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wisewidow · 3 years

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Hello, Your Parents Want Me To Have Your Babies

PAIRING: Natasha Romanoff x Reader

SUMMARY: Melina, my workplace’s neighbour, wants to set me up with her daughter.

I'd only ever hear about Natasha every couple of weeks, when her adoptive father, the mechanic that owned the garage workshop beside my father's cafe slash bar, met up with my uncle for beers one day last year. Ever since then, our families have been loosely intertwined, friendly but not too close. Alexei fixed my mom's wrecked car for a cheap price, in return I let his youngest daughter Yelena have free coffees whenever she pops over.

From what my father told me, Alexei's entire family, including his wife, were all involved in the family business of repairing cars, except for his eldest daughter: Natasha, who turned out to be an FBI agent living in Quantico. Dad says they're proud of her but they miss her.

"(Y/N)," my brother calls from the kitchen. I put down my phone and find him balancing three plates of sandwiches and a salad in his spindly arms.

He opens his mouth to explain the orders, but I cut him off.

"Alexei," I say, pointing to the bacon and egg sandwich. "A salad for Melina. The tuna and tomato roll is Yelena's. Did they want drinks?"

Peter nods. "Four coffees and a large bottle of water, they already have them."

I ruffle his hair to thank him and grab the plates, balancing the third on my forearm until I can place it on a tray. I carry it outside, years of waitressing practice keeping it balanced, and head towards the garage.

"Melina?" I call. Moments later the raven haired woman slips out of the office and smiles. She yells something in Russian that causes Yelena to slide out from under a silver BMW, covered in black grease. Alexei appears moments later wielding a spanner.

They hound me for their orders, gratefully patting my shoulder and carrying their food away to their separate stations. Yelena disappears into the shadows with her sandwich, and her father to his desk, but Melina simply brightens and says, "(Y/N), have you heard? Natalia is visiting."

"Yes!" Alexei yells around a mouthful of bread. "Family, reunion! Grandbabies!"

Melina hisses something in their mother tongue. I laugh, and then ask if Natasha was bringing her kids, though I wasn't aware she had any.

"He means nothing of it, Natalia is focused on work at the moment. Too focused, I think. No babies. No partner."

"Tell her about her penthouse!" Alexei encourages.

Melina flaps a hand at him in irritation. "Yes, well, she has broken up with Bruce, the shy scientist from work. And then Sharon, charming field operative, also from work. And now she refuses to date. Because of work."

I chuckle nervously. "Where are you going with this?"

Melina smiles innocently. "Nowhere. What happened to your last girlfriend, again? Your father mentioned something about . . ." The look in her eyes is enough to egg me on, though the subject is one I rarely speak of these days.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I say, "Carol left to travel Europe."

"Shame," she nods sympathetically. "You don't seem bothered. Are you not looking for a relationship?"

"Not actively, but I'm sure another troublemaker will find me. I don't have a good track record of steady relationships," I admit.

"Neither does Natalia!" Alexei shouts.

"Oh!" I say. "Does she want Carol's number? Or my friend Harley, she's not looking for commitment."

Yelena snickers. Alexei frowns. Melina chuckles. "No, no, Natalia needs someone she doesn't work with, and you need someone serious, and we need grandbabies before we die, since Yelena neglects it."

I flush a bright red. "Grandb— I'm— okay, first of all, neither of us have the equipment for that—"

"Neither did Dad," Yelena pipes up, referring to the fact that she and her sister were adopted.

"Hey!"

"(Y/N)!" Peter calls, rounding the corner. "Ned's coming over to pick me up, we need to finish our physics project. Uncle Ben should be here soon, can you manage the bar until he gets here?"

I jump onto the excuse and yell back affirmation, say a quick goodbye to Melina before speed-walking back to the cafe.

Peter leaves with Ned soon after, and Ben arrives at around the same time. I move to the kitchens while he takes over serving our regulars, as he's friendlier with them than me.

I work on making more sandwiches and tapas meals until four, when my shift ends. I kiss Uncle Ben on the cheek and head home.

The smell of paprikash greets me as I unlock the door to my apartment, which I guess means that my roommate is home. I call out a hello to her and head to the shower.

I groan happily as the hot water rains down on my front. I close my eyes and lean my head back, thinking over how strange the day had been, and lose myself in a trance of relaxation.

"(Y/N/N)!" Wanda barges in. I jump and almost slip grabbing the shower curtain to cover my body as I peek out at her.

"I'm naked," I hiss.

She ignores me and holds up two clothes hangers. "Pantsuit or dress?"

I push my wet hair out of my face. "Uh, are you bar-hopping with Vision or going to a family dinner?"

"Get together with some friends," she explains. "Vis, Sam, Steve and some guy named Bucky who I'm informed we're supposed to be pretending Steve isn't in love with, do you know him?"

"Nope."

"Okay, well, he's bringing some friends, so I'm bringing you. Don't make that face, you know almost everyone."

"I don't feel like getting drunk," I complain.

"Good! You can be the designated driver. Pantsuit or dress?"

Grumbling, I tell her, "Dress."

"Okay, thanks, you wear the pantsuit, be ready by seven. May the Force be with you!"

She ducks as I throw my shampoo bottle at her. We bicker and mock and tease as I pat myself dry and she changes into the scarlet dress. While she braids her hair, I carefully slip into the navy and white striped pantsuit, and we move into her bedroom to make use of her vanity, since the sun's lowering position in the sky shone straight into the window while my room would be encased in dimness by now. I sit in the chair and she leans over me, brushing her eyelashes with delicate mascara. We fall into our normal going-out-getting-ready rhythm, periodically handing each other different brushes, comparing lipstick shades, and commenting on our days. She tells me about her brother's latest shenanigans and I make the grave mistake of commenting on Melina's attempted set-up earlier today, much to Wanda's entertainment. The two had never met but they both shared the pure ecstasy that came with matchmaking involving me.

"Do you think she's pretty?" Wanda wonders.

"I've seen photos," I shrug. "She's a redhead. Yelena says she changes hairstyles often."

"That doesn't answer my question! Pretty redhead or no?"

"They were baby photos, Wanda! I didn't have an opinion on her looks past the Wonder Woman pajamas."

She hums, and turns to draw a small heart under my left eye with her gel liner pen. "It would be nice if you wound up with her, but if you do fall madly in love with her beautiful red locks and decide to move to Washington to marry her and have her babies, I will murder you. You pay your rent on time and you're fun and please, please do not make me move back in with my brother."

"Why does everyone keep bringing up babies?" I yell.

An hour later we're pulling up to the bar in the back of a cab arguing about getting a cat. The debate of whose bathroom would host the litter tray is interrupted by Wanda spotting Vision through the window and quickly smacking my arm and hissing at me to hurry up and pay so she can sneak in and scare him. Unfortunately, I can't locate my purse inside my bag.

"(Y/N), (Y/N), go, go, go . . ."

"Wanda, Wanda, going, going, going . . . Aha!" I pay the driver and find myself being ushered inside before I can put my purse back in my bag.

Sam, a friend of Wanda's from college, ends up foiling her evil master plan by pointing her out as soon as she walks in the door. Vision, being a good sport, pretends to be startled when she yells "BOO!" in his ear. As she cackles manically before sliding into the chair beside him, I notice the only free space is by the pretty blonde woman beside a man with brown hair pulled into a bun.

"Oh, look who I dragged out with me!" Wanda exclaims, taking a sip of Vision's drink and making a grand gesture with her hands. "(Y/N)!"

I'm greeted with a chorus of hello's. I bow and grin as I sit by the woman and offer a polite smile. Steve leans over points to the brunet man. "This is Bucky, we were close as friends. As kids. We were close as friends, when we were kids."

Sam snorts into his beer.

Steve clears his throat awkwardly. "And this is his partner from work, Nat."

I get a closer inspection and my eyes widen in shock. "Natalia?"

"Her name is Natasha." Steve corrects.

"I thought her name was Natalie?" Vision frowns.

"She goes by Nat, who cares?" Sam shrugs.

"Natalia Alianovna Romanova?" Wanda yelps. "(Y/N)! You didn't tell me this was the Natalia!"

"The what? I— Do I know you two?" Natasha asks, bewildered.

"Not me!" Wanda says, and then makes a motion for zipping her lips shut.

Everyone turns to me. I chuckle nervously. "I should probably explain. Hi, I'm (Y/N), your parents want me to have your babies."

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x y/n #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff oneshot #natasha romanoff fluff

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mysterytickingegos · 3 years

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Ouija Board

Pairing: Ghost!Blank x Reader (Ambiguous)

Genre: Paranormal

Word Count: 1,512

Summary: Sequel to Blank’s Winter Ficlet. After months of Blank poking at your sanity out of boredom, you bring your friends home to get their help, and someone brings a Ouija board into the mix. The day ends with you being left with more questions than answers. (There will probably be another part to this later.)

Anonymous Request: 1. Blankgameplays 2. she/her 3. Platonic/ambiguous 4. Fluff (meet cute, like Blanky Boi is 'haunting' {would you call it haunting? is he even a ghost?} reader's house) Prompt: 63 - Reader: “I don’t believe in ghosts.” Blank: *about to ruin this mans whole career* Please and thank you with extra sprinkles on top ♥ ☆ﾟ.*♥･｡ﾟ♥

Authors Note: First off, to get it out of the way, I was originally using a gif from the tumblr search option, and I removed it when asked. Even though I’ve done so, I can’t remove the reply because they blocked me before I even saw the notification. The gif you should be seeing (if it matches the image description) is one I made myself. Now, onto the important stuff- Oh my god, it is about time I got this done! I’m so sorry it took this long for me to get to it! If it helps in any way I finished this fic with idea’s on continuing it later so...you’ll probably be getting more out of your request than most!

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[Image Description: A gif of Ethan (Crankgameplays) edited to be spooky with multicolored layers. He leans towards the camera and speaks ominously.]

You’d started out with nerves of steel.

Ghosts weren’t real. You knew that.

It’s an old house, and you have an overactive imagination. That’s what you told yourself, over and over again, even once it stopped making sense. But there’s only so many times you can catch things moving on their own, or you could hear that distant voice, before you started to get a little tense. So when you finally hit your limit, you turned to your friends, bringing them to the house in the hopes that they could confirm what you’d been seeing. Or not.

“Okay, before we go in, here’s the plan. We don’t talk about it.” You started, keeping Vi and Eric on the stairs. “Because I think if it knows that I told you about it, it won’t do anything. Like, try to make me look crazy.”

“You do look a little crazy right now.” Violet quipped, nudging you further up the stairs. “Come on, we get it. Act normal, pay attention, let’s get ghost hunting.”

“Ugh, please don’t call it that.” You unlocked the front door, stepping in with your friends following right behind you.

You tossed your keys onto the counter, and the sudden noise was all it took to make Eric yelp. You and Violet both turned to look at him, seeing him cover his face with his hand. “Sorry...”

You sighed, already close to giving up on this plan. You were pretty sure the so-called ghost didn’t even have to do anything. Eric was so nervous and Violet was so excited about this whole thing that they’d probably make up their own ghost story by the time you finished painting the office.

But you trudged forward, bringing them upstairs and getting to work.

You dug your speaker out of the closet, putting some decent music on and leaving it in the corner of the room. Eric pried the paint can open and Violet started lining the room with painting tape. For the first time in a long time, you were all stuck in an uncomfortable silence. waiting for something to happen.

But the day went off without a hitch. It was late in the evening when you finished painting the walls and your friends got ready to leave. “You know, if this was your way of trying to get free labor out of us, fair play to you.” Vi joked, slinging her bag over her shoulders at the door. “But honestly, I’m kind of bummed.”

You shook your head. “I swear I wasn’t, guys. I’m sorry. God, I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

Eric came up behind you, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. “Hey it’s alright, you can- well I mean if you want you can stay with us for-”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by a small thud and a clattering sound coming from the room right above you, the office. All three of you looked up at the ceiling, then at each other, before making a quick pace back upstairs. You flicked the light back on to see that the half-empty bucket of paint you’d left was now on it’s side, and the color of the floor now matched the walls.

“...Dude, this thing is an asshole.” Vi said bluntly, earning a quiet plea from Eric not to make it mad.

“I knew it! I told you! There’s no way this shit just happens, right?” Despite the fact your floor was ruined, you couldn’t help but get excited. “I mean it’s ridiculous but this happens all the time.”

“Okay, this is going to get even cooler, beeecause...” Vi grinned, pulling her bag back around and digging through it until she found what she was looking for, something wrapped in a beige cloth. “Guess what I brought.”

You watched her unwrap what turned out to be a planchette, which had been wrapped in what turned out to be a cloth Ouija board. Eric coughed nervously, taking a small step back towards the stairs, “I actually uh..I can’t stay, I sort of have a-a doctors appointment! Yeah, that. That’s what I have to get to.”

“It’s seven at night.”

“Yeah, um...it’s therapy. You know, they stay open late and...yeah.” And with that Eric excused himself from any further ‘ghost hunting,’ fleeing out the front door. Before you could also object to the idea of talking to the ghost, Vi grabbed your hand and pulled you along to the living room.

“Do you have any candles?” She asked, kneeling down on the floor and spreading out the Ouija board.

“I have a couple scented candles we could light, I guess...” You shrugged and went around collecting them. You started to say something more but stopped to rethink it. This was ridiculous. Lighting candles for a ouijia board? Acknowledging any of this ghost nonsense felt silly enough to you, just a couple months ago stuff like this was all a big joke to you. But what other explanation could there be for everything you had experienced? Maybe you should have done a bit more research, set up a camera or-

“Y/n?” Vi called out from the floor, pulling you out of your thoughts.

Swallowing your pride, you brought the candles and a matchbox over and kneeled across from her. “So since when are you interested in all this, anyway?”

“What, ghosts and stuff?” She stayed quiet for a moment as she helped you set the candles up on either side of the two of you. “I dunno, I guess I’m just starting to notice that maybe...things aren’t as they seem. Kind of like you. But I actually find it fun. So, are you ready to do this?”

You nodded. “I guess so...” Placing your fingers on the planchette, you took a deep breathe before you started. “Hello?”

“Hello? That’s all you’ve got?”

“Shush.”

“I’m just saying, maybe-” “It’s my house that’s haunted so-”

HELLO

You both fell silent again, glancing up at each other. She looked like she might explode from excitement and you had to fight the urge to roll your eyes. Then, you kept going. “My name is Y/n, this is my friend Violet.”

I K N O W

“What’s your name?”

The planchette began to move again, but this time rather than settle on any letters or even move towards ‘No,’ it moved to a blank patch of the cloth.

Furrowing your eyebrows, you waited for any movement, but it didn’t come. “Do you have a name?”

D O N O T R E M E M B E R

‘Oh.’ You felt a pang in your heart at that.

Vi pouted a little, her head tilting to the side. She was the next to ask something. “What are you?”

G H O S T

“Alright-”

M A Y B E

“...Maybe?”

D O N O T R E M E M B E R

Chills ran down your spine. That was not a comforting thought. “Is there anything else in the house with us?”

“You’ve really been scaring my friend, you know.” Vi said, looking cautiously around the room as she spoke.

I K N O W

It took everything you had to keep your shaking hands on the planchette. “Do you want me to leave?”

Nothing happened. You waited, your heart pounding out of your chest. The sun had officially set, making the house pitch black aside from your little pocket of candlelight. You could almost make out a shadow over the board, it’s source seemingly coming from behind you. You didn’t dare mention it. “Do you want to be alone here again? Because I’d understand that.”

Even more dead silence.

Violet let out a sharp sigh, taking one hand off the planchette, despite your objection, to rub her temple. “Are you still there?”

YES

“I just want to understand why you’re doing this.” You said, much quieter than you meant.

S O R R Y

“You’re sorry?”

S T A Y

“But...what?”

You and Violet sat there for another thirty minutes, asking questions and waiting for answers that never came. The spirit was apparently done talking. “Alright, well...” Violet stood up, putting her bag back on.

“What? Wait, I don’t get any of this. What do I do?” You began to panic, not entirely sure if you should be leaving the board yet.

“You can have the board, keep trying tomorrow, I don’t know. Look-” Her tone was coming off uncharacteristically harsh now, as she avoided your eyes. “My head is splitting, think it’s all the candle fumes. I’m gonna breeze off, good luck though.”

You squinted at the door when it hit you what she said. "Breeze off?” Shaking it off, you turned your attention back to your unusual roommate. “Okay, I’m going to call it a night I guess. I have paint to clean up so,” You moved the planchette to ‘Goodbye,’ taking your hands off and being seconds away from blowing out the candles when it moved all on it’s own.

G O O D N I G H T

#blankgameplays x reader #blankgameplays fanfiction #blankgameplays x you #I wrote this in a burst in one day and if there are typos they are hiding from me

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calumance · 4 years

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LA Devotee - Part XIX

Warnings: heart wrenching angst, cussing, drinking

Word Count: 3.6k

Summary: Emily has arrived at her conference, but that doesn’t mean she can stop thinking about Calum. Nothing seems to be going right anymore, that is until she gets home.

A/N: Oof, I’m sorry this is so late. I hope you guys enjoy it! Happy reading!!!! 🥰🥰🥰 Feedback and requests are always welcomed! (Want to be notified when I post stuff? Let me know!)

Masterlist

I dropped my bags on the hotel floor and flicked on the light switch. The door shut behind me and I looked around the room. If Calum stays in rooms that look anything like this, I don’t know how he doesn’t lose his mind. After a second I walked to the window and tossed the curtains open. The view was the brick building next to the hotel, if I leaned forward and pressed my left cheek to the glass, I could see one billboard from Times Square. I closed the curtains with a sigh and sat on the end of the bed, dropping my head into my hands. This is going to be a horrible week.

My phone dinged, and I dropped my hands and leaned back, my eyebrows furrowing. My eyebrows released and my heart started to race when I saw Calum’s name. I swiped up to unlock my phone and read the message, “Just landed in LA, hope you had a safe flight. Cal” A sigh escaped my chest and I set my phone on the bed next to me. My heart beat one more time before another message came through. Without moving my body, I reached next to me and grabbed my phone then reluctantly read the message, “I miss you so much. I can’t wait until I can hold you in my arms again, Emily. I’ll call you when I get home.” I tossed my phone behind me, letting it bounce on the mattress. After letting a few thoughts run through my head, I pushed myself off the bed and walked to the bathroom to take a shower before I had to be in a meeting in two hours.

The mirrors in the bathroom were coated with steam. The fan in the bathroom barely worked and made a horrible screeching noise when I turned it on. After I stepped out of the shower, I wrapped the towel around my hair and body then walked out of the bathroom. The screen on my phone lit up as the ringtone sounded. My heart raced as I walked around the bed and leaned over to see who it was. Seeing Calum’s name, I closed my eyes and let out a breath. Before I could miss the call, I answered the call, “Hello?” I tried to keep the attitude suppressed, but a small amount seeped through. Noticing it, I held my breath and sat on the bed, waiting for Calum to say something.

“Hey,” He said, the sound of the door shutting in the background. “How was your flight?” There was a thud in the background, resembling the sound of his bag hitting the floor.

I cleared my throat, “It was good. How was your trip home?” Tears started to well in my eyes and I looked up at the ceiling. My heart hurt, I just wanted to tell him I love him, but the fear of our lives moving in two different directions over taking my feelings.

“It was good. It feels good to be home.” His voice cracked, causing him to clear his throat and stop his thoughts.

My chest felt tight, and the phone call suddenly got heavy. “Listen, I have to be in a meeting in an hour. I’m going to let you go so I can get ready.” He stumbled over his words before he gave me a simple ‘yeah.’ I gave him a simple goodbye and hung up, tossing my phone on the bed again. I squatted next to my suitcase and pulled out a pair of black dress pants, a gray chiffon t-shirt, and my bright red blazer. After I dried my hair and put on some makeup, I pulled on a pair of black pump wedges. I grabbed my notebook and my phone and headed to the conference room off to the right of the lobby of the hotel.

Half way through the meeting, I could feel my phone vibrate, but I decided to ignore it. It wasn’t until they released us for a break that I checked my phone. There was a text message from Mikayla, a missed call and a voicemail from Calum. I started with Mikayla’s text message: “Holy crap I hate you not being here. Like, I know you have your own office and stuff now, but it’s completely different with you not here at all. Please come back to me. Creepy Gary is hitting on me again. S.O.S Love you!” My chest jumped with a silent laugh and I typed back “Ew, punch him, tell the boss it was self-defense (just kidding don’t do that, you’ll get fired and I can’t handle that.) Love you too!”

My breathing became labored as I stared at the notification on my voicemail. My heart pounded in my chest and my ears as I put the phone to my ear to listen to the voicemail. “Emily,” He sounded like he had had one too many drinks, but still coherent enough to speak logically, “I guess you’re still in your meeting. Thank you for all of the groceries, and you cleaned the house.” His voice broke and he cleared his throat. “I – “ He paused, “Call me back.” He hung up and the voicemail ended. I looked around the room to see if anyone was looking at me and wiped a tear from my face. Before I got a chance to call Calum back, they called us back into the meeting.

When I got back to my hotel room, the first thing I wanted to do was take my shoes off. After I tossed them to the side, I stood at the end of the bed and fell backwards, allowing myself to bounce against the mattress. I tapped on Mikayla’s contact and pressed the speaker to my ear, listening to the dial tone, until she answered, “Oh thank god you called me, Creepy Gary was talking to me and I was able to walk away because my phone was ringing. How’s the conference?” Her voice was cheery, it made the pain in my chest dissipate.

I chuckled, “Glad I could save you. It’s alright, today was a meeting about what we are going to talk about and explore while we’re here. Although it was good information, the speaker is so monotone that I thought my head was actually going to explode.” My pointer finger and thumb rubbed the ridge above my eyebrows while Mikayla laughed.

