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wkemeup · 4 years

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By Any Other Name (3)

series summary: When Special Agent Bucky Barnes is tasked with infiltrating the notorious gang Hydra and gathering evidence against its leader, Brock Rumlow, Bucky finds himself drawn to the woman who doesn’t seem to belong in this world of violence, the wife of the head of Hydra… you. pairing: bucky x reader chapter word count: 6.9k warnings: flirty heart eyes, excessive emphasis on fluff, love is in the AIR, the knowledge that these happy times won’t last forever....... 👀 🌹series masterlist 🌹

“You did what now?”

Bucky rolled his eyes, explicitly ignoring Sam’s full-bellied laugh as he struggled not to spill the open lidded coffee cup on the impossibly small table between them. There were near tears in his eyes and patrons of the Brooklyn based café were all staring in their direction. Bucky tugged the bridge of his baseball cap lower over his eyes.

“Leave him alone, Sam. It was a good idea,” Steve warned, voice low, as he turned to Bucky to clap a hand on his shoulder. He gripped at the muscle, massaging the tender scar tissue, before dropping his grip. “It gave him an in with Y/n. He needs to work on building that foundation of trust before he can start figuring out what she knows about Hydra. Ain’t that right, Buck?”

Bucky nodded, his lips pressing to a thin line, though it felt forced, jarring against his features.

“Yeah.”

He could still picture the shock in your eyes; the surprise and the realization as he placed the book in your hands. He had thought for a minute that you were going to laugh at him and discard the old, worn down copy he’d stolen from his high school library as a sophomore because it in no way compared to the first edition novels worth thousands of dollars sitting upon your shelves, but the smile that lifted your lips had made his heart feel like it was going to burst out of his chest.

Sure, maybe there was a part of him that knew that your library and your clear love of fiction would be an easy target to begin building a connection, a layer of trust, before he could start getting the information from you he needed, but it wasn’t why he’d spent two hours tearing apart his childhood bedroom in search of the book.

He wanted to see you smile again.

He wanted to see your eyes light up and the way you bite on the corner of your lip. There was just something about it that made his stomach twist in knots, that made his own mouth start to curve at the edges, and his heart beat just a little quicker. It was so rare to see it from you, especially in the days your husband lingered around, but suddenly, it was all he could think about.

He could have asked for the funds from the Bureau to buy you the first edition, writing it off as a necessary expense for his cover, but somehow, he knew you’d appreciate the hand-me-down copy more. It had character and a history. It was messy, and a little broken; a glimpse into his life, his real life, something he was never supposed to cross the boundaries of, but it served its purpose.

He’d seen you around the house carrying it under your arm for nearly four days after he’d given it to you. Sometimes he’d spot you sitting in the living room, nose deep in the pages as he walked in the front door behind Rumlow before you’d get up and quickly escape to your library without a word to your husband, though you stopped and caught his eye before you left, holding up the book so he knew you were reading it and giving him that short, stolen smile before you disappeared.

You had run into him on the fifth day and swatted him with the book in a rare moment when he was standing by himself in the kitchen, Rumlow having gone up to the office to gather some paperwork before they were meant to head to the Lernaean.

“What did this poor book ever do to you?” you had teased him, flipping open the pages of his copy of A Farewell to Arms to find stains of Dorito dust in the folds on page 76, mindless doodles done in blue ink pen on the top corner of page 117, and a sticky note taped to the inside back cover of a crude drawing of a lanky, high school version of Steve with big angry eyebrows and a boxing gloves held up by his face.

“Sorry, I guess I should have looked it over before I lent it to you.” Bucky laughed, swiping the book back from your hands and earning a pout in return. “I mean if you don’t want to finish it, I’ll just take it b--”

“I never said I was done with it, you vandal!”

Your laugh was like music to his ears, melodic and captivating, and he hated the moments you cut it off short and closed it away to the darkest parts of yourself; moments like when your husband walked back into the room.

Rumlow had eyed you with a kind of look you must have been familiar with because your smile fell away instantly and Bucky released the book to your grasp. You held it down by your hips, eyes glued to the floor. He had watched as you left the room without another word, book gripped so tightly in your hands, the pages started to crinkle.

He knew what he was feeling was dangerous. It went against every code he swore an oath to. He’d be pulled from the case the second Director Fury got wind of his personal attachment to you – if that’s what he was going to call it. There wasn’t really a way to describe what he was feeling.

Infatuation. Admiration. Longing. Ease. Attraction.

He didn’t know.

All he knew was that he wanted to see you smile more, wanted to knock Rumlow’s teeth in for more reasons than why he was stationed undercover within Hydra in the first place. He wanted to know why you were involved in this world to begin with and how you ended up trapped in a marriage you clearly wanted nothing to do with.

He wanted to protect you from all this; from Hydra, from his investigation.

A few conversations, a couple smiles from across the rooms, and it changed everything.

“Buck? You awake in there?” Sam chuckled, tapping a finger on Bucky’s forehead until he swatted his hand away with a grunt.

“Knock it off, Wilson,” Bucky grumbled, bending down to take a sip of the burning hot coffee resting in his grasp. It stung on his lips but he swallowed it back anyway, the heat of it warming down through his chest.

“It’s been almost two months,” Steve said casually, “how have you been holding up?”

Bucky glanced around at the busy café. It wasn’t unusual for them to meet in public places and talk about the case, as long as they kept details vague and didn’t draw any attention. Hell, Bucky just needed an outlet sometimes outside of the conference rooms and safe houses he usually met the team in. He was thankful Nat typically elected out of their Sunday coffee runs because she was always able to read him like a hawk, and he was certain she’d be able to pick up on his affection towards you in an instant.

“It’s fine,” Bucky shrugged. “Boss is still a piece of shit.”

“Yeah, well, we already knew that,” Sam agreed, pursing his lips with a shake of his head.

“You said there were some guys there who seemed to be blackmailed into their work?” Steve asked, voice a little quieter now.

Bucky nodded. “Seems that way. Not everyone is there by choice. Still working out the details of who but I’ve got a list going for Nat when we meet up next week. I’m supposed to be stationed out on the docks this week so I’ll talk to the guys then.”

“Good, good,” Steve said. He paused for a moment, staring down into his coffee, studying the swirl of the soft chestnut coloring. “You being careful?”

Bucky smiled at that. For a kid who spent his youth getting himself into trouble and leaving Bucky to watch over his back, he sure as hell got protective himself once his body grew into his rebellious and reckless attitude.

“Yeah, pal, you know I always am.”

“Something just feels different about this one,” Steve said, leaning back into his chair. A woman behind the counter was staring at him, and he cleared his throat awkwardly upon noticing her eyes, shrugging the collar of his jacket up to cover the pink blush in his cheeks.

“Well this is the biggest profile case we’ve tackled,” Sam offered casually as he took a sip of his coffee, grinning at the way the girl at the counter shamelessly ogled at Steve.

“I don’t like that he’s in there so deep with no one to watch his six,” Steve shook his head, teeth gritted.

“I’m not alone and you know it,” Bucky responded, reaching across the table to grab a firm hold of Steve’s forearm, squeezing just enough to get him to meet his eye. There was hesitancy there and Steve wasn’t usually one to worry. “I’ve got you guys, remember?”

“You just need to watch yourself, alright?” Steve exhaled, patting at Bucky’s hand until he released his arm. “This is the first time you’ve been put in so close to the target. You spent most of your time in his house, Buck, and with Fury tellin’ you to get close to the wife, I just... I worry there’s too much on your shoulders and somethings going to fall through the cracks.”

Bucky sighed, exchanging a quick look with Sam who’s teasing smile had faded away upon noticing the genuine concern and anxiety in their friend.

“Nothing’s gonna happen to him, Steve,” Sam said, sending a wink at Bucky before he added, “you know he’d never let us hear the end of it.”

Bucky laughed, nodding. “Damn straight.”

Sam punched at Steve’s shoulder, grinning again, and didn’t let up until Steve finally relaxed and sat up further in his chair, the tension clearly washing from his muscles.

“Now that that’s all settled,” Sam teased, clapping Steve on the shoulder, “how about we focus on getting you the pretty barista’s number?”

***

Sundays used to be your only good days.

You used to find solace in warm teas and coffees from Café Ramos and freshly baked bagels from the Marselli’s; freedom in the wind gusting through the open back streets of Queens. Far away from tourists and amongst the bodegas and apartment buildings, you walked dozens of blocks from where your driver dropped you off; an added precaution to keep Brock from tracking down where you spent your time, and who you met up with.

Peter was sitting on the stoop of the brownstone, cheek resting on his hand and slouching up his face as he stared down at his phone. There was a lovesick look in his eye and you wondered if he ever got around to asking that girl out from school he’d been crushing on.

He was a sweet kid. Kind. Compassionate. Intelligent beyond belief. But his optimism and habit of overlooking flaws to see the best in someone, while admirable, was dangerous. It was why you worked so hard to keep him away from Brock. Your husband had a talent of convincing kids like that with an eagerness to please and a family tight on cash to join his ranks.

Peter was like a brother to you, having grown up with him running around your father’s house at all hours of the day when Aunt May was working, but lately, you kept him at an arm's length. You never let him over at the house, kept details vague about Brock’s employment, and insisted on walking the fourteen blocks to his apartment to pick him up, even when he offered to meet you at the subway stop near where your driver dropped you off.

He was a sweet kid, but he was naïve. Young. He had some learning to do. It was what you liked so much about him. You could use a little unending joy and positivity in your life.

“Hey Aunt May!” you called, waving at her as she walked by the front window folding a shirt from the dryer. She paused, turning towards you with a big smile and made her way to the door.

Peter had nearly fallen over on himself, clutching at his chest, his phone on the ground where it flung from his hands upon your sudden arrival.

“You okay there, kid?” you laughed, bending down to pick up his phone. No cracks. You handed it back to him with a wink.

He chuckled nervously, brushing off the screen with the edge of his shirt. “You scared me.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be so nose deep in your phone, Z.”

“Yeah, okay, Mil.”

“Z? Mil? You two develop another coded language or am I losing it?” Aunt May folded her arms over her chest as she leaned against the frame of the door.

“Gen Z,” Peter explained, pointing to himself, and then to you, “Millennial.”

You and Peter had some years between one another and, sure, you didn’t always understand the other’s lingo or quirks in their behavior, but it didn’t make much difference to either of you. It was another reason to poke fun at each other. Siblings were like that.

“I still think it’s funny you spend as much time together as you do,” Aunt May smiled.

“Hey, I keep him out of trouble!”

“-- and I keep her young.”

“Okay, watch yourself, kid,” you warned, laughing as you poked him hard in the side, causing him to jump away a few feet to escape another attack.

Aunt May always did like you being around so much after Uncle Ben died. Peter didn’t take it so well, not after losing his parents too, so he spent hours every day at your house when Aunt May was on shift at the hospital. You’d occupy his time and keep his mind from wondering back to finding his uncle in the streets, alone and bleeding. He was so young when it happened, you were surprised that when your father died just a few years later, he had insisted on doing the same for you.

The years between you didn’t matter. Not when it came to a bond like that.

“Will you come say hi already?” Aunt May teased, stomping her foot playfully as she opened her arms to you and you rushed up the stoop to fall into her embrace. She smelled of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and you peaked around the corner to find trays lined up on the kitchen table. Your stomach growled.

“Do I smell--”

“You want some before we go?” Peter asked before shoving his way inside, not quite bothering to wait for an answer as he started grabbing a few cookies from the table, bouncing a particularly hot one between his hands before he shoved it in his mouth.

He grabbed two for you, slipping them into your outstretched hand as you stepped out of Aunt May’s hold. She smiled at you, brushing your hair from your eyes in that motherly way you’d missed since you were a kid. You supposed it was another thing that drew you and Peter together.

“Don’t think I forgot about that science project you have due this week!” Aunt May called as you and Peter started to walk to the sidewalk. He visibly winced. “I want you home before dinner, Peter.”

“Okay, okay!” he groaned, shooing her off with a wave of his hand and sent you a glare as you struggled to contain your laughter.

“Oh, man. I do not miss high school,” you grinned, taking a bite of the cookie and nearly choking on a moan that slipped out. Buttery soft and warm gooiness melting on your tongue. Heaven.

Peter rolled his eyes, nudging you with his elbow playfully. “Don’t rub it in.”

***

Your Sundays were never exceeding exciting. Most of your time spent with Peter was just running errands, taking deposits to the bank for Aunt May, picking up lunch at one of the sandwich shops, getting him a new pair of sneakers he so desperately needed even though he fought you on paying for them for about an hour before he gave in.

They were often mundane and filled with idle chatter, sitting on park benches and watching the people walk by and the tourists taking photos in front of brick walls. He’d sit there and talk for hours because that’s amongst the things Peter did best. He'd tell you everything from his latest science fair project, the progress on his Lego set with Ned, the kid named ‘Flash’ who pranked him again and filled his locker with whipped cream.

It was simple. It was easy and comforting.

It was an escape.

Peter had nearly forgotten he was supposed to pick up a few things from the corner store for Aunt May, so you were on your way to the shop with the black cat who liked to sit perched in the window just to get a good look at her again while he tracked down the milk and bread.

The wind was picking up and you tugged your jacket tighter around your chest. You glanced over at Peter who had his hands shoved into the thin layer of his jacket, cheeks a little pink from the wind and he shivered.

Your heart ached a little and you decided you’d talk him into a new coat on your next Sunday together. He’d never make it through New York winter with holes in his pockets and no protection from the blistering wind.

While Brock didn’t give you access to enough of your father’s money to make it on your own, you had enough to buy things for Peter, to collect your first editions, and to remain moderately comfortable.

It was a ploy to keep you content, a carrot to dangle for the arguments when you’d threaten to storm out of the house you shared and he’d remind you, you had nothing without him, that he could implicate you in each and every one of his crimes, and you’d stay. Every time. You’d stay.

You had no choice.

And for years, you’d grown accustomed to the prison your home had turned into. Until you met James Karpov.

You’d almost forgotten what it was like to feel the twist of nerves in your stomach, to seek someone out amongst a crowd and to feel the relief deep in your bones upon finding them, upon finding blue eyes and dark brown hair, warm smile and that slight nod. So impossibly subtle and somehow it became the best part of your day.

Maybe you were naïve, and maybe it had simply been too long since anyone within that home had treated you with even an ounce of kindness or respect that you clung onto the first man who so much as smiled in your direction and asked about one of your overpriced books, but it gave you back a sense of yourself you’d been missing.

You started smiling again, starting looking forward to the days Brock held his meetings within the house in hopes that James would be there and you could ask him how far along he’d gotten in Fahrenheit 451. You were careful about your interactions with him, knowing that Brock was an exceptionally jealous man, even if your conversations with James were innocent.

And they were.

They had no greater meaning or underlying feelings.

So you told yourself, anyway.

The wind was picking up again and Peter was finishing up a very long and overly detailed recount of he and Ned’s favorite comic book series, when you realized you’d walked nearly five blocks without realizing it.

“Did you give Michele the necklace yet?” you asked him as you crossed the border into Brooklyn. He nearly choked on air, coughing to alleviate his surprise and you laughed into your scarf, trying to hold it back for the sake of his ego.

“Oh, um, not yet! But I’m working on it,” he chuckled nervously. “I’ve got a plan.”

Peter was starting to tell you all of the intricate and perfectly timed details of this ‘plan’ when you spotted someone across the street that caught your eye.

Tall, with long brown hair swept behind his ears and hiding under a baseball cap, hands tucked into the pockets of a familiar bomber, he swatted the arm of a friend on his left while the other scolded him.

You narrowed your eyes, not even realizing you’d pulled to a stop until Peter came rushing back a few paces, complaining he’d kept on walking without you. You apologized quickly, a little out of focus, and asked him for a minute. He nodded with a shrug and pulled out his phone, sinking down to the sidewalk and waited patiently.

“James?” you called over the rush of traffic. He didn’t seem to hear you.

You’d never seen him outside of your husband’s home and it was strange running into him in such a personal environment. He was with friends, off the job, his guard was down. A bright smile, brighter than you’d ever seen it on his face as he laughed loud enough for the sound to carry across the street. It made something in your chest clench.

You called his name again, a little louder this time, but the blare of a horn drowned you out.

Letting out a heavy sigh, you held up a hand to warn oncoming cars that you were crossing the street and quickly wove your way in and out of lanes until you made it to the other side of the road. You glanced in his direction, brushing out the dirt on the thighs of your jeans before you approached him again.

“James!”

You were only standing a few feet from him and he still didn’t respond. You closed your eyes, gritting your teeth and feeling a rush of embarrassment.

This was his day off; he didn’t need to be dealing with his boss’s wife.

All this time, while you were caught up in your own head with fantasies of ‘what if’s’ and finding solace in his short, kind smiles, he was probably just appeasing the wife of his boss. He must have known how lonely you were, could sense it a mile away, and he was simply being polite. You just misinterpreted it for interest or kindness or something, but it was clear your stolen moments over classic fiction and subtle glances across the room were exclusive to the walls of your home.

You turned to leave, clenching your hands into fists and puncturing the skin, when you heard your name called from behind you.

“Y/n?”

You spun around to find James staring at you with wide blue eyes. He was clearly surprised, caught off guard in a way few men of his rank within Hydra ever were, and he glanced back at his friends hesitantly before they quickly departed, retreating to a table on the edge of the café they had left from. He walked closer to you, enough so neither of you would have to shout over the rush of traffic.

“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to see you,” James said, that smile tugging on the corner of his lips as he everted his eyes. He was nervous, swaying in his stance and running a hand through his hair.

“No, it’s okay!” you replied quickly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything with your friends.”

He clenched his jaw at that, the smile fading from his face. “Friends? What friends?”

You peered around his towering shoulders to find the two men he was just standing with sitting over at a table at the café, talking to one another and stealing glances in your direction over the tops of newspapers they had just nabbed from the adjacent table. It was endearing, if anything.

“So, the guys siting over at that table pretending not to watch our every move aren’t your friends?” you asked, a slight laugh in your voice as James shook his head.

“No,” he responded shortly, though when you narrowed your eyes on him, grinning, he sighed, “yeah, ok. I know ‘em.”

You pursed your lips, glancing between James and two men sitting over at the table; the dark-skinned man with the toothy grin seemed to be thrilled to watch James fumble his way through half of a conversation, while the tall blonde one punched at his friend’s shoulder, seemingly warning him quietly to knock it off.

You sighed, noticing the way he kept glancing back at his friends, shuffling his feet like he wanted to be just about anywhere else than this conversation. You tried to ignore the free-falling feeling in your stomach.

“Look,” you started, feeling a little uneasy in your stance now, “it’s totally okay you don’t want me to know about them. I get it. You want to keep your personal life separate from work. It makes a lot of sense, especially with, um, with what you do and, um, I’m part of work, right? Different worlds. Don’t need to be bothering yourself with the boss’s wife in your free time...”

His whole body seemed to freeze and his eyes went wide.

“What? No, that’s not it at all!” he quickly explained, but he seemed to relax for a moment, glancing back towards his friends. “They don’t know what I do outside of the cover at the club. I just don’t want them catching wind.”

You nodded, knowing full well how that felt. A wave of relief swept through you; like a rush of water pushing away the aches and twists and breaks in your chest, leaving behind only that pleasant little tug you felt every time he walked in the room.

“You must be the new guy!” a voice chimed from behind you and you nearly flinched from the shock of it.

Speak of the damn devil.

Peter was suddenly at your side, a little out of breath as he looked James over, wide eyed and grinning. “Holy cow. He really is all muscle, huh?”

You shoved Peter hard in the side, cheeks flushing with heat as James laughed a little under his breath.

“I thought you were gonna stay on the other side of the street until I was done?”

“Got bored,” he shrugged, pushing you aside and turning to James. “So! What’s the likelihood you’ll let me sneak into the Lernaean? I’ve got an in with the owner and Y/n never lets me get anywhere near that place. Tell me you’re cooler than my cousin, man, I’m beggin’ you.”

You must have stopped breathing because your lungs felt like they were on fire. Peter had never been so brazen as to bypass your carefully constructed boundaries like that, but then again, he’d never met anyone from Hydra before. It was your mistake to confide in him about the strange new ‘bouncer’ with the blue eyes and the unexpected appreciation of fiction. Peter was curious by nature and he just liked seeing you happy.

James must have sensed your distress because he raised a brow at you, but your jaw was wired shut. Peter couldn’t know about this world. You had to keep him out of it. You tried to convey that to James with a simple glance, but he didn’t owe you anything. What would he care if this lanky kid knew about Hydra and the world you lived in? He was still Hydra himself and you had to constantly remind yourself of that.

“Please, man,” Peter begged. “It’ll make Flash so jealous and I need a win over that jerk.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, kid,” James replied. Peter let out a very dramatic groan and it got James laughing. “It’s not a good place for a minor to be hanging out, anyway. Listen to your cousin.”

The fear didn’t escape you, even as Peter seemed to let the topic go. You liked James, that much you were able to admit to yourself, but did you trust him enough to protect Peter from Brock’s world... you weren’t sure.

Trust wasn’t so much a step as it was a cascading waterfall into an abyss. It didn’t come easy to you.

“Fine. But I’m not giving up that easily,” Peter huffed, folding his arms over his chest. He caught sight of the watch on his wrist and pouted. He turned to you. “I should head home anyway.”

You nodded. “Okay, I’ll walk yo--”

“No, you won’t,” Peter argued with a massive smile. “I know you still have stuff to do before you head home. I’m fine on my own, you know that.”

You did. Didn’t mean you liked it.

“Besides,” Peter continued, that cheeky grin tugging on his face, “I’m sure Mr. Karpov here wouldn’t mind escorting you the rest of the way.”

Your throat ran dry. “T-That’s entirely unnecessary... Peter.”

You sent him a glare but it only made him laugh harder as he started to back away down the sidewalk. He winked and quickly turned his shoulder and jogged down the remainder of the block just to deprive you of the chance to argue back. The little shit.

Spinning back around to James with an anxious grimace on your face, you quickly held your hands up to apologize but he was laughing to himself, causing you to lose your train of thought.

“I really don’t mind, you know,” he said, and of course he didn’t, because he simply couldn’t make it easy to disregard that nervous feeling in your stomach when he looked at you.

“It’s super boring,” you warned and he shook his head with a smile, some stray pieces of hair falling into his face. Damn that smile of his.

“What are we doing?” he asked, like it wasn’t even a second thought.

“There’s a café a few blocks from here,” you started, carefully watching his face for signs that he was surely making fun of you or appeasing you to be polite, but came up empty. “They sell paintings by local artists and I’ve been wanting to replace this godawful modern abstract Brock’s interior designer hung in one of the spare rooms. He wouldn’t notice anyway, don’t you think?”

James shrugged, a nodding slightly as he chuckled. “I don’t suppose he would.”

You chewed on the edge of your lip, gesturing for him to follow you down the street and he did so without hesitation.

There were only a few minutes of silence, of walking side by side with hands tucked carefully into jacket pockets and side stepping pedestrians with their noses stuck in their phones, before you worked up the courage to say something.

“Peter doesn’t know about our world,” you said suddenly, keeping your eyes trained ahead of you, scared that if you even looked at him, you’d lose your nerve. “I work really hard to keep it that way, so if you could-- if you could avoid mentioning to Brock that I was with him today, I would – I would really appreciate that. You know how Brock can be; always trying to recruit kids on the street to push his product and I don’t-- I don’t want Peter anywhere near--”

“You have my word,” James said simply, genuinely, and you let out a heavy exhale that released like flood gates. “No reason to tell the boss what I do on my days off and who I run into, right?”

You nodded, a little lost for words. “Right.”

You paused at a stop light, stealing glances at him as he mumbled a soft apology to the elderly woman who was attempting to push past him to get to the front of the sidewalk. She was uneasy on her feet and using her walking cane as weapon as she clicked it against his ankles and he quickly stepped out of her way. He winced, rubbing at his right ankle with the back of his left shoe.

As the light turned green and the old lady pushed past, shoving a few other pedestrians out of her way, you turned back to James, grinning so wide it hurt in your cheeks. He was chewing on his lip.

“This could really damage my rep, huh?”

“Just a little,” you laughed and you were certain if your hands weren’t shoved deep into the pockets of your jacket to hide from the cold, you may have offered your hand to him. Just instinctively. His hands were so big, they seemed warm, safe.

“I finished 451, by the way,” he said as the two of you rushed to cross the street before the light turned again.

“What’d you think?”

“Never as good as the first time,” he shrugged but there was still a semblance of that smile on his lips. “Still pretty great though. Didn’t even spill coffee on it or anything.”

“I suppose I should be impressed, considering the way you treated Hemingway,” you laughed, shoving at his arm with your elbow, and though a hit like that would have had Peter stumbling a few paces, James barely even flinched, but he did start to laugh.

“Come on now, you know I was in high school when I last touched that thing and you can’t trust a teenage boy with shit,” he teased and you found yourself grabbing onto his arm for support from that laughs making your unsteady on your feet. He didn’t seem to mind at all, not even as you suddenly realized what you were doing and quickly released him with a quick nervous brush of your hair from your eyes.

You cleared your throat, continuing to walk down the sidewalk. “I finished it last week, actually. I can return it to you tomorrow if you--”

“It was a gift,” James said simply. “Keep it. If you want, I mean. I know it doesn’t exactly fit in amongst all the first editions and fancy copies so you can get rid of it if you--”

“No! It’s, uh, it’s perfect. Thank you,” you said and he pressed his lips together to keep himself from rambling.

He was right. It certainly did stand out amongst the novels on your shelves with the cracked and broken binding, the doodles in the pages, and the stains on the cover, but it was so entirely human. It was a relief to have something of imperfection amongst masterpieces.

***

Bucky wasn’t quite sure what to make of you.

It was the most relaxed he’d ever felt on an assignment as he walked alongside you down the busy streets of Brooklyn. You tried to lead him down less crowded alleys and avoid the cross-section of tourists taking photos in the street because you noticed the way he tugged at the bridge of his cap to pull over his eyes but it was near impossible. You must have mistaken his attempts at concealing his identity in a part of the city that knew him well for anxiety around the bustle of people.

It was sweet, he thought, that you were observant enough for things like that and tried to make it easier on him without saying a word. You’d give him silly excuses to travel down abandoned streets and act like it was you that wanted the space away from the crowd, but he knew you were doing it for him.

You told him about the café you liked to visit with the family you’d grown to know well over the years and the bagel joint a few blocks away that Bucky spent many years grabbing breakfast at as a teenager. You talked like you knew the owners, spent time with them and caught up on their weeks when you waited for your orders, and somehow that didn’t surprise Bucky at all.

He felt an ease by your side he’d never felt in all his years in undercover work. He was used to be on edge, to watching his every move and purposefully concealing parts of himself to create firm boundaries between his cover and himself.

But not with you.

The rare moments he spent alone with you were the only times he felt like Bucky Barnes, even under the guise of James Karpov.

But he still had a job to do.

You were smiling, telling him about a pain-in-your-ass student from your time teaching at Columbia and he could tell how much you missed it. There was a brightness in your eye, a flicker of nostalgia, of loss, and he hunched his shoulders against the cold with a steady breath.

“Why’d you quit?” he asked when you’d finished your story. Your smile fell away quickly and he nearly regretted asking. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “I mean, it sounds like you really loved what you did. With all the books you collect and all, figured you’d quite enjoy an outlet with people who are as obsessed with fiction as you are.”

That got a slight laugh out of you, but it was tense. Your eyes were on the sidewalk, jaw clenched.

“Oh, I… um…” you were struggling to come up with an answer, one to bullshit to him. You weren’t ready to trust him and he should have known better than to ask so soon. “I stepped down when I got married. Brock has more than enough money. I don’t need to work anymore.”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t want to,” Bucky offered because part of him simply just wanted you to know that not every man would isolate you from the things you loved and demand you give your entire life to him. The other part, the one screaming in the back of his head, knew that validating you like this, giving you the support you so clearly craved, would only build on that trust; trust he would need to use you as an accessory to bring Hydra to ash.

He hated that part of him. He never used to.

You nodded, chewing on your lip. “Doesn’t mean I can.”

He changed the subject quickly after that.

He knew well enough that it wasn’t a good sign that he was putting your feelings over his commitment to the job. On any other assignment with any other target, he would have pressed harder, would have asked how you met Rumlow and why you married him at all if this was the life you’d end up in, but he bit his tongue.

You were talking about a local kid’s high school musical you wanted to attend and suddenly you were smiling again. The tension left Bucky’s chest and he felt at ease, pushing aside the nagging voicing in the back of his head, reminding him why he was stationed next to you in the first place.

It seemed to quiet down the longer he walked with you, the more he stole glances at your smile, the more his stomach seemed to twist to pleasant knots whenever you look at him.

