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10731333
Our Master
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“And what gave you the impression you could stride onto my bridge and dismiss my staff?” Hux asks.He was trying for cool, calm, collected and in control. It started out that way, but degenerated into slightly shrill and shrieky, which isn’t great, but at least there’s no Real People around to hear him. Just Kylo Ren’s squadron of barely-vocal flappy, black birds. Who are now loitering around the bridge in place of the vacated staff, some turning chairs around and sitting backwards on them (stars…) some sprawling perilously close to buttons of mass destruction (Maker…) and some… “IF YOU KEEP LEANING BACK LIKE THAT YOU WILL FALL.”“The Force will protect me,” comes the grumpy response, but the Knight plants his (or her) feet back on the deck all the same.“We’re here for the Master,” one of the others says.They do have names. Hux does know them, but as they’ve never bothered to speak to him as civilised beings, he isn’t going to let them know he knows, not unless them knowing he knows becomes advantageous, of course. “As you could see if your masks didn’t blinker you, he’s not here.”“Not for the Master. For the Master.”“Changing the stress doesn’t indicate anything other than you having a basic understanding of speech. I say basic, because if you had any talent you–”Hux’s voice cuts out in his throat. Panic and fury wrestle for dominance, and he claws at his throat, glaring vibroblades at them. “We’re here to tell you… we know.”Hux can’t reply, so he tries to signal his response with his eyebrows.“We know about you. And the Master… he’s… you have to be good to him.” The Knight looms. “Understand?”Hux wonders what the hell they think this will do? It won’t exactly leave Hux in a good mood, though he doesn’t really feel threatened. But he does… realise this means he’s not the only one who cares about Kylo’s health and well-being.Still. Silenced. He gestures a hand in front of his throat.“You can nod. That’s basic,” the Knight echoes back at him. Fine. He glares some more, then nods. Something feels like it goes, and he clears his throat. “You really want to warn me about hurting your so-called Master? Shouldn’t he be able to look out for himself?”There’s a hand at his collar, then, choking him. He decides the best option is to appear entirely unflappable, and sneer down his nose.“He can protect himself, but… the Master… feels deeply. And we would rather he does not feel… negative things. And if you try passing it off as Dark Side training, we’ll find some training to do. With you. With your skull. And all the other bones.”“I have no desire to hurt him.” Least not in ways he doesn’t want. “So you can consider your message received, but if you ever disrespect me in front of my troops again…”“Consider it a one-off deal. You won’t survive long enough to see the disrespect in their eyes if you don’t look out for him.”“How… sweet.”The hand goes, and the Knight pushes off. Hux watches as they stride in various tones of belligerence off his bridge.Hux wonders what Kylo would make of this. He isn’t sure he’ll tell him, but… hmmm. He’ll think about it.
10746183
The Park to The Orchard
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I found a love for me Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me ‘Cause we were just kids when we fell in love Not knowing what it was I will not give you up this time But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own And in your eyes you’re holding mine ---Could you really have been in love then? You were barely six. But thinking back to when he handed you some bread to feed to the ducks in the park - when he smiled at you - you knew it then; you just didn’t have a word for it at the time. Your mothers got to know each other that day, and from that moment on you were inseparable. “No one ever talks to me,” he’d said, his voice barely above a whisper. You couldn’t imagine why. Even then he was a sweet, shy boy who had nothing but love in his heart. “I’ll talk to you,” you’d replied. You meant it. And you did, every day. There literally was not a day that went by that you didn’t speak. No matter where you were, no matter what was going on in your respective lives, you made a point to talk to each other. Some days, hearing from you would be the only thing keeping him going, because you were the only one that loved him wholeheartedly, not despite his quirks, but because of them. --- Baby, I’m dancing in the dark with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight ---Before you knew it, you were in high school, surrounding each other as the only barriers from the cruel outside world. Prom was overrated - and neither of you wanted to go anyway. People always made fun of you, so why not just spend the night alone. “I know we said we didn’t want to go to prom,” he said, his hand held effortlessly in yours as he walked you toward the park where you met more than a decade earlier, “But I wanted this night to be special anyway.”If, as so many people said, you couldn’t fall in love at the age of six, you definitely did that night. After painstaking planning, and help from his mother, your parents and even park officials, he’d set up plain white lights around the branches of the trees so they twinkled in the darkness after the sun had set. The treetops were blocking the sky, so you couldn’t see the stars; he’d brought them close to you instead. Instead of buying outfits for prom, you both brought comfortable clothes. Spencer wore tan pants and a white cotton button-down shirt, and you wore a baby blue cotton dress with plain white flats. He walked toward the picnic table and turned on his iPod. Your favorite song started playing and you started to cry. “Spence,” you said softly. “This is beautiful. Thank you.”Spencer took you in his arms and you swayed back and forth to the music. The walk to the park and the slight breeze had messed up your hair. “I look like a mess,” you laughed into him.“No,” he whispered in your ear. “You look perfect tonight.”--- Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I’ll share her home I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets To carry love, to carry children of our own We are still kids, but we’re so in love Fighting against all odds I know we’ll be alright this time Darling, just hold my hand Be my girl, I’ll be your man I see my future in your eyes ---Long-distance dating through college had been difficult, but it was worth it. Whenever you saw his face over Skype, you saw your future with him, and the work it took to keep you going was worth it. “Hey honey,” you said, sitting down after a long day of classes. “How was class?”“Tiring,” he yawned. “You?”“Same, love,” you replied. “I miss you.”He’d missed you too. It was your weekly Skype dates that kept you both going. “When we graduate, I’m gonna marry you,” he said before logging off for the night. “Oh really?” you smiled. Ever since high school you knew you’d marry him, but hearing him say it for the first time just cemented it. It was always the two of you against the world. “You plan on giving me everything I’ve always wanted.”“If that means a house, a dog, and a bunch of mini us’s running around, then yes,” he grinned. “That’s what keeps me going when class is killing me.”“We’ll move to Virginia,” you’d told him. He’d always wanted to work for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. “That way you can work for the BAU and I can work as an architect.” Whatever one of you wanted for yourselves, the other wanted for you. That’s why you worked so well. And how you’d made it to where you were now.--- Baby, I’m dancing in the dark, with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song I have faith in what I see Now I know I have met an angel in person And she looks perfect, I don’t deserve this You look perfect tonight ---Then it had been a baby blue cotton dress and white flats. Now, it was a blush organza A-line wedding dress and embellished flats. If there was ever a time in life when you’d look like an angel, tonight was it. “Now introducing, Dr. and Mrs. Reid,” the deejay announced. “Dancing to Have You Ever Been In Love for their first dance as husband and wife.” It was the same song Spencer had played for you in the park that night at prom - and like then, you were out underneath the stars, except this time they weren’t blocked by the trees. “Hi husband,” you said with a smile as you took his hand in the middle of the orchard. With an ease you’d developed over the years, he spun you into the him as the music floated around you. “Hello wife,” he replied, whispering softly in your ear. “If I haven’t already said, and if it isn’t already understood…you look perfect tonight.”
10730982
A znaiesh vsio ieshchie
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Ничего не происходит. Ничего ужасного или странного. Их жизни, разделенные огромными расстояниями, продолжаются, каждая по отдельности выглядит очень даже неплохо. Что? Не сможешь приехать на кон в этом году? Конечно, я все понимаю. Может, в следующем. Или после. Через десять лет, уж это точно последний рубеж. В их старой любимой шутке столько правды, что она неприятно горчит на языке. Зато и отравленной не стала.Хью уже совсем взрослый, настолько, что ему перестали выдавать роли смазливых принцев и безмозглых жиголо. Он выдержит столь угодно долгую разлуку, но это не значит, что совсем не будет переживать из-за нее.И тут еще этот появляется. Японец-игродел. Хью понятия не имеет, что из себя представляют игры Хидео Кодзимы, и принципиально не собирается восполнять пробел в знаниях. Не то чтобы его кто-то насильно усаживал ознакамливаться с ними, впрочем. Мадс говорит, что он тоже не понимает сюжеты игр друга, но ему весело участвовать в его новом проекте.У Мадса все просто. Или ему с человеком hygge (в этом случае его можно уговорить на что угодно), или нет. Хидео в своем воображении, похоже, лепит из Миккельсена загадочного скандинавского злодея, что заметно по концепт-артам к грядущей игре, а Мадсу что, ходит в кимоно поверх спортивного костюма и пьет пиво из крохотных сосудов для саке, игнорируя традиции другой страны. Идиллическая картина, казалось бы, мостик дружбы прочно держится между Данией и Японией.Хью болтается где-то сам по себе.— Ты в секте, — смеется Мадс в телефонную трубку.— А ты в плену у японского сталкера.— Брось, он нормальный мужик. Я бы вас познакомил.— Чтобы он мог в реальности на меня автобус уронить? Ты его последние твиты видел? Там, где у тебя огромный младенец, а я валяюсь на боку.— Это не автобус, больше на самолет похоже… Давай считать младенца нашей новой Абигейл.— Здорово, значит, твой японец обеспечил нас ребенком перед тем, как обрек меня на мучительную гибель. Привет ему передавай и поклоны.Хью очень старается говорить беззаботно и в переписках исправно ставит смайлики, хотя веселья никакого не чувствует.Глупо это, ревновать к заграничному приятелю Мадса, в то время как они оба, вообще-то, женаты. Но жены — это же другое. С наличием у Мадса жены Хью смирился давно и свою Клэр он любит искренне. Их многоугольник потерял в странности, сделавшись привычным.И тут из-под какого-то азиатского камня вылезает этот жук…Хью, может быть, тоже хочет полчаса сидеть перед камерой и рассказывать про любимые картины из фильмографии Мадса. Правда, лицензионных дисков у него дома мало, а с автографом Мадса и вовсе всего один. Само собой, «Ганнибал». Первый сезон. Как молоды они были, сколько необычных трупов предстояло увидеть, сколько галлюцинаций словить, сколько копий сломать по ходу обсуждения сюжета…Кодзима из видеозаписи смотрит на Мадса беззастенчиво-влюбленно, и Хью невольно узнает в нем себя, не времен «Ганнибала», а того, совсем юного, сверкающего коленями и кудрями Хью Дэнси из «Артура». Не староват ли мистер Хидео Кодзима для таких откровенных подкатов? Когда он начинает демонстрировать снимки курящего Мадса, сделанные им лично, Хью останавливает запись и уходит на балкон. Ему тоже нужна доза никотина, срочно.Знаете ли вы, Хидео, как хорошо подойти к Мадсу сразу после того, как он щелчком отправил сигарету точно в урну, обнять его за шею и поцеловать, ощущая на губах привкус дыма? Или о том, как приятно курить одну сигарету на двоих, в темноте, сидя на пороге трейлера, улыбаясь друг другу всякий раз, как ваши пальцы соприкасаются?Ни черта вы не знаете.Хью очень надеется, что японец этого не знает. Выспрашивать напрямую у Мадса все нюансы их взаимоотношений ему неловко. Ревность — самое болезненное и дурацкое чувство, существует без привязки к фактам и логике, на одних эмоциях. Бороться сложно, обсуждать стыдно. Мадс бы, конечно, постарался его убедить, что между ним и Хидео нет ничего, кроме дружбы, но и расстроился бы заодно. К тому же, проверить его слова, находясь в другой стране, все равно никак невозможно.Хью вот тоже говорит про отношения Ганнибала и Уилла «платоническая любовь», хотя по ночам, бывает, зависает на тумблере, выискивая самые красивые «платонические» арты.В ту злосчастную неделю, когда Мадс гостил у Хидео в Японии, Хью вел себя особенно глупо. Пристал к коллеге по съемкам, бедняге Аарону Полу, и все таскал его по местным пабам, не объясняя причину внезапно напавшей хандры. Когда Хью смотрел в светлые, почти прозрачные глаза Аарона, то ему казалось, что и объяснять-то ничего не нужно, новое воплощение Иисуса на Земле поймет его интуитивно. Хорошо, что священники не обращают внимания на сериалы про варку метамфетамина, не то обычные зрители могли лишиться работ одного великолепного актера.У Аарона на руке красуется татуировка «никаких полумер», и когда он ходит в футболках, то часто задумчиво поглаживает буквы.В кошельке у Аарона, рядом со снимком его прелестной жены-блондинки, лежит фото угрюмого пожилого мужчины в шляпе. Это его коллега по сериалу «Во все тяжкие» — Брайан Крэнстон. Однажды Хью видел, как Аарон, вытащив из кошелька нужную банкноту, погладил снимок Брайана по верхним уголкам, точно так же, как касался татуировки. Выводы напросились сами собой. Не у одного Хью во Дворце Памяти есть пустующий стул со съемочной площадки, помеченным чужим именем.Для Аарона Пола участие в «Пути», конечно, регресс, а не прогресс, как и для самого Хью. Они оба любят эту странную историю про культ, отлично относятся друг к другу и остальным коллегам по площадке, но то, что происходит с ними сейчас, ни в какое сравнение не идет с прошлым.Аарон Пол — романтик и фаталист. Он спокойно говорит о том, что ничего лучше и сильнее «Во все тяжкие» в его карьере не случится. «У каждого есть какая-то одна особая роль, которую проносишь через всю жизнь», — убежденно заявляет он. Хью кивает и отпивает пиво из кружки. Пиво, как ему кажется, тоже горчит. Жаль, что не датское.«Но не у каждого имеется особый коллега по съемкам, тот, с кем ты будет поддерживать связь до конца дней своих. Родственные души, мать их».— Ваши с Мадсом персонажи хотя бы живы, — подбадривает его Аарон. — Наши с Брайаном… Я, конечно, хочу верить в то, что Джесси благополучно добрался до Аляски и начал новую жизнь, но даже если и так, второго мистера Уайта в его жизни не будет, и новое сердце взамен первого не отрастет.— Так это же хорошо, что не будет?— И да, и нет. Хорошо ли было Уиллу в браке с Молли?Хью вздыхает и кивает. Его «все сложно» в пиве не тонет, не утонуло бы и в бочке виски. Пока Мадс в Японии, мысли Хью с любой темы сползают к его персоне и застревают там.Часть фаннибалов переключается на новый, как они это называют, «пейринг», и с удовольствием расписывают в соцсетях, что «шипперят» Мадса с Хидео. Что же поделать, людям всегда будут нужны новые сплетни. Хью отлично помнит, как раньше весь интернет был завален шутками про роман профайлера и каннибала-Ганнибала, и отчаянно скучает по тем временам.Во время фаннибальского кона одна розоволосая девушка-поклонница спрашивает у Хью, как он относится к японско-датскому тренду сезона. «Уилл за такое сам бы пырнул Ганнибала в живот», -думает Хью, прежде чем врет вслух, что впервые слышит об этом гипотетическом романе.Другая, более стойкая фаннибалка, показывает ему рисунок, где Хью и Мадс… то есть, конечно, Ганнибал и Уилл целуются на велосипеде на одной из узких итальянских улочек. Рисунок светлый и позитивный. Некоторые фанаты верят в счастливое будущее ганнигрэма сильнее, чем Уилл и Хью вместе взятые. Больше оптимизма есть только в Брайане Фуллере, от чьего позитива может подпитываться энергией небольшая страна.Хью советует художнице пририсовать Уиллу волосы на ногах для пущей достоверности, на что она охотно соглашается, обещая прислать ему через твиттер Фуллера окончательный вариант. Хью заранее знает, что скинет его в специальную запароленную папку на компьютере и будет посматривать на него в минуты печали, когда хочется сделать себе еще хуже.В марте где-то в Японии зацветает сакура. Хью в сети попадаются подборки тематических фотографий и странным образом откладываются у него в подсознании. Как-то раз ему снится, что Мадс целует его под сакурой. Лепестки беспорядочно кружатся в воздухе, застревают в волосах и норовят забиться в нос. У Хью снова пышные кудри вместо нынешней короткой стрижки, а одет он, явно по примеру Мадса, в кимоно поверх спортивного костюма. Краем глаза он замечает рыдающего поодаль Кодзиму.— Скажи же эти три заветных слова, — с придыханием просит Хью, запрокидывая голову.— Четвертому сезону быть, — торжествующе шепелявит ему в шею Мадс, прежде чем впивается в нее поцелуем.«Четвертому сезону быть» — Хью просыпается с этой мыслью и секунд десять радуется ей, пока не осознает, что в реальном мире дела обстоят совсем не так просто.Но разве ему есть на что жаловаться? Хорошая семья, верные друзья и актерская карьера неплохо складывается.Он любит бывшего коллегу по работе, но, на свое счастье, умеет делать это молча.Просматривая новый трейлер «Американских Богов» — следующего проекта Фуллера, от коммерческого успеха которого во многом зависит и будущее «Ганнибала», Хью скрещивает пальцы на обеих руках. Он предвзят, но трейлер-то и правда выглядит отлично, что позже подтверждают его многочисленные знакомые. Как бы то ни было, окончательное решение будет вынесено позже, а до него еще нужно дожить.— Четвертому сезону быть? — без особой уверенности спрашивает Хью у Мадса во время их обычного еженедельного созвона.— Обязательно, — уверенно отвечает Мадс, и от этого на Хью нисходит благодатная hygge-атмосфера. — Мы скушаем всех грубиянов, которые мешают этому случиться, если понадобится.Пока они говорят и он слышит его голос, то безоговорочно верит в это.Весной ему в целом легче дышится и верится в хорошее, кроме тех моментов, когда ветер дует с северной стороны и немножечко хочется повеситься от тоски по человеку, которого слишком долго не было рядом. Но жить можно и с этим.
10748526
Companion
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Sawada Tsunayoshi, Reborn", "Fandom": "Katekyou Hitman Reborn!", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by wolfsrainrules", "chapters": "2/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-04-28T00:00:00", "words": "1,703", "Additional Tags": "DO NOT BIND AND SELL ANY OF MY WORKS, I FORBID ANY ACTIVITY THAT EARNS MONEY OFF OF MY WRITING, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Reborn is a Dog, Has always been a dog, BAMF Sawada Tsunayoshi, Protective Reborn (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Protective Sawada Tsunayoshi, Tsunayoshi is a Ranger, who hunt wraiths down, Reborn is his partner, Unconventional Uses for Dying Will Flames, Do not post my work elsewhere", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Flicker Series", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Tsunayoshi isn’t exactly sure how he ended up…here.He isn’t even sure how he survived long enough to be here.His world was fighting against things that shouldn’t even exist. He hated fighting- he always had- but when the wraiths began coming out of the woodwork and causing problems the world responded by creating Rangers and here he was.Rangers were the people who went out and fought against the wraiths and dealt with whatever the wraiths had managed to do to their surroundings.Tsuna had gone through all the training they could throw his way, had found wings and flourished under the pressure of it all. He’d found out over the course of the training that his Flame type was Sky. The rarest of the Flames, the most sought after. Skies were predisposed to leading squads of Rangers for the overwhelming or downright vicious and powerful wraith infestations because Skies could bridge the gaps between the other Flame types. They could help bring the clashing personalities together, help smooth out the ragged edges of a group that might not otherwise work together without a mediator or common ground.Tsuna had been pushed harder after discovering he was a Sky, but he’d taken it all and overcome it. He’d found his wings and had flown. He’d passed.So now he was here. He was in the last leg of his training. The part he had been looking forward to for the longest time. The part of his training where his Flames would reach out into a room and would choose his partner.Every Flame user had a partner in the form of an animal that went out on the field with them. They watched each other’s backs, fought, slept, and ate together. The animals that were chosen for the Ranger program were all Flame Active which meant they all came with their own special abilities. Tsuna was looking forward to finding his partner.Name after name was called to find their partner until finally “…Sawada, Tsunayoshi.” Tsuna isn’t sure what he expects when he allows his Sky Flames out and into the room he can’t see into. (It’s supposed to help the choice be more natural if you have no visual input on the choice. Tsuna can’t say he disagrees.)The room is silent for a moment before he hears it. The strong bark draws the attention of everyone in the room- Tsuna and his instructors who all manage to keep their Flames under lock and key so they don’t interfere with the process- to the door.After a moment the door is opened and Tsuna’s eyes widen at the sight of his partner. It’s a dog- a male- and huge. A huge muscled intense Rottweiler of solid black with only the right front paw holding a deep golden brown ‘sock’ so it looks a bit like the dog has dipped his foot into something. His eyes are gleaming gold-yellow at this point as the dog’s Flames react to Tsuna and he knows he has one of the Sun active canines as a partner.Tsuna approaches with a steady step and without breaking eye contact with the Rottweiler easily kneeling in front of the dog- he sees the tag on the bright yellow collar holding the name of this dog ‘Reborn’- and waits holding out a hand.Reborn stares at him for a moment without moving an inch or even blinking. It’s intense but Tsuna refuses to waver. He recognizes judgement when he sees it, and he knows he must have synched with one of the independent intense animals that most in the Ranger Program think will never find a partner but keep anyway just in case. He can feel it in Reborn’s bearing. The way the Rottweiler holds himself, the way he’s staring at Tsuna, the power Tsuna can feel in his Flames all tightly controlled in a way most of the animal partners never manage despite their intelligence levels being almost supernaturally improved by being Flame Active. He can feel that this is a rare partner and he is being given a rare chance to prove himself. Tsuna refuses to waver meeting those glowing golden eyes and allowing his own Flames to rise until his own chocolate eyes bleed orange.It takes another moment before the golden glow fades to deep black and Reborn seems to nod settling beside Tsuna. Tsuna grins wide and pleased. Reborn had found whatever he had been looking for. Tsuna had found his partner. He can feel the bond settle and snap into place. When he rises and turns to face his instructors he blinks in surprise. They’re all gaping at him. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Tsuna learned quickly that Reborn was a very, very smart dog. Smarter then him even. (He was even mostly sure that wasn’t an exaggeration.) He also learns that the Sun Active dog was a perfectionist. Tsuna runs through his training drills almost religiously. It’s something he does every day because he remembers his younger years and being so clumsy he couldn’t even make it down his stairs. That’s not something that can be done when fighting wraiths. Tripping or having a klutz attack in the middle of a fight like that would end up with Tsuna dead, a civilian dead, or Reborn dead and Tsuna refuses to be the cause of that. So he trains. Every day. And Reborn gets up with him and runs through the drills at his side. And Tsuna had actually watched Reborn stop when something he did wasn’t quite right or synched up with Tsuna and redo it. So perfectionist. But Tsuna didn’t mind that either. He’s perfectly willing to redo a training drill with Reborn so they synch up properly. The more he works with Reborn, the deeper that initial bond grows and the better they work together. Tsuna had heard the legends of the First Rangers, people who had gone out and found their partners through the ‘trial by fire’ method and would bond so closely with their partner it was like they could speak to each other. Tsuna isn’t sure if it’s true or not- no one had managed to bond that closely to their partner before besides the First Rangers- but he doesn’t care. Reborn is his partner, and Tsuna wants to understand him even if that means doing so through body-language and intense effort. (He doesn’t learn until much later that the desire to understand his partner through sheer effort is the first step to truly speaking to Reborn. The second step is sheer stubbornness. You have to keep trying even when it seems to not work. It’s a test.) So he stays up with his partner and runs through his drills even when he’s exhausted until Reborn is satisfied (until Tsuna is satisfied) with how they perform together. Tsuna’s first mission with Reborn at his side is exhilarating. The first few missions a newly bonded set of partners like Reborn and Tsuna take are monitored of course, but the Ranger who monitors the mission (Usually a Mist so they can better hide) is not to interfere unless actual loss of life is a risk. So Tsuna and Reborn are released into the forest and told to ‘find the wraiths’. It’s basically what they wound need to do as Rangers anyway while they traveled around, and it wasn’t like the training the two had gone through was a waste of time so any Ranger (even a new one) should be able to track down the wraiths with no real information beyond ‘there are wraiths around here somewhere.’ (And sometimes-most times- they don’t even have that.) Tsuna nods and takes a breath before he looks down at the black eyes of his partner watching him. (Tsuna swears there is a spark of challenge in them.) “Alright Reborn. Let’s go find us a wraith.” Reborn barks and darts forward into the forest with Tsuna hot on his heels. The two partners had worked on parkour and free running together near endlessly so it is easy for the two to dart through the forests as if there is nothing in the way. Tsuna darting up and over limbs and roots and trunks with Reborn dipping dodging and jumping by his side so the two look like they are flying over all the obstacles in their path. (Later Tsuna will be told watching Reborn and him run was like watching the wind running free, or watching a bird take flight. He will be told they are mesmerizing.) Tsuna allows his Flames to spread from his core and into the air. He allows himself to fill the air around him in a subtle but powerful way. Reborn’s eyes gleam beside him as the dog speeds up until he is loping in front of Tsuna guiding his partner through the forest. It doesn’t take long for the ‘sonar’ like wave of Flames Tsuna had allowed out from his core to catch something and ‘blip’ at him. Tsuna lets out a short but high whistle and Reborn responds instantly by shifting directions to the left. Tsuna lopes after his partner and catches up so that he is running beside Reborn. “Circle around for me Reborn?” he asks his partner calmly. A low growl is his answer and Tsuna nods speeding up so he is in the lead. As they approach an certain section of the forest, Reborn peels away from him to lope a wide circle around the area. Sure enough the Wraiths are sliding through a section of the forest that had warped and changed beyond the natural. Trees are bent and stretched in ways that are not natural, shadows seem to peel up off the ground and move in ways that had nothing to do with light. The trees and plants in the area appear to be swaying in a way that has nothing to do with the wind and everything to do with the Wraiths. Tsuna frowns and brings his Flames to the surface, ready to take on the Wraiths that had taken over this section of the forest and made it into some sort of horror scene with living plants and trees ready to kill him.
10794675
Binding
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Khadgar (Warcraft 2016), Khadgar (Warcraft), Anduin Lothar, Medivh (Warcraft), Moroes (Warcraft)", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by 0000000100000011", "chapters": "8/8", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-02T00:00:00", "words": "8,440", "Additional Tags": "Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, required sex, First Time Bottoming, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Khadgar on top, Khadgar on the bottom, LionTrust", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Khadgar/Anduin Lothar, Khadgar & Anduin Lothar", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "World of Warcraft, Warcraft (2016)", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Anduin Lothar strode purposefully towards the aviary, keeping a firm grip on the collar of his unwilling companion.  The other man was having difficulty keeping up.  His balance was off from the wrists bound awkwardly behind his back.   He’d been bound and gagged nearly from the moment they’d learned he was a wayward apprentice mage – unkempt, wandering freely through the royal barracks, and no chain to identify who his master might be. Khadgar was his name, and he was turning out to be a pain in Lothar’s ass.He’d spun a good story at first, saying he’d sensed dark magic and traced it, improbably, to the royal barracks.  Things had unraveled when Stormwind’s guards had asked to see some identification.  He had none, it was revealed, save for a dark mark on his arm that appeared to be that of the Order of the Kirin Tor from Dalaran. Might have been authentic.  Might not have been.  Lothar wasn’t about to find out the hard way.Muffled complaints came from behind Khadgar’s cloth gag as he stumbled into a doorframe.   Unsympathetic, Lothar yanked him upright and forward.As they crested final flight of stairs leading to the royal aviary, Khadgar realize their destination.  Voicing another muffled protest, he jerked at the grip on his collar, then twisted like a fish and flopped heavily to the ground.  Accidentally, perhaps, one of his ankles caught Lothar’s as he dropped, bringing both of them painfully down the stairs.Lothar was by far the stronger, and readily pinned Khadgar beneath his body at the base of the stairs.  Grinding down with his hips, Lothar grabbed a fistful of unruly brown hair.  Before Khadgar could react, he banged his prisoner’s head against the wooden floor, then slapped him smartly across the face for good measure. “That,” snarled Lothar, “Was incredibly stupid.  Were you trying to break both of our necks, or just yours?” Khadgar was staring back, eyes gone wide with surprise, and Lothar wondered if he’d ever been slapped before.  Lothar stayed the impulse to do it again.   Khadgar’s eyebrows knit together in frustration and he emitted another strangled sound that might have been a plea.  His hips shifted as he sought to displace Lothar’s weight. Lothar frowned.  “Are you hurt?”The dark head shook.  No.“What, then?” asked Lothar.  “Scared of heights?”Khadgar huffed behind the gag, shaking his head again.  No. “Fear of flying?”  Khadgar’s irritation was written plainly in his face, but Lothar didn’t care.  His final shred of patience had vanished as he’d tumbled painfully down the stairs.  “Listen to me,” he said, speaking slowly and clearly so that even Khadgar’s dim wits would understand.  “We are flying to Karazhan.”Khadgar wriggled uncomfortably, and Lothar ground down harder onto his chest in response. “This is not a discussion.  The King wishes you to attend the Guardian, and so you will.”  Something flashed across Khadar’s face, telling Lothar the debate was not over, at least from his point of view. Heedless, Lothar went on. “Have you ever ridden a gryphon before?  There’s two ways.”  His voice had gone deceptively friendly.  “Most people ride astride in the saddle.  It’s a long flight, but if you hold still and hang on, we’ll make it in one piece.”  He leaned a little closer, hard eyes burning into Khadgar’s and his beard almost brushing the other’s face.  Khadgar blinked rapidly, and Lothar wondered if he were listening or planning another resistance.  “Or, you can ride behind.  Trussed like a calf and wrapped in a cargo net.”  Lothar shrugged and leaned back at last, releasing Khadgar’s head from the painful grip.  He grinned nastily.  “Your choice, mage.”Long moments passed as Khadgar seemed to consider this.  Finally, some of the fire left his eyes and he nodded reluctantly. Lothar took this to mean that the resistance was temporarily over and rose to his feet with a grimace.  His wrist had bent uncomfortably during the fall.  Fortunately not his dominant hand, but still.  Khadgar pushed himself upright less gracefully.  His hands, bound behind his back, were mostly useless.  He was rolling to the side and scrambling to his feet when Lothar put a restraining hand on his chest.“Hold on.”  He reached behind Khadgar’s head, unfastening the gag.  When Khadgar opened his mouth to speak, Lothar made a warning sound. “Tch.  No.  No more talking.  It’s going to be a rough ride.  Don’t want you choking on your own vomit before we get to Karazhan.  But Light help me, if you utter so much as one more word, I’ll choke out you myself.”Defeat showing in the slump of his shoulders, Khadgar nodded again, and mercifully closed his mouth. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Surveying the white stone tower rising high into the sky, Lothar felt his heart sinking.  The deterioration had been plain even from the height of gryphon-back flight.  Up close, it was worse.  Although great white lines of magic still crackled up the sides of the tower, vines rambled freely across stone walls that were succumbing to disrepair.  The thatched roof of the stable had collapsed.   Once active and welcoming, the courtyard was now barren.  Ticking the years off on his fingers, Lothar thought it hadn’t been that long.  Karazhan looked like shit. What had happened?  Lothar hesitated in the courtyard, musing on days gone past.  Once, he and Medivh were as close as brothers; and yet, six years had passed with no word.  Did the Guardian even reside at Karazhan?  “I’ll wait here,” said Khadgar, interrupting Lothar’s reverie. He nodded towards the nearby gryphon, looking around the courtyard with a furrowed brow.  “With the bird.”Lothar sighed.  Khadgar had stayed quiet during the long flight from Stormwind, but distance seemed to have dulled his memory of being ordered to remain silent. Lothar hadn’t wanted to drag the kid mage along, nearly as much as Khadgar had emphatically not wanted to come. King Llane had overruled both their protests. Khadgar was presenting a bit of a problem for Stormwind.  As a rule, apprentice mages were indentured under the tutelage of master magi.  This was for their own protection and for everyone else – half-trained mages were powerful and unpredictable.  Khadgar, by his own admission, had rejected his training with the Kirin Tor halfway through.  He’d been found wandering through the royal barracks, purportedly examining corpses without so much as a by-your-leave. Khadgar had boldly faced King Llane and declared himself as the Guardian Novitiate…formerly, he’d qualified.  He had a mark on his arm, sure enough, but no apprentice chain.  In Lothar’s mind, that meant he was a fugitive.  Llane was grasping at straws to be listening to the scruffy, half-trained mage.  And Llane’s problems had a way of becoming Lothar’s problems. “She’s a gryphon, not a bird,” Lothar corrected sourly.  “Let’s go.”“No,” Khadgar balked again.  “I can’t.”This time, Lothar really did roll his eyes.   “Yes, you can.”“Shouldn’t,” Khadgar qualified.  “I’m unbound.  Magically, I mean.”  Lothar glared.  The kid was practically stammering, he was so nervous. It was petty, but Lothar was enjoying watching him squirm.  Khadgar had bluffed his way past King Llane, but perhaps was realizing that he was out of his league.“So?”“Someone like me shouldn’t be around someone like the Guardian,” Khadgar explained obliquely.  “Not here.  It isn’t safe.”“Why?” Lothar raised an eyebrow.  “Afraid the Guardian won’t fall for your horseshit?” He wasn’t sure exactly what Khadgar was babbling on about, but knew his fears were misplaced.  Medivh might be the most powerful mage in the land, but Lothar trusted him implicitly.  “What have you got to hide?”Khadgar faced Lothar evenly, gathering composure around himself like an offended cat.  “I’m not hiding anything.”  He bit at his full, bottom lip before continuing.  Lothar hated noticing things like that.  There was something distracting about those deep brown eyes and ruddy lips.  He’d already spent too much time pondering the sensations of Khadgar’s arms wrapped trustingly around his chest during the long flight from Stormwind.  Distractions. “Trust me,” Khadgar continued urgently.  “He does not want me in there.”“You should have thought about that before ordering the King to summon the Guardian,” Lothar snapped.  He was determined to not let those beseeching brown eyes have any effect.  “You’ll go inside and you’ll face the Guardian and explain to him why the King saw fit to send your scrawny ass halfway across Azeroth instead of clapping you in jail.”“I am not scrawny,” Khadgar muttered, looking like he might continue arguing, but clenching his jaw instead.  The look on his face was pained, as though he were dealing with great stupidity.  Looking over Lothar’s shoulder, he stiffened suddenly.  “Someone’s coming,” he whispered urgently, nodding towards the tower.Lothar turned on his heel, one hand already half-drawing his sword and then re-sheathing it just as quickly.  He knew that wizened, white head that was approaching.  Heart still hammering from the false alarm, he felt a grin spreading.  “Moroes!” he called, relieved.  “It’s good to see a familiar face.”The old castellan approached slowly, nodding in recognition.  “Commander Lothar,” he wheezed solemnly, inclining his head respectfully.  “It has been some time.”“Indeed it has,” said Lothar.  “You look much the same, although I can’t say the same for Karazhan.  Where is everyone?  Is the Guardian…?”“Much has changed,” Moroes intoned sadly.  “Time takes a toll on us all.”  Ignoring Khadgar completely, he turned back towards the tower.  “Come.”Lothar and Khadgar exchanged a glance, then followed. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Karazhan’s master resided, naturally, at the observatory at the peak of the most preeminent tower.  By the time he reached the summit, Lothar was in a foul mood.  There was absolutely no reason that Medivh shouldn’t deign to meet his visitors on a lower floor.  Making his guest climb twenty-two flights of stairs was petty.Further aggravating was Medivh’s complete and utter lack of concern regarding Lothar’s presence.  Maddeningly, he continued to work on his latest project (apparently the master magi had developed a penchant for sculpture) while Lothar shared the urgent news that had brought him unannounced to Karazhan. Simple things like a gutted garrison, attacks by unimaginable beasts, foul magic permeating the streets of Stormwind, leading up to the King’s directive to bring the Guardian back to Stormwind to investigate. Certainly nothing that should interrupt Medivh’s sculpting project, Lothar thought sourly.Breaking his great silence, Medivh finally turned to face Lothar and ask, “The mage downstairs.  Who is he?”Lothar stared, breaking off mid-sentence and feeling unbalanced by the abrupt shift in conversation.  Khadgar had been left downstairs and ordered to sit still.  Lothar had taken the precaution of re-binding his hands, at least.  He wasn’t surprised that Medivh had ignored the entirety of his conversation, or that the master magi had sensed a foreign presence in his tower. What surprised him was that Medivh was angry.  Sincerely, profoundly angry.  Why? “He claims to be a runaway,” Lothar answered slowly.  “From Dalaran.  Of the Kirin Tor.  Llane thinks he’s mixed up in this- ”“Why did you bring him here?” Medivh glared, interrupting.“The King commanded it,” said Lothar, emphasizing the title and disappointed to have utilized the King’s name twice in as many minutes.  He’d thought his own friendship with Medivh would carry more weight.  “He thought you should talk to the kid.  Verify his story.”“What story?”“He was the Guardian Novitiate,” Lothar replied warily, sensing that his explanations were not soothing Medivh’s capricious mood.  “He was snooping around in the barracks.  Claimed he sensed some dark magic.”  “And you brought him here?”  Medivh’s voice had gone even softer, which meant that his ire had reached a dangerous level. “Unbound?”  Oh.  Bound?  Unbound?  That was the same term Khadgar had used in the courtyard. “Not exactly,” Lothar muttered, not knowing why it would matter. “He’s wearing restraints.”Medivh shot him a withering look and raised one hand.  When he opened his fingers, blue arcane pulsed from his palm and arched towards the floor, encompassing both of them.  Lothar scarcely had time to recognize a transportation spell before the room faded in a familiar, sickening jolt. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Khadgar was kneeling awkwardly in the library, nose buried in a tome that was half as large as he was.  Oblivious to the pair that had appeared suddenly across the room, his lips formed silent words as he puzzled over the text.  Lothar was wondering curiously how Khadgar was managing to move the book, bound as his hands were, when Khadgar scrambled forward to shift the page with his shoulder.  Part of the massive sheet of paper crumpled under his graceless movement, and Lothar suppressed a grin as he glanced at Medivh to see how he was taking this mutilation of his property. What he saw caused him to freeze, his hackles rising instantly. Medivh was staring at Khadgar.  His look was feral.  Hungry.  Lothar wasn’t sure why, but he was immediately on edge.  As Medivh stepped forward slowly, Lothar’s hand crept to the hilt of his sword.  Something was wrong.In a flash, Khadgar had been flung to the side, controlled by Medivh’s outstretched hand.  The Guardian had barely moved, but his arcane power hummed tangibly through the air.  Lothar suppressed a shudder as the magic writhed across his skin.  Khadgar, taken completely by surprise, found himself pressed up against a bookcase with force that was great enough to make him wheeze for air.  His brown eyes had gone wide and round, and he struggled against Medivh’s invisible grip.“Med.”  Lothar tried to catch Medivh’s attention.  “This is Khadgar.  King Llane wanted you to meet him.” The Guardian was not interested in Lothar’s introductions.  Ignoring Lothar, Medivh stalked forward.  His eyes, rather than his hands, dragged slowly across Khadgar’s body from head to toe.  Khadgar stiffened perceptibly under the assessment.  He wriggled, trying ineffectively to squirm away but held firmly in place.  He was transfixed before Medivh like a bug before a spider.    “Please,” Khadgar begged, sagging against the bookcase.  “Guardian, I…”Lothar shifted uncomfortably.  Whatever Medivh was doing, it looked indecent.  Khadgar’s body had begun to twitch almost involuntarily.  His chest was heaving, and a deep blush was spreading across his fair skin.  Almost as if someone were stroking across his body… Lothar licked his lips nervously, slowly beginning to pull his sword from the scabbard without knowing exactly why he felt compelled to do so.  Medivh was speaking words in a language that Lothar didn’t know – harsh, rasping sounds.  He seemed to be asking questions of Khadgar, who replied in the same strange tongue and shook his head vehemently. “Please-!”  Khadgar turned to Lothar beseechingly.  “Lothar, tell him!”Lothar crossed his arms impassively.  The Guardian had the right to question the younger mage, as uncomfortable was it was.Now Medivh moved forward, face to face with Khadgar.  One finger reached out and stroked the smooth, bare skin of Khadgar’s neck, then the hand wandered curiously up to cup his cheek. Khadgar strained to move away from the invasive touch.  Medivh pressed closely, Khadgar’s breathing coming in soft gasps that echoed too loudly across the library.   “Medivh!” Lothar called sharply.  What Medivh was doing was not proper.  “This isn’t helping.”Medivh ignored his old friend.  He bent forward, nuzzling sensuously against Khadgar’s neck before pushing his tongue into Khadgar’s mouth.  When two large tears rolled down from Khadgar’s eyes, tightly squeezed shut, Lothar had had enough.  He took half a step forward, not sure how he was going to stop the Guardian. Before Lothar had formed a plan, Moroes swept by in a blur.  A large block of wood was in his hands, which he smashed into the back of Medivh’s head.  The Guardian tumbled to the ground in a heap, while Lothar gaped.Khadgar, released by Medivh’s arcane grip, collapsed to his hands and knees.  Disoriented, gasping for breath, he scrabbled to crawl away and collapsed on Lothar’s boots. Moroes was a whirlwind of action.  Lothar had never seen the old man move so fast.  Moroes knelt, prodding gently at Medivh’s prone form.  Turning, he snapped at Lothar, “Carry him upstairs.  Quickly.  He’s bleeding.”Lothar hastily closed his jaw and bent to awkwardly pick up is friend.  Blood was seeping from a large gash on the back of his head from where Moroes had cracked him solidly with what turned out to be a wooden table leg – probably from the dining room, if Lothar’s memory served him correctly.  Another large bump was forming on Medivh’s forehead where he’d smacked the ground falling forward. Moroes grabbed Khadgar by the elbow and pulled him to his feet.  “You’re alright, lad,” he said urgently.  “Do you know any words of Silence? In the higher registers?”Lothar found this sentence incomprehensible, but Khadgar nodded uncertainly. “Good,” Moroes went on.  “Cast the strongest one you know.  On yourself.  Now.”“On me?  Why?” Khadgar rubbed at his snotting nose with the back of his hand, pushing himself upright.  His breath was still ragged, but he was regaining his composure quickly.  “Not on him?”“You think you can silence a Guardian?” Moroes snorted.“Hm.”  Khadgar considered this. “You’re right.  I wouldn’t dare.  I’ll cast it on myself.”Lothar looked from Moroes to Khadgar, feeling stupid. Khadgar shook his head, suddenly.  “Unbind me,” he ordered Lothar, with a pained expression.  “I can’t cast like this.”Moroes turned to Lothar impatiently. “Yes.  Get those off.  Immediately.”Lothar hesitated only a moment.  Events were unfolding rapidly.  Medivh attacking Khadgar sexually, or magically, or something in between, was the last thing he had expected.  Perhaps this is what Khadgar had meant when he said that it wasn’t safe for him to be here, unbound as he was.“Key’s on my belt,” Lothar replied quietly.  “Unlock him, Moroes.”Moments later, Khadgar gratefully rubbed at his free wrists, stretching his hands appreciatively.  Light flared around him briefly, as he gestured and spoke a word.  He did this two more times before it seemed to take effect, nodding at Moroes to confirm that he’d done as instructed.“It’s done,” Khadgar said.  He sounded regretful.“Good lad,” Moroes replied.  “Now get in here.”  Grabbing hold of Khadgar’s elbow once again, he ushered hastily him towards a door across the library.  Jerking the door open, he overruled Khadgar’s weak protests and thrust him inside the tiny room, locking it shut decisively with a key from his belt.   Turning, he fixed a glare on Lothar.  “What are you still doing here?  Get him away.  Up.  Quickly, now.”Lothar moved into action, heading quickly for the stairs, Medivh cradled carefully in his arms.  Khadgar was banging with his fists, his protests somewhat muffled by the thick oak door.  Lothar hesitated, looking back at the door.  “What about…?” his voice trailed away uncertainly.  “Shouldn’t he be cuffed?”“He’ll be fine in the broom closet,” Moroes replied, unperturbed as they began climbing up the stairs.  “He cast a spell of silence on himself.  As powerful as that one is, he won’t be doing any spellcasting for a while.”  Moroes actually cackled gleefully at his own cleverness in orchestrating this.  “And that one,” Moroes went on, nodding towards Medivh, whose head lolled weakly in Lothar’s arms, “That one won’t be able to sense him as strongly.  It will give us a chance.”“A chance to what?”“A chance to bind him, of course,” Moroes replied, his tone implying that it were obvious.Shaking his head bemusedly, Lothar followed the wizened castellan. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- As they moved slowly up stair after stair, Moroes explained.Lothar was familiar with the master-apprentice relationship that most orders of magi seemed to have, but never knew why it was so.  Wielding arcane power required great discipline, Moroes said.  Young mages needed years, sometimes decades, to fully develop the discipline necessary to maintain their own control over the arcane.  Binding a young mage to a master was one way to curb his power, shunting some of it off to a more experience mage.  Keeping it under control, from spraying all over the place, Mores said.  “Khadgar is a powerful mage.  He’s begging for a binding and doesn’t even know it.”Lothar was perplexed.  “Is it sexual?” he asked at last.  “I thought Medivh was, er, possibly, aroused.”  Lothar did not like thinking of his friend in this way.  “Out of control, even,” he finished awkwardly, sneaking a glance to ensure that Medivh was still blessedly unconscious.“Yes,” Moroes replied bluntly.  “And at the same time, no.  The attraction is there.  But it’s more than that.  It’s a seduction, a connection at a level so base that mere mortals like you and I could never fathom.  All that raw power, there for the taking.”Lothar sensed more than a little sarcasm in the old castellan’s reply, and patiently waited for Moroes to continue.“And what’s more, it’s amplified by a place like Karazhan, with magic dripping down the walls.  Someone like the Guardian, so powerful himself, would be drawn like a bee to flames.”  Moroes’ voice trailed away, muttering, “Or a moth to honey.” “What would have happened?” Lothar ventured at last, not sure he wanted to know the answer.  “Was he going to…ravage the boy?”Moroes shrugged.  “Perhaps.  That would be preferable over the alternative.”“Which is…?”“The Guardian would have consumed him.”“…Eat him?” Lothar was aghast.“No, of course not.” The look Moroes shot towards Lothar was not flattering.  “Consume his soul.  His connection to the arcane.  In a place like this, an unbound mage like that wandering around willy-nilly…disastrous.” Moroes shook his head.Lothar could not pretend to understand what kind of magical force would make his friend – righteous Guardian of the realm – completely lose his mind and assault a younger, weaker mage.  Uneasy, he continued up the stairs, forcing his burning legs to move as quickly as he could.  “So we have to bind Khadgar to stem this…magical effusion?” he asked.“Hm,” Moroes replied.  It was supposed to be affirmative, Lothar reckoned. “How, exactly?” he prodded.“Not sure,” Moroes replied evasively.  “Usually mages bind mages.  Not sure we can trust the Guardian to bind this one, even silenced.  Not sure at all.”Discomfited by that latest revelation, Lothar took the remaining stairs in silence as he pondered his next move.  Perhaps he would send Khadgar back to Stormwind by gryphon, and have Medivh port the two of them directly.  If Medivh woke up well enough to spell cast, that is.  Or maybe he would leave the wayward mage here at Karazhan under Moroes’ watchful eye, although he doubted Medivh would approve of having a powerful, unknown mage wandering through his tower unsupervised. This was turning out to be quite a pickle.  Lothar thought ruefully that perhaps he and Llane ought to have listened to Khadgar’s protests after all. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Lothar helped Medivh fall gently into his bed.  The Guardian had come to his senses somewhere in the last half-dozen sets of stairs, and had insisted on walking the rest of the way under his own power.  Leaning heavily on Lothar’s supporting shoulder, he hadn’t said much.Moroes had gone ahead, and now reappeared with some tinctures and clean clothes.  He set about tending to Medivh’s bumps and cuts.  The gash in the back of Medivh’s head was large, but not dangerous.  He would have a nasty set of goose eggs, but would survive relatively unscathed.When Moroes had finished, Medivh thanked him gravely.  He seemed exhausted, his face gone tight from the brief encounter in the library and his demeanor much subdued.Lothar leaned against the wall next to the bed and regarded his old friend.  He didn’t know where to begin.  “I almost clapped you in irons,” he admitted at last, nodding towards the manacles that had previously bound Khadgar.  “Moroes didn’t think it would do any good.”“It wouldn’t,” Medivh agreed with a small smile.  “Not against a Guardian.”“Then I’m glad I don’t need to try,” Lothar replied.  The unspoken question between them was whether indeed Lothar would indeed need to try or not.“No,” said Medivh.  “I am myself.  His presence caught me somewhat…off-guard.  I am sorry you had to see that, Lothar.”Lothar shrugged uncomfortably.  “Moroes explained.  Raw power and all that.  Said the boy needs binding.”Medivh nodded.  “He does.  Very much so.  Amplified by the ley lines here at Karazhan, his arcane resonance would nearly set the stones on fire…” Medivh’s voice faltered.  “I loathe to think what might have happened if Moroes hadn’t intervened.”  He met Lothar’s gaze, and Lothar could see the regret written there.“You would have come to your senses,” Lothar said firmly.  “I know you, Med.  You wouldn’t hurt anybody.”  He hoped that were true. Medivh did not reply.“So,” Lothar asked at last, “What are we going to do about it? Can you bind him, as Moroes suggested?”Medivh looked surprised.  “Me?  No.  Of course not.” “Er…” Lothar responded slowly.  He didn’t understand.  He thought that was Moreos’ plan.  “Moroes seemed to think that…er.” He broke off, seeing the gathering storm growing across Medivh’s brow again.  “And why not, exactly?”“I’m the Guardian,” Medivh replied, as if this were obvious to anyone that was not a great idiot. “I’m bound to the realm.  I can’t take another binding.”“Ah,” said Lothar, perplexed.  “What’s the plan, then?  Leave him here while we head back to Stormwind, and then…?” He broke off again.  Medivh was shaking his head.“Certainly not,” snapped Medivh.  “I won’t have him poking through my tower, taking measurements for when he moves into the place.”Lothar looked at him askance.  “He did say that he renounced his vows.  He’s not your replacement anymore.”Medivh was clearly not convinced.  “He’s probably been sent here by the Council of Six to spy on my goings-on,” he continued, not quite raving, but getting close.  “I won’t have it.”“Well,” Lothar went on patiently, trying to sooth the ruffled Guardian, “I can’t send him back to Stormwind on his own.  He doesn’t have a flight license, first of all.  And secondly, I don’t trust him.”  Lothar shrugged helplessly.  “What can we do?”“We’ll bind him,” Medivh replied.Frustrated, Lothar glared at the Guardian.  This conversation was getting circular. “I’ll help you,” Medivh went on.  “It’s fairly simple.  When’s the last time you ate?”“What are you talking about?” asked Lothar, frustrated by the twisting turns in Medivh’s conversation.  “This morning.  Breakfast.  Before the flight.  That was hours ago.” “Good.  The same for the boy, yes?  It’s better if you’ve both fasted.”  Medivh climbed to his feet, and began poking through some effects in the nearby cabinet.  “Crushed crystals, we’ll want sapphire, don’t you think?  And feverfew seed, I think should do, although parthenium would be better.  And we have plenty of candles.” He cheerfully passed all these things to Lothar’s bemused hands.  “No one’s really certain if all this frippery is needed for the binding spell, or if it’s ancient tradition.  This isn’t one of the spells that one wants to get experimental with, so we keep on.  Oh, and you can borrow my conjuring robes.”  Medivh did not seem to notice the furrowed look on Lothar’s brow.“Med.  Stop.”  Lothar put the items down on the bed.  “In case you forgot, I can’t conjure.  I’m not a wizard.”“You don’t need to be,” Medivh replied.  He clasped Lothar by the shoulder, green eyes meeting Lothar’s blue with unsettling intensity.  “Binding mages to non-mages is rare, but it has been done.  I’ll set the spell.  All you need to do is consummate it.”“But why…?” Lothar asked, weakly. “I can’t do it,” said Medivh.  “Moroes can’t do it.  You’re the only one here.”  When Lothar hesitated, not speaking but clearly not understanding, Medivh continued.  “Moroes is bound to Karazhan as I am bound to the realm.  Lothar,” he said quietly, “You saw me down there.  I lost control.  We need to fix this.  Once he’s bound, his arcane will be dampened by his connection to you.  You’ll be his master, in essence.  It’ll be temporary, of course, until we can get him safely home to the academy in Dalaran.”“He used some spells downstairs to silence himself,” Lothar objected.  “Isn’t that working?”“Not really,” Medivh admitted.  “I can sense him without even trying.”Lothar quirked an eyebrow, skeptically.Medivh’s face darkened.  “Don’t believe me?  He’s currently locked in the library’s cleaning closet, sulking most likely, because he’d rather be buried one of my books.  He’s been trying to pick the lock for the last quarter hour with nothing but a broom straw.”  He shook his head sadly.  “No, the silencing spell is a very temporary, very weak attempt at damming a stream that is already threatening to overflow its banks.”“Fine.  What will I need to do?” Lothar asked sourly.  He didn’t like the direction this had taken.  But still, he trusted Medivh’s judgment.  Usually.“First, you have to agree to it.  Such a spell is only possible when both parties are willing, without any mental reservation, or purpose of evasion.  You can’t take the vow with the intention of usurping his powers,” Medivh explained Lothar snorted.  “I have mental reservations about the whole thing.”“Then, there’s a brief ritual.”  Medivh went on blithely as if Lothar hadn’t spoken, waving a hand towards all the items he’d pulled from his supply closet.  “Mostly ceremonial.  Promises to uphold your fiduciary end of the agreement, and he’ll promise to faithfully submit his powers to your will, until such time as you unbind him.”  Medivh raised an eyebrow.  “Then you’ll complete the union, if you’re both willing, and that’s that.  Simple.”“Simple,” Lothar repeated.  “Right.  What if he has mental reservations?”“Considering the alternative,” Medivh said softly, “I doubt he will.”Lothar swallowed uncomfortably.  Somehow, he had the feeling he was being bamboozled, but couldn’t see any way around it.  “Alright.  I’ll do it.”“Wonderful!” Medivh clapped him on the shoulder.  “I’ll set the circle.  We’ll do it here, by the font.  You should meditate, if you can, while I make preparations.”Lothar nodded.  He did not have a good feeling about this endeavor. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- When Khadgar finally appeared at the top of the stairs, trailing behind Moroes, several hours had passed.   Medivh had methodically prepared the ritual area, fussing over the exact placement of his crushed gemstones and smudged feverfew seeds until Lothar thought he would go mad from the mage’s painstaking precision.  Lothar pretended to meditate at first, but when he realized that Medivh was not paying attention, he’d napped lightly instead. Khadgar looked haggard.  Lothar wondered what he’d been up to for that time, if he’d been asked to meditate as well.  Had they let him out of the closet, or had he tried to find his inner peace while surrounded by mops and brooms? Medivh was nowhere to be seen.  Lothar moved towards Khadgar, trying to hide his uncertainty.  Khadgar’s gaze was resolutely fixed on the floor. “So.”  Lothar nodded towards the casting circle.  “You agreed?”Khadgar shrugged unenthusiastically.  “I would be honored,” he replied tonelessly, dragging his eyes up to meet Lothar’s briefly.  “Considering the alternative.”Lothar moved away, feeling insulted but not sure why.   He felt like a fool in the ridiculous conjuring robes that Medivh had insisted he wear.  Medivh was not a small man, but Lothar was considerably broader.  The cloth was tight across his shoulders and just a bit too short.  He was hungry, damn it, and ready for this to be over.  What was taking so long? Medivh appeared as if summoned, trailed closely by Moroes.  He swept gracefully into the room, looking first at Lothar, then at Khadgar.  He nodded, apparently pleased by what he saw.Khadgar stiffened perceptibly as Medivh approached, wary from his last encounter.  Lothar got the sense that he was trying not to edge away, and couldn’t really blame him for feeling uneasy.  His own hand was hovering inconspicuously close to where the hilt of his sword ought to be, ready to smash Medivh’s head in again at a moment’s notice.  Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.  So far, Khadgar’s own silencing spell seemed to be holding his arcane at bay.“Shall we begin?” Medivh intoned sonorously. Lothar looked at Khadgar.  “I’m ready if you are.”Khadgar nodded woodenly, his face an unreadable mask.  “I’m ready.”“Then take your places in the circle.”  Under Medivh’s close direction, Lothar and Khadgar entered the ritual space at opposite places from each other. To Lothar’s surprise, the ritual began with a song.  It was a simple, yet haunting tune.  Medivh sung well, with a voice that was well-modulated, if not especially melodic.  He invoked the arcane then, using his greatstaff to trace a complicated pattern in the air.  Swirling, mathematically patterned discs sprung forward in bright arcane blue, fading to a soft light on the ground.Much of the ritual was a blur to Lothar’s untrained ear, although Khadgar listened attentively.When the time came, Lothar gave his affirmative response, vowing that he had no mental reservations, or purpose of evasion, and that he would well and faithfully discharge the duties of holding Khadgar’s power.  Likewise, Khadgar solemnly gave his own vow that he likewise had no mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that he would well and faithfully submit to Lothar’s will throughout the duration of the binding. When the ritual was complete, Lothar blinked. He had expected to feel something – a flash, a tingle.  Something.  He looked quizzically to Medivh, who gestured back at him significantly.  Oh, yes.  The chain of apprenticeship.  Medivh had given Lothar a simple metal chain, to be fastened around Khadgar’s neck and secured with a small medallion that bore the likeness of a lion’s head.  Lothar didn’t know how Medivh had conjured that up, but it was a fitting sigil for any apprentice of the Lion of Azeroth.  He appreciated the attempted detail, and thought Khadgar would, too.  It would seem more normal for the young mage, perhaps, to wear a chain of apprenticeship.Lothar approached Khadgar carefully, not wanting to smudge the ritual circle even though he knew it was technically over.  He reached up, ready to fasten the chain around Khadgar’s neck.  Khadgar met his gaze strangely, then pulled at his collar to bare his throat.  Bowing his head slightly, he accepted the chain resolutely, although Lothar noticed that he flinched ever so slightly when the lock was set into place.  There was no key to the medallion.  The chain would remain around Khadgar’s neck as an outward symbol of the binding throughout the duration of the relationship, Medivh had explained. Another tradition. Khadgar’s eyes were fixed on the ground, but he reached out slowly and took Lothar’s hand.  He hesitated, uncertain.  The hand was ice cold, and Lothar squeezed it awkwardly before disengaging and turning to Medivh.“Did it work?”“The binding was a success,” Medivh replied, inclining his head with a smile.  “So far.”“Good,” Lothar sighed gratefully.  “We should eat something, then head back to Stormwind.  Light knows they won’t give us a chance once we’re there.  Llane will want to brief you immediately.”  He pulled the conjuring robes over his head, discarding them for his more comfortable shirt and breeches.Khadgar spluttered something incoherent, and turned to Medivh, sounding outraged.  “Guardian! We can’t just leave without completing the ritual.  He still has to-”“Lothar,” Medivh interrupted gently.  “Khadgar is right.  You must complete the ritual.” He was smirking, Lothar realized, and felt his heart sink.  He knew that mischievous glint in Medivh’s eye from days of old.  Whatever it was, he wasn’t going to like it.  “What?” he asked irritably.  At the edge of his vision, Khadgar shifted uncomfortably.“The consummation,” Medivh said smoothly.  “You shouldn’t make him wait.  He’s probably quite eager.  Most apprentices usually are.”Consummation? Did Medivh mean…?  Oh, hell no.  As realization dawned over Lothar, he was suddenly furious.  And embarrassed.  What in the world had he agreed to?  Lothar felt his fist clench into a ball.  “What are you saying, Medivh?” Lothar’s voice was dangerously quiet.“We fuck,” Khadgar interrupted flatly.  “What the everloving fuck did you think consummation meant?”  He was flushing prettily again, equal parts confusion and embarrassment.  He turned angrily to Medivh.  “You didn’t tell him?”Silence filled the room, building into a furious crescendo that managed to ring in Lothar’s ears the way sound never could.  Thoughts swirled through his mind in rapid succession, each one just out of grasp. I can’t remember the last time I bedded a man.  Or anyone.  We barely know each other.  What kind of barbaric ritual is this?  Is Medivh having me on? Lothar knew from the others’ serious faces that this was no jest.  He forced himself to take deep, calming breaths. I’m going to kill Medivh.  I’m going to fucking throw him out of his own fucking tower window…. “What,” Lothar asked bitingly, “will happen if we don’t…consummate the spell?”Khadgar gave another strangled sound of protest.  He threw his hands up in disgust and stalked towards the window, leaning his head against the frame as he stared through the stained glass patterns.“Lothar,” Medivh said quietly.  His voice was pitched so softly that Lothar could scarcely hear his words. “If you find him so repulsive, I suppose you are under no obligation to complete the spell.”“It’s not that,” Lothar hissed.  “You should have told me.”“So, yes.  I should have.  Would you have agreed?” Medivh was unrepentant. Lothar breathed heavily.  “No.”“Well, then,” said Medivh, shrugging knowingly.“I’m not fucking him,” Lothar growled, nodding towards the window.  His volume had risen a little, and Khadgar flinched.Medivh looked towards the ceiling.  “As you wish.  Although that’s not entirely fair to Khadgar.”“I doubt he wants this either-” Lothar began to retort.“He does,” Medivh interrupted.  At Lothar’s disbelieving look, he had the audacity to laugh.  “Oh, you still cut a fine figure, Lothar, but it’s not that.  He wants his magic back.”“What?”Medivh explained with enduring patience.  “A fundamental law of spellcasting, Lothar.  You can’t undo what you haven’t completely finished.  You won’t be able to unbind him if you don’t complete the binding.  Do you honestly want a half-tamed mage at your heel for the rest of your days?”Lothar thought this over.  “There’s no other way?”“Not for secular bindings.”“Damn it, Medivh,” Lothar snapped.  “Damn it to the underworld.”“Perhaps we ought to give you some time alone,” Medivh said at last.  “Moroes and I will wait downstairs. Traditionally, a panel would witness and guide the consummation…”  Both Lothar and Khadgar glared at the mention of a witness. “Khadgar, can you guide him through the remainder of the ritual?” At Khadgar’s nod, Medivh turned away from the chamber in what could only be described as a hasty retreat.  Moroes vanished closely behind him.Coward, Lothar thought bitterly.  Rubbing a hand across his beard nervously, he turned to face Khadgar.  “Did you know?” he asked quietly.Khadgar nodded uncertainly.  “Of course.  You didn’t even consider…?”“No.” Lothar swallowed.  He paused only briefly before responding.  “We don’t even know each other.”Khadgar’s laugh was bitter and short.  “Too late. We’re bound.  You’re my master.”“I can’t do this,” Lothar confessed. “You don’t have to enjoy it,” Khadgar responded woodenly.  “You just have to finish.  As do I.”“Now?” Lothar asked, cursing himself for weakness.Khadgar shifted uncomfortably.  “I’d rather not wait.”  He looked around the room, eyes falling on a small doorway that led to Medivh’s personal sleeping room.  “There’s a bed in there.  Will that work?”Lothar found himself nodding. “How old are you?” he asked impulsively, not sure why it mattered.  The boy was clearly over the age of consent.Khadgar replied in Dalaran style, surprised.  “Three and twenty.  You?”“Much older,” Lothar replied dryly.  He was relieved.  For some reason, he’d felt as though the boy – no, man, was quite younger.  He had an innocence about him that belied his age.  Still, their ages weren’t so far apart that he had to question his own ethic.Khadgar breathed out sharply.  “Shall we?”Bracing himself, feeling all the nausea and trepidation that normally rose before battle, not the bedroom, Lothar nodded. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Standing close to Lothar, Khadgar stripped methodically.  His body was smooth and unmarked, unlike Lothar’s own, but surprisingly well muscled for a spell-chucker, Lothar thought.  He stood, brazenly naked save for the band around his throat, chin up and daring Lothar to admire the view. Lothar undressed more slowly, loosening the ties at his shirt and waist.  He wasn’t sure that he could go through with this.After a long moment, Khadgar sat on the edge of the bed, hands relaxed in his lap.  His head quirked slightly to the side, he seemed almost amused.Lothar forced himself to look at Khadgar.  Really look at him, for the first time.  Plush, reddish lips with just the hint of a beard gracing his cheeks.  A face that was honest, yet reserved.  Deep brown eyes meeting his like a challenge, dark hair falling rakishly towards one eye.  As Lothar felt his pulse quickening, he realized that he didn’t physically object to this.  Not at all.He moved forward until their bodies met, resting his hands lightly on Khadgar’s thighs.  Bending down, Lothar’s lips brushed against Khadgar’s upturned face.  Tongues met softly, Lothar’s gaze fixated on Khadgar’s face, asking wordlessly, Is this right?  Do you want this?  He was surprised by the urgency with which Khadgar responded, pushing hard with his mouth.He’d probably done this before, Lothar reasoned.  Of course he had. Things seemed to be moving too fast.  Khadgar’s hands twisting in Lothar’s hair, hot panting against his cheek, and Lothar found himself lying back on the bed.  His pants have fallen to the ground, Khadgar kicking them out of the way.  Hands, moving deftly across his thighs and pressing against the heat building in his cock.  Lothar was mortified to recognize that the soft whimpering sounds were him, moaning in time to the slow strokes of Khadgar’s grip around his shaft.He’d definitely done this before.“Can I ride you from in front?” Khadgar whispered into Lothar’s ear, tugging at the loose shirt that Lothar still wore.  “I want to see your face,” he finished, dark eyes searching Lothar’s face shyly.  “If you don’t mind.”Lothar’s eyes widened as he realized what Khadgar meant and he swallowed, suddenly nervous.  “I, um.”Khadgar pulled back, earnestly assessing him for a moment.  “Or from behind?  Do you want…?” His voice trailed away, suddenly uncertain.  “You have done this before, haven’t you?”“Of course,” Lothar replied automatically.  “Um.  In a manner of speaking.”“Oh.” Khadgar looked at him flatly.  “You don’t bottom?”“I haven’t,” Lothar replied honestly, wondering why he felt himself reddening.  There was no shame in it.  It just wasn’t his preference.  “But I can,” he found himself amending, seeing the crestfallen look on Khadgar’s face that he was trying unsuccessfully to hide. “Traditionally, the apprentice would go first,” Khadgar explained softly.  He ran his hands experimentally across Lothar’s chest, unconsciously, feeling the ripples and sinews that moved just under the skin.  “It’s a display of strength for the master to wait for his finish.”  His stroking was something between sensual and comforting.  Lothar suppressed another groan as his touch moved lower again.  “We can do whatever you want, though.  It doesn’t have to be penetration.”Lothar almost sagged with relief.“But it is tradition.”  Khadgar’s eyes crinkled with sudden humor. Lothar battled with himself.  The kid obviously wanted it, and knew what he was doing.  It would only be fair.  His eyes dipped down below Khadgar’s waist, lingering a little too long.  He nodded.  “Go for it.”Khadgar was already moving, sliding down to position his face between Lothar’s legs.  “May I...?” he whispered. Assuming he knew what would follow, Lothar nodded.  Khadgar gently pushed Lothar’s legs up and apart and bent close.  He kissed the soft skin of Lothar’s inner thighs, trailing across the skin in some pattern known only to himself.  Gentle kisses turned to licking, then sucking, as Khadgar explored every space with his lips and tongue.  When the hot wetness slid gently across Lothar’s opening, his hips jerked reflexively in response.  Khadgar lapped shallowly at first, his tongue moving up and down across, then more deeply as Lothar relaxed, one hand rubbing rhythmically around the head of Lothar’s cock.Lothar felt the waves of pleasure moving across his body, moaning into the sensation and pushing back against the pressure on his sensitive opening.  Khadgar clambered up awkwardly, now using his fingers to gently stroke the area.  Everything seemed wet and dripping, and Lothar realized belatedly that Medivh must have given some supplies.  Khadgar was pressing, questioning, guiding. “Roll over,” Khadgar whispered at last.  “It’s easier your first time.”  Hands were on Lothar’s hips, helping him move into position.  His head down and back end up, Lothar felt silly and helpless and desirable all at once.  A new sensation dragged across his skin, and he realized that Khadgar’s slicked cock was rubbing between his buttocks, pressing firmly without attempting to penetrate. “You are so fucking hot,” Khadgar groaned helplessly.  “This fucking body.  I can’t even.”  He bent forward and kissed Lothar’s shoulder, something between biting and sucking as he worked across the skin.  When he finally entered, gently, it was his finger, moving oh so slowly and Lothar shuddered in response.  It didn’t hurt, but it did.  It was uncomfortable, yet arousing.  He wanted more, he was almost begging for it, when Khadgar slipped inside.“Ahhhh!” Lothar yelped, unused to the sensation, suddenly not sure, not wanting it-“Stop fighting,” Khadgar whispered.  “Put your shoulders down.  Breathe.  Are you breathing, Lothar?”  Dragged back to the moment, Lothar struggled to slacken his body, breathing deeply and letting the new sensations pierce through his body.  “That’s good,” Khadgar soothed.  He was moving slowly, gently, letting Lothar’s soft whimpers guide.  Then faster, hands gripping Lothar’s hips, Khadgar’s body arching, crying out, oh fuck, collapsing, trembling across Lothar’s back.Lothar felt as though he’d approached his limits but not surpassed them, surprising himself by thinking it was over too soon.  He rolled over carefully, examining Khadgar’s sweaty form.  His chest was heaving, covered in a light sheen, and his dark hair had gone even more rumpled. Khadgar laughed suddenly, eyes crinkling again.  “So fucking good-”Lothar stopped his mouth with a deep kiss, then another.  Pinning Khadgar’s smaller frame with his own, he bit hungrily at the reddish lips and flushed face.  Reaching below, he realized that Khadgar must have lubricated himself.  He was wet and dripping, ready for Lothar. Khadgar smiled shyly.  “I don’t usually bottom, either,” he confessed.  “Be gentle.”Lothar was not sure he had the self-control.  His cock ached painfully, weeping cum from the head as he surveyed the naked body splayed before him.  Pulling Khadgar to the edge of the bed, he held his knees high with one hand and used the other to guide the tip of his cock towards the opening.  Then he was inside in one smooth motion, carefully, but causing Khadgar to gasp prettily and arch as he moved deeply. “Shit shit fuck, more, oh fuck,” Khadgar moaned steadily, revealing that he probably bottomed more than Lothar had.  “More, more!”  His hips were bucking lightly in response to Lothar’s deep strokes, filled to capacity that was demanding and powerful and filled with want.  Then Lothar’s body was writhing with pleasure as he finished, hot white sensations splashing through his mind as he emptied himself into Khadgar.  Weakly, he pulled out and collapsed on the bed next to Khadgar.When he could think again, Lothar realized that Khadgar was propped up on an elbow, staring at him. “I’m sorry,” he confessed.  “I tried.  It’s been…a long time since I tried that.”Khadgar shrugged gracefully.  “Thank you, Master.”“You don’t have to say that,” Lothar replied, suddenly uncomfortable.  “I’m not your master.”“But you are,” Khadgar smiled. “You can call me apprentice.”Lothar pushed himself up.  “Did it work?  Is the ritual complete?”Khadgar nodded relaxedly.  He was utterly calm and serene, for the first time since they’d met.  “Yes.  Can’t you feel it?”After considering this for a moment, Lothar realized he could feel it.  He could feel something.  He wasn’t sure what it was.  Somehow, he was aware of Khadgar.  He blinked fuzzily.  A warmth seemed to radiate from Khadgar, like a warm ray of afternoon sun.  “I feel…warm,” he said at last.  “Is that you?”Khadgar nodded.  “We’re connected,” he said.  “You feel like cold steel and summer grass,” he added softly.  “You feel like home.”“Oh.” Lothar felt, not for the first time, that he was suddenly in far over his head.  Reluctantly, awkwardly, Lothar looked for his clothing.  He wanted nothing more than to lie next to this strange, sweaty creature who had shared the most intimate of moments with him, but duty called.  Azeroth awaited. “We should let the Guardian know.”“Trust me. He knows,” Khadgar responded dryly, moving to find his own clothing.  “Who do you think that raven was at the window?”Lothar whirled toward the window, spluttering in outrage, only to find Khadgar laughing into the back of his hand. “Just kidding,” he grinned.  “But he would know the instant the ritual was completed.  My magic won’t be…er…spraying around anymore like a bitch in heat.”Lothar found these shifting moods mercurial, and he watched Khadgar carefully through the edge of his vision as they dressed.  “I don’t even know you,” he said at last. “I don’t know anything about magic.  I’m not fit to be your keeper.”“It’s okay,” Khadgar nodded.  “It wouldn’t be my first choice, but it won’t be forever.”  He patted Lothar’s shoulder soothingly.  “I can’t promise to be an easy apprentice, though.  That’s kind of the opposite of what I do.”  Now dressed, he tugged on his cloak and boots and moved for the door.  “We should go.”Lothar stifled another sigh.  Yes.  They should go.  For one fleeting moment, he’d forgotten all his cares.  King Llane.  The threat of war.  A dysfunctional Guardian.  Somehow, all of that had gotten lost in the twin pools of Khadgar’s deep brown eyes…with a shudder, Lothar pulled himself together.  He was far too old to be losing his head over a quick fuck. But still.  Him, a master?  With an apprentice?  Watching Khadgar’s dark head receding down the hall, Lothar had the strangest feeling that he could get used to this.
10771143
Look Away
{ "Archive Warning": null, "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Matsuno Osomatsu, Matsuno Karamatsu, Matsuno Choromatsu, Matsuno Ichimatsu, Matsuno Jyushimatsu, Matsuno Todomatsu, Matsuno Matsuzo", "Fandom": "おそ松さん | Osomatsu-san (Anime)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by mici_micelle", "chapters": "1/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-04-30T00:00:00", "words": "5,291", "Additional Tags": "Mafia AU, blmatsu, choukei, Incest, Drugs, Sex, age au, Angst", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Matsuno Karamatsu/Matsuno Osomatsu, Matsuno Osomatsu/Matsuno Karamatsu", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": "Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Sex", "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Breathe. Two enemies on the right and three on his left. He crouched and pulled himself further in. He made himself smaller as he stayed behind that thick table. He pulled out his gun, it was a hand pistol that was ironically smaller than his hand, and he frowned when he realized that it was the only weapon he brought that morning. Breathe. Inhaling the scent of gunpowder in the air, Osomatsu grinned.“Show time.”But just as he stretched his feet to stand, he heard bullets passing beside him. He felt them slice through the air and flew across to hit his enemy. No harm was done towards him.The sound of machine gun came from the other side, sending furious flurries of deadly bullets to the enemies surrounding Osomatsu.“What took you so long,” Osomatsu greeted, too cheerful for a fight. “Karamatsu~”Karamatsu approached Osomatsu and tossed a bigger semi-automatic handgun to him. Osomatsu juggled the two guns with the bigger one on his right and the smaller pistol now on his left.“I had to buy some cat food for Ichimatsu. Sorry buraza.”“You spoil them too much.” Osomatsu placed his back against Karamatsu’s back. With a grin and a wink Osomatsu continued, “But you spoil me the most.”Karamatsu shot two more approaching men. He smiled at Osomatsu’s grin, if not for the busy surrounding he would’ve stared at him longer.  “I know.” Karamatsu acknowledge, “That’s because you’re my older brother… my only one.” The Matsuno family was one of the smaller mafia families in the city, with businesses that involved smuggling illegal firearms and drugs. Most of the time they support the major families by trading with them and supplying them with weapons, but of course everyone knew that they too were aspiring to overthrow the major families and rule as well.Osomatsu, being the eldest, was raised to be the next boss of the group. He was a troublemaker and had a taste for danger. Ever since he was a child he was alredy too involved in their businesses, but to him, everything was a game and he was willing to play the whole word on the palm of his hand. The dust had settled and what left standing were the two brothers and some of their men. When the fight was over Osomatsu excitedly went to their car parked outside. Karamatsu followed close behind, his eyes still wary of their surroundings and was ready to fight as soon as the first of sign of danger for Osomatsu’s life came. Gladly there was none and everything was peaceful until they reached the safety of their car.Osomatsu dusted himself and combed his hair with his fingers. He took a cigarette and placed it on his lips. Karamatsu was instantly ready with a lighter for him and Osomatsu smiled leaned the tip of his cigarette to small flickering flame.Karamatsu had always wanted to be Osomatsu’s right hand man. To him, Osomatsu was always this clever, confident figure that he just wanted to serve forever. Sometimes Karamatsu would get excited imagining himself beside Osomatsu as he sat to be the next leader of their Family. The boss of the Matsuno family had six sons: Osomatsu, Karamatsu and Choromatsu were triplets who were already in their late teens. Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu were twins and were born five years after their older brothers. The last one Todomatsu, who just turned six was the baby of the family and was spoiled by his brothers and all their men.The moment the two arrived in the mansion, the three youngest brothers were running towards them in greeting. It was a sight that could alleviate the older brothers’ worries and fatigue instantly.Even if they were two tough looking teens, born and bred in a mafia family, behind the doors of their large mansion, they were two doting older brothers who would do anything for their beloved younger siblings.“Here’s the cat food my little burazaa.” Ichimatsu stopped and took the bag from Karamatsu. He then kicked Karamatsu’s shin, “Welcome home, Kusomatsu.” He grumbled.Jyushimatsu, on the other hand jumped towards Karamatsu, who still managed to catch the energetic boy even if a bit surprised at the sudden action. Karamatsu had good reflexes and Jyushimatsu banked on that. Karamatsu tried to settle Jyushimatsu but the boy in bright yellow shorts continued to jump around Karamatsu.Meanwhile, Todomatsu did not even bother to run that fast, he knew that as soon as he was near enough Osomatsu  he eldest would always pay attention to him.Osomatsu gently patted the little boy’s head. He knew that Todomatsu wouldn’t want his hair all messy so even if Osomatsu was tempted to be rough on Todomatsu, he dared not to.“You’re already getting tall Totty. You’ll pass niichan in no time.”“I don’t wish to be tall. If that happens it’ll be your fault for being smaller than me.”  Tdomatsu remarked.“Welcome back you two.” Choromatsu was the last to greet them. Always so formal and composed, he looked at the two and raised a questioning brow from the way they looked.Even though they had tried their best to clean themselves up on their way home, Choromatsu’s observant eye saw the little creases and dirt that waere evidences from their recent fight.The two grinned apologetically and Choromatsu sighed. “At least none of you got hurt.”The siblings went further inside the mansion. Jyushimatsu was excited to ask them about their recent transaction and got even more excited to hear that it turned into a shootout. He clung closely to Karamatsu, as he listened to his every word.“And then! And then?”“Jyushimatsu, do you really believe all of Kusomatsu’s rambling. I bet half of those aren’t even true.” Ichimatsu pulled on Jyushimatsu from the other end. With one hand enough for holding the cat food, his other hand would always find Jyushimatsu’s hand to hold on to. That was just how Ichimatsu was.“But Karamatsu-niisan said that it was Osomatsu-niisan who killed most of them. It’s probably true.” Todomatsu had always been so proud of his brother. “Right Osomatsu-niisan?”Osomatsu rubbed his nose, “Yup!”Ichimatsu’s eyes brightened, “M-maybe there is some truth in that story.”Karamatsu continued to tell the tale using words which made Osomatsu question if that really happened. Osomatsu just laughed at how poetic a shootout became because of Karamatsu. The younger brothers listened happily, being amazed at their two eldest brothers.They were all about to head to their rooms when one of their underlings came running towards them.“Young master Osomatsu, the boss is looking for you.”“Papa does?” Osomatsu furrowed his brows, he could not remember that he had some business with his father today and usually his father did not want to see him unless he had something for him.Osomatsu then shrugged and walked with the guy.Choromatsu glanced at Karamatsu and the latter nodded, “shall we accompany you brother?”“I guess it’s ok.”At the end of that all of them came with Osomatsu to their father’s study room.Osomatsu and his father were not really that close. Although he was cold to all his children, Osomatsu felt that his father was hard on him the most. It probably was because he was the immediate heir and head of the family and so he was training him to be tough.Sometimes Osomatsu could not blame his father, like this time. He had been caught using the drugs they have been selling, which is a big violation for the main members of their family so of course as soon as he got home his father’s anger was so much it burned and frightened everyone around him.A loud smack that landed on Osomatsu’s face sent the young Osomatsu flying. He stopped only when he crashed on the floor.“Papa!” Karamatsu tried to stop their father’s heavy hand. But his father shoved him away and he stumbled back. Jyushimatsu went to him and asked if he was ok, Karamatsu just smiled and held the little one’s hand. He gave it a slight squeeze and assured the younger one that everything was fine.Choromatsu on the other hand, was frozen on the spot, too afraid to do anything or show which side he was on. He had always been like this, just staying in the grey area so that his father would favor him at the same time that his brothers loved him. Choromatsu could never imagine going against his father, unlike what Osomatsu did on a daily basis.“Didn’t I tell you to keep your head clear in order to think better! Stop being stupid Osomatsu!” Don Matsuzo’s voice was large and loud as it shook the room and everyone inside it.But Osomatsu was not someone easily intimidated, “I am a child! It’s my nature to be stupid!”“There is no room for stupidity in my family.” Their father coldly told them and although it was meant for the eldest, it was a message he intended everyone to hear.Karamatsu bit his lips, this kind of atmosphere was too much for his little brothers to see. More than Osomatsu, he was worried about their younger brothers to be the object of his father’s wrath. Osomatsu was strong, he was a born leader and could handle whatever the world would throw at him, but his brothers were just children. They were too young, and for him, even if they were born of this family, if he could spare them and keep them innocent, he would do anything.  Karamatsu felt the distress in Todomatsu and Jyushimatsu and he knew that even if Ichimatsu was quiet, he was feeling awful as well.“Choromatsu…” He saw how Choromatsu was startled at how sudden he called him, “take them to their room.” Karamatsu whispered, giving Jyushimatsu’s hand to Choromatsu.Choromatsu nodded, taking Todomatsu by the other hand and telling Ichimatsu to stay close. He gently guided them out of the door and back to their rooms.Karamatsu closed the door. Neither Osomatsu nor their father even noticed that they left. They were too into this fight to really care. Osomatsu glared daggers at their father as he looked at him the same way, chest heaving and teeth gritted, they looked like a pair beasts waiting for the other to strike so they instantly could retaliate.Karamatsu never liked it when they were like this.“Papa…” Karamatsu started, daring to step forward and join the fray.“And you!” His father angrily pointed at him, “You know your brother was doing this and yet you didn’t stop him?”Osomatsu looked sharply at Karamatsu, questioning him how stupid he was to even go near them, “Hey! Keep Karamatsu out of this old man! You have a problem with me!” He tried his best to regain and retain his father’s hate.  “Yes I have a problem with you!” Osomatsu had successfully gotten his father’s attention once more, “You were supposed to be my heir, the next boss... but all you do is play around. You don’t give a rat’s ass about this family. You disgust me and I am so disappointed in you. Your mother didn’t die for this.”Osomatsu’s breath was caught in his throat. Of all the things he had to throw at him, it just had to be about his mother’s death — the one thing that could easily crush Osomatsu and leave him crying for days. It had always been a sensitive subject for both of them and he couldn’t believe how his father used it against him, just because he found some drugs he wasn’t even addicted to.Osomatsu huffed. He had enough of this.And so he left the room, slamming the door behind him. Karamatsu was stunned, still hanging on to the last words his father said. Frozen from where he stood his father’s words rang fresh in his ears. “Your mother didn’t die for this.” It saddened him to hear those words but when he saw his father grinding his teeth, seeing pure regret over his words, the pain in Karamatsu’s heart grew.His father still loved their mother so much.Karamatsu turned on his heels and ran after Osomatsu. He caught up to him in no time, as the eldest brother had just descended down the last step of the grand staircase. Karamatsu was almost leaping, taking three steps at a time and finally he was abreast his older brother.“I’m sure Papa did not mean to say that.”“I don’t even know what Papa meant to say.” Osomatsu answered, anger seething and burning in his eyes, “The old man clearly hates me.”“You know why he’s strict with you.” Karamatsu tried to reason.One of their attendants was already waiting for them by the door, holding Osomatsu’s coat out for him. Osomatsu grabbed his coat and wrapped it over his shoulders, “well, I have enough of it for tonight.”“Where are you going?”“I don’t know and don’t follow me Karamatsu. I swear I’ll hate you if you do.” He warned him.Karamatsu stopped walking, following the orders of his older brother and watching him walk towards the dark car that was also waiting for him. He wanted to follow him and to make sure Osomatsu would not do anything stupid that would cause him harm, but feared that Osomatsu might make true of what he said, and he didn’t want his older brother to hate him even the slightest.The car drove away and vanished into the darkness of the woods that surrounded their mansion, “be careful, aniki.” Karamatsu whispered with his feet still glued on where he stood. Tonight, all he could do was wait. It was late. Karamatsu looked out the window from his room. He had just tucked in Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu, in the latter’s room. They wanted to stay late and wait for their eldest brother to go home but sleep was more powerful and soon they succumbed to it.Todomatsu was the first to sleep and Choromatsu had to carry the boy all the way back to his room. As for the youngest of the triplets, Choromatsu too had fallen asleep on Karamatsu’s room, on his couch, falling victim to sleep and fatigue.It was a stressful day and even Karamatsu was already getting tired, however his guilt and worry for his beloved older brother was more than enough to keep his eyes peeled open as it looked outside into the dark for any sign of Osomatsu.He doubted a bit if Osomatsu would even consider coming back home. For all he knew he could be sleeping in some brothel, high, and balls deep inside one of his favorite sluts.Karamatsu tightened his fist and shook his head. No. Osomatsu would come home, he knew that everyone would be waiting for him. His prayers had been answered soon enough by a small glimmer of light peeking through the dark woods. Karamatsu instantly ran outside of his room, leaving the sleeping Choromatsu where he was.Karamatsu ran to the halls and down the grand staircase. He just saw a car, but who knew if that car was empty or not. There were times that Osomatsu would ask his attendants to leave him alone, so that was a possibility.But Osomatsu came home! He came home right?Karamatsu had not even reached the door when it slightly opened, emerging from it’s small opening was Osomatsu, looking like a complete mess.He was drunk, just a few feet away from him and the stench of alcohol would invade your nose. His clothes looked like it was sloppily put on him, and Karamatsu knew that he had one of their attendants to probably dress him up by force.Osomatsu wobbled as he took a step and Karamatsu was quick to catch him. Karamatsu frowned as he inhaled his brother’s scent. He stank even more up close.“I’m home~”“Welcome back. Now let’s get you to bed, my dear brother.”Karamatsu helped Osomatsu walk towards his room, but rather than helping it was like he was literally dragging the drunk older brother across the floor.  When the attendants offered them help, Karamatsu dismissed them away. He’d rather be the only one to take care of him.They went to Osomatsu’s room and Karamatsu carefully sat him down in his bed. He started to remove his coat and quietly tossed the dirty clothing aside.  He continued to unbutton his vest, all the while listening to Osomatsu as he told him in full detail all the things he did that night; how he went to a bar and found a beautiful girl there, how they agreed to have a little fun and  how he fucked her in the dark alley just outside the bar.Karamatsu was used to this, his brother was someone who’d enjoy sex with strangers whose name he did not even know and would’ve been forgotten in the morning, and pretty sure all this fancy tales, though they might be exaggerated sometimes, were exactly what had happened.“Karamatsu… is everyone asleep?” Osomatsu asked when he finally got bored of Karamatsu’s lack of excitement from his story.“Yes they are. They’ve been waiting for your return.” Karamatsu answered as he let Osomatsu take care of his own belt and pants.Osomatsu stood up, wobbling a little and making Karamatsu flinch, ready to catch him.  But Osomatsu just laughed at him and pulled his pants down, tossing it carelessly on the floor, “Say.. were you waiting for me as well?Karamatsu smirked, “I’m still awake, am I not?”Osomatsu sat on the bed, bouncing a bit from the fluffiness of the mattress. He was in his boxers now, with all his dirty clothes discarded. Seeing him lay there, it was a signal for Karamatsu to turn around and pick up the clothes they had thrown aside, but even before he could take another step Osomatsu pulled him down to the bed, and let him fall beside him.Osomatsu propped himself up and grinned at his younger brother. “Niisan can’t sleep Karamatsu.”“After all that, you’re still wide awake?”“Eeeh~ The night was still young but my bodyguard literally pulled me away and stuffed me in the car.” Osomatsu whined, pouting a bit.“He did the right thing.” Karamatsu tried to pull himself away from Osomatsu only to be pulled back down. “What is it now?”“Like I said, niisan is still not sleepy…” Osomatsu looked at Karamatsu and was amused at how it seemed he was still ready to go outside at any moment. Osomatsu knew how worried he had been and how he would go out and search the whole downtown, if he had not gone home with their men.Typical Karamatsu. Lovely Karamatsu.Osomatsu licked his drying lips, “You were waiting for me this late… I need to reward you for that.”Karamatsu sighed, “Reward me by sleeping properly on your own and not getting into trouble.”“Really? That is enough for you?”Karamatsu hesitated to answer and in that hesitation Osomatsu made a move and rolled towards Karamatsu just to sink into a kiss. Osomatsu grinned against his lips when he felt how eager Karamatsu was in kissing him back. He let his hands travel as they slid behind Karamatsu’s head,  fingers digging in his hair and pulling him nearer as he crushed his mouth in a wilder and sloppier kiss.Osomatsu was laughing, despite being breathless, when he pulled himself away. His eyes slowly rolled down and saw how hard Karamatsu had became simply from that kiss alone. Osomatsu raised a brow and gave Karamatsu a small peck before he touched him over his pants. Osomatsu hummed as he felt the bulge firm under his palm, “Can you really sleep now Karamatsu?”Karamatsu growled, pulling Osomatsu to another kiss.Osomatsu worked as Karamatsu kissed him with much intensity, he removed Karamatsu’s belt and pulled down his pants, he then moved on to his shirt, clumsily unbuttoning his blue top, stripping him like how his brother did for him.Osomatsu tore himself away from Karamatsu’s mouth, only to continue kissing him as he travelled down his neck, “Karamatsu…” Osomatsu teased, “what kind of reward do you want from niichan?” He breathed against his skin.Osomatsu looked up to him and saw how red his cheeks had gotten, “W-whatever you see fit brother…” he told Osomatsu.Osomatsu nibbled on Karamatsu’s ear, “But I want to spoil you Karamatsu… tell niichan what you want?” His voice barely graze his throat as he huskily whisper in his ears making Karamatsu shiver.“...I want you to be mine…”Osomatsu slowly and tenderly massaged the bulge hidden underneath Karamatsu’s underwear, and in every touch it grew harder and harder. Karamatsu was grunting, being more frustrated by Osomatsu’s teasing.“I’m already yours Karamatsu — ah! Hmm? Did you get jealous when I told you all about my little trip?”“Yes.”  Osomatsu placed a small kiss on Karamatsu’s forehead, his hands still caressing Karamatsu over the fabric. “It’s ok. Niichan understands. I’ll pay more attention to you then Karamatsu. So what do you want niichan to do again?”Karamatsu rolled away, to Osomatsu’s surprise, he went towards the bedside drawer and took something from it. Osomatsu smiled when his brother came back with a bottle of lube, looking shy with a blush painting his whole face. Karamatsu gave the bottle to Osomatsu and spread his legs a bit.“Will you…do me… like that too?”Osomatsu grinned at the offer, as far as he knew he had sobered up a while ago, but that did not mean he would not be able to give his brother the same wild night he had experienced, but then again Osomatsu knew that what he had a while ago would be completely boring compared to what he would do to Karamatsu. Of course his tale was a bit exaggerated, especially the part where we said he enjoyed it, he was with Karamatsu and he enjoyed getting his little brother all jealous and riled up.Because making love to a jealous, possessive younger brother was the best. Choromatsu did not even knock when he entered Osomatsu’s room. He already  knew where his two older brothers were — or at least one of them if the eldest did not come home — the moment he woke up and realized that he was still in Karamatsu’s room.“Good morning you two.” Choromatsu said so formally, disgusted at the thick and heavy smell hanging inside the room.Their clothes were on the floor and Choromatsu could not stop himself from picking it up.Karamatsu sat up and yawned, his hair in disarray with hickeys and bite marks all over his neck, shoulders and arms. “Choromatsu! Let me help you —”But he was cut off when Osomatsu rolled over to him with his arm stretching across Karamatsu and pulling him down. Osomatsu snuggled against Karamatsu.“Good morning Chororin~” Osomatsu greeted without even lifting his head. Karamatsu laughed a bit and brushed Osomatsu’s hair aside.“Oh you’ve managed to come home. That’s great news.”Osomatsu lifted his hand and gestured an ‘ok’.“By the way, on my way here someone told me that Papa wanted to see you.” Choromatsu  reported, frowning a bit at a lipstick stain on Osomatsu’s pants.Osomatsu sat up, so quickly that he felt dizzy a bit.  “Papa wanted to see me?”“You’re not still angry about what happened yesterday… right?” Choromatsu said, dumping everything onto one side and then rubbing his hands to dust the dirtiness of those clothes away.Osomatsu looked down and played with his fingers. Karamatsu sat up as well and leaned on Osomatsu’s shoulder, he enveloped him in his arms and held his fidgeting fingers on his hands, rubbing them gently to calm his older brother.Osomatsu snuggled against Karamatsu. “I’m ok now.”Choromatsu lifted his eyebrows at the cheesy display of these two lovebirds so early in the morning. Drugs was one thing but if their father knew that these two were in an incestous relationship, who knew what would happen to not only one but two heirs of the family. If these two would be really stupid enough, Choromatsu might end up being the next Don of the family.Choromatsu shuddered at the thought.“Don’t worry, I’ll be there with you the whole time.” Karamatsu assured.“Ah. No you won’t. Papa said that he needs Osomatsu alone this time. He was very strict about that. We can’t even tail them from afar.” Choromatsu answered.“Oh!” But Karamatsu was quick to turn this situation around, “That’s great news brother! It might be your chance to finally redeem yourself of what happened yesterday and to mend your relationship with Papa again.”“You’re right!” Osomatsu exclaimed, “if I do a great job on this meeting Papa might let me have some of our drugs.”“What?” Choromatsu reacted, “Can you just focus on staying on Papa’s good side for now.”“True, I don’t think he would let you do that at all.”“What is the point then?”Karamatsu shook his head and pushed Osomatsu out of the bed, as Choromatsu went to Osomatsu’s closet. Choromatsu started to pull a set of trousers and proper clothes.“Here, wear this and this.” Choromatsu placed the clothes on the nearby table. “I need you to make yourself presentable for this meeting.”“What a bother.”Osomatsu went on with it anyway, and with the help of both Karamatsu and Chroromatsu, they managed to get Osomatsu ready.Breakfast was full of energy as usual, especially when their father was not there. The younger brothers who had missed Osomatsu last night were all clinging to their older brother.  Todomatsu sat on Osomatsu’s lap, Ichimatsu on the other, while Jyushimatsu hung behind Osomatsu’s chair. Good thing the eldest had finished eating or else he would not be able to with all of his younger brothers around.“You didn’t tell us our bedtime story!” Todomatsu accused, “I had to listen to Choromatsu-niisan read the story, and the only reason I fell asleep was because it was so boring.”“Hey!” Choromatsu reacted and everyone laughed.“Don’t worry everyone, I’ll come back home tonight and tell you that bedtime story.” Osomatsu promised.“Read the one with the lion!” Jyushimatsu was already excited.“Yeah, I love it when niisan growls.” Ichimatsu added.Osomatsu looked on the other side of the table to where Karamatsu was still slowly eating, “Oh, Karamatsu love it too when I growl. Don’t ‘ya Karamatsu?”Karamatsu almost choked on his food while Choromatsu rolled his eyes and the little ones laughed again.“Young master Osomatsu.” The attendant finally came inside the dining room, “your father awaits.”Osomatsu placed Todomatsu and Ichimatsu down each earning a pat on their head.“I guess I have to go now. Wish me luck everyone.” They arrived at the pier. A usual location for any meeting. The other party was already there when they arrived though and Osomatsu was glad that they didn’t have to wait that long. He really wanted to go back home at once and probably ask Karamatsu and Choromatsu to go out and have fun with him. He still had not made it up to Choromatsu for making him worry last night.Osomatsu was looking outside and everyone that were standing around looked like henchmen and bodyguards, from their built alone. If worse came to worse, Osomatsu might be able to fight one or two of those men, but if they all came for him, he knew he would be done for. Better behave.The car stopped and Don Matsuno came out of the other car that Osomatsu’s was following. The car he was in followed suit and stopped as well. Osomatsu came out, ready for anything his father would tell him to do.“Is that him?” One of the guards pointed at him.Don Matsuno looked sadly at Osomatsu while the boy looked back at him looking confused. His father closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he nodded.“Yes. That’s him.” The answer was too quiet for anyone to really hear.Osomatsu was about to ask his father something when two men suddenly grabbed him and ripped him away from his father’s side.“What is happening? Let go of me! I said let go! Father? What is this?” Osomatsu was starting to panic.Even as he could feel something was wrong with what was happening around him, Osomatsu still wouldn’t do anything to these men without his father’s word. Just one word and he would raise hell, but without it he could only let himself be dragged off. His father must have something up his sleeve.However, Don Matsuno just looked away and that was when Osomatsu really started to panic.“FATHER!” Osomatsu screamed and struggled as he watched his father slowly went back inside the car.“Let go of me!!” He struggled even more, managing to slip one of his arms out of their hold, but more men came and grabbed him, pushing him down on the ground.“FATHER!” Osomatsu shouted on top his lungs, “HELP ME!” He screamed for him.Osomatsu was gagged but even so he still tried to scream. His muffled screams continued to burst out of his lungs, as he felt his hands and feet getting tied up. Some men were sitting down on him, pushing him down with everything they’ve got just so they could subdue him.Suddenly Osomatsu heard someone cocking a gun beside him, and as he rolled his eyes towards the gun pointed at him Osomatsu knew that he should shut up instantly.The gun stayed against his head as he was pulled up to his feet and stuffed inside the car. Someone inside was already waiting for him to go in, welcoming him with a gun as well. Osomatsu  had no choice but to sit quietly in between two men, both pointing a gun at him.The car they were in started to drive away. It was a sellout. His father sold his eldest son to some other family whose identity Osomatsu would soon find out at the end of this ride.  Osomatsu was not surprised that this happened, but he still felt betrayed. Remorse felt bitter on his tongue. His father sold him . At what price? At what condition? Why did he choose this instead of some other way?Osomatsu was thinking, thinking as hard as he could as felt the car make turns and increase speed on a freeway. He did not even bother looking at where they came from and know where they heading. Because in all those thoughts inside his mind, one was the most persistent:His father really hated him, huh?The car went through the tunnel and everything had gone dark, through the limited light and closed space, Osomatsu was not stupid enough to try and fight here just to die without even knowing to whom he was sold to. At least he needed to know who was stupid enough to take his father’s trash off of him.  Osomatsu bit the cloth in his mouth. He wanted to bite into his lips and make them bleed just to be sure that this was not a dream, but he could not and it frustrated Osomatsu even more.One thing was for sure though, that was the last time Osomatsu had looked at his father as a man worthy of his love and respect, a man he admired and aspired to be, and as a man that he would want to call father.This was the end of Osomatsu Matsuno, and the beginning of his hell.
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Hedonistic
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Dean Winchester, Michael (Supernatural)", "Fandom": "Supernatural", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by thewinchesterlifestyle", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-04-27T00:00:00", "words": "6,540", "Additional Tags": "Twink Dean, Student Dean, Slut Dean, Bottom Dean, Cock Slut Dean, professor michael, Top Michael, Older Michael, Rough Sex, Gags, Dildos, Restraints, Bondage, Possessive Michael, No Strings Attached, Fuckbuddies, Desk Sex, Dirty Talk, Alternate Universe - College/University, Marking, Semi-Public Sex, Classroom Sex, Punishment, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Size Kink, Cock Cages, Vibrators, Open Relationships, Dean/OMC(s) - Freeform, Barebacking, Unsafe Sex, Multiple Partners, Multiple Orgasms, Fingering, Teasing, Jealous Michael, Age Difference", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Michael/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester/Other(s)", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Dean enjoyed how he could still feel the very enjoyable fucking he’d experienced the night before as he walked towards his first class. He had slipped out of the guy’s home that morning, early enough to shower and grab something to drink, before heading to class. It was the start of another semester and he was looking forward to it after such a perfect start.Nothing got the blood pumping better than a wild night before classes started. He continued down the hallway, caught the eye of a handsome guy with dark brown eyes and offered a flirtatious grin, before he finally found his class.Once he entered the room he moved towards a chair, dropping into it carefully and only glancing up when someone sat on his left.The hot guy from the hall.“I’m Lucas.” he grinned and Dean shifted, felt his ass twinging slightly reminding him he was still a bit sore, before he offered that same grin from the hallway.This definitely looked like a great semester. Marathon sex with a hot older man and now it looked like he might potentially find a good fuckbuddy for the semester on top of his usual one-night-stands Dean frequently enjoyed. This guy looked more like the type of no strings attached fucking relationship type and that would be perfect for him. “Dean.” he offered back and would have said more if the professor hadn’t entered the room to draw everyone’s attention.Everything stopped and Dean almost threw up at the sight of a familiar face. There was the sharp jaw, bright eyes and dark hair that he remembered tugging while that perfect mouth sucked a mark onto his skin. The man who had literally given him some of the best sex of his life, older men always seemed a better bet for mind blowing sex, and he wasn’t exaggerating on that. Now he was very aware of the slight pain in his ass and every single place that his new professor had marked up on him.The bite mark on his ass, light bruises on his hips from gripping fingers and every single place those lips had sucked on. His ass clenched and then he was staring at blue eyes looking right at him.There was a hint of surprise and then the unmistakable flash of lust, of want, that he’d seen so much the night before. Just as quick as the look had flashed across that handsome face it changed into the professional mask of a professor on the first day of class. It was a shameful thing that realizing a professor had literally pounded him into the mattress the night before was slightly turning him on.Up at the front the older man went through the roll and Dean shifted in his seat when Professor Michael Novak spoke his name. It should have been embarrassing how hard he ended up getting just from hearing his name and every single time those eyes fell on him. He acknowledged his name, sank slightly into his chair and wished the ground would open up to swallow him before he did something truly embarrassing.There was something knowing in that gaze and he could see the older man undressing him in his mind. Knew his professor was probably imagining all the different ways he’d had Dean and all of the ways he’d made Dean come undone with his mouth, his fingers, toys and then his cock.It was a small mercy when class was dismissed and Dean stood on shaky legs, “Hey do you want to grab a drink tonight?” the guy, Lucas, asked and Dean nodded absentmindedly as the guy rattled off the time and place. It was a bar and then Lucas was leaving after passing him a piece of paper that Dean hastily shoved into his pocket. Slowly Dean himself started towards the doors.“Mr. Winchester if you would stay behind.” the voice had him halting as the professor waved the last student through the door before locking it. The sound of the lock clicking into place couldn’t possibly be that loud but as Dean’s heart pounded in his chest and adrenaline flooded his veins he couldn’t take his eyes off of his professor.Dean watched as the man covered up the window and he could feel his cock twitching in some kind of messed up Pavlovian response. “Ummm Professor?” he asked and heard a growl at the word.“If I had known I would have had you moaning that last night.” which wasn’t what Dean was expecting as the man jerked him in for a rough kiss that had him practically melting into the hold. Manhandling was one of Dean’s very guilty kinks that had him going soft to painfully hard in a ridiculously short time.“This can’t be ethical.” Dean couldn’t hold back a moan when he felt a hand rubbing against his aching cock trapped in his suddenly too tight pants.“We’ve already fucked.” fingers knotted in Dean’s hair and tugged his head back so those lips could press against the skin exposed there. Teeth lightly nipped the sensitive skin and had him jerking as a shocked whimper escaped. “Who was that boy you were talking with?”"Lucas. Invited me for drinks.” he felt himself being led towards the desk as fingers went to his pants to tug them down and free his cock. It was both a relief and a panic inducing moment because they were in a classroom with hundreds of students right outside of the door. Dean had never been more turned on and terrified at the same time before in his entire life.“I don’t think you’re going to be making that date.” it was growled as Dean felt himself being bent over the desk so his ass was in the air. Staring out at the empty seats as Michael moved behind him almost had a whimper escaping. “I’m planning on fucking you right there and then after I’m done with classes for the day I’m dragging you back to my home and trying something new. You left before I could enjoy a morning fuck.”Dean felt his eyes rolling and moaned when he felt fingers brush against his hole. “Michael.” it was soft and slightly needy, “I don’t have anything on me.”"I do.”He didn’t even want to think of why Michael had lube on him but the press of slick fingers against him had a whine escaping. They moved with that same expertise that had him writhing the night before. It was quicker but still had pleasure building inside him as Michael finger fucked him, pumping them inside him and curling towards his prostate until Dean thought he was going to come untouched.“Fuck oh shit!” he squirmed on the desk and gripped the edges as Michael pulled his fingers out to slick himself up. The filthy sound of Michael stroking himself with a lube wet palm had Dean’s cheeks flushing.The cock that pressed inside him was hot and thick, spreading him open, as hands gripped his body. It was just as big, just as thick, as he remembered and his toes curled at the feeling of being so full again. He could write stories about that cock and how fucking good Michael was at using it to fuck him. It was more than ironic considering Michael was a fucking Literature Professor.“I’ll admit to having a fantasy of one day fucking a student over a desk but I had no idea it would be such a pretty one or that it would happen in such a way." He drew back and snapped his hips forward as Dean’s mouth dropped open. "You’re so hot inside.” A moan tore from Dean’s mouth and he bit down on another, praying no one in the hallway had heard him.“Oh oh ther—” Dean bit his lip and felt his eyes rolling as heavy balls slapped against him in time with the hard thrusts. Each powerful snap of Michael’s hips had him rocking forward on the desk and want shivering along his spine as his professor pounded into him from behind.“Professor.” Michael’s voice was rough and Dean clenched around him as the older man continued to thrust forward. No one should be this good at driving his ability to think from him. “I want to hear you moan it.”"Professor.” Dean breathed out in a rough voice choked with arousal. He felt how Michael’s thrusts stuttered slightly as fingers gripped a little harder and then the pace picked right back up to the point of an almost brutal pace.“That’s right. You’re getting bent over your professor’s desk and fucked.” Michael sounded smug and slightly breathless at the fact as he continued snapping his hips forward quicker so the slap of skin seemed to get louder in the otherwise silent room. “Love taking cock, don’t you? You begged so prettily last night. Kept begging for it harder and deeper and rougher.” he growled the words and felt Dean tight around him. “A little cock slut, aren’t you?”"Please.” it was rough as Michael aimed for his prostate, brushing against it and sending jolts of pleasure through Dean, as Dean thought about everything they’d done the night before. “Please Professor Novak…I need—” he swallowed and pushed back as best he could trying to get Michael as deep as possible. Dean needed to come, he needed to touch himself and he needed Michael to keep fucking him.“Don’t worry I’ll fuck that orgasm right out of you, Dean.” he pressed Dean down into the desk.Dean moaned and gasped as Michael kept fucking forward into him until he came exactly as Michael told him he would. His whole body twitched with it, ass clamping down around Michael’s cock, as he came across the desk and his wail would have no doubt been heard outside of the room if his professor hadn’t clamped a hand down over his mouth to muffle the sound."That’s it. Such a good boy.” Michael’s words were almost possessive, rough with lust and from their activities, as he kept thrusting forward at a wilder pace until he spilled inside Dean and his hands both gripped Dean. He could only lay there, draped over the desk, as Michael’s hips jerked forward a few times and a satisfied moan escaped the older man.After a few seconds Michael’s cock slipped free and when Dean finally managed to turn he found his eyes drawn to it. The cock was still impressive even soft and he licked his lips as Michael jerked him in for a rough kiss. “Can you feel it running down your thighs?” he whispered and Dean knew that his professor could feel Dean shuddering against him. “Think about how your professor fucked you over his desk while you sit through your other classes. Think about it when you’re canceling that date of yours and I’ll see you at my house tonight.”Dean swallowed again and looked at that handsome face, at the slightly smirking lips and knew he was going to be doing all of that. It was just fortunate enough he had time to go back to his apartment to clean himself up and change because there was no way his pants were not going to have semen drying in them. He wouldn’t be able to sit through class let alone focus on a single thing any other professor had to say if he didn’t clean up.Dean grinned at Lucas, class still minutes from starting, as his handsome classmate continued speaking. Occasionally a hand would wander towards Dean’s crotch but he did nothing to stop Lucas. He had zero intentions of settling down into any kind of relationship that limited him to one person. Dean just wasn’t built for that kind of commitment regardless of the possessiveness that Professor Novak displayed and Dean was more than ready to see if Lucas really could make him forget his name like he’d boasted.“So when am I going to get a shot at bouncing on that lovely cock of yours?” Dean grinned wickedly as he leaned close to Lucas whose hand was now blatantly pressing against the growing bulge in Dean’s pants. The dark brown eyes had darkened to an almost black in Lucas’s obvious arousal. “We keep dancing around it.”He could see Professor Novak speaking with one of the other students and the way his professor watched them whenever he could manage. It had him itching to push the older man’s buttons and to see if he might enjoy the reaction though Dean was more than sure that winding Michael up would be worth every single moment.“My roommate will be gone tomorrow night.” Lucas stroked against Dean, carefully positioned to hide what he was doing from the classmates behind them. “We would have the whole night. I’ll fuck that gorgeous ass of yours until its gaping and sloppy.”Dean shifted, letting his legs fall further apart where Lucas’s hand continued to tease, as he stared ahead at Michael. He could see the tense line of the professor’s shoulders, how Michael was struggling to keep his features calm, before he turned back to look at Lucas and a pleased smile tugged at his lips. That sounded like a perfect way to spend a night after a stressful day of two tests.“It’s a date.”The thing with Michael wasn’t serious. Dean had noticed that his professor seemed to get off fucking his student and Dean enjoyed extremely satisfying sex. The arrangement didn’t mean he couldn’t seek sex from elsewhere as well. Dean enjoyed bed hopping when he found someone interesting and he saw no point in stopping that now.Michael would have to shove the possessiveness because Dean wasn’t a one cock kind of guy. He enjoyed variety far too much despite how good Professor Novak was in bed. Plus Michael had already told him that his son was coming to stay for the weekend so it wasn’t like he had guaranteed mind blowing sex to look forward to with the older man.“Great.” Lucas grinned and would have continued moving his hand, sending more jolts of pleasure racing through Dean, if Michael’s voice hadn’t snapped through the room. It had Lucas’s hand jerking back and Dean blinking innocently at his professor, cheeks undoubtedly flushed and pupils blown, as he listened to Michael start the lecture.Judging from the way Michael was struggling to maintain his composure Dean was sure he was in for rough fucking and the very thought had his cock pressing hard against his pants. He couldn’t wait. Two days of great sex in a row. It was almost as though he was being rewarded for all of the studying he’d been doing lately. Though sitting down during class tomorrow might be more than uncomfortable if that look was anything to judge by.There was no way that Michael hadn’t figured out exactly what they’d said, that he hadn’t figured out the true nature of Dean’s blatant flirtations, as the class finally filtered out and he was called to stay back. “Do you want me to wait?” Lucas asked as he watched Michael and Dean.Dean’s eyes flicked back to Michael and a slow smile curved Dean’s lips. “Thanks.” He stepped close and made it look as though he were hiding the fact that he’d dragged his palm against Lucas’s crotch. “I’ll be one second.” He stepped away and briefly wondered how he was going to end the current little game with Michael as he walked up to the fuming professor. Fucking a professor was all well and good but it wasn’t something he could continue. Sooner or later Dean was going to have to pull back from this lest Michael get the wrong idea. “Professor Novak? You wanted to talk?”His tone was one of quiet, innocent curiosity that had Michael’s right eye twitching and his hand clenching. “I wanted to confirm our meeting for your project later.” They both knew exactly what Michael meant and Dean flashed a cheeky grin. It was very clear, now, that Michael had seen and was very unimpressed. Amusement flew through Dean as he shifted on his feet.“Of course. Our meeting.” He nodded thoughtfully, “I’ll be able to make it but it can’t run too late. I have tests to study for tomorrow.” Dean gripped the shoulder strap of his backpack and turned back around to meet Lucas’s dark brown eyes. He stepped right up to the other student, leaning into his space, as they headed towards the door. Their shoulders brushed every few steps.The feeling of fingers touching him, grazing obviously across his ass, almost had Dean smirking at the expression that had no doubt taken of Michael’s handsome features as the door shut behind them. “You know neither of us have class for a couple hours…” Lucas trailed off, hand brushing Dean’s ass with a firmer touch, as he looked at Dean with obvious lust. “I can think of a few things to pass the time.”It was a delightful offer and Dean was tempted to take Lucas up on it but he had a project to wrap up. “I have to finish up one of my assignments but tomorrow night I am completely free and well into the morning.” Lucas nodded and pausing he grip Dean to haul him in for a kiss. “If you give me a good reason it’s very possible my weekend will be very free.”The next kiss was rough and demanding, tongue eagerly slipping past his lips, as Dean enthusiastically responded until a coughing sound had them pulling apart. Michael arched a brow at them and Lucas blinked at him in surprise before stepping out of the way of their professor so he could pass. Dean missed the feeling of Lucas’s fingers knotted in his hair and almost wanted to snarl at the interruption.I’m not going to be able to walk tomorrow Dean thought as he watched the way Michael walked away and a thrill of excitement shot through him even as annoyance had his features twisting slightly.He parted ways with Lucas after another kiss that made him question if he could put off working on the project but he told himself to wait until tomorrow. When five rolled around he found himself ringing Michael’s doorbell. A few minutes passed before he was dragged into the house, up the stairs and his clothes were quickly removed. Tossed aside haphazardly as Michael’s fingers dug into his bare skin as he pressed close, eyes burning.Dean’s wrists were quickly bound and a large ball-gag pressed past his lips before Michael secured it. The gag was big enough Dean knew his jaw was going to be aching from the stretch. He felt the older man hauling him up the bed and securing his wrists to the headboard before using a spreader bar to keep Dean’s legs apart. Dean gulped at the position and idly wondered what he’d managed to get himself into as he tried to twist his head around to see what Michael was doing.He twisted a little more and it earned a smack to his ass that had him jerking, “Teasing me?” Michael’s voice dipped low and Dean shivered as a hand moved down his back, over the swell of his ass, before it came down for a quick smack. A muffle sound of surprised reached Michael’s ears but Dean was busy watching Michael moving to get a few toys.To start off he secured a cockcage around Dean’s cock, after turning him over briefly to get at Dean’s cock, and then once Dean was back on his belly with pillows shoved under his hips Michael set about quickly opening Dean up. His long fingers pressed inside, scissoring and stretching, until they slipped out only to be replaced by a vibrator.It was slender, no real girth to Dean’s surprise, but when Michael angled it intentionally at Dean’s prostate he quickly figured out Michael’s angle. “You’re going to have to show me you’ve earned an orgasm.” He turned the toy up and Dean jerked against the headboard as a muffled howl filled the room.He tried to shift his legs but Michael had been thorough and the loss of control had a muffled moan escaping Dean who pressed against the large ball in his mouth. “Mm-m-m!” Dean’s eyes rolled and he clenched around the vibrator as pleasure built and built inside him until he could taste it on the tip of his tongue. It ached and hurt and Dean needed to come but the cockcage was very thorough in preventing the orgasm Dean needed.His hooded eyes fell on the picture rest in Michael’s nightstand, a little boy with dark hair and bright blue eyes grinning at the camera, as he jerked and writhed on the end of the toy. Dean turned his gaze away, slightly embarrassed that an image of what he knew to be Michael’s son seemed to be staring at him, as his professor pressed the vibrator right against his prostate.Another muffled howl ripped from him.That was the moment that Michael pulled the toy away and spanked Dean’s ass repeated that had him whimpering into the gag. The sharp sting had Dean twisting forward as his ass clenched around nothing. “As much as I enjoy hearing you moan my name I think I prefer gagging you. Sluts shouldn’t get to speak while they’re being punished for being naughty.” He reached for another toy after he had watched Dean tugging on his bonds, “You shouldn’t get to moan my name after touching that boy.” The possessive note had Dean’s eyes sliding closed as another toy was pressed inside him.Maybe Michael was a bit more possessive than he’d thought?The next toy had a greater girth, stretched him wide open and burning, as Michael worked it inside him and the second that the toy came to life his professor started fucking him with it. It was a quick and hard pace, bumping his prostate, as Dean’s legs shook and he whimpered into his gag, straining and shaking at the sensations.It was more than obvious that Michael monitored Dean’s body, watched the signs for when Dean was getting close to the point of it being unbearable for him, before he pulled the toy out and gripped Dean’s balls. “I bet you would have let him bend you over the desk right there in the classroom if you could have gotten away with it. You would freely let someone else touch you in my presence.”If he wasn’t gagged he would have told Michael just that. There was a tsking sound and then Michael was removing the cockcage.Dean almost went limp against his restraints at the removal until Michael squeezed him, staving off any possible orgasm, before he resumed pressing a vibrator against Dean’s prostate.Michael brought Dean close to the edge again and again and again and again until Dean had tears of need sliding down his cheeks as he tried to fuck himself back on the large ridged dildo Michael currently had buried in his ass as his professor gleefully fucked him with it. His muffled begging for release had Michael’s cock hard and aching as he pulled the toy out before guiding himself inside.It wasn’t only seconds after Michael’s balls rested against his sore ass that Michael started snapping his hips forward quickly, chasing his own orgasm and not caring to hold himself back, as the headboard hit the wall. The sound was jarring and almost covered up Michael’s moans, his growled words, as he kept burying himself inside Dean’s clenching hole. Pleasure and a mix of pain had Dean panting into his gag, writhing and jerking, as he shoved his face against the mattress trying not to sob even more at all of the sensations flying through him.“Always teasing me.” It was low and snarled as Michael gripped Dean. “Letting others touch you. Letting that boy touch you, taste you, so brazenly?” Dean moaned into his gag, felt how close his orgasm was until Michael reached around to stop it. His head dropped and he shook as Michael pressed along his back, careful, as he breathed in Dean’s ear. “You are nowhere close to having earned an orgasm. My students have to work for it.”Michael finally came inside Dean, moaning and letting himself get lost in his pleasure, until he pulled out and from the corner of his eye Dean could see how Michael was enjoying watching his come start to leak out of Dean’s puffy hole. He carefully reached around to free Dean from the gag and then from the headboard. Michael left the bindings holding Dean’s wrists together and tied them to the spreader bar once Dean was on his back.“I’ll be back soon and we’ll see if you can be a good boy for me, hm?” he stroked Dean’s cheek and watched how Dean leaned into the touch as best he could with a needy sound hoping being so responsive would get him release instead of more edging. “I know you can be.” He pressed his lips to Dean’s and couldn’t stop the low chuckle at how Dean tried to follow his lips when he pulled only to shove the ball-gag right back in, picked up the biggest dildo yet and buried it in Dean's sloppy hole causing a muffled cry to escape. Dean panted into his gag while Michael's hand stroked against his stomach with a look of arousal before he turned to leave.Fuck. Dean thought as the door shut and his eyes caught sight of the time. I’m never going to get to study for those tests.There was no denying the tension filling his body, keeping him tight and on edge, as he walked across campus after finishing his last class of the day. The loose, sated feeling from the night before after Michael had finally let him come had been completely evaporated by two essay tests. He was more than sure he’d fucked up several dates involved during the Civil War and he didn’t even want to think about the Psychology class he’d only taken to fill a requirement.His phone buzzed. Roommate just left. Are you on your way? A little of the tension in his body lessened as Dean remembered the night of promised sex ahead of him. The reason he’d shoved some clothing and a plug into his bag before he’d headed off to take his first test. He really hoped that Lucas lived up to the hype and the cock he’d seen the outline of when they’d been in class.Yeah.It was beyond fortunate that Lucas didn’t live that far away and the walk only had anticipation thrumming inside of him. He was looking forward to having the tension fucked right out of him. The thought of skipping his first class the next day, Professor Novak’s, buzzed in his mind as he stepped into Lucas’s building and headed in the direction of Lucas’s apartment. Dean only managed one knock before the door was swinging open and Lucas was hauling him inside, shutting the door and shoving him up against it.Dean could easily feel the hard press of Lucas’s cock against him as the groan he released at the feeling was swallowed up by Lucas whose mouth had closed over his within seconds. Fingers knotted in his hair, a hand gripped his body, as Lucas’s lips moved hungrily over his. He let himself melt into the kiss, sighing and parting his lips with only a little prompting.Lucas tasted of peppermint.Hips ground up against his pulling another groan from Dean as his own cock hardened and pressed up against his pants. “I’ve been imaging getting my hands on you without worrying about interruption.” The words were breathed against his lips and Dean knew his cheeks were flushed, that his pupils were blown wide, as Lucas manhandled him from the door. It was more than clear that Lucas was exactly the kind of guy Dean sought out for a good time.His manhandling kink was mostly unspoken but nothing had his blood pumping and arousal burning like having a guy shoving him around, pushing him into place and fucking him like Dean’s only purpose was a hole to use.“You’re not going to need clothes for awhile.”Fingers yanked and tugged his clothes off, tossing them carelessly across the room to land in a heap on the floor after his shoes had been discarded, before Lucas hauled him through his campus apartment. Dean’s bag was discarded at the locked door as Lucas pulled him into his bedroom, door left carelessly ajar. Dean found himself laid out on the bed, watching Lucas strip and throw his own clothes onto a nearby chair.Immediately his eyes fixed on the cock he’d only gotten hints of. Hard and heavy, long and thick, Dean’s ass clenched down in anticipation. He couldn’t wait to have Lucas buried balls deep inside of him and fucking the tension right out of his body. “I think for the first one we’re going to skip most of the teasing.”“Good.”“Hands and knees.” Lucas picked up a bottle of lube and climbed onto the bed as Dean shifted into position, anticipation and excitement flushing him darkly. His breathing was turning ragged by the time a cold, wet finger rubbed against his tight hole and had him clenching down in response. “You’ve got an ass made for fucking. Fuck.” The finger rubbed against his rim, smearing lube, before it started to work past the tight ring of muscle.Dean’s fingers curled in the sheets as Lucas worked the finger inside of him, lazily fucking a few times, before a second finger was already pushing inside. He pushed back into the burn of stretch, moaning his pleasure when Lucas brushed his prostate, as more lube was added and Lucas set about loosening his hole. Fingers pumped and scissored inside of him, rubbing occasionally against his prostate causing him to jerk and curse, until a third could be added.Lucas was swift but thorough as he loosened Dean and soon enough Dean was fucking himself greedily back onto Lucas’s fingers to encourage him to hurry up. “I’m good. I’m fucking good.” his voice was rough and his arms were shaking from maintaining the position, “Fuck me already.”The demand earned a low, husky laugh. “How did I know you were going to be a bossy bottom?”“Because I know what I want and right now I want your dick in my ass?” Dean shoved back, taking Lucas’s fingers deep, as he clenched down. “Now I was told you knew how to fuc—” Lucas twisted his fingers and started persistently rubbing against Dean’s prostate causing Dean to cut off his sentence and whine as pleasure rocketed through him. His arms shook and his body trembled as Lucas manipulated his body to the point he was right there on the edge of orgasm, practically sobbing with the desperation of coming, before talented fingers slipped from him. “You fucker.”Lucas guided him down so his face was pressed against the mattress, his forearms resting on the sheets, while his ass remained raised up. He only had seconds after the new position before the blunt pressure of a cock pushed against his hole. Dean’s mouth fell open on a silent moan as Lucas started pushing in. The delicious feeling of full and the burn of having his hole stretched open further had him panting.Underneath him his cock hung heavy and aching, so close to orgasm, that Dean could only maintain his position while Lucas kept pressing forward sinking inch after inch into him. It felt amazing, having something buried once more in his ass after a long day, as a quick snap of his hips had Lucas the rest of the way in. Dean could feel balls resting against him, the heat from Lucas flush against his ass, as hands moved up his sides and gripped his hips forcefully.“You really were made to be fucked.” Lucas’s voice was rough, lustful and Dean couldn’t stop the smug satisfaction at such a reaction. He knew how good his ass was and how he looked while getting fucked. A particularly memorable fuck had involved mirrors and an older man insistent that Dean watch himself taking a cock like a good little slut. Lucas rolled his hips back in an agonizingly slow manner that had Dean gritting his teeth and tightening his hold on the sheets.The ringing smack of Lucas fucking back in with a vicious thrust of his hips filled the room and Dean’s body swayed forward from the force as a grunt escaped. Fingers dug into the flesh of his hips and soon Lucas started rapidly fucking him at a brutal, body jarring pace that had pleasure bursting inside of him and coiling in his gut. Should get fucked by football players more often darted through Dean’s pleasure hazy mind.Power and stamina were unquestionably a turn on of his.Without fear of a roommate Dean didn’t hold back his moans of delight, groans of pleasure or whimpers from being right there on the edge.Underneath them the mattress groaned in protest at the rough, fast pace that Lucas was fucking him with. Dean shoved himself back into each thrust as best he could, clenching and whimpering each time Lucas nailed his prostate, as his desperation to come continued to build.He started to reach underneath himself, wanting to finally push himself over the edge, but Lucas knocked his hand away. “Not without my permission.” Dean mentally groaned at the authority in the rough tone.Lucas was clearly very used to being listened to and Dean’s authority kink was practically purring as another jolt of arousal shot through him. He clenched down, eyes hooded and chest rising rapidly with his breathing.A few thrusts later Lucas started jerking him back into each thrust, going balls deep each time, as his pace fell off and Dean could only kneel there with his face pressed to the mattress as Lucas pounded into him.Then a hand lightly curled around his painfully hard cock and it took one, firm stroke before he was wailing through his release. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck.” The word was chanted as Dean panted and everything in him went blissfully limp, tension leached from his bones and body delightfully warm with orgasm.Lucas pounded into him, hand moving from his softening cock, before he slammed deep and came with a low groan of bliss. Dean could feel the little hitching jerks of Lucas’s hips as he chased the pleasure of his orgasm.“Holy fuck.” Dean didn’t want to move. He just wanted to lie there as Lucas’s softening cock slipped from his well fucked ass and come lazily leaked out of his puffy hole. “Fucked the tension right out of me.”He felt the bed shift beside him and took in the smug, pleased look on Lucas’s face. Dean couldn’t even be bothered to make a snarky comment back. Lucas had earned that look after working to fuck him through the mattress.“I’m just getting started.” Lucas’s voice was still low and rough, the flush from his cheeks fading, as his dark brown eyes practically danced with amusement. “Depending on what you’re into I’ve got a few toys and I’m very interested in tying you up.”Dean thought about the last time he’d been tied up, how being completely out of control had made his orgasm impossibly better, and offered up a lazily grin. “After fucking me like that? Whatever the fuck you want. I have all night and we don’t have class until ten.”It was hours. Hours spent either in Lucas’s bed, tied up or shoved into place, as he was fucked by various toys and Lucas’s cock until his hole was completely sloppy and gaping. By the end of it he had only been able to release a pitiful whimper when Lucas had worked a thick plug into his loose hole before Dean had passed out with a sated grin on his face.The entire time Dean didn’t once think about the stress of two tests and the next day he was still riding on the bliss of rigorous sex he didn’t even think about whose classroom he was practically limping into with a pleased Lucas chatting animatedly with him as they took their seats.He shifted in his chair, hole clenching around the plug locked inside of him, as Lucas continued talking with a hand resting on him in casual intimacy that was impossible to ignore.They had only had time for a quick shower, nothing more that something cursory and Dean still had Lucas’s come plugged in his ass after a lazily round of fucking they’d indulged in upon waking. He shifted and released a soft sound at the pleasant ache, shook his head in amusement at the look on Lucas’s face, as the door opened and Professor Novak came into the room talking with a student.“So were you still available this weekend?” Lucas asked lowly, eyes roving over him and fixing on the light bitemark Dean now sported towards the base of his neck. “I didn’t get to do half of the things I wanted to do to that tight body of yours.”Dean blinked at the offer, remembering the comment, as he appraised Lucas and thought back to the night before. He had seen the other toys Lucas had, the evidence of a far kinkier person than what he’d personally witnessed, and grinned.“I’m available all weekend.”Lucas’s eyes darkened as he leaned close, promise of an absolutely sinful weekend obvious in the expression on his handsome face, as Dean’s ass clenched in anticipation. “Good.” the word was purred as Lucas’s lips curled.At the front of the room Professor Novak called the class to start and Dean couldn’t help but notice the way his professor’s eyes seemed to lock on his neck, narrowing, before his professor continued with the start of his lecture.Dean picked up a pen and started taking notes, well aware of the pleasurable aches all over his body, as he pointedly ignored the heated gaze that occasionally landed on him each time Michael’s eyes moved over his section of the classroom.He wasn’t about to turn down good sex because Michael was a possessive bastard who didn’t like to share a fuckbuddy with other people. Besides his weekend was completely free because Michael’s four-year-old son, Cas as Dean had learned upon overhearing a conversation Michael had been having on the phone, was coming to stay with him all weekend.Michael couldn’t expect Dean to turn down good sex when his weekend had been completely free. His professor was either going to have to accept that Dean enthusiastically enjoyed jumping from bed to bed or Dean was going to have to cut the fun sex they indulged in short.
10756185
Good Night Sleep Tight
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "Other", "Characters": "Kim Namjoon | Rap Monster, Min Yoongi | Suga, Min Yoonji", "Fandom": "방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by orphan_account", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-04-29T00:00:00", "words": "785", "Additional Tags": "ddlb, DDLG, CG/L, Genderfluid Min Yoongi | Suga, little!yoongi, Daddy!namjoon, Pacifiers, Non-Sexual Age Play, non-sexual daddy kink, Nap-time, Don't let the title mislead you, im just Hollywood Undead trash, Very detailed description of Yoongs eating grapes, I love grapes, Don't Judge Me", "Relationship": "Kim Namjoon | Rap Monster/Min Yoongi | Suga", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "The Namgi Cg/L series", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Yoongi has been eating grapes for the past half an hour.It still surprises Namjoon how fascinated Yoongi can be about their grapes.Whenever Yoongi eats grapes, they would skin the grapes with their teeth first,Then bite of the edge, And then squeeze.They would squeeze the grape until the middle part plopped out.Then, they'd try to catch that part quickly before it landed on their lap.Which they didn't always succeed in.And then they'd squish the remains of the grape before putting it in their mouth.It's a very fun process.But also very tiring.Especially for Namjoon.After eating a whole bowl of grapes, Yoongi would make 'magic hands' at their Daddy and say."Ew, ha's all yuck--y"And Namjoon would wash their hands.Today, Yoongi didn't eat one, but two bowls of grapes.And their whole hands are dirty.Yoongi just giggles and looks up at Namjoon."Daddy? Bath?"They ask.Namjoon looks up from his phone and smiles."Does my Baby want to take a bath?"Yoongi responds by eagerly nodding, holding out their dirty hands as evidence."Yuck--y" They say.Namjoon stands up and grabs the big bowl that's sitting on Yoongi lap. He puts the bowl down on the couch next to the Little.He picks Yoongi up."C'mon Little Dragon, lets get you alllll cleaned up"Yoongi squeals and kicks their legs, little (blue, fluffy and with bunny ears) socked feet wiggling.---Bath-time, usually means that nap-time is coming up, and today is no exception.After their bath, Namjoon tries to put Yoongi in green pyjamas, but the Little refuses by shaking their head."Don't you wanna wear your pj's, Baby?"Namjoon asks and sits down on the bed next to a -still- naked Yoongi.Said person mumbles something that Namjoon can't quite catch."What is it Flower? I can't hear you"Yoongi looks up from their feet."Yoon'i wanna wear a ss'eeping dwess"They say.Yoongi's only gotten Littler after their bath, and it's evident in their speech.Namjoon finds it endearing.It takes Namjoon a small moment to realise that Yoongi wants to wear a dress,They feel female now."Does my Princess want to wear a dress?"He asks, cautiously.Yoongi's eyes sparkle at that and they nod.Namjoon smiles and walks to the closet, putting the pj's away."Does Yoonji want to wear pretty panties too?" Namjoon asks while he pulls out a box from Yoongi's little side of the closet.In the box are some pair of panties that Yoonji likes a lot.Yoonji smiles and blushes a bit "yes please, Daddy" she saysNamjoon smiles wide at her, dimples on full display and -he went to sit down- pats the ground besides him.Yoonji gets the hint and slips off the bed.She waddles towards Namjoon and plops down besides her Daddy."Which pair do you want to wear?"---Fifteen minutes later and Yoonji looks absolutely adorable!She's wearing a short pastel pink chiffon nightgown and pink with blue high-waisted panties.Namjoon coos loudly over her.But Yoonji is one impatient Little Girl, and she wants her nap.She grabs Namjoon's hand and pulls him towards their big bed."Daddy! Nap time!"She says cutely.Namjoon picks Yoonji up and places her on the bed."Doesn't Yoonji want her paci first?"Yoonji gasps at that, she had completely forgotten about it!She nods and reaches up for Namjoon, hinting him to lean down."Yes Baby Girl?"He saysYoonji leans up and whispers in her Daddy's ear;"Can Daddy cud'le wiss Yoon'i?"Namjoon leans back and smiles."Of course Daddy can cuddle with you! Now lay down Beautiful Fairy and Daddy will get changed, okay?"Yoonji muttered a small 'okay' and lays down on the bed, pulling the covers on top of her.She watches as Namjoon quickly changes into a pair of pyjama pants and a white t-shirt.Then, he grabs the bright pink pacifier that's sitting on the bed site table and walks towards Yoonji.Namjoon slips into the bed besides the Little and covers them both with the blanket.Yoonji smiles at her Daddy and wraps her limb around him.She opens her mouth for Namjoon to out the pacifier in.When he does, she sighs contentedly and sucks on it.Namjoon hugs her back and Yoonji puts her head on the male's chest.This is nice, very nice, she thinks before she drifts off to sleep.(She doesn't wake up for another hour or two and Namjoon really shouldn't have let her sleep that much, but one look at that cute face and he couldn't help but give in to 'another five minutes')
10811577
Work Can Wait
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by Pili204 [archived by thequidditchpitch_archivist]", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2007-01-12T00:00:00", "words": "1,647", "Additional Tags": "Romance, Erotica, Fluff, Heterosexual Sex, The Quidditch Pitch: Erotic Couplings", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "The Quidditch Pitch", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Author's notes: A/N:  This story grew from a drabble originally written in response to the word prompt: trapped.  Many thanks to belovedranger, who’s the best friend and beta one can hope for. There is a stack of work that has piled up during the days you were away at a conference.  Tonight, you had no choice but to bring it all home from the Ministry.  It’s not something you particularly like to do.  Ron pretty much occupies most of your time at home; you’re, after all, still newlyweds after seven months of marriage.   Tonight you had no other choice; the pile of work was getting taller by the minute.  You have lots of research to finish and a report to prepare for next week’s departmental meeting.You sigh resignedly and bite your lip as you carry the stack of books and parchment over to your desk in the lounge.  Before sitting down to work on such a daunting task, you run back to your bedroom and change into a comfortable set of short pajama bottoms and a tank top. You pile up your hair into a messy bun, and slide into your favourite slippers. Now you’re ready for the long night ahead.As you go back to your work, you hear the shower running and you grin as you imagine Ron behind the shower curtain.  The water must be sliding down his body, caressing those secret places that only you’re privy to.  You shake you head and will those naughty thoughts away; today there’s no time for play.  Ron will understand.So you sit in your chair and pull close to the desk.  You pick up the first parchment on the stack, which lists all the books you must research tonight.  Soon, you’re lost in a world of spells and charms, and you’re diligently taking down the appropriate notes.“Hermione,” Ron calls out.“Hmm,” you respond, twirling your quill absently. “Hermione,” he repeats, this time leaning down to steal a kiss.  “Ready for bed, love?” he asks as he pulls away.“Hardy. I’ve got work to do tonight,” you say, pointing meaningfully to all the books in the corner of your desk.“But, Hermione, you’ve been away for days and today you spent the whole day at the Ministry.  His voice drops to a rough mumble.  “I’ve missed you.”You look up and give him an apologetic smile.  “I missed you too, Ron, but all this work-”“No buts, Mione.  Your work will be here tomorrow.”  He tugs on your hand, trying to get you to follow him.  “C’mon, love, let’s go to bed,” he adds as he arches his eyebrow suggestively.You bite your bottom lip, wanting to find the right words to let him down easily. It’s not that you don’t want to go to bed with him; he must know that.  He must know how much you’ve been missing the warmth of his body next to yours these past days that you’ve been away, especially when he looks like that.  You give yourself a little time to take him all in as he stands there before you, in only those soft pajama bottoms you so love.  You admire his strong bare chest, his broad shoulders, and those powerful legs hidden beneath the pajamas bottoms.  He’s right out of the shower and that clean, wholesome smell is intoxicating.You close your eyes and force yourself to look away. You know it’s too tempting to have him this close, smelling this good.  If you don’t get your mind back in track, you’ll never get any work done.  Stop.  Don’t get distracted, you remind yourself for the umpteenth time.  And you silently curse Ron for being so damn hot, enticing you to forget everything else.“Ron, I really have to work tonight.”The sensible, responsible part of you wants to resist that magnetic pull he has on you.  You can’t afford to be sidetracked… you have too much to do, deadlines to meet.  Ron can wait.“If I don’t get this done-”  Whatever else you’re going to say is quieted when he reaches down to kiss you hard.  He’s obviously not backing down.  It’s irritating and thrilling, and completely satisfying to know, to feel how much he wants you. His lips are warm and demanding, and you can’t help but respond.  You tilt you head to get better access to his lips, and you frantically swipe your tongue against his.  Yes, you definitely missed him, missed this closeness.You finally pull back to breathe and you berate yourself for getting off track.  Not tonight, you remind yourself.  You have work to do.But when he looks at you, his eyes dark and meaningful, you know you’re trapped.  You can’t possibly escape it now… that desire that lingers between you two is too strong.  And the passionate side of you wants it as much as he does.So you let him come closer.  You rub your hands together and tilt your head to one side, not sure if it’s such a good idea.  Having him close could be somewhat dangerous to your concentration, but you relent because having him near you it’s a pleasure in itself. “Why don’t you keep me company a bit, and after I get some work done we’ll go to bed.He shrugs his shoulders, obviously not happy with your idea.  But he pulls up a chair and sits next to you.  “What do you what me to do while you work?  I’ll get bored.”“No you won’t,” you say as you reach over to pick up a Quidditch magazine.  “This will keep you entertained, I’m sure.”“Reading was not my plan for tonight, even if it’s Quidditch.  But I guess it’ll have to do … for now.”  As he takes the magazine his hand lingers on yours and there’s this determined look about him that only tells you he’s definitely not backing down.  You’re not sure whether to be excited or annoyed.  It’s not long before when he starts to play with the loose curls in you hair.  You secretly love how he can’t keep his hands away from you, and so you do nothing to stop him.  It’s only your hair - nothing else, after all.  You can still work while he plays with your hair, you hope.He then plants a kiss in that sensitive spot below your ear and continues to kiss down your neck.  You stifle a moan trying to keep a thread of control.   You need to gain back your focus; the words on the pages in front of you are starting to become blurry.  You’re not sure you can take more of his teasing.  You’re not sure you want him to stop either.You hear his Quidditch magazine drop to the floor as his hand sneaks under your tank top; it leisurely travels up to knead your breasts.  A small moan escapes your lips, and a tingling sensation runs up and down you body making you shiver in pleasure.  He’s slowly seducing you, weakening your resolve with his light, torturous touch.  The book on your desk is now forgotten, and you carelessly drop your quill, not caring where it lands.  It’s not long before you’re panting, before you start asking, begging, for more.He grins wickedly, knowing he has you trapped… trapped between the desk and his body.  You’re completely at his mercy and you love it, but you won’t be outdone.  Your hand sneaks up to his chest, anxious to feel more of him.  You tease his nipples while you boldly reach up to suck his lower lip before kissing him deeply.  You want to devour him whole.  That work from the Ministry hardly seems critical now that you have him at your fingertips. Your work can wait.His hands sneak down to your buttocks and he lifts you up from the chair.   You gasp and struggle to wrap your legs around his hips.  You desperately clutch his shoulders as he carries you awkwardly until your back hits the wall.   He looks at you hungrily and you grin.  Your heart is racing; you can’t take much more of this teasing. You arch into him, feeling his tempting hardness against your thigh.  You know there is no going back now.  You won’t allow it.  You fumble awkwardly to free that bulge that’s tenting his pajama bottoms.  And you barely hear him groan before he’s sweeping his tongue against yours.   You stroke him up and down, increasing the speed as you return his kiss with the same intensity.“Fuck… Hermione.”  You smile triumphantly.  You love when he loses control.  You love to be the one who makes it happen.  And then it’s him who’s making you lose control as his draws small circles on your inner thigh before pulling down your shorts and knickers to find your entrance. It’s all happening too fast now.  His fingers are on you, inside you.  Your grip on him tightness urgently, and you fight to keep in control.  Not yet.  You want him inside you.“So fucking wet,” he pants.You lose your capacity for any coherent speech. “More… more, Ron.” “I love you,” he says before plunging directly and fitting perfectly inside you.You clutch his back and bite on his shoulder to swallow back a shriek.  He’s moving inside you with fast, strong plunges.  You nibble on his ear.  “Bedroom, Ron.”He stops mid-plunge and gives you a winning smile.  “I knew you’d end up coming to bed.”Your mouth falls open. The prat! It’s all Ron, fiery and intense, and you wouldn’t want him any other way.  He brings out this other side of you, the one that knows that love can’t ever be put on hold.Once again Ron has made you re-think your priorities, and you certainly can’t blame him for it.  You’ll thank him in the morning.
