#thanks for your patience last week as I took a much needed trip

[dbnightingale24]

The Dog House Isn’t The Best, But It Can Still Be Our Home

Final installment to 'Pavlov's Dog'

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Part 3

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I told you guys I'd post it at some point 🥴 I'm honestly so sorry this took so long to post, but last year got really dark for me and everything just kind of took a backseat. Thank you so much for your patience, and thank you to all of you who checked up on me. It means more than I'll ever be able to express. Thank you @fuckingbye for being an amazing friend, and for also making this amazing moodboard. You are a saint and I love to the ends of the earth. Without further ado, here's the final chapter!

Word Count: 71,942 (yes, you read that correctly)

Warnings: SMUT (MINORS DNI 18+ ONLY), Public Sex, Semi Public Sex, Drinking, Smoking, Swearing, Daddy Kink, Angst, Heartbreak, Mild Violence, FLUFF, Lying, Betrayal...I think that's it?

Song(s) That Inspired This Chapter: Will You Take Me Back In The Morning If I Promise To Never Act This Way Again?

I do not give consent/permission for my works/stories to be posted elsewhere. I do not condone this type of behavior, this is for entertainment purposes only.

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“You can’t keep going on like this, babe,” Daisy sighs sympathetically as she takes a seat next to the bathtub.

“It doesn’t matter,” you shrug as you take a drag of your cigarette, “none of it fucking matters.”

“Babe, it’s been two weeks. You do the same thing every day. You get up, eat the smallest bit of food, you sit out on your back deck and smoke until you decide to start drinking, then you draw yourself a bath and drink and smoke in it until you decide it’s too cold, or I come and get you. You can’t keep doing this.”

“I don’t even have a reason to be mad at him, do I?” you scoff incredulously before taking a drag from your cigarette, “it’s not like he lied. He didn’t even know, so I have no reason to be this upset, do I?”

“He was a complete and total asshole,” she states firmly, “and you have every reason to be upset with his actions. Yeah, it was a shit show, but he definitely could’ve handled it better.”

“The shit he said right in front of that child, even if it isn’t his, were so fucking cruel! No child deserves to be spoken to like that, and he of all people should know that!”

“Babe-”

“After everything we talked about on that trip...it’s like it didn’t even matter to him. He didn’t even care.”

“I’m sure he was just shocked-”

“That’s not an excuse, Dais.”

“I never said it was, but c’mon: it’s Ransom. You really think he was thinking clearly? Linda and Marta were there and I’m more than sure he was afraid of losing you, then Marta drops a fucking bomb on him, and it sounds like she did it on purpose, if I’m honest. Just to fuck him over.”

“Daisy, I just-”

“BABY, PLEASE ANSWER THE DOOR AND TALK TO ME!” Ransom calls desperately as he bangs on your front door.

Like clockwork.

“Why can’t he understand that I need time? I don’t owe him shit,” you start to sniffle as your tears fall, and you grab the bottle of tequila that lives by the bathtub now, and take a long drink from it.

“I’ll get rid of him, just please...please get up and do something,” Daisy begs desperately.

“Ya know, you’re wrong,” you say as she reaches the doorway, finally looking at her, “I put on makeup today,” you smile weakly.

She lets out a humorless laugh before disappearing and you hear her footsteps quickly making their way downstairs.

Since everything that took place on his doorstep, you haven’t spoken to or seen him. You don’t know what to say or how to handle the situation. He’s been calling and texting non-stop since it all happened, and every two days he comes by to visit, and Daisy tells him to leave you alone every time.

But you can’t keep avoiding him.

No, you don’t know what the right thing to do is, but you know that avoiding him is the wrong thing, and you can’t keep letting Daisy handle these issues for you. You have to at least speak to him, but say what? Do what? It’s not like you have any real right to be mad at him. It’s not like he cheated on Marta with you, he didn’t cheat on you with her, he clearly didn’t know he had a child so he didn’t keep it from you, and he did defend you to Linda. However, that doesn’t change the things he said to that child.

Possibly his child.

“He’s not my son and this isn’t fucking funny!”

“We can take a test if you want, but he is your son!”

“Well, I don’t want him! You wait...however many years to tell me about him, and you sure as shit don’t need any money, so why now?!”

“He deserves to know who his Father is, Ransom! He’s a Drysdale and-”

“Watch it,” Ransom warns with a foreboding tone.”

God, how could he be so cruel to a child, after all of the talks you two have had? He’s always cruel though, isn’t he? To you, to Marta, his own son (the resemblance is too strong for that boy to not to be his child), and fuck it, even Jack. He can’t ever seem to control his temper and, if he can’t do that, what chance do you two have together?

Still, he owns your heart and you don’t know how to get it back at this point. You don’t know and you don’t wanna know.

“Ransom, you have to stop coming around!” you hear Daisy yell, and you sigh before taking another drink from the bottle.

“You can’t stop me from me seeing her, Daisy! She’s my girlfriend!” 

“Bullshit! You two never made it official-”

“Daisy, stay out of it! Let me see her!”

“No! She’s not ready to see you and you can’t force-”

“I’m not forcing anything-”

“What do you think this is?! Showing up because she won’t answer your calls or texts, and demanding to see her?! Leave her alone!”

“You can’t stop me-”

“Let him in!” you call, lighting a cigarette as you use your tip toes to turn the water back on, and heat up your water just a bit.

Who the hell knows how this is gonna go?

You hear the both of them speedily stomping up the steps, but Daisy get there first and says, “are you sure? You don’t have to-”

“I can’t keep letting you fight my battles,” you smile weakly at her as you turn the water off.

“Babe-”

“I have to deal with this at some point. I can do this,” you all but mumble not believing yourself as you take a drag of your cigarette.

“I’ll be in the room over,” she sighs softly before turning, “fuck you Drysdale!”

“Fuck you!”

You hear her slap him and shake your head. Nothing can ever be simple, can it?

“Sweet Thing, please-” he starts as soon as he makes his way into your bathroom.

“Ransom...don’t,” you quickly interrupt. “This isn’t just some small disagreement.”

“I didn’t even know I had a child!”

“I could’ve dealt with that, Ransom! It would’ve taken some time, but I honestly could’ve dealt with that! It’s the way you spoke about him in front of him!”

“I don’t want him!”

“You didn’t have to say it in front of him! Jesus, it’s not his fault that you’re a selfish bastard! He didn’t ask to be born, and Marta-”

“She did this out of spite! Not because she wants me to be apart the child’s-”

“Be that as it may, he didn’t do anything! Basically telling her that she has no right calling him a Drysdale, when he is in fact a Drysdale! Ransom, I know you’re rough around the edges, but for fucks sake! All the talks we’ve had about our own fucked up childhoods and you do this?! You just...I don't fucking get it with you, Ransom!”

“What is there to get?! We fucking talked about this, Y/N! I’m not-”

“That’s no excuse for this! You took it too far and I...Ransom, I can’t-”

“Don’t you fucking say it,” he warns as his eyes start welling up with tears. “Don’t you fucking say that to me!”

“Ransom...I love you, but I can’t be the only good thing in your life. The only person you like,” you sob, sitting up and ashing your cigarette in the ash tray resting on the little table near by.

“WHY NOT?!”

“It’s too much fucking pressure! It’s too much pressure, and I can’t keep watching you be terrible to people because you had a rough childhood! You having a rough go of it doesn’t mean you get to walk all over people for the rest of your life!”

“Listen, give it a few days and you’ll see-”

“No, Ransom. This is done. I can’t do this with you anymore. You have to grow up at some point, and I refuse to mother you.”

“Y/N...you’ll see...you don’t mean it. You always say you’re done and you come back-”

“I can’t anymore. All of this just hurts too much. You keep finding new ways to hurt me, even when you don’t mean to, and I just...you’re cruel, Ransom. You’re cruel, you’re a bully, and you will hurt anyone by doing anything. I know there’s good in you, because you’ve let me see it time and time again, but you refuse to let others in, even in the slightest and I just...please don’t call me anymore,” you sob pathetically. “Don’t call, don’t text, don’t come by...we’re done.”

“You don’t mean this-”

“Don’t make it harder than it has to be, please. Just let me go,” you beg softly as you wipe your eyes.

“You’ll see. In a week or so, you’ll see and I’ll be waiting. I’ll wait and everything will be as it should, again,” he smiles weakly, wiping his own eyes.

“Ransom-”

“I’ll call you in a few weeks, okay, Sweet Thing,” he promises, making his way over to the bathtub. “I love you and I’ll talk to you.”

He cups your face and kisses you passionately and you’re so tempted to pull him into the tub with you, but you know you’ve got to stop. You left one toxic relationship just to jump into a different type of toxic relationship.

“Ransom,” you breathe once you two break apart, “please-”

“I’ll talk to you in a few weeks,” he promises with a sniffle before standing up and walking out.

“Ransom-”

“I’ll see you in a few weeks,” he repeats, his voice cracking as he continues on his way out.

Daisy is back inside and by your side instantly, climbing into the tub and holding you close as you cry uncontrollably, as you try to come to terms with the choice you’ve just made. Yeah, he’s right in saying that you always come back, but that’s not the case this time.

You need to stay away from him for good.

The fact that he has it in his head that all of this will be sorted out in a few weeks, lets you know that this is only the calm before the storm. As both you and Daisy lean back into the tub, and she holds you close while you cry into her shoulder, there’s only one question going through your head:

How the hell are you supposed to quit the love of your life?

**

4 Years Later...

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You can read the rest of the story here

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taglist: @whiskeytangofoxtrot555, @companionjones, @autumnrose40, @fuckingbye, @pono-pura-vida, @nomadstucky, @mazda098, @chemtrails-club, @bree-lyrie, @mjey12, @charlottiedawson, @fenixstar , @thickania

#fanfic #fan fiction #fan fic #fanfiction #knives out #ransom drysdale #hugh drysdale #hugh ransom drysdale #knives out fanfic #ransom x reader #chris evans characters #ransom thrombey x reader #ransom thrombey smut #ransom thrombey #ransom smut #hugh ransom thrombey #Hugh Ransom Drysdale #ransom drysdale x you #ransom drysdale smut #ransom drydale x you #ransom drysdale x reader #ransom thrombey fluff #fluff and smut #fluff and angst

[dandelionprints]

‘Dear Thomas…’

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Y/N

Summary: When a deal between Tommy Shelby and Oswald Mosley is made, Y/N and Tommy have to come up with a plan of their own to keep her safe whilst on her trip to Scotland. With no outside protection from the blinders allowed, what will the husband and wife do to give each other information in secret?

Warnings: mention of threats of SA/murder/violence, bad language. Reader discretion is advised, only read if you are comfortable with that kind of content.

Word Count: 4300

A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this and coming up with the concept! I’m actually quite proud of myself for finally completing this, I really hope you enjoy reading it!

Dear Thomas,

How are you my love? I hope you’re well, I’m missing you dearly although I am delighted that you took Mr. Mosley up on his offer for me to come away to Scotland for a month with him and Lady Diana. It’s such a lovely treat to get to take a break from the fast pace of everyday life back home. It’s so peaceful and quiet with no one around for miles. I need to make sure I thank them at the end of the trip.

We should come here together one day. I think that it would be good for your sanity and wellbeing when things get too stressful. I know you refuse the help but I think it would do you the world of good.

Mr Mosley has been ever so kind and has offered only the best when it comes to the views, food and days out. Everything is perfect. I could see me losing myself here! Caught up in the scenic views and fresh air, how beautiful it is.

How is Arthur doing? I know it’s only been a week since I left but his troubles have been playing on my mind slightly, I just hope he has the patience to see them through.

I know he can do it, especially with the support he has from you and Ada. I do wish you could have joined me on this trip but I know that Arthur needs you more, his habits are getting far too out of hand now. He has the best brothers and sister in the world, he said so himself.

There’s a young stableboy here too, he reminds me a lot of John. Poor John. I’m sorry to bring him up but I like to think that he’s still around, showing himself through other people. I will make sure to have a drink for him tonight.

The stableboy is called George. He has a wicked sense of humour and a laugh that could kill you just from the sheer hilarity of the sound it makes.

Before you start getting worried, he’s eighteen, so way too young for me. Besides, if I’m correct in thinking this, I have a pretty incredible man waiting for me when I get home. (That’s you by the way).

I’m sorry if you find this letter is too long but I miss you and I hope you don’t mind that I’m prattling on, it’s almost like by writing you a letter I’m actually getting to talk to you as if you were sitting right next to me. You with your bottle of whiskey and newspaper, and me with my cup of tea and a book.

I had a memory of you this morning too, remember when we were young and you would deliver my parents the daily newspaper each day because you knew how much my father liked to keep up with what was going on in the world? You always were so sweet. It’s funny what you remember when you’re on your own and have time to think, isn’t it?

Part of me wishes we could go back in time, even just for a day, to chase through the streets of Birmingham barefoot and run riot without a care in the world.

I remember when we made a deal with Arthur to go skinny dipping in the river and see who could last in the freezing temperatures the longest. Just as he’d stripped right down to his underwear, the old lady who lived in the house nearby came out with her walking stick waving in the air which soon had us all scurrying away. We were all so frightened within an inch of our lives that Arthur didn’t even bother to grab the clothes he’d taken off.

As much as I’d love to carry on writing this letter, I know you’re probably busy either looking after Arthur or working so I’ll leave you to it. As for me, I’m the next person to be having their hair done for the charity ball tonight so I’d best be off.

I know it’s only been a week and I really am enjoying my time here, but the next three weeks seem so long to wait to see you. I wish it were only a matter of days.

Please say hello to Polly and Ada for me. I’d love for them to come here too one day if we ever take a trip. Okay, I’d really better start getting ready, you know how long it takes me. I’ve never been good at getting dressed up quickly.

I’ll send you another letter in a couple of days, darling. I hope to see you soon. I love you.

Yours, always, Y/N.

——

Tommy’s eyes lingered on the handwritten paper in his hands long after he’d finished reading it. A hint of sadness sitting in the pit of his stomach, his heart aching at the thought that she’d been holding the very pages that he held now only a matter of hours before.

Tommy hated making her go on a trip with the narcissistic, arrogant prick that was Sir Oswald Mosley for a whole month, though he was given no choice. He had to stay and she had to go, alone.

It was hard convincing her to go, she’d hated the fascist bastard from the moment she set eyes on him. His anti-semetic and racist views were enough to make her feel nauseous, his grimy hands landing on her hips when he insisted they danced the first time they met made her skin crawl.

Tommy had been forced to stay behind, Mosley telling him to give the excuse that he needed to be around for Arthur, which wasn’t entirely a lie, and that there were things he needed to do to help the cause back in London.

“If she doesn’t come along and you don’t stay put then I’ll make sure that all of your family are slaughtered, one by one. Just like little lambs”, Mosley had snickered, knowing that the threat would have hit a nerve.

“And why does my wife have to come along with you? Why can she not stay here with me?” Tommys mind was racing trying to think of any possible reasons before Mosley could muster up a shitty excuse.

“I fear she may become too much of a distraction for you, Mr. Shelby. I need you here in London, getting the biggest names in politics, the socialite world, maybe even Mr. Churchill while you’re at it, to join our cause. I could do it myself of course but I believe you have the right… tactics should I say, to get people on our side. Besides, it’ll be nice to get to know Mrs. Shelby better if we’re to be working alongside each other. I expect we’ll all be spending a lot of time together over the years and I have a feeling that she and Diana will hit it off extremely well. Diana is always looking for new friends.”

There was a glint in Mosley’s eyes that Tommy didn’t like, it was almost unsettling.

“So Mr. Shelby. Do you agree to this or shall I just have someone come and kill your entire family right now?” Mosley took a seat in Tommy’s desk chair, reclining his body back and placing both hands together across his chest.

Tommy thought for a moment, leaning against the wooden panelling on the wall, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it almost on autopilot. He inhaled deeply letting the smoke fill his lungs before slowly releasing it out into the room.

“If I can get the biggest names both in politics and the socialite world, do you agree to keep my wife safe through every endeavour we encounter on this business journey together Mr. Mosley? I’m aware that in business things can always turn sour, especially when politics are involved. I need to know that my wife will always be safe, untouched”, he looked him straight in the eye with every word said, the hue of his blue eyes deepening with the word ‘untouched’.

Of course there were other things he could ask for in return for doing the dirty work, but above all he needed her to be safe. Nothing else mattered if she wasn’t.

As if almost to tease Tommy, Mosley faked a grimace, comically stroking his chin as he pondered on the words just spoken.

“Hmm, I suppose that’s not too much to ask. Rest assured Mr. Shelby, as long as you can get me those names then your wife will be safe throughout our entire journey together”, he finally retorted, standing from the chair and making his way to where Tommy stood, their noses only inches away from one another, ”However, if you do not deliver what you have promised then I can assure you I’ll make sure that she suffers and it’ll be at my own hands. I have no doubt in my mind that I’ll take great pleasure in doing as I please before I finally sink the blade into her chest too”

Tommy felt his chest tighten with the rage that was now enveloping him, his fists began to clench at his sides and he had to take a moment to clear the red mist that was developing over his eyes.

Finally he coughed, clearing his throat, “we have a deal, Mr. Mosley”

“Ah good! Now, tell your wife that she is to be picked up tomorrow morning at eight A.M sharp. A car will arrive at your marital home and she shall be taken to Scotland where she will be greeted ever so delightfully by myself and Diana. We will ensure that she has a wonderful month with us”

A whole month. Just hearing it spoken out loud was enough to make Tommy shiver. The thought of her being practically alone without any of the blinders protection she was used to with a man who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. A man who would have his way with her as and when he pleased no matter who she was married to. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

“I shall see you when I return, Mr. Shelby, and I shall telephone you every week for updates. As for your wife, she may send you letters, all of which will be checked by one of my trusted members of staff before being sent to ensure neither one of you are plotting against me, but that is all. No telephone calls, no visitors from your ‘Peaky boys’ as I’ve heard them be referred to, only letters. Do I make myself clear?”

Tommy could only nod in response. Too afraid at what he might do if he did anything else.

“Good. Oh and by the way, you have two weeks to successfully secure at least three people into our organisation. If you take any longer than that, I’m afraid I shall become angry, and who knows what I’ll do in retaliation”, Mosley gave a sly smirk in Tommy’s direction, “good day, Mr. Shelby”.

Tommy watched as the pompous prick headed for the door, his hand quivering above the gun he had hidden in his pocket. He wanted nothing more than to shoot the bastard right there and then on the spot but what good would that do him?

“FUCK!” He shouted as he heard the footsteps of Mosley growing silent in the distance.

——

She’d pleaded with him that night to not make her go, her eyes visibly glassy and an expression on her face that was enough to make his heart sink. He cupped either side of her face with his hands, gently using his thumbs to stroke her cheeks.

“It’ll make a good impression”, he insisted, “please, love. I need you to go and get all the information you can, I need to know what his real plan is. I know he’s going to try and fuck me over at some point so the sooner I know what he’s up to the better”

His hands moved from her face as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She let her head fall on his chest where they stood, soft cries making her chest wrack up and down. Tommy hated that he had to put her through this especially with Mosley's reputation of not keeping his hands to himself, but he had no choice.

“Sh sh love, it’s okay”, he soothed, stroking the back of her head, her hair so soft and the scent of jasmine drifting towards him as he bent his head down to rest on hers.

“But it’s not, Tommy! You know what Mosley’s like, he’s a pig! He’ll try and fuck me the first chance he gets whether I like it or not and you know it! I’ve seen what he does to other women, seen the way he looks at me, it’s disgusting!” She pushed back from him then, her hands falling to her side with a huff of desperation.

He knew she was right. Fuck, he hated that she was right. What he hated even more was that he couldn’t be there to stop it, to keep that creep as far away from her as possible. Back in Birmingham with the protection of the blinders would be more to his liking.

Tommy took a step towards her, closing the gap between them and brought a finger to her chin, lifting it slightly so that his striking blue eyes met hers, the tears still ever present.

