#when the epilogue was added I made this save ... I played through the whole epilogue... all the dialogues worked... | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mercy-burning · 3 years

Text

Something Different

Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Summary: Reader and Spencer go on their first date. PART 1 / PART 2 / PART 3 / PART 4 / EPILOGUE Category: Fluff, Smut 18+ (oral sex- female receiving, penetrative sex, unprotected sex- creampie) Warnings: Sex, language (As always, if there’s anything I missed, let me know what I should include in warnings! I want to be as mindful as I can about what I post. Thank you!) Word Count: 5.9k

NOTE: This was my favorite part to write so far! I hope you all love it as much as I do! I have a little epilogue planned next, and I’m not sure when it’ll be up, but I’ve really loved seeing how much you enjoyed this series! Thank you for reading! 🥰

***

Y/N had never felt as much like a teenage girl as she did that Friday night. She stood in front of her floor-length mirror, smoothing out her dress and contemplating whether or not she should change. For the seventh time. And she'd been on dates before, but this time was different. Usually she barely knew the guys she'd gone on first dates with, but she'd already slept with this guy. On more than one occasion. And every time she did, she felt herself fall deeper and deeper under his spell. She wasn't sure if he knew the full effect of what he was doing to her, always taking up space in every crack and crevice of her thoughts until she felt like she couldn't breathe.

And that was what made this date different from all the rest. She knew Spencer. She liked Spencer. And she was almost positive that after this date she would be, at the very least, a little bit in love with Spencer.

At that thought, Y/N felt her heart swell in her chest, suddenly invested in the act of making him feel the same way, if he wasn't already.

So she reverted back to her original outfit choice, something she at first thought was too sexy for a first date, but ultimately was the boldest and best option. It was satin and deep violet in color, the fabric clinging to her body in every best way possible. It landed mid-thigh and the neckline was low enough to show just the right amount of cleavage without it being too overwhelming. Her father would have told her it looked more like a dish towel than a dress, and that fact alone was enough to convince Y/N that it was just perfect. It did have thin straps though, and it was freezing as hell at night, so she added a black cardigan that added just the right amount of elegance and warmth to the look.

She paired the whole look together with black pumps and threw her hair up in a loose clip, made for easy taking-down if the night ended as well as she hoped.

Just as she was applying the last of her makeup—simple black eyeliner and mascara, complimented with tinted cherry lip balm rather than lipstick—there was a knock on the door.

"Just a second!" she called out, rushing to spritz on some vanilla perfume and give herself a final onceover in the mirror. With a final deep breath, she switched off the lights and made her way to the door, silently praying that she wouldn't fall on her face.

"Hey, pretty gi— oh..."

The second she saw Spencer in the doorway, Y/N felt her insides swarm with butterflies. The way he took her in, completely captured by her presence as his eyes couldn't decide where to linger longest utterly wrecked her.

And he looked... God, if he wasn't the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. And of course she'd seen him in some rather beautiful positions prior to right then, but his hungry eyes, practically claiming her as his own as they raked her figure accompanied by the outfit he wore and the way his hair perfectly framed his face in soft waves... It felt like she was bathing in sunlight.

He wore a white undershirt and navy suit jacket, the tie the same color only accented with red stripes, and black dress pants. If she had to describe it, she would have said he looked like he came right of the page of a magazine, and even that wasn't generous enough. She knew she should say something to break the silence that had fallen between them, but she couldn't even remember her own name.

Thankfully Spencer seemed to get a hold of himself before she did, saying, "You look... amazing. A-and that's not even the right word, I... Wow."

Y/N felt her cheeks grow hot, playing with the hem of her cardigan. "Thanks, you... You look great, too. Um, let me go grab my purse, I'll be right back."

"Wait, before you do..."

She hadn't even noticed his hand was behind his back until he brought it out, bringing with it a small gathering of flowers. Lavenders. "You brought me lavenders?" she inquired, taking them with a smile. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

Spencer seemed to rock on his feet nervously. "They're generally known for their relaxation properties, and, you know, I figured since we always seem to end up talking about de-stressing, they seemed fitting."

Y/N laughed, her face growing warmer. "That's perfect, I love them. I'm gonna go find a vase for these real quick."

As she rummaged through her cabinets for something even remotely resembling a vase, she settled on a tall mason jar she had in the back, filling it with water and placing the flowers inside, letting it perch on the kitchen counter. When she turned around she found that Spencer had made his way inside, the door closed behind him. "Unfortunately they won't last very long without soil, water, and sunlight, but if they dry up you could always use them for decorations. I noticed you have lots of dried plants in your apartment."

With a smile, she grabbed her purse off the coat rack in the living room. "Oh. Yeah, I guess I do. I've always loved pressing flowers and stuff. My mom and I used to do it all the time when I was younger, and I guess it stuck."

"That's really nice. It's definitely better than the clutter of my apartment," he says with a laugh as they both make their way to the door.

"Oh, I don't know. I like your clutter, it's rather charming."

He laughed as he opened the door and stepped aside so she could walk through. "You've only been to my apartment once, and we were a bit... occupied for you to notice, so how would you know?"

They paused in the hallway as she closed the door and looked up at him, a knowing smirk playing at his lips. She grabbed the end of his tie and tugged it a little, turning it over in her fingers as she stared at him. "Trust me, Spencer, it's hard to believe that anything about you isn't charming."

It was his turn to blush, his smirk transforming into a shy smile. She let go of his tie and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together before leading him down the hallway.

***

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were surprised," Y/N said once the waiter left to grab their drinks.

"Oh, I-I guess I just... I don't know why, it's just that I didn't... expect you to be a white wine person, that's all."

"You can tell what kind of wine I like?" she laughed.

Spencer returned it, brushing some of the hair from his face. "Well, I guess not, since I pegged you wrong..."

She shrugged. "You don't have to be embarrassed about that, I wouldn't expect you to have known."

"Oh, I'm not embarrassed, it's just that usually I'm better at reading people, that's all."

"Is that right?" Y/N mused, leaning forward a little. She smiled at him. "How come?"

Spencer swallowed before answering. "Well, my job... I work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, so my team and I study human behavior to catch killers."

Holy shit, that's so hot, she thought, silently hoping she didn't say that out loud. "Wow, so... you're a total badass, then. I gotta say, G-man, that's impressive."

He blushed under the dim light of the restaurant lights. He'd picked out this nice Italian place not too far from their apartment. Y/N had always wanted to go because she loved Italian food, but it was always too expensive and she never really had the time. When Spencer had suggested it, she practically begged him not to, insisting that she didn't want to make him spend so much money on her. In turn he told her, "I don't mind, you're worth spending a little money on," and that was that. Still she felt a little guilty, but he didn't seem to mind one bit. Not to mention the place was absolutely beautiful, easily one of the nicest places she'd ever been to. So if he was willing to do all this just to spend some time with her, then Y/N figured it was a good sign.

"What about you, what exactly is it that you do?"

Y/N shrugged a little. "Oh, well it's no fancy badass government job, but I work at a music store downtown. I just got promoted, so I'm an associate manager."

"Oh, that's great! What kind of music do you like?"

The way he genuinely looked so interested in what she had to say made her heart swell. She cleared her throat before answering. "My parents raised me on Classic Rock, so my brain is pretty much just made up of Queen lyrics, but... I listen to a little of everything. There isn't much I don't like, really, save for maybe hardcore metal. Though, some of it I've heard is okay."

Spencer laughed a little. "That's nice. I don't really listen to a variety of things, mostly classical, but... I don't know, maybe you could... introduce me to some of your favorites? Broaden my horizons?"

He almost sounded shy asking, but that only made the sentiment more endearing. Y/N smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. "Anytime, G-man."

The waiter came back with the wine then, and they got to ordering. Y/N ordered a lemon chicken piccata while Spencer settled on pasta alla norma. Of course they had a side of breadsticks and they each got a small tomato soup to sip on while they waited.

They continued to chat about their favorite things, anywhere from as general as their favorite books and movies to as random as their favorite flowers and candle scents. It was nice getting to know these tiny details. And normally this type of small talk was awkwardly necessary and devastatingly tedious, but with Spencer it felt effortless. She liked telling him about her favorite things, no matter how small they were, and just the same she liked listening to him. The way he spoke, his eyes lighting up as he talked about what made him happy made Y/N warm, feeling once again that night like she was bathing in sunlight.

That's what he was. The human embodiment of pure sunlight.

As they ate they talked a little bit about their childhoods. Spencer mentioned how it was mostly just him and his mother, and he almost seemed a little sad when he talked about it. She wanted to let him keep going, but at some point she realized that he was getting a little emotional and uncomfortable, so she made a point to respectfully change the subject, in turn telling some embarrassing childhood stories of her own. For one thing, she loved telling anyone about how she angrily chucked a remote at her brother when they were kids and gave him a permanent scar on his forehead, but ultimately she loved seeing Spencer smile, and she knew that the story would do the trick. It always did.

"Why did you do it?" he laughed after swallowing a bite of his food.

Y/N shrugged with a smile. "He was bugging me about wanting to watch something else, and it just annoyed me so badly that I decided I had enough. I should have been sorry, too, especially after being yelled at, but I really thought he deserved it. And now when people ask why he has this big-ass scar on his forehead, he has to tell them that his big sister chucked a remote at his head. It embarrasses him and it amuses me, so..."

Spencer laughed a little harder, setting his fork down and folding his hands together. "Sounds... like an interesting childhood."

"Yeah, that's putting it mildly. My brother and I did a lot of roughhousing, which would make more sense if he was the older one, but what are you gonna do?"

"So... What, you put him in headlocks and pinned him to the ground like a wrestler all the time?" he asked with an amused laugh.

"Yeah, something like that," she laughed right back.

"Well, I hope he hasn't sustained too much injury permanently over the years... Maybe one day I can ask him about it."

The thought of Spencer meeting her family gave her more butterflies, and it became evident that he was feeling the same way, because he blushed almost immediately after he said it.

"You two would probably get along really well, actually. He loves true crime and stuff, so I'm sure he'd love to talk to you about your job if that's not too forward. Plus, he reads more than I do, so I'm sure you'd find something else in common there."

"Yeah, that sounds great. I like him already."

She smiled, her heart still beating exponentially fast. A small part of her wondered if maybe talk of meeting family members was going too far for a first date, and on any other first date it would've been. But Spencer seemed to be genuinely entertaining the idea of meeting and discussing some of his life with her brother, and that was what flipped the switch. She was starting to feel it. She was starting to fall in love with him.

***

When the two of them got in the car, Spencer turned on the radio before they started their journey home— a Classic Rock station. Y/N smiled, immediately recognizing the melody to, coincidentally enough, her favorite Queen song, Who Wants To Live Forever. She told him as much.

He turned the volume up and started driving, listening to her sing along softly. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed him turning his head every once in a while, obviously sneaking a glance at her enjoying her favorite music. The thought sent a bloom of warmth through her chest as the song faded out and started playing Photograph by Def Leppard. Spencer turned the radio down just a little and nodded, turning down the street.

"I like it. I can see why it would be your favorite."

"This is another one of my favorites, too," she replied with a gentle nod towards the radio, giving him a smile. "A lot of these songs probably will be, though, I've practically been spoon-fed Classic Rock radio since I was a baby."

Then she noticed where they were. A street she didn't recognize. "Where are we going?" she asked, looking around.

"Oh. I-I know I only really promised to take you out for dinner, but there's somewhere else I wanted to show you... If that's alright?"

"It's more than alright," she reassured, placing a hand on his arm and wondering where he planned to take her.

He took her hand in his and continued down the road, the radio shuffling through more songs that Y/N recognized and sang along to. At one point she made a point of dramatically serenading Spencer with Love Song by Tesla, air guitar-ing and everything.

Soon enough they were out where she couldn't see any buildings and only a few streetlights. Y/N hummed softly along to the radio, holding Spencer's hand once again as he pulled the car over down a random road and under this large tree. In front of them she could clearly see the sun setting over the skyline, illuminating everything around them in a soft orange glow.

"It's beautiful out here," she mused as Spencer turned off the car, the radio with it.

"Yeah, I, uh... I was in a particularly stressful point in my life a few years ago, and one day I just drove aimlessly. I don't normally drive at all, but I needed something new, something different to do that I could focus on, and I just ended up here. It's one of my favorite places."

She looked over at him and smiled, running her thumb over his hand. "I find that some of the best things in life happen when you try something different."

His eyes softened as she spoke, squeezing her hand and leaning his head against the seat. "You're right. That's... actually how I got you, know know."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Mhm... Yeah, I didn't even want to confront you about hearing what happened that night because I thought it would be too awkward, but... I don't know, I guess there was just something that felt right about the whole thing, like... like it was an opportunity to get to know someone new. And I couldn't stop thinking about knocking on your door and getting to know everything about this woman who likes to invade other people's privacy." He laughed as he said that last part, obviously teasing her about the whole thing, and she laughed with him.

"Well, then I guess that means I don't have to be embarrassed about that anymore," Y/N noted. "I felt absolutely awful about it, you know."

"Oh, I know. You were practically the color of a tomato when I gave you that Advil."

They laughed together as the sun sunk lower in the sky, and as the air between them grew silent, they just stared at each other, smiling. Even as the sun was leaving, Y/N could still feel its warmth radiating in the form of Spencer's presence.

***

They walked up to her door hand in hand, laughing about a joke she'd told him when Y/N realized the night was potentially over. The thought silenced her laughter, and suddenly she was nervous, like she hadn't already considered that the night would eventually have to end somewhere.

"I... I had a really great time tonight, Spencer, thank you. "

He smiled shyly in that way of his that made her just as shy. It was sickeningly cliché, she thought, feeling this way about a man she'd only just started to get to know, but she welcomed those feelings nonetheless. He was so obviously infatuated with her in a way she hadn't felt before, and it made her nervous because she didn't know how to react. All she could do was welcome and embrace his adoring glares and little touches and compliments, and hope that he knew in turn just how much she appreciated and adored him all the same.

His free hand reached out and cupped her cheek, to which she happily leaned into. "I did, too," he said softly, barely above a whisper. "We should do it again some time."

She smiled against his hand, and she didn't realize it then, but they were closer than they had been all night, toe to toe. "We should."

The world stopped for all of two seconds before he leaned down to kiss her. But something embarrassingly stopped her from letting it happen, pulling her face away just a little. "Wait. My breath probably smells like breadsticks."

Hardly the most romantic thing to say, and she regretted it the second it left her mouth.

Spencer only shrugged, smiling amusedly. "Who doesn't like breadsticks?"

That made her laugh. Hard. And she was still laughing as she pulled him closer and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

When he kissed her back, it was head-dizzyingly sweet, his hands softly brushing over her cheeks as she melted into him. Every time his lips parted, he came back stronger, pressing his lips and tongue to hers with slow, methodical precision.

She could have died right there.

But eventually they pulled apart, and she looked up at him with as much gratefulness as she could provide. "Look, I... I know it's not typically customary to sleep over on the first date, but... What about trying something different?"

Spencer grinned at her, rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. "Lead the way, pretty girl."

She couldn't hide her blush as she reached over and opened the door, pulling him into the apartment with her.

The door closed behind him, and Spencer kissed her again, this time using one of his hands to press her to him, resting promptly on her lower back. Their kisses were just as slow and sweet as they had been in the hall, though there was a slightest shift in the atmosphere, bringing forth a newfound passion behind each of their movements.

His tongue traced over her bottom lip before he took it between his teeth and tilted his head to the other side, pulling her even closer to him than she thought could be possible. They both stumbled around the living room as they kicked off their shoes. Y/N got significantly shorter after removing her heels, so Spencer bent down and lifted her off the ground, setting her on the back of the couch. Her dress had ridden up to the tops of her thighs so she could wrap her legs around his waist. She slid her cardigan off at the same time he slid off his jacket, their lips still adjoined. Once they were removed, Y/N wrapped her arms around his neck again, and he brought his arms under her ass as he lifted her off the couch

She expected the journey to her bedroom to be rocky, stumbling into furniture and walls and tripping, but was glad to be proven wrong when suddenly she was swiftly seated on her bed, Spencer standing between her legs.

He pulled away from her for all of two seconds before kneeling and pressing kisses to the insides of her right leg, starting at her ankle and trailing all the way up past her knee and eventually to her thigh. His hands reached up to grip the bed as he looked up at her and pressed kisses to her other thigh. Hoping to give him more access, she used her hands to pull her dress up even higher, scooting out from under her butt and bunching up at her hips as she spread her legs a little wider.

He smiled against her inner thigh, running one of his hands over the other. "Patience, pretty girl. I want to take my time with you tonight."

The way he said it made her shiver, and her head leaned back as she leaned back on her hands, feeling Spencer continue his exploration. His mouth travelled from thigh to thigh, doing just about everything he could think of—kissing, licking, biting... One of her hands found themselves in his hair as she sighed out, "Please, Spencer..."

For a moment she thought he wouldn't give it to her, if only because she wasn't specific enough and that had become part of their sexual routine, but this time he granted her what she wanted, one of his hands reaching up and ghosting along her clit through the fabric of her panties.

She instinctually rutted her hips forward at the contact, which made him laugh softly, and before too long, he hooked his finger in the waistband of her underwear, sliding up her dress just a little so he could reach. She lifted herself off the bed so he could bring them out from under her, and he slowly, very slowly, slid them down her legs. His lips travelled up her leg again, taking the same care and curiosity as he had before, each second burning impatiently through Y/N's body as she took it all in.

Right as his nose brushed over her clit, he pulled away, leaving her cold and desperate. She opened her eyes and looked down at him, running a hand through his hair and silently pleading to do something.

He smiled and stood up, pressing a kiss to her neck before whispering in her ear, "Will you ride my face for me, baby?"

"Oh, God, yes," she breathed before she could think, and he laughed, his breath sending goosebumps down the right side of her body.

Spencer got up on the bed and leaned back, his head resting on the pillows as Y/N straddled him, hiking her dress up over her hips and stroking the hair from his face before hovering over it. Before she could do anything, his hands wrapped up over her thighs and pulled her down to him, not wasting any time getting to work.

The initial contact jolted her awake, and she cried out, reaching forward and grabbing the top of the headboard as she ground down on him. His tongue plunged deep into her while his nose pressed against her clit, and the more she moved, the more his tongue drew patterns, wanting to taste every inch of her until she was shaking around him. And that's exactly what happened. His tongue came up to flick and swirl over her clit, and right when he wrapped his lips around it and started softly sucking, she cried out. "I'm gonna— ohh..."

He hummed into her, encouraging her to finish, and she did, clenching her thighs around his head as he shook it back and forth, lapping up every last drop of her arousal until her thighs lost their grip. She lifted up off of him, but he brought her back down to run his tongue through her pussy a few more long, meaningful times. He finally let go of her legs, and she kneeled beside him, catching her breath.

Looking down at him she noticed how wonderstruck he was, running his tongue along his lips to still taste her, his eyes searching hers hungrily before she leaned down and kissed him. The taste of herself on his mouth made her groan, and he reached up to pull the clip from her hair. It tumbled down in a curtain around them before he tossed the clip aside and ran his hands through it, gathering it all to one side and pulling her closer to him.

As he kissed her, she brought her hand to his chest, working at his tie and struggling to get it off. He laughed against her mouth and sat up to do it for her, breaking their kiss apart. Has he undid the tie and the first few buttons of his shirt, Y/N reached back to grab the zipper of her dress, but Spencer stopped her.

"Wait. Can I?"

She nodded, turning around.

"Stand up for me," he told her.

Y/N got off the bed and felt Spencer behind her, his hands brushing her hair out of the way and slowly zipping her dress down, pressing kisses down each inch of skin that exposed in its wake, all the way to her lower back. His hands slid up her back and pushed the straps off her shoulders, then tugged the dress down to watch it fall on the floor, leaving her completely bare.

He kissed her neck and ran his hands up and down her body, eventually reaching around to cup her breasts. She sighed at his touch, leaning back against him as he rolled her nipples in between his fingers. Her hands reached back to wrap around his back and pull him flush against her, the unmistakable feeling of his hardening dick through his pants pressing against her bare ass.

"I love how soft your skin is, pretty girl," he murmured into her neck, sliding his lips down to her shoulder and biting down. She sucked in a breath, her hands removing themselves from his back and placing themselves over his own, feeling the veins strain as they kneaded her breasts. His tongue traced over where he bit down before he kissed the same spot, then he worked his mouth back up her neck and reached her jawline. She turned her head, meeting his lips and pressing herself further into him, whining at every single sensation coursing through her veins.

Eventually she'd had enough and turned fully around, breaking apart from him just to come back. She faced him and wrapped her arms around his neck once more. He leaned in to kiss her again, but she stopped him, pulling her head back and using one of her hands to grip the hair at the nape of his neck. "Tonight's your lucky night, you know..."

At her teasing tone, Spencer laughed, his eyes searching hers before giving in. "Why's that?"

She used the hand that wasn't in his hair to slide over his shoulder and down his chest, drawing patterns across the bare skin he'd left exposed after undoing the first few buttons of his shirt. Then she smiled, bringing herself closer and gripping the collar. "Because I'm on birth control now..." She leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips against his, feeling them just barely as she whispered, recalling what he'd told her a few weeks ago. "You still wanna fill up this slutty little pussy? Make me yours?"

He didn't give a second thought. Before she was aware of what was happening, Spencer had his lips crashed against hers and his arms wrapped around her back, pulling her forward so that the tent in his pants pressed right up into her bare crotch. She gasped against his mouth and reached down to take the rest of his shirt all the way off, and he let her.

Her hands fumbled with the buttons, severely close to just giving up and ripping the shirt apart but she got there in the end, sliding the fabric off his shoulders and tossing it God-knows-where as his tongue slipped into her mouth. She trailed her hands softly down his chest and stomach, making him shiver, and she relished in the feeling of his lean figure tensing under her touch. She scratched her nails along the lower part of his stomach before touching his belt, and then he stopped her, grabbing her wrists.

"Sit on the edge of the bed," he commanded softly against her lips.

Y/N pulled away reluctantly, immediately missing his bodily warmth before doing as she was told and perching herself patiently at the edge of the bed.

Spencer got off his knees, climbed out of bed, and stood on the floor, coming over to her and placing himself between her legs once more. Only this time, he towered over her rather than kneeled. His hands unbuckled his belt while his eyes bore into hers, the anticipation of what was to come as high strung as it had ever been.

He pulled his pants and underwear down in one swift motion, and right a he kicked them to the side, Y/N reached out, grabbing his hips and pulling him closer. One of his hands gripped his hard cock while the other found purchase in her hair, brushing it behind her shoulders and resting at the base of her neck as he leaned down and pushed her back onto the bed. She scooted back just far enough for Spencer to kneel on the edge of the bed, her legs instinctually wrapping around his waist once more as he kissed her.

Her hands brushed the hair from his face and stayed weaved there, whimpering with anticipation as he ran the tip of his cock along her pussy, just as slowly as he'd done everything else so far. He broke their kiss apart and pushed the tip in, not going any farther than that. "I told you, pretty girl, I'm taking my time with you tonight. I want this to last."

As his forehead rested against hers, she barely caught a glimpse of his eyes before he pushed all the way in and squeezed his eyes shut. Y/N sighed and massaged his scalp, completely aware of every inch of him as he held himself inside her. He pressed just about the sweetest kiss to her lips before setting a slow pace that gradually became faster with every passing minute. She was still a little sensitive from when he'd eaten her out, but that only added to the feeling.

"Fuck, you're perfect," Spencer breathed, pulling his head just far enough away from her so he could look her in the eyes. "You're so goddamn perfect, Y/N..."

She slid her hands down his back as he picked up his pace inside her, gasping when he hit her g-spot. "Speak for yourself," she breathed.

When she started to feel herself getting closer, Spencer seemed to notice, because he slowed his pace again and ran sloppy, passionate kisses along her jaw and neck, and she reveled in the feeling. He was all around her, consuming every fiber of her being, and she could bask in it forever if he'd let her.

"Spencer," she breathed, her hands reaching down to grip his ass as he hit inside her deeper. "Fuck... You're so good to me..."

In turn he cradled her face and kissed her deeply, moving his tongue against hers in tandem with his hips' ministrations. Her fingernails bore deeper into his skin, and it wasn't long before she started to feel an orgasm surfacing. He rested his forehead against hers again, biting her bottom lip softly as he pulled away to speak. "Almost there, pretty girl. "

Y/N removed her hands from him and brought them up to bring her face to hers again, sighing into his mouth when they reconnected. And then he grabbed her wrists softly, pinning them above her head and sliding his hands up her forearms until his fingers laced together with hers, squeezing and pushing them both closer to the edge.

"Cum for me, baby," he mumbled against her lips, and within a matter of seconds, she did. Her legs tightened around him and her ankles hooked round his waist, just above the top of his ass to keep him tightly inside her while he found his own release. "Fuck," he sighed, giving three more hard thrusts forward. He held himself inside her while he came, the warmth spreading through her being just about the best thing she'd ever felt. It was the cherry on top, the last puzzle piece falling into place, and she kissed him once more while he finished, feeling him groan in her mouth.

The two of them stayed like that, their hands still laced together and legs still tangled, and even when their lips pulled apart, their foreheads rested together while their breathing slowed.

"Have I already told you how perfect you are?" Spencer breathed, nuzzling his nose against hers.

Y/N laughed a little, nuzzling him right back. "You may have mentioned it."

"Well, it's true. Everything about you is just so..."

"Perfect?" she offered.

He laughed, kissing her once more on the lips before slowly pulling out of her and unlacing their fingers. "Yes. Perfect... But as much as I love laying here with you, UTIs are not perfect, so I'm gonna get you cleaned up. Come on."

She sat up with a grunt, not wanting to get up so soon but she knew he was right. So she let him lead her to the bathroom as quickly as they can, his cum slowly sliding down her thighs when they got there. Spencer turned on the light and closed the bathroom door, a small smile on his face as he got on his knees to help.

"I can grab some toilet pa— holy shit..." Y/N was cut off when he dragged his tongue up the inside of her leg, scooping up his mess and making his way to her pussy where he cleaned out the rest of it. She was still sensitive, so he went as gently as he could, making soft, gentle swipes of his tongue until it was mostly gone, at least not dripping down her legs anymore.

When he stood up to meet her face, she felt stunned, absolutely enraptured by everything about the man in front of her. "So, does that mean I'm officially yours now?" she asked with small laugh.

He gave her that bashful smile again, and it made her feel even better, basking in the familiarity of his boldness of sexual acts followed by instant shy demeanor. "Only if you'll have me."

Y/N grabbed his face and kissed him before looking him dead in the eye and saying, "I hope I'll always have you, G-man."

#spencer reid smut #spencer reid x reader #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds smut #criminal minds fluff #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid

922 notes · View notes

tomboyneedshercoffee · 4 years

Text

Lovedust || Peter Parker x Stark Reader

Summary: Y/N and Peter have always hated each other but when Y/N discovers an element that can make people fall in love, her whole relationship flips upside down.