10878102
Shuuichi Minamino Fan
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": null, "Fandom": "幽☆遊☆白書 | YuYu Hakusho: Ghost Files", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by GothicLust", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-11T00:00:00", "words": "0", "Additional Tags": "Fan Art, Traditional Media, Drawing, Color Pencils, Prismacolor Markers- Alcohol Markers", "Relationship": "No Romantic Relationship(s)", "Character": "Kurama | Minamino Shuuichi", "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
10864800
Body Glitter and Socks
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": "Samuel Vimes, Havelock Vetinari, Sybil Ramkin, Moist von Lipwig, Leonard of Quirm", "Fandom": "Discworld - Terry Pratchett", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by strawberriesandtophats", "chapters": "2/2", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-09T00:00:00", "words": "8,564", "Additional Tags": "slowburn, Glitter, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Self-Acceptance, Caretaking, Love, Vulnerability, Bathing/Washing, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Polyamory, Explicit Consent, Trust Issues, Established Relationship, Gift Giving, mentions of - Freeform, Retirement AU, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Innuendo, Humor", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Havelock Vetinari/Samuel Vimes, Sybil Ramkin/Havelock Vetinari/Samuel Vimes", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "M/M, Multi", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Everything had a limit. Metals had a certain point when they would melt, fabrics could only be stretched so far, the Ankh could only become so toxic. Commander Vimes’s patience also had its limits. Vimes knew this. Everyone knew this. It was a well-known fact all around the Disc.And yet he had found himself nodding when the Patrician had reminded him that he was supposed to attend this museum opening tonight as a guest instead of sneaking off to patrol the streets. Vetinari had remarked that there was always the need for better security at events like these, and who was better at keeping the peace than the Commander of the Watch?Then Vetinari had handed him the invitation card and flashed him once of those smiles that said that Vimes wasn’t getting out of this one. Vimes had argued, mostly because he always did. He’d lost the argument, of course, but he was used to losing these kinds of arguments with the Patrician. It was one he could afford to lose, not a high-risk one at all. At least he could be sure that Vetinari wouldn’t die tonight, not on his watch. So, Vimes had come to the opening party, but he’d worn his uniform to compensate for lost time on duty and hoped that he could find an excuse to either leave or arrest someone. The only crime that evening was the horrendous amount of glitter inside the museum.Vimes blamed Lipwig for all this glitter, as it had clearly been his idea. The former con artist had been the one in charge of opening this new museum, after all. He was the sort who would make suggestions about the benefits of glitter and people tended to listen to him when he was talking. As a result, glitter had fallen continually from the ceiling throughout the opening party. At first it had been just a nuisance to be ignored, but had quickly become bothersome as even the food and drinks developed a layer of glitter. There had been no chance that Vimes would not be on duty while also attending as a guest, if only to watch Lipwig closely. His fingers itched to arrest the man. The glitter in the air hampered Vimes’s line of sight and would probably become a choking hazard, so clearly it was a danger to all involved and its very nature could be filed as malicious lingering.Vimes attempted to get rid of the glitter on his shirt by patting it with his hands. The problem was that they were also covered in glitter. Nothing he did was shifting the glitter, nothing at all. Asking Nobby, who had wandered inside to check if Vimes had arrested someone already, had not been productive, because Nobby did not see glitter as a problem. He saw it as a solution. Thankfully the opening party was almost over.Lord Vetinari appeared at Vimes’s side as silently as only an Assassin could, and joined him in watching the crowd leave the premises. Vimes hadn’t seen him at the party itself, but he could imagine that Charlie had filled in for him until now. The Patrician’s breathing was even and his expression peaceful as they turned away from the crowd. It was one of the good nights, then, one when he wasn’t in pain. The weather had been mild and Vimes could feel the difference in his joints, which did not ache as they did on cold nights.Most of the artists who had been showing their already glittery artworks at the opening of this new museum were waving goodbye to the last visitors as the Commander and Lord Vetinari walked side by side towards the Patrician’s black carriage. Several watchmen nudged each other and gestured towards Vimes, but Vimes only saluted them promptly in response.“A wonderful evening, don’t you agree Commander?” Vetinari asked, leaning on his walking stick. It was covered with glitter. Everything was at this point.“Certainly an interesting one, sir,” Vimes said, running a hand through his hair and finding more glitter than he ever wanted in his hair. A lie, but a diplomatic one. Nothing ever happened at these parties except that rich people got drunk off cheap sherry. Even nobs tried to keep themselves in check when Vimes there, instinctively patrolling the area and checking for all possible secret entrances and exits.The Patrician appeared to be completely at ease with all this glitter around them. But then again, there were reasons for that. These reasons were delicate and life-threatening at the same time, and Vimes wondered why he’d been allowed to know them. Surely the world was playing a cruel trick on him.Well, the Patrician’s hair was slicked back like usual, but it gleamed more than usual because of the silver glitter that had apparently been in the hair product in his hair. He just looked distinguished. None of the glitter that fell from the ceiling during the show had actually landed on his hair, instead it had gathered on his shoulders and respectfully slid onto the floor. Vimes had seen himself in one of the hallway mirrors and decided that he looked like someone had deliberately coated him in the stuff.On nights like these, after days like this of shouting and paperwork and teaching the Constables how to proceed and chasing one thief across the rooftops for the sheer joy of the chase, it was easy to forget how things used to be.Well, not forget. He never forgot. But he put his memories of Old Ankh-Morpork aside, of how easy it had been to get killed for just walking into the wrong tavern or for saying the wrong thing out loud. The curfews and the Cable Street Particulars were a thing of the past now, just like the drumming, resounding endless fear beneath his skin whenever he used to go on patrol.So many officers didn’t know about the darkness that seemed to soak the city before Vetinari became Patrician, about how a watchman’s life hinged on being able to walk on eggshells around certain people and how to distinguish if someone was carrying around a weapon for protection or decoration. And if they were able to use them. Hell, some of them had even been born during Vetinari’s reign. They didn’t know any other world except the one where he was Patrician. And the law applied to everyone now. They could arrest everyone. They had the connections and the numbers to trick the public into thinking that they just might have enough cells for them all. It was all about visibility. They didn’t use the lantern these days in order to be seen, not really. Not in his Watch.And the bells were just for formal occasions these days. The sound they made didn’t fill his officers’ chests with instinctive dread and fear, because they didn’t associate the sound with running towards your mate that was already dead on the cobblestones. Old Ankh-Morpork wasn’t a merciful place. The Constables didn’t understand that being able to fight dirty hadn’t been a way to get a criminal to behave so you could arrest him, but a way to stay alive for one more night. They lived in modern Ankh-Morpork, where the sound of metal in a dark alleyway didn’t mean that murder was being committed, or worse. Often it was just a couple of dwarves having a private conversation about gold.Lights and sounds weren’t as important as the badge and the uniform, these days. The rest of it had been there because people had looked at the uniform and raised their eyebrows or grabbed their weapons. Now people looked at the copper badges and dented breastplates and opened the doors.Ankh-Morpork had moved on, to brighter and cleaner ways. Even the city smelled better. The machine of the city whirred along, even if it had to be shaken sometimes to get stuff out of the wheels. Sometimes it went clang, but they had enough people these days watching over a specialized part that the city was practically running itself. Still, balance was a delicate thing. Everyone had a job to do. Everyone had a duty.And yet the memory of Old Ankh-Morpork lingered, just beyond the corner. Some days it seemed so easy to slip back into how things used to be. The narrative always wanted an old story, one that had been told a thousand times. It was important to resist that, to fight the pull of tradition. The only way forward was by changing the story. Even a little bit. Everything counted.When his lordship stepped into the carriage, a warm breeze caused his robes to reveal calves covered in body glitter and black socks. Vimes closed his eyes so that he would not see the Patrician’s thighs, which were, Vimes knew, also covered in body glitter. He shouldn’t be able to find the Patrician in a crowd based only on a single glance at the silhouette of those thighs. But he could do it.Vimes had not prepared himself for this. But now he was constantly aware of the fact that the only thing the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork wore underneath his robes was body glitter and socks. It was not helpful at all during important meetings.Truth to be told, it was never very helpful. Some days, as Vimes understood it, the man would wear very short shorts or underwear that looked like short shorts, assumedly for comfort’s sake. And he’d wear warm underwear in the winter months and boots. But he never stopped wearing body glitter, even if he was willing to part with his socks. Perhaps it was just easier to pile it on rather than wash it all off every day. Getting body glitter out of his own hair and off his hands after spending some quality time pressed against a wall in the Oblong Office was always a bit of a bother, but ultimately worth it. Sybil was better at getting the body glitter off her own hands and various body parts. But then again, she would often just leave it on and grin at them both and tell him to ask his lordship for help if he was troubled by a little glitter. Lord Vetinari had many suggestions on how to get body glitter out of Vimes’s hair and hands, most of them involving sharing a bath with Vimes and scrubbing the glitter off himself. Vimes had always declined.Allowing Vetinari to grab his lapels before they kissed, to walk beside him at formal occasions and listening to him and his speeches about Vimes’s accomplishments and his long service to the city were deliberate choices. Kissing him back was also a choice and so was carrying him around when he got himself into danger or his leg couldn’t support him. Letting Vetinari into his life was something he chose to do every day. Life was easier when they got along. Better too.These were things that they did in private. All of those things could be done with minimal fuss, quietly and quickly. After they were done they would take a step back, assess the situation and continue on with their professional lives.But the lines between their personal lives and professional lives was becoming increasingly blurry as the years passed. And now, with Vetinari looking at him expectantly from the seat of the carriage, Vimes felt reckless. They were both covered in glitter and night had fallen. If their hands brushed when they sat beside each other in the carriage, no one would see it. The darkness and the glitter would be enough of a distraction if anyone would try to look at them anyway.And Vetinari’s eyes were very blue and gleaming with amusement.Surely they could afford this? After all this time?No one would say anything if they saw them entering the same carriage. Everyone knew they had meetings every day to assess how things were going in the city. Perhaps there was a certain safety in having publicly established that the foundation of their relationship was their mutual devotion and duty to the city. Gods knew that Vimes had enough titles to show for it.All those titles and rewards made what they were doing even more dangerous. Vetinari had piled them on, raising him higher and higher in society so that their power was as equal as it could get. Everyone knew about those titles. It was a bloody miracle that everyone still thought that they spent almost all their time arguing. These days there was a lot more staring than outright arguing, even if Sybil described what they did instead as ‘bantering.’Glitter fell from the Patrician’s shoulders onto the carriage floor.“I know that you are fond of the stuff, my lord,” Vimes said, gesturing to the glitter on the floor as he closed the carriage door behind him and sat down. “But did you have to approve of all this glitter?”“The results seemed very promising,” Lord Vetinari said, brushing excess glitter off Vimes’s trousers. Vimes looked down at his legs only to see that his calves were absolutely covered with glitter. “I offer my services so that you do not have to arrive at Pseudopolis Yard with all this in your hair. I know that you don’t like to scatter glitter wherever you go.”“I can put on my helmet,” Vimes replied as the carriage swerved to the right. “Or shave off all my hair. It is almost summer, after all.”“I’m sure that such drastic measures can be prevented, Sir Samuel,” Lord Vetinari said, holding onto Vimes’s arm as the carriage sped up towards the Patrician’s Palace. “Are you also going to shave your legs?”The Patrician gestured to Vimes’s calves.“What?” Vimes said. “I will scrub them with soap and put on some boots.”“I regret to inform you that this type of glitter is very hard to get off, Vimes,” his lordship said. “Mister Lipwig has played a cruel trick on us all. I fear that ordinary soap would not cut it. Not even the one that is infused with coffee grains and oatmeal which you keep in your office. But I do have some special coconut lotion that Leonard made- ““Of course, you have special supplies,” Vimes said, scraping the skin of his arm with his fingers in an attempt to get at least some of the glitter off. It didn’t budge. Then Vimes dug out his already gleaming handkerchief to rub the glitter off his fingers. “I wouldn’t have expected any less.”“It is better to be prepared,” Lord Vetinari said gravely. “Will you come to the Palace so we can deal with this particular problem?”“What?” Vimes asked. “What do you mean, ‘we’? I thought I was just going to borrow your bathroom and head home?”“Well, Sir Samuel,” Lord Vetinari said. “You want to be rid of the glitter. And as Lady Sybil is visiting Young Sam she is unable to help you clean the places where you cannot reach yourself…”“Sir-“ Vimes began. He could decline. He always had.But he’d spent years running away from this. It had been the safer option and the saner one too. Turning away and getting dressed in the darkness. Picking up his armor from the floor and buckling on the breastplate before having a quick wash and then sitting down in the ante chamber to pretend that he had just shown up early for a meeting at dawn about new developments in the Watch.It was so much easier to dismiss what happened when the lights went off as just…additional benefits or something of little importance. But that explanation had always been flimsy. And now it had become a lie, the sort that you tell yourself because the truth scares you.Vimes had spent years making promises to Vetinari.Promises about protecting the city.Promises about treating him as another human being, not someone above the law, but someone who could and would have to face the consequences of his actions.Promises about being his sword and shield, to protect him at all costs.And wasn’t that what devotion and loyalty were all about? Making promises that you knew that you might never be able to keep, but still making them.Making them anyway.In spite of everything, of all your fears and all your uncertainties.And watching as the other person or persons responded.Vetinari appeared to view Vimes’s promises as gifts. And responded by giving in gifts in return. They came in many forms, some of them more straightforward, such as casual touches and smiles and listening to his rants. He was used to those, after all this time. But sometimes there would be an extra biscuit on the plate Drumknott would hand him along with a cup of coffee just before a meeting in the Oblong Office. Once Vetinari had slid a plate of Distressed Pudding towards him after he’d spent a week chasing down a serial killer. Reading glasses had appeared in his desk at Pseudopolis Yard.In the beginning, when these little gifts had appeared, Vimes had dismissed them as just another trick Vetinari was playing on him.And once chilly morning, when the scent of lilacs had been heavy in the air, Vetinari had unceremoniously taken his arm as soon as he’d stepped into the Oblong Office, led him to a chair and picked up an old medical bag. Vimes had stared at the bony fingers gripping his own wonky ones, and hadn’t managed to bring himself to snatch his hand away. Before he knew it, he’d sat down and watched as the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork had berated him for his injuries. Then Vetinari applied a cold salve onto the back of Vimes’s hand and talked about dusting off his medical degree. Vimes had watched as the man dabbed at Vimes’s still bleeding knuckles with a clean handkerchief and disinfected the whole thing before bandaging his hand.“Going to kiss it better too?” Vimes had joked, watching as Vetinari closed the medical bag with a satisfied expression. Vetinari had looked up and straightened his back.Vimes’s heart had sank, feelings as if his innards had frozen. His legs had twitched, ready to run for it. But he was rooted to the chair. Vetinari’s eyes had met his, cold and terrifying.“If you’d like, Commander,” Vetinari had replied, sounding just as calm and collected as if he were in a meeting with the Heads of the Guilds. Then he’d lifted Vimes’s hand to his lips and brushed his lips against the bandage.Vimes’s heart had skipped a beat, his thoughts grinding to a screeching halt. All the excuses he’d maintained throughout the years became utterly useless. He’d found that he’d gripped Vetinari’s thin hand in his other, non-bandaged hand and that his thumb was tracing slow circles on his palm.There was no use pretending that they were just brothers in arms who enjoyed the occasional shared kiss and heated argument. They were in this for the long run. That had always been the case. The moment Vimes had stepped into that cell, all those years ago and seen how the door was made, had just been the start of a long road.They’d spend the rest of their lives hiding this relationship anyway. It would never be mentioned in the history books, or even their letters or messages. There would be no paper trail. And even though people always gave themselves away and there would always be clues, those who knew were those who could be trusted to keep it secret.“I fear that I need to wash away most of it as well,” Lord Vetinari said, running a hand through his hair. “It does not do to be covered in glitter when one is hosting a meeting for important diplomats from around the Disc.”“My lord, you are always covered in glitter,” Vimes reasoned.“Nonetheless,” Vetinari said, looking down at his fingernails. It was as if he was wearing nail polish that was more glitter than actual colored polish. The carriage sped through the city, leaving behind it a faint trail of glitter as Vimes shook his head and up-ended his pockets while the window was open.“What would your staff say if they saw that your bathtub was covered in all sorts of glitter?” Vimes asked. “Not just the fancy stuff you use?”“I’m sure that they would have seen you coming in and deduced that I kindly allowed you the use of my personal bathroom in order to clean up so that you would be presentable tomorrow morning for the meeting,” Lord Vetinari said.“How nice of you,” Vimes said.“Well, you are an extremely valuable citizen, Commander,” The Patrician replied. “They know that just as well as anyone on the street.”“Yes, well-,” Vimes began, but was saved when the carriage slowed down in front of the Patrician’s Palace. Vimes looked down at his hands and imagined hours of scrubbing until every single towel and brush in his own bathroom would be wet and covered in glitter and his skin would be red and raw. He sighed.The Patrician practically had stars in his eyes. He knew that Vimes knew that he was the solution to this problem. Vimes scowled. He could go home right now. He could walk home through the city and just spend a few days until the glitter would leak off because of the sweat and armor polish.He looked down at his thighs. The glitter had somehow managed to leak into his waistband by way of his shirt and then further on. His thighs were probably just as glittery as Vetinari’s thighs. It was in his underwear too. There were some places where glitter just should not go. At least not unfamiliar glitter that he didn’t know how he could clean off.Vimes felt like a man who had been climbing a steep mountain and grabbing every single flimsy branch of those bushes that always grew there, only to realize that he was always going to lose his grip.“How hard is it to get off?” Vimes muttered, patting his thighs as if to check if he’d see if glitter could somehow sneak through leather. He left two handprints and hurriedly smudged them.The smile on the Patrician’s face was the sort that should be outlawed. Where had the man learned that?“It’s the sort that chafes, isn’t it?” Vimes asked, rubbing his hands together to try to get his palms to become a glitter-free zone. He had no time for his thighs to become red and raw because they rubbed against cheap glitter. He had enough scars already.Vetinari nodded. “Fine,” Vimes said as he stepped out of the carriage and Vetinari promptly fell into step beside him. “I’m not going to enjoy it, I’m warning you now.”Vetinari looked far too pleased for a man that was likewise covered in far too much glitter. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- That was how Vimes ended up naked in the Patrician’s personal bathroom. It wasn’t like that hadn’t happened before. There had been times when he’d arrived at the Palace unshaven and unslept and had a bit of a wash while drinking coffee. Once he’d been covered in mud up to his thighs, a sight that might have been appealing to some but wasn’t appropriate for a meeting in the Rats’ Chamber. And then there had been those times when he’d had a quick soak after spending the night, whether it was because an emergency meeting had lasted until dawn or because of more personal reasons.Vimes let himself sink into the hot water in the bathtub, feeling his muscles relax. For a brief second, submerged in the water, the world was a peaceful, non-complicated thing. He came up for air, watching the glitter rise in the water. He reached for the bar of soap on its little shelf beside the rows of shampoos and started scrubbing his arm industriously, watching as layers of glitter disappeared after a few minutes and he could see skin. The water would be cold long before he’d finish scrubbing just his arms. Vimes looked up at the sound of footsteps to see that the Patrician was wearing a black dressing gown and holding what looked like a damn bucket full of something that smelled like coconut.“It’s just lotion isn’t it?” Vimes asked suspiciously. “Let’s just get this damn glitter off me so I can get some sleep. I have murderers to catch.”“I’m not entirely sure what Leonard put in it, but it is very effective when it comes to removing all sorts of glitter,” Vetinari replied.Vimes nodded. He could see the outlines of the holsters that held all those daggers and sharp pins that all Assassins kept around in case of deadly visitors beneath the fabric of the dressing gown. Some nights the man even slept while wearing them. A safety issue, he’d told Vimes and Sybil. You learn caution when you grow up in a Guild that teaches how to effectively make other people meet Death.“May I?” Vetinari asked, gesturing to the bath and Vimes. “I thought it would be best to get your hair clean first before we move onto other things.”“Yes,” Vimes said, rubbing his eyes because he felt the slide of glitter from his forehead and it was only a matter of time before it got into his eyes. “There isn’t much of it.”As if Vetinari didn’t know how much hair he had. Vetinari’s hands always ended up running through it during their more…intimate arguments.Vetinari made a humming sound and there was a series of clanks as a stool was placed on the tiles and the bucket hit the floor. Vetinari sat down behind the bathtub, sighing as he adjusted his leg. Vimes closed his eyes. All in all, that wasn’t a wise decision with an Assassin just a few inches away from his neck. Cold, bony fingers ran through Vimes’s hair, applying what smelled like horrendously expensive coconut shampoo. There were probably all sorts of things in that shampoo, not just good old plain soap and clean water with some herbs stuffed in there for variety.Vetinari’s movements were slow and methodical, as if Vimes was something precious, instead of a visibly aging copper with anger issues and more scars than he’d ever wanted. Vimes could not remember the last time anyone had washed his hair. It had always been a strange sort of pride, that he could take care of everything like this himself, thank you very much. But here he was, and Vetinari’s fingers were tracing every scar and bump as he spread the coconut shampoo through Vimes’s hair. Vimes found himself leaning into the touch.Their time together was usually rushed, touches hurried and mouths crashing together before disentangling themselves and continuing what they had been doing before. Serving the city. Only by serving the city, with all the paperwork, all the meetings, the arrangements and the endless pulling of strings and shouting that entailed, could they continue on like this. They had become so professionally entwined in each other’s lives that it was vitally important that they stayed on the same page, even if they fought. If being a copper had taught Vimes anything, it was that being a part of a team meant that there was a greater chance of success because you had help. And Vetinari was a very competent man.Vimes should have said no. He should have headed home and scrubbed himself raw until he’d been glitter free. He should have stayed away.Being on the same team as Vetinari was one thing. But edging into a proper relationship with him was another. He couldn’t ignore that the man was, in fact, taking care of him. And Vimes was letting him.He was tired of running. He was tired of being aware of just how much he could lose if Carrot changed his mind and decided to become King, no matter how unlikely it was that he’d actually make that decision. He was tired of always being on edge, watching over his shoulder to see if someone had seen that Vetinari was standing just a fraction too close, or that they tended to get along these days. He was tired of the lingering fear that if he’d let himself accept this, it would feel like cracking his heart open.Vimes closed his eyes and leaned back, his head pressing against the Patrician’s fingers.There was no running now. Just the sound of water and the scent of expensive shampoo and lotions. Here, in this little closed space, they could pretend that they were nothing but two men who were having a private moment after an eventful evening. They weren’t the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork and the Commander of the Watch, not inside this room.The warm water sloshed against Vimes’s stomach and scarred arms and little by little, the importance world outside the bathroom faded away. There was no hierarchy in here, no demands that they should keep up the façade of an antagonistic-but-still-a-terrifying-team-if-needed-be relationship. Titles and robes and badges had been discarded. It was just them, no barriers or lies or fear.Some part of him was hollering at him that he was totally unarmed and naked in a room with a trained Assassin and one who could make him disappear from the face of the Disc. The voice reminded him that he should be terrified beyond all comprehension and helpfully suggested alternative routes out of the Patrician’s Palace and to the nearest Watch House. Vimes should be running for his life, the voice said. Vimes ignored it and breathed in, feeling the warm water around him and listening to the humming sounds the Patrician made as he massaged Vimes’s scalp. In this light, Vimes knew from experience, Vetinari’s eyes were the sort of light blue one associated with open blue skies instead of the icy depths of glaciers. Vimes closed his eyes as Vetinari’s fingers strayed to rub at his temples, circling them before returning to massaging the shampoo into his hair. When he opened them again Vetinari handed him a washcloth. Vimes took it and scrubbed his own face and other parts until he could no longer see glitter on the washcloth when he wrung it.Vimes didn’t mention the black hair dye bottle he could see from the corner of his eye near the sink or the little cosmetics bag stowed away behind a glass full of combs. The bag had, upon inspection one winter day when he’d arrived at dawn and been led in here to drink his coffee and shave, contained the sort of cosmetics that hid shadows underneath the eyes and defined eyebrows. Vimes had heard enough about these sorts of things from Cheery and Nobby to know how they worked, and Sybil had dabbed some sort of cream on his face more than once. Everyone had their little secrets.Likewise, Vetinari wasn’t mentioning the multitude of scars and bruises as he applied the lotion to Vimes’s shoulders and upper back, tracing his shoulder blades with his fingers.“This is personal,” Vimes found himself clarifying as Vetinari’s fingers brushed against the back of his neck.Vetinari let go of him immediately and Vimes frowned, turning around to see that the man was putting on a pair of reading glasses, as if to occupy his hands. Or to get a better look at the back of his neck.Vimes cupped the back of his neck, feeling the scar there that Vetinari had just touched.Oh.“I didn’t mean the scar or my neck,” Vimes said carefully.He’d never been good at this. Vimes had never been a man of words, as he’d been so often reminded of, mostly by Vetinari himself or by the looks on his officers faces when he was trying to make a half-decent speech about policing. So, he made do with actions, which had served him rather well in life. He nodded and reached out, taking Vetinari’s admittedly wet and lotion-damp hand in his own. “I don’t mind that you touch them either. I just meant that what is going on here is a personal matter.”Vimes gestured between them, pointing at Vetinari and then himself several times until Vetinari nodded.“Does that mean that you don’t think that it is important?” Vetinari asked, his voice low. He adjusted his glasses, then removed them and stuffed them into the pocket of his dressing gown.“What?” Vimes asked. Something in Vetinari’s voice had shifted, becoming more formal. It was as if they were sliding back to how they would behave in a formal meeting in the Oblong Office. Vimes had no time for that sort of behavior. He wasn’t wearing anything, for starters. That should have been a definite clue just how informal this occasion was. Even if the Patrician was wearing a soft-looking black dressing gown, it wasn’t the Robes of Office.“Personal isn’t the same as important,” Vetinari said. “Isn’t that what Captain Carrot keeps saying? That little line does more than a thousand treaties could when it comes to keeping our fine city from becoming a kingdom again.”Vimes was silent for a while, concentrating on the lingering feeling of Vetinari’s hands brushing against the remains of old wounds. How many people had tried to stab him? How many had tried to kill him, in all sorts of ways? He’d stopped counting, years ago.All these scars and wounds were personal. That didn’t make them any less important to Vimes. They were proof that he made it this far.How many people would be willing to find the pitchforks if they’d find out about this relationship of theirs?Many of his watchmen had been thrown out of their homes or had to leave because their families were less than accepting of who they were or how they chose to present themselves to the world.  It took time to teach them not to flinch at the sight of a raised hand. But most of them had been raised in Vetinari’s Ankh-Morpork. They didn’t have to flee the city. They could find other people who understood what had happened. They understood that they weren’t alone. They’d heard of Cheery. They’d heard of Angua. Some of them had seen Nobby wearing a dress on their days off.And they’d shown up at the Watch Houses and sought him out and explained what had happened. They’d told him about the sort of abuse that no one had talked about when he was young, words tumbling out because they’d spent a lifetime repressing them.There were other stories, about beatings and sharp words and that neighbor everyone in the street was afraid of. Stories that would never even have be spoken of outside of wash-houses and kitchens and in between greetings at family events, just a few years ago. The idea of keeping that sort of thing to yourself just in case those people might come for you was disappearing. The Watch was efficient now. And Sammies couldn’t be bribed to keep their mouths shut.These new Constables had trusted him to understand and to help them. There was something very gratifying about seeing someone who’d gotten away with stealing someone’s peace of mind for years on end and never thought he’d get caught, open the door to see that the Commander of the Watch was on his doorstep.The news about that happening had made its way around the city in less than a day. And then they’d come back and made the oath. Because they said that others like them didn’t know that there was help out there and people out there that accepted and understood them. Someone needed to help out and they damn well weren’t going to stand by and ignore that. They were going to do something about it.“It’s the sort of sentence that can be twisted to hurt people,” Vimes said, looking Vetinari in the eye. “Someone gets beaten up or abused and someone could say that to them. And then it’s just their personal problem, see? Not something you should make a fuss about and certainly not something you should bother to report to the Watch, right? But lots of people are in all sorts of pain every day because that sort of thing just happened to them, right? So, they’re not alone. Violence is a big, important problem in society. It’s not some sort of personal failing that you just have to deal with on your own.”Vetinari’s hand rested on Vimes’s shoulder.“Things can be both personal and important,” Vimes said, turning around completely in the bath to look at Vetinari. Water sloshed as he moved. “Idiots, the lot of them, those who don’t think that something can’t be both.”Vetinari smiled. He didn’t let go of Vimes’s shoulder. They were silent for a long moment, staring at each other.“Here we are,” Vetinari said after a while, wiping layer after layer of glitter off Vimes’s hands and shoulders. There a rush of air as he stood up from the stool. “All is well?”“You can join me, if you can stand all this glitter,” Vimes offered and motioned to the coconut-smelling and glittery water, wondering where he’d gotten to this point in his life where he’d even say things like that to the most powerful man in the city. “Better not waste all this hot water on me.”“I don’t think the water was wasted at all,” Vetinari said, holding onto the edge of the tub. Vimes turned around in the bathtub, water sloshing as he adjusted his legs.There was a whisper of cloth and a clank as a cane hit the floor. The water rose as Vetinari sat opposite him in the bathtub.“That is because your opinion is biased, sir,” Vimes said. “You think that glittery hot water is a normal thing to see in your tub.”“Sadly, there is not often a dashing police officer in there as well, so I hope you’ll forgive me for my lapse in judgement.”“Just this once,” Vimes said, picking up the soap again and scrubbing his other arm while Vetinari reached for the handle of the bucket and dragged it towards him so that he could continue his work of coating Vimes in the stuff.Vetinari could have ripped him apart, in theory. He could have taken away his badge, his titles, his entire life. After all, Vetinari was a tyrant, even if he was Vimes’s own tyrant. Vetinari could have stood up and left, leaving behind this…odd thing they had going. Instead he continued his exploration, looking up periodically to see if Vimes was still on board with continuing what they were doing.Vetinari’s hands ran up and down Vimes’s calves and sides, slow and decidedly not clinical. There was a thick layer of glitter in the water by now. Then he moved onto Vimes’s stomach and sides, where the glitter was scarce but still just as stuck. Still, the touch was a gentle one, almost reverent. His fingers brushed over softness that Vimes spent most mornings refusing to look at, buttoning his shirt and pulling the chainmail over his head. Goodness knew he had enough layers to hide it. Vetinari didn’t make any jokes. He didn’t say anything at all. There was no hint of disgust in his eyes as he slipped a washcloth over his hand and began removing the lotion and glitter mix on Vimes’s chest or stomach.Vetinari didn’t seem to think that there was anything wrong with Vimes’s body. He didn’t make any comments about Vimes being too well-fed or about the multitude of scars.Instead, the expression on Vetinari’s face was one of intense concentration. As if Vimes was a fine work of art that he wanted to polish up a bit. He looked up when Vimes made a sound in the back of his throat, lifting his hands up in the air as if to indicate that he wasn’t holding a weapon. As if to indicate that he hadn’t meant any harm. “I think most of the glitter is gone by now,” Vimes managed as the Patrician leaned back and began coating his own arms in goopy lotion. They had never spent time together like this, lingering in each other’s presence. He’d only gotten glimpses of that soft expression throughout the years, snatches of it mingled with something that he was hesitant to name whenever he’d done something that Vetinari considered to have been enormously beneficial for the city.Looking at the Patrician like he was now, half-covered in glitter and totally vulnerable, Vimes was having a problem defining their relationship as something that existed as a byproduct of needing to let off steam or a silly crush he hadn’t managed to get rid of.What was the man thinking, allowing Vimes to see him like this?Vetinari valued distance and logic and control and remaining mysteriously aware of everyone’s motives. No one ever seemed to know what he was thinking, except perhaps the late Wuffles.And yet, he kept betting on Vimes. He kept looking at high-stake situations and then at Vimes and deeming Vimes as likely to overcome all obstacles. He put him in charge of the Watch. He kept giving him rewards and leaning on him and asking him for his opinion on all sorts of things.He sent Vimes to other countries on the Disc when it seemed that things seemed like they were getting out of hand there. And Vimes would find a way to do his job, which resulted in the situation being stabilized and no harm coming to Ankh-Morpork. These days he only had to mention that he’d send Vimes for a visit for high-ranking and influential people to reconsider their life choices and behave themselves. When Vimes had mentioned it, Vetinari had just nodded and said something about Vimes being a man who had arrested two armies.Vetinari counted on Vimes to keep the peace. To keep Carrot in his role as Captain, instead of becoming King. Carrot did most of that job himself, of course. And now there were others who also kept an eye on Vimes and he on them.Vetinari had bet the future of Ankh-Morpork on based on how Vimes would react. He’d let Vimes arrest him. He’d kept the axe in the table.Vimes wasn’t the only one in this relationship that had made promises.And now Vetinari was watching him.“I could also-,” Vimes began. “If you want me to help you. My hands aren’t as soft as yours, if you hadn’t already noticed.”He scooped some water into his cupped hand and used it to get rid of some of the lotion on his bicep and waited for Vetinari to make a longwinded explanation about how he had all sorts of loofas and cloths that were more soothing to the touch than Vimes’s calloused hands.Vetinari was silent for a moment before scooting closer to Vimes and handing him a little bucket full of clean warm water that had apparently sitting by the side of the bathtub all this time and one of the multitude bottles of shampoos on a shelf above the soap shelf. And then he nodded.Vimes got to work. He poured the warm water over Vetinari’s head and shook the shampoo bottle. It was one of those fancy shampoos from Quirm that promised to make hair dye last longer. Still, when Vimes massaged the shampoo into Vetinari’s hair while the man leaned back, effectively baring his neck, so none of it would get into his eyes, a little trail of black hair dye slid down Vetinari’s neck. Vimes could see silver hairs glinting among the mass of black.“Ever think of letting it become grey?” Vimes mused, brushing a thumb over the little dent behind Vetinari’s ears, left behind by the reading glasses he pretended that he didn’t need. He wasn’t sure where this question had come from, but these days Vetinari had acquired the habit of holding onto Vimes’s arm as they walked beside each other in the Palace. He spent most of his time during the more public meetings sitting down behind his desk too, especially in the winter months when his leg bothered him more than it did when the weather was better.“Perhaps when I retire,” Vetinari replied, a strange smile on his face. Vimes could see the faint lines around his eyes when he did. “Until then, I have to keep up appearances.”“That would be a sight to see,” Vimes said, reaching for a washcloth and scrubbing at Vetinari’s arms and narrow waist until there was no glitter left. He knew that he wasn’t being as careful as Vetinari had been, but the water was becoming cool. The Patrician was all sharp elbows and knees, but he closed his eyes when Vimes smoothed the lotion over his chest and arms.When had the city become so stable that Vetinari allowed himself to dream of retirement?Vimes had imagined his death a thousand times over, trying to prepare himself for every possible threat. It was a part of his job, Vimes had told himself. He’d already seen what could happen if the man was shot. But he’d never let himself imagine Vetinari leaving the city behind.“Would it?” Vetinari asked, his voice gentle. “Are you going to leave Ankh-Morpork and join me in the countryside?”Vimes didn’t dare to look up. He wasn’t sure what he’d see in Vetinari’s eyes in that moment. Instead he ran the washcloth over the man’s calves as softly as he possibly could.“You never know,” Vimes managed. “I certainly never expected that I’d ever end up here covered in glitter.”Vimes risked looking at the Patrician’s face, which looked oddly peaceful.“Besides, you are the big-picture man on this team, my lord,” Vimes said. “I’ll just keep solving cases as long as I can until I’ll have to hand over the baton to Angua.”He knew that Vetinari had his own thought about the future of the city. Asking about them would only cause Vetinari to lift an eyebrow and make an vague comment. Well, he’d find out eventually.“And then we’ll see what happens?” Vetinari mused. “I’ll have a word with Sybil. It is difficult enough to get you to go on your holidays…”“We both know that I’m not going to obey any other Patrician,” Vimes said, watching as at least three layers of glitter slid off the Vetinari’s calves as Vimes slid the lotion covered washcloth over skin. “At least not for long. And I wouldn’t be happy about it. Besides, if you don’t end up burying me before you leave the city, I don’t think that I’ll last long in the Watch that’ll evolve in a city without you in charge. Things would move too fast for me and I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I was supposed to retire when I married Sybil, so I’m already too old-”“Where you go, I go,” Vetinari whispered, his hand covering Vimes’s own. “Is that so?”“It’s been that way for years, my lord,” Vimes replied. “Glad you noticed.”The washcloth moved, almost as if on its own accord, up to the Patrician’s knees.Vetinari nodded, almost bowing his head.The Patrician’s thighs were thin but sturdy just like the rest of him. Vimes ran the washcloth over the deep, dark scar on the thigh where Vetinari had been shot, all those years ago. The glitter slid away.“Me and Sybil would live in a separate house, of course,” Vimes continued. “You would live in that cottage you talked about and still have all the privacy you’d like. And we wouldn’t drive each other insane that way.”Vetinari made a humming sound and closed his eyes.Trust was a complicated, multilayered thing. And yet so very simple.The same could be said about love.Vimes dug his fingers into the muscle of Vetinari’s thigh, fingers circling the worst knots until Vetinari sighed, his breath shuddering and leaned into the touch.“Continue,” Vetinari said, his voice low.Vimes nodded and used both hands to massage his thigh and hip, careful not to brush the more delicate parts. He stopped when Vetinari’s breath hitched and the water had become noticeably colder.Vimes wasn’t sure who initiated the first kiss, but soon Vetinari’s hands were cupping his jaw and their noses were bumping. They broke for air, foreheads touching as they breathing in air that was probably around twenty percent coconut lotion. The second kiss was gentle and Vetinari’s eyes were soft when they parted. Things gradually got more interesting, hands roaming and breathing hitching.Afterwards, Vimes found some luxuriant towels in one of the cupboards and they did their best to dry themselves. Vimes was amazed that there was only a smattering of glitter left on his calves when Vetinari handed him a blue dressing gown and some night-clothes. There was even a pair of clean underwear.“Are you going back to the station?” Vetinari asked, running a hand through his hair. The sight was far too appealing. The man knew what he was doing. “It’s only a few hours until dawn.”“We’re having an important meeting about the future of the city,” Vimes said, watching as the Patrician picked up his cane. “Been up all night talking, after all.”“Indeed,” Lord Vetinari said, flashing Vimes a smile. Vetinari disappeared into his bedroom and Vimes got dressed, the soft material of his nightshirt cool against his skin.When he opened the door to the Patrician’s bedroom he saw that Vetinari was fiddling with the covers on his bed, his stoop more prominent now that he wasn’t wearing the robes of office. It was an oddly soothing sight. Vetinari’s spare silver reading glasses were on the bedside table and his spare cane was leaning against the wall.The bed was narrow, but they still fit, even if that meant that they were very much wrapped around each other, limbs tangled and skin touching skin. Soon Vetinari’s breathing became even. Vimes arranged the covers so that they covered them both. He had learned the hard way that if he didn’t do this Vetinari would consider that a straight-up invitation to hog the covers or begin a damn fight about who should get more coverage. Sybil usually solved this problem when Vetinari stayed over by bringing more blankets and comfortable pillows to their bed.Vimes closed his eyes.In the morning, he’d wake up to the scent of shaving cream and the sound of running servants. If he was lucky, he might get an egg with soldiers for breakfast.There would be thieves to catch and reports to make. He’d stand beside Vetinari in front of the big window in the Oblong Office and watch as the city marched on into the future. The city would continue to do that with or without them in it, and wasn’t that a strangely comforting thought?Vimes let himself drift off, sinking into a deep, all-engulfing slumber.
10801482
Dog Days Are Over
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Russell Brand, Noel Fielding", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by orphan_account", "chapters": "2/2", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-03T00:00:00", "words": "4,262", "Additional Tags": "Slash, Angst, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Angst with a Happy Ending", "Relationship": "Russell Brand/Noel Fielding", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Real Person Fiction, The Mighty Boosh RPF", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
I. There was a flash, a buzz in Russell’s trousers from his BlackBerry and he only answered it because it was an annoying tickle on his thigh, distracting him from the task at hand – a blonde called Angela who was persistent and demanding him a dance. To Russell, the word dance conjured up all kinds of potential embarrassment, and he only had to be encouraged to show off for him to be up, strutting, or boogieing, like something out of Pulp Fiction. “Tarantino,” he even said aloud as Angela tugged at his wrist again, before he opened the message which caused his heart to skip a beat momentarily: Oi you. The screen shone far brighter when Russell stared down at the surprising Noel F. labelled as Sender. Russell’s fingers flew over the device fluently to reply, only to be interrupted by a gasp from Angela, and a tap on his bare shoulder (it was that long-sleeved woollen robe thing that kept slipping from his shoulders; it was becoming a habit to wear it with dark shades, even if it was August, even if it was night time, and he was clubbing). “Fuck me!” Russell yelled immediately, throwing his arms around the man before him, forgetting Angela perched on the leather sofa. “Oh, mate!”Noel grinned from ear to ear, his hair characteristically styled, his complexion pale and unshaven. It had been literally months since they’d last spoken, and although Russell had seen pictures of Noel occasionally, he wasn’t expecting the fuller face and arms or the slightly shorter hair. He took him in, taking too long staring at him, and left Angela still sitting while the two men took each other in.“Uh, hello,” Noel said to her, waving awkwardly. “Noel.”They shook hands, and Angela gushed, “Of course. Angie.”She hung around while Noel drank pint after pint (“Apple juice!” Russell blurted with a giggle at the barman, who laughed, and brought it to him), but eventually Angela just left Russell her number and left in a huff. “Guess I ruined that for you, mate,” Noel said, unapologetic. He just kept grinning.“Well, if I get really lonely, I know you’re close again.” Russell raised his eyebrows suggestively, the flirting bringing them right back into their old routine – giggling, flirting, sharing food and fooling about they always had. On a superficial level, they were communicating again. Noel laughed again and placed his pint down – Russell could see he was steadily becoming tipsy – his eyes were beginning to glaze over and he kept playing with his tongue, and picking at his teeth with his fingers. His movements were slower and he looked almost sleepy. “Nah, no problem,” Russell shrugged, his fingers flying over his phone again and answering a text from another opportunity. “Rachel. You?”“Yeah, alright,” Noel murmured. “You up for it?”Russell suddenly felt as if he missed something. “What?”They hadn’t had a three-way in well over a year. The first time it had just sort of happened – Noel had been shitfaced and Russell wasn’t embarrassed, and the girl luckily hadn’t blabbed.They never really spoke about it at all, for reasons Russell could never explain. However, it was always understood to keep it safe, but not necessarily clean, because it made it more fun to really mess about – when everyone smelt of each other the next morning and Noel burnt the eggs trying to be hospitable and Russell wouldn’t mind kissing him if the girl asked them to, touching herself. It was never a big deal, which was the thing Russell liked the most about Noel; the simplicity of their relationship compared to others. They were instantly in step with one another, yet Russell felt like he’d been caught off-guard, like their threesomes had been some kind of an adult fairytale.“Come on, for old time’s sake,” Noel said, grinning like a naughty child. “But I’ll have to have a shot first.”“I’m flattered,” Russell said sarcastically, raising a think eyebrow once more. “that you have tequila before you to put up with my cock. The intimidation of it all, Noel, I tells ya...”“Au contraire,” Noel mispronounced quietly. “Tits and fanny and cock...” Through the haze of booze, he sounded excited to Russell, at least for that brief moment. Russell didn’t exactly get stage fright, but he backed off once Rachel arrived at his place in Hampstead with her fishnets between Noel’s keen teeth. He kissed her feverishly, Russell handling her chest and his own cock with such expert speed Noel’s sluggish, drunken foreplay made him feel sad, for whatever reason. He found himself stopping and retreating to his Twitter for an hour, reading replies and sending the occasional semi-cryptic message: Oh my dears the time I have spent with Noel Fielding has kept me up all night. X The press might say something about that, he hoped. They’d have a field day if he mentioned the girl...tempted, Russell’s fingers hovered above his laptop, only he heard a low groan from the living room that stopped him. The reminiscent sounds just a few metres away made him want to be sick, which in fact, he was, in the sink. II. Russell sat in his bathroom for some time the following morning, occasionally vomiting and sniffling. A scruffy, shirtless Noel joined him some hours later, squinting down at him and rubbing his eyes. “Oh, Christ,” Noel shrunk away from the light that met his eyes and ducked too fast, leaving him to clutch his forehead. He knelt beside Russell, smelling of sweat and come. Russell didn’t say anything until Noel remarked, “I’ve always liked the black bowl.”He tapped the toilet with his knuckle, which Russell was half-holding onto whilst he watched Noel suffer under his hangover.“Never again,” Noel murmured, “at least not with tequila.”They laughed weakly at one another, and Russell lifted his spare arm to put around Noel’s warm shoulders. They sat quietly for a few moments before they remembered Rachel. “She left sometime after she woke up next to me. She must have absolutely flown out of there, ‘cause I remember she was gone even before I went to check on you again.”Russell felt a warmth inside his chest. “You right, mate? Something you ate, I expect.”Russell shook his head. “Nah. It was Noel.”They exchanged a look. “Gallagher. He sneezed on me the other night, the cunt. Donovan gave him a right nasty bug,” Russell could feel Noel moving to fiddle with a loose tile on the floor. Noel tutted.“Imagine, the poor tyke with something like this,” he mused, only to correct himself. “I meant Donovan, not Noel...or did I?”They chuckled together, though it proved for both of them a painful experience.“This isn’t fair! I didn’t drink last night and I feel fucking hung over.”Noel grinned again. “Well, I think I’ll have to stay.”“Oh, I’m flattered.”Russell thought Noel had been only joking – it was a tendency of his to assume most comedian friends of his were permanently full of shit – yet he stayed for another two days, continuously at his side whilst he threw up into the dark toilet bowl hourly. Noel’s brow would furrow with concern so often it became his new face for Russell to remember as he sunk in and out of delirium. At one point, he felt his face held in Noel’s hands, his friend’s breath mixed with his own, able to taste him and his sharp scent – yet he dismissed it as his own imagination once more. Russell couldn’t keep fluids down, either – not even water – and one thing he knew happened was Noel’s assisting him to a cup of cold water with a straw he thoroughly searched for. He made sure Russell only sipped it occasionally (“Bossy little...” Russell muttered) and Russell said made a clumsy joke about not using a straw for anything other than heroin on past occasions, but Noel didn’t really laugh – he was trying to convince Russell they should go to the hospital, but Russell didn’t remember anything else.Some time on the morning of the their fourth day together, Russell had completely recovered, and found himself lying on his own bed with Noel’s head beside his chest – he’d fallen asleep on his knees next to the bed, watching over him during another bout of fever the night before. Noel stirred and smiled sleepily at Russell, retrieved his tea and felt his forehead habitually. Russell eventually batted him away, finding himself linger on Noel’s wrist with his thumb and forefinger. Admittedly, he’d got used to his presence.“This is the longest we’ve ever been together,” he babbled. “Yeah, been a busy year, innit?” Noel was smiling again, though there was a dismissive tone in his voice that made Russell suddenly regret saying anything. He was about to open a can of worms neither of them would handle like adults – why Russell had been so distinctly surprised to even hear from Noel in the first place, what they’d been up to without each other, how they’d been busy with other friends...Russell felt hollow as he watched Noel pull his boots on, replacing his sunglasses and ruffling his hair. He was readying himself to leave, and the grief was already spreading.Noel suddenly spoke as Russell led him to the door. He said something Russell had never heard him say before:“I’ll call you.”There was a distinct hope inside his chest, a kind of rising warmth from his stomach. For once, he didn’t have the urge to purge when he felt like that. He simply nodded, and felt Noel pat him quickly on the arm before making for his taxi. III. Noel never called, only texted Russell a vague invitation to a night out. Russell tried not to come across as needy or overly excited when they agreed to meet at the same club as last time. Giggling ensued on Noel’s arrival, and Russell found himself waiting for Noel’s eyes to become heavily-lidded. By eleven, Noel was going along with Russell’s naturally flirty ways, and inviting a brunette back to Russell’s, motioning for more tequila, and silently agreeing with Russell that all three of them would come by the end of tonight.Russell practically skipped out into the street to hail a taxi, and could have clicked his heels. The brunette followed with Noel and made sure her tongue was in Russell’s mouth the majority of the journey home. Russell made sure he felt all the material he encountered that night – the girl’s silk skirt, lace knickers, her hair, her lips. He faltered as his hand brushed Noel’s back at one point. With his eyes closed, and Noel drunk, this was bound to happen, but Russell suddenly met with reality and his senses heightened and he came sooner than he wanted. He went unnoticed once more as he slipped into the next room and online. A girl from Bristol was demanding he wish her a Happy Birthday, which he did, before returning to the passed out pair in the lounge room. Noel was completely naked, as usual, and Russell covered him with a spare sheet.Some time in the night while Russell was watching TV, Noel woke, and gave him a cheeky grin.“I have this brilliant theory that if you’re up all night, you won’t get hung over the next day,” Russell said to him, waggling his eyebrows.“Oh, yeah?” It was perhaps the stupidest idea Russell had ever had, but Noel went along with it at the time; it was an excuse to go back out and dance with a young thing Russell could find among the crowds. This one was named Tanya, with long black hair and big brown eyes. She persisted, and eventually Russell left Noel alone to have a quick, sneaky shag in the ladies’ bathroom. Once they emerged, sweaty and smiling guiltily, Russell spotted Noel with a Heineken in one hand with his spare arm above his head. He was swaying awkwardly, wide-eyed and too suspiciously for Russell to pry for the first time.He squeezed through the throng of people towards him, and grabbed his shoulders to steady him. “Mate!” Noel yelled, jubilant. His face was red and beads of sweat hung on his forehead.He leaned in and kissed Russell messily on the cheek, and usually he’d follow suit, but as Noel left the small, wet patch on his skin, he felt marked with some kind of poisonous, lonely feeling. Something snapped, and Russell was panicky.“What’d you take?” This was all his fault – the suggestion to stay out, to be selfish and try to make the night last as long as possible. He’d tried so hard to keep Noel all to himself. Whatever had kept Russell from confronting Noel about his absence from his life disappeared, and he knew, without a doubt, Noel was not okay. And he couldn’t just disappear again.His fingers traced the fabric of Noel’s t-shirt, remembering it just being there. He had to keep that, because he didn’t know how much time they still had to share. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- For the next few months, Noel accidentally-on-purpose misplaced Russell’s phone number and avoided most of Hampstead. It was an admittedly cowardly move on Noel’s part, but once Russell began to butt in, demanding if he’d been on poppers several times they’d been out together, Noel had to shut down and avoid the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.In fact, the nagging turned into fasting away the added stone that had made him look so different for the past year. He was back to small and skinny in tight red trousers and Julian started calling him about ideas for the phantom Boosh movie they’d been speculating for years. He even had dinner with Dee a couple times, and for once, stayed the night when she asked him too. Buzzcocks started something new for him, but still felt something crippled inside himself, and even though things were turning a corner, his breath was laced with Heineken by lunchtime daily. It wasn’t like Russell didn’t try to communicate, though. He’d send a daily text message, until they dwindled down to the occasional caller ID left as Noel ignored him.By October, Russell had met Katy Perry at the VMAs and Noel felt like it was another message from Russell splashed across tabloids all over the world. Noel stayed at Dee’s more, until she told him she couldn’t figure him out, because as much as Noel remained cheery on the outside, Dee noticed the distorted image behind his eyes. She told him they’d just be friends, like so many times before, but she seemed more dismissive this time. Noel bought a bottle of Absolut vodka that night and didn’t get out of bed for two days.Out of desperation, he called an old dealer, asking him round for tea. He couldn’t believe his social life had gone back to speaking the most regularly with people who just wanted his money for crappy semi-talcum coke. “Alright?” he greeted the shapes around him that were once completely visible. Julian was too busy with the kids, and writer’s block was settling in again. That was okay for Noel, because he was never inspired, anyway. Whatever he’d had complete inside him in terms of creativity was missing now, and he couldn’t figure out why. He considered having a mid-life crisis in the form of someone new from a club, but he felt himself running away the second they shagged, forgetting the girl’s name, fiddling with his fly and ducking out awkwardly into the night. Snaps of Russell and Katy together in the States annoyed the shit out of him. They looked so smug holding hands with straws to matching strawberry smoothies attached at their lips. Noel laughed cruelly; as if Russell had ever genuinely enjoyed one of those before. It was just as well he hadn’t called Russell, because it wasn’t like he was in the country, anyway. It wasn’t like he was thinking about Noel at all.Still, Noel found himself drunk-dialling Russell’s home phone at three in the morning, because he’d decided the night was still fucking young. To his horror, a female voice chirped as someone picked up: “Russell’s phone.”Noel dropped the receiver, sobering instantly, only to hear the voice faintly calling to him, until the dial tone silenced it. Noel didn’t mention the event to himself the following morning, and was only reminded of the unpleasantness when he saw several calls from Russell had been missed on his home and mobile phone. Not answering anything, Noel left to film Buzzcocks to return that night, a trespassing scarecrow there to greet him.He didn’t move to hug or kiss Russell hello, feeling for the key hole as he let them both into the untidy home. “What are you doing here?”When had Noel become so nasty? Or had he always been this way?“Decided to swing by, mate. See how you’re going. You didn’t reply to any of my messages.”Nervous laughter from Russell’s side, and silence from Noel.“How are you, mate?”“Yeah, alright, you?” Noel was reluctant to speak, but felt truly elated to see his friend after such a long absence. He tried to contain himself from...from what? He didn’t know what he’d do if there were no consequences. He hated this – whatever this feeling was that was slowly beginning to boil inside him. “Bit busy, yeah,” Russell murmured, reclining on the couch as Noel sat on the coffee table, pulling off his cowboy boots. It was so awkward, and Noel wondered how long he had to wait before it was acceptable for him to get himself a beer. Or maybe something on the rocks. Or just a bottle of something he’d left by the sink, if the ants hadn’t got to it. “Noticed you’ve got a new bird,” Noel muttered, ruffling his hair roughly until he was gazing at Russell through his fringe. “Or girl or whatever.”For some reason, he hated to hear himself talk, and he hated how Russell stared at him with such warmth and frankness. He grabbed a bottle of vodka from the freezer before Russell had the chance to speak. Delaying the Girlfriend Conversation as long as possible was fine with Noel. He returned with the bottle under one arm as he texted Julian a place for lunch the next day, trying to seem casual, but failing as he felt the vodka sink in so suddenly into his empty stomach and make him feel light headed with each clumsy step. “Yeah,” was all Russell could say. Noel saw him become instantly uncomfortable at the sight of the vodka bottle he placed between his lips, taking a gulp and placing it beside him on the coffee table. He made sure not to wince too distinctly, and turned back to his phone again, another tactic he’d learnt to avoid unpleasantness, or to avoid himself saying something stupid, even though now he could feel something rising up inside him like anger.“Noel,” Russell murmured, the last conversation concluding as abruptly as it had begun. “Noel.”Noel stopped pretending to text Julian and looked up at Russell. He immediately seemed much sadder than a few moments ago. More nervous laughter; soon there’d be a joke to cover up whatever insecurity Russell was sure to be feeling and Noel would pretend to laugh along with him. Maybe then he could ignore an ache somewhere inside him, and he could stop complaining.“I came here because...”For once, Russell seemed lost for words. What a blessed miracle in the awkward silence that settled on them. Noel avoided his gaze.“You called last night, well, Katy said it was you...but you didn’t answer my calls or nothing so I thought maybe –”“I didn’t speak to you then because she seemed too busy sitting on your dick.”The voice that suddenly erupted from Noel was cruel and sneering. Russell’s eyebrows bounced from his expression of confusion to anger in an instant.“Fuck you.”They’d never spoken to each other like this before. The vodka probably didn’t help Noel’s mood, and so he rose to hit Russell on the side of his head, not hard, but purposefully. “It’s not like that,” Russell hissed, clutching his ear. “I mean, it is, but...”Noel was now standing and ready to ditch Russell for a pint elsewhere. He didn’t want to deal with this shit, but Russell not hitting him back made him want to stay.“What else was I supposed to do when you don’t seem to care if I’m around or not anymore?”Noel stared at him, words fumbling in his mouth. “I was stoned half the time, Russ...and I was shy.”“Shy? You’re never fucking shy. And I know you weren’t. You’re just to fucking selfish to deal with maybe someone wanting to stay with you a bit longer than post-climax.”“You’re one to talk! Fucking commitment is like the plague to you. You can’t stand being suffocated, either,” Noel snapped back. “And it’s not like that! It’s ... complicated...”Ending a sentence with a cliché was embarrassing, but it was all Noel could manage to say.He didn’t feel brave enough to act, so Russell gave him the push he needed.“Noel, I love you.”“Russ –”Russell was suddenly up from the couch, and his lips crashed into Noel’s with such force something opened like an ear of corn. The burning was the longing Noel had felt for some time, and like lightning, his jacket and t-shirt fell to the floor as he undressed between their kisses. Russell grabbed his middle, pulling him down to the crouch, lying on top of Noel as they continued to explore each other’s mixtures of sharp edges and curves along their bodies. Russell eased open his mouth with a possessive tongue, and Noel heard himself sigh beneath him and felt a twinge of desire from his groin all the way to his flipping stomach. They broke apart with a short smack of lips, foreheads pressed together.“We can do this,” Noel murmured, probably saying this more to himself than Russell. His hand flew confidently to Russell’s fly, and he felt about his pants while Russell bit Noel’s neck feverishly.They kissed again more fluently, Noel snaking his fingers through Russell’s hair. Russell pressed Noel into the couch and replied, “I want you.”Like a slap in the face, Russell’s mobile began ringing. It was a Britney Spears ringtone, and Noel groaned at both the absurdity of it and Russell’s lips reluctantly pulling away from his.Noel felt like Russell had hit him back once he saw the name flashing on the phone just before Russell answered the call.“Hi. No, I’m here. Yeah.”Russell raked his fingers through his untidied hair and Noel felt foolish half naked and listening to his friend on the phone to his girlfriend.Noel felt his eyes sting, and he looked above to stop himself looking like more of an idiot. Russell hung up after a few more stunted murmurs into his phone. He turned to Noel with an infuriatingly guilty smile on his face.“S’pose you’d better go,” Noel muttered bitterly, moving from the couch to find his shirt, but Russell grabbed his shoulders from behind and hugged him, arms across Noel’s chest.“That was Katy’s mother. Wondering if I was here with you.”Russell turned Noel to him, stroking his cheek.“I left Katy...I mean; she left me, after I told her about wanting to bum you, et cetera.”Noel raised an eyebrow. “Et cetera?”“Well, if you let me. If you let me stay, it’d be for good.”Noel felt himself grin, finally feeling like his old self; a giggly school child full of ideas.“Shagger of the Year ready to settle down with a man, no longer bent on impregnating the female population?”Russell began to walk down the hall way to Noel’s bedroom, before he turned back to look at shirtless Noel, offering him his hand.“Et cetera,” Noel murmured, with Russell’s palm rubbing against his.It was slow, passionate, and slightly amateur. However, Noel discovered knowing what worked on himself was highly useful when shagging a man. Russell insisted he hadn’t done this before, so Noel just had to believe he was just an expert as he came hard and suddenly (with a yell) against Russell’s hip as he sat on his lap in the tangle of bed sheets. He was digging into Russell’s back with his fingernails so hard half-moons remained in his skin and so did the marks along Noel’s neck.There was a sense of relief as they lay together, chatting through the night. They no longer had to seek a feeling, a link that was missing before. Noel had recovered his sense of touch, in a way. “I love you, too,” Noel said sleepily to Russell as he lay in bed while Russell dressed again to leave.Although their night had been filled with love-declarations and shagging, responsibilities were calling them both. Noel needed to do more Buzzcocks and Russell had a deadline. Surely they hadn’t suddenly grown up?“I know, mate,” Russell said airily, pretending to roll his eyes. With a cheeky grin, he was gone, and only after some time did Noel notice there was a note under Russell’s pillow:CALL ME CALL ME CALL ME CALL ME CALL ME CALL ME I LOVE YOU.
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You really should take
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Twelfth Doctor, Nardole (Doctor Who), Original Female Character(s)", "Fandom": "Doctor Who (2005)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by levendis", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-04T00:00:00", "words": "1,462", "Additional Tags": "Non-Sexual Bondage, Bad Decisions, Wanderlust, Emotional Constipation", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Twelfth Doctor/OFC, Twelfth Doctor/Nardole", "Series": "Prompt Fics", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "F/M, M/M", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Experiencing an extended period of time linearly tells you something about yourself, the Doctor has discovered. What you’re made of, your mettle, your strength and perseverance, your ‘when the going gets tough the tough get going’. And your weaknesses, as well: the anxieties and resentments and what might be analogous to withdrawal from a fairly serious addiction.(That line sounds familiar, but they’re not sure why - could be from anywhere, really.)So they’ve discovered, or re-discovered, some truths about themself. And they say, out loud, in the vague hope that Nardole’s around somewhere to listen, “I’ve learned a lot in our time here.”No answer.“Really - really quite a bit.” Louder this time, with an unfortunate underlying whine.Nardole pops his head out of the cupboard, fiddles his glasses back on, and says “That’s a question designed to lead into a conversation I do not wish to have.”“Fair enough.” The Doctor slumps down in their chair, eyeline at the top of the desk, wheels skidding out slightly. “It’s just that - ”The cupboard door slams shut. The Doctor should know better than to interrupt one of Nardole’s naps, and they’re not bothered. Just - they’ve been very good, for a very very long time, and they are very, very, very bored.So go do something, a voice in his head says. Could be anyone’s. You don’t need to travel in time and blow up planets to get off your arse and have fun.“It does help, though.”Again, no answer. They’re used to being ignored, it’s fine. The point does stand, though: after so many hours (in a row) spent moping, and/or stomping around in a snit, the moment of ‘stop complaining and make the most of it’ has probably arrived. So they go. This first time they go, it’s to the local, filled with fellow professors, a handful of brave post-grads and a few scattered pensioners who have not received the memo about this being a university bar. It’s pub quiz night, and no one will let them play alone, even if a handicap is only fair. The Doctor is handed a pint of some appallingly bitter microbrew and a partner, whose name is - they forget, but it’s something to do with flowers. The questions assume false narratives and no one appreciates the Doctor’s explanations of why the questions are bad, least of all Ms Flowers.“I’m not sure what you’re on,” she says, sotto-voce. “But cool it, maybe. I want the free t-shirt and bragging rights. Stop throwing the match.”The Doctor rolls their eyes and slumps down and swallows the rest of their truly awful beer, breaking their moody silence only to whisper hints.The quiz ends in a draw, free t-shirts for everyone. They put the t-shirt on over their other two t-shirts and then the hoodie/jacket back on over that. Ms Flowers buys them a glass of decent scotch and slaps them on the back, and this is called ‘bonding’ or ‘making friends’ or something. “If you can’t go adventuring, might as well go slumming, eh?” Nardole, apparently having waited up.“I was having - ” They pause, digging for the rest of the sentence. “The thing. Uh. Fun.”“You smell like a distillery.”“And you smell like a cupboard - ”“That doesn’t even make any sense - ”“So there you go,” they say, swaying on their feet. “Both wearing our vices on our sleeves. So go, I dunno, go tighten your screws, or whatever it is you do in there.”Nardole stiffens, and glares in that way where he can’t quite handle glaring directly at the Doctor so glares at the mantle or such as instead, and does his best to storm off in a huff. I.e, walk slowly away in hesitant disapproval.The Doctor lies carefully down on the floor and listens to the alcohol leaving their system, til it’s sun-up and a new day. Another day. All these days, one after another. The second time they go it’s to catch their local chippy in flagrant non-adherence to local health code laws. Sure, they’re down one late-night snack source, but it’s the principle of the thing. Nardole’s pained sigh at having to walk two extra blocks at tea-time is an added bonus. The third time: they run. To nowhere in particular, just over there, and then past that. Half a kilometer and the body around them is protesting, one kilometer and it’s giving up. And the what-they-are isn’t sated at all. It’s different, they posit, leaning over a railing and breathing hard, their clumsy lungs more obviously pointless than usual, the muscles in their legs shaking in an all-too-convincing performance. Different when there’s something chasing you, versus not. Different when you’re running away from a threat rather than just apathy.It’s late, and it’s dark, and they stumble back to what home is now, to the handle on their leash. Nardole’s waiting up.“What is it that you want from me?” The Doctor peels their coat off, and then the other coat, and so on. Leaving a trail of discarded clothing along the way to the back office.“To fulfill your promise. So I can fulfill mine. And we can all, you know, not die horribly. Sir.”The Doctor pauses at the doorway, abstractly aware that they are at - for them - an unusual level of undress. “And that’s all?”“That’s all.” Nardole swallows hard, then nods firmly, and flees back to his cupboard.The Doctor sleeps on the floor again. The fourth time, it’s to a dark, crowded club. It’s too much, a mistake potentially but there is an energy here that almost makes sense. On stage, a complicated knot-tying routine is being demonstrated on a very flexible young man. The Doctor purchases an appletini with a handful of coin and approaches the display.Ropes pulling tight against skin, the crowd reacting, the young man closing his eyes. The Doctor takes a sip of their drink and immediately abandons it on a nearby table.“Fancy meeting you here,” someone says. Someone sidles up. Ms Flowers, decidedly more in the way of leather and butch than she was during the extremely normal pub quiz.“I won’t tell if you won’t,” they say.“Oh, I’m already out. Within tasteful reason, of course, but life’s too short to hide. And you? Is this your dirty secret, or are you just here as a tourist?”Both. Neither. “To be here, very much here. And held to it, kept to it, by - ” They want to say ‘by humans’, but that’d be an obvious flag. “ - By someone who doesn’t care. Or, not that, but - ”“I know what you mean,” Ms Flowers says. “For that-” She gestures to the stage. “To be its own world. Not about sex or relationships, just a mutually-beneficial process. You’re gay, right? You and your assistant…”The Doctor blinks, staring at the sweat pouring off the brow of the man trussed up under the lights. “None of that, actually.”“Close enough. I’m up next, I’ll be asking for a volunteer from the audience and obviously it’s staged, I have someone ready to jump in, but if you’d like…?”  She raises her eyebrows, and sets her half-finished drink on the table, and wanders off.To be here and nowhere else. To be for them, their pleasure and need. Explicitly, like, and acknowledged. Which is something very powerful for a very, very, very old Time Lord set adrift and beholden on this planet. The lights flicker and the Doctor raises their hand.And they go.Time slows, but not in a bad way, as they make their way up to the stage. They’re not the ideal expected subject, they know - they did a Google - but press on through the ambivalent noises of the crowd.“Are you alright?” she asks, in what might as well be a whisper, considering the ambient volume here.“If you are. I’m here for you. All of you. Just - give the order.”It’s like finally slotting into place, letting Ms Flowers strap them into the St Andrew’s Cross. No more temptations, no urges, the wanderlust kicked back. They’re here, they are very much here. And they, somehow, relax. Finally. Nardole’s still waiting up when they get home, loose-limbed and bruised. They can feel it, under their clothes, the marks left. The reminders.“I’m going to go lie down on the floor,” they say, heading towards the back office.“I’m just curious - where is it that you go? When you’re not going anywhere?”“Here,” the Doctor says, paused at the doorway, swaying slightly. “Just here. G'night.”“G'night,” Nardole responds, after a slight delay. “Sleep tight, don’t fuck off out into all of space and time.”“I’ll try not to,” the Doctor says, slamming the door shut behind them.
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{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "David Jacobs, Jack Kelly, Mush (Newsies), Kid Blink, Sarah Jacobs, Les Jacobs, Racetrack Higgins, Spot Conlon, Katherine Plumber Pulitzer", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by Anonymous", "chapters": "2/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-03T00:00:00", "words": "1,993", "Additional Tags": "obvi im despcriping them as 92 but im dyin bc i keep thinking bt stephenwhile i type it lol, Online Dating, ish i guess, Alternate Universe - College/University, mush and race r trans in this btw, also imporant: jack texts like a straight white boy and there is no stopping him", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Kid Blink/Mush Meyers, Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins, Sarah Jacobs/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer", "Series": null, "Collections": "anonymous", "Fandoms": "Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken, Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
David Jacobs can’t 100% explain how he ended up pressed against his college roommate in their dorm, both peering at his phone and sorting through a mess of hot boys in a 50 mile radius of where they were sitting, but Davey sure wasn’t complaining. The lazy suggestion of downloading tinder originally made the Jewish boy want to deck his best friend, but after approximately 5 minutes of critical thinking, he couldn’t see the harm in signing up. After all, Mush had initially only signed up to get quick ego boosts from random strangers and ended up falling head over heels for a boy they called Blink. The pair has been dating for nearly two years now and somehow they are still floating around in their honeymoon phase; it makes Davey gag.Making the profile had been simple enough, he put in his college, age and that he was looking for men, leaving Mush to write out a description seeing as he would definitely make it too long. He wasn’t truly sold on how his roommate was going about it, all the other had typed was “what does that mouth do? Recite fun facts at any opportunity.” But he wasn’t about to argue, he was new too the whole online dating thing or whatever; so maybe, just maybe, there was some sense in what Mush was doing. Next came selecting pictures. You could pick out up to five but Mush insisted that they only choose three, just to give all the boys out there a taste and leaving them begging for more. The first picture anyone would see is one where Davey is obviously drunk even though he’s still only 20. His cheeks are flushed and he has a blinding grin stretched across his face. His shirt collar is flipped up and his hands are a blur, probably moving to shield himself from the flash of the camera. The next one is of him, Mush and Blink. The three are bundled up in winter gear, Davey very noticeably wearing more layers that the other two. His curls are spilling out from under his big winter hat as he looks down at what is assumed to be a steaming cup of coffee with a furrowed brow. The other two are closer to the camera, Mush pressing a kiss to the taller boy’s cheek, who had his arm stretched out too that the picture. There’s a small bar of text from when Blink had posted it to snapchat, and the words placed in the small gap separating David from the rest read: “with my fave boy and fave third wheel :~)”. The final picture was one that the Eldest Jacobs child, Sarah, had taken. It was last year at their father’s birthday, Davey was wearing the ugliest pair of cargo shorts and a tank top for some band he would have died for in high school. There’s a small smile on his face, completely unknowing too the hose that is pointed at him and the water that is about to absolutely obliterate him. If David threw Les into the lake with no remorse afterwards, no one really needed to know.That brings us to the present, Mush’s thumb either flicking left or right per Davey’s request. The smaller boy was there to explain how it all worked, along with making sure his friend’s anxiety didn’t keep him from allowing himself just swipe right. He’s matched with a handful of boys, all of which were cute and seemed interesting to Davey at first glance. One boy even messaged him, but the message wasn’t going anywhere so he just left it.As the next possible suitor’s profile popped up, David Jacobs gasped.“Holy shit.” He said quietly, causing Mush to turn to the Jewish boy with a look of confusion.“Love at first sight?” Mush joked, and Davey’s face turned red as he shook his head.“That guy, Jack, my sister dated him in high school.”“Ain’t your sister a lesbian?” David sighed loudly, unable to take his eyes off the screen.“Yeah, but it was before she came out, and then for like half of senior year he was like, her fake boyfriend. He was totally in on it-- he was always really cool like that.”“Oooh, did lil’ baby Davey have a big gay crush on sister dearest’s hunky older boyfriend?” As Davey’s face managed to flush further, Mush began to laugh loudly with an over dramatic slap to the knee.It’s not like Davey could have avoided developing a crush on Jack. He was funny and sweet and hot and seemed like the most perfect guy in the world to sophomore year David who was just figuring out that there was a very high possibility that he wasn’t straight. So it was completely reasonable and logical that his heartbeat sped up every time he was over for dinner, no matter how cheesy teen tv drama it all was.Another sigh comes from David as he sinks down more into his bed. His arms are crossed over his chest and he’s so focused on thinking about his high school years he doesn’t notice how Mush’s attention is back on his phone.“Well it looks like someone’s got the big gay hots for current Davey.” Mush snorts, and the other boy sit instantly, panic washing over him.“What the fuck do you mean?” David inquired slowly, frown already making it’s way onto his face.“I mean y'all matched right away!” He replied with an unneeded wink.David didn’t respond, just waited a beat before leaping at Mush, fighting to get his phone back. Once it was safely in his hands and Mush had given up struggling from under Davey, he quickly moved to unmatch himself with Jack, hoping the other won’t notice.But before he could do it the notification for a new message had popped up.Jack: hey cutie im sure we can find another use for that mouth ;) ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- David thinks his heart has stopped. This has to be a dream; the guy who definitely brought on his sexual awakening and made it clear to David that he was into men was calling him cute? Implying that he wanted to, you know, get intimate? This was to much for the Jewish boy to believe. Mush, however, is laughing his ass off. David’s reaction is hilarious, his mouth open, face more red than Mush had ever seen it, and eyes just absolutely bugging out of his head. So he took the opportunity to send a quick message back. David: Like housing our teeth, which are actually alive, orrrr something else? Somehow the smaller man is able to hit send before his friend slapped the phone from his hands. “Dude! What the fuck are you doing?” David says, horrified. Mush just shrugs. “I’m just helpin’ a boy out! Listen, you OBVI wanna get all personal with the dude.” “What if he ends up remembering me and gets weirded out or remembers what a loser am I? Oh shit, what if he KNOWS it’s me and thinks it’s funny? Mush, christ this could go just fucking awful, can I unmatch? Can I erase his memory? Please, PLEASE tell me I--” David’s voice was high pitched, hands shaking a bit. His rant was stopped suddenly from a noise from his phone. Both him and Mush just stared at one another. Then there was another noise, and Mush looked from David to the phone then back to David. And then another. With a sigh, David picked up his phone and unlocked it. Jack: oof i dont like that shit one bit Jack: but i gotta say, u one interesting dude david nothin could have prepared me for those words in that order Jack: which is refreshin, most boys who look as cute as u aint usually got nothin good to say “Dude! He’s so into you, c’mon! How many guys would keep talking about you bring up teeth? You gotta go for it-- Or I’m gonna get Blink involved, and he’s gonna really kick your ass.” Mush states, reaching for David’s phone, which is immediately pulled away. “Ugh. I mean, I guess there’s no harm? I don’t think he remembers me and at least I could get a nice confidence boost from this run in?” David responds, and Mush beams. “Now that’s the spirit! Go get the sexy beast, or whatever. What’s the worst that could happen? He just stops messaging ya?” David wants to laugh, but he doesn’t, and he tries not to think about all the things that could go wrong, all ending in David being embarrassed, or heartbroken, or even both. So he responds. David: Well, I am to please. Jack: oh, im sure u gonna be pleasing me in the future (; They message a bit more throughout the evening, Mush laughing everytime he sees David’s face go red while reading his phone. He’s truly happy for his best friend, even if nothing comes from this, David deserves to be fawned over. He was a Top Tier guy; handsome, super smart, witty, and just so fucking sweet. Plus, Mush had a good feeling. Jack: hey dave, i had a real good time chattin with u tonight, but i got an early shift tomorrow so i gotta get my ass to bed Jack: boy’s gotta get his beauty sleep David: Well, I don’t think this boy needs any help in that department, but goodnight Jack. Sweet dreams. Jack: be even sweeter if u were in them. night cutie. David finds himself in bed grinning to himself, heart feeling light. So he decides to really dig his own grave, and goes to open up Jack’s profile. He has five pictures up, and David has to remember to thank God for that. The first one is a typical douchey shirtless picture. And christ, David can’t even be mad because he looks that fucking good. He’s wearing a deep blue pair of swim trunks, and the beach looks empty behind him. In the second picture his head in thrown back in what David assumes in laughter, there’s a friend who’s much smaller than him obviously mid telling some sort of story. The friend looks familiar, but David can’t figure out from where he knows the guy. It’s just Jack again in the third pic, and he’s riding a horse with a cowboy hat on. No shirt again, but he has a tight pair of blue jeans on. The final two pics are obviously from the same day, the first one is really nice, it’s a picture of Jack next to this framed charcoal drawing. He’s absolutely beaming, and it makes David’s heart flutter. His hair is pushed back and he’s wearing a nice shirt with a tie and a fun blazer with pink accents, and he looks fucking amazing in it. David is absolutely going too have to inquire about this picture. And the last one Jack is with two of his friends, he’s in the same outfit and his friends are also dressed up. They are standing on either side of him,smiles wide and Jack is holding a bunch of flowers, his face red like he had been crying.Now David had even more questions. God, he hadn’t been this excited to get to know someone since well, Jack, back when David was in highschool. The dark haired boy goes to look at the rest of Jack’s profile, and the first thing he sees is that his connected song from spotify is Run Away WIth Me by Carly Rae Jepsen, so at least David knows he has good taste. And then he reads Jack’s description. ‘im a cowboy in more way than one, if u know what i mean (;’
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Arkos-Salems champions
{ "Archive Warning": null, "Category": null, "Characters": "Jaune Arc, Yang Xiao Long, Pyrrha Nikos, Salem (RWBY), Team RWBY, Team JNPR", "Fandom": "RWBY", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by AzureGigacyber", "chapters": "6/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "62,583", "Additional Tags": "BDSM, Corruption, Dom/sub, Threesome - F/F/M, Strap-Ons, Whipping, indoctrination, Pregnancy, Reverse Gender, horseplay, Mind Break, Sex Toys", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Jaune Arc/Salem, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos/Salem, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos/ Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Team RWBY, Jaune Arc/Nora Valkyrie, Jaune Arc/Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc/Weiss Schnee, Jaune Arc/Blake Belladonna", "Series": null, "Collections": "This is That GOOD Shit (Porn Edition)", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": "No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Sex", "Categories": "F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
The Corruption of Arkos and the Sundragon  (Jaune/Pyrrha x Salem x Yang)   By Azure  ‘Some time has passed since the near fall of Beacon and my chosen subordinate for that task; Cinder was bested at the height of her glory. Such a shame, I had high hopes for her, but alas she was defeated before she could complete her victory. The two responsible however…” A dark feminine voice spoke out to nobody in particular.“...will help shepherd the new era. All they need is a little push.”A small orb like Grimm called the ‘Seer’ projected a visual of a blonde haired man looking to be in his early 20s and a redheaded woman about the same age walking with him to their large homestead in Mistral. It was an impressive two story Greco themed manor decorated in bronze and crimson theme, the two individuals hopped off the Bullhead that took them there and looking none the worse for wear.The man in particular was well built in the moderate sense, had rugged good looks despite his unkempt blonde hair, and wore his trademark bunny hoodie underneath some body braced battle armor.“Oh man, the sooner I get comfy and kick back the better. That mission was rough.” The man otherwise known as Jaune Arc said.The woman was tall, beautiful with long ponytailed red hair, and covered in an enhanced version of her traditional armor. Her beauty was unmatched and the look in her green eyes ever so kind, she was toned enough and all around impressive in form. She definitely appeared strong yet retained all her femininity with her body’s graceful lady like shape. Her right hand, gloved in brown and with a golden wedding ring worn, entwined its fingers with the man as they walked together towards their house.“All missions are rough, Jaune, even for both of us no matter how far we we’ve come along as full fledged huntsmen.” She said gently as they arrived on their doorstep and opened the door.Once they got in the pair kicked off their battle boots and slumped onto the nearest couch with Pyrrha hovering above him propped up on her hands.  Her sincere warm gaze peered into his distraught blue ones as she lowered herself down on top of his body comfortably circling her finger on his chest.Pyrrha then frowned as though she read her husband’s mind. “You’re still thinking about that group of people we failed to save, didn’t we?”“Yeah...I know we can’t save everybody, but...dammit it just feels like a numbers game sometimes. I don’t want to arrive in time to fight Grimm off only to leave a small number of families grieving about...who we couldn’t save.”Pyrrha simply stroked her husband’s clothed chest lovingly and raised her head up to cuddle at his neck, Jaune reciprocated by turning his head to engage her in a deep sensual kiss. This continued for a few moments until Pyrrha reluctantly broke away and directed an understanding look his way.“True we may not be perfect heroes, even though we stopped a large Grimm incursion of an entire town all on our own we may always lose a few during. But we can’t let that stop us from trying, Jaune.” She then grabbed his right into her left hand with her eyes glaring like a blaze. “I believe we’ll someday find a way to ensure that we fail ‘no one’ in our duty as huntsmen. I know you believe it as well, darling.”Jaune felt a smile creep up on his face and softened up as he clenched Pyrrha’s hand tighter. “Thanks, Pyrrha. I think I needed to hear that, you always know just what to say or rather do with a doofus like me.”Pyrrha giggled playfully and deliver a soft peck on the top of his nose. “I am your wife, of course I do.” She answered, no matter how many times she said it she’d never get tired of announcing they were man and wife. Talk about dream come true.They rested their in each other’s embrace until a ping notice from Pyrrha’s scroll got her attention. The longtime champion of Mistral slipped the object out of her pocket and frowned when she read the message.She typed a bit on her scroll and closed it with a sigh.“Pyrrha? What was that about? Another autograph signing or something?” Jaune asked.She shook her head and rested it back on his chest. “No, it’s just a notice about having to spend the day with a fan who won the Pumpkin Pete raffle that went on last month. Since I’m still sponsored by Pumpkin Pete cereal every now and then I have to do my usual ‘celebrity events’ with fans who enter contests like this.” She explained with a sigh.“Talk about loyal, doesn’t Pumpkin Pete cereal care how you want to spend your free time relaxing after a mission?”Pyrrha shook her head with a soft smile. “It’s I who is too loyal, to my fans mostly, I’ve inspired many little girls into becoming huntresses and plenty of them participate in these contests just to spend time with me. I’d feel terrible brushing them off.”Jaune frowned and stroked the side of her head affectionately, which made her purr and he knew she liked it. “You’re way too sweet and considerate, honey. When’s the date for this winner anyway?”“In about a two hours at the arena in town. We have time for a breather and all I want to do is lay here with you.” Pyrrha concluded with a content smile as she and Jaune started resting in each other’s comfort atop the couch.Later… After some relaxation and getting themselves re-clothed, during their last mission much of their attire had been marred, but here they were in the arena which held so many memories for Pyrrha Nikos; the invincible girl of Mistral.It was a spacious arena about the size of the Amity coliseum, no one was around in the stands and oddly enough there were no sponsors here beside the supposed contest winner.The two arrived to see a lone young woman standing in the middle of the spacious area; she happened to appear in her late 20s wearing an elegant black dress accentuating her curves, her hair seemed to be platinum blonde and done up in a regal ornate style. Her back was turned to them as they approached, once the woman heard footsteps she turned around to grace the couple with a pleasantly surprised face.“Oh there you are! Right on time too!” The woman sounded mature and serene in the way her voice sounded, it was off putting to Jaune to see her as someone so young. It was even more odd that someone that old would be a fan of Pumpkin Pete cereal.“Hello there. Congratulations on winning the raffle, as promised by my sponsors and by me we will spend the day together.” Pyrrha introduced in her professional cordial manner.“Looking forward to it, I am Blair by the way. Is this your boyfriend?” Blair spoke when she looked over to Jaune.Pyrrha smiled proudly when she took Jaune’s arm into hers. “No no, he’s my husband. We agreed to come to this together as our own way of relaxing, but he knows plenty of fun activities for us to do.”“What she said, and also nice to meet you. Let’s go have some fun then.” Jaune introduced himself. ‘She seems rather old to be a cereal eating mega fan. ’ He added in thought.Blair chuckled at the sight. “I’m sure you will, I have plenty in mind. Let’s have some fun then indeed.”And so they ventured away from the coliseum and all around Mistral capital to tour the sights; from the girls watching Jaune fail at whack-a-Grimm, to Blair being magnetically lifted into the air by Pyrrha, to various other outings around town. Blair had a fair bit of romantic moment when she and Jaune danced together in the town center festival, jaune was an expert in every maneuver further impressing her.It was a rich full day where the pair got to know the sweet hearted fangirl, Blair was charming and wise for her given age and had given them both tips on popular outings most couples get into. Some of which were raunchy suggestions, therefore making Pyrrha a little uncomfortable to talk about since it was intimate content. Blair simply laughed off Pyrrha’s squeamish demeanor after dropping the subject and now they currently sat at a food joint to eat and relax for a bit.Jaune got up and was about to head off to get their order when he felt Blair gently tap his bare forearm getting his attention.“W-wait, I’d like some herbal tea instead of soda. Can you get them to do a last minute change for me? If it’s not any trouble that is.”“Sure thing, they know me and love that I’m a near frequent customer. It'll be no problem, but it’ll take a few more minutes though.”Blair nodded. “That’s fine, it would give me and Pyrrha some time to chit chat about stuff.” she then let go and gave him a cute smile as he walked towards the counter whilst Pyrrha sat at the table with her.The champion sat composed and friendly as she usually behaves with fans, as much as she wanted some downtime at home with her husband, she didn’t to mind spending time with the fangirl all that much. It was refreshing to see she was polite, cordial, and not suffocating with her fanaticism. If anything it felt like just a simple outing with one of their friends.“So have any friends you’d like to brag to about this?” Pyrrha jokingly offered as Blair sat across from her.“No, nothing like that. I do wish I had a husband-to-be however, it’d make preparing for the future that much simpler.” Blair commented offhandedly and propped her head on her hand to observe Jaune waiting patiently at the counter. “Oh how I envy you, Pyrrha. Having such a wonderful easygoing husband do everything with you, even tournament fights if I’m correct?” She turned her head to look at the redhead.Pyrrha nodded gingerly. “Yes, we do everything together, even missions. That granted us a boost in fame, not that it was needed...or really wanted, but plenty of people know us and feel inspired by our actions. I just wish every mission was met with a hundred percent success…” Pyrrha concluded with a saddened look on her face, something Blair picked up on.“It isn’t always? But you’re two are rightly famous for your skill and prowess in battle, something that was known to the world after Beacon. How could you look so sad?”“It’s often dispiriting to both of us whenever he fail to save even a few lives, in fact it had been wearing on us today before this event, but spending the day doing regular normal things helped take our minds off it for now.”Blair grinned with a certain look in her eyes. “What if there was a way to achieve absolute success in preserving life without a hardened battle? I’d like to think there is one, but if there were and it would require making a life changing choice...would you do it?”Pyrrha contemplated on this for a brief moment then nodded with all seriousness. “Yes, if it means nobody gets left behind during a Grimm incursion I would gladly sacrifice whatever it took no matter the method.”Just then Blair leaned over the table and placed her bare hands over Pyrrha’s ungloved ones. “Then you already know you’re strong and that ‘solution’ I theorized can be realized. I’d like to help with that if possible in the near future.”Pyrrha was taken back for a moment then nodded with a smile of appreciation. “Thank you, Blair. For giving me the right kind of insight into this never ending battle.”Blair let go with a friendly smile and sat back in her chair, just shortly after Jaune came back with their order on trays. “Just giving you two a little push is all.”“What did I miss?” Jaune asked as he set their trays down.“Oh nothing special, just thinking of the future.” Blair answered and took her drink while watching jaune lean down to give Pyrrha a loving kiss as he sat next to her.The two ate in comfort and soon enough the sun was setting and it was time to say good byes. Blair had begged them to take her by their house as part of the tour/award for winning and Pyrrha couldn’t think of a reason to turn her down.Now they were here in front of their home that was settled in a shrouded wilder-land area full of nature and life, Blair marveled at the place and giddily shook with excitement as Jaune opened the door leading them in.“Wow...everything is so normal. Is that a Pumpkin Pete hoodie?” She commented seeing one of Jaune’s spares laying on the couch.“He he guilty. I always keep spares.” He said back as he closed the door. “So after everything is done you’re good for taking a Bullhead flight back to your place?”Blair smiled deviously and figured it was time to act. “Oh I think I’ll manage, but I think there’s something else you need to think about.”Pyrrha was just about to remove her circlet when Blair caught her attention. “Hm? What’s that?”She suddenly became uneasy, as did Jaune when the blonde contest winner looked to both of them with a sinister smile.“You know that solution I mentioned earlier?” She asked and Pyrrha nodded, feeling uneasier by the second. “Well I believe I have it...and it starts with your subjugation.”!!!“W-what?” Pyrrha asked feeling suspicious among other things until both of them noticed some strange glowing marking trail up along their skin. For Pyrrha it was the point of her hand where Blair had touched earlier, for Jaune it was his forearm where Blair had made skin contact as well.“Hey hey what’s this?!” Jaune started freaking out and hastened to remove his hoodie when he felt the marking glowing purple trail over one side of his body, Pyrrha was feeling the same when she noticed hers doing the same. She looked to Blair accusingly.“Blair! What is the meaning of this!? Did you do this to us?!”Blair snickered maliciously as a dark aura of malevolent purple energy emanated from her, further alarming the two. Jaune attempted to grab his weapons when the girl suddenly cast a liquid like shadow over all of them transporting somewhere beyond the Arc household.-The liquid shadow dissipated and Jaune and Pyrrha found themselves inside a spacious yet sinister looking master bedroom themed in black and crimson. It was designed with a certain aesthetic in mind and not a good one judging by how sinister everything appears, but their attention was drawn to the large queen sized bed where a plethora of raunchy sex gear with outfits laid out readily.“W-where are we?” Jaune then turned back to Blair with a look of questioning outrage. “Blair what is this all abo-” He stopped when he saw the image of the young-ish blonde haired woman change, or rather mutate, into her true form.Both Pyrrha and Jaune looked on in horror as her skin returned to its pale ghastly white with blood colored vein like markings trailing up her legs and arms. Her sclera turned black with her eyes turning into a blood red, her hair changed color to its original withered white as her dress morphed into a long overflowing robe showing off her cleavage. The same dark veins manifested around her now haunting face along with a large dark oval in the center of her forehead.“Stop calling me ‘Blair’ if you will.” She spoke but with a darker more mature voice that echoed in their souls. “My real name is Salem, welcome to my realm.”Jaune and Pyrrha were deathly silent for a moment as the reality hit them; they were lured, trapped, and teleported into the realm of a most sinister being they only heard about.“S-Salem…? You mean like Cinder’s boss!?” Jaune asked half afraid and half in rage. He couldn’t ever forget Cinder and the atrocities she had committed when she attempted to lay ruin to Vale, if it hadn’t been for Pyrrha, Ruby, and himself she would have succeeded. He wanted to move and attack her, but he had no weapon and she was likely far beyond them. Add to that they were bound by these markings which made them feel all sorts of things at the moment, basically they were at her mercy.Salem held out her arm and with a faint glow of energy elicited a surge of stimulation throughout Jaune and Pyrrha’s bodies making them crumble to their knees in unusual pleasure. “I am not surprised you’ve learned of me, I had assumed my former subordinate perhaps dropped my name, but that doesn’t matter now. Now strip.” She commanded causing them to discard their clothes until they were both in nothing but their birthday suits.Pyrrha bashfully struggled to cover herself while slowly succumbing to the effects of her hold, Jaune was likewise, but Salem could note that he had a rather large tool and delighted in seeing it.Pyrrha struggled to stand and keep her own hands away from her under area when she tried to speak. “S-so what c-comes next? Are you going to kill us for slaying your foul would-be conqueror?”Salem merely shook her head and walked over to sit on her bed, after she had done so she lifted her left leg up to caress Jaune’s face with her soft white foot.‘Black toenails!’ Jaune thought feeling drawn to her somehow, part of him wanted to kiss that elegant leg and do more. Perhaps Salem knew that as she waved it teasingly before him.Salem did something with her hand again causing surges to course through their bodies. “Come near me.” She commanded and the champion along with her husband reluctantly walked over to her. “Good. now then let me explain what I’m doing, why it’s important, and how I’ll win.”“D-did you kill the actual contest winner to replace her?” Jaune asked through gritted teeth, he was met with coarse laughter from Salem.“You are entertaining, and no I did not. I somewhat apore violence and by extension bloody methods in getting things done. I simply found the winner in my disguise form and simply flashed her memory of winning, taking her ticket was the only means I could to you both in private and unnoticed. You’re sponsors received the same, I cannot have anyone interfering after all.” She explained causing some form of relief through them.“That brings me to my point…” She then looked directly at Pyrrha. “You yourselves regret not being able to save everyone every now and then, correct? Well when I say I have the solution I mean to have you two; I can grant you the power necessary to ensure no lives become lost at any point. I can offer you a way to save people with ease and all I would need are the supposed heroes of Beacon to become my first enthralls and usher in a new era. Starting with him…” She then looked back to Jaune and licked her lips. “...He will make a fine father to our children, wouldn’t you say?”Salem cupped Jaune’s face in her right hand and beckoned Pyrrha to come closer, she reluctantly obeyed and that’s when the dark witch surprised Jaune by aggressively sucking his lips into hers slithering her serpent like tongue into his mouth!Pyrrha gasped mortified and enraged to the point where she could resist enough of her control to attempt to strike the witch, but Salem had already counted on that and dove her pale left hand in between Pyrrha’s thighs.Pyrrha let out a girly yelp with Salem’s hand dove in, her fingers gingerly fiddled with her labia before digging two fingers up her pussy. This combined with the stimulation from Salem’s hold on them was turning Pyrrha into jelly.Salem smiled in delight as she continued worming her long serpent like tongue around inside Jaune’s mouth, occasionally coiling it around his own tongue further elevating him to pleasurable heights. Even though his body was unable to move he couldn’t find it in himself to want to resist as much for some reason, his will was slowly eroding away with the increasing ecstasy Salem was giving him. He imagined it might be like for Pyrrha as well.This went on for a couple of minutes until Salem decided it was enough. She let go of Pyrrha’s cunt and withdrew from Jaune’s mouth allowing a trail of saliva bridge their lips. Both were dazed and unable to do anything else.“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’, not that you had any choice, mind you. I’ll give you everything you could ever want and need, all I would need is you two...my ‘Adam and Eve’ for the future. We’ll be able to fix this broken world together.”Salem then arose from her bed and undid her robe gracefully, thus showing her white naked form to them. She had a body like most women and it was just as beautifully elegant as Pyrrha’s with the exception of the vein markings appearing here and there. She then turned around and pointed towards a certain outfit laid on the bedspread with a malicious smirk.“Wear it, Champion.” She licked around her lips perversely. “It’ll be quite the experience.”Pyrrha absentmindedly nodded and begun to don the outfit which was a tight body gimp suit covering her entire form head to toe in tight body leather, even her head which only held three holes for simply her eyes and mouth. The oral hole was a simple circle for obvious reasons, but her large D-cup breasts were still shown in an open bust design just as her pussy and anus was visible through their respective holes. Salem added the final adjustments of binding her arms and legs together essentially turning her into a rudimentary ‘pony’. She was finished and her pussy glistened with excitement, this kind of kink was such a turnover from their more traditional sex practices.Salem had counted on that being the defining factor in Pyrrha’s sexual awakening.“Exquisite. Don’t you think, husband?” Salem asked Jaune as she bent over to snap a collar around his neck complete with a leash connected. His hands were cuffed behind his back as well, Jaune didn’t say anything and instead let his erection standing at full mast speak for him.“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” She then sucked in his lips for another invasive tongue lashing kiss that made him melt.From behind them Pyrrha mewled half hungrily and half in despair as the witchy woman swabbed out the inside of her husband's mouth. Salem finished up in seconds and looked to her with a mischievous glint. “Now then, slave.” She stood up and away from Jaune before pointing down to his hard cock. “Get to work and do your wifely duties; Service your husband.” Salem yanked on the leash of Jaune’s collar bringing him closer to where Pyrrha’s leather bound face met his hips, with a shove of her foot Salem pushed the champion down onto Jaune’s lap.Suddenly half of his length was shoved into her throat, the witch then bent over Pyrrha’s leather clad bound form and started groping her breasts and twisting her nipples aggressively. Feeling the sexual energy as well as the dark energy surge throughout her body Pyrrha started bobbing her head up and down on her lover’s cock making Jaune become really heated as he sat there.The sounds of wet flesh sucking was music to Salem’s ears as she watched the leather wrapped head of Pyrrha Nikos, barring that her long red ponytail stuck out a hole, repeatedly dive down was enough to get her started in arousal.“That’s it, give in to it, darling.” Salem cooed at Jaune, who was writhing in his spot with Pyrrha slamming her head down on his pole in rapid fire pace.Seconds more of this passed by until Pyrrha’s head was pushed further down into Jaune’s lap where the entirety of his girth was now sheathed in her throat. “Can’t be a champion unless you take challenges and conquer them.”Pyrrha struggled to suppress her gag reflex while her mouth accustomed to lengthy girth of her husband’s tool. Surprisingly enough she adapted and started slamming her head down aggressively on it taking extra long sucks while she did. Jaune was now writhing and moaning like a wildebeest, he was about to be done soon.Salem flicked her hand therefore lighting her vein marks as well as theirs, the end result was Jaune feeling overstimulated and howling out in climax. Pyrrha’s eyes went wide when her lips felt the throbbing pulse of jaune’s cock send thick deposits of sperm down her throat several times.“Don’t drink that yet, slave. Keep it in your mouth.” Salem commanded and Pyrrha reluctantly obeyed hoping she wouldn’t choke.Jaune had finished cumming and Salem pulled Pyrrha’s head back by her ponytail so she could prop her up beside her and hold her mouth open with her white hands. There was a pool of thick creamy goo inside her mouth and Salem did the next raunchiest thing she could think of; she opened her own mouth and slithered her long tongue inside tasting and scooping some into her own. She kept doing it until she went all the way and made out with Pyrrha eagerly swabbing sperm between themselves. Pyrrha was startled at first and reluctantly closed her eyes allowing it to happen. The two women made out with cum being exchanged openly for several minutes.Jaune was immensely turned on by this and felt his phallus keep its rigidity. When Salem finished she reeled back and gulped down her share while tasting around her lips erotically, Pyrrha did the same and felt another surge of energy surge throughout her body.Salem noted the glow of their vein markings light up more vibrantly indicating they were nearly completely indoctrinated. “Let’s take this further darlings, I want to have some fun too after all.” She stood up and reached for a strapon to attach to herself, the witch smiled a bit at the sensitivity of her cunt connecting to such a thing and was eager to try it out on Pyrrha.Pyrrha herself was then rearranged to where her leather bound ass was on fully display for Jaune as Salem lifted her up over herself as she laid atop the bed. “Husband, now it’s time to fulfill your duties and…” Salem pried apart Pyrrha’s buttcheeks to show her clean puckered anus to him suggestively. “...satisfy your wife. I can tell she is quite sensitive there and you two have no prior experience in that territory.”Jaune nodded dumbly and hypnotically sauntered over to position himself above Pyrrha’s supple ass and guided the tip of his cock to the ring of her anus.Jaune was  bit reluctant to fully slide in as his head plopped into making Pyrrha howl in pleasurable agony, that was until the markings lit up again.“Do it!” Salem barked making the surge cause Jaune to shove his member into a mewling Pyrrha’s asshole, slowly but surely sheathing himself completely inside her.“Nnggh!” Jaune stammered and recoiled at the tightness of his wife’s sphincter muscle sucking him in.Pyrrha continued howling at the very foreign sensation that was causing her both pain and pleasure until Salem snapped a ball gag to her mouth silencing her. She could still hear the wails and ignored it as she plunged the plastic phallus of the strap on up into her pussy.“Mmmpgh!!!Hhhmmm!!” Pyrrha moaned within the ballgag as two phallus shapes embedded themselves into her respective holes sending her into a world of stimulation and nirvana she couldn’t describe.They started thrusting in tandem into the champion’s orifices making her wail and writhe each time, her leather bound body was undulating between theirs with her husband dominating her ass and Salem the witch plowing her pussy.The bed creaked and barely muffled moans coupled with the very audible sounds of flesh smacking resounded throughout the room for minutes on end. To Pyrrha it felt like forever, but the sensations she felt only grew stronger as time passed by.Seconds later Jaune started pumping into her ass faster while Salem bore a deliciously depraved look on her face from below, they were about to hit their climaxes and hit hard with her in the middle. She herself had cum at least three times during, but this next one will be big and will coincide with theirs.Jaune’s hips slammed faster and Salem let out a gentle moan as Pyrrha was writhing in between.“Yes! Yes! Embrace it you two! Give...in aaaaggh!!” Salem howled out loud and thrust her fake phallus up one final time before her pusy spasmed with juices gushing about, with Pyrrha it was the same as she had come down like a spritz rainfall as well. Jaune growled and shoved his cock into his wife’s ass one final time before injecting another heavy load of semen into the redhead.Once their orgasms subsided Salem felt like Pyrrha needed a rest, but she herself still needed more and luckily Jaune had more strength in him.“Huh?” Jaune felt the markings light up again and suddenly he felt refreshed and and ready to go for more, even his cock retrained its rigidity with his balls eager to fill, although he was getting dehydrated a little. He’d need to fill up on liquids after this one last round.Jaune noticed Pyrrha’s twitching form roll over onto the bedspread still bound to the suit as Salem tossed away the strapon she sued and spread her legs wide open invitingly to him.“You still have an obligation to fill with me, Jaune. Consider me your second wife as of now and it is your duty to consummate with hopes of granting me a child, I am still fertile after all and currently ovulating.” Salem declared with a very hungry look directed at him as she spread apart the pale flesh of her vulva with her fingers.Jaune, having little left of his old self, gave in and obeyed wordlessly as he stroked his mass readily while prowling over to her.Pyrrha was laying on her side fucked senseless and now apparently indoctrinated to Salem’s corruption, Jaune was next as he hovered the pale woman missionary style with his own thoughts all but gone.Salem’s hands crept up along his broad shoulders to lovingly lock behind his neck as the head of his cock plopped into her opening eliciting an excited moan from her. She even bit her bottom lip and gazed at him with bedroom eyes, it’d be a sight if her appearance wasn’t horrifying.“Here we...gguuaah!” Jaune slid himself past her glossy pale folds and inside her pussy causing the witchy woman to arch her back in response. Her legs came up and wrapped themselves around his hips pushing him deeper till he was fully immersed in Salem.The said woman had a depraved look of lust written on her face she gyrated herself against Jaune’s body while he adjusted.“Exquisite ,this feels sensational! It has been far too long! Now ravage me!”Jaune did just that when the mark lit up again giving him the drive and energy to start pounding his mistress’s cunt relentlessly. His body rose and slammed in rapid pace into her with legs locked tight around him, Salem’s hands gripped his shoulders as his continued bouncing against her frame on top of the creaking bed.Sounds of breathes and gasp could be heard and Pyrrha slowly turned over to absorb the sight of her husband plowing the witchy seductress, the only reaction she gave was to masturbate to it.Salem leaned up and slithered her tongue into Jaune’s mouth once again coiling it all around his own as he continued driving his hips, she even closed the distance by pulling his head onto hers in a passionate tongue frenzied make-out.This went on for minutes on end until Salem felt her end approaching, it had been too long and Jaune was considered quite a marvel in bed. He himself was close because of insanely tight she was, but also the witch just seemed to have a magic feel to her body that just did things to him. Jaune’s hips started slamming into hers at an even more intense pace signaling their incoming climax. He was about to blow, but Salem beat him to it.“Hhuuaah yes!! Glory yes!” Salem seized up and locked her legs even tighter as her pussy contracted and spasmed all over her lover’s meat. Juices spritzed and vaginal muscles convulsed wildly in desperation to suck out all gooey essence of Jaune Arc, and boy did he.He arched his body back a bit as he succumb to the tight milking feeling of Salem’s pussy leading to his cock throbbing angrily while it pumped heavy loads of cum into her depths. Pyrrha could even hear it.It pulsed and pumped for what felt like forever until Jaune ran out of steam and finished cumming, he had laid down on top of her breathing hard with his cock still embedded into her cum filled pussy.“Exquisite, I knew I was right to choose you two.” She cooed lustily as she beckoned Pyrrha to come over and rest beside them. Salem had both arms wrapped around each one proudly. “You two will do well converting others to our cause and being my own little ‘Adam and Eve’ of the new world, congratulations on your consummation into this special union.”“...Thank you, mistress.” Pyrrha and Jaune said in unison as they rested spent from sex, the vein like marks now decorated over each of their limbs just like Salem herself.“Please...don’t call me mistress, we’re a union now with Jaune…” Salem then reached her hand to her belly affectionately. “...as the daddy.” End of Part one Little over a week later… Back inside their home in Mistral Jaune and Pyrrha rested in bed comfortably, both completely naked and sweaty with Jaune spooning his lovely wife. Underneath the comfortable blankets he was still sheathed inside her with cum oozing out of her cunt, it was obvious they just had yet another romp of hardcore fucking, but Jaune’s body shifted and detached from Pyrrha by some unseen force under the covers.The blonde man then felt the suctioning force of a pair of lips and the juicy sponge like sensation of a tongue on his cock. He absentmindedly clutched the bedsheets and slowly stirred awake as the sucking underneath continued and escalated.“Aaahhh…!” He yelped out pleasurably yet had to stifle himself so as to not waken his wife, his blue eyes opened up groggily to see the shape of a head and body under the sheets where his lower body rested. Smirking he yanked his portion of the covers away to see his beloved mistress and second wife; Salem in the nude, blowing him with all the force of a vacuum.“Morning, honey. Giving me an early morning wake-up call.” He said quietly with a sweet smile. Salem merely winked and slowly lifted her lips from his meat to speak.“In a way yes, I am waking you now because I want to go over another prospect of converting huntresses, but if I am doing that I felt this was an appropriate way for a wife to waken her husband.” She explained and licked around her lips again before opening her mouth wide open and swallowing his cock, this made Jaune crane his head and arch his back. She was good at sucking him off, hell she was damn near perfect at it, coupled with many other things.Once more the sounds of intense wet flesh sucking resumed making it the most frequent noise in the bedroom, Jaune loved every bit of it especially with her long tongue coiling around his shaft. This kept up for several minutes until Jaune’s hips started humping against Salem’s face, she kept herself there and gripped his thighs so as to gulp down every blast of sperm that came.Once that was done Salem arose from her laid position and towered over the two in bed like a queen lording over her subjects. By this time Pyrrha awoke and greeted her mistress with a pleasant smile.“Good morning, mistress. What brings you here today?”“Just doing my usual wifely duties before I get down to business, we need to talk about prospects to convert and I feel it best to start away. We’ll discuss more at breakfast downstairs.” Salem then looked to Jaune with a commanding smile. “Husband, you’re up. Make us our favorite dishes for the occasion, it’ll be a special one.”Jaune nodded with an eager smile. “Yes, dear.”Later they sat around their table eating some of Jaune’s special cooking, he was quite talented at it. They also did all of this naked save for Jaune who wore a protective apron at the stove.“So what did you have in mind for us, my queen?” Pyrrha asked after she finished her breakfast. She held a mug of coffee in her hands just as Jaune sat down with his pancakes.“It’s like I have said; while waiting for our perfect world to truly…” Salem then cradled her stomach affectionately. “...begin. I think it’s best to start ‘recruiting’ other huntresses. Can I assume that any of your colleagues, most of whom that happen to be female, would be interested in alleviating their lives should misery be a constant?”“That’s a long way of asking of anyone we know is lonely, but as far as I can tell..Ruby is always moving and  living it up as a huntress hero traveling the world. Blake is currently leading the newly reformed White Fang in fixing human-Faunus relations, Weiss is currently in a power grab between her brother Whitley for the Schnee Dust Company ownership since their dad died, and Nora is married to Ren living in mountain regions of Ren’s old town. The two of them are operating as big name protectors for the newly rebuilt Kuroyuri settlement. Most of those we can’t even get alone because of how busy and surrounded by people they are.” Jaune explained and then Pyrrha’s shot up with a look of surprise.“Wait, Jaune. You forgot to mention Yang.” She revealed surprising him then turning back to Salem. “She’s like Ruby in a way; traveling the world and living life as a freelancing huntress, but I often get messages from her about how...lonely she feels sometimes. She’s as lively as can be but even she wants intimate companionship, Yang doesn't even believe in one-night stands either. I believe she has many deep seated issues regarding intimacy that she displaces with adventuring and battle, she even mentions how quickly the thrill dies.” Pyrrha summarized resulting in a pleased look from Salem. “She only really talks to me because we’re longtime friends and Blake is too busy with her own life to socialize with her.”“She sounds perfect. When’s the next time you come in contact with her?”!Pyrrha’s scroll pinged and she brought it out to reveal Yang’s contact info on the call, she smirked and looked to her mistress. “Right now actually, what should we do about ‘recruiting’ her?”“I believe there’s a bathhouse in Mistral you invite her to in order to unwind, after that...well I’ll leave it  you, your imagination, and my toys.” Salem answered deviously with a perverse glint in her eyes.Jaune and Pyrrha smiled along with her as Pyrrha picked up the call.“Greetings, Yang. I’ve been waiting to hear from you again. Say what’s your schedule like? There’s a splendid bathhouse here in town I’d like you to come with us to-! You’re already on your way? Great! See you at the Bullhead port.” Pyrrha clicked her scroll shut and looked to Salem with a smug smile.Jaune did the same and with both of their bodies displaying their veiny markings that lit up in violet glow.“Have fun with her, you two.”Later on after certain preparations were made Jaune and Pyrrha arrived at the Bullhead port with Yang getting out of hers with a look of cheerfulness.“Here I am, everybody!” She declared with enthusiasm as she dragged her luggage bag out the airship. She wore her signature outfit, which she donned shortly before going after team RNJR in Mistral, with a few slight modifications like a stylish dark leather and gold trim color scheme.“Yang!” Jaune and Pyrrha cheered as they ran up to her pulling the fiery femme fatale into a group hug, one she eagerly returned.Even Jaune could tell how lonesome and sad she was just by touching her, making the process all the more easier. Especially since the couple placed their marks on the back of her neck leaving the insignia that would allow them to conquer her.After they broke apart Yang greeted them a ready smile. “So then, let’s hear about that bathhouse. I’m ager to catch up and relax my troubles away.”Later… “Aahh...this is just what I needed, thanks again, P-money.” Yang relaxed entirely as soon as the soothing hot waters enveloped her body.They were in a special bathhouse often reserved for celebrities and high profile clients, getting VIP reservations here was no trouble at all for Pyrrha. Jaune was waiting on the other side in the male’s portion of the bathhouse awaiting for Pyrrha to bait Yang.“My pleasure, Yang. We full time huntresses need a little downtime every so often, otherwise it ruins our health.” Pyrrha commented after she undid her hair to let it flow before she stepped into the jacuzzi with her, she too relaxed soothingly once immersed.“Tell me about it, any more life or death Grimm battles and I’m gonna be growing winkles from all the stress. I’m still young for crying out loud.” Yang soaked herself further in trying not to get her hair drenched.Unknown to Yang Pyrrha took note of her appearance; while largely unchanged since Beacon academy Yang still sported an impressive figure as tall as she was and with the hourglass shape of a thin waist, wide hips, flawless form and lastly her trademark DD-cup breasts showing no signs of deterioration. Her face was still as prime and perfect as it was years ago as well, Pyrrha confirmed that she was perfect to be the next.Yang’s eyes were closed in relaxation for a good few moments until she frowned and spoke up. “Hey Pyr, mind If I ask you something personal?”“Go ahead.” Pyrrha said through closed her eyes as she soaked in the waters, thankful Salem’s magick had concealed their markings from Yang’s eyes.“It’s...really wearing on me, Pyrrha. I just thought this kind of life was more romantic and exciting than I was led to believe, most of the time I show up and I see..nightmares. Grimm incursions have been pretty bad these past couple of  years and the Grimm themselves got stronger and more coordinate, with me being who I am I felt I was up for the challenge. Don’t get me wrong, I still pulverize them pretty bad, but the damage done before I arrived...haunts me. It’s like you never really arrive quick enough to save everybody, maybe it would’ve been faster I hadn’t been going solo, but I guess that’s just another mistake in a long list of them. So much for the great ‘Golden Sun Dragon’ of Beacon, I guess I just...dissapointed. No wonder I’m alone.”Pyrrha inwardly smiled and felt the energy of the mark on her neck. “Yang...Jaune and I were feeling just the same as you about a week ago. I’m starting to think every full huntsman does at some point, but letting the despair and hopelessness get to you only makes it harder to continue. I know for certain I felt that way, but…”Yang eyed her with interest and waited for to continue. “But…?”Pyrrha then smiled inwardly. “I have found hope, Yang. Something that happened to me and Jaune that gave us the edge we needed to be better and perhaps the means to drive Grimm away.”Yang now looked hopeful and gave her a skeptic smile. “Are you just yanking me, P-money? C’mon, tell me if you are. I don’t want to think you’d develop a savage sense of humor like my dad.”Pyrrha shook her head. “Not at all, what we have is certainly real and I’m no jokester. I can’t explain more here, we’d have to talk about at our home instead, but I can tell you that since me and Jaune made this miraculous discovery we were far more effective  in our battles. Grimm incursions were decreasing now because of how timely our arrivals are and how we could sense them, not only that but we’ve ‘evolved’ in a sense to the point where even Deathstalkers and Beringels don’t frighten us. Interested in learning of it, it may well help you out of your slump.”“Hey you had me at ‘power’ and ‘hope’, hell yeah I’m interested!” Yang declared pumping her flesh hand excitedly into the air.‘Baited, like the simple fool you are.’ Pyrrha thought. “Perfect, but first things first. Let's relax.”“My favorite word of the day.” Yang followed and relaxed back into the tub.About an hour and a half of relaxation later Yang Xiao Long accompanies the couple as they arrived at their house.“Color me impressed, when or if I settle down I’d like a place like this to live in.” Yang whistled as they walked up. As soon as they did she felt an unusual air about them as well as foreign feeling in her body. It was small or at least felt like it, but she decided to pay no mind to her possible paranoia as she continued taking in the sights.‘Something feels funny, maybe it was something I ate…?’ Yang thought to herself while rubbing the back of her neck. Her eyes shot wide open in surprise when Jaune introduced her to their bedroom.Arranged on the walls and several shelves were various items and outfits purposed for kinky sex; from leather gimp suits, to dildos, there was an array of them. This shocked even Yang, the famous pun master, from making a single quip.Pyrrha and Jaune didn’t seem the least bit deterred by her reaction and simply locked the door and removed her jacket while she stood in stupor.At this point where Jaune started undressing she finally snapped out of it and recoiled from Pyrrha and Jaune’s hands.“Whoa whoa whoa...hey now, look I get that you two are apparently into some kinky shit, but I do remember agreeing to something weird.” Yang addressed feeling the urge to grab her jacket and leave, but something she felt kept her rooted.“Didn’t you say you were interested in the solution I mentioned earlier?” Pyrrha questioned with a sly grin.“Well yeah, but that was about this ‘miracle’ you kept mentioning. Something that made you and Jaune into super hunters, I wanted in on that as well as just spending time with you guys. Not some freaky BDSM scenario, I love you two and all, but not that much.”“Not yet anyway, Yang.” Jaune spoke up with a smirk and flicked his left wrist which caused a sudden urge of foreign energy and stimulation to course through Yang’s body. She shuddered and slowly crumbled to her knees wondering what was happening.“W-what is going on…?! Jaune…? P-money…? What…” She cut off when she noticed strange sinister looking vein markings manifest along their arms and crept up t their cheeks. ‘ That looks like…!’ “The miracle Yang...is what our mistress and queen provided us with, after being ‘convinced’.” Pyrrha started making the Sundragon more afraid by the second.“Salem.” Yang uttered in revelation at her two closest friends apparently being ‘brainwashed’ by the witchy adversary. “She got to you two! You have to snap out of it!”Suddenly another surge coursed through her body, to Yang it felt like an aphrodisiac that felt too good and melted away any resistance.“Oh pft, we’re aware of what we’re doing, Yang. There’s no brainwashing here, Salem kinda showed us the light and pretty much delivered on what she promised. Now we’re able to suppress Grimm incursions with next to zero effort and absolutely no casualties.Plus her idea of ‘creating a new era’ with us being something like heralds makes a lot of sense, the four kingdoms are still acting like whiny kids with each other and mostly ignoring settlements outside kingdoms when Grimm attack. We now have a way to fix that.” Jaune explained as Pyrrha walked away to get ‘setup’ for Yang’s initiation.He made his way around her kneeling shuddering form to wrap his broad arms around her shoulders. ‘No…! This is...I need to fight back! I should knocking his block off for touching me so why...can’t I lift a finger against them!?’ “Haven’t you ever wondered why you were so miserable? Was it because of always being alone and always seeing gruesome loss wherever you went?” Jaune went on and Yang felt his words echo within her.The memories of villages and settlements wrecked by overwhelming legions of Grimm, the mangled corpses of adults and children alike, she was often there in time to prevent a number of them happening, but she never got used to seeing the ones she didn’t save. All because she wanted to do things solo and live solely on her whims.The dark energy coursed through her body making it harder and harder to tune him out and will herself to resist, the moment Yang got a modicum of energy to resist-!Jaune had crept around her back pulling her face into his with a deep violating kiss. Her eyes were wide in mortified shock as his tongue wriggled around inside her mouth without hesitation. Her hands drooped and her eyelids lowered gradually as it went on, the kiss lasted for seconds but some part of Yang wanted it to last for far longer. She craved it! It felt like a cure to her growing despair and stress that had accumulated throughout her adventures.Jaune was mildly surprised to feel her kissing back with heart behind it, Yang crept her hand up around his backside to pull him closer to deepen it. Now two tongues were curling over each other in heated intimacy with Yang’s tight shorts dampening already. Her eyes were closed and her mind felt content, it was like some part of her fractured soul was being healed, but the kiss only lasted so long until they needed to break off for air.Once Jaune removed his mouth he noticed the trail of saliva bridging their lips and the dazed needy look in Yang’s beautiful lilac eyes. ‘She’s in.’“You two look like you were having fun.” Pyrrha’s voice interrupted their moment and drew their attention to her appearance with heated surprise.Her outfit was a very risque BDSM outfit; a leather basque set with open cups showing her large ample breasts in all their glory. Yang noted she also had nipple rings on, but the suit itself came with a G-string set with metallic stud detail and an adjustable neck choker with O-ring detailing. It included four adjustable suspender straps attached to netted stockings and high heel leather long boots. For Pyrrha’s face; it was largely the same except with the addition of very seductive makeup including dark lipstick, one would also notice the tag on her collar being her trademark symbol. She was dominatrix personified.“Thought I’d spice things up for her ‘induction’ into our little family. I have something special for you to wear too, Yang. Come here.” Pyrrha commanded and Yang slowly, yet obediently arose to her feet and headed over to Pyrrha, who then took her behind a Mistralian divider to get her ready.She didn’t resist having her clothes forcibly taken off by an overeager Pyrrha, nor did she resist the redhead’s suckles at her neck and the fondling her breasts.“That’s it, Sundragon. You don’t want to resist this happiness me and your soon-to-be husband are about to give you.”She purred before she licked up the side of Yang’s flustered face before cradling it into her right hand so that they could French kiss. Yang mewled in response and receded into it as Pyrrha’s tongue wormed and wriggled around inside. The champion kept her other hand occupied with squeezing Yang’s ass cheeks and gently fingering her anus making her mewl louder.A few seconds of this and Pyrrha went back to dressing Yang into the appropriate attire, once she was finished all of Yang’s clothes were laid strewn across the floor.Pyrrha pushed the divider aside for Jaune to behold his next wife; Yang was nearly completely naked as she stood in Jaune’s full view, what she wore was a leather open style body harness for females.It was made of Black Faux leather with vinyl straps connected by O-rings allowing full view of her breasts and her glistening womanhood barely obscured by golden pubes. It left nothing to the imagination, but Jaune could picture tugging on that tight harness to make Yang feel pain. It even had a collar attached to it all, something he and Pyrrha would take full advantage of soon.Pyrrha cracked a surprise whip she had acquired to get her attention and then gently lashed Yang across the ass making recoil in pain and admittedly...pleasure.“On your knees, Yang. You’re going to service Jaune with those large breasts of yours and do an excellent job at it.” Pyrrha ordered and flicked her wrist making the mark bring Yang to her knees while moaning out loud.Jaune propped himself onto the bed wearing literally nothing save for a leather collar with a leash attached to it, it was held by Pyrrha just as Yang’s leash was.The Sundragon girl hobbled over on her knees so that she could place herself at Jaune’s lap and sandwich her breasts on his hard ready meat. Once she did Jaune let out a pleasant sight at having such firm soft tits smother his cock. Crack! Pyrrha’s whip lightly lashed Yang’s ass again making her semblance flash for a bit, they could notice her body shuddering after the hit meaning Yang liked to be hit so viciously. Quickly enough she started stroking her breasts up and down on Jaune’s cock making him lean back with a hearty moan.To him the feel was indescribable, sure Pyrrha’s chest was large but Yang just barely topped her. Also Yang had more flair for flaunting her assets, now it was time to put them to use.Little by little her efforts were increasing in passion and speed, Yang’s breasts kept massaging up and down on his cock making him really feel the sensation of her soft skin. She eventually dipped her head forward enough to lick the head of his sandwiched cock as she continued her ministrations. ! Yang suddenly felt something dip into her pussy, she nearly looked back until she felt another.“That’s it, Yang. Everyone gets to feel the love, don’t worry…” Pyrrha then leaned in close to her head and nibbled on her right ear. “...we’ll take good care of you.” After that she dipped her two fingers in and out in a gradually increasing pace making Yang get distracted from her boobjob on Jaune.“Don’t lose-” Crack! “-focus! Back to work and do it like you mean it!” Pyrrha barked out when she noticed Yang losing focus from her service, but her ‘encouragement’ worked and Yang now feverishly worked her breasts on Jaune’s cock making him breathe faster.The process of Yang breast jobbing Jaune while Pyrrha fingers her out continued on for several minutes until they both noticed Jaune looking he was about to burst. This was when Pyrrha forcefully pushed Yang’s head down on his meat making her deepthroat her lover, she pumped Yang’s head several times and carefully so as not to choke her.Jaune let out a few grunts with his his hips bouncing against the blonde's face! Pyrrha removed Yang from his cock at the last minute when he erupted; his cock twitched angrily sending out a geyser of sperm to rain on their faces.Once his orgasm subsided Yang and Pyrrha’s face were painted with cum, it didn’t take long for the redhead to aggressively lather her tongue all around the blonde's face until Yang did the same. Now the two were licking all over each other with sperm covered tongues just before the inevitable ultra-erotic make-out of cum swapping. They moaned in each other’s grasp for a good minute or two until they broke apart and swallowed their respective loads.Pyrrha then tugged Yang’s collar forcing her up and threw her onto the bedspread before prowling over to the side. Her leather glove wearing hands pried apart her legs invitingly to Jaune, who had used the dark energy to re energize his cock back to full mass. He grinned deviously and crawled over to her while Pyrrha went and grabbed a special tool to use, just as Salem did when she indoctrinated them.“Actually Jaune, how about you take her rear while I loosen her front door up for you. I want to see how badly she melts when receiving the double dip.” Pyrrha offered when she came back with a large thick looking ribbed strap-on attached to her hips.“Yes, ma’am. Yang did always have a really nice ass. Those spats she wore back in school just made guys all around fantasize non stop, well that and her breasts.” he pulled a compliant Yang up to her feet and picked her up with her back pressed against his chest and legs spread open for Pyrrha. Both of them held really sinister predatory looks that frightened her, but she said nothing and eagerly awaited it. “I’m glad to be living out an old fantasy.” !! “Aaaaggghh!!!” Yang yelped when Pyrrha made the first move by closing in and shoving her plastic phallus deep into her pussy making her cum right then and there. She then writhed in pain as she felt Jaune’s large thick member protruding into her anus little by little. It was so agonizing yet at the same exhilaration.“Huuaaahhh!!” She let out another howl as Jaune fully immersed himself in Yang’s ass.“She’s incredibly tight, I think I just took her anal virginity, Pyrrha!” Jaune growled as he accustomed himself to the feel of the blonde’s buttocks.“All the more better for her to become another wife, Jaune, now go wild.”Jaune and Pyrrha started hammering in and out of her driving Yang crazy with pleasure and pain. Sounds of Jaune’s hips smacking Yang’s buttcheeks resounded alongside the moans stemming from the girls. Pyrrha, being depraved as she is now, enjoyed the sight of Yang’s face having her eyes rolled to the top with tongue lolling out. It was then she decided to hammer her false cock into her harder.Over and over they pounded into her in tandem driving her crazy, they had been going for several minutes so far until they brought themselves to lie on the bed together with Jaune on the bottom plowing her ass and Pyrrha on top driving her fake dick into Yang’s cunt. Yang was getting fucked so rampantly without pause that her body undulated between them with her tongue lolled, Pyrrha grabbed ahold of her breasts and twisted her hips with perverse smile on her lips as Jaune pumped her cheeks with reckless abandon.Soon they came together with Yang and Pyrrha spraying vaginal fluids all over each other with the plastic phallus in between whereas Jaune unloaded a thick pumping of cum into her bowels!They collected themselves for a brief rest after the climax and Yang felt a bit of despair when she heard Pyrrha speak; “We’re not even done yet, dear.”“Oh…”Seconds later the sounds returned and this time it was Jaune plowing Yang’s pussy from behind in a top-down bottom-up position while Pyrrha tugged her collar closer to her pussy smothering Yang’s face.“That’s it, gorge yourself, Yang. Eat me out to your heart’s content until Jaune cums inside you.” Pyrrha yelled out as she felt Yang’s lips curl all over her vulva with her tongue wriggling inside it. She moaned contentedly and held Yang’s perfectly blonde head close to her crotch.Jaune grunted and repeatedly slammed into the blonde brawler’s pussy with glee, he had once fantasized about Yang. She was always deemed the hottest one out of team RWBY, no pun intended, and now here he was dominating her alongside Pyrrha. Her pussy still felt so tight despite Pyrrha raping it with her strap-on earlier, it felt like the juiciest he fucked so far and delighted in knowing he was allowed to fill it up.The repeat patting sounds of flesh continued to resonate within the room, Yang and Pyrrha’s moaning resonated with them. Yang’s hips suddenly bucked wildly against Jaune’s at the same time she moaned into Pyrrha’s pussy, Jaune felt her cunt clamp down on his cock earning her a thick helping of sperm flooding her depths! Pyrrha could hear the throbbing sounds of her husband’s cock and hear the moaning and pleasurable whimpering of Yang underneath her. It was clear that she just came and came hard, the redhead was hopeful that it was a dangerous day for Yang for the obvious reason. If she wasn’t knocked up then she and Jaune have many more chances regardless.“Uuuhh….” Jaune withdrew from yang’s rear leaving a gooey trail seep out of her freshly fucked snatch. Yang herself felt like resting and simply slumped there with her ass in the air.“Jaune…” Pyrrha cooed and shoved the blonde girl to the side as she spread apart her legs suggestively. “...don't’ forget about your wife, you have to satisfy all of them after all and I’m still eager to have a child.”Jaune smiled in earnest. “Yeah…” Then the glow of their  markings returned as did his cock back to full hardness and cum reservoirs. “...I’m still good to go.”Yang was still lying in a slump with cum oozing out of her pussy, possibly pregnant now, but she didn't seem to mind anymore. In fact for once in a long time she felt at peace and…in love. She eyed Jaune and turned over on her back side as he took Pyrrha against the wall impaling her on his sensitive cock in the process. Not long after did the sounds of the champion moaning filled the room, partially because Jaune had tightened her her outfit around her body earning her an intensified feeling of pressure.She hollered out loud as her husband started drilling her cunt savagely with her ass banging the wall in sync with his thrusts, Jaune was especially passionate with her, not just because they were married but because they loved each other more than life itself. The two were glad Salem showed them the way to spread that happiness and love to others, even if their methods could deemed as ‘corruption’. They didn’t care, Salem didn’t care, and now…Yang pried apart her vulva letting the thick amount of sperm dribble out. A peaceful serene smile of utter happiness decorated face.Yang didn’t care now either, she was happy and in love now. No longer alone.Somewhere back in her own sinister domain Salem watched the Seer Grimm’s projection with proud glee. The visual of Jaune aggressively fucking Pyrrha missionary style played out with Yang sitting on Pyrrha’s face letting the redhead eat her cum out,  he had them both by the leashes and collars and refrained from whipping them because of how compliant they already were now.“I was right to choose them, right to choose him. Things are going to changing soon…” Salem then felt up her belly with a proud sinister smile. “...very soon. Excellent work, my children.”Some time later… Within the domain of Salem’s large bedroom there were sounds of feminine moans, slurps, and sighs of elation.On the bed there was one man, Jaune, sitting on the large gothic themed bed completely naked with three heads belonging to three very special women at his lap working wonders on his cock with their mouths.That wasn’t all however…Pyrrha, the original wife, enterprising dominatrix and sadist, sported a five month pregnant stomach as she slowly licked up her lover’s shaft.Yang, the third wife, sensitive masochist and willful sub, nursed a four month pregnant stomach as well, she was bearing twins as she slurped on Jaune’s nutsack with hearts in her eyes.And lastly Salem, the second wife and source of their newfound life as well as herald of a new era, cradled her six month pregnant belly as she slurped the head of Jaune’s cock with fervent gusto. All three willingly served their husband and soon-to-be father of their children without a care in the world, other than Salem wanting to recruit more girls. She had a few prospects in mind and eagerly waited for their inevitable corruption and heavily pregnant stomachs. ‘Like a proper progenitor of the new race indeed. ’ She mused happily feeling her belly.Jaune then cum like a geyser, a fountain more like, all over the girls painting their faces with his essence.They did as they always did and cleaned each other up before sharing the contents, just like how Salem expects many future brides will be doing in the future to be.  The End. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- The Corruption of Arkos  Pre-chapter Two: Motherly Education (Jaune/Pyrrha, Yang, x Salem/Pyrrha/Yang. Heavy BDSM elements and girl on girl action.)   By Azure    A time ahead into the future we witnessed the end result of our seductress’s endeavors in corrupting’ the heroic couple; Jaune and Pyrrha. At the time three wives, all of whom were pregnant with his children, were all that were present. Who’s to say that our witchy seductress didn’t bring in others? Perhaps there were more brought into the fold that we did not see right then. Likely the couple’s fellow huntsmen and close friends that have ventured with the pair during their school years. Let’s inspect further and see just how the rest of it went and who else had been corrupted...   (Set before the Epilogue of the previous chapter)  It was another day in Mistral and the beautiful golden light of the sun streamed on into the bedroom window of the Arc household, where several bodies slept blissfully together in the nude atop a king sized bed. In the center lay Jaune Arc, cuddling on his left was wife Pyrrha. Cuddling on his right was the most recent addition to the ‘family’ and most recently third wife; Yang. No official ceremonies had been held as far as everyone else knew, they had their own personal matrimony conducted by the mother herself, the pale witchy woman only known as Salem.The witch herself sat comfortably in a chair nearby with milky white legs crossed just casually sipping a mug of hot cocoa. She rarely sleeps because of her unusual physiology and only really does so after she’s all spent post-sex,for the moment she simply delighted in awaiting her ‘children’ to awaken. She had thing she wanted to go over with them.Yesterday had been a ceremonious initiation of Yang Xiao Long and it was a pleasant very carnal memory that resulted in the night that followed. One that left the other three adults sleeping heavily.“They certainly are heavy sleepers, considering how much fun we all had last night I suppose it’s not a surprise.” Salem uttered to herself while observing them.She took another long sip from her mug and set it down before gracefully getting up from the chair to saunter towards the bed. She undid her silky dark robe while doing so, now she was as naked as the night before with her body showing off those veiny markings decorating her face and limbs. Despite her Grimm like appearance she was still all woman in both shape and form, and a beautiful one at that.“I’ll simply have to wake them up the way that’s most effective it seems.”She crawled onto the bed and prowled over to the trio, eyeing each of them carefully hovering over to Yang’s snoozing form.She rested her pale naked body atop of hers and Salem’s lips curled into a perverse smile as she leaned down to suck apart the blonde’s lips with her own. Yang started murmuring and reflexively opened her mouth allowing Salem’s long invasive tongue to worm it’s way inside and wiggle around.“Hmmm, mmmhh!” Yang gutturally moaned pleasantly and started exchanging sloppy open mouthed kisses with her. She closed her lips and slurped on the invasive object furthering the erotic tongue play, Salem became enthusiastic and clasped her hands around the blonde girl’s face deepening their lip-lock while she ground her hips on Yang’s thighs. This continued on for a couple of minutes until Salem gently detached after seeing Yang awaken appearing dazed.“Hmmm, mistress…?” Yang murmured dreamily in the brief time their lips detached. Her beautiful lilac eyes opened up to see Salem’s haunting red ones gazing perversely back at her.“That’s right, my sweet child. I take it you’ve had quite the evening recently.”Yang nodded and felt Salem’s hands move to her large breasts tenderly squeezing them back and forth, her head titled back in response and her body felt like it was on fire. Her legs writhed about becoming entangled with Salem’s white ones.Yang let out a sharp gasp after she felt the witch’s tongue curl up around one of her nipples, even more so when she chewed down on it leading to her immediate rise in heavy arousal, the treatments given to her greatly titillated the blonde down there. Unfortunately she broke off from her ministrations before it could escalate leaving to Yang look at her like she was a kicked puppy.“Now now, I only did that to awaken you from your slumber. I need you to do the same for your husband and fellow wive right there. There is something I wish to go over with all three of you before the day starts.” Salem instructed in a caring motherly tone before pointing to Jaune’s groin underneath the sheets. “Now get to work, sweetie.”“Yes, mistress.” Yang replied like an obedient child and slid over to where his hips were covered up by the bed sheet. She wasted no time in yanking them away revealing his long softened appendage resting above his right thigh, both of them had noticed a trail of dried semen connecting from the tip to Pyrrha’s nether region.‘My my they must’ve had a bit of energy left for another romp, such a sweet couple.’ Salem mused as she watched Yang gently grab Jaune’s meat into her hands.Although she was very strong she was careful enough not to damage it in her grasp, those firm yet soft hands went work tenderly stroking it to back to rigidity.  Jaune subsciously relished the feeling as one can tell from his low moaning.Yang smiled mischievously and started pumping her hands even faster on his hardening member. Jaune started stirring and tossing about when the two other women noticed Pyrrha opening her eyes to watch the scene.The redhead simply smiled in approval and observed her fellow wife’s actions.“Go on, Yang. Treat our darling to a little ‘morning delight’.”Yang took the encouragement to heart and got to work stroking Jaunes’ shaft even faster! The slick sounds of her hands repeatedly jacking him off were faint but still very audible along with his growing moans.Pyrrha felt she couldn’t take it anymore and crawled over to place her lips on his dick slurping and licking around the head, Yang felt like joining in as well and removed her hands only to replace them with her own mouth. Her hungry lips suckled and licked up his shaft while one hand fondled his balls.Salem watched in perverse amusement as her two ‘daughters’ went to work on their husband’s genitals. It was obviously having an effect with him stirring more and more until he was awake with one eye opened to the scene.“Pyrrha..? Yang…?” He mumbled slowly regaining consciousness as his arousal levels took its peak. Suddenly his large member started twitching painfully and both girls took that as a sign to top him off.Pyrrha’s lips opened wide and swallowed in the head with Yang pressing her face to the side slurping the shaft alongside with even more intensity. Audible slurping noises resulted making Jaune moan and hold the backs of their heads while Salem simply started dipping her fingers into her pussy and squeezing her own breast to the scene. Yang’s tongue slithered agonizingly slowly up and down his shaft with Pyrrha’s lips tersely sucking faster on the head, this carried on for minutes until Jaune felt his hips buck giving them the sign he was cumming. Pyrrha took the initiative and aggressively swallowed the entire head of Jaune’s penis into her mouth completely allowing him to blow a thick concentrated load inside. Her cheeks puffed and her eyes rolled up the top as her husband’s sperm flowed down her throat like a gentle riverBoth his hands held her redhead steadily against his waist as he pumped and pumped some more cum down his wife’s gullet, Yang pouted and crossed her arms in a huff before turning back to Salem. “Daddy’s awake, ma’am.”“Drat,I was...huff…was getting so close too. Perhaps I should’ve joined in.” Salem replied feeling a little agitated and stopped masturbating.Jaune had finished cumming inside Pyrrha’s mouth after a good half-minute, once she withdrew she unveiled her open mouth to her co-wives before gulping it all down.“Ah, delicious morning treat.” She commented wiping her face.‘Bitch.’ Yang thought with her arms crossed, Salem got up from her spot and stood over them by the bedside.“Now that you’re all awake I have some things I wish to discuss with you in regards to ‘expanding’ our little family.” She started and then added. “But right after some breakfast first, anyone feel like cooking?”“I’ll do it, I’m a little annoyed that mo- I mean Pyrrha hogged all the spunk. Cooking something sounds right up my alley.” Yang commented and got off the bed to head downstairs still naked. Salem turned to look at Jaune and Pyrrha with a sweet smile.“I’ll meet you two downstairs when you’re ready.” She said and exited the room leaving the couple alone.“If this is gonna a daily wake up call for mornings then I like it!” Jaune commented as Pyrrha started doing her hair up in a bun. She giggled playfully in response and finished tying up her hair before leaning over to wrap her arms around him.“Did you enjoy your morning treat, dear? I know Yang may have started you off, likely after mother set her off, but I am the one who finished it. I have your essence within most of my body now, through all three holes no less.” Pyrrha cooed smiling sweetly at him.Jaune chuckled and pulled her up close nestling his head to her neck kissing around it before pulling her into a ver loving lip-lock. She mewled pleasantly and closed her eyes as though losing herself in the embrace, not long after they broke apart and gazed into one another.“You were fantastic, honey. You’re always at the forefront of being there for me, just when I thought I couldn’t love you anymore than I already do you just keep surprising me.”Pyrrha blushed and sweetly cuddled with him, they stayed like that for a good while until they heard Yang’s voice bellow out from downstairs.“I think she’s upset with me for hogging you.” Pyrrha commented giggling. After a delicious breakfast all four sat around the table ending it with a round of pancakes,courtesy of Pyrrha. Even Salem savored the taste of the doughy syrup covered treats, she just tried not to show her pleasure to her family. Meanwhile Yang and Pyrrha took turns feeding Jaune spoonfuls while fondling his cock through his pants underneath the table. He was starting to feel like they were competing with each other.“Ahem, well now that we’re awake and well fed I thought about who should be next to bring in. Anyone have any prospects? It wouldn't hurt to have one woman of considerate wealth and power, after all…” Salem then cradled her stomach knowingly while looking fondly at Jaune. “...there’ll be a time in the future where we would require a substantial means of living, especially with a growing family.”Yang took a sip of her juice before answering. “Well my baby sis does not qualify as one of those you mentioned, plus it’s getting to be a real pain in the ass keeping track of her. She’s always working.” Yang commented.Pyrrha nodded in agreement. “Blake is likely the same, but corralling her would be a boon for Faunus support. She is also close allies with many other female Faunus influentials, that includes Velvet, Neon Katt, and a defector named ‘Deery’.”Jaune munched down on some sausage and spoke. “Well she mentioned wealth and power, I only know of two people that really qualify; Coco and her fashion business and Weiss with her dad’s company.”Salem mulled in thought and weighed the options; they were close friends with the Schnee woman and Pyrrha is essentially a celebrity. It’d make more sense to go after the snowflake first, especially with the common knowledge that she’s single and often lonely because of her business.“Then it’s decided, we’ll go after Weiss Schnee next. Pyrrha, dear, is there any possibility you can arrange a meeting with her?”Pyrrha nodded with a wry smile. “Weiss has been trying to get me on as a representative to better the image and productivity of her company. If I call her and announce I’m interested she can certainly agree to meet us.”“Excellent.” Salem smiled and clasped her hands together.“Oh that reminds me, I nearly forgot I have to attend some personal business with my mom and sisters tomorrow. I think I may be gone the whole week, there’s a lot to do around the house and for their Freelancer business...ever since dad died.” Jaune let out feeling glum at the end of the sentence. He received sympathetic hands from his wives next to him as he continued. “So yeah it’s family matters, I need to be there and help them out. I do this every now and then.”“It’s true.” Pyrrha acknowledged and Salem looked contemplative for a moment.‘Sisters and a mother, vulnerable and perhaps distraught...they sound perfect for expanding our darling’s bloodline.’ Salem mulled then eyed and remembered one very important detail.‘Wait, I remember that his birthday is coming up soon. We three should get him a gift, a splendid one…’ she then looked to Yang and Pyrrha taking turns kissing Jaune. ‘Hmmm, perhaps something we cannot simply buy anywhere else in the world; wives with enhanced experience at pleasing him.’“So do you want us to come with? I don’t think we can handle a week without you, babe.” Yang added looking saddened that her husband would be absent.Jaune mirrored her expression and offered to ask them both to join him until Salem spoke.“Actually beloved it is best you attend to your family matters alone, there is more I wish to teach the girls about in regards to magical abilities and such. They won’t be able to learn more if we keep getting distracted, and trust me you’re distract us quite well.” Salem stated ending with a purr. Yang and Pyrrha looked uncertain at this, but the witch had a point. If they were going to be better and put Grimm out of business they needed to learn more, and having their husband away for a week can allow them to progress on that.“I do not like it, but I agree with mistress. Unless you wish us to accompany you?” Pyrrha asked looking hopeful, but Jaune gently shook his head.“That’s okay, this is more important, besides I still think my sisters and mother have it out for you. For some reason there’s this tension between you all ever since I introduced you to them. I can only picture bringing Yang along with us would make that worse.”Pyrrha nodded in understanding, it was true the Arc women may hold some scorn with Pyrrha for nabbing Jaune away when instead they should be happy for them both. It was almost like they were jealous.“They sound real fun, I hope they like babysitting because that is what I’m gonna stick them with in the future.” Yang added feeling annoyed with Jaune’s family.‘Hmm ha ha ha, oh yes. Those Arc women will do nicely for him, it seemed like they already consider him a prize...in the taboo sense.’ Salem thought giggling sinisterly as she took another hot sip of cocoa.  After a couple of hours later Jaune packed his things; weapons, clothing, and luggage, for the trip to his hometown where the rest of his family members reside.It was a near tearful farewell when he stood at the door, but he didn't leave without kissing each of his wives full on the mouth first. Once he was gone Salem, along with Pyrrha and Yang, were all dressed in casual wear and sat in the living room.Once both girls plopped onto the couches they were immediately depressed, Salem however stood tall before them with a knowing smile.“Dread not, my dearies. While the husband is away I shall aid in teaching you the finer things you must know.” She began.“Not really in the mood, mistress.” Yang mumbled.Pyrrha simply nodded, both girls were out of it until they heard her snickering loudly.“Oh I believe you will be, I am not going to teach you ‘magic’ per se, but rather how to better please you husband. There is much you have not yet practiced the more intricacies of the art in which we please our man. Are you interested in keeping him sated and glued to you?”Immediately Pyrrha and Yang bolted up right with faces of pure readiness and determination. “Yeah, sign us up and teach us!”“I agree, that realm of adultery is still rather new to me. We could stand to gain from your tutelage, mother.” Pyrrha added.Salem looked pleased. “Excellent, his birthday is coming up after all. Once he returns he’ll find his ‘presents’ waiting for him and gift wrapped nicely as well.”Pyrrha looked astonished and facepalmed right where she stood. “Goddess how could I have forgotten that? I’m a terrible wife!”Salem swayed over to them and put her arms each of the girls in a comforting manner. “Fret not, dear Pyrrha. With my help you will be the perfect wife.” She then looked to Yang. “You as well, Yang.”Once she let go she clapped her hands together. “Let’s begin, my children. I have already acquired your tools for ‘education’.” Once all three women went upstairs and into the master bedroom Salem magically manifested a large black case. It was the size of a casket and just as dreadful looking, she magically undid the locks and opened it beckoning the girls after she did so.Pyrrha got closer enough to marvel at all the gear she was expected to wear for her learning process, Yang was simply confused as to what was what and which items belonged to her.“They all look...leathery, does these come in sets? Because I can’t really tell which one is mine.”Salem merely chuckled and turned around to face them before waving her hands to magically shed their clothes apart.“Oh my!” Pyrrha reflexively covered herself up before she remembered that nudity was a freebie in this household. Yang simply flexed her muscles at the champion proudly.Salem bent down and lifted up a certain kit containing the set, one that didn’t bear much for obvious reasons, and handed over to Yang.The blonde took it into her hands and Salem handed a different one, a kit bearing more gear and objects than the other, and gave it to Pyrrha.“I think the themes speak for themselves, but I…” Salem then magically shredded away her own dark robe and materialized a dark leather tight suit showing off all her curves wrapped extremely tightly in black leather. It might as well have been black paint for how thin the layer was. Around the space of her chest there was a cleavage window strewn in black lace that trailed down her torso to the belt. She wore high heeled long boots, wore an admiral’s hat which was also made of black leather, and black leather long gloves. “...am your ‘queen’ and you’ll refer to me as such.”Both girls nodded and started opening their kits to retrieve their materials, after fifteen minutes of getting set up Salem now marveled at the sight of her enterprising ‘children’.“Exquisite.” She commented feeling very aroused. She looked at Pyrrha, who now donned the ‘Pony’ themed BDSM ensemble.The champion’s head, while still donning her own personal circlet, was strapped with a leather headgear that connected to a mouthpiece similar to what horses use. Her body was strapped in a body harness tightening her skin with a belt strap covering her pussy. Her breasts were laid bare with the exception of small nipple clamps attached to her breasts. Her hands were behind her back bound in some leather binding object whilst her legs were bound together in similar bindings. Her current kneeling position was reminiscent of a horse should anyone bend her over.“You, my sweet pony girl that functions as a switch, will be called…’Amazon’. A befitting name for a proud warrior.” Salem addressed then looked over to the other wife.Yang felt a little embarrassed with her outfit; she had virtually nothing covering her body save for plush doggy paws made out of leather covering her hands and feet. On her face was a painted nose and stripe resembling a dog, her hair was in twintails and her neck wore a dog collar with a chain attached to it. She wore nothing else over her body.