Mikayla cleared her throat, “Have you and Calum worked everything out?” Her voice was no longer cheery and bright, it turned serious and motherly. Never in the time that I’ve known her have I regretted telling her literally everything, but right now I do, only because it’s still an open wound.

I swallowed hard, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. It stayed lodged in my throat as I shook my head against the bed. “No, I don’t know, Mikayla. What if he tells me it’s over and we’re done? I dropped everything for him. I have nowhere to go if this is it.” I licked my lips, keeping the tears at bay.

Mikayla sighed, “Not that I’m saying this is the end, but if that ends up happening, which let me emphasize that I don’t think it will, you can always stay with me.” She paused and sighed again, “Have you tried to talk to him about everything that happened?”

“No, he left me a voicemail while I was in the meeting and he sounded like he was a bit tipsy, so I’m not sure right now is the best time to talk to him.” I stopped rubbing my brow ridge and covered my face with my hand, letting my elbow fall to the side. Mikayla hummed, not in agreement, but in understanding. “Hey, I’m going to go grab some food and then I’m going to get some sleep, I’m exhausted. I’ll call you tomorrow. Avoid Creepy Gary at all costs, you hear me?” She laughed in response and said goodbye before we both hung up. I allowed my phone to fall on my chest, and closed my eyes. Even though I didn’t think tonight was the best night to talk to him, not calling him back was just going to feed the fire.

The dial tone pierced my ear drums while I waited for Calum to pick up. When he did, there was loud music for a second and then it went completely silent before he sighed my name. “Sorry I didn’t call back,” I said in a monotone voice. “The meeting was longer than I thought it was going to be. What did you need?” He started rambling something, all of his words slurring together, making him hard to understand. I sat up and sat crisscrossed on the bed and tried to concentrate on what he was saying. Something about the food in the fridge and the yard being picked up. “Calum, you’re drunk and I can barely understand you.” He mumbled a few more things and then the call ended. “What the fuck was that?” I said to myself and tossed my phone onto the night stand. Leaving it there while I went to the restaurant in the lobby to grab some food.

The entire trip resembled something of the first night. Meetings all day, every day, no time to really go out and see the city. The furthest I got to touring was going to the Red Lobster in Times Square for dinner on Friday night. Calum and I spent little time talking, and it was starting to drive me absolutely mad. My flight home leaves Monday night, and he flies out to their next destination on Monday morning. Whatever was keeping us from seeing each other was really starting to get on my last nerve.

Even though the office is closed on Sunday’s in LA, and most other places, we still had a meeting all day. After I was able to sit through the last meeting, the only thing I had to look forward to was getting to spend all day tomorrow getting ready to go home. For whatever reason, I didn’t feel like eating tonight, instead I went to the bar in the hotel. I was on my fourth long island iced tea and the alcohol was started to blur my thoughts. Blurring all of the ones except for the ones about Calum. Which, ironically, where the ones I was trying to blur. My fingers moved backwards in my hair, stopping half way so I could put the weight of my head in my hand. In a moment my phone was in my free hand, and I was staring at the picture of Calum and I still set as my background. My eyes closed, feeling the physical pain of not talking to him. My other hand dropped from my hair and to my phone as the alcohol dissolved my internal filter.

I sent the message without thinking, and my heart stopped after I read it to myself: “If you want to end our relationship, will you just do it? I don’t think my body or my heart can handle this much pain anymore.” I felt like an idiot for sending the message, but there’s no way to take it back. I started typing again, trying to back pedal. “I’m sorry I didn’t go and see you on tour. I fucked up, I keep thinking about how you told me I was selfish, and I fucking am. I’m so sorry, I know you hate me and probably don’t actually want to see me even if we do ever get the chance to see each other again, but just know I’m sorry. I can pack up all my things when I get home on tomorrow and be out of your life forever.” I sent the message and put my phone face down on the bar. My mouth found the straw and I finished the drink and asked for another one.

As I finished my fifth drink, I found the courage to look at my phone. I squinted when I saw a single text message from Calum. When I opened my phone, I held my breath as I realized it was a long message. As I exhaled, I started reading, “What? Emily. I don’t hate you, and I definitely don’t want to end our relationship. You are selfish, but It comes with being hurt. Yeah, I’m upset that you didn’t visit me and yeah, I’m mad that I haven’t seen you in two fucking months, but that does NOT mean we’re never going to see each other again. I know you’ve been through a lot of shit in the past, and so have I. Just because there’s a bit of a snag in our relationship doesn’t mean I don’t want to fight for it. I miss you so fucking bad. Baby, I’d wait ten years to see you again, if that’s what I’d have to do. Please don’t pack your things up, I never want you to leave.” I dropped my phone face down and held my breath to not cry in front of every person sitting in the bar. Before I broke, I asked for my check and bounced my leg to contain myself. I made it to the elevator but once the doors shut and I knew I was by myself, I broke down. Broke down to the point where I could barely stand. I squatted and put my face in my hands and tried to compose myself.

The elevator dinged and I stood up quickly, a head rush causing me to take a step back. As I hastily walked down the hallway, I pulled my hotel room key out of my pocket. The door swung open, a loud thud as it hit the wall. I threw my phone on the bed and watched it bounce hard enough to fall onto the floor. That’s where it stayed as I curled into a ball in the chair by the window and continued to cry the alcoholic buzz away.

The sun shining through the floor to ceiling windows behind me caused my back to heat up. People running through the airport towards their flight, while other people sat and waited for the flights to take off. I looked towards the agent stand while the gate agents shuffled to get everything ready to start loading the plane that was going to take me back to Los Angeles. My phone vibrated, a message from Mikayla expressing how happy she was that I’d be back at work in the morning. I switched over to my message thread with Calum and for the hundredth time, I read his message he sent me yesterday night. After the long message, there were a few good morning and good night messages, all from him. Maybe he knew that I didn’t know how to respond to him, even if he didn’t, I still appreciated the fact that he hadn’t given up. I glanced at the time and wondered if he was on his flight yet. Wanting to try to talk to him one more time before I got home, I put the phone to my ear as the call rang out. Multiple different options of what I could say to him ran through my mind as the call rang out. The call went to voicemail and I hung up. Nothing I wanted to say to him was voicemail appropriate. Just as I put my phone back in my pocket, they started boarding the flight.

It was late when I finally made it home, and it was weird to not be greeted by the little black and white dog who is the best company with Calum not here. Crystal had texted me earlier in the day letting me know that Calum had dropped him off there since he wasn’t sure what time I’d be getting home. I lugged my bags into the bedroom and dropped them on the bed. If I didn’t start to unpack now, I probably would never do it. As I opened my suitcase, I tossed all of my dirty clothes in the hamper in the corner of the room, then grabbed my toiletries and walked into the bathroom. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a sticky note on the bathroom mirror. Calum’s hand writing was scribbled across the note with the words “You’re beautiful” scrawled on it. After I dropped all of my thing in the sink, I grabbed the sticky note off the mirror and held it between my fingers, staring at it as if this is the only piece of him I had left. I held it to my chest as I walked out of the bathroom.

After I had set the sticky note down on my phone, I grabbed the hamper full of dirty clothes and walked down the hallway towards the laundry room. When I switched on the light, I found another sticky note sitting on the top of the washing machine. My heart fluttered as I peeled the note off to read it. “You’re amazing” scrawled on the note. My cheeks flushed and I set it to the side as I threw a load of laundry into the washing machine. Before I walked out, I grabbed the note then made my way back into the bedroom. I took a picture of the sticky notes and sent the picture to him with a message saying “Thank you, Calum. Hope you have a safe flight.” I dropped my phone onto the bed so I could finish getting ready for bed.

I crawled under the covers, after making sure the house was locked up, and grabbed my phone. A message from Calum waiting for me to read. My lips twitched into a smile as I unlocked my phone. “There’s more, hope you find them all. Just landed in London, it’s the morning here, and from what I’ve learned through my traveling is it’s night there. Good night, gorgeous. Text me when you wake up. Xx” My heart fluttered as I set my phone on the night stand and rolled over. As I placed my head on my pillow, Calum’s cologne suddenly filled my nose. Instinctually, I reached over and grabbed at the sheets. As the intoxicating scent filled my nose, I pulled myself onto his side of the bed, drowning myself in a pool of his scent. A smile stretching across my face as it lulled me to sleep.

The second my alarm went off I knew I should’ve taken today off to rest, but I needed every day I could get because I was going to visit Calum before he came home again. My hand searched for the alarm to shut it off and I sat up rubbing my tired eyes. Through squinted eyes, I reached over and grabbed my phone off the side table. My fingers lazily tapped a good morning message to Calum before I pushed myself off the bed, then stumbled my way into the bathroom. The reason I take showers in the morning is they wake me up, if I took showers at night, I probably would never function like a normal human. With that being said, this shower did absolutely nothing to wake me up.

The steam rolled out of the bathroom as I opened the door back into the bedroom. The sun was starting to come up and my head was starting to throb from the exhaustion. There was no way I could put more than ten minutes of thought into my outfit, so I pulled out a pair of black leggings, a black and white striped loose fitting t-shirt, a pair of white converse and a black blazer. Blazer’s always dress up any outfit, in my mind. I ran a brush through my hair, but let it hang so it could dry naturally, which would eventually lead to some completely uneven waves. The only amount of makeup I could bring myself to put on was some foundation, mascara, and a quick fill of my eyebrows.

After I grabbed my phone, I walked to the kitchen and my eyebrows narrowed seeing a sticky note stuck to the coffee maker, “You’re strong, just like this coffee (just press start).” I let out a chuckle and pulled the note off and pressed the start button. As the coffee brewed, I walked around the house to gather everything I needed to take back to work. Once I had everything gathered, I walked back into the kitchen and opened the cabinet where my travel mug had found its home when I wasn’t using it. On the travel mug there was another sticky note, my cheeks immediately flushing, “You are the definition of warmth (this mug keeps your coffee warm).” I chuckled at how cheesy the notes were getting, then set it with the one from the coffee maker. As I twist the cap onto my travel mug, I check the time and run to the front door to grab my bag. My bag sat on my shoulder heavily, and I flicked my hair out of my face noticing a sticky note on the door. I read it, but didn’t remove it from the door. “You’re going to do great things today.” At the end of the note was a heart, and my heart skipped a beat. I loved him so much, I just wish I had the chance to tell him.

************

Tag list: @notinthesameguey @viiirg0 @thinkofmehlgh @another-lonely-heart @limer-encia @itsmytimetoodream @babyoria @treatallwithkindness

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intricate-oeuvre · 5 years

Text

say it before you run out of time || B. Hardy

part I part II part III part IV part V part VI part VII part VIII part IX part X part XI part XII part XIII

Word count: 1.2k

Summary: Ben and the reader have been friends since childhood. And along the way reader falls in love with him. But it might be too late when another girl shows up claiming that she’s his girlfriend.

Warnings: nothing really (for now), horrible writing, the good ol’ friends to lovers story line

A/n: everyone is probably waiting on other updates from me but I give you this, sorry. If you want to be be tagged in next chapter hmu

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes only knowing someone can hurt enough that you wished you didn’t know them in first place. And to top it all off, why not become best friends with them and fall for them along the way.

You had known Ben since you were twelve and he was fifteen. At that time, you had thought that the only reason why he let you stick around was because you weren’t like other girls. You enjoyed boy company far more than girl company. You loved fast sports cars, all technology advancements, sports and such things. You weren’t scared to get dirty if it could bring a lot of fun. And maybe that’s the reason why Ben and his friends let you hang around more than other girls.

You loved him to death. In the most platonic meaning of the word.

Until three moths before his big breakthrough role.

That’s when you realised that it might be something more than platonic friendship love. Yeah, it was one-sided, as far as you knew, but you let your hidden hopeless romantic self, tell yourself that there may be small fraction in him that maybe, possibly, slightly or unsurely might love you back. Your stomach started to do flips whenever he called you sweetheart, love, darling. That shouldn’t happen if you two were only friends.

But you kept it all to yourself. Only blurting your crush on him to two of your best-friends once you all got shit-faced.

“Whichever girl will capture his heart, will be the luckiest girl ever.” You told Rose and Maddie that night while looking down at your drink.

“You mean yourself?” Maddie grinned at you.

“Have you seen the boy? He’s literal angel and I’m just the girl with who he occasionally plays football. That’s mostly it.” you said downing a shot.

“Can you imagine the kids they would have? His hair and y/n eyes?! Yes, please.” Rose turned to Maddie.

“Can you imagine making ones with him?” Maddie giggled at you from behind of her glass.

“Don’t get me started on that...” you rolled your eyes.

“Oh my God! You have! Bloody hell!” Rose laughed as her eyes grew big.

Yeah, well, who wouldn’t wonder about being under such man? And because of that you swore that it was the last time they let you become this drunk.

And now you were dying student, desperately trying to get that degree in architecture. Ben was away most of the time and you two saw each other more rarely than you’d like to admit. You fucking missed him. And when you had learned from his friends that he was coming home after one of his six-month filming sprees, you were thrilled. And scared. Because every time you saw him, you could feel yourself falling in love with him even more deeply. Noticing every small detail about him, be it his tattoo of lion snout, his haircut changes, that little thing he did with his tongue when he laughed. All the little gestures he made towards you. They all were of innocent nature, but yet they still left you overthinking things. It sounded stupid, but here you were. Falling for the guy who won’t be there to catch you.

As you were starting to plan his surprise party, you needed to make some arrangements. Since Ben had given you a spare key to his place – if something unfortunate happened and you were thrown out of dorms on street, you were more than welcomed to come to his place. Usually you didn’t go there when Ben wasn’t around, but since you needed somethings ready for the party, you had taken all your courage and scouted to his safe place.

Walking in his home felt as if you had left it just yesterday. But it has been more than seven months since you have been here. Last time it was because Ben wanted to have one last get-together with friends before leaving. You all had gone drinking that night and later half of you went back to Ben’s place to continue the party. You still freshly remembered how Ben’s left arm was around your waist as you all stumbled to his place. In other hand he had cigarette as he was chatting with his mates. You still recall every time his hand would dig in your hip when he stepped to his right and pulled you with him. At the time you had grown quiet, your friends talking on your left about some cat-fight that had taken place at girl’s restroom back at pub.

“Hey. You’re alright?” Ben had asked upon noticing your silence and taking a drag from his cig.

“Perfect.” You smiled up at him. Thankful for the darkness that hid your blush.

“Good. You needed to take a break. It’s good for you.” He said landing a small kiss to your hair. Only making your heart skip a beat, hoping he didn’t notice.

With that small memory, you unlocked his house. Quietly, you stepped in and putted your bag on the floor. It looked as if he had left only this morning. Walking down the hall to the guest room where you were planning on staying, you looked at the opposite door. Ben’s bedroom.

And even seeing only door, brought back memories.

You had studied at his place one time. Since your roommates back at dorms where gone out and you didn’t feel like staying alone. Ben was sitting on his bed with laptop in his lap, probably checking work related stuff, while you were sitting on the floor. Sheets and sheets of papers sprawled around you as you stared at them and tried to trace sketches and plans for houses.

“You’ll build me one when you graduate.” Ben had said, not looking up.

“You mean, make a plan and design for one?” You corrected and looked up at him.

“Yeah, yeah.” He finally looked at you too.

“Maybe.” You smiled and looked down.

“Is that a yes or no?” he teased.

“It’s a maybe. First I need to finish this.” You smiled at him.

“I’ll hold you to it, love.” He grinned. That made your breath get caught in your throat.

And now, slowly opening only a fraction in the doors to his room, you glanced in. Everything seemed to be in almost pedantic order except for something on the bed. You walked in and took a closer look at the neatly folded piece of clothing. It was Ben’s sweater. Ben’s yellow sweater that you loved so much. Gently reaching for it you smiled to yourself. This boy had you good. Taking the article of clothing with you, you exited his room in hopes of having quiet evening, so you could pick up Ben from airport tomorrow afternoon.

But your plans were ruined when you heard turning of the lock in the doors around 9pm. With alarmed look on your face you waited for doors to open. When the person behind the door realised that the doors where unlocked, they came in.

“Hello?” You asked carefully, glancing at your bag still on the floor and thinking what you could use for self-defense.

“You must be Y/n.” girl said walking in.

“Do I know you?” you raised eyebrow at her.

“I’m Nina. Ben’s girlfriend.” The Nina said.

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagine #ben hardy fanfic #ben hardy x reader #ben hardy x y/n #ben hardy x you #friends to lovers #sibyroot series #part one #bohemian rhapsody #queen #xmen #mary shelley #woman in white

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thecreelhouse · 4 years

Text

Kill the Lights // Chapter 10

Steve Harrington x Original Female Character

Read chapter 9 here!

Summary: After Violet- formally 003, a telekinetic, electrokenetic, and clairvoyant 19 year old- loses her first family, her first love, nothing is the same. She finds herself taken in by Hopper and El, struggling to find her footing and meaning to keep fighting. The Party, especially Steve Harrington, try to show her where her strengths have been hiding all along, and that no one has to fight their battles alone. Sometimes you don’t need to be rescued, but someone’s love and support while you rescue yourself sure doesn’t hurt.

Word count: 2,186

Content warnings: PTSD, anxiety, dissociation, angst, cursing

Author’s note: we’re finally merging into season 3!! I know a lot of people prefer when fics are word for word with the original work when staying with a storyline, but personally I don’t care for it much, it’s too repetitive over time. So it’s not fully canon, but this fic never fully was to begin with. Hope that’s alright! Title comes from ‘find my way home’ by misterwives. For some reason, tumblr still won’t show my posts in the tags I use, so if you like this (or any of the chapters) please don’t be afraid to reblog!! It’s always greatly appreciated <3 Alrighty, enough rambling. Hope you enjoy this one y’all!!

Chapter 10: Bad Dreams to Reality

Just a short, sleepless 24 hours later, Violet was thrown into something that gave her the same dreadful ache her nightmare gave her.

“So you mean to tell me out of all your abilities, you never learned another language?” Dustin sassed at Violet, and her jaw fell open in disbelief.

“Oh yes, so sorry I never asked my abusers to teach me something that would be useful after I escaped!” Violet snapped back, and Dustin shrunk in his chair. Steve grimaced as he looked away from the two, pretending to find more fascination in the tape recorder on the table.

The three of them were huddled around the small table in the back room; Dustin explained how he stumbled upon a code being sent over the airwaves while using Cerebro. It definitely didn’t sound like it belonged in Hawkins, that was for sure. He was convinced it was a top secret code in Russian, and currently was upset that Violet had limitations to her abilities.

“Even if we do find out what it says, does it even matter? Why should we care?” Violet whined, crossing her arms as she fell into a chair between the two boys.

“We should care because we could be American heroes, Vi! Don’t you want that?” Dustin exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

“Ask me how much I genuinely care, Dustin. Go ahead-“

“Vi, be nice-“

“Steve, I am exhausted, there’s no room for nice today.” Violet groaned, letting her head roll back.

“Jesus, you guys are so loud back here.” Robin chimed in as she strolled through the door. “Why don’t you just announce to the rest of the parlor what your heroic plans are?”

“Thank you, Robin.” Violet said, eyes closed as she massaged her temples. “You think their voices are loud, you should hear their th-“

“Violet!” Steve hissed, causing Violet’s sentence to stop dead in its tracks. She was so exhausted, she almost let one of her own secrets slip.

Robin raised a brow at them, arms crossed. “Alright, what’s really going on here?”

“I intercepted a Russian transmission the other night-“

“Dustin!”

“Steve it’s fine, settle down-“

“A Russian transmission? Go on,” Robin said as she pulled a folding chair over from the wall. As she sat on it, she motioned her hands in a “c’mon” motion to Dustin.

“Okay, so we think it sounds Russian, but none of us know Russian, so that’s as far as we got.” He explained, and Robin’s eyes flicked down towards the tape recorder.

Robin went on to tell them how her ears were “little geniuses” after taking several language classes and being in band, and how she was confident she could figure it out.

So, they got to work, replaying the tape over and over, pausing and rewinding to phonetically write out what they heard, looking up the closest matches in a Russian-to-English dictionary Dustin brought with him. While the room was abuzz with excitement of decoding hidden secrets, Violet realized she overstayed her welcome, break long over by now, and headed back to Sam Goody.

The fluorescent lights hummed above her as she shuffled back down the employee hallway alone. Just as her hand reached the knob to the record store’s door, the hair on her arms stood up straight. A feeling of dread, that feeling she was getting for awhile now, washed over her. Like something was out of place, something just wasn’t right, but she still couldn’t figure out what exactly it was.

The lights above her flickered, and a mechanical, crashing noise echoed down the hall. It sent chills down her spine.

“You’re just easily spooked. It’s just that silly dream that has you worked up, Vi.” She tried reassuring herself.

“Hello?” Violet called out. The noises stopped, only to transition to heavy footsteps, and it sent her senses ablaze. Her hands fumbled with the store key, unlocking the door and slamming it shut behind her. She didn’t realize how much she was shaking until she slid down the door, trying to catch her breath.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, kid.”

Violet’s head snapped up to see her boss, Connie, standing above her and staring with concern. Violet let a sigh of relief out seeing a familiar face. Connie was a middle aged woman, a little off the wall and eccentric in her style with her bright orange hair and bold patterned clothing, but her mom instincts came naturally while supervising over the younger employees that ran her store. Violet enjoyed working with her.

“I’m alright- must’ve just been some leaky pipes in the hall.” Violet shrugged off her fears, more for herself or Connie, she wasn’t sure. It didn’t seem convincing to either woman, but Connie nodded, holding her hand out to Violet to help her back up.

“You’re lucky I like ya’, kid, I almost sent a search squad after you!” Connie laughed, and Violet forced herself to laugh through her shot nerves.