***

“What do you think of this one?” you asked, pulling his attention back to the painting hanging above two teenage girls huddled around a single laptop, sharing a pair of headphones as they struggled to contain their laughter.

The painting you were looking at was filled with reds and oranges, yellows and dark blue, soft brush strokes in gentle waves across the frame; it looked like a sunset, warm and comforting. It was in stark contrast to the cold and isolating nature of the house and he supposed it was why you liked it.

“It’s nice,” he said. He wasn’t as attuned to the arts as you were, but he knew it was nicer than the one you were trying to replace. It was one that made you smile. That was enough, he thought.

“Think Brock will be mad if he finds out I’m replacing a $50,000 painting with one done by...” you squinted your eyes, leaning in closer to read the tag, “a lovely young art major named Wanda at NYU?”

“Not if he never notices it.” He winked, nudging your arm.

You smiled, the lines of it wrinkling up by your eyes and Bucky had a hard time tearing his gaze away from you as you politely waved over the owner and pointed to the painting on the wall.

Bucky leaned against the counter, watching from a distance as you conversed with the owner for a few minutes, and after a while, he gasped, staring at you with wide eyes. You must have told him how much you were willing to pay for the piece.

Steve and Sam were going to rip him a new one at the next meet up, he was sure of it. There was no way they didn’t catch on to how easily he retreated back to Bucky Barnes, highly capable FBI special agent and nervous wreck amongst pretty women, from James Karpov, enforcer to the world’s deadliest mafia.

You turned back to him, raising a thumbs up with the biggest smile on your face he’d ever seen as the owner moved to take down the painting. You were practically giddy with joy and he found himself smiling until his cheeks hurt, even long after you turned away to start writing the check.

He was such a goner.

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes one shot

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itsscrystal · 3 years

Text

One shot: Three is the magic number.

Osamu x fem!reader

a/n: idk if this makes sense but suddenly this came out?? hopefully it doesn’t seem as bad

warnings: cursing, angst, mentions of someone dying, but it’s a happy ending at the end so...

summary: is Osamu a lucky man? while he couldn’t end up with [l/n] [y/n] for the first two lives, maybe things would be better for his third life. afterall, three is the magic number, right?

ONE

Osamu never knew he could be so lucky.

To be able to marry the love of his life, [l/n] [y/n]. Their families have always been close. One day, their parents have decided that uniting the two prestigious families, Miya and [l/n], would be a good idea. Hence the arranged marriage between their two youngest children— Miya Osamu and [l/n] [y/n].

This wedding felt like a dream. He was so happy that he could finally stop hiding his blush whenever he saw her. To be able to stand next to her, not as her friend, but as her husband.

When he took a sip of sake with [y/n], love in his eyes, he was already looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her. He knew, this moment where they both made eye contact shyly over the rim of the cup, will be etched in his mind forever.

One moment. He didn’t know what happened. He only knew he blinked his eyes, at the same time admiring [y/n]’s flutter of eyelashes, when the bright orange flames licked her and everywhere.

“F-Fire! Put it out!” His twin’s panicked voice reached him. His hands let go of the wooden cup as he raced to save his beloved.

Orange. It was all he could see. Where is everyone? Why can’t he see anyone? Where is his wife?

He could only feel intense heat burning around him as he reached out in the direction of his love. Relief flowed in his veins as he felt one hand clutching his.

“[y/n]-sama? Is that you?” Osamu cried. Moving closer, he realised it was not her, but his twin. “We gotta go! `Samu, hurry!” Atsumu tugged on his hand. “B-But [y/n]-sama?” “Save yer life first! We can talk about her later!” Choking on the smoke burning on the wood of the shrine, he was dragged through the flames unwillingly, his hoarse voice calling for her.

It was only later when he was away from the site he looked hard for [y/n]. No, no, where is she! Fear fuelling his heavy legs, he ran back towards the flaming shrine, only to see a glimpse of [y/n] in it.

She didn’t make it.

“NO!” Osamu screamed and was about to take another step when he felt his twin pulling him back. “Yer not going back! I will not let ya die!”

I love you.

That was all Osamu could see on her face as she slowly disappeared from sight.

No, no…

“They’ve tried. They told us that there’s no way they can go back and save [y/n]-sama too. The fire was too big then. `Samu, I-I’m sorry for yer lost…”

Osamu never knew he could be so unlucky.

TWO

Osamu never knew he could be so lucky.

What are the odds that his best friend, [l/n] [y/n] would kiss her? None. Unless she’s in love with him too.

Osamu tried to quieten the pounding of his heart as he looked at the now-knocked-out girl. Earlier during the evening, as both their parents are out for a business trip, his brother, Atsumu, has decided to invite their friend over for dinner. As well as to raid the expensive cabinet of liquor at home.

Looking at his twin lying on the couch, dead to the world, he decided to just leave him there and carried [y/n] into his bedroom. Technically, he shares his bedroom with `Tsumu, but now it’s just HIS room.

I want to sleep on my bed too… I’ll just put her on `Tsumu’s bed. For a while.

Next morning, he woke up to two people talking. With his eyes shut, he decided to eavesdrop a little.

“[y/n]! So you’re here after all!”

“`Tsumu? Oh my god I actually slept on your bed I’msorryI’msorry—”

“Why are yer sorry? I like it.”

“Huh?”

“I mean it. I like seeing ya on my bed. I’ve been wanting to tell ya this for a while. I think I like you, [y/n].”

“Damn, luckily I’m not the only one. Dummy, I love ya too.”

What’s going on..?

“I thought you liked `Samu…?”

“What? I know both of ya look the same, but I like you. Not `Samu. Well… Unless you don’t like me…”

“No! I like yer too! A lot!”

Osamu was glad he chose to face the wall instead of `Tsumu’s bed. Because he could not stop tears from leaking out of his eyes.

Osamu never knew he could be so unlucky.

THREE

Osamu wasn’t sure if he was lucky or not.

Having a twin that has an identical face as him, seemed to bring more trouble than he wants.

Firstly, it did not help that his twin, Atsumu, was known for his bad boy reputation in school. This made teachers mistake him as his brother. Hence, he was often scolded and targetted by many of them.

<Well, while Atsumu was the residential bad boy, Osamu was the shyer, quieter twin that has way better grades and conduct. Pity people can’t seem to differentiate both of them, despite the very obvious difference in hair colour. He thought that if he could convince `Tsumu to bleach his hair piss-yellow, things might change. Apparently not.>

Secondly, of course his brother’s girls kept finding him. He’s tired of telling people repeatedly that No, I didn’t sleep with you last night. No, I’m not Miya Atsumu, but his twin Miya Osamu. No, I’m not interested in that. Yes, I like staying normal. If only people can just leave him alone! Or maybe stop identifying him as his brother.

While he loves his brother a lot, this is starting to become annoying and bothersome.

So his response to the girl was “No, I’m not Miya Atsumu. Please go away.” when she came to him and proclaimed her love for him. “I know?” She replied in confusion, head tilted to one side.

“Yep. You must’ve gotten the wrong Miya twin. That’s right. Good bye.” Placing his books neatly into his bag, he quickly grabbed it and left the library. Sheesh, can’t he get a little break from all the annoying girls? He just wants to study and get a nice grade for the test tomorrow!

“I mean, I know. That you’re Miya Osamu, not Miya Atsumu. Both of you have different hair colours. I have eyes that are working fine, okay?”

Osamu was surprised. Okay, someone finally identifying the right guy. “Uh, so what did you say earlier?”

She huffed in annoyance. “That my name is [l/n] [y/n] and I LIKE YOU. I HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU.” Osamu wasn’t sure how to reply to her confession. Not like he had much experience with this kind of thing. “Uh… Okay? What do I say next?”

“...”

Osamu nervously pushed up his glasses that are beginning to slip down his nose. “I-I mean...”

“Let’s be friends?” [y/n] finally spoke. Osamu couldn’t help but shiver a little. When did her voice sound so good? “O-Okay.” Osamu nodded and then exchanged numbers with her. Maybe she'll be my study partner. It’s kind of lonely to study alone.

•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•

“And that’s it.” Osamu said. “What? Are ya serious? Lame!” His twin, Atsumu cried. “Ya need to bring her to a date. Ya can’t meet up just to study!”

“But all I do is study…” Osamu muttered. “What am I supposed to do…?”

“Easy! The movies!” “`Tsumu the last time I went to watch a movie I slept through it as I finished the popcorn.”

Atsumu was stuck. He wasn’t sure what to tell his brother. What he usually does can’t really be applied to Osamu. “Do ya like her though? Are there any feelings? Any spark?” “Are ya stupid? This ain’t some fairytale.” “Don’t ignore my question! Hey why are you hitting me with your pillow? Wait yer blushing—”

•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•

Osamu had decided to meet up with [y/n] again. This time, he decided to listen to his twin’s suggestion. Watch a movie. Yes. A movie.

Breathe in, breathe out. You will not sleep during the movie. Eat your popcorn slowly. Or drink water. Yes. You’ve brought two litres of water for this.

“I’m here!”

Osamu unconsciously smiled as he looked at his phone. Wait, why is he smiling at your text?

Looking around, he spotted [y/n] and took a moment to admire her. In a pink sweater and jeans, she’d never looked so good to him. Is it her fashion? Maybe that’s why she looks so good now.

He was about to wave and call her name when he saw a flash of piss-yellow colour. His brother, the more popular twin, Atsumu walked towards her and slung an arm around her shoulders. “What’s a pretty girl like ya doing here without a date? Your name’s [y/n], right?”

Osamu wanted to turn around and walk back to the campus. Maybe he should just text her and tell her he’s not feeling well…

“Sorry, Atsumu-san, can you remove your arm? I feel quite uncomfortable like that.” [y/n] boldly pushed his arm away before continuing, “well, I’m meeting Osamu-san. Do you know where is he? He hasn't replied to my text yet.”

“Are ya serious? He actually agreed to this? He hates—” “Hiya [y/n]-san.” Osamu decided to intervene before Atsumu could continue. “`Samu! It’s her? Oh my gosh FINALLY.” “Huh?” Both Osamu and [y/n] stared at Atsumu in confusion. “Nothing!”

“Oh! [y/n]-san do you want to go on a date with me? `Cause I’ve never seen anyone so pretty~” Atsumu suddenly asked. Osamu had never wanted to hit Atsumu so much. That jerk even winked at her cheekily and had flipped on what Osamu mentally called the flirting switch.

“Uh Atsumu-san…”

Osamu was panicking inside. Maybe [y/n] had given up on him and not liked him anymore. No! He was planning to—

“No thanks but she’s with me because I like her too just like how she likes me so now scram before I punch you you knew she’s the one I liked how can you `Tsumu I’m even willing to watch a movie like a movie and not study—”

“Woah! Woah. I didn’t know ya could speak so much `Samu! I was just joking ya know…”

“So you like me too?” [y/n] tugged on his sleeve and asked. “I-I…” Osamu couldn’t stop the flush on his face. Oh my god why did I choose this time to confess this is not what I’ve planned…

“Well, I’ve got to say, unlike you, I do not like her that way. So hurry up and say yes you idiot!” Atsumu whined and stomped his feet impatiently. “Yeah… I like you too [y/n].” Osamu replied and then tugged her into his arms. “So, uh, what movie are we— I mean just ME and [Y/N]— watching again?”

“Okay, I got the hint. I’m leaving y’all now! Have a good date~” Atsumu rolled his eyes and then screeched “`Samu REMEMBER TO KISS HER AFTERWARDS OKAY”

“SHUT UP YOU PISS HEAD” Osamu shouted.

Well, one is sure: at the end of the movie, Osamu had a girlfriend— [y/n].

Hmm… Well, Osamu can consider himself a lucky man, I guess.

THE END

“Aww… At least the guy got to be with the girl! Like in his third life,” Komori Motoya sighed and then gasped. “Wait! Miya-san! Look! He looks a bit like you!”

“HUH?” Miya Atsumu, one of the setters invited to the All-Japan Youth Camp, screeched. “From what you’ve just said, are you cursing me?”

“No! I’m just stating a comment. The image the author attached at the end of the story features the guy and girl in the story. Apparently she drew this up and said that she imagined them looking like that.”

“Hmm… It looks a little like Miya-san but not really. The hair colour isn’t piss-coloured…” Kageyama muttered.

Unfortunately, Atsumu heard that. “Oi! Tobio-kun, you’ll hurt my feelings like that! My hair colour is the definition of cool and beautiful. It’s not that bad!” Coming closer to peer over Komori’s shoulder, he squinted at the phone screen. “You’re right… He does look like me… But since it’s such a sad story, I’m going to say it’s `Samu! Not me!”

“Who?” Komori asked.

“`Samu. The obviously not-so-cool twin. Here’s a picture.”

“You sure he’s not as cool? To be honest, his hair colour is nicer than yours…” Kageyama frowned.

“Tobio-kun! Not you too!”

“See? That’s why I rather talk to the other Miya and not you, Miya.” Sakusa Kiyoomi’s voice could be heard as clear as day, even though he was standing ten metres away from everyone.

“Hey! Not you too Omi-kun!”

“And I’ve said not to call me that, Miya.”

a/n: in case y’all are still confused: the story about Osamu is actually a story Komori read online. thank you for reading this !! likes and reblogs are appreciated :)

#haikyuu #hq #haikyuu x y/n #haikyuu x reader #miya osamu x reader #miya osamu x y/n #miya osamu #miya atsumu #miya twins #komori motoya #sakusa kiyoomi #kageyama tobio #oneshot #fluff #angst #itsscrystal

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squidproquoclarice · 4 years

Text

Backlogs, backlogs roly poly backlogs, write them up, yum? Yeehawgust Day 6: Moonshine

May 1921: Paradise Run, New Caledonia, Canada

One of those pleasant spring evenings again, a faint breeze blowing, and sunset sinking below the horizon. The fireflies had started to come out, dancing in bright flickers, and even the few mosquitoes didn’t make for enough of a bother to ruin the idyll of it. Sadie could hear the sound of lowing cattle, frogs croaking by the lakeshore, the warbling cry of a loon. Sitting there on the west side of the porch, they could watch the sun going down in peace. On a working farm, there was always something to be done at the crack of dawn or even before, so while they usually were awake to catch the sunrise, the leisure to sit and watch it like they could watch the gathering twilight made for a rare treat.

Watching the sunset together made for a simple, ordinary pleasure. There were days they worked to sundown still. But they weren’t anything like young anymore, and the kids and the ranch hands could handle most of it by now. She saw Arthur ready to get up, and reached out, putting a hand on his arm. “Oh, no you don’t.”

He gave a comfortable scoff. “As though you know how to sit still yourself.”

“Sure don’t, but you saw that look Matt gave us both. He comes and finds us working yet, he’s like to tie us to these chairs.”

Arthur shook his head. “Eighteen, and he thinks he knows everything, just about,” he said with dry humor.

“Don’t every eighteen year old think that?” Eighteen and half-grown Matt might be, and still lanky and not grown into that tall, broad frame just yet, but he had a piercing glare down when he needed it, all the more intense when measured against his gentleness.

“I suppose they do.” Arthur sighed. “I know how it is. He’s worrying. Wants to be sure we’ll be OK while he’s gone.”

“He’ll only be in Queensbury, they can both come home on the train on weekends. Ain’t like we’re saying goodbye for years. He’s just going to school, that’s all. Went through it last year with Bea.” Knew she was saying it as much for her own reassurance as his.

“I know. Things always change in the end. They’re growing up, that’s all.” He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “It’s good to see,” he said, half to himself.

She understood. For him, there would always be some thoughts of Isaac, the son he’d never seen grow beyond four, let alone to eighteen. Just like there would always be memories of Jake for her, a marriage abruptly ended after two years and eight months. Things grew and changed, and it was a comfort to see that happen, but there would always be moments that brought back echoes of lives that never got lived to their fullest, forever cut short. “It is,” she agreed, reaching down beside her for the bottle of rye whiskey, pulling the cap, taking a swig, and handing it over to him. “Kind of night that needs a drink to go with the view, I’d say.”

“Sure does.” He took a drink himself. “Fine thing to be here rather than south of the border right now, ain’t it? Nothing against coffee or a root beer to watch yourself a nice sunset, but sometimes it’s good to have a whiskey for it.”

True enough. Prohibition meant that was no option in America just now, some government nonsense that would never work, and she tended to agree with him. She glanced over at him and smiled. “Been a thing all these years, us sitting like this with a sunset and a bottle. You remember how it was back at Clemens Point? After you came to me that first time with a jug of moonshine and sat right down beside me on that log. Just held it out. Didn’t say a word.”

It had been like that after he was up from his cot recovering from his wounds inflicted by the O’Driscolls. They’d ended up sitting together by the shore of Flat Iron Lake at sundown often enough. Quiet, peaceful, trading a bottle back and forth. Except it had been Lemoyne moonshine in those days, gut-burning white lightning, and that had felt like the best thing.

He nodded, and said softly. “Figured nobody would argue with me taking that jug, and you needed it every bit as much as me. Didn’t talk much those nights, but it weren’t needed then. But when it was, we could talk. Always felt like with you I could just be. Like I never could with anyone else.”

“It was like that for me too. I never expected to find someone like that again.” Things had felt so fragile then. Wounds scarred, but they healed. What was left inside of them, the pain and the emptiness of things taken by the O’Driscolls, didn’t heal up so easily. But sitting there with someone who knew that kind of pain, the two of them in companionable silence? To have no need to try to explain herself when she barely understood any of it, could barely look at the horror inside her head and her heart, and to not be left alone with it, had truly meant something.

There had been so many sunsets and so many bottles since then. Las Hermanas, Chuparosa, Minnewakan, any number of places in the circus caravan, Bonne Chasse, Horseshoe again, Beecher’s Hope, and now here. Sunsets that were sometimes silent, sometimes still the gentle companionship of painful memory, but so many other things too--there had been evenings of peaceful contemplation, music, laughter, talking trivial nonsense, talking hopes and dreams, joy and love.

There was nothing so fine as taking in the sunset after a satisfying day’s work alongside a true companion, moonshine or not. She reached over and found Arthur’s hand, squeezing it with hers. “Happy anniversary.”

#yeehawgust #arthur morgan #sadie adler #sadithur #rdr2 #some shameless fluff #writing #fic from the parking lot

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themenof--birmingham · 4 years

Text

Hello There (Part 4)

Pairing: Alfie Solomons x Sister!Reader

Requested?: No

Warnings: None

Chapter Summary: You return to the family dinner, needing to change Tommy’s mind about your future when Alfie makes an interesting counter-offer.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Living in the countryside definitely had its perks. One particular one, was that there were various benches along the winding roads that lead from one estate to another.

When the cold night air began stinging the back of your throat, you decided to stop. The concrete bench beneath you made you jump slightly as the bareness of it made contact with the back of your calves. You glanced back from where you came and were please when you could only just make out the peak of your brother’s house. You were content that you got far away enough from them all.

When your heart rate returned to normal, the sounds around you became louder. Apart from the various animal noises that became normal to you over the years, there was a consistent tap of something on gravel, and it seemed to be approaching you.

Forcing your eyes to adjust to the darkness around you, you noticed a figure emerging from the darkness.

As the figure came closer, the huffing of breath made it obvious who had followed you. “Alfie,” you stated as he took the last few steps to take the seat next to you.

Letting out a breath and adjusting his walking cane in between his widened legs, he spoke up. “Yeah, right. I thought you’d never stop, eh?”

That caused you to chuckle slightly as you responded, “Well, I didn’t ask you to follow me.”

“Yeah, but ain’t you glad that it’s me and not Tommy?”

You sighed and nodded.

After a beat of silence, he continued speaking. “Look, right. I know that this news is surprising to you, but it ain’t gonna do anyone any good if you run away from it now.”

“So, you’re suggesting that I suck it up and just marry some random bloke?”

Even under the sparse moonlight, you could see Alfie look down in thought. “What I'm saying is that if you want to fight your family on this, then you can’t be weak in front of them. Running away ain’t gonna change Tommy’s mind.”

His words suddenly made you ashamed of what you had done. You took a moment to think it over and realized that Alfie was right; you had to actually be there to fight Tommy on this proposed marriage plan. With a huff, you turned to Alfie and said, “I suppose we should head back, huh?”

He nodded and moved to rise to his feet. When you moved to his side and the two of you began walking along the path, he spoke so cautiously that if it hadn’t been the dead of night, you wouldn’t have heard it. “Ain’t no way I'm gonna let some no-name chap marry you anyway.”

You couldn’t respond; you didn’t even know what to say to that.

When the two of you returned to the house, you found your family still at the dining table. You heard them before you entered the room.

“Look, Tom. It was different when you arranged for me and Esme to get married, right? But Y/N? You’re just gonna use her for a bargain?” John’s voice echoed through the house, rising with outrage.

Arthur jumped in, adding fuel to the fire. “She’s our sister, Tommy. She deserves better than this.”

You smiled to yourself at them defending your honor. Even Polly chimed in, “God alone knows what you’ll have to resort to once all your siblings are married off in the name of company business.”

Before there could be anymore snide remarks, you stepped up so that they all saw you. Alfie was quick to follow, remaining at your side.

“Y/N, good of you to return,” Tommy said, with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

You clasped your hands in front of you as you stared at Tommy. “I’m not marrying some kid from across town just because you say so. I haven’t been active in the family business much to your insistence, but this is just wrong, Tom.”

“Yeah, you tell him darling,” Arthur said, offering you a supportive smile.

You continued on, trying to maintain your confidence. “I’ve sat back and been quiet about a lot of things you’ve done, but marrying me off? It’s not going to happen.”

Tommy took a drag from his half-done cigarette as he studied you. He didn’t move to respond or fight back; he watched you with intrigue and waited for you to finish.

The problem was that you didn’t know what else to say. You hoped you made your stance clear on the matter.

“Got anything to say, Tom?” John asked, not giving the tension in the room time to grow.

With all eyes on him, Tommy leaned forward and snubbed the cigarette into his empty whiskey glass. He raised his eyes to focus on you as he finally responded, “You’re not going to be young forever, Y/N. You need to get married and if it’s with someone that can benefit the family, then why not now?”

You huffed out a breath of frustration as your family looked at each other in shock and awe.

“For God’s sake, Tommy!” Ada exclaimed, expressing your own amazement at his reasoning.

“What if I marry her then?” Alfie’s gruff voice cut through the room.

With wide eyes, you turned to face Alfie.

Alfie, however, kept his eyes on Tommy. “Why waste time expanding business right next to your town, when you can join me in London?”

Tommy suddenly let out a laugh, letting the wrinkles around his eyes come alive. The others in the room just stared at him, as though he’d just lost his mind.

After a while, Tommy calmed down and wiped a loose tear from his left eye. Still smiling, he looked to Alfie and asked, “And why would you want to marry my sister, eh?”

This time, it was Alfie’s turn to scoff. “Did you also ask the random chap from across town why he wanted to marry your sister?”

Tommy nodded and glanced at you. “What’d you think, Y/N? Want to marry a Jewish gang leader from London?”

You just stared at Tommy, unable to form a response. You could feel your siblings’ eyes on you, all waiting for your response.

“I-I don’t think that’s the solution here,” you uttered.

Tommy nodded once more and leaned back in his seat. “At least now we know that Alfie fancies you, Y/N. Maybe that’ll be enough to make sure that he won’t betray us in the future.”

Your mind was spinning; Tommy was always about business for every topic, even your future and your basic happiness. It was driving you crazy; you seemed to just be another pawn in his grand scheme.

He was your brother, but he was playing with your future and you didn’t know how much longer you could stand it.

From behind you, Alfie placed a supporting hand on your lower back, keeping you centered in the madness. Instinctively, you leaned into his touch, needing it more than you knew.

#peaky blinders #peaky blinders fanfiction #peaky blinders fic #peaky blinders request #tom hardy #tom hardy x reader #alfie solomons #alfie solomons x reader #alfie solomons x sister!reader #sister!reader #sister!shelby #shelby!sister

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xsixxx · 5 years

Text

Bad Influence - Chapter 10

Word Count - 5.5K

Authors Note - It's what ya'll have been waiting 10 chapters for, fingers crossed it doesn't disappoint 😂

Warnings - Filthy dirty sleazy smutty smut, language as always, angst, Nikki not giving a fuck about anyone but Nikki

Tags - Tags: @triplehaitches @freddiessmallnipples @queen-crue @scarecrowmax @lovesick-heart0 @littlesunnymoon @80sheart-strings @cranberribread @inthebackofmycarlaytheirbodies @versnatasha @zoenicoles @crazysaladchopshop @ggorehorror @lunamadhatter99 @justtryingtoovercome @chaoticvybe @you-know-im-a-dreamer @eightiesrockbaby @valentines-in-london @xrosegoldwolfx @fupatroopaa @lilypetite88 @this-blog-must-be-the-place @ashleecrue @lauravic @dark-princess99 @unknownoblivion @mgkobsessed @antheasnow

(Nikki attitude this whole goddamn chapter)

"Beth, you can't hide in your bed any longer, get up." Came Sophias stern voice as she tore the covers off of me. I groaned out loud, grabbing ahold of them, pulling them back over me, tucking it right under my chin for extra comfort.

"Leave me alone Soph, I'm sick." I mumbled pathetically.

"Girl, you can pull that shit with Paul to get outta work but I'm not buying it. You're fine, you're just feeling sorry for yourself & you need to get over it." Sophia snapped, always one for the gentle approach. She sighed as she sat down on the edge of my bed. "You can't avoid Nikki forever."

"Why would I be avoiding Nikki, I haven't done anything wrong?" I muttered, fidgiting a little & purposely avoiding eye contact.

"No, exactly, you haven't, so why are you pulling a sicky?!"

"I'm not!" I replied, a little sharper this time. "Soph look, I just don't feel well, ok? Most friends would offer to bring me soup or something, not give me the goddamn third degree."

"Fine, fine, whatever you say." Sophia resigned, putting her hands up in defeat as she rose from my bed. "To be fair to you, you must be ill because you look like shit." She laughed as I threw a pillow that narrowly missed her face. "But don't pretend like you're not avoiding Nikki, that boy has left 3 voicemails in the last week asking if you're ok. At least phone him back & let him know that the 'fever' hasn't taken you just yet." She winked as she used air quotes to emphasise her shit eating sarcasm.

"Whatever," I groaned, pulling the covers over my head, "I'll do it after my nap now can you please go get ready for work, you're gonna be late & you're getting on my nerves."

I heard Sophia scoff as she left the room, closing the door behind her as she went.

Ok, maybe she was right, maybe I had been avoiding Nikki. But not on purpose, I was actually sick. Sort of. Mentally drained counted as sick in my book.

I yanked the covers back from over my head as I let out an over dramatic & exasperated sigh. It'd been a week since I'd practically ran from the Mötley house like a scared, overwhelmed teen who'd realised that maybe they weren't cut out for hanging around with the popular kids.

I don't really know what happened & that's probably the thing that scares me most.

One minute I'm in Nikki's room, listening to his music &, I think, kissing him?

Then I was back with Tommy, snorting more lines & drinking so much I'd be surprised if there's any booze left anywhere on the Sunset Strip, because I'm pretty sure I drank it all.

Next thing I knew, there was a guy getting a little too handsy, feeling me up & trying to guide me into the bathroom with him. And what scares me most is knowing that I was definitely too fucked up to have stood my ground if push had come to shove. If Nikki hadn't have overheard & come out his room when he did, that guy could've easily snuck me away from the party & no-one would've been any the wiser.

Fuck.

I'm supposed to be the sensible one.

How had I let myself get so wrapped up in this lifestyle that is, in reality, a million miles away from my own?

I'm not a rockstar. I'm not a groupie. I'm not a party girl.

I'm a psychology student with deadlines to meet, debt to pay.

I didn't want a bad boy who'd drop me as soon as he's had his fill, I wanted a steady boyfriend that'd take me on dates, had a stable job & that my father wouldn't despise.

I had always had a plan. I was going to get my degree, have a career & a marriage & a family, maybe a dog, & be happy.

So what was I doing down this path to depravity?

I rolled over & buried my face in my pillow as I let out a exasperated groan into the soft void.

I just didn't belong in Mötley Crüe's world.

*Later*

A sudden, sharp rasp on my bedroom door jolted me awake.

"Beth, stop pretending you're sick, you got a visitor." Soph yelled through the wood before throwing the door open & shoving a slightly pissed off looking Nikki into my room.

"Sorry, late for work, gotta run!" Sophia voice rang smugly in a sing-song voice as she rushed away from my room & down the hall. I listened to the patter of her heels along the flooring, then the sound of her unlock the front door & before slamming it with purpose to announce her departure. I scowled at the space she had stood in just seconds before, mentally cursing her out.