“You might’ve stretched the imagination with Pyrrha’s, mistress.” She commented suddenly getting her chain leash yanked forcing her on hands and knees. She then felt something hard and narrow steadily stretch out her anus.“Hhuuaa…aagghh!”Salem stood over the hunched over Yang with one of her high heels gently digging in between her ass. “You will refer to me as ‘Queen’, remember?” Salem testily asked grinding it left and right earning pained squeals of pleasure from Yang.“Y-yes, Queen..! Kyaa…!” Yang squealed again, feeling that both her breasts and her ass were sensitive points of pleasure for her. Salem then retracted her heel and brought out two small soft rounded objects attached to what looked like animal tails; one being a horse tail and the other being a dog.“Mmmfftresss...mmhwat…mmrrr...ddos?” Pyrrha asked with her voice muffled by the mouthpiece. The queen ignored the question and knelt down behind Yang’s prone form, she gripped the blonde’s hips and gently drove the dog tailed plug between her cheeks.“Mmmgghh!! Oh yeah! Right there!” She let out as her anus enveloped the invasive object. Her hands would be clawing at something were it not for the fake paws she wore. The rest of the plug plopped in completely leaving out the tail portion making Yang look like she grew an actual dog tail.“Sensitive down there and already yelling out your reactions. Like a good little dog no less.” Salem stated and then reached forward to pull Yang’s face close to hers while still writhing in pleasure from the anal service. “I think ‘Goldie’ will be your name, my little bitch in heat.” She hissed seductively and kissed Yang full on the mouth allowing her tongue to invade and worm around inside.Yang moaned into the kiss with her eyes rolling up to their sockets as Salem’s tongue continued lathering her insides.Pyrrha, watching this in growing arousal, waited patiently for her mistress to finish and once she broke off from a dazed Yang she approached her prone form with the horse tail plug. She didn’t need to guess what came next.“Eeagghh...huuaaa… mistress!” Pyrrha let out as she felt the plug slowly plop into her anus setting her entire body on fire. THe champion bucked her thighs and came hard! The mouthpiece stifled her moans of pleasure.“There, all finished. Now you two will experience the finer aspects of this realm of deviancy, it’s all for pleasing your husband better.” She addressed standing after inserting the plug into Pyrrha’s ass.She walked over to Yang’s hunched twitching form and lifted her up onto her back with a gentle nudge of her boot. Salem then loosened some of the binding leather strings keeping her chest wrapped, she let loose enough cleavage to free breasts halfway and undid a small flap between her legs. Both her tits and pussy were completely exposed to the girls.“Let’s get started, shall we?” She turned her head to Pyrrha and clicked her tongue twice beckoning her like a horse, the Mistral warrior obeyed and wobbled over gradually arriving closer to Yang. Salem wasted no time in positioning the restrained pony over the spread eagle ‘dog’, grabbing a long pink double-ended dildo she drove one end deep into Pyrrha’s cunt.“Nnyeaggh!” Pyrrha mewled muffled behind the mouthpiece. Salem pushed further until it was at the halfway point leaving the equal lengthed other end sticking out.Licking her lips Salem positioned herself over the protruding plastic phallus about to lower her moistened vulva onto it. Before making the drop she reached ahead to pull the mouthpiece out of Pyrrha’s mouth and held her head to look down at the sprawled Yang.“While ‘Mommy’ rides the pony, give the dog some loving. Do it.” She ordered firmly with an allure to her tone. Pyrrha obeyed and craned herself down to where her face smothered up against Yang’s slightly furred pussy. Lips curled succulently up against vulva with Yang’s fiery golden fuzz tickling her nose, Pyrrha noticed she had it shaved in the form of her own ember icon. The amazon made a note to convince her to have it done in Jaune’s symbol later.Closing her eyes she started tenderly sucking apart her vulva lips as though she were kissing it, Yang started becoming very hot and bothered and maintained her position down below. Her head tossed left and right as Pyrrha’s mouth service worked wonders on her, Salem cooed at the sight and humped her hips downward fully impaling herself on the double dildo embedded in Pyrrha’s pussy.“Hmmmggh!!” Pyrrha hollered out quietly within Yang’s mound and resumed her work. Her lips were more energetic and her tongue lapped around in circles before diving into her co-wife’s quirm. Yang bucked her hips in response and felt like cumming, Salem noticed this and just before saying anything she delivered a hard spank to Pyrrha’s ass!She let out another hoarse moan while still having her face shoved into Yang’s pussy. “Bark like a dog, you golden bitch. I said bark!”“W-w-wooof…! Woof..whoaaaa…!” yang was interrupted when Pyrrha started suckling her clit expertly with her lips. She couldn’t hold it anymore and undulated her hips up against her face cumming!Juices sprized forth onto Pyrrha’s lapping face while Salem continued her bucking rhythm into her pussy, seconds later after her orgasm subsided Yang was still panting on the ground in the same position.“Hmmg! Don’t get distracted, dear!” Salem continued humping against Pyrrha’s rump, patting back and forth between flesh and leather with a long double-ended dildo in between. It drove Pyrrha crazy, but not as much as anal did. Something Salem corrected by tugging on the horse tail piece and pushing the plug further in!“Oooohhh...mistress!” She yelled out feeling her body writhe with pleasure as Salem tugged and pushed the object in tandem. Pyrrha was getting it in both anus and pussy using artificial tools played with by a domineering Queen.This continued for minutes until Salem felt her orgasm approach and then she shoved herself deep onto the dildo embedded in Pyrrha's cunt to where her hips pressed against her ass skin-to-skin.This time Salem moaned and bucked against her pony cumming like crazy, Pyrrha felt her own climax return in full force as she sprayed the plastic phallus with juices.Yang had returned to full function and form and arose to see her mistress hunched over Pyrrha, both panting and sweaty. It was then that Salem’s eyes locked onto the dog and smiled deviously.“As for our next lesson, Goldie. You…” She dismounted Pyrrha’s pussy and removed both the dildo and the buttplug before brandishing out a strapon, the same one they used earlier during her initiation. “...will dominate the pony.” She finished and took one extra long suck of Pyrrha’s juices from the dildo before turning it to suck on her own.“Yes, mommy! I mean- Queen!”  Yang yelped enthusiastically like a child.“There, there.” Salem then pulled the head of both girls closer to her bosom in a motherly way. “It’s quite alright to call me that, I do think of you as my children after all and our family will only continue to grow. For now however we will focus on further pleasing ‘daddy’ and you two will do it like professionals when he returns.”They both nodded and salem handed the strap on over to Yang who grabbed it and latched it on, feeling the sensitive nub of her end push into her. Salem stood to the side and held  Pyrrha’s cheeks apart suggestively, Yang grinned and moved herself to hover above the firm buttcheeks of the star huntress ready to mount.Salem cradled Pyrrha’s head closer to her own with a seductive purr. “You, my dear switch will use your magic tongue on me while I in tandem work on you. The dog will have fun riding the pony in the meantime.” She stated and Pyrrha nodded dumbly just before Salem’s legs came up around her shoulders pushing her own face against the muff of the witch.She inhaled the exotic scent of the eldritch woman and tendery suckled around her sensitive skin. Salem in turn gripped Pyrrha’s leather bound thighs and craned her head up to start dipping her long tongue into her quirm. This made Pyrrha writhe uncontrollably, but that feeling amplifeied when Yang fully slid the strap on into her ass! She let out a large squeal and relished the pleasure it brought her, her ass was as much a sensitive point of nirvana as her breasts, which Yang hunched over to tug on.Her face was frazzled and her body a wonderland of dominated bliss; her nipple clamps were being tugged back and forth by Yang as she contoineud humping her fake cock into her anus. This went on while her mistress wormed her serpentine tongue around inside her pussy while smothering her snatch up against her face. If this was a lesson in any manner than she was learning by experience, somehow.“That’s it! Ha ha ha, Goldie is riding the pony! This is so much fun!” Yang cried out in child like pleasure as she pumped her hips again and again into Pyrrha’s buttocks. The blowback pleasure reverberated with her own body as well because of the strapon, part of her personally enjoyed domming Pyrrha ever since the morning of her greedily sucking out their husband’s cum for herself. ‘Maybe if I show daddy how rough I am he’ll pay more attention to me and dominate me more!’A symphony of sounds ranging from moans, slurping noises, and grunts resounded from within the room as the trio pleasured each other in chained pattern.Soon enough Pyrrha came hard again due to receiving it on all ends, Salem’s mouth tasted her fluids and in turn came into Pyrrha’s face while Yang came into the strapon after enough fucking.After collecting themselves for a good few minutes the three went back at it again, this time with Pyrrha having her arm binds undone and wearing the dildo from earlier. Yang was in between two of them about to be the meat in the sandwich; Salem donned the strap on and pressed it against her pussy while Pyrrha simply removed the plug and inserted the dildo deep in her ass before impaling herself on it, successfully double penetrating the ‘bitch’ of the three.Flopping back and forth between the two domineering bodies Yang was taken for the ride of her lifetime, her eyes rolling up with tongue rolling out wad indicator of that. She only usually gets like this when Jaune doms her doggystyle.Sounds of flesh and wet noises combined loud purring moans continued resounding within the room and minutes later all three women came again! Pyrrha thrusted thrice more until she soaked the dildo she was fucking herself on, Salem grunted and came hard into the strapon, and lastly Yang came in between them having her holes spritzed with cum from her fellow wives.All three passed out shortly after the fuckfest and rested atop the bed.  Later… Reaching the door and unlocking it Jaune stepped into his house with a tired look on his face, one that brightened up when he saw Salem sitting cross legged in a chair with Pyrrha and Yang kneeling at her sides wearing the bdsm gear from earlier. Both girls noticed him and looked absolutely hungry and ready to serve.“Welcome home, dear. I have a birthday present for you.” Salem stated as Jaune closed the door and removed his clothes.   End chapter.  Next Chapter- Catching the Snowflake (Weiss) ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- The Corruption of Arkos commission Part Two  Chapter Two- Corruption of the Heiress(Jaune/Pyrrha/Weiss, threeway, BDSM, creampies.) By Azure    Part 1  After arriving home Jaune was greeted with the sight of all three wives in the kitchen in their casual wear with arms outstretched for him.“Welcome home!” Pyrrha and Yang cheered out as he passed through the doorway with a warm smile on his face. Salem was in between them with a similar grin on her face despite not cheering out the welcome, she had on her dark robe as usual.He set down his luggage and shook off his armor wear to approach his lovely wives. The first to pull him into an overly affectionate hug was Yang who sniffed him along the side just as Pyrrha was doing when she wrapped herself around his right. Jaune’s arms reached around and wrapped both girls in a loving embrace.“Ah I’ve missed you three so much, I’m pretty sure you missed me too.” Jaune commented staying in the hug and pulling back a little so that Salem can wrap her own slender pale arms around him from behind.“You have no idea, lover.” She purred lciking up the side of his neck with her serpentine tongue. “These two were absolutely distraught about your absence, I had to keep them occupied with a little ‘education’ so that they don’t cry over you. How did it go with your family members?”“Well the business is as stable as it’ll ever be and my sisters seemed to be doing fine all on their own. Still kinda wondered why none of them bothered getting boyfriends though, I try not to think about why they’re ultra clingy with me when that thought comes up.” Jaune stated a bit nervously while the redhead and blonde of the group rubbed his torso affectionately.‘You may have to soon, lover. I certainly won’t ignore their incestrous affections for you.’ Salem thought darkly. “Had they done anything for your birthday? We’ve set everything up on our end and we even have a special present lined up for you.” She purred making Jaune shiver pleasantly.“Well I can’t wait to see it, but first let’s eat. It was a long trip from home.” He added receiving nods from all around until he paused. “Oh wait, almost forgot to do this.”He then grabbed Yang, who was closest to him, and locked lips with hers making her relax into his embrace. His tongue and lips worked on her mouth with passionate energy, this kiss continued on for at least a full minute when he finished and left the blonde babe in a daze. He turned to Salem and pulled her into a similar embrace; with his lips and tongue feverishly working against hers in an energetic dual of oral flesh, Salem made good use of her long tongue here. She even rubbed his crotch through his pants while they made out, after a full minute they detached and Jaune left Salem lickiong aroun her lips trying to keep the taste of her husband on them.Lastly there was Pyrrha, who Jaune immediately pulled into his arms and dipped as they feverishly made out like horny teenagers. Yang whistled from afar and Salem was getting turned on by the sight, she had it in mind to make dinner quick so as to get to the ‘good stuff’ in the bedroom.Jaune and Pyrrha exchanged spit and wrestled tongues only as lovers do and both did with all the energy of their hearts, it was nearly two minutes until he picked her back up and withdrew leaving an equally dazed Pyrrha in his wake.“Welcome home, honey.” She said hypnotically, earning a chuckle from Yang.“Good to be back, I especially missed waking up to your face.” Jaune said eyeing the redhead romantically before delivering a quick peck on the cheek and a smack to her ass.After Jaune put away his things him and his three wives, all of whom wearing naked apron outfits that nearly gave him a heart attack, set up the table for a feast to be had. They’d need the energy later, that was for sure.Salem gave a dark prayer, which made Pyrrha and Jaune chuckle a little at the irony of it, and went to chomp down her specially made food. Yang bit into her turkey entree and Pyrrha into her chicken salad meal, Jaune had his usual bacon cheeseburger meal while all three women crept their legs up against his crotch.Going by his distracted reddened face he did not mind one bit, the firm soft sensation of Pyrrha’s elegant foot played with his balls from beyond the cloth. Yang’s worked above his shaft in the navel region and Salem’s simply caressed everything in the middle between the other two women. It was getting hard to eat for Jaune, the more they worked his groin with their soft graceful feet the sooner he felt like cumming in his pants.Pyrrha picked up on this and gave a certain look to both Salem and Yang who had gotten caught up in it, both nodded and retracted their feet so as to conserve energy for later.“Uuaahh...I was on the edge of my seat there, ladies. You’ve must've really missed me.” He commented relaxing in his chair after his arousal levels decreased.“Oh we’re just naturally frisky is all, but true being husband starved for a whole week has left us with some pent up energy.” Pyrrha addressed with a sweet smile on her face.“Ditto that, we’re gonna wring you dry, Snookums.” Yang jeered with a purr as they resumed eating. “You’re gonna like what we’ve been taught after tonight.” Pyrrha added taking another erotically slow bite of her chicken.After dinner they had gathered around the cake, which was just an ordinary ice cream cake in Pumpkin Pete’s logo of a bunny head. Jaune gushed like a starstruck child upon seeing it, earning a few laughs all around. Pyrrha really had to hand it to her sponsors, being their mascot certainly came with its perks.A chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ from all three was followed up by a blowout of the candles.Salem decided that they should hold off on the cake until later so as to not disturb their energy reserves, also she had a plan in mind for the pastry to be used later in another kink.“Come right this way, dear.” Salem beckoned to Jaune after putting a blindfold over his head. She raised her arms and created a rift portal back to her own realm and teleported everyone with her.The feel of landing on solid ground again came to him and he heard Salem whisper to the two girls to get ready, feeling patient yet excitable Jaune took a seat on what he assumed was Salem’s bed.A few minutes later and after hearing various shuffling noises, his blindfold was lifted up over his head.“Whoa…” He uttered in awe at the sight.“Here we are, darling. We’re your birthday gift.” Salem addressed as she stood tall in her specially made outfit with the presence of a queen; she wore a large fishnet dress over most of her body along with a leather cupless corset. She had on long leather arm wear and leather legging connected to the corset via leather garter straps, her leather legwear also had spikey high heels to go with her theme. Her delicious pale breasts stuck out proudly, and to Jaune’s notice they seemed a size bigger, perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him, but nonetheless he enjoyed seeing his queen in that getup.For Pyrrha and Yang they matched outfits in a sense; both had on tight body harnesses with interlocking rings, both wore matching face masks that covered their heads save for two holes used for the nose and mouth. Our from the back of their masked heads were holes for their hair, Pyrrha only had one and it sprouted her beautiful red hair in a ponytail whereas Yang adorned two holes allowing for her golden man to sprout out in twintails.Underneath their masks were collars with code names to go by while being subservient; Pyrrha was ‘Amazon’ and Yang was ‘Goldie’. Although both girls were technically blind because of the masks, they could still feel and see enough to know Jaune sat before them marveling at their presence.“We’ve spent all week preparing this, now let’s get our little ‘welcome back’ started.” Salem declared as she and the other two leather clad girls descended upon Jaune hungrily. Clothes came undone, the sounds of heated kissing and moans of passion resounded between Jaune, Salem and Pyrrha exchanging saliva in tandem. Yang had preoccupied herself with getting the ‘tools’ they planned to use for tonight.Things went underway with Jaune fully undressed and hopping over to mount his original wife, who was posed in doggystyle and wriggling her rump temptingly, Jaune was guiding his thick angrily throbbing member between her perfect buttcheeks.“Gyaaahh...Yes...Jaune!”Pyrrha was more than ready to accept, and Yang was more than ready to please her mistress as she and Salem arranged her hips to intersect her mound against Yang’s in scissoring position.“Ooohh fuck! M-mistress!” Yang hollered out as her lower body rocked back and forth against Salem’s gyrations.Her beautiful curly golden hair sprouted out the side holes in twintails, her mouth hole let out a lot of heated moans and breaths as Salem had in her a scissoring arrangement. The dark seductress bore a depraved grin on her face as she grinded  her pussy against her ‘daughter’ in slow sensitive motions while the latter’s hands were restrained around her back.Jaune noticed, with great perverse delight, that all three of his wives actually did grow their breast sizes a cup or two. Whereas Yang used to be considered the biggest with her double D cups, all three now had F cups and each pair of breasts were nearly the size of their heads.Salem picked up on his stare while he continued fucking Pyrrha’s tight warm ass. “You’ve noticed then, honey? I used my dark magic to temporarily give our ‘assets’ an increase in size for that extra touch in your birthday gift.”Jaune panted and gave him an appreciative smile. “And believe me it’s more than welcome, I can’t take my eyes off them.”“Good to know, because I want you to feed from them soon, we are lactating.” She trailed off with a sultry beckoning tone that pushed Jaune over the edge!He grunted and furiously pounded his cock into Pyrrha’s ass three more times until he buried it inside pumping furiously afterwards.Pyrrha shuddered and hollered out a pleased mewl as she felt her darling husband’s cum flood her anal canal, just the feel of it alone was enough to set her off and cum right there on the floor, having Jaune reach forward and hold onto her large breasts certainly added to that. They both came together for nearly half a minute until they finished, Jaune had withdrawn from between her buttcheeks leaving a trail of goo connecting her gaping anus to the head of his dick.Yang tussled back and forth on the throes of orgasm while grinding her cunt over Salem’s, the witch herself was close, but what really sealed the deal was when Jaune lurched over to start sucking on her right  F cup sized breast.“Ah uh haaahh!!!” Salem reeled at the sensation of having her large sensitive breast suckled on by her lover, so much so that it pushed her over the edge. She came hard with body writhing about and hips undulating over Yang’s causing her to cum as well.Juices spritzed about leaving the blonde bombshell and the dark witch panting with heaving large chests, but it wasn’t over yet for Yang Xiao Arc.!“Aaauuagghh! Daddy!” Yang yelped out when Jaune attacked her breasts next. Both his hands firmly grabbed and squeezed the large orbs while his mouth gently chewed on each nipple alternatively. Yang was on the edge of cumming all over again and the site greatly pleased Salem, Pyrrha had just recovered from her orgasm and peered up to watch the scene through the muffled view of her mask, already the two felt ready for more action.Again and again he alternated nipples, making to sure suckle and nibble each one before switching to the other, all while tenderly squeezing her breasts. Yang’s legs kicked up and locked around his waist pressing him further onto her body as she started dry humping his torso. In no time at all she came hard and writhed wildly against Jaune’s form with juices splashing against his navel.Jaune withdraw the drained girl and stood up on his knees to see both his other wives looking at him with wet anticipation.Salem stood up and called out to the girls in an authoritative tone. “Children, time to show ‘Daddy’ what you’ve learned. Assume positions.” She ordered as Pyrrha rearranged herself in doggystyle position again but with her busty chest closer to the ground and her ass sticking way up in the air.Yang struggled to recollect herself and mirrored the redhead’s actions, now they knelt side by side in the same pose readily in front of Jaune.“Teach them some discipline, dear and make sure you reward them too.” Salem ordered as she started fondling her own breasts.Jaune took his spot behind them and got an idea on what to do; he first dipped two fingers of his left hand into Yang’s sensitive quirm making her mewl like an animal in heat.“Dogs bark, Goldie, show your husband the bitch you are. Bark.” Salem called out making Yang quiver in anxious excitement.“Woof...woof!” She let out and started panting, both impressing Jaune and somewhat disturbing. It was an arousing form of disturbing though.Thus he dipped his fingers in again and pulled them out again only to repeat the action in steady pattern.Pyrrha felt a little left out and veered her head to the side expectantly. “Darling…?What about me?” She asked as though roleplaying and boy did she immerse into the role well.Smack!“AAagghh! Ooohh…” Pyrrha let out a mixed moan of pain and pleasure when something struck her ass.Jaune turned his head to see it was Salem’s whip.“Ponies winnie, Amazon. Your husband and pleasing the bitch over there right now, he has time for you still. Nonetheless you were impatient and deserve punishment for speaking out of place.” Salem then turned to Jaune with a malicious smirk. “Punish her, dear. I think all misbehaving children recive spankings, correct?”Jaune nodded and got the idea. He raised his right hand and slapped it across Pyrrha’s buttcheeks making her shiver and mewl loudly. “M-more…” She uttered and Jaune slapped her ass again making her react as though she was experiencing mini-orgasms.She was getting off on treatment to her ass big time. “M-more!”Jaune’s hand slapped again several times back and forth making her cry out repeatedly as her body shook with climax. Her thighs bucked and her body quivered, her face couldn't be seen but Jaune could tell with her tongue lolling out of her mouth.Then he continued on with the tandem treatment of both his wives; from fingering yang’s cunt to spanking Pyrrha’s ass, all while watching Salem fondle herself to the scene. Minutes passed and both girls reached climax, spraying their liquids over Jaune’s hands!He ceased his ministrations and took his hands back, he was getting very aroused seeing Salem suck one of her own breasts into her mouth and licking it erotically. The sight alone nearly made Jaune want to bust his load, but he held firm because he wasn’t done yet with his women.After letting the girls recuperate for a few seconds he turned Yang over on her back spread eagled and positioned Pyrrha on top of her with both sets of large breasts squishing up together. Yang took the initiative of hooking her legs around Pyrrha’s making sure they were both spread wide for him as he guided his member into Yang’s folds, ,burying himself deep.She tilted her head back howling in pleasure as she felt him fill her up, she had missed this feeling very much. Pyrrha silenced her by leaning down and tonguing out her open mouth leading to both of them passionately making out while Jaune smacks his hips against Yang’s pussy. Salem sneaked around back behind him in order to creep her hands around his chest lovingly before capturing his lips with hers. The two made out with tongues wrestling as the girls did the same with each other. The entire room was a symphony of sex noises.After minutes of plowing yang’s cunt jaune pulled it out and shoved it to the hilt inside of Pyrrha’s moist pussy, the surprise feeling made her moan loudly within Yang’s mouth, which only intensified when Salem shoved a large dildo into the redhead’s ass.The champion’s arms clung tightly around Yang’s shoulders as yet another orgasm overtook her senses, Jaune grit his teeth when he felt her walls convulse on his cock. He held it together long enough for Pyrrha to finish cumming and resumed hammering his cock into his wife, Pyrrha started absentmindedly humping against Yang’s body as their husband started switching from one wife’s cunt to the other. Yang tnesed up when she felt Jaune reenter her to hammer away at her snatch a few times before returning to Pyrrha. This continued for several more minutes until Jaune started pounding both of them in rampant successions, both girls clung tightly onto each other as he did so.Between screaming out euphoric moans and occasionally making out in between, they were losing their minds to the bliss their husband gave them as he savagely fucked both of their pussies in tandem.Jaune tnesed up and jammed his length up against Yang’s quirm one final time before unloading a heavy payload of potent sperm into her depths, making her clench Pyrrha’s body as she came. Load upon load of sperm filled her up to the point of leaking out, but Jaune had enough energy and cum to pull out of her and slide into Pyrrha during climax. His cock blasted the redhead’s womb with the remaining cum he had left in his ballsack after cumming inside Yang.Salem delighted in perverse fascination as she watched and heard the violent throbbing sounds of his member filling up the girls.After nearly a full minute of cumming Jaune was finally done and so two were ‘Amazon’ and ‘Goldie’, they lay atop each other spent, sticky, and filled with semen.Jaune felt he had only a bit of energy left when he suddenly felt dark energy cascade around his penis, he looked to Salem whose hands glowed with a similar color of dark violet. “Just making sure I don’t get left out, honey. After all…” Her hands ceased their glow and as a result Jaune’s cock returned to full rigidity ready for another fight. He looked to see salem leaning back against the large throw pillows spreading her legs and holding her left one up high while spreading her vulva with her fingers. She looked to him invitingly and licked around her lips.“...I’m your wife too. Now come here and complete your birthday present.”She cooed darkly and Jaune crawled over to her to position himself at her waist.He held up her outstretched leg and held it by the ankle as he wasted no time in driving his reinvigorated cock into her vaginal depths. The immediate result was Salem craning her head in euphoria as her husband filled her, Jaune leaned forward pressing even closer against her body to the point where her breasts pressed against his chest, but he was still angled well enough to deliver hard thrusts into her core.“Hhooo yes!!” Salem crooned as she felt Jaune’s girth plunge her depths. She wrapped the other leg around his left calf and hooked her arms around his neck pulling him into a heated kiss. Jaune loved how she used her long tongue, it slithered around his own coiling the flesh in a bizarre tongue play that furthered his arousal.He was multi-tasked enough to continue slapping his hips forward onto hers repeatedly while they made out, this continued on for several more minutes until Jaune turned her around to fuck her in top-down bottom-up position. He was making the dark witch moan like an animal in heat, her breasts jiggled around and her pale white body shifted back and forth rampantly as he hammered away. Salem was still wearing her domineering outfit,which was designed to accommodate both her holes and breasts, it seemed to have really turned him on seeing how tight the fishnet portion was on her body.Not long into their romp did Jaune lurched over her leather clad back to cup her large tits in each of his hands while his hips continued slapping into her rear, this led to her wrapping a leather clad up around his neck and moaning out his name.Pat pat pat! Their lovemaking continued at a frenzied pace with Jaune now hammering away into Salem’s pussy like a savage, it wasn't long until she let out an almighty moan that coincided with his primal grunt! Jaune’s muscles tightened and his body tensed with his hips smacking hard rampantly into her quirm, he was cumming a mother load of spunk into her womb just as she came like a tidal wave. Her ornate hair had been undone leaving it to cascade down her frazzled face and her back giving her a sexy look.Both Pyrrha and Yang looked on through the tiny view holes of their masks to see their husband pumping heavy shots of sperm into their mistress for nearly two whole minutes!Once he finished he laid back onto the messy bed spent leaving a trail of cum bridging the tip of his dick and her pussy, Salem looked positively fucked senseless with her body still hunched in position.Pyrrha removed her mask and crept up to him just as Yang had done, both girls looked up to him with hearts in their eyes as they shared a loving kiss one after the other. Salem recovered, if only barely, and crept up the middle with them.All three of them cuddled with Jaune after the mammoth of a fuckfest they had just experienced.“Huff...wow...I gotta..huff..say that was the best...huff...birthday ever. I love you all, each and every one of you...with all my heart and soul.” Jaune said softly making the girls gush in adoration, Salem included.The ageless eldritch wonder looked absolutely cute when she smiled sweetly back at him, something you wouldn't think could be done with black sclera eyes, but Jaune loved her nonetheless. He loved Pyrrha, Yang, and whoever else should come along as per Salem’s design.He had a heart big enough to bear after all. “We love you too, darling.” They said in unison as Pyrrha draped a blanket over their bodies allowing them to rest peacefully into slumber.The Arkos couple cuddled their heads together the closest with their hand entwined with one another.  End of Part One    Part Two  A while after that welcome back party Jaune and Pyrrha ventured back into the combat duty, they needed some tournament action to get their skills back into shape after the brief period of inactivity. Salem took Yang back to her realm to stay in the castle, the blazing huntress couldn’t be seen living with the Arcs les there be rumors and scandals about. Things weren’t set up yet for her to permanently stay at the moment, that would change soon enough.“Good luck you two, have fun with the Heiress. I may not be too familiar with her personal life, but anyone can see that a lonely business oriented lifestyle isn’t good for the soul. You are to fix that and bring her into the family.” Salem declared as she stood before the portal with Yang standing beside her.The blonde brawler started growing her own veiny markings that branched out on her limbs, a surefire sign she was as much part of their family as Pyrrha and Jaune were.“We will, don’t worry about missing out on the details. Weiss will be sure to give them to you herself once we’re done with her.” Jaune announced.“I think you’re pretty excited to be crossing off ‘Woo the Snow Angel’ off the bucket list.” Yang jeered snickering.“In a way yeah...maybe.” Jaune added.“I’ll probably see you two at the coliseum, I’ve been in contact with the others and they’re all psyched up for it. Maybe we’ll fight each other, I’ve been feeling much more powerful since Mistress’s blessing after all.” Yang continued looking hyped.“Ah ah ah, should you come to blows in that aren be sure to restrain your powers. I rather not have people asking questions should any dark energy manifest from you two.” Salem counted testily. Both blondes nodded.“Wait, Yang. Everyone will be there? My teammates and..yours?” Jaune asked looking puzzled.She nodded. “Yep, before becoming part of the family I had received a letter from Ruby about joining the Mistral tournament for kicks. Weiss is just showing to watch in hopes of  getting you to agree to a sponsorship deal, Pyrrha.” Yang said that last part towards the Spartan.“Normally I’d be inconvenienced, but this is actually the perfect opportunity. I’ve been meaning to bait her into the deal and get her alone at her manor so that my husband and I can claim the Heiress.”Salem nodded in approval.“Everybody wins, also Blake’s just showing up for the heck of it. I guess being on Menagerie too long gets boring.” Yang added.“So the whole team is gonna be there, you, Ren, and Nora included apparently. Can’t wait!” Jaune pumped excitedly.“Patience is a virtue, Jaune. First comes Weiss Schnee then later come the rest. Now have fun, you two. Both in battle and elsewhere.” Salem finalized and turned around to enter the portal with Yang following in behind her. Later… The Arkos couple, fully geared up and ready to fight, arrived at the Mistralian colosseum where a crowd of onlookers gushed at the sight of the two famous hunters. Since acquiring Salem’s power booster they had been very successful in routing Grimm incursions at record breaking pace, to the point where new settlements flourished around the kingdom making them very infamous in the process.“That reminds me…” Pyrrha started as she walked on towards the center of the ring where they saw four unmistakable colors belong to four unforgettable friends; Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang were all present.“There they are.” Jaune pointed out as they walked closer and took in their appearances; Ruby wore the outfit she donned shortly after Beacon with its corset, puffy sleeves, leather vambraces, and boots all topped off with her red hood. Weiss looked as elegant and poised as she ever did with her powder blue short skirt dress and developed figure. She was now a drop dead  gorgeous angel in appearance now, especially given how her long white hair hung in a rear ponytail like Pyrrha’s. Blake wore a tight black crop top stylized in her personal emblem with tight fitting pants deserved for sleek comfort and stealth. She had ditched the white trench coat she wore earlier and settled for going as miniscule as possible. Unsurprisingly was Yang, his secret third wife, wearing her own signature get up from their journey to Mistral the first time around.The blonde babe cast him a sly wink as they approached and Jaune couldn’t  help but notice that Ren and Nora weren’t here. Yang noticed his plight and answered for him.“Uh Ren and Nora aren’t coming, I got a message from Nora saying they’ve run into a ‘problem’ that couldn’t be ignored. Might’ve been a Grimm attack or some other trouble in the village.” She explained just before Ruby ran up to tackle Jaune into a hug.“Jaune! I’ve missed you soo much!” She shouted into his chest making him chuckle. Pyrrha looked on with a sweetened face when Ruby broke from her embrace with jaune to hug Pyrrha next like family members reunited.  “You too, Pyrrha! It’s been forever!”“Indeed it has, you have certainly grown taller since last time, Ruby.” Pyrrha chuckled as Ruby stepped back to show herself off.“Because I drank plenty of milk, and killed a lot of Grimm in between.” Ruby proudly stated earning an embarrassed scoff from Weiss and snicker from Blake.“There she goes again, embarrassing herself. You wouldn't believe that she’s in her early 20s by looking at her.” A tempered voice said and Jaune looked to Weiss waving with a fond ‘hello’. Weiss turned her attention to him next and observed him studiously, she’ll admit he’d become more impressive since last time. ‘He’s come a long way from the dorky huntsman who used to pester me for dates.’“You’ve certainly filled out too, Arc. I must say I’m impressed with how much muscle you put on, even more so when I heard about your exploits lately. Even in Atlas I get reports of the heroics done by you and Pyrrha, now I’m guessing those rumors of both of you routing Grimm in large numbers holds a lot of truth.” She stated inspecting him.“Really humble praise coming from the Head Schnee of the company, you’re just being the fairest of them all. You’re too much, Snow Angel.” He remarked earning a bristle from her. Pyrrha and Ruby finished hugging in time to see a peeved Weiss glaring comically at him.“Grrr, you will never let go of that nickname, will you?”“Nope, not as long as I get that reaction.” Jaune commented earning a twitching brow from Weiss.“Pyrrha, be sure to control your husband before I freeze him in a block of ice.” Weiss warned testily earning a laugh from all around.Blake walked to them next smiling fondly at the two. “It really is good to see you two again, there are a lot of Faunus citizens back on Menagerie that tell me and my parents all about you saving their villages.”Pyrrha wrapped her arms around Jaune’s backside proudly. “Well we do our best and then some, during our own ventures we’ve learned plenty of new things to use in battle. We’d be happy to show you sometime, assuming you’re not too busy running the White Fang.” She offered.“Believe me, I am plenty busy, the White Fang did a number to Faunus relations everywhere during their savage period, but things are steadily improving thanks to Sun, myself, and my parents. We’re also getting a lot of volunteers joining our cause. It’s a work in progress, but I’ll be sure to hold you to that offer. There are Grimm in the desert lands of Menagerie that need exterminating after all.”“Well I look forward to it.” Pyrrha answered then looked to Weiss. “Say Weiss, you wouldn’t happen to still be looking to sponsor a celebrity model to represent your company wears, would you?”After she asked Weiss’s face lit up with stars in her eyes. “Really? You’d be interested?!I mean I haven’t found a good representative yet, and I’ve been dying to get recruit a model huntsman with a good reputation. Goodness knows I’ve tried and refrained from pestering you. I know I have asked you for ages and I did feel bad for bothering for it considering celebrity life is something you hated, but you really want to cosign with me?”“I’ve had a change of heart and I figure it’s time to expand beyond Pumpkin Pete to better inspire people. This can also help improve the SDC’s image as well. What do you say?”“Absolutely! Ahem I mean, very well then. I accept your offer.” Weiss shouted with joy before dulling her tone to sound more cordial.“Smooth, Ice Queen.” Yang jeered.“We will discuss business after the tournament is done with, just so you know I’ve only come here as a spectator, originally in hopes of finding a rep. It’s good to know I won’t need to now that you’ve agreed to help me.” Weiss stated professionally before returning to her normal tone.“Well the pleasure’s all mine, Weiss. Jaune and I will certainly be looking forward to working with you.” Pyrrha declared courteously s the megaphone announcer stated that the tournament will start soon.The redhead then looked to Jaune with a knowing nod as the group of friends dispersed to either sit in the stands or compete in the tournament.UP above in stands sat Weiss Schnee, looking regal and composed as she observed the sight of the Arkos champions down below readying for a fight. Ruby sat close by and watched in amusement, Blake did the same and cheered them on with a tiny flag with their ship name on it, and Yang observed with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she scanned around looking at her friends.‘Hmm he he he, yes. Quite a formidable all female team they have closeby, they will make wonderful additions. Pyrrha already has the Schnee Heiress hooked like fish to bait, all that is left is to wait.’ Salem mused watching the visual from Yang’s perspective using the Seer Grimm. ‘I believe the girl’s fascination with Nikos may stem beyond fanatical admiration, there is also the knowledge that did not have a wholesome upbringing which leads to some deep seated issues regarding her father. I’m sure Jaune will play on that, she’s ripe for the picking.’Back to Mistral the tournament things were underway with Jaune and Pyrrha readying themselves for combat; several other esteemed huntsman came out from their own entrances and eyed the two carefully.Once the signal started, which was a loud beeping horn, the two moved in fast to engage the small legion of huntsman warriors…! Time had passed by hours and the sun was setting, in the middle of the arena stood Jaune and Pyrrha barely looking any worse for wear. They stood in the middle of a dozen unconscious opponents after an energetic yet arduous battle between them.Raising her hands up in the sky Pyrrha held up her hands, which yielded her weapons, and Jaune’s right next to hers as the audience erupted in cheers!“Woo! Go Jaune and Pyrrha!” Ruby cried out with stars in her eyes after witnessing the battle.Blake stayed silent for she was not the loud cheering type, but waved congratulatory nonetheless. ‘That was something else, I didn’t think even seasoned huntsmen could pull off the maneuvers they did. Amazing!’“Attaboy, Jauney! You too, P-money!” Yang hollered out, keeping herself in character next to her peers. She was half-tempted to flash her breasts to the cameras for how giddy she was, but refrained as to not make a scene either next to her team or on the internet.Weiss was clapping animatedly as they took their bows and shook hands with the defeated in very cordial sportsman like manners. “That was splendid! They’re perfect for sponsoring! I can hardly wait.” Weiss said out loud with a heated gaze and adoring eyes.Yang takes notice of this and grins maliciously without anyone seeing. ‘Oh yeah, she’ll be calling Jaune daddy and Pyrrha mommy by the time they’re done. It’s no secret that her relationship with her father was a screwed up one, can’t blame her for not feeling too bad after he died. Tch, I can relate all too well to having a shitty parent.’ The image of Raven came to mind and gradually Yang’s grin stretched even wider when a certain thought came up.Weiss walked down over to congratulate the married couple on their victory.“So…” Weiss had to reel herself in and looked at each of them expectantly. “Let’s talk business at my estate then.”Both nodded as the rest of team RWBY arrived with Ruby giving a fistbump to Jaune as Pyrrha highfived Blake and Yang in unison.“After the party at our place first though. I’d like to show you lovely ladies the house the Arc husband and wife acquired through hard work.” Jaune stated earning cheers and giggles from all of them.Once they received their trophy for the tournament and safely stashed the prize money the gang set out on a stroll throughout Mistral to take in the sights. Eventually they wound up on a small bullhead over to the Arc estate where Ruby wowed in awe at the two story building.They had all entered inside with everyone kicking off their shoes before getting comfy.Jaune couldn’t help but get a little aroused seeing Ruby and Weiss’s cute dainty feet, Pyrrha saw his reaction and grabbed his head to look in the way of Blake stretching her arms over her head showing off her chest. Yang gestured to Jaune from behind Blake with a finger in the hole motion using her hands, she did it so subtly without the others noticing.‘He he hehe, this is a feeling you’ll get used to after certain actions are taken, you two.’ Salem thought in amusement when watching Jaune and Pyrrha check out the ‘fresh meat’ in the room.Within the house the crew helped themselves to some cake and food while catching up about their current places in life.Blake sat with Yang and Pyrrha chatting about her progress with her mission of peace, Weiss amused herself by touring the house seeing the array of extra weapons and mystique decorations of Mistral culture, occasionally seeing plenty of Pumpkin Pete goods like extra hoodies.Jaune and Ruby however sat across from each other on their knees exuberantly talking about their heroics.“You two were amazing out there! I want to learn whatever kick-butt secrets you learned!” Ruby cried out cheerfully gushing like a starstruck child. It’s odd considering how old she is now, but so like Ruby to behave this way. She had to stop herself from touring the house earlier when noticing the collection of weapons.“Easy there, little sis. These three have important business to get down to. You can bug them for details later after that, you are staying in Vale for a while, right? I think you mentioned that in  your letter. They can visit you and the three of you can do some adventuring.” Yang called out from across the living room and then looked to Jaune and Pyrrha. “Right, guys?Is that cool with you two?”Jaune nodded. “Of course, we have plenty of time to catch up and teach. I promise , Ruby. First we’ll take care of some business with Weiss then we’ll do some good ol’ team up adventuring.”Ruby pouted cutely and smiled before handing out her right hand with pink outstretched. “Pinkie promise, Jaune.”“Seriously how old are you again?” Weiss muttered as Jaune took her hand in his and shook it.“What about you, Blake? Have any downtime for catching up later? You said you were interested in enlisting us to clear out some Grimm on Menagerie.” Pyrrha mentioned taking another sip of tea.Blake nodded. “Yes, I still have that firmly in mind and I’ll go over the details with you when you two are freed up to help. Right now you should probably take care of Weiss’s thing first, goodness knows the SDC needs some positive support now that they’ve finally addressed those longtime issues under her father’s reign.”“And unlike my father I treat all my employees fairly and just, with great pay too. I even only use Atlas droids to mine and work the more dangerous parts of Dust mines. I’m wiping the slate clean on my end.” Weiss proudly stated.Blake nodded. “Same for the White Fang, they’re both works in progress but I think we safely say the future is in good hands. If only it weren’t for the Grimm still clouding the world.” She eyed Pyrrha with hopefulness next. “Can you and Jaune really wipe out that many? It would be a great boon and a literally paradise if we freed up that much space and eradicated the Grimm.”“Oh we will take care of everything, Blake. On that you can most certainly trust us.” Pyrrha concluded with a glossy eyed smile that would creep out anyone if they knew the reason behind it. Line- After saying their temporary goodbyes and exchanging renewed scroll numbers as well as places they’ll be staying at Jaune and Pyrrha set off with Weiss and boarded her private VTOL. The pair were quite surprised when it arrived at their front yard, after seeing Weiss look so smug they figured it was everyday business with her. It was much like Winter’s own personal jet in that it was sleek in design and held some ornate white tassels on the wings representing their icey theme.All three individuals sat in the passenger space with their duffel bags and luggage containing necessities among ‘other’ things. Weiss simply sat by a window seat and sipped her tea in relative peace as she caught up with Pyrrha and started talking about how far they could take the sponsorship.‘She didn’t need to bring Arc with him, but I suppose as such a lovey dovey couple it was a package deal.’ She thought eyeing Jaune polishing his shield to kill time. Weiss couldn’t say she hated Jaune, not even during their Beacon years, but she internally held a degree of animosity towards him. Not because of the annoying dates he pestered her for, but because he was married to Pyrrha and happily so. At some point in the past she sought to ally with Pyrrha during initiation so as to make themselves into the most formidable force in school, but Weiss had long since moved past their juvenile mindset.‘It’s funny how it’s come back full circle with this sponsorship deal.’ She thought secretly wishing Jaune hadn’t tagged along, she banished the thought and returned her thoughts to adoring the bronze champion sitting across from her. Having no idea what was in store for the future.Later… The three had gathered in a large spacious parlor of the manor, all servants and hired help were sent home early for the arrangement.Weiss had given Pyrrha a set of apparel from the SDC merchandise department hoping she wore it best for representation. She always did admire her figure, and her breasts, that thought made Weiss a little ashamed of her humble C-cups.Jaune sat on a couch nearby waiting patiently with her for the good few minutes until Weiss spoke up.“So Jaune, I know you and Pyrrha always do things together, but I’m curious why you came with her for this. Aren’t you and your services needed for some of the lands beyond Mistral’s immediate Kingdom space? Pardon my asking by the way.”Jaune shrugged. “Me and Pyrrha cleaned up house pretty good since our last scouting mission, not too many Grimm are gonna pile up for a while. Even if some did then the local huntsmen and defending forces that handle just fine, we softened up the Grimm for them after all.” He answered honestly and leaned forward.“Besides, despite Pyrrha how performs in the arena she gets pretty nervous about brand new things like this. She may have posed for cereal box covers and commercials, but modeling is one thing she’d likely to be anxious with.”Weiss nodded in completely understanding. “That’s certainly true, too many would-be volunteers are camera shy when it comes to trying on clothes. I wonder how Coco puts up with it.”There were at least four high tech cameras floating about in the air ready for photo taking and video recording. ‘Can’t imagine why.’ Jaune thought dryly and spoke. “I get it, Snow angel. I’m coming off as a third wheel, huh?”Weiss sputtered a little in embarrassment. “Wha- no! I didn’t imply that. I just meant that I-”“Wanted to get Pyrrha alone, right?” Jaune answered for her and suddenly Weiss felt small. “It’s no secret that I’m probably not your most favorite, even after Beacon, but I like to think we can get along a lot better and just get to know each other more.” He stated rather eerily that gave Weiss tingles, whether they were positive tingles or not was still in question with her.“Whether you like me or not, Snow angel, I’ll do my best with Pyrrha and work in getting you to come around too.”Jaune then stood up and looked over to her with an impressive domineering gaze. For some reason she liked this bold side of him, it almost reminded her of her father except that Jaune wasn’t a business obsessed asshat like Jacques Schnee.“I’m coming out.” Pyrrha’s voice sounded from afar and the two turned to see the champion walk out in stylish SDC brand sportwear; a tight pair of lightblue bike shorts and sporty bust showing her cans yet keeping them in check. She even wore light blue bands on her wrists and did a confident pose like an athlete.“Wow! You look great in those, Pyrrha. And that’s just a light sportwear set.” Jaune commented making her gush red.Weiss was even worse, she was positively red in the cheeks and feeling a nosebleed coming out. It’s no secret that her admiration may tread into possibly lesbian tendencies, from envying her body to wanting to be her, to perhaps wanting to get her in skimpy swimwear. Weiss would say she plays both sides even though she wouldn’t confess that out loud, but Jaune will soon have her melting like that for him too. ‘I’ll even get her to call me daddy.’ He thought as the cameras clicked and recorded Pyrrha flexing her physique in the sportswear.She did this for four minutes and went back into the dressing room nearby to change into the next set.“Enjoy the show, didn’t you, Snow angel?” Jaune asked teasingly.“S-shut up! And stop calling me that.” Weiss sputtered and tried to recompose herself.Pyrrha came back out wearing an ultra tight two piece swimsuit adorning the Schnee logo, the outfit was made of refined material that tightened up on her body like leather, but was white in contrast to her blazing red hair. This time Pyrrha did a sexy pose where she slumped to the floor straddling the air and puffing her chest out with a sexy smirk on her face.Jaune got hard looking at his wife like that and Weiss had even more trouble controlling herself altogether. Pyrrha knew this and gave a knowing look to her husband after staying in that pose for several minutes.The cameras whirred and soaked in everything visual. She got up and did one last pose, in which she propped her hands on her knees and stuck out her ass tauntingly. Jaune was resisting the urge to fuck his wife right then and there and Weiss couldn't keep still to save her life, oh yeah she definitely had a lady boner for the champion.Once she returned to standing normally Pyrrha spoke up. “Um Weiss, are you alright?”“F-fine! Just m-move on to the next set!” She stammered cutely making Jaune and Pyrrha smirk.“Well if you say so, but before I continue I’d like to demonstrate certain tools and devices that aided me and Jaune in our battles against the Grimm. Could I trouble you to allow that?”Weiss saw no reason to decline and simply nodded. “Sure, whatever helpful things you two use can certainly better our image as well.”“Very well, let’s shake on it first though.” Pyrrha offered and Weiss took her hand in polite manners, not knowing she was being marked by the witch’s magic.After Pyrrha withdrew it she took Jaune by the hand to lead him into the dressing room with her.‘Why did she take Jaune?’ Weiss wondered as she slowly got herself together. ‘I am really like that, aren’t I? Oh lord...this must be why I always feel a little tense with Jaune even though I thought I grew up since then. I’m such an embarrassment, looking like this…’“We’re coming out.” Pyrrha’s voice rung out musically as she walked out the room with Jaune behind her, the sight Weiss beheld made her gasp for the visual was shocking her.Pyrrha, now clad head to toe in a very tight leather gimp suit which held hard-to-see flaps and zippers over her private parts. The one piece skin suit lead up to her head where her face was visible but the back of her head was covered in the material with a ponytail sprouting out the hole. She even had on a collar with the tag named ‘Amazon’ embedded onto it.She stood wearing high heel leggings, holding a leash attached to her collar in one hand and the aforementioned ‘tools’ in her other hand.Weiss was no stranger to common sexual knowledge and saucier gimmicks used in such hijinks, but she could clearly tell they were into some really kinky shit. She just couldn't identify what she was holding, but a few of those items definitely looked penis shaped.As for Jaune, he stood behind his wife wearing nothing but a leather collar and tight black speedos, fully showing the Heiress his impressively toned body and...large package tucked behind the garment.“We’d like you to sponsor our ‘tools’ , Weiss. Think of what the SDC can gain if they expand themselves to the idea of Dust powered sex toys, maybe Atlas could even build mass produced androids like Penny  to serve as sexbots.” Pyrrha offered when Weiss was adjusting to what she was seeing.‘Is this really Jaune and Pyrrha? What’s gotten into them?’ Weiss thought in turmoil as she tried processing this. It didn’t make any sense, these two of all people were acting like sex maniacs. Perverted ones at that.“Did you know that Dust can also double as an aphrodisiac if mixed a certain way with certain ingredients? Just food for thought, as for now just watch me and wife demonstrate the use of our tools for you to think about.” Jaune explained as Pyrrha got down on her knees before him and undid the flap zippers keeping her breasts and pussy confined in tight leather.Weiss nearly nosebleed because of what she was seeing and strangely enough she was more than open to letting this progress. The mark on her palm lit up unseen and unnoticed.Pyrrha gingerly shoved a large plug looking object melded with what looked to be a horsetail and shoved it into her own ass with an erotic moan. The rounded end just happened to be coated in energy Dust making what she felt magnified as it settled snugly into her ass. Jaune’s hand came around and pumped it back and forth into her anus several times, making her even weaker to its stimulations while she worked on fishing his cock out.She brought it out and salivated at the presence of his meat tapping her face, Weiss couldn't take her eyes off it, off Jaune Arc’s large erect cock. Once Pyrrha started slurping around the head she wasted no time in pushing herself to inhale all of it, Weiss started feeling up around her breasts while watching. A sight Jaune liked to see as he grabbed a hold of Pyrrha’s head and started pumping his hips forth, essentially face humping her.Like a champ Pyrrha took it like one and sucked hard with each thrust he delivered. Weiss had shucked off her mini-jacket and hunched up her skirt to caress her panties and feel up her own breasts, even she had no idea what brought this about. For the longest time she went without attending these needs, the mark glowing in her palm probably helped with that.‘What’s going on with me? Why can’t I stop!?’ She thought feeling the waves of arousal override her rationale. She didn’t want to stop.The flapping sounds coupled with wet moans escalated with Pyrrha gripping her lover’s hips to deliver forceful hard sucks. This continued for several minutes until Pyrrha pulled off leaving Jaune unfinished, she teasingly fondled his shaft gently tapping it on her cheeks several times before turning around on all fours wiggling her buttocks.“I’d rather you save up your energy lover,  you’re gonna need it for Weiss.” She stated out loud shocking the snow haired girl. “How about you take that specially made paddle and punish me for leaving you without finish.”Jaune smirked and kicked off the undergarment he was wearing and grabbed a moderately sized spanking paddle made of wood covered in leather and small spiky nubs.‘They want me to endorse those?!’ Weiss thought looking from the paddle to the butt plug to...Pyrrha lubricating an unoccupied strap-on with her mouth. The way she provocatively suckled and bobbed her head on the plastic phallus set off alarm bells in Weiss’s body.She finished sucking on it and gently placed it aside waiting for the inevitable strike from her husband.Smack!The paddle came down on her leather clad cheeks earning a pained mewl of content from the champion.“Nnggh! Again!” Pyrrha called out and received another smack of the paddle on her buttocks! Her thighs bucked and her position crumbled only slightly, Weiss watched on in perverse fascination as Jaune continued spanking her ass!“Hooaah!! Lead me around, Jaune! L-lead -smack-  the pony around!” She hollered with her tongue lolling out and her eyes looked crazed with perverse hunger.“As you wish.” Jaune got up and grabbed the handle of the leash connected to her collar and lead her around in a circle while she crawled.To Weiss it was the damndest thing she ever saw; Elite super celebrity champion Pyrrha Arc(Formerly Nikos) was being lead around like a bitch in heat and enjoying getting treated like one.“Aagghh! Hooaa…!” Weiss this time moaned when she had both hands underneath her fancy skirt. They fiddled around and fingered her pussy as she watched the scene, right now Jaune had spanked Pyrrha a couple of more times before they looked her way.The look on Pyrrha’s face haunted her a little, it was like they peered into her very soul with perverse delight. Right now, although being deprived of cumming, Pyrrha slung herself alongside Jaune’s right leg like a trophy slave as they locked onto her.“Weiss...we know you’re deprived of love and we can give it to you.” Pyrrha offered in a soothing voice that she felt drawn to. Part of it had to do with the seeping corruption of lust fueled ark magic coursing through her veins.Another part was that Weiss had never felt warmth of any kind, at least not in most of her family nor with sexual relations. She had been brought into run the SDC earlier than planned and she’d been busy running it most of the time…just as she had been losing out on a warm childhood because of business.Jaune offered out his hand as well and Weiss slowly reached for both of them, once they latched on they pulled her up to embrace them like an affection hungry child.Jaune himself wasted no time in pulling the frosty into an embrace that began with him dipping her body and tonguing out her mouth. This surprised her at first but slowly she relaxed into it while Pyrrha started undressing her.From tearing fabric to removing all forms of high priced garment she had done it; Weiss standing between them bashfully covering herself with her hands.Pyrrha came up behind her and removed her hands right before reaching around to pull her into a succulent tongue writhing kiss, one that she happily returned. Jaune grinned and examined her developed C cups and started fondling them causing her to moan within Pyrrha’s mouth.Weiss’s hand came up to snake around the neck of the champion while another rested on Jaune’s mat of blonde hair, she mewled and reacted to his treatment on her breasts. He made her squirm and she couldn’t help but be impressed.After a while of foreplay Pyrrha detached herself from Weiss’s mouth leaving a trail of saliva bridging their lips. She turned to Jaune real quick before speaking. “I’ll be right back, going to change into something more comfortable.” She winked and grabbed something from the pile of toys before heading into the dressing room to change, leaving Weiss alone with Jaune.She looked up into his eyes, blue for blue, and felt a little anxious considering how predatory he came off as earlier.His arms snaked around her petite body pulling her close so that her bare chest pressed up against his, he looked down into her eyes with that same domineering gaze as earlier. “You’re gonna call me ‘Daddy’ when we’re done, my adorable snow angel.”“Ww-wait- mphf!” Weiss was cut off from protest when Jaune sucked her lips into his again leaving no chance of resistant thought as he cleaned out her mouth with his tongue. Weiss felt her sense of self erode away as the big warm body ensnared her in the embrace. Her arms came up to wrap around his head just as her legs hiked up to enclose over his hips.The two took their passionate make-out to the couch where they continued exchanging saliva, that was until Jaune gently broke off to snake down to her stark naked pussy, which was moistening with excitement.Wasting no time he dove in and started tenderly nibbling on her clit while sliding his tongue around the lips of her vulva, this made Weiss screech with pleasure and grip the cushion like she were clawing them.‘So tasty.’ He thought to himself and continued tasting and tonguing the snatch of the famous Weiss Schnee.Her thighs bucked and her hands gripped his head as she humped herself against it. Weiss held out for only a little while until she cried out in climax, coating Jaune’s face in her juices!“Looks like you’ve been treating your ‘daughter’ rather well, honey.” Pyrrha’s voice spoke up and both looked to see the champion outside of her leather outfit and into a lacey one piece lingerie suit with no cups. Her large breasts were visible with the rest of her body barely covered up by lacy transparent cloth with frilly design, but what really drew Weiss’s attnetion was the strapon she snugly strapped to herself. The phallus was well lubricated and Pyrrha was eyeing the dainty Snow angel hungrily.“Daughter…?” Weiss uttered as Jaune pulled up off the couch.“That’s right, Weiss. Our ‘abilities’ gave us a bit of insight and with you we can tell...that you have a crazy ‘Daddy’ kink. Well consider Pyrrha your ‘mommy’ and me the dad. Yang certainly does.” Jaune explained leaving Weiss dazed as the redhead closed on behind her to gently lift her up by the thighs.‘Y-Yang too?’ She thought numbly as a new wave of sensation eroded her mind, most of which being desire for the corrupted couple.“What do you say, Weiss? Want to join our little family and help create a new world? We can be all the family you’ll ever need.” Jaune stated soothingly as he closed in.Weiss felt herself break at the notion. “Yes! Please!” She cried out earning a soft chuckle from the pair.“Alright, let’s get you initiated then.” Just as soon as Jaune said that Weiss felt something press against her buttocks before sliding up into her ass.“Hhhaaauuu!!!” She cried out as Pyrrha’s strapon cock drove snugly into her cute butt, she was firmly sheathed and the smaller girl felt a whole myriad of new sensations. Her face slowly became screwed up in a tongue lolling pleasant expression eager for sex.“Here you are, lover. I think she’s ready.” Pyrrha cooed licking up the side of Weiss’s flustered face as she spread apart her vulva for Jaune.He grinned and gripped his phallus readily as she approached the illustrious heiress.The sheer feel of Pyrrha’s strapon firmly sheathed inside her ass was too much for her and she couldn’t bare to depart from it. Jaune had come closer and held apart her deliciously creamy petite legs as the head of his meat slowly inched to her mound and…-pop-His cock slid without mercy into her insanely tight cunt making Weiss grit her teeth in stinging pain as her hymen was broken.This surprised Jaune and Pyrrha until the former grinned victoriously as he adjusted himself inside. “Well Weiss, I had no idea I was your first. I guess now I can cross that off the bucket list.” He joked until Pyrrha gently smacked his forehead in playfulness before jutting her hips up against Weiss’s ample buttocks.The petite heiress snapped out of her trance and started moaning at the intense feel of two cocks penetrating her body. Her legs came up and locked around Jaune’s butt while her hands locked around his neck making sure he was as deep as can be.Jaune started pumping and at the same time so did Pyrrha, Weiss started mewling uncontrollably as the pair drove each of their lengths deep into the Heiress’s holes in tandem. It was overwhelming to her and she loved every minute of it.He rocked his hips against her tight twat just as Pyrrha gently rocked her own into her rear, like a piston engine they shifted in and out rhythmically without depraved lust written in their faces. They brought Weiss down with themselves onto the couch where Pyrrha lied on the bottom having Weiss in the middle like an ice cream sandwich, Jaune was the top and once he reinserted into her they started pumping rampantly into the petite girl.“OOoohh yes!! Daddy!! Daddy!” Weiss hollered out, now fully corrupt, and locked her hands behind Jaune’s neck so as to savagely suckle on his tongue while keeping her legs clamped around his ass. The sounds of the romp increased in volume and frequency with intensified moans included.Minutes more of this continued until Weiss screeched out in titanic orgasm bringing Jaune along with her! The blonde man lunged his hips into her squirming form as he pumped rope after rope of semen into her depths, at the same time Pyrrha was overcome with stimulation as well and came atop the couch into the strapon.Jaune continued pumping more thick shots of sperm into his little Snow angel when Pyrrha leaned in to the side of her ear whispering seductively. “He sure is filling you up, Weiss. Is it not a dangerous day for that?” She asked purring and Weiss was too drenched in pleasure to think or respond.“I suppose you’re right not to worry, you wanted to be a part of a family after all. What’s better than pumping out more from the man who made you call him ‘Daddy’.” She concluded with a smirk and smacked her ass from underneath making her cum yet again onto Jaune’s cock.He had finished cumming but wasn’t sated yet, neither was his still rigid cock.Pyrrha had undone the strapon and presented herself in doggystyle position again, but this time with Weiss directly underneath her face to face.‘Time to use that technique Mistress taught me.’ Pyrrha thought to herself when her left hand shone in dark violet glow. She touched her normal D- cup breasts,which return to normal size after a while, and made them regrow into the F cups she had during Jaune’s birthday celebration.Weiss’s eyes went wide in wonder as the large melons expanded over her chest. “That’s right, Weiss. They’re quite big aren’t they? You can help yourself since they’re lactating, go on...and feed from mommy.” She offered with a sultry voice, clearly getting immersed into the roleplay that Weiss was hypnotized into.The smaller girl craned her head at an angle and started gingerly sucking Pyrrha’s left breast into her mouth, oddly enough milk did came out and she drank it in gusto while squeezing the other boob. This made Pyrrha groan in delight just before she felt Jaune drive his member all the way into her backdoor.“Eeaaaghh!!” She hollered out doubly with Weiss feeding from her large breasts and Jaune plowing her ass again.Again the sounds of flesh colliding with flesh resumed and so too did the growing moans of Pyrrha Arc, Weiss continued suckling on her breasts in tandem while she was getting railed, but while waiting for ‘Daddy’ to finish up with ‘Mommy’ she had decided to play with herself too.Back and forth Pyrrha’s semi-nude form undulated all over the smaller girl, her face a screwed up mess of ecstasy, Jaune had hunched over so he could kiss up her neck and mastubrate her pussy while still pounding.Before long her body jumped back and forth between the two bodies in climax causing Jaune to let out inside her anal depths once again, Pyrrha did really like taking it back there after all.Once Pyrrha was satisfied and Jaune withdrew from goo filled butthole he turned his attention to Weiss lying on her back and staring up at him expectantly.His member was still hard, partially thanks to Salem’s magick, and ready for one final round. The image of Weiss peering up at him hopefully with arms outstretched was more than enough for him.Seconds later the moaning resumed and Weiss straddled Jaune’s body in cowgirl position feverishly bouncing up and down on his cock. Pyrrha laid spent on the couch watching with gusto and making sure the hover cameras recorded every minute of what was transpiring, for many purposes later on.Weiss’s hair had been undone letting it flow beautifully while she rode Jaune as he lay back relaxed enjoying the ride.“Aaah haa aaaggh!!! Daddy!!!” She screamed out loud and arched her back when cumming, taking jaune with her as she did. Yet again she felt the pulse of his cock pump his seed into her womb as she came down on h im, a wide sex crazed smile written on her face.‘Another one down.’ Pyrrha mused whimsically to herself. Later…After deciding to get wed into the dark matrimony via Salem, Weiss traveled back with Jaune and Pyrrha a new person. There at the house in Mistral she was greeted by Salem, whose magic mark made her familiar and motherly. Before the binding ritual could take place they were all transported to Salem’s realm where Weiss met up with her co-wife and teammate Yang.Now apart of it all she felt no problem in agreeing to act like a faux daughter to Jaune and Pyrrha, who aided in her rebirth, and as such all of SDC’s resources and capabilities were at their disposal with new ideas in mind. Such as the Dust infused sex toys and possible sexbot androids modeled after Penny, but details would have to wait til later.‘Hmm, so this is my bed.’ Weiss mused when greeting her furnishings of her private room at Salem’s castle. Her bed’s position had built in railings that created a perimeter making it seem like a crib at times, possibly intentionally for the sake of roleplay.Weiss loved that idea.“Considering her now infantil maturity I’d say this a great opportunity of practice in taking care of future children.” Salem commented when looking back to the proud pair.“Indeed it will.” Pyrrha answered back.“Yeah…Let’s hold Blake up to that offer of hers after some rest.” Jaune offered recicing nods from all around, including Weiss.“My bed is big enough for all us.” Salem added suggestively. All four now rested in bed together naked as the day they were born with Jaune in the middle, Pyrrha and Salem at his sides and Weiss on top near his chest. They were sleeping comfortably together, with all four girls filled with love in their hearts for ‘Daddy’.  End of Chapter   Next- Corruption of the Kitten. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Arkos- Salem’s champions of Corruption Chapter Three- Black Cat collared    By Azure    Part One  It was another beautiful sunny Saturday morning and somewhere along the Mistral countryside there stood the Arc household; home to one man, an eldritch matriarch, and three fellow wives all of whom were married to him. Each gal even had their own distinctive kink fetish for the bedroom, you could say it brought out their more dormant wilder sides.Inside the house sitting comfortably on her knees and atop the large queen sized bed of the guest bedroom was Salem the witch; wife, future mother to be, and all around empress of the dark world and more notably Queen of BDSM sex. The pale skinned sorceress had her ghastly white hair undone and flowing freely down her back, she hummed a pleasant tune to herself as she occupied her hands with stroking Yang Xiao Arc’s golden mane.  The blonde brawling babe herself laid there completely complacent on her belly with her head resting atop Salem’s left thigh and legs dangling in the air. She wore a simple overlong shirt, with the imprint design of her favorite musical band The Freelancers, and wore nothing else over the rest of her body .Not wearing panties nor even a bra, she saw no need for those while living within this household, not when considering how frequently sex transpired around here. Her preferred activity was with her husband as proud ‘owner’ of ‘Goldie’, her sub name for when she behaves like a horny dog.  She occupied herself with flipping through various feeds and trending articles  on her personal scroll.Her fingers swiped screens, occasionally texting friends, and keeping tabs on Blake and the rest of her Beacon Alumni wherever they were. As for the dark witch sitting above her combing her hair; she wore a transparent nightie showcasing her plump breasts and dark nipples, her lower body merely donned a thin crimson silk thong leaving little to the imagination. She sometimes wondered if there was even a point to wearing it, she always loved having Jaune aggressively screw her when sitting down, she even loved spreading her legs apart and tempting the other wives to suck on her breasts and eat her out.‘I suppose I just like to dress elegantly and with class, but with as little clothing as possible.’ She thought to herself amused.While Yang was rummaging through the usual feeds around Remnant she happened to come across a rather fresh advertisement for the SDC’s recent adult product line. ‘Oooh another SDC ad! Never thought I’d hear myself say that, but ho oh look at these pictures! Jaune and Pyrrha are really standing out in these SDC photos. At least that scandalous gear they’re wearing does, seeing them in such saucy outfits really revs my gears. Ggrroowl.’“Hey lookie here at Jaune and Pyrrha, Mistress. They’re posing here in yet another photo ad and looking pretty damn stylish wearing those skimpy outfits Weiss designed for them.” Yang said gesturing to the screen in which Salem turned her gaze to.“Hmmm.” Salem focused on the screen and cracked her lips in a smile.The picture she looked at featured Jaune and Pyrrha in a romantic pose together with the former standing behind his wife cradling her abdomen whereas she hooked her arms around his backside looking like lovers normally do. In this case however it appeared as a rather provocative ad cover that theoretically could be used for a risque movie. What Pyrrha wore was a skin tight two piece sportswear outfit made of tightened light blue material bearing the Schnee logo on it. It left very little to the imagination seeing as how her pubic bone was completely visible and her cleavage nearly revealed her nipples through the boob window on the top portion of the outfit. Salem smirked at the sight of Pyrrha having her hair done in the lopsided ponytail like Weiss, she even had glossy ice blue lipstick and eyeshadow on for that frosty theme. Jaune simply had on an SDC brand banana hammock and a collar connecting to a plastic Beowolf themed BDSM mask that had been tugged back. The two looked positively perverse grinning back at the camera, it did Salem’s heart proud.“My my,they look quite fabulous there, and in the public eye no less.” Salem said with a giggle. Yang swiped the screen now showing the line of adult toys sponsored by Pyrrha herself; they were mainly regular adult products but with modifications made by Weiss and Pyrrha to implement Dust as a power source as well for that extra spice. Such examples were a Dust fueled vibrator and Jaune’s own Dust infused version of viagra, the latter was meant to give men long lasting stamina and extreme sexdrive. Thinking on Jaune’s contribution gave Salem an idea to use for later. Her blood red eyes glossed the sales number as well as articles detailing the raunchy showing.Needless to say the numbers of sales were through the roof, it may be much easier to spread the corruption influence than she thought. ‘In this turmoil ridden world where nightmare creatures surround civilizations, it’s no wonder that stress relief products such as these would sell in great scores. Perhaps the additive of Dust also creates a mild addiction and heightened stimulation beyond that of the standard.’ She mulled and noticed the next ad scene Yang flipped to.There were even demonstration photos of the champion shoving a plastic dildo into her mouth while looking at the camera with haunting bedroom eyes, her provocative poses were taken in droves of pictures. Some of which were plastered all over the news feed.“Ah I’m so proud of those two, they are blossoming into fine champions of corruption indeed.” She stated and neatly combed through Yang’s hair, the younger girl giggled inwardly and enjoyed the attention to her prided hair.“The Gala exposition for some of that stuff was yesterday, right? You think Jaune and Pyrrha are still sleeping in?” Yang questioned innocently.“Of that I’m sure,  there’s the obvious reason for their deep slumber, but I shall have them awake soon. It is a brand new day in which to either perverse ourselves or work our machinations to spreading the joy we have attained. Those two often can’t help themselves around each other no matter where they are, such is pure love, but I do think that Schnee is awake and playing with her dolls in the other room. I think she dresses them up when thinking on ideas for more adult clothing lines.” Salem explained and Yang nodded to herself.“Heh, that Weiss…she’s certainly living out her kid years, by becoming one again.” Yang trailed off snickering and thinking about a certain cat eared Faunus she’d like ‘mommy’ and ‘Daddy’ to bring in next.“Now now Goldie, that’s no reason to mock your fellow wive, Weiss is still largely herself, but in a sense of indulging in the more childlike wonders she never experienced due to her original father’s controlling nature. That’s a thing of the past now.” Salem addressed and smiled fondly at the memory of Weiss last night riding Jaune and calling him ‘Daddy’. She remembered the fond overjoyed look on her face as she held on tight during his climax into her petite ass.‘Hmm, as I recall she had a sister and a mother….’ Salem thought until she noticed Yang furrowing her brow contemplating something.“What’s on your mind, dear?” She asked in a motherly tone.“Well aside from having ‘Daddy’ go after Blake next, I was thinking of doing something special today, ya know.Like regular girl stuff.” Yang answered back pleasantly.Salem put a finger to her chin in thought.Elsewhere in the house inside another guest room there knelt Weiss Schnee-Arc, head of the SDC and aspiring leader in the name of her grandfather Nicholas Schnee, fiddling with an array of beautiful handcrafted dolls resembling team RWBY. Each doll was custom made and designed by the finest hand crafters at the manor and done with the utmost quality. They were not plush, but rather figurines resembling everyone to the most minute details.“There you, now Goldie and Snowflake, which happens to be my pet name, will go over here to stand right next to mommy and daddy.” Weiss said in a childishly girlish voice with a chirpy smile on her face. Her hair was undone and she was dressed in her usual nightie while wearing nothing underneath. Weiss looked over to the Jaune and Pyrrha dolls, yes she had team JNPR made too, and pushed hers, Yang, and Pyrrha’s to him.“Now all my dolls are together and neatly assembled, soon Daddy will make it with all the mommies and everyone else children!” She squealed clapping her hands together. Weiss noticed her scroll on nightstand buzzed and picked it up to gleam a chipper smile. “Yay! Profits are going through the roof with that new product line up! Mistral seems to be our biggest buyer, and Atlas is right up there with them. I guess it kinda makes sense, both kingdoms are total stiffs in need of some loving, tee hee!” She gushed and put it away when she heard Salem’s voice call out.“Snowflake, dear. Come on over to ‘Mommy’s’ room so we can plan our daily activity.” Salem’s voice rung out in a jovial motherly way, one wouldn’t expect that with her nightmarish features.“Coming, mommy!” Weiss called out and before rushing out the door, picked up both the Jaune and Pyrrha dolls to give them tight affectionate hugs.After the silver haired girl got to the room she found Salem brushing Yang’s hair attentively, the latter sat perfectly still so as to not mess her up. It was odd to see Yang of all people sitting like a well disciplined child, but it was good to see her behaving well for Mistress.Weiss thought she was trying to earn good girl points with the Mistress so as to spend more time with Daddy later privately.‘Huh, you know, this gives me an idea for what our daily thing today should be.’ She mused and walked on in.“There you are, Snowflake. Goldie here was inkling to venture out of town with all of us for some girl’s time out. Have any thoughts you liked to express in that matter?”“As a matter of fact I do, watching you comb Yang’s hair has given me the idea, plus after fixing up my dollies in the morning I just feel like we need to go get….makeovers!” Weiss offered making the other grin in reaction.“Ho yeah! I’m down for that! Let’s just wake Daddy and Pyrrha first, they’re probably snoozing pretty bad since they got real naughty last night after the Gala. I guess positioning herself and with her  husband wearing all that kink gear got her motors running.”Weiss bit down on her left thumb in mild annoyance, she herself wanted to indulge in some private time with Daddy as well, but she had been rather tired from the presentation. Thus her own romp with him the night before was short lived because she passed out after her first two orgasms. She was well spent that night, but what also taxed her was talking with various investors and clientele interested in her products. She wanted a full day of pumping and humping Jaune till she could no longer walk.‘I suppose I’ll have to wait for the opportune moment to have him all to myself.’ She grimaced in thought and visualized herself sitting in Jaune’s lap like a child, the visual transition to naughtier bits involving Jaune feeling up her dress and petting her before pulling her lithe frame into an intense tongue slurping kiss.“Hoohh, yes…! I need...Jaune right now…!” She uttered feeling her thighs quiver until Salem stepped behind her.She felt Salem’s hands on her shoulders. “Fret not, Snowflake. I have in mind a very special idea in store for Daddy after we’ve had our makeovers. I’m fairly sure you’ll like it, I know he certainly will.”Weiss nodded rapidly with an eager smile.“First things first, let’s go get us some grub.” Yang shouted cheerfully with her mane of hair done into two large twintails again.In Jaune and Pyrrha’s room…“Mmmnnhh, honey time to wake up.” Pyrrha groggily mewled with a chipper smile as she flipped over on her side to cuddle closer to Jaune.The blonde man’s eyes slowly blinked open and registered the world around him before turning to his wife with a loving smile. “Morning, I guess we really got into it last night huh. Did positing in front of those people turn you on that much?”Pyrrha giggled and booped his nose with her left index finger. “It was more of being up there with my darling husband to be honest, but I’ll be admit to greatly enjoying the attention while dressing like that. If only I could’ve made love to you right in the spot with that audience.”Jaune shrugged and held his chin in thought. “You know...maybe we can consider that for the future, it definitely worked wonders for me too.”Pyrrha’s face lit up with excitement and she nodded before leaning in to kiss him deeply.“Consider it agreed upon, I love you, Jaune.”“I love you too, Pyrrha. My naughty ‘Amazon’.” He whispered as the two made out for several minutes before eventually getting up from bed. “Eh? What’s with the list of chores?” Jaune asked after reading through a surprisingly long list of errands to run at Salem’s request. He noted that there were also things in here that pertained to Yang and Weiss exclusively such as ‘Wash Bumblebee’ and ‘Maintain dollies’. Pyrrha even threw in a few things for him to do like ‘polish our weapons array’.He looked up to see Salem sitting gracefully at the table with only her nightwear on, Weiss and Yang had all dressed up in their outgoing casual wear, which wasn’t much save for showing a lot of skin. With Weiss she wore a simple light blue dress ornate in snowflake design underneath a white long sleeve shirt. He loved how the spaghetti straps showed off her smooth creamy shoulders and choker lined neck. The little tag on the choker was his own personal symbol embroidered in gold over the SDC logo.Yang simply donned a pair of tight cutoff shorts with thong in full view, her ass looked marvelous in them and her tank top was trim short allowing much visual of her breasts. She specifically leaned down every now and then for Jaune’s pleasure, much to the childish agitation of Weiss.‘I want bigger boobs too! Maybe Mistress can help me out, I’ll have to ask her about it later.’ She fumed and sipped her orange juice while glaring daggers at Yang.Pyrrha was in the kitchen wearing absolutely nothing but a short apron as she cooked eggs and bacon over the stove, she often bent herself over so that her naked back and delicious ass was fully shown to her lover. Jaune very much appreciated the sight.“Oh it’s just a list of things we need our ‘man of the house’ to perform for us while we girls are out for an all-female outing.” Yang answered while tenderly biting down on a sausage in an overly erotic manner. The way her lips and tongue curled around the meat before gingerly biting it made Jaune too aroused and agitated to sit straight. Pyrrha topped her by bending over to pick up an ‘accidentally’ dropped fork, he got a look of her large breasts, stuck in the size as when Salem cast her spell to make them grow big.“Gah! Why are they tormenting me so?!’ Jaune thought in frustration while also trying to keep his composure. That was until Weiss sat directly in his lap and latched her petite arms around his neck looking flirtatious.“Oh daddy, it's just a few chores. We're gonna make ourselves look so pretty for you while we’re gone. And afterwards...well…” She turned in to his side to whisper in his ear. “...we’ll be waiting for you with a real nice surprise.” She cooed seductively and slithered her tongue around his earlobe while stroking his bulge sending shivers ups his spine.“Okay..hhuaaa..., reason is valid, I guess. Looking forward to it.” He struggled to say as Weiss rearranged herself to sit wriggling her butt firmly in his lap and on his crotch. Jaune was having a really tough time containing himself now, he was half-tempted to just grab the petite company owner and fuck her senseless right there, but before he could even do anything at all Weiss got off of him. She arose to sit nearby the others sporting a mischievous look on her face as she had done, leaving Jaune a little more than frustrated and blueballed.“It would be wise to eat first, dear. You’re gonna need your energy for those errands, among other things later.” Salem said wriggling her finger testily at Jaune and gesturing to his plate.Deciding to ignore his erection and fill his stomach he started digging in,fortunately his displeasure wouldn't last long. Several pairs of feet rose up and placed themselves in his lap to give his groin a very sensual massage. He visibly relaxed and reclined into the seat hoping he wouldn’t be left hanging again, Jaune started sighing in relief as they went on.Pyrrha giggled cutely and positioned her left foot around his balls feeling them up, Yang purred as she stroked his right inner thigh using her right foot, and Weiss winked at him and blew him a kiss while wiggling her toes just above his groin, and Salem simply swallowed a cherry whole in the most erotic way while fiddling along the sides of his shaft with both her feet.“Oooh don’t stop.” Jaune moaned and reclined further into his seat, the girls continued working their magic for several minutes until they finally stopped, much to his reluctance and annoyance. ‘Oh come on!’Salem then spoke up. “We want you to preserve your energy, Darling. Can’t have you expending any of it right there. You’ll see why.”“You already said that!” Jaune wanted to scream, instead he bit down hard on his sausage biscuit. The other wives just laughed in mirth, even Salem.Jaune sighed and slumped in his chair. “Blue Balled twice in the same morning and now I have to run a whole bunch of errands and chores while you girls get to go hang out.”Salem grinned and stood up to magically alter her appearance to that of ‘Blair’ , her human disguise form. She magically manifested the a slightly different set of clothes this time; a tight black hoop skirt and dark tank top showing cleavage, she even added a choker with the Arc symbol on it just like Weiss.“It was all in good fun, plus that pent up energy and rage will serve well later on. Besides it’s a wife’s job to ensure the husband comes home to a pleasant ‘welcoming’ after some arduous work. You’ll thank us, Jaune.” She cooed caressing his face affectionately. Afterwards she walked off to the bedroom with all three other women, each of them passing by and kissing him on the cheeks before going to get changed.Jaune took another look at the list and sighed, but not before wincing a few times after reading ‘Feeding a Beringel’, shepherding baby Ursa, and bathing a herd of Beowolves.“Oy.” He muttered.The girls set off on their way, instead of Salem teleporting them to civilization they instead took the car Jaune and Pyrrha own for transportation.Jaune got started on his long afternoon with the household assignments; he spent forty five minutes washing and drying Yang’s motorcycle, ten minutes assorting Weiss’s various tools and dolls, nearly an hour maintaining the equipment in the armory down below on the underground level, and so on and so forth.Minute turned into hours and Jaune found himself dreading the Grimm related tasks; Salem had a few as pets and subjects for experiments and all of them resided in the forest just outside the home.After plenty of wrestling, sponge bathing, and the occasional life and death struggle with Nevermores, Jaune sauntered home exhausted and somewhat battered in appearance.it was reaching sunset when he had gotten to the doorstep and the sweaty blonde man counted off all the objects in the list.Starting with washing Yang’s motorcycle, neatly organizing Weiss’s assortment of products, polishing Pyrrha’s weapons as well as his own, painted a fresh coat on the house, and even wrestled with a Beringel while trying to feed it. Of course the Grimm beast tried using him for supper, but thankfully Jaune’s enhanced powers and physique kept him from that fate. Not that was any easier dealing with other Grimm related assignments.“I still can’t believe I had to sponge bathe those Beowolves. I think even one of them started getting a little ‘excited’ when I touched its tail. It would explain why it kept trying to hump my leg and bite me if I pushed it off.” Jaune grumbled as he stomped back to home looking roughed up with clothes partially torn up.‘Maybe I'm too tired for whatever treat they have in store in me, even with sex on the table. I think I’m just gonna go lay down.’ He sighed fatigued and as soon as he put his hand on the doorknob he felt the tug of space and magic transporting him away!Into Salem’s realm he got sent to...“Eeeyah! Oofmph!” Jaune let out as he landed directly into a chair somewhere inside a dimly lit space.“When they say ‘surprise’ they certainly meant it.” He mumbled shaking his head and feeling another surge of comforting magic surge through his body.He looked to see that he appeared to be seated in some lavish arm chair and looked around to get a closer look at his surroundings.It was obvious he was in  some sort of stylish parlor theater space inside Salem’s castle and just now noticed that he appeared to be neatly tidied up with repaired attire,healed, and rejuvenated with energy.“Wow...the wonders of magic.” He commented in awe when he felt a familiar presence behind him.“The wonders of my magic, beloved.” Salem corrected him as she sauntered out in front of after appearing from behind.She sashayed around the chair wearing long leather arm warmers, tight leather leggings attached to buttoned garters that connected to a binding body harness wrapped around her torso. Her plump large breasts, which now adorned nipple clamps, were completely visible and bouncy, her snatch could be easily seen as well. The only other piece of leather on her person was a collar with a tag saying ‘Mother’. Salem even did her hair up in its usual ornate style again, combine that with her typically sexual form and milky white skin and she was a total knockout.Jaune was already feeling his erection rise to the occasion inside his pants. He wanted to get up ravish her but her left boot came up and gently shoved him firmly in place. Her leather clad leg then trailed down to his bulging crotch to press against it with her heel tenderly prodding his nether region. “Ah ah ah, you must wait for the show to begin first before having me, sweetheart.” She purred and licked seductively across a whipping crop, one that made Jaune blink twice in recognition at.‘I know she used that crop before, but after getting a better look at it, this one looks familiar. If I had to guess I’d say it looks like Miss Goodwitch’s.’ He thought when the curtain laden stage ahead opened up its curtains.And there before his eyes there were three metal poles stationed on the stage, a small thing of fog crept up on the stage and Jaune’s ears were hit with a blast of techno music by Yang’s band ‘The Freelancers’, which to his knowledge consisted only of a father-daughter duo that loved to sing.“Watch carefully, darling.” Salem hissed with her head nestling beside Jaune’s as a certain figure walked out onto the stage wearing very eye catching get up.“I bring you...Amazon!” Salem cheered out as music blared up.“Pyrrha!” Jaune let out when a very different looking Pyrrha Arc strutted out onto the stage.The redheaded Amazon was almost unrecognizable; Pyrrha styled her hair in a low ponytail that trailed off on her right shoulder. Her hair itself was streaked in black with streams of her natural bright red in between. Her face adorned dark eye shadow both above and below her eyes giving her the appearance of a punk rocker,her shade of lipstick was more of a burnt red and her neck bore a spiked choker. Her clothing consisted of a tight fitting leather corset with belt straps hung over her shoulders and a zipper down her chest line. Her arms wore spiked shoulder bands, dark laced gloves, and her legs mirrored that appearance of knee high leather punk boots. Lastly her waist had a puffed up red mini-skirt completing the ensemble, for extra effect Pyrrha got into character and maintained a scowl on her face as she grinded her back up against the pole in the center.“Wow.”“Now introducing...Goldie!” Salem called out as the music blared and lights streamed all over the stage. “Now it’s time for our second girl to come out.” She added and the music changed to an electronic beat remix of ‘I Burn’.Strutting confidently out onto the dance floor was Yang...dressed up as a very slutty rave dancer in the theme of ‘EDM-Electronic Dance Music’. Her hair was wild and strewn about like normal, her makeup consisted of extended neon purple eyeshadow with little star studs clinging around her sockets. Her lipstick matched the color of her eyeshadow, her outfit was little more than a two-piece swimsuit all things considered. Her chest, busty as ever, was barely held back by a neon purple and green bustier, her lower body merely adorned a thin lower set of the outfit in the same color. It also doubled as a thong in the back, fully showing her delicious creamy cheeks, what completed the ensemble was the neon green fishnet leggings worn around her legs and the knee high neon green socks covering her feet.“How do ya like me now, loverboy!” She cheered out and turned her body to start tweaking her ass at him.Jaune grit his teeth and gripped the armrests hard enough to crush the wood underneath.Salem leaned down to cradle Jaune’s jaw in her hands affectionately. “Last but not least...Snowflake!”A melancholic remix of ‘Mirror Mirror’ resounded as the stage’s lights shifted to blue and white as Weiss stepped out with a pale shade of makeup plastered on her face, making her look almost doll like. The eyeshadow was dark and icy blue in color, her eye lashes were longer than usual, and her eyes themselves were the most beautiful of watery blue shining out of her somber expression. Her hair was done in twintails with beautiful long strands of silver hair aligned with her shoulders. Her outfit was something akin to an exotic maid; she wore a frilly short apron, her body wore tight short satin black dress showing off her petite stocking clad legs. Her chest wore a puffy yet revealing piece showing her bare back, her hands wore frilly lace gloves akin to what maids use, and to top it all off she had a white cloth headdress atop of her head.She walked out gracefully and took a bow before quickly turning around to wrap herself on the pole strutting over it in a provocative pose.“Hngh! Can’t hold it...in! Need it!” Jaune stammered and heard a mirthful chuckle beside him.“I will be happy to oblige you while these girls get dancing for your amusement.” Salem said and gestured to the girls a signal to begin.The music blared into a mix of all three of their theme scores blended together; and so they begun...dancing.Yang pulled herself up and forth grinding her front torso along the pole, she made the metal shaft slide between her large breasts as she wriggled her ass around before twerking for him again.Pyrrha simply latched onto the pole and gently spun around it like an expert gymnast, she had one leg wrapped around it as she gyrated along it vertically. She made it look easy and boy did she make it look good! She ended up crouching so as to grind her ass against the pole enabling her cheeks to sandwich the metal shaft erotically.Weiss simply grabbed the pole in front of her and started elegantly gyrating around it like a figure skater. What surprised Jaune more was how agile her petite form was, she somehow raised herself to lock ankles upside down letting her skirt and apron flap downward showing Jaune her laced white thong.Jaune could clearly see her beautiful pussy in plain sight, the fabric was quite thin and transparent.“That’s it, I can’t take anymore! I-I...uuaaah…” His voice melted in his throat when he felt Salem’s mouth enclose entirely on his exposed length. She had stealthily fished it out in its fully erect form, just the sight of it alone made her mouth water, thus she couldn’t help herself.The elder witch pushed her face forward a bit more taking his length deep, Jaune bucked his hips and instinctively held onto her ornate bun as she held firmly onto his thighs. Her head started bouncing back and forth taking his cock for a ride, practically face humping herself with her lover’s tool.Salem beckoned with her left hand a signal for the girls to continue going. The suction of her throat intensified gradually forcing Jaune to sit back down with Salem’s head held in his lap.As the loud squelching noises continued, the girls on the stage kept performing. Yang imitated Pyrrha’s mix of raunchy dancing combined with elegance and started twirling herself around her pole with left leg hooked around it. She spun closer and reached her hand out to other two with a knowing wink.After Pyrrha glimpsed over to see the mistress furiously bobbing her head in their lover’s lap she figured it was a good enough to catch his attention.Weiss continued grinding her back and ass up on the pole as Pyrrha and Yang closed in together with arms wrapping around each other. They both snuck a look over at Jaune, who titled his head up to see them, figuring it was the perfect moment the pair turned to each other and leaned in for a deep succulent kiss.Jaune groaned at the sight, pleased at what he sees and even more so at what he currently felt; Salem raised her head taking one long hard suck of his dick before dropping her face back down again making him groan louder.Yang and Pyrrha continued making out with tongues tenderly slurping over one another with frenzied pace. Pyrrha then closed her lips on Yang’s tongue making sure to take one long suck of it leading to another intense sloppy kiss. Their hands roamed over each other’s backs as their chests pressed together, Yang hiked one leg over her rump while beginning to undo the straps on her back subtlely undressing her. Once her top came down Yang was treated to the sight of Pyrrha’s breasts wearing nipple clamps bearing her own personal symbol. She bashfully averted her eyes playfully before reaching for those tits and twisting the clamps. Instantly her head titled back letting out a sharp moan and shudder.Weiss got on all fours and started undulating her body in rhythmic motion like exotic dancers do, when she felt she wasn’t getting enough attention she twisted herself to lay back and hike her legs up to the air.Her dainty hands reached to her waist leading to her trudging her thong off to dangle off her legs. Once it was tossed away she spread her legs wide giving ‘Daddy’ a full showing her glistening cunt.Jaune indeed saw this and struggled with the urge to go over and eat her out, but Salem’s frenzied sucking kept him rooted in place. His hips absnetmindedly started humping her face while still being seated.Salem knew he felt close and the girls were feeling friskier by the second, reluctantly she trailed off and broke away from the tastiness of his cock. Jaune moaned in disappointment until he saw Weiss saunter over to him undoing the top part of her dark outfit and leaving herself bare behind the apron. Jaune took note of it and felt eager, once she sat down on his thighs she pushed her chest out suggestively until she started movingShe put her hands behind her back and undulated her form on his thighs with his cock hot dogging just below, he wanted to fuck her so bad he couldn’t stand it. Thankfully Salem’s strong hands came to his shoulders and started massaging them while Weiss rode his legs back and forth.Meanwhile as Jaune was getting his lapdance from ‘Snowflake’ Salem serviced him by licking and kissing up the side of his neck, feeling up his chest alongside Weiss. Both sets of hands tenderly stroked and caressed his toned body while Pyrrha and Yang arranged themselves into a scissoring position in the background.Both the blonde and the redhead propped themselves up on a single hand with their hips conjoining, pussy mounds gently rubbed together as one started building up momentum in grinding on it.Yang titled her head back moaning as her pussy visibly ground against Pyrrha’s, both had their lower garments partially undone or hunched to the side so as to enjoy this feeling to the fullest. Pyrrha bit down on her lip relishing in the firm and warm pressure of Goldie’s cunt, so much so that she herself starting grinding her hips forth to her gyrations. Now the two ground their cunts together almost symmetrically in frenzied pace, moaning loud and panting hard while they do.Over by Jaune, he was being held back by Salem who tongued out his throat with her long tongue. She had to prevent him from straight up raping Weiss on the spot due to his growing tension, the Snowflake wasn’t making it easier either. She ground her buttocks up against his cock hot dogging it in her extended lapdance. Whenever Jaune tried to reach up and grope her Weiss gently smacked his hands away and worked on his length harder.This went on for minutes when Weiss heard Pyrrha and Yang climax together with hands held tightly and mouths covering one another’s. They moaned inside each other’s throats while feverishly exchanging saliva, feeling frisky Weiss was inclined to join them but was also tempted to fuck her ‘Father’ after taking him so far.“Not just yet, let ‘Mommy’ have some first, Snowflake. Go join the other wives over there before we all converge on him.” Salem instructed in a gentle motherly tone. Weiss nodded slowly and got up, much to Jaune’s disappointment, and strode over to Yang and Pyrrha’s writhing forms.Salem compensated for that and whipped herself around to present herself to his dumbfounded face. Once he saw that deprived tongue licking smile of hers, he knew what came next. Salem then magically removed his shirt and manually lowered his pants down allowing his body more freedom.She twisted herself around and showed him her ass and pussy in the same twerking position Yang did earlier, minus the shaking. The pale witch then lowered herself directly onto his lap aiming for sheath his length with her pussy.!Jaune writhed in stimulation as he felt Salem sit down on his cock reverse cowgirl style, Salem crooned pleasantly as well, no matter how many times they did this it would never get stale. His member was as thick as it was lengthy and firm, she always felt full when he was inside her. Salem was fairly sure he winced pleasurably at her tightness, she made it a point to use her magic on herself and the girls to ensure that they never got stretched out too much so as to always recreate this feeling for him. Only they would ever be shaped for his mass.She put her hands on her knees and started stroking herself backwards, grinding herself on his meat and allowing him to grasp her waist with his hands.Soon started a symphony of subtle heated moans as the dark witch began rocking herself harder on her husband’s cock. She heard another gabble of moans and looked ahead to see a very titillating scene, one that made her grab Jaune’s face with her hand so as to guide his attention to it.Weiss, wearing only her apron, stockings, and twintails now, was sandwiched between Pyrrha and Yang in a very compromising position. She was on her back as Pyrrha rode her face with her hands clutching the silver of her hair, the sight of the Amazon grinding back and forth on the petite girl’s face was something to behold. Especially the depraved expression she wore with her tongue lolled out, Jaune’s focus was very much on it. Yang however took control of Weiss’s lower body and joined her hips with her scissoring her out now. The blonde babe writhed with her head titled back in ecstasy as her pussy rubbed hard against Snowflake’s equally juicy snatch. He could hear Weiss moaning underneath them, the sight of this lesbian threeway was immensely pleasing to see, combine that with the sensation of Salem’s tight twat wrapped snugly around his meat, it wouldn’t be long before he blew.Getting into the momentum he grabbed her large F cups and squeezed those fleshy orbs like a horny teenager making Salem gutturally moan in response. His hips instinctively slapped upwards in rapid pace in sync with her rocking motions, Jaune was getting on the action arlight.She kept her left hand flexed back to cradle his chin in the direction of the stage making sure he was watching the girls. He indeed was and that added to his sex drive, especially with how the girls were stationed now.All three were standing up together making out with all three mouths and tongues lapping over each other in the middle. Pyrrha was behind Weiss, with her upper portion of her outfit undone and on the floor and her skirt hunched to her waist. She gripped Weiss’s buttocks and gently fingered her anus with her left index finger, making the petite girl moan inside Yang’s invasive mouth. The golden girl held both of them closely, all three girls pressed their breasts against each other in full on exposure, Pyrrha’s clamps making the other two shiver a bit because of the cold metal. Topping it all off was their sexually heated faces getting lost in the nirvana of their threeway lady loving.“I’ve made sure to record this as well, sweetheart. You never know whenever we’ll all want to watch some home movies, or perhaps even market them.” Salem commented and started bouncing  hard on his lap.They went on for nearly ten minutes when Salem arched her back in a crushing orgasm! Her back pressed firmly against his broad chest as her pussy squeezed hard on Jaune’s cock, taking him with her. He gripped her breasts and tensed up with his hips rapidly slapping up against her buttocks!The moment Salem felt the thick payload of seed flood deep into her quirm and into her womb her face stretched into a sexually depraved one. It was quite common among the wives to emulate that exact expression.After a few minutes of pumping sperm into the witch Jaune felt only teensy bit spent as Salem relaxed atop of him. Around the same time the girls had been going to town on Pyrrha; Weiss had been tonguing her pussy while Yang sucked on her tits like a child, when they noticed Salem slowly getting off of Jaune with a thick dribble trail of sperm leaking out of her cunt.“I see those looks over there,well…” She then stepped aside and gestured her hand over to Jaune, whose cock remained fully erect and ready for action. “...come get it, my children.”Just like that all three girls broke off from pleasuring each other and hastily sauntered over to Jaune with their clothes a mess and makeovers somewhat smeared.Each girl sexed up and extremely amorous from their girl on girl time earlier, but most of all very hungry for their husband.“Heh, who’s first?” He asked when all three tackled him!Seconds later a choir of moans and fleshly noises emanated from where Jaune had been seated.Sitting on his rear and holding an arm around Weiss as she bounced up and down in his lap, Jaune attended to the needs of his women. With his free hand he had Pyrrha sit on it while fingering both her pussy and her ass in tandem ministrations. The champion was exhilarated beyond compare, especially when it came to her ass, and rode his hand wildly. Yang however simply smothered him in her F cup size tits beckoning him to suck, which he did. The moment his lips pursed on her nipples and suckled tenderly was when Yang tilted her head back and turned into a moaning mess.Weiss was having the time of her life impaling herself rampantly on his cock with her hands latched around his neck. She moaned ‘Daddy’ repeatedly with stars in her eyes.This went on for nearly as long as his time with Salem, leading to Jaune releasing a loud holler of impending climax. Weiss connected her ankles around his back making sure he deposited every drop, once it hit she felt his member pulse angrily and pump heavy blasts of cum into her womb! She cried out in orgasm shortly after, so too did Pyrrha on Jaune’s hand along with Yang as she held his face close to her chest!After a very brief respite, and much to the mild pain of his member, Jaune readied to satisfy his other wives after leaving Weiss a drooling mess.!Jaune held up Pyrrha in a nelson armlock with his cock hammering in and out of her ass after being freshly lubed up! Amazon was a dribbling mess for her anus was her most sexually sensitive spot and Jaune was going to town on it. Yang kept occupied by latching onto Pyrrha’s juicy cunt with her lips and worming her tongue around inside in fervor. Her right hand went down below between her thighs diddling her vulva while she did.He pounded in and out of her anus for several more minutes in that position when felt Yang creep up behind him with her hands stroking his balls. This felt like an ‘on’ button for Jaune and escalated his arousal levels considerably, Yang discovered this and continued fondling them while nibbling at his ear. This continued for a little while more when Jaune’s hips bucked hard against Pyrrha’s cheeks followed by another howl of orgasm, after enough ass fucking Pyrrha came as well and felt Jaune pump her ass with blasts of cum next!His cock throbbed several more times until he was finished and Pyrrha’s body relaxed in his arms. Jaune felt a bit more drained and can only do one more round, once he let Pyrrha down he sat back on the ground with Yang crawling towards him. Her raver leg warmers were still on and some other bits of clothing as well, it was just her breasts, ass, and cunt that was fully visible. Jaune also noticed just now that her skin a bit tanner than her normal skin tone, it was fair to say she tanned herself up to match the raver theme.Once she got close enough both her hands wrapped around his shaft stroking him back to life, Jaune grimaced in slight pain after the back-to-back romp he just had, not to mention he would rather clean his cock first before having Yang do anything with it.“Oooh mistress?” Yang beckoned when she turned her head. The nearly asleep form of Salem waved her right hand in the air lazily causing a small spiel of magic to wrap around Jaune’s length.He suddenly felt no more pain, his girth hardened to full mast again in no time at all and he himself felt rejuvenated for at least a little more action.“There…” Yang got up and arranged herself in doggy position wriggling her rump enthusiastically. “...now you can give Goldie a fun ride, Daddy.”Feeling a little more erect at being referred to as ‘Daddy’, he got up and gripped her hips aiming his cock into between her cheeks. He already did two girls vaginal, now to even it out, it certainly helps that Yang’s perfect ass was as irresistible as Pyrrha’s.“Eeeuiaaggh!” Yang let out when she felt Jaune’s phallus burrow into her anus. She gripped the floor, bit her lips, and settled on the feeling for a brief few seconds when Jaune started pushing his hips in and drawing them out. He started in a slow pattern making sure she felt every inch thoroughly, her tempo of soft moans and breaths told him she was.Yang lowered herself further to where her head nearly rested on the ground so that she could slam her hips against his length even harder. Jaune propped himself on his feet to she could deliver more intense thrust as well, this escalated to a rampant noise of Yang’s moans and ass slapping his abdomen!  Yang hollered and moaned his name as ‘Daddy’ repeatedly while he pumped her ass.Nearly twenty minutes went by and Yang’s face, going by how sexed up it looked, told him he was hitting the homerun. Suddenly after several more thrusts Jaune started moaning louder and Yang started undulating below him! Her form slapped back and forth in wild abandon as she came on the floor! Jaune pulled her onto his hips one final time before unloading a fresh load of spunk into her bowels.She came down from her high and collapsed on the floor with Jaune laying on top of her breathing just as ragged.“Huff...haa….bark for me...Goldie.” He uttered feeling a little dominant.“Woof...woof...ha ha ha.” Yang giggled and snuggled up close to him before passing out with the collective rest.“Heh...that was worth it after all. Still don’t ever want to bathe or feed Grimm again though.”   End of Part One    Part Two   It was a new morning on the weekend Sunday and within the Arc household rested the blonde head of the family...in bed with all four of his lovely wives.Resting atop the comfy bedspread in the master bedroom was Jaune in the middle, at his sides were Salem with her hair undone again, Pyrrha on his right cuddling affectionately like hugging a teddy bear. Just a bit lower and resting on his chest was Yang curled up below Salem, across from her was the latest member; Weiss Schnee-Arc, snuggling around his waist. ~Bzzt bzzt~ “Hmm?” Yang stirred awake, albeit very groggily so when she heard the familiar buzz of her personal scroll nearby. She had hers set to a specific jingle so that she would recognize it in groggy mornings like these. Slowly getting up she stealthily crept over everyone else to reach the nightstand she left it plugged into.“Come here, you.” She quietly uttered to her little device when she grabbed it off the nightstand. When she held it in her hands her lilac orbs widened a bit when seeing it was Blake’s name and number sending a text.‘Huh, I wonder what Kitty Kat wants at this hour.’ She thought when she swiped the screen revealing the message sent to her. Her eyes scanned it all and a devious smile crept up on her face. ‘Ha he he, this is perfect! Wait till I tell the others.’ She thought giddily when she replied that she would figure a solution out and get back to her. She received a reply as soon as she sent it; ‘Oh thank you so much, Yang. YOu don’t know how much trouble it would be if I entered my heat period here on Menagerie, citizens are already looking casual partners to rough it out with. Some are even isolating themselves until it passes. Get back to me soon with your solution, okay? Thanks again.’Yang closed her scroll and felt Jaune and the rest stir from their slumber. “No, thank you, Blake. Thank you very much.” She said to herself with a devious grin.  After a morning wake up courtesy of Weiss childishly calling for ‘Daddy’ to awaken and do things with her as well as to her, everyone now sat at the breakfast table munching on the traditional breakfast meal set up. Everyone was in their sleepwear, save for Jaune, Pyrrha, and Yang, who only wore their undergarments on their bodies.“So you’re former partner and current leader of the newly reformed pacifist White Fang; Blake, is going through a ‘Heat Season’?” Salem asked after taking a bite out of her bacon.Yang nodded in affirmation and continued sipping her milkshake. “Care to elaborate on that period? Faunus physiology is not something I ever paid careful attention to.”Weiss spoke up this time after finishing a cup of tea. “I’ll answer, mommy. It is a duration of sexual promiscuity among Faunus females that often happens during their prime, even beyond that although not as much. Just like with actual animals they go into a  state of sexual frenzy where they must seek out a mate and either copulate to produce offspring or simply sate their sexual cravings. Ironically it’s unavoidable for all mammalian Faunus,they all go through this at some point or another, or this case a season. I guess that’s why Blake messaged you for help.” Weiss finished looking over to Yang who shrugged in agreement.“Yeah, I’m guessing she called me to see if I knew any isolated leisure spots for her to crash at. I did do a lot of traveling after all, she just doesn't know I live here now.”“Well you will tell her of the household here, it is quite isolated from the capital of the Mistral. Out here in the wilderness is where she’ll feel ‘safe’, be sure to notify her that Jaune and Pyrrha have the proper arrangements for her problem.” Salem suggested placing her head on top of her hands.Yang nodded grinning cheekily. “Heh, duh. I was totally gonna do that already, I think Blake will feel very at home here as a new member of the family. That would mean the White Fang would be under  your control again, right?” Yang asked taking a bite out of ehr biscuit.Salem nodded. “Of course, all the more reason to bring them back under our control. Just imagine how efficient we would be if we had Blake Belladonna and her resources. The spread of corruption could move even faster, further deterring Grimm and ending mortal conflict, but I also have plans in mind for the Faunus women. I’ll go into detail some other time however.”“Well good luck then, Daddy. I have to head back to Atlas and run a few more things in the company, licensing all that new stuff you and Pyrrha demonstrated entails a lot of paperwork, but it sure is selling.I know you will make that sneaky kitty another Misses Arc.” Weiss gushed cutely towards Jaune after crossing seats to sit on his lap. Jaune chuckled mirthfully and rubbed her head before wrapping his arms around her lithe form for a deep steamy kiss.Pyrrha looked on in amusement. “Don’t miss him too much, Weiss. You may just stay glued in that spot.”Yang gave a thumbs up and whipped out her scroll dialing in Blake’s number.“Blake? Glad I got you, I happen to have just the perfect setup for you and your...needs.” Later after several hours and a flight to Mistral from Menagerie Island the formerly rogue Faunus arrived at the doorstep of the household Arc. She held several duffle bags of clothing,necessities, and the supply of tuna. Blake wore her outfit from when she first returned to that island, sans the white trenchcoat, and appeared relieved to be here yet also confused about Yang’s suggestion.‘So here I am, again. Part of me is actually relieved to be away from  home during this troublesome season, talk about ironic. This place is a nice and cozy however, and away from civilization. Just what I needed to escape from the frenzy.’ She thought to herself and furrowed her brow. ‘But it is weird that Yang suggested I come here of all places instead of some far off resort like I aimed for, sure Jaune and Pyrrha’s house is nice and all, but I might also put them at risk with my urges.’ Wrestling with her thoughts she felt it best to put it out of my mind and knock.After knocking several times the door opened to reveal Yang herself dressed in her skimpy casual wear from earlier, which surprised Blake for two big reasons.“Hey, Kitty Kat! Welcome to Casa de Arc! Glad you came here so quickly.” Yang greeted with a beaming expression.“Yang? What-how why are you here too? Pardon me if that sounded rude by the way.” Blake asked astounded as Yang grabbed some luggage off of her to help with.She led her inside and closed the door behind before speaking again. “Well I just got off a pretty rough extermination mission and figured I could use some vacationing, that's when you contacted me. After doing some thinking and talking with Pyrrha I concluded this nice little slice of heaven in the countryside was a way better option than some low-key resort. Pyrrha and Jaune were totally cool with it and so here I am chilling in the Arc house. I just didn’t tell you because I wanted to surprise you, He heh.” She explained with a cheeky grin after setting some bags down around the living room.Blake nodded and shrugged with a welcome smile. “Well mission accomplished on the surprise, it'll be good catching up with you as well. We only talked back during the tournament those two won, while I’m here I’d also like to get the inside secret of their surprising growth in fighting skills. I am kinda worried thought, Yang. Heat season is not to be taken lightly, I could end up feral and risk coming at one of them in my frenzied state.” Blake explained with a small frown as they toured the house.“Speaking of which…” Blake looked around seeing no one else. “...where are the happy couple right now anyway?”“Right here of course.” Pyrrha’s voice rang out from the kitchen as she stepped into view holding a skillet. Jaune appeared beside her wearing a humble t-shirt and jeans while embracing her from behind. “We’re glad to have you here again, Blake. Are you ready to eat dinner with us? I’ve cooked some yummy mackerel.” Pyrrha offered temptingly.The growl coming from her stomach was answer enough. “Why yes I would love some, let’s eat.”Once she unwound Blake sat herself at the table with Jaune, Pyrrha, and Yang all present and dining into a delicious home cooked meal.The smell of fish was heavenly to Blake’s nostrils and she had to refrain from gorging herself on it in front of the others. Thus she dined in with utmost gusto using the usual utensils.“So ~munch munch~ Blake, what’s the Faunus heat season like? And how long does it usually last?” Jaune asked in mild curiosity.Once Blake gulped down another piece of fish meat she dabbed a napkin over her lips before answering. “Well it usually lasts about a week because it’s often pretty random. We never know when it strikes traditionally, but I either need to satisfy my urges using a partner or certain tools to prevent me from prowling in a sexual frenzy. It’s a worry that plagues most Faunus women, imagine having to wake up the next morning with your senses returned only to realize you’ve made yourself a mother without meaning to, and with someone random no less.”“My that is quite the concern, fortunately we’re prepared to help you overcome it until it passes. Even when it does you’re welcome to stay as long as you want.” Pyrrha offered in a sincere motherly way.Blake nodded with a very grateful smile and returned to eating.After being well fed and in need of some rest, Blake went up to her guest room on the second floor where she curled up on a comfy couch with a freshy copy of ‘Ninjas of Lust Three’.Many would say it is pretentious smut, but they didn’t understand the intricacies and level of detail put into this piece of literature. It was beautiful in its own right and Blake could never get enough of this series.The night went on and suddenly these innocent little fantasies of the book’s characters twisted into raunchy hardcore sex, which was odd to her because the smut scene wasn’t for another ten pages.Fantasies of the samurai stripping his gear and pinning the kimono wearing ninja heroine to the floor came to her head. Her right hand crept down to underneath her nightie to the soft fabric of her panties, the visuals in her head devolved to the knight full on raping the ninja girl and getting her to enjoy it. They were rutting on the matted floor with her rear aggressively being slammed into by the samurai, he even went as far as pulling her long black hair and ordering her to meow like a cat in heat.The heroine did so with enthusiasm as her mind broke and her body couldn't get enough of being dominated into subversion by the samurai. Blake’s fingers dabbled in and out of her cunt furiously, the more the scene continued in her mind the harder she masutbrated.She knew this had to be  happening because of her heat period. She got so into the erotic fantasy that she lost hold of her book and started fondling her own breasts with the other hand. Now she was a moaning panting mess on the bed with her body wriggling about! She wanted to stop but it felt so good she wanted it to continue, that’s when she heard a softly chuckling voice break her out of her frenzied trance.“Having fun there, Blakey?”!Blake immediately ceased her masturbation and whipped around panicked to see Yang leaning against her doorway with her arms crossed. Her nightwear was a simple orange tank top and black shorts.“Yang!? I didn’t mean to- uaaggh! It just happened so randomly while I was reading! I thought I had it under control.” Blake cried out frustrated and quickly adjusted her clothing.“Right, I’m sure the smut novel you were reading just now didn’t have anything to do with it. C’mon, let’s head downstairs and see if a workout in the training can help smooth you out for the night. What do ya say?” She asked offering a friendly hand to the feline Faunus.Blake sighed in disappointment wti herself and accepted, allowing Yang to pull her off the bed. “Sounds like a good idea, if nothing else I can lock myself away down there until it completely passes.”“Like I told you; Jaune and Pyrrha can definitely help.” Yang added as she lead Blake out the room.“I just hope this annoying phase of nature doesn’t give them too much trouble.” Blake commented.‘Oh I wouldn’t worry about that, Blakey.’ Yang thought as she opened the door in the parlor leading to the underground level. “Like I said over the phone; we got everything set up and ready, besides I wouldn’t worry about Jaune and Pyrrha not being able to handle you. They’re pretty frigging strong, remember?”Yang turned to a curious Blake as she gestured to the doorway. “They’re probably down in the underground area either using the training arena or calibrating the weapons stored in their armory. It’d be rude to tell them to come here, so let’s go visit them instead.”Blake nodded in agreement. “Sounds good to me, let’s go.” She followed Yang into the pathway. After a small flight of stairs Blake looked around marvelling at the finely architectured underground level. She had no idea they even made it, but she was impressed and hatched an idea. Not only was it a great idea to have a training space and armory within your own home, huntsmen needed to be ready all the time after all, but she could isolate herself in one rooms here safely without prowling for someone to mate with.“Yeah it is pretty cool,kinda made me wish dad built one back home on patch. Gotta hand it to those two superstar celebrities.” Yang commented noticing Blake’s expression.They had reached the expanded corridor after the stairs and walked down it while Blake examined the open pathways leading to the arena space and armory itself.‘Those are definitely Pyrrha’s weapons, so many different variants and mods for Milo and Akuo. It looks like Jaune focuses on mecha-shifting long swords, halberds, and firearms now too. That is an impressive collection, but wait…’ Blake thought and paused when noticing Yang ignored the two aforementioned locations where the couple may be at.Instead the blonde babe marched toward another room straight ahead where Blake’s ears can pick up the faint sounds of moans…?The Faunus gal followed her old partner and once they reached the door, Yang turned back to her and flashed a wink before opening it to guide her inside. Yang’s hand touched the bare skin of Blake’s back with a faint glow that was unbeknownst to her.“Oh…! Yang…? What am I looking at?” Blake asked somewhat fearfully when she beheld the imagery of Jaune Arc, completely naked save for a leather spiked choker around his neck, slamming into the bent over form of a redheaded woman donning pony themed gear.His hands were on the leather reins attached to the mouthpiece held by her jaw, Pyrrha looked absolutely enthralled in ecstasy by her husband’s hard pounding of her ass. It helped excite her greatly that he whipped a horsetail crop across her buttocks while fucking it, every time he hit Pyrrha made a mewling sound resemblant of a horse’s whinny. Her feet were clad in hoof themed leather braces, hands too, all while her limbs were somewhat restrained together keeping her suspended in a doggy position, one that Jaune rode like an actual horse from behind.“Yang…!? What-!” Blake was now red in the face and completely shaken by witnessing the kinky sex act of Arkos, but even more appalled now when she turned to her friend only to see her stripped of her clothing completely.A now fully nude Yang with large F cup breasts hunched over to pick up a set of freshly cleaned gear by the door and started putting on her own set of kinky animal themed gear. Which consisted of a headband with doggy ears, a body harness interlocked around her torso, a leather collar attached to a leash, a dog tailed buttplug she drove into her own ass, and lastly plush leather paws worn on her feet and hands.“Hey daddy, I brought a kitty cat along, we always wanted one, right?” Yang called out while dabbing her nose with dark paint making it look like a doggie nose.Blake was extremely alarmed now and felt the urge to run when she saw Jaune turn his head over at her after cumming inside Pyrrha’s ass. The redhead relaxed in her restrained position and let out a shudder of climax before Jaune dismounted her.“Heh, always wanted to own a cat. We’re gonna make you a very happy kitten, Blake.” He commented casually when walking over to her. Blake felt her fight or flight instincts kick and she attempted to turn around…!“Yang?!” Blake felt her arms bound by her former partner preventing her movement. Instead of telling her to let her go Blake decoyed out from her gasp into a backflip around her. “I don’t know what sort of sick fetish game this is, but I refuse to be part of it!” She shouted feeling a strange wave overcome her body. Blake attempted to sprint out of the dungeon away from here, but…“I-I can’t move…” She uttered as her body felt dizzy and her limbs refused to obey her commands. Jaune and Yang meanwhile simply shrugged and held up their right hands showing a strange yet sinister looking glyph radiating with dark energy.“That’s because I tagged ya, Kitty cat. You’re feeling a lot of the good stuff right now.” Yang answered wrapping an arm around Jaune’s back to pull him into a surprisingly erotic kiss that stunned Blake.Once they broke off jaune looked to her now ready to pile on. “Yeah, another reason you’re not running away...is because you don’t want to. I guess that mark combining with your body during heat season is making you extremely horny, to the point where even your own body is frenzied without you calling the shots.”‘Oh no! It’s true! What do I d-mmph!’ Blake’s distressed thought was interrupted when Jaune walked to her and suddenly pulled her into a tongue invading lip-lock. What shocked her more was that she was reciprocating with her tongue pushing back against his. Blake’s body twitched as though wanting to do something in protest of this, but instead her arms relaxed and her eyelids drooped.The mark on her hand where Yang tagged lit up in a gentle glow. Blake relaxed in Jaune’s arms and wrapped her own around his backside.Yang pumped her arm in the air cheerfully at seeing her partner return the kiss energetically. “Oh yeah, cat is in the bag. Now let’s have fun with this pussy.”Right then Jaune, Pyrrha, and even a freshly corrupted Blake groaned at Yang’s jokes.Jaune gently broke off from a dazed looking Blake, her ears twitched and her eyes appeared transfixed on both blondes in the room. “Welcome to the family, Blake.”“Yang, get her gear.” Jaune softly ordered. Yang whipped a thumbs up and bent back over deliberately showing him her ass and pussy, a sight that gave extra life to his member. Not that it needed more, even after pumping a load into Pyrrha’s ass, his endurance had been increasing more lately. Now he only needed to not dehydrate after nearly eight loads.“Here you aaaarreee…” Yang cooed playfully from Blake’s side. She turned to see a completely similar gear to her own with the exception of the ears and bell collar.“I think she needs a push.” Jaune said before patting Blake’s ass which implanted a second mark on her, making her extremely virile and eager. “Go dress up.”Her normally stoic alluring face stretched a wide grin. “...yes, Master.” She breathed.After a minute or two she finished readying herself with a two pairs of large blush cat claws on her hands and feet, a long tail buttplug wedged into her ass hole, and a bell collar hooked around her neck connecting to a leash. She was completely nude everywhere else and sported some perky C-cup breasts, her face was left alone since she already had cat ears, but was painted whiskers on her cheeks.Jaune sat down on a leather chair nearby and patted his thighs suggestively to both Blake and Yang, whom like the Faunus girl herself got on all fours and crawled towards him like animals. Yang brandished a very hungry looking expression equivalent of a panting dog, Blake simply nudged her cheeks cutely occasionally letting soft meows while licking her lips.“Come here, you two.” Jaune cooed affectionately as though he were summoning two pets. He patted his knees waiting with his cock standing for attention. Both girls prowled closer on all fours until their faces were mere inches apart from his cock, he could feel the hot damp breaths of their lips just over his skin.Waiting no longer Blake leaned forward slipping her tongue out to lap and whirl around the head of his cock. Yang caught on and decided to kissing Jaune’s nutsack succulently swallowing them  into her mouth with a beaming smile on her face.  Blake pursed her lips over the head with a dreamy gaze up at ‘master’.  Jaune simply sat back and relaxed enjoying the show, of course he didn’t ignore Pyrrha either. He had simply wedged a vibrating spiked rubber dildo into her ass prior to this, his hand clicked the remote control turning it on and making Pyrrha mewl and writhe in her restraints. Her prone body shuddered and twitched with her pussy growing ever more sensitive by the minute.Meanwhile Jaune was enjoin the feeling of Blake’s tongue curling up and around his shaft alongside Yang’s, deliberately crossing paths with them licking over one another. It didn’t take long for the two to break into a full on lesbian make out with heated passion, he enjoyed the sight greatly and loved how Yang kept a firm grip on the back of her head while licking up her collarbone.Yang wanted to stroke her master’s cock but her hands were still held inside the plush paws around Blake’s head. The blonde babe suckeld on her tongue like Pyrrha had done to her earlier on the stage. Blake crooned her head back mewling in soft meows, her heated state allowed her more primal instincts to kick in, add that to the double dose of the mark and she was just a horny cat right now.Yang turned her slick face over to Jaune who sat patiently eyeing the two of them. “What? I was enjoying the show.” He answered honestly with a shrug and turned up the output on the vibrator inside Pyrrha’s ass, making her moan even louder inside her mouthpiece.“We’ve been bad pets, Blake. We need to start treating our master right.” Yang cooed and Blake nodded in agreement when looking up at Jaune with hearts in her eyes and a cat like grin plastering her face.Jaune suddenly yanked her collar pulling up to him where she wrapped her arms around his face and legs curling around his back. Blake started sloppily kissing him while grinding feverishly along his waist. His cock stuck out from underneath hot dogging her ass, it was another treat to Yang.She lurched forward to start sucking hard on the offered treat, making Jaune maon inside Blake’s mouth.Noises and moans resounded throughout the dungeon room’ Yang deepthroating her master’s cock with her mane of gold bouncing rampantly underneath. Blake was sloppily suckling and tonguing out Jaune’s lips with such intensity, he was returning the energy just as much.Lastly Pyrrha was still writhing prone in mid-air by her gear, her body constantly twitched and shivered in ecstasy, the virbrating spiked didlo wriglign around inside her ass certainly did its work.After several long minutes of suckingYang felt Jaune’s member twitched readily, she detached from his cock and held tight onto Blake’s waist after removing her paws. The Faunus girl noticed this and looked downward at a grinning Yang.“Time for Kitten to really play with her master!” Yang firmly grabbed her waist and aimed her cunt at Jaune’s member. With a firm shove the blond pushed Blake onto it entirely, making her clench tightly around her master’s back.!“Nyyeeaa!!” Blake let out as her innocence was completely taken. Jaune winced at the tightness and felt her twitch adjusting to the newfound sensation.‘Had no idea she was a virgin. Plus I thought most huntresses kinda lose their hymen during intense training.’ Jaune wondered and felt Blake recover, she looked up back into his face with a chipper cat like grin. The licking motion around her lips was enough of a sign that she was ready.Without further delay she humped her rear back and forth rocking herself on him! Yang decided to have some fun over there with Pyrrha and yanked the dildo out of her ass making her mewl in disappointment.“Don’t worry, P-money.” Yang said seductively when she pulled out a Dust fueled strap-on, one that would pound her own cunt as much as whichever orifice of Pyrrha’s she inserted it into. It was a conundrum for Yang to decide which to use it on, so instead she eyed two other tools nearby which made her grin sadistically.Pyrrha turned her emerald eyes over her shoulder to see Yang latching the special strap-on into her pussy. She tensed up once it embedded into her cunt and grimaced pleasurably. Once she got adjusted to it she brought out a small whipping crop in one hand and the reins to her leash in the other.“That’s right, P-money. Goldie is about to ride the horse.”!Pyrrha tensed up and came once Yang drove the energized mechanical penis into her pussy. She didn’t wait for Pyrrha to get used to it and whipped the crop across her ass cheeks creating a stimulation of pleasure and pain, something the Amazon perversely enjoyed.“Giddyup, pony!” Yang roared with a mildly depraved smile as she rode Pyrrha’s pussy and whipped her rump hard. To add extra to the whole deal Yang yanked gently on the reins every now and then, while they did this Jaune was pinning a playful Blake to the ground aggressively.Blake’s amber eyes widened when the realization hit her that this was just like her dream earlier, suddenly she got a lot wetter at the the thought of ‘Master’ dominating her.Jaune held her wrists to the ground, just like she wanted, and aimed his throbbing member downward into her pussy once again. She thrashed her head around meowing like a cat as Jaune pumped into her piledriver position.Her legs curled upward and dangled in the air with each hard thrust he deliver. Her breasts bounced back and forth in swaying motions, Blake possessed a sexed up face like all the others and locked her arms around his neck pulling him down closer.For the past so and so loud groans, hard mewls of bliss, and repeated slapping noises erupted within the chamber. Pyrrha had cum several times ever since Yang started pounding her cunt, just about now she switched to her ass to really take the ‘pony’ for a ride.Jaune thrusted a few times and grunted when he slammed his hips down one last time before pumping another cascade of cum into the mewling cat’s depths, at the same time Blake came and crushed her legs around his buttocks! They remained there locked in missionary position while Jaune filled her up to capacity and beyond, all while Blake’s tongue lolling expression remained on her face.‘Hey...doesn’t the Heat season mean she’s more fertile too? Maybe I should’ve asked Salem to grant some kind of birth control effect on her befo- whoah!’ Blake suddenly turned the tables and was now on top of him arranging their position to something she would be dominant in; the Amazon press. A position where a strong girl would hold up the partner below by the ankles and angle her hips to keep herself completely sheathed on his length, it also allowed her to hammer away the thrusts instead. Basically the opposite of what he just had her in.Blake didn’t want and started jackhammering herself on his rim! This elaed Jaune to greater heights than before!  His hand clawed at the ground beneath him as his body continuously pelted against the floor.Blake arched her back and spread her legs further apart as she continued hammering away at her leisure. ‘To please master!to please master!’ She chanted inside her head as the fantasy from earlier took root again; this time with Jaune as the samurai and Blake as the ninja getting raped.Her vaignal msucles tightned and her ody stumlated even more so, Jaune’s appendage remained solid inside her quirm and felt like pulsing after a good duration of Blake’s humping. She was close and he knew he was too, wanting to set her off Jaune eyed the cat tail butt plug skittering below near him. Feeling mischievous and wanting her to get off first, he reached his left hand over to latch onto it and pulled. Plop! The buttplug got yanked out and the resulting sensation it created made Blake cum extra hard!‘To please mmmaaasstterrr!!!’ Her thoughts raged in euphoria as she clamped down on his cock in turn taking him with her.Jaune arched his own back and felt his orgams hit him hard; his cock pulsed and pumped heavy blast of sperm into her depths making plenty seep out due to being overstuffed from earlier!Blake let out her scream of climax in a high pitched moan, around the same time Pyrrha came one final time followed by Yang! Coincidence or simply a chain link effect of the bond they all now shared? Perhaps both.The Faunus girl’s body writhed and thrashed around cumming repeatedly with juices spraying all over her lover’s bottom. Nearly a good few minutes later she was done and slumped on top of him spent and corrupted.“Nyea…” She softly purred in her normal tone voice as she affectionately cuddled a now messy Jaune.“Wow...huff...that..that was wild. Her being in heat really played out well, huh?” He breathed.“You can say that again.” Yang added exhausted and content as she dragged Pyrrha by the leash with her and undid her restraints so that they laid down together as per tradition. Both redhead and blonde cuddled on his side with Blake, the newest member huddled in the middle nuzzling just below his chin.Pyrrha passed out into slumber and the other two were gonna follow behind.“Wow, daddy. You really slayed that pussy, huh?” Yang joked giggling making Jaune groan before she passed out into rest.“Dammit, Yang.” He responded with a slight chuckle before going to sleep as well. Elsewhere… “Aaahh...best show on television.” Salem remarked as she picked herself up from her chair after having stroked herself to an orgasm after watching through the Seer Grimm  End chapter ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Corruption of Arkos Chapter Five-Little Red Riding Hard -Ruby Rose By Azure Another week had gone by, Jaune and his darling wives had expanded their inner circle after having brought Yang into their little family. During the time between then and now Weiss Schnee, head of the Schee Dust Company, along with Blake Belladonna had also been brought into the  fold. The Dark matrimony had been held for each one and so too d, head of White Fang,had become wed after  being corrupted. They were now faithful wives of Jaune Arc, just like Pyrrha, Yang, and Salem.Weiss was now known as Weiss Schnee-Arc, largely out of respect for her grandfather’s legacy with aims to succeed him. Fortunately Jaune and Salem allowed it for Weiss carrying that legacy under a conjoined surname held no trouble, if anything it was a positive on how resolved and loyal she was to both Nicholas Schnee and Jaune Arc. She was his now and collectively all of theirs, Weiss planned to want to bring in her own mother and Winter out from Jacques’s shadow and under Jaune’s arms. If not for marriage then at least for well off mistresses to him. Blake Belladonna now became Blake Belladonna-Arc, she felt she needed to keep part of her surname to continue holding power over the White Fang. Despite being largely a friendly pro-Faunus pro Human group they were still a large organized group of people that held value and exploit. Jaune allowed it, it was always a treat to see Blake behave like a horny happy animal in private, even more so when she demands to be demeaned, treated like a literal pet, and punished. She eagerly accepted all of it so long as Jaune delivers on fucking her ass raw.Salem, Jaune and Pyrrha had never been happier, each day was filled with love and passionate sex, not a day went by that he didn’t get fucked, sucked off, or entertained by his loving wives. He had even suspected one of them expecting, but nothing was revealed yet. He had been pumping each of them full of his seed whenever they got frisky, so he gathered it was a sure thing unless Salem implemented a birth control charm without anyone the wiser.All in all they were happy together, right now he laid in the large queen sized with Salem, Yang, Blake, and Weiss all comfortably naked and cuddling. Jaune lightly snoozed when Yang first opened her eyes taking in the scene around them with a smile, she then noticed the familiar bump poking out from the sheets where Jaune’s crotch rested.Yang snickered and rolled her eyes with a smirk before pulling the blankets back to show Salem with her hair down engulfing Jaune’s cock into her mouth.The pale witch blinked twice before continuing sliding herself back and forth on his meat eliciting a groan from the still slumbering Jaune. Yang yawned and waited for a moment, the loud pumping sounds of the witch’s mouth keeping noise in the air during.When the blonde babe looked around at most of her team snuggling up naked onto their husband it was then she popped the question.“Say Mistress, how about we bring my baby sister in the family? I was wondering why we haven’t gotten around to that yet.” Yang questioned leaning towards Jaune’s chest to lick around his left nipple while feeling around his abdomen.Salem pumped her head down on his length several times before lifting herself off with a wet plop and tasty sigh. “The taste never gets stale.” She smacked her lips and crawled up to pull Yang off Jaune’s chest so she could pull her into mouth onto hers.Yang closed her eyes and kissed back leading to another erotic make out between them, her mistress’s tongue cleansed out the inside of her mouth and rolled over her tongue several times sloppily before eventually pulling off.“We needed to space out our claims to avoid suspicion, child, but honestly I found myself quite addicted which left me distracted.” Salem answered pulling her right hand back to stroke Jaune’s large shaft in soft wet strokes. “Your sister travels a lot, does she not? She’s only bound to adventure and a sense of duty, no?”“Yeah but we can invite her and she’ll come. THe problem is when….” Yang added feeding her left hand’s index finger to Salem’s mouth to suck on.“I believe I may know of an invite she’ll show up to without delay.” Another voice spoke up and the two looked to Pyrrha Arc freshly awoken looking at them with smiling bedroom eyes. “I believe it slipped everyone’s mind due to the rampant sexual escapades around here, but there is another regional coming up. As I recall Ruby stated she wanted to participate this time around after seeing me and Jaune in action.”Yang’s face brightened up and Salem nodded approvingly. “There you have it, but she is quite set in her virtuous ways.” Salem then looked all around at them, Blake and Weiss as well, with a sinister smile. “We’ll have to break her of them after she sees what’s become of her team.”Yang turned back to face Pyrrha while beckoning her to lean over, which she did. The redhead spartan wife did so and allowed Salem and Yang to pull her in so the three of them could engage in a steamy three-way make out with tongues roaming all over each other erotically.Salem’s long tongue slithered between the other two tenderly coiling between and around them until their lips squished together on hers. The collection of breathy moans and smacking noises stirred Jaune awake to see the sight of his three original wives making out with each other and smiled warmly.Just when he was about to say something he felt a finger press his lips shushing him, Jaune turned his face to see Weiss doing it while keeping one to hers as well.The snow haired head of the SDC leaned in closer to whisper seductively to him. “Let them have at it, Daddy. That means we get you all to ourselves.”Jaune wondered about the ‘we’ until he felt Blake creep up on his other side nuding him playfully before nodding to Weiss. The monochromatic pair leaned towards each other to suck in one another’s tongue intoxicatingly before pulling Jaune up to join them.   A little while later they were all at the tournament again, Jaune along with the rest of the ‘family’ welcomed Ruby with open arms at the coliseum after notifying her of the upcoming tournament. Salem maintained her disguise as ‘Blair’ once more and stood sitting away from them in the seating rows watching as Yang hugged her dear younger sister.“I can’t believe you guys got here before me! Well whatever the case I’m totally ready to school these chumps…” Ruby then eyed Jaune and Pyrrha cautiously as though expecting them to say ‘we’ll see you on the battlefield’, but instead the pair laughed jovially.“Oh you don’t have to worry about us, Rubes. Me and the Misses here have had our fill from last time, the only fighting we do is on the outside against Grimm during missions. So go nuts.” Jaune waved off with a cheery tone making Ruby perk up.“You bet I will! Whatever secret technique you two learned that helped you out last time I’m sure I can do just as good, maybe even better.” Ruby challenged puffing up her chest.“Well we look forward to it either way, Ruby. We’ll be watching you from above, so have fun.” Pyrrha warmly stated as she took Jaune’s hand in with hers. Something Ruby eyed with a slightly crestfallen expression before perking back up at them.“Just try not to overdo it, dolt.” Weiss snidely interjected with a friendly smirk.“Have you met Ruby, Weiss?” Yang added, Blake simply shrugged with a ‘here we go’ again type of gesture.“Boy I’m glad we’re all together again! We should hang out together more often at Jaune and Pyrrha’s house, it seems to be the go-to meeting place after all.” Ruby offered.“You don't have to tell us that, Rubes. That comfy place already feels like home, but enough about plans you have an arena to fight in. They do have a policy late arrivals, ya know.” Yang stated making Ruby comically panic before she rushed off. The warning signaling late arrivals made her speed up faster making everyone laugh in merriment.Once the coast was clear each girl gave Jaune and Pyrrha and knowing look coupled with devious smiles before heading up to sit with Salem.“Ready to add another, dear? I am gonna be quite jealous though, I’m supposed to be the only redhead in your life.” Pyrrha cutely pouted after saying it. Jaune just snickered and  held her close by the hands.“Well we still have plans for Nora ya know, which reminds me they are gonna come over finally. Been too long, but anyway...I’ll only ever need one Pyrrha in my life forever and that’s you, babe. No one can replace you.” Jaune stated making Pyrrha a bit teary eyed before they pulled into each other for another lip-locking kiss, much to the cheers and hoots from the crowd at seeing their favored celebrity huntress make out with her equally famous husband.Eventually they ceased and returned to the stands holding hands the entire way back.Afterward the tournament went on as scheduled with Ruby dominating, she was extra motivated to one up the record set up by the married couple. At the same time she herself felt more than a little envious of them, particularly of Pyrrha for having married Jaune. The little huntress wouldn’t have admitted it if you ask her, but a major part of her believed him to be her one and perhaps she still does.Whenever she looks at their happiness of matrimony she feels jealous and perhaps a little resentful, but she often buried those thoughts in her work during travels. Perhaps a major reason for her overworked scheduling and travels around Remnant was to leave the past behind, but it always found a way back to her.One glance to her friends and teammates cheering her on and felt a surge of confidence and positivity as she bore down on her opponents.‘Who knows, maybe being at their house won’t be so bad. I’ll probably finally move on after I just...tell them, but right now I got a tournament to win.’ She reasoned with herself.   After nearly two hours of competitive combat Ruby Rose came out on top victorious! The crowd cheered and her team applauded loudly as she stalked up to the podium to receive her trophy. She took it with pride and stood beaming at the crowd in the stands.Once thing settled down the crew all agreed to convene at the Arc household like last time, Ruby was a little hesitant to go, but Yang’s goading and temptation offer of a cookie cake won her over.Salem disguised as Blair stealthily teleported back to her home to wait for the moment where it all came together. She couldn’t go back with them so as not to raise questions with Ruby’s presence.“I can’t believe I got so many sponsor deals, now I have all these suits wanting to meet me at certain dates to endorse stuff.” Ruby let out feeling flustered and dizzy at the whole new world coming at her.Pyrrha heartily giggled and walked alongside her. “I know better than anyone the tasks that come with fame and can give you a few pointers on dos and don’ts. Who knows, perhaps  you’ll meet your own lovable blond goof who ate your cereal like I did.”Ruby frowned at that mention and let it go unnoticed by keeping her peppy face up.“Definitely gonna have to pass on all of it since I can’t stay in one place for too long. I mean it would drive me crazy, I like traveling the world more than standing in front of cameras and being plastered on a cereal box.” The rest of the crew laughed at her embarrassment when she mentioned it, right now they were walking up the pathway to the Arc home just in time to see a familiar wild redhead and her ironically cool headed. Counterpart.Nora appeared in the same stylish ensemble of small black jacket, pink and white knee high boots, and a rocking skirt. Her hair was still shoulder length as well, the lovely shade of teal mascara made her electric green eyes more vibrant, overall she resembled the style she used so long ago when the teams first went to Mistral. Same could be said for Ren, who appeared slightly more muscular and lean with longer  hair and arm warmers. He still donned the purple streak in his dark hair and as usual kept cool as a cucumber, the only notable difference was that he was more talkative now as of late.“Ren! Nora!” Pyrrha cried out in joy when seeing the other two members of team JNPR stand in front of the door waving at them.“Pyrrha! Fearless leader!” Nora cried out with just as much enthusiasm as Pyrrha ran up to them to pull both into a fierce hug. Ren grunted in pain until she let go.“It’s great to you two as well, same goes for all of team RWBY.” Ren commented warmly when looking to all four girls walking up beside Jaune.“Well now this brings back memories, both teams RWBY and JNPR reunited again!” Yang cheered high fiving Nora.“Only this time we’re because we didn't nearly die, woo hoo immortality!” Nora chirped when taking notice of Ruby’s trophy. “Oooooh...can I touch it? Is it real gold? Are you gonna pawn it or put it in a case at home?” Nora bombarded Ruby with questions making her dizzy again until her partner came to her rescue.Enjoying each other’s company the girls started catching while Ren stood along the wall next to Jaune as he unlocked the door.“Some things never change, huh?” Ren commented with a warm grin when looking at Nora hugging the life out of a fuming and possibly suffocating Weiss.“You’d be surprised at what does, heh.” Jaune said back when pausing after catching a strange foreign scent. “You...wearing a perfume, Ren? Smells a bit funky.”Ren tensed up and looked a bit alarmed. “Huh just a new cologne I thought was for men, but it turns out it was Nora’s brand instead. I didn’t take notice until after we got here.” He hastily explained leaving Jaune to shrug.“Well I got things inside that can help cover it up, look any more feminine while smelling like it and you’d really be mistaken for a woman.” Jaune joked as he opened the door and ushered the girls inside before following in himself.Ren stood there frozen stiff and looked at his hands before shakily sighing and following inside. After he did, this went noticed by a certain witch standing up by a window near a top room.Salem had quickly warped here to fetch some of the more irreplaceable devices before teleportin it all back to her realm, she had to leave little trace of anything strange in case the Rose and other two noticed anything.That was when Salem notices something odd about Ren and the way he moved, smelled, and acted. ‘There may be more to that character than meets the eye, the scent he carries is an unusual one...made up of compounds and elements only used for disguise. I wonder what it could be.’ She thought curling her fingers along her chin in perverse thought before teleporting out of sight back to her realm. The party, which involved a large cookie cake that made Ruby drool like a waterfall, carried on until the night with drinks of punch and alcohol and festivities in which both teams caught up together. Ren, Nora, and Ruby remained unaware of any strangeness between the other members, yet Ruby seemed a little hesitant to be close to Jaune. Something he obviously picked up on, Pyrrha noticed it too and tugged her husband close to whisper in his ear.“I believe she’s in love with you, Jaune. Maybe has for some time now, perhaps it’s best to talk to her and catch up on old times before tonight, that way it's all the more special.”Jaune nodded with leaned in to caress her cheek and kiss her neck before reaching her lips, the two stayed there in romantic lip-lock ignoring Nora’s envious stare before breaking off.“Love you, babe.”“I love you too, sweetheart.” Pyrrha whispered back as Jaune got up to head over to where Ruby stood by the punch bowl.Jaune sneaked beside her while she was distracted and picked up a cup of punch and noticed she held one absentmindedly too. “So...hanging out at the punchbowl I see.”“Yep...wait a minute!” She sighed then squeaked in surprise when recounting the deja vu Jaune sprung on her. Hearing him chuckle made her laugh a little as well easing any tension or uneasiness.The two began talking and catching up, Jaune relayed some tips he and Pyrrha used in battles to give Ruby an edge, but the entire time they spent talking Ruby couldn’t take her eyes off him. She hung on every word and suddenly didn’t feel as hesitant or avoidant in being near him, he had just that kind of effect on her.This didn’t go unnoticed by several pairs of eyes in the room, all of whom inwardly smiled in mischievous delight for the events that are to come.Meanwhile Pyrrha sat chatting animatedly with Ren and Nora.“So you’re certain you two can’t sleep over tonight? I understand if you’re busy but lately it feels like you two have been avoiding these reunions. Last time you didn’t even show.” Pyrrha voiced with concern making Nora look guilty.“We’re real sorry about that, Pyr. It’s just...things are complicated right now, it’s a little too personal to explain but all we need is a little bit of time to sort it out.” Nora voiced surprisingly reasonably followed with a nod from Ren.Pyrrha sighed and greeted them with a friendly smile before pulling them both into her arms, once she did she felt something amiss about Ren.“I’ll go call for a Bullhead lift, rest assured we’re going to spend more time together, I promise.” Ren stated.“I know, you two have your own things to do, we completely understand, but please be sure not to be a stranger. It’s not often we come together like this.”Nora nodded wiping a tear from her face as Ren walked over to Jaune to bade him a goodbye. Pyrrha’s eyes darted to Nora’s face and noticed she looked somewhat crestfallen when eyeing Ren, perhaps it was something to look into later.Eventually the festivities winded down later that night and the crew felt it was time for bed. Ren and Nora left and the girls all bunked in shared guest rooms on the second floor eager for tonight's real event.Ruby had been rooming with Yang in their guest room, the blonde babe appeared deep in slumber and Ruby decided to stay up a little more by reading a magazine she had found from Weiss’s company.“Hmm, let’s see what miss crabby pants is selling at her company. Hee hee I can’t wait to look at some customizable Dust….components…?” Ruby trailed off when she flipped it open. What greeted her left her mouth agape and face red with embarrassment.It was a picture of familiar redhead she could only know as Pyrrha, dressed in an extremely skimpy punk rocker outfit; her hair was styled freely and loose with streaks in it. Her outfit consisted of a leather strapless corset showing off her cleavage, her mini skirt was edgy in design and short enough to see her pubic space as she dat spread legged on a desk. What really took it home was the spiked leather collar around her neck and the leather fingerless gloves and boots to complete the theme. She even  chewed on a piece of bubble gum to further the effect.‘Did this...what...when...oooh what is this?!’ Ruby freaked and quickly closed the magazine and tossed it away unsure of what to make of it. “Maybe it is time to go to sleep.”Ruby then got comfortable and laid down in the bed near her sister, minutes passed until she lowered her eyes shut snoozing peacefully.Yang quietly got up and out the bed looking at her to make sure she was asleep. “Finally…” She whispered. “Mistress...it’s time.” She said to no one around until she, along with Ruby and everyone else inside the house teleported quietly through vortexes taking them all somewhere familiar and dark. Ruby woke up in the middle of the night and got up from her bed feeling hungry. Deciding on snacking milk and cookies, as was a common routine during late stays, she decided to venture down to the kitchen. When she got to the door however she noticed something was off in the murky darkness of the room and looked back to see that her sister was completely absent from the bed.“Huh, I wonder where Yang went off to?” Ruby muttered to herself groggily rubbing her eyes. “Maybe she went to the restroom.” She shrugged and turned back to the door.Once she opened it the young rose ventured outside the room which was when she really felt something was off now that she was more awake.Ruby’s eyes went wide when she took in her surroundings; instead of a normal two story house she was inside some vast twisted looking castle.“Huh? What…!?” She became more awake now and alarmed. Looking back into the bedroom she noticed it too was different in design and color theme. The decor was lavish and wicked looking, almost like it was ripped straight out of a fairy tale book. ‘Okay, maybe i’m having a bad dream probably because of the cookie cake. Better pinch myself.’ Ruby then slapped herself across the cheeks twice and panicked when feeling every bit of it.“Oh no! Not a dream! I gotta figure out a way ou-”“Oooohhh!! Aaaaah!!” An ehcoe of moans interrupted her and Ruby turned in the direction of the noises down the hallway.The young reaper, now an adult woman, weighed on the option of tracking the source and finding an escape, but her heroic side compelled her to follow the moans.‘My weapon and all my gear are definitely not in the room, maybe whoever is making those sounds can help me out. Right after I help them.’ She reasoned and quickly made her way down the hallway. She was lead down into a lower level of the castle which lead to a dungeon.Opening the door she found a spacious area with pathways leading to different rooms of the dungeon, focusing her hearing she found which one the sounds were coming from and headed down that way.Along the way Ruby noticed, with a heavy blush, the walls leading to it held vast arrays of sexual toys, devices, and suits with the obvious indication of raunchy hijinks.‘That is a lot of...ulp...spiked dildos.’ She noted until she saw really skimpy schoolgirl outfits and leather bondage gear further on up, she couldn’t wait to get out of this place. Her face was beet red from seeing all the ultra kinky items litter the walls.“Haaaa..!!! Yes!!” Another chorus of moans spurred her on and once she got to the door Ruby kicked it open.The door slammed open and the sight that greeted her made the young Rose freeze in place. “What….is this? I...Idon’twannabehere.”Pyrrha Arc was present and wore a very scanty leatherwear showing her breasts in all their glory with small clamps attached to her nipples. Her head wore some kind of leather brace with a mouth piece dangling around her neck, her long  hair was tied up into a ponytail with her face wearing dark lipstick and wicked makeup. Her leatherwear consisted of a body harness strapping her torso in bind leather binds, long skintight leather gloves reaching past her elbows, high heel leather leggings with straps connecting to a leather brace around her thighs. She wore no panties or underwear and showed her slightly fuzzy mound strapped with a large plastic phallus embedded into the ass of whoever was below her.In her left hand was a riding crop and in the other clutched a familiar mane of golden hair that only belonged to-“Yang!?” Ruby shrieked when taking in the sight of her sister.Yang was all fours underneath Pyrrha wearing nothing whatsoever save for large leather ‘paws’ over her hands and feet, some makeup over her nose giving it an animal like face, and lastly a dog collar over her neck with the tag ‘Goldie’. Her perverse tongue lolling face as Pyrrha pumped her hips against her ass made a mark in Ruby’s head. Yang’s eyes were rolled up to the sockets and tongue lolled out with her begging for more until they both noticed Ruby with welcoming smiles.“Oh hi there, Ruby. Finally up I see, care to join us? Yang is a fun ride, but I’d much rather try you out to mix it up.” Pyrrha offered her while cradling Yang’s face in one of her hands before turning the blonde to engage in a sloppy passionate kiss.!Ruby was freaking out at what she was seeing, but also somehow found it too engaging to break away. She was getting lost in the sight of Yang’s mouth slobbering over Pyrrha’s tongue and vice versa. The two erotically kissed and sucked each other’s lips like horny lovers and it was doing things to Ruby’s body.“Mmmpphmm! Delicious!” Pyrrha broke off from a dazed Yang with a tasty sigh and readied her hips to begin slamming back into her ass. She reeled herself back and pumped herself against it in resonate smacks of flesh making Yang pant and moan. The smacking continue and each time Yang felt weaker and closer to orgasm, but she was able to greet her sister with a perverse smile.“C’mon, Rubes. Joine the fun, Pyrrha is really hardcore on anal, but she definitely delivers! Almost as good as ‘Daddy’ himself.”Smack!“Oooaaaggh!! I said almost as good! That is still flattery.” Yang begged and received a riding crop lash across her buttocks.Pyrrha chuckled sinisterly. “I know, I simply wanted to slap that rump of yours, you were begging for it anyway.” She then gripped Yang’s hips with both hands and really started rocking her hips like a horny animal on her ass, making Yang moan like moaning animal in the process.“OOohh yeah!!! That’s how Goldie likes it! More!” Yang howled at the repeat sensation of Pyrrha’s ‘cock’ rutting in and out of her anus.“No no no, I uh gotta go!” Ruby panicked when feeling her loins stir pleasurably, thus she had to bail less she get caught in the madness.Breaking into a run she dashed out of the room leaving Pyrrha to fuck Yang’s ass incessantly without pause.“Huff...I guess..huff..it’s not her time..huff..yet...hooaa!!” Pyrrha moaned relishing the feel of the phallic nub pushing into her pussy against Yang’s ass. The two shared a laugh together when recalling Ruby’s face, it was obvious all of it was getting to her, all she needed now was for Jaune and Salem to seal the deal.“Yeah, just a little more push is all. After Daddy is done with her our little family will be complete.” Yang cooed back and grinded her hips back against Pyrrha’s. The two smacked their hands together in a high five..“Don’t forget, we still need Nora included to complete our teams, plus Jaune and Mistress still have plans to expand beyond them. Weiss’s sister, Coco and Velvet, and perhaps Jaune’s sisters since they so clearly have a thing for their brother. Many more will come to be family, Yang. Now c’mere.” Pyrrha continued her pounding yet slowed it a bit so she could pull Yang into another erotic girl on girl tongue sucking contest.  Outside Ruby broke into a run determined to get out of here, she didn’t want to leave her friends behind but something felt wrong with everything, wrong with her.“Why is this happening!? And.. why was I enjoying myself?!” Ruby said to herself when inside the seemingly endless halls leading to various rooms. She had no idea which direction she came from, she always was bad with navigating. Resting a hand to her forehead she started laughing a bit in the madness of everything she’s experiencing, that was until she heard a voice from behind one of the doors.“Booo hoo hoo! It was awful, Daddy! The dream I had was absolutely terrible!” A familiar shrill voice interrupted her thoughts when she got outside. Ruby turned her face to another door in the area and felt curious about it.‘That sounded like...Weiss?’ She thought letting her curiosity and worry get the better of her as she followed the sound of sobs to the door leading to its source; a door colored in infantile pastel colors littered over a pleasant white.Ruby was even more disturbed when seeing several less than artistic finger paintings of a group of individuals under the word ‘Family’. The pictures themselves looked as though a child did them and the characters in them seemed recognisable to Ruby. she gasped in horror when recognizing Yang, Pyrrha, Blake, and Weiss standing around a blonde stick figure named ‘Daddy’ next to a white and black stick figure named ‘Mommy’.The moment Ruby got closer she heard the sounds change from sobs to...moans.