#willing to go into excruciating detail over this au in my mind

[penny00dreadful]

Spies AU - Part 11

Part 1 Part 12 AO3

11th November 2015

Robin was a fucking life line. When Steve had called her after everything that happened, she’d talked him down from the proverbial ledge, stopped him from going out to try and track Eddie’s whereabouts, kidnap him and hide him away in his safe room.

She’d asked him how he even planned on finding him? The man was a master at what he did, and if he didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t be.

So Steve was stuck pouting in the training room, sparring with anyone who’d be willing to go up against him or hanging around at Robin’s desk, annoying the shit out of her while she tried to organise and figure out their next move with Creel while also surreptitiously keeping her eyes and ears out for any sign of Eddie.

Of which there had been none.

It wasn’t that unusual. The man was a ghost and that was by design but even then there had always been whispers, rumours or an unusual body. 

But ever since Eddie had left his apartment there had been nothing.

Steve let out another loud sigh, half draped over a spare office chair that he’d been idly spinning in and half draped over Robin’s desk.

Robin who’s hair was getting more and more frazzled the more and more irritated she got with his dramatic and completely necessary sighs. 

He couldn’t help it, he was pining.

Hard.

She’d already had to put up with being told over and over again about their kiss, the lead up, the night before, all of it. 

In excruciating detail. 

Multiple times.

Steve inhaled again but Robin slapped a hand over his mouth before he could wistfully sigh one more time.

“I’d have more sympathy if you were actually moping, but you’re just here to be dramatic.”

“I am actually moping.” He said, pouting and muffled from behind her hand.

“No. A few weeks ago you were actually moping. Now you’ve mostly moved onto acceptance of your feelings but are bored and restless and bothering me at work.”

“I always bother you at work. Give me something to do, Robin!” His volume was getting louder along with the glares from the other analysts. “I’m going out of my mind, I haven’t had a lead on Creel in months, I’ve just been keeping his targets safe and trying to figure out Kas-”

Robin pressed her hand harder against his mouth, shutting him up with a look. 

She was right. 

He couldn’t be shouting about Kas here, where anyone on their side could hear and make the situation so much worse and anyone not on their side could get Eddie killed.

Hopper was still investigating the source of the leak, but it was slow going, combing through everyone department by department, scouring their backgrounds for anything that seemed slightly off.

But there had been nothing so far.

Once he’d closed his mouth and stayed quiet for a few seconds, Robin removed her hand with a frustrated huff.

“You’re lucky you have me, you know that Harrington? Because as it turns out I do have something for you to follow up with.”

Steve perked up almost immediately. “You’re the best, Robbie.” He grabbed her face and pulled her in, placing a wet kiss against her cheek while she tried to fight him off.

“Yes, I know, now get off me! You’re gonna cover me in boy cooties! Boy cooties are like lesbian repellent and I need to attract the lesbians.”

“Excuse you.” Steve said, poking her in the sides. “That’s bi erasure.”

“Wish I could erase you.” She muttered back.

He grinned at her. “What do you have for me?”

“A gala. Creel is holding some charity fundraising gala at his house that is almost definitely a way to launder his money or build up more connections or something equally as nefarious and sketchy.”

“At his house? Do people really do that? I thought that kind of thing only happened in The Sound Of Music.”

“He’s one of the richest men in the world, Steve.” Robin responded with a roll of her eyes. “He’s got a pretty big house.”

“Even my parents didn’t have enough space for a whole gala.” He muttered to himself.

“Your parents have nothing on Creel, babe.” She tapped away at her keyboard before pointing to an excel sheet that Steve couldn’t comprehend even if he tried. “I can get you in as a waiter?”

“A waiter? Oh no,” he shook his head, clasping his hands in front of his face, “Robin, Robbie, Bobby-Birdie-Bobert Buckley, please no.”

“Why not? It’s the best way to get information. You’ll be able to go behind the scenes and overhear conversations-”

“I know, I know but…” Steve gave her his best puppy dog eyes, “I never get to wear my tux and it’s so well fitted, I mean, you’ve seen my ass in that thing-”

She waved her hand in his face, not looking at him, scrolling through her excel sheet. “Yes, yes, yes, your ass looks edible and spankable in it, so you’ve said.”

“But Robbie,” he made his lip quiver when she glanced over at him, “I’m heartbroken. I’m pining. Don’t I deserve to feel good about myself?”

She growled in frustration. “Oh my god, fine! It’s going to take some manoeuvring but I think I can manage it.”

“Yes!” He whooped, earning hisses to have some manners from the other analysts around him. “I love you, Robbie. I owe you one.”

“Yes you fucking do. I’ll come to collect soon.”

“I don’t doubt it.” He spun around in his chair a few times before bringing himself to a sudden stop. “Do you think he’ll be there?”

Robin glanced over at him again and shrugged. “Maybe. He is a part of Creel’s inner circle after all.”

“Yeah but… not really? I don’t think? He’s… I don’t know how many of them actually know who he is. Or how many think he’s just a myth. There’s rumours Creel had hired an actor to play the part just to scare them into submission. Or that Creel makes up all the deaths. Or that multiple people do the killings attributed to him.”

“Maybe he will be. Maybe you can get on your knees- in an unsexy way, Steven, get that look off your face -and ask for his forgiveness. Maybe he won’t be and I’ll have to put up with more pining until you inevitably try to kill each other again. I honestly don’t know.”

Steve huffed. “Why don’t you know? Being omniscient is the least you could do for me.”

“I’m fucking working on it.”

18th November 2015

Steve couldn’t believe Robin had been able to swing this. 

Hoity-toity events were difficult to get into at the best of times, never mind being a spy on a mission to take down the host.

But she’d done it. 

Somehow.

The gala was fucking opulent. 

Overly opulent, not even his parents would have been caught with such a gaudy interior. 

Gold veined marble floors, multiple alcoves with life size Grecian style statues inset (though Steve had a suspicion some of them might have been original) and a high domed vaulted ceiling with small circular skylights and intricately painted designs.

It was such an overdone display of wealth, Steve wouldn’t have been surprised if Birkin bags were handed out like party favours.

Still there were worse ways to spend an evening. Sipping on champagne that probably cost $1,000 per glass and schmoozing with the rich and vapid members of the 1% now that he’d gotten all the information he needed.

He had watched everyone carefully, trying to work out who were those closest to Creel, who he bought from or sold to, who was on the higher levels. He kept an eye on the staff, observing who they tensed up around, when their smiles got a little more strained depending on who called them over, the looks they’d share with each other in passing. 

He’d drifted around the space, slinking from group to group, using his charm and his hair to his advantage, striking up conversations with dazzling smiles and big wide eyed apologies when he ‘accidentally’ bumped into someone, inserting himself into their group without them even noticing.

Steve had been trained for this, well before he ever joined The Agency, being stuffed into itchy suits since the age of seven and forced to learn how to effectively talk in that mind numbing, self aggrandising way that all of these people seemed to excel in.

The only thing that was keeping him relatively sane was the knowledge that Robin was sitting in his head. All it would take was the flip of a switch on his hearing aid communicator to be able to bitch with her once this was over.

It all bored the shit out of him, this rich people play, but he was good at it, making his way through the various groups, young and old alike, all the while keeping his eye out for Creel, the security guards and hopefully, Eddie.

There hadn’t been a single sign of him amongst all the glittering dresses and satin pants stripes and he was starting to worry he wouldn’t see him before the night was out, even though he’d had no guarantees he’d be here anyway.

Steve knew he looked damn good in his dark green tux. The jacket was resting just right across his shoulders, the pants hugged his thighs and ass a little tighter than they should have but that was by design because, sue him, he liked to look amazing and there was no need to hide an ass like his.

He’d made sure his hair was artfully loose and messy, falling into his eyes in a slightly distressed way. Giving just the suggestion of bedhead that made him stand out amongst the slicked back hair and stiff updo’s.

And he smelled fantastic. 

He had surrounded himself with bergamot and sandalwood, fresh and powdery and somewhat spicy.

And okay, maybe he had put in a little more effort with the hopes that Eddie’s eyes would be on him but he refused to blame himself for that.

He wanted to see him again.

Needed to see him again. 

He needed to present his case, convince Eddie he’d never meant his friends or his family harm, earn his trust back and then maybe they could continue to kiss about it.

Creel hadn’t shown his face yet and according to Tommy and Carol, a couple about his age who Steve supposed he liked speaking to best, that wasn’t an unusual occurrence.

“Mr. Creel almost never attends his own parties.” Carol said, waving her champagne glass around. “Too hard at work. But, more champagne for us, right?”

“Right.” Steve nodded, darting his eyes around the ballroom again. There were couples dancing, swirling together to the music being played by the sinfonietta tucked away in a corner while Steve and his two current companions were a part of the crowd off to the side. There were guards positioned at every entrance and exit, appearing relaxed and pleasant but with eyes constantly scanning the room.

Steve had done his best to stay out of sight of them. No doubt they’d been required to memorise the guest list so they could greet everyone by name and though Robin had found him a gap, she wasn’t able to get him that far in.

He’d be discovered pretty quickly if anyone looked too hard.

Though, while he was positive he hadn’t been spotted, he had felt eyes on him for most of the night. A constant feeling at the back of his neck, sticking his hair in end and nearly making him shudder. But every time he would glance around, hoping to find out which guard was watching him, but no one was ever looking at him.

Except for now.

Now there was a guard weaving his way through the crowd, the way he held one arm slightly stiff to his side telling Steve he was armed. His eyes were locked on him, never once moving, even as he turned his face and gave pleasant smiles to whoever he was passing by, he was dead set on his target.

If Steve was confronted now, on the edge of the dance floor, it would cause a hell of a scene and he couldn’t afford that. If he was lucky he’d be able to disappear into the crowd and work his way around, going through the door the guard had just vacated before he got caught.

“Just you watch. In ten years time we’ll be using bitcoin to pay for everything.” Tommy droned on. “You'll be tipping your waitresses and buying your groceries with it. And I'll be sitting right at the top. All of this?" He gestured to the opulence around them before pulling Carol into his side. "Will be the lower end of the scale for us."

“I’m sorry to have to cut you off.” Steve was not sorry in the slightest, but still. Polite society and all that. “But I really must make a quick run to the bathroom, you’ll excuse me.”

When in doubt, make them uncomfortable. Always worked.

“Oh my, yes. Please don’t let us stop you.” Carol waved him off, a little frantically, her face glowing pink.

Steve didn’t wait for any other response, ducking down as far as he could without drawing attention to himself and weaving himself back into the crowd.

Moving as fast as he could, Steve wound his way around the other guests, keeping his head low and making for the now unguarded door, but as his exit came into sight, a body appeared in front of him.

“Sir, we’re going to need you to come with us.” The guard spoke low enough for Steve to hear but not loud enough to catch the attention of the others around him.

Through the crowd Steve could see other guards approaching, the same tense posture telling him they were also armed and determined.

Fuck.

Steve put on his most charming smile, adding a little confusion on top in the hopes he could talk his way out of this.

“Is there a problem?”

The guard matched his smile. “Not at all, sir.” He held his hand out, directing Steve towards that exit he had been heading for.

Before Steve could answer he felt an arm slide around his waist, coming to settle possessively right over his hip. His whole body tensed up at the touch, ready to fight his way out if he had to.

“Sorry I’m late, sweetheart.”

Eddie’s voice washed over him, his lips brushing over his ear and sending a shiver down his spine, immediately loosening the tension in his shoulders and drawing him into his side like a magnet. He could probably sense the internal sigh of relief that Steve let out.

There was something intoxicating about having him so close. 

Close enough to smell.

He smelled so fucking good, it was unfair. 

Woody and spicy and masculine and fucking addicting. Something like leather and oakmoss and pepper was invading Steve’s senses and he had to stop himself from licking it off Eddie’s fucking neck.

Underneath it all, Steve knew he should be worried. Eddie might still have it out for him, maybe just playing with him a little bit before he killed him, like he had all those months ago when they’d first met.

But even though all that was a possibility, a strong possibility, Steve couldn’t find it within himself to care.

Eddie was here.

He was here and he was intoxicating.

“Everything alright?” Eddie asked the guards and Steve snapped out of it, realising he’d been staring at the side of Eddie’s face the whole time, healed and beautiful and bright.

The guard glanced between them, eyes lingering on Eddie a little longer than they did on Steve before nodding curtly at the both of them. “Just a simple misunderstanding, sir.”

Before Steve could respond with anything coherent, he was whisked away by Eddie’s arm across his back and his hand still held tight to his hip.

“Wh-”

Steve was whirled around, forced to bring his hands up to Eddie’s shoulders to steady himself.

“Care to dance, sweetheart?”

Fuck yeah. Fuck yeah, Steve wanted to dance but…

There was something wrong. 

Something was off.

Eddie was strung tight like a bow. His shoulders were ridgid under Steve’s hands and though his face was smiling and easy, there were small stress indicators lighting him up. Small creases by his eyes, a slight worry in his brow, a tension in his lips and his neck.

Something was wrong.

Steve nodded. 

“Yeah. I’d love to.”

Eddie’s smile grew blinding though it didn’t fully reach his eyes. Steve was pulled forward with a hand at the small of his back until he was pressed against Eddie’s body, chest to chest and swept backwards onto the dance floor.

He couldn’t take his eyes off him, going wherever he led. He didn’t know who was around him, he didn’t know where in the ballroom he was anymore, where the exits were, where the people he needed to watch out for were, all he could see was Eddie. 

He could barely hear the music over his own rushing heartbeat and thrumming blood.

He was so fucked.

How had Eddie managed to get under his skin so easily? Steve knew, he knew he was playing a dangerous game right now, putting all his trust in this master assassin to not take him the fuck out like he'd threatened to the last time they saw each other.

He was just lost in those fucking eyes.

Those eyes that were glittering under the chandelier light, reflecting the candles on various hors d'oeuvres tables while they spun.

And Eddie was staring right back, equally as intense.

They didn't speak.

Barely even breathed, too wrapped up in each other to pay much attention to anyone else.

Or at least Steve was, which was why he couldn’t help the small shocked inhale of breath as he found himself backed into a wall.

He didn’t remember leaving the dance floor, didn’t remember when they had stopped dancing and he was just being walked backwards. 

They were in one of those small alcoves, hidden behind a Grecian statue, cloaked in shadow and in their own little pocket, away from everyone else.

Steve’s breath only shuddered more as Eddie removed his hands from his waist, dragging them up his body, over his shoulders, up his neck before eventually coming to rest gently, so very gently at each side of Steve’s face.

Their bodies weren’t exactly pressed up hard against each other, but Steve could still feel the way Eddie rested over him, the warmth of his chest and the various subtle bumps of a harness underneath his suit jacket telling Steve he must have various weapons or tools concealed within.

“What are you doing here?” Eddie asked, low and quiet. Almost like a secret. His mouth had turned down at the corners, his eyebrows were tilted upwards and his eyes looked so beautiful. Eddie was…

Eddie was worried.

“I-” Steve wasn’t sure what he should say, what he could say. How much did Eddie know? How much did he trust him? Did he still trust him at all? Was this the last time he’d ever get to see him again?

Funny.

He’d never thought that before. 

In all his time with Eddie disappearing and reappearing in his life, he’d never be worried he wouldn’t see him again.

But that had been worrying him for the last few weeks, hadn’t it?

Would he ever see him again?

And now here he was, holding him with so much raw care. It terrified Steve more than a knife to the gut ever could.

“I’m- I’m working.”

“Sweetheart, it’s so dangerous that you’re here right now.” Eddie brushed his thumbs along Steve’s cheeks. “Don't you understand? Creel knows.”

Steve brought his own hands down, grasping tight to Eddie’s waist, steadying himself against that wave of information. “What?” He croaked.

“He knows there’s an agent keeping tabs on him. He knows The Agency is trying to take him down. And he knew that an agent would be here tonight. Why do you think he hasn’t shown?” Eddie gripped him a little tighter, looking like he was torn between whisking Steve away in his pocket for safekeeping and shaking some sense into him. “This whole room is littered with people keeping an eye out for someone like you. Someone alone. Someone with their eyes and ears open to everything. Someone nobody recognises.” He sighed, keeping his voice low. “You must have known it was too convenient you were able to get an invite. They were kept open for this very reason. You must have known it was dangerous. Why did you take the risk?”

“I- I hoped you’d be here.”

Eddie closed his eyes, almost as if the words pained him and he tipped forward, leaning his forehead against Steve’s.

“Didn’t I tell you I’d always come find you?” He asked, softly. “That hasn’t changed.”

“I didn’t know if you still wanted to.” His fingers flexed against Eddie’s hips involuntarily. “I didn’t know if you… believed me.”

“I believe you, sweetheart. I do. I did. The minute you-” Eddie heaved out a shaky breath, pressing himself in closer, like he was trying to surround Steve completely, bundle him up into his rib cage and keep him safe there forever. “I believe you. But we can’t talk about that now, we don’t have time. I have to get you out of here.”

“Baby.” Steve raised a hand, using it to brush one of Eddie’s curls away from his face, leaving it there when Eddie tilted into it. “Are you putting yourself in danger by helping me?”

He could feel more than see Eddie’s lips press thin. 

With what seemed like a monumental effort, Eddie pulled away, trailing one hand back down Steve’s arm and giving his hand a tight squeeze.

“Come on. We have to get you out of here.”

Part 1 Part 12 AO3

Divider by firefly-graphics

@geekymagicalpotato @estrellami-1

Big thanks as always to @hbyrde36 for the magnificent beta work and to the STWG for their motivation

#steddie #stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steve x eddie #eddie x steve #penny00dreadful #steddie fanfic #steddie fic #fanfic #pennys anniversary event #spies au #spy steve harrington #robin buckley #guy in the chair robin #cat and mouse spy fic #assassin eddie

[michaels-blackhat]

Would you ever write… that villain Forrest scenario you just described in your latest post? (sorry, I had to)

Oh man. You don’t even know. I have it planned!!! I never plan anything!!! I want it so badly!

I want Forrest to be evil and he’s trying to put the moves on Alex so he can abduct him for Deep Sky nonsense or whatever it is. And he thinks he’s in. He thinks he’s got this. He was NOT PREPARED for Alex’s mountain of issues and slowly as he tries to endear himself to Alex he actually really starts to like him and oh no, he’s rethinking his whole stance on his work and his evilness!!!

And then Alex is all “dude, no I don’t want to be with you wtf you tried to abduct me????”

And Forrest is all “I will try even harder to get him to love me...” and sometimes it then goes into Forrest attacking Michael to “get him out of the way” and Alex just being all “my dude... did you really think... attacking my ex... would get me to like you?????”

Can’t decide how it would end, but yeah I want to write it. I want to have the time and energy to write it. But I also want characterizations I can base it off of, and unfortunately the only thing about Forrest as a character I have it “boring” and “he somehow makes me hate poetry, which sucks because poetry is my first love”

#thank you so much for asking #willing to go into excruciating detail over this au in my mind #anon

[bbrandy2002]

Fool’s Rush In

Chapter 18

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Book: TRR AU

Warnings: Language, crude talk, and the usual bad writing.

I had planned from the beginning to end this series after the next chapter and an epilogue, but call me crazy, I love it too much. So while this part of the story will end, I still plan to update with one-shots or stories from time to time. If you’re just done with it, let me know.

Also, this chapter felt a little off to me, so I apologize if it's terrible, but I think I ended on a good note.

Thanks @burnsoslow for prereading.and usage of your girl, who finally got to make her debut.

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

"Damn it, Riley! Pick up!" Liam grumbled as he lowered the cell phone from his ear and tossed it in the seat beside him. The royal jet had been in the air for a little over four hours already, and he'd grown frustrated at getting her voice mail each time. Surely, she was home by now. 

Even though it was the middle of the night in Las Vegas, it was worth interrupting her. He had tried unsuccessfully to contact Riley since he packed his bags earlier and hastily headed for the airstrip. By this point, there must have been a dozen or so messages left on her phone without so much as a hint she'd gotten them. 

While time wasn't an issue -- he'd get to Las Vegas one way or the other -- it was the desperation to hear from his new wife and tell her he knew precisely why she left. 

And that he loved her.

Tilting his head back against the headrest, he swiveled side-to-side in his luxury chair while tightly clutching his freshly poured scotch. The security footage he watched earlier that morning replayed in his mind again. There were no doubts about what it showed: Madeleine confronted Riley outside their quarters just minutes after leaving the ball. Without sound, however, no one could ascertain specifically what was said among the two women. It was clear though,  Riley was not a willing participant in that conversation. When they saw the disk held up in the Countess' hands, and the look of sheer horror on his pussycat's face, that told Liam all he needed to know. This was a blackmail situation, plain and simple, that included assault; those flowers he found scattered on the ground when he returned to his quarters last night all made sense now. This act was deliberate and treasonous, and Liam would ensure his ex-fiancee paid handsomely for it. 

After they viewed the footage several more times, the Royal Guard was immediately summoned to Krona to find Madeleine and take her into custody. Liam knew it was a long shot whether his guards could pull that sting off, but he was working with what he had at the moment.

Despite whatever happened next, there was one thing the King was confident of: He was prepared to give up his entire Kingdom to get his girl back. Returning to Cordonia without her was not an option.

Shaking his tumbler of partially melted ice cubes, Liam leaned forward and steadily poured another bottle of scotch into his glass. As soon as he sat back and raised the fresh beverage to his lips, he was startled by the ringing of his cell phone. In a rush to answer, he hastily set the drink aside and snatched his phone up from where he tossed it earlier. 

"Hello! Love?" He answered, hopeful it was her.

"Hey, little brother. Love you too ... Say, do you know if the palace has a Spanish tickler or a breast ripper? Asking for a friend."

Liam furrowed his brows in confusion before rising from his seat, plopping a knee down on its cushioned bottom, and glancing to the back of the plane. "Leo? Why are you calling me? We're on the same damn plane. I'm looking right at you."

"Nevermind that. Listen, I figured out a way to take care of Madeleine once and for all. Behold ..." Leo held up a leather-bound book and waved it over his head while Liam squinted from the front of the plane to get a better look. "... The King Constantine Guide To Fucking Torture In The 21st Century; Father gave it to me after my investiture ceremony. The way I see it, there really is no other option here than to tie her to a tree in front of the palace, invite the public to watch for a modest fee, and do some cool shit with iron rods and spikes. I got dibs on the knee-splitter, though."

"Leo ..." Liam began to warn his brother how ridiculous that plan was before stopping himself and staring off into the distance for a moment in thought. "Wait ... is there anything about flaying in that book?"

"Hell yeah there is! And if you're interested in thumbscrews, my buddy, Pete, has a trunk full of them. He uses them for ass play, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind letting us borrow them to split Maddie's thumbs in half." Leo let out a maniacal laugh.

Liam chuckled, despite the peculiarity of the conversation. "I'm not going to lie and tell you I'm not interested -- to the contrary, actually. And while I appreciate your help in seeing that Madeleine is brought to justice, I think we better stick to more lawful means."

"Boo, you whore!" The line went dead with a click. 

Liam held the phone away from his ear, watching Leo sink down into his chair in a huff. "Really?" He called back in agitation. Met with the silent treatment and a middle finger from his disgruntled brother, Liam rolled his eyes, then slumped back down into his seat. Maybe he'd try to call Riley again.

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

The phone on Riley's nightstand buzzed again. She knew it was another call from Liam, and while she felt remorseful for ignoring all of his calls and texts, she couldn't bring herself to look at or answer them quite yet. The sooner all ties between them were broken, she believed, the quicker he could forget all about her and the mess she made of everything. 

But even her willpower was slipping. Riley slid her hand out from under the pillow and reached over to pick up her phone. Holding it to her chest, she contemplated for a second just reading his texts and returning his calls, but Madeleine had warned to end all contact with him. Obviously, she was curious about what he had to say, but it was too risky. I'm so sorry, Liam. 

Hitting the power button on her cell, the light on the device faded to black before she tossed it in the nightstand drawer.

Early the next morning, Riley's eyes flickered open to the sound of a banging on her front door, followed by the incessant ringing of her doorbell. Feeling exhausted from a lack of sleep, mainly because of crying and unable to think about anything other than how she hurt Liam, Riley decided to ignore it. She just wanted to be left alone, and eventually, they'd give up and leave, right?

Except they didn't.

Annoyed, she let out a sigh and then eased herself up out of bed; the pain in her back was still a problem. Tossing a robe over her body, she slowly made her way down the stairs of her townhome -- each step excruciating -- until she finally made it to the door.

Twisting the lock, she opened the entry door, before letting out a sudden gasp at the tearful person standing on the other side. 

"Oh my God, Riley! Y-You're alive! You're really alive!"

"Alyssa?" Riley's best friend from New York pulled her into a relieved hug, nearly sobbing at that point. "What're you doing here?"

"I thought something terrible happened to you, but now that I can see you're still among the living ..." she sniffled before pulling back and narrowing her blazing blue eyes at her friend. "Where have you been? I've been trying to get ahold of you ever since you texted me that you were boarding a plane in Cordonia, and that something serious happened involving Tyler. You promised me you'd call as soon as you landed--"

"I know. I'm so sorry. It was late ..."

 " -- and you didn't. Then I worried, even more, when you didn't answer any of my calls back. I had to book the first red-eye flight here to make sure you were all right." Finished with her rant, a huffing Alyssa's jaw immediately clenched. "Now, what did that shithead ex of yours do? I'll kill him if he hurt you, Ri. I might be small, but I'm scrappy like an alleycat. You know I'll claw his eyes out."

Riley let out a light chuckle; Alyssa was always overprotective of her and had a clever way with words, but quickly, that chuckle faded into a teary frown. "Oh, Lyss," she whimpered as her face fell into her hands.

Alyssa quickly wrapped her arms around Riley and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Aww, Riley. Sweetie, it's going to be okay," she soothed. 

Stepping inside, Alyssa kicked the door shut and led them both over to the sofa. Sensing Riley was in pain -- and not just emotional -- she helped lower her troubled best friend onto the couch. "I want you to start from the beginning and tell me everything that happened."

The best friends had remained in contact over the last several weeks. It was Alyssa's frantic morning phone call over a month ago that alerted Riley to the news coverage of her impromptu marriage to Liam, having saw it on the news. 

And while Alyssa was aware of everything about Cordonia and Liam, and how Riley fit into all that from their prior conversations, she listened intently while it was revealed to her the details of the incident with Madeleine and the video her ex-husband gave to the Countess.  

Grabbing a tissue from the end table, Alyssa handed it to Riley. "So this cow confronted you with that disgusting video and basically blackmailed you into leaving, or she would release it to the press?" Riley nodded somberly.."Ugh, I want this treasonous bitch thrown in the dungeon, subjected to live-streamed daily anal fistings with giant Hulk gloves ... And Tyler, I want to break every bone in his rotten body, one at a time. And I want to leave him there afterwards, dripping just enough water on his lips, so he doesn't die of dehydration, screaming in agony for the weeks it will take to die of starvation."

 Riley's face scrunched up. "God, Alyssa."

Alyssa shrugged. "What? I don't care; it's what they deserve for hurting you. Did you at least tell Liam what happened?"

This time, Riley shook her head. "No. Madeleine warned me if I told him, she would release the video, and then the council would likely force him to step down. I won't allow him to lose everything for someone like me." 

Irritated, Alyssa pressed a palm to her forehead. "Why are you like this?"

"Like, what?" Riley asked in exasperation.

"That whole, 'someone like me,' part. He wanted to stay married to you. He made you the queen of his country. You've said he couldn't keep his goddamn hands off you for two seconds. And more importantly, you told me you have never felt more loved in your life, than you do when you're with him. The fact that you still question your worthiness to him blows my mind." 

Alyssa reached for Riley's shaky hand, able to tell by the tears sliding down her cheeks and the soft whimpers that she'd touched on something. "You're his pussycat, Riley. Liam already lost everything when you left him. Tell me you know that."

Riley wiped at her face., her voice stifled, "I just wanted to protect him."

"I know." Alyssa smiled softly. "But you needed to give him the chance to decide what he wanted. You made it for him because you know he'd choose you, regardless if he lost everything else; that's how much he loves you, Ri. You can't protect someone who loves you by hurting them. Besides, he's the King; he can simply execute the council if he wants to -- Liam’s not going anywhere."

"You just HAD to add that last part in, didn't you?" Riley laughed, feeling a sense of ease as her mood lightened. It felt good to talk to someone who could help her make sense of everything and realize she hadn’t exactly made the best call by leaving and not telling Liam what happened. "But what do I do about this video? What if Madeleine releases it to the public?"

"Yeah, a video of a married woman having sex with her husband -- Oh, the shame!" she retorted. "Look, you'll be famous on Pornhub for a few weeks, and it'll fizzle out. I know that doesn't make it all better, but you have a lot of people who love you ... we'll be there for you if that happens. Besides, it's Gonzo Dick; I doubt anyone will wanna watch anyway."

Riley snorted out at the nickname she gave her ex-husband. "Stop making me laugh." 

Alyssa cracked a grin. "Nah. If I can make you laugh at that asshole's expense and his crooked dick, then it's worth it."

"Well,” she breathed, “ I suppose I should get dressed and call Liam. Tell him what happened, and hopefully, he'll … forgive .." her voice trailed off at tasting an increasing collection of bile in her throat and a familiar rumble in her stomach. 

“What’s wrong?”

Riley frowned. "Damn it, why do I keep getting sick?"  

After rushing to the bathroom with Alyssa's help, Riley came out moments later, flushed and perspiring. Alyssa, who waited outside the door to make sure she was all right, eyed her friend with grave concern. "Ri, are you sure you don't have a concussion? You said that Madeleine caused you to fall, and you complained you’ve been getting sick a lot. Is there any chance you hit your head too?"

Riley considered for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so. I mean, it all happened so fast I don't really remember, but my head doesn't hurt."

"OH NO! You have memory loss too, on top of the vomiting and a hurt back? Riley, you need to go to the hospital now. This is serious."

"Alyssa, I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital," Riley dismissed and hobbled past her friend toward the kitchen. "You always worry too much."

Alyssa followed behind her, brows bumped together in a scowl. "Because you're a stubborn ass who never listens, that's why. You need to get checked out," she insisted. Riley paid no attention as made her way to the fridge; that reaction only served to piss Alyssa off. "You can ignore me all you want, but you know as well as I do, I'll just keep annoying the hell out of you until you do it … I'll sing every Dave Matthews song ever written -- On repeat." 

