#if I knew how to make decent content I’d be doin it

[snarkwrites]

six sexy words | lip gallagher ; wondering what your kiss feels like.

Notes:

Oh hello, hi. Guess whose inspiration has finally come back from the war? A while back, I was linked this really neat prompt list by a dear friend of mine and it.. Sparked a few things. So... I guess this is me, starting a new one shots collection?

All of these come from my own mind and I don't take requests for one shots / prompts, btw.

Prompts:

taken from either [ here ] or [ here ] give or take. It could be one or the other or a mix of both at my own choosing.

wondering what your kiss tastes like, be careful what you ask for and a swirling tongue and nibbling teeth were the ones I used / hinted at here.

Fandom / Character:

Shameless | Lip Gallagher x OFC.

Warnings:

Uhh.. Given that it's been a few minutes since I wrote any actual decent smut content (and that's not me being hard on myself, that's me being totally honest, lmaooo) I'm choosing to start this off a little bit tamer.. Dipping my toes in here. Kiddos can stay for now because as spicy as this gets is a heated makeout?

Making out. Kissing. Swapping spit. Thas all, folks.

Tagging:

@brithedemonspawn is the only one currently on my Shameless tag list, so...

** if you want to be tagged in my Shameless stuff, lmk!!**

Other Stuff:

[ about my writing | tag list doc - if you want to be tagged, that is. | fandoms I write for]

“ Are you even listenin to me, doll?” Lip’s voice cut through yet another daydream and I muttered a quiet,dazed response as I glanced up at him. He snickered and then with a smirk, he asked me to repeat what he’d just explained to me.

My mouth opened and closed and the more I tried to focus and remember what he’d been telling me about the equation, the more I struggled to remember. My face burned hot and I tensed a little, huffing out “When will we ever even use this?” in my own defense.

“Svetlana asked me to tutor you. To catch you up.” Lip explained patiently. He gazed at me and I could feel myself slipping out into la la land all over again, imagining what would happen if I just leaned in a little… Maybe grabbed the front of that blue thermal shirt and pulled his mouth against mine. The contrast of his rough mouth against the softness of mine. The taste of cigarettes and soda. My fingers dragging through his hair.

Just the vivid scenario my mind created had me biting my lip. Lost in his eyes and in my daydreams all over again. I shook my head when he snapped his fingers in front of my face.

“Yes?” I asked, a brow raised.

“You’re a million miles away today, Sveta. What’s up?”

I gulped.

Every part of me wanted to tell him exactly what was going on in my head, but there were more than a few things stopping me. For one, there was the fact that my older sister Svetlana would most likely be disappointed. I didn’t want to disappoint her. For another, I was quite sure that I was nothing more than a novelty to Lip. An outsider with a funny accent. A friend, maybe. He has a girlfriend.

,, He has a whore who calls herself his girlfriend and doesn’t treat him the way he deserves.” the thought was enough to have me wrinkling my nose in disgust. Anything involving Karen Jackson tended to do that to me, if we’re being completely honest.

Lip must have noticed the look of disgust. He chuckled and shut the book firmly. Then he rose from the sofa in the Gallagher’s living room and held out his hand to me.

I eyed his hand and gradually, found my gaze drifting back up. Settling on his face. The amused look in his eyes.

“C’mon. Your stomach’s growled at least twice. And I saw ya give Mandy your lunch money earlier, Sveta. We ain’t got much.. Maybe if you get somethin to eat in ya, you’ll pay attention better...” Lip smirked at me as he suggested it.

After finally managing to tear my eyes away from the high definition baby blue gaze I was currently drowning in, I reached out, taking hold of his hand. Letting him pull me up. When he did so, I wound up smashing against him lightly. Our eyes locked again and I licked my lips as my gaze wandered down, settling on his. “Maybe food will help me concentrate.” I agreed quietly.

“Let’s hope so, huh? You got that test tomorrow, right? Yeah, Mr. Ventura’s a dick, so if you don’t pass it’s gonna make it three times as hard to catch up.” Lip mused as he stepped back a little and turned, wandering into the kitchen. I pouted to myself at the broken physical contact and followed him into the room, leaning in the doorway.

Watching him as he fixed two huge sandwiches and then helped himself to a beer and asked me if I wanted anything.

,, to kiss you.” i thought to myself, but I shoved the silly thought out and stepped into the room fully. Slinking over to the counter and picking up the sandwich he’d made for me, taking a big bite. Groaning as the flavors exploded in my mouth, wiping the back of my hand at my mouth because I just knew that I had mustard on my lips.

Lip was the one staring at me now.

Intently.

I lowered my hand and after swallowing the bite I’d taken, I tilted my head slightly. “What? Is something wrong?”

I hate the sound of my own voice, my Russian accent so thick that it definitely stands out.

Lip leaned in and down a little, raising a hand. Taking the edge of his long sleeve top to wipe at the corner of my mouth. “You uh.. Mustard. You had mustard on your mouth...” he muttered quietly, his gaze lingering on my lips.

I licked my lips and swallowed hard. “Is it gone?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s gone.” Lip answered quietly, his words trailing off as his mouth inched just a little closer to mine. His hand moved to my hair, smoothing my bangs back out of my eyes and then lingering on the side of my face. He gulped. Took a long and deep breath.

“Now you’re the one whose mind is wandering.” I frowned, confused.

What Lip chose to respond with caught me totally off guard. Not nearly as off guard as what came after that, but it left me wide eyed in shock.

“Just wonderin’ what would happen if I kissed you right now… How it’d feel.” Lip mumbled quietly right as he closed the distance between our faces and his mouth met the corner of mine clumsily.

I wasn’t so shocked that I froze.

Instead, I raised a hand, resting it across the back of his neck as I molded my body against his and used my grip to pull his mouth back against mine, muttering softly in response, “If you want to do something, Philip… Do it. Life is too short to wonder.”

Lip’s hands wandered down, settling on my ass as he lifted me and sat me on the countertop, moving to step between my legs. His mouth crashed against mine deeper, the taste of beer and cigarettes and the sandwich he’d been eating filling my mouth. The scent of his body wash filling my nose and sending a warm shiver through my body. His tongue parted my lips and I dug my fingertips into his neck as I worked to keep up with the frenzied pace of it as it clashed with mine, swirling.

I nipped and tugged at his bottom lip and he gave a quiet groan, scooping me forward on the counter so that I was totally pressed against him. A whimper rose up from my throat, escaping my mouth and lingering in the air between us as the kiss broke and we pulled apart to breathe.

Lip wiped at his mouth, taking a few shaky breaths as he stared at me, unblinking. In a thoughtful daze.

“Well?” I questioned, leaning against him just a little. Awkwardly. Ready to move the second he indicated that he’d made a mistake. I fully expected that to be what happened next. When it wasn’t, I was the one staring at him in a daze this time.

Lip was already leaning back in, going for the kill as he gave a goofy smirk. “Something I wouldn’t mind doin again.” he muttered right as his mouth crashed into mine and my lips parted in anticipation...

#lip gallagher fanfiction #lip gallagher #lip gallagher fanfic #lip gallagher imagine #lip gallagher fic #lip gallagher one shot #lip gallagher imagines #my writing ; lip gallagher #my oneshots ; lip gallagher #my fanfiction ; lip gallagher #// uhh.. honestly not sure what to think about this. #// and pretty sure it's gonna flop but hey it is what it is. #// sorry it's so short! #// the ending it there just felt more natural

[ilovefandoms102]

Part 18

Summary: Barry interrogates you, will you give in and tell him where the gold is? 

Taglist:

@outerbongs @ma10427 @eb15 @justcallmesams @lasnaro @fernweh-fangirl @iamaunicorn4704 @tangledinsparkles @certainstatesmantoadartisan @jellyfishbeansontoast @hurricane-abigail @gviosca @lopineapples @runway-to-my-aid @lonely-kermit

Part 17 Part 19 

Note: If you get triggered by death then don’t read this part. 

=====================================

“What are we going to do?” Sarah cried, holding on tight to me. 

“We need to stay calm, we can’t think if we panic now.” Kie said.

The van had been driving for approximately twenty minutes since they had thrown us back here. There had been so many twists and turns I couldn’t get a feel of where we were going. I was more scared of what JJ would do to them once he found us rather than what they would do to us. 

I started to boil with rage, I was mad at JJ for being reckless and taking that money, mad at Sarah for having this party, and mad that we had been taken. I wanted to beat the shit out of those fuckers for taking us. I was also nervous for what they would do to us, I knew I could handle it, but the girls....I couldn’t stand the thought of them being hurt. 

“I can’t believe this is happening” Sarah sniffed, wiping her tears.

“I told you this party was a fucking bad idea” I said bluntly.

“I didn’t think my idiot brother would help Barry kidnap us!” Sarah shouted, crying harder. 

“We should have never went...if I hadn’t given in to my stupid brother we wouldn’t fucking be here” I muttered, laying my head back on the car wall.

The van came to a stop, jolting us forward. The doors then flew open, men surrounding the area. One grabbed each of us, dragging us into a warehouse. They zip tied our hands so we couldn’t struggle as much, but that didn’t mean I didn’t try. All three of us screamed and pulled to get away from our captors. These men were extremely strong, our struggles not even phasing them. 

We were taken into a room, each of us tied to a chair. I felt something poking into my neck before everything went dark....

=======================================

I woke up, not sure how long I had been out for. My neck was throbbing for how my head was hanging, and my back was aching. My hands and ankles were still tied to the chair. I looked around, seeing neither of the girls. I panicked a little, tears welling in my eyes.

“Kie?! Sarah?!” I screamed, no one answering.

“Don’t worry angel, they’re safe for now.” someone said.

I looked in front of me and saw the shadow of a man in front of me. Barry came in out of the shadows, stalking towards me.

“You really should get a handle on your piece of shit boyfriend angel” Barry laughed, stopping right in front of me.

“I’m not exactly sure what you want me to do from in here Barry” I said sarcastically gesturing to myself.

“Where did you all find that gold?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“You really think I’d tell you? Especially after the shit you pulled?” I asked, squinting my eyes at him.

Barry turned and nodded at someone, I felt a fist strike my face. My head snapped to the side, blood spewing out of my mouth. I laughed, turning to look back at Barry. 

“Fuck you” I spat my blood at his feet.

He smirked, moving his eyes to the man that hit me. His fist coming to the other side of my face. I coughed as more blood pooled in my mouth. 

“You might as well give it up little Pogue” another voice said, I knew who it was instantly by the nickname. Rafe came to stand beside Barry, his face cut up and bruised from where JJ had hit him. 

“I can’t believe you’d stoop as low to choose drugs over your sister Rafe, you’re disgusting.” I gritted through my teeth, my jaw throbbing every time I spoke. 

“She was no longer my sister the minute she turned her back on us for you Pogues” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You’re a no good piece of shit Cameron! A scared little boy who takes pleasure in hurting others, desperately seeking approval from others-” I said. I didn’t get to finish my sentence because Rafe charged at me, wrapping his hand around my throat. He cut off was I was about to say, fury taking over his features. 

“You watch your mouth bitch, I have the upper hand now” he growled out. I laughed in his face, which was not the best idea because his hand got tighter around my throat. My airways becoming more restricted.

“Rafe” I croaked out.

“That’s enough” Barry said, pulling Rafe away from me. I gasped loud, air finding it’s way back into my lungs. 

“Where are my friends?” I choked out.

“Kie and Sarah are in another room being questioned, as for the boys...we left them with very detailed instructions on what it’s going to take to get you back. Better hope they pull through within the next 24 hours.” Barry laughed.

“Or what?” I hissed. Barry imitated a gun shooting his temple, my eyes widening. I prayed that JJ would do whatever it was.

The men left, I wasn’t sure where that had went since it was so dark in the warehouse. Thoughts were racing through my mind. 

What if I never see JJ again? My brother? My friends?

What if a few hours ago was my last time being with them?

What were the guys doing? JJ was probably beating himself up hard, and my brother more than likely blaming JJ for us being taken. 

I didn’t want to die, I wanted to get a decent job, get married, have mini JJ’s running under my feet, and grow old with the love of my life at my side. Tears started to roll down my cheeks, I needed to snap out of it. I shook my head, taking some deep breaths. I couldn’t see anyone around, I looked down at my restraints. They were old big ropes, so they couldn’t be tied that tight around the chair. I started moving around in the chair, trying to tip it back. I wiggled around for some time before finally being able to throw myself back at a diagonal, somehow breaking the chair. The ropes loosened enough for me to pull my ankles and wrists free.

I saw a few rooms that were on the opposite side of where I was held. I quickly ran over to them, spotting Kie and Sarah being held in chairs with the same restraints. They spotted me, Kie starting to say something before I held up my finger, signaling them to be quiet. I looked around us and just happened to find a knife laying in the corner of the room. I cut my girls free, all of us hugging each other. 

“We gotta get out of here, how are we supposed to find the way out?” Sarah asked.

“I think I saw the exit when we came in” Kie said.

“Let’s go” I said.

We looked out of the room, seeing no one around. We tiptoed to a door that looked like the way we came in. The door was heavy, so it took all of us to get it open. I looked to make sure we were clear, we started out when Barry and Rafe came in front of us. All three of us gasping. 

“Going somewhere ladies?” Barry asked. 

I backed away, pulling Kie and Sarah behind me. There was banging coming from outside, all of us turning to find where it was coming from. The door bursts open, John B, JJ, and Pope coming in. I wanted to cry and throw myself at them, but Barry and Rafe still stood in between us. 

“Gentlemen, hope you came to give back what’s mine.” Barry said. 

“We did” JJ said, throwing a bag across the floor. I was stunned, wondering where he got 25k that fast. 

Barry and Rafe inspected the contents of the bag.

“It’s empty” Barry said, but when he looked back up, JJ had his gun pointed right at his head. Barry froze, looking to Rafe for help. John B and Pope pushed Rafe to the other side of the building.

“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” JJ started, his teeth gritting together. “You’re either going to let the girls come with us and we all go our merry way, or I can blow your brains out.” JJ spat.

“You sure you wanna go this way Maybank? Your dad finds out you killed his supplier I suspect things won’t be good at home” Barry tried to taunt JJ. This only made JJ more angry as his knuckles turned white from how tight his hold on the gun was. 

“You took my girl from me, I’d kill you a thousand times before letting anything harm her every again. My dad doesn’t mean shit to me.” JJ said. 

“More people are going to come after you man. People know that you guys have the gold, and I know some will stop at nothing. Even if it means killing 17 year olds.” Barry said.

“Guess we better get a head start then” JJ said, looking up at me and nodding to the door.

I took the girls hands and we took off towards the door. We were just passing Barry when he snatched my arm, pulling me to his front, and a knife going to my throat. JJ’s eyes widening, his rage on overload as his whole body looked like it was vibrating. 

“We’re doin’ this my way now Blondie, now me and angel here are going back to our little hideout. One of you make a move, the knife goes in her throat.”

“JJ” I whimpered.

“It’s ok baby, take a deep breath.” he said, keeping his eyes on Barry’s knife. 

I closed my eyes, taking a breath. I opened my eyes, focusing on JJ. I had to move quickly, I swung my arm up to Barry’s wrist catching it in my hold, and pulling his arm from my throat. I spun around, taking his arm with me as it twisted behind his back, and causing him to drop the knife. I kicked it towards JJ before bringing my foot back up to kick Barry in the face. I let go of him and ran behind JJ, Kie and Sarah with my brother and Pope. Barry shot back up, coming towards us in a blind range.

JJ fired a shot into Barry’s chest, his body recoiling. JJ shot again, his body twitching again before he fell to the ground.

“Shit” I said. 

JJ grabbed my hand as well all took off to the van. JJ jumping in the drivers seat. We sped off, heading back to the chateau. Everyone silent the whole drive back. We got back to Sarah’s house, everyone getting out. My brother came straight to me, crushing me to him. I held tight to him, hugging him hard.

“Bubba” John B sobbed, burying his face into my shoulder.

“I’m ok Birdie” I whispered, combing my hands in his ratty hair. Everyone was crying, the events of tonight scaring all of us. 

I hugged Sarah next, she was like the little sister I always wanted. I was hard on her because I wanted to test her, to see if she belonged, and she proved to me she did. Then I went to Kie, my very first girl friend, we shared such a special bond. Even during her Kook year, we still remained as close as ever. I hugged Pope too, him being like another brother to me. He was the brains of our operations, and I couldn’t imagine our group without him. John B and Sarah went to her house, John B wanting to keep an eye out in case Rafe came back. Kie and Pope headed to her car, they were wrapped in each others arms. 

Which left just me and JJ. We made eye contact, and I didn’t hesitate to run at him. Both our arms crashing around each other, and both of us crying. 

“I-I’m so so sorry baby” JJ sobbed.

“It’s ok J, I’m ok now. I love you so much honey bear.” I whispered, leaning my head into his neck.

“No y-you almost died be-because of m-me” he cried, his words barely able to come out because of how hard he was crying. 

“It’s all over and done with now honey,” I said, kissing his neck where my head rested. 

“I-I killed someone” he murmured, gripping onto me tighter. 

“It was self defense, he tried to slit my throat.” I said firmly. I leaned my head back to look at him, tears still streaming down his beautiful face. I put my hands on his cheeks and wiped his tears with my thumbs, leaning to kiss each cheek. 

“I love you” he whispered, leaning his forehead to mine. 

“I love you” I whispered back. 

I got on my tip toes and kissed him, holding on to him tight. I never wanted to come this close to losing him ever again. 

======================================

As always let me know what you guys think! It makes my day getting comments or messages from you guys! I appreciate all the love and support!

#jj #jj outer banks #jj outerbanks #jj obx #jj obx imagine #jj imagine #jj fic #jj angst #jj x reader #jj x you #obx jj #outerbanks jj #outer banks jj #jj maybank #jj maybank outer banks #jj maybank outerbanks #jj maybank obx #jj maybank angst #jj maybank fic #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank x you #outer banks jj maybank #outerbanks jj maybank #obx jj maybank #outer banks #outer banks netflix #outer banks imagine #outer banks fic #outer banks angst

[queen-scribbles]

Plenty Special

Happy birthday to my darling AJ, who managed to squeeze both bff time and boyfriend time into one fic, which is frankly impressive. :D

---

Abigail had never been one to make a fuss about her birthday. 

Her mother usually sent her a gift--aside from the few years, by some miracle, she was able to actually visit--and Tina would leave something little yet fun and thoughtful on her desk, but that was more than enough for her. The day was spent almost-normal, then ending in curled up with a good book. She’d never felt the need to make a big deal out of it.

Felix, apparently, felt differently, if the dozen odd balloons(and the streamers) decorating the Warehouse living room were any indication.

“I hear it’s your birthday,” he grinned in answer to Abigail’s clearly gobsmacked expression when the sight registered.

“You hear correctly,” she said slowly. Her gaze traveled around the room, taking in the decorations. “But when... how... I thought we were just hangin’ out.”

“We can, if that’s what you want,” Felix said. He sprawled across a couch.  “You’re the birthday girl, AJ. How come you didn’t mention that when we were setting this up?”

She shrugged. “It’s just never been particularly... different day for me. I’m too much a fan of quiet, an’ especially with Mum away so much for work; we never celebrated with big parties.”

“Fair enough,” Felix laughed.

“This year I have th’ day off an’ get to spend it as I please, that’s plenty for me.”

“And you chose to spend it with me?” He grinned. “I’m honoured.”

“You’re fun company, yeah?” Abigail said, dropping onto the couch next to him.  “An’ it’s been too long since we got to spend time together.”

“Gotta admit, I’m a little surprised you aren’t spendin’ it with Natey,” Felix said. He waggled his eyebrows as he nudged her in the ribs.

Wish I could. She swallowed back the knee-jerk thought and played with a lock of hair. “He an’ Adam were needed for a mission, an’ I’d made plans with you. B’fore I knew he was gonna be busy,” she added hastily, realizing that almost made it sound like Felix was her second choice 

But Felix appeared to have not even noticed. “Oh, that’s why he was so grumpy this morning. Y’know, by Nate-standards,” he amended with a grin when Abigail cocked a disbelieving brow. “He usually loves all the diplomatic stuff, and seemed kind of... meh about this one.” His grin widened. “He’s moping ‘cause he won’t get to see you, that’s adorable.”

