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shamera · 5 months

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NaNo day 26

Originally in my head, there's one more scene before part 1 ends, but this might be the best place to end it?

I'll write it anyway and then see, but this might be the place to end today's bit! Gotta go back and change a few things too, especially since I was struggling on translating most things to English but honestly I have finally given up with how fdb addresses his aunt. He calls her 小姨 in the series, and while I normally just translate that as small aunt (at least I did in previous stories), I never had him CALL her that before, because that just sounds weird in translation. So I might have to go back and change all the 'small aunt' into 'xiao-yi' in this story instead just because just sounds better.

(Also, people just don't address family members as like 'big uncle' or something in English, because they include a name there. But in Mandarin that just sounds like you're not actually related to them, because you can call all your parents' friends aunts and uncles, too.)

Also in my head, it was 黑暗 for what I translated to "the Black", which. Uh. Well, the translation worked in my head as I was writing, but I'm a terrible terrible translator.

“No, tell me now.” Fang Duobing said, hand tightening to a bruising grip around Li Lianhua’s wrist. “Tell me what actually happened. Tell me the truth.”

“Tell you what, that you just fell right into some psychedelic core of a dungeon boss?” Li Lianhua bluffed, deceptively nonchalant. “Whatever you saw, we don’t have time to unpack all of that. This dungeon is going to start falling apart in moments, and—”

Fang Duobing refused to let go. “No one’s destroyed an active dungeon in ten years. How would you know that?”

Fang Duobing thought, maybe, maybe it would be easier if Li Lianhua just said it outright. If Li Lianhua would stop trying to yank out of his grip, as if he was really weak Li Lianhua again rather than someone Fang Duobing had just seen take down a dungeon boss.

He felt strange, like the darkness really was clinging to him, like he was hovering just right above his body, like his actions made sense to him and were guided by his thoughts but there was a barrier between what he was thinking and feeling, and what he was actually doing.

He felt untethered by the recent realisations.

“Fang Duobing,” and here Li Lianhua’s tone grew harsher as Fang Duobing continued to cling to him. “Why must you insist on this? Isn’t it enough to survive the dungeon? What if I say I’ll explain it all to you later?”

“You’d just run away,” Fang Duobing already knew this. “You’d run away until you could come up with a suitable lie for yourself, and then you won’t say even if I already know that you’re lying. Li Lianhua. I’ve been your friend for two years now, haven’t I? I have always considered you my friend even though I was never sure what you thought. And I’ve told you—”

Drunken rambling under starry skies about his dreams of being a Hunter, of living up to Li Xiangyi’s legacy, of breaking free from familial expectations to forge his own path. Of his aspirations.

“—I told you everything about myself.” Fang Duobing finished lamely, the force of his anger deflating into a disappointment that cored him. He was starting to get feeling in his limbs again, and his legs were tingling. His grip felt stiff, like he was using one hand to hold onto Li Lianhua, and his other to hold something else.

Wait. He was holding onto something else.

Li Lianhua was quiet in the darkness for a moment, and then a cold hand patted the grip Fang Duobing had on him.

“Later,” Li Lianhua amended. “I’ll explain later. You always manage to find me. How could I run away?”

What had Fang Duobing expected? Li Lianhua was reluctant to part with the truth at the best of times, never mind when he was forced into a situation where he had to say something real. It was likely the best he was going to get from the man. With that, his grip started to loosen, only to tense as the smell of acrid smog permeated his senses. Immediately following the smell was the rumbling of the ground underneath them, different from the fight before as this was a more even spread, like the world itself was starting to shake itself apart, evenly and building with each second.

“Time to go.” Li Lianhua said briskly, and hauled Fang Duobing up to his feet unceremoniously. The younger man stumbled for half a second before resting his weight on protesting legs, unable to see the ground or where they might be going. “Hold on, then. This is going to feel— strange.”

Then Li Lianhua was pulling him along, grabbing onto his wrist in return as the two of them raced along the unstable ground, soon joined by the sounds of thousands of skittering feet, yet their path was unimpeded. Fang Duobing didn’t know where they were going, didn’t know how Li Lianhua knew where to go in the darkness.

“Which way?” Fang Duobing called out in a panic as they ran.

“Any!” Li Lianhua called back. “The edge of the dungeon is closing in, and we just have to pass it—”

And there it was— the faint purple glow associated with gates, except it was appearing in front of them endlessly, like a light to cross through. Within the glow, he could now see the shapes of endless monsters, none of them paying the two of them any attention as they crashed against the purple gate, climbing atop each other and flooding the ground, but unable to pass through.

Apprehension slowed him as they approached, even with the shaking underneath growing worse and crashing sounds coming from behind them. Li Lianhua continued to pull at him, displaying uncharacteristic strength as they ran, and then soon they came upon the gate and they were going to be okay and then afterward Fang Duobing was going to tie Li Lianhua to a pole and refuse to let him go until he got answers—

It was like hitting a solid wall.

Perhaps not a solid wall, as Fang Duobing nearly bounced back from the impact, as the feeling had been evenly spread rather than hitting at a single point of impact. He nearly let go of Li Lianhua, who didn’t have the same problem, but the man didn’t let go of his wrist.

Li Lianhua stopped at Fang Duobing’s sound of pain and the jerk backward, the purple light now bright enough to see each other clearly. “What—?”

Within a moment, his stunned expression changed toward something strange.

“Put that down, drop it right now.” Li Lianhua ordered, and reached to yank at Fang Duobing’s other hand. “You can’t— bring things from the Black, how did you even—?”

In his hand, the one curled into a death group, was a ball the size of his palm, like a black pearl shimmering against the purple light. Fang Duobing hadn’t even noticed— or rather, he had, yet the knowledge managed to escape his attention somehow.

“What?” He asked, mind blank as he stared down at the ball in his hand. His fingers were caught in a death grip, like it wasn’t his own hand at all. For a moment, he shook his wrist, but still couldn’t let go of it. “I… I can’t?”

Li Lianhua was prying at his fingers, backlit by the purple light, the creatures of the dungeon swarming around them in panic, each of them hitting the same wall that Fang Duobing had.

The gate seemed to be pushing them back, skidding them across the unstable ground, drawing to a smaller and smaller point as they attached to detach the ball from Fang Duobing. In the distance, he could see the extent of the gate, of it encroaching from the opposite side, from all sides. It really was drawing in like it would crush everything within the dungeon.

“Let go,” Li Lianhua told him, a heavy panic in his tone. His fingers were pale even in the purple light, pulling at Fang Duobing’s. Fang Duobing was trying, he really was, but it was an involuntary reaction, like reacting to getting shocked, like electric currents running along his nerves now that he knew where to look in order to feel it.

“I’m trying!” Fang Duobing protested, and both wrestled with his hand as they were pushed back by the gate, and the shove of monster bodies began to press in against them. He shook at his own hand in a panic, trying to help Li Lianhua in prying his fingers open.

They got one finger, and then another, and the carapaces of the creatures around them were pressing in tight, stuck in the nonspace between the dungeon and the magic of the gate until it felt hard to breathe.

Around them, the dungeon was starting to disappear, the bits of stone illuminated falling into nothing at all, and even the monsters starting to disappear into nothingness.

“Got it!” Li Lianhua called, and then he was holding onto the orb with both hands, looking up in victory. “Now we go—”

He dropped the orb just as they were swallowed by the purple light.

—

He Xiaofeng was yelling at the representatives from Wansheng Sect when Hunters started pouring out of the gate in a flurry, her arm in a sling as the medic next to her attempted to gently dissuade her from aggravating her injuries to no avail.

“What do you mean the dungeon is collapsing?” She shouted, her good hand around the collar of the representative’s throat. He was a good head taller than her with a tired slant to his eyes and chin-length hair wearing a button up with Hunter accessories. He must have introduced himself at some point, but she didn’t care for his name unless she needed Tianji Hall to start legal shit against him. “Dungeons don’t collapse!”

Not unless the dungeon boss was defeated, and that wasn’t something anyone attempted in the past decade. Not to mention the difficulty of it, and the fact that she doubted Wansheng Sect could manage it at all.

Wansheng Sect was a shit sect, in her opinion, but they were apparently high ranked and the ones who came first at the call of a newly formed dungeon with people caught up in it, and the members apparently already rescued the rest of her employees. To them, it was He Xiaofeng and her group who had been unlucky as the rescue operations were well underway even when they had been waiting and running, yet when she dragged Bei Yun to them, yelling at the top of her lungs that her nephew was still in there, that she was fit to go back in if she had to in order to rescue him and Physician Li despite her injuries, so long as they provided backup to obtain more crystal shards—

They refused to let her back in! She was a qualified Hunter, even if she never trained for search and rescue in dungeons before.

“Do you know who I am?” She asked, voice low and dangerous as she dragged the man down to her level to brush her nose against his, glaring him down. The wailing of sirens around them and the overwhelming scent of ozone from the gate was only infuriating her more, feeling like a sensory overload to go with stupid men who would dismiss her. “Do you know who my nephew is? If you think your Wansheng Sect can withstand the wrath of Tianji Hall—”

Technically, Tianji Hall was a tech company intermediary between Hunter sects and the government, but they had authority the same way Baichuan Court was given authority to police Hunters.

“Ma’am, please,” the medic next to her said, voice pained. “We’re already short staffed and don’t need more injuries to see to right now.”

She refused to let up on her grip, even as the man started choking in her grasp, hands coming up to claw at her in vain.

“Send people through,” she demanded. “Send people through or let me through, or so help me—”

The gate was getting smaller and smaller, had been for the past minute or so, and her panic grew inversely. What would she tell her sister, her brother-in-law—

“Xiao-yi!”

She released the man immediately, paying no mind as he tumbled to the ground and instead turning on her heel toward her nephew’s voice.

“Xiaobao!” She gasped out, already pushing past both Bei Yun and the medic to jog toward the figures that appeared out of the gate. He was covered, absolutely slathered, in a black substance that looked like it was slowly wisping away in the air, evaporating into nothingness to reveal bruises and dried blood and torn clothes.

Li Lianhua was similarly drenched, hair out of his usual neat bun to cover his face and drape over Xiaobao’s shoulder, his form limp carried across Fang Duobing’s back.

“Xiao-yi,” he gasped out again, just as she reached him to grab onto his shoulders, too worried to know what to do or what to say first. “Help.”

And then his legs gave out underneath him, just as the team of medics converged on them.

#NaNoWriMo #mlc nano 2023 #do I want to keep this?#I mean I guess I worked hard trying to get this out in November #but thinking of editing this is making me wince lol

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trueshellz · 3 years

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Hey could I get something where kyoutani, diachi, and iwazumi react to finding out you when you just didn’t eat for months, when you were younger and you fainted

Hey hun. Thanks for the request. I tried making each one a little different but with the same theme.

Warnings: eating disorders, anxiety, tube feeding mentioned, PTSD, family death mentioned, bullying, body dysmorphia, spanking (out of place but Kyoutani warranted it), injury.

Kyoutani:

"Why did you mother ask me to make sure you eat regularly? She makes it sound like we have no food in the apartment or something. Does she think I'm not earning enough to provide for us?"

You stopped what you were doing, hands pausing on the knife as you cut the vegetables for dinner. You really hoped your mum wouldn't drop anything about your battle with food when she came around earlier, she had been so worried when you decided to move in with your boyfriend.

Apparently that wish was in vain.

"Err....so, you see-"

"Drop the shit. Tell me or I'll call her back and ask her instead. And your butt will pay for it later too."

You sighed long and hard, glaring at Kyoutani as he stood there with his hand on his hips. There was no way you were winning this argument.

"I... Ken-"

His hand suddenly resting on the back of you knuckles was the only change in his mood, eyes still staring holes into you with a frown on his face.

"I... had some trouble with food when I was younger... didn't eat for a while and ended up passing out."

"How long is 'a while'?"

"A few weeks?"

The tightening of his jaw was the only indication of his mood, you could see the small tick in his jaw and the grip on your hand increased, only a little, but it was enough for you to realise. He nodded for you to proceed, thumb back to rubbing small circles on your skin.

"My... my mum... she found me on the floor in the bathroom... I think I was having a bath or something.... I don't think the image ever left her to be honest." You paused. "I'm sor-"

"Don't apologise for that shit. Ever. I'll make sure you eat... even if I have to tie you up and feed you myself."

"Kinky." You snorted a laugh, turning into a yelp as he landed a slap on your ass as he walked to the fridge.

Daichi:

Unpacking your apartment was the worst thing ever, you decided. Between finding what you needed and putting it in the right place, it was driving you up the wall. Daichi was in the living room unpacking the shared collection books that you had, while you were in the kitchen fighting with the unmatched chopsticks.

"Hey babe?"

"Yeah?"

"Come here a sec."

You found him surrounded by yearbooks, all open on the same page- your class.

"So, you're here, here and here." Daichi pointed at each picture of you through the years you were there. "But not here."

His finger landed on the page exactly where you would have been alphabetically, between your best friends. A small trickle of anxiety worked its way down your spine, you remembered that year vividly. It had been after a close family death and it had hit you very hard, you had trouble sleeping and eating. The latter causing more problems, your brother had watched you wither away even when you said you were okay.

The final straw came when you passed out at school one day, walking through the corridors between lessons and the next thing you knew, you woke up in hospital. They had been close to tube feeding you with how much weight you had lost. Lots of therapy and counselling later, you had a better relationship with food but the scars were still there.

You hadn't realised that you had tears running down your face as you retold him the story until Daichi wiped them away. His warm hands cupping your face, thumb wiping away the tears as he kissed your forehead. Arms wrapping around you and bundling you into his lap, his scent washing over you as he held you close.

"It's ok. I got you. You're not alone in this, I'll help ok? Lean on me, it's what I'm here for."

Iwaizumi:

"You okay there, doll? You've gone a little pale."

Hand resting on your forehead, Iwaizumi stepped close as you sat in the restaurant. The menu in your hands suddenly going blurry, writing smearing as you tried to focus on choosing something to eat. Your palms suddenly sweaty, heart beating in your ears as you quickly got up and left the restaurant. The cold air hit your skin, chills running through your body as you realised you had left-

"Here."

Your jacket was draped over your shoulders as Iwaizumi stood next to you. Not touching, just stood silently as you stared into space, his arms barely touching yours as you took some deep breaths in.

"I..." You took a deep breath, "I had some trouble with food when I was in high school. I was your typical chubby kid who got bullied. Where everyone was slim and had these great figures, I had bumps and lumps in places they didn't. No matter what I did or said... what I ate... it didn't stop. So I didn't eat." You sniffed, eyes watering as you continued. "It was good for a while... the bullying stopped and I was slimmer on the outside, I guess? But when I looked in the mirror all I could see whay the body I hated and was trying to get rid of."

His arm came around you, pulling your to his chest as you felt his lips in your hair. Hand rubbing up and down your shoulder as you wiped your eyes, sure that the mascara you had was now rings on your face.

"We had P.E one day, netball or something, and I remember jumping.... and then nothing. I woke up to my mum crying, a cast on my leg because I landed badly. It took months of rehab to get myself back to my old habits but now... eating out kinda scares me. I know it's stupid and-"

"It's not stupid."

You peered up at him, his eyes soft even though his expression hasn't changed. His hand brushed your hair back and turned you to face him.

"It's not stupid at all. You went through something traumatic and you reacted how you thought best. But the relationship you have with food is still fragile and that's understandable. We don't have eat out."

"But-"

"Don't do that. Don't deflect and worry about me, that's my job. I'm supposed to look after you, doll. How about we go to the supermarket and you choose something we can make together? And we buy something small that's premade... like some dumplings or some mochi?"

You could manage that... you thought.

"But Hajime..."

A soft kiss on your lips silenced you, hands cupping you face as he leaned into you.

"Let's take one day at a time, ok?

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tangledstarlight · 3 years

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33. bandaging the other’s hand and not quite letting go + juke

okay so. might have taken a few creative liberties here. but she does bandage his hands not really let go! eventually. 😬 for context!!! this takes place the ff!luke 'verse and about 4/5ish months after the end of the main fic (but doesn't need to be read to be understood😌)

thanks for sending one!😌💜

tw: mentions of blood & injuries & fire

33. bandaging the other’s hand and not quite letting go

hand holding prompts!

A bus had crashed into a warehouse, it was all over the news.

Ten minutes after the news broke there were tweets saying the warehouse was full of fireworks, or cosmetics, or — Julie didn’t manage to scroll further than that when news reporters live on the scene were ushered further back as an explosion rocked the building, flames shooting high and something crashed down and someone screamed.

Julie had seen fire engines arrive at the scene and blew out a shallow breath when she’d stopped Lukes. The number was clear and bright on screen despite the smoke and people and Julie gripped her phone tighter and felt like she couldn't suck in a full breath of air.

Her phone had buzzed three times since the news broke three hours ago. One from Alex to check she was okay, one from her dad to ask if she wanted to come over, and one from Luke to say he was okay and would be home late.

Julie knew, from watching the news half her life and from spending the last year and half worrying, that fires like this could burn for hours, that it could take them all day and all night to deal with it. And logically, she knew the chances of Luke getting seriously hurt were slim, that he was good at his job and, despite what people might have thought, he was careful. Julie also knew that she’d never get any work done today until Luke was home and she could see for herself that he was okay.

So she opened twitter and a local news site on her laptop and turned something mindless on on the tv and waited. Flynn rings after an hour and talks to her about her latest client and doesn’t mind when Julie doesn’t respond past the occasional hum and vague ‘oh?’ and after Flynn pauses to let her read through the latest update — they’d gotten all the civilians off the bus, so far there was no casualties but firefighters were still working tirelessly to contain the fire — she asks if she’s okay.

“I’m—“ and she wants to say that she’s fine, but she isn’t ‘fine’, not yet, and she’s never been good at lying, especially to Flynn so she blows out a breath and closes her eyes, trying to block out the images of a build in flames and Luke’s face vanishing into them. “I’m worried. But I'll be alright. Tell me about how you plan on combining disco with a pastel colour palette.”

Flynn stays on the phone with her until she has a call waiting and apologies and has to go, promising to call back afterwards. But Julie tells her it’s okay. People’s lives go on, even while hers feels like it’s been put on pause for the day.

And it’s weird, she thinks as she moves around her kitchen to fill her coffee machine and put away clean dishes, this isn’t the first time Luke has been in a dangerous situation since they’ve been together. But it’s the first time she’s not been at work, not had something to distract her, the first time that Luke had been one of the first on the scene, that it had made the news.

The machine beeps and steam curls up from her favourite mug — it had been her mom's favourite first, deep enough to hold either coffee or hot chocolate with room left for cream and marshmallows, with a hand wide enough to curl all her fingers around and still feel comfortable and secure in her grasp. It reminds her of her mom and of cold mornings in the studio before school and of her first heartbreak when she’d been twelve and of when Luke had helped her unpack, carefully putting it on the bottom shelf of a cupboard for her to easily reach.

It reminds her of comfort and that’s exactly what she needs right now as she wraps her fingers around the pale yellow dotted ceramic, letting the heat seep into her skin, and walking back to her sofa. The sitcom on tv has changed to a different sitcom, and the twitter search is telling her there’s ten new tweets and the news site is still playing the muted live broadcast. She can still see Luke’s station’s engine in the background and knows he’s still there. She blows across her coffee, watching the steam spiral and the liquid ripple and waits.

It’s dark, the tv has gone through three different sitcoms only to end up back on the one she’d started with and Julie’s on her third cup of coffee when she hears a key in the door. She had shut her laptop an hour ago when the last update came through about the last of the flames being put out and the firefighters returning to their engines. It had been twenty minutes later when she’d gotten a text from Luke saying he was okay, and Julie had clutched her phone tight to her chest and tried to breath easily again. In her head, Julie knew he wouldn’t be home straight away, that he’d have to go back to the station, that he might go get checked over, that he might just end up going back to his flat with the boys and she’d debate getting in her car and driving to him.

So she’d waited, fingers tapping on the now cool ceramic as her teeth chewed her bottom lip close to drawing blood. And then there’s a key in the door and Julie waits until she hears it open and clicks shut again, a thud as he drops his bag, and then she’s putting her mug down and waiting in the entrance to her little living room.

He looks tired, is the first thing she thinks, his shoulders low and his head on an angle as he kicks off his shoes by the door, and when he turns around, eyes trailing up her legs to her face, she takes in the weary look, the circles under his eyes and the smudge of soot still on his jaw, and just holds out her hand. His lips twitch a little at the corners, and something flashes across his eyes that she thinks might be love as he steps towards her. One, two, three, four and then his hand, larger and warmer and callused, is in hers. She notices the smudges of dirt, scratches and patches of red and swallows as she looks back at his face.

“Hi,” he whispers, voice hoarse and Julie tries not to think about him out there for hours shouting orders and checking in with his crew and being so close to danger.

“Are you—?” she starts, voice just as low and it’s the way Luke squeezes her hand that cuts her off.

“I’m okay,” and then he winces, and Julie’s eyes shoot to his face, to his shoulders, to arms, to find what’s wrong. But she can’t see anything until he carefully lifts up his other hand, the one that had been buried in his hoodie pocket and she sees the bandage wrapped around his palm and tied at his wrist.

“Door of the bus was jammed and my gloves are apparently very old,” he shrugs, but there’s still a hint of pain in his eyes and an exhaustion like she’s never seen in the way he holds himself that stops Julie from commenting.

“Come on.”

She gently tugs at his hand and Luke follows her willingly into her bathroom, sitting on top of the toilet seat with a sigh that seems to echo through the room. There’s a first aid kit under her bathroom sink that she pulls out but instead of rooting through it Julie steps past Luke to turn on her shower, falling water filling the empty room as Luke raises his eyebrows at her in question.

“You clearly didn’t shower at the station, and you’ll regret not washing the smoke off of you now,” she shrugs, and if maybe she also doesn’t want him tracking smoke and soot and dirt into her bed, well, two birds and all that.

He makes a noncommittal sound, one shoulder lifting in a half shrug as he nods in agreement. Julie helps him take off his hoodie, and she knows he must be tired because he hasn’t even bothered with a t-shirt underneath, his sweat pants and underwear get thrown into her laundry pile and then Julie watches him climb over the lip of her bathtub to stand under the stream of water. She watches him for a moment, as the water trails down his back and his muscles stay tense, shoulders still drooped and hands slack at his sides. The water runs dark for a few seconds as he hangs his head, soot and dirt washing down the drain, and with it the last of his strength she guesses, because Luke turns around until his back is against the tiles and lets himself slide down until he’s almost sitting.

“‘m tired,” he apologises as he looks up at her, eyes hooded and lips trying to smile. And Julie just wants to hold him. But he’s soaking wet and looks halfway to sleep so she just shakes her head.

“Hey it’s okay. Turn around?” She says, and he looks at her quizzically, brows drawing closer together as she grips the bottom of her t-shirt and pulls it over her head.

“Don’t think there’s enough room sitting like this,” he mutters, and there’s a hint of his teasing tone that she knows so well that makes Julie smile, flicking his temple as she reaches past him to unhook the shower head from the wall so she can wash his hair.

“We’ll have to try it some other time, hm. Lean forward a little.” And he does, a soft chuckle rasping out of him that turns into a sigh as she starts to work her fingers into his hair and scratch at his scalp.

By the time she’s finished washing his hair and running a flannel up and over his back, and shoulders and across his chest and down his arms, the mirror has fogged over and the room is full of steam. Luke wraps a towel around his waist, and as Luke slowly rubs another over his head in an attempt to dry his hair, Julie runs one over her arms and across her stomach, glad she’d decided to save her clothes from getting too wet.

Julie picks up the first aid kit and wraps her fingers around Luke’s hand and then leads him across the hall to her bedroom. There’s a clean pair of sweatpants and his favourite faded cut-off laid out on the bed and when he looks at her, eyes a little wide and brows raised, she just shrugs once, and nods. Julie goes to let go of his hand, to give him time to get dressed, but Luke pulls her close against his side and presses a hard kiss to her temple. He lingers, and Julie doesn’t mind, is glad for the chance to wrap her arms around his waist and hold him, to feel the heat coming from his body and see his chest beating. He’s okay.

After Luke pulls on his pants and makes a show of pulling his t-shirt over his head, Julie pushes him back until he’s sitting on the edge of her bed, pulling over the little stool she uses to hold her make up and sitting between his knees. She’d pulled one of Luke’s shirts on while he’d gotten dressed and now his fingers are playing with the hem, rolling and twisting it.

“I like it when you wear my clothes,” he mutters and Julie laughs lightly.

“I know,” she can still very clearly remember the first time she’d really worn something of his, and he’d made it very clear how much he liked it. “Hand please.”

He puts her injured hand in hers and she holds it carefully as he fingers trace over the jagged cut and bites her lip. It’s really not as bad as she’d thought. It can’t be that deep, otherwise Harrison would have made him go to the hospital but still. Seeing Luke hurt always twists something in her gut and she has to take in a deep breath before she can get to work.

First it’s an antiseptic cream and second a kiss to his wrist as he hisses in pain, and then she starts wrapping the gauze bandage around his hand methodically. When she finishes the fingers off his other hand have twisted themselves into her top, his pinkie finger dipping below the waistband off her leggings as his thumb strokes idly at her skin, and Julie knows he’s doing it more to distract himself then her, but she still can’t help but shiver.

“Done,” she murmurs, tying the bandage off and gently tucking the end a little under to keep it out of his way, and keeping a hold of it, and when she looks up Luke is already looking at her, eyes soft and lips finally finding a way to smile.

“Thank you,” Luke whispers and rolls her eyes. They do this every time she cleans up a cut or graze. He thanks her, and she says he doesn’t need to, and then he kisses her as payment.

It’s the same as always, Julie shakes her head and Luke leans forwards, his lips catching hers. But where normally it’s a kiss that turns into something more, she can still feel how tired he is, it comin off of him in waves and Julie pulls back slowly.

“Let’s go to sleep,” it’s nearly 2am and it’s been a long day right now, all Julie wants to do is hold him.

She pulls back the duvet with one hand, her other still wrapping around Lukes and he slides under the covers first with a moan of relief, pulling her down to join him. The light is still on and she wants to take off her socks, but Luke has one arm wrapped around her waist and the other still holding her hand and pressed over his chest, and she can feel his heart beating. She shifts in his hold so she’s lying a little further down the bed and can put her head on his chest, hear his heart and feel the way his thumb traces nonsensical patterns on the back of her hand.

“Love you, Jules,” he mutters, and he must be halfway to sleep she knows, but his words her a little slurred and his breathing has gotten deeper and the lips he presses to her hair don’t stay for long.

She’ll get up when he’s fallen asleep, she thinks, to turn off the lights and brush her teeth. But for now she’ll let him hold her, and not loosen her grip on his hand and finally breathe.

#ask #anon #julie and the phantoms fics #julie molina #luke patterson #jatp #jatp fics #*prompts #okay this one is like 2.5k so i might end up putting it on ao3 at some point 😬 really got away from me i'm sorry #there's a lot of julies thoughts but i promise luke shows up eventually #firefighter!luke au

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morganaspendragonss · 3 years

Text

dancing on the edge of something new

huge thanks to alice ( @reyeslonestar ) for letting me talk this through with her at midnight when it was causing me huge trouble 🥰

five dances in tk and carlos’s life

ao3 | 2.3k | @911fluffweek day 3: getting together // dancing

TK looks over when Carlos slides off the hood of the Camaro, his hand trailing after him until he’s forced to let go. Carlos is smiling almost shyly, shifting from one foot to the other, and TK can’t help but smile back, propping himself up on his elbows.

“Carlos?” he prompts, confusion growing as no explanation is forthcoming. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, of course. I just, uh…” He bites his lip, then takes a decisive step forward and holds out a hand, cocking a brow suggestively. “Wanna dance?”

TK laughs. “Seriously?” he asks, but he’s already sitting up and placing his hand in Carlos’s, allowing him to pull him off the car and to his feet.

“Well”—Carlos shrugs, yanking TK close and smiling at the oof he makes when their chests collide—“it’s how we began, isn’t it? I figured, if we’re starting again, then it feels only right, no?”

TK stares, stuck dumb, unable to do anything but follow Carlos’s lead as his arms slip around his waist, guiding them into a gentle sway. He rests his own hands on Carlos’s chest, the realisation that he gets to do this now—gets to touch Carlos and be with him like this—hitting him all over again. To think he almost threw it all away… Well, none of that matters anymore. What matters is that they’re here, dancing in a field with no music save for the shuffle of their feet in the grass and the occasional bird or cricket, like a pair of lovesick idiots in a romcom.

And he’s never been happier.

He slides his hands up until his arms are resting loosely around Carlos’s shoulders, fingers playing with the stray curls at the nape of his neck. He stares into those familiar brown eyes, so full of warmth and light, Carlos cast in the beautiful glow of the Northern Lights above them, and TK feels an intense feeling take root in his chest. It’s not love—not yet—but it will be.

He can’t imagine not falling in love with Carlos Reyes.

ii.

The club lights strobe around them, bathing the room alternately in lurid colours and strange shadows. The place is packed, the doors practically straining on their hinges, but the only thing TK is aware of is Carlos’s body moving against his own, their movements perfectly in sync with each other.