“Y/N, I know this situation isn’t ideal in any fucking possible way, I know that, okay? But I really need you to go, if you don’t then he’s going to go on a killing rampage, all of my family will be dead by the end of tomorrow. Polly, Arthur, Ada, Finn… you”, he paused as he felt a lump form in his throat, trying to hold back the tears he knew were willing to flow.

This time it was her turn to bring her hands up to either side of his face, ready to brush away any tears that might fall. She sighed heavily with the weight of the situation weighing on her chest, why the fuck did she have to go on her own?

“Why can’t you come with me? Why have you got to stay here?”

“You mustn’t tell him I’ve told you this, he’ll retaliate if he knows that I have. He’ll tell you that I’m to get people onboard for our cause, which is true. Another reason I was to use for me not coming is that I need to be here for Arthur. What Mosley won’t tell you is that if you don’t go with him to Scotland, on your own, that he’ll kill the whole family. He made sure to mention that he’d do as he pleased with you too if I didn’t get him at least three major politicians or socialites onboard within two weeks, before taking a blade and killing you himself. I have to get those names, Y/N. If I don’t, I’ll lose you and I can’t let that happen.”

A single tear fell from his eyes then, a sight that was rare when it came to Tommy Shelby.

“Okay, Tom. I’ll go”, she paused briefly, the sadness in his eyes was almost too overwhelming, “I’ll go, but if he lays a single finger on me I won’t hold back, he’ll get every single scratch, kick and punch he deserves”

Tommy chuckled then. That’s my girl, he thought. His hands found themselves on top of Y/N’s as he gently removed them from his face and onto his chest.

“I don’t want you to do anything less, you do what you need to do to stay safe. I’m going to give you a pistol to hide in your undergarments, he touches you and you don’t hesitate to blow his fuckin’ brains out, alright?”

She nodded in agreement, the use of a weapon was something that she was more than accustomed to. Tommy had taught her how to fire her first shot at the age of 8. The pistol his father kept in his dresser along with a few pellets. The weight of the cool metal felt right in her hand even back then which she knew it probably shouldn’t. Maybe she was always destined for this life alongside Tommy Shelby?

“Good, there’s also the issue about contact. He said you’re not to telephone me and no visitors are allowed, only letters which will be checked by his members of staff before they’re sent. We’ve got to find a way to get messages across to each other without anyone noticing”, he took a small step back, lowering his hands down to reach into his pocket and find the carton of cigarettes inside.

He took two out, lit one and handed it to Y/N who was clearly deep in thought as she nearly didn’t notice his outstretched hand and it’s contents. She paced towards the window, cigarette now in her mouth and eyebrows furrowed. It was only when she saw the moon outside the window that it hit her.

“Wait! We’re fucking idiots, this should have been the first thought that came into our heads!” She exclaimed, sounding equally excited and frustrated at their lack of being able to remember the obvious.

“What? What should we have thought of?”, Tommy had moved to sit on the edge of the bed, knees slightly spread apart so that his elbows could rest on either one of them.

“Remember how when we were teenagers and I got sent away that summer cos mum and dad found out we’d slept together?”, she began.

Tommy let out a snicker of laughter that made him exhale sharply out of his nose, a grin appearing on his face, “yeah I remember, I don’t think either of our parents were too pleased with us”

She giggled at the memory, if only their parents had seen that it wasn’t just puppy love that brought the two together.

“Well”, she continued, “We both made the agreement to write each other letters every night when the moon came out with hidden messages inside cos we knew they’d check them, didn’t we? So, why don’t we do that this time too?!”

The grin that spread across her face was enough to make his stomach flip, he loved seeing her look so happy and excited, she was beautiful at all times to Tommy Shelby but something about that smile did things to him.

“You know, I think you may be the true brains in the Shelby family. You’re fucking brilliant”, the smile that was forming on his own face made his eyes crinkle slightly in the corners, his cheekbones showing their true definition.

Y/N made her way over to Tommy and gently straddled his lap, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

“Brains and the beauty you mean?” She joked, taking the cigarette from his fingers and taking a pull, her own cigarette now burnt out.

“Exactly that, Mrs. Shelby”

He took the cigarette back from her, finishing off the last of the tobacco filled contents before stubbing it out in the ashtray next to him.

“There’s one thing I want you to do differently this time though”, he said, a slightly more serious look on his face now.

“Oh? What’s that?”

“I want you to start off the letter with, “Dear Thomas”, if you’re in danger. Only use Tommy if it’s just a normal letter telling me about your time there or if there’s information you think I should know about. I need to make sure you’re safe at all times. The letters you send will arrive to me quickly. Mosley’s got his own messenger boy who will make sure any letters get to the recipient within a few hours. If you’re in danger I’ll be able to create a plan and get to you as quickly as possible. Deal?”

Her face now mimicked the serious look on his as she grasped the gravity of the situation that she was about to go into all over again.

A trip to Scotland with a fascist and his mistress probably wouldn’t sound too awful to anyone with the same mindset as them, but both Y/N and Tommy knew just the kind of things that Sir Oswald Mosley was capable of. They couldn’t take the chances of underestimating him.

“Deal”, she said, nodding her head in agreement.

The air felt heavy around them as they both wrapped their arms around each other, Tommys fingers gripping that extra bit tighter to her frame, too afraid to let go.

——

He’d almost forgotten about their plan when he received the letter, the excitement of seeing words written by the love of his life overwhelming the importance of the contents of it. Snapping himself out of his mindless trance upon finishing the letter, that’s when he noticed it.

‘Dear Thomas…’

“Shit”

Panic set in as he raced his eyes across her words once more, not really taking anything in due to the lack of calm that was now engulfing him.

“Fuck, what’s she fucking hidden in here?!” He said aloud to himself, a hand frantically brushing his hair backwards.

Whiskey. He needed whiskey. That was always something that he believed helped to calm the nerves.

Grabbing the bottle from his desk he quickly poured the amber liquid into the glass next to it, spilling some onto the wooden surface as he did so.

He threw it back just as quickly as he’d poured it and took a deep breath in, exhaling slowly. A lit cigarette now took the place of the whiskey glass in his hand and he made sure to have a long pull on it before focusing his eyes back onto the pages again.

‘Look for the hidden words, look for the fucking hidden words’

‘Dear Thomas…’

His fingers gently swept across the pages trying to make it easier for his eyes to notice any changes in her writing.

“There!” He shouted out loud to no one but himself.

How could he have been so stupid to not notice it before? She’d done exactly what she’d said she’d do, just like she had all those years ago. The hidden words were ever so slightly slanted, only enough for the person reading it to notice if they knew what they were looking for.

Opening the drawer in his desk he pulled out an old notebook and pen and began writing down each tilted word.

‘I need your help. Mosley is losing his patience, he has said he will kill me if you don’t deliver on your part of the deal within the next three days. Please come quickly.

Yours, always, Y/N’

That fucking traitor. He knew that he should have known better than to take Mosley’s word on giving him two weeks to get the names he wanted. The bastard had only been gone for one week and was already tired of keeping up his end of the bargain.

There was no way in fucking hell he was going to let that monster touch his wife, his innocent fucking wife. He knew in his mind ever since the agreement was made that if Mosley so much as grazed her delicate skin with his sinful hands that he’d make sure to cut the weasels fingers off one by one.

He shot up from his chair and ran toward his office door not wanting to waste another second just sitting there, grabbing his coat and peaked cap along the way.

“Frances! I’m going to Scotland for a few days, tell Ada she needs to look after Arthur on her own, she can bring him here if it’s better suited”

The maid stood stuck to the spot as Tommy rushed past her, barely making eye contact on his way across the tiled flooring.

“Yes Mr. Shelby”

He wasted no time in getting into his car, fumbling with his keys as he tried to get them into the ignition. The engine started up and his foot was down on the accelerator faster than a racehorse on a track, causing the car to go speeding off down the long driveway out of Arrow House. His heart pounding with every metre of ground covered.

The phone in Tommy’s office began to ring, each chime of the bell reverberating around the room. Frances made her way through the already open door that Tommy had failed to close on his way out and over to his desk, taking the phone off the receiver and placing it to her ear.

“Arrow House”, she stated.

Had Tommy only waited a few minutes more, he might’ve been the one to answer and hear the words that would change everything.

“Hello, this is Sir Oswald Mosley. I regret to inform you that I have something unfortunate to tell you about Mr. Shelby’s wife…”

——

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked the element of a hidden message within the letter! It was something that I was so excited to include in this fic and the basis of the whole story idea, it was so much fun trying to find ways to include all of the words I needed to!

Please let me know your thoughts via likes, reblogs, comments and/or asks! It really does make a writers day when a reader lets us know what they thought of our work❤️

If you’d like to join my tag list to keep up to date with my work, please click here

Tagged: @peakypoet @moral-terpitude @lyarr24 @cillmequick @mrkdvidal1989 @shelbydelrey @alasya16 @tommystargirl @elenavampire21 @adaydreamaway08 @slaypussypop-21 (unable to tag) @bluesongbird @zablife

#tommy shelby #peaky blinders #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby one shot #tommy shelby x you #tommy shelby fanfic #cillian murphy

[eijirousbestie]

I’m not sure if my request have been sent to you or not but here we ge. Bakugou drawing with reader this time just quite and pace a day later he would notice reader putting his drawing in a nice and viable place in her wall like she is proud of him , im craving for some fluff🥹

Yes I got your last request too!! I try to crank these new stories out at least twice a month cuz of daily life but I got around to it today🫵🏽 I’ll combine ur last request with this one since it’s kinda the same premise. As always thank y’all for reading and I hope you enjoy! If y’all have any special requests PLS SHARE THEM WITH ME!! I’d love to write them<33

“Stick to art.”

painting together

peaceful silence

Bakugou is actually good at painting

may or may not have based the painting off of one I actually made…

* * *

“For the love of god will you stop hogging all the white paint?”

“Quit whinin’ will ya? I’ll hand it back just give me a sec here.” You in fact did not get the paint back in a few seconds. With the way he’s got it in a death grip you’re not entirely sure it’ll survive the trip back to you.

“Katsuki, your knuckles are literally turning white from how hard you’re squeezing the tube. You don’t even need that much.”

“You know the more you talk the less “enjoyable” this bright idea of yours is.” He places the tube of paint down on the ground next to your knee.

You both are in your dorm room, your usual tarp covering the flooring under you from any stray paint splatters. It was your grand idea to have the both of you paint together. Actually, it was to prove to Bakugou that painting wasn’t as easy as he chucked it up to be. It started with his comments about your art earlier in the week. You were working on another project for class and spent hours painting and refining the details. The boisterous blonde disrupted your thoughts in place of his own. Why the hell’s this taking so long? It’s just an apple, he’d question. To him, a painting should never take more than at least two hours tops. If anything, watching you paint for hours on end was the coolest thing to him because how could someone have that much patience? He’d never admit it though. And now here you both are, having a painting session in your room to prove to him it’s not as easy as he thinks.

Grabbing the now freed white paint you add a small glob of it to your palette, mixing the specific color you needed. You both have already been painting for almost an hour. It’s Saturday and you didn’t have anything better to do. Before you both started, you’d searched Pinterest for painting ideas. Scrolling through various cartoon characters, Bakugou settles on painting a simple white skull against a black background. The reference is such a him choice. You chose yours a little while after him but refused to tell him your idea. He rolled his eyes and started sketching on the small canvas you’d given him, occasionally asking you if his proportions were accurate.

You both had fallen into a quiet peace. The windows drawn to let the last bits of sun in. The soft sounds of your music thrumming through your small speaker. The slosh of water being dirtied up in solo cups as Bakugou cleans his brush. Just all around good vibes and harmless bickering here and there. You swear you’ve never seen him so relaxed, other than the time he fell asleep while you were drawing him. You look up from your canvas and catch a glimpse of Bakugou’s face. Trimmed eyebrows pinched together in a stare of pure concentration, his lips slightly tucked in as he works on the details of the skull.

His painting technique is quite impressive. Understandably not to your level, but if he took art seriously he could be one hell of an artist. The way he changes the pressure of his grip when outlining the teeth of the skull has you eyeing his piece in astonishment. Where the hell did he learn that from?

“You gonna keep starin’ at my shit or are you actually gonna give your input.” Your gaze lifts from his painting to him. You give a slightly confused look.

“Wait what.”

“Asked if I was doing this line stuff right but you looked lost as hell. Told you to leave that dope alone.” You roll your eyes.

“Ya mama. And yeah you’re doing it right. Just don’t make em too thick.” He side eyes you so hard you’re sure his eyes are about to roll out of his head.

“You’re lucky I’m goin’ to therapy.”

“Aren’t we all.” You give a brief chuckle and continue to work on your painting. The light pink background against the chosen figures ties the whole piece together. A particular song plays from the shuffle queue of your music library. It’s one that you and Bakugou both know. You quietly hum along, bobbing your head. Your ears pick up a rather deep tremor that joins your humming. He’s humming along too, eyes laser focused on his work. In the most non-corny way possible, you try to harmonize with him, doing decent until you miss a note halfway through. He makes sure you’re aware he noticed.

“Stick to art.” He snickers, shoulders softly shaking.

“Mind your business.”

“I’ll do what I wanna do.” He retorts. He’s so sassy and for what.

Another couple hours pass and you’ve both finished your paintings. Katsuki lifts his painted skull with pride, his ego through the roof. It’s actually a pretty solid painting. Albeit, simple, but not bad at all.

“Goddamn Kats, you didn’t do half bad.” You chide with a grin.

“Damn right. Told you this shit’s easy. Just gotta get over gettin stuck in the details.”

“That’s funny because you asked for my help with line work but go off I guess.”

“You’re just a resource. Gotta use what I can to get where I need to be.”

“Damnnn ouch. That’s all I am to you? Katsuki I’m hurt.” You feign heartbreak as you dramatically hold your hand over your heart.

“Idiot. You gonna show me what you ended up paintin’ or not?” You nod, grabbing your canvas and flipping it over to show him your piece.

His eyes are met with an image of two bears, one white, one brown. Their cheeks are smushed together in some sort of side hug. The brown bear does not look amused. He clicks his tongue and tilts his head.

“You really love cutesy shit don’t you?”

You shrug. “Not my fault the Pinterest bears were cute. Stay mad but I’m in my bag.”

“The fuck’s that even mean-”

“Shhh you’re being a hater right now.” He shakes his head as he chuckles deeply, shoving his hands in the pockets of his sweats.

“Yeah you’re really lucky I’m in therapy.” You laugh with him and reach for his painting that he left on the ground.

“You gonna leave this behind after you worked so hard on it?” You question. He shrugs.

“Don’t really got a place for it. I ain’t really into displaying things like you. You keep it or something.” You hold onto both paintings as he announces his departure to his room.

The next morning, he wakes up and starts his usual routine. Shower, brushing his teeth and skincare. The shuffle of his house shoes fills the quiet of the halls as he journeys to your room to make sure you’re up to go on your Sunday morning run together. He knocks once, twice and gets no reply. He jiggles the doorknob and he finds it unlocked, meaning you’re probably not inside. He opens your door and looks around to find no you. But what he does find makes his face go warm. There on the wall adjacent to the door, hangs his skull painting right next to yours. A ghost of a smile graces his lips as he shakes his head, closing the door to your room to go and grab you for your run.

bonus: the paintings y’all made

Bakugou’s:

Yours: *optional*

fun fact this is actually a painting I made a few months ago😭

#bakugou headcanons #bakugou katsuki #mha headcanons #mha drabbles #mha x reader #bakugou x reader #mha bakugou #bakugou katuski x reader #bakugou fic #bakugou x you

[nightghoul381]

Finally Home~ Nokto POV x Reader

2nd to last entry of my little challenge (blurb at the bottom if you want more info on that). Thank you @aquagirl1978 and @violettduchess for hosting and providing the prompts!

Prompt: 13. Pink Skies Pairing: Nokto Klein x Reader Genre: Fluff WC: 1.2k

Drumming my fingers on the desk I huff impatiently. This is the fourth extra day that this trip to Benitoite for negotiations has had to be ‘extended.’ By that they mean, there’s one stubborn minister that absolutely refuses to compromise on his stance and he’s holding up everything else. Listening to the red-faced man continue to blubber on about how there was nothing in his stance that could be compromised. I finally had enough and interrupted.

“Listen, I feel like we’ve reached an impasse, as I’ve said. With that, I think it would be in all of our best interests to put a pin in this negotiation and we can come back to it when all parties are more amenable to compromising.”

The bright smile on my face was a warning, challenging any of the gathered court officials to argue and find out how quickly they’d be shown the door.

After a brief, stunned silence, many of the gathered men muttered a reluctant agreement. All of course, besides the dear stubborn minister.

“We need to establish this trade agreement as soon as possible! It is imperative to have this finalized prior to the end of the year!”

His shouts were grating on my ears.

“Oh, I agree that it would be beneficial to establish this as soon as possible, but there’s clearly no way that you are willing to cede any of your conditions, and frankly, they’re ridiculous. We’ll be more than happy to continue the discussion if you are actually willing to negotiate.”

The finality in my tone seemed to have finally gotten through to him. He began to stutter out some sort of half-baked excuse about how he needed more time to fully consider the terms that we had approached him with, and I agreed to it, stalking out of the meeting room and back to my guest suite.

It was lonely having the room to myself. I wasn’t used to having to go this long without seeing you. Normally, I’d be back in Rhodolite by now. None of my trips usually lasted more than a week, but thanks to the stubborn asshole, I’m stuck here another night.

I pace around my room, the agitation coursing through my body ensuring that I would not be getting sleep any time soon. I want to just leave right away, to hell with the negotiations. But that’s not exactly going to help the situation either and I’ll have to deal with it eventually. So, I may as well knock it out now, rather than having to come all the way back out here and repeat the whole song and dance again.

The sun was sinking under the horizon, and I imagine how lonely you must be feeling too. It hurts. I want to be there so badly.

One more day. I tell myself, silently praying that it’s the truth.

It was not the truth. The damned negotiations ended up taking another three days and by the time we started heading back, I had almost no patience. I just needed to get back. I needed to see you. I was so close to strangling those men for wasting so much of my time and it took nearly all my effort to keep my cool, collected façade.

Just as we were finally getting near Rhodolite’s castle—

“I’m sorry my lord, it appears that the carriage has a broken spoke that needs to be replace before we can continue.”

You’ve got to be kidding me…

“How long is that going to take?”

“I’m afraid that the repair will take at least an hour to complete and at that time, the roads will be too dark to keep going. There is a small tavern, just a little way back, that offered to host you for the night, if you would like.”

“No, no, no… I’m not staying another night away.” I hiss under my breath. This is getting on my last nerve.

Turning to one of the accompanying soldiers, I had an idea.

“Give me your horse.”

“Sir?”

“Hop off and give me your horse. I’m going home.”

Stunned, he agreed and handed over the reins. I spurred on the horse, and the outline of the castle came into view as the light began to fade.

By the time I had reached the castle, I practically leaped off the horse and ran inside to find you.

Not in your room, I ran and checked mine, then the library, then the kitchen, and finally Sariel’s office.

“I believe the gardens would be a logical place to look next.” He advised, barely able to get his last words out before the door slammed shut behind me.

Outside the sun was quickly beginning to vanish. I ran in a frenzy toward our spot and found you standing there, looking out over the pond at the sunset.

My heart nearly stopped. Framed in the soft pink of the sky, you looked even more radiant. I felt a lump forming in my throat. God, I had missed you so much.

I walk forward silently, spinning you around and pulling you into a tight embrace before you had a chance to register what was happening.

“What the—Nokto?”

My arms seem to tighten on their own as I bury my face in your hair. The gentle scent of your soap greets me, and I can feel the tension in my body begin to ease. Without a word, you wrap your arms around me, returning the firmness of my own hug.

I’m home. I have you again. Something about your mere presence is enough to make all the irritation and stress melt away, and I finally start to relax.

“I missed you so much.” I admit, whispering in your ear.

Normally, I would tease you, get you all riled up, before admitting how I felt, but today I needed to tell you. I needed to know that you understood how much I love you.

“I missed you too, Nokto. I’m so glad you’re finally home.”

The bright smile beaming up at me is enough to make any sense of reason flee my body and I gently bring our faces together, sealing our reunion with a kiss.

