#edited 2 hours later to change the last image because I thought 'hm maybe a zoomed in version of the same shot would hit harder' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

alonely-dreamer · 5 years

Text

Dangerous Creatures | Chapter 15: Ding Dong: The Witch Is Dead

Summary: Mackenzie Alemaund is an unlucky 18 year old teenager whose life changes drastically after she gets kidnapped by two vampires and learns, in the same day, that she is not human.

Pairing: Elijah x OC

Words: 3374

A/N: Please, note that I am French so there might be some mistakes here and there, besides I couldn’t have it edited! I hope you’ll like it!

Masterlist

New Series: The Valuable Sun

Mackenzie missed Katherine. She never thought that being so close to Elijah would be a bad thing. Unfortunately, she was closer to Klaus and Rebekah, and no matter how hard she tried to find a way to remove the dagger that kept Elijah in his coffin, she couldn’t find any that didn’t end with her dead. And Klaus was no idiot, he made sure that Mackenzie didn’t get close to his brother, had even instructed Rebekah to be careful not to let her out of her sight.

Klaus had a taste for the luxurious. Even more so than Katherine. The place they were staying out was the most beautiful Mackenzie had ever seen. And unnecessarily big. Three bedrooms, five bathrooms, a view of the city… Even the couch Mackenzie had slept on was more comfortable than any bed she had slept in in the last two months. Klaus had gone out of his way to make sure Mackenzie had everything she needed. She was surprised at first when he handed her a bag of clothes and hygiene necessities but then figured he had needed to get some for his sister anyway.

Rebekah wasn’t particularly nice, but she wasn’t exactly mean either, or at least, she hadn’t been yet. Mackenzie was worried that the blonde would have any expectations from her “friend”, but she hadn’t asked her to do anything odd, yet. Klaus had tasked the elemental with informing her sister on what she had missed in the last 90 years. That meant anything from a basic history lesson to setting up Rebekah’s new smartphone.

Klaus seemed to be under the impression that spoiling his sister would make her forgive him for daggering her and storing her in a box for almost a century. Mackenzie couldn’t tell if Rebekah was just superficial or if she was just used to it, but any trace of anger towards her brother disappeared when he gave her a diamond bracelet Mackenzie imagined had cost as much if not more than the apartment they were staying at.

The next morning, Rebekah had insisted they went shopping for new clothes as she was persuaded her brother had picked up the ugliest clothes he had found to mess with her. She didn’t believe anyone would wear such things.

She was disappointed when she saw what the shops were selling. In comparison, what Klaus had given her seemed like the best option.

“There has to be more to this dress,” she complained from the fitting room.

“There’s not,” Klaus sighed, bored and annoyed. He was lounging with Stefan on a couch in the middle of the shop, with a bottle of champagne in one hand and a glass in the other.

He had lost count of how many shops they had been to before she had agreed to stop at this one and try on some dresses. She hated everything she saw and had eventually asked Mackenzie to pick up anything she liked.

“So women in the 21st century dress like prostitutes, then?” she said as she stepped back in the room, wearing a short black dress. “You know I got dirty looks for wearing trousers.”

“You wore trousers so women today could wear nothing,” Klaus said to his sister before he finished his glass.

“And what is this music, it sounds like a cable car accident.”

“It’s dance music,” Stefan told her.

“People dance to this?”

“Hm,” he nodded.

“Are we done?” Klaus asked.

“And why are you so grumpy?”

“I needed one thing from you for my witch to find our why my hybrids were dying. One thing: your necklace. And you lost it.”

“I didn’t lose it. It’s just been missing for 90 years.”

Klaus smiled half amused, half drunk.

“So what do you think?” she asked Stefan, turning around to show him the dress.

“I like it,” he said, unconvincingly. Rebekah made a face. “What? I said I like it.”

“I can always tell when you’re lying, Stefan,” she told him before turning towards Mackenzie.

“I..” she shook her head, “I don’t like it.”

“You picked it,” Rebekah reminded her.

“You hated everything I liked,” she shrugged. “I was going another way.”

Rebekah sighed and rolled her eyes before getting back into the fitting room to change.

“Nice one. Good work,” Klaus shook his head.

Mackenzie ignored him. Of all the things she had imagined would happen, this was one unlikely scenario. The normality of it made her uneasy. But no matter how long they spent shopping, she wouldn’t forget that the drunk young “man” sitting on that couch had killed Jonas and Luka Martins, Jenna Gilbert, and many many more people.

“What? You pulled the dagger out of her,” Stefan told his old new friend.

“I heard that!” Rebekah said.

“All right,” Stefan said as he put his glass on the coffee table in front of him. “I’m gonna get some fresh air.”

He felt Mackenzie’s eyes on him as he walked away. Maybe she was scared to be left alone with the two Originals, maybe she wished she too could just walk out that shop. He didn’t really care. He was barely out of the shop when he saw Katherine standing across the street. He made sure Klaus wasn’t following him before he went to her.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“You two look chummy,” was the first thing she said. “Klaus your new bestie.”

“If he finds out you’re in Chicago, you’re dead.”

She grinned. “Happy to know that you still care.”

Stefan scoffed then shook his head.

“So tell me if I’m wrong: Rebekah’s necklace that Klaus is looking for… that’s the necklace you gave to Elena.”

Stefan smirked. “Bye, Katherine,” was his only answer before he started walking away.

“Hey, hey, wait,” she stopped him. “You’re up to something. Tell me.”

Stefan hesitated. “They don’t know where the necklace is. I just have to keep them from figuring it out. I have it all under control.”

“Please tell me you have a better plan than that,” she asked, and the corner of his mouth curved up. “You do?” He didn’t answer. “Come one, Stefan. You’re not the diabolical type. Whatever you’re planning, it’s not gonna work.”

“Well, if the most diabolical woman I know can’t seem to figure it out then I must be doing something right?”

“Uh-uh, I forgot. You’re bad now. Don’t get too cocky. Klaus is smarter than you. He’s smarter than everyone.”