“Hhooaahh!!! Daddy!! Daddy!”Carefully opening it she heard noises of more flesh smacking coupled with moans and breaths.“Oh Daddy! I love it when you cradle me in your arms after I had a bad dream! It made me want to cry, but your big strong arms are all I need to wash it away!” Weiss voiced in a cute juvenile manner and with a certain aroused pitch to it.“Don’t worry, my little snow angel. Daddy will always be here for you.” A second voice spoke and Ruby immediately recognised it leading to her pushing the door open to witness another mind breaking scene.“Eh…?” She uttered feeling her body lose a bit of its soul when seeing Weiss Schnee’s lightly skinned petite body bouncing up and down vigorously on the lap of...Jaune Arc.He sat on the bed petting her head, her long silvery hair was stylised in large twintails with a large white bow wrapped around the top like a little girl. She was as naked as the day she was born with her ample breasts swaying up and down with her her body, Ruby memorized the scene of her pussy swallowing up Jaune’s meat each and every time she landed back on it.“Oooh yes!! Daddy! I love you so much!” Weiss squealed as she slowly grinded her hips around in rotations on his lap. She made Daddy proud alright, Jaune tilted his head back savoring the tight feeling of her pussy squeezing down on her in spiral suctions.“What...is...going on? He, he hehe.” Ruby uttered softly to herself getting lost in thought at the mind shredding scene which lead to her laughing nervously. Another part of was feeling turned on by watching her best friend voraciously fuck her would-be love interest, so much so that she slid her left hand down her pajama pants to glide across her mound covered up by dampen cloth. The moment she started storking herself to the scene she bit her lip and relaxed to it.Meanwhile Weiss altered her position to plant her hands on his abdomen and her feet into the bed by the sides of his waist. This way she could freely bounce herself down on her Daddy’s large cock even faster and allow it to reach deeper, not that it didn’t already fill her up.“Daddy’s so big! He he ha ha ha. I know I’m just a baby myself, but I want children of my own too! I know Daddy will make his little Snow angel pregnant with lots of babies!” Weiss laughed joyously in pleasure as her petite form continued slapping up and down on his cock.Jaune cast a glance over to Ruby, who was rubbing herself frantically underneath her pajama pants while feeling up her own chest with the other hand. He smirked and braced himself to buck up his own hips against Weiss’s tight snatch, she squaled in delight and euphoria while biting her lips. Her bounces became more rampant and faster paced, she loved having Jaune’s large cock breach the deepest parts of her. All the more better to knock her up with.This continued for minutes with the audible sounds of Weiss furiously slamming herself down on Jaune’s lap, Ruby had been pleasing herself for just that long until she snapped out of it and realized what she had been doing and who she had witnessed having sex with who.“Weiss and babies...babies with Jaune...I don’t know what’s going on anymore! I’m going! This is just a dream! Just a dream! ” Ruby shouted to herself red with embarrassment again and rushed out the room to escape the madness.Weiss continued fucking herself on Jaune’s meat even after sending a look to where Ruby had been, both she and Jaune smiled knowingly to each other before they started laughing softly.“She’s coming around, Daddy. Did you see her getting off to us?”“I sure did, Snow Angel. Don’t worry, she’ll become your big sister soon enough and…” Jaune lenaed up to whisper sexilay in her ear while wrapping his arms around her lithe frame. “...your co-mother once I knock both of you up. I’ve got plenty of energy and everything for tonight.”This pushed Weiss over the edge and made her cum! She locked both arms and legs tightly around Jaune as her pussy started gushing in fierce orgasm with his cock still inside.Jaune in turn grunted and held her close as his member spewed hot thick loads of sperm deep into her womb! He kept on cumming and cumming until a small bulge appeared on Weiss’s belly, once she relaxed with a content shudder she stayed there in Jaune’s arms breathing heavily.“That was fun, Daddy. Thank you for coming to bed to check on me.” Weiss breathed pleasantly as Jaune rubbed her back sensually.“Anytime, my sweet little snow angel. Now it’s the Red Rose’s turn.” Jaune cooed back before pulling Weiss into a deep loving kiss.  “That was Jaune...and Weiss. T-this has to be a dream! I’m scared...I’m something else, not so much scared as I’m...turned on?” Ruby struggled with herself while walking listlessly down the hall unsure of where she was going. Part of her didn't care just out of shock, still convinced she’s having a cross between nightmare and wet dream.‘But girls don’t have wet dreams,do they?’ She asked herself when she heard another strang noise in the dungeon space. She thought better to not pursue, but alas she couldn’t help but wonder why that sounded like a…“Meeeoowwwllll! Nyyeeaaggh!!” It sounded feminine and considering how things went so far Ruby guessed what it could be, nonetheless she found herself wandering towards it till she came to a rather unassuming door leading to another dungeon room. The only real distinction it head was a stick bearing the symbol for Blake’s smutty ninja series.Hesitantly she pushed it open and saw another jaw-dropping sight that would’ve otherwise petrified her; Blake Belladonna crawling on her hands and knees like an animal. She wore a maid attire that resembled something from the fetish side of designs, she wore cleavage displaying corset with puffy short sleeves, a short frilly skirt that showed off her bare ass that somehow had a long fake looking cat tail sticking out of it. Around her head there was the typical maid headdress accompanied by a pet collar similar to Yang’s also with a dog tag, the collar also had a leash attached and whoever was holding it appeared to be none other than Pyrrha Arc completely naked from head to toe.Blake had knelt down on her rear propped up like an actual feline whereas Pyrrha sat down on a lavish leather bound chair with legs crossed. The redhead started petting the brunette and stroking from behind her neck making Blake mewl in response.“Who’s a good little kitten? You are, yes you are.” Pyrrha cooed caressing Blake’s blushing face as she pursed her lips to look more feline. She let out a pleasured meow enjoying the feeling of Pyrrha’s hands until they were withdrawn.“Now be a good little pussycat and serve me some tea, after that…” Pyrrha then uncrossed her legs and and gestured to her pussy with her fingers. “...get to work.”“Yes! Yes I will, master!” Blake let out as she stood up to fetch a tea set and gracefully bring it with her to serve Pyrrha a fresh steaming cup.Ruby stood transfixed at the scene, partially wondering when the naughtiness would begin, why she wondered she didn’t even know. She stood in wait though, with her shirt hunched up over her firm C-cups and her right hand sliding slowly down her pants.After Blake finished pouring Pyrrha her cup of tea, the red headed dominatrix grabbed a copy of ‘Ninjas of Lust volume 3’ and started reading. Blake however knelt down to her knees and moved her face over to in between Pyrrha’s perfect legs.The Faunus feline’s mouth inhaled her scent and started gently slurping on her clit and kissing around her vulva making Pyrrha subtle moan in breaths, the champion continued reading while Blake worked her cunt. Blake then placed her hands against her thighs and dug deeper with her tongue burrowing into her juicy snatch and wriggling around, her nose nudged her clit adding extra stimulation to the pleasure she was feeling. Pyrrha Leaned back in relaxed position and placed her left hand atop of Blake’s head petting her while she continued slurping on her pussy.Ruby leaned against the wall feeling overtaken by the feelings this invoked in her, her hand started tenderly stroking her cunt’s moistness while her other one fondled her breasts. Her breathing became more and more heated as she continued. Pyrrha and Blake were fully aware of her presence and paid her no mind while they did their own thing.“How can you stand to read this filth, Blake? It’s utter garbage like those pretentious vampire romance novels. I can’t believe this is deemed literature at all.” Pyrrha stated venomously and continued reading while grinding Blake’s head against her pussy. Blake couldn't answer and instead excelled her service by fervishly tonguing out and lapping the champion’s cunt. Pyrrha didn’t show it but she was really feeling the bliss distract her like it was currently doing to Ruby.The younger huntress now stood against the wall with pants down and both hands gingerly stroking her moistened mound while breathing hard. Pyrrha purred at the sight of her youthful developed body in all its glory.‘Jaune will love to ravage that.’ She noted while ruby continued finger banging herself for what felt lie minutes until she regained her mental state and quickly pulled her pants up.“Gah! I did it! This is just a dream and I gotta get out of here!” Ruby cried out flustered and once again rushed out the door feeling more of herself get lost in the madness.Once the door closed shut behind her Pyrrha and Blake shared a knowing look after the latter raised her head from between her legs.“I believe it’s finally time.” Pyrrha said licking her lips tastefully.“It certainly is, have fun and good luck.” Blake purred with her face a mess with juices and stickiness. Pyrrha pulled her up to wrap her lips succulently around hers for a deep tongue probing kiss. Eventually they broke off with a breathy sigh.“I won’t need it, and neither will Jaune and the mistress.”  Ruby kept running aimlessly around in the dungeon wondering which lead to the way out, she didn’t want to stumble into another weird sex act. Mostly because it always hypnotized her to go into a mastubatory frenzy without really understanding why.“I have to get out of here, but how?!”‘Ruby….’ A dreamy voice called out to her making her look around frantically in paranoia. ‘..follow my voice, Ruby Rose.’Ruby found herself drawn to it somehow and walked a little further in the dimly liit darkness to see a very large ornate door in front of her.‘That’s right...come closer Ruby. You can have all the pleasures you want if you follow my voice. Sweets as well, like cookies which are your favorite. But more than that you can have him...have Jaune Arc love you like you secretly wanted.The more she heard the mysterious echoey voice the hornier she got, she had to restrain herself not to stroke her pussy and breasts right there. So too she persevered closer until she got to the large double sided door, where it lead to, who knows.She pressed her hands against the surface and pushed open to the sight of a pale skinned monstrous looking women with dark violet veins running along her limbs, a large bun of ornate silvery hair, and demonic looking eyes full of darkness and blood red color. She was naked with large breasts hanging out and curvaceous legs resting with her body atop a large queen sized bed.Next to her were two familiar faces; Jaune and Pyrrha, both of whom were tending to her pleasurably. Jaune kept her close to his chest and soothingly fonlded her breasts in tandem while kissing up her neck. Pyrrha was on her other side stroking her backside with one hand and pocketing the other between her legs finger banging her pussy.“Welcome, Ruby Rose. You finally made it thanks to following my voice.” Salem declared making her wince at her foolishness.‘That was her? I...messed up...didn’t I?’ Ruby thought feeling silly for falling into the trap, but for some reason wasn’t despairing. If anything her body was feeling extremely sensitive and stimulated by seemingly nothing at all. She looked at Salem and saw a victorious smirk in ther features and put two and two together.“What did you do to me? What did you to do to everybody!?” She barked hugging herself as her body’s stimuli delivered pleasurable feedback overwhelming her.Jaune and Pyrrha looked to her to chime in with their queen. “I did nothing to them, but you my dear, are getting heavily affected by the pheromones I induced on you the moment you awoke.” Salem revealed shocking her.“So that’s why I...keep doing things to myself whenever I walked in on the others.” Ruby confirmed and Salem nodded before continuing.“We’ve been together as a very loving family since I met them and showed them hope beyond Remnant and beyond Grimm. Together we formed out of mutual need, love, and carnal desire that we all reciprocate with one another daily. My powers and wisdom also helped them become the star elite hunters that were able to drive away legions of Grimm and saving many lives, you know. We have plans, Ruby Rose, to usher in a new generation and a new world order full of love and harmony.” Salem explained making Ruby feel even more uneasy as the pheromones amplified their effect on her body.“And we want you to join us, Ruby. I’m not blind to how you feel by the way.” Jaune stated making her eyes go wide and teary. Jaune held out his hand and offered it to her with the charming smile of his making her heart flutter. “With us you’ll never be alone again and feel all the love you want, I’ll love you to your heart’s content, Ruby. So...c’mere, CraterFace.”Ruby found herself stepping forward slowly and then gradually picking up side until she ran.Jaune stood up off the bed to catch her as she dived into his arms for a needful embrace in which he swung her around romantically. Once they stopped a water eyed Ruby peered up into his eyes and leaned in for his lips to lock with hers, after they did she locked her arms around his neck pulling him deeper.Jaune’s hands lit aglow with the marks and pressed each of them against her cheeks while also deepening the kiss. Ruby’s kissing intensified to the point where she desperately shoved her tongue into his mouth releasing all her pent up energy and sexual tension for him. The glyphs on her cheeks completed, Ruby was now marked and fully corrupted.The dark violet glow on her cheeks trailed down her body giving her limbs the traditional veiny marks, her sugary sweet smile was the cherry on top.Pyrrha got up and soon joined them by wrapping her hands around Ruby’s chest feeling her tits in her palms. The little reaper moaned with a relaxed sigh, Pyrrha then leaned in to kiss a trail up her neck slowly and lovingly until she reached her face. Ruby leaned back so she could capture Pyrrha’s welcoming lips into her own letting another tongue worm its way inside her mouth today. Jaune watched in amusement and kept his left hand occupied to sliding underneath Ruby’s bottom and sliding a finger into her quirm making her tense up .Pyrrha inwardly grinned within the kiss when feeling Ruby mewl inside her mouth, she savored the taste of the squealing reaper while still lapping her tongue all over her teeth. Pyrrha wanted more of it and pulled her closer by tugging her waist to hers. Now the young Rose was tightly sandwiched between herself and Jaune, being ravished from all over. THer husband, and soon to be Ruby’s husband, continued dipping his fingers in and out of her dripping snatch making her hips writhe in his palm and turning her into more of a moaning mess.Salem looked on in proud approval and patted the bed signaling them to come back to it. Both Pyrrha and Jaune nodded and stripped Ruby of all her clothes including her underwear leaving them to admire her perfect petite body with creamy rosy skin.Ruby blushed and attempted to cover herself up until Jaune held her hands away from her body before he leaned in and kissed her deeply. Ruby instantly melted into it and allowed him to rvaaish her outh with hsi toungue. Pyrrha snuck around again and got on her knees to press her head up against Ruby’s twat tender kissing and licking up her vulva.Ruby sent a shrill cry inside Jaune’s mouth and bucked her legs a little, but Pyrrha’s strong hands held her thighs appear so she could delve her tongue deeper into her juicy snatch. Ruby writhed in between them moaning with Jaune’s tongue in her mouth.Salem wanted them to come to bed, but she was patient and was enjoying the scene. Minutes more this continued with Ruby now straddling Pyrrha’s face grinding her pussy against the amazon’s hungry lips and passionately making out with Jaune, soon Ruby felt her climax rush at her making her buck her knees and gush all over Pyrrha’s face. She didn’t hesitate to lap it all up afterwards leaving a heaving Ruby resting in Jaune’s arms.“The night’s just started, Ruby.” Jaune stated with an eager smirk.“Come here, Ruby Rose. I have a treat for you.” Salem beckoned making Ruby look over Jaune’s shoulder like an eager dog. To her surprise Salem magically manifested a large oval tray of various creamy sweets such as whipped cream, cookies, chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, and caramel syrup.“Wow!” Ruby squealed excitedly and Salem held out a hand to stop her from rushing towards the sweets.“They’re not for you, my dear. They’re to be used on you.” Salem said licking her lips as Jaune and Pyrrha then pulled the Rose with them to begin the fun. Ruby was laid down on the bed spread eagled and anxious, Jaune grabbed the can of whip cream and whipped up a rosy swirl of it on Ruby’s mound like a cupcake. It was then Pyrrha had her pussy coated in whip cream as well, the champion dabbled some of it inside her pussy while eyeing Ruby perversely. It wasn’t clear what she had in mind until Ruby saw her hunched over form straddling her head in a sixty nine position.“Eat, my children.” Salem cooed and lathered some caramel syrup over Jaune’s dick before sliding her mouth all over it tasting him with splendor.“Hhooo ooooh!!” Ruby moaned once Pyrrha’s eager tongue slithered into her pussy lapping up the cream slowly and pleasurably. She held her hands at her pussy lips spreading them wide to cover and slurp more space.Ruby didn’t want her to feel left out and started her own treatment of the champion by craning her head forth and kissing the cream coated vulva of Pyrrha Arc. Ruby trailed her tongue up the cream and pressing it closely along Pyrrha’s pussy, she was no expert in this, but the cream motivated her to be. Her hands grasped her buttocks to better aim her mouth and so too did she work her lips and tongue on the cream lathered pussy of the redhead. Pyrrha herself moaned between Ruby’s legs and eventually the two created a synchronized pattern of eating each other out in tandem.Meanwhile Salem was on her knees pumping her head back and forth on Jaune’s caramel coated cock sucking it with utmost vigor. Jaune moaned her name and held her ornate head deeper the longer she went on, essentially he started facefucking her and going throat deep with his member reaching the deepest parts. Salem could have eyes in her pupils when looking up at him while they continued.Intense smacking noises resounded from all around, the sounds the girls made involved tasty breaths and moans until eventually Pyrrha writhed and bucked over Ruby’s face cumming hard!“Aaaaggghh!!” Pyrrha let out and clamped her thighs a bit coating Rubys’ face and lips with cum.The younger reaper lapped it all up shortly after clamping her lithe legs over Pyrrha’s head doing the same. The champion tasted a mix of cream and cum gushing from Ruby’s snatch, she enclosed her lips on it to make sure none escaped her lips.Once they were done they each broke off from their respective places to gasp for breath and sigh with content. They heard Jaune groan out loud and bucked his hips against Salem’s throat with the witch wrapping her arms around his thighs taking him deep. He had come heavy ropes of sperm down her gullet, to which she swallowed up every last bit of it with loud noticeable gulps.Once Salem let go of his meat the girls saw in awe that he was still hard and ready for more.“So who’s next?” Jaune asked with readiness and a smug grin.Ruby bit her lip in excitement when Pyrrha grabbed her shoulders directing her husband's attention to her.“She finally is, darling.” Pyrrha stated as Jaune approached her as she sat down on the bed. He pulled Ruby into his arms with her lower body just hovering above his large phallic length. He looked to Ruby with a nod, she smiled and nodded back before slumping herself down on top of it. Considering that she trained at a young age Ruby didn't really have a hymen anymore, but that didn’t mean wasn’t a virgin before now. And right now she is just glad Jaune got to be her first and only. She winced as it drove further into her where it breached past her cervix dug straight into her womb. He made sure to drive it all the way in.“Uuaa aaggh!” She yelped in pain at the large length buried inside of her and held onto his body while she adjusted.Fortunately that didn't take long and Ruby stated humping herself in his embrace with love in her eyes. The bed start creaking, Salem and Pyrrha watched with the latter coaching ruby from behind her.Eventually Jaune laid down allowing her to die him cowgirl style, and she was doing it great enthusiasm. Her tight snatch repeatedly choked his length and took it for a ride with her swaying his motioning back and forth.Ruby’s face shifted into a more depraved perverse grin after she planted her hands on his muscled torso. She really started hammering away on Jaune’s cock making him groan, he then grabs her hips making sure to hump his hips upward to meet her movements. This continued for nearly a minute when Jaune heard the sound of the whip cream being sprayed on something, he wondered what it was until he saw Pyrrha’s ass coming down upon him with a trail of whip cream sprayed between her cheeks.“We haven’t tried this avenue yet, honey. And you know how much I like it when attention is being given to this particular spot. Work that tongue of yours on me, please.” Pyrrha cooed and pressed her ass closer to Jaune’s face. He had never done something like this yet but he wasn’t about to turn down his wife.Bracing himself he spread apart Pyrrha’s cheeks gently scraping the cream off with his tongue  before diving into the center sending chills up her spin, very elated and excited chill that made her brace her hands on Jaune’s torso next to Ruby’s.Seeing that he was doing a good job making her squirm he decided to progress and continue working his tongue inside her anus causing the proud champion to squirm like crazy.Ruby slowed her bouncing on Jaune’s cock when noticing Pyrrha’s dazed expression of pure bliss and leaned forward cupping her face for another passionate yet sloppy make out session. Pyrrha happily obliged and locked her hands together with Ruby’s pulling each other closer to intensify their frenzied oral exchange.Salem sat back enjoying the show naked with a cookie in her mouth. The new twist of Pyrrha having her ass tongued out by her husband excited her kinky side too and wondered how far they could take their perversions.‘How would the girls function in the bedroom if they temporarily had Grimm features in their bodies?’ She thought feeling a tinge of shivering excitement at the prospect. Salem reached a hand over to a remote control and clicked to check the battery life of the floating stealth cameras hidden around the room, she was making sure they were recording every minute of it.The trio writhed together in unified undulations, Jaune fucked his hips up against Ruby's overwhelmingly tight cunt while tonguing out Pyrrha’s anus while they made out together. His actions spurred both girls on into orgasmic territory and before long they wrapped their arms around each other swallowing each other’s tongues when coming to a titanic climax!Pyrrha and Ruby moaned in unified orgasm with Ruby’s cunt squeezing the life out of Jaune’s dick making sure he came with them. He sure did, once his hips bucked upwards he sent an abundant deluge of healthy potent sperm directly into her depths! When Ruby felt Jaune’s seed flood her womb she came again inside Pyrrha’s mouth and gnashed her hips down some more riding out her second concurrent climax.Eventually their shared orgams died down and Ruby dismounted from Jaune’s surprisingly hard phallus with a dribbling trail of sperm connecting their holes. Pyrrha dismounted as well with a very flustered and satisfied face, when both girls saw that he was still ready for more, possibly due to Salem’s enhancements, they got together on the bed with Pyrrha on top of Ruby in a sandwich position.Jaune got up on his knees and gripped his wife’s buutocks and ime dhis girth to drive straight into her anus. Pyrrha clenched her hands tightly on ruby’s when feeling her husband’s thick girth plo straight into her rectal depths, she grit her teeth in pleasure as he continued pounding his cock into her. Ruby took the opportunity to finger her cunt with her right hand while Jaune pounded her from behind and so it went on for minutes on end with the audible chorus of flesh smacking being the music.Eventually Jaune’s thrusts reached an apex and he deposited a hefty load of spunk into his wife’s bowels before yanking his cock out and driving back into Ruby’s pussy making her squeal in surprise. This time Ruby held onto Pyrrha with her arms grasping her back as her body rocked due to Jaune’s thrusts. Jaune didn't leave his wife unattended though, he moved his left hand from its original position and started driving two fingers into Pyrrha’s cunt while still fucking Ruby. This went on forme several more minutes until their  motions and noises became louder and more frequent, ruby felt like she was close again and locked her legs around Jaune’s buttocks just before coming down.“Hhhhaagggh Jaaauunnee!!!” She cried out feeling her pussy clamp down a second time on Arc dick taking Jaune for another draining orgasm. He plunged his hips down into the little Rose’s tight snatch and let loose another hefty load of semen deep inside. His cock pulsed and throbbed making sure she got a full helping, possibly knocking her up in the process, but once Ruby’s legs relaxed post climax he quickly pulled out and drove his cuming cock into Pyrrha’s snatch. THe champion started drooling with a sexed out look as Jaune drove his meat repeatedly into her cunt post climax, he let out a few bursts inside right after cuming inside Ruby, but he wanted to make sure his wife had her full share of cum in both holes.Ruby relaxed and felt her arms drop from Pyrrha’s frame so she could lie underneath panting in rest.The hard smacking sounds returned with Jaune pulling both of Pyrrha’ shands hand and aggressively fucking her in kneeling position. Pyrrha's body arched up with her chest sticking out and breasts bouncing in sync with her movements.Pat pat pat the sound resonated in heated intimacy and Pyrrha felt like she was going to burst soon after several minutes of this, she quickly turned her face and cupped Jaune’s head close to her so they could heatedly make out while he rutted into her.Eventually Jaune’s thrust halted and his hip suddenly poured antoher thick helping of semern straight into the champions’d depths signaling her claim as well. Her pusy conubvlsed in rigours spasm on his meat making sure to milk every drop of cum.“OOooh yeah...that’s what mommy likes.” Pyrrha drawled completely spent and satisfied before slumping down atop of Ruby’s recuperating form.Jaune withdrew from her feeling his appendage soften after its repeated use and feeling quite spent. He laid back against the headboard panting and wanting rest until he heard Salem say something aloud.“Girls, come to the master chamber and help ‘clean up’.”Not long after Blake, Yang, and Weiss arrived to help clean up some of their collevite mess. Most of which included lathering cleansing fluid all over Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ruby’s bodies. Things took the next step when they finished and eyed the bed and whoever was on it hungrily.Later….Jaune rested back against Salem’s nude form sucking her left breast into his mouth with Pyrrha on the other side doing the same with her own set of boobs. He took turns in sucking their tits and drinking the milk that came out of them, he didn't know if it was because of Salem’s magick or that they were just lactating, but he greatly enjoyed the taste. Their breast milk even helped recover his strength little by little.Meanwhile down below four different pairs of lips slobbered, suckled, and kissed all over his large erecting member; the entirety of team RWBY.Yang laid over his right leg suckling on one of his balls, Blake rested over the other licking around the other one. Weiss and Ruby laid together in the middle squeezing between their teammates as they licked and sucked his dick together with adoration in their eyes.Jaune was getting overwhelmed by the feeling and wouldn’t be far behind with his final orgasm for the day, despite that drinking the milk from Salem’s and Pyrrha’s large breasts helped rejuvenate him. He was still well spent beyond reserves and needed to eat something, but lord help him this feeling of team RWBY going to down on his meat was too good.Jaune tilted his head back and howled. “Here I come!” he declared straining his face as his cock twtiched to life in an eruption of semen gushing out like a geyser and painting all of their faces. Spurts and ropes splattered everywhere and each girl, included the mistress and Pyrrha, collected some on their tongues and hands.“Yummy!” Weiss cheered and lapped up her share from her hands.Yang and Blake scooped each other's face clean with their tongues and fingers. Ruby, Salem, and Pyrrha simply scraped the rest of themselves and fed each other by sliding finger into the next girl’s mouth in a finger sucking chain.Jaune however simply appeared drained of his soul and all the fluids inside his body, he appeared kinda withered when Ruby rushed from her spot to fetch a tray of milk and cookies.“I think we need to get some food into him asap, he looks really drained there.”Pyrrha nodded in agreement. “Spoken like a true wife already. Welcome to the family, Ruby.”Ruby blushed and handed out cookies and milk with each girl eating their share and helping in feeding Jaune’s barely conscious form.“You know, Ruby, the mistress could’ve just conjured up some other food from the kitchen. Cookies can only do so much.” Blake said between munches.“No, as a marriage meal cookies are a must, at least for me it is.” Ruby protested while feeding one into Jaune’s lips. “Isn’t that right, Jaune?”Jaune mumbled back incoherently and drooled like a coma patient letting the cookie crumble at his mouth making Ruby pout.Everyone laughed in amusement at the newest member’s antics, including Salem who squeezed her own breast milk into a cup solely for Jaune to drink.  End chapter   To be continued in the next commission or filler… ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Arkos-Salem’s champions of  Corruption Chapter Six-Plucking the flower and plundering the Valkyrie By Azure Part one- Another morning came, another comfy morning inside the king sized bed of the Arc household. As usual there lay Jaune Arc, husband to Pyrrha Arc, Salem the witch, Yang the Sundragon, Weiss the Heiress, and more recently Blake the White Fang leader as well as Ruby the star huntress. All girls slept comfortably  together naked and huddling close to their sole husband. Ruby’s naked petite form snuggled up closest to him with her body curling up peacefully on his left side with a content smile on her face. There had been dried cookie dough caked all over her lithe body in various spots, this had been a recent and quite common kink for the young rose ever since her induction. Pyrrha was much the same with her own naked form huddled up on his right side, her body had only been slick with sweat and sticky with various fluids, she laid comfortably asleep while wearing her ‘Amazon’ collar around her neck. Salem however was on top and directly in the middle of their arrangement with her hair beautifully down and ghastly pale yet silky smooth body warmly pressing up to his neck. Yang and Blake rested respectively behind the two redheads with Weiss lying adjacent to Salem. Their bed was a mess of naked bodies and various stains on the sheets, most of which tended to be Jaune’s semen oozing from their orifices, both anal and vaginal.Salem stirred awake first since her physiology enabled to need less sleep than others, she mewled with a groggy pleasant sigh on his chest while circling a finger around on one of his pecs.‘It’s only a matter of time now,a new era is to begin with this family at its head, but right now I believe it is best to just continue expanding. There are still other plentiful prospects to claim after all.’ She mused then arose from the bed to stand at the foot of it capturing the remaining tenants in her view; from Ruby to the rest her husband had successfully wed all of Team RWBY. When Salem looked to Pyrrha she felt the only thing missing from the picture were the remaining members of JNPR; which were Lie Ren and the other redhead known as Nora. The former allegedly a male, but Salem knew better.‘That brief visit before from the couple...one of whom was disguising their actual gender. Did they really think they could’ve hidden that from my senses?’ Salem thought in regards to Lie Ren. She got lost in thought when Jaune awoke groggily followed shortly by Pyrrha, both sets of colorful eyes took notice of their mistress with a welcoming early morning smile.“Hey you...get back in bed, it’s still early and it’s Saturday.” He groaned earning a sweet smile from her as she crawled back towards him. Pyrrha was quick to wrap her arms around his neck defensively.“Now now Mistress, he’s mine in the morning. All mine. Muah.” Pyrrha said snuggling up closer to his face placing a trail of kisses up his jaw. Salem snickered evilly and took her spot on the other side gently nudging Ruby off.“Correction, my child. He’s all of ours, do not be selfish.” She cooed darkly taking turns with Pyrrha kissing up his body making him softly squirm in pleasantness.“True, but I married him first.” Pyrrha playfully protested then pulling Jaune’s lips into a lip curling kiss full of love, Salem merey occupied herself with slithering her long tongue up his neck making him shudder in er grasp. Her ivory hand worked in conjunction with Pyrrha's as they rubbed his chest sensually in warm comfort romance.All The girls around them were still blissfully asleep at the moment, which only meant more of Jaune to go around.Their triage of a union continued for minutes more, with Jaune taking turns between tonguing the throat of his redhead wife then alternating to having his own tongue erotically swallowed up by his witchy wife, all while the pair of women squeezed and fondled each other’s large breasts for their amusement.The usual cacophony of sounds involving heated breathy moans followed and quickly escalated to where both Salem and Pyrrha decided to go after Jaune’s large erectile member. Salem’s long snake-like tongue coiled and slithered around the middle of his shaft while Pyrrha slowly traced her tongue it’s entirety with her. Her own tongue grazed Salem’s repeatedly in up and down tandem pattern earning hearty moans from the blonde male. Pyrrha and Salem both loved having this effect on him, not just to hear his pleasured moans but also to hear how much he wants it from them and to hear him demand more. Occasionally Pyrrha’s own lips overlapped with Salem’s coiled tongue slowly tracing up to where the Amazon dove her hungry tongue into the mistress’s open exposed mouth. Salem gleefully accepted and felt Pyrrha tongue out her oral cavity while still keeping her long tongue coiled snugly around Jaune’s dick.Jaune himself titled his head back gradually moaning louder as time went on and they continued, soon he heard a pair of sisters slowly stir awake onto the scene, the blonde one grinning from ear to ear whereas the silver eyed one watched the act in awe.“Mistress, let’s give our darling husband a proper good morning welcome. Shall we?” Pyrrha suggested seductively while tracing a very slow lick up Jaune’s balls.“I believe I know what you have in mind, my dear.” Salem cooed back and in unison with Pyrrha, both girls rose up to encase the long engorged cock in between both their voluptuous breasts!“Hoohh !! Wow! Aaah!” Jaune yelled out with chest heaving, he unknowingly stirred awake another pair of wives from their slumber. One being the snow haired head of the SDC and the other being the leader of the reformed White Fang, both girls peered up over the horizon to see the redhead and the witch smothering his meat with their large breasts.Jaune was in another world of bliss at the moment; both Pyrrha and Salem’s bountiful G-cup sized mounds felt like soft fleshy pillows of paradise sandwiching his cock. They shifted them up and down on it making his sensitive flesh felt every bit of their smooth doughy skin rubbing him.To top it off they both leaned their heads down to slurp and lick the exposed head of his member protruding from between them.They often do morning routines every time they wake up in bed together, often enough they changed it up with each wife taking turns getting the ball rolling. Whether it be Yang riding him like a cowgirl or Blake placing Jaune’s head between her legs in a  sixty nine, they all had a piece of pie each morning. It certainly helped to have morning wood and body refreshed and full of energy ready to attend to their needs. Pyrrha's lips pursed and suckled around the crown as she stroked her large set of tits around the upper part of his shaft. Salem managed to coil her long tongue around some of his shaft while it was between her own pair of pale orbs, that feat was remarkable and and stimulated Jaune greatly. He felt her tongue and breasts together squeezing together in unison on his phallus in a desperate bid to make him cum. Fortunately his endurance continued to win out,Jaune hadn’t come just yet despite the effort of the pair working him for minutes more, it was then that his ears picked up the purrs of of other women in the bed.“Hey there, good lookin. Getting some early morning delight?” Yang’s groggy voice purred as she stared at him with half-lidded eyes.“No fair you started without us. I’m still new to all this and need much catching up.” Ruby whispered pouting cutely at him until Jaune’s arms pulled both sisters up close so that he may deeply kiss each one in tandem. He started with Ruby and took her breath away with a very heated lover’s lip-lock that left her breathless, yang simply kept herself occupied nibbling up his neck to his collarbone leaving deep lip marks all over in a trail. Of course those disappeared as quickly as they came due to his aura.All four women continued working their husband for several minutes until Jaune notified them of his impending release.“Agh! Here it come, girls!” Jaune let out and immediately all six wives converged at the point where Salem and Pyrrha worked his meat.Jaune let out a slightly strained groan and erupted from underneath two pairs of large breasts!A geyser of semen shout out painting their chests and faces! Weiss and Ruby stuck out their tongues like children tasting for snow, Yang simply held Blake’s breasts together to pool some of the semen into her cleavage just so she could suck it up into her mouth. Pyrrha and Salem were at the epicenter of it all and received the most Jaune had to offer, which was a lot considering most of their faces were painted in his essence.Making sure he watched they did their usual thing whenever an abundance of semen was about; Salem slithered her long tongue along Pyrrha’s face scooping and sponging whatever traces she could and ingesting it with glee like frosting. Pyrrha had her share as well, some of which included sucking off the mistress’s tongue itself leading to a steamy girl on girl erotic make out. Something Jaune never tired of seeing, after a couple of minutes of erotic cum swapping exchange they detached their lips with breathy sighs of tastefulness.“Now that’s what we can all agree on being some good morning delight.” Yang joked earning soft groans from all around including Salem herself.Line- After some much needed cleanup which included a rotation of showes the polygamous family sat at the breakfast table once more. Jaune was the one doing the cooking this time with Yang assisting by snuggling up behind his back stroking him underneath the apron.  She was purring and growling mischievously the entire time.At the table Salem worn her transparent silken robe hiding nothing from sight, Pyrrha simply donned a dark thong with red tank top, Ruby surprisingly wore a large bunny themed onesie in red and black that hugged her curves tightly, Weiss simply wore a long overshirt bearing the Pumpkin Pete bunny and lastly Blake wore a dark nightie cut off at her curves of both breasts and ass. Yang walked around naked as the day she was born, it bothered Jaune none since he was naked in everything except a pair of boxers.“Alright ladies, eat up.” he announced whimsically as he and Yang set down their plates of food for everyone. Salem merely had a mug of coffee due to her unusual nature towards food, she never needed to eat too much unless she a very rough marathon of sex with her husband.Minutes passed while they all replenished themselves with substances. Ruby had the traditional plate of cookies after her meal,she and Pyrrha sat up close to Jaune so they could feel up his thighs distracting him slightly from eating. It made it hard to focus on eating sausages with the girls doing it, plus Yang and Blake rubbed their soft perfect feet over his crotch from underneath the table.It was then that Salem spoke first. “I believe it is time again to expand her circle; it is thought best to be rounding out the teams of JNPR and RWBY entirely so as to not arouse suspicion of any kind in regards to your absences in real world. I suspect family members, board members, and White Fang members are likely wondering where each of you go for extended periods of time yes?”The girls collectively nodded when Jaune posed a question.“When you say ‘Round out the teams’ you’re talking about Nora and Ren, right? I would usually agree with you if it weren't for the fact that Ren is a guy, which I’m not into by the way, and that they’re both married. That last part is probably not such a big deal anymore for us, although part of me is still uncomfortable with the notion of homewrecking.”Salem smirked. “We’re married too, darling. Remnant bound matrimony holds no sway in my decisions, you know that, but as for Lie Ren…let’s just say he is not what he seems.”Pyrrha quirked an eyebrow. “Could you elaborate on that, mistress?”“Gladly, when they arrived here last time I sensed something when watching your reunion from my domain. Salem then waved out her hand summoning her Seer Grimm.“Oohhh..” Ruby stared in awe.The glowing orange orb projected a scene of Nora and Ren speaking in private during Ruby’s victory party.-“Is it just me, Ren or did Ruby’s team become a lot closer to Jaune and Pyrrha lately? I mean we don’t even talk with them that often and they’re chilling here like they sharing the dorm room.” Nora questioned pacing about looking uneasy, she wore her usual outfitted gear from when they first went to Mistral with the only difference being that her hair was longer.“Our teams are close, Nora. It wouldn't surprise me that one or two of them are bunking here temporarily, but it shouldn’t be a concern for us. We’re not distant from Jaune and Pyrrha, but I’ll admit we haven’t talked much lately.” Ren questioned reasonably making Jaune frown.“We...need to correct that, maybe bringing them into the fold?” Jaune offered uncertain. “I’m at a crossroads here because I wouldn't like any other guy being with my women…”The girls all cooed in awe at his words. “...but also Ren is a dude, if we get Nora what are we gonna do about him?”“I agree, we cannot even entertain the thought of ‘removing’ him either.” Pyrrha interjected with a look of alarm.Salem waved a hand up silencing them before her projection changed to a profile of Lie Ren in full form. “We need not, my children. I mentioned earlier that Lie Ren is not what he seems, or rather that he is not a male at all.”Pyrrha and Jaune’s eyes quirked at this as she continued. Salem altered the projection undoing Lie Ren’s assumed form to resemble a slightly shorter slender girl in his place who completely resembled him. Her face was beautifully curved to feminine form, her hair was long and trailed between her shoulders in a pony tail with the violet streak staying in is usual spot. Her magenta eyes looked full of mystique and wisdom and her lips glossed in violet lipstick. On top of that her slender form had feminine curves too, where her legs stuck out of her green slitted dress, her bust was a modest C-cup size and her hips modest and matching her slender form.“This is the true Lie Ren, I sensed a distinct essence during their last visit here and it was unmistakably that of the female physiology. I had my Seer here to scan him in secrecy and sure enough this was the result.”Jaune sputtered in stupor along with Pyrrha, Ruby, and Weiss. “Ren is a chick!? I-uh wow! I had no idea! How was he hiding it all this time?” Jaune let out with Pyrrha nodding in agreement.“It’s likely something to do a special made tonic or perhaps his semblance. He always did carry a certain away about him,at first I just assumed that was his quirk, but to think he was really a girl masquerading as a male.” Pyrrha let out.“How did he go about doing it?” Weiss questioned wondering just what sort of Dust enhanced spell could be used to conceal one’s physique, and for so long no less.“That is what Lie Ren, or whatever her real name is, shall tell you herself once we invite them.” Salem then looked over to Jaune. “Now are you on board, beloved? She’s not a man after all.”Jaune gulped and eyed Ren’s beautiful female form with affirmation. “Yeah sure, this surprise certainly shut me up.”“Splendid, also it should go to note that there is indeed tension between Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, which I suspect may have to do with this little secret. The sexual tension I sense coming from her is at its highest with the redhead being very frustrated, all the more better for corruption my dears.” Salem concluded raising her coffee mug.The girls along with Jaune raised their juice filled glasses as well and clanged together in a toast. Weiss’s own ‘mug’ was actually childish sippy cup themed in her Schnee logo, something that made Jaune proud and giggle a little bit. Everyone else just had an ordinary yet thematically distinct drinking vessel.“You two go and invite them over while me and team RWBY go and get things ready back in my domain, as well as have a naughty slumber party while we’re waiting.” Salem addressed peeling off her robe to unveil her naked body decorated in dark veins. Jaune got an instant erection just from that, which only hardened after she undid her hair again.“Be sure to record everything for us, mistress.” Jaune requested and Salem nodded before gesturing to her Seer Grimm.“Come along, my dears. Let us get things underway.” Salem commanded as all of team RWBY followed suit. Salem conjured up a rift transporting all of them except Jaune and Pyrrha with her to her domain.Pyrrha leaned over to clasp her arms around Jaune’s neck pulling him into another deep loving kiss. They continued like that for sometime until they reluctantly broke apart giggling.“I’ll go make the phone call, darling. Let’s reunite team JNPR for good.” She said with a haunting perverse smile.  After an hour or so of cleaning up and getting things prepared, Salem sat along with all of team RWBY  dressed in various sexily themed nightwear ranging from scantily provocative to ‘leaves zero to the imagination’. All of their clothing was themed in their own personal colors, with two of the girls softly stroking their own bellies.Salem herself donned her Queen of domination leatherwear again, where it held no cups allowing her breasts to fully show, fishnet stockings leading up to her slitted opening uncovered, and leather gloves with high heel boots. She dressed to impress.The Seer Grimm hovered in front of them all projecting a screen showing Jaune and Pyrrha’s whereabouts inside their house.The husband dressed normally in his favored hoodie and dark jeans, the wife dressed casually in a pumpkin orange sweater highlighting her tight body and large breasts. Her legs were merely covered up in a crimson hoop skirt with nothing covering her feet.“They should be here right about now actually.” Pyrrha recounted when reading through a comic book of Jaune’s.Elsewhere…“We’re coming up on their household hilltop, it’s still impressive no matter how many times I see it.” Ren commented to Nora at his side within the rental car.“Yeah...Ren this invite came out of nowhere, but I think it’s a good opportunity.” Nora began softly and Ren stiffened up.“Nora...I I understand, it’s just something personal and grand at that, but perhaps you’re right. Maybe confessing myself will clear things up and hopefully repair our own relationship.”Nora nodded somberly. ‘It certainly would’ve been great if you’d...told me what you really were before the marriage. My entire life of knowing you has been behind another lie and that carried on to this point, leading...to strained feelings. Maybe Jaune and Pyrrha can help us out, finally team JNPR will be together again.’‘They were certainly aching to reveal the secret, now they’ve been given the opportunity they’ve been waiting for.’ Salem thought in amusement as she watched from her domain.The doorbell rung and there swung the door revealing a welcoming Pyrrha smiling warmly at the pair alongside Jaune who stood behind her.“Pyrrha!” Nora cried out jovially as she flung herself to Pyrrha.“Nora!”“It’s so good to see you again! I hope you have plans to stay longer this time.” Pyrrha said giggling as Jaune pulled Ren into a bro hug from the side.Once he had gotten in close his enhanced senses definitely picked up something strange of Ren, his weight felt lighter than normal, his fragrance smelled feminine, and the way he moved was different. ‘Mistress was right, now that I can sense things better because of her gifts, I’m able to really see through Ren’s facade. He’s actually a chick!’ Jaune thought when pulling out of the bro-hug“It’s good to be reunited again and even better to see you and Pyrrha happily married.” Ren commented and slowly withdrew from the hug the same time Nora did from Pyrrha.“We have lots to catch up on! What’s on the menu for dinner tonight, team Arkos?” Nora chirped excitedly unknowing of the mark placed around her upper left shoulder by Pyrrha.“Some exotic Mistralian cuisine courtesy of both my culinary skills and Pyrrha’s connections.” Jaune announced proudly, the mark placed on Ren’s upper right forearm glowed unnoticed.“We have lots to catch up on, come in and we shall set up the table.” Pyrrha added pulling the pair in and closing the door behind them. She looked to Jaune with a devious smirk after.Line-Over the past half hour the team of JNPR ate the delicious cuisine that pair cooked while catching up on current events.“It really was a surprise and a shame that you two didn’t stay long during your last visit, we understood it to be personal business of that sort.” Pyrrha said taking a sip from her cup.Nora and Ren nodded regretfully and averted their eyes in shame until Nora spoke up. “Pyr, there’s a reason for that and I think it’s high time we te-mmh! This is good what’s in it?” She interrupted herself when trying to be serious.“Just a bit of love and all our hard work.” Jaune answered knowing full that inside their food was the mixed concoction of his semen, Pyrrha’s juices as well as Salem’s juices. All of which had been collected prior in their romp last night. Ren and Nora’s marks glowed brighter and unnoticed as they ate it, the idea was that their ‘essence’ mixed into their food should spread the corruption faster making their horny messes by the end of the meal.“Well whatever it is it tastes somewhat strange, but addicting.” Ren mumbled with food in his mouth.“Well like you guys we’ve been pretty popular ourselves, lots of children look up to us back in KuroYuri, but boy lately you’ve been catching attention like crazy. Those modeling shoots...Pyrrha’s doing for the SDC came as a surprise for us, for many reasons.” Nora summarized.“Indeed, some of have been very raunchy and suggestive and there have been a lot of them. Who knew you had such a wild side to you.” Ren chimed in and Pyrrha nodded proudly when taking Jaune’s hand into her own.‘Ooaah! What’s going on with my body? Is it that time of the month again?’ Nora asked herself in thought when feeling her thighs buck and her lower regions feel extremely sensitive. Her hands came down between her legs rubbing them as though she had an ‘itch’ she desperately needed to scratch.Ren suddenly felt a surge of strange sensations flood throughout her body making the assumed form of Lie Ren cup their chest and nearly double over.‘It’s working.’ Jaune and Pyrrha thought in unison.‘Perhaps it's time for to come clean, it’s likely my disguise will falter anyway.’ Ren thought and cleared his voice to speak up. “There’s something I need to confess to you two, it’s something I should've done during our Beacon years and I feel nothing but shame for hiding it so long.”Jaune and Pyrrha looked to Lie Ren with questioning gazes and waited for him to continue. It was then that Ren stood up and concentrating on his aura control suddenly dissipating the visual disguise of a tall slender oriental man to a slightly shorter oriental woman beautifully made up in exotic design. Or rather the same just with makeup and female beauty.“This…” She began with a female voice resembling her mother An Ren. “...is the true me. I’ve been disguised as a male version of myself for years for the most foolish of reasons.”“Ren’s a chick?! No way!” Jaune exclaimed acting his part.“Oh my! This is...startling to say the least. Why have you never told us this? We would’ve never judged you.” Pyrrha said making the girl hug her own arms in shame.“Because of my weakness in pride and self esteem; I’ve always been thought of as frail and incapable of huntsman duty. I felt since we were a mostly impoverished village that I’d been unable to qualify for huntsman training, so I disguised myself using this special tonic I purchased from a vendor and worked it in conjunction with my semblance hiding myself in a veil of ‘Male Lie Ren’ for ages. No one questioned me or thought little of me, I just kept on as everybody else, it worked and I felt proud of myself. But...after marriage to Nora…” She looked to Nora who averted her eyes in a sad pout. “...this secret came out and our relationship became strained due to the deception. At that point I had been disguised for so long I had forgotten who/what I really was. I hope you will accept me as I am.”Just then both Jaune and Pyrrha got upa nd pulled her into a deep family hug that startled her, Nora looked up with a smile until she was pulled up too.“Of course we accept you, Ren. We can never hate or reject you, no matter what form you take. You just need to be honest with us and yourself from now on.” Pyrrha said in the hug.“What she said, buddy. I can totally see where you’re coming from on the whole ‘self-esteem’ issue, trust me on that. But you’re family regardless of what you look like, just like Nora here is family. So no more deceptions or disguises okay?” Jaune added making Ren sniffle in appreciation.Once they broke apart Pyrrha picked up how hot and bothered they appeared to be; Nora was squirming with her thighs gnashing together and Ren undid her collar as though she were feeling hot.“I take it you two are in need of some ‘special’ relief, yes?” Pyrrha baited receiving nods from both of them. “Well we can help you with that, Jaune and I became adventurous in plenty of avenues. Most of which included ‘Bedroom’ acts, if you two are so pent up for release we can grant  you great pleasure, do you want in?” Pyrrha asked darkly with a perverse smile.Nora and Ren felt their senses of self and logic erode each passing second, their bodies got more sensitive and aroused and they just begged for release. The marks glowed bright on their placements when they made their answer without thinking.“Yes! Please I need it so bad!” Nora let out. ‘And I don’t know why either! I wasn’t like this when we came in!’“I’m with Nora! Huaah! Something’s set my body on fire and I need to have sex!” Ren added, both Jaune and Pyrrha smiled triumphantly. ‘Is this a side effect of prolonging sex for so long during my tonic’s usage?’“Good to know.” Pyrrha then turned her head in a different direction to call out to someone. “Blair, we have guests in need of your aid.” Pyrrha called out causing both Ren and Nora to look and see a busty chestnut haired woman come down the steps wearing extremely provocative gear that made them blush.“Yes, mistress? How can I be of service today?” Blair(Salem) asked going along with the act and smacking a crop in her leather clad hand.Pyrrha went over to Ren and hold her lithe yet toned shoulders in her hands. “This one needs a ‘makeover’ as well to get reacquainted with her dormant feminine side.”“Understood, I’ll work wonders on her.” Blair said licking the surface of her crop suggestively making Ren a bit uncomfortable.“Speaking of which, do we still call you Ren now that your secret is out? What’s your birth name, assuming it’s the same.” Jaune asked making Ren turn to her side to glance at Jaune.“Instead of Lie Ren, which I’m aware of the irony, it’s Lian Ren.” She answered making Jaune and Nora nod.“Hardly different from before, now let’s go make you into a proud women, Ren.” Pyrrha stated jovially as Blair took hold of Ren and guided her downstairs into the dungeon.Jaune suddenly took Nora’s hands into his startling her and making her blush as he closed the distance between them. “Let’s get you acquainted with certain things you haven’t had too, Nora.” He stated and quickly leaned down capturing Nora’s mouth in a deep tongue probing kiss.Her teal eyes went wide with surprise as Pyrrha watched in amusement, Nora felt she had to push him off because she was married, despite the marriage itself being a sham in certain ways, but for some reason...she just wanted more.Her hands came up around Jaune’s head keeping firmly sealed on her lips allowing his tongue clean out her mouth heatedly making her melt. She hiked up her left leg around Jaune’s calves making sure to not to fall off as he dipped her in the embrace. They continued exchanging breath and saliva with Nora moaning pleasurably inside his mouth, not knowing how much further she was getting corrupted.After a few minutes of tongue sucking Jaune gently broke off leaving a breathless Nora dazed in his arms. “C’mon, Pyrrha. Let’s take her to the dungeon, I think I have a pretty good idea for a kink to use on her.”“Tee hee, looking forward to it.” The pair guided Nora with them downstairs in the surprise underground dungeon space which housed various rooms with various kinky toys and equipment brackets.Jaune and Pyrrha guided the fiery redhead into one of the playrooms and went behind a foldable curtain to change while Nora waited obediently nearby.“Alright, Nora…” Pyrrha began and came out from behind the fold wearing her ‘Amazon’ gear which consisted of leather hooved boots, leather gloves, an interlocking body harness showing her large breasts and pussy, and a headwear piece with a mouthpiece dangling near her neck. In Pyrrha’s hands was a remote control for a device, Nora had no idea what.“Like it? We crafted it ourselves especially for you.” Jaune started coming out wearing nothing but a dark thong and spiked choker which titillated the Valkyrie just by looking at him.‘Holey moley! When did Jauney get so...hawt!?’ Nora thought feeling her insides stir with excitement when she scoped out Jaune’s perfectly sculpted and toned frame.“Mmm, undress, Nora. Undress and put this on.” Pyrrha demanded when brandishing out a collar collared in pink with a blank tag, it looked partially mechanized with seams surging with electricity.When the redhead noticed it’s design matched the remote she pieced it together that it was meant for her. Nora somehow felt compelled to obey and started shucking her clothing bit by bit before them. Seconds passed and Nora Valkyrie kicked off the last shred of clothing and stepped out of her boots showing Jaune and Pyrrha her perfectly curved yet slightly thick form. Nora was mostly muscle yet no one could tell by looking at her, all that was known was that she was a tad short yet built perfectly feminine in all the right curves. He breasts were plump C-cups that made Jaune want to suck on right then and there.Pyrrha walked over to latch the collar onto her neck and leaned in to kiss her fellow redhead teammate on the lips, again surprising her. Nora was so steeped in corruption that she quickly accepted and allowed Pyrrha’s tongue to worm its way inside her mouth at her leisure. Jaune watched enjoying the scene as the two redheads swapped spit and tongue.Their make out lasted a few more minutes until Pyrrha withdrew from a dazed Nora and clicked the button on her remote control.Click.!!!A surge of electricity coursed through Nora’s body setting her senses on fire! Her semblance allowed her to absorb electricity to amplify her strength, muscle, and reflexes, but it always stimulated her as well. At times she can be considered a masochist for jolting herself, and now the Arkos pairing played on that. Nora felt her entire body stimulate with surging pleasure and crumbled to her knees jittering and feeling herself up with her hands. It was like she was on a drug.“Ooohhh yeaahh!! More!!! Amp it up, Pyr! More!” Nora let out only to be snubbed by Pyrrha just before the Amazon placed a boot covered foot down on her back forcing her down.“You will beg me for it, Nora. Me and Jaune are the ones in control and if you want to continue this intoxicating feeling you will submit.” Pyrrha commanded in a firm domineering tone that surprised what little rationality Nora had left.Before the shorter redhead could consider it she felt another jolt of slightly higher output!Another surge of electricity hit her body putting her in an already near-orgasmic state! “Oooohhh yeeesss!!! I...I...will!!” Nora answered feeling her willpower crumble away.“You will what?”“I..I...beg you, Pyr! Hit me with more of it! Stronger more intense jolts! Please! It feels so good!”Pyrrha smirked maliciously and adjusted the dial on her remote amplifying the output! Another heavier surge of electricity coursed throughout Nora’s body making her feel sheer nirvana with all her sensitive places tingling with pleasure and aching for reciprocation.“Good girl.” Pyrrha answered then looked to her husband sitting nearby with his large phallus being stroked by his left hand. He watched the scene and it had indeed aroused him. “Now come and claim her, darling. Nora’s quite the wild one, I’m sure she’ll feel exquisite.”“Will do.” Jaune responded and got up to head over to the crumpled form of a furiously masturbating Nora Valkyrie twitching with pink electricity. Jaune knelt down and scooped her head up to engage eye contact when Nora all but pounced on him!“Fuck me, Jauney! I need it incredibly bad! Especially like this!” Nora shouted with a completely crazed look on her face that had her tongue out like a hungry dog. Jaune obliged her by grabbing her lovely hips and shoving his large erect member straight into her pussy!She let out a large ear piercing scream comprised half of pleasure and slight pain, mostly pleasure, as Jaune’s length breached her hymen and extended deep inside. Nora’s face was wrought with insane bliss and she held onto his shoulders tightly and locked her legs underneath around his buttocks keeping firmly sheathed inside.‘She’s insanely tight!’ Jaune thought keeping himself snug deep inside Nora’s pussy, her short stocky form allowed for better handling with Jaune’s hands gripping slightly thick hips firmly. Add to that her skin was dough soft and felt perfect for fucking.Pat pat patHis hips started bucking upward rampantly into her making her squeal in ecstasy as the collar continued shocking her. Her body twitched and surged with pink electrical energy thanks to her semblance which also made her feel everything Jaune gave her tenfold. Jaune continued fucking his hips upward into her bouncing form as she snugly kept herself sheathed on his cock. The sound of flesh clapping resounded from their union while Nora held on tightly.Her breasts jiggled back and forth along with her body as they continued rutting for a good ten minutes until Pyrrha came over and presented her left boot covered foot to Nora suggestively. She had removed the hoof decoration leaving only a leather boot covering her foot, Nora took it as a sign and leaned forward licking at the tip while she continued fucking Jaune. Pyrrha looked amused as she kept at it for a little while longer, when noticing Nora looked completely depraved she knew corruption was complete and that she belonged to them now.The sounds of Jaune smacking his hips up against Nora’s ass continued while the Valkyrie licked the corner of Pyrrha’s boot. Eventually Pyrrha squatted over Jaune’s face and sat down on it with her ass snugly pressing against it. Jaune knew what his dear wife wanted and moved his hands to her buttocks to spread them apart and lick her clean puckered anus sending profound shivers up Pyrrha’s spine.Nora snickered in perverse delight and wrapped her arms around Pyrrha’s backside pulling her in for another deep tongue loshing kiss, to which the dominatrix wrapped her arms around Nora’s backside as well. She moaned inside Nora’s mouth as Jaune’s tongue prodded and wormed in and out of her ass, Nora moaned breathily against Pyrrha’s lips as Jaune’s cock plunged her deepest parts, even breaching past her cervix into her womb. The cacophony of fleshy moans and bodily claps continued until they accelerated, Nora started writhing on top of Jaune’s meat scraming in orgams inside Pyrrha’s mouth when his member throbbed in angry pulses. The head of his cock blasted thick bursts of sperm directly into her womb over and over and over again, in direct correlation with her own tidal wave of a climax. Just like that Pyrrha came after feeling too much of Jaune’s talented tongue probing her ass, her cunt soaked his abdomen with her juices the same time Nora came.While these three came in a unified explosive climax somewhere else in the building Lian Ren was undergoing a special treatment from ‘Blair’. After Ren found herself in Salem’s changing room she began to wonder where things would go after this, her sense of reason was still strong if not eroded now, but she was able to tell that she was under some influence. Something she found herself unable to resist as she embraced her feminine form more.“There there, no need to overthink it now. You can easily come to terms with your true self and still maintain that more domineering aspect you have buried deep within you.” Blair spoke from behind her startling the girl.Suddenly she felt a strange presence in her mind once Blair got close enough, a dark glow emanated from between them and once Blair withdrew her forehead from Ren’s, Ren felt more in control of herself and the urge to subvert others under her control. At least in regards to sex anyway.“Now then, let’s get you undressed, Lian.” Blair suggested as Ren started undoing her outfit and kicking off her undergarments leaving her naked and exposed in her slender elegant form.“Quite exquisite of a beauty if I do say so myself, no need to feel bashful of what you truly are.” Blair stated soothingly to Ren getting her to put away her hands from her breasts and mound.Blair then gestured to one outfit which looked to be a strange bunny girl costume with fishnet leggings, tight-fitting corset, and floppy bunny ear accessory. Before Lian went to wear it Blair halted her and held out a small device which appeared to be a vibrating ball attached to a miniature receptor. Lian wasn’t sure what to make of it until Blair pressed herself up close and cupped her jaw in her hand when eyeing her perversely.“Trust me, you’ll enjoy this gift. It’ll make you feel like a woman again.” Blair cooed darkly and pressed the small vibrating ball against Lian’s vulva rubbing it along slowly along the crease of her mound. Ren didn’t fought back or push it off, instead she gutturally moaned in contentment until Blair pressed it into her folds letting it nestle inside her quirm.“I see you’re not fighting it, good, now let’s keep this on while you go try on some of the outfits I laid out for you.” Blair whispered licking up the side of Lian’s smooth face while attaching the receptor of the vibrating toy to her upper right thigh. Ren seemed content to leave it on as she went behind the clothing divider to come out wearing a scanty bunny girl outfit.The tight corset hugged her slender curves perfectly, her fishnet stockings bound tightly to her creamy smooth legs, her high heel shoes seemed perfect for the outfit and the bunny ears appeared cute on top of her. She wore this outfit and posed for Blair, not fully understanding why, while keeping the vibrator functioning and whirring inside her pussy.“Splendid, now for the next one.” Blair said when bringing out a new outfit for her to change in. She held out a string bikini for her to wear, which left nothing to the imagination at all with its design.Lian Ren took it and went behind to change again, After a few minutes she came out bashfully wearing the string V-bikini set over her mound and breasts. Everything else was absent showing off the rest of her body, the strings made out of the cloth covering her private parts converged onto a cloth collar point around her neck adorned with a lovely flower. It completed the picturesque appearance she bore, something that made Lian smile softly in growing pride.Of course the vibrator still buzzed inside her quirm during her pose, which made it harder to stand. “That’s it, give in to your innate femininity. Now for another gift.” Blair announced seductively and strode over to a waiting Ren with another vibrating device that looked to plugged ‘somewhere’ on her person.“Bend over, dear.” Blair instructed and Ren did just that by bending over backwards to where her ass presented itself. Blair licked her lips and nudged aside the clothe covering Lian Ren’s ass crack and her mound to wedge the rubber phallic object in between her cheeks.Ren held her breath and seconds later let out a sharp gasp when she felt the rubbery thick intruder burrow deeper into her anus until it stopped. Ren looked back to see something sticking out of her buttocks that felt like there was a battery charged motor attached to it.With a smirk Blair clicked another remote control in her hand turning it on.!!!Immense vibrations and soothing motions rocked through Ren’s core with the plug suddenly whirring, it was the same as the ball inside her cunt except more profound. The dual sensations of intense vibrations surging through her body caused her to double over in pleasure and mastrubate herself furiously. Her lithe elegant hands caressed fondled her breasts and feverishly stroked her mound.Blair leaned down over by her backside to whisper seductively in her ear. “Wouldn’t it be great if you subverted others like that wild redhead of yours into this state? Have you never thought of doing this exact same thing to others and living out your more primal domineering instinct? I know you have those traits buried inside you underneath cloaks of restraint, passive decency, and inhibitions. Now you no longer need to hold back, your secret is out, live your life more, Lian Ren. You don’t have to hold anything back anymore.”“Aaagggh!!!” Lian let out as she came to orgasm after Blair finished her sentence. A sudden dark surge of sexual energy coursed through her body with thoughts of making Nora into a sex pet, with thoughts of herself being the subverted to Pyrrha and Jaune, with thoughts of spanking and owning Nora like a troublesome child and disciplining her in the lewdest ways possible.She wanted it all. “Yes, mistress! I...want it! I want to be that person!”Blair made a wide perverse smile and stroked Ren’s raven locks while licking around her ear. “Good.”Blair(Salem) smiled darkly in triumphant victory over corrupting Ren’s passive inhibited nature and shut off the devices before pulling her to her feet. She could feel the mark on her body burn brightly in dark energy just as she felt the same essence coming from her partner Nora.‘They’ve fully corrupted her and in record time no less, even before Ren here. I’d say that deserves a special gift later.’ Blair thought before turning to Ren. “Let’s dress you up in a special outfit, my dear, before we reunite with that redhead of yours. I’m sure Jaune and Pyrrha have been treating her nicely.”Ren nodded as Blair guided her to behind the curtain where a very special outfit waited for her.“Wow.” She uttered as Blair started undressing her again.“That’s right, show that fiery redhead who’s the boss.” Blair cooed nibbling around her neck while pulling out the devices from inside her body. Part two- After a feverish three-way romp which resulted in Nora getting cream filled by Jaune multiple times she was led up the stairs to their bedroom like a horny dog by Pyrrha holding a leash. Nora was still completely naked save for the collar and leaking out thick dribbles of sperm from her freshly fucked pussy perhaps knocked up. Her face was devoid of her usual personality and rambunctiousness and instead holding mindbroken look of pure depravity. The collar still occasionally shocking Nora every now and then with small jolts.“Here we are, mistress. One completely corrupted electro-slut Nora Valkyrie-Ren ready to deliver.” Jaune announced as they came into the bedroom and completely revealed Salem sat on the bed expectantly.“Splendid, just what I come to expect from you two.” Salem addressed then gestured to the side where a newly improved Lian Ren appeared.Lian Ren arrived on the scene wearing a dominatrix leather outfit similar to Salem’s queen outfit; it was a black corset with cups and leather material, it was studded in metal studs here and there and intricately designed with strings held around her body. Her cleavage shown and a central zipper down her torso, her hips were show and her leather worn tightly. She had leather gloves with a whip-crop held in one hand worn by a spiked leather glove, her leggings were similar in design with leather thigh-highs tightly hugging her legs. Lastly was her makeup painted on her face with dark expanded mascara and dark lipstick completing the ensemble, she looked to be a picturesque oriental exotic doubling as a dominatrix queen of Mistral.“Wow, just wow. You almost can’t recognize her as Lie Ren.” Jaune commented while Salem beamed proudly. His erection formed proudly in the air catching Ren’s eye as well as Nora and Pyrrha’s.“Well then.” Salem patted the sides of her bed in a welcoming gesture. “Let’s begin, Jaune show Ren the wonders of being a woman and Pyrrha have fun disciplining Nora.”“Yes mistress!” Jaune and Pyrrha reciprocated with borderline sadistic expressions.Jaune walked over to Lian Ren and grabbed her by the hips pulilng her up close when he locked lips with her. Lian was startled at first yet quickly closed her eyes and wrapped her leather bound hands around his neck. Her legs hiked up around his rear allowing Jaune to pick her up and bring her to the bed where they collapsed on it continuing their tongue wrapping lip-lock. The image of Lie Ren was foremost out of Jaune’s mind, right now he simply picture this true Ren as a mirror of a hot twin sister newly awakened to corruption.Meanwhile Pyrrha guided Nora to the bed as well, with it being big enough they had no worry of shifting the balance of the mattress away from Jaune and Lian.“Sit, girl.” Pyrrha commanded and Nora compiled by placing herself on all fours as she herself got up with a newly modified strap-on attached to her cunt. This one was made special for Nora; it featured high level vibration as well as an electron affinity restricted to only the phallus so as not to shock herself. Pyrrha liked her the corners of her lips and gripped Nora’s hips when guiding the tip of the strap on to the space between her cheeks. Once the head nubbed the puckered opening Nora let out a squeal of elation and pain!“Eeaaaggh!!! Yess!!” She lout out as Pyrrha hilted the vibrating strapon into Nora’s anus, she herself felt the pleasurable backlash of it and remained there with it sheathed entirely in her teammate's rectum. She then clicked the remote activating the electrical surface mode sending electricity into Nora’s body to absorb and stimulate her muscles. This time Nora let out an inaudible gurgled cacophony of moans for her mind was sent to the great beyond with the amount of pleasure she was receiving.Pyrrha wasted no time in humping her hips back and forth on her ass taking her for a ride while seeing Jaune pin Lian Ren down in top-down bottom-up position with his member guiding into her pussy.Lian bit her lip and felt the mass of Arc cock burrow its way into her pussy making her clench the sheets of the bed.“Oooaaaggh!! Aaaagh!” Lian let out feeling a new wave of bliss circulate throughout her body from the point of insertion. Jaune started rutting in and out of her freshly plopped quirm, the sounds of her ass smacking his hips started resounding faster and faster with Ren’s body jutting back and forth. Slowly but surely her face started screwing up in a more sex crazed one equivalent to Nora’s earlier, but more composed.Ren propped herself on her hands keeping herself steady as Jaune aggressively fucked her snatch, in and out he plunged into the deepest of depths such as her cervix. It was slowly driving Ren crazy at her leader treated her, but what also titillated her senses was seeing Nora getting her ass fucked by a depraved horny Pyrrha. Truly this was the complete inverse of team JNPR, but dammit did she enjoy what she was feeling. Enjoying being a woman, she still wanted to dominate Nora though, maybe after Jaune pumps her she could.Minutes passed and the moans coming from Ren and Nora escalated to higher volumes much to Salem’s amusement as well as the amusement of team RWBY back in her domain watching the scene through the Seer Grimm.Yang and Ruby fondled each other’s nether regions with fingers and hands delving into their respective cunts. Blake and Weiss locked each other into a sixty-nine posistion with Weiss squaling in child like joy as Blake’s tongue wormed in and out of her cunt. Both their sets of legs clamped around each other’s heads keeping their mouths and tongues lodged inside their cunts.Back to JNPR Jaune continued plowing into Ren from behind with his thrusting efforts picking up after minutes of rigorous fcuking. Ren was a moaning mess with mess becoming frazzled and out of place, Nora was much the same with Pyrrha excitedly fucking her ass with an electricity surging strap-on pushing her quickly to her orgasm.After several more minutes Ren seized up and felt her body shuddering thunderously taking Jaune along for the ride. Jaune grit his teeth and hilted inside Ren’s pussy before pumping a furious load of sperm into her depths! The moment Ren felt it she hollered out in loud orgasm, at the same time Nora twitched and shuddered in her own climax after enough anal fucking. Her legs seized and twitched with her pussy gushing out juices onto the bed, Nora wore that sex crazed face the entire time, it was safe to say her mind was close to melted at this point due to the overwhelming pleasure.After more throbbing pumps of cum Jaune finished inside Ren and pulled out leaving a dribbling trail of semen to pool onto the bed. Nora was still conscious enough to see Ren crawling over to Ren and cradling her head into her hands.“That’s it, Nora. Tell her how you feel and let’s service our respective masters together.” Pyrrha cooed in her ear before looking to Jaune still rearing to go with his hard erection firmly in hand. Nora and Pyrrha alternated their positions with the guys by having Nora clambering between Lian Ren’s thighs eating her out and scooping some of Jaune’s semen into her mouth hunrigly. Ren was on another level of pleasure by having Nora eat her out, but she still stated her position by gingerly smacking her own personal whip-crop on her ass and smothering her head close.They say back against a pair of large pillows with Lian Ren laying back with legs clamped around Nora’s head. Her tongue and mouth worked at her cunt as per Ren’s rough demand. Her lovely feet grazed her lower back keeping her kneeling close to her lap.Jaune and Pyrrha occupied themselves with the latter burying her head into his lap by having his meat down her throat. Pyrrha slurped and sucked with great gusto and peered up at Jaune with hearts in her eyes, she worked hard at deep throating her husband, and she did it while keeping her gloved hands close to his buttocks. There’s always the chance she wants to finger his ass to bring him off harder.Ren and Jaune sat closeby and during their respective treatments by their redheads the pair bumped fists in a bro-fist. ‘Heh, still my bro in another skin. Well a fem-bro to say the least.’After several more minutes of the girls servicing the two Jaune ordered a swap in which Lian would try to out-dominate Pyrrha and Jaune would ravage Nora again.With a wet plop Pyrrha let go of Jaune’s length with a tasty sigh, she wanted him to blow his load inside her throat, but just as he ordered she would comply. She looked to Lian Ren with a ready look.“Shall we? Ren?” She goaded making Lian untangle her legs from Nora’s dazed head and prowled over to Pyrrha wriggling a double ended dildo tauntingly.Nora simply looked to Jaune for guidance, Jaune merely patted his lap and gestured for her to turn around and spread em. Jaune then sauntered over with his slick erection in hand ready to drill into Nora for a second time. Before he could make it over to her Salem placed a certain remote into his hand, one that matched the collar around Nora’s neck, she gave him a look that said ‘use it’ once he got close to Nora.“Yes, mistress.” Jaune said and guided his length deep into Nora’s pussy.“Aaaagh!” She yelped out once Jaune hilted inside her again, as usual she was tight and Jaune grimaced pleasurably after feeling her vaginal muscles squeeze down on him. Jaune then flicked the button on the remote control sending jolts of enervating electricity throughout Nora’s body making her shudder and moan even louder!She squealed just before Jaune started humping his hips back and forth against her ass. His member drilled in and out of her cunt with intensified friction while the juice surged through her.“Aaagh!” Jaune heard Pyrrha’s voice cry out making him look to see Pyrrha and Lian Ren scissoring each other with the long double ended dildo firmly wedged into both of their pussies as they ground each other. Pyrrha felt Ren jab the vibrating buttplug she got from Salem into her ass making her overload a bit, anal was indeed her weakness after all, but Pyrrha was champ and aggressively ground her lower body’s muscles against Ren’s weaker ones. Lian Ren was just getting used to her newfound form after all, but Jaune was confident Pyrrha had her beat in that domain anyway.And so it continued; Jaune fucking Nora doggystyle with her face screwed up into an eye rolling tongue lolling expression. Pyrrha and Lian dueled each other in a battle of attrition using tribadism, the former having the advantage of stronger leg muscles despite Ren using her weakness against her. The loud cacophony of sounds continued through the room with Salem watching in perverse amusement and masturbating.The same could be said for team RWBY back in her domain having a ‘team exercise’ with each other. Yang had Ruby in a position similar to Pyrrha and Ren with the two sisters grinding each other's mounds together in rising ecstasy. Blake meanwhile had donned a strapon and fucked Weiss in the ass while she made out with Ruby from nearby, all around each corrupted member fucked and ravished one another in beautiful corrupted harmony.The harmonious orgy continued for minutes more until an electrified Nora suddenly grabbed Pyrrha’s hand and by extension Ren’s body. Her aura suddenly surged and shone bright with pink aura lighting up the room! The same stimulating feelings she got from her semblance transferred to Pyrrha and Ren as well making them feel surging ecstasy times ten!Pyrrha arched her back and thrashed about moaning out in pleasure as she came on the dildo, Ren grit her teeth and undulated along the bedside cumming as well! Lastly Nora Climaxed like she batted away a tsunami taking Jaune with her in the process! The immense pleasure for orgasmic muscles clamping down on his cock, at first anyway, until her semblance intensified her muscle strength making the constriction of her pussy a bit more forceful!‘Oh man it feels like she’s literally gonna rip it off!’ Jaune thought in slight alarm while Nora came! It was then the surge of her semblance transferred to him too making him cry out her name before cumming!Nora turned into her putty once she felt the heavy payload of sperm flood into her depths over and over again. She let out one final cry of bliss before collapsing with the rest of team JNPR.…Jaune laid on his back breathing hard with his member still lodged in Nora’s snatch pumping sperm. He was sure she might’ve been pregnant by now unless she took a contraceptive or was safe during this time, but amongst all the pleasure his member felt a sharp tinge of pain due to her enhanced muscles clamping down hard on him.He felt very sore and in pain. ‘Hehe, Nora’s a bit wilder than we gave her credit for. Owe….’ Jaune thought before passing out along with the rest of his team. Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren all sat at the breakfast table enjoying a well deserved meal after that mammoth of a fuckfest they recently had. All four members of team JNPR had never been closer.A rift portal opened up and out came Salem all of team RWBY who looked rather frazzled and disheveled. It was obvious what came about in their naughty slumber party.“Hey there, hubby. Did you miss us?” Yang called out cutely.“You know it, but you missed all the action we just had. Plenty of it dangerous if I say so myself.” Jaune answered back as the girls ran up to hug him into an embrace.“Hey no fair, I want to hug my soon-to-be hubby too!” Nora chirped diving into the pile trying to squeeze in.Pyrrha chuckled mirthfully and joined in alongside Lian Ren leading to all of the girls toppling over onto the floor with Jaune. Once they landed in heaps they each had a pleasant hearty laugh while Salem looked on in pride.Eventually they got up and grabbed glasses of juice, milk, tea, and coffee, together for a toast.“Now that all our teams are reunified we can look forward to a bright future together.” Jaune announced receiving cheers of agreement before they clinked their glasses together.“You can definitely count us on, Jauney. Plus I’m almost positive I’m pregnant with your lovechild about now.” Nora chirped earning astonished looks from the rest of the girls except for Pyrrha and Ren, who knew Nora was likely joking.“This is unacceptable, I want Daddy’s child too!” Weiss whined childishly and pouted her lips.“Okay, hubby, you know what time it is. Let’s fuck!” Yang cheered out energetically before ripping off her clothes. THe rest of RWBY as well as NPR all did the same except with more grace and restraint.When looking all their eager borderline rapey faces Jaune only knew that his member ached with intense soreness.“Owww, my other leg. It senses incoming pain.” He muttered fearfully just before all the girls pounced at him! End chapter   Royal KnightsSample start- Jaune ran out the laboratory reeling in shock, his 'legs' and 'arms' didn't feel like they were there anymore. Instead they felt like phantom limbs made out of technology, the irony being that they were still coated in human skin color. The bumpy seams here and there underneath his 'skin' were a dead giveaway. He was no longer human. The holographic hud in his eyes were large indicators of that.'Gah! What is this thing?! How do I get it off?!' He thought in frustration and panic and swiped the air in futility."Jaune!" Pyrrha's voice rung out making him turn on the corner and speed down the hallway of this White Fang complex. He looked back to notice he had moved several yards in a single dash! He had gotten faster!The door to Pyrrha's containment room burst open revealing a panicked Jaune looking at his girlfriend Pyrrha getting up from the high tech lab table examining her limbs. "I-I...can't feel anything! Jaune what is going on?!" She shrieked in fearful alarm when he grabbed her into his arms comforting her with an embrace. Pyrrha calmed down and her enhanced senses picked up strange sounds coming from inside each of them, causing her to withdraw ever so reluctantly. "I feel...metal...strange metal alloy inside each of us, not only that but our heartbeats...feel regulated in a very mechanical way! Jaune what was been done to us?!"Jaune felt stupefied and flexed his hands feeling the raw power and bio-tech circuity inside them. There were even circuit brackets, barely visible ones at that, here and there on his 'skin' looking like varicose veins in high tech pattern."I dont know, Pyrrha. I think it's kind obvious, isn't it? We're...not human anymore." Jaune answered opening his mouth to pinch his tongue and recoil in pain. "Okay! Maybe not entirely not-human. I still felt that.Pyrrha nodded and stepped up off the table to examine her body noticing it looked hardly different aside from her limbs and torso looking 'artificial' in the color of skin. She pinched her left forearm and felt nothing then poked her own belly hard and recoiled from the sting. "I...I felt that, could it be that we're turned into...Cy-borgs? I mean parts of us ares still human to feel pain, right?""...what about feeling something else?" Jaune asked aching to test a theory and suddenly pulled Pyrrha close making her blush, her face was still originally human flesh and skull after all, save for metal plating over her skull and the internal hud displaying various numbers, bars, etc, in her field of view.!Jaune leaned over and kissed her taking her mind off all the distractions in the world, she closed her eyes and wrapped ehr arms around his backside allowing their tongues to cross in the most sensual of ways. It went on for seconds until they broke apart with tasty sighs despite not being out of breath."I guess it's good to know we can still feel certain things, maybe we're still human. Cy-borgs might be as close as we get to an answer." Pyrrha nodded. "We are no Cy-borgs that I've ever seen, this all appears to be some sort of fusion between organic tissue and strange techno-organic circuitry."Jaune nodded at Pyrrha's assessment, then opened his eyes wide open when he felt 'something' expand on her chest! Pyrrha felt it too and peered down to see her breasts, apparently also cyber-formed, expand from DD-cups to full blown G cups! "Oh my!" She exclaimed in shock as Jaune peered his head down to peer into his loose black pants and felt an....'engine' rev where his appendage should be."Oh my indeed, Pyrrha. Maybe it's not all bad." He answered revving his 'engine' downstairs again.-End sample-'Royal Knights'
10819815
A Brand New Day
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Tenth Doctor, Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith", "Fandom": "Doctor Who (2005)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by cordeliadelayne", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-04T00:00:00", "words": "100", "Additional Tags": "Light Angst, Drabble", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Dw100", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
It was so quiet in the Tardis without Rose and Jack fighting over clothes, and shoes and whatever else they used to discuss that went over his head. One time he would have valued the silence but now he and the Tardis were mourning. Mourning for Jack, for the Doctor he had once been and the girl he had once met.But silence could be comforting too, allowing him to remember without distractions. And, as Rose came running through the doorway, pulling a reluctant Mickey behind her, the Doctor remembered what he liked the most about silence. When it broke.
10878795
Our Favorite Scientist
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), James \"Rhodey\" Rhodes, Sam Wilson (Marvel)", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by sasunaru_eater", "chapters": "3/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-11T00:00:00", "words": "2,524", "Additional Tags": "everyone loves bruce, Bruce Feels, Tickling, Cuddling & Snuggling, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Sex Possibly, not sure yet - Freeform, Bruce Needs a Hug, Bruce needs love, All Avengers need love, compliments, Praise Kink, Touch-Starved", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Bruce Banner/Thor, Bruce Banner/Tony Stark, Bruce Banner/Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner/Clint Barton, Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner/Clint Barton/Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov/Tony Stark/Thor", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Marvel (Comics)", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "F/M, M/M", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Tony has been told he’s rather dense for a super genius, so says Pepper and everyone else on the team. He can never fully read emotions or truly connect with other people easily. A talent he lacks, but certainly makes up for with his other plights. But even though he’s not great with all the emotional crap, he can read most people like a book. Bruce was that exception, Bruce was the exception to a lot in Tony’s life. No one could get a read on the small and shy doctor, who hid demons darker than the rest of theirs combined below his fragile skin. Yet even though the good doctor is guarded, Tony has found out one thing about his little physicist: he’s touched starved, always craving attention but just to shy to ask for it. Tony admits it took awhile to finally come to that conclusion. But he saw it in the ways Bruce leaned into his arms in the lab. Accepting casual touches even after flinching away originally. Tony saw it in the way Bruce reacted to the praise he often got from the team, it’s so adorable. Bruce’s blushes are subtle and almost undetectable, but the way he acts when he’s embarrassed always gives it away. How he hides his face in anyway possible, how he tilts his head down and stutters. How he’s SO much more susceptible to touch when he's like that. So it wasn't a surprise that when Bruce made a massive home cooked meal for the team after a long stealth mission, not really Hulk friendly, he got a lot of positive remarks. Thor commented on the ducks juiciness, Steve the potatoes, Natasha the cauliflower, Clint the dessert, and then it was Tony’s turn. Though Tony didn't complement the food, he complimented the chef which ended up with EVERYONE complimenting Bruce. “You're so smart Bruce, God I cant believe I had to wait this long to get you as my lab buddy! Stark industries would have been years ahead if I had gotten ahold of you sooner.”“Ay the good doctor has intelligence, strength, and is very caring for his comrades. All remarkable traits for a warrior, it indeed helps that he comes in a smaller package and has such skill in the kitchen. He has helped me many a time in Asgard.”“Please Stark, if you had gotten ahold of Doc here HE would have overthrown you. Probably not by choice either, your board would probably kick you out. Bruce is easier to talk to and can get his paperwork done on time with no sarcasm.”“Oh shut the fuck up Barton, you’re just jealous that Brucie is mine and not yours.”“Language Tony! Bruce is apart of the team… so he belongs to everyone equally, so theres no use fighting over our favorite genius”“What?! Favorite?!”“And the smartest…”“Natasha! Not you too! Im hurt!”“What can I say, gotta love a quite cutie who can pull off lavender.”“Stop winking at him Nat! Poor guys going to blow a fuse.”“Brother Barton is right my friend, you look most… flustered…” “Uh…u-uuummm”Bruce squirmed in his seat, unable to hide behind anything this time. He was so flustered by the comments he didn't feel Tony scoot over to be next to him. Tony drew his arms around his friend and held him protectively. “Back off, everyone, he’s mine!” Tony emphasized with a sloppy kiss to the smaller mans cheek. Bruce was so embarrassed that he started to curl in on himself. “He’s everyones Tony, I just said that!” Steve chuckled as he walked around the table to tug at Bruce too. Everyone was getting into the whole “who can embarrass Bruce more” competition. Natasha pecked him on the lips lightly, Clint gently massaged his shoulders and whispered praise into the scientists ear. Steve just held his hands and tried to lure Bruce to look at him, and every time they made eye contact Steve gave him a bright smile and said “there he is!” and “why are you hiding darlin?” Tony just watched from his spot, which had migrated to having Bruce pretty much in his lap. He was content to watch Bruce being showered with affection, something he craved for but never asked for, and he was happy that his team saw this too. Though they might be overdoing it right now, Bruce was starting to shake and was getting this panicked and sad look in his eyes that Tony is pretty sure means Bruce thinks he’s being made fun of. Luckily everyone else is getting the same vibe and take it down a bit, all still in contact with their smallest member. Clint verges off from telling Bruce how impressed he was on how quickly he took to archery to pointing his attention to Natasha and how impressive her aiming skills were. Nat preened at the compliment and turned to Tony, saying how his aim had improved without the aid of Jarvis. Steve commented them all about how glad he was to be working with all of them. Thor who had been watching from afar now came in and gave everyone a giant group hug before scooping Bruce up and spinning around the dining area. He winked at them and hummed loudly as he carried Bruce away. Bruce looked over the demigods shoulder in confused panic. That was the last look Tony saw before Thor took Brucie away from him for the night. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Thor carried his smaller brother-in-arms up to his room. The good doctor was blushing so prettily, obviously to overwhelmed with all of the complements he received from his teammates. Thor wants to believe Bruce thinks highly of himself, but he knows he’s just lying to himself. Tony explained to him and Steve Bruce’s family situation. A bitter taste fills his mouth at the abuse and hatred his good friend had suffered. Bruce had traveled with him to Asgard many a time, to assist in studies and to let his other half go wild during the heat of battle. Yes, Thor loved both sides of Bruce, but he loved to take care of his friends smaller form the most. Bruce needed gentle touches, something Thor was not used to, Bruce was perfect practice. A fragile being that could never really be hurt, Thor practiced how to gently get someones attention instead of violently slapping them on the back and jeering at them. Bruce had the patience to teach him and brother Steve about the technology on Earth, how it worked, and fixed many of Thor’s little… mishaps. Bruce curled into Thor’s arms, he ran warmer that most humans but he still felt cold. Thor settled the other on the luxurious bed he had brought from Asgard. His whole room looked like the one he had back at home, with a few extra touches like a TV. He left to go change and shower away the filth of the battle before. He came back into the room to pleasantly find that the doctor had made himself more comfortable. Bruce had left to go back to his floor for a quick shower and brush his teeth. He was wearing a pair of loose black sweats that covered his feet and one of Thor’s t-shirts. The scientist looked up from the mass of covers and furs on the bed, dark rings under his ever thoughtful eyes. Thor shivered at the thought of being burdened with not only holding all that knowledge in ones head, but to also hold back an unstoppable force by pure will, truly Bruce Banner was a god among men. Bruce’s blush and shocked eyes probably meant that Thor had just said that out loud.“You know it’s true.” He said simply, as he climbed into bed. Thor wasn't quiet tired, adrenaline quietly coursing through his body still. He looked at Bruce, who looked exhausted but his eyes showed no slowing in his mind. Ah, insomnia is what it’s called. Bruce doesn't have it as bad as Tony but it’s there. Thor gives a warm sigh and pulls Bruce up and over him, the smaller goes willingly for this has happened a few times on Asgard. Thor would sleep in the same bed with Bruce purely to protect his friend, the smaller tried to refuse but soon realized he would never win and went reluctantly. He had nightmares only for Thor to sooth him back to sleep when that was never possible back on Earth. So Bruce let himself be dragged over Thor’s chest. He rested there and laid his head down.Thor let his hands wander, they trailed up smooth and frail legs and landed on the smaller mans lower back. With just the tips of his fingers, Thor dipped under Bruce’s shirt and slowly traveled the expanse of the back. Thor searched for scars that were not there, long healed but the pain would still linger no doubt in the doctors mind. Thor hummed in mild amusement as the smaller body shivered lightly and leaned away from his fingers that traveled to closely to sensitive sides. This continues, the feeling of Bruce squirming above him and arching into him when the sensations from his supple fingers become to much. Thor loves it all. He trails lower to the cleft of the lower back, he could feel the subtle rise begin telling him were Bruce’s rear started. Thor grazed at that spot for awhile. Dainty pressure and rubbing lightly just below Bruce’s pants line earned him quiet mewls, twitches, and shy hands searching for something to hold onto. Thor is pleased, he relaxes into the bed and covers them both with blankets before continuing. Bruce squirmed even more under the blankets, Thor’s gentle touches soothed him and brought him into a happier state but the fur blankets added just a bit more to the soft torture. Bruce grunted and gave off airy giggles as Thor continued, only laughing quietly when Thor ventured lower to one of his most sensitive spots. The touches remained gentle until Bruce slowed down and eventually went still as he fell asleep on Thor. The God of Thunder shifted around until he was comfortable and fell asleep with the doctor in his arms. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Bruce woke up warm and comfortable. He saw that his entire body was wrapped in two massive arms that radiated heat while his back was pressed against Thor’s chest. He sighed and turned over so his face was pushed into Thor’s chest instead. He inhaled and settled back in, Thor squeezing him closer. Thor kissed the doctors forehead before turning them over in the bed so Bruce was on top of him again. The mortal groaned in protest, Bruce hadn't slept that well in a while and wanted it to continue, but sadly he had a science date in the labs with Tony. Tony had even made him double pinky promise he would spend the afternoon in his lab and help him with an electro magnetic shield. Bruce pushed himself up on Thor’s chest and looked over at the clock on the bedside table. It was almost comical how futuristic and sleek the clock looked compared to the massive marble table with golden trim. Thor hugged the smaller man closer to prevent him from leaving. “C’mon, I have to go to the lab.” Bruce mumbled, not really putting much effort into getting up.“You’re always in the lab, now it is time for you to relax.” Thor cooed back, combing his fingers through the others hair.“Mmmm, Tony will get mad…”“I’d like to see him try to take you away from me.” Thor purred as he began massaging Bruce’s lower back. Bruce moaned quietly as the god pressed in all the right places. Thor was the best when it came to touch for Bruce, the Asgardian had spent many nights rubbing Bruce down after transforming into the Hulk to assist in battles and wars. When his bones ached and skin was to tender Thor was there to carry him off the battlefield. A light buzz filled Bruce’s mind, he sunk further into his mind until he heard Thor say ‘hello?’ Bruce looked up to see Thor holding his phone. He could hear Tony on the other line.“Thor? put Bruce on.”“Nay, he is resting.”“Ok, he can rest. In. The. Lab.” “You’ll have him work until he can’t stand again brother Stark. He is better off by me, resting.”“Look, I get that you and Bruce have this weird bonding ‘brothers in arms’ thing going on. And that you fought with Hulk against the whatever race thats a threat to all of Asgard and you got to care for Bruce during he aftermath… but you have had him ALL NIGHT. And tick-tock Barbie it’s MY time to spend with Brucie. You either send him down or I come up and take him.”Thor laughed “Come and try Stark.” He hung up and tossed the phone in some direction before scooping Bruce up again and snuggling back into the covers. He placed a gentle kiss on the younger’s forehead. Bruce tried to squirm but in the end went limp in Thor’s arms, he felt safe and wanted. He craved this feeling like no other, the sense of stability and being appreciated, he decided there was no harm in indulging himself a little more. Just then there was a knock on the glass, Thor laughed brightly as Bruce turned in his arms. There on the other side of the glass was Tony in full on Iron Man gear, his arms crossed and looking rather irritated for a man in an emotionless suit of armor. The windows opened up for their creator and Tony stepped in. “Now Thor, didn't they teach you in Asgard that you need to share?”“Ay, but as a prince it wasn't as enforced.” Thor summoned Mjolnir and rose from bed, leaving Bruce to lay in the warm sheets. Both hero’s were courteous enough to leave out the window to spar. Bruce got up slowly before locating his glasses and leaving the two to their little spat, he looked at his heart monitor watch and decided that for the sake of the tower he shouldn't put himself in such a sticky situation. He made his way to the communal kitchen were only half of his collection of tealeaves dwelled. Tony spoiled him rotten with tea and science equipment. He began brewing himself a pot when he heard Natasha slip quietly in.“Good morning Natasha.”“You know, you’re the only one on this team that I can’t sneak up on.”“I know, you tell me everyday.” Bruce said with a smile, “Tea?”“No thanks,” Her phone buzzed as the screen lit up with a news alert, “Ok, so you know anything about the brawl going on outside between Thor and Stark? They’re breaking the internet.”“Now why would you think I had something to do with it?” Bruce gave her a gentle but knowing smile before pouring his brew into a stark mug and mixing some honey in it.
10848357
Of Granola Bars and Deja
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis", "Fandom": "MacGyver (TV 2016)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by TinkerBella", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "3,884", "Additional Tags": null, "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
"Riley! Can't you go any faster?" Jack demanded. "Not without risking a speeding ticket!" She shot back.  Jack cursed. The last thing they could afford to have happen was to be pulled over. "How much longer?" MacGyver, who was being supported by the cradle of Jack's body, was the one to reply. "Seven minutes." "How would you even know that?" Jack was stunned. The kid had gotten shot, again, and he was bleeding, in pain and drifting in and out, yet he still knew how long before they reached the home of the Foundation affiliated doctor that Matty had directed them to go to. "Three minutes have passed since the last time you asked Riley that question," Mac replied, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper. "She told you we were ten minutes away then, which means there's seven minutes left, although it's probably more like 6 and a half minutes now," he amended, before shifting position only to hiss in pain. Being shot seriously sucked, and it didn't help that Jack was pressing a towel hard against the wound.  Jack didn't like the sound of almost seven more minutes. "Riley, go faster. Even if we get pulled over they'll let us go considering Mac's condition and Matty can smooth things over later." Riley was already going seventy but she, obediently, pushed it to eighty. "We should be there in less than five minutes." "Stop freaking out, Jack," Mac chided him. "I'm not bleeding out. It was a small caliber bullet and it's in the fleshy part of my shoulder. It didn't hit anything vital nor did it hit my collarbone." For which he would be eternally grateful, because that would have hurt like a bastard. "I'll stop freaking out if you stop diagnosing yourself," Jack countered.  He remembered the last time Mac got shot, during the whole Nikki debacle. How he pulled the kid out of the water, shaking and bleeding, but still fighting against him because MacGyver was desperate to find Nikki's body. At that time they hadn't know she was actually still alive. Jack had, forcibly, dragged Mac onto solid ground then he had freaked out at the blood staining the kid's white shirt. Weak as a kitten and barely conscious, Mac had still tried to get back into the water to find Nikki.  Jack had been terrified that Mac was going to die that night, but the kid had pulled through. Now he was praying for the same outcome this time, but even though MacGyver was conscious and talking, Jack could feel the blood soaking through the towel and the way the slender body was trembling. The kid was going into shock. He wished he had a blanket handy.  Mac felt cold but he tried not to shiver so that Jack wouldn't worry. He was also, doggedly, clinging to consciousness because he remembered the last time he'd gotten shot, just over a year ago, and Jack had flipped out. Mac didn't want to put him through that again. However, he was finding it hard to keep his eyes open. It might not have been so bad if he hadn't actually gotten shot six hours ago.  They were in Switzerland to rescue a kidnapped scientist, which they had done. However, it hadn't gone as smoothly as they would have liked. Mac and Jack had located their scientist, but the man was heavily guarded, so they'd had to deal with a half dozen bad guys and a bomb.  Getting shot hadn't been a part of the plan, and Mac had managed to hide it from Jack while he disarmed the bomb his partner dealt with the remaining bad guys. He even hid it on the drive to deliver the scientist to ex-fil. That's when Mac's luck had run out. Nearly passing out had given his injury away and Jack had berated Mac, until he'd been reminded that the mission came first. Although it was probably more the fact that they hadn't been in a position to do anything about it, until now, that had actually silenced Jack. Which brought them to the present, where Mac was fighting against the darkness that threatened to drag him down.  Fortunately, Riley picked this moment to announce that they had arrived at their destination. She parked the van and jumped out to open the side door. "Hey, Mac, how are you doing?" Riley asked, her eyes narrowed in concern. She had never seen him hurt like this before and he was so pale he appeared almost translucent. "Been better," he croaked, and he was so not looking forward to moving.  "Let me do all the work, bro," Jack stated, as if reading Mac's mind. He shifted as smoothly as he could so that he was on Mac's good side instead of supporting him from behind. However, as careful as he was, Jack couldn't help but wince as Mac bit back a moan of pain when they exited the van. Even though the kid was partly to blame, because he was so damn stubborn that he insisted on pulling away from Jack as they stepped out. Mac was determined to make his own way into the small house. The door opened and a blond-haired man stepped out as they approached. He had pale blue eyes and looked to be in his forties. "Dr. Lysander?" Mac guessed. "Yes, and you must be MacGyver." He gestured for them to enter and directed them to a room in the back. It was set up as a clinic and Dr. Lysander instructed Jack to get Mac onto the exam table. The moment Mac was lying down the doctor began his examination, all the while giving instructions to a red-haired woman wearing pale green scrubs. Obviously a nurse.  Jack hovered nearby, his eyes locked on Mac's pale face. "How are you doing, bro?" he asked, because from where he was standing the kid didn't look too hot. MacGyver heard Jack's question, but his voice sounded weird, kind of muted and echoing as if Jack were speaking under water. It was on the tip of Mac's tongue to reply, only his tongue felt numb and the next thing he knew he was being swallowed by darkness. "Mac?" Jack felt panic wash over him as the kid passed out. "He'll be fine," Dr. Lysander was quick to assure Jack. "I put him under so I can extract the bullet. You may wait in the other room." With that he shooed Jack and Riley out before firmly closing the door behind them. Jack sighed and was about to scrub a hand over his face when he caught sight of his blood stained hands.  Riley saw Jack freeze, realized why, and grabbed him by the arm. "I think there's a bathroom over here," she stated, pulling him down the hallway. Sure enough, a small washroom was on the left and Riley flipped on the light before nudging Jack over to the sink. She leaned against the door frame as he scrubbed the blood off his hands. Mac's blood. Riley's stomach did a small twist and roll at the thought. "He's going to be okay," Jack whispered, as he continued scrubbing.  "Of course he will," Riley replied. "Mac is the toughest person I know." He was strong in a way that transcended mere physical strength. MacGyver took whatever hits life threw at him, bending like a branch in the wind, but never breaking. Jack turned the water off and accepted the towel Riley held out to him. "I'm going to make him wear body armor. " Riley had to chuckle at that. She wouldn't put it past Jack to try, but he would lose. Mac could, and would, out stubborn a mule. "Good luck with that," she offered. "I'm serious," Jack insisted, even though he knew it was a battle he would never win. Heaving a sigh, he waved Riley aside so he could exit the bathroom. Striding back down the hallway to the exam room, Jack was disappointed to see that the door was still closed. "You didn't really expect them to remove the bullet in five minutes, did you?" Riley queried, even though she wished it could be that simple. Jack began pacing. "No. I just suck at waiting." Riley snorted. "No kidding. You and patience have never met." "I can be patient if I need to be." Jack glared at Riley before dropping down into one of the cushioned chairs that were against the wall. "Just watch me." He crossed his arms and evened out his breathing. "See...this is me being patient." "Needs work," Riley stated, as she dropped down into the chair next to him. Setting her backpack down by her feet she bent over to rummage through the contents before pulling out two granola bars. Holding one out to Jack she said, "You should eat something." Jack crooked at eyebrow at her, even as he accepted the peanut butter and chocolate granola bar. "These are my favorites." He couldn't hide his surprise. Riley rolled her eyes at him. "No duh. Eat it." She unwrapped an almond and raisin bar for herself.  "Those are Mac's favorite," Jack pointed out. "I know, he's the one who got me hooked on them." Riley felt a bit self-conscious making that confession, but she shrugged it off. Tapping Jack on the arm she reminded him, "Eat." Ripping open the wrapper, Jack finished off the granola bar in three bites, then smiled when Riley handed him another one. "So how long have you been carrying around our favorite granola bars?"  Riley made a face. "Since last month when we got trapped in that bunker in the woods and we didn't have anything to eat for a day and a half. I figured it would be smart to have something to snack on, just in case. Besides which, you're always hungry." She didn't add that she started carrying them for Mac because he had a tendency to forget to eat, but she knew Jack would get that. "Not always," Jack countered, although she wasn't too far off from the truth. He did enjoy his food. "Just most of the time," Jack amended. "Should I call Bozer?" It hit Riley, like a slap in the face. Now that Bozer knew about them being agents, he would want to know that MacGyver had gotten shot. Better for him to know in advance and be prepared, than for them to go home and he get hit in the face with the truth. Jack shook his head. "Not until we know the facts. I mean, I know Mac is going to be fine...but I'd rather wait until it's confirmed. No point in making Bozer worry if there's nothing to worry about." Everything he said, he was trying to take to heart to convince himself as well. That made perfect sense, so Riley nodded then pulled out her phone to play games while they waited. It wasn't long before Jack followed suit, but he couldn't concentrate. So he got up and paced, then he sat down and played a game, then he got up and paced again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. What felt like twelve hours later, but was actually only about two, Dr. Lysander opened the door and stepped out to speak with them. "How's MacGyver?" Jack asked, as he jumped to his feet. "Still sedated, but I got the bullet out and the damage was minimal." Dr. Lysander looked tired, but he was smiling. "He did lose a lot of blood so he's going to be weak and hurting for a while. I called Matty and she's going to send a ride home for your team the day after tomorrow. That will give MacGyver a chance to rest and heal a bit." Jack felt relief wash over him like a tidal wave. "Can we see him?" He was stepping towards the door as he asked, expecting to be allowed in. Dr. Lysander moved to block him. "You can see MacGyver once we get him settled in the next room. My nurse, Greta, will come get you when it's time. Give us about twenty minutes." With that he stepped back into the room, closing the door firmly behind him. Resisting the urge to break the door down and follow, Jack turned to Riley. "You should call Bozer now." "He's going to freak out when I tell him Mac got shot." Despite her concern, Riley had her phone in hand and was already dialing Bozer's number. "I'm gonna go outside for a bit," she stated, turning on her heel and heading out the front door. After watching Riley go, Jack resumed pacing until Greta came to get him about fifteen minutes later. Riley still wasn't back but he knew she was giving him the chance to see Mac alone, which Jack would thank her for later.  Following Greta into the down the hall, Jack wasn't prepared for the sense of Deja Vu that hit him at the sight of Mac lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV. It took him back to the last time, but the injury had been more serious then, and there had been a twenty-four hour period when Jack hadn't been certain that MacGyver was going to make it. Knowing that Mac was going to be okay was a relief, but it wasn't enough to stop his heart from skipping a beat at the sight of his friend lying there, so damn still. Jack grabbed a nearby chair and placed it by the bed before settling into it. He was going to be there when Mac woke up. Which turned out to be about ten minutes later and Mac jerked awake, yanked from unconsciousness by the flash of a memory. The sound of a gunshot still echoing in his memory, Mac opened his eyes to the sight of Jack hovering over him. The sight of a familiar face was comforting, but he still felt disoriented. "You're safe, Mac," Jack said quietly, knowing that the kid was confused and anxious at the moment. Knowing that his presence and a hand on Mac's shoulder would ground him. "Jack..." Mac whispered, blinking hard before taking a quick look at his surroundings. He didn't recognize the room he was in and panic welled up and threatened to overflow. Jack felt Mac stiffen and watched the blue eyes go wide. He knew what was happening. "You got shot and Dr. Lysander removed the bullet. We're in Switzerland. As his memory filled in the details, Mac felt himself relax back into the pillows. He lifted a hand to scrub through his hair only to freeze at the sight of an IV taped to the back. That explained why he was groggy and feeling no pain. "Are we leaving now?"  "Not quite yet." Jack chuckled. "You lost a lot of blood, bud. Good news is that the bullet didn't do a whole lot of damage, but you're going to be weak and you need to rest. Matty is sending our ride day after tomorrow." "I'd rather leave now," Mac replied. "I'm good to go, Jack." Jack shook his head. He knew Mac hated being down for the count for any reason, but the kid needed to rest and heal right now. "We'll talk about possible negotiations tomorrow. Right now you need to rest."  Before Mac could offer a protest, there was a knock on the door and Riley entered the room. "Hey, Mac," she offered in greeting. "Good to see you awake. How do you feel?" "Like I got shot." He countered, being honest and a bit sarcastic. Which was pretty much his default setting. "It's not fun." Riley didn't doubt that. "Yeah, I don't plan of trying it." Mac offered a wobbly smile. "Good plan. Maybe you could convince Jack that I'm ready to go home right now?" He figured it wouldn't hurt to try getting Riley on his side. "Yeah..." Riley made a face. "You know it's not Jack you need to convince, it's Matty," she reminded him. "Crap." Mac was obviously off his game, thanks to the stupid meds he was on. Otherwise he would have realized he was barking up the wrong tree, to use a Jack-ism.  Riley patted him on his good shoulder. "If you were smart, and we both know you are ridiculously smart, you would take advantage of the down time and rest up. I was talking to Dr. Lysander and he has rooms for me and Jack, so I'm going to get some sleep, and I suggest the both of you do the same. Tomorrow I'm going to go sight seeing and take lots of pictures to make Bozer jealous." Mac swore as it suddenly hit him, "Bozer is going to freak when he learns I've been shot." "Way ahead of you," Riley replied. "I told him what happened and that you're going to be okay. He only freaked out a little, but you should be forewarned that he's going to Mother-hen you like crazy when you get home." "I changed my mind." Mac looked at Jack and pleaded, "Can we stay here for the week?" As much as he loved Bozer, the one thing that made Mac a bit crazy was the way his friend would over react to any and all injuries or illnesses. The last time Mac had the flu, Bozer had taken off work to take care of him. His smothering good intentions had almost been worse than the flu itself. Jack understood MacGyver's concern, he had been witness to Bozer's Mother-hen tendencies, and he was more than willing to negotiate with Matty for time off here in Switzerland. Within two days, if not sooner, Mac would be bouncing off the walls and sneaking out if necessary. It would be better for them to stay put and do some sightseeing with lots of naptime interspersed. The kid would have the time he needed to heal, without feeling like he was on forced bed rest. Not that he was going to be back in play soon, Matty would keep him grounded from the field for at least a couple of weeks. That said, Jack would see what he could do. "I'll talk to Matty tomorrow," he promised. Knowing that Jack would keep his word, Mac relaxed. "We can all go sight seeing tomorrow," he suggested. "Not going to happen, bud," Jack replied. "You're going to be resting and healing for a couple of days. Although you could start working on the healing part by eating something." He knew Mac hadn't eaten anything all day, like the rest of them, and with his blood loss he needed to refuel and replenish. Jack turned to Riley. "You got anymore of those granola bars?" "I do." Riley dug into her backpack and pulled out a raisin and almond bar, which she handed over to Mac. He took it, but he stared at her in surprise. "These are my favorite." Riley grinned. "I know, you got me hooked on them. They've got a lot of iron in them so they'll help offset your blood loss." She dug around in her bag again and pulled out a banana. "I got this from Greta." Riley offered it to Mac. They're good for blood loss as well." She also knew that bananas were another of Mac's favorite foods.  "Someone has been doing a bit of research," Mac drawled, impressed, even as he accepted the banana. He wasn't sure he was feeling up to eating either of them, but at the same time he knew he needed to eat and that doing so would help him get stronger and heal faster. With that in mind, Mac unwrapped the granola bar and took a bite. He smiled when Riley offered Jack his favorite bar before unwrapping her own.  The trio ate in companionable silence, although Mac had to give up after only two bites. He let Jack relieve him of the granola bar and the banana before shifting onto his good side. Mac gritted his teeth as pain blossomed through his shoulder at the movement, realizing that whatever they had given him was wearing off. Jack helped MacGyver get settled on his side, feeling the kid trembling beneath his touch. He hadn't made a sound while shifting position, but Jack knew that Mac was hurting. "Want me to get Dr. Lysander?" "No...I'm okay." Mac evened out his breathing as the pain eased to a manageable level.  "You just had a bullet dug out of your shoulder, bud," Jack countered. "It's okay to let the Doc dope you up for a couple of days." Mac knew that suffering through the pain was counter productive, but he didn't like the kind of dreams that came along with the pain meds. "I'll ask for something when it gets bad," he promised. Jack sighed, because he knew that the kid had a ridiculously high threshold for pain. "You'll ask for it now. I'm not going anywhere, Mac, so it's all good." He would stay and keep the nightmares at bay, because that's what they did for each other, and Jack knew that this incident would bring back the night Mac thought Nikki had died. Everything that had happened since didn't negate the horror of that moment in time and all the nightmares Mac had suffered because of it. "I'll send Greta in on my way out," Riley offered. "I'm ready to catch some serious Z's." She moved to pat Mac on the leg. "Good night, Mac. See you guy's in the morning." "Goodnight, Riley." Mac offered a wave as she headed out, then he locked eyes with Jack. "You need to go to bed, I don't need a babysitter." Jack smirked. "I'm not gonna lie, bro, right now you look like you're young enough to need one." With MacGyver's sleepy gaze and touseled hair, and his lean form swallowed up by the bed cloths, he seriously looked all of about 14.  Mac had a sarcastic reply on the tip of his tongue, but before he could say it Greta entered the room.  "I brought you something for the pain," the nurse stated, holding up a syringe.  "I really don't need it right now," Mac insisted, even as he winced as he shifted onto his back again. The pain in his shoulder had become a steady throbbing, but now it felt like someone was stabbing him with a white-hot knife.  Jack moved to grip Mac on his good shoulder, grounding him. He looked at Greta and said, "He'll take it." Mac would have protested again, but he was busy trying to breathe through the pain. The grip of Jack's hand on his shoulder gave him something to focus on and he used it to find his center and gain control. After a few minutes, between the meds and the sound of Jack's voice telling him about all places he wanted to visit before they left Switzerland, Mac felt the pain ease even as he drifted off into a warm darkness. A darkness where he dreamed about Jack dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, brandishing a sword, and riding a black horse across a white beach as he vowed to vanquish all demons and dragons. THE END
10824471
Party Like its 1977
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Cassian Andor, Jyn Erso, K-2SO (Star Wars), Bodhi Rook, Chirrut Îmwe, Baze Malbus", "Fandom": "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by Kacka", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-05T00:00:00", "words": "1,958", "Additional Tags": "Alternate Universe - Modern Setting", "Relationship": "Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
"We're having a what?""A Star Wars party," Cassian repeats calmly. And doesn't smile when Jyn crosses her arms and scowls at him, no matter how much he wants to."That's what I thought you said." She sounds irritated.Cassian doesn't necessarily consider himself a people person. He knows how to handle himself pretty well in most situations, sure, but he almost always prefers to be left to his own devices.But Jyn is extremely not a people person. She basically always looks like she wants to fight the entire world. It's part of what he likes about her."What's the problem?""I hate parties.""But you like Star Wars," he points out. "And you like Bodhi, and Chirrut and Baze, and Kay."She scowls harder. "You take that back."Cassian lets himself smile this time. "Alright, you haven't yet killed Kay.""I just haven't found his off switch yet," she mutters.Kay and Jyn don't not get along, not really. They're perpetually exasperated with each other-- Kay constantly giving Jyn unsolicited statistics on her impulsive (and notoriously bad) schemes, Jyn carrying through with said schemes anyway (and more often than not succeeding in them, defying all probability and infuriating Kay)-- but they get along when it counts.Like when Jyn spent a night in jail after her third bar fight in one week and Kay was the one to go pick her up. ("He's the only one with a car, don't read too much into it, Cassian.") Or when Kay felt 'impractically unprepared' (Kay-speak for nervous) after his apartment got broken into, so Jyn took him to the firing range and taught him how to shoot. They might act like they aren't friends, but Cassian is pretty sure it's just a cover for how fond of each other they are.At least, he hopes so because Kay is his oldest friend and Jyn is his-- Jyn. The words roommate and friend and pain in his ass don't feel adequate to describe who she is to him, even when combined. He'd like to keep them both around."I'm not helping you clean," Jyn warns.Cassian lifts one eyebrow. "Do you ever?""And I get to pick which movie.""As long as we start with Episode IV.""And Kay stays away from me.""I'm not his keeper," Cassian shrugs. "But I did talk to him about not reorganizing other people's bookshelves without permission.""Who has the entire Dewey Decimal System memorized?" She grumbles. "Nobody, that's who."She's still got her arms crossed and brow furrowed, but her lips are pressed together like they do when she's giving something serious consideration.Not that Cassian is looking at her lips. He just can't help noticing people's tells."Chirrut is bringing his seven-layer dip," he tells her, a final enticement. Jyn sighs and lets her shoulders slump, defeated at last."Fine. We can have the stupid party.""Such enthusiasm," he teases, and she knocks his elbow with hers."Shut up and help me hide the good liquor."* * *The party had been Bodhi's idea, and though Cassian has a pretty good poker face, he's near-incapable of saying no to Bodhi's hopefully pleading face. Especially when he sees so little of him. He's become desensitized.Bodhi is only ever home for a few days at a time, spending most of his days (and nights) in the air. His flight schedule messes so much with his sleep schedule that even when he's home, he's usually not spending time with his friends but sleeping off the weird jet lag in his tiny place way out by the airport.It's not an ideal locale for a party, so he'd puppy-eyed his way into having it at Cassian and Jyn's place, and though Jyn protests, Cassian would've liked to see her try to turn Bodhi down.Still, that doesn't mean she's making anything easy."What are you doing?" He asks, sincerely stunned."Putting a lock on my door," she says, or at least, that's what he thinks she says. She's speaking around the screwdriver she's holding between her teeth. "Because of this dumb party?""Aha." She points the screwdriver at him. "So you admit it's a bad idea.""I think it's not worth the lengths you're going to, to protest it.""I don't want Kay-- or anyone else-- messing with my stuff again," she grouses, turning her attention back to the door. "What stuff?" He asks, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from ticking upward. "You live like a hobo. You have about three things, and all your furniture came with the house.""It's called minimalist, thank you.""It's called flight risk."She stops and turns to blink at him, and all he can do is blink back. He doesn't really believe Jyn would run out on him, leave him to pay rent on his own or find a new roommate, leave him to worry endlessly about her. But she treads lightly everywhere she goes, and sometimes he wishes she weren't so afraid of leaving footprints.Her gaze is entirely too knowing, and he casts about for something to say, some way to change the subject. She gets there before he can."The locks came in a pack of two," she says abruptly, turning to look at her handiwork once again, and nodding decisively at what she finds. "I can do yours too, if you want. For your five things."Cassian snorts. "Knock yourself out."He brushes past her, headed-- away. He hasn't decided where yet, but she stops him by calling his name when he gets to the top of the stairs."I'm not planning to lock mine when it's just us around," she offers. "It's not you I don't trust. Just-- so you know."He nods, a strange heaviness in his chest. "Goes both ways."* * *Because it's technically Bodhi's party, and because Cassian doesn't like for his coworkers to know too much about his personal life (such as, where he lives), that means Cassian doesn't know most of the people who start filtering through his front door.It seems to be a mixture of flight attendants and other airplane staff, Chirrut and Baze's gym buddies, a handful of people from Kay's weekly poker game (whom Cassian steers clear of in case Kay owes them money again), one or two people from the honest-to-god Gerrera biker gang (at some point he and Jyn have got to get drunk enough to swap their life stories) and plenty of people he doesn't recognize, couldn't place.But at some point, as usually happens with parties, Cassian and his friends all gravitate toward each other, holing up in the room where Kay has rigged a projector to play the original trilogy. He and Bodhi are legitimately playing with Legos while Baze narrates the lightsaber battle onscreen for Chirrut. ("His footwork is terrible, it just took him three moves to parry when it should've been two. And don't get me started on his form. Ah, he just cut the other guy's arm off. He could have blocked that easily. You should be glad you can't see this. You'd be appalled." "I don't need to see it to be appalled; that's what I have you for.")Jyn is sitting oddly still, oddly quiet, with a small smile on her face. Cassian almost doesn't want to disturb her, but she feels his eyes on her and scoots closer to Baze, making just enough room for Cassian to wedge himself next to her on the couch."Having fun?" He asks in a low voice.She turns to look at him, that small smile still playing at the corners of her mouth. It's so dark, and they're so close. They never let themselves get this close when it's just the two of them. Like they both know what might happen if they do."Reluctantly."He smiles, not even thinking of holding it back. He can smell the wine on her breath. Just one glass, he thinks. Enough to blur her edges, make her a little sleepy, but not enough to addle her mind."What are Kay and Bodhi doing?""Building a Death Star," she says, her smile growing. "Over 4,000 pieces. Bodhi's got the patience of a saint.""I heard that," Kay calls. Cassian startles back, but there's nowhere for him to really go. The arm of the couch pens him in on one side, the warmth and closeness of Jyn's body on the other. After a moment of holding himself tense, he decides that's stupid and relaxes infinitesimally, bit by bit, until the line of his leg and arm are pressed right up against hers.Ever so slightly, Jyn leans into him. Cassian feels like he can't breathe, or he'll break the moment, but he does, and it keeps, and it feels a little bit like a miracle."How many people are still here?""Not many," he hums. "We ran out of alcohol an hour ago, so once they finished their drinks most people left. And it's not even--" he checks his watch. "It's barely eleven. You're welcome."Jyn turns to him with an inscrutable expression. "You planned that?"Cassian just smirks."For me?" She presses, and the smirk drops from his face."Don't go getting a big head about it."She ducks like she's trying to hide a smile, then lets herself tilt over onto his shoulder. Cassian blinks down at the top of her head, trying to make sense of what's happening."My big head's too heavy to stay upright," she jokes, soft enough only he can hear. His lips twitch and he maneuvers so that his arm is propped along the back of the couch, barely resting against her shoulders."I tried to warn you.""I didn't listen.""As usual." He brings a careful hand up to brush her hair away from his face. "You're going to fall asleep on me, aren't you?""Might," she admits. "You're pretty comfortable."His chest swells with stupid pride."Fine," he murmurs. "I'll tell you how it ends."By the time the movie ends, Jyn is fully slumped against him, her chest rising and falling evenly."I've never seen her like this," says Bodhi.Kay frowns. "Asleep?""Peaceful."Baze chuckles and Chirrut winks at Cassian. "We'll leave you two alone," he says, standing and stretching. "Come on, boys. Give them their house back."Kay frowns at the mess on the floor. "We've still got three thousand, three hundred fifty-two pieces to put together.""We'll finish it later," Bodhi promises, offering him a hand up.When they've gone, and Cassian hears the front door shut behind them, he attempts to shift Jyn so she's horizontal. It kind of works, but when he goes to pull away she clings to him koala-style."No," she grunts."Jyn," he whispers, exasperated. "You have to let me go.""No," she repeats, leveraging her weight against him until he falls next to her with a huff. One of her knees is trapping his against the cushion, her nose buried in his chest. He doesn't even know if she's really awake."Jyn," he says gently. "You know we have two perfectly good beds.""Comfortable," she mumbles. He shivers when her fingers slip under the hem of his sleeve.He shakes his head but reluctantly wraps his arm around her."We're going to be hurting in the morning."Jyn exhales slowly, her breath fanning across the skin of his neck. Cassian feels her breathing slow as she drifts back to sleep. He knows she'll be a terror when she wakes, grumpy and maybe a little self-conscious, but he can't bring himself to mind.Hell, if this is how parties end, he'll throw one every week. Because this? This feels like hope.
10844202
Soft
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/F", "Characters": "Kathryn Janeway, Seven of Nine, Naomi Wildman", "Fandom": "Star Trek: Voyager", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by RedPandaPrincess", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "1,172", "Additional Tags": "Cute, Fluff", "Relationship": "Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Seven of Nine sat in the Mess Hall, drinking one of her nutritional supplements and waiting on her friend Naomi Wildman. The half-Ktarian child had requested Seven's help on an “urgent” matter. Seven suspected it was more likely her friend wanted to play Kadis Kot. She saw Naomi Wildman enter the room and the child quickly joined her at the table in the corner. “Naomi Wildman,” Seven greeted as she approached. “Seven, I have a problem.” “Are you ill?” “No,” Naomi said, sitting down with a frown. “I was looking through the database and I found out something really important.” “What?” “Tomorrow is Captain Janeway's birthday!” Naomi whispered loudly. “Oh,” Seven said, also frowning. “How is that a problem?” “Because I don't think anyone knows!” “Maybe the captain does not want anyone to know.” “But she has to celebrate, Seven!” “Why?” she asked, brow furrowed. “I do not understand the need to celebrate the day of one's birth, based on a calendar determined by the rotation of a planet around a sun...tens of thousands of light years from here.” “Oh birthdays are the best, Seven! There's cake and balloons and presents and all your friends are there. Haven't you ever had a birthday party?” “No,” she answered simply. “Do you have a birthday? I mean, you have to have a birthday, right?” “I have no memory of such a birthday party before I was assimilated... I remember having a cake with my parents, but there were no other children or balloons. I do not remember if I had gifts.” “That's sad. We should have a party for you, too! When is your birthday?” “I do not know. I will look it up for you later, but I do not want a party,” Seven said warily. “Jeez, Seven, how do you not know your own birthday?” “If Captain Janeway has not told everyone about her birthday, perhaps she does not want a party and cake and presents?” Seven suggested. “We don't have to throw her a party, but we should get her a present. Something to make her happy. She deserves to be happy. She takes good care of us.” Seven nodded in agreement. The former drone might not understand birthdays but she did like seeing the captain happy. “What kind of present would be appropriate?” Seven inquired. “Umm...Well, what does she like?” “Coffee,” the drone answered instantly and Naomi laughed. “And Earth. Voyager. Playing Velocity. Reading real books instead of Padds.” “Hmm... Oh I know! We could make her a coffee mug. There's an art program on the Holodeck where I learned to make a bowl out of clay. I bet a coffee cup wouldn't be much harder. Will you help me?” “I will assist you,” Seven agreed. She had worked with clay some with the captain in her Da Vinci program. She had not originally seen the appeal but she had come to enjoy it, if only because it was time she spent with her captain. As they left the Mess Hall, Seven wondered if there were anything else she could do for the auburn-haired Captain who had done so much for her...    Kathryn Janeway arrived outside the Holodeck the next evening wearing her Velocity outfit. When Seven had requested to meet her here after her duty shift, she had assumed the former drone wanted to play Velocity. When she arrived, however, she saw Seven already had a program running. It wasn't one she recognized from the name. Kathryn stepped through the doors and found herself on a sunlit grassy hill. She looked around for Seven curiously. She had never seen the Borg woman run a program like this before. This looked like Earth. At the top of the hill beneath a large oak tree, stood Seven of Nine. “Captain,” Seven greeted as the captain approached, hands behind her back. “Hello, Seven. I assumed we were playing Velocity but it looks like you have something else in mind.” “We are not playing Velocity,” Seven confirmed. “Naomi Wildman asked that I give you this.” She pulled a parcel from behind her back. It was wrapped haphazardly in bright pink paper with a lot of tape. “She wrapped it herself and would not allow me to assist her,” Seven added. “What's this?” Kathryn asked, accepting the parcel. “A birthday gift, Captain. You are to open it to see what it is.” “How did she know?” Kathryn asked, smiling slightly. “I thought only Tuvok knew.” “She said she was reading about you in the database and found out it was your birthday. She insisted you needed a gift,” Seven answered. The captain's gray eyes lit up and she unwrapped the gift. It was a coffee mug, painted with stars and a red and blue nebula. “She made this?” Kathryn asked, touched. “With some assistance from me, however, I have my own gift for you,” the Borg answered, the corners of her mouth turning up in a faint smile. “Oh Seven! You didn't have to-” “Can you whistle, Captain?” “Huh?” “I cannot whistle. Will you?” “Uh, okay.” Kathryn gave a short whistle and gasped when she heard barking. A wide smile spread over her face when she saw a dozen or so reddish brown puppies running up the hill, barking and yipping playfully. “Oh my goodness!” she gushed, immediately dropping to her knees to love on them. She gathered and armful of puppies, hugging and kissing them as the rest of them climbed all over her. They were all warm fur, wet noses and tongues, tails wagging. They even had puppy breath! Seven watched, feeling very pleased with herself, as the captain laughed delightedly. She didn't think she had ever seen the starship captain look so happy. It made the blonde feel pleasantly warm inside. Seven noticed one of the puppies had not made it all the way up the hill with the rest of them. She went and picked it up. She carried it back to where Kathryn sat and sat down next to her on the ground. The small puppy Seven held seemed content to stay in the Borg's lap rather than roughhouse with the others. Seven stroked the puppy and continued to watch Kathryn as she rolled around on the ground with the dogs. “Do these subunits of the canine species make you happy, Captain?” Seven asked, thinking that maybe she understood some of the appeal. The Irish Setter puppies had soft fur. “Oh, Seven, they're wonderful!” she exclaimed, sitting up and pulling the Borg into a hug. “Thank you!” Then she surprised them both by kissing the blonde straight on the mouth. When Kathryn pulled away after just a second, Seven's mouth dropped open in surprise. Then spread into a wide, un-Borg-like grin. “If I show you subunits of more species, will you do that again?” she asked, quirking her ocular implant as she grinned. Kathryn laughed, her face burning bright red. “I might...if you want me to, Seven.” “I would like that, Captain. Happy birthday.” THE END
10804323
The Sound of Home
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Marcus \"Dizzee\" Kipling, Thor (The Get Down)", "Fandom": "The Get Down (TV)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by harryhanlon", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-03T00:00:00", "words": "578", "Additional Tags": "music by harry styles, Alternate Universe - College/University, but only vaguely, thor plays guitar so that's pretty cool, Songfic, sort of! not in the usual way?", "Relationship": "Marcus \"Dizzee\" Kipling/Thor", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
The first time Dizzee heard the song he didn't really hear it because he was painting and the notes just happened to drift through the open window from the girls downstairs. It was beautiful, mellow, perfect for the sun shining on the half finished canvas and he thought nothing of it. The second time he heard it, it was just a snippet while walking across campus. He had lost his headphones days ago and started taking in the casual hubbub of the student body as it's own music. Since it started to get warmer more people gathered on the lawns to study and bask in the warmth of oncoming summer. The gentle melody played from between three people laying on their backs under a large tree and it was just loud enough for Dizzee to hear. He didn't strain for lyrics because it wasn't essential to the bigger picture. The idea of it brought peace and he continued to make his way down the pavement. The third time was much sooner than he would have expected, had he been expecting it at all. On the same day shutting the door to his apartment he heard not yet familiar strumming coming from the living room. He barely even tried to recognize it as the same song from the lawn. Turning the corner from the entryway he spotted Thor shirtless on the couch picking out notes carefully. It had been weeks since he last focused like that on his music with all the things expected of modern college students. They greeted each other with a quick kiss before Dizzee tossed his messenger bag into the corner and snuggled into the couch. He nodded off into his after class nap to the sound of attempts at the melody of this new song. Dizzee heard it regularly now. He heard it while he flipped pancakes on Sunday morning and as he showered all the paint accumulated on him in the evening. The sweet folksy guitar followed him to bed and a couple of times woke him up with the sun. It was his lyric-less theme, more of a mood than a song. He wasn't sure where it began or what the end sounded like, but it was warm and the kind of contentment he'd always craved. At least it was lyric-less until the day the summer heat overcame him on the couch in the middle of reading while tucked against Thor's side. Almost two months of hearing this song played near constantly were reawakened by hearing his boyfriend's quiet voice mumbling along to the same guitar melody. “We don't know where we're going but we know where we belong” Maybe it was because he was half awake but the words went straight to Dizzee's heart. The small movements of Thor's arm across his chest as he plucked at the strings continued to calm him with their familiarity. “No, we startedTwo hearts in one homeIt's hard when we argueWe're both stubborn, I knowBut ohSweet creature, sweet creatureWherever I go, you bring me homeSweet creature, sweet creatureWhen I run out of rope, you bring me home” Thor sang and Dizzee was stunned by the song's honesty while still struggling to pull himself awake. He felt connected and present in that singular beautiful moment. He tilted his head back and made eye contact as the already quiet singing trailed off. “Can you sing it for me again?”
10823913
black diamond
{ "Archive Warning": "Major Character Death", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson", "Fandom": "One Direction (Band)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by tinytatts", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-05T00:00:00", "words": "2,560", "Additional Tags": "first off, i would like to say sorry, i wrote this in three days, it's inspired by my favorite kiss song, bottom!Louis, louis is a prostitute, he is also miserable, poor baby, Please Forgive me, violence occurs, this is sort of inspired by true events", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Out on the street for a living. Louis had nowhere to go. No home, no safe haven, no nothing. All he had were the clothes on his back and that wasn't an exaggeration in the slightest. He craved the feeling of belonging. Louis wanted to know what it felt like to be desired, to be wanted. To be important. He needed to find his purpose in this god awful world. He was determined.– November 13, 1989 Cold, bitter air hit against Louis' bare skin. Being clad in only a tight, rose-colored dress, it was hard not to freeze. He glanced at the half empty bottle of booze in his hand before throwing his head back and downing it all in only a few gulps.Louis had just been dropped here, left for dead. He meant nothing to no one. Better off dead. Good for nothing. He hated himself and he hated the world around him. There was nothing to live for and nothing to die for. When you die, you don't go to Hell. You're already in it. That was Louis' theory, anyway. It couldn't get any worse than it already was.By the end of that week, Louis realized he couldn't live like this. Homeless and poor. He needed money someway, somehow. So, he did the only thing he could think of. Louis stripped himself of his dress, letting it pool around his feet. The only thing he was wearing now, were a pair of skimpy, black lace thongs. Picture's only begun. Now to wait. When a car slowed to a stop in front of him, he smirked. This was it. The car window slowly rolled down and Louis bent over, meeting eyes with an older man. Looked to be about fifty, maybe. From examining the car, he was wealthy. He had money."Need a lift?" came a gravely voice.Louis batted his eyelashes. Without speaking, he got in the man's car. He didn't bother telling the gentleman where to drive to and the man didn't bother asking him. He had no destination. Louis wasn't stupid. He knew better. This man was taking him back to his place and he was going to have his way with Louis, or that's what he allowed the man to think, rather. Your day is sorrow and madness. It was half an hour until they reached the man's house. Silently, Louis followed as he was led inside. Sure enough, he was guided to the bedroom. The man laid on the bed. "Why don't you come dance for me, pretty baby?" he chuckled, grabbing a cigar from his nightstand and lighting it. Placed it between his grimy lips. Louis sneered."Of course." he purred, crawling over to the man and straddling his lap. Meaty hands grabbed at Louis' hips. Shimmering caught his eye. Wedding band. Dirty bastard, Louis thought. Revolting. It was up for debate, but what Louis was doing what more revolting. Using prostitution as a way to earn some cash, pathetic of him.A sharp smack lands on his bum, making him wince. "You better fucking move, boy." the man spat. Got you under their thumb. Louis' blood boiled. Reluctantly, he began rolling his hips down against the rotten bloke. He grunted. Ran his filthy hands along the curves of Louis' body. Made him feel disgusting. "Don't need lube, do you? You're a good boy, you'll take it dry." At this, Louis snapped. Just then, he noticed a gun out of the corner of his eye. Almost as if it was calling to him and well, let's just say Louis couldn't, wouldn't resist or hold back for a second longer.In a quick, quiet move, Louis snatched the gun off the man's nightstand. Bastard was completely oblivious, too lost in whatever what going on up in his nasty mind. For a second, Louis felt the gun up. Got to know it real good. Made his fingertips familiar with it. He hesitated for a moment. Thought about what he was doing. Has he lost his mind? Possibly. It was far too late now, it was do or die.Louis pressed the cold barrel of the gun against the man's temple. His eyes flew open, rage immediately taking over or rather: Panic that was disguised by rage. Louis replied just as quick."Be good, won't you? Don't speak, don't move." Louis pressed his pointer finger against the man's lips. Gazed deep into his eyes. For some reason unknown to both him and the man, it worked. The man was frozen, not a sound or a movement. Seemed as if he was in some deep trance.Louis reached out, taking the cigar from the man's lips and placing it between his own. Silence, then he pulled the trigger.Bang.Silence again. This time, more eerie. Blood was splattered all over Louis' torso. He took a few seconds to gather himself before standing up and walking to the bathroom to clean himself of the blood.It was during this that Louis became aware of the fact that he hungered for more. The adrenaline rush he got from killing was like nothing he'd ever experienced. He needed it. Thrived off it. Louis was thirsty for blood. Money and blood, that is. Louis wanted to kill again. On his way out, Louis made sure to grab the wallet from the back pocket of the now, dead man's, jeans. "You've been lovely." he smirked before fleeing from the house.–It took awhile for Louis to find his way back into the city, his victim's house being in a more secluded area. He walked, smoking the cigar still.Darkness will fall on the city.Hardly two hours had passed when Louis' next victim pulled up beside him. Similar to before, the window was rolled down. He leaned down. He didn't notice, but his lips had parted. His eyes met the most gorgeous green ones. Louis' breath caught in his throat. Dark, chestnut colored hair fell messily yet perfectly around his face. His jaw was sharp and very defined. Louis felt his knees wobble. There was no way this man was still on the market.Louis wondered what made him stop. Was he looking for sex, or did he pity Louis? Louis hoped it wasn't pity; That wasn't what he was looking for. He wanted money. He wanted the thrill of killing. Though you don't ask for pity, there's nothing that you can do. "Name's Harry Styles. Do you need a ride?" his voice was just as attractive as his face. Louis melted. He wasted no time climbing in the car. " 'm Louis." he mumbled, tossing his cigar out of the car window. As the man's hands slid along the steering wheel, Louis' eye caught sight of something and his suspicions were confirmed. Gold. A wedding band. He felt as if he could retch.Harry was a cheater. Just like the last man, he was a dirty, no good cheater. Louis wanted to cry, wanted to scream. He wanted to warn the poor woman that this man was married to. She was most likely stuck home, slaving over the stove. Taking care of the kids if they had any. Cleaning the house, sewing. And her husband was here, with Louis. Cheating on her.The car began moving and they drove along silently. Unlike the last man, Harry was more touchy. At one point, he reached over and placed his large hand on Louis' thigh; he slowly slid it up, up until it was shoved away by Louis, who was infuriated and uncomfortable. His eyes filled with tears. He quickly swallowed the sob threatening to escape past his lips. Louis watched as Harry pulled into a hotel. He parked the car and stepped out. Confused, he looked to the man and opened his mouth. "I thought–""Coming, darling?" Harry cut him off. Louis cleared this throat. Nodded. He followed as the man took him inside. Harry spoke to someone at the front desk and was handed a room key. Oddly enough, he didn't earn any judgmental or curious looks from strangers. You would think they'd wonder a bit, seeing a younger boy walk in who was all but naked.Harry shot a glance back at Louis, arching an eyebrow, grabbing his arm. Not so nicely at that. Louis stumbled after him. The man forced the door open, revealing a room that appeared to be much too expensive for what the two males were about to do.The younger boy opened his mouth to comment, but could barely utter a sound before he was shoved roughly up against the wall. Lips fervently kissing his own. Teeth hungrily nipping at his lips. Louis choked out a whimper. Grew weak in the knees all over again. Felt a warmth explode in his stomach.He couldn't help himself. Intensely, he returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around Harry's neck as the man cupped Louis' bum. Smirked against the boy's mouth. Chuckled softly. Flicked his tongue out teasingly against Louis' lower lip.All that could be heard in the otherwise silent room was Harry and Louis' heavy, staggered breathing. Hands grabbed at each other, feeling the other's body. Louis was the first to pull away, grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him over to the bed. Pushed him back on it. Crawled up to straddle him.Harry found this amusing. He grinned, one of his dimples evident. Gripped tightly at Louis' dainty hips. He noticed how fragile the boy felt beneath his fingertips. At first sight, Louis looked soft. Looked sweet; but little did anyone else know: there was something far more sinister within him. Everyone has a secret, right?In a shamefully desperate way, Harry began kissing at and sucking on Louis' porcelain neck. He was the prettiest creature Harry had ever laid eyes upon. Wanted to completely ravish him.Something in Louis felt off. His heart skipped a beat. He noticed how the warm feeling in his tummy hadn't yet subsided. Felt how hot his cheeks were. He didn't approve of it. As Harry's significantly larger hands roamed his body, he melted. Turned to absolute putty in the man's arms. Harry's hands to Louis' body was like a match to a flame. The boy wanted it gone. He didn't want to feel this, he didn't like not being in control of his emotions. Louis didn't want to feel soft. Didn't want to feel whatever it was he was feeling in this moment.Harry hooked his fingers in the waistband of Louis' thongs, ripping them down his legs while kissing wetly at his chest. Louis whimpered. His hands frantically found Harry's shirt, unbuttoning it shakily before pushing it off his shoulders.Suddenly, he was flipped over and Harry was hovering over him. Louis wasn't fond of this, hated feeling so helpless; but for some reason he allowed it. Slid his hands carefully and gently up Harry's arms, blue eyes glued to green."You're gorgeous. In fact, your beauty is so overwhelming that I'm convinced you're of a higher power. An angel." Harry breathed, spreading Louis' legs with his knee. The boy felt his stomach do a flip. Cheeks turned a bright pink. Without breaking eye contact, Louis reached down and unbuckled Harry's jeans, using his feet to push them down his legs. Harry spit in his hand, reaching down and wrapping a hand around his cock. Which, by the way, was bigger than Louis thought he could take, humiliatingly enough.He pressed the tip again Louis' tight rim before slowly pushing in. As he kept going deeper and deeper, Louis felt himself stretching. Could swear his body was going to split in half. He took it anyway. He was a good boy, after all.Once Harry was a deep as he could be, he let out a deep, guttural moan, face scrunching in pleasure. "So fucking tight, baby girl." Louis was taken aback by this. "B-Baby girl?" he timidly repeated. Harry leaned down, dragged his tongue along the shell of Louis' ear. "Yeah, baby girl. You alright with that?"Louis gnawed on his lower lip, nodding wordlessly. "Good." Harry whispered, giving one hard thrust into him, making him gasp and tense up. "Fucking hell." he whined out."Yeah, you like that?" Harry grunted, starting to fuck into the small boy. Louis' face contorted in pleasure as he let out breathy moans, clawing at Harry's back. He arched up against his chest. Cried out as Harry's thrusts only got rougher. His body felt like it was on fire."God, yes Harry! Don't stop!" Louis begged, digging his nails into the man's skin. Harry rammed into him, causing Louis to sink his teeth into his shoulder in an attempt to silence his scream. HarryHarryHarry. That was the only thing circling through Louis' head. Was all he felt. Was taking over all of his senses. It was absolutely dizzying. Louis was losing himself. He couldn't handle it anymore.As Harry's thrusts got sloppier, Louis knew he was almost there. So, he began bouncing down to meet Harry's thrusts. Heavy pants and the occasional whimper from Louis were the only noises filling the room. Harry began mumbling about how he was going to cum. Louis nodded, ran his hands lightly down the man's back and pressed his lips against Harry's ear. "Do it. Cum for me, Harry." he urged. That was enough.Harry moaned deeply, gave a few more deep thrusts into Louis before coming inside him. Then he collapsed. On top of Louis. Nuzzled his face into the boy's neck. Breathed unevenly. Sweat covered the both of them, their bodies were tangled together as one. That's how they stayed for a little while.Louis shut his eyes for a brief moment. Then, he grabbed the gun from the nightstand. Soundlessly, steadily, he placed the gun against Harry's heart. Louis took a deep breath. The man froze up, confusion clear on his face and in his voice. "Louis, what are you–" Bang. That's all Louis expected there to be. One bang; but as he lay there, with the man he just killed, Louis realized he couldn't keep going. Carefully, he pushed the man's body off him so it was laying next to him on the bed. Harry was beautiful. God, he was beautiful. Even when his face was pale and lifeless: it was beautiful. That was undeniable.Louis was sick to his stomach. It was such an ugly thing, how someone as beautiful and as charming as Harry, would cheat on his wife. How could someone as enchanting as he do such a thing? Louis didn't want to exist anymore. Not in this world. Not where beautiful things were painful. Not where everything was built to fall apart.Louis wanted to exist upon the stars. He wanted to be small in the vastness of space. He no longer want to know what it was like to be desired. Or to be craved, needed even. He didn't want to be important. He wanted to be insignificant. Wanted to have no purpose. Louis finally knew where he belonged, and that was all he ever wanted. Among the stars.He glanced once more at Harry. Louis wasn't sure why, but he laced their fingers together. He placed the gun against his own heart. Louis tightened his grip on Harry's hand. Bang. His grip loosened.
10851678
More than a Reunion
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Fenris, Male Mage Hawke", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by MacBeka", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-08T00:00:00", "words": "1,910", "Additional Tags": "A/B/O, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Alpha!Fenris, omega!Hawke, Self-Lubrication, Anal Sex, Knotting, Mpreg, Tumblr Prompt, prompt, Originally Posted on Tumblr", "Relationship": "Fenris/Male Mage Hawke", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Kink Meme and Tumblr Prompt Fills", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Hawke could feel himself slipping into heat. The urge to roll over and present for an alpha wasn’t strong enough yet to feel unbearable but it wasn’t fun. He knew by the way Bodahn’s beta nose had wrinkled that he was beginning to stink of an omega in heat. Any longer and he wouldn’t be able to go outside without being harassed. He needed to get to– Who?  Fenris had left several months ago, and there was no other alpha that Hawke trusted enough to service him during his heat. Well, there was Isabela but Hawke wasn’t interested in a female alpha. And he certainly wouldn’t visit the Rose; he’d heard enough horror stories from Anders about the diseases that thrived in the whorehouse.So that meant he would either have to suffer through the heat alone with toys that definitely wouldn’t satisfy him and would only wind him up further, or go and seek out Fenris. He would go and he would politely ask if the alpha would be amenable to helping him through his heat, and if he said no, Hawke would leave.He snorted in self-derision. That definitely wouldn’t happen. He’d end up begging, pawing at Fenris’ leggings impatiently. But he didn’t want to push his friend away by asking him for something that Fenris had clearly told him he didn’t want. Even if leaving looked like the hardest thing Fenris had ever done, Hawke would respect the boundaries that he had set.No matter how long Hawke sat in the library trying to convince himself that he was actually paying attention to the words in the book in front of him instead of aimlessly turning pages without reading anything, he knew that it was getting to the point where it would no longer be possible to go and get Fenris if that was what he decided to do. Who was he kidding, he’d decided the second that the thought had occurred to him.Hawke put the book down and stood, stalking out into the hallway where he grabbed his staff and pulled on his boots.“Messere, where are you going?” Bodahn asked, panicked, hands waving desperately as he tried to get him to stop. “Your heat–”“I’m just going to see Fenris,” he explained, smiling a little when the dwarf paused. “I’ll likely be back in about ten minutes, but if not… Well, I’ll be alright. Promise.”Bodahn looked like he wanted to continue arguing but after a few long moments he sighed like a put-upon father and nodded, gesturing for him to go. Hawke grinned and thanked him quickly as he left the estate and headed for Fenris’ mansion, which was only a short walk away.Hesitating outside the door, Hawke realised that this might not be a good idea. But he had come all this way (as if it was some great journey to be made) and he could feel hungry eyes watching him. They never knocked on the front door; even if Fenris would hear it, he would ignore it. He entered, taking a deep breath. The mansion was almost completely silent as Hawke shut the door behind him. He took a few steps before taking a deep breath and setting a smile in place as he moved to walk up the stairs.It was a smile that fell when Fenris appeared on the landing before his foot could even make contact with the first step.“What are you doing here?” the elf asked sharply, eyes narrowing slightly.Hawke felt his heart break then. It had been a mistake coming here. Fenris did not want to see him, let alone sleep with him again, and definitely not for the several days that his heat would demand.“I…” he started. “Well, if you don’t want to see me, you don’t have to be so rude.”“What? Oh, Maker,” Fenris breathed, running gauntleted fingers through his white hair. “I meant, why are you out of the estate? It’s dangerous.”“Oh, right, well,” Hawke said, relief washing over him in a warm wave. “I smell that bad, huh?”Fenris laughed slightly as he came down the stairs, bare feet silent against the wood.“I don’t know about bad…” Fenris mused.“Awful? I should go home and bathe right now!” Hawke replied with a wide grin.“Hm… No, doesn’t fit either,” he said as he stopped on the first step, making him a little taller than Hawke for once. “I wasn’t thinking more along the lines of amazing. Exquisite. Delicious.”From how close they were now, Hawke could see how black Fenris’ eyes had become, how wide his pupils had blown.“I… I wanted to ask if you would…” he said, and found himself unable to say anything more.“You require my help? With your heat?” Fenris asked, voice holding a growl of promise.“Please…”Fenris leaned close slowly, lips parting ever so slightly, but he stopped when his lips where a fraction of an inch away from Hawke’s. Hawke whined pathetically, knees going weak as he looked up at the alpha pleadingly.“Come upstairs,” Fenris ordered. “We will talk while you are still coherent.”Hawke was weak against that voice. It held such promise and lust and command that he wanted to fall to his knees and crawl after him, but that was not Fenris’ wish. The first and last time that it had happened, on a dark night so many months ago, Fenris had begun to panic.He didn’t remember following Fenris up the stairs but the next thing he knew, he was being sat down on one of the benches that Fenris had claimed. The heady, concentrated scent of alpha was sending him under faster than before, but he didn’t care. It was his alpha, even if they weren’t bonded.“Why did you come here?” Fenris asked curiously, standing between his knees to stroke his face and hair in a way that he knew Hawke enjoyed.With his eyes fluttering shut, Hawke leaned into the touch, desperate for those fingers elsewhere. He could feel his hole beginning to slicken and the world shrunk to just this room.“I… didn’t want to be alone. There is no one I trust but you,” he whispered, looking up at the elf with wide eyes. “Tell me to go and I shall.”Hawke knew he was using the same words that Fenris had used before they had spent their only night together.“I am glad that you still trust me, after I left you…”“I never stopped. Please, alpha,” Hawke breathed.Fenris leaned down to kiss him, not hesitating this time. Hawke whimpered softly, grabbing at Fenris’ arms and back. Fenris pulled him to his feet slowly, not breaking their lips apart once, even as lyrium-lined fingers reached for the buttons of Hawke’s red house-clothes. The buttons were undone and Fenris remembered the staff still on the mage’s back before he pushed the shirt off, setting it on the floor beside them.With Hawke shirtless, Fenris stepped back to undo the buckles of his armour, dropping his gauntlets to the floor. Hawke blinked in surprise; he had forgotten all about them, with how carefully Fenris had touched him.“Sit on the bed,” Fenris said.Hawke complied without arguing, crawling onto the crisp sheets and crossing his legs. The scent of Fenris was strongest here, and he just wanted to roll around in it but he refrained as Fenris finished undressing down to his leggings, under which Hawke knew he wore no smalls.“If you change your mind at all, or I do something you don’t want, tell me,” Fenris demanded, to which Hawke nodded automatically.Fenris came over to the bed with his eyes roving over him lazily. He climbed onto the bed and pushed Hawke onto his back with a gentle hand against his chest.“Finish undressing for me?” Fenris asked, hands dragging lightly down his sides and legs.Hawke didn’t answer, just arching up to shove down his trousers and smalls in one go, trying to kick them off completely and failing when one trouser leg caught on his ankle. Fenris laughed slightly and helped him. Fenris’ laugh would never cease to astound Hawke; the others would forever insist that Fenris didn’t know how to joke or smile or laugh, but Hawke would say something and Fenris would make that beautiful noise.Fenris leaned down over him, hesitating for a brief moment before he kissed him thoroughly. Hawke whimpered, opening his mouth to Fenris’ insistent assault, and he wrapped an arm around the elf’s chest tightly to hold him close.The heat of Fenris’ body against his and his scent – fresh from his skin – was so close that Hawke could feel his body begin to react more completely. Slick began to leak from his entrance and his hard cock rocked against Fenris’ through the leather layer of his leggings.“I want to feel you, take these off, please,” Hawke whined, grabbing at the hem of his leggings.Fenris knelt up and did as he asked, kicking them off and lining up their bodies. Hawke moaned brokenly, throwing his head back. His whole body had become so sensitive that the slightest touch was enough to have his arousal cranking up.“I’m so empty,” he sobbed against Fenris’ throat. “Please, I need you, alpha.”“Say my name,” the elf demanded as his fingers began to wander down to his leaking hole.“Fenris!” he cried when two long fingers entered him easily with how wet he was. “Please, I want you inside me, please.”The heat began to hit him full-force and he drifted in and out of coherency as Fenris prepared him quickly. He vaguely remembered a mouth around his cock and loud moans, but he didn’t know whether they came from him or Fenris, or both. When Fenris spread his legs and licked over his hole in one slow, broad stroke, Hawke’s hips stuttered and he sobbed with pleasure. Fresh slick almost immediately replaced the stuff that Fenris had licked away.A thick alpha cock was pushed into him and although Fenris started off with a slow and careful pace, he soon worked up to a brutal, punishing rhythm that jolted the bed and had Hawke coming with a loud cry. He didn’t know the first time he’d come, but he was definitely adding to a mess instead of creating one.Hawke could feel Fenris’ knot begin to swell, catching on his sensitive rim as the elf started to moan louder than the cut off gasps and growls that he’d been making. Fenris was mouthing and biting carefully along Hawke’s throat, and no matter how much he pleaded, the alpha would not bite him to bond. Hawke was crying with imagined neglect by the time Fenris’ knot swelled to its full size and the elf came with a growled groan.“I would have you lucid when we bond,” Fenris breathed, holding him close as they waited for his knot to go down.Six months later, when Hawke’s heat did not come, he began to freak out. That was how Anders had found him after a day and a half of riding toys and fake knots to try and force the heat to come.Anders had laughed almost hysterically as the mage had told Hawke that he was pregnant and would probably begin to show soon.Hawke and Fenris’ bonding and public mating came not long after that.