Word Count: 3.9k

Author’s Note: I’m still working on the last part to thin ice but I’ve had the idea of a love potion series for Peter and since we’re in quarantine, I said fuck it. I’m such a sucker for an enemy to love type thing so this is great cause technically it’s a slowburn but not at the same time! Also Y/N is ADOPTED cause duh of course she is. Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

Warnings: Mild language, mean peter

part one || part two || part three || part four || part five || part six ||

part seven || part eight || epilogue

You grew up with always hearing the saying that the heart wants what it wants. When your heart longed for a family, you found yourself among the Avengers who helped raised you into the woman you were meant to be. Deep down, you loved them more than you could possibly imagine and your heart felt full knowing they would always have your back.

You weren’t sure how much room was left in your heart but you knew a person who you definitely didn’t make space for. Peter Parker.

Your dad recruited him into the Avengers years ago but ever since the two of you met, you had always butted heads.

There was a whole list of reasons why you hated him; the smirk he always had whenever he would see you and the way he said your name as if it was like venom in his mouth.

There were times where Peter would leave smoke bombs in your room after you had just cleaned it or trap you in your room with his webbing when you were late for the movies. You always managed to get him back whether it was you throwing out all of his clothes into the courtyard when he needed to get ready for school or you hacking into his phone whenever he had an important call.

Most of the time, it didn’t matter. You both knew you were smarter and wittier than he would ever be but the one thing he always had above you was that he had powers. It didn’t matter that you had grown up with superheroes or that your dad was the Tony Stark, Peter would always be an Avenger.

Everyone in the complex knew the feud the two of you had but that didn’t stop them from stirring the pot now and then to witness it.

You sat down on the couch as you continued to work on your paper quietly since you needed a change of scenery. Bucky watched over your shoulder as he made breakfast in the kitchen.

“ Homework?”

“ Mhm. It’s about how the U.S could have avoided World War II if our president wasn’t so dumb,” You said as you kept your eyes glued to your screen,” I’ll let you read it once I finish it.”

Bucky smiled and turned his attention back to the stove,” Sounds good kiddo.”

You had about thirty minutes before your paper was due and you felt like you were on a roll. You had enough time to knock out another page but as soon as you shifted to the next paragraph, loud music started to play from one of the rooms close by.

You didn’t even have to look up to know that it was Peter. You turned around and looked sympathetically at Bucky for help but he shook his head when his eyes met yours.

“ Don’t look at me, I’m making breakfast.”

You looked down at your laptop as if you were considering to ignore the music before getting up from the couch anyway and stomped over to Peter’s room. You could feel the vibration of the music underneath your feet as you knocked on the door violently,” Shut up Parker!”

Not even a second later, the door swung open and revealed Peter who was only wearing sweatpants and a small smirk.

“ What did you say? I can’t hear you,” Peter shouted over the music as he tried to close the door on you.

You pushed the door open and slid through, heading straight for his phone that was attached to the room’s speaker. You grabbed it before he could reach you and you swiped your thumb over his phone screen to turn the music off,” You’re making my brain hurt and I can’t even hear myself think!”

“ Wait,” Peter gasped as he acted surprised,” you have a brain? I’m so sorry I didn’t even realize!”

Peter tried to reach for his phone but you yanked it back and held your hand up,” You can get this back after I finish my paper. I’m serious Parker if I fail because of your dumbass music I’ll kill you.”

You walked out of his room and back into the living room where Peter trailed behind you. At this point, Bucky, Sam, and Natasha were all in the kitchen as they silently watched the madness that unfolded right in front of them.

You plopped back down on the couch but before you could place your laptop back into your lap, Peter grabbed it away from you and closed the screen harshly.

“ Peter! I didn’t save it!”

“ Relax, you have google docs,” Peter said as he reached out his hand,” now give me my phone.”

You stood up as you tried to grab your laptop back but Peter casually held it over his head.

You didn’t want to embarrass yourself even further so you didn’t even attempt to leap up and grab it out of his sneaky hands,“ Ugh, fine. Will you at least stop playing your shitty music so loudly?”

Peter tilted his head to the side for a moment,” Do you really want this back?”

You knew Peter was playing a trick on you but you were so frustrated, you took the bait anyway.

“ Yes, I would like my laptop back,” You sighed as Peter smiled cheekily back at you.

Peter nodded and shrugged,” Okay, now ask me nicely. Didn’t your dad teach you manners?”

You fumed silently as you tried to keep your temper down,” May I please have my laptop back...you little shit!”

Peter clicked his tongue and shook his head,” That’s kinda mean Y/N but for you I’ll give it back...if you beg for it.”

Your face grew hot and before you knew it, you lunged at Peter. Both you and Peter hit the floor as the two of you wrestled to try and grab your belongings back. Once you grabbed your laptop, you scrambled back up before glaring back at Peter.

“ You idiot! You could’ve broken my-” As you opened your laptop, you saw your screen completely cracked. If you squinted, you could barely make out any words that were on your page.

Your heart sank to the bottom of your stomach as you could feel how close you were to crying. You had been working on this paper for days and you knew you still had so much to work on.

Peter watched your face as he visibly gulped,” Y/N-”

“ Forget it!” You snapped back as you gather the rest of your notes and pushed past him,” fucking asshole.”

You pressed your laptop and your notebooks against your chest as you figured you could find an empty computer up in the labs. Peter hesitantly watched as you walked away and into one of the glass elevators.

“ I’m sorry!” He shouted as the elevator started to go up.

You looked down at Peter and made eye contact with him before sticking up your middle finger. Peter shook his head as stuffed his hands into his pocket and mumbled underneath his breath.

“You’re terrible with women,” Sam sighed as Peter turned his attention towards the kitchen.

Peter pointed back at himself and towards the elevator,” Me? She’s being the difficult one!”

Natasha shook her head as she grabbed her coffee mug and walked towards Peter,” Take my advice kid, if you like a girl, I would refrain from...whatever you just did. Ever heard of flowers or a card?”

“ I don’t like her, how many times do I have to tell you guys!” Peter huffed as his face grew bright red.

“ Even if you don’t like her, you need to at least apologize, it’s the right thing to do,” Natasha said as she patted his shoulder and walked off, leaving Peter to feel guilty.

Once you got to the labs, you found a vacant computer in the hallway and started to work on your paper. At this point, you were just bullshitting it and after a few minutes of angrily typing, you decided you would just submit it since you were exhausted.

As you wheeled your chair back away from the desk, you spotted Banner in one of the main labs by himself. His body hunched over the desk as he looked directly into a microscope.

Even from your position, you could see that whatever he was looking at was glowing bright pink. You rested your knee against the desk as you leaned back in your chair, attempting to try and get a better look.

You had never seen anything in science ever give off such a vibrant color before and you were intrigued, to say the least. As cool as it was living in the Avengers complex with superheroes, you were more fascinated on what went down in the labs than on the battlefield.

As you stretched back, you felt the wheel underneath your chair slip from underneath you and a second later, you fell to the ground with a hard thud. You clasped your hand over your mouth as you listened to hear footsteps coming closer.

The door to the lab chamber opened up to a whirring sound as cold air whipped past you, you had been caught.

“ Y/N? What are you doing down there?” Banner asked as he helped you up to your feet.

Without missing a beat you looked over his shoulder and pointed to the glowing object,” What is that? Can I look at it with you?”

Banner followed your line of sight to where his microscope was positioned and then back at you.

“ Um, I’m not sure your dad would want you-”

“ Please? Just for a second, I promise,” You whined while Banner sighed as if he knew he was defeated.

Out of all the Avengers, Banner was always the one to go easy on you and you knew he would fall for your puppy dog eyes.

“ Fine, but just for a second but don’t touch anything,” You followed Banner into the lab as the cold air sterilized you and your clothes,” put these on.”

You put on your lab coat and gloves as you followed closely behind him. He motioned his hand to the microscope as you gladly accepted the offer.

You peeked into the microscope as you examined the slide. It was hard to see anything besides the pink glow but after looking at it closer, you could make out small, powdery rocks as small as a grain of rice.

“Okay well, this definitely isn’t a bunch of pop rocks so what is it?” You asked, turning back to Banner,” this has ‘space stuff’ written all over it.”

Banner nodded as you stepped away from the microscope to rest your eyes,“It’s a form of moondust that works as a highly addictive psychostimulant that directly affects the hypothalamus. Thor brought it back for the lab so I could try and make a type of vaccine since it has really bad side effects.”

“ What do you mean it has bad side effects- is that why my eyes hurt?” You asked nervously as Banner calmed you down.

“ Relax, it’s relatively safe as long as it doesn’t come in contact with water. You know what oxytocin is right? It’s called the love hormone and when this powder makes contact with human skin-”

“ Oxytocin-So, like a love potion?” You questioned as Banner stopped for a moment before nodding,” You have to let me help you, please let me help you. School is so easy right now, I need something challenging so my brain cells don’t deteriorate!”

You could tell that Banner was hesitant about allowing a seventeen-year-old girl to help him find a cure for a space element that was highly addictive but in the name of science, he budged.

----

“ I think we should call it a day. We’ve been working on this for hours and we still haven’t found anything that stands out,” Dr. Banner said as he stepped away from the lab table and stretched his neck out,” I heard your dad is making dinner for everyone tonight and I want front row seats to that trainwreck.”

You checked the time and saw that it had been hours since you’ve eaten or even saw the light of day. As hungry and tired as you were, you knew that if it was a big dinner, Peter would be joining in.

For the first time in hours, you remembered everything that had gone down earlier in the day and it just made you mad all over again.

You backed up from the microscope and nodded as you felt how sore your neck was starting to feel,” I’ll probably head down later. I just want to be sure we’re not missing anything.”

“ I wanted to thank you again for your help with all of this. I know it’s not your department but I’m glad to see you in the lab,” Banner said as some of the other scientists in the lab started to leave,” it’s really great to see young people interested in science.”

“ Well, it helps when you have a great teacher,” You smiled as Banner grinned back.

Once he left the lab, you turned your attention back to what you and Banner called “ Lovedust”. As you looked at the powder, you felt a wave of sadness wash over you.

You weren’t sure if it was from the powder or how long you’ve been working on a serum but looking at the Lovedust made you feel helpless.

You had been in relationships in the past that were never the healthiest but if you had known back then that an actual love potion existed, maybe it could’ve saved you a few heartaches.

You were so deep in thought that you didn’t hear the sterilization door open as Peter stepped in quietly, watching you from afar.

He crept up behind you to where he was a mere centimeters away from his chin touching your shoulder.

“ Whatcha got there?” Peter asked loudly as you jumped up from your seat, shrieking.

You hit the table with your knee hard as you whipped around, completely flustered, to see Peter leaning against one of the lab tables laughing.

“ Very funny idiot!” You said as you smacked the back of his head,” you can’t sneak up on someone like that- especially in a laboratory!”

Peter pushed your hand away as his gaze fell on the Lovedust that was now sprawled over the table.

He pointed over to the powder as he kneeled in front of it,” Woah, what is this stuff?”

Your eyes grew wide as you grabbed Peter’s hand and pulled him away from the table. If Peter were to come into contact with it, who knows what trouble he could stir up.

“ Promise me that you will not touch it! I need a sweepy thingy!” You shouted as you scrambled around the room to find a dustpan.

Peter only rolled his eyes as he pulled up a chair so he could get a better look at the glowing dust. Peter whistled low as you finally found the dustpan that was underneath one of the lab tables.

“ Were you hiding up here this whole time staring at this thing?” Peter asked as you stopped in front of the table and shooed him to the side,” are you going to tell me what this is or am I going to have to touch it to get your attention?”

You set a deadly gaze to Peter before turning your attention to the mess he had caused. Banner said it was relatively harmless as long as it didn’t touch water and as you looked around the room, you noticed there wasn’t a sink or beaker close by.

You sighed as you turned to Peter,” It’s moondust they found on Thor’s planet. Just don’t spit on it or lick it cause if it comes in contact with water, it gets super reactive.”

Peter looked up curiously at you as he raised his eyebrow,” How reactive?”

You mimicked an explosion noise with your mouth as your hands spread out into jazz fingers which made Peter laugh.

“ Okay, got it, no water,” Peter said before he backed up from the table and started looking around the lab. Peter watched as you tried your best to sweep up the remaining dust carefully as he leaned against one of the bunsen burners.

“ Why are you here? Cause if it’s an apology, I don’t want to hear it,” You said finally as Peter straightened up his back,” I’m tired of your lame excuses.”

While his whole plan was to come up and apologize, he felt all that motivation and guilt fade away since you had said it in a snarky tone.

“ Why would I apologize?” Peter responded as you shook your head, laughing dryly,” for the laptop? You were the one who lunged at me!”

It all made sense to you, Peter would never own up to his mistakes and now, his mistake had cost you another laptop.

You kept your focus to the table but you clicked your tongue,” You know what Peter, I’m not saying you have to treat me like the Queen of England, but I’ll be damned if you don’t respect me. I think you need to remember who you’re talking to, I’m a Stark.”

Peter moved away from the table and stood next to you with his arms crossed against his chest.

“ You think you can intimidate me? Y/N, we’re not friends, I don’t owe you anything.”

You turned to face Peter as you felt pure rage growing inside your chest,” You’re right, you don’t owe me anything. But that suit you run around in and that room you sleep in every night is thanks to my dad. Before my dad showed up you were nothing. Humble yourself Spiderboy.”

Peter’s face looked visibly hurt for a second before glaring right back at you,” I need to humble myself? All you ever do is go around saying how smart you are just because your dad is Tony Stark. You’re almost eighteen and yeah you got a full ride to Columbia and you’re valedictorian but you wasted your whole high school years on never accomplishing anything! You never went to a single party, you never passed your driver’s test, and you’ve never even had a boyfriend before.”

“ Newsflash Parker, I’ve had boyfriends before but unlike you, my relationships don’t dictate whether or not I’ve accomplished something!” You snapped back as you took a step towards Peter,” and at least my boyfriend’s dads don’t end up in jail.”

Peter didn’t even hesitate as the words slipped right out of his mouth,” And at least my girlfriends actually loved me back.”

Immediately, nausea swirled in your empty stomach as your mind started to feel swarmed with old memories of every relationship you had. The room felt still and you thought that if you let a tear out, it would make noise once it hit the floor.

Peter immediately regretted his words once again as he watched your stern face fall into a somber one. Before he could reach out to you, he felt the hair on his arm raise up at the same time.

“ Wow, low blow Parker-” You turned around and when you looked at the table behind you, half of your notes and papers were lit up in flames.

Before you could even let out a gasp, the sprinkler system came on as water sprayed every inch of the room, including the Lovedust.

“ No no no!” You yelled as you scrambled over to the other side of the room to shut the water off,” Peter help me!”

Peter carefully tried to run through the slippery floor without falling but once he saw you slip on the way to the button, he almost sprinted towards you. When he felt his foot slip from underneath him, he jolted his arm out to catch himself on the table.

He could feel the Lovedust crunch underneath his palm as his blood ran cold. You had never told him what the powder was except that it would explode so Peter desperately tried rubbing the powder onto his pants.

You picked yourself up from the ground and used all of your weight to press the button and stopped the sprinkler system. Within seconds, the sprinkler system halted as you looked back at Peter, who was completely drenched in water.

“ Nice going- hey, are you okay?” You asked as you moved your wet hair out of your face before stopping in the middle of your step.

Peter’s left hand and his whole left side of his jeans were covered in glowing pink dust that was turning redder by the second.

“ I need to sit down,” Peter said softly before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his feet crumbled underneath him.

Once Peter hit the ground, you screamed for help as you slid across the wet floor, kneeling close to Peter.

You did your best to avoid touching his whole left side as you lifted the upper half of his body and propped his head up against the leg of the table. You cupped your hands around his face as you moved a few strands of wet hair so you could see better.

“ Peter? Damn it, Peter!” You shook him harshly as you felt your heart sink to your stomach,” Wake up! Wake up!”

Your hands trembled as you checked his head to make sure he didn’t bust it open. Every ounce of angry you held towards him quickly faded once you thought that Peter was seriously injured.

After shaking him for a moment, Peter’s eyes slowly opened. The first thing he could feel was warmth spreading across his whole body like nothing he had ever felt before. His heart permanently felt like it was skipping a beat every few seconds and his chest felt extremely tight.

His breathing was uneven as if he had just ran a marathon but once his vision started coming back, every ounce of breath was taken from his lungs. As you stared back at Peter with a worried expression, his heart sped up even faster as he found himself getting lost into the deep color of your eyes.

“ Peter? Can you hear me?” You asked as you snapped your fingers close to his ear but Peter barely flinched.

He nodded, hanging onto every word as if it was words on a page and he felt immediate comfort in hearing your sweet voice. He managed to pull his gaze away from your eyes but next, he focused on your lips and made details of the way you said his name.

“ Oh thank god, don’t worry, help is coming. Just stay awake for me okay?” You sighed as you nervously pushed another strand of wet hair behind your ear, which made Peter sigh deeply.

He wanted nothing more than to reach out to you and tuck a strand of hair away from your face but he was too distracted by how you looked in front of him. Even though you were soaking wet from head to toe, Peter couldn’t keep his eyes off of you.

“ I’m so glad you’re okay,” You admitted as you smiled before pulling your hands away from his face.

Everything besides his heartbeat seemed to stop once you smiled and that’s when Peter deep down knew something was wrong but he didn’t care. The way your lips lifted upward into a smile filled with complete relief made his heart beat even faster.

Peter swallowed hard before looking up at you as his face flushed a deep shade of red,” I don’t know what’s happening to me...but I’ve never loved you more than right now. I can’t help it, I love you, I’ve always loved you Y/N.”

Your smile dropped as you looked down at Peter’s whole left side. The Lovedust was completely gone and you knew in that moment that his skin must’ve absorbed the remainder of it.

In a matter of seconds, a boy who wanted nothing to do with you and claimed no boy had ever loved you was now professing his undying love for you.

“ You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

5K notes · View notes

whimsicallyenchantedrose · 3 years

Text

Dead Man’s Cell Phone--Chapter 2

Summary: When Emma Swan starts getting phone calls and texts from an unfamiliar number, she decides to check it out–only to discover the number belongs to a Killian Jones, who was killed in a robbery gone wrong six months ago. With some help from a medium, Merlin Emrys, Emma hopes to find out why a dead guy is contacting her–and why she feels such a strong pull to someone she has never met before.

Rating: K+

Tagging a few people who may be interested (Let me know if you want to be added or taken off the list): @sailormew4 @annaamell @flslp87 @emmateo26 @bethacaciakay @ultraluckycatnd @effulgent-mind @ilovemesomekillianjones@kat2609 @brooke-to-broch @missgymgirl @galadriel26 @the-lady-of-misthaven @charmingturkeysandwich @jennjenn615 @laschatzi @kimmy46 @snowbellewells @iamanneenigma @daxx04 @nickillian @a-rose-for-a-savior@in-spirational @gillie @britishguyslover @ginnyjinxedandhanshotritafirst@kmomof4 @linda8084 @golfgirld @captain-swan-coffee @searchingwardrobes @hollyethecurious @laughswaytoomuch@allyourdarlingswans @winterbaby89 @facesiousbutton82 @cssns @therooksshiningknight, @lfh1226-linda @tiganasummertree @eastwesthomeisbest @dreamingdreamsalways @xsajx @justren21 @laughterandbooks @cocohook38 @therealstartraveller776

Welcome to my entry for the Captain Swan Supernatural Summer! A big thank you to @cssns, the ladies on the Discord! Thank you also to @eastwesthomeisbest, my artist and my beta @veryverynotgood!

Other Chapters: Prologue 1 3 4 Epilogue

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So after the phone calls, the text messages started coming," Emma said, settling into her best friend's plush sofa.

"Texts?" Mary Margaret asked curiously before taking a sip of her tea. "What kind of texts?"

It felt like Emma had known Mary Margaret forever. Both girls were placed in the system at young ages-Emma, because her parents abandoned her on the side of a road as an infant, and Mary Margaret, because her parents both died of illness. They ended up in the same group home, and quickly became the best of friends. They were closer than sisters until the day Mary Margaret was adopted by Cora Mills, and then eventually, Emma was fostered by Ruth Nolan.

Even after being placed with other families, Emma and Mary Margaret kept in touch-letters, phone calls, even the occasional visit. On one such visit, Emma's foster brother, David, was home from college, and as soon as he and Mary Margaret met, it was love at first sight.

They were so in love it was honestly a bit nauseating.

When they got married fresh out of college, Emma couldn't be happier. She'd always considered Mary Margaret her sister in all the ways that counted, and now they truly were.

There was no doubt about it - Mary Margaret Nolan was the person Emma was closest to in the entire world, and so it was only natural that when the weird stuff with the cell phone started happening, Emma decided to discuss it with her.

"Weird ones," Emma answered, taking a sip of her own hot cocoa with cinnamon. "Stuff like Help! or You're the only one who can save me!. And then some of them were even stranger. Just...random letters and symbols, almost like someone was randomly pressing buttons on a keyboard."

"So what did you do?" Mary Margaret asked, sitting on the other side of the sofa and turning toward Emma.

Emma shrugged. "I tried answering at first. You know, you hear about people who are abducted and, like, stuck in a basement for years and stuff like that. I kept thinking, what if someone really needed help and I just...ignored them?"

"And what happened when you answered?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Nothing," Emma answered before taking another sip. "No answer, just another cryptic text several hours later. Finally, I decided I'd had enough. Either someone needed help, or someone was messing with me. I decided I'd call the number, decide whether I needed to help them or tell them to go f-" She stopped, glancing over at Mary Margaret's toddler playing with blocks nearby. "Well, go do something not at all child-friendly to themselves."

"Let me guess, your call didn't get through."

"Nope," Emma confirmed, "but it was even weirder than that. I dialed the number just after receiving a text, but it went directly to voicemail."

"But that's not possible!" Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"Right?" Emma said. "So I tried to ignore the whole thing. Maybe the phone was just...I don't know..glitching or something, although I don't know how a technological glitch could make phone calls and text someone. Anyway, for some reason, I just can't let go. Even though I don't know him, somehow I feel a...connection...to this Killian Jones. I just-I don't know what to do about it."

Mary Margaret was silent for a moment, taking several sips of her steaming beverage, before turning back to Emma with a cautious look in her eyes. "There is...there is another possibility, if you have an open mind."

"Just how open are we talking?"

"Pretty open," Mary Margaret said. "What if-and just hear me out, I know this is crazy-what if Killian Jones is contacting you from beyond the grave."

"What, like a ghost?"

Mary Margaret shrugged. "I mean, I know it sounds crazy, but why not? One of the other teachers I work with was talking about this medium. His name is Merlin Emrys. Supposedly he can contact the dead and see ghosts and stuff like that."

"A medium? Seriously?" Emma asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "Mary Margaret, you know those people are frauds. It's all about researching their marks ahead of time and then cold reading them. They're only in it to bleed as much cash out of vulnerable people as possible."

"I know it sounds crazy," Mary Margaret conceded, "but what if it's not? I've thought about going to him myself. If I could just talk to my parents one more time-make sure they're okay, make sure they've moved on, or whatever happens after someone dies. Well, it would provide a lot of comfort."

Emma's heart turned over, and she took her friend's hand. She knew how much Mary Margaret missed her parents. It was different for Emma. She'd never known her parents, only knew they'd tossed her out like garbage. She wasn't sure she even wanted to find them.

"I know you miss them," Emma said.

"I do," Mary Margaret said, "but that's not the point. The point is...what do you have to lose? Maybe this Merlin is just a quack like you said, but maybe not. Maybe he could be the key to unravelling the whole mystery."

Emma was silent for a moment. It was crazy; she knew it was. A medium wasn't going to give her the answers she needed if all her bail bonds tricks had failed her, but what the hell?

"Fine. I'll go see Merlin," Emma caved.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emma's eyebrows rose as she took in the small, ranch-style house Mary Margaret had directed her to. She was skeptical before seeing the place, but now-now red flags were going up everywhere.

There was a huge, gaudy sign out front that read "Merlin, the great and powerful. Wizard of the unknown and medium of the great beyond." The sign-indeed the entire front of the house-was decorated with all kinds of astrological signs and symbols.

Was this guy even for real?

Emma seriously considered turning around and getting back in her car, but she'd promised Mary Margaret she'd at least check this Merlin out and give him a chance, and Emma was a woman of her word. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

A moment later, an older man with longish, thinning gray hair and a rather unkempt gray beard opened the door. He was wearing long robes. Really playing the part, apparently.

"Merlin Emrys, I presume?" Emma asked as the man welcomed her inside with a sweep of his hand.

The man chuckled. "I'm afraid not. I'm merely his apprentice. Who might I tell Merlin is calling?"

Emma cocked an eyebrow. "You mean your all powerful boss didn't see me coming with his second sight or whatever?"

Emma stepped inside and the apprentice shut the door after her. "My master isn't clairvoyant. He merely has the ability to speak with the dead."

"Right," Emma said, not even trying to tamp down the skepticism in her voice. "I'm Emma Swan, and I'm here to-"

He stopped her with a raised hand. "Don't say too much. Merlin does not wish to be influenced by his clients. He wishes to sense the energy around you for himself."

Emma shrugged. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright," the apprentice said, moving toward large drapes at the far end of the room. "I'll be just a moment. Please, make yourself comfortable."

Emma looked around the room while she waited, and it took everything in her to keep from rolling her eyes. This guy was really playing up the whole "psychic" thing. It felt like she was in some sort of fortune teller carnival tent. All the signs and symbols. This guy even had a crystal ball. An actual crystal ball.

This trip was a massive waste of her time, but maybe it would at least prove to be entertaining.

"Emma Swan, welcome!"

Emma looked up at the handsome black man who made his way through the curtains. He was dressed in much the same way as his apprentice, only he wore a sorcerer's pointy hat on his head.

"Uh, thanks," Emma said, stepping forward and offering her hand. "Full disclosure. I'm more than a little bit of a skeptic, so if this is one of those 'it can only work if you truly believe' deals, we might have a problem."

"My gift can withstand the doubts of the skeptic," he chuckled before reaching out and taking her hand.

No sooner had his hand touched hers than he gasped, taking a step back, eyes going wide. "Would you-would you care to follow me back to my private sitting room, Miss Swan? It's far more comfortable back there."

Emma cocked a brow again, wondering what this odd man was on about. Still, she didn't sense any overt deception in him, and he didn't seem to be any threat to her, so she shrugged before following him through the curtains.

This backroom was far more ordinary than the room they'd just inhabited. Emma took a plush armchair, and Merlin sat on a sofa across from her.

Merlin pulled off his hat and sat it beside him. "I apologize for all the theatrics, Miss Swan," he said, reaching for a pot of tea and then raising an eyebrow in question. Emma declined the beverage with a small shake of her head, and Merlin proceeded to pour himself a cup. "I attempt to play up to what most clients expect from a psychic. Unfortunately, most poor souls who come to see me are out of luck. The loved one they wish to contact has passed on. For most, all I can do amounts to smoke and mirrors. I could tell the moment I shook your hand that you were different."

Emma inwardly scoffed. She knew enough about cons not to be fooled by a clever con man. Made sense he'd use a different tactic with a skeptic than he would with some poor, grief-stricken sap who was a true believer.

"No offense, but I still think you're full of crap," she said.

Merlin smiled. "It seems those with the most energy surrounding them always do."