“We might see each other,” Abigail protested. “Way I understand it, whatever they’re doin’ shouldn’t take even a whole day. ‘Less something goes wrong they should be back by evenin’ at latest. B’sides,” she shrugged, “Nate an’ I spent th’ day together for his birthday not two weeks ago, and it would just be more of th’ same.”

“You say that like it’s something neither of you would enjoy,” Felix said with a smirk. 

Abigail opened her mouth, shut it, and then replied, “Readin’s always grand, yeah? But a few minutes with him’ll be fine for today. I want to spend it with you. Even if Nate wasn’t busy.”

“AJ.” Felix rested his chin in his palm and grinned at her like a darned Cheshire cat. “I can tell you’re lying. Not about hanging out with me--I mean, cmon, who wouldn’t wanna do that?--but you’re really hoping they get back in time for you to have a decent visit with Nate.”

“That would be nice,” Abigail conceded, since he could tell anyway. “But really, any time I get t’ see him will be plenty special. An’ so will the time I’m spendin’ with you.” She tapped the string of one colorful balloon. “This was sweet of ya, by the way. Didja have anything in mind for us hangin’ out?”

“There’s a couple movies I wanted to watch no one’s else is really interested in.” He pulled off his hat and tossed it in the air. “Nate’ll watch ‘em with me if I nag, but I’d rather do it with someone who’ll have fun. But if it’s not something you wanna do....”

“What movies?” Abigail asked, gathering her hair back in a bun.

Felix yanked his hat back on, eyes bright with hope, and jumped up to retrieve the movies in question.

“Oh, I love that one,” she grinned, recognizing one case before he’d made it back across the room. “Never watched the other one m’self, but I’ve heard good things.”

He grinned back, bouncing a little. “Sooo? I mean, it’s your birthday, if you’d rather do something else we can.”

Abigail gave a soft laugh. “Nah, we can watch these. It’ll be fun.”

“Great!” Felix whooped, and plunked back down on the couch with enough enthusiasm it made her bounce a little. “Which one first? I’m guessing you want the on you know you love?”

She shook her head. “Let’s start with the new one, yeah? Save the best for last?”

“Whatever you say, birthday girl,” he winked and popped open the movie’s case.  “You’re patienter than I’d be.”

“Makin’ up words again, are ya?” Abigail teased as she leaned over to start unlacing her boots.

“When I need to,” Felix grinned, rolling with the gentle needling. “And you know what a movie needs?” He flashed across the room to get the first one started, reached behind a nearby chair before darting back over. “Popcorn!”

More specifically, chocolate-drizzled popcorn, Abigail noted with a smile as she took the bowl he handed her. Better’n birthday cake. “Well, you certainly know how to make a birthday special.”

Felix arched a brow even as he scrambled for the remote. “That’s all it takes?”

She shrugged. “Toldja I don’t usually do much.”

“That’s why you need a friend like me,” he said brightly, settling back next to her with his own bowl of popcorn in one hand and the remote in the other.

“Are you gonna be able t’ sit still if ya eat that?” Abigail laughed as she eyed the lavish ribbons of chocolate dripping over his popcorn.

“No, but c’mon, AJ.” Felix bumped his shoulder to hers and grinned. “I don’t sit still anyway.”

She laughed again, almost choking on a mouthful of popcorn. “True. Do ya talk durin’ movies, too?”

“Yeah.” He wrinkled his nose but didn’t sound terribly sheepish as he hit play. He kicked off his shoes and braced rainbow-stripe clad feet against the coffee table, flashing her a grin. “Good luck getting me to stop.”

“Felix, I’d never try t’ make you stop talkin’.” She giggled. “For one thing, I know it’s impossible, yeah? For another...” she bit her lip. “I do it, too. Sometimes.” 

“Commentate movies?” His grin widened when she nodded. “I knew there was a reason I liked you, buddy.”

Abigail grinned back and bumped her shoulder to his before they settled in to watch the movie.

---

By the end of their mini-marathon, she was already prepared to label this one of the better birthdays she’d had. It was so much more fun to do movie commentary with someone, and the popcorn was delicious, and Felix was delightful company. She was having so much fun she almost forgot to eat lunch. And it was impressive Felix managed to sit mostly-still through most of her favorite parts in the second movie.

“That was fun,” he announced as he clicked off the scrolling movie credits.

“Yeah, it was,” she said, slouching even more comfortably in her sideways perch against the couch arm. “A very good birthday. Thank you, Felix.”

“Unless you gotta leave, it’s not done yet,” he pointed out. “We can hang out more.”

“I don’t, not yet.” Abigail shook her head and stretched. “Tina asked if I wanted to go for drinks after her shift’s done, but the time for that’s up in the air. If we do it at all. I can stay longer.”

Which also increased her odds of at least crossing paths with Nate today, a fact Felix’s grin said he knew.

“I’m completely unoffended and ready to be your excuse for hanging around all day if you need it,” he winked.

Abigail blushed and reached to twirl her hair.but couldn’t find any loose bits and tugged at her ear instead. “No, I wanna hang out with you, I’m not just-”

“AJ, I’m teasing,” he cut her off with a laugh.

“Oh.” Her face warmed even more, heat spreading to her ears. “Good. I-I know I’m a bit....”

“Besotted? Smitten?” Felix filled in for her, grinning. “It’s okay, he is, too.”

Abigail bit her lip in a futile effort to hold back her smile.

“Oh! I almost forgot, i got you a present!” Felix twisted around to dig down between the cushion and arm of the couch.

“You didn’t have to-”

“AJ.” He tugged free a small orange and yellow wrapped gift. “It’s what friends do. You gave me something.”

She didn’t argue the point any further, mostly because he seemed so excited about giving her something, just took the present with  laugh and started working the tape loose until she could unwrap it. Another, louder laugh bubble up when she saw the contents. “Felix, I love them!”

The socks were a soft, minty green and patterned with ladybugs. There was a second pair underneath, light purple with honeybees. Both were adorable and looked very comfortable.

“Hey, I’m just glad to have a friend I can give this sort of thing and they actually appreciate it instead of, y’know, threatening violence,” Felix joked, but the glint in his amber eyes showed how proud he was of himself.

“Oh, yeah, they’re grand,” Abigail smiled. She immediately swapped out the plain blue socks she was wearing for the ladybugs, then tucked the honeybees and discarded pair in her jacket pocket so she wouldn’t forget them when she left. “Thanks a bunch.”

“Welcome.” He turned back to his original position and rested his feet on the coffee table again.

“You know you’re in for it if Nate catches you doin’ that, yeah?” she laughed.

“The operative part of that being Nate catching me,” Felix grinned, wiggling his toes.

“Oh, is it now?” a very familiar--mildly exasperated--voice asked from behind them. 

Felix twisted around and flashed a cheesy grin. “Hey, Nate. AJ was hoping you’d be back soon.”

And with that, he vaulted the back of the couch and zipped from the room. Nate, for all his exasperation, didn’t try to stop him.

He did shake his head even as he smiled at her. “He is...”

“Incorrigible?” Abigail supplied as she pushed to her feet and skirted around the couch.

Nate laughed, running a hand through his hair. “That is an excellent word for it, yes.”

“He’s also right; I was really hopin’ you’d be back b’fore I had t’ leave.”

“Well, here I am,” he smiled, and she didn’t try to quell the butterflies in her chest as he stepped into the room to meet her for a hug. “Happy birthday, Abigail,” he murmured into her hair, before kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here for more of it.”

“S’alright, Felix made it plenty special so far,” Abigail said, hugging a little tighter before she loosened her grip to look up at him. “How’d it go?”

“Oh, fine.” Nate traced his thumb along her jaw. “Nothing extraordinary, and no complications.”

She huffed a laugh against his shirt. “There bein’ no complications is a little extraordinary for us, isn’t it?”

“Perhaps just a little,” he chuckled. “But I’m grateful for it.” 

“Oh, yeah, won’t hear me complainin’,” Abigail said with a smile, pushing up on her toes in an unspoken request for a kiss.

One Nate was all too willing to grant. “Me, neither.”

They held the kiss until Abigail’s legs started to ache and she dropped back flat-footed. She’d never realized how much difference the extra inch her boots gave her made. It was still a good kiss, made even better by the way Nate followed for a moment when gravity forced her to pull away, clearly reluctant as she was for it to end.

Abigail let out a soft, happy hum as she tucked herself close beneath his chin. ”An absolutely grand birthday to me...”

Nate chuckled and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Content as you seem with how things stand, I do actually have a gift for you.”

“Gettin’ time with you is present enough.” She blushed at how cheesy it sounded and buried her face against his chest the second the words left her mouth, but that didn’t make them untrue

Nate .laughed. “A sentiment I appreciate more than you know.” His fingers brushed the back of her neck and a pleasant shiver rippled down her spine. “But this is something I very much want to give you.”

“Well, if you’re gonna insist..” Abigail teased. “Though I’ll warn ya, Felix gave me ladybug socks, so the bar is set pretty high, yeah?”

He kissed her forehead. “Consider me warned. It’s back in my room, I’ll go-”

“Oh, I’ll come with ya,” she said, slipping from their hug to lace her fingers with his. “I want all the time I can get.”

Nate nodded and squeezed her hand. “Fine with me. So what have you been doing today?”

She told him as they walked, and he smiled at her obvious enthusiasm for how she and Felix had passed the time. His smile widened slightly when she hesitated upon reaching the door to his room.

“You can come in, AJ. I’m not going to make you open your gift in the hall.” He tugged her hand gently so she’d follow. Which she did, even as the back of her neck and ears warmed. She’d not been in Nate’s room since the aftermath of the Trapper fight.

Once they were in the room, the door nudged half-closed behind them, Nate released her hand to cross to one of the closer bookshelves. Abigail moved to sit on the edge of the bed as he retrieved what he sought before joining her.

The box was not a large one, wrapped in plain(yet beautiful) dark blue paper and tied with a narrow brown ribbon. Real ribbon, not gift-wrapping ribbon. Abigail paused after freeing it and tied it around her bun before setting to work on the tape. The paper soon came away to reveal a sturdy, flat box. Inside that, a layer of soft tissue paper concealed and protected the actual gift. She set aside the lid and the wrapping paper, glanced up at Nate.

The faint smile curving his lips shone magnitudes brighter in his eyes and that intrigued her even more than all the layers she was working through. She bit her lip, looked back down, and gingerly moved the paper aside.

It registered first and immediately that it was books. Two small leather-bound volumes; one deep red, one rich brown. They were nice books. Probably old books, and that was enough to make her heart skip a beat. Another moment’s examination made it skip and stutter through several, and pulled a sharp, quiet gasp from her. The titles were in German, and she could only read the first word of each, but that was plenty for her to give a good guess.

She looked at Nate again, the words escaping quiet, breathless. “Are these...?”

“First editions,” he confirmed with a nod, the smile he’d been holding back breaking through in full force.

Abigail exhaled an unsteady breath, trembling fingers hovering over the books as if afraid to touch them, tracing the gold gilt letters of the word she knew in the air above the covers.

Heidi.

“This is...” Her voice broke, the lump in her throat too much to speak around.

“Your favorite. I know.” Nate leaned over and kissed her temple. “Happy birthday.”

Abigail let out a quiet(borderline hysterical) scoffing laugh, still staring at the books. “Nate...” She wasn’t even sure what to say. They were nearly pristine despite their age; thank you was woefully inadequate, I can’t would be ungrateful.

As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, Nate touched her arm so she’d look at him. “They were given to me... a very long time ago” --when they were new, she read in his eyes, even if he didn’t specify-- “and have sat on a shelf ever since. Knowing how much you love this story, I’d much rather you have them.”

“I... they must be worth a lot.” The words escaped in a whispered rush and she winced and bit her lip. “Sorry. You’re not s’pposed’ta know that about presents.”

Nate just smiled. “They are. But far less to me than doing something that makes you happy.”

That was when it was too much, her heart was too full, and Abigail (gently) pushed aside the books to whirl around and hug him, which quickly--and unsurprisingly--turned into a kiss.

She was fast enough to catch him off-guard, and Nate started to topple backwards at her fervor, but he caught himself on one elbow. The other hand curved against her jaw, fingers just catching her hair, as he returned the kiss. He was smiling into it, and Abigail wondered if her own was even bigger. Probably.

She pressed further into the kiss, her fingers curling in the hair at the nape of his neck, until her lungs ached and heart pounded, then pulled back just far enough to gasp a breath. “Thank you,” she murmured fervently, less than an inch between their lips.

Nate’s fingers dug deeper into her hair, threatening the integrity of her bun.  “You’re welcome,” he managed, breathing ragged as her own, before tugging her in for another kiss.

Abigail sat back more completely when this one broke, glancing between Nate and the books with a huge grin on her face. Safe to say he outdid the ladybug socks, she thought, and couldn’t hold in a giggle.

“What?” Nate gave an amused smile and reached over to brush back hair tumbling free from her somewhat loosened bun.

“Just... not sure how today can get much better, yeah?” She caught his hand when he started to pull back and pressed a brief kiss to the base of his thumb before letting go. 

He ran his fingers over the spot as he withdrew his hand. “We could go read for a while, if you’ve the time.”

“Always, for you,” Abigail said as she turned to carefully close the box and collect his gift. (She missed the surge of emotion laid bare across his face at her words.) “So, I stand corrected.”

“Well, then.” Nate pushed off the bed, straightening the duvet slightly before offering her his arm. “Shall we?”

She bit her lip,  not trusting her voice, and nodded as she linked her arm through his. The other hugged his present close. “Y’know,” she began with exaggerated innocence as they walked, “this is a wonderful present, the best anyone’s ever given me, but...” A pause, lips quirking mischievously. “I don’t know German.”

Nate chuckled, catching the teasing note under the words. “I do,” he said, with a smile one could almost call smug.

“Well, you’ll just hafta help me with that, then, wontcha?” Abigail laughed.

Nate looked at her warmly, brown eyes dancing with mirth and affection in equal measure. “Abigail, it would be my pleasure.”

She grinned and leaned her head against his arm for the rest of the walk to the library. Today was definitely shaping up to be her best birthday ever. It wasn’t flashy or ostentatious or even what most would consider exciting, but it was plenty special for her.

---

(AJ very deliberately does NOT look up what those books are worth, but I know from checking to get the cover colors right--between $1500-4000 each. Don’t tell her, she’ll faint)

#queens fic #the wayhaven chronicles #abigail jenings #nate sewell #felix hauville #aj/nate #otp: smiling always #aj & felix #twc

[writingithink]

After All This Time Pairing: Ten x Rose Rated: T Wordcount: 4,762 Summary: Some things have changed, some things have stayed the same. The Doctor and Rose continue their honeymoon. Notes: This is for Day 4 of @timepetalsweek !! I used two of the prompts, the picture prompt and 'chips'. This is also for the @doctorroseprompts summer fic bingo prompt 'beach'. If you haven't read any of the other fics in the series, I feel like you should be fine. They're bonded. As always, immense gratitude to @hey-there-juliet for betaing <33 All mistakes are mine. I own nothing.

READ IT ON AO3 -> copy/paste link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25457269

“Roooooose.”

“What?” she asked, looking over her shoulder from where she was kneeling in front of her dresser.

“What are you doing?” he asked, finally sitting up from where he’d been sprawled across her- their bed.

“I’m gettin’ ready to take a shower.” She laughed at him before turning back, pulling a couple tops out before tossing them back down, unfolded, and digging around some more.

“But why? You’ve just gotten up. You haven’t even had tea yet! I’ve been waiting for you to get up for ages. Come back to bed,” the Doctor asked (he was not whining, no matter what Rose thought).

“Thought you said you were waiting for me to get up,” she smirked, standing up and coming near the bed, but not getting in it or even within touching distance. Rude, his wife was being rude.

Excuse you?

“I meant awake. Should have said awake. Come here.” He held out both hands, making little grabbing motions and smiling, hoping to lure her.

“Doctor,” Rose sighed, but finally got onto the bed, where he was quick to wrap his arms around her, “my hair feels disgusting. You could always join me in the shower.”

Now there was an idea. He’d done the calculations this time, and was certain that he wouldn’t knock her head on the tiles … again. Provided they didn’t use any extra telepathy.

“For some reason, I don’t believe you,” she giggled, giving him a quick kiss on his temple, making their bond buzz.

“Mmm … yeah, when you go doing things like that,” the Doctor accused, though his voice wasn’t getting the memo about sounding upset. Then again, it was hard not to feel warm and fuzzy, cuddling with his bondmate - much better now that she was awake and could talk to him.

“I’m gonna take a shower,” she whispered in his ear, pecking him on the cheek before wiggling away.

“Rooooose.”

“Doctoooor,” she mocked, back to shifting through her clothes. “‘Sides, we haveta go see my mum today. Told her we’d be back a week after we last saw her.”

“ What?!!”

He sat up straighter, adjusting the bed covers. For some reason it felt wrong to be naked and talking about Jackie at the same time.

“For wedding planning. I’m not gonna leave it all up to her, y’know. Not only is it a lot of work, but I do have some things I’d like in an Earth wedding and who knows what mum’ll do if we don’t give any input.”

“Bu- but- but we’re still on our honeymoon!”

She dropped her shirts again - and now most of them had to be unfolded - turning back around. “We just spent weeks at the Olympics. We’ve been honeymooning almost a month.”

“Yes, but we’ve only gone two places. And we have a time machine. I thought, y’know … seven,” he shrugged, starting to feel a little embarrassed.

Maybe he was doing this wrong.

Rose sent him a strong wave of love and affection.

“Seven places?” she smiled, sitting next to him on the bed and weaving their fingers together. The Doctor couldn’t help but tug her onto his lap.

“Yeah.”

“Instead of seven days?”

“Mmmhmm,” he mumbled into the top of her head. He supposed her hair was a little more oily than usual, but it didn’t look bad.

“How ‘bout this,” Rose offered, “we go see mum before we forget and wind up gettin’ the date wrong, and then we finish up our honeymoon.”

“Counter offer - we go on the trip I had planned today, and then sit through boring wedding planning with Jackie, and then finish the rest of our honeymoon.”

A lot of unflattering thoughts zipped across their connection before she said, “Wait, what do you have planned?”

Which was good, because he didn’t feel like arguing as to whether or not he would find any of the Earth wedding monotony entertaining.

“Well, I thought it could be a surprise.”

“Olympics was a surprise. This time ya gotta tell me,” she insisted, poking him in the side.

“Fine,” the Doctor huffed. “Remember when I was talking about hovercars?” 

“Mmm yeah. You said the best ones were on Toff.”

“Right you are,” he grinned, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “And Toff’s greatest megacity is Mailboon. Intergalactic hub, beautiful coastline, and our next honeymoon destination! I’ve even made reservations.”

Actually, he made them weeks ago, after they found out that all of the hotels in London had been booked for the Olympics. To have it happen twice in a row was ridiculous, and despite Rose assuring him that they really didn’t need to stay at a hotel, he’d researched honeymoons. Hotels were a very prominent part of them.

“What else did you research,” she murmured, turning around in his lap to wrap her arms around his neck.

“Rose Tyler, are you trying to seduce me?” he asked, gliding his hands down her back.

“Dunno. Maybe. Depends.”

“Depends on what?”

“On whether you let me shower before we get to Mailboon,” she laughed, quickly hopping off of him and skipping to her ensuite.

Torture. His wife was torturing him. He should file a complaint.

“And who exactly are you gonna be filing that with?” Rose called out.

“You. I’m filing it with you.”

“Uh huh, well. I’ll review it next business day, then. Could you do me a favor?”

The Doctor could hear her turning on the shower.

“Next business day? When’s that?”

She ignored him.

“Could you see if you could find this top I have? It’s striped, think it’d look cute with my dungarees. Mighta left it at mum’s though, so if you can’t find it, just pick something.”

“You want me to pick out your clothes?” he asked, flabbergasted.

“Why not? It’s just a top. Not like I’m gonna have to commit to wearing it every day.”

“What are you trying to say?”

She didn’t answer, likely now in the shower. He’d been down this road before and knew better than to try to keep talking to her. There were only so many times he could repeat himself. Could use the bond, but telepathically talking to his wife about her clothes while she showered seemed like a level of domestic that was just too much. Best not.

So he rolled off the bed, put on a pair of pants, and then glanced down at her open drawer. Nothing striped was immediately apparent, and since over half of the drawer’s contents were messily strewn about, he pulled the whole drawer out and dumped it onto the bed. Blimey, she had a lot of tops! Should have known the TARDIS would make her dresser drawers bigger on the inside.