Stefan tilted his head as a way of saying goodbye then walked away.

“Look out for her, will you?” she called after him. He turned around and gave her a confused look. “Mackenzie. How did Klaus even get to her anyway?”

“Why do you care?” he asked, surprised she was asking about the witch. “She was at my old place. Klaus is keeping her around because he doesn’t want her to free Elijah.”

“She shouldn’t have been there.”

“She was with you?” Stefan raised his eyebrows. “I thought you didn’t like witches. Were you trying to set her up or something?”

“No. After Klaus released us I asked her if she wanted to come with me and she said yes,” she shrugged.

Stefan chuckled. “I’m beginning to think that girl has a death wish.”

“Yeah,” Katherine sighed, “I know what you mean…”

***

Rebekah ended up buying clothes Mackenzie picked for her. When Stefan returned, they immediately left for Gloria’s. They found her in her bar, cleaning tables. She didn’t look afraid of the vampires and Mackenzie wondered why. She couldn’t imagine anyone being so confident they wouldn’t fear the Originals. Even Bonnie who had enough powers to kill Klaus had been smart enough to be afraid of him. But she wasn’t about to ask the witch anything, especially since she didn’t even bother to look at her, which was a good thing. The last thing she needed was for her to tell Klaus what Mackenzie really was.

Gloria said finding the necklace would be easy enough with Rebekah’s help. After all, she had worn it for a thousand years. Sitting at a table, with herbs and a bowl of water in front of her, the witch invited Rebekah to give her a hand. The blonde sat on the table and obeyed. Mackenzie knew the witch was doing a locator spell. What she didn’t know was why Stefan looked so nervous about it. After half an hour, Gloria had results.

“I found it.”

“Where is it?” Rebekah asked, eager to get her necklace back.

“It doesn’t work like that, doll. I get images. There’s a girl with her friends…”

“Yes, a dead girl with dead friends if I don’t get my necklace back.”

“Well, I have to dive back in and get the details.”

“So dive,” Klaus said, moving closer to her, putting a hand on the table and giving her a threatening smile.

“I need more time. And space. You’re harshing my juju.”

“We can wait,” he insisted.

“I’m sure you can. But that’s not what I asked.”

Klaus didn’t move, he didn’t want to leave. An uncomfortable silence took over the bar. Mackenzie was sure Klaus was about to tear Gloria apart when Stefan intervened.

“Hey, hey. Why don’t we just come back later? I’m hungry anyway,” he said. “I’ll let you pick who we eat.”

Klaus grinned, attracted by the offer. “Fine.”

Mackenzie wasn’t fine, though. She really didn’t want to go with them. Three vampires looking for something to eat? She’d gladly stay away. But Klaus wasn’t about to let her out of his sight and there was nowhere she could go. She thought about asking if she could stay at the bar but then remembered that staying alone with a witch wasn’t in her best interests either.

Klaus picked three girls from the street and they led them back to the storage room where Mackenzie was forced to watch the vampires feed on them. She felt like she was going to be sick.

This storage room had once been her goal. She was exactly where she had wanted to be for the past month. In the same room as Elijah. Unfortunately, there was no way to help him. Klaus would stop her. Rebekah and Stefan wouldn’t help. She couldn’t use her magic either, she wasn’t nearly strong enough to take down three vampires, two of them Originals, one of them a hybrid. It was so hard to be so close yet unable to do anything. Klaus hadn’t even allowed her to see him. He didn’t want her to know which coffin he was in.

“My girl’s dead, I’m bored,” Rebekah complained after a while.

“You weren’t kidding about being hungry,” Klaus told Stefan.

“It’s been a long day.”

“Try being related to her,” Klaus laughed as he turned to look at his sister.

“You’re being mean. Why are you being mean? You used to love me.”

“It’s been 90 years, Rebekah. Give him a minute.”

“Why are you taking his side?”

“Because, my dear sister, I feel pity for any man who doesn’t give you what you want.”

“Will you stop making me out to be a brat. I am not a brat!”

“A thousand years of life experience says otherwise.”

Stefan chuckled. “Well, you’re no picnic either. I’ve only spent one summer with you and I feel like I want to blow my head off.”

Rebekah laughed. “Fantastic.”

Stefan dropped his girl on the floor and got up. “I need to go,” he said as he wiped the blood off his lips.

“Where is he going?” Rebekah asked.

“To write a name on a wall, it’s a long story,” he explained. “Hey! Take the witch with you. She’s about to puke all over us.”

“Really?” Stefan complained.

“Yes, really, unless you want to clean the mess she’s about to make.”

The vampire rolled his eyes but gestured for Mackenzie to follow him, which she happily did.

Fresh air did her good, though she couldn’t erase the images of the three dead girls in the arms of the vampires. One wrong move and she’d end up just like them.

“Katherine stopped by this morning,” he told her once they were outside.

“What?” she faked ignorance.

“She asked me to look after you. I take it I can trust you?”

Mackenzie didn’t reply right away. “You can trust me,” she said. “But can I trust you?” The Stefan she saw with Klaus, the Stefan she was with at that moment, had nothing in common with the Stefan that she used to know from Mystic Falls. He was arrogant, mean… and drinking human blood. She knew it was Klaus’ fault, but she didn’t know what he was faking and what he wasn’t.

“I guess you’ll see, come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“Gloria knows Elena has the necklace. I need to make sure she won’t tell Klaus.”

Elena had the necklace? Mackenzie frowned. How did Elena get Rebekah’s necklace? She wasn’t about to ask, but she was relieved that Stefan still cared enough to want to protect Elena.

“And how are you going to do that?”

Stefan looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh,” Mackenzie’s heart skipped a beat.

“So. Can I trust you?”

“You don’t really need me to… kill her, do you?”

“No, but I can’t take the risk of you slipping out. Klaus would kill me.”