"So, what?" Emma asked. "Are there ghosts all around me or something?"

"There are a few spirits here with us today," Merlin confirmed. "There's one who's quite insistent. It's a man; looks as though he died rather young. I don't sense he's family, but you were close. Maybe coworkers? Perhaps friends?"

Emma took a deep breath, a face coming to mind. Surely he couldn't mean-

"I'm getting a G in the name," Merlin said slowly. "Greg or Gray….no. Graham."

Emma's heart turned over. Graham. Sweet, slightly dorky Graham Humbert. They'd worked together on more than a few cases, and they'd become good friends.

In fact, they'd been teetering on the precipice of possibly becoming more than friends when he died suddenly.

"How did you know to mention Graham? How did you know that name would get the biggest rise out of me?" Emma demanded, voice hard.

"I don't choose the spirits who come to me," Merlin explained calmly, "I merely give them a voice. Graham is pleased to see you again. He's glad you're doing well."

The anger came then, spurred on by the pain the memory of Graham's death brought back. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"He died quite suddenly, didn't he?" Merlin asked, ignoring her question. "I'm feeling a tightness in my chest. Something with his heart?"

"Heart attack," Emma confirmed tightly. "He had a heart attack right in front of me and died in my arms."

"He's sorry, so very sorry you had to go through that," Merlin said, putting a comforting hand on her arm. "He never wanted to be a source of pain for you."

Emma felt the tears at the back of her eyes and had to take a deep breath to keep them from falling. "Yeah, well, he didn't exactly have a say in the matter. Look, I don't know how you knew to bring up Graham, but I'm still not buying it."

"He apologizes he couldn't bring you a bear claw today," Merlin continued with a smile. "Oh, and he asks if you remember the day he thought he saw a wolf. He wants you to know he wasn't drunk. It really was there-in spirit at least."

Emma gasped, remembering the night she and Graham had gone to the Rabbit Hole for a drink after a long shift and Graham swore he spotted a big, gray wolf right there on the main street of town. Emma had made fun of him for that, telling him he'd clearly imbibed a bit too much that night. There's no way Merlin could have known about that incident. He couldn't have found it in any newspaper or online article about Graham's death.

Was it...was it possible this guy was the real deal?

"Okay, I admit, it's weird you'd bring that up," Emma said. "Let's say I believe you, can you ask Graham if he's okay? If he, like, moved on or whatever?"

"You just asked him," Merlin said. "He's here with us and can hear you. He wants to tell you that he is okay. He's more than okay; he's happy. He's moved on, and he's at peace, more than he could have ever thought possible."

Emma smiled, feeling comfort at the thought.

"There's someone else here with us as well," Merlin said. "Another male presence, but I don't believe you know this one. This one seems angry, desperate."

"Um...should we be scared?" Emma asked.

Merlin shook his head. "He doesn't mean us harm, only wants his story told. He's too indistinguishable to speak now, but I sense he'll be accompanying us on our journey today as well."

Wonderful. An angry, desperate ghost guide. Just fantastic.

"So, Emma," Merlin said, after a moment, "what brings you to me tonight?"

Emma pulled out her phone and laid out the entire story for Merlin. She told him about the calls, the texts, everything. Merlin took her phone in hand and gasped as soon as it touched his hand.

"There is a huge amount of energy here," he said. "There's no doubt a spirit has attached itself to you-or at least your phone."

Emma felt a chill. "My phone is haunted?"

"Not precisely," Merlin murmured, turning the device over in his hand. "Someone wishes to get your attention; wishes for you to help him, but there's something odd here, something I can't quite place."

"What do you mean?"

"The spirit is...indistinct," Merlin said, "hazy and just beyond my reach. I've never experienced anything like this."

Emma waited, her curiosity more than piqued at Merlin's odd reaction to her cell phone.

After a moment, Merlin's eyes widened. "Your friend Graham cleared up the mystery for me."

"What?" Emma asked. "What does Graham say is going on?"

"The reason I can't get a clear read on the spirit attached to your phone-this Killian Jones-is, well, because he's not dead."

Notes:

-So there you have it. For those of you who have wondered how this story could possibly have a happy ending since Killian is dead-this is how. He's not actually dead!

-Up next: With Merlin's help, Emma finds out how this is all possible-and she finds the not-dead Killian Jones.

Next Chapter-->

#cssns21 #captain swan supernatural summer #my franfiction #cs ghost story au #dead man's cell phone

57 notes · View notes

wayward-dreamer · 3 years

Text

Life’s Lessons - Epilogue

Title: Life’s Lessons - Epilogue: A Lesson in Making a Life

Pairing: Mechanic!Dean x Female!Teacher!Reader

Word Count: 4,160 (song lyrics in italics)

Warnings: SO MUCH FLUFF, YOU GUYS. Some swearing, Lots of kissing, Happy Tears, Dean being the cutest and sweetest he’s ever been in this series. Implied sex. Just a whole bunch of happiness. I don��t want to say anything and ruin the surprise, but there’s absolutely nothing but fluff here!

Music: Thank You by Led Zeppelin (Lyrics spaced out throughout, listen to it during the whole epilogue. Loop it if you can lol!)

Life’s Lessons Spotify Playlist

A/N: I made myself cry with this epilogue. There’s just so much fluff, you guys! So, happy reading and enjoy! Thank you so much to everyone for coming along on this journey, I have loved every minute of it and I hope you have too! Who knows, though... it might not be completely over! ;)

Life’s Lessons Masterlist

Dividers by the wonderful @firefly-graphics! Check her out for all your AU needs!!!

6 Months Later

If the sun refuses to shine

I would still be loving you

“So, you don’t know what he has planned for tonight?”

Y/N stood in front of her mirror, applying her make-up. Charlie, who sat on the bed behind her, had just asked her that question, to which Y/N shook her head.

“No idea” she said, before picking up her eyeliner and bringing it to her right eye first.

Meg walked into the room, handing Charlie one of the glasses of water she had in her hands. “If he told you to dress up, it’s something important.”

Y/N smiled, shrugging her shoulders. “Maybe. I just want to have a good time tonight. He’s been so busy with the house; we can finally relax tonight.”

“You still want it to be a surprise, huh?” Charlie asked, smiling.

“Yeah” Y/N replied, quietly, smiling to herself.

A lot had happened in Dean and Y/N’s life.

They had spent nearly every waking moment together, when they weren’t at work or with their friends or Dean’s family. To say that they fell more in love with each other every day was an understatement. They both couldn’t believe how much more they were able to give with each passing moment. Since Dean had told her about the house, they had begun planning everything for it together. She would give him her ideas from her home magazines, telling him different ways to go about doing the internal re-model. However, Dean being Dean, didn’t tell her which of her ideas he was taking on board. He had taken her saying she wanted to be surprised very seriously.

Y/N couldn’t believe how far they had come; from just being neighbors and liking each other, to a proper couple in the span of several months. She had met his family, and everyone loved her instantly. They had their first Valentine’s Day and Dean had pulled out all the stops, taking her to a fancy restaurant and then a hotel in the city for the night, taking work off the next day which she did too, enjoying spending time together before their late check-out.

Then, the time came for Dean to meet her parents. She had been nervous, but she knew her family would give him the same treatment that his gave her. They had come down from New York to visit her just as summer break started. Her parents along with her sister and brother-in-law and the kids all hauled themselves down to Kansas to see her and meet Dean. When she had told him, he had been incredibly nervous to meet them, but had agreed, nonetheless.

They spent an entire afternoon together, Dean played with Y/N’s nieces who were obsessed with him now, took her dad and Brian out for a spin in the Impala, and charmed her mom and Jill all day until her sister and brother-in-law returned to the hotel with the kids, as Y/N’s parents were staying with her. Dean had passed with flying colors, which they were both so relieved about. The family’s trip there pretty much cemented that things were serious, and they were moving onto a bright future together.

Once the family had left after visiting for a week, Dean took Y/N on a trip to California, on a two-week getaway that he cited they needed to take after working so hard for the last several months. It was their first trip together, and Dean had driven them down there. The beach house they got to stay in belonged to a friend of Sam’s from college, which they had all to themselves as the friend and his wife had gone to Europe for the summer. Sam and Eileen weren’t able to go, as she didn’t want to endure a long drive while pregnant, and she also couldn’t fly now. So, Dean took the opportunity to be alone with Y/N, spending a romantic trip away together. They spent their days on the beach, exploring the town and soaking up the sun, with their nights spent at bars, restaurants and night walks along the shore, before exploring each other once they got back to the house.

It had been exactly what they needed, both of them falling even more in love with each other if that was even possible.

Sam and Eileen’s son was born a week after the trip, both parents exhausted but over the moon with their bundle of joy. Dean and Y/N had taken on babysitting duties a couple of months later, knowing the parents definitely needed a break. As if seeing Dean with her nieces hadn’t been enough, Dean with his baby nephew was a sight to behold and had given Y/N plenty of thoughts she shouldn’t have had. Not for a while, at least.

She knew they were heading in that direction, and she also knew that Dean felt the same way, but it was better to not get carried away with thoughts of marriage and children until those things were properly on the cards for them.

When mountains crumble to the sea

There will still be you and me

Six months later, nearly a year to the day she had met him, and she had fallen harder with each day that passed. He made her feel loved, protected and safe. He cared about her and her job, her passions and her wants and needs. He was completely satisfying in every department, especially the bedroom, getting her to admit to fantasies she had hidden and even playing out a very particular one. She had given him his teacher fantasy, so it was only right he gave her one of hers.

Through it all, there was only one thought she had. That she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Dean Winchester. She wanted to make a life with him and only him. He was her person.

As Y/N reflected on everything that had happened, she quickly changed into her wine-red dress and nude heels, put on her thin, diamond, drop earrings and made sure her Y/H/C hair was still perfectly styled and her make-up was flawless, having gone for a lighter look with a light pink lip.

“So… how do I look?” she asked, turning to her friends.

“Beautiful” they both sighed, smiling at her.

“He’s not going to know what hit him” Meg said with a wink.

Just then, the doorbell rang a couple of times, signalling Dean had walked over to her house to come and get her. She still only used it to keep her clothes and do her work in her office, spending most of the days and all her nights over at Dean’s.

“Alright, I better go” she said, doing one last check in the mirror. “You girls stay as long as you want, just-”

“Lock up when we leave, we know” Charlie smiled. “Go.”

Y/N smiled as she walked out of the bedroom, Charlie and Meg hanging around in the hallway as they watched her greet Dean with a kiss.

“She really has no idea what’s going to happen soon” Charlie quietly squealed.

“I know” Meg said, excitedly as they both waved at Dean, giving him a thumbs up as he winked at them when Y/N’s back was turned. She smiled back at them one last time before shutting the door, leaving the girls in the house.

“I always knew they’d get to this point” Charlie said, beaming. “Gosh, I’m so happy she came into his life.”

“Amen to that” Meg said, as she clinked her glass of water against Charlie’s. They both took a few sips, before rinsing the glasses and picking up their bags.

“Alright, what time did Dean say they’ll be done?” Meg asked, as they stepped out the door and locked up Y/N’s house.

“Around 9” Charlie replied, as they got into her car.

“Good. That means we have enough time” Meg said, as she buckled her seatbelt.

They both couldn’t wait to help Dean make this a night Y/N would remember forever.

Kind woman, I give you my all

Kind woman, nothing more

Dean smiled at the look on Y/N’s face as the waitress popped the champagne he had ordered, pouring them each some in the champagne flutes before putting the bottle in the ice bucket, and walking away. He loved the look of surprise and giddiness on her face, but she really had no idea what was in store for her tonight.

“This is all too much, Dean” she said, shaking her head even though she was smiling. “Champagne, the restaurant to ourselves…”

He waved her off, smirking. “I’ve been coming here for years, so Tony owed me at this point.”

He had taken her to the restaurant he took her to on their first date, just six months ago. He had known the owner for years, coming in here often enough plus Dean fixing Tony’s car several times in the past few years, plus the place practically being an institution of Lawrence, all added up to Dean being able to have the place for themselves that night.

“Well, I’m glad it didn’t cost you much” she smiled, as she picked up her glass and held it up for a toast. “To six, amazing, official months, but to one whole year of knowing you.”

“To knowing you, too” he smirked as he clinked his glass with hers, secretly touched that she had said that.

Dean knew that he was truly blessed to have the amazing woman sitting in front of him, in his life. She had saved him from a life of misery, something he never would’ve realized or gotten out of if she hadn’t shown up and completely turned his life around, for the better. She made him feel appreciated, valued, cared for and loved. She was genuinely excited about his achievements when it came to work, and even gave him ideas on how to do things when he voiced that he was lost sometimes. She supported him and his passion, being equally passionate and driven, just in her own profession.

She was absolutely stunning, knocking him down a few pegs every time he looked at her, and god damn it, if she wasn’t the sexiest woman he had ever been with. She had fulfilled a fantasy of his, and he had returned the favor recently, finding out while he enjoyed her being dominant towards him, he absolutely loved seeing her being submissive for him.

He knew from the moment they met that she was going to be sticking around for a while. Then, a while turned into him wanting her around forever, once things became more serious between them.

Meeting her family sealed the deal for him, however. He wanted Y/N in his life for as long as they lived.

Little drops of rain whisper of the pain

Tears of love lost in the days gone by

They ate and drank, chatting about everything they could, enjoying each other’s company. They never ran out of things to talk about, and they both hoped they never would. Once Dean paid for dinner and dessert which had consisted of an incredibly rich chocolate cake, they took a stroll through the park to get to the car. It was a pleasant night, not blazing hot like it had been during the day, with a light, cool breeze. Y/N kept looking over at Dean, dressed in his best dark jeans, a light blue shirt and his good boots, proving that he always looked incredible.

Their hands were intertwined as they walked, stealing kisses and touches from each other as they made their way to the car. They could barely ever keep their hands off each other, but Dean was being extra lovey and Y/N had begun to wonder what he was up to.

“Ready for the next thing?” he asked, as he sat in the car, turning the ignition on.

“Absolutely” she replied, smiling brightly.

“Good” he said, before he reached over and opened the glove compartment, taking out a tie he had stashed in there. “Turn around, sweetheart.”

“Oh my god, Dean, what kind of thing do you planned?” she asked, her eyes widening as she saw the tie.

“It’s nothing like that, Y/N” he replied, as he nudged her to turn. “Unless you want it to be” he smirked, even though she had turned and couldn’t see him.

He wrapped the tie around her head, covering her eyes before tying it at the back.

“Is this really necessary?” she asked, pouting her lips.

He chuckled, leaning in and kissing them. “Yes.”

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick message before he started the Impala. The engine roared to life, before he put it in drive and made his way down the road.

They hadn’t been driving long, but Dean had taken several turns in the last few minutes. Y/N was confused as to where they were going but didn’t say anything. She knew he had a knack for surprising her, and she didn’t want to spoil that for him.

Dean quickly pulled up outside his newly renovated, two-storey house. He shut off the engine, just as he saw two figures walk out of the house. He got out of the car and smiled at Charlie and Meg who waved at him, before quietly making their way down the driveway and towards Charlie’s car. He waited until they had completely driven away before walking around the front of the car and opening the passenger door.

“Can I take this off now? What took you so long to get here from the other side?” she asked, starting to get a little suspicious now.

“Y/N, you gotta relax” he laughed, as he turned her around and held onto her shoulders, guiding her up the sidewalk, after he had locked the car.

He walked her up the path in the still-to-be-finished garden, which she wouldn’t be seeing at that moment. He carefully led her up the porch stairs, making sure she didn’t trip with her heels on. He opened the door and led her in, her heels echoing on the hardwood floors.

“Dean, what’s going on?” she asked, impatiently as she heard her shoes on the floors.

“Just one more second” he replied, as he moved in front of her and guided her through the hallway, past the living area and into the middle room. When he stopped, he felt his heart beating wildly in his chest.

“Okay… ready?” he asked, holding onto the tie being used to blindfold her.

“Yes” she replied, somewhere between exasperated and excited.

Dean laughed to himself, as he moved in front of her. “Okay. 1… 2… 3…”

He counted down and opened the knot, dropping the blindfold. He watched her eyes flutter open, smirking as they immediately widened when she realized where she was. She let out a loud gasp, her eyes flitting to every part of the room, lit up with candles everywhere.

Y/N couldn’t believe her eyes as she looked around the room, turning in circles to see every part of it. The hardwood floors, the beautiful dining table that she loved from one of her magazines, a large archway leading to the living area, still to be furnished. However, the thing that got her immediately was the huge kitchen. It was her dream kitchen, with a big island bench in the middle, a beautiful stove and oven, the cabinets painted a dark shade of green with gold handles, and marble countertops. There was a picture window in the kitchen with a ledge, with an empty glass box for her herbs.

Y/N looked back at Dean, his smirk wide as he bit his lip, gaging her reaction. She laughed as she launched herself into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt tears prick her eyes as she shook her head.

“You like?” he asked, rubbing his hand down her back.

She pulled away slightly to look up at him. “Like?” She shook her head, as she looked around again. “Dean… I’m speechless. I-I… I absolutely love it.”

“Okay, good, because it’s still not quite done. I left a few things like the living area and painting unfinished, so they we can decide that stuff together.”

“It’s all perfect, and it’s going to be even more perfect once it’s completely done. Dean… it’s beautiful. It’s… it’s my dream house” she choked up, not being able to talk.

There were large windows in the living area, and large French doors that led out to the covered porch, and then the backyard.

“Everything’s done, just needs furnishing and your touch. Master suite is done but not furnished. Guest room’s done and we can put your bed in there for now, but I left the other two rooms unfurnished too… for… well, you know” he muttered, his cheeks turning red. He was already thinking about how their future kids.

She smiled through tears, leaning in and kissing him, feverishly. “I love you. I love that you put everything into this for yourself, for me… for our future family.”

My love is strong

With you there is no wrong

Together we shall go until we die, my, my, my

He leaned in and kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her deeper into the kiss.

“That’s a lot of candles” she laughed when she pulled away.

“Thank Charlie and Meg for that. They wanted to help make tonight special for you” he told her, smiling as he kissed her softly again.

“For us” she playfully corrected him.

He chuckled, nodding. “Yeah. Us.”

He looked down at her and Y/N smiled at him, squinting slightly as she noticed something different in his eyes. She couldn’t quite place it but it didn’t seem like it was a bad thing.

An inspiration is what you are to me

Inspiration, look, see

Y/N slowly pulled away from him and smiled as she walked away, going into the kitchen. She ran her hand over the countertops, opening cabinets and drawers, smiling the entire time. Dean was glad she had taken a moment to do that, as he took a deep breath, nervously touching his back pocket to his jeans. He smiled as he watched her; the dream he had so many times over the years was finally taking shape. She looked up at him and frowned, seeing his nervous stance as he stood there in the room. She walked over to him, placing her hands on his chest. He gulped as he looked down at her, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Dean… are you okay?” she asked, her voice slightly scared.

“I’m okay” he nodded, as he took her left hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing it. “In fact, I’m better than okay. I’ve been better than okay since you came into my life.”

She smiled at him, feeling the same way for him.

And so today, my world, it smiles

Your hand in mine, we walk the miles

“You came here and changed everything; you turned everything upside down in the best way possible, sweetheart. You made me realize what I was missing. You’ve been everything I’ve ever needed in my life. You’ve supported me and actually cared about what I do. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m so glad I have you. You saved me” he told her, pulling her in close as he looked into her eyes.

“Dean” she sighed, looking up at him with all the love she had for him.

“I want us to make a life here. I want us to be a family. I promise you, right here, right now – I’ll always take care of you. I’ll never hurt you, or make you feel you’re less than what you are. You’re beautiful, strong, smart, kind and caring. You love everyone around you, and they know that you’ve got their back. I know you’ve been hurt in the past, but I promise… I’ll never do that to you. I never thought I’d get to have this; a beautiful woman to make a life with, but I know I don’t want it with anyone else but you” he said, as he moved back slightly.

Y/N’s eyes widened as Dean crouched down, getting down on one knee, her hand still in his.

And thanks to you it will be done

For you to me are the only one

“Dean” she gasped, as fresh tears welled in her eyes.

“I want you for the rest of my life, sweetheart. I love you, more than I ever thought possible to love someone. I promise I’ll love you for the rest of our lives” he smiled, his voice shaking with emotion. He reached into his back pocket and took out the little black box, opening it to reveal a beautiful, sparkling modest diamond ring in a platinum setting.

Y/N sobbed as she cupped her other hand over her mouth, the tears running down her face. She looked Dean in the eyes as he spoke, seeing everything he promised her, right there in his beautiful green orbs.

“Y/N Y/L/N… will you marry me?” he asked, his heart feeling like it would explode any minute.

Y/N pulled her hand away from her mouth, laughing through tears. “Yes! Yes, Dean, yes!”

Dean beamed, his smile brighter than ever before, as he took out the ring from the box and slowly slipped it onto her ring finger. He stood up, slightly off balance as she jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck. His automatically went around her waist, lifting her up, her heeled feet dangling above the ground. She pressed her lips to his, kissing him hard and passionately.

“I love you” she said, between kisses. “I love you, so much.”

“I love you too, sweetheart” he whispered, unable to stop kissing her. “Fuck, I love you so damn much.”

Happiness, no more be sad

Happiness – I’m glad

Y/N pulled away to look into Dean’s eyes, her face level with his. She leaned her forehead against his, tears still running down her face. Dean leaned in and kissed them away, smiling at her. She looked down at her ring, her smile beaming as bright as the diamond.

“It’s so beautiful” she said, wiggling her finger against the light of the candles in the room.

“It’s was my mom’s” he told her, smirking. “When I told her that I was planning on proposing, she gave it to me.”

Y/N was shocked as she shook her head. “She wanted you to give this to me?”

“Yeah, Y/N. She loves you; we all do. You’re a part of our family. She wanted you to have it… I want you to have it” he explained, looking into her eyes with all the sincerity of the situation.

“But, Eileen…” Y/N shook her head, not understanding.

“Sam bought his own ring back then, because he told mom when she offered hers that I should be the one to give it to someone. Who knew it would take this long to find the one woman worthy of it, but here we are” he said, smiling down at her.

Y/N choked out a sob, as fresh tears started. “I love it. I love you, Dean. I’m so happy.”

“Me too” he said, feeling his eyes getting misty.

They stood there in each other’s embrace, in the middle of the room, unable to stop kissing and touching each other. They weren’t sure how much time had passed. All they cared about in that moment was each other. However, Dean slowly put her down on her feet and took her hand, leading her across the room and up the wood staircase. He walked her slowly down the hallway once she admired the space near the landing, knowing that it would make a nice space for their future children. He led her past the rooms and into what would be their bedroom, smirking as he saw a few candles there too, blankets on the carpeted floor and a few throw pillows.

Dean turned to Y/N and pulled her close to him, leaning down and kissing her, feverishly. They slowly undressed each other as Dean laid her down on the blankets, her head on one of the pillows. Dean moved within her, wrapped tightly in her embrace, as they made love in their new home for the first time.

As they laid back against the pillows and basked in the afterglow, Dean leaned in and kissed her again, smiling against her lips as they continued their passionate exchange.

It wasn’t the first, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

There would be many more for years to come, as it held the promise of a lifetime together.

If the sun refused to shine

I would still be loving you

When mountains crumble to the sea

There will still be you and me

-x-

Tags: @flamencodiva @deanwanddamons @winchest09 @katehuntington @akshi8278 @hobby27 @michellethetvaddict @spngirl05 @kyjey @halesandy @440mxs-wife @stoneyggirl @deanswaywardgirl @wonder-cole @that-one-gay-girl @redbarn1995 @marianita195 @babypink224221 @deans-baby-momma @parinarain @thoughts-and-funnies @mandalou29 @castiels-a-winchester @ellewritesfix05 @jerkbitchidjitassbutt @supraveng @roonyxx @supernatural-love14 @vicmc624 @prettyboyswow @lunarmoon8 @supernatural-bellawinchester

#Life's Lessons #Dean x Female!Reader #Dean x Female!Reader Series #Dean x Female!Reader Fanfiction #Female!Reader Insert #Mechanic!Dean #Teacher!Reader #Dean x Reader Fanfiction #Dean Winchester Series #Dean Winchester Fanfiction #Dean Winchester Fanfic #Supernatural Fanfiction

189 notes · View notes

terrible-fanfiction-of-course · 4 years

Text

All thanks to you

Lila sits in her room rewriting the latest chapter of her novel, A novel she started when she transferred to (school name). As she finished, she mused on the best part that had yet to come. You see, Lila is a writer who loves being inspired by life. She doesn’t mind trying to create her inspiration, also known as manipulating people. Lila moves so often that it been a hobby for some time now, Lila had long given up on actually forming real bonds with people. It never works out and she usually would have to move soon after.

Lila daydreams about the first days of this school initially she wanted to try and write a romance novel about two people from different worlds type of thing when that got ruined fast. Hence, she assumed her inspiration would become someone having to deal with having a wrong first impression and coping with bullying, so she avoided school for a while, and strangely when she came back, no one else knew she was a liar. And her lies were not smart. It would have been too easy to figure her out, yet these people believed every word she said, barring that Marinette character. Marinette was prefect; she created such a beautiful chance at her favorite genre of writing. Tragedy. She loves tragedy, she loves the aspect of seeing a story play out, and with only a few decisions seeing something that could be a happily ever after turn so terrible. Lila realizes that this makes her a terrible person she just doesn’t care, at least she will come out and say it. when she wants to. but for now she wants to think about Marinette

Marinette was the prefect protagonists or I guess victim, I so easily turned all her friends against shifts the aspect and comfort she took from those people and even poisoned her own thoughts about them. To the point, she chose a healthier life and has moved on mostly, cutting all of those too stupid and greedy to see through the thin veneer of my lies before it was too late. And while she didn’t leave without a few emotional scars, she will be all the better in the end. Marinette, my wonderful protagonist, had her ending. But the tragedy aspect of the story is no longer just hers. An epilogue is in order for those left.

