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blossomwritesthings · 1 year

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𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝? 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. | 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

pairing: minho x fem!reader (afab)

genre: veterinarian!minho (this includes a few of the skz members working in his clinic). client!reader. hurt/comfort. angst. fluff. smut - MDNI, 18+ only. reader pov. strangers to lovers au. slowburn romance. lots of pining.

content & warnings: explicit & strong language. very thematic elements. minho is reader's vet. reader's childhood cat suddenly gets diagnosed with cancer, and she has to make a big decision about what to do. this fanfic includes heavy topics like: pet euthanasia, extreme loss/grief, depression, the problems with pet healthcare, and more. there will be some humor/fluff placed throughout, and also smut somewhere along the way. :))

word count: 7.1k

summary: dr. lee minho is known throughout your area as the city's hottest veterinarian, and he's also the very man that's been taking good care of your two cats for the past three years. but one day, you're thrown down a dark path of heartache when the cat that you've grown up with - nyx - is diagnosed with an acute form of bone cancer. burdened with the hardest decision of your entire life, you come at a crossroads of what to do. and throughout it all, minho is the single most person who continually stays by your side.

a/n: i decided to split this fic up into like, 3-4 separate chapters, since i felt like having 20.k+ words for a single 'long oneshot' was kindaa excessive lmao 😂 anyways, i'm excited for the future of this little series and what it's gonna look like exploring the relationship between minho and y/n~ 😉 also, for anyone that noticed, YES- i changed my entire tumblr theme after like, 4 months of having it be rainbow haha, so you might not recognize me on your dash with my new look. but yeah, this is the 'new me' for the next few months... i was feeling super inspired to do a muted levanter theme, since it's one of my fav albums/songs from skz haha so here we are!! ☺️

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ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴘᴏsᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ sɪᴛᴇs (ᴛʜɪs ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇs ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴs). ©ʙʟᴏssᴏᴍᴡʀɪᴛᴇsᴛʜɪɴɢs ⤐ ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛs ʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ

The clinic was incredibly busy as you stepped through the front doors. Looking around the medium-sized waiting room, you noticed how almost every single seat was taken up by a patient. Because apparently, the hot place to be on a Thursday morning was Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic.

You clutched on a little tighter to the carrier at your side, which held your cat Nyx just inside the bassinet. She was an American Shorthair, with a coat as black as midnight and big, ocean-blue eyes. Your parents had gifted you Nyx as a surprise for your sixth birthday, since you had been begging them for a cat all year long. And instantly, the two of you were inseparable. Nyx had been with you for almost every stage of your life - including grade/middle school, high school, and all of university. She was so incredibly affectionate towards everyone, but especially you. She loved curling up alongside you after you’d spent a long, hard day at work and would just cuddle into your skin for hours.

Nyx was your stability in everything - she was one of your only friends, even when you were surrounded by other adults your same age at work. And at the ripe age of twenty-four, you couldn’t imagine what your life would be like if she ever left your side.

But, you weren’t naive, or stupid.

And you knew that at some point, Nyx would have to move on from your world and onto a better, and brighter future.

Which is why you decided to adopt a female Bengal cat after you graduated from university. Taffy had a brilliant orange-and-brown coat with light green eyes. And because she was so much younger than Nyx, she had a lot more energy. But even still, the two cats got along quite well, despite their huge age gap. Taffy was the troublemaker out of the two and liked to get into mischief with all kinds of things.

You took great pride in both of them and the relationship that you had with your two kitties, which is why you regularly took them to the local veterinarian clinic for routine checkups. Usually, you visited every six months, just to make sure that Taffy and Nyx were in perfect health.

And it’s not like you were complaining about the visits to Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic. It was a beautiful and spacious place, with a friendly bunch of staff and an even better doctor.

Doctor Lee Minho had been the continual talk of the town since he had moved into the area three years before, and soon after he set up his practice - which was just a short walk from your quaint apartment - you started going to him for your cat’s regular check-ups. Dr. Lee was incredibly professional with all of his clients, and he had a true knack for animals… but especially, cats. That’s what he prided himself on - knowing the ins and outs of the feisty little beings... since he had three of his own. Some even said that he was a cat himself since he had similar mannerisms to the felines.

It also helped that he was insanely handsome.

Like, drop-dead gorgeous.

You weren’t a fool - you noticed how, every time you visited the clinic, most of the clients were women. And almost every time that you sat in the waiting room, you’d overhear women talking amongst themselves… about how they had dressed up for the occasion, and how Dr. Lee was way too cute for his good.

For the most part, all of the comments passed over your head.

After all, he was just a veterinarian. He wasn’t anything special…

He just took amazing care of the animals that visited his clinic.

And he seemed to adore your two cats.

And-

Perhaps he was kind of, sort of, attractive.

If a woman liked the silent, brooding, brown-haired types of guys- then yeah, he was fucking really hot.

But, you always tried to push those thoughts out of your mind each time they started to bubble up to the forefront of your mind. You didn’t want to ruin the professional doctor-client relationship that the two of you had been cultivating for over three years. He was an amazing veterinarian with a lot of skill and expertise, and you had a feeling that you taking advantage of your closeness with him, by forcing yourself onto him, would just turn him away.

After all, he was always professional and polite with you. Even if he seemed to give you a lot of smiles and laughs each time you had an appointment at the clinic. And even if he seemed overly affectionate with Nyx and Taffy. He was just doing his job, as that’s what was to be expected from a doctor like him.

And besides, a guy like him would never go for you. For starters, you had just recently found out that he was five years older than you, landing him at the mature age of twenty-nine. And older guys of that many years never went for you - never stooped that low. Plus, he was a successful doctor and a businessman with his clinic. Whereas you were a struggling woman who was fighting to make ends meet at her low-ranking corporate job. You sat in a small cubicle all day, typing away at a bright computer screen, and Dr. Lee sat in front of patients and animals, actually making a difference in others’ lives.

There was also the fact that you were borderline poor- since your job barely paid anything compared to the way that the economy was so expensive. You struggled to pay your bills monthly and lived from paycheck to paycheck. Meanwhile, Dr. Lee rolled up to the clinic in his dark-blue sports car and was always donned in all different kinds of designer dress shirts and slacks.

So, yeah, he’d never fall for you. Not in a million years.

“Y/N! Good to see you again!” You heard a bright voice call out to you, bringing you out of your daydreams of expensive cars and fancy clothes.

Your eyes flitted up to the person sitting behind the front check-in desk of the clinic. Chan, one of the two receptionists of the place, was looking up at you with a soft smile adorning his face.

“Oh- hi, Chan… I’m here for Nyx’s check-up.” You mimicked his smile, motioning with a tilt of your head to the carrier where Nyx was situated in.

You were on a first-name basis with the entire staff line of the clinic, as you had been visiting it for so many years. Everyone at the clinic was extremely nice, and all of the staff were Dr. Lee’s friends. Soon after you first visited the clinic, he told you about the story of how he had recruited some of his best friends to open the shop with him, and how the rest was history. Even still, you called everyone by their first name except for Dr. Lee - since you decided to keep it professional with him and always address him by his official title well into the beginning of your appointments at the clinic.

“Sure thing,” Chan began, tearing his gaze away from you and typing away at his computer. “I see here that Jisung jotted down your concerns for this visit’s file. Has anything changed since you called in a month ago?”

You moved your focus onto the carrier at your side, where you saw Nyx resting peacefully just inside it. She had long since gotten used to the clinic and was normally very calm whenever you visited the place. “Yeah, she’s been sleepier than usual, and like- she doesn’t want to eat the food that I’ve been giving her, even though I’ve changed the brand two times already.”

Chan’s eyes darted up to you, studying your face silently before they flitted over to the carrier that you had placed atop the counter at your side. “Okay, I’ll add all of that to the notes so that the doctor can take a look,” you noticed how his lips were pressed together in a grim line- like he didn’t like what you had just told him. “You can take a seat, and Yongbok will call you back when they’re ready for you guys.”

“Thanks, Chan,” you said, offering him a tiny, weak smile before you headed off to find one of the only available seats left in the waiting room. As soon as you got situated, you gingerly took Nyx out of her crate. She was warm and downy in your hands and purred quietly at the feel of you pressing her furry body against your chest. “It’s gonna be okay, girl, you’ll be alright…” You whispered to her, mouth nuzzling into her silky coat as you placed a gentle kiss against her head.

After you placed Nyx back in her crate, you spent the waiting time studying the people around you. Once again, it was mainly women’s faces that your eyes met as you scanned over the entire room. And there were all different types of pets everywhere, from dogs to cats to birds.

“Oh, and apparently, Jungmi’s friend saw him out on the streets late at night last week… like, all alone and stuff.” You heard the woman say beside you. She was sitting close to another woman, and their heads were bent at an angle as they gossiped together. “Some girl came out of this one cafe and was hanging all over him, but it didn't seem like he knew her that well.”

The other woman snorted lowly, “Well that bitch doesn’t matter, because I’m going to be sure to seduce him this time around. I mean, c’mon- who can resist this shirt?” At her insinuation, you realized that they were talking about Dr. Lee.

Even still, you felt the urge to peek over to your side and look at her attire, and when you did, you swallowed down the dryness in your throat. Because holy fuck- she looked like she was about to go to the club. Her shirt had a scoop neckline and was so low, more than half of her tits were hanging out of the loose fabric. It was tight and stretched over her bosom in an alluring kind of way, leaving little to the imagination.

Meanwhile, you were dressed in one of your old, baggy hoodies and a pair of loose-fitting denim jeans. Even though it was the beginning of spring, it was still quite chilly out early in the morning. And besides, you weren’t planning on going anywhere else after you visited the clinic, since you had taken the rest of the day off from work, so there was no use in dressing up. Not like you had any nice, sexy clothes like that to begin with, though.

In all actuality, you really couldn’t afford to take a day off of work. But, you felt like it was needed after the long week that you had had. After the long year you had had.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious while you sat next to Aphrodite herself, your fingers scrambled to yank down the arms of your hoodie as best as you could, trying to let the fabric swallow you up in your seat.

Just then, your name was called over the hustle and bustle of the waiting room, and you peered up to see a smiling Yongbok standing in the doorway that lead to the rest of the clinic - where the examining rooms were.

In a hurry, you scrambled to pick up your tote bag and hoisted Nyx in her carrier with one arm, following right behind the young vet tech as he lead you through the back rooms of the clinic. The hallway was buzzing with movement, as the other Tech’s, Seungmin and Hyunjin, helped vet assistant Changbin calm down a barking German Shepherd so that they could usher him onto a weighing station that was positioned in a corner of the hallway. Dr. Lee was nowhere to be found… yet.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” Yongbok started, as he motioned to an examining room just off to the right side for you to walk in. You took a seat in the chair that was positioned next to the desk - where the doctor always sat. “Since Hyunjin is almost always the one who first greets you.” The younger man with light blonde hair and big, expressive eyes sighed in an exaggerated kind of way, which forced a quiet giggle out of you.

“He’s a good tech though… Taffy especially likes him, I think.” You started, your mind already trailing off to what your younger cat might be doing while being left home alone in your apartment. No doubt tearing into the bag of chips that you had accidentally left atop the kitchen counter.

“Mhm- how is she, by the way? I feel like you haven’t brought her in in a while,” Yongbok said, as he slipped on a pair of blue latex gloves. You dragged your eyes away from his form and instead concentrated on unzipping the carrier in your arms, slowly drawing out a lethargic Nyx.

“Taffy is good, just being her usual rambunctious self,” you laughed softly, shaking your head as the affection for your other cat took over your thoughts. “She’s definitely very different from my Nyx here, that’s for sure…”

Yongok wheeled his chair over to you then, gently taking your old cat from your hands and hoisting her up onto the examination table that was nearby. “I saw in the files that she’s been having problems with eating?” He started, voice growing serious as he began his study of your cat.

You nodded slowly, swallowing over the nervous lump that had begun to form in your throat as soon as he placed Nyx on the paper-lined table. You felt your heart beating wildly against your ribcage, and you watched in silence as Yongbok turned Nyx around to thoroughly examine her. “Yeah, and she hasn’t been wanting to play with Taffy either, even though she used to love to.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“About… four months now?”

Yongbok turned to you then, leveling you with a deep frown, “And you’re only bringing her in now?” His tone wasn’t accusatory, but was more on the perplexed side of things, as all of the staff at Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic knew how much you loved your cats and how you adored taking care of them.

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, hating the way that he seemed to question why you hadn’t taken care of Nyx’s symptoms earlier. “I-I didn’t have the money for this appointment until just recently, so that’s why I'm only bringing her in now.”

Your gaze snagged on Yongbok’s face, and the way that it instantly melted at your confession... brows furrowing and mouth pressing into a velvety line. The entire clinic must’ve known about your financial situation by now - about how you could barely afford food for yourself, let alone the bills from the clinic - since more oftentimes than not, you’d ask for a grace period from paying for the visits.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I wasn’t trying to insinuate that you’re in the wrong here,” he began, but his slight frown only seemed to deepen as he spoke the words, “It’s just that- these symptoms shouldn’t be ignored for that long.”

At that, your heart started beating frantically inside your chest. Your focus landed on Nyx, who was now resting atop the table, with her eyes closed peacefully. “W-What? What do you mean by that? Is something wrong-”

Yongbok reached over then, giving your shoulder a delicate pat. “I can’t confirm anything myself, but I’m going to take Nyx back to the X-Ray rooms to examine her better. Then, I’ll give the data to Dr. Lee and he can examine the diagnosis.” He gingerly scooped up Nyx into his arms, pressing her against his chest.

“O-Okay, but-” You began, but were soon cut off by the way that Yongbok gave you a slight, reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry about it, Y/N. I’m sure Nyx is just fine.” Is the last thing he said, before he was quickly filing out of the room with your cat in his hold, leaving you all alone.

And as soon as he shut the door closed, you were a nervous wreck. Your knees bounced up and down, hands turning clammy and breath falling out in shaky gasps as your mind raced a mile a minute with countless thoughts.

Would Nyx be okay?

Was she sick?

What was so wrong with her?

The wait time to see the doctor usually wasn’t that long, but this time - this time, it felt different.

It felt like each minute stretched out before you in an endless cycle, sending you down a deep and deeper spiral of anguish as you tried to wrack your brain around the entire situation.

When finally, there was a gentle knock on the door.

You had been holding your head in either of your hands, but upon hearing footsteps against the linoleum floors, you peered up to see Dr. Lee closing the door behind him. He was dressed in his usual garb - dress slacks, a simple white button-down, and his white doctor's coat.

Dr. Lee was silent, as he wheeled his chair over to you. And only then did you notice that Nyx was missing. That he wasn’t carrying her in his arms- like he usually did when he brought her back from the closed examination room.

And you knew the moment that he sat down, that something was wrong.

Because usually, when his eyes caught yours as he walked through the examining room’s door, his entire face would light up with one of those brilliant smiles that women gushed over. Usually, he’d be the first one to crack a stupid joke - whether it was something lame about the weather outside, or about the crazy animal that he just had an encounter with before seeing you.

But this time?

No, this time it was very different.

His proud shoulders were slumped low, cheekbones dark with shadows, and plump, red lips pressed together in a firm line.

He clenched and unclenched his jaw once,

twice,

three times.

Then, and only then, did his eyes meet yours.

And they said all you needed to know.

Just by the way that his dark, chestnut-brown pupils danced with a myriad of emotions; apprehension, fear, compassion, but most of all… sadness.

“What is it?”

The words flowed from your lips before you even knew what you were asking, and almost immediately, you were sitting up a little straighter in your chair.

Spine going rigid, fists growing tight at your sides.

Something swam, cool and deep, inside of you.

Chilling you to the bone, with tense unease.

In the depths of your mind, you felt the pinprick of ominous heartache prodding at the fleshy part of your soul.

The part that was weak and emotional and so very tender all of the time.

“I’m so sorry.”

Was the first thing Dr. Lee said.

You already felt the tears flowing, unbidden and unchecked, warming your suddenly freezing cheeks, at the sound of ‘sorry’ leaving his mouth. Because he had never said such a thing to you before. And you never, ever, wanted to hear it come from him again.

“What’s wrong?” You prodded again, limbs growing a little shaky in your anxiety. Breath hitching in your chest agonizingly, you could physically feel your heart pushing against your ribs.

Aching,

Burning,

Already seeping with hurt, even though you didn’t quite know what was wrong just yet.

Dr. Lee ran a rough hand up and down his face, sighing into his palm, shaking his head once. Then, his fingers were running through his black locks, tugging at the roots just a tiny bit.

Almost like, this crushed him just as much as it was about to pain you.

“It’s about Nyx.”

Swallowing over the huge lump forming in your throat proved very difficult at that moment, but somehow - by some miracle - you did it.

Your tongue felt heavy inside of your mouth- like it was made of hard metal.