It’s been a while since they were last about to do this, to come out and just let loose for the night. In fact, TK thinks the last time might have been when they were out with Paul what seems like a lifetime ago; so much has changed since, and TK feels like a completely different person to who he was back then.

He and Carlos have officially been together for a few months now, but it’s like the universe has been working to stop them from actually being able to enjoy it. They’ve managed to squeeze in some dates here and there, but between the shooting, the solar storm, TK’s medical leave, and weeks of opposing shifts, getting a moment to themselves has been difficult.

But now, finally, they have one. And TK is going to milk it for all it’s worth.

He turns slightly in Carlos’s grasp, his head tilting up to catch his lips in a searing kiss. Carlos grips TK’s hips tighter, pulling them flush against his own as he deepens the kiss, and TK gasps, a sharp thrill shooting down his spine.

The night stretches out blissfully in front of them, the knowledge that this isn’t just a fling that will end with the cold light of dawn making it all the sweeter. It’s still a little surreal, even now, but it also feels so damn right.

TK’s heart hammers in time with the music and he sinks into Carlos’s hold, losing himself in his heat.

iii.

It’s not that TK never felt at home at the condo. The opposite in fact; Carlos’s place had been home even before he could officially call it his, and he feels the loss of it keenly. The thing is, though, even after he’d fully moved in, it had been a struggle to think of it as theirs.

It had been home, sure, but it had also been Carlos’s place.

Carlos had found it a little funny, and it had taken several slip-ups on TK’s part and just as many gentle corrections on his for TK to get used to our dining room, and our bedroom, and our house.

And then—well. Just as he’d started to get used to it, it was all gone. Ashes. It hurt, deeply, but TK knew that it was his turn to be the one to lean on, to let Carlos be the one to set the pace. Carlos had lived there for years, after all, and what was TK’s month compared to that?

Really, anywhere that Carlos is would be home, but this—holding the keys to a house they’d picked out together, a house they’d signed the lease for together, a house they’d picked the furnishings for together—feels like coming home.

He hates that it was the condo burning down that got them to this stage, but TK can’t stop a grin from emerging on his face as he slips his key into the lock.

He finds Carlos in the kitchen, humming and shimmying to a song playing from the speakers. To his credit, TK really does try to bite back his laughter, but he can’t quite manage it, letting out a loud snort which has Carlos stopping in his tracks, flushing a deep red.

“I see the unpacking’s going well,” he says, walking over to the kitchen counter and leaning a hip against it.

“It was, actually,” Carlos defends, still blushing. “I didn’t realise you’d be back this soon.”

TK shakes his head; as adorable as Carlos’s embarrassment is, he needs to let him know he’s not making fun. “You can relax, babe. You know I always love seeing you move those hips.”

“Mmm, don’t I know it.” Carlos leans in and kisses him, lingering a moment before pulling back, a wide smirk on his face. “How about you help me finish unpacking here and we’ll see about showing you more of that hip action later?”

TK grumbles, but does as he’s told, the two of them falling into a comfortable rhythm as they work to getting their house in order. It’s ended up being the perfect blend of their different styles, which probably shouldn’t work together, but somehow do, and TK loves it here. They both do, he knows—nothing will ever replace what they lost in the fire, but being able to build a home together is beyond special.

He keeps sneaking glances at Carlos as the afternoon goes on—sue him, his boyfriend is built like a Greek god—and TK smiles when he realises Carlos has started dancing again. He probably doesn’t even realise he’s doing it, which makes the whole thing so much better.

TK watches for a while, then walks up to Carlos and taps him on the shoulder. “Mind if I cut in?” he asks, gesturing to the wooden spoons he was twirling around.

There’s a brief moment of confusion, before Carlos’s eyes light up with realisation. He barely wastes a second in tossing the spoons aside (though, it’s more like a careful placement in the correct drawer) and grabs TK by the hand, sending him into a literal spin.

TK laughs, taking a moment to right himself after the sudden movement caused him to stumble inelegantly. Neither of them are in time with the music as they dance around the kitchen, carefully avoiding the boxes still scattered around, but it’s not important.

For the first time in his life, TK feels fully, completely at home. It’s not a feeling he wants to let go of.

iv.

“I think they were expecting something slower,” TK murmurs, burying a laugh in Carlos’s neck. Their guests are all wearing expressions with varying degrees of shock, and he can’t really blame them—he’s pretty sure the last thing anyone expects to hear during a first dance at a wedding is a country song. “I still can’t believe you even remember it.”

Carlos shrugs. “I still can’t believe you don’t. It is our song, after all.”

TK rolls his eyes, remembering their first conversation on this topic months ago, back when they were still sorting out all the wedding minutiae.

“‘Our’ song, babe?” he’d said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Why, because we danced to it for five minutes before leaving to get off in the bathroom?”

“Exactly,” Carlos had replied, his tone so serious that TK wasn’t sure whether he was joking or not. He’d rolled his eyes and lightly shoved at TK’s shoulder. “No, babe. Because it was the first time we danced together on the night that we met. That’s special, right, even if it did only last five minutes?”

TK hadn’t exactly been able to argue that one, and he has to admit now that it was a pretty good choice. If only to see the way Judd almost choked on his champagne in surprise when the song started.

It’s a little untraditional and, if he’s being honest, TK had never thought that one day he would be getting married in Texas on his new husband’s family ranch, with their first dance being to a ‘cowboy song’, as he’d once called it, much to Carlos’s horror. But he and Carlos have never been ones for tradition, and TK wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s perfect,” he admits, his eyes never leaving Carlos’s. He stops the dance, not caring that the song is still playing, and steps closer, pressing their bodies together. Everything else fades into the background as he leans up and kisses Carlos, barely moving when they break apart. “I love you, Husband.”

Carlos’s face lights up in a grin that could rival the sun in its brightness. “I love you too, Husband.”

Music is floating through the door when TK gets home, and it’s enough to alleviate the weight he’s been carrying all day. It’s not that it had been a bad shift per se (though, when your standards for a good day are ‘nobody dies’, your view tends to get a bit skewed) but it had been long and tiring, and he’d missed his family desperately.

Sometimes, he still can’t believe this is really his life. But Ana, now three, has been living with them for a year already, and TK can’t imagine their home without her anymore. She’d been a blessing, coming into their lives after years of fighting to get on adoption registers, right when they were beginning to despair of ever managing it.

They did, though, and now TK gets to come home to scenes like this.

Scenes like Ana standing on Carlos’s toes as he guides her slowly around the room in a basic dance. TK watches for a moment before getting his phone out and hitting record; he’ll be damned if he misses the opportunity to get this on film.

Carlos, having heard him enter, rolls his eyes when he sees what TK’s doing, but flashes him a quick smile before returning his focus to Ana. She hasn’t noticed TK’s entrance, her face scrunched up in deep concentration as she grips onto Carlos’s hands as tight as she possibly can.

When the music ends, Ana claps her hands and giggles. TK takes the moment to make his presence known, dropping to his knees and holding his arms out. She barrels into him, almost knocking him over, and presses her face into his chest, her tiny hands creating creases in his uniform shirt.

“Hi, sweetheart,” TK murmurs, dropping a kiss in her hair. He gently detaches her from him and manoeuvers them until she’s sitting in his lap. “Looks like you guys were having fun while I was at work.”

She nods enthusiastically. “Papa was teaching me to dance! Abuela showed me photos when I was with her and Abuelo and I wanted to be just like her!”

“Abuela got out the photo albums again, huh?”

Ana nods again. “Of her… Her…” She frowns and looks up at Carlos.

“Her china poblana dresses,” Carlos says softly, smiling as Ana grins and points at him.

TK laughs and draws his daughter into a hug, rocking them gently, his gaze going up to Carlos. “Well, from what I saw, you were dancing even better than Papa,” he says, smirking as Carlos gasps in mock offence. He looks back down at Ana, tapping on the back of her hand. “You know,” he starts, smiling, “I think I might need some dancing lessons too. Think you can teach me?”

Ana lights up and immediately gets to her feet, as if she’d been waiting for him to ask. She grabs TK’s hand and pulls him up, leading him to where Carlos must have cleared a space for them earlier. The music begins to play again and TK lets his daughter take charge, playfully sticking his tongue out at Carlos when he laughs at TK getting firmly told off for putting his foot in the wrong place.

At some point, Carlos joins the dance, the three of them stepping and bouncing around the front room. Ana’s laughter fills the house, shrieking with delight when Carlos sweeps her from the floor and wraps both her and TK in his arms. TK leans his head on his husband’s shoulder, a hand placed on their daughter’s back, and breathes out slowly, all the exhaustion from earlier forgotten.

At last, he’s home.

#911fluffweek #911 lone star #911 lone star fic #tarlos #tarlos fic #tk strand #carlos reyes #lone star #911ls #fanfiction #my fanfiction #writing #my writing #userjillian #tuserjamie #userkimmy #tuserpaige #reyeslonestartag #tuserjenny

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starcrossedyanderes · 3 years

Note

Would Rygel take his darling stargazing?

Yesssss

I’m sorry I just love it when I get requests that fit my ‘aesthetic’. I decided to take my own twist on this request so it turned into this. Also with this picrew Rygel has much darker skin but this was the darkest skin tone in this picrew.

“We have an event tonight.”

You quirked an eyebrow at Rygel’s words.

“When did you do events?”

“I must admit I usually abhor going to such required events. But I believe we shall find this one to be quite enjoyable.”

A smile actually pulled at Rygel’s lips as he looked down at you from his 6’9” stature. You felt a phantom hand caress your cheek; no doubt from Rygel’s own psychic abilities.

“Besides I think now is an excellent time to go ‘public’, don’t you agree?”

The hold on your cheek tightened.

“I expect that it has been long enough for you to have come to terms with my.. actual identity. And with that the expectations and status of you being my moonlight. I trust that you shall live up to these expectations, yes?”

The way his mind and eyes drilled into yours had you give out a meek “yes.”.

Rygel’s aura immediately lightened up and the feeling on your cheek disappeared only to be replace by the feeling of your whole body being gently squeezed; Rygel’s form of an affectionate hug and sign of approval.

Rygel bended down to your height to place a chaste kiss on your lips as the feeling of other kisses being placed all over your face accompanied it. You even felt some of your hair be lifted up and twirled.

“I’ll have a car pick you up at 8:30 and I believe the money I have just provided you should suffice for preparing for a formal event. Oh, and do be sure to wear the circlet I gifted you earlier. It is only fitting with your status being announced and all.”

Rygel pulled away with his flowy purple hair slightly ticking you. He started to walk towards the exit before suddenly turning around to face you again.

“Oh and one more thing my moonlight. Try and make yourself look as good as you truly are. In other words, perfect.”

~|~

After hitting up the mall you finally stood in back home in front of your full length mirror striking poses. Like, dang, you look good. You don’t know if this is how good you truly are, but dang is this as close to perfect as it gets.

Except for a teeny-tiny issue. Your circlet. How does one even wear such a thing? You just couldn’t get it sit quite right, look quite right, or anything! You just don’t know how to circlet!

And of course it was at that time you heard the opening of a car door.

Crud.

You would have to fix it in the car as you only had time to grab your purse and book it down to the car before Rygel blows up the planet or something.

You didn’t even pay attention to the chauffeur who held open the door for me as you scrambled in.

Of course like the idiot you were this also meant you didn’t notice that Rygel was also in the car with you.

There his majesty sat, for the first time legitimately speechless. Even you could practically feel the change in the mind pheromones thing. There clad in his suit and own matching circlet the Emperor sat truly admiring all that is you. It was times like these he remembered why exactly you were his destined one.

His eyes even became hooded!

“Darling, you look positively ravishing. Yes, I do believe this is the definition of perfection itself.”

As you buckled yourself in your face blushed as you let out a meek “thank you.”. But in classic Rygel fashion his face returned to mostly normal as if he hadn’t just said such out-of-character things.

It was with a slight chuckle at your positively adorable behavior that the car started up to wherever the heck you were headed.

As always the car ride with your ‘betrothed’ was almost completely silent since Rygel was never very talkative.

During this extended time you couldn’t help but to continuously fiddle with the garment on your head which just.. wouldn’t.. sit.. right! You had no idea how long you were trying to get it right before you were met with Rygel’s rich voice.

“Let me.”

You arms quickly fell down to your sides by both of your minds commands as Rygel lifted the circlet from your hair. You felt portions of your hair float into the sky as Rygel brushed your hair in certain directions before digging some pins out of his pocket.

“I always find pins to work best at keeping these in place. I never really use them though but I try to keep them on me at all times just for cases like these.”

It is with a few flourishes of his hands that the circlet was perfectly placed in your hair.

“Rygel..I.. Thank you!”

A sudden pull was administered on your waist as you fell into his chest. A large inhale was heard as Rygel took in the smell of your hair. A smile tugged at his lips as he placed a kiss onto your lockes.

“It is no issue. I pride making myself and others look presentable. Besides, I’m sure you’ll become more comfortable with putting on a circlet later. I’ll send you some info about how it is typically worn.”

“I would appreciate that.”

You sat in a comfortable silence before you broke it.

“Hey, where exactly are we going?”

“We’re going to an observatory where some of my people are holding an event in honor of us soon leaving this accursed place.”

Rygel truly was a master at saying sentences with a lot to unpack.

You turned to face him.

“Hold up? Your people? Aren’t they all supposed to be in space or something?”

Rygel let out a hum as you felt your hair mindlessly float about you.

“Well of course most of them are indeed in space but a few like me have infiltrated Earth and have made lives for themselves. Such as my foster family.”

“Are you telling me there’s a bunch of aliens walking around us in plain sight without anyone knowing?”

Rygel shrugged as a playful smirk pulled at his lips.

“Perhaps. I mean, I did manage to fool everyone for what? 18 years?”

At his remark you let out a few mumbles which only earned you a smile and pat on the head.

“You truly think the most hilarious things, my dear.”

~|~

“Isn’t it a bit much to.. float?”

The two of you were currently going up the stairs to the observatory with your small hand being engulfed by his slender, graceful one.

“Absolutely not. It is a show of status and is simply much more enjoyable than walking. I will never understand you humans. Why walk when you can simply float everywhere?”

“Because we can’t float.”

Rygel frowned slightly at that.

“Ah, yes. Pity. Really moonlight what ever would you do without me.”

“Walk.”

With a smirk you rose right up to him. His smirk seemed to widen even more once you clung to him to catch your balance.

“This.. is weird.”

“Just wait until you try dancing like this. Actually, stay like this on me for the rest of the night. I would hate for a small accident to occur.”

That was a lie and you knew it. He just liked you like this. But even so you couldn’t imagine how you would ever be able to dance on this invisible floor beneath you.

~|~

“Is that his imperial highness?”

“He’s so tall.”

“And so.. pretty...”

Rygel let out a quiet sigh only you seemed to hear.

“And all of the sudden I remember why I don’t enjoy such events.”

You had to agree with his sentiment once walking past an uncomfortable amount of gazes. How did they even know who you both were?

It’s probably because you’re the only two wearing circlets and floating that high off the ground. Curse that fancy headpiece!

The two of you began to walk deeper into the dome where the large telescope could be seen.

But you were quickly interrupted.

“Oh! Your imperial highness! How wonderful it is to see you!”

You could tell by the change of Rygel’s aura that his mood had quickly soured.

“Ah, Devah.”

Out of the corner of your eye you could both see Rygel’s strained smile and 2 glasses floating your way.

As the glass landed in your hands Rygel slightly turned to you.

“This is one of the main sponsors of the missions on Earth.”

Devah put on way too cheery of a smile as he hissed out a whisper; as if he was making sure you could not hear.

“And is it alright if I ask but what exactly is a human doing here?”

Rygel’s golden eyes flashed as his grip tightened on you and his mind readied for a strike.

“She is my mate. If you are not as dimwitted as I thought then you should know that things such as species has no effect on who a person’s mate is. Human or not, she is your empress and you shall treat her as such.”

As the aliens face paled it dawned on you that Rygel may be invisibly choking like in Star Wars.

“Y-yes, my apology your imperial highness.”

Rygel raised a purple eyebrow at this as the man jerked into a bow as yellow energy surrounded him.

“Highness?”

“Y-yes your imperial highnesses.”

Rygel actually let out a smile at this.

“Much better. But I think we’ll just leave you like this for the rest of the night. Perhaps it will help you remember your status. Come now, my darling.”

You were pulled away from the bowing alien by Rygel’s long strides towards the large telescope; the focal point of the room.

As Rygel peered in and gave some slight adjustments to the machinery you took a sip from the glass in front of you only to pull back in shock.

This was a new taste for sure. Despite scowering your mind’s attic of a memory you could not place such a taste anywhere. You were honestly kind of scared to ask what the drink was made because of the possible response being blood.

And you kinda needed to know if this was alcholic.

“Um.. Hey, Emperor?”

Rygel let out a mere hum as his only indication of hearing you as his psychic energy caressed you.

“What exactly is this drink? And is it alcholic?”

Rygel let out a light chuckle as his golden eyes continued to look through the lens.

“Don’t worry, it isn’t alcholic. I know you technically aren’t of age to drink here but you’re always more than welcome to. Beauty of world domination and all.”

You hated how he says such awful things so eloquently.

“What you are currently holding, my dear moonlight, is a drink that is drived from one my home planet’s natural fruits. I believe in your language it would be pronounced as the xoqub fruit. Care to look?”

Rygel pulled away from the telescope to give you your turn at the stars. As your eyes peered in you continue your questions.

“How did you even get that stuff here? That has to take forever to ship out.”

“It does take quite a bit to get here but it is admittedly faster than transporting life forms. We actually do a mix of getting some delivered, growing it ourselves here, and just using food replicators.”

“HOL UP YOU GUYS HAVE REPLI-”

“If you point it more this way you’ll find what you’re looking for.”

Rygel prematurely interrupted you by moving the telescope slightly.

“This is the closest point this telescope can get to our planet. It can be seen far past this point.”

You were the one to actually shut yourself up as you stared deeply at that tiny little point.

“It’s really that far away?”

“Yes. It is at least a one month journey to reach there. We will also have a few days added on as we will be making a few stops along the way for various things and your own enjoyment.”

You looked up from the vast before you.

“My own enjoyment?”

“This will be your first time into space, yes? I figured you could at least see some of your new territories. I also have some things to take care of at these places anyway. We’re mainly stopping at the Europa colony and this area by the Kupier belt. After that it’s a non stop journey.”

You turned to look back at all the stars.

“It’s weird.. to think I’ll be riding through the stars and going to places humans have never gone before. But it’s all so.. pretty.”

Rygel hummed as he took a sip from his own glass.

“And all that ‘pretty’ shall be ours, my moonlight.”

#yandere #romance #emperor rygel #rygel #yandere emperor #alien #stargazing #starcrossedyanderes

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imlovethomassanders · 3 years

Text

Eyes are the Windows to the Soul(mates) - Chapter 1

You can also read on ao3

Huge thank you to @strongindependentcheesecake for beta reading this beast

This work is complete, and new chapters will be added everyday until completion:

Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 (FINAL)

Summary: The lucky few who have a soulmate are born with heterochromia, with their left eye being the color of their soulmate's eyes and their right eye being their own color. Not only was Virgil one of the lucky few to have a soulmate, but he was given four. His left eye changed colors every time he blinked, rotating between his four soulmates' eye colors. His rotating eye colors caused him to be a bit of an outcast growing up, but when he finally leaves for college, things start to fall into place. This is the journey of five strangers finding each other.

Pairings: DLAMP with background Remile

Warnings: None I believe

Words: 3283

Taglist: @touchstarvedvirgil @lamp-calm-sanders @ninjago2020 @confinesofpersonalknowledge @secret-novelisthost18 @phander-sides @sherlock-lives-on-bakerstreet @bookbingingproblem @viana-dascolli @sharktryingtofly

Virgil stared at himself in the mirror, watching his left eye. Right now it was a light brown so golden it was almost yellow. Virgil blink. His left eye was now a deep shade of blue. He blinked again. Light green. Blinked again. A deep, rich brown. Again. Back to light brown.

Virgil forced back the tears welling up in his eyes as he watched the pattern over and over and over again, all the while his right eye stayed a lighter shade of gray.

The lucky few who had soulmates had heterochromia. Their right eye is their own eye color while their left eye is the color of their soulmate's. Once you and your soulmate meet, your left eye changes into your own eye color.

Virgil was a special case. Soulmates themselves were a rare thing to have. More than one was almost unheard of.

When Virgil was young, his dad pulled out a chair and sat across from him. His dad explained that he had soulmates, and how most people who had soulmates just had one. But it appeared Virgil had four. Virgil stared at his dad.

"What's a soulmate?"

Once Virgil had finally grasped the concept he gasped and ran into the bathroom and blinked rapidly, watching the color of his left eye change.

A couple years later, Virgil noticed his dad would get embarrassed whenever someone brought up Virgil's left eye. He then noticed that other people talked about his eye as if it was abnormal.

Virgil didn't understand. People who had soulmates were usually seen as lucky and were celebrated. He couldn't understand what was wrong with him.

On the first day of school, his teacher gasped in surprise when she first saw Virgil blink. The other kids noticed her reaction, and as kids do as they see, followed in her footsteps and treated Virgil like he was a strange irregularity.

Very quickly Virgil himself grew embarrassed of his left eye. He felt guilty that he felt ashamed over his soulmates, but he couldn't help it. Every time someone noticed his eye color they all gave him the same weird stare. He couldn't stand being forced into the center of attention like that.

Starting in middle school, Virgil started to grow out his bangs to help hide his eyes more.

In high school, Virgil stopped interacting with people as much as to not risk more judgement.

He was an outcast, and all because the universe decided to give him four soulmates.

That's why Virgil so often found himself in the bathroom, watching his eye change color. It was reassuring to watch, knowing that there were actually four people out there that the world promised to him would love and accept him.

Their eyes were so beautiful. Virgil already loved them.

But as much as he yearned to meet his soulmates, he was scared. Virgil had persuaded himself that these four people were the most wonderful people in the world, and that he was nothing.

He couldn't help but think his four soulmates didn't deserve him. Streams of thoughts constantly played on loop through his head. What if they already met and were perfectly happy without him? What if when they meet him they decide they were better off without him? What if they didn't love him like he already loved them?

Virgil sighed before pulling his hair back over his forehead and going back into his bedroom. He fell onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.

What do his soulmates think of having four soulmates? What did they think whenever they saw his gray eye next to theirs?

Did they have to deal with as much judgement over multiple soulmates as he did?

Virgil was snapped out of his thoughts by his dad yelling at him. Virgil groaned before yelling back a response and dragging himself out of his bed.

College. The word made Virgil sick to his stomach. He pulled into the dorm parking lot and took out his car keys, but he didn't get out of the car.

He was here on an art scholarship, and he couldn't be more grateful, but the idea of college also scared the shit out of him. He took a shaky breath before opening the car door and dragging out his first bag.

As he walked into the dorm lobby, he kept an eye out for people with two eye colors. While he told himself not to get his hopes up, he couldn't help but watch for his possible soulmates.

He got his room key after an uncomfortable encounter with the dorm mom (why did she have to mention Virgil's eyes?) and starting lugging his suitcase up to the second floor.

His grip on his suitcase tightened as he thought about his new dorm mate. He prayed to god that his dorm mate wasn't a prick and that he wouldn't care that Virgil had four soulmates.

He unlocked the door and slowly opened it only to find his roommate hadn't arrived yet. He sighed in relief and dropped his suitcase on the nearest bed before turning around to go back and grab the last of his bags.

It was late afternoon and Virgil was in the middle of unpacking when he heard the lock on the doorknob turning. He turned around as the door opened to reveal his roommate. Virgil's eyes widened.

"Hi!" the boy exclaimed happily with a large grin on his face. Virgil almost died on the spot from the cuteness in front of him.

He was slightly shorter than Virgil, with curlier hair and freckles peppering his face, neck and shoulders. Virgil then looked at his eyes and his breath hitched.

His right eye was a light green and his left eye was a deep blue.

"It's so wonderful to meet you. I'm Patton!" he said happily as he came into the room and closed the door behind him. He hadn't noticed yet.

"I- I'm Virgil," he managed to stutter. This was the last thing he expected.

"Great to met ya, Virgil! I-" Patton turned to face more towards Virgil then stopped in his tracks and gasped. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Patton's face broke into a grin.

Virgil had to make sure.

Without a word Virgil went into the bathroom and stared at his left eye. Light brown. Blink. Blue. Blink. Dark brown.

It skipped green.

Virgil thought he was going to hyperventilate.

"Are you okay?" Virgil heard Patton ask in a soft voice. Without removing his gaze from the mirror, Virgil nodded slowly.

"I-" Virgil started before snapping his mouth shut. He had no idea what to say.

"Can... Can I hug you?" Patton asked. Virgil quickly turned his attention back towards Patton. He nodded.

Patton threw his arms around Virgil's shoulders and Virgil moved his arms around Patton's waist.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you," Patton whispered in Virgil's ear. Virgil shuddered.

"Me too."

Virgil helped Patton bring up the rest of his bags, and afterwards Patton was insistent on taking Virgil out for coffee. Virgil agreed, but his heart was racing in his chest as he walked toward the student union with Patton.

Once inside the union they talked about whatever random things they could think of. Virgil discovered that Patton was also an art major here on scholarship and lived in a town farther away than he did. His favorite color was yellow and he thought snickerdoodle cookies are the best things ever created.

"So, was your hometown small like mine?" Virgil asked. Patton nodded.

"Sorry if this is too personal, but... did you have a hard time growing up with four soulmates?"

This question had been burning in Virgil's mind for years, and now that one of his soulmates was in front of him he just had to ask.

"Did you?" was Patton's response. Virgil nodded. Patton smiled sadly.

"So did I," he admitted. "It was a very cookie-cutter conservative town. People must've thought there was something wrong with me. I could never make any close friends."

Patton just shrugged.

"But it's okay because now I have you," he said as he reached out and grabbed Virgil's hand.

Virgil felt the blush rise in his cheeks.

Patton and Virgil quickly discovered that both of them were touch-starved and craved attention, so they gave each other just that. Growing up so secluded and alone, such gentleness was almost foreign to them and they relished in the soft touches and tender glances they shared. They had a few more days until classes started and they spent almost the whole time together, either together in the dorm or exploring campus.

The two shared their first kiss the day they had met. They were sitting on the beanbag chair Patton had brought, Patton's legs over Virgil's lap as they talked and basked in each other's company. Their eyes met and for a moment the world was still. Virgil leaned forward slightly before hesitating, and Patton closed the gap.

The kiss was chaste and brief, as that was all the two could handle right now, but it was more than enough and smiles adorned the blushing faces of the two boys as Patton pulled himself closer to Virgil.

It had been three days since they both arrived on campus and classes were starting the next morning. Virgil found it too difficult to sleep, and after an hour of tossing and turning, Patton invited him to his own bed. As Virgil climbed out of his bed to Patton's, he thought that he would still be too nervous to sleep, but now for a different reason than classes. But once Patton's arms wrapped around Virgil and pulled him close to his chest, Virgil found he was able to sleep easily.

It had been only a couple of weeks since the two met, and they were sitting alone outside on a bench shrouded by bushes. It was growing darker, and the two knew they needed to head back to their dorm but neither could find the motivation to leave. Patton was humming something as Virgil had his head rested on Patton's shoulder.

"I'm so lucky," Patton whispered, interrupting his little song. Virgil looked up at him.

"Trust me, I'm the lucky one here," Virgil responded. Patton shook his head.

"You're so wonderful, Virgil. I-" Patton paused. "I... I think I'm falling in love with you."

The words were shaky, and Virgil could feel Patton tense up. He sat up so he could look at Patton, and frowned slightly as he saw Patton's terrified expression.

This was almost too fast for Virgil, but whenever he looked at Patton he felt this wave of emotion run over him, and he truly understood the power of soulbonds and just how lucky he was to be one of the few to have them.

"I'm falling in love with you, too."

"Virgil, honey, you gotta stop pressing snooze," Patton whispered. Patton just grunted and pulled himself closer to Patton. It was a few months into the school year and Virgil still wasn't used to waking up so early.

"I wanna stay with you," he mumbled into Patton's shirt. He heard Patton sigh, but he knew he was smiling.

"Do you promise to get up as soon as I get out of the shower?" Patton asked as he gently moved Virgil off his chest. Virgil nodded.

Before Patton could get out of bed, Virgil grabbed his arm and pulled him down so he could kiss him. Patton smiled and put his hands on Virgil's cheeks as he kissed back. Once apart, Patton smiled at Virgil with a look of such adoration that Virgil almost melted under the gaze. Patton blink, causing his eye to change from brown to blue. Virgil smiled and pulled Patton back to him, but Patton cut the kiss short.

"You're too good for me," Virgil sighed as he laid back down. He buried himself in more blankets to make up for the loss of warmth after Patton left.

Upon hearing that on Monday and Wednesdays Virgil had to get up earlier than him, Patton made it a habit to wake up early with Virgil even though he didn't have to. Virgil was incredibly grateful for that.

"I am not," Patton said as he grabbed a towel and closed the bathroom door.

Virgil held Patton's hand as they made their way to the cafeteria. They had grown used to the weird looks people gave them, since they were holding hands while their eyes were still two different colors. Most just assumed they were dating despite having soulmates, the thought of multiple soulmates never crossing their minds.