Mackenzie tried to prepare herself for what she was about to see. She realized when she stepped inside the bar that she wasn’t ready at all, but Gloria was.

“There you are,” she said, as if she’d been waiting for them. Well, maybe not for them, but for Stefan at least.

“Thought you were resting,” Stefan said as he walked towards her.

Mackenzie chose to stay behind, as far away from them as possible.

“Well, now all of us have a secret,” Gloria said as she walked towards the bar. Stefan followed her, taking the bottle she was handing him.

“What did you see?”

“It’s what I heard that’s interesting. You know the girls with the necklace, they were talking about you.”

“Yet you didn’t tell Klaus. Why?”

“I wouldn’t help that hybrid half-breed with anything,” she admitted. “The necklace is a talisman from the Original witch herself. I want it.”

“Well, I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”

“Don’t be difficult,” she insisted. “I’d hate to tell Klaus what a liar his sidekick is.”

Stefan thought about it, gave a look to Mackenzie who didn’t know what to do or what to say, then he tilted his head, showing Mackenzie what decision he had made. He launched himself at the witch who stopped him without difficulty. She didn’t even move a muscle and Stefan was on the ground.

“Guess I’ll have to get it out of you the hard way, uh?” she said.

Mackenzie didn’t know what to do. She could see Stefan was about to pass out. She had to stop it. She used fire to make the bottles in the shelves behind Gloria explode which sent both her and Stefan away from the bar. Before Gloria had a chance to recollect herself, Mackenzie used wind to send her fly away against a wall. She didn’t have the chance to do anything more as Stefan broke the witch’s neck.

Mackenzie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Stefan turned around slowly, giving her a baffled look.

“Don’t ask,” she whispered. And he didn’t.

Here she was again. Responsible for someone else’s death. She tried to tell herself it was a good thing, because she saved Stefan, probably herself too and it meant Elena was safe, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty about it. She felt even worse when she realized that Stefan didn’t care at all. Would she one day feel that way? Elijah had told her she’d kill again, that in this world it was kill or be killed, but would she ever kill someone and not think twice about it? She hoped it would never come to that.

“Well, well, well,” a familiar voice said, making her jump. “Looks like I missed the party.”

“Katherine,” Mackenzie breathed out, relieved to see her friend.

“Looks like I was worried for nothing.”

“Where were you?”

“Around.”

“Around? Around?! I waited for you all morning and you never came back!”

“I got busy,” Katherine defended herself, “and you don’t get to be mad at me when you went around and got yourself caught by Klaus!”

“I…”

“No,” she cut her off. “I thought you were dead.”

“I thought you were dead!”

“Well this is very nice and heartwarming, but we have a bigger problem here,” Stefan stopped them and pointed at Gloria’s dead body.

“Right. Let’s clean this up. We don’t want Klaus to find his dead witch here, he’ll get suspicious.”

They started to clean up, well, Stefan and Mackenzie started to clean up, while Katherine watched.

“I’ve been thinking about your diabolical plan.”

“Ah? Do tell,” Stefan faked his interest.

“You must know that Klaus is too paranoid to ever fully trust you, but the sister, she loves you like it was yesterday. She’s the easier mark. But you can’t just pretend to care, because Klaus will know better. So you do the opposite. You bond with him. Make her feel left out. That’ll only make her want you more.”

“Oh, so you mean I’m taking a page out of the Katherine Pierce playbook?”

“The only question is why, Stefan? I mean, I get it, you wanna keep Klaus away from Mystic Falls but what else do you expect to get from it?”

“You know what’s funny? You keep talking to me like I actually trust you enough to tell you anything.”

“Oh, come on, Stefan. We’re beyond that. My witch just saved your life.”

“Um, I’m not your witch,” Mackenzie protested.

“Sorry. My friend just saved your life.”

Stefan scoffed. “Okay. I knew them, back in the 20’s. They were running from someone, someone who scared them.”

“A hunter,” Katherine said, and he nodded. “I heard stories about him centuries ago.”

“Don’t you wanna know why an Original vampire who can’t be killed is afraid of a vampire hunter?”

“If you’re planning on making a move against Klaus, I want in.”

“That’s good. It’s good to want things, Katherine.”

“Stefan…”

“Katherine,” he stopped her, “I’m in this alone. If you’re looking for a diabolical partner in crime, I suggest you stick to your weirdly gifted witch over there,” he said before he took off with Gloria’s dead body.

Katherine sighed. “So, wanna stick around until Klaus gets here or are you coming with me?”

“Do you really need to ask?”

***

Mackenzie was amazed by how quick Katherine acted. She had only just heard of the hunter and she was already back in Mystic Falls with a plan to find him. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she had been told a little about him before.

It bothered Mackenzie to be on a mission to kill but she would rather be with Katherine than with Klaus and Rebekah. Though, a voice inside her head made her feel guilty for abandoning the blonde to her brother, it was definitely the wisest choice. Especially since Gloria was dead. She wondered how Stefan was going to get out of this one. But Mackenzie had more pressing issues to worry about.

“Do we really need Damon?” she asked, unhappy with Katherine’s plans.

“We don’t need him but, you know, the more the merrier.”

“With Damon it’s the more the deadlier,” she mumbled.

Katherine laughed. “Was that supposed to be funny?”

“We’ve been driving for an entire day, I’m exhausted.”

“You’ll sleep in the car, we’re going on a road trip.”

“A road trip with Damon Salvatore, yay…”

“Would you rather be with Klaus?”

Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “Maybe.”

“Well, I got the necklace. Poor Bonnie, she didn’t suspect a thing.”

They had been back in Mystic Falls for less than a day and they were already ready to leave. Katherine was more than impatient to find that vampire hunter who supposedly scared the hell out of Klaus.

“All we need now is a driver.”

“Fine,” Mackenzie sighed. “Let’s go get Damon.”

**********

Thank you for reading!

Chapter 16 is already available for early access on my Patreon page! Chapter 17 to 22 are available for instant access! If you’d like to support me here’s my page: patreon.com/alonelydreamer any support is highly appreciated!!

