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pucked-bunnie · 7 days

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and, what about you? ⎜q.hughes

pairings: quinn hughes x reader genre: angst warnings: stressed quinn ⎜over-thinker quinn ⎜ synopsis: everyone knows the captain takes care of everyone, of everything - but who takes care of them? word count: 2.1 k authors note: Quinn was the clear winner of the poll, and this is essentially just filling my need for words of affirmation and how I hope someone takes care of our dear captain, it's a little shorter than normal but i hope you all still enjoy. (UNEDITED)

The crowd roars as the Canucks win the game - the group of boys flooding the ice to congratulate each other, tapping on helmets as they make their way to the locker room.

“I’m gonna head down to the locker room, meet you there?” Natalie shouts over the sounds of the blaring alarms and music - you nod quickly, your eyes locked on the captain skating over to his goalie, patting him firmly on the helmet hovering for a few seconds clearly praising Thatcher's game. The two teammates make their way over to the bench, the coach pulling Quinn to the side.

You watch Quinn’s shoulders slump a little and he nods his head, his coach patting him on the shoulder as he lets him walk down the tunnel into the locker room. You say quick goodbyes to the other partners in the area, slinging your bag over your shoulder.

Your phone dings in your hand, the screen lighting up with a text message.

quintin 😍: I’m gonna be a little longer than expected, I have to cover Brock's interview.

pookie ♥️ ️ : Okay, take your time.

You find a spot beside the entrance to the locker room, pulling out the AirPods tucked into your bag. Knowing Quinn him saying he was going to take longer then expected meant it was going to be over an hour before you would be seeing him. You scroll through your tiktok, making small conversation with the passing players as they join with their families making their own way home.

Eventually you spot the reporters leaving, a few more team members filing out behind them, the crowds slowly dwindling in the main lobby, though Quinn was nowhere in sight.

pookie ♥ ️ : everything alright? reporters left twenty minutes ago.

Your message is seen quickly, the ellipsis popping up into your text thread before disappearing, the cycle repeating a few times before the bubble disappears, no response from Quinn.

“Hey what are you still doing out here?” A familiar voice says as a body stops in front of you, you glance up at Brock giving him a soft smile as you take out an AirPod.

“Oh, just waiting for Quinn.” You respond quickly, “He said he was covering interviews, but they left a while ago.” You note softly, Brock tilting his head in confusion.

“Quinn wasn’t doing interviews tonight.” Brock eyebrows drop in a frown, his eyes darting back to the locker room before back down to you. “No one else is in there, if you wanna head in?” He suggests quietly, patting your shoulder before jogging over to his waiting girlfriend, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as she greets him excitedly.

You watch them for a few more moments, the happy couple leaving hand in hand before you turn towards the entrance, glancing around as you walk into the large room, it’s easy to spot the captain, his arms resting on his knees, his hockey jersey in the basket in the middle of the room, the rest of his gear still strapped to his body.

“Babe?” You call softly, taking slow steps towards the deep in thought man, his hand raking through his hair a few more times before you call out for him again, “Quinn?”

His head snaps up at your voice, his eyes darting around the empty room before focusing on you. “Oh shit.” He curses under his breath, his hand moving to undo the velcro straps of his chest pads.

“Quinn, are you okay?” You question as you drop on the bench next to him, watching as he rushes to take off his remaining gear.

“Yeah, of course.” He says quickly, shooting you an apologetic grin as he pulls the pads over his head. “Just got lost in thought.”

You glance over to Quinn every now and then as he makes quick work of his uniform, pulling on a large hoodie and sweatpants, grabbing his phone and wallet from the shelf of his locker before turning towards you.

“I’ll shower when I get home.” He promises as he leans down to press a soft kiss to your cheek, his fingers twining with yours as he grips your hand tightly. You wrap your other hand tightly around your joined hands, lifting them to press a kiss against the back of his hand.

“You played amazing today, Quinn.” You praise, letting your hands drop to swing between the two of you as Quinn leads you both to the garage, pulling his car keys out of his pocket. “I’m so proud of you, you’ve done so much for this team.” You continue, Quinn shaking his head, his hand releasing yours as you both climb into the car.

“We still have play offs to get through.” Quinn says with a long sigh, his eyes focusing in front of him as he pulls out the parking space, making his way out of the garage. Quinn’s body stays tense as his eyes remain forwards, his focus anywhere but on the way you watch him, your eyes looking over all his signs of discomfort.

Quinn stays silent for the fifteen minute drive back to your apartment - game nights usually meant your boyfriend stayed at your place, Elias and Quinn enjoying the time apart to wind down.

You follow behind Quinn as he makes his way to the elevator, his hand not reaching for yours like he normally would, his body pushing him to make it into your cozy apartment. He unlocks your front door with his spare key, dropping the bag from his trunk besides the front door, kicking off his sneakers.

You sneak in behind him, softly closing the door as he runs his fingers through his hair, his hands rubbing at his face. “Quinn, I want you to answer me honestly.” You begin softly, leaning against the back of your couch, your hand clasped in front of you. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” He asks, his hands dropping from his face, “of course I am.” He answers quickly, he tries to smile, to erase your concern, but his smile falters as you remain silent, your brows furrowed in concern.

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” He says, “I mean I’m living the dream right, playing my favourite sport for a living, captain of the team I’ve played on for six years, we’re going to the playoffs and I’ve got a beautiful girlfriend to top it all off.” He continues his voice carrying a sharp edge to it.

You continue the silence, hoping that maybe making him face the discomfort will give you a look into his mind.

“What do you want me to say?” He finally asks, throwing his hands in a shrug.

“I don’t know… I just want to know what’s going on inside your head.” You respond, “I want to be able to help relieve some of your stress. I wanna be able to take care of you if you’re not feeling great.” You add, watching as Quinn’s mouth drops in a frown.

“I don’t need you to take care of me.” He snaps, his tone more hostile than expected, your body pushing off the couch as you move to step forwards, your boyfriend taking a step away from you. “I’m supposed to take care of you” He says, pointing towards you for emphasis, “That’s my job. I’m supposed to take care of things at home and at work, that’s what a good leader does.”

“And, what about you?” You question softly, your arms crossing over your chest, a feeble attempt at trying to keep yourself together. “What about you, Quinn… Who takes care of you?”

You watch the emotions flash over Quinn’s face whatever facade he had kept going for the past twenty four hours faltering.

“Babe, you have so much on your plate right now, so much responsibility… let me take some of it, even just for a little while.”

“Why?” He asks, his voice barely a whisper.

“Because that’s my job.” You answer, “Because if you’re not going to take care of you, then I will. Because relationships are about lifting each other up but sometimes we just have to catch each other when we fall.” Your words are gentle as you step towards him.

“Quinn, it’s okay to fall sometimes.” Your heart sinks as you watch his face crumble, a heavy sob escaping his chest as you close the distance, pulling his body to yours. Quinn remains stiff as you wrap your arms around his neck, his face dropping against your shoulder as his body shakes.

“I’m just so tired.” His voice cracks as he speaks, finally his arms moving to constrict around your waist, your body the only thing grounding him. “I feel like I can’t breathe.” Another round of choked sobs rip from him, one of your hands gently soothing over his back, the other smoothing the back of his head.

“You’re going to be okay.” You coo, your throat constricting as you swallow down your own tears, your heart cracking in two at the state of your boyfriend, the hurt in his voice.

The two of you remain in the lounge room, your arms wrapped around each other, stuck in a standstill as Quinn lets out everything that had been weighing him down, his sobs slowly turning into sniffles, his arms squeezing around you when you move to step back.

“No.” He grumbles.

“Come with me.” You whisper, finally detaching him from you, your hands grabbing his as you pull him towards the couch, you take your spot lying down on the cushions before motioning for him to follow. Quinn seems hesitant at first, his breathing shallow before he nods joining you on the couch, his body thrown over yours, his head pressed against your chest as you resume your ministrations on his back, drawing soft shapes against his jumper.

“Share something with me.” You say, “Give me something to hold onto for you for a little while.”

“Like what?” He speaks against your shirt, the words muffled slightly by the fabric.

“Anything.” He takes a deep breath at your words.

“Rick said something to me today.” He starts, you nod slowly recounting the coach pulling the young captain aside, your hand raises to the collar of Quinn’s hoodie softly slipping under the fabric to continue your soothing on his skin. “He said he was proud of me.”

Your movements pause, waiting for Quinn to elaborate.

“He said that he couldn’t think of a better leader for the team, and that he knew that I was going to take us further than anyone imagined.” Quinn lets out a long sigh, “I just can’t find it in me to believe him.” Your eyebrows raise at his comment, your head tilting as you consider what to say.

“You’re not proud of yourself?”

“I don’t know.” He mumbles back. “I know I should be, but a part of me just feels like I haven’t done enough, like I haven’t achieved enough to feel pride.”

“Well, that’s okay.” You start, “I can be proud of you for both of us.” Quinn raises his head, resting his chin against your sternum as he glances up at you.

“Really?”

“I’ll just hold onto it until you're ready, no matter how long it takes.” You smile as you watch Quinn’s face relax a little, his own smile light on his face, as he leans forwards pressing a soft kiss to your cheek.

“You have no idea how special you are, Quinn.” You remind him as you raise your hand to push his floppy brown locks out of his face. “But I hope one day you let yourself feel it.”

“And, what about you?” Quinn asks, throwing your own question back in your face. “Do you know how special you are?”

“Probably not, but I’m trying my best to figure it out.” You smile once more, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead before reaching to the coffee table for the remote.

“I should go shower.” Quinn says as he drops his head back to your chest, his body making no moves to walk down your hallway to the bathroom.

“You probably should.” You agree with a laugh as Quinn grabs one of your hands placing it back in his hair, a soft sigh of content escaping him as you scrape your nails against his scalp.

“Thank you.” He whispers, his eyes squeezed shut as you press one more kiss to his head.

“You don’t have to thank me, it's my job.” He lets out a soft chuckle, his body relaxing further as he falls asleep to the sound of mindless reality TV, your chest swelling with the pride of two people as you glance down at your boyfriend finally resting.

#quinn hughes #quinn hughes x reader #quinn hughes fanfic #quinn hughes imagine #nhl #nhl x reader #nhl imagine #nhl fanfic #angst

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snowdrop-ivy · 6 months

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Chasing the Clouds: A Journey Back to The Beef | 2

Summary: Mikey left the restaurant to Carmen, Natalie, and you.

Trope: Second chances

T/W: Cursing, unresolved mental issues, trauma, suic!de, angst, and smut.

Word count: 2654

YOU just finished editing the photos you’re about to send to your wedding planner when you saw Natalie calling you. You’re back in Chicago for a break and to plan the wedding since your fiance’s mom thought a year engaged and no plans is bullshit. So that’s what you’ve been doing for the past 2 weeks.

“Hey, Sug,” You smiled, answering the phone. “How you’ve been?”

“Hey, baby doll!” She shrieked. They’re not going to die down the nickname you had since 4 because you thought that dressing up as a doll everyday till you were 7 was a good idea. “Not much. How are you? I miss you!”

“I miss you too, Sug!” You giggled and crossed your legs. “Not much going on. I just finished sending designs for the chairs I wanted and heading off to my dad for Jeremy’s birthday party. Are you coming?”

You heard Nat sighed on the other end. “No, I have to check with my accountant because I put in my house as mortgage for the restaurant and now that they’re behind bills, my house is fucked.”

“Oh,” You gulped as you knew that Carm was managing it and you’ve been trying to stay away with everything that reminds you of him but apparently, growing up together does not do that. “Do you need help with it?”

“No!” She exclaimed. “I just wanted to talk to you. And maybe, if you’re free, we can hang out. I really miss you.”

You bowed and lightly smiled. “I know! It’s been so long. But, I’m free tomorrow. Is that good with you?”

You heard Nat squeal as you planned your day-out tomorrow. You both exchanged stories on what’s going on until it was time for you to go to your dad’s house. It’s your little brother’s birthday. You love that kid even though you don’t have the same mom. Your mom died a few months after you were born. It was always you and your dad till your step mom showed up. She’s okay, you like her. But you’ve never been close to her. She’s one of those people you like but do not hate. It’s somewhere between that.

“Hey, baby doll!” Your dad yelled across the crowd he was talking to. You beamed up a smile as you walked to your dad with his open arms. “I miss you so much.”

You hugged your dad and kissed him. “We saw each other last week, Dad.”

Jim laughed as he hugged you again. “What? I can’t miss you everyday?”

You laughed and shook your head. You hugged all the people you knew and went inside to look for the birthday boy. You looked around the house you grew up in. All the pictures since you were little hang around the house. You smiled at those memories. All the good and bad ended you up as a Nurse. You never thought you'd be a nurse since you’re scared of needles when you were young from the stories you heard from your dad about crackheads and whatnots. You searched around the house to find your brother but you can’t see him anywhere. You smiled to the guests you passed by till you got to the kitchen.

“Baby doll!” Richie roared then tackled you in a squeezing hug. “Where you’ve been?”

You screeched as he lifted you. “Rich, put me down!”

Rich looked in disbelief as he eyed you. The last time you saw him was a week before Mikey’s death. “You look so fucking different.”

“That’s because I am,” You laughed. You smiled at him before hugging each other. You did miss him. And you felt guilty that you didn’t show up or call him when he’s been through his shits. “Sorry for not calling,” You genuinely smiled before kissing him on the cheek.

“Nah, you’re good,” Rich dismissed his hand. “Enough about that! How are you?”

You opened your mouth to answer but you heard a very familiar voice calling Rich. “Cousin, how’s the hotdogs coming?”

You gulped when you saw him. That bastard. Carmen Fucking Berzatto walking to the kitchen. He stopped on his tracks when he saw you. He has a tray of lettuce in his hands. You saw his jaw clenched and walked to the counter to put down the tray.

“No, Carm, look who’s here?” Richie said all fucking excited and pointed at you like he doesn’t know where you are. “It’s baby doll!”

Rich was about to say something before you smelled the burning hotdogs and he came running to it. You bit your lip when he left the two of you alone. You felt your hands shaking as you put your purse and gift down. Carm sighed before leaning on the counter and looking at you. Both of you don't know what to say or where to start.

He cleared his throat making you look at him. “Hey.”

You felt your throat close up when he called. You eyed him intently. His shriveled hair, the noticeable bags under his eyes, and his stained white shirt that fitted him like a glove. “Hey, Carmen.”

Carm twitched his mouth and clenched his jaw when he heard you say his name. That’s the first time you called him by his name. You always called him bear or B or anything else other than his government name.

“How you’ve been?” You both asked after a long silence. You also both pointed at each other to answer. “No, you go ahead,” He suggested.

You cleared your throat. After years of not talking, not a call, text, letter, or email, that’s what he asked. You had this urge to scream at his face and tell him how you spent the nights in the bathroom as you were too drunk just to forget his fucking face for a second. You wanted to tell him how you almost failed nursing school since you had no will to live or even a tiniest motivation to get up in the morning. You wanted to tell him how you were prescribed sleeping pills from all the sleepless nights you had. You wanted to tell him how broken your heart and body was when he left. “I’m good,” But no, you just timidly answered. You’re unsure if he knows you’re engaged or not since you haven’t talked to him for how many years. You don’t know if your dad, Sug, or Rich mentioned it to him. “You?”

He looked at the floor. His arms crossed and nodded. That’s not how you usually answered. You always answer with a funny story that happened to you. “Good as well,” He slowly nodded and glanced at you. He noticed everything that changed about you. How your hair has been a bit darker, the new tattoo on your arm, and how you wore your lipstick darker than you used to. It was colored salmon before that’s why whenever he sees one, it reminds you of him. He can’t think of one thing that he can’t associate you with.