“Sorry, won’t go over my break again, I swear!” Violet pushed out more giggles. At least her boss was a pretty relaxed person overall, and it was still somewhat slow in the store.

“Meet me out on the floor when you’re ready. We got some new shipments today, nothin’ exciting though, just some stereo cords, so don’t get all jazzed up. Bring the boxes out with you, alright?” Connie said, waving her hand back and forth as she walked back out of the stock room.

“Jazzed up. Who even says that?” Violet laughed to herself, genuinely this time, shaking her head.

Her eyes wandered the room for the new shipment boxes, usually left right by the back door. As she got closer to the boxes, the logo, while never seen before by her, sent a shock through her body. A feeling of deja vu shook her bones as her fingers ran over the design.

Flashes of emotions ran through her as visions zoomed through her mind. The feeling of falling, falling, falling, again, this time she saw faces, faces she knew, faces she didn’t know-

“Vi? Can you bring out that crate of records, too?” Connie yelled back to Violet. “It’s just some restock.”

Violet shook her head, trying to shake what she just saw from her mind, before yelling back, “Sure thing, Con!”

She couldn’t shake the feeling, though. It was fused to her with a death grip. Something definitely wasn’t right, and she didn’t have a single idea what it had to do with the logo on the box, but it terrified her.

The design, a simple “Lynx Transportation” logo with a silver silhouette of a large cat, made absolutely no sense in startling her this much, but she sensed it couldn’t be good regardless. Something about it got under her skin, enough where she tried to replay the visions in her mind again. Just like her dream the night before, they slipped away quickly before she could fully grasp what she saw. Just blue. Lots of blue. Blue, blinding lights. She saw so many faces in that brief vision, she couldn’t remember them all.

As she picked up the box to bring it out, the logo stared right back at her, almost taunting and mocking her for what she just felt.

Violet had no idea what the hell was going on, what she was sensing, what was about to happen, but her questions going unanswered were beginning to drive her insane.

———

Steve began pulling the gate over the entrance to Scoops Ahoy closed, when an unseen force began pushing it back up. Panicked, Steve gripped onto the handle, and started rising with the metal gate.

“Babe, would you let go of that?” Violet giggled at her boyfriend, nearly dangling from the top of the doorway. Steve let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Violet, realizing who forced the gate back open. Panic set back in quickly, though.

“Okay, one, put me down, please,” Steve lowered his voice into a whisper, hissing at Violet. “And two- what the hell do you think you’re doing right now?!”

Violet rolled her eyes and flicked her hand casually in a downward motion, causing the gate to lower, and gently set Steve back on his feet. She ducked under the gate before he fully closed it.

“I’m serious, Vi, you have to be careful!” Steve scolded her, almost as if she was a careless child, and she rolled her eyes again as a child in trouble would. “Someone could have seen that!”

“And nobody did. Mall’s closed, mostly everyone went home already, it’s fine. We’ve got worse to worry about.” Violet tried pushing past his concern. “It happened again.”

“What? What happened?” He asked, glancing over his shoulder, still on high alert. Robin and Dustin must’ve still been in the back, leaving the couple alone in the parlor.

“The dream, but I wasn’t dreaming. I was awake. I was awake and I saw it, Steve.” Violet rushed out in a whisper. Even talking about it felt wrong. It made it, whatever it was, feel real, and Violet didn’t want any part of it.

“How? If you were awake-“

“I don’t know, it’s like flashes of these images, flashes of these emotions, everything rolled into one. It was too fast again. I couldn’t remember much.”

“But you did remember some things?” He implored, still concerned.

“Faces. I saw faces I knew, ones I didn’t. You know, it’s apparently a fact that every face you see in your dreams is a face you’ve seen in real life before? How the hell did I see faces I couldn’t recognize?” Violet rambled out, collapsing into one of the booths. Steve followed, eyes still locked on hers, listening intently.

“Okay, but who did you recognize?” Steve asked cautiously, and the question flicked a switch in Violet’s mind.

“You. You, Robin, Dustin-“ Violet stuttered out, clutching her head in her hands. Trying to remember felt draining, and she could feel a dull ache approaching in her skull. Steve must have noticed, because he immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t put yourself through hell to remember. It’s gonna be okay-“

“You don’t know that. None of us do.” Violet snapped, her head jolted back up. “What if something is coming, and I can stop it? I have to try-“

“You don’t even know what this is, Vi. Please, I need you to just rest for a little, okay?” Steve pleaded with her, voice laced with concern again. “You can stay over again if you want, I won’t leave your side, and after some sleep we can try to figure this out in the morning. Alright?”

Violet reluctantly nodded, but he was right. She had been up for well over a full 24 hours by now, and it couldn’t have been helping whatever she was dealing with now.

A short while later, Violet followed Steve, Robin and Dustin out of the shop, and into the main hallway of the mall. Neon lights above stores buzzed gently. The mall had an eerie feel to it past closing. Violet figured that was just because they were the only ones in the building currently.

Until they weren’t.

Violet’s pace slowed to a stop behind the group as they walked towards the exit when she felt it. Sensed it. The four of them weren’t alone in the building anymore. Sounds around her slowed down and her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

Violet couldn’t hear thoughts from anyone else, but she could sense the intentions in the air, and they were far from kind.

“I’m just tired, it’s just sleep deprivation playing tricks on me, it’s fine. We’re fine. I’m fine.” Violet tried talking herself down, but her intuition wouldn’t let up, wouldn’t quiet down.

“Vi? What’s wrong, babe?”

Violet focused back in on the present, eyes connecting back to reality to see Steve walking back to her. A child’s ride, a horse, was moving and playing a tune behind him, Robin and Dustin standing near it too. She didn’t even see them walk over or Steve put money in, but the notes of the music rang through her head like alarms. She knew this music. She heard it in the tape recording Dustin had, but she knew it wasn’t from that. She heard it before, in her dream. Background static to the rest of the chaos, but clear enough that she recognized it.

“You alright?” He asked, hand tangling into her’s. His thumb gently rubbed her hand, trying to bring her back to her surroundings.

“Y-yeah, just tired.” Violet lied, softly smiling. She didn’t want to worry him any further. “Let’s just head home.”

Steve wasn’t convinced, but squeezed her hand as reassurance without pushing any further, and began to lead her over to their friends to exit the mall. As they walked by the ride, still playing it’s haunting tune, Violet knew it was only a matter of time before things began to unravel. It wouldn’t be long before her fears manifested into reality.

#kill the lights #steve harrington x ofc #steve harrington x oc #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things x reader #stranger things x oc #stranger things x you #stranger things x ofc #stranger things fanfiction

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mss4msu · 5 years

Text

Call Me Doctor. (Chapter 15)

Summary: Fresh out of graduate school, you had somehow landed a spot in the faculty of a prestigious university. The small anthropology department has too many faculty and too few offices; sharing an office does not go as you expected.

Pairing: Professor!Steve x Professor!Reader

Words: 3166

Warnings: Feelings

A/N: I have a lot of feelings from seeing Endgame, so there’s a lot of goofiness in this chapter and some ties to the Avengers because I need that. The chapter is real long because I have a lot of feelings and it’s been awhile. This chapter was supposed to happen in October, but then life happened. I started drafting it at Christmas and then wrote more on Mardi Gras, and then planned to release it before Easter, but here we are. Happy almost Free Comic Book Day and May the Fourth. (Please just pretend it’s Halloween bbs)

Catch Up On the Story Here

You spent the rest of the afternoon in a daze. Every time you tried to concentrate on something work-related, your mind went to Steve; the sweetness of his smile, the warmth of his hands, the passion in his kisses. You shook your head, trying to get Steve out of it.

“Order and organization, that’s what I need,” You said to yourself, pulling out your planner and a pen.

You hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out what to put. You thought of writing “Brunch with Steve,” but that didn’t seem to capture the emotions you were sure both of you had felt.

First Date with Steve - you wrote. You wanted to dot the “i” with a heart, but talked yourself out of it in fear of anyone ever finding and reading your planner.

You looked back through the previous weeks. It had been almost 2 months since you had been at the university. Almost 2 months since you had met Steve. It felt like much longer, which you attributed to the academic bubble; regardless of how much time passed in the “real world” the stress of academia always made it feel 10x longer. Of course Steve’s mood changes had also made time drag on. You flipped to the week to come and your heart began to beat rapidly.

“Oh shit!” you yelled to yourself.

Saturday, October 31st - It was written in black and orange on the page and you had even doodled a witch’s hat and ghost next to it.

“How could I forget my favorite holiday???” you scolded yourself.

You frantically got up and rushed to the closet in your hallway. You found your tub of decorations and carried it into the living room. You pulled out cobwebs and witches’ hats and little skeletons. You unwrapped jack-o-lantern lights and laid them on the floor next to the tub. You went back to the closet and moved all the coats around until you found it; the piece de resistancé, a Mummy scarecrow. You frantically ran around your apartment hanging everything up, taking it down, and hanging it again in a different spot because it looked better. It took two hours for you to finally accept the placement of everything. You sat on the couch and admired your decorations. Although the apartment had already begun to feel like home, having all of your decorations up solidified the feeling.

You pulled your computer out of your bag and opened your email. You typed all of your colleagues names into the “To:” section and made the subject for the email “Sorry for the Late Notice: Halloween Party!”

Dear All,

Sorry for the late notice, I’ve been so focused on the museum project that it completely slipped my mind that Halloween is a week from today. You are all welcome to my humble abode on Saturday to celebrate all things spooky. Haunted happenings will begin at 7:00pm. Costumes are encouraged! Plus ones are of course welcome too!

See you Monday,

(Y/N)

Your finger was still pushed down from clicking send when your computer dinged with a new email notification. Your heart pounded as you looked at the sender and opened the response.

I look forward to attending.

--Steve

You reread his email a few times, your heart sinking slightly, as you figured Steve would show more emotion after your date, at least what you thought had been a date. But looking at the time stamp of his email bolstered you back up. Steve was notorious for never responding to emails, so to have a response immediately after sending you knew was special.

You spent the rest of the weekend going through your cookbooks to find the perfect spooky snacks, perfecting your Halloween playlist, and going through your tub of costumes to find the perfect choice for the weekend. You put on a few scary movies as you worked to set the mood.

Monday morning, you were in a fantastic mood. You had in your candy corn earrings and were wearing your pumpkin socks under your dress pants. You got to your office to find it unlocked. You walked in to see Steve and James intently staring at Steve’s computer screen.

“What are you two up to?” you asked as you sat down at your desk and pulled your computer from your bag to review your powerpoint before class.

“Nothing,” Steve grunted, his cheeks turning red.

“Just prepping for this weekend,” James smiled slyly at you.

You grinned, “Doing some costume shopping?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” James winked at you, “Alright, place the order Stevie, I’ve got to go to class. I’ll leave you two to have some alone time.” He raised his eyebrows at you as he stood to leave the room. “Oh, and I almost forgot!” He put his hand in his bag and pulled out a picture frame, “I got you both a new office decoration!” He turned the frame around and you saw the zoomed in photo he had taken of you and Steve in the coffee shop.

“Buck,” Steve growled, getting up and going towards his friend.

“See you later!” James put the frame on the table and quickly ran out of the office.

Steve went to the table and picked up the picture frame, “It’s actually not a bad picture,” he said, his voice softening now that you two were alone.

“May I see it?” you asked, walking over to him.

He handed it to you, and you felt a shiver as your hands brushed each other. It actually was a cute picture, the two of you cuddled up on the couch together.

“Do you want it?” Steve asked you.

“Oh, um, I mean…” you were caught off guard, unsure of what the right answer was. “Yes?”

“Was that a question?”

“I mean, of course I want it! But I only want it if you don’t. James is your friend first, so if you want it you should have it, but of course I would love to take it if you don’t.”

“You should take it, (Y/N). I can just have him print me another.”

You smiled up at Steve, “Thanks.”

The rest of the week seemed to drag on, which you knew was because you were so looking forward to the weekend to celebrate the most glorious of all holidays. Friday night came and you began to prep food for the party. You peeled grapes and put them in the freezer to serve as eyeballs in the witches’ brew punch. You made little witch hats out of Oreos and Hershey’s Kisses that you then encircled with little bands of colorful frosting. Saturday morning you got up and began to bake. You dyed breadstick dough green and shaped it into fingers, placing an almond in as a fingernail. You then got out hot dogs and crescent roll dough and cut arms and legs into the hot dogs before wrapping them in strips of dough to make mummies. Once the baking was complete, you did all the dishes so the counters wouldn’t be cluttered.

You looked at the clock and realized you only had 3 hours before everyone was set to arrive and you were a mess of dough and dishwater. You hopped in the shower, got out, and dried your hair. You did your makeup and curled your hair into big waves. You decided you’d wait until right when people arrived to put your costume on, as you didn’t want to be sitting around in it for longer than you had to. It was a great looking costume, but it wasn’t the most comfortable.

You saw that there was just an hour left until everyone arrived, so you went back into the kitchen to begin setting everything out. You set the table with all of the food and were impressed with yourself with how it had all turned out. With just a half hour until people arrived, you decided to mix up the witches’ brew. You put lime sherbert, sprite, lime-flavored vodka, and some sparkling grape juice into a large plastic cauldron on your table. You then added in the frozen grapes and some gummy worms.

With just 10 minutes to go until 7pm, you decided it was time to get into costume. You made sure the corset was laced properly and used the side-zipper to get your top on. You were hesitant about the hot-pants of your costume, but figured you could just have a blanket around you if you felt embarrassed. You put on your bracelets and secured the crown onto your head. Just as you were putting on your boots, you heard the buzz of the intercom.

“Hello?”

“Hi, (Y/N). It’s getting very crowded down here!” you heard Natasha’s voice and the clamoring of other voices around her.

“Then you all better come in,” you laughed, buzzing them in.

Moments later, there was a knock on the door. You swung it open and saw a very full hallway filled with your costumed coworkers.

“Welcome!”

“Thanks, (Y/N)! Ooh, James is going to be pissed,” she laughed as she looked at your costume, but she quickly changed the subject before you could ask why, “I brought some wine that had a spooky looking label, where would you like it?” Natasha asked as she walked in. She was dressed as Indiana Jones and you saw Bruce behind her, dressed as Lara Croft.

“Hi, (Y/N),” Bruce said without making eye contact as he followed Natasha into the apartment. He looked slightly embarrassed of his costume, as he kept tugging the shorts down, so you knew Natasha had convinced him to wear it.

“Ahhh, (Y/N), you look hot af,” Wanda said hugging you, “I’m so happy to have another person with such an affinity for the supernatural.”

“Did you just finish The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina?” you asked her, seeing her platinum curled wig and the black dress with a white collar.

“Yes and it was amazing!”

“Yes, Sabrina was absolutely fantastic,” Vis said sarcastically, stepping forward from behind her. He was dressed as a black cat, complete with a little tail.

“Salem?” you asked with a laugh.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Vis replied.

“Oh, shut up!” Wanda pushed him into the apartment. “Also, I brought some ghost-shaped cookies!” she yelled as she walked away.

“I have come stag!” Thor proclaimed as he walked through the doorway.

“And dressed as the god of thunder!” you proclaimed right back. You were relieved he hadn’t brought Loki, as you hadn’t spoken to his brother since your date with Steve.

“I’ve had this costume for years. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Thor grinned as he went to the living room.

“Pepper! Long time no see!” you said as Tony and Pepper entered the apartment.

“Which one of us are you talking to?” Tony asked. He and Pepper were dressed in salt and pepper suits, and Tony was dressed as pepper.

“Tony thought it would be funny to be me for Halloween,” Pepper said, rolling her eyes.

“It’s amazing,” you laughed.

“Thank you,” Tony grinned.

“Please, don’t validate him,” Pepper sighed as she and Tony went to the living room.

“(Y/N), hi,” Clint said as he walked in, “This is my wife, Laura.”

“Hi, Laura, so nice to meet you! I hope everything is going well with the new baby.”

“It is a lot,” Laura smiled, “So thank you for this opportunity to get out of the house.”

“I see you’re both dressed in the appropriate costumes for it though!” you replied, seeing they were dressed as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl.

“We decided this year’s family costume would be Incredibles themed since there are five of us now,” Clint grinned.

“That is truly amazing. Please, come on in.”

You looked out into the hallway, but saw that it was empty. Your heart started to race in anticipation, but given that they were so late last time you hosted a party, you tried to calm yourself down. As you closed the door, the intercom buzzed.

“Hello?” you thought your heart was going to pound out of your chest.

“Hi, (Y/N),” Steve’s voice came through the intercom.

You buzzed them in before he could say anything else and what felt like an eternity later you heard a knock on your door.

You yanked the door open and saw Steve and James standing in the hallway. Steve was dressed as Superman, his blonde hair slicked back except for a small curl on his forehead. James stood next to him, dressed as Batman.

“What the hell (Y/N)!” James exclaimed, looking you up and down, “We were trying to do a couple’s costume and you made it weird by having us look like a throuple now!”

You smoothed the Wonder Woman corset over your stomach and anxiously adjusted your crown, “I’m so sorry, I had no idea you were planning to do a couple’s costume together.”

“It’s FINE,” James huffed as he stormed past you.

“We do a couple’s costume every year,” Steve shrugged his shoulders. He looked you up and down, “You look amazing, (Y/N).”

You blushed, “Thanks, Steve. So do you.”

Steve walked into your apartment and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek before going into the living room.

You waited a second for your heart rate to decrease before joining the group. You could hear James grumbling about his ruined costume plans.

“(Y/N), this food is fantastic!” Thor rumbled from the couch.

“And this punch is disgusting and I love it!” Wanda beamed.

“The decorations are amazing,” Natasha said, looking around. “This apartment isn’t that big, where did you store them?”

“I prioritize holiday decorations over all else. I think I own more costumes than I do regular clothes.”

“Then why don’t you go change,” you heard James grumble under his breath.

Steve came and sat next to you with a full plate of food, “Just ignore him,” he whispered to you.

You gave Steve a half smile in reply.

The night continued to be eventful. Wanda shared spooky stories she had encountered in her research. Steve educated everyone about the history of using superhero outfits as costumes for Halloween. Thor choked on a grape. And when “Thriller” came on the playlist, everyone tried their best to do the original dance. James eventually forgave you and decided documentation of you, Steve, and himself in your superhero costumes was necessary and subsequently forced everyone into a photoshoot. Bruce and Vis were not happy with him.

“Well, I think it’s time for us to relieve the sitter,” Clint said, taking a final drink of punch as Laura yawned and stood up.

“Mind if we hitch a ride back home with you?” Natasha asked, pulling Bruce up off the couch.

“We drove you here, it’s not like we would just leave you,” Clint replied, groaning as he stood.

“Didn’t stop you from leaving me that time in Budapest,” Natasha snarked back.

“You and I remember Budapest very differently,” Clint laughed.

“Pepper, are you ready to go home?” Pepper asked Tony.

“Yes, dear. And thank you for FINALLY accepting the costume,” Tony grinned.

“We should probably go as well,” Wanda said, “I have some...things...to attend to at home.”

“Wait, she isn’t actually a witch is she?” you couldn’t help but ask Vis.

“I don’t feel comfortable answering that question,” Vis sighed.

“Well, Steve, should we go too?” James asked.

“Um...yes...I guess we should? Unless (Y/N) needs help cleaning up?” Steve directed the questions at you.

“I think I can manage it,” you replied, your heart fluttering.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked, looking deep into your eyes.

James realized what was happening, “Steve, you know what, maybe you should stay behind and help (Y/N) clean up. I’ll see you tomorrow buddy.”

You said goodbye to everyone and shut the door with a sigh.

“What can I help you with?” Steve asked from behind you, startling you, as you had forgotten he was still there.

“Um, I really just have to put the leftover food in tupperwares and then clean out the punch cauldron. You really don’t have to stay if you have other things to do.”

“You want to break apart the two strongest members of the Justice League?” Steve asked, stepping closer to you.

“I mean, Wonder Woman is definitely the strongest, but I think Batman is actually….”

Steve stopped your words with a kiss, pushing you against the front door. You tried to put your arms around him, but your hands got tangled in his cape and you couldn’t help but start laughing.

“Let’s clean up first, Superman,” you walked into the kitchen, grabbed tupperware containers, and filled them before putting the leftovers in the fridge. Steve poured out the dregs of the cauldron and began to wash it. You filled the dishwasher with plates and cups and straightened up the pillows on the couch.

Steve dried his hands off on a towel and joined you in the living room, “You know, last time I was here you said I could take a look around. Is it possible to get a personal tour?”

“I’d be happy to,” you smiled, “Let’s start at the front door?” You took his hand and led him to the door. “So this is the hallway, it leads everywhere. To the right is the kitchen, straight ahead is the living room/dining room combo, and up there to the left are the bathroom and bedroom.”

“How practical.”

You pulled him to the right, “Here is the kitchen, I believe you’ve been in here before. And if we walk forward we have the dining room and the living room, which are actually just one big room.”

“What a lovely set-up you have here. Brilliantly decorated.”

You blushed, “Then if we go around this way,” you walked him to the hallway again, “We go down a smaller hallway and we have the bathroom on the left,” you opened the bathroom door and flicked on the light, “complete with a Halloween pumpkin soap and all your regular bathroom furnishings. And on the right,” your breath hitched, “Is the bedroom.”

You hesitated for a second before opening the door to the bedroom. You took a deep breath, opened the door, and turned on the light.

“Here in the bedroom, we have the closet, and a dresser, and the,” you gulped, “bed.”

You watched Steve’s eyes roam around the room, and you were thankful you had thought to clean it this morning while the mummies were baking. Steve cleared his throat and you saw he was staring at the picture frame on your nightstand.