Riley shut the fridge door and turned at the threat, giving her a dismayed glare. "You wouldn't." 

Alyssa tilted her chin. "You know damn well I would. I have... so much to say, so much to say, so much --"

"Please stop! I'm going."

---------

At Valley Hospital and Medical Center, Drake sat slumped down in the waiting room of the E.R;  a thawed ice pack covered his crotch. His increasingly irritated self caught sight of a nurse escorting yet another patient back for examination. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Tired of waiting, he cast the ice pack aside and marched straddle-legged to the triage desk where a beefy nurse with a scowl sat filing her nails. "How much longer is this gonna take?" He demanded bitterly.

The nurse remained focused on her nails and answered in a careless fashion. "You'll get called back when it's your turn, Mr. Walker."

"My turn? MY TURN? I've been here for 15 fucking hours waiting for my turn. I've watched one person after the next walk right in, get treated, and leave. Whose ass do I actually have to lick to get treatment around here?"

Unimpressed with his theatrics, she folded her arms on the desk and looked up at Drake with a glower. "Look. You got kicked in the wang by a hooker. Shit happens. It's not the end of the world. Go home, have a beer, and a good laugh. You'll live." She resumed her filing.

Drake ran both hands through his rumpled hair, letting out a sardonic laugh. "I cannot fucking believe you just said that to me. I suffer trauma on my transplanted dick, and the greatest healthcare minds in the world tell me to have a beer and laugh about it?" his voice shrieked.

The nurse blew on her nails. "That's what I said."

That snarky remark sent him even further over the edge. A red-faced Drake pounded two white-knuckled fists on the desk and leaned down into her space. "Now you listen here, lady. I demand to be seen right now, or so help me, I'll tear this whole goddamn place apart brick-by-fucking-brick! Do you understand me?"

Having none of that, the nurse, who was several inches taller than a startled Drake expected, sprung for her chair and loomed over him menacingly. Drake flinched when she rammed the nail file at him and threatened, "Now, you listen.You can either sit your ass down, or I will sit you down. Do you understand me?"

He didn't understand. He would never understand.

A security guard who heard the commotion casually approached the agitated pair and placed a firm hold on Drake's elbow. "Do we have a problem here, Betty Lou?"

She shook her head, sizing Drake up. "No, just some whiny-ass Karen griping about his dick."

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

Several moments later, Alyssa and Riley exited an Uber and wandered into the waiting area, making their way up to the triage line -- or what they thought was a line. It was actually Drake still standing there, continuing to protest his case to anyone who would listen and demanding to speak to someone in charge.

While Riley dug through her purse to retrieve her health insurance card, Alyssa couldn't help but be taken in by the fiery debacle taking place in front of them. She inched a little closer, unable to help herself; it was good drama and sucked her right in. 

Catching a glimpse of Drake’s sour face, she cocked her head introspectively; there was something oddly familiar about the man in the denim shirt going off. Alyssa tapped her chin. Where have I seen him before?  

Before long, the realization set in, and her eyes snapped wide open. She nudged Riley with an elbow and leaned over, whispering, "Hey, isn't that the guy from the news who had the penis transplant? It looks just like him."

Knowing precisely who that was by the description, Riley popped her head up to look. She hadn't known Drake well, only that he was Liam's best friend, and after having spent time together on the plane ride to Cordonia with him, that her maid-of-honor had given him several venereal diseases. "Drake?" she called out.

While Alyssa zoned in on his groin, curious as to what was in there, Drake broke away from the dispute and turned his focus toward the familiar-sounding voice. She was a connection to home and a long-sought-after friendly face. "Riley? Liam's insta-bride, Riley?" 

She let out a light chuckle and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose that's how you would know me ... What are you doing at the hospital? Is your body rejecting the ..." Her embarrassed gaze dropped lower with a gulp. " ... thing?"

"No!" he barked. "I just got attacked by that ... uh, someone."

"You got attacked?" Shocked, Riley placed a hand over her chest. "Why would someone attack you? Are you okay?"

Feeling incensed by the memory, Drake shook his head and muttered. "It's a long story ... What about you? What are you doing here? Thought you were in Cordonia with Liam?"

She inhaled a deep breath through her nostrils and forced a smile. "It's a long story too."

Drake peeked over his shoulder at Nurse Ratchet, giving him a gimlet-eyed stare from behind her computer screen. He groused and turned to face Riley again. "I've got time."

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

Nearly 12 hours after takeoff, the royal jet touched down in sunny Las Vegas, an hour ahead of schedule. Liam and Leo stepped off the plane and strolled across the tarmac to the awaiting vehicle, where a smiling man held the rear passenger door open.

"Bastien," Liam greeted as he approached. "Good to see you again."

"Your Majesty." He bowed. "Likewise ... I have the rental car you requested, and the Queen's address is already programmed into the GPS. Should take no more than 30 minutes to get there."

"Perfect,” he replied, clapping Bastien’s shoulder.“Thanks for having everything ready to go."

Liam had contacted the head guard -- who was still jailed for non-support -- and gained him a day-long pass to provide security detail. Bastien was also to stay in contact with his guards to oversee the capture and detainment of Madeleine.

Bastien took their bags, and the brothers hopped into the back of the Escalade. Once they pulled away from the airport, the directions led the group west. The head guard glanced briefly in the rearview mirror as he drove on. “I want to thank you for giving me a second chance. It’s nice to be out of that place, even if just for the day.”

Liam smiled back. “Not a problem, good man. I can’t think of anyone else I trust more for the job than you … though I’m not sure why. Anyway, do you have any updates on the Madeleine situation?”

“Yes, sir. I contacted my colleagues again just before you arrived. Countess Madeleine was taken by surprise when our guards arrived at her family estate in Krona. Once in custody, she was immediately transported to Valtoria for detention, exactly as you requested.”

"That's terrific news ... Wait ...Did you say, Valtoria?" Liam asked with puzzlement in his tone. 

"Yes, sir. As you requested." 

"Man, please tell me Mads tried to fight them off, and they had to use the taser on her," Leo insisted as he held his crossed fingers in the air. "A billy club ... a rubber hose ... something."

"There may have been a brief verbal exchange and some threats, but the Countess promised if they permitted access to her computer to send a quick email, she would go with them peacefully and without further protest. There didn't seem to be any harm in doing so, and she followed through with her word. Sorry to break it to you, Prince Leo, but no tasers were harmed in her capture."

"Well, fiddle shit." Leo glanced over at his brother --who was still scratching his head -- in disappointment. "If only I'd been able to get that shock collar on her while I was engaged to her, you wouldn't be in this mess right now. She just squirmed too much. I’m sorry I let you down, little brother."

"It's fine, Leo; it's not the first time,”  Liam said dryly before turning his head away from Leo to face the front again. "Can we get back to Madeleine being taken to Valtoria? I never requested that. An accused of the Crown is always placed in the palace dungeon. There aren't even cells in Valtoria to hold her in. What am I missing here?"

Approaching a stoplight, Bastien lightly pressed the brakes, then met Liam’s gaze in the mirror. “The orders I was given to pass along to the guards from you earlier were clear in your text: Once she’s taken into custody, she is to be sent to Valtoria and placed in the cage with the monkey until further notice. That’s what they --”

“Mongo! They put her in the cage with Mongo?” Liam exploded before pinching the bridge of his nose, knowing there was no point in asking how that message got mixed up. “Goddamn it, Leo! Why are you, you, sometimes?” He ran a swift hand down his face and turned to glare at his brother. “Do you realize they consider that cruel and unusual punishment? Did you ever stop to consider how much shit I'm going to hear over this if this gets out?" He let out a sharp breath and threw his hands in the air."How? How did you do it?"

"It's simple pimple, Liam. When you went to the bathroom, I grabbed your phone," he replied bluntly with a shrug. "And according to page 24 of Father's torture book: It's not considered cruel and unusual punishment, as long as she has food, water, and clean shelter -- which she does. Or ... if she's housed with a member of the royal family -- which she is. Mongo is the heir to the throne, so we've got that covered too. So just relax, little bro; Leo’s got it all taken care of for you."

Liam dropped his chin to his chest, then let out a weary breath. “Bastien, call the guards and have them move her to the palace at once.” 

As Bastien placed the call, Liam shifted in his seat so that he was staring out the window. He put a palm over his mouth to conceal the curved lips that formed a devilish grin, trying to contain the unbearable urge to bust out laughing. Oh, Maddie ... I hope you and Mongo had one hell of a time together.

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

Back at the hospital, Riley situated herself on the gurney while a nurse prepared to check her vitals and ask general health questions. 

In the next bay over, separated by a thin sliding curtain, Drake was finally attended to after Riley reluctantly, but willfully, played up her celebrity status. Once she threatened to have the hospital shut down -- which she doubted was even possible on her end -- the proverbial red carpet was rolled out for both of them; she was still a queen, afterall. 

Steps were then taken to ensure they both received the royal treatment, so to speak. That wasn’t typically how Riley preferred to handle situations; she hated big fusses over her. But in the end, she did help one of Liam’s oldest friends finally get the medical attention he needed, so it was worth trying. 

The blood pressure cuff on Riley’s arm squeezed tighter just as one of the doctors stepped inside and slid the curtain all the way closed. His cheerful greeting drew Riley's fixed gaze away from the changing numbers on the monitor beside her bed, and she smiled up at him.

The doctor was tall and thin, with thick spectacles perched near the tip of his nose. He gave a brief nod to Alyssa, who was sitting in a chair at Riley’s bedside, rubbing her shoulder. Scanning the patient chart, he spoke without looking up, "Queen Riley, it says here you suffered a fall?"

"I'm just Riley,  please," she requested.

The doctor looked up from the paperwork and nodded with an understanding smile. "Of course." 

After the initial exam concluded, Alyssa remained behind after the doctor ordered x-rays and transport had wheeled Riley down to radiology. 

Bouncing her crossed leg as she scrolled through her phone, Alyssa tried to bide her time until Riley returned. An air conditioning vent overhead that she didn’t realize drowned out so much noise around her, suddenly flipped off. Able to catch the conversation on the other side of the curtain better, she listened with a broken heart as Drake reluctantly described to an attending, the worst days of his life. Alyssa shuddered as he recalled the moment his penis fell off, rolled across the bed, and dropped onto Ethan Ramsey’s leather shoe during an exam. “That poor man. I just want to hug him,” she muttered.

Her little ears perked when the doctor mentioned he was “going to have a look at it.” In her curious mind, there were no doubts that she was too. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a peek at the first transplant of its kind; no way was she going to miss out on that. 

Alyssa slid to the edge of her seat and raised her hand to up to the curtain, easing a tiny portion of it aside. Her blue eyes crinkled with frustration at a nurse who was blocking her view. “Move your ass,” she whispered to herself.

Unable to get a good view, she gave up that spot and eyed the other opening in the curtain at the far end of the room. Sliding off her chair to a crouching position on the floor, Alyssa crab-walked as fast as she could without falling off balance until she made it to the other side. Crooking a stealthy finger along the seam of the curtain, she hoped and prayed Drake’s genital exam wasn’t through yet. What her eyes saw on that gurney when she pulled the fabric aside caused her heart to jolt out of her chest. 

Alyssa cupped a hand over her gaping mouth before stepping back and letting the curtain fall loosely shut again.  Dropping her hand limply at her side, staring blankly at nothing, she mouthed, “Oh. My. God.”

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

Down in the radiology department, Riley sat patiently in her wheelchair, waiting for the tech to return to take the x-rays. Enjoying the lighter feeling of having an empty bladder again, she let out a contented sigh; she was about to bust earlier. That mandatory urine sample couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. 

Left alone to ruminate in her thoughts, Riley wondered about those phone calls she ignored last night from Liam. The regret she felt over her actions the last 26 hours continued to mount up. And it took a heart-to-heart with her best friend to really put things into perspective. Her decisions weren’t the best course to take, even if they were done with the most loving of intentions. 

There was a lot to make up to Liam, and she only hoped that it wasn’t too late. Could he even forgive her for all of it?

She wished he was there with her right now. If she knew him the way she thought she did, he’d be standing around telling inappropriate jokes to make her laugh or embarrass her with his silly antics. It was like Liam could be two different people sometimes: Kingly and stoic around everyone else, but the second it was just him alone with her, he was such a big kid. Somehow, she could bring out his true self; the one where he felt comfortable enough to be silly and playful. And as much as she tried to play them off, those little pet names he gave her -- she chuckled to herself as they popped into her head -- were funny. What the hell even was a knucklehead mcspazzatron? 

“Miss Brooks” Riley shook herself of her thoughts as the x-ray tech returned and made her way over. “I apologize that took so long.”

Riley smiled up at her. “No need to apologize… Are you ready for me now?”

“Not exactly,” she teased in such a cheery tone, Riley slightly lowered her eyelids, holding her gaze. “You most likely won’t be getting x-rays today, sweetie.” She held a fisted hand out to Riley and opened her palm to reveal the small object inside. “You’re pregnant.”

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

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#fools rush in #liam x mc #liam x riley #king liam #prince liam #the royal romance #trr #choices fanfiction #bbrandy2002

[sexyshakespeare]

Kurodai AU Chapter 1: The Wolf and The Bear

He waited in the dark for an opportunity to strike. She looked like she was alone. Not a very big bear, he could definitely take her if he aims for her throat. One big bite, even if she throws him off, he could try to land on his feet. He might break a few toes, but that was a very small price to pay if he could get food and shelter for the month. Kuroo stepped out into the clearing by the water’s edge, stalking closer behind the bear who seemed unaware of his footsteps. And just as he was about to lunge, he hears massive footsteps running towards him, causing him to turn wildly around- a giant bear, much bigger than the other was charging at him. Where had he come from, this wasn’t going according to plan at all. He ran back into the woods behind them, running for his life, his heart beating against his chest to carry him further. This was it, he was dying today, and for what- for a life of a petty vendor running errands between tribes for scraps. He could see his life flashing before his eyes as he scrambled into the woods- the grizzly was fast as he was big, even the trees weren’t deterring him like they normally should any bear. He managed to climb a leaf strewn slope up to a jutting rock- hiding behind it to try and catch his breath. He debated running further, calling for help from the neighboring packs- maybe someone would come after all, even if he wasn’t welcome there anymore, maybe they’d mistake his call for someone else. But then he knew, nobody would come. He was alone, and he would die alone, under the jaw of this grizzly. He’d have to put up a fight, and this was his one chance. He takes a deep breath, steels himself, and prepares to die. He aimed for the inside of the bear’s paw- a soft spot, easy to sink his teeth into and try to tear a chunk out of. As he connected with the beast, a terrifying, thunderous roar filled the forest, enough to shake new life into his body- he wasn’t all that small compared to him, his jaw clamping down on his entire paw, sharp fangs digging in deep. But the bear was bigger still, stronger, taller when he stood on his hind legs, and he was being thrashed around in the air like a ragdoll. Then finally, with one last shake, he was tossed into the side of that very same rock. His fate was cruel, but that wasn’t the thought running through his mind when the wind was knocked out of him- the only thought he had, as he whimpered loudly, tears stinging at his eyes- was the excruciating pain shooting through his entire body. His legs, his torso, his head. His head was spinning, the world was spinning- everything seemed to be going dark. This was it. This was the end. He was dying. Like the dog he is, bleeding against a rock in the middle of nowhere. He couldn’t breathe, his ribs surely broken and its contents jostled around. Only his heart seemed to beating still stronger, aching as it pumped life into his body that begged it to stop. Meanwhile, the bear seemed to be in immense pain, stumbling through the woods higher up the slope, leaving a trail of blood behind from its paw. Kuroo closed his eyes then, satisfied with at least that much. That he’d died a fighting dog. If.. if his parents knew, then maybe they’d be proud. And with that, he let the blackness take him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Kuroo opened his eyes. How much time had passed, he didn’t know. It seemed dark still, had it been a day already? No, he didn’t think so- it was his instincts driving him now, he needed a safe place to crawl into. Somewhere he could pass out in peace, not here where some animal or other would find him.

But could he move? He looked down to his legs, they looked bad- bruised dark, he could see it better now on his human skin. He was so sure he looked like a sad sack of meat as a man, but he knew he was too weak to change back, for a while at least. So not only was he on the verge of death, he was in his defenseless form- no sharp teeth or claws, or fur.

He reached down to the little bundle of rags he had tied to his thigh, and suddenly felt pain, bolts of pain running jagged through his torso. He gasped for air, struggling as he undid his clothes and managed to pull his hide-skin on. The bottoms were far worse to get into, his pelvis must be shattered he thought as he willed himself not to cry out loud. Panting, sweating, and delirious from the pain, he looked up the slope- all he needed to do was find a cave to lie down in. He wouldn’t move again for at least a week, but right now, he didn’t want to die of shock when something attacked him for meat as the night went by.

Taking in sharp hissing breaths through his mouth, he gripped at the rock beside him, and discovered that he couldn’t stand. He closed his eyes as the tears came, pain like he’d never felt before- and gritted his teeth, crawling up the slope as best as he could. Thankfully, it wasn’t too steep, and there were roots he could use to hoist himself up- his arms though bruised and hurting, could still carry him.

He managed to crawl on his knees some of the way- though it took the life out of him, which made him wonder if he might just survive this. Funny what 5 seconds of being upright can do to a man. Kuroo looked ahead of him just as the slope began to ease up, and saw the entrance of a tunnel that led into the mountain. It wasn’t used by any humans, that much was certain by the large bones strewn outside of it.

It wasn’t his best choice, but it had to do. The man managed somehow to stand then- his muscles aching, tears streaming down his face- he managed to hobble the rest of the way to the little doorway of the cave and collapse right in the middle of it, elbows hitting the hard granite.

This time he did whimper- and suck in a breath, eyes tired from staying open for so long. Crawling to the wall, he tried to sit up, but it hurt to put weight on his tailbone- so he slumped up against it instead. His peculiar gold eyes glinted towards the dark tunnel, praying that nothing came out of there while he was awake. Or that if it did, it would snap his neck first, do him a kindness.

What he didn’t expect, was a pair of eyes watching him from just inside the doorway- 

human eyes.

Kuroo sucked in a breath, his adrenaline kicking in for a few seconds while he tried to sniff them out. He smelled dangerous, it made him want to roll right out of the cave he’d so painstakingly brought himself crawling into.

What was that smell.. strange, human but, unlike any human he’s ever smelled.

The stranger came forward then, his face illuminated slightly by the moonlight outside- dark hair, dark eyes, his body covered in dark furs, and a rugged face that spoke of immense strength. He didn’t seem hostile.

The two men stared at each other for a while longer- till Kuroo finally becomes aware of the smell of blood on him. Injured, like him, taking refuge in this cave then. But, a quick glance over his body revealed to him that he was nursing his hand behind him, the blood draining from there no doubt.

His gold eyes flicked up to his face just as he’d connected the dots, and so had the other man apparently,

“You should’ve run when you had the chance- I didn’t want to make a body bag out of you-“, the young man said plainly, bringing his bleeding hand out into the light, bandaged roughly with some leaves.

“I didn’t think you’d let me go with my life, after I almost attacked your mate”, Kuroo answered, his eyes studying the man’s affect, his body language was calm, composed. It wasn’t like he was a threat to anyone in the state he was in of course, and clearly he was more in danger than this bear man was.

The stranger didn’t say anything, only looking down at Kuroo’s legs, then at his torso. “Why were you hunting her- didn’t expect a wolf to hunt a grizzly on his own, the stupidest thing you dogs have ever done”

That comment got his hackles rising- a low rumble in his throat, which died as fast as it had come. He was far too much in pain to care about his pride.

“I was hunting for my tribe in the village nearby.. fish was drying up over the fall, deer running far from here- bear would’ve given them fur and meat for weeks-“, his voice was weak, his mind focusing on breathing more than his story.

“You were hunting for humans? You live with them?”, bear man asked, scooting forward to hear him better. He had a curious look on his face, clearly out to get as many answers as he could from the man he’d just maimed beyond repair.

“I.. I travel, and sell my wares..”

“What do you sell..”

“Meat.. clothes, I’ve carried messages and found wives for tribes-leaders”

The man squints at him, not fully understanding, “You’re a matchmaker?”

A little laugh sounded from the injured other as he cranes his neck backwards, reminiscing almost, “Ah h.. I’m a salesman.. I make deals in return for some food, shelter from other tribes”

“So you’re a conman-“, the brown-eyed fellow shot back at him, quick as ever to pass judgement, much to the chagrin of the wolf. However, he wants to continue this conversation, he wants to humor him, play him with his words if he can. “It’s only a con if they’re not happy.. and besides”, this he says with a little more pride, “I sell medicine too, not stolen, crafted by me”

“You don’t run with a pack..?”

Oh, the real questions were starting now. The ones that were difficult to answer.

Kuroo shook his head at him, keeping his eyes cast at the fur that hung over the man’s chest. Grizzly fur.

“Your home..? Home pack?”, he prodded some more, unknowing of the look he would see on the man’s face at the mention of it. Kuroo turned, the dark black hair that hung over half his face was facing him now, eyes cast away from his prying brown orbs. 

Kuroo saw flashes of the faces again, he could smell the fire, the blood. He’d tried to make sense of it, not fully remembering any details only just piecing together what might’ve happened to his home, to his parents and his pack. His siblings, a sharp memory of a chasing game, and his mother.

It took him a few seconds, but with a slow blink of his eyes, he turned back to him, “You..? Your home pack?”

This topic seems to lift up bear’s spirits entirely- causing a wide smile to spread on his lips. Pride in his voice when he says, “Yep- lived here all my life, parents raised me here past the under-fall river, cliffs over there”

Kuroo watched him, nodding at the words, exhaustion climbing over his body slowly but surely. And it seemed that the other man noticed, his dark brown eyes showing some concern, maybe even warmth if he wasn’t imagining it.

Another minute passed before he said, “I can take you to my pack.. heal you there-“

The injured man looked at him, tired eyes, shaking his head, “What, let you take me to a forest full of bears? I don’t think so-“, he started off- but could not shake the look in his eyes as they bore into him, his wounds.

“I’m not going to survive another two days-“, Kuroo said to deter him further.

That’s when he came forward, this stranger who owed him nothing, and locked his eyes into his gold, his voice betraying no hesitation as he spoke the words. “I’m not going to let you die”

Kuroo’s head lolled a little now, which caused him to come closer, holding at his neck with his good hand, supporting his heavy, weary form with his strong arms. His strength was leaving him, so he whispered, brows knitting together as he shook his head at him again, “It’s not your place to save my life.. I tried to attack your family today- you can leave me here and go on with a clean conscience knowing they’re safe-“

“I’m not going to let you die”

His words were spoken even firmer, an air of finality about them, the stubbornness of a bear perhaps. The wolf could only watch those eyes, full of conviction, like they defied death itself to take him from him. And though he didn’t want to be moved, though he didn’t want to fight this awful, heaviness that was setting in his bones, he just knew he couldn’t say no to him.

Or maybe he was too tired to try.

The bear understood that this defeat meant a silent agreement to being in his care, which brought an impossibly warm smile to his face- the man who could have killed him, who came very close to doing just that barely a few hours ago. “Want me to carry you?”, he asked with clinical concern, but the response Kuroo gave was one of misplaced pride, “N o ..?”

Of course, that earned him an amused look.

A heavy sigh before Kuroo nodded, feeling his pride wilt, his tail between his legs at the thought of being carried like a cub to his cave- but the pull at his neck that he somehow expected instinctually, did not come. Instead, strong, capable arms despite his own injuries scooped underneath Kuroo’s torso and his legs carefully. Before he could protest, he was lifted in the air, and held close to his chest.

Swaddled then, like a baby. His mind seemed to snap when he saw the ground below them, a good way away, and he scrambled just a little to wrap his own arms around the man’s neck, wincing in pain from the movement.

And the gall he had to laugh at him. “Just like you dogs~ always the same, put you on a little shelf and all that pomp dies in seconds-“

Kuroo fumed at him, not appreciating the commentary as he was carried out of the cave-

“Alright alright, I’ll stop cause you’re injured”

“Dying-“

“Injured”

Stubborn. Big. Stinky. Bears. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was carried the rest of the way, past the river, and to the forest beyond the shallow fishing pool. The climb in the forest was gentle, the terrain naturally flowing back towards the riverside till it tapered to the side of a mountain. The rocky ledge he walked on was the worst hurdle- Kuroo didn’t dare look down to the depths below, burying his face into his shoulder, and closing his eyes shut.

But then, it cleared out onto a wide shelf overlooking the water- the bear cliffs were beautiful, something he’d only seen in the distance. The side of the mountain had several hollows inside of it- each one, full of sleeping bears.

His mouth hung open when he saw them, hardly believing his eyes.

“This is my home.. and you’re welcome here till you’re healed and ready to leave-“, he spoke finally, carrying him in the dark past several occupied caves and into a smaller, empty one.

He set him down on furs that lined the stone, gentle as a feather, showing exceptional control despite his severely injured hand- which the wolf suddenly felt so much guilt for giving him. Gold eyes heavy with sleep followed him as he walked about the surprisingly warm cave for where it was situated- then watched him as he kneeled by his side, a hollow shell in his hand.

“It’s a salve, should take away the fever and the pain for a little- help you sleep tonight..”, he said softly to the man in his care, trying to ease his worries. Looking down at his body now, the next words spoken were, “Strip your clothes off-“

Kuroo shouldn’t have- he shouldn’t have been able to ignore the exhaustion taking over his body, and look up at the man, a little smile building on his lips. But he did just that, eyes heavy lidded with sleep, but also something else-

The bear nearly huffed at him, raising his brow sternly, disbelievingly.  Was he being, suggestive? Of what? “Or I’ll just cut it off of you, you’re not going to be needing them anyway-“

“Alright alright, I’m doing it-“, he said with what bear could’ve sworn was a giggle. After all that he’d been through, the man was giggling and chortling like a pup as he winced and sat up to pull his hide-skin rags off of his torso. He even had the gall to reach for his skirt, which gave good enough access as it is, “This too..?”

A firm little slap on his ribs seemed to do the trick. The man reeled, and gasped for air as he lay down instantly, to the delight of the brown eyed other,  “Blood seems to be leaving your head, do better to lie down-” 

The sun seemed to be filtering through the air, it was morning after already. Orange rays of light fell on the bear man’s face as he leaned over him and applied the salve to his body.

Kuroo watched him as he did it, carefully, taking all the time he needed- first over his chest and under his ribs, then down to his abdomen. As that hand pressed soft circles into his skin, he watched its fingers travel lower, to his hips, and then to his thighs underneath the rags of his skirt. He went still lower to his knees, his shins, his feet and his toes- leaving a trail of burning-cooling tingles in his wake.

When he was done, Kuroo found himself wishing he wasn’t, waiting for another round of this, whatever it was that he was doing to his body. He’d used salves before on himself, but none hadf felt quite like this.

Oh but he wasn’t done, his warm fingers found their way underneath him, rubbing soft lines down his spine to the small of his back. His face was so close to his body while he touched him, his palm cupping over firm buttocks, and travelling.. between them.

Kuroo’s eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets when the firm fingers rubbed at his pelvic bone. There was not a moment of hesitation or awkward reluctance in the man’s eyes, only concentration on his task. A true healer at work, and a man of his word. He wasn’t going to let him die.

The wolf’s eyes poured into his, the words catching in his throat as he watched the bear put the shell down and wipe his one hand on the wall behind him, the other still covered in a bloody bandage and clotted, dirty. He came back to his patient’s side, smoothing over his forehead with the salved hand, a cool sheen of the stuff masking his skin and instantly giving him relief from the throbbing in his head.

“I’ll go find some crystals for you, they’re in a cave not far from here-“, he said to him, eyes full of not sympathy or even empathy really. They were full of care and quiet devotion. “They’re magic, they’ve healed the worst injuries we’ve had- broken bones, bleeding wounds, cured bad appetites and ailing hearts too”

Kuroo smiled faintly up at him then, “Thank you..”, he whispered, the events from the day fully settling on him as his eyes searched his brown. There was nothing there to read, only, inexplicable warmth. The bear’s thumb rubbed a small circle into his forehead, returning Kuroo’s smile with his own.

“Get some sleep..”

He didn’t have to be told twice, going out like a light as soon as the man had left the cave- sinking into dreamless slumber, and a deep one.

#kurodaiweek #kurodaiweek2021 #kurodai #supernatural #shapeshifterau #werewolf #werebear #sawamura daichi #daichi #kuroo #kuroo tetsuro #haikyuufic #suggestive #sfw #fanfic #hqfanfic

[queencarolinemikaelson]

That One Time Caroline Forbes Lied to the Truth Circle

//klaroline au week// - day 7 - trope x trope best friend’s little sister x first time sex This is a long one, folks. NSFW. Enjoy!

xxx

There were many moments in Caroline Forbes’ life that led her to this excruciating moment.

God, dammmmit, how she wished to be literally anywhere else but here.

But she wasn’t anywhere else. She was here, and this was happening.

“Tyler after the football finals, in Junior year,” Elena stated.

“No, wasn’t it Matt? At that New Year’s party?” Bonnie chimed in. “Sorry, Bekah.”

“I’m well aware of Matt’s romance before me with not one, but two in this circle.”

“You know, Caroline,” Katherine said. “I don’t think I actually know this story?”

“Wait, I don’t think even I know this story, either,” said Elena.

“I don’t know if I want to know this story,” Stefan mumbled.

Bloody hell, bloody hell.

She could feel the honest truth forcing its way from her, she could not defy the sanctity of Truth or Dare! The mixture of honour and tequila in her blood wouldn’t allow it!

“What was the question again?” Caroline asked, feigning ignorance to buy a tiny bit more time.

“Who did you lose your virginity to?” the group chorused. 

It was a story Caroline had kept as close to her chest as her heart itself, for more reasons than she could count, the main of which were sitting in that circle right now.

In a somewhat out of body experience – maybe brought on by the quart of tequila in her system, or maybe just from the sheer mortification of it all – Caroline could see very clearly every moment in her life that progressed her on this path. Whence she was but a wee four-year-old, all the way to the 22-year-old she was now.

It all started when her father left her mother, admitting he love for another man. It rocked the little conservative town of Mystic Falls, and left the little Forbes family a little littler. But at the end of the day, Caroline loved her father, loved her step father, and loved that they were happy.