You nodded, acknowledging his answer. You were hoping for more but what can you expect him to say? You both sat in silence till he offered you a beer. He placed it on the counter and you reached for it. He saw the ring on your finger as you drank the beer.

Carm froze when he saw that. His heart dropped. He felt cold all of a sudden then sweaty. He wrapped his arm around him as he slowly nodded. Trying to acknowledge what is going on. His mind was going to a different place. He couldn’t wrap his head on the thought that you’ll be walking on a different man to the altar. Not that he could do anything about it. I mean, what can he do? Tell you to stop the wedding? He can’t do that. That’s fucked up. Not after everything he’s put you through.

“Getting hitched, huh?” He questioned then took a sip.

You saw that he noticed the ring. You wrapped both of your hands on the cold bottle since you can’t feel anything. You just went numb. And it’s not a good numb. It feels different.

You shrugged. “Yup,” you murmured. “Gonna be a Mrs. soon,”

“Huh.” That’s all he could say. He bit his lips looking for words or questions to prolong the conversation. “You excited?”

You blew out your cheeks. “Yeah,” You answered and looked at him. His face went blank. You can see him tensing his shoulders.

Carm pursed his lips and looked around. “Best wishes, then,” He whispered and raised his beer at you.

You timidly smiled and slightly raised your beer back. You looked at the window so as to not look at him anymore. His face brought back so many emotions and memories that you locked up in a chain somewhere deep in your mind. You never thought going back to Chicago meant you’ll see him again. You buried him in your head and soul. You heard him excuse himself to go check on Richie. When he left, you buried your face in your hand trying to prevent her tears welling up. You took a deep sigh and left the beer on the counter to look for your dad. You saw him in the backyard smoking.

You stood beside him and snatched his cigarette. “You didn’t tell me he was here.”

He kicked the pebbles scattered around him and put his hands on his pocket. “If I did, you wouldn’t come.”

You sighed. “Dad.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” He sighed defeatedly. “It’s just that I’m sure you’re not gonna go if you knew and it’s your brother’s birthday. You can’t miss that. Not when he loves you more than anyone in the world.”

You took a deep breath and huffed a smoke. Your brother does love you more than anyone. And you love that kid. And your dad’s right, if you knew he’s coming, you’re not going to go.

“And besides,” Your dad shrugged his shoulders. “You’ve been avoiding everything that has to do with him since forever. And if you’re really past that… you shouldn’t be afraid anymore.”

You scratched your brow and glanced at them making hotdogs under a tent. What your dad said is applicable if you’re past it. But you’re not. You didn’t even go through it. You skipped it. Your answer was halted when you saw your brother running towards you. You threw the cigar and hugged him. Jeremy took you away from your dad and introduced you to all his friends. He showed you all the gifts he got. Jer took your mind off Carm and you were thankful for him. How sweet and caring he is. How he made you happy by just being him. You laughed when he saw that you have a gift. The party went on to be a blast. Kids had fun. Food was great. It was a great day. You didn’t see Carm much that day other than the few glances and the conversation you had. Jeremy was bummed that you’re gonna go home but you promised him a fun day when you’re free.

Carm and Rich are cleaning up the place after the party. He was wiping the tables when Jimmy walked in and made a cup of coffee. He couldn’t help but look at the picture of him with his dad.

“When is that from?” He asked and pointed at the picture sitting on the counter. It was a black and white photo. Jimmy had his arm around his dad and they’re both smiling.

“Repeat party. Grant Park, ‘92,” He answered and took a sip before standing next to him. “You ever miss him?”

He shook his head. “Didn’t really know him well enough to miss him.”

“Sounds like Y/N,” Jimmy mentioned. He placed down his cup and turned to Carm. “You get a chance to talk to her?”

Carm shrugged. “Yeah, we had a beer but she didn’t finish it. Still on the counter.”

Jimmy pursed his lips. “How’d you feel?”

He stopped and raised his brows. “What are you? A therapist?” He joked. Unc turned his head to know he’s serious. Carm straightened his face before continuing to clean the table. “Good, I guess.”

“Really?” He wondered. He didn’t seem satisfied with his answer. “After all these years?”

“Yeah, I mean, we didn’t have much to talk about but she did mention her engagement.”

Jim pressed his lips and tapped him on the shoulder before leaving. “Hey, Carm,” he called him.

Carm turned around to look at him. “Whenever I imagine giving away my daughter, I always thought it’d be to you.”

He nodded and watched him leave him. He took a deep breath. He also had the idea you’re gonna end up together. You both were a step away from being married. Hell, Carm even gave you a very beautiful engagement ring that made you feel magical. But that was all in the past now. He still wonders if you still have the ring. It wouldn’t hurt him if he knew you threw it away or burned it along with the other things you had that belonged to him. Carm shook his head and head on to bid goodbyes to Unc’s wife and Jer. Rich and Carm had to drive Pete home since he was knocked out from the punch infused with Xanax. Carm took the chance to talk to Natalie.

“So, how’s the party?” Nat asked as he gave him water and sat down across from him in their living room.

“Good,” He nodded. “Good yeah, Richie spilled a Xanax in the cooler but Unc didn’t kill us.”

“That’s crazy,” She said with disgust. Nat propped her legs on the couch. “You saw baby doll?”

Carm bit his lip and nodded.

“You guys talked?”

He nodded. Unsure what to answer. He propped his arms on his legs as it bounced.

“How was she?”

“Why didn’t you tell me she was engaged?”

Nat’s mouth went open then lightly shrugged. “I didn’t think you'd want to know that.”

Carm bitterly laughed before shaking his head. “Yeah, right.”

“How’d you know?”

“Saw it on her finger,” He answered, remembering what it looks like on you. “Different from what I got her.”

“Does it still hurt?” Nat asked gently. Her eyes was soft and full of worry.

Carm stared at the picture of you with him, Nat, and Mike that was taken on Christmas a year after you got together. He smiled lightly as he saw his arms around your waist and you were kissing him on the cheek. He had the biggest smile on it. And you all looked so happy beside the christmas tree. “Yeah, and I think it always will.”

“Do you still love her?”

He bit his lip, soaking in her question. And the answer is he does. You have, will always have, his heart in your hands. You were gentle while he cared, but when he stopped caring, it broke you. And nothing will ever be the same. You gave him everything, and he won’t give it back. And now, you chose someone else, even though you have every piece of him. He hopes time will heal you both. Maybe not completely, but he hopes it will only hurt on the bad days. And he’s only have a few of those.

“Carm…” Natalie softly called him after a while when he didn’t answer.. “Are you okay?”

He repeatedly nodded before standing up. “Gotta go,” he bid before heading out to his car. He banged his hand on the wheel repeatedly trying not to scream. He’s not okay. How can he be? Seeing you after 5 years and seeing that you’re engaged. And how nobody gave him a fucking heads up about it. They told all the stories you shared with them but not the one where you got a fucking fiancé.

taglist: @th3h0nkz

A/N: Hi! If you want to be tagged on the next chapters, just comment down! Thanks for the support! <33 hope you like this chapter

#carmen berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto #carmen berzatto x you #carmy berzatto #carmen berzatto x fem!reader #carmen berzatto fic #carmen berzatto fanfiction #carmen berzatto au #carmen berzatto imagines #the bear fx #the bear

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nayziiz · 2 months

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No Way | LN4

Summary: Lando Norris, an F1 driver for McLaren Racing, faces persistent attention on his single status. In an attempt to appease fans and quell rumours, his management suggests a fake relationship with a popular Portuguese model. However, Lando's PR manager, Natalie, disagrees, believing fans would see through the ploy. As an alternative, Lando's management notices the genuine bond between him and Natalie and proposes they feign a relationship for authenticity. Initially hesitant, they agree, given their existing friendship and professional connection. The fake relationship takes an unexpected turn as Lando and Natalie grapple with burgeoning real feelings, attempting unsuccessfully to conceal their growing emotions.

Pairing: Lando Norris x Original Character (Natalie)

Warnings: Mentions of physical and emotional abuse; some fluff

Masterlist

CHAPTER 4

The roar of the crowd resonates through the air as Norris accelerates down the straight, his McLaren slicing through the wind with precision. The commentator's voice echoes through the buzzing atmosphere, conveying the excitement that has gripped the entire circuit.

“And, Norris takes the lead of the Japanese Grand Prix!” The commentator exclaims as the McLaren driver pushes flat out.

In the pulsating McLaren garage, the team members are on their feet, their cheers and applause filling the space. The engineers monitor their screens with intense focus, analysing every nuance of the race. Natalie stands in front of the screens in the garage, her eyes fixed on the monitors. Her anxiety is palpable, manifested in the way her hands are clasped tightly over her mouth. The stakes are high, and the anticipation is electric.

The young and talented driver exhibits incredible skill as he pushes his car to its limits, navigating the twists and turns of the Suzuka Circuit. The gap between him and the driver in second position widens with each passing moment. The tension in the air is thick as the countdown begins – just five laps left in this gripping Grand Prix. As the race intensifies, the McLaren team's collective energy propels Lando forward. The meticulous planning, the hours of practice, and the teamwork culminate in this crucial moment. The deafening cheers from the garage reverberate in tandem with the excitement of the crowd.

Natalie's eyes remain glued to the screens, her heart pounding with each passing second. The intensity of the moment is etched across her face as she witnesses Lando skillfully maintaining the lead, fending off the relentless pursuit of the Ferrari and Red Bull behind him. The atmosphere in the McLaren garage becomes almost tangible, a blend of nervous anticipation and fervent hope.

“Oh, my God.” Natalie breathes out, her voice barely more than a whisper as the weight of the situation grips her.

Her nerves are palpable, and the gravity of the race's climax settles on her shoulders. The sound of the roaring engines outside is drowned out by the rhythmic beats of her racing heart.

The seconds on the clock seem to stretch into an eternity as the tension in the McLaren garage reaches its zenith. The relentless pursuit from the Red Bull intensifies as they enter the final lap. Lando Norris, however, remains unyielding, defending his position with remarkable precision through each corner of the Suzuka Circuit. The roar of the engines becomes a symphony of determination, echoing the final crescendo of a long and arduous race.

As the cars approached the last set of corners, the Red Bull continued to hound Lando's McLaren, pushing the limits of both machines. The pressure is unrelenting, but Lando's defensive manoeuvres showcase the skill that has defined his race. The crowd, both at the circuit and those watching around the world, holds its collective breath as the climax of the Japanese Grand Prix unfolds.

Then, with a surge of acceleration and a masterful execution of the final corners, Lando crosses the finish line. The chequered flag waves, signalling the end of an unforgettable race. The McLaren garage erupts in jubilation. Cheers, applause, and the ecstatic shouts of victory fill the air.

Natalie, who had been anxiously watching every moment, is overcome with emotion. A mix of relief and joy washes over her as she witnesses Lando's historic triumph. The culmination of hard work, strategy, and sheer determination has led to this moment—a first-ever Formula 1 victory for Lando Norris. The crackle of the radio comes alive with the voice of Lando's race engineer, a mix of exhilaration and pride evident in every word.

“Well done, mate!” Lando’s race engineer bellows through the communication system, the cheers of the team in the background echoing his sentiment. The weight of the achievement hangs in the air as Lando's extraordinary performance is acknowledged by the person who guided him through every twist and turn of the race.

Lando's response, however, is a blend of emotions that transcends the confines of the radio waves. Amidst the static and cheers, a muffled sound escapes—the unmistakable combination of laughter and sobs. The gravity of the moment, the culmination of a lifelong dream, seems to overwhelm the young driver as he processes the enormity of what he has just achieved.

On the out lap, as Lando continues to navigate the track, he waves to the ecstatic crowd that has witnessed history in the making. The grandstands reverberate with cheers and applause, a celebration of not only a race victory but a significant milestone in Lando's career. The emotion-laden wave is a heartfelt acknowledgment of the fans' support and a testament to the deep connection between the driver and those who have cheered him on throughout his journey.

The in-car camera captures the tears streaming down Lando's face as the weight of the accomplishment sinks in. The joy, relief, and sheer disbelief intertwine in this poignant moment. The outpouring of emotions is not only a testament to the intensity of the race but also a reflection of the passion and dedication that define the world of Formula 1.

As Lando completes the victory lap, the joyous cacophony of the crowd, the heartfelt words over the radio, and the tears of the victorious driver encapsulate the essence of a moment that will forever be etched in the history of motorsport.

The emotions in the McLaren garage are palpable as Max pulls Natalie into a tight hug. Their shared anticipation and the overwhelming realisation of Lando's victory threaten to spill over, and tears glisten in both their eyes. The embrace is a silent acknowledgment of the rollercoaster of emotions they've experienced throughout the race.

As they stand aside, they watch the jubilant scene unfold. Lando, still riding the wave of ecstasy, leaps off his car as it stands parked against the P1 board. His arms shoot up in triumphant celebration, the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. The McLaren crew surrounds their victorious driver, enveloping him in a sea of joy and camaraderie.

Amidst the celebrations, Lando spots Max and Natalie standing nearby. With unbridled enthusiasm, he races towards them. As he reaches Max, they share a heartfelt embrace, the bond of friendship evident in their elation. The joy of the victory extends beyond the racetrack, resonating in the connections forged off the asphalt.

Finally, Lando turns to Natalie. His eyes, filled with a mix of joy and gratitude, meet her teary gaze. With a swift motion, he removes his balaclava, revealing a face illuminated by the glow of success. His curly hair tousled, he brushes it aside with his hands before wrapping her in a warm, tight hug.

“You did so well.” She whispers into his ear as she snuggled against him. Her words carry a mix of pride and genuine admiration, a heartfelt acknowledgment of his remarkable achievement.

“I had something to prove.” Lando confesses, still riding the adrenaline of victory.

His words echo with the determination and dedication that fueled his performance on the track. Before either of them can fully process the moment, a surge of spontaneity takes over. In a surprising twist, Lando pulls away and plants a kiss on her lips, catching both of them off guard.

The unexpected kiss is a spontaneous expression of the emotions coursing through Lando in that triumphant moment. It lingers briefly, a shared connection that transcends the boundaries of their professional relationship. As they part, a mutual surprise and a spark of something unspoken linger in the air.

With a smile, Lando gently puts Natalie down, and their eyes lock for a fleeting moment, a silent exchange that speaks volumes. The gravity of the victory, the shared joy, and the unexpected kiss create an indelible memory between them.

Despite the lingering connection, Lando, ever the professional, breaks away and rushes off to receive his trophy on the podium. The cheers of the crowd and the sight of the glittering trophy await him, marking the formal acknowledgment of his triumph. As he ascends the podium steps, the radiant smile on his face reflects not only the victory on the track but the personal moments of celebration that unfolded in the garage.

“Did he just kiss you?” Max queries, his curiosity evident in his tone, but Natalie remains tight-lipped, a subtle smile playing on her lips. “You can forget about soft launching, everyone just saw that on the big screens.”

The mention of a soft launch, perhaps alluding to a more discreet introduction of their connection, is overshadowed by the spontaneous display of affection broadcast for all to witness. Natalie, still processing the whirlwind of emotions, meets Max's gaze with a mix of amusement and a silent acknowledgment that their soft launch plan has been tossed aside in the excitement of the moment.