The blush of the sky matches your face as we pull apart.

“Nokto…” You breathe, looking up at me with those pleading eyes.

“Mm…?”

“Can we go to your room? I want to show you how much I’ve missed you.”

And just like that, the tension returned to my body, but this time it was the delicious ache of desire that had my muscles drawing tight.

“Oh, I would like that very much.”

And with that I take your hand and lead you out of the sunset garden, one last glimpse of you wreathed in the pale pink hue of the sky as I turn to capture your lips once more.

“Nokto! Wait until we’re inside!” You huff indignantly when I finally release you.

The smile spreading across my face was so genuinely happy it hurt. Everything about you is so perfect. But my favorite thing will forever be how adorable you look, blushing from embarrassment when I get you all hot and bothered outside of our private areas.

Once we finally do arrive, my hands fly to you of their own volition and we spend the remainder of the night wrapped in each other’s warmth, chasing away all of the loneliness that had been torturing us.

Author's Note/ Challenge Babble:

The challenge I gave myself was to write each prompt with a randomized suitor. It was so interesting to try and figure out how to fit the suitors in with their prompts, especially when they really didn't seem to fit (...Jude). Thank you to everyone who has read my entries I'm really happy at how well received they've been, so thank you!

#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikemen prince fanfiction #summer days sultry nights ccc #ikemen prince nokto #ikepri nokto #nokto klein

[mushiewrites]

Forest Monster

The last Halloween prompt from this post! I had plans to do more for this, but things happen and this is what I came up with. I received this prompt from the lovely @covenofwives. Thank you for the prompt and your patience, Coven! 💘

Day 22: Monster

(lee!Sapnap / lee!George / lee!Dream / ler!4K : 2.2k words)

“Why did we decide to stay in the mushroom biome this long? Now we have to walk back through the dark and I barely have anything to craft an ax with, George.” The brunette heard Sapnap whine from behind him as they walked into the entrance of the dark wood forest that stood before them. Sure, maybe he had made them stay a bit longer than they had to, but he needed as many mushrooms as he could get to prepare the stew for the week! Dream and Sapnap should be grateful he decides to cook for all three of them and not just himself. 

“It’s fine, Sapnap. No big bad forest monster is lurking in the dark. We’ll be fine.” Dream chuckled from behind the two smaller boys, shaking his head but taking out his sword anyway, just to be safe. Little did the boys know, there was a monster lurking in the shadows.

Well, not exactly.

4K had decided to take a rare trip to the server, planning to stop in to see Sapnap and check in on things. It was random, he had never done this before, but he missed his brother deeply and decided to pop in for a surprise visit. Only, when he reached Sapnap’s house, the youngest boy was nowhere to be found. While strolling around the server looking for him, he heard three familiar voices coming from inside of the dark wood forest that he had walked into moments before.

“Okay Dream, so I expect you to protect me if anything attacks us.” 4K heard his brother complaining in the distance, followed by a higher pitched cackle he knew to be George’s. He could hear the boys banter back and forth with each other, Sapnap whining about not having a weapon while George and Dream tease him for being so defenseless. 4K smirked, forming a prank in his head to mess with the three mortals. 

As the boys continued to walk through the forest, George and Sapnap ahead of Dream, the two heard a gasp followed by a squeak, quick footsteps running in the opposite direction of them. George and Sapnap turned around quickly, George drawing his bow expecting to be met with a creature; instead he was met with a clear opening on the path they had been walking on with no signs of Dream. 

“What the fuck?” Sapnap uttered quietly under his breath as he turned towards George, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion and nervousness. 

“…Dream?” George attempted to call out, but his voice was much quieter than he had anticipated it would be. He continued to hold his bow up, noticing the way it shook slightly due to his now tense stance. 

Suddenly they heard a shriek, sending Sapnap and George to huddle closer together, practically clinging to each other as they heard a squeal from somewhere close in the forest. 

“Dream?!” Sapnap called out with the volume George wished he had, hoping that they would get Dream to respond and they’d be able to help him. Another shriek sent them running in the direction of the sound, finally snapping into action to go and find the blonde. 

As they grew closer to the sounds, they realized Dream wasn’t shrieking because of pain. These weren’t screams of agony, rather choked out peels of muffled laughter. George stopped in his tracks, Sapnap following suit as they looked at each other with wide eyes. 

“Is he….laughing?” George questioned the younger boy, watching as Sapnap took a few more steps towards the noise to get a better ear on the situation.

“I think he was? I don’t hear anything now, though.” Sapnap responded, taking two more strides towards the direction Dream’s laughter had been coming from. Suddenly he heard approaching footsteps, but he couldn’t turn himself around quick enough to see what was heading their way, too paralyzed with fear. A loud, high pitched shriek was heard as Sapnap finally snapped his head behind him, staring wide-eyed at the empty spot where George was previously standing.

“G-George?” The brunette called, cursing himself when he heard the slight panic seeping through his voice. He quickly walked towards the slight opening in the dark wood trees, trying his best to shine his torch as far as he could get it in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Dream or George. He jumped back with a wince as he heard a shrill cackle followed by high pitched laughter, no doubt coming from the older brunette.

“George!” Sapnap tried again, the laughter suddenly stopping. He waited to hear more sounds, turning his head slightly to hopefully help him pick up the laughter easier, but he instead was met with a sound far more terrifying - approaching footsteps, growing quicker and quicker by the second. 

“Fuck fuck fUCK!” He stumbled backwards, almost dropping his torch in the process as he turned to run down the dark path out of the forest. 

He let out a scream as he felt something grab at the back of his shirt, causing him to sprint forward with all his might. But it seemed luck wasn’t on his side, and he instead was scooped up off the ground into very big arms. The grasp was tight but not painful, just as if he was being carried by a friend or sibling. 

Wait. These arms looked familiar, even without his torch that had fallen in the scuffle. 

“4K?!” Sapnap struggled in the hold, trying to turn around to look his brother in the face. He heard the deep familiar chuckle close to his ear, causing him to bring his shoulder up to his ear in an attempt to block out the tingles he was currently experiencing. 

“Hello brother! Long time no see!” The mortal could hear the smugness dripping from the smirk he was sporting, enjoying the way Sapnap was struggling even though they both knew he could never escape 4K’s grip if he didn’t want you to.

“What the hell- ugh-…are you doiNG- Ah!” Sapnap was struggling in 4K’s grip, pulling on the God’s arms as hard as he could to try and escape, but all that did was cause 4K to dig his fingers into both of Sapnap’s sides, cutting his sentence off and causing him to yelp. 

“I was coming to visit! But you weren’t there, so I was just roaming around trying to find you,” 4K continued his way through the dark, Sapnap still lightly struggling as the nervousness began to set in. “And now I’ve found you! Found your friends, too. What a lovely treat for me, don't you think?"

The brunette was about to respond when he heard the chatter of familiar voices, squinting as he saw a faint flickering of light from a torch that had been stuck into the ground. As 4K continued forward Sapnap finally saw his two friends, both sitting nervously against a tree, huddled together and both letting out little residual giggles. The two quickly stumbled onto their feet, still leaning back against the tree as 4K approached their vicinity. Sapnap noted that Dream was blushing, but George’s face was bright red, almost as if he’d just finished running a marathon. The thought of what 4K actually did to them made his stomach drop.

“W-What did you do?” Sapnap heard himself ask, not meaning to ask out loud but apparently having no choice as his mouth made his mind up for him. He heard a low chuckle behind him closer to his ear than before and let out a small squeak at that, bringing his shoulder up once again to block out the feeling. 

“You know, I’m more of a 'show-er' rather than a 'tell-er'. So I can just show you!” 4K didn’t give Sapnap a chance to process his words before he was suddenly on the ground, the God pushing him down on his back as he wiggled his fingers under Sapnap’s arms. 

The reaction was instant. 

“NohohoHOHO PLEHEASE!” Sapnap was practically howling, kicking his feet and grabbing at 4K’s arms in an attempt to push them away from his body. The brunette pressed his arms against his sides, throwing his head back with louder laughter as 4K vibrated his fingers faster and harder into the hollows of his armpits. He was shaking his head quickly, feeling tears prickle at the corners of his eyes due to being squeezed shut so tightly. 

“Oh be quiet Sapnap, you’re fine. Your friends took it like champs, didn’t you?” 4K smirked over to Dream and George who were still huddling together against the tree, their eyes wide and faces deep pink as they watched the deity wreck their younger friend. 4K rolled his eyes at the way they were silent, sighing in annoyance and growling through his words. “I said, didn’t you?” 

“Y-yes!” George squeaked out, leaning more into Dream as he crossed his arms over his chest to grip at his ribs, remembering how 4K’s nails raked up and down over them just minutes before. The blonde nodded his head quickly in agreement, moving his hands over his stomach as he too remembered what those nails could do.

“See Sap? You’re fine! If they can take it, I’m sure you can take much more!” Sapnap tried to protest but the words were caught in his throat as another shrill laugh tumbled out of him, feeling 4K’s hands quickly migrating from under his arms and down to his hips. The God squeezed as if his life depended on it, making sure to press into the bundle of nerves that sat on the insides of both hip bones. Sapnap bucked up as much as he could, laughing so hard he was borderline hysterical as he continued to pull at the offending arms. 

After a few minutes, 4K grabbed the bottom of Sapnap’s shirt, yanking it up before the boy could defend himself and began nibbling all over his stomach and sides. Sapnap shrieked the loudest he ever had in his life, sending shivers down the other two boy's spines as they watched the God nibble Sapnap's tummy like he was the most delicious thing 4K had ever tasted. His legs were kicking against the ground to the point dirt was flying everywhere, grass landing on 4K’s back and almost reaching Dream and George. Sapnap was no longer pulling at 4K’s arms, instead smacking and punching them as hard as he could. He knew he couldn’t hurt 4K, let alone injure him, so he continued to pound against the arm muscles of the God above him. 

“Wow Sap, you’re much more ticklish than last week. You could at least last a few more minutes of nibbles back then.” Sapnap heard the smirk seeping through 4K’s voice, groaning through his laughter as 4K finally pulled his shirt back down and ran his hands soothingly over his torso to help rub out the tickly feelings still lingering under his skin. 

“Sh-Shut uhuhp!” The youngest boy was panting, his giggles finally dying down as he attempted to take in deeper breaths of air to regulate his breathing. After a few minutes he was finally ready to stand up, 4K reaching a hand down to help him to his feet. 

“God, 4K, what the fuck was that?” Sapnap finally giggled out after walking back over to join his friends who were giggling quietly about how red his face was. He reached forward and poked both boys in the sides, causing them to squeak and making their cheeks match his in color.

“Well when the opportunity presents itself, I’m always going to be mischievous. The set up was too good not to take advantage of!” 4K explained through low giggles, shrugging his shoulders and reaching down to pick up the torch. 

“You seriously suck, 4K,” The God chuckled more at that, tipping his head back as little squeals erupted through his giggles. Sapnap couldn’t be mad at that and his face immediately softened, reaching up to lightly punch at his shoulder. “Next time you want to visit, just let me know ahead of time, okay?” 

4K agreed and the four made their way back to George’s house, where the oldest boy was finally able to make his stew. 4K spent the rest of the night with the three boys, talking over dinner about the server and the nether, exchanging wild stories (and maybe some laughs).

#lee!sapnap #lee!george #lee!dream #ler!sapnap4k #mostly lee sap #but brief lee dream and george #i loved this prompt sm #thank u coven for requesting this #i had bigger plans for this #maybe I'll write george and dreams parts separately at one point! #mushie fics #mcyt tickle #my stuff #augtickletober2022

[edith-hyde]

Norman Osborn X Female Reader

I Forgot My Umbrella - Part 43

Word Count: 2862

Summary: With the gala finally over, Norman drives you home. After everything, he finally finds the courage to say the three words you've wanted to hear. But trouble is on the horizon when Tracy does something stupid.

Warnings: Age gap. PG/PG-13.

A/N: In case it wasn't obvious by now, I have a lot of health issues and as of the moment they're really kicking my butt. However, the story must go on! I will do my best to work on the next chapter. Thank you all for your patience and for reading my story.

Tagging: @druigswh0ree @digital-demise @maskmare931 @b1ueoff1ine @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @wtfhasmy-lifecometo @ghnaim24 @moonsienoonsie

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——

The party went on for about another hour. You watched as people slowly left, saying their goodbyes to Norman as they went. You said goodbye to Tracy, MJ, and Peter and you were thankful they didn’t ask about Harry. However, Rosie did.

“Is everything alright?” Rosie whispered as she hugged you, “I saw Harry storm out of here…”

“I’ll tell you about it later,” you sighed, “Just know that… Harry knows about us now.”

Rosie’s eyes went wide for a moment and you gave a forced smile. As she gently patted your arm, she gave a sympathetic nod. With no other words, Rosie took Otto’s arm, and the two left you standing by the punch.

You were glad that you had planned the whole event, so it wasn’t strange for you to be the last person there with Norman. You helped the staff pack up the last of the food and were surprised that Norman joined you. The staff were equally as shocked, if not a little frightened. But they accepted the assistance all the same. Everything was packed up and put away by eleven.

“I am so glad it’s over,” you sighed as you walked with Norman out to the car, “It was fun, but also really stressful.”

“I promise to give you more than a few weeks' notice next time,” Norman said apologetically.

“I’d appreciate that.”

You arrived at the car and Norman opened the passenger door for you. You tossed your bag into the back and paused. It was then that you realized that you were still wearing the dress. Norman was also still in his outfit making the two of you quite the strange and sparkly pair. 

“Oh this is gonna be fun,” you laughed.

Gathering up your poofy skirt as best you could, you attempted to shove yourself into the car. Norman tried to help as well, pushing sections of the gown into place. It wasn’t too long before he was laughing as he futilely tried to get the dress out of the way of the door. He was practically down on his knees, face buried in a mountain of lace and fabric. His muffled laughter made you start cackling- a much needed stress relief. 

“I am so sorry!” you giggled, “Maybe I should go change?”

“The venue is already locked up,” Norman chuckled, “We’ll manage. Hold on.”

With one last push, Norman succeeded in getting the last of the fabric out of the way. He shut the door quickly and made sure nothing got stuck before getting behind the wheel. When he looked over at you, he couldn’t help the laughter that escaped. You looked rather silly with the skirt bunched up in your face, taking up every bit of space in front of you. It even spilled over into the driver’s seat.

“These dresses are impractical,” you huffed.

“Indeed they are,” Norman agreed, “It’s like a circus tent.”

“Certainly feels like a circus.”

On the drive home, you and Norman discussed how you might possibly tell your parents, now that Harry knew the truth. In the end, neither of you could come up with a good way to break the news to them.

“Let’s give it a few weeks,” you sighed, “After what happened with Harry….”

“Right…”

Norman shut off the car and quickly came around to your side to free you from the vehicle. He helped you out, making sure you wouldn’t lose your balance or trip on the excessive amount of fabric surrounding you. As he walked with you up to your apartment, you held his arm, absently resting your head on his shoulder. 

“Do you wanna come in for a bit? Have some hot chocolate?” You asked as you opened the door, “Tracy isn’t here. She probably went out for drinks or something. She and MJ seemed to have hit it off.”

“Make it a coffee and I’ll stay,” Norman smiled.

“Alright!” you laughed, “Just let me get out of this dress first.”

You disappeared into your bedroom, frantically trying to grab the zipper as you went. You hadn’t even got the door fully closed before you realized that the zipper was stuck. You did a few turns, glancing between your closet and the door. With your face burning, you left the room, gaining Norman’s attention who had just sat down. He gave you a quizzical look and you bit your bottom lip. 

“I… I need your help. The zipper is stuck.”

You turned your back to him to show him what you were talking about. You could barely reach the stupid thing in the first place and now it had to go and get stuck. Norman seemed amused by it, chuckling as he approached.

“What a wretched thing, holding you hostage.”

You felt his hands in your back, causing your face to burn even more. He fiddled with the contraption, being careful not to rip any of the material that had gotten stuck in the zipper. There was a bit of a pop as the fabric pulled free.

“There we go,” he whispered.

Norman unzipped the dress slowly, making sure nothing else got stuck. As you listened to the sound of the zipper, your heart quickened, making it hard to breathe. Norman finished, his hands lingered for only a moment before he stepped back. When you turned to face him, you saw the look on his face. His ears were burning a bright red and he couldn’t meet your eyes. His gaze remained on the dress that was sparkling in the dim light. 

“Thank you,” you murmured.

You weren’t sure why, but you couldn’t raise your voice above a whisper. Norman didn’t respond in words. Instead, he reached out and gently pulled up the shoulder of your dress that had started to fall, keeping you decent. 

“You best go in the other room,” Norman finally said.

“Yeah… I’ll be back.”

But you didn’t leave. You remained where you were, eyes glued to his. You didn’t have a reason or even a conscious thought as to why you weren’t going. But something kept you rooted in place. 

“You’re not moving,” Norman muttered as he took a half step towards you.

“No, I’m not… Sorry.”

He reached out and started fiddling with the necklace that rested on your collarbone. His eyes ran the length of your body as he spoke.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I don’t know…”

Norman chuckled, taking another step forward. You could feel his breath on your skin as he gently caressed the side of your face.  

“There’s no need to apologize,” he whispered.

Before you even registered what you were doing, you closed the gap between you. Grabbing his collar, you led his lips to yours and he went willingly. You felt the sensation of his fingers on your bare back like a lightning strike. But you didn’t move to stop him. A sigh escaped you and that seemed to snap Norman back into reality. He sucked in a sharp breath, moving to whisper in your ear. 

“Go. Before I do something I shouldn’t.”

 Norman took a long step back, bowed his head, and tucked his hands behind him.

His eyes came up to inspect you and your face burned like a brand. You immediately turned and fled down the hall, being sure to shut and lock your door. As you leaned against it, you tried to get your breathing under control. Now freed from his gaze, your heart was a jackhammer. You felt dizzy, your thoughts clouded in a haze. 

What were you just doing? 

With a deep breath, you escaped the dress, undid your hair, put up the jewelry, and pulled on some sweatpants with a t-shirt. Now out of that ridiculous outfit, you felt like yourself. But you were scared to go into the other room; scared to face Norman. For once, he had been the proper person. You on the other hand… You had no idea what that was all about.

“Get it together,” you groaned.

Leaving the safety of your room, you were shocked to find the room empty. As you looked around you found Norman standing out on the fire escape, a cup of coffee in his hands. You stepped out into the night to stand next to him in somewhat awkward silence. He had removed his gaudy jacket but still looked like he had stepped out of a fairytale with his poofy sleeves. 

“You look more comfortable,” he said casually. 

“Yeah… look about just now I’m-”

“No apologies necessary,” Norman cut in, “We both got a little carried away.”

“Yup…”

As silence found its place between you once more, Norman hesitantly reached over and pulled you to his side. You went willingly, resting your head upon his shoulder. The two of you stared off towards the ever busy city you called home. 

“I’m proud of you by the way,” you said after awhile. 

“Oh? What for? My self control a few moments ago?” 

“No,” you giggled, “For not getting angry at Harry. I know you’ve got a bit of a temper, but I think you handled it all really well. So I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you,” Norman said with a smile, “Good to know my efforts don’t go unnoticed.”

“I hope he doesn’t stay angry,” you sighed. 

“It may take him a while, but I’m sure he’ll come around. Just needs time. I hate how he found out, but now that he knows, I feel as though a weight has been lifted.”

“I’m glad you’re so optimistic about this for once. That’s rare for you.”

Norman chuckled at your observation. 

“Indeed it is. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching you, it’s that a little bit of hope goes a long way.”

Norman started curling locks of your hair around his fingers as he spoke. 

“Speaking of hope, what if I hosted a dinner party for your family and we announced our relationship then?”

Clearly he was still mulling over the problem of telling your parents. You’d much rather just leave it alone. 

“Yeah, no. I think… I need to tell them alone and in person.”

Norman scowled down at you.  

“You want to do it alone?”

“I think that’d be best,” you confirmed, “I’m not worried about my mom so much as my dad… If he gets it in his head that you’re using me or something…”

You shivered as you pictured the scene. The last thing you needed was your dad trying to deck your boyfriend. 