For a few beats, you couldn’t manage to form the right words, but when you did, you already felt the stability seeping out of you. Like you were a hot air balloon that had been poked with a sharp needle, with the scalding air and sanity flooding from you in a single breath.

“I’m sorry, Miss. Y/N, I-”

“Just fucking say it, Dr. Lee!” You suddenly exclaimed, voice straining from your quiet sobs. The fat tears rolled down either of your cheeks, leaving angry wet trails in their wake.

He was silent after that, gaze running up and down the length of you slowly. Like you were one of his animals that he assessed daily - like he was testing out your strength and resolve.

Then, his eyes snapped back up to meet yours, and they melted into two puddles of grief.

“It seems as though Nyx is suffering from an acute form of bone cancer.”

And just like, your heart completely stopped.

Each breath you took felt garbled and all wrong.

Your shaky legs and arms wobbled all around you.

The floor crumbled underneath your feet,

Breaking, cracking, shattering irrevocably.

And in that moment, you wished for nothing more but for it to open up completely, and swallow you whole.

Please,

Oh, fuck, please-

Just swallow me already.

Because anything,

Anything,

Would be better than this newfound hell.

“No- no, you’re lying.” You said in a low, gravelly voice. You were clutching onto the arms of your chair, holding on for dear life. Like if you squeezed hard enough, you would be able to wake up and all of this would just fade away into a bad dream.

“Miss. Y/N, I’m so sorry but-” Dr. Lee started in a calm tone, but his face read everything but calm - as his brows wrinkled with concern and his brown eyes were alight with a certain kind of sadness.

“This is a bad dream, it has to be a bad dream,” you cut him off, violently shaking your head from side to side in your disbelief. If you just pinched yourself, maybe then you’d wake up from such a hell. So that’s exactly what you did.

Grabbing one of your arms, you frantically pinched at the skin there.

Again,

And again,

And again.

The tears blurred your vision so much that it was hard to see what was in front of you - hard to notice the angry red mark that started to bloom out across your flesh at your abuse.

Just then, two warm hands took hold of either of yours, fingers sliding between fingers, calloused palms squeezing your own.

The dark-haired figure was kneeling in front of you then, still holding onto your hands. Your heart felt like it was breaking over and over just beneath your ribcage. With each breath that you took, a new piece of it shattered off to swim in the blood flowing through your veins.

“Those symptoms that Nyx has been having are all signs of an acute form of bone cancer, Miss. Y/N. And, they will get worse,” the man said, his low, familiar voice running across your ears and nudging at a tender, warm spot deep inside of you.

“B-But she’ll get better, right? You can heal her, right, doctor?” You asked, throat straining from all of the tears. Through your hazy vision, you clutched a little harder at his hands.

There was a pause of silence on his end after that, which only made you feel worse.

When he finally spoke again, it felt like your world merely crumbled further and further. “Yongbok told me about your… situation, and why you didn’t bring her in earlier. But, because of the wait time, the cancer has developed into an acute case. The only options for helping her at this stage are- amputation and chemotherapy.”

It felt like someone took a bucket of ice-cold water and doused your entire form as soon as his words registered in your mind.

Because if you hadn’t waited so long to get it checked out,

If you hadn’t put it off because you didn’t have the money,

If you didn’t have such a low-paying, shitty job,

Then Nyx never would’ve gotten the cancer in the first place.

Instinctually, you ripped your hands out of Dr. Lee’s grasp. It was the first time you had ever had physical contact with him - and the feeling left you feeling both sick to your stomach and also sent anxious butterflies to erupt throughout your system.

“Oh fuck- it’s my fault,” you said in an incredulous tone, fingers digging into your scalp and tearing at your roots there. “If I hadn’t waited so long, she never would’ve gotten this and she wouldn’t be-”

You felt a heavy hand land atop one of your shoulders, nimble fingers pressing into your skin just slightly. Enough to help ground you back to reality. “I know it’s difficult right now, but I promise it’s going to be okay. You just have to take a few deep breaths and-”

“Where is she?” You asked in a low voice, having the sudden urge to hold your baby in your arms. Maybe, if she just felt you, she’d be healed… “Where is my Nyx, Dr. Lee?”

But you didn’t even wait for him to reply, as you tore away from his hold and hurried to the door, grabbing Nyx’s carrier on the way out. Faintly, you registered Dr. Lee calling out to you from behind, but you paid no mind to it and instead ran through the hallway just outside of the examination room.

“Nyx!” You called out, tone turning desperate. You raced down the hallway, sneakers hitting the concrete at your feet. “Nyx!” The tears clouded your vision, so it was hard to see where you going. But even still, you glimpsed Hyunjin coming out from a room in the back of the clinic, with a black mass of fur laying in his arms.

You cried out in relief at the sight of her, and in an instant, you were running forward and scooping her up and into your grasp. Pressing your face into her warm body, you cuddled her close.

“Y/N-” Hyunjin began, sympathy heavy in his tone. You felt his eyes travel across your face as you looked down at your sickly cat, with fat tears falling down your cheeks and a rapidly-beating heart.

“Let’s go home, my sweet girl…” You whispered so that only Nyx could hear you. And you couldn’t help but notice how light she felt in your arms - she hadn’t had much of an appetite in the last few months, and it pained you so much to know that you hadn’t realized it until it was too late.

Then you were turning away from Hyunjin, not even giving him any attention, as you rushed through the hallway and pressed onwards to the front desk area. Faintly, you could hear people calling out your name from somewhere in the back of the clinic.

But you couldn’t concentrate on any of that. All you could think of was your beautiful cat, who was peacefully sleeping in your arms. “Just a little bit longer, Nyx, we’re almost home…”

The rest of the week passed by in a blur of heartache and tears, as you battled with yourself and your mind to try and come to terms with what was happening.

With what you were going to lose.

It was hard to focus on anything else besides the impending doom that seemed to be right on your doorstep. You were slacking off at your work, which caused your boss to ream you out the next Monday morning. But you couldn’t help it - every time you tried to think about anything else besides Nyx, and losing her, the stormy feelings just came back tenfold.

You had found yourself holed up in your office’s bathroom stalls on more than one occasion already, and by the time it hit a week since you had visited the clinic, it felt like all of the tears had been completely drained from your body.

Every time you looked at her, you wanted to cry. You wanted to, but your body just wouldn't let you. So instead, you took to staying up late into the night and researching remedies to alleviate the pain of cancer - because truly, you hadn’t gotten a solid five hours of sleep since the diagnosis.

After two weeks, you had tried all of the solutions that you could find online - that ranged from implementing natural, whole foods into Nyx’s diet to rubbing lavender oil all over her limbs to try and soothe the pain from standing. Seeing her slowly start to deteriorate in front of your very eyes was possibly the worst part about it all - and how she’d whine and cry while walking around the house. Even Taffy could sense that something was wrong when her friend no longer had the energy to play with her anymore.

Throughout all of it, you avoided the phone calls. And they could be from only one ID - since you didn’t have any friends or family members who cared enough about you to call three times a day. Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic called you without fail, and they were adamant about getting in contact. No doubt Chan was on the other line the whole time, trying to talk some sense into you.

But you just couldn’t do it - couldn’t bring yourself to walk through those doors and face the dark road ahead that most-assuredly lead to death. Because you had already extensively researched the therapy for treating Nyx’s kind of cancer, and it was looking quite bleak. The procedures were so fucking expensive, it baffled you how anyone in their right mind could be able to afford such things.

Everything changed though, when on one Saturday night, you arrived home late from running errands and found Nyx sprawled out on your living room’s small, rickety couch. You scurried over to her side and shook her awake. But she wouldn’t open her eyes. And it seemed like she was hardly breathing. You called out to her again and again, startling Taffy of your presence.

When finally, Nyx awoke. After much pleading and crying, she opened her eyes lazily and stretched.

And so it was decided right then and there, that you’d go into the clinic that night.

You couldn’t afford to put it off any longer, and frankly, you had the feeling that Nyx couldn’t either. It was getting close to eight o’clock in the evening, and the clinic closed its doors for the weekend right at eight, so you made quick haste out of your dingy hell-hole-of-an-apartment.

When you arrived at Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic, the entire place was dark. You peeked through the windows and noticed the empty waiting room. “No, no- no…” You muttered to yourself, checking the time on your phone and reading that it was a little past eight.

You quickly looked around the street, noticing how most of the shops were already closed up for the weekend. Feeling the panic rising inside of you, you began to furiously knock on the glass door of the clinic. If someone was back there, maybe you could get ahold of Dr. Lee and-

“Miss. Y/N?” You heard a friendly, faint voice say from somewhere to your side. Turning around to the sound of it, you came face-to-face with Dr. Lee himself. He had his doctor’s coat off and was dressed in his usual work clothes of slacks and a dress shirt. “What are you-”

You pressed your hands against your chest, trying to calm your heart that was painfully beating against your ribcage. “Dr. Lee- please, it’s… it’s Nyx.”

His brown eyes flashed across the length of your form, the fading sunset coloring his skin in an orange and pink kind of glow. “Come inside, it’s too cold out to be standing around like this.” He said, already moving to unlock the front door of the clinic. After all, it was early spring and the nights tended to grow on the cooler side of things once the sun dipped below the horizon.

“Okay, thanks,” you whispered, following behind him as the two of you shifted through the clinic. Dr. Lee made his way over to a cluster of chairs in the corner of the waiting room.

“Please, sit.” He pointed to the nearest chair and waited for you to get situated before taking the seat just beside you. “So, tell me what’s going on.”

And suddenly, you realized the gravity of the situation. You realized that it was just the two of you - Dr. Lee and you - sitting inside the clinic, alone. There weren’t any other clients around, there wasn’t Chan or Jeongin, or Yongbok. And all at once, it felt rather… intimate.

You squirmed in your seat, your shaking hands beginning to play with the worn hemline of your oversized hoodie. Taking a deep breath, you gathered up all of your courage and leveled your gaze on the nearby front desk that was placed in the center of the large waiting room. “Well, I-I got home today from running some errands, and I found Nyx lying on my couch. But it didn’t seem like she was napping like she normally does… and she, she wouldn’t wake up. I kept trying and trying and-” Your words came out all rushed and garbled, as the tears began to crest over your eyes and you felt your cheeks heating with the flush of emotion.

“Hey- hey, it’s okay… don’t push yourself, yeah?” Dr. Lee’s smooth voice did something to the broken part inside of you - caused something to stir and yet settle at the same time. “That must’ve been a very scary experience for you, so it’s understandable that you would be shaken up about it.”

And just like that, the guilt piled on even higher.

Because Dr. Lee had always been incredibly nice to you and your cats. He had always been there for you guys, through the ups and downs of life, and you felt so horrible for ignoring the clinic’s calls. Because you knew that the team at Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic only wanted the very best for you and your cats… and especially, Dr. Lee.

“I’m so sorry for ignoring the clinic’s calls,” you suddenly blurted out, feeling the blush rise and pool in your ears at the feeling of Dr. Lee’s gaze landing on you - assessing your nervous state. Your thumbs continued to fiddle with the fabric at your waist, pulling and pulling. “I-I just didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t want to face the issue. But, I now realize how stupid that was- how stupid I’ve been about this whole thing-”

“Don’t ever say that again, Y/N. You’re not stupid, and Nyx having cancer isn’t your fault. This was something that was inevitable and nothing you could do was going to stop it.” Dr. Lee cut through your words. You tried to comprehend what he was saying, but instead, your brain was only repeating the same phrase over and over again.

Y/N,

Y/N-

Y/N.

He had used your name, without putting ‘miss’ before it. He had never done such a thing in the past. He had always kept things professional and addressed you by your proper title - just like you had done for him.

But all at once, you realized that perhaps you didn’t mind it at all. And perhaps, his dropping the honorifics wasn’t so bad.

“Still, I’m sorry for not answering the calls,” you said, shaking your head slowly in defeat. You were desperately trying to battle the furious blush that was slinking up your neck at the way that he had said your name. It sounded so perfect and beautiful on his tongue, like-

“I was the one making all of those calls, and I can assure you that I didn’t take your silence to heart. I understand what you’re going through right now because I’ve experienced something similar in the past with one of my passed cats.”

At that, your eyes tore away from the front desk and landed on Dr. Lee. Your gazes locked, and inside his chestnut-brown eyes, you found so many different emotions there… compassion and gentleness. There was a certain kind of faded light there, as you stared at him.

“I… I didn’t know. I just assumed that it was Chan or Jisung…”

Dr. Lee shrugged his proud shoulders nonchalantly, like him calling you three times a day to try and work out a treatment plan for Nyx wasn’t that big of a deal.

When in actuality,

No one in your entire life had ever tried so frantically to get ahold of you.

And the fact that it was him- behind the phone, waiting for you to pick up, hearing your voicemail click on every time the dial failed… just made you feel even worse.

“But that’s all in the past now, so don’t worry about it anymore,” Dr. Lee began, waving a hand in the air to seemingly try and clear your thoughts away. You watched in silence, then, as his hand slid away from his lap and hovered over yours. In a single beat, his fingers were threading through yours, palm against palm. And his hand was so incredibly warm and familiar. “Now, let’s instead focus on Nyx’s treatment, yeah? The sooner we can give her the help she needs, the better.”

For a few seconds, the thoughts of your dying childhood best friend had vanished from your mind and were instead replaced with the feeling of Dr. Lee’s hand holding yours and the way that his tongue formed your name, and the way he smelled - sitting so close to you - of warm chamomile and sweet cookies.

Immediately, at the mention of Nyx, you felt the tears prick at the corners of your eyes once more. “I-I don’t have the money.”

Silence filled the space around the two of you after that, and you felt Dr. Lee’s gaze studying your form, as you squeezed your eyes shut in embarrassment. “You mean for her treatment?”

“Y-Yeah… I, I don’t make that much. I can barely afford her and Taffy’s regular bills as it is. But, having to pay for the cancer treatment on top of everything else? I-I just don’t think I can manage that.”

You felt Dr. Lee shift in his seat beside you, making your eyes spring open as you watched the pained expression cast over his entire face. It darkened his cheekbones, shooting a look of pity through his eyes.

“The treatment is really expensive, I’m afraid.”

The hiccups started then, as the tears traced down your cheeks faster. Your entire body shook with the cries, “This is why I didn’t want to come here again… I didn’t want to hear the news that nothing else could be done except- except that.”

It was like the fucking jumbo-sized elephant in the room…

The fact that- the only other solution to Nyx’s cancer would be to put her down.

To euthanize her.

Gone, forever.

Just like that.

And even though you weren’t naïve enough to think that your cat would live forever, saying goodbye to her in such a way just felt downright… cruel, after everything that the two of you had been through together. But... what other choice did you have? It's not like anyone else was going to pay for the expensive treatment, and your insurance sure as hell didn't cover pet fees. And on top of all that, you couldn't expect Dr. Lee to drop his prices exponentially just for your specific case. That'd just be downright cruel to his other customers that paid the exact amount.

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Dr. Lee’s words cut through your stormy thoughts. A sharp pain coursed through your broken heart, as you were forced to come to terms with the problem at hand. “If you can’t afford the treatment, then the only other alternative is… euthanasia.”

You found yourself clutching onto his hand desperately, squeezing his fingers to death between yours, as you peered up at him through glassy eyes. “P-Please… just… just tell me you’ll do it. Because I-I don’t think I can handle it if-” Your voice seized in your chest at the thought of some stranger doing such a thing to your precious Nyx. It was already going to be extremely hard for you, but the thought of some other vet doing it just ripped your heart in two even more.

“We offer ethical euthanasia here, so, of course, I’ll do it,” Dr. Lee clutched a little harder on your hand, and the way that his warm, slender digits felt against yours did something to calm a rattling part inside of you. “Do you feel my hand? It is there, Y/N. And it will continue to be there throughout this entire process.”

The breath caught in your throat, forming a large lump there, as your eyes widened his way. Because there it was again, him calling you by your first name… with no ‘miss’ in front of it.

“T-Thank you… so much. I seriously don’t know what I’d do right now if it wasn’t for you and this wonderful clinic and all of the amazing staff here…” Your voice trailed off, as you felt the warmth of a flush creeping up into your cheeks.

“Yeah, well, that’s what we’re here for… to give as much support as we can to our clients.” Dr. Lee’s tone came out soft and quiet, it ghosted over the shell of your ear like an angel’s sweet whisper.

“I like it.”

You heard Dr. Lee take in a sharp breath at your disjointed words, but before he could ask the meaning behind them, you were talking again.

“You calling me by my first name, I mean… I like it, a lot, Dr. Lee.” Your eyes found him in the dim lighting of the room, and for a split second, you could’ve sworn that you saw… something flash deep in those chestnut-brown pupils.

But then all at once, it vanished, and he was giving you an easy smile, pearly white teeth on display. And pink, rosebud lips tugging up- wait, why were you thinking about his mouth?

“Me too,” he said in that delicate way of his, just as he squeezed your palm once more, “I really like it… Y/N.”

To be continued...