If you can’t, it’s okay! Chapter 16 will be posted on Tumblr next Wednesday!

Have a good week!

Tags: @thepoet1975 @nerdysandwichqueen @catchmeupimgettingoutofhere @raegan-hale @captainam-erika-trash @silver424 @monetfatalia @vaniileiinkeks @valeria-winchester @favimag @colie87 @hamiltonmadesomemistakes @s0nh4dorasblog @poemfreak306 @white-chocolate-mocha-fan @thegingerthatwaited @therealwatermelon @dark-night-sky-99@aubri1313 @jardinsecos @gymnastgal1997-blog @thearaviagrace77blog

#vampire diaries #the vampire diaries #the originals #elijah mikaelson #klaus mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson #katherine pierce #oc #fanfiction #fanfic #imagine #reader #elijah x reader #elijah x oc #elijah mikaelson x reader #elijah mikaelson x oc #stefan salvatore #dangerous creatures

85 notes · View notes

theashemarie · 5 years

Text

Demo Brew Ch. 3 | Pearlina

☆ Reblogs appreciated! ☆

↪Chapter 1: [The Bet]

↪Chapter 2: [The Squid Sisters]

Read one chapter ahead on AO3!

Chapter 3: The Song

By all rights, things should be different after this revelation, but nothing changes. Callie and Marie are still just Callie and Marie after all, though they do sing more when the shop is empty. Three seems to relax a little too, as if she was holding all the tension of the secret in her body, and Pearl easily feeds off the energy. She feels like she’s coming back into herself, back into the Pearl that’s all confidence and swagger. The past six months have been a little rough, all things considered. Adjusting to the job (the job she didn’t need but kept coming back to), adjusting to Callie and Marie, adjusting to Three, adjusting to Marina...

And, now she’s trying to decide if punk music really is her thing after all.

It’s been a creeping thought, ever since she saw Callie, Marie, and Three’s reaction to her scar. But, she doesn’t want to just drop her band, but they’re also not the most cohesive unit anyway. It’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way—the punk group that’s dysfunctional and awful to each other. Their lead guitarist is known for showing up late and drunk, and while Pearl isn’t exactly the most reliable person in the world, she likes to think that she’s dedicated to the cause. She doesn’t want to be arrested one day because her bandmates are caught drunk and belligerent after a gig either, but that’s a whole other issue.

But, most of all, she wonders what it would be like, to start a group with Marina. Their voices would probably go well together, and they’re just different enough that their stage presence would be interesting and fun. She wants to change her image anyway. She’s getting a little sick of wearing black all the time.

“I can’t believe you didn’t figure it out,” Three says when she spies Pearl staring pensively at her notebook. She’s doodled a few hearts beside the scribbled song lyrics from yesterday. She quickly draws a few skulls beside the hearts, just for balance.

“What? Callie and Marie? I totally knew,” she lies.

“Yeah, and I can fly.” Three grabs a scone out of the pastry display and nibbles on it. “You grew up rich, right?”

It’s so out of nowhere that Pearl has to look up from her doodles. “Yeah? Why?”

Three shrugs. “Just curious why you’re here is all.”

“Callie didn’t tell you about the bet?”

Three shakes her head and takes a large bite of the scone. “Callie’s big on privacy. She says that ‘everyone deserves their secrets!’” The last of that is said in a peppy imitation of Callie’s upbeat voice, and Pearl can’t help but chuckle. “I was just wondering, since it seemed like your whole punk thing was taking off too. You’re not like me. Stuck here until the next big thing.”

It's so painfully true, and Three says it so easily. Three isn’t like Pearl—she has to scrape to make it to her next paycheck without going hungry. Most of the time, that involves eating all she can of the leftover pastries or sandwiches at the end of the day, and sometimes Pearl thinks she sees Callie or Marie give her money. Pearl has considered offering her some cash, but she doesn’t want to offend her. If there’s one thing she understands, its pride, and people always have a lot of it when it comes to money.

Pearl sighs and leans back. She’s not wearing her usual black today—decided to go with an oversized sweater, a pop of pink that goes well with her dark jeans—and she thinks that that’s what’s got her in this weird mood. She doesn’t really want to be the punchy punk princess anymore.

“I don’t know about that,” Pearl says. “I love music but I’m not sure if that’s the scene for me.”

“Oh yeah?” Three leans against the back counter, between the espresso machine and the blender. “You gonna sell out? Go mainstream?”

Pearl bristles a little. “Maybe I am! The mainstream could use a little something like me! I’d refresh the hell out of it! The Squid Sisters are the biggest thing right now, but behind those masks they’re still just another poppy idol group.”

Three smiles and crosses her arms. “Don’t let Callie and Marie hear you say that. They think they’re changing the world. Their music saves people.” She shakes her head and laughs, as if she just told some kind of joke. “I think that’d be fresh as hell. You trying to shake things up, I mean. You’ve got the voice. I say go for it.”

Pearl glances back at her notebook, at its scribbled lyrics to a song that’s already written. “It’d be pretty bad if I ditched my band. They’d hate me.”

Three shrugs. “So? You know they’re definitely using you for your money, right? You’re the lead but you also have all the cash. They wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

She’s right and Pearl knows it. Her whole life, people have pushed their way closer to her in order to get closer to her money. It’s a fact of life—people will kiss up to you if they think it’ll get them somewhere. That’s probably one reason why she likes it here so much with Callie, Marie, and Three. They don’t want her money. They want her.

And Marina. Marina doesn’t know either, and she actually trusted Pearl with her demo. Ebb & Flow sounds like it had been recorded on a tape recorder—an act so intimate and personal that every time Pearl listens to it she can almost imagine Marina holding the microphone in her hand as she pressed the record button. Marina trusted her with that—

“You’re right,” Pearl mutters, feeling a lot like the floor has just been ripped out from under her. Suddenly, everything with Marina crystalizes.