“Oh, um, I can explain that,” your heart was racing and you had no idea how you were actually going to explain it.

Steve’s hand tightened around yours and he gently pulled you onto the bed with him, “You don’t have to,” he whispered in your ear before kissing you passionately.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Call Me Doctor. Tag List:

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#marvel #fanfic #au #professor au #steve rogers #professor steve #steve rogers x reader #captain america #series #call me doctor #anthropology #halloween #steve x reader

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adrrianraines · 5 years

Note

hi! i just started playing choices, and i wanted to hear your opinion on what books are worth spending diamonds for and what books aren't. thank you so much :))

hi there love, welcome to the fandom!! enjoy the circus! it gets rowdy but it’s entertaining– 🤡

i just wanna tell u that my opinion may differ from others so you’re free to seek other opinions too if you deemed my answer unsatisfacory ! so lemme list to u what books are worth to waste diamonds on and which ones are not in my opinion. the ones i might have not mentioned are probably in between or in the middle.

so, for diamond spending, if you’re kinda on the economic budget level of can afford to purchase some-many, then these books are the bomb and would definitely be worth your penny.

i. : bloodbound. pretty ironic huh considering i’m a bloodbound idiot myself. lmao. but it’s worth every penny if u haven’t farmed enough diamonds! also yes you can farm in this app. the reward system is pretty generous once u know how to utilize it. tho some LIs wouldn’t have an immediate diamond option while others have one almost immediately, just weigh whether u need to purchase it or not. the diamond scenes for each LI is equally compelling and incredibly worth it. what i do tho for the most efficient way of spending those ingame currencies is that i don’t buy all outfits. u don’t actually need it. some scenes may suggest but honestly? ive tried having the outfits and not having it and it’s not that much of a difference. i keep the diamonds to spend for important scenes such as the tapestries for back stories and some diamond scenarios that might be informative/entertaining. i’ve bought all diamond options for Adrian so sue me

ii. : the royal romance/heir. same thing with bloodbound. sure, the hair options are majestic. the outfits? have u seen other books release stylish outfits? i personally have not. it’s really magnificent. although sometimes pb milks it, if you’re smart & can live with letting down ur LI for not spending a penny on their vanilla smuts and group gatherings then you’re good to go! just spend it on important pieces of scenes/info that are being paywalled by pb for god knows what reason. trust me, you might be baited but not all diamond options are actually worth it. i love trr/trh don’t get me wrong but this bitch is poor so sure as heck not gonna spend my diamonds like a mad banshee on random shenanigans.

iii. : open heart. dear god. the backbone of all those reused faces in like whatever new book that comes out with pb as of late. jesus. btw the diamond options are worth it! i like to spend diamonds for my LI and some options that are needed by the plot. you’ll know which are those once u get to start the book! i just don’t buy anything related to appearances unless it’s necessary to the plot. pb ain’t gonna bait this broke bitch because if my LI truly loves me they’ll accept me even if i wear a garbage bag

iv. : platinum. okay? where should i begin? because u actually need diamonds in this book? hello? i started this book without spending diamonds and where did that take me? a broken guitar, missed opportunities and slow rising fanbase lmao. so please do yourself a favor, save up and check out walkthroughs on how to survive being a star without spending diamonds like crazy. there are actually various options available but u can check it urself so u will be guided. i made terrible choices with my brokeass here and let’s just not talk about that

v. : it lives anthology ( it lives in the woods & it lives beneath ) anyone who knew my ass will know that i’m so much of a cheapskate that i didn’t spend a single diamond on this godtier book and i survived just fine. u can check walkthroughs but i doubt it’ll be much of a help since most of the critical choices are timed and u need to use 200% of ur brain to survive this mess. lmao. okay not 200% but u get my point. ilitw requires to many diamond options to raise nerves of ur crew but u will be fine if u just spend it on important stuff. BUT SURPRISE BITCH LMAO EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT OTHERWISE U R DEAD OR UR FRIENDS ARE DEAD LMAO. but in ilitw u can save the maximum survivors by just making all the right choices!

don’t even get me started on ilb. it lives beneath? THE BITCH DIES BENEATH. LIKE HOW– THE AUDACITY– i lost a fucking pinky because i was too much of a coward to spend my nonexistent diamonds. like how dare thee! lmao. just... just spend ur diamonds for this for the most critical and crucial circumstances. make the correct choices and then you’re good to live. it also has options on where u don’t need to spend diamonds but still making the correct choices under pressure either by timed or by confusion contributes greatly to this story.

vi. : nightbound. YES. YES PLEASE. nightbound is 100% worth to spend on. have u seen that hair? god i love that ombre color!! also uhhh please buy some weapons for ur own good lmao. and just be wise on where those diamonds are going. i always stick by a rule whenever it comes to spending ingame currencies– don’t buy if it’s not necessary to the plot. just purchase what is important, collect information to unlock scenes at the end and choose ur choices wisely. don’t die.

vii. : the elementalists. now. this book. GDI THIS BOOK. this is freaking diamond book???? whenever u spend ur day with ur LI gosh it will ask for diamonds. ( ily beckett dear but ur gf is a brokeass bitch & i cant always spend time with u picking flowers or hanging out with merpeople /crying obscenely ) there are diamond options here that are more important than the smexy scenes with ur LI. diamond options that will allow u to learn things and get equipments that will be ultra useful for the story and plot. what i love about this book is that it’s so personalized to the point that u might feel u truly r ur mc that’s why u might be compelled to purchase things such as outfits and etc but honestly? i went to the dance with the most lameass garb but still got to enjoy it just the same. but the diamonds you spend to learn new infos and heighten ur power? those are the most worth it tbfh. also some non diamond options are actually good than the diamond ones so enjoy familiarizing the world of brokeass people while playing. that’s just me telling u that since im broke i didnt get to glimpse those diamond options sob

viii. : a courtesan of rome. YOOOOOOO this book is wild lmao! i’m incredibly torn whether to tell u to waste ur diamonds for ur LIs or be frugal and choose wisely. follow ur heart while playing this. i absolutely loved how, even if not wearing the most delightful garbs, ACOR mc still kills it as a courtesan. u know what they say, true beauty shines even in the darkest places or the smarmiest set of clothes. she can wear a guard’s armor and she still be slayin. very pretty. i’m in awe.

ix. : perfect match. more like the perfect way to go broke lmao. honestly a god tier book. spend wisely and watch out for options that will ask u to spend diamonds to contribute to the plot. some options will ask u like honestly the other books so by now you know what to do. stay for the plot. it’s really great. and while u r playing please tell eros they suck. 😌

x. : mother of the year. i beg of you to spend ur diamonds on ur child please they deserve the world.

xi. : desire and decorum. honestly speaking i haven’t done that much diamond spending except for my upcoming wedding in book 3 so yes. same applies with what i said, look out and watch for options that will require u to spend but will provide u juicy information as a result. i haven’t bought a single outfit for my mc. i just bought diamond options for my LI and some for some important info and perhaps a bit of information for investigations.

xii. : ride or die: a bad boy romance. GOD. SPEND THOSE DIAMONDS. SPEND THOSE DIAMONDS 🚨🚨 THIS IS NOT A DRILL I TELL YOU. lmao jk but heyyyy god tier book with worth it purchases ! awesome character designs whispers mona eherm i’ll probably replay to try colt’s route since i’ve honestly only been all about mona for this book but yes. worth the diamonds ! in this book i have spoiled myself and honestly every diamond purchase with the mpc is super duper ultra worth it !

xiii. : books like wishful thinking, veil of secrets, endless summer, the crown and the flame are god tier books that are incredibly worth it for ur diamonds. trust me. tcatf actually has a point system where u can gain in game points and can choose whether to use it or use diamonds for certain options. honestly godtier. endless summer has an interesting way in gaining and losing nerve points and relationship points too! veil of secrets needs ur diamonds for investigation and clue finding and wishful thinking has a very unique premise. everything is worth it.

xiv. : i’m adding the freshman series because /zig ortega/ is worth every penny please and also HSS Class Act and HSS. if you’ve played pb’s highschool story which is a separate app then you’ll enjoy these books.

some books like AME and RCD will require u to spend diamonds for options and might demand it for the plot but i got through everything there and really u can play it without doing so.

honey please don’t spend diamonds for home for the holidays and sunkissed. please. i beg of you. unless u spend diamonds for eliana then fine forgiven but ugh. just please no.

the books i haven’t mentioned like RoE is something i honestly wouldn’t mind with or without spending diamonds. the story is just the same. some are paywalled options. leo’s options are actually interesting since it will shed some light for cordonia but i havent seen pb tackle it directly to the main trr series so idk about that.

others can add some info too to help our dearest friend here so if you must, feel free to jump the ship and add 💞✨

#playchoices #asks #anonymous #idek what im talking about thank u for thinking of me while asking but im honestly a broke bitch idek how to tell u what books r worth it #ive been living frugally and being careful of how i spend this bitch is broke

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rockofcalifa · 5 years

Text

PART VI: 1435

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There were both pros and cons to being a favorite underling of the Archbishop. Pro: her position had more safety and security - she'd always have a solid roof over her head, no matter the circumstances. Con: she received the unwanted attention of novices either seeking spiritual guidance she wasn't exactly qualified to give or trying to figure out how to take her position for themselves. Pro: her permanent position at court afforded a measure of stability and kept her close to her favorite people (basically: Vitaliya). Con: in order to stay in the Archbishop's good graces, she had to take care of the man's most high-stakes-but-boring errands - as she was, in fact, doing now.

This time, Dmitrii had requested that the Archbishop provide safe transportation for Vasilii's wife, Maria Iaroslavna, and son, Ivan, to Galich from Moscow. From what Milyena had heard, Dmitrii expected that if any fighting broke out, it would happen in Moscow, and he didn't want Vasilii's family caught in the middle of it. Milyena wasn't convinced that Dmitrii actually cared about the safety of the young woman sitting next to her in this carriage, and she was even less convinced that Dmitrii wanted the baby said woman clutched in said woman’s arms to survive, but if he wanted to pretend, and act as if he did to score political points, that was of course perfectly fine.

Milyena sighed, and Anna Dmitriyevna, one of Maria's close companions who was traveling with them, glanced at her passively before closing her eyes again. Maria and little Ivan seemed to be asleep. It was their ninth, and potentially last, day of travel. The first few days, the two ladies had been in good spirits, keeping up a steady flow of conversation and asking Milyena to recite scripture or narrate the lives of saints. But the group dynamic had mellowed day by day as baby Ivan grew crankier, the adults grew more tired, and the familiarity of home grew farther and farther away.

In some aspects, but not all, Milyena felt sorry for Maria Iaroslavna. There were both pros and cons to being the wife of Prince Vasilii. Like Milyena, her position brought the boons of security and prestige for her family and herself. Like Milyena, her position came with its liabilities too - as evidenced by the necessity of this very journey.

And then there was the matter of Vasilii himself. On the one hand, Vasilii obviously had little interest in her, to the point of ignoring her entirely. Milyena often recalled, with embarrassment, the episode of Vasilii's wedding. Milyena herself had dedicated days to meticulously planning and coordinating the event, only for Vasilii to spoil it by paying more attention to the little Mongolian ambassador than to his poor wife. On the other hand, having a powerful and distant husband couldn't be all that bad. She got to be one of the most influential women in Muscovy without Vasilii intruding on her day to day life.

A particularly nasty bump in the dirt road woke Ivan, and he started crying. Maria Iaroslavna rocked him back to docility and Milyena and Anna Dmitriyevna spent the better part of an hour entertaining him with silly faces and nonsense sounds, wearing him out so he was asleep again by the time they arrived at the center of Galich.

Finally, they disembarked. Maria Iaroslavna and her party, after politely thanking Milyena for assisting their travel, were shepherded off in one direction, and Milyena took her bag and set off in another, seeking to check in with the local bishop.

It was not the bishop she found, however, but Gerasim, waiting for her in the anteroom of the diocesan offices.

"I'm surprised to find you outside of Moscow," Milyena said after they exchanged greetings.

"I'm here with Dmitrii. We arrived a few days ago."

Milyena frowned. "Oh... what brings him here?"

Gerasim started walking, and she followed. "He just wanted to check up on some things, make sure it's all under control. Anyway, he heard you were arriving and he wants to talk to you."

"What does that mean, 'talk to me?'"

Gerasim shrugged. "He just wants to say hello."

"And he sent you to collect me."

"That's right." Gerasim glanced sideways at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you surprised?"

Milyena didn't bother to reply. She recalled, a few years back, her last one-on-one, private conversation with Gerasim. Then, she'd told him that if he went through with killing Iurii, he'd lose Dmitrii’s trust. But she hadn't really meant that - she had no way of knowing how Dmitrii would respond. She'd just said anything she could to convince Gerasim not to do the deed. Clearly it hadn't worked out.

Gerasim was just more politically oriented than she was. As long as Milyena could continue to climb the Church hierarchy, it didn't matter to her who occupied the throne.

Gerasim led them to a small, cozy sitting room off of the main hall. Dmitrii rose to greet them as they walked in.

"Gospodin," Milyena acknowledged with a tip of her head, Vasilii’s old title rolling off her tongue for someone new. Dmitrii smiled.

"I'm so glad to see you arrived without any issues," he said. "Sit down; I won't keep you here long." They sat, although Gerasim remained standing by the wall. "I trust you're doing well?"

"As well as always."

"Good. I wanted to ask after the health of Maria Iaroslavna, but I don't want to disturb her after the long journey."

The question seemed harmless enough, but Milyena kept her answer positive and vague. "She is unaccustomed to travel, but she didn't take it too badly. She's healthy, and Ivan is too."

Dmitrii leaned forward a bit. "And did she seem very... wary of coming here to Galich?"

Honestly, Maria Iaroslavna had kept her feelings to herself. Were she in her place, Milyena would have felt very, as Dmitrii put it, 'wary' - but that probably wasn't what Dmitrii wanted to hear. "She seemed grateful for your generosity and consideration over her safety."

Dmitrii leaned back, satisfied. "I was so pleased when I heard you were accompanying them. I figured that if I could trust anyone to bring them here safely, it would be you." Dmitrii was probably just saying that to be polite, but Milyena appreciated it anyway. "Anyway - that wasn't the only thing I wanted to ask about."

Milyena nodded for Dmitrii to continue.

"I'm a bit concerned about Vitaliya. I haven't seen her lately... I just want to make sure she's doing well."

I'm a bit concerned about Vitaliya. Milyena heard the unspoken question: Does Vitalia hate me? Is Vitaliya going to try to kill me? At least, Milyena thought that was what Dmitrii was asking. Maybe she was reading into it too much.

"I wouldn't worry about Vitaliya," Milyena answered. "She's a bit stressed, but she can take care of herself - at least, that's my job. You have bigger concerns."

"Of course," Dmitrii said with a smile. "Thank you as always, Yena. I knew I could count on you."

With that taken care of, Milyena went back and visited the bishop, who arranged somewhere for her to stay for a few days - she wanted to return to Moscow as soon as she could - and someone to show her around; and after dragging her feet through the little tour she was given, she went directly to bed, even though it was still early.

But soon after she fell asleep - at least, what felt like soon after - she was awoken by a soft, persistent knocking at her door.

"Hello?" she mumbled, groggy, shaking herself awake when she saw who was outside her room. "Anna Dmitriyevna?"

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Sister," she said, twisting her hands in front of her. "But I don't know who else to go to..."

Milyena frowned. "What happened?"

Anna took a deep breath. "When we arrived, they kept us waiting in a big hall for a few hours, and Lady Maria sent me out to check on our belongings, so I did; but when I returned, everyone was gone. I've looked around and I've asked but nobody will tell me anything."

"It sounds like there's been some sort of misunderstanding," Milyena assured her, putting on her coat. "Let's see if we can get it sorted out."

A misunderstanding. Probably, they'd forgotten Anna Dmitriyevna was part of Maria's original party, and thought she was a nosy stranger. That sounded plausible.

Anna silently led her to the hall where she'd last seen Maria, and she pointed out a guard she'd talked to. Milyena approached him.

"Excuse me," she said, watching as the guard took in her clothes, her status. "This lady here is looking for Lady Maria Iaroslavna. They were traveling together and got separated. Would you kindly direct us to where we might find her?"

"Of course, my apologies," said the guard, keeping a grim expression. "Follow me."

They followed. Deeper into the palace complex, down a flight of stairs or two, and he handed them off to another guard, who took them a bit further and handed them off again. The third guard took them down more stairs - Milyena was beginning to fear that Maria Iaroslavna was stuck in some sort of dungeon - before they came upon a well-worn spiral staircase, which they climbed. Up and up, passing guards and doors and more guards and more doors, and then they stopped, in front of a guard, in front of a door.

"The lady is a companion of Maria Iaroslavna," the third guard grunted.

"So?" said the door guard. Milyena and Anna exchanged a glance.

"So, let them in."

The door guard obliged, reaching for an obnoxiously large key attached to his belt and using it to unlock the door.

Milyena and Anna stepped inside.

It was a small room, round, windowless. Its walls were bare, its floor plain and not very clean. Maria sat on the little bed by the wall, staring at them with big eyes, clutching Ivan close to her chest. When she registered Milyena’s presence, however, she addressed her with anger. "You! Did you know?"

"What -" Milyena sputtered, still taking in the meager room.

"Did you understand what you were leading us into? Do you understand now?"

"I - no - there must be a misunderstanding..." Milyena offered.

"There's no misunderstanding. Dmitrii is using us as hostages in the event that Vasilii comes back to fight him." Breaking out of her daze, Anna rushed over to Maria's side, taking Ivan from her, allowing Maria to stand and approach Milyena. "In Moscow, we would have been perfectly safe. All of my husband's allies are there, not here."

"But Dmitrii told the Archbishop that -"

"He lied!" Maria jabbed an accusatory finger at Milyena’s chest. "If I know one thing about my husband's character, it's that if Ivan is at stake, he is going to do stupid, stupid things."

"I'm sorry. I didn't predict this," Milyena stammered, stepping backwards. "I'm - I'm going to talk to Dmitrii."

She turned and fled, down the endless spiral staircase and away, her shock quickly melting into indignation. Dmitrii lied to her. Dmitrii lied to the Archbishop. Milyena didn't involve herself in politics, but that was unacceptable.

She was lucky enough to find Dmitrii in the sitting room where she'd last left him. Gerasim was there too, sleeping in an armchair, stirring a little at Milyena’s noisy entrance.

"I suppose overtly lying to the Archbishop is okay now, huh?" Milyena yelled. "Using the Church's resources to convey an innocent woman and child into captivity! That's all right with you?"

Dmitrii winced at her tone. "Can you calm down, please?"

"I don't know! Will you let Vasilii’s family out of that little - that little tower you've locked them up in?"

"I can't say that I will."

"You must think you hold all the cards here. Don't you?" Milyena walked past the still startled-looking Gerasim, stopping at the table where Dmitrii was sitting. "Or are you too foolish to admit that the real power in Muscovy lies in the Church?"

"Milyena, will you shut -"

"And that when the Archbishop hears about this, he'll -"

"I said, will you shut up," Dmitrii hissed, standing, his wooden chair scraping loudly against the floor. "For all the Archbishop knows, I've kept my word."

"I'm going back to Moscow tomorrow."

"Are you?"

"You can't keep me here."

They stared at each other. "Did you know? Vitaliya will be arriving in a few days," Dmitrii said. "Would you like her to have a warm welcome? Or something... different?"

Milyena didn't think twice. She raised her hand and slapped the man across the face with as much rage-fueled strength as she could muster. Dmitrii barely flinched, grabbing Milyena’s wrists in a bruisingly strong grip.

"I would advise you not to do that again," Dmitrii said, not bothering to hide his disdain.

"It's your sister." (But Vasilii was Dmitrii’s cousin and Kosoi was Vitaliya’s brother and Iurii was Vasilii’s uncle and so maybe none of that mattered.)

Dmitrii released Milyena, pushing her backwards. "Get out."

Milyena stumbled backwards to the door. Gerasim was still sitting in his chair, gaze averted. "You're a coward, Gerasim," she said.

"Out," Dmitrii repeated. Milyena slammed the door.

back to index

#muscovy story #my writing

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eurynome827 · 5 years

Text

Reflecting Light: Part One

Reflecting Light Masterlist

Previously

Word Count: 769

Warnings: slight language, floofy embarassment

Violet Mae McKenna was going to Broadway.

After hanging up the phone and running around the house screaming, reality set in for both Violet and Molly. Arrangements to be made. Long conversations with an irritable ex. Papers to sign.

Molly became accustomed to picking up the phone for all sorts of numbers that she didn't recognize. She didn't even hesitate when another call came in, picking up on the first ring.

"Hello?'

"Hi, this is Sebastian! How are you? Is this Mrs. McKenna?"

"Sebastian?"

"Stan. I'm playing Violet's dad? Do I have the right number?"

It was the record scratch at the party. Everything stopped.

Shit. FUCK.

Molly pulled it together pretty quickly, for a change. "YES. My goodness, I'm sorry. They didn't tell me!"

The sound of his laughter over the phone was intoxicating. This was going to be such a PROBLEM.

"Don't worry about it! I'm sure you've been very busy with this."

"Yes, insanely busy. She's done a few commercials and little guest things on tv but this is definitely a new experience. Overwhelming! For both of us."

"Lean on her people. They work for her. Ask lots of questions, don't be nervous. I'd be happy to help if you need."

Swoon. "Thank you, I really appreciate that."

"Listen, I hope you don't mind, but I asked for your number because I wanted to talk to Violet so we could get to know each other before rehearsals start? Figured it would be best to talk to you first before I started texting a 12 year old." There was that laugh again and Molly was trying so hard not to giggle over the phone like a teenager.

"That is so considerate of you, thank you. I don't mind giving you Violet's number. She's at school now but she will be home at 3."