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©ʙʟᴏssᴏᴍᴡʀɪᴛᴇsᴛʜɪɴɢs⤐ ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛs ʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ

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lina-lovebug · 4 months

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Tumultuous Waters

Ch.1

Orm Marius fanfic

Warnings: allusions to abuse and sexual assault

I have lived my life without love.

I never once felt affection for my husband, nor did I ever think what he held for me was pure.

He looked at me once and claimed me to be his, but my refusal came with denial. I was his from the moment he laid his eyes upon me, and no power on Olympus nor Earth could keep him from me.

Even when he lay with me, I prayed it would be over soon. I would watch above, hoping to be struck so that I wouldn't have to hear his grunts and feel his skin on mine.

This is the life of a wife to a God.

Yet I was able to find some happiness in our marriage.

I bore a son named Triton, who became King of the Seven Seas. He bore my eyes, which I took pride in. Of course I would never blame my son for the actions of his father, but I had sighed in relief when I saw that the only relation he held to Poseidon was his strength and hair color.

Then a daughter came, to whom I named Rhodos. I feared what Poseidon may do to a daughter of our own - which God's he would attempt to pawn her off to.

But she held a fire in her that he had burnt out within me long ago. Rhodos took charge of her love and future, and found happiness and love in Helios, the Sun God. When Aphrodite had cursed him to forget all of his lovers, including her, it was the first time I found myself marching up to her in rage.

And I punched the Goddess of Beauty.

I feared her retaliation, but instead, the Goddess laughed and smiled upon me. “Finally, someone who refuses to take my shit.”

We became great friends after she reversed the curse and Helios spent many centuries honoring my daughter.

But after my children made it clear that they now had their own lives, I was back to square one. I would spend days watching Poseidon drive his ego so far up his ass that he'd be grinning like he created the universe. Centuries seemed to be slow as I stopped fighting him, and became. . .lifeless.

I missed my family.

I missed the ocean.

But I was reminded that I'm not just Poseidon's wife. I'm a daughter of Nereus, and the third of fifty Nereids who created mermaids and sirens. We are shapeshifters and in the myths and legends for assisting sailors in their journeys across the ocean.

My son created Atlantis. He was proud of his kingdom, and was so delighted to show it to me. He had learnt from seeing his father that no one should rule a Kingdom on their own, but he elected a council to help him truly learn how to be a good ruler.

And he had children.

The Tritonides, similar to my sister's. Never once did a son come from his wife but he did not mind at all. I watched with pride as my son adored his daughters and doted on his wife, despite the lack of assistance and care from Poseidon.

Yet I could not stay in this kingdom.

For Poseidon commanded I return home.

For the next eight hundred years, I stayed in Olympus and found myself slipping again.

He was never faithful.

He was never kind.

He was cruel.

But he's a God.

And I can never be free of him.

I would only hear the news that my son's lineage had no longer been on the throne through Poseidon - who bragged about such a thing. He declared that a merman who had slain King Nero and Queen Athena had taken the crown because of corruption, and laughed.

Not only had our son's bloodline been slain, but his father dared to laugh.

I know I stand no chance in fighting him, but he was our son - our baby boy. So just as I had done to Aphrodite, I had punched him in the face and watched as his eyes turned sinister.

He hit me.

He didn't stop hitting me.

My eyes stared up at him as he prepared to take me, “you think this makes you a man? In all our years together, I have seen you as less than a spoiled boy. How disappointed our son would be if he could see this view.”

He left me with his limp excuse of a cock and I allowed my body to heal through the ocean water.

I had even hoped I would be able to drown.

But as the Queen Mother of the Seven Seas, I prepared myself. The puffy eyes and the bruises vanished as quickly as they appeared, and let Atlantis prepare themselves for their guest.

A permanent guest.

Taglist: @nanamiscunt @illegalcerebral @notasadgirlipromise @cozmicwonder

#orm marius #orm marius imagine #aquaman imagine #aquaman the lost kingdom #the lost kingdom #faceclaim is anne hathaway our queen

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teyums · 1 year

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Stargazing - Ao’nung x fem! na’vi reader

Ladies and gentleman, i pulled that laptop out 🫡 it’s been years since I wrote fanfic and I’m still figuring out this app, so bare with me here 😅

wc: 2.3k

Pairing: Ao’nung x fem omaticaya reader

includes: minor swearing, fluff

a/n: thoughts or flashbacks are in italics

Hexapede: a six-legged deer that lives on pandora

A few months had passed since your family trekked across Pandora and arrived at a remote Metkayina village, named Awa’atlu. The journey was tough and becoming accustomed to your new way of life proved to be even more difficult than staying awake on your ikran for eight hours straight. You hated the fact that you had to leave your beloved home behind, and you sure as hell didn’t want to stay here. The people of the clan looked at you odd and made you feel like you weren’t even a real na’vi.

Somewhere along the line, you found solace in the olo’eyktan’s son- Ao’nung. This came as a shock considering you could not stand him when you first met him. He was arrogant, rude, and even more annoying than Lo’ak. Who would have thought.

To be honest, you were the only one out of your siblings who he made fun of the least, aside from Tuk of course. He had never really bullied you and kept his taunting to the others after about two days passed. You still didn’t appreciate your siblings being teased though.

But as you got to know him more, you saw that there was more to him. He was also funny, extremely charming, and sometimes sweet- when he wanted to be at least.

One night he had found you sitting on a wooden deck that stretched out over the ocean, lightly swishing your feet around in the water and staring down at the vast sea. It was breathtaking, even more so at night. The purple and pink bioluminescent hues that illuminated off the ocean floor and vegetation drew you in. It was hypnotizing, almost. It reminded you of your home, your beloved forest. The thought of how long it’s been since you climbed a tree or saw your people sent a pang through your heart.

“What up, tree hugger?” You heard a painfully familiar voice taunt. Ao’nung took it upon himself to intrude on your quiet time and invited himself to sit next to you on the deck.

You sighed, not even bothering to lift your gaze from the small fish that had began to circle your submerged shins. “I thought I told you to stop calling me that.” You responded, clearly agitated.

He tilted his head and looked up to the side at nothing, appearing as if he was genuinely contemplating- just to respond, “Uhh, and I thought I told you I didn’t care?”

You turned to glare at him, causing his cheeky expression to fall off his face once he realized you weren’t in the joking mood. “Sorry,” he shook his head, “I saw you out here and just wanted to see what you were up to.” He spoke in a calm tone and shrugged.

Huh. An apology. That was rare for Ao’nung. He was slowly making progress ever since you had first arrived though. Since your first run in, you’d actively been helping him work on his people skills because honestly, he wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around. Constantly picking fights or insulting others unprovoked was definitely not a quality you had been introduced to before meeting him. You couldn’t believe the clan let him walk around disrespecting others like that and it didn’t sit right with you. Growing up, you were taught to be kind and treat others with grace. Clearly, that was not the case for this knucklehead. They treated him like royalty for obvious reasons, his parents being Tonowari and Ronal, the Olo’eytkan and Tsahik of the clan.

He did try to bully you, but only once, when you first arrived. And it’s safe to say he got humbled- painfully.

You watched as Ao’nung poked fun at Kiri’s tail, stepping in between them and smacking his arm away. He retracted and genuinely looked shocked, almost as if he felt his behavior toward your sister was justified.

“Why must you feel the need to pick on others?” you hissed, “Honestly though, seeing as your ego is so huge I’m guessing it must be making up for a lack of… something else.” You tilted your head down a bit and batted your lashes to hint at what you were referring to, using a cough to cover up the next insult you sent his way. “Shrimp” you muttered, yet clear enough to be heard.

You would definitelyyyy eat these words later, you just didn’t know it yet.

His friends erupted in laughter and slapped his back, causing him to stumble forward a little before he growled at them to shut their mouths. Safe to say he was not amused and glared at you for literally a week straight afterwards, as if he thought looks could really kill.

After that, he started to treat you and your siblings normally. Apparently he had never experienced anyone giving him a taste of his own medicine before you came along. He couldn’t lie though, it made him feel some type of way. You didn’t hold him to a pedestal like everyone else did, and somehow that intrigued him. You treated him just like any na’vi because that’s what he was to you; minus the budding feelings your heart was slowly developing for him of course.

Coming out of your flashback, you remembered you guys were having a conversation. “My family is down at the beach having a bonfire, they asked me to join, but I declined. For some reason I just felt like being alone.” You emphasized the last word of your sentence and let it roll of your tongue, turning your head to face him with a comically slow pace.

“Oh come on” he scoffed. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy my company.” He sounded so confident and even though he actually was right, you felt the burning need to tease him.

“I don’t.” His signature smirk dropped off his face with record speed. “I’m kidding, Ao’nung” You giggled.

“You’re not funny you know.” He rolled his eyes and averted his gaze from you, now looking out at where the sea met the horizon.

A dorky smile crept onto your face at his behavior and you couldn’t help but stare at him. He looked so cute when he pouted, the way his lips would purse and his jawline would become more defined, which you thought would be impossible until now. You realized he too had small dot like markings splattered on his skin, and they were glowing under the moonlight. You hadn’t noticed them before, seeing as you only saw him in the daytime and due to the metkayina boy’s skin tone being lighter than yours, they were really only visible at night.

Gosh, he’s so pretty.

“Careful forest girl, you’re drooling. You know your face will get stuck like that if you stare too long.” He purred, without even looking in your direction.

His voice snapped you out of your daydream and your face became hot once you noticed you had been ogling him. You thought because he was facing forward that he wouldn’t see you admiring him and his features.

Damn you, peripheral vision.

You looked like a hexapede in headlights. You shook your head and snatched your eyes away from his face, whipping your hands up to cover your flustered expression. “Oh. my. eywa.” You whispered to yourself, resulting in him bursting out in a fit of laughter and doubling over at your reaction.

“Oh my-“ Ao’nung got out only two words before cutting himself off with another laugh that came deep from his gut, his large arms cradling his stomach as if it hurt.

“It’s not funny, you skxawng.” You seethed.

“Look at your face!” He cackled, collapsing backwards onto the deck and continuing to laugh at you when you refused to look up at him. “Wooo, oh man,” he sighed and wiped a fake tear from under his eye, then folded his muscular arms behind his head, now looking up at the sky above. “You’re kinda cute when you’re embarrassed, you know.” You heard him say after a few seconds.

You swore flirting was like breathing for him, it’s like every word that left his lips was meant to make you blush. “What?” You lowered your hands and turned your head over your shoulder to look at him in astonishment, snapping back around like a rubber band to look at the water so fast your head almost spun off your shoulders. You felt the pace of your heart quicken at the sight of the new position he had put himself into.

You have got. To be fucking kidding me.

Could he look any hotter right now? You thanked Eywa that his attention was caught by the twinkling stars above you two, had it not been, you honestly thought you would have sunk into the ocean and let yourself drown right then and there.

You tried to burn the image of his ridiculously toned arms and etched abs out of your mind, quickly pulling your legs up and out of the water and starting to stand up from the deck. “Honestly I think I hear Lo’ak calling me so-“ you spoke rapidly, nearly tripping over your words.

“Ah ah,” With reflexes faster than lightning, he propped himself up on one elbow and grabbed your wrist. “Sit down.” He ordered, looking more serious than ever.

Your breath caught in your throat before it could escape and you froze at the feeling of his hand on your skin. Which was ironic considering your body felt like it was on fire. With a shaky sigh you sat back down, slowly sliding your legs back into the cool water below you.

He released his hold on your wrist and you felt your lungs take the biggest, most embarrassing inhale- not realizing you had been holding your breath for about fifteen seconds. Shit, at least the breathing exercises Tsireya taught you were working.

“Jeez man, you act as if I’m going to eat you or something.” Sliding his arm back below his head, he chuckled at your strange behavior.

Shit, can he already?

Your eyes almost popped out of their sockets at the thought and image that flashed into your mind, like a reflex almost. You felt as if he could damn near read your thoughts right now so you urged your brain to shut up. Upon realizing you hadn’t spoken a word this entire interaction, you forced your voice to form words to distract from how obviously flustered you had just become.

“I’m a bit tired and It’s getting late.” You mumbled. Ao’nung was no fool, he could see right through your facade and it honestly amused him. Someone who usually had so much to say was now speechless at the likes of him.

“Liar, it is not. It’s only seven.” He answered swiftly, nearly cutting you off as if he had been expecting you to come up with another excuse to escape. “Lay down with me.” He said softly.

You dropped your head back and shut your eyes tightly, silently cursing him. It looked like you were inciting a prayer to Eywa, begging her to get this boy to stop talking to you before your heart exploded. You scooted away from him as subtly as possible before hesitantly reclining and pressing your stiff back against the wooden surface of the deck. Your eyes burned into the night sky as if this was your first time ever seeing stars.

He raised an eyebrow at you, obviously in reaction to the stupid amount of space between the two of you.

“You are actually so odd,” he sounded bewildered, eyes searching your face to try and understand you. “Do you think I have cooties or something? For fucks sake come here-“ He grabbed the arm of yours that was farthest from him, pulling it so you rolled over in his direction and fell into his chest.

You inhaled sharply, your face suddenly making contact with his hard chest and your cheek pressing against his warm skin. His arm snaked around your waist and pulled you closer to him, the butterflies in your stomach flapping their wings feverishly and your throat growing a lump in it.

His deep voice snapped you out of your trance and you felt his chest vibrate as he began to speak. “Relax.” He cooed.

“Ao’nung” you started sternly, “It is quite literally impossible for me to relax when you’re touching me like this.”

You huffed out a frustrated breath, but not derived from the kind of frustration you felt when your siblings would steal your leftovers.

This felt… different.

“I know.” You could hear the smirk oozing out of his tone.

You thanked the heavens that he couldn’t see your face right now. To save yourself from further embarrassment, you decided it would be best to keep quiet.

As you two laid there listening to the waves gently crashing against the rocks for who knows how long, you weren’t sure when it had happened but your shoulders were relaxed now. Listening to the steady thumping of his heart against his chest, you suddenly felt the urge to make your feelings known to him.

Of course it was obvious and he definitely knew by now since you were terrible at hiding it. But that didn’t mean you didn’t want to say it out loud yourself.

“Ao’nung,” You bit your lip and searched for the courage to continue. “I have to tell you something-“ You spoke as you sat up and turned your head to look at him.

Your sentence was conveniently interrupted by a loud, obnoxious snore from the boy next to you. You were so deep in your own thoughts that you hadn’t realized how long you guys were laying there quiet for. You blinked at him with a deadpan expression and rolled your eyes, delicately laying your head back down against his chest so not to wake him.

“Skxawng.” You muttered, the corners of your mouth turning up ever so slightly and into a small smile.

Alright y’all how’d i do? I haven’t written in so long this took forever to draft out LOL. My apologies for any errors i mays have missed! Hope you guys enjoyed 💞

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landoom · 19 days

Text

F1 FANFICS REC LIST - George Russell (non Galex)

(this list doesn't contain Galex fics as there will be another list dedicated to those)

snap out of it (7177 words) by 140445 Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: George Russell/Max Verstappen Summary: Frequency illusion was a disease, and Max had it. Max spent twenty-five years on this earth without seeing George Russell shirtless. Twenty-five great years that ended now, because for the second time in the span of two weeks, Max saw George without a shirt on. (5 times Max struggles with George, none of them out on track.)

oOoOoOo

Brake Balance (25901 words) by Russilton Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lewis Hamilton/George Russell Summary: "Why don’t you come dance?” With me goes unspoken, and George is eyeing him with a familiar look, like he’s sure Lewis will brush him off again, but he still wants to try. Maybe it’s the buzz of alcohol. Maybe it’s the shiny skin of a tanned collarbone showing through George’s three open shirt buttons. Maybe it’s just the adrenaline of the whole day in general, but for once, Lewis thinks that sounds like a pretty good idea. Stop overthinking, just go with it. Bono’s words echo pointedly around his mind. Fuck it

oOoOoOo

Doctor, call the undertaker (This one might be bad) (14296 words) by Be_Abnormal Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/George Russell Summary: “Uhm, I guess you already know what people say about me.” Daniel nods, because it feels like the right thing to do and also because, well, it’s true. He does. That you’re gay? Are you gay? Please be gay, even if you’re- like- gay just for me. Wait— actually, that would be perfect, please- “That I act like I’ve got a stick up my asshole.” Daniel almost spits the entire bottle in his face. Or: George and Daniel and the essence of being too chaotic and British

oOoOoOo

can’t start a fire without a spark (7399 words) by peachbellini Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/George Russell, Alexander Albon & George Russell Summary: “Saw you wore my merch again. Anyone would think you fancy me."

oOoOoOo

Eight Geese a laying: or, how George learned to love the goose (2819 words) by What_The_Earth Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: George Russell/Lance Stroll Summary: Storks bring babies, doves bring peace, and geese will drag you to your soulmate. The issue really is that there are quite a lot of geese in the world. Specifically many different species of geese. In his defence the first time he encountered it he was mid run and was doing a loop round St James Lake in Brackley when it appeared.

oOoOoOo

I can't swim the ocean like this forever (16133 words) by TheWiseOne12 Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lando Norris/George Russell Summary: “I’m George,” he introduced himself to the other man. “I know,” the other man replied, “I follow F1.” “I’m sorry, I don’t know who you are.” “Lando Norris,” he replied, reaching his hand out to shake George’s. “And how come you are here?” George asked. He looked too young to be a sponsor or some rich old guy but he didn’t recognise him. “I’m an Olympic diver.”

oOoOoOo

GR63 (12047 words) by Ossobuco Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/George Russell Summary:

“All right, thank you, everyone,” George says as the last few of his colleagues settle into their chairs. “This meeting of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association is now in session. As you all know, it’s our third race week of the year and we have quite a bit to get to, but as the first order of business, I would like to propose an inquiry into a situation in which many of us have found ourselves, rather inexplicably. I’m aware that in past seasons, established procedure has been to simply—er, handle the problem as quickly as possible—”

There’s a low snicker from somewhere in the back of the room. George ignores it. “But I believe it’s time we took a more proactive, analytical approach to this, ah, phenomenon.”

oOoOoOo

shake me down (5419 words) by litaf1101 Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: George Russell/Logan Sargeant Summary: Logan doesn't know what the hell he's doing, hooking up with George Russell of all people.

oOoOoOo

winning mentality (18500 words) by linearity Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: George Russell/Max Verstappen, Alexander Albon/George Russell Summary: It’s not, like, a thing. It’s only happened twice, if you don’t count the time during the pre-season when Max shoved a thigh against George’s crotch, and George, touched-deprived and broken-hearted, let out a sharp gasp and came instantly. Max, looking shocked and frightened, stormed away.