The players who made this whole drama come to life deserve to know what there just deserts are. As Lila finishes typing up Marinette’s new ending, she stands up and gets to gathering items she has been buying and saving for months. Being a part-time model did help with this, but she doesn’t think she would want to continue with this. Modeling was tedious, and so was Adrien. So dull that she is almost glad that her romance novel failed so fast, she has a feeling that she would have had to scrap it anyway. Anyhow she got to finishing warping all her gifts for her wonderful classmates. Monday would be an exciting class. She had already convinced her naive teacher to be out of the classroom for her show. She can’t for the life of her recall what lie she used for this but it’s unimportant as she finished her preparations and snuggles up to bed and falls asleep. Monday comes around as Lila gets up early and makes her way to school with giant bags of presents. She made it to class first; she places all the gifts on each desk. She then makes her hidden cameras were well hidden and video set up. She sits on the teacher’s desk and waits, and as her classmates come inside, she tells them that she has a surprise but not to open the present till the end. As everyone gets to their sits and looks so excited and happy and really why shouldn’t they be? They don’t know what about to happen to the perception of reality. The only desk with no gift was Chloe a very surprising character indeed, she made for a beautiful and unexpected redemption arch, she sits in her seat and simply glares at me. I smile sheepishly and once everyone is settled. I start my spiel. “Hello everyone, today I wanted to thank you so much for all that you have done. If it weren’t for you all, none of this would have been possible. I’m going to play this video and I just need you all to watch to the end thank you as Lila leaves the room and goes to an empty classroom to watch from the cameras she had set up earlier in the morning. The video starts with Rose, “Rose I wanted to thank you. You saw me as a friend and trusted me so fast, you were so able to gather all the girls like no other and because of you, Marinette understood that none of her ‘friends’ really cared about her anymore” Lila makes sure to air quotes, in the video, the word friends of course. She had seen true and real pure friendship and this class didn’t cut it. Rose and really the whole class seem to turn from happy and thankful to shock as she continued to speak, and Adrien looked the sickest of them all. But seemingly too shocked to stop her speech. “Of and Juleka I also have to thank you for being so willing I believe everything I said and making sure Marinette couldn’t get comfort from your big brother of yours it really helped the isolation aspect that you completely turned everyone outside of school against her but really I guess I can give credit to everyone for that” Lila blow a big kiss to room and flips her hair back. This unforcedly seems to break them from there stupor and Rose stood and said “I-I didn’t do that! I just wanted Marinette to go back to being a good friend why would you say such things?!” and Juleka says more quietly “Marinette did so many terrible things I didn’t want my brother getting involved in the wrong crowd” she seems to tremble like the weight of saying her words are too much. Lila having seen this coming had set up the video to say “now calm down, I have a reason for saying all this, and I promise everything will be clear in the end, while everything may seem bad to you now I promise by the end you’ll have new clarity about everything.” this rather surprisingly seems to calm them down. Though I have the sneaking thought that the present in front of them was an excellent positive investment to say silent for just a while longer.

I start going through everyone involved with making Marinette miserable, some of the highlight being Kim looking somewhat ashamed when he and Alix pushed Marinette down the stair multiple times and Max and Sabrina made sure to get the taps erased every time. Their expression was of a child being scolded for something they didn’t think was wrong. Which made sense they still thought of Marinette as a bully a terrine person. They didn’t seem to understand why I brought all this up. And why I was adding you chose and did this with no instruction from anymore else to the statements. The build-up was killing Lila and looked like it was killing Adrien as well. Oh, to see him squirmed was such fun. From her classroom, she laughed and kept recording there reactions. So much fun really. But before we get to the fun of causing a spineless boy to squirm their video goes over Alya’s involvement of her so-called ‘my best friend’ “Alya oh Alya you were always there for me, guarding me and making sure Marinette stayed in her place. Calling her a jealous bitched and completely disregarding anything she tried to tell you while also still trying to take advance of free babysitting and free clothes and pasties usually on the same day you make her cry.” Alya’s face was red she stands up to start yelling she had a betrayed expression on her face. “Girl what are you saying? I was defending you from a bully!” The class nodded in agreement. And Chloe starts to laugh “Really are you all this ridiculously stupid??? She is literally telling you how you fucked up and you still can’t take responsibility” Chloe said expression of sadness and slight disgust as she stares at them. While Lila didn’t like the interruptions to her spicy video she let it slide as it gave pause time for people to scream for a good ten seconds. “we still have one more person because I can finish my little speech.” past Lila said with a wink. She then speaks to Adrien I wanted to thank you most! If you had gas-lighted Marinette into staying silent and then totally abandoning her when supporting her would have been a widdle bit hard, without your totally knowing and willing approve and support now of this would be possible.” Before the class could argue more she added “Most all of you took my side because you thought you could get something from me, you wanted to use me the same way, Marinette was going to let herself be used by you. You deemed me a more valuable asset when you found you couldn’t have both and then diluted yourselves into thinking you are the justified ones. But your wrong, because I was lying to you all about everything I said to you were totally lies.” The class seems to freeze then exploded and start yelling and freaking out, I stare at them to recall all their beautiful betrayed reactions. As they started calling me the bad guy, all I say is please open your gift and read the letters first” video Lila was explaining what the letter was because the gifts were just that useful nice gifts for the most part. Rewards for being such good suckers and throwing away their ‘good friend’ The letter was super well-documented evidence of the harassment and bullying they had all done to Marinette while Lila was in the class. It showed how they chose to do what they did. It finally seemed to sink in for them that hey had fucked up and the expressions on their faces would be so helpful to finish off her novel as the all tried to call Marinette only to discover that she was gone they have no way to get in contact with her. Truly only then had some of there actions seem to matter at all to them. They have finally expressed the loss that Lila was craving for them to feel.

#Class salt #alya salt #Lila spicy #adrien salt #Im salty #i dont really write but here #ml salt

410 notes · View notes

pucksnsticksnhockeyboys · 4 years

Text

summertime mindset - prologue

first hellos & last goodbyes

masterlist for summertime mindset

Timing is hard to get right and summer doesn’t last forever. You and Tyson learn the hard way.

word count: 3.2k

note from the writer: it’s finally here. I’m working on finishing the epilogue, but the entire series currently has a 26k word count and I’m not quite done. I’m going to have a posting schedule, I just haven’t decided whether or not to make it daily or every other day yet. let me know what you think!

JUNE

It’s warm, not unbearably so, but you were more than comfortable in your strappy sundress. You were happy, a smile evident on your face as you bounced around your aunt’s house. You were itching to help with setting up the barbecue, considering she had offered to host you for the summer while your parents took off on a well-deserved second honeymoon. Even though you were twenty, summers home from college were to be spent with family and it had been a while since you had seen your extended family from Vancouver.

��Do you need something to do?” Your aunt asked, a grin turning up the corners of her mouth as she glanced up at you from the salad she was mixing. You smiled, nodding once before taking a sip of the beer your cousin had thrust into your hands the moment she spotted you come down the stairs. “Take these out to your uncle.”

“Aye-aye, captain.” You mock saluted, grabbing the empty platter she gestured to and slipping out the back door and onto the patio. Your uncle was standing at the grill, polo shirt tucked into cargo shorts and to complete the stereotypical barbecue dad look, he had on a baseball cap and sandals. “Special delivery.” You grinned, setting the platter down beside the grill for when the burgers and hotdogs were done. He smiled at you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pressing a kiss to the side of your head before releasing you and returning to his conversation with one of his buddies.

You turned, looking for your next destination when you saw your cousin Rachel, the one you were staying with that was only a few months older than you, waving you over. You smiled, crossing the yard and trying not to feel awkward under the gaze of the two brunettes that were standing with her, one boy and one girl that looked similar enough to be related.

“Hey, there you are.” Rachel squeezed you into her side much like her father did, and you reciprocated the half-hug. She introduced you to them, and you smiled politely. “And this is Tyson and Kacey, they live next door.”

“Hi.” You turned, and for the first time you let yourself take in their appearance. Kacey was smiling like a total sweetheart, but when you turned your attention to Tyson it felt as if your breath had been knocked out of you for a moment. He was grinning at you, with the widest and most charming smile that you couldn’t look away from.

You had never been one for believing in love at first sight, but there was something about Tyson and the way he was looking at you that had you questioning it. As cliché as it sounded, you genuinely felt as if the rest of the world melted away, and you were sharing a moment with him.

But as quickly as it began, it ended, and Kacey was asking you questions. Rachel pinched your side at the same time Kacey elbowed her brother, shaking both of you out of whatever daydream place you had been.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” You smiled sheepishly at Kacey, punctuating your sentence with a sip of your beer and a silent prayer that no one would comment on your sudden flustered appearance. Rachel was as close to you as a sister, which meant she both adored you and loved to tease you relentlessly. Thankfully, she stayed quiet, but you did not miss the look she shot you.

“I asked where you’re from?” She repeated, and though the question was directed to you, she was eyeing her brother cautiously. He was flushed just as much as you were, maybe even more so, with the color blossoming on his cheeks and reaching the tips of his ears.

“Oh, I’m from Seattle, in the States. My parents moved there from here before I was born.” You explained with a smile, squeezing your bottle a little too hard as you tried to ignore Tyson’s gaze on you. You were barely holding it together just knowing he was there, so you did not trust yourself to meet his smile.

He hadn’t even said anything yet and you were already a blushing mess.

You chatted with them for a bit, answering questions about your classes and hometown and how much you liked Vancouver. You told them how you were working to be an elementary teacher and that had always been your dream.You asked about their lives, and were surprised to find out that Tyson was a professional hockey player in Colorado. You thought that was cool, being a fan of the sport, but after a few questions about how he was liking it and that it must be fun to travel a lot, the topic was dropped in favor of Kacey pointing out Rachel’s boyfriend Michael arriving.

He slid between you and Rachel, giving you a side-hug before wrapping an arm around Rachel’s waist and kissing her cheeks. You greeted him with a kind smile, and though you had only met him a few days prior, you could already tell how happy he was making your cousin. Introductions were made, and Kacey once more took it upon herself to question the newcomer.

“Can you, uh, show me where you got that?” Tyson spoke up, gesturing to the now-empty bottle you had just taken your last slip of. Kacey, Rachel, and Michael were in their own little conversation already, so you nodded and turned away from the group before he fell in step beside you. “So, how long are you in Vancouver?”

“I head back at the end of August.” You explained, setting your empty bottle in the bag designated for recycling before finishing your original path to the cooler. Tyson spotted it, pulling out a bottle and handing it to you before grabbing one for himself. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by one of your uncle’s calling your name, telling you to come play a game of cornhole with him and his wife, urging Tyson to be your partner.

“Are you any good?” He questioned with a grin that you easily returned, adding a nod to answer his question. He tapped his bottle to yours, leading the way through the yard to where the game was set up, glancing at you over his shoulder as he spoke next. “You better, I’m a competitive person, you know.”

“You should be nice to me, I showed you where the beer is.” You grinned, smile growing wider at the booming laugh that slipped past his lips. He moved to stand at the opposite board beside your uncle, and you weren’t sure if the warmth you felt was from his smile or the sun beating on your shoulders, but you welcomed it nonetheless.

The hours seemed to pass by in a blur. You and Tyson had come out victorious in your game, and were halfway through a rematch when the food was being served. You met up with Kacey, Rachel, and Michael after that, filling your plates before heading to the gazebo at the end of the yard to eat.

Even after that, when Rachel and Michael had slipped away and Kacey was called over by her mom, Tyson didn’t leave your side. The whole time, you were laughing with him. He was incredibly goofy, a smile never leaving his face the entire time you were with him.

You were still chatting with him as the sun started to set, and at the first sign of your shivers, he offered you the sweatshirt he had brought over with him earlier in the day. You tried to control the way your cheeks heated up, but the Colorado Avalanche sweatshirt he had given you was entirely too soft and comfortable for you to not blush after tugging it over your head.

Tyson looked as if he wanted to say something, but was once more interrupted. The soft way he was looking at you was mesmerizing, but once Rachel jumped into the gazebo his attention snapped to her with amusement in his eyes.

“Hi, so, sorry to interrupt, but you guys kind of need to go someplace grandma can’t see you.” She grinned at you, laughing breathlessly as Michael wrapped an arm around her from behind and tugged her back into his chest. You raised a brow at her in silent question, but Tyson was already standing and offering his hand to you in order to pull you to your feet. “Michael and I want to… go someplace…” You laughed at her word choice, knowing she entirely meant they wanted to go hookup somewhere. “But grandma overheard me telling mom we were heading out, and you know how she is, and she said we could only go if I took you and Tyson.”

You nodded, though you were a little distracted by the fact that Tyson still hadn’t let go of your hand. Your grandma had always been on the more conservative side in regards to relationships and whether or not you should have alone time—in the way Rachel so obviously was hinting at—before marriage.

“Have her home before midnight.” You teasingly threatened Michael, and he nodded with a chuckle. He was a good guy, you knew that, but it was still fun to give him grief. You had followed them to the front of the house, and you and Tyson watched as they drove off.

“Wanna go for a walk?” He asked, swinging your entwined hands dramatically and nodding his head in the direction of the road. You grinned, tugging him by the hand to lead him. As you walked it was silent, save for your occasional giggle as Tyson made it his mission to see just how obnoxiously he could swing your arms before you commented on it and stopped him. You didn’t plan on doing that, though, because the way he was grinning ridiculously and giggling as your hands went practically vertical was utterly adorable.

“You’re a dork.” You chuckled, bumping him with your shoulder. That had him laughing loudly into the nighttime summer air, the sun having just set moments ago. Tyson stopped walking then, and you turned to stand in front of him. He was smiling at you, though it was much softer than the teasing grin and beaming look you had been met with all day. You raised a brow, about to question his change in demeanor when he reached his free hand up and brushed a rogue strand of hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear and letting his fingers trace down your jaw.

“Can I kiss you?” He sounded a little hesitant, like he was afraid of scaring you off and just the fact that he was so nervous after being so confident and sweet all day had you grinning. You weren’t sure if it was the four beers you’d had during the day or the simple fact that everything felt so easy and comfortable with Tyson, but you were nodding before you really knew it.

As he leaned down towards you, he tilted your chin up a bit. Your eyes fluttered shut, and soon after his lips brushed against yours. The way his lips felt like something out of a movie, how the quiet street around you melted away into nothing and it was just you and Tyson. The kiss was short, but when he pulled back and saw just how wide you were smiling, he was quick to press his lips to yours again.

The second kiss was firmer, but just as gentle and you dropped Tyson’s hand to brace yourself against his chest as he tugged your hips to get you closer. There wasn’t any heat in the kiss—passion, yes, but it was clear that kissing was as far as things were going to go.

You pulled away first the second time, and you were certain your grin was as wide as his. He looked adorable, the smile reaching his cheeks and your hands slipped from his chest to around his middle. Your next words fell past your lips easily, and his answering nod came before you even finished speaking.

“Let’s hang out tomorrow.”

AUGUST

Summer had come and gone, and your parents had gotten home from their trip the night before. That meant today you were headed to the airport, back to Seattle and to your regular life. You knew saying goodbyes sucked, but leaving Tyson hurt more than you thought it would.

You had said goodbye to his mother, Kacey, Michael, and your whole family back at the house. Tyson had offered to drive you to the airport in order to get just a few more minutes of alone time with you, and your aunt knew how close you had gotten over the summer. She remembered what it was like, to be young and falling hopelessly for someone.

Tyson hadn’t let go of your hand since you had gotten in the car, his gripping yours tight across the center console. You didn’t talk about it, you’d been living in dread and silent denial for the past two weeks. Tyson talked, though, and you admired his constant assurances that he’d stay in touch and you’d see eachother again. There was no timetable, with how you would be starting classes and he’d be busy with training camp, and then once the regular season started you’d be swamped with midterms, and then finals—but he promised, and you trusted him with everything.

He parked his car at the airport, adamant about being with you until they wouldn’t let him go any further, until he would’ve had to buy a ticket to go with you, and he was tempted to do just that. You sighed, leaning your head back until it rested against the seat.

Tyson copied your position, turning his head to the side to look at you. You could feel the weight of his stare fall heavy on your face, and just seeing the airport in person made everything all the more real.

Tyson was good at reading your emotions, he had spent nearly each day of summer with you, He’d be damned if he hadn’t been ingraining every moment spent with you in his mind in preparation for this day from the second he laid eyes on you at that first barbecue. Usually, he saw happiness and joy in your eyes. He had only ever seen the look of sadness he saw now on the few occasions where you felt homesick—and that one time he had walked in on you, Kacey, and Rachel watching the ending of The Notebook. He raised your interlocked hands, pressing a kiss to the back of yours to get your attention.

You smiled weakly, turning to face him. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your nose and you dropped your head to his shoulder. You could feel the tears start to gather in your eyes, the ache in your chest longing for him despite the fact that you were literally holding his hand still.

“We can do this. You’re too smart to be crying over some guy.” He commented, and though there was truth in some of what he said, he was mostly poking fun at what your grandma had said a few days earlier when you told her that you didn’t want to leave, you had meant it as a comment about missing everyone, but she knew you were upset about Tyson.

“Shut up.” You mumbled, nudging his shoulder as he chuckled lowly. You pushed yourself into a sitting position, knowing you’d wasted too much time already and needed to hurry into the airport. Tyson knew it, too, and he made the first move by opening his door. With a sigh, you followed suit, only to be swept into a hug the moment both your feet were on the ground. Apparently, you had taken longer to get out of the car than you thought, because he had already gotten your luggage out and set them beside him.

The urge to cry was back, your throat was tight and you couldn’t meet Tyson’s gaze. He didn’t push it, instead he grabbed one of your suitcases and handed you the other, grabbing your free hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. You still didn’t say anything, and Tyson silently led you through the airport. When he stopped and sighed, you knew it was time to say goodbye.

“It’s not true, you know.” It was obvious by the look on his face that he was confused by your words, that your grandma’s offhanded comment hadn’t been weighing as heavily on his mind as it was on yours. “You’re not just some guy, Tys.”

This time, you couldn’t stop the sob that wracked through your body as he pulled you into him, one hand on the back of your head to tuck you into his chest while the other ran soothingly up and down your back. He was whispering sweet nothings and gentle assurances in your ear, and you were hanging on to his every word—it wasn’t anything he hadn’t already told you, but they were things you would miss hearing and that had you gripping his shirt tighter.

“I know. I know, I’m not.” He whispered, tilting your head up with his hands that were cupping both of your cheeks. He thumbs brushed the area under your eyes, wiping at the wetness that had gathered there as a result of having to leave. His voice was tight, and one glance into his red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes and the way his shoulders were tense told he wasn’t doing much better than you.

You stayed like that for as long as you could, wrapped up in each other and exchanging kisses as if you hadn’t had the chance to do so all summer. You were drinking in every last moment with him, burning the feeling of his grip on your hips and the smell of his cologne into your memory.

And then you absolutely had to leave, and maybe even run through security to make your plane. Your hand was curled around the back of his neck, pulling him down to meet you halfway as he pulled your hips against his own for the sole purpose of getting as close to you as he could.

And then he was wiping your tears one last time, tugging you back into his chest for one last hug and one last forehead kiss and it was really driving home the fact that you were leaving. You were leaving an amazing guy that you had fallen for over the course of a summer, and it was up in the air when you’d see him again.

And then you were walking away, your feet seemingly moving of their own accord. You were wiping away your own tears, and you pushed down the thought that it felt so much more comforting when Tyson did it. You gave him one last wave, and he blew you one last dramatic kiss just to hear you laugh at his antics one last time.

And then you turned the corner and he disappeared from your view, and from your life, for two years.

And if you had known, you would’ve kissed him harder one last time.

#tyson jost #Tyson Jost x reader #Tyson Jost series #summertime mindset #hockey imagine #nhl imagine #Colorado Avalanche #Colorado Avalanche imagine #Colorado Avalanche x reader #Tyson Jost imagine #Tyson Jost imagines #Tyson Jost fic

183 notes · View notes

tinyboxxtink · 3 years

Text

“My Fairy Abogado” *Part 10*

Dammit I usually like to keep my stories around 10 chapters, but the whole ice cream banter was too good and the crescendo I want is way too long to not have it’s own chapter. Also, some Barisi thrown in there for ya. LoL.

I suppose it’ll be one more chapter and an epilogue? Maybe?

Tag List:

@dumauier

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@word-scribbless

@objection-argumentative

@wanniiieeee

Master List

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

FINALE

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

After stitching you up, and after a long conversation convincing the nurse that Rafael had not done the number on your body, you two were finally leaving the ER.

“Alright buddy, you promised me ice cream,” You hung on Rafael’s arm as you walked out to the awaiting SUV.

“You really wanna get ice cream without the kids?” Rafael asked as he helped you into the backseat once again.

“Uh are you kidding? I don’t have to fight with them over what flavors they want, or if it’s too expensive and they have to share, and not worrying about Chloe getting it all over herself, doing ANYTHING in public without the kids is a luxury I miss the most,” You felt guilty about rambling about your siblings, but it was awesome being able to just vent.

“Alright Alright, I get it-- having kids sucks,” Rafael laughed.

“I mean don’t get me wrong; I love my brother and sisters. I’m just not...cut out to be a mother. Not right now, anyway,” You looked around the car awkwardly, kicking yourself for bringing up kids so soon.

“Yeah, I never really saw the point in kids,” Rafael chuckled.

“So you don’t want them, ever?” You were a bit taken aback. It shouldn’t be shocking to you really; Rafael was getting up there, and he seemed to like his things nice and tidy. He must’ve seen the look on your face because he quickly added--

“I mean….” He gulped. “I guess, with the right person…”

“You know for a lawyer, lying is not your strong suit,” You snickered.

You finally arrived at a nearby ice cream place; Rafael helped you out and you both walked inside while your copper stood outside.

“Doesn’t he want anything?” You nodded to the man.

“He’s fine,” Rafael replied, not even looking back at him.

“Hey guy, what’s your name?” You turned to talk to him.

“Carisi ma’am, Sonny Carisi,” He nodded at you.

“Sonny do you really not want any ice cream, or is Big Bad Barba being a tyrant?”

“I could go for a scoop,”

“See?” You smiled triumphantly.

“He’s like a puppy baby, you feed him once he’ll just keep coming around,” He nodded at Sonny. “Trust me, I know,” He rolled his eyes.

“You can get ice cream but you wait in the car Carisi,” He looked at him sternly.

“Copy that, counselor,” Sonny replied very seriously.

“Jesus Rafael, what is this guy your bitch or what?” You hit him softly.

“Oh no ma’am, I wanna be a lawyer just like Mr. Barba so I spend as much time with him as I can,” He looked at Barba with puppy dog eyes. “As a mentor,” He quickly added, looking at the ground.

“Oh um-- yeah okay, cool?” You smiled awkwardly at him, then noticed Rafael was getting very uncomfortable the more he talked.

“....Wait… feed him once...Rafael!” You whispered so Sonny wouldn’t hear you.

“ONE night, ONE time,” He rubbed the back of his neck looking around the place awkwardly.

“Mmmm...both sides, noted,” You winked.

“Sonny go ahead,” Barba nodded to the woman at the counter.

“What can I get you?” She smiled at the three of you.

“Two scoops of Rocky Road, please,” Sonny beamed.

“Um I’ll have a scoop of chocolate mint,” You decided.

“A scoop of vanilla for me,” Rafael added.

“Why is that not surprising to me?” You rolled your eyes.

“What? I have simple tastes,”

��Uh huh,”

Rafael paid and the three of you waited for your ice cream at the other end of the counter. Soon enough the woman handed out your ice creams and bid you a good day.

“Thanks Mr. Barba, I’m gonna go call Amanda and see what’s up at the station,” Sonny smiled and headed back outside with his ice cream.

“See? Now he has a new master,” Rafael chuckled.

“Yeah I doubt that-- you’re kind of hard to top, counselor,” You nudged him.

“He didn’t have any problem,” He smirked.

“OKAY, I think we’re good in the ghosts of sexual past portion of the evening,” You declared rather loudly as you sat in a booth near the door.

“Sorry Y/N, I didn’t know you were such a prude,” He smirked.

“I’m sorry if I don’t want to picture mi novio being topped by a dude,” You rolled your eyes.

“Your boyfriend?” He asked in amusement.

“I mean...I did save your life, twice,” You pointed out.

“Mmmm true-- I suppose that’s girlfriend material,” Rafael nodded with a smile.

“Damn straight,” You nodded back, as you both continued to eat your ice cream in snarky matrimony.

“So, no kids, no pets?”

“I don’t have any currently, but I could see maybe getting a cat, or a small dog,”

“Oh my god could you be any more of an old lady?” You giggled.

“Hey! I live in an apartment in New York City, I don’t want some huge dog cooped up in it all day!” He defended. “That’s just cruel,”

“Fair point,” You licked your ice cream. “No kids I can live with, no pets is a deal breaker though,”

“Really now?” He raised his eyebrow as he ate his own ice cream. “Noted,”

“So do you have any?” You nibbled on your cone.

“What?”

“Deal breakers,” You replied in a “duh” tone.

“Just one,” He replied nonchalantly.

“What’s that?”

“If they’re not you,” He grinned.

“Oh gaaaaaaggggg,” You made gagging noises with a giggle. “Be more cheesy, please,”

“Okay okay, one deal breaker--”

“Go on,” You were on the edge of your seat.

“Wearing socks during sex,”

“Are you serious?” You cackled as you swallowed the rest of your cone.

“Yes! I am very serious,” Rafael nodded as he finished his cone. “Ask Carisi,”

“Oh God,” You shook your head with a laugh as you both walked back out to the car.

“Hey uh, Mr. Barba Amanda says they might need you down at the station,”

“Really? Now?” Rafael ask, annoyed.

“It’s what she said…” Sonny replied with a shrug.

“It’s fine, baby I need to go check on the kids anyway, they’re probably freaking out by now,”

“Yeah alright,” He sighed sadly.

Soon enough you were pulling back up behind your back door. Rafael helped you out of the car and just held you in his arms for a moment.

“You sure you’re ok?”

“Are you kidding? The Diablo’s are gone for good, I got a boyfriend AND ice cream!” you giggled, pulling him into a kiss.

“Boyfriend?” Beto’s voice bellowed.

“Ice cream?!” Chloe’s high voice chimed in.

You both turned suddenly to see all three kids standing at the back door slack jawed.

“Are the Diablo’s really gone?” Yaz asked, being the only one who hadn’t joined in yet.

“Yes, they are gone-- THANKS to Rafael,” You eyed Beto while Chloe took off for Rafael’s arms.

“¡Gracias, Rafael!!!” She squealed.

“De nada, princesa,” He kissed her cheek.

“...Did you really get ice cream without us?” Chloe looked at him with the saddest eyes.

“Blame your sister,” Rafael nodded at you.

“Y/N!!!!!” She yelled angrily.

“Gee thanks,”

“You insisted!”

“I got sh---a boo boo!!” You covered your tracks, causing your siblings to finally notice the shape you were in.

“Oh my God what happened to you?!”

“Diablo’s” You said softly.

“Because of HIM?” Beto clenched his fists.

“NO, Rafael saved me Beto,”

“Actually, to be honest Beto” He put a shoulder on Beto’s shoulder “She saved me.”

“We saved each other,” You laid your head on his shoulder.

“Gag,” Yaz made gagging noises behind you.

“Anyway, Rafael is leaving now BUT-- maybe if you guys do all your homework and eat all your dinner AND go to bed early, we’ll see if you can convince him to take you to get some tomorrow,”

“Really?!” Chloe exclaimed excitedly. “I’m gonna go do all of it RIGHT NOW,” She gave Rafael one more hug and ran inside.

“Chloe’s easy to buy off vato-- me, not so much,” Beto approached Rafael.

“I’d be careful Beto, he used to be a Chico Grande,” You warned with a sly smile.

“Wha-- seriously?” Beto’s eyes widened. “No way….tu suaves,”

“Oh really, too soft? You wanna go, ese?” Rafael licked his lips, playing into Beto’s game.

“BOYS,” You stepped in between them.

“You, go do your homework,” You looked at Beto, then turned to Rafael, “And you-- stop picking on my little brother,”

“He started it!”

“esto no ha terminado, vato,” Beto warned, making the “I’m watching you” sign as he walked back inside with Yaz who just rolled her eyes. As soon as they were gone you turned and slapped Rafael across the chest.