"They told me about her tutor for rehearsals, but you're close enough that she can go to school once we open?"

"Yes, at least we're going to try. If staying up late starts to be a problem then we can re-evaluate. She's a great student so I'm not concerned. But my son is in kindergarten and I don't want to disrupt his life too much. I'll be depending on family and friends to help me out through this."

"That's great! Well it was really nice talking to you. Do me a favor and text me Violet's number and if it's still okay with you, I'll give her a call this afternoon."

"Of course, no problem. Thank you so much! Hope to see you soon!" Molly facepalmed herself - woman, SHUT UP.

"Yes - I actually wanted to ask Violet if she wanted to do something - the three of us. Here in the city, or I could come to you if that's easier."

"Oh, sure, of course - talk to Violet and see what she would like." Molly had to get off the phone. She could feel the start of a rambling panic. Thank goodness Violet was cool as a cucumber. "It was really nice speaking with you, I'll send that text now."

"Thanks, Mrs. McKenna."

"Oh please call me Molly!"

"Okay, Molly." She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Okay, bye now!" Molly hung up, threw her phone and collapsed onto the couch. "Please, get better at this." She said out loud and covered her face with her hands. After a minute she retrieved her phone, saved his number in her contacts ("WHAT is even HAPPENING right now," she muttered while doing so) and started a text.

'I really appreciate you reaching out to me, it's very kind of you.' She sent the text, then sent a separate text with Violet's cell number.

Molly plugged her phone in and left the room so she didn't sit around and wait for a response like a lovesick puppy. This was ridiculous. She NEEDED to get over this crush before she became a hindrance on Violet's career. Of all the actors that could have this part, it had to be him?

When it was time to pick up Violet at school, Molly retrieved her phone and unlocked it. One new message.

"See you soon, Molly."

Molly bit her lip, locked her phone and shoved it into her purse.

"Hey Mom." Vi threw her backpack in the back seat and slid into the front. "How was your day?"

Molly stared her down and announced with no preamble:

"Sebastian Stan is playing your dad. He's calling you after three."

Violet's eyes widened, and then she threw her head back and laughed for the entire drive home.

#sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan x ofc #reflecting light fic #ofc molly mckenna #ofc violet mckenna

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maevefiction · 6 years

Text

Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 35

All the way to Kauai Pasta our phones chirped and rang incessantly, Anne being among the first to reach out. She loved my ring, thought it was the most wonderful news, and THEN I asked her if she’d be willing to be a participant in the wedding party. Her shriek was delightful, quickly followed by her asking me if I wouldn’t rather have someone closer to my own age, to which I retorted that I might have seriously injured myself due to rolling my eyes so hard at her bullshit.

Veronica called as well, and I booked her immediately to help with styling for the event. I was never the sort of girl who had a vision of THAT DRESS, so I had no idea where the hell to even begin. All I knew was that I wanted to be comfortable and not look like a Disney princess, but if I was going to avoid showing up in baggy shorts and a T-shirt, guidance from a professional was definitely in order. Norman texted his congratulations to us both, but other than that, most of the attention was directed to Tom’s device, though I chimed in with my thanks on every call because he insisted upon using speakerphone mode. Such an outpouring of support wasn’t something I was used to, and by the time we got to the restaurant I was ready to hide in the hotel room for a few hours and adjust to being someone’s fiancée.

The fettuccine alfredo was even better than I remembered, and Tom’s penchant for stealing my food even worse. After we’d finished inhaling all the goodness, Simon sauntered over to the manager and suddenly the entire establishment was singing happy birthday to me. Every time I tried to slide down the booth seat and under the table Tom grabbed me and pulled me back up, ignoring both my pleas for help and my obviously empty threats to withhold sexual favors from him if he didn’t comply.

Once we returned to the hotel, Simon nabbed the garment bag that contained my costume as well as the duffel of accessories that he’d brought from back home, and we adjourned to my and Tom’s room while Tom remained with Luke, who’d been the transporter of his contraband. I hadn’t actually SEEN my costume yet, having put my full faith in Simon when he talked me into opting for Lady Loki instead of just plain old Loki. When he unzipped the bag, I peered at its contents, looked back at Simon, back into the bag, then settled my gaze upon a pair of grey eyes alight with mischief.

“Um, Simon? WHERE IS THE REST OF THE COSTUME?”

The left side of his mouth turned up in a lopsided grin. “I don’t understand what you mean, Maude. That’s the costume. Lady Loki.”

I pulled out the pieces. All four of them. “This isn’t a costume. This is a bikini, two pillowcases strung on a belt, and a cape.”

He nodded. “Uh HUH. Lady Loki. The horns and the boots are in the duffel bag. You are going to LOVE the boots, by the way…”

“SIMON. Where is the SHIRT? Where is the SKIRT?”

“Lady Loki doesn’t wear a SHIRT. She wears a TOP. A midriff baring top. And kind of a skirt, but the sides are OPEN so you can, you know, SEE. How do you not know this? You’re fucking…oh, wait, sorry, you’re engaged to the man who plays him. Her. Whatever.”

I flopped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, left wrist and hand resting on my forehead. “Somehow I doubt that particular look is set in stone. I’ve seen the comics, and looked at a ton of cosplay pictures. There are shirts. There are skirts. And, by the way, even though we’re engaged I’m still going to be FUCKING HIM. My god. What the hell am I going to do for a costume NOW?”

He sat down next to me, the black faux-leather top and bottoms held aloft in his hands. “You know, it’s NOT a bikini. It’s actually a push-up bra and booty shorts. And they’re LEATHER.”

An entirely new sound came out of me as I sat up, a hybrid of a terrified scream and maniacal laugh. “HA! Well, if it’s a push-up bra and booty shorts I suppose that makes everything JUST FINE then.” I touched the shorts to ascertain the exact material. “And that’s not REAL leather. So pffft on you. And my midriff has not been seen in public since…since…like, never and…”

Simon dropped the bra into his lap in order to cover my mouth with his hand. “LIES! Your bathing suit has cutouts in that area. You’ve also exposed bits of yourself on that very balcony out there, and then THE REST of what the good lord gave you as you walked across this very room. And heaven knows where ELSE you’ve stripped down for the sake of carnal pleasure. Come on, Maauuudddeee. At least try it ON.”

My head shook back and forth as I pouted. “I don’t WANNA.”

He leaned in, cheek brushing mine like a cat demanding attention. “But…but…imagine Tom’s FACE when he SEES YOU.”

I stood, snatched the pieces from his lap and charged into the bathroom, peals of his laughter echoing behind me. After stripping naked, I stared at myself in the mirror, taking careful note of the fact that I appeared to be somewhat…smaller. I hadn’t weighed myself since New York in July, and admittedly my clothes had seemed to be getting a little bit looser, but we’d been so busy it wasn’t something to which I gave more than a passing thought. While I’d spent a good amount of my time naked during our road trip, said time was typically spent pursuing matters other than gazing at my reflection, and it was only when faced with the prospect of putting on a ridiculously skimpy outfit that I finally viewed myself with a critical eye. And, realistically, after more than a month of frequently skipped meals and constant activity, I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised that I’d shed a few pounds.

First I wiggled into the booty shorts, my back to the mirror, then stared at the push-up bra. It fastened in the front, which typically spelled massive wardrobe malfunction for me, but I swallowed hard, took a deep breath, slipped it over my shoulders into place and hooked the clasp. As I exhaled, I fully expected it to pop open, but it didn’t. Nor did it pop open when I reached in to adjust the girls. The shoulder straps were easily an inch and a half wide, which perhaps distributed the load more efficiently than most others I’d tried. And my lord, push up indeed. I yelled to Simon.

“Dude, I could serve drinks off my tits. Seriously. It fits perfectly.”

“Of course it does. Boobs may not be my thing, but I’m dead on with sizes every time.”

I snorted. “You’re full of shit. You either peeked or Tom did and told you.”

He scratched at the door with his fingernails. “Whatever. Fuck you. Let me IN.”

As I turned to unlock the door I got a glimpse of myself, mainly my ass from the side.

“Sweet baby Moses, I look like a fucking Kardashian in these shorts.”

Simon flung the door open, grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face the mirror, busily studying my rear end, shaking his head vehemently.

“Oh honey, no. No you do not. But if you want to I’m sure I can get my hands on some padding…” His eyes roamed over my body, then met mine in our reflection. “Maude. You look so beautiful, I may weep.”

I rolled my eyes. “Please.”

“No, I mean it. And not only are you lovely on the outside, you’re even more gorgeous on the INSIDE. Tom is a lucky, lucky man.”

I turned to face him. “You’re not switching teams on me, are you?”

He pinched my cheek. “Not unless you’re hiding a cock in those shorts.”

“We’re both being very non-PC right now, aren’t we?”

Roaring with laughter, he slapped my ass and ran out of the bathroom. “Being indiscriminately insensitive to all of humanity is one of my favorite things to do with you. Now come on out of there and put on your BOOTS. Then we have to call the wig and makeup person, because I need help too, and then we’ll both finish putting on…”

I interrupted him as I entered the living space. “I’m sorry, did you say wig and makeup person?”

Sighing, he patted my shoulder. “Yes. Tom borrowed someone from the Skull Island set for himself, and we get to use her too. YAY!”

Words escaped me as I wondered what the hell Tom was up to, needing an actual professional for his costume. And it was a wig AND makeup person. My god, could he…would he…I grabbed Simon by both biceps.

“You know, don’t you? You know who he’s dressing up as. You have to tell me, Simon. HAVE TO TELL ME.”

“Woman, I kept the whole proposal nonsense a secret…if you think I’m going to spill something so insignificant you are sadly mistaken.”

I leaned in so we were nose to nose, knowing staring into his eyes was my best chance of detecting a falsehood. The man had a poker face like none I’d ever seen, but I’d witnessed him being less than truthful enough times at the office to figure out his tell. “Lestat. It’s Lestat, isn’t it?” Just the slightest tick to the left. “OH MY FUCKING GOD IT IS I AM GOING TO DIE.”

He took a step backwards, crossing his arms. “Totally not Lestat, Maude.”

“Don’t you try and lie to me, old man. You have a tell, you know. Your eyes shift to the left every time. Every. Time. And they did just fucking now.”

“Um, I’d like to point out that if I’m an old man that makes you an old woman because, HELLO, same age.”

My index finger connected with his chest. “Your attempt at diverting my attention to a potentially inflammatory topic in order to disguise the fact that you’re a lying liar who lies is neither appreciated, nor will it be successful.”

He covered his face with his hands. “Oh lord help me she’s using her Smartypants Businesslady words. Make it stop.”

“Apologies, but this will continue until you opt to proffer a full, one-hundred percent factual, truthful confession…”

His hands fell from his face as he fanned out his fingers in exasperation. “FINE. You’re right. Happy now?”

“NO. Because now I’m afraid of WHICH Lestat he’s going to be. Old school? Rock god? Modern tailored suit with flair? I think I need to sit down.”

Simon shoved me down onto the bed. “Please do, you naughty spoilsport. I’m making my call.”

He wandered out onto the balcony, and I completely forgot about the fact that I’d soon be traipsing around half-naked in public on purpose as visions of Tom in all of Lestat’s various incarnations flooded my brain. Simon’s knuckles rapping on my noggin snapped me out of my trance.

“Martina’s on her way up. Look alive, woman.”

Blinking as I looked up and met his gaze, I reached out and poked his thigh. “So…who are YOU dressing as?”

“Draco Malfoy.”

“You’re joking.”

“No, I’m not joking. Luke and I are coordinating. Harry Potter universe.”

I leapt off the bed. “Luke as Harry? That is just…it’s too…adorable. I can’t wait…”

Simon shook his head. “Ah, ah, ah…not Harry.”

My head tilted to the side. “Not Harry?”

“Not Harry.”

“But…who…Ron?” He shook his head. “Dumbledore?” Another shake. “Hermione?” A snort, then a wide smirk, followed by a deadpan expression as he spilled the beans.

“Snape.”

“GET THE FUCK OUT.” Just as the words were out of my mouth someone knocked on the door. “Shit. Go get that. I’m going to hide.”

He answered, and an hour and a half later we were dressed and ready to roll. Martina had painted my nails gold and adorned me with varying shades of green eyeshadow, heavy black liner, and black lipstick. The wig was black as well, the very realistic faux hair nearly reaching my ass. Golden horns topped it off, thankfully made entirely of plastic, the headband portion set with a huge faux emerald smack in the middle. There were strips of gold sequins taped onto the edges of my bra that formed a triangle, and a matching band to go over the belt portion of the skirt. Elbow-length pieces of fabric that resembled gloves with no fingers were wrapped with gold elastic string, and then came…the boots. They were black leather, skin-tight thigh high lace-ups with a two and a half inch platform at the toe, a 4 inch chunky heel and I loved them more than I’d ever loved any other pair of boots I’d ever worn, ankles be damned. The cape turned out to be way too long…like five inches too long, so that was scrapped because that plus platform boots was a perfect recipe for disaster. One or the other, yes. Both, no fucking way.

Simon’s wig made his eyes stand out even more than his natural blond, and his gleeful expression when he exited the bathroom in his robe made me wonder if he was wearing anything underneath it, at which point I closed my eyes and thought of truffles to distract myself. Martina gathered her things, wished us luck, smirked in my direction and away she went.

I rested my right hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Gotta say, you make a damn lovely Draco. So is this like a May-December romance thing after you’ve left Hogwarts or what? Of course we’ll have to ignore the fact that Snape, you know, DIES…”

“Maude, since you’ve attempted to put a damper on my fantasy I’m going to call your fiancé because if seeing him…and I know what he looks like, Luke sent me a pic…doesn’t shut you up, nothing EVER will.”

“You realize you’ve just essentially invited me to tackle your sorry ass and snatch your phone, don’t you?” As I moved my hand to his chest and began to push, the door opened, and I spun around so quickly I almost fell over. Luke was in the doorway, his black wig in motion, tendrils of hair brushing his chin as his head turned forward. He bit his lip at the sight of Simon, and I heard Simon gasp behind me at the same time. Luke began to stride in our direction, and as he drew closer I saw an arm holding the door open, the body attached to it not yet visible. The fingernails were black, arm ensconced in what appeared to be a very finely woven black metallic netting, the outer portion of the bordered sleeve gaping open, held in place by a black metallic fabric tie between the wrist and the elbow that matched the border. When I noticed that the sleeve didn’t end at the wrist but instead formed a V-shaped hand wrap also made of the border fabric, crossing the top and slipping between the middle and ring fingers, it dawned on me which Lestat I’d be spending the evening with. Surprising myself, I began walking toward the source of my imminent doom instead of running to lock myself in the bathroom.

A bit of blonde hair dangled into the formerly empty doorway, followed by an incredibly pale face…his blue eyes resembled ice crystals, ringed with black liner, lids darkened with shadow, lashes ridiculously pronounced as the result of a heavy application of mascara. His lips were pinker than they normally were, a dusky shade, and the hair, my god, THE HAIR. It reached his shoulders, curly and so, so blonde and I saw FANGS and was just about to lose my shit when he slid fully into view and into the room, knees buckling at the sight of me, leaning on the wall for support.

I nodded. “Same, asshole. Same.”

He laughed, completely exposing the fangs, and I resumed my walk, grabbing hold of his jaw with my right hand when I reached him, tilting my head and leaning in to inspect his canine teeth.

“Are those, like, really…you know…attached?”

He nodded, chin still in my hand. “Uh huh.”

“As in, ‘I can totally bite stuff’ attached?”

His eyes widened, and I felt the warmth of his hand on my belly. “Uh huh.”

I released his jaw and turned to Luke and Simon. “So, um, how set are you on going to this party, exactly?”

Simon whipped his wand from his robes and pointed it at me. “Maude GALLAGHER. You can shag vampire boy LATER. We are GOING OUT. It is your BIRTHDAY. There’s a DJ and we’ve never really been out dancing before and that’s essentially CRIMINAL. I will curse you if I must. I swear it.”

Sighing, I turned to Tom once again, noting that the shirt material was actually rather iridescent as opposed to just black metallic. My eyes closed and my chin fell to my chest as I responded.

“Fine. Fine. Let’s go dancing. But I think we should take separate vehicles.”

Luke cleared his throat. “I hate to be an utter downer, but you’re our designated driver, Maude.”

Eyes still shut, I rested both hands on Tom’s shoulders. “Right. Designated driver. Okay. I can handle this.”

Tom’s arms wound around my waist as he whispered quietly in my ear. “I can’t. I’m on the verge of fucking you right here, right now, right in front of them.”

In reply I ran my tongue along his jaw, not expecting the makeup to be quite so…vile. My eyes flew open as I shook my head back and forth, tongue still sticking out, as if that would help even remotely. “Bleech. That is…man, that tastes HORRIBLE.” He responded by biting my neck, and as I felt the tips of the fangs sinking into my soft flesh I pushed back and away. “Thomas. No. No no no no no. Honey. No.”

As he chuckled I grabbed my phone and keys from the dresser, handed them to him since he had pockets in which to store them, then headed for the door.

“Come on, let’s do this before I change my mind. And you’d better move your asses, because if we aren’t on our way to the lobby in the next twenty seconds it’s game over. I mean it.”

****************************************

Tom had followed me down the stairs, muttering to himself the entire time, eventually jogging down to be by my side as I tried to focus so I wouldn’t fall and maim myself permanently. His right arm linked with my left, steadying me, voice even with a hint of incredulity.

“Lady Loki.”

I nodded. “That’s me. Were you surprised?”

“I fear may never recover from the shock, actually. Luke told me you were dressing as Loki. He left out the ‘lady’ bit.”

A very indelicate snort escaped me. “Lady bit. Lady bits. Heh. Wait, Luke told you?”

“Believe me, it took a considerable amount of effort to even get that much out of him.” His hand squeezed my forearm. “You knew who I was going to be, though.”

“Why would you think that?”

He grinned. “You didn’t faint when you saw me.”

“My, my…what a large ego you have there, Hiddleston.”

“Matches my…”

“Shut. It. And yes, I knew…but all I managed to ascertain from Simon was that you’d be turning up as Lestat, so I didn’t know WHICH Lestat.” I stopped in my tracks, three steps from the lobby floor, as I realized I hadn’t given him a complete once-over yet. His pants were black leather, but a matte finish, as were his boots, the toes squared off, and around his neck was a Sid Vicious-style padlock choker…not an official accessory, but damn, I loved it. “I’d ask if that was the actual Queen of the Damned costume but you’re four inches taller than Stuart Townsend and the pants aren’t short so…” His abs through the shirt were downright obscene, and the waistband of the trousers was low…so, so low…leaning in, I could see not only his entire happy trail but a sneaky peek of the top of his pubic thatch poking out as well. “Okay, I might faint now. Rock God Lestat equals too much hotness for poor old Lady Loki.”

His arm unlinked from mine and slipped around my waist, spurring the completion of our descent and walk toward the exit. “Ah, that’s better. That sort of compliment makes the thought of wearing leather pants to go out dancing in Hawaii much more palatable.”

“Caution is advised, Thomas. Can’t have you chafing anything and ruining my fun.”

We decided to take the Jeep…’decided’ meaning my stating that since I wasn’t drinking, I was driving whatever I wanted. Tom offered to take the wheel for the drive there, and as Simon bitched about how horrific it was to have to climb into the back seat of a Wrangler while wearing a robe I leaned back against the hood area of the passenger side. Tom, waiting for the clown circus to cease so he could tuck me safely inside the vehicle, looked me up and down repeatedly.

“Maude…honestly…you are so, so sexy in that get-up…a level of sexy that should likely be illegal.”

I lifted my arms above my head, feigning a stretch, watching his jaw clench as I wiggled my fingers high above. “Misdemeanor or felony?”

He growled as his head tilted to the left. “Woman. Get in the Jeep.” A slap on my ass as I climbed aboard made me shriek with delight, and another one followed immediately, harder, and I moaned softly for the sole purpose of torturing the poor man, smirking as I heard him mutter ‘bloody fucking hell’ under his breath.

Rob’s Bar and Grill was eight miles from the hotel, and on the twenty-minute drive my gaze moved from my ring, to Tom, back to my ring, then back to Tom, again and again. This beautiful man beside me, currently a living, breathing incarnation of my most favorite fictional character, wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. His life. With me. Us. Together. Which we’d both already known, but somehow, having a circle of silver with a stone in it on my finger made it REAL. We hadn’t been alone since he proposed, and my mind was scrambling to think of exactly how to convey how much everything he’d done today meant to me, but kept coming up blank. The words I wanted wouldn’t fall into place, only floating around my head, scrambling away as I reached out to grab them.

The parking lot was nearly full, but Tom found an out of the way place perfect for a Jeep near the very back. We walked in, four unrecognizable people merging into a crowd of a hundred or more of the same. I hadn’t thought about it until that moment, but tonight, no one had a clue who we were, any of us. Granted, if someone was a huge fan they’d know Tom upon close inspection, but at a glance…no way. For him, it was probably a very freeing feeling…but for me, it was license to behave badly on the dance floor. Dancing Queen was cranking on the sound system, the giant wall of televisions displaying an endless array of sporting events, and Simon immediately bolted for the bar, Luke in tow. I turned my head to meet Tom’s gaze.

“Do you require a beverage as well, or shall we just get down to it, Mr. Hiddleston?”

He took my hand and pulled me out onto the dance floor, wiggling his hips seductively as we worked our way through the crowd. “Down to it, if you please.”

My brows rose as we found our place and he faced me, then placed a hand on my lower back, pulling my hips in to meet his own. “Oh, I please. Do do that voodoo that you do, baby.”