- LATER THAT NIGHT -

Natalie's heart skips a beat as the unexpected knock on her hotel room door startles her. She quickly wraps a towel around her body, her hair still dripping from the shower, and hurries to answer. With a mixture of curiosity and slight apprehension, she swings the door open, only to find Lando on the verge of turning away.

“Hey.” She says, breathless from her jog to the door.

“Hey.” Lando, slightly caught off guard by Natalie's appearance, manages a sheepish grin.

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready to go out with the boys?” She inquires, her tone a mix of curiosity and amusement, as she tries to understand the deviation from the post-race celebration plans.

“I decided against going out.” He informs her, a sincerity colouring his words.

“Come in, let me just put on some clothes.” She beckons, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. She retreats back into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar.

Natalie quickly whips on an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of shorts, opting for comfort after the post-race chaos. The fabric feels warm against her skin, a stark contrast to the adrenaline-fueled atmosphere of the race and the subsequent events. As she readies herself, she glances at her reflection in the mirror, a brief moment of self-assurance before stepping back into the room.

Lando, having entered the room, shuts the door behind him, creating a private space for their unexpected meeting. The click of the door closing echoes in the room, emphasising the newfound intimacy of the moment.

“Uh, sorry, Nat. I didn't mean to catch you at a bad time.” He apologises as he looks around her neat room.

“That’s fine.” She smiles, her voice holding a note of understanding as she walks out of the bathroom, drying her hair with the towel. Her curls cascade around her face, and she hands the towel over the bathroom door before turning her attention back to Lando. “Why don't you want to go out?”

“I have no idea.” He sighs as he flops onto the bed. “I thought that when I win my first race that I’d want to be partying with my friends, but I just want to remember it, you know.”

Natalie's frown deepens when she notices the pained expression on Lando's face. The lines of victory and celebration seem to be blurred by an undercurrent of something else, a weight that lingers beneath the surface. Her concern grows as she detects an unspoken struggle within him.

As their eyes meet, there's a momentary pause, a silent exchange that transcends words. In that instant, Lando's mind seems to go blank, captivated by Natalie's gaze and her natural beauty. Her concern, her empathy, and perhaps something more, reflect in the depth of her eyes.

“So, what do you want to do?” She asks him.

“Watch a movie and eat all the junk food I can find.” He responds.

Natalie, aligning with the shift in plans, grabs the television remote and playfully throws it over to him. The unexpected casualness of the action brings a lightness to the room. The hotel room, once a stage for triumph and introspection, now transforms into a haven for relaxation and shared moments.

As Lando catches the remote, the unspoken understanding between them becomes more apparent. The complexities of victory, the unexpected turns of post-race celebrations, and the undercurrents of shared vulnerability find solace in the simplicity of a movie night.She grabs the television remote and throws it over to him.

“Choose a movie on Netflix. I’ll order some takeout.” Natalie suggests, her voice carrying a sense of ease and companionship. She scoots onto the bed beside Lando, the hotel room becoming a shared space for relaxation and indulgence.

Lando, still holding the remote, begins scrolling through the movie options, a smile playing on his lips. The choices on Netflix provide a welcome distraction, a chance to immerse themselves in a fictional world for a while.

Meanwhile, Natalie takes out her phone and starts searching for nearby takeout restaurants. The prospect of a comforting meal adds to the cosiness of the impromptu movie night. The subtle intimacy of their shared space becomes more pronounced as they collaborate on the simple pleasures of the evening.

As they navigate the movie selection and decide on the type of cuisine they're craving, the hotel room transforms into a haven for shared leisure. The celebration of victory takes a more personal turn, allowing them to unwind and find solace in each other's company amidst the quietude of the post-race night.

- THE NEXT DAY -

As Natalie stirs in the early hours of the morning, the ambient light from the streets outside spills into the room through the still-open curtains. In the quietude, she becomes aware of her surroundings. Perched against a pillow, she finds herself in a gentle tableau with Lando, who is fast asleep with his head nestled in her lap. His arms rest beside her thighs, and his fingers, slightly curled, maintain a subtle grip.

As she repositions herself, attempting to find a more comfortable spot, Lando stirs in his sleep, emitting a soft grunt in response. The room is hushed, the only sounds are the ambient street noise and the occasional movement of the two figures in the quiet sanctuary of the hotel room.

“Don’t go.” He mumbles, his breath hitting the exposed skin of her thigh thanks to her shorts.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Natalie reassures him in a soft whisper, her words a soothing balm in the stillness of the early morning. As she plays with his curls, gently twisting them to coax him back to sleep, she senses a deeper plea in his next words.

“Please don’t leave me.” He adds, but she couldn’t make out what he said.

As Natalie continues to play with Lando's curls, subconsciously humming a soothing tune, she senses his body gradually relaxing. The gentle hum, a lullaby of sorts, seems to have a calming effect on him as he succumbs to the embrace of sleep once again.

In the quiet room, the melody of her humming becomes a comforting backdrop to the shared vulnerability of the early morning hours. The ambient streetlight spills a gentle glow, creating a serene atmosphere in the hotel room. The connection between them deepens as the rhythmic sounds of her hums accompany the subtle rise and fall of Lando's breath.

- LATER THAT MORNING -

Natalie strolls into the hotel’s restaurant and studies the many breakfast items spread out as she decides what to dish for herself. Max follows her in.

“Have you seen Lando anywhere?” He asks Natalie as he approaches her. “And, good morning.”

“He’s still asleep.” She informs Lando’s friend.

“But, he’s not in his room.” Max responds.

“I didn’t say he was asleep in his room.” Natalie jokingly retorts.

“He spent the night with you? No wonder he didn’t want to come out last night.” Max realises.

“Before you assume the worst, we watched a movie and he pretty much fell asleep before it even finished.” Natalie informs Max. “And, he said he didn’t want to get shit drunk and forget last night. I think he just wanted to take in the fact that he finally won a race.”

“Are you not picking up on something bigger at all?” Max asks in disbelief.

“What do you mean?” Natalie asks, confused.

“You guys start dating-” Max starts before Natalie interrupts him.

“Fake dating.” She corrects him with an eyebrow raised.

“Right, fake dating, and he wins his first ever race. Too much of a coincidence if you ask me. Oh, and what even was that kiss?” Max continues.

“I don’t see your point.” She counters, wanting to avoid the topic altogether.

“The point is, you two are going to start falling for each other before you know it.” Max mumbles before they’re joined by Oscar and a few other drivers.

The unexpected turn in their "fake dating" dynamic seems to be unfolding in unexpected ways, leaving Natalie with questions and Max with his own suspicions. The breakfast scene, initially casual, now holds an undercurrent of unspoken tensions and potential revelations.

---------------------------

Taglist: @noneofyourfbusinessworld

#f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 imagine #formula 1 #lando norris #lando norris fanfic #lando norris fic #lando norris smut #mclaren #mclaren f1 #lando norris x oc

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lacyscabinet · 5 months

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fic rec where reader gets injured during the plane crash and nat gets all freaked out and has to take care of them <3

A/N: THIS IS SO CUTE, ENJOYYYY

MASTERLIST

Amidst the chaos

The deafening roar of the plane crash still echoed in your ears as you found yourself crumpled on the forest floor. The initial shock gave way to a sharp pain in your side, and you clutched your ribs, wincing. The world seemed to spin around you, and panic set in as you struggled to catch your breath.

"Natalie!" you called out, your voice shaky. Through the haze of chaos, you saw her emerging, eyes wide with fear but determined. Without a moment's hesitation, she rushed over to you, scanning your form for injuries.

"Y/N! god are you okay?" Natalie's voice was a lifeline in the chaos, her hands gentle but urgent as she assessed the situation.

"I think... my side hurts, a lot..." you managed to say, breathless from the impact.

Natalie's expression tightened with worry. "Okay, we need to get you somewhere I can take a look at you...Can you walk?"

You nodded, and with her support, you stumbled away from the wreckage and a little deeper into the forest along with the others. Natalie guided you carefully, her eyes darting around for any signs of danger, then she lowered you gently to the ground, her eyes never leaving yours.

"I need to check your injuries," Natalie said, her hands moving swiftly but gently. The adrenaline was coursing through both of you, but her touch was surprisingly reassuring.

As she examined your side, the pain intensified, but Natalie remained focused. "You've got a bruise and a bad gash, but I don't think anything's broken. We need to find some supplies to clean and dress these wounds."

She looked around, her eyes scanning the surroundings. After a few moments, she located a first aid kit from the scattered debris, maybe for just once the odds were in your favour. Natalie cleaned your wounds with meticulous care, her movements deliberate yet tender.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, her eyes filled with genuine concern. "I should have been there for you I should have protected you."

"It's not your fault," you reassured her, reaching out to touch her arm. "We're alive, and you're taking care of me. That's all that matters."

Natalie nodded, a mix of relief and gratitude in her eyes. As she continued to tend to your injuries, she started talking, her voice a soothing presence.

The forest, despite its chaotic state, seemed to cocoon the two of you in a bubble of shared vulnerability. The pain in your side became a distant sensation as Natalie's comforting words and touch took center stage.

"I'm glad you're here," she admitted, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I don't know what I would have done if..."

"Don't think about that," you interrupted gently. "We're here, and we're going to get through this together."

She simply smiled up at you and hugged you carefully, not to hurt you any further, slowly rubbing your back and trying to provide comfort and you found solace in the fact that you weren't alone. Natalie had been your anchor in the storm, and as you faced the uncertain future together in the unknown of the wilderness, you couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the connection that had blossomed amidst the chaos.

A/N: i don't know if you noticed but i tried switching my writing style a tiny tiny bit as an experiment! Hope you enjoyed!!!!

#natalie scatorccio #yellowjackets #natalie scatorccio x reader #nat scatorccio #nat scatorccio x reader #yellowjackets x reader #yellowjackets x you #nat scatorccio x #natalie scatorccio x y/n #writers on tumblr

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hush-writes-preg · 8 months

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Another contraction seized her midsection as she was gazing out the vehicle window, but this one was immense. The pressure had grown nigh unbearable, and despite her best attempt she found herself sucking in a breath of air and bearing down.

The baby inched down into her birth canal at a steady speed, but the sensation of huge fullness in her pelvis was making her almost feel delirious.

Her hand rocketed to her crotch to check for a bulge, but only found the tiniest beginning of one. It didn't take long until she was pushing again, this time against her hand. She felt more secure holding the head in place like this, with enough counterpressure that she wouldn't get too close to crowning. She pushed and she pushed, she quietly huffed and stifled moans by biting onto the collar of her argyle vest.

She managed this a few more times, each time the pushing became more forceful, more desperate. The instinctual need to push was becoming less a suggestion and more a roaring, unignorable order. Her thoughts were clouded, the only cohesive thing forming in her mind was the need to get it out. She had to give birth. It wasn't something she could hold off on any longer. She needed to push. Her mind screamed and her womb clenched with ever-growing frequency.

The overnight bus station was so, so near. So close. She needed to wait.... maybe fifteen minutes. But god, the thought was daunting. Those fifteen minutes hung over her like a threatening tower. The urge to push came back with a vengeance and she had to think fast. It was either this, or give birth right now in a musty bus only quarter full with complete strangers. Fuck, fuck.

Her palm felt around her crowning hole until she found a good position. She pressed, tentatively at first, against the head. But she needed to get this done. With one agonizing motion, Natalie shoved the baby back up into her womb, letting out a silent horrified scream.

The pain was immense and foreign feeling. Her body rocketed against the unnatural motion, even her muscles were against the very idea of pushing the baby back inside. But this was an issue of mind over matter. Now, with her child buried deep back inside her womb, she would be able to last far longer.

Her vision was growing blurry by the time the bus creaked to a stop. Despite the pain, pressure, soaking skirt, and luggage she'd left inside the bus, she practically flew out of it. Bathroom, bathroom, she needed somewhere more private and she needed it now.

She spotted the women's changing rooms and showeds during her frantic scramble onto the station platform.

"Miss! You forgot your bags-"

She didn't have time to listen to the call of the bus driver. She was panting hard, sweat beading across her entire body. The baby's head was working with gravity now, pushing itself all the way into a crown without much effort.

Again, god, she had to hold it in. Slowly, ever so carefully, she pulled down her skirt and tried to shimmy out of it. Another contraction gripped her like a vice and her immediate instincts wailed at her to crouch down, to push. She grasped at the porcelain sink she was leaning against, her whole body trembling.

She had waited so long, too long in fact. If she went as fast as her body begged her to, she would no doubt tear, bleed, and maybe even harm her child. She knew better.

There was nothing more relieving and yet unsatisfactory about those tiny, breathy pushes she had to manage for a few minutes. She had to inch the head forward until she reached a stinging full crown again, and she couldn't continue until she allowed herself to stretch.

Breathe in, breathe out, but something primal in her yelled. She couldn't hold back anymore. With one momentous push, the head shot out of her gaping cunt, and along with it a spasm of orgasm came with it.

"Christ-" Natalie grasped, feeling her whole body ache and writhe under the pleasure, pain, and immense pressure. It was worse than before as the shoulders rotated to make an exit from her ripened hole.

She had to catch the baby; that thought was the first sane and coherent one she'd had in awhile. She panted, groaned, and maneuvered into a kneeling position. Her hands were still shaking, but she felt the baby's head against her cunt as she reached back there.

Her baby slipped out with a huge gush of fluid and she caught the slippery thing. She took a minute to recompose herself and stared into the mirror. Her baby squalled against her chest as she held it close.

Guess she better uh, go get those bags now...

[Part 2, End.] 🛸

Whew, I've gotta say, 🛸 Anon, you're welcome in my inbox anytime. You've got a gift with words. This was a true pleasure to read, and your descriptions were vivid. Like holy shit. 💖

#hush answers #🛸 anon #pregnancy kink #birth kink #labor kink #public birth #birth denial

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secretswiftymarvelfan · 1 year

Text

As Long As You’re Mine - Mob!Steve Rogers x Reader (Part 2)

A/N: Surprise! I’ll let you in on a little secret... I already had this written before I posted the first part! I just wanted to see how it would go down first and boy did you guys like it! So I hope this follow up satisfies your need!

Read Part 1 here!

Summary: Following your engagement to Drysdale there’s one last twist in the tale

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: Mob Elements! Language! Mention of Arranged Marriage! Fluff!

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Masterlist

It had been a month since you learnt of your engagement to Drysdale. Every night you savoured every moment you had left with Steve. Clinging onto him whenever you could, praying and begging this was all a nightmare that one day you’d wake from.

But right now you were waking up alone. Steve had returned to Brooklyn a week ago, said there was a family emergency he had to deal with. He promised to be back as soon as he could, that every night he’d fall asleep thinking of you.

You were just walking towards the sunroom when Romero stepped into your path “your brother needs to speak to you immediately” he states.

You let out a long sigh “sure whatever” you muttered turning in the opposite direction back towards your brother’s office.

As you walked inside you could see how tense your brother was as he braced himself against the desk. You didn’t say anything, just sat down and waited for whatever he had to say.

“Drysdale and the rest of the Thombeys are dead, the entire family has collapsed” Bryce finally states his fists clenching in anger.

“What?” You mutter in disbelief.

“They’re gone, completely crumbled over some stupid inheritance” Bryce scoffs “Drysdale got word that he was getting written out, so decided to kill Harlan before the will got changed, it all imploded from there, family turned against each other until they were all dead”

“Whoa” you muttered in disbelief, you always knew Drysdale would cause the Thrombey empire to fall but you didn’t expect this.

“Yep, so looks like you get your wish after all, you don’t have to marry him” Bryce states in frustration.