I glanced at Nikki who had lifted a judgemental brow, eyeing up the sight of me in my pyjamas, unbrushed hair & no make up, napping at 4pm.

"Oh you because you've never woke up in worse states." I shot at him defensively, scrambling to sit up, pulling my knees into my chest under the covers. "What do you want Sixx?" I mumbled awkwardly, scowling at the wall whilst I refused to make eye contact.

"Beth, I've left you messages. What, you couldn't be arsed to pick up the phone & let me know you're ok?!" He asked sharply, his expression clearly annoyed. "I was wo-" he checked himself, cutting off the statement, but it was too late.

I smirked a little. "Nikki Sixx, were you worried about me?"

"No, I wasn't worried, I just-"

"Turns out the bad boy has a soft side." I teased.

Nikki's face grew red as he brow furrowed in frustration & embarrassment. "Oh yanno what, just fuck it, I shouldn't have bothered.." he murmured to himself, turning on his heels & walking back out of the bedroom door.

"No wait Nikki, c'mon I'm sorry, I was only joking, I'm sorry!" I called after him, causing him to stop & cautiously turn back around. "Please just come back in here." I pouted at him. Nikki's face softened & he came & stood at the foot of my bed, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the ornate bed frame.

"I'm sorry if I freaked you out the other night." I heard him mumbled quietly, almost as if he was hoping I wouldn't quite catch it.

"You didn't freak me out, it was that guy.." I trailed off, letting my eyes follow Nikki's hands that was still dancing along the footboard. "Thank you, for stepping in, god knows what could've happened if you didn't." I said quietly, finally lifting my eyes to his just in time to catch his dart across in my direction. Our eyes met & Nikki acknowledged my thanks with a little awkward nod.

"You're welcome." He replied with a little cough, trying to hide his discomfort at the whole situation. “So, um, why have you been avoiding me? Yanno, if its not because I scared you?” He stumbled.

I hung my head slightly, unsure of how much truth to share. I couldn’t tell him it was because being a groupie didn’t exactly fit into my life plan. Christ, I hadn’t even slept with the guy & I’m already getting ready to run away because he’s not marriage material. I let out a soft, unamused chuckle at my own ridiculous reasonings. “Nikki, I just..” I decided to share a little bit of truth. “I just don’t fit in.” I blurted out.

Nikki let out a short, almost relieved laugh. “What?” He asked, bemused now.

I shook my head, hearing how must’ve sounded. “I mean, I just don’t fit into your world. I got swept up in having fun with you guys, but I’m just not that girl. I don’t know, I guess I got carried away with it all.”

Nikki looked at me intently, pondering what I'd said before carefully responding. “But, you had fun right?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, of course I did. But that’s not the point.”

“Of course that’s the point!” Nikki cut in quickly. “Beth, you were the one that told me you lived wrapped up in goddamn bubble wrap, not able to do what you wanted or enjoy yourself.”

“Yeah, but only because Daddy wanted to protect us!” I said defensively.

“And now you’re a grown ass adult Lizzy.” Nikki’s expression softened a little & he hesitantly reached for my hand. “Look, I know your dad wanted to look after you and all that, but you can’t let what happened to your mom stop you from living your own life.”

“I’m not, I just..” I let the sentence trail off. “The other night just made me realise how reckless I’m being. This isn’t who I am. The drugs, the partying, ever since I met you guys I’ve just been someone that I’m not & just think need to distance myself, ok?”

Nikki shrugged, withdrawing his hand from mine a little sharply. “I get that sometimes were a little much & we can take things a bit too far, but don’t put your twisted daddy guilt on me & my band. You chose to come to our parties, no-one forced coke up your nose or pushed you into bed with Vince, you did all that shit because you wanted to & because you enjoyed it. Look, I’m not gonna beg you to stick around if that’s what you’re waiting for because that just isn’t me. If you wanna stay away, that's cool, we'll leave you be. But for what my opinion is worth, which probably ain’t shit, I think you’re being hard on yourself. You’re not a bad person for enjoying the darker side of life.” Nikki’s voice was blunt & hard, but I could hear the sincerity in it too. “Beth, you’re punishing yourself for having fun.” He finished.

Fuck, he was right.

We sat in silence for a couple of minutes, Nikki’s words lingering in the air as I absorbed what he’d said, trying to figure out where my head was at. I knew that what he was saying was true, but that didn't give me an excuse to go out & do whatever I pleased. I had to take responsibility for my life, be sensible, make the right choices.

Right?

Eventually Nikki rose from the bed, rocking on his heels as he tried to find words to try & clear the awkward atmosphere.

“Ok, well I think maybe that’s my queue to go.” He announced, leaning in to me & giving me a light peck on the forehead. “I hope you figure all of this shit out Beth. Don’t let your dads fears stop you from enjoying your own life. Do what you gotta do, but don’t forget to do what you wanna do sometimes.” He said as he walked towards the the open door. He paused in the doorway, turning his head slightly to look at me & gave me that infamous smirk one last time. My stomach flipped at the sight. “I’ll miss ya, Lizzy." He winked before walking away, down the hallway & out of sight. I let out a breathe I hadn’t realised I'd been holding in as I heard the door open & shut, the click of the latch catching sending a feeling of regret run cold though my body.

Fuck.

I threw the bed covers off of me & ran down the hallway, my bare feet slapping loudly on the laminate flooring. I reached the front door & took a deep breathe, my mind made up as I wrenched open the door & flew down the first set of stairs, not putting another thought into what I was about to do. I ran down the second flight, almost crashing into Nikki on the landing between staircases. I didn’t give him chance to react as he spun round, about to curse out whoever had nearly sent him flying. I grabbed a hold of his face, kissing him roughly & deeply. Nikki’s body went from rigid & angry to relaxed & smug in an instant, his hands snaking around my waist, pulling me in closer as I could feel his smirk beneath my lips. He finally broke the kiss, leaning away from me fractionally to give me a bemused, sly look. “What are you doing?”

“I’m doing what I wanna do.” I quoted him as he chuckled darkly.

“Good girl.” He mumbled against my lips, those two words, mixed with the taste of his kiss making me weak. I took his hand & lead him back up the stairs, feeling his eyes trailing along every inch of my body with every step I took.

We reached the front door & I went to reach for the handle, but Nikki grabbed my wrist, spinning me back around & pushing me up against the wall. He pinned both of my hands above my head with one hand as his other trailed along my lips, down my neck and lightly across my chest. His eyes didn’t leave mine the whole time, his hungry gaze enough to undo me right there & then. He pressed his lips roughly against mine as his fingers carried on their journey down my stomach & along the waistband of the little pyjama shorts I was wearing. He let them dance teasingly along my exposed skin before he slid his hand under the fabric, stroking me on the outside of my panties.

I tried to wriggle my hands free to grab his hand, conscious of the fact that anyone could walk past us, but Nikki only tightened his grip in response.

I pulled away from his kiss, trying to ignore how good his fingers were making me feel. “Nikki, I have neighbours!” I hissed. “What if someone walks past us?”

Nikki smirked once again. “That’s the point Angel. Best keep quiet.” He winked as his fingers expertly moved my panties to the side before sliding inside me, making me gasp with pleasure.

“Nikki, c’mon, I mean it!” I tried to protest as his fingers began to rhythmically pump against my wetness, his thumb finding its way to my clit & rubbing in small circles, making me moan out loud against my better judgement.

“Nikki..” I trailed off, forgetting what I was complaining about as he picked up speed, letting my eyes close. I stopped caring. I couldn’t focus on being mad, I could only focus on him. I rocked my hips against his hand, our rhythms syncing perfectly causing new waves of pleasure that I couldn’t hide. I desperately tried to stifle my moans, but Nikki wouldn’t let me. His fingers worked faster & harder, driving me closer & closer to the edge.

I opened my eyes to see his fixed on me, his lustful gaze soaking up the sight of me coming undone in front of him like he’d wanted for so long.

Nikki smiled darkly & leaned in to me, letting his lips brush my ear lobe as he whispered “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to see you give me that look.”

“What look?” I managed to gasp between my soft moans.

“The look you give when your wet, begging for my touch.” He chuckled. “Now cum for me, Angel. Right here, right now.”

His commanding words almost pushed me over the edge & I closed my eyes once again, letting my head tilt back as I got ready to indulge in my release.

But my eyes snapped open at the sound of the door to the building opening 2 floors below. I heard footsteps begin to ascend the stairs & I wriggled against Nikki’s grip once again, but his smirk only grew wider. “Nuh-uh Princess, not until you cum.”

“Nikki, this isn’t funny!” I shot at him quickly, but his fingers didn’t stop. His thumb carried on trailing delectable circles on my clit as his fingers moved quicker inside me, pushing deeper. I listened to the footsteps grow closer as my orgasm did the same, until I couldn’t stop it. Nikki’s lips crashed against mine to silence the moans of ecstasy that wanted to escape my mouth as I came around Nikki fingers, the urgency & danger only adding to the intensity.

Nikki swiftly removed his hand from my panties, licking his fingers & winking at me as I straightened up just in time for Mrs Salvador, our upstairs neighbour, to appear in view as she made her way up the staircase with grocery bags in either hand, smiling when she spotted me.

“Good afternoon, dear!” She beamed as I smiled politely.

“Good afternoon Mrs Salvador.” I managed, still flustered.

“And who do we have here?” She nodded in Nikki’s direction.

“I’m Nikki!” He responded all chipper & pleased with himself.

“Well nice to meet you Nikki, I’d shake your hand but I best get these bags upstairs.” Mrs Salvador smiled as she carried on her way.

Nikki shot me a sly look, smirking a usual. “Probably for the best.” He chuckled back to her, shrugging as a took a swipe at him when Mrs Salvador’s back was turned.

He grabbed my waist & pulled me towards him as he reached for the door at the same time. “Now, I’m not done with you.” He growled, nipping at my neck before opening the door & pulling me through.

Now safely on the other side of the door, I felt more confident as I kissed Nikki roughly, trailing kisses along his jawline & down his neck, softly biting as I went.

“My turn.” I mumbled against his skin, before dropping to my knees without hesitation.

I unlaced his tight leather trousers, lifting my eyes up to meet Nikki’s, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth as I watched him appreciate the sight of me on my knees in front of him. I flashed him a smirk of my own & placed light kisses along the waistband of his trousers before reaching into them & pulling out his swollen member.

*Nikki’s POV*

Beth lifted her eyes to mine once again as she slowly licked the tip, teasing me, waiting to see my reaction. I let out a low groan watching her smirk & circle her tongue around the head of my cock before taking it into her mouth.

“Fuck” I hissed through my teeth a I felt Beths hot, wet lips wrap around my dick & watched her delicate hands wrap around the base, working it slowly to begin with. I felt myself grow harder in her mouth, my eyes fixated on the sight of her with my cock between her perfect, plump lips.

She picked up speed, running her tongue up & down the length of me, applying just enough pressure to make me curse again. I threw back my head & let a low moan escape me. I grabbed a fistful of Beth’s hair, bucking my hips against her as she pumped faster, using her hands to work what her mouth couldn’t reach.

“Christ, you have no idea how many times I’ve thought about fucking your pretty little mouth.” I grinned between my moans of desire. Beth looked back up at me, eyes so innocent I could’ve cum just from the look she gave me. She groaned around my cock, sucking me deeper into her mouth, her one hand finding its way to me balls, fondling them & causing me to groan louder as the pleasure increased.

I thrust my hips against her, helping her take all of me into her throat. I felt the sensation overwhelm me, pushing me closer to cumming, but I wasn’t gonna cum like this.

I put my fingers gently under Beths chin, lifting her face to look at me, her lips still wrapped around my dick. I groaned at the sight once more, fighting the urge to let her just carry on until I came in that perfect mouth.

Instead, I took her hand & helped her to her feet, running my hands through her blonde hair & kissing her before leading her towards her own room. I shut the door behind us & pulled off my tshirt before pushing Beth on to the bed. I pulled off her top, revealing her lack of bra & climbed on top of her, placing kisses lazily across he chest until my lips brushed against her nipple. I nipped it gently, causing a sharp inhale of breath from Beth, before taking it into my mouth & sucking as I used my thumb & finger to caress the other one. Beth let out a delicious whimper & I continued my trail of nipping & sucking down her stomach to the waistband of her shorts.

I slowly pulled them off along with her panties, revealing Beth’s perfect little pink pussy, glistening with her wetness. I bit my lip at the sight, desperate to taste her.

I placed kisses along Beths thighs, sucking lightly as I made my way inwards until my lips brushed against the ones between her legs. I felt her abs tense & heard her draw in a sharp breathe as her hand came down & rested on the back of my head, her fingers getting lost in my hair. I continued kissing around her pussy, making Beth squirm until she couldn’t take it anymore. I let my tongue drift towards her clit, lightly brushing over it before applying a little more pressure & swirling my tongue against her. Fuck, she tasted like heaven.

“Fuck, Nikki!” Beth called out, whimpering & moaning as I smirked against her clit. I had waited too damn long to hear her call out my name, it sounded so fucking sweet on her angel lips.

I carried on circling my tongue as I eased my finger inside her, gently thrusting it in & out until I heard her breath quicken. I let it get faster & faster, listening to her orgasm build up until her fingers started to tighten in my hair & then I simply stopped.

“Sixx, what the fuck!” Beth panted, lifting her head up to look at me. I gave her my best smug smile as I pulled off my leather pants & climbed back on top of her. I let the head of my cock rub against her clit, causing an involuntary moan to escape her mouth into mine as I kissed her.

“You can cum when I do, Princess” I smiled wickedly, climbing off of her to find a condom. I always kept one handy in my trouser pocket. I ripped open the packet & rolled it on, moving back over to Beth & flipping her over, so she was on all fours, knees on the edge of the bed, ass in the air & that cute little pussy on full display for me. I let my cock glide up & down the length of her, spreading her wetness around as she whimpered for me.

“Tell me what you want, Angel.” I teased.

“You.” I heard her whimper as her ass wiggled in the air as she tried to back herself up onto my throbbing cock.

“Uh-uh Princess. Tell me what you want.” I demanded, giving her wet pussy a sharp little tap with my hand, causing a gasp, followed by a moan to emanate from Beth.

“I want you to fuck me, Nikki!” She choked out between moans as my fingers brushed lazily against her clit.

“Ask nicely, Angel.” I warned.

“Please Nikki, please fuck me!” Beth cried out desperately “Fuck, I want you inside me.”

I teased her entrance with the tip of my cock, prolonging her desperation for just a second longer as I appreciated what it was like to finally have her at my mercy before I eased myself inside of her. Her warmth was enticing & her wetness made it easy to push my whole length deep inside her. Beths moans were fucking music to my ears as she called out my name, signalling me to pick up the pace.

I grabbed a hold of her hips, digging my fingers into her delicate skin, instantly colouring her pale skin a nice shade of purple underneath my fingertips. I grinned at the sight; a reminder for her later.

I started thrusting, finding my rhythm as our moans synced along with our hips. I started out slow, thrusting deep as Beth cried out.

“Fuck Sixx, you’re so big!” She moaned as she inevitably pulled away from me. I slapped her ass & pulled her back to me, burying my dick back inside her. I grabbed her hair as I picked up the pace, thrusting harder & faster as Beth got more comfortable, pushing her ass back against me, matching my rhythm.

I brought down a sharp slap on her ass once again as she called out my name. “I’m gonna cum Nikki!” She yelled out.

I chuckled harshly. “I told you, you cum when I do, doll.”

I slowly pulled back, almost all the way, before pushing my cock back in, hard, making her take all of me. Beth let out yell of pleasure & pain, pulling away from me once again, causing me to pull out.

I released my fingers from her hair & I lay down on the bed, motioning for Beth to get on top. She didn’t need telling twice.

She eagerly straddled me, placing her knees either side of my hips before she reached for hungrily for my cock, positioning it beneath her, sliding herself down on to me with a deliciously slow pace that nearly made me cum.

“Fuck Beth!” I called out, grabbing her hair & pulling her lips to me, tasting her sweet kiss as she slowly rode my cock.

Beth sat back up, placing her hands on my chest to steady herself as she thrust up & down on my dick. I reached my hand up past her bouncing tits to her pretty neck, wrapping my fingers around it & squeezing, gently at first, trying to gage her reaction. Beth drew her bottom lip between her teeth & gave me a pleading look that told me to carry on, so I tightened my grip, causing her pace to quicken. I groaned at the sight of her perfect, wet pussy sliding up & down my cock, bringing me closer to my release.

Keeping my grip on her throat, I rolled over so Beth was beneath me, softening my grip momentarily for her to take a sudden gasp of air. I grinned at her as she let a moan escape before my grip tightened once again.

“I’ve wanted you beneath me for so fucking long, Angel. Now, you have my permission to cum.” I smirked as I began thrusting hard & fast, bouncing my hips against hers as Beth wrapped her legs around my waist & dragged her nails down my back. I let out a low growl at the pain, squeezing tighter on her neck, leaving more purple bruises as evidence that she was mine.

I watched as her beautiful, innocent face got twisted up with sin & I let go of her just in time to hear the sound of her orgasm come crashing out of her glossy, angelic lips. Her forehead was glistening with a light film of sweat as her eyebrows furrowed & her lips parted ever so slightly. Her eyes stayed fixed on mine as I felt her cum around my cock.

I smirked as I watched her, knowing I’d caused that sinful look in her eyes, just like I’d always wanted.

I felt my own release build up as I watched Beth squirm & writhe from her own, not breaking pace or easing for a second, dragging out her orgasm.

“Tell me who you belong to.” I demanded, edging closer, groaning as the sight of Beth cumming beneath me.

“You. I-I belong to you.” She choked out between gasps & moans. “Cum for me Nikki, please.” She begged desperately.

Beths words tipped me over the edge & I buried my face in her neck as came, slowing down my pace before collapsing in a pile on the bed next to her.

“Fuck.” I whispered, letting out a low, sultry laugh.

*Beths POV*

“Yep.” I agreed, giggling. Fuck was the only word that seemed appropriate right now. My whole body felt like it was vibrating, still throbbing from my orgasm. I wriggled up next to Nikki, resting my head on his shoulder, resigning myself to the knowledge that my legs were basically useless at this point & I’d just have to call in sick again for my evening shift.

Nikki whole body stiffened at my touch before relaxing fractionally, long enough to wrap his arm around my waist, but I could sense his discomfort.

“You.. ok, Sixx?” I asked, dragging the question out a little as I propped myself up to look at him.

“Yeah, yeah, fine.” He shifted, his eyes refusing to meet mine.

I felt a knot form in my stomach as the awkwardness grew in the air. “I wasn’t that bad, was I?” I joked, half-serious.

“No, it not that doll. That was, uh, well, that was fucking phenomenal.” He laughed nervously, running his hands through his hair.

“So.. What is it?” I questioned, feeling suddenly self-conscious as I pulled the bed cover over me to hide my body.

His eyes drifted down to his arm around my waist. “I’m just, um, I’m don’t really do the whole cuddling thing after, yanno?”

I scoffed at him, shaking my head. “Christ Nikki.”

“I’m sorry!” He said, immediately jumping to his own defensive. “You know I’m not that kinda guy!”

“Nik, I put my goddamn head on your shoulder, I wasn’t asking you to commit!”

“Look, the whole thing just makes me, I don’t know, uncomfortable I guess!” He blurted out sheepishly.

I let out a short, unamused laugh. “And kicking someone out of my bed before they’ve had chance to catch their breath makes me uncomfortable, so looks like we’re both fucked here.” I snapped.

“Lizzy, c’mon, you knew what this was, you’ve always known!” Nikki looked exasperated. “You’ve seen it happen with plenty of other girls, nothing has changed.” He said sharply, climbing out of my bed & pulling on his pants.

They shouldn’t have, but his words stung.

Fuck.

“Christ Sixx. I didn’t think I was special, but I thought after everything that maybe you cared about me a little more than all your other groupies.” I spat, tears involuntarily springing to my eyes. I furiously tried to blink them away.

“I - I care about you Beth, but no. This was what it was, you should’ve known.” He shook his head, still refusing to catch my eye as he gathered up his clothes & got dressed.

I shook my head, letting an ironic laugh escape me. “Who’d have thought Vince would’ve treated me better than you. And to think I fucking hurt him for this.” I gestured towards Nikki & the bed, shaking my head pitifully. “Thanks a lot Nikki.”

His head spun to face me, his eyes finally meeting mine. “Don’t fucking blame me for what happened with you two. No-one forced you to go off with me! You made that decision on your own Princess.”

“I went off with you because I thought I was going off with more than just one mediocre fuck!” I yelled bitterly. “What happened to wanting to be the only one that has me? What happened to ‘tell me who you belong to’ just 10 fucking minutes ago?!”

“Shit Lizzy, I say shit when I’m fucking horny. What did you expect? I was just gonna settle down with you because I’ve been chasing you? That’s the whole goddamn point, its the thrill of the chase &, well..”

Tears pricked in my eyes once again & I didn’t bother to hide them this time.

“Just get out Sixx.” I ordered, bluntly.

“Princess, look, I like you, I do, but I don’t want anything more than this, I figured you knew that. I’m sorry if I confused you, I like what we had gong before, can we just go back to that?” Nikki asked softly, reaching for my hand.

“Get out of here Nikki, now!” I yelled, hot, humilIted years spilling down my cheeks as I climbed out of bed & strode towards Nikki, pushing him out of the door & slamming it shut behind him. I sunk to the floor, my bare back against the cold wood of the door as I listened to Nikki sigh heavily on the other side, before walking down the hallway, opening the front door & closing it behind him.

I listened as the latch caught once again. I sure as hell wasn’t gonna chase him this time.

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first-edition-dumpster-fire · 4 years

Text

Okay, I’m in a mood and I just finished midnight sun, so I thought I’d put my current motivation to good use and hope it lasts. Let’s start with my opinions and thoughts on the characters of twilight. Part One; Bella Swan

Okay, but like, I actually love Bella Swan so I may be a bit biased but at the same time, I understand that she has flaws and I like to put my perspective on everything. For the most part she’s super unproblematic and her character (like all of the other characters) wasn’t done proper justice which is why I’m so glad that Tumblr has taken them into custody.

Honestly, though, Bella’s personality and characterization was on the fritz and complicated. She was entirely self-sufficient, a care-taker, chill, and ambitious. Like, sure, all she wanted to do was become a high school English teacher/college English professor and live in the sunnier places but man did she work at it. She had a whole ass plan that was derailed when she met and fell in love with Edward and found out about the supernatural. I’m gonna admit, really disappointed after I found this out and then realized she never discovered her dreams. Yeah, she made whole new dreams that she was really happy with and got a fulfilling life in the end but seeing Bella helping out a struggling writer or suggesting certain books to help with someone’s thesis would’ve been super cool.

But on the other hand, the books totally victimized her and made her into a damsel in distress. I know most of her problems were supernatural, scratch that all of her problems were supernatural, but she should’ve been given more power. Why make a heroine if she’s always hiding behind her love interests and never saves herself? Bella also drinks hella dumb bitch juice, which Edward had teasingly pointed out in the hospital after her tussle with James. (Really, it was one of the only things Edward said to her that wasn’t either hating on himself or saying something super shady (like insulting her intelligence or committing himself to her for life even though they’ve only been official for a day)) She will put herself into situations she might not come out of alive but cowers at the little things like needles and prom. Another example of her dumb bitch, self sacrificing, did-not-think-about-this-decision-nearly-as-long-as-I-should-have-so-now-I-have-to-work-with-what-I-got energy is her attempt to bare knuckle box and jujitsu her attempted rapists instead of screaming or running. Commendable bravery and determination, loses points for lack of brain cell use.

If it were me, I would’ve cut Edward off or at least made him work a lot harder than he did. She just let him off the hook whenever he did anything wrong for the sake of keeping him with her. Which makes a lot of sense actually. She’d never been a daughter really. She paid bills, she went grocery shopping, she took care of her house as well as her mother and herself. She’s never had someone take care of her or care for her in the romantical sense and in the giving sense. Most of the boys who liked her, were only attracted to her and wanted to know more about her to see if her interest matched their own. Not for the sake of getting to know her, understand her, but to see if she matched up to the pedestal they put her on. Edward didn’t do that, and I’m not saying their relationship was healthy because it wasn’t, but I can see and understand why Bella latched onto Edward so quickly even though it was super out of character from what we knew of her before their relationship.

Also, I really fucking hate how vulnerable Bella was in New Moon. Like, Edward left her in the fucking woods and she almost died. I would’ve been so angry, and she should’ve been considering that Bella had multiple moments in Twilight where she was displayed to have a temper and even sometimes considered violence against Edward when he pissed her off. She was broken, sitting around lazily and trying her damned hardest not to have a mental breakdown as to not worry her parents and friends anymore than she already had. Her self confidence was gone, she was already insecure, not believing herself good enough for the Cullens and Edward took advantage of that. He took advantage of the fact that no one had ever expressed romantic interest in her therefore she doesn’t have a fucking clue on how anything involving relationships are supposed to work. Bella was mature, Bella grew up too fast, Bella overestimated herself. And she was so emotionally stunted that instead of building up emotions, she held them down and decided to feel nothing. Then she met Edward and truly allowed herself to feel something. And it was too much, seventeen years of living as nothing more than an empathic caregiver took its toll on her and she felt everything at once and intensely. And when he left her, she felt that intensely too.

I don’t know why Stephanie Meyer wanted to further inforce that Bella was beautiful and desirable to the boy students and caused envy from the girl students, except for Angela. It was gross. Bella was so obviously heartbroken and vulnerable and emotionally unavailable but smeyer still had Mike ask her out multiple times and make Jacob’s crush on her grow, which was unfair. She thought multiple times that Jacob was family and made her feel like Bella again. He was a bright happy person with a good sense of humor and a sunny disposition and I felt like his feelings for Bella kinda put a hinder on a great character. Angela, Jacob, and Bella would’ve been an iconic trio of best friends and you can’t tell me otherwise. Bella, Alice, and Rosalie would’ve also been a great trio and that is a non-arguable fact. You cannot tell me that Rosalie would’ve held the same animosity towards Bella had she known what had happened to Bella in Port Angeles. Alice was already Bella’s best friend before they officially even met, so there’s that. P

I absolutely loathe the plot of Eclipse. The love triangle between Edward, Jacob, and Bella had never made any sense but then smeyer forced it even further and made it worse. That non-consensual kiss made me gag. That’s not Jacob’s character. Then Bella all of a sudden growing feelings for him made even less sense. Especially when it was so obvious that she was going to choose Edward over everything just as she always has. I loved the interaction between Bella and Jasper, though, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I ship them. It has more to do with the fact that this was the first unawkward conversation that they had ever had with one another. It wasn’t a exactly light discussion but it really pulled along how involved with every member of the Cullen family in some way. It was cool. The rest of the train wreak included Edward’s inane jealousy and even-creepier-than-usual behavior, the coercion into marriage and sex (because Bella didn’t respect Edward’s morals anymore than Edward respected hers) along with a pressured kiss between Jacob and Bella that was just bad. It ain’t a bad thing when someone doesn’t return your feelings. Jacob, honey, you’re perfect, just not for Bella (or Resume, smeyer). Then Bella and Edward begin planning their wedding, which makes no sense. Bella doesn’t want marriage, she’s against the institution of it. She’s already said that she loves Edward and wants to be with him forever regardless of how she does it. Why isn’t that enough for him? She doesn’t want to end high school with a marriage based on how her parents relationship ended.

Who else thought that Bella’s powers could’ve been cooler or that she shouldn’t have had powers at all? It’s too even. Two couples where neither have gifts and two couples where they both have gifts. It would’ve made more sense if she controlled possibilities or had a subtle way of making things go her way, like Siobhan from the Irish coven. She loved her privacy and separation from others and while that kinda back fired in a way- she was flocked around by others as soon as she walked into school -it also didn’t. For one, obviously Edward could t read her mind. Privacy and solitude from him at least. But at the same time, everyone was pretty much bending over backwards to be near her at all times. What if it was Bella’s subconscious ability acting up and making them want to give Bella whatever she wanted? Of course, since she was human, her abilities couldn’t have been working right, and instead of making people give her what she wanted, she made them have the inexplicable desire to give her what she wanted. And with Edward, he didn’t notice her lack of voice until he focused on her and couldn’t hear her inner voice. After she had set her sights on him. After she’d taken interest and her mind began to shape the reality around her to make her unmistakable and absolutely appealing to someone like Edward, someone who is perpetually bored and self loathing. By silencing her mind so he couldn’t read it and scenting her blood in a way that make it impossible for him to stay away. It’s just really suspicious how Bella never really has any problems that last more than a few days. Except for Edward leaving which-to her at least-was a huge problem. But she is human and doesn’t know that she even has powers so said powers are bound to fuck up somehow. Or maybe they didn’t, at least not intentionally. The beginning of New Moon featured Bella agonizing over her aging and the belief that Edward and the rest of the Cullens were all better than her. Her subconscious took that to mean that she didn’t want the Cullens around since they were unwittingly destroying Bella’s self-esteem which never really was that high to begin with. So the accident on her birthday never was an accident, it was Bella trying to protect herself because she does t know how to do anything else, she has no one to take care of and is being taken care of for the first time and doesn’t trust the feeling. Because we all know Jasper attacking her makes no sense. For one, he was a disciplined vampire army leader surrounded by bloodthirsty newborns, for another, he killed James with Bella lying in a pool of her own blood not three meters away from him, and lastly, he fucking drove her to the hospital in a hot car while she bled out. You cannot fucking tell me that Jasper just had a lapse in control, that the bloodlust of his family rendered him unable to resist. Nah, Bella just lost control of her powers that just so happened to be cooler than a shield. Because she learned how to master an ability that should’ve taken months and years to master in only a few months. The Volturi walked away and everyone except for Irina made it out alive, including the shapeshifters.