Because Pearl likes Marina, and she’s pretty sure that Marina likes her.

+++

At least, Pearl thinks she does.

It’s Saturday when Marina comes back in, and Pearl is jittery. So, so jittery, but she’s playing it off. She’s got her swagger back, finally, and she’s determined to use it.

“Hey Rena, what can I get you?” She leans deep into the counter, chin on her fist, and she smirks her best smirk.

“Hm, I think I’ve finally tried everything...” Marina mutters, staying at a respectable distance from the counter. She’s so cute that Pearl almost turns into a squid right there, like she used to back when she was fifteen and overwhelmed. Nothing made the world slow down like turning back into your childhood form.

“You’ve tried everything twice. I think you’re just looking for an excuse to keep coming back to see me.” Pearl’s smirk changes into a small, sly grin, and she sees Marina blush, just there on her cheeks. She swallows hard to keep herself from smiling even bigger.

“Maybe I just really like coffee,” Marina shoots back. Then, when Three pushes through the door with a tray of small sandwiches, she adds, “Or maybe I just really like to see Three!”

Three puts the tray down with a great clatter and makes a show of looking flattered. “Oh you tease.” She waves her hand in Marina’s direction. “I’m afraid that I’m taken though. I’m married to the job.”

Marina laughs, a small thing that’s barely audible, and Pearl’s knees turn to jelly. “I took too long!” Marina laments. “I guess I’ll have to settle for watching you from afar.”

“You need to move on!” Three cries. She pulls the back of the pastry case open and starts arranging the sandwiches on their small plates, like ducks in a row.

“I’m right here,” Pearl butts in, stomping her foot for emphasis.

“Sorry Pearl.” Marina giggles again.

“Yeah, Pearl. Sorry you had to witness the sauciest love story of our generation,” Three adds.

“I was trying to be smooth,” Pearl whines under her breath in Three’s direction. Then when she realizes what she just said, she turns to Marina with large eyes.

If Marina heard, she makes no indication. Instead, she steps closer to the counter and pokes at the small menu that they have posted there. “I’ll take a black tea. No sweetener, please.”

Pearl recovers quickly. “What, you can get addicted to caffeine but not sugar?”

Marina shrugs. “I get my sugar elsewhere.”

Pearl swears that she sees her wink. The world goes super quiet for a moment, and suddenly all she can see is the floor, and the ceiling, and since when did everything get so big?

“Pearl?” And there’s Marina, leaning over the counter to look at her. And Three is there, like a tower.

“Oh, you little squid,” Three says, exasperated.

Pearl picks herself up quickly. Forms her limbs back into place and grows a neck and stomach. Accidental squid form at twenty because a cute girl flirted back at her. She really is a gay disaster.

She has to rescue herself, and fast, before Marina writes her off as an out of control, lovestruck fool. She dusts her clothes off, picks a piece of white fuzz off of her t-shirt, and points a strong finger at Marina. “I have something for you.”

“Oh...?” Marina is pinned in place by Pearl’s point so she can only stand there while Pearl marches toward the back, where her bag and notebook are waiting. She cleanly rips the page with the edited song out and walks back, stiff-kneed.

“Here. Don’t read it now. I’ll get your tea.”

Marina takes it and follows her instructions. The slip of paper disappears into the bag, and Pearl quickly stirs together Marina’s drink. Three stands there, like a mother, like a principal, like Pearl is liable to make an even bigger fool of herself, and Pearl can’t blame her.

As she hands Marina her drink, Marina accepts it quickly, too quickly. Pearl can’t put it down on the counter and slide it to her like she usually does. Marina intercepts her, wraps both her hands around Pearl’s. “Thank you,” she says as they hold eye contact.

It’s the hottest thing Pearl’s ever experienced, and it’s just their hands wrapped around a to-go cup.

+++

Marina comes back an hour later. Pearl isn’t in the front because it’s her turn to bake (burn) the pastries. Everything’s homemade and they need more bread, so at least she can enjoy herself with the kneading, the punching, the forming of the dough, and she does, but she also can’t help but feel like there’s a creeping panic coming on. She just handed that shit to Marina like it was no big deal! She was so cool about it! She just handed it to her!

Like, ‘hey Marina, I loved your song! Do you take constructive criticism?’ What is wrong with her? She didn’t even warn Marina! Just handed her a note like it was some ‘will you date me? check yes or no’ situation. Oh, she’s so fucked. She’s fucked sideways. She’s fucked into next week. She’s fucked. She’s fucked, she’s fucked, she’s fucked, she’s fucked—

“Hey Marina!” Three yells, loudly, from the front, at a much higher volume than she usually does. She’s basically hollering. “You’re back!”

Pearl is up to her elbows in dough, so she can’t exactly go out there. But Three is screaming. But also Pearl can’t go out there. But also she can’t not go out there. She stands there, panicked, stricken, trying to melt into the floor. Her knees almost give out and she’s about two degrees away from squid form again when Three yells again.

“Yeah! Pearl’s here! Do you want me to get her?!” Three’s voice is louder, and Pearl can imagine it—Marina, with her arms crossed, angry at Pearl, while Three, who knows exactly what Pearl handed Marina earlier, tries to hold everything together. Oh, this is bad.

“Okay, I’ll get her!” Three darts through the door and sees Pearl, hands and counter dusted with flour “What are you doing! Marina’s here! Get out there!”

“I can’t!” Pearl searches for an excuse. She waves her hands at the football of dough on the counter. “The gluten is gonna set!”

“I’ll do it!” Three reaches into the flour canister and claps her hands together, sending up a puff of white. “Go out there! She wants to talk to you!”

Pearl begrudgingly shakes as much dough off of her hands as she can before running them under the sink. “Did she look upset?”

Three grins at her. “She looked excited. Now go!”

Pearl death marches through the door and hopes that her face doesn’t look as grim as she feels. Marina is there, looking disheveled. Her headphones are gone, replaced with another hat, which she keeps tugging down.