“What?! What did I do?” He threw his hands up innocently.

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” You wrapped your arms around his neck.

“And you love it,” He smirked.

“God help me, I do,” You shook your head as he pulled you into a deep kiss.

“Te amo, mi angel,” He whispered as he stroked your hair.

“Yo también te quiero, Rafa,” You stared lovingly into his beautiful green eyes. He gave you one last kiss and hopped in the front of the SUV. Sonny waved goodbye to you as they drove off and you headed inside.

------

The next few weeks went by pretty uneventful. You decided to rip out the booths that had the bullet holes behind them and put in a stage, starting Karaoke Nights every Friday night. It was a great money maker to your surprise, since it had been Ash’s idea. She was a pretty good business woman, you wondered how much Rafael had rubbed off on her over the years.

One Friday night, Ash was getting ready to host the usual Karaoke Party, when Rafael came through the front door. He was casually dressed, in his jeans and t-shirt with the leather jacket. He had learned very quickly that you much preferred him in paisano, plus he didn’t look like he had taken a wrong turn at 5th avenue. This was the first Friday he was able to make, and when he had come and seen you over the past few weeks Ash had found ways to avoid him. Tonight though, she was right up front when he walked in.

“Ash...can we talk?” He gestured to the side.

“Go ahead, start talking,” She gestured, indicating she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Ash I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the whole story behind the money I gave you,” He put his hand out. “I should have been honest with you right up front but, you were SO young,”

“Yeah….I get it,” She reluctantly took his hand in return. “You did get rid of the Diablo’s, I guess that gets you some points,”

“Well I brought you something,” He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Ashtawnja. She took it and unfolded the paper, her eyes grew wide.

“Really? You still want me to have this? Even after I yelled at you?”

“Yeah, but it’s not guilt money anymore,” He nodded at the check. “Look at the ‘reason’ line,”

“Creo en ti” She read with tears in her eyes. “Do you really? Believe in me?”

“Si, Claro,” He smiled, pulling her into a hug. “Of course I do,”. Pulling back from the hug, Rafael felt his phone going off in his pocket.

“Barba,” He answered, listening to the other person. He nodded as they went on, then his eyes began to brighten. “Really?! Are you sure? What time?” He looked over at Ash who just looked at him in confusion, the more excited he became the more she was confused.

“Right right, yeah I’m on my way!” He hung up the phone and hugged Ash.

“Whoa whoa whoa there abogado, you know I hate mushy gushy,” She pushed him off with a laugh.

“Right,” He smiled.

“So who was that?”

“Oh right--- tell Y/N I had to go, I’ll call her later I swear!!” He told her as he ran out the door, just as you were walking up.

“Was that Rafael?” You asked.

“Yeah, he got a phone call and ran out of here, said he’d call you later,”

“Wha--Why?” You looked out the window but Rafael was long gone.

“I don’t know, but he was pretty happy,” She shrugged, putting her check into her pocket.

Who had called him and why was he so happy about it??5

#rafael barba #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba x you #rafael barba imagine #law and order special victims unit #law and order svu #law and order svu fanfiction #my fairy abogado

18 notes · View notes

queerchoicesblog · 3 years

Text

Epilogue: Underwater (SC Titanic, Zetta x Adele Series)

As promised, here the epilogue of the Zetta x Adele Series, folks.

This is the very end of a project that meant me quite a lot to me and got me through the last terrible year. Thanks to all those who supported it: hope you enjoyed it and will enjoy this ending.

In case you were wondering, this song inspired the whole series, particularly the last chapters:

youtube

I will skip the tag list for once since it’s pointless anyway.

➡️ Ch. 1, Ch. 2/1, Ch. 2/2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch. 7, Ch. 8/1, Ch. 8/2, Ch. 9, Ch. 10/1, Ch. 10/2, Ch. 11/1, Ch. 11/2, Ch. 12, Ch. 13, Ch. 14, Ch. 15 , Ch. 16, Ch. 17

_________________________

Almost a century after the sinking of the RMS Titanic and to celebrate Canada becoming the first country outside Europe to legalise same-sex marriage, the Canadian Film Institute decided to work side by side with several LGBTQ+ organisations across the world to put together an exhibition focused on the early queer cinema and the many queer stars who were forced to hide their true selves in the Golden Age of cinematography, spanning from 1890s till the aftermath of Second World War. "A testament to the role the LGBTQ+ community played in the history of cinema and that we have always been here, even if people hardly saw us" as a journalist wrote on a queer magazine. After the recent discovery of some private documents, the curators were overjoyed to include an icon of the 1900s - 1910s cinema like Zetta Serda into the retrospective and cast a new light on her extraordinary career sadly soon forgotten after the advent of the sound era. Yet, the silent picture star was mentioned as a model and 'endless source of inspiration" by many queer movie stars like Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Greta Garbo all part of the retrospective. Rumor has it that as soon as she landed in America, Marlene Dietrich demanded his agent a meeting with Mrs King.

A curator drove all the way to Montreal to meet the last known heir, a certain Mrs. Julia Nowak, who greeted him on the threshold of a cosy downtown apartment. She offered him a coffee and a slice of a Polish sweet bread: the recipe was a family heirloom, she explained, beaming. She was in her late fifties, a therapist, she said. Her hazel eyes gleamed when she added, in a pleasantly soothing voice that betrayed a hint of excitement: "I must confess I am so incredibly happy that you contacted me about the retrospective. I adore the idea and I will make sure to attend it. Also" she nodded to a wedding picture hung to the wall "did you know that my wife is in politics? She campaigned for the legalisation...yes, Madeleine Fournier: see, you know her! We got married right after the law passed. If anything, your call and project made me twice as happy". She took a pause, smiling over her coffee in remembrance. "Anyway, back to the matter of your visit...yes, as far as I know, I am Zetta's last heir. As you probably know, my family wasn't officially related to her but she stated otherwise in her will". She moved to the couch and gestured the curator to follow her as she opened up one of the boxes and chests piled into the living room and picked out an old album, the leather cover worn at the edges. Dust waltzed in the air as she opened it with caution and gentle care. She showed him a slightly discoloured black and white picture of a young couple kissing for the camera in front of a church. Another wedding picture, from a different era. "Nana Hileni and Papa Maciej's wedding picture. I still remember them even if they both died when I was barely a teen...as if one couldn't bear to live without the other. Or so I like to think. She would help me with the homework, mathematics particularly, and he baked this bread for me till he was too weak to do so. He always claimed that he won Nana's heart with his pastries but she always denied it laughing". She passed another picture of the same couple proudly standing in front of the Nowak family bakery in Hoboken. "Frankly, I believe that Papa's broad shoulders and Marlon Brando smile are more likely to blame for this coup de foudre" she laughed. "And he knew how to deal with her no-nonsense attitude and vice versa. They...balanced each other, if you wish". She picked another picture and handed it to him. A woman was looking down in tender adoration and awe to a baby nestled in her arms looking up at her, outstretching a tiny arm in an attempt to touch her face. "There! This is Dad" she pointed at the baby before turning the picture where someone wrote 'Alex meets Auntie Adele'. Turning it again, she pointed at the woman. "This is Adele Carrem. Or Auntie Adele as I've always heard calling her. Nana's sister and Zetta's publicist and companion" Putting it back into the album, she carefully picked a bunch of other old pictures. "You surely know who this one is" she smiled, handing out the one on top. The photo was rather grainy but you could still recognise the same kid, slightly older, around two, sucking his thumb, cuddled up in Zetta's lap. The actress had aged a little but her features were unmistakable and it was endearing to see her sitting by the fireplace to read that kid with the sleepy face a bedtime story. "Sadly, I have never met them. I wish I did, oh you have no idea...but stories of them lived through in our family" Julia continued. "My Dad loved his Aunties - as he called them - dearly and by what I've heard and read, they loved him in manner as if he was their own. He knew little of them or Zetta's career back then...to him they were just the sweet ladies who would buy him ice-cream in Central Park or take him to see his favourite pictures over and over again at the movie theater. He said he will never forget the afternoons he used to spend with them in a Manhattan cafe that no longer exists around Christmas: Nana and Papa worked like crazy as the festive season approached and the glorious cup of hot chocolate with an elegant puff of cream on top with the Aunties became a tradition to him. He kept it alive somehow as he did the same with me". She handed the curator a bunch of other pictures: Zetta cleaning up Alex's face smeared with jam, the both of them laughing; Zetta posing with Maciej and her Dad at a table in the Hoboken bakery. He eventually mirrored her smile seeing a five years old Alex at the beach all engrossed in building a sandcastle with Hileni and Adele, and he standing at the water edge hand in hand with Miss Carrem, looking out into the distance. "These are family pictures. I'll show you the Zetta's private memorabilia we cherished". Julia searched a little, opening an old chest and handling every item inside with tender care. When she found what she was looking for, she showed the curator an elegant set of smaller boxes containing letters, dried flowers and photos. "I have already received an offer to get these published. I'm still pondering it. Before agreeing, I want to consider throughly if this is a thing they would have wanted, even if they're no longer here" The curator nodded as she kept searching. He skimmed a few letters and smiled as his eyes fall on the photos hidden away in those boxes: the two women sitting together and chatting at Hileni's wedding, Zetta's reading a script, lazily sprawled on a chaise long in her apartment. Some had short lines handwritten on the back, like a promotional picture with "Missing you" written by Zetta herself. The curator showed another to Mrs Nowak: a visibly excited Miss Carrem proudly showing to the camera a document announcing her voter registration. On the back, in Zetta's penmanship: "On the way to vote...my sweet Adele won!". "Oh you didn't know? Auntie Adele was a suffragette! I couldn't believe it when I first heard it! Nana told me that she was in and out jail when they lived in London because of protests. You know, like those suffragettes you read about in history books but less famous. Yet she fought for women's rights and kept fighting for them even in America. She was quite disappointed though by some major decisions of some feminist movements and eventually joined a socialist Union 'more rightfully welcoming working class individuals, immigrants and black brothers and sisters'. It's all in those letters but yeah, you couldn't possibly know. So little is known about her outside family". A little smile drew on her face as she put back the photo. "That photo was taken the day of the first election open to women. I checked the date. I suppose Zetta wanted to immortalise the moment...it was sweet of her, huh? Auntie Adele must have been so proud and overjoyed that day! You know, my Dad was born in 1920 when women's right to vote was legalised nationally and Nana once told me that Auntie commented the lucky coincidence saying she was incredibly happy her nephew would get to live in a fairer world. She was a true force of nature...she never talked much of the sinking of the Titanic just like Zetta and Nana actually but when one day Dad asked...he was barely a child and probably found an old article about the tragedy...Auntie Adele minimised but Nana assured him that her sister saved her life that night, risking her own to go down to the belly of the sinking ship to bring her to safety. Auntie simply shrugged, saying that it was what sisters do and that they made it to the lifeboats only thanks to Zetta, who shouted protests to stubborn officers and eventually found them a spot on a boat. I cannot even bring myself to imagine how scary that must have been: I cried so much when Madeleine took me to see Leo and Kate...to think they were there and it was all real!" She picked a few other objects out the box: a Shakespeare Sonnets book in a leather cover with golden engravings, with a little handwritten dedication 'To Adele, my sonnet 116. Happy birthday! With all my love, Zetta'; old scripts with annotations, a framed photograph of Adele and Zetta slow dancing barefoot in the living room of a gorgeous Long Island mansion. "These have a sentimental value" Mrs Nowak noted, her voice betraying the flicker of emotions as she picked it up. She took a deep sigh and continued. "I remember the day I told Dad I was gay as it was yesterday. We had always been quite close so it came natural to tell him first. We were in his car, he had come straight from college to pick me up at ice-skating practice. I..I dropped it in the middle of a conversation, bracing myself for the worst. I heard so many bad stories about coming out to your parents I was terrified of the consequences but I couldn't hide it anymore. I mean, yes, in public: bullies get even nastier if they know and I didn't want people shouting me "dyke" at school. But I needed to get it out of my chest...with someone at least. He kept quiet for a moment and I felt like drowning in shame. But then he spoke". A nostalgic tender smile formed Julia's lips. "He said he had two amazing Aunties that contributed to make his life a wondrous adventure. It was thanks to them that he, the son of a baker, could attend a prestigious college, for instance: they offered to pay for it without asking a penny back. They also helped him write his first romantic letter to his childhood sweetheart and consoled him when the little girl turned him down. But his Aunties had a secret, he added. He said: to my kid eyes they were no less a couple than Mom and Dad and at home we all treated them in manner but one day Mom made me promise to behave differently when we were in public. In public I would refer to her sister as 'Auntie Adele' but call Zetta by her name. He didn't get it and it took some getting used to. He soon noticed that even the Aunties behaved a bit differently out in the sun: they wouldn't hold hands or use endearing words in the street or when other people were around. They simply behaved like good friends did. He understood it later when he, as stubborn as a mule, asked them directly". Julia gently grazed her fingers on the glass of the framed photograph, caressing it. "And they told me everything, he said. That they were in love, just like mom and dad were, but people out there could be uncomfortable and extremely rude to women loving other women and men loving other men. That they kept their companionship a secret in public because those people had no problems with women being friends and they didn't want to have bad words or worse happening to them. I remember asking him what he thought about it. He smiled. 'I cried. Since Auntie Zetta mentioned people claiming that women like them were sick and would burn in hell, I actually started crying. I sobbed desperately in her arms, crying that I didn't want them to burn in hell, I loved my Aunties and I was happy they loved each other. Eventually they explained me it was just a vile lie spread my malignant people. But I got quite a scare and kept staring at them with puffy red eyes and my face wet with tears for a while. It required lots of cuddling to bring a smile back on my face'. He shook his head, laughing of his endearing naivety. Then he pulled over and looked at me. He continued: 'I still don't get why people keep spreading those mean lies but I know for sure that my Aunties weren't sick and didn't end up in hell and so won't you. Don't believe bullshits like that for a split second, okay? And I also want you to remember that it doesn't change a thing for me and mom too. You will always be my little girl, our little girl and we love you'. We shared a long hug before driving back home. On the way back he insisted to buy my favourite chicken and waffles for dinner, saying mom's veggie soup could wait. For my birthday, a month later or so, he asked me to follow him to the attic and showed me this chest. To meet the Aunties that 'would have surely been there for me'". She tipped away a tear. "I told you I married Madeleine right after the legalisation of same-sex marriages. My wedding was also the last public event Mom and Dad attended together before his health worsened irremediably. He passed away last year". For a moment she looked on the verge of tears but she recovered quickly. "Sorry...anyway, that day Dad insisted on walking me down the aisle even if he was getting weak. He beamed with pride when a friend fixed a rainbow ribbon to his jacket. Later at the lunch he read a speech he had written for the day, his hand shaking. He shared the story of his Aunties. He said that despite the hardships their situation forced upon them, they had quite a happy life together, a happiness carefully hidden from the world. He wished us to find something similar to what they shared without needing to hide anymore. He said Adele and Zetta would have been so happy and proud to celebrate with all of us that day" Mrs. Nowak picked the Shakespeare Sonnet book and gave him a fond look. "He brought this to the wedding. And he read for us the sonnet 116, the one Zetta mentioned in her dedication. You know, the one that starts with 'Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments..." ----------------------- A few months later the exhibition on old Hollywood queer cinema and artists opened. Each artist had a room that soon filled with a crowd of enthusiastic visitors. In the first half, in a room arranged as a turn of the century nickelodeon with velvet chairs, all the memorabilia of Zetta Serda's public life: panels explaining the various stages of her career and the birth of her myth, promotional pictures of her performances, articles about her and a copy of a gazette announcing her wedding with the director Richard King. On the wall, on a screen her entire filmography rolled up in loop, bewitching spectators after a century. In display cases: the gorgeous sapphire necklace she wore on her last night on the Ship of Dreams and at the movie party of Surviving the Titanic, and a replica of her Cleopatra costume. The aging Queen of Egypt with a tragic love and destiny immortalised by Shakespeare was her last role back on the theater stage before retiring from the scenes. Old scripts with her personal annotation were displayed with photographs taken on sets and mundane events. The wall hosting the motion-picture screen cut the room in half. On the other side, the hidden half of her life. Her life with Adele no one suspected back then. A life kept secret that now unveiled in front of the eyes of the visitors. The curators discovered that finding public pictures of Miss Carrem was nearly impossible, true to the nickname she acquired as time went by: The Shadow. She stayed at Zetta's side until and even after she stopped acting, showing rare loyalty and devotion, but ever surrounded by this mystery allure. No one, even the most stubborn reporters managed to know anything about her and she was soon dismissed as a Titanic survivor, possibly a fan, who worked as Zetta's secretary and somehow gained her respect. Little they knew about the depth of their relationship and what stacks of secret letters and family memories revealed of the life of Miss Carrem. A panel finally told her story and her secret achievements: Adele, or better Adal, kept fighting for a fairer world and society her whole life and marched for women's right to vote on the famous parade in 1915. She also passed the teaching of Edith Garrud to her American sisters. The only pictures of her came from the Nowak family, except for one. The only photograph of a public appearance of Miss Carrem as well as the only known public appearance of Zetta and Adele. An old grainy photo accurately framed showed Adele shaking hands with The Unsinkable Molly Brown on a podium. In her free hand a shiny medal and a few steps behind the mayor of New York. According to the panel, the survivors' committee founded by Mrs. Brown decided to award Miss Carrem a medal for bravery and a generous check "to help her and her sister starting a new life in America". With great surprise, Miss Carrem received the medal and the check, thanked the board but refused the honors. Instead, she asked to deliver them both to the family of a certain Charlie Stoke, a stewart that lost his life in the sinking to save her life and those of many passengers. She added that her friend expressed the desire to study naval engineering one day and she wished that the money kindly offered to her would be enough to establish a scholarship for boys like him across the ocean. In another picture, Miss Carrem and her sister chatted with Moll Brown in company of Zetta. Eventually, other philanthropists and wealthy socialites signed checks for her cause so that the Stoke family received a generous contribution too. And today, as another picture confirmed, the faculty of naval engineering of the University of Newcastle hosts a marble engraving of Charlie Stoke: to his memory a scholarship had been instituted one year after on the anniversary of the sinking. Since 1913 it has been helping students of poor background to get an education and improve their life. Zetta herself became a philanthropist during her Renaissance and ever since. The first act of her new phase of her life was joining the Moll Brown survivors committee to provide help to the second and third class passengers families and survivors. Some said that the tragedy she witnessed touched her heart, other claimed that it was to be attributed to the influence of her publicist. Jokingly, she used to say that after all, she had too much money yet all she could have wished for in her life, so why not doing some good with it? A considerable donation under her and Mr King was received by the main hospital during the Spanish flu pandemic; she was particularly active in providing financial help to struggling neighbourhoods and female education institutions. In the middle of the room, a long glass display hosted the Shakespeare Sonnets opened at sonnet 116 and a selection of the private correspondence between Zetta and Adele. My darling, You will receive this letter tomorrow morning when I'll be already off to Chicago. The suitcases are ready and packed, this is a goodnight note scribbled the night before leaving you to remind you how much I love you and care about you. How much I'm going to miss you even if - thank God! - we won't be parted for long... Do not forget you promised me to write every day! Write to me, Adele, write to me whatever thought crosses that gorgeous mind of you: you know I could you rambling for hours without getting tired of the sound of your voice, of your sparkling wisdom. I wanna know everything. So don't be shy: I'll be waiting your letters with tender impatience. Can't wait to be in your arms once more. Adoringly yours, Zetta - Dear, dearest Zetta, I went to Central Park today with Hileni. It was a gorgeous spring day, sunny, a gentle breeze blowing: 'simply too beautiful to be wasted inside' as my sister put it. Did I tell you that she's still exchanging letters with the delivery boy from the hat shop? I thought they were over but apparently he invited her to the nickelodeon next week. Anyway, walking in the park with her I suddenly realised how I wanted to share that spring wonder with you. When are you coming back to New York? Tell me soon, please. And even 'soon' won't be soon enough: you're always on my mind since you left. But yes, tell me soon so I can make you promise we will go for a walk before the weather becomes too hot. Do you think I can wrap my arm with yours? Is it professional enough for a publicist? Even just for a few steps: oh you have no idea how I would love that! Or maybe you have? I hope so: it'd mean you miss me as much as I miss you when we are apart. Oh, I almost forgot: all settled with that magazine you mentioned before your departure! I negotiated a two pages long interview, plus pictures. And a cover mention. Hope I did well: you have already fired me as your secretary, I must prove you I am just what you're looking for in a publicist... Can't wait to see you again! Loving you always, Adele Only one letter was copied on a panel of its own on the main wall side by side with a blow-up of the picture of Adele and Zetta slow-dancing barefoot and free, for a blessed moment immortalised in a discreet shot. Adele pressing a tender kiss on Zetta's forehead, drawing a soft smile on the acrtress' lips. Many visitors commented it was heartwarming to see such a photograph that conveyed the intimacy and the warmth of affection radiating from the dancing couple. Some said that Zetta was even more beautiful like that: free, hair slightly askew and genuinely happy, loved. What stole their hearts away though was the letter attached to it. It was no surprise that the curators decided to name the retrospective Underwater. Dearest Adele, Forgive me for the tone of this letter. I am writing it down in bed while I cannot sleep and my mind runs back to you as if we could meet halfway between the miles separating us, in a world of fantasy of our own. It's ridiculous how much I miss you! I want you near, I need you near all the time. Take tonight: if you were here with me, I would be heavenly sleeping in your loving embrace. Most unfortunately, you are not and I'm lying here, insomniac, thinking of you. And about my life. No, don't frown. I am not getting all sad again. It's...bittersweet. And - I'll spoil you the ending so you will stop worrying, hopefully - it gets better the more you proceed. Have you ever felt trapped underwater? I did, my whole life. Always hiding, always measuring words, gestures, gazes not to let them see, not to let them know...so little time to go up and break the surface. Drop the mask and breathe. In, out. Once, twice. In my lowest moments I repeated to my myself: how are you gonna survive? One day an acquaintance with a remarkable passion for the sea explained me and the other bored commensals that you can keep someone alive by breathing oxygen into their mouth underwater. Pretty much like mouth-to-mouth resuscitation helps an unconscious person to regain consciousness. I found it interesting but doubted his words. Then I met you, Adele. My dearest, wondrous Adele. And I learnt that yes, you can't breathe if you're constantly underwater...but you won't drown if you have the right person swimming by your side in those deep waters. Put your lips on me, Adele. Touch me, hold me in your arms. And I can live underwater. With your love, I can live underwater. We can live underwater. I love you. I want to cover a full page of these three simple words: I love you. I want to cry them out and entrust them to the winds, to the night. But what for? Who cares if the world knows or not? I'll whisper them over your lips when we will be reunited. So you can breathe underwater. Counting down the hours separating us, my love. Eternally yours, Zetta

#titanic storyscape #sc titanic #zetta serda #adele carrem #zetta x adele #zetta x adele series

35 notes · View notes

black-streak · 4 years

Text

Waiting for the Worms- Goodbye Cruel World

Part 22

Second to last chapter. The last chapter is almost going to be more like an epilogue, by the way. I fit... A lot into this? It feels like a lot even though it mostly stays all in one room in pretty much one continuous scene. Anyways, it's almost the end, my friends.

CLOSED LIST of wonderful people: @northernbluetongue @thethirdwheelfriend @shizukiryuu @theatreandcomicfreak @michellemagic @karategirl119 @moonlightstar64 @my-name-is-michell @mystery-5-5 @zalladane @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm @miraculousdisapointment @dorkus-minimus @jardimazul @allthebooksandcrannies @g-arya @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @persephonescat @mycupisbroken @luciferge @18-fandoms-unite-08 @dawnwave16 @alwaysreblogneverpost @kris-pines04 @emjrabbitwolf @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog @weird-pale-blonde-person @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @kokotaru @naclychilli @slytherinhquinn @clumsy-owl-4178 @ladybug-182 @darkthunder1589 @evil-elf16 @dast218 @lysslovsanime @emilytopaz @naoryllis @iloontjeboontje @thepeacetea @danielslilangel @finallyaniguana @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @vixen-uchiha @yuulxd @bleeding-heart-romantic @magic-inthe-stars @st0rmy-w1th1n

~---~

"You are no longer permitted to leave the house," Damian huffed, crossing his arms and staring Mari down.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Every time you leave, you come back with even more strangers. You are obviously incapable of going out on your own without collecting strays."

"I don't know, you seem to enjoy all our guests so far," Marinette answered, ruffling the boy's hair before picking him up onto her hip and wondering over to the couch.

Dick dropped into the seat across from them, observing the way she coddled the boy settled onto her chest. Her eyes stayed glued to Damian, tracing fingers through his hair as Jason sat beside her, arm thrown over her shoulders. The rest of the team had dispersed, staying within the city despite the urge to travel, not comfortable leaving the two completely, though respecting their need for privacy in these times.

Tim stood across the room, carefully blank, but everyone in the room could tell he felt unsure which side he belonged on more. Closer to the man who acted as his older brother despite the distance or the two teens who took him in and provided him shelter as though he were their own.

"So. You're the soulmate who toyed with me all those years ago," Dick broke the silence, faulty irritation maring his expression.

"Oh don't act like you were oh so sure of my having one," Jason cut in, smirk inching across his face.

"I told you, you acted off sometimes! I even suggested it wasn't you really in there," he perked up at the easy response.

"Suggested, but never truly caught on enough to say for sure," Mari responded now.

Here, Dick narrowed in on her once more, "You're the one who altered my suit, weren't you?"

"Might have done."

"And adjusted my equipment?"

"Guilty."

"The haircut?!"

"That one was me actually. That mullet was burning my eyes," Jason admitted.

"And… saving Tim?" He asked with heavy, guilt ridden eyes, catching the yet silent teen's attention at the focus lying on him instead of the events surrounding his capture.

"Both," they answered together.

"I can't thank you enough for looking out for him. Preventing his death. I can't say what I would've done had Bruce gotten another Robin killed that way," Dick looked down at his clenched fists, his past fights over his successors with Bruce flashing into all of their minds. There was never meant to be a second Robin. Now one had died and another came close. "I'm sorry, you know. I should've been there for you. For both of you. I probably couldn't have stopped you from helping. From taking the title. But I could've done more, been there for you when you needed it. Been a better brother."

"It wasn't your responsibility to look out for us."

"Excuse me?"

"It would've been nice to be closer, but you had no duty to us. You never adopted us or asked to have your retired position given away. I won't hold it against you for not playing house with some kid who took your place when Bruce kicked you out."

"But I-"

"Act too much like a martyr. Come back apologizing for things you weren't responsible for. Seriously, it's fine. You weren't a thought in my mind when I went after Tim, over there. I just refused to watch someone else follow our fate. You have no place in this mess, beyond having some similar skeletons in your closet."

His fists loosened and his pupils widened, glinting in a watery haze, "No place in this? Jason, you can't think I-" Mari cut him off now.

"That isn't to say we wouldn't want you to stick around and find a place. Just that you shouldn't hold guilt over what happened to us. Your reactions and emotions held no merit in our death. You need to let this go. It wasn't your fault."