“Well, I just don’t want them finding out the same way Harry did,” Norman said sadly. 

“Me either…. Ugh! Why do I have to tell them anything?! It’s my life, dang it.”

You pulled away from Norman to lean on the railing. 

“As a parent, I’d want my child to tell me who they’re dating,” Norman said. 

You glanced back at him. 

“And how would you react if Harry was dating some older lady?”

Norman’s features scrunched as he thought. 

“Well depends… and truth be told, if you had asked me that last year, I would have had a very different answer.”

“What’s that mean?”

Norman now looked a little ashamed. He moved to sit against the railing as he stared into your apartment. 

“If the woman was wealthy and the head of a company that I thought would be useful to OSCORP, I would’ve supported him wholeheartedly. And if she was so much older than him, that was even better. She could die and leave him the company.”

You gaped at Norman as he tried not to make eye contact. He cleared his throat after finishing the last of his coffee. He stared into the cup, glaring at it as if it were an image of his old self. The self he clearly hated. 

“But, like I said, that would’ve been my answer last year.”

“And what would your answer be now?”

He smirked, eyes still on the cup. 

“I would ask him the same thing he asked me tonight.”

You arched an eyebrow at Norman as you stopped leaning and stood upright.

“And what did he ask you?” You questioned. 

Norman’s ocean eyes came to your face. He leaned down so that he was barely an inch from you. 

“Do you love her?”

Your eyes went wide. You knew the answer- of course you did. Every action leading up to this moment was evidence enough. But you still wanted to hear it from him. 

“What… what is the answer?”

Norman gently kissed you, his free hand resting on the side of your face. He barely pulled away to whisper. 

“Yes. I love you.”

——

Norman left shortly before Tracy arrived. She had clearly been drinking and you weren’t too happy with her when she threw up and missed the toilet. But, being the good friend that you were, you helped her clean herself up and get ready for bed. 

“You’re too pure for this world,” Tracy mumbled as she flopped onto the couch. 

“Thanks. I know.”

“Why can’t I find a guy like you, huh? Somebody who cares….”

“I think you need to stay away from dating for a while,” you suggested, “Give yourself a break.”

“Too late. Gotta date.”

You sat on the edge of the couch, befuddled. 

“You got a date? With who?”

“Who else?” she giggled, “My boyfriend, Dan.”

Your blood ran cold. 

“You did what?”

“Oh don’t go gettin all judgy judgy! He’s my boyfriend and I deserve to have a nice date! Told him to pick me up tomorrow.”

“Tracy, you broke up with him! He’s not your boyfriend anymore. Did you tell him where you’ve been staying?”

Tracy squinted at you, her foggy eyes barely registering what they were seeing. 

“What?”

“Tracy…. Did you tell Dan that you were staying here tonight?”

Tracy started to go to sleep and you gently shook her. 

“Tracy! Please. Did you tell Dan where you were?!”

“Maybe?! I dunno. I’m tired.”

With that, Tracy passed out. You sat frozen, unsure of what to do. Panic rose in your throat and you thought of all the horrible things that could go wrong. Would Dan show up here? Would he try anything? Should you call the police? 

Or were you overreacting?

Overwhelmed and unsure, you ran to the phone and dialed Norman’s number. You knew he wouldn’t be home yet, but you could at least leave him a message. However, as the phone rang, you felt a bit foolish. What was Norman going to do? Should you really bother him with this? 

Quickly you hung up the phone before Bernard or the machine could answer it. 

You told yourself that you were being silly. Everything would be fine. The Dan you knew wouldn’t try anything. 

He was all talk…. Right?

Unable to convince yourself, you made sure to lock your door and even slid your desk chair under the knob. You locked your windows and pulled the curtains shut. Still feeling unsafe, you sat on the floor under the phone. It didn’t matter how silly you felt for being scared of Dan- you were still terrified. Tracy had described some of his behavior from when he and Tracy were alone. You hadn’t really believed it because Dan never seemed like the type. Sure he was a brat, but was he really the type to hit his girlfriend? But apparently he was quite a heavy drinker and even when he wasn’t drunk, he made it his mission to belittle and overpower her. 

It just goes to show that you never really know someone until you’re alone with them. 

You were just starting to drift off into stressful dreams when the phone on the wall started ringing. You bolted up and grabbed the receiver. 

“Hello?” You asked in a confused tone. 

“Y/N?”

It was Norman. Glancing at the clock, you fingered he must’ve just gotten home. You felt a huge flood of relief. 

“Hey,” you sighed, “Thanks for calling…”

“Is there something wrong? Bernard said you called but hung up.”

You moved to sit on the floor and chuckled.

“It’s silly. I’m sorry I called.”

“Don’t be sorry. What’s wrong?”

You sent your eyes skyward as you tried to think of what to say. 

“It’s Tracy. Apparently she went out drinking after the party and when she got home she was totally wasted. And said that she called Dan and left him a message, asking him for a date. I’m scared that she told him where she’s staying. I don’t want Dan showing up here.”

“Do you really think he’ll do anything?”

“By the way Tracy talks about him? Yes. I guess he’s pretty violent.”

“I can come back over there tonight,” Norman declared. 

“No, no I don’t think that’s necessary…. But could you…. Could you come over in the morning?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be there.”

You smiled and felt the fear drain from you. 

“Thanks, Norman. I’m sorry I’m such a scaredy-cat.”

“It’s a great complement to my overprotective behavior.”

“Indeed it is,” you giggled, “Ain’t we a pair?”

“I'll be over there by ten,” Norman promised, “Go get some sleep.”

“I will… Goodnight, Norman. And thanks again.”

“Goodnight, my dear.”

#i forgot my umbrella #norman osborn #norman osborn x reader #sam raimi spider man #green goblin #spider man: no way home #fanfiction

[i-am-not-your-little-princess]

Bebé's First Beach Day

I wrote this before I lost my mind. I figured my last post for a while should be fluff, so enjoy some Madrigal fluff. Work in progress. Maybe.

Summary:

Thanks to Camilo, little Mirabel's first day at the beach does not go according to plan

Julieta stood in the middle of the bathroom, trying to wrangle her usually mild-mannered toddler into standing still so she could put sunscreen on her soft, delicate skin. Mirabel had been giddy with excitement all morning.

They'd taken a much needed week-long vacation to mamá's beach house in Cartagena. The whole family had come, which basically meant complete and utter chaos. But it would be completely and totally worth it. The house was beautiful. Right on the beach, it featured not one, but two hot tubs, a pool, 6 bedrooms, a fitness room, and a very spacious kitchen (which Julieta was absolutely not excited about at all, not at all.) The whole family was excited. Luisa, Isabela, and Agustín had been hyping Mirabel up all week.

Agustín was especially excited for this particular trip. It was Mira's first trip to the beach. The rest of the family had gone a few months prior, but Mirabel had been sick that week, so they all stayed home, much to Isa and Lu's (and Agustin’s) chagrin.

Agustín absolutely loves the beach. He loved taking Isa in the water for the first time, and after that it sort of became a rite of passage, for him to take all of their babies in the water for the first time. He absolutely loved hearing their squeals of excitement and pure joy. It filled Julieta with such happiness and pride to see how amazing he was with their babies; his patience, his unconditional love, and his easy going goofiness were some of the things she loved most about him.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Julieta tickled little Mira's tummy and tried to pull her closer.

"Mira, bebita, stand still, please! Mamí needs to put this on your face so you don't burn!"

Mirabel looked adorable in her little two piece swimsuit, a white and turquoise set with ruffled edges and cute cartoonish butterflies. Her little white sandals were waiting by the door. Julieta knew Mirabel wouldn't last long in them, but she couldn't help it. They were so cute, and she knew they'd look even cuter on her little bebita.

Mira took both of her chubby little hands, and cupped her Mamí's cheeks with them.

"Face!"

"Yes, bebita, I need to put this on your face, so your pretty skin doesn't burn!"

"Mamá face pretty!"

Julieta didn't think she could fall more in love with this child, but here she was. Pressing their foreheads together, she attacked Mirabel's little face with kisses. The little girls' laughter rang through the house like the sweetest song.

#encanto #julieta madrigal #mirabel madrigal #agustín madrigal #luisa magridal #isabela madrigal #the madrigal family #encanto fandom #fanfiction #julieta x agustin #🫓 arepa fanfic writer crumbs for feedback #madrigal fluff #mother daughter relationship #toddler mirabel #young julistin #cute babies #family beach times #beach bebé #sneak peek #wip #julieta and mirabel #sunscreen is important #encanto modern au

[thatasianstereotype]

It's Actually Adrien Dupain-Cheng Future Wayne. We Don't Talk About The Agreste Part.

Thank you for your patience and idea! I may have taken it in a different direction than you thought, but I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: This is somewhat crack. Moving on:

.

On the morning before the class were set to leave for Gotham, Adrien took the time to remind his very forgetful father that his son had a life outside of him like a good son would have done.

"My class will be in Gotham for two weeks on a class field trip. I hope there will be no trouble in Paris while we are gone." There was a certain emphasis on that last sentence.

Gabriel didn't even look up from his tablet. "Of course. There's no use in increasing the butterfly population if ladybugs are gone."

"Hey! Cats are a formidable foe too."

"No, they're not." Gabriel wasted no time saying.

Adrien spluttered at the utter lack of hesitation in that statement (Chat Noir totally kicked Hawk Moth's ass multiple times) and normally, Gabriel would be amused at his son's absolute lack of decorum, but he wanted to have a peaceful breakfast for once.

"Is there a point to this conversation, Adrien?"

Adrien was still miffed about his earlier comment but answered. "I would like to have an uninterrupted date with my boyfriend and not worry about any evil butterflies for once."

Gabriel blinked. He had to look up at that, leveling an unimpressed stare at his son. "What?"

"Did I forget to mention? I'm gay."

"Oh, I'm not doubting the gay part. I am merely surprised you managed to get into a relationship."

Adrien was offended as fuck. "I totally got game."

"Adrien, I may not have been there for you much—"

"May not have?" He cut in. "You definitely weren't there for me at all."

"But even I can tell that your social and romantic skills are very lacking." Gabriel continued like he wasn't interrupted.

"Okay, first of all, rude. And second of all, I snagged a Wayne for your information."

Gabriel snorted. The child did always have a wild imagination. "Sure, you did."

Adrien was not in the mood to fight for his honor. Mari would not be happy if he came to class late. She might even withhold pastries as punishment, and he wants his pastries.

"Well, I'm off to school now. I hope you have a shitty day, Parental Figure."

"I hope you fall down the stairs, Problem Child."

"I'm your only child."

"And you're always the one giving me problems. What is your point?"

.

.

.

So as far as first impressions go, Gotham is certainly among the top for most memorable. The city was very gloomy and dark and edgy. No wonder Dami loves this place so much.

Anyway, the class was taking a tour of WE. Adrien was hanging in the back of the group with Mari. She was taking notes on the tour and redesigning the Bats' costumes like a multitasking queen.

He was pretending to pay attention while texting Damian and commenting on how Lila and the rest of the sheep was chatting up with the tour guide.

He felt so bad for Dami's brother.

Hot-And-Sexy: Don't be. Todd deserves to suffer in that harlot's presence.

Sunshine: That's mean, Dami.

Hot-And-Sexy: I am mean.

Well, he did have a point. He wouldn't be Damian otherwise.

.

A mind-numbingly hour later, they were finally able to escape to lunch.

No matter how bored he felt or how much he hated listening to Lila's grating voice on how she absolutely knows the Waynes (not knowing the tour guide was Bruce's infamous dead second son), anything beat having to suffer through evil butterflies and Father always ruining his day because he has nothing better than to do than to terrorize two sleep-deprived teenagers.

Man, his dad needs to get an actual life.

"Do you think hooking my dad up with someone will help him with his issues?" He wondered out loud.

"No." Marinette answered before leaning against Adrien and showing off her sketchbook where she was redesigning Robin's suit. "Mind showing your hottie what he thinks?"

"He would claim Robin already looks amazing."

"And I will disagree vehemently."

Before Adrien could respond, someone cut in.

"Oh hey. You're part of the French class touring, right?"

He looked up to see the infamous zombie known as Todd. And huh, he doesn't look like he eats brains. He actually looks really hot in a bad boy way. Not that Adrien was paying close attention to his appearance. He was a happily taken man.

"Yeah. My name is Adrien Dupain-Cheng and this is my sister, Marinette."

He watched Damian's brother sat down in front of them and made himself comfortable at the table. "Jason Peters, the tour guide but I'm sure you already knew that. I just wanted to see how you were liking the tour and all that."

Not really. But it was a convenient excuse. The only reason why he was wasting his free day talking to annoying high schoolers instead of reading Jane Austen was because he lost a bet against Tim.

He didn't expect much and he really had to hold back from confessing he was Brucie's son when that Lila girl kept going on and on about knowing his bosses personally and if he wasn't nice to her, she will report him to her boyfriend, Damian Wayne.

He almost laughed himself silly when he heard that. The demon brat will never date someone like her. He kind of wanted to be an ass just to see her bluff, but he promised Dickie he would be on his best behavior, and he didn't feel like being guilt trip by the disappointed Mom stare today.

He noticed the two students hanging near the back and away from the rest of the class. There was a clear distance between the two groups, and he didn't miss the animosity or hostile glares Lila and her flock of idiots shot the two. He also didn't miss the way the teacher just let it happen and only spoke up when Adrien and Marinette lagged behind.

He immediately picked up on how the Parisian teen model Adrien Agreste introduced himself. He was a Bat who was raised by a paranoid furry in a batsuit. He memorized the class roster and did a basic background check on them.

"The tour was great." Marinette said. "I liked the different social programs WE initiated to help a lot of people."

"Yeah." Adrien agreed. "I think I might actually want a career doing something like that."

He has always liked helping people out as Chat Noir but maybe plain ole Adrien can make a difference like that too.

Jason had to admit the blonde kid was adorable. He had innocent doe green eyes and a pure sunshine smile.

And huh.

"Have you guys gone sightseeing yet?"

"Not much." Marinette said. "You have any places to recommend?"

"Yeah. Do you guys like animals?"

Adrien immediately nodded. He and Damian already planned to get a dog, cat, and a hamster to keep Mari's future hamster company.

"Great." Jason beamed. "I know a few animal shelters you should check out. But there's one you should go to tomorrow. Let me write down the name and address."

If memory serves him right, the demon brat mentioned at breakfast how he was going to visit his animal shelter tomorrow.

Let it never be said that he did nothing for the baby bat and he was great at matchmaking. He was also bored and what's the point of having siblings if not to use them for your own entertainment?

.

Tim didn't expect to meet the mysterious Adrien Jason swears is a perfect match for their nightmare of a brother (Opposites attract Timberlina; it makes sense. Stop dissing on my amazing logic) at a coffee shop at 7 in the morning.

And wow, the kid was a literal sunshine. Who could look so happy at fucking 7 in the morning?

He only went to bed like three hours ago before he had to wake up because he had actual shit to do. Jason kept him up. Okay, he was already awake to finish up cases anyway but that doesn't matter.

Tim was only half paying attention to his brother as he talked about his perfect (ly shitty) matchmaking skills.

Jason was spying on them at the animal shelter yesterday and swore on his grave that he saw the little demon blush when he saw Adrien waked through the door.

Tim didn't believe it since it was common knowledge that demons only have spite and ill will in their veins, not blood, therefore Damian can't blush. Surprisingly, Jason anticipated his disbelief and showed him the pictures. And wow, Tim is going to need to update his file. Turns out monstrous hellions can show an emotion other than anger and stabby stabby.

Things got worse when Dick entered the room. And it turns out that Jason wasn't alone in his spying adventures. Dick was gushing to them about his baby brother and psuedo son finally growing up and finding love like a normal pubescent teen.

Dick proudly showed off pictures of the two hugging and Damian didn't even stab the kid.

Clearly, this was meant to be.

"Is something on my face? You keep staring at me." Adrien asked politely as he waited for his sugary sweet caramel coffee and Mari's bitter black one to be done. He really should have anticipated bumping into Damian's horde of siblings at some point.

He recognized the black haired, blue eyed stranger as that insufferable imbecile Drake that has no self preservation skills and should be benched until the fool actually knows how to function as a member of society.

Shit. Tim didn't mean to zone out and make a fool of himself.

.

.

.

Adrien was half paying attention when the class talked excitedly about the upcoming Wayne gala they got invited to. The class was crowded in the hotel room where Ms. Bustier was laying the rules and her expectations of how she wants them to behave. 

Too bad she wasn’t taking the same feedback. 

But Adrien was a good kitty who kept his mouth shut and spammed Damian with animal memes like a good boyfriend. When he glanced to the side, Marinette had a bored look on her face. 

“Oh yeah, Adrien and Damian are totally fighting over me.” Lila boasted like a preening peacock.

Adrien would rather throw himself off a building. 

“They couldn’t figure out who will be my date so I decided to go alone to stop the fighting.” 

“Dami can have her.” Adrien didn't hesitate to say. Gabriel should be glad that his son is following after his footsteps even if he is a shitty anime villain.

"Damian would stab her." Mari pointed out as the only person with common sense and no evil parents to influence her actions. "You don't want to deal with that mess."

Damn, she had a point. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"I know."

.

Damian is not pleased with his family for ruining his dates with Adrien with their excessive spying and invasion of privacy.

His mood was not the greatest when the gala starts. Grayson and Father took away his good knives and daggers so he doesn't stab any guests as if he can't utilize a mere butter knife to vanquish any annoyances.

"Damian, for the love of god, please do not make a scene tonight." Father had a stern expression on his face.

The man then proceeded threatening to bench him like an unruly toddler if he did not behave so he is displeased with Father for that.

He overhears someone bragging about how Adrien and Damian are totally fighting over her.

And oh.

Oh.

It was that Lila girl he was warned about.

A plan formed in his head that made him proud to be his mother's son. He immediately headed off to find his Beloved and future sister-in-law.

They were by the food table looking every bit the part of high class in Marinette's original designs, unlike that witch sprouting lies in a secondhand dress.

"I believe a year has been long enough of a secret." Damian enjoyed pulling one over the supposed World's Greatest Detectives but he was growing tired of the assumptions that he and his Chaton were available to plebians.

"You want to go public?" Adrien whispered. "I mean I'm fine with it. But Damian Wayne isn't even out of the closet yet."

"I'm okay with it."

"Well, okay then."

"Okay."

Dear kwami, Marinette can't believe she like these idiots. She pushed them out of the shadows and into the wide open floor where the light is shining down on them.

"Make sure to kiss Adri really good in front of the cameras." She winked and felt accomplished when Adri blushed like a tomato and Damain smirked.

She pulled her phone out and set it to video, not wanting to miss a single shot of this upcoming masterpiece.

People stopped and stared as the youngest Wayne had his hands intertwined with an unknown pretty blonde boy. And once they arrived in the middle of the floor where everyone can see them, Damian turned and kissed Adrien, sweeping him off his feet like a prince charming.

Marinette kept her finger on the record button as the room erupted in loud gasps and screeching (she put her bet on Lila making that horrid noise).

Damian focused his entire attention on his wonderful, pure Chaton. But he did looked to the side for his family's reactions.

It was satisfying to see the gobsmacked expressions on his siblings and father's faces. It was always nice to get one over them. Serves them right for ruining his mood. He'll make a scene if he damn well wants to.

If Father tries to say anything, he'll just point out how Drake has been bringing a boy to his bedroom for the past month.

And Father will be too occupied dealing with the Super Clone defiling his son to worry about Damian's love life.

It was a perfect plan worthy of the best Robin.

"Well, that's one way of coming out I guess." Adrien's face was red and he was in a daze when Dami pulled back looking composed and dignified as ever that smug Hot-And-Sexy son of a bitch.

But he was smiling. Looking over, he saw Marinette holding her phone out. He hoped she got a really good video or at least pictures that captured his good side.

"Beloved, I'm a Wayne. Everything I do is dramatic. Have you met my father?"

"Yeah, I hope Batman doesn't kill me for dating his son."