Eventually clothes stopped tumbling out. And Rose had way more than one striped shirt. The decent thing to do would have been to send him a telepathic image. Determined not to make this all more domestic than it already was, the Doctor didn’t ask her and instead just began tossing every striped one he saw up to the head of the bed.

It was all going decently quickly until he picked up a shirt that he’d initially thought was striped, but wasn’t. He paused, staring at the Union Flag top.

It was a lifetime ago that she’d worn it.

He’d been a different man - literally.

A man who would have never been able to imagine his life turning out like this . In fact, he had trouble imagining it even as he was living it.

“Whatcha doin’?”

The Doctor jumped. He hadn’t noticed the shower turn off, much less Rose coming back into the room, wrapped in a towel.

“I thought you’d gotten rid of your old clothes?” he asked her, knowing that his tumultuous emotional state was likely bombarding her through their connection.

“Not all of them,” she answered, tugging the shirt out of his hands and giving it a look over.

“But why’d you keep that one?”

“For the memories.”

The memories? “You want to remember almost being blasted off a barrage balloon?!”

Rose sat down the shirt before pulling him closer, resting a hand on his cheek. “Was wearin’ that shirt the first time we ever danced together,” she smiled, standing on her toes and kissing him.

He deepened the kiss, slowly spinning them, but when he moved to lower her onto the bed her empty dresser drawer was in the way. The Doctor shoved it off of the bed, but the moment was already lost.

“Oh, don’t pout,” she chided. “Thought you wanted to go to Mailboon?”

“Time machine.”

“Anyway, I just showered.”

She meandered over to her dresser, selecting the rest of her clothes. He rolled his eyes but couldn’t keep from grinning as he set about gathering his own clothes from off the floor. As he was buttoning his shirt, he turned around to see Rose pulling on the Union Flag shirt.

“Thought you were wearing a striped shirt?”

“Changed my mind,” she told him, as a few memories of the night they danced played over the bond.

I love you, he told her, giving up on getting dressed for the moment, walking back over and snogging her for all he was worth. I love you now, and I loved you then, even if I was too busy denying it at the time.

I love you, too.

And this time he didn’t try to go further, but he just wanted to keep kissing her, her presence in his mind glowing pink and golden and so full of love. Time in the TARDIS is relative, so the Doctor had no idea how long they’d actually stayed there when she finally broke away to breathe. 

“So,” Rose gasped out, “Toff, then? Maybe after a quick cuppa?”

“Wherever you want to go,” he told her.

“Toff sounds nice,” she laughed.

“And you’re sure about that top?” he joked.

“Mmm depends, think I’ll be a walking target in Mailboon?”

“Nah,” he grinned, giving her nose a quick peck before finally letting her go so that they could both finish getting dressed.

When he left for the console room, Rose still hadn’t found a pair of shorts she liked. By the time she joined him, a cup of tea and a half eaten slice of toast in hand, he’d already landed them at their destination. In fact, they’d been landed for 43 minutes. But it had given him some time to do a bit of TARDIS maintenance, which the Doctor realized he’d been neglecting ever since they’d bonded.

“Sorry I took so long,” she said, sitting down next to where he was lying on the grating, specs on as he examined a few fraying wires.

He glanced over to see that she’d settled on the black shorts that she’d first grabbed to begin with. Typical.

Hey! she scolded him telepathically.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, scooting out from under the console so that he could sit with her. “You look lovely.”

Thank you. Her mental voice sounded quite prim for someone with a mouthful of toast. The Doctor grabbed the rest out of her hand and took a bite. Mmmm apple berry jam.

“That’s my breakfast, get yer own,” Rose laughed, immediately taking back her toast.

“I just wanted a taste,” he pouted, projecting as much sincerity as he could.

“Fine. You and your jam.”

He ignored her exasperation and just focused on the fondness bleeding through the bond as he sprang to his feet and put away his glasses. “Ready to go?”

“In a mo’.” 

The Doctor bounced on his feet as Rose gulped down the rest of her tea, grabbed her hand as soon as she stood, and rushed out the door.

“What’s this then?” Rose asked, looking around at the white and pastel green hallway they were now in.

“Hovercar rental place.”

“Don’t already got one in the garage?” She lightly elbowed his side, grinning with her tongue between her teeth.

“Might do, but not from Toff. I’d remember if I had one from Toff. Best hovercars in the quadrant!” he enthused, pulling her along, out of the side corridor and into the main rental facility.

She was still laughing when one of the workers came over and began to give them a long, noticeably rehearsed speech. The Doctor ended up needing to interrupt him, quite certain that he would die of boredom.

“Yes, right, I’m the Doctor and this is my wife, Rose. We’d like to rent whichever one is fastest. Also, most aerodynamic.”

“And can that also be a convertible?” Rose requested.

He turned to her, shaking his head. “No. No convertibles.”

“Why not?”

You’ll see, he told her mentally, not wanting to alarm the salesman. Which ended up alarming his bondmate, forcing him to send her waves of reassurance through their link as they were led to their rental vehicle.

“What are you planning?” she whispered, when they were finally buckling in after he had lied on a bunch of pointless paperwork.

“To have fun,” he grinned, turning on the car and grabbing the joystick-like controls.

The facilities garage doors opened and he engaged the thrusters, slowly exiting the building before punching it once they’d hit open air.

“Woah!” Rose shouted, having not realized that they’d been 30 stories up.

“Woo hoo! Hovercars, really, brilliant inventions,” the Doctor crowed, speeding up into the lavender sky and swerving around one of Mailboon’s many giant frosted-glass skyscrapers.

“Aren’t there some sort of rules for driving here?”

“Sure there are.”

“And are we followin’ ‘em?” she asked, trying and failing to stop her laughter from bubbling out. Rose was having a blast and he knew it.

“Nope!” He gave his wife a manic smile. “Wanna do a barrel roll?”

They ended up being late for their reservation’s check in time after being pulled over by a Traffic Control Agent, to whom the Doctor had to sincerely, sincerely apologize to, promising to never again do a barrel roll with a hovercraft. And he really had meant it when he said that it won’t happen again, being as they’d already done five and Rose was starting to feel a bit ill.

Luckily they weren’t very strict about it, and soon an attendant was showing them the way to their room.

You didn’t tell me we were goin’ to a resort, his bondmate chastised him telepathically as they were being taken to some sort of different exit. He could tell she wasn’t actually upset with him based on the sheer amount of excitement passing through their bond.

Is there a difference?

Before she could reply, the attendant opened a door and said, “And here is your hovercart, for traveling to the different resort areas.”

“Rose! It’s a hover golf cart! They have hover golf carts!” the Doctor exclaimed, running up to it and hopping into the driver's seat. “I didn’t know there’d be hover golf carts! Oh, this is just brilliant.” He turned to the bemused looking employee. “Do you know how fast it can go?”

“He’s just kidding,” Rose quickly lied, before following him into the cart, waving goodbye to the young girl.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“We just got pulled over for your reckless drivin’,” she told him, crossing her arms. “If you hadn’t lied your arse off and had the psychic paper tell ‘em you had some sort of weird galactic-diplomatic immunity, they woulda taken the car away. You mighta even had to spend the night in jail. I’ve never been to a resort before, I don’t wanna get kicked out yet.”

“Ah, right, yes, you may have a point,” he agreed, tugging on his ear and scratching the back of his neck.

She glared at him for a moment before breaking into a grin. “It was so much fun before we got caught, though.”

“I know!” he agreed, activating the hovercart and only slightly speeding to their room.

Which, actually, wasn’t exactly a room, per se.

“These are like tiny bungalows!” his wife marveled as he turned onto their little cart resort-y road thing. 

“Oooh, you’re right. I couldn’t think of the word earlier.”

“Earlier?”

The Doctor pulled to a stop outside of their bungalow-suite. As if on cue, the sound of the TARDIS dematerializing filled the air. Rose turned to him, brows furrowed.

“While I was waiting for you earlier, I thought I’d drop off our luggage,” he explained. “May have cut it a bit close. Just a smidge.”

“But I didn’t pack a suitcase, and I can’t imagine you knowing how to pack one.”

“I do so know how to pack a suitcase … probably. Besides, I had the TARDIS pack them for us. Well, for you, mostly. I don’t really need one.”

He took her hand and jogged inside, sonicking the lock out of habit. Sure enough, the two suitcases the TARDIS had provided him were right where he remembered leaving them.

“Oh my god! Is this our own private beach?! Oh, we have to go! I hope the TARDIS packed me some suit options.” 

Rose ran over to the patio doors and the Doctor leaned against the counter of the open-concept style kitchenette, smiling as he watched her. She was radiating such pure joy over the bond, he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt happiness like this. It didn’t exactly top the day they’d bonded, but it was also a very different sort of happy. When he’d been picking out hotels, he had remembered that Rose loved the beach, but he hadn’t realized she would feel like this. He had a sudden desire to take her to as many different beaches as he possibly could.

“It’s not just the beach,” she laughed, bounding over and wrapping her arms around him. “It’s also being at a resort, and with you, and on our honeymoon. ’S perfect.”

He kissed her, deciding that it could only make things more perfect and hoping his bondmate would agree. And based on the way she immediately started snogging him, she agreed wholeheartedly. 

“I thought you wanted to go to the beach?” the Doctor asked a little breathlessly when Rose began kissing down his neck.

“I do. Soon. Not just yet, though.”

“Oh. Well. Okay. I mean, no complaints. Do, erm, carry on,” he rambled just a little bit, sliding his hands over her hips, under her shirt.

“Thought you might want to help me get undressed. Y’know, so I can change into my suit,” she suggested, loosening his tie and beginning to unbutton his collar.

“I’d love to, but you seem to be the one doing the undressing.”

Rose paused and looked up at him. “Aren’t you gonna swim with me this time?”

“Oh … am I supposed to?”

She frowned, brows furrowing. “No, you’re not supposed to do anything. I just thought you might want to. You’re not doing all of this because you think you’re supposed to, are you?”

The Doctor quickly projected as much love as he possibly could over the bond, quietly chastising himself behind his barriers for mucking things up. “No no no no no, I am 100% doing all of this because I want to. You’ve got to be able to tell that I want to do all of this, right?”

Rose gave him a slow nod.

“I just- I’m not- this honeymooning business isn’t exactly common knowledge for me. I did tell you about the research, after all. So I was just- it does seem like couples on their honeymoon tend to do all of their activities together. And I’m not really one for swimming in oceans and lakes and things, but I thought I- I-”

“No, I get it,” she interrupted and he was quite grateful, because his thought process had been getting away from him a bit. “And I know you don’t like changing your clothes. It’s fine.”

But still, she stepped back and then made her way over to the luggage and the Doctor threw up a bunch of barriers before mentally kicking himself.

“Which one is mine?” Rose interrupted his self-chastisement.

“Eh?”

“There’s two. Which one is mine?”

“Aren’t they both yours?”

“You think I need two suitcases? How long are we staying, anyway?”

He shrugged. “Long as you like? I only booked a week, though.”

She sat down and opened one of the suitcases before she began cackling. 

“What?! What is it?!”

“Ahh, come look!” she squealed, clutching her sides.

And soon as he ran over, the Doctor began cursing his irritating time ship. It was a suitcase full of a dreadful mix of paisley and floral button ups.

“This is ridiculous, I’m not wearing any of these.”

“Aww, they’re your vacation shirts.”

“I don’t need vacation shirts.”

“Oh, look, she’s packed you some swim trunks!” Rose noticed, holding up the swimwear for inspection - TARDIS blue, the pair he always wore ‘round the pool. Which reminded him-

“Why can’t my reason for wanting to do something be because it makes you happy?” he asked her.

The teasing grin left her face. “I mean, that’s sweet, Doctor. And you can, but you shouldn’t if the thing would make you unhappy.”

“But it’s not like I’m vehemently against swimming in natural water formations. It’s just kind of … icky.”

“Icky?”

“Yes, so if I can avoid it, I will. Though I did swim the channel for fun once, but that was different. I much prefer pools.”

“Then why’ve I never seen ya use the one on the TARDIS?” she asked, head tilted and eyes narrowed.

“Well … I mean …” I might have, kind of, not trusted myself to swim with you, so little clothing involved, he admitted telepathically, too embarrassed to say it aloud.

Rose giggled. “Suppose that’s fair.”

“We do have our own pool. It’s a very posh hotel. This is the honeymoon suite,” he told her. “We could swim together in the pool.”

“Okay. You’ll wear these at the beach with me?”

“B- but sand.”

The Doctor decided that as much as he didn’t care for his wife laughing at him, it was still preferable to her being mad at him. Besides, it did feel very nice in his head when she did it.

“Alright, alright, sit on the beach in your suit.”

“I could take off the coat? And the jacket? Maybe roll up my sleeves? Oh, and some sunglasses! That will be quite beach-y, don’t you think?”

“Sure,” came her idle response as she opened her own suitcase and began to rifle through it. Thankfully it didn’t take her long to select something to wear. “I’ll be right back.”

She disappeared into a bathroom and the Doctor sighed. Still quite a long way from helping her get undressed. Needing something to occupy himself, he closed and moved the suitcases into the largest bedroom. While there, he did shed his coat and jacket, hooking a pair of sunglasses to his shirt before going back out into the main living area.

Just as he finished adjusting his shirtsleeves, Rose emerged wearing a bikini that matched his swim shorts exactly. It took him longer than he’d like to notice that his mouth had fallen open.

Glad you like it, Rose’s mental voice was bright and giggly.

“You’re positive you want to go to the beach right now, yes?” he felt the need to double check.

“Yup.”

“Right. Well then, erm, oh!” He dug into his pocket. “Sunscreen pill?”

“Why don’t we do it the old fashioned way?” she asked, sauntering up to him.

“Why would we do that?” the Doctor asked, frowning. She’d never refused a sunscreen pill before. “These are way better than 21st century Earth sunscreen.”

She knew that. He’d told her ages ago.

“Mmm … I dunno, there’s just somethin’ extra … intimate about you rubbing it on my back. Since we’re on trip three of our honeymoon ’n all.” 

And good, okay, yes, he was not going to bollocks this up again. Not three times in one day.

“I suppose … just this once … provided you sit in the shade,” he tried, his calculations for her skin and this planet’s sun not quite being what his libido would have liked.

“‘M not gonna sit in the shade,” she said, still smiling as she shook her head.

“Keep your skin covered up?”

“Nope. There’d be no point in putting on sunscreen.”

“Wear a hat?” the Doctor valiantly continued.

“TARDIS didn’t pack one.”

“You didn’t even take the time to look. You were in that suitcase about thirty seconds!”

“The TARDIS knows I don’t fancy them,” Rose countered.

“Does she really?”

“Yup.”

“What if I rubbed regular lotion on your back, and you took the sunscreen pill?”

“I suppose I can work with that,” she agreed, pulling him down for a kiss before accepting the pill.

“Brilliant! Molto bene! I’m sure they’ve got some in the bathroom already. Those little tiny travel sized ones!” he exclaimed, quickly ducking into the loo and finding himself correct. “These are the best. Just a tiny bit of everything. In case you forget your own, I’m assuming. Imagine collecting them! Your hair could have a different smell every day of the week. Did you know, there’s a species of alien a galaxy away from here that are so large, a thing of your regular lotion would look just like this dinky one in their hands?” he asked, holding up the teeny tiny lotion for his wife’s inspection.

“I love you,” she said instead of commenting and he certainly wasn’t complaining, their bond bright and warm in his head.

“I love you, too.”

They grabbed a blanket and a beach towel before heading out to their secluded beach. Rose immediately ran up to the water, like she always did, briefly testing it with her toes before running into the teal waves. The Doctor put on his sunglasses and settled in to watch, just like he always did, only now with their telepathic link he got to feel the entire experience from her point of view. It was quite nice to live it vicariously - after all, he never felt that way about going into oceans.

After a good twenty-three minutes she came back, dripping all over him and the blanket.

“Fun?” he asked, despite not needing to.

“Yeah,” she sighed, lying down on her stomach and pillowing her head on her arms.

“Good,” he nodded, smiling down at her as he picked up the towel and began to wipe the water off her back.

“Mmm thanks.”

“You’re welcome! Need a dry surface for the lotion.”

“Oh, I almost forgot about that.”

The Doctor just laughed before grabbing said lotion and beginning to massage it into her shoulders. The noises she began to make, combined with the pleasure he could feel over their bond, quickly made it very difficult for him to focus. In the end, the only thing that kept him from escalating things was his very real desire to not get a bunch of sand in some very unideal places.

“D’you smell that?” Rose asked as he made it down to her lower back.

He paused and took a big whiff, immediately realizing what she was talking about. “We just had chips two days ago,” he couldn’t help but point out. Actually, they’d had chips a fair amount during the London Olympics.

“So?”

“I really shouldn’t be surprised, should I?”

“They’re my favorite food,” she stated as if he hadn’t known this for years, pushing herself up on her elbows so that she could face him.

“You don’t say? We can get chips. I imagine the smell’s coming from one of the resort restaurants, so we could get chips for every meal if you wanted.” He finished up, sitting on his heels as Rose joined him.

“Think I’d get sick if I did that. And sick of chips. Can’t have that. But right now? Definitely. Then we can both go swimming. Just need to put my shorts and shirt on.”

“I think this is the shortest I’ve ever seen you spend at the beach,” the Doctor commented, following after her as she headed back into the suite. 

“Well, this time we’ve got all week. And it’s a private beach. Can go whenever I feel like it,” she grinned, and he couldn’t help but grin back.

“We’ll have to have them, you know, at the, er- after-wedding thing, reception! The reception. Chips.”

Rose had been about to pull on her shirt but paused, smiling softly at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Chips. That was our first date.”

“Yeah, it was. You and me, chips.”

The Doctor wondered if maybe chips were one of his favorite foods as well.

#timepetalsweek #doctorroseprompts #ficandchips #ten x rose #timepetals #dw fic #tenrose #dw fanfic #fandom: doctor who #pairing: rose x doctor #fic: after all this time #my fic

[athena-athena]

Heroes (Yondu x OC)

A/N: I wrote this for @bigbandbombshell​​‘s 400 Follower Challenge! Congratulations on 400 followers, darling! Here’s to 400 more! 💖

Summary: This fic features Yondu and my OC, Athena. Yondu has doubts about his relationship with Athena, which she tries to allay. They leave for a mission that doesn’t go as planned. 

Word count: 5092

Tagged List: @rooker-character-fics​​ @misfitgirlwrites​​ @posessedxparrot​​   (Let me know if you’d like to be added to / removed from my tagged list!)

Warnings: Angst. Dangerous / near-death situations. 

Challenge Notes: I chose the song “Heroes” by Peter Gabriel and the following image:

Yondu stopped walking at the sound of footsteps behind him. He recognized Athena’s tread and waited for her to catch up to him.

“Where have you been?” she asked, walking around to face him.

“Jus’ some maintenance ‘round tha ship.”

“All week? I’ve rarely seen you. You don’t come back to our room until late and then you’re gone when I wake up.”

“Jus’ a lotta stuff ta take care of.”

She searched his face. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

“Jus’ tired, I guess.”

She hesitated for a moment as she watched him. “Are you sure that’s all it is?”

“What else would it be?”

“I don’t know, you just seem… distant.”

She looked down at her hands for a moment and he noticed that she was twisting them out of nervousness. He felt a pang of regret that he’d caused it.

“Sorry, darlin’. I promise I’ll try ta finish up early tonight.”

“I’ve missed you, Yondu.”

She gave him a small smile and he felt another pang.

“I’ve missed ya, too, darlin’.”

She took a step forward and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. “Well, I know you’re busy, Captain, so I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll see you tonight?”

He didn’t miss the fact that she’d phrased it as a question and it killed him.

“I’ll see ya tonight, darlin’, don’t worry. I’ll have ‘em send something ta tha room fer supper, an’ we can spend some time together.”

“Okay!” She gave him a quick hug, then started walking backward as she said, “I told Tullk I’d help him with some stuff, so I’d better go.”

“Bye, darlin’.”

“Bye, Yondu!” She waved before turning around.

He watched her leave, sighing after she turned the corner. He walked into a mostly-unused supply closet and sat down on a crate, resting his face in his hands.

He loved Athena more than he’d loved anyone, and he hated that he couldn’t just tell her how much he loved her. How much she meant to him. Part of him kept waiting for her to leave. If he was honest with himself, he thought she should.