“My wish was to choose who I got to marry not have it decided for me!” You snap.

“Well, you might not have any choice now! The options are dwindling and you might be stuck with Hansen!” Bryce roars.

“Don’t you even dare” you growl launching from your chair in anger.

“Boss,” Romero says interrupting the two of you.

“What?” Bryce snaps.

“There’s someone here to see you” Romero answers.

“Send them away, I don’t have time to deal with anyone, I’ve got to fix this bullshit” Bryce states gesturing at you.

“She says she’s a representative of the New York syndicate” Romero pushes.

Both you and Bryce freeze, you’d heard a lot about the syndicate from Steve. And by the look on Bryce’s face, you gathered your father told him a lot too.

“Send her in, Y/N go back to your room I’ll deal with you later” Bryce orders.

“She wants to speak with Y/N too” Romero adds.

You and Bryce exchange a glance and before he had a chance to argue you gave your order “send her in”

Bryce glares at you but his attention soon shifts when the redhead walked in. Her hips swayed as she went, exuding confidence that made it feel like she owned the place. You watched as she first surveyed Bryce before looking at you a smirk growing on her face as if she already knew all your dirty little secrets.

“Bryce Langley,” Bryce says holding out his hand.

“Natalie Rushman but just call me Nat” Nat smiles shaking his hand “let's cut straight to the chase, I’m here on behalf of the New York syndicate boss, who has decided to offer you a deal,” Nat says pulling out a file and placing it on the desk.

“Why?” You question as Bryce picks up the file and sits down.

“I’ve learnt its best not to question my Boss’ motives,” Nat says, despite the clear warning her tone was amused.

Concerned that your brother was about to walk into a trap you walked around the desk and started reading the contract of the deal over his shoulder. It was a trade deal, one that would allow your brother access to the New York harbours. There were a lot of restrictions and contingencies that ensure the New York syndicate remained on top but it was still a good deal. One that all the Boston families would kill for.

“This is a very generous offer” Bryce hums.

“What does he want in return” you question, a deal this big would come with a heavy price tag and you needed to know all the details before agreeing.

Nat smirks as she looks over at you “the only thing he wants, is you as his bride” she answers and your blood ran cold.

You had only just been freed of one arranged marriage, and barely half an hour later another was being discussed.

Nat must have read the horror on your face “and let me just warn you when my boss wants something, he’ll stop at nothing to get it. His enemies learnt that the hard way” she warned.

“Bryce please” you begged.

“You’ve got yourself a deal” Bryce agrees completely ignoring you, grabbing a pen and signing your life away before you could stop him.

“What the hell Bryce,” you say your voice cracking.

“This will be good for you Y/N, would you rather marry Hansen?” Bryce points out.

You scoff shaking your head at him as you fought back your tears “when do I have to leave?” You whisper turning to Nat.

You were shocked to see a hint of sympathy in her eyes as if she wasn’t the one who just condemned you “we have a private jet chartered for lunchtime, my boss wants you in New York before the end of the day”

“This is ridiculous” you mutter under your breath.

“Go relax Y/N, I’ll have someone pack your belongings,” Bryce says gently.

“No I’d rather do it, at least the essentials, they can do the rest,” you say shaking your head, only you knew where all the secret sketches you and Steve did were hidden.

“I’ll be back at 12 to take you to the airfield” Nat nods before turning away and walking out of the office.

Once she was gone you turned to face Bryce “you’re a monster” you whispered “you can lie to yourself about it but you’re exactly like him” you saw the flicker of hurt in his eyes as you turned and walked out of that office for the last time.

As the town car drove through the city you wished you could enjoy the view but you couldn’t. It has been a dream of yours to live in New York, you should be happy right now. But the reason you were here was the worst possible reason.

You were about to marry a complete stranger, you knew nothing about him, and he could be a monster worse than your father. What hurt the most was that your time with Steve had come to an abrupt end. He’d return to find you long gone and there was no chance your new husband would let you hire him.

You were surprised when the car drove out of the city and upstate. You were even more surprised when the car pulled outside a large house. You’d expected him to live in one of those large penthouses in the city. Not a house in the suburbs.

“Let's go,” Nat says climbing out of the car, and waiting for you to follow suit.

You followed after her as she led you into the house, you looked around in amazement at how understated it all was. It didn’t look like a mob leader's house at all.

“This will be your room for the time being,” Nat says opening a door for you.

Stepping inside you were surprised at how much you liked the decor. You were expecting to hate every single thing about this place, but you were struggling. The house had the views like your old home had but was close enough to the city that you could still enjoy the life of it all. You thought everything would be garish and horrid but it was understated and cosy.

“Dinner is at 7, enough time to freshen up and relax,” Nat says before walking out and leaving you all alone.

You took a deep breath as you looked around the room. Taking everything in, you tried to find something you hated but you couldn’t. There was even a folded-up easel in the corner. Running your hand down your face, taking another deep breath before deciding to have a shower to freshen up.

At 7 pm you made your way downstairs and towards the dining room. Once again you were expecting something grand where your soon-to-be husband would be miles away but it was once again understated. It was A table that would seat 8 people maybe 10 at a push, and the places set weren’t at opposite ends, one was at the head of the table the other sat right next to it.

You turned when you heard the door open behind and you saw your soon-to-be husband for the first time. He was tall and muscular, clean-shaven and had short blonde hair. Your breath caught when you saw his eyes, his piercing blue eyes that somehow held warmth in them. You realised with a start that you recognised him, but it couldn’t be him.

“Hello, sweetheart” he smiles walking over to you.

“Ste-Steve?” You mutter in disbelief.

Steve smiles warmly down at you as he comes to a stop right in front of you, his hand reaching up to cup your cheek “I’ve missed you so much sweetheart” he whispers softly.

“I-I’m so confused” you mutter shaking your head.

Steve gives you a warm lopsided smile “I know I’m sorry for all the cloak and daggers, but I promised I’d set you free”

“You’re the boss of the New York syndicate” you state in disbelief, Steve hums in confirmation “but what were you doing being my bodyguard”

Steve lets out a long sigh his hand slipping into yours “I’ll be completely honest, because I don’t want there to be anything between us, not anymore” Steve says shaking his head “I was there because I was trying to find weak points, your father had been poking around too much and I needed to take your brother out before any secrets got out” Steve explains your jaw dropping in shock “but I never expected to fall in love with you, so when I discovered your brother knew nothing I switched targets”

“You took out Drysdale and his entire family…. Why?” You question.

“For you, to free you from that marriage” Steve answered squeezing your hand gently.

“But the contract” you mutter shaking your head.

“Was only to get you here and away from your brother, you aren’t trapped here, you don’t have to marry me if you don’t want to, you could leave and do whatever you want to do” Steve explains.

You were speechless, you couldn’t believe what Steve had done for you. What he’d save you from. You hadn’t even realised you were crying until Steve cupped your cheeks and began to wipe away your tears “please don’t cry, I’m sorry I wanted to tell you everything but I couldn’t risk it” he pleaded.

“Thank you” you cried launching yourself into his arms and hugging him tightly.

You felt Steve breathe out a long sigh of relief, hugging you back with equal vigour and kissing the top of your head.

“I still can’t believe you’re the head of the New York syndicate,” you say still in shock “who else knows?”

“Only a select few, Nat who you’ve already met, my best friend Bucky, and the rest of the Avengers” Steve answered brushing some hair out of your face, his fingers brushing against your cheek.

You snort with laughter “the Avengers?”

“Tony, another member of the inner circle coined it,” Steve said with a bashful smile.

You couldn’t help but chuckle “it's a good name,” you say reaching up to finally kiss him “I do have to admit this all wasn’t what I was expecting”

“I know, having no one knows who I truly am means I get to live an ordinary life outside of work” Steve explains “it means so do you, you can do what you want when you want”

“This is amazing Steve, all of this” you confess shaking your head in disbelief.

“It's all yours sweetheart, if you want it it’s yours” Steve promises.

“I want it, I want it all, I want you, I want everything” you smile up at him.

Steve beams down at you “I love you so so much”

“I love you too Steve” you grin your hands running up into his hair as he kissed you deeply “but do you mind growing the beard back?”

Steve barks out a loud laugh “anything for you sweetheart, anything for you”

Sharing is caring so please reblog if you enjoyed this and maybe even leave a comment to make my day!

Masterlist

I don’t have a taglist so follow @secretswiftymarvelfanlibrary and turn on post notifications to be kept up to date!

#NiamhWrites #mob!steve rogers #mob au #Steve Rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers x you #Chris Evans

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necroromantics · 1 month

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🧺 — Laundry And Taxes

chapter 16. // (masterlist)

The loud blaring scream from the old TV danced throughout the small living room of Nina’s apartment as the screen played a classic slasher film. Junk food and nail polish sprawled out on the hardwood floor beside the two girls as Natalie firmly gripped Nina’s hand in hers, applying another steady stroke of pink paint onto her nails. Only the glow from the TV screen, and the dim light from the lamp standing tall next to the couch, illuminated the dark apartment which had long been overtaken by the midnight hour.

Perching the brush in between her fingers, Natalie carefully ran the paint over Nina’s nail one last time, before leaning back and examining her handiwork. She watched as the girl blew over her freshly polished nails, as she beamed with excitement as she spread out her hands.

Natalie fought back a smile at the enthusiasm, and brought herself to her feet, stretching the late-night tiredness out of her overworked limbs.

“Gonna go out for a smoke. You coming?”

As her nails finished drying, Nina nodded, and jumped to her feet as well, and followed the tall girl over to the front door, grabbing her leather jacket as Natalie grabbed her coat.

The springtime weather outside had been warmer than other nights, with only the occasional chilly breeze rushing past the two girls standing on the front step of Nina’s apartment building. The downtown streets were consumed by the darkness, only the orange overhead glow of the flickering street lights reflected off of the wet roads, glistening in the little remaining snow that hid in the shadowy cracks and crevices between buildings. Natalie held her cigarette between her fingers, with her jacket draped over her pajama top. She stared out at the world around her, watching cars drive past, splashing the dirty water of the melting ice, the sound of the engine roaring. Taking a deep inhale of smoke, pressing her lips onto her cigarette as she thought to herself for a moment, she thought the busy nightlife of the moment was almost peaceful.

Nina sat herself down onto the cement step, arms crossed over her knees, and took a deep breath in. It was a quiet night, only the occasional car or pedestrian passed by. The stars were brighter than usual, mingling around the waning moon in the abyss skies.

Natalie glanced down at the girl, and took a seat next to her. The two girls sat in silence for a moment, letting the world move past them.

“So what's going on with you and Toby?” Nina asked, turning her head to look at Natalie, who looked back at her.

“What about us?”

“Like are you two a thing or…?”

“We’re just friends,” Natalie said, tapping the building ash off of her cigarette.

“Whaat! You two are so cute together though,” Nina continued to tease as the other rolled her eyes.

“I don’t think he even knows what he wants.”

“Well what do you want?”

Natalie took another long drag from her smoke as a drunken group stumbled down the sidewalk, past the pair, and down the street, laughing and chatting amongst themselves. Another car drove past, the headlights reflecting off of the water collecting on the roads.

“I don’t know, just a quiet life I guess. I know Toby wants to go back to how everything was, but I don’t,” she sighed as she stared down at her burning cigarette, “I’d rather have a good life than have him.”

Nina stayed quiet for a moment, looking at the girl who looked down at her feet, with time and tiredness tracing her freckled face, her messy unwashed hair tangling itself over her shoulders. She was strong, made to be tougher than most girls her age. She was tall, she took up space without restraint. She was bold. Nina eyed the way Natalie’s brow furrowed, with disgust, or frustration, or shame. She watched as Natalie took her last deep breath in of smoke, and flicked the finished cigarette to the ground, inhaling life into her dazed body as she shook herself out of her own thoughts and back into the moment.

“But whatever, that doesn’t matter.”

“That’s like, really similar to how I felt with Jeff,” Nina said, “All I really want is to have a good life but how can I even achieve that if I’m just like, all alone, you know?”

“It’s better to be alone than with someone who makes you feel like shit, Nina.”

“I guess so. But I don’t want to live my life alone like there’s got to be something about me he can love, right? It doesn’t even matter anymore though, it’s not like he’s here,” She ran her hands over her ponytail, laughing sadly at herself.

“You don’t need to waste your time on someone who doesn’t appreciate you. Jeff was a dickhead to you anyways.”

“I know, I know. It’s just that even if he was a dickhead, I wish things were different.”

“Yeah, I know that feeling,” Natalie muttered, groaning softly as she stood up, tailbone sore from the hard cement, “This conversation is getting too deep, let’s go inside.”

Natalie sat down on the couch beside Nina who buried herself under the covers and stretched out her legs. She laid back into the seat and placed her arms over Nina’s legs, watching the rest of the film playing out on the old TV, reaching for the remote to turn the volume down. When Natalie glanced over to the younger girl, she noticed Nina had fallen fast asleep, breathing softly as her chest gently raised and fell. She looked peaceful.

Natalie turned back over to watch the movie, the ambience of the world around her harmonizing with the suspense of the final scare before the credits rolled. She loved horror movies, how they never really had a happy ending. She thought it was most realistic how the main character fought so hard to survive, maybe even killed the killer, but could never truly be free from everything that had happened. The violence, the blood, being stripped from everything. Natalie thought that was what made horror movies so realistically gruesome. That she had a morbid understanding that no one else seemed to have. The only thing they didn’t get right, she thought, was that when the main character was the last one standing, there was never an annoying idiot in their life to insist he wanted to stand with them. Natalie had survived her own slasher film, the final girl, and the final asshole who didn’t understand personal space. When you survive a horror movie, she thought to herself again, you spend the rest of your life trying to make sure a sequel doesn’t happen. And Natalie’s mistake was befriending a serial killer.

As she watched the credit scene play alongside some suspenseful music, the girl turned the TV off with the remote. For a moment, she stared at her reflection bouncing off of the black screen, as if she was trapped in a void. She saw the kitchen lights from behind her shine over her in the reflection as well, and when the girl leaned her body away, it seemed the light seemed to follow. Natalie sighed and leaned back into the couch, staring up at the ceiling, the world quiet around her, the weight of Nina’s legs remaining still on her lap. She thought about the most dreadful things; she thought about Toby, the boy she considered her best friend.

She had never met anyone who had so closely resembled the sun. If she looked at him for too long, her eyes would burn. He was Icarus, and scorched wings. Teeth bared to the world as he fell. She thought back to a newspaper article she read about how when the sun dies, humans wouldn't know until eight minutes later. Natalie made it a point to stay eight minutes longer with him at any chance she could. She wanted to be there when his light went out.

The girl shook off her thoughts, and readjusted herself into a more comfortable position, before closing her eyes. She listened to the softly breathing girl draped across the couch, the occasional car passing, the creaking of the old apartment settling. . She listened to the sound of the clock on the wall ticking. Natalie listened to the world live on beyond her, and wondered how quiet it would be when the sun died. Her body fell heavy, breathing shallow, before the girl finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Natalie stretched the tiredness out from her slender limbs as she walked through the crisp warm countryside. The snow had begun to melt, dead grass from under the white blankets peaked out. Birds had begun to sing again, the subtle heat spread over her body as the girl made her way down the gravel roads. She dragged herself up the front porch steps, and into the house. Natalie listened as she heard the muffled TV playing from the livingroom, which meant Toby must have been home. Last time they talked, they had another argument over her unfavorable customers at the bar.