Then there was her mother. Elizabeth Forbes, while rightly distraught about the divorce, was self-aware enough to know that her relationship with Bill was not true love. So when her high school sweet heart happened to move back to Mystic Falls, two motherless kids in toe, Liz took it as a sign from the universe. Only two years later, Liz Forbes became Liz Salvatore, and Caroline gained another step-father and two brothers, Damon and Stefan.

Caroline supposed Damon deserved an honourable mention in this memory-lane-trip. Because, at seven years her senior, Damon was a built-in babysitter for the youngest in their blended family. And Liz and Giuseppe grew quite comfortable with that fact, thank you very much. But as soon as Damon got his first set of car keys, there was no way in Mystic Falls – or even in hell, for that matter – he was sticking around to babysit his 9-year-old sister?

Of course, once Damon would no longer babysit Caroline, the Forbes/Salvatore parents just had to find someone. After all, Damon wouldn’t do it – because “DUH I have a life? Why are you trying to ruin to it?” – and Stefan, well Stefan was old enough at thirteen to get himself to and from school and extra-curricular activities. But he was certainly not old enough to mind Caroline. So who better to ask than Elijah Mikaelson. He was polite, whip smart, gracious, kind and the most charming teen in town. Elijah’s role in this entire saga, however, was to come into play years later.

And of course, of course, Stefan played a huge part. Stefan was her other big brother, and he was her yard stick for something that was cool. And, more pertinently, Stefan chose to become best friends with another of the Mikaelsons, Elijah’s younger brother, Klaus. But she would get to Klaus later.

Caroline supposed, there wouldn’t be this story without the rest of the Mikaelson family, would there? Finn, Kol, Rebekah, and Henrik. Finn didn’t really play his part, as innocuous as he was. But the three younger Mikaelsons certainly did, and their mother, Esther. If it hadn’t been for them, the events of that weekend, that Caroline was so reticent to share, happened as a direct result of their existence.

Caroline knew she had to take some responsibility. She had organised tonight’s event. She suggested playing their old high school favourite game. She was there that night. And it took two to tango, after all. But god, couldn’t they just drop it?  

Which just brought her back to Klaus. None of this would be possible without Klaus.

Klaus was Stefan’s best friend, since nearly before Stefan was Caroline’s brother. The two had been inseparable their entire middle school lives, with not much changing well into their high school and college life. Klaus was smart, funny, and gorgeous, just like Stefan, and so of course they were quite the dominant pair strutting around Mystic Falls high.

Bloody Klaus. He always starred in the bits of her life she was most closed off about. He was the only one who saw her her bikini strap break when she was 13, leaving her chest completely bare. He’d quickly given her the giant pink flamingo he had been floating on, instructing her to use it to cover herself, while he grabbed a towel she could use. It was a moment that had completely mortified Caroline, but they had never mentioned it again.

He was also there when, at the age of 15, she had gotten tangled in the strappy sandals she was wearing to a party and fallen flat on the bitumen. He’d doubled over laughing, until she sat up dazed, blood running from a nasty, dirty cut on her face. His mirth had vanished and he rushed her to his house, which was much nearer than hers. She was his best friend’s little sister, of course he would look after her. That’s just what good people did. Caroline would never forget his 17-year-old fingers tenderly cleaning her wound, while she fidgeted distractedly. It was another moment they’d never spoken of again.

And of course, he played the starring role in the story they were trying to needle out of her right that very moment. It was a moment he had once again never mentioned again.

“So uhh... the question again…” Beetroot-red-Caroline squeaked.

“Come on, Caroline! Stop trying to weasel your way out of this!”

“A lady never kisses and tells,” Caroline said, positively willing the swelling in her face to go down. “Why are we playing this dumb game anyway?

“Caroline Elizabeth Forbes,” Elena said, sternly. “You will not sully the purity of the truth or dare circle!”

“You’ve been making all of us confess to our deepest darkest secrets for years, because of your insistence upon the integrity of this dumb game,” Bonnie chided. 

“Yeah, Caroline,” Marcel drawled. “You made me admit all the stuff I did with Charlotte, while my new girlfriend was in the circle. You can cough up one lousy virginity story.”

Caroline helplessly looked from her friends to her brother, who just shrugged sympathetically. Stefan loved his sister, but she did have quite the way of squeezing people’s deepest secrets out of them.

“You’ve made your bed, Care,” Stefan said, ruffling her hair. “What do you think, Klaus, think she’s gotta suck it up and give us a bit of a story?”

Caroline turned her imploring eyes to Klaus.

“Please, I really don’t want to share this story,” Caroline said pointedly, almost as if she was talking directly to Klaus. “It’s private, you know.”

The protests from the group were instant. Caroline was usually the first person to tell you that you had to be honest and truthful, especially in truth or dare. It was the rules and what a better way to have hilarious fun that making people spill their secrets.

Klaus didn’t know why she was so reticent to sharing her first time story. Tyler had been her boyfriend, nothing saucy to ruffle her beautiful feathers. Just high school sweethearts trying things.

“Guys please,” Caroline beseeched.

“Nope, no way Caroline, those puppy dog eyes will not get you out of this!” Elena said, stubbornly.

“Come on, Care, it can’t be that bad!”

“Tyler wasn’t a bad guy even if he did peak in high school!”

“You gotta tell us!”

“Car-o-line! Car-o-line! Car-o-line!”

Suddenly someone in the group started chanting her name, the same way they chanted U-S-A on game days.

“Car-o-line! Car-o-line! Car-o-line!”

More and more people joined in, until the whole group was shouting, “Car-o-line! Car-o-line! Car-o-line!”, and crowding in on her.

“Fine!” she shouted, a little more aggressively that she would have liked, but it had the desired effect of shutting everyone up.

“I will not tell you who it was with, because that is my business,” she said, pompously. “But it was at that Founders’ Christmas party senior year.”

Before anyone else could protest her caginess, or even respond, Caroline was up and gone.

“The Founders’ Christmas party senior year?” Elena said, confused.

“I wasn’t there when you guys were seniors,” Stefan said.

“Neither was I,” Katherine added, and a number of the Mystic Fall alum nodded their absentia. “Esther hosted it, I think? I remember Elijah complaining about how tense Mama Mikaelson was about it.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Rebekah said, her eyes flicking to Klaus, shrewdly.

“Wait, Klaus, that was the year were there, right?” Stefan said, his brow furrowing, trying to pull details from his mind. “My parents and your mom roped you into going home to stay with Caroline, and help your mom. Do you remember Caroline hanging around anyone?”

“Not to my knowledge, no,” Klaus said, with every ounce of cool, calm, collectedness in the world.

“Caroline was so mad our parents made her have a babysitter,” Stefan chuckled at the memory. “It was probably because she wanted to shag this mystery person without anyone being any the wiser.”

“And none of us were!” Elena said. “I can’t believe she never told us! Why is it such a secret?”

“Who knows,” Kat said. “But also who cares, she’s not here anymore. Truth or dare, Stefan!”

As his best friend chose dare, Klaus sighed in a bit of relief, but also in revelation.

Opting to take a moment to collect his thoughts, Klaus left the circle to get something stronger to drink than beer; a goodly amount of the bottom shelf whiskey to be precise.

He gulped it all in one go because he lied. He lied to the whole truth circle.

Klaus did remember someone hanging around Caroline that weekend.

It was him.

xxx

Four years earlier.

It was four years prior to that fateful night when Elijah’s role in the humiliation had starred.

Elijah was Caroline’s faithful – or fateful as this case may be – babysitter all the way up until she turned 12, and Elijah regretfully moved away from college. Caroline would miss him, as he had been minding her twice to three times a week for the past three years. But when he left, Liz and Giuseppe, fell into the trap many parents do with their youngest, and decided Caroline was definitely mature enough at the ripe old age of twelve to take care of herself after school.

Sometimes she would hang out with Bonnie and Elena. Sometimes she would have an after school activity. Sometimes Stefan would let her tag along to whatever he was doing. But most days though, Caroline took herself home, and hung out by herself until her brother, or parents came home.

It was a good, independent life, even if a tad lonely. Perfect for someone as old as her.

So, imagine when, in her final year of high school, after six whole years of being her own babysitter, Giuseppe and Liz were going to be away for a week on a business trip, turned mini-vacation, and they insisted on finding someone to stay with Caroline. As she was too young to stay by herself, for a whole week after all.

This offended Caroline on many levels.

She was eighteen, for heaven’s sake. She would have school during the day, she’d been a lone ranger in the after school hours for years. She wasn’t suddenly going to be terrified at night by herself?

And what was she supposed to get up to at night anyway? Sure, she was a party animal, and the best party planner her age, but there was absolutely no way any of the year would go to an illicit party at the Salvatore house. Caroline was the daughter of the town sheriff; that wrath was a fate no teenager would willingly bring on.

Caroline made these arguments loudly, infuriatedly, and petulantly. But nope her parents would not have it.

“You can look after yourself sweetie, we know,” they implored her. “But we just don’t want to be worrying about you all alone while we’re trying to relax.”

Caroline’s protests didn’t change, but neither did theirs.

They, of course, asked Stefan first.

“Please Stefan,” they said over the phone. “She’s your sister, and you love her.”

And Stefan did love her. Caroline was his favourite girl in the whole world, and he couldn’t wait until she lived in the same college town as he did so they could party their lives away together. But there was no way in hell he was giving up a weekend just to go home and mind his baby sister. Not this close to finals. Not when he almost convinced Valerie Tulle to finally go out with him.

And especially not because Caroline had text him before their parents even called him, and threatened the life of his Bon Jovi vinyl collection if he agreed.

So Stefan had politely declined his parents, citing a very imminent, very important, but also quite vague exam in his reasoning.

So, the Forbes-Salvatore parents half-heartedly ran the request past Damon.

“Please Damon,” they begged him. “She’s your sister and you love her.”

And Damon did love her, at least begrudgingly – it was hard not to love the bouncy ball of blonde. But there was not a chance that he would leave the office for an entire week, only to drive from New York to Mystic Falls to mind his younger sister.

And especially not when Caroline text him, begging to turn down their parents. She just wanted some alone time.

So he declined his parents – “Wall Street doesn’t just take vacations.”

Maybe if Elijah had never been he babysitter, Caroline’s mother and step-father would have left their search at Stefan and Damon. And given up the whole search as a bad job.

But no.

This was when Liz and Giuseppe even went as far as calling Elijah.

Luckily, for Caroline though, her former babysitter, as touched as he was that they still thought so highly of him, was busy in the first few months of a new job, so was unavailable.  

And after that, Caroline honestly thought she had won. Who on earth would they ask? She was 18! She didn’t need a baby sitter. No one in their right mind would agree to baby sitting an 18-year-old.

At least, that’s what she thought, until approximately three days before her parents were due to leave and Liz came in to where Caroline was studying to talk to her.

“So, Klaus is going to be here at about 5pm on Saturday, does that sound okay? You’ll be okay for the rest of the day?”

“Wait, what?” Caroline exclaimed, slightly thrown.

“Klaus is staying here while we’re away this week, remember? I thought I’d run it by him, given that Elijah was always so reliable, and he is, after all, Stefan’s best friend,” Liz said, seemingly baffled that her daughter didn’t know this information. “I told you all this last week?”

“Oh my god, what? No you didn’t?!”

“I did wonder why you didn’t put up more of a fight,” Liz mused. “Well, this isn’t up for discussion, Caroline. He’s basically just here anyway so we don’t have to worry about you here alone at night. Klaus is here for the week, and that’s final.”

And with that, Liz turned on her heel and went back to packing, leaving a tongue tied Caroline in her wake.

And so sat a truly grumpy Caroline that Saturday, waiting exasperatedly for her ‘babysitter’ to arrive.

When the knock at the door came, just after 5pm, as Liz had promised, Caroline pulled open the door a fiery look in her eyes.

“What on earth were you thinking?” she griped, without so much as a ‘hello’. “Did it not occur to you that I’m actually an adult? I don’t need a sitter.”

“Well hello to you too, love,” he drawled, giving her that wicked grin he always gave when he was stirring the pot. “I wasn’t aware that I was so unwanted in this household.”

“Don’t be cute with me, Klaus,” Caroline snipped, not having any of it. “Like, didn’t you even ask Stefan? Did it not cross you little mind to go ‘hey, best friend, your parents want me to babysit your adult sister for a week, why can’t you do it?’”

The final sentence Caroline put on her best mockery of his English accent, and flopped melodramatically onto the nearest couch.

“If you had asked that,” Caroline continued, now addressing the ceiling in the living room. “You would know that they did ask Stefan and he refused because I asked him to. I don’t want baby sitting! I just want to be able to use my house the way I want to for a change!”

Caroline felt her own frown so deep, so petulant, on her face, that she wryly admitted to herself, maybe she wasn’t as mature as she liked to think she was. But that wasn’t the point.

“I could have eaten whatever I wanted. Danced to loud, cringe music. I could have studied with no pants on! And now I don’t have that!”

Klaus just grinned his little grin, and picked up his bag.

“I’m sorry for ruining your no-pants plans, Caroline.”

Which was all he said before trying to dart upstairs to put his bag in the spare room.

“That’s your take away?” Caroline cried, dragging herself from the couch. “That I just wanted to wear no pants for the week? Nothing about the fact I can, as a matter of fact, look after myself!”

Klaus laughed at her, she really looked so completely stubborn and done with him already.

“Love, eat whatever, dance to whatever, wear pants, wear no pants, it’s all the same to me,” Klaus replied. “You can pretend I’m not here as much as you like. In fact, that might be the best outcome for us both.”

With that, and a wink, Klaus shut the spare room door in Caroline’s face, which only served to infuriate the Forbes woman even more.

With another giant huff, Caroline stomped back down the stairs, and flopped again on the living room couch again.

It was a few hours later when Klaus resurfaced.

In those hours, Caroline hadn’t done much more than sulk about her situation, but she also baked a cake, and started cooking dinner, feeling ever so slightly bad about her nastiness and petulance.

He was, after all, just being a good family friend, even if it did irritate Caroline’s personal preferences. And she liked Klaus. Of course she did, she’d know him forever. And it would be a little bit not awful to not have to be alone the entire week.

As he strode down the stairs, the garlic-y smells of a pasta sauce filled his nose.

If he were honest, Klaus had been wary of agreeing to this week. Rightly so, apparently. She was his best friend’s little sister, not exactly the top of the list of activities for a college student.

But soon after he got the call from Liz, and before he had a chance to talk to Stefan, Klaus received a call from his mother, Esther. And Esther told him, in no uncertain terms, he would accept Liz’s offer. Much like Caroline’s, Klaus’ protestations had fallen on unsympathetic ears. Esther’s insistence that Klaus came to stay with Caroline was just as much about her own personal gain. As a self-employed event planner and mother of six, Esther found herself with more to do than sense most of the time.

She was putting on the biggest event of the year for Mystic Falls, and with still three kids at home she thought she may forget to feed them amidst all the kerfuffle which was the week leading up to the Founders’ Christmas party. So, when Liz mentioned asking Klaus to stay with Caroline, Esther knew she would feel much better with an extra pair of hands on deck.

“During the school hours, Niklaus,” Esther said, sternly down the phone. “You will cook food for the fridge, and the freezer, so the kids can help themselves. You will run any errands I need of you. And you will do the school pick up and drop off.”

Klaus had, obviously, groaned, but was secretly glad for the excuse to say yes. He enjoyed going to Mystic Falls, because college sometimes became a little too much. It would be good to unwind a little. And even if his mother was going to be in her high-strung planning mood Klaus could vanish in the evening, because after all, he had an obligation to Caroline.

It would be a nice week.

“So,” Klaus said, leaning on the kitchen bench, feeling a little awkward. Sure he and Caroline had spent a small amount of time alone over their lives, but definitely nothing like this, and definitely not in a number of years.

“So,” Caroline mimicked.

“I suppose, I hardly even know much about you these days, sweetheart,” he said, flashing his signature dimples at her. “Your hopes, dreams, everything you want in life.”

Caroline just scoffed while stirring the pasta, though unexpectedly, even to himself, Klaus was delighted to see a slight blush, and just a feather of a smile settle on her face.

“Come on, Caroline,” he said. “I’m serious! You have to talk to me at some point. I am here all week, remember?”

“Uh! Don’t remind me!” she groaned. “Why did you agree to stay here anyway?”

“My mother is planning the Founders’ Christmas thing next weekend,” Klaus said, picking at some of the carrots Caroline cut for the pasta. “She demanded I agree to stay with you, so I can help her while you’re at school.”

“Why couldn’t she just ask you to stay with her and help her?” Caroline asked.

“I assume because she thought it would be a much more attractive offer for me,” Klaus shrugged. “Here with you is likely to be a lot calmer fro me than if I stay there.”

Caroline nodded, but was distracted from answering, as Klaus tried to nab a couple more bits of vegetable to snack on.

“Hey!” she chided. “That’s to go with dinner, keep your grubby paws off!”

Klaus laughed, and waited until she turned back to the saucepan on the stove, before grabbing a piece anyway and popping them into his mouth.

“I heard that,” Caroline snapped. “See, I’m already regretting you being here.”

From there, the rest of the evening was fine. Caroline was still mildly annoyed she had a babysitter, but, she reasoned, Klaus wasn’t so bad.

If the task had fallen to Elijah, Caroline would definitely have felt obliged to be a host the whole week. If it was Damon, he would have made her be his minion the entire time. If it was Stefan, the week would have been them having a semi-party every night, and Caroline would have gotten absolutely no work done.

So, if there was any outcome that required a babysitter, this was the best one.

Klaus gave her company at meal times, but gave her space when she wanted it.

Though, when school finished on Tuesday, a couple of days later, Caroline felt herself not wanting as much space as usual. It had been a long, boring day at school, and even though cheer practice after school had been fun, Caroline was still looking for a bit of interaction.

“Klaus,” Caroline called as she came in from practice. “Klaus, are you here?”

There was no answer.

Curiously, she nosed her way around the house, looking for her current housemate. There was definite evidence that he was around, his car in the drive for one, but there was not a sound nor a movement to alert her to his whereabouts.

“Ka-lau-ssss,” she said, exasperatedly. “Jeez, I finally start wanting you around the damn house, and now you’re suddenly Harry Houdini!”

“Oh, you want me now do you?”

Caroline jumped about a foot in the air, as Klaus spoke into her ear.

“What on earth is your game?” Caroline shrieked, punching him in the chest. “You’re supposed to be babysitting me! Not trying to kill me!”

Klaus just laughed at her – a habit that was becoming far too common, if you asked Caroline.

“Not trying to kill you, love,” he said, mirth still laced in his voice. “Just trying to entertain myself.”

“Can’t you entertain yourself by getting yourself off, like a normal college student,” Caroline huffed, still trying to slow her heart rate.

Though, her statement didn’t do a great job of slowing her heart rate, as she considered the substance of what she said.

“Been thinking about me getting myself off, sweetheart?” Klaus said, slipping a little flirt into his voice, before he could stop himself.

“No! I just… I was just saying… shut up!” Caroline spluttered, going an excellent shade of pink.

“Come on, love,” he goaded, still with that inexplicable flirt in his voice. “It’s not that disgusting a thought is it?”

His eyes were locked with hers, and she could feel herself crumbling a little under his gaze. He had kissed boys before, and done other things with them, but she’d never really explored much. And it was wildly inappropriate to wonder about her older brother’s best friend as a sexual being, but she definitely found herself doing it in that moment.

She had to shake herself a little after a moment, and unable to find the right way to answer to Klaus’ question, she ignored it.

“I thought we could have pizza for dinner,” Caroline said. “Maybe go for a walk or watch a movie? I’m still full of energy after cheer practice, I don’t want to just sit in my room and ignore you like I did last night.”

Klaus opted to allow for the change of subject.

“Have extra energy, love? I’m sure I can think of something we can entertain ourselves somehow.”

Well, almost.

Caroline rolled her eyes, hard, and stalked away from him.

“Fine!” she growled. “I thought it could be nice, but since you can’t keep your mind from the gutter, Klaus, I’ll just…. Entertain myself!”

Caroline by this point, was at her bedroom door, and managed to slam it in his face. And she felt quite proud of her timing, until she heard a hearty laugh from the other side of the door, and Caroline realised exactly what she said.

She groaned loudly to herself. Though was inconveniently still thrumming with energy from the day, just now with a second lot of energy joining the rest.

Later that night, it was Klaus’ turn to cook Caroline a silent apology meal. The same way she cooked for him the night he arrived.

He wasn’t sure what had got into him. Winding up Caroline was just such a delicious exercise. The shades of pink she turned, the entendres she inadvertently made, the adorably over the top facial expressions he elicited. It was just quite fun.

But after an hour of feeling a little pleased with himself about it all, he started feeling a little guilty.

She was an adult, and she was an exceptionally beautiful adult – although he’d never let himself admit that to himself before and never would again (she was Stefan’s sister after all) – but she was still young. It wasn’t like he was 1000-years-old and she just 18 – he was only two years older than her – but he didn’t know where she was on her sexual journey. Flirting her into knots when he was quite confident in his sexuality, and she not so much, just felt a bit ick.

Klaus decided as much fun as flirting with Caroline had been, he was going to leave that ball in her court, so to speak. If she wanted to flirt with him overtly, then he would pick up what she put down, but wouldn’t initiate it.

“Hey Klaus,” Caroline said softly, when she finally surfaced for dinner. “This isn’t pizza.”

She still had a bit of pent up energy, but was wary because of before. Although it felt surprisingly good to flirt with Klaus, she felt it was a bit of a dangerous line to toe.

“Well spotted,” he intoned, sardonically. “I thought we could partake in a well loved, alliterative tradition; Taco Tuesday.”

Caroline smiled a little brighter. If he wasn’t going to mention earlier, then neither would she.

“That sounds nice!” she replied. “I have some tequila upstairs if you want margaritas to go with it?”

“Caroline Elizabeth Forbes!” Klaus exclaimed, in mock indignance. “It’s a school night!”

She rolled her eyes in response, and flounced upstairs to get the bottles she needed.

When she came back down, she set to work on the cocktails for the two of them.

“You know Caroline,” Klaus said. “I still don’t know much about you anymore. Tell me about yourself.”

“What don’t you know about me? You’ve known me since you were like eight?” Caroline said, squeezing a lime.

“Be that as it may, I hardly paid you any mind while in high school, and now I don’t live here,” Klaus reasoned. “Have you made any decisions about what or where you’ll study?”

“Not really,” she began, before thinking a couple moments longer. “I’d obviously love to do event planning or management. It would really be in keeping with skills I already have, but on the other hand, why waste money on a degree in something I’m already basically professional at. Another thing that was interesting to me was broadcast journalism, but as mom so rudely, but very fairly, pointed out, I barely watch the news as it is. I could do nursing, though blood makes me a bit squeamish.”

As Caroline continued to chatter about what she might want to do with her life, Klaus watched her, and noted the fondness he felt toward her. It was nice listening to her.

“I’m just rambling though, sorry,” Caroline said, a little embarrassed of herself. “I’m always doing that.”

“Not a problem in the slightest, Caroline,” Klaus said, throwing her a genuine smile. “It is nice.”

Caroline smiled shyly back at him, and blushed a little. He sounded so sincere, and it was so at odds with her usual interactions with Klaus.

“Any other thoughts on your future?” Klaus asked.

“Not really,” Caroline said. “I know people think I’m so planned and structured. But I think I want to go with the flow for a while, work out who I am before I settle for anything.”

“That’s very wise, love,” he said. “And I believe our food is ready.”

“Perfect timing!” Caroline grinned. “Margaritas are too!”

“Shall we take our dinner in the lounge?”

“No way, you animal!” Caroline laughed, grabbing the margarita jug in one hand and the glasses in the other. “We are having party food, which means we dine in the party room!”

“The den, I take it?”

“Correct!”

With that, Caroline was off, leaving Klaus to bring all the dishes for dinner into the den, where Caroline was setting up some elaborate game for them already.

“Steady on, sweetheart!” Klaus laughed at her. “How are we supposed to eat and play beer pong at the same time?”

“Oh, Klaus, honey, this isn’t beer pong!” Caroline laughed. “It’s the greatest board game you’ll ever play. I’m prototyping a drinking game for when I go to college.”

“Silly me,” Klaus drawled. “Explain the rules while we eat. But tuck in love, before it gets cold.”

The two friends whiled away the next few hours playing Caroline’s game. Klaus had to hand it to her, the girl knew what made a good drinking game.

It was just after 11pm when they decided to stop playing. Even by that time, there was not a clear winner.

“This is why I am prototyping, Klaus!” Caroline said, swatting playfully at him. “So I can discover where there are holes in the game play. I obviously have to work on the point system more!”

Both of them were definitely well past tipsy, but not quite properly drunk yet. They were in that happy, buzzing period where everything was that little bit heightened. Jokes were funnier, jibes were more meaningful, and flirts were more sensual.

“I probably should go to bed,” Caroline said through her buzz. “Or I’ll regret this in the morning.”

“How could you regret such quality time with me, my love?” Klaus teased.

“Oh so I’m your love now, am I?” Caroline giggled. “Not just a plain old love.”

“You get special consideration for making me laugh,” Klaus stated, matter-of-factly.

“I get it,” Caroline said, as she sprung up from the couch. “There’s levels, am I right?”

“And what on earth do you mean by that, Caroline,” he replied, getting up to follow after her.

“Oh you know,” she said, as she began climbing the stairs. “Everyone gets ‘love’, right? The ones you like a little more get ‘sweetheart’. And then the best people get ‘my love’?”

Caroline stopped midway up the stairs to turn around and raise her eyebrows triumphantly at him. Klaus, stopped his ascent when he was just a step below her, and he was awfully close to her. But in this tipsy state, he didn’t much mind.

“That’s right, my love,” Klaus said, cockily.

She leaned in, her face so close to his, he could count the freckles on her cheeks. Even though she was a full step above him, she was just at his eye level. Her heavy eyes bored into his and Klaus could have sworn her eyes flicked to his lips. And he certainly would by lying to himself if he said his eyes didn’t flick to hers.

“That’s what I thought,” Caroline said, her voice as low as he ever heard it.

With her eyes still locked with his, a tiny, mischievous smile lit her face, and she began chewing on her bottom lip.

It was Caroline unlike he’d ever seen her before. Enticing, intriguing, exciting. And that was enough to make him want her. But add just a hint of the forbidden in the mix, and boy, did it make her that much more alluring.

She leaned in a fraction closer, and Klaus was sure he was about to feel the glory of her lips on his, when his phone started buzzing loudly in his pocket.

Caroline visibly shook herself, apparently regaining her composure much faster than he was able to.

“You should get that.”

The voice was still Caroline’s, it was still kind and melodic, but he couldn’t help but feel he lost something secret.

“Klaus, the phone,” Caroline urged.

Finally pulled from his trance, Klaus reached into his pocket to grab his still ringing phone.

“Hello,” he answered.

“Klaus!”

Caroline only heard a loud voice excitedly say Klaus’ name, and she already heard enough.

With nothing more than a gesture upstairs to her bedroom, Caroline was off to sleep.

She didn’t escape fast enough, before she heard the tail end of Klaus’ conversation.

“I’m busy,” he said. “Hanging out with the best people. Goodbye.” 

Hearing that made a warm glow spread through her.

It was still alight within her the next night when she and Klaus were sitting in the lounge watching a movie after dinner. 

“So, am I invited to the event this weekend?” Caroline asked, about 45 minutes into the movie.

“It’s the founders’ Christmas party. You are part of two founding families, Caroline,” Klaus replied, sardonically. “I think you have a weightier invitation than I do.”

Caroline just laughed.

“But in all seriousness,” Klaus said. “Mother made a point of saying just today to make sure you come along. You’ll be the only representative of the Forbes and Salvatore family in attendance this year apparently.

“I guess that’s right,” Caroline said, pondering. “I will be all alone!”

“You will hardly be alone, love,” Klaus said, chuckling at her dramatics. “Elena and Bonnie will be there.”

“No actually,” Caroline said. “Elena and Jeremy are going to some family reunion thing out of town, and Bonnie is will be visiting her cousin.”

“What about my siblings?”

“Come on, Klaus,” Caroline chided. “All of them will have their friends there. Plus, your sister is dating Matt, my ex. Not super keen to hang out with those two just yet, as much as I like them both.”

“Well, there’s nothing else for it,” Klaus stated, with a tiny wink. “You’ll have to be my date for the evening.”

“I’ll have to be your date, will I?” Caroline asked, a little coolly.

“Yes you will, my love,” Klaus teased.

Caroline laughed, her faux-cool exterior cracking.

“Fine, I’ll be your date, Klaus,” Caroline said, that flirtatious smile back on her face. “But only if you wear a suit, and court me somehow. And get me a gift, obviously. I don’t put out otherwise.”

“I wouldn’t dream of you putting out for me, sweetheart,” he replied, trying desperately to play it as cool as she seemed to be. “But I can definitely find a suit.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she replied.

At that moment, she hauled herself up from the couch, and began to pick up the plates in front of them, left over from dinner.

“Don’t worry about that yet, love,” Klaus said, covering her hand with his, and gently indicating to leave the chores for later.

Caroline flicked her eyes from their joined hands to his eyes.

“Stay,” he urged.

Caroline let herself be pulled back onto the couch, although this time she was far closer to Klaus than she had been, and he did not let go of her hand. And she wasn’t quite sure why, but she felt very comfortable to stay tangled up in him.

For the remainder of the film, neither of them spoke much, other than a bit of banter dragging the movie, but their bodies stayed close, and their hands locked. Every now and then Caroline would stroke her foot delicately along Klaus’ leg, or Klaus would draw circles with his thumb on her skin.

After it finished, they stayed in a similar state of sweet, both ignoring the complete insanity of what they were doing; just chatting, laughing, teasing.

And that’s how it was for the next couple of days. They spent every possible moment together; furtive glances, lingering touches, and enough entendre to keep both of them dizzy for each other. Though they still hadn’t taken it any further. While it was just implied attraction, it seemed much easier to deny.

When Saturday morning dawned, Caroline could hardly contain her excitement.

Now, she had been giving herself stern talking tos all week, because she knew once her parents were home, and Klaus left, things would go right back to the way they were. It would be like he was never there.