The air had that morning coolness to it and their shoes got slightly wet from the morning dew. The sun wasn't completely up so the light wasn't as bright as it made it's way through the tree branches. The early morning birds were still singing when Virgil opened the Union door for Patton. Even though Virgil hated waking up so early, he enjoyed the calm atmosphere of early mornings.

"How's your art project coming along?" Virgil asked as they sat down at their normal table by the window.

"Great!" Patton exclaimed as he opened his orange juice. How Patton could drink orange juice while eating waffles with syrup would always confuse Virgil.

"That's good to hear," Virgil said. "I'm struggling. Can't exactly figure out what I want to do next."

"Well, I can help you this afternoon," Patton offered as he drowned his waffles in syrup. Virgil couldn't help but snicker.

"What?"

"Nothing. And I'd appreciate that."

Virgil made it through college easier than he thought, and it was all because of Patton. Patton had been his rock, always supportive and always there to help Virgil.

Neither of them had any idea how hard summer would be.

They lived too far away from each other to see each other often. The two had grown used to having the other around, and they didn't look forward to going back to distant parents and lonely hometown.

"I'll call you, like, everyday. Unless you don't want me to and that would annoy you-"

"I'd love that," Virgil quickly reassured him. He tried to keep himself together as Patton was already on the verge of tears.

"Okay, well, we'll get together again as soon as possible, right?" Patton asked. His voice cracked at the end and it broke Virgil's heart.

"Yeah, of course."

Patton threw himself into Virgil's arms. Patton only let go so he could kiss Virgil, and Virgil kissed back, desperate. When they broke apart, Virgil saw that Patton had started crying, and that was the end for Virgil. A few tears escaped his eyes before he quickly wiped them away.

"I'll see you soon, babe. I promise," Virgil said before pulling Patton in for another quick kiss.

"See you soon," Patton said before they both walked away towards their cars.

That summer went by agonizingly slow. They were only able to see each other a couple of times. And Virgil couldn't believe he was saying this, but he couldn't wait for school to start back up.

They both requested to share a dorm again and were relieved when the college gave them the same room. They agreed to both get there as early in the morning as they could so they could see each other as soon as possible.

Virgil, as expected, got there sooner than Patton as he lived closer. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking as he unpacked and waited.

He heard the door unlock and he froze. The door quickly swung open and there was Patton.

He ran into the room and threw the door closed before jumping into Virgil's arms. His legs wrapped around Virgil's waist and Virgil held him as tightly as he could.

"Oh my god, I missed you," Virgil whispered. He heard Patton take a shaky breath and felt tears fall onto his neck.

"I missed you, too. I missed you I missed you I missed you," Patton whispered.

The phone calls and skype calls could never equate to seeing Patton in person, to being able to hold him and feel him.

Virgil put Patton down and smiled down at him before finally leaning to kiss him. It started off slow and gentle, before being replaced with a sense of urgency and eagerness. Patton's hands tangled themselves in Virgil's hair as he pulled him closer. Virgil's hands found themselves on Patton's back as he pushed their bodies together. Soft gasps escaped both of them as their bodies pressed together and the kiss became needier. Though they briefly discussed taking things further, they both agreed they would prefer to wait until the met the three others. So the two separated and placed their foreheads together. They breathed heavily for a moment before Patton smiled and started giggling. Virgil couldn't help but smirk back.

"I love you," Virgil said.

"I love you, too," Patton responded before pulling Virgil back into another kiss.

Their sophomore year went smoothly, and before they knew it, summer was back. This goodbye was easier, knowing what they were going into.

It was about a month into the summer and Virgil was just laying in bed, scrolling through Tumblr on his laptop. It was only a couple of days until Virgil could go drive up to see Patton and stay with him for a couple of weeks, and he was really excited.

Virgil heard his text notification go off and reached over for his phone.

Patton <3: Get on skype!!!

Virgil sat up straight and fixed his hair a bit before opening the app. As soon as the window loaded he got a video call request from Patton.

"Hey, babe," Virgil said, voice a bit raspy from lack of use throughout the day.

"Hey, honey!! I got really big news!"

"What's up!"

"Look at my eye!" Patton leaned in a bit closer and blinked. His left eye changed from the dark brown to the light brown. Patton blinked again and it went straight back to dark brown, skipping blue. Virgil gasped.

"You met them??"

"Yeah! Oh, Virgil, he's incredible. I can't wait for you to meet him on Saturday.

Virgil's heart rate increased.

"He asked me to go with him to a museum tomorrow and of course I wanted to say yes but then I told him that I had already met you and that I wanted to wait for you to come to town as you were coming in two days and oh, Virgil, you should've seen the look on his face at the idea getting to meet you so soon-"

"Slow down, babe," Virgil said. Patton took a deep breath.

"Anyways, you're going to love him. I-"

"Patton!" Virgil heard Patton's mother yell offscreen. Patton winced slightly before continuing.

"Sorry, I gotta go. I'll call you later tonight though, promise!"

"Yeah, okay."

"I love you, Virgil," Patton said softly.

"I love you, too, Pat."

Patton smiled and ended the call.

Virgil fell back against his pillow again.

Patton had met another one.

His mind immediately fell into a hole of self-doubt. What if Patton loved this new guy more than him? What if the new guy doesn't like him? What if Patton and his other soulmate like each other more than him? What if he doesn't have a place in this relationship anymore??

He took a deep breath and told himself to calm down. Patton loved him. From what he knew of soulbonds from his time with Patton, he knew he should be able to click with his other soulmate immediately.

He couldn't get himself to believe that.

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toomanyrobins · 3 years

Text

a little birdie told me

Summary: Y/N “Birdie” Parker left New York and her family three years ago in the middle of the night. Now, a call for help to her best friend brings her back into the fold of the Three Families and their “business”

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Parker!Reader

Content warning: physical abuse, miscarriage, mentions of forced marriage

Word Count: 1.3k

Notes: comment if you want to be tagged!

Series masterlist // next part

The Ivory Hotel was sacred ground in New York City after the Three Families had formed. Multiple disputes and bloodshed after the war had led to a new leaf being turned over in the city. The Stark, Barnes, and Barton families had come together and become more powerful than ever before. Now, nearly a decade after the original agreement, New York was a different city. Many government officials had tried to bring the families down, but despite that fact that their practices were mostly illegal, they worked to help the city and offered jobs to anyone who returned from the war. One such person was Sam Wilson, fiance to Rebecca Barnes, the daughter of the head of the Barnes family. They were having lunch in the solarium at the Ivory when a waiter came rushing over to the table to inform her she had a call. When she asked who it was, the young waiter shook his head, “They wouldn’t say, but it’s a woman and she said something about a tiny bird, I think.”

Becca’s heart leapt into her throat, “Do you mean little birdie?” The waiter nodded and she stood quickly. Y/N Parker rarely called her and using their code word for danger sent her heart into her throat. Sam wasn’t sure what was going on, but could see that his fiancee was shaken. He threw some money on the table and followed her to the phone. When Becca lifted the receiver to her ear, the hoarse voice that greeted her put her on edge.. ‘Birdie? What’s wrong?’ At the mention of the name, Sam’s eyes widened. He had never met the infamous Y/N Parker-Stark, ‘Birdie’ to her friends and family, but he knew that she had been important to everyone and then disappeared in the night without a word.

‘B, I think I need help.’

She could hear the fear in Y/N’s voice and was already pulling on her jacket with Sam’s help, ‘Are you at your apartment? I can be there in two hours.’

‘Yeah, I’m…” Y/N groaned softly into receiver, “God, when did this all get so fucked?’

‘Can you tell me what’s going on?’ Becca’s heart was beating out of her chest as Sam was pulling his jacket on.

There was a moment of silence and then she whispered, ‘I think I’m having a miscarriage.’

‘Oh…Y/N. Okay, I am on my way. You need to get to a hospital.’ The broken voice on the other end of her phone told that it wasn’t an option, ‘Alright, no hospital. Go lay down. I’m on my way.’ She hung up and hurriedly tried to explain the situation to Sam. “You can’t say anything to anyone yet. Not until I know more…please.”

“You need to figure out what is happening and call the Boss. Okay? We are both putting our necks on the line as is.” Becca nodded and he kissed her softly, “Don’t do anything stupid, baby. I’d like to actually make it down the aisle.” The couple left the restaurant, Sam dropping her off at her parent’s home so that she could grab her car.

Becca rushed over to Bruce’s office, calling up to Nat and telling her to come down. Soon, the two women were on the road and Nat was learning about the situation, while Becca was breaking every posted speed limit. “So let me get this straight. You’ve secretly been in contact with Birdie since she left and haven’t told anyone? Now, she’s called you out of the blue and says she needs help,” Nat was trying to wrap her head around the entire situation and ran a hand through her hair, “Becca, that’s so much to unpack. Does anyone else know?”

She nodded, “Just Sam. We were at lunch when I got the call. She thinks she’s having a miscarriage and that’s all she will say, but my gut says there is more going on.” The two women knew the famous Barnes gut was never wrong. They drove in tense, worried silence and managed to cut the drive down to a little over an hour.

The duo hurried up the stairs and entered the apartment. They found Y/N curled up in a ball on the couch with a blanket pulled up to her chin. She sat up when she saw them and then winced in pain. Nat quickly sat beside the girl and started fussing. Becca stood by the door, getting her first look at her best friend in over two years. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the split lip and the hand print on Y/N’s neck. Nat hadstilled when she saw the marks and the whole room seemed to be frozen. Bex finally broke the spell and spoke, “Who did this, Birdie?”

Y/N’s eyes dropped to her hands and she shook her head, refusing to speak. She flinched when Nat brought her hand up to run a finger along the purple painting her neck. Both women were willing the anger to leave her veins, knowing that they could be emotional later. Right now, they had to get Y/N out of the apartment and to a hospital. The redhead pushed herself off the couch, “Right. I’m gonna go pack your bags. You’re not coming back here.” She directed Becca to stay with Y/N. The dark-haired woman couldn’t tear her eyes away from the younger Parker. So much had changed in the past two years. The baby fat had fallen away from her face, leaving behind angular cheekbones. Her eyes had lost their sparkle and the bags under her eyes were purple. And then, there was the bruises and cuts on her face. It was difficult to believe this was the same woman she once knew.

She brought her hands up to cup Y/N’s face, “Damn, Birdie, what have you been mixed up in?”

“It’s a long story,” Y/N whispered, trying to brush it off. She looked down at the diamond on Becca’s finger and ran a finger over it.

She looked at her friend curiously. Becca smiled and allowed the conversation to change, “I know I said I would never get married. His name is Sam. Dad brought it to the families on my 18th and I fought against it. Turns out, I’m not as opposed to marriage when it’s him. I think you’ll like him, mostly because Sam and Bucky fight like they’re little kids. He and Steve on the other hand, get along like a house on fire.”

At the mention of Becca’s brothers, Y/N pulled away and groaned. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, hissing when she hit a bruise, “What do I do?”

“Well, you’ll be back with us now.” Y/N’s whole body tensed and shook her head sadly. Becca forced her friend to look her in the eyes, “Are you kidding? I miss you like crazy and I know your family would want you back. I need my maid of honor. Your dad has always had a soft spot for you and would let you come back. I’m sure of it.”

Before they could continue, Nat came back in with two suitcases packed. They forced Y/N into the car and drove back to the city. They went to a private hospital, anger blazing through Y/N’s eyes when she saw where they had brought her. She reminded Nat and Becca of the old her for a moment. The latter turned to her, “You need to see a doctor. There’s no negotiation to be had.” She tried to fight the two women, but they were incredibly persuasive. Nat paid the doctors to keep quiet. Y/N kept a firm grip on Becca’s hand through the entire wait, the check with the doctor, only letting go to sign the discharge papers. They told her that there was some minor damage to her throat, which wasn’t a surprise considering how dark the bruises were. The bruised ribs showing the doctors exactly where she’d been hit. They tried to convince her to report, but she just shook her head. She felt relief when they told her that she had had a complete miscarriage. At that moment, Y/N Parker was free.

#mafia au #mob!steve #avengers au #avengers imagine #steve rogers #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers au #steve rogers x reader #mob!au #mob!avengers #mafia!avengers #mafia!steve #mobster!steve rogers #captian america #captain america imagine #captain america x reader #toomanyrobins

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softboywriting · 3 years

Text

Don’t Go | Nathan Bateman | Ex Machina

Summary: One difficult boss, one contraband cat, and a whole lot of emotional turmoil. That’s your life these days. When you leave for a few months to get things settled back home before moving into the facility officially, Nathan doesn’t cope with your absence well. Upon your return you have to deal with Nathan being moodier than ever, hiding your cat Baxter in your room, and sorting out just what your relationship with Nathan is. [Light Angst] [Swearing] [Insecurity] [Daddy Kink if you squint] [Fluff] [No use of Y/N] [Sexual/Flirting Situations] [F!ReaderxNathan] [Assistant!Reader]

Word Count: 5.2k

|Masterlist In Bio|

Four months. You're gone from Nathan's facility for four months while sorting out fully moving to Alaska with him, closing your leased apartment, and finding a home for your cat. Everything was squared away finally. All of your furniture and non personal items were sold and you were ready to move into his place in the middle of nowhere. Of course you couldn't find a home for Baxter, your cat, and you refused to put him up for adoption, so he was coming with you.

Nathan didn't want a cat he explicitly said don't bring him but here you are in the helicopter with your bags and totes full of what you have left of your old life, and strapped in the back is Baxter in his tan cat carrier. You had to get special medication to help him stay calm but it was worth it. Surely Nathan won't kick him out once you've snuck him in. You'll just keep him in your room.

You never see Nathan. He didn't help you carry everything in, he never saw Baxter, he didn't even leave a message. It's not until after you've unpacked the essentials and gotten Baxter settled into the bedroom that Nathan calls to you on the intercom system.

"Meet me on the deck."

You jump, startled by the sudden break in silence. You slip out the door quickly to keep Baxter inside and head for the outdoor deck where the punching bag is hung. You round the corner of the kitchen and stop dead, eyes on the man on the deck, back to you.

"Nathan?" You call out, walking forward carefully. It can't be. This man has hair. Quite a bit actually. But it looks like Nathan from the back. That is surely his ass.

Nathan turns around and oh, it's definitely him. He looks so different without the buzzcut, he looks softer, sweeter. "About time you came back."

"Did I miss a day of work?" You roll your eyes. He may look softer but that snippy attitude was ever prominent. "Don't act like you missed me."

"You worked? I barely noticed." He quips, stepping down and unwrapping his hands.

You fold your arms. "So you just remembered to go shopping for groceries, to get your hand wraps, and to get the mineral water from the specialty place on your own? You just remembered that you had to eat every day? You don't need an assistant?"

"I'm an adult. Of course I can do all of that without you."

"So you definitely didn't use those alarms and reminders I set?"

He scoffs.

"Oh no, you did." You click your tongue. "Because they're linked to my tasks app and every time you shut one off I got a notification. And look!" You gesture to him. "You're not starved to death or bloody knuckled from training with no wraps!"

Nathan rolls his eyes.

"No come back?"

"Fuck off." He sneers, grabbing his glasses off the table.

You walk around the table and run a hand over his hair. "What's this?"

"Hair?" He pushes your hand away.

"You've never had hair. Ever." You shove your hand back into his hair. It's short, but long enough you can grip the top. Curly, thick, dark. It's beautiful. It must grow like a weed, and with his genetics, you're not surprised it's this long in only four months. "Why now?"

Nathan growls, shoving you back away from him gently. "Quit touching it!"

"Then answer my questions!"

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you too, Nathan!"

He narrows his eyes at you, glaring daggers. This is how it always is with him. Constant fighting about stupid shit because he doesn't know how to express himself around another human being eighty percent of the time. You're sure it's why he hired you, so he didn't go feral out here on his own. The other twenty percent of the time he is bearable and you actually really like that twenty percent.

You let out a soft sigh and relax your shoulders. Yelling at each other isn't going to get you anywhere right now. You'll take the initiative and soothe the room. "Did your clippers break?"

"Yeah." He grumbles, no longer looking at you, but to the bar behind the dining table.

"And you didn't buy a new one when you went for groceries?"

"I didn't go."

"What?"

"I didn't go for groceries."

You close the gap and step in front of his line of sight. "Nathan, what have you been surviving on?"

"What was left. I've got some MREs in the office for emergencies. Well, I did." He runs a hand through his hair and turns away. "I'm fine. I'm alive, obviously."

"So you just dismissed my alarms? Why didn't you go? I know the flight is a pain in the ass but it's better than starving. Is there nothing left?"

He walks out of the room, toward the kitchen.

"Nathan!" You groan and let out a yell of frustration. If he ate everything and didn't replenish anything, then you're going to have to call the pilot back tomorrow and ride another two hours into the city, go shopping, then ride two hours back.

"Fuck!"

_____________________

After a grueling day of travel and shopping you start making dinner. You've not seen hide or hair of Nathan since you found out he's been barely living for the last four months. You can't fathom why he wouldn't go out, why he wouldn't even get you to bring him something. Sure you were in Seattle for the time you were gone but you probably could have managed to get on a plane and bring him some protein bars. It just kills you, knowing he just let himself suffer. But why? To prove a point? What was it?

"Dinner is almost ready." You say, pressing the talk button on the kitchen com system. He probably isn't listening but it's worth a try. The man must be desperate for a real meal.

As soon as you get everything plated, on the table and glasses of wine poured, Nathan appears. You can only assume he watched you on the cameras, so he knew exactly when to show up. He is always checking in on you with those cameras. It was alarming at first, when you arrived about a year ago now. But these days it's alright, a sense of security, knowing that if something were to happen he would be there in a heartbeat.

"Steak, spinach salad with bleu cheese, and a potato." You say softly, presenting the food like a gameshow host with your hand as he sits down.

"I can see what it is."

"Mmhmm." You stuff a fork full of spinach in your mouth. "Can you see the poison then?"

A small smile plays at the corners of his lips and you don't miss it for a millisecond. "Must be tucked into the cheese crumbles."

You grin around the rim of your wine glass. "Soaked the steak in it actually."

"Clever." He mutters dully, biting a piece of said steak off his fork.

You eat a few more bites in silence, just staring awkwardly at each other. You have so many questions about what he was doing while you were gone. But you know he won't answer them, not now at least. He will have to be exhausted or perhaps less sober. That actually is another question. Has he been sober for all this time? Or did he ration his alcohol?

"Good food?"

"Fucking amazing." He says, voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He rubs his last bite of meat around in the bleu cheese. "You can cook like no other."

You feel a flush rise in your chest. "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Don't get used to it."

"Oh I won't."

Nathan stands and takes his plate to the kitchen. "Did you get my shaver?"

"Yes." You follow close behind and drop your plate in the sink beside his. "But I like it."

"What?"

"Your hair. I like it." You lean against the counter and he runs a hand over his head. "It looks... different."

Nathan rolls his eyes.

"It's up to you, obviously. I'm sure you keep it shaved for whatever reason." You shrug and look away from him. "The shaver is in your bathroom."

"Thanks." He mutters and heads off into the house. He's going to the lab no doubt.

_____________________

Finally two weeks later. Nathan is wasted. Gobsmacked, shit faced and three sheets to the wind. You got an allegory for it, that is this man right this second. Your chance is now, you can get his ass on the spot and start interrogating him. Well. That is if you can get him out of his lab.

"Nathan, I have something for you." You coo softly into the com beside the door to his lab. "Something you'll like."

"Go away."

"Come on!"

"Unless you're out there in some red panties and stockings then I'm not coming out."

You flush and close your eyes. He did not just say that. Surely he cannot mean that he actually wants to see you like that. God that's hot. Does he really want to see you like that? No. He's your boss.

"What if I am?"

"You're not."

"I could be."

"You aren't. Fuck off."

"You wanna see me all undressed hmm?"

Nathan groans and opens the door, glaring you down. "You lied. Fuck off."

"No, I never said I was out here undressed. But now I have you." You shove your way into the lab office and plop down on his sofa. "You're not gonna get rid of me."

Nathan stands at the door and sways on his feet. He seemingly is perplexed how you managed to overcome him and slip into his space. "You're a pain the ass."

"Mmm and you're a thorn in my side." You lay back on the sofa, and prop your legs up on the armrest. "C'mere, I wanna talk."

"You wanna talk? What do I look like? One of your gal pals?"

"Maybe with a little mascara, some eight inch pumps...yeah."

"I'll give you eight inches alright." He sinks into his desk chair and grabs a bottle from the desk to press to his lips. "What do you want?"

You sit up and brace your elbows on your knees. "I want to know why you didn't leave here in four months."

"I didn't need to."

"Nathan, you were living on MRE rations like a bunker crazed maniac. You barely called me, and when you did it sounded like you were doing fine. What happened?"

"You left."

"Yeah?" You chuckle softly. "I had to settle things back home. I told you that, you knew where I went."

Nathan takes his glasses off and sets them aside. "I think...I think I rabbit holed into my insecurities and loneliness."

You raise your eyebrows. This is going deeper than you imagined it would. "Okay. How so?"

He tips the bottle up against his lips. "I thought, well maybe you wouldn't come back. Why would you? You got out, I let you go willingly. I felt like I just deserved to suffer alone." He shakes his head.

"Nathan, why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"And make me look like a desperate fucking idiot? How would that look? Desperate lonely billionaire misses assistant so much he begs her to come back."

"So you did miss me."

"Fuck." He rubs his palm into his eye and lets out a yell of frustration. "You're the only person I've had proper physical contact with in like three years, I've gotten attached to you, and you just don't even understand how messed up I am!"

You stand and walk over to him. "Nathan, do you have feelings for me?"

He stares up at you, and sets his bottle aside. It's sloshes, mostly empty. "Don't play with me."

"No one's playing."

"You hate me. I'm so mean to you, and I yell at you and piss you off everyday."

You chuckle softly. "Oh yeah, that's all true. But when you're not being difficult, that's when you're incredible. You're so hot and cold I should have run away but somehow I still wanted to come home."

"Home?"

"Yeah." You run your hand over his hair and his head slumps forward. He hasn't shaved it off. It's been a few days. "You're insufferable but I can't get enough. I love how you talk, how you think, how you are always making sure I'm comfortable and happy even if you think I don't notice. I love how you look at me, glancing to make sure I'm still there, to make sure I'm real. I know how you need me."

"Don't want you to leave." He mutters, eyes heavy.

"I'm not leaving." You kneel down, arms across his lap and he looks at you, hand going to your cheek.

He strokes his thumb over your lower lip. "Be my good girl."

"Nathan," you whisper and your heart threatens to explode and you're flushing, heat pooling between your legs. "You're really out of it."

He smiles lopsidedly, pressing his thumb between your lips and you open your mouth automatically.

You lick the pad of his thumb and give a quick suck before pulling back and standing up. "You're way too drunk."

"Come back here."

"I'm going to bed." You lick your lip, the taste of his thumb is salty. If he weren't wasted you would consider exploring this further. You've wondered if there would be more between the two of you. It felt natural. But he's your boss. This is your job and as much as you would like to be more with Nathan you know this has to end here. He's not a relationship guy.

Nathan pushes up from his chair and slumps over onto the couch. God he's fucking gone. He won't even remember this in the morning. It's for the best.

"Good night."

_____________________

You make your way to Nathan's room with a bottle of water, two Tylenol and a banana. He's going to be so hungover it's not funny. You hadn't realized how much he was drinking until you found the empty bottle of vodka in the kitchen trash can and the rest of a small bottle of whiskey in the office trash and you had only bought both just the other day. Not to mention all the beers he sucked down while in the lab, a good six of the eight pack. Oh boy is he going to be hurting.

"Nathan, hey," you call softly, sinking down beside him on his bed. "It's almost noon."

"Lea'me 'lone." He grumbles into his pillow, wrapping his arms around it tightly.

You run a hand up his back, settling between his shoulder blades. "I brought water and a snack."

He turns his head, face smushed into the pillows as he looks at you. "What happened last night?"

"You got very drunk and drank literally everything we had. I'm not sure how you're alive."

"Did I do anything?"

"Nothing I wouldn't expect of you."

He shoots you a leery glare. "The fuck's that mean?"

You shake your head. He doesn't need to know he started spilling his guts and coming on to you more than playfully. "Nothing. You were a dick."

"I'm always a dick sweetheart. I told you that when you started."

"You did." You rub his shoulder and he groans. "Come on, get up. Have your banana, pills and water. Get a shower. You've got a video call in an hour."

"Oh fuck off." He presses his face into the pillows. "Attend for me. I want to sleep."

"It needs to be you. It's an HR meeting about hiring new staff to run diagnostics on Blue Book backlog data."

Nathan grumbles unintelligibly.

"I'll make your favorite lunch."

"Mm'not hungry."

"I'll join you in the shower."

He pushes up fast, nearly knocking the Tylenol from your hand. "No take backs."

"Nathan! I'm not actually going to shower with you! You're my boss for God's sake. I just said it for shock value to get you to roll your hungover ass out of bed. Shit."

"Yeah but no take backs." He grins and swallows back the pills you hand him. "Come on, it's not like you haven't seen me naked."

"Uh no, I most certainly have not."

"Oh yeah you have." He smirks, eyes holding yours in a challenging gaze. "You liked it too."

"What?!" You shove him and stand up, throwing the banana at his lap. "Eat your snack and get your shit together. I'm going to take a hike."

Nathan rips his banana top off to peel it and takes a bite. "You're not gonna set up the meeting stuff?"

"You just turn on your webcam when they call, Nathan."

"What if I need help?" He says teasingly. "You're my assistant after all."

You pinch the bridge of your nose. "Would you like me to wait until they call? You want me to stand beside your desk and click the button to answer with a video camera on? Is that it?"

"You could sit on my lap." He pats his legs. "Keep it nice and warm for me."

You twist your face quickly into an expression of distaste before a flush begins to heat your skin. This is just Nathan. He isn't flirting. He's being an asshole to get a reaction from you. He's like a child. Don't reward bad behavior.

"Oh you're thinking about it." He murmurs, voice dropping lower than usual. It's almost sultry. You've not heard this tone but maybe once before. "You wanna fuck your boss don't you?"

"Absolutely not." You grip the side of the door a little harsher than you mean to. Just another step and you're out of the room. Away from his eyes. Fuck. His eyes. What is that look for? It's so...commanding.

Nathan presses the door closed and you lean against it. "You're a horrible liar."

"You're projecting."

"Am I? Or were you on your knees in front of me last night?" He raises his eyebrows. "Oh you think I don't remember? That's cute."

"You know that isn't what happened."

"I know you let me put my thumb in your mouth. I know you licked it, sucked it, willingly." He catches your chin between his thumb and forefinger. "You really want me don't you?"

You narrow your eyes. "Maybe I want you, but I have morals. You're my boss, I'm not going to just fuck you for no reason and I intend on keeping it that way."

Nathan drops his hand from your face. "You'll come around. You can be my employee and still fuck me. I'll allow it."

"Yeah, whatever." You pull the door open and he steps back. "Go shower. You've wasted enough time."

_____________________

Days later you go for a supply run and come home late in the afternoon. As you haul the bags from the cart you use to get them from the helicopter to the front door you see Baxter on the sofa in the living room. He's curled up, the fireplace is on, he's living his best life. Wait. Baxter. No.

"Bax what are you doing in here?!" You set the bags down and hurry to the fireplace to snatch the little gray cat up from his warm nap spot. "How did you-"

"You're back." Nathan says sleepily from the couch. He sits up and runs a hand through his hair. God it looks so good, it's gotten longer you swear and fuck the curls are just maddening. "You wanna tell me something?"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't leave him with anyone and he is like my child. I couldn't just abandon him." You cradle Baxter against your chest. "I'll leave, if I have to. You can fire me."

Nathan chuckles softly. "Fire you? For having a cat?"

"You said he couldn't come with me. You specifically said no pets under any circumstances."

"Yeah, but maybe I can make an exception for this guy."

You set Baxter down as he begins to squirm. He hurries over to Nathan and winds around his legs.

"Come here." Nathan pats his lap. "Come see daddy."

Baxter jumps up and curls up on Nathan's lap, head butting his hand for attention. It's the most bizarre thing. Baxter has never taken a liking to anyone this fast. It's as if he's been living with Nathan for weeks.

"He never likes people like this. What did you do to him?"

Nathan strokes his hand down Baxter's back and massages his ears. "I didn't do anything. I gave him affection."

"How did you find him?"

"He's loud." Nathan laughs, looking at you with a soft smile. "You were on a walk in the woods and I heard him crying one day-"

"Wait what? You've known about him before today?"

"Yes." He gives you a look that says you're not fooling anyone. "I've been seeing him for days now. Almost two weeks."

You groan and press your back against the fireplace. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted you to tell me. I wanted to see how long you thought you could lie to me."

"I didn't lie. I never said he wasn't here."

"Very true."

"So he was meowing? That's how you found him?"

"Mmhmm." Nathan chuckles again. "You must have forgotten to feed him before your walk. Because as soon as I gave him food he was happy."

"Fuck. I probably did." You sigh and laugh softly at yourself. "I'm terrible at hiding things."