MASTERPOST

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kikker-oma · 4 months

Note

short fanfic? Yes!

Christmas theme? Yes!

“Wake your a**es up losers!” Wind’s voice rang through the ranch, “It’s Christmas!!”

Time rubbed his eyes and gazed at the clock. “4:00am? Seriously Wind?” He groaned and sat up. Even his wife, Malon, the strongest girl he could ever know, was still asleep.

“Wind, let’s settle down. It’s still early you know.” Warriors tried to coax the teen back to bed. Less for Wind but more for the ever waning patience.

“Nah, I want presents.”

“…Of course you do.”

Surprisingly, Four was the first one to open up his present. Beneath the red rapping paper, a beautifully crafted iron hammer, with faint beautiful markings throughout the tool, stood in his possession. “I needed a new one for quite some time… thanks guys!”

“that’s for work?? I thought it’s used to smash pots!”

“LEGEND.”

Wind was next. He basically stripped the present raw in… two seconds flat. “MONEH! I’M RICH!” The pirate yelled.

��But those are seashells?”

“I can sell seashells by the seashore.”

Twilight carefully unwrapped his gift. His fingers curled around a saddle, worn down and scratched on the edges, but filled with love.

“You know, it used to be our old girls,” Malon looked through the window to the barn ahead, “But it’s not much use to us now that she’s settling down, it’ll be much more use to you.”

That is when the couple learned great-great-great-great-great grandsons give the best hugs.

Hyrule gazed at the new pair of boots in his arms. “Woah… these are wonderful. Are you sure they are for me?”

“Knew a shoemaker once, trust me, they’ll make you run faster than ever before.” Four winked.

Hyrule gave at LEAST 20 continuous thank yous for the rest of the evening.

Legend tried to keep a stoic demeanor as he unwrapped his gift. “Romeo and Juliet? Isn’t that romance?”

“Come on, we all know you’re all for it.” Warriors smirked.

“Shut up… but thanks I guess.”

Wild ran his fingers through the embroidery scarf. “This looks stunning, who made this?”

“I did! Skyloft was pretty cold, from being in the sky and stuff, so I decided to pick one of our most famous fabrics. The embroidery was all mine though, and I’m sure it will help keep you warm for the winter months.” Sky smiled kindly.

“Will you fix it if I tear it?”

“Already have 17 backups.”

Warriors, surprisingly clad in actual clothes (not to mention his hair is perfectly brushed? Did he even go to bed?) unwrapped his gift with precision.

“A mirror? You know me so well!” He smiled, knowing the captain, this will sure come to great use.

“That’s not all,” Time smiled, “Crafted straight from the lava of Death Mountain, its sturdy for the road.”

“You really put in that much thought for me?”

“Of course son, you deserve it.”

“Careful, this one’s fragile.” Malon smiled as she handed Sky a gift wrapped in cloth.

Sky carefully unraveled the cloth to reveal a tiny, but familiar bird. He heard its name before. Clucko? No… right! It was a cucco.

“I love it! It’s so cute!”

“We are letting you keep it as long as it doesn’t come in contact with anybody in any way.” Legend grumbled.

“Darling, this one’s for you.” Malon handed Time a carefully wrapped present. Time’s fingers slowly pealed away the wrapping paper, and softness immediately enveloped his finger.

9 crochet squares, all sewn together.

A deception of a forge, intense yet pulling things together.

A vast ocean, and a red boat riding the waves.

A goat, with beautiful horns resembling Ordon.

A map, holding a sense of adventure.

A flower, holding a sort of dream like resemblance.

A sheikah crest, holding symbolism and order.

Swords and shields, crashing together yet have some sense of balance to them.

Islands floating in a vast open sky, with giant loft wings circling around.

In the middle of it all,

Home. The ranch. In the center stood a beautifully crocheted deception of Time and Malon, yet they weren’t the only people in this art. 8 other boys stood around, holding a resemblance of courage.

“Merry Christmas, old man!” The eight boys smiled in unison.

This would be a Christmas Time could never forget.

Yeah this didn’t turn out short LOL

🥹🥹🥹

Awwee this was so CUTE!!!

Each of those gifts is precious (even winds pun with the seashells lol) and Times blanket with all of the squares representing the boys is

Thank you for writing this and Merry Christmas!!!

#sweet blarefordaglare #fics for oma

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not-that-syndrigast · 2 months

Text

Stucky fanfic recs

below you can find some of my all time favourite Stucky fics that have ruined my life 💕 not really sorted except for the first three which are my all time favourites

United States v. Barnes, 617 F. Supp. 2d 143 (D.D.C. 2015)

The Associated Press @AP

Winter Soldier set to stand trial for Washington D.C. massacre and treason apne.ws/1og6SWE

(Creative, canon adjacent)

End OTW Racism | Steve Rogers at 100: Celebrating Captain America on Film

“Heil Hydra,” the enemy agent shouts.

“Heil this, motherfucker,” says Captain America, shooting off a rocket.

Steve and Bucky find out Hollywood has been busy since they went away. A historical survey, including but not limited to: one set of exploded genitals, a brief interlude in France, Mel Gibson and other masterworks of casting, eight Academy awards, several dinosaurs, and something Tony Stark has ominously dubbed “the masterpiece.” Art included.

(creative, canon adjacent)

A long winter

In 1945, Steve Rogers jumps from a nosediving plane and swims through miles of Arctic Ocean to a frozen shore.

In 1947, Steve Rogers marries Peggy Carter.

In 1966, the New York Times finds the lost letters of Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes.

(AU)

Just say you do

Steve just wanted a job. He wasn't expecting a marriage proposal. And he certainly wasn't expecting to accept.

(Modern AU, small Steve)

ain't no grave (can keep my body down)

It's six in the morning, and Steve is heading out on a run when he nearly trips over a bouquet of sunflowers on the front steps of his brownstone.

For a second paranoia takes over, and he kicks the flowers a little, waiting for them to explode. They don't. They also came with a card, which he picks up. The front of the card has a tasteful picture of the Brooklyn bridge at sunset. It's very nice and sedate, like the kind of card you would buy to give to your boss. On the inside someone has written a short message in big, shaky block letters.

I AM SORRY FOR SHOOTING YOU.

Steve sits down hard on the steps.

(Canon adjacent)

casual encounters

“You have never once been careful in your entire life.” Bucky huffs out a laugh. He looks away. “Maybe I’m offended you didn’t think to ask me.” He says it like a joke, but he can’t bring himself to laugh again.

“Bucky,” Steve says, scandalized. “You’re my friend. I’m not gonna use you to experiment sexually.”

(Modern AU, small Steve, sexual content)

If they haven't learned your name

Steve gets out of the hospital in two days, but just barely. “I’m fine,” he tells Sam, Nurse Eunjung and the phalanx of doctors assigned to make sure Captain America didn’t bleed out and die and get bad PR all over their nice clean hospital. “I have an advanced healing factor. It’s fine. See? I’m standing.”

“That is not standing,” Sam tells him.

“You’re bending the IV stand,” Nurse Eunjung adds pointedly. “Let go and sit down, they don’t grow on trees.”

aka Steve and Bucky's Global Honeymoon Revenge World Tour.

(Canon adjacent)

choices we're given

Steve Rogers is a good man and a good agent. There's really no excuse for the assassin in his bed.

(Modern AU, sexual content)

through the woods

There’s a legend in Mansewood, nearly as old as the town itself, about a pack of werewolves that once lived in the forest. They say only one survives; a monstrous and snarling beast with fur like a blizzard and fangs the size of daggers. They say it guards the lands and all creatures in it, and no hunter has faced it and lived to tell the tale.

Steve doesn’t care about any of that. He only wants to know if it prefers T-Bone or ribeye, and would it please stop tracking dirt through his house? He just mopped the floor.

(Modern AU, sexual content)

#stucky #steve rogers #captain america #james bucky buchanan barnes #the winter soldier #fanfiction #fanfiction recommendation #ao3 #steve x bucky #steve rogers x bucky barnes #bucky barnes #recommendations #ao3 recs #resurrect stucky 2024

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blackacre13 · 11 months

Note

lou bending debbie over their car bcz debbie cant wait since she realize lou’s packing while they’re out

“No patience, Ocean,” Lou tsked, shaking her head at the other woman as they crossed the parking lot. The blonde’s arms were wrapped around the brunette’s waist protectively as she looked sideways down the street, cars rolling along the slick dark, street. It must have rained while they’d been in the theater.

“I thought that movie would never end,” Debbie groaned, stopping them mid-walk as her fingers tangled in Lou’s hair at the base of her neck. “I just had to get my hands on you.”

“They were,” Lou smirked. “All over me, babe. The entire movie. Need I remind you that you were the one who chose the movie?”

“Only because you suggested we go in the first place,” Debbie pointed out. “But now,” she grinned, tugging Lou towards her by the lapels of her leather jacket. “Now all I want is you.”

“Not all the time?” The blonde gasped, switching their positions as she backed Debbie towards their parked car.

“You know what I mean, baby,” Debbie huffed, pouting her lips as she crossed her arms.

“I dunno, Debs. Already getting pretty late,” Lou feigned, checking her watch. “And the weather looks a bit rough. Plus, you know I told Danny I’d have you back at a decent time and—“

“Since when have you ever been one to follow the rules?” Debbie whispered, pulling Lou in closer.

The blonde groaned, her lips right up against the skin of Debbie’s neck.

“I said I’d bring you home, Debs,” Lou murmured before grazing her teeth against her neck. “I never said anything about leaving you there by yourself.”

“That’s more like it,” Debbie blinked, her lips growing into a cocky smile until Lou’s thigh shoved between her legs making the brunette moan quietly. “Lou, baby, what if we just—“

“Just used this abandoned parking lot to our advantage?” Lou asked in a low voice. Her fingers tucked themselves into the waistband of Debbie’s jeans, slinking a single finger even lower, sliding down into Debbie’s panties and running a finger through the slick heat that was waiting between her folds. “Someone got a little excited during that terrible delay of a movie, huh?”

“Don’t tease,” Debbie exhaled. But Lou was slipping the finger out of Debbie’s pants and pushing it into her own mouth, sucking on it until their eyes popped and Lou could release it with a sickening grin.

“But it’s so fun,” Lou whispered, walking her fingers up over Debbie’s stomach to her ribs to her chest, pushing her back against the hood of the car, the hood and Lou’s thigh balancing the brunette just before she hit it, arms immediately cradling her. “And if you had just been a little bit more patient, love, I could have taken you home. Dropped you off out front. Given you a goodnight kiss like the perfect little girlfriend so Danny could give your daddy a good report for the night and just after the porch light went out, I would obviously have used the broken rain gutter out back to climb up and through your window.”

“Yeah?” Debbie breathed, groaning with disappointment as Lou’s thigh disappeared from between her own. But then Lou’s hips were pressed up against hers, rolling down against her, surprise and then recognition coating Debbie’s face.

“Probably waiting there, all twisted up and tight, desperate for just a little something. Anything. Just to take the edge off. Maybe taking matters into your own hands….quite literally.”

“Lou,” Debbie panted, the blonde rolling her hips against her again, her weight pressing down against her as Debbie’s fingers dug at her shoulders. “Are you—“

“And sure, you could have gotten yourself off like that,” Lou shrugged. “Or you could’ve let me take a stab at it,” Lou grinned, now grinding against Debbie with a vigor as she moaned, absolutely feeling the pressure of something hard against her jets as their hips rolled against each other.

“Fuck, Lou, that’s what I want, baby. Please.”

“Could’ve had you home on time. Daddy’s perfect little girl,” Lou snickered, but then she was close to Debbie’s ear, hot breath blowing against her as her voice dropped. “And then you could’ve been a good girl for Daddy and let me fuck you with my strap until you just….can’t….take it….anymore.”

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owlespresso · 2 months

Note

for the fanfic trope ask thing, i think fake dating + sleep intimacy is always so fucking good

pretending to date the esteemed Dr. Ratio has a bevy of benefits. you're not sure if his preoccupation with your health is one of them. 1.1k words

The night is late. Stars shimmer in broad bands of pure light above the resort, a reminder of what you miss so thoroughly when you're at home.

You stood on the balcony of your room for likely an hour, forearms pressed up against the cool railing. The air is warm enough to permit it, balmy and sweet with the scent of wildflowers and the ocean. The tides crash against the nearby beach, close enough to be heard as you stare into those unblinking cosmos.

The glass door slides open, breaking you from your reverie. Your companion lingers in the threshold, and you can already picture him with arms crossed, eyebrows raised in silent expectation.

"It's getting late. If you want to get a regular eight hours, I would recommend retiring now." Veritas insists.

"Eight hours, huh... You don't need to worry about me. I run fine on less." you inform him, drumming your fingertips on the cool metal of the railing.

"That may very well serve you while alone with only your research to worry about, but to 'run on less' at the wedding of an esteemed relative and colleague would be impolite at best and irresponsible at worst, given the hand you had in organizing this entire affair.” As per usual, he wastes no time with his scolding. You’ve been on the receiving end of many such lectures, especially after long periods of time spent without rest, buried amongst the old tomes and binders which contain the bulk of your work and research material. As a fellow scholar, you had once hoped he would understand the need to forgo sleep for the greater good—but he’s still standing there.

You can practically hear him roll his eyes. This is fake dating. You’re dating for convenience alone. You needed a date to your friend’s wedding and Veritas wants to take samples of some of the flora on the island for his own convenience. There’s no need for him to reach out beyond that, and still—he’s been awfully intent on shepherding you around.

“Need I remind you of today’s incident? You nearly fell asleep on your feet. Had I not been there, you would have fallen nose-first into your mojito.” He continues on.

"Fine,” you acquiesce with a sigh, if only to stop his blabbering. You would rather jump off than admit it, but he has a good point. The jetlag and your duties as assistant wedding planner have wrung you dry and kept you busy. So busy that you assumed you wouldn't be getting any good sleep until you returned home. You accepted that fate. Divine intervention reaches down in the form of one Veritas Ratio, whose nagged you to sleep twice now. Going for a third time tonight.

“Spare me your complaints,” Veritas clicks his tongue. The door slides shut behind you, curtains pulled tidily back into place. “You’ll be thanking me tomorrow, when you’re able to think clearly, make good decisions, and remain standing up for more than fifteen minutes at a time.”

And that, you suppose you cannot dispute. You navigate through the suite, passing the canopy bed and ducking into the lavish bathroom, hastening to the sink. Running through your bedtime routine serves to settle your ruffled nerves. There’s something stabilizing in those repetitive motions, in cleaning your face and brushing your teeth. The creature in the reflection of the bathroom mirror looks more honest, divested of concealer and powder and lipgloss. The luggage under your eyes shines dull and deep.

“Do you see now?” Veritas steps up behind you. Even in sleepwear, he clings onto his bravado, broad chest and strong arms hidden underneath the gauzy, deep blue of his robe. The fabric is incredibly sheer, nearly transparent. You can very clearly see each defined plane of muscle held beneath, his broad shoulders and ridiculously big arms painfully clear. You don’t get your gaze wander any lower, for the sake of propriety. He cradles a half-empty wine glass in one of his hands. “Why getting an adequate amount of rest is so important?”

“You look like a recent widow whose husband died in mysterious circumstances.” you say, without really thinking.