“There you are! Come with me.” Marina turns to leave, just like that, as if Pearl can just ditch her job at a moment’s notice just for her.

Well, she can, but the point is that Marina shouldn’t be assuming things. Even if she is right.

“I’m going on break!” Pearl cries as she rips her apron off. Three sticks her head out of the back and grins at her.

Pearl follows Marina out onto the street. It’s cold and she considers running back in for her jacket, but Marina looks spooked. Pearl doesn’t want to give her a chance to get away, so she just crosses her arms and ducks her head against the stinging wind.

“This way,” Marina leads her away from the main thoroughfare, where all the foot traffic is—Inkopolis Plaza is the busiest area of the city, where tourists rub arms with professional turf war kids, where fashion models and music groups come on their time off, and Marina stands apart, even in her shapeless sweater dress and tights. Her hair is longer than it was when Pearl first met her, and she seems to have finally found her footing. Pearl’s mountain girl finally at home in the city.

She’s mooning again, like she’s fifteen years old and getting ready for a first date, but she can’t help it. Now that she’s out here, in the cold, in the real world, she sees just how beautiful Marina is, just how different her mannerisms and presence are. She wants nothing more than to sit in this moment and let it percolate. She wants to stand as close as she can to Marina and let their hands brush, wants their fingers to lace, wants to pull Marina along behind her and explore the city.

She wants to be with Marina. That’s it. She just wants to spend time with her. That’s... That’s a new type of desperate want that she’s never ever experienced.

And it’s... It’s really nice.

“C’mon Pearl!” Marina is waiting for her next to a nondescript door, about two blocks from Fresh Start. She easily unlocks the door with quick fingers, keying in the code to the lock with practiced ease. Pearl jogs to catch up, and Marina pulls her inside by the end of her sleeve. Their fingers brush and Pearl can feel her face heat up.

The room is dark, and Marina easily flips a switch. It’s a landing, with a long hallway in front of them and stairs to the right. Marina quickly takes the steps, jumping up two at a time with her long legs. Pearl follows suit, trying to seem cool, using all of her energy and her strong knees to leap up after her. They stop in front of another door with another lock, this time with an actual key, which Marina quickly slots into place. Her keyring jangles with all kinds of bits and bobs, and Pearl just catches glimpse of a Squid Sisters keychain.

This door leads into a small apartment, about half the size of Pearl’s bedroom at home. There’s a tiny kitchenette to the right, a door to a wet bathroom on the left, and ahead of her the bedroom and living area are all one room. The bed is made, and the comforter is a bright green; the walls are covered with music posters, some recent, some old, some antique, some human—

Pearl barely has a chance to take more than that in, because Marina tows her into a tiny, itty bitty closet just to the left of the main door. It’s so small that Pearl feels huge. She’s immediately accosted by coats and jackets, all of which smell just like Marina, and she has to struggle to find a spot where she can breathe without getting fabric in her mouth. And then Marina piles in right after her, carrying something dark and bulky in her hands.

It is at this precise moment that Pearl realizes that she just followed this girl, who she barely knows outside of their small interactions at Pearl’s place of employment, down an alley, into a sparsely populated area of the city, through a locked door, up some stairs, through another locked door, and then let her drag her into a closet. She’s heard that people who think they’re in love do stupid shit, but this is next level.

Silently, she hopes that if Marina kills her, that her father never ever finds out. He’d spend millions of dollars to bring her back only to kill her again.

Marina reaches up and pulls the cord for the light. A bare bulb illuminates and Pearl realizes that the coats and jackets are all old, patchy, and a couple seasons out of style. Marina beams at her and hands Pearl a microphone. The bulky thing is an old-fashioned tape recorder, with a cassette in it and everything.

“This is the only place I can record,” Marina explains. There’s a long cord between the mic in Pearl’s hand and the recorder, and Marina presses a button to rewind the tape.

“I see.” Pearl swallows thickly and thinks back to her recording studio at home, with its large soundproof sound booth and sound boards, professional microphones and digital storage. This closet with all of its fabric is close to soundproof, but Pearl imagines that it can’t be great, acoustically. “It’s nice,” she croaks. Her throat is very dry.

“Thanks!” Marina beams. “I bought all the coats to help dampen as much of the sound as I could.” She looks down as the recorder makes a click. “Okay, so the tape is in the right place. Just sing your part and hopefully I can mix them together without too much trouble.”

“Wait, wait.” Pearl waves her hands and smacks into a large leather jacket that has to be two sizes too big for Marina. “What are we doing?”

“This.” Marina reaches into the pocket of her dress and shoves a sheet of paper into Pearl’s confused hands. “You wrote that right? I want you to record what you wrote.”

Pearl unfolds it and yep, that’s the sheet she ripped out of her notebook, with the lyrics that she wrote on a whim, and her scribbled music staffs. Oh jeeze, what has she gotten herself into?

She’s flattered, and panicked, and excited—because clearly Marina loved what she wrote. She loved it so much that she had to hear it for herself. But suddenly Pearl can’t feel her own voice. Her throat is dry, and she’s hasn’t actually sung in months because what she does with her band is scream. Melodic screaming, skilled screaming, but screaming all the same. She reaches up and touches her throat, as if that’ll make a difference, and tries to swallow again.

“I can’t...” she says, feeling like a cad, like a fraud. Marina makes a soft, confused sound and Pearl feels like she owes her an excuse. “I’m not warmed up...” She doesn’t want to tell Marina that she hasn’t sung for real in so long that her range has shifted, has shortened, that even the rhythmic chanting that she wrote might be too much, especially here with Marina so close, making Pearl’s hearts beat out of sync, creating a drum solo out of her chest.

She can’t imagine trying to harmonize with Marina’s strong, melodic voice. She can’t imagine letting Marina hear her sing, especially here in this closet.

“That’s okay!” Marina says. She’s still fiddling with the tape recorder and hasn’t looked up to see Pearl’s pale, pale face. “This is just a demo. It doesn’t have to sound perfect.”