She shuffled past the living room, and into the kitchen, where the early morning sun shined past the windowsill, the white paint chipping. The old floorboards creaked under her sluggish steps as she turned on the coffee machine and went to grab her mug from the cupboard.

“Hey, how was the sleepover?” Toby asked from behind the girl, standing idly in the doorway.

“Where’s my mug?”

“What?”

“My coffee mug. Where is it?” Natalie closed the cupboard, and turned to face the boy, who always looked a little bit guilty of something.

“I accidentally dropped it last night, and-and it broke.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Toby stood silently for a minute, feeling the rage seeping from the girl across the kitchen.

“It’s just a fucking cup Nat, why are you mad?”

“‘Cause I told you to not touch my shit, Toby. You just don’t fuckin’ listen,” Natalie said, raising her voice as she pressed her hands together, trying to put a leash on her temper.

“Why the fuck do I gotta listen to you? You bitch me out over a fucking cup, I said it was an accident,” Toby raised his voice back, not quite willing to put his own leash on.

“Maybe have some respect for me and my things and we wouldn’t have this problem.”

“Well maybe I just don’t respect stupid bitches, hows that sound?”

“Don’t call me a bitch, Toby, I swear to God.”

“Don’t act like a bitch then.”

“You’re fuckin’ unbelieveable” Natalie shouted, slamming her hands on the countertop before pushing past Toby, and out onto the front porch, closing the door hard behind her.

She dug a cigarette out of her pack, quickly lighting it, and closing her eyes as she inhaled. She felt the smoke go to her head, drowning out her racing thoughts, taking her teeth off of her tongue. Natalie let out a deep breath as she pressed her back to the wall, and squinted her eyes at the bright blue skies that draped over the rolling green fields.

The front door slowly creaked open, and Toby stepped out onto the porch beside the girl who refused to look at him.

“You should learn how to leave people alone,” she muttered as she continued to look off at the farmland ahead. Anywhere but him.

“You should learn to be less of a bitch.”

Natalie scoffed as she raised the cigarette to her lips once again, her free arm draped around her side, squeezing herself. Toby quietly stood by her, tapping his thumb onto his other hand and tried not to bite the inside of his cheek too hard.

“You know, I-I can just buy you a new mug,” he said softly, tripping over the words he forced out past his gnashing tongue, “I didn’t know you’d get so mad about it. I swear it was just an accident.”

“Don’t worry about it, it doesn’t matter.”

The two stood in silence under the sun, listening to the passing breeze, and occasional birdsong. Natalie sighed to herself as she put out her cigarette, and nudged the boy’s arm with her own.

“Nina was telling me about this dumb frat party or something. She invited us, but I don’t know if you want to go.”

“Sure why not, better than being trapped in this place.”

The music blared loudly throughout the house, the bass of the song nearly causing the floor to shake. Toby groaned to himself as he noticed all of the people talking, drinking, laughing. Some dancing, some flirting. He couldn’t even hear himself think. He glanced over towards Natalie, who looked equally as uncomfortable, maybe even more than he was. The two pushed through the crowd of drunk strangers chatting amongst themselves, and into the kitchen where they saw Nina talking to a guy neither of them recognized. When she noticed them, Nina excitedly waved them over. Toby made his way towards the eccentric girl, and Natalie followed closely behind, pushing off a guy who accidentally knocked into her.

Nina poured four shots of vodka, and handed a glass to each of them. She plugged her nose while it went down, Toby shook off the taste, and Natalie swallowed the liquor down like she swallowed her pride.

“This is Joshua, he’s a friend of mine,” Nina shouted out, barely being able to speak over the stereo blasting dance and pop music. Toby scanned the older boy up and down, before easing his hostile expression, and giving a nod. He glanced over his shoulder at the girl behind him, watching as Natalie hugged herself with her arms, and glared around the room. The boy nudged her with his arm, gaining him a scowl before she realized it was him.

“Lighten up Nat, have another shot,” he shouted, leaning over to her so she could hear better.

“I’m going to take it slow, but you go wild.”

“Suit yourself,” Toby exclaimed before turning back over to Nina and the other boy introduced as Joshua, preparing himself to do another shot with the group.

Natalie took a step back as she made her way over to the chips, grabbing a paper plate as she piled some on, and sneaking herself a beer from the cooler. She pressed herself against the wall behind her as a couple of girls rushed past, giggling amongst themselves. Tossing a chip into her mouth, the girl watched quietly as Toby shotgunned a cooler with a few other boys. She watched as he brushed off the twitches and jerks in his fingers and arms. She couldn’t understand how it was so easy for him to talk to people. It was as if he had a special talent of making friends, while she couldn’t connect with people even if she wanted to. As she leaned her sore back against the wall, feeling the soft vibrations of the bass as the beat dropped, looking out over the sea of people in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel as though she only existed in the shadow of the boy she called her best friend.

Natalie pressed her bottle to her lips as she choked down the last drop of beer, tossing the empty drink into the garbage can next to her, and pushing past people to make her way out into the backyard. The chill of the night brushed against her face as Natalie inhaled the fresh air, feeling the weight that suffocated her in that house fall off of her chest. Her hand dug into her jacket pocket as she pulled out a cigarette, replacing the cool, fresh air in her lungs with a burning smoke as she lit it, and inhaled. Natalie closed her eyes, sitting herself down on the hard cement step, the music barely muffled by the walls separating her from the party indoors. A few groups of people mingled outside alongside her, most of which held red solo cups in their hands, or joints, or cigarettes, chatting with people they’ve probably known their whole lives. The girl rested her arms over her knees as she stared down at the ground, listening to the world around her. She tried not to think about how slow, or fast, time was passing her by. She tried not to think much at all.

The girl sat on the step for a moment, finishing up her cigarette before flicking it to the ground. One song done, a couple seconds of silence, another one starts. Cheering, talking, yelling. Arguing, and yelling. One song ends, another one starts. Natalie groaned as she pulled herself up to her feet, making her way back into the party. As soon as she entered the house, back into the kitchen, she saw Nina quickly approach her, she stumbled a bit as she walked, anxiety painted her face alongside her flashy makeup.

“Oh my god there you are, I was looking all over for you,” Nina said as she grabbed Natalie’s hand, “I think Toby had too much to drink.”

The girls made their way into the living room, where they watched as Toby argued loudly with another unfamiliar boy.

“Toby I found Nat,” Nina shouted out, but he ignored her, or couldn’t hear.

Natalie watched on the sidelines as Toby drunkenly bickered back and forth with the college kid who was bigger, and taller than him. She watched as he insulted the other boy, put him down, clawed and bit his way to the top. It was a mortifying act, as if he had something to prove. As if he was lost in his own self-deception and lies. When the older boy called Toby a freak, Natalie watched as Toby tackled him to the ground, a hunger for revenge in his dark eyes. She watched as everyone crowded around, watching the younger boy take the bigger one to the floor, and beat him senseless. Even the pop songs blaring in their ears couldn’t muffle out the sounds of shouting, and yelling, and Toby threatening the other.

“Say that shit again,” he screamed louder than any bass the stereo could produce, “you think it’s fucking funny now, huh?”

Natalie's first pet was an elderly herding dog. As it aged with her, she watched as her companion succumbed to old age when she was only a child. She watched as Nina yelled for them to stop, other men pulling Toby off. When he looked at her, she saw a familiar look in his eyes. She knew better than anyone how to let a dying dog die. The sun was burning out, the girl thought. Natalie stayed for an extra seven minutes before storming out that night. She changed her mind before the eighth. She decided that she was better off not witnessing the light die too. That girl never really liked the dark.

As she pushed past the crowd of people, some shouting, most watching, and out through the front door, she tried to ignore the wasted boy who followed out after her. Natalie made her way down the road, pretending like she couldn’t hear Toby calling her name.

“Nat for fucks sake slow down,” he yelled out, running up to the girls side. She bared her teeth and quickened her pace, rejecting the orders of the boy. As he grabbed her hand, and stumbled over himself, Natalie had then noticed how bloody he was. He didn’t seem to notice, or care.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going home,” she replied as she yanked her hand away from his grasp.

“What, why?”

“Because you’re acting like a lunatic!”

“So what? You think that makes you better than me?” Toby slurred his words as he raised his voice, unable to stand still as he tripped over himself.

“I didn’t say that,” Natalie spoke back.

“Well you sure fucking act like it.”

“What’s your problem?”

“There’s no problem, I’m having the time of my fucking life,” he shouted out, pushing past her and walking himself back home. He wiped the blood from his nose as he walked ahead of her.

Natalie stood for a moment, letting distance grow between them as the boy continued down the street, and shook her head in disbelief.

Toby burst through the front door of the quiet little farmhouse draped in the darkness of the midnight hour. Sobriety began to wash over him as he collapsed onto the couch that night. His finger ran over his lip as he noticed blood pouring from his busted mouth. He didn’t remember being hit, but was sure the other boy must’ve gotten a few good punches in. Toby turned himself over onto his back as he looked up into the dark livingroom, he couldn’t even remember why he started the fight in the first place. All he knew was that he would do it again. That he would spend his life fighting, and sleeping on the couch. It was him against the world, and he did what he had to do to survive. As he closed his heavy eyes, the buzz still warming his body, he made sure he heard Natalie come into the house before he let himself fall asleep.

#tombfic #finally got this done #life has been busy #enjoy the angst #creepypasta #creepypasta fandom #ticci toby #creepypasta headcanon #ticciwork #clockwork #ticci toby headcanons #toby rogers #creepypasta ticci toby #ticci toby fanfiction #ticci toby fanfic #ticci toby creepypasta #ticci toby headcanon #natalie ouellette #nina the killer

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battyaboutbooksreviews · 6 months

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🌈 Good morning and happy Wednesday, my bookish bats! You didn't think that tiny "queer books coming out this fall" guide was ALL there was, did you? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR this month. Happy reading!

❤️ A Vision of Air by Nicole Silver 🧡 Eli Over Easy by Phil Stamper 💛 How to Get Over the End of the World by Hal Schrieve 💚 Kween by Vichet Chum 💙 The Forest Demands its Due by Kosoko Jackson 💜 The B-Side of Daniel Garneau by David Kingston Yeh ❤️ Midnight Companion by Kit Barrie 🧡 Let the Waters Roars by Geonn Cannon 💛 Into the Glittering Dark by Kelley York 💙 When the Rain Begins to Burn by A.L. Davidson 💜 Been Outside by Amber Wendler & Shaz Zamore 🌈 The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson

❤️ A Necessary Chaos by Brent Lambert 🧡 The Spells We Cast by Jason June 💛 Pluralities by Avi Silver 💚 Salt the Water by Candice Iloh 💙 Beholder by Ryan La Sala 💜 This Pact is Not Ours by Zachary Sergi ❤️ Dragging Mason County by Curtis Campbell 🧡 Menewood by Nicola Griffith 💛 Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout 💚 The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey 💙 Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson 💜 Let Me Out by Emmett Nahil and George Williams

🌈 In the Form of a Question: the Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life by Amy Schneider ❤️ Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield 🧡 A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand 💛 Being Ace by Madeline Dyer 💚 Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer 💙 The Glass Scientists by S.H. Cotugno 💜 The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado ❤️ By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter 🧡 Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall 💛 Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender 💚 Shoot the Moon by Isa Arsen 💙 The Bell in the Fog by Lev A.C. Rosen

🌈 Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt ❤️ Family Meal by Bryan Washington 🧡 A Murder of Crows by Dharma Kelleher 💛 A Light Most Hateful by Hailey Piper 💚 Love at 350° by Lisa Peers 💙 Greasepaint by Hannah Levene 💜 The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels ❤️ Mate of Her Own by Elena Abbott 🧡 Mistletoe and Mishigas by M.A. Wardell 💛 Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Kahn 💚 All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters 💙 If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

❤️ Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Lillah Lawson and Lauren Emily Whalen 🧡 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall 💛 It’s a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer 💚 Let the Dead Bury the Dead by Allison Epstein 💙 These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs 💜 The Goth House Experiment by SJ Sindu ❤️ Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin 🧡 Mudflowers by Aley Waterman 💛 Here Lies Olive by Kate Anderson 💚 Fire From the Sky by Moa Backe Åstot, trans. by Eva Apelqvist 💙 Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake 💜 On the Same Page by Haley Cass

❤️ A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña 🧡 Art of the Chase by Jennifer Giacalone 💛 The Haunting of Adrian Yates by Markus Harwood-Jones 💚 The Sword: Xcian by Elle Arroyo 💙 The Complete Carlisle Series by Roslyn Sinclair 💜 300,000 Kisses by Sean Hewitt and Luke Edward Hall ❤️ Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow 🧡 Blackouts by Justin Torres 💛 Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros 💚 Let the Woods Keep Our Bodies by E.M. Roy 💙 Everything Under the Moon: Fairy Tales in a Queerer Light edited by Michael Earp ❤️ Frost Bite by Angela Sylvaine

🧡 We Met in a Bar by Claire Forsythe 💛 Sweat Equity Aurora Rey 💚 Pumpkin Spice by Tagan Shepard 💙 The Misfit Mage & His Dashing Devil by M.N. Bennet 💜 Love and Other Risky Business by Sarah Brenton ❤️ Enough by Kimia Eslah 🧡 A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard 💛 Twelve Bones by Rosie Talbot 💚 Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses by Maya Prasad 💙 Dragged to the Wedding by Andrew Grey 💜 Fox Snare by Yoon Ha Lee ❤️ Murder and Manon by Mia P. Manansala

#queer book recs #queer fiction #queer books #queer #books #book list #books to read #lgbt writers #batty about books #battyaboutbooks

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k-evans-reads · 11 months

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In Living Color

Chapter 24

Summary: When Natalie Marton, lead character designer for Buzz Lightyear, meets the voice of Buzz, Chris Evans, the sparks are undeniable. But when their work pushes them away from each other, both physically and emotionally, will the sheer differences between their worlds be enough to force them apart?

Pairing: Chris Evans x Pixar Animator OFC Natalie Marton

Word Count: 3,953

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: None.

Previous | Main Masterlist | In Living Color Masterlist

Nat watched with a smile as Chris opened the sliding doors from his room to the patio, stepping out in his swim trunks and a tee shirt and into the bustling backyard. The kids all hurriedly shouted greetings to him before they turned their attention back to the game, and soon enough he’d made his way over to Nat and Alex as they sat on lounge chairs near the pool as Jack napped on Alex’s chest.

Her eyes slipped shut momentarily as he pressed a quick kiss to her lips and murmured, “Hey,” before he greeted Alex.

“How’d it go?” Alex asked him, her hand moving up and down Jack’s back as he slept soundly.

She watched Chris shrug, pursing his lips before he smirked as she saw him watching the kids playing with Heather and Ryan in the pool. “Alright,” he finally answered with another shrug. “Didn’t go awfully but I never like doing talk shows.”

Nat frowned as she listened to his words, but the reassuring look on Chris’ face as they met each other’s eyes quelled her fears. He winked at her before he slipped his sunglasses over his eyes, shielding him from the early evening sun, and turned, giving Dodger a scratch before the dog ran off again.

“Zach is just about to start grilling,” Nat began, before Chris nodded, turning his head over his shoulder as he headed over towards the outdoor kitchen.

Nat’s words were proven true when Zach and Eric came out of the house carrying chicken and burgers to grill, bright smiles on their faces when they saw Chris had returned. She listened happily to the sounds of the kids splashing in the pool, Chris catching up with her brother-in-law and father as they turned the grill on, and the soft breathing of Jack as he slept happily, and Nat felt… content. She was happy and warmth spread over her body, not from the summer sun, but from just how great she felt here with everyone.