He snorts. “Hush,” he gently chides. The wine glass is delicately slipped onto the wide sink counter. His fingers gently prise decorative pins and clips from your hair. Your spine goes rigid as he delicately removes each one, expecting the telltale sting of a pull. But not a pinch of pain pricks your scalp. He lays them out across the speckled marble. The gold and silver gleams underneath the lighting, the lights above the mirror set to dim. It’s easy on your tired eyes.

You, against your better judgment, relax into the delicate touch. Your eyes flutter shut, palms pressing flat to the cold counter, general chaos of the day sliding off your shoulders like fresh rain. Any possible retort dies on your tongue, weary from all of the small talk you’ve endured.

“There,” Veritas hums. The last pin settles on the counter with a quiet clink. “All done. Now do us both a favor and come to bed. I won’t get a wink of sleep if you keep fussing.”

“I wasn’t fussing. I was standing on the balcony. Outside of our room.”

“And the door to said balcony makes the most horrendous squeal whenever you open it,” Veritas sighs as though immensely put upon. “Now come. You have accrued six hours worth of sleep debt in short time we’ve been here.” He leaves the bathroom, the silken river of his robe swaying around his toned calves as he departs.

“Alright, alright,” you grumble, following.

Veritas, of course, is not one to let you get the last word in. He braces a palm at the small of your back for a fleeting moment, gently urging you forward.

“Don’t sound so put out. I’m looking out for your well-being, like any prospective partner should. If anything, you should be thanking me,” he says, and you know you’re not imagining the slight, self-satisfied smile on his face.

The blankets have been pulled back, revealing the downy, cream-colored sheets beneath. It looks near heavenly after the very, very active day you’ve just endured. Divesting yourself of all propriety, you dive underneath the blankets. They’re buttery and cool against your warm skin, smelling of sandalwood and sweet, lovely lotions. The mattress creaks as he settles in beside you, but you pay him no mind as you melt atop the mattress, muscles released of the day’s tensions. This is a professional arrangement, after all. You have nothing to worry about from him.

“We’re not really dating,” you mumble, only after several minutes of tossing and turning and nestling into place amongst the sea of pillows. There’s a clicking sound. He’s turned off the lamp.

You open one eye to peer at him. He’s smiling, cheek gracing the palm of his hand. In the dim, his eyes seem to glow and glimmer like dying embers. “I’m well-aware. “

#hungering for hsr #dr ratio/reader #dr ratio

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readinglatenights · 8 months

Note

Can you write a cute fanfic with belly and jere?

i got carried away... if this is too deep then just send another ask LMAOO

call it what you want babe

lol second thing i've ever written but i've had this idea for SO LONG!! you can totally skip the lines i just thought it was so applicable, this is based on the taylor swift song call it what you want!! warnings: angst w susannah and mentions of conrad BUT UNBEARABLE FLUFF AFTER BEGINNING!! IT GETS CUTE IM SORRY I GOT CARRIED AWAY paring: jeremiah fisher and belly conklin word count: 749 premise: takes place the summer belly and jeremiah get together, so basically after season 2 (basically canon complicit?)

all the jokers dressing up as kings; they fade to nothing when i look at him

it had been eight weeks since susannah fisher had died. it had been fourteen weeks since belly had broken up with conrad.

but it had been four weeks with jeremiah fisher.

belly realized shortly after reconnecting with the brothers that jeremiah had loved her. he had loved her more true, and more pure than anyone ever did.

and i know i make the same mistakes every time; bridges burn, i never learn

her life came to a devasting halt. people have come and go in her life, but susannah was someone who loved her from the moon to saturn. she always repeated that she was destined for one of her boys, but never understood jeremiah's undying fire for belly.

at least i did one thing right. i did one thing right.

so here she was, fingers interlocked as they walked down the boadwalk of cousins beach, wrapping up their time out. jeremiah looked down at the girl he had loved for so long, ocean eyes adoringly meeting hers. he asks, "d'you wanna find a keepsake for tonight?" she smiles up at him, barely focusing on his words. his language was entangled with the blaring sounds of the rides and people around them. nodding, he leads her to the ring toss stand and purchases 6 rings for the each of them. as easy as it was to love jeremiah, it was hard to win at ring toss.

i'm laughing with my lover; making forts under covers

jeremiah had gotten a ring to stay on a bottle, and the worker asked what prize he had wanted. he gestured to belly, "pick any one you want, bells." she points to the giraffe.

as she walked with him to the cousins beach house they all loved, she made a mental note.

trust him like a brother

as complicated as her life was, she needed someone who would be her anchor. she needed the boy who let her feelings run wild, but would still tie her to home. she unlocked the door to the cozy abode, leaving the keys on the seashell hooks. the air was reminiscent of moments she had had with susannah, conrad, her mother, steven, taylor, and even cam.

yeah, you know i did one thing right.

she let the thoughts clear her head, and let her heart lead her. jeremiah had taken off his shoes and turned on the tv, opting to play music instead of turning on a movie. belly sits the giraffe down on the kitchen island, slumping over slightly as she prepared dinner.

"what are you gonna name him?" jeremiah asks, walking over to her. his hands meet her sides, resting comfortably on her hips, pressing light kisses on her cheek and neck.

she poured the uncooked pasta into boiling water, then turned to face him. "i'm not sure yet," she giggles, choosing to lightly bump his nose with her finger. "you don't have to decide yet," he kisses her forehead. "we have all the time in the world."

starry eyes sparking up my darkest night

and they did. as jeremiah prepared their pasta, belly couldn't help but feel that everything in her life was worth it if she got to be with him. exciting nights alone couldn't even fathom replacing the most mundane nights with jeremiah fisher.

my baby's fit like a daydream, walking with his head down

plating their food and mixing a fruity concoction for both of them to drink, jeremiah grabbed the unnamed giraffe. belly sat on the couch close to jeremiah, and he pulled her closer. he wrapped his arms around her, cradling both her and the stuffed animal in his arms. the food was abandoned on the table as they laid together. for all the mistakes that she had made, for all the trouble they had gone through together, it had all amounted to this.

"jeremiah, have i ever told you how lucky i am to be with you?" she asked, nervously. he looked stunned, perplexed that she would say something like this. his features softened as he answered, "bells, you don't have to."

i'm the one he's walking to

"i think i'll never truly comphrehend how lucky i am to be with you." he pauses, looking at her. his pupils would morph into hearts if they could.

this was their ending.

so call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to.

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esta-elavaris · 4 months

Text

Part Twelve [2,590 words] ~ James Norrington/OC

An AU of my completed, 400k+ word fanfic Catch the Wind [AO3], in which Elizabeth, not James, is the one to discover Theodora Byrne after she crash-lands into the world of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Page breaks by cafekitsune.

Also now on AO3 and FF.net.

Masterpost - Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Part Ten - Part Eleven - *Part Twelve* [you're here!]

Tag list [let me know if you want to be added!]: @missfronkensteen @teawithshakespeare @dancerinthestorm

"I have a surprise for you."

Norrington looked aghast at her words, and Theo grinned, laughing and quickly continuing before he could get up and sprint back to the Interceptor. Or maybe just directly into the ocean. Whatever he continued to be the swiftest form of escape.

"You can relax, it's not for you. But you had a pretty big hand in it, so I wanted you to be the first to see it."

"The necklace?"

It could never be said that he wasn't shrewd. Or that she didn't have a way or making things painfully obvious, she supposed.

"The necklace," she confirmed, sifting through her skirts until she found the pockets sewn within.

"Wouldn't I be the third to see it, then? Behind Turner and yourself?"

"If I knew that you were going to be like this about it, you'd have been the twentieth."

"The twenty-first would've been too insulting?"

"Had to save a spot for Amelia."

"I shall keep the rest of my comments to myself, so I'm not catapulted further still down the list."

"Mm – any more snark and I'd have to put you square behind taking it to the cells in Fort Charles to show the folk there before I let you see it."

"In which case I would have to give permission – which I would only bestow if you allowed me to see the necklace, as recompense."

"I bow down to a skilled tactician," she said drily.

Of course, her deadpan humoured was dulled a bit by the smile on her face, but she couldn't help it. Who could have ever thought that the inscrutable James Norrington would ever be willing to sit and chat nonsense with her – unbegrudgingly, and with a smile on his face? It beggared belief. And she enjoyed it more than she should.

"It's not an exact replica. They're not so much twins as sisters, but I kind of like that," she explained, drawing the little cloth pouch from her skirts. "It'd be a bit to twee if we were cutting about in matching jewellery."

"Cutting about?"

"Yes, yes, she speaks like a weird little commoner, we know this."

"I was not mocking you," he said simply.

He looked tempted to add something else and she waited patiently for him to do so, but when he finally did, she had the feeling it wasn't what he originally intended to say.

"Must I beg, if I wish to see this necklace?"

"Is that an offer?"

"No," came his emphatic response.

Theo laughed, unwrapping it and then dangling it by the chain before him. The pendant was around the same size as her own, and shone just as brightly, but with small curling designs running along the edges of the shape. Will had explained the reasoning for this – something to do with imperfections in the only silver he'd been able to squirrel away for use, and how this disguised them. But they were very pretty, so she'd hardly been inclined to complain in the first place.

He looked at the necklace – truly looked at it, rather than just fixing his eyes in its general direction for a polite amount of time before he went on to rattle off some sort of canned, polite compliment. The action made Theo more nervous than she let on. Sure, she'd borrowed some of Elizabeth's jewellery here and there for social gatherings, but he'd spent his whole life surrounded by the fashions and the ways of this time. If something was up with the necklace, he'd see it immediately.

Once upon a time, she would have expected him to therefore voice it immediately, too. But now she honestly couldn't say whether she'd expect that from him or not – for he was kinder than she'd first realised. Even if he probably wouldn't thank her for pointing it out.

"It's a fine piece," he said, holding it up to the light and nodding with approval that appeared perfectly sincere. "I'm sure Miss Swann will be ecstatic."

"I hope she will be. It's just such a relief to finally be able to do something nice for her," she admitted, accepting the necklace back.

He cleared his throat, perhaps uncomfortable with the sincere tone their conversation was taking, then he hesitated for a moment before he spoke.

"You must know that neither of the Swanns would hold any expectation in that regard."

"Of course I do. That just makes it worse. If they begrudged what they gave me, I'd feel less bad about it."

"Ireland must be a strange land indeed," he snorted.

Although there was something in his tone that suggested he knew exactly what she meant.

"No," she sighed, only half-joking. "Just me."

Thankfully, he chose that moment to steer them into less choppy, awkward waters.

"I'm curious. You're well-read, and you mentioned missing your books from home. What do you ordinarily read?"

Had she not been trying to rein in a very mortifying bout of emotions, she might've realised how that had the potential to be a dangerous question – given the time discrepancy.

"Whatever I can get my hands on. It depends on my mood. History…"

By that, she meant salacious autobiographies of her favourite musicians.

"…Philosophy…"

That one, at least, he could take at face value.

"…Horror," she added.

"Horror?" he frowned.

Well. It looked like that hadn't been invented yet. Great. Although she shouldn't have really been surprised, she supposed – what book invented it? He'd been pretty generous in describing her as well-read, but she wasn't an expert on literature, nor educated on it enough to know when certain genres began or how. She could guess that horror began as gothic literature and morphed a bit, and it did seem a bit early even for that. Although she wasn't sure what signs she could look for. Amelia stomping about the town in Demonia platforms and black lipstick? Annoyingly, she'd probably be able to pull it off.

Alas, she'd dug herself into this hole now – so she might as well start making it hospitable.

"Horror – stories of…of ghosts, and the supernatural, and of people who do terrible things."

"It hardly sounds like the stuff of recreational reading."

"It makes sense, once you dig into it."

"By all means, explain it to me."

From anybody else, it might've felt condescending. Hell, from him it would have been condescending only a few weeks ago. But instead, as he spoke, he watched her with open curiosity – with expectation. Not because he was waiting for her to make an absolute tit out of herself, but because he genuinely expected that what she was about to say might be interesting. From James Norrington, that was damn high praise.

"It…it provides a safe avenue to explore those feelings," she cringed at how new-age faux-intellectual that sounded, especially to someone who had actually fought in battles out at sea, and quickly continued. "For someone who's never experienced real fear, or real danger, if they get really engrossed in a story full of those things, they experience that fear. Obviously to a far, far lesser extent, but it's something. It's better than nothing. I'm not saying a book'll turn them into some grizzled war veteran-"

"Like myself?" he asked drily.

"You're not grizzled," she snorted. "Reading horror is just…microdosing danger."

"Microdosing danger?"

Was she hallucinating, or was that an amused smile on his face? One that wasn't even grudging? God, she was at risk of swooning.

"Yeah, like-"

"I can guess your meaning well enough, even if I've never heard the phrasing before."

"Look at us, bridging the language barrier. You've a promising career in diplomacy ahead of you."

"By God, I hope not. If you'd been paying attention, you would have seen that my skill lies in conflict."

"So does diplomacy, really."

"Diplomats cannot utilise cannons in their work."

"Maybe you could be the first."

He rolled his eyes and she couldn't help but laugh fondly, wrenching them back to the topic at hand. There was only so much of her nonsense that he'd willingly tolerate before he excused himself, and she enjoyed his company.

"There's something thrilling about it, too. Scaring yourself when there isn't anything real to be scared of. Monsters, evil, the like. It can be exciting."

"Spoken like one who has never encountered monsters, nor evil," he said flatly.

"You don't know what I've seen."

She meant the words to be teasing – referring to what she knew lay ahead, perhaps, or maybe just the sight of her dad's brothers-in-arms hungover on a Sunday morning. James didn't laugh, which wasn't that surprising, but nor did he roll his eyes. Instead, he looked…well, not quite stricken, but suddenly very solemn indeed, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly for a moment before he forced his lips together. Bowing his head, he cleared his throat and then looked back at her again, very much the solemn Captain Norrington.

"You are right – I do not. My apologies."

Theo blinked in surprise. She'd gotten fairly decent, although far from infallible, when it came to gauging her daft little jokes here, but Norrington's sincere and solemn response caught her off guard. Not least because he watched her keenly now. Was there something she should be saying?

"Er…don't worry about it. I was only being silly."

He continued looking at her for a few long moments, and she couldn't help but feel like whatever he'd wished for her to say, that hadn't been it.

Governor Swann was holding a dinner party that evening – for the seniormost men in Port Royal who were about to make sail. It was a tradition that the Governor himself had founded shortly after arriving in Port Royal, ensuring that the men about to leave at least got one good meal in, as well as a bit of entertaining company, before they went off to see to their duty. Ordinarily, it was something James merely endured. Yes, he often found he enjoyed the evenings more than he expected to, but that lack of expectation seldom had anything to do with the company he would find there.

He'd more than earned his reputation of being a man of duty. Whatever minor gripes he had with how they extended to whispers that he had no sense of humour, or that he could find no joy in anything but duty, he could roll his eyes and brush off such comments. Not least because of the small amount of truth in them – for on the nights before he was due to leave Port Royal, he simply had no desire to spend the last of his time making small-talk in drawing rooms. No, he would much prefer to instead spend it making sure that everything was in order, including his thoughts, before he left.

This voyage would require no extensive preparations. It was more of a patrol than a real mission. A short journey through the surrounding waters, aimed at both ensuring those waters were safe, maintaining a tangible presence for any foul eyes who may be watching with malintent, and to stop their wits from dulling during extensive time inland.

Still, James found himself disgruntled at what lay ahead…and all because of a conversation he'd had with Governor Swann himself, that morning as they walked the battlements of Fort Charles.

"Elizabeth is ecstatic at the prospect of tonight – it's her first chance to show off her gift from Miss Byrne. I don't suppose you've seen it?"

"No," he lied. "I have not. What is it?"

If he told the truth of the matter, there ran a real risk of credit being attributed to him, and not Miss Byrne. He had no risk to detract from her victory. Not when he'd seen how jubilant it made her.

"A necklace – a pretty little trinket, to be sure. It won't be featured next to the Crown Jewels any time soon, but the sentimental value behind the piece far outshines those in the eyes of my daughter."

James chuckled. "I'm sure it does."

"Truth be told, I was worried about the influence our guest may have on her, but I've discovered those worries were all for naught. Miss Byrne has certainly brightened up her days considerably. Thick as thieves, those two."

"Good. I'm glad."

Worryingly, he found he even meant that. Mostly.

"You never know, perhaps Miss Byrne will find herself a suitor during one such evening as tonight."

Stilling, James blinked and looked up at the Governor. "A suitor?"

"Come, Captain," the Governor chuckled, misunderstanding his shock. "She has her eccentricities, but she's fair. Some may even profess to find her charming, in her way. If we cannot find her father, and if he does not find us, or if he cannot find us, God help him, we must…look to the future. She could do far worse for herself than a strapping young lieutenant. Although, I grant you, it would have to be one with good humour."