Luke and Simon joined us midway through the next song, Calvin Harris’s Feel So Close, and we all lost ourselves in the music, dancing with abandon to Lean On, Connected, 1999 and Brick House before I needed to take a bathroom and soda break. Not dipping my costume in the bowl was a challenge, but I figured I’d continue to make it through the night unscathed since I wasn’t getting hammered, as long as I remembered LIFT came before SIT. The music was too loud for conversation, so we stood together between the bar and the DJ, admiring all the creative costumes. There were superheroes, of course, Superman, Batman and the Joker among them, along with werewolves, Dracula-styled vampires, zombies, witches, a ballerina, a Playboy bunny, someone who was either dressed as Weird Al or was actually Weird Al, and my personal favorite, an older couple with the woman in costume as Jimmy Buffett and the man as a giant margarita glass, complete with salt on the rim.

When Wonderful Night by Fatboy Slim began to play, we ditched our drinks and wormed our way back into the middle of the dance floor, and as I watched Tom gyrating and spinning and jumping I was reminded of how music was such a powerful force in both our lives, how it moved us, allowed us to express our own through someone else’s words��and in that moment, I thought of THE song, the one that could say for me all the things my mind couldn’t seem to put to order as yet. As Wonderful Night finished, I yelled in Tom’s ear.

“I’m going to see if the DJ takes requests, okay? Be right back.”

As I walked to his table, he looked up, saw me, then looked back down and began typing on his phone. Upon reaching him, I bent down and shouted above the din of Cotton Eye Joe, which, frankly, I was thrilled to me missing out on.

“Hi there! Love your set so far…I was wondering…do you take requests?”

He nodded, stood, then motioned for me to follow him into the kitchen, where it was insanely busy but much quieter. Shorter than me, native Hawaiian if I had to guess, slightly overweight with dark hair back in a ponytail and tucked under his backwards baseball cap, dressed in a black Walking Dead T-shirt and white board shorts, a huge smile lit up his face and made me smile in return.

“For you? I absolutely do. Especially if you promise to keep dancing. You and your fiancé are the life of this party, man.”

My head tilted to the side, and he laughed heartily, extending his hand. “I’m Sammy Hale, otherwise known as All Hale the DJ. My wife Melanie is a huge fan, of you and Tom both. You should have heard her screeching when she saw his Tweet earlier…heck, maybe you DID. It was that loud.”

I laughed as well, accepting his proffered hand and shaking vigorously. “Maude Gallagher. But you knew that already. So, you recognized Tom? Nicely done.”

“Do you have any idea how many pictures of that man I’ve seen? But honestly, I knew who you were first, and once he started dancing I was sure it was him. She shows me videos, too. Congratulations, by the way. Here, look at what she posted on Facebook when she found out.”

He handed me his phone, and I focused in on the screen.

“Tom and Maude just got engaged right here on the island…I’m so happy for them! What an exciting time! And imagine…what if they decide to get married here? Even crazier, what if they choose my place for the reception? I’m such a hopeless dreamer, LOL.”

Eyes wide, I returned my gaze to Sammy. “Her place?”

“Well, it’s not really her place…but she’s been there since college so it feels like it is, I guess, plus she’s very passionate about her job…she’s the head event coordinator at the Coconut Beach Marriott.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded. “It’s a beautiful hotel, perfect setting, amazing beach…”

“Oh, I’m aware. That’s where we’re staying.” I pulled up his contacts, which was probably rude, but when fate intervenes you have to set such things as. “This is my personal cell number. Will you have her call me, please? We are getting married on Kauai, and the Marriott never crossed my mind as a reception location until right now. June 29th, 2016…that all needs to be kept under wraps, though…”

He looked shell-shocked as I handed him back his phone. “She has prior experience with celebrity weddings that required thorough confidentiality. Wow. This is…this is off the hook. It’s going to take me a good while to convince her I’m not yanking her chain when I tell her.”

Hand on my hip, I pointed at him. “Tell you what…Tom and I will do a video hello for her to send first so she knows for sure you met us, then you can break the news later. Sound good?”

His head shook back and forth slowly. “Sometimes, the universe just sets such amazing things you never expected right in front of you…”

“HA! Tell me about it. So…about my requests…” I provided him with my short list of songs, then revealed my plan, which he seemed nearly as excited about as I was. I went out and brought Tom into the kitchen to film our video hello for Melanie, who was, we were told, out trick or treating with their three little ones, ages eight, five and two. Once it was sent off, it was back to dancing. And, for me, waiting, riddled with anxiety and wondering if I’d be able to pull off what I’d decided to do without fucking it up too badly.

I lost track of time and space, especially after being whirled around to You Should Be Dancing, and how many songs had played between that and Poison by the Prodigy, I had not a clue…but that song and the one after were my cues, and I was at once grateful to have recognized the first but terrified that it was almost…time. Tom grinned fiendishly when he heard the opening notes, and we danced separately at first, him pausing during one section where the beat allowed me to do some hula-like hip shaking, then spinning me around so he could grind up against me until it was over. That was followed Steve Aoki’s Freak, during which I fully exercised my right to behave badly. Very, very badly, rubbing my scantily clad nether region up and down his leather covered thigh, bending over in front of him, his hands on my hips as he bucked against me, grabbing my ass occasionally, ending with his turning me back towards him and lifting my leg up so I could wrap it around his waist. After the last beat, I pulled away from him and headed once again to the DJ table, and Sammy handed me a microphone. Several deep breaths later in the strange silence, I began.

“Um, hi. Terribly sorry to interrupt the tunes, but…” I pointed at Tom, whose makeup had begun to run just a tiny bit, hair damp with sweat, body glistening with it as well, standing and staring at me with an expression of puzzlement upon his face. “That beautiful man right there…a few hours ago, he proposed to me in the most spectacular way possible.”

The crowd cheered and I held up my left hand, waggling my fingers. “Of course I said YES.” Everyone laughed, and I honed in on him, everything else becoming a blur. “Tom, I love you. So much. You…you are my everything. What you did for me today, how much my life has changed since we met here, on this island, back in June…I can never seem to find the right words to properly convey how it’s made me feel. So, I’m going to use someone else’s. And I’m going to sing them, because I think you kind of like it when I sing.”

The crowd had cleared around him, and he’d come closer, now standing six feet away, and as he nodded I could see his eyes had filled with tears. The song began to play, Flyleaf’s All Around Me, which was probably unknown to most of the folks at Rob’s, and perhaps to Tom as well…but it was perfect, and I sang along with Lacey Sturm, though Sammy had muted her vocals down to what essentially amounted to background noise.

“My hands are searching for you My arms are outstretched towards you I feel you on my fingertips My tongue dances behind my lips for you This fire rising through my being Burning I’m not used to seeing you I’m alive, I’m alive I can feel you all around me Thickening the air I’m breathing Holding on to what I’m feeling Savoring this heart that’s healing My hands float up above me And you whisper you love me And I begin to fade Into our secret place The music makes me sway The angels singing say we are alone with you I am alone and they are too with you I’m alive I’m alive I can feel you all around me Thickening the air I’m breathing Holding on to what I’m feeling Savoring this heart that’s healing So I cry (Holy) The light is white (Holy) And I see you I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive And I can feel you all around me Thickening the air I’m breathing Holding on to what I’m feeling Savoring this heart that’s healing Take my hand I give it to you Now you own me All I am You said you would never leave me I believe you I believe I can feel you all around me Thickening the air I’m breathing Holding on to what I’m feeling Savoring this heart that’s healed”

As was my habit, I lowered my chin to my chest once I finished. I knew I’d struggled with a few bits that were at the upper edge of my range, but to my ear, at least, it had sounded okay overall. When I raised my head up, I saw Tom, openly weeping and rushing towards me, wrapping his arms around me and burying his face in my neck as the crowd began to applaud and cheer. I rubbed his back as he murmured words of thanks and adoration in my ear, finally pulling back to look into my eyes.

“Pretty sure I already knew it, but now it’s completely crystal clear to me…asking you to be my wife was by far the smartest decision I’ve ever made, and likely ever WILL make. Thank you, for saying yes, for being willing to spend the rest of your life with me, ME, for loving me, and for that song. I will never forget this day, this hour, this moment…my god, how I love you…”

I poked his shoulder. “Dude. Shush. You’re totally stealing my thunder.”

We both laughed, and when we heard ourselves do so over the sound system, it dawned on me that the mic was still hot, and I brought it up to my lips again.

“Well, now you know why I had to resort to singing, right?” The crowd erupted in laughter as I flicked the off switch, and seemingly out of nowhere Luke and Simon arrived, embracing Tom and I from either side. Simon’s wig was mildly askew, and I made a huffing noise.

“Um, Simon…did you, like HEAR me sing or were you, like, BUSY?”

A rare blush spread across his cheeks. “So, who’s ready to head back to the hotel?”

Luke was red as a beet as well, and I snorted.

“I’m not sure whether I should be pissed or proud. How about I decide on the ride?”

They bolted towards the door, and Tom took my hand, leading me outside and to the Jeep without another word.

****************************************

The relative silence continued as I drove, just the noise of the wind, all of our windows rolled down to let in the night air. We said our goodnights in the hallway, and as soon as the door closed behind us Tom had me up against the wall, a sense of deja vu washing over me. His mouth found mine, tongue thrusting in roughly, groaning as I bit down on it gently before sucking firmly. Moving my head the way I wanted was entirely too challenging with the horns on, so I yanked them off and tossed them across the room, along with the arm wraps. He buried one hand in my fake hair, and I could feel him fumbling behind me with the other, searching for the bra clasp. I grabbed his arms, pulled them in front of me, then placed his hands on my breasts, hoping he’d get the hint. Instead, he opted to show off his motorboating skills, followed by testing his fangs, dragging them back and forth across my still-covered nipples.

“Fuck. Tom. Front. It’s in the front. Take it off. OFF.”

A moment passed as he pondered the mechanics of the thing, followed by my boobs springing free as he slid the straps off my shoulders, down my arms, off my wrists, pulling it from behind me and finally dropping it unceremoniously onto the carpet. The right nipple was his first target, laving it with his tongue, sucking it into his mouth, then biting it gently until I swatted him away, at which point he switched to the left one. Using his hands, he pressed my breasts together, tongue sliding back and forth quickly from nipple to nipple, my head flopping back against the wall, eyes closed. Suddenly, he was gone, and when I opened my eyes he was staring at the belt, and when the latch that closed it couldn’t be easily located, he forced the belt and attached fabric over my hips, taking the booty shorts along with it, tapping first one leg, then the other, prompting me to lift each in turn so he could slip the shorts over my boots and move the belt out of the danger zone.

I watched as his eyes roamed over me, standing naked but for my thigh-high boots, and I could see he was rock hard right through the leather. Reaching out, I lifted the hem of his shirt and yanked upward, and he lifted his arms, licking his lips, eyes rolling back into his head as I paused to flick his nipples with my tongue. He stepped back, completing the removal of the shirt himself, grunted, then rotated me roughly until I was facing the wall. It was then that he spoke his first words, other than wishing Simon and Luke a good night, since we left the bar.

“Arms above your head, all the way up. Hands on the wall.” Short, curt, and nearly a growl. I complied, moaning as his hands grasped my inner thighs, pushing outward, indicating that I should spread my legs. I complied with that, as well, hearing the sound of a snap coming undone and zipper being pulled as I moved. His cock dripped into the crack of my ass as he gauged our alignment.

“That’s it. Just like that. Don’t move a muscle.”

His left hand wrapped around my wrists, holding them to the wall, and with his right he guided himself to my entrance, just the tip of him nudging inside. As I began to push backward, the same hand moved first to stroke my belly, then downward, his middle finger reaching into my folds to circle my clit as he thrust forward, my hips hitting the wall as he slid home. He’d left just enough room to allow his finger to continue its stroking, but left me no way to move, pinned in place hanging on his cock. And because apparently that wasn’t enough torture, that’s when his fangs sank into my neck, causing me to orgasm without even the slightest warning, clamping down on him, desperate for friction but unable to attain it.

“Oh god oh my god ohmygod Tom…I need…need…you…move…you have to move. MOVE. Please. PLEASE.”

He ignored me, focused intently on my neck, biting, sucking and finally licking the spot he was finished with, then moving on to another. That pain, mingled with the pleasure originating from his consistently stroking finger, drew me to the brink, easing off whenever his mouth relocated, and just when I was ready to begin to genuinely protest against his edging, he began circling his hips in time with his finger.

“Is that better, Maude? Need my cock in motion, do you? Need to feel it rubbing against every bit of you, pressing against your walls, round and round we go, where we stop, nobody knows?”

“Fuck off.”

He stopped moving.

“Okay, fine. How about fuck ME instead?”

Nothing but stillness. Even his finger had ceased its ministrations.

“Thomas.”

Nada. Time to break out the big guns, then. Fulfilling, months later, a request he’d made back in New Orleans. I started to sing Closer.

“You let me violate you, you let me desecrate you You let me penetrate you, you let me complicate you Help me I broke apart my insides, help me I’ve got no soul to sell Help me the only thing that works for me, help me get away from myself”

He swallowed, hard enough that I could feel it against my back. I continued.

“I want to fuck you like an animal I want to feel you from the inside I want to fuck you like an animal My whole existence is flawed You get me closer to god”

He began moving again, but much faster, adding thrusts to his circling.

“You can have my isolation, you can have the hate that it brings You can have my absence of faith, you can have my everything Help me tear down my reason, help me its’ your sex I can smell Help me you make me perfect, help me become somebody else”

When I got to the word ‘perfect’ he groaned, loud and long and full of neediness, almost throwing me off my tempo as he let go of my wrists, pulled out of me and spun me around.

“I want to fuck you like an animal I want to feel you from the inside”

He lifted my left leg by the back of the knee, holding it aloft and allowing me to wrap it around his waist as he shoved himself back into me, eyes on mine, wild, pupils fully blown, jaw clenched, tips of the fangs resting on the edge of his lower lip. I leaned back against the wall, his weight pinning me again as I lifted the other leg and wrapped it around his waist as well.

“I want to fuck you like an animal My whole existence is flawed You get me closer to god”

He began slamming into me, pulling out, then slamming in again, our gazes still locked, my hands clenched together behind his neck. I leaned forward to run my tongue across his lips.

“That’s it. Come on. Fuck me.”

His breathing was labored, his reply more of a grunt as he moved faster and faster. “Like. An. Animal.”

“Mmm hmm. Just like that.” I began bucking against him as his finger found my clit again. “More. Harder. More. Make me scream.”

He lowered his head, breaking eye contact in order to sink his teeth into the unmarked side of my neck, and that’s when, I did, in fact, scream. Entirely too loudly for well past 9 PM, even on a Saturday. The bite grew ever harder as he stifled his own scream, spurting inside me as my walls convulsed around him, finally letting go just as I thought the skin would break.

We stilled, coming down, without separating. He leaned back a bit, inspecting his work.

“Well. That…I…lord, are you all right?”

I snorted. “I think it probably looks worse than it feels.”

“I sincerely hope that’s the case. Sorry, love. You singing to me in conjunction with watching nearly every man in that bar gawking at you resulted in my feeling incredibly…territorial.”

“Men were gawking at me?”

Both eyebrows shot up. “You didn’t notice?”

I shook my head. “That’d be a big ‘ole NOPE. Probably because that, like, never happens. And don’t be sorry. I spent a good portion of the evening relishing how those fangs felt on my neck and dying for…more.” A huge grin spread across my face. “I adore your feeling territorial…like you enjoyed my jealousy, I suppose. Next time if the urge to shout ‘Stop ogling my girlfriend you blood louts!’ arises, I totally won’t hold it against you if you succumb to it.”

“Fiancée.”

After unwinding my legs one at a time and ensuring the solidity of my feet on the floor, I removed my hands from behind his neck and stared at my ring as he slipped out of me. “Fiancée. By the time I’m used to saying that, it’ll be ‘wife’.”

He kissed the tip of my nose. “But that will be the only other name you’ll ever have to get used to. Well, except for mum…”

I looked down at myself, naked but for the boots and the ring, and began to giggle.

A smile spread across his face. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, really. Just that there’s a man in leather pants, wearing a blond wig and sporting vampire teeth with his cock hanging out, talking to a woman wearing only thigh-high lace-up leather boots, an engagement ring and a smile about…about…” My giggles turned into chortling. “KIDS. About having kids. And I can’t help but see it…us, when we’re like, fifty, sneaking into a bedroom late at night, neglecting to lock the door and a Hiddlespawn wandering in and seeing us…like this…ohmygod…”

He threw back his head, laughing that infectious laugh that was uniquely his. “We’ll just explain that sex is a natural thing, that it’s a wonderful, beautiful expression of love between two people and that sometimes…”

“Bwhahahaha! SOMETIMES, kid, you inadvertently discover that your parents are kinky as fuck when you don’t KNOCK before entering a room.”

After composing ourselves, we provided wig removal assistance for each other, then hit the shower. Tom got out before I did, and just as I finished drying off and putting on my robe there was a knock at the door. I turned to Tom, eyes wide.

“Christ, Simon and Luke have to be passed out by now for sure, so who the hell is THAT?”

He shrugged and answered it, his black shorts hanging low on his hips, and when the door closed he turned around, a covered dish in his left hand. He walked to the desk, set it down, and removed the lid, revealing a cheesecake topped with strawberries, a tiny Happy Birthday pick and six candles. I swiped the side of it with my index finger, then licked…and as soon as it hit my taste buds, I gasped.

“Hiddleston. That’s a Carnegie Deli cheesecake.”

Nodding, he leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Did you think I’d dare forget CAKE? Happy Birthday, Maude.”

I pinched his arm. Hard. He jumped, squealing. “Sorry. I just needed to make sure you were real. So now I have confirmation of that, which is cool. But a real…what? That’s the question. Because you CANNOT be human. And…whatever it is that you are…how is it that you’re…mine?”

His arms wrapped around my waist from my left side, chin on my shoulder. “I hope you realize that I ask myself those same questions. Repeatedly. And, I think in order to answer them, we have to consider that…maybe…maybe apart, we’re human…but together, we’re something that transcends that, those earthly, tangible limitations.”

“Huh. You know what? I think that together…that something…it manifests itself as human again. That’s…it’s…that’s…children.”

A sharp intake of breath from him, followed by a gentle kiss on my neck. “I believe you’re on to something there, my love.”

Twisting my head so I could meet his gaze, I winked. “I believe I totally one-upped you there, my love.”

He laughed. “Oh, you most definitely did. I’m impressed.”

“Heh. Prepare to be even more thoroughly impressed as I devour this entire cheesecake.”

His nose nuzzled against my clavicle. “None for me?”

Sighing, I patted his arm. “Well, I suppose if you do a decent job of singing happy birthday you can have a slice. A SMALL slice…”

He lit the candles, sang it Hank style, and as I blew out the candles I realized that there really wasn’t anything left for me to wish for. Everything I could ever have wanted, or needed, was right there in that room, and as we gorged ourselves sitting out on the balcony, admiring the three-quarter moon reflecting on the water, the truth of the lyrics from the song I’d sung for him overwhelmed me, ‘I can feel you all around me, thickening the air I’m breathing, holding on to what I’m feeling, savoring this heart that’s healed’ and I leapt up from my chair and stood before him, taking his face in my hands, tilting his head upward as I spoke eight simple words that made us both weep.

“Thank you. For everything. I love you. Always.”

#chapter 35 #your light in the mist

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draqcnheartstrinq · 6 years

Text

Vitalum Vitalis: Their Luck

Part VI

Peter Parker x Female!Reader

Word count: 2.173 Warning: None

Reminder: this is a slow burn series, don’t expect this to be quick and easy ;)

VV Masterpost | Part VII: The Downfall

Peter’s attitude changed dramatically after that night with Ali. He was less stressed, less agitated and more concentrated in class. Everybody thanked whatever force had made Peter Parker calm down, because when Parker was stressed, so was everyone else around him. When he started using his irritating habits like tapping his feet, biting his pencils and losing focus on the decathlon team everyone was on edge at his nerve wrecking antics.

Ali had been able to make those habits disappear in only one evening and the boy was surprised by the effects she seemed to have on him. She did it so effortlessly too, only one movie night and he already felt so much better about their forming friendship.

“Parker!” Carl from the other day tried to get his attention. “I see you took my advice, you look much more rested, man. Keep doing what you’re doing, it’s working!” Peter nodded his head at the guy and gave him a thumbs up in understanding.

“But, dude, don’t be getting yourself into street fights now”, Carl pointed at his bruises and cuts, laughing at Peter’s complexion. “I know it probably attracts the ladies but it might not be the best idea you can come up with.”

“Yeah, thanks Carl!” He joked back, waved, and walked away towards Ned’s locker.

The herd of students guided Peter down the hall, looking at the familiar blue rows of metal and teenagers leaning against them. Why did Ned’s locker have to be so far away? Why couldn’t it be right next to his? It made their days only harder and more tiring as they had to walk across almost the entirety of the school’s hallways to get to each other after classes.

Finally, Peter spotted Ned who was already making his way across the hall and they exchanged smiles before starting their personal handshake. When they ended on pointed fingers, they took off towards Chemistry.

“Had an eventful weekend?” Ned asked whilst strolling to the lab together.

“Yeah, it was fun, I met someone new last weekend and we met up again this Saturday.”

“Without me?” Ned laughed and punched Peter on the shoulder.

“Oh come on, don’t make me feel guilty for meeting someone, dude, that’s low”, he smiled back at his friend and pushed his elbow against Ned’s arm.

“Nah, of course not! What’s his name?”

“It’s a... “her”, actually…” When Ned looked at his friend he didn’t know if that was a serious remark or just a joke.

“A girl? Really?” he asked unbelievingly.

“Why’s that so surprising to you?” Peter questioned with a smirk and a glance around him.

“I don’t know! Maybe because every time you open your mouth in front of a girl, only stutters come out and afterwards they basically try to get as far away from you as possible?”