She knew that. She knew it would be that way, she knew it would have to be that way, she knew, no matter what this dalliance was, Klaus wouldn’t let it be any other way. And frankly, she wouldn’t let it be any other way.

But gosh, for the moment, it felt damn good to be so wrapped up in someone.

“Morning, my love,” Klaus yawned, as he came down the stairs the morning of the party. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah! Really well,” Caroline replied. “I was thinking of making pancakes for breakfast. Sound good?”

Klaus nodded his affirmative, before turning to put a pot of coffee on.

“What plans do you have for the day?” Klaus asked, just as the coffee machine began to whirr.

“Not really much, just breakfast, relax a bit, then I’ll start getting ready for the party at some point,” Caroline replied, smiling at him. “I have a very handsome date tonight?”

“Do you just?”

And boy, did she just.

Because later that day, as she descended the stairs, she nearly choked. For, standing at the bottom of the steps, with that god-damn perfect smirk quirking his lips, was Klaus, looking positively devastating in a crisp dark, navy suit.

“You scrub up well, Mikaelson,” Caroline praised, managing to keep her cool, and keep from actually choking.

“As do you, Forbes,” Klaus replied. “You are stunning.”

And she was. Her off-the-shoulder dress was the perfect package, for such a beautiful woman. Klaus honestly wasn’t sure how he was going to go back to Caroline being just his best friend’s little sister. Maybe he could never go back.

“I got you something,” Klaus said, handing her a long, thin box.

Caroline’s brow furrowed slightly, even though her eyes were wide, as she took the gift. She popped the lid of the box, and was met with a sparkling bracelet twinkling back at her.

“Klaus, it’s beautiful,” she said, in awe. “But I can’t accept this.”

“Come now, Caroline. This is that gift you demanded,” Klaus chuckled, taking the bracelet from her hand and beginning to attach it to her wrist. “Although, I still don’t expect you to put out, even though I met your demands.”

Caroline laughed out loud, remembering their conversation from days before.

“You really know how to make a girl feel special, don’t you?” Caroline asked.

“Only the very best,” he replied, winking. “But we best be off. Mother will have my bow tie, and the head above it, if we are too late.”

“Yeah, you know the bow tie? Weird choice.”

Before too long, the two of them were stepping through the doors of the Mikaelson Mansion – the scene for the party that particular evening.

Caroline really was in awe of Mrs Mikaelson and her unrivalled ability to put on a show. Everything was twinkling, or sparkling, the soft music playing in the background was classy but not the usual boring string music that normally played at this sort of thing.

“Niklaus! Caroline!”

The hostess herself swanned over to the almost couple the moment they were through the door.

“It is so lovely to have you both here.”

“Thank you for having me, Mrs Mikaelson,” Caroline said, sweetly. “This place looks amazing.”

“Yes, mother,” Klaus interjected. “You’ve truly outdone yourself.”

“Oh, stop it,” the older woman beamed. “I’m glad you two are here, now the grand total of young people is at about 15. I did so hope more of your classmates would come along, Caroline.”

“Me too,” Caroline sympathised. “But you know this time of year, just so busy!”

“Yes, yes, well, I suppose,” Esther said, as another few guests arrived. “I must be off, do enjoy yourselves, and say goodbye before you leave.”

With that, the Mikaelson matriarch was off, leaving Caroline and Klaus to the party.

The two of them walked deeper into the house, a little awkwardly. They had been cooped up all week, just the two of them, and now they were out in the open, not particularly sure how to interact.

“Maybe we get some drinks?” Klaus said.

“Yeah, as if they’ll serve us alcohol. We’re both underage. Your mom’s the host, my mom’s the sheriff!”

“We can have orange juice or coke, sweetheart,” Klaus chuckled.

“Hi you two!” a voice said, from behind them.

It was Rebekah, who was holding a bit too tightly to her boyfriend’s hand.

“Hi,” Caroline said back, tensing a little. She was over Matt, she had to remind herself. “You guys having a good time.”

“Yes!” Rebekah exclaimed. “Most of my friend group is here. Not many seniors though, just you and Matt as far as I can tell.”

“Yeah,” Caroline said. “Honestly, though, without Bonnie and Elena, I’m pretty fresh out of my best buddies.”

Rebekah laughed in response, and then launched into her thoughts on Caroline’s current routines about the cheer squad.

The two girls spoke for a while, Matt and Klaus making gruff males-who-don’t-have-much-in-common small talk, until the lights lowered further, and the stately classical music, gave way to more popular tunes played by a DJ.

“Oh my gosh, Matt! It’s our song!” Rebekah shrieked, as a fairly non-descript pop song began to play.

With that, they were off into the middle of the crowd, dancing joyfully. 

Caroline felt a little pang in her chest. Partly out of the loss of such an easy boyfriend, as Matt was. But more for the fact that she and Klaus didn’t have a song, and never would. Tomorrow, her parents would be home, Klaus would be gone, and their moment would be over.

She and Klaus stood watching the crowd for a few minutes, when the song changed, and a Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas began to play.

“Care to dance, my love?” Klaus asked, almost tenderly.

She smiled, and let him lead her into the fray.

He pulled her close, close enough to drive them both crazy, but still far enough away to maintain that increasingly elusive plausible deniability.

“Does that make this our song?” Klaus murmured to her as they held each other.

“Do we need a song?” Caroline asked, doubtfully.

He didn’t answer, but he did pull her fractionally closer, even as he cast his eyes downward for a moment.

They remained silent for the rest of the song, though as the next started, Caroline’s face cracked into a smile.

“You know what, yes,” she said. “That is our song. I’ve had a really great time this week Klaus, no matter what.”

“Me too, my love,” he said, softly.

“Why don’t we get going?” Caroline asked, as though making an internal decision. “We can play loud music back at the Salvatore mansion, and maybe make our fun.”

Klaus nodded briskly, and she strode away from him. Following after her at a slower pace, his heart sped up slightly at the thought of what Caroline maybe had in mind. His best friend’s sister she may have been, but Klaus couldn’t deny the way his body had been consistently reacting to her the past few days.

“You two leaving so soon?”

Esther caught them as they were right at the exit. Klaus hoped Caroline would have an excuse because he certainly didn’t know how to explain to his mother that he was leaving her party early, with a girl, to go back to the girl’s empty house.

“Yes, Mrs Mikaelson,” Caroline said, with sincere sadness in her voice. “I have been trying to be really strict with my curfew lately, being a senior and all. I’ve got to keep my nose down if I want to get into my first choice college.”

“If it’s for college, I suppose I can’t fault your commitment to your studies.”

“I can send Klaus back after he’s dropped me off, if you’d like?”

“Only if he wants to, Caroline,” Esther replied. “I have a feeling he only came today because you were interested. Niklaus will do what Nikaus wants, and nothing more.”

“Okay then, we better get going then,” Caroline said with a bright, charming smile. “Thank you so much for having us. You wait until I tell the girls at school what they missed because they had plans!”

Klaus bid his mother goodbye, and the two were off.

“You should win an academy award for that performance, Ms Forbes,” Klaus quipped.

“That’s because it’s not untrue!” Caroline said to him, as they both clambered into the car. “You’ve been a horrible influence on me! Since the start of semester, every week night, I’ve been in bed before ten, and every weekend I’ve been in by eleven. Admittedly, it’s only nine now, but still.”

“I didn’t realise I was in such proper company,” Klaus joked.

“Oh shush, I can party after I get into college, and I have no idea what I want to do, so I’m keeping my options open.”

“So, if I call on you for a party the moment you finish finals, I can be sure of party animal Caroline in full force.”

“You sure can, Klaus, and that’s a promise.”

Klaus smirked, as he started the drive back to the Salvatore house. He fully intended to collect on that promise.

“So, what do you want to drink?” Caroline asked, when they arrived back.

“Whatever you’re having love,” Klaus said.

“I don’t think I’ll have any,” she said, before winking. “I don’t need alcohol to have fun.”

“I’m sure you don’t, sweetheart,” Klaus said. “But it sure can help get the fun started.”

“Yeah, I know,” Caroline said. “But, I meant what I said to you earlier. I’ve been really bad this week. It’s been so fun with you, but I want to at least be able to look my parents in the face tomorrow and not have to lie about boozing all night tonight.”

“Right you are, love,” Klaus smiled. “Not an enviable task I’m sure; lying to the sheriff.”

“Do you want something to eat?” Caroline asked, striding into the kitchen. “The food at the party was lovely, but it sure was small.”

Klaus chuckled, he knew what she meant. Finger food was always the choice of snack for that sort of party.

“We came back to have our own party,” Klaus replied. “So party food is always a good start.”

Klaus was leaning against the kitchen bench when Caroline pulled out some ingredients to make grilled cheese sandwiches for them both.

When they polished off the sandwiches, Klaus looked at Caroline, his head tilted to the side.

“What now?” he asked her.

“Are you sure you don’t want a drink?” she checked.

“My eyes will be as open as yours, Caroline.”

“Do you want to watch a movie?”

“That could be nice,” he replied, though he noticed an unfamiliar, but exciting glint in her eyes.

“Or we could do something else,” Caroline said, as she pushed herself off the counter to looped her fingers though his belt loops and pulled him closer to her.

Klaus settled his hands on her waist, his mouth a little dry, and his heart pounded a somewhat faster. She was looking at him with such determination, and any resolve he pretending to have wavered.

And then she pressed her soft lips to his, and it completely crumbled.

When Klaus would replay that night in his head, as he secretly would many times in the years to come, he would always edit in a pause, where he showed some semblance of restraint, where he didn’t kiss back straight away.

But in reality, so lost was he in instant euphoria, he fell headlong into the moment.

He brought his hands up to cup her face, pulling it even closer than it already was. He tilted his head to the other side to open his mouth, and deepen the kiss.

For the intensity of the moment, it was still quite innocent.

After a few more seconds, Caroline pulled away, her nose and cheeks delightfully rose coloured, her pupils dilated.

She sucked her lips a little nervously, and looked at him through her long lashes. She ran her hands down his arms to interlock her fingers with his. Without saying a word, unable to get enough, he placed a few chaste kisses to her lips.

“Klaus,” she said, her voice laden. “Do you want to go upstairs?”

He softly, playfully, ran his nose up the side of her face, until his eyes met hers, he smiled faintly, and nodded.

Caroline used their linked hands to lead Klaus from the kitchen, up the stairs, stopping at her bedroom door.

“Are you sure, Caroline?” Klaus asked.

“Are you?” she replied.

“Yes.”

The word hung between them, signing away any plausibly deniability. But they were both too wrapped in each other to quite mind.

Caroline opened the door, and let him in.

For the first time since Caroline kissed him, Klaus was curious to the world beyond her. He had never been into her room before, in all the years he’d been in and out of that house.

It was tastefully decorated, of course it was, and had such an eclectic mix of trinkets and doo-dads from Caroline’s life. A photo of her, Elena, and Bonnie as young girls, a souvenir model of the Eiffel Tower, a figurine of Harry Potter, her Miss Mystic Falls trophy. It was such a study in Caroline, and he felt his heart clench at the thought that beyond tomorrow, he would no longer be able to study her.

As Klaus appraised her room, Caroline appraised herself in her mirror. She noted her extra flushed complexion, and her mildly smudged make up. She noticed her slender shoulders, and how striking she actually looked. She wondered how Klaus saw her.

As she gazed upon herself, she wondered if this was the right thing to do. She had always imagined having sex for the first time with someone she loved, or at least someone she was in a relationship with. Klaus was neither of those things.

Sure, she fancied him a bit. And had for a long time, but in the way girls tended to do about their older siblings’ friends. She’d fancied Damon’s friend Ric for a while as well, didn’t mean she wanted to sleep with him.

She wasn’t sure what it was about Klaus, but she wanted him.

Plus, she was sick of pretending. Half the people at school thought she’d slept with Matt, and the other half thought it was Tyler. Even Bonnie and Elena just assumed she had. They never really asked her, more wrapped up in their own drama. And it was always something she was too awkward about to correct.

With both Matt and Tyler, they’d done some stuff, but Caroline had never felt comfortable enough with them or with herself, to want to take that next step.

But with Klaus, boy, she wanted it. She had been aching for him all week. In a way she hadn’t before. And she may not have had sex, but she knew how to help herself out thank you very much – and she had.

The long and short of it all was, she was ready. She wanted it to be this way. It may not have matched the picture in her head, but it felt better. And that, more than anything, steeled her resolve that this was what she wanted.

She turned away from the mirror, and faced him.

“So,” she said.

“So,” he repeated.

He moved toward her, and placed his hands on her bare shoulders, gently rubbing his palm back and forward over the exposed skin.

She leaned up to catch his lips once more, this time a little more passionately than the last.

Klaus responded instantly, sliding his hands from her shoulders to begin exploring the curves of her waist, and butt.

Caroline began walking them backward, until they hit the bed, and she pulled him on top of her. Being horizontal with him, on her bed, amped up the ever rising excitement in her, and she couldn’t help the pushing herself up to alleviate some of the pressure.

“That felt nice,” she murmured to him, between kisses.

They remained in that position for a while, Caroline not particularly sure how to progress things along, but also not wanting to admit this to her lover.

Though, before too long, the increasingly impatient Klaus, sat up to rid himself of his button down shirt, before settling himself on propped elbows above her.

Caroline was in total awe of his body. In high school, Klaus had never had a dad-bod or anything, but has also never been particularly jacked. But the man above her now was toned and defined in an incredibly alluring way.

Before she could stop herself, Caroline was running her hands softly over his skin, trying to commit to memory every dip and crevice in his body.

“Sorry,” she said shyly, when she shook herself out of the stupor.

“I am yours tonight, Caroline,” he replied, his eyes hungry for her. “Explore all you want.”

Caroline smiled appreciatively at him, and briefly wondered if he knew what he was doing. But she brushed that off almost immediately. That was for future Caroline to fret about.

After a little longer exploring his body, Klaus began slowly running his hands down from her shoulders again, though this time, he caught her dress on the way down. It pulled down easily, and soon revealed Caroline’s perfect body to his eyes.

“You are a picture, Caroline,” he said, with a strangled note to his voice, as he took in the matching red lace strapless bra and panties.

Caroline smiled, a little abashed by the look in his eyes. Though buoyed by it also, Caroline reached for the zip of his pants, and undid it. Rather than awkwardly wriggle under him to make her attempt with her hands, Caroline laid back down and brought her flexible legs upward, locking her dainty toes into the waistband of the pants. She deftly manoeuvred the pants down his legs enough that he could simply shake them off himself.

She internally congratulated herself on that move. She’d seen it once in an adult movie she watched, and she was stoked that she managed to do it without it being completely awkward.

Now both almost completely naked, they resumed their kissing, though this time everything became a little more frenzied. Both of them were losing the little self-control they had, their skin rubbing together intoxicatingly. They only paused when Caroline rid herself of her bra, leaving her breasts to bounce freely.

Klaus immediately cupped with mounds with his coarse hands, further tightening the spring in Caroline’s abdomen. He honestly didn’t think he’d ever touched such perfect breasts before, and it was driving him wild.

Klaus changed positions and suddenly he was kissing himself down her body, before he went to place an open mouthed kiss on the apex of her thighs through her underwear.

“What are you doing?” she asked, a little alarmed by this turn of events.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Klaus replied, instantly looking guilty. All the girls he’d tried this on with had been like putty in his hands. “I thought you might like…”

“Umm, I guess,” she said, self-consciously, turning bright red. “No one has ever…”

She left the sentence hanging, and looked just about anywhere than at his face between her legs.

“I don’t have to, Caroline,” he said, trying to calm her unease. “But if you want me to, I’m more than happy to oblige.”

“Do I have… to um… I guess…” she said, stumbling for the way she could say what she wanted. “Will you want the same?”

“I don’t know who you’ve been sleeping with, Caroline,” Klaus chuckled, completely missing the guilty look Caroline’s face. “But I will not make you do anything you don’t want to do. And I won’t even hold your own pleasure to ransom for it. There’s no fun in that for me.”

“Oh, okay, I guess I…” she started, still not quite sure what she wanted. “Can you… umm… do your thing… for a bit, then we see?”

Klaus nodded. Though, before he went back to his task, he crawled back up her body, and kissed her lightly on the mouth, looking deeply into her eyes.

“You’re beautiful, Caroline,” he whispered. “Just relax, and make sure you tell me what you want. I’m not some high school jock solely interested in my own pleasure.”

He winked, and kissed her again, before adding in the most diabolical voice Caroline ever heard, “I’m very interested in your pleasure too.”

That was enough to halt her embarrassment, and have her spring coiling again. There was something particularly sexy about someone wanting her pleasure, as well as their own.

She caught herself briefly pondering whether Klaus would spoil her for boys her own age, but before she could explore that thought any more, the thought was whipped from her mind, as Klaus hooked his fingers into her strappy panties, left her bare in front of him, and placed his mouth on the heat between her legs.

It felt quite unlike anything she had experienced before

He kissed at her a few times, before he started flicking his tongue back and forward over her clitoris. It was fire. He slowly added one of his fingers into her, then two, pulling them in and out at an increasing pace. She couldn’t help the small whimper that escaped her mouth.

“Klaus,” Caroline asked, after a few minutes, her voice a lot more strangled with want than last she spoke. “I want you now, I think.”

Klaus had never heard anything sexier in his life, and he was all too willing to abide. He gave only a few more thrusts of his fingers, before he pulled them out, and finally pulled his own underwear off.

With both bodies now completely nude, the tension in the room buzzed up a notch.

Klaus settled himself back over her, and kissed her, hard.

Caroline could now reach his cock. And reach it she did. She took it into her hand and began to stroke up and down, imagining with each stroke that he was pumping into her.

“Condom?” Klaus asked, trying his absolute utmost to be responsible, when all he wanted to do was thrust into her, consequences be damned.

She scrambled from the bed, and went into her en suite, to pull out a couple of the little foil packets.

As she crossed back to him, he grabbed at her waist to pull her down onto him as quickly as possible, and he began attacking her lips again. They lost themselves in that for a moment before Caroline pressed the condom into Klaus’ hand.

He moved off her and onto his back, to tear the packet open, and remove the item. He reached down to roll the latex over himself, then rolled back so he was bearing over her once more.

Caroline’s breathing hitched with every breath, anticipation sizzling every part of her body. Klaus reached between them to grab his cock, and guided it toward her opening. He teased her a little with it, running the tip of his penis along her folds, until she mewled for more.

Delicately, Klaus began to push into her. He pushed slowly, centimetre by centimetre, until she fully gloved him.

“You feel…” she said, barely able to get the words out. “Amazing.”

“God, Caroline,” he said, nearly embarrassed at how desperate he was to move in her. “This is incredible.”

“Move, Klaus, please.”

Only too happy to obliged, Klaus pulled himself from her and slid back in, with more speed that the last time. Then he went again, quicker still.

Soon, Klaus was set in a steady rhythm, and Caroline couldn’t believe what she was feeling. She clung to him, and was astounded to feel herself wanting more and more. Her hands made their way to his muscular ass and gripped it. She found if she used her grip on his butt to push him further into her, they both let out moans of pleasure

She found her breathing grow a bit ragged, as she studied Klaus face, his brow furrowed, his mouth slightly open from the pleasure.

“Caroline,” Klaus said, his voice strained. “I’m going to come.”

She couldn’t help but gasp at the pure need in his voice, then again when she felt the twitch from his cock as he came into her.

They both lay there panting for a few moments, and Caroline couldn’t believe what had just happened.

He kissed her tenderly, before easing himself out of her. He got up and padded into her bathroom, to dispose of the condom, but was back as soon as he could. He felt the loss of her body instantly.

Caroline smiled shyly at him again, like she had earlier in the night.

“Sorry I didn’t…,” she said, once again not finding the right words. “You know… come for you.”

Klaus’ face twisted, a little bit in embarrassment, little bit in sympathy, but mostly in amusement for her innocent remark.

“Caroline, I would have been more offended if you had faked it,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “I should be apologising for not helping you get there.”

“I don’t really know how to get there,” she admitted in a whisper. She never admitted it out loud before, and she was mortified with herself that she had then.

But Klaus smiled understandingly at her.

“I don’t think that’s uncommon,” he said. “And practice makes perfect, right?”

She laughed, and swatted at him. She was also a little bit in awe that he had made her feel comfortable about something that had brought her such anxiety.

“Also, again, you’re sleeping with the wrong people if they don’t help you practice.”

Caroline blushed, and covered it by kissing him. She didn’t know why she was too embarrassed to tell Klaus this was her first time, when she so obviously gave him pleasure. But she just decided it was too much to share, she didn’t know if she would be able to if she tried.

“How about I get us a snack, and then we kiss some more?” he said, playfully, as he sprung out of bed to find something to cover himself. 

When he left the room a minute later in nothing but a towel, Caroline relaxed back to stare at the ceiling.

Unsure of how to feel.

Her body was still buzzing in the after glow, and she thought, even though she hadn’t had one of those really loud, body shaking orgasms she had seen the few times she watched porn, she’d also read enough articles about first times to know that this one had been a pretty special one.

By the time Klaus was back, chocolate bars and cups of tea in hand, Caroline had regained her most of her faculties, and she grinned at him.

“Well that was fun,” she said, as he handed her one of the mugs.

“That it was,” Klaus replied, chinking his mugs to hers. “Repeat?”

“When?” Caroline laughed.

The mood shifted slightly, both of them immediately a little uncomfortable with the question that had been chasing them all week.

What happens next?

“I’m not sure,” Klaus said, looking down at the drink in his hand.

“Me neither,” Caroline replied.

They were an absurd picture, Caroline was sure; a young couple, sitting completely naked, in silent awkwardness, drinking tea from dainty china cups.

“I don’t want to pretend this never happened,” Caroline confessed. How could she pretend? “But I understand if you do. Because of… you know… Stefan, and I’m in high school, or whatever.”

Caroline lips were tight, and her jaw was set, Klaus knew it was hard for her to say, and he appreciated it. But honestly, he didn’t know what he wanted to do.

“We did complicate things a little, didn’t we?”

“Yep,” she replied, popping the p audibly.

“It doesn’t have to be complicated,” Klaus posited, an underlying question in his voice.

“It doesn’t?” Caroline asked, raising her eyebrow.

“The age thing isn’t weird, especially since your brother dated your best friend and you had to be okay with it?” Klaus said, remembering the awful time throughout their final year of high school and first year of college when Stefan and Elena dated.

“Oh yeah, because I could ever have made Elena realise it was totally weird for me,” Caroline scoffed. “I love her, but she has got no self-awareness, and frankly no concept of a world not revolving around her.”

“Yes, I can imagine if you told her about this… about us, she would go all hysterical at you, all distraught about how I’m the reason she and Stefan broke up,” Klaus laughed.

“You’re so right, she hates you, I forgot!”

“Yes, and Bonnie doesn’t like me much either,” Klaus noted.

“Oh my god, I wish she would get over that! You and Stefan played one prank on her, and she will never let it me, or anyone else, forget it!”

“I’m still not sure how Stefan has been cleared of all charges, and yet I am still in the dog house after three years!” Klaus exclaimed. “Speaking of Stefan…”

“Honestly, he’s a wild card,” Caroline said. “He’s usually pretty understanding, but sometimes is a totally over protective ass, you know.”

“I can imagine he would avenge your innocence in subtle ways,” Klaus said. “Like would drop into random conversations with ethical questions about dating their friend’s siblings.”

“Yeah, probably,” Caroline giggled. “Imagine Elijah! ‘Niklaus! I used to babysit that girl!’”

“Yes! And ‘you are far too brutish for a sweet girl like, Caroline,’!” Klaus added. “Oh and think of Rebekah.”

“How could you sleep with my brother!” Caroline cried, in a high pitched, mock-English accent, imitating Rebekah. “How could you sleep with my ex, Bekah, if we want to get into the weeds on the girl code.”

“Bekah and Matt have slept together?” Klaus asked, sharply.

“Oh come on Klaus,” Caroline chided. “Given the conversation we’re having, maybe we not judge your sister for anything she wants.”

“There’s the rub though, sweetheart,” Klaus said, sadly. “That’s how the judgement will happen.”

“Does it matter?” Caroline asked, trying not to sound hurt.

“I don’t know,” Klaus said, honestly. “But rest assured you won’t be my dirty little secret. I refuse to let something I enjoyed so much be something I feel guilty about.”

There was such conviction in his voice that Caroline could have cried. And she did have to take a few deep breaths to stop the tears from visibly springing to her eyes. 

“Okay,” she said, decisively. “We won’t tell people, but we won’t lie if asked. That seems okay right?”

“Seems fair,” he replied, as he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to her, and placed a gentle kiss to her mouth.

“And leaves it open for something else in the future,” she winked.

“Now that,” Klaus said, genuinely smiling. “Would be my pleasure.”

Caroline smiled back at him, and kissed him again, feeling content with their conversation.

It wasn’t until the next afternoon, when Liz and Giuseppe returned home, and thanked Klaus for being company for Caroline while they were away, did Caroline fully comprehend the feeling of sadness that was mixed in with the contentment.

“I’ll see you out,” Caroline said to Klaus, as he grabbed his bag and headed for the door.

“Chin up, my love,” Klaus said, nudging her with his elbow. “We don’t need your parents thinking I’m a bad babysitter. They’ll never ask me here again.”

“I had a really great time this week,” Caroline said, earnestly, as he packed his bag into the boot of his car.

“As did I, Caroline,” he replied. “I am looking forward to when you’re in college, maybe you’ll join me and Stefan. It would be nice to have you around.”

Caroline glowed a little from the compliment.

“And in any case, perhaps, when you’re done with senior year, and that party animal you promised me comes out to play,” Klaus said, cheekily. “Maybe you will invite me for one of your events.”

Caroline grinned at him, before wrapping her arms around him for a hug.

“I’ll see you,” she murmured.

“Thank you, Caroline.”

And with that, he was slipping into the front of his car and was driving off, leaving Caroline to just wave at his tail lights as he went.

xxx

Let me know what you think!!!

#klaroline #klaroline fanfic #klaroline fanfiction #klaroline drabble #more of a one shot #kcauweek2020

[floatingpetals]

Boys in Blue || Pt. 8

Pairings: cop!Stucky x F!Reader

Warnings: angst, mentions of gun violence and blood, possible trigger warning(?)

Word Count: 3100+

Summary: (Cop AU) There was just one crappy thing after enough that happened to her. It possibly couldn’t get any worse, or so she thought until she saw the dreaded flashes of red and blue behind her. Could things get any worse?

A/N: This was going to be finished last night but noooo. Stupid painting. Anyways. I hope you all enjoy this next part... Maybe. I don’t know. It leans a little more on the serious side for this story. I won’t say much more to give it away. Let me know what ya’ll think! Enjoy!♥

The gifs are not mine, credit to the owner. 

Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Series Masterlist

Y/N was at work when she got the call. The dreaded call that everyone feared they would get about their loved ones. Her work phone rang, which wasn’t strange. She didn’t spare a glance at the caller id before she answered, cradling the phone against her ear.

“Y/N speaking.”

“Y/N, sweetheart.” Steve was on the other end, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke. Instantly Y/N knew something was wrong.

“Steve? Wh-whats wrong?” Frantically she began searching for her phone in her purse. It was on silent in the side pocket. The phone lit up, showing her the thirty-three missed calls from Steve and the several dozen messages from him begging to answer. Her stomach dropped to her feet.

“B-Bucky,” Steve started. His voice caught, a sob struggling to force its way to the surface. He swallowed loudly before continuing. “Bucky was shot.”

All the blood drained from Y/N’s face. She sank back in her seat, a buzz starting to grow in her ears. This couldn’t be happening.

“He’s in surgery. I don’t know how bad it is, they won’t tell me.” Steve continued. He was struggling to keep it together. All his training never prepared him for the agony he would feel after seeing the love his life get gunned down before his eyes. “Sweetheart- Y/N, I need you here. Downtown hospital.”

Y/N didn’t have to be asked twice. She was already logging out of her computer and tossing her phone back in her purse.

“Give me ten minutes. I’ll be right there, baby.”

Steve bit out an okay, his throat burning as he kept in the tears. He couldn’t cry, not now. Not yet. Y/N threw the phone in the cradle and sprinted to her bosses office. The man didn’t even need to know more details. He knew Bucky and Steve, knew their line of work. He saw the raw panic and the growing tears and immediately waved her off. She shouted a thank you over her shoulder before she sprinted to her car.

The drive was excruciating. Even though she was ten minutes from the hospital, it was too long. She needed to be there now. However, she also knew she couldn’t afford any delays. Instead, she gripped the steering wheel until the blood drained from her knuckles and gnawed at her lip until she tasted blood.

She thanked whatever God was up there didn’t have horrible timing of humor when she pulled into a front row parking. Slamming her door shut, Y/N raced into the ER entrance. Steve was there before she had time to look for him, wrapping her up in his arms in a crushing hug.

He buried his face in her neck, his body trembling as he hunched over and held her tight. Y/N immediately wrapped her arms around his broad back and clung to him like a lifeline. She let him take a moment to recollect his thoughts, to get his baring. Bucky might be hurt, but she wasn’t. she knew he needed to know that, to see that she wasn’t in any danger. Steve didn’t pull away until he calmed his breathing and let go of that concern.  

Y/N reached and cupped his cheeks between her hands, thumbing the tears away.

“What happened? Is he going to be okay?” Y/N asked with a trembling voice. Steve’s let his eyelids fall shut, his brows pinched together. His brain kept replaying the last few moments over and over again in his head. He should have seen the gun in the man’s waistband. The man wasn’t even a part of the original traffic violation, but he wanted to put himself in the situation.

“We pulled over a guy who had a taillight out. It was just a routine stop.” Steve began. “There was a pedestrian that didn’t like us, kept yelling at us to leave the guy alone. Bucky wasn’t even going to give him a ticket. Just a warning to get it fixed.”

Steve had to stop and take a deep breath. Y/N leaned and pressed a lingering kiss to his chin, hoping she could pass him some strength. Steve smiled shakily.

“The pedestrian kept getting closer and Bucky kept asking him to back up. The guy didn’t like it. I should have seen it.” Steve croaked, shaking his head. He clenched his eyes shut, guilt washing over him. “I should have stepped up and detained the man. He was getting belligerent. But we didn’t want to cause more discourse. We figured he’d yell and leave. But he didn’t.”

“He shot Bucky.” Y/N whispered the tears she was holding back now flowing freely down her face. Steve nodded sharply.