10813518
Coffee Klatch
{ "Archive Warning": "Graphic Depictions Of Violence", "Category": null, "Characters": "Narcissa Black Malfoy, Remus Lupin", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by Magicofisis", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2005-10-04T00:00:00", "words": "2,103", "Additional Tags": "Order of the Phoenix - Freeform, Wizarding Wars", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "The Quidditch Pitch", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
~*~*~The short balding man stood on the edge of the clearing, obscured by the low-hanging branches of a birch tree and the hazy mist that hung in the air. The dreariness of the day was fitting for the occasion, he thought. He watched in sadness as the elders lowered the casket of his mother into a newly dug grave. She had loved this part of her property - and it seemed fitting for her to return to the earth surrounded by the woods and the forest creatures that she had come to know so well. How much the man regretted being unable to be a part of the burial service...Actually, his list of regrets was mind-boggling. But atop the list had to be the severe disappointment and sadness he had brought into his mother's life. She had been so proud of him when he'd passed his NEWTs (with the help of his good friends) and he had exaggerated the importance of his position at the local greenhouse so that she would be able to impress her friends. He couldn't even remember anymore how things had spiraled out of his control after that. His memories were jumbled into one big nightmare, and the only thing that stood out to him was knowledge of the horror his mother must have experienced when she received his finger in box, "proving" his untimely death. He knew that horror had been revisited fourteen years later, when an interview of the Potter boy appeared in the Daily Prophet, which not only declared him very much alive, but also named him as a pivotal figure in the Dark Lord's return to power.Well, there was nothing to be gained by dwelling on the past. Peter was a master of denial, having honed the skill to a fine art for most of his miserable life. He peered between the branches of the tree, squinting as he tried to recognize the faces of the twenty-odd witches and wizards who had gathered there. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the McGoverns, Rhonda Slade... and there, the solicitor, Ian Ashcroft. Peter watched them curiously as they gathered after the burial. They comforted one another over the loss of their friend - Peter longed to be comforted as well, but he couldn't risk it. There was a cloaked wizard who refused to remove his hood, although he was animatedly conversing with the others. It was all too possible that he was a spy for the Death Eaters. Peter couldn't risk being discovered.He watched them Disapparate, one by one. Finally, there was no one remaining but Ashcroft. Disguised as a rat, Peter followed the solicitor back to his mother's home and watched as he unlocked the door, surveyed the premises to ensure their security, left a pile of papers on the dining room table, and locked up once more. A few minutes later, he, too, Disapparated.Peter had sent an owl to Ashcroft earlier that day, staking his claim for his inheritance, yet indicating he would not be making his whereabouts known until sometime well into the future. Peter had hired him to keep an eye on the estate in his absence. Even though he was devastated by the loss of his mother, Peter was anxious to get his hands on some of the gold he knew she had tucked away in the house 'for emergencies.'When he saw no more activity at the house for the next twenty minutes, Peter crawled in through the rat-sized hole in the foundation and made his way into the kitchen. After he transformed back into a man, he took a good look around. He had not been in the house for many, many years, but it appeared that very little had changed.Peter glanced out of the window - the weather had begun to clear, and afternoon sunshine was peeking through the curtains every so often. He opened the curtain further so that he wouldn't have to resort to magical light in order to read through the stack of documents the solicitor had left behind for him. He settled himself down at the dining room table and began to read.Engrossed in his papers, Peter did not notice the other man until a shadow blocked the sunlight from the window. He jumped, grabbing for his wand, but the man was too quick and snatched it before Peter ever had a chance. Peter shook with fear as he felt the tip of a wand pressed gently against the back of his neck. He sniffed."Remus?" he asked hesitantly."Yes, Peter, it's me." Remus lowered the wand, although he kept it trained in Peter's direction. "I saw you hiding earlier at the burial and I thought you might still be here. I hope you don't mind that I let myself in - I was worried I might scare you off." Remus sat down across from Peter, his wand still pointed in Peter's direction, but appearing much less threatening now. "I'm sorry about your mum. She was a great lady - always very kind to me."Peter's heart began to settle down as he realized it was not a Death Eater about to kill him, but his childhood friend. Not that Remus hadn't threatened to kill him on more than one occasion... But with the events that had taken place over the last two years, he rated his chances much better with Remus than with any one of his fellow Death Eaters."Forgive me, Remus, but obviously I wasn't expecting company. Let me see if there isn't some tea in the house that I can offer you." Peter sprang to his feet, anxious to play the hospitable host so that Remus would stay calm and (hopefully) forget about the many 'errors in judgment' he had made. He rummaged through his mother's pantry, but could find only coffee. "Is coffee okay?" he called to Remus.Remus nodded. "Yes, that would be lovely." Peter noticed that, although Remus looked relaxed, he continued to clutch his wand, and his eyes were ever watchful in Peter's direction.Peter went about the business of trying to make coffee without his wand, suspecting that Remus was aware of his predicament by the amused expression on his face. Without warning, Remus waved his wand, and the coffee started to boil. Peter quickly poured the steaming liquid into his mother's - now his - china cups.His hands were shaking as he set down the cup in front of his one-time friend. Peter didn't dare transform into a rat - Remus would be able to tell he was going to do it - so he was quite vulnerable indeed. Not that many years ago, Remus and Sirius had gone so far as to bid him goodbye before killing him, and if James's son hadn't stepped in to save him....Remus, though, did not seem to be of a vindictive mind. He was - if not kind - at least civil while they talked. At first they spoke about Peter's mother. Remus had been the only one of his friends to keep in touch with her after it was presumed that Sirius had killed Peter. He had been quite fond of her, and she of him. Although Peter tried to steer the conversation clear of their Hogwarts days, Remus seemed to be dwelling on them. "The best years of my life" was how he described that time."I don't know, Remus," Peter responded, refilling their cups. "You were always much nicer to me than Sirius and James were. They took delight in embarrassing me, and they did it all the time."Remus eyed him in surprise. "We didn't think you minded. You never told them to stop. And, if you recall, I often participated in their little pranks on you, so I'm as much to blame."Peter said, "No, Remus, you always acted differently when you were around them. When it was just the two of us, we got on fine. I...I think we could have been better friends if they hadn't been around.""Or," laughed Remus, "I might have eaten you for dinner. I'm a werewolf, after all, and without Prongs and Padfoot to control me, I might very well have included you among my victims."They chatted quietly, two old friends reminiscing about their school days over coffee, without so much as a nod to the horrors that had taken place in their lives and in the Wizarding world since then. But even unsaid, those events stood as a wall looming large between them and threatening to break the easy rapport they were beginning to develop."Thank you, Wormtail," said Remus from out of the blue. "I know what you did for Harry at the end of the war undoubtedly saved his life." Peter knew Remus had been told of the astonishingly stupid, yet noble risk he'd taken by replacing Voldemort's wand with a realistic-looking fake wand he'd picked up at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Although Voldemort had been fully capable of wandless magic, the shock of having his Avada Kedavra spell turn his wand into a rubber haddock gave Harry all the time he needed to cast a killing curse at Voldemort, defeating him once and for all.Peter glanced around uncomfortably. "It turned out all right in the end, didn't it?""You did right by Harry, just as Dumbledore always thought you would," Remus answered. "That's one wizard's debt paid in full."Peter let out an audible sigh of relief. The debt was paid in full - Remus said so. Once the other former Death Eaters were rounded up, he'd be able to come out of hiding, and he and Remus could be friends once more. This time, though, there would be no James or Sirius or Dark Lord to come between them. They could forge a new relationship based on their mutual need for companionship. Peter was so isolated, and he was sure Remus must feel the same way, being a werewolf and all.Peter smiled as Remus mirthfully recounted some of the funnier pranks they had pulled on Severus Snape, and that time Peter accidentally handed in some notes they had made while working on the Marauder's Map instead of his Charms homework. Professor Flitwick had given him high marks, thinking he'd been doing extra credit research on enchantments. Peter chuckled as he recalled that it was the highest mark he received in Charms all year.They finished their third cups of coffee just as the sun was disappearing under the treetops. "I'm sorry, Remus," Peter said. "I can't stay here once it gets dark. I'm still in hiding until...they...er...for a while." Peter still needed some time to look for his mother's hidden gold, and it wouldn't be long before a light was necessary in order to search the place."I understand." Remus patted his friend's arm in a reassuring manner.The two men stood up from the table and carried their dishes to the sink. Peter asked, "Remus, do you still have my wand? I need to clean up."Remus checked his pockets and absent-mindedly said, "Hmm, it's not here. I must have set it down somewhere. Allow me, Peter." Remus waved his own wand instead, uttering a cleaning spell. They watched as the dishes washed and dried themselves and made their way to the cupboard. When all evidence of their meeting had been removed, they walked towards the front door.Peter stopped at the door and turned to face the other man. "Thank you again for coming to my mum's burial. It means a lot to me. You're a good friend, Remus, even though I haven't always been the best of friends to you. Can we get together again for coffee?""I'm afraid not, Peter," sighed Remus. "Petrificus Totalis." Remus's spell hit Peter full force in the stomach, causing him to fall backwards and land with a thud. "You see, I can never forgive you for betraying James, sending Sirius to Azkaban or bringing Voldemort back. They were my family, Peter. James, Sirius, Lily... I even considered you to be my family once, too. But your selfishness - your weakness - cost me everything I ever held dear. I consider it my duty to James, Sirius and Lily to kill you. Really, the only thing that kept me from killing you these past two years was my unwillingness to break your mother's heart one more time."Remus hovered over Peter for a long while, gathering up the nerve to do what he needed to do. Finally he said, "Thank you for the coffee. Goodbye, Peter."The last words Peter heard were "Avada Kedavra."  finis
10809654
Deciding Moments
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": "Original Female Character(s), Remus Lupin", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by ladytory", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2006-08-07T00:00:00", "words": "2,749", "Additional Tags": "Romance, Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, Marauders' Era, The Quidditch Pitch: School Days", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "The Quidditch Pitch", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Author's notes: Written for mizufae on Live Journal Deciding Moments It was in that moment.Tonks’ fingers fiercely curled into the front of his robes.Her lips poised only fraction of a second and a million misgivings away from his.It was in that moment that Remus denied her for the last time. …young and whole men do not necessarily remain so. The words echoed in his mind, swirling through clouds of grief and darker more sinister thought. A thought he would have never imagined himself capable of, a thought that frightened him beyond measure. It twisted itself around Arthur’s words and wrapped around Tonks’ anguished face in the darkest recesses of his mind. It turned hatred and shame over and inward; and he cursed himself for even allowing it to spring into being.If Tonks had been in that bed, if she had been the one who was tainted with the blood of the same curse that he had borne all these years alone; he would have gone to her immediately. All their barriers would have been broken. Because he would not have been the one to destroy her purity, to steal her youth and beauty. That evil task would have fallen to someone else. And Remus could have allowed his love for her to boil over into a righteous injustice on her behalf.That would have been much easier than this. But she wants you… No woman had ever wanted him, not the way that Tonks wanted him. Remus had never allowed anyone to get that close. Lily had loved him as a friend, but her passion had been all for James. That was the closest that Remus had ever got to feeling the love of a woman. He had been with women, nameless faceless women who sated his lust and made him feel even less human than he already did. But that was never love. That was not what Tonks had offered.They had kissed the night of Emmeline’s funeral. The only one not drunk on firewhisky, and the last of the mourners to leave, Remus had offered to help Tonks straighten up her flat. She had tripped, on a glass left by one of the others, and he caught her. She had been so warm and beautiful in his arms. And he had kissed her, as if they were merely in the midst of a dramatic ballroom dip instead of a fall. Remus surprised himself with his forwardness, but not as much as Tonks had surprised him with her response.~*~It had been a year and a half since he had met her, trailing in expectantly behind Arthur Weasley and practically tackled by Sirius when she stepped in the door. She had been introduced as “the only decent thing to come from the house of Black,” excepting her mother and Sirius himself of course. Her face had not wavered with fear or shock the first time Remus’ condition was spoken of in an Order meeting. At the time, he just supposed that she had read of it in the papers. But she had always gone out of her way to speak to him the first meeting after a full moon. Care and concern were always evident on her face, but never pity.It was this that lead her to staying late, reminiscing with he and Sirius. She told them both stories of her mother and Remus was certain that she thought of him as she did Sirius: as a brother that she never had. Remus never dared let himself believe that there was more behind her lingering glances than the familiarity of a new but dear friend. He refused to allow himself to take pleasure from her hand resting too long on his shoulder when she rose from her chair. Remus had relegated to his dreams and fantasies the jolt of power that threaded through his body when her thigh would touch his at the over crowded table.Remus convinced himself that when he called her “Nymphadora” it was just friendly teasing and not to see the delicious flush of color on her cheeks. It was not so that he could more vividly imagine how she would look beneath him if he took her. No, he could not do that. She was too young, too spirited, her life held too much promise to be joined in any manner with his.His dreams became more vivid. And his face would be the one that would color when Remus next saw her. He would do his best to focus on the meeting and push back the wanton images that would rise unbidden to his mind at the deep, spicy-warm scent of Tonks’ perfume.And when she fell in the Department of Mysteries, it was Remus who sat at her bedside in St. Mungo’s. Refusing to allow himself to hold her hand, even after she finally woke and he told her of Sirius’ fate. In those days following, Remus convinced himself that she sought his company simply to find comfort in the dear friend of her dead cousin. But, her embraces lasted longer and she would grasp his hand before she bid him good night. The whole wizarding world was at war, and Remus was at war with himself.Tonks’ had become both his comfort in grief and his passion in solitude. Remus seemed only to be able to breath easy if she was in the same room. And as soon as she was gone, his mind filled with only her and Remus’ desires overcame him. Her comfort was something that he could not allow himself to partake of fully. This was wrong, his thoughts and dreams, the way he felt when she smiled. She deserved a young and dashing man, someone who had a future to share with her, not a battered old werewolf whose life was now relegated to the past.But then all of his carefully controlled limits had been broken. Emmeline had been murdered. The funeral was attended by all members of the Order who were able, and half of those ended up in Tonks’ flat with twice as many bottles of mead and firewhisky. Remus had been there watching his friends and comrades in arms mourn. Mourn and drink copious amounts of alcohol. Everyone but Tonks, Kingsley and himself. And Kingsley had gotten the rest of the members home, before leaving Remus alone with Tonks. She had accepted his offer to tidy up the place before he left, after she made him promise not to leave it any cleaner than it had been when he arrived.Remus had chuckled at her ground rules and gone about retrieving empty bottles and half-finished drinks. He was attempting to not straighten a pile of week old Daily Prophets on the table when it happened. Tonks had tripped and Remus stuck out an arm to catch her. It was an instinctive move and one that he would grow to regret.She was suddenly so close, the heat of her body seeping through his clothing and into his very skin. Her perfume filled him as he looked down to see her beautiful face looking up at him with very evident desire, just as he had seen it so many times in his solitary fantasies and fevered dreams. And then she smiled and Remus kissed her.Her hands were in his hair and her mouth was meeting his with something more than Remus had ever known. It was not drunken lust that Remus tasted on her lips. There was a slow passion and a burning desire filled with an ache of longing that met him on her tongue. Her body pressed into him with in a willing promise-filled offer. Remus gathered Tonks in his arms wanting nothing more than to accept against his better judgment. But, when he moved to kiss her neck, it was not jumbled praises and curses or even incoherent sounds of pleasure that filled his ears.It was his name.His name uttered with an intense reverence that matched the wholeness of what he felt when Tonks first landed in his arms. His name breathed out with an almost practiced ease that made him wonder if she had said it before in such a manner, if only to herself or in her dreams. It was his name on her lips that broke him, that erased all thoughts of keeping this young woman at arms length, at a safe distance.They had fumbled down the hall to her bedroom, tearing at clothing, their hands seeking heated flesh. Her body spread out before him, her supple flesh in his hands was more than even his wildest dreams. Remus worshipped every inch of her skin. Soon his mouth was on her breast and then his head was between her legs. She screamed out his name as if it was the highest praise and then he was inside her. He was gasping for air while she whimpered against his shoulder, begging him for more and more and more.And in those moments, Remus felt more human than he ever had since he had known what it meant to not be completely so. Under the loving caress of Tonks’ hands, his scar-crossed skin was for once comfortable to live in. And when the words reached his ear, heavy on her breath, Remus realized that he was irrevocably engulfed in the love of and for a woman.And in those moments, Remus had given Tonks everything she had asked for and accepted what he had refused to allow himself for the past year. He made love to her and it was more and better than he had ever known. Finally, calling out her name as he had so many times alone, Remus collapsed. Spent in Tonks arms, Remus clung to her, murmuring endearments and meaning every word.But in the morning, he had taken it all away with inadequate and false excuses and apologies. He had tried to push her back to the realm of friend, to the distance that meant safety. He told himself that she deserved much more than he could ever offer her. He told her that she deserved better and more. He told Tonks these things because he believed them to be true. Because all Remus had was his love for her, and that would never be enough.And then he had gone underground, and been reminded constantly that he was ‘other’ and ‘not’ and everything that she should never have to know. He was reminded of just what a grievous sin it would have been to give in to the pleading in her eyes, how heinous a crime to admit that she was right and that he loved her. And again at Christmas, Harry unknowingly driving a dagger into Remus’ heart told him just how much he had already wounded her. And still Tonks would refuse to let him go, to move on and seek something better, something more.Fighting Death Eaters at Hogwarts, Remus knew that she could stand her own. He pushed back the thought that if she could not produce a spell or shield herself from a hex that it would have been his fault for sapping her of her power. But she had stood, she had not fallen. No, it was Bill Weasley who had fallen. And it was over Bill’s mangled body that Remus had allowed that insidious thought to enter his mind.~*~It was that thought that had brought Remus to the fireside at Grimmauld Place, to the place where he would feel the pain of his losses most keenly. Remus believed that he deserved to be truly alone. It was somehow a way to atone for his multitude of sins.He heard the locks shifting on the front door, and he knew. A rueful smile graced his lips, because she would not allow him to be alone now. Even after everything that he had done, after all the times that he had pushed her away, tried to convince her that she did not want him, that she could have done better and had more than he could give her. Still she came.He looked up to see her leaning in the door and opened his mouth to speak. He needed to stop her to tell her that she should go and leave him to his pain, but she cut him off before he could even speak.“Don’t. Don’t Remus.” She crossed the room and stood over him commanding his attention. “Don’t push me away. You need me tonight.” She placed a hand on his cheek and sank to her knees in front of him. “And I need you.”There were tears in her eyes and Remus crushed her to him sliding to the floor to join her. And on her shoulder, Remus wept. He wept for Dumbledore, he wept for Sirius, he wept for James and Lily and Remus wept for himself. And before he even realized the words were spilling from his mouth into the soft skin of Tonks’ neck.“I’m so sorry. So sorry. Tonks, I’m so sorry.” She stroked his hair holding him tightly as he fell apart in her arms.“It’s okay Remus. I’m here now. I’m with you now. That’s what matters.” Her words drove into him and her capacity for forgiveness left him in awe. But she needed to know exactly what he was apologizing for.“No, it’s not okay.” Remus pulled back and held her face in his hands forcing her to look him in the eye. “It’s not okay, Tonks! I wished… I wished… that it was you.” Her brow wrinkled in confusion and pain. “In that bed instead of Bill, for a moment I wished that it had been you.” Remus released her face and placed his own in his hands. “I wished that it had been you, because… because then I could have been with you… without blaming myself… blaming myself for ruining your life.”Remus felt Tonks pry his hands from his own face, and she pulled him back up to look at her. When he met her eyes he saw a heated fury that nearly made him pull away, but she held him fast.“Remus Lupin, listen to me!” Her nails dug into his scalp as if she could force her point into his brain. “The only way that you can ruin my life is by not spending it with me! I love you damn it! I love you!” There were tears in her eyes, and the power of her love for him radiated from her face. For Remus, it was almost frightening in its raw intensity.Remus opened his mouth to break her tirade, but Tonks shut it for him. Literally. With the heels of her hands she pushed and snapped his jaw closed and went on as if she had read his mind.“I don’t give a fuck that you are an unemployed werewolf! You are a kind, intelligent, gentle, amazing man. And I am in love with you! And you know goddamn well that you are in love with me! So stop spouting all this self-deprecating shite and just kiss me already!”It was in that moment, Tonks screaming at him, that she broke him for good. As she was yelling at him, it seemed that she already knew she had won. Just when she demanded that he kiss her, Remus watched Tonks’ mousey brown hair return to vivid pink.In that moment, there were no arguments left for him to voice and there were no million misgivings fighting to keep Remus’ lips from hers, so Remus gave in to her demands, and gave in to his own desires. He kissed her.Remus knew this time that there was no going back. His logical arguments had left him and the passion in his heart had replaced them. The emptiness that he had so selfishly held onto was now filled with the amazing woman in his arms. His sins had been forgiven and in an instant he accepted her gift. He accepted her love and her promise of a life that would allow Remus to look forward instead of back.There would be no apologies and false excuses in the morning.There would just be her love for him and his love for her.That was all Remus had to give.And he had finally realized that his love was all Tonks had ever wanted.
10808160
I Watch
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": "Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by almondjoyz", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2008-11-08T00:00:00", "words": "210", "Additional Tags": "Drabble, Voyeurism, Post-War", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "The Quidditch Pitch", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
I watch as her hand strokes her leg, sliding effortlessly up and down her creamy flesh. She stops at her thigh, rotating first clockwise and then the other way.I swallow and close my eyes for a moment and then find her hands on her flat belly, dipping down to the top of her knickers before sliding up to the band of her bra. My knees are weak with desire from looking at her and I can't help the sigh that leaves my mouth. She looks up but doesn't see me, hidden from her view just steps away from her.She places more lotion on her hands and repeats the process with her other leg and then back up her belly. She swallows and sighs, looking in the full length mirror in front of her.She whispers my name.Her hand dips underneath the elastic of her black lace panties into the tight curls that are nestled there. I can smell her and am immediately aroused. I want to reach out, to touch her, and to claim her, finally, as my own.I can't.I've made a promise and I can't go back on my word.I must wait until tomorrow when she takes my name.My life begins then.
10844916
Quieres bailar
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Hanamaki Takahiro, Matsukawa Issei, Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime", "Fandom": "Haikyuu!!", "Language": "Español", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by Layla_Redfox", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "2,494", "Additional Tags": "Gender Bender", "Relationship": "Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
¿Quieres bailar?  "Vámonos de fiesta, Makki"¿Y desde cuándo le hacía caso a Oikawa? No era que le molestaran las fiestas, adoraba las fiestas, pero solo esas que se hacían en discotecas; a las que se iba de forma improvisada, a las que entrabas sin invitación y a las que podías irte vestido de la forma que quisieras. Por eso cuando Oikawa le dijo que irían a un baile de beneficencia y le arrojó un vestido rosa y un par de zapatos, casi le clava los tacones de estos en la cara. Sin embargo, hubiera sido un desperdicio de zapatos, aunque el tacón aguja habría encajado perfectamente en las cuencas de sus lindos ojos marrones.Makki usaba zapatos wedge que no excedían los siete centímetros de altura; no unas malditas plataformas que sobrepasaban los diez centímetros y te hacían sangrar los pies en una sola noche.Pero por sobre todo, no usaba vestidos, ni faldas. Había superado esa fase en la preparatoria, y desde entonces ya no usaba ninguna mierda parecida.—No sé de qué te quejas —le dijo Oikawa mientras le arreglaba el pelo rosado—. Tus piernas son más bonitas que las mías.Ya, entonces Makki sabía hablar español fluido y planear un avión.A Oikawa no le salía bien intentar ser modesta, porque sus acciones y apariencia no iban nada acorde a sus palabras. Su cabello era sedoso y precioso, esponjoso y suave, su cara era más bonita y perfilada, su voz sonaba bastante bien, y sus piernas definitivamente no eran menos lindas que las de Makki.¿Cómo eran amigas de todos modos? Makki no era fea, pero no tan linda como Oikawa, y cuando estaba a su lado… no resaltaba.Ni cuando se tiñó el pelo de rosado chicle que con el tiempo bajó a ser de una tonalidad menos intensa. Ni así.Por lo que esa noche traía rosa completamente encima, desde el pelo, el vestido y los zapatos. Oikawa decía que el rosa le iba bien. Pero los zapatos la estaban matando y se sentía tan desubicada en medio de ese inmenso salón. Aparte de que no conocía a nadie, estaba rodeada de gente que a simple vista era más elegante que ella. Y de Oikawa ni rastro. Habían entrado juntas y así se quedaron hasta que la gente se amontonó a un lado y en el escenario alguien salió a hablar sobre el hambre en África. Y después se esfumó, y la condenada perra la había jalado hasta allí en contra de su voluntad.Al menos la música que empezó a sonar era buena. Y la comida en la mesa tras ella no se veía nada mal. Y la puerta de salida a unos pasos de allí tampoco se veía nada mal. Tal vez podía comer gratis primero, irse y nadie lo notaria.—¡Makki~! —Mierda—. ¿Te acuerdas de Iwa-chan?Si se refería al chico de ojos lindos con peinado de puerco espín con el que se toparon en la universidad y al cual Oikawa le puso un apodo rarísimo y nada masculino; sí, lo recordaba.Ya tenía un cupcake en la boca para cuando se giró a verla, a ella y a los dos chicos que la acompañaban. Uno era Iwaizumi, a quien Oikawa sostenía firmemente del brazo, y el otro era un chico que no conocía.—Oye, Makki, eso no es nada lindo —le reprochó Oikawa con la mano libre en la cintura.Makki asintió, tragando.—Hola, Iwaizumi —saludó, mirando al nombrado.—¿Hanamaki, verdad? —preguntó el otro—. Hola.—Ah, Makki, él es Mattsun, amigo de Iwa-chan —dijo Oikawa señalando al chico tras ella e Iwaizumi, quien al mirarla hizo una mueca.—Deja de ponerle nombres raros a la gente que no conoces, Oikawa —le reprochó Makki esta vez.Luego miró al otro chico. Era enorme y su apariencia se veía un poco terrorífica, pero Makki no era enana, así que muy pocos chicos altos la hacían tener miedo, en realidad.—Es Matsukawa —corrigió el más alto, mirando a Hanamaki.Ella asintió, levantando un lado de su boca y esbozando una media sonrisa.De pronto, la gente alrededor se reunió de nuevo en el centro del enorme salón, en parejas, mientras la música clásica resonaba en los altavoces y se hacía escuchar más alto cada vez.—Ah, finalmente —dijo Oikawa—. Iwa-chan, vamos a bailar.—¿Quién dijo que iba a bailar contigo? —Le contradijo Iwaizumi, manteniéndose firme donde estaba cuando Oikawa le jaló por el brazo.—¡Ahh, Iwa-chan, pero qué cruel!—Deja el mote, maldita sea —se quejó el chico, mirando a otro lado.Hanamaki suspiró en su interior. Si se hubiera tratado de otro chico seguramente caería rendido a los pies de Oikawa, pero se notaba que Iwaizumi era un hueso duro de roer y por lo que veía, la personalidad pesada de Oikawa ya le estaba molestando.—Amigo, que es una chica, trátala bien —le dijo Matsukawa ladeando la cabeza.Iwaizumi resopló.—No sé ni porque viniste cuando lo mencioné solo una vez, ¿Cómo supiste dónde era, y a qué hora? —Cuestionó—. ¿Eres una especie de stalker o algo?—No quieres saber la respuesta a eso —dijo Makki con expresión calmada.El gigante de Mattsun rió por lo bajo durante un segundo. Lo tomó como una broma, pero Hanamaki no bromeaba. En serio que no lo hacía.Oikawa hizo un mohín.—Solo una pieza, Iwa-chan. ¡Vamos! Ya estoy aquí, ¿o quieres bailar con alguien más? —Preguntó, antes de abrir la boca conmocionada—. ¡Ah! ¿Tienes una chica aquí qué quieres que baile contigo? —Dijo con fingida preocupación—. Sino, perdón por estar de metiche aquí, Iwaizumi-kun.Iwaizumi parecía querer darse un tiro de inmediato.—…A la mierda —declaró antes de tomar a Oikawa de la muñeca y arrastrarla a la pieza de baile.—Que es una chica —avisó Matsukawa, levantando la voz mientras se alejaban.Hanamaki sonrió con cansancio al ver la sonrisa de oreja a oreja de Oikawa. Después de eso, se dio cuenta de que la habían dejado sola de nuevo, pero esta vez con el poste andante y corpulento.Ese poste la miró de lado.—¿Los cupcakes están buenos? —Preguntó señalando la bandeja con pastelillos de glaseado rosa.—Hum —respondió Makki con simpleza.Mattsun tomó uno antes de pararse más cerca de ella, mientras le daba una mordida al pastelillo.—Eres Hanamaki, pero ella… —intentó decir, señalando algún punto de la pista donde Oikawa estaba haciendo que Iwaizumi y ella dieran varias vueltas y el chico debía contenerse para no querer mandarla a volar.—Le gusta poner apodos raros a la gente —Makki se encogió de hombros—, incluso a los que no conoce. Así que me disculpo por eso, Mattsun.Puso énfasis en ese nuevo mote, lo cual hizo al nombrado reír de nuevo por un segundo.—¿Y por qué Makki? —Preguntó.La chica de pelo rosado hizo memoria.—En la secundaria ella me llamaba por mi nombre todo el tiempo, y por alguna razón que no recuerdo, yo le dije que no me llamara así tan fácilmente. Y como Hana le parecía tan cliché —alargó la letra 'a' de 'tan'—, lo dejó en Makki.—Hum —Mattsun asintió, entendiendo—. ¿Y tu nombre es?Hanamaki se encogió de hombros también.—Taka —respondió con simpleza.Era de nombre de chico, así como el de Oikawa.—Eso explica porqué lo decía todo el tiempo —dijo Matsukawa, tomando otro cupcake.—¿De verdad? —Preguntó Makki arqueando una ceja—. Yo no le veo el porqué. No es nada lindo.Matsukawa pareció querer decir algo, pero se lo guardó y pensó en otra cosa.—¿No te gustan las fiestas?—Me gustan, pero no estas —dijo Makki encogiéndose de hombros—. No sé bailar así.Señaló a algunas personas que bailaban perfectamente al son del vals.—Ah, claro —Mattsun asintió—, porque sí te ves cómo alguien que va a fiestas a menudo.Hizo un ademán con la cabeza, señalando su cabello. Taka se tomó uno de los mechones rosas.—¿Ah, esto? —Preguntó—. Fue algo del momento, no es nada en realidad.—Aunque te queda bien —comentó Matsukawa—. El rosa.Rosa se puso la cara de Hanamaki, y la giró a otro lado, mirándose el vestido y las manos, o a cualquier otro lado.—Fue idea de Oikawa —dijo rápidamente, poniéndose nerviosa de repente—. El vestido, no el pelo. Y los zapatos. Estos zapatos que ni me dejan moverse.Movió los tobillos para recalcar su punto.Aunque no era del todo verdad que le molestasen los zapatos.Matsukawa ladeó la cabeza entonces.—Entonces no puedo preguntarte eso, ¿eh?—¿Ah?—Si quieres bailar.Hanamaki se le quedó mirando, y los nervios, que se supone debían salir a flote más que antes, se apagaron y desvanecieron en nada. Sus hombros se relajaron de repente, y sintió los pies livianos. Tal vez era la música. O el cupcake había estado muy bueno.—Si me caigo —avisó—, tendrás que atraparme.—Hecho —respondió Mattsun, estirándole la mano.Ella la tomó y avanzaron juntos.—Ah, ¿y cuál es tu nombre? —Preguntó Hanamaki.—Issei.Issei y ella concordaron que bailarían el tiempo que el otro par descoordinado estuviera en la pista, lo cual era muy conveniente porque los zapatos de Hanamaki iban a matarla.Pero esa sola pieza se volvió en otras cinco.Y las dos horas que había acordado con Oikawa en quedarse se duplicaron. Y se la pasó bailando toda la noche con Issei....La fiesta había sido cosa de los padres de Iwaizumi, así que logró mandar a las dos chicas en una limosina que habían alquilado. Una de otras tantas. Oikawa entonces sí que parecía sorprendida, pero no se negaron cuando las subieron al carro.Hanamaki solo había visto el interior de esas en películas, y ahí fácilmente podía estirar las piernas. Claro, lo hubiera hecho de no ser porque Oikawa se había quedado muy cerca de ella, estirando las piernas sobre el asiento en donde estaban las dos.Hanamaki suspiró con Oikawa pegada a su hombro, e ignorándola se puso a revisar el teléfono celular.—Oh, ¿y eso? —Preguntó Oikawa viendo la pantalla de registros.—El número de Matsukawa —respondió con simpleza.—¡Ohhh! —Soltó Oikawa, realmente fascinada—. Entonces si sirvió de algo presentarlos al final.Hanamaki la miró, arqueando una ceja.—¿Por qué lo hiciste?—Iwa-chan parecía muy unido con Mattsun, así que pensé en traerte para que se conocieran y se hicieran compañía.En otras palabras, quería a Iwaizumi para ella sola.—¿Eso quiere decir que quieres llegar a algo con Iwaizumi? —Preguntó, ladeando la cabeza.—Mmm, no lo sé —decía Oikawa recostándose más contra Hanamaki, estirando las piernas y el torso también—. Es lindo y agradable aunque sea un poco enojón, me gusta, pero no sé… —Pareció pensar en otra cosa por un leve momento—… Porque, el otro día que fui a verlo en su club de vóley de la universidad vi a otro chico… ¡Y era sensacional! ¡Jugaba demasiado bien!A Makki no le sorprendía que se sintiera atraída por un desconocido por el simple hecho de que jugaba vóley.—Aunque su pelo era un tanto raro, de dos colores, blanco y negro, pero era lindo igual, ¡y jugaba como no tienes idea!Hanamaki suspiró.—¿Entonces qué vas a hacer?—No lo sé… —Respondió Oikawa—. Ya veré qué hago, ni siquiera he hablado con ese otro chico. Boku… Boku-chan creo que se llamaba.—Los apodos.—Como sea, ya veré qué hago —aseguró la castaña.Makki la miró de lado.—Siempre sabes qué harás, ¿eh?—¿Ah?Hanamaki suspiró con pesadez.—Oye, Tooru, ¿qué haces conmigo así?—¿Qué?—¿Por qué somos amigas? —Preguntó al final.—¿Ah? ¿Por qué? —Oikawa se sentó bien, mirando a Taka a la cara—. ¿No podemos?—No, es que…Se quería retractar. No quería preguntarlo, en serio que no. Las cosas estaban bien antes sin decir nada. No debió decir nada.Oikawa pareció tomar su silencio como algo malo.—Lo siento —se disculpó de repente—, te obligué todo este tiempo a estar conmigo sin saber lo que pensabas, pero tenía miedo de que si te ibas podría quedar peor de lo que ya estaba. Eso fue egoísta, perdón.Se refería a esos tiempos de secundaria que pasaban juntas y Oikawa la usaba para practicar las levantadas todo el tiempo. A ese tiempo en preparatoria en que hacía lo mismo. A ese tiempo en su segundo año cuando Tooru se lesionó la rodilla y no pudo jugar más, porque le dio miedo de que le pasara algo peor.Le dio miedo, y dejó de ir a las prácticas, pero Makki no dejó de hablar con ella ni un solo día.Si Oikawa podía pensar que estaba a su lado porque la estaba obligando… no se lo iba a permitir.Hanamaki suspiró de nuevo. No tenía idea de cuántas veces lo había hecho esa noche. Pero estaba segura de que todos los suspiros no habían sido solo por Oikawa, pero un tema a la vez.—Si yo… Si yo pensara así me habría ido hace tiempo, ¡cabeza hueca! —Exclamó de repente, jalándole los dos cachetes de la cara.Oikawa lloriqueó.Makki la soltó después de un rato.—Tú no me necesitas para ser como eres, me quedé porque me sabía mal dejarte así y ya —le explicó—. Lo que me pregunto es por qué no me has botado tú.Tooru parpadeó.—¿Ah? ¿No escuchaste lo que dije? —Preguntó confundida y casi alterada—. Además, ¿por qué rayos te echaría?Hanamaki se señaló a sí misma. Oikawa entrecerró los ojos.—¿Qué pasa? Makki es muy linda, ¿qué tiene de malo?Hanamaki no estaba segura de qué cara debió poner para que Oikawa se riera tan fuerte después.—Makki también me gusta, por eso estoy contigo, y no quiero que me dejes —declaró con una brillante sonrisa—. Si piensas que soy mala amiga solo dímelo, pero no me dejes, soy un desastre sin ti, por favor.Taka no pudo evitar reír.—Está bien así, olvídalo —aseguró—. Pero solo dime una cosa... ¿entonces será Iwaizumi o el chico de cabello raro?Y Oikawa empezó a soltar cosas sobre vóley y apodos raros y los problemas que tenía con los dos. Uno era muy genial y el otro le pagaba cada vez que respiraba. A simple vista la respuesta parecía obvia, pero al parecer era masoquista.Hanamaki escuchó sus incoherencias durante todo el trayecto a casa, incluso cuando bajaron en su edificio y ella siguió hablando hasta llegar al piso que ambas compartían. La siguió escuchando incluso cuando estuvieron en la habitación de una y ya querían tirarse a dormir.Entonces Makki pensó que preguntarse por qué alguien era amigo de alguien era ridículo. Solo pasaba, y ya. También, Oikawa no era mala después de todo. Era un poco pesada y egocéntrica, sí, pero era lo que tenía, y la apreciaba. Además sin ella no estaría recibiendo mensajes de Issei en ese momento. Mensajes que causaran que sus mejillas se pongan rosas de nuevo.—Oye, Oikawa —le dijo recostándose en la cama, a su lado—. Vamos a bailar de nuevo.
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This Sudden Fear is
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Loki (Marvel), Thor (Marvel), Steve Rogers, James \"Bucky\" Barnes, Odin (Marvel), Frigga (Marvel), Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Natasha Romanova, Darcy Lewis, Sif (Marvel), Volstagg (Marvel), Hogun (Marvel), Fandral (Marvel)", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by seethatvangogh", "chapters": "6/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-09T00:00:00", "words": "7,041", "Additional Tags": "Thorki - Freeform, They are not actually related, I swear, Odin's A+ Parenting, only somewhat sarcastic, Odin's not totally shitty parenting, Modern AU, no powers, fashion - Freeform, fashion designer loki, Recreational Drug Use, Angst, Minor Angst, Feels, Pseudo-Incest, Homophobic Language, Slow Burn, Pining, Mental Health Issues", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Thor/Loki, James \"Bucky\" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner/Tony Stark", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Thor was bored. He sat as the sad excuse for a desk in the same room he’d been in for the last seven hours and… he glanced at the clock, twenty-seven minutes. At least that meant he only had another thirty-three minutes to go before someone would show up to relieve him. Working as a security guard wasn’t the most exciting or challenging job, but he didn’t mind it. There were a lot of other jobs he could be doing instead, and this one was still preferable to quite a few. He passed the next ten or so minutes wadding up little bits of paper from his notepad and launching them across the room at the other guard. They were strongly discouraged from talking, as that could lead to distraction. As a general rule, a distracted security guard was just about useless. The rules did not yet say anything about throwing items, though Thor was sure that if he pushed it, there would soon be a de facto rule about just that. After almost fifteen minutes of having wads of paper aimed at his head, the other guard was finally fed up. “Thor!” Steve shouted, “I know you’re bored, and lord knows I am too, but can you please stop that.” Thor snickered. If Steve, good catholic boy that he was, had taken the lord’s name in vain the Thor must have really gotten on his nerves. Thankfully, Thor was saved from having to pretend to be sorry by the arrival of the next guard. “Well, hello gorgeous,” Bucky said, as he slid into the security room. He dropped off a cup of black coffee at the desk Thor was at before sidling over to Steve. Before Steve could get out a word of greeting, Bucky dropped a quick kiss on his boyfriend’s lips, before heading back to where Thor was.Thor stood up so Bucky could take his seat. While Steve and Bucky may have been together, they were still damn good at their job, even if they were working the same shift. The two had met as boys in Brooklynn where they grew up, and three tours in Iraq together had given them a seamless ability to work together. Thor personally thought their talents were wasted here as mere security guards, but he was happy to be working with friends. They had been a ragtag group of misfits in high school, along with several other people with prominent roles in the company. Everyone was a key player who had earned the position they held. Thor was the slight odd man out. He ended up helping wherever he was needed. It just so happened that none of the guards they had on rotation could work this particular shift that day, which is how Thor ended up parked in the security office for the last almost eight hours. The shifts were staggered so there were always two guards on duty, with one guard being swapped out halfway through the other one’s shift. It was Thor’s turn to go and Steve would be there for another four hours.He gave his greetings to Bucky and said goodbye to Steve before trying to make a hasty escape. “Have a good day Thor. Are you going to go visit him before you head home?” While on the surface, Steve and Thor didn’t get along, it was more of a playful rivalry that anything honestly hostile.“That was the plan, yes.” Thor was edging closer to the door. He was always antsy to leave if he was going to be paying a visit.“Tell him we said hi, if it’s a good day.” Bucky called out, giving Thor his opportunity to leave. As much as Bucky loved him, he knew that Steve could be a talker. Thor wouldn’t be leaving for a while if they let Steve keep talking. Finally managing to make his escape, both from boredom and from his work, Thor quickly walked through the lobby of the largest bank in the world, Asgard Central Bank. He quickly said hello to the workers he passed as he walked out the door.Twenty minutes and an annoying drive across the city later, he arrived at his destination. He showed his ID to the receptionist and headed up to the top floor. Standing in front of the door, he paused for a moment.There on the door was a small sceptre ornament he had given the occupant of the suite. It had been a Christmas present back when they were children, when they were constantly playing pretend games. Now the sceptre was even more meaningful. He looked at the color it was showing. The sceptre was green today, which meant it was most likely safe to enter. He opened the door and was immediately met with the smell of smoke. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Loki was bored. He lay on his couch, staring across the room. His piercing green eyes were unfocused as he was lost in thought. Suddenly, he jerked back to himself as he got an idea. Sluggishly, he dragged himself off of his couch, where he had been laying upside down. He straightened himself up as he looked around his gilded prison. His cell was a gorgeous, penthouse apartment that most anyone would give (and pay) an arm and a leg for. Technically, he was free to come and go as he pleased, but both him and his captors knew that going out by himself was not permitted. As he stretched to worked the kinks out of his back, he made his way over to his desk. The desk itself was a cherry wood monstrosity, easily large enough to pass for a bed, with or without a mattress. He would know. He had slept on it several times. Instead of climbing on top of the desk, he sat down in the chair. The chair he used was a simple, high backed rolling chair. It fit his needs best and it was one of the few things in the apartment that was not excessive or opulent. Even though Loki was the one who had decorated the apartment, his father’s taste could still be clearly seen throughout the room. While Loki tended towards simple, elegant décor and furniture in a scheme of black, green, and gold, his father tended to follow the lines of the bigger, the better. Much of the furniture in the apartment was a rather large size. Far larger than he needed given that he rarely had more than two visitors. The only place the excessive size was welcome was his bed. That saw far more visitors than the rest of his apartment. Smirking to himself, he pulled open one of the drawers of his desk. He pulled out paper, several mechanical pencils and pens of different sizes, and a truly massive case of artist quality colored pencils. They were all arranged meticulously on his desk before he pulled a hair tie out of the pocket of his sweatpants and pulled his silky black hair into a messy bun. The final thing he pulled out was one of the many, many joints he had stored around the apartment. Lighting up, he took a long rip as he decided what colors he wanted to work with today. For the most part, he stuck with his favorite color scheme of black, green, and gold, but today he felt like shaking it up. He pulled out all the colors of a sunset. He had a new idea for a dress and matching accessories. He slowly started sketching, tracing out the lines of a softly tiered dress with a ruffling, uneven hem. As he sketched, Loki could picture the finished dress, the bodice a shimmering, color shifting taffeta. It would ripple between peach and pink depending on how the garment was viewed. The tiers would be a fine tulle layered in every shade of the sunset. After he had a nice mellow going, he started in on designing the accessories. The handbag was a small clutch in a beautiful crimson. The shoes were peach, salmon, and coral peep toe sling backs. He smiled at the connotations of a sling back with an otherwise sweet outfit. The accessories themselves were rather simple. Gold with drop crystals. Designing finished for now, he leaned back in his chair and stretched. Glancing at the clock as he lit up a regular cigarette this time, he found that he had been lost in sketching for over two hours. Loki didn’t feel like it had been that long, but he rarely felt the time pass when he was absorbed in designing. The next time he had a visitor, he would go out to get supplies. He had a small stack of designs on the corner of his desk that were waiting to be made. Since he had been put in this prison, he had slowly cultivated his own fashion brand, Mischief. All the pieces were one of a kind, as he rarely made duplicates. While he could order everything he needed off the internet, he much preferred to be able to see everything he was getting in person before he purchased it. He had been screwed on that before with a tube of beads that looked entirely different when he got them. He didn’t take chances anymore. His brand sold fairly well though. He was grateful for the way to pass his time here while still doing something constructive. See, Loki was a rather simple man. He had four great loves in his life, which he referred to as his “four Fs”. They were: food, fucking, fashion, and firewater. Not necessarily in that order. Despite the fact that he was currently in sweatpants and not much else, he tended to enjoy looking nice. He had a rough night. He was allowed to look somewhat shoddy. Just as he was lighting another cigarette, he heard keys in the front door. He leaned back further and forced himself to relax, cigarette hanging from his lips. He closed his eyes as the door opened. “Good afternoon, brother.” Thor said, uncharacteristically quiet as he let himself in. Loki was sure that his face showed signs of his night, if his state of dress wasn’t enough of an indicator. He was also sure that Thor was being considerate until he could gauge how Loki was doing that day. Loki opened his eyes as he fixed the older man with a long stare. “I am not your brother. Not even in the legal sense, anymore.” Odin had made sure the public knew his adopted son was no longer a part of his family. Thor’s face softened. He could see that Loki was tired, even if the smaller man was doing a good job of pretending otherwise. He knelt in front of his younger brother. “You know that none of us think that. Not even father.” While it was true that behind closed doors, and in the privacy of his prison, they were all still a family, Loki had been publicly banished from the family both for his own safety and the sake of the public’s perception. Standing at the top of the world, the Odinson family was a household name. Together, they ran Asgard Central Bank, a corporation said to rule the whole world. Almost everyone and everything had some ties back to the world’s largest bank. Thor was slated to be the next CEO when Odin finally retired, and once upon a time, Loki would have been standing there beside him. Not anymore. Loki eyed Thor’s clothing with disdain. “Helping out at the company again?” he asked with the faintest hint of a sneer. Unlike their father, Thor wanted to get an intimate look at how the entire company was run, so he would often take up shifts for different positions in the company. They both knew that Loki had no issue with Thor being useful. He had excessive issues with what Thor wore while he was helping as a security guard. They didn’t have a uniform, per se, but all of the guards wore nice jeans and polo shirts so they didn’t stand out if they needed to leave the office to follow suspicious people. Loki just happened to have an incredible dislike of polo shirts. Thor smiled good naturedly. “Yes, I was. No one was available to work so I stepped in.” He stood in a smooth motion. “I trust you still have some of my clothes here?” Loki waved him lazily towards the bedroom. “Of course I do, you great oaf. They’re in the closet where they always are.” Everyone in the family kept several sets of clothes in Loki’s prison, though only Thor kept his in Loki’s bedroom. As Thor changed into his normal clothes, Loki snuffed out his cigarette and slowly stood. He was still a bit stiff, not that it would stop him from enjoying a visit from Thor. When he was sure the blond should be almost done with changing, Loki went into his bedroom to get changed as well. Thor was just shrugging on a red flannel shirt as Loki slid into his bedroom. Loki perched himself on the corner of his bed. “I want to go out today, Thor” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Thor smiled at his baby brother indulgently. While it was not entirely rare for Loki to ask to leave his apartment, it was an infrequent enough occurrence to be special. “Okay,” Thor readily agreed, “why don’t you get dressed while I let father know.” It was so like them to pretend that it was this easy for Loki to leave. Pretend that Loki was still a regular person. While Loki picked out what he wanted to wear, Thor shot off several texts in rapid succession. One went to their father, one to their mother in the likely event that she wasn’t currently with father, and one to the guard for Loki’s apartment. As he was waiting for replies, Loki piped up with a quiet question. “Thor,” he said in an uncharacteristically small tone, “how warm is it outside?” To anyone else, this would be a fairly normal question. Often, this question would be met with an answer in approximate degrees, as most people could determine how comfortable it was from there. None of that was helpful to Loki. He so rarely went outside that he had little tolerance for temperature changes anymore. What he was asking was if the weather was much different from that in his apartment. Thor’s face twitched, a heartbreaking expression of how he wanted to free his brother, but he schooled his expression before Loki could turn around. It would do him no good to have Thor’s sadness piled upon his own. Thor came up behind his brother, loosely wrapping his strong arms around the smaller man and resting his chin on that silky, black hair. He could both comfort Loki and hide any remaining traces of sadness his expression this way. Thor hummed as he thought about how the temperature outside related. “It’s a little but warm today, but not too bad.” That basically meant Loki could wear what he would wear around the apartment, minus some accessories like scarves and jackets. He did slightly better in the cold, but neither were easy for him. Loki nodded and walked back to his closet, pulling away just as Thor’s phone began pinging with responses. He checked his phone while Loki changed, giving him some privacy, even though Loki wouldn’t care. Their parents thanked him for letting them know, and the guard, Sif, let him know what happened last night, but he wanted to hear it from Loki if possible. The way that Loki remembered things wasn’t always proper. When he looked up, Loki was starting to pull on his favorite shoes, some high heeled, studded monstrosities that made his already long legs continue on for days. “Loki,” Thor said, his tone gentle but firm, “don’t wear those today.” Loki opened his mouth to protest, but Thor smoothly interrupted before he could say anything. “I can see how tired you are. Please wear flat shoes today.” Thor knew that Loki wanted to argue, but he also knew that his little brother was aware that he had a point. Despite his normally impeccable balance, he got wobbly just like anyone else when he was this tired. Thor would do almost anything to ensure the younger man never got hurt. Loki pouted, but relented. He grabbed his platform converse instead and laced them up. While Thor got everything finalized for their excursion, Loki went to the bathroom and did some very quick makeup. Noting too complicated, as he had neither the time nor the desire to do a full face today. Just some concealer for the dark circles under his eyes (courtesy of the rough night), mineral powder, eyeliner, and mascara.When he finished and walked out, Thor thought he looked stunning as usual. Loki wore a green silk tank top tucked into high-waisted black shorts, with his hair pulled into a slightly neater bun impaled with two pencils. On most people, the outfit would look messy or just wrong, but not Loki. He carried himself with an elegance that could make anything look fit for a New York Fashion Week runway. The contrast of the rich tones against his already pale skin made him positively glow, and his lean legs continued for miles.“Are you ready to go?” Loki had a tendency to take a while getting ready, and Thor had long since learned to ask instead of just assuming.Loki strode over to his desk, messenger bag in hand. “Almost.” He grabbed the stack of designs off of the surface of his desk and another joint out of the drawer then gently slid the whole stack into the bag before slinging it over his shoulder. He walked past Thor, towards the door. “Now I’m ready to go.” Thor smiled. He was always happy to take his brother out, even more so when it involved something Loki loved doing. His designing brought him so much joy and filled the empty parts of his days when he was alone here. It didn’t matter that days with Loki tended to be an emotional roller coaster. Thor would take any time with his brother that he could get.As Thor drove them to the nearest craft store, he decided to broach the subject of last night. “Loki, do you want to talk about last night?” He knew that the younger man didn’t want to, but probably would anyway.Loki sighed irritably, acting like he wasn’t going to talk. He pulled out his joint and lit it before he decided to respond. “He showed up several times last night and wouldn’t leave me alone. It was almost five until I was able to sleep properly,” he paused to take a puff. “I had just enough time to clean up and create a new design before you showed up.”From what Sif had told him, it was a rather boiled down version of last night’s events, but sometimes that was the most that could be asked of Loki. Pestering him could just make him shut down, so Thor let it drop, aside from one more question. “Are you sure that you are okay to be out today?”Loki shot him a rather piercing glare. “I wouldn’t have asked to go out if I wasn’t sure he would stay away until at least tomorrow.”Thor held up one of his hands as a sign of defeat. He was driving so he couldn’t do both. “I’ll trust your judgement, but you know I had to ask.”The black-haired man sighed, deflating slightly. “I know.” He stared out the window of the sleek silver car. In spite of, or maybe because of everything, Loki knew he was loved. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Loki figured that since this was the first time he had been outside in a few weeks, he would enjoy the day with Thor. They spent well over an hour in the craft store. Being the diva that he is, Loki refused to leave until he had all the materials that he needed, and he would not settle for any items other than what he went into the store wanting. Thankfully, this particular craft store happened to be one of the largest in New York, and so it was rare for one to not find what they were looking for. Four large shopping bags (and a couple thousand dollars) later, the brothers left the store. Thor insisted on making a pit stop at the car to drop everything off before they continued on. Reluctantly, Loki agreed. He hadn’t really bought anything this time that would be damaged by the heat that would build up in the car. They wandered aimlessly. Thor was thankfully able to get away without discovery. He was fortunate that most of his time spent in front of television cameras was in a suit with his shoulder-length, golden hair down. In his casual clothing, with his hair pulled into a ponytail, most people would not recognize him, even if he was one of the most powerful men in the world. The general public simply assumed that a man of his standing would live his entire life in a boring, itchy suit. Not that his suits were actually boring. Every suit he owned, Loki had either designed or made. Even if Thor could not actually promote his little brother’s brand, he was still incredibly proud of everything that Loki had accomplished. Loki, for his part, got plenty of attention. In his case though, the attention was drawn by his sharp, beautiful face and lean, long legs drew eyes wherever they went. His style and grace brought stares of envy and lust from men and women alike as they passed.As they went by street performers and homeless beggars, Loki gave money to them all. He knew, whether he liked to admit it to himself or not, that he could have easily ended up like the homeless ones, or worse. He gave to the performers simply because he loved art in all of its many forms. Regardless, it’s not like he was hurting for money. Even disowned, a son of the Odinson family still had more money than he would be able to spend in ten lifetimes. Loki was happy to share with those who needed it.The hour was beginning to grow late, and even the shopping sector they were in was slowly starting to empty. New York may be the city that never slept, but it did slow down after the stores closed.“Loki,” Thor began quietly, trying to keep at least some attention off of them. While being quiet used to be a massive challenge for Thor and his deep, booming voice, he had mastered the skill in recent years. “We should probably be heading back before too long, don’t you think?”Loki sighed and threw a longing look to several of the clubs that peppered the street they were wandering. He used to frequent those exact clubs. Back then, he didn’t even need a fake ID, despite being the tender age of sixteen. All he needed was his family name and a small stack of hundreds, mere pocket change to them.Thor noticed the younger man’s line of sight and wrapped his arm around that slender waist, squeezing lightly. There were no words that he could offer as comfort. Loki had long made peace with his situation, but that didn’t mean he would ever be happy about it. He leaned into his older brother’s side. What Loki craved more than anything was the touch of another person. Conversation was wonderful but with technology, someone could be literally on the other side of the world and still talk to him. He was lonely. For a few minutes, they walked in relative silence, headed back to the car.“Hey!” A loud, slightly slurred shout came from nearby the bar they just passed. The brothers kept walking, Thor’s arm still around Loki. There were heavy, stumbling footsteps behind them, before the voice became even louder. “I said hey! What do you two fairies think you’re doing?”Loki was basically internally screaming. He knew that they shouldn’t get mixed up in this, but there was also not going to be any easy way out. Thor could tell as well. There would be no getting out of this without at least acknowledging the asshole. They steeled themselves and turned around. The drunk bigot was probably late forties, heavyset, dark hair that was beginning to grey at the temples, and an already receding hairline. How unfortunate.Thor pasted on his charming, business smile. Loki just focused on keeping his self-control. Slowly, he filtered out the sound of the conversation that Thor was trying (and failing) to keep cordial. He would let Thor deal with the man unless there was an actual reason for Loki to get involved. The goal for both of them was to get out of there as soon as possible before he showed up. Loki focused on his breathing and whiting out his mind. Even though it was just going to make the situation worse, Thor kept his arm around Loki’s waist, firmly anchoring his younger brother, knowing that he would need it. The raven-haired man was broken out of his trance by the bigot’s voice attaining a new, booming volume. “You and your whore shouldn’t be flaunting your faggot selves in the middle of the street!” The few people that were still milling about the street were starting to stare, but no one yet was willing to jump in for either side. Thor’s polite expression was growing more strained with every word the asshole spit out. “If you had listened to me the other three times I said it, he’s my younger brother. He’s anemic and was feeling a bit faint, so I was supporting him.” In typical conservative fashion, he wasn’t buying the truth because it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “Of course he is. To a queer, what’s the difference? Strangers, family, dogs, it’s all the same. Just go use your whore in an alley. It’s more than he deserves anyway.” Loki began tugging at the hem of Thor’s shirt. Thor was close to snapping and he was closer than Loki felt comfortable with, given where they were. Thor easily picked up on the other man’s cues and reluctantly turned to leave. His body language still said he wanted to beat the shit out of the bigot, but the asshole hadn’t made enough of a move for it to be justified violence. The family didn’t need a scandal over something like this. The bigot was gloating in his perceived victory. With those types of people, they tending to believe that choosing not to engage further was the same as giving up. They also had to have the last word. “Go on and enjoy your tranny faggot, you cocksucker!” The asshole turned around and began to stumble on his drunk, merry way, feeling that he had somehow “won”. Thor just barely spotted the shift and almost didn’t catch Loki bolting after the man. Thor held Loki to his chest in an iron grip, muscles in his arms bulging as he fought to contain strength that should be impossible for the slender body within. “Loki, he’s not worth it. You need to calm down. Remember where we are. He’s not worth it.” Thor rumbled an endless stream of assurances and pleas to calm down into Loki’s ear until the smaller man stopped struggling and the glimmer of blue faded from his eyes. He sagged in Thor’s strong arms, resting his head against that broad chest. “Please take me home.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- The drive back to Loki’s apartment was mostly silent. Thor never broke contact with Loki, continuing to hold his hand as he wound through the busy streets of Manhattan. Once again, Loki spent the drive staring out the window. He was chain-smoking through the entire twenty-five minute drive back, pausing after the second cigarette to smoke through a second joint that Thor hadn’t seen him bring. When the stress smoking showed no sign of stopping, Thor gave the younger man a disapproving look, but didn’t say anything. If this was how Loki wanted to cope for now, he would let him do it. Thor would make him stop when they got back to the apartment.As they rode the elevator up to the top floor, Thor let Sif know to go on lockdown after they got inside, with a promise to fill her in more when he could. He trusted that with or without an explanation, she would fulfil his orders and pass on the situation to Fandral when he relieved her.The click of the lock was loud in the silent room. “Loki,” Thor was quiet as to not startle the black haired man, “Do you want to go to sleep?” He was sure that Loki was tired from the aborted switch, but would never admit it outright. Fortunately, it was just past ten p.m. and smoking made him sleepy anyway. In his mind, it wouldn’t seem weak to admit that he wanted to sleep right now.Loki sighed but nodded, spinning around suddenly to hug Thor around the waist. His demeanor was vulnerable, making him seem impossibly small for a man over six feet tall. The cocky air from earlier in the day was no more, replaced by a boy who had to grow up far too quickly. Thor gently began pulling the silky black hair out of its bun. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you tonight.” Today was a bad day, but Thor hoped that starting the day with him would make tomorrow better.For just a moment, Loki squeezed tighter before letting go to get ready for bed. Thor went to get ready as well. While he kept pajamas in the apartment along with all of his other clothes, he opted to ignore them for the most part. He stripped down to just his underwear and then pulled on his Supernatural sweatpants. Some skin contact would probably be beneficial to Loki tonight. After brushing his teeth, he was ready for bed. Just as Thor was sliding under the thick quilt (another thing made by Loki) covering the soft black sheets, the other man padded out from the bathroom quietly. He wore a galaxy print t-shirt, black boxers, and nothing else. His hair was braided, as was Thor’s, to prevent it from tangling while they slept, a habit their mother had instilled in them.Thor opened his arms. Loki climbed into his bed and straight into Thor’s arms. He rested his head on Thor’s broad chest and was asleep almost instantly. He must have been even more tired than Thor previously thought. The blonde stayed awake for a little while longer, updating the guards on the situation and letting their parents know what had happened. He had to reassure them that nothing had actually happened, he had it under control, no they don’t need to restrict Loki even more. Twenty minutes and one quiet, but frantic, phone call later and Thor was finally able to follow Loki into sleep. Around one, Thor awoke to find icy blue eyes staring at him. The eyes were set in a face that looked like Loki’s, but not. The expression was different, a haughty, uncaring look that Loki could never manage to make. It was a look that said everyone but the bearer was lesser than even an ant. The bearing was different as well. While Loki had good posture, this being held itself ramrod straight, an arrogant posture that brought to mind old pictures of rich, white slaveowners. This man thought himself a god and made sure that others knew it.“Hello, Thanos,” Thor greeted, polite but not friendly. He had been aware that this encounter was almost a given after the events of the previous day, but he had been hoping to avoid it. He shifted so he was sitting upright, like Thanos was.Thanos’ face split apart into a parody of a rictus grin, showing far too many teeth. “Hello, Thor. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. How have you been?” Even the voice was different. While he still had the very faint Norse accent that both brothers had, his voice was deeper, more guttural than Loki’s. Loki had never been able to use that voice in over a decade of trying.“We both know you have no interest in my health or happiness, Thanos. You didn’t show up just to chat.” It took a lot of effort on his part to surface, even if Loki was asleep.Thanos tsked. “Always straight to the point. That’s why I like you.” Suddenly, Thanos had Thor pinned to the bed with a speed and strength that was disproportionate to the slender body he shared. “You interrupted my fun today. This is your warning to never do that again.” His tone was low and his face was only inches from Thor’s.Thor shoved Thanos off of him with minimal effort. The surprise kept him pinned initially, but the other man was too light to keep him pinned for long. “I can and I will. You know that.” Keeping Thanos in check was one of Thor’s main tasks and the reason why he was usually the one to take Loki out. Thanos was capable of strength that should be impossible for Loki’s body. Thor was one of the few people who was strong enough to overpower him, and they maintained an uneasy truce, which Thanos tried to overthrow at every chance. Tonight would end in another draw.Thanos made a small pondering noise. “You are fortunate. My time is up. I hope you both enjoy my little…. surprise.” With that cryptic statement, Thanos receded back, eyes changing back to the color of emeralds before drifting shut and Loki sagged onto the bed. Thor caught him before he actually fell, mind churning as he resituated them back to before Thanos showed up. Even with Loki asleep, Thanos could only usually front for two hours at the most. Sometimes it was longer, but those instances were very rare. They were only talking for fifteen minutes at the most. That left roughly an hour and a half for him to potentially wreak havoc in the apartment. He would have to wake up before Loki and put the apartment to rights if possible. After shooting off a text to Fandral for a full report on what happened while he was asleep, he settled back down for a few more hours. He wanted to avoid telling Loki about tonight’s visit if possible. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Thor woke up as the first rays of morning light filtered through the gap in the rich emerald curtains over the window. He checked his phone. There was a new message from Fandrel outlining what happened the previous night. According to the guard, Thanos had simply rifled through Loki’s desk for a few minutes before opening a sketchbook, flicking through several pages and then leaving it open on the desk. He hadn't said anything and the sketchbook was situated in such a way that the camera couldn't accurately pick up what was drawn. Thor sighed to himself. It could have been much worse, but he still had to put the sketchbook away before Loki awoke. Any reminder of Thanos showing up could put him into a funk for days. The blond man intended to keep that from happening if at all possible. He spent several minutes trying to extricate himself from the raven haired man's hold without disturbing him. Loki tended to be a rather light sleeper, and despite the fact that he was not normally awake for approximately three more hours, Thor did not want to take any chances. Once he managed to get himself free, he quickly replaced the space where he had been with a pillow. Hopefully that would suffice until he could get back to the bed. He spent a moment just looking at Loki. In sleep, the perpetual furrow in his brow smoothed out and the tension eased from those slender shoulders. For once, Loki looked young. God, he was only twenty-five but he had been forced to grow up so much faster than that. Gently, Thor brushed away a lock of hair that had escaped the braid before turning away.Thor quietly padded out to the main area of the apartment, breathing another sigh of relief when he saw that truly nothing was out of place from the previous day aside from the sketchbook. Thor walked over to Loki’s desk to put away the sketchbook before its owner noticed. He hadn't been meaning to actually look at the drawing. This one was different from the book he drew his designs in. That one he freely allowed Thor to look at and critique. Despite Loki’s frequent insults otherwise, Thor had a relatively good eye for fashion and could often figure out when a design wasn't quite right. This was Loki’s personal sketchbook and it was a very private thing. Thor could count on one hand the number of times that he had been allowed to see the drawings within. Naturally, that was why Thanos pulled it out. Once he was close enough to actually see the sketchbook to determine which one it was, the drawing on the pages caught his attention.It was him. Them. Back before. Before Thanos, before imprisonment, before Odin and Laufey and wealth. Back when they were happy without conditions. In Loki’s distinctive style was himself and Thor. The blond man could very clearly remember when this drawing was. In it, sixteen year old Loki was helping a seventeen year old Thor ice skate around a rink in Central Park. Loki had a look of exasperated love and Thor was beaming like Loki had hung the moon and stars. Thor treasured that day and that memory. Loki had been so graceful on the ice, like he was born to skate, while Thor had been far less so. It was only towards the end of their adventure that Loki had managed to coax the other man away from the wall of the rink, where he had been holding on for dear life.That night had been one of the last when they were truly happy.Thor had been so absorbed in the drawing and his memories that he hadn't heard the quiet footsteps behind him until Loki spoke. “What are you doing, Thor.” It was not phrased as a question and Thor knew better than to take it as one. He risked answering anyway, turning around without slamming the sketchbook shut, as it would just make him look more guilty. “It was open when I came out here. I was trying to put it away when the drawing caught my attention. My apologies, brother.” Those emerald eyes narrowed at the use of the word. It could also be that he didn't believe Thor. Both were likely. Thor knew the black haired man better than anyone, but even he didn't always understand what went through Loki’s mind. Loki opened his mouth, likely to bite out a retort, when Thor saw his clever brain fit all the pieces into place. He seemed to wilt slightly, without ever moving. “He showed up last night, didn't he,” Loki ground out. Another non-question question. He was the only person Thor had ever met that was able to look infuriated yet completely defeated at the same time. It was an odd combination, but one that he was unfortunately all too familiar with where Thanos was concerned. Loki despised Thanos with his entire being; refused to even say his name. Thor couldn't blame him. His alter was the reason he was locked up here in the first place.Thanos was a petty, grasping man with delusions of grandeur. He believed himself a ruler and would do anything he could to ensure that he ended up in that position. In an ordinary man, that would not be a problem. They have the desire, but they do not have the intelligence or the means to accomplish that goal. Thanos was different. He was cunning and ruthless. Combined with his impossible strength, he was a force to be reckoned with. The family that he was a part of also happened to be one of the the most influential in the world. He had the means, the ambition, and the drive. All the Odinson family could do was try to keep the tide at bay.Thor gently grasped Loki’s arm and guided the smaller man to sit on his lap. Wrapping strong arms around that ever so slightly shaking frame, he pressed his nose into the dark hair, inhaling Loki’s unique scent. After ensuring that there was adequate physical comfort for Loki (without smothering him, as he was barely refraining from resisting as it was), Thor answered his not-question. “Aye, Thanos was here last night. He got out the sketchbook and woke me up to threaten me again. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing unusual.” Thor repeated the phrase, knowing that the redundancy would amuse Loki, even if just slightly. Predictably, Loki’s lips twitched into the ghost of a smile. There would likely be no genuinely, full smiles from him today. Any time he became aware of a switch, it had him in a sour mood for at least a full day. It looked like today would be more of a depressed reaction, rather than a biting anger day.Thor briefly tightened his hold to make sure he had Loki’s attention. “Would you like me to get Natasha or Clint over today?” either one of them could do Loki a world of good on a day like today. He thought for a moment.“Natasha, please. I need to move. But first,” he said, plunking his head back onto Thor’s broad shoulder, “we are going back to bed. It is far too early to he awake.”Thor was only too happy to sweep him up and comply, sketchbook forgotten and still left open.
10881804
Comme quoi la vie ne
{ "Archive Warning": "Major Character Death", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Pierre Bouvier, Chuck Comeau", "Fandom": "Simple Plan (Band)", "Language": "Français", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by Musicælys (Lystopia)", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2013-08-23T00:00:00", "words": "924", "Additional Tags": "Non-Canonical Character Death, Death, Grief/Mourning, Letter, One Shot", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Ça fait plus d'une heure que je suis assis devant cet écran, ne sachant pas trop quoi écrire. Une boule au fond de moi m'empêche de m'exprimer librement, j'ai pensé que ça irait surement mieux par écrit. Pourtant, une multitude de mots se sont échappés, mais ils sont tous passé à la suppression. C'est dur. Je ne trouve pas les mots parfaits pour décrire ce que je ressens en ce moment. Déjà 12 heures que ton cœur s'est arrêté de battre et je n'arrive pas à m'en remettre. Les gars sont dévastés par la nouvelle et je ne vois pas comment on va s'en sortir sans toi. J'ai l'impression qu'une partie de moi s'est envolée avec ton départ. Tu étais toujours le gars qui réconfortait tout le monde, tu étais toujours là pour nous, comme nous l'étions pour toi. Je me suis levé ce matin et tout allait bien. J'avais un petit mal de tête, ce qui était tout à fait normal après la superbe soirée que nous avons passé hier. Tout allait supposément bien, jusqu'à ce que je reçoive cet appel, qui m'a fait l'effet d'un poignard dans le cœur. Je ne comprends toujours pas. Hier, tu me racontais à quel point tu étais en amour avec ta belle californienne. Bien sûr, nous étions tous un peu pompette sur les bords... Ton sourire était tellement sincère, je me disais que vous deux, c'était pour la vie. Comme quoi la vie ne tient qu'à un fil... L'idée que tu es maintenant là-haut, à veiller sur nous, m'attriste énormément. Charles, où es-tu? J'aurais voulu te dire à quel point tu as changé ma vie. Tu étais le cœur de Simple Plan. Sans toi, jamais nous aurions été aussi loin. On te doit notre carrière, comme je te dois tout un tat de choses. Ça me tue de l'intérieur de ne pas avoir de solution pour revoir ton sourire et tes yeux étincelants. Dans trois jours, nous serons confrontés à une dépouille sans vie. J'ai pas hâte, du tout. Et croiser le regard de Jeff, Seb et David sera encore plus difficile. Je ne cesse de me répéter que ça doit être qu'un terrible cauchemar, que je dois être endormi en ce moment. Pourquoi ne réponds tu pas à ton téléphone, Charles? Je n'arrive pas à croire que si je me rends chez toi demain, il n'y restera plus que des photos en souvenir de toi. Tu me connais. Tu le sais que je me renferme toujours sur moi-même dans des moments comme ça. Quand mon frère est tombé malade, j'essayais de ne pas trop penser à ce qui se passerait s'il mourrait. Tout simplement car perdre l'un de mes proches était inconcevable pour mon esprit. Je pensais que ça n'arrivait qu'aux autres. J'ai perdu mon meilleur ami et je n'étais pas préparé pour ça. Ça nous est tombé dessus trop tôt, merde. On devait avoir encore du temps devant nous pour vivre des expériences ensemble. Tu me manques déjà. J'ai pas envie que tu sois parti. Comment on va faire, Chuck? Je suis un peu perdu. Donne-moi un signe, fais quelque chose parce que j'y arriverai pas. Tu dis à tout le monde d'essayer d'être fort et j'aimerais l'être pour toi. Tu as changé un nombre de vies incroyable, crois-moi. Tu as laissé une trace sur terre qui ne sera jamais oubliée. Je m'en veux de t'avoir laissé partir seul chez toi. On se force pour être responsable, avoir des chauffeurs désignés, et y'a des esti de colon qui ne sont pas capable de faire quelque chose d'intelligent. Si jamais je lui vois la face, à cet alcoolique de merde, je vais lui faire regretter d'être né. Tu ne mérites pas cette destinée. Tu as passé ta vie à faire le bien, c'est pas vrai que je vais laisser le monde te remercier comme ça. Tu méritais ce qu'il y a de mieux, putain. Tu méritais une fin en douceur... dans 50 ans. 33 ans, c'est pas un âge pour mourir. C'est trop tôt. J'ai hurlé à m'en briser les cordes vocales, Chuck. J'ai passé ma rage sur tout ce que j'ai pu avoir sous la main. Et je ravale constamment mes larmes, par peur de totalement perdre le contrôle de moi-même. J'ai mal. La vie ne vaut pas la peine d'être vécue sans toi. J'ai besoin de mon meilleur ami pour être heureux, tout comme j'ai besoin de Simple Plan pour vivre. Je donnerais tout pour une de ces parfaites étreintes que tu n'hésitais pas à nous offrir, lors des jours où ça allait moins bien. Ce monde sera extrêmement vide sans ta sagesse, ton ambition, ton sens de l'humour, ta générosité et ta créativité. Et même sans ton honnêteté, ta patience, ton optimiste, ton sérieux et ta confiance en toi-même ainsi qu'en ceux qui t'entouraient. Ta détermination, ta force, ta sensibilité, ton calme et ton courage ont inspiré plus d'une personne dans ce monde, les fans seraient d'accord avec moi. Je voudrais aussi ajouter: ta persévérance, ton empathie, ta diplomatie, ta sincérité, ton esprit ouvert... Sans oublier ta tendance à être perfectionniste ainsi que ton talent exceptionnel pour la batterie. Chuck, toutes ces qualités nous apportaient quelque chose de magique. On se reverra, j'en suis convaincu. C'est d'ailleurs la seule chose qui me tient en vie. Je vais essayer de profiter des moments qu'il me reste, avec les gars. Et en mémoire de ta force et ton amour pour la vie, je vais m'accrocher. Repose en paix, Charles-André Comeau. Et veille sur nous.
10885155
Last Night
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Feyre Archeron, Rhysand (ACoTaR), Morrigan (ACoTaR)", "Fandom": "A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by whimsicallydrifting (orphan_account)", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-12T00:00:00", "words": "2,811", "Additional Tags": "Mortal AU, All Human, Mor cooks the best hangover breakfasts, Fluff and Humor, Banter", "Relationship": "Feyre Archeron/Rhysand", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
The first thing she felt was the pounding in her head.And the beeping of her alarm clock.Feyre groaned, heaviness sliding along her bones as she blearily lifted her head from her pillows, pain slicing through her at the movement.She reached out blindly, hitting various edges of furniture and scattered books and painting materials until she hit the cheap plastic of her alarm clock.It stopped.The room was too bright as she squinted, the open curtains to her small apartment letting in far too much sun.Her hair was half in her mouth as she tried to think, understand, remember.What on earth happened last night?Her phone beeped, and she grabbed at it, straining her blurry eyes to read the small text messages left on her phone from last night and earlier this morning. 6 New From: Cass, Amren, Az, Lucien Az (1:42 A.M.): Did you and Mor get home okay? Az (1:56 A.M.): Never mind. Rhys just called. Feel better. Don’t move too much tomorrow; it’ll make the hangover more bearable. Amren (7:11 A.M.): Thanks to you and those three hard headed idiots, I’ll be on damage control all week. Cass (9:40 A.M.): I bet you’ve got a hell of a hangover right now. Worth it for the footage I got last night. Cass (9:41 A.M.): Mor stayed over at your place, I think. She makes the best hangover food. Manipulate the fuck out of the fact that you’re sleeping with her cousin so she gives you the good stuff. xx C Lucien: (10:03 A.M.): Nice performance, Feyre. I think Elain almost passed out from shock halfway through. :) She squinted blearily, trying to make sense of the various messages from her friends…A pulse split her head, and Feyre rolled out of bed, hurtling to the bathroom just before her stomach rebelled and she threw up the contents of her stomach.Which weren’t much, it would seem.After a few minutes of retching she breathed in deeply through her nose, head swimming as she gripped the edge of the toilet.She flushed, then leaned against the cool tiles.A tantalizing smell wafted through her nostrils, followed by the sounds of someone moving around pots and plates in the kitchen.Mor…they’d gone out together last night with the rest of the group.Feyre vaguely remembered flashes of light, loud music, dancing, and drinking. Lots and lots of drinking.Which would explain the flood of texts from her friends.Her face heated and she felt like throwing up again.What had she done?Her stomach rumbled at the thought of food, and she managed to stumble to her feet, following the scent like a bloodhound.Feyre entered the living room/dining area of her small Manhattan apartment, seeing a familiar blonde head moving around in the kitchen.Mor looked up and grinned, somehow not at all hungover, despite the ungodly amount of alcohol she’d also consumed last night. “Good morning, Miss I’ll-Only-Have-One-Shot. Sleep well?”Feyre was too tired to snip back as she slumped onto the worn barstool, her cheek pressing into the wooden counter top. “I didn’t drink that much last night,” she grumbled.Mor raised a brow, flipping the pancakes and reaching for plates. “You were flirting with Rhysand.”Oh God, her head was spinning. She needed Advil. And a glass of water. But what Mor said… “So what? He’s my boyfriend.”Her friend froze halfway through serving the food. “Wait, you don’t remember?” Feyre slowly straightened. “…Remember what? Mor?”She didn’t answer.“Morrigan.” Please tell me this isn’t about the texts. Please tell me this isn’t about the texts. Please tell me this isn’t about the texts. Please tell me this isn’t— All of a sudden, Mor’s face broke into a dazzling smirk. “Oh, well this is just precious. You truly don’t remember.”Feyre was glaring now, despite the ferocious pounding in her head. “Tell me,” she said through gritted teeth.Mor turned back to the food, turning off the burner and sliding eggs onto plates beside the pancakes. It smelled divine, despite the she-devil currently serving it up on a platter like an offering to Hell. Feyre could see her smirk as she said, “You asked him if he was single.”Horror roiled in her gut, mingled with nausea. Oh no.“And you cried when he said he wasn’t.”That fast, any thoughts of eating food burned away like water in the desert sun. Shit. A memory overcame her, perhaps repressed during sleep to spare her the humiliation.A memory of last night.  The lights were bright and flashing, pretty distractions in the background. Feyre stumbled through the crowd, holding a drink clumsily in her hand. She ran into some man and bounced off, giggling. “Oopsies. Sorry there.” She continued on. She’d been here with someone… She spotted a golden brown head over in the corner, arguing ferociously with a well-built dark haired man. Her stormy grey eyes looked familiar. Maybe they worked together or something? The spinning of the room and the alcohol flooding her brain made it hard to remember. Feyre was heading towards the bathrooms (because everything interesting in those chick flics Mor always made her watch happened at the bathroom) when she ran into him. Literally. She stumbled over someone’s outstretched foot, her drink jerking out of her hand as the ground rose up to meet her— Only to be stopped by a pair of firm arms around her. “Careful there, darling. If you’re going to make love to the floor, I’d suggest doing it in private. That way you can at least take off your clothes.” The man ran an appreciative eye down her almost indecently short and tight dress. “What’s left of them, at least.” He was easily the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, with violet eyes and dark hair. And he was still holding her. Did she know him? She wasn’t sure, but she was leaning towards a negative. There was no way she could have known a man as gorgeous as this and not jumped him already. So she told him that. “You’re pretty,” she informed him, slurring her words a bit. The man’s lips quirked into a dazzling smirk as he shifted her weight so his arm was propping her up, leading her away from the crowds. “So I’ve been told.” She was a bit concerned when he led her towards the back exit, knowing all the stories of mysterious men leading off unsuspecting girls at bars, but she spotted Mor standing a little ways off, smirking knowingly at the two of them. She kept talking. “I—” She stumbled, bracing a hand against the wall as she started giggling hysterically. The man watched her with amusement and a bit of concern. “Wow, you really had a lot to drink, didn’t you, Feyre?” She nodded vigorously. Too vigorously, because the room started spinning. “Ma friend—see that’s her, over there—” she waved enthusiastically “she’s tryin to get me drunk.” She hiccupped. “You know her? She…” Feyre screwed up her face, trying to think of the word. “…Mean.” He chuckled, steadying her with a hand. “We’re acquainted. Are you alright?” “Yep.” She beamed at him. “You’re pretty,” she said again. “Are you, you know,” she gestured her hands wildly (almost decapitating a poor waiter in the process. The man holding her up shot him an apologetic look), and trying to adopt a knowing look, but failing miserably, “—alone?” The man almost looked like he was trying not to laugh. “Unfortunately, I’m taken. By a gorgeous, talented woman—a bit like you—who I love with all my heart. Sorry.” He didn’t look very sorry. Suddenly it seemed really funny, even though she’d just gotten rejected, so she started laughing, and pitched forward into him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. He shifted to accommodate her sudden weight. “I—I love you,” she giggled hysterically. She could have sworn he muttered, “I love you too, and Cassian better get this on tape so I can play a film reel of it at our wedding,” but then thing seemed…not so humorous anymore. So she started crying. “You—you don’t want me,” she practically wailed. A few people turned to look, and the man glared them into minding their own business. “Quite the contrary, darling,” he said, gripping her waist. “But you’re very drunk right now and—” Feyre didn’t hear the rest, because just then the room became unbearably blurry and everything faded away to black.   “Shit.” Feyre turned to Mor, horrified.“Oh, fuck. Please tell me I didn’t…did I?”Mor looked like she was trying not to laugh as she slid a plate of food in front of her. “It wasn’t that bad,” she said comfortingly, sitting down. “Believe me; my cousin has done some pretty shitty and embarrassing things in his life—which I would be happy to share with you some other time—and considering you’re sleeping together, I don’t think you have to worry too much about humiliation. You two have practically reached the ‘old married couple’ stage.”“That,” Feyre said bitterly, “is supremely reassuring.” Not.  Mor left a few minutes later, saying she had to get to work (and still needed to change out of the sweatpants and tank top she’d borrowed from Feyre last night), so she was left to finish her breakfast in miserable silence, then drag herself off to take a shower before she had to show up at her art gallery at noon.Crap.She felt like crap, and looked like it too.She…didn’t want to think about Rhysand. How she’d humiliated herself in front of him. They hadn’t been dating for long really, only about a year, but she already knew that she was hopelessly in love with him, and that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.Of course, after last night, she also wanted to spend the rest of her life avoiding him by living in a dark hole in the ground, but, you know…Details.The hot was deliciously soothing against her aching muscles and pounding head, so it was an effort of will to pull herself out, but it was eleven forty, and the gallery was fifteen minutes away.Wrapped in a towel, Feyre was deliberating her unfathomably tangled hair and whether or not to just chop it all off when her phone beeped, signaling an incoming text message.Thinking it was Mor, or perhaps Elain, she swiped it off the counter and checked her messages. 1 New From: Rhys (a.k.a. The Sexy Bat) Feyre froze, her cheeks flushing, then, against her will, her eyes darted down to the text. Rhys (11:40 A.M.): Can I come over? She hesitated, wondering if she should just ignore it…but Mor would kick her ass if she started avoiding her problems. Feyre (11:40 A.M.): Can’t. I’m busy. His reply was instant. Rhys (11:40 A.M.): You have work in fifteen minutes. What could you possibly be doing? Feyre (11:41 A.M.): Work stuff. Rhys (11:41 A.M): Such as? Feyre (11:41 A.M.): Stuff. A pause. Rhys (11:41 A.M.): If this is about last night… Feyre (11:41 A.M.): Do NOT even think about mentioning that, Rhysand. Rhys (11:41 A.M.): Rhysand? Only my enemies call me Rhysand, darling. Feyre (11:42 A.M.): Fuck off. Rhys (11:42 A.M.): Replace the word ‘off’ with ‘me’ and you’ve got yourself a deal. Rhys (11: 42 A.M.): Besides, you looked so adorably delicious dancing on the tabletops and deciding to give the entire bar a strip tease. Don’t worry, I stopped you before it got too far. Some things are for my eyes only. Feyre (11:42 A.M.): I hate you. Rhys (11:42 A.M.): Indeed. Feyre, now sitting against the bathtub, holding her towel up with one hand and worrying the buttons on her phone with the other, paused.Maybe…I’m sorry about last night, she typed. I don’t remember much, to be honest. Well, make that nothing, but Mor says I…asked you out. And cried. And laughed. I bet you thought I was insane. Rhys (11:43 A.M.): No more than usual, love. And don’t worry about it; it was flattering. Feyre (11:43 A.M.): And when I puked all over your nice shoes? Rhys (11:43 A.M.): Well, I’m sure they had it coming. And I thought you couldn’t remember anything? Feyre (11:43 A.M.): ‘Anything’ is a selective term. And don’t pretend to be all Mister Nice-Guy. The one clear memory I have of last night was you taking advantage of all the shots your Slytherin cousin kept slipping me to familiarize yourself with my breasts. Rhys (11:44 A.M.): I didn’t need that much familiarizing, to be honest… Feyre (11:44: A.M.): Prick. Low-down, bastardly prick. Rhys’s reply was ever so innocent. Rhys (11:44 A.M.): Such a dirty, wicked mouth. Guessing from the stream of profanity you are no doubt in the midst of sending me, you’ve got a bitch of a hangover. Feyre (11:44 A.M.): I have no idea how I’m going to work today, especially since my car is in the shop and I have to walk. He was silent. Feyre (11:45 A.M.): This is all your fault. It was your idea to go out last night, and you’re going to be the reason I get fired. No reply.Feyre frowned, squinting at her phone. Feyre (11:45 A.M.): Rhysand. Feyre (11: 45 A.M.): Damn it, please don’t go all AWOL again. If I have to drag myself over to Azriel’s to get him to find you you’re going to be sleeping alone for weeks. Feyre (11:45 A.M): RHYS. Feyre glanced at the time. Shit, she had to leave now if she didn’t want to be late. Her boss, Marilyn, was nice, but strict on punctuality.Finally, there was a reply. 1 New From: Rhys (a.ka. The Sexy Bat) Rhys (11:47 A.M.): Look out your window. Feyre scowled. “What on earth…?” Rhys (11:47 A.M.): Just do it. Rhys (11: 47 A.M.): And no scowling. It scrunches up that cute nose of yours. Feyre smoothed out her scowl, and the nose that had indeed been scrunching unattractively as she climbed ungracefully to her feet, peering out her small window to the street two floors below.Her mouth fell open.A familiar car was parked by the sidewalk, an even more familiar head of dark hair (and everything attached to it) leaning against the car door, staring down at his phone.Sensing her stare, Rhys looked up, smirking and blew her a kiss.Her phone beeped. Rhys (11: 48 A.M.): Nice towel. Careful, it’s slipping. She scowled, hiking it up and typing: Feyre (11:48 A.M.): What are you doing here? Rhys (11:48 A.M.): Waiting for you, darling, as always. Rhys (11: 48 A.M.): Get dressed. I’ll drive you to work. Feyre unlatched the frame and poked her head out.“I can walk just fine on my own, bastard!” she shouted.A few pedestrians halted, staring up at her with expressions ranging from disapproval to shock to ‘What-On-Earth-Is-This-Crazy-Person-Yelling-About’?Rhys grinned at her and shook his head, turning back to his phone. Rhys (11:49 A.M.): Oh, most definitely. But would you really deprive me of the pleasure of your company? “Yes!” Rhys (11:49 A.M.): Sad. And cruel. But it doesn’t change the fact that you are currently up there in nothing but a towel (which, don’t get me wrong, I find sinfully delightful) with a killer hangover and the daunting prospect of work in ten minutes, and I’m down here, dressed, with faster transportation and several cups of hot coffee and some donuts. Rhys (11:49 A.M.): Mor’s hangover breakfasts are delightful, but she seems to go the more healthy route. No idea why. Feyre sighed, staring at her boyfriend, then looking at the time, then back to Rhys.She sighed, grumbling some highly unflattering under her breath.She typed: Feyre (11:50 A.M.): Fine. But only if you promise to make Cassian delete any and all pictures/videos of me last night. Rhys (11:50 A.M.): Deal. Rhys (11:50 A.M.): Now come down here. I’ve missed the wonder of your presence. Feyre hissed. Feyre (11:51 A.M): Prick. She saw him tilt back his head and laugh, the light catching his remarkable violet eyes.Their eyes met, just for a moment, and Rhys’s lips quirked.“Always, darling.”
10889724
Trial Run
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody", "Fandom": "Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by kristsune", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-12T00:00:00", "words": "700", "Additional Tags": "could be read as shippy or not, really up in the air, both work, Friendly banter, cuddling for warmth, cadets in training", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "CC-2224 | Cody/CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "Gen, M/M", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Rex was staring out into the constant rain, while Cody was chewing at his nails, again . “Vod, you need to stop that. You’re going to make them bleed again, and we are out of bacta.” Cody grunted his dissent, but stopped his chewing. They were on an extended trial mission, one of their last before they were sent to the front. They needed to last an entire month in this muddy, wet hell hole with limited supplies and zero backup. They were most of the way through, but almost out of just about everything. Rex was currently contemplating on trying to find something that they could feed their dwindling fire with. Their heating unit died before the first week was out, and had been burning whatever they could find. They had run through their supply of flammable materials that were found nearby the previous rotation. During the day, it wasn’t too big of a problem, it was relatively warm and swampy, thanks to the perpetual rain. But when night came, it was palpable, even in the eternal twilight of the place. The rain turned to ice, and made the ground more slick than it already was. The sound on their shelter was maddening. Neither of them had gotten a decent amount of sleep since they landed. They were exhausted, hungry and in a desperate in need of a shave. Rex ran his hand over his overlong hair. Desperate need of a shave. “Come back from the entry, Rex. It’s too late to go hunting and it’s getting cold again.” Cody scolded. Rex rolled his eyes, “Yes, Sir .” “Shut it. Just because I’m a CC doesn’t mean anything between us; you know that.” Cody scrunched his forehead, “Besides you just lectured me not five minutes ago.” Rex started to shut the entry as he smiled at Cody, “True. But you really do need to stop biting your fingers. They are going to get infected.” “And you need to keep the entrance shut so we don’t freeze tonight.” Cody shot back, smile creeping onto his lips. Rex shot him a rude gesture before securing the flaps of the shelter closed. Unfortunately, the last of their fuel for the fire burned twice as hot, but also twice as fast, and they ran out halfway through the night. They were both shivering before long. Rex’s teeth were chattering together so hard, he was giving himself a headache. “Get over here before you shake yourself apart.”  Rex could hear the waiver in Cody’s voice, but chose not to say anything, grateful for the invitation. They were both used to sleeping in close quarters; they had slept in each other’s pods often when they had been smaller, and able to fit easily. They unfortunately grew out of that faster than either of them preferred. So they had gotten used to sleeping separate, as much as they missed being near each other. They had been sleeping within arm’s reach the entire trial, but neither of them had breached the barrier that had been created between them, besides an occasional touch, to be sure the other was there, and okay. But Cody was inviting him back in, allowing him back in that space. Rex couldn’t say no to that. He curled in close to Cody, who wrapped an arm around him to pull him close, “Gotta stay warm, yeah?” Rex tried to answer, but it only came out as a barely understandable stuttered ‘yes’. They stayed curled together until both of their shivering settled down. It was incredible how much more relaxing it was just resting skin to skin with Cody was. The constant skittering of ice on their shelter was dimmed, and the cold was being kept at bay. Rex felt like he could actually sleep, for the first time since they landed on this godsforsaken planet. Rex pulled back a little, “Hey, Codes?” Cody hummed in response. Rex leaned back in and whispered against Cody’s skin, “Thank you.” Rex could feel Cody’s smile before he gave Rex a kiss to his temple. “Anytime for you, Rex.” They didn’t bother getting fuel for the fire for the rest of the trial, and made it through just fine.
10857369
VID Ooh La La
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Christian (Moulin Rouge!), Satine (Moulin Rouge!)", "Fandom": "Moulin Rouge! (2001)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by purplefringe", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-08T00:00:00", "words": "0", "Additional Tags": "Fanvids, Video, Festivids 2011, Festivids", "Relationship": "Christian/Satine (Moulin Rouge!)", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "Festivids", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
10891461
Love
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, Jace Wayland, Clary Fray, Simon Lewis, Isabelle Lightwood", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by EmerlyBane", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-13T00:00:00", "words": "6,080", "Additional Tags": "Angst, Fluff, POV Alec Lightwood, POV Magnus Bane, Weddings, Happy Ending, Malec", "Relationship": "Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Magnus was nervous. The heart beating out of your chest, sweaty palms kind of nervous. The kind of nervous that made his magic gently rumble, fight or flight reflex just a snap of his fingers away. But he couldn't run, wouldn't run away. Not from this. He never thought this day would come. Today, he finally marries Alec Lightwood. At the Institute with both Shadowhunter and Downworlder eyes on them no less. He wanted a mundane wedding, something with less prying eyes. Don't get Magnus wrong, he loves a good party. But this kind has him all worked up into a ball of nervous energy.See, he knows Shadowhunter weddings. He knows their traditions, their rules, their intimacies like the back of his hand. Not that he ever really attended any Shadowhunter weddings, except the one he crashed in hopes that the man at the alter would choose him. His heart squeezes at the thought of almost losing Alec to the archaic traditions of the Clave. The sacrifices he was willing to make to ensure the Lightwood name stayed honorable. And here Alec was again, sacrificing his life away. This time dragging Magnus down with him at least instead of pushing him away. If Alec had to give his life away yet again for the Clave, Magnus would gladly go down with the ship if that meant he didn't lose Alec.They had won the war, but at the cost of many lives- both Shadowhunter and Downworlder. It had taken both sides breaking the accords one too many times for comfort to bring the Shadowhunters and Downworlders together in a short moment of peace. An alliance against Valentine and his Circle. And it worked, the war ended and all sides had peace. But the Clave would never be happy to leave things as they are. Still believing to be above Downworlders, the peace was broken. Trials were being threatened against the Downworlders. Their world was once again falling apart. They had all had enough. Alec set up a meeting with all of their closest friends and allies to decide what to do. As head of the New York Institute, it was his job to defend Shadowhunters. However, as the boyfriend and friend to Downworlders.. that made following the Clave's path difficult. His position at the Institute once again faltered because he was still not married.So what had Alec done? Got down on one knee and proposed to Magnus of course. Proposing a forever for not only their love life, but an alliance with the two sides. Magnus had wholeheartedly agreed to marry Alec. How could he not? But that didn't mean that he wanted to make a spectacle of it all. He wanted intimacy with those he loved to witness the union, not an entire hall of Clave members, Seelies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Warlocks witnessing the train wreck that would be their wedding.Alec was a traditionalist and a people pleaser all at once. The Clave had permitted their marriage union on their grounds, but only in the form of a spectacle that it would create a peace treaty between the two sides. Magnus hated them for it. Could they not leave Alec and his friends alone? Did they have to find new ways to show that they were above Downworlders? That although they were permitting the ceremony in the name of peace, it would never be considered as a real marriage union...And it hurt. It hurt Magnus so deeply, and yet he had still said yes. When his Shadowhunter had come in excited to share the news that the Clave had permitted them to host a Shadowhunter wedding ceremony and allow Downworlders to enter the Institute to witness the union, he acted happy too. But Magnus knew the truth. They would find harsh ways to dismiss their love, twist it, and tear them apart. He knew it and yet he had said yes. All because Alec was so excited to get to share this part of his life with Magnus. Alec thought he would never get to share it with anyone, let alone the High Warlock of Brooklyn. So Magnus, deeply in love, noded his head to everything. Couldn't Alec see that it wouldn't count though? That it didn't matter? The Clave were traditionalist in all forms of the word. Every milestone, every event, it was all celebrated in elaborate Rune Ceremonies. Mundanes had witnesses and rings placed upon their left hand, second to last finger. Shadowhunters? They had Steles and Runes.Magnus could never survive a Rune. It would burn, twist what dark soul he had, and destroy it. At best, his vessel would survive and he would linger on the brink. Otherwise, he would be sent down into the depths on his father's labrynth. They would never be actually married in the shadow world without them. And although it sucked, Magnus was honestly okay with that. He didn't needthe pompous Clave to give their blessing for his love life. He had enough experiences with the Clave to not give any regards to their opinion of him. But that didn't mean that Alec wouldn't realize a little too late that he couldn't fully share this experience. Alec was everything to him and his heart would shatter the moment Alec realized Magnus had no real place in his world. Alec would realize a little too late that his Rune would fade within months because the second Rune was never cast, the bond never formed. Magnus didn't want to see the look of disappointment on his Shadowhunter's face when that happened.Their wedding was a contract to uphold peace between the worlds and nothing more. Alec had spend months fighting to get their wedding at the Institute, for his Downworlder friends to be able to attend, for the Silent Brothers to bring their union together, and for the Clave to accept it. To accept Alec. He fought and he fought. He never once gave up. He made declarations that the head of the Institute should be allowed to get married at the Institute if the Clave was so hell-bent on him being married to keep his title. He fought for the rights for the Downworlders. He made claims that the Downworlders had to be allowed to enter to show faith in their alliances, that the Silent Brothers had to marry them off, or the Downworlders would see it as inequality to a regular Shadowhunter marriage.He fought so hard, and Magnus couldn't even give Alec a proper wedding. And it hurt so much. For the first time in over 400 years, Magnus hated himself. Hated the demon blood that coarsed through his veins. Hated that he couldn't give Alec the gift of granting him marking his skin with his Stele./He hated himself more and more as the days passed by into weeks. Hated himself more and more the closer the wedding day arrived. Until he couldn't take it anymore. Had to do something to make it right. Had to act... And do something he did.. Something incredibly stupid thanks to one, or rather 15, too many cocktails. He had come up with the most logical solution. And before he could change his mind, he had done it. Granted Alec a small token of his love for his Angel. Magnus will always give all that he can to that beautiful boy.He just hoped that Alec didn't hate it. Hoped upon hope it wouldn't forever be an uncomfortable reminder of all that Magnus couldn't give Alec, and instead be a reminder for all that Magnus could give him. For everything Magnus will always do for his Nephilim boy.Here he was about to walk down the Isle. The music started and Izzy squeezed his shoulder gently before slowly turning the corner and walking towards the gold silk carpet, head held high. She carried a gold silk pillow with Alec's Stele and two jewelry boxes. One from Magnus and one from Alec. Her dress flowed down tight around her hips and flared out to the ground, a sea of emerald sparkles. The Seelies had been kind enough to make the dress for her. After the war, Izzy and Meliorn had picked things back up, this time with new love in their eyes. Magnus took a deep breath and turned the corner. No turning back now. He had chosen this life with his Nephilim and would continue to do so no matter how much prejudice they had to face. As long as Alec was alive, Magnus would always be there. Magnus had chosen a dark emerald green pants and jacket to match the color of Izzy's dress. His undershirt a stark contrast of white, high studded collar buttoned to his neck. His hair was styled in his usual coif, gold flecks raining from the tips. Gold eyeliner rimmed his lower lashes. He looked up at Alec and prayed to the Angel Raziel (a habit he had formed in the constant company of Alec) that Alec would accept his gift. The only token he could give him. ** Alec was petrified. The pain on his chest a constant, hopeful reminder that everything would be okay. He knew he shouldn't have coerced Magnus to have a Shadowhunter wedding. He knew of Magnus' fears of not being accepted. Magnus had said as much when Alec had first brought it up before agreeing to it. But Alec didn't care. He didn't care that their wedding wouldn't actually be considered a marriage union in the eyes of the Clave or the Silent Brothers. He didn't care that it was some peace treaty shamble. The Shadowhunter knew it wouldn't be validated by the Silent Brothers, the Downworlders knew, the entire Shadowhunter population knew. Every single person knew it would never be accepted, and yet... Alec didn't care. Alec chose it anyways. Maybe he was selfish. He grew up here at the Institute, would probably die here. He sacrificed so much for his parents and the Clave. He deserved this. A small selfish moment to bring Magnus as far into the Shadow world as possible. He wanted to share the silly traditions he had always desperately hoped wouldn't be impossible for him to partake in. He hadn't even realized just how much he wanted it until his almost wedding with Lydia. After he kissed Magnus, after everyone left and he was by himself, he had wept. He had cried until his nose was red, his eyes puffy and burning, and then he cried some more. The realization that he had come out as gay and his tradition wedding would be taken from him had left him a sobbing mess. So he didn't care that it was fake, so long as he could share it with Magnus. Alec shifted his shoulder, fabric gliding across his chest and the ache set in again. That simple reminder of his love for Magnus, his willingness to meet him halfway. He wanted to share his traditions with Magnus, but also to create new traditions with Magnus as well.Alec settled his shoulder back down. He wore a simple white suit, a shimmering emerald shirt underneath that brought out his eyes and contrasted with Magnus' suit. His tie a never ending shimmer of gold, like Magnus' cat eyes. Izzy had told him that the gold and emerald together would be tacky, but he didn't care. The entire Institute thought the whole ceremony was tacky. If he wanted the colors to match and contrast with Magnus' eyes so sue him. He remembered the first time he saw Magnus' eyes, how Magnus had shown them to Max and his mother. But most importantly, he remembered their private moment together late that night. Alec whispering shyly to Magnus to show him his Mark again. Magnus had stared for a second, swallowed thickly, and let the glamour drop. Alec remembered the distinct feeling of losing his breath, heart hammering in his chest. The pure awe of just how powerful and beautiful Magnus was. He had gasped and Magnus had quickly shut down, slamming the glamour back down before getting up and rushing to the bar. Alec had been confused. Why was Magnus running away? He was beautiful and Alec was left in awe in his wake. Alec quickly chased after Magnus grabbing him by the arm and spinning him around before pressing his lips to Magnus' in a bruising kiss. Magnus had pulled away and Alec chased after him, cupping Magnus' face with his hands and whispered that Magnus' was beautiful. That he loved him, would always love every part of him- demon side and Warlock mark. And they had fallen into each other after that, into a passionate haze of I love you's and you have me forever. Alec smiled as he thought about that night. The first night of many declarations of true love and confessions. Magnus opened up little by little after that, fully sharing his world with Alec.Jace stood to the right of him. His Parabatai, a never ending support system. He could sense his calm nature and support through their bond, but he could also sense a sort of happiness radiating from him. Jace had changed after the war. He had calmed down, matured. He found a way to accept himself and let himself be loved. Jace had struggled a lot thanks to Valentine's manipulation, and it took a lot of get him to where he is now. Clary and Jace got married after Jace learned to accept himself. They were expecting their first baby soon. Alec looked out to the crowd and saw his friends Clary, Simon, and Lydia. He isn't sure when it happened or how, but Clary and him had formed a strong friendship over the years. She was his rock when his Parabatai lost control of himself, and he was hers. They built a friendship by building Jace back up. They had to get a long for his sake, and it wasn't long before they were friends just to be friends. Clary had also matured a great deal since they first met. She was a wise and formidable Shadowhunter now. Her Angelic power made her stronger and gave her knowledge she readily shared with Alec and his group.He couldn't say that Simon was his favorite person in the world. Even as a Vampire, he was a total spazz. He still remembers his Parabatai's hurt over Simon and Clary. Then when he became a Mundane again after saving everyone's life, he had to admit that maybe he could tolerate him. Then Simon had to blow it by messing up his relationship with Izzy due to his insecurities at being a terrible Shadowhunter. Then Simon had dated the werewolf girl Maia. That didn't end well. All before landing into the steady companionship and partnership with Raphael, the head of the NY vampires. Simon made the choice to once again become a Vampire. They ruled the Clan together, Simon with his alliances to werewolves and Shadowhunters and Raphael with his strong leadership and alliances to some powerful warlocks. They were a force to be reckoned with in the Downworld. In the end, Simon found his place in life where he once saw chaos and dispare. Funny how that sometimes happened. Luke, Clary's sort-of father was their with his pack. They had strong alliance thanks to his relationships with Clary and Simon. Being the Alpha, he was able to pledge his pack to the fight. Meliorn and a few select Seelie court members were there as well. They were mostly there out of duty to the Queen, but Meliorn would have come anyways.Everyone was here. All mixed up in the jumble that was Shadowhunters. Alec had done it on purpose. He had kept people together in small groups while also spreading them out with the Shadowhunters. He gave them security with their own people, but integrated them with the Nephilim. He could see the different sides talking amongst themselves, sharing smiles and soft laughs. This marriage had to work. Their alliances were too important. The Clave didn't see the importance, but Alec did. He saw humanity in all those around him and he would fight to keep them all together. Without an alliance, Simon can't visit Clary or Izzy at the Institute. Raphael will call his Clan off which will put a strain on their relationship with the vampires as well as a strain on their friend Simon who would have to choose the side of the Vampires this time. The werewolves will challenge Luke because of his loyalty to Clary and Simon. Izzy won't be able to see Meliorn. So many friendships gone in an instant if the peace treaty cannot be kept. And Alec won't let that happen. Alec heard the music start and looked up as his sister carried the jewelry and Stele up to him. She kissed him gently on the cheek before stepping to his left. He looked back up and lost his breath. Magnus, beautiful and magical Magnus. Always leaving Alec a breathless and stuttering mess. He absent-mindedly touched his chest again. ** The moment their eyes met, Magnus felt his pulse skyrocket. He was over 400 years old and no one had ever made him feel the way his beautiful Nephilim made him feel. Alec was shy and gentle, caring and loyal to a default. And Magnus couldn't get enough. How he got so lucky with his Angel is beyond him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He reached Alec and held out his hand. Alec gently grasped it. The Silent Brother began to talk, "The union of Alexander Lightwood and Magnus Bane will unite the Shadow and Down Worlds to peace. An unbreakable alliance shall be born. Alexander Lightwood, do you accept the terms of this union and your sacred duty to uphold it in the Shadow world? Running the Institute in times of peace; protecting not only Shadowhunters but Downworlders too? Justice for all as well as rights to fair trails?" ** Alec looked at his boyfriend. Scratch that, his husband. "Yes," he whispered breathless. The Silent Brother turned towards Magnus. "And you Magnus Bane? Do you accept and uphold the terms of fighting alongside the Shadowhunters to unite the two sides in times of peace? To not put the Downworlders above the Shadowhunters, to keep things fair and just?" *** Magnus' heart fluttered when Alec had said yes. He looked Alec straight in the eye and felt his magic surge. His glamour lifted, eyes glistening into golden cat slits. "I do." ** Alec's lips parted on seeing Magnus bare his mark so freely here. Alec felt a shiver run down his spine. He placed his hand on the back of Magnus' neck and gently pulled him close, foreheads resting against one another now. A small smile escaped his lips. "Magnus...."Izzy cleared her throat. Alec slowly rose up, no longer leaning into Magnus' touch. She held out the silk pillow for Alec. He grabbed the smaller of the boxes and removed the lid. Inside was an intricate ring. It was in the shape of an arrow with rubies detailing the head and tail of the arrow. Any time Alec was frustrated, he took his bow and arrows out into the night. They are his best weapon. The arrows are an extension of himself while hunting. He had also first spotted Magnus in Pandemonium after shooting an arrow into a Circle member that had gone after Magnus. Magnus had thousands of rings, bracelets, and necklaces, so Alec had found it hard to pick out just the right thing for Magnus. He is fashionable and showy, but Alec is reserved. Finding the perfect piece had taken him months and a back alley into a mundane shop. He went straight to Catarina to have her cast a protection spell on it. Realistically, he knew that Magnus was a very powerful Warlock that could more than take care of himself. He was the High Warlock of Brooklyn and a Prince of Hell. But Alec still worried about him, so if he had a Warlock cast a protection spell on the ring that would hopefully never leave his finger, no one could blame him. He loved Magnus and wanted him safe. Alec gently grabbed the ring. After removing Magnus' old rings and placing them into the box, he slid the ring on with great care; smiling shyly at Magnus. ** Magnus felt his eyes get a little teary as he saw Alec's relic for him. He knew how much Alec's bow and arrow set meant to him. Had once almost taken it as payment just to hurt Alec. But he couldn't because he knew it would hurt him deeply. And here this beautiful boy was giving him a relic that will forever remind him of Alec. His beautiful archer. He felt the warmth of Alec's fingers as he placed it on. He felt a hint of Catarina's magic and felt deeper. His eyes widened as the protection spell connected with his magic. The High Warlock of Brooklyn and Prince of Hell was about to start crying at his own wedding due to the sweet Nephilim in front of him. Alec was the only one to ever truly worry about his safety. His eyes glistened as tears threatened to spill out.He chose something simple for Alec. Alec wasn't a jewelry fan, or a fan of any fashion really. So Magnus had chosen a simple ring design. He managed to get Luke to convince the Iron Sisters to make Alec's ring out of their special iron. The same as the Nephilim blades. Magnus had then spelled it to light up only when demons were nearby. Instead of the brilliant white light that emitted from the Nephilim blades, the ring would glow gold, like the color of Magnus' eyes. Valentine may have been defeated, but there would always be other dangers. He slid it onto Alec's left hand, second to last finger and kissed it gently. It glowed softly to alert Alec that there was a demon in his presence. Magnus had put his strongest magic into it to make it stronger than Izzy's ruby necklace. He felt satisfied that Alec would always know if something was nearby, including himself and other Warlocks. ** Alec was in awe of the soft, golden glow. He wasn't sure what it was for, but knew that Magnus would tell him later. Izzy was in tears as she watched Alec and Magnus. She looked to Jace and saw that tears rimmed at his eyes for his Parabatai. She smiled softly. The Silent Brother spoke once more. "And now to mark each other with the Rune to signify this marriage." The hall fell silent.Alec looked around the hall as chaos broke out. Several Shadowhunters were smirking. Downworlders were looking out at them in outrage. Shouts broke out against the groups. Everyone argued against each other. Accusations were thrown that the Clave was being disrespectful, that they still looked down on the Shadowhunters. That this marriage couldn't happen, that it was all a lie to attempt to keep the Downworlders on leashes. Shouts upon shouts. Alec sighed. He knew there was a chance of this happening. Suddenly Magnus' voice amplified, carrying across the entire Institute grounds. ** Magnus' glamour had once again fallen. He was seething with rage. His magic teetering on the edge from losing control, from lashing out against everyone. His fingertips sparked pure red. He knew this was a mistake. Here both sides were confirming his worst fears. No matter how hard Alec tried to piece their worlds together, it just couldn't be done. He would never fit properly. Snide comments about Warlocks not being able to give Alec everything he needs or wants are thrown up by some Shadowhunter to the his left. Magnus wasn't good enough, was just a toy for his magic. Of course Alec didn't really love Magnus was the consensus of the Shadowhunters. That this was never going to be a real union between the two of them. And they were right. Downworlders would always be seen below the Shadowhunters in the Clave's eye. And that was okay, really it was. His real friends and his fiance didn't believe in that. And that is all that had ever really mattered to Magnus. But Alec's thoughts were all that mattered. Magnus looked up into Alec's eyes and saw sadness and guilt. This wouldn't do. He wouldn't let them ruin this for them. They wanted to make a spectacle about how the two worlds couldn't collide? Magnus would give them the show of a life time. He still had his gift for Alec. He knew just what to do. Magnus gathered his strength. "Enough!" Magnus shouted, his magic amplifying his voice. ** Alec flinched. He had gotten lost in the commotion of everyone around him. Had heard his worst fears come to life. Had seen the rage Magnus felt, had felt the hairs on his neck raise as electricity from Magnus' magic filtered through the air. His fingertips sparked red. Alec had never seen the red. And it was all his fault. He shouldn't have pried and begged. He shouldn't have forced the issue with being married here. Not after Magnus had discussed his fears with him. And especially not after the Clave had confirmed them. He wouldn't be surprised if another war broke out in the Institute. Wouldn't be surprised if Magnus left him. And all for what? Alec's selfish need to push for his rights to stand before the alter at the Institute. Magnus will never forgive him. His chest ached for a different reason now. ** Magnus had had enough. The silence ringing in his ears louder than the shouts had. His eyes looked into Alec's and he could see the fear still griping him, his jaw set tight. He knew Alec, knew what he was thinking. Knew his fears better than his own. Magnus shrugged off his jacket, letting it drop to the floor. The sound resonating through the silence of the Institute. He began unbuttoning his shirt. "I only have one gift I can give you to show you just how much I care. I know how much these traditions mean to you, and I'll always give you all I can till your last dying breath." Magnus had unbuttoned his shirt all the way and shrugged the shirt off his chest, discarding it on top of his jacket. He had meant to wait to show Alec. Had hoped the Clave wouldn't pressure the issue, speaking out against his inability to receive the Rune. Magnus had hoped and prayed that they would quietly let them have this small measure. But no, he should have known better. He did know better. And here he was shoving off his clothes at his wedding making a spectacle of what should have been a private moment between the two. "I can't give you everything you need, but I hope this will be enough." Magnus whispered to Alec as he closed his eyes, blue magic swirling to his chest. Glamour falling off. ** Alec's eyebrows shot up as Magnus began to strip himself of his jacket, then his shirt. His eyes widened as panic set in. Magnus could not be serious right now. He couldn't mean what Alec feared. Alec would refuse. He would light the whole place on fire, burning the entire Institute down if he had to, just to stop Magnus from going through what would surely kill him. No. Alec had had enough. Enough of the Clave pushing, enough of himself pushing Magnus. Enough of the rules, the traditions. Damn them all for all Alec cared. His magical and beautiful Warlock would not sacrifice himself. Alec closed his eyes fighting back angry tears, wanting for a moment to look away from Magnus as Magnus closed his own eyes and looked resigned.No. No. No. No. Alec thought, his eyes open as he heard several gasps from the crowd. His eyes fell on Magnus' chest as the blue magic swirled, black ink appearing on his skin slowly. Alec took a step closer to Magnus as his magic dissipated and he opened his eyes. There on his chest, next to his heart, was a rune. But no, that wasn't right. It wasn't really a rune. Alec could see the red inflamed skin, raised and scabbed a little. He could tell Magnus was staring at him trying to gage his reaction, to see if it was well received. Alec felt tears rim his eyes and fall as he laughed. A happy, exhilarated laugh. He looked back up at Magnus as Magnus scrunched his eyebrows. ** He broke his Nephilim. That was the only reasonable reaction for the laughter that fell from Alec's mouth, lips quirking up. His eyes twinkled as he looked at Magnus. Magnus' brows furrowed farther as Alec shrugged off his own white jacket, tossing it to mix with Magnus' clothing. Magnus' lips parted, his breath staggered for a second. He couldn't help it. He was just a man after all. And no matter how often they were together, Alexander Lightwood stripping would always leave Magnus just a little bit breathless. But there was no time enjoy the slide of fabric from Alec's shoulders. No time to get caught up in the sight of him, the sound, the taste. Ravishing his boyfriend on the Institute floor with friends, family, and Clave members surrounding them would not be a good idea. Alec's shirt quickly dropped to the floor. He reached for the Stele that Izzy still held on the pillow.Oh.. Alec was going to mark himself to match Magnus. His heart squeezed again. Magnus knew what it would mean for Alec when it faded. He knew the sacrifice Alec was willing to make for Magnus. He stepped an inch closer to Alec, drawn to him. Never breaking eye contact until Alec dropped his Stele to his glamour rune and began to trace the pattern. ** Alec felt exhilarated. He had wondered how Magnus would react, had wanted to show him on their wedding night, a private moment between the two. But the Clave loved to take and take from Alec and Magnus. But it was okay, just this once. Because here was Magnus baring his soul to him, marking himself in ink with a Shadowhunter Rune. Showing his commitment to all for the marriage between Alec and Magnus. All eyes had been on Magnus' tattoo, his show of faith in Alec's love. His devotion to him. So Alec thought to hell with it all and stripped down. Here was his turn to bare his soul. He dropped his Stele to his forearm where the Glamour Rune settled against his skin and traced the pattern. He could feel the lift of his glamour, could feel eyes on his chest as black ink swirled into focus. The entire hall stood up as the glamour faded and the stark black ink contrasted with Alec's pale chest. He heard a sharp breath from Magnus and looked up. ** Magnus told himself he wouldn't cry, and here he was, tears a steady stream down his face; probably smudging his eyeliner into ugly blobs on his face. But he didn't care, couldn't care. His hands shook as he lifted them towards Alec's chest, tracing the thick pattern of the Rune. It was raised up, slightly bumpy, and red. Alec had gotten a mundane tattoo of the marriage Rune to show his affection for Magnus. He had shown Magnus that although he was a traditionalist, he would do anything to bring Alec and himself together. His sweet angel boy. "Alexander..." Magnus said, his voice full of affection. ** Alec shivered as Magnus traced the tattoo. He had planned to show Magnus later tonight and ask Magnus to magic himself one so that they could match. In the eyes of all, they would be bonded. Maybe not in the full ways of the Shadowhunters (and there would be many that would not see it as proper), but in the Downworld the sentiment would not be lost. There eyes met and Magnus surged forward to capture Alec's upper lip in his own. Alec gently grasped the sides of Magnus' face, cradling iit softly as he deepened the kiss. A loud whistle could be heard from the crowd, Simon probably."Magnus," Alec gasped, suddenly aware of their surroundings as cheers and clapping broke out amongst the Downworlders. Alec pulled apart from Magnus as Magnus attempted to chase his lips. "When did you get that tattoo?" ** Magnus breathed deep. "Last night. I knew the Rune was a large part to your ceremony as well as part of your world. I wanted to show my devotion to you and find a way to bring us closer into each other's world. I tried many spells to allow me to receive a Rune, all with not so pleasant side effects I might add. So this tattoo was as close as I could go. The real question is, when did you get one? And why?" Magnus questioned, awe and a little bit of fear lacing his voice. ** Alec couldn't stop smiling. "I shared my world with you fully, fighting to allow me to share every aspect of it with you. But, I knew you couldn't get a Rune. I knew the risks, knew I couldn't mark my skin with a Stele to complete the ceremony if my own husband couldn't share that intimacy with me. I knew the Rune would fade in time because a bond was not completed. And it felt like cheating, cheating you out of everything you have sacrificed, cheating our union, the Downworld, the Clave, but also cheating myself. It would have been a farce. And why would I want a silly Rune my husband can't have anyways? So Jace took me to a tattoo shop. I had planned to show you tonight. And.... to ask you to magic one just like mine," Alec mumbled that last part, blushing like an idiot. His idiot. His sweet, wonderful, Nephilim idiot. They kissed again and more cheers broke out amongst the Downworlders. Alec smiled into the kiss. Magnus had been wrong. They could totally do this. Combine their worlds effortlessly. Just the two of them. ** Shouts broke out amongst the Clave members. Harsh words about how the union was a farce. The head Inspector shouted "Enough! This farce has gone on long enough. We allowed you into our home for this silly wedding ceremony, and how do you two repay us? By making a mockery of our customs. You cannot fake a Rune for your pleasure. They have meaning, power. I demand you two remove them. This union will not be accepted in this Institute. Alexander Lightwood, if you want to run this Institute you will find a suitable person to marry, or ruin your career. It's your choice, but we do not accept this wedding nor will we ever." Her eyes shown darkly as she spoke. The Clave was turning to leave when the Silent Brother Zachariah spoke. "Alexander Lightwood and Magnus Bane have marked each other in the eyes of the Institute and Clave today. From this day forward, Alexander Lightwood-Bane and Magnus Lightwood-Bane shall forever be bonded in the eyes of the Silent Brothers, therefore bound by the Angel Raziel. The Silent Brother Zachariah, though better known to Magnus as Jem, nodded his head and walked away. More protests could be heard from the Clave, but the Silent Brother had spoken and their word was the law. And as the saying goes, the law is the law. Magnus surged with happiness. It wouldn't get any easier from here on out, they would forever be fighting the Clave, but that didn't matter. Would never matter again. Alec pulled Magnus in and kissed him slow and languid. And the two Husbands got lost in each other for a moment. Magnus broke apart long enough to state that their would be a party at his place later for everyone to celebrate together. Wards would be placed for the safety of all, and all were welcome. Bbut for now.... for now he was going to kiss his husband once more.Their friends laughed as they all quickly exited the hall, giving the two lovebirds their moment together while excitedly talking amongst themselves about another famous Bane party. ** The END
10888041
Angels in the Deep
{ "Archive Warning": "Graphic Depictions Of Violence", "Category": null, "Characters": "Fenris (Dragon Age), Female Hawke, Carver Hawke, Varric Tethras, Anders (Dragon Age)", "Fandom": "Dragon Age II", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by AnyaDawnFaye, Lady_Sinistra", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-12T00:00:00", "words": "1,361", "Additional Tags": null, "Relationship": "Fenris/Female Hawke", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "F/M, Gen", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
With a yell, Kyali Hawke slammed her staff to the ground as flames erupted before her. The last of the darkspawn finally lay dead at her feet. Taking quick inventory of the rest of her venturing party, they seemed none the worse for wear. Varric, Anders, and Kya’s twin Joselyn were pouring over the map that had led them this far, but Fenris was leaning against a pillar some distance away.She had to be cautious in approaching the elf warrior. He was still wary of mages, but Kyali wasn’t about to interrupt the other three from their bickering over the map. She was thinking about drawing his attention with some witty remark involving the fight they had just won when the elf slumped and dropped to the ground, arms wrapped around his midsection.Kyali bolted towards him and knelt on the ground. When she placed a hand on his shoulder, the fierce look he gave her could have just as easily frightened her away, if it wasn’t for the blood dripping to the floor from between his arms.“Fenris…”“I’m fine,” he snarled.“Andraste’s flaming titts. No you’re not. Why didn’t you say something sooner?” She carefully tried to pry his arms away from the wound to get a better look. Light green waves of magic began to form around her hands. He struggled to pull away from her.“I said I’m fine!”“AND I’M NOT LETTING YOU GET TAINTED BY THE DARKSPAWN!” He stilled at that, turning his gaze from her. Whether the others had heard her shouting, they did not acknowledge it. Very slowly, Fenris’s arms dropped to his side as he leaned back against the pillar and Kyali was able to get a full view of the wound. It looked like a sword’s blade had been drawn across his stomach, blood starting to stain his dark armor. The dark haired woman grimaced as she carefully placed one hand on the wound, the green light now swirling in and around the gash. Fenris clenched his jaw and tilted his head back. Kyali wasn’t sure if the pain he was expressing was from the wound itself, or her healing capabilities.“Sorry if it stings a little…” she whispered. “Bethany’s better at this then I am…”“Bethany?” Fenris turned and looked at her, the faintest hint of curiosity in his expression.“My younger sister. You met her briefly, remember?”“...Ah, yes. The other mage Hawke...”Kyali met his gaze. There was a strangeness to his expression for the briefest second before he turned his face away from her.“Yeah… the other mage...” She looked down at her handy work. The majority of the bleeding had stopped, but the wound itself looked terrifying. “We have two options here… I secure several wraps around that so it doesn’t risk infection,or worse...”“What’s the alternative?”“...we cauterize…”Anger started to rise in his face as he shot glances at her hands. She knew the elf hardly trusted magic beyond healing, so she leaned back and raised her hands, showing no magic being summoned.“That's why I suggested the bandages first.”The anger faded and he mumbled something under his breath about bandages.As she rummaged in her pack for linen wraps, Kyali could feel Fenris’s gaze watch her every move.“You could have just as easily brought someone else along. Why bring me?”“We needed someone who could help Joselyn dish out the damage and take hits if it came to that… it was going to be either you, Carver, or Aveline.” She finally found the linen wraps and began to secure them around and over the wound. He occasionally flinched at her touch, but remained seated before her. “Aveline shouldn’t be pulled away from her work too much with her upcoming promotion, and with the expedition to go on weeks, that was too much to ask.”“And what of your brother?” He winced but didn’t show any other outward signs of pain.“.... Most days we get along just about as well as you and Anders do. He pissed me and Jos off the day before we were supposed to leave, so we left him behind. Besides, someone needed to take care of Mother and Bethany. Not like Gaimlen is going to do anything to help anyone besides himself.”There was some truth to what she had said. She closed her eyes and could hear the argument she had had with Carver as clear as day as the scene played through her mind.  He was angry. Which wasn’t any different than normal as of late. The two had stepped outside to have the argument and not upset Leandra any further. Kya had suggested Joselyn go the other way… so as not to murder the only Hawke brother. “I’m not a child, Kyali! I can take care of myself in a fight!” “And who’s going to take care of Mother if something happens to the lot of us on this journey?! You want to leave that to Gaimlen?” Carver’s jaw and fists clenched as Kya looked him directly in the eye. “That’s what being the head of the house means. If something does happen to Jos and me, that responsibility falls on you.” That didn’t seem to defuse his anger any. “Carver. We wouldn’t do this to you if we didn’t think you weren’t ready to become head of the family.” That seemed to strike a nerve as the tension slowly left his body and he hung his head. “Mother’s not going to like this. You were always her favorite… and Jos looks so much like father...” he grumbled, defeat tinging his voice. “Don’t kid yourself, brother. You’re the man of the house, remember? Other than your hair, you're the one who looks most like Dad.” Although she meant for her tone to be teasing, it came off as bitter. She stepped towards him and pulled him down so she could kiss his forehead. “We’ll be back before you know it. Think of it this way. You’ll get a couple months off from dodging Templars with me.”  “Hawke?”Kyali didn’t realize she had stopped halfway wrapping the bandages around Fenris’s body. Nor did she realize the close proximity that it had left her in. This was the closest she had ever been to him without him physically moving her aside, and yet he made no moves to push her away. Their breathing had all but stilled, Kya’s catching somewhere in her throat. Fenris was still, both hands still on the ground by his sides while Kyali’s rested on either side of his ribcage.When they had first met in the darkened streets near the Alienage, she thought him to be rather good looking. Tanned skin, silver white hair, the faint glow from his tattoos, a lithe form with enough strength to wield weapons nearly as big as himself... And the expression he was giving her right now was perhaps the gentlest he had borne since they had met. Or perhaps it was his confusion about the situation that she was misinterpreting.Maker’s mercy, did Hawke even dare to admit she was attracted to the brooding, mage hating elf?She quickly sat back on her heels after tucking the end of the wrap in place to secure it.“There we go…” her voice slightly raised in pitch and failing to hide her embarrassment. “Good as new. If something doesn’t feel right later, I’ll.. uh… I’ll try to fix it.”Kyali stood and turned away, her hands flying to her cheeks to try and rid them off the burning blush that had started to spring forward.“Kya…”She stopped short, surprised by him calling her by her nickname. Not her surname that everyone else called her by or how she always introduced herself. Only family ever used that name on her. She turned over her shoulder, eyes wide.“Yes?”Hazel green eyes locked with pale blue as he carefully stood. He placed a hand on her shoulder before continuing on towards the other waiting party members.“....thanks.”She smiled, trying to disregard the faint flush that still fought it's way to her cheeks.“Anytime, Fenris.”