A smile lit his face, a perplexed little thing, as though he couldn't quite grasp the concept of not being responsible for the shortcomings of his adoptive father. He opened up his mouth as though to correct them, only for the door to open just then, an older man entering the home.

"Master Jason has become quite wise in his time away, has he not?"

Jason was the first to react, removing himself from the couch and meeting the man halfway to pull Alfred into a much needed hug. As the two embraced, Mari nudged Damian up to stand and led the way over. The two men seperated and turned towards them, Alfred appraising her with warm, knowing eyes.

"Miss Marinette, what a pleasure to see you in your own body."

Letting out a bark of laughter, she lurched forward into a hug of her own before turning to gesture her boy closer, "Alfred, this is Damian. We came to be family before our escape," she picked her words with care, knowing he would understand her meaning without making it too easy for the other two in the room. Likely, the little bird in the room would figure it out without the added help.

The elderly butler introduced himself to Damian, taking the distrustful look and tense posture in stride as the kid took his hand carefully for a small handshake. He, however, did cut his eyes back to Marinette afterwards, a question in his eyes that she offered a shrug to. She couldn't answer with complete certainty, but knew Alfred saw the possibility of the kid's parentage. It helped that he already knew she had spent years in close proximity to Talia, explaining how this could come to fruition.

Damian took the moment to grab onto Jason's hand and tug slightly, letting his grip on Mari fall away as he was brought back towards the living room where the other two still watched, though Dick had stood up and now made his way over to offer his own greeting.

Marinette took this time to speak with Tim, who stayed quiet and still until now, "Tim?" His shoulders tensed in an aborted jump, "Would you like some time alone with Alfred?"

His eyes bore into her, studying her as though for ulterior motives, unsure what to make of the offer. She couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips.

"You saw him nearly everyday for two years. Your main caretaker and likely only human contact as a civilian that was consistent. To go from that to zero contact for weeks on end… surely that must be quite the adjustment. I can keep the rest occupied for now if you'd like."

His gaze stayed weary for only a second before gratitude leaked in, nodding once, "If you wouldn't mind."

"Of course. Go ahead, dear, I'll keep Richard from trying to hover and butt in," she smiled, ushering him forward right as Dick joined Jason back in the living room and Alfred made way to the kitchen, ever knowing exactly where he was needed. The layout may be open, but the position of the furniture and distance gave the two some privacy for the time being.

"Damian, was it?" Dick began as they settled into their seats once more.

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

"Why do you ask?" Dami retorted.

Dick's surprised look told them that Barbara had not felt the need to inform him of where the boy came from, if she even bothered to mention the child at all.

"Just curious is all. I would like to know who got so close with Jason and his soulmate."

"Marinette is more than just his soulmate, she's her own person," he growled, tensing up only for Jason to wrap his arms about him in a comforting gesture.

Dick immediately backtracked, "I didn't mean to imply otherwise. You're absolutely right and I'm sorry for implying anything else."

Damian glared before turning to look up at Jason, "Who is he, again?"

"That's Dick, my… older brother. So kind of like your uncle," Jason laughed at the kid's sour expression.

…

Over half an hour passed before Alfred and Tim made their way back into the living room, the four already present taking the time to catch up and get to know each other. Damian took this moment to suggest putting on a movie, which Marinette whole heartedly seconded.

"Alright, anyone spending the night, get ready for bed! I'm not dragging you lot around half asleep and whiny," Jason announced, ushering Dami into his room as Tim headed for the bathroom and Marinette found herself grumbling on her way into the bedroom as Jason set up the movie.

Upon returning, all in pajamas with teeth brushed, Marinette settled into the arm of the couch, Tim sat to her side and Dick remained in the armchair as Damian went into the kitchen for water, The Chronicles of Narnia starting up on the screen. When Jason joined them, he drew Alfred into a hug, the man having already offered his goodnight and well wishes to the group, and showed him out. Having locked up and settled opposite to Mari, he let Damian pull himself up beside him only to drag the kid into his lap where he huffed in indignation, but snuggled closer.

No one fully bothered with the movie, softly speaking over it.

"Everything alright?" Mari whispered to Tim, the boy scooting closer to hear her better.

"Yeah, we just had a lot to talk about."

"Did it help?"

"... Yeah. He helped me work through some things. To make some decisions," he glanced at her, lips quirking up hesitantly.

"Oh? Anything I should know about?" She felt her own face lilt up with mirth and encouragement in equal parts.

Tim seemed to stop breathing for a second, wholy still and silent, before breaking into a slow, steady breath, "Marinette, would it be alright if I stayed here? Permanently?"

She looked over his head to meet Jason's gaze, his eyes soft and warm, nodding in agreement. She saw both Dick and Damian lean forward, eyes fixed on them in rapt attention, awaiting her answer. She felt certain Tim knew of this, but kept his eyes firmly on her. Settling further into her seat, she took his hand gently and nodded.

"Of course you can, Tim. This is your home now too. We'll have to make some adjustments, though," she saw his expression turn wary, "No way are you living on the couch."

At that, his face twisted into a relieved gratitude, shoulders slumping and body falling back into the cushions, "Thank you," he murmured.

She felt her eyes soften as she slowly drew him into a hug, leaving room to escape, "Welcome to the family, Birdy."

…

Within an hour of the movie's start, Tim fell asleep, slumped against Marinette, where she wrapped her arms carefully around him, almost completely out herself.

"I'm glad he has you guys. I would've taken him with me when he first showed up, but let's be honest. I'm hardly equipped to take care of myself. At least there, he had Alfred," Dick spoke in hushed tones, taking in how the two almost cuddled together, how the small child, Damian, curled up against Jason's chest in a sleepy daze of his own. How they made a makeshift family unit. He couldn't help the pained twitch to his smile at their easy love for each other, "He's in good hands here. You make a much better older brother than I did."

"Don't give me that bullshit," Jason half sneered, eyes narrowed, "You did your best. Don't think I haven't noticed what you did for him. Went out of your way quite a few times. For all of us, whether you needed to or not. And this better not be goodbye either. I'm fed up with losing people. You're ugly mug better make a regular appearance around us or I'll never forgive you," Jason gave a cruel smirk, knowing Dick will see the sincerity of it despite this. He couldn't help but enjoy the return of their old antagonistic relationship.

An appreciative little smile spread over Dick's face as he stood up, the movie having ended already. He followed as Jason lifted Dami and made way to deposit the boy into his bed for the night.

"Yeah… I suppose I could visit every now and then."

Stopping in front of the other two on the couch, he stared down at them for a moment, unsure how to move them. Mari took that moment to open her eyes, blinking blearily at them. They carefully maneuvered Tim up into Jason's arms so that she could stand up, only for her to tug them towards the bedroom where she made him place Tim into the bed, following him back out to say goodbye to Dick.

"He sleeps with us tonight? Poor birdy is touch starved," she sleepily asked, receiving a fake sigh of exasperation and agreeance.

They then watched as Damian snuck out of his own room and went into theirs as well.

"They're going to take over our room at this rate," he spoke without an ounce of regret. She only shrugged in acknowledgment.

At the front door, Dick tugged Marinette into an easy hug, wishing her a goodnight and to get some rest. Turning, he froze before dragging Jason into a tight, crushing hug, "I'm so happy you're okay, Jay. I missed you so damn much."

"Yeah. I missed you too," Jason hovered only to hug him back, face ducking into his shoulder. They pulled back and offered each other small, hopeful smiles before offering one last goodbye. And then Dick was gone.

Door locked, the two turned to each other, reaching out for the other's hand simultaneously. Their eyes met and without another word, they headed to bed, where the rest of their little family awaited them.

#maribat #jasonette #ml x dc #WFTW #part 22 #so close

363 notes · View notes

sparrowsabre7 · 3 years

Text

Ok this was in my drafts from ages ago and I forgot to post so it’s here now:

So with Arkham Knight completed I wanted to discuss the story and some of the things I liked about the plot.

For my money Arkham City is the most entertaining of the series plot-wise. It is wide in scope, incorporating a large group of Batman’s rogues, with a lead villain who has a commanding presence. It is the quintessential Batman plot, full of twists, focusing on his dynamic with the Joker and is a big ‘ol actionfest.

Arkham Knight’s plot on the other hand is quite pedestrian by comparison looking at the villain plot: Scarecrow wants to take down Batman and cause chaos in Gotham and a mysterious new villain appears to help. From this standpoint, Arkham Knight is nothing special. However, as a character study of Batman, it goes much deeper than any of the previous games, and deeper even than any of the films. Most of those dealt with “Why does Bruce Wayne become Batman?” whereas Knight asks the question “What does it mean to BE Batman?”

In this respect “Be the Batman” is more than just a marketing tagline. We really delve into what makes Batman and Bruce Wayne tick and their relationships with the world, their allies, and enemies.

We’re going to delve into big spoiler territory now so be ye warned.

Batman in this game is in an interesting place. Crime is supposedly lower than ever when Scarecrow’s plan starts falling into place, yet he’s hitting criminals harder than ever, working tirelessly in his war on crime. His modifications to the Batmobile make this immediately apparent, adding numerous heavy weapons and armour. One of the unlockable Arkham stories indicates that adding more weaponry has been something Batman has fought for years, according to Lucius, but he had a change of heart some point between City and Knight. We learn soon enough that Batman is on borrowed time. His blood is still infected with Joker’s own and is actually beginning to turn him. This is his last assault on crime, one final push if a cure cannot be found. As a result, he is pushing his allies further away than ever. This alienation was seen in a small way in the epilogue DLC “Harley Quinn’s Revenge”, keeping Robin at arm’s length and mostly avoiding contact with his allies entirely.

This is one of the key themes of the whole game and, personally, if I were to choose one word to sum up Arkham Knight it would be “family”. “Asylum”, “City”, and “Origins” were all solo efforts on Batman’s part, with some input in his ear from Oracle and Alfred, and a brief appearance by Robin. This is the first game to really have the Bat-family on board proper and this really informs a lot of the game and Batman’s motivations.

He pushes them away because he knows he’s dying. He pushes them away because he wants them to get used to the idea of him being gone. Most importantly, he pushes them away because he believes this will keep them safe. This is underlined when Scarecrow’s fear toxin kicks in. Thanks to the hallucinations provided by it, we are shown two of Batman’s greatest failures in his eyes, along with his raison d’etre: the crippling of Barbara Gordon, the torture and murder of Jason Todd, and the death of his parents. The former two are clearly never far from the dark knight’s thoughts and show why he genuinely does fear for his allies safety. This ends up, in the obvious ironic twist, putting them in greater danger. By keeping them at arm’s length and withholding his plans, the Batman is a less effective force. He doesn’t consider that they are safest together, working as a team. His allies come to his rescue a couple of times during the course of the game, Nightwing saving him from Penguin’s thugs, Catwoman saving him from an unwinnable fight against The Riddler, Oracle aiding him during the defence of the GCPD and Robin not saving him per se, but defusing some of the Johnny Charisma’s bombs while Batman is unable to move.

Another key subplot is Batman vs Joker. Even after his death, through his blood and the fear toxin, Joker is resurrected as a hallucination, a dark Jiminy Cricket pestering and needling the caped crusader at every turn. This is the ultimate Joker, no less potent for not being “real”. He represents everything Batman hates and fears, because he is not only The Joker, but the darkest parts of Batman’s mind, all the what ifs, the maybe should’ves, all of this tumbles out of Joker’s mouth, taunting the dark knight with his own insecurities. It shows Batman’s human side a lot more than any previous game, shows he can be afraid, he does have doubts, can fail, can falter. This is something which clearly plays across his mind throughout the game and leads him to the ultimate conclusion of the game which I will touch on in a bit.

The Joker has always been key to the Batman mythos. He was that in Batman #1 so nearly as long as the Batman has been in existence. Having him manifest as a facet of Batman’s subconscious is both a neat narrative trick (and way to skirt the “Joker is dead” thing without cheapening the end of “City”) and a useful dynamic in explaining who Batman is. Much of his existence has been spent battling The Joker and it’s clear that there is a side of Batman in “Knight” that almost misses him in a sense. His presence also plays up the yin-yang of their relationship and eventually culminates quite literally in a battle in Batman’s psyche.

Near the game’s ending Scarecrow unmasks Batman and injects him with a heavy dose of fear toxin. This causes Joker’s personality to be brought to the fore but at the same time empowers Batman’s own power of fear, showing the clown prince of crime his own greatest nightmare: being forgotten. This is ultimately delivered personally by Batman, bursting from the shadows of his own mind and subduing the Joker side, locking him away forever, enforcing this with the time tested phrase “I am vengeance, I am the night, I am Batman.” This is said, as another blogger pointed out, as much to himself as to The Joker. This is a declaration that he is Batman, he is no longer Bruce Wayne. To paraphrase “Batman Begins”, as Bruce Wayne he can fail, be killed, and simply die, which is when we come to the ending.

Upon the final villains being rounded up he initiates the Knightfall protocol and removes his mask. This is a clear symbolic gesture as he is leaving Batman behind on the rooftop with the Batsignal and reverting to Bruce Wayne. He flies back to Wayne Manor and it explodes, destroying the whole building. It’s not made explicit but it’s fairly evident that Bruce has faked his death, very publicly killing Bruce Wayne, now that he has been revealed as the alter ego of Batman. Gordon’s narration states that “this is how the Batman died” but it’s really how Bruce Wayne died.

The final scene shows Thomas, Martha and young Bruce Wayne stand-ins walking down an alley past a theatre, visually recreating Batman’s origin. There’s a gunman, there are broken pearls, this is the birth of Batman as we remember. This time however, Batman already exists. A shadow appears on the rooftop behind the criminals, towering high before spreading shadowy wings and fiery demon eyes alighting as it swoops towards them and cuts to black. It’s clear this is more than a symbolic statement as the criminals react to this “Knightmare” and are clearly terrified. Ultimately it’s up to interpretation, but I think, either it is The Batman in his purest form, shed of the Bruce Wayne identity, free to be more than human (with the use of Scarecrow’s fear toxin apparently), or it simply a psychological manifestation. After Scarecrow’s gas flooded Gotham’s streets, perhaps the residual effects left a lingering memory of Batman that was burned into their consciousness.

Either way it’s a true and final realisation of Bruce Wayne’s goal for the Batman. To become something eternal, supernatural even, that will watch over an protect

#batman #arkham knight #games #arkham trilogy

14 notes · View notes

dai-ou-sama · 4 years

Text

Atsuhina; fluff fic. (Pt 2)

Atsumu disowning his emotions because he can’t deal, all the while spiralling down to a meltdown where he confesses to Hinata and it’s just fluff abuse.

Um ok, so this turned into somewhat of a crack fic bc Atsumu’s confession is just that ridiculous in my head. Here’s part 1!

@resignedcatservant I’m really happy you enjoyed pt 1, here’s the cont :)

Atsumu sauntered up to the stadium doors breezily, his movements as smooth and as lazy as usual. His earphones - airpods - were in, his hands were nestled in the pockets of his hoodie and he was feeling wonderful.

He’d spent the night after Bokuto’s ramble tossing and turning in his bed, alternating between lapses of silence in which he recalled and repeated past interactions with Hinata, and lapses of screeching into his pillow in mortification whenever an especially mortifying memory resurfaced, before thinking, “Well, it’s Shouyo-kun I’m thinkin’ about here. Isn’t that a justified reaction? Who wouldn’t have stopped an’ stared if they saw him laugh like that?” and “No, it’s okay. He couldn’t have noticed. Nobody would’a noticed me doing that.” Then he’d go back to thinking about Hinata, and the vicious cycle repeats. He ignored the fact that Bokuto, resident idiot #1 of MSBY Black Jackals, had told him that he and Sakusa had already noticed plenty of things.

His internal turmoil had continued well into the night, until approximately four in the morning, when he’d gotten enough of himself and his thoughts (a previously unprecedented phenomenon, mind you) and slapped his face hard enough to yelp, then finally, finally passed out cold.

Now, he was back at the stadium, and he was fine. He’d spent a good portion of day before the evening training session staunchly denying the existence of a thing called feelings, and he’d very much convinced himself he wasn’t feeling any kind of way at all. He pushed open the stadium doors and strode in, spotting his teammates at the other end of the court and offering them a lazy wave. Hinata hadn’t yet arrived, and when Atsumu settled down, he realised that he was really feeling quite alright.

Bokuto might have exclaimed that he looked like death and asked if he was okay, and Sakusa might have added that he always looked like death anyway - but he was fine. When Hinata arrived and greeted them with a smile that was not unlike the sun, he was fine. So what if he found Hinata cute - big deal, he already knew that. He was even fine for a solid two hours of training beside Hinata, the time filled with shared banter and high-fives. Over the course of two hours, his heart had slowly retuned to an almost-normal rate and his stomach stopped flipping in odd ways. Basically, he thought he was handling all of it (it being the mess that was his feelings) quite professionally, and counted that as a win. He continued to be perfectly a-ok, until they began the practice matches, and he nailed a particularly fast set with Hinata.

“That one felt really good! It really went BAMMPF this time!” Hinata exclaimed as they exchanged a double-handed high-five, and Atsumu laughed, agreeing because it did feel really good. He turned back to the net, and the next set, the next successful point, was already running through his mind. Beside him, Hinata paused, and turned to look at Atsumu. “Ya’know, Atsumu-san, I’m really glad I get to play with you now. On this team. With everyone.” Atsumu was in the middle of a non-committal hum when he turned to face Hinata, his words hadn’t really registered in his mind yet because he was still thinking of the next-quick set, until of course, he had caught sight of Hinata’s expression and everything - his thoughts, breath, and heart - stuttered to a stop.

Hinata’s smile now was different from the ones before. Those had been easy smiles, beaming and grinning that Atsumu had already been prepared to face, but this? This was softer, more tender and more intimate, and wow, he was not prepared for it. It really did not do Atsumu any favours.

That was very decidedly the moment Miya Atsumu’s internal system had glitched and crashed, and the thought of being not fine came back with a vengeance and slapped him in the face.

This was real. His feelings were real. He had a huge fucking crush on Hinata and he had never noticed. He noticed now. And instinctively, he knew he was not about to handle this epiphany well. Forget pretending to be okay, it was time to abort mission. He was about to act like the biggest moron in the world if he faced Hinata right now, and his narcissism would never let him live it down if he allowed it to happen.

So what did he decide to do? Drop everything and run out of the stadium with his face in his hands, it seemed like.

Was that really preferable to just losing his shit and embarrassing himself right there and then in the stadium? Hm. Debatable, but Miya Atsumu’s brain worked in wonderful ways.

Courtesy of Bokuto’s past meltdowns, Atsumu found his way to the storage room easily, and he marched in very robot-like before shoving himself between the safety mats to wallow in deeply-rooted, ever-growing self-hate. If there is a god, heavens please, just end me now and save me the mortification. This moment was never going to stop haunting him till the day he finally stepped into his grave, and it was definitely going to end up as his nightmares in the coming months.

God knows how long had passed before the door to the storage room creaked open, and by then, Atsumu’s soul was already half out of his body. He barely even noticed when the shuffling of footsteps stopped before him, and he kept his forehead pressed against his knees.

“Atsumu-san?” Hinata’s voice made him flinch a little, but beyond that he remained locked in position. “Are you okay?”

Absolutely not.

“What’s wrong?”

In Atsumu’s mind, it was the entire world, apparently. But really, it was just his pride in shambles (for god knows what, honestly) and he really wanted to disappear right now.

“Atsumu-san?”

There was a long pause of silence that made Atsumu wonder if Hinata had given up on the embarrassment that was Atsumu like he should, then - “ATSUMU-SANNNNNN!” Hinata shouted right beside his ear, making him jump in his seat. Hinata took the chance to grab his face in both his hands and forced him to look up at him. “What’s wrong with you?”

Hinata was crouched right in front of Atsumu, face only inches away, cradling Atsumu’s face in both his hands. He stared straight into Atsumu’s eyes with an oddly determined look in his own. And Atsumu- Atsumu’s breath just caught, not for the first time that day. He wondered absentmindedly then if he looked like he was star-struck to others, because he certainly felt star-strucked - like the entire universe had just lit up around Hinata, the sun.

“...I’m in love with you.” Atsumu couldn’t have helped it, honestly. The words had slipped past his lips without his permission or notice, and he remained in awe of Hinata long after the words had been uttered still. Then slowly, Atsumu’s thoughts caught up with his words and...oh fuck.

Hinata froze. “What?”

Now Atsumu’s mind was racing. What the fuck did I just say. Oh my god, ‘Tsumu, I hate’cha so much. Ya’ should just die. Are ya’ an idiot? I should just laugh right now and pretend it was’a joke. Or maybe I should just die right now. Or kiss him. Or die. Or-

Instead, Atsumu just resigned to his fate. He looked away - and might’ve teared a little - and mumbled, “I said, I’m in love with you.” His face was burning, and he kind of felt like he wanted to cry because it had been a whole ass day of emotional confusion and he was just not built to handle things like this.

Hinata seemed dumbstruck for a while, then gradually, a blush crept up his cheeks - together with a grin. “You mean that?”

Atsumu’s gaze whipped back to Hinata, almost petulantly, and he said, “Of course I mean that, do ya’ think I wou-” His words were cut off by Hinata, who pressed his lips against Atsumu’s, and boy, if Atsumu thought he’d been seeing stars before, he was not prepared for this. Atsumu lowered his hands from round his legs and wrapped them around Hinata’s neck instead. Far too soon, Hinata pulled away, before laughing at the sight of Atsumu’s face. “I’m in love with you too.”

Atsumu.exe was not working. “...But why?”

Hinata looked at him, his nose and brows a little scrunched in confusion. Even in his daze, Atsumu couldn’t help but find it adorable. “What do you mean why?”

“Why would’cha ever like someone as embarrassin’ as me?”

Hinata looked at him wordlessly for a moment, as if he was exasperated, then he sighed and took Atsumu’s face in his hands again. Atsumu decided he really liked having his face in Hinata’s hands.

“Because you’re as dedicated and as committed to volleyball as one can get. Because I really like the way you laugh when you make a good set and it makes my heart go...gwaaaah. Because you look like you could take on the world when you’re performing well. Because you let me know I have more ways to play than one. Because you’re Atsumu; a total idiot and a dork as long as you’re off the court, but completely captivating when you’re on, and so much more. Do you really need me to go on right now? Because we’re going to have to stay here all night if I do.”

Atsumu was stunned, but he replied ‘yes’ automatically anyway, and earned himself a laugh, then a light smack on the arms, then a peck on the lips, before Hinata settled down in a more comfortable position and carried on. Atsumu thought that maybe, he didn’t hate himself all that much after all.

Epilogue things:

Atsumu entered the stadium with his arm around Hinata’s shoulder as he always did, completely immersed in the way he talked about his time in Brazil. When they reached the rest of their team at the other end of the court, Bokuto immediately shouted, “HEY, HEY, HEY!! You look like you’re doing fine today too, Tsum-tsum!”

Sakusa gagged from the side, eyebrows scrunched in disdain. “You look extra obnoxious today. Why the hell are you still smirking like that? Stop it, it looks dirty.”

Atsumu responded with an extremely smug, self-satisfied “hmph” then said, “As ya’ can see, Omi-kun, Bo-kun.” He gestured to Hinata, “I now have a boyfriend.”

Sakusa’s face just wilted further with disgust, but he gave up and turned away without further comment. It had already been two weeks since the idiot ran out of the stadium like a lunatic, two weeks, and he was still acting like it happened two hours ago. Sakusa just sighed, and prayed for patience.

Hahhhhhh finally, welcome to the end of the fic. I think the style here changed a lil’ from the first part but oh well. I hope you enjoyed reading about Atsumu losing his shit over feelings and about his shitshow of a confession (and a little POV from omi-kun at the vvvvv end) because it was a pretty fun word spew!

#haikyuu #haikyuu!!#haikyu #atsuhina #Miya Atsumu #hinata shoyo #atsumu x hinata #msby black jackals #atsuhina fluff #atsuhina headcanon #wow shit im really so soft for them #lol help im slowly turning into an atsumu stan #my writing ew

126 notes · View notes

keoghans · 4 years

Text

Hey Chuck

Hello and welcome to this Chuck Grant fanfic. I always loved this dude, and I see little to no work about him, so, I took it upon myself to do fic about him. I invented a character, his love interest, because I cant write reader insert, I just, it bothers the fuck out of me to write like that lmao.

Special mentions for @notmykirk @liebthots @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant @alphapockets for proofreading, giving ideas and helping a distressed, nervous writer lol, you lot were brilliant!

This is super angsty, but also filled with fluff and stupid cliches.

Pairing: Chuck Grant x OC

Warnings: angst, shitloads of angst. Mention of rape. Slight, non-explicit smut. Cursing.

Word Count: 12k (I know, IM SORRY)

Epilogue

Three knocks and an anxious wait.

The door was opened by the tall ginger that didn’t seem to ever age.

“Hannah Davis! What brings you here?” he exclaimed with a broad smile as he hugged her smaller frame.

“How are you, sir? You look great!” she replied and he furrowed his eyebrows at her answer.

“Hannah, the war is over, it has been for a while, I go by Richard, Rich, or Dick, please,” he said, as he let her in his house. He sounded the same, warm, emphatic, funny.

“Old habits die hard, I guess,” she replied, checking out his living room. He lived in a beautiful, tall house, very homey. It had a fireplace on and a half finished drink on the nearby table.

“My wife went to visit her brother, a man that’s never approved of me, so I stayed back,” he explained, serving another drink for her.

“I remember when you first told me that he wasn’t fond of you and I wondered, how the hell does someone not like Dick Winters?” she replied and they both chuckled.

“Her parents like me, and so does she, so… it doesn’t really matter”.

Hannah didn’t marry post war, and it had been only a year, but most of Easy Company was already having children, marrying or at least dating.

She had her heart set on someone but she had lost all contact with him and the Army didn’t help her trying to get what she needed.

So, after an hour and a half of reminiscing about the war, about Austria and the Eagle’s Nest, Winters caught up to her.

“Hannah, with all due respect… I know this isn’t just a casual visit, or you would’ve brought Luz or someone else with you,” he started, trailing off for her to speak.

Hannah chuckled cynically, the man had always been prone to read people like a piece of paper. She struggled for a few seconds, her nerves coming back to her, scratching the back of her head absentmindedly.

“I’ve been trying to find someone… Someone from the Company, and I don’t want to ask the rest of the men because… Well, if this fails, I don’t want it to be gossip between them; and the Army couldn’t help me, they cannot give out information about former paratroopers,” she explained.

“I have all of the men’s information with me, so, who are you looking for? Though—some information can be outdated, I haven’t updated it in a couple of years,” Dick said, looking for an old black book that had ‘Easy’ embroidered in the front.

“Say the name.”

“Uh… Charles Grant—NCO Chuck Grant.”

Rick smiled softly, looking down as he looked for his name in his book.

“What?” she asked, slightly embarrassed. He knew.

“Nothing. Sergeant Grant is an exceptional man, I felt deeply for him when he got shot,” he explained and placed a ruler under his name, handing the notebook to Hannah.

“I know he is, that’s why I’m looking for him,” she said, looking down at his name, copying the information of his address and phone number.

Richard looked at her with his usual witty, warm smile.