“He shot Bucky point blank in the chest. I watched him collapse. I saw his blood splatter on the ground.” Steve cried quietly. “If it wasn’t for the guy we pulled over originally swinging his door open and knocking the shooter out, he’d have shot me. I watched Bucky get shot down, and all I could do was freeze.”

Y/N inhaled sharply. Not only was Bucky hurt, but she knew Steve was dragging himself down with guilt. This was more to him than just Bucky getting shot. Yes, it’s terrifying and scary, especially to watch the man he loves to get shot and possibly murdered right in front of him, except for Steve, this guilt included his inability to keep Bucky safe. He felt he failed.

Without pause, she closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around his waist. Steve clutched to her tightly, trembling and terrified of what was going to happen to Bucky. It kept repeating over and over in his head, the horror still painstakingly fresh. He couldn’t stop seeing the spray of Bucky’s blood, the flash from the muzzle, again and again. The shot still rang in his ears followed by the sound of Bucky’s body hitting the pavement. It made his throat feel tight, his eyes burned as the tears started to build once more.

“Hey, no.” Y/N gently took hold of his face between her hands. Her heart broke at the tears in Steve’s eye, the guilt written across his features. “I get that you feel like you’ve failed. You didn’t though. And I know Bucky sure as hell doesn’t and will never blame you for one stupid idiot, but right now, I need you to channel your inner future captain and stay with me. We need to figure out how Bucky is, and we need to be there for him. Right?”

Steve blinked rapidly, willing away the tears as he took in a deep shuttering breath. Y/N was right. He needed to pull himself together. Not just for himself, but for Bucky and Y/N both. He was trained for situations like this, he shouldn’t be completely losing it right now. He needed to be strong.

“Okay, good. Let’s go find a doctor and ask if they heard anything new.” Y/N let his face go to grab his hand. Steve’s eyes fell to their hands, watching Y/N link his fingers with hers, a calm washing over him as she dragged him over to the desk

“Hi. We were wondering if you knew the status on a James B. Barnes. He was shot on duty and no ones given us any of any updates on whether he’s okay or not.”

The nurse raised a brow and looked up at her over the desk with a touch of disdain. It made Y/N’s hackles rise. The nurse let out an irritated sigh and turned to her computer, clicking away on the screen.

“As I already explained to your friend, Dr. Temple is in surgery with him. Nothing new has changed in the five minutes he’s asked.” The nurse said in a monotone voice. Y/N scowled, that wasn’t nearly enough information.

“First off, neither Steve nor Bucky is my friend. They’re my boyfriends, so get that right. Second off, drop the fucking attitude and tell me exactly what the hell is wrong with him.” Y/N seethed. She kept her tone low to not make a bigger scene, but loud enough that the woman could hear the underlying fury. “We’re fully fucking aware he’s in surgery, but we need to know more. Did the bullet make a clean exit? Where did the bullet hit him? Did it shatter in his chest? Are there internal damages that could be life threatening? Did it hit any major arteries? Is the surgery to double check or is there something more? I don’t need your snark, I need answers and you’re going to give them to me. Either that or I’ll charge in the surgery room and get them myself.”

The woman blinked, physically reeling back as Y/N leaned across the desk and into her space. It was frightening how calm Y/N made herself out to seen despite the look of murder plainly written on her face. There was no doubt in the woman’s mind that if she didn’t tell Y/N what was on his file she’d most like stay true to her threat. The nurse shot Steve a concerned look, but he wasn’t paying the woman any mind. Rather, he was staring at Y/N with stars in his eyes, completely in awe.  

“Well?” Y/N asked, tilting her head to the side as she waited for the nurse to catch up. “Which option do you want to take?”

“I-uh.” The woman began to stutter, glancing between the computer and Y/N. Technically, she couldn’t tell Y/N or Steve. They weren’t kin or married. She didn’t want to get fired for this, but the crazed look in Y/N’s eyes made her think that was the least of her worries. She floundered for a moment, her mouth opening and closing for a few seconds.

“It’s alright, Karen.” A voice coming from the double doors stopped them both. A woman stepped out, with her hair still up in the cap for surgery. “I’m Dr. Temple. I assume you two are here for Sergeant Barnes?”

Abandoning the desk, Y/N and Steve rushed over to the doctor, leaving the nurse to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Yes, I’m his partner,” Steve said, his heart jumping to his throat. “Is he going to be okay? How is he? Did it do any damage?”

Dr. Temple laughed softly, holding her hands up. “Slow down, Sergeant. First, Barnes is fine. The surgery went well, especially considering where he got shot.”

“Where was it?” Y/N asked hesitantly.

“He was shot on his right side just below his clavicle. He didn’t have any shatter bones and there’s not internal bleeding that we weren’t able to stop. Nothing vital was hit either which is surprising considering how close he was shot. The bullet did have to be extracted, but fortunately for him the wound was clean and the extraction was done without a problem. He’ll scar and there probably will be a little physical therapy he’ll have to go through, but at least he’s alive.”

“Oh, thank God.” Steve let out a heavy sigh of relief and wrapped an arm around Y/N’s shoulder to tug her to his chest. He firmly pressed his lips against her crown and let his eyes fall shut as he tried to steady his heart. Y/N could have cried from happiness to know Bucky was going to be okay and that this wasn’t going to set him back much. She clutched to Steve, the tears starting to prick at the corner of her eyes once again.

“Would you both like to go see him?” Dr. Temple asked with a happy smile. Unable to say any words, both nodded quickly, eager to see Bucky with their own eyes. Dr. Temple waved them to follow her through the double doors and down the hallways.

She led them up to the elevator and down the recovery hall before pausing at a doorway.

“I do want to let you know, he looks worse than he is. He’ll also probably still be asleep for a while as his body heals. We’re hoping we can move him out of recovery and into a room downstairs by tomorrow, but it all depends on how quickly he wakes up.”

She slowly opened the door and stepped aside, letting Y/N and Steve in first. Y/N sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of Bucky laid out under the white sheet, machines hooked up to his arms and the soft beeping of the monitor echoing in the room. Pulling away from Steve, she rushed over to his side and took hold of his hand. Steve stood at the end of the bed, a new wave of guilt washing over him as he looked down at his partner and boyfriend.

Dr. Temple saw the dark expression on Steve’s face, having seen that exactly look many times before on her patients family. Gently tugging Steve aside, she kept her voice low not to attack Y/N’s attention as she spoke with Steve.

“I read the file of the incident. Nothing you did was wrong and nothing you could have done would have stopped that man from shooting him.” She said sternly. Steve stared at her in shock. “I know that you think you could have done something, but speaking from experience, things are different when it’s your loved one's life is on the line. Nothing you could have trained for would have ever prepared you for that. At the end of the day, you still got him to a hospital and were here waiting for him come out of surgery. He’s not going to blame you for freezing and neither should you.”

She patted his shoulder firmly before walking away, leaving him standing there with an unreadable expression. How a complete stranger knew what he was thinking was incredible in of itself, but the fact that she cut right to the chase made him stop to think. This wasn’t something he was going to get over that easily, as much as he wished he could. It still didn’t mean it was his fault either. Hearing someone else, a complete outsider that knew nothing about their situation, tell him the same thing made his thoughts settle. Even if it was for only a moment, he wasn’t going to wallow in his self-pity.

“I’m going to give you two sometime with him. Just hit the button if you need anything.”

Y/N uttered a thank you as the doctor left, shutting the door behind her. Y/N turned back to Bucky and smoothed the hair from his face, his soft curl uncontained without his usual gel to keep it back. He was paler than he usually was, no doubt from the trauma and blood loss he suffered. A large bandage was wrapped around his chest, securing the wound from the outside germs. Beyond that, he didn’t look like he had just been shot in the chest but that still didn’t make this any easier to swallow. With a tender touch, Y/N traced the pads of her fingers down the side of her cheek, smiling through the tears as she did.

Steve pulled up a chair beside where Y/N sat on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on her thigh. Y/N glanced at him, reaching down to squeeze his hand with hers. Neither said a word at first, both too engrossed to stare at Bucky, needed it to believe he was still there.

“Thank you for being here, with us,” Steve spoke quietly, breaking the silence.

“Nothin’ to thank me for, Steve,” Y/N mumbled. “He’s my boyfriend to worry over too.”

“I know,” Steve let out a sigh. “I’m just grateful to have to too is all. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here.”

“Probably still be tyrin’ to get that nurse behind the desk to tell you answers.” Y/N snorted with an eye roll. Steve chuckled softly.

“Yeah. Probably.”

“Hey,” Y/N cupped Steve’s face and tilted it to face him. “I’d still want to be here even if one of you stubbed your toe or broke an arm. I care about you both, a lot. I’ll always be here for either of you, no matter where or what time of the day it is.”

Steve couldn’t reply, his voice was lodged in his throat as he listened to Y/N speak gently. He could only smile and bite back the tears before he leaned forward and kissed her. Y/N grinned in the kiss and leaned into it, desperate to convey just how much they meant to her through the touch. She didn’t want there to be any doubt in his mind that she didn’t mean what she said.

“Don’t I get some of that?” Y/N gasped at the sound of Bucky’s raspy voice and pulled away. She spun back to Bucky and tightened her hold on his hand.

“You’re awake!” She cried. Bucky shot her his lopsided grin, moving to sit up against the pillows. A sharp pain exploded through his chest, causing him to hiss low and freeze in place. Y/N scowled, and Steve made a noise of irritation. “Don’t move! You just got out of surgery you dolt!”

Bucky chuckled through his gritted teeth but settled back on the bed with Y/N’s carefully guiding hands.

“Yup. Forgot about that.” He groaned, letting his body go slack. He took a second to do a mental once over of his body. He had all fingers and toes. But it felt like he got run over by a truck, his body aching while his chest felt on fire. Not the best feeling in the world to wake up to, he thought bitterly. Steve pushed off the chair and reached for the button across Bucky. He could see the pain written on Bucky’s face, plain as day.

“If you’re in that much pain, I’ll have them bump up your morphine drip.” He replied. Bucky opened his mouth to argue. He didn’t want any more pain meds, he already was hating the fuzzy feel he had right now. However, the pointed look Y/N sent his way stopped him short.

“You were just shot Bucky.” She repeated. “You’re allowed to want relief for the pain.”

“I know.” Bucky relented with a sigh. Y/N was right. “Just hate feeling weak is all.”

Y/N let out a deep breath, biting her tongue from making a comment. Now was not the time either. A nurse walked in before they could say more, and Y/N stood to move out of her way. Bucky grimaced and tightened his grip on her hand, dread flashing across his face. He inhaled sharply and the monitor picked up a frantic pace.

“You-you’re not going to leave, are you?” He whispered in a quiet broken voice, anxiously glancing between the two of them. Y/N cooed softly and brushed her hand along his forehead, hoping to silence his fears. Steve walked around to wrap an arm around Y/N’s waist and rested his chin against her shoulder, watching Y/N calm Bucky. Slowly, Bucky began to relax to her soft murmurs of reassurance, the tension slipping away.

“No, baby. We’re not goin’ anywhere. I promise.”

Perma Tag: (CLOSED)

@dolphinpink310 / @breezy1415 / @hymnofthevalkyrie / @sebbyismyking / @vivideley / @cherrynat / @heelsandfaces / @lovely-geek / @libbymouse / @the-crime-fighting-spider / @dkpink123 / @moderapoppins / @chuckennuggets1213 / @jack4xx / @witchymarvelspacecase / @xxxunluvablexxx / @mannatgalhotra / @kingslaxerpark / @xxashy999xx / @silver-starburst / @cartersbarnes / @thinkwritexpress-official / @feelmyroarrrr/  @m-a-t-91 /  @pizzarollpatrol /  @sea040561 /  @thefridgeismybestie /  @sergeantjbuckybarnes /  @jasura /  @palaiasaurus64 /  @teller258316 /  @disagreetoagree /  @lazinessisalliknow / @palaiasaurus64 / @bfuckjames / @sxdapxpcutis / @doraola / @kkaos15 / @tylerrose931617 / @mummy-woves-you / @claraoswinns / @buckybarneshairpullingkink / @delicatelyherdreams / @thisismysecrethappyplace / @dsakita / @look-to-the-stars-and-wish / @tomhollandtrashtm / @delicatelyherdreams / @cuddle-me-muke / @joyfulzipperpersoneclipse / @lisadickenson / @revenqers  / @dannydelay / @musicgirl234 / @iamwarrenspeace / @breathlesspeter / @thebunkerofatlas / @geeksareunique / @ravennightingaleandavatempus / @mcdesij / @unlikelygalaxygiver / @tranquility-or-chaos / @bandbooktvaddict / @mywinterwolf / @piensa-bonito / @nevernotfangirling / @cutie1365 / @harryngtonewithyourshit / @slytherinqueenie / @famouslastlove / @riseandshibe / @blizzbx / @electra-hxart / @lianadelphius / @steebrogurz / @foundthezucchini / @bi-bi-bi-bisexualz /  @whileinparis / @for-the-love-of-the-fandom / @delva-stardust / @awkwardfangirl2014 /

(Let me know if I missed you, the strike means I can’t tag you for some reason.)

Boys in Blue Taglist: (CLOSED!!!)

@debgreenleaf / @thorins-queen-of-erebor / @merigoldcaroline / @urbanrights/ @taliarosej00 / @stuckysheart / @thenightkillers /  @desertrose-saku / @weyheycraicey /  @apocalypse-zombiie / @inspiration2001 / @impalaimages/ @reading-stan / @angelicdisgrace / @nastybuckybarnes / @mazarinqueen / @neverforget-whereyoubelong / @hayliz20 / @jessieray98 / @cs-please / @forsaken-letters / @anything–marvel / @all-fandomthings / @jbug491 / @marvelobsessedteen / @monikawhatthefuck / @myrabbitholetoneverland / @wingardiumlevidonewithlife / @darkblueeyedperson / @supernaturallover2002/ @savemesteeb / @juliet12345678 / @virtualsheepeat / @flyawaybay / @marvelous-capsicle / @fandom-addict-aesthetics / @chelzwwefan / @babygirlizz / @superhero2552 / @hermionesalvatore84 / @kianya-loves / @literalangels / @grey-stardancer / @krazyk99 / @avngrsinitiative / @bohemianrhapposts / @secretagentben / @javapeach / @mizzzpink /

#stucky x reader #steve rogers x bucky barnes x reader #steve rogers x reader #bucky barnes x reader #steve rogers imagine #bucky barnes imagine #steve rogers fanfiction #bucky barnes fanfiction #steve rogers fanfic #bucky barnes fanfic #steve rogers fic #bucky barnes fic #steve rogers #bucky barnes #marvel fanfiction #marvel imagine #marvel fic #reader insert #marvel au #cop!steve rogers x reader x cop!bucky barnes #cop!stuck x reader #cop!steve x reader #cop!bucky x reader #cop!au #policeofficer!bucky x reader #policeofficer!steve x reader #police officer au #boys in blue part 8

[haikyuu-scenarios-drabbles]

anonymous asked: i love your soulmate aus!! they're the best i've ever read! you put in every detail in ur writings & i love it so much! i feel that i can improve my english when im reading ur writings? does this make sense? can i have a soulmate au for tsukishima kei? it can be anything! i'm willing to wait'

well let me just say this ask absolutely warmed my freaking heart. I am so so happy that you feeling like you can improve your english with my writings 😁 thank you for waiting!! 

Here is a soulmate!au where you share pain with your soulmate, hope you enjoy 💖

You vaguely remembered the feelings against your hands and forearms when you were younger, but it was much softer back then and far less noticeable. You didn’t think much of them until they ramped up in intensity during high school and you became fixated on figuring out just exactly what your soulmate was up to that was inflicting such strange injuries. You could never quite figure it out until you happened to watch one of your high school’s volleyball matches and connected the way you were feeling with what your eyes could see. It started to make sense; every receive, spike, and block—you felt.

Though it was almost impossible to match up the feelings with what any of the players were doing. It took a while before you were completely convinced that none of the players on your high school’s team were your soulmate. And while attending games painfully reminded you constantly that your soulmate was somewhere else, you wanted to learn about the game for their sake. I mean—you had been smart enough to at least figure out some aspect about them, might as well use that information to learn about something they seemingly enjoyed. Other than the volleyball related injuries, they didn’t inflict much else on you.

You’d also been able to discern that whoever they were was a middle blocker. It became apparent to you when you noticed the players in that position getting their fingers jammed, as you often dealt with, as a result of some nasty spikes. You watched the players at your school tape up their fingers and soon started doing the same to alleviate the pain; garnering weird looks when you passed any of the volleyball club members in the hallway.

It was really just a nuisance at this point, something you had learned to live with—honestly, you’d be worried if the feelings suddenly disappeared. On several occasions, there were exceptionally painful jams that had you biting back a yelp of pain and cursing whoever the universe had tethered to you for playing this near finger-breaking game.

The injuries were almost exclusively reserved for after school, seldom beforehand, and normally the worst times were during tournaments. If the frequency of injuries suddenly skyrocketed, you figured it was a pretty safe bet that whoever was at a tournament. If you could, you usually tried to keep your own injuries to a minimum so they could play to their best ability. It was the least you could do to give them a break from the endless minor wounds you received from your own clumsiness.  

Tsukki, on the other hand, while what he inflicted on you was concentrated around volleyball; had to deal with your small scrapes and burns constantly. “I swear, they’re the clumsiest person on the planet,” he muttered to Yamaguchi upon wincing at yet another scrape on his knee from your doing. His kneepads always rubbed the wounds uncomfortably and he’d forgotten to bring his usual supply of band-aids he carried with him for this particular reason.

“They’re probably not a big fan of your volleyball playing either,” Yamaguchi nodded to his currently taped fingers.

He scoffed. “Well at least I don’t have two left feet.”

Something he had noticed, however, was since high school; the number of scrapes on his palms substantially declined. As if whoever you were had picked up on the fact he needed his hands and were trying to be helpful in that regard. He also noticed he rarely got a new injury during games. Like you purposefully stayed as still as possible for his sake, as if to not inflict anything fresh while he was in the process of hurting you. He couldn’t be sure; but that seemed too coincidental to be an accident. He had the feeling you were observant of his own injuries, ones that occurred at similar times after school or during tournaments and were mindful of them.

He hated to admit that he appreciated that.

Since you started University, you hadn’t been able to attend enough matches yet to determine if any of the volleyball players were possibly your soulmate. You did have the brief thought to get more involved with the team to make it easier, but strangely the terrifying idea that your soulmate was on the team, scared you away. It had almost taken you a year and a half in high school to determine they weren’t on that team, but now that you had the possibilities narrowed down to middle blockers, you figured it wouldn’t take you as long to get a definite answer or not.

Yet, strangely, for all your thinking and observing over the years—you never thought to look at the team that your University was playing. Because why would you?

You were no stranger to the chanting and cheering of the crowd accompanied by the intermittent sound of a volleyball being hit and spiked. The constant sensation of your palms stinging and arms feeling like they were going to be torn off pushed to the back of your thoughts as you focused on the players you had already determined as the middle blockers in the last game you went to when you abruptly cried out in pain.

Blinding, excruciating agony shot through your middle and ring finger. You clutched your hand hissing, “Fuck!”

Sitting beside you, your roommate, who didn’t know the reason why you were obsessed with volleyball, glanced over in confusion. “What’s wrong?” You tried shooing them away, but tears were pricking at your eyes as your fingers throbbed. “What happened?” They prompted again. You couldn’t collect your thoughts; your mind was reeling—the ball had been on your school’s side of the court. It had been your school attacking, which meant the only possible culprit for your currently aching fingers was someone on the opposing team.

“Hey look,” your roommate said. “Some kid on the other team is hurt.”

Your head whipped upwards, almost smacking your friend in the chin with it. Down on the court, the towering blonde of a middle blocker with glasses on the opposing team was standing on the sideline cradling his hand. The same one you were. You thought you might topple out of your chair in shock; you hadn’t by any means had any intention of actually finding your soulmate today.

But—fuck, as much as your head was swimming with this new information; the main thing on your mind was the unbearable pain coursing through your hand. How could he stand to inflict this kind of hurt willingly on himself? And for that matter, knowingly inflict it on his soulmate too!

“Your hand!” Your friend gasped, dragging you back to the reality that your soulmate was right in front of you. They tenderly took your hand into yours to inspect it. “What did you—” their gaze followed yours that was currently fixated on the blonde middle blocker and they put the pieces together. “Holy shit.” You yelped when they gripped your hand a little too hard in excitement. “This is why you wanted to come to all the volleyball games?”

“I—ugh,” you huffed. “Yeah. I figured out a while ago that they played. But jesus,” you sucked in a breath to try and deal with the pain. “This is one of the worst jams they’ve ever gotten.”

Your eyes trailed him exiting the gym, presumably to first aid who would take a closer look at his fingers and probably tape them up properly. There was a part of you that hoped he’d be benched for the rest of the match so you, and he, wouldn’t get hurt any further. You vaguely wondered if you should follow suit since you now had the same injury, but balked at the idea of meeting him that way.

“So…you’re going to introduce yourself, right? I mean, you know exactly who he is now. And when are you going to get another chance?”

Your heart seized up with anxiety. “Um, how would I even do that?” You turned to your friend. “’Hi how are your fingers? Oh yeah, mine too, thanks by the way!’”

They just narrowed their eyes at you and stuck out their tongue. “Oh, come on. You can’t just let him slip through your fingers!”

You held up your handed with the jammed fingers bent in an unnatural direction. “I don’t think I could catch him if I tried,” you joked, a smirk gracing your lips.

“That was terrible.”

Now it was your turn to stick your tongue out.

The middle blocker didn’t come back until the end of the final set and wasn’t put back in; much to you, and your fingers, relief. When the match ended, your friend hauled you up from your seat and dragged you towards the exit by your uninjured hand. Stumbling behind them, you tried to protest, “I have no idea what to even say! I’ll figure out another way, please let go!”

“Nope. No running away.”

“Oh my god, you soulmate freak, for the love of—” your foot slipped on the stairs and before you knew it, the world was tumbling around you and without thinking you threw your hands out in front of you to catch yourself. You’d tried to train that tendency out of you, to limit the number of scrapes you inflicted on his palms, but your instincts took over without letting your brain catch up. Pain almost worse than the initial injury shot up your arm and this time you couldn’t hold back the yell that lifted from your throat. One that was met by a similar one from down the hall.

Tsukki didn’t expect to hear a match to his cry of pain when his fingers felt like they were getting re-jammed. He jerked up in surprise to survey the crowd in the hallway, his attention grabbed by someone’s head popping up near the staircase and looking around in confusion.

Your eyes meet and immediately he knows that you also know, if your expression is anything to go by. He doesn’t move, letting the flow of the crowd break around him, wondering if you’re going to approach him.

You don’t. You’re frozen in fear. He clearly knows who—or rather, what the two of you are and is allowing you to make the first move. Even though you’ve thought about what you would say for years now, your throat feels tight and you know any attempt at words would be futile. It doesn’t get any better when he starts to move towards you.

He towers above you, even if this wasn’t the situation, he would be intimidating. The first words out of his mouth are, “So you’re the klutz I’m always patching up my knees for.”

You’re taken aback by his provoking tone at first, but then retort, “Oh, please, Mr. I jam my fingers every other fucking day.” Then you shake your hand in his direction. “Thanks for this!”

He chuckles, and you’re unable to tell if its in a mocking way or a harmlessly amused one. “Shouldn’t you probably go to first aid? They patched me up quite nicely.” He holds up his bandaged hand.

While Tsukishima Kei was exuding the pinnacle of aloofness to you, he couldn’t help the nerves roiling beneath the surface. While he’d become quite aware of his confrontational behavior in high school and mainly limited it to Kageyama and Hinata; when he was feeling out of his element it was easy to resort to it. Though he was fascinated that you didn’t seem to be fazed.

“A genius suggestion,” you snorted, waving your injured hand haphazardly. “Except for the fact I don’t know where it is.”

“Do I need to spell it out for you?”

You blinked.

Tsukki withheld his groan. You weren’t making this easy. “Would you like me to take you?”

You just stared.

“Oh, um, sure—thank you…?” You prompted. 

He inclined his head towards the direction of first aid. “It’s Tsukishima Kei.” He then looked at you expectantly for your name.

You gave it to him.

#tsukishima kei x reader #tsukishima x reader #tsukki x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #tsukishima kei scenario #tsukki scenario #haikyuu #soulmate!au #tsukki soulmate!au

[leroiloup]

Late Night Visitor

  ➥ Takes place one year after TO: S5  ♥ Ship: Klaus/Caroline  ⚜️ A/N: This is nothing more than a random little scene that I got in my head and wanted to write out. I only *just* started watching Legacies, so I’m sure this doesn’t match up with that at all, but eh. It’s clearly AU anyway as you’ll see.          Also, after the intro, the scene itself could only be written from Caroline’s perspective. She’s not a muse of mine and I’m sure *anyone* could have written her better, but here we are. This is just for fun anyway.  ✥ Trigger Warnings: None.

                     It all seems… W r o n g.                This isn’t how it was supposed to be.

                     Ending up in Hell wasn’t exactly a surprise, though it wasn’t what I expected. In over a thousand years I had endured the greatest pains imaginable, some even worse than death itself. Papa Tunde’s blade was just one of a plethora of examples of that. And yet Hell certainly lives up to its name. Though in all my torment, the punishment seemed fitting.  I looked at it as doing my time to keep my family, my daughter, safe. Make no mistake, I wasn’t happy about it, but I belonged there.

                     Now, however, I seem to live up to the ❝unkillable❞ reputation that proceeds me. I walk the earth once again and while the freedom from excruciating anguish is much welcomed, it feels as I said.

                                                                                             W r o n g.

                     In my confusion, I set my mind to a goal. I was always at my best when I had something important to accomplish. I find myself drawn to that tedious little town, Mystic Falls, for one purpose: to ensure my daughter’s safety. Perhaps seeing her smile, seeing her healthy and happy among her peers will quiet the self-loathing in my mind.

                     It worked, for the most part. My mind is satisfied for the time being, though I find myself unable to leave quite yet. If I am to accept that I am truly back, then why not partake in a pleasure that only the land of the living can provide? Why not detour to see just one more face, hear more familiar heartbeat that makes my own race as only her’s can do?

                                                                                                                     Why not see her?

                                                                   ⚜️

                     It was late in the evening. The sun had long since gone down and the halls of the Salvatore boarding school were mostly quiet since it was a school night. One office in a long corridor still had its light on. The only sounds emanating from it were the ticking of an old clock and the occasional rustle of papers.

                     Headmistress Caroline Forbes jotted down another note before filing that paper and grabbing another. She hadn’t realized how much paperwork was involved with running a school, but fortunately for her, it was something she excelled at. Organizing and keeping things in their place was a strength of Caroline’s, one that she took pride in.

                     Hearing the wooden floorboards in her doorway creak with added weight, she looked up, expecting to see one of her administration, or even Ric. Instead, she saw nothing but the dark empty hallway beyond it. 

                    ❝ Hello? ❞ she called, wondering if said visitor saw her busy and decided to leave her be. When no one answered, she furrowed her brow and used her vampire enhanced hearing to pick up on anyone in the hallway. There was nothing, not even the footsteps of someone retreating.

                     Shaking her head, she turned back to her work, hoping to have it all finished soon so that she could be on her couch, in yoga pants with a glass of wine within the hour. Barely a minute later, though, there was another creak. This time she knew it had to be more than a fluke. While the students were supposed to stay in the dormitory wing after hours, it wasn’t unheard of for them to go sneaking around. She sighed, not having the energy for this. ❝ Curfew! ❞ she called, as though reminding any would be troublemakers and hoping they’d call it off before she’d have to get involved.

                     The moment she looked back down to her work, though, she heard the unmistakable rush of air as though someone had run by the doorway with preternatural speed. She was even sure she just caught the sight of a blur from her peripheral vision and her head snapped up, hoping to catch it in action. Now she was really getting annoyed and stood up from the desk. 

❝ I’m not in the mood for games, so whoever’s out there, come out now. ❞

                     Reaching the door, she looked out to the dark hallway. At one end, she saw where it branched off into other hallways, a decorative table in the middle of the intersection with an empty vase on it. The other was the dark dead end that ended in a beautiful stained glass. In the corner there, shrouded in shadow, she was sure she could see the outline of someone or something. A bad feeling washed over her as she stared at it, willing it to be a trick of the mind.

                                                                It wasn’t.

                     The more she stared at it, the more obvious it seemed that someone was standing there, though she couldn’t make out any details. It seemed nothing more than a silhouette. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she had the sensation of being watched.

                     Gathering her strength, reminding herself that she was a badass immortal being in her own right, she slowly headed in the direction of the shape. ❝ If you just come clean now, I promise you won’t be in much trouble, ❞ she said, still convincing herself it was a student. Her heartbeat started to race as she got closer, her eyes never leaving it. She could even swear that she saw eyes pointed right back at her.

                      ❝ Listen, I- ❞ Caroline stopped mid-sentence as she reached it. She reached out her hand and the vision of a person melted away into shadow. There was nothing. There never was. It seemed to be a trick her eyes had played on her, but she felt so certain that someone was standing there. Inspecting the corner, she felt bewildered, until the loud sound of a door slamming pulled her attention towards her office. The warm light that had been spilling from the open doorway was no longer visible.

                     Caroline ran back and threw open the door as fast as she could. Once again there was nothing, just her empty office. She was getting so frustrated that she was about to scream when she noticed something new on her desk: a long velvet box with a rose on top.

                     She looked around again, but there was nothing else out of place. Approaching it, she had a strange sense of déjà vu. She picked up the rose, recognizing it from the vase in the hallway and couldn’t help an amused look as she smelled it. Then she set it down and turned her attention to the box.

                     Inside was a rolled up piece of paper. Unfurling it revealed a detailed pencil drawing of herself, a happy and carefree expression on her face. Her stomach dropped the moment she saw it, recognizing the workmanship instantly.

                                                                ❝ Klaus? ❞ 

                    Turning her head immediately towards the door, almost expecting to see him standing there, she was saddened when she found it still empty. All was quiet save for the ticking of the clock again, but the drawing was unmistakable.

                     One thing was for certain: Caroline hadn’t been alone that night.