"Yes you are." His eyes catch yours and you glare at him. "What's the look for? You jealous?" He pats his leg where Baxter isn't stretched out. "You wanna sit on Daddy's lap too?"

You cover your face with your hand. "For fucks sake you're a freak. No, I would not like to sit. I'd like help with these groceries." You point to the long forgotten bags by the door.

Nathan peeks over the back of the couch.

"Come on," you shoo Baxter off his lap and as you turn away to go get the bags, Nathan pulls you backwards down onto his legs. "Nathan."

He chuckles deeply against your back. "What?"

"I'm not sitting on your lap."

"Mmm, yes you are."

"Nathan," you sigh softly and stand up just long enough to turn around and straddle his legs, facing him on the couch. It stuns him silent for a second as he stares up at you in bewilderment. "This what you want?"

He grins big, hands running up your thighs. "Just remember that you escalated this, not me."

"I just sat down."

"Oh no sweetheart, you sat down with a purpose." He pulls you flush against him. "I thought you had morals."

"I do." You lean in and his lips part instinctively. "I haven't done anything against them."

Nathan grips your ass and you collapse against him, foreheads together. "You're pushing it."

"I just wanna see you weak, Bateman."

He narrows his eyes and shoves you off his lap. "Little late for that." He mutters as he retreats into the house and you climb up off the floor. If he thinks you're not going to push him to admit he wants you more than sex then he has something else coming.

_____________________

Two days later you're making breakfast and out of the corner of your eye you see Nathan walk in. You pay no mind. It's not unusual that he comes and grabs a water or a cup of tea before breakfast. You turn, plates in hand to put the eggs on and the moment you see Nathan you drop them.

He shaved. Holy fucking shit he shaved his beard very close and his hair is still grown out. He doesn't have his glasses on and who...who the fuck is this? How does one person literally shapeshift?

"Oh fuck, are you okay?" Nathan looks down at the shattered plates. "What happened?"

"What- you! What happened?!" You gesture wildly to his face. "Who are you?!"

He laughs, straight up laughs at you. "Is it that bad?"

"Bad? I wouldn't call it bad." You run a hand over your hair and look around for a tea towel to pick the glass up with safely. "It's not bad." You can't help but continuously glance at him.

Nathan grabs a large bowl from the cabinet on his side of the kitchen and you both kneel down to clean up the glass. "You like it."

"It's different."

"Good different."

"Yeah." You sit back on your heels and take another good look. "I almost couldn't believe it was you."

Nathan drops the last piece of glass into the bowl and brushes his hands off on his sweater. "It's been a while since I went this short. Ten years maybe."

"Damn."

He smiles and it's like he's a different man. You cannot stop staring. It's all familiar, like if you were seeing his brother, or maybe twin. It's the same teeth, same turn of his lips, but that beard being nearly gone makes him so...fucking attractive. Not that he wasn't attractive before, you dug the buzzcut and beard combo, you dug the beard and grown out hair combo. But this is...this is hard.

"Hey, your eggs are burning."

"What! Fuck!" You scramble to your feet and sure enough the sunny side up eggs are hard yolked and brown around the edges.

Nathan dumps the bowl of glass in the trash and places the bowl in the sink. "Let me make something."

"I- what? You?"

"Yeah." He wraps his hand around yours on the pan handle and moves it back off of the burner. "I can cook y'know. I did it a lot before you moved in."

You step back and let him carry the pan to the trash. "Is it April fool's day?"

"No? It's November."

"You're being nice to me."

"Am I?"

"Yes?" You fold your arms across your chest. "Suspiciously nice."

Nathan turns and quirks one eyebrow up. "Suspiciously nice? I don't think I'm being suspiciously nice. Maybe...considerate."

"Not a word I would associate with you either."

"Well, I can just have a power bar and get out of your way if you like." He folds his arms, mimicking your pose.

You chew on your lip. "Are you okay? Seriously, you've never offered to cook and you've managed to not insult me for a solid ten minutes. You even helped me clean up the glass. You're not...you."

"I had a good night's sleep."

"So you've been a dick because you haven't slept properly since I met you?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Okay y'know what." You raise your hands and let out a little laugh. "I get it. You are trying to get me to sleep with you. You have been for weeks and I can't just sleep with someone without being in a relationship. You've changed your appearance, knowing I'd like it. You're being nice, acting like you're some normal guy as if you think I'm into that. You just want to get in my pants so bad that-"

"Or maybe I am trying to be a better person because I realized I'm going to run you out of my life if I keep being the way I am." He runs a hand over his hair and tugs. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come on so strong."

You're floored. He's left you speechless. Never has he said he's sorry, for anything.

"You don't have to say anything. It's fine. I understand that I'm a lot to handle. You have been so patient, and understanding in this last year, and you go toe to toe with me and you don't stand for my shit, so I think you must have been put in my life to force me to make a change. I've been trying to get in your pants, yes, but I don't just want that. I want you."

"Oh."

"I've been thinking about this since you left, and even since you came back. It's consumed me for the last five months and I-" He bites his lip and looks away from you. "I'm in love with you."

Your eyes widen. "You....Nathan..."

"It's fine, I understand if you don't love me. I've been awful and selfish and-"

"You're really in love with me?"

"I don't waste words, you know that."

You step forward and reach out to touch his cheek. The beard is so short, still there, but not bushy in the least. "I love you too. Even if you're a pain in the ass and a little egotistical."

"So I don't have to be disgustingly nice?"

"I didn't fall for disgustingly nice Nathan."

"Thank fuckin God." He grabs your hips and pulls you against him. "Felt like I was playing house."

You giggle and he groans. "Nathan."

"I love your laugh." He grips your hair and tilts your head back, kissing your throat. "I love how you say my name."

A little moan escapes your lips as he scrapes his teeth along your neck. "Hey, easy, relationship first and sex later."

"Mmm. What do you want sweetheart? A date? Gifts? Long walks in the moonlight?" He leans back and looks at you. "I've got a proposal for you."

"What's that?"

"Be my girlfriend. No, be my wife." He bites his lip and cradles your face. "Yeah, you'd be a damn good wife."

You raise your eyebrows. "Not sure I like the implications of that."

"You don't like the implication that you'll be the richest woman in this country, own half of Blue Book, have everything you could ever want, and be a goddess to a god?"

"A goddess to a god huh?"

He smiles and presses his head against yours. "That's right. Besides, we already have a kid."

"We do?"

"Mmhmm. Baxter. I'm his daddy and he knows it."

"Oh hell. Shut up." You roll your eyes.

"I'm your daddy too." He hauls you against him, hands on your ass. "You like it, admit it."

"No!"

"Yeah you do." He kisses across your jaw and down your neck. "It's okay, it's just us you can admit it." His tongue lavishes against your sensitive pulse point. "Come on, tell me you like it."

"Nathan," you moan softly and he rolls his hips against you. "Please."

"Just say it."

"Never."

He chuckles and pulls back, leaving your neck damp and aching. "I'll get it out of you. I know you wanna say it but you're too shy." He bumps his nose against yours and your head swims "I will bide my time."

"Yeah, a long time." You press your lips to his and he hums softly. "I'll think about your proposal."

He chases your lips as you pull back. "I'll be waiting."

"Relationship first." You run a hand over his hair and push him back. "Gotta show me you truly want more than what's in my pants."

"Absolutely." He pushes his sleeves up. "I'll be the best husband."

"Let's stick to boyfriend for now."

"Husband sounds better." He grabs a clean pan from the rack over the stove. "So, breakfast?"

You hop up on the counter and watch as he moves about easily. "I'll take whatever you got."

"I've got a lot." He smirks and you roll your eyes. "But let's start with breakfast."

"Yeah, let's."

End

-----------

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arhvste · 4 years

Text

IWAIZUMI HAIJIME - PROMISES

- summary - in which you reminisce on all the previous journeys and pit stops you’ve made prior to the current journey you’re on where you’re sat in the passenger seat in your husbands luxury car - fluff - x f reader

- an - for @zumisace , look after yourself for me and keep doing well in your classes i know you can pull through and make iwa proud too !! <3

“I’ll turn on the seat warmers, just give me a sec.”

Iwaizumi closed the door after you climbed into the passenger seat of his matte black Mercedes-Benz G-class ensuring you had managed to sit down comfortably before securing it shut. Seconds later you were joined in the vehicle by your husband as he fasted the seatbelt before starting the engine and pressing a few controls to ignite a heat from under the leather of the seats.

“So, work was good today?”

You were the leader of the PR team for MSBY, the same team your husband just so happened to be taking responsibility for regarding their athletics training. The two of you arrived at the stadium together every morning and separated upon the entrance of the spacious stadium where he’d make his way down to the gym and you’d retreat to the offices where you’d watch over the team from behind the scenes.

“Mhm, we’re gonna be going over some points for them to discuss in upcoming interviews. Right now, all eyes are on Hinata, we want to make sure he takes advantage of this and gets a good impression across straight away to hopefully garner support immediately.”

Iwaizumi hummed and gave a quick nod before tilting his head back and moving one arm to the back of your headrest as he reversed the car out of the private garage built discreetly under the stadium which was strictly reserved for staff and players of the team. You’d never get over how attractive your husband's casual gesture was, but the feeling of his soft breath against your neck and the way his musky natural scent that you found comfort in would reach your senses made your heart flutter every time he did it.

Successfully swinging the car out of it’s space, Iwaizumi brought his arm back and left it resting on your thigh, the other hand gripping the black wheel as he stepped on the acceleration and pulled the heavy car out of the garage to the small security station where the officer patrolling gave the two of you a firm nod and smile and lifted the gates for you to speed out onto the main roads.

The city lights of Tokyo drowned out the natural light of the stars above but you didn’t mind. After the two of you had lived in Miyagi for so long, the bright and fluorescent lights were a nice change of scenery after spending years under the clear night skies littered with the glittering stars above. Yourself and your husband were familiar with the rural scenery but that didn’t mean you didn’t like the busy and full environment you now lived in.

You’d both come a long way since moving to Tokyo. Previously being based in the Miyagi prefecture and studying at Aoba Johsai, that was your first pit stop as a pair on the way to bright futures.

Being third years with both academic, social and sports parts of your lives were a lot to juggle all at once but you’d both somehow managed. Sure, there was a slight set-back after your boyfriend and his team couldn’t make it to nationals for their final year but that wasn’t going to stop either of you working towards your long term goals as you both knew there were bigger opportunities than nationals that were yet to come.

The next leg of your journey was college. After graduation the two of you felt a big weight had been lifted off of your shoulders as you clung and cried to each other with nothing but pride and admiration for each other. You’d both made it to the end of the compulsory education part of your lives and were ready to write the next chapters. This chapter however, had two parts as Iwaizumi had accepted an offer a college out in California had given him and you had decided to study out in Tokyo where you’d be joined by other briefly familiar players such as Semi Eita and Konoha Akinori whom you’d had very vague introductions to in the past. Iwiazumi had debated with himself for countless nights regarding his offer and whether or not he should take it. It didn’t make things any easier for him knowing that Oikawa was leaving out to Argentina like he’d always planned to pursue his own dream; after all, that boy had the whole world waiting for him and he wasn’t one to leave people hanging.

Despite being adamant about wanting to at least weigh out the pros and cons of going and staying, you finally convinced him that he had a haul of opportunities just waiting to be taken by him in California and you’d promised him that no matter what he picked to do, the love and pride you felt for him would never falter. In return, he promised you that he’d do his absolute best and come back to you with a greater knowledge of the career path he wanted to take and a solid plan of the future he wanted with you.

You smiled softly thinking back to the streaming tears down his flushed face as he pulled and interlocked your pinky finger with his and gave it one last secure squeeze before the speakers announced his terminal gates were open and all passengers would make their way to the boarding line immediately.

It was safe to say that 5 years later and you had both kept your promises in place. The love and pride for him never did once falter despite the long distance between you both and the frustratingly short facetime calls and conversations. You strongly believed in the saying ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ and you decided this had been proved as the second Iwaizumi strode out of the return gates and locked eyes with you, the love you had felt for him had suddenly multiplied by a huge sum and you felt an overwhelming sense of pride just looking at him. He had grown even more handsome if that was possible, sharp features more defined, muscles filled out more, taller in height and his skin slightly more tanned as a result of being under the Californian sun over time. He looked more radiant too, the glow in his eyes and the bright smile that wiped over his face when he saw you. That was the second you knew he’d kept his promise to you too.

The two chapters of your years apart had finally closed and the next leg of your journey was one you’d take together again. Iwaizumi was set on making his career out in Tokyo where you had decided you’d be based yourself. Upon his return, he was offered several job offers and interviews at various companies and a handful of professional teams.

It was MSBY’s offer that caught his eye and his judgment only tipped furter in their favour when he remembered that MSBY was the team you were currently working for as a PR team member. Iwaizumi didn’t tell you about the offer, neither did he tell you about the interview and how well it had gone. You were too occupied with your own work and apartment hunting after you had brought up the idea of moving closer into the heart of the city with him to which he agreed immediately. It was only 2 weeks since your boyfriend’s return until you noticed an excitement stirring during the teams training session. Curiosity got the best of you and you wandered down to the large gym where the players were talking excitedly among themselves and Bokuto’s infectious laughter rang through the air.

“Bokuto, what’s Miya done now I swear if he’s-”

There stood your smirking boyfriend, arms crossed over his broad chest and MSBY coaches shirt clung to his frame.

“Glad to be working with you.”

You sputtered and didn’t bother hiding the shock on your face as your mouth gaped open and you tried to form a coherent sentence but had no luck.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you, I wanted to surprise you so… surprise?”

“Asshole!” you ran up to him and he caught you with ease as the players watched the scene unfold in front of them. Bokuto’s excitement radiating off the walls as Atsumu childishly made gagging noises despite Kiyoomi’s disapproving glare aimed towards him.

From then on, life was made easy for the pair of you. All the time lost from when you were separated between colleges, made up with now working and living together. After a week of being official colleagues, Iwaizumi had found a suitable and comfortable apartment for the two of you to move into. It was a little pricey but it was expected since it was located in the centre of the city and besides, the two of you were receiving a very generous income from the jobs you both worked as MSBY were a V-League and highly sought after team with a constant flow of income in all departments.

That was the next stop in your journey together. Moving in.

Life with Iwaizumi was already great but you treasured the first few real feelings of domesticity with him. You found yourself falling for him all over again after signing the papers to legally own the place together, pack up all your old things from your apartment where he had been staying with you until you both found a place suited to your requirements. Moving in officially with him was something you had always dreamed of but never had any clear ideas on how it would become a reality but here you were standing in the new living room of your luxury apartment with the love of your life.

You’d never forget the proud smile he gave you after you’d finally unpacked everything and had your limbs tangled together on the couch.

“I told you I’d keep my promise.”

“I never said you wouldn’t.”

“Fair point.”

That was what life with Iwaizumi felt like. Fulfilled promised.

The next promise he made was when he got down on one knee after a year of living back in Japan and a year of living with you.

“Look, you know I’m no good with this sappy kind of shit but I’ll try for you. Y/N L/N, you’ve been the light at the end of the tunnel for me for as long as I can remember and now look, you’ve helped me reach the end and I’m finally the man I wanted to be, I hope I’m the man you wanted or at least hoped for me to be too. I always held that promise I made to you years ago at the back of my mind and I have every intention of delivering it to you. I want you in my life for the rest of it and I can only pray you’d allow me in yours too so, Y/N, would you do me the honor of sharing the last name Iwaizumi with me?”

Just like that, this man had single-handedly stolen your heart again and you couldn’t stop the happy stream of tears from flooding your vision as you could only nod and choke out a yes before throwing yourself into his arms.

The next pit stop of your journey forward was none other than your own wedding. Nothing over the top since neither of you found yourselves dreaming of an extravagant wedding but your wedding was nothing less than a fairy tale. Old classmates, family and players from other teams from your highschool days attended and congratulated the two of you for finally reuniting and making things official. Oikawa made sure he was back for his best friends wedding and caused a scene as expected, tears of joy pooling in his eyes everytime he looked at the happy couple and his best man speech filled to the brim of old stories and mentions of how happy and proud he was of his best friend to have found himself and the love of his life so early on in his years.

The soft lights and background music created a dreamlike atmosphere as the two of you swayed to your own beat, your arms wrapped around his neck as his were secured around your waist. The soft glint in his eyes held nothing but the purest form of love for you as he continued to allow himself to get lost in your own eyes filled with the same admiration. An unspoken promise.

To love each other and stick together throughout the rest of your life.

Just like every other promise, that one was kept too. It had brought you to the present day and time. You and your husband driving home together after a long day of work. The soft city lights gradually became more scarce as the flashbacks of your memories together caught up to the present time.

Iwaizumi pulled into the private garage and parked the car straight into the usual parking space that was reserved for the two of you.

Stopping the engine, your husband gave your thigh a light squeeze to let you know you were home just in case you’d dozed off on the way back. You turned your head to face Iwaizumi and offered him a small smile.

“You were quiet on the way back, tired?”

Shaking your head you laced your fingers into the fingers of the hand Iwaizumi had left resting on your thigh.

“Nah just thinking.”

“About what?” He raised an eyebrow.

“You, us, how far we’ve come.”

A soft silence washed over the two of you as Iwaizumi looked away for a moment as if he was having his own flashbacks. Giving your hand a squeeze with his larger and calloused one he turned back to face you and grinned.

“You’re damn right we’ve come far I told you, you were always my light at the end of the tunnel, it’s all thanks to you we’re where we are today.”

You laughed and shook your head before resting the side of your head on the dashboard, eyes still meeting his.

“We’re a team Hajime, always have been, always will be.”

Grin never leaving his face, Iwaizumi leant down and pressed a tender kiss to your cheek, the warmth of his lips lingering on your skin after he moved back up.

He knew the two of you had relied and made promises to each other, but he meant it when he said that it was you that had brought you both to the point you were currently at. He wouldn’t have had anyone in particular to look forward to returning to and building a life with if he didn’t have you. You made him want to work hard and do his best and it was thanks to you that he felt like he could say in confidence he had worked hard for everything he had today and that included the matching rings on your wedding fingers.

“So,” He began after a few moments.

“What would you think about maybe expanding our little team then?”

A smirk played at your lips before you leaned up and gave him a knowing look.

“I think the more team players, the better.”

Laughing, Iwaizumi opened his door and walked round the front of the car to open your own door and lift you out as he always did. Taking your hand into his own, he walked beside you back up to your apartment ready to fulfill yet another promise and prepare for the next part of your journey together.

general taglist → @atsumuwoah @bloody-bella @bbymilkbread @miracleboy420 @doggonudez @atsunakaashi @peteunderoos @saturnfarie @toffees-main @zumisace @boosyboo9206 @totorosleaff @27kei

#iwaizumi hajime #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi x you #iwaizumi fanfic #iwaizumi fluff #hq x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x you #haikyuu fanfic #haikyuu #haikyuu!!#hq

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zevlors-tail · 3 years

Note

Can you do Midoriya and his s/o going sled riding 🥺

Of course I can! Thanks for sending one in! I hope it’s okay, I added Inko in here because we ALL need some Mama Midoriya. I made it extra fluffy! I struggled not to include All Might and make it a family outing, but I wanted to keep it within a date like scenario oof-

“Hey, Izu, are you sure it’s okay to be here this late?” You turn away from the pretty snowscape to see your boyfriend unpacking your gear from the back of Inko’s car, face just barely peeking over the top of a long orange sled.

“Yeah, I’m sure! Mom and I used to come here all the time when I was little. Besides, it’s not that late. It’s only around six o’clock.” He gives you a huge smile while resting his chin on top of the sled.

That’s right, it gets dark much earlier now, you remind yourself. Winter is finally here, and with the frigid cold comes one of your favorite things: the snow. Perfect for making snow angels, for having snowball fights, and for making snowmen. And if it snows enough, to go sledding of course! Sledding was one of your favorite activities as a kid, and now that you and Midoriya have been steadily going out for some time, you feel lucky to be able to take him along for this adventure. Actually, he’d been the first one to ask; he had shyly come up to you after the first big snowfall of the season and proposed that his mom could take the both of you sledding. Not everyone liked the activity, he knew, but he thought he might ask anyway since he hadn’t been sledding in years, and the idea of going with you sounded more fun than if he were to go alone or just with Inko. Speaking of whom...

“Alright, kiddos, you ready to go?” Izuku’s mother, now all bundled up in a cute puffy coat and hat just like the two of you, made her way to the trunk of the car slowly to help her son carry some things. “It’s just around the corner, there. Biggest hill you ever did see, I promise! Izuku used to love sledding down it as a little kid, he was always so cute!”

Izuku blushed in embarrassment at Inko’s words and stammered a bit as he spoke, “I-It’s this way!” He started off without the two of you, hands full with both his sled and yours.

“I can help carry something!” you offered, but he just shook his head at you.

“That’s alright, it way my idea to come here. I’ll take care of everything! You just focus on having fun!”

“Are you sure?”

“Mhm!”

You turned to Inko, who was closing up the back of the car still, hands full with a few more sleds and extra gloves in case the snow soaked into your current ones- which it would, inevitably. But that was just a small price you were willing to pay for having a fun night out with your boyfriend. “Can I help with anything?” you asked once again.

“No, honey, it’s quite alright. Once Izuku’s got something in his mind, there’s no stopping him! Just go on ahead, I’ll be right behind you!”

And with that, you scurried off to catch up with Izuku. A minute later, the two of you were standing at the top of what you could only describe as the largest snowy hill you’d ever seen in your life, and you wondered how they managed to keep this a secret for so long. It was tucked away between two buildings, right around the corner from a local parking lot of a strip mall but hidden just enough so that you could only see it if you made the short journey across a tiny flat area of land. You looked down at the snow-covered dip in the ground, the tiny flakes glittering under the moonlight and ambience of the street lamps. It felt magical, like this was a moment made just for you.

“Do you want to ride with me, or do you want to race each other to the bottom?” Izuku asked excitedly, his eyes gleaming in the low light. You gave him a grin to rival his own as you grabbed one of the sleds from him.

“Last one down the hill is a rotten egg!”

He let out a yelp of surprise as you threw the sled to the ground before sitting on it, and he got into position beside you while you tried to take off without him. But Izuku was quick to catch up, pushing past you effortlessly and smirking at you as he turned around to look at you while he started to slide down the hill.

“It’s more fun if you go backwards! See you at the bottooooom!”

You hurriedly propelled yourself down the hill to catch up, leaning forward as much as you could without falling off while your boyfriend laughed in front of you. It payed off, however; you gained momentum as you flew past him at top speeds and held on to the plastic underneath you for dear life. He could only shout out a surprised “Hey!” as you whooshed through the snow.

“Hahaha, sucker!” You were all laughs and hollers of fun the whole way down while Izuku complained and whined that he was behind and couldn’t see anything. That was, until you were about to reach the base of the hill, and suddenly you realized you were going too fast to properly stop. “Ah, noooo!” Luckily there was plenty of room to slide further out, but a particularly heavy snow bank caught your eye just to the left, and it was too little too late before you noticed you were headed right for the giant pile of snow. “Izuku, help-!” Your halfhearted cry for help was cut short as you tumbled face first into the freezing white fluff, eyes squeezed shut and arms braced in front of you. Everything felt cold after that, and you sat up as fast as you could, head shaking to clear the snow from your face, hat and scarf.

But no sooner than when you sat up, Izuku was barreling towards you just as fast, eyes wide and voice loud as he shouted at you. “Y/N, look out!” You ducked out of the way just in time for him to make an epic crash. Fragile snowflakes flew everywhere as he tumbled into the same snow bank you had, and his sled skidded out from under him a few feet away. You were momentarily concerned until a head of green hair popped up from the drift, a hand following shortly after with his hat gripped tight. “I’m okay!” he informed you.

The two of you looked at each other and laughed, caught up in the sweet silly moment that you were sharing. This was just what you needed. A carefree night away from all your worries, still air with no extra chill, and glittering snow as far as the eye could see. Oh. And of course, the love of your life. What more could you ask for?

“You kids better look out beloooooow-oh-oh-oh!” Both you and Izuku turned towards Inko who was now sliding down the hill on a brightly colored sled, arms out and legs pulled up as she flew down the hill all topsy turvy. You noted she must have chosen a slightly more bumpy path since the sled kept bobbing up and down, Inko trying to hold on and failing as she slid closer and closer to the two of you.

It all happened so fast; one moment you were trying to scramble away and the next, Inko was rolling off the sled and right into the same drift that you and her son had been caught in. She made an even bigger flurry of snow than Izuku did, and you felt the cold start to seep in through your gloves and down the back of your shirt as the three of you collided into one giant mess of coats and scarves amongst the freezing ground. Izuku helped pull you up as you all tried to untangle yourselves, but Inko stopped you before the two of you could run away.

“Who would have thought I could still have this much fun! I’m so glad Izuku brought you along, dear. You’re a perfect addition to the family!” She embraced you both in a hug, Izuku’s now burning cheeks squishing against yours as he struggled to hug the both of you back. This felt right.

“Mom!”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I’m embarrassing you, aren’t I?” Inko just laughed and gave her son a pat on the head, eyes gentle and warm as she turned to look at you instead. “Welcome to the family, Y/N.”

#izuku #izuku x reader #deku x reader #midoriya x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #izuku midoriya #midoriya #deku #500 follower event #takemyheartawayizuku #sweater writes #winter wonderland event #winter wonderland

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missorgana · 3 years

Text

at the end of the day

pairing: bucky barnes/sam wilson

fandom: marvel cinematic universe

rating: general

word count: 3165

warning: blood mention, nightmares

summary: "You don't have to do this, you know." Sam finds himself protesting, and Bucky wipes his arm in his t-shirt without looking up, "Yeah I do, genius." (canon compliant, mistaken for being a couple, domestic fluff)

(of course i had to get one more fic out before the TFATWS finale is upon us 💔 basically just... domestic idiots. a little hurt/comfort. i’m gonna miss them so much it’s critical. don’t have much else to say?? enjoy??)

read on ao3

They haven’t been talking much about anything since they got back.

And he wasn’t planning to see Bucky here of all places. Home. He guesses it’s typical of him to drop in unannounced like that, stoic act on and silently helping out on the boat, after greeting Sarah with a semi-confident smile.

He wanted to try and talk to him, but Sam doesn’t quite know what to say. The other man gave him a smile, too, but it seemed different from the one he gave his sister, somehow. More smug, kind of. But not really.

And really, despite how goddamn annoying he is much of the time, Bucky seemed to enjoy the work, and the super soldier strength certainly helped moving things forward. So Sam practically insisted on him taking the couch. Sarah, too, it’s the least they could do, and the man was fishing for the invite anyway.

So when everyone finally calls it off before midnight, he sets up the couch for his co-worker for the night, the boys already sleeping and Sarah watching him from the kitchen looking cocky as hell.

Sam can’t help glancing at where he packed away the shield, just one more time. He’s not sure what to do with it yet. Just stares at it, thinking about the blood that he managed to wash off.

He eventually turns to her, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Sarah shakes her head. Opens the fridge, closes it, turns off the light and leans against the doorway with a chuckle. “It’s nice of him to help out, you know.”

“Hm?”

She raises her eyebrow, “Bucky.”

Sam tries to figure out what she’s saying. No, he knows what she’s saying, but for some reason, he feels like she’s keeping a secret from him. He doesn’t even know if he has energy to question her, too sweaty and muscles aching just a bit, so maybe, for now, he’ll let sleep take him and tease her about it tomorrow.

“Yeah.” He dumps the last throw pillows in the corner before she wraps her arms around his waist and rests her chin on shoulder. Sam returns the hug instantly. Such a softie.

But he feels her laugh again against his chin, so he plants a kiss on the top of her hair and expects her to say more, but she doesn’t. Just scrunches her nose at him, when the front door opens and Bucky walks in.

The man stands in the dark for a second, warily, perhaps scared to interrupt, so Sam calls the idiot over, “Couch is all set. Unless you need more pillows, or, uh…”

He only realises he has no idea where he’s going with that sentence when it’s already out. Sarah smacks his arm away.

She also turns around to Bucky, who gives her the tiniest wave possible. His sister returns it by grabbing her almost empty cup of tea and passing him on the way up with a pat on his back, “Night, boys.”

“It’s fine, you know.” the other man tells him then, only surprising Sam for a moment, seriously, and he weighs his feet, unsure of whether to take his leave already. Probably should, “Sorry, what?”

“The couch.”

Of course, his senses are the worst without eight hours of sleep. At least. Albeit, he hasn’t had that in a long time, “Ah.”

Bucky’s staring at him. He’s definitely been standing here too long, absentmindedly and feeling the exhaustion out into his fingertips, but unable to move. Might be better than all the pacing.

So he bids his goodnight, not even bothering to check the time, and the only response given from the other man are the brief touch of fingers grazing his palm as he leaves the living room. Sam can’t begin to unpack what sort of secret his co-worker might be trying to let him in on right now.

But he knows Bucky waited for this gesture to be theirs alone. Why is that?

It turns into a bit of a routine, Bucky circulating their workplace and doing the heavy lifting when they need it. He especially likes to do it when Sam’s around, he’s noticed.

Still staring, too.

Sam particularly feels some certain eyes on the back of his neck while he’s screwing bolts in place, then there’s a hand on his waist, and since it’s early, he can’t quite be bothered fighting the other man on this.