“Reena...” Pearl sighs and that gets Marina to look up. Pearl is holding the microphone so tight in her fist and her fingers are bleached of all color. “I can’t.”

Marina stares at her for a long time, her eyes swimming with some unsayable emotion. Pearl can’t tell if she’s disappointed, angry, sad, or a combination of all three. She wants to squirm under the attention, under her own shame, and she reaches for the door, just so she can escape back into the air and the light and get away from this terrible, frustrating moment.

“No.” Marina grabs Pearl’s hand, the one still wrapped around the microphone, and her palm is cool. It jolts something inside Pearl, and she turns back. “No, Pearl. I know you can do this. I’ve heard your voice.”

“What? No you haven’t.” Pearl’s in disbelief, but she can’t pull away, not with Marina’s hand wrapped around hers. Her hand is decently bigger than Pearl’s, and it’s so nice. “That demo I gave you doesn’t count.”

“Not that.” Marina smiles then, and pulls Pearl back, away from the door. She pulls her into her chest, into a hug, and Pearl allows herself to be embraced even though she doesn’t know what she did to deserve it.

“I heard you singing in the shop,” Marina continues. She rubs her hand on Pearl’s back. “You’re really good.”

“If you say so...” Pearl sighs, because she can’t really say no when she’s being hugged like this. “Why are you hugging me?”

Marina pulls back slightly so that Pearl can see her bright, cheery face. “You seemed like you needed it!”

Pearl smiles too, because she did need it. She needed it so badly. She hasn’t been hugged in so long.

And it is then that she realizes exactly who she’s hugging. Her face blooms red and she feels her hearts donkey kick, jumping into a high-speed race against the clock. She swears Marina must be able to feel it.

“Will you sing for me now? Please Pearlie?” Marina pouts out her lip, like she knows just which of Pearl’s buttons to push. Pearl feels like she’s going to pass out right there, just from that nickname alone, and then Marina goes and pouts—

She has no choice, really.

#splatoon #splatoon 2 #pearlina #splatoon fic #ashe writes #ashe talks #demo brew #seems like no one's reading this here but i'm gonna keep posting it so i can have an archive

16 notes · View notes

sad-af1121 · 6 years

Text

Little Did You Know: Part 4

Summary: You thought your upbringing in a mafia home was a difficult time in your life, fighting for the love of Bucky Barnes who didn’t meet your father’s standards. But even when you’ve both stayed away from that chaotic life, the past returns and things get out of hand. The home you both built tumbled harsher as your reality flew out the window and so did your heart. (Modern AU) Pairing: Ex-Mafia!Bucky Barnes x Reader Word Count: 1575 Warnings: Angst, heartache, language A/N: *Gif Not Mine* I’ve been praying to the writing gods for inspo and luckily was able to edit this baby. Spring break is shitty in Maryland since it’s snowing 😑 Feedback is welcomed 💜

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

The image of the two would forever be engraved in the back of your mind. You weren’t certain if you’d find peace with it, going through the stages of denial. First the utter confusion. You reminisced about your past years with Bucky, analyzing if you ever gave him a reason to cheat. Did you love him enough? Or tend to his needs? You never doubted your relationship until now and it tore you apart.

Why?

The second was disbelief. That red hair, high cheekbones, slim physique, and beauty made you question yourself. You knew that face and never thought you’d see it again- Dolores or Dot, whatever the fuck it was. You remembered her from a few years back, before you started dating Bucky. He told you what she did to him and how horribly he was treated. You saw what was happening before your very own eyes, yet a part of you refrained from believing it. Maybe it was a bad dream, your worst fears surfacing the clear waters. You didn’t want to believe because if you did, that would mean everything you ever knew about James Buchanan Barnes, was a lie.

What’s going to happen to us?

The third and final stage was coming to terms with it. You had a much bigger responsibility now, taking care and giving your son an abundance of love. He was the only thing that mattered to you and no one else. Nothing was going to come between you two and you were going to make sure of that.

Wiping the last tear that seemed to slip from your eye, you looked down at your little bean who suckled on your nipple, his tiny fingers curled around your pinky. It was way past his bedtime, but his bright blue eyes found yours, grinning as milk dripped down his chin. You smiled, wiping it off with his bib before pulling your nipple out from his mouth and fixing yourself. You placed James on your shoulder, patting him lightly on the back for a burping. Right when he let one out, he farted at the same time, eyes widening in fear.

“Oh my god.” You laughed, rubbing circles on his back. “Gasy are we?” You cooed, resituating him back in your arms.

The cab ride to the airport gave you enough time to change the baby, not wanting him to have a rash. When you arrived at the airport, you requested a private resting area, hoping you’d pull yourself together from earlier events. However, you had your weak moments.

You were fragile like glass, shattered and a mess. It’d take an eternity to fix you.

Watching the time tick away, you currently sat in an excluded lounge, waiting for the boys to arrive. Silence caressed your skin like a cool summer breeze, soothing what was left of your soul and taking away your traumatic nerves. You were glad to be granted this silence, but it made you restless, craving for someone’s presence.

Bucky left about 10 voicemails, 20 text messages and 3 missed video calls within the hour. After the third one, you decided to shut off your phone, tossing it somewhere in the baby bag.

“Y/N.”

Steve’s voice echoed, grabbing your attention instantly. He doesn’t understand what was going on, his features drenched in worry and panic. Frankie and Raul followed behind, walking side by side until they stood right before you.

Your appearance said it all. Makeup ruined the black mascara stain under your eyes and the red nose from the constant wiping. They just needed to know what exactly went down and how serious the situation was.

“Frankie, would ya mind?” You asked, gesturing him to take James from your arms. He hesitantly nodded, strolling over as he took the baby and sat across the room with Raul, both ears train on you.

“What’s goin’ on? C’mon Y/N, you’re scarin’ me.” Steve breathed, stepping forward to grab your hand but you pulled it away before he could. His brows furrowed in confusion, watching your normal demeanor change from what he wasn’t used to.