There were only two lieutenants who came to mind at all, and the latter part of Governor Swann's statement firmly ruled out Gillette from the running. Although he had to admit, it would make a good show to see Gillette trying to woo a woman such as Theodora Byrne. But Groves? The notion of Groves doing so filled him with less humour. And how could it not, he reasoned? They knew nothing of her background, nor how that background may impact whether she was eligible at all. That was the source of his discomfort. Nothing more.

The memory of the conversation had James' lips thinning. Hopefully Governor Swann had less of a stomach for matchmaking than his daughter did.

Ordinarily, this turn of events would have been a great help. Elizabeth could no longer fill her mind with misguided notions regarding himself and Theodora if Miss Byrne was occupied with the attentions of Groves, that much was true. It would have been an exceedingly neat little solution. One, he was sure, he would have personally encouraged – were it not for the extraneous factors.

And as for those extraneous factors, he was certain – truly certain – that he was getting somewhere. You don't know what I've seen. When they'd first met, she never would have admitted such a thing aloud to him. This camaraderie that had grown between them, that very same camaraderie that surprised him in how little he had to feign or resort to pretence in order to achieve it, and worried him in how natural and easy it felt, was working.

Was it wrong for him to find happiness in that? More than the mere satisfaction in achieving an important aim, but the true pleasure in having gained the confidence of a woman – a person – who had shown themselves to be truly decent, whatever her secrets? For he was good at sniffing out artifice and foul intentions, and while Theodora had some of the former about her, she had none of the latter. Today, he'd almost even slipped up and admitted that he liked her strange little idioms and turn of phrase, but he held himseld back. Thankfully. For that could very well be misread, and spook her. And when she did finally confide in him, as he was growing more and more hopeful that she would, he would in turn finally be able to help her.

The notion of Groves swooping in and courting her was just that. A mere notion. A passing possibility planted in his mind by an errant comment of Governor Swann's – a fleeting comment he probably now had no recollection of making, for it meant so little. It was not set in stone, and it only bothered James personally because he might undo the progress he was making here. That was all.

Yes. That was all.

#catch the wind #ctw #james/theodora #fallen through time esta-elavaris #ftt #james norrington/oc #james norrington x oc #pirates of the caribbean fanfiction #pirates of the caribbean fanfic #potcfic #james norrington fanfiction #james norrington fanfic

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whogirl2011 · 5 months

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Lost and found (the road trip) | Dwight X Gretta | One shot | a little over 3.8k words | Rated: T for light romantic themes and kissing.

A Dwight in shining armor Fanfic

Summary: After graduation Dwight and Gretta go on their first ever roadtrip together to see places outside of Woodside.

This was made for @shiningsmoochweek a prompt week of favorite couples in Dwight in shining armor set up by the lovely @dwightinshiningarmorfan. It might be a little late but I'm happy to get this one out there. 🥰

Nana was doing a once over with Dwight, taking note of the few duffle bags and other items he was busy rearranging in the back seat of his recently acquired SUV. He opened the front door of his car, leaning over and checking for possibly the tenth time in his glovebox that he had his registration, insurance information, and a road map with a pack of multicolored pens.

It was a plan for after they’d graduated. Dwight wanted to take Gretta to places neither of them had been–which, for both of them, turned out to be a lot. He was a small-town boy from Woodside, never experiencing the open road for himself full of bright lights, highway signs, and traffic so busy it could take any destination they chose and turn it into miles of moving inch by inch.

Gretta had never seen famous landmarks across the nation like the depths of the Grand Canyon in the Arizona heat. She had never been surrounded by palm trees instead of great oaks with sand between her toes, looking out into a steady ocean, the waves lapping at her calves.

This road trip was going to change that.

“I think that’s everything,” Dwight said, coming out of his maroon vehicle, assuring his grandmother with a smile. She pulled him into a tight hug.

“Make sure you stop every few hours for a stretch,” Nana told him. He opened his mouth to say something while still being held, but she continued, “And don’t try to drive more than eight hours in a day if you can.” He pulled back and nodded, attempting to speak again, but Nana carried on, “And make sure you check in from time to time to let me know how things are going.”

“I–”

“But not if you’re driving and need to keep your eyes on the road.”

“Got it,” Dwight blurted. He understood why she was being like this. Nana, after all, had been his sole guardian since losing his parents when he was only a toddler. He wondered if her worry for him was similar to when they had left for Alaska. The thought made him hug his Grandmother tightly one more time.

“I’m gonna miss you honey bear.”

“I’ll miss you too,” he spoke warmly, rubbing her back, “I’ll call you later when we hit a pit stop.” They released their embrace when they heard Baldric’s voice.

“And you remembered your tooth-cleaning brush?”

“Yes,” Gretta confirmed, following before they appeared from around the corner with Hexala and Chlodwig in tow. She was carrying a bag over her shoulder made of cloth enwrapped by rope. Chlodwig had a quiver over his shoulder, filled to bursting with arrows, and held a bow in one hand. Baldric had another bag made of cloth tied together with rope that looked much heavier than the one Gretta was carrying. An axe and multiple sheathed swords were tucked under his arm, clanging with each step.

“Nope! Hold up!” Dwight raised a hand with his palm out, gesturing a stop. “There’s no way you’re putting all that in my car.” Baldric dropped the weapons and the bag of armor at the curb giving out a huff. Chlodwig rolled his eyes, laying down the quiver and bow. “We’re going on this road trip for some sightseeing, not driving into battle with an army.”

“Wha–” Gretta began to argue, dropping the bag hanging off her shoulder beside the car.

“You can bring one sword.” Dwight put his pointer finger up. “One.” He dropped his arm and shook his head, picking up the bag that Gretta had set down, and leaned into the back of the car to place it on the backseat.

“One?” she mouthed, brows furrowing, looking down at the weapons on the ground. Gretta shrugged at the magician and prince and crouched down, pulling the array of swords from their scabbards to check them over.

“Here, Sir Dwight,” Hexala spoke, appearing at Dwight’s side as he came back out. She pulled a tall, narrow glass bottle from her bag. “Take this.”

The cork in the top was sealed in by melted wax that dripped down the neck and shoulder. The knight squinted, looking closely into it. There were small rocks at the bottom and various dried herbs stuffed in with purple and silver powder sprinkled throughout.

“Uh, thanks?” he said, taking the bottle and rotating it around in his hands. “What is it?”

“It’s for good fortune on your travels.”

“Oh!” Dwight glanced over to where Gretta stood. She was holding a sword in each hand, studying them with her court magician and cousin. He let out a nervous ‘heh’ and nodded, quickly raising the bottle in thanks. Tucking the bottle in the back pocket of the driver’s seat, he knew he could probably use all the luck he could get. He checked his watch and spoke while exiting the car’s interior, “Come on Gretta, we’re burning daylight here.”

“Quickly Sir Dwight! What sword would you choose to bring along for our adventure? This one? hm?” She held one up and then the other. “Or this one?”

“I suggested she go with that one,” noted Baldric, pointing to the sword that had a circular arc curving upward on the guard, the sphere on the pommel was nestled into another arc facing the opposite way.

“And I that one,” added Chlodwig, pointing at the sword with a crescent moon framing the blade’s base. The pommel was another crescent moon, mirroring the guard.

“Anyone else wanna throw in their two cents?” asked Dwight, looking over towards Hexala and Nana.

“I think I'm gonna stay out of this one honey,” replied Nana.

Hexala nodded her head in agreement next to her. “Swords aren’t this witch’s forte.”

“Well, Sir Dwight? Which one do you prefer?” Gretta raised the swords up again so he could look them both over.

When he took in the way she eagerly awaited an answer, the realization dawned on him how significant this decision was for someone like her. He couldn’t simply pick one at random just because he was beginning to get impatient. This was Gretta’s sword they were talking about–the very thing Gretta took pride in choosing whenever they’d faced danger during an adventure or while they were on a quest. And they were about to embark on a brand new adventure together. Just him and Gretta.

Not only that, but a sword wasn’t just a weapon to the Princess. Sure, it was something she’d used to fight with for her own survival since she was little, but it also held sentimental value. It was a reminder of home, a comfort she’d beheld since she was two years old. In a way, it was kind of like Dwight’s stuffed sock monkey, Mr. Mooks. Was it practical to compare a weapon to a cuddly toy? No. Was he going to reveal to anyone, especially Gretta–he had Mr. Mooks secretly stashed in his bag for the trip? Also, no.

“Sir Dwight, daylight is burning,” Gretta stated, using his own words against him. Now he was the one stalling.

“I’m thinking,” Dwight replied. “Which of these swords has helped us out of a bad situation before?”

“Both,” she answered, holding them up proudly with a smile.

“Kay…” Dwight trailed, “Well, which one belonged to your grandmother?”

“Both.”

“Alright, just–get them both in there, then,” he told her, jabbing a thumb behind him towards the car. She smiled giddily, sliding the swords back into their scabbards, and wrapping a belt around one of them. She kissed his cheek, holding the swords closely to her chest and she was off to pack them into the car. The girl could be absolutely impossible and exasperating at times, but he couldn’t help the smile curving his lips now when he looked over at his Princess so happy.

Chlodwig approached next as Gretta rejoined her knight. The prince reached out to cradle their faces in his hands. His thumbs rested at the front of their ears while his fingers curved around the nape of their necks. “Do not forget to send me something amongst your travels to share with our guy club assembly.”

“Don’t worry buddy, we’ll send you a postcard from the road,” Dwight said smiling at him

“Safe journey, dear cousin Gretta, dear brother Dwight.” Chlodwig put an arm around both of them and pulled them in closely. The Princess patted her hand against her cousin’s shoulder. Chlodwig let them go and nodded quickly when there was a sudden gruff clearing of a throat. He backed away as Baldric approached them.

“Everything ready?” The magician asked.

“Yeah, I think so.” Baldric placed his heavy hands on top of Dwight’s shoulders “Safe journey, Sir Dwight.” Suddenly, Dwight was pulled in for a bear hug, lifting him up off his feet, practically squeezing the air out of him. “Promise me, you and the Princess will return safely.”

“Will. Do. Prom…ise,” Dwight strained.

Baldric let him go and looking at Gretta, he bowed his head. “I will keep you informed should any important matters arise in your absence.”

“And I shall keep you informed of our well-being during our travels.” Gretta raised her hand towards him where Baldric held it in between both of his. “Please take care of yourself and the kingdom while we are away.”

Baldric nodded, releasing her hand after saying, “As you command, Your Royal Highness.”

“Upon our return, we shall share many pleasant tales, self mes, and spritely songs of our journey.”

“I’ll bring you back some souvenirs big guy,” added Dwight.

“You must return home safely, Highness.” his eyes grew softer.

“Baldric, you mustn’t worry.” she placed a hand against his cheek. “With Sir Dwight and his high-bred steed to protect me on our travels, I shall.” Gretta hugged the large man, standing on her tiptoes. She breathed in deeply, attempting to fight the tears threatening to form as she inhaled the scent of his magician’s robe.

“Safe journey my child.” The words made Gretta hug him tighter. After a few moments, she released her embrace and nodded towards him, determination on her face.

When they made sure everything they needed was packed in the car and they were ready to go, they climbed into the car and put on their seat belts. Dwight started the car and they waved yelling farewells with the windows down before turning out of the cul de sac.

As they drove through the familiar streets of Woodside towards the edge of town, Dwight had found it easy to breathe in the summer air. But with it being only him and Gretta in the car, nearing the sign ‘Leaving Woodside’, he could sense the atmosphere around them already starting to change. It was charged with electricity and anticipation, not knowing where this adventure would take them.

Gretta turned to look behind them, her eyes on the opposite side of the sign welcoming people to their hometown. It became smaller and smaller as the distance grew. She turned back around, looking down at her hands in her lap before the sign could disappear completely from view. A hand came down and tapped the top of hers. It was a comfort, a reassurance that regardless of what fate had in store for them during this newfound wanderlust, he would be there by her side.

“Do you believe everyone will be alright while we are away?” Gretta asked.

“They’ll be fine.” Dwight glanced over with a smile. “This is going to be a new experience for all of us,” he spoke, squeezing her hand, “but that’s a good thing.”

A smile spread across her face, “I look forward to this new experience with you, Sir Dwight.”

With his eyes still on the road, he brought her hand towards him, kissing the top of it. “I’m looking forward to this with you too.”

He tried to keep travel similar to their smaller journeys the best he could in what Gretta called his trusty high-bred steed; it was a hybrid SUV. The windows were partially rolled down, and music played from the car stereo. Dwight hummed to songs from his playlist, tapping along to the beat with his thumbs on the steering wheel while Gretta would tap her thigh or use her foot to tap at the floor mat under her feet. She was familiar with the spritely ballads he listened to, catching lyrics of love, adventure, and becoming someone’s wildest dreams.

For hours, the scenery changed and passed by. Woods with tall trees were to either side of them, fading into flat plains of grass with rolling hills in the distance. On vast fields of farmland, cows, horses, and sheep roamed and grazed without a care in the world in their fences built to keep them safe and away from the roads.

Driving along straight roads for miles made him more at ease to take his right hand off the wheel. Gretta would often use the opportunity to reach over and claim his unoccupied hand, entwining their fingers, or casually thread her fingers through the soft dark hair at his nape. And when they would stop at a red light, he made a habit of taking her hand and pressing his lips against her knuckles.

They took breaks at rest stops and gas stations, stretching together after sitting in the car for long periods of time. They checked in with loved ones on their beckoning devices, used the bathroom, and refueled. At a few places, the pair drew the attention of people around them, curious of their story roaming small aisles and fridge sections to replenish their snacks and water. Store clerks, on the other hand, were either complacent or friendly at their job, continuing to perform their tasks as usual, seemingly unfazed by the girl in medieval-style clothing. They exchanged pleasantries with one another at the counter and soon after grabbing their supplies, Dwight and Gretta were back out on the road.

Late into their journey for the day, Dwight and Gretta found themselves in a cozy diner, sitting in a booth, looking over the menus. The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air and made Gretta’s stomach growl in impatience. She reached over and took a sip of orange soda from her glass to keep it at bay. A sweet lady with a smile warm and welcoming approached the couple. She wore a light blue waitress uniform and had a white apron tied around her waist. The shiny silver name tag on her uniform said ‘Sarah’.

“So, What can I get you folks tonight?”

“Ladies first.” Dwight gestured towards her.

“I will have the chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy,” Gretta said, hooking her fingers together, and sitting up straight.

“And I think I’ll have the grilled salmon and steamed vegetables, please.”

The waitress nodded and scribbled down their orders and took their menus. “I’ll be back soon with your food.”

When their meals arrived, Gretta didn’t hesitate for a second to dig into her mashed potatoes. Their creamy texture and buttery flavor melted in her mouth and the gravy carried the essence of cooked meat. She couldn’t help the groan that escaped when she swallowed.

“That good huh?” Dwight asked, forking some of his broccoli along with some carrots to put in his mouth.

“It is absolutely exquisite.”

“Well, we haven’t exactly had much in the way of actual meals since we left.” Dwight shrugged, taking his bite of food for the first time and closing his eyes. The vegetables were cooked to perfection, he flaked a piece of salmon with his fork and ate it. It was the closest thing to a home cooked meal he’d had all day. “Okay, not gonna lie, this is pretty good.” Gretta cut into her chicken and ate a piece, Dwight was sure he caught her eyes rolling into the back of her head. “Maybe we shouldn’t eat so many snacks and actually stop for the three square meals we’re supposed to be eating.”

“I agree,” Gretta replied. “We must keep up our strength if we are to endure long hours of traveling.” Dwight nodded, drinking some iced tea in his glass. His eyes watched the lemon slice bob in the liquid.

“How’s everything?” Sarah asked, appearing at their table a moment later.

“Everything’s great, thanks,” responded Dwight, placing his glass down on the counter.

“You two not from around here?” Sarah asked.

“No, we’re…” Dwight pulled out his phone from his pocket, “About 400 miles from home.”

“Sir Dwight and I are on a road trip,” Gretta stated. Sarah looked between them.

“You two going to some Renaissance fair I don’t know about?”

“Uh, yeah, you could say that!” Dwight spoke up. “But we decided to leave early so we could enjoy the sights on the way.”

“Oh, how exciting!” she smiled. “Well, I’ll leave you two to finish your meals. I’ll be back to take your plates when you’re finished.”

“Excuse me, miss?” A voice boomed from across the diner. A stocky man on a barstool with a coffee had his hand raised to get her attention. Sarah scurried off towards the man and Gretta and Dwight continued talking and eating their food.

When they finished Sarah came back over and stacked their plates to carry them back to the kitchen.

“Would either of you like to see the dessert menu? I can make a real mean milkshake.”

“Ooh,” spoke Gretta enticed. “What flavors do you have for milkshakes?”

“Let’s see, we’ve got your standard chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla but I can also do a peanut butter, banana, or a mint chocolate chip.” Dwight noticed the way Gretta’s eyes brightened at the mention of mint chocolate chip.