Anyway, in conclusion Bella is a BAMF who loses her brain cells over the course of two years.

#twilight renaissance #twilight #bella swan #edward cullen #jacob black #jasper hale #theories

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atc74 · 5 years

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Oil & Water

Square(s) Filled: Arranged Marriage for @spnkinkbingo

Warnings: It isn’t angsty, but it ain’t fluffy

Summary: Jared Padalecki is the heir and next in line to run his fathers oil company. Y/N Y/L/N is the only child of their biggest competitor. What happens when their fathers decide their personal and professional futures?

Pairing: Jared x Reader

Word Count: 3467

Written for: @spnkinkbingo

Beta’d by: @alleiradayne, thank you for always being a great sounding board!

Like Jared’s scent? Buy it here from @scentsfromthebunker!

As a reminder, this is a work of fiction and should be regarded as such. No harm is intended toward the actor(s) or their families.

“I don’t care. You do not get an opinion in this decision Jared! We’ve sealed the deal and you’ll marry that girl come hell or high water!” Gerald thundered at his youngest son.

“So I don’t even get a say in my own fucking life?” Jared demanded of his father.

“No, you don’t. Not anymore. You’ve had your chance to find someone and settle down. For Pete’s sake, boy, you’re thirty-six years old and I ain’t gonna be around forever. I need you to settle down and learn how to run the business,” Gerald sighed, sitting down at the large desk.

“Why does it have to fall to me?” Jared asked his father.

“Your brother and sister chose different fields. You chose to stay here and by default, you’ll take over when I retire. This is a good deal, son. We’ll be the biggest oil conglomerate in the country, by merging companies and families,” Gerald explained. “You’ll do this. End of discussion.”

“Whatever,” Jared scoffed and left his father’s office, slamming the heavy door behind him. His mother stopped him before he could leave the house, a gentle hand on his arm.

“Jared, I know it’s not ideal, but I think you’ll be good together and a mother’s intuition is rarely wrong,” Sharon spoke softly.

“Good together? Mom, we’re like oil and water. Every damn time we’ve been in the same room, it’s nothing but angry words and snide comments,” Jared sighed heavily.

“Oil and water don’t need to mix to be together, baby,” she smiled up at her son. “It’s a good fit. It was for your daddy and me. It will be for you, too. You’ll see. She is coming to dinner tonight with her family to start the planning.”

“Okay Mama,” Jared bent at the waist to place a sweet kiss to his mother’s cheek before he left the house. He took off on foot, wandering the family land until he found himself at the stables. He may not have known where he was going when he left the house, but he always seemed to end up where he needed to be. He saddled up his horse, Wildfire, and the two of them roamed the outskirts of the property.

Even with the heavy thoughts on his mind, Jared felt lighter when he rode her. As she ran effortlessly along the tree line, his mind flooded with a memory.

“Dad stop!” Jared yelled as he spotted something in the middle of the burning trees. A foal, no more than a few weeks old. She stood there on wobbly knees, her coat dirty and sweaty from the fire and ash in the air.

Jared ran from the truck and without thinking, dashed through the flames to get to her. She was skittish as he approached her, but he was able to get close enough to throw the rope in his hands and land it around her neck. He hurriedly but gently coaxed her through the flames until they reached safety. When he finally got her home and cleaned up, her coat was a beautiful chestnut. Jared and his father looked, but they never found out who she belonged to, so she became a permanent resident and he named her Wildfire.

Wildfire whinied beneath him as his mind wandered. “I know girl, I know. Let’s head home, yeah? Don’t want Mama to yell at us for being late for dinner. Gotta shower for my bride-to-be,” Jared chuckled and turned her toward home.

It’s not that he didn’t like Y/N Y/L/N. She was smart, beautiful, funny and sarcastic. She was actually someone Jared would normally have been attracted too, but one run in too many at industry functions and they had just rubbed each other the wrong way, more like he had seemingly rubbed her the wrong way. Truth be told, he wasn’t happy with the arrangement, but he could have thought of a hundred women worse than her. Still, he had to figure out how to get along with her if they were to be married.

Freshly showered and dressed in clean slacks, a button down and a light colored jacket, Jared made his way to the kitchen. His mother greeted him as she checked last minute details. “You look so handsome,” she smiled affectionately at her youngest son.

“Thanks, Mama,” he smiled in return, a small blush creeping up his cheeks.

The Y/L/N family arrived on time an hour later and everyone was ushered into the sitting room for drinks. Jared cautiously approached Y/N where she talked with their mothers. She looked annoyed as they talked wedding plans.

“Wanna take a walk?” he offered.

“Will it get me out of marrying you?” she rolled her eyes.

“No, but maybe we can talk, get to know each other a bit more,” Jared suggested, leading her out to the veranda. “It’s not the greatest of situations and I’m not happy with the arrangement, either, Y/N.”

“Well, maybe you’re just better adjusted than you appear to be,” she smirked.

“What the hell does that mean?” Jared asked.

“You’re a playboy, Jared. A rich, privileged brat that shows off his daddy’s money,” she scoffed.

“Yeah, you’re rich too, remember?” he retorted.

“I am now, but I still remember what it was like to be poor, before Daddy struck oil and made his money. I’ve worked hard over the last ten years to help him build his empire that was supposed to be mine. Now I’ve been told that he’s merging with your daddy and I have to marry you in the same week!”

“Yeah, I got the same news,” Jared sighed. He knew this would be hard, but he wasn’t sure why she hated him so much. Apparently her first impression would be harder to change than he realized. “If this is going to work, can we at least try being friends?”

“I don’t want to be friends, Jared, and I sure as hell don’t want to be married to you!” she snapped. “But, we’re stuck so whatever. No sleeping around and stay out of my way.”

She stormed back into the house, leaving Jared staring after her. It was no secret that Jared enjoyed the company of women, but he was not a playboy, by any means. He rarely slept with them and in fact, hadn’t been with anyone intimately in over a year. Y/N was a spitfire and he liked that, but he certainly had his work cut out for him if he was going to get her to even like him at this point.

“No. We’re not making this a huge affair! This is a sham and while we’re prepared to play nice in public, I’m not doing it with an audience of five hundred people!” Y/N shouted at her mother, smacking her hand on the table for emphasis.

“I agree with her. We should keep it small, just family and maybe a few close friends,” Jared offered, giving her a shy smile, which surprisingly, she returned.

By the time the Y/L/N’s had bid goodnight to the Padalecki’s the date had been set, the guest list finalized and menu options discussed. Y/N had decided on gardenias and white heather for her bouquet. The tables would have additional gardenias and candles. They had agreed on blue and silver for the main colors and bridesmaids.

Y/N was an only child and didn’t have many close friends, so she planned to ask Jared’s younger sister to stand up for her since it wouldn’t let more people on to their arrangement. Jeff, his older brother, would be his best man.

Their mothers would take care of the catering, but had told both Jared and Y/N that they were expected the next day at Haven, the bakery they decided on, for a cake testing. Protests had been made but Sharon put her foot down.

“Jared Tristan Padalecki! I am your mother and I am telling you you will do this and you will not complain. I raised winners, not whiners!”

“Wow! You got full named dude,” Y/N snickered at him behind her hand, until she heard her own mother.

“And you’ll do the same, Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N! No more acting like a brat. I raised you better than that! You were born naked just like the rest of us, so get over it!”

Jared’s eyes went wide as her mother’s outburst, a not so subtle laugh erupting from his mouth, as he was met with a scowl from all three ladies. “Sorry.”

“Fine!” Y/N yelled before turning on her heels and she shot Jared a look and pointed her finger at him. “Don’t be late!”

~*~

The cake tasting was tense to say the least, but they finally settled on several flavors for the cupcakes Jared wanted and the traditional cake their mothers insisted on.

“I’m glad we’ve come to a compromise,” Y/N said on their way out of the bakery.

“No, we collaborated. Compromise indicates we both gave up something to get what we wanted in the end. Collaboration is us working together for a pleasing end result,” Jared smiled proudly, holding open the door for her.

“God, you’re so annoying. At least you’re pretty and smart,” she scoffed, walking through the open door.

“You think I’m pretty!” Jared squealed in feigned delight. “Don’t forget I’m right, too.”

“Yeah, okay you’re right, pretty boy,” she said, a small smile tugging her lips. She ducked her head so he couldn’t see.

They walked out into the bright Texas afternoon, Jared just a step behind her. “You know, this arrangement our families are forcing us into doesn’t have to be all bad. I know it’s not what either of us want and I heard what you said last night loud and clear, but just hear me out, okay?”

Y/N stopped and turned to face him, her head tilting up to look him in the eye instead of his annoyingly broad chest. “I’m listening.”

“Let me take you to dinner. Your choice. I just want to talk, I promise,” Jared held her gaze and he saw her giving it thought.

“Fine, one meal,” she relented and he let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

They walked to his car and he opened the door for her, closing is gently after she slid into the passenger seat. Jared prayed he knew what he was doing as he walked around to get in on the other side. He slipped in next to her, turned the engine over and the air on full. “Where to?”

~*~

After their drinks were served, Jared cleared his throat before he began speaking. “Y/N, I know you don’t care for me very much and I’ll admit I don’t know why, but I’d like us to try to at least get to know each other.”

“Why?” she took a sip of her wine while she waited for his answer.

“Because I have done absolutely nothing to make you hate me. Hell, I’m a nice guy!” he threw his hands up. “I just don’t want us to have all the hostility. And although being forced to marry one another isn’t ideal, we can learn to get along.”

“So what’s your solution, pretty boy?” she eyed him carefully.

“Tell me something about yourself. You share one, I’ll share one. We’re going to be married in less than two weeks, and I’d like to know more about you than just your name and occupation,” he offered with a smile.

“So your plan is to make this marriage another collaboration? Or are you trying to woo me?” she jested.

“Why not? You never know...in the end, we both might end up with what we want,” he lifted his glass, clinking it to hers. “To us.”

Dinner seemed to move smoothly after their negotiations. They both enjoyed their meals over not unpleasant conversation.

“So why are you still single?” Jared asked, taking a sip of his after dinner bourbon.

“I work all the time. Helping my daddy build his empire that I assumed I would be running someday occupies, sorry occupied, all of my time. Besides, dating is for people who don’t know what they want,” she shrugged.

“And you do?” he probed.

“Hell yes! I want to be successful in all areas of my life, not just business. But a successful woman intimidates a man. Something about their ego and thinking their junk is the size of Texas and all. I don’t know. I just want a strong man who can handle my own success while still being my man, ya know?” she looked up from her salted caramel cheesecake to look him in the eye, taking note of the myriad of colors she found there.

“There is nothing wrong with being successful. You should be very proud of your accomplishments. Your success would intimidate a lesser man. From what my father tells me, your daddy would be lost without you,” Jared acknowledged.

“I am, trust me. And I know he is too, but that is what makes this arrangement even more infuriating. If I am doing such a great job, why sell now?” she questioned, but shook it off, not expecting an answer from Jared. “This isn’t all about me pretty boy. You too busy playing the field to settle down?”

“Ha, no. Nothing like that. I just never found the one I was looking for,” Jared responded with a low chuckle.

“And what is it that you are looking for, Jared?” she leaned forward in her seat.

“A successful woman who could hold her own, whether it be in the boardroom or the bedroom. A woman who isn’t afraid of confrontation, someone who will call me out on my bullshit when I get out of line,” he revealed.

“So, of all the bombshells I’ve seen you with around town, none of them fit the bill?” she jabbed.

“You’ve seen me with one in the last two years, Y/N. And no, they didn’t. They preferred a free ride and the spotlight. They’d rather get their nails done than do anything that resembled work,” Jared frowned, his brows knitting together.

“Sounds exhausting. But what you’re telling me doesn’t sync with what I’ve seen and heard,” she tipped her glass and finished the rest of her wine.

“Don’t believe everything you hear and looks can be deceiving. I know your what first impression of me is but I’m not what you think I am, Y/N,” Jared declared, placing his phone on the table and sliding it over to her after unlocking it.

“What is this, Jared?” she looked from him to the phone and back.

“That’s my phone. Go through it. The texts, pictures, whatever you want. I’ve got nothing to hide from anyone, least of all you. I’ll even give you the names and numbers of all the women I have dated in the last three years, you’ll see you are wrong about me,” Jared stated, signaling the server for another round.

~*~

It was the night before the wedding and Y/N found herself a bit nervous as she approached the Padalecki estate. Her parents had arrived earlier while she had gotten hung up at the office. It was just a rehearsal dinner and only family would be present. So why was she so anxious? Because after the dinner she shared with Jared a couple weeks ago, she couldn’t get him off her mind. She had freely scrolled through his phone while they were out, even his cloud, but found nothing that provided any evidence that he was telling her anything but the truth.

She had asked for the references, as she put it, and she actually did call all of them. And googled them. Y/N got the same story from all three, which is something else in itself. Over the last seven years, Jared had only seen three women, each of them relationships, not flings. The women had come off as shallow and money hungry. They had each solidified the information Jared had given her. He wasn’t a playboy, he was just looking for something more than they could give him. How could her first impression have been so wrong? The time she spent with him over the last two weeks painted an entirely different picture, something she liked.

No, it wasn’t just nerves she was feeling. It was something more, something deeper. Something she was completely unfamiliar with and it scared her.

She entered the manor and headed through to the back veranda. She took in all of the decorations and the tent that had already been set up for the wedding tomorrow. Everything looked beautiful as she looked around. She was stunned at everything her and Jared’s mother had done to prepare for it. A glass of red wine appeared in her line of sight and she looked up to the man holding it. Jared. She took the glass from him with a shaky thank you.

“Hey, you okay?” he whispered, lowering his head so only she could hear him.

“Yes. No. I don’t know,” she replied, shaking her head.

“Hey, let’s talk. We’ve got time before dinner,” Jared said, leading her back into the house and into his office.

The room was painted a soft gray with dark shelving filled with old works of fiction. There were some books on business management and leading people, but mostly there were photos. Framed pictures covered one wall and several of the shelves. There were pictures of his friends and family. But what caught her eye most were the pictures of Jared with children. It was unexpected and it gave her one more glimpse into his life.

“That’s my nephew there,” he pointed to a picture of him holding a newborn. “And this is my niece at her third birthday. That one is my favorite.”

Y/N chanced a peek at him, a happy, content smile on his face as he looked at the picture. She pulled her eyes away to get a closer look. Jared was seated at a small children’s table, wearing a crown and sipping from a ridiculously tiny cup. “Tea party?”

He hummed his reply. “She was so elated with the tea set I gave her that she insisted we have a tea party right then and there. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them.”

Her heart fluttered in her chest at the softness of his voice and his eyes at the memory.

“Sorry, I got caught up there for a minute. Talk to me, Y/N,” Jared took a seat on the leather sofa, patting the other side for her to sit with him.

“I don’t even know where to start, Jare,” she sighed, closing her eyes.

“I know this is overwhelming and it’s unfair and we should get to decide who we want to spend our lives with, but it’s happening. I’m nervous too, but I’ve got your back, okay?” he promised, pulling her hand into his.

“I, uh, that’s th-, crap. Okay, I’m going to start talking and please don’t interrupt me, I just need to get this out, okay?” she looked at him for confirmation. She tossed back the wine in her glass and opened her mouth.

“That’s the thing. Yes, it’s overwhelming, but shouldn’t it be? I mean, we are getting married tomorrow. Is it unfair how we were forced together? Yeah. Is it unfair how you’ve been basically courting me for the past two weeks? Yes. Is it unfair that I’m feeling things I have no idea how to deal with? Hell yes. I have learned more about you in the last two weeks than I have about most of my employees in ten years. I’m not good with people. But you? Ha, you’re like a master when it comes to getting people to open up to you. I’ve told you things I haven’t told anyone, like ever! And that is exasperating, to say the least. I don’t do feelings. That’s why I haven’t dated, because I don’t want to feel things that normal people feel.

“You’ve made me see things in a new way and feel things that I thought myself incapable of feeling. And now, now I just, I just, shit. This sounded better in my head. What I am trying to say is that I kinda like you and how we got here is unfair yes, but under different circumstances, I think we could have gotten here on our own.” She paused for air after her word vomit and looked at Jared who sat silent, his expression unreadable. “Jare, say something, please.”

“It’s a lot to process, Y/N,” Jared stood, taking another look at all the photos spanning his thirty-six years. He knew there were several moments missing from that wall and he knew then and there what the next photo would be. He took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. Jared placed his hands on either side of her face and looked her in the eye. “I kinda like you, too.” He slipped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “And I really want to kiss you right now.”

Her eyes fluttered shut at the thought of his lips on her and she rose up on her toes. “Jared.”

He loosened his hold and pulled back to see her. The look on her face didn’t shock him as much as he thought it would. She was pissed and that he had anticipated. “But, as you said, I’ve been courting you and I am going to finish courting you properly. The first kiss we share will be tomorrow when we are married.”

“You better be worth the wait, pretty boy,” she smiled.

continued here

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#spnkinkbingo #Jared Padalecki #jared x reader #jared padalecki au #jared padalecki x reader au #supernatural fanfiction

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thewalkingdeadimaginings · 5 years

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The Extraction

Hi can you do an imagine were the reader has toothache and doesn't want to go to Dr.Carson for an extraction. She doesn't want that Negan hear something about but he will and tries to comfort her. (She is not one of Negans wives because she didn't want to)

Hi guys! I know it has been…an unacceptable amount of time haha! I’ve been away just dealing with some emotional stuff. I wasn’t feeling too motivated to write but I’m back! I was particularly inspired to write this one shot as I chipped my tooth…twice. My tooth chipped because it turns out that I clench my jaw/grind my teeth while I sleep! It was such a tiny chip that my dentist wouldn’t have even noticed it if I hadn’t said anything. For such a tiny chip, it sure did hurt like a bitch. So I spent $180 on a mouth guard and then a few weeks later, I was woken up by a crunching sound. That crunching sound was from my tooth chipping AGAIN. Now, the first time it hurt to chew for a day and then I could chew as normal. This time, the pain lasted for days and now drinking water and breathing in hurt. I got it smoothed down and it felt instantly better so I guess I just needed to smooth it down. If getting the tooth pulled and replaced with a fake tooth wasn’t thousands of dollars, I would’ve just done that because I am DONE with this tooth ahahah. I have also had a tooth pulled before so I feel like I have a bit of an advantage with this one shot 😉 And that is the epic saga with my teeth. Now on to what you came here for! THANKS AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND YOUR LOVE <3

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

You lived a privileged life in the sanctuary, probably more privileged than the life you lived before the world ended. Negan had noticed you right away and took you in. And despite rejecting a marriage proposal, he had always been kind to you.

“Y/N, you’ve been making that face all day,” Negan remarked when he saw you wince at the pain in your jaw. Your jaw had been killing you for days but you hadn’t said anything about it, hoping it would just go away on its own, “And you haven’t eaten anything. What’s botherin’ you?”

You shrugged as you continued hanging up the wet laundry on a clothesline, “I’m fine. Just not hungry today.”

“We both know you’re a terrible liar,” Negan retorted, a playful smile spreading on his lips. He approached you, pulling a shirt from your hands and dropping it back in the bucket, soapy water splashing back and hitting your legs.

Stepping away from the bucket, you sighed, “If I go see Dr. Carson, who will finish hanging up this laundry?”

“Me,” Negan said, “I’ll do it.”

“You?” you chuckled, crossing your arms, “You’re gonna hang up the laundry for me? You’re not really…hands on, Negan.”

“Hey now, I can be plenty hands on,” Negan said, “Now, you go on and get yourself checked out with Dr. Carson. And I wanna know everything he said, Y/N.”

Negan’s overprotective nature could be a pain sometimes but you definitely felt the love. But you were terrified of what Dr. Carson would say. The tooth causing you trouble now had always caused you trouble even before the world ended. And without proper dental care that was available before, extraction might be the only option now. Unfortunately, that meant there wasn’t anything available to numb the pain either.

You headed for Dr. Carson’s examination room. He was inside putting away supplies that had just been brought in from the last run a few days ago. The door opened with a light groan and you tapped on it, “Carson? Are you busy?”

“Not at all,” Dr. Carson replied, “Come on in, Y/N. What’s bothering you?”

Dr. Carson sat down in his chair, rolling from the counter to the exam table you were taking a seat on. You were tense, kicking your feet and resisting the urge to hold your aching face, “It’s um…well…this is outside your area of expertise but my tooth has been killing me. It’s always been a problem for me but it’s even worse now.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Dr. Carson said. You opened your mouth as wide as you could and Dr. Carson took a look in your mouth. His brows lowered, completely outside his realm but genuinely trying to come up with an answer. He turned your head to the side, shining a flashlight into your mouth. You knew exactly what he was going to say before he even said it but hearing it out loud still filled you with dread, “Y/N, I don’t really know much about dental work but I’m thinking that tooth’s gotta come out. Looks pretty bad. If you don’t, I’m concerned that it’ll affect the rest of your teeth.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” you murmured.

“We should get started then,” Dr. Carson said, “Lie down for me.”

“Actually, I have a million things to do right now,” you said, hopping off the table, “Just some painkillers will do for now. Just so I can get through the day, yeah?”

“Y/N…” Dr. Carson said, “Didn’t you hear what I said? I said if you don’t get that tooth taken out, it’ll hurt the rest of your teeth. Then you’ll have to get multiple taken out.”

“I know, I know,” you grumbled. Somehow leaving the tooth alone and risking even more complications sounded much more appealing. Just the thought of having a tooth ripped out of your head made your heart race. You had to stop for a moment to calm your heartbeat and steady your breathing before you really started to freak out, “I just need a little something to get through the day. We can get rid of the tooth another day, okay? Can we do that?”

“I guess so,” Dr. Carson muttered. He rummaged through the cabinets until he found the painkillers. He handed it to you but grabbed you by the hand before you could walk away, “Don’t put this off, Y/N. You can’t rely on those forever.”

“I promise, just for tonight,” you mumbled as you quickly ran out of the exam room, clutching onto the bottle of pills you’d been given. Instead of going back outside to see Negan, you went into your bedroom to take your painkillers. For a brief moment, you contemplated just taking a handful of pills to ensure the pain would go away but you held back and took the correct dosage.

As you took a drink of water to swallow the painkillers, there was a knock at your door, with Negan’s voice coming from the other side, “Y/N? You in there?”

“Yeah,” you called back, “Come on in.”

Negan opened the door and stepped into the room, “Dwight said he saw you pass by from the infirmary. Was it bad news?”

“Of course not,” you said with a tight smile, “Why would you ask that?”

“I figured it was bad since you didn’t come back outside to tell me what happened,” Negan said, “But Dr. Carson checked you out? Nothing?”

“Nope, nothing,” you replied quickly, “Just a little soreness. He gave me something for the pain. I should just get back to work then, right?”

As you headed for the door, Negan stuck out his hand and pressed it against your shoulder to stop you from getting past him, “Y/N, you’re a terrible liar. You think I don’t notice the swelling in your face? Something’s wrong. Do you realize that or are you just ignoring it?”

You covered your swollen jaw. You knew it hurt but you didn’t know it had gotten so bad that it swelled up, “Well…Dr. Carson wants to pull my tooth out. I can’t do that, not without something to numb my gums. It’s gonna be agonizing and I…I’m freaked out, okay?”

Negan frowned, “Y/N, you have to get this taken care of.”

A combination of the pain in your jaw and the fear brought tears to your eyes as you hung your head, lightly pushing Negan away, “Please, don’t make me do it. I can’t do it. I’m too scared.”

“I can understand that,” Negan said, “I’ll be there with you the entire time. I’ll take care of you, Y/N. I think you know by now that all I wanna do is take care of you. Now come on, let’s get this done.”

Dr. Carson was relieved to see you back. He reassured you that everything would be fine although he couldn’t promise a painless procedure. You laid back in the chair, taking deep breaths while Dr. Carson got his tools ready, sanitizing them the best that he could. He was clearly as nervous as you were but he was handling it well, better than you.

“You’re doing great, Y/N,” Negan said, putting his hand on your shoulder. The warmth of his grip offered you comfort for a moment until Dr. Carson brought his tools back on a tray and set them down by the chair. Negan felt you tense in his hand and he gently squeezed, “Just breathe, Y/N. It’ll be over soon.”

You opened your mouth for Dr. Carson and he turned your head slightly to get a better look at the tooth. He put on some gloves, giving you a smile, “We’ll be out of here in no time, Y/N. Good on you for doing this by the way. I know it’s scary.”

“She’s a trooper, ain’t she?” Negan added.

“Let’s…” you paused to take a breath, your tight chest making even that a challenge, “Let’s just do this please.”

“I’ll try to make this quick,” Dr. Carson replied, “I don’t have an elevator to loosen the tooth unfortunately. Don’t think anyone ever thought we’d need dental equipment. But at least we have forceps.”

He picked up the forceps, his brow wrinkled in concentration as he clamped onto the tooth with them. He wiggled the tooth a little at first. The pain wasn’t bad yet but a tear still rolled down your cheek as he started tugging. You weren’t sure how an “elevator” (whatever that was) was supposed to help with the procedure but you still were wishing you had one right about now as he was pulling without any other assistance. Tensing up would make the pain worse but you couldn’t help yourself. Your entire body went stiff as Dr. Carson pulled harder.

Dr. Carson pulled away for a moment as you started to weep and you sat up, “I’m sorry, Y/N. But we’re making progress.”

The coppery taste of your blood hit your tongue and somehow, that was a relief. You nodded, laying your head back once more, “Come on. Finish it.”

“That’s my girl,” Negan said. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw his skin, normally a nice tan from being out in the sun, had gone almost a ghostly white, “Takin’ this like a champ.”

You reached your Negan’s hand as Dr. Carson took the forceps to your tooth again. The tooth was feeling looser, the taste of copper getting a bit stronger. It wasn’t like the movies where your mouth filled with blood. But it definitely felt like there was. You were in absolute agony, squeezing your eyes shut and fighting back groans. There were only two other people in the room with you but it felt so chaotic in your head that it seemed like there were hundreds of people crowded around. Your eyes darted all around the room as the pressure increased, the tooth starting to wiggle even more. Your toes curled as you heard the sound of something tearing inside your head. That finally made a cry fall from your mouth as the tooth was finally ripped from your head. The pressure and pain were instantly relieved as you stared at your tooth in shock. Even Dr. Carson looked stunned holding your bloody tooth in the forceps.

“Holy shit on a shingle,” Negan whispered, “Ripped that right out of your fuckin’ head, Y/N! And you’re hardly breakin’ a sweat.”

You held your mouth open, almost afraid to close it even as blood mixed with spit was slipping down your chin. Dr. Carson set the tooth and forceps aside and hurriedly gathered up gauze and a bottle of water, “Here drink this.”

You took a few sips just to clean some of the blood from your mouth. The fresh wound was throbbing but the worst was now over and since the painkillers were already coursing through you, the pain was dull. Once your mouth was rinsed out, Dr. Carson carefully placed a clean gauze in the space. You were finally able to close your mouth after that.

“You can rest here if you want,” Dr. Carson remarked as he peeled his gloves off his hands. Watching Dr. Carson was almost amusing. It was like his chest was puffed out, proud of a job well done, “But your bed might be more comfortable.”

“I’ll take her back to her room,” Negan said, “Thanks, Carson.”

Negan and Dr. Carson helped you onto your feet even though you were perfectly fine to stand. Negan walked with you all the way back to your bedroom. He wasn’t normally this hands on but you weren’t going to fight it. You stood in the middle of the room as Negan gathered all your pillows and pulled back your blanket. You laid down on the bed and Negan covered your legs with the blanket, smoothing it down a bit, “Comfy?”