“Did you know, hm? Did you know he was fucking that trash?” You blurted in anger, holding back the tears that tried to break through again.

Steve cocked his head, “Wha- who?”

You pushed at his chest, making him stumble back, “Bucky. He was fuckin’ Dot when I got to the room! Did you know they were seeing each other!? For how long Steve!?” You shouted, balling your fists and aiming them at his arms.

Steve held onto your wrists, being careful not to hurt you, the news ringing in his ears like a siren. His own heart dropped to his gut and he wasn’t sure if this was a joke.

“No, no! I swear Y/N, I don’t know shit! He was supposed to meet this lady to get some papers and after that, he was gonna hit the hay, I promise I didn’t know!” You answered back, firming his grip on you.

Your eyes watered as they bore into his, looking for any sign that he was lying. But you could tell he was breaking down too, shocked to his every being. Steve was like a brother to Bucky and you and you knew he wouldn’t betray you like this.

Staring at the ground, your hands slowly unwind, dropping to your sides. The lump in your throat grew, making it hard to breathe, the walls closing in around you. Your palms were cold and sweaty, another anxiety attack making its presence. The room felt as though there wasn’t any air, your lungs suffocating as you strained to inhale.

Steve held your close against his body, tears staining his reddened cheeks. He quickly sat you down, rubbing your arms as he tried pulling you out from the horrid trance. “Hey, doll. I’m here, just breathe with me, ok? Look at me.”

Unwillingly, you brought your eyes to Steve’s, crying louder and harder than before. Although you tried holding it back, your chin trembled like a small child, tears raw, emotions raw. Everyone became silent, the room flooding with grief and disappointment. Clutching Steve’s jacket, you sobbed into his chest till you couldn’t no more, emotionally exhausted. You needed rest and so did everyone else.

After some time, Steve and you talked some more. He swore he’d get to the bottom of this, making sure Bucky wouldn’t know where you’ve gone off to. Steve was going to protect you from now on, and give you a place to stay at his summer home in Florida. For the sake of the baby and you, he was ready to lose his best friend.

The plane ride back to the coast was numb, just like your thoughts were.

Sleep didn’t welcome you with open arms this time, Bucky’s face appearing whenever you shut your eyes. You remembered when your friends would get cheated on, how devastated they were. Never expecting you’d see yourself in their positions but here you are, the biggest ache in your chest weighed like the world.

Steve was generous enough to take you in and give you a home for the time being. Yet, you’d have to face Bucky one way or another. Contemplating whether or not Bucky should be in James’ life. However, that would be another headache to handle later.

When you arrived at the house, you showered and changed into boy shorts and one of Bucky’s T-shirts. You didn’t bring anything else since you couldn’t sleep without it and now it made your skin crawl. Gripping the hem, you bought the fabric to your nostril, sniffing the musky aroma that had a citrus kick to it. Your eyes fluttered shut, the scent flooding your mind- it only brought pain.

“Ahem.” Steve coughed awkwardly, knocking on the door. Quickly, you let go of the shirt, wiping your eyes and tucking a wet strand of hair behind your ear. “ Settled in?”

You nodded, “Yes. I really need to sleep though, I feel a migraine coming on.”

“Do you need any Advil or Tylenol? I’m sure I’ve got some.”

“No, Steve. If I really need it, I’ll let you know.” You paused, turning to watch James sleep peacefully in a pacifier in his mouth. “Thank you so much, Stevie.”

Steve waved it off, “Hey don’t. We’re family, no need to thank me. I’m just relieved you’re here rather than by yourself.”

Nodding, you inhaled deeply, taking a seat on the bed. “Did he call you?” You whispered, digging your nails into the flesh of your thighs.

“Yeah uh… he’s panicking. Worried about you and the baby but didn’t tell me what happened. Kinda sounded like he was havin’ a hard time speaking.”

“Oh, I bet he was,” You say bitterly.

“Not like that, sweetie.” Steve sighed, ruffling his hair and peering at the clock. “Get some sleep, please? Your health comes first. We’ll talk some more in the morning.”

You agreed, saying goodnight as he shut the door behind him. Laying on the mattress, you moaned silently, loving the plushness of the bed and how soft it was as you grabbed a couple pillows and propped them against your back. They hugged your form, giving you a sense that someone laid behind you before pulling James closer to your chest.

It wasn’t the same not having Bucky, your heart burning with pain.

You’d just have to get used to it now.

PERM TAGS: @thatawkwardtinyperson @jezzula @finallybreathee @plumfondler @atari-writes @angryschnauzer @badassbaker @papi-chulo-bucky @amrita31199 @cumonbucky @soldatbarnes @lostinspace33 @feelthemusicfuckwhatheyresaying @rda1989 @hello-sweetie-get-the-salt @melconnor2007 @feelmyroarrrr @iamsooooohappy @elaacreditava @broken-pieces @hardcollectiontrashworld @i-kneel-for-king-loki @hufflevirgoclaw @curvybihufflepuff @saharzek @angelsandsnakes @valkyeries @retroasgardian @chrisevanshh @palaiasaurus64 @secondsandstars @megs4real @isaxhorror @geeksareunique @negans-only-wife @titty-teetee @barnesbestgirl @lxdyred @ssweet-empowerment

FIC TAG: @lachicadelamanzana @kerstin-p @void-imaginations @nasteaxluvgal @addictionmarvel @buckybarnesappreciationsociety @directionerfae @clickyourheelsandaskforseb @fearsynergy @angelicshinigami @thewritersoldier @sunnyfortomorrow @tchallaholla

(tags are open! If you want to be removed, pls let me know.)

#Ex!Mafia Bucky x reader #Ex!Mafia Bucky x reader angst #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x reader fic #bucky barnes x reader angst #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fanfiction #Steve Rogers #Sebastian Stan #Chris Evans #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan fic

173 notes · View notes