“I will have the mint chocolate shake if you would be so kind.” Gretta bowed her head towards her.

“Would you like that regular size or sharing size?”

“How big is the sharing size?” Dwight asked.

“A sharing size is in a bigger glass with two straws but you get some extra in the malt cup.”

“Sounds good. We’ll take that then.” she took her notepad out and scribbled the order in pen.

“Whipped cream and a cherry?”

“Yes, please.”

“I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Dwight pulled out his phone and began to type away with his thumbs. “We should probably start looking for places to stop at for the night. There’s a premier inn about twenty minutes away from here. I could book us in, I mean, if that’s okay.”

“Yes of course.” Gretta agreed, her hands secretly fidgeting under the table. “We must get ample rest if we plan to continue our journey on the morrow.”

Sarah appeared a moment later with their mint chocolate chip milkshake. The milkshake glass was filled to almost the rim along with whipped cream swirled into a peak topped by a cherry. She placed the paper-wrapped straws and the malt cup containing the leftovers of the milkshake on the counter, scurrying back off to help other customers. Dwight looked out the window at the sunset’s orange and pink hues, tapping the end of the covered straw on the counter. A light thwack of something hit him in the forehead. Gretta was giggling, about to put the cherry from the top of the milkshake into her mouth. He glanced down to see her paper straw sleeve at his side of the table.

“What was that for?”

“It was a distraction so I could have the cherry.”

“You didn’t need to make a distraction to have the cherry, you know. You could’ve just asked.”

“True, and yet this way was much more fun,” she snickered teasingly, placing her straw into the milkshake and having a taste. Her eyes grew wide. “Oh. Sweet. Heaven.”

“Good?”

“It is simply divine.”

“Not as good as my blackberry cobbler though, right?”

“Dwight, nothing compares to your blackberry cobbler.”

Dwight grinned at that, placing his staw in with hers in the milkshake and sharing sip after sip all the while their eyes met. They spent another half hour there, deep in conversation taking their time drinking their milkshake, trying their best not to get brain freeze. Dwight paid their check, thanked Sarah, and wished her a pleasant evening. Sarah watched the pair leave hand in hand from the diner. She returned back to their table to clean up the dishes and found three gold coins sitting near the scribbled check for her tip.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Gretta’s gaze of the road passing by in Dwight’s headlights shifted to the passenger side window to take in the stars that were beginning to appear. She rolled down her window fully, dragging deep breaths of the summer night air into her lungs. Gretta didn’t seem to mind her hair getting a little windswept, watching the night sky as they passed by other cars, illuminated overhead highway signs, and exits.

“You okay?” he wondered, hoping she wasn’t getting car sick after their hearty meal.

“No, no. Just embracing what little we have left of our first evening on this journey.” Gretta turned to see Dwight lowering his window all the way down too. The wind swept through his dark hair. The boy carried a sweetness in his eyes, all warm gooey brownies just out of the oven at night and honey hues flecked across them when the sun rose. She wanted to keep this. To keep him. Always.

He took in a breath and enjoyed this shared moment, glancing over. She had stopped looking at the sky and was looking over at him. A smile radiated from her before she turned to look back out the window.

Moments like these were what Dwight was secretly looking forward to the most. Witnessing Gretta’s bright eyes and the smile playing upon her lips; she was taking in a sense of freedom she’d never had before. It made his heart flutter with a swarm of butterflies while lightning bugs lit up his soul.

The fact that she had said yes to this idea in the first place spoke volumes. Now, she was beginning to map out her own life the way they were marking roads and places of interest from Dwight’s phone onto their folded map with circles, stars, and even hearts. She was showing him just how truly safe and happy she felt when they were together.

Dwight really wanted to kiss her.

He parked at the inn, beneath the warm glow of a lamppost. Their luggage was on the ground next to the SUV, forgotten. Gretta stood under the humming light, gazing into his gentle brown eyes. He cupped her face gently in his hands, brushing strands of hair behind her ears that were now all tousled from the wind. She moved slowly with him for his lips to brush against hers and when their lips met, everything simply melted away. It was the greatest feeling in the world.

And he couldn’t wait to show her more of it.

#shining smooch week #dwight in shining armor #dwightinshiningarmor #dwight x gretta #dwight #gretta #disa #baldric #dwetta #fanfiction #day6: wanderlust #road trip fic #one shot #fluff #romance

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seconds-2-midnight · 6 months

Text

Posting the first chapter from my rejected PPG/GGG Mafia AU fanfic that I'm thinking of reviving eventually because I actually really liked it! The outline just needs work tbh

Most of it is under read-more just because it's long as shit. Content warning for language, drug use, and brief police violence.

Meet Me At the Green Eye

Ch 1:

June was unusually hot that summer. Those hazy afternoons were well spent by the beach, sitting near clunky old air conditioners, drinking cold beer. It was the kind of summer that was good for business if your business was built on laziness and leisure.

The boardwalk was a good place to score sales, Ace found. The grungy-looking college students on skateboards were always the best customers. He was counting a stack of cash, sitting on a bench near the end of the dock that overlooked a glittering stretch of ocean. One of his pointed leather boots was tapping on the pavement while he whistled cheerfully, one lanky leg crossed over the other. Not far away, Snake stood with his elbows on the rusted rails and a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, listening to the seagulls. Now and then, he’d kick his sneaker against a bit of gravel and watch the stones form ripples in the water below.

“Arturo was right,” Ace said with a high-pitched chuckle. He grinned widely, one of his gold teeth catching the sunlight. “This was a good spot. Hey, speakin’ of, how much product we got left in there, compadre?” He waltzed over with his hands in his pockets, nodding his head toward a messenger bag that was draped over Snake’s shoulder.

“Lemme check,” Snake said hoarsely, gritting his teeth around the end of his cigarette to keep it in place as he rummaged around. He squinted, clicking his tongue in thought. “Ehh…eight ouncesss, give or take…three bags of molly…and five bags of the little blue ones.”

“Shit, day’s not over yet,” Ace said, giving his friend a nudge to the shoulder. He elbowed him a little too hard, causing Snake to flinch and whine quietly. He hated it when he did that. “Can’t wait to count it out later. We got a big score today, I can feel it already. It’s like a change in the wind. We’ll finally get enough for that down payment, huh?”

Not this again. Snake rolled his eyes, thin shoulders slumped dramatically. Ace was always going on and on about this shitty old building that used to be a nightclub, convinced the old owners would sell it to him for cheap and he’d turn it into a bar. ‘We’ll call it The Green Eye’, Ace would say, ‘We’ll get hot dancers, we’ll sell our product out the back for extra cash, it’ll be huge.’ Snake thought it was a fool’s errand, a waste of money. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to argue with Ace. Still his yes-man, through and through, after all these years.

A decade had passed since the Powerpuff Girls left Townsville. Maybe it was because they were growing up, maybe it was because they wanted to try a normal life…who knows? What mattered was that Townsville was more out of control than ever before. And in that time, the Gangreen Gang had changed. Once a group of rowdy teenage boys, they were now fully-grown assholes, but just as despicable as ever. They had bigger goals now, bigger plans - Ace wanted to carve out his own little slice of heaven in this dirty, neon hellscape. And for the first time, it actually seemed possible…but a run-down building in the worst part of town was a dangerous place to start.

“Y’know, jefe…” Snake began nervously, wincing already. He knew this conversation would end badly for him. “I-I don’t wanna doubt your decisionsss but…Maybe it’s better if we start sssmall? Like, getting a bigger apartment for starters. Or renting a houssse instead, one with more bedrooms and–”

Ace scoffed. “And sink our money into a place that Billy’s gonna wreck in, like, a week? Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, this is foolproof. Once the money’s rollin’ in, we’re moving up to a penthouse suite. Rags to riches, my friend. Oh! That reminds me… Hey, listen, bud. Buddy. Pal. My oldest friend. Amigo, old bean, apple of my eye…” Ace was wearing a big toothy grin, putting an arm around his second-in-command with a sly tone of voice and the smell of cheap cologne and hair gel radiating off of him. Snake grinned for a brief second in time, soaking up that tiny bit of approval.

“Since we’re on the subject, I’ve got somewhere to be, actually - gonna talk to a guy about fixin’ the plumbing at that old place. Busted pipe in the basement, sewage everywhere! Anywho’s, take over for me, will ya? Thatta' boy...” Ace gave Snake another sharp slap to the arm, making the other man flinch. It was second nature at this point. With a grimace disguised as an awkward, snaggle-toothed smile, Snake rubbed the sore spot and sighed.

“Yeah, sure.” Of course he just wants me to do more work. “Oh, I’m stoppin’ by Hazel’s shop on the way back, by the way. Tell the guys not to wait up for me.”

Ace scoffed, sticking his hands in the pockets of his leather pants. He rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, voicing a heavy and exasperated groan. “Man, that dame has still got you on a tight leash, huh? Y’know she only lets you get it in ‘cause you’re her dealer.”

Snake gave him a grumpy, defensive frown, his ears growing warm. “We don’t…I mean…I’m still working on that part–”

Ace let out a loud and sudden laugh. “You ain’t even gettin’ any? Oh, man…tough luck.” He pushed up his sunglasses, still wearing a shit-eating grin as he turned around, waving the keys to his motorcycle over his head. “Anyway, see you later tonight, Captain Friendzone. And tell your creepy friend I said ‘hi’.”

With that, he was gone, the green-skinned hooligan disappearing into a crowd of people and leaving Snake at the end of the docks alone, where he watched the sunset glimmer against the calm ocean waves. It was six-thirty. He was just about to get another rush of sales that would put a nice wad of cash in his pockets.

He didn’t know it yet, but Snake was going to have a very good day that would end in a very bad night. In a matter of hours, he would make his rent for the month, kiss a witch, and end up in jail before midnight.

He was a surprisingly good salesman, all things considered. By the time the sun went down and the crowds dispersed, Snake had sold everything in the bag except for one remaining quarter of Hazel’s favorite strain. He took the cash and his nearly empty bag and began the long walk through dark urban streets. Townsville wasn’t any quieter at night than it was in the day. He could hear sirens blaring somewhere in the distance, joyful shouts and hollering from a beach bonfire, and loud pulsing music from the clubs down the way.

Snake liked walking late at night, for the most part. It was a lonely and peaceful trip when you knew the right path to take. He passed flickering neon signs and drunk idiots staggering out of bars, all while making his way through alley shortcuts to get to the big brick building just next to the tracks where the occasional passing train would rattle the windows.

Yasmin’s shop was closed to walk-ins but open for appointments. This was good enough for him. Snake knocked, hearing the muffled sounds of ethereal ambient music from the other side before voices and footsteps drowned it out. The door cracked open and immediately, Snake caught the scent of burning incense and dried lavender. When the owner of the place opened the door, her good mood immediately deflated.

“Oh, it’s you,” Yasmin Abajian herself was the one who answered the door. She was a tall young woman with dark olive skin and hair that went down to her ass, and she probably would have been a lot friendlier if she didn’t eye Snake with suspicion every time she saw him. She knew his reputation, his gang involvement, his business. And if that wasn't enough, she just didn't like the guy. His weird little friendship with her on-and-off-again girlfriend was reason enough for her to want to slam the door in his face.

“If you’re looking for Haze, she’s busy doing a reading,” Yasmin said, holding the door open just a crack and preparing to shut it. She would have, if Snake didn't stick his hand in the gap.

“I can wait.” He leaned against the wall as if claiming his spot. Yasmin sneered at him in response, recognizing that stubborn, snarky grin on his face - she wasn’t getting rid of him. She could never get rid of him.

“Fine, whatever, get in.” She pushed the door open and stepped aside. “But remember, we’ve got security cameras now. So don't get any ideas.”

Snake snorted with laughter. “I’m not gonna steal any of your rocks. You can save your hexes for the next guy.”

Yasmin wore a fake smile, turning back toward the counter. “Yeah, you’re real funny, asshole. Close the door behind you.”

Yasmin’s shop was an overload to the senses. The main room was cluttered with tables of crystals, ornate hookahs, statues of naked goddesses, and candles. There were bookshelves with texts that Snake wouldn’t even know what to do with and packs of cards that he felt wouldn’t serve him very well in a game of poker. Near the back of the room, he saw a doorway shrouded by a silk sheet decorated with the phases of the moon. That was Hazel’s reading room. He spent plenty of time in there, but right now, she was busy saying goodbye to another customer.

When Hazel came out of the room, she was followed by a middle-aged woman dressed in a gaudy amount of jewelry. Beside Hazel, it was like a peacock standing next to a blackbird. Haze was a stout little shit: full-figured, plump, and about five feet tall if she wore her platform shoes. Her wavy black hair was cut in a French bob, framing her round, rosy-cheeked face like a goth Cabbage Patch Kid.

“Get home safe, my love,” Hazel said, giving the other woman a kiss on one cheek and then the other, holding both of her hands. “Remember, change is good. Don’t worry so much, and good luck with the job interview! Keep that coin in your pocket, it’ll help. Then come back and tell me how it went, okay?”

“Maybe next week,” the lady chuckled. “Thanks again, sweetpea.” The woman in her gaudy jewelry finally left after one more kiss on the cheek, and Snake found himself wondering why Hazel seemed to kiss all of her regular customers… except for him.

When the customer passed by, Yasmin marched over with a scowl and spoke quietly in Hazel’s ear, handing her a white cane. Snake could still hear her.

“That green freak is here again,” Yasmin whispered, earning a pout from her friend. “Honey, you gotta stop encouraging this guy, he’s gonna get you in tr–”

“Shh, it’s fine! Hold my cane, okay?” Instead of looking offended, Hazel just wore this big, stupid gap-toothed grin. Slipping past Yasmin, Hazel pushed her cane back into her friend’s hands and reached out into the open room, wiggling her fingers in beckoning. Snake instinctively grabbed them, leading her to where he stood.

“Mi querida,” she said in her breathy, husky voice, pulling him in for a hug and standing on her toes. She smelled like patchouli and it made Snake’s nose tickle. “I thought you forgot about me. How’ve you been?”

“Not too terrible,” Snake said. He wore a shit-eating grin as he hugged her tightly, making eye contact with Yasmin over Hazel’s shoulder. He noticed her annoyed, red-faced expression and squeezed her waist even tighter out of spite. “I was, uh, workin’ the boardwalk again today…Thought I’d stop by quick before you left for the night.”

“You caught me right on time.” Hazel backed up, reaching for the cloth that separated the main room from her reading room. “Come in, that was my last appointment for the night. I’m all yours.”

She pulled him along by the hand and he didn’t hesitate. Bag secured around his shoulder, he rudely flicked his tongue at Yasmin and then hurried through the silk partition and into a small, dark room with a round table in the center. It was lit by purple neon light, casting an eerie supernatural shine from below. The air smelled like incense and something by Sisters of Mercy was playing quietly from a speaker in the corner.

Seeing the couch against the wall brought back memories of lounging half-awake in a dumb stupor, losing track of time. He could still smell the hookah smoke in his memory and taste it on his tongue. He thought about how Hazel always talked slower when she was high and how much he liked to watch her lips move when she talked.

Her voice snapped him out of his daydream.

“So what’s up?” Hazel asked, sitting down on one side of the table. She started to shuffle a deck of tarot cards, sorting them for storage. “Just in the neighborhood, or were you looking for another reading?”

“Little bit of both,” Snake said with a grin, putting his bag on the table. “I brought you sssomething’. Thought you might be interested in talking about a discount?”

“Oh, we’re talkin’ business. I see,” Hazel teased, her voice low and rattly. She pouted dramatically. “And here I thought you just missed me. So what’cha got for me, sweet stuff?”

Sweet stuff. She was always coming up with these friendly, cute little names to call him. He was a green-skinned gang member with a forked tongue, tattoos, and a criminal record a mile long but she called him sweet stuff. Then again, she couldn’t see him. Maybe that was for the best - he wasn’t so sure she’d still be flirting with him if she saw what he looked like.

Snake put a plastic baggie on the table, opening it slightly for Hazel to smell if she wanted to. “A quarter. Good shit, too. I’d put it at 150 usually for this stuff, but for you, I’ll do…100 and a quick reading. I even saved your favorite strain for you.”

“Oh, you do love me,” Hazel smirked out of the corner of her mouth, puffy lips making a dimple in one cheek. “That sounds fair. You know what I like, papi~ Oh, here–”

She reached into one of her pockets, pulling out a wad of cash from her last few clients. “I trust you,” she said as she slapped it down on the table in front of Snake, who began to flick through the bills with black-painted fingernails. He separated one hundred dollars from the stack and passed the rest over, continuously amazed that this woman trusted him with free reign to her wallet on so many occasions.

“Ssso,” Snake lowered his lisping voice, chuckling quietly under his breath while Hazel shuffled her cards, “Yasmin’s in a rotted mood today, isn’t she? More than usual…You dump her ass again?”