10849491
Bits and Pieces
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Jonah Heston, Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo, Gypsy (MST3K), Dr. Girlfriend", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by speccygeekgrrl", "chapters": "16/16", "completed": "2017-09-13", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "8,454", "Additional Tags": "Cuddling & Snuggling, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Angst, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Love Letters, Poker, Crossover, Hurt/Comfort, Just Add Kittens, Aftercare, Snowball Fight, Glasses, Monsters, Philosophy, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Kinga Forrester/Max (TV's Son of TV's Frank), Clayton Forrester/TV's Frank, Jonah Heston/TV's Son of TV's Frank | Max", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Venture Bros", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "F/M, Gen, M/M", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Max is a side sleeper. Kinga usually sleeps on her stomach, but on the increasingly frequent nights they share a bed she finds herself wrapped around him from behind, one arm curled around the softest part of his stomach. She presses her nose into the nape of his neck and cuddles him like the biggest, coziest teddy bear she's ever owned. The one night she mumbles something to that effect he lets out a short, sleepy laugh."I guess you kind of do own me," he agrees softly, lacing his fingers through hers where her hand rests on his belly. "But you're mine too, right?" She doesn't say anything, just squeezes him and kisses the back of his neck and falls asleep quickly.He's not satisfied by that. Max is very serious about not taking silence as consent, and he's equally serious about the imbalance in feelings in their relationship. He knows he loves her, he's always loved her, and he knows that she didn't care until recently and she still doesn't care enough to put a name to her feelings for him. He asks but doesn't push, half-scared that if he demands an answer she'll just push him away.Kinga falls asleep easily when they sleep together. He doesn't know that that's not the case when they sleep apart. All he knows is that he stays awake for a very long time after she's out, his usual trouble sleeping exacerbated by his mind hyper-processing the sensation of her spooning him. He's okay with it, honestly. He doesn't mind not sleeping when being held by her is literally a dream come true. The nights are great, but the mornings... the mornings are the best. She always rouses first, obviously, and he usually starts waking up when she rearranges herself against his side. As standoffish as she could still be during the day, Kinga first thing in the morning is a cuddle monster, and by the time Max opens his eyes she's got her head on his shoulder and a leg curled over his legs. He gets an arm around her, and she settles in for some serious snuggling."Morning," he murmurs, and she hums lazily and squeezes him. "You know, I could get used to waking up like this.""Yeah?" She lifts her head to meet his eyes and it's so unfair that she always looks this sweet and loving when she's not quite awake but she's so mean when she's alert. "I might be able to too. I sleep so well when you're here.""Oh, I'm good for you," he says, mostly serious, but she laughs. "I'm better for you than you are for me.""Mm, that's true. But I'm your problem to deal with."That isn't quite her saying she's his, but... close enough. He kisses the top of her head when she nuzzles back into his shoulder. Ten minutes later, he dozes off; she doesn't let go of him for another half an hour after that. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "What the hell is this?" Kinga demanded, waving a piece of stationery in front of Max's face. Max went pale. "You weren't supposed to-- that's not-- that's private," he stammered."Is it private? Cause it has my name on it," she growled. "It looks like it's meant for me. But that can't be right. You're not this suicidal.""I'm not suicidal at all," he said weakly, and she arched a brow at him."Are you sure? This isn't a love letter, Max. This is a death wish.""You weren't supposed to see that.""No? Then why's it on such quality paper? And your handwriting is so nice here. Every word is so easy to read. Usually your writing is a mess. You really wanted me to be able to understand what you wrote here, huh?" "Kinga, please..." He looked like he wanted to walk out of an airlock with no helmet. She was half ready to throw him out of one herself. "Just... forget you found that, please.""You want me to forget all these pretty words? Just... pretend I never read this heartfelt, moving letter?" Every word dripped with venom. He nodded slightly, afraid to move too much, and she smiled at him like a drawer full of sharp, shiny knives. "Okay, Max. You made a mistake. Everyone's allowed to make mistakes." He swallowed, waiting for the ax to fall. She held up the letter and scanned through it again, scorn clear on her face. "I don't know what kind of sorry rom-com marathon you went through to produce this pathetic sap, but... here. Let's forget about it." She tore the letter in half, then quarters, then kept shredding it until it was just a handful of confetti that she threw in his face. "But if I ever see something like this again, that's the last mistake you'll ever make. Now clean this garbage up." She turned on her heel and walked out. He stood there for a second with his head down, wondering if it would be easier on himself to just drop dead right there, then sighed and knelt to sweep the scraps into his hand.She had never been meant to see that. He had put it in a place where she couldn't have found it. Well, at least she only came after him for the contents of the letter and not the contents of the diary he kept in the same place. It could have been worse. She definitely would have outright murdered him if she'd read that. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Sometimes Max wondered what it was like to work at a normal Starbucks. He worked at the closest one to Gizmonic Institute, and scientists were weird. Mostly nice, some arrogant, many with very specific drink orders... and then there was her.Every day she came in at 3 pm, red hair falling out of its bun, lab coat stained or burned or otherwise damaged, and rattled off her Frappucino order faster than he could mark the cup. She sneered when he asked her to repeat herself the first few times, but after a couple of weeks he'd memorized her modifications: Matcha base, four pumps peach syrup, six pumps mango syrup, four pumps raspberry syrup, blended for exactly thirty seconds, a layer of mocha sauce halfway through the cup, and cinnamon sugar and mocha chips on top of the whipped cream. Every day he'd hold up the cup and call, "Kinga," and she'd take it and taste it and roll her eyes at him."Wrong again," she'd always say. The first couple of weeks she left frowning. After that, when he got better at making it, she'd still heckle him but he'd tease her back and usually she'd leave smiling.Then Starbucks changed the formula for their raspberry syrup. The first Frappucino her handed her after the change got handed right back to him."It's wrong. You left out the raspberry. Make it again.""No, I didn't. The raspberry syrup had the red dye removed." Usually her drink was a sort of muddy pink. This one was green. "It'll taste the same, I promise.""I don't care what you promise, it looks wrong.""Look, just... take the drink, please." Max kept holding it out until she heaved a sigh and took it. "It'll be right tomorrow, don't worry." She scowled at him and walked out, and he smiled slightly as the door closed behind her.The next day, she came in, regular as clockwork. "Matcha Frappucino--" Max held up a finger and she paused. He pulled a bright pink Frappucino out of the fridge, added the whipped cream and toppings, and handed it to her with a flourish."Taste it," he urged when she looked at it suspiciously. She sipped it and her eyes widened."It's... it's right. You fixed it." She gave him a harder look. "You fixed it for me, why?""Because that's the way you like it," he said brightly. "And I like giving you what you want." Her eyes narrowed, and he smiled. It wasn't a crime to flirt a little. "See you tomorrow, Kinga.""Yeah. See you." She left looking a bit perturbed. Max patted his pocket where he'd hidden a bottle of red food dye. He had to find a place to keep it where no one else would see it. Technically, he could get in trouble for adding unapproved substances to drinks... but he was ready to risk it if it meant he could catch the edge of her pleased smile on her way out of the cafe every day. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "It got out again," Max said urgently. "It got our scent last time. Kinga, what do we do?" Kinga's eyes widened."Oh no. Oh, no..." She grabbed the nearest Skeleton Crew. "Kill it! I don't care how many people it takes, kill it and throw it out an airlock. And let me know when you've done it." She let go of the crew and grabbed Max instead. "We have to get out of here. Come on." He let her drag him over to the chute that connected Moon 13 with the Satellite of Love and watched as she sent herself up.Well. Desperate times called for desperate measures. And being hunted by a genetically modified guard dog with three heads was a pretty desperate time. He went up after her and found himself standing on the bridge next to her. Jonah and the bots calmly looked up from their poker game and decided to ignore the Mads. "All in," Gypsy said, pushing a pile of RAM chips to the center of the table."Oh, a bold move," Jonah said. "I'm gonna fold." "Heck with that," Tom said, adding his pile to the kitty. "I'm feeling lucky.""Not as lucky as I am," Crow said, matching the bet. "Let's see 'em, suckers."Gypsy had a royal flush. Tom had a full house. Crow had five aces, and started scooping the RAM chips toward himself before Jonah put his hand down in his way. "Crow... what have I told you about cheating?""It's a valid way to get what you want?" the gold bot said hopefully. Jonah sighed."I mean, it is," Kinga piped up, and Jonah sighed again."I'm not going to ask why you're here. I was going to ask if you wanted to be dealt in, but if that's your stance on cheating...""I don't cheat," Max said. "Can I play? Please?" "Take my place," Gypsy said. "I've got things to take care of anyways. Could you just help me with those chips?" Max swept all the chips into Gypsy's mouth, and she left, humming cheerfully. "The game is five card draw," Jonah said, collecting the cards and shuffling them. "Uh... Gypsy just took everything we were betting with..." Kinga folded her arms and sulked as everyone on the bridge ignored her to find something to bet with. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Kinga was peripherally aware of the Guild of Calamitous Intent, but she didn't feel the need to ally herself with them. That wasn't her style of villainy. She didn't want a nemesis, she just wanted to rule the world, and outfits like that tended to encourage ambitious villains to limit their scope to one assigned protagonist. At least, that was what her father had said scornfully when they'd sent him an invitation packet. Sure, they had resources, and sure, it would be nice to have someone backing her up in an emergency, but Kinga didn't need them. She needed to be in control of her destiny. That was enough for her.She'd been on Moon 13 for a couple of years when the old Meteor Majeure station started broadcasting again, which was unexpected and kind of interesting. It had been a focal point of the Guild's power back when her grandmother had just been cutting her teeth on mad science, but it had been dead for decades. Now, though, transmissions were going out, and she was determined to intercept as many as she could out of sheer curiosity.As soon as Kinga saw the villainess with the husky voice on the transmissions, she developed an instant and severe girl crush. What style! What grace! What a weird voice to come out of such a beautiful woman, but hey, everyone was a little weird. The woman never identified herself as anything except the Chairwoman of the Guild. Kinga wanted to know more. Fifteen minutes after she started hacking into Meteor Majeure's ancient computer systems, her viewscreen came to life. It was her girl crush... and she looked pissed."Who the hell do you think you are?" the woman fumed. "Hacking into the Guild, I ought to blow you out of the sky...""Oh... hi! Hello! Madam... hi. I'm, um, I'm Kinga Forrester. This is my moon base." The woman cast her gaze around, then smirked slightly. Kinga felt her heart rate kick up a notch. "You're the Chairwoman of the Guild of Calamitous Intent.""I am," the woman agreed, but didn't identify herself further. "Forrester, hm? I don't recall any Forresters in the history of the Guild. Who are you? Are you an antagonist?""Antagonist? No, ma'am. I'm a mad scientist, my whole family line are mad scientists. Can I just say that it's an honor to speak with you?""Don't trip over yourself," the chairwoman said, that smirk reappearing. "What business do you have with the Guild, then? I don't take kindly to attempted hacking.""I'm just-- oh, jeez. I wanted to know what was going on, we're a little cut off from information here on the dark side of the moon and you're the most interesting thing I've seen in a while.""You're out of the loop, sweetie. Didn't you see what happened with Gargantua-2?""Garwhataca? Um, no...""The giant fucking space station the only competent Venture built? No? Well, it doesn't matter, it's not there any more. What are you doing on the moon?""Oh, you know... mad science stuff.""Don't patronize me, girl." Kinga shivered slightly at the command in the woman's throaty voice. "Um, genetic engineering, developing a new form of media transmission, plans for world domination..." She shrugged. The woman arched a brow."Ambitious, aren't you? What sort of genetic engineering? It's a special interest of mine." "Oh! Really? I'd love to tell you all about it. It'd be nice to discuss it with someone who understands it all. Would you... maybe want to come here and take a look at what I've been working on? I've got atomic supermen manning my base and a whole bunch of dinosaurs in my basement...""Dinosaurs, really?" That piqued the woman's interest. "I wouldn't mind seeing some dinosaurs.""I'd love to show them to you! You can even taste them. I've developed my own barbecue sauce to complement the prehistoric flavor and everything. Would you like to come for dinner?" She couldn't keep the blatant hope off her face. Blue eyes studied her for a moment, and then the woman pushed her hair back from her face in a surprisingly casual move."You know what? That sounds lovely. When would you like me to show up?""When's good for you? My schedule is pretty open... I could let them know to fire up the grill right now, if you're hungry." "According to coordinates, it'll take about an hour for me to get to you... call it two hours? I'll bring a Guild orientation packet. You seem like a promising young antagonist. Maybe we can work something out.""Sure! Sounds great! Um... what should I call you?" Pretty lips turned up at the corners and Kinga tried not to swoon."You can call me Sheila. I'll see you soon, Kinga." She cut the transmission and Kinga let out an excited squeal. Wow. She was going to meet a real, important, super classy supervillainess. Maybe Sheila would have some pointers for her. Kinga could always improve her air of menace, and it would be nice to have a mentor, and...She was humming when she passed Max in the hallway. He stopped and looked after her, bemused, then shrugged and went on his way. Whatever got her into a good mood was okay by him. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "This is bullshit," Kinga fumed, arms folded and wincing in pain. "Such bullshit. Who even left all those things lying around?""You did," Max said gently, rolling her sock off her foot and pushing up the hem of her pants leg. "Oh, yeah, you messed that up pretty good.""I don't think it's broken," she said, trying to wiggle her foot. She stopped with a yelp of pain. "I really hope it isn't broken...""Well, stop moving it." His hands felt cool against her swollen ankle as he carefully prodded it. "You've hurt this ankle before.""Yeah, a couple times. It doesn't feel as bad as it did when I broke it.""I think you just turned it pretty badly." They didn't have an infirmary, just an oversized first aid kit. Neither of them knew what they'd do if she actually broke her ankle, but if it was just twisted they could deal with that. Max bustled around a bit, getting a cold pack to hold to her injured joint, digging the wrap bandage out of the kit, rummaging around for a painkiller. "...what's this?" he asked, holding up a pill bottle and shaking it. "Pearl Forrester?""Grandma's Vicodin, give me that!""You stole her pills?" Kinga waved a hand dismissively."She gets more every month. Bet she didn't even notice they were gone. Seriously, give me one." With a shrug, Max shook one out into his palm and she swallowed it dry when he handed it to her. He replaced the bottle in the first aid kit. The thought of Kinga going around loopy on Vicodin made him very, very concerned."We don't have any crutches," he said. "And much as I'd love to sweep you off your feet in a grand gesture, I'm pretty sure that would leave us both injured. So... are you okay with hobbling around with my help?""It's not the end of the world," she said. "I want to go to my room, I should get this ankle elevated." She got up with his help and leaned heavily against him with her arm around his shoulders. "You're like the perfect height for this," she said a little dreamily. Well, that works fast, he thought, and wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. A walk that usually took five minutes took closer to fifteen with him supporting her, and by the time he set her down on her bed he could barely keep his smile hidden. Apparently opiates made Kinga cuddly. Who knew? "Can I get you anything else?" he asked as he fluffed the pillow to put under her ankle."You're not leaving me alone, are you?" "Don't you want me to?""No... not really. You can stay." She wiggled over on the bed to make space for him to sit, which was unprecedented. Usually she didn't even want him in her room. He stood by the bed uncertainly until she patted the space next to her imperiously. "Well?""Impatient, aren't you?" He kicked his shoes off and sat next to her, watching her curiously. "Are you sure you don't want anything else?""I want this damn coat off, I'm overheating," she said, and Max closed his eyes for a second wondering if he was extremely fortunate or just being set up for another disappointment. He helped her get the coat off and blinked at the t-shirt she was wearing-- one he'd given her a few years before that said "stand back! I'm going to try SCIENCE!" "That's better," she sighed, letting her head fall back against the headboard and huffing in annoyance when her hair sticks clattered on it. She yanked them out and tossed them aside, shaking her head to loose her hair."You look... comfy," he said carefully. She was so stringent about being put-together at all times that seeing her undone like this was almost unsettling. "What do you want to do now?""I dunno... you want to binge watch something?" He handed her the remote to her TV and tried not to startle when she cuddled up to his side as she scrolled through Netflix. Very hesitantly, he put his arm around her shoulders, and she glanced up at him with a smile before focusing on the TV. "Oh, let's watch Stranger Things. That's a perfect binge show.""Sounds good," he said, knowing that he'd barely register what they were watching as long as they were this close. All he could smell was her shampoo. He nuzzled the top of her head and breathed her in. If he was being conscripted as her pillow for the next eight hours, that was honestly the best thing that had happened to him since they came up to the moon, and he was going to enjoy it. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "Do that again," Kinga said urgently. "What, this?" Max moved his fingers slightly and she whimpered. "Or that?" He moved them a different way. She grabbed his wrist and dug her nails into it. "Or not that! Apparently not that.""All of it," she said. "Do all of it. Oh my god, how are you even good at this?" "I'm just paying attention to how you react. It's not rocket science." He looked like he wanted to laugh, dark eyes shining with amusement, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to kiss him or hit him. "Plus, you know, I've kind of spent some time thinking about this.""Pervert," she said weakly, and he did laugh at that, glancing down at where his hand moved on her and back up at her flushed face. "You're benefiting from my overactive fantasy life," he chirped, "so maybe a little less with the name calling?" She gave him a sulky look. "Oh, I'm sorry, does it take the fun out of it if you can't verbally abuse me?" She started to say something snarky, but he took his hand off her, grinning. "I can stop..." "Don't you dare." He looked positively smug when he lifted his hand and sucked the taste of her off his fingers, and she shivered. "God, Max, please don't tease me.""That is so rich coming from you." He was nicer than she was, though, and he was having too much fun watching her trying and failing to hide how much he pleased her. "Also ambiguous," he added, fingertips tracing her slick folds. "Because it's not really teasing as long as it gets somewhere, right? Even if it takes a while to get there." He pressed just the tip of one finger inside her and her lashes fluttered. "I'm not in a hurry, are you in a hurry?" "I could be," she said, and he very slowly slid his finger deeper. "Oh, really? Do you have some place to be?" "Nnnnnno..." Watching her struggle to keep her composure was both hilarious and insanely arousing. She bit her lip, but that didn't stifle the keening sound she made when he curled his finger."Maybe something to do? Something more important than this?" "Nothing is more important than this," she gasped, and he grinned like a madman and leaned in to kiss her."Very good. You should see yourself right now, you look absolutely amazing." Admittedly, he was biased, but even his best dreams had never approached the truth. He'd always imagined her as perfect, but here and now she was flushed from her hairline all the way down the slopes of her breasts, her hair was starting to tangle from the way she tossed her head every time she couldn't help making a sound, her mouth looked almost bruised from how much she'd bitten her own lip, and... she was a mess, a beautiful mess, and he was the one who put her into this state. He didn't think he'd ever felt this powerful before in his life. He barely had to move to get her to make the most astonishing sounds."Max..." She caught him with a hand at the back of his neck. He flinched at the touch of her nails, but she didn't dig them in like he expected her to. "More," she said, and her half-lidded eyes went wide as he pressed a second finger in. He couldn't help himself, he had to kiss her again, and when he tried to pull back she did use her nails, so he just let her keep him there, half over her, tasting every moan and sigh he drew out of her with one gentle hand. He moved his thumb almost by accident, but the way she cried out let him know he'd done something right, and it didn't take a whole lot more focused attention before she yelped and clutched him closer, nails actually drawing blood in the spasm that shook her when she came. "Did you just--" She pushed at his hand, too sensitive to stand it any more, and he pulled it away and sat back slightly, a small smile quickly spreading into a grin. "Still think I'm a pervert?""Yes," she mumbled stubbornly, "but I never said it was a bad thing." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "What is this?" Kinga asked, staring down at the creature currently attacking her shoe. Max stooped to scoop it up and present it to her."It's a kitten.""Are you sure? It looks like a dust bunny." True, the kitten was dust-grey and its fur was very long and soft, but Max thought that was a little rude. "Why do you have a kitten?""I don't have a kitten. I have four kittens. The guy who runs the shop I play Magic at, his cat had a litter and he didn't have the time to socialize them so I told him I'd foster them until he could find homes for them." Max held the kitten up and kissed the top of its fuzzy head. "This one is Jeremy.""Jeremy? Seriously? That's a lame name for a cat.""If you want to name one, you can adopt one," he said cheerfully, and he waved her into his apartment. "Watch your step. Josephine likes to get underfoot." Kinga rolled her eyes but looked where she was going when she walked to the couch. A tiny calico paw swatted at her from under the couch when she sat down, and she sat cross-legged to get her feet out of kitten attack range. "Josie... behave.""This is ridiculous," Kinga said. "You don't have time for kittens.""I have plenty of time for kittens," he corrected her. "And I think you need some kitten time too. You're way too wound up. Here, snuggle this." He pressed Jeremy into Kinga's hands and went into his bedroom to round up the other kittens. Kinga put the cat in her lap and stared down at it doubtfully. "I'm not a cat person." Jeremy didn't seem to care. Kinga's lap was soft and she was warm and that covered all his criteria for accepting a human. She petted the kitten tentatively. "Oh jeez, he's so soft. Are they all this soft?""No, he's the softest one." Max came back out with his arms full of kittens, one ginger one and one black one. "Somehow he came out longhaired and the others are all shorthairs. But they're still pretty soft too." He set the other cats on Kinga's lap and sat down next to her, picking up a cat toy and using the feather on a string to fish the calico kitten out from under the couch. "Listen to them purr, it's so relaxing. I swear you'll feel better." "Sounds fake, but okay..." The ginger one started climbing up her sweatshirt, tiny claws pricking her through layers of cloth, and Kinga caught it and held it up in front of her face, getting a mew of protest in return. "What's this one called?""Joy. She's... not joyful. She reminds me of you, actually.""Oh, really?" Kinga shot him a dangerous look, and he shrugged, half-smiling."She's aggressive and doesn't accept affection readily." Kinga thought about that for a second, then rolled her eyes and pushed the ginger kitten back at him."You're good at dealing with that. Take her back." Max caught the kitten in both hands and held her up to his shoulder, and she perched there and started to knead with her claws out. He winced but didn't dissuade her. Abuse from a kitten was nothing compared to the shit Kinga put him through. The remaining two cats on Kinga's lap cuddled together and she pet them cautiously, almost smiling when they started to purr. "Okay, they're... kind of cute.""They're absolutely adorable," Max said. "You're kind of cute. And kind of scary.""As long as you think I'm more scary than cute, I'll allow it," she said, and she looked at Joy digging her claws into Max's shoulder. "Although cats are really popular on the internet... maybe there's something here I can use in my plans. Some lesson to be learned from the cuteness of kittens.""I guess you're just going to have to come over and play with them until you learn the lesson," Max said cheerfully. Kinga didn't respond, staring at the puddle of fur in her lap with a furrow in her brow. Okay, whatever. Kinga was going off on one of her weird internal tangents. Max went back to playing with Josie and the feather toy, shooting glances over at Kinga while she puzzled through how to adapt cuteness for evil purposes. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Kinga really, really enjoyed breaking Max into a shivering pile of limbs. The harder she made him come, the more he shivered afterwards. It was her favorite way of judging how much he enjoyed what they did together. Her personal best to date was three minutes and eleven seconds, that time with the handcuffs and the Wartenburg wheel. Tonight, she kissed his shoulder as she drew away, and he let out a weak whimper and buried his head in his arms, shaking almost violently. It took her a couple of minutes to get out of the harness and drop the toy over the side of the bed, and he didn't stop shaking that whole time. "Hey... are you okay?" she asked, almost concerned. He nodded but didn't lift his head or say anything. She curled up against his side, one hand stroking up and down his sweat-slicked back. "You seemed to enjoy yourself..." He let out a breathless laugh and nodded again, and she stifled her smile into his shoulder with another kiss. The shaking subsided into just a slight tremble, and she kept petting him, murmuring meaningless endearments into his skin, still mentally tracking the seconds.He sighed deeply and went still after four minutes and fifty-seven seconds. "Jesus, Kinga," he said, sounding absolutely wrecked as he turned his head to look at her. "How... how long have you been planning that?""Well, I brought the stuff up to the moon with us when we got here," she said cheerfully, and he let out a little moan and dropped his head again. "But I didn't think you'd agree to it so easily when I brought it up.""Oh, please, like I can ever say no to you for long." She moved her hand up the back of his neck and scratched her nails against his scalp, and he melted a little more thoroughly against the bed. "Mm... I trust you," he added dreamily, and she couldn't help smirking at that."That's your mistake," she said sweetly, and he snorted, stirring just enough to get an arm around her and pull her closer. "You'll regret it eventually.""I don't know, if I didn't flinch from that I'm not sure how much worse you have up your sleeve.""Oh, Max. Max, Max, Max. You have no idea." The threat in her voice sent an aftershock shudder through his body."I look forward to getting one," he said breathlessly, turning to steal a kiss from her. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "...and that's why it has to be acidic," Kinga said as they got out of the elevator, walking out of Gizmonic Institute after a very successful day of mad science. Max nodded like he understood and held the door open for her, running into her a second later when she stopped in the doorway. "Oh, look!" All he could see was a faceful of her hair until she stepped forward and the winter wonderland that was the parking lot came into view. "Oh, wow." Snow was Max's absolute favorite weather, and it was coming down heavily, a few inches already on the ground and showing no sign of slowing. "It's beautiful." "I think we might be stuck here," Kinga said, glancing over at him. "Unless someone comes around to plow the road out of here.""Well, it's not the worst thing that's ever happened," Max said reasonably. "Wouldn't be the first all-nighter we've pulled here. Or the first time we've slept in the lab." He gazed around, enjoying how pretty the view was from the vantage of Gizmonic's mountaintop campus, completely missing Kinga sneaking closer to shove a handful of snow down the back of his neck. He shrieked and clawed his back with gloved hands. "Oh god... oh fuck that's cold... Kinga, why?""Because your reaction is priceless every time I do that," she crowed, dancing away when he stooped to scoop up a snowball. "And your aim has always been for shit," she added, immediately getting pegged in the face with the snowball and sputtering loudly. "What the hell?""My aim's improved," he said dryly, and took off running into the parking lot when she growled and bent to retaliate. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- It happened, on average, once every forty-five to sixty seconds, more often if he was looking down. Clay's glasses would slip down his nose, and he would push them back up absentmindedly, not even realizing he was doing it. Frank wondered why he still noticed, given how often it happened, but every time it happened he focused on Clay's hand, long fingers poking at the bridge of his glasses and dropping away in half a second. Okay, honestly, he knew why he noticed. He was maybe, slightly, just a tiny bit obsessed with Clay's hands. They were elegant despite their bitten nails and the tiny scars from a whole career's worth of lab accidents and chemical spills that marked them. Frank actually liked them more for those flaws because they spoke so succinctly of the man they belonged to: neurotic and worried, not particularly careful, long and thin and a little bit twitchy, capable of both unspeakable cruelty and unexpected tenderness, sometimes one right after the other.The glasses, too, were so emblematic of their owner that they almost stood in shorthand for him. They'd gotten lost once, somehow, and Clay had needed to pull an older pair from a drawer, thick black frames that looked starkly wrong on his face. He'd spent the entire day wearing them squinting slightly from the out-of-date prescription, getting more and more snappish as a headache set in, and he went to bed early to keep the headache from getting any worse. Frank was up until 3 am scouring Deep 13 for the green-framed glasses, and the look of surprise on Clay's face as he presented them in the morning was well worth the sleep sacrificed. He'd also taken the time to clean the lenses with glass cleaner and a soft cloth, not sure how the man ever saw through the layer of fingerprints and smudges that constantly marred the glass.The only time Frank saw Clay without his glasses was very late at night, leaving his room after he'd turned in for the night to get a glass of water or go to the bathroom, and he always looked so vulnerable without them, sleepy and squinting and even more tousle-headed than usual. Every time it happened, Frank couldn't help himself from stealing a kiss, and every time, Clay let him get away with it. Sometimes he even seemed pleased by it. When he was fully awake and alert, though, the glasses were always in place regardless of what he was doing.Frank had thought, when he let himself think of it, that surely Clay would take the glasses off if he was being intimate with someone. He was surprised to discover that wasn't the case-- surprised that he was allowed to discover it in the first place, that he could get away with more than single stolen kisses in the middle of the night, but more surprised at how ridiculously hot it was to have Clay leaning over him wearing nothing but those glasses slipping down his nose. The glasses were three-quarters of the way down his nose and both his hands were thoroughly occupied with Frank's body when Frank reached up and delicately pushed them up with one finger. Clay paused, surprised and smiling, and leaned down to kiss Frank until they'd slipped down again. Frank pushed them back up another thirty-nine times before Clay was done touching him. That night, Frank stole the glasses from Clay's bedside table and polished them crystal clear before replacing them. It only seemed fair, since he was the reason they were so thoroughly smudged. He was looking forward to getting them smudged again. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “Guys, this is NOT what I meant,” Jonah said, using his foot to sweep away a couple of monster figures so he could take a step, repeating the process to make slow progress down the hall. “And you know it.”“How were we supposed to know it?” Crow asked, setting down another row of monsters at the opposite end of the hall. “You humans are so ambiguous. How do you expect us to interpret ‘you can do what you want with them’? This is what I want to do with them.”“Where did you even get all of these? I made less than fifty of them! There’s got to be hundreds here!”“Six hundred forty si– forty seven– six hundred fifty two,” Tom said as Crow finished placing his armful of monsters. “Come on, Jonah, you’re stifling our creativity.”“You’re stifling my ability to make it to the bathroom! Look, just because one of you can hover and one of you can’t feel anything he steps on doesn’t mean you can line an entire hallway with monster figurines. I still have to walk here.”“Ugh, ambiguous and so needy. Humans,” Crow sighed, rounded the corner… and came back with his arms full of more monsters that he started lining up behind the last ones he placed. Jonah stopped in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by monsters for several feet in either direction, took off his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he put them back on.“Yeah, well, humans are the worst monsters on the planet,” he said, brought up his hands like t-rex claws, roared, and proceeded to smash through the battalions of monsters. Crow made a sound of dismay… and then started cheering, because this was the most interesting thing Jonah had done since he got to the SOL. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “What do you believe in?”“Are you getting all philosophical on me?” When Max turned to look at her, Kinga’s eyes were steady on him, more serious than he’d seen her look in a while. “What do you mean, what do I believe in?”“I don’t know… about the universe? We were raised together but I don’t know what you think is behind everything. God or karma or mystical vibrations or pure science or–”“Oh, that,” Max said. “God can’t exist. Or God is malevolent and doesn’t deserve my attention. Either way, it doesn’t matter. We’re on a path toward annihilation and after consciousness as we know it is gone something else will rise up to take its place.” She blinked at him a couple of times, mouth falling open. “…what?”“That’s bleak,” Kinga said. “And really pessimistic, coming from you.”“I put my faith in something I know exists,” he said with a shrug. “What do people really want out of God anyways? Purpose, personal attention, good luck, miracles… happiness. Right?”“I guess,” she said.“I get all of that from you.” She blinked again, and he smiled. “I believe in us. I believe in what we can do together. I don’t need God. I’d rather put my faith in our love instead.” Shaking her head, she leaned in to kiss him, biting his lip until he whimpered. “Why… what do you believe in?”“I used to believe in karma,” she said, and his brows arched.“Dangerous belief system for a supervillain.”“No kidding. Anyways… Karma can’t be real. Because I don’t deserve you, but here we are.”“I thought you believed in destiny.”“They’re not mutually exclusive,” she said, nose scrunching, and he laughed. “Do you still believe in it, though?”“Of course I do,” she said, reaching for his hand and lacing their fingers together. “It’s our destiny, after all. It’s driving us into the future we’re shaping.”“So we both believe in us,” he said, smiling. “Good. That’s all we need to make this work.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “You should go,” Jonah said. “While you still can.”“Are you crazy? I’m not leaving you here,” Max said. “What did you think I was going to say to that? Honestly, Jonah.”“I’m serious,” Jonah said, catching Max’s hands in his. “You can– you can go up to the SOL. You’d be safe there.”“Would I really though,” Max said. “Letting alone the fact that the bots think I’m a moron–”“You’re not a moron.”“I know I’m not a moron, they’re the ones who think it. And… what, you just want me to go up there and have faith that… that one of you isn’t going to kill the other one?”“I’m not trying to kill her,” Jonah said. “But if I bite her– if it even works like that– then she’ll have to cure it.”“But you’re not going to bite me,” Max said. “So why do I have to go?”“Because she might bite you.”“…so what?” Max said, lifting his chin defiantly. “Big deal. So we’d both be werewolves. It wouldn’t be the end of the world.”“Max… please. You said yourself. She’d try to kill you.”“You could keep me safe,” Max said. “You’re like twice her size.”“The female of the species is more deadly than the male,” Jonah said. “And if I bite her and she doesn’t become a werewolf she’ll definitely hunt me down.”“Then you’ll need me to slow her down.”“No– look, stop. Come here.” Jonah pulled Max closer and looked down at him. “I’ll be fine. One way or another, I’ll be fine. But I’ll be more fine if I don’t have to worry about you at the same time I’m trying to pull this off.”“But–”“Max. Please. I’m desperate to get her to work on a cure. I’m… damaged. And if damaging her is the only way to get her to do it, I’ll do what I have to do. But you… you’re not past saving.” Max bit his lip to keep it from trembling as he looked up at Jonah, hands clutching the front of his jumpsuit.“You really want me out of the way,” he said, and Jonah shook his head.“Not out of the way. Safe. I want you safe. You’re not an obstruction, you’re… something that needs to be protected. Okay?”“I’m not,” Max said. “I’m dispensable.”“Not to me you aren’t,” Jonah said firmly. “You are absolutely indispensable to me. So please… let me do the only thing I can do to protect you and get you out of here tonight.” They stared at each other for a moment, and then Max sighed and dropped his head against Jonah’s chest.“You really think this is necessary?”“Yes.”“Then… okay. I’ll do it.” “Thank you,” Jonah sighed, and kissed the top of Max’s head. “Come on. You have to show me how to send you up.” “It’s easy,” Max said. “A Bonehead can do it.”“And you have to show me how to get you back down again.”“Slightly less easy,” Max said. “How long do we have before you change?”“Maybe ten minutes. Maybe less. Come on, the sooner the better.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- There was a beautiful redheaded woman leaning against the driver’s door of his car when he came out of the grocery store. He paused by the back of the car.“Can I help you?”“There’s an infinite number of realities,” she told him. “A billion billion universes, a billion billion versions of us.” His eyes widened and he glanced back at the grocery store, wondering if she was dangerous (possible-to-probable) and whether he could outrun her (unlikely).“Okay, but… who are you?”“I’m Kinga Forrester. And you’re TV’s Son of TV’s Frank.”“What? I’m Max. Max Goldberg. Look, do you need me to call you a cab or something? You seem… confused.” She rolled her eyes and sighed deeply, then wrapped a thin hand around his wrist. Her nails were painted poison green.“I’m not confused. God, what happened to the Kinga from this universe? You have no idea who you are in a cosmic sense, do you?”“I have no idea what you’re talking about, lady.”“You, my portly pal, are a natural born second-banana. And I find myself with a vacancy for that position. How’d you like to see the multiverse?”“Uh… I’ll pass, thanks,” Max said, “I don’t have the time for high-concept sci-fi hijinks in my life right now. My dad is expecting me home.”“Max. Max, Max, Max.”“What?”“You don’t know what you’re saying no to,” she said. “One adventure. Just to try it on for size. Trust me, you’ll take to it like a duck to water.”“You don’t take no for an answer, do you?”“Never in my life and especially not from you,” she said brightly. “You’re necessary to my success.”“I am?”“Well, a Max. And you’re a Max.”“Uh….”“Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?” She grinned at him and the madness in her eyes was as plain as day.“What happened to the last person in that position?”“What?”“You said you have a vacancy for the position. What happened to the last person?”“Don’t worry about it,” she said dismissively. “It won’t happen again.”“That doesn’t make me not worry about it!”“Don’t you have any sense of adventure? I’m offering you an escape from the tedium of life as you know it!”“My life isn’t that tedious though. I’m pretty happy with it.” She rolled her eyes again, and he sighed. “Look, do you need a ride somewhere? I can drop you off on my way home…”“That’s such a Max thing to say,” she said, and he started to take a step back. “Ugh, fine, we’ll do this the hard way!” Her hand on his wrist tightened, nails digging into his skin, and she pulled… some sort of weird glowing device out of her pocket and shot it in front of them. It made a nauseatingly colored… portal?… and she grinned at him. “Trust me, you’re gonna love this,” she said, and yanked him forward through the portal. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Okay, so she hadn’t exactly… set a destination point when she left the last place. Sometimes it was nice to leave it up to the TARDIS to choose where she went. She’d gone more interesting places that way, and this time she pulled the door open and peered out to find… the interior of a spaceship? A very small one, barely enough ceiling height to fit the TARDIS wedged in a corner of what appeared to be the cockpit of a one-man vessel. The man in question was in the pilot’s seat but was gaping at her as she walked out.“Excuse me… you can’t park that here,” he said, and she bit back a laugh.“I obviously can, as I already have. Whether you like it or not is on you.”“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he sighed. “Okay, who are you exactly?”“That’s an excellent question,” she said, and didn’t answer it. He blinked at her expectantly, then rolled his eyes and sighed again.“Okay… hi, I’m Jonah, do you have a name? Or a purpose? Or a reason for materializing inside my Backjack?”“In reverse order… random chance, exploring and sometimes rescuing the universe, and…” She smiled. “I’m the Doctor.”“Bullshit, the Doctor is male, according to all known sightings.”“Not always,” she said brightly. “Just usually. It got boring. Now I’m doing this.”“And what is it you’re doing?”“Oh, you know. Adventures. Looking for them, having them, surviving them.” She walked over and leaned against the back of his pilot’s chair, looking at all his screens over his shoulder. This body was pretty great, but she wasn’t used to being so short, and he was very tall. “What’re you doing here, asteroid acquisition?”“Yes,” he said. “A very important mission for Gizmonic Institute.”“Been out here long?”“Couple of months.”“All by yourself? Sounds lonely.”“Yes,” he said again. “But it’s the job.”“Tell you what, Jonah.” She put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked back at her suspiciously. “I will get you back to your very important mission before anyone knows you’ve been gone. But I think you could do with stretching your legs and breathing some fresh air. Come with me, I promise I’ll bring you right back to this place and time after we’ve had some thrilling heroics.”“…thrilling heroics does sound like fun,” he said slowly. She grinned at him.“You deserve a weekend off after months alone in space, don’t you think?”“Wait, wait a second. How long are you planning on keeping me?”“We’ll figure that out,” she said. “No longer than you care to stay, I promise.”“And you can bring me right back here?”“Eh, give or take fifteen minutes or so. Don’t worry about the details, I swear I’ve got them covered.” She held out an arm toward the open door of the TARDIS. “What do you say?”“I’ll regret it if I don’t,” he said, and stood up. Her eyes widened.“You’re a tall stack of flapjacks, aren’t you? I know just where to bring you. Come on, this will be fun!” She herded him through the door and laughed at his gasp. “Yes, it’s bigger on the inside…”
10851729
La cima de la colina
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Hinata Shouyou, Kozume Kenma", "Fandom": "Haikyuu!!", "Language": "Español", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by nylie", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-08T00:00:00", "words": "4,432", "Additional Tags": "KenHina Week, Fluff, kenhina es pura purpurina, Canon Compliant, POV Hinata Shouyou", "Relationship": "Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Los pasillos de aquella estancia le recuerdan a una película de terror. El viento fresco de la noche primaveral se cuela por las rendijas de las ventanas llenando el espacio de susurros y voces que no están allí, el crujir de las maderas bajo sus pies y los ronquidos de sus compañeros que llegan desde la habitación a su espalda acompañan el eco y llenan su piel de escalofríos.Aun así avanza, recordándose en murmullos que no hay nadie ―nada― allí más que el viento, las viejas maderas y sus compañeros de equipo explayados sobre sus futones, envueltos en sueños, como debería estarlo él también. Pero avanza por el pasillo. Un cosquilleo profundo recorre su cuerpo capaz de ganar la batalla contra su piel erizada y empujarle uno, dos, tres pasos hacia adelante, en dirección a la puerta del salón que ocupa el equipo de voleibol de Nekoma. Es esta imagen la que apura su andar.El salto inquieto de sus pies rebota contra el suelo como el golpe de la pelota en la cancha y el movimiento de su cuerpo le recuerda el zumbido que ésta produce al rematar. Ya no se siente tan inquieto en la soledad del pasillo y el burbujeo ansioso que le motivó a levantarse de su futon le hace sonreír a la nada. Lo que en principio parecía un largo trayecto de una punta a otra de la estancia se convierte en una carrera contra su impaciencia.El salón de Nekoma está oculto en sombras, las cortinas improvisadas sobre las ventanas no dejar entrar más que ligeras líneas de luz que recorren los cuerpos que duermen en el suelo. Con la puerta apenas hecha a un lado, Shouyou escanea las diferentes figuras, meciéndose sobre sus talones, prohibiéndose de entrar hasta identificar su destino. Se lleva una mano a su frente para ocultar un resplandor que no existe y escudriña las penumbras con los ojos entrecerrados hasta que divisa los mechones dorados de Kenma sobre una de las almohadas, la luz de la luna hilando estrellas entre ellos.Camina en puntas de pie, esquivando los diferentes futones, las piernas que salen entre las sábanas, cuidando de no patear ningún objeto esparcido en el suelo. Se contiene de saltar por sobre los cuerpos de sus rivales. Muerde su labio y procura medir cada movimiento y cada sonido, una mano atenta sobre su corazón, suplicando que tranquilice sus latidos.Cuando llega junto a Kenma se pone en cuclillas, la línea de luz que proviene de una de las ventanas golpea contra su espalda y todo el cuerpo de Kenma queda en las sombras. No la necesita. Puede ver el contorno de su rostro como si estuviera grabado a fuego en su memoria, sus pestañas descansan largas y curvas sobre sus mejillas y tiene los labios ligeramente abiertos, su movimiento acompaña su respiración. Corta, pausada. Casi se siente mal de interrumpir la paz de su expresión, tan abierta y suave como no recuerda nunca haberla visto.Su mano se mueve antes que él pueda arrepentirse y se apoya sobre su hombro. Su voz demasiado alta en el silencio profundo de aquel salón.―Pstt. Kenma. Kenma, despierta. Kenma…Aprieta los labios con fuerza, conteniendo todo el impulso de su cuerpo sobre sus pies, y espera. Para su suerte, porque no es capaz de soportar más de cinco segundos sin insistir, siente el movimiento de Kenma bajo sus dedos, donde apoya su mano contra su hombro. Shouyou puede sentir la emoción recorrer sus venas, burbujeante, capaz de quitar cualquier duda de sus pensamientos y dejar en su cuerpo una vibración nerviosa que no sabe cómo contener. Kenma parpadea un par de veces, se rasca un ojo con el reverso de su mano y estira todo su cuerpo bajo sus sábanas antes de fijar la vista en él. Tiene la frente arrugada, justo encima de su nariz, líneas que surcan su rostro apretadas en el centro hasta dispersarse contra sus cabellos, donde estos se dibujan como ríos contra el suelo. Shouyou tiene el impulso de recorrerlas con sus dedos y la sonrisa tira de sus labios hasta que duele contra sus pómulos. Espera.―¿Qué… ―la voz de Kenma acunada por el sueño suena ronca, áspera y aún más alta que la del propio Shouyou en aquel silencio sepulcral que domina al resto de sus compañeros de Nekoma. Como encendido por aquel pensamiento, alguien empieza a roncar a un par de futones de distancia. Kenma aprieta los labios, pestañea, mira a su alrededor y luego vuelve a fijarse en él, su voz suave y pausada, despierta―: ¿Shouyou?―Hola.Muestra todos sus dientes cuando sonríe, tiene una mano sobre una de sus rodillas para sostener el peso de su cuerpo, inquieto, se mece hacia adelante, acercándose a Kenma por instinto. Kenma lo observa en silencio, sus ojos aún adormilados y Shouyou no puede distinguir qué pasa por ellos entre la sombras. Quita la mano del hombro de Kenma y la lleva a su nuca, repentinamente preocupado por su reacción. Avergonzado.―Hum, ¿sucede algo? ―Kenma mastica las palabras con su lengua pegada a su paladar. Algo parece encajar en sus pensamientos porque se endereza de golpe, los ojos extremadamente abiertos, con prisa, su cuerpo en alarma. Shouyou cae de cola por la sorpresa y ahoga el quejido entre sus dientes, súbitamente consciente que no están solos entre aquellas cuatro paredes―. ¿Estás bien?El movimiento de Kenma lo acompañan las sábanas que cubren su cuerpo, que se desparraman a su alrededor, rozando contra la superficie del suelo y llenando el silencio de la habitación de rasguños. Shouyou asiente sacudiendo todo el rostro en pequeñas y certeras inclinaciones y muerde su labio su respuesta. Desde la otra esquina de la habitación escucha la voz de Taketora-san reclamando silencio y la queja de Lev cuando, por lo que Shouyou puede adivinar desde su posición, recibe un golpe cuando alguien lo cree culpable.Mantiene la respiración y suplica para sus adentros que todos vuelvan a dormir. Kenma lo observa tenso, con el rostro ladeado examina cada uno de sus movimientos. Shouyou no se pierde el momento en que el suspiro escapa sus labios, cómo se deshace la tensión de su cuello, sus ojos llenos de una risa que oculta al mirar cómo se curvan sus manos sobre sus piernas.Contiene las ganas de reír, porque entonces sí que descubrirán que está allí y deberá volver a su habitación y no podrá――¿Shouyou?Kenma le está mirando, un gesto cálido en su rostro que hace que su panza se llene de pequeñas e inquietas hormigas. En un salto sigiloso, Shouyou vuelve a ponerse en pie.―Ven conmigo, Kenma ―susurra y extiende su mano hacia él. La luz de la luna pega justo donde sus dedos y Kenma fija su vista en ellos unos momentos.―Es… son las…, es tarde, Shouyou… ―Kenma mira a su alrededor, indeciso, y luego busca su mirada, lleno de duda. Él espera. Sabe que es imposible que la luz haga cosquillas sobre su piel, fría y austera como suele ser en la noche, pero el cosquilleo sigue allí, ávido por una respuesta de Kenma. Kenma, quien envuelve con sus dedos los de Shouyou y se traga el silencio con dos palabras―: está bien.Las hormigas de su estómago se hacen lugar en las suelas de sus pies y Shouyou siente ganas de saltar. Amplía su sonrisa y asiente, quiere decirle a Kenma que no se arrepentirá pero no se atreve a hablar. No se cree capaz de contener el volumen de su voz. Kenma, como siempre, parece entenderle porque sus labios se curvan en una pequeña sonrisa y no suelta su mano mientras Shouyou lo guía fuera de la habitación.  +  Afuera, la claridad de la luna es igual de recelosa que adentro. Su brillo es sutil sobre la cadena de su bicicleta, apenas un reflejo que le deja mover sus dedos con urgencia hasta soltarla. El tintinear del metal contra el metal es todo lo que escucha hasta que apoya la cadena en el suelo. Contiene la respiración y se gira hacia Kenma, aun de pie en la puerta del hospedaje, una mano sobre la shoji, la otra envuelta alrededor de su cuerpo, en un torpe abrazo.  ―¿Tienes frío, Kenma?Kenma niega con un único movimiento de cabeza, preciso, mira al interior del lugar, luego a él, sus ojos llenos de curiosidad, baja la mirada y murmura―: No creo que sea buena idea, Shouyou…El suspiro de sus labios se lo lleva el viento. A pesar de su reticencia, Kenma da un paso hacia adelante, un escalón abajo, y suelta su mano de la puerta. Shouyou se apoya con ambas manos sobre el manillar y se empina hacia adelante. No puede contener la emoción, fija su vista en él y cuando habla, lo hace con cuidado, acunado por el silencio. ―Quiero enseñarte algo, Kenma. ¿Confías en mí?Kenma levanta el rostro, sus ojos abiertos brillan bajo la tenue luz de las estrellas. Hay algo en su mirada que lo pone en movimiento, Shouyou apoya su bicicleta contra la cerca, ignorando el ruido que hace al golpear contra ésta, y da dos largos pasos hasta detenerse frente a Kenma y tomar sus manos entre las suyas.―Estaremos de vuelta antes de que nadie se dé cuenta, Kenma. ―Se balancea sobre sus pies, usando de punto de apoyo las manos de Kenma y busca su mirada oculta entre sus cabellos. Hay un rubor suave en sus mejillas y Shouyou se pregunta si arden tanto como las suyas―. Lo prometo.―¿No puede esperar a mañana, Shouyou?―¡Nop! ―exclama con una abierta sonrisa. Aprieta cada letra entre sus dientes en una torpe imitación de Natsu cuando ésta se niega a que pospongan su tiempo de juego―. ¿Qué dices, Kenma? Será una aventura.Cuando Kenma lo observa con tanta atención, su rostro apenas ladeado y sus ojos intensos como el sol, Shouyou siente un cosquilleo que comienza en la palma de sus manos y que acaba por erizarle cada uno de los vellos de sus piernas. Es un momento eterno y hace todo su esfuerzo por mantenerse quieto, ansioso por recibir la aprobación de Kenma. Ésta llega como una brisa suave. Kenma afirma con un corto movimiento de su cabeza y luego suelta sus manos para deslizar la puerta a sus espaldas hasta cerrarla.―Está bien ―dice casi a regañadientes, como si Shouyou le estuviera obligando, y aunque él no puede verlo, puede adivinar la sonrisa en sus labios.Shouyou siente ganas de reír y lo hace, contiene el sonido en su paladar pero se deja invadir por la felicidad que le empieza en los pies y acaba donde sus manos se afirman al manillar de su bicicleta. Espera con un pie en el pedal y otro en el suelo, su mano derecha apretando y soltando el freno como si tratara del arranque de una motocicleta.Kenma no tarda en llegar a su lado, recorre la bicicleta con la mirada y luego se vuelve a él con una pregunta que no acaba de pronunciar.―Puedes sentarte atrás, sólo tienes que levantar los pies, Natsu lo hace todo el tiempo… ―se detiene cuando ve la sonrisa divertida en labios de Kenma, quien lo observa con una ceja levantada y le hace prestar atención a lo que está diciendo. Oculta su bochorno en una torpe risa y rebusca entre sus mejores argumentos―. Kageyama tuvo que hacerlo una vez. Y Yamaguchi… Tsukishima todavía no ha tenido el placer ―ahoga la risa cuando el rostro de Kenma se contorsiona incrédulo―, pero creo que sus piernas llegarían hasta el manubrio y no creo que eso lo ponga muy contento. Puedes sentarte aquí sino, andaré de pie gran parte del trayecto.―Hum.Kenma lo considera unos momentos. Shouyou se mece en los pedales, adelante, atrás, inquieto, lleno de una energía renovada que le recorre las venas, expectante. Se fija en su rostro, en como muerde su labio contemplando ambas opciones, en el ligero temblor de sus manos entrelazadas al frente, en como la brisa mueve sus cabellos ocultando sus ojos. Encogiéndose de hombros, Kenma se sienta en la rejilla de atrás y levanta los pies tal como él le instruyó.Shouyou no puede evitar quitar sus pies de los pedales y soltar el manillar, demasiado extasiado para quedarse quieto. La exclamación emocionada que escapa de sus labios acaba cuando la bicicleta se tambalea bajo ellos y Kenma aferra sus manos a su cintura quitándole el aire. Sus dedos se curvan tensos contra la chaqueta de Shouyou. Cuando él apoya los pies en el suelo y dejan de moverse, el rostro de Kenma golpea contra su espalda y deja escapar un suspiro aliviado que traspasa la tela y hace cosquillas en su piel.―Ups, lo siento, Kenma ―sonríe apenado y apresa una mano de Kenma entre la suya―. No tienes por qué preocuparte, no dejaré que te caigas.Puede sentir como asiente contra su espalda. Shouyou da un ligero apretón a sus dedos aun contra su estómago antes de volver su mano al manillar y comenzar a pedalear.  +  La pendiente de la colina le es familiar; conoce cada tramo, cada piedra prominente en el camino y cada bache que debe evitar. Aun en la penumbra de la noche y sin otra fuente de luz que alumbre su camino, Shouyou la recorre con la misma facilidad con la que reconoce el contorno de la pelota en su mano. El viento fresco de la noche golpea contra su rostro eliminando cualquier rastro de sueño, pero no siente frío; hay un fuego que corre por sus venas y le impulsa hacia adelante. Impaciente.El último trayecto es el más complicado y, tal como le dijo a Kenma, debe andarlo de pie sobre los pedales, duplicando su esfuerzo. Cuando llegan a la cima, lo hace sin aire y el corazón bombeando con fuerza contra sus costillas. Se detiene allí, con una sonrisa satisfecha en los labios.A su espalda, Kenma apoya sus pies en el suelo y mantiene el silencio. En la cima de la colina, se escucha todo y, a la vez, nada. A su respiración agitada la acompañan el murmullo de las ramas de los árboles a un lado del camino y el eco de las aves a la lejanía, su cantar tan temeroso de interrumpir la noche como ellos.Allí nadie puede escucharles, el silencio les pertenece.―Hacia allá está mi casa… ―dice cuando recupera suficiente aire para hablar, su voz contenida por la calma de la colina. Señala en la distancia hacia donde suele vislumbrase su hogar cuando el día es claro y soleado. Allí, en la noche, sin más iluminación que el cielo estrellado y una luna menguante, no es más que un punto de luz sobre la puerta de entrada.Siente una ilusión enorme al pensar en Kenma visitando su casa, durmiendo en su habitación, conociendo a su familia, jugando con él y con Natsu al voleibol en el patio. Está convencido que su hermanita quedará encantada cuando lo conozca.Shouyou siente como la bicicleta se mece con el cuerpo de Kenma cuando éste intenta seguir la línea de su brazo mientras sus manos se agarran a su asiento para no perder el equilibrio. Los engranajes de las ruedas hacen eco de su movimiento y éstas se hunden de lado contra el pedregullo del camino.Él se queda de pie, con el brazo en alto y su otra mano en el manubrio. ―¿Vamos a tu casa?―No.La confusión de Kenma es evidente, aun cuando no puede verla. Shouyou se baja de la bicicleta de un salto y espera a que Kenma le imite, sus movimientos lentos y pausados en contraposición. Sus piernas parecen temblar una vez están firmes en el suelo y Shouyou pronuncia su sonrisa sin poder evitarlo. Camina hasta un lado del camino para apoyar la bicicleta en el suelo y cuando vuelve la vista a Kenma, sonríe con todos los dientes, incapaz ya de contenerse.―¡Es aquí! ―exclama emocionado. Extiende sus brazos y da un giro de trescientos sesenta grados. Tropieza con sus propios pies pero ni siquiera la vergüenza es capaz de aminorar la agitación que siente corriendo por sus venas.Kenma sigue el movimiento de sus manos, contempla el césped insípido, los árboles a un lado del camino y el empedrado bajo sus pies. Frunce todo el rostro, pestañea un par de veces y mira a Shouyou confundido. Nunca mira hacia arriba.La risa nace desde el fondo del estómago de Shouyou, libre ahora que no debe contenerse.―Ya verás, Kenma. Confía en mí.Le hace señas a Kenma para que lo siga y da un par de pasos sobre el césped, alejándose del camino. Está tentando en volver a él y tirar de su mano, incapaz ya de esperar ni un segundo más. Se conforma con saber que Kenma no duda en seguirlo, un par de pasos por detrás.Cuando se deja caer en el suelo, despreocupado que el rocío de la noche vaya a traspasarle la ropa que lleva puesta, Kenma se limita a observarlo, parado a sus pies. Shouyou se distrae en su mirada inquieta pero llena de curiosidad y el brillo de sus cabellos cuando se mecen con la fina luz de la luna entre ellos.―¿Qué querías mostrarme, Shouyou? ―pregunta, jugando con una piedra en el suelo, meciéndola bajo la planta de su pie.―¡Tienes que acostarte, Kenma! ―Le resulta tan evidente que se limita a sonreír, expectante. Sabe que será perfecto. Le encantará, no existe otra opción posible,  pero el gusanillo de la duda pica contra su estómago y Shouyou intenta contenerlo expandiendo más sus dientes, brillantes como las estrellas.―Está húmedo, Shouyou.Kenma pone una mueca en sus labios que le recuerda a los pucheros de su hermana cuando su madre los manda a dormir, pero Shouyou no se ríe de él. Tamborilea con sus dedos contra el césped.―Prometo que vale la pena, Kenma. Aunque supongo que puedes quedarte de pie si quieres, pero en realidad sería mucho mejor si…Shouyou se interrumpe cuando Kenma se sienta a su lado. La expresión de su rostro se transforma en absoluto asco cuando siente la humedad de la tierra calarle la ropa y se lleva las rodillas al pecho, envolviéndolas en un abrazo.―Puedo… ―no termina de poner en palabras su oferta. Se quita la chaqueta negra de Karasuno en un par de movimientos rápidos y la pone detrás de Kenma, para que pueda acostarse sobre ésta y su espalda no esté en contacto directo con el frío del césped―. Ahora, sí, ¡listo!Kenma lo contempla con los ojos bien abiertos y Shouyou sabe que no imagina el sonrojo sobre sus mejillas, apenas visible en la oscuridad pero tan prominente que siente el impulso de rozarlo con sus manos. Se remueve inquieto en su sitio y se deja ir hacia atrás de golpe, pegando su cabeza con fuerza contra la tierra. La risa contenida de Kenma es capaz de hacerle olvidar la punzada de dolor al instante y cuando Kenma se acuesta a su lado, Shouyou sonríe hasta que le empieza a doler el rostro.―¡Ahí tienes! ¡Las estrellas de Miyagi! ―En el cielo multitud de puntos de luz dibujan figuras extrañas contra el firmamento, cuanto más lejos de la claridad de la luna se encuentran, más definidas se ven éstas. Pero Shouyou sabe que es la distancia que los separa del pueblo y de las luces de las casas lo que les permite verlas con tanta claridad, tan opuesto al cielo opaco con el que creció Kenma en Tokio―, en ningún lugar se ven mejor que aquí.Su padre los había llevado a acampar a él y a Natsu un par de años atrás, cuando su hermana aún era muy pequeñita para comprender lo que estaba viendo, pero Shouyou lo recuerda con claridad, aquella noche no había luna y la oscuridad era tan absoluta que fue incapaz de ver otra cosa que no fueran las estrellas. Quiere contárselo a Kenma, pero guarda el recuerdo para luego, una sonrisa satisfecha en sus labios cuando gira hacia él.Kenma tiene la vista perdida en el firmamento. Sus ojos brillan bajo la luz de las estrellas y Shouyou puede ver cómo éstas se reflejan en su retina con la misma intensidad que él las recuerda en las propias cuando su padre las había señalado y les había puesto nombres a las figuras. Quisiera recordar alguna de las constelaciones para poder enseñárselas a Kenma. Se contenta con seguir el perfil de su rostro, donde la luna dibuja sombras y empalidece su piel. Kenma luce feliz y ello lo llena de una calidez que lo embriaga todo.Se siente mareado en su sitio y cuando se empina en un brazo para acercarse a Kenma, no es capaz de evitarlo. Posa sus labios sobre su mejilla en un beso suave corto y se deja caer otra vez contra el césped, con el rostro tan rojo como sus cabellos. Esta vez no golpea su cabeza, se siente arropado por la brisa, como si las nubes hubieran bajado al suelo para sostener su cuerpo.Kenma sí lo mira entonces, una mano sobre el fantasma del beso de Shouyou en su cachete. Parpadea un par de veces y luego sonríe.―Son muy bonitas, Shouyou. ―Hace una pausa. Vuelve la vista a las estrellas, pero Shouyou sigue el mecánico movimiento de sus dedos en su mejilla. Tan absorto está en ello que por poco no escucha cuando con apenas un susurro Kenma le da las gracias.―¡Las mejores de Miyagi! ―exclama, aun abochornado y Kenma asiente a su lado, su risa haciendo ecos por la ladera de la colina hacia abajo.  +  En su primer día en la preparatoria, Shouyou se detuvo allí en la cima de la colina, tomó aire, y dejó que la bicicleta corriera presurosa por la bajada, arrastrando consigo sus ansias. Entonces, no ocupó más que un segundo en mirar el cielo antes de cerrar los ojos y dejar que el viento pegara contra su rostro. Siempre en movimiento, la expectativa de su nueva escuela, de su nuevo equipo, palpitando contra su cuerpo.Shouyou no sabe estarse quieto. Con Kenma a su lado, podría quedarse allí acostado hasta que amanezca. No lo hacen y es aun noche cuando emprenden el regreso. Shouyou planea cumplir con su promesa de volver antes que nadie note su ausencia.No es capaz de determinar cuánto tiempo llevan allí cuando Kenma sugiere que ya es tarde. Podría cuantificarlo por las anécdotas que han relatado, o por las veces que Kenma quiso contener la risa entre sus dedos, o por las estrellas que Shouyou pretendió atrapar entre sus manos y bajar para él; si así fuera, Shouyou creería que ha recorrido toda la vida del universo entre ellos. O, en realidad, podría contar los segundos por los latidos de su corazón contra sus oídos cuando su mano se había hecho lugar entre la de Kenma.Para cuando bajan la colina, Shouyou con el grito emocionado de la aventura en su garganta, Kenma se aferra a su cintura con tanta fuerza que sus dedos dejan marcas sobre su estómago donde el viento levanta la camiseta de su pijama.El rostro de Kenma se pega contra su espalda y Shouyou no siente en ningún momento la urgencia de decir nada. Ya habrá horas para hablar. Sabe que el cosquilleo que recorre todo su cuerpo será capaz de mantenerlo despierto hasta la mañana y encenderá sus horas de práctica cuando el resto de sus compañeros apenas puedan abrir sus ojos por el sueño.El descenso es rápido, las ruedas de su bicicleta se dejan llevar por la gravedad y antes de que pueda ser consciente de ello, están frente a las puertas que dejaron unas horas atrás. Por el color que se distingue en el horizonte no les queda mucho tiempo antes que comience a amanecer. Shouyou da un pequeño golpecito a las manos de Kenma, aun en un abrazo firme alrededor de su cintura, y éste lo libera no sin cierta reticencia. Shouyou se pregunta si es posible enfermar de felicidad, en su barriga el roce de los dedos de Kenma deja un hervidero de mariposas que no saben por dónde escapar.Se concentra en colocar la bicicleta en el exacto lugar que ocupaba antes de tomarla para su pequeña escapada y la luna, más pequeña que nunca en lo más alto del cielo se empecina en dibujar sombras que encierran sus dedos entre las cadenas. Kenma lo espera a la puerta del hospedaje, sus zapatillas puestas y las de Shouyou en sus manos. Sonríe tímidamente, con ese roce de color que cubre sus mejillas cuando está avergonzado y Shouyou le devuelve la sonrisa, abierta, tirante contra sus pómulos.―¿Te gustó, Kenma? ―pregunta, cuidando el volumen de su voz y acerca su rostro a Kenma para le escuche, poniéndose en puntas de pie para alcanzarle desde dos escalones por debajo.Kenma le mantiene la mirada un momento, el sonrojo de su rostro pleno e imposible de ignorar bajo la luz de la luna, lo que Shouyou considera vergüenza reflejándose en sus ojos, y desvía la mirada hacia las sombras al interior antes de asentir.―¡Y nadie tuvo que enterarse!Cambia sus zapatos de calle y sonríe cuando Kenma ríe, el sonido hace ecos por los pasillos hasta inundarlo todo. Shouyou ni siquiera es capaz de escuchar el crujir de la madera mientras caminan hasta el salón de Nekoma, no puede evitar el pequeño salto de sus pies mientras andan y obedece cuando Kenma le toma su mano para pedirle que guarde silencio. Su energía se concentra entonces en el balancear de sus brazos en medios de ambos.Le resulta difícil creer que en algún momento pensó en el pasillo como una casa de terror, no cuando la presencia de Kenma a su lado es capaz de ocupar tanto espacio con su sonrisa que Shouyou cree que su corazón nunca dejará de dar saltos contra su pecho.―Fue perfecto. ―La calidez en su mirada pega contra el pecho de Shouyou y las palabras se atragantan en su boca cuando Kenma se acerca a dejar un beso en su mejilla―. Hasta luego, Shouyou.Se queda estático, parpadeando al vacío que deja Kenma cuando cierra la puerta de su habitación. Cuando se gira para volver a la suya lo hace con una sonrisa inmensa y no es hasta que está envuelto entre las sábanas de su futon que nota que Kenma, al despedirse, aún tenía la chaqueta de Karasuno sobre sus hombros.
10864113
we sleep in secret
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/F", "Characters": "Merrill (Dragon Age), Isabela (Dragon Age), Female Hawke, Aveline Vallen, Original Female Character(s)", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by ChocoChipBiscuit", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-10T00:00:00", "words": "13,875", "Additional Tags": "Fisting, Vaginal Fisting, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Orgasm Delay, Sex Magic, Temperature Play, Rope Bondage, Vaginal Fingering, Finger Sucking, Spanking, Food, Canon-Typical Violence, Cunnilingus", "Relationship": "Isabela/Merrill", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
They’ve drunk their way through the Hanged Man’s brews and all of Isabela’s cheerfully stolen bottles. Fenris grumbles about the theft, but Merrill knows Fenris is never quite as cranky as he pretends; he lets them leave, after all. And he smiles, even when he pretends not to, cracking right back into a scowl if he thinks she’s noticed, so Merrill always pretends not to either. It’s only polite, after all.Tonight they’re in the Hanged Man, full moon dipping low and peeping through the door in brightwork slices. It’s the kind of cool-dank night where they sag against one another like fallen trees, Isabela’s laughter rippling the air as she sweeps her winnings into her arms.“Ooh, I’m feeling lucky tonight,” Isabela purrs, stroking Merrill’s hair. She twists and teases, fingers playing along the edge of Merrill’s ear, and Merrill arches into it like a sunflower tracking the solar swing.Anders rolls his eyes, throwing his cards on the table. He makes a face as his elbow lands in a puddle of beer, sopping up his sleeve. “You’ve gotten better at cheating, you mean.”Isabela flashes a bright-knife smile. “Ah-ah, you know the rules. If it’s not caught—”“—it doesn’t count,” he finishes wearily.Hawke presses herself against Isabela’s bosom, all squished cleavage and pleading eyes. “Now that you’ve taken my coin, buy a lady a beer?”“For a lady? Of course.” Isabela chuckles, squeezing her arm around Merrill. “Corff! A raspberry wit for the lady! And whatever you scrape off the bung for this one!” she adds, thumping the top of Hawke’s head.“Ow! You absolute tyrant.” Hawke rubs her head ruefully, straightening up to kiss Isabela’s cheek.(Merrill’s asked if Hawke and Isabela have ever, if Merrill might be intruding, if Merrill might join— but Hawke laughed it off, easy as raindrops, and started a convoluted story about appetite and hunger and pastries. It took Merrill a while to realize that Hawke was talking about sex, not food, and how Hawke thought Isabela was perfectly lovely but Hawke was never hungry for anyone. Really, it would have saved them both some time if Hawke had just said ‘ace’ and was done with it.)The beer arrives in a mostly-clean glass, darkish amber with foam tipping up the sides. Merrill takes a deep sniff before drinking. The malt tickles her throat, the raspberries hitting hard above the nose as Merill giggles, licking her lips. Hawke juts her lower lip into a wiggling shelf, eyes pleading, so Merrill slides the glass to her and they alternate sips.Isabela continues with her cards and Merrill nibbles her tongue, counting every hand and finally sighing when Isabela wins yet again.“How do you do it?” Merrill blurts.Isabela raises an eyebrow, grinning. “Well. Take a firm hand, and don’t be afraid to steer hard—”“Isabela!” Aveline interrupts, decidedly more pink than usual beneath her freckles. She looks rather like she got too much sun, except her nose isn’t peeling. Isabela calls her a mountain of a woman but Merrill knows mountains erode, worn by wind and time and scoured to bleached cliffs of bone. Aveline’s a tree, deep roots that crack stone. They have been uprooted, all of them, but Aveline’s sunk into this new soil. She’s their anchor and their shield.“I was speaking of sailing!” Isabela beams, apparently finished, but waits until Aveline’s in mid-sip and adds, “Oh, and sex too.”Aveline sputters.Merrill dodges Aveline’s spray, addresses Isabela. “But really, how do you win?”Isabela leans close enough that Merrill smells the warm beer on her breath, the lingering salt-smell and leather that always surrounds her. “Never gamble anything you can’t afford to lose, kitten.”Merrill already lost her heart, so plays for a kiss. Win or lose, it’s all the same— and at least she can share the spoils.She loses valiantly.Isabela kisses her breathless, then chuckles, ”Later, I’ll teach you how to do body shots.”Merrill knows better than to gamble things she can’t afford to lose, but she already lost her heart, so the rest of her might as well follow.. . .Isabela walks her home, from the song-strewn streets of the taverns to the quieter mess of Lowtown, fat sows and stray dogs scavenging amidst the gutters. The olfactory cacophony quiets as they reach the alienage, ripples into quiet stillness beneath the sweet green spread of the vhenadahl. Someone has painted it red and white, red and white, blood and foam and sunlight, geometric patterns that match no Dalish tradition but perhaps mean something else to these city elves. Merrill supposes she should ask, sometime— but with her heart so full of the past she’s never sure she has further room for the present, not when Isabela’s own salt-rimed secrets are buried in skin, in laughter, in a thousand thoughtless smiles that rattle her pockets like copper coins. Merrill has so much to learn already.She kisses Isabela sweet and warm inside the shelter of her little house, tugs her bodice and pulls her to the bed. There’s nothing between them but skin and breath, and oh, but oh Isabela is lovely in the light. She’s lovely in any light, all warm curves and the silver shine of old scars against her dark skin. Isabela strips herself like it’s a race, but she takes her time with Merrill. Licks her tongue against the edge of Merrill’s neck, lapping like seafoam against the shore.“Kitten, are you sure…?” Her eyes gleam warm and bright, like sherry in a glass. Merrill knows this is a promise, this is a fight, this is more than she has the right to ask for.“I want to love you, as much as you’ll let me.” Merrill drops the words petal-soft and sweet, tracing her fingers along Isabela’s jaw, touching her thumb to the piercing beneath her lip. “You’re my best friend and I want to make you feel good. I want to feel good.”Isabela chuckles, a warm, slow roll of her hip as she presses herself against Merrill’s thigh, her arms strong as her body arches over Merrill’s like the night sky, like a constellation of warmth and want. “I don’t do love very well, kitten. But I can make you feel good. What would you like?”“I like pain— a little, not a lot.” Merrill smiles, giggles as Isabela’s hands peel up her shirt. Arches her back, hips wriggling into the lumpy mattress to help Isabela pull the shirt overhead. “If you spanked me, that would be just right. Also your hands are so lovely, I’d love your fingers in me. Oh! And talk to me. I love the things you say, all sweet and dirty. Like muddy flowers.”“Mm.” Isabela gnaws at her collarbone, sucks a wet and purple bruise into the flesh as Merrill groans. There are so many little scars and nicks across her flesh, tiny prices paid for blood and power and knowledge, and this is one more pain among the many, more sweetly paid than most. “Do you like taking orders?”Merrill scrunches her nose, thinking about that. “Nooo-o-o? I don’t like that so much. I prefer giving them, rather.”Isabela laughs. “Well, from you? I suppose I can take orders. If I do a good job, what do I get?”Merrill laughs, arching up to kiss Isabela’s sternum, then to nip the hard bud of Isabela’s nipple. “I can go down on you! Fingers, mouth, tongue…”“Mm. Lots of tongue on my clit and we have a deal, kitten.”Merrill kisses Isabela’s breast, flicks her tongue over the gold studs winking there. Isabela is pierced and lovely in so many places beyond the obvious, and Merrill loves exploring. The metal barbells are hard beneath her teeth, a clicking contrast after the hard nub of flesh. Merrill maps her body, hills and valleys, all the contours of skin. Isabela deserves to be touched gentle, soft and sweet, but when Merrill dips her fingers low— and oh, Isabela has a piercing there too, how lovely— Isabela ruts against her hand, hard, harder, the bone of her pubis grinding into Merrill’s palm.“Oh, I think it’s time for a spanking,” Merrill laughs.Isabela spills laughter as she rolls back, sitting on the edge of the bed with her feet flat on the floor. “It’s always time for a good spanking, sweetness. Now come put your pretty arse over my lap.” She pats her knee invitingly, and Merrill wriggles her way into place. The cover is thin and scratchy against Merrill’s knees. She spreads her elbows wide, props her chin onto her stacked hands. Wiggles her toes into the blanket.“Comfy?”“Mhm. I like feeling exposed.” Her cunt feels cool and slick with nothing between her and the world at all. No smallclothes, no blankets, no seat— nothing but delicious exposure. “I might tip onto my face though.”Isabela sets her palm on Merrill’s back, and Merrill wriggles into it. “Need to adjust?”Merrill nods before realizing Isabela can’t actually see that very well, and says, “Yes.” She slides back, belly slung between Isabela’s thighs and her toes trailing off the edge of the bed. Much more stable like this, though she shivers in anticipation as Isabela pats her arse. Just the barest flick of her fingers against the skin, not even enough to sting. Merrill bites down a giggle.“Tickles, does it? Would you like some more?” Isabela asks, and her hand’s a soothing warmth, presence without weight.“Yes please. A little harder,” Merrill says.Isabela works her way up slowly, a gentle escalation from light pats, barely enough to stir the fluff off a dandelion, to fuller swings, the full weight of her palm smacking into the curve of the buttock. Merrill cries out, sighing into the blanket and mouth hanging open. Nothing fast, only the steady repetition of impact, flesh on skin, skin on flesh. Isabela starts moving, spreading her blows so some land lower on the thigh, some higher, some on the edge of the buttock, but Merrill knows what she likes and whispers “there, there” when Isabela hits the sweet spot just at the lower swell of the buttock where arse meets thigh, because that’s where Merrill likes it, even when the strikes grow harder, harder, rocking her into the mattress with the weight of impact. Her shoulders forward, face tilted, moans too big for her mouth, and everything’s a delightful blur outside this narrow range of Isabela’s hand, Merrill’s arse, the red heat spreading across her backside and dripping down into her cunt.Isabela says the sweetest things, the dirtiest things— Merrill would blush down to her bones except all her blood seems centered in her arse right now.“You smell like sex and flowers. If I could bottle up your cunny and sell it, merchants from Antiva to Orlais would pay through the nose, just for a sniff.” And there’s a joke there, maybe, but Merrill’s too far into her own head to chase it down, only knows that Isabela’s voice is lovely, Isabela smells like salt and leather and her words glitter bright and sharp like breaking waves and mirrors and Merrill wants nothing more to stay here in her lap while she keeps talking. “You’re such a pale thing, sweetness, I didn’t know you could get any paler— but your arse shines like the moon. Now it’s more of a red glow, but whatever. I’m no poet.” A quicksilver laugh, and Merrill feels Isabela’s hand bracing into her, fingers spread wide across the span of her back, and she knows the next hit will be hard, harder than the rest—And it is. Rings in her ears. Brutal on the inflamed flesh, all the previous slaps having gotten the blood flowing, flowing— and Merrill knows blood, knows the power and the pleasure and the living force of it, knows that Isabela sings deep down through her marrow— and Merrill howls into the mattress. Face wet and shining, mouth open, all her bottled fears and little pains expelled in a torrent of tears as pain and pleasure somehow set everything free, loose and rushing and cathartic.“Kitten? Kitten?” Isabela says, and it’s distant, distorted. Like a song sung underwater, slow hazy waves of it just bubbling to the surface in bits and bursts. She rubs Merrill’s arse, and it should be soothing, comforting, but it stings too, the flesh still sensitive.Merrill could just flop there, bask in the warm red waves of it, but truly, she should be responsible. Check in with Isabela, see how Isabela feels about this.(Merrill already knows how she feels; utterly lovely, utterly spent. But this is a gift that keeps giving, replenishes something deep and essential in her.)“Isabela, I feel good. I feel wonderful. You feel so good—”An insistent rapping on their door, an unfamiliar voice calling, “Hello? Is everyone okay there?”Isabela tenses, thighs flexed beneath Merrill’s belly, and Merrill bites down a fresh wave of giggles. Her tongue is wet, so wet— she’s half-surprised she didn’t drool on herself, but that was why she kept her face tilted. She feels lovely, still floating on some inner sea of contentment. Captain of her own vessel.She giggles again.“I should… go get that, I think,” Merrill says, sliding off Isabela’s lap and picking up Isabela’s discarded shirt. She tugs it overhead, the cloth fluttering loose and baggy off her smaller frame. At least it’s long enough she doesn’t need pants. She stumbles to the door, cracks it open and smiles brightly at the elf outside. Tall woman, broad shoulders and thick hands, hair bound back with a thick scarf. Merrill vaguely recognizes her as one of the neighbors.“Is everything alright, Miss Dalish?” the woman asks, gaze flicking over her. Merrill can just imagine the mess she looks— hair askew, face flushed, eyes wet. Bare feet and wearing clothing that doesn’t fit. But the woman’s trying, she is, and Merrill can’t help liking her for it. Like the alienage’s own version of Aveline.“I am quite all right,” Merrill says, stroking the back of the door. The smooth grain of the wood traces reassurance in her fingers. “Thank you for checking on me, I was— thoughtless. I shall try to keep it down.”The woman’s mouth tightens, arms crossed. A sock dangles from one hand, some heavy weight balled into the toe. Her eyes crease sharp, appraising. “Well. As long as you’re fine.” And she can’t step closer, not without bowling Merrill over to get into the house, but she lowers her voice. Jerks her chin. “If that changes, I’m Sam. Blue door across the way there.”“Thank you, Sam,” Merrill says politely, because kindness always deserves courtesy, and she tries for another reassuring smile before closing the door.Isabela flops off the bed, hair hanging to the floor. “Oof. That’s a good neighbor, there.”“I’m sorry for the interruption.”Isabela snorts, shaking her head. Flips herself back onto the bed, sprawling back on the pillow. “Not your fault. And if things had been bad, better a nosy neighbor than no one.”Merrill pulls off her shirt and tucks herself into Isabela’s arm, curling over her lap as Isabela straightens up. “I would still like to play, if you do…?”Isabela chuckles, resting a hand on Merrill’s back, stroking up the little ridges of Merrill’s spine. “Of course, kitten. As long as you keep it down.”“I would still like to come,” Merrill murmurs into the sheets. There’s still some hazy disconnect between thought and action, her mind sending little nerve-impulses dancing down to tell her arm and then her hand and then her fingers to move into position, and there should be some sort of static-tingle from all this lightning dancing through her, but there’s nothing. Only the warm and hazy peace of it, but her hand obeys her thoughts and she wriggles it between her legs, propping her arse up even higher on Isabela’s leg so she can wedge her fingers at the arch of her clit. Can’t pull back the hood from this angle, but this sort of dull pressure is more than enough, fingers moving in a broad circle with more force than finesse. She likes it rough, she does, especially when thinking of Isabela’s fingers, Isabela’s hand all ground up against her core... “Please, Isabela. I want your fingers in me.”Isabela traces a finger up Merrill’s thigh, over the pale lines of old scars and the little dips and valleys of flesh. Over the swell of Merrill’s arse again, then down to the hip, like she’s studying all her odd angles and jutting bits, like Merrill’s not just aching for touch.Merrill shivers. Puts iron in her voice. “Isabela. Please. Stop playing.”“But I love playing with you, sweet thing,” Isabela coos, but she lifts her hand— and before Merrill can protest, there’s the wet smacking of tongue and lips. Merrill shivers anticipation as Isabela slides a newly-slick finger between her legs, trailing through the puffy outer labia and dipping into that wet mess of need, teasing through the folds. “Oh kitten, you’re sopping wet already. You hardly needed that extra time, did you?” Her wrist curves up, palm of her hand warm between Merrill’s buttocks, and it’s so close to the spanking but such a different motion. It still has enough echo to make her skin tingle.“Mm,” Merrill says, and it’s not disagreement, but she still shivers as finally, finally Isabela slips a finger inside her. She feels all on display, bent over like this with Isabela’s fingers in her cunt. She still ruts into her own hand, two fingers down to frame her clit, something a little less direct because oh, oh, she just might come like this…Isabela thrusts, rocks. Slips a second finger in and it slides like a dream, fits inside her sweet and lovely. Like a key in a lock— no, Merrill changes her mind, like a pick in a lock, because it’s not just some stiff and stationary thing but movement, lovely, adapting to the clench of her inner walls, a curling thrust and she hardly needs to speak but Isabela reads her moans like tumblers clicking in place, the quiver of her body and the sweat that sticks them together. It’s alchemy, two parts coming together to create something greater, it’s a swelling crest and the ocean in her veins, it’s a song and a shout and a thousand and one things crashing together.She comes.Isabela twists her hand, spreads her fingers and it stirs some deep response in her, a slick squeeze that has Isabela laughing, sliding out and licking her fingers. “So sweet, Merrill. Would you like some more?”“Oh, yes. But no, no thank you,” Merrill sighs. “If I come again I won’t have any energy for you, now will I? And that would be such a shame.”“Mm, such a shame,” Isabela agrees. She pats Merrill’s arse again, but it’s warm now, just warm and sore, nothing too tender. Just a whisper of heat, nothing that will bruise or make her cry.(Which is exactly why Merrill likes spanking; no marks or bruises, not unless you’re really trying.)Merrill rolls sideways, and it’s not very much bed (or very much lap) until she’s about to tumble to the floor, but she puts out her hands to catch herself and Isabela puts a hand under her arm, and Merrill teeter-walks her way to standing.Isabela pushes herself back on the bed, knees spread wide. She is dark and lovely, and Merrill loves her fiercely, all her generous curves and the swell of her belly and thighs. She thinks maybe she should try eating a little more, eat a little better so she can be as warm and lovely and full as Isabela, but there’s really no time for thinking those things if she wants to please Isabela. So she kneels on the mattress, propping herself between Isabela’s legs and diving in with her mouth and tongue. That gold piercing runs alarmingly close to Isabela’s clit, a vertical bar through the top of her clitoral hood, but the smooth metal ball of it tastes sweet and warm, one of Isabela’s hidden treasures. And it brings Isabela such pleasure, even a tiny flick of Merrill’s tongue fluttering close, and maybe that’s the trick of it— it amplifies everything. Small laps of the tongue drag against Isabela’s folds, jostle against her clit and Merrill has to wedge her elbow against Isabela’s knee to push back when Isabela starts clenching. It might be a sweet death, smothered by Isabela’s thighs, but Merrill quite likes breathing.“Sorry, sweet,” but Isabela doesn’t sound sorry at all, or maybe only as sorry as as cat with a bowlful of cream, because she laughs again and Merrill retaliates by wrapping her mouth around Isabela’s clit, the metal clicking against her teeth before she draws her lips to blunt the edges. Isabela yelps, but it’s quickly followed by a delighted, “Kitten!” so Merrill doesn’t bother apologizing, only laps more, more. Big sloppy enthusiasm, figuring out the waves and rolls of Isabela’s body, darting her tongue down to taste Isabela’s very core. She tastes sweet and tangy and faintly musky, like some warm spice that Merrill can’t quite recall. She’d have thought Isabela would taste like the ocean but then again it’s Isabela, and she is a person even more than a force of nature.But person, force of nature, sea captain and lover and best friend, all of Isabela’s selves come together in one long yowl, one hand gripped tight in Merrill’s hair and the other clenching into the bed, twisting the covers so tight that Merrill feels them pull beneath her belly. The white-taut feel of her scalp being pulled just makes Merrill go harder, focus her tongue into tiny darts and hard thrusts against the clit, and it takes all her strength to keep herself on top of Isabela’s thrashing body as Isabela spills curses like exotic coins, a thoroughly educational litany of vulgarity. Merrill vaguely wants to take notes, except that would require untangling from Isabela.“Oh sweetness. You’re a delight.” Isabela laughs breathlessly, a big belly-roll of flesh and jiggle as she flops back, her knees falling to the side.Merrill kisses the soft crinkles of Isabela’s pubic hair, then rises up to lay a kiss on Isabela’s breast. Then the other, so it won’t get lonely. “So are you! I loved every moment, Isabela. Could we do it again? Maybe?”“Already? I think I might need a nap first. Maybe some grapes.”Merrill giggles, straddling Isabela’s waist and setting her hands on Isabela’s shoulders, dipping to kiss her. She tastes faintly bitter, like beer and malt, but that’s alright, that’s just part of the lovely nature of kissing Isabela. “I don’t mean right away. I mean anytime. We don’t have to call it love. I know you worry about me, but I just love being with you like this and feeling this way whether it’s friends who fuck or friends who don’t and—”“Kitten…” Isabela’s voice trails, and she shifts. Changes direction, alters course, and Merrill doesn’t know the stars that map her path but maybe that’s just another of the little things that Merrill has to learn about Isabela. “I hope I’ll always deserve your friendship.” And with her eyes shut like this, her thighs tensed like that, it’s like Isabela’s always poised to run, or maybe that’s the problem with having sea-legs on land— always braced for the next wave to hit, for the next thing that will knock you down. There’s a safety in constant movement, any traveling Dalish can tell you that, but that only works as long as you have family at your back.“It is freely given,” Merrill says. The heart is a muscle like any other, growing stronger with practice— and even if Isabela says she doesn’t do love very well, that’s okay. Merrill loves her anyway, for all of her reasons.. . .They sleep in secret places, cradled in the dark womb of the earth and miles below some gnawed fingernail-scrap of moon. Merrill’s blood ebbs and flows, eternal renewal in its own lunar phase. She cuddles up against Isabela, back to the wall and her cold hands over Isabela’s belly. The dark and unknown isn’t what scares Merrill, truly; the dark is no less scary than the light, the moon no less kind than the sun. There may be things in the dark, but that is not the dark’s fault.Merrill thinks that wouldn’t comfort Hawke very much.“When we’re out of here,” Hawke drones, voice scratchy. She’s slumped over her knees. “I’m going to scrub for a week. Use up a whole container of those fizzy salts. Soak in the bath. Just sit there until I’m all pruney. Eat three wheels of cheese.” Her stomach gurgles, an awful, hollow sound, skin scraping itself about the edges. Hawke’s a big girl, big eater, always starting her second serving before anyone else has finished their first, and their scant rations don’t even have the benefit of taste to make them more appealing. Or maybe that’s a mixed blessing; hard to want more when ‘more’ just means another slice of stale bread, another mouthful of dry jerky.Varric caresses Bianca’s stock. Merrill would call it fondling, except that Varric’s a gentleman (however much he protests otherwise) and she knows he’d never commit such an indignity in semi-public. “I’m going to murder Bartrand,” he mutters.Hawke snorts. “No, no, you’re repeating yourself…”“Trouble sleeping, kitten?” Isabela murmurs, pressing her hands over Merrill’s. Her hands are warm, so warm— Merrill’s fingers must be icicles, the way Isabela keeps trying to rub the life back into them. Short nails and hard pillows of callus beneath her thumb, Isabela’s copper bangles pressing cold against her skin. Isabela always complains about how they turn green when she sweats, but Merrill rather likes the clouded patina— it’s the same green as beach glass and muddied ocean, the salt in her crying for the sea.Merill shakes her head, rubbing her nose into Isabela’s shoulder. “No. Just… thinking it’s nice.” Easy to bury herself in the warm spice of Isabela’s hair, the way the oils linger on the scalp.“Nice, hm? You are disgustingly positive.” Isabela chuckles. Squeezes. “I like it.”“Well… we’re alive. There’s no one else I’d rather be stuck with than you.” Merrill nibbles her lip, tongue stumbling around one great truth and spitting up another instead. “And you smell nice.”“Aw, thank you kitten.”Merrill kisses the back of her neck, and Isabela wriggles her hips, snaking one foot over Merrill’s ankles.They sleep together, warm and sweet.. . .They make it home, after long days in the dark and the dank, Merrill’s flickering mage-light their only company as they conserve their torches, as they traverse deep caverns and ruins in the bones of the earth, fight their way up to the heavy Kirkwall sun—Hawke drops to her knees, a melodramatic croak as she juts her hands skyward, crying, “Freedom!” before bending to kiss the earth. Sandy-lipped and sputtering, she tugs Varric into an immense bearhug, lifting him off his feet. She then kisses Isabela’s cheek and Merrill’s mouth, still blinking under the brutal light of the new sun.It comes as painful anticlimax, then, to find Bethany’s gone to the circle, and Merrill clutches her staff, and she does not hide but she does shrink, and Isabela stands in front of her as if she were a wall and not a person.Hawke buries herself in all her new affairs and responsibilities, the deeds and lands and endless bouts of meetings that her mother insists she sits on, and at the end of the week Hawke is the richer by one mansion.(It does not make up for the loss of her sister; this Merrill knows, holding Hawke’s hand tight by the firelight, the way Hawke staunchly refuses to cry until she’s weak before the gates of sleep. Merrill tucks herself into Hawke’s lap and folds her hands across her shoulders and sings old Dalish lullabies.)In the end, Hawke pastes on that same brittle-glass smile that fulfilled a witch’s promise, and crawls from her grief. Shed, but still there; a dry husk, like a dragonfly from its larval skin. She finds new pleasures, new advantages to living in Hightown.First of all, Hawke’s pantry is much larger now, and while Merrill never actually gets lost she never goes unaccompanied either. Isabela always comes right behind her. And no matter how kindly Bodahn tries to let them in each time, Isabela always waves him away and then resumes picking the lock.Second of all, the food is much fancier. Every time they go, Merrill spies new treats. She and Isabela nibble their way through creamed honey with vanilla, carefully licked off fingers and breasts, then small blocks of dusty-bitter chocolate. There’s expensive wine, all oaky and tannic and complex and a half-dozen other words that the rich must have simply made up in order to demonstrate their exquisite taste and bottomless purses, but really Merrill prefers hers sweeter, even if Isabela gives an appreciative woof and continues drinking straight from the bottle. There are bitter olives stuffed with tiny cloves of garlic, and Merrill takes an extra block of cheese and a dozen apples. Isabela gleefully helps her load up, piling jars of preserves into Merrill’s little pack until it’s soon full to bursting.Hawke leans in the doorway with an indulgent sigh. “Bela? Do you really have to pick the lock each time? The neighbors will talk.”“Mm.” Isabela picks a piece of garlic from between her teeth. Licks her canines. “Let them.”Merrill just licks honey off her fingers.. . .Family is an open circle, a friendly arm, a light in the dark.Marethari enters the alienage like a queen, but that is wrong— she is of the People, and enters the alienage like a mother.And like a wayward child, Merrill hides in the shadows of her little doorway, watches the other elves bend to her, the lights in their eyes and the way they bend knee. Lost, hungry, still only half-aware of what they’ve lost. Merrill knows that hunger, those little scraps of need and recognition and how to these poor city elves the Dalish represent countless mystery and sacred traditions, but Merrill knows how little those truly mean, how so much has already been lost, lost. An untold toll of years and loss and a fragmented diaspora, but Merrill also knows none of the elves have bowed to her either. She is but one more lost soul among the many, just as much an outsider among them as among her clan.(She never did ask why they paint the vhenadahl.)But when Marethari stops by the vhenadahl and pays her respects at the lighted candle— ah, maybe that is part of it, some peach-pit secret nestled deep within her, a promise of sweeter futures. The alienage is different, yes, but they hold their own custom. The vhenadahl’s shadow stretches long fingers, brushes Merrill’s step.Marethari spares few words for her, saves her talk for Hawke. Poor Feynriel needs help and Merrill sees that silver thread, so simple: Feynriel needs help. Feynriel is of the People, no matter that he’s human-blooded. Family is family. Marethari will not be the one to cut that tie.Not for someone who still might be saved.Merrill walks the Fade with Hawke, Isabela, Varric. She has made her bargains and her peace. She knows that there are prices worth paying.So when the demon whispers, calls her scion of the Dalish, savior of elvenkind—Merrill cannot put Hawke before the fate of her people.. . .“Ouch, love,” Isabela says, thumping her way into Merrill’s cupboard. She wrinkles her nose at the one clean cup left, but makes tea anyways. Peppermint and honey for sweet dreams— as if Merrill can sleep.(The mirror whispers to her, sometimes. She has not yet decided if she wants to follow or ignore it.)“At least you did it for your people. Me? I betrayed Hawke for a sodding boat.” She rolls her eyes, scooting close and sliding the mug to Merrill. The cheap clay scrapes against the wooden table. “It wouldn’t be such a bother if she weren’t so forgiving about it all.”Merrill raises the mug and sips. Passes the cup with Isabela, drinking from where her lips touched the rim.“I think that’s the trick about forgiveness— it’s never earned. It’s only given.” Another pass, another sip. Merrill lifts her leg, slides and half-crawls her way into Isabela’s lap, nestling into the curve of her arm. “It’s in the name.”Isabela folds Merrill into her arms, rocking. “Thinking deep thoughts, kitten?”“Marethari… she didn’t speak to me. Only Hawke.”“I don’t think she’s ready to forgive.”“I’m not expecting her to. I— I know the way home.” It’s simple as a ball of string, and it’s easy to step over all these doubts and certainties and all the time and blood and research she’s done, to dodge these walls and the oppressive way the city presses in, in, in, the stink of Lowtown and the feeling of being an outsider even in the alienage. She knows the way home. She just has to follow Marethari, admit she was wrong, admit her goal was wrong, that there was nothing worthwhile in what she’s done, that she never truly knew what she was bargaining or the price and the cost and that some doors will remain forever locked—She shivers, jerks. Drop the cup.Clay shatters on the floor.She slides off Isabela’s lap and grabs her broom, already sweeping it up before Isabela even has a chance to rise. “Merrill, no—”“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m doing it, I’m taking care of it—” because she can’t sweep up all those painful accusations and the loss of family, but this is one small thing within her control.“I’m wearing boots, sweet thing. Don’t want to cut your feet—”“Isabela, I’m fine.” And she is, she truly is, piles up the shards and drops them clattering into her wastebin, and there’s nothing left of that clumsy accident but a damp spot that Merrill rubs with her foot. “I’m sorry, I’m just— you’re always here to make me feel better, and I just—” The words stutter in her mouth, grow moth-wings and fill her lungs with dust and flutter. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”“Kitten, you don’t have to apologize for everything,” Isabela says. She takes Merrill’s hand, squeezes. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”It’s been so long since Merrill’s never been sorry for anything. Her heart opens up like a flower, some bright-petaled thing that only wants to soak the glow of Isabela’s regard.“Well… I’m sorry I can’t get you a boat,” Merrill says, or means to say, but she hiccups on the last word.Isabela gives a green-grape laugh, tart and clustered. “I’ll accept other offers.” She’s kind enough to pretend not to notice Merrill’s tears, even as Merrill blots them on her shirt.“Well, let’s make it easy!” Merrill says brightly. “I can’t get you a boat— not yet, at least, though I’ll be happy to try— but I promise to get you more wobble-kneed and fuck-silly than any desire demon. Deal?”“Ooh, temptation.”They go back to Merrill’s house, this little piece of sanctuary in a place that isn’t hers, but that might be the secret of places, houses, homes— live in them and that life rubs off. Merrill’s scraped herself thin between blood and magic and eluvian and Hawke’s half-mad adventures into the wild blue nothing, but Isabela’s a sweet and jammy sort of person. Merrill just wants to lick her up and spread her to all the corners of her sad little biscuit of a life, and that metaphor got dreadfully messy and somewhat unsanitary so Merrill promptly ignores it.She tries to pull Isabela, but it’s hard to pull a woman who’s already going the same place Merrill wants, so they struggle with hands and feet like two green dancers struggling to lead, all knock-kneed bumping and Merrill’s bony hip landing in Isabela’s generous thigh, so Isabela finally laughs and lowers her hands, flips them palms-up and wrists exposed and growls, “Take me, kitten.”Merrill fastens her hands about Isabela’s wrists, pulls and pushes her to the mattress. Isabela is stronger than Merrill, could resist as easy as setting back her heels and rolling her eyes, but that’s part of the joy of it; Isabela obeys because she wants to, because Merrill cannot force her if she tried.“Be still,” Merrill says, stern as she knows how. She taps the pillow and Isabela grips obligingly, elbows jutting up and her bosom heaving. Merrill licks her fingers and loosens the stays of Isabela’s bodice, then the ties that keep Isabela’s cleavage in check. She does it slow and sure, the cords slipping beneath her fingers. Old memories stir; flower crowns and daisy chains, the sweet green crush of life sticking to her palms. Isabela’s legs part like unfurled petals, opening up with a sigh as Merrill slides her hands beneath the edge of her tunic, skimming up that smooth expanse of thigh and the curve of the hip. She tugs down on Isabela’s smallclothes, then leans forward on impulse and makes a soft “grr” as she seizes it between her teeth, tugging down, down—And then she gets stuck somewhere around Isabela’s knees and has to drop it, running her tongue along the edge of her teeth as Isabela billows with laughter, and her squirming makes it harder to pull Isabela’s underwear off the rest of the way. Merrill manages to get one boot free of the offending garment but then gives up on the other, leaving the scarlet panties flapping around Isabela’s ankle.“Oh kitten, you’re no puppy,” Isabela teases, wriggling her elbows. Cheeky reminder that she hasn’t moved.“I would like to play with you,” Merrill says, breathless, as if the rapid flutter-beat of her heart has shattered her lungs. “If you hold the pillow and don’t let go, I promise you something very nice.”“Is it orgasms? I do love orgasms!”Merrill giggles, straddling Isabela’s hips. The worn fabric of her leggings chafes against Isabela’s shirt, a tiny bit of friction that adds to the wonderful feeling of warmth between them. Isabela’s better than a hot brick in winter, soft and lovely and all sorts of fun to cuddle and kiss. “Orgasms eventually, yes. And I want to try the hot hand, cold hand trick, if you…?”“Oh yes, I love the hot hand, cold hand trick,” Isabela laughs, such a wild spray of joy that Merrill can taste the salt off her lips. “Warriors may have stamina, rogues may have dexterity, but you mages definitely know the best tricks…” She hushes as Merrill sets a finger to her lips, and pops them open obediently. She flutters her lashes at Merrill, flagrantly innocent as she wraps her mouth around that digit, then the other, sucking Merrill’s two fingers. Her tongue scrapes wet against Merrill’s short-bit nails.Merrill purses her lips, calling forth a tiny flicker of mana to manifest a gentle chill along her hand. Just the one hand in Isabela’s mouth, and that little drop in temperature suddenly makes Isabela’s mouth feel even warmer, wet and welcoming, and Isabela moans deep in her throat as she bobs her head forward, swallowing down Merrill’s fingers until her lips bump the knuckles. Merrill chuckles, pulling back her hand so that her cold-wet fingers gleam in the dim light, inches from Isabela’s half-lidded eyes.“Ooh, love. That would be such a tasty treat in high summer. Sweet elf maiden, lightly frosted.”Merrill tilts her head. “I’m pretty sure I’m not a maiden anymore.”“Still a sweet young thing, never mind that pesky virginity.”Once again Merrill silences her with two fingers to her lips, this time with the warm hand. Sufficiently wet, she traces her hands down Isabela’s body, small whorls and stipples of tongue and hands against Isabela’s neck, her cleavage. There is no method beyond Merrill’s own wonder, trying new patterns against Isabela’s skin— the way the flesh prickles beneath the cold hand, then how Isabela shivers as Merrill blows gently against that cold-wet spot, followed by a soothing stroke of warm palm on chilled flesh, an exploration in temperatures and delight. Merrill tries to keep it varied, unpredictable— too much of a rhythm and Isabela starts to snore, but it’s more satisfying to ruck Isabela’s shirt up over her belly as Merrill slides down, then to place both hands on Isabela’s warm belly, thumbs touching just above the navel, fingers splayed like a butterfly. Something stark and lovely, with Merrill’s pale hands against Isabela’s brown skin, like sunlight flashing off dark water. Isabela shivers beneath her, body in quake and swell. Merrill brushes her fingers down as Isabela tightens her grip on the pillow. An icy touch on the bone of the hip, a warm kiss, and then Merrill twirls her warm fingers into the thick crinkle of Isabela’s pubic hair. She tugs, spreading her lips open, warm and inviting— and Isabela smells like salt and tang and heat. Isabela always says it’s just skin, just affection, nothing too deep— some fragile precipice before things drop off into darkness, but Merrill doesn’t mind. ‘Just’ skin, ‘just’ affection, is just enough. Especially because Isabela’s beautiful like this (beautiful like anything) when she’s swearing, thighs clamped over Merrill’s shoulders and honey-edged vulgarity drips from her mouth as Merrill licks, nibbles, sucks. Merrill flutters her tongue around Isabela’s clit, slipping over the piercing. Nothing too direct until Isabela groans, cants her hips and Merrill bears down, warm and wet and blood hammering her ears as Isabela moans and sighs and lilts her voice in rising hallelujah—Merrill stops.Isabela breaks. “Andraste’s flaming arse, Merrill! Why did you stop?!” she begs, half a scream and half a cry, face damp and lashes thick.“I promised you orgasms. Eventually.” Merrill props an elbow on Isabela’s thigh, and drums her icy fingers against Isabela’s knee. “I want to build you up some more. Unless you’d rather…?”“Kitten, no. I’ll be fine—” She hisses, trembles. Merrill had been trailing those cold fingers up Isabela’s thigh, towards the warm heat of her cunt, and Isabela groans. “No, wait, do that. That can be fun.”“If I stop every time you say ‘no,’ it will break the rhythm,” Merrill says, nibbling at her thumb. The cold one; it makes her lips tingle. “I do want to stop if it’s too much, but perhaps another watchword…?”“Religion,” Isabela says, as easily as if she’s done this before. And perhaps she has; Merrill’s never asked, but she files that away for another post-coital conversation. It’s all a form of play, sweet as a wreath of daisies. Serious as lilies at a funeral. “If I say ‘religion’ in bed, you know I’ve either gone daft or had enough.”“So I should keep going?”Isabela crackles with laughter, lightning-edged and radiant. “Yes!”Merrill laps her tongue over Isabela’s clit, using her chilled thumb to tug up the hood, to blunt the edge of orgasm as she laps, swirls, sucks. Clamps her lips over Isabela’s clit, an edge of teeth against the metal stud, cheeks mashed against Isabela’s thighs. She swirls her tongue, tickles through Isabela’s wet folds and dips lower. Her tongue’s a shallow thing, not anywhere near as strong or forceful as fingers, but she slips to taste Isabela’s core, cold thumb pressed hard over Isabela’s clit in a shivering chatter as she squeezes her warm hand under Isabela’s arse. Hot and cold, opposite poles— and Isabela warm and wet between them, flowing.Isabela shudders and sighs, slick around Merrill’s tongue. Merrill stops, again— and Isabela groans, quivers, but does not break this time. Only digs her heels into the bed, bumping against Merrill’s chin with a smear of musk and heat. Merrill grins over the swell of Isabela’s belly, the soft billows of flesh, and slips two cold fingers into Isabela’s core, her thumb on the clit. She wraps her legs around Isabela’s muscular thigh, grinding down against her as she works her hand. Slow, even rolls of her thumb, cold enough to prickle but pressed right up against where Isabela likes it, something to keep the excitement from fully dying.“Like licking a lamp-post in winter,” Isabela chuckles. She shivers, teeth chattering and sending a truly impressive jiggle through her breasts.Merrill watches, fascinated. “Have you? Licked a lamp-post in winter, I mean?” This is going to cramp her hand something fierce, but Merrill already knows she’s not going to be keeping this up for long.“Oh, yes. But I haven’t gotten stuck.” Isabela waggles her eyebrows, fierce and teasing. “Wouldn’t mind getting stuck on you.”Merrill giggles, pulling her fingers from Isabela. She sucks them clean; Isabela tastes lovely, still that salt and tang and an edge of something sweet, like those red-fleshed papayas that Isabela sometimes buys from the market and splits on the table, scooping out juicy handfuls into Merrill’s open mouth. Merrill dives in again, nose squished against Isabela’s belly before she wriggles back into place. It’s easier with her mouth than her hands, even though she misses watching Isabela’s face. It’s a fair price though, especially because it’s becoming easier, each time— those small embers of excitement fan up again so easily, each thwarted orgasm rattling up, each failed echo trying harder to ring true. They fizz beneath her tongue, all frantic bubbles struggling to burst free…So it’s with great pleasure that as Isabela sighs, moans, toes curling into the blankets and body arching, pulling taut, that Merrill stops.“Kitten.” Isabela moans it like a curse, eyes screwed shut as she pulls at the pillow. Stretches the fabric, as if she might rip it. “Kitten, how much longer?”“Last one,” Merrill says, kissing Isabela’s sodden curls. “You’ve done very well. You haven’t let go, and you’ve been awfully patient. More patient than I would be, honestly.”It’s like rolling a snowball downhill, all energy and momentum— Merrill’s mouth on Isabela’s clit, two fingers inside the warm clench of Isabela’s cunt, curling up to press her intimate spots. Hardly needs any motion, any trigger beyond Isabela’s own tremors and Merrill kisses and laps and loves, and loves and loves, and there’s cum smeared across her chin and lips but that’s all right, that’s not anywhere near the mess that Isabela leaves on the soaked sheets as finally Merrill allows Isabela to come with a ululating cry.Isabela flops right after, laughing, warm and jelly-legged, her body streaked damp and silver with sweat and orgasm.Merrill dabs her mouth on the covers, grinning so hard her cheeks ache. “Was that good?” she asks, letting the power ebb from her hands. Now they are nothing more than skin-warm, palms flat against Isabela’s belly to feel the jump of breath and muscle.“Kitten that was great.” Isabela’s laugh is sweet as stolen fruit, rich and golden. Merrill cuddles up into the curve of her arm, head pillowed on Isabela’s shoulder. “I’m not so keen on that denial bit, but it was tremendous fun to try.”“I’m glad you liked it,” Merrill confesses. “I’ve never tried that with anyone before.”“I make a principle of not denying myself anything, sweetness.” Isabela twists sideways, kissing Merrill’s forehead. “But for you? I’ll try anything once.”. . .Try anything once: Steal a book, give a book. Isabela’s always honest, in her own way.Merrill always trusted Isabela to come back. Even through all the blood and smoke and ashes in the air, settled into her hair and mixing like a fine dandruff of grey ghosts and memory of flame, Merrill always trusted Isabela to come back. Their paired bodies, their tatter-thread tapestry of want and love and life, all inevitable as collision, as death, as a summer storm when you already taste the lightning in your teeth. Every action has equal and opposite reaction, spinning kinetic forces and electricity and magnetism and a thousand and one things that may as well be magic, unseen but powerful, all obeying their own laws.This is the truth of it: Isabela came back.“How can you forgive me?” Isabela asked, voice cracking.And Hawke— lovely, bleeding, messy Hawke, her clothes soaked red as that ridiculous paint across her nose, coughing up scarlet streaked with the dull brown of old coffee— gave a crack-ribbed smile, white and gleaming. “Nothing to forgive, love.”Aveline opened her mouth, then snapped shut, lips twisted into a bright-copper lock.Merrill did not bother checking anyone else’s reaction.Merrill understood, and walked Isabela home. Her home, in the alienage. The Qunari had left it surprisingly untouched, or at least no more touched than it normally was, even in times of so-called peace and relative comfort. Strange mercy, this; Merrill can already see the shape of things in months to come, the city’s destruction and the way that those with little will take from those with even less. The Arishok had granted sanctuary to two elves, had taken more willing converts seeking certainty of place and value. The shem could so easily see that as betrayal.But those are for the weeks and months ahead.This is now.“It is not good to be alone,” she says softly, tucking Isabela into a chair and boiling water for tea. She chooses mint and honey, for sweet dreams. They’ll need all the sweetness they can get.“I was so selfish.”“You were scared,” Merrill says, wrapping her arms around Isabela’s shoulders. Merrill would tuck herself into a tiny, purring ball and crawl into Isabela’s lap if she thought it would help, but it wouldn’t. And then the kettle would scream and Merrill would have to get up anyway. So she simply wraps herself around Isabela, a living shawl of bony limbs and tattoos. “Everyone is allowed to feel scared.”Isabela stares at her hands. “I was a monster,” she says, but the words click false off her teeth, like cold clay echoes of someone else’s voice.Merrill thinks of Anders, sharing his body with a spirit who was once his friend, and all the ways that grief can devour. She thinks of Fenris pulling out a man’s beating heart, body stained with rage and lyrium. She thinks of blood shed and blood saved, the bright ring of sword off shield and Aveline, triumphant, ringed in corpses at the center of a grim mosaic. All the mistakes they’ve made to get here, to make it right.“Sometimes I think there are too many ways to be monstrous.” She butts her head against Isabela’s cheek, close enough to smell the sour sweat of fear and lingering copper and iron, the ash that still clings everywhere. “Monsters are the things that scare us, not just the things we do when scared.”The kettle sings, high and angry.Merrill rises. She returns with two chipped mugs of steaming tea, and sets them down on the table with a heavy clink. “You were scared. Everyone is allowed to be scared.”. . .Isabela visits Hawke— not every day, that would be too predictable, too much like a schedule— but Merrill makes sure to accompany her each time, to squeeze her hands and sit quietly in the corner reading while Isabela stumbles her way to an apology. Hawke accepts, and forgives, and Isabela bites her lip and wads the blankets with her fists and so resolutely does not cry as she asks how come it’s so easy for Hawke, so Merrill speaks up.“When you give things to the ocean, sometimes you get them back.”Hawke looks over with a quicksilver grin, hair mussed in a half-dozen odd spikes and angles as she nods approvingly. Then, teasingly, asks, “Who taught you that?”Long summer days unspool from Merrill’s tongue, bright sun and warm salt and grey sand pouring out of her in a wash of light and color. Hawke had taught her that, in those lazy days on the Wounded Coast. She’d launched tiny scrolled messages in green glass bottles, messages to distant queens and kings and sincere inquiries asking some Qunari if they really did scratch their horns against trees like halla. Merrill had followed suit, setting crude boats of leaf and twig out into the surf where, inevitably, they crashed against the distant rocks, dashed to pieces.They never received any bottles back, true, but Isabela belongs to the sea. And she came back.It’s not love, not something so easily inked and chained to four small letters on a page, but something like fate, and fortune, and friends, and perhaps another dozen other words starting with ‘f’ if Isabela hadn’t pulled Hawke’s borrowed dictionary from under Merrill’s nose.When they leave, Merrill tucks herself up snug against Isabela’s body, hip bumping the warm muscle of Isabela’s thigh and her gait falling in easy step with Isabela’s.Merrill goes to the Hanged Man with Isabela, but tugs Isabela’s hand, pulling to her room.“Isabela? I’d like to be tied up.” This is not the first time she has asked, but it is easier to focus on the simple twist of rope and bight, knots and ties, than to try unraveling the guilt of unsaid words.“I’ll gladly tie you up, but never tie you down,” Isabela says, voice still hoarse and her eyes bright, too bright, but she is warm hands and soft breath as she sits down on the bed with Merrill. Thigh to thigh, sitting sideways. This is something sweetly patient, the thin jute ropes pulled from their less-than-secret place beneath Isabela’s bed. “Over your clothes? Or skin? Or…”“I don’t want sex,” Merrill says, and this too is not the first time she has said this, has asked and received more than skin and orgasms. “I want— I want to know you are here. So clothes, please. Something around my chest.”There is trust in this, and love— Isabela will not bind Merrill to her if Merrill does not wish to be bound. She’ll always come back, and Merrill stays because she wishes.So Isabela folds the rope in half, muscle memory more than conscious thought, and pulls the tails through their own loop.Merrill stays quiet, knees together and hands primly folded in her lap. She watches each turn and fold, knows the names from each practiced repetition. This is a lark’s head knot, though it looks so little like a bird’s head but even less than a cow, so Merrill prefers this name for it over the more rural cow hitch. She raises her arms overhead, allowing Isabela to slip the loop over her hands and down her shoulders, settling above Merrill’s breasts before pulling snug. A reassuring pressure through Merrill’s shirt, a reminder that Isabela is here, Isabela is present, Isabela would never leave her alone and bound.Each loop is an embrace as Isabela rounds the rope about Merrill’s breasts, smoothing the lines to lay them flat over Merrill’s chest. She knows each step with comforting familiarity, Isabela wrapping, tugging, pulling. Reversing tension to wrap the ropes under Merrill’s breasts now, and the crossed ropes press into Merrill’s back, softened through the layers of clothing so they do not truly bite. Then Merrill’s favorite part, as Isabela pulls up, over Merrill’s shoulder and pressing into the tender muscle where neck meets shoulder. She wraps over, then under, then over again on the ropes around Merrill’s breasts. It separates Merrill’s breasts, frames and emphasizes her modest bosom.(Isabela has claimed this is her favorite way to see Merrill’s tits, but she says that about every way she sees Merrill’s tits. Merrill knows they’re all true.)Isabela wraps the rope across the other shoulder now, then tugs down to the central knots at Merrill’s back. She threads the ropes through, her hands warm, reassuring, bracing firm against Merrill’s back as she ties off the harness.“Would you like anything else? Hands? Legs…?”“Tie my hands behind my back,” Merrill says firmly, lowering her arms. She crosses them behind her back, hands gripping forearms. Making herself warm and compact; she’s not looking to feel small, but to savor the sensation and Isabela’s presence. She breathes deep through her nose as Isabela binds her arms in secure loops. She can’t feel the smooth grain of the rope against her skin, but she smells the sweet and woody scent of the oil used to treat the rope, the faint cinnamon and amber of Isabela’s hair. Isabela prickles through her skin, like the way her toes tingle after a storm or the tiny lightnings that make her hair stand on end after scuffing across thick rug. She allows her arms to hang heavy, anchored to the harness, while Isabela runs the tails through the gap between arm and body. The rope nestles snug against Merrill’s triceps, and Merrill gives a discreet wiggle.“How are you feeling, little eel?” Isabela asks, cinching the ropes. Her voice is steadier than when they started.“Good.” The ties are firm without being painful. There’s something wonderful about being pampered like this, and Merrill wriggles back on the bed with a happy sigh. Isabela fluffs a pillow for her, and Merrill tilts into it. “I’d like to stay like this, if you don’t mind.”Isabela holds the ropes between her hands, rubbing her thumbs along the grain. “Would you like a drink? Snacks?”“No. Just… talk to me.” Stay with me.They stay like that, talking. Isabela tells sea stories and Merrill talks about the dapple of green sunlight through an overhead canopy, of mushroom-hunting and splashing through rivers with muddy feet.When Merrill finally asks to be untied, Isabela massages her wrists and kisses her cheek.“Thank you,” Isabela doesn’t say.. . .What is family?(A teacher who tries to save you from yourself.)Hawke takes responsibility for Merrill’s actions, presumes ownership that Merrill never wanted, never asked, but oh it gets them off the Sundermount without any more blood shed, so Merrill tries to find it in some small part of herself to forgive Hawke. But she’s too tired for any of this, any of that. This is a type of tired that sucks the marrow from your bones, steals the color from your eyes. The type of tired that makes you want to swallow a fistful of nails, like there’s not enough iron in your blood or sun in the sky to rid your flesh of that fog-heavy feeling. There is a piece of her, missing; Marethari was the foundation, the bedrock, the deep soil that nourished her.So, this is her day: Wake up. Stare at ceiling. Watch the cobwebs drift, grey strands in fractionated sunlight. Forget to eat. Remember. Try to make tea. Drop the cup.(It hits the floor in glass-shatter glitter. The Eluvian remains inert.)Merrill lets the pieces lie, and falls back into bed.She does not cry.Aveline visits. She brings books, she tells Merrill that Marethari loved her, but Marethari never trusted her so what good does that do either of them? Aveline harumphs over the slow decay of Merrill’s home, the dust creeping into the corners and the cup still shattered on the floor. She rolls her sleeves up to the elbow and gives the house a good cleaning, scours the windows and floors as if guilt lingers in the crevices, as if it’s as easy as washing dried blood from beneath one’s nails. She leaves a fresh glass of water on the table.(When Merrill finally remembers to drink, it’s thick with dust and stale regret.)Varric brings string, and potted plants, and tiny oranges that peel into papery segments in his square hands. He brings sweet basil and rosemary and miniature roses that smell of absolutely nothing, each in tiny clay pots they will surely overgrow. He tsks over Merrill’s sparse pantries and leaves for an hour, or two, or however long it takes for the sun to crawl across the floor and inch its way into oblivion at the edge of the wall, and returns with a handful of elven children toting groceries. He orders them to unpack the groceries with blithe disarray; noodles and pickled eggs and pats of salty goat cheese, and tins of rich black tea with spice and honey that Merrill couldn’t possibly afford. He counts out the coins to pay each of his assistants, then pats Merrill on the back and reminds her that all daisies need food and sun.(Caring for the plants is easier than caring for herself. Sometimes she’ll even remember to eat, after she waters them.)Hawke comes, all bright-armor shine and wealth tucked in her fingers, her toes, the fine weave of her shirt and the new leather of her boots. She wears her hard and hungry in her bones, something in the break of her eyes. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.Merrill does not speak.Hawke cannot fill the silence. She empties her pockets on the table: gold and silver coins rub cheeks with copper, all spilled with willful abandon. She leaves.Isabela comes last, but stays longest.What is family?(A mother who sold you for two hands of silver.)Isabela does not waste her time on the endless platitudes; no ‘she meant well’ or ‘she was trying to save you.’Merrill was First of her clan, and has long stopped being a child.. . .Isabela sweats and swears over the tiny stove as she stews tomatoes and cinnamon and ginger with lumps of beef, the warm fragrance wafting throughout Merrill’s home like a lover’s embrace. While the stew simmers they sit out on the front stoop with Merrill’s little pots of basil and rosemary. Children kick a cloth-wrapped ball under the vhenadahl, barefoot and laughing. Isabela’s shirt sticks to her back and under her arms, and she fans herself extravagantly as she leans back against the door with an exaggerated sigh.“Well, at least if it tastes like arse, we have good wine for after.”Merrill traces a finger into the warm stone of her front step. “If that’s what arse smells like, I need new soap.”“Pfft. If this turns out all right, we can try basil chicken and peppers, next time,” Isabela says, eyeing the basil with a predatory gleam.One of the children stands nearby, hands behind her back and biting her lip. Her tongue looks twisted in knots, and Merrill checks for the ball. Still with the others, not rolled under her step, so…Merrill smiles brightly. “Hello. Looking for something?”The girl’s pigtails bounce against her shoulders as she shakes her head, then she stops mid-shake and nods uncertainly. “My mother asked. Asked me to ask. If we could borrow some rosemary? From your pot?”Isabela snorts, laughing. “I don’t think we’ll want it back.”Merrill can’t stop laughing either. “Of course! But really, it’s not borrowing. I shan’t want it back anyway. Would you like some basil too? I mean, we have roses but I don’t think those would taste very nice, at least not for supper.”The girl shakes her head, eyes wide. “Just rosemary is good. Thank you, Miss Dalish.”“Merrill. My name’s Merrill,” Merrill says gently. And shame on her, First of her clan (once, long ago, the pull of it still whorled in her blood) and member of this small place, but she doesn’t know the names of her own neighbors, when once she knew the name of every member of Clan Sabrae. “What’s your name?”“Lina,” the girl says, bobbing an uncertain curtsy. “Sam’s my mother.” She breaks off two sprigs of rosemary, then bobs another curtsy before scampering to one of the disheveled apartments.Merrill watches her run, and notes the door she disappears to. Blue-painted doorway, relatively fresh. A red and purple rag rug on the front step.“So. Are you that scary, or is it because this pantsless shem’s sitting next to you?” Isabela asks, cocking her head.Merrill nibbles her lip. Considers. “I think— I have not been a very good neighbor,” she says at last. “They are not Dalish, but they are still elves. We are still one people. And I have not been sharing as I ought.”So Merrill shares, more and more. Lina comes back a few nights later with a chipped pot and a tiny aloe plant, barely bigger than Merrill’s thumb. Merrill gives her more fresh basil and rosemary in exchange. Some of the other neighbors start asking to break off pieces of herb and Merrill says, yes, yes, yes, over and over. She gets bits of mending in exchange, new patches on her leggings and stitchwork for a hole on the back of her shirt she hadn’t noticed, no, not at all, not until Sam is kind enough to take the shirt off her back and sew it up.They make small talk, small truths and little stories. Sam explains that ‘Sam’ is short for another name that she never uses so it slips from memory like a loose button. Merrill sits on the floor in her breastband, knees tucked tight under her chin and telling Lina tales of the Dread Wolf.(It isn’t until after Merrill leaves, her new-stitched shirt snug over her shoulders once more, that she realizes neither Lina or Sam had asked about the scars.)Hawke comes by one evening, guilt stamped heavy on her brow. She forces a cracked-clay smile, pats her thumb into the damp soil of the basil, and leaves. She comes back with a wheelbarrow full of potting soil, more herbs, more clay pots. One of them is already broken from the clumsy rumble over uneven streets, but Hawke puts the shards in the bottom of another pot and covers it in soil. She mumbles something about drainage and moisture but really, Merrill knows what she’s trying to say. There’s still something useful in the broken, Merrill.Some tiny, forgotten part of her buds.Merrill puts her pale hand across Hawke’s. She wonders when Hawke’s hands had felt so rough, when the skin seemed so thin, the veins a distant ocean of warm-green salt.“Thank you for the money,” she says softly. “And the mint. And the lavender. And the chives. And—”“And it’s not enough,” Hawke says. Her mouth cuts down, teeth stoppered to hold back a gaping wound, a red tide of apology. “I am so sorry.”“You did what you thought was right. Marethari— did what she thought was right.” Merrill tightens her grip. Retreats when she realizes her nails are pricking Hawke’s wrists, though Hawke does not flinch. “At least my clan lives.”There are more things they could say, reasons and excuses. Merrill can taste the arguments on her tongue, ripe and fermented— the clan should have moved on long ago, Merrill had always known that power demands a price, clan is family, what does a shem living in Hightown truly know of loss, even one who has lost brother and sister and mother— but she lets them drain.“I tried to kill you once,” Merrill says, instead.Hawke’s brow crinkles, eyes drawn together. “When was—? Oh. That was a dream, it hardly counted.”“If you had died in Feynriel’s dream, it would have been real.” Merrill breaks off a mint leaf, rubbing it against her thumb. “And you forgave me.”Hawke snorts, slapping her hands together to shake off imaginary dirt. “It was nothing, kitten.”“Maybe not to you. But it was to me,” Merill says. She pops the mint in her mouth. Chews slow. “You forgive easily. It is one of the things I love about you. And I can— I can move on. I love you. You are one of my dearest, oldest friends. My first friend, in this city. But I do not think I can forgive, yet. Not until time dulls the edges.”Merrill does not know how to cook with lavender, even though she knows it makes a lovely scent for tea and soaps and drinks, so Sam comes over one pale summer morning with her sleeves rolled up, and teaches Merill how to dry the fresh buds, then how to make a pink syrup out of boiling lavender with sugar and honey. Merrill teaches Lina star-patterns, Dalish constellations and allows the girl to trace inquisitive fingers across the ink of her tattoos as the mixture steeps. Finally, Sam tugs Lina away with a gentle word, and tells Merrill how to make lavender lemonade. Merrill continues getting requests for more herbs, for sprigs of rosemary and packets of mint and Merrill finally moves her pots under the vhenadahl as a community garden, something to tend and care. She starts browsing for new additions, traipses through the gardens of Hightown with Isabela, licks honeysuckle off the vine and nibbles flowers with all the joy of a second childhood. Aveline rolls her eyes and sighs when they are caught trespassing, but she rescues them each time. Finally, she gives Merrill two new pots of marigold and nasturtium as well as a stern warning to please, please stop eating the nobles’ flowers.Next time Aveline comes, Merrill serves her lavender lemonade and a fresh green salad, splintered with peppery nasturtium. Aveline smiles.(Merrill does not tell her that Isabela had liberated the lemons from another noble’s unwatched garden.)The other elves start contributing their own produce, and Merrill’s herbs get even exchange. A jar of blackberry jam shows up on her doorstep, then a knitted scarf. Sam teaches her how to pickle cucumbers and mint, peppers and garlic. Stitch by stitch, bite by bite, Merrill joins their lives.And she is no healer, no— healer’s hands may be the bloodiest, but her blood has always served its own purpose— but she knows how to make an elfroot salve, how to stitch and wrap and what herbs are good for a fever, how to brew willowbark tea, to use peppermint for sour stomach and clove oil for a toothache, and knows where the wild things grow. She is no Anders, in his little clinic in Darktown, but she is no shem, either.Finally, she asks Sam why they paint the vhenadahl.Sam chuckles, shaking the pan as she fries little rounds of green onion bread. “The old hahren, in Highever— she said it was to remind us of who we were. There are different colors, patterns. Red is for the blood of Arlathan, the place of our people. White is… something about the sky. Crystal spires among the clouds. Magic was supposed to have come easy for us, then.” Her mouth twists, cuts down. She bites her lip, mouth lined with sutures of pain. “Keeping the tree is habit now, I suppose. Few enough remember the meaning.”What is habit but another form of tradition?Merrill is of the alienage.. . .“You are truly becoming a power, kitten.” Isabela slurps her tea. “A hand in every pie.” The table’s scattered with crumbs, remnants of the crumbly scones that Merrill picked up from the market. By happy coincidence, Isabela had brought along clotted cream and strawberry preserves; most likely pilfered from Hawke, but still a lovely gesture.Merrill wedges herself into Isabela’s lap, lapping a stray dab of cream from Isabela’s mouth. Her arse squishes against the table, and Isabela obligingly scoots the chair back to make room. “I’d rather have your hand in my pie.”Isabela sets her mug down— new mug, not a single chip on it— and flexes her hand thoughtfully. She holds her warm brown hand up to Merrill’s slender fingers; not much longer than Merrill’s, but thicker joints and broader palms. “Would it even fit?”Merrill licks the tip of Isabela’s pinky. “Maybe not. Still fun to try.”Isabela chuckles, curling her fingers between Merrill’s, palms clasped. “Ooh, dirty. I never would have figured you for a size queen.”“The Dalish have no official monarchy,” Merrill replies, nose high in the air but that lasts all of five seconds before Isabela’s mouth curves against her neck, teeth nipping at her through the thin fabric of her blouse, and it’s a mess of heat and cloth and friction as Isabela rises to her feet, squeezing her hands under Merrill’s arse and pressing them together with a squish of soft bosom and hard muscle.Isabela carries Merrill to her room with the ease of long practice; home is a heart-stitched map, after all. These four walls and these small rooms have become home, more than just storage, and Isabela knows every barefoot and sock-clad inch of it, even the bits that are new; the rugs that soften the floors, the herbs drying from the rafters, the dozen little comforts that soften all these once-bare edges. Isabela is welcome in every chamber of her heart.Isabela tries setting Merrill on the bed, but Merrill digs her hands into Isabela’s shoulders and clamps tight with her knees, pulling Isabela on top of her in a warm hunger. Merrill squirms out of shirt and breastband with ease, exposing her small breasts to Isabela’s eager tongue. Isabela clamps down on the nipple with her teeth, a sharp jolt that makes Merrill hiss even as Isabela blows cool air on after, but then Isabela goes up to kiss her face, hard and gentle, mouth to mouth like her teeth have forgotten they’re made of bone. This love is a scraped and playful thing, and Merrill giggles, breathes sharp— Isabela’s breath is mint and honey, her hair is cinnamon and amber— and they fit together like this, like this, fumbling hands and Isabela tossing Merrill’s clothing aside with gleeful abandon before unfastening her trousers. Merrill tries wriggling them off in one pull, but they get stuck somewhere around her calves and Isabela sits on her belly, tickling behind her knees and pulling them off the laughing, thrashing Merrill.“Oh dear, I think giggles get you horny,” Isabela says, an exaggerated stage-whisper as she cups her hand against Merrill’s soaked underthings. Her palm grinds against Merrill’s sopping cunt, fingers curled and Merrill is so ridiculously wet that there’s hardly any friction as Isabela twists the front panel of Merrill’s smallclothes, pulling tightly so it tugs against Merrill’s swollen clit.Merrill groans, shoving Isabela’s hips and toppling the other woman forward, squealing. “Mm. Tongue? Please? And fingers? And—”“And fist, yes yes, I know,” Isabela laughs. “Kitten, we’ll need oil for that. Do you…?”Merrill points beneath the bed.“You minx.” Isabela leans over the edge of the bed, arse in the air— she gives it a wiggle, for Merrill’s benefit— and withdraws the bottle of olive oil. “Want a towel? Or some rags? We’re going to get messy here.”“I have spare sheets.” Merrill bounces against the mattress, curling her fists into the pillow. “I don’t mind messy.”Isabela hums agreement, kissing Merrill’s belly before pulling Merrill’s smallclothes off the rest of the way. “How does that saying go? A mess in the hand is worth two in the bush?”“Now you’re just teasing,” Merrill says with mock-severity. “Captain Isabela, all hands on deck.”“You know, I could make a joke about poop decks,” Isabela grumbles. She pours a generous smear of oil into her hands, rubbing them together so her skin shines, every nook and crevice gilded smooth. It’s sweet and faintly herbal, round and full in a way that makes Merrill want to lick it off Isabela’s fingers.Instead, Merrill considers that sentence. “I do think I would like to try anal sometime,” she says. “But not with a fist, no. At least not to start.”“Anyone who starts with a fist is lying.” Isabela kneels between Merrill’s legs, then crinkles her nose. “Lift your arse, love? We’ll want a cushion here.” Merrill obligingly lifts herself up as Isabela slides a pillow beneath her, then spreads herself wide, fingers fanned to present herself. Isabela kisses her mound, her fingers, her clit. Sets her thumb over the hood, tugging up to free that hard bud and pressing her wet lips and tongue against it as she slides one finger in, then two— Merrill struggles not to squirm, reaches down to touch Isabela’s hand but her hand slips away, smooth and oiled, so instead she tries distracting herself by squeezing her own breasts, pushing them together and pinching the nipples, like there’s anything that might keep her from bucking away from this thing she wants so much.The first two fingers are easy, easy— the third one even, especially as Isabela laves her mouth over Merrill’s clit, pulls and sucks and tugs her into a sharp ache, dancing on edge but with no satisfaction. Her body clenches around those fingers, smooth and wet but still not enough, not enough to satisfy this deep want— and then Isabela tries the fourth, and that slips in easily until Isabela bumps forward, the knuckles flush with Merrill’s entrance.Merrill whimpers with want, with disappointment, with a tiny burst of satisfaction as she kneads her breasts more aggressively. “Is that…?”“That’s four, kitten. I can keep it like this for now, keep licking and nibbling until you get at least one orgasm. We’ll see if that relaxes you, yes?” Isabela smirks. “You’re all wound up like clockwork. Just need to ease the tension.”“Mm.” Merrill flutters her eyes shut, letting out a long sigh. “Yes. Orgasms sound good.”Isabela laps at her cunt with long, slow flutters of her tongue, her fingers sliding forward, back. A leisurely pace, the oil smeared on Merrill’s thighs and Isabela’s forearm, a generous waste because oh, oh, too much is better than not enough, or maybe that too much is never enough.Merrill rocks into the bed, the warm heat of Isabela’s tongue and fingers sending little curls of flame tickling through her belly, her toes. She pinches her nipples harder, uses a bit of nail to really drive the edge in, and her mind goes glass-blank and clear and lovely as a fresh winter sky and it all slips into focus, sharp and clear and rooted in her body, in this bed, in Isabela’s strong fingers pressing in her and that hard tongue between her legs, all coming together in a crash of cymbals, sensation, eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling and the warp of the boards just as she comes, and comes, and comes, and Isabela tucks her thumb into the hollow of her hand and slides in.It’s full and lovely, and she’s all but brimming with it now, this power, this sensation. Isabela starts to curl her fingers, twisting her hand so her palm rubs against one of Merrill’s pleasure spots, and Merrill clenches down instinctively, hard enough to make Isabela laugh with startlement.“Kitten, what a grip!”“Ooh. I like this,” Merrill giggles. Something tickles in the back of her mind, about what it means to surround, to envelop, to take someone in and make them a part of you— but for now it’s Isabela’s hand in her, rocking forward, back. Merrill curls her toes into the blankets, sighing as Isabela kisses her knee, then her thigh, trailing kisses like flowers before making her way back to Merrill’s clit. Each gentle rock of tongue, of hand, of Isabela’s shoulder pressed beneath her thigh, presses Merrill forward, back. Into the bed, her hair mashed into the pillow and her body gone limp and boneless. She can’t concentrate enough to roll or squeeze or pinch her tits anymore, just grips tight and slippery and lets the warm satisfaction of holding them be enough, especially as Isabela wraps her mouth around Merrill’s clit and sucks—This orgasm hits hard, harder. All her body wrung out to this: heat, pressure. One diamond-cut moment of clarity.Merrill rides it as long as she dares, lets it shatter around her like fragments of a dream. Aching, sore, sticky. Satisfied.“Isabela? I think— I think I’m tired, now.”“Don’t blame you.” Isabela kisses her mound one last time, uncurls her fingers and slips her hand out of Merrill with a wet smack of fluids, oil and slick smeared down her forearm. “More than you’re used to, hm?”Merrill lays still, lets Isabela wipe her down with a clean cloth. Isabela hums as she cleans her breasts, then her thighs, then the smear of oil that had slipped down Merrill’s arse and back. Merrill’s never cared about stains on her sheets or not, so it hardly matters that they’ve soaked everything around them.Isabela finally wipes down her own arms, dropping the cloth to the floor with Merrill’s discarded underthings and snuggling in next to Merrill.Merrill sets her head against Isabela’s ample bosom. “Isabela? Would you like…?”“I’m tired just watching you,” Isabela says with an exaggerated yawn. “Make me pancakes and we’re even.”. . .The next morning should have been as easy as pancakes in bed and endless flirts and giggles and Merrill tangled up in Isabela’s shirt and trailing kisses and clothing across the house, except, well—The Chantry explodes.By the end of the day, it comes down to these simple facts:Isabela has a ship.Merrill has the alienage.There’s ash in the air, in the streets. It cakes the throat in dead prayer.“Do you know what they’ll do to an apostate, kitten?” Isabela hisses, fierce and savage, her eyes rimmed red and her hands twisted in the front of Merrill’s shirt, like she might just seize her then and there, carry her off as spoils of war, some salvaged treasure before the crows descend.“That’s why you have to take Hawke and Bethany,” Merrill says softly, caressing Isabela’s knuckles. Beneath the vhenadahl the air is sweet, the herbs and flowers casting their own spell. Behind her, more of the elves are moving the iron gate that once locked them in at night, and now might stand as protection against the riots that will surely come. “I won’t be alone. Aveline and Donnic are staying, too.” As if Aveline would ever leave, as if Donnic would ever leave her. For all her weary sighs, Aveline loves this city, loves Merrill and Isabela and Hawke and will do whatever she can to keep them safe, whether through absence or presence. All their years together have lacquered her small irritations into something precious, like a pearl lodged in her boot.Sam grins, all pins and needles. “We know our own too, shem. Merrill’s ours.”Merrill traces the thin ropes of old scars, the muscles corded in Isabela’s forearm. Leans forward, breathes in the warm cinnamon and amber of her hair. And beneath it all, always, the sea.“I know you’ll come back, love.”For now: Isabela has to take Hawke and Bethany to safety.Merrill has to protect the alienage.. . .And she does, and they do, and Isabela comes back.And they sleep in secret places.