“Thank you, Dick” she said, closing the notebook and giving it back.

“Like my wife would say, ‘go get him’.”

///

Hannah had Chuck’s address and phone for a month and a half.

Every time she thought about calling him, or showing up at his place, fear shook her body and threw her back to square one. She had taken a cab to her former Major in the Paratroopers for forty five minutes to find a man’s address and she couldn’t actually talk to him.

Hannah laid in her bed, after a long day at the hospital. She was eating leftover carrot cake she had made a week ago, feeling dreadful, looking at the little paper with Chuck’s name sitting on her bedside table, and remembered the many times they shared.

Bastogne was the coldest hell Hannah had ever experienced, and she knew it was never leaving her head after everything that transpired.

The trees exploded every now and again. As desperation settled inside each mind, everyone started wondering which was getting killed next.

Then the casualties came: Joe Toye and Guarnere lost each other one leg to mortars, Don Hoobler accidentally shot himself in the leg and the blood loss took his life. Muck and Penkala got blown to pieces by another mortar.

She had tried to save as many lives as possible as she had to shoot Germans from afar, fearing death every single second she moved around the snow covered forest.

She had short moments of peace, and most were laying in a foxhole, trying to gather some warmth, next to Chuck.

Her body shook as she blew into her hands, trying to gain back feeling on her fingertips when Charles looked at her and grabbed her hands without a word, covering them with his calloused fingers, scooting closer to her.

She was slightly taken aback.

Chuck wasn’t a man of many words, he communicated more with his eyes and small expressions. He politely smiled at her as he rubbed his hands against her.

“Thanks,” she muttered, nuzzling her chin deeper into her scarf that was tucked into her jumpsuit.

Chuck just looked at her and kept rubbing their hands together. She noticed her blue eyes looking bright from the full moon shining down the forest.

“I always hated the winter time, back in the states… and now more,” Chuck said, breaking the silence between them.

“I know, I prefer to be burning under the sun rather than freezing my butt off.”

“Cold beers,” he added.

“The beach.”

“Dipping into a river or the sea.”

Both exchanged small smiles.

Chuck had always noticed Hannah, and stared silently at her many times, but barely exchanged a few words in the second year of their training, when she arrived in Toccoa. He knew she was Shifty’s friend, and someone who Winters relied on and trusted from what Powers had said to help her get into the Paratroopers.

And she had proved herself useful, not only as a doctor, but as a sharpshooter, taking down snipers that others didn’t notice at first. She used to compete with Shifty on how many Krauts took down each.

Hannah always knew who he was, she remembered every and each name of the company, by nicknames mostly. He definitely called for her attention; he was polite, shy, only mustered a few jokes here and there, not like Luz, who couldn’t speak without joking.

But she was never as interested in him until he helped her find warmth in a shattering cold in Belgium.

Hannah remembered that with a smile—their first and probably closest interaction. It only took snow, people dying around them and a whole war for it to happen.

Friday, she thought, Friday would be a good thing for me to approach his house if, luckily, he didn’t move out before.

///

Anxiety. Lots of.

Hannah wasn’t on call at the hospital on Friday. She and her best friend, scheduled everything.

Angelina made sure she couldn’t back out of looking for the former paratrooper. She had helped her pick an outfit, helped with her hair, the whole ordeal.

“Okay, go, go! It’s barely past noon, it’s a beautiful day, maybe y’all can go for a walk,” angelina said, taking a sip from her lemonade.

Hannah was barely talking, her hands shook, she felt her pits damp with sweat, with a tight knot in her stomach.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, okay… I’m going, whatever, what could go wrong, what the fuck, he could only think I’m a fucking stalker, whatever right? Fuck—.”

“Oh my god, get out, I’ll take care of Trigger, let him have a stroll, and if by any chance you spend the night there—” she said, with a wink— “call me so I’ll stay and give Trigger his morning walkies,” Angelina commanded as she pushed Hannah through the door.

“Good luck, honey!” She yelled as Hannah dragged her feet through the hot cement under the July sun.

Every little thing that could go wrong played in her mind as she walked. Grant lived roughly twenty blocks away from her but she still wanted to walk there, to make it as slow as possible.

Hannah checked the address in the small, torn piece of paper she had it written on and looked for 1612 for a bit, until she finally saw it.

It was a beautiful, tall white house, with a dark grey roof, a small porch with a couple of rocking chairs. A lot of small pots with flowers and different plants covered most of the front of the porch, which made Hannah think that there was clearly a woman living there.

That made fear struck her again.

He’s probably married, there are rocking chairs and plants… none of the men of the paratroopers cared about fucking plants, why would Charles be any different?

Fuck it.

Hannah shook her head, her curls moving along, stomped the ground after pondering for a couple of minutes, away from the house and took a few deep breaths before she walked up the three steps before the door and, with a shaky breath, knocked three times and took a step back, giving the door her back.

She could sense her muscles completely tense, everywhere, arms, legs, stomach, and wondered why the hell she never got her anxiety completely treated like her PTSD from the war.

What if a woman opened the door? I’d pretend I got the wrong house and run for the fucking hills.

“Yes?” a deep voice said from behind her.

Hannah could’ve swore her heart stopped for a split second.

She turned in her heel with the riddled feeling in her stomach when she met those bright blue eyes and the permanently tanned skin of Sergeant of Second Platoon, Charles Grant.

His usual disheveled look was intact, she noticed, the droopy eyes and the resting annoyed face that was his trademark was still there, but it did change in a moment when he realized quickly who she was. His eyes widened as his jaw dropped slightly.

“Hannah? Hannah Davis?!” he exclaimed, opening the door wider, taking a step forward shyly.

Hannah swore her heart was thumping against her chest like a hammer, and was actually afraid Chuck would notice it. But all he did was try to find the words, stuttering slightly as he took a look at her.

“Hey, Chuck,” she said, trying to find her voice back from somewhere in her throat.

Charles let a single chuckle out of his mouth before, sort of awkwardly, pulled her for a hug, crossing his left arm around her torso and the other one, around the shoulders.

Hannah was a hundred percent sure her heart could arrest at any moment and die right there. The man was hugging her. And she was hugging him back, the same way, when his perfume surrounded her and she closed her eyes for a moment, lingering her head above his shoulder, every single feeling she had ever felt for him rushing back into her stomach, untying the knot slightly, filling it with butterflies.

“What a surprise! Come on in,” he said, as they parted, moving aside so she could walk inside first.

Clean, super clean. The fact that the house was so clean yelled wife! in Hannah’s face. But she shook the thoughts aside, trying to focus on walking and trying not to bump into anything and make a mess of herself in front of Chuck.

“You like it? I’ve been trying to decorate myself but… I don’t know, looks shitty to me still,” he added, standing next to her as she looked at old signs of tobacco brands, and a couple of paintings up white walls, complemented with an olive couch with three seats, a coffee table and a TV in front.

And books, everywhere. Different sized, colored, some put in a small library in the corner, near the couch. Some were sprawled over on the coffee table and one on the couch, open and faced down.

She took the books as the cue to find out and get it over with.

“You and—and your wife must read a lot,” she said, sniggering internally as she awaited for an answer.

Chuck let out a hearty chuckle, looking suddenly a bit embarrassed at her.

“Uh, I’m not married,” he said, forming a thin-lipped, awkward smile on his lips. Hannah felt how her shoulders relaxed at the information.

“Oh—sorry, it’s just… It looks very homey, and you know, women do that work mostly,” she said, trying to sound innocent.

“I learned a bit from my mom, and I found out that I really enjoy gardening and plants in general, that’s why there’s that many on the outside porch. Luz told me I was becoming a woman, I said, ‘what’s wrong with being a woman’?” Chuck said, scratching the back of his neck.

“He fought side by side with one, and he still says that crap?” Hannah asked, remembering George Luz, the clown of the company. “Fuck him, I like how it looks, it’s homey and… looks warm, you know?”

Chuck nodded his head proudly, trying to shoot down a smile that tried to creep up, slightly blushing.

“Listen, I was roasting some chicken, are you hungry? I have beers, too,” he said, pulling her by her wrist softly. This touch sent electricity up Hannah’s arm as she nodded silently, following him.

She was sort of surprised by his cheerfulness. He was a very lowkey man, never spoke too loud, unless he wanted to mock one of his peers with Luz or Guarnere. He fumbled around the kitchen for a bit, before going through the back door to the backyard, where he had a barbecue against the wall.

And she could see him work, cutting up the chicken while it was still roasting, and noticed how he hadn’t put up any weight since coming back from the war, or losing any from the anxiety and PTSD. He had kept in form, his arms still big, as his shoulders, the black sleeves of the shirt sticking tight against them.

Jesus, stop that!

Lost in her thoughts, looking around the kitchen, she didn’t notice Chuck was back with two small sandwiches in hand, leaving them on a couple of plates as he quickly moved to grab two Crystals.

“My brother taught me this amazing sauce, and it’s like pulled pork, but pulled chicken,” he explained, almost proudly of his handiwork. Hannah smiled and took a bite on it.

Instantly, she had to suppress a moan that was about to fall out of her full mouth, as she widened her eyes at him. He smiled as he chewed and nodded his head like saying I know, right?

After downing her bite with a bit of beer, Hannah finally breathed out to compliment his food, making Chuck blush again.

“So, uh… what brings you here? Did you need anything?” Chuck asked, taking a sip of his beer again.

I wanted to confess that I had feelings for you since you helped me warm up in a foxhole in Bagstone and you saved my ass when I got shot and you dragged me into a jeep to be taken away for a bit to heal, and I always wanted to kiss you for that but I’m such a fucking wuss, I never even dared to flirt.

“Oh, no, no, I didn’t come to ask any favors, no,” she replied, chuckling nervously, “I—I’m gonna be honest with you; when we came back from Europe, I knew you had to do some recovery from the shot you took, that would need rehabilitation and… I was dealing with so much I couldn’t stay and I felt like shit for a long while for that—Shit, this sounds like I’m doing this to sleep better at night but no, I just want to say: I’m sorry, I should’ve been there like you were when I lost my ear to a kraut bullet, Chuck, I’m really sorry, and I wanted to check on you, see how you were doing…”

It wasn’t a complete lie, Hannah knew that, but she still felt like what she needed to actually say was heavy in her chest.

Chuck smiled, and turned his head slightly, pulling his hair up a bit.

“The scar goes all the way to the back of my head, I—I should’ve died by the extent of my wound, but, it was mostly sup—superficial. My left arm is partially paralyzed,” he explained, lifting both arms at the same time but the left one was left behind as the right kept going up. “And sometimes it’s hard to s—” he closed his eyes as he struggled to say the word, his tongue frozen in the roof of his mouth for a couple of seconds— “speak, like, right now.”

Hannah looked sorry, like a dog with a tail between its hind legs, feeling ashamed.

“Don’t feel bad, I had my family and some of the men to help me, and very good doctors too, really, it’s not like you had to take care of me, you know,” Chuck added, grinning warmly at her. “George, Doc Roe and Speirs came almost daily to help, I was set; speaking of wounds, how’s the ear?”

Hannah moved her hair away to show him the scarred and dusty pink skin that reattached to her head after it got blown off in the Battle of the Bulge.

Bullets and mortars were falling down the territory Easy Company covered. As much as anyone avoids talking about fear, they were all terrorized; the lack of winter gear, clothes, ammo, and food kept them all weak.

Hannah and Chuck were shooting non-stop, both with shaky breaths as they were still covered under a wool blanket, where only the gun and their eyes could be seen.

“Hannah! Hannah, go help Shifty!” she heard Lip call her as he ran past. She sighed, not wanting to be any closer to the flying gunshots that were showering horizontally on them.

“Go, it’s okay, go!” Chuck exclaimed, looking at her swiftly as he kept shooting.

Hannah groaned in annoyance but still climbed up the hole.

Chuck watched at her go, though her walk got cut short. She froze in her place and he knew something was wrong, and in a split second, she was on the cold ground, yelling her lungs out.

“Shit, shit, shit, hold on, Hannah! Medic!! Medic!!” he yelled as he let his rifle in the hole, crawling to check on the brunette.

As soon as he turned her body around, his face grimaced in shock. She had blood flowing from her side into her cheek, eyes and mouth, as she gasped for a breath, steam coming from her mouth from the sheering cold.

He moved her hair slowly, uncovering what was left of her ear, hanging from skin threads, almost completely shredded from her skull. It was an awful view, and the crimson liquid kept flowing and flowing.

“What is it? Let me see, Grant, move!” Eugene Roe exclaimed, pushing the other soldier aside, checking the wound thoroughly. Hannah had stopped yelling, shock had settled in her body, covering her from the pain.

“It’s superficial, but you will need someone to cut off the rest. Help me get her to the jeep, Grant,” he said after covering the hole with sulfate and a white bandage that went across her face.

“Hannah, you’re going to be just fine, stay with us, come on!” Eugene yelled as Chuck lifted her from her back and legs, her face falling into his shoulder, bleeding on his jacket.

Chuck glanced at her every few moments as he ran to where her ride was stationed, she looked paler by the second that passed, her eyes were closing and he had to keep calling at her to stay awake.

“Hannah, come on, come on, stay with me, stay with me!”

When she was finally strapped down the bed on the front of the sheet, he held her hand for a second before she was pulled away, disappearing into the woods as he had to ran back to his foxhole and keep defending their territory.

But he kept wondering and wondering about her, until she came back two days after.

“You came back almost good as new, ear-less, stitched up,” Chuck said, reminiscing.

“And I had to tolerate thousands of ear related jokes for weeks, and got called ‘Earnnah’ too” Hannah said, making them both laugh.

“Fucking Luz and his nicknames,” Charles said, shrugging.

“Anyways, I still don’t have an ear, but the flu I was going through had clogged my eardrum and saved me from being deaf on one side, right?” Hannah added, lifting her beer bottle to cheer for that.

“To the flu, baby!” he said and both drank.

A couple of hours went by and both Chuck and Hannah were already feeling more comfortable in each other’s presence. They laughed about some anecdotes, and updated on their current lifestyles.

“So, a tobacco store?” Hannah said, standing under the sun in the backyard, enjoying the warmth of a summer afternoon, much more relaxed.

“Yeah, it was my post war dream, and I finally gathered what I needed to open it, it’s in downtown, 5th ave and Charleston. It’s cosy, small, but good enough to sell small things,” Chuck explained, clearly proud of his achievement. “You should come by sometime”.

“I would, but I quit smoking a few weeks ago,” Hannah replied and Chuck looked surprised.

“Really?” he asked, propping himself against a column he had set to sustain a small roof he had put up in his yard.

“Yeah, but I’ll probably hit withdrawal soon and I’ll go back to square one quickly,” she replied, mocking herself and her power of will, making Chuck laugh.

“You still sing?” Chuck asked, and she knew exactly why he asked. “I still remember when we found that piano in the Eagle’s Nest, and you sang a few songs to us,” he said and a very small grin creeped up his lips, looking down at his hands.

That was one of Hannah’s proudest moments.

“I do remember that, and I still sing, yeah.”

The war had lightened up, somehow.

Easy Company was on the works to clear the way into the old Nazi Town of Kehlsteinhaus, where they knew, at the top of the mountain, resides the crown jewel of the Nazi Party. A very glamorous house made only for Hitler and his closests friends.

Winters dictated for the Easy Company to head straight to the Eagle’s Nest, after raiding the town and finding a place to settle for a bit.

Hannah heard Speirs yelling the orders and they didn’t even think for a second before they started running up the mountain road towards the House. She ran next to Chuck, Popeye and Malarkey.

They entered the premises slowly, looking around for Krauts, their guns up in arms. And all of them were surprised by the size of the place from the inside.

It had grey walls, with bay windows every few meters, the sun shining through, illuminating the whole place. There were a few tables with a few chairs each, some silver plates and vases scattered around the living room, a fireplace, and on the far end, a grand, black and shiny piano.

Hannah was immediately drawn to it, forgetting about the men popping bottles of champagne they found lying around, remembering instantly the songs her grandfather had once taught her when she was younger.

The boys weren’t paying attention until they heard the first few notes Hannah pressed on.

“Davis, you can play?” Spiers asked her as they got closer.

I waited till I saw the sun, don’t know why I didn’t come

Hannah started singing, as a way to reply Speirs.

Chuck was certainly taken aback by her singing voice, she had never mentioned before she could do that, that she had even learned or anything she did apart from training for the paratroopers and hang with Shifty.

When I saw the break of day

I wished that I could fly away

Instead of kneeling in the sand

Catching teardrops in my hand

Her fingers seemed to be dancing around the keys like she had been doing that for a lifetime, as her voice shone through the notes she played. There was a sudden peace brought by the song, which no one could remember having heard before that moment.

Chuck sensed his body relaxing, as he looked at the brunette who met his eyes not too long after.

My heart is drenched in wine

But you'll be on my mind

Forever

For a fleeting moment, Chuck felt no one was there but him and Hannah, as she kept singing, his breath catching in his chest, leaving him breathless. He knew he had been looking at Hannah with different eyes for a while, but he never actually realized it completely until that moment.

Something has to make you run

I don't know why I didn't come

I feel as empty as a drum

I don't know why I didn't come

“From then on, you guys would ask me to sing every time we found a piano laying somewhere in the abandoned cottages,” Hannah remembered, smiling at the memory.

“Well, you do have a beautiful voice that puts everyone at ease, you know,” he complimented and Hannah could feel how her pulse accelerated at his compliment, cursing herself internally for being so weak for her former NCO.

“It's mid-afternoon, care for a tea?” Charles asked, when he noticed her blushing, not answering his compliment, knowing he had hit somewhere inside her with it.

“I can make a quick cake with anything you have in your kitchen, if you want to…” Hannah said, almost rushedly, trying to cover her tracks. Yeah, that doesn’t sound weird at all, Hannah, you fucking wuss, offering to bake a cake after a couple of hours chatting and trying to cover your stupid feelings, sure, yeah.

“Kitchen’s all yours,” Chuck said with a grin, looking for his kettle to boil water while Hannah looked for her ingredients for a classic vanilla cake.

As Hannah whisked the ingredients, Chuck served two mugs with boiling tea, placing one next to her as he watched her focused in his kitchen.

“I swear, most men of the company don’t have all this stuff laying in their kitchen,” she said, still looking down at the mix.

“I’m not most men,” Chuck replied and both chuckled at his comment. “Oh, look here,” he said suddenly, making Hannah turn around.

A black cat with a small bell in his neck walked in, stretching its legs, and walked up to Chuck, placing its front paws in the dirty blonde legs.

“This is Roe, I got him a few months ago, he walked in with a broken hind leg and never left this house,” Chuck explained, taking the cat into his arms, which made him start purring loudly. Hannah proceeded to pet him, sliding her fingertips slowly in the soft fur of the head.

“He’s so handsome!”

“Thank you,” replied Charles, earning a small slap in his arm by Hannah, who chuckled as she kept petting the kitty.

“You saying you took care of this kitty reminded me of that nun who changed my bandages in Foye, in that church, remember that? She came straight to me, wondering how a woman is in the Forces, and silently, pulled my face and cleaned me up,” Hannah said, remembering the face of the woman in the black typical suit of a nun.

“She didn’t treat anyone but you, which was either great or very selfish of her,” Chuck said, jokingly.

“She was in a convent, they take care of women mostly, and I am one, so…” she trailed off, wanting to slap the grin out of his face as she felt her heart melting to the view of Chuck, holding a cat between his arms like a child. My uterus is flipping about. “It’s not like no one took care of you boys.”

“What are you talking about?” Chuck wondered.

“Holland. All those women, and food, and drinks, and praising,” Hannah said as she put the mix in the oven. She could hear Charles laughing at her comments.

“I wasn’t doing anything there, I did accept food though.”

“Oh, Chuck, come on, I saw you with that blonde that was taller than you, kissing you non-stop,” Hannah exclaimed, way too quickly for her comfort, and turned around, pretending to check on the oven temperature; Could you be any more obvious, Hannah, dear?

“You sound jealous,” Chuck replied, with a smirk and furrowed eyebrows.

“I—okay, yes, I was; everyone was treating you all like goddamn heroes and whatnot, while I got questionable looks and fingers pointing at me for being a woman in a uniform… Hell, they must have thought I was the squad’s whore or something,” she defended herself, trying to not blow her cover that easy in front of his intense eyes looking at her from a few meters.

Chuck felt bad for a moment. He knew she was proud of being the first woman fighting alongside men in a war, knowing she had earned the respect of many, many people, but there was still a long way to go to be accepted by the population in general.

��Yeah, I wanted someone to kiss me too and give me drinks, I deserved that too, I didn’t have any physical contact with anyone as much as y’all in that time,” Hannah kept going, the anxiousness to cover herself up from showing feelings almost drowning her.

“I’m sure you would’ve gotten a kiss if you just asked,” replied Chuck, taking a sip from his tea while still holding Roe. “I would have if you asked me.”

Did my heart just stop? Did it just… really stop? Quick, don’t linger in silence too much!

“You’ve always been such a gentleman, Grant, but that was impossible. First, we were in the Forces together and that was very forbidden. Second, I couldn’t ask people for that, that’s just sad and I didn’t look like any of the women there, my hair wasn’t done, I was wearing our uniform and probably didn’t smell the best there,” Hannah clarified, trying to not sound too rushed again.

“Okay, yeah, partially true, but you don’t need to be all fixed up to be pretty, though.”

He knows and now he wants to play soccer with my fucking heart. Goodness, I hope he doesn’t know.

“To be honest, it’s not like I came back to the states and started dating and whatnot… I did adopt a dog, his name is Trigger, like the one Tab had back in the day,” Hannah said, trying to clear herself. “Oh, and Tab asked me out like a year ago,” she suddenly remembered.

“Floyd?! R—really?” Chuck asked, clearly surprised.

“Yeah, he showed up once, with flowers and everything. It was so sweet but Tab is like my little brother, so I let him down slowly and luckily, he accepted it and we’re still friends,” she explained, remembering how disappointed he looked for a second before she explained herself to him and he took it with humour and saved their friendship from awkwardness.

All the while, Chuck laughed heartily.

“What? Oh, don’t laugh at him! He’s so sweet, he was always nice with me, even when most doubted the presence of a woman at war, come on,” Hannah defended Talbert, throwing a paper towel ball straight to his face.

“Hey! No need to get violent!” Chuck retaliated, throwing it back at her. “I can’t believe little ol’ Tab asked you out,” he added, chuckling.

“You’re all always making fun of people who ask me out or flirt with me,” Hannah added, a sneer creeping up her lips. “Remember that one British soldier?”

The Company had saved a hundred and forty brit soldiers, without any casualties. Everyone walked back to camp cheerfully but in silence until they entered the barn.

Hannah didn’t feel as cheerful as the rest. She had been carrying a small infection under her tongue for a few days and cramps were attacking her every now and again, which she didn’t share with anyone trying to avoid some sexist comment about the nature of women.

Booze was being passed around the brits and the company as everyone cheered and applauded for their exceptional work. Hannah did enjoy seeing all the grins and wide smiles spread around, while she stood in the side, leaning against a thin wooden column, rubbing her back to ease the pain.

“Moose Heyliger and the American 101st have done the Red Devils a great service, making it possible for us to return and fight the enemy another day,” the captain of the British soldiers exclaimed to the crowd of paratroopers and the Red Devils. “To Easy Company, victory, and Currahee!”

Everyone cheered, drinking profusely, laughing and all around happy, until the same captain interrupted them for a second.

“Oh, and let us not forget to cheer for one more thing: the first woman in the Forces who was part of this mission, Miss…”

Hannah wasn’t paying attention, she was completely zoned out on the side, until she heard her name being called a few times. She looked up to the Captain, who had his drink up and looking at her.

“Oh—Oh, Hannah, Hannah Davis!” she replied, a little startled.

“To Hannah Davis!” The cheers erupted once again, but everyone was now looking at Hannah, who blushed furiously at the attention she was receiving. She just gave them all a tight lipped smile, her eyes drifting from one side to another.

“So, congratulations are in order, ma’am.” A thick British accent interrupted Hannah’s thoughts a while after she had been cheered on. She turned around to find a tall man with a buzz cut, his red beret and a pointy nose. And a very warm smile.

“Thank you, private…?”

“Joe Seaward, and it’s Sergeant now,” he clarified, taking his beret off as he took a drink. “How is the Force treating you? Good, I hope?”

“Very good, sir, they feel like family already. At first it was weird for them, but I was vouched for by the Battalion chief, and one of the men, who is an old friend from his hometown,” she replied, feeling slightly intimidated by the brit.

“I’m glad you’re feeling comfortable. And hometown! Where would that be, if I may ask?”

“Atlanta, Georgia. Can I ask you where are you from?” she asked, looking up at him. Hannah could feel the eyes of Easy on them, but she didn’t dare to look back at them.

“Birmingham, born and raised,” Joe replied, looking proud. “Uh, anyone expecting you back home?” he suddenly asked, and Hannah understood what he was referring to.

“No, apart from family, no one special,” she replied, and just got interrupted by another voice yelling at them.

“Sergeant Seaward! We’re leaving, come on!” Joe looked annoyed all of a sudden.

“Well, ma’am, if this isn’t too forward, when this war is over, and luckily, we’re both still alive and well, why don’t you stay in England for a while and… maybe we can go to dinner together?” He said, rushing as he took a few steps back.

Hannah thought for a second and, feeling like she had nothing to lose and after not being flirted by anyone in two years, she replied “Sure, Sergeant, if we both survive…”.

Joe smirked deeply and quickly found a paper and a battered small pencil, scribbling in it and placed it in her hands, before kissing the back of it.

“You’ll find me with that. Take care, Hannah Davis! Cheerio!”

Hannah felt like a child meeting her first crush, blushing, with a dumb smile in her face, until she heard the sniggering paratroopers behind her.

“What?” she asked, already looking annoyed at them as she turned to find them in a half circle around her.

“What was that ‘bout, Davis?” Bull asked with one lifted eyebrow.

“Nothing–”

“Not nothing, that brit was flirting with you!” Liebgott exclaimed, his lip curled as his eyes darted between the door of the barn and her.

“The fuck is the problem with that?” Hannah asked.

“No fraternization with soldiers in the Forces,” Chuck added, looking down at his hands.

“Oh, fuck all of you. It’s the first time someone comes and tells me I’m pretty in two years, when y’all had women throwing themselves at you back at Eindhoven!” Hannah defended herself, shutting them all up. “It’s not like I’m actually going to do something about it, I might be dead tomorrow anyways”.

“He looks stupid and he’s a brit, we’re all a better catch than him!” Martin added, inflating his chest.

“The only decent man here is Doc Roe, and you all know that for a fact. I’m going to sleep for a bit, goodnight” she said, walking away from them, breaking the half circle without looking back.

“I still have that small, battered piece of paper with me, but I never went to see him,” Hannah added, smirking at the thought. “I should’ve stayed in England and find him, honestly”.

Chuck frowned, “why? Was he really that interesting?”.

“He was sweet, he had a very attractive accent and hell, how many men do you know that say ‘cheerio!’ When saying goodbye?” Hannah defended Sergeant Seaward.

“Oh, stop talking talking about him already” Chuck said, dismissing her comments with a frown.