#ᴡ ☾ kʟᴀᴜs cʜʀᴏɴɪᴄʟᴇs ﹕ oɴᴇ sʜᴏᴛ #ᴠ ☾ cᴀɴᴏɴ #klaus mikaelson #niklaus mikaelson #originals #the originals #vampire diaries #the vampire diaries #caroline forbes #klaroline #klaus x caroline #to #tvd #ᴛ ☾ ᴘᴏsᴛ to #ɢ ☾ rᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ #ᴄ ☾ Cᴀʀᴏʟɪɴᴇ

[emma-nation]

Without You - Bloodbound AU (Chapter 5) *For You Sequel*

Summary: Gaius is back. While coming up with a plan to take him down, the gang must deal with some new life-changing events.

Genre: Angst/Adventure/Romance

Rating: T - Warning for violence and language

Tag List: @begging-for-kamilah, @lulu-the-cat, @ilovekamilahsayeed, @zoe6111, @kennaxval

Notes:

- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.

- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.

- Warning for violence, gore, language and smut.

- As most of you voted in favor of a MxF smut scene, I added it but with a previous warning, so feel free to skip it if you want.

Kamilah

She stood frozen in place, unable to turn around. It was a hallucination. It had to be. Amy told her many months ago, when she shared details about the past, that post-traumatic disorders could bring flashbacks, in form of visions or sounds.

Slowly, she clenched her fists and turned around to confirm. Gaius was indeed standing right in front of her.

“G-Gaius…” she attempted to take a step back, but he was quick, touching her face as he used to do in the past. The shivers, the distress, the fear… everything instantly returned to her body at the same strength.

“Are you scared, My Queen?” He stared inside her eyes. She tried to lie, shaking her head in denial. “Well, you should be.”

His eyes turned red and he grabbed her by the throat, crushing her windpipe.

“You, Kamilah… I always expected betrayal from Adrian, so compassionate about mortals. Or maybe Vega, who wanted more power at any cost… But you?!”

She was unable to answer or even breath. Her vision was getting blurred. Her consciousness was slipping away… When she closed her eyes there was only one thing in her mind… That afternoon in Japan.

“Amy, will you marry me?”

“Kamilah, I… yes! A million times yes!”

Using her entire 2064 years old strength, she grabbed Gaius wrist, digging her nails deeply into his skin until his flesh started to tear apart. As he loosened the grip around her neck, she managed to free herself. Stabbing him in the stomach with her dagger.

She turned around, willing to head back to the stair case, but she stopped. She was no longer able to move. Her body was being held by invisible strings.

“My blood is still running in your veins, Kamilah,” Gaius approached, the wound in his chest already healing itself. “You’re still My Queen.”

“No,” Kamilah clenched her jaw in rage. “I am not!”

Gaius closed his first and she squirmed in pain. Every joint of her body unnaturally popped, causing excruciating pain.

“Yes,” he kneeled down beside her on the floor, “you are.”

His hand touched her forehead. Kamilah gulped. If he fully used his powers on her that would blow up her skull.

“Kill me,” she said. “I’d rather die than… than be yours again.”

Jameson appeared from a dark corner of the room, his laugh echoing through the basement.

“What Amy is going to think about it, huh? Don’t worry, my dear. When she returns and finds your letter, saying you could no longer stand the pressures of living for so long in this world.”

"Imbecile!” Kamilah yelled. “She’ll never believe that! I have witnesses. I have someone I spoke to before driving to his place.”

“You mean Kaira?” Harvey appeared. “May she rest in peace.”

“Y-You killed her… Traitor! I should’ve known, you…"

When Kamilah studied his face again she noticed something different. Harvey didn’t look like his usual self. There was something different about him, in his eyes…

An intense headache interrupted her thoughts. Feeling her brain was starting to bleed, she closed her eyes, expecting her fate. Instead, Gaius stopped and stroked her hair.

"Killing you? I’m not killing you, My Queen. You’ll be mine again.”

Before she could protest, Gaius ordered:

“Jameson, do it.”

Similar to debriefing, Jameson pressed his fingers against her temples, gazing intensely into her eyes. But the magic he was using was another, he was hypnotizing her.

“No,” she winced, trying to resist the spell.

Everything started to return, the thirst for human blood, the devotion for Gaius and his purposes, the will of ruling the world, knowing she was superior than any being… than any mortal… than…

“Amy,” she thought.

“You make me want to be better. SO I can be… even half the woman you deserve.”

She couldn’t give in. For Amy. She needed to focus on something else. On the memories of the woman she loved. On their wedding plans.

Then she started to remember her brother. How he’d always take the blame when they got in trouble as children.

“I’ll always protect you, sister.”

And Adrian. How he comforted her after the night they defeated Gaius.

“It’s over now, Kamilah,” he embraced her. “We’re free.”

Jameson stopped, announcing the ritual was complete. When she opened her eyes again, they were glowing dark red.

“How are you feeling, My Queen?” Gaius asked.

She looked at him, smiled and bowed.

“Like I’ve been reborn, My King.”

———-

Amy

Amy closed her eyes, feeling the cold metal of the blade pressed on her throat. A single tear ran across her cheek. Kamilah would never know what happened to her or how much she lamented abandoning her for this stupid course in London.

“What the hell is that now?!” Wright grunted when a crashing noise came from above the temple. “There’s someone in my office!”

She sent another member of the cult to check. Minutes passed and he didn’t return. The woman started to get impatient.

“If your girlfriend has anything to do with that, I’ll…” she threatened.

A figure suddenly streaked down from the staircase to inside the underground temple. When he stopped, Amy recognized.

“Lysimachus!”

“Amy?! What is going on here?”

One by one, the members of the cult advanced in his direction. He had no trouble to knock down all of them.

“You!” Wright yelled. “How dare you to interrupt the awakening of Keaseth, the Goddess of Immortality?! You’ll pay for that!”

Infuriated, she stabbed him in the stomach with the ceremonial knife.

“My apologies,” Lysimachus moaned, a little disturbed by the pain. “There’s one detail you missed though…”

“Which is?”

“Keaseth is not the only immortal here,” he pulled the knife out of his abdomen, slicing her throat.

Amy closed her eyes, avoiding to watch as the woman’s blood spilled in every direction and she emitted the last sounds, indicating life was leaving her body. On other hand, she couldn’t be more grateful. If it wasn’t for her brother in law, she’d be the one dying in that moment.

“Hey,” he approached, in all his kindness, breaking the chains that were restraining her limbs. “Are you alright?”

Amy nodded and hugged him tightly. Against his chest, she sobbed continuously.

“Shhhh,” he stroked her hair. “Calm down. It’s okay now…”

“I-I left Kamilah alone for this…”

“You didn’t know.”

She tried to stand up on her feet, but the effects of the drugs Wright injected on her body were still making her unsteady. Lysimachus grabbed her in his arms and placed her on a couch back on Wright’s office, where he finished getting all the books he needed.

Later, he took her to a hotel, where she had a warm shower, a nice meal and a comfortable bed to rest.

“Do you have any news about Kamilah?”

He sighed, taking a long time to answer.

“No, I’m sorry.”

He got up and went to the balcony, where he called Priya to confirm everything was alright in New York, leaving her alone to lament for her girlfriend one last time before falling asleep.

———-

Lysimachus

“Everything’s fine, babe. Almost.” That almost coming from Priya concerned him, but was the last of his worries. He spent the night awake, watching Amy sleep. The amount of drugs Wright administered could still give her side-effects.

Meanwhile, he analyzed the books he collected. Trying to relate the symbols from his book to Wright’s research.

“Would you mind to fill me in on what were you doing at that crazy bitch’s office?” She woke up, walking to him.

“I have this old ritual instructions,” he explained. “In some unknown language only she studied.”

“Anything that could help Kamilah?”

“Yes. If she’s in Gaius’ hands as I suspect, this ritual would defeat him forever.”

Amy sat down on the bed’s edge, watching him in silence.

Reading the about Keaseth, Goddess of Immortality, something started to sound familiar. That was the story of the First Vampire, except it omitted a great part of the true history.

“Amy… what else did she told you about Keaseth?”

“A lot, actually. She spoke about it in an affectionate manner, like if she was a real person or something. Oh, and she also had the obsessive idea that I was her descendant, reason why I should sacrifice myself to bring her back to life.”

“That explains a lot…” he muttered, reflecting about Amy’s special abilities. That could also be the reason of her attraction for New York, for Raines Corporation and the vampire world. Her blood was somehow linked to Adrian’s, Kamilah’s and all the others.

“W-Why are you looking at me like that? A-Am I some kind of…”

“You’re the First Vampire’s descendant, Amy.”

“And what does that makes me?” She looked scared at this point, her eyes were wide in fear.

“Human,” he let out a small laugh. “With a few magical abilities.”

———-

Kamilah

Gaius cupped her face into his hands, staring directly into her eyes.

“My Queen… it’s so good to have you back. Now we should proceed, we need to return our purpose of ruling this land.”

“Over my dead body!” Kamilah thought. But she needed to fake it. She needed to make Gaius believe she was under his spell. It was the only way to survive and find out his plans.

“Of course, My Love. As you desire. But shall we build an army first?”

Apart from Jameson, he no longer had thralls, willing to serve him on his sick world domination plans.

“We’re already forming one, My Queen,” behind him, Harvey, Anya and Nate were standing, together with some champions from the Mortals vs. Vampires contest. They were all hypnotized and ready to listen to his commands. “what is yours is mine. You managed to build a powerful army yourself.”

She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to control her rage. He was willing to take her Clan members as servants. She couldn’t let that happen.

“Of course, I must return to New York and enlist the rest of them for our kingdom.”

“May I have the word, Master?” Jameson interrupted.

“Speak, poppet,” Gaius frowned at him, displeased.

“I should recruit the servants. How can you trust Kamilah after her betrayal?”

Gaius furrowed his brows and grabbed Jameson by the neck.

“How can I trust you, after you almost killed My Queen?”

Those words ignited a spark inside Kamilah’s mind. Gaius ordered Jameson to create a plan to get her and Lysimachus, which he failed, trying to murder them instead. She felt even angrier, but she couldn’t let it show.

Gaius turned back to her. She felt the same shiver running through her bones as his ancient eyes looked at her.

"Can I trust you, My Queen?”

“Of course, My Love. I shall never betray you again. I… I was under Adrian’s influence. He manipulated me into that, saying we could rule the world without you. While we built our own empires, my life has been empty, meaningless…”

He studied her eyes for a moment. Her heart was racing inside her chest, wondering if she was acting well enough.

“Kamilah,” he smile, satisfied. “I always knew it was Adrian’s fault, but now he’ll no longer manipulate you…” he caressed her face, before planting a small kiss on her lips.

Kamilah felt she was about to throw up.

“But to prove your loyalty, there’s something else you must do…”

“Please, not that… please, not that…” her stomach hurt and she started to tremble. She’d rather die than surrender to him in the manner she was thinking.

“You’ll return to New York and gather the latest news about The Council’s plans. Then you return and report them to me.”

Kamilah let out a discreet, but relieved sigh and nodded in agreement.

“Harvey will be recruiting the rest of our army.”

“So, I should get going,” Kamilah told. “Adrian is coming back from Chicago, as I heard.”

“No,” Gaius stopped her. “Before that, I prepared you a welcome gift.”

With an arm around her shoulders, he drove her to the next room, where a group of mortals were gagged and tied by ropes. Their eyes were terrified in pure fear.

“A feast for My Queen.”

“I… I’m not hungry.”

“Kamilah,” he brushed her hair away from her neck and whispered in her ear, “you’re always hungry. I know you.”

“Later, My Love. I’m tired, I…”

“Feed,” he ordered. “Now.”

She gave one last quick look at the mortals, as if she was apologizing for what she was about to do.

———-

Amy

“It was horrible…” she rested her head on Lily’s lap, crying her eyes out. “If Lysimachus hadn’t arrived, I…”

“You’re safe here with us now,” Lily stroked her hair. “Right, Jax?”

The male vampire agreed. Lysimachus thought it’d be better if she stayed at the Shadow Den until he solved some pending businesses. She also didn’t feel like going back to the penthouse yet, knowing Kamilah wouldn’t be there.

After eating the special meal Jax cooked, she called her fiancée again. Trying to hide she had been crying.

“Hey you, I know you’re going through a lot right now but… I’m back. I’m in New York and I’m waiting for you. Please, call me back. Let’s go through this together, please? I love you.”

She couldn’t get any sleep, apart from the jet lag, it seemed like Wright’s maniac face was everywhere, observing her. Lily was focused on her computer as always.

“So, what great games have I missed?” Amy forced a smile, trying to get some normality back to her life.

“It’s not a game. I’m trying to decipher the code. The ritual to kill Gaius. With the book Lysimachus brought, I actually may have found something. We need a… magic seal?”

“Don’t tell me about magic, please,” Amy rolled her eyes, making Lily laugh.

“Uhhh there’s something else you can do,” Lily handed her another laptop. It was Kamilah’s laptop. “Maybe you can find any clues of where she might have went? I mean, you’re her fiancée. You kinda have permission to invade her privacy in cases of emergency.”

Amy grabbed it and went back to the improvised bed. On Kamilah’s desktop, the Ahmanet Financial’s logotype had been replaced with a picture of them together. The girl smiled.

On her documents all she could find were files about her company, e-books and articles related to finances, botanic and the Ancient Egypt. Although it was against her best judgment, she decided to access Kamilah’s finances.

“Whoa,” until now she knew her fiancée was rich, but not that much.

Nothing suspicious. Only restaurants, stores, her flight to London… but before that, she found a big transaction. A house in the Hamptons.

“Lily…” Amy furrowed her brows confused, “did you know Kamilah recently bought a house in the Hamptons?”

“I had no idea. I don’t think Lysimachus does either.”

“Maybe she’s there!”

Without caring about anything else, Amy entered a taxi, headed to the house. She called Lysimachus but he was unable to answer.

“I found something about Kamilah… Call me when you can.”

The house was completely empty. Lights were off, indicating no one was there.

“Fuck!” Amy cursed. That was her only hope to find Kamilah, safe and sound.

Then, she walked to the house next door, a little intimidated by its luxuriousness. A middle-aged woman answered.

“Excuse me… my fiancée just bought the house next door and she has been missing for days. Would you happen to have seen her around lately?”

“Are you sure she’s missing? Because she was there until yesterday.”

“Thank you, Miss.”

Amy headed back to the front door of Kamilah’s house, expecting her to return at any moment.

———-

Lysimachus

“I’m sure we can find a peaceful resolution,” he paced around his office at Raines Corporation, running his hand through his black, straight hair.

Lester convoked a Council Meeting, claiming Priya attempted to take his life. Lysimachus suggested they should wait until Adrian returned, but The Baron purposely threw the responsibility in his hands.

“No,” Lester angered, “I want her punished right now! My hand hasn’t fully regenerated yet, almost 24 hours later!”

“Priya,” he glanced at the Fashion Designer again. “Would you tell me your version of the facts? Seriously this time.”

“Of course. I had to attend a photoshoot, where my models were being photographed for my newest collection and I thought: hey, I should take one of Lys’ weapons, just in case of an emergency, you know?” She started to tell. “Then I heard a noise, coming from behind a curtain. The girls panicked, I panicked… and bang! I shot. See? Not my fault. I thought it was Gaius but… it was only Lester.”

“The weapon in question has turned my arm into ashes! My hand hasn’t regenerated yet!”

“But it will, in a few more hours,” Lysimachus assured. “The damage is only permanent when it hits the head or the heart.”

After lots of argumentation, Lester finally agreed to take the attack as an accident. After all he secretly invaded the photoshoot, to spy on the female models.“

When he and The Baron left, Lysimachus was alone with Priya in the office.

"One job,” he sighed angrily. “I gave you one job and you fucked it up. Can you imagine if you had killed Lester, with my weapon?! A weapon I didn’t authorize you to use?!”

“Come on, babe. We both agree it wouldn’t be such a loss.”

“You could’ve started a Clan war!” He slammed his fist on the table. “You could’ve sentenced me to death! Do you know the price I’m gonna have to pay, Priya? I’ll have to report all my arsenal to The Council, maybe even share! Can you imagine these weapons on The Baron’s hands? He tortures people!”

She stared at him in silence. For the first time he detected sadness and regret coming from her.

“I-I’m sorry?"

"I…” he wasn’t sure of what to do. “You’re out. Tomorrow you’ll go back to your house and I’ll find somebody else for the mission. I know a lot of vampires who weren’t turned by Gaius. What could I expect from you anyways? You only care about yourself.”

He left to his apartment. Still no signs of his sister. Everytime he opened the door, he hoped she’d be sitting on his couch with a drink in hands, as usual.

A warm and relaxing shower was everything he needed after such exhaustive events. He started to remember what Amy told him, about being related to the First Vampire. What other hidden abilities could she have? Did she have any powers, aside from visions and telepathy?

—– MxF Smut Scene - If you don’t wanna read it, skip this part —–

His thoughts were interrupted by a pair of arms, hugging him from behind and caressing his chest.

“Priya,” he turned around. “Out. Now!”

She didn’t let go, making sure to press even harder her body onto his.

“You didn’t give me a chance to explain myself.”

“You already did.”

“Not properly. Only me and you…”

The warmth of her skin, as well as other features of her body, brushing against his skin sent shivers down to all his spine.

“I mean it…” he turned around, breaking free from her arms. “I don’t wanna see you right now.”

“Oh really?” Priya smirked. “This is not what your body says,” her hand traveled down to his lower abdomen.

Although he was enjoying the sensation, he needed to resist his instincts. He couldn’t consent with Priya’s actions. She could’ve put them all in danger, for breaking that one promise she made.

“I don’t want you anymore.”

She stopped and faced him again. A devilish smile never leaving her lips.

“Too late, Hunter.”

She started kissing the way down to his chest, until his hips. As her mouth started to work on him, Lysimachus stopped breathing.

“S-Stop,” he tried again, gasping.

She looked at him with lustful eyes. The last bit of control he still had was slipping away.

“Make me,” Priya stood up, whispering in his ear.

With eyes glowing red, he switched places, pressing her against the cold tiles of the wall. Smart as she was, he felt straight into her trap. She wrapped both legs around his waist, teasing him… rubbing herself on him, letting him know how close he was from being exactly what she wanted.

“Screw it,” he thought. “It’s the last time.”

He devoured her mouth into a kiss, as together they built up a rhythm. She tightened the grip around him even more, inviting him to go deeper and harder.

As she felt he was close from reaching climax, she bit his neck, drawing some blood. He responded by doing the same. She tasted like danger and he loved it.

The night went on for hours, long hours. And for the first time since Priya arrived to his apartment she spent the night in his bed, with him.

—– End of scene —–

In the morning, along with the alarm sound coming from his cellphone, something caught his interest, a text from Amy:

“I found something about Kamilah… Call me when you can.”

#playchoices #choices stories you play #bloodbound #kamilah sayeed #kamilah x mc #bloodbound fanfiction

[millicent231-watt]

(Free) Police!Reader x Police!Rin

Anime / Crossover: Free! Eternal Summer

Songs: None

Request: No

Modern AU or just AU: None

NSFW/R-18: No

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

"Rin, Souske. We've got a dead party to go to." I say as I get in the car with them. "Where?" Souske asks and I look down at the details on my phone. "Down at the old shipping containers." I say before the car starts up and I get my gun ready with everything else. "The guns are on safety, so you'll have to turn that off before we get out of the car." I say and I place their guns in the drink holders. "Thanks." Rin says as Souske drives. "You're harness is loose." Rin says before leaning into the back and fixing it for me. "Thanks." I say before he grabs my wedded hand with his. "It'll be fine babe, trust me." He says and I smile. "I know, I'm just worried about Kiyomi." I say, thinking of her little smiling face. "She'll be alright, we got a babysitter." He reminds me and I nod. "Yeah, sorry. I'll get my head in the right mind space by the time we get there." I say and he smiles, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb. "Good, just do what the doctor told you we you had Kyuko." He says and I giggle. "Push?" I ask and he sighs. "No, breathe and relax." He reminds me and I smile. "Good, cause if it was push, I might actually piss myself." I joke before they both laugh. "Please don't. I just got this car washed." Souske jokes and I laugh. "I'll try."

Time Skip

"Safeties off?" I ask and they both nod. "Alright, let's go." I say before we exit the car and run to cover. I signal them that I'm gonna check for anyone inside. They nod and I quietly scoot to the corner. I turn the corner with my gun in front of me, looking for anyone I might have to shoot. I gag slightly at the bloody mess in front of me. "Police! Come out unarmed and with your hands up!" I yell into the empty warehouse as my co-workers follow me in. "Nothing?" Souske asks quietly before I growl. "I said come out unarmed and with your hands up!" I yell again. "I don't think anyone is here." Rin says and I sigh, putting my gun in its holster and turning to them. "Look around for any survivors or anything that might be of use. Souske, could you call this in? It'll need to be investigated." I say and he nods, walking back to the car. I make my way through the pile of teen and young adult bodies. "A fun graduation party turned into a massacre..." I mumble as I see a flyer for a party that was being held tonight in the warehouse, covered and splattered with blood. It's still wet...

"Y/N!" Rin yells and I jolt up, running over to him carefully. "What?" I ask and he turns to a young man. "We got a breather." He says and I hold my finger to his pulse. I sigh and turn on the walkie-talkie that was strapped to my shoulder. "Could I get an ambulance to the old shipping containers near the dock? We've got an injured man and possibly more." I say before hearing 'An ambulance is on their way' and I nod to my husband. "Do you wanna stay with him or-" "I'll take him out the front. That way it'll be easier for the ambulance." Souske says before helping the man up. "L...lady." The man says and I smile at him. "Don't worry sir, we're getting you to a hospital." I say and he shakes his head. "B...be careful...they....they're quick...they're silent.....and they're smart..." He says and I thank him. "You heard him Rin, be careful. Keep your gun in your hand and be ready to shoot. But make sure it's not a survivor." I say and he nods and we both get our guns out. We walk in a different direction to cover more ground, carefully turning corners with our guns first. I enter the final room gun first and look around. I sigh and lower my arms. "No one's here...but that mans warning..."

“They....they're quick...they're silent.....and they're smart...”

I gasp before turning back to get Rin. "Rin!" I yell as I see him. "Y/N? What's wrong?" He asks and I look around. "We gotta go! It's a trap!" I say before a loud bang was heard. I grab Rin's hand and run out. "What's going o-" "Stay out!" I yell at Souske. "It's a trap!" i say, letting go of Rin's hand so he could run faster. "Get to the car!" Souske says before a muffled scream left my mouth. I kick my leg about and try to get out of the tightening grip. "Y/N!" Rin yells and I felt a cold metal touch my forehead. "Ah, ah, ah. Not another step. Wouldn't want me to blow of this pretty head, would you?" The mysterious man asks. "Let her go." Rin demands before I was pulled backwards slowly. "Not gonna happen." He says before I was quickly pulled back into the blood pool party, my husband screaming my name.

I groan as I was thrown against a wall and kicked in the stomach, causing me to fall on my side. "Now we've got a doll to play and have fun with." The man says with an evil smirk while picking up the nearest item, which just so happened to be a wooden board with nails sticking out of it in a few places. "This should be fun~" Another one growls as I was slowly surrounded by a gang of people smiling evilly at me, various weapons rested upon their hands.

Rin's POV

"Drive faster!" I demand as we rushed to get backup and stock up on guns and ammo. "I'm going as faster as I can Rin. We may be the law, but the laws of physics would throw this car if I went faster." Souske says, trying to calm me while my wife was having God knows what done to her. As soon as Souske parked, I was out that car and inside before he even turned off the ignition. I tell the lady at reception the situation and she gets some back up at the scene. Souske and I get some better guns and stock up on ammo before heading back out. You'd better not be dead Y/N...

Your POV

I groan as one last hit was made with a baseball bat before distant sirens came racing towards us. I smirk up at the man an spit some blood onto the ground. "I t...told you they'd come." I state before getting kicked and having a gun pointed at me, causing me to back up slightly and quicken my breathing. [THIS IS THE POLICE. WE HAVE THIS PLACE SURROUNDED. COME OUT UNARMED WITH YOUR HANDS UP AND NOVODY WILL GET HURT.] A megaphone states as snide chuckles come from the gang members. "Go take care of 'em boys." The leader says, but what the 'boys' said intrigued me more. "We will die for you, High-Priest." Everything clicked. High-Priest. This wasn't just some crazy gang, it was a cult who was willing to die for their leader. This wasn't just a massacre, it was an offering to whomever they worshiped. "Good. Then we can have some real fun once it's just you, me and your beloved husband." The high priest says before trying me up and covering my mouth with a piece of cloth. I passed out soon after being thrown over his shoulder.

Time Skip

"Y/N!" My husbands voice woke me. "R...Rin?" I groan. "Rin. That is your name?" The high priest says as he walks from the shadows. "It means nothing to a crazy, dead man, so why do you ask?" Rin growl. "You say 'crazy, dead man' as if I am either crazy or dead. I am not crazy, just religious. And I am sure I am not dead yet-" "Do you want me to change that asshole?" Rin growls as he pulls his gun out and points it at the man. "If you wish to seek revenge, I cannot stop you, but I must warn you, Lucifer himself will rise from the ground if you kill me. You're lives will be plagued until you die and rot with him for eternity!" The high priest says. "What did you want with my wide anyway?" Rin demands an answer. "What I wanted with her? Nothing too much. Just some...emotion." He says before I feel an excruciating pain in my leg. I scream and cry in pure agony as the high priest twisted the knife deeper. "Stop it!" Rin yells before firing a warning shot. "Our religion focuses on proving a mother's or wife's love, protection and devotion to her family. If you die from all that is used to test you, you did not love your family enough. Simple enough." The priest says before throwing me to the side and pulling out his own gun and another knife. "Now, I will not let you interfere again. So to prove the seriousness of this situation, a warning shot." He says before pointing the gun at me and shooting me in the stomach.

I scream again as the bullet travelled into my body. "You son of a bitch!" Rin screams, running at him and beginning to fight him. It took a while, but eventually, the priest was at an advantage. I fall onto my side and reach for my gun on the floor. When I got a hold of it I carefully and shakily aimed it. I had 1 shot. I couldn't fuck it up. My breath becomes uneasy as blood began seeping out of my wounds. I was no longer applying pressure to the bullet hole. I pull the trigger, hoping to hit the priest, as I see my husband getting beaten. I drop the gun and gasp in pain as I try to stop my wound from bleeding. "Y/N!" Rin yells as he runs over. "I'll fix this. You'll get better." He say desperately as he picks me up gingerly and carries me out of the building quickly. "Someone help her!" Rin yells before an ambulance crew rushed over. "Fix her. If you don't then I will rip off you testi-" "Rin." Souske cuts in as I was pushed away. I reach my hand out to him and he runs over, jumping the the back of the ambulance with me. "You're gonna be alright. Everything's gonna be fine." He repeats to me all the way to the hospital.

#free! #free! iwatobi swim club #free! eternal summer #rin matsuoka #rin #x reader #reader insert #no spoilers #spoiler free

[ikonislife]

Better Together.

-Bobby x Reader

-Expecting parents au, fluff

-Here for You is another dad!Jiwon request I had. This request came in right after so I guess in a way, they’re in conjunction with one another. You don’t really have to read them together since they’re pretty much stand alone pieces but it’s nice to have a small continuation. Anyways, here ya go! 10 years late but I did it!!!

The world suddenly seemed so much bigger now that your range of mobility was limit to three feet out your front door, and occasionally down the street for a short walk with your dog, in which you’re no longer allowed to hold the leash. As per your doctor order? God no! In fact, your doctor always commented on how well taken care of you were at every single appointment. This preposterous house arrest is of course, as per your husband ordered. 

Jiwon had been beyond amazing throughout your whole pregnancy despite missing nearly every single parent-in-training class due to iKon’s hectic tour schedules. Possessing the vast knowledge of one book on pregnancy for dummy he once read before realizing that nothing the books offered could possibly save him from your fifth mood swing of the hour, nor the guilt he constantly feel watching you cried from the sheer endless aching of carrying a new life. Yet there he was every time your eyes glossed over with a new insane craving or another hormonal whine fest about how unfair it is that you’re the only one looking like a duck had swallowed a planet waddling around whilst he, dashing and breaking heart as ever. Every time you panic, every time you’d freak out over every little thing, he’d be there holding your hand, calm as a swan to guide you through. Even if only moments later you caught him on the brink of tear, rapping at top speed on the phone with Hanbin, no doubt letting lose all the worries he held back for the sake of your peace of mind. Poor Hanbin, bless his soul for being therapist/consultant for whatever it might be that Jiwon is ringing him up about now. He probably has it harder than you will ever experience because Jiwon has to be taking all that emotion somewhere. He sat through an hour of you ugly crying while sobbing because you lost the allan wrench that came with your new shelf. Even when Jiwon had presented another shiny allan wrench from another set of table he had saved after putting it together the week before, you were still bawling like a baby that it weren’t the same. The collection of bags under his eyes were at this point more extensive than your designer one that he had gifted you through the years. He took it all with the grace and braveness of a new dad, without ever letting you hear his complaints. 

Jiwon, your dear husband, he’s god sent, best you could’ve ever ask for so why was it you were screaming his name off the top of your lungs, muddling it with a strings of obscene curses? Well because it’s well into your 2nd hour of labor pain, which will only get worse from here as informed by your kind team of nurses. The insane hours of pain feels much like the wave crashing the shore, except, instead of the soothing water of the ocean and sunshine of the beach, it was waves of fire, and knives, and molten lava because all you could feel is searing pain. Jiwon sits beside you, his face had contorted into something so twisted he might as well check himself in for some surgery to morph it back to the handsome face he possessed before dropping all his schedule to rush to your side.

“Baby, does it hurt mu-” His whisper chopped off as quick as it had surfaced by a small yelp elicited by your nails digging into his palm. Now he had braved probably just as much pain as you had letting you clawed at him, pinched him, hold him to a point of bruising yet not even a whimper of complain. He knows whatever discomfort he might feel will never, ever be worthy enough to compare to what you’re about to go through.

“Does it hurt, Jiwon? Does it HURT? Are you seri- Oh my fucking shit. Are you being serious right now?” The audacity of this man to sit here and question whether or not you’re really in pain. Does he still not know how it work after the half an hour of you going into an hysterical rant, explaining in excruciating details of how babies are born?