"Don't be ridiculous. Father has a soft spot towards children."

At least that was good news.

"It's Nightwing you have to watch out for but Grayson has a soft spot towards me so you'll be fine."

Adrien was so dead.

Luckily, he has a beautiful and badass goddess of a sister willing to fight in his stead.

"You are so lucky I like your stupid handsome face."

Damian's smirk did funny things to Adrien's stomach. "I know, Beloved."

Fuck, can he be any more perfect?

He can't wait until Dami proposes to him in the future, but he knew Hot-And-Sexy will have to fight Mari for his hand in marriage first cause he was a classy guy like that.

I'm sorry if this was more bats than ML but I've been more into the batfam fandom than the ML one that it was easier to write the batboys. I just find it hilarious to have the bats try to set Damian up with his own boyfriend.

#ml x dc #ml salt fic #ml salt #gaydrien #adridami #adrien agreste x damian wayne #adrien is a hot mess #lila rossi salt #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #crack fic

[thecandywrites]

Monster March Day 29- Dragon

Dragon's Rite Flight

@borealwrites I only have two left. Thank you everyone for your patience.

Monster March 2023 Day 29- Dragon

You tried not to cry as you carefully brushed and polished each scale of your dragon. It would only be a few more days before all the dragons themselves would take their own rite flight over the supersphere and you didn’t know how long your dragon would be gone for. Some dragons took only a few months, others took years. And while you got to help your parent’s dragons hatch this clutch out and help raise them. They had warned you for years, that this day was coming, and that this was always the eventuality. And that if dragons came back, they came back, or if they found a mate or a home elsewhere, they did. And while part of you wished yours would come back, you knew that the moment Monxa’s feet would leave the ground, the dragon you felt you knew almost as well as you knew yourself and one of your closest friends might never come back. And that if Monxa did, they would most likely not be the same Monxa that you had grown up with and grown so close to over the years. 

‘You could always come with me.’ Monxa suggested just as the first few tears fell from your eyes as they had blurred your vision. 

“No, the last thing you need is me being a cock block for you. No self respecting female dragon would want anything to do with you or want to be your mate if I’m the worst third wheel to have. I just, you’re my friend, I just want you to be happy, with whoever or wherever that happiness is for you in the world. But I also selfishly don’t want to lose you as my closest friend in the world.” You tried to say as you wiped your tears and just focused more on the scales. 

‘I will come back. I will bring my mate home to meet you. You’re my rider and no female from anywhere else is going to keep me from coming home to you. I know this ride is going to be the ride of my life and for this it’s going to help me see the world and orientate myself in it. That’s all it is. It’s not some mystical super secret adventure, I’ll tell you all about it and show it to you through my own eyes if I have to. Or, you could go inside, pack your damn bags and come with me, you could see and experience it yourself! Come on! It would be fun!’ He insisted. 

“Monxa! No! I would be an intruder!” You balked as he used his snout to push you towards the house. 

‘No you wouldn’t. Many dragons have taken their riders on the flights.’ He reminded you. 

“And then they never come back again, or if they do, it’s only to restock and refuel before they’re off again. I don’t…I can’t…I’m needed here. And if you’re so sure you’re coming back then I have so much work to do while you’re gone to get a proper home set up for you to bring your future mate to. Besides, I haven’t saved or prepared for such a thing. Such a trip would take at the very least weeks and months of saving and planning for, hell, Vivor and Sheba took years to plan their departure. And I just don’t have the time! You’re supposed to be flying out any minute now. Others have already left early and I don’t want you to miss your call while you wait on me. I have no way of supporting myself if I leave here. I have no way of talking or interacting with anyone else from anywhere else. You need to go and I need to stay. But, please, don’t be gone for five years like Vivor and Sheba did the first time. Ok? Just, if you’re going to settle somewhere, just come back and tell me ok? I can’t…” You tearfully pleaded with him. 

‘Then I’ll come back as soon as I can.’ He reassured you as he gently nuzzled you and you barely had finished with his scales before his call was heard and felt even in you as you tearfully kissed his head and watched him fly away. Clutching your favorite scale of his to your chest as you watched him join tens of thousands of others into the air and fly off into the horizon and all you could do was hope and pray that he would come back to you. 

However, within moments, he had somehow flew around and came in behind you and within moments, had picked you up and tried to carry you off. 

“Wait! Wait! Ok, ok, fine, fly me back, let me at least saddle you and ride you proper ok?” You called to him before he did and you had never been so happy he came back for you. You haphazardly packed everything you could think of to bring. Including every bit of physical wealth you could get your hands on. 

“What are you doing?” Your mother asked as she watched you practically run through the house, happy tears coming from your eyes as a happy and overjoyed smile was plastered on your face. 

“Going on the rite flight with Monxa!” You hollered back. 

“Figured, come here, I made this for you.” She said as she pulled out a very well packed pack for you that was hiding under a coat by the door. 

“You knew?” You asked her as you took it and put it on. 

“I had a feeling. Have fun, come home safe. But you should have enough to last you at least a year or so. Have fun Sweetheart. I know Monxa will take especially good care of you, and I trust you both to keep your wits about you and be safe out there.” She cooed as she hugged you and kissed your cheeks before she helped put the new helmet onto your head before you fled from the house and practically leaped onto Monxa’s saddle and held on and squealed in delight when he took to the air and in mere moments had rejoined the others who had left before you noticed you weren’t the only one to do so as there were now, hundreds of others riding their dragons for this pivotal flight. So that you at least had friends and wouldn’t be doing so all alone and on your own. You had Monxa’s wings and your parent’s love in the pack on your back and the saddle you were hanging onto as Monxa shared his sight with you as you could get a chance to see the air currents and the columns of hot or cold air. It was so beautiful. And the start of the perfect adventure.

#monster march 2023 #Monster March 2023 Day 29- Dragon

[laynefaire]

I was tagged by @allwaswell16 to post five fics of mine I really like (despite her knowing how very much I struggle with self-promotion). I’m going to tag @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed, @evilovesyou, @a-brighter-yellow, @haztobegood,and @crinkle-eyed-boo because sharing is caring . . . .

  Live a Thousand Lifetimes (57K)

It’s 2025.

After secretly writing and producing their first album in ten years, One Direction is weeks away from releasing their first new single and announcing a world tour.

With the whirlwind about to begin again, Liam re-evaluates the last ten years - the fame, the money, the people who changed his life forever - and the person who walked away.

I don’t even know where to begin talking about this fic. It started out as something that wasn’t supposed to be more than 4-5K words, and somewhere along the way this is where I ended up. I anguished over each sentence, researched way more than I probably needed to, and cried buckets of tears when I finished. This was also the story that reminded me that I am still a writer, even if the stories only matter to me.

Let Me Be Your Everlasting Light  (12K)

Harry Styles and his partner Louis Tomlinson have been dating for four years. Over those years, he has always known that Louis' biggest dream has been to see the Northern Lights in person. Harry arranges a trip to Norway as a gift for Louis, but little does Louis know Harry is also hoping to make his own dream come true, too.

While I much prefer to write Ziam, there are a few rare occasions where a Larry fic makes it’s way out of my brain. This story was intended for @kingsofeverything​’s 28 Proposals fest in the winter of 2019. Unfortunately, between a hospital stay, a trip to England, and Live a Thousand Lifetimes demanding my undivided attention, I didn’t finish it in time. However, finish it I did, the following spring, and dedicated it to Lauren for her friendship and patience when dealing with my unreliable arse. This is another story that I did an absolute tonne of research for because I wanted the details to be as perfect as possible.  

Untamed Hearts (68K) 

It could have been the heat of the summer sun; it might have been the silvered sheen of an early harvest moon. If he dug deep enough, Liam could find every reason ever needed to explain away what happened. In the end, though, it all came down to two meddling friends, a touch of Prince, a bit of Keats, and the moon over the ocean. Its a recipe for disaster. Or love. Probably love.

I started writing Untamed Hearts in late 2013, after two of my fandom writing friends challenged me to do it. They both left the fandom not too long after, but whenever I see the posts for this story, I remember them and all the fun we had together. They encouraged me to try my hand at writing in this fandom, and if I were to dedicate Untamed Hearts to anyone, it would be them. Thank you Sam and Jesse, for always believing in me.

For Evermore (17K)

A Beauty and the Beast AU in which Liam is the Beast, trapped in a world suspended in time, and Zayn is the only one willing to look past the facade of enchantment to find the humanity of the man hidden within.

Beauty and The Beast is my favorite fairytale and my favorite Disney movie.  When the mods for Disney Direction were looking for pinch hitters, and this story was still available, I jumped at the chance.  Being able to recreate it with my OTP was was like a dream come true, and having it received well by those who have read it has been amazing. 

Shadow Dancing (169K+)

As a small child, Liam Payne dreamed of being a firefighter. He took up boxing to defend himself from school bullies, but never lost sight of his dream. 15 years later, Liam is set to be the youngest brigade watch commander in his district, and his recent boxing win puts him in line for the British national title - if he can learn to get out of his own way.

Zayn took his first dance lesson at 5, after watching his sister's tap class. At 18, when an injury derails Zayn's dream of dancing professionally, he sets it aside to attend university, but the lure of dancing proves too great to ignore. He becomes an instructor, and eventually, the owner of a small dance studio, where he encourages other dancers to chase their dreams.

When their worlds collide in a cacophony of misunderstandings, Zayn, confronted with his own biases, realizes there’s more to Liam than meets the eye, and offers to help him prepare for his upcoming fight.

While Liam learns to dance, Zayn learns the art of compromise, and along the way, they find each other.

And when tragedy strikes, Liam finds that Zayn’s love will help him face the shadows of his past, and give him the courage to believe in himself and his dreams for the future.

Shhhhhh! Yes, I know it’s not done. Yes, I know it’s been a while since I updated. It doesn’t make me any less proud of this story - what is already posted, and where it is going. Once again, a story I have done a literal shit tonne of research for - there are over 100 links in my research folder. And while yes, they do fall in love, this story is more a journey of self-acceptance, and as I have explored the dynamics in my characters’ lives, I’ve also done a good deal of introspection on the ones in my life, as well. 

#5 fics tag meme #self rec #fic rec #Live a Thousand Lifetimes #Let Me Be Your Everlasting Light #For Evermore #Untamed Hearts #Shadow Dancing

[csmicletters]

Spanish Nights

chapter four: too close for comfort

Tim and Jamie have a much needed talk to clear the air and Tim have some memories from the first time they met.

Thank you so much to my beta Amanda for her patience with me and for being one of my best friends, also Alice for always supporting and helping me with all my stories. I love you guys to the moon and back.

moodboard credit to my amazing friend Amanda

Spain; April, 2021.

JAMIE

I was sitting with Talia and Jordan on a couch in the hotel’s big entrance hall waiting for the guys to return. My heart instantly started to beat faster when I saw Tim come in, talking and laughing with his friends, which warmed my heart, to see him so happy. Even though I didn't want to accept it, I was still hooked on him; something pulled me towards this man and apparently there was nothing I could do about it. And it certainly didn't help to think we'd be stuck together at the Villa for over a week. I was doing everything in my power to push the previous night's memories to the back of my mind so they wouldn't haunt me and I could just enjoy the wedding preparations with my sister.

The three of them started walking towards us and I involuntarily bit my bottom lip, giving Tim's face a hint of a smile as he kept coming my way. When he arrived, he put a hand in front of me; he was holding a paper bag that smelled divinely of cinnamon. I picked it up, and said: — Thank you, but I hope you know that you don’t need to keep giving me treats. — while I smiled at him. He kept looking at me and replied: — I know they're your favorites. By the way, I wanted to have a word with you before we leave for the cake tasting, if you don't mind. — as he speaks, it's as if all that blunt confidence of him was nowhere to be found; but I figured it would be mature of me, for the sake of my sister, to talk, even if I couldn’t trust myself around him, I had to try and diffuse this tension going on between us.

— Okay, then. Let’s talk. How can I help you? — I said, looking intently at him, and I noticed how surprised he was that I agreed.

— So, I just wanted to check if you're okay after last night and if you're okay with me being in the Villa. It’s your sister’s wedding, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable; so if you prefer I can stay at the hotel instead. — he bit his lip while waiting for me to say something. I was processing the information, I couldn’t know how it would be like to be around him this much, and I didn’t expect him to be so considerate of my feelings. But I’ll have to be okay, I won’t make him stay away from everyone, it’s not fair to them, and it’s not my place, this trip isn’t about me.

I felt it took me forever to answer, he was looking so nervous, his hand scratching his neck. So I finally ended his torture, laughing at how weird it is to have this kind of conversations with him, I’m not used to feel awkward around him, all I have experienced was comfort so that’s different.

— Yes, Tim, thanks for looking out for me and I’m sorry for making a fool of myself and for having you stuck in the room with me. — I laughed again, trying to hide how uncomfortable I was for hitting on Rohan and, well, for everything else I did; so I went on: — And about the Villa, I think we should act like adults. I don’t wanna worry my sister anymore or to act like a spoiled brat who can’t get along with their ex-something. — My heart ached with the ex part. His eyes said so much at that moment; but I couldn’t understand it. A part of me wanted to find out what he meant more than anything in the world; another part didn’t want to know at all. I ended up deciding that now wasn’t the time for this; this trip wasn’t about us; that was becoming my personal mantra.

— Are you sure? — he asked and I felt his hands slowly holding mine; he brought our hands, now intertwined, to his lips, and kissed the back of my hand, his eyes as kind as ever never leaving mine, and continued: — I will do what’s best for you, Jamie. I care about my friends, but not enough to make you uncomfortable. So whatever you say, goes. — my entire body responded to his kiss, making me feel goosebumps all over. I looked at him and smiled, saying: — Yes, I’m sure. I won’t be uncomfortable, but still, I’ll probably try to stay away from you. — I laughed and started to bring my hand away from his, already longing to feel his touch again. To both of our surprises, I placed a peck on his cheek, a little too close to his lips.

I turned around and took a deep breath, walking away as I looked for the others so I could join them, but I couldn’t find them anywhere. I checked my phone and saw a text from my sister saying to take a cab with Tim and meet them there, followed by the address. Tim soon caught up to me, faster than I could pull myself together, and put his hand on my shoulder, saying he got the same text as me; so we went to the cab and got in.

TIM

The moment I felt Jamie kiss my cheek, it was like I’d been struck by lightning. All I wanted was to take her hand again and pull her towards me; but, unfortunately, she came to her senses pretty quickly.

This woman would be the death of me. I was sure of it by this point. She had me eating out of her palm and I would be there for her for whatever it was in the snap of a finger. It was pathetic, I was feeling like a puppy. But thinking about the pain I had caused her made my heart break all over again. I was a selfish bastard and she deserved better. So I had to settle for whatever opening she gave me. And for now, I was grateful to have her around.

I couldn’t help but look forward to all the interactions we would have during the wedding preparations. As soon as we got in the car for the cake testing, my mind started to wonder about the day we officially met. Even if I remember her eyes from before, there is no way to forget her; the worst thing is that after all, she probably has no idea I feel this way...

FLASHBACK

London; December, 2019.

It was December 26th and I had just received a text from Jake saying they were coming back from Liverpool after spending Christmas with Jordan’s family; so they wanted to do a little get-together, like a game night, which we used to do at least once a month, and keep celebrating Christmas with our friends. He also mentioned that Jordan’s sister would be with them for a little while. I remember seeing her before, but we never talked or anything like that as Jen was always on top of me and was so preoccupied with getting her way that even after a few months since we have broken up, I was still getting used to real life without her.

I was happier than I’ve been for a while indeed, Jen was and still is an amazing person, but definitely not for me; it's a shame it took me so long to realize this and stop living just to please her. I grew a lot during our relationship; it was my first serious attempt at being with someone, but not being able to be myself finally made me realize how wrong we were for each other. She was ashamed of who I was, so I did my best to pretend to be someone else just to see her happy. She deserves to be with someone that fits her lifestyle and that she is proud to show off; and I deserve to be with someone who doesn’t mind being with the real me. Her parents still hated me, her friends still hated me, and I was slowly losing my friends because I could never see them or spend time with them; so breaking up was for the best.

I stopped by the liquor store on the way there, bought tequila and some beers. When I arrived, I knocked on the door and heard some shouting; I also felt a delicious smell of cookies coming from the other side of the door. A few seconds later, the door opened as I stared at the welcome mat sitting on the floor, and I yelled: — Honey, I’m home! — laughing, and my eyes start to make their way up. I was about to hug Jordan when my eyes met the bluest I’ve ever seen, beautiful freckles kissing her rosy cheeks... and she coughed. I don't know if she choked on the half cookie she had in her hand or if she was trying to hide her laughter that came right after. — Hello, I think you got the wrong sister, but... Welcome back home then, honey. — she said and then moved out of the way, making room for me to enter.

I walked into the living room, as red as a tomato, and Jordan and Jake were both already laughing at me. — Cat got your tongue, Tim? — they said and I just rolled my eyes at them. Jordan continued: — This is my sister, Jamie; I don’t know if you’ve met before. By the way, I know you love Jake's cookies, they are right over there. Oh, there are also some snickerdoodles that Jamie made, they are delicious. — she said and winked at me, pointing to the table where the snacks were.

I turned to the girl who had opened the door for me and hugged her briefly, saying: — Hi, Jamie! I don’t think we’ve met, but I feel like I remember seeing your eyes before. Also, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I’m a big hugger.

She smiled at me and said: — I think we've been to the same places a few times, but we weren't introduced. Oh, and no sweat!

She walked over to where Jordan and Jake were sitting on the rug, took a shot of tequila and said: — Your turn, Jake. — Jake took his shot and I greeted everyone, noticing, for the first time, that Rohan and Talia were there too. I went to the table to get some snacks and went back to sit next to Jamie and everyone else right after.

We played, drank, ate, and laughed a lot; it was one of the biggest fun I’ve had in a long time. After my first kiss that night with Jamie over the game, I remember that I couldn’t take my hands off her. It was like magic and fireworks together. When our lips met, it was as if everything made sense for some reason; and I knew in that moment that I was screwed. She was everything I wanted, everything I needed; and that’s when the best month of my life began.

END OF FLASHBACK

Spain; April, 2021.

The cab stopped at the bakery for the cake tasting and I came back to reality. The rest of the time we were out went by pretty quickly. My mind kept taking me to places that only made me think of ways to bring this woman back into my life. I don’t know why I was so scared, why it took me so long to understand that I can't live without her; but now I was terrified that it might be too late, that nothing I did would be enough.

Thank you everyone for reading it. I hope you are all liking my story.

all feedback, kudos and comments ate always very appreciated!

xxRafa

#litg #litg fanfic #litg mc #litg s1 #litg tim x mc #litg tim #litg moodboard

[tavyliasin]

BG3 FicFeb SFW - Day 4

The fourth day, the fourth shortfic from ATG Tav's first camp, before all the companions had gathered. Today's prompt focuses on what the party are doing at camp, and our poor dear rogue Tav has some adjusting to do when travelling and staying with a group of strangers who all have their own agendas. Short fic below the cut! ----- -----

Day 4 Camp Chores

Tav was hardly made for a domestic life, her home in Baldur’s Gate was hardly more than an old building that provided shelter with the bare minimum to meet her needs. Saving coin to try and improve her lot in life was also a near pointless endeavour when there were precious few places the money would ever be safe. 

She scavenged a bedroll from the beach, and a few very basic supplies, but everything else was being stowed to sell for anything that could get her home in one piece. She hadn’t given much thought to a tent, cooking utensils, or anything that could be used outside of battle or healing. 

When they decided on a safe enough spot to camp, she left the others to setting up the tents they either had with them or had found along the battered shoreline. She set her own bedroll, or at least the bedroll that now belonged to her, near to the fire, and began to sort through the rest of what she had gathered. 