“Very,” you said, slightly muffled by the gauze in your mouth, “Thanks for staying with me.”

Negan laughed at the way your voice was coming out and he nodded, “Sorry for laughing. But you’re welcome, Y/N. You were really brave back there.”

“You think so?” you said.

“Total badass,” Negan said, “You know you don’t have to be afraid. Not with me around. I’m always gonna be there for you, do what I can to help you.”

“Not much help this time,” you replied, “Almost pathed out.”

“I know,” Negan said, his cheeks turning pink as he scratched his head, “Very out of character for me, right? I guess it was just because it was you. And…I dunno…you being in pain, vulnerable. Ya know?”

“I get it,” you said, “Feeling much better now. I think I’ll rest now.”

“You do that,” Negan said, “Carson says gargling salt water will help with healing. I’ll try to find you some salt. And get you something to eat a little later.”

“Thank you,” you murmured, feeling the need for sleep tugging at you, “You’re really special to me, Negan. Never met someone as sweet as you. Even though I’ve rejected you before.”

“Not so bad,” Negan said, “To be honest, my relationship with you…it’s more special than my wives. Don’t tell them that though.”

Negan winked and you couldn’t help but laugh. Negan really was wonderful. Your privileged life was all because of him. No one else would’ve done what Negan had just done for you. No one could’ve helped you through the fear like he could. Even just looking at him made your heart squeeze. Perhaps there was a chance for something more, “Your secret’s safe with me, Negan.”

~~~~~~~~

AHHHH DID I ACTUALLY FINISH A ONE SHOT?! IS THIS REAL LIFE?! Haha! Thanks for being so patient and so sweet with me, you guys. I can’t get over how nice you guys are. I was getting notifications from you guys liking old one shots from a while back. At least a year ago and I’m so glad that you’re still enjoying my writing all this time later.

I actually have had a tooth pulled before so I was trying to remember the procedure itself and how I felt during the entire thing. Granted, I got a needle to the gums so I was numb. Still hurt like a bitch. And also embarrassed myself by having a full blown panic attack when my dentist brought out the needle. So…love that for me. Anyways, for ME personally, it sounded like the tooth was tearing or ripping rather than cracking like you hear in movies. So, if that part sounds inaccurate, I was just basing it on what I remember it sounding like in my head.

ANYWAYS, I love you guys! Next up will be a Daryl one shot! Unless y’all want a chapter from one of my stories? 😉 No Regrets perhaps? Or should Don’t Look Back make its return? Or Beauty of a Secret? Hmmmm….

#The Walking Dead #The Walking Dead Imagines #The Walking Dead one shot #The Walking Dead fanfiction #TWD #TWD Imagines #TWD fanfiction #Negan #Negan Imagine #Negan one shot #Negan fanfiction #one shot #imagines #fanfiction

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navalcriminalimagines · 5 years

Text

Carisi's Wedding, part 3

Thank you so much for all the comments!! I appreciate it so much ❤️

Tag list (if you want to get tagged, just let me know!!) : @inlovewith3 @naniky @lifeisbetterwithbarba @dreila03

"Is there something I should know?" Julia simply asked. She looked calm. That may you wondered what she actually heard. Dominick and you stayed silent for long seconds before you decided you should saved things before a disaster.

"Okay- to be honest, Junior and I had a thing many years ago. But it was nothing serious, it didn't last. Luckily, cause now you two are getting married. And I'm very happy for this Italian spaghetti." You smiled to Dominick. This was the best thing to do.

"Why didn't you tell me Sonny?" She asked.

"My fault," you answered before him. He felt embarrassed and lost, he could totally messed everything up if he opens his mouth. "I asked him not to," Find a reason. Anything. "I'm dating his co-worker. Rafael, I don't know if Junior talked about him? He is kinda jealous and he is invited too. I didn't want this to be awkward," you paused. "just like right now," you whispered. You hoped this would work.

"Is it right, babe?" babe. You felt both weird and relieved.

"Yes, and like she said, it wasn't important, so we thought it was better not talking about it." It hurts to hear him saying this, but this ain't about you.

"O-okay, I believe you. But I would like to meet your boyfriend later," This wasn't a request.

"Of course!" You smiled. "But hey! You are not supposed to see her," you tried to end this conversation and put your hand to cover Dominick's eyes. You surprised him that he almost took a step back. "You have to go," you said to Julia.

"I'm not sure, I prefer him to leave."

"Baby, it's okay. We'll see each other at the autel, and you'll become Mrs. Carisi, alright?" Julia sighed but nodded.

"Can I kiss him, at least?"

"Sure! But Junior, if you open your eyes, you won't be able to have another child." Act like the annoying friend. You took your hand off Dominick's face to let them kiss. You actually looked away while they did. Doubtfully, Julia left you and her soon-to-be husband alone.

"That was close!" You shyly smiled.

"So you're dating him?"

"Damn it Dominick! I saved your ass," you were exasperated by his behavior.

"I didn't ask you to, Y/N!"

"Okay, I can find her again and tell her the truth if you want?"

"Now you are going to pretend to be in love with Barba all night long. I- I don't want to see this." Dominick looked like he wasn't sure about his wedding at this very moment. No matter how hard it was, it couldn't happen. For the baby.

"For god sakes! You are the one that is going to get married. Hear me? Ma-rried. Don't you think it's too late for this?"

"I'm scared, doll." He found a chair in the hallway and sat there, taking his head in his hands. You followed him, grabbed his hands and hold them.

"That's what marriage does. It's okay to be scared, but everything is going to be alright," you smiled to comfort him.

"I'm not scared about this. I'm scared that Barba, or someone else, will be able to do what I've never- been able to." You put your knees down before your position hurts.

"Settle me down?" you murmured.

"Ya," Dominick breathed out. "Why this isn't about you and me? Why did you never stay?" You could see tears in his eyes, so you put one of your hand on his cheek and caressed it with your thumb.

"You never asked me to."

"Gosh, I did it some many times y/n! But you always left."

"Saying "I wish" isn't the same as "I don't want you to leave again, can you stay with me forever?""

"You knew that's what I wanted. I loved you so much, I've waited for you for so long."

"Untrue. You dated other girls,"

"Yea, I did. Did it last? No. Cause all I wanted-"

"But you dated anyway." you cut him "I've never dated anyone but you."

"Says the girl that had a nice dinner with Ewan McGregor." Dominick rolled his eyes.

"I did but we didn't date. I never loved him or someone else. It was always you."

"Aaaand we go back to the start. Why didn't you stay?" it was your turn to have tears. You could hear how broken Dominick was in his voice.

"I was- scared." He knew your past, what you have been through so it didn't take him long to figure out why.

"Not all men are like your father, Y/N. And I wouldn't have gave up on you like your mum did." his voice was soft but hearing this made you cry. Dominick immediately wiped your tears with his thumbs.

"They broke me, Dom- I don't believe in love, in trust, in faithful or even in family. And this has nothing to do with you."

"Somehow, it does. I never been able to make believe in those things. I failed."

"Does it matter now? You found someone. She is carrying your child. Maybe it didn't work for a reason. Maybe-- we were not meant to be, Dominick."

Saying those words broke your heart in pieces and Dominick's too. He didn't say anything, just got up in one move and disappeared shortly after. You stayed there in the hallway, crying at first and then trying to calm down, until you heard your phone buzzing in your purse.

[From Rafael] : Almost there with the squad. You ready, beautiful ? Can't wait to see you.

This gave you a slight smile. You missed your chance with Dominick but maybe Rafael was your second? This man is as broken as you are, even if it's for different reasons. He understood things that Dominick never did. Not wanting so much from Rafael may be the way to make things work. But it may also not be the time and place to think about it.

[To Rafael] : Act like my boyfriend and a jealous one. Will explain to you later. Can't wait to see you too.

[From Rafael] : No problemo mi amor 😉 would've done it without explanations. See you in a minute.

"Wow... You look-wow." It was the first time the squad saw Rafael out of words. Literally speechless. He softly hugged and kissed you. It helped you feeling better.

"Never thought someone could make him shut up." Fin joked. You quickly hugged them too. You already met them before, introduced as Carisi's best friend. But a part of you keep thinking that Amanda knows the truth.

"How is he?" Liv asked.

"Stressed. Nervous. About to have a heart attack I think." Nobody has to know about the conversation you had, and how he truly feels.

"Great. As if normal Carisi wasn't hard enough to deal with," Rafael smirked and it made you smile. He will definitely help you going through this, without doing it on purpose.

Before the ceremony, you sat next to Rafael at the fifth row. Bella came to see you and asked for you to move with them in front, "Trust me, it's better I stay here," you said. And she noticed your fingers intertwined with Rafael's, so she left.

"Are you okay?" he whispered in your ear.

"Better now that you're here."

"I won't let your hand go," he smiled and squeezed your hand a bit. No noise came out of your mouth but Rafael could read "thank you" on them.

"Julia, will you have Dominick to be your husband?"

"Yes, I will."

"Dominick, will you have Julia to be your wife?"

"Y/N, this is Dominick, you will study with him four hours a week until your grades are good enough," her father said and left the living room right after. Tough father.

"You can call me Sonny," he smiled to you. "I won't be a terrible teacher, I promise."

"Your name's Dominick, why would I call you Sonny?"

"Call me whatever you want,"

"What's your full name?"

"Dominick Carisi Jr, why ?"

"I'll call you Junior." a sassy teenage girl, this should be fun, he sarcastically thought. And it was.

"I want you to be my first Junior," you said as the two of you were making out in your bedroom. You were 17 and he was 23. It wasn't right, so he stopped.

"You should be with someone your age, doll."

"Why? Because people say that's how it should be? I haven't been able to think or look at another guy since my dad introduce you to me." she paused. "do you love me, Dominick Carisi Jr?"

"You know I do."

"Say it. Show it." And he did prove it.

"Who's Anna?" she asked.

"What?"

"You got a text from Anna. Who is she?"

"A friend. And don't look on my phone!"

"It was there, I just saw it. Are you dating her?"

"We met a few times, that's it."

"Don't lie to me, Dominick. You know I hate it!"

"She was there and you were not. So yeah, we went out together." it was the first time her heart broke.

And then he thought about this morning when he found you and Rafael waking up naked. When he turned his eyes, they directly found you. Your arm was crossed with Rafael's, you were close to him. So close, it hurts.

"Dominick, will you have Julia to be your wife?" The priest asked again.

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bamon4bamily · 5 years

Text

TVD 9x03 (part 1) Enjoy! =)

Cut to - Bonnie in some sort of astral projection; seems as though she is floating in the universe. It’s peaceful and overwhelmingly beautiful.

GRAMS: Hey kid, what are you doing here?

BONNIE: Grams? Where are you? I can’t see you…

GRAMS: I know...

BONNIE: Is this peace?

GRAMS: Not exactly…

BONNIE: Where am I?

GRAMS: You are everywhere, and nowhere… There is no time or space “here” … it is and it’s not at the same time, everything is a possibility, a potential reality… Sounds crazy, I know.

BONNIE: Why are you here?

GRAMS: I’m not. You and I have a psychic bond, no matter where, when or what we are, we will always be connected. Now, listen to me Bonnie, you need to go back.

BONNIE: But it’s so beautiful… I feel free, at peace. Why would I want to go back?

GRAMS: It’s not what you think. You don’t belong “here” Bonnie, not yet, you need to go back…

BONNIE: But I deserve to be free, feel peace, don’t I?

GRAMS: You do, and so much more. But not like this…

BONNIE: What do you mean?

GRAMS: It chose you for a reason…

BONNIE: I don’t understand...

GRAMS: It had to be you, Bonnie. Embrace it and go back … now!

BONNIE: I’ve never felt like this grams… I don’t want to go back!

GRAMS: You have to… I’m really sorry for doing this but look… (shows her a vision of a devastated world, over half of the population is dead, aftermath of the physic blast she generated after the linking spell).

BONNIE: Oh, no, no, no! What is this? Grams, did I do this?

GRAMS: Not officially… that’s why you need to go back.

BONNIE: But how?

GRAMS: I told you, it chose you for a reason … you are linked now and forever.

BONNIE: I, I don’t understand, why me? …

GRAMS: Trust me, you will… You are the only one that can… it is who you are meant to be…

BONNIE: But grams, I’m…

GRAMS: I know, but you need to be strong, believe in yourself, you can handle anything, that is why you are the chosen one. Your soul, child, is unique… you are meant for things beyond our comprehension; I knew it the first moment I held you in my arms. You, Bonnie Sheila Bennet, are one of a kind, and sometimes, that can be overwhelming and difficult to understand.

BONNIE: I didn’t ask for this… this isn’t fair…

GRAMS: It might not be, but trust me, when you come to terms with this, you will understand why it was meant to be. But be careful, you are connected to everything now, don’t let it control you… Now, come on, go before it’s too late… I’m so proud of you Bonnie Bennett… you truly are exceptional. You know I love you and will always keep an eye on you… Oh, one last thing Bonnie, they can sense you are here, and many will try to catch a ride back with you…

BONNIE: Who? What? Grams, what are you saying?! Wait grams, don’t go… Grams? Grams!

Cut to – the cave. Bonnie opens her eyes. As she is coming into consciousness, Darius and the hooded people disappear. She sees the twins, the students, and Damon, still lying on the ground.

BONNIE: (Runs to the twins) Girls? Girls? (the twins wake) Are you O.k?

LIZ & JOSIE: (Hug her really tight) Aunt Bonnie!!

LIZ: (Still very confused) What happened?

BONNIE: Let’s just say we had a bad dream.

JOSIE: Where is mommy?

BONNIE: Don’t worry girls, we’ll find her. (Sees Damon is still lying motionless on the ground, goes to him).

BONNIE: Damon? Damon? Wake up… (slowly starts to react)

DAMON: Bonnie?

BONNIE: One and only… (Damon gives her a smirk).

DAMON: Are you O.k?

BONNIE: I’m fine, you?

DAMON: Fine I guess… thought I was a goner… what happened?

BONNIE: Weird story, best told over a bottle of bourbon.

DAMON: I like the way you think. Wait… am I still a…

BONNIE: You are… but hey, look at the bright side, this means I won’t out drink you anymore… (smirk).

JOSIE: Aunt Bonnie…they (referring to the students) are not waking up… (Bonnie rushes to help, they don’t respond. Damon gives them his blood, no response).

BONNIE: Please, wake up, wake up…

DAMON: Bon… they are gone…

BONNIE: No, they can’t be, I came back… I’m here, they should be alive…

DAMON: I’m so sorry Bon, there is nothing more we can do…

BONNIE: But, they were supposed to…

DAMON: I know… we will figure this out, I promise. (Hugs her).

Alaric, Elena, Radka, and Sergei come in, looking quite confused.

LIZ & JOSIE: Daddy!!! (They rush to hug him)

ALARIC: Girls!! Oh my god, are you O.k?

LIZ & JOSIE: We are fine daddy. Where is mommy?

ALARIC: Not sure… we’ll find her, girls… (looks at Bonnie and Damon) Are you guys O.k? What the hell happened? All I can remember is arriving at the cave, heard Bonnie’s voice, then I blacked out, woke up in a cell with these guys (referring to Radka, Sergei, and Elena) …

ELENA: Bonnie! (hugs her). Are you O.k?

BONNIE: I’m fine; you?

ELENA: Bit light headed, but fine.

ALARIC: Bon, can you fill us in?

BONNIE: Ric, we’ll talk about it later, we need to deal with something else right now… (shows them the student’s bodies, Sergei and Radka run to them).

RADKA: (Devastated) They are dead Ric… (Alaric consoles her). How did this happen?

DAMON: Listen, please, let’s just focus on handling this situation, it’s been crazy enough at is.

Matt and Caroline walk in, also looking dazed and confused.

BONNIE: Care! Matt!

LIZ & JOSIE: Mommy!! (They run to hug her)

CAROLINE: (Crying) Thank god you are alright!! I thought I lost you…

MATT: Is everyone alright?

ALARIC: Not everyone… (shows him the bodies).

MATT: Oh my god… they did it…

ALARIC: What are you talking about Matt?

MATT: The source… the link… the sacrifice… They did it… but then…

DAMON: Donovan, you ain’t making much sense, why don’t we drop the crazy talk and deal with this situation (pointing to the students).

MATT: I’ll handle it. You guys need to leave…

RADKA: I’m not leaving my students.

MATT: Radka, please, this is official Police business now, I’ll take it from here. I really need all of you to go, right now.

BONNIE: Matt, are you sure?

MATT: Bon, please, trust me on this…

ALARIC: Listen, everyone, this has been a lot for all of us. Matt says he’ll handle it, he’ll handle it. Let’s go.

Cut to - the Salvatore mansion, later that night. Damon is in the living room having a bourbon. Doorbell rings, Damon opens the door…

STEFAN: Hello, brother.

DAMON: (Drops his glass) Stefan?

STEFAN: In the flesh…

DAMON: What?! How?!

STEFAN: I'm guessing, beauty of Bonnie magic…

DAMON: Brother!! Arrr!! (Hugs him like there is no tomorrow)

Caroline comes down the stairs in her pajamas, looking pissed and sleepy.

CAROLINE: Damon! I swear, if you are having one of your secret get togethers, I’m going to kill… (sees Stefan, goes into shock, her eyes all teared up, starts rambling and talking to herself) Am I dreaming again? Caroline, wake-up! (Smacks herself) Wait, why is Damon in my dream? O.K, it’s official, I’ve gone insane, one flew over the coocoo’s nest! Oh my god! Who is going to take care of the girls?! Alaric will go as crazy as I am!... PMS, sweet sixteen’s, prom, boyfriends, heartbreak, college, marriage, kids…

STEFAN: Care…

CAROLINE: Damon, if this is a practice “get in your head” revamp run, stop…

DAMON: Trust me, it’s not.

CAROLINE: Stefan?

STEFAN: It’s me…

CAROLINE: (Caroline runs into his arms, kisses him, crying hysterically) Stefan! Oh my god! This can’t be real! Is this real?!!

STEFAN: It is… (caresses her hand, they hug and kiss again)

Bonnie walks down the stairs, also in her pajamas, also looking sleepy.

BONNIE: Damon! If Caroline finds out that you are having one of your secret… (sees Stefan) What the…

STEFAN: Hey Bonnie…

BONNIE: Stefan? What? How? This isn’t real… this can’t be real… is this real? Oh god, I’m going mental… (the others laugh given the similarities between their reactions).

DAMON: Its real Bon… might be crazy, but it’s very real.

BONNIE: But… how?

STEFAN: I have absolutely no idea…

DAMON: This definitely merits breaking into our oldest bottle of bourbon! (goes to get the bottle).

CAROLINE: Am I really not dreaming? (Pinches herself) How is this possible?

STEFAN: Don’t ask me, I’m as confused as you are…

BONNIE: This is a lot to process… I really need a drink for this to sink in…

STEFAN: I think we all do…

Damon comes back with the bottle, then suddenly drops it.

STEFAN: Seriously Damon, our oldest bottle? (Damon signals him to turn around).

KATHERINE: I think it’s going to take more than one drink for this one to sink in Bonnie. Oh, and thanks for the uber pool, hope you don’t mind I charged it to your account.

DAMON: Katherine…

KATHERINE: Ding, ding, ding! Alive, and looking fine! (To Damon and Stefan) Boy, do I have a bone to pick with you two! But not tonight, I’m exhausted, and I need my beauty sleep. Don’t mind me, I’ll leave you to your little sob fest and pick myself a room (she walks upstairs).

CAROLINE: Are you freakin kidding me?! I just got Stefan back and the crazy bitch comes along for the ride?! Oh, hell no!

BONNIE: My grams warned me about this…

CAROLINE: What do you mean, Bonnie?

BONNIE: When I was on my psychedelic trip, she spoke to me. Told me I was linked to everything and that “some” might try to catch a ride back… (looks at Stefan) … guessing this is what she was talking about? Stefan, what do you remember?

STEFAN: All I remember is waking up in the tunnels, very much alive… feeling like I had just woken up from the weirdest dream…

DAMON: Do you remember how you…

STEFAN: Died? Not really; literally just flashes of you, Katherine, fire…?

DAMON: Oh brother, we have a lot to talk about…

CAROLINE: We do, but not tonight Damon, we don’t want to overwhelm him.

STEFAN: Yes, I think it’s best to take it one step at a time.

DAMON: What about Katherine? We can’t just let K-zombie be our new roomie…

CAROLINE: Over my dead body! Bitch is gotta go!

STEFAN: Guys listen, I’m still in a somewhat “Meet Joe Black” kind of trance. Why don’t we get another bottle of bourbon, and just chill out and talk? We’ll deal with Katherine, and whatever “this” is tomorrow. I just want to enjoy this moment, and make sure it’s not only in my mind...

DAMON: Agreed; too many ghosts of future past for the night. I’m just pissed we lost our best bottle of bourbon on that nine lives devil cat!

BONNIE: Oh, I can fix that (reassembles the bottle with her powers)

STEFAN: Bonnie, that’s amazing! How on earth did you do that?

BONNIE: Long story Stefan; like you said, let’s leave the deep conversations for another night, O.K?

STEFAN: I’m down with that.

DAMON: Brother, (puts his glass up for a cheer) to a very surreal, night of the living dead, freakishly, yet wonderful, reunion… (cheer is interrupted by the door opening)

LEXI: I’ll drink to that…

STEFAN: Lex, you made it! (Hugs her).

LEXI: Sure did, wasn’t gonna pass on this opportunity.

DAMON: Lex! Bring it here (opens his arms for a hug).

LEXI: I might be fuzzy on the facts, Damon, but I am pretty sure you are the reason I ended up on the other side… Plus, I still hate you, so, just pour me a drink, no sis hug from me.

DAMON: Harsh Lex…

LEXI: I will, however, give this absolutely amazing woman (referring to Bonnie) a hug. (Hugs Bonnie) I am forever grateful to you…

BONNIE: I’m happy to see some of the good ones caught the ride...

LEXI: Caroline, happy to see you too (hugs her), now it’s your turn to take care of him (referring to Stefan).

CAROLINE: I will, thank you for being there for him… You are welcome to stay with us as long as you want.

LEXI: Thank you, maybe I’ll take you up on that later, need to visit some people before I settle in, so, just stopping by for now, but I’ll be back. (Damon hands her a drink). Bottoms up, guys!

They cheer, talk and drink. At one moment during the night, Stefan and Damon go sit on the roof to have a bro moment.

DAMON: I can’t believe this is real… You are actually here… You are alive…

STEFAN: Well, given everything we have been through, wouldn’t be the craziest thing to come our way.

DAMON: Good point… I’ve come back once or twice myself, which is why I know it can be overwhelming … you really O.k, bro?

STEFAN: I’m more than O.k, I got a second chance... to live the life I wanted to live, to be with the woman I love… I don’t how Bonnie did it, but I will forever be in debt to her.

DAMON: Well, Bonnie is truly amazing…

STEFAN: She most definitely is… So, tell me, Damon, now that it’s just you and me, how have you been? You look happy. Guessing things are going well with Elena and the human life… I’m glad you finally got to live your happily ever after. Where is Elena anyway?

DAMON: Oh, brother… I really need to bring you up to speed… listen, we can take days with this conversation, so let me give you the cliff notes… There is no more Elena and me, there is no more human life…

STEFAN: Wait, what?! But that’s all you ever wanted, Damon, what you practically “lived” for…

DAMON: That’s what I thought I wanted… but if we are going to be completely honest, you and I both know that it was actually what Elena wanted … you even tried to point this out to me. Remember your little mind trip? But as usual, I didn’t listen.

STEFAN: Good point… Got to say, its’ quite ironic that after everything neither of us ended up with Elena, and, that she was actually the one that brought us together, the reason we found our soulmates…

DAMON: Preach it, brother…

STEFAN: So, when did you and Bonnie …

DAMON: Wow, wait, what!? (nervous rambling) It’s not like that, I mean, I know it can seem like… but no, I mean she, I… (Stefan smiles, Caroline, conveniently for Damon, peeks her head through the window interrupting the conversation).

CAROLINE: Hey! Sorry, am I interrupting a bro love moment? I can come back later…

DAMON: Oh no Care, you are actually just in time!

CAROLINE: For what?

DAMON: (Has to pull something out of his hat) Uhmm, well… party planning of course!

CAROLINE: What party?

DAMON: Uhmm… well a welcome back/reunion/Halloween party, of course! Stefan and I thought it would be a great idea, (to Stefan) am I right, brother?

STEFAN: (Sarcastically) Sure! Even thought of the perfect theme: Night of the living dead…

CAROLINE: Oh my god, it’s perfect! Yes, yes, yes!! Except, there is no way in hell I’m leaving planning responsibilities to Damon, so roles will go like this: Stefan and I will be on coordination duty, Damon and Bonnie on booze and decorations, Alaric & Radka on food, Matt and Khuyana on entertainment… well after we tell them you are alive, of course… Halloween isn’t for another week, so we have time… Anyway, we are doing shots for each time someone has died and come back, so, get your asses in here cause we are getting pretty smashed.

They continue to cheer, talk, and at one point even drunk dance, through the night…

To be continued... 9X03 (part 2) coming very soon, I promise!! =)

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polygamyff · 5 years

Text

4. Part 3

Maurice! Wake up!” Malik shouted outside my bedroom door for the third time “why!?” I shouted back “your wife is downstairs” of course she is “whatever, I will come down when I need too now move” my phone started vibrating on the side table, reaching over and picking my phone from the side “whatever nigga!” Malik soon moved, look at that Robyn is calling me but it is early “Mañana bonita, mi amor” she thinks I am joking about this Spanish thing “I know what mi amor is! I know that” she is hyper for the morning “you do? Tell me then genius?” clearing my throat “erm, my love? I know it is so don’t play me” rubbing my bare chest chuckling “ok you right with that, tenemos sexo esta noche” I love the power of another language “you being nasty and I know it asshole, sex whatever was in that word” busting out laughing “ok you got me, I didn’t say anything bad. I told you I speak it, I will teach you. But this is early, it’s like ten I think? I am tired, I didn’t sleep till late” rubbing my face “I slept straight away, as soon as you left my room I went to sleep. Now I feel hyper” I can tell she is with the sound of her voice “I didn’t, I was supposed to go New Jersey but I didn’t, I spent it with you. See what happens, you side tracked me so I just was on my laptop last night writing emails out. You miss me? You called me so you did” she must have, she has called me early and didn’t even wait until later “not really, I just wanted to say. Meet me at Kellen’ because we are doing something with them” pulling a face “why them?” I don’t want them “because I came for my friend, she said it. We can still do our own thing, just let’s go and have fun. We will be going to a club, I need too before I go back to work” I suppose, she did come for Tiffany “ok cool, what time? You want me to come to pick you up or make your own way there?” Robyn cooed out “up to you, I can just meet you there” chewing on my top lip, I really want to see Robyn on her own for a little “I’ll come to you, what time? I’ll come a little early if you want?”

Placing my hand down my boxers, I need to pee so badly “ok, that’s fine you come when you can, you know me. I will be getting dressed” as she always is “mhmmm you make me laugh when you do, you have a nice neck” she really does “are you implying for me to put my hair up?” grinning wide “uhm, it’s up to you. Just letting you know that you have nice neck, it’s kind of a turn on” I ain’t finna front on that because it’s true “I shall not disappoint then, don’t get too hard then” she is funny “don’t get shy either, don’t play me. At times you do that weird stupid face to me, I caught you twice. Getting all shy” Robyn scoffed down the phone “sure, let’s see if you can port your ass to me on time Mr Davenport” laughing down the phone “you are something else, once I get my big boy down I will coming, don’ you worry your pretty little forehead about it” pushing my covers off of me “if my forehead is little then you must have the little tiny dick, don’t play me. Now if you will like to put the phone down, I have breakfast to eat and make-up too put on” why is she telling me to put the phone down “I will port and dock my dick right in you, this cruise ship will dock soon” Robyn gasped and screamed out laughing “get out, bye!!” she disconnected the phone, I am proud of myself with that one.

With Robyn around, I just want to impress. Like I can’t just wear anything, I have to make sure I look good. I don’t usually wear my Philipp Plein diamond encrusted watch but I am, got my diamond chain and diamond ring band that my dad bought me. I think I look good, I should look good, I smell like I have bathed in aftershave, I got jeans, blue sweatshirt on. I got a tee under this just because I get hot, I am ready to go. I haven’t even been down yet just because I am planning on just going, I am not staying at all. Pulling my charger cable out from my phone, Robyn text me saying she is still laughing at what I said earlier, I then asked if I should bring an overnight bag, she said you never know. Is that a yes or no but I am not going to take anything, I will let the night lead me, hopefully right between her legs. I will be sad to see Robyn go, she has bought a good side out of me.

Which car shall I take today, I think the Porsche it will be today “you look handsome” hearing my mom say “thank you mom” grabbing my key and walking off “erm not so fast, Naomi is here with her mom” swallowing hard, they are wasting my time “for what? To tell me more lies?” walking by my mom, she don’t know shit “I don’t have the time, what is it?” walking into the living room, closing the door behind me “where are you going? You seem to go missing every time?” Noami is funny “I think you know why, what is it?” I don’t care if her mom is here, she is a dumb bitch just like her “don’t speak to my daughter like that” I know she is not piping up “so you falsely lied to me and you think I am going to be happy in a marriage where you daughter can give the thing they want? Listen, this shit. What your daughter is holding onto it his over, she is only hanging on because she don’t want to tell daddy the truth and neither do you, we all know the lie you all made. I have business to attend, live your life Naomi” dragging open the door “that’s it” she needs to just go, stop floating around me with the shit.