And when it occurs to him that the man might be, definitely is following him with his eyes as he steps down to fetch the paint, he can’t even react, due to Sarah’s elbow nudging his side. She also snatches the paint right in front of him, defeated once again.

“Hi, Sarah!” Bucky exclaims, dramatically wiping his forehead, zero shame. He’ll have to give him a don’t flirt with my sister talk later.

She giggles, “Hi.” then looks over at him again and clicks her tongue. “Such a gentleman.”

Sam can’t help but laugh out loud at that statement. Bucky’s frowning at them in the distance, pretending he isn’t, but not exactly the king of subtly.

“A showoff, more like,” and when his sister shakes her head, he wonders, like last night, exactly what she’s trying to tell him without telling him, “What?”

Perhaps she’s not telling him anything and he’s just reading her wrong, but that’d be the most shocking of the more than confusing life they’re accustomed to lately. Returning post-blip, having not seen his family in five year, Sam still knows her like the back of his hand. And oh, she’s well aware, because she’s smirking again.

“You’re not fooling me, Samuel.” Sarah tells him, poking his nose before accepting his co-worker’s offered hand and stepping onto deck.

He feels his own frown forming, but Cass calling his name takes him out of the trance his sister just put him in, and he carries on. Maybe it really is nothing. Maybe Bucky tries too hard to spend time with Sarah and he’ll have to give him a tongue-in-cheek scolding later, because truth be told, he’s not that mad. It’s equally heartwarming and ridiculous, he decides.

Sam’s not sure what that funny feeling in his gut is doing when the other man finds him on the lower deck and, like it’s second nature by now, helps him out, softly pushing him out of the way when he sees him struggle.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” he finds himself protesting, despite the deed already being done, and Bucky wipes his arm in his t-shirt without looking up, “Yeah I do, genius.”

Sam doesn’t know why the visual of his co-worker sticking his tongue out in concentration feels endearing and personal and like a savorable moment to remember, but it does, so he can’t hide the smiling finding its way onto his lips.

When he gets Bucky’s attention again, the man looks stupidly intense.

“We’re due a lunch break-”

“Hold on,” the voice interrupts him, and in a flash the other man is mere inches from him, moved into his space and touches his cheekbone with ease.

He’s not sure what that’s about either, but it may just cause Sam’s heart to skip a beat or two.

Bucky nods, more to himself than to him he figures, and steps back to gather the tools scattered across the floor. That wasn’t weird, per say, but it was something.

“Something wrong?” Sam wonders aloud.

It’s hard to interpret his facial expressions, but this time, he smiles shyly and mussles up his hair just a tad more. He himself feels quite silly for watching that movement this closely.

The other man wiggles the pipes a little more, seems satisfied they’re secure and gestures for him to ascend out into the open first, “You had an eyelash.”

“Oh.”

After precisely four and a half months without nightmares, one makes its unwelcome return and has Sam shuddering awake not long after midnight.

The bedroom’s humid, but his blood feels frozen in his veins and despite trying hard, too hard, his legs have turned immovable.

Breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth.

His brain counts to ten three times over, raking memory after memory of the techniques he knew from his therapist, but it’s not always easy to find in practice. Not when his friend’s figure crashing down beside him, falling with an impossible speed from the sky, has burned its way back on his retinas.

It’s that scene that plays over and over. Not always this part, but most of the time.

For some reason, the nightmare takes him back to the shield lying hidden in plain sight in the living room, hesitantly grasping onto it, the blood transferring onto his bruised hands, the damned thing stuck in his mind so much that he had to take it home.

Sam’s breathing is still ragged, despite another attempt at an exercise.

That’s why he barely registers the door opening and gentle footsteps crossing the carpet until a hand comes to rest on top of his own.

He fully sits up in an uneven jump, still unable to feel his legs, but Bucky’s features soon materialize in the dark. Sam’s heart has suddenly moved into his throat.

“It’s okay,” he whispers, and instead of gripping, his co-worker’s fingertips start drawing soft circles over his knuckles.

Sam doesn’t need to force himself to focus on the sensation. His eyes hurt too much to look at the other man, or anything, really, so the attempt at keeping them shut seems like a better plan.

The bed shifts a little, but Bucky doesn’t come closer. “Breathe with me.”

He does. Attempts to gain control, make the thudding in his ears quiet, and step by step, his muscles seem to relax. First his stiff neck, then his shoulders, winding down with every breath he lets out, then the strain in his biceps fading.

After what seems like forever, the blood returns to his legs. Sam almost fears moving them, expecting them to crack, but he does, and they don’t.

This is why he decides to open his eyes, for some unknown reason in him, and lifts his gaze to look at Bucky again. He doesn’t say anything but their breathing is almost in sync now. The other man nods.

And he keeps those circling touches, never pausing, never leaving, even when Sam finally feels like he can hear his own thoughts and his heart isn’t threatening to claw its way out of his chest. Now, all he listens to is his co-worker’s breathing. Bucky’s palm is significantly sweatier than before but he shows no intention to take it back.

Sam also decides to flip his hand and meet the man’s, palm to palm. Just feels like the right thing to do.

Judging by Bucky lightly lacing their fingers together, the feeling is mutual.

At some point, with zero idea of just how long they’d been sitting there, he notices his body has seized its shaking, and the actual warmth of the room overwhelms without suffocation.

The other man seems to notice this, because he silently moves off the bed, abandoning Sam’s hand and cracks open the window to the whoosh of the wind through the leaves and distant chirping of crickets. His fingers reach up aimlessly for the missing touch until he returns.

His brain doesn’t understand why Bucky doesn’t leave then.

Their bare feet lay flush against each other. If Sam didn’t know any better, he’d say their hearts were beating in perfect harmony.

Bucky insists on cleaning up the table after dinner, so neither of them protest once they see the determination in his eyes.

Disappointment is what shows in both the boys’ eyes when his sister finally calls television time off, kissing both their heads with a chuckle, “Alright, time for bed, superheroes.”

Sam has to admit, he’s a little proud of his nephew when AJ tries to bargain them out of the situation. “We’ll sleep extra early tomorrow!”

“No, you won’t.”

They accept their mother’s proposal, of course, even if they sigh dramatically when Sarah finally gets them up the stairs. He has a funny feeling that stubbornness might’ve been picked up from a certain metal-armed man wandering around in the other room.

When his sister returns, she drops next to him and puts her head on his shoulder.

They take a moment to listen and enjoy the silence. Should do that more often, when he’s not in life or death situations, that is.

The tap turns on and off and on from afar, metal clangs against glass, and a muttered “Fuck.” makes its way to his ears, somehow. Sam doesn’t think his co-worker meant for anyone to hear that but himself, but he does. The feeling of Sarah’s warm cheeks and mouth forming into a smile, and then she lifts back up just enough to look him in the eyes.

“I’m glad you brought him along,” she tells him, and pats his thigh like she always does when she senses he needs assurance, even when he doesn’t feel it yet, “He’s good for you.”

His train of thought stumbles over the last part, but decides not to address it. Not yet, anyway. “He kind of showed up on his own, but alright.”

“Shut up.” his sister orders, still smiling, forehead returning to his shoulder once again.

Sam can’t make up any comeback, so he opts for putting his arm over, caressing her back with his mind absent and far away. In fact, it might be travelling into the kitchen to track the movement of Bucky, each step of the way.

He also might come to think that that’s what Sarah’s been trying to tell him.

That doesn’t make sense, though. Or he can’t really argue against it, but the saying seems out of place.

Maybe it’s got something to do with the other man finding him the other night, Sam falling back asleep with the presence of his hand and the disappearance of it in the morning. Come to think of it, it’s also got something to do with Bucky’s foot poking his own under the table while they were having breakfast. And most of all, it’s got something to do with the pleasant warmth that spreads from his chest and down to his toes whenever the other man’s figure comes into his line of sight.

Her statement isn’t out of place at all. It surprises him in a specific way that, deep down, isn’t surprising at all.

The sound of Bucky’s humming greets them, the source of his own smile.

He begins tracing circles on his sister’s back the same way the other man had done, mulling over the secret that’s uncovered, “I think you’re right.”

Sarah hums in agreement.

Sam knows that his sister thinks he and Bucky are a couple. And Sam knows that his feelings for the other man have changed without him even noticing, until now.

What he doesn’t really know is what to do with that information.

They’re really supposed to formulate some sort of plan, so the love confession he realises he’s harboring might be ill-timed. Besides, he honestly has no idea how Bucky’ll react, they’ve never talked about relationships or sexuality, probably because they’ve both been insisting on not being partners.

Which is untrue, obviously. Bucky wouldn’t find him and help his family out if they weren’t friends of some kind, right? A friend of a friend, in any case.

So he comes to the conclusion of keeping it as his own little secret, for now. Maybe a better time will come. A right time. Or maybe it won’t.

Either way, Sam thinks it best to let Sarah know of how they’re not, in fact, a couple once this whole thing is over. This superhero thing? This not-a-team thing? The promise of extended long vacation and, as he comes to regret saying, never seeing each other again looms over his consciousness.

You live and you learn, is that what you say?

But late after training, dinner, cleaning up that Bucky still insists on doing all by himself, Sarah long since gone to sleep, Sam finds the other man sitting on the end of his bed. The frown on his face sparks a worry in him, so he finds a seat on the desk chair, the two coming eye to eye.

“Hey,” Sam gets his attention instantly, “You good?”

Bucky blinks twice in confusion, but his tense posture seems to come and go like a lightswitch flicking on and off, relaxing under his gaze.

“Yeah… yeah, I guess. I don’t know,” and he clears his throat before ending the sentence with, “I’m sorry.”

The other man so easily makes Sam’s heart do somersaults again, over and over. He wonders if Bucky’s noticed. He also wonders if he should move over and sit next to him, but decides to watch their feet instead.

“You already apologised.” he reminds him, but his co-worker shakes his head.

“I know, but,” Bucky tries, but whatever he’s about to say is stopped with a sigh, several excruciating seconds pass by, until he takes Sam by surprise, “I just don’t feel like I’m a very good boyfriend.”

All too familiar to his sister’s observation last night, the words that sound in the bedroom don’t settle with him immediately. He feels like he must be frowning himself.

Did he just say what he thinks he said? Sure sounded like Bucky’s voice.

And unlike last night, Sam can’t help but blurt out his process of thinking about this, a thing that’s somehow also passed right over his head, “You- you’re what now?”

That’s also when he finally stops wondering, stands up and takes his place on the bed, because the other man’s frown deepens even further, and he’d rather not they misunderstand each other further than they, clearly, already have.

“Bucky,” Sam starts, and, for some reason, he feels incredibly brave in this moment, so much so that he reaches for the man’s hand the same way he did a couple of nights ago, “Do you think we’re… a couple?”

His co-worker huffs, “I know we are.” but it sounds just as much like a question.

He also starts tracing patterns on Sam’s hand again, taking his attention and warmth rushing to his cheeks as if on cue. Bucky isn’t frowning anymore, looks confused instead.

“Well, you could’ve told me.” he replies, and despite the other man opening his mouth, continues regardless, “I’d like to have known sooner.”

The man’s fingers moving on his skin don’t falter for a second. “So… you don’t want me to be your boyfriend?”

Sam can’t stop his smile, even if it’ll pain his jaw. Not that he wants to put a stop to it, not at all.

“Bucky Barnes, you’re ridiculous,” is the conclusion that pops up in his mind, crystal clearer than anything he’s felt in his life, “There’s nothing I want more.”

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wiypt-writes · 3 years

Text

Stark Spangled Banner

Ch46: Just A Formality

Intro: Emmy gets into a spot of trouble at school, which leads the family to make a joint decision that will change their lives forever. And together with their friends they celebrate Jamie’s birthday, will a little surprise for Emmy too.

Warnings: Bad Language words. Slight angst (teenagers) and Steve being a very overprotective dad…

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

A/N: Yeah, I love this chapter. I hope you all do too. And thank @angrybirdcr for the edit...it mushed my insides!

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Chapter 45

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

February 2021

“So what do you think?” Rhodey asked as he stood, arms folded, looking at the screen. Natasha was stood next to him, nervously chewing on her nail and Steve was looking at the rather gory photos that they had been sent through from the Mexican Authorities.

“Is it definitely him?” Steve sighed, looking at the screen again. In a million years he would never have expected Barton to be capable of such out and out gore and violence, but then again the man had lost his entire family- wife and three kids. Steve wasn’t sure how he would react should anything happen to Katie, Emmy or Jamie.

“Yeah.” Nat sighed, pressing another button. This time it flipped to some CCTV footage of the incident. They three of them watched as Clint took down six gang members, brutally, and with a final swipe of the samurai sword he was holding almost severed one man’s head completely from its shoulders. “Same MO, same fight pattern, and the facial recognition software caught him about five miles north of this town less than two hours before this happened.” “He’s getting more and more vicious.” Rhodey spoke. “I suppose we should be grateful in a way he’s taking down people that we should be stopping but how long till someone gets caught in the cross fire?” “Clint wouldn’t-” Natasha began but Steve cut her off.

“Once I would agree with you.” he sighed, looking at her “But now, well, Nat, he’s…” “Lost it.” Rhodey concluded

“So would you if you’d seen your wife and kids turn to dust.” Nat’s voice was fierce as she turned to look at him.

“I know.” Rhodey held his hands up “I can’t even imagine what he went through.”

Steve looked at Nat, recognising the pensive look on her face. “What you thinking?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m gonna fly out to Mexico. Rhodey, can you come with me? We’ll see if we can dig anything up?” Rhodey nodded. Steve was about to offer his services too, but then his phone started ringing.

“Hey beautiful.” He greeted Katie, but instead of the usual response of either hello handsome or soldier, he was met with an exasperated sigh.

“Emmy’s Principal has just called me.” She groaned “She’s been in a fight.”

Steve frowned. “Really? What for?” “No idea. He didn’t say much other than he’s excluding her for a week and wants us to go collect her as soon as we can. Thing is, I have a call in twenty with the Health Authorities, President Ellis has asked me to give them some guidance on how we regrouped at SI, and I can try and rearrange but if I can’t it means she’s gonna be sat outside the office for at least an hour and a half. Is there any chance you-”

“I got, course I’ll go. I’m done here anyway so you do what you need to do and we’ll see you at home.”

“Thank you.” She sighed “Between this and Jamie screaming blue murder when I dropped him in at the Day Care this morning It hasn’t really been the spectacular return to work I was hoping for.”

Steve wrinkled his nose. “He didn’t take it well then?” “No.” Her voice cracked “God, Steve, Leaving him there whilst he was screaming, fuck, it broke my heart.” Steve took a sigh and walked a little further away from Rhodey and Natasha, dropping his voice. “Honey, he’ll be fine. You know what he’s like. Ten minutes after you left he will have forgotten why he’s so upset and will have settled.”

“I know, I just, well Mom and Dad used to palm me and Tony off on our Nannies all the time and-”

“This is completely different.” Steve cut her off. “First off, you’re leaving him for what, five hours a day, maximum. Second off, he’s being watched at a crèche, twenty floors down from where you are, in the same building so you can see him whenever you want.”

“I was advised by the Staff not to do that today.” She sniffed. “It could unsettle him more.”

“I’m sure they know what they’re talking about.” Steve soothed her gently “Look, try not to worry. Jamie will be fine, I’ll go sort Emmy out and we’ll see you at home this evening okay?” “My hero.” she said and Steve smiled.

“Love you, see you later.”

Cutting the call he turned to Rhodey and Nat who were still looking at the screen. Walking back towards them he picked up his jacket where he had tossed it over the back of a chair, reaching for his keys at the same time.

“Guys, I gotta go.” He informed them and they looked up. “Emmy’s in trouble at school and I need to head in and see the Principal.”

“Trouble?” Nat frowned.

“Fighting.” Steve rolled his eyes as Nat and Rhodey exchanged a glance, Nat smirking slightly. Steve gave an exasperated sigh. “What?”

“Nothing.” Nat grinned. “Just don’t punch the Principal in the face…”

*****

It took Steve little over thirty minutes to reach the school. He may have broken a few speeding laws on the way, but Katie was right, it was too easy to do in the Camero. To be honest, it was pretty easy to do in the new Audi they had bought just before Christmas too, but Katie had that as it was easier to get Jamie’s seat and stroller in. The Camero was not child friendly, at all, but she had insisted on keeping it as a second car, despite Steve’s protests that they didn’t need it.

With an easy tug he pulled open the doors to the reception of the school and strode inside. The woman behind the desk handed him a visitor’s pass and led him down to the office as he brushed a piece of fluff off the front of his long sleeved blue top. Steve followed the white haired lady through the corridors in silence until he reached the office and spotted Emmy was sat outside it, slumped in a chair. At the sight of her father she jumped up and ran into his arms, crying.

“Hey,” He looked down as he smoothed her dark, ebony hair out of her face, cupping her face gently in one large hand. “What’s going on, Em?” “He started it.” She sniffed. “He was saying things, about you and mom and that my birth parents and that…that…”

She was starting to have a panic attack, Steve could see that instantly. She’d suffered from them a lot when she had first started to live with them and he knew that if he didn’t help her get it under control now it would escalate.

“Deep breaths.” He spoke gently, steering her back to a chair. She sat down and he tilted her head with his hand so that she was looking at him. “Count to ten, just like we practiced ok?”

She gripped onto his forearms, her eyes screwing shut as she took deep inhales and exhales, counting along as she did. By the time she got to seven she’d managed to ground herself again, and Steve encouraged her for the remaining three numbers, them just reaching ten as the door to the office at the end of the corridor opened.

“Mr Rogers.”

Steve stood up to greet the Principal, John Stevenson, who he had met once before when they had enrolled Emmy into the school. He was a tall, lean man with round glasses and a kind face, but an air of authority perfect for that of a headmaster “Mr Stevenson.” Steve smiled, shaking his hand “I don’t mean to be rude, but could you give me a second with my daughter please? I want to hear her side of the story and then I’ll be right with you.”

“Of course,” the man nodded, giving him and Emmy a little smile. “Just come in when you’re ready.”

Once the door to his office was shut, Steve sat on the spare seat next to Emmy. “So you wanna tell me what happened. Who ya been fightin’ with?”

“A boy a grade above. And I wasn’t fighting. Not really, I mean I hit him but he fell over, he didn’t hit me back.” Steve bit his lip. “Seems the stuff your mom and Auntie Nat taught you came in handy, huh?”

Emmy shrugged.

“What did you hit him for?”

“Because he’s a jerk and a bully” Emmy’s hands were wringing together. “He was picking on a few of the kids who lost their parents all through last year and then last month when I told him to shut up, he decided to start on me”

Steve took a deep breath “What was he saying?”

“The usual, stuff like ‘you don’t have a real family’, said that you and mom only look after me because you feel guilty that the Avengers fucked, sorry, messed up.” She glanced up at Steve, but he merely arched an eyebrow, letting the curse word slide. “And he says that once I’m old enough you’ll throw me out, and then he called me a, and I quote ‘fucking orphan rat’.” She shrugged. “Sso I punched him.”

“Alright.” Steve took a deep breath, his jaw ticking as he supressed the feeling of annoyance and anger that had flooded his system at Emmy’s explanation. “We’ll unpack all that when we get home, with your mom.”

“Are you mad?” Emmy blinked up at him, her eyes wide.

“Well, punching him probably wasn’t the best way to deal with the situation.” Steve sighed, and instantly his wife’s voice popped into his head at how hypocritical he felt.

“Hello Kettle, this is Steve Rogers, you’re black…”

“But if what you’re telling me is true-“ “It is Dad I swear!”

“Then no, I’m not mad. At you.” He gave her a small smile. “But I’m mad as hell he said those horrible things to you though.” He looked at Emmy as she smiled softly. “Now, I best go speak to your principal. I won’t be long, and then we’ll go home and talk properly okay?”

She nodded and Steve dropped a kiss to her head as he stood up and walked to the door. Rapping on it twice, he pulled it open and stepped inside the room, shutting it behind him. Principal Stevenson stood up, shook his hand before gesturing down at the chairs on the opposite side of his desk.

“So did she tell you what happened?” The man asked, leaning back slightly in his chair.

Steve nodded. “She said that a boy, I didn’t get his name…” “Josh Gemmil.” “Yes, well, she told me that this Josh had been picking on a few kids and when he started on her, she didn’t take kindly to it. And to be frank, I can’t say I blame her. The things he was saying to Emmy were disgusting.” “Yeah, and that may be the case.” Mr Stevenson sighed heavily, “but the issue is, Mr Rogers, we have a strict zero tolerance to violence policy, so, given Emmy did punch him in front of pretty much the entire school in the yard, I’ve no alternative but to suspend her for a week.” “Are you suspending him?” Steve asked.

“Sorry?” The man opposite Steve frowned. “I’m not…” “The boy who Emmy punched. Are you suspending him for what he said?”

“No-one has corroborated her story, well, other than Brooke and I know how close they are so she could be-” “Woah, hold up.” Steve interrupted, holding his hand up to cut that man off as a flash of anger surged through his chest. “Are you insinuating Emmy is lying?” “No, that’s not what I’m saying.” “So if she’s telling the truth, then surely the boy deserves punishment as well. Emmy isn’t the only person he’s been saying things to.”

“She’s the only person who has punched him.” “That may be, but either way-.”

“Mr Rogers,” the Principal sighed, cutting him off, “for what it’s worth Josh’s parents will be coming in later and I will be consulting them about his behaviour, but unfortunately Emmy has broken his nose.” “Well, I’d like to say I’m sorry about that but I’m not.” Steve was too far gone now to be rational, his instinct to protect his daughter had well and truly kicked in and the guy in front of him was really pissing him off. “I don’t like bullies,” he continued, levelling the man with a look and he visibly recoiled back into his seat, “and I’m not gonna punish my daughter for standing up to one. If you deem it fit to suspend her then fine, that is your prerogative, and of course I will tell her that violence is not acceptable, but I would expect some level of punishment to be extended to the boy in question and not just her.”

The Principal nodded. “Mr Rogers, I can assure you, if it was up to me I wouldn’t be suspending her at all, but my hands are tied by the governors and policies. I make an exception here, I have to do it for others and before you know it…” he trailed off. Steve took a deep breath, he could understand that perfectly, didn’t make it any easier for him to swallow though. “But that’s why the suspension is only for a week and not the two.”

Steve nodded. “Okay, do I need to sign anything or…”

“No.” the Principal shook his head. “Emmy has her log on to Workspace, her class notes and homework will be detailed on there as usual so she doesn’t miss out. If there is anything she doesn’t understand or needs help with, she can catch up when she gets back. She’s a very, smart kid so I’m not too concerned about that aspect of things.” Steve nodded, and stood up. He took a deep breath and stepped back into the corridor to find Brooke was sat with Emmy now, her arm round her best friend.

“Shouldn’t you be in class?” Steve asked, shooting the red head a look.

“Hey Mr R, don’t sweat it. Told em I was going to the bathroom.” Brooke shrugged and Steve rolled his eys.

“Well scoot before you get into trouble too.” He gestured with his head to the doors that led back to the reception area.

“Can Brooke come over later?” Emmy asked, timidly, “Or am I grounded?”

Steve took a deep breath “Not tonight, we need to have a chat. But over the weekend then, sure.” “’kay.” Emmy nodded, standing up. She reached for her rucksack but Steve took it from her, carrying it in his right hand, his left gently between Emmy’s shoulder blades as he steered her towards the exit. As they walked into the reception, Emmy stopped dead and he heard Brooke who was walking along at his other side mutter an ‘uh-oh’.

“This her?” A short, squat woman with a very short hair cut was stood a few feet in front of him, a boy by her side, a few inches taller than her, dressed in a bloodied T-shirt glared at Emmy and nodded. Instantly Steve moved forward a step so he was level with his daughter, his hand dropping to her shoulder.

“Your daughter broke my son’s nose.” The woman glared up at him.

“So I understand.” Steve nodded. “She has been suspended and we’ll be dealing with it appropriately.”

“You know, kids like her, they shouldn’t be-”

“Kids like her?” Steve blinked at the woman, and shook his head. “Excuse me?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t.” Steve’s voice was low. “So, please, explain.”

“I mean with violent and aggressive tendencies, they should be locked up not in a school with normal kids-” “Woah, now hang on.” Steve held his hand up as he looked at the woman. “Your son isn’t exactly innocent in all this.” “I don’t see your daughter with blood all over her shirt. He didn’t hit her…” “I would hope not, seeing as he’s a boy and half a foot taller than her.” He shot back and the woman’s mouth snapped shut. Steve turned to Emmy and handed her the backpack and his keys. “Go and get in the car, sweetheart, I’ll be with you in a minute.” Emmy glanced up at him, one look on his face told her he wasn’t to be argued with, and she nodded and took them from him, before leaving.

His attention then turned to the teenager and woman and he folded his arms across his chest, glaring at them both. The boy had a sharp face, slicked back blonde hair and for some reason he reminded Steve of a younger Gilmore Hodge. Which was never a good thing. He looked at the woman and spoke again, his voice level but full of that Captain Authority he could never help turning on in situations like this.

“Your son said some very nasty things to my daughter, and in normal circumstances he should be apologising. However, given what happened I suggest we leave it at that and they agree to stay away from one another in the future.” “Him apologise?” The woman practically shrieked. “She punched him, if anything she’s the one that should be saying sorry.” Steve gave a huff of a laugh “I can assure you that won’t be happening. Besides,” he turned to the boy, “do you really want an apology from a ‘fucking orphan rat’?”

He heard a snigger followed by a mumble of “mic drop…” to his right and turned to see Brooke was still there.

“What are-” he shot her a look, pointing towards the class rooms, “-scoot.” “Later Mr R.” Brooke shot him a salute and he raised an eyebrow as she headed off back to wherever she should have been in the first place.

“Did you say that?” The woman had rounded on her son.

“No…I swear.” “He said he didn’t.” Steve shook his head, his hands dropping to the buckle of his belt. “I’m not interested in whether he admits it or not. Fact of the matter is I believe my daughter and according to her and her friend, Emmy isn’t the first kid he’s picked on but I’m sure as hell hoping she’s gonna be the last, especially now he’s had a punch in the face to make him consider the consequences of his actions.” His lips quirked a little at the side as he delivered his final line. “I’d hate for him to get antoher.” “How dare you threaten him?” The woman was now talking in that high a pitch it was making Steve’s ears hurt.

“That isn’t a threat.” Steve shook his head “Merely an observation. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He turned to the door when the woman spluttered after him “You know, we do know where you live. That big, fancy house in Clinton Hill.” “Then by all means feel free to call round later.” Steve laughed as he turned to grin at the woman of her shoulder. “But I really don’t fancy your chances against my wife.” ****** “He said WHAT?” Katie spluttered once Steve had explained what had gone on. “The little fucking shit!” “His mother wasn’t much better either.” Steve shook his head as he raised Jamie up higher in the air above him, the tot screaming with laughter. “She threatened to come round later.” “I’ll kick her fucking ass!” Katie folded her arms across her chest and a wry smile crossed Steve’s face as he brought Jamie back down to his chest.

“Yeah I told her I didn’t fancy her chances.”

“Where’s Emmy now?” Katie asked.

“In her room, she said she wanted to be alone for a bit.”

Katie pondered for a moment, before she moved and walked out of the kitchen, calling up the stairs, “Emmy? Can you come down for a minute please?”

Katie came back into the kitchen and it wasn’t long before Emmy appeared, her eyes red. Katie sighed and pulled her into a hug.

“I’m sorry, I just, ” Emmy sniffed. “He was so rude and…” “Sweetie, we’re not mad.” Katie shook her head, steering the girl across the hall “We just want to talk to you, about what he said,” she gestured at one of the seats by the breakfast bar, “sit.”

Emmy did as she was told and Steve placed Jamie in the pack and play at the corner of the room. There was a minute or so silence before Katie slid a mug of hot chocolate, containing marshmallows and cream across the counter to Emmy, then passed Steve a coffee, picking up her own drink before she rounded the counter and sat on a stool next to Emmy, Steve staying where he was, the base of his back leaning against the worktop opposite them.

“So your dad told me what happened.” Katie began “And we want to talk to you about what that little jerk said to you.”

“I shouldn’t have let him get to me.” Emmy shrugged “I know what he was saying was crap but…” “If your dad had a dollar for every time he had reacted to something he shouldn’t have done he’d be richer than Tony.” Katie smiled and Steve gave a scoff.

“You’re a fine one to talk.” He raised an eyebrow at his wife and she grinned.

“And as for throwing you out once you’re old enough,” Katie shook her head, “you’re with us for as long as you wanna be. And then even when you don’t want to be, and you move out, we’ll be keeping tabs on you, annoying you, like Tony does to me.”

Emmy smiled and wiped at her eyes.

“You said he’s been picking on you for a while?” Steve asked “What made you snap today?” Emmy shrugged “I guess I was just fed up with it and when he was laughing about my name on my test paper, and he called me an orphan rat I saw red.” Katie took a deep breath, she was furious but before she could say anything Steve spoke, a frown creasing his brow.

“What do you mean he was laughing at your name?” “My surname.” Emmy shrugged “On stuff like the register and things at school its Rogers but on my official test papers for my grades it has to be McKellen, because Rogers isn’t my real name. And he was laughing saying that I didn’t belong anywhere.” Steve and Katie locked eyes and Steve was the first one to break away.