It’d been a rough few months not only for her, but for Chris as well, and for the first time since early April, Nat felt like she could take a deep breath and kick back. She had the week off of work, having arrived in Los Angeles from San Francisco late the previous Saturday. She’d been more than happy to hang out with Chris in his home in between him running around the city, making appearances and doing interviews to promote the film. She’d relished in the familiarity of it all, something she’d been missing since she’d moved up north.

But the best part was when her family arrived the previous day, just after Chris finished his Zoom interviews at home. Getting to hug everyone and finally be with them meant more to Nat than she’d realized, and she felt her gratitude for Chris’ generous offer of playing host for them grow as she got to spend more and more time with him and them.

Nat’s brain was cycling through thoughts of feeling as if it was her playing pretend. That the elated shrieks of joy from the pool, the roar of the grill kicking on as Chris’ laughter echoed through the backyard, and that the content sighs of Alex next to her all weren’t real. That this wasn’t her reality, her life, or where she really was, not after spending so much time alone and unhappy as of late. She knew some of it was her fault – her fault for turning down invitations from her new co-workers of bar hopping on Fridays after a long and busy week, of taking lunches at her desk as she tried to keep up with her ever-growing inbox, and not venturing out much. But she was tired. She was simply so exhausted at points that she could barely muster the energy to brush her teeth at night and turn the lights off before falling into bed, that it was hard for her to summon the energy to be Nat.

She’d expected the transition to San Francisco to come with growing pains, but she’d been comforted by the knowledge that it wasn’t an entirely new place. She’d been there before for work trips to Pixar’s main campus, and she knew most of the team there already. But her reputation around the Disney offices of being the jokester, the happy-go-lucky, cheerful one had followed her there, and she struggled reconciling that persona and personality with reality now. She’d thrived in Los Angeles, with her core group of friends, her routine… and with Chris. But now she didn’t have that consistency in her life, with an ever-changing schedule depending on what department needed her and what meetings she was needed in, and by the end of the day she nearly always had a pounding headache. Any plans to finally take that scary step, to try to form friendships with people or finally start going to that yoga class she’d had bookmarked for weeks now were thwarted by the pain. Instead, Nat would go home, scrounge up some semblance of dinner, and quickly talk to Chris as she continued working in an attempt to make tomorrow better, but it never did. It truly never stopped.

But now, here in Southern California, with her entire extended family and the man she so desperately loved – and had been for well over a year now – she was happy. She was herself. She could’ve stayed there on that lounge chair all night as the sun dipped below the horizon, but she joined everyone at the large dining table on Chris’ back patio, her hand on Chris’ back as they passed the plates around and helped the kids get situated.

Carson’s blonde hair stuck up every which way as his pool towel draped over his shoulders, and his eyes were wide as Chris helped serve the young boy food. Nat’s smile was soft as she watched Carson eagerly take the plate from Chris before he started eating in the chair across from them, and then her attention was drawn to Lily, sweet Lily, who was quietly sitting next to Chris, a smile on her lips as he whispered something to her, making her laugh.

Looking around at everyone here, Nat knew this is where she was meant to be, and was so thankful that Chris had fought for them to get to this point, to make it this far. But she didn’t want to stop here. She wanted to add a few more seats to the table, if they were able, and to see these kids grow up, hand-in-hand with each other at every graduation, birthday party, and soccer game, signing each Christmas gift and birthday cards from “Uncle Chris and Aunt Nat”.

She’d been zoned out and in her own head for a long time when she felt Chris’ elbow nudge her side, expectant eyes staring back at her as Chris slyly nodded his head to Ryan. “Sorry, what?” Nat asked, a sheepish look on her face as she looked at her brother-in-law.

“I was just asking how San Francisco and work has been for you,” Ryan explained, shrugging with a small grin.

Nat took a deep breath, biting her lip. “It’s… alright,” she began, pausing as she felt Dodger pass her underneath the table. “It’s just been really busy. I didn’t really expect the adjustment to be this hard,” she explained in a moment of honesty, one she hadn’t really divulged to any of them yet.

“You just miss that soft serve machine at the Disney campus,” her brother-in-law Ryan pointed out, causing a loud round of laughter to pass through the group with each of them being well aware that it was a fixture Nat loved. But in that moment, she couldn’t seem to muster up a laugh because the situation felt anything but lighthearted to her.

Heather encouraged her with a smile,“I’m sure you’ve already made a ton of friends there.”

“Well, it’s hard to compete with Mark and Jamie,” she muttered in response, not wanting to admit that there truly hadn’t been anyone she clicked with, leaving so much loneliness inside her but just shrugged, “It’s just been a lot different settling in than I thought.”

“Probably because unpacking that disaster called moving boxes was a job in itself!” Chris slapped a hand to his chest while boisterously laughing before he started telling the story to the family of how he had to dig through pots and pans just to find Nat’s socks but the playful teasing seemed to gloss over her feelings that she struggled to even wrap her brain around, let alone share, so once again Nat just pushed those emotions away for the time being.

She knew she’d have to figure out a way to settle in and figure out her new life in San Francisco, especially after how hard she fought to take this position, but now wasn’t the time. Nat was here in Chris’ house, which felt like it was partly her home too with her section of clothes in the closet, hair products in the shower, and her little touches of throw pillows and artwork around the house. She was sitting here with the man that she loved more than she ever knew was possible and her family that was here to go to the premiere of the movie that changed her life. Right now she didn’t have to think about going back to San Francisco, she was here with the things that mattered most to her in life and she was happy.

The minutes on the clock kept passing as the family all hung around eating and talking while the kids played, in their own bubble of happiness until Chris’ phone chimed with a notification from his older sister. Quickly, Chris and Nat scurried to the door to open the gate to Chris’ home, wide grins on their faces as they finally got to see Chris’ family arrive for the premiere. His mother and older sister Carly, along with her husband, Kevin, and their kids had made the trip from Massachusetts to Los Angeles, but that wasn’t the only thing Nat was excited about.

Chris’ niece and nephews were each holding a few randomly colored balloons in their hands as they ran up the front walkway to greet their uncle, and Carly held a bag, giving Nat a knowing smile as she followed Lisa up the path, who held a box in her hands.

Nat had reached out to Lisa a few weeks prior when she realized that Chris’ promotional schedule had him flying to London just before his birthday, putting him thousands of miles apart from everyone during his special day. They’d decided on doing a small celebration for him, not only for his birthday, but to celebrate the hard work he’d put in for the film for years now.

She hung back, taking the ice cream from Carly and passing the cake to Alex as she came to help and went into the kitchen with her sister, giving Chris a moment to say hello to everyone and have some privacy. But as they slowly gathered everyone inside around the large dining table, passing cake and scoops of ice cream to everyone after they sang to Chris, she found herself sitting closely next to the man of the hour. His arm was around her shoulders as they stood at the island, his attention devoted to watching his niece and nephews as they ran around outside with the dog. His thumb moved side to side over Nat’s bare arm, occasionally tapping the skin there in a way that told her he felt just as happy as she did.

The conversation amongst the group flowed easily until Lisa switched the subject to what would be taking place tomorrow night and commented, “I can’t wait to see you two together tomorrow night. You’re going to look so good together!”

Upon hearing the comment of the impending news of their relationship being broken to the world tomorrow night, Carly was curious, “Nat, did you decide what you’re wearing?”

“Oh did you get that expensive dress?” Heather chimed in.

“No but what I picked was just as expensive,” she admitted with a chuckle. She remembered her weeks-long search, having consulted with Chris’ stylist to make sure what she’d wear wouldn’t clash with his planned outfit. She then shrugged as she added, “I figured if photos of Chris and I are going to be plastered all over the internet I might as well go all out.”

Carly smiled as she listened to Nat’s words, just as Nat’s brothers-in-law grabbed the kids to get them ready for bed after their long day of swimming. “So what did you choose?” She asked, eyes glancing outside at where her children were playing with Dodger before she looked at Nat with a raised brow.

Nat leaned back against Chris’ embrace, his thumb still moving over her skin. “Um, it’s over in that garment bag,” she began, nodding her chin to the two garment bags hanging in the doorway of the laundry room. One was smaller, a black bag with Chris’ name in his stylist’s handwriting on the outside of it and the other was full-length and a beige color.

Lisa, Carly, Heather, and Alex went over to the bag, unzipping it and taking in the chartreuse wide-leg pantsuit she’d had altered in the previous days. She hung back with Chris, relaxing in his touch as she heard the women excitedly whisper to each other as their eyes took in the outfit. Eric stayed near the couple, but his attention was captivated by the garment bag across the room as he craned his neck to sneak a peek at it. But with the women crowded around the clothes, hands reaching out to delicately run over the material and the embroidered bra she’d wear with it, Eric got up and headed over to get a better look.

“I’m so nervous,” Nat muttered quietly, chewing on her bottom lip.

Almost instantly, Chris tightened the arm that was tossed over her shoulder, pulling her close so that he could kiss her cheek and comfort her with, “Nattie, remember you don’t have to do this,”

“Well people have been hardcore speculating we’re together ever since the house party last year and then you coming to my art show and the other times we’ve been spotted, so it makes sense to just come out with it,” Nat shrugged, recalling the multiple conversations they’d had about this and finally coming forward publicly with their relationship. They had hoped just coming forward with it would help stop some of the speculation and let them have a little more freedom.

“I think so too,” Chris agreed before dipping his head and smiling at her sweetly while adding, “Besides, I want to be arm in arm with the most talented artist at Pixar.”

“So that means I have to be arm and arm with you then?” She couldn’t help but tease him.

“Sorry baby, you’re stuck with me now,” he simply shrugged. “If it makes you feel better though, I’m nervous about tomorrow too but it makes me feel better knowing I’ll have you with me. And now we won’t have to hide.”

Nat just nodded, tucking some of her curls behind her ear while acknowledging, “If you think it’s the right time to appear together, I trust that.”

Chris nodded toward her, silently saying he thought it was the best decision before sealing it with a soft kiss before telling her, “I love you, Nattie.”

“I love you too,” she smiled, knowing how easily those words fell out of her mouth.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, but held her close as it grew into a smile. His head leaned against her own as his hand slipped down her side to rest on the small of her back, fingers tapping absentmindedly against her worn shirt.

Nat was admittedly scared, she didn’t think there was anything anyone in her position could ever do to properly prepare for this. But at the end of the day, hiding would always cause more stress for the both of them. She struggled sometimes with knowing they couldn’t run to the grocery store together in most places for fear of him being spotted, which would spur further attention and interest in not only him, but Nat as well.

The attention on Nat’s personal life had calmed down much more when compared to this time last year, and she finally felt like she could breathe when she wasn’t faced with thousands of follow requests hourly on her social media. But with this big scary step towards finally acknowledging the relationship publicly, she and Chris had discussed how things would likely look going forwards. More interest and requests for interviews and comments to his press team, more speculation online, more attempts to get a glimpse into her private accounts… it all was just so foreign to her.

But she felt ready. She felt ready to get to be side-by-side with him as a partner, to finally be able to speak openly beyond their tight knit circles about their relationship statuses, to get to post things a little more freely without worrying if someone will see her in the background of a story of Dodger, if a hostess at the Italian place downtown would share that they were together having dinner, or any of the thousands of other scenarios her mind made up while she couldn’t sleep each night.

Even though she maybe wasn’t one hundred percent ready, she’d seen the frustration Chris felt, and tried to hide, when he’d admit that he just wished things could’ve been easier. That no one cared who he was with or if he was dating. So with that knowledge, and hearing Chris out when he came to her with the idea of walking the carpet together at this smaller-scale premiere than he normally had… she agreed. Maybe with a bit of anxiety, a bit more fretting than she anticipated, and with a bit of hesitancy, but she agreed. And now, in less than a day, she and Chris’ faces would likely be all over any coverage of the event.

She only hoped that this was the right choice, that this big leap and change in their relationship was for the better. He’d felt the same, she knew that he was excited for the event as a whole. It was hard to overlook the importance of the premiere for both of them. For Nat, her first released work as the lead character designer for the main character of the film. For Chris…. His lifelong dream of working in a Pixar movie was realized. And she couldn’t have been more proud of him and hoped he’d have a chance to remember that tomorrow.

“I still can’t believe how fuckin’ amazing that movie looked,” Chris whispered as he shut the bedroom door behind him quietly. They’d just arrived back at Chris’ after the premiere, having quietly made their way to their room, careful to not wake anyone in the rest of the home. Her family had left after the movie, with Alex and Zach coming home first with the kids to relieve the sitter for Jack, and the rest slowly making their way during the after-party. Chris’ voice was full of awe as he reminded her, “Baby, that was what you created.”

She smirked, lifting her shoulders in a half-shrug as she reached back and took off her necklace while she kicked off her heels. “Well you’re the one who brought it to life with your voice,” she pointed out, relaxing as her bare feet hit the hardwood floors.

“Are you kidding? Nobody could have given a shit about my voice, they were too busy staring at those incredible reflections on Buzz’s helmet,” she heard him protest as he made his way through the bedroom, bathroom, until he finally reached the large walk-in-closet. Nat followed him there, desperate to change out of the fancy clothes and into something comfortable. While she’d loved – practically adored – the outfit she’d worn and felt beautiful, she was ready to relax and just be Nattie, instead of Natalie Marton.

She smirked as he caught her eyes as he unbuttoned the knit polo, her voice quiet as she confessed, “Okay I will admit I was pretty proud of that.”

A soft smile was on Chris’ lips as he watched her carefully hang the blazer before she changed out of the rest of the clothes. “I’m pretty proud of you,” he told her honestly.

“And I’m proud of you. I can’t get over how talented you are and I feel like I got to see so much of that come to fruition tonight,” Nat admitted to Chris just as easily. She could see the effect her words had on him, the way he stood up a little taller, the smile growing on his lips, and she couldn’t help but be struck by the realization, yet again, that they were each other’s.

“I can say the exact same thing about you, Nattie,” Chris replied as he hung his clothes up and held a pair of sweatpants in his hand, placing them on the countertop in the center of the closet. He walked out into the bathroom in only his boxers, Nat’s eyes moving over the freckles and tattoos covering his torso until he was out of sight. Once she’d changed into pajamas, she joined him in the bathroom, side by side as they each washed off the perfectly applied makeup from earlier. “And I’m so proud of how well you handled everything tonight… you know, about us appearing together. I’ve done things like this before and it’s still not easy for me, so seeing how well you handled it really blew me away.”

“I don’t think the reality has settled in yet,” Nat admitted as she hung her wash cloth up, brushing off his praise a bit while she reached for her toothbrush. “I’m terrified to see what’s going to blow up on the internet tomorrow.”

“I’m sure it’s already blowing up now,” Chris simply stated as he quickly brushed his own teeth, causing Nat to look at him curiously as she moved her toothbrush over her teeth. She hadn’t really thought about it much during the premiere, too distracted by everything going on and listening to Chris’ publicist’s instructions, but back here, in the quiet of his canyon home… her mind started racing.

As she rinsed her mouth out and put her toothbrush back in its spot, she looked at Chris as he hung a towel on the shower door. Nat went into the bedroom and called back to him, “Do you think so?”

“Baby, let’s try not to worry about it now. We had an incredible night getting to celebrate what brought us together in the first place so let’s focus on that instead,” Chris told her, standing in the doorway as he shook his head at her, then told her he was going to shower and would be out in a few minutes.