Older pieces of silverware that could be scrubbed up to fetch a better price, a vase or two that might hold worth to the right buyer, a few odds and ends of cookware that-

“That’ll do nicely! Wonderful find, I’ll get to work on the food right away.” Gale interrupted her thoughts, quickly selecting a pan and several utensils, and an assortment of mismatched bowls. “You didn’t happen to pick up any spices amongst the- No, I don’t suppose you did, I mean why would you when we were scrounging from the coastline not a shopping trip. My apologies, I’ll leave you to your…collection? Thanks again!” Tav didn’t even have a moment to reply as the human left, taking his selection with him. She returned to fussing over the next batch of loot, weapons and armour that might at least prove to be usef-

“Do you mind if I borrow that whetstone? And those boots look like they might be my size, too. I’m afraid Avernus took quite a toll on my equipment these last few weeks. Hunting devils hardly leaves time for the replacing things as they begin to wear through.” Wyll, the self-proclaimed Blade of the Frontiers, by all accounts a man who spoke like he had stepped straight out of a fairytale, was next to pick over her finds. “I promise I’ll compensate you later, of course, I wouldn’t dream of leaving you empty handed.” “Sure, go ahead.” Tav sighed, handing over the items he indicated, wondering who would be next to test her patience. “Don’t worry,” Shadowheart answered that question for her, “I have no interest in your worthless trinkets. That bottle of wine, on the other hand…”

“Will cost you.” Tav frowned, she had been eyeing it herself, though she was suddenly relieved she had kept the nicer looking bottle stowed at the bottom of her pack. 

“Fine, take your gold, but I won’t be sharing a glass.” The woman dumped a couple of coins in her palm and stalked away with her purchase. Tav was becoming glad that she hadn’t picked up too many more strays across the landscape, casting a sideways glance at the Gith who was sharpening her own sword and pointedly ignoring everyone. 

“Rough day, darling?” Astarion sat beside her without waiting for invitation, picking over a few older garments and brushing from the dirt from them. “Oh no need to look at me like that, I know how to share.” He grinned, reaching into his own bag for a moment and pulling out a small wooden box that looked like it had travelled thousands of miles with the pale elf. 

“Has nobody here ever heard of finders keepers?” She grumbled, stowing the most valuable items in the bottom of her pack before they could vanish into someone else’s palms. “I found it, so I’m keeping it.”

“Of course I understand, love,” he kept talking as he took a fine needle and thread from the little box, beginning to stitch up a worn out seam. “But sometimes it is easier - and cheaper - to mend what we have rather than replacing it time and time again. This colour should look good on you, too.” 

Tav sighed, she couldn’t disagree with the logic but it wasn’t a skill she had been able to learn. “I’ll take your word for it, I have little mind for fashion beyond what a fence will pay, and no patience to be endlessly pricked by a needle.” 

“Clearly.” He replied all too quickly, before realising his tone could’ve shown at least a little more care. “I can teach you another time, if you like. For now, a little mending here, a good clean in the river, maybe bring it in a little there… It will suit you just fine.”

The care he was showing took Tav by surprise. It was a small gesture, but not one she was accustomed to. Maybe it was all to lull her into a false sense of security by making her feel comfortable, but where was the harm in feeling a little comfortable for a change?

She found herself looking forward to enjoying a well cooked meal, to dressing in something that might actually fit her properly for the first time in years, to being around people who might be worth sharing that other bottle of wine with after all…

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3ficfeb #bg3 fanfiction #astarion #shadowheart #lae'zel #wyll #gale of waterdeep #camp chores #shortfic #prompt fic

[babylon6comic]

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

#thanks for your patience last week as I took a much needed trip #but I'm back and it's time for delenn to take a trip! #What is her plan? #babylon 5 #babylon 6 #babylon 5 spoilers #episode 4 #fancomic #comic #art #jenstoart

[pagesoflauren]

Wooden Façade (3/4)

feat. lumberjack!Ari Levinson x reader; Andy Barber

Premise: Andy Barber is an acting district attorney in Boston, but was raised in the western Massachusetts town of Barber with his parents who run a lumber business, and his younger brother, Ari. Estranged from his family, he decides to help by hiring you as a personal nurse and caretaker of his aging mother. However, Ari, stubborn and prideful, doesn’t take your employment kindly.

Warnings: angst; mention/discussion of neurodegenerative diseases (specifically Parkinson’s disease); swearing; Ari is a hot, stubborn, sexy lumberjack (yes, he’s a warning)

A/N: A little late for Valentine's Day, but this chapter revolves are that :) as always, thanks @eightcevanscentral ✌🏽

Masterlist

Wooden Façade Masterlist

Ari didn’t realize the time of day until all the sunlight had disappeared and he couldn’t read the pages in front of him anymore. His team had all clocked out less than an hour ago; he decided to stay and finish up some work.

He gruffly gets up and pulls the blinds down, then makes his way over to the other side of the room to turn on the light.

With the pile of work still on his desk, he sighs and picks up his phone to call the house.

“Hello?” you answer, “Hold-hold on, Marcella, please.”

He can hear his mother in the background indistinctly saying something.

Since her last outburst, you brought both of them to her doctor’s office to inquire if her medication needed to be adjusted to prevent any more incidents from happening. There’s been a huge improvement and her mental state has stabilized, with a few difficulties still occurring.

“Everything okay?” Ari asks.

“Yes,” you sigh, keeping your voice even. “Marcella’s just been needing a little more attention than usual today.”

You were always so delicate with how you talked about her and you never let it show in your tone that you were feeling any kind of annoyance or frustration. He doesn’t know how you summon the patience to do that, especially after the incident last week.

You took it all in stride, seeming to have completely forgotten it when she woke up again and had no recollection of what had happened. When she asked about your cheek, you lied easily, saying you tripped outside. Then, you immediately called her doctor to discuss what to do.

Turns out a simple adjustment to the original prescription would make a world of difference. Things almost felt normal again, though the need for a companion was ever-present in her now.

“Well, I was just calling to let you know that I’ll be late…”

“Yes, I see it, Marcella, it looks wonderful,” you say to her, then address him again, “Sorry, Ari, you’re gonna be late?”

“Yeah…unless I should come home?”

“No, no, I…” you sigh. “Um, I have everything under control, I just have to find something that she can do while I cook dinner.”

“You haven’t cooked yet?”

“I haven’t had the chance to. She’s wanted to do so much–oh!” you startle and he worries for a moment. “Yes, I’ll be right there,” you address her again. “Um, I’ll let her know you’re gonna be late, Ari. Try to come home before she goes to bed, though. You know how much she likes hugging you goodnight.”

“Okay.”

He doesn’t get much of a chance to say anything else when the call ends abruptly. He figures it’s because his mother really needed you for whatever reason.

He looks down at the pile of papers but doesn’t give them a second thought. Gathering his things, he shuts the light off, arms the security system, and heads out to his truck, driving downtown to one of his mother’s favorite restaurants.

“Good evening, will you be dining in or doing a carry-out order?”

“Carry-out,” he answers, taking the menu handed to him and scanning over the options. He knows what to order for himself and his mother, but what to get for you doesn’t come to mind immediately.

He can feel his face pull together as he thinks really hard, trying to summon any kind of memory of something you mentioned that you like eating.

His mother cuts you a look, narrowing her eyes at you suspiciously. You mimic her face, squinting your own eyes before the two of you share a small laugh.

Ari finds himself smiling at the brightness in your face and how quickly it changes to match his mother again as she refocuses her gaze on the chess pieces in front of you. You’re a great challenge to her; a much better player than himself.

She makes her move, then you give her a guilty smile, pushing your black queen straight across the board to capture her white king.

“Checkmate,” you laugh and wrinkle your nose as she screams in excitement.

“My goodness!” She turns to him. “Ari, did you see?!”

“I did, mama,” he nods, looking at you again. “Good job, bunny rabbit.” You smile gracefully, gathering the remaining pieces on the board and setting them aside before flipping the board over to put them away.

“You deserve a reward for that!” she claps. “What will you have?”

“Hm,” you tap your chin in playful thought. “I think I will have coq au vin and garlic bread,” you tease. “I’m kidding. Maybe we can bake a pie later,” you offer while placing the last of the pieces in the case, folding the board and clasping it shut. “Would you like that?”

His mother nods enthusiastically, mentioning the apples that are in perfect shape to be used in a pie.

Ari has no idea what the fuck coke-oh-Vaughn is, but he does know garlic bread. And he knows it’s on the menu at this restaurant.

Upon looking it up on his phone, he vows he will never go through the mental gymnastics of learning how to speak French because whatthefuckisthatspelling and there’s no way a locally-owned restaurant is going to have the means to prepare it, so he settles for getting you chicken stew and potatoes.

He drives home carefully, making sure the takeout containers don’t topple over, especially on the dirt road leading to the cabin.

The cold bites at his cheek and nose when he leaves his car and makes his way into the house, lugging the large bag at his side.

He finds you on the couch, reading aloud as Marcella crochets in her favorite chair, the one that’s been passed down through the past five generations.

“Ari!” she exclaims, throwing her work aside and practically leaping from her seat.

“Marcella, careful–!” you jump up urgently, reaching out for her.

“Oh, stop fussing, dear,” she waves you off, making her way around the furniture to walk to him. Ari opens his free arm to hug her. “Goodness, your jacket is cold,” she remarks as she rubs her cheek that was pressed into the heavy, protective fabric. “It must be freezing out there! Do we have wood for the heater?”

“Yes, there’s more than enou–”

She cuts him off, reaching for the bag, “What’s that?”

“It’s dinner,” he explains to his mother but looks at you, a certain happiness settling into his chest as he sees you smile and drop your shoulders in relief.

As the three of you eat dinner, this time with Ari sitting across from his mother while you sit next to her, she recounts her day and mentions her excitement about Valentine’s Day coming up.

When he can, Ari can’t help but steal a glance at you, smiling and listening to his mother so intently as if you weren’t there during every menial second of the day or haven’t heard her plans yet.

You help clear the table and set the dishes in the sink to wash before prompting his mother to say goodnight and go upstairs to start her evening routine.

She hugs him tightly, forcing him to lean down to accept a kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you for dinner, I love you,” she coos.

“I love you, too, mama.”

He makes quick work of the dishes, scrubbing them clean and placing them on the drying rack. Some water drops fly onto the counter from his movements, but he scowls when he sees two books on the counter.

Wiping his hands, he grabs a dishrag and passes it over the covers, making sure there’s no remaining residue on them. Then, he reads the titles, not recognizing them as any books his mother would read.

Craning his neck to look at the coffee table, he finds three other books of similar size, which he deduces are all yours.

He places the two in his hand on the dining table and gathers the other three from the coffee table to add to the stack. Another one is tucked away on the other side of the counter while a seventh one was hidden on top of the fridge.

Suddenly, Ari finds himself grabbing his jacket again and running out to the woodshed to retrieve a suitable plank and a half-used packet of shelving brackets. Bringing everything back into the house and shedding his jacket, he finds his drill and screws and heads into your room.

- - -

“Oh, oops, your shirt’s on backwards!” you point out with a giggle, reaching for Marcella to help her.

Every day you grow fonder of her and you understand the love her sons have for her. You were sad when it dawned on you that you would never witness what she and her husband were like together.

You hear the whirring of what sounds like a drill downstairs, but you don’t have time to investigate because Marcella asks for your help into bed.

Holding her under her arms to support her, you move carefully until she’s laying on her back. You tuck her in as the drill goes off again, looking at Marcella as she speaks, “Oh that boy,” she rolls her eyes. “He never stops working, I swear.”

“What could he be working on right now?” you wonder as you fluff her pillow.

“Oh anything, honestly,” she flips her hand in a gesture of something between fondness and annoyance. “He’s always finding things wrong with the house and fixing them. Even if it’s the tiniest thing, he’ll fix it.”

You chuckle, “Nothing bad about wanting your ancestral home to always be in top shape.”

“Well, there’s always time to put it in shape,” she rebuttals and you can tell she’s getting sleepier. “I don’t see why he has to do it right as I’m trying to get some sleep.”

Finishing up your touches with her beddings to ensure her comfort, you find her hand and squeeze it. “I’ll ask him to stop and save it for later so you can rest.”

“Thank you, dear,” she says, bringing your hand to her lips and pressing a small kiss there. “You sleep well now.”

“You too.”

Letting go of her hand, you get up and shut off the light before exiting her room. There’s some movement down below, and when you reach the bottom of the stairs, you immediately notice that your books are missing from the coffee table in the living area.

You assume the worst: That lumberjack-ass better not be back to his old petty ways. I swear to God if my books are in the heater…

You march into the hallway and approach his room, keeping your breath even to confront him calmly.

To your surprise, his room is empty, but there’s noise coming from your room. A shuffling sound, like something heavy is being moved.

Making your way over there, you’re surprised to find Ari moving your dresser into the corner where it’s supposed to be–as if he had moved it and was putting it back where it belongs. When you look at the wall above him, you find a shelf with all of your books neatly lined up on top.

Ari senses your presence and turns to look at you, looking uncomfortably caught in an unfavorable situation, fidgeting with his hands nervously.

He uses his thumb to point to his project, “I built you a bookshelf.”

He says it so matter-of-factly that you could laugh, but you’re too taken aback by what he did.

You’d only been with Marcella for an hour, maybe a little less.

“I can see that,” is all you manage to say with a nod, your body still stiff in surprise.

Ari looks at you, then back to the shelf, then back to you. He clears his throat and puts his hands in his pockets. “Well, goodnight.”

You stand there, bewildered, but still move out of the way when he begins to exit. Before he gets too far, you reach for him, just managing to catch his hand in yours.

His head snaps back and he looks startled and you think it’s strange that his hand feels so hot and clammy in yours.

“Thank you,” you say, looking up at him, hopeful that he’ll say something.

He gulps. “Yeah, sure.”

He pulls his hand from your grip, and you watch as he heads down the hall and goes into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

You huff incredulously, grabbing your doorknob and closing your door as you turn slowly until your back is resting against it and you can look straight ahead at the bookshelf.

You run the fingertips of your opposite hand over your palm, feeling a tingle where it touched his hand. Butterflies erupt in your stomach and you blush like a teenager.

- - - - -

Every once in a while, Ari remembers the feeling of your hand in his.

His hands are tough; callused and tractioned from working with his hands daily. His fingertips are hardened and his palms are brutish almost to the point where he no longer feels splinters.

Your hands were soft. They were so small as you attempted to wrap them around his fingers, and they were so warm, gentle. There was a certain delicacy about them, something so precise about your movements and it’s no secret as to why: you’re a nurse.

You use your hands to care for others, he uses his to lift and build.

His palm tingles as he thinks about it, staring at them idiotically as he tries to sort through paperwork in the office.

“What, you never seen hands before?” Sammy quips.

Closing his fist, Ari doesn’t dignify him with a response and returns to the task at hand. But also, he doesn’t want to admit any of his thoughts about you.

“Shred these when you get the chance,” is all he replies.

Looking at the clock, he realizes it’s way past lunchtime and he hasn’t taken a break yet all day. He goes to the fridge and finds the lunch for him you made and packaged last night.

“It’s called meal prepping,” you said, stacking the Tupperwares neatly in the fridge. “You can just grab whichever one you want. Marcella and I will eat whatever you leave behind. And if there’s something you want me to make more of, you can let me know.”

You laughed to yourself. “Just don’t ask me to make those cinnamon rolls from the bakery on Fairview street. I haven’t figured that out yet.”

He was impressed with how quickly you made yourself a member of the household. What his mother could do, you let her with supervision. The more labor-intensive tasks that needed a high level of attention were the ones you completely took over.

Cooking, cleaning, driving, and shopping; you did it all with a smile and never any complaints.

You kept his mother entertained, too. You played chess and did puzzles, you read on the couch while she crocheted in her favorite chair. You made jokes and explained complex, winding storylines of TV shows and films so patiently.

The microwave beeping when his food was finished heating up startled him, still so wrapped up in all his thoughts about you.

“You’ve been out of it lately, Ari,” Sammy points out over the sound of the shredder.

“Got a lot on my mind,” he dismisses.

Moving to the table they use for meetings, he takes a seat at the head and begins stirring his food around to release the steam and fragrance of the beef stew and potatoes.

His mouth waters and shit he couldn’t be happier right now.

His bubble is popped as hears a chair scoot up extremely close to him, looking up through his lashes and finding Jake sitting there with a stupid smile on his face as his head is propped on his fist.

“‘A lot,’ you say?” he begins.

“Don’t.”

“What could possibly be occupying so much space in your head?”

“Jake,” Ari bites, pointing his fork at him threateningly, “Don’t you fucking start.”

“Alright, alright,” he relents, moving his chair back to a more respectable distance. “I’m just saying: you’re not subtle.”

Again, Ari won’t dignify little teases and jabs from his friends. Instead, he begins to eat, his eyes fluttering shut at the taste that floods in his mouth.

Whatever Andy’s paying her, it’s not enough, he thinks.

“By the way,” Jake says, “What time should my dad be at your house on Friday?”

“Why is your dad coming to the house on Friday?” Ari demands with a full mouth.

Sammy’s face scrunches in disgust, “Ugh, do you do that at home? That’s an easy way to guarantee that she’ll never go for you.”

Ari rolls his eyes before calling Jake and shrugging at him, urging him to answer his question.

He mumbles a response into his water bottle before taking a sip.

“What?”

“My dad…” he begins, but then it becomes unintelligible.

“What?”

“My dad’s gonna … to dinner.”

“Jake,” he grits out, articulating every single sound in his name. “Enunciate.”

“My dad’s taking your mom to dinner.”

Ari nearly flips the table.

- - -

“Son–”

Ari rolls his eyes; she only addresses him that way when she’s annoyed with him, “Mama, really? Jake Wolf’s dad of all the men in this town?”

“He’s a lovely man,” she says plainly, not looking up from her card game with you. “Would you rather I date Jake?” It’s hard to miss her sarcasm as she places a Draw Four card and you and Ari both facepalm for different reasons.

“Damn it!” you laugh, begrudgingly picking up four cards from the draw pile and sighing with a head shake.

Marcella chortles, watching you place another card down.

“Do you think she should do this?” Ari addresses you.

You shrug, wrinkling your nose, “I don’t see why not.” You cut him a look as his mother plans her next move. “We ran into him at the grocery store and he was very kind. I think it’ll be nice for her to go out.”

“Yeah, son,” she urges, “let me have a little fun!” She punctuates her sentence with a shimmy and you laugh unabashedly, the sound echoing in the old wood of the kitchen.

He’s never seen you laugh that way and for a moment, he forgets why he’s peeved. Shaking his head, he snaps out of it.

“Ma…” he begins, exasperated.

“Ari, what are you so worried about? You think he’s going to defile me? I never told you this, but your father was quite the lover–”

“Ahhh!” He cuts her off, covering his ears like a little boy.

“Sometimes I wonder if he’s in his thirties,” she remarks to you.

“To be fair, if either of my parents started saying something like that, I’d react that way too.” Then, you turn to Ari, “Mr. Wolf will have both our numbers before she goes, they’re just going to a movie and lunch. She’ll be back before dinner and she won’t have to take her medications with her. Plus, ever since we got the dosage changed, she’s been a lot better.”

“It’s barely been over a week.”

“You’re telling me you haven’t seen any improvements?” you challenge, but keep your voice even, giving the cue that you’re not looking for a confrontation, but rather trying to open a discussion.

Thinking it over, Ari realizes you’re right. She’s been better at keeping to her routine, sometimes even proactively initiating the tasks she can do independently. According to you, she’s been good at keeping herself oriented in environments outside of the house.

“I guess a few hours will be okay,” he relents.

“Good lord, you sound like Grandpa Ezekiel,” Marcella rolls her eyes before looking at you. “Except he was actually excited for me to go on a date when Albert first wanted to take me out.”

Ari scoffs.

“Oh, you can’t be so hard on him,” you appeal to her, “He’s just trying to look out for you.”

“Well, he can do that by letting me go out and have some fun!”

“Alright, alright,” he speaks again, exasperated, “go on your date but don’t be late for dinner.”

You giggle at how father-like he sounds.

“Besides,” she begins and a faint thump sounds from underneath the table, “I’m sure you two can figure out something to do while I’m gone.”

- - -

Ari’s mind has been going a million miles a minute ever since the last conversation between himself, you, and his mother.