Hazel wore a tiny smirk. “Not me this time. We're back to friendship without benefits and Yasmin wants to find a real girlfriend,” she shook her head with a sigh. No strings attached, that’s what she always said it was. Snake wouldn’t admit it, but he felt a little swell of joy at the news. “Girl from downtown. Works at the club. They danced together a couple of times and Yasmin was surprised she didn’t want anything long-term.”

“Ouch,” Snake grimaced. He didn’t like Yasmin, but he could sympathize with the feeling.

“Aside from that?” Hazel shrugged. “Doesn't help your case that she saw your friend on the news earlier.”

"Almost forgot about that," Snake gritted his teeth in discomfort. “Yeah, Ace has gotten a bit…bold lately. He has been since the girls disappeared.”

“I’ll say,” Hazel sighed. “Robbing a gas station is one thing. That’s small time, no one gives a shit…but three stores in one night?”

It was a miracle Ace hadn’t gotten in trouble yet, honestly. He wasn’t stupid about it. He wore a mask and he covered his face, but people who knew him still recognized who it was. Yasmin was one of those people, and unfortunately for Hazel, she hadn’t stopped bitching about it since the robbery ended up on the news. The only reason she hadn’t spoken to the police yet was because Hazel promised that Snake could move in with them if the guys lost their breadwinner.

So, Ace stayed at large, as many criminals did. Townsville had been dependent on heroes for so long that law enforcement had all but forgotten how to do their jobs.

The cards were laid out on the table, face-down. Hazel pulled her hands away, then tapped a long black nail against an empty spot.

“Pick three and put them here. No peeking,” she said. Snake knew the rules at this point. He did as she said, sliding the cards into place one at a time.

She turned the first card over, running her fingers along the bottom. The text was written in braille - Snake wasn’t surprised that kind of thing existed, but it was always impressive to watch the way she could figure it out just with a slide of her fingertip.

“The Hermit,” she said softly. It was a card Snake had gotten before. “You’ve got some soul-searching to do, chulo. You either need time alone or you’re going to get time alone, and you should be using that time to figure out what it is that you want. Not what your friends want, not what you think you need - I’m talking about real introspection. So look inwards, don’t let someone else influence you.”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing? Influencing me?” Snake asked with a shitty smirk. Hazel couldn’t see the look on his face, but she could hear it in the sly tone of voice as his black-painted lips curled into a smile. She crinkled her nose at him.

“Okay, smartass. You know what I mean.” With a fond smile, she turned the second card. This one was flipped. “Nine of Wands, reversed.” She clicked her tongue ring against her teeth a few times. “You’re stuck. You’ve got big setbacks coming your way and you’re going to struggle to find resilience, but you must, or you’re not going to make it to your goals. If I know you - and I do, Sanford - you’re feeling a lack of support from those around you…Maybe your friends aren’t listening to you? Maybe you feel like you’re being ignored, undervalued, underutilized?”

She stared across the table at him, but not in the way someone with sight might stare. Her cloudy, pale eyes were searching his soul, and the way they somehow centered on Snake’s face was eerie. Those dark Argentinian lashes blinked slowly and her empty gaze remained direct. Snake found himself trapped in that ghostly stare for a moment, his heart beating a little faster before he nodded his head.

“Not too far off,” he chuckled anxiously. “Heh, y-you know, the guyss don’t like to listen to reason most of the time. I put in a lot of work for Ace, especially now that he’s so ssstuck on his new nightclub idea…It feels like he’s not giving me a fair cut for all the effort I put in, y’know? I-I have a good idea or I try to bring a little wisdom to the conversation and they just sshut me up or Ace ssmacks me in the nose or–or–”

“Can I speak frankly?” Hazel asked, sitting back with one knee up and her fingernails clicking together.

Snake just snorted. “You’re going to anyway, aren’t you?”

“Sure am, baby~” Hazel hummed sweetly, before leaning forward and sliding a hand across the table. It took her a moment to find Snake’s, but when she did, she turned his palm over and began tracing lines with one of her fingernails. The sharp tickle made his spine shiver. “You’re a pushover, darlin’. You always have been.” Snake started to laugh, but Hazel continued regardless. “Don’t dismiss it, you know I’m right. I’ve known you for years and you never stand up for yourself. And I’m not talking about witty little quips or venting to me, I’m talking about actually having a backbone. You’re a noodle.”

“I’m a noodle?” Snake giggled hoarsely. “Is that what I am?”

“Yessir, just a big dumb noodle.” Hazel laughed, sticking her tongue out between her teeth. Her tongue piercing briefly clicked against them. “Don’t get me wrong, everyone loves noodles, but when you have a noodle for a spine, it’s hard to stand up straight. Start setting boundaries. Start saying ‘no’. Trust me, you’ll notice a difference.”

Hazel didn’t know the full story. Snake didn’t tell her the full story. Saying ‘no’ wasn’t very simple, not when Ace was in one of his bad moods. He wouldn’t say it was bad advice, only that it was…well, a work in progress that wasn’t going to happen overnight.

She turned the last card over. This one was upright, with an eerie image of a horned demon on the front, leathery bat wings behind it.

“The Devil,” Hazel said, frowning slightly. “This could go several different ways. On one hand, you might be dealing with an addiction you need to let go of. A habit. And I don’t just mean drugs, cigarettes, weed, porn, whatever - those aren’t even the most damaging attachments a person can have. You’ve got a dark shadow of yourself that’s restricting you, an internal villain who wants to hold you back and control you. A parasite. You might be holding on tightly to something that’s trying to suck the life out of you.”

“Eesh,” Snake hissed, sticking his forked tongue between his teeth. “Doesn’t ssound promising for me, does it?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Hazel shrugged. “This could be a good thing. Once you know your villains, you can figure out how to defeat them. Besides, this is also the card of sexuality and desire too. It might be hinting at a passionate attachment waiting to happen, you just have to make sure it doesn’t consume you. Desire can quickly turn into an addiction, a jealous obsession.”

Snake felt his breath hitch slightly when he noticed that look on her face: teasing, flirtatious, playful but still darkly serious. With Hazel, he could never tell her motives. The way she smiled at him, the way she hugged him, her puckish energy … She was like a fae creature with perplexing methods, wise and chaotic all at once. Snake couldn’t parse it. Is she making fun of me? Does she want to sleep with me? Is she just like this with everyone? He tried not to think about it too much and quickly tore his eyes away when he realized his gaze had been wandering. He felt infinitely worse when he realized her blind eyes would never catch him doing it.

“Heh, s-so either way, I’m getting fucked?” he joked, trying to break the tension.

Hazel laughed hoarsely, scooping up the cards and putting them away in a box. “I guess you could say that. Just remember, this is always up to interpretation. That’s kind of the thing with glorified spooky therapy, you're the one who has to do the work. Just don’t forget what I told you about your noodle spine, okay?”

“I’ll try not to,” Snake sighed as he stood up, putting his bag over his shoulder again. “I should get back. If I don’t bring the cash to Ace, he’ll get…well, you know how he iss.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Hazel stood, putting her cards back on the shelf where they belonged. “Get home safe, okay? Be careful on the subway, the weirdos are out. And don’t be a stranger.” She reached out for another hug, holding tighter this time. There was something there, some foreboding anxiety that she felt in the pit of her stomach. The cards, the nervousness in Snake’s voice, hearing about Ace’s crime spree on the news…She felt like something bad was about to happen, but she didn’t know what.

Her own cards had been warning her all day: heartbreak, loss, helplessness. Bad news was on the way and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She felt compelled to hold the hug as long as she could, almost as if letting go meant losing her friend forever.

“I’ll be back next week,” Snake said. It was rare for him to ever speak in such absolutes. “I’ll have another quarter for you by then. Maybe we can…I dunno, hang out and ssmoke a bit? Y-you know, chill at your place?”

“I’d like that, papito…” Hazel finally slid her arms away from the hug, leaving her hands propped on Snake’s shoulders. Then, without warning or hesitation, she leaned in and kissed him softly on the corner of his mouth. Her lips were warm and pillowy. The way her piercing brushed against Snake’s bottom lip made his heart skip a beat. Maybe she had just been aiming for his cheek; he didn’t know. All he knew was that he was too dumbstruck to do or say anything and Hazel didn’t even acknowledge it.

“See you next week…sweet stuff,” she smiled. Snake was still off in another dimension of thought, too distracted to notice the sorrow and worry in her eyes.

He was still thinking about her lips when he left the store. He was thinking about them while he was on the subway, trying to avoid a drunk and belligerent man who was shouting at him while waving a bible over his head. And when he got back to the shitty little apartment he shared with his four friends, he was absolutely cursing himself for not being brave enough to kiss her back.

“There you are,” Ace said as soon as Snake entered. It was almost midnight, and everyone was still awake and huddled around the television with a cloud of smoke filling the dirty living room. Pizza boxes were already attracting flies, a dusty old fan was chugging along in the corner, and the whole place reeked of weed and alcohol. Ace looked as comfortable as ever, wearing his sunglasses inside like a tool. “Thought you got lost, shithead. How’s your big titty goth girlfriend? Get any yet?”

“Shut up,” Snake groaned, tossing his bag onto Ace’s lap with annoyance. “No, we’re not like that…I got a kiss though, that’s gotta mean somethin’.”

Lil' Arturo chuckled. “Whatever, man, she kisses everyone.”

“Yeah, well, she calls me papi.”

Arturo choked on his beer. “Okay, that’s fuckin' weird but I’ll let you have that one.” He let out a sharp giggle and Snake couldn’t help but smirk like a smug little jackass.

Ace sat up straight, rummaging through the bag on his lap and pulling out wads of cash. He was counting them, laying them out on the sofa cushions while Snake sat down in a lumpy armchair and pulled out a lighter. His twisted spine curved until he was melting into the seat. He was just getting comfortable when Ace let out a laugh of triumph.

“Shit, man. We did good today,” he nodded proudly. “Perfect timing too. I talked to Pete - the landlord, y’know? He says he’ll let us rent to own that place on Monroe for four thousand a month if we give ‘im the security deposit in cash. Huh? Not bad.”

“Not bad at all!” Arturo cheered first, while a wave of agreement passed through the group. Snake seemed to be the only one who didn’t immediately seem convinced.

“Wha–no! No, four thousand a month?!” he let out an incredulous laugh. “Just for the sspace alone? We can’t afford that! Not with everything elssse! You still have to worry about the electric bill, repairs, not to mention hiring sstaff–”

Ace interrupted him with an exasperated groan, leaning his head back against the couch. “Oh my gooood, Snake, shuddup!” ” he yelled, picking up an empty beer can and tossing it at his friend’s head. It hit him right in the temple with a loud clang. The rest of the guys started laughing uproariously while Ace continued. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it before, we know! Listen, ya gotta lose money to make money. And where are we gonna get another deal like this? Huh?”

“Uh, I know!” Billy spoke up suddenly and raised his hand, just as his video game went to a loading screen. “Uhhh…um...wait...nowheres?”

“That’s right, Billy, nowheres,” Ace said, pointing at his giant friend with a smile. “We can’t get a deal like this nowheres, so I ain’t passin’ it up. Besides, I make the rules around here and I say, we’re buyin’ that joint and we’re turnin’ it into the best goddamn club Townsville’s ever seen. And we’re doin’ it with or without ya.”

While the other three were cheering Ace on, going along with any half-baked idea he could think up, Snake was pinching the bridge of his large, repeatedly-broken nose and trying to fight back a migraine that was threatening to strike. As his eyes were closed, however, a second beer can went flying at his head and the room erupted into cackling laughter. This one hit him directly in the ear. Some things never changed.

“Hey, seein’ as you’re bein’ a stick in the mud, you can go get us more beer,” Ace said, tossing a wad of cash into Snake’s lap. “Get us somethin’ good too, it’s a celebration.”

“Sseriously?” Snake hissed. “I just sat down–”

“All the more reason,” Ace argued. “Everyone else is comfortable. Go on, get outta here. And buy a better mood while you’re at it, will ya?”

Snake got up from his seat, tossing his hands up in the air in annoyance. As he left, he slammed the apartment door behind him and shoved his fists into his pockets, mumbling to himself angrily as he passed flickering yellow lights and dirty, peeling wallpaper. One of the neighbors was shouting, having an argument with their spouse. Another was playing loud music that made the floor shake. Someone was throwing up in the stairwell. This was their reality - rusty water, mold, and noise.

I should have never gone home, he thought. I should have kissed her. I should have used some of that cash to get a motel room. Maybe she would have gone with me. Maybe we could have spent the night together. Just once. God, I’m so fucking stupid, why didn’t I do it? Why didn’t I just walk back in there and do it?

But it was too late to go back and try again now. He remembered the reading she gave him. It was time for introspection, it was time for him to finally figure out what he wanted. He made a silent promise to himself that the next time he saw her, he'd finally shoot his shot and let her know that what he wanted was sitting on the other side of that table the whole time.

The gas station was quiet. The walk there was calm and slow, lit by the glow of fire trucks a few streets down and serenaded by the blare of distant sirens. When Snake pushed open the front door, the bell jingling overhead, he noticed the way the cashier didn’t speak to him. The young man at the register just stared, his demeanor bristling slightly. Not wanting any trouble, Snake just lazily waved a peace sign in his direction, showing his hands were empty.

People around here knew. There weren’t many folks who didn’t know who he was, who his friends were, what they did. It was the reason why Yasmin hated him spending time at her shop. It was the reason why they could hardly get service anywhere, and why it had taken months to find an apartment landlord who would rent to them.

It was why Snake didn’t think twice about the cashier’s reaction. He was standing back near the drinks, minding his business while the young man on the other side of the store dialed the phone and whispered quietly into the receiver.

Moments later, Snake brought a box of beer up to the front, reaching into one of his pockets to dig around for his identification. He stuck a money clip in his teeth while he fumbled with the card, finally digging it out and slapping it on the table.

“Don’t worry, I’m payin’ honessstly,” he said with a sigh, still watching the cashier tense up with anxiety. Without a word, the boy at the register handed Snake his change as quickly as possible and backed away, not even bothering to give him a receipt.

As he left the gas station, Snake assumed the reaction was just because of how he looked. He didn’t realize that the gas station he had just entered was one of several that Ace had robbed in the last few days.

Sirens were blaring across town. The sound didn’t bother Snake - he was used to it. But when they grew closer, he felt that tension in his chest begin to bloom. He started walking a little faster, eyeing the alleys and side-streets a little smarter. When he dipped into a dark, narrow walkway, he glanced behind him just in time to see a pair of police cruisers drive slowly around the corner.

He didn’t do anything. He didn’t do anything. He kept reminding himself that over and over, but it still didn’t stop him from feeling a wave of nausea bubble up inside of his gut. His heart was pounding, and that feeling only got worse when he reached the end of the alley and saw another pair of cars waiting for him on the other side.

They blocked the exit. They blocked the entrance. Snake looked from one side to the other, looking for another way out, just as one of the officers stepped forward with a hand hovering next to the baton on his hip. The gun wasn’t far away.

“Having a nice walk?” one of the officers asked, his partner standing behind him on alert. “Listen, you’re gonna get down on the ground and you’re gonna put your hands behind your back, got that? We don’t want to let this escalate.”

Shit. This wasn’t right. Snake backed up, dropping the box of beer in his hand and quickly dashing for a fire escape. As he began to run up the metal steps, one of the officers rushed after him in quick pursuit, shouting for him to stop and put his hands on his head. Snake didn’t listen. He knew he should have, but the alternative wasn’t going to do him any good. Long, skinny legs got him up three flights of stairs before he heard a second pair of steps join the first, following after him in a rush.

He heard an electric buzz before he felt anything. Then, all at once, a scorching pain hit the back of his leg and sent him falling forward face-first into the metal steps. His nose and forehead hit the surface with a horrible crack and he could taste blood running down his face from both nostrils.

A pair of rough hands grabbed hold of him and dragged him down the stairs until he was finally brought to his feet. Cuffs were snapped onto his wrists. Blinded by pain and dripping blood, Snake was marched down the fire escape and onto the pavement, staggering and trying unsuccessfully to shake the hands off of him as he was pushed into the back seat of a cop car.

Robbery, they said. The boy at the gas station recognized Snake’s sickly green-colored skin from a glimpse he saw beneath the mask of the criminal who had robbed him at gunpoint earlier that week. Distribution, they claimed…Well, that time, they had proof. Snake didn’t realize that one of the ‘teenagers’ he had sold a bag of xannies to was actually an undercover policeman wearing a body camera.

It was just his luck, really. As he sat bleeding in the back seat of the police cruiser, he thought about the events of the day that led him there. Everything was going so well. He made more money than he had seen in weeks. He got a kiss from someone he liked. He was forming a brand new confidence to say what he felt and make his boundaries known.

It figures that in the end, he still wouldn’t win. The poor fool never did.

#powerpuff girls #ppg #gangreen gang #ppg oc #powerpuff girls oc #fanfic #powerpuff girls fanfic #mafia au #content warning: language and drug use #snake #ace

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