He’d thought about it. He’d done nothing but think about it for the past couple of weeks. Ever since he’d seen Athena talking to one of the Terran traders on one of their supply runs. It was innocent, he knew that. There had been no flirting, nothing to give him pause or make him wonder about Athena’s feelings.

But it still made him realize that she deserved someone like that trader. Someone with a steady and safe job. Someone who could provide her with a nice life, someone she had more in common with than a Ravager. Someone who could give her a house and children. Someone completely unlike Yondu.

He stood up and kicked another crate, not caring when its contents spilled across the floor.

He knew Athena deserved better, but he also knew it would kill him if she left. He wouldn’t stop her if she chose to leave, though. He wouldn’t stand in her way, even if it would feel like being stabbed by uncountable knives.

Leaving the mess he’d made, he left the supply closet and made his way to the training room. He’d talk to Athena later that night, but in the meantime, he’d work off some excess energy. He locked the door behind him, grabbed a quad blaster, then picked a target that looked suspiciously like the Terran trader.

_

Athena brushed her hair nervously as she waited for Yondu to get back to their room. She wasn’t sure why she was nervous, except that Yondu had been acting strange lately and it had her worried.

She started when she heard the door to their quarters open, and she took a deep breath, placing the hairbrush on the small counter in their bathroom.

She walked out to meet Yondu and was relieved to see him smiling. He pulled her into a hug and she melted into him, taking in the comforting scent of him before pulling back to grin at him.

His hands rested loosely on her hips and she leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him as he held her steady.

When she stood in front of him again, he took her hand and led her over to one of two mismatched chairs. She sat as he pulled the other chair over next to her.

“Food’ll be here soon.”

“Okay.”

“How was yer day?”

“It was good. Just helping Tullk with some stuff. How was yours?”

“Good.”

“Are you -” Athena broke off mid-question when she heard someone knock on the door.

“That’ll be tha food. ‘Bout time, too, I’m starvin’.”

He strode to the door, took the food from whichever Ravager had carried it down from the mess hall, and brought it back to the table.

He handed a plate to Athena. “What was ya sayin’ ‘fore tha food got here?”

She took the plate and picked up a fork. “Oh, I was just going to ask if you were sure everything is okay?”

“Oh. Yeah, yeah, ever’thing’s fine.”

She bit her lip as he placed what she hoped was chicken on her plate – it was sometimes hard to tell. “It’s just… you’ve seemed so distant lately. Like you’re pulling away.”

He met her eyes across the table and sighed. “Okay, yeah. I jus’ been doin’ some thinkin’.”

“About what?”

He placed his fork on his plate and rubbed a hand down his face. “Us. Me, mostly. I mean, I jus’…”

He stood up suddenly and walked across the room, keeping his back to her.

“Yondu…”

“I jus’ ain’t good enough fer ya. I seen ya with that Terran trader an’ I jus’… I knew.”

She looked at his back in bewilderment. “Knew what?”

“That that’s what’cha deserve. A good man who probably ain’t never robbed nobody. Ain’t never killed nobody. Ain’t gonna be draggin’ ya inta danger ever’ damn day.”

“Yondu…”

“I done things in my life I ain’t proud of, things I’d be ashamed fer ya ta know ‘bout, an’ I’m afraid yer gonna find out and hate me fer it.”

“Yondu, listen to me.”

“Wouldn’t even blame ya if ya left.”

“Yondu!”

Her raised voice stunned him enough that he turned back to face her. She stood and walked over to him, though she didn’t touch him.

“Darlin’ -”

“No, you’re going to listen to me now. I may not know what all you’ve done in the past, but I do know it doesn’t change anything. I may not understand just how much you’ve suffered. I may not have ever imagined myself living with Ravagers. I may not always understand you. But I do know what you are, Yondu Udonta. You’re a good man and I love you.”

“I don’t deserve ya, darlin’, an’ you definitely deserve better’n me.”

“No.”

“What?”

“No. It’s not about what we deserve.” She took a step closer to him and placed a hand gently on his cheek. “Yondu, I need you to understand that I love you and that’s all that matters.”

He covered her hand with his and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he smiled. “Ya mean it?”

She gave him a small smile and shook her head as she lightly pushed his chest. “Do you think I would have given that long speech while our food got cold if I didn’t mean it?”

His smile widened. “I love ya, Athena.”

“I love you, too, Yondu. Now let’s eat.”

They returned to the table, Yondu in a noticeably better mood.

He took a bite of the hopefully-chicken and said, “Mmm… this food’s good.”

Athena nodded. “It is. I have a question, though.”

“What?”

“What’s this about me deserving Terran Ted?”

“What? He’s a decent guy, got a steady job.”

“But he’s so boring. Honestly. Me and Terran Ted?”

Yondu chuckled. “Sorry, darlin’.”

She pointed her fork at him. “You’d better be.”

He grinned as he took another bite. “Got a tip ‘bout a new job today.”

“Are you going to take it?”

“Probably. Be worth it if we can pull it off. I ain’t ever been ta that planet before, but the tip’s pretty detailed an’ my informant gave me a key to get into tha place. Think I got enough info ta take it on.”

“Sounds good. When are we going?”

“Thinkin’ tha day after tomorrow.”

She nodded. “I’ll go practice my shooting.”

“Ya ain’t gotta go, ya know. Probably best if ya stay here on tha ship. Ya ain’t actually been on a mission yet.”

Her brows creased as she lowered her fork. “I can’t go?”

“Well, I mean, I ain’t gonna stop ya if ya really wanna go, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. We need ta start ya out on a easy mission first.”

“You said the tip was detailed. Does it seem like it will be a hard mission?”

“Well, it’s hard ta say.”

“What do you think?”

“Uh, it’s probably gonna be pretty straightforward. Jus’ can’t say fer sure.”

“Well, I want to go.”

He sighed as she glared at him. “Fine. But I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Placated, she offered him a small smile. “I’ll be fine, Yondu. I’ve been practicing using the quad blaster, and I’ve gotten better. And you’ll be there!”

He returned her smile and shook his head slightly. “Yer right, darlin’. It’s gonna be fine.”

_

They landed on Ebrion two days later, and Yondu was unexpectedly nervous.

“Ya got yer quad blaster?”

“Yes.”

“An’ yer spare blaster?”

“Yes.”

“An ya remember how to use ‘em?”

Athena rolled her eyes. “Yes, Yondu, I remember how to use my blasters.”

“Good, that’s good.”

“Yondu, relax, it’s going to be fine.”

“Yeah, yer right. What can go wrong? I mean, it’s a deserted planet, right?”

“Right.”

“An’ the map we got fer inside the cave is pretty detailed.”

“Exactly.”

“In an’ out, no problem.”

She nodded. “No problem.”

Yondu sighed and pulled her in for a hug. “Somethin’ jus’ feels off.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “What could feel off?”

“Dunno. Jus’ a feelin’.”

She leaned back so she could see his face. “Do you normally get feelings before missions?”

“Sometimes.”

“Are you normally right?”

“Most of tha time.”

She bit her lip. “What do you think is wrong this time?”

“Dunno,” he repeated. “Maybe it’s a good idea if ya stay on tha ship.”

Her brows creased. “No! We’ve already discussed this. I’m coming with you.”

Sighing, he replied, “Fine, fine.”

“It’s going to be okay, Yondu.” She leaned up and kissed him, smiling as she pulled away. “We’ll be fine.”

_

After organizing the crew into three separate groups, Yondu led his group across an empty field.

“Map says there’ll be a stone buildin’ that’s painted blue on tha other side of that hill. It’ll be down in a valley. Then we’ll jus’ follow these directions down ta tha door. Says it’ll be wooden, also painted blue, with a door knocker.”

“Ya still got a bad feelin’ ‘bout this place, Cap’n?” asked Kraglin.

Yondu nodded. “Yeah, reckon so.”

Athena caught up to Yondu and said quietly, “But you said the planet was deserted. What could go wrong?”

“Lots a things. But don’t worry, darlin’. If anythin’ goes wrong, Kraglin has orders ta get ya back ta tha ship safely.”

“If something goes wrong, I’m going to stay and help.”

“No, ya ain’t.”

“Yondu, I thought we’d -”

Yondu stopped walking and held out an arm to stop Athena. “Did ya hear that?”

“No.”

He looked around at the crew members with him. “Y’all hear anythin’?”

Most of the crew looked confused, but Tullk nodded. “Mighta heard somethin’, Cap’n. Can’t be sure.”

“Let’s go, but quieter now.”

They moved forward without speaking until they finally crested the hill and headed down into the valley.

“There’s tha stone buildin’.”

Kraglin shivered. “Looks mighty creepy jus’ sittin’ down there by itself, don’t it?”

They made their way down, and as they moved closer to the building, Yondu checked in with the other two groups. Once he’d confirmed both groups were in position, he motioned his group to follow him again.

They moved through the labyrinthine paths, Yondu checking the map occasionally, until they reached the blue, wooden door with the knocker.

“This is it. I want y’all to stay back with yer weapons out. Some of y’all can fan out back ta tha end of tha path. Athena, I want ya stayin’ close ta me.”

She nodded without speaking, Yondu’s nervousness rubbing off on her.

He moved forward toward the door, pulling the key out of his pocket. He inserted it into the lock, trying to turn it. His brows creased as he tried again, then once more. The lock wasn’t stuck. It was worse than that. Far worse.

“Damn!” Yondu pounded a fist against the door.

“What?” Athena asked.

“Damn it!”

“What is it?”

“It’s a false door.”

“It’s a what?”

“A false door! There ain’t nothin’ inside. There ain’t no artifact. It’s a damn trap.”

It was a trap. A trap. How had he fallen for such an obvious setup? And worse yet, he’d brought Athena with him, into danger and death – the one thing he swore he’d never do.

Yondu ran a hand down his face as he considered the implications. He didn’t know who would want to set him up, though he was sure that were plenty who did, but not knowing who made it harder to come up with a plan.

Athena was watching him nervously, biting the inside of her cheek, and Yondu tried to keep his face blank.

She flinched as someone fired a gun somewhere above them, and Yondu wanted nothing more than to protect her. He hated himself for putting her in this position. She’d done nothing to deserve this, and yet here she was, paying the price for all he’d done wrong in his life.

The rest of his crew had headed back up the path to join the fighting at the first sign of gunfire.

“Sorry,” he said gruffly.

She looked at him in confusion. “What?”

“Sorry I got us into this mess, sorry I ain’t a better man fer ya. Ya deserve -”

“Yondu, are we really having this conversation again? Right now?”

“I know what’cha said, an’ -”

“Were you not listening? I love you, Yondu. I don’t care what you’ve done in the past. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“But -”

“No! Just stop. I love you, Yondu, and that means all of you. I can’t make you believe it, but I’ll do my best to prove it to you every day.”

Yondu grabbed Athena and pulled her as close as he could, his lips on hers before she could even process what was happening. Even with the guns firing above their heads, even with being on the wrong side of the door, the deadly side of the door, she couldn’t help but melt into him, into the rightness of him.

A bullet ricocheted off the wall close to them and they were violently brought back to the harsh reality of their circumstances. Yondu grabbed her shoulders and moved her back to arm’s length.

“Ya gotta get outta here, Athena. Ya gotta get back ta tha ship. I’ll distract ‘em long enough fer ya ta make it. Kraglin’s at tha end of this path, an’ he’ll get’cha back safe.”

Her brows creased and she shook her head in disbelief as she realized what he meant. “No. No! I’m not leaving you here!”

He moved his hands from her shoulders to cup her face. “Yes, ya are. I ain’t lettin’ ya stay here an’ get hurt.”

“What about you? I don’t want you to get hurt, either!” A tear slipped down her face and Yondu wiped it away with his thumb. “Yondu, I love you and I’m not leaving you here alone, even if that means I die with you.”

Yondu took a step closer to her, his hands still cradling her face as he leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, his ruby eyes meeting her blue ones. “Darlin’, yer not dyin’ here. Ya hear me? Yer gettin’ off this forsaken’ planet.”

Her hands grabbed the front of his coat in a tight grip. “Not without you.”

“Athena -”

“No! Forget it, Yondu. I’m staying!”

She could see the resignation on his face and knew she’d won, though she wasn’t sure at what cost.  

His shoulders rose and fell and she knew he’d sighed, though she couldn’t hear it over the shouting and gunfire. “What do we do?” Her voice broke on the last word, even as she tried to be brave.

She knew it was a suicide mission now, just as she knew Yondu was also aware of it. She could see it in the set of his shoulders as he released her face. Another tear slipped down her cheek, and she repeated, “Yondu, what do we do?”

“We get outta this mess.”

“How?”

“We’s Ravagers, ain’t we?”

It was the first time he’d referred to her as a Ravager. The first time he’d accepted that she wasn’t going anywhere, that she didn’t think the Ravagers were lesser for being criminals, that she didn’t think he was lesser. The first time he’d truly believed she loved him and wouldn’t leave him. It didn’t matter what he deserved. She loved him regardless of who he was and what he’d done and she’d keep loving him as long as they lived.

The thought gave him a greater need to survive this day. He’d kissed her knowing neither would survive, though he knew he’d die trying to keep her alive, but now, now, he had something more to live for and he wasn’t giving that up without a fight.

“We find a way.”

The blazing look in his eye gave Athena the spark of courage she needed to keep going. She nodded, once, and slipped her arms around him, giving him a quick squeeze, before pulling back and removing her quad blaster from her holster.

“Lead the way, Captain.”

He grinned, knowing in an instant that something had changed. He’d loved her before, more than he could have imagined possible, but this was something more. This was complete trust. He trusted her to have his back, implicitly, and he could see in her eyes that she felt the same. He knew there was no one else he’d rather have by his side at this moment. His friend. His lover. His queen.

“This ain’t gonna be easy.”

She smiled and shook her head. “Nothing ever is when you’re involved.”

Chuckling under his breath, he moved slowly away from the false door to the edge of the wall, taking a look around the corner to try to determine the best course of action. It looked hopeless, but he hadn’t become a Ravager Captain by giving up when things looked hopeless. He turned his head to check on Athena once more before heading into the fray.

She stood behind him, in the stance he’d taught her, holding her quad blaster in the correct position, aiming at the ground until she was ready to fire. He’d never imagined she’d ever use it. Never imagined she’d ever need to use it, but he thanked every star in the sky that he’d taught her himself so he knew she was taught right. He didn’t doubt she’d hit her mark when she finally lifted the blaster and took aim for the first time.

“Ready?”

She nodded.

“Stay close ta me.”

Yondu turned his head again, took a deep breath, then whistled his arrow out of its holster before leaving the relative safety of the alcove. He strode purposefully forward, whistling his arrow at every enemy he could see, though there were more than he knew he’d be able to take down on his own.

He could see Ravagers still standing and fighting, but it wasn’t enough, not even close to being enough. He could see the ship in the distance through the smoke and haze, but it might as well have been on another planet. He was about to give in to despair when he felt Athena move beside him, lifting her quad blaster and firing, taking out an enemy.

The Ravager the enemy had been fighting looked up in surprise. “Cap’n! I thought ya’s dead!”

“Well, I ain’t!” Yondu shouted over the sounds of the battlefield. He sent his arrow through the skull of a man running toward him with a raised sword. “Ya seen anyone who looks like tha leader?”

The Ravager pointed across the battlefield. “I ain’t sure, but I think it’s that big fella over there.”

A wave of recognition crashed over Yondu as he looked to where the Ravager pointed. It was one of the many people Yondu had stolen from over the years.

The jobs he took were never personal. It was strictly business. Granted, it was dirty business and the person on the other side was never happy about the results, but he’d grown used to it by now. He’d made plenty of enemies. Plenty of people would happily kill him without another thought. None of them scared him like this one.

Acheron Kane had been crueler than most, and had Yondu known what he was getting into at the time, he would have turned down the job at the beginning. But he’d thought it was just another theft, just another run-of-the-mill job. It hadn’t been.

Acheron Kane was unhinged, and the amulet Yondu had stolen from him had belonged to Acheron’s lover, who had died two years before. He had believed the amulet would help him bring her back, and though Yondu knew that was impossible, he would never have stolen it had he known the significance of it to Acheron, simply because he’d since learned that Acheron was not someone to be crossed.

By the time he’d learned of it, he’d already sold the amulet and forgotten about it. Acheron hadn’t. He found out who’d stolen it and vowed to kill anyone Yondu ever loved. Yondu hadn’t worried about it at the time. There was no one he loved, not the way Acheron meant, and he hadn’t taken the threat seriously.

He’d managed not to bump into him again and the threat had faded in his memory. He hadn’t recalled it after he’d met Athena, and it hadn’t resurfaced after he fell in love with her, lost in the haze of wonder that someone like her was with someone like him.

But he remembered it now and it chilled him.

“Stay with Kraglin.”

“What? No. I’m going to help -”

“No, ya ain’t, yer stayin’ right here.” He turned to her. “Do this fer me, darlin’. Promise me.”

“But -”

“Promise me.”

“Fine, I promise.”

Yondu turned without another word, hoping she’d keep her promise. He didn’t know if it would be enough to keep her safe, but he couldn’t let Acheron know Athena was more to him than just another crew member.

If he found out, they’d both be lost.

He walked purposefully across the battlefield, sidestepping fighting groups of Ravagers and enemies, his eyes never leaving the imposing form of Acheron Kane.

He knew the moment Acheron spotted him. The man had turned and paused at the sight of Yondu, an evil smirk spreading across his face. He hadn’t walked to meet Yondu, instead waiting for Yondu to close the distance.

“So nice of you to join us, Udonta.”

“Wha’dya want, Kane?”

Acheron tilted his head slightly. “Oh, I think you know what I want.”

Yondu was hoping against all hope that it was a bluff. That Acheron had lured him here only to kill him, and not that he’d discovered the truth about Athena. He hoped Acheron didn’t even know Athena had joined his crew, that she even existed.

“Yer gonna hafta be more specific. Otherwise, I’ll be leavin’. Got things ta do.”

“I heard you have a new crew member.”

Yondu’s heart sank but he willed his face to remain impassive. “Keepin’ tabs on me, are ya?”

“Oh, yes. Mine wasn’t an idle threat. I still intend to carry it out.”

“Ya wasted yer time, then.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t think yer killin’ my crew’s gonna have tha effect yer lookin’ fer. Crews are a dime a dozen.”

The evil smirk on Acheron’s face grew wider. “Oh, I don’t know about that. Rumor is that you care more for one particular crew member than you do the others.”

“Don’t know where ya heard that.”

“My sources have never failed me. I doubt they’re going to start now. I have to admit, though, when I made the threat, part of me feared it would never come to fruition. Ravager Captain, Yondu Udonta, falling in love? Unlikely. But it seems I was proven wrong.” He looked around the battlefield as though he knew Athena was nearby. “Where is she, Udonta? Why are you trying to hide her? You know how this will end. You know I won’t stop until she is dead. Why prolong it?”

Yondu shook his head, his practiced nonchalance an effort this time. “Still don’t know what yer talkin’ ‘bout.”

“Enough of this nonsense! I know who she is, Udonta, and I know she is here.” He took another step closer to Yondu and lowered his voice, though it lost none of its menace. “The longer you delay, the longer you take to bring her to me, the longer I’ll take to kill her. I will draw it out. I will make her suffer. She will beg for death before the end, and I will make sure she knows you’re the reason she’s suffering.” He paused and took one more step closer to Yondu, leaning in to leer at him. “And I’ll make you watch it all.”

Yondu couldn’t suppress the chill that went down his spine. He knew Acheron wasn’t lying, but he also knew he wasn’t going to give in and hand Athena over to the evil man standing in front of him, not without a fight. Not unless he’d drawn his last breath.

He also knew the time for bluffs was over.

“Ya must think I’m crazy if ya think I’m gonna bring her over her.”

“Ah, so we’ve moved past the lies. Good. And we both know you’re only delaying the inevitable. Do you think we can lure her out if I hurt you? Do you think she loves you enough to put herself in danger for you?”

Yondu’s jaw clenched. It didn’t go unnoticed by Acheron.

He raised a brow. “Or maybe she doesn’t love you enough for that. That makes it even worse, in a way, doesn’t it? That she’s going to die for someone she doesn’t even love.”

Yondu made a jerking movement as though the very words pained him. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what, Udonta? Don’t put your fears into words?”