What was that last comment about? he kept wondering, Why did his mother kick your leg like that? Did you say something to her about him?

Do you like him?

Dear God, I’m a teenager again, he realizes.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so thoughtful,” Jake’s voice startles Ari, making him jump from his daze.

Looking over at him, he sees Jake giving him a smug, close-lipped smile with his head propped on his fist as he leans against the filing cabinet next to the desk Ari’s working at.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” he pries.

“Just…Valentine’s Day’s coming up.”

“Ooh,” Jake gushes, “You gonna wine and dine your mom’s nurse?”

“Please tell him you are!” Sammy calls from the front of the office. Then, his head peeks through the door, “Maybe you’ll finally stop daydreaming in the middle of the workday.”

Ari’s nose wrinkles; do I really space out that often?

“Well, like…what do I even do?” he asks them, clueless.

Jake repeats himself, supplementing his statement with hand gestures as if he really needs to get his point across, “I just said it: you wine and dine her.”

“Yeah, then you take her to bed,” Sammy finishes.

“Okay yeah, that’s the long plan, but what about the steps to get there?” Ari frets. “Like, the small stuff to get to wining and dining and sleeping with her?”

He looks down bashfully. “I haven’t even told her I like her yet.”

It’s silent for a moment, then Jake snorts a laugh. “What is this, sixth grade?”

He flinches when Sammy flicks him on the ear. “Small stuff,” he advises. “If you’re really worried, just…I don’t know, start with flowers. Women love flowers.”

Ari’s nose wrinkles again. “But flowers die.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Sammy rebuttals.

“Not unless you get her one of those fancy flower boxes,” Jake suggests with a shrug. “Well, they won’t last forever, but like, a year.”

Turning to the computer skeptically, Ari searches up “flowers that last up to a year.” He clicks on the first link he sees and is taken to a store website with whimsical design and curly letters. Jake and Sammy prop themselves on either side of him to look over his shoulder.

Clicking the “shop” button at the top of the screen, Ari sees listings of various boxes of roses, then his stomach drops when he sees the prices.

Sammy whistles and Jake mutters an “ouch.”

“Three hundred and fifty dollars for a dozen?!” Ari asks incredulously.

He exits the website and his friends pat him on the shoulder, wishing him luck.

- - -

Ari’s fingers tap eagerly against his thigh as stands outside the lumber office, waiting for his brother to pick up on the other end. They’ve sent an occasional text to each other, but this is the first phone call they’ll have in a long time.

“Ari?” Andy says on the other line, already sounding worried, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine with Mama. How are you?”

“Doin’ alright. What’s going on?”

“I, uh…” he trails off, so embarrassed that he’s doing this. “I need some advice.”

“Oh…kay,” Andy drags out the word. “With what?”

Ari cringes as he says it, “Um, a girl.”

“What about a girl?”

“I don’t know what to do and Valentine’s Day is coming up.”

“What is this, the sixth grade?” Andy jokes with a laugh, saying the exact same thing Jake said earlier.

“Andy.”

“Fine, fine, sorry,” he clears his throat. “What’s going on?”

“I wanna do something for her, but I don't know what to do,” Ari explains. “So…what should I do?”

“Depends,” Andy starts. Then Ari can hear the teasing smirk his brother has on his face as he asks, “Which girl is it? The one at the lumber yard?”

“What, Rachel? No, she likes Sammy.”

“Who, then? Tell me about her.”

Ari hesitates. “Well…it’s uh…”

Andy is quiet for a moment before he grits out, “Ari, don’t you dare fucking say it.”

He tries to change the subject, “Andy, I know you’re doing that eyebrow thing that dad did whenever he was mad about something.”

“Ari,” his brother says sternly, not taking the bait. “Who. is. it.”

“Well, it’s…” he starts again, almost about to admit it but then he pivots slightly out of cowardice and embarrassment. “Look, she’s just been really helpful with Ma, and she’s so smart and patient, and–God, Andy, when I look at her and she smiles, I can’t look away–”

“Shit on a stick, Ari, I swear to God if she files a lawsuit against you, I’m not representing you.”

“I’m in love and all you’re thinking about is a lawsuit?”

“You’re what?!” Andy shouts incredulously. “Ari, it’s barely been a month.”

“Well, when you know, you know!” he argues back weakly.

“Yeah, and I know you’re full of shit!”

Ari sheepishly nudges a rock with the tip of his shoe. “Well, like…ma and dad got married after nine months.”

“Yes, because of extraneous circumstances.”

“I know,” Ari articulates, “It was you.”

“That’s not the point, Ari!” Andy shouts again, then pauses. “Hold on, is she pregnant?!”

“No!”

“Ari, I swear–”

“She’s not pregnant, okay?!”

“Well, thank God for that.”

It’s quiet for a few moments and Ari thinks about his’ brother’s reaction. “So…should I not act on it?”

“Have you done anything before for her to kinda hint that you like her?”

“I built her a bookshelf in her room.”

“And…?”

“She seemed to like it, I don’t know,” Ari shrugs, completely unsure. “What did you do for Laurie when you two first started dating?”

“I, uh…” Andy starts, “I don’t really wanna talk about Laurie.”

“What do you mean?”

The line is quiet for a moment and Ari pulls back his phone to check if he’s still on the call. It’s still going, so he brings it back to his ear and calls his brother’s name.

“I’m still here,” he replies. Then with a sigh, he says, “Laurie and I separated. Been so for a while now.”

Ari’s shocked. “Why didn’t you say anything when you came last month?”

“Didn’t seem like an appropriate time to talk about my problems. Ma was going through a lot meeting a new person–though she took to her quicker than I was expecting, which is nice. And I see you’ve definitely come around–”

“Andy,” Ari whines.

“I’m kidding,” he chuckles. “Anyway, I’m expecting papers from her any day now.”

“...And Jacob?”

“Sometimes I see him on the weekends. He sets those terms, mostly. It’s been hard for him, he’s processing at his own pace.”

Ari’s heart squeezes. He knows how much his brother loves his son. “Well…do you wanna come over for a bit again?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Andy dismisses. “Besides, I wouldn’t wanna interrupt your special little moment.”

“You still haven’t told me what I should do.”

“Have you thought about just getting her flowers? That’s a nice little gesture.”

Ari explains his beef with flowers again.

“You just love to complain, don’t you?” Andy teases. “What about making her something? You know, out of wood.”

“Like what?”

“I dunno, whatever you want to give to her. It’s up to you.” Then he adds, “And if she likes you too, then we gotta talk again because she can’t be our mom’s employed nurse and your girlfriend. It’s a whole bunch of morality and conflict of interest laws.”

Ari’s face flushes, the heat spreading from his cheeks to his ears.

“Ari, did you hear me?”

“Yeah.” He looks down again, kicking the rock he had been playing with out of reach. “Are you okay?”

Andy sighs. “I will be. Maybe I’ll come home once the new cabin’s done? So that I don’t have to sleep on the couch.”

Ari nods even though his brother can’t see him. “Of course. Or even before. I can figure something out.”

“Maybe you and Y/N can share a bed.”

“Dammit, Andy!”

“I’ll talk to you later, kid,” he changes the subject with a laugh. “I have some office hours at the university.”

Ari scowls. “You know I’m two years younger than you, right?” Then, he addresses the second part of what his brother said, “When did you start teaching?”

“Around the time Laurie and I split. And besides, I’ll never stop seeing you as my kid brother.”

They share a laugh and Andy speaks again, “You know I love ya, right?”

“Yeah. And you know I love you.”

“I do. Now get off your ass and go woo her.”

- - - - -

Your heart squeezed as you stood on the porch next to Ari while Mr. Wolf helped Marcella into his car. It was a sweet image and you couldn't be happier for her.

He was dressed smartly and came with a bouquet of fresh flowers, which she had you put into a vase right away. After listing his very clear agenda, he promised she would be home before sundown.

You waved with a laugh as they drove up the driveway and out to the town. Then you sighed, “She’s gonna have such a good time.”

“As long as they don’t have too good a time,” Ari cringes beside you.

“Well, with her out of the way, you can take your bitter self and go lumberjack-off.”

Holding his gaze for a second, you both laugh and you wrinkle your nose.

“That doesn’t work, does it?”

“Not quite, bunny rabbit.”

You tilt your head, “Why do you call me that?”

“‘Cause you wrinkle your nose like one.”

Your nose wrinkles again, then your hand immediately comes up to cover it. “Oh…”

“Not that it’s a bad thing…uh…”

A gust of wind blows, leading Ari to usher you into the house. He starts a fire as you sit on the couch.

“So, what do you wanna do today?”

“Well, since everyone begged for the lumber yard to be closed today, so I can’t ‘lumberjack-off to work,’” he teases.

The air hangs thickly as it dawns on the both of you that you have the whole day and house to yourselves.

You don’t know how he’ll react to your invitation to stay in and watch something with you, possibly the latest documentary on Netflix, so you say nothing while he speaks up.

“I’ll probably do some work on the house,” he points in the direction of where the structure stands. “It’s a pretty decent temperature, I think I should be okay out there…” he trails off and you wonder why it seems like he’s asking for your permission when he’s a grown man.

He continues when you don’t answer, “Uh, right, so I’ll just get dressed and if you need me, then I’ll be over there.”

He disappears into his room, emerging a few minutes later in heavy winter clothing just as you’re queuing up a docuseries. It’s an awkward goodbye as he heads out the door, but the moment it closes behind him, the house is quiet but you have no time for peace with the thoughts that come to the forefront of your mind.

It’s a little silly; you remember being in high school and hoping for grand gestures on Valentine’s Day. Through college, though, it began to lose its significance in the grand scale of things when compared to exams, due dates, and birthdays. You never really looked forward to it, though you did love scoring great deals on large boxes of chocolate on the days after.

All of a sudden, you’re back to where you were in high school. Though this time, you decide not to wait around anymore.

It’s small, but depending on how astute Ari is, it may just get your message across.

The thermos is warm in your hands, the coffee within acting as some comfort against the frigid air as it bites at your skin as you walk to the cabin. You’re curious when you hear a lack of any sort of construction sounds, stepping slowly as you enter so that you don’t disturb or startle Ari.

It feels bigger than the family cabin, all the floors and walls set up with openings for the window panes to be placed later on. There was plenty of space for the cold to still come in, but that didn’t deter you, especially when you found Ari sitting on a stool focusing on something in his hands, a soft scraping sound reaching your ears.

“Hey,” you say softly, apologizing when he jumps.

He stands, large hand concealing what he was working on. “What are you doing here?”

Suddenly you feel out of place. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude–”

“You’re not–”

“I just–”

“I was just–”

The both of you pause, trying to give the other an opportunity to finish their sentence but you just end up looking at each other.

You look down bashfully, “I brought you coffee,” you say, holding up the thermos. “I figured you might have been cold.”

“I’ve only been out here for fifteen minutes.”

You shrug, then change the subject. “What are you working on?”

He looks down, his hand angled so you still can’t see what he’s holding.

“I…I’m not done sanding it, but…”

Holding out his hand, he reveals a small wooden rose blossom just smaller than his palm.

You smile, “It’s beautiful. Is that for Marcella?”

“Uh…no, I reckon she’s gotten enough flowers today,” he says. “It’s…it’s for you.”

Your grip tightens around the mug, blinking at him dumbly before your eyes go back to the carving.

“Me?”

His hand retracts, “Do you not like it?”

“No,” you step closer to him and reach out, cupping your hand underneath his, “It’s sweet.”

You move your hand to touch it and Ari pulls it from your reach. “Don’t,” he worries, “Don’t, I don’t want you to get any splinters.”

You giggle as his cheeks turn red, unsure of what else to say or how to say it.

A gust of wind blows through the window openings and cold stings your nose. You wrinkle it, the sensation unpleasant and strange because you’re not sure what caused it.

Ari brushes his thumb across your nose and you look, your eyes focusing on a little snowflake resting on the ridges of his thumb. Another lands on your cheek and he swipes that one away too.

When your eyes meet his, he speaks, voice gentle, “There. All better, bunny rabbit.”

“Thank you,” you manage to reply, little gasps escaping your mouth but you don’t think it’s from the cold.

“You’re welcome,” he breathes, leaning closer until his lips are on yours, his other arm scooping around your waist.

Stunned, the thermos thuds against the floor and you press your lips harder to his and he holds you as close as your winter clothes can permit. Another dull thud sounds against the floorboards before his other hand comes up to cup your cheek, shielding your skin from the cold that continues to bite at the two of you as more snow falls around you.

You press one hand into his chest and weave the other one into his hair before letting yourself laugh. When he parts from you, you don’t stop.

“What?” he wonders, cheeks turning even rosier. “Why are you laughing?”

“Just…you hated me a month ago,” you giggle.

“I never hated you,” he shakes his head, giving you an Eskimo kiss. “I’m just an arrogant son of a bitch.”

You gasp playfully, “Don’t insult Marcella like that.”

“It’s just a front,” he explains, keeping you close, nudging your cheek with his nose. “I’m protective of Mama and stubborn as hell.”

Running your nails along his scalp, you laugh lightly. “You’re a big softie underneath all of that, aren’t you?”

He nods against you and you laugh again at his bashfulness.

“Come back into the house,” you request, brushing your lips against his forehead. “Stay warm with me.”

- - -

Ari begins to worry as dinner time comes and goes and you manage to distract him for a few minutes at a time, roping him into the docuseries you originally intended to watch earlier.

Now, he sits on the couch with you, attention divided evenly between you and the drama unfolding on the screen as a police investigator offers commentary on how difficult it was to catch the killer.

“Should we tell your mom?” you wonder, playing with his fingers that are settled over your thigh.

“Eventually,” he says. “But maybe not tonight.”

You nod, agreeing, thankful you thought to stash your wooden rose in your room for the time being.

Ari hasn’t voiced it yet, but he’s already planning on carving more roses around different places in the new house. On the banister, the fireplace mantle, cupboards…

Maybe the cupboards would be too much.

Hearing a car pull up in front of the cabin, the two of you jump up, you going to the end of the couch where you normally sit and Ari perching himself in the armchair, both your eyes settling on the TV as if you were entirely engrossed in the events playing out on the screen in front of you.

Mr. Wolf opens the door for Marcella and you smile, greeting her as she comes in. Ari shakes his hand and takes the keys from him before seeing him off as you usher Marcella into the kitchen to drink some water and take her medication.

“So sorry, time just got away from the two of us!” she explains.

“That’s no problem, I’m glad you’re home safe,” you reply, handing her a pill as the door shuts and Ari dusts off the snow from his shoulders and hair.

You look back at him and smile, he smiles too.

“Did you two find something to do while I was gone?” she wonders, making your head turn so quickly in an attempt to not look suspicious.

You’re not sure it works as she gives you an unreadable smile.

“It was a pretty boring day,” you lie with a shrug. “But we managed to get along.”

Permatag: @caffiend-queen @fckdeusername @lou-la-lou @bangtan-serendipity @stargazingfangirl18 @lovemarvelousfics @rainbowkisses31 @richonne4life @damnndeanndamnn @meetmeatyourworst @tinyplanet-explorer @vivien-1211 @unknownmystery22 @nerdygirl8203 @xoxabs88xox @mariaenchanted @gotnofucks @denisemarieangelina @myoxisbroken @kelbabyblue @pspice639 @maynay43 @just-another-wretched-egg @jennmurawski13 @avantgardium-leviosa @random-butterfly @rachelderivia @kenzieam @bluemusickid @asiaaisa77 @angrybirdcr @inactivewhore @velvetcardiganbucky @madbaddic7ed @mysweetlittledesire @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @buckymydarlingangel @mayasreadingnook

Chris tag: @onetwo3000 @patzammit @astheworlddturns @inlovewiththefictionalcharacters @maeleeme @tvckerlance @thiskindahotkindamusic @fizzahocleirigh @marantha @justile

Wooden Facade Taglist: @ghotifishreads @buckysteveloki-me @blackwidownat2814 @wsoldat @sn0wpiercer

#Ari Levinson #Ari Levinson fanfiction #ari levinson x y/n #ari levinson smut #Ari Levinson x reader #ficsofpagesoflauren #Wooden Façade

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Looking for a Place to Happen

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape (series), age gap, general stupidity.

This is dark!biker!Sam Wilson x reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Series Synopsis: There’s lots happening in Birch and you find it all too amusing.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown, When the Weight Comes Down, Little Bones, and Fully Completely

Note: We’re starting Sam’s installment but this weekend I’ll probably only be catching up on my headcanons and drabbles because I’ve been a lazy bitch and I’m sorry to those who have been waiting.

Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Chapter 1: I've got a job, I explore

💀💀💀

The sleepy town of Birch was awake. 

In those last weeks, the arrival of outsiders had roused the attention of many once passive residents of the timeless territory. Those brick buildings unchanged by the tick of the clock inlaid into the old tower above the library that chimed every hour on the hour. They still stood with only chips in the mortar but the air tasted different. The frost was more bitter and the sky more grim. An omen of something no one could predict.

It was the perfect setting for a screenplay. The isolated town with its unsavoury secrets and the visitors who threatened to bring them to the surface. It was inspiring to you, to imagine what was hidden behind the stern wrinkled faces of the town elders and under the jackets of those men who wore the cut of the local club. The bikers ruled the town covertly but everyone knew that Bucky Barnes’ palm was lined with the map of Birch.

As a bystander, an unnoticed observer, just another ant in the hill, you watched from the side and amused yourself with the drama of others. It was like a soap opera or another HBO hype machine. Those things you aspired to when you could be free of this ho-hum town.

The snows added to the natural gloom of the place. The deep heaps smothered the noise and harkened back to those days of colonial settlement. Forgotten, desolate, fearful. 

You ventured down in your heavy boots that stretched to your knees and pushed your chin down into your scarf. As a child, you ran and jumped in those piles, now you were out of breath just trying to walk past them.

You stopped in the bakery that doubled as the only café, a place where the owner, Babs, tried to to intimidate the last caffeinated trends. She was always a few seasons behind but you didn’t mind so much. 

You ordered the salted caramel mocha and waited patiently as the quiet woman fought with the steaming machines. She was older than you but you’d work with her for one summer during high school, only five years ago. She had the eyes of a child still, but there was something worn in her. As if she’d been exposed to far too much in her three or so decades in that place. She was a harbinger of what you didn’t want to become.

You thanked her for your drink and set out once more into the billowing winds. Birch winters were never kind but this one was crueler than most. Your teeth chattered as you blew the steam away from the lid and hugged it with your mittened hands.

You stopped short as you heard the familiar ding of the diner door across the street. You recognised the mechanic who kept to herself and once growled at you in the grocery store. She stormed across the street, followed closely and quickly by a black-haired man you’d only seen once before. He was one of those outsiders who came to deal with the club men.

You sped up as you sensed chaos brewing and pulled out your phone as you balanced your paper cup in your other hand. You flicked your camera on just as you got to the front of the shop and the man grabbed the mechanic. You let out an ‘oop’ as she turned on him and you aimed the lens at the couple as they fell into the snow, the man’s shoes giving little traction to his steps. 

You moved closer, stunned by the scene, and kept your cell phone rolling as you found a better angle around the snowy walks. As she choked him on the ground he elbowed her and she coughed as she rolled away. She snarled as he clamoured to his feet, slipping and sliding as he marched away.

You killed the recording and watched the man cross the street again, nearly wiping out as he did and when you looked back to the mechanic, she was gone behind the clattering door. You chuckled to yourself and tucked away your cell. It was prime footage for TikTok; with a bit of editing, it would be comedy gold.

💀

You stomped up the steps of your grandmother’s house, this time through the front door as you heard her chair rocking in the front room. You usually took the stairs in the back as you paid her to live on the upper floor of the duplex. You checked in with her daily, she didn’t get out much more than the occasional trip to the grocery store when you couldn’t or you dragged her out to join you for a tea at Babs’.

“You’re late,” she grumbled as you set your cup down and unzipped your coat.

“For what?” you scoffed.

“It’s after noon and you don’t even come down to say hello? A ‘good morning, nan’,” she harrumphed.

You chuckled and hung your coat before shoving your boots over on the mat. You grabbed your mocha and leaned on the doorway as you watched her crocheting in her chair, reruns of some court show playing from the boxy television.