I was going to just walk in but that is wrong, she could be naked even though I don’t mind it I wouldn’t want to push it, knocking on the hotel room door “Maurice” looking down the lobby, the hotel manager “yes?” this guy knows my dad “your guest, do you want them to be upgraded?” shaking my head “no, they are happy here. Thank you for asking and if anyone asks it has nothing to do with them” he smiled at me “noted” they know the deal, they won’t say shit “you really came, early too” why is she talking behind a door “come in then” she spat, waking inside her room “wow, did you bathe in aftershave? You look nice” turning to Robyn thinking she ain’t ready but she is, I breathed a sigh of relief smiling at her “did you bathe in beauty? Wow, you look amazing. You actually got dressed quickly” Her legs on show “that is because I know what I wanted to wear” skin tight dress, her neck line plunges low just between her breasts “it’s really nothing though, Forever 21 dress” why is she playing it off like that “you look so beautiful, doesn’t matter where you got it from. You love your red lipstick and I don’t blame you” Robyn grabbed my hand “look at your watch, wow!” she stared down at my watch, holding Robyn’ hand and pulling Robyn into me “you didn’t give me my hug” Robyn smiled so wide, it was nice to see that “forget my watch, it’s about us” wrapping my arms around Robyn “that is true” Robyn wrapped her arms around my neck “you smell so good though” Robyn moaned into my ear, squeezing Robyn a little more in my arms. Licking my lips moving my head back “you going to wake my cruise ship up, don’t be moaning in my ear” she will legit do that.

I really didn’t want to be here, I really wanted to just spend time with Robyn on her own but no. Here we are outside his apartment “I see you showing your neck off” Robyn looked to the side of her smirking “you look so good, so good I could eat you” Robyn shuffled to turn to me “can you eat on this cruise ship?” Robyn reached up and fixed my chain “you know it, fish is on menu” Robyn laughed hitting my chest lightly “you annoying” the door finally opened for us “look who it is, if it ain’t the new couple” Kellen is dumb “shut up nigga” pushing the door open wider “well I am just saying, hello Robyn and Hello Maurice” dapping my cousin “y’all look close though” he closed the door behind me “well like I said, we getting to know each other, is that so hard to accept?” Robyn is cute, she ain’t walk off she is waiting on me “anyways, come in. Tiff is still getting ready” Kellen smiled at me, he don’t understand how happy I am right now.

Shuffling to the side a little, Robyn pulled her mini black dress down a little before sitting right next to me. I did shuffle to the side to give her space but she wants to sit close to me, I am happy for her to be close to me “so how are you both, this is so weird to see. Not in a bad way, just my cousin and my friend. If I knew you would like each other I would have got you both together. It was funny because when I introduced you both there was no reaction so I moved on, I was like I am surprised he ain’t lusting but you wasn’t, look at this now” licking my lips smiling “well what can I say, I didn’t know. At that moment I was in a bad mood, Shawn was the nigga he was like do it. She fine, you remember her. I searched Facebook and on the icon all you see is forehead, I was like what!?” Robyn slapped my leg “shut up, remember you came into my messages. I was minding my own business with your old ass” grinning at Robyn, she put her finger right into my dimple “don’t play me, my profile picture is cute and you know it” I shrugged not saying a word “ok, anyways!! If y’all want to kiss or whatever or even have sex can you wait. Please!” Kellen is fussing, there ain’t nothing going on and it’s Robyn “wasn’t you supposed to be going New Jersey?” Kellen pointed at me “I was but I changed it and I have to go next week, I have to port myself to New York and hopefully can dock there” trying to suppress my smile “you are stupid, you won’t be dicking I mean docking shit” Kellen got up from the couch “this is awkward” he walked off, there is nothing awkward he is just being dramatic.

Sitting back in my chair, I ain’t really eat my food here. I am not really hungry, resting my arm on the back of Robyn’ chair as she is speaking to these three, they used to hang out so only god knows what they speaking about. All I know is I am bored, looking around the restaurant and then dragging my eyes back to Robyn. Staring at the back of her neck, how weird is this. How are we so connected but yet we didn’t know each other at all, with my finger I lightly moved her hair to the side, exposing her neck tattoos even more. Licking my lips, I want to just bite her neck “you ok over there Maurice?” snatching my eyes away from Robyn’ neck “huh?” staring at Tiffany “you ready to devour my friend?” sitting froward smiling to myself “I ain’t do anything” why is she exposing me like this “leave him” Robyn said touching the back of my head “I remember when Kellen and I was like this, so in love” my eyes widened staring at the table “listen, let’s calm it. Robyn and I are ok in our little world” we really are.

Kellen walked back over to us “they ain’t let us go through?” my cousin is dumb as shit, I have come here and I know the doorman “you buying drinks when we get in, I ain’t standing here. Wait here then” walking by my cousin and down the line into the club, if we have to stay out here then I am not staying here. I know for a fact I will be able to get into VIP, they know me “Maurice, my man!” see, the nigga knows me “Big J, my nigga and the Earl” dapping them both “it’s been a while, you here to run up a bill again?” Earl said, he is the manager of this club “you know me, I need you to get me and three other people in now” Big J side eyed me “you stay your ass out there and wait” he knows I won’t do that “come on in, he always spends a lot of money with us” looking down the line and waving them over, my cousin is dumb. I told him to say my name but he didn’t “how have you been? You know what, I owe you. You gave me that free stay in New York that time, drinks on the house from me. Don’t pay for anything, I always know a good person” shaking his hand laughing “it’s fine, it’s the same with you. I know a good man, for next time. This is my cousin, let him in” standing to the side to let them go in first “of course, have a good night” Robyn looks too beautiful, the only thing is that he knows I am married but I will be good. Walking in behind Robyn, I ain’t about to let any guy go near her.

“Oh my gosh! Kid Ink is right there!!” Robyn said into my ear, she looks way too excited “why you excited about him? You should be excited about me Bonita” I like this corner, I can just stand in the back with some privacy “I am excited about you, but that is Kid Ink” Kellen and Tiffany finally came back with some drinks “he said on the house!?” Kellen half shouted “yeah, I know the guy” taking the bottle of Patron from Kellen “I am so glad you’re here, Kellen is useless” Tiffany is funny, Robyn loves her cocktails. Watching Robyn put her middle finger in the cocktail and mixed it around, she then pulled her finger out from the drink and placed her whole middle finger in her mouth, my mouth fell open a little watching Robyn slowly pull her middle finger out from her mouth. She caught me staring “what?” she said, shaking my head smirking, Robyn picked the cherry out of the cocktail “you like them?” I like anything right now, nodding my head knowing for a fact I don’t but I just want her “open your mouth then” opening my mouth a little as she popped the cherry in my mouth, her finger dragged down my lower lip. I would suck her finger but I won’t, the fact of the matter is that I hate cherry’s.

Drinking some of the Patron bopping my head to the music, feeling a hand on my sweatshirt tugging a little. Looking down at Robyn “let me try” she pointed at the bottle “you might not like it” lifting the bottle up “you can’t say that, let me try come on” I know she won’t but fine “aight” bringing the drink up to her lips, she tilting her head back taking some of the drink. Instantly she pulled a face, see I knew it “oh god, no. What is wrong with you” busting out laughing “I am taking Tiffany to the toilet, be back” Kellen said, nodding my head “are you used to this? Like having famous people around?” Robyn got closer to me “oh yeah, it’s nothing new” I do see lot of men look at Robyn but that is all they can do I reached for her hand, entwined my fingers with hers. I made the first move this time, I don’t like that guys are luring over her so they can move. With my back pushed her against the wall, her body close to mine “you feel it?” Robyn said, she didn’t even have to tell me what she is speaking on because I know, that connection we have is intense “I do” she pressed her fingers against my lips, she looked at me, eyes glimmering in the darkness around us. Then she reached out to grip my sweatshirt to pull me down to her. Tugging my face close to hers, eyes hooded as our lips connected finally, something that felt like I would never get to do and felt like it has been years. Moving back from the peck on the lips. I tasted her, her breath against my mouth, hot and exciting, she put her lips against mine again. I kissed her like I have been dreaming of wanting to do, she kissed me back, long and hard and just as greedy for me. Digging her fingers into my shoulders, she pulled up one of her legs wrapping it around my waist. She gasped into my mouth when my middle came in contact with hers, heat against heat. Robyn moved back from the kiss, she stared down at my lips. She slowly wiped my lips with her hand “let’s go” I knew what that meant when she said that, we going now.

I wish I did upgrade the room now but forget it, waiting for Robyn to walk around the car “Bonita, Mi Amor” Robyn giggled “this is so cute” holding my hand out as she grabbed it “I got the Patron still” I am taking it with me “mhmmm you think Tiff is annoyed? She seemed it, like I stole her best friend” Robyn shrugged “I need you, I need you inside me and that is all I know” walking into the hotel, this is different for me “don’t worry, I got you” letting Robyn’ hand go as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder “I am honestly addicted to you, you’re like a drug. I ain’t even playing” Robyn pressed the elevator button, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Robyn’ lips, Robyn kissed my cheek “you taste so good” Robyn said rubbing the lipstick from my cheek “what you done to me?” I don’t know if this a curse or a blessing, this feeling is something I didn’t expect “I could say the same about you, you got me hooked” pressing a kiss to the top of Robyn’ forehead.

I have never had a girl want to have sex with me like this, not with a girl I want to be with. I mean they wait but it feels so right, watching Robyn turn the lights on in the room. Placing the Patron bottle down on the side, licking my bottom lip smiling watching Robyn walk over to me “you good?” I asked, I want it to be something we both want “why wouldn’t I be” she wrapped her arms around my waist, lifting my hands up and placing them on the side of her fact as I closed in for a tender kiss, she returned my kiss, but then moved back “I don’t always do this, I don’t want you think that of me” brushing her lips against mine “I don’t think that of you, it feels right” my tongue brushed her lips, she met the tip of my tongue with her own, deepening the kiss and parting her mouth to allow me access. Gently caressing her cheeks as I continued my slow, long, soft kisses. Robyn didn’t waste no time, she pulled at my sweatshirt, her hands like fire when they brushed against my bare skin. She allowed one finger to slip below the elastic of my boxers and I bucked my hips into her at the sensation. Smiling once again into our kisses, she ran her hands up the back of my sweatshirt and tee before lifting them both over my head and tossing it on the floor “wow, you have so many tattoos” looking down at myself “kind of” reaching my hand up, hooking my finer between the low cut dress “take it off” Robyn is not shy at all, she is very upfront about shit. It’s like she didn’t need to be told twice, that dress was off in an instant and the blood rushed right down to my dick.

She pressed her bare breasts against my chest as I ran my hand from her shoulder down to her arm and back up her side, stopping just short of her left breast. She pressed herself tighter to me, my tongue gently brushed against her neck. Robyn’ hands worked at my belt buckle as my fingers gently cupped her breast. I kissed her again, rolling her hardening nipple between my fingers. She opened my belt, discarding it on the floor with the rest of our clothes. I grunted at Robyn reaching down to cup my hardening dick through my pants “you bad” Robyn didn’t care, she pushed my jeans down so the both of his are just in my boxers and she in her thong.

She wanted me and I want her so bad, god help me. I think I will cum quick, it’s going to happen. I know it, her pussy it so fresh and I knew it. Staring at Robyn with my mouth hung open just stroking my member under my boxers, just watching her climb onto the bed “take it off then” I am not shy of my sex so we good on that end, with my free hand I pushed down my boxers “oh hello, I take it back. It’s not tiny” she knew I wasn’t “you know I wasn’t” climbing onto the bed, hover over Robyn. Leaning down and kissing along her neck, shoulders, collarbone and then between her breasts. Taking one of her nipples into my mouth, Robyn arched her back into my touch. I teased her nipple with my tongue, smiling at her moaning at my mouth just being on this. Lifting my head up grinning “why is it I feel like I have known you a whole lift time, it scares me” lowering my self to kiss her lips “some things are meant to be happen like this” My erection is hard, I don’t think I have been this hard and wanting to have sex. I want to savour the moment too “god” hearing Robyn say as I attacked her neck with kisses, my erection pressed against her thigh as I kissed her once again.

My tongue probed her mouth, she shifted her hips, grinding into me. The tip of my erection touched her wet entrance as she opened her legs, and they moaned into my mouth. Reaching my hand down to navigate my dick “I think my dick should be docking in the next five seconds” Robyn and I both laughed together “why are you like this and hurry, oh….” before she could finish off her sentence I gently eased inside her, I was going to stop but I continued to put my whole length in. Robyn whimpered, placing her hand on my chest. Let me not do that. I slowly drew back “my bad” pushing myself back in but this time we rocked together a little longer until I slipped fully into her, grinding against her to brush her clit. I slowly pulled almost fully out and barely entered her again, quickly pulling almost fully out again. She looked into my eyes as I rested with just his tip inside her again. I think she should be ok, I quickened my pace into her “is it ok?” I want to be nice “that is perfect” Robyn wrapped her legs around my torso, resting my body close to hers as I quickened my pace every stroke. Robyn moved her head to the side, hearing her moan against my ear.

Robyn spread her legs wider and I stroked into her from behind, her head fell back and she exhaled deeply. My strokes were slow and tender, yet deep and filling. He slipped in and out of her with such ease. Her walls throbbing and pulsating around me, I have never felt this must pleasure in so long. I propped myself up on my elbow and moved my hand away from her breast and to the centre of her stomach, pressing my hand flat across her stomach I continued to pump in and out of her at an easy speed. I moved my fingers over her core. Pressing the palm of my hand against her clit, her body shuddered. Tucking her bottom lip beneath her teeth, humming out a moan, I placed my mouth against her ear and traced my tongue along her lobe. While my fingers working magic at a speed, caressing her clit, my thrusts were slow. I was dragging out each stroke.

Our muffled moans and soft groans combined bouncing around the room, bucking my hips forward I took her ear further into my mouth and bit down. She felt so good wrapped tightly around me, I continued to push and pump until Robyn’ body couldn't take no more and her warm muscle attempted to squeeze me right into oblivion “fuck!” her hand clutched the sheets, her juices pouring down her leg and mixing in with mine. Letting the moment marinate between us, not moving from our position. Breathing out heavily, letting my soft length slip out of her “you wane me to clean that” her juices just dripping, Robyn just dropped onto the bed on her back “that was so good” is the first thing she said, laying next to Robyn thinking she wants a cuddle but Robyn shot up, climbing on top of me “I think your dick wants more, it’s not soft enough” she ain’t wrong, it’s still hard. Robyn leaned down kissing my lips, smiling against her lips.

#chrianna ff #chrianna #fanfic #fanfiction

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brattywriters-anonymous · 5 years

Text

Spectacle III.2

Inspired by our favorite hip hop couple, Offset and Cardi.

I was arguing with my best friend about what he did on her rolling loud set. I’m just gonna write this with Erik x OC (Black! OC);

@chaneajoyyy @theunsweetenedtruth

Erik is a rapper as OC is a rising star. They recently married and his indiscretions have been publicly known via social media, Erik makes multiple attempts to make up for it.

June, 2018:

Erik Stevens, Stage Name: E. Kill. 31 years old. Married to Raelynn Stevens (Maiden, Johnson) They share one child, a 4 month-old Named Kire (Pronouced KYE-REE) Stephens.

Raelynn Stevens, Stage Name: Rae. 29 years old. Married to Erik Stevens. She and Erik share a daughter, 4 month-old Kire Stevens.

December 17, 2017

“I’m Dr. King. Great to finally meet you Raelynn and Erik. I’d like both of you to understand that therapy will either bring you closer together, or it will help you conclude that you’re not meant to be together. Either way, I am here to simply mediate. So where do you wanna start?”

E and Rae looked at each other, hesitant to speak. Dr. King giggles, “It’s normal to feel nervous at your first session. Let’s just start at the beginning. When did you two fall in love?”

April 7, 2015

Paramount Recording Studios

“Hey deej, can you run that back for me?”

The bass heavy beat played back

Yeah, Rarri swervin’ lane to lane

Name not Erika, I keep the Kane

Be careful speakin on my name

Me & Kill’s bitches ain’t the same

I’ll change the nigga whole life

On one knee not thinkin’ twice

Lay it on em real nice

Hella bad, I’m sorta like his vice

Deej, Rae’s in house producer stopped the beat as Erik walked in. They were working on Rae’s second mixtape and her collaboration with E. Kill was the last song she had to finish before submitting it.

“Well, about time you joined us E. I was beginning to think I was gonna have to find someone else to do the track with.” he scoffed and side eyed his co star, “Girl please, they can’t kill it like me!” She shot him the same side eye, knowing that his statement was a double entendre, “Deej, excuse us for a moment please?” She rose out of her swivel seat, “I need a 10 anyway. I gotta call my girl and let her know I’ma be late, again!” “I’m sorry girl, tell Nonnie I’m sorry!” She waved Rae off making her exit.

“Why are you late?” Erik looked up as if he was in deep thought, “If I recall correctly, I went out on a date with a lovely woman. You may know her, Raelynn? Yeah. She finally let me wine and dine her fine ass after three months of begging and pleading!” He tugged at Rae’s sweat strings until she closed their distance by the switchboard before he continued, “And after one too many glasses of Rose, Raelynn and I went back to my place and made love all..night..long.” Rae laughed at Erik’s silly rendition of humping his last three words. “She wore me out. I woke up about a hour ago.” Rae finally rested her arms on his chest, “Oh so I wear that ass out, huh?” “That, you do. Damn girl, what am I gon do witchu?” They rested their foreheads together, “I’m sure you’ll think of a thing or two.. or a few.”

Erik tilted Rae’s chin up and kissed her, slowly yet with intent. He reached in her pocket, “Call Deej. Tell her she can go home. I know she missin’ her wifey and I need some time with mine.” “Wait, but I’m not your wi--” “Shh. You don’t know what you are to me. I told you I love you last night. I meant that shit.” They stared at each other for a few minutes, for Rae memories shot through her body of the night before. How all of the rumors she heard about E being a rough and ruthless lover in bed fell through when he laid her down gently and stroked her body delicately, covering every inch of her body in kisses before doing so. His voice echoed in his brain, “I love you Rae.”

“Deej, hey. Take the night off. Yeah, we got it. We may even finish both of our verses tonight. I got the studio time, don’t worry about it. Thanks for the beat though. Yeah, come back tomorrow so we can mix and master it. Alright. Bye.”

They spent the first half on that night making love all over the studio. Tagging each area with their bodies, they fucked up all of the levels on the switchboard, they smeared the glass in the recording booth, they finally finished on the couch and love seat where he said it again, “I love you Rae” her storm washed over her hearing him say it exactly how he did the night before, “I love you too E!” He grinned at her, “I told you last night baby, call me N’jadaka.” Her body was still going into refractory when she asked, “I thought your name was Erik?” He wiped the sweat off her brow, “It is. For people who don’t know me.” She held his body tightly and close, “Okay Rae bae, we been going for two hours! We gotta finish this song. When we get done, we can go again.”

Dr. King stared at the couple, talking hand in hand, “Wow. You two had a whirlwind kind of love. It happened sort of fast!” Rae nodded her head, holding her belly with her free hand, “Without that, we wouldn’t have her so, I don’t care how fast it happened.” Erik kissed her forehead, “Me either.” Dr King wrote in her pad, slightly grinning, “I think there’s some hope for you two..”

June, 2018

This is TMZ news, the show with the latest in celebrity news.

Just five months after reconciling, E. Kill was caught cheating.. once again. Text messages surfaced after a rap beef between two women, Kyleene and Jae Doe went south. One of Jae’s friends outed Kyleene and claimed that Ky and her now former friend Xena tried to set up a threesome with E. Kill. After Ky denied the allegations, Xena came forward and leaked screenshots of messages between E. Kill and her, as well as messages between her and Ky, trying to confirm dates for the meet up. Although Xena never confirmed if they met up or not, it’s clear that E was trying to set that up.

Just a couple of hours ago, Rae went on her live and set the record straight for her fans:

“Hey faves, how ya’ll doing out there? First and foremost I’d like to thank all of you for supporting me and my music. (Pauses) I’m sorry if you all hear Kire in the background, she’s a baby so..you know she’s gonna be cooing and whatnot. Anyway, as all of you know, my relationship has been in the public eye for about 6 months now. I’ve played everything about it real close to the chest since we got together because I thought it was the only thing I should keep to myself. For the past 6 months, N-Erik and I have been trying to reconcile our marriage for the sake of Kire and the love our relationship was built on. But now, I just think it’s time for us to go our separate ways. My husband and I love each other so much and we’re family, always and forever, but I think this separation and ultimate divorce is what’s right for us. I just ask for the fans who love us, continue loving us, continue supporting us in our future endevors. Love ya’ll! Bye.”

After Rae’s statement she finally posted adorable 4 month old Kire Genevieve Stevens

The employees awed at Kire’s cute little face, “She looks like a baby doll! Aww! E and Rae did that! E may not be sh*t, but they did that!” Raquel Harper clutched her heart, marveling at the baby. Harvey Levin smiled at the screen displaying her picture, “She is adorable. Which leads the question to E, with a hardworking and fine young woman at home like Rae and an adorable baby to go home to, why go back to your old ways that almost lost you your wife, again? I don’t get it!” Van Lathan stood up from his desk, “I hope he gets Rae back man..” “You think he can, Van?” Van scratched his head, “I don’t know Harvey but if he can, I say he goes for it. He made a beautiful family I hope he doesn’t let Rae go because every guy’s gonna try to scoop that up. I’m team love and he really loves her.”

“Once again, our well wishes are with the Stevens’ family in this difficult time.”

July, 2018

New Orleans

Essence Music Festival

Rae was set to co-headline the Saturday night set at the Dome with Mary J. Blige, this was her first major headline at any music festival. The only time her and N’jadaka spoke was when he’d facetime, and that was barely speaking, she’d only say hello to make sure he was connected before panning the phone to Kire’s face to babble to her father. It had been like that for over a month. Rae was halfway through her set before her DJ stopped, she looked around, “DJ, What the fuck?” Next thing she knew, E came out with a huge bouquet of flowers and a Mic.

Rae was fuming, and she couldn’t hide the look on her face. She was shaking her head before he could even get to her. By the time he did get to her, he looked confused, covering the mic, “Baby, I’m sorry! Just hear me out!” Rae responded, “No! I have a show to do! What are you doing?” “You not talking to me! What else was I supposed to do?” She folded her arms, completely mortified at his public display. He got on the mic, “Rae, I love you baby. I’m sorry!” He hands her the flowers she was still not on the mic, “How did you even get up here?” Shawna walked on stage and retrieved the flowers, “Shawna..” “I’m sorry love, he was desperate.”

Rae finished her set in a blast of applause, “Thank you NOLA! I LOVE YOU!” She rushed to her green room where her entire team met her with congratulations. When Erik entered the room, it went completely silent, “Ya’ll go out and enjoy Mary! Ya’ll are off for the rest of the weekend!” Her make up, hair and wardrobe team cheered as they exited the room. Leaving Rae with Erik and Kire. Erik remained at the door until the last person walked out. He locked the door behind them.

“Rae, I’m sorry baby.” “You’re sorry for what? Getting caught?” Erik strutted over to her vanity, “I’m sorry for entertaining them, for embarrassing you and betraying you again.” “N’jadaka, we were supposed to be working on us. What the fuck! Is this my fault? Is it because I’ve been working since I got cleared after the baby?” “No baby please don’t go thinking this is your fault. It’s all me. This industry is tempting as fuck bae. I’m turning down bitches from left to right. Kyleene slipped through the cracks, claiming she wanted to do a collaboration. I mean, maybe she really did.. I don’t know. We really didn’t talk much. Her friend got my number through her and told me that Ky wanted a threesome.. I didn’t go through with it but I shouldn’t have entertained it.” Rae held her index finger up to his face, “That’s the most honest thing you’ve said in a month-- You shouldn’t have. You’re supposed to be my husband. What happened to talking through our shit like we learned at the beginning of our relationship? Like we re learned in therapy?” He opened his mouth to speak, yet Rae continued.

“What happened to us maintaining our family front, for Kire.. For us?” “Rae I can count on my hand how many times I’ve seen you in the past four months since your six week check up after having Kire. Five. I get it baby, we’re artists. We have to work to get paid. We’ve both been busy since then. We both lost sight of that. I can take my accountability for it. I am here trying to salvage our relationship.” “No, you’re here because you wanted people to feel sorry for you.” “Rae that’s bullshit!” “NO, N’jadaka that’s real shit!” Their bickering match was interrupted by Kire crying at their outburst. Rae pushed Erik out of her way to pick up their child, “We’re not about to yell in front of my child--” “Our child, Rae.” Kire reached for her daddy, he grabbed her. “You right though. We’re not. But that’s BS, you know it. I went up on stage to publicly apologize because my shit came out publically.” Rae still marveled at Erik and Kire’s blooming relationship. She rubbed his face as he was poking his daughter’s belly tickling her, “N’jadaka, you wanna know why I really forgave you the last time?” “Why?” Rae puckered her lips to the side, “Because, you came to me. You didn’t respond to anyone asking you every question under the sun about what I was gonna do or even about when I beat your ass.” They both chuckled at the memory of her destroying half of their old home.

“Even that bad time of our relationship, our friendship. It was just us. What you did out there, was for you. You were seeking validation from me, after betraying my trust, again. Thinking that some flowers and another apology was gonna win me back. It’s not. Like I told you and Dr. King, I’m not tolerating disrespect. You’ve disrespected me yet again. I don’t know if I can recover from that. I damn sure don’t know if you’ll do it again.” “Baby, I’ll never dishonor you or Kire ever again. I swear. I’ll retire if I need to.” Rae giggled at the suggestion, “Nigga, you’ll still be E. Killapussy to these hoes. Retired or not. Them bitches don’t even know what the whole Kill is in your name.” “Nobody does baby, only you.” She rolled her eyes, “Yeah yeah. Whatever.” “Babe, let’s take some time off. Let’s just enjoy each other as a family.” Erik’s puppy dog eyes were just irresistible, “That’s a start, Stevens.” They spent the remainder of the concert in the green room cuddling and coddling with Kire more cordial than they’ve been since before Kire arrived.

I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO BLACK PANTHER/MCU NOR THEIR CHARACTERS BEING USED IN MY FICS!

ALSO, I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE BABY PICTURE! I USED IT STRICTLY FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES!

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galadrieljones · 5 years

Text

A Funeral: Chapter 10 (Arthur Morgan x Mary Beth Gaskill)

Fandom: Red Dead Redemption 2 | Pairing: Arthur x Mary Beth | Rating: Mature

Content: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Touch-Starved, Humor, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Angst, Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Fake Marriage, Epiphanies, Backstory, Banter, Deep Emotions, Sharing a Bed, Swimming, Arthur to the Rescue, Forests, Abduction, Angst, Heavy Angst, Mutual Pining

Summary: To help her process Sean’s death, Mary Beth asks Arthur to take her on a hunting trip, somewhere far away. He agrees, and on their journey, they find quietude and take comfort in their easy bond. In their desperate search for meaning together, they endure a number of trials, some small, some big—all of which bring them closer to one another as well as to the future, and to the unchecked dangers of the natural world.

Thanks @bearly-tolerable for the lovely banner!! <3

For the rest of this story, you can visit the masterpost or AO3, both linked in the replies to this post and also at my blog. ^_^

Chapter 10: Deer Cottage, Pt. 1

Arthur woke up the next morning to sounds of joy, and to the smell of food. Something good. After his conversation with Hamish the night before, he had stumbled up like a right idiot to that loft and retook his heavy place by Mary Beth’s side. She had not woken once, barely even stirred without him, like the drama of the event with the Murfee Brood had wiped her out in ways she didn’t realize. For a while before he was able to fall back asleep, he kept glancing at her, watching her chest rising and falling in the dim lamp light, trying to picture his life in some distant but not altogether impossible scenario in which he was a husband, and a father, and something better and calmer than the man he was now. Isn't that what he was supposed to be? Part of him had always thought so. His body ached. He longed to start over. But when had there ever been a chance to do that? His life had railroaded him straight into this place of volatility quite outside his control. He had been navigating its paths of fluctuating morality since he was a goddam teenager, never privileged in such a way that he could recall the notion of home, or what home meant, or how to make one. Instinctually, he knew what it meant. But on the surface of things, he felt very lost. A true wanderer.

He heard Mary Beth’s voice down in the kitchen. He sat up, leaned over the edge of the loft to see what was going on. Hamish was sitting at the table, pouring coffee while Mary Beth was frying bacon in a pan on the stove. They were laughing about something. When Hamish noticed him awake he waved a hand and said, “Arthur, son. Come on down.”