“Does it bother you, that your name isn’t Rogers?”

“Not normally.” She shrugged

“What if we made it so?” Katie asked.

“What, like change it legally?” “That’s one way of doing it.” Steve shrugged. “The other is we adopt you.” Katie looked at her husband and smiled. This was something they’d mentioned in passing to one another a few times but never really talked about in any detail as, well, to them things were fine as they were. But now, well, it just felt right. The next step for them all. Making her status as their daughter official.

“Adopt me?” Emmy’s voice was a whisper.

“Yeah.” Katie nodded. “Look, Em, as far as we’re concerned you’re already our daughter, and not just a foster one either. It’s merely a formality. But it’s up to you.” “Do you want to think about it?” Steve asked.

“No.” Emmy shook her head as she looked up tears in her eyes. “No, I don’t want to think about it. I’d love it, I really would.” Katie smiled as the girl threw her arms round her shoulders and began to sob. Steve put his mug down on the counter next to him and strode round to wrap his large arms around both his girls until a loud screech form the corner of the room made them all look up. Jamie was stood gripping the side of his play pen, clearly disgruntled at being left out of the hug.

“Alright pal, point taken.” Steve picked him up and carried him back to where Emmy was now wiping her eyes. He handed the tot to his older sister and Katie grinned.

“Family hug?” She opened her arms and Emmy laughed, as the four of them snuggled together in a huddle.

*****

March 2021

Despite Steve’s best attempts to ignore it, there was something in what that little shit had said to Emmy that had really bothered him. The Avengers fucked up. It wasn’t an alien thought, he often found himself thinking back to how they had failed but he normally shook himself out of it. They’d done the best they could, they simply hadn’t stood a chance.

The thing was, not all of the public saw that. On more than one occasion the remaining Avengers had all experienced some kind of vitriol from the public, Natasha still receiving hate mail for them all at the compound. Whilst people he met understood, it was always the ones that didn’t which stuck in Steve’s mind, but he’d never had anything more than the odd whispered insult or dirty look come his way, that was until a few day’s after Jamie’s first birthday.

He was in the store with Emmy, picking up a few bits and pieces for the family gathering they were having to celebrate Jamie turning one and he could feel someone’s eyes on him, which wasn’t unusual. What was unusual, however, was the tap on the shoulder her received as he tossed a few items from the list Katie had given him into the trolley.

“I thought it was you.”

Steve turned to see a dark haired man, the same height as him looking back.

“Can I help you?” Steve asked politely.

The man snorted “I thought at one point, yeah, but you didn’t, this…us…what the world is now, it’s all your fault.” Steve took a deep breath, and spotted Emmy returning to the aisle he was in with an armful of snacks he had sent her for.

“Sir-” Steve began, trying to placate the man but before he could do anything the guy had punched him straight in the face. It wasn’t a hard blow, but Steve hadn’t been expecting it. Or the subsequent blows for that matter.

He was vaguely aware Emmy was screaming, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a security guard hurrying towards him. Before he reached them, Emmy had kicked the man hard in the shin and was shouting at him, as he hopped on his good leg. Steve doubled over, the ringing in his ears subsiding as he pinched at his nose which was streaming blood.

“Oh my God.” A female voice said “Billy, what…” she looked up at Steve and paled “Captain, oh God, I’m so sorry…he’s…” Steve waved away another member of the public who had come to help, insisting he was fine. Taking a deep breath he looked up and saw the man was now crying, his head buried into his wife’s shoulders.

“We…we lost our son.” The lady continued, with a choked voice. “He hasn’t dealt with it so well.”

“I’m sorry.” Steve bowed his head, it was all he could think to say.

“It isn’t you fault” The lady shook her head. “And he doesn’t think that, not really, it’s just we never got a proper explanation, you know, bar official government statements. No real help to come to terms with anything.” “That doesn’t mean he can just punch the crap outta my dad!” Emmy blazed, indignantly and Steve lay a hand on her shoulder. “Emmy.” He shook his head gently before he turned to the woman. “I’m sorry that no one was there for you and I’m sorry that we couldn’t do more. But we tried.” The last three words were almost a plea to her, trying to make her understand they had tried, boy did they try. She cast him another sad look before she led her husband away.

“You ok?” Steve looked down at his daughter.

“Me?” She frowned “What about you?” “Had worse.” Steve mumbled, gently touching his nose “Let’s get out stuff and get home before it starts to set. I don’t fancy having to re-break it.”

**** Katie was sat smiling as Natasha was holding Jamie up, his hands curled round her fingers as she guided him round the living room.

“Won’t be long until he’s doing this himself.” The red head smiled, and Katie grinned.

“He’s growing so fast.”

“Think you’ll have another?” Nat looked at her.

Katie shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, Steve would have a football team full if I let him but, who knows.”

Nat smiled and Katie’s attention turned back to her son who was toddling in front of his Auntie. He was looking more and more like his father each day and was now a substantial little chunk who was pretty strong and robust too. Small bumps and knocks didn’t seem to phase him at all, and the other day he’d been playing with a tonka truck and had fallen onto it, flattening it completely. He’d screamed blue murder, more over the fact his toy was broken than he had been hurt, but it had made both his parents realise that he was definitely half Super Soldier and wasn’t inheriting any of Steve’s pre-serum ailments, much to Steve’s relief.

Their attention was taken as all three of them heard the car pull up the gravel drive and Jamie gave an excited giggle and started moving his legs even faster at the sound, understanding it to mean his father was back. Smiling to herself, Katie watched as he giggled and started trying to run to the door, and when it opened she looked up fully expecting Steve to grin and swoop his boy up into his arms, except what greeted her made her hand fly up to her mouth. His shirt was covered with blood and his nose was out of shape.

“Shit.” Katie stood up and headed straight to him, gently reaching up to slide a finger to his face, tilting it so she could see. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine sweetheart” he said gently.

“What the hell happened?” Nat asked as she picked Jamie up, who was still squirming to get to his father, completely nonplussed by what was going on.

“Some guy in the store punched him.” Emmy explained, and Katie looked at her daughter, whose eyes were swollen, she’d been crying.

“What? Why?” she frowned. “Em, can you grab me an ice pack out the freezer?” Steve asked before she could answer, she was upset enough as it was and he didn’t want her seeing or hearing what was coming next. She nodded and headed off.

“Steve.” Katie watched as he sat down on the sofa, shaking his head.

“Just reset it before it starts to heal anymore.” He grumbled. “Quickly before she gets back.”

Katie sat next to him and reached out gently. He grit his teeth as she snapped his nose back into place. Across the room Nat flinched at the crunching noise it made.

“Fuck.” Steve cursed softly before laying his head back against the cushions of the couch steadying his breathing as his eyes began to water from the pain. He knew it would heal quickly but that didn’t stop it hurting like hell.

“You gonna tell us what happened?” Katie asked, looking at him.

“Some guy at the store recognised me and started screaming that it was all our fault, the Snap, and hit me.”

“Must have been a pretty hard swing.” Nat said gently, bouncing Jamie up and down, distracting him with the Cap teddy bear she had grabbed off the floor. Jamie grinned at the bear and grabbed it, sticking the ear of it into his mouth.

“He didn’t just hit you once, Dad.” Emmy said gently as she returned, passing him the ice pack.

“How many times was it?” Katie frowned.

“Four ,maybe.” he shrugged

“Try Six” Emmy muttered.

“Six?!” Katie’s voice grew loud

“And you just let him?” Nat’s snorted. “What else could I do Nat?” Steve sighed, “I couldn’t hit him back…” “Yes, you damned well could!” Katie seethed. “Fuck!”

“Language.” Steve chastised playfully. “Besides, wasn’t really going to hit him once Em had kicked him in the shin.”

“You kicked him?” Katie looked at Emmy who shrugged.

“He was screaming and punching so I kicked him, real hard, and then told him that he was an asshole, and everyone had lost, and that he should try fighting Thanos in a field in Wakanda himself if he could do any better…” “Then the guy’s wife appeared.” Steve sighed, pressing the ice pack to his face.

“Yeah, she was nice.” Emmy nodded. “Said they had lost their son and she was so sorry.” “But they’d never really had a chance to ask questions or had an explanation other than what the Government had said.” Steve’s voice was muffled slightly from the pack. “But it got me thinking in the car about how many other people out there like that.” “So we had an idea.” Emmy nodded “Support groups.” “Support groups?” Katie frowned.

“Yeah, we have them at school.” Emmy said “Somewhere for people to go and talk about their issues and feelings.” “That’s actually not a bad idea.” Nat mused and Steve nodded.

“I know. Surprised we didn’t think of it sooner.”

“Well we’ve had other things on our minds.” Katie popped a shoulder, gently.

“I’m gonna help.” Emmy smiled. “We’re gonna brainstorm ideas later after the party.”

“Yeah, on that, do me a favour and no one mention this to Tony when he gets here.” Steve groaned as he stood up, ice pack still on his nose. “I’m going to get cleaned up.”

Leaving Emmy to watch Jamie, Nat and Katie unloaded the car and took the supplies to the kitchen. Steve showered quickly and came back to help them, and it wasn’t long before the food was sorted, Katie’s ability to cook how easily she did never ceased to amaze Steve. Before long the gang arrived and Morgan toddled in, holding Tony’s hand before he let go and she bee-lined for Emmy who was sat on the living room floor where she had been sat looking at a book with Jamie.

“Hey Moo!” Emmy grinned at the younger girl who sat with a soft thud next to her, leaning into her older cousin for a hug.

Tony watched them for a short while before he asked if Emmy was okay and then headed into the kitchen to find Pepper already clutching a glass of champagne. Katie handed him a beer as she pulled him into a hug and he shook Steve’s hand.

“You’re in the same room as usual.” Katie looked at him. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted Moo in with you guys or not so there’s the travel cot in there or she can have the room over from you…” “She can stay with us.” Tony nodded, taking a pull from his beer.

“Where is she?” Natasha asked.

“With Emmy. She adores that kid.”

“Have you told her the paperwork has been finalised?” Pepper asked looking at Katie and Steve who both shook their head.

“No, we’re gonna surprise her with that later.” Katie smiled.

“We got her a little something.” Tony swallowed his beer. “You know, just to welcome her officially to the mad house.” “What is it?” Steve asked suspiciously.

“Nothing Iron Man or Tony Stark related.” Pepper looked at Steve. “I promise.” Tony shrugged. “Spoil sport.” The five adults all headed into the large living room, Jamie grinned up at his uncle and crawled over to him. Tony swung him up in the air and smiled, that is until Jamie head-butted him by accident.

“Oww…shhhhhhhhugar!” The billionaire corrected his curse before wincing. “Man, Rogers, this kid has your knuckle head.” Steve smirked. “He’s still half Stark.”

“Mind you, you should be grateful he doesn’t take after his mom. She was a horror.” “Was not.” Katie shot back indignantly. “Kiddo, you were a pain in the ass.” Tony sniggered. “You stuck bread in the VCR. Dad hit the roof.” “I thought it was a toaster.” Katie shrugged as the room laughed. “Mind you, not like we have to worry about that now seeing as VCRs went out in the stone age.” “Was that an age joke?” Tony smirked. “Do I have to respond with one about your husband or…” Steve rolled his eyes “Go ahead, be original.” “You know you’re almost as sarcastic as she is now.” Nat but in, pointing at Katie who grinned before she looked at Tony.

“You remember what dad used to say?”

“Sarcasm is a measure of potential,” Tony imitated their father’s voice. “And if that’s true…” “You’ll be a great man someday.” Katie finished, the two of them laughing.

Despite the crappy start to the day, it was a nice afternoon surrounded by their family. They drank, ate and eventually it was time for the cake which Katie and Steve were excited about, for good reason. Katie placed it down on the coffee table in the middle of the lounge, complete with candles. For the first time the group got a look at it, and Steve heard Emmy gasp. Half the large cake was iced in blue, the other half was lilac and across the top the word ‘Happy’ spanned both halves, before the next line read birth on the blue side and adoption on the other, before the word day sat underneath.

Emmy glanced up at her parents, her eyes filling with tears. “You mean…” Steve grinned and handed her the envelope he’d retrieved from the kitchen, which she took in shaking hands. “Signed, sealed, done. You’re officially a Rogers, Em.”

“Poor thing.” Tony mumbled, earning himself a slap round the back of the head from Natasha.

Together the Rogers’ children blew out their candles (well, Katie blowing Jamie’s out on his behalf before the boy could grab one of them and burn himself) and then Emmy turned to look at Steve and Katie before throwing herself forwards, her arms round both their waists. Steve’s arm fell to her back and he pressed a kiss to Katie’s cheek before Tony stepped forward and handed Emmy a small gift bag.

“It’s just a little something.” He smiled. “Just to say welcome to the family, officially we mean, because you’re already part of the…” He rolled his eyes as Emmy blinked up at him. “Just take it, kid.”

Emmy took the bag and opened it, her eyes widening as she looked at the box, emblazoned with the word Pandora. Katie peered down as Emmy opened it and smiled at the charm bracelet which was inside. It held charms, the letters EJR for her initials, Emily Jayne Rogers.

“Thank you.” She whispered before she gave Tony a hug, then Pepper. She stepped back and turned around, her eyes brimming with tears. “This is the best day ever!”

And despite the shitty start to it in the store, Steve was inclined to agree it hadn’t been that bad at all.

Chapter 47

**Original Posting**

#stark spangled banner #steve rogers #Katie Stark #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fic #steve rogers x ofc #steve rogers x original female character #mcu #mcu fanfic #chris evans #chris evans characters

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drakewalkerfantasy · 3 years

Text

Consequences: Chapter 1

Synopsis:

Jordan Williams is a former Marine who starts a new life joining Medical school at age of 27.

Rachel Ferguson is a freshly out of college graduate and Medical school 1st year student.

Two complete strangers who fell in bed together for a night of solace from their moment of anger and hurt. By chance, they were brought together and their fates intertwined.

Not realising yet that not only they share the same house, they also share the person they cannot lose no matter what.

What will happen when the reality of the one night’s actions filled with lust and anger will hit them both? What will happen when he will find out that the girl he spent the night with is not only his housemate but also his best friend’s little sister? The one he swore to himself never to touch, the one for whom he will never be good enough. Will he be able to keep his hands off her? Or are they doomed from the beginning?

Words: 3600

Authors notes: Some chapters maybe NSFW or have a mature content

Jordan Williams x Rachel Ferguson (Rae, Rae-Rae)

**Warnings: Alcohol consumption, anger, bad decisions in next chapter.*

Jordan Williams never was the one who scared easily, or backed out of his decision for that matter.

Former Marine, even though his parents didn’t support him or approve of it... the one of the few survivors of his platoon… The hero, who single handedly carried his friends out from the burning hell on Earth not knowing if they were dead or alive. Who by some miracle survived, but was left with the nightmares to remind him of how lucky or cursed he was, and with the ugly scars to never let him forget of the ones who weren’t as fortunate. Limping on his right leg, but at least breathing and moving.

And today even though he still wasn’t scared, he was nervous. This was the last Friday before he was starting his new life. No more deployments. No more deaths, at least not on his watch. And as many lives as he could save after he would learn how to do that. After he would become one of the best surgeons and open the clinic for the people like him, who would survive beating all odds. For Doctors without the borders who wouldn't be scared to help people in the burning hells... who will be ready and willing to help as many dying to survive, be it soldiers or civilians, something that he failed to do then. But damn him, if he wouldn't do it now, after he would learn how to do that.

And he was determined to learn how… nothing and no-one would stop him, that is what he swore to himself that day. That is what kept him going no matter how difficult it was.

Trying to block the nerves raking through him he gripped the steering wheel firmer trying not to think of the only thing that overshadowed his new beginning. Of the fact that the place that he found for the living, was already occupied, which meant that he would have a housemate, something that he was determined never to have. The main reason why no matter how hard his best friend tried to convince him to rent a house together, he did not succumb to his persuasion. Preferring solitude instead to the company. Not wanting anyone to see him at his lowest or to hear his screams during the nights, while he would wake up sweating from yet another nightmare night after night. And as a result of that he got himself in a situation in which he was now, fated to share the house with the person he even never met.

He huffed, driving toward the lonely standing house, someone’s car was already parked there. He looked around, leaving his car in a free space. Getting out of his SUV, Jordan went toward the house.

Getting inside, he noticed still packed boxes in the hall, but he couldn't hear or see anyone else, which meant that his housemate left without unpacking.

Typicall. He thought, walking further into the house, entering a living room he would be forced to share with someone else. He looked around the neat and cozy room, two armchairs were standing opposite the fireplace, the massive bookcase was located along one of the walls.

He was about to go and check the kitchen when he heard his phone calling. Taking it out, he checked the Caller’s ID before answering the call, listening for a familiar voice coming from his mobile.

“Hey, Jody.”

“Morning to you too, Brandon,” replied Jordan, putting his keys into the bowl and moving further into the kitchen.

“I take it, you finally get to your new place? Settled in okay? How is your new housemate? Still not regretting not moving in with me?” questioned Brandon in his carefree manner, as if he wasn’t on the verge of death no more than six month back after he would save Jordan's life, and in return Jordan saved his. His cheerful voice caused a surge of amazement through Jordan while he listened to his friend.

“You know I hate it when you call me that,” Jordan growled frowning after finally the questions stopped in that annoyingly abrupt manner he hated. “And yes, I already got to my new place but had no chance to settle in just yet. Answering your last question, I have no idea who my new housemate is as I can see only unopened boxes there. But I do hope that the person I share this place with is someone who will not interrupt my study or throw constant parties... Although based on the fact that instead of unpacking, this housemate just left… I guess I can say goodbye to that…”

“Yes, yes… Got it,” brushed him off Brandon. “About your studies. Even though I still don't know why you need it in the first place, you always could join the forces, but what I do know, is the fact that you need to unwind before it starts… let loose... have meaningless one-night fun... sometimes I really think you forget how to have fun spending all your free time buried in books,” said Brandon, making Jordan flinch at his choice of words. He could be buried… they both could be... as were most of the guys from their platoon.

Pale, bloodied faces appeared in front of his eyes. His hand is suddenly covered in blood right in front of his eyes… screams deafeningly loud dying on their lips twisted in agony, leaving only few of them alive, and if no one would come soon they would join their comrades, their friends… faster than they could finish the prayer… not that either of them believed, not after what they have seen or could lose.

“What do you mean?” forced out Jordan, closing his eyes and letting out the slow breath.

“I mean that you wouldn’t recognise fun and beauty even if she bumped into you... And you are coming with me to the party. I need a wingman, and you need to unwind. Hopefully with some cute girl, whose face you will forget the next morning,” chuckled Brandon, making Jordan frown moving his phone a bit further from his ear.

“Never,“ cut Jordan, shaking his head. He was done with partying or with women. Done… "You know I don’t do parties… not anymore.”

“Yes, but you also know I will not give up until you say yes. So let’s make it easier on both of us. Should we?,” laughed Brandon.

“I need to unpack my stuff, and it may take the whole day. Also, I need to go to the library to pick up some books for my studies as tomorrow the library will be closed. So this time you will need to manage this on your own.”

“If these are the only reasons then I don’t see any reason why not.”

“I told you, I will not have…,” Jordan tried to say.

“Nope, still cannot see why you wouldn’t have time for some fun. I will be at your place in twenty minutes and will help you unpack, and then we will pick up your books before crashing this party.”

“You will not give up… aren’t you?”

“Man, you should know by now that never.”

“Fine…” sighed Jordan exasperatedly, looking at his watch. “Be here in twenty minutes, but I will leave the party before 10 pm. Understood?”

“See you in twenty minutes,” replied Brandon, ending the call.

Almost an hour later Jordan finally heard a knock on the door. Grudgingly, he opened it, letting his best friend inside the house.

“You are late,” stated he, holding one of the boxes in his hands. The pain shot through his body, but he didn’t even flinch, still staring at his friend.

“Sorry, I met my new neighbours. Movers bailed on her and her little boy, so I helped her to carry boxes inside,” shrugged Brandon nonchalantly passing by Jordan feeling not even the slightest bit sorry for his delay.

Another hour later and unloading the last boxes that Jordan brought with him, they finally started to unpack them. And in another three hours, they were finally done.

All the stuff that Jordan took with him were put neatly to their places. The bookshelf in the living room stocked with books he brought, and a picture of him and his older sister was put above the fireplace. They both looked in satisfaction around the room putting the empty boxes into the storage place. Brandon patted Jordan on the back before going toward the door.

“So now, when we finally finished unpacking,” started his friend. His eyes widening, when he noticed how Jordan with displeasure looked on his new housemate’s still packed boxes.

Quickly his friend marched back to him grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the door, letting him only grab his keys on the way out. “Don’t you even dare to think about that. You are NOT touching your roomies’ stuff. Now…. let’s go to this place, where you need to be quiet and bore yourself to death or we will be late to the party.”

That word again… thought Jordan. The word that made him flinch every time, remembering the day of his friends’ deaths. Still blaming himself that he couldn’t have saved them all, didn't see approaching danger earlier and when he did it was already too late to warn guys as all hell broke loose just a second after he sensed the danger.

“Can you stop calling it that? And the library can be fun when you know what you are looking for,” he snapped, hoping his friend missed his reaction before they both exited the house, shutting the door behind.

It was already three o’clock when they rushed toward the library, trying to get on time before it was closed. After another ten minutes of arguing that Brandon should wait for him in the car instead of constantly complaining about the place or flirting with every single girl they would meet, Jordan ran up the stairs taking two steps at the time before disappearing behind the heavy doors. When he was about to round the corner, he felt someone bumping straight into him. The heavy books the person was carrying fell to the ground hitting his foot painfully. Making him swear under his breath, looking at the person in front of him with the frown.

“Haven’t you ever been taught that you need to look where you are going?” huffed Jordan in annoyance, crouching in front of the girl with the blonde hair and helping her to collect scattered books. “Next time, watch where you are going,” said he with a scowl on his face, shoving the books into her arms before looking at her for the first time.

The girl looked at him with the wide open forest green eyes that looked somehow familiar, no matter how silly it may sound. He quickly raked his gaze over her, taking in every detail of her petite form, before hastily returning it back to her eyes. The tongue darted out running over her lips, making his gaze drop to them darkening just for a split second, while following the movement. Her rosy lips parted as if forming a reply, but he quickly shook himself out of his state and before she could utter even a word he raised to his feet and strolled into the library, leaving a startled stranger behind.

“What a jerk,” she mumbled, standing up with the help of her friends and adjusting her skirt.

“But he is a handsome jerk,” whistled an athletic-looking guy, watching after Jordan, throwing a hand over the blonde girl’s shoulder. “Isn’t he, Heath?”

“Ohhhh, yes. He is yummy, and that ass in low cut jeans,” moaned Heather turning to face her friend. “And did you see his lips? Rae-Rae, if I would bump into him… he wouldn’t leave… so easily,” said she with a wink.

“You two are just ridiculous... I hate you,” groaned Rachel, covering her face with books she was now holding in front of her. Her cheeks flamed. “Can you think of anything, but sex?”

Heather and Derek, the guy, who threw a hand over her shoulder, shared an incredulous look, before shaking their heads and answering in unison.

“Nope… never… And you love us, girl.”

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” frowned Rachel, raising her head to look at her friend.

“Yes, I do. And this is why I don’t try to get the boy myself. Also, because he is straight,” shrugged off Derek, with a wide smile.

“And how exactly do you know that?” questioned Rachel rolling her eyes.

“Did you see the way he looked at you?” asked Derek, sharing another look with Heather, the plan already building in their heads.

“Okay, you two… drop it. I know this look, and you will not try to hook me up with him. He looked at me the same way as any other rich boy in town would look at me. He is a jerk and a snob. And I’m not interested. Besides you know I have a lot on my plate right now. So stop even thinking about this. Be thankful I even agreed to go to that party with you, because if my brother finds out I lied to him... He will kill you first for dragging me there and then lock me up until graduation... or death in solitude,” she mumbled quickly before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. “And Derek, don’t you dare to forget that you promised me to do our dance. We need to practice.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll remember. I’m always up to show my new moves,” he said, wiggling his brows.

“Okay, then let’s go. You know I need to change first and unpack my boxes before my housemate will arrive, which you also promised to do with me,” reminded Rachel, and they went to her house, laughing on their way there.

By the time the clock struck seven, Jordan went into a club hosting a party, scowling at the number of people there. His posture was stiff and on alert while he looked around. Ready to jump into an action at any time.

“Brandon, tell me again, why exactly did I agree to go with you?” said he in a loud voice, while trying to get through the crowd and not to lose his friend from the view, who already scanned the crowd for the distraction for the night.

“To have fun, plus I needed a wingman... Actually... scratch out the last one, I see a target at the bar, bored, single, challenging, redhead. Wingman not required,” Brandon said with a wink, when they finally got inside, instantly starting to move into the direction of the petite girl who captured his attention leaving Jordan behind.

He followed his friend with a glance before looking around the floor. His attention immediately drew to a dancing couple in the middle of the dance floor. Both moving as a whole to the sounds of Latin Music. The sensual dance attracted the drunken crowd closer to them, creating a commotion on the dance floor from enthusiastic screams and whistles. His brows furrowed instantly when he recognised the same pretty blonde girl he met earlier today. Her hair laid in soft waves. And he felt how his gaze unintentionally riveted to her, watching her every move, unable to tear his gaze away.

He watched how the guy led her into a low dip. His hand shifted to the small of her back when another traveled along her neck caressing her body as if they were in the confidentiality of the bedroom. His hand slowly reached for her knee making her stretch out her leg. A beautiful red dress flowed around her body, dancing around her petite frame like flames. At some point during the dance, she looked straight into his eyes, and he felt as if falling under her spell. Her soft forest green eyes were burning with fire, alighting something unexplored inside of him. Something that had died with his friends that day, something that they never will have and something that he will never deserve.

He could feel how his heart sped up beating as never before, and his breath elevated, from the beats of sultry music and the way her body moved in another man’s arms. Waves of golden hair refracted the lights of the club, and she moved, holding his gaze as though burning him alive from the inside. As if under the spell, Jordan moved closer to the dancers not even realising it until a buzzing of his mobile broke him out of his daze.

It seemed that eternity had passed when in reality it was only a splitting second, second that he would be not able to get out of his mind. He could feel the pounding of his heart increasing with impending anger as he looked at the caller’s ID, blinking once... twice at the phone clenched in his hand. Contemplating for a moment to just let it go to the voicemail. Not wanting or ready for another confrontation that was inevitably coming.

Deep down he knew that it wasn’t a solution and no matter how long he would avoid it his mother would find the way to get to him, so before he could think about that more he went outside of the club to take a call, not even sparing another glance to the dance floor... or to the girl who’s eyes looked so familiar.

“Mother,” he said, taking a call. “Sorry, I…,” he started, interrupted by his mother’s voice “No mother, I didn’t… I’m with Brandon… Yes, he is still my friend,” replied Jordan, trying to stay calm, while listening to his mother. His grip on the phone was getting firmer and firmer with every word she said, surprised that it didn't break in half by the time he had a chance to speak again. “Mother, no I still plan to study Medicine and not business,” said he, annoyed by yet another remark from his mother. “MOTHER,” he said, raising his voice and losing control just for a split second, before taking a deep calming breath and closing his eyes. “This is my life, and I have all the right to decide what I want or don’t want to do with it. Look what you've done to Leslie? Isn’t it enough…,” exasperatedly said he, only to be shut up by his mother once again. “Yes, mother,” he gritted through his clenched teeth, feeling how his blood started to boil again, wanting nothing more than to get drunk, and to get away as far as possible from his family as he did while he served in the Marine Corps, until he couldn't do that anymore.

His hand reached for his hip by instinct. The wound was deep enough to make him bleed to death on that ill fated day leaving him dead, but it didn’t happen... Instead it made him limp, but he could manage that. This he could hide from everyone with the prescribed medicine when the pain got to the point of unbearable and with the gritted teeth when he just wanted to limp, not caring if somebody will consider it a weakness. And it took him the hell of a lot of willpower to remember it. To remember that he cannot allow himself to be weak, couldn’t allow to show it. No one knew how bad it was... no one except Brandon, who was there for him after he saved his life. The only person who knew that if the bullet would have hit the inch higher or if the help would get there a little bit later Jordan would bleed to death. The only person to whom he told how bad it is and how much pain it causes him even now.

“No, I will not change my mind,” said he on autopilot before ending the phone call abruptly without listening to what else his mother wanted to say. After a moment, he finally shoved the phone back into the pocket of his dark blue jeans moving back into the club and walking toward the bar.

The music has changed to something slower and sensual, and when he looked on the dance floor his eyes landed on the same tantalisingly beautiful stranger who was in the middle of the argument.

He could see how some man grabbed her hand, but she jerked it from him and stormed toward the exit.

He huffed, downing one drink after another, not paying attention to what he was drinking, his eyes dropping back to the bar in front of him. His thoughts involuntarily returned to the girl, but he pushed them away. Frustrated and angry by the fact that he couldn’t get her out of his head for some inexplicable reason. Hurt and angry by the fact his mother managed to get under his skin once again.