They both laughed out loud and walked into the assigned classroom, clutching the straps of their backpacks.

“It’s not like that with MJ!”

“Yeah, but that’s different, she’s our friend, Peter. If you would be stuttering in front of her I would lose all hope in finding you a girlfriend!”

Their conversation was nice and friendly and comfortable, but then Flash Thompson had to walk into the room and ruin everything.

“Parker? Our Penis Parker having a girlfriend? Don’t make me laugh, that wouldn’t happen even if he was the only male on earth!” Flash spat and snickered whilst placing himself behind a lab desk. All eyes were now focussing between Peter, who looked down at his shoes in pure shame, and Flash, who smirked like he had just won an easy fight.

“Flash, shut up, that nickname wasn’t even funny last year. Stop calling Peter like that”, Helena, another classmate, spoke up from the other side and everyone already in the classroom turned their heads her way. Flash looked surprised that someone dared to speak up to his remarks, but Peter did even more. He smiled at her in a thankful way before opening his notes on the last page. He was even more surprised when he saw a little message written inside them on an otherwise blank paper.

Thanks for letting me borrow your papers Parker Tell me if you ever need something Carl :)

He looked around, knowing that Carl wasn’t in the room with him, but he just looked for some reason why everyone would suddenly be acting so nice towards him. Maybe this year would just be a nice one? Not like the last few years of bullying and laughing in his face?

But this wasn’t enough yet, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and quickly reached for it. On the screen was a text message from an unknown number. He unlocked the phone and smiled when he read the short name at the bottom.

i thought it would be nice if i actually kept my promises so here’s the text you’ve been waiting for aaallllll day ;) (i hope, otherwise i look stupid now) i’m bored either way, please text back when you’re home, tell me some dorky puns... anything! i’m desperate... Ali x

His heart skipped just a little bit faster at the little “x” at the end of the text. Could he get any luckier today? Was it even possible to have this much “fortune” in such a short time? The teacher walked in before he could answer back with a new “dorky” pun, but he marked a cross over the back of his hand so he wouldn’t forget later. As if he would ever forget texting her, as if the thought of her smiling down at his future text didn’t make him feel warm and fuzzy inside, already. Who was he trying to fool, exactly?

The boy shook his head, before trying to concentrate on the teacher’s explanation, but once again, someone else was occupying his thoughts.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The bad puns quickly became the pair’s little inside joke, and much more than just a joke too. They became their “goodmorning” at dawn and “sleep tight” at night, their “how are you” after a few days of not replying and their “i’m bored” when they needed each other’s company.

May noticed her nephew’s smiles when he walked through the apartment door, hands clutching his phone and eyes trained on the screen. He often didn’t even notice her presence and went straight to his room without even a “hello” or “what’re we gonna eat today” like he would’ve usually done.

Ned saw his friend’s features and noticed the wrinkles next to his eyes from laughing, he saw his notes and the doodles that were drawn on the margins where there were meant to be formulas and translations. The asian boy thought about the girl Peter had mentioned in conversation a few times and couldn’t help the smirk on his face whenever another doodle made its appearance.

MJ was as observant as ever and noticed the skip in Peter’s every few steps, the excitement that hung around him and just the overall joy. She didn’t need any explanation to his behaviour, she already knew what was going on by just observing from a distance.

Tony discovered Alive’s newfound happiness and for the first time ever saw what it looked like when she was truly content. Her eyes were much wider, her lips were more stretched, her shoulders didn’t hang and her hands moved around when she talked to him. He knew Parker was the reason behind her sudden change in mood and he was glad to know they could get along just fine.

“When was the last time Peter came around, Ali?” he asked when she passed him on her way to the third floor. She turned around and tilted her head, confused by his unexpected question.

“Two weeks ago, I think. Why? What about him?”

“Would you like it if he came around for dinner, spend a little more time with him?” Alive stood perplex at his words but quickly shook her head in disapproval.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea Tony, I mean I would love for him to visit again, but you know I can’t explain why I wouldn’t be eating to him”, she looked down at her feet.

“Ow yeah, sorry darling, I completely forgot,” he sighed and grabbed her shoulder to accentuate his apology about bringing it up, “this thing just looks so realistic.”

“That’s okay.”

Some things just weren’t meant to be talked about, not even to innocent and lovable Peter.

Pepper joined the conversation not long after and greeted Alive with a big comforting hug. She informed Tony of another one of his meetings coming up in a few minutes, so he excused himself and went straight towards the Avenger’s headquarters. Before leaving too, Pepper first took it upon her to check in with Ali and make sure she felt comfortable and safe around the facility. When she got the answer she was hoping for, she went ahead and got back to work too.

Without anyone around, without anyone to talk to, Alive realised how much she had enjoyed the evening where Peter had kept her company. She liked the movies he made her watch, she loved the puns he told her every night and day, she admired the way he talked so passionately about science like it was his biggest dream to one day become a scientist himself. His intelligence seemed to be one of his most cherished traits, and she couldn’t blame him for sometimes bragging about it a little. It would’ve sounded cocky or big headed if it came from anyone else than that boy Parker, but he was a boy with a dorky smile and blurry eyes whenever the word “science” was mentioned in any conversation.

It made Alive chuckle every time she thought about his dreamy expression.

“Alive?” the voice of the AI rang through the hall.

“Yeah, F.R.I.D.A.Y.? What’s up?”

“Peter’s calling you on your phone.”

When you speak of the devil, right? Think of the devil, even.

Immediately, she reached for her back pocket but realised she hadn’t brought the device along the way whilst taking a walk through the building.

“Fuck!” The word was out of her mouth before she had even fully registered it in her head.

“Language, young lady!”

“Sorry, F.R.I.D.A.Y.”, Alive said before running towards her room with a big and exciting smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

In the end, Peter had simply called because he wanted to talk to her, “hear her voice again” as he had put it in a joking matter. The words he had chosen made the girl overthink, contemplating if his words had held any hidden meaning, but she gave up quite quickly. His words weren’t even meant to be thought about in the first place, let alone being anything more than just a conversation starter.

They talked for hours, never ending the call. Peter took his phone to the kitchen to grab some snacks, to the bathroom when he needed to brush his teeth, to his own bedroom whilst changing into pyjamas for the night,...

They only ended the call when they said their goodbyes at two in the morning, a pun from both of them representing each of their “sleep tight”s.

Peter knew he was smiling, even when the line had cut off, he still kept the phone to his ear and sighed in content. It definitely felt good, to be able to let everything out and complain about school and stress to Ali at the end of every day, it didn’t matter if his confessions were in the form of a text, a video call or a regular call. He still loved it, he loved… her? No that couldn’t be it, that was just plain stupid.

“Peter, what are you getting yourself into?” he groaned at his own thoughts and slammed his hands in front of his face. “You only met her freaking three weeks ago, she doesn’t know anything from your life, you don’t know anything about hers,... What an idiot.”

The feelings that were growing inside of him, bubbling in the pit of his stomach, were ridiculous and he knew that more than anyone else. So why did he still want them to be real and unique and something more than just the friends they grew to be.

He blamed it on the hormones, a logical explanation to irrational teenage behaviours. What he couldn’t clarify, though, were the protective feelings that emitted inside him whenever she mentioned any displeasure she had been experiencing. Loneliness, pain, stress. He didn’t want her to go through the same things he had gone through so many times in the past.

He wouldn’t let her, he would protect her from them just like he tried to protect his aunt, his friends, the citizens of Queens,...

he promised that to himself, and ultimately to Ali too. That night, in his room, in the dark. He promised it, he promised.

Part VII: The Downfall

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forever-rogue · 6 years

Text

Words and Paper - Part VI

Summary: Y/N is a brilliant young lawyer who was hired by Tony Stark himself. She didn’t expect half of the things that would happened, but she was sure glad Bucky happened.

A/N: Sorry for the delay, fam! I’ve been busy with my law finals and holiday stuff and work and all that jazz. I hope this makes it better? Please enjoy and let me know if you’d like to be talked. PS: more holiday fluff is coming!

Word count: 2.1k

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Warnings: language, mentions of crime/criminal activity

MASTERLIST

Y/N ran out of the tower and quickly hailed a cab, deciding that would be a lot faster than walking or running. Time was of the essence of course, just as Tony had told her. She subconsciously rolled her eyes as she mentally went over what to pack. She hadn’t ever been to Russia before, but she figured it would be cold, and that was something she was not excited about. One of the small joys of California living had always been having mild and temperate winters.

The cab stopped and pulled her out of her thoughts as the driver asked her for his money. She quickly pulled out a twenty dollar bill and shoved it at him as she headed out of the cab and into her building. She bounded over the stairs and started taking them as quickly as her legs would go, happy she didn’t live near the top half of the building.

Out of breathe and still pushing herself to go faster, she unlocked her apartment door and slammed it behind her, gasping when she saw Bucky sitting on her couch, Pickles fast asleep in his lap. His head whipped in her direction and he narrowed his eyes at her, surprised at her sudden reappearance.

“Bucky,” she said still out of breath, “you’re still here! Good.”

“Yes, I’m still here...but why are you? Shouldn’t you be at work?” He gently removed Pickles from his lap and placed her on the cushion next to him as he stood up and walked over to Y/N. Pickles cast him an annoyed glare before curling back up.

“Oh Buckaroo, I have to leave in a few hours. Tony told me to come home and pack,” she had already headed into her bedroom, Bucky trailing after her.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh-oh fuck, I’m probably not making any sense. I got into work this morning and Tony gave me a job. He said it’s important, and timing is important. I’ve got to head to Russia and help deal with issues with some citizens being detained,” she sighed and ran her hands over her face. She looked over at Bucky and saw his worried expression.

“He’s already making you do this? I don’t how good of an idea that is. Russia is dangerous, anything he’s going to be making you do like this will be dangerous,” he walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He was not a fan of her leaving so suddenly, not knowing exactly what she was walking into.

“Tony chose me to do this. This is part of my job,” she grabbed one of his hands and held it tightly in hers, “it will be okay. I’ll probably only be gone a few days. Just as long as this takes and no more. I’ll be able to handle myself, trust me.”

“Y/N-”

“Bucky, I know this is hard for you, and I can understand why. But things don’t always have to end badly, and I promise this is not one of those times,” her words of reassurance did very little to ease his conscience. He bit his lip in order to keep himself from saying anything else negative.

“Okay...if you’re sure about this,” he leaned down and kissed the top of head, “promise me you’ll be careful. And that you’ll keep in touch. And you that won’t do anything even remotely dangerous.”

Y/N laughed a little bit, both amused at his over protectiveness and happy to know how much he cared about her, “I may be small, but trust me, I can take on anyone. But, Mr. Barnes, I’m glad to know you’re worried about me.”

“Someone has to be aware of your mortality, and apparently it’s not you,” he chuckled as she went back to attempting to pack quickly. She snorted at his comment.

Y/N pulled the zipper closed on her suitcase and sighed in relief. It hadn’t taken her nearly as long as she had anticipated. She had packed the warmest clothes she had and called it a day; she wasn’t sure how long she would be gone so she only grabbed a week’s worth of clothing. Bucky had provided very little help other than nodding or shaking his head at the clothes she held up as he laid on her bed.

She pulled the suitcase off of the bed and flopped down on the bed next to Bucky, trying to savor the little time she had left with him.

“I’m sorry for having to leave so suddenly, Buck,” she sighed and rolled on her side so she could face him. He mirrored her actions and looked deeply into her eyes. While he knew it was her choice to go, it was still not something he wanted her to do. He reached over and stroked her cheek for a moment.

“Me too, pretty girl. But you’ll be back soon, and it’ll be like you never even left,” she beamed at his words at his words as she leaned into him and kissed him hungrily. He smiled at her when they pulled for air after what seemed like an eternity, “I’ll miss being able to do that.”

“Oh my God, you drama queen,” she laughed as she smacked his arm, “I’ll miss you too though. Want to hear a fact?”

“Well, obviously, you owe me one,” he said softly as he ran his hand through her hair.

“I can’t wait to come back and finally….” she trailed off and a deep red blush set into her cheeks. She started giggling a little bit.

“And finally what?” He squinted her eyes at her as he processed what she was saying, “oh. OH. Well we don’t have to wait for that, you know.”

“Way to kill the mood, Buck,” she kissed him quickly, “but now you’ll have to wait for it.”

“I’d wait for you for however long you wanted,” he said in earnest, “my turn?”

“Mhmm,”

“Sometimes when I can’t sleep at night, from the nightmares, I like to bake,” he buried his face in her pillow in embarrassment.

“Aww, that’s so cute. I mean not the reason behind the baking, but the baking. I better have some cupcakes waiting for me when I get back,” she poked his side and took a look at her watch. She sighed when she realized she had to head out., “shit, I’ve got to go.”

“Already?”

“Yeah,” she responded softly. They both got up and he grabbed her suitcase and followed her out the door.

He walked her out to the cab she hailed and put the suitcase in the back. She looked at him fondly as he said his goodbyes to her, “I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes, with cupcakes please. I’ll call you as soon as I can, okay?”

“I’ll be on the lookout. Goodbye for now, Y/N,” he gave her one last kiss and she slid into her seat, Bucky closing the door after her. She held back a few tears as she mentally prepared herself for what was ahead.

Y/N loaded her stuff on the jet when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, expecting Tony, but was surprised to see Zach, holding a suitcase, approaching her.

“Hello Zach,” she said quietly, opting to tread lightly, after having seen him and his cohorts out last night, “what are you doing here?”

“I”m coming with you,” he flashed her his pearly whites, “didn’t Tony tell you?”

“Can’t say he did,” she said shortly, “I thought you worked strictly in finance?”

“I can work wherever I need to. I’m a sort of jack of all trades,” his response was short and snappy, “by the way, did you tell Tony who you’re dating? He might be interested to know.”

“Huh? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” her eyes widened as she stammered through her lie.

“Don’t try to lie. I saw you with him last night. The Winter Soldier? Really? That doesn’t like very good for you, does it? I mean, we all know what’s he done and what he’s capable of. A murderer and a lawyer, what a duo.”

“First of all, his name is James, and second of all what I do in my private life is just that - private. I suggest you don’t pry where you don’t need to,” she hissed at him and took a window seat far away from him. She hadn’t thought he would end up being someone she’d have to watch her back around, but alas he was.

“Sure, Y/N, I mean Dr. Y/L/N. Whatever you say,” he gave her a smirk as he took a seat opposite her. She rolled her eyes in disbelief at his ego.

Russia wasn’t much like she had pictured. It was definitely not the winter wonderland she had thought it to be based on the movies and shows she had seen. Instead, it was gray and overcast, rain threatening to break through the clouds and onto the crowded city streets. She rued not bringing an umbrella; much to her chagrin Zach had.

Once they had arrived in Moscow, they had been greeted by an emissary from the American Consulate.

“Dr. Y/L/N, Mr. Walsh, a pleasure. We’ve been expecting you,” a middle aged woman met them and stuck her hand out to them, “I’m Florence Hersh. I work here in Moscow at the US Consulate, protecting our citizens when they are away from home.”

“A pleasure,” Y/N gave her a warm smile as she lead them out to her car. Zach was less impressed, and opted to remain silent, eyebrow raised in annoyance.

When they were all settled in and on their way, Florence pulled out some briefing packets and gave them to the two lawyers, “these are the summons and charges that were served upon Rick Claflin and Anthony Williams. They are both being held in the prison in town. We have 2 days to answer and serve our response and establish a prima facie case to get them released. Otherwise they’ll be subject to Russian law, and if they were convicted of the crimes they are accused of, they’d likely end up dead. Something, we obviously want to avoid. However, this is a case of them being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Are there experts bringing in evidence? Solid alibis? Witnesses?” Zach skimmed through the documents.

“Alibis are solid and we have plenty of witnesses to support their story. However,” Florence sighed, “evidence seems to be seems to be conveniently disappearing whenever we get access to it.”

“You think there’s some sort of outside influence? Like what? Or who?” Y/N narrowed her eyes as she realized this might be more than she bargained for.

“We’re not 100% sure yet, but if there is some kind of interference it might be KGB related. It’s too early to tell, but the experts are working on it,” Zach and Y/N looked at each other in shock. Definitely not what they thought they were getting into.

“Oh. What would they be trying to get scapegoats for?” Y/N asked quietly as she read over the charges.

“Drug smuggling. Murder of Parliament members. Sex trafficking,” Florence was very matter of fact, but Y/N was getting more nervous by the second. She could see why Bucky was reluctant for her to go. Suddenly she was too.

“When do we begin?” Zach was already trying to formulate a game plan on preparing pleadings and trying to free the two men.

“I’d say right about now,” Florence gestured out of the window as the large and ornate consulate building came into view.

“Alright, I guess this is where the fun begins,” Y/N let out a long exhale as they exited the car.

She did say she was ready for anything and had wanted a challenge. And this would be quite the challenge.

Y/N felt her phone buzzing in her pocket and fished it out. She said it was a text from Bucky asking her if they had gotten there safely. She read it, deciding to respond later and put the phone back into her pocket without a second thought.

Taglist: @sebstanwassup @ladyabby-1996 @bookaddic @jems8241 @ruinerofcheese @supernatural508 @courtneychicken @nerissa98

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #winter solider x reader #winter solider #captain america #captain america x reader #steve rogers #chris evans #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #ofc #imagine #marvel #avengers #mcu #infinity war #law #fandom

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illyriantremors · 7 years

Text

Beneath the Stars Chapter 17

Chapter: I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI

AO3 Linkage

Summary: Rhys picks Feyre up for Starfall along with the rest of the inner circle. After a strange goodbye with her dad that leaves Feyre feeling off, Starfall ends up dazzling and delighting everyone. After dancing the night away, Tamlin turns up and confronts Feyre about what happened between them, leaving a big surprise in her wake that sends her running.

Dress Reference for Feyre [last row; first image]

Chapter 17

The dress fit me like a glove. Deep swirls of black soaked into the hemline at my feet before fading slowly up into an effervescent rose gold that glittered and sparkled from all the tiny gems and crystals embroidered along the bodice. It was a modest cut, but it hugged me devilishly close. Color and design aside, my favorite feature of all was the long magnificent cape that hung off my shoulders and flowed gracefully down my back to stop just as it touched the floor.

Nesta and Elain had outdone themselves. I didn’t think I was worthy of such a dress until I’d put it on and seen myself in the mirror. Nesta stepped back with an I told you so face and left to go downstairs to wait with dad so they could see my big entrance together.

And I looked… I looked…

Damn, I looked good. Rhys was going to piss himself when he saw me.

My curves - because for once I actually had them - were accentuated just right and the bubbly hue did wonders for my skin tone. Initially I worried it would wash me out too much, but on the contrary, it was perfect. It didn’t hurt either that Nesta had swept a beautiful shade of bronzer over my cheeks to compliment the dress. I twirled admiring myself in the mirror before grabbing my heels and waltzing downstairs.

I was champagne freshly popped.

A whistle greeted me at the bottom of the stairs. “If looks could kill,” my dad said, “you’d survive the zombie apocalypse, Fey.”

“Thanks, I think? Heh.” I spun so my dad could see the back and he continued to compliment me. Nesta sat on the couch, but her focus was solely on dad and she looked somewhat more concerned than she had in the past.

I had sat dad down that morning and filled him in on what I’d decided about mom. He’d taken it surprisingly well. I listened on the landing that led up to my room for a full hour waiting to hear the whiskey bottles clink in the kitchen after our chat, but it never happened.

He looked somewhat disheveled now as he watched me. Were it not for the twinkle in his eye that said he was having a proud dad moment, I would have said his eyes were hollow. It bothered me, almost to the point of debating if I should be going, but one look at Nesta and she knew what I was thinking. She curtly shook her head once and that was that.

The doorbell rang and all of us collectively stared at the door.

“Well I’m not getting it,” Nesta said. Dad scowled and went to open it himself so I wouldn’t have to answer for my own date. “I want to see the look on that moron’s face when he-”

“Hello, sweetheart.” Cassian leaned into the door and straightened his bow tie, completely ignoring my father and myself the second he spotted Nesta. Even in his tux, I could see him straining to flex through the fabric. Dad didn’t look like he quite knew what to do with himself.

“Well, it’s a marked improvement over doll face,” Nesta said and I just about ruined my makeup with the degree to which my face contorted in surprise. She was even smirking back just a tiny, tiny bit. Nesta glanced at me and instantly glowered. “Don’t give me that look, Feyre. Get in the damn car.”

“Yes, your majesty,” I said.

“Knock knock.” Rhys tapped the door in time to his words and at once, everyone looked at me. But the only person I could see was Rhys - Rhys, standing in the doorway next to Cassian, surveying me up and down once. Twice. Lingering here and there where he chose to pay homage before meeting my gaze with a dazzling smirk.

Butter and bake me with the heat that crept over my face. Thank the heavens dad was looking at me and not the positively sinful stare Rhys shot me.

And that smile wasn’t even the best part of him. His entire tux from shirt to jacket was a deep midnight blue, so dark it was almost black. It pulled the color of his eyes out magnificently and sharpened his lean build. The faint shadows of facial hair over his jaw topped the look off throwing my body into overdrive, wondering how it might feel to have him prickling against my -

“For fuck’s sake, drool later.” Nesta grabbed the remote and clicked the TV on. “You’d think you’d never seen a boy before.”

I waited for dad’s reproach, the one he always gave when Nesta’s tongue started swearing, but dad was sort of awkwardly silent as he played a tennis match back and forth between Rhys and I.

“It’s okay, dad,” I said nervously, going over to him and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. “We’ll be back later, alright?”

“Not too late, Fey, please?” He swallowed a lump in his throat and repeated himself. “Please tell me you’ll come home?”