And when she heard mention of his name, Mary Beth turned around, dressed and with her hair braided loosely down her back. It was tied at the bottom with a slight pink ribbon. She looked up at him and smiled, reminding him a little of a clean window. She said, “It’s about time. Come on. Hamish has bacon and eggs.”

Arthur climbed down the ladder, feeling underdressed. His hair felt unruly and he tried running a hand through it but he needed a comb, or a brush. It was getting long now, past his ears, touching his neck. Outside, it was sunny, no clouds, and the rain was gone, and it was birds singing. The shutters and the glass windows were thrown open. Mary Beth put down the spatula. She greeted him kindly, got on her tip-toes, kissed him on the jaw bone so that he blushed.

“Good morning,” he said, his voice like a whole bunch of gravel in his own ears. “What time is it?”

“About nine,” said Mary Beth, returning to her spatula. “You want some coffee?”

“Sure. I’ll get it.”

She went back to her flipping.

Arthur sat down at the table, across from Hamish. It was the exact same arrangement as the night before. There was a mug there waiting for him. He poured the coffee. It was hot and strong. He took a sip which flooded his insides with warmth and relief. Hamish was staring at him with a kind of knowing intensity. “What is it?” said Arthur, thinking there was something wrong with his face.

Hamish took a sip of his coffee, lowered his voice. “Everything okay?” he said.

Arthur scratched at the back of his head. He thought his hair must be sticking up at all angles. He was grateful for Hamish, and for their conversation. He felt about as screwed up as ever but he was still thankful. “Fine,” he said. “Thank you, Hamish.”

“Anytime.” Then Hamish turned to Mary Beth. He puffed up. He said, “Why don’t you tell young Arthur here what we did this morning, Miss Mary Beth.”

“What you did?” said Arthur. “How long y’all been awake?”

“Couple a hours,” said Mary Beth over the loud crackling of the bacon.

“Well, go on,” he said. “Tell me. What’d you do?”

She turned around, looking very pleased with herself. She wiped her hands on her yellow apron, which was too big, and probably belonged to Hamish himself. “I caught a fish,” she said.

Arthur smiled, huge. He slapped his hand down on the table. He felt immense pride. “Very good,” he said. “What kind of fish?”

“Just a little trout,” she said. “I threw it back. It wasn’t big enough to feed more than just me.”

“She did it all on her own,” said Hamish. “I provided only the bait. It was impressive. Looked like she’d been taught well.”

“Well I wish I could’ve seen that,” said Arthur.

“I’ll try again,” she said. “Who knows. Maybe I’ll catch something bigger next time.” She turned back to the bacon, which had finished. She removed the bacon from the pan with a fork and let it settle on a big plate lined with a clean white napkin. Then, she put the plate down on the table, and she began frying up some eggs right in the bacon grease.

They all ate well. Arthur asked Mary Beth to recount how she had made the catch. She told the story in a lively fashion. When they finished, Hamish made more coffee, and then went outside to feed the horses. While he was gone, Arthur and Mary Beth sat at the table, looking at their empty plates. Mary Beth stirred a half a sugar cube into her coffee. She had her chin resting in her hands. She looked a little anxious, but ordinarily dreamy.

Arthur waited to see if she would speak first. When she did not, he cleared his throat. “How you feeling today?” he said. “You all right?”

“I’m fine,” she said, looking up. “I slept well. I feel…good this morning.”

“Yeah, me, too,” said Arthur. He brought the mug to his lips.

“You know, Hamish told me about a cottage, in the Roanoke Valley," she said. "He says he goes there, keeps it up from time to time when he hunts. It’s been abandoned a while.”

“Oh yeah?” said Arthur.

“He said it would be a good place to stay, when we’s hunting moose. He said the Murfee Brood, they don’t bother you unless you’re camped out in the open.”

“Well, that is true,” said Arthur, looking at his hands. “They may be bold, but they’re primitive. They like easy pickins, and I’ve killed enough of them by now. I reckon that if we stay sharp and out of their way, we’ll be fine.”

She nodded, seeming surprised somehow. She glanced down into her coffee, which she had not touched since she’d added that sugar. “Sounds good,” she said.

Arthur got a little worried then. She didn’t seem right all of a sudden. “What’s wrong?” he said.

“Nothin,” she said.

“Something’s wrong,” he said, leaning with his elbows on the table, trying to catch her eyes. He spoke softly, like a secret. “I’m sorry, again. Mary Beth. I ain’t going nowhere. I know there’s…something up in the air. Between us.”

“Shh,” she said, getting bashful. She smiled now. “I ain’t fretting, Arthur. Not over you at least.” She looked up. “You keep forgetting that I know you. Probably better than you know you. So, no. I ain’t fretting.” She finally took a drink of that coffee. “Things ain’t solved, but they’re fine.”

It was almost amusing. He stared right at her. She was always funny, and she was always right. “Then what’s the matter?” he said.

“I just thought—I thought maybe you’d wanna call it off, that’s all. So I wasn’t getting my hopes up.”

“Call off what?” said Arthur. “The hunt?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I know you don’t like takin unnecessary risks. And after last night, I thought you’d wanna call it off.”

“Do you wanna call it off?” he said. “Because if you do, just say so. We can ride back west, maybe go to Valentine. There’s good hunting out that way, too.”

“No,” she said decisively. “We came all the way here. We gotta finish our quest, Arthur.”

Arthur smiled at this. They were staring at each other. “Good,” he said. “That sounds good.” He wrapped his hands around the coffee mug. It was cooling. He felt both relief and also a quiet excitement for the coming day. “There’s one caveat though,” he went on. He took a long drink.

“Yeah?”

“I just want you to know that I fully expect you to pitch in from now on, Mary Beth.” He finished the coffee. Set down the mug. “With providing our supper, I mean. Now that you can fish and all, it’s only right.”

She laughed. She was surprised. She got up to shove him in the shoulder. She’d had to reach over the table and nearly knocked over her mug doing so. “You love to tease me, don’t you, Arthur Morgan?”

He was just smirking down into his empty cup. He hadn’t thought about it. But it was probably true. She sort of did know him better than he knew himself.

When Hamish got back, they cleaned up the kitchen, and Arthur got dressed, and then they all rode back to Arthur and Mary Beth’s dilapidated camp on the other side of the lake to see what they could salvage. It wasn’t much they’d left behind, but some of their things seemed to be gone forever. Arthur’s cooking gear was lost, and the tent, though intact, was mostly unusable by now. Luckily, they had not rolled out their bedrolls yet, and they were damp, but still safely stowed aboard the horses. Arthur was pissed about the tent, as he’d had it on him for some years, but Mary Beth said it would be okay. “We’ll get a new one.” She touched his arm. Hamish happened to have a spare that he lent them, and he also had an extra cooking spit and also a pan and even a coffee percolator that he was willing to part with. Back at the house, he helped them pack up their horses and as he hauled over that new tent he made sure that Mary Beth was out of earshot, and then he put his hand on Arthur’s shoulder and made eye contact, very strong.

“You’re a good man,” he said, real straightforward.

Arthur was biting on the inside of his cheeks. He didn't get the sentiment. “Hamish, you don’t have to—you’ve don’t enough for me already.”

“No,” Hamish corrected him. “I do have do, and I will. Look, I don’t just say that to any idiot I come across in a thunderstorm. There's something good in you. I can tell. Whatever you done wrong in your life that you feel is haunting you, it might never leave, but you should not be afraid of moving forward without it. You hear me? Leave the past in the dust, Mr. Morgan.”

Arthur blinked, several times. He felt he might choke out from such forward wisdom. It had been a while since he’d heard any wisdom, not that he could rightly use for himself, what with Hosea and Dutch being consumed in their plans to escape the continent and all. He looked away and couldn’t lift his eyes from the distant waters on the lake, as they felt very heavy. He bit back on something real hard, some far away feelings of emotion, and he felt his jaw clenching and nodded with a practiced stoicism of which he sometimes felt he was losing control. He patted the old man’s hand once, a form of gratitude. He said, “Thank you, Hamish. Again.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Hamish removed his hand from Arthur’s shoulder and glanced back. They both watched Mary Beth as she brushed her pretty horse. Then she fed it an apple and spoke to it in hushed tones. “Did she tell you about Deer Cottage?” said Hamish.

“Yes,” said Arthur, coming back to his memory. “She did. You’re sure it’s safe?”

“I was just there a week ago,” he said. “It’s safe, has locks on the doors, and I keep the flower garden planted so nobody gets too close. Hunters and wanderers, they get to thinking it’s full time occupied. Of course, take your regular precautions, but it’s such a lonely country up there, I reckon you shouldn’t run into any squatters.”

“Sounds good then,” said Arthur. "I think we’ll be okay.”

“So do I. Miss Mary Beth already has the key.”

Arthur handed Hamish his map then, and a pencil. Hamish marked the location of the cottage as just in the thick of Roanoke Ridge. Arthur scratched at the scruff on his face, felt feral. He had his hat on his head, the old hat he always wore fixed up with a careful arrangement of cardinal feathers. He watched Hamish say goodbye to Mary Beth, and Mary Beth promised him that they would be back again soon.

“Now that we know you’re up here, it’ll be hard to stay away,” she said.

“Don’t go doing me any favors,” said Hamish. He glanced back at Arthur. “But I’m always game for some good fishing, or hunting, if you’re in the area.”

“You can count on it,” said Arthur.

They said their goodbyes, mounted their horses, and headed east. It was not a far ride to Deer Cottage, but it would take most of the day. Arthur wanted to stick to the thoroughfares and avoid paths that might verge too near on the woods. Granted, it was almost all woods up there, creepy things on all sides, but he’d been up in Roanoke enough times during his own exploration that he understood the atmosphere, and if Hamish said this place was okay, he was trusting. Mary Beth rode with confidence by his side, and behind him on the narrow stretches. At one point, they stopped because there was a man, strung up by his neck from a tree, just off to the side of the road. Mary Beth was very distraught over this. She couldn’t stop looking. She wanted to cut him down and give him a burial.

“Who would do something so awful?” she said.

Arthur looked up along with her. Then he looked right at her, her many freckles. “It’s a trap,” he said. “We need to get moving.”

“A trap?”

The horses shifted. “Night folk,” he said calmly, patting Sarah behind the ears. “Just more animals walking upright, I promise you. Come on, Mary Beth.”

She sighed, followed. They trotted forward. Arthur looked around for signs of ambush but he saw nothing. No traces of man. Sometimes, these things were traps, he thought. Sometimes, they just were.

Everything was quiet after that. The hills got steeper around the valley and the ledges long, but it was so green up here. So filled with the sad and lovely blues of the forest and the big river. There were black bears and the occasional cougar. But the animals were a ways off the roads and rarely got too close but to spook the horses from afar. Sometimes, Arthur felt this place was haunted, so filled with ghosts, it’s like the trees were breathing. Once, he’d been up here late at night and he could swear he’d heard voices, strange ones. By god he assumed it was his imagination. But being back, he could not kick the instinct. Mary Beth, though, she was taking in the terrain with her wide-eyed excitement. She had a way of grounding the experience as something new. It wasn’t ghosts, or if it was, who’s to say they were agents of evil? Even that hanging man from a tall, tall tree seemed less grisly with her looking at it. Arthur realized so much of this was just about having company. Her company, and he was thinking again now about how much time he spent alone, and how that can spoil a man, surely if he ain’t got nothing to look forward to. He just liked her being there. It made him feel a little safer than before, a point which he was coming ever closer to acknowledging, as a man.

#red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan #rdr2 fanfic #red dead redemption 2 fanfic #arthur morgan fanfic #mary beth gaskill #arthur x mary beth

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snarkybluechristian · 6 years

Text

Hazbin Hotel: Angel’s Reason

It was a dark evening in hell. It usually was, but it was unusually so for the demon heading to the Happy Hotel.

Everyone had laughed when they heard about this “experiment” on TV, even Cherri, but Angel Dust, he felt the spark of something he thought he had lost: hope. But it wasn’t just normal hope, it was hope that connected him to memories, more specifically memories of the child he had lost forever.

Her name was Cassandra Maria di Lucchese. She was the result of an experimental phase he was in with a good high school friend when he wanted to know whether he was bi or purely gay. He realized he was gay, and she accepted it. They left the relationship on good terms.

Unknown to either of them, Cassie was conceived. Her mother Maggie Walters was only 17. He was 19. She wrote him a letter as soon as she found out four months later. He wasn’t in love with her and she wasn’t in love with him. Nevertheless, they decided to enter a common law marriage, so that Maggie wouldn’t bear the shame of being an unwed mother and the child would be supported at least from a distance with money from his family. They didn’t plan on even living together. Angel had too much living to do.

It was so scandalous. His father was so angry. Angel couldn’t suppress a smile at that memory.

That smile grew wider when he remembered the day Cassie was born.

He was at the birth per Maggie’s request. She didn’t want to be alone and it was his fault, so he thought he could at least support her even if he intended to only pay child support and visit every so often. She was his friend after all.

Angel only planned on staying until the birth was over. He would sign the birth certificate, pay the bills, and leave to drink himself to oblivion. That was the plan, but everything changed the moment he met his daughter.

Tears formed at the corner of his eyes in remembrance. When he entered that room and looked into his baby’s eyes, his heart melted. When Maggie let him hold her, he knew from that moment on that he would be wrapped around her finger. He fell madly in love and knew that nothing would ever be the same for him.

They named her Cassandra and called her Cassie for short. When her mother left the hospital, Angel went home with her and helped her around the clock. He forgot all his plans for most of the next several months. He hardly left Cassie’s side and forgot about his substance addictions and other commitments for a while. His family would have to come pick him up for work because they knew he wouldn’t leave his daughter without some persuasion.

Most of the family couldn’t understand his level of devotion, not even the ones who were legitimately married. Whenever he was away, Cassie was all he thought about.

It was ironic. He was a queer man whose heart had been stolen by a baby girl. When he would finally let himself leave her side for a night on the town, his romantic flings and drinking buddies pointed out his hypocrisy and laughed in his face, but he didn’t care.

As she grew up, Angel remained very involved in her life despite his work and his flings and his addictions. He came by so often that Maggie made him his own guest room. He prided himself on being the Daddy that his father never was. As a result, he and Cassie were very close.

They bonded over their shared love of clothes and the arts, especially dancing and singing. He took her to more than a few dance clubs where no child had any business being, but she didn’t mind and somehow managed to survive more than a few of his drunken nights out on the town.

He made sure she had the best of everything as only a father of the mob could do. He set his “wife” and his baby up in a nice house in a nice neighborhood and had her sent to the best schools. He tried not to spoil Cassie, but sometimes, he couldn’t help himself. He just couldn’t resist seeing her smile.

Nevertheless, Cassie was a good kid, sometimes too good, and it only got worse as she got older. Her mother grew more involved with the local Catholic Church and so did Cassie. They both grew into very devout and very good people. So good that they decided they weren’t comfortable living off the mob’s money anymore.

Of course, Angel had problems with that and more problems when Maggie and Cassie decided to live honestly in a crappy apartment off their own hard-earned money.

He and his daughter remained on good terms, mostly, but she started resenting him and what his family did. Cassie had strong moral convictions and a mind of her own. Two things that got her and Angel into many arguments throughout her teenage years. As a result, Angel started spending more time away from her.

All those arguments were Angel’s biggest regrets. He cursed his mind’s renewed ability to remember as he reflected on his last evening with her.

It was Halloween 1946. Angel parked his black 1946 dodge in front of one Little Italy’s biggest theaters to see Cassie. He had been out of town for a month while he and his family took care of some business in Italy and was dying to see her.

Cassie was 17 and had graduated high school the spring before. Her dream was to be a Broadway star, so she joined this theater to work herself up to that goal.

Unbeknownst to her, her Daddy had pulled some strings and made some threats to make that happen. There were many advantages to being a member of a crime family.

Angel remembered checking himself in the rearview mirror before heading inside. His human appearance was jarring in comparison to how he looked now. He had dark brown hair and light green eyes. His skin was olive, and he wore a suit like what he wore in death, except for the darker colors of course.

After making sure he looked fine, he strutted out of the car and into the theater. It was empty out front in the lobby except for a lone janitor sweeping the floor. He looked around for a second before the janitor yelled at him.

Without looking up at him, the janitor said curtly, “Hey, buddy! If you ain’t here for an audition, could ya move it? Some of us have work to do.”

Annoyed at his tone, Angel said, “Shut it, pal. I’m the father of one of the dancers, and I wanna see my little girl. Is that alright wit’ ya?”

“I suppose,” the janitor said still without even looking for him. “What’s her name?”

Angel’s lips curled into a smug smile and said, “Cassandra di Lucchese. I’m her Daddy, Angelo di Lucchese.”

The janitor finally stopped his work to look up at him and stared at him in pure unadulterated terror. His attitude was gone, and he began to shake.

Angel adored this terror that came whenever he spoke his family name. He adored the prestige and the notoriety that gave him and his family his power. He also adored the look on his face. It was priceless.

“Not so sassy now, are we, pal?” Angel gloated as he walked over to the now cowering janitor.

“I-I’m sorry,” the janitor said. “I-I didn’t know…P-Please…I’ll give you anything…”

“Good, well, lucky for you, I just want to know one thing,” Angel said standing over him and intimidating him with his presence. “Do you know where my daughter is?”

“Uh, no…S-Sorry. I-I know every gal in the chorus line…Th-there’s no Cassandra di Lucchese here…You must h-have the wrong place,” the janitor said backing up against the wall.

Angel looked to the side and sighed deeply before he asked, “Do ya know a Cassie Walters?”

“Oh, yeah, she’s in rehearsal right now, but it’s almost over,” the janitor said. “She’s right in there.”

Angel walked past him in preoccupation and said, “Thank you. Next time watch the attitude, buster.”

He followed the jazz music and walked through the theater doors. The girls were in the middle of a tap-dancing number, so rather than interrupt, he stood against the wall and sulked.

When she started high school, Cassie started using her mother’s last name instead of his whenever she introduced herself and whenever she signed her name. When they argued about it, she explained to him that she wanted to be known as herself rather than the daughter of a mafioso. Cassie didn’t want to be associated with any of them.

That irritated Angel to no end. That was probably why he kept choosing to forget about it rather than keep fighting pointlessly.

He watched Cassie dance to get his mind on something better. She had the tap-dancing solo, and boy, was she knocking it out. Her feet moved with such dexterity, finesse, and speed. He never knew where God got that talent to put in her. It certainly didn’t come from him or her mother. She was unbelievable.

On top of that, she could sing, she could act, and she could play several instruments. Cassie was a Broadway star in the making.

Angel smiled. He couldn’t help but be proud.

The rehearsal soon ended, and as soon as all the ladies returned to their dressing room, Angel talked to the director about her progress and wrote him another check. Then when he thought the ladies had enough time to make themselves decent, he got the director to show him where the dressing room was.

The director knocked on the door and yelled, “Are you all decent? One of your Dad’s wants to come in!”

When he received the confirmations, the director opened the door and said, “Go on in, Mr. Lucchese.”

“Much obliged,” Angel said as he strutted in.

He walked past about a dozen other girls before he saw his still sitting in front of a mirror.

Cassie had her mother’s face, but she had his hair, eyes, svelte body, and olive skin. Of course, Angel was biased, but she was absolutely beautiful.

She was wearing a white blouse with black pants, her tap-dancing shoes, and an old-fashioned looking broch. For some reason, her long hair was up in a bun. Cassie always had a weird sense of style. Just like him. It made him so happy.

Cassie was too busy adjusting her hair to notice he was present, so Angel crept up, hugged her from behind, and said, “Guess who?”

Cassie turned around, hugged him, and squealed in surprise, “Dad! You’re back!”

Angel picked her up, spun her around, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and said, “What’s the buzz, bambina? I swear to God you’re getting lighter. All that dancing is making you too thin.”

“I missed you too, Dad,” Cassie said when her Dad finally put her down. “But in your letter, you said you weren’t coming back for another week.”

“We got done early so I thought I’d surprise you,” Angel said leaning against the table.

“So, you lied to me? That’s just swell.”

“I’m here for one minute, and you decide to give me sass. Is that any way to treat your old man?”

“You’re not that old.”

“And that’s why you’re my favorite.”

Cassie rolled her eyes playfully, sat back in her chair, and went back to messing with her hair.

“By the way, what’s with the new duds?” Angel asked. “Not that I don’t like ‘em. Mind you. Just curious.”

“It’s a costume,” Cassie replied twirling around and showing him her cape. “I’m goin’ to a Halloween party with the cast tonight after we go out for dinner. I’m goin’ as Dracula.”

“So, you’re goin’ for more of a Bela Lugosi look then?”

“You got it. I’ve been lookin’ forward to this all month. I spent days getting the cape just right and getting all the clothes perfect. There’s gonna be a costume contest, and whoever wins gets treated by all the losers.”

“No kiddin’? Well, in that case, your costume could use some work.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Cassie asked indignantly.

“First of all, you need to wear your hair down,” Angel said turning her back around and pulling bobby pins out of her hair. “For God’s sake, Cass, ya look like a fuddy-duddy school teacher.”

“Dad!” Cassie complained putting her hands on top of his. “Stop it. You know it takes forever to do anything with this hair. Besides, I’m supposed to look like Bela Lugosi. Suave and sophisticated and all that jazz…”

Angel gently pushed her hands off, continued pulling out bobby pins until her hair was again at its full long length, and said, “Cassie, babe, there’s nothin’ suave and sophisticated about looking like my high school English teacher. You look fuddy-duddy.”

“But I’m supposed to look old, Dad,” she retorted. “I’m Dracula…”

“He lets his hair flow freely in the book,” he retorted while brushing out her hair. “Remember? Think of it this way. You’re now more authentic than all the other posers. Besides, you look better with your hair down, Cass.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Cassie relented as her father finished brushing her hair and put the brush down.

“Of course, I do,” Angel said quietly as he leaned in closer to her ear. “I’m a queer. You can trust me when it comes to this stuff.”

Cassie smiled and said, “That is true.”

“And take off this cheesy broch,” Angel said taking the opportunity to snatch the broch from the collar Cassie’s shirt and toss it in the trash. “Good God, babe, are you tryin’ to look like a geezer? Where’d you get this garbage anyway?”

“Dad!” Cassie said reaching down into the waste basket and pulling her broch out. “I bought this at a trinket shop with Caterina when we were shoppin’ for costume supplies. Excuse me if this theater gig doesn’t pay much.”

“I understand, so why don’t ya wear this instead?” Angel replied pulling a ruby diamond platinum pendant out of his pocket. “I bought it for ya as a little souvenir from Italy. Let me put on for you.”

“Dad,” Cassie said in surprise while Angel clasped it around her neck for her. “It’s beautiful.”

Angel kissed her cheek and said, “There, doesn’t that look better?”

“Dad, I don’t know what to say,” Cassie managed to get out while looking over the pendant in awe.

“No need to thank me, bambina,” Angel replied with a smile while readjusting her hair. “You know how I love to get my girl pretty things.”

Cassie then paused, turned to him, and asked with a look of suspicion, “Dad, where did you get this?”

“I told you, Italy,” Angel said purposely dodging the question.

“Where specifically?”

“At a store.”

Cassie continued studying his face in a way she knew annoyed him.

“Bambina, what’s that face supposed to mean?” he whined.

“Cassie, are ya ready to go or what?” Cassie’s friend, Caterina, said walking up in her witch costume and saving him from another unwanted explanation which would lead to an unwanted argument. “Wow, honey, your outfit is killer, especially that pendant you’re wearing.”

“Told ya,” Angel said hugging his daughter on the side and kissing her on the cheek again before walking away. “I won’t hold you up since you got plans. I love you, and I’ll call ya later. Okay?”

Cassie sighed and said, “Ok, see ya.”

“Bye, Mr. Lu—Ow!” Caterina started to say before Cassie swiftly elbowed her in the side. “I mean, bye, Mr. Walters.”

“Bye,” Angel said heading walking away with mixed feelings.

Apparently, her school buddy Caterina was the only one who knew who Cassie really was. If that was what she wanted, then who was he to say no?

His thoughts were interrupted by an obnoxious, grandstanding masculine voice saying, “Hey, Cass!”

Angel turned around. He knew this fat-head’s voice. He was the doll-dizzy creep who took his baby out on the town, got wasted, and left her out in Harlem by herself in the wee hours of the morning.

Thankfully, Cassie had the sense to find a payphone and call Angel to come get her. Naturally, he did not like that boy.

Angel hid behind a rack of clothes and watched from a distance. Tony was dressed in the same outfit Cassie was much to her chagrin.

“You ain’t supposed to be in here, Tony,” Cassie said in annoyance walking past him with Caterina.

“Yeah, creep, get a move on,” Caterina said strutting past him as well.

“Cassie, look at this,” Tony said. “You and I are dressed the same. How about that?”

“Mine looks better,” Cassie said playfully paying him little attention. “Yours looks like you bought it from a cheesy department store.”

“Well, maybe, but I was thinking we could, you know, go as a couple since we are dressed the same and all,” Tony said standing in front of her.

“As swell a time as I’m sure that would be,” Cassie replied sarcastically. “I’m gonna say no.”

“Why not, babe? I know the first date didn’t go so well, but…”

“‘Didn’t go so well?’ I had to call my Dad to get me out of Harlem at 2 in the mornin’. Then, you don’t even have the decency to call and apologize?”

“That was over a month ago, babe, you’re the faithful one. Don’t ya believe in forgiveness?”

“I do, but the Bible doesn’t tell ya to act a fool. Scram, Tony.”

Cassie walked past him exiting the dressing room without another word with Caterina silently following behind her. Her hands were tightly gripped around the strap of her bag.

Angel knew from that that she was pissed. This knucklehead was not taking no for an answer. He had to do something, and now was the time to do it.

Angel crept up from behind, pushed Tony into a chair, pulled a knife out of his pocket, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and said, “Listen, you active duty fat-head. That girl you’re so clobbered on is my daughter and she doesn’t like you, so you better lay off, or next time, Daddy Angelo di Lucchese is gonna do a little more than just bust your chops. You hear me?”

When Tony meekly nodded, Angel let him go.

Tony fell backwards, trembled in his chair in absolute horror, and said, “C-Cassie’s a Lucchese? Oh, my God…”

“That’s right, buddy,” Angel said leaning close to his face. “If you bother her again, you’re gonna have the whole Lucchese family on your tail…”

“DADDY!” Angel heard a familiar voice yell behind him.

He turned around and saw his daughter standing pale-faced in embarrassment in the doorway next to Caterina.

“Bambina…” Angel said as Tony took the opportunity to run out of the dressing room.

“Uh, I forgot my purse,” Caterina said awkwardly walking past them.

“Dad, what in God’s name were you doing?!” Cassie yelled.

“I was getting that creep off your back, Cass,” Angel replied.

“He would have left me alone anyways! You didn’t have to do that! God have mercy! Now, the whole damn theatre is going to know that I’m a member of the Lucchese family!”

“Good, now, he’ll leave you alone!”

“Uh…” Caterina said having walked back when no one was looking. “Cassie, why don’t we go?”

“I can’t go,” Cassie replied.

“Why not?”

“He’s going to blab to everyone that I’m the daughter of Angelo di Lucchese. You know how awkward that party’s going to be. They’re going to keep me at arm’s length and treat me like a China doll. That’s what always happens.”

“But Cass…”

“Get going, Caterina,” Cassie said. “You don’t wanna keep Johnny waiting.”

Caterina sighed, gave her a hug, and said, “Okay, I’ll call you later.”

Cassie hugged her back and said, “Have fun.”

Caterina walked out. Cassie glared at Angel and then walked out behind her.

Angel facepalmed, sighed deeply, and ran out after her yelling, “Cassie! Bambina, where’d you go?! I’m sorry!”

When he didn’t hear a reply, Angel sulked back to his car. He had ruined his daughter’s evening. The only thing left for him to do was to look for some drugs.

But right as he entered the car, he saw Cassie go out the front door of the theater. She had changed into her normal clothes: a black sweater with a green plaid skirt, normal shoes, and a headband that matched her skirt. The only thing she was still wearing was the ruby pendant.

Cassie saw Angel through the windows, but she clutched her bag and her coat and walked down the stairs as if she didn’t see him.

Angel hopped back out of the car and walked over to the other side.