By the time he was done and ready to leave the club, the anger boiling inside him reached the limit. Jordan rose abruptly, almost tripping over his feet, when the pain in his hip shot through his leg, making him curse under his breath, taking a moment to compose himself.

He looked around, searching for Brandon, but couldn’t find him anywhere, so he typed him a quick message letting him know that he was heading back to his place. When he was just about to exit the club, he felt someone bump straight into him. His arms instinctively wrapped around the person’s shoulders, preventing them both from the fall.

Tagging: @choices-bound @lahelasaveiro

#Book 1: Consequences #contemporary romance #Jordan Williams x Rachel Ferguson #Brandon Ferguson

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ds-ts-smut-fics · 4 years

Text

Lovely Boys [Chapter One]

Summary: Janus and Logan are both in love with Remus, it’s just a matter of who can convince Remus of their feelings first.

Trigger warnings: NSFW, real hardcore insecurity, not the healthiest habits, rough sex, being caught (kind of, they’re not walked in on), mention of abusive and negligent past exes who neglected proper BDSM rules, some very rude degrading self talk, sl*t as an endearing term

Genre: Hurt/Comfort smut (Sub Remus, dom Logan, switch Janus), intruloceit

Written by: Virgil & Claire

Edited by: Virgil

A/N: This is completely written, so unlike Sweet On You, the whole thing should be posted relatively quickly/consistently lmao. We set out to write a quick one shot and then wrote an angsty 40 pages. ~Virgil

Remus fell in love with Janus the moment they moved in together.

He walked through the door with his arms loaded with half-closed luggage, and when he saw the man standing in the kitchenette, he realized what a mistake he had made responding to the ad. He was thin, with vitiligo paling his otherwise tan skin. His hair was dyed yellow, with floofy bangs that hung in his gray eyes.

Without looking back, Janus hummed softly. "Hello, you're certainly not welcome… Come in and put your things down? You would be Remus, I presume."

Remus cleared his throat and tried not to stumble over his words. “Yep!” He kicked the door shut and dropped his luggages with a loud clatter. “Yeah, that’s me, Remus. You’re, uh, you’re not Janus, are you?” Surely this was Janus’ super hot boyfriend— Not someone Remus had to converse with regularly without imagining him… Just, never mind.

"I am… I hope you weren't expecting a female…" A frown crossed his face as he turned, showing black painted nails as he tapped his cracked lips. "That would be unfortunate indeed."

Remus coughed. He was, actually. “That’s not the problem here,” he said cheerfully, quickly averting his gaze from Janus’ nails, his mouth. “The ad sure didn’t warn me I’d have to be able to withstand sexy roommate syndrome.”

Surprised laughter bubbled from his lips as he leaned on the counter. "Oh, my… You're quite a charmer, aren't you? At least you didn't run. I promise not to bite unless asked~?"

Remus shuddered. “Which way’s my room?” He squeaked. Don’t pounce your new roommate. Real shitty first impression.

Waving him to follow, he labeled the rooms, opening Remus' door for him. "I do hope you're not afraid of snakes, or the gays~?"

“Snakes?” Remus grinned and bounced after him. “You have snakes?!”

Nodding, he smiled. "I shall introduce you after you unpack and we eat dinner?"

Remus flushed dark red. “You want me to eat with you?” His voice came out a little more subdued.

Janus nodded with a frown. "Yes? It's rather important to me to make sure people I know are taking care of themselves— Just ask the debate team! I bring snacks and water to every practice debate."

“Well…” Remus straightened up with a grin. “Then I’ll help cook!”

Remus rushed back to the front door and grabbed one of his overstuffed suitcases, which had bursted open upon impact, and dragged it towards his room. Dirty laundry, lewd comics, and crinkled sketchbooks trailed behind.

Picking up after him, Janus nodded. "That sounds entirely doable…. Split the food budget and alternate dish duty then?"

“Mhm!”

Remus got all of his shit into his room, and throughout dinner, he had somehow managed to not slobber all over everywhere staring at Janus. He wasn’t… Entirely prepared for his roommate to be so hot and so gay. So he had fallen pretty fast, and then tucked away any notion of his feelings being returned. For safety.

That was pretty simple, until he met Logan.

Frowning softly, Logan nearly ran over someone in the sidewalk, stumbling and holding his bag. "Terribly sorry… Do you know where 241 is?"

Remus brightened up. He’d had a pretty shitty morning, what with walking into the kitchenette to find Janus shirtless and somehow Remus spilled hot bacon grease on him, but this boy was extremely cute. Any excuse to get his mind off the embarrassment!

“I sure do!” A predatory grin slid over Remus’ face as he squinted up at him, the sun in his eyes. “Headed there right now, why don’t I escort you and keep you safe from all the assholes headed that way?”

"A capital idea indeed… Would that indicate that you are also taking anatomy lab at this time?" Falling into step with the smaller boy, a small smile tugged at his lips. He's too cute… That streak in his hair, the mustache. I want to know how that would feel. Oh, dear.

“Mhm!” Remus’s cheery voice, and his arm wrapping around Logan’s, broke him out of his daze. “Right now and later tonight if you’re up for it!”

Blushing, he nodded. "Perhaps… See if you can keep up with me as a lab partner and then we can see if you're still up for more~?"

Remus looked up in surprise. His shitty pickup lines never worked! He laughed a bit. “Are you shitting me?”

"If you are truthfully asking and can put up with my, admittedly very dominating, personality, I see no reason to not try at least a one night arrangement. Unless you were joking and are in fact straight?" He tipped his head gently with a smirk.

Remus shivered in excitement. When was the last time he was dommed? He ruffled Logan’s hair and giggled. “I can handle you if you can handle me!” He yanked him into class, picking the seat next to Logan and glaring at anyone who tries to sit near them.

Laughing lightly, Logan hummed, setting up his workspace carefully and nudging Remus to do the same. "Focus, show me how well you take direction. Think of it as an interview for the position you desire~?"

Remus grinned. It was the slyest, shittiest way anyone’s ever convinced him to do his classwork, and he loved it. He couldn’t help going home that day with the biggest grin, rushing around to make sure everything’s ready for Logan’s arrival.

Logan had a bounce in his step as he collected some supplies before coming over at precisely the time they had discussed, knocking.

Remus threw the door open with a manic grin. “My roommate won’t be home for a few hours,” he said as he grabbed Logan by his shirt and yanked him inside. “Do what you will with that. Bedroom’s this way.”

Chuckling, Logan tugged Remus around to stroke his face. "Mmm, then shouldn't you kiss me, Rem~? Show me how much you want to study with me…"

“Anything you say,” he whispered, and shoved their mouths together.

Remus hadn’t kissed anybody in a long time— Several years, in fact. He was probably sloppy, and not the best, but he enjoyed it and fully intended on making it up to Logan with his… Obedience.

Sighing, Logan took him into his hand, guiding their kiss to press him into the nearest wall, encouraging his mouth to open and humming appreciatively at the taste of mint. Remus whimpered softly. He almost wouldn’t mind just doing this until Janus gets home. Logan was more commanding than Remus had really expected, manhandling him around exactly how he wanted, and the way he kissed is nothing short of wonderful.

Slowly pulling back, Logan cupped his face with a soft look. "Such a good boy for me… Show me to your room, I want to see all of you, my dear. Tell me your safe words, hmm? Also, you preferred term of endearment while you are mine~"

Remus groaned and nearly buckled. “Slut,” he said instantly. “And, uh, colour system. This way.” He tugged Logan into his room with shaking hands. It was cleaner than usual, but Remus was still Remus, and there was clutter spread about that he simply hadn’t thought of until then.

Chuckling, he hums. "Perfect… my little slut~!" Giving another deep kiss in praise, he gently spanked Remus' ass. "Put some music on and strip for me, show your dom what he's working with~"

Remus hurried to plug his phone into his speakers with an excited grin.

Sitting on the bed, he hummed. "Make me want that ass more, my slut… "

Remus stripped for him, and it wasn’t exactly a tease so much as it was Remus impatiently tugging off his clothes and looking at Logan with wide, validation-seeking eyes.

Sliding his legs apart, showing the erection tenting his pants, Logan crooked his fingers. "Good boy… Help me out of my pants and you can suck me as a treat, my lovely one… I'm finishing in your sexy ass, though~ "

Remus bounded over and knelt between Logan’s legs, impatiently tugging at his jeans. He got them down to Logan’s knees, yanked his boxers down as well, and ducked down to take Logan into his mouth.

"Oh~!" Fingers tangled in the surprisingly soft hair, he moaned out. "Fuck, Remus~! Such a good little slut, aren't you~"

Remus whimpered around his cock, wanting to respond but not daring to pull off. Instead, he pushed deeper, taking all of him.

"Yes, you are… Swallow too, Rem… Want to fuck your throat~" Tugging at his hair, he guided the motion to slowly fuck his mouth.

Remus moaned happily and swallowed every few seconds, though mostly drool dripped down his chin. He let his mind float off, gripping Logan’s hips. Had he ever been in subspace before? He didn’t think so.

Humming, Logan grinned as Remus relaxed, taking over completely to fuck into his throat. "Such a good little slut… Earning a treat before the main event~"

Remus mumbled something unintelligible around Logan’s cock, eyes rolling back.

"Tap once for yes, two for no… Your mouth is full~!" Taking him deeper, he hummed, cutting off Remus' air a little more. Remus gagged and rubbed his cock against the blankets, hips stuttering. He tapped hard, once. Logan grinned, thrusting faster. "Going to cum for master, my slut~? Only after I feed you the treat you've earned… Master cums first unless you have permission~!"

Remus whined and tapped along Logan’s hips in two-tap intervals, hips hunching.

"You beg so prettily… How can I refuse~? Cum for me, Remus~ " Using his mouth and throat, he moaned out, watching Remus fall apart.

Remus sobbed out as he came, nails digging into Logan’s hips. He didn’t pull off, as much as his throat spasmed and his back ached.

Stroking the soft hair, Logan moaned, tugging to warn Remus as he came hard. "Oh, fuuuuck~"

Remus inhaled sharply and nearly choked, but forced himself to swallow it down with watery eyes, his cock already hardening back up.

Petting him in apology, Logan moaned out, "Sorry, my slut… Couldn't hold back with the way you came apart for me~!"

Remus leaned into his pets with a little whine. “It was good,” he rasped, “I liked it.”

Stroking Remus' face, he wiped away the tears, encouraging him up to his lap. "I'm glad… "

Remus kissed him sloppily, hands rested on his chest. “Need you, master,” he mewled.

Kissing back, he grinned, petting the wiggling sub. "Mmm, let me get a condom and finish stripping as you present for me, sweetie… I'll let you pick whether you see me or I take you from behind~"

Remus bounced out of his lap with an excited giggle, flopping onto his tummy and tucking his knees underneath him. It was the best position he’d ever tried— He’d never felt anyone deeper.

Logan laughed as he saw the plug, giving Remus a squeeze. "Good boy… Do you always wear the plug or is that special for tonight~?"

He flushed deep red. He’d honestly forgotten he had it in… “Mostly just for tonight, but, um… Sometimes, you know…”

Nodding, he stroked the amazing ass presented to him, sliding on a condom and kneeling up. "You need to feel full, claimed? It's okay, my slut…"

Remus clenched and forced up a manic grin to push away the tightness in his chest. “Nah, I’m just a cockslut! Get going?”

Humming, he slid his cock over Remus' crack, teasing the plug as he tugs his hair to pull him into a kiss. "Mmm, it's okay if it's both, Rem… I'm definitely down for this to be a repeatable event if you are~ "

Remus can’t help it slip out, in a pathetic little whimper: “I’ve been that good?”

"Yes, Rem…. so good~" Removing the plug as they make out, he pressed in slowly.

Remus whimpered and buried his face in the pillows. “Ah… Yes, master, so good!”

Kissing at Remus’ neck, he took the slim hips with a moan, slowly bottoming out and starting to thrust. "So good for me, my pretty slut~! Oh, Remus~ "

“Master!” Remus cried out, thrusting back against him. “Master, harder!”

Growling, he nipped at Remus' neck, thrusts speeding as his fingers tighten on Remus' hips, bucking into him wildly. "Fuuuck, oh yesss… take my cock, slut~!"

Remus’s legs fell open and he sobbed into the pillow, coming without warning with a little shout.

Nipping his ear, Logan growled, fucking him through the high without pause. "Mmm, that good, hmm~? Break for me, slut… Shout my name for the entire building to hear~!"

“Logan!” He whined, squirming and gripping onto the sheets. “Ah, Logan, please! Too- Too much!”

Bending to press deeper, Logan chuckled in his ear. "Unless you use a color you will take it exactly as I give it to you, slut~!"

Remus let out a high whine and thrusted back into him wildly. “I’m sorry, master!”

"That's a good boy~! Submit to your master, slut… " Working him to that edge again, he eased back when he felt those clenches. "You're mine for as long as I desire to give you my cock and attention~!"

Remus drooled on the pillow as he took Logan’s cock, whimpering. He’d lay himself out for Logan every ten minutes if he asked him to. He realized with a deep fear settling in his stomach that he would do absolutely anything for Logan, just to keep him around.

Nuzzling his neck and shoulders, Logan spanked him. "Stay in the now even when you're floating, slut… focus~!"

“Sorry,” he gasped, “I’m sorry, master!”

Taking a moment to kiss his ear, Logan hummed. "I know…. Just don't want to lose you to the past or bad thoughts… Stay here, feel good with me, Rem~!"

“Yes, sir! It’s so good! Can I please come again, please please?”

Grinning, he sped his thrusts again. "Clench for me, make me cum and you can cum with me, Rem~"

Remus clenched down with a whimper, the pillow under his face soaking wet.

Moaning out, Logan thumbed him open wider, watching him take his cock deep. "On three, pet…. One… Two…" Remus gasped and fought desperately to hold on. Pressing in deep, he slammed against Remus’ prostate, and came with a moan. "Three~"

Remus came with a sob and a shout of Logan’s name and title, pressing his face deep in the pillow.

Janus paused with his hand on their front doorknob. Logan…? Is that Remus?!

Logan moaned out and grinned, burning the noise and feeling of Remus coming, laid out under him, into his memory as he filled the condom. He kissed and marked Remus up, hips slowly moving to ride the high. "Oh, gods! Remus, such a good boy~"

Remus moaned brokenly, his knees giving out to leave him flat on the mattress. “Master,” he managed.

Logan stroked Remus' face and tipped it for a kiss, shifting their positions to settle him in his lap after pulling out and discarding the condom. "Good boy, such a good boy… So proud of you! Show master where the water is, sweetie?"

“Kitchen,” he mumbled, blushing bright red at the praise. “You can just leave me at the table, I can take care of it.”

Frowning, he shook his head, picking him up for more cuddles and heading for the bathroom instead. "No… You're worthy of aftercare, my dear one…"

“What?” Remus buried his face in Logan’s shoulder. “You don’t have to. I can handle it.”

Petting him with a hum as he filled a glass, he smiled. "Remus… Look at me? I would be a terrible dom of I EVER left a sub without aftercare… and I am not that kind of person. You are worthy, and you were such an amazing boy for me!"

Remus covered his face. “Thank you, master,” he whispered.

Nuzzling, he smiled. "You're welcome… Show me your face, dear? You need to drink some water…"

Remus obeyed, drinking all the water Logan gave him. He didn’t realize how dry his throat was.

Stroking his cheek, he smiled, refilling the glass and offering it again. "Good… More. Relax into me, sweetie… Enjoy the care…"

Remus had never had aftercare before. He decided he enjoyed it. “Yes, sir,” he mumbled, sipping some more water. Then, as quietly as possible, “I’m hungry…”

Nuzzling, he smiled. "In a moment, dear…" Taking a cloth, he dampened it, cleaning them up a bit. "I know you said your roommate was unlikely to return, but… at least a blanket for you?”

“He’s seen me naked before. I sleep naked, and sleepwalk.”

Chuckling, he nuzzled lightly. "Mmm, for me then? Warmth and softness feels good as you come back to earth after a session, dear."

“Yes, sir.” He blushed and nuzzled back into him. “Anything you want.”

Heart clenching, he sighed. "You're so sweet…" Lifting again, he carried Remus back to retrieve a blanket, making him into a burrito. "Tell me what you're hungry for?"

“Waffles,” he said instantly. “I have frozen ones in the freezer. They’re blueberry.”

Nodding, he scooped Remus into his arms after slipping his boxers on, missing the sound of the other bedroom door shutting carefully. "Waffles it is, then. Butter, syrup? Perhaps some time I can make you fresh ones~?"

“We don’t have a waffle maker,” Remus said sadly.

Humming, he lifted his chin. "Ah, but I do… That was an invitation to my place, for next time~"

He lit up. “Okay!” He grinned and pecked his lips. “Sure!”

Kissing back softly, Logan laughed, and got started making the waffles. "Wonderful! You're entirely too precious to be just one night… "

Remus sniffled and forces his grin to stay up. “No… You’re probably just desperate.” He laughed. “I’m an easy fuck, you don’t have to pretend I’m not!”

"Remus…" Cupping his face, he sighed. "Was it easy to see that we had a common interest in hooking up, yes… However, I also admire your keen mind. I was attracted right off the bat, but I would like to see more of you. As friends, or friends with benefits, or more if that's where the path leads us…"

Remus’ grin faltered as he met Logan’s eyes. It took all he has not to burst into tears— What a shitty, pathetic way that’d be to end their night. “Do you wanna… Sleep over?”

Gathering him into a hug, he smiled. "If your roommate is okay with it, sure. How about a movie night and cuddles?"

He grinned. “I have a lot of movies! I’m sure Jan-Jan won’t mind, he’s super laid back.”

Arching an eyebrow, he chuckled. "Must be if he lets you call him that… But I have an idea that you'd call him nicknames even if he said not to?"

Remus pouted. “Nicknames are my love language.” He hesitated, fiddling with his fingers. “Do you… Not want me to call you nicknames?”

Humming, he lifted Remus' face. "Don't magnify my fond tease to an expression of dislike, Rem… I don't mind one bit!"

Janus listened near the door of his room, debating on going to the kitchen as his stomach twisted into knots. What is this feeling… Jealousy, but of whom?!

“Okay,” he mumbled with a cute smile. His stomach growled loudly.

Chuckling as the toaster sprung the waffles up, he stole a kiss. "Now… Butter, syrup, or both… And yes I will be cutting them up and feeding you while you sit on my lap, my pretty little one!"

He blushed bright red. “Y-yes, sir… Both, please…”

Logan slathered them up, cutting them for him as he slid Remus over into his lap. "Looks good, hmm? Open up!" Remus opened, hands rested on Logan’s chest. Logan smiled as he fed him gently. "Such a good boy!"

“No,” Remus whined. “Nuh-uh.”

Kissing his cheek, he smiled sadly. "Why not?"

Remus looked away with a little shrug. “You’ve seen it.”

Tipping his chin back to feed another bite, he hummed. "Pretend I'm an idiot. Explain to me why you're not a good boy deserving of praise?"

Remus hesitated. “Do I have to?” He asked in a small voice.

"No, you don't have to… I'm too curious for my own good sometimes." He stroked Remus’ cheek. "However, if you want to talk about things, I will listen. I’ll try to make you feel better."

For the millionth time that night, Remus could cry. “Shut up,” he mumbled with a sniffle.

Smiling, he cuddled Remus close. "It is okay to use me as a literal shoulder to cry on, Rem… No judgement."

“I don’t need to cry,” he insisted.

Breathing out, Janus decided to make his presence known, stepping into the kitchen as if summoned by the lie. "Whyever wouldn't you? Crying is healthy and a good release…"

Jumping a little, Logan cleared his throat. "Indeed…" Janus is his roommate? Oh, gosh.

Remus’ heart dropped. “Jan-Jan? When- How long have you been home?” His skin crawled in embarrassment. The dried tears still stuck to his face from earlier, wrapped in a blanket, and sat on a boy’s lap… He probably looked pathetic.

Smiling, Janus stroked his hair lightly. "Mmm, if you're asking if I heard you two making friends… I did… I'm a tad jealous, he's cute…"

Logan blushed softly. "Remus is adorable indeed…"

Remus’ face turned bright red. He buried his face in Logan’s shoulder. “Sorry, Janus… We wouldn’t have been so loud if we knew you were home.”

Logan pet him softly, embarrassed, but chose to focus on Remus, helping him hide.

Janus sighs softly, flushing lightly. "Remus… It's okay. Truly.” Then, he mumbled, “It covered up my moans nicely…"

Remus blinked. “Huh?”

Logan chuckled. "I believe we gave him, uh, motivation to touch himself, my dear…."

Janus nodded, blush deepening. "The nerd's right… "

It didn’t quite compute in Remus’ head, until he forced it to make sense with a nod. “Logan is a really good dom, isn’t he?” He blushed and looked up at Logan. He was so handsome, and hot, and commanding… He didn’t blame Janus for wanting him, too.

Janus resisted the urge to facepalm. "He did seem to elicit quite a reaction from you…" Damnit, you dense man! I wanted to be him, not fuck him!!

Logan laughed softly. Oh my… Janus has a crush on Remus…

“He made me waffles,” Remus said with a delighted grin. “And he’s been really sweet afterwards… If you two hit it off, maybe he can make you feel good, too, Jan-Jan! Have you ever had aftercare before?”

“You- You’ve never had aftercare before?! How?!” Janus tripped over his words, looking over Remus and stroking through his hair. “We can get a waffle maker… Do you want more?”

Logan muffled a laugh, stealing a bite before offering Remus more. "I know, right? I want to find those negligent doms…"

Together they finished with a low growl, "-and beat some sense into them!"

Remus, startled, looked between the two of them and wilted. “Is it… A common thing?” He managed.

Cuddling Remus, Logan nodded. "It is supposed to be… As it was explained to me, a dominant partner takes the power gifted by the submissive to make their scene reality, but aftercare is the return of that power?"

Janus nodded. "It also gives the pair time to relax, make sure that both are okay? Especially if there was a lot of degrading language or impact play, sometimes a dom needs reassurance that they didn't go too hard, and the sub is truly okay."

Remus nodded slowly. He wanted to explain that he didn’t need that, not really… But he didn’t want to. He yawned and curled into Logan’s chest, nuzzling up under his chin.

Smiling, Logan petted his hair and offered another bite of waffle. "Even if you think that you don't need it, it's a good thing for both scene partners, Rem."

“Mm,” he mumbled. “Jan-Jan, we were gonna watch some movies, do you want to join? You don’t have any early classes tomorrow, do you?” Remus glanced at the clock. It was getting close to 11.

Janus hummed thoughtfully. "I have a ten o'clock… But I think one movie would be alright."

“Yay!” Remus doubted he could even stay awake for longer than one movie, so that was perfect. He nuzzled into Logan again then stood on wobbly legs, and nearly fell over.

Logan chuckled and scooped him up with a soft kiss. "I think I broke your legs, Rem~!"

He giggled and blushed, looking over at Janus. “Whoops.” This is so embarrassing… What does Janus think of me now?

Janus snorted, reaching over to stroke Remus' cheek. "It is a good look on him…. Being cared for. Just relax, Remus… I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

If Remus could blush brighter, he would. Since moving in with Janus, he had seen every form of not-self care Remus took part in, ranging anywhere from unhealthy meals, skipping classes, and degrading comments about himself. Janus always made a fuss, but Remus didn’t think he meant it that strongly.

Nodding, Janus grabbed a blanket and the remote, working with a blushing Logan to get them settled with Remus in the middle, draped over Logan's chest. "Indeed… you just lay on me and relax, Rem…"

“Yes, sir,” he breathed before he could really think about it, eyes fluttering shut as he snuggled into Logan’s chest.

Logan's heart squeezed as he kissed Remus on the head, not noticing Janus frown in jealousy. Why is it him that gets you to relax and take my advice on care… Remus, why not me?!!

Remus only lasted halfway through the movie before passing out, little snores blowing out his mouth.

Janus inspected his nails, refusing to let his anger seep into his hushed voice as he asked, “So I assume you guys are dating now?”

Stiffening, Logan finished tucking Remus into bed and turned, voice cold and hushed. "Shall we discuss in the living room so we won't disturb him?"

Janus rolled his eyes but obeyed, leading Logan into the kitchenette and starting on a mug of coffee.

Following after retrieving his clothes and dressing, Logan took a mug and sipped. "We hadn't discussed anything like that… And I don't think he's ready. He was certain that this was a one night hookup and that I would leave after. I intend to work up to at least friends with benefits, but I assume you want him as well?"

Janus stiffened. “Remus is my best friend, nothing more. Wouldn’t dating him prove that he’s more than just a hookup to you? What do you mean ‘he’s not ready?’” He scoffed. “I see the way he looks at you— Hell, I see the way he looks at everyone. He’s just waiting for a boyfriend to drop into his lap. Are you sure it’s him that’s not ready, or were you just not prepared for the commitment?”

Growling softly, Logan's fingers tightened on the mug. "He's not emotionally ready… I wouldn't want to take advantage of that raw need! Do I want him to be mine, definitely! He's a lovely submissive, but he didn't even know about aftercare! He needs friends first, an education on what it would mean for him… I want his informed consent, not a moldable puppet, Janus!"

Janus didn’t seem convinced. “And somehow you believe that’s impossible to do in a committed relationship… That’s fine. Keep dragging him along. I’ll be here when you’re not.”

Logan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, I'm terrified that I'm not enough for him. I saw how he looked at you, too… You can't tell me that he doesn't want both of us!"

Janus looked at him in surprise, then sighed as well. “Don’t fool yourself, Logan. He wants anybody who gives him the smallest bit of attention. He doesn’t actually want either of us.”

He tapped the table with a deep frown. "That's a fair observation… Hence my reservation to commit and then have him run to the next person. However, if it were you, I wouldn't mind sharing, perhaps."

Janus’s face turned pink. He sipped his coffee and then turned away, busying himself with cleaning up. “You don’t have to say that. He chose you.”

Smirking, he smacked Janus’ ass lightly. "Perhaps…. I can't say I haven't looked at you, either~!"

Janus whipped around with a jump, face red. For the first time since Logan’s met him, he was flustered. “Wh- What?”

Adjusting his glasses, he hummed. "I had assumed you were far too dominant to attempt to obtain, but now I'm uncertain. Remus believed you were jealous of him…"

Janus crossed his arms over his chest and sneered. “Remus is an idiot. He’s the most dense man I’ve ever met.”

"Is he? Or is that you?" Stepping in closer, he watched the reactions of the other man as he closed him in against the counter.

Janus’s eyes flitter around, landing on somewhere close to Remus’ room. “What does it matter? Has Remus told you he’s okay with not being exclusive?”

"We didn't discuss our relationship as yet… I know I'm poly and pan… But I need to talk with him. If he agrees, what say you, Jan-Jan~?" Reaching out, he stroked Janus' cheek softly.

Janus barely stopped himself from melting into the touch. “We’ll see,” he mumbled, looking away.

"Agreed, but know that I'm open to the idea?" Petting softly when he doesn't get a flinch, he smiled.

Janus brushed his hand off and stepped away. “You should get back to him,” he murmured. “He’ll freak if he wakes up.”

Nodding, he stepped back, heading back to Remus. "Sleep well, Janus…"

“Thanks,” he muttered, and hurried to his room.

When Logan went back into Remus’ room, Remus shot upwards and poorly tried to wipe away the tears before they could be seen. “Jan-?”

"Oh, dear…" Sliding into the bed after sliding out of his clothes, he hummed, taking Remus in his arms. "I'm sorry, Rem, I believed you to be asleep and didn't want to bother your rest."

Remus snuggled into his chest. “I’m okay,” he promised. His face was still wet. “I thought you left?”

"I promised to stay the night, dear… Janus simply wanted a chat." Stroking his hair, he encouraged Remus to cuddle, wiping the tears.

“Oh…” Remus kissed his cheek. “I hope you’re getting along. Janus is my best friend.”

Smiling, he nuzzled lightly. "I know, dear… He was very concerned about us, this, uh, relationship… What do you want us to be, my dear?"

Remus hesitated. “I want whatever you want.”

He stroked Remus’ hair as he thought. "I don't want to take advantage of you… You're beautiful, and I want to take care of you, but I worry that you need more balance than a one on one relationship. Now, I am polyamoirous and pansexual, so… you simply need to communicate your needs. Do you want me to be your dominant, your boyfriend?"

Butterflies practically exploded in Remus’ stomach. “You want to be boyfriends?” He asked excitedly.

Cupping his face, he smiled and lifted Remus’ to meet his eyes. "I would be honored to be your boyfriend, Remus,” he said firmly, “if you'll have me?"

Remus nodded frantically, and kissed Logan messily. Kissing back with equal fervor, Logan’s fingers slid into his hair to guide the kiss. Mine~

Remus whimpered and wrapped his arms around Logan’s waist. “I’m so glad I met you,” he breathed out.

Snuggling Remus close, he nodded, kissing his forehead. "Me too, my precious."

Remus fell asleep in his arms, smiling.

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justauthoring · 4 years

Text

No Reason To (46/50)

Prompt: “And I guess… when it comes down to it, I trust you.”

A/N: So, here it is! Officially onto the final half of the season! Only four more parts after this one. Which is just absolutely.... crazy.