“I was working,” you said, “sent in some stuff for review. Hopefully not much work to be done.”

“I don’t know how you make money on that interweb,” she bemoaned, “I don’t trust it.”

“Maybe you’d trust it more if you used the Netflix subscription I got you,” you crossed your arms, “then you wouldn’t have to watch trash daytime TV.”

She shrugged and muttered under her breath. She could be crotchety but you liked her sense of humour. Your aunts and uncles never came around because they just took it as spite. You were the only one who knew how to handle the jaded old lady.

“Maybe you coulda looked out the window,” you snickered, “quite a show going on in town.”

“Hmm, what’s that?” she stilled her needles and reached for her tea stained cup.

“Just a fight. You wouldn’t believe it, that lady mechanic beat the shit--”

“Language,” she huffed.

“Anyway, she had this guy in a chokehold. It was awesome.”

“What guy?” she squinted at you over her glasses.

“I dunno. Some out of towner. Remember I told you about that burly dude hanging around the library?”

“There’s more?” she sucked on her teeth, “those bikers have never been good news and now they’re bringing in more.”

“Yeah, well, what’re you gonna do?” you sniffed as you took out your phone and rewatched the scuffle with the volume down. You shook your head and opened up your TikTok. 

“I don’t understand why you’re always on your dang phone,” your grandmother pestered.

“I’m not always on my phone,” you smiled at her smugly, “there are those time when I’m listening to you prattle on or you know, making you tea, oh, and cooking you dinner. What was it I did last week? Oh that’s right, I got Pippin out of the crawlspace.”

“I’m too old to be chasin’ that cat all around,” she huffed, “where is he anyway?”

“He’s your cat, I don’t know? Last time I saw him, I sent him back out the window for shredding my charger.”

“He knows you need to give it a rest,” she laughed to herself, “got your nose to that screen too much.”

“And what do you do, old lady? Crocheting doilies to put where exactly?”

She gave you that dry smile, the one that said watch it but carried a hint of humour still. You hit post and put your phone away as you waved off her irritation.

“Well, you know what, I sit all day at my computer, doing who knows what and you know what it got me?” you taunted, “a large mocha!” you sipped as you sat on the sofa and grabbed the remote, “and it’s paying my rent and putting bullet points on my resume.”

“Mhmm,” she scowled, “just remember, real life ain’t online. Those videos you’re always laughing at like hyena, that’s not reality. You forget it and it’ll come back and bit you. ‘Specially with those bikers.”

“Oh, nan, you know too well, don’t you? Didn’t you have a fling with one back in your hippie phase?”

“Two, actually,” she raised her brows, “I was young and stupid. Not like you, but still.”

“I love you too,” you chirped and sipped from your cup, flicking the station to Jerry Springer, “that’s more like it.”

💀

Your usual TikToks were sarcastic and dull complaints about your small town life. The response was less than pleasing but it gave you an outlet to vent. You liked to goof around and document the very specific type of weirdos that resided in Birch. But the video of the fight in the snow blew up your phone and made it difficult to ignore the buzzing as you went back up to your room to eke out the last of your captions for the ad agency.

When at last you could call your day hard-earned, you logged off and sent in your hours to the agency. Social media promotion was easy enough but the working gigs for a thousand different companies was tedious. You hoped you could build your portfolio enough to manage a single corporate page as you continued to chip away at your creative outlets.

You picked up your phone as you waited for Netflix to load on your tiny smart tv and flopped onto your bed, not two feet from your desk. You hit the icon in the upper panel of your phone and scrolled through the notifications, pausing to turn on another episode of the cable sitcom from ten years before. You snorted as you read each comment but the number under the video made your eyes round. The thing was bound to go viral.

As usual, you went down to help with supper. Pippin, the orange tabby, returned to cry at his dish and you fed him too. Your nan peered through her glasses at a crossword as she tasted the tangy pasta sauce. 

“More basil,” she snipped.

“Well, I asked if you wanted to help,” you muttered, “I think it’s good.”

“Hmmp, I need milk,” she jutted her chin out, “for my after-dinner tea.”

“You couldn’t say something like three hours ago?” you blinked.

“I could have but I didn’t,” she snickered. You rolled your eyes and she took another forkful of penne and filled in another line on her puzzle, “ah, no hurry, girlie, you know I’m patient.”

“Patient? You?” you chuckled as you took your plate and shoved it in the microwave to keep it warm. The ancient thing had a dial and the door stuck, “I’ll just go get it over with.”

“Don’t forget your mitts,” she called after you as you tramped into the front room, “it’s cold.”

You pulled on your knitted cap and matching mitts. You zipped up your parka and shoved your feet into the deep boots. You grabbed your wallet and buried it in the spacious pocket. You bounced out the front door and down the steps as the sky sent down another coat of powder for the night.

You went up White Forge Street and through the short path behind the diner that led to the main road. You glanced over at The Asp, the beacon of the dull town, and turned towards the grocer. Like anywhere in Birch, the store was outdated and stuffy. It felt like stepping into another time with the paper bags and chunky tills.

You went down the center aisle and stopped at the fridge to search through the frosted glass. Your nan only drank whole milk and the last time you carelessly grabbed skim, she whined that even Pippin wouldn’t drink it. She was particular but that was just her nature. You couldn’t say you were any less fussy in some instances.

You grabbed a jug and the door slapped closed against the worn rubber seal. You headed up the candy aisle and brushed your woolly thumb over your chin as you considered gummy bears or Reeses’ Pieces.

“Hard choice?” The deep voice jolted you.

You snatched the box of chocolate and looked over at the man in leather, his chin tucked down behind the collar as snow dusted his shoulders.

“Sure,” you said as you brushed past him.

The cut of the leather told you he was better not entertained. While you thought the men amusing, you weren’t stupid enough to engage with them. You rarely listened to your grandmother but she was wise in her own way. 

You knew a girl in highschool, she was fucking around with one of the club men in her junior year, she ended up with a baby and no support. You didn’t think he was into you that way but he could hardly have innocent intentions.

“How’s the old lady?” Clayton asked as he rung in your order at the end of the belt, you moved along with the groceries and pulled out your wallet.

“The usual, you know? She’s tryna quit again. Don’t know how long it’ll last.”

“Oh yeah? I’ll keep a carton aside for her,” he kidded as you felt your phone vibing in your back pocket.

“Don’t encourage her,” you swiped your card and punched in your pin, “although I don’t know what’s worse; the smoke or her sucking on those mints all the time.”

“Oh, it’s not the bitchin’?” he laughed.

“That, too,” you scooped up the paper bag and put your wallet away, “have a good one.”

As you came to the end of the first counter, you were nearly cut off by the club member as he swept around from till two. His own purchase of a car magazine and jerky was tucked under his arm.

“Ah, sorry,” he smiled, a sparkling smile, almost charming.

“No worries,” you continued on and he followed close behind.

“Those mitts look real warm. ‘Specially in this weather,” he said as you pushed open the door.

“Uh huh,” you kept on as your boots crunched out into the snow.

“You know where I can get a pair. Leather isn’t exactly thermal, you know?”

“These? My nan made ‘em. I’m sure Clayton got some hung up back there,” you looked across the street as you stepped up onto the ledge of snow between the sidewalk and the road.

“Am I bothering you?” he asked.

You looked at him dumbly and almost laughed in his face. You glanced back across the street then down towards The Asp.

“Sorta,” you answered.

“Make you a deal. Leave ya alone for your name.”

You eyed him. He was older than you like many of the Commandos. At least a decade, likely more than that. You chewed on your hesitation and cradled the bag more firmly against your side. His eyes strayed as he tried to see through the thick layer of your coat.

“Nah, I’m not s’posed to talk to strangers,” you said and hopped off onto the road.

You heard him behind you as he struggled to follow and as you came up to the other side, he came parallel with you and kept stride with you easily.

“I know you’re young but you’re not a kid,” he intoned, “what’s the harm in a name?”

“It’s a small town,” you stopped short of the end of White Forge, “I think I know enough about you to avoid you.”

“Oh ho, is that it? Well, I’m Sam, I’m not a stranger now, am I?”

“Not interested, Sam. Sure there’s women your own age over at the bar,” you nodded behind him.

“You wanna come see? Maybe have a drink?” he gave a crooked grin.

“You don’t give up, do you?” you shook your head, put off by his forwardness.

“Well?”

“Not tonight, Sam,” you turned around and headed down White Forge.

“Then what night?” he asked but you didn’t answer and he didn’t follow.

You turned down onto your street and refused to look back in case. It would be best not to mention the run-in to your nan, she was paranoid enough as it was. Besides, you’d forget about it by the end of next week.

#sam wilson #dark sam wilson #dark!sam wilson #sam wilson x reader #birch #series #sequel #fic #dark fic #dark!fic #looking for a place to happen #biker au #biker!au #au #marvel #mcu #captain america #avengers #tfatws #falcon #biker boys of birch

[jenomark]

➔Pairing: Idol!Jaemin x Reader (Female) ➔Other Members/ Characters: -.- ➔Genre: Smut ➔Warnings: Oral (F+M) + Penetration (F) ➔Word count: 2,473

➔Summary: Developing a crush on The Na Jaemin was never in the plan, but when his female co-host ends up late to the set, you step in, in more ways than one.

Anon Requested: Hello - may I request a Dreamie idolverse (idol!reader x your pick, based on who you think fits the best) where they have to interact on camera and there’s a huge tension and buildup, and then when they have a moment alone after, they can’t keep their hands off each other? Thank you! 😊

“You! Girl!” someone called.

Startled, you looked around for the voice to see a very sour looking man gesturing for you to come forward. Clipboard in hand, and an earpiece dangling from his ear, he very impatiently pointed at a spot next to the male co-host.

Na Jaemin looked up from the script in his hand. He looked at you first, how you stood there rooted to the spot in fear. Next, he looked at the man who was seconds away from getting angry with you, and he clapped him on the back.

“Sir,” he said. “There is plenty of time. I'm okay with waiting.”

The man seemed to settle down a bit. When he looked at you a second time, he asked you nicely to stand next to Jaemin, but his eyes made it clear that you better listen.

“To check the lighting,” he added gruffly before disappearing and leaving you and Jaemin alone.

The female co-host was late. Since they needed someone to stand in for her, in order for them to adjust the lighting correctly, and to see how the person next to Jaemin would appear on camera, you were the girl up for the job. Didn’t matter that all you were was a lowly assistant. Didn’t matter that Jaemin was the most handsome man you had ever seen, or that being in close proximity with him meant having to finally address the crush you had on him.

“These lights are hot.” Jaemin said. “After this, you should get into some cool air.”

Oh My God, he is talking to me. A real idol...talking to ME, you thought.

You moved your head a little to the right to show that you were listening. He was right. The lights were very hot, and you could feel yourself sweating underneath the thick sweater you wore. You were going to respond to him, gathering up the courage to do so, but a voice over the loudspeaker announced that the female co-host wouldn’t be there for another half hour.

You looked over at Jaemin. His professionalism allowed him to smile gracefully at the inconvenience. He tucked his script underneath his arm and looked towards the camera. You couldn’t stop staring at him, and you didn’t stop until someone snapped at you to look at the camera, too.

“People here aren’t very nice.” you found yourself saying.

“Not always.” he said.

You could feel him staring at you, but you didn’t dare look at him. The people behind the camera had their eyes on you. You were too scared to act up. It wasn’t until Jaemin touched his fingertips to the inside of your palm that you looked over at him.

“Have you been working here for a long time?” he asked. “I think I remember seeing you a few weeks ago.”

“That was me.” you said, trying your best to forget the time you tripped right in front of him and nearly fell flat on your face. If it wasn’t for the fact that everyone was watching and your pride forced you to catch yourself, you would have embarrassed yourself completely in front of The Na Jaemin.

Your little work crushes never lasted long, but there hadn’t been many people that affected you quite like Jaemin did. He was always so present with the people around him, so jovial and warm. He was kind to the staff. He even paid for the coffee everyone drank one day, the bill too enormous for someone with a job like yours. Sure, he was handsome and everything was perfect, and it was cool that he was an idol, but there was something about him that felt normal to you. Romanticizing him couldn't stop that feeling every time you set your eyes on him.

“Have you fixed your feet since then?” he asked, a smile so radiant and as blinding as the overhead lights on his face.

“Yes.” you said.

Someone else shouted for you to look back at the camera, so you did. Then, someone else thrust a script into your hands, the female co-hosts parts highlighted in yellow.

A rushed voice said, “ Read out all of her parts. We’re not on live, it’s just a run-through.”

While there was no patience for you, or consideration for the job you were meant to be doing, there was a certain importance placed on you when the camera light flickered on and all eyes in the room were on you. There was complete silence. Jaemin smiled beside you, his facial expression urging confidence within you.

So, you began to speak her parts. You read them carefully, before turning to pause for Jaemins parts. Your heart was hammering in your chest, but being beside his calmness made you feel a little more at ease.

Jaemin really was so good at his side job. He spoke with a smooth voice, one that knew exactly how to keep people listening. It was too easy to get lost in his velvety voice, in his handsome face, or in the way he made everyone feel included.

When it was time to cut to the female co-host's parts, Jaemin folded his hands in front of him and turned to you, like what you said was the most interesting piece of information in the room. You began to believe in yourself a little more, delivering the lines like your life depended on them.

You both went back and forth for the whole script, your words and timing running through so perfectly that it felt so natural to you. You began to feel like you were the co-host, not the woman running late. You didn’t know if it was your imagination or not, but the chemistry between you and Jaemin was obvious.

“Cut!” a voice yelled. “That was great. I think we have everything set up. Thank you everyone."

People moved all around the room. The stillness in the air when the camera went on vanished in a pinch. Voices erupted everywhere, and the movement of sound made your head hurt. Someone removed the script from your hands. Someone else came up and told you that you did a good job.

“You did really well.” Jaemin agreed, squatting down so a make-up artist could powder his face. “You’re a natural.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I felt like I stuttered too much.”

“You were perfect.” he winked.

The make-up artist looked at you when Jaemin couldn’t keep his eyes from you. You weren’t paying her any attention, even though her gaze could slice you in half.

“Thank you.” you said, resisting the urge to giggle.

When the make-up artist was finished, Jaemin brought himself back up to full height. You couldn’t remember him being that tall. You felt intoxicated by him. You were drawn in so deeply that you didn’t notice the sour man from earlier asking you why you weren’t getting back to your job.

“Right.” you said. “Sorry.”

Jaemin extended his hand for you to shake. His eyes never left yours. You took his hand and held it, letting him control the way your hands moved together.

“It was nice working with you,” he said.

“Yeah, me too.” you said. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

You let go of his hand and turned to walk away, mentally kicking yourself that you had said that. Before you could pick up your pace, Jaemins voice stopped you in your tracks.

“If you turned around, you could see me right now.”

You found yourself in his arms, leaning against the wall with your mouth on his, and your hands pulling out the shirt tucked into his pants. Jaemin watched you breathlessly, a dangerous smirk on his lips, and his eyes waiting for you to look up into his.

You couldn’t remember following him back into his dressing room, his hand gently pulling you from behind. You looked at the floor the whole time, too scared to meet the eyes of women you felt were more deserving of his attention. He talked to people as he passed, using his politeness to stall the crew a little while longer. His confidence was hard to turn down, even for you.

You wanted to ask yourself what you were doing. Were you crazy? Were you so blinded by him that you would risk everything? And were you really so horny for him that you couldn’t stop touching him??

Jaemin pulled away from you, his clothes haphazardly falling from his body, the half-undressed look too sexy on him to resist. Your lips were swollen and -no doubt- red from his kisses, the soreness resuming when he wasn’t kissing them, as if the act of kissing him was a salve. He plopped on the couch and patted his lap. You came over and sat on him, straddling his lap and using your hand to push his head against the back of the couch so you could kiss him deeply. He tasted irresistible, forbidden.

You tore off your sweater, your skin sticky. Jaemin's hands snaked up your sides, his thumbs moving underneath your bra. He leaned up to kiss you between your cleavage, his hot breath creating moisture on your skin. He pushed the bra up, freeing your breasts, his mouth finding them without issue. You lean back and let him devour you, knowing that if you fall this time, he will catch you.

There was a knock at the door, which Jaemin ignored, with a sigh, the first time. He had removed your bra and watched it dangle on his finger before it hit the floor. He was touching your breasts tenderly, his hands warming up your skin. When the second knock came, you could feel him tense underneath you.

“Who is it? Jaemin asked. You could feel the emotion trapped in his body, the irritation ready to bubble out. Jaemin, if anything, was a great actor. He kept his voice even and cool.

You didn’t know what you were thinking, but you slid from his lap and sat between his legs. You wanted to ease the tension for him. There was a murmur from behind the door, but you couldn’t hear the voice anymore. You unzipped his pants, your earlier mission on your mind. After seeing Jaemin’s cock in the flesh, his still-soft length making its way into your mouth, nothing else mattered at all.

Soon enough, the person on the other side of the locked door didn’t matter to Jaemin. He watched you go at his cock, licking and stroking him like it was your life's purpose. You cared about little else but having him sit in your mouth, his hardness missing the graze of your teeth. You wanted him to come, but he was so frantic with his movements, trying to stave off the orgasm for as long as possible. Before he could finish, he took your chin in his hand softly and brought your mouth up to his for a kiss. It was a distraction, and it worked.

You pushed him back against the couch and lifted up his shirt. He was amused by how eager you were to please him. He helped you remove his shirt, before continuing to watch your mouth lick and suck his body, leaving little bruises all over. Any time you would reach down to stroke his cock or give him another soft lick you knew would drive him wild, Jaemin would hold your hand to get you to stop.

“Not yet.” was all he said.

Jaemin had insisted that you remove all of your clothes. You tore them off like they were an inconvenience. With you naked, he managed to pull you all the way up the couch, until you were hovering over his face, your legs wobbling with fear. Your pussy lowering down onto Jaemin’s face and his hands against your back for support, you felt his tongue pushing your lips aside. The warmth made you suck in your breath and brace your palms against the wall, before you felt the pleasure of his tongue working its way to your clit. He tasted you everywhere, licking and sucking, pulling you down harder against him so that you were nearly suffocating him, eating you out until your legs were shaking so bad that he had to set you down again.

You wanted to make him come like he had made you come, but Jaemin had other plans. He laid you on the couch. He kissed your body, loving on it until you were begging him to be inside of you. He avoided your pussy, and you wondered if it was on purpose, if he wasn’t letting you come a second time. His mouth was on your inner thigh, the unshaved little hairs you could barely see on his face tickling your skin. He was rough with his teeth, even rougher with the way his fingers prodded and poked you. You were so wet, so ready, that you knew if he even breathed in that direction, you would come again.

“We don’t need these.” Jaemin said, ridding himself of his own pants and underwear.

It was chilly in the dressing room, but Jaemin using his body to cover you made you feel hot. His weight made the scene all too real, and you were suddenly transported out of your horny haze and back to where you were and to whom you were with

“Oh my god.” you said, looking up at him.

You could feel his hard cock on the inside of your leg. He kissed your neck. He shifted your leg so that he could get more comfortable between them.

“I haven't done anything yet.” he said quietly.

“This is going to get me fired.” you grinned from ear-to-ear

Jaemin grinned back, his handsome face making you fall silent. He had his hand on his cock and was using it to guide himself inside of you. Feeling all of him there was well worth the way you were treated by other people during the day. Jaemin’s cock erased everything from your mind, his thrusting making you feel a little bit smug that it was you and not anyone else.

With each thrust, you spoke. “Please. Don’t. Stop. I. Don’t. Care. If. Anyone. Walks. In.”

“You want it, you got it.” he said, fucking you good.

Jaemin pushed you further up the couch, until you were almost in a sitting position, your body against the arm rest. He moved up with you on his knees, holding you by your waist and using his muscles to bring your body down onto his cock. During the fun, he managed to grab fistfuls of your hair and hold on tight, while his cock drilled you, until a third knock came on the door.

"I'm coming." Jaemin called, smiling as he was getting ready to do just that.

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