reached out to a few local gymnast groups that could put on a feat of athletics. Fun! Theme is where you're stuck. Everyone's got sparkling ideas. Circus theme, underwater, Mardi Gras. But it's not enough for you. It doesn't scream "winners" to you.

"The theme is- wait, what's our mascot again?" You glance around the room. "All I ever see are feathers. Is this a Boston Reds situation?"

"Well... Yeah..." Ms. Snodgrass pipes up.

"We'll need to get that remedied." You give a 'yeesh' expression. "Top of the docket next meeting."

"Wait, we can't use the Indians?" Gamby asks, confused.

"Let's don't call them that. We're gonna put a pin in this conversation and turn it back to the theme." You mime putting a pin in a corkboard.

"But-"

"Mr. Gamby, if the next word out of your mouth isn't the best fucking theme idea I've ever heard, I will take you out back myself." Your threat works to silence him, but it also sends a wave of unease over the room. You squeeze your eyes shut for a moment, attempting to regain control of the room. You can hear the other teachers whispering and it finally dawns on you that you've forgotten to take your medicine. You've been so busy with Mark and meetings, you haven't taken the only thing that stops you from being the absolute menace that you are.

"I'm thinking, we play to our strengths," Lee stands, drawing every set of eyes off of you and onto him. "We're already warriors, let's just slap a different image on that. Knights in armor or something for the pep rally until you choose a new mascot."

"That's a great idea, Mr. Russell!" You beam, thankful for his introjection. You're starting to really trust him, which is exactly what he wants. Regardless of if he's able to hurt your feelings, he can still gather your sensitive information and use it against you. It's his specialty.

The meeting is adjourned and everyone returns to their duties. You scan the area and call Neal and Lee into your office.

"I really appreciate the friend and second in command you've been, Mr. Russell. And by default, you, Gamby." Your tone earns a sneer from Neal. "I am in for some real fucked up bullshit coming in the next few, I don't know, weeks? Months?" You toss your arms up. "I'm just really thankful to have you both here. I really hope the three of us can get closer and really solidify as an admin team."

The two men thank you for your words of praise and leave you to it in your office. As they walk away, Neal whispers harshly to Lee.

"What the fuck was all that? You're being a friend to her? I thought we were breaking her down?"

"We are breaking her down. You just don't understand how much worse words can hurt when they're coming from a friend. Probably because you don't have any."

"Fuck you, Russell," Gamby huffs.

#lee russell vice principals #vice principals smut #vice principals hbo max #vice principals max #vice principals fanfiction #vice principals #lee russell #walton goggins #danny mcbride #neal gamby #hbo max #hellfirecvnt

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