Anyways, the next few parts will be a bit different then normal but I think it’s worth it and a lot of you seemed to like the idea of it as well. So, hopefully you all enjoy it!

Send me a little comment in the ask section or leave it below on what you thought of this chapter. As usual, I hope you all enjoyed!

AGAIN, remember if you’d like me to continue this series, just leave a little comment or an ask letting me know. I will NOT continue the series if no one wants me to.

Please don’t plagiarize my work!

Pairing: Stiles x McCall!Reader

Based off of: Teen Wolf 06x11 & 06x12

“It’s amazing! It’s just... It’s amazing...”

Smiling softly, you duck your head down as you slowly push open the doors to the hospital, pulling your keys out of your bag for your car. “I’m glad, Stiles,” you whisper softly, “it does all sound really... amazing.”

He chuckles, and you can imagine the amount of boxes piled around him in his dorm that’s he’s refused to put away yet because that’s just the way he is. You can imagine the only thing he’s probably really unpacked is a bed to sleep on, and clothes for school. And you can imagine what it’ll be like when you get there next week, and how good it’ll be able to be in his arms again.

Because it’s been too long.

Slipping into your car, you set down your bag in the seat next to you with a huff, blowing that hair that had fallen into your face out. You shuffle in your seat, happy to be in your warm car despite how hot it had been all day, it had really cooled off in the evening.

“I can’t wait for you to see it all.”

“Me too,” you smile softly, glancing down at your lap as you fiddle with the hem of your shirt. “But mainly I can’t wait to see you.”

“Just a week more,” Stiles reminds, voice gentle. “You think you can handle that?”

You snort, “I’ve handled the past three months haven’t I?” You quirk a brow challengingly, pushing your key into the ignition and turning it so your car is on. You wince when you realize how late it is. Mom was right when she said you were taking on far too much, it was already past ten’o’clock and you’d been here since eleven in the morning.

“Besides, i’m sure it’s you whose struggling without me,” you add after a moment, “have you even unpacked anything besides your bed-sheets?”

“I unpacked some... clothes for class.”

“The one you needed my help buying may I remind.”

“Okay, okay,” Stiles relents with a snort. “I’ll admit, you’re better at keeping me in check then I am myself. But, to be fair, I’ve been too excited to care really otherwise.”

You nod, humming softly. “I’m really happy for you, Stiles. Truly.”

Stiles doesn’t really respond, he hums softly in return and doesn’t even really need to say anything for you to know he’s smiling brightly at your words. While the past few months have been difficult being apart, you called whenever you could. And Stiles was busy adjusting and getting used to the new environment to notice too much, and you’d taken on more shifts where you could at the hospital and even a little at the school towards the end of summer to help distract yourself.

Something told you Stiles was doing a lot better then you were being miles apart.

Inhaling deeply, you shoulders fall. “Well, I really should head home. It’s late and...”

“Oh, yeah... yeah, of course.”

Biting your lip, you swallow thickly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Stiles says with ease, no hesitation. “And i’ll see you in a week.”

You smile at his words, but can’t fight the forbidding feeling welling in your stomach. You can’t rightly explain it, but while you were excited, more than, to see Stiles in a week; it just felt as if something was going to go wrong.

“I’ll see you in a week.”

You press end, pulling your phone from your ear and letting it fall on the seat next to you. You hesitate a moment before shifting your car into drive, gripping the steering wheel tightly in your hands as you let your forehead fall against it.

“Just a week,” you whisper to yourself. “One more week.”

“Oh, Liam.”

Slowing at the bottom of steps, Liam blinks at the sight of you. “Hey Y/N,” he pauses, frowning slightly, “You’re home... late.”

“Yeah,” you shrug, gesturing to your bag. “Hospital needed help with some things.”

Liam nods, stepping forward as you slip your shoes off, letting your bag drop to the floor. Silence echoes for a moment, before your mind clicks with realization of something. “Hey, you excited for senior year?”

Liam blinks, “kinda,” he shrugs, “gonna be weird without you guys here.”

You let out a lightly chuckle. “I can imagine. But,” and then you smile, brightly and warmly, meeting Liam’s gaze without hesitance. “I’m sure it’ll all work out. And hey! If you ever need help with school or something, i’m only a phone call away.”

Chuckling lightly, Liam smiles at you as you walk up the steps. “Thanks, Y/N.”

“No problem,” you nod, “Scott upstairs?”

“Yeah, he’s... he’s packing.”

“Ah, okay. Well, see you later?”

“Yeah, see you later.”

He moves to pull on his shoes and you send him one last wave with a bright smile, before turning to walk up the steps. The walk to Scott’s room is a short one, and the doors already open when you get there. You smile as you notice him trying to close a completely too full suitcase that looks as if it’s about to burst at the seams and even his werewolf strength isn’t enough to keep it shut.

“I think you need a bigger suitcase.”

Pulling to a stand, Scott glances back at you with a blink of surprise before glancing back down at the suitcase. “Yeah,” he mumbles, scratching at the back of his head. “I think you may be right.”

“Here,” you say gently, stepping into his room with ease and gesturing to the suitcase. “You push, i’ll zip.”

Scott frowns, shaking his head. “Liam and I already--”

“Just,” you cut in, turning to him as you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “Trust me?”

Meeting your eyes, Scott hesitates a moment before letting out a soft laugh. Holding his hands up in mock surrender, he nods, “okay,” he eases, stepping forward and grabbing the lid of his suitcase, pulling it down and pushing it shut. You act quick, grabbing the zipper and pulling. You manage to maneuver it all the way around until it’s completely zipped and shut.

Leaning back, you smile; “there, done.”

Scott falls back against his bed with a huff of relief, hands sprawling up above him as he cheers teasingly. You laugh lightly at the sight, quirking a brow down at him as he simply just glances back up at you. “I was sure I was never going to get that suitcase shut,” he breathes.

Snorting, you kick his leg lightly so he’ll move it, allowing you room to sit down. You do so with a light sigh, shoulders somewhat slumped as you glance around Scott’s room and how, even though not everything’s gone, it seems and feels so... barren.

Scott isn’t oblivious to your reaction either.

“Hey,” he calls softly, pushing himself up to his elbow. “You start packing yet?”

You shrug; “a little. Been too busy to.”

Sitting up completely next to you, Scott’s shoulder softly bumps into your own. “You’re not excited to go to Washington?”

“Of course i’m excited to go to Washington,” you say quickly, perhaps a little too quickly, turning to look at Scott. You sigh when you notice the look on his face, it pretty clear he sees completely through your forced lie. He’s knows you too well not to. “I am,” you reassurance, “it’s just... everything’s changing so quickly, you know? Malia’s leaving for Paris, Lydia got accepted into MIT, Stiles is training to be a freaking FBI agent, you’re going to be Vet Technician... and I still don’t even know what I want to do.”

“Y/N...”

Swallowing thickly, you glance down at your lap. “It just feels like everyone else is so organized. I mean, I’m excited to go to Washington and be with Stiles, God knows I am... but, i’m not going there for myself. I can’t remember the last time i’ve done something for myself.”

Scott’s hand falls over your own; “is there any colleges or universities there that interest you?”

You want to say yes. But part of you wants to say no too. Because you’ve looked. You’ve looked so incredibly hard but nothing seemed to feel right for you. And all you can really manage to say to Scott is a simple and somewhat lost; “I don’t know.”

Frowning, Scott swallows thickly. “I can hold off a week? I’m sure it’d be okay. Wait until--”

“Absolutely not,” you cut in before Scott even has the chance to say anything more. “Scott, no,” you whisper, squeezing his hand in your own. “I won’t hold back your life just because I don’t know what i’m doing with mine. You should go and you should be happy. I’ll... I’ll be okay. I’ll figure it out.”

Swallowing slowly, Scott nods, hesitant. “If you’re sure...”

“I am,” you smile, “of course, I am.”

“Oh, my gosh. You two brought me dinner? That’s really nice--”

“No,” Mason cuts in, “it’s not dinner.”

Turning at the sound of Mason’s voice, your brows furrow in confusion at the sight him and Liam. Your eyes flicker down the bagged container in Mason’s hands, understanding why your mother would assume it’s food. But, obviously, it’s not and that’s what catches your attention, picking up the speed in your step as you move towards them.

“It’s not dinner?”

You reach them just as Melissa glances into the bag, pulling it open enough that you manage a peek at it too. Your lips curve into an expression of disgust at the sight of it, pulling back similarly to how your mother does. “It’s definitely not dinner.”

Liam steps forward, meeting your eyes briefly before glancing over at Melissa. “We were hoping you could take a look at it for us.”

“Well,” Melissa smiles sweetly, “I was hoping that someone was going to bring me dinner. Now is not the time for a rat autopsy. So, take this and get yourselves out of here.”

“No, but we really--”

Melissa chuckles lightly, mockingly, pointing her finger at them; “no, out.”

Liam and Mason visibly slump in defeat, and with a light laugh, you turn to your mother. “Here,” you offer gently. “Dinner.”

Her eyes visibly brighten. “You’re a saviour,” leaning forward, she presses a quick kiss to your cheek. “Are you volunteering tonight?”

“No,” you shake your head, “but, I might go do a rat autopsy.”

Rolling her eyes, Melissa nods, pointing a finger at the two younger boys. “Keep them out of trouble.”

“Always!”

Picking up the speed in your step, you rush to catch up with Liam and Mason. “Boys, wait up!” They recognize your voice, slowing to a step with ease as you side-step nearly being hit and race around to get to them. They blink at you in surprise when you reach them, shaking their heads in confusion as you simply just blink up at them.

“So, what’s going on with the rat?”

It’s their turn to blink, dumbfounded, as they glance at one another before Mason lowers his gaze to the bag in his hands. “Um...--”

“--You started it. Back off!”

Gasping out in surprise, your eyes widen when you notice a man shoving another man back, both injured but clearly not really caring as they aggressively assault one another and spit words of insult towards each other. Your lips frown at the sight, not used to seeing such an act in the hospital of all places; and you’ve been spending a lot of your time here recently.

“Hey, now, that’s called assault!”

“Can I get security over here?” Melissa calls aloud, keeping her distance from the men.

Liam steps forward before you can stop him, moving to step in between the two men. He turns to the man who’d pushed the other, calling out as gently as he can; “sir, you need to calm down.”

But he’s interrupted by a sharp punch to the nose.

“Liam!”

He finds his feet quickly and your eyes widen when you notice the glow to his eyes and the fangs protruding from his mouth. One glance around and you know a lot more than just you and Mason have noticed it; including the man who’d punched him. “What the... What...”

The security guards arrive then, rushing to grab the two men who’d started the fight in the first place and therefore surrounding Liam. Your eyes widen when you notice the deep cuts he’s caused in his palms from trying to hide his claws. “Liam,” you call out, hoping he can hear you. You try to make your way over to him, but get blocked along the way, and you can tell Mason is trying to do same.

And in the midst of the chaos, you manage to lose him.

“You two cannot do that!”

Pausing, both Mason and Liam spin to face you as you slam your car door shut behind you. Their eyes widen when they notice how angry you are, taking a small shuffle back as you rush forward, crossing your arms over your chest with a deep-set frown.

For a moment silence echoes.

You quirk a brow, as if waiting for them to speak, expecting a explanation; they glance at each other and then back to you.

“You ran off!”

“Oh,” Mason mumbles, “we thought it was--”

“Fine?” You cut in sharply, shaking your head at them. “Are you kidding me?” Whirling round to set your attention on Liam, you narrow your eyes at him. “You lost control in the hospital, Liam! People saw! You’re not even the least bit concerned?”

Shrugging, Liam blinks, “people have seen far worst in Beacon Hills.”

“That’s not the point, and you know it isn’t,” you huff, crossing your arms over your chest. Stepping towards the two boys, you press a finger against Liam’s chest. “The point is it was you they saw. You. And I know Scott would agree with me.”

You hit a pressure point mentioning his alpha, you know. But you need him to understand, especially if you all weren’t going to be around soon to watch them.

“Look,” Liam sighs, “i’m sorry. I’m working on it, okay?”

“He really is,” Mason nods, hopeful that you’re a little less angry.

Letting out a sigh, your hand drops to your side. Taking a step forward, you wrap your arms around the both of them, pulling them close. It’s a bit awkward given that they’re a tad bit taller then you and you know they weren’t expecting you to just full on embrace them. But, you don’t relent your grip, squeezing them tightly.

Liam and Mason hesitant a moment, surprised.

“I just worry about you both,” you whisper, “that’s all.”

Setting his arm around your waist, Liam squeezes gently, as Mason pats your shoulder lightly.

“We know,” Liam whispers, “we’re sorry.”

“We really are.”

Pulling back, you shake your head at them, “I’m being silly. Sorry,” taking a step back, you move towards your car. “Go... study or whatever you were going to do,” then you pause, pointing a finger at them, “but you should study. Studying is good.”

Liam and Mason chuckle, nodding at you and waving as they turn and make their way into the school. You pause by your car, watching them until they’re both completely inside and out of eyesight. And then you let your eyes wander across the school, one of which you spent so much of your life in and now, was no longer even apart of it.

It’s funny how fast things change. How it can happen with a single blink of the eye and then, everything’s just different.

Everyone was leaving, moving on with their lives. And you found yourself stuck, loss, unsure. Were you just going to Washington for Stiles? Or did you really hope to find something there for yourself? You wanted to be with Stiles, to see him, of course you did. But... you also had to find out what you wanted to do with your life, not just watch other people move on with their own.

Letting out a sigh, you move to stand up, moving towards your car door, however the sound of growling catches your attention. It’s faint, but loud enough that you can even hear it. And your head turns in the direction of the school when you realize it’s coming from there. And, it’s a lot of growling, faint banging, your first thought being Mason and Liam.

You shut your car door, rushing to the school doors and following the direction of where the growling is coming from best you can. It takes you a while, but eventually you manage to pinpoint the source, eyes widening when you turn down the hallway only to find Mason being knocked back and slammed into a set of lockers.

His name leaves your lips in a cry of worry, catching the attention of both Liam and a... Hellhound? as you come rushing in. You don’t notice it, too worried about reaching Mason, but something about you seems to catch the attention of the Hellhound and it turns it’s focus away from Liam and onto you, rushing towards you.

“Y/N!”

It’s Liam and you blink when you feel an arm slam against you, pushing you up against the lockers directly next to Mason’s limp body. A cry of surprise leaves your lips as his arm moves to your neck, pinning you back and blocking off your airway as you struggle to breathe. It takes you a moment to catch yourself, eyes widening in confusion when the man you don’t recognize leans close, as if feeling for something.

“No,” he growls, “it’s not you either.”

You just huff, eyes flashing purple as you force him back, releasing your neck so you can breathe. The minute he’s off of you, you inhale sharply, catching your breath as you swipe your hand out before yourself, holding the man in place. Flames won’t work on him for obvious reasons, but you can hold him in place for Liam.

“Y/N,” Liam calls, slamming a locker door against the Hellhounds head, “Mason!”

Once you’re sure he’s got the man, you move towards Mason, crouching next to him and gently guiding him up into your lap. Your hands fall to his cheeks, making sure his pulse is still there and scanning for any worrying injuries. Other then a knock to the head, he seems okay.

A groan from Liam catches your attention, and your eyes widen when the Hellhound slices his stomach with it’s claws, creating a deep cut. But, before you can even move to help Liam, he’s recuperated enough to knock the man back, cutting him like he had him, before knocking him back to the lockers right beside you. The fire around his body fades and he slumps to the floor with a groan.

Liam’s does the same, breath trembling.

Your brows furrow in confusion when the man simply just laughs, head tilting back. “It won’t stay hidden,” he mumbles, voice low. “It must be stopped. Nothing else matters.”

You blink when you feel Mason shift in your grasp, Lowering your gaze, your eyes widen in relief when his eyes flicker open, moving to sit up. He glances up at you in confusion, eyes flickering around before landing on Liam and with a simple nod, you follow his lead, helping guide him up to his feet as the both of you rush over to Liam.

“...The truth...”

Mason slumps next to Liam, the both of them glancing at each other, before you.

Your head turns towards where the Hellhound had been, sighing when you notice it gone, leaving out a trail of blood along the lockers.

Helping Liam pull off his tattered and ripped shirt, you wince at the cuts along his lower stomach and chest. They’re bad, very bad, and they’re not healing quickly either; not as quickly as any of you would like.

“It should be healing faster than this.”

Glancing over at Mason, you catch the look in his eyes, pushing yourself up to your feet. “I’ll find something to wash the blood off.”

You move towards the bathroom portion of the locker room, grabbing some paper towel and moving to wet them as you listen in on Liam and Mason’s conversation.

“It’s Hellfire,” Mason reminds, “I mean, all things considered, you’re doing great.”

“Well, great isn’t supposed to look like this.”

“You fought a Hellhound on your own, without Scott.”

“Y/N was there.”

Walking back over to the two boys, you crouch before Liam. “I didn’t really do any fighting,” you remind softly, moving to dab lightly over the wound. Liam winces as you go, but doesn’t fight you. Instead, the two boys keep their gazes on you as you clean his wound and continue. “And without you there, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

Liam just shakes his head, leaning back.

Turning to Mason, you nod reassuringly as he shifts forward. “Wounds heal,” he breathes, “people move. Things change.”

“Yeah,” Liam mumbles, “still hurts though.”

Frowning, you pull back, dropping the blood soaked paper towel next to Liam on the bench. “It’s the best I can do,” you whisper after a moment, nodding at Liam before pushing back to stand up. Letting your hand fall on Liam’s shoulder gently, you squeeze it softly. “I should probably call Scott.”

“In case anyone forgot...”

Malia lets out a chuckle and you shake your head.

“Yeah I just said forgot,” Lydia calls, before turning to face the three of you. “We almost lost him last time.”

Scott nods, and you lower your gaze, not sure how to respond. Luckily, Malia does for you. “If this turns out to be something big, and we don’t call him...”

“He would kill us,” Scott finishes for her.

“Or maybe we should go back to the woods tonight and find the killer.”

“Scott? Y/N?”

You blink when they all turn to you. Inhaling deeply, you shake your head. “You guys didn’t hear his voice,” you explain, voice soft, a mere whisper. “He sounded really excited to be there.”

Lydia frowns.

“Y/N’s right,” Scott nods, “in his voicemail... I swear, I've never heard him sound so happy.”

An echo of silences follows for a minute.

“Uh,” Malia calls, stammering over her words. “Just play the voicemail.”

Nodding with ease, Scott moves to press play.

“Hey, Scott. So... I’m here. I’m in Quantico, Virginia, at the FBI. I’m at the freaking FBI. It’s real. I’m really here.” Lowering your gaze, you bite your lip, unable to stop the small smile the curls onto your lips at Stiles’ voice. “I told Y/N that I miss her and I can’t wait for her to get here. But just in case, remind her for me because I really am.” Eyes falling shut, you feel your heart plummet.

I’m not gonna make it there. Not yet, at least.

“Listen, Scott, whatever you’re doing right now, just make sure you’re still getting out of Beacon Hills. I mean, maybe you think you can’t leave, you know, like, the whole thing falls apart if you’re not there. Which I get, but you have to. I know you’re supposed to drive out tonight, so if you don’t call me back, just promise me you’re actually going. Just get in the jeep and go.”

Silence echoes as the voicemail ends, and you let out a sigh.

“I’m going to have to make up a lie, aren’t I?”

You sigh as the first ring echoes.

Your leg bounces in front of you, repeatedly, anxious as you listen to the second ring. Part of you hopes he won’t answer, and another part of you hopes Stiles will; that way you can just tell him and get it over with. Because you had absolutely no idea how you were going to tell him. Like... at all.

You couldn’t tell him the truth, that was clear.

But what could you say instead?

“Hey.”

Inhaling sharply, your eyes flicker shut as you tuck your chin into your chest, heart starting to pound. You’re too busy trying to come up with a viable excuse that you barely even register the slight peek in Stiles’ own voice, and you can’t see urgency at which he pounces his own leg. Up, down. Up, down. Up.

Down.

“Hey, Stiles,” you smile softly just at the mention of his name, envisioning him in your mind and thinking about how badly you want to see him. And now, you don’t know when you will. “How was your day?”

“Good, good,” Stiles nods, “how was yours?”

“Long.”

Stiles hums. You find it odd he doesn’t want to talk more about his first day. Makes you wonder if something’s wrong, but, by right you can’t really question him on it because you’re being just as odd and suspicious as him.

“Everything okay?”

Licking your lips, you lean forward. “I won’t be able to make it next week.”

There’s a pause, then, “like... to Wash--”

“To you,” you conclude with a nod even though you know he can’t see it. “Some stuff with my mom has come up, and she needs me unfortunately.” It’s the first thing that comes to mind; you make a mental note of telling Scott so he’ll back you up in-case Stiles questions him. “I don’t think i’ll be able to make it there for another week, um, maybe longer. I don’t know.”

“Is...” And Stiles hesitates at this, as if the words caught in the back of his throat. “Is everything okay? Is Melissa hurt or--”

“She’s fine, it’ll just be easier to explain in person if I see you soon. When I see you soon, you know?” Letting out a soft sigh, you swallow thickly. “I’m sorry, Stiles. I really am. And I promise i’ll be there as soon as I possibly can and explain it all, but... right now...--”

“You need to be there?”

“...I need to be here.”

“Okay,” he whispers, and you can tell he’s disappointed. But he doesn’t fight you or question you any further. “Okay, I understand.”

Smiling with hurt, your hand moves to grip the necklace he’d given you at the end of summer, holding it tightly between your fingers. “I’ll see you soon?”

“I’ll see you soon.”

With a final goodbye, you hang up the call, slumping back against your bed with a sigh. You stare up at your ceiling with a deep frown marring your lips, not bothering to move even when you hear your bedroom door slide open, knowing without even having to look that it’s Scott.

“I’m officially the worst girlfriend ever.”

Letting out a light chuckle, Scott takes a seat next to you on your bed, glancing down at you. “You’re helping him by not telling him,” Scott assures you, setting his hand over your thigh in a sign of what he hopes is comfort. “He sounded really excited, didn’t he?”

Sitting up, you smile at Scott, nodding. “He did.”

Y/N....

“This is dumb, Y/N. What are you doing...”

You glance around at the trees and grass surrounding you, your flashlight truthfully not doing much to light up anything. Mind you, going to Beacon Hill’s very own forest in the middle of the night probably wasn’t the smartest idea either.

You had no idea where you were going. Or what you were doing for that matter either. You should’ve gotten Scott to come with you, or Malia. Hell, you could have even dragged Liam out of bed. You knew you were capable of handling yourself, but with a new threat that none of you really understood or really knew what it was, it probably wasn’t smart to be lost in the woods in the middle of the night, alone.

It was, in fact, dumb. Incredibly so.

But you’d heard his voice.

Y/N...

And you still could.

Theo. You haven’t heard him call out for you like that, telepathically or whatever, since he’d first been sent to hell. And he certainly wasn’t in hell anymore since Liam had sent him free and Scott had deciphered him no longer a threat. And you couldn’t understand why or really even how he was calling out for you. Nor could you understood why you’re so willingly searching for him.

When in reality you should be running the other way.

Running away from Theo.

Why your feet even lead you in the woods in the first place, you’ll never understand.

“You could get hurt,” you continue to ramble to yourself, trailing further down your imaginary path. “You could die. And what? For Theo...” Then, hesitating, you sigh. “Regrettably yeah, for Theo...”

Stupid. He doesn’t deserve that from you. Not after what he’d done.

And yet, you still continue to walk.

You wander aimlessly for at least another twenty minutes, finding nothing. Absolutely shit all. And you were tired, incredibly so, and you knew it was going to take you a while to even find your way back to your car, so, with that, you decide it’s time to turn around.

Screw Theo. What had he done for you other then break your heart.

Just as you do, however, a tree branch cracks.

You halt in your steps, shoulders freezing as you slowly glance around, keeping your flashlight steady before you. You may be a witch, but your eyesight was still human and like before, you can’t see anything with your stupid phone flashlight.

Another branch cracks. And then another, from two completely different directions.

“Hello?” You call out hesitantly, unsure. You take a small shuffle forward, searching, body tense with anticipation. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

It happens in a flash. A cry leaves your lips as an arrow pierces your left shoulder, digging into the skin painfully, knocking you back completely off your feet. Your body thuds against the ground, and your eyes twist shut for a moment as your right hands move to the arrow, hissing the second you touch it as pain envelops your entire body.

But the pain suddenly becomes less important when you hear approaching footsteps. A lot of them.

Shuffling back, you move against the tree behind you, pressing up against it with heavy, pounding breaths. You feel your heart pound erratically against your chest and now you’re sure you should’ve brought someone along because you have no idea what you’re going to do.

Your powers. You’re a witch.

A man approaches, crossbow in hand and you waste no time, despite the wave of pain that hits you, flashing your eyes at him and tilting your head just enough with a swipe of your hand to knock the man flying back, into a tree to your right. You effectively knock the man out, but footsteps continue to echo and follow. You do your best to keep up, eyes never fading from the purple hue until you feel your body and mind screaming at you in exhaustion.

You’re putting up a fight, but you don’t know if it’ll be enough.

Especially with how many there are.

Because suddenly it’s no longer just two people running at you, it’s a whole group, surrounding. All their flashlights, which are a hell of a lot brighter then your stupid phone one, are flashing directly in your eyes, blinding you. it feels like staring directly into the sun and your eyes twist shut as you try to look away, but everywhere you look, there’s a bright light.

You still fight, best you can, heart racing in fear and worry, trying desperately to fight them off. But there’s too many. They surround your entire being, and with an arrow piercing your shoulder which aches painfully, you find yourself at a lost; more than that, terrified. There’s too many of them to fight off, especially when you can’t see anything but the shadowed figure of their feet in front of you because of their flashlights.

And if you can’t see, you can’t attack. You can’t even move your left arm.

Feeling vulnerable and terrified, your press your back further up against the tree behind you, letting out a groan of pain. “Please,” you whisper, voice echoing. “Please don’t--”

“Y/N McCall.”

You freeze at the familiarity of the voice.

He emerges from the crowd, and even though he stays hidden behind the blinding lights, you know it’s him. You couldn’t forget that voice, especially after all the turmoil he’d caused what felt like so long ago.

“Gerard...”

“Glad to see you remember me,” he laughs, stepping forward. You growl as he reveals himself to you, not allowing him to say another thing before your eyes flash, using the little bit of strength in your body you have left to swipe your right hand before you and knock him back.

It causes an uproar. The blinding lights get closer until all you see is white, and then a blood-curling scream leaves your lips as the arrow is all but ripped out of your shoulder. You instantly curl into yourself, crying out in agony as hands grab at you. You fight them mercilessly, trying to break free from the many hands grabbing and pulling at you. But it’s useless.

There’s too many of them.

Weakened by your injury, no amount of struggling stops the people around you from tying your hands behind your back with a zip-tie that cuts painfully into your skin. A blindfold is placed over your eyes and you’re suddenly reminded of the fear and terror you’d felt when you’d been stabbed. You’d practice using your magic without sight but it was never a skill you’d mastered, and it certainly didn’t help that the pain was making your eyes feel heavy.

Nor did the group of people surrounding you help either.

With a last fight for survival, your eyes glow beneath the mask as your body begins to heat up. You can’t by right set yourself on fire, you won’t survive it, but if you push your magic to surround you almost as if in a barrier, it’ll be too hot for any of them touch and grab you like they are now.

You’re proven correct when a chorus of gasps echo and you’re body falls against the floor with a harsh thud. You groan as you fall right on your left shoulder, bringing your knees up to curl in yourself, you’re last attempt at protecting yourself.

“Ow, fuck!”

“She’s burning hot!”

“My hands!”

“You bitch!”

“Are you fools?” Gerard’s voice booms and you freeze at the sound of it.

“But-But she’s--!”

“Knock her out,” he says without fault, “we don’t need her awake right now.”

Your eyes widen at his words. Your feet start kicking beneath you and you struggle in your binds uselessly, the dull pinching from the zip-tie barely a bother as the thought of being knocked out and taken somewhere unconsciously more threatening and terrifying.

“No! No, wait! Please, don’t--!”

Your world fades to black as a harsh smack is delivered to your head.

Scott awakes with a gasp.

He’s sweating, profusely. Though, it isn’t the first thing he notices. He notices his racing heart, his panting breath and the pounding thoughts of terror that surround his mind that he can’t make sense of.

And then, it hits him.

Y/N.

You’re.... You’re in pain. His shoulder aches, a dull pain that stings as if he’s been stabbed with something but his skin is free of any scratches, cuts or even bruises. Because it’s you that’s hurt.

But-But how? He’d... He’d just seen you...

You’re scared. Terrified. He can feel every racing thought that surrounds your head, but can’t actually hear them. Your fear mixes with his own and he jumps to his feet, grabbing the nearest shirt he can find and pulling it onto his body, running out of his room. He checks your room, but you’re not there. He runs down to the kitchen and you’re not there either.

When he checks outside, your cars gone too.

“Scott? Scott, what’s the matter?”

Turning back into the house, Scott’s wide, panicked eyes fall on his mothers own worried and concerned ones. Breathless and shaky, Scott shakes his head.

“Y/N... Y/N’s missing.”

Part 47?

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