“Cassie, you can’t keep ignoring me,” he said. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Where do you think I’m going?” Cassie asked. “I’m walking home.”

“No, you’re not,” Angel said throwing the car door open. “Get in.”

Cassie turned around, rolled her eyes, and climbed into her Dad’s car.

When Angel climbed in, he started the car and started heading for his favorite Italian restaurant. The drive would give them time to talk.

Angel looked over and saw that Cassie was staring out the window.

He sighed and asked, “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”

“It couldn’t hurt,” she replied.

“Well, then, I’m sorry.”

“But you keep doing it.”

“I do not.”

Cassie turned around and said, “Oh, really? Remember Jacob?”

“He was a Jew,” Angel said. “You’re Catholic. You weren’t interested. He wouldn’t take the hint.”

“Paul?”

“He had it coming.”

“Emilio?”

“He gave off bad vibes. I didn’t like him.”

“Well, how about Steve?”

“Uh…okay, I went too far that time.”

“That time? You go too far every single time a guy shows interest in me.”

“I was just trying to protect you.”

“Protect me? By doing what? By making every boy I turn down think the Lucchese mob is after them?”

“It makes them leave you alone. Doesn’t it?”

“Yeah and ruins any chance of having a normal relationship. Do you know how hard it is to be friends with a boy who can’t look at you without shuddering in fear?”

“That’s what gives us power, bambina,” Angel said proudly with a twisted smile. “You should take advantage of it.”

“I don’t want to,” Cassie said passionately after a brief pause. “I don’t want people to look at me and be afraid of me. I want them to know I can be their friend, not their enemy. And I want them to be good to me because they know I’m a good person and respect me for who I am, not because I’m forcibly connected by genetics to a bunch of murderers and thieves.”

Angel looked at her. His features softened when he saw the passionate tears at the corners of her eyes.

He looked back at the road, sighed deeply, and said, “Cass, I’m really sorry for threatening your suitors. Okay? If it makes you happy, I’ll leave ‘em alone from now on. Unless they threaten to hurt you or if they actually hurt you. Or, if they get you pregnant. Hell, if that happens, I’ll fire a shot gun right into their genitals and up their asses. Either way, they’ll never enjoying making love ever again.”

“Dear God, Dad,” Cassie said looking at him with an amused smile. “Do you always have to talk like you’re reading a porn novel?”

“Yes,” Angel said as she playfully rolled her eyes. “I hope you’re in the mood for Italian food. We’re going to Fragole.”

“I figured that out when you passed my apartment.”

“I love it when you’re a wise guy.”

“Your apology is accepted by the way.”

“Thank God!” Angel said switching the radio on and having his eyes light up when he heard his favorite Halloween song come on. “Oooh, yes! My favorite!”

“Oh, no,” Cassie said. “You know how much this song annoys me.”

“You know you like it,” Angel teased wrapping his arm around her shoulder while he drove. “Now, come here, you.”

“Dad, you do this every year,” Cassie complained playfully as the opening instrumental part of the song finally finished.

“Just like the magic potion,” Angel sang much to his daughter’s “chagrin.” “You fill me with emotion. You control my very soul. You got me voodoo’d. Who knew the goddess Venus would start this love between us?”

“How appropriate,” Cassie added sarcastically.

“You fill me with desire,” Angel sang. “You got me voodoo’d.”

Finally, Cassie relented, and they sang together, “You knew you had power. Pick the hour when the full moon was above. I was hypnotized when I looked in your eyes and my heart was filled with love. Just like the power of Circe, you’ve got me at your mercy. Always yours to have and hold, you’ve got me voodoo’d.”

“There, was that so bad?” Angel asked as the song continued with its big band instrumentals.

“It gets more tolerable every year,” Cassie admitted as she leaned on his shoulder.

“Then, I’ll just have to keep singing it.”

“You’re insufferable.”

Eventually, Angel got them to the restaurant where they had their meal. Fragole was a friend of “the family” so Angel managed to get him and his girl a section to themselves. They had a good time. They got to talk and catch up while enjoying some great food. Everything was fine…until Angel once again opened his big mouth.

Angel had mentioned seeing the end of Cassie’s rehearsal, so she had been talking about how her dancing was going.

“I still can’t believe I got the solo,” Cassie said between bites of spaghetti. “I’m the youngest girl there. I mean, I thought I’d get in the chorus line for sure, but not the solo. Those usually go to the older girls.”

“Believe it, Cass,” Angel said between sips of wine. “You’re goin’ places. I always knew you were. I talked to the director while you were changing in the dressing room. He says you cook with helium every time you’re on that stage. He knew you were amazing from your first audition. He would have taken you even without my check…”

The words escaped his mouth before he even thought about what he was saying. His only thought then was, “fuck.”

Cassie dropped her fork on her plate and yelled, “WHAT?!”

“Oh, shit,” Angel said facepalming himself.

“DAD!” Cassie yelled angrily as the color vanished from her face. “How could you?! You knew I wanted to earn my place, but you bribed my director anyway?! What’s wrong with you?!”

“Cass, I was only trying to help,” Angel said trying to calm her and himself down.

“That’s always your goddamn excuse!” Cassie replied standing up from her chair. “Why can’t you ever let me earn anything on my own?!”

“Because I don’t want to see you fail,” Angel said starting to get annoyed himself.

“Failure’s a part of life, Dad! You have to work hard to get what you want, and you don’t always succeed, but I want to earn what I want because it’s the right thing to do! Because that’s what’s fair!” Cassie yelled back.

Angel finally snapped standing up himself, “I got news for you, Cass! Life isn’t fair, and it sure as hell isn’t gonna respect your noble intentions!”

She might be mad, but he couldn’t take it anymore.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Cassie demanded.

“That means I stepped in cuz I knew that unless I did you’d be discarded like all the other nobodies of this world,” Angel began. “Do you know how the big wigs of this world see girls like you? To all them at the top, you’re a nobody! To them, you’re just a Walters, a name they don’t know and don’t care about. You’re a dime a dozen, and if you go, there are a million others waiting to take your place! To get to the top, you have to slave away for them and do whatever disgraceful, dirty thing they ask! You can’t trust them to do the right thing! They won’t do the right thing unless you force them to care! That’s what our family did and look at where we are now! You have to stop being naïve and take advantage of the connections you have in this world, Cass. Unless you do, you are gonna be eaten alive out there! And I love you too much to watch that happen! You also need to stop pretending you aren’t as much a Lucchese as I am for the sake of some naïve, self-righteous, and idealistic crusade!”

“I don’t care what you say! I’m a redeemed woman now! I’m not goin’ back to livin’ as a pampered pet livin’ off your blood money. And self-righteous? At least, I’m honest! Unlike you!”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

“I know all your sins. You’re a murdering, lying thief in a family of other murdering, lying thieves! You’re a junkie and a drinker who loves sodomy and adultery! But that’s not the worst thing about you!”

“What is the worst thing about me then?!”

Cassie’s face suddenly fell as if she was hesitating, but Angel was still angry.

“Come on, Cassie!” Angel yelled. “You brought it up! What do I do that you think is so awful?! What could I possibly do that is worse than all those other sins combined! Huh?!”

Angel felt a hard object get thrown at his eye. Thankfully, he blinked before it could do any damage, but he still felt a bruise forming. Angel looked down to see what it was and saw the ruby pendant on the ground.

He looked up to see Cassie crying angry tears.

“You’re a hypocrite and a fucking coward,” Cassie said before she took her purse and her coat and powerwalked away from the table and out of the restaurant.

Angel picked up the pendant and stared at it silently for a few minutes. When the owner came by to check on them, Angel gave him enough cash to cover the bill and told him to keep the change before he walked outside to find his daughter.

He found her smoking on the sidewalk. He could tell from her face that she had been crying. When she saw him, she turned away until he asked her for a match. She handed him a book of matches from her purse, and he lit his own cigarette. They stood there in silence for a while taking in the scene and watching dusk turn into night. Each of them was trying to cool down in their own way.

Angel knew where Cassie had got her temper from. He wasn’t angry at her. He was more confused than anything. There was so much on his mind, but he couldn’t will himself to speak until the street lamp finally came on.

“Cassie, I ain’t mad at ya,” Angel said before taking another puff from his cigarette. “I’m just confused. We used to be so close. You know. Then after ya moved out with your mother, we started fighting more. I understand you hating my family. I do, too. I hate almost every single one of those bastards. But I don’t understand why you’re upset at me. Why do you think I’m a hypocritical coward?”

Cassie looked at him and visibly hesitated.

“Bambina, you’ve never been afraid of talking to me,” Angel reassured her. “You don’t have to start now. You know I would never lay a finger on you for being honest. If I did, you have my permission to fire a shotgun up my ass. Okay? Now, tell me. Why am I a hypocritical coward?”

Cassie sighed and said, “You act like you’re a hard-boiled mafia gangster who only really cares about a handful of people, but I know for a fact that that’s not who you really want to be. You hate being a part of it as much as I do, but instead of cutting yourself off from it like I am, you indulge your flesh to numb your pain. That’s why you indulge in your liquor, your drugs, and your sodomy. You do it to make living with yourself easier because you’re miserable. That’s why I called you a hypocritical coward. I’m not wrong. Am I?”

Angel paused for a second and asked, “What makes you think I don’t like being a part of the mob?”

“When you’re drunk, you talk…a lot. I’ve been around you during your binges often enough to hear it. ‘Oh, bambina, I hate killing people for my Dad. I always see their faces in my dreams.’ ‘Oh, bambina, I wish I was an orphan, so I could do what I wanted with my life.’ ‘Oh, bambina, I don’t like carrying out Dad’s stupid campaigns. I’d rather be at the clubs snortin’ coke or f****** another queer…’”

“Christ, I really said that to ya?”

“Yes.”

“Well, uh, Cassie, I was drunk,” Angel said defensively. “I didn’t mean any of it.”

“Jesus said out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks,” Cassie pushed.

“Don’t quote the Bible at me.”

“That means that something in you wants to leave it even if it’s just a little bit.”

“Cassie…” Angel said defensively.

“You want to leave, but you won’t let yourself admit it!” Cassie said with more passionate tears rolling down her cheeks. “If you were really all bad like the others, I would learn to live with it, but you’re not! You’re just too scared to change, and one day, it’s gonna destroy ya! I love you too much to watch that happen, but there’s nothin’ I can do, and I hate it!”

Cassie stared at him with her eyes that pierced his soul. In the present and in the past, Angel reflected on her words and knew she was right.

Angel sighed deeply before he said, “Okay, stop it. You’re right about me. Why did God make you so damn perceptive?”

“Then, why don’t you leave it?” Cassie asked.

“Cass, it’s a lot easier for you than it is for me. First of all, you’re a woman…”

Cassie shot him a questioning glance and he said, “Okay, there’s a lot about being a woman that’s unfair, but you still have an advantage over me. Unless you do somethin’ really crazy, no one in the mob cares what you do. It’s not like that for me. I’m a son of the Don. I have no choice but to be involved in this, Cass. My Dad already hates me. If I were to leave, he’d hunt me down and make me pay. Even if he left me alone, I’d be watched for the rest of my life. Hell, you wanna know where I really got the pendant? I took it as a bribe from a guy I was supposed to kill for desertin’.”

“Then Dad, why don’t you leave New York and go somewhere else?”

“I’d have to go somewhere far away, Cass, and I could never come back. I mean, where would I go? What would I do?”

“You could go to San Francisco. I’ve heard that there’s a large community of queers over there. You’d fit right in.”

“I’d have to change my name.”

“How about ‘Angel Dust?’ It’s fittin’ for all the drugs you do.”

Angel looked at Cassie and smiled. He loved her sense of humor.

“You’d be alone,” Angel said. “If they found out you knew anything, you’d be in trouble and I couldn’t protect you.”

“I’d go to San Francisco with you if it would make you feel better,” Cassie said with a smile. “I’d miss Mom and my friends, but I could write them letters and call them when I wanted.”

Angel’s cigarette was done so he flicked it on the ground and said, “I don’t know, babe. That’d be a big change for me.”

Cassie’s face fell. Angel could never stand seeing her sad.

He walked over to her, gave her a hug, and said, “I’ll think about it. Alright?”

Cassie hugged Angel back and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

When she finally let go of him, she said, “Maybe you can go to Alcoholics Anonymous, too. Get help for all your addictions…”

“Let’s focus on one problem at a time, babe. Slow down a bit. Will ya? Next thing I know, you’ll tell me to go to an asylum for my queerness,” he replied.

“Hell, no. Have you ever read the accounts of Nellie Bly? That was a long time ago, but not much has changed since then from what I’ve been reading. I wouldn’t send a rat to one of those places.”

“Speaking of queers, wanna go to Greenwich Village for a Halloween party? I told some buddies I’d be there, and I’d hate for that costume you worked so hard on to go to waste.”

Cassie smiled playfully and said, “You can’t fool me. You just wanna go fishing under the guise of spendin’ some time with me.”

“Can’t I do both?” Angel asked while posing dramatically. “You like the cabarets anyhow, and if I find a date, you can drive yourself home.”

“Only you would choose a place where no boy’s gonna flirt with me.”

“So, you wanna go?”

“Yeah. Just let me change in the car.”

As they walked to the car, Angel remarked, “You know. You’re remarkably tolerant of hedonism for a good Catholic girl.”

“On the list of eight cardinal sins and in Dante’s circles of hell, lust and gluttony are at the bottom in terms of seriousness,” Cassie replied. “Besides, Jesus ate with the prostitutes and tax collectors, so I do, too.”

“Aren’t you an enlightened little saint?”

“You’re insufferable.”

When they reached the car, Cassie changed into her Dracula costume while Angel drove down to his favorite night club in Greenwich Village.

He had brought her to these places since she was small enough to sit on the pool tables and push the white ball around whenever he’d play pool with her. Looking back, it was not a responsible thing to do with a little girl, but he was 23 and stupid. Thankfully, the others liked her enough and Angel never got drunk enough to black out.

The worst thing that ever happened was that Angel got too drunk to drive or even find the car, and Cassie was tired and scared to the point of tears. He ended up sleeping on bench with her on his chest covered by his coat. God was truly merciful to the stupid.

They arrived at the cabaret where everyone was dressed up in their best costumes, mostly in drag but others in Halloween costumes. The place was crowded with queers from all over New York. It had Halloween decorations all over to dazzle the eyes and loud big band music with a large dance floor to dance on. Angel was home.

Angel talked to Isabella, the club’s bisexual bartender, to open a tab for him and his daughter. She and Isabella were good friends, so he knew it was safe to leave them together.

“Alright, bambina,” Angel said handing her the keys to his car while clasping the pendant around her neck again to complete her costume. “I’ll come by to tell you when I get a date but take the keys in case I forget. You’re still too young to drink, but if you do, don’t leave the drink out of sight of yourself or Isabella. I know we’re at a gay bar, but believe me, some of the lesbians in here are thirsty. And for God’s sake, call your mother if you get too drunk to drive or she will murder me slowly. You did tell her you were with me, right?”

“Yes, Dad, you have given me the same spiel every time since I was 13,” Cassie said sassily. “Do you think I haven’t memorized all this by now?”

“Bambina, I’m your Daddy,” Angel said. “I’m always gonna be paranoid when it comes to you. You know that.”

“Then why are you leaving me alone in a bar?” Cassie said sarcastically before Angel gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I love you, bambina,” Angel said rubbing the top of her head. “Wish me luck. Daddy’s going fishing.”

“Don’t drown,” Cassie replied as he walked away much to Isabella’s laughter.

“Shut up,” Angel said while Cassie and Isabella continued laughing.

“You’re such a gas, Cass,” Isabella replied.

“Don’t encourage her!” Angel yelled over his shoulder.

He could hear the girls laugh out loud while he got ready to mingle. Angel spent most of the night after that drinking and striking out with every man he tried to flirt with while Isabella and Cassie watched and cracked up at his expense in between conversations of their own.

Eventually, Angel sat down in an empty seat next to Cassie, leaned backwards from both disappointment and drunkenness, and moaned quietly.

“What’s wrong, Dad?” Cassie asked mockingly. “Is the sugar all rationed?”

Angel sat up, turned around, and said, “I just can’t figure out what I’m doin’ wrong, Cass. I’m doin’ everything right. I swear to God. These men aren’t really queer. They’re all posers just comin’ in to laugh at us on Halloween.”

“Maybe it just isn’t meant to be, Dad,” Cassie replied with her unique blend of optimism and sass between sipping her soda. “It could be a sign. Maybe God’s killin’ your sex appeal to make you start actin’ like a marred man.”

“Nah, that can’t be it. First off, your mother and I aren’t technically married, so I’m not technically ‘adulterous.’ Second, if this is a sign of anything, it’s that I’m becoming a geezer. I just don’t got it in me anymore.”

“Dad, you’re being overdramatic cuz you’re drunk. You’re 36.”

“I know. I’m ancient. No one wants me. I can’t even get anyone to dance with me.”

Cassie looked at him thoughtfully and said, “I’ll dance with ya, Dad.”

“Really? You’ll let yourself be seen in public with a cheesy old geezer?” Angel said staring at her pleadingly.

“It’s never stopped me before. Has it? Besides,” Cassie said before she stood up, took off her cape, and tap-danced in place. “Do you think I brought these shoes just for the aesthetic? Come on.”

“Bambina, you make your Daddy so happy,” Angel said leaping up joyfully. “You’re so good to me in my old age.”

“Hey, Isabella,” Cassie said leading her Dad to the dance floor. “Could you close the tab? He doesn’t need any liquor in his system.”

“Hey!” Angel said staggering behind her. “I’m not drunk.”

“Do you wanna know how much you’ve spent already?”

“Alright, fine.”

Angel sobered up a little once he started dancing with Cassie. He usually did. Looking back, those were the best times he had with her. It was him who taught her how to swing dance and do every other dance he knew, but she had long since surpassed him. It was all Angel could do to keep up with her now. Of course, he might say it was because he was buzzed but he knew the truth. She was much better than him and he was okay with that. Angel ran out of energy long before Cassie did, but he kept going. He didn’t want it to stop, so they kept going until she was finally tired out.

In the present, Angel wondered if he kept going because he somehow had a premonition of what was going to happen next.

At around 2am when Angel and Cassie were too tired to keep going anymore, Cassie helped her father walk to the car with the intention of driving herself and her father back to the apartment.

Unfortunately for both of them, the car had a flat tire, so Cassie helped her Dad get to a bench and said, “Alright, Dad, I’m gonna call a cab. You have a preference for who I call?”

“Nah, babe, as long as they get us home,” Angel said sinking into the bench he was sitting on while she walked over to the pay phone not ten feet away.

Looking back, Angel thought of a million ways this scenario could have gone differently, a million things he could have done instead, but his memories forced him to face the truth.

While Angel was sitting there in his drunken stupor, he heard Cassie call for him once. Then twice. Then finally in a blood curdling scream that sobered him immediately.

Angel leaped to his feet and heard a loud pop. He saw someone clad in black run away leaving a trail of blood behind him. He saw Cassie lying on the ground of the phone booth struggling to breathe and coughing up blood with a bullet wound in her chest.

“Oh, my God,” Angel said as he ran over to her throwing off his coat and suspenders and pulling off his shirt to use as a tourniquet. “CASSIE! Cassie! Cassie! Stay with me, bambina! Please!”

“What the hell is…?!” Isabella yelled running out and seeing Cassie bleeding on the ground. “OH, MY GOD!”

“AMECHE AN AMBULANCE NOW!” Angel yelled at her as he wrapped the shirt around his hand and held it over the wound.

Isabella quickly nodded and ran inside to do what he asked.

“Cassie, can you hear me?” Angel pleaded as climbed in and propped her up on his lap to help her breathe more easily. “If ya do, please say something.”

“Dad…” Cassie replied weakly. “I’m sorry…”

“What? What on earth do you have to be sorry for?”

“He wanted the pendant. But I didn’t want to give it to him, so I stabbed him with my pocket knife, but he shot me and took it anyway. I hope he’s not hurt too bad…”

Angel only noticed then that the necklace was gone. The thief only wanted the necklace he gave her…

“I’m sorry…” Cassie said. “I was stupid…”

“Cass, don’t say that,” Angel replied unsuccessfully trying to hold back his tears and using one of his hands to stroke her face. “You’re not stupid. You’re brave. You’re so brave. You’re the bravest person I’ve ever known in my life. You had the guts to leave a comfortable, protected life as a gangster’s child to live a hard but honorable life as a godly woman. You’re so much braver than I’ll ever be.”

“You can be brave, too…You can do the same thing…”

“No, I can’t. I need you, bambina. I can’t do it without you. I’m too much of a fucking coward.”

“I think you have it in ya…”

Cassie started coughing up blood uncontrollably. Angel sat her up holding her against his chest to help her breathe and begged God to take him instead of her. He wept and rocked back and forth as his white undershirt was covered in blood until the coughing subsided. He felt so completely helpless.

“Dad, it’s okay…” Cassie finally said as Angel lowered back down against his chest. “I know where I’m goin’ and I pray one day I’ll see you there, too…”

“Cassandra Maria di Lucchese, don’t say that,” Angel pleaded. “You have so much to live for. You have me, your mama, your friends, the church, your career. For God’s sake, you want to be a star. You can’t leave yet! Please, I’m beggin’ you! Don’t go! You’re the best thing to ever come out of my goddamn life! I love you so much!”

“I love you too, Dad…” Cassie replied with her voice getting weaker. “I love everybody…Please tell them that…But it’s okay…I’ll see them all again, and the way I see it, I still get to dance among the stars with the best audience of all…I’ll be okay…”

Cassie looked up and weakly reached up to her Dad’s face with her right hand. He held it against his face as he felt her life slipping away.

“Dad…could you sing me out?” Cassie asked more quietly than before. “I’m about to die, so please make it a good one…”

“No,” Angel replied. “I’ll make it the one you hate the most. That way, you have to wait until I sing something better.”

“You’re insufferable…” Cassie said with her sassy smile.

Then Angel began singing slowly to her as the tears kept flowing and he looked into her eyes to be sure she got the message, “Just like the magic potion, you fill me with emotion. You control my very soul. You got me voodoo’d. Who knew the goddess Venus would start this love between us? You fill me with desire. You got me voodoo’d. You knew you had power. Pick the hour when the full moon was above. I was hypnotized when I looked in your eyes and my heart was filled with love. Just like the power of Circe, you’ve got me at your mercy. Always yours to have and hold, you’ve got me voodoo’d.”

Cassie was too weak to hold her hand up anymore, so it slipped down but Angel held it in his hand and squeezed it tightly. There was almost nothing left in her. It was all Angel could do to not lose it completely.

“How was that, bambina?” Angel asked gently.

“That was the best you’ve ever done…” Cassie replied as she finally slipped away. “Joke’s on you, though…I always loved that song…”

Cassie’s eyes slid shut and she stopped breathing.

“Cassie?” Angel asked shaking her shoulders. “Cassie?!”

Angel heard Isabella crying outside the phone booth. As the sirens approached, his mind grew quieter. All emotions were silenced except for his grief that overpowered them. Tears flooded out of his eyes as he opened his mouth and wailed out his pain.

The ambulance came and told him what he already knew. She was gone, but reluctantly, he let go of her hand and watched them take her body anyway.

It was then that he noticed the trail of blood left behind by his daughter’s killer. Temporarily, another emotion possessed him: pure, unadulterated rage.

Angel stood up, put on the coat he had thrown on the ground, and pulled his hand gun out of his pocket.

Isabella saw him and only said, “Put a good shot in for me.”

Angel turned around, nodded, and followed the blood trail. It led to a small warehouse down the road. He didn’t think. He didn’t need to. He was guided by his own criminal instincts and the rage that sharpened them.

When Angel arrived, he opened the door and looked around until he saw the bastard with his shoulder being bandaged in the corner. He was holding the ruby pendant in his hand, but he had the audacity to ask Angel what his problem was.

Angel pointed the gun at his head and said with unbridled fury behind his voice, “THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM THE LUCCHESE FAMILY, YOU SON OF A BITCH! SPECIFICALLY, MY LATE DAUGHTER WHO YOU JUST KILLED, CASSANDRA MARIA DI LUCCHESE!!!!!!”

Angel didn’t just shoot him in the head. He emptied his magazine on him. Then when he saw Cassie’s knife sitting on the table, Angel used it to stab him repeatedly until he was soaked in his blood and the corpse was almost unrecognizable.

When his rage was satisfied, he grabbed the pendant out of his hand, stuffed it in his pocket, and walked away. No one dared to approach him. Angel then ran to his car to go to the hospital where his daughter was.

Angel wished he could say he changed for Cassie after that, but he didn’t have the strength. He lost his mind. After the funeral, he locked himself in his apartment with his drugs and liquor and refused to open the door for anyone, not even his sister Molly.

He only opened the door when Maggie came by one night. When she entered with luggage, food, and more liquor, she said nothing, but she opened her alcohol and gave him some as well.

Her only words were, “I know you’re the one who killed our baby’s murderer. Thank you.”

She then sat down next to him and started chugging her liquor next to him. Very quickly, she was binging and crying along with him, and they talked more than they had in years. He appreciated his friend’s presence. She was the only one who understood how he felt. And she didn’t leave until the day he died.

Together, they went on a path of mutual self-destruction. They left their respective jobs and became full-time junkies. They lived together and even slept in the same bed, which ironically made them more of a husband and wife than when Cassie was alive. Together, they drank. Together, they used. Together, they became prostitutes when their families cut them off, so they could buy more drugs. Together, they tried any new thing they could to numb the pain just a little bit more and make their lives more bearable, whether that was substance abuse, sex, or anything else that caused trouble.

They grew very close over the next year. It made sense, because very soon, all they had was each other. Angel and Maggie pushed everyone else away. They lived in an isolated wonderland of hedonism all their own. They had so much fun that it drowned out the misery their hearts were feeling. Despite it brought on them, they were happy together, and the way Angel saw it, he was in some way doing what Cassie had wanted.

Then came the day Angel died. It was Halloween. He woke up early in the morning from another nightmare, but his partner-in-crime wasn’t there. He got up to look for her, and all he found was a note she left.

Maggie said that she was tired of the empty life she was living and the pain her addictions could never cure. She had left to check herself into the rehab facility her church sponsored and begged Angel to come with her to receive the help he needed.

Angel crumpled the note in his hand and tossed it aside in anger. His only friend had abandoned him, and he was by himself again. Angel sat down and wept quietly for a while until he remembered the stash of PCP they had bought the night before.

Angel dumped out her share and his share for himself. He inhaled all of it until it was gone.

Not too long after, he fell on the floor convulsing uncontrollably. He tried to call for help, but his voice was gone. His vision began fading, and his mind began to create more hallucinations. He could have sworn that he saw his little girl looking as she was on that fateful day a year before begging him to change. She was beautiful. He tried to reach for her, but his body wouldn’t cooperate, and she disappeared.

The last thought Angel remembered thinking before he died was, “I’m sorry, bambina…”

When the Grim Reaper took Angel’s soul to Judgement, he accepted it without complaint. When God gave his judgement, he listened quietly and unapologetically, but somehow, he could feel from the love and sadness emanating from him that he understood how he felt.

The only thing Angel said before he was sent to hell was, “Thank you for looking after Cassie. I know you’re a trillion times the father to her that I ever was.”

When he was taken away, Angel could somehow still feel Cassie’s tears falling.

From then on in hell, Angel lived as he wanted. He took the name “Angel Dust” from Cassie’s joke, made a name for himself in the adult porn industry, and stayed away from the mob when his relatives finally did descend. He was no saint, but he figured that his actions would make Cassie a little bit happier.

As time wore on, he didn’t forget, but the pain became easier to bear as he lived his new life and made new friends. He was slightly disappointed when Maggie didn’t come to join him when she died but only slightly. After all, he couldn’t blame her for wanting to avoid hell.

Life was still miserable, but the drugs, sex, and bad friends made it tolerable.

Back in the present, Angel was finally standing in front of the Happy Hotel. He didn’t know what redemption would take or how hard it would be. He didn’t even know if he could do it, but for the first time in forever, his heart felt hopeful. That hope reminded him of Cassie, and even if that was the only result from it, it was still worth investing his time in, especially if it meant he could finally see his daughter as the man she always believed he could be.

#hazbin hotel #vivziepop #angel dust

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