Yondu whistled, his arrow leaving its holster and flying toward Acheron’s head. Acheron caught it easily and chuckled.

“I wondered when your toy would make an appearance.” He snapped it in half, and the two pieces fell harmlessly to the ground. “But I grow impatient and I tire of this meaningless banter. Bring her to me or I shall find her myself.”

“I ain’t lettin’ ya lay a hand on her.”

“You’re in no position to be making promises you can’t keep. Although I suppose she’s used to broken promises, being with a Ravager. Your type aren’t known for keeping your word. Did you promise to keep her safe?” He shook his head. “Just one more worthless promise from a worthless Ravager.”

The sounds of battle continued to rage around them, but the two men might as well have been the only two on the battlefield.

“Why not just kill me? She ain’t done nothin’ ta ya!”

“Killing you won’t satisfy me. I want you to suffer. I want you to feel what it’s like to have the person you love ripped from you.”

“I didn’t kill -”

“You might as well have been the one to pull the trigger! You stole the amulet from me! The only way I could have brought her back! And now it’s gone.”

“There ain’t no bringin’ back tha dead. Ain’t no amulet can do that.”

Acheron glared at Yondu. “I want you to remember those words. I want you to remember them every day. Every day when you wake up and realize there will be no bringing her back to you once I’m finished with her! You will live your life knowing you were the reason she lost hers!”

Yondu opened his mouth to reply when Acheron suddenly dropped to his knees, a surprised expression on his face before he collapsed at Yondu’s feet.

Yondu looked up, stunned, to see Athena standing in front of him, her quad blaster still aimed at Archeron’s back.

She met Yondu’s eyes and took a shaky breath. “He talked too much.”

Yondu let out a strangled laugh and moved to her, sidestepping the lifeless body of Acheron. He pulled her close and held her tight as the battle raged around them.

She wrapped her arms around him, briefly, then said, “Should we be standing here when there’s still fighting going on?”

He laughed again as he pulled away from her. “Probably not.”

She handed him her spare quad blaster and he grinned as he took it.

“Together?” He asked.

“Always.”

They shared a brief grin before heading back into the fray and fighting their way to the ship.

_

Later, on the ship…

Athena dipped a washcloth in some water and gently wiped Yondu’s face, trying to clean his cuts.

“So you just… forgot about this pretty serious-sounding threat?”

Yondu shrugged. “Yeah.”

“How?”

“Well, it didn’t really apply ta my life at tha time. Didn’t expect it ta ever apply, ta be honest.”

“And then when it did apply?”

“Maybe I’s so smitten that it slipped my mind.”

Athena raised a brow and tried to hold back her smile as she dropped the cloth in the water. “Are you trying to sweet talk me so I’ll forget about it?”

“Maybe.” He placed his hands on her hips. “It workin’?”

Unable to fight her smile anymore, she replied, “Maybe.”

He chuckled and pulled her a little closer. “Good.”

#yondu #yondu x oc #yondu udonta #guardians of the galaxy #yondu fanfiction #guardians of the galaxy fanfiction #gotg #400 follower challenge #RavagerQueen #yondu x athena

[xmxisxforxmaybe]

Melbourne, An Interlude

Summary: Merriell “Snafu” Shelton is on leave in Australia and meets a girl who, in quite a twist for Merriell, ends up charming the pants off of him. I was inspired by @rami-hoe and their story, The Soldier and the Nurse, because it was written in Snaf’s first person POV.

 I am experimenting with this whole first person POV thing, so I keep Snaf’s thoughts in a slight version of his accent—this might be annoying af and not work at all :/ Feedback welcome! This is also my first piece on here with an OFC instead of a reader insert. I still tried to keep her vague-ish, but I wanted to do something different : )

 This story will be two parts because I no longer seem to be able to write a one-shot to save my life.

   Permanent Taglist: @rami-malek-trash  @sherlollydramoine

   Warnings: language, racial slur against the Japanese in accordance with the time period, and lots of sex stuff, so no under 18s, please!

If Guadalcanal was anythin’ to indicate what else was comin,’ I was gonna make the most of my time here in Melbourne. I was one of the lucky ones without malaria, but I was skinnier than I’d eva been and it was provin’ to be difficult to keep food in me long enough to actually fix my malnourishment.

What I can tell ya was takin’ a shower without a gun within arm’s length, without the fear of havin’ a shell dropped on ya naked ass, was next to feelin’ like god himself was wrappin’ ya up in a hug made out of warm rainwater.  

 It took a few days of eatin’ a little here and there and a whole lotta sleep for my nerves to relax. After a few meals dat finally settled well and sleepin’ for damn near 36 hours, I was ready to go out and find a drink, and I more than hoped not to spend anotha night alone on a fuckin’ cot in dat stadium.  

 First night out, I drank five glasses of whiskey and ended up stumblin’ around, gettin’ lost—I used to be able to drink a hell of a lot more than dat. I ended up runnin’ smack inta a gaggle of girls, gigglin’ and chatterin’ as dey were headin’ into the bar I just left.

 I’ll be honest, I didn’t care which one said yes—so I took my shot, hopin’ I’d come across as charmin’ to at least one of em. I smiled a lot because I knew girls liked it when I did, and I ran a hand through my hair, short because it had just been cut, tryin’ to look just a little innocent and tryin’ to not sound as drunk as I was.  

 Her name was somethin’ like Stella or Bella, and I’m pretty sure she was a decent lookin’ girl. She took me back to the place she shared with her sister, and while she was shy at first, she opened up once the lights were out. I tried my best to get her to leave a little light on because I spent enough time in the black of night, not able to even see my own dick in my hand when takin’ a piss. But she was too shy for dat.

 I took my time, drunk as I was, and made sure she was ready for me. I wasn’t ‘bout to do somethin’ stupid to start off my leave and maybe she’d be the only girl I’d end up gettin’. I wanted her to remember a good enough time.

 The sex was . . . sex. She was a little quiet, a little soft. She kept her hands at her sides, clutchin’ at the sheets on occasion as she laid under me. I eventually gave up on askin’ her what she liked, how she wanted to be touched, because she just giggled and shook her head. I liked it betta when a girl let loose, when she let me know it felt good, too.  

 I came, pullin’ out even though I was wearin’ a rubber. Unlike a lot of my buddies, I paid damn close attention to those fuckin’ VD movies dey showed us. Right before we shipped out, a kid I knew from trainin’ camp got the clap. Sometimes, when I think ‘bout just slippin’ in to a woman, I remember what his fuckin’ dick looked like and I spend the thirty seconds lubin’ and wrappin’ up with one of the rubber kits the officers give out like candy. I wasn’t gonna spend half my leave vistin’ a Pro Station, or worse, laid up in the hospital with my cock on fire.

 Once somethin’-ella was asleep, I tried to leave, quiet as possible. The damn MPs were still up everyone’s assholes, and I didn’t wanna be put in a cage. But on my way out, I ran into her sister and her name sounded somethin’ like Stella or Bella, too. She wasn’t quite as good lookin’ as her sister, but at least she wasn’t shy.

 Honestly, I was just engagin’ in small talk, tryin’ to leave, but before I knew it, I found myself, naked and sprawled out on Stella/Bella #2’s bed with her bouncin’ on my cock like she’d been born to do it. Unlike her sis, she really didn’t need my help to come, and I actually was a little taken aback when ‘bout two minutes in she started screamin’ like a banshee, shakin’ and comin’ undone on top of me. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feeling of her warmth, the sweet smell of sex mixin’ with whateva clean soap she had used, until I found myself comin’ for her, just like I did for her sister.

 This one was more difficult to get away from, her limbs all tangled with mine and I wasn’t ready for dat—for feelin’ like I couldn’t move. It was way too much like sittin’ in a foxhole up to ya asshole in mud, tangled with ya weapon and ya gear and leanin’ against a buddy.

 I relied on instinct and stayed real still, laborin’ my breathin’ like I was asleep and sure enough, she drifted off, snorin’ her head off.

 I detangled myself and got outta there. I’d come enough to be a little more sober, so I snuck a glass of water before headin’ out, hopin’ I’d be able to find my way back to base unnoticed.

 * * * * *

 The next few weeks proceeded in much the same fashion. Drinkin’, smokin’, a little gamblin’, and closin’ out the night by finding some sweet thing to bed down. I was the happiest I’d been in a long time and even though the threat of drills and trainin’ was kept loomin’ ova our heads, I didn’t mind. Nothin’ here would eva be as bad as what was ova there.

 Like I said, I was content with my days and nights and believed it would be how’d I’d spend my time in Melbourne until I saw her.

 I was playin’ a game of cards with a few of my buddies, a cigarette danglin’ from my lips, the smoke waftin’ up in a thick stream when I glanced up at a loud guffaw of laughter comin’ from a few tables ova. I reached up to lower my cigarette, and when I found the source of the laughter, I saw the sexiest woman I had eva laid my damn eyes on.

 She was surrounded by a group of marines I didn’t know, probably from the 7th Division. Her laughter had them captivated, and her glass of beer was—goddamn, she was drinkin’ beer like she’d been doin’ it her whole life. Her lips fit sensuously ova the thick rim of the mug, and the way she licked the little bit of liquid from her upper lip after a long draught, not just a sip, but a real drink, made me shift in my chair.

 I had to know her—fuck sleepin’ with her; I just needed to be near her.

 I bowed out of the game, the guys givin’ me major shit as I walked toward her table, all of them turnin’ to see if I’d make an asshole of myself.

 When I stopped in front of the table, the conversation barely paused, even though she noticed me immediately and shot me a smirk, her pink lips glistenin’.

 “Hi ya,” I said loud enough to turn all their attention. “Name’s Merriell Shelton, 1st Marines Division, and I’d love to buy ya a drink.”

 The woman raised her eyebrow, her smirk still planted on her lips. The marines around her laughed and told me to fuck off, albeit with more polite words since dey were in front of the lady.

 “As you can see Merriell Shelton, I don’t have a shortage of marines to buy me a drink. What makes your offer so special?”

 American. I wasn’t expectin’ dat. Her response made it clear she was bein’ coquettish. Her tone was teasin’ and her eyes were shinin’ with a wickedness I had never seen in a woman’s eye before. It only made her more appealin’ and only made me more determined to shut the other guys up who had started laughin’ at her response, tellin’ me to keep movin.’

 “Well, my offer is different, Miss, because dat’s all I want,” I said.

 The marines shifted in their seats, clearly annoyed, until one of em I hadn’t seen earlier, guffawed. It was a guy in my company named James Haneson, but everyone called him Hollywood because he had movie-star good looks and wore sunglasses every chance he got. In fact, even though it was night, he had ‘em on now.

 “Sure, Snafu. You’ve been with a different girl every night since we got here. Remember those sisters? Or were you just full of shit?” Hollywood said, his white teeth glitterin’ as he laughed while the othas joined in. Because I knew him, I caught the edge in his tone. He was sendin’ a clear signal, but I wasn’t ‘bout to let him win without a fight.

 Still wearin’ a grin I considered to be charmin, I retorted, “I neva’ said I been a saint. All I want is to buy a drink for the most beautiful woman I eva seen who also happens to be able to drink betta than about half the men in my company.”

 The woman laughed at dat, a throaty, deep laugh I felt run straight through body, like I got a good jolt from a bad wire.  

 “Well, gents,” she said lookin’ all ‘round her circle of admirers and fixin’ em with a sad little downturn of her mouth, which was surely negated by the wicked look in her eyes. “How can a gal refuse such a reasonable request?”

 The guys all protested, Hollywood even reached out to take hold of her elbow, but she slid out of her chair and her linked her arm in mine.

 “I’ll see you boys soon,” she said as she reached across the table to drink down the last of her beer.

 “Wait, Kathryn! Are you gonna come back to this bar or will you be at the one ‘cross the street?”

 “Or the club down on Main?”

 “Or—”

 Kathryn cut them off with a wink, statin’, “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see!”

 Then, she turned to me and whispered, “Let’s get out of here before they stop being so amiable.”

 “Kathryn! Where ya goin’? You promised to have a drink with me tonight,” an Aussie marine who was at least three times my size and looked to be more mountain than man said as we whirred by him, Kathryn callin’ out her response ova her shoulder.

 “Now, I know that isn’t true because I never make promises to soldiers, Roger! Catch ya around!”

 As we exited the bar, Kathryn leaned into me to make way for a group of people headin’ in and she whispered right in my ear, “I took him home night before last and he came on my thighs before he even got my panties off.”

 I laughed, goddamn did I laugh! She was sexy and had a mouth on her dat woulda made most men blush.

 She continued to lean into me, and when I turned to look at her, her eyes were on my face and she was grinnin’.

 “That was a good reaction. You see, I was testing you, Mr. Shelton, and you passed. Shall we have that drink now?”

 “Yes, ma’am,” I said returnin’ her dazzlin’ smile.

 “I know a place that isn’t quite so inundated with, well, your lot.”

 I let her lead me through the streets, happy she kept her arm linked with mine. She smelled like perfume, a familiar scent dat reminded me of the little purple sweet violets my granmama grew. Perfume was a luxury now, so I figured with the way she spoke and dressed she was from money. Girls with the kinda confidence Kathryn had were used to havin’ things at their disposal.

 As we walked, she pointed out various places and named them, tellin’ me whether dey was worth vistin’ or if dey’d charge ya double.

 “How do ya know so much if ya American?” I asked, no longer able to keep my curiosity from climbin’ out the bag.

 “Well, my father is Australian. He met my mother while he was at University in the States. We always spend Christmas here with my grandparents, but since the war, I haven’t felt much like going back to my studies. I work in the shipyard now as a welder.”  

 I actually stopped in my tracks. I was expectin’ maybe a Red Cross volunteer or a nurse, but a welder, huh.

 Kathryn let go of my arm and pulled off her glove, holdin’ up her hand and tellin’ me to feel it.

 I reached out and ran my own calloused fingers ova her’s and across her calloused palm.  

 “You really are somethin’, ma’am,” I said, not botherin’ to hide the awe in my voice.

 “I guess we haven’t been properly introduced—I’m Kathryn Taylor,” she said as she held out her ungloved hand to me.

 “Merriell Shelton. Pleasure to officially meet ya,” I said as I enveloped her hand in mine, admirin’ the strength in her grip.

 “Come on, Merriell. We’re almost to Smithy’s.”

 We turned a corner and after walkin’ a few more feet, Kathryn took my hand in her once-more gloved hand and lead me down what seemed like a never-endin’, near pitch-black alley. She made a sharp turn left and then a right before we were brought to a buildin’ dat looked just like any otha bar in Melbourne, except the accents from the patrons out on the patio were all Aussie.

 “Kathryn! Good to see you, luv,” the man at the door said. “And who’s this?”

 “My friend, Merriell Shelton. He passed my test, Joe,” Kathryn said with a wink.

 The man called Joe chuckled and clapped me on the back, however, his next words were anythin’ but friendly.

 “Start any shit in there, mate, and your MPs will be the least of your concern, clear?”

 “Clear,” I said with an affirmative nod.

 I followed Kathryn in and got a fair share of stares, but no one seemed to pay us much mind once we slid into a little booth in the very back.

 “Drinks are on me,” Kathryn said as she fished around in her little bag.

 “Oh, no ma’am. I invited you—”

 “Merriell. You fought. You lived. You’ll be off to fight again. I’m not the one risking my life on those godforsaken islands. The absolute least I can do is buy you a drink,” Kathryn said with finality as she slid from the booth and strode away—at least before stopping on her heel and doing a rather impressive about-face.

 “I forgot to ask what you wanted,” she said with a quizzical look on her face as she stood in front of me.

 I had to laugh. I didn’t think I’d eva met a woman who made me laugh as much as I had in such a short while.

 “I like whiskey,” I said.

 “You’ll get the finest in the house,” she said, smiling again before she turned and took off for the crowded bar.

I took a lot of pleasure in watchin’ her walk away. Her blue dress clung to her backside like it was made for the sole purpose of drivin’ a man wild.

 When Kathryn returned, she had two large glasses of beer and two glasses of whiskey.

 “Figured it’d be awhile before they’d make room for me at the bar again,” she said as she scooted a beer and a whiskey to my side of the table.

 I thanked her and took a sip of the whiskey. It was damn smooth, so smooth I was sure I’d never tasted anythin’ like it before.

 Kathryn also took a sip and thought for a moment before sayin’, “I think it has a nutty taste. Definitely not floral, not woody.”

 I shrugged my shoulders at her, not sure what else to say.

 “It’s my dad’s and my granddad’s favorite. I’ve been sneaking sips since I was a little girl,” Kathryn said as she slid her glass toward me. “However, I really don’t like it at all.”

 I laughed again, a quiet chuckle of surprise because I wasn’t eva sure what was gonna come out of her mouth next.

 “Where are you from, Merriell? Your accent is . . . sexy,” she said, pausin’ to either add emphasis or because she might’ve finally felt a little shy.

 “I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana.”

 “New—Naw Orlens. No. New Or-lins. How’d I do?”

 “Not too bad,” I said with a chuckle. “Just don’t eva go full yank on me and say New Orleeens,” I said, draggin’ my e’s out to create dat sound I absolutely hated.

 Kathryn giggled and said, “Point taken. I never want to hear you make that terrible noise again.”

 We both smiled at each other, and even though the night was still young, I wished it would neva end.

 Talkin’ to Kathryn was the easiest thing I’d eva done. She didn’t ask about the war, so I got to enjoy not talkin’ about it. After a few more hours and several more drinks, I learned about her childhood, her schoolin’, and her life here with her grandparents. In turn, I opened up to her about home, growin’ up and not always havin’ money but how my granmama made sure us kids neva went hungry.

 I could tell I was feelin’ the effects of the whiskey and Kathryn could, too. Like everyone who wasn’t Cajun, she said my accent was takin’ up ‘more space in my mouth’ as she put it.

 “But it’s still so sexy,” she said, this time bold as brass.

 “I’m convinced dat nut’in on dis earth is sexy as you, darlin’,” I said, shooting her what I hoped was one of my best grins.

 “You know, I’ve never met anyone with eyes more beautiful than yours. They can’t lie, Merriell. Did you know that? I’ve been testing you all night,” Kathryn said with seriousness, except I couldn’t help grinnin’ at her slurred speech.

 I was a little taken aback at the compliment, though, and told her so.

 “Nobody’s eva told me dat ‘bout ma eyes. Usually, dey just call me . . . unnervin’ or some shit,” I said with a nervous laugh. I had never confessed dat it bothered me to anyone.

 Kathryn narrowed her eyes, takin’ her time to formulate her response.

 “Prolly because you can see right the fuck through people—just like you did with, oh, what’s his name back at the bar . . . Hollywood! People want to feel like they’re special, like they’re some kinda enigma that can’t be solved. But you, Mer, you just cut right through their bullshit.”

 “I’ve neva wanted ta kiss someone more dan I wanna kiss ya right now,” I said, leanin’ on the table, my fingers dancin’ ‘round the glass dat was between em.

 Kathryn sat straight up and looked like I’d dumped a gallon of ice-water ova her head. I was confused enough to start to apologize for bein’ forward, but she cut me off.

 She locked her eyes on mine and said, “No. When we kiss, it’ll be something that you remember for the rest of your life, not a stolen press of the lips or dart of the tongue in a back-alley bar. You deserve something more than that, Merriell.”

 No woman like Kathryn had eva said anythin’ like dat to me. In fact, no woman had eva said anythin’ like dat to me. I was a lotta things, a whole lotta things, but this girl seemed to deem me worthy of far more than I eva imagined for myself.

 We were both disappointed when the bartender announced last call. It was near 3 am, but I neva felt more awake; it felt like the fuckin’ Japs were a million miles away on their own stinkhole of an island, mindin’ their own goddamn business and dey had decided to keep it dat way.

 “Guess I outta let you get back before they send the MPs after you,” Kathryn said, her eyes a little glassy as she smiled at me.

 “Nah—da officers quit checkin’ up dat closely on us. All it takes is a few favors and ya safe from dem assholes.”

 Like I was discoverin’ she was prone to do, Kathryn grew serious and changed the topic on me.

 “I’m looking for something, Mer. I’m just not sure what it is yet, but I do know that I’ve never found it.”

 I smiled at her, puzziln’ a little ova what she said.

 “I dunno if I’ve got anythin’ dat interstin’ for ya, but I would sure would like to see ya again.”

 “Done,” she said, pullin’ a little notepad and a pen from her purse. She scribbled an address on it and reached ova to tuck it snug into my shirt pocket.