10816032
Better Than Caffeine
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Nice (Hamatora), Murasaki (Hamatora), Art (Hamatora), Mao (Hamatora), Manga-Only Character(s), Koneko (Hamatora), Hajime (Hamatora), Birthday (Hamatora)", "Fandom": "ハマトラ | Hamatora", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by orphan_account", "chapters": "13/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-03T00:00:00", "words": "25,821", "Additional Tags": "Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bad Flirting, First Dates, Texting, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, nice has a sweet tooth but art has a bigger sweet tooth, update: now with plot, and backstory", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Murasaki/Nice (Hamatora), Minor or Background Relationship(s)", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Nice likes to think he anticipates most things, or at the very least, isn’t fazed by much. He knows it isn’t entirely true, but being aware of the happenings of Yokohama-- be it gossip or scandals-- is part of his job, and while he gives off the aura of someone unobservant, it’s for the most part intentional, and rarely a thing slips by him. However, the moment he walks into Cafe Nowhere for the daily cup of coffee he can hardly afford, he notices something he hadn’t seen coming at any costs, and even if he had, likely couldn’t have prepared himself for.Behind the counter stands not Master or the part-time barista Koneko, but a young man. An extremely, extremely handsome young man that Nice gauges to be maybe two or three years older than him, and certainly taller, wearing a black shirt that allows Nice to appreciate just how broad his shoulders are. And how defined his collarbones are. And.... realizing he’s just standing there in the entrance to Cafe Nowhere staring at the new (very hot) barista, Nice forces himself to walk forward toward the counter, raising his gaze to pretend that he had been reading the menu above the barista’s head the entire time rather than checking the man out. There is the fact he’s ordered the same thing nearly every time he’s come into the cafe for the past three years, but there’s no way the new guy would know that, right?“What would you like to order?” Nice swallows thickly, because of course even the man’s voice is attractive. His name tag reads “Murasaki,” but looking at it proves to be a mistake as it involves staring at his chest, which has some very well-defined pectoral muscles that Nice nearly can’t break his gaze from. So Nice looks up, but focusing on his face proves to be an even larger mistake. Murasaki’s eyes are a bright violet, only made to stand out more by the red of his glasses. Nice wonders if the fashion choice was purposeful-- Murasaki had to be aware of how damn attractive he was, didn’t he?It’s evident he’s taking too long to answer when the other gives an irritated sigh. “If you’re unsure what to order I can give you some recommendations--”“No, uh… coffee.” Fuck. Had he really just ordered ‘coffee’ at a coffee shop? Nice supposes there are other things such as tea on the menu, but what kind of idiot just came in and took an entire minute to say he wanted ‘coffee?’ Inwardly, he slaps himself. It’s enough to be flustered around a stranger, but to visibly and vocally be so is unlike him. Not that Murasaki would know that, of course, so he’d likely just entirely fucked up his first impression with him, and will probably forever be thought of as a shallow creep in the other’s mind. Just as he’s contemplating finding another coffee shop (shamefully, as Nowhere has particularly good coffee, he’s found), Murasaki sighs again.“What kind of coffee?” His dreadfully attractive voice is full of irritation, and Nice is fairly certain there’s some condescension carefully masked in there, which is enough to bring him back to his senses. “We have a couple different kinds of roasts--”“Medium drink, medium roast, room for cream and sugar,” Nice finally manages to say. Murasaki nods and begins to brew the coffee, though as he turns around he gives Nice a full view of his back, and all clear thoughts become muddied with what Nice can only call thirst once more.Wanting to get away from his embarrassment as soon as possible, Nice grabs the scalding cup as immediately as it’s put on the counter, and begins to walk away.“Sir, you have to pay for that you know.”“Fuck.” Nice swears aloud this time, turning back to the counter and placing his coffee down to fish for his wallet. “My mistake-- I swear I’m not a thief.” He places the change on the counter, suddenly self conscious of how empty his wallet is, but Murasaki doesn’t comment on neither the fact he had nearly just run off without paying or the fact he barely has enough to pay in the first place. It’s only when Nice begins to pour the sugar packets into his drink that the barista speaks up.“Did you just put six sugars in there?” He sounds incredulous, like it’s the most sugar he’s ever seen anyone put in a cup of coffee before. Clearly, he hasn’t met Art, Nice thinks, picturing his best friend and the ten (sometimes eleven if he’s in a bad mood) sugars he puts in every cup.“Yeah, but it’s not like those crazy fancy expensive latte things at other places don’t have way more,” Nice points out, pleased when his voice comes out sounding level and normal and not stuttering and shaky like everything he has said in the past five minutes.“Huh. That’s true I suppose,” Murasaki concedes, but Nice can still feel the judgement radiating off of him at the indication of Nice’s sweet tooth even as he calls “see ya” over his shoulder and exits the shop, the phrase more out of hope than politeness despite the fact he’d utterly humiliated himself. There were such things as second chances after all, weren’t there? As soon as he’s finished his coffee and is back in the comfort of his own apartment, Nice, nearly buzzing from the caffeine high, reaches for his phone to text Art regarding the man that has been on Nice’s brain since he first laid eyes on him, albeit only half an hour ago. Nice: theres a new barista at nowhere and holy shit hes reallyfuckinghot  Nice: also he could probably kill me?  Art: I see.  Art: Is /that/ what you’re into??? Nice: shut up, your boyfriend wears ugly glasses Art: He could also fire you.  Nice: point taken but anyway  Nice: i royally fucked up  Nice: i kept staring at him and he totally noticed and got really annoyed and also i kept stuttering and when he asked what i wanted i said “coffee” and then forgot to pay  Nice: so now he probably thinks im a weird pervert and also a thief?  Art: Wow. Good job.  Nice: fuck you  Nice: seriously what do i do now  Art: Go back and prove him wrong. Or hope to God you never see him again.  Nice: thanks detective obvious  Art: Isn’t that kind of an oxymoron?  [read: 14:52] Nice doesn’t respond to Art for the rest of the night, brain too addled and distracted due to caffeine and hot baristas to formulate a proper comeback aside “aren’t you kind of an oxymoron?” which seems rather lame even for usual standard of “fuck you” and “shut up.” In the end, he figures one more try with Murasaki can’t hurt, in that he can’t possibly embarrass himself more than he had today, and also in the hopes he can possibly get a closer look at those eyes-- that hopefully won’t be glaring at him, this time. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Nice has spent all night mentally preparing himself-- a combination of afternoon coffee, procrastinated work, and Murasaki’s face having kept him up until the early morning hours, though not quite late enough that the sun would be rising. Mao has him researching some accounting agency, double checking all the numbers to make sure they even out with the public report. It’s detective work, really, the only difference being that the way he and Mao go about it isn’t entirely legal, but that’s what makes it all the more interesting. That, and the fact he can work from his bedroom without office hours on days Mao doesn’t ask him to go downtown and do in-person exchanges with people. Those days he dreads, though he supposes it’s still far better than the piles of paperwork Art must have to go through daily. Plus, more often than not he gets food, even if it is occasionally instead of payment so that he can buy his own food.So, he’s fairly certain he’s as prepared as he can be, having spent at least a half hour simply rehearsing conversations in his head-- where he sounds a lot more suave, in all honesty. Still, it’s not like he’s planning to flirt with the hot new barista (yet), just manage to order a cup of coffee without sounding like a damned, blubbering idiot. Nice takes a deep breath before walking into Cafe Nowhere, though frowns when he is greeted by the sight of a customer in line before him. She at least doesn’t seem to be having any trouble chatting away as she goes to pay, but Nice is pleased to note that Murasaki is both on shift and that he seems disinterested in whatever she’s saying and, from the way his eyebrows are slightly narrowed, slightly annoyed. Or maybe more than slightly-- Nice is half-sure he can see a vein bulging on Murasaki’s forehead as he rings her up.Cafe Nowhere isn’t exactly what Nice would call a popular coffee shop-- there’s the occasional customer during the hours he comes to buy, though he can’t say what it’s like in the mornings at a more normal coffee-consuming time. It’s enough to keep the place afloat, evidently, and if Master can be hiring someone besides Koneko then that must mean business has been increasing. Nice is sure he could find the revenue if he wanted, but he doesn’t particularly care how much the place is making, only that he can afford the slightly overpriced but very good coffee they sell.As he approaches the counter, the woman finishes her story about-- from what Nice can piece together of the snippets he’s caught-- a broken latte machine, thankfully heading toward the door rather than sitting down at one of the cafe’s tables. Murasaki’s expression doesn’t change even when he makes eye contact with Nice, the gorgeous violet of his eyes dull with seeming boredom and irritation.“I’ll have the same order as yesterday,” Nice says before promptly regretting the words that had indeed sounded way smoother in his head. Even if it was a basic order and Nowhere didn’t have many customers, Murasaki would probably think he was now pretentious on top of a perverted coffee thief, which had been the exact opposite of Nice’s intention.Murasaki raises his eyebrows, though Nice can’t tell if it’s in genuine confusion or amusement, or a mixture of the two. “So… coffee?”The response had definitely not been what Nice was expecting-- he hadn’t pegged Murasaki to be the teasing type, if he is teasing, even. It’s at the very least proof that Nice’s first impression had been as embarrassing as he’d thought, and at the very most an indicator that Murasaki is good-natured underneath his serious exterior, though Nice hopes and prays it’s the latter.“Ahh… I deserve that,” he admits, reaching up to scratch the bandage on his nose out of habit. “I meant the real order--”But Murasaki cuts him off to recite back what Nice had said to the barista after yesterday’s mess of an original order. “Medium drink, medium roast, room for cream and sugar.” Nice blinks, stunned, and nods, a part of him feeling special that Murasaki remembered his order, the other parts of him reminding of how basic it was in the first place, and that he shouldn’t consider himself more than an annoyance of a customer to Murasaki, let alone someone interesting.The opportunity to admire Murasaki’s back muscles presents itself once more as he turns around to make the coffee. Though, reminded of the second part of yesterday’s fuck-up, Nice fishes out his wallet immediately, dejectedly sighing inwardly at the lack of money inside of it. There’s enough for the coffee, he’s sure, but not much else, which means he’ll likely be having cup noodles tonight, though it’s not as if it’s a deviation from what he eats on most nights if he’s being honest, due to his lack of cooking skills.Nice feels Murasaki’s eyes on him as he pours in his six sugar packets and creamer, stirring the hot-but-not-quite-as-hot-as-Murasaki coffee before, on a whim, taking a seat at one of the tables instead of leaving in an embarrassed hurry. He pulls out his phone, both in order to check to see if there’s any messages from Art or Mao or even Hajime, and to make it seem as if he’s not desperately dying to talk to Murasaki, which he totally is.After he’s deemed it enough time, he takes a sip of the now slightly-cooled drink and sets down his phone, turning his gaze to Murasaki.“So, why the barista job? You don’t really strike me as a people person, honestly.”Murasaki looks up at Nice sharply, seemingly startled by the sudden question, though Nice can’t blame him-- it had come out of nowhere, and wasn’t exactly the most polite question to boot. But he’s curious, and he figures even his true personality, lacking though it is, will be better than the fumbling fool he had presented himself as the day before.The barista sighs and then does something that surprises Nice-- he smiles slightly, and wryly nonetheless.“I’ll tell you why I work here if you tell me why you’re wearing three bandages on your face.”Nice nearly spits out his drink in surprise. Caught off guard by a barista twice in a matter of minutes-- now that was a feat, he was sure. As it is, he swallows the coffee too fast in order to prevent himself from choking (which would be the cherry on top of the cake in terms of humiliation), and nearly burns his throat. Murasaki’s unpredictability is enough to make him grin himself, though. In a way, it’s better than a straight answer-- it gives an opening for mutual conversation, and gives Nice the inkling that Murasaki may be curious about him as well, if only for his facial bandages.“Alright, deal.”There’s a moment of silence in which they are both clearly expecting the other to go first, but eventually Murasaki gives in, taking a breath and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose in a gesture that is far too attractive before speaking.“I found out there was quite a bit of corruption at my previous workplace, and so I quit. Nowhere was advertising, and I thought it would be a fairly simple temporary position while I looked for a new long-term job.”“Huh. Not what I was expecting, but more interesting,” Nice comments, taking a long sip of coffee. While he had half-hoped that Murasaki would divulge a secret passion for coffee-making, the vagueness of his story had left room for future conversations about perhaps the nature of the corruption, or where exactly Murasaki had worked, or why it was so important to him that he had quit. Evidently, Murasaki has his morals in check if he left for such reasons, which Nice finds somewhat ironic considering his own line of work. Though it’s not as if it’s a definite issue-- Mao is dating a cop, after all, and it’s not as if anything will happen with Murasaki anyway, he’s sure. “So, why the bandages?”Nice laughs. “Good question. Who knows, honestly? Maybe I’ve got some awful face tattoos. Or maybe, just maybe, they’re covering some kick-ass scars I got in the mafia.” He lowers his voice into a whisper, forcing his tone and facial features to convey sincerity at the suggestion of being a mafioso.Murasaki doesn’t seem to buy into it, however, staring at Nice blankly and utterly unamused. “You stand out way too much to be a Yakuza with the way you dress. And besides, don’t they show off their tattoos and scars, not hide them?”“I ran away from that life, obviously. That’s why I’m dressed like this-- it’s reverse psychology. No one would expect an ex-mafia to stand out so much, right?”“I did answer my question honestly, you know.” Murasaki frowns and pushes his glasses up again before shrugging in exasperation.Gulping down the last of his coffee, Nice stands to leave, grinning mischievously at Murasaki. “I said I’d tell you, but I never said when,” he points out, pleased when Murasaki gapes slightly at his loophole. “But I keep my word, don’t worry.” He resists the urge to wink over his shoulder (because what message would that even convey?) as he walks out the door, leaving Murasaki speechless behind him. Nice: saw mr hot barista again today. totally nailed it  Art: Nailed as in…? Nice?!?!?! Nice: no not like that!!!  Nice: i mean i totally succeeded in being all ~mysterious~  Nice: mysterious is sexy, right?  Art: … No comment.  Nice: apparently hes working at nowhere cuz he left his old job  Nice: said the higher ups were corrupt or something  Nice: but now ive got him thinking im some sort of cryptic bad boy type? maybe?  Art: Do I even want to know?  Nice: nah probably not He’s not sure how he’s going to face Murasaki tomorrow-- the barista didn’t quite seem mad as much as baffled and frustrated, which was good, but Nice is beginning to think he had taken the wrong route after all. Murasaki didn’t know him, he could have pretended to be a total gentleman. Maybe dapperness was what Murasaki found attractive, if he even liked guys. But Nice isn’t one for lying or pretending to be someone he’s not, even for the sake of a really hot and witty guy, and if he’s being perfectly real with himself he is just a slight asshole, and not at all a gentleman. Regretting his awkward attempt at flirting isn’t going to do him much good though, even when Murasaki’s face shows up every time he closes his eyes. He doesn’t even know the man, and it’s likely he’ll never get to. That doesn’t stop him from daydreaming though, picturing Murasaki in various outfits from a suit that perfectly complemented the broadness of his shoulders to a maid costume that did not fit at all and left little to the imagination (even within his imagination). And when he gets bored of that he tries to imagine what more conversations would be like with the man. It all comes down to one thing though-- for just two days of seeing him, Nice has got it bad. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “It’s got to be awfully boring with no customers,” Nice points out after taking a seat in the blissfully empty Cafe Nowhere the next day. He’s in a cheerful mood-- not only from seeing Murasaki, but because the other had asked him if he wanted “the same” upon his arrival, and when he had said yes the barista had made the drink without a word of clarification. From his relaxed expression, Nice gathers Murasaki might just be in a pleasant mood as well, and the thought that maybe he isn’t irritating him any longer is enough to give him a bit of a confidence boost, enough so that he has the energy to strike up a conversation.“You’re a customer, aren’t you?” Murasaki asks. It’s rhetorical, but Nice laughs nonetheless-- something about Murasaki’s blasé comments strikes his funny bone, even though he’s half-certain they wouldn’t be nearly as amusing coming from anyone else.“Other than me, I mean. But since I’m here, you can’t exactly mess around, right? I bet you’re still bored-- so, let’s play a game.” He take a sip of the bittersweet beverage and gazes expectantly at Murasaki, who narrows his eyebrows in confusion.“A game? Like, shogi or something? I can't exactly just sit down in the middle of my shift,” he points out.Nice grins and tilts back in the chair for a moment, returning to all four legs at a prompt in the form of Murasaki glaring. “You won't need to. Have you ever heard of ‘two truths and a lie’?”“Can’t say I have.” Murasaki doesn’t sound particularly interested, but Nice is set on playing.“Alright, it’s simple,” Nice starts, despite the fact Murasaki hadn’t exactly openly prompted an explanation, nor agreed to play. “We each tell three things about ourselves, but the catch is that one’s a lie. Then, the other person guesses which two things are true, and which one’s not. Easy, right?” He offers a likely-failed attempt at an inviting grin to Murasaki across the room, hoping he doesn’t look constipated rather than friendly. Realizing just how little he smiles intentionally, Nice makes a note to practice expressions in front of the mirror later that night, temporarily grateful for the fact he lives alone.Thankfully, Murasaki doesn’t turn him down. “Fine. But you go first this time.”Pausing a moment as to not have it seem obvious he’s clearly been over-thinking what facts to share about himself since the idea for the game popped into his mind that morning, Nice scratches the bandage on his nose and hums idly. “Let’s see… I have an English name, I once was poisoned by chicken nuggets, and my favorite color is blue.”Murasaki frowns at him, the crease appearing in his forehead unfortunately not making him a single bit less attractive-- at least, not to Nice. “There’s no way you have an English name. That’s the lie.”“Nope, but good try,” Nice grins. It was the obvious choice, especially for someone who didn’t know him, but he’s not at all displeased by Murasaki’s guess as it gives him an opportunity to introduce himself as well as add some more mystery to his character in regards to why he possesses an English name. “My name is actually English, but my favorite color’s not blue.”“What is it, then? Your name and your favorite color.”“My name’s Nice. And it’s purple.” He just barely gets the words out, overwhelmed with childish excitement as he is at the display of mutual curiosity from Murasaki. Even if it was just for the sake polite conversation or killing boredom, this was a coffee shop and not a host club; Murasaki wasn't being paid to entertain. Nice couldn’t help but be hopeful that maybe the other man wanted to learn more about him, too. “Nice…” Murasaki tries out, and Nice is practically melting at the way his name sounds off the other’s tongue. He wants to ask him to say it again, and again, and just once more so he can record it, but he doesn’t, of course-- his memory will have to be enough for the time being (and enough for in bed, later.) “That doesn’t sound like a name, just a word." He frowns thoughtfully. "Are you American, then? I hear they're constantly coming up with unusual names.”“Hey, I didn’t name myself! And wrong again-- I’m Japanese. Only my name is English.”Murasaki nods slowly, and Nice wishfully wonders if he's putting that information to memory, like the beginnings of a profile. Like he's doing for Murasaki. Nice, age unknown, last name unknown, nationality: Japanese, favorite color: purple, hair: brown, eyes: blue, distinguishing features: face bandages. Something like that.“Right… I guess it’s my turn, then?"Nice puts his chin on his hand and sets aside his coffee momentarily, wanting his full attention to be on the barista.Murasaki wipes an imaginary coffee stain off the counter and re-ties his apron as he thinks, and finally says "My favorite color is also purple, I hate instant noodles, and…” he trails off, looking lost for a moment. “There’s not really much to say about myself. I enjoy cooking?” It’s spoken as a question, and from his phrasing Nice can tell that him enjoying cooking isn’t the lie. He's starting to wonder what kind of food he makes-- not that Nice is picky-- when the sudden image of Murasaki in nothing but an apron, bent over to put something in the oven forces its way into Nice’s mind unbidden, and it takes more mental energy than he would like to admit to push it away. He’ll revisit it later, of course, along with the way Murasaki said his name, but it won’t do any good to make himself hot and bothered while in Murasaki’s company, despite how appealing the mental picture is.“Easy. Your favorite color isn’t purple,” Nice tells him, heaving an internal sigh of relief when his voice comes out level, though he has a feeling he just might be blushing.The barista raises his eyebrows, both looking and sounding genuinely surprised that Nice had guessed correctly. “How could you tell?”“If my name was Murasaki, my favorite color wouldn’t be purple. It’s like, if something is forced onto you as a kid, you’re probably going to hate it, right? You want to choose your own likes and dislikes. Not just what people expect of you.”“That’s… that’s very astute. I didn’t expect that from you,” Murasaki admits. “But it’s true, my favorite color is turquoise, not purple.” Turquoise… it’s a peculiar color choice, Nice thinks, not typical like red or blue or green that one would normally hear as a favorite color. But he likes that, likes that Murasaki is specific and honest even with something such as his color preferences. Not to mention the particularity made it difficult to forget.There's a moment of silence, and Nice returns to his coffee. “But wait,” Murasaki adds as though he’s just realized something. “You said you were poisoned by chicken nuggets? Food poisoning, I assume?” “Real poison, actually,” Nice informs him, attempting to maintain sincerity and not laugh at the fact he had been the recipient of attempted murder, as much as the situation amuses him now.  “Someone gave them to me at work, but they had rat poison baked in. I only took a bite, so it wasn’t enough to kill me.”As if on a cue, his phone buzzes, and a glance down at the screen informs him it’s a text from Mao, summoning him to some hotel a few blocks off. As disappointed as he is to leave Murasaki, it’s probably better not to reveal too much about himself at once, lest he overwhelm or scare off the other.“Speaking of, though, that’s my boss-- I need to go. See ya, Murasaki.”“Wait--” Murasaki calls as Nice gathers his things. “Just where exactly do you work?”“I don’t really work anywhere exactly. Not Nowhere, but not anywhere either.” It’s a vague answer with a terrible pun, but Nice can’t help but feel somewhat proud of it anyway. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Much to his annoyance, Nice hadn’t had ample time to finish his coffee before Mao requested his assistance, though he supposes having to drink room-temperature coffee whilst running is more or less a fair trade-off for the convenience of such a timely and enigmatic exit. Cryptic bad boy type indeed. And really, if he’s being honest, it’s more of a leisurely jog than a full-on sprint anyway. The hotel Mao is apparently having some sort of dilemma in is only a few blocks from Cafe Nowhere, and it’s not like Mao could know where he’s coming from, right? Nice’s ‘boss’ (Mao preferred the term boss; Nice preferred the term partner) probably thought he would be arriving from his apartment, which was eight blocks away instead of six. So he can afford to jog, right? Scratch that, it’s Mao, and Mao knows everything. He’s definitely more than aware of Nice’s coffee habits, and Nice wouldn’t put it past Art at all to have kindly informed his horrible, awful, ugly-glasses-wearing boyfriend of Nice’s interest in the new barista. Which means Mao now knows Murasaki’s work hours, as well as his social security number. Nice downs the rest of his coffee in one cold gulp and starts running faster.He slows down once he approaches the hotel and rereads the text, trying to determine whether a grand entrance or a surreptitious entrance is more appropriate. Mao: Speaking with Tachibana-san of Facultas Enterprises today. Guys in sunglasses, and he doesn’t seem very happy. At the ______ hotel. Which is essentially Mao-speak for “the client is angry and has bodyguards, please help.”The question is, though, if things have gotten out of hand yet. It had only been ten minutes since he’d gotten the text, and the grammar seemed to indicate Mao was just starting the meeting when Nice had left the cafe. If Mao knew how to do anything (and he knew how to do lots of things), it was stalling, so Nice would wager all the money he had (which wasn’t much) that things were still mostly amicable inside of the hotel room. The number of which Mao hadn’t given him.Nice had originally been hired as nothing more than a bodyguard for Mao, back when he was seventeen. When he had first been approached by a tall Chinese man requesting the use of his fighting skills, Nice had simply stared at him and asked “why me?”Not “for what?”, not “how much will you pay me?”, not “how did you find me?” but “why me?”Mao had replied “because you seem unlikely to refuse.” He had been right. In a way, that one question had answered all the others Nice could have asked-- the tall Chinese man wanted Nice for something on the fringes of legality, would pay him more than Nice would get elsewhere but not all that much, and had found him because he was looking for the strongest cheap hire. Not many people in Japan were experts in taekwondo, the most popular forms of martial arts being the ones that had originated in the country itself such as judo, sumo, and karate.So, not only was Nice strong in his field, his field was unique, which made it less likely people would be able to fight back. What Nice hadn’t realized at the time of his agreement was that while most other bodyguards were muscleheads who could use their fists, dealing with richer and more influential clientele meant access to guns. No matter how much he wished, kicks could not stop a bullet. Nice had learned that lesson the hard way, and had the scar on his shoulder to prove it. Of course, Mao and Art had met out of that incident, so it wasn’t all bad. Except, yes it was, because his best friend was (probably, he had no proof) a tattling traitor, and movie night with morning pancakes had been put on an indefinite hiatus because the one time he was so kind as to invite Mao along the only person who had actually been watching the screen was him. Nice really hadn’t needed to know what Mao-- or Art-- sounded like kissing. Really. Third-wheeling was such a pain.Mao is also currently being a pain. Nice had proved to him years ago that he’s more than capable of having information-gathering duties on top of being a bodyguard, but Mao still insists on testing him from time to time. Not giving him the hotel suite number is probably one of these tests, but it’s so easily remediable that Nice thinks Mao could have just as easily simply forgotten. Either way, if the extra few minutes it takes to talk the room number of one Tachibana-san out of the front desk costs Mao an arm, that’s on him. So is the fact he doesn’t pay Nice nearly enough for bribes. “Room service!” Nice exclaims cheerily after a short rap on the door. It’s the oldest and most cliched trick in the book, and he doesn’t believe for even a second it’ll work on Tachibana-san or the suits he’s hired. Mao isn’t the only one who tests people, however-- if Facultas Enterprises truly isn’t covering up any sort of unsavory activity, they’ll react naturally to the prospect of unordered room service. If they are covering something up, then, well…An eye shadows across the peephole, and Nice is momentarily grateful for the fact he’s twenty and looks it. Another reason Mao had wanted him as a bodyguard, he’s sure: he doesn’t look like hired muscle.“Anyone order a skinny brunette?” says a raspy, muffled voice on the other side of the door. Nice thinks he hears a low whistle, and then an exclamation of “he’s a guy, you pervert!” before Mao speaks up.“That would be me.”A moment later the door opens, and Nice is only semi-pleased to note that Mao has both arms intact. Would have served him right.“Yo.” Nice steps into the extremely lavish hotel suite at Mao’s admittance, nodding at the group of sunglasses-clad men standing near the wall. One of them has the red remains of a slap-mark on his cheek; the pervert, then.He takes a seat on one of the leather couches nearest the desk that the person whom must be Tachibana is sitting on the far side of and pokes the material experimentally. It springs back almost immediately. Ah, how wonderful it must be to be rich.“I did hear you travelled lightly,” remarks probably-Tachibana, and the bodyguards snicker. Nice ignores them. Mao also ignores them.“Back to the matter at hand, I believe we were discussing the Freemum group? That is what you paid me to be here for.” Mao takes a stack of papers out of his bag, and the two resume discussing the increasingly notorious group of freelance hackers that seemingly had intel on every major corporation in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and even then some.So Mao was here today to provide, then. Well, that certainly left his text message in a different light, as well as the fact that probably-Tachibana didn’t seem to be in a bad mood at all. In fact, he appeared rather pleased as Mao revealed the names of two of the Freemum hackers. The two who posed the least threat individually, Nice knew, but nevermind that.If Mao is being paid to divulge information and had bothered to come all the way to the hotel, dressed in slacks and a button-down, instead of requesting they come to him, it’s for a reason.Nice waits approximately eight minutes and twenty-three seconds, playing a game on his phone, before standing and stretching. “I just had a huge coffee, so can you tell me where the toilet is? Also, is there anywhere to dispense of this?” he asks, waving the empty coffee cup.“Bathroom’s down the hall to the right,” one of the suits says, and Nice thanks him.It’s a large suite, though unfortunately (and most likely intentionally), it’s the sort where every hall and room is branched off the main area. In other words, you could see who entered what room from nearly anywhere. Nice’s only chance is the actual bathroom, then, which is a good thing because he really does have to relieve himself.See, the thing about being an informant-slash-bodyguard, is that not only are there no rules prohibiting double-crossing and dual agency, everyone expects you to. As it happens right now, Mao and Nice have a pending investigation into Facultas Enterprises from a third party who suspects them of having falsified their annual revenue report. And they’re being promised quite a great deal to inspect this matter. Only, they’re meeting a dead-end because this third party wants to be proven right, and everything Nice has come across so far has added up. What’s in the bank account matches the reports, and there isn’t much more one could hope for in terms of concrete proof beyond that.Still, Nice has the uneasy, unprovable suspicion that something about Facultas is off, and he’s here in the bathroom of one of its employees anyway, so he might as well take a look. Thankfully, the trash bin seems free of any traces of certain substances, and as Nice goes to throw away his coffee cup he quietly combs through the receptacle.There’s not much in it-- the cardboard heart of a toilet paper roll, an empty bottle of hotel shampoo, a room service receipt for fucking lobster, and a few pieces of scrap paper from the hotel-monogrammed notepad. One of the scraps is blank, another contains a string of numbers and is torn in the middle, and the last contains what looks for all intents and purposes like a wordsearch puzzle before any words have been found and without a handy key.After a brief triple-check to ensure the other half of the numbers aren’t lying about somewhere he missed, Nice snaps a photo of the half he does have as well as one of the pseudo-wordsearch with his phone camera and puts everything back in its proper place (the trash) before intensely scrubbing at his hands. When he returns to the main room, he gives no indication of what unsightly, uncleanly deed he’d just been doing and returns to tapping at the rhythm game on his phone, which as it happens is way less fun on silent.In the end, Mao doesn’t actually need Nice’s martial arts prowess, and finishes up with still-unconfirmed-Tachibana pretty fast. He collects the thick envelope the man gives him with a nod, and he and Nice walk out the door in silence. It isn’t until they’re back in the safety of Mao’s apartment that either of them say a word, and for the first time in over seventy-two hours, Murasaki is not on the forefront of Nice’s mind. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “There’s just no way to know what the numbers could mean without knowing the full range of digits,” Nice points out around a mouthful of his fourth steamed bun. The savory pastries are Mao’s sworn-by choice for ‘snack food that counts as dinner’-- what cup noodles and McDonalds are for Nice. Currently, the unhealthy-eating pair is seated around Mao’s turned-off kotatsu. The fall temperatures aren’t quite low enough yet to warrant turning the electric blanket on, but the wide, flat surface is proving ideal for pouring over the entirety of documents they have relating to Facultas Enterprises. Including, as it happens, printed-out and blown-up copies of the photos that had been Nice’s findings in now-confirmed-Tachibana’s trash can.Mao picks up what Nice thinks is his sixth bun from the rapidly-shrinking pile in the middle of the table and gives the mysterious numbers a last critical gaze. “I don’t think we should discount them-- but if you’re saying we should focus on the other paper for now, then I agree.”Nice nods. “Glad to be on the same page.” There’s only a tiny bit of bite to his words-- after a very unnecessary fifteen minute argument about how to proceed with Nice’s findings that had culminated in Nice slamming his palms on the kotatsu and shouting “if you want to be in control so much, go dig in the trash yourself!” Mao had mostly relented. Since then, any opposition to Nice’s points has been met with some sort of garbage-related comment, so really it’s good that Mao is easing up, if only because Nice is running thin on trash puns.Despite the meaningless argument (even more meaningless since they’re in agreement on what to look into, anyway, just not on how to divide the tasks up) the atmosphere in Mao’s apartment is relaxed. Probably partially due to the prevailing aroma of delicious meat-filled pastries, Nice thinks, but he and Mao’s ‘fights’ have also yet to end in bad blood. They get it out of their systems, and keep working. And it does work, thankfully and miraculously.There’s a moment of silence that isn’t really silent so much as it is chewing, and both brown-haired men turn their attention to the copies of the lettered paper. “I don’t think it’s a cypher,” Nice says after it becomes apparent that just looking at the paper he’s now memorized from staring at so long isn’t going to get them anywhere. “Or if it is a cypher, it’s not just that. There’s got to also be some sort of pattern to which letters they’re using, or else even someone who knew the cypher would never figure it out.”Mao sighs. “If the letters are coded, we can’t just guess and check.” He reaches a long arm over the table to grab at the stack of blank papers they’d brought out, and his pencil.“Right. Well, for now how about copying down possible common patterns? So that it’s faster to decode later.” Nice takes another glance at the sheet, breaking down the rows and columns in his head. “Every third through sixth letter sound good? I don’t think there’s enough for seven.”“Good idea,” Mao agrees. “But while I do that, I would appreciate you taking another look back over the old information. If you can find something we previously missed and we can figure out what’s really going on, it might help us make some sense of what we’re seeing here.” Utilizing the pencil he had grabbed, Mao taps at the letter-bearing sheet.Suddenly less hungry at the prospect of staring at pages upon pages of numbers he’s seen a dozen times before and feeling an oncoming headache, Nice puts down the rest of his bun and sighs. There’s no avoiding it, though-- Mao is right. Even if they do manage to crack the cypher, the hidden message will ultimately mean nothing unless they can first prove there’s something Facultas is falsifying or hiding.“Got it.” And with those words, Nice resigns himself to rereading excel sheets and bank account information for the rest of the night.  By the time he stumbles into Cafe Nowhere just after its opening at seven the next morning, the rest of the night has turned into the rest of the technical morning, and Nice hasn’t gotten any sleep in almost twenty-four hours. Thank god he had slept in yesterday.Upon seeing the sun rising through the slants of Mao’s blinds, Nice had declared that he needed a break, and if Mao wanted to not be an insomniac workaholic for once then he was free to join him. Mao, of course, had declined. That hadn’t surprised Nice. It hadn’t surprised Nice either when he had rummaged through Mao’s drawers and found approximately thirty different types of tea but no coffee, and no coffee machine to boot. It hadn’t surprised him, but it had horrified him.“You’re dating Art,” he had said as a last resort after exchanging some heated, unkind, and very sleep-deprived words with Mao about respective caffeinated beverages of choice. “How do you keep him from murdering you in cold blood when he stays over if you don’t have coffee?!” Really, he was curious as well-- if there was some sort of magic trick to placate Art in the mornings that did not involve coffee and hopefully did not involve sex, then he would like to be in the know.“We usually spend the night at his place,” Mao told him, and Nice couldn’t for the life of him figure out why he looked bashful. “He has a bigger bed.” Ah. That explained it.And so now he stands in an actual line inside Cafe Nowhere because it’s on the way back to his apartment and he would rather not fall over on the sidewalk thank you very much. Most weeks he tries to limit the occurrances of purchased coffee to once or twice since he has a coffee maker at home that he manages to get producing decent-tasting results most of the time, but this week Murasaki had shown up and, well… Nice may have gotten a little carried away.Still, this time is most definitely Mao’s fault, and Nice resolves to make him pay for this cup in addition to his overtime. Not that he paid by the hour, per se, but he’s sure he can make a case. It’s not even worth the lack of sleep and extra money to get to see Murasaki, because Murasaki isn’t here. Nice had assumed he worked the afternoon shift anyway, and it’s not like Koneko is horrible to look at or anything (especially if you asked Hajime.) She’s just not Murasaki.The two zombie-like businessmen in front of Nice make their orders and soon enough Nice is at the front.“Nice-san!” Koneko exclaims with five hundred percent too much enthusiasm for seven o’clock in the morning. “It’s rare to see you this early. What can I get you?”“Er… yeah… well…” he glances helplessly at the line forming behind him and thinks helplessly about how much he’d like to sleep and how he’s not going to get to do that. Koneko is generally a friendly and perceptive person, and Nice has been coming to Nowhere for over three years with her as the lone barista this entire time save if Master himself makes an appearance, so it’s no surprise she’s long since learned his name and habits.Still, he finds himself becoming flustered at being conversed with-- usually when he talks to her it’s not so crowded and certainly not so early. And usually he’s gotten at least seven hours of sleep.“I’d love to talk, but it looks like you’ve got customers,” he settles on. “The regular would be great, except make it an extra large.” Might as well milk Mao for all he can.Nice steps aside as Koneko nods furiously and begins to brew the sized-up beverage. Her glasses fog up at the heat from the coffee, and her ponytail is rife with flyaway strands. Once, Art had joked that he and Hajime had the same type but in opposite genders, and Nice is beginning to think that his friend had indeed been correct. Well, he likes girls too, more or less. But right now he can’t help but wonder if Murasaki’s glasses fog up when he makes coffee, too, and finds himself thinking about just what else might make those lenses fog up. Such as Nice’s own breath…“Ready!” chirps Koneko, and pulls Nice out of his daydream. How he’d like to be really dreaming, right about now.Except as he goes to pay he realizes this would, in actuality, be more of a nightmare, because Nice had forgotten in his extortion of Mao that Mao had not, in fact, paid him. And that he hadn’t been home since yesterday. Which means he has all of a hundred yen in his wallet, and a hundred yen is not enough.For the first time that morning, he’s very glad Murasaki is not here.“Fuck! Shit, shit. Koneko, I’m so sorry, but I don’t actually have enough-- I was out all night... not doing anything sketchy! I wasn’t doing anything sketchy, I promise! I’m not like that! I was actually working all night if you’ll believe that and my boss hasn’t paid me and I haven’t had time to go to the bank and I’m so sorry but this is all I have and I’ll come right back after I go home and I’ll pay you back I’m so--”Konenko cuts off his exuberant head-bowing with an outstretched hand. Specifically, an outstretched hand containing his coffee.“Koneko!” Nice reaches for the coffee with sparkles in his eyes. “Thank you so much, I always knew you were an--”The word ‘angel’ dies in his throat as Koneko gives him a decidedly non-angelic smirk. “No need to come back later. If you can’t pay in cash, you’ll have to pay some other way, right?”It takes more courage than he would like to admit to get out the words “like… like what?” Nevermind Nice being semi-decent at taekwondo, this girl should have been Mao’s bodyguard. She clearly has the aura of a queen when she wants to, and Nice is entirely prepared to go home telling Mao he has to clean the toilets at Nowhere for the rest of his life because he was short two hundred yen on his coffee. At least maybe he’ll get to see Murasaki…Koneko taps her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm… maybe... Like Hajime-chan’s phone number?”Oh. Oh. Well this is, in a very humiliating turn of events, a great win. “Deal,” he says, and pulls up his contact list. A few minutes and several extra packets of sugar later, he’s leaving Nowhere in much higher spirits than he had entered, oblivious to the annoyed glares from businessmen at the weird-looking kid who had been holding up the line.Nice: you’ll thank me later He sends Hajime, nevermind the fact he should be thanking her. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “I was wondering when you’d be back,” Mao quips as Nice lets himself back into the other man’s apartment not even an hour later. His voice is coming from the kitchen, as well as a slightly pungent smell. Nice wrinkles his nose and lets the noise and odor lead him to the stove, upon which sits a frying pan half-full of what Nice thinks are eggs, albeit with a large amount of shell.The eggs can’t seem to decide whether they’re scrambled or sunny-side-up, and while one section appears to be so severely burnt Nice wonders how Mao avoided triggering the fire alarm, another section is so yellow the eggs might as well be raw. Nice sets his mostly-empty coffee cup on the counter as the liquid he’s already consumed threatens to make a reappearance.“I went back to my place to change and stopped for coffee along the way. Which, apparently, was a terrible idea, because look what you’ve done.”At Nice’s prompting, Mao does glance up from his plate, which makes Nice want to vomit for the second time in thirty seconds because oh god is he really eating it? The answer is of course yes, yes he is, and he seems to have poured a concoction of soy sauce and ketchup (if the bottles on the table in front of him are anything to go by) on the eggs as well. Which, Nice is sure probably makes them taste more appetizing, but certainly does note make them look it. From his angle, the condiment vaguely resembles blood.“Did you actually change? You’re wearing the same shirt,” is all Mao has to say before returning to his meal. There’s ketchup on his face, which Nice decides not to tell him about. Bastard.Determining he can’t bear the smell any longer, Nice moves to the sink and opens the overlying window. A draft of crisp fall air comes flooding in, and the chill is a small price to pay for the fact that with it comes the scent of autumn leaves.“Of course I changed,” Nice insists, turning back to face Mao. “I own multiple blue shirts because they are comfortable and when I bought them they were on sale.”“They’re also too small,” Mao says, looking pointedly at the strip of Nice’s stomach that had become exposed when he crossed his arms.Nice tugs his shirt back down with only a slight bit of self-consciousness. Truthfully, he’s so used to the stretched-out garments riding up that he barely even notices. “That’s not the point!”“Then, what is?”“The point,” he starts, drawing out the word when he realizes he doesn’t actually have a point. Then he realizes he does actually have a point, and that the matter of his too-small shirts ties in rather nicely. “The point is that you don’t pay me enough to afford new clothes! Also, I demand that you pay me back for my morning coffee, since you’re too stubborn to have any. And pay me for working overtime. And,” he adds as an afterthought, “pay me for all the psychological damages that definitely happened when I smelled your horrible cooking.”In response to the increasingly ludicrous demands for payment, Mao doesn’t laugh like Nice had thought he would. Instead, he sighs, pushing up his circular glasses and putting down his plate. It only takes a matter of seconds for him to look his age, and at the prompt of dark bags underneath the man’s eyes Nice is reminded of the fact that he isn’t the only one who had worked until daybreak, and that Mao puts in sleepless nights far more often than he.“Look, we can discuss the pay after we’ve earned it by wrapping up this case.” Groaning, Mao stretches his arms behind his head as if he’s just woken up, despite the fact neither of the two have slept. “We should probably get back to work. I’m postponing our other clients until we figure out what’s going on with Facultas, and if you can prove to be as helpful as you were with getting those papers out of the trash then I’ll cut the pay sixty-forty, you-me. How’s that?”It should be cause for Nice to joyously shout. Mao even paying him half is entirely unheard of, let alone offering to pay him more . Provided he can take the matter into his own hands, of course.But something about the other things Mao says tips Nice off. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s choosing to postpone their (well, really his) other clients, even though they have several offers on the table and Mao turning someone asking for information down is practically unheard of as well. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s turning them down to focus on a single case, not to mention a case they don’t even know if they’ll find anything worth getting paid for. Maybe it’s both. The prospect of getting sixty percent of the pay is exciting, yes, but what Nice hears is that this case is dangerous.Mao hasn’t made good on a dangerous offer since Nice was shot last year, so maybe the money is his way of showing remorse. Which, Nice keeps reminding him, he doesn’t need to feel. He’d chosen to work for Mao on his own, and he’d taken the bullet on his own as well. No one is making Nice do a damn thing.Exhaustion should be setting in, but the twenty ounces of caffeine are beginning to go into effect and he leans back on the heels of his feet before returning to his toes. “Mao,” he finally steels himself to ask. “Just who exactly is this client?”“Oh.” Mao blinks surprised behind his glasses, like he hadn’t been expecting Nice to ask that. “Didn’t I tell you? It’s the Gate family. The mafia.”  The largest and most notorious yakuza family in Yokohama apparently has some sort of grudge against Facultas Enterprises for buying a building in their territory, or something. Go figure.What this means for Nice is nearly three entire days holed up in Mao’s apartment, napping intermittently and spending most of his waking hours going over spreadsheets.He realizes sometime on the first day-- the day of the egg incident-- that when he’d stopped by his apartment he had forgotten to take the charger for his phone. And of course, of course, Mao has a flip phone, whose charger isn’t even close to compatible. Nice calls him an old man no less than eight times before Mao decides to step out and buy energy drinks.“Let your phone die,” he says. “We’re not taking clients anyway, and the sooner we figure out what’s really going on at Facultas the sooner you can go home.”Then, he leaves. And returns with as many energy drinks and bottles of espresso as he can carry, along with some random snacks, like he’d decided that eating was an afterthought. It probably was.A few hours later, they switch places, and Nice attempts the cypher for a while. Neither of them make any progress.By nine o’clock Nice feels like his eyes are going to fall out of his head and he’s sure that with how many energy drinks he’s consumed his blood has turned into sugar and his brain into mush. Mao lets him use the shower and tells him to rest, but his sleep isn’t peaceful and his dreams are filled with cryptic letters and numbers.When he wakes up on a couch that most definitely isn’t his own bed, he starts, but a quick look around the room reminds him where he is. Mao is slumped over the kotatsu in a position that looks very unnatural and very uncomfortable, presumably asleep. A look at the clock on his rapidly-dying phone tells him it’s just after two a.m., and the noise Mao makes when Nice russes him almost leaves him feeling bad, but he sends the man to his own bed and within minutes Nice can hear snoring.He resumes looking at spreadsheets.The second day contains the same spreadsheets, a lot of cursing, a few unpleasant phone calls on Mao’s end, and more energy drinks. Nice’s phone inevitably kicks the bucket, and he’s so tired he almost cries. Almost.By the third day, they’re admittedly both not at their best, and when Mao’s phone rings the caller ID shows someone from the Gate family calling. He steps out of the room to take it, and Nice doesn’t ask how the conversation went.“You know what we need?” Nice instead asks Mao, who is currently staring into empty space.“What?” Mao mutters, like Nice had been interrupting something.“Brain food!” Really, he just wants to do something other than look at spreadsheets, even if that something happens to be cooking. Maybe Mao will agree to go to a restaurant, or the grocery, or maybe even let him watch the cooking channel on TV for recipes. Nice is starting to really, really miss TV. And the internet. And McDonalds. And for some inexplicable reason, Murasaki. Not necessarily in that order.It’s only been three days, but then again he’d only known Murasaki for three days. Hell, he doesn’t even really know him-- it would be entirely more accurate to say he’d met the man three times, and they’d had one-point-five conversations. There’s no reason at all he should be missing him.And yet, he is.“I could make onigiri,” Mao is suggesting, probably because the only food he actually has on hand is rice.Nice shudders, but the mental image of Mao’s cooking at least does a bit to wake him up. “After seeing your eggs? No thanks.”“I’m not the one who got fined for property damage trying to cut fruit . ”He has a point. Cutting fruit doesn’t even involve cooking.“The knife was slippery, okay!”Mao only grunts in what could either be affirmation or perhaps pain.Sighing and yawning, Nice stands up to stretch his legs. After this, he’s going for a long run. And to the gym. And to Cafe Nowhere. And maybe after that he’ll get breakfast with Art, and also he’ll need to text Hajime to see how the thing with Koneko is going, if there’s even a thing at all. And after that he’ll kill time on the internet, and then sleep in his own bed.“Hey, Mao. What if there’s nothing sketchy going on with Facultas at all?”This is the kind of question that should probably be spoken quietly, but Nice asks it casually and at normal volume like it’s nothing important at all. Because Nice doesn’t sugarcoat things, even if things are rude or hard. It’s what they’ve both been thinking but haven’t brought up, and if Mao isn’t going to say it then he’ll just have to deal with Nice blurting it out.Typical of Mao, Nice’s question is answered with another question. “Why would someone encrypt a message if they have nothing to hide?” He sounds unsure, though, like he’s been trying to talk himself into believing in his gut feeling this whole time, and not entirely succeeding.“Maybe Tachibana just likes puzzles,” Nice mutters, but as much as he wants to abandon this, he knows Mao is right. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Even though he hadn’t asked about the phone call, Nice gathers from the way Mao throws himself back into their work with a renewed and slightly frantic vigor that they’re on some sort of time constraint. Whether this constraint is outwardly or self imposed, Nice doesn’t know, but he settles back down aside the kotatsu as soon as Mao finishes reorganizing the papers, figuring it doesn’t matter either way.Well, ‘reorganizing’ might be a bit of a generous term. The papers, once grouped together by subject, are now uncategorized and scattered freely about, some overlapping haphazardly.“As cliche as it sounds, it might help us to look at things differently,” Mao says as means of explanation for his “organizing.” Then, apparently deciding that the conversation is done, he grabs a handful of papers and pushes up his glasses, studying them intently.Nice can only move to do the same.Probably due to the fact he’s been looking at the same papers for three straight days in a constant sleep-deprived haze, the numbers and lines are beginning to blur and swim, even when he closes his eyes. Nice is so fundamentally done with this entire thing, but he can’t help but continue to scan the pages again and again. He can’t help but feel he’s missing something.“I could call Hajime,” he suggests quietly a few hours later, even though he thinks Mao might be asleep. The man hasn’t moved since shortly after they hit the ninety-six hour mark of time spent at Mao's, day they had visited Tachibana included. Calling the hospital instead is crossing Nice’s mind when Mao finally sits up, giving him a look that suggests he knows that Nice is being insincere. Hajime’s… circumstances might be of assistance, sure, but they also might be more trouble than they’re worth depending on how desperate Nice and Mao are. They’ll certainly be more trouble than they’re worth for Hajime, which is why asking her is always, always a last resort, even though he knows she’ll say yes.Which means Nice really needs to figure out what’s going on with Facultas. If only indirectly for her sake.“Twenty four hours,” Mao says. “If we haven’t figured it out by then, we’ll call Hajime.”Nice gives in.As it happens, however, they don’t need twenty four hours, because aided by newfound desperation, Nice figures it out. He thinks he’s hallucinating at first, because the grids of the spreadsheet are starting to stand up off the page. It’s one of the breakdowns of individual sales: a list of what and who made the money per department. The way Facultas has published it, each department has its own page, as if to say ‘haha look, we make so much money that a single sheet isn’t nearly enough to document it all.”Or at least, that’s what Nice had thought.Staring at the sheets for so long has led to inevitable memorization, and while he’d really rather use the room in his brain for other things, the figures and sums stored there allow him to realize something. Jerking upright from where he’d been slouching, Nice runs a mental calculation and, eyes widening, scrambles to grab the necessary physical copies. Looking at the numbers in front of him this time, he runs it again. And then he reaches for the calculator and runs it once more, just to be sure.And what he finds is that it doesn’t add up.“Mao!” Nice exclaims, and he doesn’t even look at the look Mao is giving him because his mind is running a million miles an hour, which apparently means he needs to yell.“Look,” he shouts again, shoving the papers he’s holding into Mao’s face. “I have to give props to Facultas for hiding it so well, honestly. They’re not technically falsifying anything in any of their documents, which is why we couldn’t find any errors, and they formatted things in a way that doesn’t make it easy to realize. But,” he continues, “if you manually add up the total income from each respective department…”Mao’s eyes widen, and Nice can tell he sees where Nice is going. “It doesn’t match what’s in the bank?” he asks disbelievingly.Nice shakes his head. “Nope.”“Let me see,” Mao demands, and snatches the papers. He fans them out in front of him and picks up the calculator, entering the numbers once, twice, three times.Finally, he seems satisfied that the machine isn’t lying to him, and mutters “shit.”“What do we do now?” Nice asks, the momentary energy draining out of him and all at once feeling the weight of the past three days.“They have to be getting money from somewhere else,” Mao reasons, like it hadn’t been obvious. But they’re both dehydrated and fatigued, so Nice figures he’s saying it out loud for his own sake rather than Nice’s. Sometimes hearing something can make it seem more real, after all.“That in it of itself isn’t grounds for suspicion, though,” Nice resignedly points out. “Facultas Enterprises isn’t a non-for-profit.”Mao runs his hands through his hair, tugging at the brown strands. He buries his face in his forearms for a moment before surfacing for air, letting out a deep breath. “Right…”They’re both silent for a few minutes as Nice waits for Mao to tell him the next steps. The majority of the time, Nice isn’t the planning guy-- he’s the doing guy. If it were up to him, he’d live his whole life running on impulse. But he also knows that it’s not up to him, and that running his whole life on impulse would probably get him killed. So, as a compromise, he relies on other people to be the planning guys (and girls) instead, even though he doesn’t always listen to them and from time to time just does.It’s worked so far: he’s not dead yet.At last, Mao hands Nice the final can of espresso and his long-dead phone. “Go home,” he says. “I’ll tell the Gate family we have a lead, and take care of the pending clients. Since I kept you here for four days, take five off-- I don’t even want to see your face unless it’s in a selfie sent by Art, and even then.” He smiles wryly, and Nice takes what he’s given. “Go,” he repeats, and practically shoves Nice out the door. “You earned it.” The first thing Nice does back at his own apartment is shower, with his own shampoo that smells like citrus instead of grape, and his own body wash that is decidedly non-scratchy. He stays in until the water runs cold, figuring he can afford to run the bill a little after not using any utilities for three days. When he gets out, he dries himself off with his own towel, and somehow, despite the fact he doesn’t even have the energy to put on pajamas, he remembers to plug his phone in before he climbs into bed. Pulling the covers over his naked body is about all he can manage before he falls into an eighteen hour sleep, and he dreams of laughter, quiet and genuine and shrouded in a lavender hue.When he wakes it’s to his phone is buzzing. The room is cold, and he cocoons the covers back around him upon remembering that he doesn’t have work. Whoever is calling can wait.When he wakes again, the late afternoon sun is glaring at him through his window, as though reprimanding him for his excess sleep. It can’t be that late, he reasons, seeing as how the afternoons are getting shorter and shorter as winter snatches the last dregs of warmth from fall.Out of habit, he reaches for his phone to check the time, only remembering too late that he hasn’t been able to take calls or respond to texts for over three days.3:57 pm, the screen informs him. It also informs him that he has a mail from Art, two texts from Hajime, one from Birthday, and nineteen missed calls from an unknown number. Nineteen. He really, really hopes that it’s not the mafia, because if it is he’s dead meat.A low, rumbling noise startles him out of staring at the screen, and he almost drops the phone before realizing that the source of the sound is, in fact, his own stomach reminding him that he also hasn’t had any real food in over three days. With a sigh, he pulls himself out from under the covers, debating calling the number back before deciding to go check the fridge first instead.After a last scrutinizing glance, he opts to leave his phone on the nightstand, figuring the mysterious unknown caller will probably try to reach him again. If not, he’ll call them back, but first and foremost comes breakfast. Is it even breakfast if it’s eaten at four p.m.? Nice thinks it is, since breakfast isn’t a type of food so much as it is the first meal of the day.Belatedly, he realizes he should also do something about the fact he’s still naked.Solving the first part of the puzzle and subsequent adequate rest has left Nice feeling lighter, but as the nineteen missed calls remind him, he’s not in the clear yet. There’s still the matter of finding out where Facultas is getting their extra money from, as well as solving Tachibana’s cypher.As he dresses, Nice wonders if he’ll truly be able to rest these next five days. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- His phone rings again just as he’s finishing the curry he’d brought in. The fact most breakfast places would not be open at 4:30 p.m. hadn’t occurred to him even while contemplating the true meaning of the meal, and he’d decided upon seeing the sign flipped to CLOSED in the window of his favorite diner that most people are simply not ready for a world with all-day breakfast yet. And that’s fine-- Nice is often ahead of the game, after all.Fortunately, his second favorite curry place had been just down the street.Unfortunately, they only supplied takeout.So, instead of sitting down at a restaurant with a hot stack of pancakes and some fruit, Nice had found himself back inside his apartment with a large dish of sweet-style curry. Which, much to his dismay, is now nearly gone.“Coming, coming,” he calls out to the Torao ringtone blaring from his phone, deciding for the time being to abandon his plate. Even reheated curry is better than what little he has in the fridge, and eating it cold might make for a good snack.If, he’s reminded as he looks at the words unknown caller on the screen, he’s still alive to come back for it later.Tapping his foot both anxiously and rhythmically, Nice waits until the final notes of the shortened song. Timing it just before the caller is directed to voicemail (of which they haven’t left any), he presses ‘answer.’“Hello?” he says tentatively, and there’s a pause on the other end before someone starts shouting in the last voice that Nice would ever in a million years expect. It’s a voice he would recognize anywhere, though, even if its rich baritone is being marred by volume and irritated by coarseness.“WHERE,” yells the voice, and Nice-- who listens to music so loud it’s a surprise he’s not deaf-- has to hold the speaker away from his ear. “HAVE YOU BEEN?”There’s another pause, and Nice can hear the telltale shaky intake of a deep breath.“Murasaki?” Even though he’s almost sure, Nice has, as he reminds himself, still only heard Cafe Nowhere’s new barista speak a handful of times, and so he has to ask.“Ah, yes, this is Murasaki,” Murasaki replies, voice reasonably calmer and reassuringly normal-volumed. “From Cafe Nowhere,” he adds. And then, like it had just occurred to him that he isn’t sure who he’s speaking to, he asks “is this Nice?”All assumptions Nice had made that this phone call is a wrong number blessing from the universe instantly go flying out the window. He forgets how to think, but somehow manages to choke out a “yes?” even though his voice cracks and the result is that he sounds like he’s not sure if he is who he’s saying he is.Apparently, though, Murasaki either doesn’t care or doesn’t notice. “Okay, then,” he says, clears his throat, and yells again. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?”“Huh? Excuse me?” Had Nice missed something? He’s not following this conversation one bit, and Murasaki asking him where he’s been is definitely not helping all the thoughts of attraction that have begun swirling around in his head.“Where.” Murasaki repeats, and although he’s no longer yelling his voice has become surely impossibly lower and more tense. “Have. You. Been.”Nice decides it’s in his best interest to answer, even though his thoughts are not swimming but drowning and he has to sit down because the bite of Murasaki’s words is making him weak-kneed. “I’ve been at work,” he truthfully informs the other man.“Shit. I knew it,” Murasaki swears, and Nice’s mouth finally catches up to his mind.Sure, Murasaki is dreadfully handsome and Nice is dreadfully attracted, but even with how pleased he is at the conversation it’s still weird and there’s still something he very much needs to ask. “Uh,” he starts. “Not to be rude, but why are you calling me? And how exactly did you get my phone number?”“Oh.” Thankfully, Murasaki does not sound offended and reacts like it’s an entirely reasonable question for Nice to have asked. Which, it obviously is, but him being reasonable as well relieves Nice of some of the paranoia that Murasaki is either a stalker or somehow connected to the mafia. “Koneko gave it to me,” Murasaki tells him. “She said she got it from your friend.”Hajime, then. Nice really needs to thank her for being too shy to have ever approached Koneko on her own and resultedly getting him a free coffee and putting him in this situation. With that logic, though, he’d also need to thank Mao for not paying him, so he decides to just keep the thanks in his head.“Okay…” Koneko giving Murasaki his phone number is something Nice can easily accept, but then… “Why were you asking her for my number in the first place, though? Did you know she knew me somehow?”In the stretch of silence that follows, Nice finds himself praying that Murasaki is simply curious about him, or perhaps even-- dare he think it-- mutually attracted. The latter possibility (if Nice is being realistic) is incredibly slim, but then again, so are the chances of him being in the mafia, or a stalker. If there’s such thing as fate, Nice impores it, if only this one time, to be on his side.“I didn’t know she knew you,” Murasaki, to Nice’s utmost relief, explains to him. “Since we both work part time, I asked her if she had seen any customers with three face bandages and a blue v-neck shirt come in. She wondered if I was talking about a guy named Nice, and when I said yes, she told me she could do better than telling me if you had come in. So, at the end of her shift, she gave me your phone number.”A perfectly logical-- if somewhat boring-- explanation.“Were you that curious about my bandages?” Nice somehow finds the audacity to ask. “I told you: I keep my word.” Internally, he high-fives himself with pride at how cool he sounds for the fact he’s simultaneously trying not to giggle and blush like a love-stricken middle-schooler. He manages to suppress the giggle, and since there’s no eyewitness, no one can prove he’s blushing. Anyone would be blushing at someone like Murasaki remembering all those things about them.Really, though, as excited as he is, there’s no grounds to get a big head. Objectively, having a weird-ass name and dressing in clashing neon makes Nice pretty hard to forget. Let alone the face bandages.On the other end of the line, Murasaki huffs a tired-sounding sigh, like all the fight has gone out of him. “You really don’t get it, do you?” the man apparently-rhetorically asks, because he doesn’t give Nice even a second to respond. “It’s not about the damn bandages! Although…” Murasaki trails off, and there’s a muffled sound as Nice assumes he adjusts the receiver. “I guess that’s part of it.”Nice makes a strained sound in the back of his throat because he really, truly does not understand what Murasaki is getting at. He has a feeling that he’s about to be told, however.“You come into the cafe and say all this stuff about scars and tattoos and the mafia and, I’ll be honest, I thought you were just weird. But, the next day, you try to have an actual conversation with me, and I find out your name and that you like purple and that you’re surprisingly forthright and insightful. I also find out that someone you work with tried to fucking kill you with rat poison. And after sharing that thoughtful bit of information, you decide to leave for work at presumably the same place someone previously tried to kill you, and you don’t come back. ”He says it all at once, speaking so quickly that by the time he’s finished Nice can hear small pants as Murasaki catches his breath. For a moment, it’s all either of them can do to breathe into the phone, Murasaki with his pants and Nice with a small, startled gasp.The first thing Nice manages to think is that the cryptic bad-boy charade had backfired, and it had backfired bad. Because he is absolutely right. Nice had indeed said all that, and his comments would be suspicious if looking at it from Murasaki’s perspective. Actually, they’re probably suspicious looking at it from any perspective other than his own. Most university-age kids don’t get poisoned, and although he’s used to his and Mao’s brand of barely legal business, it’s not exactly standard fare. Art looks over it because he’s a cool detective, and Hajime knows a thing or two about this stuff, but Murasaki is just a regular man. And, Nice remembers, he’s moralistic.“You were worried,” Nice realizes out loud. “You were worried about me.” The words don’t really feel right coming off his tongue, and he feels his gut clench painfully. It’s not me you should be worried about, he wants to say. It’s the other guys. Which isn’t any better, because it makes it sound like Nice is the one doing the hurting. When, truly, he’s only ever acted in self-defense, nevermind shot anybody. He can’t even work a gun.“Of course I was worried!” Murasaki cries, exasperated. “Anyone would be.”“Anyone would be worried about a complete stranger?” Nice challenges. “If this is your first part-time job you might not know, but you don’t have to go so far just because I’m a customer.” Distantly, he realizes that, as usual, he’s being a complete and utter condescending asshole. But, then again, he’s really never been good at the whole other-people-caring-about-him thing. Why does it have to be so difficult?“Well, excuse me for expressing concern for a fellow human being.”So, Murasaki can be sarcastic, Nice notes. It matches with what Nice has heard of his dry wit and blunt literalism, but currently he just sounds pissed. Probably even pissed enough to hang up, and for a brief moment Nice thinks he’s going to. What he had said would certainly make for a dramatic conversation-ending line.But he doesn’t. He stays on the phone, and the faint, distant-sounding hum that lets Nice know he’s still on the line graciously gives him the opportunity for a second chance.“I’m fine,” he says, trying his best to make the words sound soft and reassuring rather than callous and dismissive. “I appreciate you worrying, but I’m really okay. I had a bunch of late nights, is all, but it’s nothing I can’t fix by getting some sleep.”“You do sound fine,” Murasaki admits. “But I won’t know for real unless I can see you.”Nice nearly chokes. Is Murasaki asking what he thinks he’s asking? No, there’s no way. “I’ll stop by the cafe,” he offers, not at all expecting Murasaki to correct him but secretly hoping he will anyway.“That... won’t work. Tomorrow’s Saturday, so I have the day off.” Now that he mentions it, Nice vaguely remembers that Master has always been the one behind the counter whenever he’d stopped by on an odd Saturday. Some Sundays too, he thinks. The bald owner of Cafe Nowhere is definitely a weird guy.“Okay,” Nice allows, his heart racing. “Then what did you have in mind?”Murasaki is probably going to tell him to just come back on Monday.Murasaki does not tell him to just come back on Monday.“You like sweets, right?” he asks instead.“You’re asking because I put so much sugar in my coffee,” Nice accuses, trying not to let the anticipation get the better of him. “But I do, yes.”Murasaki chuckles on the other end, and now Nice is trying not to let Murasaki’s laugh get the better of him. He wants to hear the sound again and again. Idly, he wonders if maybe he happens to be ticklish. “That might have been why I thought that,” Murasaki admits. “I need some ingredients from a special-order shop downtown that doubles as a patisserie. There’s also a used CD shop next door if you like music.”Torao’s most recent album has been out for a month already; Nice wonders if he can find a copy there. Even if that wasn’t the case he would go, but the plans Murasaki are outlining sound almost exactly like Nice’s dream date.Is it even a date? Most guys hang out with other guys as friends, he reminds himself. Hell, he eats sweets and goes shopping all the time with Art. But the difference is that with Art there’s absolutely zero attraction.In that case, whether it’s a date or not will have to depend on Murasaki’s feelings.“I live and breathe music, actually.” Nice tells Murasaki. “Accompanying you on your errand is fine by me.”There’s that laugh again, and Nice’s heart sings. “Good to know. Then, how about we meet at three? I can text you the address.”Murasaki is going to text him. Nice’s heart performs a five-act opera. “Sure,” he says a little breathlessly. “That would be great.”The address turns out to be on a nice block close to Art’s place, and after looking online Nice confirms that the music shop does in fact have a few copies of Torao’s CD.Maybe the cryptic bad boy act hadn’t backfired at all, he thinks. Maybe it had just taken him in a different and unexpected direction.Unexpected, but by no means unwelcome.Nice spends the rest of the night responding to his friends, catching up on TV, dissecting his closet, and trying unsuccessfully to not think about the word ‘date.’ ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- It’s a miracle that, between waking up at four in the evening and the prospect of an outing with Murasaki, Nice manages to get a wink of sleep. Unconsciousness waits to claim him until long past midnight, when the first signs of life are beginning to drift up in the form of noise from dawn-lit streets. Salarymen are starting their day when Nice ends his, but he keeps his phone turned-on and beside him in case Murasaki texts about any last minute changes to their plans.In the end, it’s around ten a.m. when he’s aroused by the vibration. Nice forces through the lure of sleep and dregs of half-recalled dreams and open his eyes to the blinding mid-morning sunlight, sleepily blinking and lazily stretching before he realizes what it was that had awoken him to begin with. One new message from Birthday, his phone screen says.Resisting the urge to block his friend with the rationale that it had given Nice more than enough time for preparation, he hesitantly opens the message. The mass of his screen is instantly consumed by a picture of a lemon. A lemon with a crying face sharpie-inked onto it.Birthday: Nice-kun, ignoring your friends is very unapPEELing. You made lemon-chan cry!!! Don’t block him, Nice reminds himself. It’ll only cause trouble later.He sends back a middle-finger emoji because it’s technically a reply. One mug of instant coffee that’s nowhere near as good as Nowhere’s later, Nice returns to his room to survey the collateral damage he had created in his anxious exhilaration the previous night. Clothing is strewn about everywhere, covering his floor and flung over his chair and crumpled in a heap on top of his dresser. Because, as he had panicked and realized, Nice has no idea what to wear. Disemboweling his closet hadn’t yielded promising results, as nearly everything he owned was either tight, flashy, or tight and flashy. And absolutely none of it matched.Pulling a yellow-and-white-striped shirt off the corner of his window, he eyes it critically. Murasaki is used to seeing Nice in his typical attire, including his vest, so wouldn’t virtually anything be an upgrade?Is wearing something different even appropriate?He fishes his phone out of his pocket and sends a message he will, in all likelihood, later on very much regret. For now, though, he needs advice on fashion.Nice: if u were meeting some1 whos more acquaintance than friend and u have no idea if its even a friend date let alone a date date Nice: what would u wear Art: Is this about the barista? Nice: no comment Art: How unfortunate. I’m afraid I can’t help you, then. Nice: wait!! it is ok its about him so can u tell me what 2 wear alreadyArt: I knew you had it in you. Congratulations. Art: First of all, where are you two going? Nice: cd shop and bakery Nice: idk if its even a date tho yanno. hes super out of my league and a guy, no way hes into me Art: You never know. In that case, though, I would play it safe and wear something casual and coordinated, but not out of the ordinary. Something that looks good, but that you might otherwise wear. Nice pauses, glancing up from his phone. Something casual and coordinated that he might otherwise wear…It takes him a few minutes to locate the necessary ensemble, seeing as the majority of his wardrobe is piled haphazardly on the floor, but he manages. Hurriedly, he changes into the garments and poses in the mirror for a picture.  Nice: like this? [one image attachment]As he waits for Art’s inevitable criticism, Nice examines his reflection. In an attempt to be coordinated, he’d gone with jeans, paired with a stretched-out white v-neck and, in lieu of his vest, a fur-lined olive green bomber jacket with an orange inseam that fell to his knees.His phone buzzes, hailing the arrival of said inevitable criticism. Nice just hopes his choice doesn’t warrant Art being overly demeaning.He should really know better.Art: Nice, do you even /want/ him to see you as a possible love interest? Art: Because that outfit makes you look like a middle-schooler. In his struggle to discard the jacket as fast as he possibly can, Nice nearly tears the stitching.Nice: what do u expect??? u werent very specific and nothing i own matches!!!!!!!!! Nice: pls help pls pls pls i dont want to look like im 14 Art: Is the bakery you’re going to the one down the street? If I remember correctly, it’s next to a music store. Nice: ya… Art: Come over, then. Bring what you need for your date, and we’ll see what we can do. Art: We’re the same height, so if you find something I own that you like, I’ll sell it to you half-price. Nice: u play really dirty u know that Art: It’s in the job description. Nice: gramps would kill u if he heard u say that Art: Not for being a police officer! For being a friend.  By the time they’re through, Art’s room is a mirror state of Nice’s. Of course, his friend has the benefit of a much more spacious floor what with living in a high-end apartment, so the result isn’t nearly as severe. Even a larger wardrobe can’t compete with the raw power of square footage.By the time they’re through, it’s also the time Nice needs to be leaving.He had rushed over at noon after collecting his things, thinking in fatality that three hours would be a surplus of time to narrow down a few items of clothing suitable for the afternoon’s maybe-date. There had been two main issues he’d forgotten to consider while setting his expectations:First, while Nice preferred his clothes to be form-fitting, Art preferred his to be roomy, and aside from his numerous custom-tailored suits, what he owned was severely limited to sweaters and variously-styled jackets.Second, all his clothing that wasn’t monochrome seemed to be dark-colored, with an emphasis on violet and navy. There were a few splashes of hot pink and red, neither of which were colors Nice would ever wear aside from on his feet.“They’re fall colors,” Art had said. “It’s what’s in season.”“Why do colors have a season?!” Nice had yelled in demand before pulling another navy blue peacoat off its hanger.“That’ll be 3500 yen,” Art informs him as Nice checks himself over in the mirror one last time.“Are you kidding me?!” Nice exclaims. “For this?!” he gestures down his body to what he’s wearing: khaki-colored pants, a teal shirt striped with grey, and a navy blue cardigan. “What a rip off!”It’s practically a criminal offense to charge him this much as far as Nice is concerned, especially since the t-shirt is his. In a fit of inspiration, he’d grabbed a few miscellaneous items from his own wardrobe prior to leaving and stuffed them into an old backpack. Upon the spontaneous recollection that teal is Murasaki’s favorite color, Nice had selected this particular shirt, with Art assisting in coordinating the remaining ensemble. He only hopes the barista notices.Art holds out his hand. “It’s less than half of what I paid, actually,” he amusedly explains. “The pants were ¥6000, and the sweater was ¥3000. And I just bought that sweater last week.”“Damn rich people,” Nice swears, and hands over a wad of carefully counted-out cash. There’s no time to argue-- he really has to get going. “Why you’d pay that much for pants is beyond me.”“You’re welcome!” his friend calls to his back as Nice rushes out the door. Miraculously enough that Nice thanks every deity he can name, he arrives at their meeting place a few minutes early. The bakery occupies the corner shop: a white-bricked building with dozens of breads, cakes, and other sweets immaculately displayed in its large glass windows. Embarrassingly enough that Nice checks over his shoulder to ensure Murasaki hadn’t heard, his stomach rumbles loudly upon the sight of a particularly delicious-looking taiyaki filled with red bean paste. Thinking back, Nice realizes with annoyance that in his hurry this morning he’d skipped breakfast. Just what he needs-- Murasaki’s opinion of him to be even lower by putting him under the impression that on top of being a perpetually broke, scatterbrained, lecherous guy who constantly puts himself in danger, he’s also a gluttonous pig. Really, what would be more perfect?“I didn’t keep you waiting long, did I?” A hesitant voice startles Nice out of his self-deprecation.“Ah, no, no,” Nice clarifies, turning away from the mouth-wateringly appetizing pastries. “My friend lives just around the corner, and--”His explanation is cut off, his brain short-circuited by the sudden view of something equally if not more mouth-wateringly appetizing. It seems Murasaki has dressed for the occasion, as well. Dimly, Nice notes that perhaps you have to be tall in order to pull off a knee-length jacket.Similar to his work uniform, the teal and purple diagonal stripes of Murasaki’s shirt cut snugly across his chest, and the red of his black-hooded jacket fades to a bright violet at the bottom end. His jeans are a light grey, his boots a mixture of teal, red, and black, and while the outfit doesn’t exactly look like it was ripped straight out of a fashion magazine (then again, neither does Nice’s) there has clearly at least been some thought put into the color coordination.And, most importantly, Murasaki looks damn good in it.He would look good in anything, though, Nice suspects. Or nothing. Nothing is good, too.“And… um… I had to return something I borrowed from him, so I stopped by beforehand,” Nice lamely finishes. It’s not a lie technically-- there had been borrowing involved, and the situation is certainly plausible.Murasaki frowns a bit as he nods, but then his lips turn up in an inviting grin. “No vest?” he asks“I, uh… laundry?” Nice tries to answer, but the lilt of his voice leads to it coming out more like a question. Self-consciously, he pulls on the sweater’s hem. Its material is so unlike what Nice typically wears that he’s actually beginning to sweat.Or he could just be nervous.“Mhm,” Murasaki smirks. Nice has a moment of cold-blooded fear that the other man is going to call him out for his lie and correctly guess that he doesn’t even know how to do laundry, but he changes the topic instead. “This is one of my favorite bakeries,” he says, gesturing for Nice to follow him in. “Probably my favorite one in Yokohama. They have every pastry you can possibly think of, even foreign ones, and in the back is a grocery section for discounted high-end ingredients.”“Favorite one in Yokohama?” Nice echoes. As they pass through the door, his nostrils are immediately bombarded by an aroma unlike any he’s ever smelled before. The air is rife with the scents of cakes and cream and sugar and frosting and tea and pastries and bread, and Nice’s stomach, against his will, lets out a loud grumble again.“I’m from Osaka, actually,” he explains, raising his eyebrows at the noise. “Hungry?”Nice chuckles bashfully, placing an idle hand over his stomach the way he’s seen Hajime often do. “Haha, yeah, I guess,” he admits. “My sleep schedule has been off, so I kinda forgot breakfast. And lunch. But I’m not usually like this, I swear!”Murasaki’s eyebrows furrow in concern. “You shouldn’t skip meals,” he starts, though there’s a hint of caution in his voice as if he’s worried that this might be a sensitive subject. “But I guess it’s good we’re here, then. Pick something out,” he instructs, gesturing around the bakery. “I’ll get something, as well. I can pick out what I need after we’ve eaten.”Almost guiltily, Nice pulls out his wallet. At the counter he orders the taiyaki he’d seen in the window earlier, but just as he’s about to pay, Murasaki stops him with a well-timed hand.“I’ll have a slice of green tea cake,” he interjects, pulling out his own wallet. The cashier gives the two men a look of confusion, but takes the money before gathering their orders.“You didn’t have to do that!” Nice hisses as they’re served, but he’s secretly grateful. Even with the 60-40 pay cut Mao had given him, paying Art for the clothing had left him short on money. Although, based on his bank account balance, wearing something from his own wardrobe wouldn’t have exactly left him rich, either.“I didn’t have to,” Murasaki agrees and takes a sip of tea. “I wanted to. You seemed awfully hungry, and honestly you look like you could benefit from both some extra food and some extra cash.”“I’m fine,” Nice tells him, waving a hand. There’s that painful clenching in his gut again, the conversation dangerously close to territory that will remind him what he wants is what he can’t have. On top of being two guys, he and Murasaki are too different, and Nice is hiding a few too many things.The tea burns his throat as he swallows, but it’s nothing compared to the burning of longing that flames within his chest. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “This is delicious!” Nice excitedly announces as he takes a bite of the taiyaki, unable to contain his bliss long enough to even properly swallow.“Isn’t it?” Murasaki rhetorically asks, taking considerably more time cutting into his cake. On top of likely not being famished, Nice reminds himself that the barista has likely eaten here many times before. “Though, it would taste even better if you chewed a bit before you swallowed.”Amid trying to remember what else about the bakery Murasaki had specifically said and being in a starry-eyed state of sugar-induced pleasure, Nice only has the attention span to half listen. “Mhm,” he nods distractedly. Really, what had it been? “Oh!” he exclaims abruptly, once again not finishing through in chewing his food. “You said you’re from Osaka?”At least it’s better than speaking with his mouth full. That would have definitely made him seem fourteen. Though, it’s not as if he doesn’t do it anyway-- just not when he’s not on a maybe-date and paying conscious attention to his manners.Murasaki sighs, his broad shoulders heaving in a way that doesn’t at all suit them. “I am,” he confirms. Nice waits for him to say more, but all he does is take a bite of his cake. As he chews, some the tension seems to ease.“Really? You don’t have the accent,” Nice points out in confusion. A moment later, he’s hit with the urge to slap himself for pressing the obvious when it’s even more obvious Murasaki doesn’t want to talk about it.However, much to Nice’s delight and surprise, Murasaki blinks at him. And then of all things, he laughs. “That’s what you want to know about?” he questions. Nice can’t tell if the other man is breathless from laughter, incredulousness, or a combination of the two. “Why I don’t have an accent?”Taking a sip of his tea in hopes the steam from the beverage will hide the embarrassed blush covering his face, Nice mutters “well, yeah. I’m curious,” before promptly devouring a huge bite of his pastry. He makes doubly sure to chew it all the way through, if only to occupy his prone-to-blabbering mouth.“You’re weird,” Murasaki declares. “Definitely weird.” But, Nice notices with a smile of his own, Murasaki is smiling.“So I’ve been told, but I really don’t see it.”This earns Nice another chuckle from Murasaki, who, in doing so, nearly chokes on his tea.They busy themselves with their food, then, Nice savoring his treat and Murasaki his. Once again, Nice offers to pay Murasaki back for the food, and once again, Murasaki declines. The conversation turns toward the menu after that, Murasaki confessing that he’s tried nearly every non-seasonal item that’s been for sale as long as he's been frequenting the cafe; along the way, he mentions a considerable number of recommendations. Nice tries his best to internalize everything the other man is saying, adding favorites and least favorites alike to his ever-growing internal “trivia about Murasaki” list. As they continue talking, however, he abandons this practice-- despite the mundaneness, Nice finds himself becoming truly invested in their conversation. It would be a waste, he decides, not to devote his entire attention span to what's being said. For the first time in... he wonders how long, perhaps years? Nice allows himself to turn off his over-analytical brain and live in the moment without a shred of worry. Or, well, maybe a few shreds, but the sort that typically result from having a pleasant conversation with a person one finds attractive.Before he knows it, Nice’s stomach is full and his plate is empty aside a used napkin.“That was amazing,” Nice tells Murasaki as they stand, referring both to the taiyaki and their conversation. “But now I think I can never eat again.”“You’ll be fine,” Murasaki reassures, glancing pointedly at Nice’s hands folded over his stomach. “I’m pretty sure you have somewhere to put it.”“Huh?! You calling me skinny?” he demands, glaring as though just one look hadn't made something drop low and hot in his abdomen.Guiltlessly, Murasaki raises his eyebrows. “If the shoe fits.”Nice follows the barista into the grocery section, sticking close by as Murasaki examines the sale-price ingredients. Curious, Nice attempts to browse, but the sheer overwhelming quantity of items overwhelms him, not to mention the variety of stock labelled in foreign languages. In the end, he watches Murasaki as objectively and non-objectifying-ly as he can until the other man seems satisfied with his selection.“What're you even making with all that?” Nice asks once Murasaki has made his purchase, gesturing to the bundle in his hands.“They're mostly spices-- so, to answer your question, I can use them in a variety of dishes. Although,” Murasaki admits, “I usually default to curry or Chinese-style fried rice unless I’m feeling adventurous.”“Adventurous?” Nice mimics, raising his eyebrows. “How often is that?”There’s a twinkle in Murasaki’s eyes when he replies: the rare, shining-sparkling gleam only present when people talk about their passions. “Once in a while, I guess. If the result isn’t something I’m satisfied with, I tend to feel like I wasted the ingredients.”“Well,” Nice offers, glad for the provided warmth of Art’s sweater when they step outside again (even if it had cost him a near fortune.) “If you ever wanna experiment, I have a friend who will eat pretty much anything. I’m sure she’d take it off your hands.”“The way you say it, she sounds more like a vacuum,” Murasaki teases. “But I’ll keep it in mind.”Grateful, relieved, and ecstatic alike that Murasaki hadn’t reacted adversely to Nice’s suggestion of continued contact, Nice decides to push his luck just a bit more. “How’d you get into cooking, anyway?” he adds. “Most guys our age aren’t really into it.” Please don’t say for your girlfriend, Nice internally chants. Please don’t say for your girlfriend. “Just how old you do you think I am?” Whether it’s better or worse than him admitting to having a girlfriend, Nice isn’t sure, but Murasaki chooses to respond with another question instead.“Hmm.” Pursing his lips, Nice takes full advantage of the practical invitation to ogle the man in front of him. Definitely, he decides, much better than Murasaki admitting to having a girlfriend. “Twenty-three?”Murasaki narrows his eyes. “Either you knew ahead of time,” he says, “or it was just a really good guess. But you’re right-- I turned twenty-three earlier this year,” he says.“I didn’t know, I swear!” Nice protests, frantically waving his hands. “Maybe I just have a knack for that stuff? Like a hidden talent.”As he’s desperately attempting to convince Murasaki of his innocence, Nice tries to work out when the other’s birthday is. ‘Earlier this year’ could mean summer, spring, or even winter. He’ll have to find a way to bring the topic back up in a later conversation.“Sure you do.” Murasaki’s sarcasm is augmented by a roll of his eyes. “Although, I have to admit I don’t really think you cheated-- I did.”“You… cheated?” Nice frowns. “Shouldn’t you already know how old you are?”“Very funny,” he smirks. “But not what I meant. I meant that I know how old you are,” he explains. “Koneko might have let it slip.”They pause outside the used CD store before going in, and Nice turns to him. “So you know I’m twenty,” he clarifies, and Murasaki nods in response.It hasn’t escaped Nice’s notice that Murasaki hasn’t answered his original question regarding how he’d learned to cook. Their conversation about age (as glad for the confirmation as Nice is) is likely only a purposeful diversion; Murasaki doesn’t strike Nice as anywhere even near scatter-brained. But Nice is also well aware that mentioning the other man’s avoidance would make him an asshole as well as a hypocrite, considering what he himself has chosen not to share.His hand is hovering on the shop door when Murasaki’s voice stops him. “My dad.”Brow wrinkled in confusion, Nice whirls around. “Your dad?”“He wasn’t really around much, growing up. So, I learned to cook out of necessity, but now it truly helps me de-stress.” There’s a pause in his explanation, then, and he tilts his head. “Ah, come to think of it,” he adds, like the motion has jogged a memory, “he’s also the reason I don’t have an accent.”The roundabout, long-delayed answer makes Nice laugh just as the earlier question to Murasaki had. Smile tugging on the corner of his lips, Nice asks “what’d he do, feed you special takoyaki that gets rid of accents?”“If he did that, I probably wouldn’t have learned how to cook,” Murasaki responds with a shake of his head. “To my father, the Kansai dialect sounded ‘unrefined’ and ‘unbusinesslike.’” His fingers form mocking scare-quotes around the words. “I met with a speech tutor three times a week until high school to make sure I didn’t develop the accent.”Eyes widening, Nice blurts out “what the hell? What kind of scumbag does that to his own kid?!” before he can even think over what he’s saying. As soon as he’s said it, however, his hands fly to cover his mouth, and through his fingers he mutters an emphatic “dammit, dammit, I’m sorry!”Certainly now he’s ruined his chances.“It’s alright,” Murasaki shrugs. The heavy bag of ingredients he’s carrying moves up and down along with his shoulders. “I happen to agree that he’s quite the scumbag.”The exhale Nice lets out contains enough air to fill at least ten balloons. “Oh.”“I didn’t always think that, though.” Nice can hear the rueful notes of Murasaki’s voice as he reaches around him to open the door. Together, they walk into the music shop; a song by an indie artist who'd been quite popular a few years ago is playing over the speakers. “Not until after I graduated from university and came to Yokohama to work for him.”Clear as day, Nice remembers what Murasaki had confessed during their first true conversation. Though the ‘two truths and a lie’ game Nice insisted they play had only occurred a week ago, with how hectic his life has been it feels like it’s been ages. Then… his father had been the source of his workplace corruption? It makes sense, Nice supposes; unsavory knowledge regarding someone close to him would have hit harder and driven him to more intense impulse than unsavory knowledge regarding a mere boss would have.Fingers brushing over a still-wrapped CD cover, taking in the plastic texture, Nice mutters “sorry,” to Murasaki without really looking at him. “I know it’s not really fair that you’re telling me so much about yourself when I haven’t returned the favor. I will though,” he adds, hand moving from the CD cover to rub at his nose bandage instead. “Not today, probably, but I will. I swear.”“It’s alright,” Murasaki repeats again, moving to stand beside Nice. He busies himself with picking through the adjacent CD collection, though as far as Nice can tell the discs aren’t particularly categorized. “If you don’t want to go into specifics about work, that’s fine-- I didn’t go into much detail either,” he points out. “Just… one question.”Heart thumping erratically in his chest, Nice chokes out a “yeah?” He’s fully expecting the worst.“You are alright, aren’t you?”The words are slow and deliberate, careful and cautious, but Nice’s response comes without hesitation. Though it’s of course part habit, he finds himself truly meaning it when he grins and tells Murasaki “yeah. Yeah, I am.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Nice can feel Murasaki’s gaze on him as he rifles through the bins of used discs, as though he’s more interesting to Murasaki than the music is.   “You’re looking for something specific,” Murasaki observes. “I could help, if you’d like.”Discarding yet another copy of Torao’s 2014 album Nowhere in disappointment, Nice turns to the other man. “Is there anything you’re looking for?”“Not particularly,” Murasaki answers with a disinterested shrug. “I do enjoy music, but there’s nothing I have in mind.”“You’d have to be inhuman to not enjoy music, in my opinion,” Nice scoffs. “And even then, did you know there’s studies showing dogs and cats enjoy music? Even lab rats! Even plants!” The emphatic wave of his hands Nice gives nearly sends the CD he’s clutching flying across the room, so he sets it back down. “It doesn’t matter what your taste is,” he concludes. “There’s something for everyone-- none of that ‘real music’ crap.”Lips turning up in a coy smile, Murasaki raises his eyebrows. “So you’re not refusing my help because of embarrassment, then?”“Hell no!” Nice exclaims in indignation. “I’m quite proud of my music taste, thank you very much.” Turning his back to Murasaki, Nice rummages back through the pile of his discards until he once again finds the copy of Nowhere. “I’m looking for Torao’s newest single, Dead or Alive,” he says, pointing to the cover. “This is his 2014 album, but the designs are pretty similar.”Murasaki’s eye twitches at Nice’s explanation, and he lets out a noise somewhere between a cough and a laugh. “Do I really look like I don't know who Torao is?” he demands, though Nice thinks he sounds more startled than angered. “He’s a Top 40 artist!”“Only on the alternative charts,” Nice points out. “Besides, I dunno!” Taking the hand-wrapped opportunity to ogle Murasaki once more, he tilts his head. “I guess based on appearance, you do kind of look like you’d listen to Tchaikovsky and Beethoven in your free time,” he admits.For a very long moment, Murasaki only blinks and stares. “Wasn’t it you who said that if you were raised expecting to like something, you’d end up liking the opposite?” he asks at last, smile far more gentle than his earlier teasing smirk.It’s Nice’s turn to blink now. “I did say that,” he recalls. And, in convenient fact, hadn’t he said it specifically regarding Murasaki’s favorite color? As inconspicuously as he can manage (which is likely extremely conspicuous,) Nice gives a gentle tug on his own shirt; Murasaki’s eye catches the movement, and Nice knows he’s recognized the deliberate color link by the widening of his grin.“Dead or Alive, huh?” Murasaki echoes to himself before beginning to rummage through the adjacent bin. “Wasn’t that just recently released?”“Yeah, last month. I, uh, haven’t had enough to buy it, yet,” Nice bashfully admits, grateful for Murasaki’s distracted attention as his cheeks flush red. “The website did say they had two copies, but they could be anywhere.” With a sigh, Nice cranes his neck to gaze over the rows upon rows of bins and shelves lining the store. “I can always come back later.”“Don’t be ridiculous,” Murasaki admonishes amidst his combing. “We’re here now, aren’t we?”“Yeah, but--”“So,” Murasaki interrupts, speaking loudly over Nice’s protest. “How’d you get into Torao?”It’s a fair enough question, even if Nice does cringe slightly at the memory. Humming along with what’s now playing over the store stereo-- an indie ballad-- he asks “would you believe me if I said I heard a song of his on the radio that really resonated with me, then downloaded all his music? Or would that be too clichéd?”“It’s not cliché if it’s true,” Murasaki points out, but there’s skepticism to be read in his raised eyebrows.Having finished picking through one bin, Nice moves on to the next. “Well, there’s a bit more to it than that,” he admits with a rueful grin. “At the time, I didn’t really feel like I had a place to belong to, you know? Torao’s lyrics in Nowhere Living Now, the title track, caught my attention on the radio, like I said. But I actually didn’t have enough money to buy the album,” he laughs. “It became a goal of sorts, I guess-- work so I could have enough money to buy the album. And in the meantime, I felt like his music gave me a sense of identity while I was figuring things out.”Contextually, when Nice says identity and figuring things out, they’re a double entendre. Without Torao, he would have likely had a much more difficult time accepting himself as he is. At sixteen, Nice had reasoned that anyone would have been insane to not rewatch the singer’s shirtless live performance clips over and over. Over time, then, he’d gradually come to terms with the reality of life that had caused him to self-tell such a lie. Hell, if he looks at it that way, without Torao Nice wouldn’t be here now with Murasaki, pursuing their tentative… something.He’d lost himself in thought, but Nice refocuses on the bright fluorescent lights of the store when he feels Murasaki’s eyes on him, gaze steady but lips unmoving and voice silent.“Sorry,” Nice mutters, running a hand through his perpetually-messy hair. “Forget clichéd, that was downright sappy.” Glancing back over his shoulder at Murasaki, half-afraid of what he’ll see, he adds “I didn’t mean to be depressing.”“No, no!” Murasaki protests. “It’s fine, really. I promise you-- I didn’t think your story was depressing.” He tilts his head, smiling, and Nice thinks at that moment his eyes are softer than a well-worn 100% cotton t-shirt. “Thank you for sharing.”“Ah… sure,” Nice stammers, whirling back around before he does something incredibly stupid like spilling the rest of his feelings or offering up his heart. Desperate to return to a more familiar topic, Nice wracks his brain and the third CD bin until he miraculously comes up with the perfect idea. “You know, it’s funny actually. If I hadn’t heard Nowhere Living Now, I might not have ever met you.”Murasaki doesn’t need to know just how true the statement really is.“What do you mean?”“Well,” Nice starts, “the name of the coffee shop you work at is Cafe Nowhere, right?” he pauses, waiting for the connection to click in Murasaki’s mind. “I originally went in the cafe on a whim because it shared a name with Torao’s album, but the coffee was so good I got hooked.”There’s an abrupt cessation in the rattling of plastic CD cases as Murasaki pauses his work. “Actually, now that you mention it…” he trails off, pursing his lips and narrowing his eyebrows. “Master did say something about having a famous customer once, back when I applied. I’m fairly certain it was Torao.”Once again, Nice nearly sends the album he’s holding to its premature demise, this time out of sheer excitement. “Really?!” he chants, hands curling into fists like he’s a hyperactive grade school kid overly ready for recess. “Really really?! What’d he say? What’d he do? What’d he order?!”“Ah, I remember the rest of our conversation now.” Murasaki’s shirt-soft eyes are twinkling like fireflies with amusement; he taps his chin and offers Nice a lopsided grin. “I actually asked those same questions, more or less. Apparently, he told Master that a fan on SNS had recommended the cafe for its name and superior coffee, and he decided to stop by while on tour in Yokohama.”Nice can only gape. “That was me! I was the fan on SNS! Oh my god,” he practically hyperventilates, smacking his palm against his forehead. “But he never replied or mentioned following through with it… unless I missed something?” Muttering mostly to himself, Nice frantically pulls out his phone, determined to double-check every Twitter and Instagram post on Torao’s accounts from the past three and a half years.“You didn’t let me finish,” Murasaki continues. “According to Master, after mentioning the fan had recommended the coffee, he ordered a shot of tequila, tipped 200%, and left.”The snort-laugh Nice lets out is nothing short of ugly. “Of course he did,” he wheezes, tears forming in his eyes as he tries and fails to prevent the snort-laugh from escalating into full-blown hysterics. “That’s just like him.”Murasaki chuckles as well, and Nice wonders if there’s some truth to laughter being contagious. “What do you mean?”“Well,” Nice explains once he’s recovered, wiping his eyes on the sweater (which is now his thanks to Art forcing a purchase, so he can do as he pleases) and clutching his stomach. Hopefully the ache is from his hysterics and not sweets-induced indigestion. “Torao’s image is kind of two-sided-- he’s known for both trolling his fans and hardcore fanservice. You never know what you’re going to get, so it makes sense he actually went but ordered alcohol instead of coffee and didn’t post anything to SNS.” Nice shakes his head. “But aside his music, that’s what I like about him. He feels more like a real person than certain other celebrities because he’s so unpredictable.”“You know,” Murasaki muses, “hearing you so enthusiastic over Torao makes me feel like I’m missing out on the experience of being a fan.”The blush his words elicit thankfully seems to halt its creep at Nice’s neck, giving literal meaning to the term ‘hot under the collar.’ “Nah,” Nice says, waving a dismissive hand. “I’m not even that hardcore of a fan, you know? I mean,” he gestures once again to the store, “I haven’t even bought his newest single yet. Really, it’s enough to just like someone’s music. Don’t let other people make you think you have to like it in a certain way, or do this or do that to be a ‘real’ fan. Though, if you want to, that’s another story.”“That’s true,” Murasaki agrees, moving his head in a slow nod. “I guess maybe I just feel as if I don’t listen to enough music as I should.”“It certainly couldn’t hurt anyone to listen to more music.” The grin Nice shows Murasaki is wide and toothy; he can feel the movement make his eyes crinkle. “If you’re having a hard time finding new artists, I could always give you some recommendations, but I’ll need a place to start with.” Waggling his eyebrows, he points a finger at Murasaki and adds “unless you’re embarrassed?”“I’m not,” he insists, crossing his arms over his chest. Then, with a sigh, he admits “I just really don’t listen to all that much.”“That’s alright,” Nice tells him. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a row of CDs across the store that appear to mainly be on the more recent end of the spectrum. He makes a beeline toward them, and after a confused moment Murasaki follows his path. “It’s better to be late than never, right? Come on,” he persists, though it’s more for the curiosity of his tastes than anything else. At the very least, putting together a list of recommendations is a surefire way to see him again, though based on how their maybe-date is going and both of their numerous offers and hints Nice thinks it’s in the cards regardless. “Just one artist.”“Alright, alright. Let’s see,” Murasaki relents. While Nice continues to search for Torao’s single, he watches side-eyed as Murasaki picks up an album and flips over the cover. “Before they disbanded a few years back I was fond of Kepler, though I do still enjoy their lead singer’s solo work. I suppose his voice has a certain calming quality,” he adds last-moment with the barest hint of a grin.Peering over Murasaki’s shoulder, Nice examines what the other man is holding: a copy of the band’s debut single. “For sure you can’t go wrong with Kepler. Their stuff has always been really solid, don’t get me wrong-- I like them too. But singers usually get more creative freedom on their own than in a band, even if it’s at the upset of their fanbase. That’s why it’s not always good to be a hardcore fan.”The startled, amused series of blinks Murasaki does over the rims of his glasses is quickly becoming one of Nice’s favorite expressions, he decides (though... just when exactly had he begun keeping track?) “You know, you’re right. It’s not as though he’s a different vocalist just because he no longer part of a band. The songs might have a different sound, but I suppose if I’m looking for more music regardless I can look further into his solo work and start there.”“I can still put some recommendations together,” Nice repeats “but his solo work is really good. Ah, have you heard of Luger? Their lead singer was listed on the same project as Kepler’s lead singer was a few years ago. Nowhere Living Now was featured too, actually, as a matter of fact.”Furrowing his brow in thought-- another favorite expression, Nice decides, although if he’s truly being honest they’re all his favorite-- Murasaki pauses for a moment before responding “I have heard of them, yes, and I think I remember the project you’re talking about. Luger’s vocalist’s voice is nice as well, though I prefer his collaborative works. The band itself can get a bit…”“Intense?” Nice suggests.Murasaki nods. “That’s a good word for it, yeah. Though I do appreciate their political focus.”“Nothing too intense, then,” Nice says aloud, already beginning to mentally compile songs and artists with soft rock sound and easy-on-the-ears vocals. Thankfully, Murasaki’s taste doesn’t seem to be as out of line with his own as he’d feared (even if Nice’s preferences are a bit more broad and relaxed,) so he has a fairly long list of possible inclusions. A list that will grow even longer once his full digital library is displayed on his laptop screen.“Are you certain you’re alright with taking up this kind of project?” Murasaki asks as they begin their search again. “For me?”“Trust me-- I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t really want to. Besides,” he offers the other man a smile baring just the slightest hint of self-deprecation “I still have three whole days off work left. You wouldn’t want me to die of boredom, would you?”Murasaki lets out a dry chuckle. “Of course not.” Then, his eyes grow large as he reaches for an album at the edge of the table, half-buried under a fallen CD stack. Holding up his find, he asks “Is this it?”The cover bears a split image of Torao: half of his face done up in zombie-like makeup, the other half his normal self. Black, choppy text reads Dead or Alive in English underneath the record studio’s imprint.Nice grabs the CD out of Murasaki’s hands and clutches it to his chest. “Yes! Hell yes!” he exclaims, practically hugging the single. After a minute, he returns to himself, remembering common courtesy. “Thank you,” he adds, but his fiery excitement is quickly, entirely, and painfully doused by the cold-water realization that Torao’s single is akin to the treasure on a map: discovering it signals the finale of their adventure, the end of their maybe-date. “For finding the single, and for today.”They meander their way toward the lone employee-- an acne-faced teen wearing Harajuku-style fashion-- seated behind the cash register reading a manga magazine. Murasaki shakes his head. “You don’t need to thank me,” he says as Nice pays for the CD (with his own money, of course.) “I had fun.”“Me too.”Just as they had on the way in, Nice and Murasaki linger outside the shop after exiting. Aside friends like Art and Birthday he’s known since childhood, Nice doesn’t have much experience in the realm of friendly outings; he doesn’t have a clue as to the appropriate way to say goodbye.He’s about to settle for an awkward but hopefully sufficient ‘see ya’ when Murasaki speaks up. “You said you had three more days off, didn’t you?” he asks, following a brief pause of hesitation. “On Tuesday, my shift starts at 2. If you’d want, we could grab lunch beforehand-- the restaurant would of course be your pick.”What he really wants is to try some of Murasaki’s home cooking, but Nice highly doubts they’re at a point where it’s acceptable to invite himself over to the other man’s apartment-- even if they remain in the kitchen. Letting out a heavy exhale in even heavier relief, Nice says “I know just the place.”And, just like that, he’s going to see Murasaki again. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “Nice… hello, earth to Nice!” a voice calls out through his headphones, loud enough he’s forced to turn down the volume. “Are you even paying attention?!”“Huh? Yeah,” Nice answers absentmindedly, brow creased in focus not on the conversation but on the as-far elusive song he’s trying to find. Considering the vastness of his library, tracking down the music he’d spent all last night selecting for Murasaki is proving even more difficult than finding Torao’s album in the store had been. Although he’s fairly confident in the playlist, enough so to have shrugged his indecisiveness aside, putting the songs themselves on a CD isn’t the simple task Nice had imagined. Especially not when coupled with the distraction of an untimely video chat he’d felt too guilty to turn away.“Really? ” Birthday demands. Knowing his friend, the man is probably giving Nice an incredulous wide-eyed, eyebrow-raised gape, possibly even with some tongue action. Fortunately, Nice is spared from this hypothetical spectacle by the fact he’d minimized the camera window almost immediately.“You made another drunk bet with Honey, Ratio got mad, and now you’re feeling lonely enough to bother me,” Nice summarizes, fairly certain that’s the gist of what Birthday had been saying. It’s not an uncommon occurrence considering his friend’s childlike inability to learn from past mistakes, as well as his complete lack of self-restraint when inebriated.There’s a crackling, distorted noise through his headphones signalling what might be a sigh. Nice turns the volume down further. “See! I knew you weren’t listening,” Birthday insists. “You missed the entire point-- Ratio-chan is pretty happy about this bet, actually.”Ratio? Happy about a bet? Happy about a bet made by Birthday? Happy about a bet made by drunk Birthday? Happy about a bet made by drunk Birthday with Honey?As eager as Nice is to finish Murasaki’s playlist, he does have another two days to work, and right now this is a story he’s even more eager to hear. “No way,” Nice accuses, minimizing iTunes now in favor of maximizing the video call app. “You’re fucking with me, right? You’ve gotta be fucking with me.”“Oho,” Birthday smirks, pushing up his ever-present sunglasses. “Now you’re listening?”“Yeah yeah,” Nice waves his hand dismissively, “I’m listening, so get on with it.”“Well,” Birthday starts, steepling his fingers together in a way that, in combination with his sunglasses, makes him look like a certain villainous father figure from a certain 90s anime. “You see…” he trails off, arching an eyebrow expectantly.“Birthday!” Nice groans. Glancing at his computer’s clock, he says “I swear, you have five minutes to tell me what happened before I hang up-- I don’t care how interesting the bet is.”The words are a bluff and a lie and Birthday likely knows it. Anyone, really, who has known Nice long enough will realize that between his two strongest personality traits of curiosity and impatience, curiosity will always triumph in the end.Ruining the calculating, evil dad image by a large margin with a pout, Birthday whines “Nice, has anyone ever told you you’re no fun?”“Me?” Nice scoffs, not so much glaring at Birthday as shooting a narrow-eyed glance in the vague direction of his webcam. “No way, I’m the life of the party. By the way,” he adds, “you have four minutes and sixteen seconds left.”Birthday wastes approximately twenty two of those seconds opening and closing his mouth like a silently dying fish before he seems to settle on his version of the story. The expressions he’s pulling-- eyes closed, eyebrows narrowed, and at the one point he puffs out his cheeks, Nice decides he very specifically resembles a dying blowfish-- are so ridiculous for a man of his age Nice is sorely tempted to send a screenshot to Ratio captioned “is Birthday concentrating or dying?” Thankfully, he realizes prior to any damage being inflicted that Ratio would have likely taken the joke with far too much seriousness. Nice does not need either his or Birthday’s wrath, not ever and especially not at the moment.“Right, so, I went out drinking with Honey last week and somehow we got to talking about the Olympics.” He pauses for a second, then frowns. “This is way less hilarious if I leave out the part about beach volleyball bikinis, you know?”Holding up three fingers, Nice retorts “I don’t know, actually, and l sure as hell don’t want to.”He’s being unnecessarily curt, he does know, but Nice had been so close to being done with his (well, Murasaki’s, really) playlist-- the playlist he’d been working on so intently he hadn’t slept. And considering he had anticipated sleeping through the afternoon as soon as he’d finished, he hadn’t bothered with coffee, either. So, that’s two checks off the infallible ‘recipe for an irritated Nice’ checklist, the third being he’s hungry. Which, as a timely stomach growl reminds him, he actually is. Three-for-three.This is all of course failing to mention his wariness regarding Birthday, Honey, and drinking. In quite possibly the worst decision of his life, Nice had gone out on his 20th birthday to celebrate with them. He’d walked in nervous but excited, and walked out wishing desperately for either the memory-erasing device from Men In Black or a time machine-- anything, really, to forget, un-hear, or at least prevent himself from hearing the things Birthday and Honey had said.In fairness, Nice had brought up some pretty strange topics himself as well (it turns out he’s a philosophical drunk, who would have guessed?) but nothing nearing the sheer disturbingness of his friends’. Truly, he’ll never be able to think about jellyfish the same way ever again.“Alright, I get it!” Birthday sighs. “Well, the gist of it is that Honey thinks Japan will legalize same-sex marriage a month or two before the Olympics. Naturally I disagreed, and so three drinks later we made a bet.” He pauses again, though this time Nice doesn’t protest considering so far he’s disallowed all his friend’s other dramatic effects. “If it’s legalized, Ratio and I have to get married in Japan. And if it’s not, we have to invite everyone to a wedding in the States.”Nice blinks, unable to formulate a response while Birthday buries his face in his hands and moans something about never drinking again. “First of all, we both know that isn’t true,” Nice says at last, laughing a little. “Since this is far from the worst bet you’ve made. Second, I can see why Ratio isn’t mad-- the bet doesn’t involve money, and he’s been wanting you guys to tie the knot for like…” Nice trails off, making a show of counting on his fingers. “At least three years?”“Even if we have a wedding somewhere else, the second we come home the marriage itself is notwithstanding,” Birthday mutters into his hands, surprising Nice for once with the extent of his vocabulary. “And besides, if he wants to get married as much as everyone thinks he’s had plenty of chances to propose to me!”“Birthday,” Nice begins with a sigh full of irritation. Really, why should he have to play relationship counselor to his practically-married definitely-engaged friends when he himself has never been in a lasting relationship? Right, because Birthday is an idiot. A lovable idiot, but still an idiot. “You and I both know that the ceremony matters more to both of you than the legal status. You and I both also know that Ratio knows that you know that you have to be the one to propose. He’s ready, Birthday, but for whatever reason--” Nice gestures vaguely with his hand like he’s swatting away a fly “you aren’t. So, you’ve gotta be the one to propose. Show him you’re ready, Birthday. ‘Cuz he sure as hell is.”Birthday gives Nice a rueful grin. “Too many words before noon, Nice,” he admonishes. “Weren’t you the one telling me I was talking too much?”Nice smacks his forehead with the palm of his hand, mouse hovering over the “end call” button. “If you’re gonna be ungrateful, I’m hanging up.”“I’m joking, I’m joking!” Birthday hurriedly clarifies. Nice moves his cursor away. “Look, I just…” he sighs, shoulders slumping forward. The posture is befitting of a defeated old man thrice Birthday’s age, and Nice nearly tells him as much before his friend admits “I don’t want to leave him a widow.”And just when Nice was beginning to reconsider the label of “idiot.”“If you slouch any more, I’m gonna have to start calling you ‘gramps,’” he tells Birthday without a lick of regret. “And why is Ratio the girl?!”“Huh?! Gramps?! ” Birthday exclaims, the shock at least making him sit up straighter. “I’m only twenty-six!”“And who was it,” Nice reminds, “that was talking about Ratio being a widow?”Once again, Nice has to turn the volume down as Birthday slams his hands against what’s presumably his desk. “You know what I meant! Actually,” he muses, slightly calmer, “is there a male term for widow?”“There should be.” Birthday nods. “There should.”“It doesn’t matter though,” Nice says, raising a pointed eyebrow, “because you’re not gonna die. You’ve been in remission for how long?”There’s a moment of silence, before Birthday finally allows a subdued “... nine years.”“Exactly.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Nice asks “so what’s there to be afraid of? It’s not like not marrying him will make him love you any less. That’s not how marriage works, Birthday. You know that.”A sheepish smile slowly starts to spread across the other’s face. “Yeah,” he says, but it lacks any real conviction. It’s like he’s trying the word out in his mouth for the feel of it, and he must enjoy the taste because he says it louder, firmer, in combination with a fist to an open hand. “Yeah! It’s not like I can take back the bet, anyway,” he adds. “Knowing Honey, then I’d really be dead.”“Uh huh.” Nice allows himself a smile (actually, more of a smirk) as well, before realizing aloud and very belatedly “hey, wait a sec. If Ratio’s so happy with the bet, why’d you call me? There’s no way he’s ignoring you if he’s not upset.”Birthday snorts. “I never actually said he was ignoring me, did I?” He doesn’t even wait for Nice to concede before explaining, very pedantically (as if he hadn’t desperately needed guidance himself only a minute earlier) “Ratio-chan’s great, but it’s not like I wanna spend all my time with him, you know? If you only talk to one person, you’ll be bored sick. Not to mention that’d be a pretty screwed up relationship, but I guess to each their own.”The words hit home somewhere deep inside Nice, far enough beyond his conscious atunement that he can’t quite decipher where. Yet, he definitely feels it, feels the resonating vibration within him as Birthday’s statement rings true. Perhaps he’ll examine them later, maybe while in bed, staring at the ceiling and alone in the dark, but for now he has a playlist to get to.“Hmm, I guess you have a point there,” Nice admits honestly, but he also can’t resist jibing “Ratio can be pretty stuffy.”In good nature (and because Nice isn’t exactly wrong) Birthday laughs. “Tell me about it. I mean, I love the guy, but last time I tried to have a cigarette he told me every single component of nicotine off the top of his head. Who does that?!”“A medical student,” Nice deadpans, which only makes Birthday laugh all the harder. It’s contagious, and after a moment they’re both wheezing hard enough to make their eyes water.“Ah, wait, one last thing,” Birthday says after they’ve calmed down. There’s still amusement in his eyes and he’s still grinning, but Nice can tell he’s as serious as he ever is when he asks “would you be the best man?”“Only if you’re not too much of a chicken to actually propose,” Nice counters cheekily, as if the offer doesn’t leave him with a giddy warmth inside his chest, not unlike the pleasant feeling after a satisfying dinner. Or a hug, but he refuses to even metaphorically go there.Grinning with all the slyness of a cat, Birthday teases “just for that, I’m throwing you the bouquet.”And before he can ask the unfortunately predictable question of Nice having anyone in mind, he yells out “bye!” and clicks the “end call” button with more force than he probably should have.Two minutes later, Birthday texts him a wink. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- The bells in the restaurant’s doorway may be old and rusted, but they chime like an audible soundtrack to the soaring of Nice’s heart when he glances up from his seat. Of course, there’s only one person it would be: Murasaki enters warily, eyes shifting from faded painting to faded painting until they meet Nice’s. He strides over, shoulders seeming to relax as he takes the seat opposite.“I thought I was in the wrong place at first,” he admits a little breathlessly. And, really, it’s Nice who should be breathless-- Murasaki’s cheeks are tinged pink from the wind, his spiked hair just the slightest bit off from its usual placement. Nice digs his nails into his palm, barely managing to resist combing his fingers through it. “The sign outside says they aren’t open.”Proud of the effort he’d put in, Nice lets out a smug laugh. “Well, they normally aren’t,” he declares, smirking. “I pulled some strings.”Murasaki raises his eyebrows. “Don’t tell me this restaurant is some sort of mafia cover?”“No way! I told you already, I’m not actually in the mafia!” Nice insists, though it probably doesn’t help his credibility that he forgets to not anxiously scratch at his cheek bandage. Damn habits. “It’s just a frequent customer bonus since I eat here so often.”Murasaki crosses his arms over his chest. Though the jacket he’s wearing is the one from the other day, underneath it his shirt is plain black-- presumably because he’s heading to work afterward.  “Really? And how frequent is that?”“...Pretty frequently,” Nice admits, blushing a bit. “I can’t cook to save my life, and this place is right across the street from my apartment. Plus, their curry is the best! Well, the best I’ve had yet,” he adds with a pointed look at Murasaki.Although the restaurant lighting is dim and the overcast sky outside doesn’t help that fact, Nice swears it’s Murasaki who’s blushing now. True, he’d been red-faced moments ago as well, but this is somehow different. The pink is softer and rosier, and Murasaki averts his gaze just the slightest amount in a way that makes Nice’s entire body warm with desire to tease him more. Well, among certain other desires.“My cooking is hardly professional status,” he scoffs, and Nice smirks. “But since you’re so familiar with the menu, why don’t you place both our orders?”Nice blinks, then turns toward the kitchen. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he shouts “oy, boss! Two specials!” Turning back to Murasaki, he explains, “there’s not really a menu, per se. It’s not that type of restaurant.”“I see… are you sure this isn’t run by the mafia?”“It’s not, I swear!” Nice laughs. “Look at it this way-- if I was in the mafia, why would I invite you here when it’s supposed to be closed? Isn’t that just drawing suspicion?”“Well, I suppose,” Murasaki allows. “On the other hand, it’s much easier to abduct me without a crowd. Assuming I fell for the trap, it’d be a worthwhile risk,” he points out.From the kitchen, the savory scents of curry spices and simmering meat begin to waft over. Nice inhales, allowing the familiar aroma to fill his nostrils. “Huh? Wait, why would I want to abduct you?” he asks, furrowing his eyebrows. Had Nice somehow missed part of their conversation?Shrugging, Murasaki supplies “well, that’s what yakuza do, isn’t it?”Apparently he hadn’t, then. And thank god-- if he’d allowed himself to space out on Murasaki of all people, Nice doesn’t know how he’d live.“There! Me not knowing is proof I’m not a yakuza-- case closed.” Nice crosses his arms defiantly across his chest, raised eyebrow daring Murasaki to further insist his involvement with the mafia.“Alright, alright, you’re not a yakuza,” Murasaki laughingly concedes. “But apparently you’ve never seen a mafia movie then, either. Kidnapping is in the plot of almost all of them-- usually for ransom or blackmail.”Nice runs a hand through his hair. Somehow, he feels as if he’s been seen right through or caught red-handed. It’s both off-putting and enticing, the way Murasaki can read him; Nice doesn’t think anyone he's ever met has grasped his personality and habits as quickly and effortlessly as Murasaki has. Then again, he realizes, Birthday’s words from the other afternoon echoing in his mind, it’s been years since he’s allowed himself familiarity with someone new. Until now, his friends have all known him most of his life, have all known him as he was at the orphanage.Perhaps that’s why he can speak to Murasaki with such ease: on top of his caring genuineness, there’s no need for Nice to be on edge, walking on eggshells for worry he’ll unbury the past. On the other hand, however, their connection might be cut as easily as string if Nice chooses to reveal his.That’s a bridge to cross later, however.“I don’t really watch a lot of movies, actually,” Nice ruefully admits. “I dunno why, but they never really interest me? Trying to squeeze an entire plot into ninety minutes makes it hard for me to get invested in them, I guess. Or…” trailing off, he shrugs. “something like that.”Too late, Nice realizes the possibly pretentiousness and definite lameness of his statement. Inwardly, he cringes. It’s always one thing or another, isn’t it? Either he’s going off on accidentally pretentious tangents or speaking far too vaguely with room for incorrect interpretations.Murasaki, however, nods. “I see. Well, it’s true the longer you’re exposed to someone, whether a person or a character, the closer you’ll become. So, maybe it’s like that?” The smile he gives Nice is small, but full of so much warmth he feels like melting on the spot. It’s a smile Nice thinks could rival or even replace onsen in terms of relaxation and pleasantness: just by being exposed to it, he’s instantly content. “In any case,” Murasaki adds, “there’s no reason you have to watch movies if you don’t enjoy them.”“That’s true.” Nice has to look away from Murasaki again before the urge to do something overwhelms him. Instead, he ends up picking a loose thread on his sleeve. “I didn’t mean that they’re bad or anything, by the way,” he clarifies. “Just that I’m not a fan.”“Of course not,” Murasaki reassures him. “It’s a matter of preference.”The word ‘preference’ sparks something in Nice’s memory: a flashback to their music shop discussion. Of course, he has the flash drive with the playlist downloaded in his back pocket-- Nice hadn’t forgotten that, he’s simply saving it as a parting gift. No, what he remembers is different and far more relevant.Eyes wide and lips smirking, he turns back to Murasaki. “That’s right,” he teases, “you’re unexpectedly into pop culture, aren’t you?”Murasaki frowns. “What do you mean?”“Well,” Nice explains, propping his chin on his hand. “I just remembered that back in the record store you said you’d heard the Luger-Kepler-Torao collaboration.”“And?”Grin growing wider, Nice says “and, their collaboration was on a TV anime! Which means you’ve seen it! Murasaki,” he asks coyly, voice inappropriately suggestive and low like he’s uncovered an erotic secret, “are you perhaps a closet otaku?” With a roll of his eyes, Murasaki informs him “not everyone who watches anime is an otaku. You’ve seen it too, haven’t you?”“Well, obviously!” Nice scoffs. “But maybe you don’t just watch anime. Maybe you collect Gundams, or Evangelions, or even figures of girls in swimsuits?” Sincerely hoping it’s not the last option (Nice is fairly sure he’d look less than flattering in a bikini), he adds “or maybe you cosplay?!”He refrains from adding that Murasaki in cosplay would be very very hot.Across the table, Murasaki is blushing again-- this time an unmistakable red. The color clashes with his glasses, and before Nice can even process what he’s doing he has reached across the table, plucked the frames off Murasaki’s face, put them on his own, and folded his hands in an imitation of Gendo Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Laughing, he strikes another pose-- this one the stereotypical glasses-adjustment done by multiple characters-- and asks “how do I look?”Like a delayed response to shock, it takes a moment for Nice to process what he’s done. In that moment, he realizes first and foremost that Murasaki’s eyesight isn’t actually all that terrible, and second that Murasakis eyes themselves are extremely beautiful.He’d noticed their color upon their first meeting of course: a bright and vivid violet. Without the obstruction of glasses, however, Nice can really, truly notice their size and shape. Though narrower than his own, they’re larger than they’d appeared behind the frames. His lashes are long without being unruly, and his eyebrows thin but expressive.Predictably, Nice’s flirtation falters. He can feel his entire body growing hot as his bravado fades; oh, how he wishes it were just his face. To make matters worse, Murasaki leans in to reclaim his glasses even though his long arms could have very well reached. “Oy, those are mine!” he laughs, smirking, and up close Nice is even further subjected to the man’s handsome, sexy, beauty.Has he taken time to properly appreciate Murasaki’s cheekbones? Or his jaw? Well, he is now.So much for being the one doing the teasing, Nice supposes.“Ah… sorry…” he somehow manages to choke out, hopefully quiet enough Murasaki doesn’t notice his painfully obvious voice crack.“Well, as long as you’re sorry,” Murasaki says, and Nice is about half a second away from excusing himself to the bathroom when the chef arrives with their food.After the plates have been set, Murasaki and Nice both utter their thanks for the meal and dig in.“Woah, this is really good,” Murasaki proclaims after only two bites. “And I’m not just saying that,” he adds with a pointed look at Nice. “I mean it seriously.”In between savoring his own food, Nice manages to reply “I know, right?”Approximately half the contents of their plates later, Murasaki states “if I lived nearby I’d be tempted to eat here every day as well.”“I didn’t say I eat here every day!” Nice exclaims. “You’ve seen the contents of my wallet!”“Well, that’s true. But,” Murasaki suggests, “maybe that’s because you eat here every day?” Snorting derisively, Nice declares “no way. I’d be even more broke if I did that.”“If you’re sure. I wouldn’t blame you, though, honestly-- it is that good.”“Better than yours?”Murasaki only rolls his eyes again. “I already told you, my cooking is far from professional quality.”“Uh huh. Well,” pointing his spoon at Murasaki, Nice says “let me be the judge of that. Unless your kitchen is too crowded with Gundam toys?” It’s an unfair provocation and he knows it, but Nice is in too good of a mood to care.“For the record,” Murasaki announces after he swallows, “I don’t collect figures of any sort, and I definitely don’t cosplay.”“That’s too bad,” Nice laments. “You’d make a killer Mikage Sakuyo.”There’s a pause as Murasaki tries to match the name to a face; Nice can see the color drain from the other man’s face the moment he makes the connection. “Wait…” he says, horrified, “isn’t that…”“So you do watch anime!”“I never said I didn’t!” Murasaki protests with such ferocity Nice can’t help but laugh. “Though, not that one,” he more quietly adds.“Uh huh.” They’ve each finished eating by now, and after a glance at his watch Nice says “hey, it’s 1:30. Your shift starts at 2:00, right?”Murasaki takes his phone out of his pocket and unlocks the screen. “Ah, yeah,” he confirms before hesitantly standing. “I should probably get going.”“Ah, one sec,” Nice mutters, fishing around in his own pocket. A moment later, he places a handful of bills and coins on the table. “I’ll walk with you?” he asks, adding “I could use some caffeine after that meal.”Seemingly surprised by the request, Murasaki blinks but grins and accepts. “Sure.”They thank the chef who, in turn, nods at them (Nice still isn’t certain whether or not he speaks fluent Japanese) and begin walking down the street. From their current location, Nowhere is just over four blocks away; the trip is made shorter by Murasaki’s company and longer by the dreary weather and brisk wind.“I hope I didn’t bore you,” Murasaki admits a few minutes later.At first, Nice thinks he’s joking. “Nah,” he jokes back, “if you had I’d need way more caffeine.” However, noticing Murasaki’s hesitance to play along, he backtracks. “Wait, were you serious? Of course you weren’t boring, Murasaki! Actually, I really like talking to you. Has someone said you’re boring? Just tell me who, I’ll kick their ass.”“Ah, no. No one’s said that,” he placates Nice, laughing embarrassedly. “It’s just… compared to you, I feel like my life is so uninteresting.”Nice frowns. “Alright, now you have to be joking. First of all, even if your life isn’t “interesting,”” he adds scarequotes to the word with his hands “it doesn’t mean you’re a boring person. I really like talking to you, I promise. And I don’t make false promises,” he reminds the other man.“Ah, you know, I’d actually forgotten about that.”“You mean you’re not just hanging out with me to uncover the mystery of my bandages?!” Nice asks, letting out an exaggerated gasp.Murasaki stares at him. Willing himself not to blush, Nice meets his gaze. “I don’t even notice them anymore, really,” Murasaki says. “At some point, I guess I’ve become used to them.”  Nice hums. “I’ll have to up my game, then. Really, though,” he continues in seriousness, “my life isn’t interesting either unless interesting is suddenly synonymous with ‘a mess.’”Whether he’d made the confession out of guilt or comfort or something else altogether, Nice isn’t sure. He is sure, however, that he’s thankful for their imminent arrival at Nowhere, if only to shake off the way the concern in Murasaki’s eyes darkens their otherwise bright violet.An apron-clad Koneko is there to greet Nice and Murasaki once they’re through the door. “Murasaki-san! You’re just on time,” she chirps before seeming to notice Nice. “And Nice-kun! It’s been awhile, but you look well!”“Ah, thanks,” he mumbles.Turning to Nice, Murasaki says “I’ll get your coffee together,” before donning an apron and exchanging positions with Koneko, who discards hers.Nice thanks him, wracking his brain for anything to say to Koneko. “Er…” he starts, “how’s Hajime-chan?”Koneko blushes, slumping over and looking at her hands. “I… actually haven’t texted her yet.”“Eh, really?! Well, you didn’t hear it from me, but if you ask her out for hamburgers there’s a nine-hundred percent chance she’ll say yes.”Almost immediately, Koneko brightens, shooting up and straightening her back like an uncoiled spring. “Really?! I’ll do that, then! Thanks, Nice-kun.”Murasaki returns with Nice’s coffee in hand just as Koneko is putting on her fish backpack and saying her goodbyes. With one hand, Nice takes his coffee, pouring in his usual cream and sugars. The other absently rubs at his pocket, tracing the flash drive within. As he had the first time they’d met, Nice can feel Murasaki’s eyes on him.“Thanks for the coffee,” he brightly cheers once he’s finished assembling the add-ins, taking a long sip.And although Murasaki smiles and duly replies “thanks for lunch,” Nice can still feel the lingering remains of tension between them. Inwardly, he curses himself for allowing-- no, causing it by opening his big mouth.“I should go before I become a workplace distraction,” Nice tries to tease, but his heart isn’t in it. And so, deciding that now is a good a time as any, he pulls the flash drive from his pocket and places it into Murasaki’s hands. “Ah, by the way, this is for you.”Murasaki stares at the small item for a long moment and then in turn stares at Nice. “Is this…?”Nice nods. “The playlist,” he confirms. “Let me know what you think, okay? I can always find more if there’s anything you really do or don’t like.”“I… wow. Thank you,” Murasaki breathes. “I wasn’t expecting it so fast.”“Yeah, well, I have a lot of music. And I had a lot of time on my hands.” With a self-depreciating chuckle, Nice runs his fingers through the hair at the back of his neck.“You go back to work soon.” It’s a statement, not a question.Nice licks his coffee-stained lips. “Probably tomorrow or the next day, yeah.”“Be careful, okay?” Nice doesn’t miss the way Murasaki grips the flash drive tighter when he says the words; consequently, Nice is left with a tightness in his chest.“I will,” he affirms.“If you n--” Murasaki starts, then pauses, creases appearing on his forehead. Whatever he had planned to say, he apparently thinks the better of it. Instead, he says “if you have time, stop by the cafe, alright?”Nice nods as he walks out the door and Murasaki disappears behind the counter. Once outdoors, he takes a huge gulp of fresh air, praying it will slow his heart rate. It’s not the coffee leaving him nauseous; Nice knows if there’s even the slightest chance in the world of this relationship going anywhere, he’ll need to come clean to Murasaki-- both about his present, and his past.
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DEAR YOU
{ "Archive Warning": "Major Character Death", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Jeremy Heere, Michael Mell", "Fandom": "Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by comicsandtea", "chapters": "4/4", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-06T00:00:00", "words": "1,211", "Additional Tags": "Angst, i'm sorry i just keep writing sad stuff", "Relationship": "Jeremy Heere/Michael Mell", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Dear Michael,I hope you don’t mind me writing after all this time – it has been so long since we last talked. What’s it been? Two? Three years since graduation? But I was going through my old emails and I found yours again and I realised how long it’s been since we talked and I want us to catch up. I mean, I can’t believe how long it’s been, I mean, it feels as though we were only in school just yesterday you know?I honestly hope everything has been going well after school. Got a good job or doing well in college still. I imagine you doing great things personally, I know whatever it is you’re doing you’re doing something amazing.I know I lost contact with you over these years but I would love for us to reconnect or something, meet up and act like we did back in the old days? Be the losers we were. I think it would be fun, maybe get lunch?What have you been up to man? We’ve got a lot we can cover over the time we lost. I’d say stuff about me but I really want to know about you right now.I'm sorry we lost contact after school, I never meant for it to be this long, but I'm willing to be called out on it and I'll be the one to buy us lunch, how does that sound? I eagerly await your reply,From, your friend who misses you,Jeremy. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Dear Michael,I found your old mobile number last night but it looks as though you have a new number, which isn't that shocking considering how long it's been you know? Kind of stupid of me to assume you would still have the same number huh?But my last email sent through so I know that at least that went through. I don't know the next time you'll be checking your emails again but I will wait, it'll be worth it to hear from you again.I had searched for you online but I couldn't find your profile on anything, but I shouldn't even be surprised by that. I don't even know why I keep my own social media since I barely use them, you're on the right track haha. I won't lie, for my college years when you weren't around, whenever I got lonely, I would imagine what it would be like if you were there with me and what you would say. That probably sounds dumb since I never kept in contact with you in that time but I did, I never really forgot you actually, you always were at the back of my mind. The more I think about it, the more I wish that I had gone to the same college as you, it would've been way better.But when you read this can you please call me, it doesn't matter what time or what day, I'd just love to hear your voice after all this time.I still have the same number, if you don't have it now just email me and I'll give it to you.Missing you,Jeremy. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Dear Michael, Me again, obviously it's a stupid email, who even writes emails anymore? I am contacting you while two empty beers sit at my side.It's weird writing these to you make me feel better every time, like better than what being drunk feels like. I think it's because it feels like I'm talking to you in a way like we used to in High School, sometimes I feel like things have just fallen to shit and nothing will ever get better. Have I ever told you that in high school I wanted to kill myself? Everything about me in those days made me want to die annnnnnd look where we are now nothings changed. Still want to die but I don't die because in all honesty it would be at least a week before people would even notice that I was gone and not showing up anymore. It's fucking shit man. So shit. I guess I can't deal with the idea of rotting away and no one knowing until my flesh started to cause a stench.The world is so unfair Michael, I wanna go back, back to the old days, I want to be back in high school, even though those years were so shit, I had you, and that made it bearable, back in the days when I was cooler than a vintage cassette. I want to be back there with you, playing video games, you were my player two, my player two. Mine. I want it back. I want those times back. I want you back. I want what we had going for us back. I want to go back to when I didn't know pain could ever feel like this. I want us to go back to when what we worried about was if we'd beat our high score, to survive through exam weeks and assignments. But I guess this is all a part of growing up?I don't even know man I really just want to talk to you.I miss you.I'm sorry.Jeremy. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Dear Michael,I never understood how much we could miss over time. How much we don't realise happened while we were all off and doing our own thing.Last night, the day after I recovered from my hangover, I called your old landline.I never forgot those numbers, they were etched into my brain never to forget.I never expected anyone to answer to be completely honest, but it was your dad who picked up. He seemed shocked to hear my voice, we talked for a while, and he asked me if I still lived around the area, it made me feel warm inside hearing a familiar voice after so long.It was when I asked to speak to you was when I knew that something was wrong. Your dad started choking up, and he started apologising, I was so confused, the next thing I knew was that your mom was talking.She told me how hard it got during college, that you had become hopeless. I remember the tears welling up in my eyes and the feeling of wetness on my cheeks when she said you had taken your life three months ago.I'm so sorry Michael.I'm so sorry.I wish I was thereI wish I wasI wishYou always knew me best and always knew what I needed but I was the failure, I thought I knew you. But where was I when you needed me?I can't believe you're gone, I want to believe this is just some bad dream . . . but there's nothing I can do, nothing, and I feel helpless, I'm so sorry I wasn't there Michael.I wish I could hear your voice.I wish I could hold you one last time.I wish II wish that I told you the truth that I had hidden from you all our high school years.I love you, Michael Mell, I always have and I still do, and I have betrayed you.Missing you, and awaiting your reply,May our paths cross once more,Jeremy.
10811994
Thirteen Years
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": null, "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by plaidphoenix", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2005-11-30T00:00:00", "words": "1,419", "Additional Tags": "Action/Adventure, Friendship, Post-Hogwarts, The Quidditch Pitch: Leaving Feast", "Relationship": null, "Character": "Abraxas Malfoy", "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "The Quidditch Pitch, FictionAlley | TheDarkArts", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
The night that flies,The night that shines,The night that tells the darkest lies,The heart and soul that kill desire In the darkest gloom, loyalty inspires,Fate for me, to raise me higher, glory bound,Immortal soul, ever more in circle round. Thirteen years. For thirteen years you’ve watched and waited. For thirteen years you’ve watched as your youth passed you by as you sat in this dank, musty cell. For thirteen years you’ve waited for the Dark Lord to remember you and free you from his dungeon. You don’t remember why the Dark Lord imprisoned you, but he must have had his reasons. He always has his reason, you know that. Are you truly loyal, Miss Patil?   Yes, Master, with all my heart.   Heart, Miss Patil? Heart? Lord Voldemort requires no heart. It is time you learned this lesson. Crucio!   Yes, Master. Thank you. You are generous.   You have much to learn, my willing servant. Lord Voldemort looks forward to instructing you.   Thank you, Master. Thank you. You are merciful.   Go, and serve me well and remember that Lord Voldemort does not suffer failure.   Yes, Master. It seems like only yesterday you swore your allegiance to him, bowing down and kissing the hem of his robes. It all made so much sense back then. You would spy for him, be his eyes and ears in all the places he could not go. Or rather, you would spy in all those places you could go in his stead. You did nothing without your Master’s permission. Remember, Padma, your life belongs to me now. You do nothing without my blessing. Do you understand?   Yes, Master. I will always remember. I live to serve.   Your life, who does it belong to?   You, master, always you, now and forever.   Do not forget, you death is but a footstep away. Betray me and you will pray for it with a desire you cannot begin to comprehend.   My Lord, you honor me by accepting my devotion. I will not betray you, now or ever.   You do not fear death?   I fear only to fail, my Lord. If I fail you, then death is no less then what I would deserve. Now you waste your precious self, sitting in Azkaban and every day your Master’s servants come and torture you. They tell you the Dark Lord is dead, vanquished before you ever came here. Impossible, you tell them, the Dark Lord rules supreme and this, your captivity, in this place is proof of that. You show them the Mark upon your arm. How could that be, you ask, if the Dark Lord were dead? They merely leave you your food and walk away, tired pity in their eyes.Dead? Never! Lying, traitorous dogs! The Dark Lord could never die! Never! He will come for me, wait and see! I’m loyal to Him and he knows it! He will come for me and then I will show you what it means to fear the night and crave the dawn.   They do not truly know the Dark Lord’s power. If I had failed him, if I betrayed him, I would be dead. I know it. They are testing me. Yes. They are testing me to prove my faith to the Master. They are testing me to ensure I have not broken. Fools! What do they know of faith? Let me show you what it means to be loyal. My body is his temple, he, and he alone, will sanctify me with his blessing when I am released. You are one of the faithful, your loyalty has never wavered and you have never questioned your purpose. Lord Voldemort always knows and he always has a reason. Even if he ordered your death, you would not be afraid to comply. It’s not your life to give, it is his to take and you offered it gladly even knowing what the consequences might become. You wear your Mark with pride when so many others ran and hid themselves away in fear or disgrace, but you were always loyal, you were always proud. You did not flinch from the pain it caused, it was a welcome reminder of your devotion.Thirteen years and he hasn’t come for you yet. Thirteen years you’ve sat and waited, remembering with pride the things you’ve done in His service. You’re the one he sent to spy on your friends. You’re the one who ordered you to kill, to prove your loyalty, pushing Granger off of the Astronomy Tower, making her death look like a tragic suicide. The Dark Lord knew better and he was pleased. I don’t what happened, Professor! I was coming up to make some observations for Astronomy and I saw her standing there! She seemed so sad, yet so tranquil. I didn’t know what she was doing until it was too late!   It’s alright, Miss Patil. I’m certain you did everything you could.   It’s all just so horrible. What will happen now?   Don’t worry, my child. It will be alright. The lies came easier after that, you turned deception into an art form, lulling your housemates and would be friends into a sense of false complacency. You manipulated your sister, made her your puppet and had her report to you on all the petty little things going on in her life. The tripe and drivel you had to suffer through while waiting for the one morsel of substance that you could act on was incredible. I know you’ve never believed in Divination, Padma, but I keep feeling, and Professor Trelawney agrees, that my inner eye is being blocked somehow. It’s almost like a curtain has been draped over me.   I’m sure it’s just the stress of exams that you’re dealing with Parvati. You probably just need a good snog is all.   And next you’ll tell me that Harry Potter is the boy I should be snogging?   It wouldn’t kill you, you know.   I suppose you’re right. You always are you know.   I know. You wonder about your sister sometimes. You wonder if she saw the light and joined you in serving the Master or if she refused and had to be put down. She was probably put down. She never was quite as quick as you, or as bright. She never saw the big picture; she chose instead the little things that were right in front of her.It’s of no significance, really, because you’re the one who’s loyal and that’s what really matters, everything else is irrelevant. So now you sit and you wait and you are patient, because you know your Lord will come for you soon. He always comes for those who are loyal and you are very loyal. What else could keep you sane for thirteen years? He will come for me. He will! I know it and the world will see that I was loyal and they will bow before me in fear and beg for me to show mercy!   He will come for me, I know it, for I am loyal and I have waited!   He will come for me!   I have come!   Master! You have remembered me!   Remembered? Lord Voldemort never forgets, Padma, you know that.   Forgive me, Lord, but it has been so long, I had begun to worry.   You doubted me, do not lie for Lord Voldemort always knows, you doubted and now you wish forgiveness.   Yes master. Please, forgive me, I was weak. It will not happen again.   I know it will not, Padma, but Lord Voldemort must be certain his servants are strong, not only in their soul but also in their faith.   I am loyal, Master. Please, believe me.   Yes, I see that you are. Lord Voldemort believes you, Padma, but I must be certain. I will return for you soon Padma, be strong in your faith until then and you will be rewarded beyond your most vivid dreams.   Yes, Master. Thank you, Master. I will always be loyal, I swear it. Thirteen years. Thirteen years you’ve waited and you’ll go on waiting until the Master comes for you. You know he will. The flesh may be weak but the will is strong and so you remain devoted. You remain devoted because the Master says he will come for you soon. He always says he will come for you soon and so you sit and wait. You’ve waited thirteen years so far and you’ll go on waiting until he finally comes. He will come. I know he will.
10801521
Think Happy Thoughts
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Tim hated his costume.The tights were scratchy.The tunic was a bit too snug in some places.The wires… Yeah, he wasn’t a fan of them.And none of that was related to the singing…He didn’t care if he needed extracurricular activities for his college applications. He was never acting in a play again.Especially not Peter Pan.While he hadn’t seen Dick’s face when he told him about it over the phone, he could imagine the raised eyebrows and barely hidden—or not hidden at all—grin. Finally Dick did start laughing. As did the members of the Titans when he’d explained why he’d miss a few weekends. Alfred was supportive, while Bruce hadn’t been happy at all.But good grades might not be enough to get Tim where he wanted to go with his education. Well-rounded kids were in, and smart kids with no visible hobbies were frowned upon. Or so Tim had been told by his guidance counselor.Tim just hadn’t realized how much work being in the school musical would be. Between lines and choreography and blocking and endless rehearsals and idiots forgetting their lines and the school show-off upset that Tim had walked into the lead role… Yeah, the fun had long since leaked out of being in the play.As he got lowered to the floor to take off the harness, he scowled at his luck. He’d planned on being on the tech crew. Set up microphones, maybe run sound or help with the lights. Nothing to memorize, no reason to stay late. He could do that in his sleep almost. He worked a lot harder for Batman.But no… The lighting director had been using him to check the lighting, and the stage manager had asked Tim to stand in and help with blocking. Somehow that led to him reading lines, and then the kid playing Peter had gotten mono. Somehow, because Tim could read, the director asked if he could sing, not that Peter Pan needed to be great at it, and then… Tim hated being short. Some of his Lost Boys were taller than he was. But apparently he looked like a good Peter.He blamed Dick for the comfort in tights.Someone calling his name distracted Tim from his thoughts. “Smile. Happy thoughts make you fly. Scowling isn’t going to sell this to the audience.”He waited until the stage manager turned her back, and leveled a nasty glare at her. The girl playing Wendy giggled and smiled sympathetically.Tim had been okay with things until the costume fittings. But being in the costume made him think of Dick and being Robin and the work he was missing with the Titans and how Bruce was angry he wasn’t able to go on patrol every night, and how his eating habits sucked staying late at school every night.He also hadn’t thought about how much training he’d have to miss, and now he was worried his form would be off when he got back to work on patrols. He hoped it would be like riding a bike, and his body hadn’t forgotten how to knock a guy out by barely touching him.On the other hand, he’d had to back off significantly during his first “real” sword fight with Captain Hook. He’d almost leveled the kid playing the villain before he made himself remember that he was pretending to fight, that the blonde kid with the big teeth wasn’t an actual criminal trying to take him down. He was just a kid who liked to act. He’d been having a great time choreographing the scene until Tim almost stabbed him for real.Basically over the last couple of months Tim had had to tone down his ability to fight, and play up his discomfort over the costume. It really wouldn’t do to have the other guys thinking he enjoyed his tights.He’d also had to retrain his body how to stay balanced in the harness. He was used to one cable from his hands or attached to his belt, not two from his back. The arc of the cables was just all wrong and he hoped his wince wasn’t too visible.Sometimes it was just so hard trying to play a regular student trying to act.The director called for places for the dress rehearsal, and Tim plastered a “happy thoughts” grin on his face while he was helped out of the harness to go backstage. He thought he deserved a damn Tony for this experience.The Fates owed him big.~*~Throughout the long period of rehearsals, Tim had thought the worst part about being Peter Pan would be slightly slipped grades from a lack of study time, or antagonizing remarks or actions from the “theater” kids who were jealous they weren’t the lead role, or someone realizing he was Robin (thank God he didn’t go the pixie boots route with his costume), or someone seeing his various scars during costume changes or something else, or him missing something important with Batman or the Titans because he had to be at all those rehearsals.It was a lot to worry about and he’d been on edge for weeks because of it all. A few months prior and he hadn’t thought his life could be more stressful, but here it was. High school drama and the risk of everything crashing down around him.But no.That was all easy compared to what faced him opening night.While foolishly peeking through the curtain, his eyes had zeroed in on way too many familiar faces in the crowd.Near the front were Bruce, Alfred, Dick, and Babs. And then towards the back… Kon, Bart, and Cassie. Kon was eating something, and Bart looked fidgety already.“Oh God.”“What’s wrong?” Kandace, the girl playing Wendy, had come up behind him. He suspected she liked him, and yeah, he really didn’t need that right now.“My, um, guardian and his family are here.”“So?”“I figured they wouldn’t be able to come.”“You’re Peter Pan! Of course they’d come!” She smiled at him, and it turned devilish. “At the very least to get a glimpse of you in tights!”Yeah. Good thing they made time to see that. Tim was grateful at that moment for his ability to minimize his display of emotion, because he knew he’d be blushing guiltily.“I guess I’m just nervous.” And he was for some reason. It wasn’t that he might forget his lines, because he’d had to learn a lot more difficult stuff on a lot shorter notice. It wasn’t the outfit, obviously. It wasn’t even the singing; apparently he was decent at that.But maybe… If he blew tonight, if it was horrible, then he’d wasted the last three months of his life. He’d have killed himself for no reason. Fallen behind in training and patrol and everything for nothing, and Bruce, Dick, everyone would be disappointed in him. Tim was the Boy Wonder. If he couldn’t do this, he wasn’t sure how everyone would behave around him, think of him.It was an irrational fear, maybe, but he couldn’t will it away.And it wasn’t like he could back out now. The curtain would be going up in fifteen minutes. He’d be in that damn harness, unable to escape, not that he would if he could. He had a job to do. He had to be the best Peter Pan his school had ever seen.No one had set him to that standard, but who was he if he didn’t push himself to be the best? He certainly wouldn’t be Tim, and definitely not Robin.How did his self worth become related to green tights and a tunic that weren’t even Robin’s?Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Kandace. “I guess we should go get ready. Anything you want to run through before we have to get in place?”“Too bad I don’t get to give you a real kiss we could practice.” She smiled cheekily before she walked away into the wings.Tim stifled his groan and dropped his head before following her.When the weekend was over, he was going to sleep for a week.~*~Grinning broadly, Tim took his last curtain call. He bowed again, wishing the audience would shut the hell up already and just let him get the hell off the stage so he could go home. But no, he was so fantastically amazing they wouldn’t stop applauding.During his last bow he felt a slight breeze, and upon raising his head he saw a bouquet of flowers in front of him. For the love of… Well. At least Bart hadn’t dropped them off at regular speed. He didn’t need anyone thinking Bart was his boyfriend.Finally, blessedly, the audience’s applause started to die down, and the cast was allowed to exit the stage. Tim was sweaty and exhausted and he might have strained a muscle pretending to fight Captain Hook. He just wanted to go home, get some sleep, and then finish this weekend of performances so he could start getting his life back together on Monday.Never had he ever thought he’d look forward to a Monday.He’d gotten as far as changing out of his costume and escaping into the hallway before he was accosted by his friends. Kon punched him in the arm, Cassie hugged him, and Bart rambled questions about the playcostumeactingcharactersactorsflyingplotholes whatever.Kon gave Bart a shove. “Shut up, Bart. Tim, you were good. Not that I know anything about plays, but it was good.”Cassie rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him. You weren’t good, you were great. I know it was just a play, and I know you and everything, but I got really into it. I was clapping so hard to bring Tink back to life! And if you heard cheering when you fed Hook to the crocodile, well…” She blushed. “You did a great job.”Trying not to blush himself, Tim answered, “I was okay. I really just wanted to get it over with. I want to get back to my regular life, you know?”Everyone nodded. “Oh, and Bart?” Yellow eyes widened encouragingly. “Thanks for the flowers.”Beaming at him, Bart answered, “You deserved them.”Tim was going to answer, but then his other group of fans came around the corner. “Uh oh. Bruce.”The Titans turned around, then quickly excused themselves and told Tim they’d see him at the Tower the following weekend. That left no one between Tim and Bruce, and Tim was once again nervous as to what Bruce thought of the play. He wasn’t sure he could handle Bruce being disappointed in his work. It was never easy to handle. But if he hadn’t made up for Bruce being angry at him for being in the play in the first place…But then, as Bruce got closer… He smiled. He actually smiled, and not a stupid fake Brucie cocktail party smile. A real Bruce smile. Tim felt something in him loosen in relief.Once he was in range, Bruce clapped him on the shoulder. “Good job, Tim.”“I didn’t even know you’d be here.”After a handshake that pulled him into a hug, Dick told him, “Of course we’d be here. Where else would we be?”“Um…”Nodding slightly, Babs answered, “It’s being taken care of.” Cass and Helena, no doubt. Tim was glad they had such a large crew to fall back on.“You really liked the play?”“Master Tim, you were wonderful. The best Peter I’ve ever seen.” Coming from Alfred, that meant a lot. Tim couldn’t hide his grin.Babs exclaimed, “Tim! You were great! Don’t be modest! It was obvious you worked hard, and I know how much you’ve missed everything.” She meant patrol, of course.Dick leaned in close so he could say softly, “I bet you thought you’d be free of the tights for a couple months, too.”“Just shows how ridiculous my life is, really.”From behind him, Tim heard Kandace yell, “Tim! Come on, cast party!”He was about to turn and decline, but Bruce told him, “Go. You deserve to have fun and unwind after your work. Everything can wait.”“Are you sure? I know I’ve been--”Exasperated, Dick told him, “Go! Party! Enjoy being in high school.” He leaned in close again. “And enjoy Wendy there.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.“Dick!”But Tim did as he was told and went to enjoy the cast party. There was such a weight off his back now that he knew everyone liked his performance. Investing all of himself into the role had turned out okay after all, and maybe it was good to step back from Robin to play a real kid for a while.Besides, he only had a couple more performances to do, and then he was free.~*~Make that a couple more plus one, because the next weekend his friends made him do an encore for the Titans who couldn’t make the original performances. Cassie played Wendy, Kon was Captain Hook, and Bart filled in all the other roles.The speedster’s favorite was definitely Tink. He was even pretty good at flitting with the light.Tim may have woken a sleeping acting demon within Bart.Talk about getting in over his head.
10844304
Loveless Act III
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He was nodding off against a stone. Enjoying the sun on his skin, Weiss laying useless a distance away. He was back. Awake. His heart yet clenched in his chest, agonizing from the loss. Existence hurt. His sleep had been rarely troubled, for unlike true sleep there were few dreams. That didn’t mean upon waking he didn’t miss hearing Angeal attempting to be quiet. Or smelling Sephiroth’s soap. Or hearing the Puppy yapping. It didn’t mean that he didn’t feel guilty when he woke. Even if he’d broken the news to Sephiroth as gently as his panicked mind allowed. It didn’t mean Angeal didn’t die thinking he was a monster. That Hojo had hurt their pup. And the blonde one. Cloud. His parents. Sephiroth. The people of Bannora. The Hero of the Dawn he may be. But he’d been a monster first. Before that, and envious young man, but good. Then a monster. Now, impossibly, a hero. He slumped forward. All the power. All the years. And he was resting against a rock, by a corpse. Closing his eyes he could hear the Lifestream whisper. The girl. She’d been in his head as he rested. She told him things on occasion.  Sephiroth apparently strode out of the Lifestream on occasion to wreak havoc on Gaia. She was upset at his rudeness. He wasn’t sure how to take that. Angeal and Zack were dead. And by the goddess didn’t that hurt. The girl spoke a great deal about Cloud, who Genesis had met once. She referenced a Valentine, a name Genesis only knew from researching S cells.He was pretty sure the girl didn’t mean Grimoire Valentine, of whom Hollander had a few mentions of in his notes. A muffled thud to his right drew him out of his thoughts. He almost touched Rapier, laying close to his side, the red blade shining softly in the light. But he stopped himself. It didn’t sound human. He turned his head, still weak from flight, from too much sleep. And noticed a leather bound book. Arm protesting he pawed it into his lap and blinked down at the embossed cover. Loveless. His favorite copy. Against all sense he looked up. As if some magical book rain was about to start. That would be terrible. The pages would get so bent. “Did it surprise you that much?” Had he the energy, he would have jolted at that familiar voice. Much too real, in the place vacated by his book. “I thought you might like it back.” Genesis blinked, letting his head loll toward the girl. She’d seen inside his head at its worst. He doubted being limp and weak as a kitten would bother her. “My name is Aerith.” “Genesis.” He murmured back. Aerith leaned forward. Genesis noted the wind smelled sweeter. In general the area felt better. A beat “Am I dying?” “No!” Aerith sputtered. “I just, the wind follows me sometimes. I don’t come here a lot.” He made a vaguely questioning noise. “I’m the Cetra. The last one. But I died, years ago.” “You’re awfully hale for a dead woman.” He slurred, the comfort of the area sapping the remaining strength from his limbs. “Genesis. I need to ask you a question. A few. And you need to be super honest, okay?” “Couldn’t you find out anyway?” Aerith huffed. “I can. And Minerva will. But it’ll all go easier if you just answer my questions, okay? If you're good I won't go in your head." Genesis sighed, feeling some of his hair flutter. “If I’m not in slumber by then. It would be my pleasure.” He felt Aerith bounce a bit, a light clapping. Odd. He hadn’t noticed closing his eyes. He was so tired. It was getting worse. But it didn’t hurt like degradation. “If you could do it over again, would you do it differently?” He was silent. Aerith leaned forward to move some auburn hair out of his face. It was wilder than she remembered. Perhaps he’d let her fix it. His eyelids twitched and he exhaled shakily. Not asleep then. Good. They had time. “I don’t know what I could change. But I never wanted this end.” Aerith twisted her mouth. “But if you knew this would happen, what would you do differently, to help your friends? And the people you don’t already know? You can’t lie about that, Minerva told me.”“Die. I guess. Perish. Scatter like leaves in the wind.” “You’d die?” “You asked.” “What if it could be like that again. What if I took all the pain away, and let everybody live again, only knowing what they needed?” “What a question.” He laughed softly under his breath. “If it would save a different world. Do you think you all could do it?” He forced his eyes open for a moment, blinding himself with sunlight in sleep watered eyes and closed them quickly. “Save. A world, a whole world? Gaia?” He heard her hair as she shook her head. “It wouldn’t be this world. You’d never see Gaia again. And…Sort of a world. Do you remember Geostigma?” His eyes flickered again. “No. Tell me.” “It was Jenova, and Sephiroth. Their cells infected others. When the cells were introduced, the immune system of a human overcompensated, they wasted away, it was fatal.” “Why talk about it.” “Well, I fixed most of it. But what if I said there was something a lot like that?” “It sounds terrible at the least.” More soft clapping. “Exactly, you catch on fast!” “Degradation is a sore point I don’t wish on many.” He wasn’t sure he was intelligible. But Aerith seemed to understand him. “I really like happy endings, Genesis, what about you? A really good one, a well done one.” He thought briefly of Sephiroth trying a new food, the pleasure in his face at the discovery. Angeal’s constant nagging, and the obscene amount of plants he kept. He thought of Zack and how happy he must have been to become SOLDIER First Class. He pictured them alive, and happy. Not twisted. He pictured them as Hero’s, as he always had. “Yeah. I like happy endings. They’re not real though. Just a plot device.” Aerith sighed. “But what if you could make one?” “Hn?” “What if, you could be a hero? Hero of the Dawn!” “I think that’s my current title.” He slurred dryly. “Okay. But, and hear me out. What if I, theoretically, knew a really sad story was going to take place. And the Gods themselves wanted it like that. Only, if I maybe poked it a bit, it could still be fixed, and it could be happy! The heroes could all see their new dawn. Wouldn’t that be nice!” Genesis’s eyelids flickered again. He thought of the new seeds Angeal had planted before he left. Wondered if they ever grew. He thought of Sephiroth finally trying a Bannora White. He thought of them safe. Zack playing fetch or something. Happy. “It sounds detailed for theory. But pleasant.” “Do you think someone who sacrifices everything for their world deserves to have a happily ever after?” He was silent. “Genesis?” “Did they truly sacrifice? Or was it a lie they told themselves?” “One sacrifices everything, even if it hurts. Everybody they’ve ever loved dies horribly. But the world is saved, they never see it. Another tried to sacrifice, but he just made it all worse, he killed the sun, and the boy who sacrificed everything.” “It’s a shame the boy never sees the sunrise.” He admitted. “Some deaths can’t change. I’ll whisper them to you, if you agree. But others you have to save, okay?” He shifted. Leather creaking, stiff from the dampness of the cave. “You’ve a plan? And how would I do this?” Aerith was very quiet for a moment. “You can’t come back. Ever. I’ll send some things! Gifts, care packages. You’d remember me, but not this. It won’t have happened.” “I can’t come back?” A shifting noise as she moved and her dress swept the grass a little. “I want to take six heroes from Gaia. Three are currently dead. And I want to…fold? You, into another world, where you’ll be happy. As a reward.” “Leaving everything I’ve ever known is a reward?” Aerith jabbed him with her finger and all he could do was grunt a little.  “I’ll bet you don’t even like to look around when you open your eyes.” She was audibly pouting. “I’ll bet you feel really guilty, and you want to protect this place but you can’t handle being near it.” “...I thought I was supposed to be honest because you weren’t going to do that?” “You pushed me.” “Fine.” “Would you do it? Fight for better people, and grow old in a world that doesn’t make you so sad?” He hummed “Better people?” “I want you to help good people! And they’ll love you. Like family, I’ll bet.” He sighed. Taking a moment to think it over. “I’ll be old.” “Nuh-uh! I’m going to make you younger.” Genesis groaned “Happy endings, youth potions, saving the world. This sounds like a terrible novel, Cetra.” He heard her growl in frustration. “I happen to like those novels! And besides, it’ll be real. Ever wanted to serve a real live King, Genesis?” “No.” “You know, you were really pliable up till now.” He took a breath. The air was still uncommonly sweet. He still felt more comfortable than he had in years. “If you make me younger, won’t I just degrade again?” “No. I’ve talked it over with some others. We can change some things in a big way. But we aren’t allowed to meddle with people living here too much. You’d leave.” “My friend, the fates are cruel. And guilt never fades.” Aerith poked him again. “I want to take it away. And a lot of memories.” “My apologies, what?” Aerith huffed, more to give herself time to think than true irritation. “I want to take away all the bad memories and feelings, or, most of them, and place knowledge about yourself so it can’t be used to…make you crazy? It that the way I’m putting this?” “Are you talking about Sephiroth?” “...Yes? Frankly he’s a hazard. So if we fix him up he can’t damage Gaia anymore.” Genesis shifted once more “We…We wouldn’t remember any of it? This pain we’ve caused people?” “Not even each other.” “Is that fair?” “Not in the slightest, but you’re our best bet. And I believe in second, third and fourth chances!” Genesis forced his eyes open. The burning secondary to the comfort. A brunette woman with a pink bow in her hair looked down at him. “Are you insane?” She smiled sweetly. “Mostly. That’s why I’m not changing your enhancements. Well, that and Mako, everywhere, it would be a problem. I’m not sure how it works outside of SOLDIER bodies. So It’ll have to work itself out.” “We’ll know everything else we need?” “I’ll even add things! You’ll be happy if you try. I promise! Well. I don’t promise. I promise if you work for it it’ll work.” He closed his eyes once more. Letting out a deep breath. “Would the others be happy?” “Zack and Angeal are sad, but happy about it. Sephiroth is pretty much unresponsive this time. Cloud isn’t happy, but he wants to help. And Vincent feels a bit out of time anyway. Also I promised I’d check in and help!” Genesis chuckled. “Where are we going?” “Eos.” “I guess it’s home then. Not like I’ll know any different.” When he felt the heat fade he opened his eyes again, the burning gone, the offensive light gone. He was less comfortable. But he still knew it was real. “That’s the spirit!” a womans voice giggled. And he knew no more. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Everything sounded incredibly far away.  Wake up.   Yet, he heard it all. It sounded as if he was underwater. He could breathe though.  Wake up.   Oh. Tubing. He had a mask on. That’s how he was breathing. Why was he underwater?  You need to wake up.   His eyelashes moved with a current. But his lips were uncomfortably dry, as was his nose. Definitely a face mask.  Listen to me when I’m talking to you! Wake up!   His eyes flew open, then slammed closed again. ‘Saline based maybe?’ It’s not like he would know. He’d never woken up in a tank before. He wasn’t aware that Heidigger…would…ever…Heidigger? Yes. He knew him, a scientist…He was the scientist in charge of he and Angeal. He’d….failed, and he had degraded. It hurt. He met Minerva after fighting with….Who? And she fixed him. Then he’d….gone to sleep? And met Aerith. Why had he gone underground? He slowly opened his eyes again and tried to let them focus through the water….solution…whatever. He couldn’t see much. Or the room was very grey. He heard the airy reflection of his own breath as he huffed as if it was a thousand miles away. As it was, he couldn’t see a latch. How did he get someones attention to get out?  Don’t call. You’re in danger.  He was suspended in a tank hearing voices. Okay, workable. ‘Aerith?’  ‘Someone there intercepted you. I’m sorry, he might know more about you than you’ The voice was apologetic. ‘You were only supposed to be asleep a little bit but he got his creepy little hands on your minds-’  ‘Someone…knows our past? All of it?’ He felt a brief flash of envy. He’d been awake for ten minutes and he was frustrated with the blurry nature of his life.  ‘You agreed, don’t be like that. Now. Break the glass.’  It…wasn’t like he had other options. He flexed his arm to move closer and panicked. He certainly didn’t have such short bony arms? He kicked a leg. He…felt smaller. ‘Aerith?’  ‘Yes, you’re smaller. I didn’t want you aging too fast in this timeline. It’s alright, you’ll be back to normal in a few years.’  ‘You want a scrawny little thing to break experiment grade glass?’  ‘You still have your Mako enhancements!'  ‘You shrunk me. Put me in another timeline, and let me get captured but I still have my Mako enhancements!?’  ‘It doesn’t react well to…anything. Your body was workable, but unless you wanted a few more arms I didn’t touch the Mako, it’ll need to fade out on its own! Now break the glass!’  Wrenching himself forward he hit the glass. Bouncing off harmlessly. ‘This is a big tank.’ He pressed against the glass again feeling no give, before reaching up to his ears. They hadn’t removed his earrings, which was nice, though he was positive he looked ridiculous in this smaller body with them. But. He tapped at an earring and felt the familiar sting of the materia the gem was crafted from. This would either work or boil him alive. It wasn’t exactly a firaga, but he’d take the the fira he got from the mage earring he’d stylized. The glass gave way and, as he hadn’t planned for it, he fell hard into steaming water and broken glass. He ripped the mask off, staggering to his feet. A few harsh breaths of non purified air grated on his raw throat and made him dizzy. SOLDIER enhancemens still in effect he set to pullung glass out of anywhere he could see.  ‘Genesis, the others.’  Staggering yet, and shaking his head. Uncomfortable in nothing but a pair of now utterly drenched hospital issue boxers. Whoever the ‘creep’ who had watched his mind was, he’d also taken some significant liberties. The growl in his throat caught on how dry said throat was. He saw the others. He knew Cloud, Vincent, Zack, Angeal and Sephiroth on sight. Of course he did. But…He didn’t quite remember meeting Vincent or Cloud. Yet a wash of unneeded information washed through him at the sight of them. Cloud was smaller than them, he’d grown up in Nibelheim. He had a mother. He had…Mako poisoning? He was an…Infantryman? Shrugging off the wash of confusing data Genesis took in his surroundings. Grey. Very grey. And no oversight. Which was fantastic because piloting a new body when he’d fallen asleep a fully grown man and woke up a teenager did nothing for his grace. His reach and stride were both much diminished from what he’d grown to expect. He managed to pick his way over the glass to tap on another tank. Angeal didn’t respond. The noise of his own escape must have been heard somewhere. He had to find his clothing, Rapier. He paused. He wouldn’t be able to use either of those things. Rapier was crafted for someone taller and broader than the body he was in. Sure he wasn’t a giant of a man fully grown but a growth spurt at seventeen had changed him from a tiny gawky thing to someone more….visibly appealing. He was clearly under seventeen now, if he was this small. He approached a monitor by Angeals tank hesitantly. Hacking wasn’t his strong suit. However upon waking the monitor it simply gave him the option to drain. “This is either a high level office, or a trap.” He mumbled to himself tapping the option, before moving on to do the same with the other tanks. “Feeling like trap, is what’s happening.” He grumbled, emptying the tank for Sephiroth.  ‘Get your things and go to Insomnia.’   “I wasn’t planning on a cat nap, thanks.”  ‘It’s a city you insufferable-!’   Genesis explored the lab as Aerith chattered crossly somewhere in his headspace. Standard issue SOLDIER uniforms were stashed in a locker he’d popped the hinges off. A quick glance was all he needed to discern which set when to whom. He decided to forsake the wet hospital boxers. Dressed now in something almost familiar he turned back to the others. All as disoriented as he had been. However their more peaceful awakening meant they were more groggy. “Clothes.” He snapped, “Now, I’d rather not live in this lab.” Angeal puffed a but as he always had when Genesis became waspish or bossy. But acquiesced easily, looking around at his surroundings. Sephiroth and Vincent both seemed uneasy at the sight of a lab. The puppy and the…Cadet, were simply throwing clothes on and looking around. The sooner he could leave this place and stop being their ringleader the better. Genesis was never too happy about leading directly. “Anybody…Have a weapon?” Cloud asked as they all stood in silence, pondering their next move. Genesis crossed his arms “I found no weapons in my search.” “Where would I have a weapon, Spike?” Zack burst out when the blonde looked at him. “Pretty sure even the best of hiding places would have been flushed out by the water!” Sephiroth grimaced “Excellent visual, Zack.” Angeal sighed. Vincent flexed the claw “I…Can use this.” “That’s great!” “Tell your puppy to stop yapping Angeal.” “Heyyyyy.” As it happened, they needn’t have worried. Even Angeal was biting his lower lip when the large door opened to snow and wind. “Genesis?” Angeal murmured “You have materia, don’t you?” Genesis tapped an earring, “Just a little. I’m not going to beat a blizzard.”  ‘Go straight. You’ll need to go North, then across a sea, then south, to reach Insomnia’s capitol.’  Genesis froze. “Aerith?” Speaking aloud gained him a few odd looks.  ‘Minerva. Move.’  “She says to go straight. Then cross a sea, and go south, to Insomnia.” “Vague.” For once, he agreed with Zack. “Who’s speaking to you Genesis?” Sephiroth asked bluntly. Looking as worried as Sephiroth ever looked. Almost cute now, with shorter hair and a more manageable height. They all looked like gawky teenagers, barring Angeal who had definitely grown like a weed a full year before his older friend. The red mage shuffled, the biting wind creeping inside to nip at him. “The Goddess. Aerith, and the Goddess.” He could see suspicion. But Sephiroth was one of his closest friends. And he accepted the explanation. Though it was clear he and Angeal were the only ones who did. Vincent, however, didn’t seem to care one way or the other, and while Cloud and Zack exchanged nervous looks, he simply nodded. A mechanical whirring snapped them out of their reverie and they bolted headlong into the storm, unarmed, mostly unarmoured, the sound of automated gunfire echoing for miles. Genesis felt little but searing pain. His shoulder, his stomach, his leg. But the Enhancements kept him upright, and the snow fell too hard for any of the blood to show well. Every step made him want to scream. But they were all tired. He reasoned the wounds would heal over well before anybody noticed he was hurt. So he kept silent and marched on. They began a long, frozen trek that night. Reaching a small cave in an outcropping as the sun rose. Genesis took watch, and did not sleep.
10844085
The Path To Decay
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Kriechen, kriechen, kriechen. Den ganzen Tag lang kriechen. Nein, kein Tag. Nacht, immer nur Nacht. Immer und ewig. Kein Entkommen, ewige Finsternis um ihn herum. Gelbe Fratze ist boshaft. Weiße ebenso! Nichts ist mehr gut in der Welt.Fisssssch, frischer Fisssssch! Nur das zählt.Ist er wahnsinnig? Ist sein Leben ein einiges, immerwährendes Elend? Ist er eine Kreatur erbärmlicher als das niederste Tier?Suchen, suchen, immer nur suchen. Sein Schatzzzz. Sein Schatz ist weg! Beutlin hat ihn genommen. Nun kriecht er, immer und immer, kriecht und sucht und sucht und kriecht.Zeit verliert ihre Bedeutung. Alles verliert seine Bedeutung. Er muss seinen Schatzzzz wieder finden. Muss finden! Muss, muss, muss!Er ist nur eine elende Kreatur ohne Bedeutung in den Weiten der grausamen Welt. Hinterlässt keine Spuren, nichts. Lebt sein Leben, vegetiert vor sich hin an den Wurzeln der Berge. Lebt von augenlosem Fisch, manchmal einem stinkenden Ork. Sein Schatzzz ist das einzige von Wert, an dem sein schwarzes Herz hängt. Er hasst und liebt ihn. Hasst und liebt sich selbst für das, zu dem er verkommen ist. Gollum, gollum! Tag um Tag verkommt er mehr, immer ein wenig mehr. Verfiel dem Bösen und konnte doch niemals von diesem Weg umkehren. Sein Schatzzz brachte ihm doch so viel Gutes! Nein, so viel Schlechtes.Nein, Lügen! Gutes, nur Gutes!Er beschreitet seinen Pfad des Verfalls, Jahr für Jahr für Jahr.Dunkelheit um ihn herum. Wohlig samten und schützend. Licht ist böse. Licht sticht in den Augen, verrät ihn. Heimlichkeit ist seine Waffe, seine Opfer von hinten überfallend und erwürgend. Für alles andere ist er zu feige. Ein kleines, boshaftes Wesen ist er, nicht mehr. Feige und schwach und mit einem schwarzen Herzen.Die Erinnerungen an friedliche Sommertage verblassen mehr und mehr. Sind bald nicht einmal mehr Erinnerungen. Scheinen aus einem anderen Leben gewesen zu sein. War es jemals sein Leben gewesen? Oder das eines anderen?Sméagol?Er ist verloren. Keine Heilung für die Verlorenen, Wahnsinnigen. Irre, irre! Vielleicht, vielleicht auch nicht. Er lebt gut und leidet doch zugleich unendlich. Sein Schatzzz zehrt ihn aus und doch kann er nicht von ihm lassen. Muss ihn haben! Schwach, so schwach …Sein Leben ist fad, farblos. Trostlos und elend. Ein Wurm in der Erde. Niederer als ein Wurm in der Erde! Unterster Abschaum ist er geworden.Sein Schatzzz, sein Schatzzz!Er ist verdammt. Dunkelheit hält ihn nun für alle Tage gefangen, ist in ihm, er trägt sie immer bei sich. Er ist schwach an Körper und Geist, getrieben von einer niederen Boshaftigkeit und verdammt zu fallen. Schon lange hat er die Möglichkeit vergeben, ein besseres, ein schöneres Leben zu führen.
10862916
Just Breathe
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Negan (Walking Dead), Girl with Oxygen Tank", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by AshZombie13", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-09T00:00:00", "words": "1,230", "Additional Tags": "Negan (Walking Dead) Swears, Sweet Negan (Walking Dead), Sexy Negan (Walking Dead), Nice Negan (Walking Dead)", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Negan (Walking Dead)/Original Female Character(s), Negan (Walking Dead)/You", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead (Comics)", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
The last tank was getting low. You were lucky that your group had found oxygen tanks at the hospitals they raided. But now you were on your last one, and your group was gone. The last time you saw them, they were going to search through another hospital. They never came back. You were going to be on your own now, and it was only a matter of time before your last oxygen tank ran out. You were running out of time, but there was no way you were going to just give up. There had to be another way out of this.You drove your car into a little town you stumbled across, just as it ran out of gas. It seemed pretty much empty, besides the few dead things walking around. You decided you'd search for supplies, but you'd have to be careful. Your oxygen tank did hold you back. You couldn't run if you had to because you'd use up the last of your oxygen. With your tank almost empty, going slow was the only way.Suddenly, you heard a truck coming up the road. Either this person was good or bad. They could help you, or kill you for your supplies. Honestly, it didn't matter anyway. You were losing hope and air. Nothing mattered anymore.The truck stopped right in front of you, and the engine turned off. There was silence. No one came out.After a while, a man jumped out of the truck whistling. He wore a leather jacket with a red scarf, and his hair was slicked back. He twirled a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire around before resting it on his shoulder.“Hi. I'm Negan.” He grinned.You just stared at him. You didn’t know what to think of him, except for the fact that he was very attractive.“Hello? Anyone in there?” Negan came closer and leaned forward.You took a deep breath, and Negan finally noticed the oxygen tank.“Well what do we have here?” Negan pointed to your tank, “Got anymore of those laying around?”You slowly shook your head.“Seems like you’re fucked!” Negan chuckled.You just glared at him. Was he seriously making fun of your life or death situation?“Oh, come on! Was the joke that bad?”You turned around and started to walk away. You weren’t going to deal with this shit. Not when it was possibly your last day on earth.Negan chased after you.“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” He jumped in front of you to block your path.“Hey, okay look, I’m sorry about that. I can be an asshole sometimes. Really, I’m sorry.” Negan gently caressed your arm.“Come with me.” Negan pulled you towards his truck.You looked down and noticed the dry blood on the bat. You quickly pulled away from Negan’s grasp, “No! I don’t trust you!”“How much air you got left in that thing? By the way you’re breathing, I’d say not much. Unless being around me is just talking your damn breath away, which is highly fucking possible!” Negan grinned.You rolled your eyes and adjusted your air pressure. You had turned it lower to buy yourself more time, but it meant you didn’t have as much oxygen available to you.You walked away from him, not paying attention to your surroundings. A walker came out from the back of a building and knocked you to the ground. Your tubes and tank rolled away from you as the walker snapped its jaws at you. It was too strong, and you were struggling to breathe without your tank.“Negan!” You managed to scream with all the breath you had left.Suddenly a bat slammed down onto the walker's head, and Negan pulled its body off you. Your breaths were sparse and short. Negan panicked and didn’t know how to help you. He noticed your tank was gone, and quickly retrieved it. He placed the tube back under your nose and turned the knobs on the tank to allow a maximum amount of air.“Breathe! Just breathe!” Negan shouted.You gasped as the rush of oxygen hit you. You quickly sat up and hugged Negan tightly. This man was a stranger to you, but he still saved your life.“Thank you so much!” You started to cry a little.Negan held you and patted the back of your head, “Anytime doll.”Your breathing started to slow again, and you struggled for more oxygen. You pulled away from Negan to look at the tank, and saw that it was now on empty. It was only a matter of time before you’d completely run out of air. Negan noticed and saw the concern on your face.“I guess this is the end of the line for me.” You tried to smile, but the tears started falling.“Not today, doll. We got more tanks back at The Sanctuary. Come on! We better hurry!” Negan stood and picked you up. Running back to his truck, he placed you inside and started the engine.Your breathing became worse, and Negan looked at your with concern.“Whoa whoa! Just breathe! Don’t you die on me!” Negan pleaded.He drove fast along the deserted road. Negan grabbed a walkie talkie from his belt.“I need someone to bring an oxygen tank to the main gate right the fuck now!” Negan screamed into his radio.“Hold on, doll. We’re almost there.” Negan held onto your hand as your breathing slowed to barely anything.Your vision became blurry, but you could see a tall factory building up ahead. Then everything went black. “Breathe, damn it!” Negan shouted.Your eyes suddenly opened, and you were laying on the ground with a brand new oxygen tank hooked up. Negan let out a sigh of relief.“Holy shit. I thought I had lost you already!” Negan hugged you.“You saved me? Why?” You clutched onto your new tank like it was your life line. Which technically it was.“Honestly? I got my fingers crossed for a little freaky deaky!” Negan chuckled darkly.“I’m not that easy!” You rolled your eyes.“I have literally fucking given you air! I bet once you see what all I have to offer, then you’ll change your fucking mind.”Negan took your hand and lead you on a tour of the whole community. It was quite impressive, and there were a lot of people here. Negan introduced you to the doctor and showed you the medical office that was stocked with oxygen tanks. This place was just what you needed. It was perfect. “And here is the best room of all… my bedroom! This is where the magic happens, doll!” Negan pointed to his bed, “Care to properly thank me for saving your life today?” He smirked and slowly licked his lips.“You don’t know when to quit, huh?” You shook your head.“Eventually you’ll take me up on my offer,” Negan said in a matter-of-fact tone.“So what do you think of this place?” Negan asked.“Honestly, it’s perfect! I hate to admit it, but I needed it,” you replied happily.Negan grinned, and you couldn’t help but think that this was the start of something amazing. Maybe he was right and you would properly thank him for saving you. After all, this man had literally given you air.
10803945
Cozy
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Elain Archeron, Lucien (ACoTaR)", "Fandom": "A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by nightcourthighlordrhysand", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-03T00:00:00", "words": "1,910", "Additional Tags": "Alternate Universe - Modern Setting", "Relationship": "Elain Archeron/Lucien", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Elain stepped onto the train with a rather childish but simultaneously endearing hop, her skirt curling around stocking clad legs and well worn leathery boots with fur that warmed her ankles but left the rest at the mercy of mid winter’s biting chill.Securing her slightly wonky home knit hat, Elain gripped the strap of her pack and walked down the cramped aisle, offering fellow passengers kind smiles and murmured greetings as they allowed her to pass.Eyeing her ticket, she slowed her pace, watching for her row with brown eyes bright with excitement.  She hadn’t seen Feyre in nearly three months, and Nesta had gone ahead to get some business done before the holiday, leaving Elain mostly on her own for the last two weeks.  Besides, her fairly messy break up six months before had left her significantly more lonely and extremely gun shy. But she was fine, and Elain was a reasonably self-sufficient modern woman, none of which made her miss her sisters any less.A small smile spread across her face at the thought of the mere hours that separated her from a week long reunion, reacquainting herself with Feyre’s fiance, and an anticipated first introduction to Nesta’s not so secret beau. Soon enough, Elain reached row 6H and lifted her travel bag high to fit in the overhead bin, tilting back slightly at the weight only to have two warm hands grip her waist gently, “Easy there.”Still unseen, the stranger’s hands reached overhead to shove the bag further back before he stepped away as Elain blushed and offered her thanks, tucking a stray honey colored lock behind her ear.The man grinned, eyes seemingly drinking her in somewhat subtly, his flush matching hers.  Neither spoke as Elain mirrored his actions, taking stock of his distinctive russet eyes, one marred by a slim scar, long auburn hair held in a ponytail behind his broad shoulders.Eyes dancing merrily when her gaze returned to his, he lifted his own beat up dark leather back pack onto the rack and gestured for her to slip into her seat first, before he settled into his own gracefully.The ticket inspector came by before long, leaving without incident as Elain rifled through her carry for her iphone and earbuds, securing them in her lap as she shifted around to get comfortable for the long journey, her fellow passenger doing the same. When she glanced up, his deep russet eyes were trained on her thoughtfully, not hesitating when she caught him looking, offering a small smile in a seeming effort to convey friendliness.Elain mirrored his expression, going about her business until the silence was broken by the sounds of the train readying to begin the trip.“Lucien,” her seat mate offered, clearing his throat somewhat nervously.She looked up, caught off guard, but smiled, blushing slightly, “Elain.”Lucien nodded his head, hesitating slightly as if he intended to say more, before a light flush rose up the back of his neck, and he put his headphones in and pulled his hood over his head.Quirking a brow quizzically, Elain shook her head slightly but let the oddity drop, wriggling back into the plush seat as she tucked her earbuds in and selected the playlist she’d built specifically for the trip, letting her eyes drift closed, long lashes dusting across her lightly freckled cheeks. As the calming strains of her favorite relaxing music began, Elain found herself being rocked to sleep by the steady thrum of the train on its steely tracks. Early afternoon sunlight cut through the slats of the pristine white blinds, yellow slivers kissing across the tufted armchair and warming Elain’s eyelids. Slowly, she sat up against the back of the buttery leather settee running her fingers through her sleep mussed hair habitually. The warm house was filled with quiet calm, only the sound of some unidentified housemate puttering in an adjacent room. Biting back a yawn she stood and moved to explore the house, following the muffled sounds to what appeared to be the kitchen. A man stood facing away from her, auburn hair pulled into a low ponytail that brushed his bare broad shoulders, muscled torso tapering into narrow hips, low slung sweatpants bearing his toned body to the world. Slowly he turned around, two steaming mugs in hand and surprised grin tickling his lips, “Up already?” Just as she opened her mouth to reply, a rumbling noise echoed from outside the cozy home, although her lovely companion didn’t seem to notice, walking closer and offering one of the mugs casually, as if this was a regular occurance. He closed the distance between them, lips upturned as they hovered over hers, eyes twinkling happily as he moved forward, their breaths mixing, Elain’s eyes fluttering closed, heart thumping in anticipation, ears filled with the rush of blood. Lips about to brush, another rumble, louder and longer this time – and Elain was wrenched back to reality and consciousness, one earbud trailing along the seat, neck tight with the awkward position of her apparent departure from the waking world.As she slowly took in her surroundings, noting the lush countryside decorated with a sparse blanket of powdery snow, Elain found a warm scent – like cinnamon and pine – swirling through her senses enticingly, hot exhales brushing her exposed collarbone not unpleasantly. Far from it in fact…Shifting ever so subtly, she eyed her formerly hesitant acquaintance whose face was currently nuzzled into the crook of her neck, cheekbone jutting into her chin as he let out another rumbling snore.Elain smirked, debating the best method to wake him – Lucien – without making things too uncomfortable. For a moment, she debated the pros and cons of letting him remain on her shoulder, and just as she had chosen the path of least resistance, her fingers began to tingle and she developed an unreachable itch on her left shin.Before she had a chance to choose between nudging him gently and leaping from the seat in a dramatic ‘rip off the bandaid’ fashion, the stranger – Lucien – smacked his lips together, before sitting up abruptly.A brilliant blush spread across his cheeks as he swept the corners of his mouth with an embarrassed hand, eyes avoiding hers as he murmured, “Sorry.”The red in her cheeks rivaled his as she smoothed her braid, “No, it’s alright.” If you only knew what kind of dream I was having about you…“What?”“Oh. Er- nothing?” Elain offered hopefully, wrapping her headphones neatly to give her hands something to do.Lucien’s eyes danced playfully but to Elain’s everlasting gratitude, he let the subject pass and chose a new one, “So where are you off to for the holiday?”“Family. My sisters specifically,” Elain answered, face glowing happily, “I think I’m finally meeting the oldest’s ‘secret’ boyfriend.”The red head let out a hearty chuckle, “Sounds exciting. Are you going to pre-empt her announcement to show off your detective skills?”Snickering, Elain shook her head, holding out her bag of pretzels in offering, “Nah, it’s more about her finally letting go of her denial. We’ve all known. Worst kept secret in the family. Well that and the fact that we’ve all walked in on Feyre and Rhys doing it.”Lucien crunched on a pretzel, “Rhys?”Elain hummed, “Yup. Short for Rhysand. Pretty unsual, eh? I’d never heard it before.”His eyes narrowed further, “And Feyre?”Trying to tamp down her uneasiness at his mini interrogation, Elain nodded, cautiously eyeing the ‘call’ button on her arm rest, “Yes. Is there a problem?”Apparently realizing the effect his questions and overall strange behavior were having on his companion, Lucien let a comforting smile ripple across his face, “Sorry. It’s just I know a couple with those same names. And I’m on my way to visit them, among other people, for the holiday.”Slightly pacified and fairly confident he wasn’t some crazed stranger who trolled trains for lonely women during the holidays, Elain let her shoulders relax, previously unaware that they’d nearly risen to her ears. Tucking one leg underneath her as she angled her back against the window, Elain fiddled with her tights, “How likely d’you suppose it is we’re talking about two different couples.”Lucien chuckled, “Not very.”“Feyre Archeron?”He nodded.“I’ve never heard of you.”Grinning, Lucien swiped another pretzel, “Lucky for us I’m so out of practice flirting with women or this would’ve been a very awkward Christmas.”Elain crunched on a pretzel, eyes widening, “Flirting?”Apparently unaware of her rapidly increasing hearbeat, Lucien hummed, a smirk flickering around his lips – lips that in her dream she’d almost…“Back in the day I might’ve gotten past helping you with your bag and introducing myself.”She forced out a somewhat choked chuckle, unscrewing the cap on her soda jerkily and taking a healthy swig.“Sorry. That probably made you uncomfortable,” Lucien murmured, picking at a thread on his jeans, “I’m not trying to be creepy.”Despite her flush, Elain smiled comfortingly, “No. It’s just you’re so attractive and then my dream-”She cut herself off abruptly, hand covering her still open mouth as Lucien’s gaze returned to hers, “Dream?”Elain bit her lip, well you’ve gone this far, genius, “I dreamed we were…together and we were about to kiss.”   And you were deliciously shirtless.Leaning forward to keep their nosy aisle mate out of the conversation, Lucien whispered, “How was it?”Somewhat breathless, Elain matched his movement, fingers brushing his on their shared armrest, “I- we didn’t- I woke up.”“Care to find out?”Giggling – yes giggling – Elain’s fingers twitched between his calloused ones, “Wow. That was smooth. I’d hate to see how good you are in practice. It would be scandalous to be…unkempt when we arrive at the station.”Lucien’s eyes darted down to her parted lips, his knee pressing against hers underneath the armrest, “I could always help you re-groom yourself.”Taking a deep breat, Elain wrenched her hands from his and tossed her braid back over one shoulder. Bracing himself for a sound rejection, Lucien tried to tamp down his panic, you’ve gone too far friend.Before he could open his mouth to apologize, warm, smooth lips were on his depressingly unresponsive ones. Fearing this meant she’d misread the signals, Elain pulled back a breath, face heating as she realized she’d be forced to spend the next week with the uninterested stranger she’d made out with on the train, only for him to surge forward, fingers knitting through her honey colored locks as he tugged her closer.Sighing into the kiss, she let her tongue swipe through his mouth gently, as he bit back a moan. Close cropped fingernails running across his scalp, Elain made to tilt her head back, inviting him to explore her jaw and that little spot behind her ear, when the aforementioned nosy neighbor cleared his throat imperiously.Pulling away and looking remarkably debauched for the brevity of their encounter, Lucien smoothed his rumpled hair somewhat abashed, “I feel I should tell you this really isn’t a play I use on unsuspecting train passengers.”“If it was I’d tell you there are a few kinks to work out.”“You mean drooling on your shoulder wasn’t a great move?” Lucien laughed a little nervously.Steeling herself, Elain blew out a breath, “Go out with me?”Reaching over to link their fingers, a broad smile spread across Lucien’s face, “Yeah.”