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I know it hurts a lot. What can I do?” 

“Do you, Jiwon? I just had three different people shoved their hand up my damn vagina in the last hour alone while humming “not ready yet” like I’m a freaking pie in the oven all the while being display like a freaking 150 pounds piece of really shitty art made by someone with no artistic sense whatsoever for everyone to see. Do you really know?” Damn, Jiwon would be proud with how fast and powerful you had just gotten that sentence out in one single breath if he weren’t so scare, being married to a rapper really has it perk.

“I’m sorry. I’m here, hit me, scream at me all you want okay? But you gotta calm down baby... The doctor said getting upset isn’t good for little Y/n. What can I do?” Instinctively, just as he had all these years when the world becomes a little too much for you to handle, Jiwon pulls you into his arms, never mind your harsh words or that his left palm is now bleeding from how rough your hold on his hand were. He places a kiss on your sweaty forehead, with the good hand running through your matted hair. If Jiwon could be pregnant instead, he would. 

He had always been the one bugging you to get pregnant, although never quite mad, Jiwon had gotten short with you once before when you expressed your nonchalantness with having kids. He wants to take it all back now. How could he be so selfish, how could he make you carry a life just because he wants a mini Jiwon or mini Y/n when you weren’t ready. He had forgotten seeing Hanbin and his wife went through so much trials and tribulation with their twins, or how hard it was on Chanwoo’s wife when she had complication with their first born so he so selfishly blamed you for still not having someone to call him “dad”. What a screw up he is for blaming you, the only person that was willing to take him at his best and at his worst without ever questioning his intention. 

“Get me some water... as much ice as you can.” You whimper out and he nods furiously, not knowing how else to help. A heavy sigh left your lips just as his shadow bolts out the door behind him. You know how harsh all this was on him, and of all his fears but the pain had blinded you for the past few hours.

“Baby, here.” He rushes back to your side, thankful to see a more rested form of his wife smiling back. Lifting a few spoonful of cold salvation to your lips, he settles happily when you lean into him as you satisfyingly crunches on the ice.

“Jiwon... I’m sorry.” You mewl out, much to his surprise. 

“Whatever for, honey? You did nothing wrong.” Eyes widen, for the first time since arrival he was met with your tearful features even with the gut punches your body was preparing to welcome the baby are still rolling in with full force.

“I-I know all I’ve been doing is yell at you. First all I do is complain, now I just yell and hurt you. I don’t want you to think this is me now... I said it before, I’ll say it now. I’m happy to be able to welcome my child with you, our child. I know I don’t say it enough, or at all, but Kim Jiwon, you’re an amazing person.”

“Stop it, love. I’m far from perfect. I always expect this thing to be easy breezy, you know? I’ve seen Jinhwan hyung did it, then Yunhyeong hyung... Even Hanbin, and June, and the maknae. I just, I don’t know. I guess it’s not as easy when we do it ourselves, huh?” That strange chuckle, signature of your husband rings out so dearly and suddenly your heart is at peace. You snuggle further into his chest despite the strange position you both had taken on with the soon to be gone bump in between. “Like I said before, you’re the most beautiful person in this world and I thank God everyday for giving me you.” 

You must be looking like a rag doll after a tsunami but his words and those loving eyes just make you feel like a million dollars. His fingers find their way back to your face pushing away a few stray strand of hair as they would always do before he so tenderly presses a gentle kiss on your lips. Jiwon holds it there for what felt like eternity as he lets his heart and soul sear you with all his love, only parting way once the footfall could be heard leading to your room. 

Once more you experience what could only be describe as a frog prepared to get dissected during bio class, what’s with being prod at, poke, and examine. Another 4 excruciating hours and a few laps around the maternity ward later to loosen your muscles, you were prepped and primed for the main event. The world feels like such a blur, as if suddenly the Earth had decided to go on a race with its sibling planets. Blurs of people running in and out of the room, blurs of faces telling you to push, blurs of the incessant beeping of all the machineries, blurs of pain. In the blurry faded world flashing in front of your eyes, his face remains clear as day right beside you. Jiwon has his arms around you like he always had been when he walked you through rough spots in life. 

For God knows why, your memories rushes back to the day you had thought your journey with him was to end, back to the days of being young and being careless. You had gotten tired of waiting, angry at him for always leaving but too foolish to realize there were millions of other solutions before separating. “Let’s break up” you had said simply and watched as he said simply, “No.” Before you had realized what was going on, he already had his arms around you before repeating one more time, “No.” You were angry at first, the blatant disrespect he was showing by refusing to hear you but then you broke down crying in his arms and held him the tightest you’ve ever held anyone. “My naive girl, what make you think pushing me away will be the answer to your pain of never having me around? Did you think that parting way forever will help you get over how much you miss me? Because let me tell you right now, if you love me as I do you, that’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever come up with because i can’t even fathom how much it hurt not to have you in my life.” And he held you for the next hours as you both snuggling up on your old worn couch, then the rest of the night when you buried your head in his chest while listening to his sweet, sweet voice. “When you’re thirsty, you drink water. When you’re hungry, you eat. When you miss someone, you should be with them. I don’t get your ass backward logic, missy. Tell me right now, would you rather me leave right now, and I will if you do. I don’t want to force you into a relationship if you’re already decided you don’t need anymore.” Your response was to pull him closer and never let go.  Just like that night, Jiwon is right where he needed to be and he protects you in his arms even when he doubts that it will help, he holds you anyways. Through the exhaustion and through it all, you smile because you’re all each other got and simply, you’re better together as 3 and counting. 

Then the world stops. A single cry tears through the musty sweat filled air like the clearest bell and all either of you could hear was that cry. The weight of the world lifted off your shoulders when you see the smile on his face, a smile that said you had just been demoted to second favorite as the nurse hands over your bundle of joy. 

“She’s so perfect. God,  I said I wouldn’t cry. Look at me now.” Jiwon half guffaw half chokes on his own tears as he delicately places his lips on her forehead, finger gently caressing her fluffy cheeks. 

“She’s perfect, just like her dad.” You lean back, forgetting that stitches were being placed, that your lower half felt like it had been through a meat grinder. Watching Jiwon holding your sleepy baby close to his chest as he coos “Hi baby, I’m your dad”, you’d go through this again and again. There is nothing more precious in this world than bringing a new life into this world and nothing will surpass the joy of doing it with Jiwon. You’re sure the weeks to come will be both painful and exhausting but seeing the excitement in his eyes as he shows off your daughter to the boys, you know you’re in good hands. 

#ikon #ikon jiwon #ikon bobby #ikon scenarios #ikon scenario #ikon imagines #ikon imagine #ikon fanfic #ikonic #jiwon #kim jiwon #bobby #bobby kim #jiwon scenarios #jiwon imagines #jiwon scenario #Bobby au #bobby scenarios #bobby imagines #kpop scenarios #writing

[thetourguidebarbie]

klaroline + jealousy + hogwarts au :D

Someone gave me another prompt for mates and heat. I thought I’d go a bit of a different direction, so this is Veela!Caroline (not to be confused with your bday present, Luiza). Meant to be a 20 minute drabble, but most definitely was not…

She’d originally thought that she’d never have a moment in her life that was more humiliating than in second year when some seventh year tried to dose his friend with veritaserum as a prank and accidentally got her instead. It had resulted in a mortifying round of questions once resident mean girl Katherine Pierce figured out that she could get Caroline to reveal her deepest darkest secrets just by asking until Professor Longbottom noticed her crying from the staff table. He’d immediately took fifty points from Slytherin for dosing a twelve year old with veritaserum and another fifty for taking advantage of it before carting her off to the hospital wing to get the antidote, and no one had spoken to her for weeks because, in their mind, she’d cost them the cup.

But no.

No.

Now she had to sit and look her head of house, a seventy-plus year old man who was basically her third dad, in the face and tell him that she was too turned on to go to class and wasn’t sure that she could hold in her aura. She wasn’t sure how she’d expected him to react, but somehow the pity and understanding in his eyes was much worse than anything she’d anticipated.

And it wasn’t like she hadn’t tried to get over it. She’d practically jumped Tyler, her ex-boyfriend, dragging him into a hallway behind a nearby tapestry and kissing him greedily, needing hands on her body. It hadn’t worked though, and she knew why. She’d been hoping that she could get away with having sex with anyone, but she now knew that she needed her mate to be the one to touch her. It was the only way the need would subside, and since she absolutely refused to tell her actual mate that they were bonded, she was basically fucked.

Well, she was not fucked, but that was beside the point.

“Of course,” he said. “Shall I speak to Professor McGonagall and inform her that you’ve had your…ah…”

He trailed off, clearly trying to find a delicate way to say ‘veela heat awakening’, and she nodded to cut him off. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“Of course, m’dear. Now, forgive me for this question, Caroline, but have you spoken to your mate about this?”

“Um…” she muttered, tucking her hair behind her ear. “So…that’s the thing.”

“What is?”

“He doesn’t know,” she said, her voice small, trying to avoid the urge to hide behind the nearest piece of furniture.

“He doesn’t know?” he repeated slowly.

She huffed, fiddling nervously with the belt of her robe, the terrycloth rubbing uncomfortably against her flushed skin, her nipples sensitive and pebbled, thighs slick and aching for friction. Slughorn must be a hell of an occlumens if he wasn’t the least bit affected by her aura. “I mean what am I supposed to say? ‘You’re a grumpy unpleasant asshole, but veelas have a soulmate and once they’re seventeen they have heat that can only be sated by their mate every year. Congratulations, even though I hate every single thing about you and your stupid arrogant face apparently the powers that be have decided that you’re mine, so let’s bang’?”

She was too upset to bother apologizing for her foul language, but Professor Slughorn didn’t seem to mind, just searching her face before he spoke. “I’m going to make an educated guess and assume that your mate is Klaus Mikaelson?” he asked lightly.

“Unfortunately. And anyway, even if I was willing to admit to him that we’re mates, which I’m obviously not, I don’t want him to feel obligated to have sex with me!” she burst out before clapping her hands to her mouth, her eyes widening as she realized what she’d said. “Sorry, Professor, I–”

“Not to worry,” he said. “You can’t possibly think that you’re the first veela student I’ve had?”

“Right,” she mumbled, her skin flushing even more. “Right. Um…”

“If you’d like you can go home for a week or two,” he said kindly. “Or, if you’d rather stay here, I can give you the password to a room that’s reserved for visitors for some privacy.”

She was soon set up in a room on the third floor, Professor Slughorn letting her know that if there was anything she needed she could call for a house elf.

As soon as he left she shed her robe and fell into bed, her forehead damp with sweat. She found her inner thighs slick with need and it only took her a few brushes of her fingers over her clit to come. It was deeply unsatisfying, the momentary pleasure not enough to soothe the throbbing between her thighs, which was growing almost painful. She’d always prided herself on her control, but she found that it was wearing thin. She tried everything she possibly could to distract herself before she finally gave in.

It was mortifying to type the single text and send it to Klaus, and she knew she’d never live it down if he decided to tell anyone.

[Caroline]: I need your help. I’m in the room on the third floor behind the painting of the unicorn pasture. The password is ‘lilac’.

It was only a few seconds before his response came, and she steeled herself for having to explain in more detail, trying to figure out how to phrase it. His answer surprised her though, just a simple affirmative, assuring her that he’d be there soon.

She couldn’t help but feel the anticipation coursing through her, the need for his touch almost overwhelming. Every time she closed her eyes she could see the glimpse of him shirtless she’d caught once when she came by his dorm room to ask Enzo a question. imagined his voice whispering in her ear.

She was so wet, so empty, and every bit of her craved his touch, needed it.

She avoided the urge to fall back into bed and pretend that she wasn’t imagining that it was Klaus’s hand between her thighs, his stubbled cheek rubbing against her breasts and belly as he traveled down, wetting the skin of her inner thighs with his tongue…

Instead, she redressed in her robe, trying not to squirm in discomfort as she tightened the belt around her waist. She was restless as she waited on the couch, the temptation to give herself another unsatisfying orgasm excruciating to resist. It felt like forever by the time the portrait hole swung open, and Klaus stepped in, turning to close it behind him, calling her name.

“Hi,” she breathed, and his head immediately snapped to look at her, his eyes widening, lips slightly parting as his gaze roved her body.

She knew that he wasn’t affected by her aura–mates never were–but the way he was looking at her almost made her moan just from imagining the way his hands would feel on her body. His eyes snapped back to her face when she let out a soft gasp of anticipation when she shifted, the cloth of her robe rubbing against her nipples.

She kind of wanted to floor to swallow her.

“Are you…what…what are you…” he stammered before settling on, “Bloody hell.”

“I’m a veela,” she said, her voice rushed and breathless. “I mean, you knew that, obviously. But like…so I turned seventeen in October and March is…you know…season.”

“Season?” he asked, dragging the word out in a way that shouldn’t have made a shiver rush down her spine.

“Yeah. Like, as in heat season.”

“Perhaps I’m mistaken, as far as I know a veela can only be satisfied by her mate during heat season,” he said slowly, his voice hesitant, as though he couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

“Yeah. You’re my mate. Surprise!” she said with faux cheer, giving him jazz hands. “So?”

“So?” he asked, seeming to process what she was saying, his mouth slowly widening into a smug, dimpled grin. “Do you need some help, then?”

Her mouth opened and closed, fury pulsing in her veins with the arousal, and she felt her palms heat as they sparked, her powers more difficult to control when she was so emotional. “Seriously?”

He moved toward her, his steps predatory as he backed her against the wall, and she couldn’t help but rub against him when he pinned her there, desperate for friction. Every part of her was burning, uncomfortably slick with sweat and yet aching for him. He groaned low in his throat when she slung her arms around his neck, using the leverage of the wall to wrap her legs around him, grinding against the bulge in his jeans. “Fuck, Caroline.”

“That’s the idea,” she said irritably, rocking against him, desperate for the relief that was frustratingly close and yet completely out of her reach. “Come on.”

“You want me to fuck you, Caroline?”

“Are you going to make me say it?”

“That’s the idea,” he repeated, a small smirk curling his lips, and she wasn’t sure whether she’d ever been so close to hexing him.

Later, she decided.

“Fuck me,” she ground out. “Please.”

#klaroline #klaroline drabbles #klaroline drabble #klaroline fanfiction #klaroline smut #mydrabbles #my fanfiction #otp: annoyingly perfect #itsnotacrimetoloveyou #ask #answer

[michaels-blackhat]

willing to go into excruciating detail over this au in my mind - I wanted to say that any detail you want to share about this AU or anytime you want to talk about evil Forrest, I’m here for it.

BUT WHICH ONE????????

Ok, so in the Forrest turning evil fic, it starts out with his cousin being brought in on the alien secret to take down the aliens for killing his sister, right? And Forrest starts to notice all the times Alex seemingly out of nowhere ditches him for Michael. And he’s concerned but trying to be Cool about it, because he’s sooooo Cool and Laid Back.

And Wyatt is all “that’s not Alex, that’s not the man you started dating, there’s something influencing him” and as Forrest tries to ‘save’ Alex from the evil alien influence Michael, the more Alex starts to withdraw from Forrest and we have a beautiful spiral of how Forrest turns from the unassuming dude in the library who just is really interested in Nazis NOT A RED FLAG AT ALL!!! to someone hell bent on destroying the alien invaders.

And that’s how I get evil Forrest. And maybe Jesse isn’t dead because I miss him and he’d be amazing at influencing Forrest and u know it!!!!!!

#would I write it? #fuck yes

[mel-loves-all]

A Olicity Historical AU: Touch can be so much more than just, touch.

A/N: Hello my friends, I’ve really enjoyed the special connection and friendship that has grown between Oliver and Felicity in this universe.  We are sadly nearing the close of this particular journey with them as next week’s chapter will be the last.  Let’s hope Lord Archer will be able to make some life altering choices.  

Thank you to the wonderful @quiveringbunny for making this amazing cover art for my story.  It is so beautiful.  

You can read previous chapters HERE and AO3.

~~~~~~~~

Chapter 5

The untamable breeze that swept up the hill, carrying with it the taste of salt and dampness, stroked across Oliver’s body as he rested on a picnic blanket with Lady Felicity.   William was escorting Katherine and Oliver’s mother through the estate’s gardens after a breakfast that had been full of easy conversation and a surprising enjoyment of honey by all.  

Oliver tried not to stare, but his eyes were drawn to Felicity’s delicate profile as she looked out across the infinite body of gray and white tipped curls of ocean that went as far as the horizon.  His gaze wandered over the glass spectacles that had become endearingly familiar to him, across her porcelain skin flushed with good health, and then along the curves of her lips that always seemed to be on the verge of a smile.  Lips that appeared soft and bitable.  He had first hand knowledge of the first, they had been exquisitely soft against his, and when he allowed himself to admit it...he wanted to find out about the second.  Multiple times.

The squawking of the sea gulls that circled them from above set off an unexpected reaction.  The resulting tilt of Oliver’s world blind-sided him.

Draw in, as if inhaling the scent of a blooming flower. Ease out, to relax.

As the disorientation started to build he fought to focus on Lady Felicity.  Another swirl of wind lifted a few loose tendrils of her hair that struggled to stay in a refined bun under her ribbon tied straw hat.   The pale yellow of her dress drew forth the rich, lush green of the grass that surrounded them.

Draw in.  Ease out.

Oliver trained himself to face each day with resilient fight. Compartmentalization and isolation of his thoughts and thus his feelings was a tool he tried to use to deal with what came.  The tidal wave of memories, that always hovered around the edges of his mind, was triggered today by the sound of seabirds. This was his life now.  What had not bothered him the day before...would and could, lay him bare the next.  He was so tired of being weak.  So tired of being afraid of the next “episode.”  

Draw in.  Ease out.

Oliver’s memories, like William’s dark storms, threatened to swallow him whole.  The darkness crept closer till it begun to narrow the view of his surroundings.  It squeezed the brightness of the day down to a pinprick of light like a tunnel collapsing inward in slow motion.

….The creaking sounds of the boat and the nauseating sway of the rough sea crossing had kept Oliver from sleep and the much needed oblivion it offered as his body, each broken bone, deep wound and laceration, screamed in agony.   Every touch and movement wrought excruciating, excruciating pain.  A week had passed since his rescue and in a fog of misery and hallucinations...he had been shipped home.  Sent home to die or worse...to live...

The violent stress that had started to encompass his limbs was beaten back as Lady Felicity turned her head and with those pink lips gave him a dazzling smile....that quickly turned into a look of concern.   Her brief smile had cast a beam of sunshine and welcome that flooded his tunnel vision with light and beat the darkness back into a compartment Oliver could lock away...for now.

Draw in....Ease out…

The warmth of the day and loveliness of the woman in front of him came sharply back into focus, as did Oliver’s awareness.  He bowed his head in shame.   He felt so awful that she had seen him like this...again.  

Long, delicate fingers curled around his shaking ones and Oliver lifted his head in surprise.  Felicity did not ask what was wrong with him.  She did not say, everything would be all right.  

She simply held his hand.  She held his hand.

And in her comfort and the amazing touch of her compassion; he found a friendship that would hold fast and walk beside him for the rest of his life.

Draw in...

Her chest rose and fell in sync with his as if willing him to breath.  As the pounding of his heart beat returned to normal his shame melted away. He felt vulnerable and a bit unsteady, but Felicity made him feel, safe.  She had seen him at his worst three times and three times she had not judged.

Ease out...

“William?”  Oliver croaked out, already knowing the answer.   She nodded, yes, without elaborating. She kept the details of William’s secrets even as she helped Oliver with his own.  Felicity would have seen the trauma William carried home from the war.  She would have seen first hand her brother’s  “episodes.”   She would have heard the screams from his nightmares.   She understood.

Felicity released his hand after a gentle squeeze and Oliver wished...well, he wished for things he knew he was not ready for.   He did not know if he would ever be ready for them.

“My parents loved the sea,”  Felicity said, her lips quivering with love and sadness.  “They would walk the beaches together and listened to the sounds of the waves as they drifted through the open doors and windows of our home.”

Oliver watched as her thoughts took her back to a time and place where good still outweighed the bad.

“You must miss them a great deal,” Oliver replied as he remembered hearing about the tragic carriage accident that had taken the Viscount and his wife two years earlier.  Lady Felicity had lost her parents while William had been at war.   She had grieved while taking on the responsibilities of her father’s estate, alone, and safeguarded it not just for her brother, but for the many who lived and worked there.  

Her gentle spirit and ability to still smile, laugh and enjoy life was a testament of her strength and ability to heal.  Oliver respected her resilience and her grace.

“You know what happened to them?”

“I had heard about the accident. I am sorry for your loss,”

“One day we are enjoying the normal and the next...I did not know what to do.  I kept thinking I would see them the next day and the next.  And when I did not...,”

Oliver watched as she tried to reign in her emotions.  

“How did you...how did you move forward,” Oliver whispered truly wanting to know.  How had she?

“Time.  It takes time. One morning you wake and the pain is not as overwhelming. Not as suffocating. It doesn't mean you can no longer feel it.  It just means you can bear it.  I also had Katherine and her family.  They wrapped me up in love and when I was ready to...feel it, I did,”  Her last sentence brought a tear to her eye and Oliver watched it fall.  He wanted to wipe it away and never see this beautiful, strong woman cry ever again.  

“Our experiences make us stronger.  I genuinely feel that, Lord Archer.  I watched my brother take his pain and turn it into an incredible connection to the human spirit.  I see him with a heart so much more open and understanding of those around him,”

“Some of our hearts are too scarred.  Too fractured. Too weak,”  Oliver shared his fear.

“I believe our scars...they don’t reflect, weakness.  They reflect our strength.  Our hearts still beat.  We still live.  We just need to…”

“Need to what?”

“We just need to accept that we will never be who we once were...we have to accept who we are now.  Scars and all.”

~~~~~~~

The weekend had gone by too quickly.   Lord Archer and the Countess were to leave in the morning and Felicity did not know when she would see either of them next.  She sat in front of the mirror of her vanity table and finished braiding her hair in preparation for bed.  The dark circles under her eyes reflected the emotional day she had had.

Watching Lord Archer struggle with his demons and sharing the loss of her parents with him, which still stunned Felicity, had left her drained.  She could not believe she had brought up her parents, but she had felt compelled to.   She had needed to connect to him and tether him to her...hope.  Otherwise, she worried he would be lost for good.

Lord Archer, William and every soldier who had gone to war lost their innocence.  Death was and would forever be a taker.  A destroyer.  No matter if you were expecting it or not...the loss of family, friend or foe would take a piece of your soul.  You just needed to decide to live with what you were left with.

She did not know if she helped Lord Archer, but he had helped her.  He helped to remind her that she had chosen to live and love.   That she had chosen to be there when her brother came home.  To be there to love him when he needed her.  To see him flourish and be happy.  Felicity had chosen to live and love.   She could only hope Lord Archer made the same choice.

Felicity turned at the knock on her door.  “My lady, Lord Archer sent me to get you.  Hanna is giving birth,”  Emma whispered so as not to wake the rest of the family.  Felicity could hear the chiming of the clock as it signalled the late hour.  

Felicity put on her night wrapper and hurried down the hall towards the candle lit dressing room and the man who sat on its floor with Hanna leaning against his thigh as she licked and cleaned her two little puppies.  

Lord Archer looked up at her approach, his loose white night shirt softly gleaming in the candlelight, and upon seeing his radiant lop-sided smile, Felicity fell in love.  She knew she had not been far from that realization before this moment, but he was utterly, irridescent in his happiness.   This was the other half of the man who walked in the darkness.

She started to cry from the unfairness of his burdens.  She wanted him to be happy like this, forever.

“All is well, shhh, Felicity, please don’t cry.  Hanna and her babies are perfect,”  Oliver drew her down to sit by them.  The use of her first name going unnoticed in the moment.

Felicity sniffled and took a deep breath as she watched his smile grow wider as Hanna laid her head on his leg and watched him and her mistress through tired eyes.    The puppies blindly found their mother’s nipples and began to suckle on them.

“I wasn’t just crying for them,” Felicity whispered.  

With her heart full of love for this man, she recklessly continued on at his confused look, “You are beautiful when you smile,”    

Oliver’s body froze at her words and she watched mesmerized as the blue of his eyes darkened with an emotion she could not read.   Then he slowly reached over to cup the side of her face.  His hand was so warm and strong that Felicity could not help but close her eyes at the pleasure his touch brought her.  

His thumb brushed the wetness from her cheek and he whispered with profound incredulity, “Why aren’t you married to a man who adores you?  A man who would gift you the moon.  You are so special, Lady Felicity.  The men of the ton are idiots,”

Because he had not offered himself as that man, Felicity realized, heartbreakingly so that she must feel more for him than he felt for her.   At that dawning truth, her chest and her heart ached.  She had not felt such loss in a very long time.  A loss for a man she had never had to begin with.  She was not the right woman for him.  She was not, but she had seen the magic of what the right person could do for the one they loved.  Katherine had been a woman special enough to bring joy back to William and...one day, Felicity hoped Oliver would find his.   And when he did, she prayed he would chose to live and love.  

So as not to make him or herself any more uncomfortable she pulled away from his grasp and said with a lightness she did not feel, “He would have to sign my dance card first,”  