 She had put her gloves back on and reached up to cup the side of my face. I leaned inta her touch and closed my eyes, savorin’ her gentleness. She slid her gloved thumb ova my lips, pressin’ just a little on the bottom one. I opened my eyes and we just stood there for what felt like a lifetime, lookin’ at each other.

 She shook her head, and pulled away, sayin’, “I’ll make sure you get on the right tram. Come on.”

 Kathryn took off down the dark alley, and I followed her, thinkin’ there was a good chance I’d follow her anywhere.

#snafu #Snafu Shelton #snafu imagine #snafu fanfic #snafu x ofc #rami malek #rami malek character #the pacific #Merriell Shelton #merriell shelton imagine #merriell shelton x ofc #female reader

[trashcanband4]

Cuddles

Summary: Daryl surprises the unnamed oc one cold night. Set between seasons 2 and 3. Pairing: Daryl x Oc Word Count: 2,298 Warnings: None

 Staying warm when there's no electricity, no gas and no way to even start a fire is hard. That's where we were in life right now. Stuck in a six bedroom mansion that I would have killed for in the old world, but now it was just a brick structure that would protect us from the dead for the night. However finding housing was never the issue. Food, heat and water were the things we looked for most often. Luckily though, this house had a decent stock of food and water. So the only thing we lacked was heat.

 But this wasn't the first night we had gone without heat and we knew without discussion how to deal with it. We would forgo individual sleeping bags and sleep in pairs to share body heat. The pairings over time had preset themselves and rarely changed. Hershel shared with Beth. Lori with Carl. Maggie of course always shared with Glenn. Daryl usually shared with Carol or no one because he could be as stubborn as a horse. Rick usually shared with me or no one and T-Dog bounced between me and Carol.

 This night was particularly freezing. As I slid into my sleeping bag in one of the many rooms of the huge house I found myself wishing I had someone in the cold fabric with me, but Rick was on watch with Daryl. T had chosen Carol for the night. So I was stuck in the bag by myself...in a dark room only lit by the full moon outside. I couldn't tell you the last time I had been completely alone and to be honest I didn't like the feeling. So I decided to just push the feeling of unsettlement aside and forced myself to go to sleep.

 I woke up in the middle of the night to the rustling of clothing then a cold, obviously male figure sliding into the bag behind me. He lightly, almost hesitantly, slid his arm around my mostly exposed waist and pulled me back into his chest. He sighed as my body heat thawed his freezing skin. I assumed it was Rick, but had I been fully awake I would have realized otherwise. Rick always put his back to mine, as did T-Dog. This man was spooning with me. But being the middle of the night I thought nothing of it and went back to sleep.

 I was never very alert in the mornings, even back before the turn. I always woke up slowly, one sense at a time. The first sense that made it's way into my semi conscious state was smell. Rick usually smelled of himself and deodorant, but what assaulted my nose now was something new, yet oddly familiar. Dirt, manly musk and the very faint smell of cigarettes. Still more than half asleep I let it slide. The next sense to awaken? Touch. Hairs tickled my nose where my face was pressed into a nude, warm chest. My hands were tucked under my chin, our legs were intertwined and one heavy arm held me to this mystery man.

 Now fully aware that this was not Rick or T-Dog I opened my eyes. I didn't move for fear of waking the sleeping person. But as soon as I opened my eyes and saw the tattoo in front of them that said "Norman" I knew who was holding me, Daryl. But...Daryl? Why the hell was he in my bed? I mean, dudes hot as hell so I'm not complaining, but he had never come to me before despite me telling him that he could if the occasion ever arose.

 I never expected him to take me up on my offer, but I'm not going to lie I had thought about sharing with him and what it would be like. I never thought it would be like this. The only word for what we were doing is cuddling. When Daryl was awake he was anything but cuddly. As I tilted my head up to look at him now, sound asleep, he looked years younger and a lot less intimidating. I smirked softly to myself and pressed my face back into his chest.

 As the reality of the situation sank in, my heart started to race. I'd had a thing for him since he found me camped out in the woods near Hershel's farm, struggling to stay alive. He was attractive, gruff and somehow still sensitive and selfless and here I was cuddled up to him like my life depended on it.

 I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly in an attempted to slow my heart rate, all that did was cause Daryl to groan. I knew he was awake when his arm around me stiffened. In a silent request for him to not let go I snuggled in closer to him. Since my head was tucked below his chin he had no way of seeing that I was awake. Now his whole body was stiff, but he didn't let go.

 We laid there like that for what felt like forever and eventually I decided to see exactly how comfortable he was with our current position. He was uncomfortable with any show of affection. I knew because I rubbed his back once in a show of thanks after he shot a walker that was about to bite me and he acted like the simple loving touch burned him.

 My hands that were tucked under my chin had been clinched into fists, so I flattened them out on his taunt chest reveling in his warmth. He grunted, but otherwise didn't react. So after a few seconds I started rubbing his chest with my thumbs. It was obvious that I was awake and he pulled back, much to my dismay, to look me in the eyes. "Hi" was all I could think to say.

 "Hey" he replied, sleep making his voice even more gruff. 

 "So, uh whatcha doin'?" I drawled curiously.

 "Was sleeping till ya started movin'." He answered without a beat.

 "No I mean, whatcha doin’ here, in bed...with me?" I asked with a glance around not able to make myself look him in the eyes.

 "Ya said I could." His nonchalant tone didn't fool me.

 "Yeah, but I never expected you to take me up on my offer." I admitted.

 "I can leave if ya want me to." He said as he started to move away from me.

 "No!" I snapped a little too loud and too quickly. He quirked an almost cocky brow at me. "I mean, please don't?" I asked a lot calmer now. "I'm really warm and comfortable and if you leave we'll both be cold."

 He just settled back and pulled me close. We lay there for a few minutes comfortable and content lost in our thoughts. While I was thinking about where I was and who it was keeping me warm a smirk appeared on my face. "What ya smilin' at woman?" He asked with a glance down at me.

 "I know something no one else does." I told him with a grin and he cocked an eyebrow at me. "Unless you cuddle with Carol. If that's the case then she and I know something the rest of the group doesn't." I said my smirk growing into a grin. He scoffed and shook his head. "You're snuggly and you know it." I mocked in a sing song manner and instantly regretted it because his face turned red and he unzipped and threw the sleeping bag off of him. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry." I spat out quickly and grabbed his hand hoping to pull him back into bed. 

 Instead of coming back to bed he stared down at my hand in his. When he finally looked away from our hands his eyes connected with mine and I rubbed my thumb over the back of his hand before I have it a light tug. He obeyed and got back into the sleeping bag with me. Instead of cuddling with me face to face he put his back to me.

 I had pissed him off, or embarrassed him, or both. I hadn't meant to and I needed to apologize. So I gently slid my arm under his that lay on his side, to wrap around his waist. He stiffened, but didn't completely recoil at my touch. "I'm sorry." I told him more sincerely as I propped my head up with my elbow. From this view I could see the profile of his face. "I didn't mean to make fun. You just surprised me is all. You're always so...tough. It threw me off to see you go from a grizzly bear to a teddy bear." I said as I took in the side of his neck that was clean for once thanks to the spit baths we had all taken with solar warmed water from a nearby river.

 "Ain't no teddy bear." He grumbled.

 "No?" I asked rhetorically. "Are you sure?" I whispered as I leaned down and grazed his neck with the end of my nose gauging his reaction. He flinched a little but didn't pull away. "Because I think you can be when you want to." I grazed my lips over his neck until they got close to his ear. "And to be completely honest, I kinda have a thing for men who know how to cuddle." I admitted, but got no reaction from him. He simply remained stiff so instead of pushing him too far I decided to back off. I had made my point and made my intentions clear. If I kept going I feared I would come on too strong.

 I started to slide my arm out from under his but his hand suddenly grasped mine making me freeze. "Where ya think yer goin'?" He asked in a deep husky voice I'd never heard him use before.

 "I, uh, don't know." I stuttered as he turned over to look at me, keeping my arm over his waist as he did. His eyes were just slits illuminated by the pail morning light as he gazed at me.

 "I think you mean nowhere." He said with a small smirk as he moved to place his hand on my hip. "Come 'ere." It wasn't a question, but a demand and there was no way I could resist, not that I wanted to, when he pulled my hips into his and intertwined his legs with mine.  "How's this for cuddles?" He asked sounding cocky.

 I smirked to myself where my face was tucked into the bend of his neck. I kissed it enjoying his scent as I worked my way to his ear.  "Perfect." I whispered. Then gave his earlobe a nibble. He grunted and held me tighter.

 “You, uh,” he started to ask something but stopped.

 The sudden awkwardness in his tone had me curious. “I, uh, what?” I asked pulling back to look into his eyes.

 “You ever cuddle with anyone else?” he asked not looking me in the eyes.

 “You mean before the turn?” I asked and he still didn’t look at me or answer me. “or are you asking if I cuddle with Rick or T-dog on a regular basis?” his eyes finally met mine when I asked about Rick and T. So I knew that’s what he meant. “It’s strictly survival with them. We sleep back to back. T-dog tried something a few weeks ago, but he’s not really my type.” You answered. “What about you? Do you cuddle with anyone else?” I asked.

 “Na, we’re just friends.” He answered with a head shake.

 “Then what does that make us?” I asked without thinking that it might make things even more awkward. “Um, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”

 He simply placed his hand on the back of my head and pulled it into his chest. We stayed like this for a few minutes before we heard a knock on the bedroom door. “Daryl, you in there?” Rick’s voice came from the other side and I picked my head up to look at Daryl. “If you are, meet me on the porch, I need help checkin’ the traps before the eaters get to ‘em.”

 We just stared at each other until he heard Rick walk away. “As much as I don’t want you to, you should probably go.” I suggested.

 He nodded and set up as he tossed the sleeping back aside, letting cool air in. I quickly reached for my jacket and put it on as he grabbed his button up blue plaid shirt and shrugged it on. He stood up before me, and reached a hand out to help me up. I took it letting him haul me to my feet. I gave him a nod of thanks, getting a small nod and smile in return. After we had finished getting dressed he headed to the door and grabbed the knob, but stopped and looked back at me. He looked like he was thinking about something then all of a sudden he grabbed my hips, pulled me in and placed a light kiss on my lips. Within seconds the kisses deepened then softened before he pulled back and we opened our eyes. “Wanna share again tonight?” he asked with a glimmer in his eyes that I had never seen before.

 “Definitely.” I answered without even having to think about it.

 “Alright then.” Daryl grumbled with a nod then leaned down and pecked me on the lips. He smirked at me as he pulled the door open then turned and walked out.

 As I rolled up my sleeping bag, I thought about what was to come tonight when Daryl and I slept together again.

Authors note: And once again, sorry if this sucked. It’s been sitting incomplete on my phone for a year now so I figured it was time to finish it the best I can and post it. I am finding it hard to get inspired since losing my mother. It just has me in a weird mind set. So I apologize for the lack of updates. I’m still working on training sessions two. Hopefully I can get that finished tonight and posted tomorrow but don’t hold me to it.

As always if you asked to be tagged and didn’t, didn’t want to be tagged and did, or if you want to be tagged. Please let me know so that I can make those changes. I am horrible at staying up to date on my tag lists.

Daryl Story Tags: @jodiereedus22  @mtngirlforever   @zzeacat   @winchester-angel   @moodygrip   @beegnc   @hells-mistress   @lighthope08   @sapphire1727 @luisadontcurr   @Chloebabyboo @ilkaeliseb   @twdeadfanfic   @ravengalaxia   @1lluminaticonfirmed   @my-current-fandom-is   @Nikkiloves-bailey  @coffeebooksandfandom   @lonewolf471  @khloekiddo

#the walking dead #the walking dead fanfiction #twd #twd fanfiction #the walking dead daryl x reader #daryl dixon #daryl dixon reader #daryl dixon x you #daryl dixon imagine #daryl #daryl x you #daryl x reader #daryl imagines #the walking dead fanfic #twdfanfic #thewalkingdeadfanfiction #thewalkingdeadfanfic

[lordclover]

A Burning Rose

So I started a fanfic a while ago on Ao3 and never posted it to tumblr c’: idk for sure if I’ll post weekly updates here too, but I thought I’d give it a go! 

Summary:  Arthur had always been curious in strangers he's encountered. He's stopped one too many times to talk to people, helped people for no particular reason, and had gotten mixed results. He'd been shot before because of it and met decent folk. At the end of the day he always had a unique story to write in his journal, a memento of his experiences. One day he spotted a horse on its own and decided to investigate. His curiosity leads him to meet a photographer that he'd never expect to find similarities in, yet the more time he spends with her the more he realizes they're kindred spirits.

Chapter One:  Arcadia for Amateurs

               Arthur had been heading down an empty path towards Strawberry, hoping to find the trapper, when he spotted a horse in a forest grove. He watched as it vanished among the trees and he frowned. Slowly Arthur looked around, searching for a smoke trail. No one was camping, but that didn’t mean the horse was alone.

              He spurred Whiskey on, but couldn’t help but look back at the horse. Arthur sighed.

              “Let’s just make sure they’re alright,” Arthur told Whiskey. “Ain’t no harm checkin’.”

              He knew that wasn’t true, some folks reacted badly to anyone getting close. Yet Arthur couldn’t stop himself from wanting to make sure the horse was accompanied by someone. He was already heading towards Strawberry; he could bring it by the stables if it was alone. Make some money as well.

              He guided Whiskey towards where he’d seen the horse and studied the ground to follow where it’d gone. Going hunting with Charles had made him a significantly better tracker. He still wasn’t great, but he had gotten better. He reckoned he’d never be a fantastic hunter, but that didn’t matter much. As long as he could provide food for the gang, he was content.

              He spotted the horse not far away; she was standing still then. Arthur dismounted Whiskey and walked over to the American standardbred. She was a gorgeous horse, a dappled tan with a well-kept mane. An expensive horse, but worth every penny. Her saddle and bridle matched her well, both rather expensive. The saddle he couldn’t justify as much as the horse, his own saddle was just as good and half the price. The horse looked up at him, before flicking her ear and looking to the right. Arthur followed her gaze to a woman standing by a camera of some sort. She had soft blonde hair pulled back into a neat bun. She looked completely out of place in the woods, her skirt too clean, her hair too well kept. Arthur frowned at her curiously, unable to force himself to walk back to Whiskey. She said something under her breath and looked up at a bag that was laying a couple yards in front of her camera. He couldn’t stop himself from wandering closer, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

              “Morning to you,” Arthur said as he approached, trying not to startle her.

              She turned to look at him, her light green eyes evaluating him with one quick look, leaving him taken aback. She was beautiful, a kind of beautiful that made him question why she was here. After being in Valentine for so long, it was strange to see a woman that seemed respectable. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but she wasn’t it.

              Her expression was calculated, he knew she was already planning ahead, steps ahead of him. It was the same look Hosea had when he was planning something.

              “Hello,” she said, her accent noticeably French. Her voice was silky and so smooth he wondered if she’d ever misspoken.

              “Lovely day isn’t it?” she asked.  

              “Sure,” Arthur said with a slight shrug.

              It was a good day for him, he hadn’t been shot at yet. His standards had gotten pretty low in the past few weeks.

              He couldn’t help but noticed the necklace she was wearing. It was partially hidden, the pendant under her shirt. It was an expensive necklace; he could tell even with part of it obscured. He was willing to bet it was at least sixty, maybe more depending on the pendant. He wondered if she’d encountered trouble before, if that was why it was hidden. Surely, she knew that anyone with a keen eye would know its worth even with part of it hidden. Why even wear it?

              He’d only spent a second taking this in, but she seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. She studied him with an uncertain frown, her eyes drifting to his gun briefly. He waited for her next move, more than willing to leave if she didn’t want him around. In truth he’d probably stolen from people like her, well… there wasn’t any questioning it, he had. They’d strayed from their Robin Hood mentality, but Arthur was trying not to rob decent folk. At least when he could, lately it felt like they were forced more and more to do it whatever it took to survive.

              She turned back to her camera and Arthur frowned.  Wasn’t she afraid? She’d noticed him studying her necklace, yet she had her back to him. She fiddled with something, before frowning again. She looked up towards the bag once more.

              “If you don’t mind me askin’, what exactly are you doin’?”

              “Photography,” the woman said.

              “Figured as much,” Arthur said.

              “Of course,” she said with a small chuckle. “You’ll have to forgive me, I am not… well I’m not as good at this as I’d like to be.” She looked back up at the bag and shifted the camera ever so slightly. She studied it again and shifted the camera once more. “I have been photographing wildlife, but… it is a difficult venture.”

              She walked away from the camera and towards the bag. Arthur peered over the camera and examined it curiously, before following her. She noticed this and smiled slightly. He returned it instantly.

              “Stand here, would you?” she asked.

              “Here?” Arthur asked as he walked over to where she directed.

              She nodded and then frowned in thought. She stepped in front of him, looked back at her camera, and then put her hands on his arms, shifting him over. He obediently moved and she studied him again. She took a step back, seemingly satisfied. Arthur smiled slightly in amusement. He reckoned he didn’t know much about photography, but he was beginning to wonder just how much she knew.

              “Juliette Bellerose,” she said as she offered her hand.

              “Arthur Morgan,” he said as he accepted her hand.

              She shook his hand.

              “Pleasure to meet you,” Juliette said.

              “Likewise,” Arthur said.

              She started back towards her camera.

              “I’m trying to capture images of the great predators in America,” Juliette explained.

              “You trying to get yourself killed?” Arthur asked in disbelief.

              “No,” Juliette said simply.

              “Isn’t there easier things to photograph?”

              “Oh of course, monsieur Morgan, but I love a challenge,” Juliette said.

              There was a word he didn’t know, monsieur. He didn’t have a strong enough grasp on English to know if it was foreign, but he figured it was French. He wasn’t about to ask, unwilling to prove himself an idiot yet.

              “Portraits ain’t challenging enough?” Arthur mused.

              “Portraits are so dull… people always dress up, they might as well paint a picture, it’d be just as accurate,” Juliette said with distaste. “It’s painfully pretentious as well.”

              He wouldn’t call her pretentious, but he was growing more and more certain she’d been around plenty of pretentious people. She certainly didn’t grow up among wildlife.

              “How’s that?” Arthur asked.

              “People love to pretend they’re something they’re not,” Juliette explained. “But… the truth always gets out, somehow.”

              He watched as she fiddled with the camera for a moment. Juliette smiled in satisfaction and stepped away from the camera.

              “Thank you,” Juliette said.

               He nodded and walked back over to her.

              “So how exactly are you planning on photographing predators without getting killed?” Arthur asked.

              “I have been trying to make bait out of meat and lay it out far enough that they’ll hopefully be more interested in it than me.”

              “That doesn’t sound very safe,” Arthur said.

              “I am still alive,” Juliette said with a small shrug. “I’ve lasted longer in America than I thought.”

              That was a curious mentality to hear from someone like her. Still alive. Why even come out here if she figured she was going to die? Surely someone like her didn’t have to be, must have had options.

              “That’s good, I reckon,” Arthur said.

              “I’ve gotten some good photos, but I’m afraid I only have one down.”  

              Arthur raised an eyebrow, but she simply smiled. He shook his head as it finally dawned on him. She had a knowing look in her eyes and seemed amused.

              “Clever, miss Bellerose,” he chuckled.

              “Juliette is fine,” she said. “I’m afraid predators have proven harder than I had planned, although I have gotten several-”

              Her gaze shifted over and her eyes widened. Arthur turned to see a coyote at her bag, nuzzling it curiously. Arthur stepped out of the cameras way as Juliette snapped a photograph. The coyote looked up at the snap of the camera. It grabbed the bag and dashed off.

              She said somethin’ in a language he didn’t understand, his guess was French but he couldn’t be certain. Her tone expressed enough for him to guess what she was saying, she sounded awfully annoyed by the coyote’s thievery.  

              “Don’t worry,” Arthur said as he started to chase after it.

              The coyote sprinted up the hill and Arthur followed as close as he could. They went up the hill and down towards an outpost.

              “Leave the bag!” Arthur called after it.

              The coyote ignored him and ran down to the outpost. Coyotes were fast, but this one was burdened by the bag. It continued for a while further, before finally dropping the bag and darting away. It was lucky, Arthur had considered just shooting it. He walked over to the bag.