Before Nat climbed into bed, she picked up her small clutch from her nightstand, pulling out the lipgloss, her phone, and her gum, placing them on her nightstand. As she heard the shower kick on in the bathroom behind the bed, she settled back on the luxurious pillows, staring at her phone as she weighed her options. She could sneak a glance, indulge a little bit and see what was going on… or she could sleep, relish in the time she was getting with Chris before his busy summer schedule truly kicked off, putting them hundreds and thousands of miles apart for most of the time, and face their new reality tomorrow once she was awake. But her curiosity got the best of her and she reached for her phone for the first time that evening, staring at the screen as it powered on.

Nat felt her stomach drop as she saw what felt like miles and miles of notifications on her phone from texts from friends who now found out she was dating Chris Evans, to thousands and thousands of new follow requests, and articles people were sending her. She wasn’t stupid, knowing that tonight would bring on a barrage of things like this, but actually clicking on a link to an article on People Magazine’s website and finding a picture of her there with the title “Chris Evans surprises at Lightyear premiere with secret girlfriend!”

It seemed like this entire year had brought on so much stress to Nat’s life. It had started with her having to work on two movies at once, causing her to be stuck in the office for all hours of the day and then had ended up with her being promoted. She had been so sure of this promotion, knowing it was the right thing for her career but had resulted in Chris walking out of her life. Although that had turned out well with them back together and stronger than ever, the job she had been so sure about hadn’t panned out the way she wanted.

San Francisco had been… lonely. Nat didn’t feel like she fit in there and had come to see that Chris’ words had been true and that being in charge of the department had left her feeling exhausted and burnt out in all the worst ways. But she had chosen this, she had put everything on the line for this and didn’t feel like she could give it up that easily, and the one thing that had been her saving grace was that she knew that she’d get this week off tucked in Chris’ home with him once again while their families surrounded them.

This past week she felt like she could finally breathe, causing her to see just how suffocated she was in her new life. But now even this safe place now came with her face all over the internet and all the stress that came with it. Tears welled in her eyes, feeling nothing but overwhelmed in this moment as she kept torturing herself by scrolling on her phone until suddenly it was being pulled out of her hands.

“Nattie, don’t do that,” Chris told her, a deep frown on his face as he put her phone down on his nightstand, sliding into the bed. His hair was still wet from the shower, sticking up messily from his attempt to towel dry it, and his chest was bare with a pair of sweats hung low on his hips. His frown remained as he explained to her, “Looking at everything right now is only going to stress you out, trust me.”

Nat blinked a few times, wiping the tears from her eyes harshly before her hands fidgeted at her side, absentmindedly wishing Dodger hadn’t gone to bed with the kids earlier. “I’m going to have to see it sooner or later,” she protested, tensing a bit as Chris’ hand found her own before he squeezed it comfortingly.

“Let’s not worry about it now,” he suggested, his voice soft and calm. He then lifted his shoulders in a shrug, pointing out, “Besides, I only have you for a few more days.”

“Don’t remind me,” she muttered, shaking her head. Her brain had a mental countdown to her flight on Saturday back to San Francisco, almost taunting her with the reminder of her return to her sad reality. “I don’t want to go back to work.”

Chris arched an eyebrow at her, his eyes surprised. “Nattie the workaholic is saying this? I don’t believe it,” he murmured through a laugh.

“You can believe it now.”

Nat just stared down at the blankets while using the back of her hand to wipe at the tears spilling down her cheeks until she felt a warm hand on her waist while a low voice coaxed her, “Hey, c’mere.”

Wanting his comforting touch more than anything, Nat scooted over, letting Chris’ thick arms wrap around her. She laid her head on his bare chest while his hands just rubbed up and down her back and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and tried to encourage her, “I know it’s taking a minute to settle in at your new job but you know it’s going to be just fine. You’ll get used to something new, I know you will. And everything from tonight and us appearing together seems big right now but it’ll all die down and be just fine.”

And although Nat wanted more than anything to have someone understand just how deep her emotions were, how scared and lonely she felt out in San Francisco, something else was stirring inside of her. She knew Chris meant well with those words, but she felt like she had to get over this. That it wasn’t an issue, that this was all in her head, and it was only reinforced by the continual promises of “It’ll get better!” each time she brought up her feelings around everything.

She’d stick it out. She’d get over it. It’d get better. It had to.

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homomenhommes · 3 months

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THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … February 10

Bill Tilden with a protégé

1893 – The American tennis player legend Bill Tilden was born on this date (d.1953). Born William Tatem Tilden II (often called "Big Bill"), he was an American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for 7 years, the last time when he was 38 years old. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a wealthy family, he was a "Junior" at birth but changed his name to "II" when he was in his mid-20s.

Tilden was born into a wealthy Philadelphia family. He lost his semi-invalid mother when he was 15 and was sent a few houses away to live with a maiden aunt. The subsequent loss at 19 of his father and older brother marked him deeply. After several months of deep depression, and with encouragement from his aunt, tennis became his primary means of recovery.

According to his biographer Frank Deford, because of his early family losses Tilden spent all of his adult life attempting to create a father-son relationship with a long succession of ballboys and youthful tennis protégés, of whom Vinnie Richards was the most noted. In spite of his world-wide travels, Tilden lived at his aunt's house until 1941 when he was 48 years old. He had no sexual relationships with women at all and apparently very few sexual encounters with members of his own sex until he was well into his 40s and becoming increasingly effeminate in his mannerisms, particularly in the more liberal atmosphere of 1930s Europe.

Although Tilden almost never drank, he smoked heavily and disdained what today would be considered a healthy life style for an athlete; for most of his life his diet consisted of 3 enormous meals a day of steak and potatoes, with, perhaps, the occasional lamb chop.

Tilden was a champion player, one of the most influential persons in the history of tennis. He was also perhaps the most paradoxical figure in the history of any sport: a Gay man who almost single-handedly changed the image of tennis from that of a "sissy" country-club sport played only by rich white people in long white pants or ankle-length skirts to that of a major sport played by robust, world-class athletes. In the United States' sports-mad decade of the Roaring 20's Tilden was one of the five dominant figures of the "Golden Virgins of Sport", along with Babe Ruth, Howie Morenz, Red Grange, Bobby Jones, and Jack Dempsey. His subsequent arrests and convictions on charges of solicitation cast a shadow over his illustrious career.

Although Tilden had been born to wealth, and earned large sums of money, he spent it lavishly, keeping a suite at the Algonquin Hotel. Much of his income went towards financing Broadway shows that he wrote, produced, and starred in. The last part of his life was spent quietly and away from his family, occasionally participating in celebrity tennis matches. He died in Los Angeles, California. He was preparing to leave for the United States Professional Championship tournament in Cleveland, Ohio, when he fell dead of a stroke. Tilden was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1959.

1913 – On this date Charles Henri Ford was born (d.2002). Ford was an American novelist, poet, filmmaker, photographer, and collage artist best known for his brilliant editorship of the Surrealist magazine View in New York City in the 1940s, and as the partner of the artist Pavel Tchelitchew.

Born in Brookhaven, Mississippi, he dropped out of high school and by age 16 he had started his first magazine, Blues (subtitled "A Bisexual Bimonthly"). Not long after, he became part of Gertrude Stein's salon in Paris, where he met Natalie Barney, Man Ray, Kay Boyle, Janet Flanner, Peggy Guggenheim, Djuna Barnes and others of the American expatriate community in Montparnasse and Saint-Germain-des-Près. He went to Morocco in 1932 at the suggestion of Paul Bowles, and there he typed Djuna Barnes' just-completed novel, Nightwood (1936), for her.

With Parker Tyler, who would later become a highly respected film critic, he co-authored The Young and Evil (1933), an energetically experimental novel. The novel portrays a collection of young genderqueer artists as they write poems, have sex, move in and out of cheap rented rooms, and duck into the neighborhood's many speakeasies. The characters' gender and sexual identities are presented candidly; it was this candor which was reportedly the reason for its rejection by several American and British publishers. It was finally picked up by Obelisk Press in Paris.

Ford returned to New York City in 1934 and brought Pavel Tchelitchew (Ford's life partner until the latter's death in 1957) with him. Ford's circle at the time included Carl Van Vechten, Glenway Wescott, George Platt Lynes, Lincoln Kirstein, Orson Welles, George Balanchine, and E. E. Cummings.

In 1957, Tchelitchew died in Rome. Charles Henri Ford died, aged 89, in 2002.

1950 – A Pennsylvania court convicts a man of sodomy as an accessory before the fact for driving two teenagers to a friends house and watching them have sex.

1959 – John Berry iwas the United States Ambassador to Australia from 2013 to 2016. He previously was director of the United States Office of Personnel Management.

Berry was born in Montgomery County, Maryland. He completed degrees at the University of Maryland, College Park and Syracuse University and worked in local government and as a legislative aide in state government from 1982 to 1985. From 1985 to 1994, he worked as legislative director for U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer. He held posts in the U.S. Treasury Department, the Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Department of the Interior until 2000, and worked as director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Zoological Park until 2009, when he was nominated by President Barack Obama as director of the United States Office of Personnel Management. Berry took office after being confirmed by the United States Senate in April 2009.

In June 2013, President Obama nominated Berry to replace Jeff Bleich as US ambassador to Australia, the first openly gay U.S. ambassador to a G-20 nation. He was confirmed by unanimous consent of the US Senate in August 2013.

Australian media coverage of Berry's appointment was overwhelmingly positive with a video he posted to the US Embassy website being described as the "friendliest introduction video in diplomatic history" while Berry himself was described as "modest", with an "impressive record". Federal News Radio, in the US, reported that, "more than 200 people had posted responses" to the video, "most of which were warm and cordial".

On August 10, 2013, he married Curtis Yee, his partner for 17 years in Washington.

1974 – Ivri Lider is an Israeli pop star and part of the duo TYP, also known as The Young Professionals. He served as a judge on the first season of The X Factor Israel.

In October 2005 Lider received the "Male Singer of the Year" award from all the major national and local radio stations. He composed most of the soundtrack for the movie The Bubble, and sings the song "Loving That Man of Mine".

In 2008 Lider launched a new Hebrew album and announced an upcoming English album. The music video for his English-language song "Jesse" has received a lot of airtime on LOGO TV, and Out magazine recognized him as a member of the "Out 100" for 2007.

Lider is openly gay. In January 2002, Lider spoke openly about his sexual orientation in a cover-story interview to the daily newspaper Ma'ariv, which attracted a lot of attention. He later said, "On a personal level, I felt complete and happy with my life and who I am, and I didn't see any reason to not talk about it … Maybe I can influence people and help younger people that struggle – help them to be able to change their views, and stuff like that." Lider refused to be drawn into the debate about the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade. He did, however, accept a booking to play at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras' "Fair Day" in Camperdown, Australia on Sunday, 21 February 2010.

Lider is known for the soundracks of the movies

Yossi & Jagger (2002) – original score and theme song "Bo" (Let's)

Walk on Water (2004) – original score and theme song "Cinderella Rockafella" duet with Rita

The Bubble (2006) – original score, theme song "The Man I Love", "Birthday Cake", and ending credits song "Song to a Siren"

1976 – Andy Lipincott, a character in the comic Doonesbury becomes the first character in a major U.S. strip to come out

1984 – Brent Everett, born Dustin Germaine, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, is a Canadian gay pornographic actor and director. Since 2003, he has appeared in over 40 pornographic films for a variety of studios in the United States.

In his early work Brent was classified by studios as a twink; however, more recently he has become too muscular to comfortably fit in this term.

Everett has performed bareback (unprotected sex) in films for various studios (including his debut in Barebacking Across America for Tipo Sesso when he was 18 years old), but most of these were with his boyfriend at that time, Chase McKenzie, with whom he started his career in porn. (He also has participated in unprotected anal intercourse with other performers on occasion.) McKenzie had appeared in many films that prominently feature Everett as a cover model. In most appearances, Everett is a top in his videos but occasionally bottoms.

To further extend his career in porn, Everett opened his own subscription website in late 2004, offering video streams, image downloads, live web cam shows, and an online shop where he sells his used underwear. Live web cam shows are available for playback at a later date. In addition, he set up his own distribution company under the name of Triple X Studios for which he stars in and directs movies.

In September 2008, Everett made public his plans to marry fellow gay porn star Steve Pena in a ceremony to take place in San Diego, California, in October. The two were wed in a private ceremony on October 3, 2008.

In November 2017, Steve Pena announced via his Instagram that he and Brent would be separating. The two were known to be in an open relationship throughout their marriage.

1990 – Trevante Rhodes is an American actor. He won several accolades and achieved recognition in 2016 for his performance as Chiron in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight. In his youth, he was an accomplished track and field sprinter, winning a gold medal at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in 2009.

Rhodes was born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. His family moved to Little Elm, Texas when he was ten. At Little Elm High School, Rhodes played running back in an option offense with Cole Beasley at quarterback. Over his high school career, Rhodes earned four letters in both football and track and field, where he competed as a sprinter specializing in the 100 and 200 meter dash. As a junior, Rhodes finished second behind Whitney Prevost over both distances at the 2007 UIL Track and Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium. While his senior year was cut short by an ACL injury on the football field, he still earned an athletic scholarship in track and field to the University of Texas at Austin. He studied kinesiology.

Rhodes competed for the Texas Longhorns as a sprinter from 2008 to 2012. At the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Rhodes helped the U.S. squad to a gold medal in the 4×100 metres relay.

Rhodes rose to fame for his much praised performance in the 2016 film Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins, where he played the lead role of the adult Chiron. While talking about the movie in an interview with Out, Rhodes said: "Being a black person in America right now is shit, being a homosexual in America right now is shit, and being a black homosexual is the bottom for certain people. That's why I'm so excited for people to see Moonlight. I don't feel like there's a solution for our problems, but this movie might change people. That's why you do it — because you feel like you're doing something that matters. This is someone's story." The film has won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture – Drama and the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

2009 – On this date the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a suit in federal court on behalf of Yulee High School students Hannah Page , a freshman, and Jacob Brock, a junior. The lawsuit claims violations of the First Amendment and the Federal Equal Access Act. The act requires schools to grant access and recognition to a Gay-Straight Alliance and other groups if the school allows any extracurricular group to meet on campus, said ACLU attorney Robert F. Rosenwald. The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to allow the club to meet at Yulee High while the case makes it way to trial.

Page said the group just wants to meet like others do. "We just want the club so that straight and Gay kids can get together to talk about harassment and discrimination against Gay kids in an open environment. The school is discriminating against us and that's exactly the kind of thing we want to prevent," she said.