Hanna thankfully yelped and their attentions were once again on the miracle of Hanna and her puppies.

~~~~~~~~

My lovelies: If you wish to be tagged or untagged please just let me know. Thank you for reading.

@diggo26 @kawusia25 @whoeveryoulovethemost @letsnevergrowupfan @priya108 @ohliverfelicity @andjustforthismoment @relativelyobsessedfangirl @felicityssoliver @readerkas @murderingminutesforhours @sinceriouslysarah @jedichick04 @bluemorgana @arrow-through-my-writers-block @florence-bubbles @secretglimpses @arrowolicity88 @travelingwinchester @scu11y22 @lerayon @multi-fandom-crazy-fangirl @pharmalen @mrsd923 @iv-on-ka @miriam1779 @beautiful-dreamer-sara @thebeckyford @aussieforgood @allyouneedisolicity @iloveyouallthemore @lesanchea @crazypants5 @geniewithwifi @pleasedontletmedownx @quiveringbunny @cityofolicity @the-girl-wednesday @flailykermit @moomoosstudio @yellowflicker09011996 @dopecycleblaze @malafle @u-r-notdonefighting @bytemegeekette @lindsey8907 @onlyhere4olicity @olicityhappyeverafter @niki-is-amazing @dalisia3 @danski15 @felicityqueenforever @amac313 @kajunblueyes @music-and-motorcycles @mrsbubblelee @itsthatwallflower @tinaday3w @memcjo @octoberwren @pamanaus @mymusiclove101 @ellefraser17 @sinceriously-melodiful @olicityforeverqueen @redpensandgreenarrows @thesunshine-in @quiquikalikala @charlinert @thedreamersmovement @leaugueofolicity17 @georgiakblog @myuntetheredsoul @mochababychristy @arrows-4ever @jaspertown @lgtwinkie99 @convictionwithpurpose @pjcmfalcon @lexi9515 @redpenbluebox @pleasantfanandstudent @oliverfel4 @almondblossomme @marniforolicity @muslimsmoak @vaelisamaza @velvetsteel @angelalafan @photogeniques @cinfos @tdgal1 @djeniiscorner @vicky-vale @bwangangelic @olicityandsteroline @imthedoctordonna @lynaye1993 @f0xyf0xy @sammieathome @arrowgirl20 @coal000 @green-arrows-of-karamel @amytosh @acequillerqueen @pepperlevine @so-caffeinated @tjmartinez98 @cndyprfumegirl @queeningrid 

#olicity #olicity fic #olicity fanfic #olicity fanfiction #oliver x felicity #melfic1

[ohmytheon]

precious and fragile things (rebelcaptain, 3)

Okay, so yeah, it's now officially four parts, but I'm relieved to say that it will be finished in the next one. There was just a lot that needed to be done in this part and I wanted to end on a sweet note, which wouldn't have been possible in this one as it didn't fit. I almost ended it completely on a cliffhanger, but then thought better of it. Oh, did I mention that this chapter will be angsty as hell? Because that's who I am.

Summary: After the unexpected deaths of their mutual best friends, Cassian and Jyn must work together despite their differences to help raise their friends’ two year-old son. Of course, what neither one of them anticipated was how their own relationship would change from a tense friendship to something much more. (A Modern AU based on the movie, "Life as We Know It".)

precious and fragile things part three

His next assignment came at the worst possible time. Poe’s birthday was coming up in a few weeks and Cassian knew right away that this one would take much longer than a few days. It was deep cover, not as bad as the one a  few years ago that had lasted months, but still not good. He’d be cutting it very close. The idea of possibly missing Poe’s third birthday tasted bitter on his tongue and turned his stomach sour.

Cassian had never once turned down an assignment -- had never had a reason to before -- and yet here he was, hesitating over the file.

Kay peered at him from his desk. “Are you feeling well, Cassian? You look like you’re five seconds away from throwing up the four cups of coffee you consumed for breakfast.”

Honestly, Cassian wasn’t sure that he wasn’t going to vomit. It didn’t matter if he came out of this assignment completely in tact; Jyn would murder him if he missed Poe’s birthday. Hell, he wasn’t certain that he might do something drastic himself if he did. Things were going so well right now. Poe was both tentatively excited about his birthday and upset as well because it would be his first birthday without Kes and Shara. There was no way that Cassian could miss it. Him not being there would break the kid’s heart and betray all of the trust that he’d worked on building between them.

And Jyn would never forgive him. Whatever warm, comfortable thing that was going on between them would be shattered and she would cut him out of her personal life quicker than anyone could imagine possible. Nothing sounded more excruciating than the cold shoulder she would give him. If there was one thing that Cassian knew about Jyn, it was that she held some serious grudges and it had taken him moving mountains to get through the first time.

“Does it have to do with Jyn?” Kay queried.

Yes.

“No.”

Kay gave him a shrewd look. Cassian wondered when he had become so transparent to his partner or if he was just that way when it came to Jyn. Somehow, Kay always seemed to know when Cassian was distracted by her. Still, he went back to filling out his latest report. In their partnership, Kay did most of the paperwork. He was a lot more precise, detailed, and technical; plus he seemed to prefer it since he always insisted going over everything Cassian put in anyways.

The conversation seemed dead until Kay abruptly said, “You could turn it down.”

Cassian looked up sharply, alarm written across his face. Kay did not look up; he didn’t have to. He knew Cassian’s record with assignments better than Cassian did himself probably. Cassian was more likely to volunteer for an assignment than turn one down. Such a thing had never been suggested to him before. The fact that Kay was bringing it up now meant that he knew just how bad this was.

“I’ve been working on this case for almost a year,” Cassian pointed out. “People have died.”

“Yes, these are very bad men,” Kay replied matter-of-factly. “And you have put more time and effort into this case than anyone else. You’re the best chance we’ve got at taking them down.” He set his pen down and looked up once more, settling a decidedly blank look on his face. “But you’ll be distracted too and distractions, as you know, get you killed.”

Cassian clenched his fist over top his keyboard. “Are you saying I can’t hack it?”

“I’m saying,” Kay huffed dramatically, “that you have something to live for now.”

His response caught Cassian off guard. He had never really thought that he had a death wish or anything like that. He did his job and he did it well, regardless of what it did to him in the end. There were times when he had to do a few shady things or act like a person that he didn’t like, but that came with the territory. No one could slip in and out like he could. No one was willing to go as far as he did or was able to commit to a role as much as he did. Yes, it put him with the sharks, but he’d been swimming with them what felt like his entire life.

It just felt so different now.

“You’re a great cop, Cassian,” Kay told him as he organized the papers on his desk, “but I think it will very much hurt you to be one at the expense of being a lousy father.”

There were plenty of times when it seemed like Kay didn’t understand his fellow humans, as if emotions were out of his range of expertise. There were also times that because of this, he was able to dig right to the heart of a matter and pull it right out of you whether you knew it was there or not. This was definitely one of those times. Cassian’s eyes fell back down to the file on his desk.

This was his life -- the job was what made up his very being -- and yet he had a life outside of this too and it didn’t fit so smoothly with the first. The question he had to ask himself was this: Could he live both and not hate himself? He didn’t know. He honestly didn’t know.

*

Jyn would not cry over this...this bastard of a man. She absolutely refused. The last time she had cried had been because her father missed yet another dance recital when she was twelve. She nipped that problem quickly. A week later, she quit dance and refused to tell her father why. Eventually he stopped asking and his lack of showing up in her life didn’t hurt as much if there was nothing important in it. She learned not to allow anyone in deep enough that might cut her heart.

This was no exception. Cassian was no exception. She would not allow it.

Instead, she had to be clinical about it. Practical. Controlling her emotions in the heat of the moment wasn’t one of her strong points, so she did her best to shut them off entirely. Easier said than done, of course, especially since it wasn’t just her now. When it came to Poe, she lost a lot of the control she’d built up over the years.

“So, how long will you be gone?” Jyn didn’t look back at him as she spoke. She kept on washing the dishes, a little more vigorously than necessary, but it was best to keep her hands occupied and her face turned away from him in case she did let something slip.

“I don’t know,” Cassian responded slowly. His voice was even, controlled. He was better at this than her. It pissed her off even more. How could he be so calm about this? “A few weeks, maybe, hopefully less. These things don’t tend to run on a specific timeline.”

“A few weeks.” The words rolled out of her mouth uncomfortably, like chewing food with a strange texture. They made her want to spit. “How dangerous?”

Because it was stupid to ask if it was dangerous. Of course it was. Cassian’s job required him to surround himself with dangerous people in dangerous situations. She would know, as it was her job to write about them. Before Poe, this would’ve been a wet dream for her job. Being so close to the source of the investigation, she could only imagine what details she could’ve dragged out of Cassian and how far she would’ve gone to get them. But now, she wanted as far away from it as possible. The entire thing felt tainted.

“I have to do this.”

He didn’t answer, so very dangerous then. Jyn closed her eyes and took a breath. She would not blow up; she would not cry.

Rage and desperation simmered underneath her skin. “Of course you do.”

“Jyn, it’s my job. This is who I am. You know that; you’ve known it for years. Did you expect things to change?”

Maybe.

“No. The force is your life. It’s the most important thing in the world to you.” Jyn’s lip curled into a sneer because if it hadn’t it might’ve started trembling. Things had been going so well. Why had she let herself fall into a sense of complacency? She knew better than that. She never let it happen. Why had she done it now? “I never expected to be your first priority though, but I’d hoped you might think of Poe a little more, at least.”

“I am thinking of Poe,” Cassian told her fiercely. He stepped closer to her and she could feel him right behind her, the heat of his body, the anger that he’d hidden so deep rolling off of him now. A small part of her wished that he would come even closer, use his body to push her against the sink and hold her there, grab her, touch her, draw out the tension that was boiling over inside of her -- and she hated herself for it. “I’ve been working on this case for so long. If I do this right, a lot of very bad men will go to prison for a very long time.”

Jyn slammed a plate down on the towel to dry, almost breaking it. “And you’re the only one that can do it.”

“Yes, I am.” Cassian had no doubts about how good he was at his job and to be honest neither did Jyn. She’d caught only a few glimpses of him at work before when she was in his precinct trying to get a quote or information from people, but she didn’t have to see him at work to know that he was good. She just knew it in her gut, the way she knew when information was solid or when it was bunk.

“And if you don’t do it right? If it goes wrong? Then what?” Jyn gripped the edge of the sink. Her hands were soapy and wet, uncomfortably wrinkly from not bothering to use gloves or the dishwasher. Sometimes, she had to do things by hand to distract her mind from other things, but he was making it very difficult for her. “I get to take Poe to another closed casket funeral?”

“That’s not fair,” Cassian growled. It was unfair that he could speak like that about something as awful as this and it still sent shivers down her spine. He was being rough with her on purpose. She’d rage at him if he was gentle. He had picked up on her behavior too well.

“To who? You or Poe?”

Finally, Jyn rounded on him and was startled to see just how close he was. She’d known that he was right behind her, but there were only a few inches separating them. She could read the hard lines of his face, telling her that he was irritated with her for fighting with him, but also something that looked a lot like guilt in his eyes. She was not going to let that get the best of her though. She didn’t care how he felt; she only cared about what he was going to do. And he was going to go on this assignment. There was no doubt about it in her mind.

Cassian blew out some air. “If there was any other way--”

“Well apparently there isn’t,” Jyn interrupted coldly. “The job will always take first priority. You might think it’s tough now -- maybe even trick yourself into believing that you’re conflicted -- but the moment you’re gone, the second you’re in a new skin, you’ll feel relieved. You’ll feel free and unburdened. We’re holding you back. I get it. Sorry to be an inconvenience.”

This time, he couldn’t hide the fact that she’d hit a nerve. Fury crossed his face, covering up the guilt in his eyes, and she basked in it. Yes, let him be angry. Let him feel what she felt. She would relish it. She knew this. Anger was easy to understand and deal with. It would make it easier to let him go when he was gone and not give a damn. It would make it easier to burn him out of her system.

“Like you’ve been perfect?” Cassian sneered. “Every time I try to take a step forward or meet you halfway, you take a step back. The second there’s a hint of difficulty, you throw up a wall and push me away. Any chance I might even fail to live up to your expectations, you seek out a fight to burn down everything we’ve worked on.” He shook his head. “You’re afraid, Jyn, and you always have been. You just hide it behind anger. At least I’m trying to make this work for both of us.”

“Trying?” Jyn’s eyes burned. How dare he say something like that? She wasn’t afraid. What could she possibly be afraid of? She didn’t care about him. She didn’t care if he was here or not. (She would not think about the nights in this house when he didn’t come home, how empty it felt, like she was missing something that she’d never even known wasn’t there before.) “How can you be trying when you’re leaving?”

“I’m not leaving for good,” Cassian said. “I’m coming back.”

“You can’t promise that,” Jyn told him hoarsely, her throat constricting on her despite her attempts to shut it down. But that old fear was crawling its way back to the forefront of her mind. That pain from when she was twelve and she knew that her papa would never fully be in her life, that she would be alone, that he was gone almost as surely as her mama, that she didn’t matter. Cassian would leave and maybe he would come back, but he would leave again. In and out of her life, like her father.

God, it fucking figured that she’d fall for the same old song and dance routine a decade later.

“I’m coming back,” Cassian insisted, quieter this time, gentle again, and it hurt. She hated him for it, but the ache in her chest was there, winding its way around her heart. He shouldn’t have had this much power over her. It wasn’t fair. His hands cupped her face and even though everything in her mind screamed to push him away, to put her hands on his chest and shove him as hard as she could, she leaned into his touch. “I’m coming back.”

“You can’t--” Jyn closed her eyes. “Will you be back for Poe’s birthday?”

The pained breath that he took made her want to cry, but she stomped it down when he confessed, “I don’t know, but I am going to do everything in my power to be here for it.” She didn’t want him any closer to her, but gripped the front of his shirt tightly when he rested his forehead against hers. “I know it seems easy for me to you -- and it used to be, it used to be nothing -- but I feel like I’m being torn in half.”

She couldn’t handle it, having him so close and wanting him closer but knowing that he was going away. His absence would leave her cold. Jyn was used to living life like it was fire; the cold that he left behind in his wake would be painful. She hated it, but she couldn’t find it in herself to hate him. He was torn. She could feel it in the way he held her face, his fingers digging into her hair, his hot breath against her, the tension coiled inside of his body that he was barely keeping intact.

He couldn’t be like this when he was undercover on the job. It would leave him vulnerable. Even now, it felt like he was falling open to her. If he let any of this distract him, if he felt even a hint of hesitation or confliction, it could be disastrous. So she did the one thing she was good at: she pushed him away.

“Go,” Jyn told him hollowly, “just go.”

Cassian pulled away from her slightly. “Jyn--”

“Go,” she ground out, and if a little pain slipped through the cracks of her voice, then so be it, but it had to be done. He took a step away from her and his hands fell from her face. She opened her eyes to look at him. She could see him closing up right before her eyes, becoming someone she could never read or understand. “But I’m not telling Poe that you’re leaving or why you’ll be gone or miss his birthday. You can do that this time.”

Her words were more effective than a slap. Something pained and fearful flashed in his dark eyes before it was replaced with a mask of duty, like telling Poe was just another part of the job. Like she was just a part of the job, just a different kind. She did not have the strength to tell herself that it didn’t hurt anymore.

Everyone leaves.

When Cassian walked out of the room to speak with Poe, it felt just as quick and sharp as her mother’s death and just as painful and hard as her father’s absence.

*

He slipped into the role because he had to -- because it was his job -- because it was him. When he put on the clothes and slicked his hair back, it was him, not someone else. He discarded Cassian Andor. It was important that he took nothing of that man with him because it wasn’t who he was. If he wanted to live, if he wanted to get the job done, he couldn’t just pretend to be someone else. He had to be someone else.

And so when he shook hands with criminals and smiled, he didn’t think of how small Jyn’s hand felt in his or how firm her grip was when he hovered over her in bed. When he laughed over a game of pool and bought a round of drinks, he didn’t think of her scowling face and the hot and cold feeling that swept over him when he pressed his body against hers at the table. When he held up a bag to examine the drugs he was supposed to help make more potent, he didn’t think of lifting Poe high in the air and spinning him around like he was flying. When he slept in apartment that he’d rented, he didn’t think of how cold it felt compared to sharing a bed with Jyn while Poe was curled up between them.

He brought no mementos with him, no pictures, nothing. All the memories he had of them, he locked them away in a box and pushed it to the side. He could not open it until the job was done. He was not raising a child that was not his own and he was not falling in love with one of the most volatile women he’d ever met. That life belonged to someone else that he didn’t know and could not afford to think about.

His dreams, of course, were fair game and his subconscious had never been crueler or so clear in what it wanted.

*

“Correct me if I’m seeing things, Erso, but is that a child in your lap?”

Jyn snapped her eyes away from her laptop to peer up at her boss. Saw Gerrera not only looked like a man that had fought in the military, but acted like it he was still in it as well. He was very particular about the way his office ran. The reason she got a little more leeway was because she was damn good at her job, he enjoyed the brashness of her writing, and seemed to have a fondness for journalists that jumped into hot water for a scoop. She’d known him for years, back when she’d been in college and had suffered through an unpaid internship here, and so he had given her some slack after the sudden life change she’d gone through.

That didn’t mean he’d be okay with her bringing Poe to work with her.

“Nope, you’re not seeing things,” Jyn replied, trying for cool like Cassian would. She didn’t pull it off as well as he would have and she was irritated with herself for thinking of him.

Saw peered at her laptop screen. “Is it appropriate for a child to be around while you’re writing about a cleaner for the mob that dismembers his victims and dumps them in the river?”

Jyn scowled and placed her hands over Poe’s ears, not that he was paying attention. Besides, it was too late. Saw had a worse problem with a filter than she did. “He can’t read yet, but he can still hear just fine.”

“Hm, good point,” Saw mused.

Sighing, she took her hands away from Poe’s ears and smoothed his hair down. He lifted his head to glance up at her, gave her a toothy smile, and then went back to playing with the toys in his hands. It had taken some finagling to convince him to stay still and not run around the office. Ice cream for lunch was in the cards. She knew how to make deals, even with a two year-old.

“Look, I’m sorry, Saw, but the babysitter cancelled last minute, Bodhi is on a long haul not due back for another week, and Leia and Han have their hands full with a newborn.” Jyn was not the person that made excuses. She was typically good at owning up to what she did after being caught or just not talking about it at all. But Poe changed things. A part of her felt like she had to explain herself when things didn’t go perfectly or she didn’t do something just right. “It was either call in or bring him here and the deadline is coming up quick.”

Saw considered her words for a moment before saying, “It’s fine today. He seems obedient enough.” Entertained and satisfied were better terms, in her opinion, but she kept her mouth shut. “But just remember: this is an award-winning magazine office, not a daycare. I won’t have my employees slacking because there’s a cute child to coo over.”

Jyn clenched her jaw. “Of course.”

“Don’t you have help with him?” Saw questioned. “What’s his name -- Andor? The vice cop?”

She would not react. She would not flinch. Hearing his name did not hurt. She was metal. There was a wall built in between her and any sort of pain.

“He’s...gone at the moment,” Jyn replied through gritted teeth.

Saw nodded his head. “That’s vice for you. Well, maybe you can get a story out of him if he returns. Readers love a good undercover story. It fascinates them.”

All Jyn could do was force a smile in agreement. If she opened her mouth to say anything, it would be to curse out her own boss and she didn’t think now was an appropriate time, considering Poe was in her lap. She at least tried not to swear around him. After that, Saw left her to finish her work, off to harass another unfortunate journalist that was running behind, and she swiveled back in her chair to face her laptop.

If he returns. She couldn’t forget the wording if she tried.

*

He was sipping on a very nice, chilled tequila when the boss’ wife sidled up to him. She was very attractive, her hair done up, nice jewelry on, and a slinky blue dress. He’d only stopped by to talk to the boss briefly before he and his wife left for a play. The man had made him a drink, told him to wait, and then left to finish getting ready.

“Make me a drink?” the wife told him, a sparkling smile on her face.

“What would you like?” he asked good-naturedly.

“Something fun,” she replied.

The place had a very well-stocked bar. He’d worked in bars before and knew how to be flashy when making even the simplest of drinks. The wife was delighted as she watched him. Her look was appraising as she took the glass from him, her fingers brushing against his. She took a delicate sip, careful not to ruin her lipstick, and gave him a satisfied nod that he raised a grateful glass to in thanks.

“You’re too handsome to be drinking alone,” the wife said. Her voice was teasing; her gaze was predatory. She was a few years older than him, the beautiful wife to an up-and-coming powerful, older man. They weren’t at the top, but they liked to live as if they were already there. Live like the man you want to be and it was easier to be that man. He could understand that way of thinking. She also knew more than most wives of crime bosses.  He had known right from the start that she was smarter than she appeared. People underestimated her. He did not.

“You flatter me,” he chuckled. He tapped his head. “Most people only care about my mind.”

She ran a soft hand down the front of his shirt. It was nice in a way that suggested smart, efficient dressing. He could be showy when need be and restrained when necessary. “It’s not always what’s on the inside that counts.” She caught his eyes. “My dear husband says that you’ve been working non-stop. I do like a man with stamina. It’s difficult for people to keep up with me sometimes.”

“I take my work very seriously, especially when my life is on the line.”

When she laughed, it mirrored the sound of the ice tinkling in her glass tumbler. “All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy.”

“But a rich and living one,” he countered, taking a sip of his drink. “Everyone must make sacrifices.”

“It sounds like a terribly lonely life,” the wife simpered. “Is there not anyone to keep you warm at night?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Only in between jobs.”

“Do you have one that always returns to you, waiting for you to come back into her arms?” the wife asked him. Then she grinned devilishly. “Or do you just find a pretty girl to woo and fuck until you don’t need her anymore?”

This time, he was the one to laugh. “I’m not the settling down type, if that’s what you’re asking. Right now, my work is more important. It takes up a lot of my time. Turns out most women don’t like to be around potentially toxic chemicals for too long.”

“Sounds fun,” she giggled.

“More like dangerous.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Is that not the same thing?”

“Ah, entertaining our guest, darling?” the boss in question asked as he strode into the room.

The wife stepped on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “You’re going to run this poor boy into the ground with all the work you’ve given him.”

“Oh, he sets his own pace. He’s tenacious. We could use some of that.” The boss took the finished drink out of her hand and set it down. He patted her on the arm. “Meet me outside, will you? I’ve got a few, quick things to discuss with our boy here before we go.”

“Don’t take too long.” She smiled and waved at them. When her husband’s back turned on her, she gave him a quick wink that only he could see. He did not respond, merely gave her a bland smile in return. If she caught the meaning in it, she didn’t care, only broadened her smile. He wasn’t the only one that was tenacious.

But she wasn’t his type. She wasn’t petite with a hard frame. She didn’t have brown hair that she kept in a loose bun even on days she had time to do her hair and her eyes weren’t a green that pierced right through him. She was smart, yes, but not clever and quick. And whatever fire she had in her was all selfish, blind ambition. There was little room in her for anything or anyone else but herself. No, she wasn’t for him.

But he did not have anyone waiting for him to come home. He could not afford to have that, not when the work he did was so important.

*

The nights were painful because she couldn’t ignore it any longer. There was nothing left to distract her. Poe was asleep in bed, her laptop was closed, the article she was working on only needed editing, and it was so quiet. She turned music on to help lull her mind, but even that didn’t help. Most of the time, she fell asleep on the couch, hiding under a blanket, going through countless television episodes that she never would’ve watched before. It was mind-numbing. Dealing with Poe on her own could be physically exhausting, but her mind still raged on.

Tonight though, nothing seemed to be helping. Poe had been asleep for three hours when she pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge. She hadn’t had more than a single drink since the night and Cassian had gone out. This time, she didn’t bother getting a glass. She just sat on the couch with the bottle and drank out of it until it was gone before the episode even finished. The quick buzz swarmed over her mind, but instead of drowning the thoughts, it brought them forward in a clumsy, loud cluster.

By the time she realized she hadn’t even known what went on in the episode, she turned off the tv and dragged herself to bed. No sense in throwing a pity party like this. Poe would wake up bright and early as he always did. He wanted waffles tomorrow for breakfast. They’d eaten cereal and yogurt for nearly the past two weeks. She had to get it together for his sake. She could not afford to be a self-pitying brat. That wasn’t her life anymore.

However, when she crawled into bed, the blanket felt like it was smothering her and the darkness crowded around her like a demon. She threw the blanket over her head, willing it to go away, just to sleep. All she had to do was let it go. Let him go.

Three weeks. He’d been gone for three weeks and she hadn’t heard a single peep from him. The only consolation she had gotten was a visit from his partner, Kay, a very tall, lanky man with a perpetually frowning face. He had told her that Cassian was fine -- that things were going well -- and that was that. He could not tell her anything else. She was not at liberty to know. Even doing this might get him in trouble with their captain, Draven, but he had known that Cassian wouldn’t want her completely in the dark.

It had taken everything in her not to slam the door on Kay’s face and scream at him that she didn’t care and that she didn’t want to know, not when it was a damn lie.

But that had been nine days  ago and she’d heard nothing since. She gripped the blanket tightly, the urge to rip it to shreds burrowing its way into her mind, and then stopped. She took a shuddering breath and slowly let go of the blanket, allowing it to drape over her. Staring at nothing, she tried not to imagine what Cassian was doing now. If he was sleeping or if he was hanging out the men he was trying to put away or something even more terrible.

But she missed him. She missed him like she missed Shara, like she missed Kes, like she missed Bodhi when he was gone for long hauls. Except this time, she not only missed him but felt alone too. It had been a long time since she had felt alone. She had thought that she’d cut the feeling out of her years ago. It was cutting at her now, whittling her down to her bones, and she hated it. She’d never liked feeling weak, but this was worse. She was completely powerless. Either he came back or he didn’t. And if he didn’t…

Oh, God, Shara, you didn’t warn me. You never told me that how painful it could be. You and Kes made it look so easy, so wonderful. You lied.

Before she could stop it, a sob worked its way up her throat and tumbled out. She clamped a hand to her mouth and curled up on herself, but they kept coming until her entire body was shaking from them. The sobs were muffled by her hand, but they sounded so loud in her ears, like a beating drum. They were hollow and broken and she could not stop. She thought of Shara’s bright laugh and Kes’ beaming smile when he held Poe and that half grin that Cassian only seemed to give her when no one else was looking.

It occurred to her, while she was in the worst of it, that she had not cried in years. She hadn’t even cried for Shara and Kes, just held it all in, telling herself that it was for Poe’s sake. Perhaps though she had held it in because she didn’t know if she would be able to stop once she started. Everything came flooding back to her, all her old fears and insecurities, wants and wishes, disappointments and emptiness. It hit her like a tidal wave and she was drowning in the pain of all that she’d kept at bay.

So lost in it, she didn’t hear the door open. If she had, she would’ve shut up and berated herself for being so weak, but by the time she realized that she wasn’t alone, it was too late. The damage had been done. She felt the bed dip as a little body crawled onto it and bit her lip hard enough to make it bleed to stop crying. The blanket was slowly peeled off of her until she came face-to-face with Poe. He was so tiny that it made her want to cry all over again.

“Jyn?” he whispered. “Bad dream?”

“Yeah,” she whispered back in a hoarse voice, her throat raw from crying.

Poe settled down next to her, facing her so that he was only a little ways away. His eyes focused on her face. Even though she knew that she looked like a complete wreck, she didn’t feel the urge to roll over or look away so that he couldn’t see her. There was no judging on his face, no pity, no embarrassment. He just...looked at her.

“I’ll stay with you,” he decided, a brave and determined look on his face, as if their roles were reversed and he was the one comforting her after an awful nightmare.

She gave him a watery smile and nodded her head. She closed her eyes, knowing full well that she’d be puffy-eyed and look like shit tomorrow, but she didn’t care. Poe was only a child, but his presence was soothing. It made her feel like she wasn’t alone in this, even though she was the adult taking care of him.

But then he had to go and ask, “Is it because you miss Cassian?” and her heart plummeted.

Jyn opened her eyes to look at him again. This time, he looked like a child again, scared of the unknown. It hadn’t been just three weeks for her. It had been three weeks for him as well. She could tell that he was trying not to ask about Cassian and she hadn’t asked him about what Cassian had told him the night before he left. The few times he did bring up Cassian though left an ache in her chest that she couldn’t avoid.

She was used to lying. It came with the territory of being evasive and defensive. She could lie to herself even, but she could not lie to Poe.

“Yeah, it’s because I miss him.”

Poe sniffed and she could see the telltale signs that he’d been crying not long ago. He rubbed at his eyes and then reached out for her, placing his hands on her face. He would be able to feel the tears that had stained her cheeks and turned them red and raw. “Me too.”

And then tears were leaking out of his eyes again and she pulled him closer to her, letting them soak her t-shirt. They laid like that for a while until both of them fell asleep, exhausted and emotionally spent. She wished, more than anything, that Cassian would walk through that door tonight, but she knew that he wouldn’t. It was a hollow sort of wish, the kind that she’d thought didn’t exist for her anymore.

*

The first thing Cassian thought of when he shot another man hiding behind a crate was that Kay was going to be furious about the extra paperwork an undercover, on-duty police shooting would cause.

The next thing he thought when he felt a bullet puncture his shoulder and knock him to the ground was that dealing with an angry Kay would be better than failing a furious Jyn. He had to come home. He had to. There was no other option. He pictured Poe playing on Solo’s lap at his parents’ funeral, too young to understand what was going on, and the blinding pain receded just long enough for him to grab his gun again.

He made a promise that he intended on keeping, whether fate or these assholes had other ideas or not.

*

It was almost one in the morning when Jyn got the call. She blindly grabbed her cell on the pillow next to her and answered it, but rocketed out of her bed after the first few words entered her ears. On the other end, Kay was barely able to finish before she was hopping around and dragging her clothes on.

“Where is he?” she demanded as she pulled on a pair of jeans.

“I’m not really at liberty to say--”

“Damnit, where is he, Kay? I’ve talked to a lot of batshit people. I know how to get rid of a body.”

Kay harrumphed and said, “Threatening a police officer will only get you arrested,” but then told her anyways. He probably knew that she would comb the entire city and barge her way into every hospital if he didn’t and that was a scene they all needed to avoid.

She hung up, forgetting to thank him, and then dialed Bodhi. She had to call twice before he answered.

“Jyn, what time--?”

“I need you over here five minutes ago. I have to see Cassian.”

“Oh.” Bodhi hesitated on the other end. “Is he--?”

“Just get over here,” Jyn practically begged. “I need you to watch Poe.”

It took Bodhi an agonizing fifteen minutes to get to the house. He was still in his pajamas. The only difference was that he was wearing tennis shoes. Jyn hugged him, muttering the thanks she’d forgotten to tell Kay, and was out the door, practically running to her car. It was painful to drive only ten miles over the speed limit, but she did not want to deal with the irony of getting pulled over by a cop while trying to see a cop.

Cassian was shot, thrummed in her mind on repeat. She pushed the gas pedal a little more.

When she finally made it to the hospital, she made the worst parking job of her life and then ran to the ER. It didn’t matter that she probably wasn’t going to be let in to see him. Kay had said that Cassian was out of surgery and no longer critical, but it was way past visitor hours and this was no joke. He’d just come out of an undercover assignment and she had no idea which way it’d gone except bad.

Of course, it was even worse when the nurse wouldn’t tell her what room Cassian was in and then she felt a hand on her shoulder, only to see that it was Cassian’s captain, Dravin, the man who had given him in the assignment in the first place when he knew damn well what kind of position that would put Cassian in.

Jyn practically snarled as she ripped out of his grip. “Where is he? I want to see him.”

“Miss Erso, I’m afraid he’s in a delicate situation--”

“I don’t care about the situation. I want to see him! Or I’ll put you in a delicate situation.”

Dravin raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “This isn’t some news story that you can barge and bribe your way into in order to get what you want.”

“No, it’s Cassian!” Jyn exclaimed. She poked his chest accusingly. He was lucky that she didn’t punch him in his stupid face. “You put him in harm’s way! You took him away from a little boy that just lost his parents! You threw him to the wolves! He should wake up to someone that actually gives a damn about him.”

“And you do?”

“Yes!”

She’d never said it out loud before. Either she hadn’t been able to herself or because she hadn’t given herself the chance and by the time she’d realized it, unable to just let it go, it had been too late. He was gone. She would be damned if she let him leave again without being honest with both of them, even if it scared her. Nothing could scare her worse than hearing the words, “Cassian was shot.”

Dravin sighed and looked around the room. People were eyeing them, curiosity and wariness waring with them. Even some of the staff was gawking. The scene he’d hoped to avoid was already happening. If he had heard anything about Jyn’s tactics when it came to her job, he would know that she would not give up and would only make things more difficult. He waved a hand at the nurse behind the desk and nodded his head before walking off, aggravated and tired.

The second the nurse told her the room number, Jyn was off. She didn’t have much an idea of where she was going, but she would find it. Ten minutes later, she found herself standing outside of a room in a hallway empty save for a uniformed officer. When she glanced at him, he nodded, apparently having been radioed about her.

Now that she was here though, she was scared. What would she see on the other side? She didn’t have a clue about Cassian’s condition, exception that he’d been shot and had been in surgery, which implied that he either had been or was unconscious. How hurt was he? Had he been shot only once or multiple times? And where? She’d seen a lot of horrific crime scene photos and been to some of them herself -- it came with the job -- but this was different. Personal. Cassian.

And the last time she’d rushed to a hospital, it had been to find out that her friends had died. She distantly remembered Cassian being the one to pull her away and back to the waiting room before she could see them, telling her that she didn’t need this in her memory. She’d forgotten until now that he had been the one to hold her back then. The last images she had of Shara and Kes were of them whole and alive. But what would Cassian look like, so close to death?

When Jyn finally pushed the door open, her shoulders slumped and she was relieved at the sight. There weren’t any tubes keeping him breathing or multiple machines hooked up to him. He was lying in the bed, asleep, probably knocked out from whatever drugs he was on. The hospital clothes hung on him loosely and the white blanket was draped up to his waist. He was paler than normal and his face was clean-shaven. Must have been for his cover, as she’d never seen him without scruff before. It made him look impossibly young, even though he was older than her.

Slowly, her feet carried her towards the bed and she sat down in the seat next to him. Without even thinking, she took his hand. Her heart leaped at the contact, but then ached again when he didn’t return the squeeze that she gave him. He was unconscious, she told herself. When he waked, she could indulge herself in him. For now though, she settled on basking in seeing him in person. She took in the steady rise and fall of his chest and the bandage peeking out of his shirt over his collarbone and shoulder.

“Bastard,” Jyn whispered, “you lecture me on going in alone and you do the same damn thing.”

He didn’t respond or open his eyes or smile. She didn’t expect him to. Instead, she leaned over and laid her head down on the bed next to his hand, peering up at his face. His mouth was parted slightly as he breathed and his eyes moved under his eyelids as he dreamed. She wondered what he was dreaming of. She hoped it was something good and not what he had just gone through.

*

He dreamed of her and Poe, of an impossible family, of a life he didn’t know that he was desperate to have.

#cassian andor #jyn erso #rebelcaptain #rogue one #star wars #life as we know it au #cassian x jyn #poe dameron #baby poe #k2so #bodhi rook #davits draven #sw fanfiction #rebelcaptain fanfic #kes dameron #shara bey #undercover mission #oops this got angsty QUICK #the things of songs