              “A wildlife photographer,” Arthur scoffed as he picked it up.

              He started back through the outpost and towards where she’d set up. Her smile was still at the forefront of his mind. One down. He knew she’d called him a predator, but he couldn’t help wonder why she wasn’t afraid of him. She knew he wasn’t just a traveler. Might figure him a bounty hunter, but that wasn’t much better than what he was. He hoped for her own sake she didn’t make a habit of inviting dangerous people to chat.  

              As he started down the hill, he spotted her at the camera. She looked up as she heard his footsteps.

              “Ah, thank you!” She said. “At least now I know the bait works.”

              “Yeah well, bag full of meat will tend to bring out the worst in the local population,” Arthur said as he handed it back to her.

              She accepted it, before setting it down by her camera.

              “You’re quite the gentleman,” she said.

              “Don’t know about that,” Arthur muttered.

              “Nevertheless, thank you,” Juliette said. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you, the trapper I bought the bait from wasn’t up for much negotiation… but I suppose without much competition that makes sense…”

              “No, he ain’t known for bargaining,” Arthur said. “You be careful now; you don’t want to attract the wrong animals or people.”

              “Of course,” Juliette said. “I do my best to keep out of trouble.”

              “I find that hard to believe,” Arthur said.

              “It is America, the land of trouble,” Juliette said with a smirk. “Who am I to avoid it?”

              Arthur smiled slowly, thoroughly perplexed. She seemed a smart woman, yet he couldn’t quite comprehend why she wouldn’t avoid trouble. Hunting predators wasn’t an easy feat, Hosea and him had learned that the hard way.  

“Thank you again, monsieur. I appreciate your help.”

              “Don’t worry about it,” Arthur said as he started back towards Whiskey.

              “Take care, monsieur,” Juliette said.

              “I ain’t the one tryin’ to get myself killed,” Arthur said as he mounted Whiskey.

              “I find that hard to believe,” Juliette returned.

              She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with amusement, and he chuckled. She smiled and continued to fiddle with her camera. Arthur guided Whiskey back towards the path, smiling to himself.

[ small note in case it wasn’t obvious, I replaced Albert Mason in this with my own character bc i loved the potential of him but it just wasn’t fully explored so... I wanted to explore it but then one thing led to another and now i have a different character in his role lol ] 

Check it out on Ao3 to see all the current updates! 10 Chapters currently up

1 2

#red dead fanfic #arthur rdr2 #arthur morgan #juliette bellerose #rdr oc #arthur morgan x oc #redford deadford #rdr2 #arthur morgan rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #red dead oc

[midwinter-fox]

Son

While travelling through Velen, a place Dettlaff detested for its gassy swamps and excess necrophages, what he expected least of all was how many children were without families. War came with many horrid aftermaths, but so see how many homes had been torn apart brought him only aching.

"Liefje, why are we here? This place is filled with only misery and broken homes." They traveled by horseback only for the fact that Leonore was incapable of handling the speed with which he could travel while carrying her. It always brought about dizzying bouts of illness, so he had purchased a deep chestnut steed to ride alongside her beloved mare, Lola. Now, though, he wished he could make short work of their trip so he didn't have to bear witness to all of the destitution.

"To visit my family, love. They live in Novigrad, but they don't have the funds to come see me instead. Besides, I'd like to introduce you to each other. My grandmother might not approve of you immediately, but I know my sister and her children will adore you when we visit them after Gramma."

"Why would your grandmother disapprove..?"

"She's simply distrusting of men. Just call her 'grandma' and let her talk your ear off. It's the quickest way to her heart."

"Odd," he muttered, but she did not hear him over the clattering of hooves on cobblestone.

It was late when they approached the city, so there weren't so many people out in the streets, but Novigrad was a large city, and thus would always be busy. While there were no crowds, the occasional drunkard would stumble in front of either of their horses, making them have to maneuver around them, much to his irritation. He was decent when it came to riding, but he did it so infrequently that he had to try to relearn before setting off on their journey. Leonore, however, could very well be the Goddess of Equines with how skillfully she wove her steed through groups of people without bumping into a one. Admiration for his lover blossomed inside him, or it would if he could only keep up without having to tug the reins every few feet.

They entered the city through the Portside Gate, but had to travel all the way through the city to get to The Bits. Why they were given such unappealing names when there was also Glory Gate or even St. Gregory's Square was beyond the vampire's comprehension. Upon seeing the district in which Leonore's family resided, he immediately understood; the buildings were decrepit, the streets were filthy, and the homeless were everywhere. They couldn't ride more than a few paces without someone begging them for coin. As kind as he was despite appearance, Dettlaff only had so much to give and needed it for the journey back to Leonore's home in Brugge.

She rode on, not paying the misfortuned any mind whilst simultaneously managing to practically remain unnoticed. Yet, they asked him for his money when his mate was the first to stride past them. When he finally managed to catch up (though not before reluctantly parting with more crowns than he wished to), he inquired as to why this was.

"It's because you're a foreigner," she explained, "and usually foreigners mean plenty of money. Just politely decline and tell them you've not nearly as much money as they seem to think. I've gone through this before, too - they'll understand."

With that, she was off again, riding ahead as she searched for the derelict house her family called home. Left alone again, he sighed and watched her as she focused on trying to remember where her grandmother lived. There wasn't much else to look at other than her retreating form until something caught his attention. It was laughter, then a shrill cry, like someone was hurt and others watched in amusement. As loathe as he was to be there any longer than he needed to be, something in him brought him to a screeching halt. With a firm tug of the reins, he brought his horse to a stop and dismounted.

The chestnut stallion was secured to a post, and he inwardly hoped no one would steal his steed whilst his back was turned. His ears were tuned to the sound of the faint cries and notably childish laughter, but he did his best to also keep some of his focus on his unattended horse.

Down an alley, he found three dirty children standing around a crate - one crouched over it while the other two were blocking its contents from Dettlaff's view. As soon as he got too close, the children took notice of him and ran, no doubt leery of strangers thanks to living for so long on the streets. Part of him wanted to stop them, maybe even inquire after their parents and why they played in dark alleys unsupervised, but the soft cries brought his attention to the crate.

His heart stopped when he saw the tiny, dark-blue hands waving angrily from inside the wooden box, face red and voice raw from screaming. The infant laid in its own filth, a rag haphazardly draped across its malnourished body - perhaps a sign of remorse moreso than an attempt to keep it warm. Impulse took him, leading him to kneel beside the crate and lift the weak babe from the makeshift bed. It was barely big enough for him to need both hands to hold it. There were no clothes on its body, not even a cloth for its waste; the vampire felt the utmost pity and despair at seeing the baby boy discarded like this.

With the rag being the only thing to use, Dettlaff at the very least wrapped it around the child's lower half to prevent him from making even more of a mess of himself then proceeded to swaddle him in the trailing tail of his overcoat. Anger and distress welled up in him as he watched the baby go from starved and desperate screams to pained whimpers, the comfort of finally having something to warm him being the first sign of relief in who knew how long.

There was no time to try to find who dared leave an infant to die of hunger and cold in a filthy alley - Dettlaff ran back to his horse and mounted carefully. The jostling further upset the babe cradled protectively in his arms, but he couldn't do much to appease him when he was trying to ride with such precious cargo. Leonore had ridden so far ahead of him, he had to use his keen senses to try to find her. Her scent was very specific - rose, sugar, and lavender; it wasn't long before he'd caught up to her, this time in too much of a rush to care about whether his horse knocked into anyone along the way.

Her grandmother's home was, though barely, one of the nicer homes in the district. Lola was tied up outside with a pail of water set beside her as a makeshift trough. Before his horse could even make a full stop, he was dismounting and striding purposefully to the door, baby boy still trying to scream with a hoarse and weak voice. Whatever conversation was happening inside, it stopped abruptly as soon as he pushed open the door with his shoulder.

"Dettlaff?? Where have you been? Why the hell do you have a baby?!"

Leonore was on her feet and rushing to his side, but he refused to let her take the child from him, no matter that she was his mate.

"I am keeping him warm. He needs food and a bath - please, I will explain when he is cared for."

An elderly woman who was once sitting on a wooden chair off to one side of the room was standing and quickly hobbling to an adjacent room without a word. Leonore urged him to follow, so he did, but he did not expect for the old lady to be so speedy about fetching a rag and a jug of goat's milk. The cloth, though not the cleanest, was soaked in the milk then the corner pressed lightly to the babe's lips. Immediately, it latched on and began suckling. Relief flooded everyone in the room.

"Thank you," Dettlaff sighed, content now that he was able to feed the poor child. "I found him in a crate. A group of children appeared to have been attempting to play with him, but they fled when I arrived. He was barely covered in this and completely bare beneath it. I.. I could not leave him to die."

The two women exchanged a look, both cracking smiles that he was ignorant to - his focus was on the infant and ensuring it fed well.

"Gramma, do you still have the baby clothes my nieces wore?"

"Mhm, gimme a moment," the wizened woman uttered, and though she appeared feeble, she had a spring in her step that said she didn't feel nearly as old as she looked. Before too long, she had a box of clothes set before them.

While the women sifted through the children's clothing, Dettlaff couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of the baby he held. Dark, feathery soft hair covered his head in a thin layer, though whether it was black or a dark brown, it was too short to tell. His eyes never opened long enough for the vampire to tell what color they might be. The child was small, thin, and pale, all a direct result of malnourishment, but Dettlaff was pleased to see that holding him so close was making the blue in his small fingers and toes recede.

"Dettlaff? We're going to heat up some water to bathe it--"

"Him."

"Right, I'm sorry. We're going to draw him a bath. Will you be alright waiting?"

"Yes, but please, be quick. He is covered in filth." Though there was concern in his tone, Dettlaff was so preoccupied with feeding that he hadn't noticed the elderly woman approaching him from the side.

"Ya've got some nasty-lookin' claws on ya. Make sure t'keep those clean. Babies like clingin' n' suckin' on fingers." She reached forward and gently pressed a frail finger to the child's hand, and Dettlaff watched in silent awe as it closed around her finger as though on instinct.

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you." Granted, it was something he already knew, but the old lady was just trying to help. "I've never held an infant before today, but I will do my utmost to be careful."

"Never held a babe? Well, ya seem t'be doin' just fine. I've held plenty, so gimme a holler if ya need help."

"I will. Thank you, oma." His speech gave the woman pause, but she seemed to think twice about saying anything in favor of leaving to assist with making up a bath.

The baby continued to suckle on the milk-soaked rag for nearly half an hour, but when he was finally finished, he opened his mouth to begin crying anew. This time his screams were piercing, agitating the vampire's sensitive hearing and making him flinch. Now, he was at a loss of what to do. He only panicked for but a moment before Leonore came rushing in.

"Here, please allow me," she said over the harsh wails, and this time he let her take the child with no resistance. Carefully, she situated the baby at her shoulder and began patting his cloth-covered rear and humming softly; it was like she'd done this a hundred times before. Soon, there was an audible belch from the tiny body, then silence once again.

"You need to burp him after being fed or he'll get a tummy ache." Leonore handed him the baby once again, but now he was suddenly unsure of himself.

"How did you do that..?"

"You just put him up on your shoulder like this," she helped by rearranging the now fussing infant so that he was in the proper position in Dettlaff's hands, "then just firmly pat his back. Sometimes it helps to pat the rear, too. I've done this for my nieces, so I sort of know what I'm doing."

"This is the first time I've so much as touched an infant. I will need help," Dettlaff admitted.

"It's fine. Just be patient. I've found that if you pay close enough attention, you'll begin to hear a difference in cries. His hungry cry will sound very different compared to his hurt cry or his sleepy cry."

"I did not know this, thank you. Is the bath ready, liefje?"

"It is. It's why I came in here, that and to help get him calmed back down." She then led him into the adjacent room, a kitchen, and guided him to the bath.

Her grandmother stood with a handful of rags of varying degrees of cleanliness.

"Take your pick. Whatever ya don't use can be for diapering."

"Thank you, oma," he responded politely as he took one of the cloths and dipped it into the warm water.

While Dettlaff busied himself with tenderly cleaning away the dirt and refuse from the baby's body, Leonore left to grab something with which to clothe him. In the meantime, Leonore's grandmother stood and watched.

"I ain't well-versed in anything but Common, son. You'll have t'tell me what 'oma' means."

"It is Nazairi for grandma. I will call you something else if it bothers you." He only looked up when the old woman laughed, her aged eyes turned up in a wrinkled smile.

"Son, if it bugged me, ya'd know. I'm pleased t'see my grandbaby found someone with a good head on 'is shoulders. And a natural-born father t'boot."

The old woman's words made his heart soar. There were many times he'd let himself imagine having a family with his beloved, but the prospect of a vampiric child being born to a human woman wasn't a promising one. Such a pregnancy could kill her more surely than one with a mortal child, and that was if it was even possible. It was no secret that he yearned for his own children, but he'd much rather protect his mate than put her in such imminent danger, even if it meant she bore him no children.

"I've entertained the thought of having offspring," he stated simply.

"Well then get on it. Ya ain't gonna be young forever, and I'd like t'see some handsome great-grandbabies from my favorite 'fore I finally kick the bucket." Her crass way of speaking was a bit abrasive to him, but his stomach still twisted into knots just thinking about his lover's tummy swollen with his babe.

For a moment, he let himself imagine the now cleaned infant in his hands having Leonore's hazel eyes or even his own striking blue ones. It was a poor idea on his part, for it only left him getting even more attached to the small child. He was so small, so much so that the vampire feared he may slip between his fingers, though the very idea was absurd. The more he gazed at the weak little thing, the more his chest began to ache.

"What.. What will become of him..?" asked the vampire apprehensively, his voice low and full of concern.

"That," the crone replied, "is up t’you. Now, if you're done bathin' 'im, get some clothes on the poor thing. He'll freeze otherwise."

Dettlaff nodded briefly before returning to the other room, a dry rag in his hand now to properly clothe the baby. Leonore had laid out a number of little linen gowns to keep him warm, but she had to wait for her lover to return so she could see what size would fit the best. Nothing they had would fit very well with how tiny he was, but they made do with the smallest one they had. More fussing from the infant ensued, but once finally bundled up, the older woman instructed them both on how to properly swaddle him in a blanket. As soon as he was wrapped up, arms and legs secured in a cotton cocoon, the baby fell asleep. Pleased that he was finally resting, Dettlaff gently cradled and rocked the infant.

"Will you name him..?" Leonore asked tentatively, unsure if the man was even contemplating keeping the child or if he was going to try finding him a suitable home.

"Should I..?" It seemed even Dettlaff was unsure of what he'd planned to do. It was purely instinct and the desire to protect that drove him to bring the babe with him. He didn't think he'd actually be keeping him, but who else would he go to? "Are we to raise him..? I admit, I did not think this through."

"Well, I see no harm in doing so, though it’ll be a huge responsibility. If he was abandoned, I'd like nothing more than to ensure he has a good home. He’ll probably die otherwise. Besides, you've told me time and again how you want kids." There was only kindness and warmth in her gaze, and Dettlaff could not love this woman more than he did in that moment.

"And you would have me name him?" When she nodded, he paused in thought. It was another minute or so before he came to a decision. "Ezra."

"Ezra? You're certain?"

"I am. His name is Ezra."

"Any surname? I'm unsure of how the Nazairi go about that, but I know you go by 'van der Eretein.'"

"It signifies my place of origin. The Eretein valley in Nazair is where I once made my home. If I gave him a surname, it would best be 'van der Steeg' or 'van der Stad.'"

"What do they mean?"

"Steeg is alley. Stad is city."

"I'd rather call him Ezra of the city rather than of the alley."

"Ezra van der Stad," Dettlaff uttered to himself, then again with more confidence to test the sound of it. "Is this alright by you, liefje?"

"I like it," she smiled, then looked back at her grandmother for approval. The elder, standing silently to the side as she watched the unfolding scene, nodded. "It's settled. I'll see about gathering some extra clothing and the like to take home with us for him."

Mindlessly, Dettlaff nodded. He was in a state of euphoria. Though it was not how he'd intended for it to be, he now had a son, and he would do all in his power to give him all of the love and care he deserved.

"Ik hou van jou, mijn zoon," he whispered as he pressed his lips to the infant's forehead. The babe slept peacefully, blissfully unaware that he was now held and coddled by the man who would be his father.

#My Tales #Dettlaff #dettlaff van der eretein #fluff #I love you my son #my heart hurt thinking about this #betemorne posted a headcanon that gave me this idea #Ezra also means helper #ugh i might post more baby stuff

[doyouevenshipbr0]

gruvia drabble

author's note: bro i wanna write angst so bad involving like a battle or sum but im hOrRiBlE at writing action scenes!!! that has nothing to do w this prompt im just venting lmao!! this is ab gray and juvia taking on some missions after the alvarez arc. enjoy bbies!!<33

*

Juvia scanned the new board for jobs to take on. The guild had just finished its rebuilding after the Alvarez war, and it was time to get back to work. She was eager to find something to do with Gray, since she loved going on jobs with him and just spending time with him in general. After finding one that looked fairly straightforward and with a decent reward, she quickly ripped it off its tack and searched for Gray.

After a few moments she found him at a table by himself, eating his lunch. A big smile lit up the water mage's face as she scurried over to him.

"Gray-sama!" She called out as she ran to the head of the table, seeming to catch Gray off-gaurd. "Juvia has a mission for us to go on!" She smiled and proudly held out the paper for Gray to see.

He quickly skimmed it, hardly giving it a read. "Nah, I'm good." He said simply and resumed eating his food.

"Eh?!" Juvia yelped as she felt a knife take a jab at her heart. "But it's been so long since we've gone on a job together, Gray-sama!" Her eyes overdramatically began to fill with tears.

"I still don't wanna' go." He looked up at her with an almost annoyed face, and then went back to eating like before.

"B-b-but!" Juvia frantically stammered, dumbfounded at the rejection she just faced.

"I'll see ya' later." Gray ignored her spasms as he stood from the table and took his now empty plate with him, going to a different part of the guild.

Juvia's mouth was on the ground in horror. How could he be so blatantly uninterested?! She was at a loss for words, which was rather unlike her.

The next day, she tried her best to rub off her rejection, and approached the guild with a fresh spirit, not letting the day before get to her. "Maybe he wasn't interested in the mission, that's all." She decided to herself that was all it was, and approached the board again, ready to find a new job for she and Gray to venture on. She wouldn't give up that easily.

Her feet were stopped in her tracks when she saw what was before her. She saw familiar black locks, and he was looking at the job board. Juvia practically squealed from happiness. Gray wanted to pick out the job himself! That was all! He really was just being picky! With her morale high, she giddily ran over to Gray, and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her chest onto his back, causing Gray to jump.

"Gray-sama, if you wanted to pick the mission to go on yourself you should've just said so!" She giggled, keeping her hold locked onto him.

"W-what're you talkin' about?!" Gray exclaimed, startled by Juvia's grasp.

"The mission we're going to go on, darling!" Juvia finally let go and switched to his side, leaning onto him so she could see the paper he had in his hands. "So, what is it?!" She inquired.

"It's a mission that I'm goin' on. Just me." Gray pulled the paper away from her gaze and took a step to the side.

"Just you?! But what about Juvia?!" She was feeling something similar to the day before, but it stung even more this time.

"Yeah, just me." He frowned. "I'll be back by tomorrow, alright? It shouldn't take long." Gray turned and walked out the guild, paper in hand, and went out onto his solo job, leaving Juvia to wallow in grief.

The day after, Juvia was much more reluctant to even go to the guild that day. Her whole being was practically crushed yesterday by her love, and she wasn't exactly thrilled by it. She really was running low on money, though, so she decided she had to go and look for a job by herself, as much as it pained her to do.

She sulked her way over to the guild, picked out a job that would give her the extra cash that she needed, and sulked her way out of the guild, not stopping to make conversation with anyone.

The mission was about an hour train ride away, so she walked to the station, looking down to the ground practically the whole way. She remained slugging around, not being able to shake Gray off her mind. Why was he acting so cold? Had she done something wrong? She wasn't sure, but she knew she had to push it to the back of her mind and focus at the task at hand. She nodded to herself as she sat down on a bench, waiting for her train, and decided she would worry about all of that later.

"Oi."

Or she would worry about it now.

She finally looked up and saw the very person she just decided to blur out for the next couple hours. There he stood, just a few feet in front of her in perfect focus.

"Oh. Hi, Gray-sama." She said with much less spunk than normal.