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allamericansbitch · 1 year

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Hi everyone! Here’s the newest addition to my Creator Shoutout Series ( april 16 - april 23)! For info about the series, I explained it in the first post here, but generally, it’s to show appreciate to editors and their creations that i love from the past week. To track this series or look at previous shoutouts, please check out the tag on my blog *creatorshoutouts. Have a great week everyone!

the last of us: joel miller gifset by @skyshipper

succession: kendall and stewy gifset by @stewy-hosseini

the last of us: joel and ellie gifset by @laufeysons

succession: stewy in 4x04 gifset by @shesnake

taylor swift: tied together with a smile graphic by @beachsread

anya taylor joy: birthday gifset by @userdanewhitman

the last of us: ellie and joel gifset by @schemingkaz

daisy jones & the six: daisy and billy gifset by @greatcometcas

succession: willa in 4x04 gifset by @ladyhawke

abbott elementary: jacob hill gifset by @bellamysgriffin

the last of us: joel miller gifset by @arthurpendragonns

stranger things: destiny choice chance gifset by @kitconnor

the last of us: joel saving ellie gifset by @rogerhealey

taylor swift: you’re on your own kid gifset by @loversmore

paramore: hard times anniversary gifset by @paramores

the last of us: joel & his daughters gifset by @tomshiddles

taylor swift: eras tour headers by @lavenderhazes

boygenius: me & my dog / letter to an old poet graphic by @cruellesummer

the last of us: ellie swearing by @trashcora

taylor swift: rain lyrics through the years gifset by @mrperfectlyfinetv

knives out gifset by @kitherondale

yellowjackets + art parallels edit by @everythingeverywhereallatonce

taylor swift: midnight rain graphic by @piecesintoplaces

succession: roman roy gifset by @rasputinaillyanna

barry: 4x01 4x02 gifset by @lousolversons

taylor swift: lyric parallel edit by @thisisustrying

yellowjackets: most new jersey gifset by @natscatorccio

taylor swift: you’re on your own kid graphic by @gofightwin

yellowjackets: 2x05 gifset by @thesoldiersminute

taylor swift: debut redesign edit by @mrperfectlyfinetv

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sebstan2020 · 9 months

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Red Ties

Chapter 8

Mary, a sweet Christian girl living in the city of Brooklyn as a nurse had a simple life. She loved her work, her friends and attending church every Sunday and helping Reverend McCarthy. Her life was nothing out of the ordinary. However, it all changed one day when she bumps into the intriguing and intimidating James Barnes, Brooklyn’s notorious mafia boss and is introduced to a world of guns, lust and dominance.

Warnings: BDSM, Dom/Sub, Mafia, Violence, Gang, SMUT, Sex, Possessive Bucky, Overprotectiveness, Bondage, Sexual Themes, Dark Themes, Guns, Drugs, Gang Violence

James watches as Mary skipped into her apartment, the smirk on his face still plastered there. If he could he would have carried her into her apartment and had his way with her. But all she left him with was a kiss. He was right about her being completely innocent. The way she kissed him was like she hadn’t kissed anyone before. Granted he wasn’t afraid to take control but something about Mary had him wanting more and his urges weren’t going to go away until something was done about them. Pulling out his phone quickly, he rang Lily’s number and she picked up in seconds.

“Hello”.

“I’m coming over, have Natalie ready for me” he ordered and before she could respond he ended the call, throwing his phone into the cup holder beside him. The engine roared as he sped out of the parking lot, making his way to the hotel. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles turning white. His cock was fighting against the tightness of his trousers and he couldn’t get the image of Mary out of his head. She looked beautiful, like an angel. She practically was one with all her innocence. A sweet Christian girl. She’s probably never done anything wrong in her entire life. It made James chuckle to think he was the complete opposite to her and yet they bumped into each other, as if they attracted each other.

He was at the hotel in no time, swinging out of the driver's seat and throwing his keys to the young man waiting outside who eagerly went to catch them. He didn’t have a chance to greet James as he stormed inside, shoes clicking against the polished floor. Lily was at the desk, a scowl setting on her lips as he came over.

“You know most people say please and thank you” she scolded and James huffed. He wasn’t in the mood. He needed to get rid of this urge right now otherwise he was going to be sensitive and achy all night.

“What’s up with you?” She asked, placing her hands on her hips.

“I’ll tell you later, is she ready?” He asked and Lily nodded, giving him a side-eye. Before she could probe him anymore, he was off, climbing the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. The hotel was quiet except for when you walked past each door, hearing the moans and screams of every woman and man submitting to their dominance. This wasn’t just a place for girls to submit to the businessmen of New York, the wall street brokers and CEO’s. This was a place for anyone to fulfil their deepest and darkest fantasies. For men who secretly like to be pushed around like a little bitch by powerful women, for girls to worship men at their feet after a long hard day at work, for submissives to please and take pain and pleasure from someone in control. James was a well-known dominant of this establishment, a one-of-a-kind. He’d had subs since he was eighteen. Natalie was someone he knew well and was almost like your favourite film. No matter how many times you watch it, you never get sick of it and she was the same.

James reached the room, entering with full domination. As he expected, Natalie was kneeling by the bed, in position, her hands resting neatly on her thighs, head up straight, naked and on display for him.

“Good evening Sir” she greeted with a smile. James wasn’t much in the mood for pleasantries or foreplay. He wanted the action now. He padded over to the wall, grabbed the bundles of rope and threw them on the bed.

“Stand up” he ordered and Natalie obeyed quickly. She moaned as he tied the rope around each wrist, leaving a length for him to tie to the bed. He repeated on her ankles, turning her around and smacking her ass.

“On the bed” she moved quickly, laying on the bed. James tugged her closer to the edge, taking her legs and spreading them apart, tying the ropes to each bed poster so she was spread wide for him. Her arms were spread on either side of her, the length of rope tied to the rings on the floor by the sides of the bed. She was open and ready for him. Natalie groaned as his fingers gently stroked her wet pussy, the sensations crawling through her body. She was shaking at his mercy, ready to get fucked. James wasted no time in undoing his trousers, pulling his semi-hard cock out and lining himself up with her hole.

“Oh yes Sir, mmmm that feels so good” she moaned at the top of her lungs and James grunted as he began to thrust, gripping her thighs tightly to get a good rhythm. His crotch slapped against her ass, echoing off the walls in the room, her body shaking against the mattress. Natalie curled her toes, sucking breaths through her mouth and biting her lip tightly as the pleasure was taking over.

“Oh please Sir, don’t stop” she whined at the top of her lungs and for once James didn’t want to hear her sweet moans and whimpers. He didn’t even want to see her face. Suddenly he stopped, pulling out of her and padding over to the walk-in wardrobe, picking out his item of choice. A leather hood. Black with thick straps and nothing but two small nose holes for air. There was only one face he wanted to see and it wasn’t Natalies. She let out a whimper as he forced it over her head, tightening it around her face and completely cutting her off from any sight, smell, sound and feel. James was instantly happier and resumed his deep fuck. He groaned, letting his head fall back as all he could think of was Mary. How he thought about having her here, under him, tied up with dark ropes and gagged so she was drooling over herself, bound in leather, latex and blindfolded so she was at his mercy. He stared down at Natalie, although it wasn’t who he was visioning. She was far too innocent for this world… but perhaps he could change that.

James grunted as his orgasm was in play, his cock hardening and twitching in Natalie's soaking pussy. He could just hear her grunts under the hood, muffled and not distracting him from his fantasy of the innocent Christian girl. It was seconds later he blew his load, thrusting a few more times as he came, reaching his orgasmic high. Sweat dripped down the sides of his head, wetting the little pieces of hair falling. His grip on her thighs had left indents of finger marks and redness, a mark that Natalie would smile upon for the next day or so.

James took a breath, pulled out and stuffed himself back inside, zipping up his trousers. His urges were gone now and he could think straight.

“So are you going to tell me what’s gotten into you?” Lily asked as she poured him a glass of whiskey. James chuckled from his place on the couch. The two of them were in her large office. It was one of the suites that had been turned into a sort of office space for all the paperwork and storage. Being the headmistress of the hotel meant Lily had to look after her employees and guests to a tee. The girls were precious to her and she’d do anything for them. They needed to be regularly tested and recovered from any sessions. She didn’t want people to think of this place as a prostitute ring. Despite it having that feel to it, the girls were here because they wanted to be and they enjoyed submitting or dominating anyone that walk through those doors.

Lily walked over to James, the leather of her skirt squeaking as she handed him his whiskey. He was dead thirsty and almost gulped the whole thing down.

“I went on a date tonight,” he said simply, resting his hand on his leg that rested over his other knee. Lily narrowed her brows, sinking into the sofa and resting her head on her hand.

“A date? That’s not like you, with who?” She asked.

“I met this girl a couple of days ago, Mary. We bumped into each other when I was visiting Yori. She spilt my coffee down me and I broke her phone and as an apology, I asked to take her out for dinner” he shrugged.

“Well there must be something you like about her, what does she do?” Lily asked, sipping her glass of whiskey. James smirked, there were all sorts of things he liked about her.

“She’s a nurse, she works at the building Yori stays at, but that’s not why I like her” he grinned.

“She’s very innocent… and I mean innocent”.

“How innocent?” Lily asked, biting her lip in a sexy fashion.

“Christian… I don’t think she’s even ever kissed anyone”.

“And so you want her all to yourself… you do know you’re one of the most notorious mafia leaders in this city” Lily teased.

“So” he shrugged.

“So she’s a good girl and you are a bad boy, what makes you think she’ll go out with you when she finds out, assuming you haven’t told her already”.

“Of course, I haven’t. Besides it’s early days… and I think you’re forgetting, I can have anything I want” he stood, walking over to the drinks table and pouring another. Lily giggled, shaking her head.

“You always want what you can’t have. I’m guessing that’s why you came storming over here so you could get out your urges with Natalie” James nodded, throwing back more whiskey and swallowing deeply, letting out a breath after.

“All I got was a kiss, and it doesn’t help when she’s teasing me”.

“What about Natalie?” Lily asked and James furrowed his brows.

“What about her?”.

“Does that mean you’ll stop using her if you and Mary start something” James scoffed, walking back to the couch and slumping down closer to Lily, resting a foot on his knee.

“Natalie knows we’re not that serious. She knows I only use her when I want. She’s just easy. Besides, it's not like I stop her from submitting to anyone else” Natalie was just a means to an end. It seemed horrible to think of her like that but James made it clear from the start that she was there to fulfil his needs when and wherever he liked. Natalie had plenty of doms to serve when he wasn’t available.

“Besides it’s too early to tell” James didn’t want to get his hopes up about anything and certainly didn’t want to jump into anything too fast. Mary was like a delicate flower. She needs to be handled delicately and calmly. If he was to jump in and tell her he was one of the most ruthless mafia leaders and a kinky dominant, she would go running for the hills. He didn’t want to scare her off but he knew at some point if it went further than he’d have to tell her. But he’d cross that bridge when he comes to it.

Chapter 9

Hey so I hope you like this chapter, let me know what you think in the comments and if you want to be tagged

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#sebastian stan #sebastian stan fanfiction #bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #james bucky barnes #sebastian stan smut #bucky barnes fanficiton #bucky barnes smut

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mochinek0 · 1 year

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Daminette December 2022: 15-Side Effects Ch.11

FIRST / PREVIOUS

Tom and Sabine were so proud of their daughter and her mate. They were so excited about being grandparents that they placed pictures of the family in the bakery. Adrien had been completely unprepared to see the pictures.

Alya had told them, excitedly, about Marinette becoming pupped, but he never thought it was true. He thought it had been a tactic for keeping her away from him. Alya had told them both about moving her schedule around. Honestly, he thought they had switched schools. Even Damian hadn't been on campus.

Adrien staggered into his home, still reeling from the fact it hadn't been a lie.

"Adrien, what is it?" Natalie questioned.

"Father told me stay away from Marinette when she became a Beta." he began.

"I remember." Natalie declared, "There was also a rumor of her being mated months later."

"Damian Wayne, another Alpha, mated her." Adrien spoke, "I thought Alya had been lying or was helping them keep us apart but it wasn't."

"What wasn't a lie?" she asked.

"Marinette has pups with that Alpha." Adrien spoke, shocking Natalie, "There's pictures in the bakery."

Nathalie quickly turned and told Gabriel. Quickly, Gabriel was on his feet and leading Adrien to the car.

"Where are we going?" Adrien questioned.

"To the Waynes." he growled, "Obviously, they don't know better."

The moment Alfred opened the door, Gabriel barged his way inside. Adrien quickly apologized for his father's attitude and chased after him. Alfred smiled, as he closed the door. The Agreste has entered the wrong house.

Gabriel was quick to enter the living space and instantly started smelling the scent of an Omega, rolling off in waves. He looked around the room and saw Marinette holding not one but two pups.

'Adrien wasn't lying.'

He growled in distaste. Damian was quick to pull a blade and growl back. Adrien took a step back, in shock. He had never seen anyone, let alone his age, stand up and challenge his father.

"Why are you here?" Bruce demanded, stepping near his son.

"I had to see the abominations for myself." Gabriel declared.

Damian was instantly in front of him, with a blade to his throat.

"Call my pups that again and the next move I make will be ending your pitiful existence." Damian roared.

Bruce sighed as Gabriel stood still.

"Damian, stay near your mate and pups. Marinette is still healing and needs you near her, at all times." Bruce spoke.

Damian pressed the blade to Gabriel's throat, just enough to nick him and walked back to Marinette's side.

"Mr. Agreste, you weren't invited and as you can see, unwanted." Bruce declared.

"The law-" Gabriel began to shout.

"Ah, yes." Bruce spoke, "The law we only learned about after Marinette gave birth. I don't see how this concerns you. It's not your son that is mated to my daughter-in-law."

"What do you mean 'only learned about'?" Gabriel questioned.

"We learned that 'your law' is more of a European law. Neither my family, my son's mother's family not her parents have taught them any such law. I never learned the 'law', as you call it, because my parents were murdered when I was a child. No one told me anything. Perhaps, people thought I knew it or they never cared about it in the first place. I have no problem with it. My son is happy; Marinette has been good for him. As you can tell, Damian is violent and has been since he was a child."

"You should have beat it out of him." Gabriel sneered. "My mother and Grandfather raised me. Mother never told Father about me and Grandfather demanded the perfect Alpha." Damian explained.

Bruce chuckled, "This is Damian tame. He was worse as a child. He would have killed your without a thought, let alone say anything to you. Consider what just happened a warning. When I spoke to my son, after the mating, it was the calmest I have ever seen him."

Adrien looked between Marinette and the two pups in her arms. It was still shocking to smell Omega wafting off of her. He could see how happy she was, looking up at her overprotective mate. Damian Wayne also looked at them with a fond look.

"How did you curb the violence?" the fashion designer questioned.

"Damian was trained with kill or be killed ingrained into him." Bruce explained, "I had to teach him restraint. I don't tolerate murder and he knows that. The rule has been no murder as long as he lives under my roof. Though, I fear that won't last long. He has his mate and pups now. He no longer has to listen to me. He will choose where to live, either here or elsewhere. If he choose the manor. The rule stands. I know full well, should anything happen to the pups, the rule will be broken. Although, I don't know who will be the first to break it."

"Marinette would never-" Adrien began to shout.

"Omegas die everyday for their pups to live." Bruce stated, "Who is to say she wouldn't sacrifice another for her pups. We still don't fully understand what has changed for her with her new status. She is still experiencing new things daily that she never knew before." "Why are you here in the first place?" Damian questioned, "You have no reason to be concerned. My mate agreed to my order of never being around you again. That extended to your father as well."

"I beg your pardon?" Gabriel inquired.

"My first order to my mate was to never get near Agreste. When I stated that, I meant the whole family." he explained, "Do you have a problem with my choice, Habibiti?"

"No, Alpha; I don't. I know you are protecting us." Marinette smiled, "Adrien showed me we weren't friends when I presented to a Beta. Being an Omega now changes nothing. I already told our mutual friends to keep us seperated when we go out. I told them that we might possibly be able to do a group outting, but only if you were there."

"That would be acceptable, as long as we can take the pups." Damian answered.

Marinette chirped in appreciation and nuzzled her head against him. Gabriel watched as the girl he told his son to stay away from acted like a natural born Omega. He glanced his son's way and saw the pain in his eyes. Adrien had tried to fight him about staying away from her. He hadn't even wanted to hear about her becoming a pack mate and it seemed it costed his son greatly.

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