“Who’s jealous now, huh?” Hannah joked, pushing him slightly. Chuck just laughed bitterly.

///

Chuck showed her around the house, apologizing for forgetting to do a tour when she first came in.

He showed him some old pictures he had from high school that his mom had taken of him, some of his own family, and even a photo from a high school girlfriend he still had. Charles told him they were still in contact because her family was close to his, until he went to the war and she moved out of the usual address.

“It’s like the time I was away, fighting, home became a black hole in my memory, like…It couldn’t possibly exist at the same time I was away.”

Hannah enjoyed learning more from his past, and suddenly wondered if he had ever known what happened and how Easy reacted when they found out he had gotten shot.

Charles was looking down at a picture when she popped the question.

“Chuck, did you uh—did anyone ever tell you what happened with Easy when you… When that replacement shot you?”

He suddenly took a seat on the couch, looking up at her. There was something on his eyes that she couldn’t decipher, but it was between fear and curiosity; his fingers went to linger over his scar absentmindedly.

“No, I—the guys never told me anything, and I didn’t dare to ask, honestly.”

“Do you, uh… Do you want to know?” Hannah asked. Chuck nodded, his lips seeming sewn shut. She took a seat next to him, the air suddenly completely filled with tension.

“Well, you had patrol and we were relaxing in the house, playing cards, some asleep, most smoking and chatting about the end of the war. Also about the points, but, that’s not important.”

“Then, the door of the living room burst open with a pale, very pale and shook Tab. ‘Grant got shot in the head’ was the first thing he muttered. You know, there wasn’t any music around us, but it seemed like it had stopped. The relaxing atmosphere was cut off like when the lights go out with a switch.” Chuck was staring at her, his attention fully on her.

“But we didn’t have that much time to like… process. Floyd had received orders to find the shooter, and we practically went around the whole town and the ones nearby looking for him. We had the order to bring him alive but neither wanted to lose the chance to put a bullet in him. We were organized in groups, and we divided in three or four people each.”

“We ended up finding him still in Zell Am See. Malarkey found him with Bull and Lieb, they found him trying—” She took a pause, her stomach turning slightly at the memory— “trying to rape an Austrian girl. She was saved, thankfully, and he was brought back to the house where he took the beating of his lifetime”

By that point, Chuck jaw was opened, but his eyes seemed calmer, somehow.

“Did you beat him too?” he asked. Hannah suddenly broke eye contact, looking down at her fingernails fidgeting together.

“Yes, but I only punched him, the rest did the real beating… I was so angry when I found out he was in the house, I burst through the door and went straight with my knuckles to his jaw. I had my hand bruised for weeks. You were away at that point, Speirs and Roe had found a Kraut brain surgeon and got him to work in you as soon as they could. But we didn’t know if you were alive or not. After the rest took their turn with the replacement, Speirs had come back, saying the surgeon confirmed you were going to be okay; then they dragged the son of a bitch over to the MP’s.”

Hannah felt ashamed, her body seemed to be burning when the memories of that moment revived in her.

“I was so scared you were gonna die, Chuck… I wasn’t there when Speirs confirmed you were going to be okay, and I just—I lost it at that moment,” she added, a knot forming in her throat. “Lieb found me, while I was sitting in a room upstairs, on a bed, in the dark, cursing and crying. It wasn’t only you that made me cry, but… I cared about you, you know. You were my friend, we went through the worst together and I thought I had lost y—,” Hannah’s voice broke, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

“Hey, hey, Hannah, I’m here, aren’t I?” Chuck said, scooting closer, placing a hand on her knee and another rubbing her back. “I’m sorry for scaring you like that…”

At that, Hannah snorted while she teared up.

“What are you apologizing for? For getting shot? Jesus, Charles, you didn’t ask for it, did you?” she joked through the tears and broken voice, making both laugh cynically. Hannah lifted her head and looked at him, and noticed how his eyes were watery. He sniffed as he tried to recompose himself, his hands never leaving the brunette.

“No, I know, but… I’m okay, you s—see? I just speak like I��m dumb or something now,” he joked.

Suddenly, something took over Hannah and she hugged him, with her arms surrounding his shoulders completely. Chuck was taken aback at first, but he then wrapped his arms around her waist and stayed there for a moment, neither muttered a word, only sniffs and breathing could be heard.

Hannah laughs, then smiles down at the picture of a younger Chuck. Some things change, and some things stay the same forever. Chuck is one of those things that never changes.

After a while, after a hug that helped both recompose and even sort of heal wounds that can’t be seen, they went back to rummage through old photos.

“Oh, look at this one,” Chuck said, pulling a picture from his teenage years, where he was in just his underwear, surrounded by kids holding different pieces of clothing cheerfully “that was in the middle of summer, we were trying to fight the heat with water balloons and I got so soaked, my brother and my friends convinced me to take them off so they could dry. Me, being stupid and young, did so and they stole them and ran away.”

Hannah laughed loudly, looking at Charles with apologetic eyes.

“How could you be so naive?” She asked, between laughs.

“Hey, if I remember correctly, you got your clothes stolen once, in Haguenau! And you know it sucks, doesn’t it?” Chuck replied, jabbing his index on Hannah’s arm.

Hannah had survived Bastogne, with the scarring of her life and one less ear. Everyone was changed, they had lost many men there, including Toye and Guarnere, Muck and Penkala, and lost Buck to shellshock.

These days passed with nothing much to do but waiting for orders, some training, and finally, after the snow had passed, winter clothes.

Second Platoon was stationed in a tall, two-story house, with many rooms, filled with beds and some tables. It was battered, most wallpapers looked torn, and the smell of humidity and gunpowder filling everyone’s nostrils.

On a cold morning, Hannah came back to the second floor, where Malarkey was introducing the new Lieutenant Jones to the men.

“Sir?” her voice, smaller than ever, turned everyone around. Some had to take a second look to be sure what they were looking at.

“What happened to you?!” Don exclaimed, his jaw dropped.

Hannah was shirtless. She was holding herself trying to keep the warmth of her body, with only a bra, pants and boots on. She looked red in the face, from the shame. Hannah could sense the eyes on her body, taking notice of every single scar she was sporting, and the bandage that was covering one on the side of her hip.

“I was changing bandages, I turned for a second to get the sulfate and I heard someone running and laughing. I thought there were just some men playing around but they had taken my clothes, sir…” she explained. Everyone could hear the anger in her voice, her jaw clenching tight.

“Jesus fuck,” Malarkey muttered, while Chuck proceeded to pull the sweater he used under his jacket and quickly helped Hannah put it on. “Lieb, MccLung, Jackson, go find the fuckers who did this, report to Speirs”.

“I’m sorry, Malark, I—I didn’t want to make any trouble, really, I—,”

“No, don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault, okay? Here, it probably smells but it’s better than nothing, I’ll have someone find some clothes if they don’t find yours,” Malarkey said, giving her his scarf, and went back to speak with Lt. Jones, who only nodded to her as a salute.

“Come on, we made some coffee,” said Chuck, pulling her to where the kettle was in a corner. “Are you okay?”.

“Yeah,” was all she said, hiding herself in her copper mug, drinking the awful coffee they have been given. Then Chuck did something that she wasn’t expecting, but calmed her nerves quite quickly: his palm met the top of her head, and ran down her hair slowly.

Hannah had seen the men do that to each other, when they had panic attacks or after the death of a fellow soldier, they would hold their heads or run their fingers through their hair. It seemed like a paternal way to hold them close and not let them fall into the abyss of desperation war brings in people.

And now she felt it herself. Chuck’s fingers brought peace into her body, into her mind. She closed her eyes he kept going, enjoying that as well as the steam from the coffee meeting her cold skin.

///

Not too long after, and from a window, Hannah and Chuck saw MccLung and Lieb dragging two soldiers from their jackets to Speirs and Winters. Joe talked furiously, clearly explaining what the two men did.

Hannah chuckled cynically, knowing Speirs would have them doing the worst jobs for the Platoon.

Her happiness didn’t last long, though. After getting new clothes, returning Chuck’s sweater, she found out, alongside the rest, that they had a patrol to get to at one past midnight.

Everyone dreaded it, mostly because Second Platoon had lost the most people since Bastogne, and they still wanted them to do a senseless mission. They were ordered to cross the river into German territory and take prisoners to get intel.

They still had hours to kill before heading to enemy territory, so Hannah decided to find some place to nap, after fixing and cleaning her guns and getting more ammo.

She wandered around Second Platoon’s house until she found a room on the second floor. She opened the door, walking inside, and instantly found a sleeping body on top of the bed.

“What? What?!” it said startled and looked up. Hannah didn’t notice at first but as soon as some light shone through the bullet holes on the wooden panels in the window, she saw Grant’s face.

“Oh, sorry Chuck, I was looking for some place to sleep, I’ll leave you to—,”

“No, no, it’s fine… we can share,” he said from the dark, she could hear his hand patting the bed.

Hannah thought for a second. She was exhausted, her body was still cold and there probably wasn’t a better bed in the whole house to nap in.

So, she closed the door behind her and left her jacket and rifle on the floor, and climbed under the wool blanket.

Under it, she was met instantly with Chuck’s warmth, her side wasn’t cold, as she expected it to be. There was calm, so much calm it was a bit unsettling for Hannah; last time she felt it, mortars fell from the sky and took her friends with the blast.

But there was something about the gentleness of Chuck’s breathing that helped her, which she couldn’t explain, but silently thanked him for it.

A few minutes passed when Hannah turned to her side, facing Chuck, who was already positioned on his side. She was unable to fall fully asleep, which was normal when someone tries to relax during a war.

Hannah just stayed there in silence, eyes closed, her hand dropped on the mattress near her face, when she felt Chuck’s hand a few inches from hers.

For a moment, she wanted to grab it.

Hannah had noticed for a while that she was closer with Chuck than with the rest of the men. It was an odd friendship; it’s not like they talked for hours and hours on end but mostly in silence or with hushed, short conversations. But when she was with him, she didn’t feel as much fear as with the rest or alone in a foxhole.

But he had always been there for her, like she was for him. Through every loss, through every problem. There was an implicit deep trust between them that neither acknowledged with words, but with simple actions.

And to her, he was certainly an attractive man; with dirty blonde hair, an inviting smile, always polite and shy. And Hannah knew she had felt sometimes a bit of a butterfly in her stomach when he smiled at her.

Suddenly, her thoughts were hushed when she felt his fingers wrap around hers.

Hannah didn’t open her eyes, afraid they would show how much speed her blood pressure gained in a split second. But she did reciprocate, after a moment, moving her hand so his fingers intertwined with hers.

Neither moved, neither spoke nor opened their eyes. And finally, both fell asleep until Liebgott woke them up a couple of hours later.

He opened the door loudly, letting in some light. Both Hannah and Chuck sat up quickly, startled and disheveled, looking at Joe like he was crazy.

Joe looked at both with a deep, playful smirk before saying, “We have the meeting at CP in ten minutes, let’s go, come on.”

Thankfully, Joe didn’t notice that Hannah and Chuck were still holding hands under the sheet; but when they caught it, as Lieb left, they quickly unwrapped them and rushed to get their things, without saying another word to each other.

///

Night came around nicely.

Both Hannah and Chuck were enjoying their time. Hannah had clearly relaxed, mostly after they had talked about what happened to the NCO, feeling like she had let go of a heavy weight she carried on her shoulders.

Charles offered for her to stay for dinner when the brunette said she still had to walk her dog, even though she knew Angelina had probably done that already. He insisted, saying the leftovers taste even better reheated on the grill.

Hannah laughed and agreed to stay, as long as she could help with it. Her day has been better than expected, way better. But she still had that small pebble in her shoe about her feelings towards Chuck. A part of her yelled that she should come clean to him, and be done with it, no matter the result. The other part also yelled that his friendship was more valuable than risking it for something more.

But the tiny voice in her head still insisted with No, no! He doesn’t feel that way. He hasn’t flirted with you, or showed some clear sign of attraction, Hannah! Have dinner and pretend it’s all good.

“Hey, can I ask you something? This might sound a bit weird,” Hannah said, with a sneaky smile while Chuck revamped the grill. The former NCO just nodded in response. “Why aren’t you married?”

Chuck snorted, looking surprised and slightly offended. “Aren’t you the one that used to complain that women are always pressured to get married, and maybe they shouldn’t if they don't want to?” He asked, almost complaining.

Hannah laughed and put her hands up in her defense.

“I don’t mean it like that, Charles Grant! I just… I’m surprised a man like you, who does all this, isn’t at least dating someone,” she clarified.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t dating someone,” he replied, without looking at her.

There it is! So, that’s what it's like to get your heart punched, huh?

“Oh, yeah, I mean—Of course, sorry–,” Hannah added, suddenly stumbling upon her words as she felt her hands shake slightly.

Chuck snorted again, this time a hearty laugh escaping his lips.

“I’m not Hannah, I’m not seeing anybody at the moment,” he added, smiling as he moved the charcoal around the grill.

Hannah had a rush of anger suddenly, wanting to throw something at him and yell you fucking asshole, I’m in love with you, do not do that to me!!!

But she held herself in, looking rather unphased, and just nodded disapprovingly.

“I, well… I haven’t met the right woman, you know? I’ve seen some people, yeah. Babe set me up once with this redhead who could’ve been Malarkey’s sister for all I knew and it was going good at first but… Fuck, I was so bored!” he said, showing the annoyance in his face at the memory. “She was nice and all, but she was just… so fucking boring. She talked about her hair and stuff she does with her lady friends and she hated when I told stories about the war.”

Now it was Hannah’s turn to laugh. “She hated it? Why?”.

“Who the fuck knows, maybe it was too g—ory for her, or she didn’t want to hear that one of the men was being called ‘Gonorrhea’. Hell, she didn’t even want to hear how I got the scar in my head or rather, the explanation of my slurring when I speak and my lack of strength on my left side,” Chuck said and sounded rather offended.

“Someone has to either appreciate your scar and the sequels, or get the fuck out of your way,” Hannah said, approaching him with a beer in hand. “Don’t ever feel ashamed for that, Chuck, I’m not ashamed of having one ear, honestly. I think it’s pretty nice. Who can say that is different when their bodies are complete and in perfect state?��.

“It’s boring, isn’t it?” he added.

“You and me, Chuck, are different. And that’s good. Toye and Guarnere have one less leg each, they’re fucking awesome too.”

Hannah’s heart leaped at the sight of Chuck looking suddenly proud of himself, and when he looked at her to clink their bottles, she could’ve sworn that, if she had the ovaries, she would’ve kissed him right there and then.

///

After dinner and a few more laughs, Hannah called it a night.

Her heart felt slightly heavy for not having dared to confess what she was there to do in the first place.

“Well, my dear Grant, I have to head home,” she said, as she put plates down the water in sink.

“Already?” Chuck replied, looking surprised.

“It’s almost ten in the night!” she exclaimed, drying her hands on a towel that hung from the oven door handle.

“Want me to call you a cab? Lieb is probably still around working with his.”

“No, don’t worry, I’ll walk. It’s fine,” Hannah replied, and started walking towards the door with Chuck on tow.

Both stood on the porch, looking around the calm neighborhood. Hannah was feeling so ashamed of herself, slapping herself mentally every second that passed.

“Well, Hannah, this was a great surprise,” Chuck started, breaking her thoughts for a moment, “we should do this more often, maybe with the guys, sometime, before winter leaves us secluded in our homes.”

“Of course, but let’s not wait two years this time,” she replied, with a smile creeping up her lips, looking at him. God, how can someone dare be this good looking?

Chuck proceeded to hug her like when he opened the door past noon, when she showed up at his doorstep. Hannah reciprocated, and drowned herself once again in his cologne, not wanting to let go or stop feeling his hands around her body.

“See ya, Davis,” Chuck said as she walked down the steps and she took one last look at him before heading home.

You fucking wuss, you fucking wuss, you fucking wuss, you fucking, pathetic w—

“Hannah! Wait!”

Chuck’s voice startled her as she was reaching the crossroad, when she turned around to find him running towards her.

Her heart raced, wondering why the hell was he yelling at her for. Maybe she had forgotten something. Yeah, that’s all, I might have forgotten my… keys?

“Hannah, wait, I… I have to tell you something and this can’t wait…” Chuck started as soon as he caught up to her. “Listen, this might sound weird but… a while ago I—you appeared in a dream of mine. You were talking to me after I got shot and you were begging me to not forget you.”

“Hannah, I took it upon myself to find you but I was meeting only dead ends, the Army wouldn’t help me so I had to… fuck, I had to find Winters and ask him for your information. God, that was embarrassing, but you know Winters, he didn’t hesitate to help. I had your address and phone numbers for months, but I never had the guts to go knock on your door… I thought you might have forgotten me, but… I never forgot about you,”

“I never forgot how we shared a foxhole during our hardest time. I never forgot how we slept in that bed and held hands in the dark. I never forgot how you took care of me when I had that one panic attack in Bastogne, and everything else,”

“What I mean, Hannah, is… I love you. I can’t date other women because they’re not you, and all I want is you. So… please, don’t leave. Not now. I couldn’t believe my eyes when you showed up at my door, fuck, I thought I was dreaming or dead. You had found me and I—,”

Before Chuck could follow through with his speech, Hannah took him by the face and kissed him.

It was bruising, it was desperate and filled with love. Chuck wrapped his arms around her body, bringing her impossibly close to his body as her fingers found his hair.

The anticipation was their favorite feeling. They both sensed how long they waited for that to happen, so they sank deeper into it.

It went on for a few minutes, the night time seemed to have stopped for both, like everything had disappeared except for them.

After they parted, both panting, their foreheads connected, Hannah opened her eyes and found Chuck’s cheeks stained with tear trails and that explained the salty taste in his lips. That made her smile widely as she still held his hand between hers.

“Can you—do you want to s–spend the night with me?” Chuck asked, opening his eyes finally.

Hannah just smiled widely, pecking his lips as she pulled him by the wrist towards his house.

///

Making love to someone you have craved for years makes the hours longer.

Both Hannah and Chuck were sure of that while the latter moaned loudly as Hannah rode him; his hands were bruising against her hips as she moved, holding herself in his shoulders, kissing him every now and again.

Hannah never thought she would see Chuck like this. With sweat rolling down his forehead, his lips swollen and his eyes squeezed shut; to see his naked torso and his chest heaving up and down, which was covered in different scars that only made him even better looking in her opinion.

The man was almost ethereal in the dim light of his bedroom.

She enjoyed every bit of him as much as she could, like that could’ve been a fleeting figment of her imagination that she had to hold tight between her fingers before it could slip away.

But reality brought her back when she felt the pain of his fingers digging into her hips. Hannah didn’t mind one bit.

She just loved to see how overwhelmed with pleasure he was, how he propped himself into his elbows, wrapping a hand around her bottom to carry both into the bed frame so he could sit and find her lips with his as he rode into his climax.

Of course, Chuck being the gentleman he was, caring, he helped Hannah ride into hers, enjoying how she cried out his name loudly like it was the best song he had ever heard.

///

Chuck’s fingers ran down Hannah’s bare shoulders, enjoying the dampness. It was soft, it was warm and it also a tad bit freckled. His fingertips followed down her arm until they met her face, that laid upon the back of her hands as she laid in her stomach.

Her eyes were closed but she was still awake. Hannah was just soaking on everything that happened through the day, and now, through the night, as the clock ticked into two in the morning.

Chuck sat parallel to her, and his fingertips went all the way back to walk down her shoulder blades, into the deep line of her spine, meeting a few moles spread out here and there, which sent very slight tickles to the brunette.

“I kind of can’t believe this just happened” he muttered, turning to lay his head on the small of her back. He could feel the vibration of the small laugh she let go at his comment.

“Me neither, Chuck… but I, uh… I have a confession, which I think will make you laugh,” Hannah replied.

“Do go on…” he replied.

“You told me you looked for my information with Winters, right?” Hannah asked.

“Right”.

“Well, when I looked for you too… I did the same,” she said and felt his head suddenly turn to her at her words, “and when I said your name, he gave me a weird look, but now I know it was a ‘I know something important about this that you don’t know’ look”.

“So, wait, we l—ooked for each other in the past few months, and we did exactly the same shit?” he said, struggling slightly.

Hannah heard the clicker of the lighter and looked back at him, lightning a cigarette with a shit eating grin sprawled upon his lips.

“Exactly what I’m saying,” she replied, laying her head back down.

“Another reason why I would like to marry you, then,” he added, like it was nothing.

What he didn’t notice was the speed in which Hannah’s eyes widened and her heart started thumping inside her rib cage.

“I’m sorry?!” she asked, sounding a tad bit anxious. Chuck was never one to say rushed things like that.

“The first reason is how powerful and relentless you were and still clearly are. You know how I know that?” he asked, and she could feel his smile still in his lips.

“No, how?”

“When you confronted Sobel before we went to Holland. Of course, I didn’t know at the moment the amount of feelings I had for you, but… I think I did have some of them roaming inside me,” Chuck said, like he was the one who stood up to Herbert Sobel, “but that was just plain hot,” he finalized, and turned to look at her; Hannah was just looking at him like he was crazy.

The night before, everyone was cheering for their job. They were done, they were bound to the States and all the Easy Company wanted to do was drink and laugh.

For everyone’s demise, Lipton announced how they were heading back into war, to Holland, killing the mood instantly.

As the replacements were getting helped and guided by Bull, rather than Cobb, who could only brag about stuff he never ever did; Chuck was packing her stuff near Malarkey, Bill and Hannah.

“I swear I thought by this time I was gonna be home, with a hundred in my pocket, flowers for my mama and nearing Christmas with my nieces and nephews” Malarkey said, fixing his bayonet. The rest scoffed, still bitter by the news.

“I miss the coffee from hometown, there’s this beautiful place in Hamstown Square, it’s very small and cozy, and the pastries are the most delicious I’ve ever had” Hannah said, looking like she was talking about the love of her life.

“Guys, look!” Bull said, interrupting them, pointing to their right.

On a jeep, carrying some stuff behind it, sat Herbert Sobel, their former CO, the nightmare that trained them back in Toccoa. Hannah knew she didn’t train with him as much as the rest, but a year with that man was more than enough.

“Fuck, no…” Hannah whispered so just the boys around her heard her “No, not him”.

“Don’t—Pretend he’s not here,” Malarkey said to her, tying the loose ends of her parachute to her shoulders as Skip came to them scowling like the rest. “Y’all too, do not look at him”.

Neither obliged, all of them stared at the man passing by.

“The hell is he doing here?” Skip wondered, without getting an answer.

Sobel walked in a straight line near the men as the truck behind his jeep unloaded, looking between the men with his usual air of superiority untouched.

Unlucky for Hannah, he had met her eyes not too long after, and the man approached her, before the rest could make themselves scarce.

“Still alive, uh… Davis?” Sobel asked, scowling at the brunette.

“Pretty much, sir. Still teaching at that school… somewhere?” she answered, provoking a few small gasps around her. Sobel scowl just deepened.

“Do not disrespect me with that tone, private” the taller man threatened, his jaw clenching tight.

“Earn the respect, like you once taught us, and I won’t,” Hannah replied, her tone dripping with bitterness and irony. She felt a hand in her shoulder and knew one of the men was probably trying to calm her down. “You came here and act surprised that I’m still alive? No, I deserve more than that, sir”.

“You shut your mouth right now, private! This—this is the reason why women shouldn’t be allowed in the army; they’re too emotional!” Sobel exclaimed, almost yelling to get attention, which only made Hannah even more furious.

“If you were in our command, if you were our leader, we would all be dead right now. Don’t you remember that drill we did back in England? Why do you think you were ‘promoted’? And no, I’m not scared of you, go write me up if you want to; Winters is south of the camp, third tent on the right. Colonel Sink is in the next tent to his, the fourth one,” Hannah felt like she couldn’t stop, her anger overcoming her; mountains of words and feelings that were accumulating, finally leaving her chest.

Chuck couldn’t believe the words that came out of her.

Everyone awaited without breathing for an answer, a yell from Sobel, something. But nothing came, he just scowled, breathed hard, and before anyone took a breath again, he turned around tight in his heel and left to the back of the truck.

Hannah took a breath and turned around to finish prepping, when she found many of her fellow paratroopers smiling at her, some nodding in approval even. Johnny Martin crossed by her side, squeezing her arm, as he whispered a small “good one” for her.

“I fucking hate him, that felt really good”, she said to Chuck, turning to adjust his jumpsuit.

Chuck just stared at her, feeling hard to believe what just went through. Their former NCO was just bashed in front of everyone, and no one, not even one paratrooper came in his defense.

His eyes roamed through her face as she fixed his suit and talked about something he wasn’t paying attention to. Suddenly, he was looking at her in a different way, one that would grow over time during the war.

///

The night caught up to Chuck and Hannah, both deep asleep on his bed. The brunette laid her head in his shoulder, on her side, while he was laid in his back, with his cheek against her forehead.

Though around dawn, Chuck’s body started to shook. It came softly at first, just a few twitches, until it became a whole storm inside him.

Hannah stirred up and saw how every muscle in his arms and chest were clenched, and he muttering something she couldn’t comprehend. Clearly, he was having a nightmares. The nightmares that seemed to never end, which felt like a punishment that everyone had to endure post war.

The brunette placed her hands around his head as she whispered, “Chuck, Chuck, it’s okay, it’s just a dream, wake up, love, wake up.”

His eyes shot open, looking terrified as he gasped for air, his hands fumbling to find her.

“Hannah, Hannah!” He exclaimed, as he finally met her eyes. His body was shaking until he realized she was there, looking down at him, with a tired, disheveled smile.

“It’s okay, love, I’m here, I’m here,” she replied, running her fingers through his hair, kissing his cheek before looking down at him again.

The first light of the sun shining through the white curtains, illuminating both with such warmth it made Hannah’s heart swell.

“I’m sorry, I’m s—sorry, Hannah, this still happens…” he explains, his hand tight on her side.

But Hannah just smiles sweetly at him, “it still happens to me too, Chuck, it’s okay, there’s nothing to be sorry about,” she explains, admiring his deep blue eyes.

“Can you… can you sing to me?” He asked, sounding almost embarrassed to ask for it.

The touch of your lips upon my face

Your lips that are cool and sweet

Such tenderness lies in their soft caress

My heart forgets to beat

The touch of your hands upon my head

The love in your eyes, ashine

And now at last, the moment divine

The touch of your lips, the love in your eyes

The touch of your lips on mine

Chuck closed his eyes as her singing filled his ears. He haven’t felt peace like at that moment, not since the war. Hugging his mother, playing cards with his brothers or the men from the Company brought joy, but peace; peace came from Hannah, wearing his shirt, at dawn, singing to him.

And it was the same for Hannah.

Both knew the nightmares will continue to haunt them, and that their lives will go on, but at least, they were going to go through it together.

And that was more than enough for them. ///

#band of brothers #band of brothers fanfic #band of brothers fanfiction #band of brothers imagine #chuck grant imagine #chuck grant x oc #chuck grant fanfic #charles grant #charles e grant #fanfiction #hbo war #war fanfic #my work #joseph liebgott #richard winters #nolan hemmings #eugene jackson #eugene roe #dailyreblogs

62 notes · View notes