“Of course I’ll come home. I do live here, you know.”

It was a joke simply meant to lighten the tension, but dad didn’t laugh.

“Have fun, honey,” he said withdrawing from me and giving Rhys a polite nod, though he was almost too shy to shake his hand. Why he wasn’t more aggressive like most dads… well, he wasn’t most dads, was he? Still, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was off with him.

“Thanks, dad.” I held his gaze a second longer than necessary to make sure I got a smile out of him before I left and only barely succeeded.

“You too, Nesta! This dress is everything.”

“Fine, fine,” she said waving us off. I took Rhys’s arm and together we walked out with Cass to his car, Cass whistling a Sweetheart in salute as a parting farewell to my sister.

“Dad’s SUV again, eh?” I asked spotting the familiar black car we’d taken camping with us.

“He’s on a tour right now.”

“Oh... well.”

“Feyre, it’s fine.” Cassian answered like it was no big deal. I supposed he was used to it by now. “He told me before we left on the Thanksgiving trip that I could use it while he was gone.”

“I’m surprised he let you go camping with us if it was his last few days at home.”

We paused as Cass took out his keys and hesitated to click the unlock button for us. “Dad wants us to live, ya know? He’s a military man through and through so he understands discipline and hard work, but if there’s one thing being in the service has taught him, it’s that life is short and not just on the battlefield. Once you put yourself to work, there’s not a lot of time for vacations.”

“He must love you a lot.”

“Almost as much as your dad loves you, I think.”

I looked over my shoulder and saw dad waving at me from the porch. I waved back with a smile that I think he managed to return. “He does - love me, I think. He’s not had an easy go of it lately, but he loves us and that’s the most important thing.”

Cass inclined his head to agree and the faint beep told me he’d unlocked the car. Rhys grabbed the door handle, but didn’t pull it open right away. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I…” I bit my lip and tucked my arms together in a shrug. “I just can’t shake this feeling that something’s off with him tonight.”

“Off?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if maybe it’s the dance and me going out, or - I spoke with him about seeing mom again this morning. I thought he took it well, but maybe he didn’t. Am I going crazy?”

“No,” Rhys said, stepping forward and brushing his hands along my shoulders. “You have a right to be concerned. Feyre, if you need to go back at any time tonight, just say the word, yeah?” I nodded and Rhys slowed his touch on my shoulders, applying a pressure that was deep and reassuring. Warmth radiated through me at the way he made me feel, grounded me to the earth and didn’t let me fall - not ever.

“You’re absolutely stunning, Feyre,” he said as my back flattened against the car door.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Mr. President.” My fingers dared to creep up his chest towards that insufferable bow tie I was beginning to want to claw right off him.

Slowly, Rhys flashed me that grin again and shook his head side to side. “Cruel, wicked -”

“Would you two hurry up out there! I have a dress to attend to!”

The shout was muffled from inside the car, but loud enough that I got the message.

“Mor’s here?”

“And Az,” Rhys said as though his cousin had just cleaned him out good at a round of poker, winner take all. “I had to make her promise to stay in the car because I knew you wouldn’t want the fuss inside.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “I think I can handle Mor. Truth be told, I think she’s the one who might be a little speechless. This isn’t exactly the second-hand dress I got for twenty bucks that I’d promised her and I’m sure she saw me walking up the driveway in it and - and what’s that face for?”

“Because you underestimate my cousin immensely.”

He pulled on the handle and I was forced to move as the door opened. Mor sat inside and a huge buttercream cake was suddenly swept before me as she screamed, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” at the top of her lungs. Azriel’s head fell back on the headrest as he closed his eyes and his chest convulsed in silent laughter. The depth of charcoal black in his tux took all the light away from around him save for his date; it sharpened his face. He looked rather handsome.

“That was worth it just for the look on your stupid face, Feyre,” Mor said proudly. “Now take this damn cake and eat it before I have another bite.”

I cocked my head to one side. “You ate part of my birthday cake?”

“I got hungry! So sue me.”

“There’s food at the dance and - damn it how did you know today was my birthday?!”

I hadn’t told a soul. Obviously my family knew, but none of them had ties to Rhys or our inner circle except for Nesta and she didn’t hang out with any of… any of us except...

“Say, Cass?”

“Yeah, Fey.”

“Did you and Nesta ever go on that date?”

Cassian snorted and put the car in gear.

“Put your seatbelt on, Feyre.”

“Okay, Cass.”

Thank goodness, there was cake!

The gallery looked much the same as it always did. My boss had agreed to rent it out to us for an incredibly discounted price on several conditions, one of which was that none of the galleries be altered to preserve the art. This wasn’t horrible to work around since we had the whole of the gardens and cafe to do with as we pleased and lighting indoors was adjustable to maintain the illusion of falling stars and night skies.

The owners had seemed happy when I approached them with the idea. The gallery didn’t get much traffic from the youth in the city and I think they liked the idea of reaching out to an untapped portion of the market.

“Weeks?! What do you mean he went out with her weeks ago and not one of you of you schmucks thought to tell me!”

Rhys laughed openly at me as we walked through the gallery, making our way towards the outdoor patios and gardens where the music was already swimming through the air.

“Is it really that big of a deal?”

“No,” I admitted. “It’s not. I just - she is ten years older than him! And my sister.”

“Is it the age difference that bothers you more or the fact that she’s your sister?”

“The fact that she’s my sister and it’s creepy to think about Nesta… you know.” My body shivered at the thought of her tangling between the sheets with Cass. Hell, even just her kissing him made me feel slightly repulsed. “Nesta never dated when she was a teenager and not even after when she went to college. Her job was always more important than finding a man. I guess it’s just weird for me to think of her not being so closed off with someone for once.”

“I don’t know about that.” Rhys brushed over a spot of fabric at my side, his hand finding my hip as he steered us through the doors. “She seems to be coming around.”

I looked down at my dress. Our conversation in my room the night before had been amiable - enjoyable even. “Yeah, she is.” I smiled to myself, glad to feel like I had my sister again.

“Feyre,” Rhys said.

“Hmm?”

“Look up.”

My head rose from my dress on his command and I nearly toppled over at the utopia I found waiting for us.

The gardens were a living dream. The hedges had been freshly trimmed running in a maze around the grounds like I’d never seen in my time working here and Morrigan had found the most perfect fairy lights to string through all of the trees. I wouldn’t be surprised if my boss kept them after the dance was over. The sun had nearly set over the hills in the distance casting a warm glow over the lawns that mingled with the soft music playing. Couples were already dancing in various pockets of the scene.

And while the display was perfectly wonderful already, a vision to ensnare the senses at every turn as we waited for the Heavens to shower us with stars in the dark of descending night, all I was aware of - the only thing I was aware of, was Rhys’s hand gently taking mine, his thumb rubbing slow circles over my skin.

“Dance with me, darling,” he whispered in a tickle at my ear.

“All night?”

“With pleasure,” and his voice quivered.

We stepped out onto the deck and didn’t bother to go any further. Content to let the melody take us anywhere, Rhys pulled me into his arms and together we started drifting above it all. My brow rested on his shoulder wanting badly to sink into him and I had no idea where Mor had dragged Azriel off to in a dress that suggested her midnight tent visit had been well worth it, nor if Cassian was still with them or if Amren had shown up yet like she’d promised.

No, up there, it was just him and I and this steady, beautiful music carrying us to and fro. We fit together so easily. Every touch, every turn, every step was a fresh line of a story we had been writing our ways through separately just to get to this one single moment together.

Rhys kept me steady as others crowded around us in their own dance throughout the evening, but there was something in the way his head continually nuzzled against me, something in the depth of his breathing that I could hear that wasn’t quite right.

As if sensing my thoughts, Rhys spoke my name in a quiet, unnerving prayer for sanctuary.

Feyre….

I pulled back and found him contemplating me with worry, doubt, fear - any number of emotions. He was nervous. About me or this night or something else, I didn’t know. But the look was full of so much intensity and with the way his lips caressed my name making me feel like I never wanted to leave this moment - I knew then precisely how I felt about him.

Rhys licked his lips. “You look like liquid starlight.”

“If I’m liquid starlight, are you the lake I fall into?”

“You’re terribly cheesy,” he replied and crooked a finger at me to drag my chin upward. His lips approached me and I closed my eyes just as I felt them land softly on my cheek, much further from where I would have liked them to travel. His hand at my waist disappeared for a moment and without that anchor, I ceased dancing. Into my palm, Rhys pressed a small, square box.

“Happy birthday, Feyre.” I froze as my skin touched the velvet of the gift causing Rhys to chuckle. “Don’t worry, it’s not what you think.” He closed my fingers over the box and pressed it towards me. “Open it.”

I met his eyes briefly searching and if I was honest, scared at what this meant. But one look at him and I knew I trusted whatever he was doing.

Inside the box was a ring, silver at the band with a diamond shaped sapphire inland atop it. The setting looked antique. It had to be unique. And it was positively exquisite.

“Or maybe it’s exactly what I think it is,” I said struggling to find breath to speak with. Rhys smiled softly at me and flicked me on the nose.

“Or maybe you should let me explain first, smartass.” We stepped out of the way of the other dancers to a free part of the deck. Rhys took the box from me and pulled the ring out. It twinkled under the lights from all the trees.

“It was my sister’s ring, one she’d gotten from my aunt when she turned thirteen.” He held the ring up to me. “And it needed a new home. You remind me of her sometimes… when you smile or you’re painting. Happy - like she was. I want you to have it.”

I thought my heart was going to give out on me. This too much. Too, too much.

“I can’t-”

“Yes, Feyre, you really can.”

I took the ring and gaped at him. “This is - Rhys. This should stay in your family.”

Rhys brought his head down so close to mine that we were nearly touching and cradled my hands against his chest. “Right now you are my family. Our lives could take us in different directions, but it doesn’t matter. This is about who we are right here, right now. Nothing else. I haven’t been the same since she died. A part of me has been empty, like that hole you talked about inside of you? But you - you brought me back to life this year, Feyre. As far as I’m concerned, this is yours now.”

Somewhere behind us, the DJ brought the music down so that it was gradually fading to a stop.

“I love it,” I said slipping the ring on and feeling it anchor me to the earth - to him. “Thank you. I will never forget what this means.”

Rhys smiled broadly, the faint lines of his face disappearing as though the shackles had come free and he was allowed to live again.

“Are you two done canoodling yet? Feyre and I have dresses to discuss!”

“Morrigan,” Rhys growled. “Impeccable timing as always.”

She tucked her chin to her shoulder wickedly and pulled me away to flail. But while Morrigan chirped on and on over Nesta’s gown - now that she was able to view it properly out of a car - my gaze slid over her shoulder to where Azriel stood with Cassian at the top of the stairs leading down to the gardens. He stared openly at Mor as she spun for me, showing off the knee high slit in the white satin fabric, the open back revealing a bare patch of skin, and the sharp jut of the collar at her shoulders. Her hair fell in silky, golden waves in all directions, dancing as she turned every which way.

She looked like an angel come to save the world and here was a man possessed following quietly in her wake just hoping for a mere brush of her attention.

But then, Azriel kicked off the railing, tired of waiting another moment of being parted from this woman he adored, and walked toward Mor. His arm swept around her waist, catching her by surprise, but she nuzzled lovingly into him in an instant, her hair falling over his shoulder as she rested in the crook of his neck all radiant sunshine. Az kissed her forehead, something I had a feeling I would only see from him on a night like tonight, and Morrigan melted further into his side.

“Anyone fancy a dance?” Mor asked dreamily.

“Together?” I offered.

The five of us looked at each other sharing the quiet, happy smiles of family.

“Where’s Amren?” I asked.

“Sulking by the food, no doubt,” Rhys said.

“Hey!” Mor snapped. “I will have you know that I hand picked that entire menu. Feyre’s bosses were very gracious in letting me work with their cafe chefs.”

“She’s still sulking - like she always does at these things.”

“Oh whatever,” I said. I went up to Az and grabbed him before Mor and Rhys could go at it any further. I spun the poor boy into the middle of the deck wildly grabbing Cassian as I went. Within seconds, Tweeddle Dee and Tweeddle Dum had joined us and together, we glided between one another in perfect harmony.

Starfall was nothing short of a massive success. All through the night I overheard conversations from my peers about how good the food was or how much they liked the DJ’s choice in music and the few times we made a round inside, there were plenty of students enjoying the quiet of the galleries and admiring the art they offered. The whole night my boss lingered about with a look of sheer bliss on her face.

I spent most of the night dancing with Rhys, but also floating between him, Mor, Az, and Cass. Amren turned up fashionably late only halfway into the evening and kept mostly to the cafe exactly as Rhys predicted, but Mor was more than happy to drag us over to her for frequent snack breaks, especially once she and Rhys were crowned court King and Queen and had to dance together in front of everyone.

It was an effort to keep Az from choking on his laughter when our counselor read off the names. Cass was never gonna let them live it down.

“What say you, Madame Secretary?”

“Oh not you too.” I frowned playfully and grabbed a water cup off the counter of the cafe bar. Mor grinned, her cheeks flushed with the embarrassment of having to dance with her prick of a cousin for four whole minutes in front of everyone. I really hoped someone managed to film it.

“I think we really pulled it off,” she said. “I was worried when they told us the gym had flooded, but you really came through, ya know.”

“I did, didn’t I? I’m not gonna lie, this is leaps and bounds better than anything we could have done with the school gym, even without the flooding.”

“True.”

“Cheers,” I said holding my cup out and she tapped it back.

“Cheers, sista.”

We started to make our way back to where Amren was sitting happily at her little table with the boys, Az’s eyes never far from Mor.

“You two look cozy,” I said, leaning down to whisper in Mor’s ear.

“Pft! Speak for yourself. I saw that ring.”

My thumb met the finger I’d placed the ring on and spun it around my knuckles, a habit I feared I was slowly becoming addicted to.

“I take it the tent discussion went well, if you could even call it that - a discussion.”

“Feyre Archeron,” she hissed, swiveling to glare at me madly.

“You’re welcome.”

Mor opened her mouth to deliver whatever witty retort she’d imagined and promptly closed it right back, her eyes catching on something behind me. I turned around and felt my stomach drop off.

Tamlin was standing not far away looking at me curiously. He didn’t move or say anything, just waited patiently. I turned back to Mor.

“I’ll kick his ass, you know. Just say the word and it’s done.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary, but I appreciate it all the same.”

“You gonna talk to him?”

I looked back at Tamlin who hadn’t budged. He was clearly waiting hoping to get a word in with me. A quick survey of Amren’s table showed me Rhys laughing amiably with his brothers and feisty second. Best not to ruin a good thing perhaps by troubling him.

“Yeah, I think so,” I told Mor, nodding.

“Are you sure? I can go with you if you want.”

“No it’s fine. Go on. I’ll catch up.”

She left and I ran my fingers over my palms at my sides once, a habit I’d almost forgotten I had, it’d been so long since I’d indulged it last.

“Hi,” I said tentatively as I made my way over to Tamlin. He shuffled his weight between either leg and tried to to say about ten different things before finally settling on a simple, “Hi,” in return.

“You look lovely, Fey,” he said. He sounded wistful.

“Thank you.”

“Listen, I - uh, I know we haven’t talked in a long time, but I was wondering if I could steal your attention for a second before you get back to your, um, your-”

“Date?”

His mouth snapped shut so he could swallow as he glanced at Rhys. I too looked back at my table of friends and found more than one set of eyes quietly watching us.

Tamlin rubbed the back of his neck. I’d never seen him so nervous before. “Yeah,” he said and I was pleased he was accepting this so easily, that it was hard for him and he was willing to let it show. And I was selfishly more than glad that it was almost painful too.

“Come on,” I said walking past him so we could step back outside. He followed and we made our way into one of the garden mazes surrounded by flowers and greenery. The little lights Morrigan had strung through the trees were dazzling after sundown.

“How - how are you?” Tamlin asked sitting down next to me on a stone bench seat.

“I’m rather well, actually. How are you?”

“Fine.” His hands clenched the bench at either side as he stared into the dirt, refusing to meet my gaze. “I’m fine,” he said again.

“Tamlin-”

“Really, Feyre,” he interrupted. “I mean it. I’m okay. You shouldn’t be so concerned about my well being to begin with after how I’ve treated you, but I appreciate it all the same.”

“Well I’m not a robot, you know. I have a heart and I understand that however much of a prick you were... breakups are hard on both ends.”

Finally, he looked at me a mess of heated concern. “Fey-”

The old nickname coming off of his tongue was grating to my ears. Maybe this was a mistake. “What do you want, Tamlin?”

“To say I’m sorry.”

My brow lifted in question. This was not quite what I’d been expecting. Tamlin had a knack for throwing everything wrong in our relationship back on me. There was never a time where he was in the wrong and certainly never a thought of him apologizing for anything. The worst part of this was that I’d never before expected him to.

“You’re sorry?” My voice was thick with doubt.

“I know it’s not what you want to hear or that it can’t fix anything. I don’t intend for it to. But you deserve it whether it makes a difference or not.”

I hesitated before lifting a brow to allow him to go on.

“I don’t have any excuses. I don’t have any reasons. I just,” he shook his head, “ugh.” He lost me again and stared into the trees. “All I know is that I saw you dancing with him tonight and it was like my brain exploded with this horrible truth about our relationship. You never looked like that with me. Not ever.”

“Like what?”

“Like you were happy, normal.”

I huffed a laugh. “Nobody’s normal, Tamlin. If I’ve learned one thing this year, it’s exactly that. We all have our shit to carry.”

“Yeah, but I get the sense that you’ve learned how to deal with yours. I still haven’t.”

His head fell to hang in front of him, his hands hanging limply in his lap. He was right - there was no excuse, no explanation for what he’d done. But I also knew as I looked at him that I’d seen this sight before, this image of the broken and the lost. I’d lived it for too long and finally learned that running away was never the answer. Maybe that was what Tamlin was doing when we were together - running away. Maybe I’d never know. But I could at least do my best to help him move on even if I could never accept him again for what he’d done.

Gently, I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Hey,” I said and he looked up at me. I could see the girl who’d walked out on him a few months ago staring back at me in his eyes. “It’s okay, you know, to feel the way you’re feeling. It sucks, but you’ll figure it out. I did. And for what it’s worth… I can’t say that this changes things between us, but I appreciate your apology all the same.”

“Thanks, Fey.”

“You’re welcome.”

I stood to leave, the uneasiness in my stomach growing uncomfortable the longer I sat and Tamlin bobbled with himself. But when I was a few steps away heading back towards the cafe to see if Rhys wanted another dance, Tamlin spoke up.

“I’m sorry about Rhys,” he said.

Slowly, I turned around.

“What about Rhys?”

Tamlin’s chest heaved and he came over to meet me. “I’m sorry for what I said to you about him. About staying away?”

“Tamlin, it’s fine. We don’t have to go there.”

“Yeah, we do. I should never have said those things to you. I’m sure by now he’s told you about his sister and why he’ll never forgive me for what I did to her, but just because I was scared of you finding out the truth doesn’t mean I should have lied to you about what kind of person Rhys was.”

The faster the words came out of Tamlin’s mouth, the more and more confused I felt. But Tamlin seemed to think I understood because he kept right on talking.

“Do you think… Feyre, do you think he’d be willing to talk to me? I know I can’t make up for what I did-”

“What you did?”

“Yeah, being in the car with her, not stopping her from getting in it in the first place. Fuck - I knew I should have taken her keys. She didn’t even have a license, but I was half-drunk myself and stupid. Just so effing stupid…”

Tamlin rubbed the back of his neck again while he looked away and I think being so lost in his own thoughts distracted him from the small cry that came out of me.

Tamlin had been dating Rhys’s sister. He was the one in the car with her the night she crashed, the night she’d killed her and her mom and he’d walked off scot free…

“I need to get back to the dance,” I said walking away from him before he could read the emotion breaking on my face - the rage boiling in my blood.

“Fuck - yeah, of course. But Feyre, do you think he’d talk to me?”

“You’ll have to ask him, Tamlin. Honestly, I don’t know.”

“Right... okay.”

The heaviness in his tone stopped me as I climbed up the small hill to the cafe deck, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. For now, this chapter between us would have to close. I had other things weighing on my mind just then.

I sped off in the opposite direction of the cafe. There was only one place I wanted to be right now and that was my sanctuary, my second home, where I could clear my head and just think.

I wove through the dimly lit halls of the gallery and opened the employee door in the back of the first floor, flicking the light switch on my right as I entered a large unpolished room. The scent of stale paint and metal hit me instantly, one I would never tire of so long as I had breath in me with which to paint.

My canvas sat at my very own work space. It was a larger tableau than I was used to working with in class. For some reason, I’d felt it necessary to have a larger frame to work on. The more my emotions grew over the past few months, so too did my understanding of them, and if my AP project was meant to be a study in self, well then. Only the largest would do.

It wasn’t long as I stared at the still blank wall in front of me begging for a dash of color, a drop of paint, or a line of charcoal - anything really - that I heard a deep voice clear their throat behind me. I spun around and there he was standing in the doorway trying hard to look his usual charming, feline self and failing miserably as the all too familiar concern fell off him in waves.

Rhysand.

“It’d be a shame to get paint on that dress, Feyre darling, though I can’t deny I wouldn’t love to watch.”

My lips cracked a smile. I managed a small, short-lived chuckle before the tears started falling thick and free.

Rhysand surged forward, but I held up a hand to stop him. His eyes glistened waiting for me.

“What is it? Feyre - what happened?”

I wiped a tear away from over my cheeks and pointed at where the chair near my canvas sat.

“Sit down. I’m going to paint you.”

#myfic #beneath the stars #beneath the stars: a feysand fic #bts #feysand #feyre #rhysand #feysand fanfiction #acomaf #acomaf fanfiction

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