"What're you doin' here?" He approached her with a raised brow. He must've been coming back from the job he just went on.

"Going on a mission. Juvia has to take the train for it." She looked to the side. She was a little embarrassed to asmit she had to go all by herself.

"What?" Gray's voice was slightly louder. "By yourself? Why?" He seemed annoyed.

"W-well," She was taken aback by his sudden irritation. "Juvia needed money, and I tried going on a job with Gray-sa-"

"So that means you gotta' go by yourself?" He pried.

"It's not a big deal, Gray-sama." She stood up and smiled nervously, almost trying to soothe him. "This job will be very easy for Juvia."

"Are you even healed from-" He paused and winced, like something had just hurt him. "From the fight. With Invel." He said, in a lower voice, looking to the side, shamefully.

"Of course Juvia is." Worry struck her. Gray seemed truly upset about something.

"But what if--"Gray was getting worked up again, but stopped. "Forget it." He sighed.

Juvia turned her head slightly, with a puzzled look on her face. Gray finally spoke. "I-I just don't think you should go on this mission."

"Why's that? You don't even know what it is." She said, still not really getting it.

A brilliant idea sparked in her mind. "Gray-sama should just come with Juvia!" She cheered and held her arms up, excited all over again.

"No." Gray answered immediately, his voice boomed. "I-I can't." He spat out in annoyance and looked away. He said nothing once more. Her excitement was dulled once again, but she wasn't as broken by it this time. She wanted to understand Gray.

"Gray-sama," Juvia put her hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"

"I-I'm" He looked down. "I'm worried about you." He all but whispered in a grumble.

"You're... worried?" She was in shock. He bever blatantly just said things like that.

"Yeah, I'm worried, alright." He blurted, face turning pink.

"But, why?"

"Because you--" He stammered. "If you go on a job by yourself, I'm not there to help you, and if you do go with me, you always put my safety before yours and then you'll end up--" He rambled, and then came to a sudden stop.

"Gray-sama..." She softly spoke

"I'm not letting that happen again." His voice was rough and low. "I just wanna' protect you and--" His voice got caught in his throat. "And I can't."

"Gray-sama, Juvia isn't as fragile as you think." She gave him a warm smirk.

"I know that, but still..." He mumbled.

"And Juvia will always protect Gray-sama. No matter what, so there is no use in trying to convince Juvia not to do so." She looked up at him with sweet, but serious eyes. "And don't worry so much about what Juvia did, because I know you would do the same thing."

"But if you did that again... And something happened to you, I--" He took a deep breath. "I don't know what I'd do." He finally said, almost helplessly.

"Gray-sama, please do not dwell on these things so much. Juvia is here. I did not die." She brought her hand up to his cheek so he would finally look at her, and he did not resist. "Juvia is strong. You are strong. We're strong because of what we've been through, and we will always protect one another. We're an unstoppable force." She tilted her head with a comforting grin.

Their gaze between one another was deep. "Okay." He exhaled.

She smiled and suddenly embraced him in her arms. Gray had his arms up for a moment as Juvia had hers wrapped around his waist. Soon, he brought his arms down, and they lightly landed onto her, and his fast softened with a red glow.

She looked up at him, not letting go. "So how about you come with Juvia on this job?" She gave him a cheeky smile.

"Alright." Gray said with a small chuckle.

"Yay!" She squealed and giggled with excitement into his chest, and as if it was magic, their train was coming to a stop.

"Ok, ok, the train's here now!" Gray let her go on for a few more moments and pulled her away from him.

"Oh! Right!" She forgot all about the mission for that second. "Let's go!" She grabbed Gray by his hand and lead him to the train as he trailed behind.

Gray couldn't help but smile. He watched her blue waves bounce up and down with excitement as she hussled them to the train. As they stepped onto the cart she turned back to him, flashing a smile of pure joy with her long lash-covered eyes gleaming. "Ready, Gray-sama?" She chimed.

"Yeah." He grinned with content.

He would do anything to protect that smile, and that was the only reassurance he needed.

They knew that they would always have one another, and that was more than enough.

#doyouevenshipbr0 #gray x juvia #gruvia #juvia x gray #gruvia fanfic #fanfiction #gruvia fanfiction #gruvia drabble #fairy tail #juvia #juvia lockser

[waterstar2016]

“Two Shades of Green” Part 12

18+ Content

I’m up to 18 followers. Thank you for reading.

***Disclaimer....Credit goes out to the creative geniuses that made tmnt. Immogene my oc just likes to play in the world you created.***

On the Inside, Immogene was a bundle of nerves. She swore she saw the desire in Raphs eyes and it fuelled her own. What was she getting into? Raphael towered over her. Hell, if she wanted to play hide-n-seek, she would just have to stand behind him. He was so sexy, and just him being close to her made her quiver. The question was, did he want her too?

Raph was cautiously following Immogene to shower. He’d waited until she turned the corner to get up off the mat. He needed to find out if she felt the same. She’d bit her lip and looked at him with heat in her eyes, and there was a slight flush to her cheeks. It really looked like she wanted him to follow, but he was nervous.

He wanted to feel that hot and sexy body up against his. Would she let him touch her so intimately? When she was straddling his face all he could smell was a hint of blackberries and mint. The last time he smelled that was when he was lifting and she hugged him. A thought hit him like a freight train, and something in him clicked instinctively. No wonder it made him drool...she was aroused by him. Raphael grins. In the ring, it took everything in him not to tear off those tight little pants right then and there.

Raph clenches his fists and vows that he wouldn’t take her tonight, he needed her to know that he could give her pleasure first. Those books and videos had helped. When Raph was really interested in something he would dive into the subject. The female body was very complex, but he understood that one of the most important things was to pay attention to the females responses. He’d even gotten up the courage to talk to April. Most awkward conversation ever. He still couldn’t look at April in the eye.

He knew his size might scare her, but after talking to his father again, he was reassured that her being part Amazon would ease things for them. In doing more research he found out that his fingers were about the size of a decently proportioned human cock. He chuckled to himself “poor humans.” But no, as much as he wanted to...he wouldn’t take her that way tonight, but he would make her his. If she would have him.

Immogene had walked into the bathroom heart pounding. She’d left the door unlocked. She walked into the large space and turned the lights on low. Immogene glances in the mirror and saw that she was flushed. As she starts undressing, she closely examines her body. She still has that soft layer on her. Sighing, she takes down her hair and shakes it out. The waves and occasional ringlet fall to the middle of her back. Glancing at the door she closes her eyes and calms her breathing. She walks in the large shower stall and turns on the taps. The warm water cascades over her body and she tried to think of something else while she lathers up.

Raph is standing outside the door listening to her get ready for the shower, he hears the swish as her clothes fall to the floor and the water start. He’s never been so nervous in his life. Time to test the waters. He shakes is himself of his fear, just like he had to when jumping out of that god damned plane. He knows she always locks the door. This time it wasn’t. Raph opens the door.

She was just rinsing the foam off of her body and she heard the door open. Then a click as it was being locked. She froze, and her heart starts racing. She reaches up to snag a towel she had left on the top the stall wall to try and cover her body. She looks down and smirks. She really did to get some bigger towels. Immogene stands there looking at the water swirl down the drain, trembling with her heart in her throat.

Raph can just make out her shape though the gray and green tinted ice cubed shape blocks of glass. He starts to move towards the entrance to the shower.

All she hears is that damned deep voice, and it’s chuckling. With her eyes still cast down she sees a set of two toed green feet enter the stall...and she swallows. She hears him say “Princess, ur gonna need more than one of those towels to cover what you got.” She slowly raises her eyes. There was Raph, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. She meets his gaze and she sees that his eyes are slowly travelling over her barely covered curves.

Immogene manages to get out an “Uh hi, Raph.” He starts walking slowly and confidently towards her, his muscles flexing, and her knees grow week.

Raph walks up to her and puts his arms on either side of her shoulders and leans down. Immogene is utterly surrounded. Suddenly, she lets out a giggle and he looks at her. “Ok princess why ya giggling? Not that I don’t find it endearing and all.” She looks up at him and sighs out “O Raph, all my life I’ve been called the big girl. I’ve always felt awkward. Right now, with you, I feel positively little...and I really like it.” Raph’s gaze softens. “That’s right princess, you ain’t bigger than me.”

Raph lowers his face and Immogene realizes he is going to kiss her. His lips touch hers. He groans at his first taste and she was surprised at how soft his lips were. The kiss deepens, their mouths becoming more entwined. Raph takes one of his large hands and wraps it around the back of her neck, lightly grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling her into him. She gasps. She’s never been kissed like this before. She feels his dominance over her and a thrill rolls through her spine. Raph pulls away slightly at her tremble. “I swear Gen you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I know I can be gruff, but you make me want to be soft”...he quirks his head and smirks...”Well, not all soft”.

Immogene laughs, eyes like lighting up with delight and rests her head and fingers against is plastron, lightly tracing her fingernails over the whorls and shapes. To Raph, the sensation of what she was doing makes him chur. Immogene hears it and thinks it’s the most erotic sound she’s ever heard.

Raph coughs a little over his chur, and says “I seem to have interrupted your shower. I think you were about to wash your hair? She nods, not knowing what to say. “Well, turn around and drop that towel so I can wash it for you.” She inhales sharply and obeys his instructions. She turns and stares at the patterns in the tile while she takes the towel from around her, and tosses it away. For a full minute, Raph just stares at the lush curves he is now faced with. He can see more tattoos covering her body. He feels himself grow harder. He’s left his shorts on to give him a barrier in hopes of helping himself keep control. He takes a couple of deep breaths and reaches for the shampoo.

She’s waiting for him to touch her. She thinks ‘What’s taking so long did he change his mind?’ “Raph?“ she hesitantly calls out. Raph smiles and starts rubbing the slippery shampoo in her hair, trying not to look at her ass. His large hands expertly rubbing the suds through her long tresses. “Patience princess, having you naked in front of me is hard on my self-control, you’re sexy as fuck.” Immogene shivers again at the timber of his voice. Raph continues “I will take you, but not tonight. Tonight is about you. I’m gonna make you scream my name princess.”

Immogen’s knees almost buckle at his words, and she can feel her arousal start to drip down her thighs. Raph feels Gen start to relax as he washes her hair. He moves closer to her and pushes his body against her back, he hears a moan and it almost makes him lose his control. He thinks ‘Come on Raph you’ve got this, focus on her.’ Raph diligently washes out all the soap and applies her conditioner. He loves the texture and length of her hair. After rinsing it out he moves the long stands over the left side of her shoulder and starts nuzzling, kissing and ever so lightly nipping her neck. Immogene starts rubbing her ass against his front desperate for friction.

She stops. She’s felt him through his shorts. She gasps out...”Raph? What the fuck is that?” She glances backwards at him with her eyes wide. She remembers playing baseball last summer, and now that’s what she feels pushing up against her ass. A goddamned baseball bat. Raph chuckles low...”Well, you know how huge I am? Well...it’s everywhere princess.” “Raph, how in the fuck is that even going to fit?” “O princess it will fit...I just gotta make sure we take it slow and you’re ready for it.”

Raphs expression suddenly goes soft and he wraps his arms around her waist and talks to her with his lips on the curve of her neck...”I’d never hurt you princess...tonight I’m gonna show you just what I feel about you...I may not be the best with words all the time but I can sure show you.” She turns her head to look up at him and reaches up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He licks her ear and plays with her daith piercing, gently flicking the heart shaped ring.

Raph’s hand starts trailing down her body tracing some her tattoos. She hears him groan and all of a sudden he grabs both of her wrists and pushes them up and over her head. Clasping them together with one hand he pins them to the wall. “Holy fuck!” She yells. He answers by chuckling deeply. He’s taking control, but at the same time she can tell he’s being so careful with her. She feels him pause his fingers journey at the scar where the star had hit her flesh, and he growls and threatens “Anyone who ever fucking hurts you again will die.” A small whimper escapes her throat as he reaches her ass. “O princess your not gonna be able to hold those sounds in very long”...Raph continues trailing his finger down her ass crack.

Immogene closes her legs fearing rejection when he feels how wet she is. He growls low and says “What ya doin princess? Don’t you dare close those on me.” She quietly says “Um Raph? I know we’re in a shower and all, but you’re driving me fucking crazy and I’m super wet and worried that you...” Raph groans interrupting. ”That is so fucking hot, your wet pussy is all I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Raph takes his hand and touches the back of her thighs, moves it in between them and firmly moves her legs further apart.

He releases her wrists and drops to his knees behind her and reaches up again with his thick finger. Ever so gently he caresses her slit, sliding it up and down. She is so wet, and he rolls his head grasping for more control as he realizes she’s shaved. Her juices are coating his finger. She can hear him growling and telling her how beautiful she is. Her legs start to shake. Raph is drawn to that tantalizing scent. He has to taste her.

She feels his breath on her ass. He’s inhaling her in and she can feel him tremble. She hears him mumble something about blackberries and mint. He takes his hands and places them on her hips putting pressure on the hip bone making her stick her ass further out towards him. Immogene’s shoulder and arms are resting into the wall for support. He takes his face and slowly presses it into her. She can feel his tongue reach in and start licking. She screams his name and feels him chuckle while he continues feasting on her. His tongue is expertly dancing, sliding and flicking. He slides as much of it as he can into her, and she discovers just how long a mutant turtle tongue is. “Fucking hell Raphael!

He pulls away from her and stands up then spins her around and sees her fully naked for the first time. “Holy heaven and hell Gen, your fucking gorgeous, I love every inch of your body. Your so strong and your soft curves make me crazy.” She feels a flush at his very generous compliment. His head lowers and nuzzles her breasts licking each of her nipples and pulling on them gently with his teeth.

Immogene is on fire, the only thing that she is aware of is what Raph is doing to her body. He takes his thick finger and trails a line down her body following all the dips and curves. When he reaches her pussy he dips in at the top and slowly starts working her clit. Immogene starts moaning incoherently calling his name over and over. He ever so slowly takes that thick digit and starts rubbing her entrance. His other hand holding her waist supporting her while his mouth latches onto her nipple. She gasps arching towards him.

At her sound, he shoves his finger in...she screams his name and starts to sob with pleasure. “That’s it princess, let me hear you, I want to know your body.” Raph feels her walls clamp down on his finger and knows she wants release. He continues thrusting in and out, enjoying those sounds just a little more before he will give her what she wants. He slowly pulls his finger out and chuckles at her sound of disappointment. “Don’t worry princess I’m gonna make you come so hard your gonna forget yer own name.” He reaches behind her while lowering his head to hers, kissing her passionately. Immogene can taste herself on his lips. Raph suddenly grabs her ass and hoists her up onto his shoulders. Her back is against the smooth tiled wall, legs hanging over his shell. She takes her arms and rests them on the stall walls, gripping the edges with her hands. She looks down and sees him gazing up at her between her legs. He grins and slowly inches closer to her liquid centre. “Raph please! I can’t take much more!” As she yells he squeezes her ass hard and pulls her pussy to his face. He nuzzles in, latches onto her clit, and starts gently sucking, while slightly moving his head back and fourth. He alternates between licking and sucking until he feels her start to shake. He knows shes close. Immogene hears him mumble between her legs for her to come for him.

She can feel the vibrations of his words on her clit. She closes her eyes and arches towards him, he picks up the pace, settling on a swift but steady circular motion of his tongue. “O Raph, don’t stop!” Raph feels her legs start to tremble and he starts circling even faster. She’s tossing her head from side to side. Her juices pouring out onto his chin. Suddenly she screams, her back arching and calls his name. “Raphael!” Her orgasm rips through her like a tidal wave. Raph slows his licks bringing her down. He lovingly caresses her folds with his tongue until she stops shaking. He eases her legs from off his shoulders and shell and lowers both of them to the floor. He pulls her down into his lap. He rests his head on her shoulder pressing kisses into it. She can feel him smiling as she tries to control the beating of her heart. He settles her legs around him and his arms circle around her. She wraps her arms around his neck.

“Raph what the fuck?” Immogene says as she pulls away from the embrace far enough to be able to look at his face. He’s got the biggest grin on his face that she’s ever seen. He looks at her with a mischievous look in his eyes.

Slowly he takes one of his hands away from her back and proceeds to suck off her juices that are still clinging to it. She stares at him blinking and he seductively chuckles. Raph looks at her and says “Now princess, that’s what I meant when I said when I first saw you.” She feels like an empty husk but she laughs and buries her head in his shoulder whispering “Raph where in the fuck did you learn how to do that?” He responds, “Well Donnie ain’t the only one who likes to read you know? Well, I mean when I’m really interested in the subject I don’t mind it” She throws her head back and laughs. Raph then adds “By the way princess you’re delicious.” She groans against the involuntary tremor that his voice causes in her body.

She’s straddling him and she feels his member strain up towards her through his shorts. “Raph” she breathlessly asks “what about you?” Raph pulls back slightly looking at her and calmly responds “Princess as much as I’d love to fuck you right now, you’re not ready for me yet.” Now it’s her turn to look seductively at him and he gasps at the look he sees in her deep green eyes. “Raph, I understand that you want to be careful with me and that’s so sweet, but who said anything about fucking?”

Raph stares open mouthed wonder as she starts kissing her way down his plastron, her tongue slipping out to lick him as she moves downwards. She makes sure to look up at him when she reaches the top of his shorts. Raph grits his teeth struggling for control. She sees the massive bulge in his shorts and gulps. “Well, here goes nothing.” She starts running her tongue over the bulge through the fabric and she feels Raph tense. His hands lightly grab her head. “Princess, your gonna kill me.” Raph groans. Immogene loves the sound of that rumble.

She takes a deep breath and reaches for the zipper and starts to pull. The largest cock she has ever seen in springs in front of her, and eyes go wide. “Uh Raph, holy shit...” She glances up at him and he smiles almost sheepishly and shrugs. She slightly shakes her head and looks back down at the monster cock before her. Her earlier assessment of a baseball bat was correct. She wiggles back on her knees with her ass up in the air to get in a better position. Raph growls. She grins and grasps his large member in her hand. She couldn’t get it around him, and she could feel him throbbing. She could see the slightest drop of pre-cum at the tip. She leans down and licks. The taste was incredible! It reminded her of a really dark and salty caramel.

Raph threw his head back and groaned. She started working him while sucking on his tip. She couldn’t get much more than a few inches of his cock in her mouth. She drags her tongue down his shaft and starts licking his balls. Raph was moaning her name and thrusting his hips. She saw him reach up and grip the handrail...a few moments later she heard the sound like a can being crushed and she giggles while sliding her tongue from his balls to the head of his cock. She could feel that Raph was getting close. She started tonguing his balls in earnest while stroking his shaft adding a twisting motion with her hand. All of a sudden Raph tenses and lets out a roar. “Fuck Gen!” His load shoots across her back and hits the shower wall.

Raph was left with his head hanging and chest heaving. “Well, princess I guess it’s a good thing that we’re already in the shower.” Immogene laughs and points her head towards the handrail, and he sees that it’s crushed. Raph chuckles deeply...”Oops.” He reaches behind her to turn on the water. He stands and the bends down to pick her up and holds her tightly to his chest.

Immogene sighs contentedly as he proceeds to lovingly wash all his cum off her body. Setting her down they stand there together under the spray. Raphs hands are running up and down her back. After they dry off she puts on her housecoat. She moves in front of the mirror and starts brushing her hair smiling. He comes up behind her.

Immogene sees their reflection in the mirror, and it looks so right. Raphs massive form towers over and surrounds her, he looks at her in the mirror and meets her gaze. Two shades of green meet and lock.

His arms roam down her body to hold her around her stomach. “Princess that was amazing.” They leave the bathroom and Raph walks up beside her and grabs her hand. His huge digits twining with her smaller ones. The lair is dark. They walk to her bedroom. Upon reaching the door Raph picks her up, carries her in and sets her down on the bed. She notices he looks unsure.

Immogene rests her hand on his shoulder and smiles reassuringly at him “Raph? Will you stay with me tonight? There’s enough room, I think.” She sees Raph immediately relax. He chuckles “Yeah princess, from now on your gonna have a really hard time keeping me out of your bed.” She lays down with Raph tucked up behind her. Raph’s large arm wraps around her waist and he kisses her shoulder. She sighs contentedly. That night, sleep came to Immogene easy. She was safe in Raph’s arms.

To be continued...

@devilsnevercry1388

#two shades of green