10841454
late night comforts
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Salle, Neo, De La Salle University - Character, Ateneo de Manila University - Character", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by paraluman", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "2,313", "Additional Tags": "Established Relationship, Late night cuddles, Sleepy Kisses", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Neo/Salle, NeoSalle", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Buhay Kolehiyo, Sexy Sexy Universities, SSU", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
The stark brightness of the LED screen threw strong features into stark relief, highlighting thick brows knit in concentration, white teeth worrying thin lips, and dark eyes with even darker shadows beneath them. Everything else was blanketed in the blue of the night. The silence was broken by the occasional tack-tack-tack of quick fingers tapping on the laptop’s keys, punctuated by deep, frustrated sighs as dusk bled into the evening, then into the wee hours of early morning. Salle let out a silent groan, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to ease the knot of tension that formed at his back after sitting for so many hours in a stiff chair. He slumped against the backrest, blinking his tired eyes rapidly before closing them.  If only I didn’t leave this paper till the last possible minute… he thought, frowning. It was a bad habit that he’s been trying to break, but all his responsibilities and workload had piled up at the start of the month, and after the stress of accomplishing everything he took the weekend off for some much needed rest.  No point in regrets, he mourned, sighing and gearing himself up to type another thousand words to reach the required page count. He jumped in surprise as arms wrapped around his torso from behind, feeling a solid weight plop carefully onto the crown of his head. “Fuck, Neo, you scared me,” Salle wheezed out, reaching up to gently squeeze a slender wrist. “What are you, ninja?” A muffled chuckle sounded at the top of his head, limber fingers squeezing in response around his hand. Salle leaned back into the embrace, a smile tugging up the corners of his lips. He rubbed his thumb across the thin, soft skin at the back of Neo’s hand, tracing mindless circles in the quiet. A warm feeling had settled into his chest, easing his fatigue away. “What are you doing still awake?” Neo asked, squinting his eyes at the bright screen of the laptop. “Need to finish a paper for KasPil,” sighed Salle. He can already hear Neo’s reprimanding voice in his head, telling him that he should have finished the assignment days before the deadline. It’s been a constant motivator for him to avoid cramming these days, feeling disappointed in himself as he imagined the worry in Neo’s eyes. Cramming also tended to cut his limited time with his boyfriend, which was something that he would do anything to prevent from being necessary. To his surprise, Neo just hummed in acknowledgment. Then, he asked, “Do you need help?” Salle’s smile stretched farther. The warm feeling in his chest grew, boundless and fond. He was pretty sure he knew what it was, but it was something he was content to leave unexplored in the moment. He turned his face to nuzzle into the soft skin of Neo’s neck, breathing in the clean, reassuring scent that always clung to the other man. He wished he could bottle it up, sometimes; just to breathe in the scent that he had come to associate with the person who was capable of causing his heart rate to shoot up to dizzying speeds, as well as grounding him when he felt lost in his often chaotic life. “Thanks, babe, but I could handle it,” he murmured against warm skin, feeling grateful for the sentiment behind the offer. “Anything else you want me to do?” Neo persisted quietly. Salle slowly tugged Neo around the chair, pulling him down until their faces were level. He took in the features of Neo’s face, devouring the sight of that gorgeous, dear face in the weak light, wondering what he did to deserve him. From those intelligent, brilliant eyes, shaded by long, inky lashes, to that attractive beauty mark, to his cute, upturned nose, down to that tempting mouth… Salle wondered how he managed to make this guy say yes to him, when he finally gathered the guts to ask him out. It was the sweetest affirmation he had received in his life to date, and the actuality of it was still a mystery to him some days. Neo stared back at him, eyes curious and searching. “What is it?” he asked. “Wala lang,” Salle replied after a moment, hand reaching up to caress Neo’s cheek. After a few moments of silence, Neo finally tired of waiting. He pressed a long, lingering kiss on Salle’s smiling lips. Salle pressed back, sliding his hand farther to tangle in the soft strands of hair at Neo’s nape. He pulled Neo closer, easing his lips over the pliant mouth, coaxing a content moan out of that inviting throat. The kiss lasted a minute, then another, slow, unerring, lasting. They parted on a shared breath, gazes connected and charged with unspoken meaning, before Salle wrapped his arms around Neo’s small waist, burying his face into the flat abdomen. “Ang swerte-swerte ko talaga,” he mumbled, clinging tight. Neo let out an amused huff, running soothing fingers through Salle’s loose hair. He then pressed firmly into the area that has been bothering Salle, finding the knot accurately and digging with his knuckles to alleviate the accumulated tension in the broad back. Salle groaned in appreciation, turning into putty under his boyfriend’s hands. After a few minutes of this, Salle felt the pain fade into nothing. He pulled away, kissing Neo’s hands in thanks. “Anything else?” Neo asked again, smiling at him. “Hmm?” He was massaged into boneless incoherence, and he still has not recovered. “Want some coffee?” Neo suggested, returning his fingers to combing through Salle’s hair. “Something mild, maybe,” Salle finally replied. “I still want to sleep after.” “Of course.” Neo turned to fix him a cup, but Salle’s grip only tightened around him. A low whine sounded out from the dark-haired man’s throat, pleading and exhausted. “Come on, off,” Neo cooed, laughing when Salle only blew a raspberry against his tummy in response. “The quicker you get to typing, the faster you can finish and join me in bed.” Salle perked up at that, turning wide, eager eyes on a giggling Neo. He slumped back immediately, though, craning his neck back as far as he could as he pouted up at his boyfriend. “I’m actually too tired right now, babe,” he gloomily informed Neo, who only laughed harder at his dejected look. “I didn't mean that we should fuck, gago.” Neo snorted. Trust Salle to immediately dump his mind in the gutter. “I meant that you should hurry up so you could sleep na. Also, it’s too cold tonight.” “Ah.” Salle’s eyes sparkled mischievously at him. “Na-miss mo ko, no?” he teased. “Of course I did, you clingy panda,” Neo shot back immediately. “I don't see you for nearly a month, then when you come here you spend all your time doing a stupid paper instead of doing me.” Salle choked on air, barely managing to swallow his incredulous laughter down. The easy admission showed how far they’ve progressed in their relationship; from Neo’s pakipot days and his own (embarrassing) torpe ways, they’ve definitely gone a long way in learning how to express their feelings honestly. Despite that, he still was taken by surprise sometimes when Neo got this blunt over something like sex. Salle inwardly sighed. Gone were the days when his boyfriend cutely blushed at any mention of intimacy.  Welllp, he thought, smirking, dapat lang. He watched as Neo pursed his lips, making them look invitingly plump. He’s still cute, though. Daya.  “What are you smirking about?” Neo shot him a suspicious look. “Nothing.” Salle sighed again. “Sorry,” he added genuinely. “It’s a’ight, I understand,” Neo replied, patting Salle’s head. “Acads first.” Salle begged to disagree, but he kept mum. Finally, he let go of Neo’s waist as the other man pulled free again. He watched Neo putter about the small kitchenette at the far wall of the condo. The Atenean put some water to boil in the sleek coffee machine, scooping some grounds into the filter, before turning the machine on. Neo caught his eye as he turned around. “Salle,” he prompted. With a cheeky drawl of “Oo na po," Salle faced his laptop in acquiescence. Words came easier to him now that he had some sort of a pick-me-up in the form of his boyfriend, and the promise of coffee and sleep. A steaming half-and-half was placed in front of him a few minutes later, positively beckoning him to drink from the top of his Pop! Chewbacca mug. It was a gift from Neo, back from when they just started officially dating and Salle was close to completely living in Neo’s condo outside his day classes at DLSU. Neo, the cute motherfucker that he was, dropped the neatly packaged mug in his lap with no warning whatsoever. Salle floundered to keep it from falling, confused but curious. “Stop stealing my mug in the morning,” Neo said, his tone carefully flippant. Salle stared at him wide-eyed, turning his gaze to the package before staring at Neo once again. “Huh?” was his intelligent reply. Neo sighed in exasperation and crossed his arms. He gazed at Salle from the corners of his eyes, keeping only his profile visible to the other man as he fought down the blush that threatened to invade his irritatingly pale cheeks. “I saw it and thought of you,” he quickly muttered, turning completely away from the flabbergasted man. “Huhhh?!?!” “Shut up,” Neo hissed, the blush successfully taking over his cheeks. “Oy, Neo, ano sinabi mo?” Surprise was fast to leave Salle, awe now lining his tone as a giddy feeling rose up in his chest. Did Neo just…  “Just open it, okay?” Salle was only too quick to agree, abandoning the chance to tease Neo in favor of unwrapping his present. He slid his finger along the seams, taking care not to rip the forest green paper. It revealed a Pop! Chewbacca edition ceramic mug, the character’s large, black, round eyes staring back at Salle’s excited face. “You like it?” Neo asked, beginning to smile as he stared at Salle’s expression. “Tangina, Neo, of course I love it!” Salle exclaimed, the Star Wars fan in him showing through. “Geek,” Neo fondly accused. “Why Chewbacca, though?” Salle curiously asked. “Chewbacca’s cute,” Neo said offhandedly, before stiffening up and biting his lip as he realized the implication of what he said. “Oho?” Salle teased. “So cute pala ako?” “Shut up.” Salle only laughed, before snatching Neo’s wrist and abruptly tugging the other man towards him. The blue-eyed man yelped, sprawling all over Salle’s lap as he struggled to regain his bearings. Salle pulled him closer, placing his gift on the coffee table to wrap his arms around Neo’s back. He planted a kiss on the brown hair, following it up with a kiss on Neo’s forehead. “Salamat, Neo,” he whispered softly, unable to adequately express the affection that was brimming in his chest. “Wala ‘yan," Neo replied, calming down. He slumped forward into Salle’s chest, snaking his arms over the dark-haired man’s shoulders and adjusting his legs so he sat straddling Salle’s lap. They spent the entire afternoon entangled in the couch, talking in hushed voices, migrating to the bed only when Neo was too sleepy to keep his eyes open. The memory stayed vivid in the Archer’s mind. The mug was the first of the many other wonderful gifts that Neo would give him as their relationship developed over the past year. Salle treasured it dearly, because Neo’s gifts meant that the other man thought of him even when they weren't together, and it was one of the ways that Neo, who wasn't a tactile person in general, reciprocated Salle’s own very physical affection. Salle finished his paper within the hour, sipping the last dregs of his coffee as he checked over the format and alphabetized his references. After scanning his paper for the final time, he sent the word document to his professor’s email and shut the laptop down. “Thank fuck,” he groaned, stretching out as he shook the stiffness in his limbs away. He took his Chewbacca mug to the sink and rinsed it, leaving it on the drying rack after washing it properly. “Tapos ka na?” Neo came in from the bedroom, phone in his hand. “Akala ko natulog ka na." Salle walked towards his boyfriend, squeezing the other man’s waist before slipping past him to go into the bathroom. “I wanted to wait for you,” Neo said, yawning. He leaned against the doorjamb as Salle washed his face and brushed his teeth. “You shouldn't have,” Salle managed to say around the foam and toothbrush in his mouth. “Oks lang, we both don't have classes tomorrow naman eh.” Neo scrolled through his Instagram feed while waiting for Salle to finish, liking Mia’s most recent selfie with Iya and Tomas’s beautiful photo of the majestic UST main building painted in the colors of the sunset. These just reminded him of how long the whole group last got together, and they made him miss his friends keenly. “Let’s go to sleep?” Neo looked up, tracing the heavy shadows under dark green eyes, the stress lines along Salle’s mouth, and the exhaustion in his drooping eyelids. He nodded, grabbing the other man’s hand and lacing their fingers as they walked towards the large bed. Neo crept in first, tucking his body against the wall as Salle laid down after him. Salle pulled the covers over them both, then scooted forward to press sleepy kisses on Neo’s face. “Goodnight, Neo,” he mumbled against Neo’s forehead, closing his eyes as sleep swiftly overtook him. Neo breathed in for a few moments, taking in the bone-deep contentment that filled him as Salle completely encompassed his senses, before whispering, “See you in the morning,” pressing a last kiss on Salle’s stubbly chin and then following him to sleep.
10890114
Its Not Always Black and
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Spike (BtVS), Buffy Summers", "Fandom": "Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by angelus2hot", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-12T00:00:00", "words": "238", "Additional Tags": "Fluff, Passion, Temptation, Community: nekid_spike, Alternate Universe", "Relationship": "Spike/Buffy Summers", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
made by the incredibly talented His lips had barely grazed hers when she snapped her head back and pulled free from his arms.“What’s wrong?”Buffy shook her head in disbelief. “How can you ask me that?” Before he could say anything she continued, “You’re a vampire and I’m the Slayer.” She put extra emphasis on the last word just in case he’d missed it.“So.” Her eyes widened. “Really? We’re supposed to be mortal enemies, Spike. I kill your kind and you are supposed to try and kill me. Not do....” She waved her hand between them. “This. Whatever this is.”It was all he could do not to snort at the word try. If he had wanted her dead she would have been pushing up daisies a long time ago. “Buffy.” Her name rolled off his tongue sending shivers dancing down her spine. Things aren’t always as black and white as they seem.” He took a step closer and pulled her unresisting body back into his arms. “Do you want this?” His eyes searched hers for the answer. “Do you want me?”As she stared into his eyes Buffy knew there was only one answer she could give. A breathless “Yes” left her lips.That was all he needed to hear. With a harsh growl Spike crushed her body to his; his arms steel bands around her as his lips claimed hers in a fiery kiss.
10817202
Respite
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Ahsoka Tano, CT-6116 | Kix, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody, Clone Troopers", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by Mini_and_Mighty", "chapters": "5/5", "completed": "2017-09-14", "published": "2017-05-04T00:00:00", "words": "4,946", "Additional Tags": "Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Soldiers, Team Bonding, Protective Siblings, Team as Family, Siblings, Clones, Fluff, Light Angst", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Anakin Skywalker’s leg was numb. It had started as an irksome prickling in his thigh, but the distinct fuzzy feeling had quickly spread until even his toes were tingling. Anakin’s leg was numb, but that was the least of his worries. His current problem was the tiny Torgrutan teenager that had passed out next to him. Ahsoka Tano slept with her head resting in her master’s lap, curled up like a lothcat cub. It was only a few hours from Ylsia to Kamino, but the stress of the mission had worn greatly on her, until the hard benches of the transport seemed like the softest bed in the universe. “Rex!” Anakin whispered to the passing clone. He stopped, noting the snoozing padawan, but making no comment. “Is everything alright, General?” Anakin smiled at the soldier’s natural concern. “Everything’s fine, Rex. Could you send Kix this way? Just need him to check something.” “At once, General.” Rex replied and headed off in search of the medic. Not a minute later, Kix appeared, his medi-kit already in hand. Anakin shook his head, not for the first time marveling at the perceptive clone doctor. “Are you okay, sir?” “Not me Kix, it’s Ahsoka. There’s a bloodied bandage on her right knee. I’ve no idea how she managed to hide it from me, but my guess is she patched it up during the mission so I wouldn’t say anything. Mind taking a look?” Kix had already knelt and was unpacking his things. “Not at all General. Just... try to keep her still.” Anakin chuckled, knowing full well how difficult his jumpy apprentice could be when she was being looked over. Kix got to work quickly and unwrapped the bandages from around her knee, discarding them. His brow furrowed, a change that did not go unnoticed by Anakin. It wasn’t until he sat back from his inspection that the Jedi dared breathe. “Well, I’ll have to do a full exam to be sure, but I’m fairly certain she dislocated her knee. It’s extremely swollen and irritated, not to mention scraped up. I think she tried to pop it back into place herself, but that may have only made things worse.” Anakin buried his anger and frustration, so he didn’t disturb his exhausted apprentice. “Would this have pained her much?” Kix knew exactly where the General was going with this, but he knew better than to lie to him. “Yes sir. I’m surprised she didn’t ask for any help.” Anakin breathed in and out. His initial anger melted into sadness. Oh, Snips. We’ve got a lot to talk about.   “Can anything be done before we reach Kamino?” “Not a lot, but I’ll rewrap it and give her something to bring the swelling down.”   Kix’s touch was sure, his skill clearly evident in the way he wrapped Ahsoka’s injured knee, but that wasn’t enough to stop her from squirming. Dragged from deep slumber, she whined and twisted in the medic’s grasp, away from the unfamiliar hands. Anakin reached out, mentally and physically, to calm her. /Easy, Snips. Just relax, everything’s okay./ He ran a hand over her lekku gently, tracing patterns on the stripes to distract her. She stilled, listening to him through their bond. /Hurts, Master./ Anakin’s worry spiked, but he set it aside to send a wave of healing towards her injury. Ahsoka sighed, and stopped kicking, much to Kix’s relief. The healer went back to work, while Anakin continued to hold her through the pain. He wished he could have done more, but even his reserves were draining. Ahsoka tried her best to keep still, but she shifted in his lap as her knee was immobilized. Who’s there?/ /Just Kix, little one. You got hurt during the mission. But you’ll feel better soon, okay? Just trust me./ Her Force signature calmed, and the pressure on the bond lessened. She leaned into the elder Jedi’s touch, relying on their bond to remind herself that she was safe, was being cared for. /Trust you always. Stay with me?/ /I’ll be right here. Now sleep, padawan-mine./ The soothing words accompanied by a sleep suggestion sent Ahsoka free falling back into peaceful slumber. “Those Jedi bonds sure are something, sir.” Anakin glanced up at the medic, who chuckled as he prepared a hypospray. “Is that so, Kix?” The clone nodded. “Well, we’ve been all over the galaxy, sir. Seen a lot of things. But I’ve never seen a closer connection than a Jedi and their apprentice. That’s no easy job, sir. Hard enough for me to watch out for our own.” Anakin smirked. “They do get into some tight scrapes.” Kix raised an eyebrow. “Begging your pardon, General. But you’re usually the one getting us into those scrapes.” Can’t argue with that. “But you haven’t let us down yet, sir. Or her. She’s going to be a fine Knight someday.” Anakin couldn’t help but smile, in spite of the clone’s generous words. He tried his best, but they were in a war. He couldn’t save everyone. But he accepted the praise anyway, bowing his head to the medic. “Thank you Kix. That means a lot.” Kix nodded, closing up his medi-kit. “Alright, General. This should keep her out until we can get to Kamino and get her knee patched up. Anakin closed his eyes, reaching out to their bond to keep his padawan calm. Ten seconds. He let his guard down for ten seconds and that was all Kix needed. With one swift motion, the clone stuck the hypo into the Jedi’s neck, and with a quick hiss, delivered the sedative. Anakin’s eyes snapped open, with a look the medic could only describe as betrayal, before falling shut again. His mind still, body numbed, the fierce and fearless Knight went limp, holding his apprentice tight. “Sorry sir. S’for your own good.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Ahsoka Tano was not entirely sure where she was. Again. This sort of thing tended to happen when you were constantly engaging in life or death battles, heated negotiations, or riding in any vehicle piloted by a certain one armed Jedi Knight. So it wasn’t uncommon for her to wake up, head still throbbing from the latest mishap, and be thrown back into the fray with little to no idea of what had happened or where she had ended up. But this time was different. Unlike the other times where she usually woke up on unforgiving dirt or the cold steel of a prison cell, she was lying on something soft. The Force around her was fuzzy, fluid, and she couldn’t pinpoint where one signature began and the others ended. Her Master was near, she knew, as well as a thousand other presences. Some familiar, some not, but above all, the Force assured her she was safe. Being watched over. Everything was okay and she should really just go back to bed. Except, something wasn’t okay. Aside from the usual muscle soreness and blisters on her hands from gripping her saber for so long, there was something different in the way her body felt. But the Force was so muddled and hazy she couldn’t pinpoint the exact problem. She inhaled, letting the air fill her lungs and flow through her limbs, desperate to clear the cobwebs from her mind. Her senses sharpened, and she was finally able to figure out what was different, what had changed: She couldn’t move her right leg. Her eyes snapped open, darting wildly, trying to gather in every scrap of information she could from the sense she had neglected. The room was white, incredibly white why are med-centers always white it’d be so hard to keep clean making her look even brighter than usual. Anakin was in his own bed next to hers, asleep and snoring like an asthmatic gundark. A medic at a panel on the far wall, looking at what appeared to be...her brain activity? He turned and smiled. “You’re awake, I’m surprised. I thought that medicine would keep you out for a while.” Ahsoka pushed herself up to a sitting position, eyeing the stranger curiously. “What’s your name?” The man snapped to attention instantly, looking not at Ahsoka but somewhere above her head. “CT-97257 sir!” Ahsoka smirked. This was not a combat soldier, accustomed to Jedi Generals and the tight bonds between brothers. “Your name, please. Not your number. And relax, I’m not a Commander right now, just a patient.” The man blushed and stepped out of his stance. “I’m Odigos, sir, um-” “Ahsoka.” “Ahsoka. I’m one of the medics on call right now.” Ahsoka nodded, her sluggish brain finally putting the rest of the pieces together. “I’m guessing this is Kamino, right? I think Master Skywalker may have knocked me out on the transport so I don’t really remember getting here.” She could sense his confusion and astonishment about her speaking so nonchalantly of her memory loss, but his expression betrayed nothing. “That’s right. You were both brought here by your medic for treatment.” Sneaky, Kix. The feeling of wrongness, of something being out of place returned, but her senses were still muddled by the medication she had been given. “What treatment?” Odigos approached slowly, walking between the two beds. He gestured to the sleeping Knight. “Your master needs rest. According to your medic, he’s constantly in danger of overdosing on stimulants. I’ve given him something that will purge his system of any remaining stims, so the body can actually recover from any injuries sustained in battle.” Ahsoka nodded, listening carefully. She was glad that Kix had noticed her master’s dependence on caf. He knew it was dangerous, forbid her from drinking any, but that was just how he worked. “What happened to me?” “We had to dislocate and reset your knee, after you tried to fix it yourself. That wasn’t the smartest thing to do, young one.” Ahsoka’s headtails darkened. “We didn’t have a lot of time. I knew if I told him anything he’d be distracted and we couldn’t afford that. The mission-” “Could have been completed without you risking your health.” Odigos interrupted. Ahsoka hung her head, knowing he was right, and thrilled that Anakin wasn’t awake to add any more on. She could only take so many lectures. “Is that why I can’t move?” Odigos pulled back the covers on her bed, showing her what she had been unable to sense. Her right leg was immobilized below her hip by a cast. She would be stuck here until they removed the cast. Already she felt the restless energy returning to her cells, the need to move and jump present. “How long?” She managed to ask. Odigos replaced the blanket, tucking it around her like only a doctor could. Not a medical droid, programmed to identify and fix. But a doctor, one born with a greater capacity for compassion than anyone else. “Another 48 hours, at least. Then a few days of physical therapy before you’ll be allowed back on the field.” “Alright. Thank you, Odigos. I appreciate everything.” The doctor bowed, slightly, clearly unfamiliar with the gesture, but he knew that it was a common custom among Jedi. “I’ll be back in a few hours. If you need anything, you can call.” With that, he turned on his heel and left the room, the door sliding shut behind him. Ahsoka sighed, sinking back underneath the blankets, resigned to a long two days of mind-numbing boredom, and with Anakin down for the count, she had absolutely nothing to do. At that moment, the door slid back open. Her eyes drifted over from the ceiling, expecting to see a cleaning droid or Master Kenobi waiting to lecture the pair on responsibility and personal safety. Instead, she was met with three very familiar faces. Three identical faces. “Well well well...what happened here little ‘un?” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Ahsoka beamed, seeing her friends rested and safe. Out of their protective armor, Rex, Jester, and Wrangler looked exactly alike, but it didn’t take a Force-sensitive to see that they were identical in appearance only. Each of them had a unique spirit that radiated throughout the room. The three walked in, past the sleeping General to their supernova of a commander. Rex made a mental note to ask Kix how he’d managed to get Anakin to sleep because the captain couldn’t remember the last time the man had slept and if anyone needs it he does, dammit. “Hey guys! Everyone doing okay?” Sure, she’s lying in the med-center but wants to know if we’re okay. “Nothing to report sir. Everyone’s enjoying the peace and quiet. It’s always good to come home.” Wrangler replied. “How’d you end up here this time, little ‘un?” Ahsoka’s headtails darkened at the term, but she loved it anyway. Sure, she was young, but the clones had never treated her like she was less competent. They were protective, like Anakin, but not overly so. They were nearly the same age, physically, but she would always be their little sister. Their little sister that could kick their ass any day of the week. “Dislocated knee. Stuck on bed rest for the next two days, at least. Hopefully Anakin’ll stay asleep so I’m not stuck listening to lectures or pod-race stats.” “Looks like you knee-d our help.” Jester teased, to the groans of the group. “Seriously though,” Rex said, “We’re here to bust you out.” “How? Not to burst your bubble Rex, but I’m a little short in the ‘Limbs that Work’ department right now.” “Never stopped the General.” Wrangler cut in. “Not to mentionnnnn the army of medics out there who aren’t going to let me walk out of here for another two rotations at least!” “Who said anything about walking?” The three clones shared conspiratorial glance between them and looked at Ahsoka with an expression Master Kenobi would have called mischievous and Anakin would have called inspired.   “You okay? Nothing hurts?” “I told you, I”m fine. But we only have a minute until the next medic comes by, we have to go now.” “Alright, everyone ready? 3… 2… 1… go!” Ahsoka ducked her head and tightened her grip on Rex’s shoulders as the clones took off sprinting down the hall. Rex had hoisted her onto his back, mindful of her injured leg. Jester had grabbed her utility belt (because escape plan or no Anakin would kill her if she left her saber behind) while Wrangler trailed behind, with as many jogan fruit gummy cups* as he could carry without dropping them. Rare flavor , he claimed. They rushed through the halls of the compound, ignoring confused looks from cadets and Kaminoans alike. They turned a corner and passed a set of barracks, where members of the 501st whooped and hollered as they ran by. Ahsoka looked behind her and extended outward with the Force, sending pillows and blankets flying everywhere. She laughed wildly, waving as they turned down another corridor, this one a dead end. The group slowed to a stop, breathless and giggling. Ahsoka didn’t even know that clones could giggle. They had seen so much evil, so much sadness, that it had never occurred to her that they were beings capable of incredible silliness and mischief. Perhaps it was a side effect of working with her Master. “Well, what now?” Rex looked over his shoulder at the teen, blue eyes glinting. “There’s a security camera in the top corner. Can you disable it?” Ahsoka nodded. Too bad Anakin was stuck in dreamland, she’d been meaning to show him how hard she’d been practicing this skill. Without moving a muscle, she reached her feelings out toward the camera. One good twist, and the camera fell to the ground with a satisfying crunch. “Okay….how does that help us?” Jester, being the only one whose hands weren’t full with injured Jedi or congealed fruit snacks, walked over to a panel on the far side, running his fingers along it. The smooth surface was deceptive, and it wasn’t long before he discovered a small divot in the paneling. He pressed it, and the panel slid open. He smiled back at the group before going in. Wrangler followed, and then Rex, ducking to avoid bumping her headtails on the doorframe. Once inside, the panel slid shut, leaving them in complete darkness. Rex slid Ahsoka off his shoulders and set her gently on the floor, careful not to jostle her leg so the General doesn’t kill me. Ahsoka, senses heightened by the darkness, forced herself not to tense up. She trusted these men, they trusted her. But her curiosity could not be squashed so easily. “What is this place?” A crackle of electricity and the space filled with light, as warm and comforting as the med-center’s were harsh. “This place, sir, is the best kept secret in the Grand Army of the Republic.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “This place, sir, is the best kept secret in the Grand Army of the Republic.” Since she was three, Ahsoka had been trained in the art of control. In containing every emotion, every variation in expression or tone of voice. It had been said that the Jedi had the best Sabbac faces in the galaxy. But Ahsoka wasn’t a Jedi yet, not technically, and her friends knew her as well as her Master- better some days. Ike her, they were still children. Like her, they understood that feelings were a luxury and could get you killed on the battlefield. Or worse, they could get others killed. But this was a safe place. No shields or armor required. The room was smaller than their fresher at the Temple, but even with four people, it felt more cozy than cramped. The harsh white lights had been gutted, replaced with old fashioned ones that glowed like Kashykks’ sunsets. Ahsoka ran her fingers over the floor. Someone had taken the time to cover the durasteel panels in a plush foam. It was springy, giving slightly under her weight, reminding her of the gym where she learned to do acrobatics. There were blankets too, scattered here and there. The whole thing was incredible, a nest of soft edges in the midst of hardness. “Woah.” Ahsoka said, softly. It felt wrong to speak above a whisper. “Don’t worry about the noise, sir.” Jester reassured. “The padding on the walls sound-proofs the whole area.” The padawan grinned. “How did-” “Let’s just say Mistress Ti can be just as sneaky as we are.” Rex supplied. Ahsoka laughed. Of course Master Ti had made this. She had always felt responsible for the clones. She cared for them just as she cared for the younglings in the Temple. “This place is amazing. Unless you knew exactly where it was, you’d never find it.” Wrangler grinned. “That’s not all you’ll find.” He peeled up a corner of the floor’s padding, revealing a trap door. He popped it open, and deposited his armful of gummy cups inside. Ahsoka watched intently as he rustled around in the hidden compartment and pulled out a large glass bottle. He tossed it to the padawan, who caught it easily and studied the label. “Alderaanian wine? Expensive Alderaanian wine. How did this get here?” She tossed it to Jester, who shrugged. “It’s a tradition to leave something behind for the next person to find. As for the wine, there’s only one person I know who would bother giving it to us.” Ahsoka guessed the answer at the same time the others did. “Kenobi!” Jester broke the seal on the bottle, letting the scent of sweet summer wine fill the tiny space. He raised it to his brothers and little sister. “For the fallen.” He drank deeply before passing it to Wrangler. “For the innocent.” The others heard the crack in the soldier’s voice, but did not comment. He’d been named for his ability to connect with animals, and they all knew how the war had been on those caught in the crossfire. Humanoid or not, they were all affected. Rex took the bottle in his hands, letting the room be silent for a minute or two. He lifted it high,saying, “For the battles yet to be won.” He drank, and then handed the bottle to Ahsoka, who did not hesitate. She looked at each of her soldiers, her friends, her brothers in turn, and smiled. “For the ones we love.” The wine was sweeter than anything Ahsoka had before, with a bitter edge that cut through her mouth as she swallowed, leaving her craving the sweetness of another sip. And for awhile, that’s all they did. They were content to sit in silence and drink. Speaking would break through the haze of memory, and for the moment, they simply wanted to remember. Even those things that would be best left forgotten. Eventually, Wrangler’s curiosity got the better of him. “Vod’ika, I thought that Jedi weren’t allowed to love.” Rex and Jester looked up from their musings. They didn’t have to say anything for Ahsoka to know that they’d been thinking about it too. “Attachment is forbidden, ner vod, not love.” Three different shades of confusion came over three identical faces. “What’s the difference?” “Well, to love someone is to care for them. To want to protect them and make sure they’re okay. Attachment is when you’re unable to let that person go. When you can’t accept that they’re eventually going to leave you. I love my Master, but I won’t be his student forever. We’ll be separated, one way or another. I just have to trust that we’ll be reunited later.” “So Jedi aren’t allowed to grieve?” Wrangler asked. Ahsoka’s breath caught in her throat. Images, faces, mangled bodies and bloodied hands that couldn’t save them flashed in front of her eyes. She picked the bottle of wine up from the center of the floor and took a long drink. “No. Jedi don’t grieve. We celebrate the life that has moved into the Force.” Rex scooted closer to the young Jedi and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “That’s not true, and you know it, kiddo.  Jedi or not, you’re still a person. You still need to grieve. We all do. We don’t always have the time, but we still need it. And that includes you.” Jester and Wrangler crawled over and gathered themselves around the teen. They hugged each other, finding comfort in their continued heartbeats. Ahsoka reached out to the Force and let the feelings of her brothers overtake her. The warmth, the safety, the love that she felt chased away everything else. She touched their minds, gently, a silent thanks. They gasped as they felt it, holding each other even closer than before. After a few minutes, Ahsoka spoke. “I need a drink.” Rex picked up the bottle of wine, now only a few swallows left in the bottom.  “I think we’ve all had quite enough for right now.” Jester rested his head on Wrangler’s shoulder. “Are you even old enough to drink on Kamino?” “Nope!” The soldiers burst into laughter, endless roaring laughter that slowly devolved into sobbing. The clung to each other and laughed and cried for as long as they wanted to. No telling when they’d get this chance again. If they’d ever be together again. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Unlike his Master, who could quickly become distressed and disoriented, Anakin had always found the medbay quite peaceful. He could never afford injury or illness when he was a boy; medical care was expensive, and there were no sick days allotted for slaves. It wasn’t long after arriving to the Temple that he realized yet another thing that set him apart from his age-mates. Force sensitive or not, few children actually enjoyed going to the doctor. But Anakin never minded being treated by the Temple healers or the clone medics, or even the medical droids. The opportunity to rest and let his body repair itself was one he never took for granted. Even if such an opportunity was thrust upon him by a slightly sneaky and more than slightly vindictive medic. Kix was right, of course. He was always right. Next to the Temple staff, Kix knew more about treating Force-sensitive beings than anyone. And he knew how dangerous stimulants could be. War pushed everyone to their physical and mental limit, but if Jedi weren't careful, they could damage their ability to perform. Too much caf, too many nights without sleep could lower your midi-chlorian count. And then they’d all be in trouble. Anakin wasn’t worried, even at his worst he was still more powerful than most his age. He was worried about maintaining his strength for others, his men, and especially his padawan. To his credit, Anakin had only panicked for ten or fifteen seconds when he woke up in an unfamiliar place- the bed next to his empty and his padawan’s red boots lying on the floor. With both of them on medication, their bond was too fuzzy, too hazy, for him to feel her exact location. But before he could send the entire Grand Army of the Republic out on a search, the Force overwhelmed him with feelings of HOME and SAFE and SLEEPY. Wherever Ahsoka was, she was protected and cared for. If it had been a year ago, Anakin would have ignored every muscle in his body screaming at him to stay exactly where he was because  everything hurts and movement is too difficult right now and jumped on his instinct to find her. But for now, he needed to rest, and so did she. His padawan was safe, she was surrounded by the finest fighting forces the galaxy had ever seen, second only to the Jedi. He’d already slept for an entire rotation, and even though it wasn’t nearly enough to make up for all the sleep he’d lost, he needed to do something so he wouldn’t go crazy from being stuck in bed. So he pulled out a datapad and started the mission report. Thankfully Kix’s sedative hadn’t affected his memory.   It was much quieter when Rex walked back towards the medbay, passing the barracks filled with his snoozing brothers. The Captain swore he could still hear their laughter echoing off the walls. He wasn’t sure what was better, the sounds of joy in the midst of suffering or complete silence and peace without chaos or noise to drown it out. Maybe. He thought. Maybe one day I’ll be able to forget what the war sounded like. What their screams sound like. He shook the thought from his mind. It hadn’t taken long for Rex and the rest of the 501st to realize that Jedi, even their young Commander, were extremely perceptive. They could pick up on the emotions of those around them, and the last thing Rex wanted to do at the moment was disturb the young Togruta dozing in his arms. They were very much alike, the Captain and the Commander. Both initially born into peace, but trained to fight and kill. Maybe one day she will know peace again. He could see her now, her headtails growing as she grew in wisdom. A starry-eyed apprentice at her side, always begging for stories about her days with the “Hero With No Fear”. General Skywalker would tousle their hair and General Kenobi would always have them over for tea.  A galaxy at peace, one where he could always spot a familiar face in a crowd. He tried not to think of any other possibilities. Instead, Rex chose to think of nothing as he made his way back to the infirmary, counting his steps, focusing only on keeping his gait smooth and even. Rex wasn’t surprised, seeing General Skywalker sitting up in bed, rather than asleep. There was an old joke around the 501st that the Jedi never slept, merely closed their eyes and retreated into their minds to work. But the dark bruises under his eyes had lightened, and the color had returned to his face. He wasn’t fully rested, would never be, but it was much better. The General smiled when he saw his Padawan, curled up like a lothcat cub. “All tuckered out, Rex?” The clone Captain nodded, tightening his grip fractionally.   “The wine might’ve had something to do with that, sir.” Anakin chuckled. “Well, at least she can’t cause any trouble with a hangover.” “By that logic, sir, General Kenobi would buy you drinks every night.” A true laugh, a pealing laugh rang through the small room. Ahsoka mumbled something unintelligible and shifted in Rex’s grasp. Anakin shifted over in his bed and reached out a hand. “Here, I’ll take her.” As gently as he could, Rex lowered the padawan to rest beside her Master, who tucked the remaining blankets around her. He reached out a slight tendril of the Force, and got a sleepy response. She knew he was there. She was safe. “Thanks for taking care of her, Rex.” Rex stepped back and gave the Jedi a polite nod. “Anytime, sir. She’s one of our own.” Anakin smiled, watching as Rex turned on his heel, and left the room. He looked back down at his charge snuggling against his side. Not for the first time, he cursed the Jedi Code and all of its lies. There was no way in the galaxy that this could be bad. With that in mind, he reached out with the Force and shut off the harsh medical lights and sunk back down underneath the covers. Ahsoka curled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. The last thought he knew before falling back to sleep was that his arm would probably be numb by morning, but at least he didn’t have to worry about losing a hand.
10807506
Blue Roses
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": "Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by crystallekil [archived by thequidditchpitch_archivist]", "chapters": "10/10", "completed": "", "published": "2005-10-22T00:00:00", "words": "16,800", "Additional Tags": "Drama, Romance, Fluff, Action/Adventure, Friendship, Hogwarts Era, The Quidditch Pitch: From Diagon Alley to Hogwarts", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "The Quidditch Pitch", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Credits: written for queenof_sarcasm and xxrubyxsohoxx. Beta'd by sapphyre_twins and brit-picked by mashlie . Notes: This is my first attempt at a novel-length fic, as well as my first het pairing. I gave Hermione a sister because I can. :)  Chapter One  It was deafeningly silent on Acacia Way. At half one in the morning, all that could be heard was a faint rustling of the warm summer breeze as it whisked slightly through the trees. Dim street lights illuminated the shrub-lined road yet left the rest of the block shrouded in darkness. The only other source of light came from a small desk lamp in the upstairs bedroom of Number Seven, where a young woman with bushy-brown hair was surrounded by a mountain of books, gazing aimlessly out of her window. Hermione Granger sighed wistfully and propped her chin up on both hands. Her elbows rested on her N.E.W.T.-level Charms book, which had been flipped open to the same page for over an hour now. Having recently bought the required texts for her seventh year at Hogwarts, she was determined to get a head start on her studies. Somehow, she kept getting distracted. This time it was about Harry and Ron. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had been her best friends for six years, and the three of them had been through everything together. Lately, though, they'd been quite distant towards her. Harry and Ron were still as close as ever, but Hermione often felt like an outsider.  Earlier today, for instance, they had shown up to collect her for their yearly school supplies shopping trip to Diagon Alley. They made small talk with her parents and younger sister, then the three of them flooed to The Leaky Cauldron and made their way around town. They talked about school and Ron's family, even stopping to pay a visit to the twins in their new prank store, but something was missing. It was as if she didn't connect with them anymore; like they were growing apart. It was a sad thought, honestly, a revelation that almost brought tears to her eyes. She didn't know why she was doubting their friendship. Was it just because she was a girl and she couldn't relate to them anymore? Or was it just the result of the last traumatic attack? She supposed she would find out soon enough. She would be spending the last two weeks of the holidays at the Burrow with them before they all returned to Hogwarts. Hopefully, that time together would help her straighten out her feelings, or maybe she was being ridiculous and nothing had changed at all.  She found herself mindlessly fingering her Head Girl badge that had been included with her Hogwarts' letter and book list. Her parents had been so proud; naïve to everything going on in the wizarding world right now, but proud nonetheless. She figured it was better that way. If her parents knew about Voldemort's attempted reign and the numerous Death Eater attacks she had been involved in, they'd probably pull her out of Hogwarts and forbid her to practice magic. The last one had been particularly bad. For some reason, Voldemort liked to strike right before the end of term. They had just finished their exams when a group of Death Eaters ambushed them from inside the school. Hermione later learned that they had snuck in through the secret passageway from Hogsmeade, which was immediately blocked off (much to Harry and Ron's dismay). Nobody was killed, thank Merlin, but it was still a ghastly battle. Most of the Death Eaters escaped, although a few were captured and sent to Azkaban. Hermione only recognized one of the surnames, so she assumed the others were new or held very low-ranking positions in Voldemort's realm. The one she did recognize took her by surprise - Zabini. In the six years she'd had classes with Blaise, she had never once spoken to him or heard anything being said about him, and she couldn't for the life of her remember what he looked like. He kind of blended into the woodwork; if you weren't specifically looking for him, you'd never notice he was there. At any rate, Blaise's father was imprisoned along with two or three others. Hermione wondered what would happen this year. Something was going to happen, of course. Voldemort would not stop until he killed Harry. It was all quite childish, really, a grown man devoting his entire life to extract revenge because of something that happened sixteen years ago. However, it was happening, and there was nothing to do but wait for the next time. Hermione turned the Head Girl badge over and over in her hand and turned her thoughts towards happier things, like what she had to look forward to this year. Being Head Girl meant having her own room. No longer would she have to endure Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil's endless gossip about boys and other immature topics Hermione cared nothing about. No longer would she have to share a bathroom with said girls who constantly tried to make her over like she was a Barbie Doll. She wondered who ended up getting the Head Boy badge. Her letter from Professor McGonagall had not included this information, although she could narrow it down based on last year's prefects. Harry's father had been Head Boy without being a prefect first, but that was a rare occurrence. It would probably be Ernie MacMillan or Anthony Goldstein. Certainly they wouldn't choose the Head Boy and Head Girl from the same House? She didn't think Ron was a likely candidate anyway, even though she would never tell him that. She froze as she acknowledged the fact that Draco Malfoy could be named Head Boy. Surely Professor Dumbledore wasn't that careless? It was common knowledge that Draco's father was a Death Eater in Voldemort's inner circle, even if he had been acquitted at his trial. Giving Malfoy Head Boy status would be like owling Voldemort with the exact location of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Hermione was jerked out of her thoughts as a vibrating rumble pierced the silence. She glanced outside to see someone cruising down the street on what looked like a motorbike, pulling into the driveway of the house next door. There were two things wrong with this picture. For starters, Hermione's parents lived in a fairly grand neighbourhood. Nobody would dare be caught driving anything other than a luxury sedan or SUV. Secondly, Number Nine Acacia Way was vacant, and had been since Hermione returned home for the summer. Her mother, always up to speed on neighbourhood gossip, had mentioned just this morning that the real-estate agent was worried she wouldn't be able to sell the house, for the sole reason that nobody who could afford to live there was interested in moving. The rumble ceased as the stranger killed the engine. Hermione watched him gracefully dismount the bike and prop up the kickstand. It was too dark to see properly, but she could tell it was a young man by the broadness of his physique. He removed his helmet and shook his head much like a dog would do after a bath. His previously flattened hair sprung to life and hung down to frame his face in shaggy curls. He had a backpack strapped across his shoulders, and he was dressed in all black - black leather, specifically. Hermione's eyes ran down the length of his frame as she inwardly noted important details in case she was asked to identify him in the future. At least that's what she told herself to excuse her intense staring at the leather pants that were especially snug around his lower body. He attached his helmet to the handlebars and lifted the seat of the bike to retrieve a small, flat box. He then retreated into the house, only to return a moment later empty-handed. He hopped back on the bike, revved up the engine, and drove up the street and out of view. How curious. Hermione had to assume the young man had bought that house. How else would he have the key to get in? Of course, she knew better than anyone that there was more than one way to unlock a door, but her neighbourhood was predominantly Muggle. As far as she knew, she was the only witch for miles.  He couldn't have been much older than she was, and that confused her even more. True, she was almost eighteen and legally allowed to move out of her parents' house whenever she pleased; however, nothing short of a University degree would have gotten her a good enough job to afford a house on Acacia Way.  What about the box, though? Why would he visit his new house in the middle of the night just to drop off a box and leave? Hermione wracked her brain for possible explanations. Maybe it was something valuable he wanted to bring over himself, instead of chancing it getting broken by the movers. Maybe it was a radio that would already be there to listen to when he moved in. Maybe it was an air freshener to get rid of that stale-house smell as a result of being uninhabited for so long. She chuckled out loud at the last one and realized she was starting to act like her mother. She vowed to mind her own business and wait to see what news said gossip queen had for her in the morning. Despite her best intentions, she couldn't stop thinking about the young man himself. He was quite attractive, even in the dark. She found herself hoping he was single and nearly scoffed at the absurdity. Hermione Granger didn't date. Her studies came first. She would have the rest of her life to date after she left Hogwarts. She couldn't believe she had even thought such a ludicrous thing. Must have been the leather. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Chapter Two  Early the next morning, Hermione was roused from her slumber by a series of bangs and thumps. The jarring sounds snuck in through the open window, along with the blinding sunlight. "I really must learn to shut my window at night," she mumbled to herself, rubbing her eyes and stretching her sleepy muscles in a futile attempt to wake. Voices accompanying the commotion led her to fling back her duvet and stumble awkwardly towards the window. She saw three moving vans parked along the curb and over a dozen people carrying furniture and other miscellaneous items into the house next door. The young man from last night was standing in the front yard next to a petite woman with bright-red streaks in her hair, both of them casually instructing the movers. In the clear daylight, Hermione could see him perfectly. He had a tanned complexion, with midnight-black hair and a clean-shaven, friendly-looking face. The leather jacket remained, unzipped to reveal a plain white T-shirt underneath, and the leather pants had been traded in for faded blue jeans. His voice was deep, speaking in a polite but commanding tone, with a sultry richness that Hermione yearned to hear whispered in her ear. She shook herself in an effort to rid her mind of those ridiculous thoughts, blaming it on hormones, and forced her focus on the woman with the bizarre highlights. She was probably his girlfriend, or even his wife. The red and black stripes of hair hung perfectly straight past her shoulders, layered in the front to frame her face. She wore a short-sleeved cotton top and plaid shorts that oddly enough matched her hair. "Hermione, dear, are you up yet?" Her mother's voice jerked her away from her observations, and she grabbed the closest book and flipped it open before replying, "Yes, Mum." Lisa Granger poked her head in her daughter's room, smiling warmly. "I didn't think you would be able to sleep through all that racket. Why don't you get cleaned up and have some breakfast, and then we'll go next door and introduce ourselves?" Hermione flashed a fake smile and returned the book to her desk. "All right, Mum." Her mother disappeared from the room and Hermione looked longingly out her window one last time before reluctantly dragging herself across the hall. After a quick shower and a messy war with a hairbrush, she was as presentable as she was going to be. She threw on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where her entire family was already seated around the breakfast table. Gary, her father, sat at the head of the table reading the newspaper and drinking coffee. Her mother was busily moving back and forth from the kitchen to the table, serving food and chattering to him. He wasn't really listening, just nodding and periodically saying "Mm-hmm," his attention focused on the sports scoreboards. Her sister Adele, who looked like a carbon copy of Hermione at thirteen, was ignoring everyone as usual and texting on her mobile phone. Hermione grinned at the normality of it all. Taking her seat next to Adele, she was handed a plate of eggs and sausage and thanked her mother politely. "Good morning, everyone," Hermione said brightly. "Mornin'," Gary grunted. "Good morning, dear," said Lisa distractedly. Hermione looked pointedly at her sister. "Good morning, Adele." "Hermione." Adele nodded, as if they were vague acquaintances passing on the street. Without looking up from her phone, she added, "Have you seen the delicious hunk of beefsteak that's moving in next door?"  "Adele!" exclaimed Lisa. "He’s much too old for you. Don't even think about it." "I'm not," protested Adele. "He's not my type, anyway. I think he would be good for Hermione, though." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you care what's good for me?" she demanded. Adele sighed and put down her phone. "You're almost eighteen, and all you do is study. I've come to the conclusion that you need some sausage in your life." She held up a link for emphasis. Gary nearly choked on his coffee while Lisa glared at her youngest daughter over a forkful of eggs. "I appreciate your concern," said Hermione dryly, "but let me assure you, I have more than enough sausage in my life." This time, her father actually did spit out his coffee and her mother dropped her forkful of eggs onto her lap. Adele snorted. "Who? That redheaded poof and his scrawny boyfriend? Come on, Hermione, even I can tell that they're more interested in each other than you, and I've only met them once!" "You don't know what you're talking about," Hermione lied. That was one of her main suspicions why they were acting different around her, but she wasn't going to tell her nosy sister that. "Is it because you fancy girls?" Adele asked bluntly. "You know, prefer eggs over sausage? "Adele!" scolded Lisa. "I do not fancy girls," said Hermione through clenched teeth. "I worry about you, Hermione," said Adele sincerely. "Really, I do. You study too much and spend all your free time with poofs. Have you ever even kissed a boy?" "That is none of your business." Hermione was gripping her fork so tight her knuckles were turning white. "I have." Adele grinned. "And I'm only thirteen." "May I be excused?" Hermione looked desperately at her mother. "No, you may not," replied Lisa. "But Adele will be quiet." Adele rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her phone. Hermione tried to sound nonchalant. "So Mum, what do you know about the new neighbors?" Lisa's face lit up as if she was ecstatic that she was allowed to gossip at the breakfast table. "Well," she began quietly, as if she were divulging a big secret, "it's quite a fascinating story. Apparently, the mother cleaned out her bank account and left her husband, who had been abusing both her and her son." "Mother? Son?" repeated Hermione in confusion. "Yes," said Lisa. "It's a mother and son. They look quite odd, if you ask me, but I'm sure they're very nice people." "How do you know all this?" Hermione's heart leapt in her chest. "Anne Taylor - you know, the realtor? She was over there earlier to - get this, she completely forgot to give them the keys when they closed yesterday!" Lisa clapped her hands together in delight. "Oh, and she came by to chat afterwards and filled me in." Hermione's eyes widened. No keys? Then how did - "Mum? You don't happen to know if they're wizards, do you?" Adele snorted again. "And you're supposed to be the genius of the family. Have you looked around this neighbourhood lately?" "Adele, that's enough," said Lisa sternly. She turned to face Hermione. "Actually, I'm not sure. They do look odd. Do they look familiar to you?" Hermione shook her head, trying not to express her newfound apprehension about the whole situation. Apparently, she wasn't successful. "Hermione, dear, are you all right?" Her mother looked worried. "Is something wrong?" "Nothing, Mum." She forced a smile. "I'm just nervous about meeting them, that's all." Adele rolled her eyes, but Lisa's face relaxed. "All right then, let's tuck in so we can all go introduce ourselves!" Adele groaned. "Do I have to, Mum?" Gary looked as if he agreed with her. "We're all going," declared Lisa. Hermione ate the rest of her breakfast in silence.   ~*~*~*~ Twenty minutes later, she followed her parents and sister next door, where the young man and woman (his mother?) were still supervising the movers. "Hi, there!" called out Lisa eagerly. "We're your new neighbours! Welcome to the neighbourhood!" The woman's face broke into a smile and she nudged her son. "See? I told you they would be nice to us here." She stepped forward, dragging him with her. "Hello! My name is Mary Smith, and this is my son, John." Hermione was less than six feet away from John now. His eyes were a deep sapphire blue, looking off to the side as if he was bored. Hermione was hit with a sudden familiarity. She knew him from somewhere, but where?  "I'm Lisa Granger," her mother said. "This is my husband Gary, and our daughters Hermione and Adele." At the mention of Hermione's name, John paled. His eyes widened and he stared straight at her.  "Pleasure to meet you lot," replied Mary cheerfully. Hermione cocked her head to decipher the intense look in John's eyes. It was like he was trying to tell her something, pleading with her. For what, though? Now she was sure she knew him. She just couldn't place his face.  "I'm sure you won't feel like cooking tonight," Lisa was saying. "Would you care to join us for dinner?" Did he go to Hogwarts? He was obviously a wizard; how else would he have gotten into the house last night without a key? There was nobody named John Smith at Hogwarts, though. It had to be a fake name.  "We'd love to," said Mary. Hermione's jaw dropped as she realized who he was. He cringed slightly, expecting her to call him out. But she didn't say a word. She simply nodded and he let out a sigh of relief. Mary laughed. "John is thrilled he doesn't have to cook tonight." She gave him an odd look and turned back to Lisa, flashing a big smile. "All right then." Lisa clapped her hands together. "How's half six?" "Perfect," said Mary. "We'll see you then. Come now, John, we have a lot of unpacking to do." They walked towards their new house as Hermione and her family returned to theirs. Hermione didn't know what to do. Her first instinct was to owl Harry and Ron, but then she remembered his face, silently begging her not to tell anyone. He couldn't be any danger to her, could he? Just because his father was a Death Eater didn't necessarily mean he was the same. She trudged up the stairs and attempted more studying. She should have known better. All she could concentrate on was the quiet, forgettable boy whom no one ever paid any attention.  John Smith was Blaise Zabini. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Dinner with the Zabinis was filled with silence. While Lisa and "Mary" chattered about the neighbourhood (mostly the other neighbours), the other Grangers and "John" paid special attention to their food and made sure their mouths were always full so they didn't have to speak. "Gary, dear, don't you think the Richardson children are too spoiled?" Lisa asked her husband. Gary, with a mouthful of mashed potatoes, simply nodded and grunted. "May I be excused?" Adele asked after wolfing down her dinner in record time. It was the summer holidays and she had plans. She always had plans. It was Lisa's turn to nod, waving her youngest daughter off as she listened intently to "Mary" speak of her son as if he wasn't sitting right next to her. "He doesn't talk very much," she was saying. "After everything we've been through, I don't blame him. I worry, though." "As any mother would," Lisa agreed. "John" rolled his eyes and stabbed a piece of broccoli with his fork. Repeatedly. Hermione caught his eye from across the table and they both had to stifle their chuckles. Adele winked at her sister as she cleared her dishes. "Hermione," said Lisa. "It's still early. Why don't you show John around the neighbourhood? There's a wonderful park at the end of the road." Hermione thought that was the best idea her mother had ever had. "All right, Mum." "John" raised his eyebrows at her in question. She gave him a look that plainly said, I'll get you to talk.  ~*~*~*~ Hermione shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket and shivered slightly. "Aren't you cold?" Her companion shook his head and fanned his T-shirt against himself for emphasis. He reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. He held the box out to Hermione. "No, thank you," she said promptly, giving him her best that's bad for you and you know it look she had perfected with Harry and Ron. He shrugged and returned the pack to his pocket, taking a long drag of his cigarette and blowing it towards the sky. They walked in silence towards the little park and sat on one of the benches. "It's a beautiful night," she said. He nodded, stretching out on the bench and staring at the starry night sky.  "Blaise." The one word jerked him out of his comfort and he sat up straight, turning towards her but refusing to meet her eyes. "What happened, Blaise?" Hermione's voice was full of genuine concern.  Blaise remained silent, taking another long drag of his cigarette and flicking the ashes on the ground. She examined him for a moment, wondering if she should ask again. He stared aimlessly into the distance, a cool, emotionless mask on his face. She decided to take a chance. "What did he do to you?" Much to her surprise, he lifted his T-shirt up to expose his lower back and chest. Even in the pale moonlight, she could clearly see the deep bruises and cuts that covered his skin. "That bastard," Hermione swore uncharacteristically, tracing a finger around one of the more predominant bruises. He cringed and she jerked her hand away. "I'm sorry." He shook his head and returned his shirt to its original position. "He escaped." His voice was thick and hoarse, as if he had just woken up and needed to clear his throat. It was quite deep, with a hint of propriety that indicated a rich, pureblood background. "He escaped from Azkaban?" Hermione prodded gently. Blaise nodded. "He knew it was me. He would have killed us." "Blaise, what are you talking about?" He stared directly into her eyes. The sapphire-blue pools, dark in the night, shimmered with trepidation. "Didn't you ever wonder how my father and the other Death Eaters got captured so quickly last term? With a sneak attack like that, there should have at least been a few casualties before anybody even knew they were there." "You warned Dumbledore," gasped Hermione. "My mother owled me with the plans, insisting that I be safe in the Slytherin dungeons when it all went down. My father was so proud; it was his first mission as a Death Eater. I’d overlooked his comments and views in the past, but I couldn’t sit by and do nothing while he took innocent lives." "So now you and your mother are hiding out as Muggles." Hermione smiled despite herself. Blaise snorted. "Attempting to, anyway. Neither of us knows anything about the Muggle lifestyle, and we can't use magic because my father can trace our signatures that way." Something about that last statement unnerved her slightly, but she couldn't put a finger on why. Instead she gave him a hopeful look. "I can help you out, if you want."  He raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why would you want to do that?" "Well, for one thing, you were responsible for saving most of our lives a couple months ago. I also happen to be quite proficient in Muggle customs, for obvious reasons." Blaise smirked. "All right, then. What do I have to do for you?" "I'm not a Slytherin, Blaise," Hermione said firmly. "I don’t require payment for my generosity." "You won't tell anybody in the wizarding world where I am?" "Of course not. Do I look daft? Why would I want to get you killed?" He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not used to people being nice to me." "Well, get used to it, Zabini." She grinned. "After all, what are neighbours for?"  ~*~*~*~ The front door of Number Nine Acacia Way opened and slammed with a defined bang. "Thank Merlin you're home!" called out a voice from the next room. "I can't for the life of me figure out how to use this heating thing." Blaise chuckled and led Hermione into the kitchen, where his mother was bent over examining the inside of the oven. "Mum," he said briskly. "Do give our guest something other to look at than your back end?" The small woman turned her head, noticed Hermione, and straightened up properly. "Forgive me," she said, blushing. "My husband usually did all the cooking." "Drop the act, Mum, she knows." Blaise turned towards Hermione. "Hermione, this is my mother, Brianna Zabini." Hermione held out her hand politely. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Zabini." "Oh no, dear, please call me Brianna, or simply Bri." She flashed a timid smile at Hermione as she shook her hand vigorously.  Blaise chuckled. "Mum, out of all the houses in England, you happened to pick the one next to the smartest witch at Hogwarts."  Hermione beamed. "You're Muggle-born, dear?" Bri raised an eyebrow. "Yes," Hermione confirmed. "Do tell me how to work this contraption, would you?"  ~*~*~*~ Blaise flopped on his king-sized bed and Hermione fell into the desk chair, both of them laughing hysterically. "That was the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life," gasped Hermione between bouts of giggles. "Mum is nothing if not a character," replied Blaise, chuckling madly. "The look on her face when you tried to explain how the refrigerator works -" "Priceless!" exclaimed Hermione. Blaise cracked open the window and lit another cigarette. "The smoke doesn't bother you, does it?" "Not particularly," she answered honestly. "My Dad used to smoke, and I swear my little sister does it when she's not home. As long as you don't blow it in my face, it’ll be fine." "I wouldn't blow smoke in your face, that's rude." To make his point, he leaned right up against the open window before exhaling. They were silent for a moment, and Hermione found herself looking around the bedroom. Other than the furniture, there wasn't much else. Instead of large cardboard boxes with handwriting scrawled on them, there were department-store bags and empty boxes of all sizes that looked like they had just been purchased. "It's all new," he said, reading her mind. "Mum and I wanted a fresh start, and that meant new things. We did most of our shopping in Muggle London while waiting to close on the house." "That explains the wardrobe," commented Hermione. Blaise raised an eyebrow. "You don't like it?" She felt the heat rising in her cheeks. "It's just not the type of clothing that people around here wear. This is kind of an upscale neighbourhood." He chuckled again. "I never thought I'd see the day Hermione Granger would lecture me on being upscale." She shook her head, hiding a smile, and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror above Blaise's desk. Merlin, her hair was a fright. If only her parents allowed her to use Glamour charms - "Thank you," Blaise said suddenly. Hermione whipped her head in his direction to find that he was staring directly at her. "Don't mention it," she said casually. "Is there anything else I can do for you? Maybe pick up your books in Diagon Alley? You know, so you won't chance running into your father -" "My books are waiting for me at Hogwarts," he broke in. "It's a pity, though. I like to get some studying done before the term starts." "I-I could share mine," she said slowly. "I like to study, too." She almost smacked herself at the idiocy of her last statement. "That's obvious." Blaise grinned. "I believe I'll take you up on that offer. Say, tomorrow? That is, of course, if you don't have plans." "I don't have plans," she said a little too quickly. "Good then. It's a date." He seemed unnerved by those words. "I insist you allow me to do something in exchange. Is there anything you want that I can give you?"  Hermione's jaw nearly dropped at the innuendo dripping off that question, but she kept herself together and answered without hesitation. "Yes, actually, there is. I've never been on a motorbike before." Blaise's expression was almost evil. "Let's go for a ride, then." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Chapter Four  "Blaise, I'm having second thoughts about this. I don't know if I really want to -" "Calm down, Hermione," Blaise said soothingly, handing her a helmet. "I assure you I do know how to operate this fine piece of machinery. I'm highly responsible, just ask my Mum." Hermione smiled despite herself. "All right," she said reluctantly, taking her seat on the bike behind Blaise. "Just don't go too fast, please?" "Define 'too fast.'" She could hear the chuckle in his voice. "I'm serious, Blaise, my mother would kill me if she knew I was doing this." "It's a good thing we're not having sex, then." Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but just then the motorbike came alive and she found herself clutching onto Blaise's waist for dear life. "Don't think about trying anything fresh." He was nearly screaming over the roar of the engine. "You could cause me to crash." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Just go." Blaise kicked off and turned out of the driveway. He cruised down the street and around the corner to the main road, which was nearly empty due to the late hour. "Hermione?" he yelled back at her. "This is pointless if you're not going to look!" She lifted her head from where it had been buried in his back and forced herself to lean over his shoulder. Trees and other miscellaneous items on the side of the road whipped by, much like when she was riding in the car with her parents. The difference, though, was the wind blowing in her face, the loud rumble and slight vibration of the motorbike, and the feeling of cool night air all around her. "This is brilliant!" she exclaimed, grinning. Blaise laughed. "Glad you're enjoying yourself! Are you ready to see what else she can do?" "Yes!" she squealed. She was ready for anything. Even with all the adventures and discoveries she'd made with Harry and Ron, this was by far the most exciting thing she had ever experienced. She could hardly imagine what was next. "You don't see any Muggles, do you?" "I don't see anyone!" "Good! Now, keep your eyes open!" Hermione fought against the wind to keep her eyes open as she felt herself being lifted up in the air. Merlin, they were flying! "Blaise Zabini!" she scolded in her best Hermione voice. "You better have Ministry approval for this thing!" "Or what?" He scoffed. "Are you going to arrest me?" "You'd like that too much!" "Would I?" "Yes!" The argument died out as Hermione watched the neighbourhoods and roads pass by in a blur beneath them. They weren't too high up, not nearly as high as when she had ridden the Thestrals, but higher than the Quidditch playing level. "You want to know a secret?" she asked in a low voice, speaking directly into his ear. "Yeah," he replied. "I'm afraid of heights!" She erupted into giggles. "Really." Blaise stifled a laugh. "Good thing we're not on a flying motorbike, then." "Honestly." Hermione rolled her eyes again. "What if somebody sees us?" "Auto-invisibility once it leaves the ground," he answered promptly. "Brilliant," she said again. "Shall we turn back?" "No!" "We're already an hour from home, Hermione. We really should turn back." "You're right. You really are responsible." "You say that like it's a bad thing." "Just a while longer?" Hermione felt like a little kid begging to stay up past her bedtime. "Please?" "All right," he grudgingly agreed, but she could tell he was smiling. "I guess chicks really do dig the biker thing."  ~*~*~*~ "Hermione and John, sitting in a tree. F-U-C -" "ADELE!" "Mum," whined Adele. "I was going to spell facetious." "Facetious" doesn't have a 'u' in it, sister dear," said Hermione cheerfully. "And besides, it doesn't make any sense. Why would John and I be sitting in a tree facetiously?" Adele smirked. "Why would you be out until four am with him?" "Four am?" repeated Lisa, raising her eyebrows. "She's exaggerating, Mum." Hermione shot her younger sister a dirty look. "I was home by midnight at the latest, and we were up late chatting with his mother. You can ask her, if you'd like." "Chatting with his mother," Adele scoffed. "Is that what they're calling it now?" Hermione glared. "Adele, I liked you much better when you ignored me." "What can I say? I'm growing up." "So, Hermione," said Lisa brightly, "what are your plans for today?" "I thought I'd help John and Mary finish unpacking," she replied in what she hoped was a brisk, natural tone. "They also expressed an extreme interest in my being a witch, so I'm going to bring my books over to show them a few things." "Hermione," her father said sternly, "are you sure it's a good idea to broadcast that to the world?" "Gary," said Lisa. "Hermione is old enough to make her own decisions." She turned back to her eldest daughter. "Will you be staying for dinner?" "Most likely," Hermione answered. "That's nice." Lisa frowned at Adele. "How about you? Any plans?" "Yeah," replied Adele sarcastically. "I'm going to go over to my boyfriend's house and chat with his mum."  ~*~*~*~ Hermione was gathering up her books when her door slammed open, revealing her thirteen-year-old clone. "Are you shagging him?" Adele demanded.  "What do you care?" retorted Hermione. "You don't even know him." "Just yesterday you were telling me I needed - what was it? Oh yeah, some sausage in my life. Maybe I took your advice." "I give bad advice." Adele flopped on her sister's bed and stared intently at Hermione. "I saw the way you two looked at each other yesterday. Mum and Dad may be stupid, but I'm not. He's a wizard, isn't he? You go to school together, and he's in trouble." Hermione paused briefly, her N.E.W.T.-level Transfigurations text halfway in her bag. "It's none of your business," she said firmly. "If it means your life, it most certainly is my business." Adele sighed. "Hermione, I may not be a witch like you, but I know things. I know there's a war going on in your - your world, and I know you're involved in it somehow. I also know that it upsets you, and you're worried that you and your friends may not make it out alive." "You know that because I told you all about it at the beginning of the holidays," said Hermione.  "Only because I caught you crying and you tried to tell me there was something in your eye." Hermione looked up to meet her sister's gaze. "You're too smart for your own good, do you know?" "I am your sister, after all." They smiled at each other. "All right," said Hermione hesitantly. "Yes, he's a wizard. Yes, he's in trouble - he and his mum both are. I'm helping them attempt to live like Muggles to keep his father from finding them. He's a Death Eater - you remember me telling you about them?" Adele nodded. Hermione told her about Blaise's part in the most recent Death Eater attack. "Now his father has escaped from Azkaban, and he's looking for them. He would probably kill them on sight." "That's awful," said Adele sincerely. "Yes, it is," Hermione agreed. "I don't know Blaise very well - nobody does, really. Yesterday was the first I've spoken to him, and we've been going to school together for six years." "With a father like that, it must be hard to make friends." Adele frowned. "Going against what he stands for, and all." Hermione thought about it. Adele had a point. Malfoy was pretentious and arrogant because he was proud of who his father was. Most of the Slytherins were, and they were allies with each other because of it. Blaise was obviously not proud, therefore probably ostracized by the rest of the lot. She assumed he didn't socialize with different houses for fear his father would punish him more. He was so responsible and well-mannered; she could only imagine what he did to get punished in the first place. Now he was free, metaphorically speaking. His mother was such a pleasant woman, despite being somewhat absentminded. Blaise could be himself now, whoever that happened to be. And he had made a friend - her. Adele's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Just promise me you'll be careful." "I always am," said Hermione. "I'm serious." Adele looked her dead in the eye. "If you die, I'll have nobody to torment." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, and Hermione?" "Yes?" "He ought to be giving up the sausage anyway. It's the least he can do, with all you're doing for him. Paying off debts, and all." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Chapter Five  "The power of threes is very prominent in defensive spells. If we were to break down the composition of, say, Expelliarmus, we would see groupings of -" Hermione stopped short when she noticed Blaise's attention was far from her Arithmancy book. In fact, he was gazing in the opposite direction, towards the window, with a faraway look on his face. "Earth to Zabini," said Hermione irritably. "If you don't want to study, we can do something else." Something that doesn't involve sitting so close to each other, she added mentally. Blaise shook himself back to reality. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I'm having trouble concentrating. It's not like either one of us really needs to study Arithmancy anyway; we're the top students in the class." "True," she agreed, "but it's important to get a head start. Besides, we're the top students in all the classes." He chuckled lightly. "In that case, then, we shouldn't need to study at all."  "You sound like Ron." "I'm sorry." Hermione turned her head to face him. "What for?" "It's obvious you miss him," Blaise explained. "I'm sorry for reminding you of him. It must be tough to be separated for so long when you're used to spending every day together." She stared cluelessly at him for a moment, then understanding clicked in. "Oh, you think Ron and I are dating? Oh, no, we're not." "Really." It was a statement, not a question. "Really," she repeated. "I do miss them, though. Both Ron and Harry. But…they've been acting…weird lately." "Maybe they're gay." He shrugged. She choked on air. "What makes you say that?" He shrugged again. "If neither one of them has asked you out yet, they must be." "Did you just compliment me?" "Yes, I do believe I did." She sat silently for a moment. "Thank you." "You're welcome." Hermione tried to turn her attention back to her Arithmancy book with minimal success. It didn't help that the book was balanced on both of their laps, requiring their chairs to almost overlap in order for both of them to read properly. She decided to ask a question that had been burning in the back of her mind since their conversation yesterday. "What's going to happen when you go back to Hogwarts?" Blaise scoffed. "You mean - will Malfoy and his lemmings sell me out to their daddies?" "Something like that." He looked thoughtful. "Dumbledore assured me I would be safe at Hogwarts. I didn't ask any questions." "What about in the dorms, though?" she pressed. "Surely the other Slytherins won't take kindly to one of their own -" "If all I have to deal with is a few egotistical wannabe bad boys whose only ambition in life is to bow down to some old coot who thinks he owns the world, then I'll have got off lightly." She simply nodded.  He sighed. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm not being a very good study partner, am I?" "It's all right," she assured him. "You have a lot on your mind. If you want to talk, I'll listen." "Thanks," he said, smiling half-heartedly. "Although I don't particularly care to discuss something I'm trying to forget." "Then let me help you forget." She tried to deliver her next statement with a straight face. "My sister thinks we're shagging right now." He burst out laughing, knocking the book from their laps when he doubled over to catch himself. "Your sister," he gasped, "is an odd bird." "Yes she is." Hermione giggled despite herself. "She seems to think that I need some - ahem - 'sausage' in my life." That made him laugh even harder. "And I suppose she thinks I'm the one to give it to you? That's rich. You'd be much better off with Harry or Ron - even if they are gay, at least they would know something about it!" Her laughter faded as she comprehended his words. "Are you trying to tell me that you're -" "I haven't exactly had many opportunities, now have I?" The laughter died completely on both sides. Red-faced and studying her hands in her lap, she stammered, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I was just trying to cheer you up." "I know, and it's all right." Blaise rubbed his eyes exasperatedly. "It's just not something I care to advertise to the entire wizarding world. My mother, however, is 'very proud of me.'" Hermione smiled warmly. "If it makes you feel any better, I am too." "You're proud of me?" He wrinkled his nose in confusion. "Well, yes, but that's not what I was referring to." She looked at him pointedly. "Oh," he said. "No offense, but that doesn't surprise me. You don't exactly seem the type to go off shagging random blokes." "That's more of a compliment than an offensive judgment, honestly. Thank you." "I'm just full of compliments today, aren't I?" He smirked. "You're welcome." An awkward pause followed, during which Hermione continued to focus on her lap and Blaise's eyes examined the bare walls in his bedroom.  "What's your favorite flower?" he asked suddenly. "Roses," she answered without any hesitation. "Why?" Instead of responding, he asked, "Any particular color?" She scrunched up her face in thought. "Blue." "Blue?" "Yes, blue." She grinned. "Have you ever seen a blue rose?" "No." "Nor have I." "Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "Like bright blue? Or more of a subdued blue?" "Blue like your eyes." After giving her an odd look, he leaned over her slightly to examine himself close-up in the mirror. "Hmm," he said again. "All right, then." "Is there any particular purpose to this conversation?" "Yes." She waited. "Well?" "You'll find out." He grabbed a spare piece of parchment and dragged the Arithmancy tomb back into his lap, flipping through the pages and jotting down sporadic notes. "Um, Blaise?" she asked timidly, causing him to look up. "Not to dampen your spirits or anything, but you do realize you can't use your wand, right?" "Yes." She rolled her eyes. "Well, you let me know whenever you're ready to share this big plan you're devising." "I will." It was then that Hermione realized what had bothered her about the fact that Blaise and his mother couldn't use magic. Neither one of them had a key to the house until yesterday, but Blaise had been there the night before and somehow got inside. "Um, Blaise?" she said again. "Yes?" "I - um - saw you the other night." He raised his head and looked at her oddly. "When?" "When you came to the house and dropped something off in the middle of the night." "Oh." He returned his attention to his work. "What about it?" "Well, my mother mentioned that the realtor didn't give you your keys until you moved in, so I'm wondering how you got inside without magic." "There's more than one way to open a door," he said cryptically. "Yes, but you couldn't use magic." Blaise slammed the book shut and turned to her with an almost irate expression on his face. "Do you really want to know?" Hermione's voice hardened. "Not if you're going to use that tone." "Fine." He took a breath, relaxed his face, and continued speaking. "I broke in, all right? And before you ask, I learned by growing up with a bedroom door that locked on the outside." She frowned. "I'm sorry." "Don't be, it wasn't your fault." He started to turn away, but she cleared her throat. "What was in that box?" Rather than looking surprised, he chuckled. "Let's just say it's the one thing I decided was worth taking from Zabini Manor." Hermione accepted that and dropped the subject. She dragged her Charms book onto her lap and began reading up on the advanced spells they would be learning this year. She was so engrossed in the theory of healing charms that she almost didn't hear Blaise try to get her attention. She looked up abruptly. "What? Did you say something?" He was looking at her expectantly, raising an eyebrow at her reaction. "I said I'm done." "Oh." Wordlessly, he handed her the parchment. It was filled with lines of equations and markings that she recognized but didn't fully understand. "What is this?" "Just do it," was the reply. Aware of his eyes on her, she withdrew her wand and performed the series of instructions he had written down. When she spoke the incantation, she nearly laughed out loud at the result. A single blue rose appeared on Blaise’s desk. She peered at it curiously, but he snatched it before she could get a good look. He held it out to her and grinned. "That, my dear, is the very nature of Arithmancy." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Chapter Six  A/N: I would like to state for the record that I did not originally intend for them to be in a Youth Center in the second scene. Unfortunately, England does not show movies in parks, like they did in the The Wedding Planner. Also, I have never seen Sense and Sensibility, and my sole reason for choosing that particular movie is because Alan Rickman is in it. ;) It was past dusk when Hermione made her way across the lawn to her house, dazed by her "study session" with Blaise and fidgeting with the blue rose in her hands. Her father sat on the living room sofa, flipping through channels on the television and drinking a beer. He glanced up when she walked through the door. "You had an owl," he grunted irritably. "Forgive me for reading your mail, but the damned bird was about to tear up the house." "Must have been Pig," said Hermione, smiling. "What did it say?" Gary held out a small piece of parchment with Ron's messy handwriting scrawled on it. "I already replied and said you would be ready." She accepted the note with a mumbled thanks and read it on her way upstairs to her room.  Hermione,   Dad will be by around noon tomorrow to pick you up. We're looking forward to seeing you - we have good news!   Ron and Harry  Hermione folded the parchment neatly and placed it on her desk, letting the book bag slide off her shoulder and onto the floor. Good news was…well, good news, wasn't it? For some reason, though, she didn't think it had anything to do with Voldemort or Death Eaters. She supposed she would find out tomorrow.  She was looking at the blue rose in her hands, wondering if magical flowers still needed water, when there was a knock at her door. "Come in!" She figured it was her mother - her father would have bellowed from the living room, and Adele normally just barged in. "Somehow, I'm not surprised that you keep your bedroom immaculate." Hermione jerked her head up to see Blaise lingering in her doorway with a smirk on his face.  "You forgot your quill." She raised an eyebrow. "You came all the way over here to return my quill?" "No." He grinned. "Although you really did forget it." He held it out to her from a distance, which required her to get up and cross the room to retrieve it. "Thank you," she said, tossing it on her desk. She looked at him expectantly. "So." Blaise cleared his throat. "Your mum told my mum about this place that shows films on Sunday nights. Something about a 'young people organization' and charity." He shrugged. "Anyway, Mum suggested I should take you, since you're leaving tomorrow and all." "Blaise Zabini," she drawled teasingly. "Are you asking me out?" "Yes I am." "Well all right, then." She smiled.  ~*~*~*~ "Popcorn?" Hermione shook her head at Blaise's offering. They were seated on a very uncomfortable bench in the back of a large hall, behind the many rows of Muggles who had gathered to view the film. The screen took up the entire front wall, giving them a perfect view despite being in the back row. The movie hadn't even started, only about halfway through the previews, and she almost laughed at the way Blaise was staring intently at the screen as if it was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. "You've never seen a movie before, have you?" she observed with a giggle. He shook his head in awe. "I've heard about them, of course, but I haven't had a chance to actually watch one." "Normally they're shown in a theater," she explained. "Or you can rent them on video or DVD and watch them on your own television." Blaise nodded, not listening. He brought another handful of popcorn to his mouth and chewed absently, completely engrossed by the trailer for a popular children's movie. Hermione shook her head and peered at the program she had picked up. "Oh!" she squealed. "They're playing 'Sense and Sensibility' tonight! I love this movie." "What's it about?" he asked, not tearing his eyes away from the screen. "You'll see," she said. "It's mostly a chick flick, though, so I doubt you'll enjoy it much." "Chick flick?" he repeated. "Romantic comedies," she explained. "Movies for women." Blaise removed his eyes from the screen long enough to scan the crowd. "There are a lot of men here," he protested. "Yes, but you'll notice they're all with women. Most men view chick flicks as an opportunity to snog." "I see."  Hermione eyed him dubiously. He was sitting at the very end of the bench, stuffing his face with popcorn with his eyes focused straight ahead. There was about a foot of space between them, which was coincidentally where they sat the tray containing the popcorn and sodas. The movie began and they watched in silence. After about twenty minutes, Blaise startled her by whispering, "Are you cold?" Hermione looked down and noticed she was shivering. "I suppose I am," she said. "It's a bit chilly in here." "Do you want my jacket?" he asked, starting to shrug it off. "Oh, no thank you, I'll be fine." She sat up straight and attempted to stop her body from shaking, knowing perfectly well that it wasn't from the faint night breeze trailing in through the open windows. She glanced at him to find he was already looking at her. Their eyes locked briefly, and he smiled. Without a word, he moved the tray to the ground and held out his hand, motioning for her to scoot closer. She gathered up her Gryffindor courage and complied, fighting the blush that was creeping up her cheeks. She felt his arm sneak around her waist, brushing against hers as their fingers intertwined. She leaned into the embrace, resting her head on his shoulder and purposely keeping her free hand in her lap. "This is nice," he breathed into her hair. "Mmm," she said, closing her eyes and giving in to the comfort he provided. "No falling asleep now," he joked. "I'm not carrying you home." She giggled nervously. "I'm awake," she assured him needlessly, since he could probably feel her rapid heartbeat. When he didn't reply, she focused her attention back on the movie. It was about partway through before one of them spoke again. "You know, that bloke looks like Professor Snape," said Blaise. For some reason, Hermione found this hilarious and unsuccessfully attempted to stifle her laughter. Blaise joined in and tightened his grip on her so she wouldn't fall off the bench. She looked up at him with tear-stained eyes from laughing and lifted her hand to wipe them dry, but Blaise beat her to it. His hand gently cupped her face, clearing the wetness away with the pad of his thumb. Even after he was done, he continued stroking her skin, and Hermione absentmindedly slid her own hand up his arm to circle his wrist. She found herself lost in his eyes, dark in color but bright with intent. "I'm going to kiss you now," he whispered. She nodded, unable to speak. She closed her eyes and felt his lips graze hers. He pulled away immediately, much to her surprise and disappointment. Her eyes popped back open to find him looking down, biting his bottom lip slightly. "I'm sorry," he said wistfully. "I don't know what I'm doing." Hermione tried to hold in her giggles. "Neither do I."  He chuckled and she lost control of her giggles, both of them red-faced from laughter and embarrassment. Blaise cleared his throat and the laughter died. "Could I - um - try again?" She grinned and moved in first. Their lips pressed together once more, softly yet fervently, breaking apart only to reconnect over and over again. They exchanged innocent kisses as his hand slid back behind her ear and hers gently caressed his arm. Hermione hadn’t known quite what to expect, but she had no idea she would completely lose her mind. She forgot about the movie, the cool night air, even the way the plastic bench was digging into her arse. All she was consciously aware of was Blaise's arms around her, the warmth of his body, their uneven breathing, and the incredible sensations their kisses were creating. After what seemed like an eternity, Blaise reluctantly removed his lips from hers and took a deep breath. "Wow," he exhaled. Hermione hummed faintly in agreement. Her eyes fluttered open to meet his cloudy gaze. "I wasn't done," she said quietly. A slow smile spread across his face. "Good." Then he was kissing her again, more confidently this time. His hands twisted in her hair, angling her face for better access. She felt his tongue run across her bottom lip, causing her mouth to open slightly. She impulsively darted her tongue out in response and an almost electrical surge flooded through her veins as it made contact with his. He groaned deep in his throat, dropping one hand to her back to pull her even closer. She was almost in his lap now, their chests pressing against each other, erratic heartbeats racing in time to the intensity of their kisses. Hermione was snapped out of her trance when Blaise suddenly jumped away, nearly smacking his head on the back wall. "We shouldn't be doing this," he said breathlessly, a look of panic on his face. "I don't want to put you in danger. If my father finds out, he'll hunt you down, too." She cast a sharp glance at him. She was always the practical one, preaching about common sense and logic, never succumbing to fantasy and idealism.  Except this time. "I don't care," she said firmly, grabbing him by the collar and kissing him with such ferocity they almost fell off the bench.   ~*~*~*~ "Where have you been?"  Hermione glared at her sister, who was sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed, her best Lisa Granger you're-in-trouble expression plastered across her face. "None of your business," spat Hermione, closing the front door behind her and attempting to head upstairs. Adele jumped over the back of the sofa and blocked the stairwell. “Hermione, your face is red and your hair is a mess." "My hair is always a mess," replied Hermione truthfully. "Now if you would kindly get out of my way -" "Did you shag him?" Adele's glare was stern. "No. Now move." "You did snog him, though. I can tell." "Fine, yes, we kissed. May I go to bed now?" Adele stood aside and followed Hermione up the stairs and into her bedroom. Hermione turned sharply and demanded, "I can start locking my door magically, you know." "For someone who's just been snogged senseless, you're sure in a bad mood." Adele gave her sister a knowing look. Hermione sighed and slumped into her desk chair. "I'm going to The Burrow tomorrow." "And you'd rather be spending your time snogging our neighbor than watching your best friends snog each other? I don't blame you." Hermione narrowed her eyebrows irritably. "I won't be around in case anything happens to Blaise and his mum." "I'll keep an eye out," Adele offered. "Mum and Dad were talking about buying an owl anyway. I'll just tell them we've suddenly acquired this sisterly bond and I need a way to communicate with you." Hermione chuckled despite herself. "Thanks, I think." Adele grinned cheekily. "I'll even let Blaise use it to send you love letters." Hermione threw a pillow at her sister. "Leave before I Banish you." "All right." Adele sighed dramatically as she made her exit, calling out over her shoulder, "Sweet dreams of snogging your new boyfriend!" Hermione changed into her nightgown and settled into bed, unable to remove the ear-to-ear smile on her face. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Hermione stretched out on the spare bed in Ginny's room, gazing at the ceiling as she allowed herself to be lost in her daydreams. She and Blaise were snogging madly on a secluded beach somewhere, rolling around in the sand and being splashed with warm ocean water. He gently placed her on her back, pressing up against her so she could feel his - "Hermione? Are you awake?" Hermione jerked her head towards the open door to find Harry grinning at her. "I knocked several times. Mrs. Weasley sent me to get you for dinner." "Oh." She shook herself, blushing slightly. "I-I'll be right down." "All right." He flashed a knowing look before disappearing. Hermione buried her face in her palms. She had been at The Burrow for almost a whole week, and neither Ron nor Harry had noticed how depressed she was. She missed Blaise. Just when something was starting to happen, she had to leave. Sure, she would see him at school in a few days, but that wasn't the same. They were in different Houses and except for Arithmancy class, they would never see each other. She trudged down the stairs and joined Harry and the remaining Weasleys for dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Ginny, and Harry were already gathered around the table when she arrived. Hermione took her seat next to Ginny and tucked in.  Halfway through the meal, Hermione accidentally dropped her fork on the floor and leaned down to pick it up. As she glanced under the table to hunt for it, she noticed two people holding hands across from her. Ron and Harry.  She banged her head when she straightened up abruptly and immediately pushed away from the table. "I-I have to go," she stammered, racing out of the kitchen and dashing upstairs before anybody could say anything. She flung open the door to Ginny's room and slammed it shut before flopping on her makeshift bed. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Ron and Harry were together; that much was obvious. She should have seen it coming - she had had an idea, but she should have known. That's what Hermione did, she knew things. She wasn't sure if she was more upset that they had kept this from her, or irritated that her sister had been right. She did, however, know that someone was on the other side of the door. Of course they would run after her, following a dramatic exit like that. She didn't need a magical eye to identify the rushed whispers and awkward movements.  Finally the door creaked open and Ron poked his head in. "Hermione?" he said carefully. "Can I come in?" Hermione nodded into the pillow that she was snuggling close to her chest.  Ron closed the door behind him and took a seat on Ginny's bed. "I feel I owe you an apology," he said, "although I'm not sure what for." She jerked her head up to glare at him. "How long have you and Harry been…together?" He sighed. "Since his birthday. We were going to tell you, Hermione - tonight, actually. This was our 'good news.'" "Congratulations," she muttered dryly. "Um, thanks." Ron traced the pattern on Ginny's duvet and frowned. "Listen, Harry pointed out that you might be hurt because you fancy me, and I just want you to know, I did fancy you when we were younger -" "It's not about that," she interrupted. "I don't fancy you anymore." He looked confused. "I don't understand." "I don't either." She took a deep breath. "I don't know what happened, Ron. We used to be so close - the three of us. Then we…grew up, I guess." Ron nodded and raised his eyes to meet hers. "I miss you, Hermione. We both do. Are you going to be all right with this?" "It will probably take a while to completely adjust," she answered honestly. "Where there was once a trio, there’s now you and Harry. And then there’s me – friends with you both."  Ron shifted over to her bed and grasped her hand. "We'll still be friends, Hermione," he assured her. "Nothing is going to change. Harry and I would never give up your friendship, you know that, right?" He grinned. "Besides, every gay man has a female best friend. It's a rule." Hermione chuckled despite herself. Ron snuck an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Come on. Let's go get into some trouble." She shoved him away playfully. "You should be getting a head start on your studies." "See?" said Ron. "Without you around, we'd fail!"  ~*~*~*~ Time flies when you're having fun, and before she knew it, it was almost time to go back to Hogwarts. Mr. Weasley had taken her to get her Apparation license, which she hadn't had a chance to get before, and she was still trying her best to encourage Harry and Ron to study. "But Hermione," Ron whined, "We've only got a few days left. We can study when we get back to school." She eyed Harry in Ron’s lap, cuddling up to him as if he couldn't get close enough. "Fine," she said, a devious look spreading across her face. "But I won't let you two be alone until you study with me." "Hermione," said Harry, "if I didn't know you better, I'd wonder if you had any Slytherin influence." If you only knew, she thought.  ~*~*~*~ Apparently Adele had talked their parents into getting an owl, because one arrived for Hermione the day before she was to return to Hogwarts. The letter was short and sweet, at least as sweet as Hermione's younger sister could be.  Dear My Too-Innocent Virginal Sister,   This is our new owl, Sausage. Mum thinks I named him that because he stole a link off my breakfast plate this morning, but you and I both know better. ;)   Everything is fine here. I assume everything is fine next door, also. John was mowing the lawn with his shirt off yesterday. Yum. I took the opportunity to introduce him to Sausage and clearly hinted that he could borrow him whenever he wanted. I also said that he should introduce you to his own sausage. He gave me a dirty look.   Speaking of sausage, are you having fun with your poofter friends? Write me back just so I know this owl thing really works.   Love, Your Incredibly Beautiful and Multi-Talented Sister  "What's her fixation with sausage?" Ron asked, confused, as he skimmed over Hermione's shoulder. The small tawny owl perked up at his name. Harry burst out laughing and said, "Same as yours, I suppose."  Ron flushed an interesting shade of red. Hermione shook her head and turned the purple notebook paper over.  Dear Obnoxious Brat,   Thank you for writing. Give Mum and Dad my love. Leave John alone. Mind your own business.   Love, Your Highly Intelligent Sister  "Oooh, who's John?" Harry teased, raising his eyebrows questioningly. "My neighbour," Hermione replied quickly, trying not to blush. "Adele thinks I fancy him." "Well, do you?" asked Ron, crowding around the letter. "I-I don't know," she said honestly, tying the letter to Sausage's leg and giving him a pat before he flew off. "We only went out once -" "You went out with him?" said Ron incredulously. "Like a date?" Hermione was blushing furiously now. "Yes, it was a date." "Did he kiss you?" asked Harry. "He did, didn't he?!" "You know," said Ron slowly, "I always thought I'd be your first kiss." Harry glared at him. Hermione giggled.  ~*~*~*~ "Hermione? Are you all right?" Hermione sighed and turned to face Ginny's bed. "I can't sleep," she admitted reluctantly. "Too much on my mind." "Want to talk about it?" offered the younger girl. "Actually," said Hermione thoughtfully. "I do." Ginny listened intently for over an hour while Hermione told her all about "John." She left out the part about him actually being Blaise Zabini, though, and instead concentrated on the events of their date and her mixed feelings. "I don't know what to do," she concluded. "It was stupid of me to get involved with him when we're going to be apart until next summer." "No," contested Ginny, speaking for the first time since Hermione began her story. "It was stupid of you to leave with unfinished business." "What do you mean?" Ginny grinned. "I mean that you should have shagged him." "Are you channeling my sister?" Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Closure," said Ginny, ignoring the question. "You've already spent the last two weeks wondering what it would be like, am I wrong?" Hermione shook her head. "There's your answer, then. He knows you're a witch, right?" "Yes." "Apparate into his bedroom and spend a beautiful night together, then say good-bye in the morning." Hermione giggled. "That sounds like something out of a trashy romance novel." Ginny snorted. "Mum has a load of them. I used to sneak them when I was younger; you can’t imagine how much I've learned." "I don't want to know." "So go, then." "What, now?" "You can't Apparate out of Hogwarts, you know." She thought about it. On the surface, it was a very bad idea. Un-Hermione-like, even. Underneath, however, she knew she wanted to do it, and Ginny was right - she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it. Closure. "All right," she agreed. "I'll go." "Wait," said Ginny, reaching across her bed to dig in her nightstand drawer. She located a small square package and tossed it at Hermione. "What's this?" "It's a condom, genius. Don't want to spend your last term knocked up." Hermione tucked it into her back pocket, blushing like mad. She stood in the middle of the room and prepared to Apparate. "I can't believe I'm going to do this." "You'll be great," assured Ginny. "Oh, and Hermione?" "Yes?" "Your sister sounds like a smart bird." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Chapter Eight   Warning: The following chapter is NC-17. You will not miss anything should you decide to skip it. For those of you that have been waiting for teh hetsmut, however, by all means proceed. ;)  Hermione spent five minutes picking twigs out of her hair before she made her way towards the Zabinis' front door. She should have known Professor Dumbledore would install security wards on the house, making it impossible for her to Apparate directly inside. Instead, she had arrived in the bushes outlining the front walk. She raised her hand to knock, ignoring the nagging voice at the back of her mind telling her to go back to The Burrow and wait until she saw him the next day. It's too late for a social visit, the voice told her sternly, sounding very much like her mother. He'll obviously think you want to have sex with him, because everyone knows that teenagers only get randy after midnight. Well, then, at least her intentions would be clear. Bri answered after the first knock, looking very awake considering it was the middle of the night. "Hermione!" she said brightly. "What a surprise! Do come in." Hermione stepped through the threshold and followed Bri into the kitchen, where she was surrounded by trays of freshly-baked cookies. "Figured out the oven, did you?" "Oh, yes," she answered energetically. "I've been so dreadfully bored. I thought cooking and cleaning the Muggle way would keep me busy, but we don't eat that much and we aren't very dirty." She laughed. "I've been experimenting with all kinds of wizarding candies and Blaise showed me how to make all different kinds of cookie dough - here, try a Lemon Drop cookie." Hermione accepted the cookie and chewed thoughtfully. "These are really good," she said after swallowing. "Professor Dumbledore would love these." "Exactly my thoughts," said Bri. "I want to make a whole lot of them for Blaise to take to Hogwarts tomorrow, as thanks for - you know, everything." Her smile fell slightly. "Do the Weasleys know you're here, Hermione? It's quite late; I'd hate to worry them." "I left a note," replied Hermione truthfully. "I just - um, wanted to see Blaise." Bri smiled warmly and gave Hermione a knowing look. "Of course you did, dear. He's probably sleeping, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind being woken up by you." Hermione blushed as Bri winked at her. "Go on, then." She crept slowly up the staircase, very aware of her heart beating overtime in her chest. The voice in her head had grown stronger, attacking her with about fifty reasons why this was not a good idea, but disappeared the minute she placed her hand on Blaise's doorknob.  Right before she pushed the door open, her mother's voice was replaced with Adele's. About bloody time. Don't forget to use a condom. Hermione rolled her eyes as she stepped into the darkness of Blaise's bedroom, carefully closing the door behind her. She could see well enough to make out his sleeping form in the bed. She inched her way towards him, trying to make as little noise as possible. "Hermione," he said softly, looking up to greet her with a yawn. "What are you doing here?" "I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I'll leave." He clicked on the lamp on his nightstand and sat up, exposing his bare chest as the duvet slipped to his waist. "I don't want you to leave," he said firmly. "I don’t want to leave," she responded distractedly. "All right then," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. "You can sit down, you know." She sat on the edge of his bed, looking everywhere but at him. "I missed you," she said quietly. She felt a gentle tug on her shoulder as he pulled her closer to him. "I missed you, too," he whispered in her ear, his voice low and husky. "I'm glad you came." "Mmm," she breathed, falling into his embrace. "You smell good." He chuckled. "You have twigs in your hair." "Still?" She reached an arm up to search her hair. "I thought I got them all out." "I'll get them," he offered, tilting her head down so he could pick at the tiny branches. Her face was millimeters away from his chest, more specifically a dark nipple emerging through the midst of scattered hair. Before she could think about what she was doing, she flicked her tongue out to lightly graze the soft bud. He gasped, his hands pausing in her hair, and a million excuses ran through her head before he whispered throatily, "Do that again." She leaned closer, taking the entire nipple in her mouth and circling it with her tongue. "Oh," he moaned softly, leaning back until both of them were lying down. "That feels good." She glanced up and locked eyes with him. "Come here," he said, lifting her head so that it was level with his. "Tell me you want this." "I want this," she said decisively, trailing her finger up the center of his chest. "Oh, how I want this." He moaned again and lowered her head to capture her mouth. His kisses were soft yet demanding, and she impulsively shifted her body to curl a leg around his. Her knee brushed against something hard, startling her enough to gasp into his mouth. He turned to face her, grasping her waist and intertwining both of their legs together. "You can touch me," he said feverishly, kissing around her mouth and running his fingers along the thin strip of flesh between her shirt and shorts. "I want you to." "Mmm," she said again, tracing the line of chest hair that led below the duvet. "Show me how." He grinned and moved his hand from her waist to close over hers. He pushed both of their hands down his stomach and under the duvet. He lifted the waistband of his boxers and pressed her fingers around the throbbing flesh, tossing his head back and groaning as she made initial contact. She took the opportunity to sink her lips onto his neck, nipping gently at the skin outlining his collarbone. He groaned again and tightened their hands around his hardness, bucking his hips up to create motion. "Oh, this feels so good," he mumbled between sharp breaths. "What do you want me to do, Blaise?" she whispered in his ear, tracing the insides with her tongue. "Show me what to do now." He loosened his grip on her fingers and lifted them up and down his length, dragging all five of her nails along the skin. His entire body shuddered as he wrapped her hand around the head, rubbing her thumb against his slit. He urged her remaining fingers to stroke him lightly, then vigorously, until he cried out in pleasure and spilled himself into their hands. She felt him soften in her grasp and curled their sticky fingers together. He leaned his head up to look at her, breathless, his mouth partly open to accommodate for the large quantities of air he was taking in. "Bloody hell, Hermione," he wheezed. "I've never come that hard in my life." Grinning proudly, she reached for her wand to clean them up. Then she kissed him chastely and said, "You're welcome." He chuckled, still breathing heavily. "Now it's your turn to show me." "Gladly," she replied, pulling him down for another kiss, this one much more erotic. She placed his hand on her waist and inched it underneath her shirt, shivering as his fingers tickled her rib cage and lingered beneath her bra.  "Take it off," he muttered against her mouth. "I want to see you." He knelt over her, helping to lift her shirt over her head and discard it somewhere unimportant. After she reached back to undo the clasp of her bra, he hooked his thumbs in the straps and slowly brought them down her arms. He kissed down her throat and upper chest as she slipped the bra off and flung it aside carelessly. Her hands covered his, tracing wavy lines up her sides until they reached her breasts. She cupped one breast in each of his hands, gently yet firmly, using her thumbs to compel his to make tiny circles on her nipples. She let out a soft moan and peeked through her fluttered eyelids to see him watching her intently, smiling lustfully. He exhaled and said, "You're so beautiful." She moaned again as his touches got bolder, nearly jumping a foot in the air when he lowered his head to replace a hand with his tongue. He licked lightly around the entire breast before taking the nipple in his mouth, sucking slowly, flicking the taut bud just fast enough to make her squirm. His other hand hovered at her waistline, dragging his fingertips along the band of her shorts. She twisted her fingers through his and began to dip under the band, but there wasn't enough give. Together, they fumbled to undo the button, lower the zipper, and shove the offending material down her legs and out of the way. She left her knickers on, and the sight was enough for him to groan out loud and harden against her thigh. "You ready?" she whispered as their hands breached the edge of her knickers. "Yes," he replied, removing his mouth from her breast to gaze down at her with those dark blue eyes. She bit her lip in anticipation as she pushed his hand inside her knickers and past the mass of curls surrounding her heat. Her fingers led his into her folds, submerging into the warm, welcoming wetness. They moaned together, and he leaned down to tongue her ear and neck as she slid his fingers along either side of her clit. She bucked her hips up instinctively, rubbing herself against his hand while he pressed himself into her thigh, now completely hard. "I want to make you come," he hissed into her ear. "Show me how." She lowered his hand to her entrance, nudging his middle finger inside. After guiding it in and out a few times, she prompted his forefinger in.  "Curl them up and out again," she instructed. She felt him graze the spot that made her whole body tingle. "Like that?" "Oh," she breathed. "Yes. Just like that." She let go of his fingers and moved her hand up to grasp his thumb, which she encouraged to rub against her clit. "Oh… Blaise. This feels… incredible." Her words were broken by gasps and moans.  "Mmm," he said into her shoulder, quickening his pace. She arched her back and wailed as she came, clenching around his fingers and shaking like a fish out of water. Waves of pleasure crashed over her and soared through her veins all the way to the top of her head and the tips of her toes.  As she came down, panting for breath, she twisted her head to face his. Staring deep into his wide eyes, she said, "I want you inside me." She reached into the pocket of her shorts and retrieved the condom Ginny had given her. Not taking their eyes off each other, she opened the package and rolled the condom on his erection, stroking him a few extra times afterwards. He settled himself between her legs and positioned himself, pausing to kiss her one more time before they both lost their innocence. "Would you believe me if I said I love you?" he asked. She smiled. "Only if you believe me." He kissed her again as he slowly pressed inside her. It didn't hurt, just a quick pinch as the thin barrier gave way. Then she was filled with a plethora of sensations ranging from sudden delight to intense pleasure to wanting more. She dug her fingers into his arse and pulled him deeper inside her, causing him to hitch his breath and let out a fierce groan. "Hermione," he growled, clutching her tightly, sliding their sweat-slicked bodies against each other. He lowered his hands to grasp her hips, lifting them up in time to his thrusts. The new angle flipped a switch inside her body, and she immediately started quivering underneath him. Screaming, moaning, flailing wildly, her orgasm hit her hard. Hers must have triggered his, because he was grunting into her neck and pounding into her madly, sputtering incoherencies as he went over the edge. He collapsed on top of her, both of them struggling to catch their breath. "Bloody amazing," he gasped. "Guh," she agreed. "I don't think I'll be able to Apparate tonight." He grinned wickedly as he withdrew himself from her, causing her to gasp sharply. "You're welcome." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Chapter Nine   Warning: This chapter contains violence of both the magical and physical variety, as well as minor character death. There are also mentions of child abuse and rape.  Hermione stirred in the soft king-sized bed, half awake and very aware that she wasn't alone. Blaise subconsciously pulled her close, kissing her forehead in his sleep. She snuggled up to his warm body and sighed happily. Rays of sunlight peeked in through the gaps in the curtains, signaling to Hermione that it was time to Apparate back to The Burrow. It would be best to sneak back into Ginny's room before anyone else woke up and wondered where she was. Quietly, as to not disturb Blaise, she slipped out of bed and began gathering up her clothes. Once dressed, she tiptoed to the doorway and placed her hand on the knob. She was smacked in the head and thrown back several feet as the door swung open, revealing an angry-looking man with dark, curly hair and a bushy mustache. He had on Wizard's robes, black and worn, his wand aimed at Hermione. Blaise shot up in bed, now wide awake. Hermione could see him snatch his wand from the nightstand and point it at the intruder. "Let her be," he said calmly. "I'm the one you want." The man laughed; an evil, malicious kind of laugh. "You have a girl sneaking out of your room? My, my, you are growing up! Does this tart know who you really are?" Hermione wrinkled her nose at the tart comment, but wisely remained silent. Instead, her fingers crept into her sleeve for her own wand, taking advantage of the man's eyes being focused on Blaise. "She's not a tart," hissed Blaise, his eyes full of rage. "She's my girlfriend, and she's a witch." Hermione snapped her head towards Blaise at the word "girlfriend." He gave her a lop-sided grin, and she beamed. Unfortunately, the stranger chose that moment to cast Expelliarmus. Hermione's wand flew across the room, but Blaise held onto his. "You must be a Mudblood," the man snarled, looking back and forth between her and Blaise. "Any Pureblood knows to keep a tight grip on their wand at all times, even if they're making googly eyes at their lover. Now, go sit on the bed." "W-Who are you?" Hermione stammered as she climbed to her feet and returned to the bed.  "Why, how rude of me not to introduce myself." The man took a step forward and his face distorted into a twisted smile. "Of course, I wasn't expecting my son to have company at this early hour. My name is Dante Zabini." Hermione's jaw dropped. Blaise's father! He had found them! But how? Dante answered as if he had read Hermione's mind, his hateful gaze directed at his son. "You thought you could hide from me, didn't you? You and your sorry excuse for a mother. I must admit, it was hard to find you without any magical signatures to trace. I was just about to give up when we noticed magical activity coming from this very house. I decided to take a chance, and it turns out I was right." "But I live right next door!" Hermione argued logically. "How would you know it was Blaise when it was my magical signature?" "Because, you silly little Mudblood, you cast a spell that has been in my wife's family for generations, one that only she or Blaise could have taught you to cast." He turned towards Blaise. "Once I saw that, I knew you were here. I've spent the last two weeks watching you and that traitorous bitch; gardening, cooking, acting like common Muggles -" "Stupefy!" Blaise shouted. "Protego," countered Dante in the most relaxed voice possible, deflecting the red beam of light towards the ceiling. "You should know better than to duel with me, son. I've taught you everything you know." "So I remember," Blaise replied dryly. "Even if I could forget, I have the scars to remind me." "There won't be time to remember or forget," said Dante cryptically. "I didn't come all the way here for a social visit, you know. I plan to get revenge for spending my summer holidays in Azkaban." "What does that have to do with me?" demanded Blaise, his voice wavering slightly. "It's not my fault you got caught breaking into Hogwarts." Dante strode across the room and shoved the tip of his wand into Blaise's throat. "Oh, but it is," he hissed menacingly. "I know you went to Dumbledore with the information. I know, because young Draco Malfoy was instructed to contact his father immediately if you left the Slytherin common room that night. I also know your mother owled you with the plans; I'm sure she was just trying to keep you safe, but I took care of her anyway." "Took care of her?" Blaise gulped, then jumped up and shoved his father hard. "What did you do to her?!" "Nothing she didn't deserve!" screamed Dante. Quickly, Hermione grabbed Blaise's abandoned wand and cast the first spell she could think of. "Expelliarmus!" The next thing she knew, she was lying on the floor without a wand. She heard Dante's cackling laughter and looked up to see him restraining a struggling Blaise with Blaise's wand in his hand. "Stupid, foolish Mudblood. Incarcerous." Dante grinned wickedly as Blaise's entire body was bound together with thick ropes. "Our wands are charmed to backfire if anyone without Zabini blood tries to use it. Now, I do believe I'll take care of you first." "What did you do to Bri?" Hermione demanded, complying with the new voice in her head that was screaming, Stall! Stall! Dante chuckled. "I did to her what every husband does to his wife. It has been a long time. A Wizard has needs, you know. Unfortunately, she's all tied up at the moment, or I'd have another go. She was quite the kinky one, if my memory serves me right." He sighed contently. "Too bad you're a Mudblood, or I'd have some fun with you. It's a shame my son had to dirty my good name by fucking you -" "Your good name?" Hermione repeated incrediously. "How can you declare your name as 'good' if you associate with Death Eaters and worship a Dark Lord?! You escaped from Azkaban, for Merlin's sake, and -" "Silence!" boomed Dante, immediately halting her words. He stepped forward, slowly, until the tip of his wand was at Hermione's throat. "Say another word, and I will kill you here and now." Hermione gathered her courage, straightened up and narrowed her eyes. "If you were going to kill me, you would have done so by now." Her voice was even and calm. Dante cocked his head and leered at her for a moment, then, much to her surprise, he lowered his wand and smiled at her. "I recognize you now. It's true what they say about you, then; despite being a Mudblood, you are quite clever." "Thank you," she said warily, briefly imagining Death Eaters gathered around the dinner table, discussing her. "And you are right!" he declared triumphantly, as if he was making a grand speech. "You see, I failed my mission to capture Potter, and had I not been sent to Azkaban, the Dark Lord would have killed me upon return. Therefore, I am going to employ you to lead me to Potter, so that I might redeem myself with the Dark Lord." At her raised eyebrow, he added, in a frighteningly horrible sing-song voice, "Or you can die! It's your choice." She folded her arms and gave him a glare worthy of Molly Weasley. "If you seriously think I am going to betray Harry, you're dafter than you look." "Have it your way, then."  As Dante raised his wand, Hermione caught sight of a figure lingering in the doorway, holding something that was emitting a brilliant flash of light. It illuminated the entire room. Blaise, who hadn't spoken a word since he was hexed, yelled something at the figure that Hermione couldn't comprehend. The object was pitched over Dante's head and landed directly in her hands as he cast his curse. Her vision was filled with a frenzy of bright lights and glowing patterns, and for a moment she thought she had died. Then she realized she could still feel, and the object in her hand was shuddering violently against her attempts to restrain it.  The object ceased both its movement and lights, leaving the room once again enveloped in darkness. She blinked rapidly, trying to rid the stars in front of her eyes, but she didn't need to see to know the figure’s identity. "Oh, my God, Hermione!"  The small frame leapt over Dante's fallen body and tackled her to the ground, knocking the object from her hands. Her vision became more focused and she looked up at the warm brown eyes identical to her own. "Adele," she said breathlessly, throwing her arms around her little sister and hugging her tight. "What are you doing here?" Adele sat up and pointed to the now-dormant object on the floor. "That lit up our whole house," she explained, as if it were obvious. Hermione finally glanced at the object and identified it as the blue rose Blaise had given her. "Wha -? How did you -? Why -?" "The spell my father was talking about contains ancient protection charms," said Blaise. "I figured you would take it to The Burrow with you, but Adele informed me differently when she brought over her owl the other day. I told her to put the rose in her room, with specific instructions on what to do if it went off.” He struggled fruitlessly with his bindings. “Would one of you kindly untie me so I can check on my mum?" Hermione hunted around the room for their wands. Finding hers, she cast the counter-curse on Blaise and tossed him his wand as the ropes disappeared. He instantly ran from the room and left the two sisters staring at Dante Zabini’s body lying in a heap on the floor. "What happened?" Adele asked quietly. "That's his dad, right?" "Yes," answered Hermione. "He was trying to get me to take him to Harry." "What is everybody's fascination with that scrawny poof?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, you'll be happy to know that you were right." Adele snorted. "Told you so." "Yeah, yeah." Blaise returned with a giant smile on his face. "He didn't kill her! He just tied her up and left her, probably intending to come back after he finished me off. She's in the bath now." He jumped over his father dismissingly, approaching both Hermione and Adele with open arms.  "Thank you so much," he said, pulling them into a three-person hug. "My mother and I owe you both our lives." "Give my sister some sausage, and we'll call it even." Adele grinned cheekily. Blaise and Hermione exchanged a look and exploded with laughter. "What?" asked Adele. Her eyes widened. "No way!" "Excuse me," said Blaise, removing one arm from Adele to fully embrace Hermione. Without a word, he lowered his face to hers, planting the softest of kisses on her lips. The kiss deepened, making Hermione forget about everything that had just happened, including the fact that her sister and Blaise's dead father were in the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss passionately, allowing herself to completely ignore her surroundings. There was only here and now. And Blaise.  Adele's shrill shriek snapped them both out of their reverie, disruptively pulling apart and jerking their heads towards her. She was looking towards the door with a deathly pale look on her face. Hermione followed her gaze and gasped loudly. On the floor, Blaise's father had regained consciousness and reached for his abandoned wand (which Hermione had carelessly forgotten to retrieve). It was now pointed at the three of them. Hermione reached for her own wand, but she was too late. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Chapter 10  Thick green smoke from the curse filled her eyes, which were wide open in shock. On either side of her, she knew Adele and Blaise were wearing the same expression. Dante Zabini lay dead in the middle of Blaise's bedroom floor. Immediately following the curse, the only sound that could be heard was the clattering of Dante's wand as it fell from his lifeless hand and rolled to Blaise's feet. Blaise promptly picked up the wand and snapped it in half. In the doorway stood Brianna Zabini, clad in only a towel with water dripping from her hair. Her wand was aimed steadily at where her husband had been standing mere moments ago, a look of sheer determination and hatred on her face. She lowered her wand and glanced up at her son. They seemed to communicate without words as they exchanged silent looks and moved into each other’s arms. Blaise embraced her tightly and murmured in her ear. Hermione felt a tug on her arm and turned to see Adele trembling horribly. The stress and danger had taken its toll and her normally composed sister began to cry. She took the younger girl in her arms and held her while the tears spilled down her face. "It's over," she said soothingly, patting her sister's hair comfortingly. "Everything is going to be okay now." ~*~*~*~ Contrary to the previous hour, the rest of the morning seemed to fly by. Professor Dumbledore arrived first, after breaking the protective wards in order to allow the necessary officials to enter the house. Then a team of Aurors stormed in to take statements, remove the body, and attempt to arrest Brianna while Hermione struggled to restrain Blaise. "It was self-defense!" he screamed lividly. "He tried to kill us! He was a bloody convict!" "Procedure," said Professor Dumbledore calmly. Brianna was taken away and Adele was escorted home. Hermione and Blaise were instructed to Apparate to The Burrow, where Harry and the Weasleys were waiting impatiently in their nightclothes. Mrs. Weasley instantly made a fuss while Ginny and Ron's mouths gaped open at the sight of Blaise. Harry simply gave him the once-over and said, "Now I see what all the fuss is about." Blaise shook his head and chuckled as he extended his hand towards Harry. "Blaise Zabini, nice to meet you." "We've been going to school together for six years," said Harry, "there's no need for introductions." Regardless, Harry accepted the hand and shook it firmly. Then he yanked Blaise close to him and hissed, "If you hurt her, I'll kill you." "Yeah," spoke up Ron. "Me too."  Ginny stifled a laugh. Hermione heard a pecking sound on the window and turned to see Adele's owl trying to get inside. She left the boys and ran across the room to let him in. After scanning the note attached to his leg, she burst into hysterical giggles. "What is that?" asked Ginny, pointing to the owl. "Hey, it's Sausage!" exclaimed Harry, jabbing Ron in the side and laughing at his suddenly reddened face. "Adele wants me to keep him," said Hermione, petting the small owl on his head and earning an affectionate nibble on her hand. "She says I'm not allowed to change his name." Ron and Harry howled with laughter while Ginny looked confused. "What's wrong with 'Sausage'?" "Absolutely nothing," Hermione replied with a straight face. Blaise snorted. ~*~*~*~ At 10:56 am, Hermione, Blaise, Ron, Harry, and Ginny boarded the train to Hogwarts at Platform 9 3/4. Harry found an empty compartment and flopped onto one of the seats, stretching comfortably. "At least I won't be the only non-prefect this year, riding by myself and all," he said, winking at Blaise and earning a glare from both Ron and Hermione.  Ginny sighed as she pinned her Prefect's badge on her robes. "Honestly, Harry, it's just a meeting. You act like we're going to be gone the whole time." "With Hermione as Head Girl, that's entirely possible," said Ron dryly. "Actually," said Blaise slowly, looking back and forth between Harry and Hermione, "I have to go, too." "But you're not a Prefect," replied Ron. "Unless - Oh! Maybe Malfoy got demoted for his involvement in the whole plot-to-kill-you thing!" Harry rolled his eyes and Blaise chuckled. He turned towards Hermione and wriggled his eyebrows. "Do you remember asking me what was in that box the night you saw me sneak into the house?" "Yes," answered Hermione. Blaise pulled something out of his back pocket and fastened it to his robe. Ron and Harry exploded with laughter, Harry nearly falling off the seat. Ginny simply shook her head and smiled. "That figures," said Hermione, failing miserably at trying to stop the giant grin forming on her face. The Head Boy badge gleamed brightly in the morning light, protruding proudly from Blaise's chest. He slung an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tightly. "Looks like you're stuck with me all year." Hermione smirked. "You say that like it's a bad thing."  Fin.   A/N: There you have it. This chapter was much shorter than the rest of them; just enough to tie up all the loose ends and create the proverbial 'happy ending'. I hope you all enjoyed this, especially those for whom it was written. I want to take some time to thank everyone that assisted in the making of this story.  To Keri and Tris: Thank you for the inspiration and motivation to attempt (and complete!) my very first novel-length fic even if it had to be het. Your requests were too intriguing to pass up. To Jen: If it wasn't for you, every single chapter would have been filled with errors and confusion. I thank you profusely for taking the time to do such a thorough beta job, as well as coming up with brilliant suggestions. And for your help with this final chapter, since my muse seems to have taken a holiday to Bermuda without notifying me. To Ashlie: I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to brit-pick for me. You did a great job and I will definitely be using you again in the future! To Kerry: Believe it or not, you played a big part as well. By reading through most of the chapters the minute they were written, you caught several conflicting situations that would have caused me to have to go back and rewrite numerous paragraphs. Thank you for your encouragement and continuous support as well.  To Bri: You just rawk. Thanks for letting me use your name. ;) To everyone who reviewed any or all chapters: Thank you for keeping me going. Your kind words and comments pushed me to actually finish this monstrosity story and make an effort to go above and beyond my normal realm of writing. After all, what's the point of doing it, if not to please others as well as myself?  ~Crys P.S. I now return Blaise to his regularly-scheduled slashing. ;)
10893063
To Have and to Hold or
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Georges Washington de La Fayette, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, David Humphreys", "Fandom": "Hamilton - Miranda", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by chanderson", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-13T00:00:00", "words": "4,687", "Additional Tags": "Older Man/Younger Man, Established Relationship, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Politics, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort", "Relationship": "Alexander Hamilton/George Washington", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Young, Scrappy, and Hungry", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
“Mr. President, please, are you seriously going to just give some bullshit diplomatic response to this? Duterte is a literal murderer and he just rudely insulted you!” Alex shouts as he starts to pace the length of the Oval Office. Humphreys is sitting on one of the couches and he sighs. Alex can feel his eyes tracking his movements. “Alex, the president can’t just give a press conference and say ‘Haha Mr. President Duterte, you called me a son of a bitch, so how about this: I’ll raise you one, you sick, murderous fuck.’” “Well obviously David,” Alex snaps. “But he still needs to at least try to stand up to this guy! Why can’t we show some god damn strength for once?” Alex’s chest is heaving, and he stops abruptly to stand in front of George’s desk and glare at him. “Do you even have an opinion about this?” he snaps. “Alex,” Humphreys cuts in. “Don’t speak to the president like that,” he mutters. Alex shoots Humphreys a pointed look over his shoulder. “I’m waiting for an answer,” Alex says, staring George down. He’s sitting slumped over in his chair and he looks at Alex wearily. “I don’t know, Alex,” George says irritatedly. “I’ll handle the statement with Burr and we’ll release it to the press. I’m too tired to give a press conference.” “You’ll handle it with Burr?!” Alex squawks. “If you let Aaron fucking Burr handle it then it’ll most definitely be some vague, meaningless crap. You’re going to look wishy-washy and weak in front of the entire international community!” “Alex!” George shouts, his voice shockingly loud as he jerks out of his chair and slams his hands down on the desk. “Burr is my press secretary so yes, I will be handling the press release with him. And I can’t just say whatever I want, Alex. I know you don’t understand this concept, but diplomacy is kind of important,” George snaps.  “Don’t mock me,” Alex warns. George smirks and towers over Alex, looking down his nose at him. “Humphreys,” George barks, not bothering to look away from Alex’s eyes. “Sir?” Humphreys asks quickly, clambering out of his seat. “Go tell Burr to start writing up a statement. I’d like a moment to speak to Mr. Hamilton alone.” “Of course, Sir.” Humphreys hurries out of the room, ducking his head. Alex and George continue to stare each other down, and Alex juts his lip out in defiance. No way in hell is he going to be the first one to break. “Alex,” George finally sighs as his shoulders sag. “I hate fighting with you about work.” “Maybe if your definition of diplomacy wasn’t ‘being weak and not standing up for myself,’ then we wouldn’t have to,” Alex snaps, still thrumming with anger. It was a common argument between them. Alex wanted George to stand up for himself, always hotheaded and quick to anger, but George took a more levelheaded approach and chose a careful, diplomatic path. It really pisses Alex off. “Alex, please,” George says wearily. “I’m not in the mood to fight about this anymore. I already got called a son of a bitch by the president of the Philippines. I’d rather not stand around and get insulted by my own staff.” Alex sighs and softens his gaze. “I’m just trying to get you to stand up for yourself. I hate hearing all the shit people say about you, and you never fight back. No wonder people beat up on you, George; you let them do it.” “I’m the most powerful man in the world, Alex. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter that President Duterte called me a son of a bitch.” “Well, I don’t have your fancy title and ability to just shrug off insults. It hurts me when people say these things about you. If you would just let me draft some stronger responses, I could show you what a difference it would make.” Alex watches George closes his eyes and take a calming breath. “Alex, no. You know I can’t let you do that. You need to learn to exercise some restraint.” Alex rolls his eyes and turns around and starts rapidly pacing again. “I don’t want to learn restraint and become some dumb, political puppet.” “Can you please stop pacing?” George asks irritatedly. “You know it makes me anxious.” Alex clenches his fists but stops and sits down on the couch, purposefully turning his head to look away from George. “You’re really pissing me off.” “I know.” George walks over and sits down next to Alex, but Alex just scoots away and keeps his head turned. George sighs. “You have to learn to keep the fact that you’re my boyfriend outside of our work conversations. Humphreys is right, you can’t speak to me like that. We looked like we were having some kind of lovers quarrel, which I guess we kind of were. People will talk.” “I don’t care!” Alex shouts. “Let them fucking talk.” “Alex,” George says sharply. “Look at me.” Alex shakes his head and angles his body away from George. He knows, on some level, that he’s acting like a child, but George deserves it. Give him a taste of his own medicine for once. George just heaves a sigh and gently lays a hand on Alex’s shoulder. Alex tries to jerk away but George tightens his grip. “Look at me,” he says firmly. Alex turns his head and glares at George. “What do you want?” “I want you to calm down and think rationally.” “Sorry,” Alex mutters. George sighs and looks at Alex, his expression unreadable. He looks tired, beaten down, stressed, and frazzled. His tie is askew, there are dark bruises stamped under his eyes, and his lips are chapped and torn where he’s been chewing on them. It’s been a painfully long day already, and it’s only lunchtime. Alex is sure he looks just as bad as George does. Everyone was up late last night desperately trying to whip votes for George’s immigration reform bill that’s going to make it easier for undocumented immigrants to achieve citizenship. It was after 3 a.m. by the time they finally dragged themselves to the Residence, but they were both too wired to fall asleep. They tried having sex to see if it would tire them out, but George was feeling too stressed and anxious to get it up. Eventually they just settled on cuddling and watching Early Start on CNN. Then, around 5:30, Lafayette busted into the Residence to announce that they had to be in the Sit Room because North Korea was about to test some missiles. Again. Alex thought he hated North Korea before. Now they’re decisively labeled Enemy Number One. Well, really they’re a close second. Slow walkers will always be Enemy Number One. So now, thanks to Enemy Number Two, Alex and George are both short tempered, exhausted, and in pretty horrible moods. Alex lost count of how many cups of coffee they’ve had to drink. He’s sure George’s stomach must be killing him; any more than one or two cups majorly fucks with his digestive system. “I’m sorry for shouting,” George murmurs. “I’m just, well, it’s obviously not been the best day.” Alex snorts and makes a face. “You can say that again. I’m basically living off of coffee and fumes.” “Have you had anything to eat? That might help.” “I haven’t had time, but honestly, food doesn’t really sound all that appealing right now.” “Yeah. I know what you mean.” George drops his head into his hands and rubs his temples. “Hey,” Alex says gently, nudging George’s shoulder. “How’re you feeling? Aside from, you know, being exhausted and dead.” George chuckles and shrugs. “Just a bit of a headache and my stomach is a little upset. Because, like I keep saying, I’m an old man. I can’t even drink an excessive amount of coffee anymore.” Alex rolls his eyes and kisses George’s shoulder. “Once I’m not so tired, I’m gonna kick your ass the next time you call yourself old.” “I think the Secret Service would probably frown upon that.” “Alright, fine. Next time you call yourself old, I’m topping so I can fuck you into the mattress until you’re sobbing my name.” George snaps his head up to look at Alex, and Alex smirks when George’s eyes go dark. “You’re so lewd,” he says gruffly. Alex just continues to smirk and squeezes George’s thigh. “Yeah, but you like it.” George moves in to kiss Alex, but a knock at the door sends them stumbling apart, Alex nearly falling onto his ass in an attempt to get to the other end of the couch. George clears his throat and crosses his legs. Alex can’t help but feel a sense of pride when he sees George fold his hands in his lap to discreetly cover his crotch. “Come in,” he says, his voice still a little rough. Lafayette pushes the door open and looks at them appraisingly, quirking an eyebrow. “Alright, I don’t want to know what you two have been up to. But Humphreys mentioned that you both seemed a little stressed, so I have a special surprise.” Alex and George both look at Lafayette skeptically. “Unless it’s an Ambien and a glass of wine, I don’t see it helping,” Alex quips. Lafayette grins. “No, it’ll definitely help.” He briefly turns around and leans out of the doorway to whisper something. Then, Geo walks into the room with a small, crooked grin. He’s even taller and lankier than he was the last time Alex saw him, and the more he ages, the more he looks like Lafayette. The only difference is that his curly hair is cut short and there’s still some baby fat clinging to his cheeks. He’s lean and thin, obviously athletic, and dressed smartly in a pair of skinny khakis, an untucked white button down, and sneakers. George is out of his seat as soon as Geo walks through the door, and he sweeps him into a big hug and lifts him up off the ground. Geo laughs and shoves at George’s head. “Tonton cut it out,” he laughs, his voice cracking. George sets him down and grins. “Sorry bud. I haven’t seen you in forever. I swear you’re taller than the last time I saw you.” Geo grins and nods. “I’m already 5’7”.” George whistles and gives him a high-five. “Hey man, that’s great. You know they like pitchers to be tall in the major league.” Geo rolls his eyes but can’t hide the shy smile that stretches across his face. “Geo’s out of school today, but Adrienne had to run a bunch of errands and couldn’t keep him. I thought he might enjoy coming to work with me for a little bit. Adrienne just dropped him off.” “Tonton, Papa said that you guys had to go to a secret meeting this morning about North Korea. Is it about the missiles they launched?” George laughs and ushers Geo over to the couch. “Someone must be watching the news,” George teases. “But yeah, we just had to monitor the situation.” “What’re you gonna do about it?” “Sorry, G., that’s above your security clearance,” George jokes, poking Geo in the side. Alex never liked kids. He thinks they’re loud, annoying, obnoxious, and pretty disgusting. But watching George with Geo is one of the most precious things he’s ever seen. George would make an amazing dad. The thought makes something twist in Alex’s chest, knowing that George will most likely never get to have children. He’s always wondered why George and Martha never had any. They were married for 10 years, and sure they married young, but they still could’ve had one eventually. Maybe it’s for the best that he didn’t have any children. Alex doubts George would be so eager to fuck the lights out of Alex if he had a kid in the room next door. “—Hey Alex?” Alex blinks as George shakes his shoulder, shooting him a concerned look. “Sorry, what?” Alex asks dumbly. “Geo was just saying hi,” George says, still frowning. “Everything alright?” “Yeah, sorry. I just got a little distracted. What’s up, dude? It’s been a while.” Geo grins and shakes Alex’s hand. “Hey Alex. I read that book you gave me on naval intelligence. It was really good. I’ve been meaning to give it back to you.” “Nah that’s alright. You should keep it,” Alex says, smiling.  “Hey, mon petit chouchou,” Lafayette cuts in. “Did you bring anything to do? The White House can get pretty boring and the president probably needs to get back to work.” “I brought my army men.” He turns back to George and smiles. “I’m working on a new defense strategy.” “That’s neat, bud. I’ve got a little bit of time before my next appointment if you want to show me?” Geo looks at Lafayette pleadingly, sticking his lip out a bit, and Lafayette laughs. “Yeah, go ahead. Your backpack’s in my office.” Geo hops up and hurries out the door toward Lafayette’s office. “Thanks for bringing him in to see me, Gil,” George says. “I needed this.” “Yeah, yeah. I know. You two both look fucking dead.” “I blame North Korea,” Alex grumbles. When Geo bounds back into the room, George lays down on his belly and props himself up on his elbows. Geo starts to methodically set up various army figurines into different formations. As he explains what he’s doing, George pays rapt attention, displaying his infamous patience. Lafayette silently heads back to his office, but Alex stays on the couch, rooted to the spot. George is genuinely fascinated in what Geo is saying, not the fake kind of interest some adults pretend to have with kids. He carefully listens to each thing Geo says and occasionally murmurs some quiet thoughts on Geo’s impressively complex military strategy. George looks so happy, and Alex is hit with a sudden wave of guilt. George could have this if it weren’t for Alex. If he was in a normal, politically acceptable relationship, he could have a family of his own. Alex stands up and abruptly excuses himself, ignoring the concerned look that George shoots him. Once he gets back to his office, Alex collapses in his seat and holds his head in his hands. He tries to stop thinking about how happy George looked on the floor with Geo, but Alex can’t tamp down the guilt and doubt coiling in his stomach. George would make such a good dad. What if Alex is holding him back? --- Later that night, after Alex forces George to eat some soup for dinner, George suggests they take a bath together. Alex sits up on the counter and watches George mutter to himself and fiddle with the knobs, enjoying the view of George’s ass sticking up in the air. “Geo is one smart kid, huh,” Alex says conversationally. George hums in agreement and stands up, watching the water fill up the large, marble tub. “Yeah, he’s great. I’m going to see about getting him a tour of the Pentagon sometime. I swear he’s going to work there one day. The kid has a knack for strategy.” “You treat him like a son,” Alex says, trying to keep his tone light. George twists the knobs off and motions Alex over. They both carefully climb into the tub and Alex settles down in between George’s legs. George kisses Alex’s shoulder and inhales deeply. “You want to know why I don’t have any kids of my own.” It’s a statement. George knows Alex too well. “Yeah,” Alex says sheepishly. “You seem to really like kids, and you’re great with them.” “Martha and I were waiting until I got settled into the governorship.” Alex leans back and kisses George’s jaw, silently encouraging him to keep talking. George chuckles darkly and squeezes Alex around the waist. “We’d just started trying—no more condoms or birth control—when she got her diagnosis.” Alex swallows and it sounds loud in the relative silence of the bathroom. George’s heartbeat is beating hard against Alex’s back. “I’m sorry, George,” Alex says lamely, not knowing what else to say. “It’s fine. I’ve honestly come to terms with it. It’s better this way.” George nuzzles Alex’s neck. “There’s no way I would’ve been able to take care of a child after Martha died. I mean, I had a full on nervous breakdown. There’s no way I would’ve been able to support and take care of a child.” “Does it make you sad that… that we probably won’t get to have any children?” Alex asks softly. “I don’t know… Not really? I honestly don’t really think about it very often,” George murmurs. Alex absently rubs George’s knuckles with his thumb, debating whether he wants to continue the conversation. George must sense his unease because he squeezes Alex in a hug. “What’s wrong sweetheart? Are you really that upset about me not getting to have kids? Because I really have pretty much accepted that I won’t have children. It’s not something that bothers me.” “Are you telling me that you never think about how I might be holding you back?” Alex finally blurts out. George takes a sharp breath, the intake of air tickling Alex’s ear. “Alex, no. I’ve never thought that.” “Yeah, but if you were with a woman you could get remarried and have a First Lady. You’d have someone to show on your arm and hug and kiss in public. You’d get to have something real.” George suddenly squeezes Alex so hard that it hurts and Alex grunts in surprise. “What we have is real,” George says firmly. “I don’t care that I can’t parade you around on my arm or have a big fancy wedding and get married. You are the light of my life, Alex. And I think that’s pretty fucking real.” Alex heaves a sigh and relaxes back against George. “Okay. If you’re sure.” “I’m absolutely sure, Alex. I promise.” George presses his face into the crook of Alex’s neck and takes a deep breath. Alex sighs and wearily rubs his eyes. “Okay, well, I think I’m gonna go to bed.” The lack of sleep is finally starting to catch up with him. His head is starting to pound and he feels strung out, his emotions off kilter. Alex stands slowly and climbs out of the tub, leaving George sitting there with a confused, hurt look on his face. He halfheartedly dries himself off and climbs into the bed, sighing when his head hits the soft pillow. Despite George’s reassurances, Alex feels weighed down by a foreboding self-doubt. When George leaves the bathroom a few minutes later, Alex is already starting to doze off, and he watches George dry off through hooded eyes. Neither of them say anything as George crawls into bed and wraps his arms around Alex’s waist. His breath is hot against the shell of Alex’s ear and he slides one of his legs in between Alex’s in an attempt to get comfortable. Alex is half asleep when George nuzzles his neck. “Hey Alex?” he whispers. “You still awake?” Alex grunts in reply and rolls over so he’s facing George, their noses touching. “Yeah. Is everything okay?” George bites his lip and sighs, his breath warm and minty against Alex’s face. “I want—no, I need—you to know that I feel just as married to you as I did to Martha.” George’s words hang in the air between them, and Alex tenses up, the words ‘married’ and ‘you’ sluggishly registering in his mind. “What?” he asks dumbly. “I said that I feel just as married to you as I did to Martha,” George repeats uncertainly. “Is that, I’m sorry if that’s weird. Is that weird?” Alex shakes his head and sits up. “Hold on. I’m still half asleep.” He rubs his eyes and turns on his lamp in an attempt to wake himself up a little. George is grinding his jaw and staring at his lap, twisting the edge of the blanket in his hands. When Alex’s head finally feels clear enough to hold a coherent conversation, he puts his hand on George’s arm. “Don’t worry. That’s not weird. The word marriage is just…” “Intimidating?” “Yeah,” Alex breathes. “Intimidating. But, I mean, it’s fine, because it’s not like we can get married anyway,” Alex rambles. He stops suddenly at the hurt look on George’s face and groans in frustration. “Look, I’m just being weird. Blame it on the lack of sleep or whatever.” George looks at Alex hesitantly and rubs the back of his neck. “I only say that to let you know that I don’t… You’re not holding me back from remarrying and living a good life after Martha. I already have that with you. It’s just a little unconventional, but fuck being conventional, right?” Alex manages a half smile and chuckles. “Yeah I guess so.” “As long as I have you, nothing else matters. So what, we don’t have a marriage license or a bunch of chubby babies adopted from different countries. I don’t care. We sleep together, we take care of each other, we love and support each other. That’s all that matters, Alex.” George is looking at Alex like he just hung the moon and the stars, and Alex squirms a little under the intensity of it, under the weight of George’s emotions. Alex deflates and nods. “I guess you’re right.” “I am,” George stresses, his voice edging on pleading. “Alex. You’re kind of freaking me out here.” Alex sighs and turns so he can cup George’s face. “I’m sorry. I’m just feeling weird and tired and sad. I don’t know why I’m going on about this.” George abruptly presses his lips against Alex’s in a kiss hard enough to bend Alex’s neck backward. Alex makes a surprised noise before he kisses George back. It’s a rough kiss, all teeth and jabbing tongue, as if George is trying to impress upon Alex how much he loves him through the singular act of kissing. When they both pull apart, they sit there gasping. The air feels about 100 degrees all around them and a bead of sweat lazily rolls down the side of George’s head. “I love you,” George pants. “That’s what matters. I don’t care about tiny, drooling Ethiopian babies or fancy wedding ceremonies or joint bank accounts. That stuff is all just technical law crap. Since when do you need the law to be with someone? Or children to make a relationship real? Alex, since Martha died, you’ve been the only real, grounding thing to happen to me. I wanted to die, Alex, but then I met you and you showed me what it was like to feel something again. That’s as real as it gets, okay? So don’t try to tell me that this isn’t real.” “Okay,” Alex whispers. George kisses him again, and Alex can taste tangy blood where George tore through the skin on his lip. “You’re really okay?” he asks against Alex’s lips. Alex nods, bumping their noses together. “Yeah. I love you too, George.” “Good. Now turn that light off so we can get some sleep.” George slides back down under the blankets while Alex flips the light off. George opens his arms up for Alex, but Alex shakes his head. “I wanna hold you.” George shrugs and rolls over. Alex wraps his arms tightly around him, pressing his arms into George’s soft stomach. Alex sighs and finally starts to fall asleep again, lulled by George’s pulse in his ear, but then George is squirming around and accidentally kicks Alex in the shin. Alex hisses and grabs his leg. “What the fuck, George?” he groans. “What’s wrong?” “Sorry,” George whispers. “I just… Can I ask you something?” Alex rolls his eyes and kisses George’s shoulder. “Of course, George.” “If we could get married, would you want to? Marry me?” Alex swallows at the vulnerability in George’s voice. He’s serious. Time to deflect his question with humor like an asshole. “Is this your way of asking me to crossdress for you, baby? Because I’ll wear a wedding dress for you any day if that’s what you’re into. I knew you had a secret kink.” “Jesus, can you stop with the jokes for once?” George asks coldly. “Look, just forget I asked. We’re both exhausted and need sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.” George scoots out of Alex’s arms and angrily jerks the blanket up over his shoulder. Alex sighs and reaches over to touch George’s shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry. That was really shitty. I don’t mean to do that dumb humor defense mechanism thing, but old habits die heard, am I right?” Alex pushes his hand under the blanket and gently strokes George’s side. “Just thinking about marriage is scary as fuck… But I love you more than anything, and you’re pretty amazing, so of course I’d marry you George. I’d even adopt an Ethiopian baby with you. We could name him Lawrence. Or if we adopted a girl, she could be Rachel, after my mom. Hell, we could always adopt a boy and girl. Make it a nice even pair.” George chuckles and rolls over to face Alex. “We’d get a nice house in the suburbs outside Richmond. I’d coach Lawrence’s basketball team—” “And I’d be Rachel’s Girl Scout troop leader. But we’d be hardcore. I’d take them out in the woods and teach them to fight bears with their fists. Destroy gender stereotypes one camping trip at a time.” “We could have a dog too. A nice big dog the kids could cuddle with.” “You mean that you could cuddle with?” Alex smirks, poking George’s side. George laughs and smiles wistfully. “Yeah. We could have a cat for you. I know you like cats.” “Cats are the best.” Alex kisses George’s nose. “And lets not kid ourselves, you would totally be the over qualified, hot ass PTA president.” “Oh yeah, I’d fit right in with all those Deborahs and Barbaras. Middle aged white women love me.” Alex starts to laugh so hard that his eyes prick with tears. “Baby, middle aged white women love the way your dick looks stuffed into the front of your tight little dress pants.” “What, you think I didn’t know that? Little George here single-handedly won me the white women’s vote,” George says in mock seriousness. Alex starts to laugh all over again and it takes a few minutes until he’s calm enough to talk again. “If only the American people knew you like I do. Then they’d know that you’re funny as fuck.” George smiles and Alex kisses his nose again, any of the doubt he was feeling earlier quickly fading to the back of his mind. “I love you Alex. Thanks for fake marrying me?” “I love you too George. Thanks for being the father of my fake Ethiopian children.” George hums and rolls back over so Alex can hold him again. They both fall silent and Alex assumes George must be asleep, but he gently elbows Alex’s side and chuckles softly. “Don’t think I don’t know that you only fake adopted Lawrence and Rachel so you could call me Daddy.” Alex laughs and smirks. “Well, well, well, looks like you’ve got a secret kink after all,” Alex murmurs in George’s ear. “Oh my God, fuck off,” George laughs. “Whatever you say… Daddy,” Alex whispers seductively, barely holding back a laugh. George makes a disgusted groaning sound and shudders. “Lets not bring all of our daddy issues into our sex life.” “Hey, you’re the one who brought it up!” “So you can make sex jokes but I can’t?” Alex grins and kisses George’s shoulder. “Exactly. Now I’m serious, George. Go the fuck to sleep.” George grumbles something under his breath as he begrudgingly settles down in Alex’s arms. Alex just smirks and squeezes him in a hug. They may not have any Ethiopian babies, but at least they have each other.
10885869
Grand Finale
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": null, "Fandom": "Fairy Tail", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by DivineDusk", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-12T00:00:00", "words": "2,324", "Additional Tags": "Angry Sex, Top Natsu, Bottom Gray, Oh really, Break Up, Relationship Discussions, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Post Tartaros War", "Relationship": "Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "Fairy Tail LGBTales", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
There was a wall between them now, short but thick. High enough so they could only see each other's eyes and too wide for them to reach one another. It made Natsu's heart clench and his hands itch to punch and destroy anything in his path, anything that kept him away from Gray. But for the first time he was too afraid to act.Yes, Natsu Dragneel was afraid. He didn't fear Gray, Natsu could never be frightened by the the ice block, he just didn't have the courage to try again, to make things work.After the Tartarus war, Fairy Tail was too scarred, so many wounds, a few very deep to heal completely. And what Natsu and Gray have, or better, had mighty be one of them. All because of selfish wishes and unthinkable decisions.Gray wanted to destroy the book of END at Silver's request and Natsu wanted to keep it and give to Igneel, just as the dragon had asked. They just wanted to please and respect their fathers' whishes, man they hadn't seen in so long. It appeared to be the right choice, the most obvious and with emotions so disturbed and the tiredness of battle the boys forgot about each other.They acted selfishly and it ruined their relationship, the pure, blind trust they shared. Because how was Natsu supposed to date someone he wasn't sure would support him when it came to his family. Natsu knew Gray thought exactly the same way and he had all the right to. The raven had made a promise to his dad and Natsu didn't help him fulfill it and the same could be stated contrariwise.Not even a week had passed yet when they met at Natsu's house. Happy was out visiting Charle and when Gray saw the blue exceed walking around the city he immediately set of to the dragonslayer's house. They need to talk.The problem with Natsu and Gray is that they can't have an argument without it breaking out into a fist fight. And that's exactly what almost happened. Because Zeref had END and they were blaming each other. Gray would say if Natsu hadn't made a fuss, he would've already destroyed the book before the dark mage could have taken it. Natsu on the other hand, stated that it was the ice mage's fault because if he had the book, he would've given it to Igneel the moment the fire dragon had taken down Acnologia while the other dragons were destroying the Faces around Fiori. And it was a fact that even Zeref wouldn't be able to take it from a fucking dragon.A few words of rage and hate, most of them not true, were exchanged. The two young man discussing and throwing insults like any other stupid fight of them, only the matter was serious. Everything was relatively calm, if you consider they were Natsu and Gray, until the later said something he wanted to swallow back right after it left his mouth."Why are you even concerned about the book?! It's not like you can give it to Igneel now!" Natsu's eyes had become cold, his sage green irises shinning with the anger building behind them.Gray was so caught up in thoughts of how to fix that situation he totally missed the dragonslayer coming at him. His breath was pushed out of his lungs as his back hit the wall and he wasn't able to retrieve oxygen due a forearm pressing against his throat."At least my dad was actually alive and with me the whole time and not a walking corpse serving as a puppet for some filthy demon." The ice mage was caught by surprise once again. He was waiting curses and requests for apologies coming his way, maybe a few punches, not cruel words being thrown his way with so much malice.Anger filled Gray mind, he'd never took Natsu to be one to retaliate an unfair blow with an equally unfair attack. Natsu was loud and lose mouthed, very violent and volatile but he was never one to hurt someone emotionally. What he said had hurt, like a sharp knife slicing at his heart."Don't. Talk. About. My. Dad. Like. This." Gray punctuated each word with a push against the arm on his neck, his hands grasping the white scarf tightly.Natsu seemed surprised with the words that had stumbled from his mouth. His expression melted into a guilty one for a total of three seconds before he remembered why he had said that in the first place and his glare was back full force.They gazed icy daggers at each other, the green locked on blue taking them back to the battlefield, where they looked at each other with that same negative intensity. The two mages remained like that for a few long seconds, a conversation happening without words being spoken out loud. "We can't be together" "We may be the strongest duo but we're not good for each other" "We're gonna destroy ourselves if we remain together" "But it doesn't mean we don't love each other." "We have to stop saying we for a while." "But just this one last time..." Lips locked in a furious kiss out of their own volition, Gray's bottom lip was still busted from the battle and Natsu made sure to nip at it gaining a hiss and a yank on his pink locks in retaliation. He hadn't even noted the hands leaving his scarf to snake on his hair.One of those hands slipped down and took hold of one of his butt cheeks and forced it forward, pushing Natsu flush against Gray. Their bodies fitting in all the right ways, half hard cocks pressing deliciously between their hips. The new position elicited twin moans out off the young boys. Natsu started to move his hips slowly, grinding their groins, providing minimal but satisfying friction."We shouldn't." Gray gritted out, after pulling Natsu's head back by his hair."Shut up, ice princess. Some times you annoy me so much I just want to fuck the shit out of you." And with that they were kissing again, rough and messy but passionately.Natsu let his hands fall from Gray's waist to the top of his thighs, urging the raven to jump and circle those long legs around his torso. He walked slowly, careful to not bump into anything on his way to the couch. Arriving there he all but threw Gray onto the fluffy surface and watched him bounce a few times. Instead of joining, however, Natsu headed for the bathroom and a minute latter came out with a bottle of lube in his hands. Gray was already naked and it wasn't really a surprise, the dragonslayer followed the example taking off his shirt and pants along with his underwear as quick as possible, they didn't have much time before Happy came back."Hurry up you flame brain.""Eager, aren't we?" Gray glared and Natsu smirked, "Oh, c'mon you love when I tease you.""Just shut up and get going with it." The harsh order made Natsu scowl. All he wanted was to ease down the mood a bit, start it with playfulness after the argument they just had.He firmly believed that even if they were pissed, love making shouldn't be done under negative emotions. But Gray had other ideas, and if he wanted to play that way, so would Natsu.Without saying nothing, he climbed on the couch, kneeling between pale thighs. As quick as possible Natsu slicked his finger and boldly entered one into his partners thigh ass. No teasing, no words of encouragement or warnings. A cold goodbye for a person he loved but couldn't be with.A few minutes and three fingers later Natsu was finished, having prepared Gray as much as he possibly could in such a short time. Remaining quiet the whole time while the room was filled by the sound of heavy breath and low moans.The silence was gawking at his insides, acting coldly wasn't on Natsu's vast list of skills. He liked to be passionate and fiery. Yet he wanted Gray to know he was still mad.Suddenly flipping Gray over so the ice mage was laying on his stomach, Natsu heard a yelp of surprise. Instead of doing it coldly he'd live up to his words. He'd fuck the shit out of Gray, unleash all his anger on that act.The round, milky globes of Gray's ass were presented to Natsu, tempting, begging for someone to grope them. And that was exactly what the fire mage did, bit into the supple flesh like a famished beast earning a loud gasp and then sucked leaving behind a reddish mark that'd become a strong purple later. Next, he clasped the soft skin to part the butt cheeks, revealing the slick and pink ring of muscles which contracted when hit by cold air.Taking a hold of his cock, Natsu guided it to the exposed entrance and pressed until just the head entered. The raven moaned so lowly, that if it wasn't for his dragon's hearing, the fire mage wouldn't have even listened. Gray was being stubborn, making Natsu frustrated, he had ripped louder moans only with his tongue.Without warning, the noise of a slap filled the room, followed closely by a whimpery groan."What do you think you're doing, you bastard." Gray gritted out, through the sting spreading around the outside of his right thigh."I'm thinking that if this is our last time, I'm going to fuck you so hard you'll break and will never be satisfied with another person." Natsu heard when the speed of his partner's heart picked up, saw when he was about to retort with a nasty answer, no doubt, so he was speaking again, "Hold on tight, the ride will be rough."His hips snapped forward and Natsu buried himself to the hilt with no proper warning whatsoever. And then he was moving, hard and fast and merciless. His hands roamed Gray's backside, pressing down on hard muscles and all the while the raven's moans grew louder, tumbling past rosy lips fighting against all the restrains.The fire mage's fingers yanked midnight locks, bringing Gray's head up, while the rest of the lean body was pushed further into the couch. Gray moaned in ecstasy and his hands fisted the armrest in front of him at the feeling of his engorged cock rubbing against the tick fabric underneath him, smearing pre-cum everywhere.Natsu's movements were harsh and frantic, his dick brushing against Gray's prostate constantly, leaving the raven letting out lustful sounds of euphoria.Curling his fingers around Gray's throat, Natsu used the possessive grasp to pull the raven up and against his chest, his movements never slowing down, never losing the rhythm. They were pressed so close and Gray could feel the rapid beat of Natsu's heart. A heart that belonged to him, although after he walked away from this house, he would never be able to hold it anymore. It wasn't like he was worthy of it anyway, he had already dropped once and the next fall would shatter it, leave Natsu broken for life.Natsu's free hand played with his sensitive nipples, twisting them only tho sooth the pain with careful circles around the little bud. The action threw him into the edge and he panted, "I'm gonna come- ahh...""No, you're not. You cum when I tell you to." To reforce his statement, the dragonslayer left his nipples in favor of grasping around the root of his cock tightly, successfully impeding the orgasm. Gray whined in agony and pleasure, the urgency to come growing each time Natsu rammed the head of his cock against his prostate. It was torture and made Gray squirm and moan needy. "Oh God, please lemme come!"Natsu growled in pleasure, his insides twisting the closer he got to completion. The dragonslayer rammed inside Gray in earnest, going faster and harder and deeper, doing everything in his power to give them both their last memorable orgasm together. The urgency to let go grew and finally Natsu was moving his hand, jacking Gray off with the same speed of his thrusts. Their release was magical and it had nothing to do with etherion particles, only with love and rage and longing. Gray's body trembled as his mounth fell open in a silent moan while Natsu's hand tightened around his partner's pale neck and he pressed his forehead to his shoulder. A thousand fireworks exploding within and around them. They remained in that position for a few minutes, catching their breath and assimilating what had just happened. Natsu was the first to move, getting up and running to the bathroom to find tissues. When he returned, Gray was still standing on the same position, kneeling on the couch."Gray," Natsu called out quietly "are you okay?""This was a goodbye, wasn't it?" The raven questioned out of the blue and Natsu only sighed."Here, clean yourself. Happy will come back in a few and we need to tide up." "Just answer me. Why we can't be together?" It wasn't really something Natsu wanted to speak out loud and he knew Gray knew the answer. But the fire mage was aware of his partner's need to hear it out loud, just so it could sink in"It was the grand finale, the end of an era." Yes it was a goodbye above all. A goodbye to each and every moment they spent together, to Gray's laugh and smell and the feeling of his touch. It was a goodbye to Gray himself, because Natus would leave him behind. He would come back eventually but that part of their lives, that secret would stay on the past and probably never resurface. They loved each other but were too different to be together.
10844880
My knight really does
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Other", "Characters": null, "Fandom": "VIXX", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by Mangafrk", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "1,137", "Additional Tags": "Daddy Kink, Mecha, Reader-Insert", "Relationship": "Rovix/Reader", "Character": "Rovix", "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
It had taken far too long, you have spent over a year trying to come up with the perfect prototype. However, it was now complete, and it all seemed to be worth it. You press your hands to the metal casing of Rovix's chest, inhaling deeply. Nothing had even happened and you could already feel yourself becoming aroused. You had always been attracted to the robot, even when it was just a head. You raise one shaking hand to it's neck, pressing the button you installed in the side to enable it to turn on. As it whirs to life underneath your fingertips, your breathing begins to pick up. You moan softly as your hips buck, the image of the robot pinning you to the bed that you'd thought of so many times is finally in reach. The red lights in its eyes finally turn on as it slowly begins to move, getting a feel for the body that it now has.    Now that Rovix is fully consious, you silently regret not giving it a voice. You can only imagine what could have been if you had given it the ability to talk down to you, or give praise. You shiver and whine softly, causing the robot to tilt it's head to the side in slight confusion. You had only given it one thing to do when programming, but it appeared that it didn't quite understand the human signs of arousal. You decide that it would be a good idea to make your intentions a bit more obvious to something that was less than human. You gently run your hands down it's torso until you get to it's crotch. While you had made it so it was permanently hard, there is no way that it would know what that meant. You had only programmed the ability to understand what you wanted when it was touched. It seems to suddenly understand what you wanted as the parts inside start making noise again. You pull away slowly to move over to the bed, laying down on your back. You had taken off your clothes before turning on your creation, wanting there to be nothing in the way when you got what you wanted. You had prepped yourself too, getting up to four fingers on the thought of receiving something more. You grab the lubricant from on top of the bedside drawer and open the top. You gesture for Rovix to come over to you, and it obliges. The quiet sound of his gear slowly grinding together causes you to groan in anticipation. Once it gets close enough to touch, you open the bottle of lube and pour some over it's metal cock. You slowly begin to stroke it to spread the liquid over the entire thing. Once you deem it ready, you use both hands to spread yourself, moaning as you expose your entrance. It seems to understand what you want as it kneels on top of the bed, slowly moving forward to bring it's crotch closer. You push your hips back as you try to get the metal head to finally touch you. When it finally hits your skin, you shiver at how cold it is compared to your body. It makes you realize just how hot this is making you feel. You feel the metal press against your entrance, your hips bucking as you try to push it in. Rovix finally pushes it's hips forward, slowly moving inside of you. Your back arches at the stretch you feel immediately. The cold of the metal just adds to the pleasure, making your moans even more breathless. Once it enters completely, it almost immediately begins thrusting. The hip motions had been the hardest part to create. It had taken a lot of research of muscle anatomy to create something that was realistic to the real thing. Finding out the proper way to simulate someone thrusting their hips forward took the most time out of anything. Though you soon realize that it was all incredibly worth it. The amount of pleasure it gives you is incredible, so much so that you rock your hips back every time to meet it's thrusts. Having spent so much time in the work room, you never had the time to hook up with anyone, not that they could compare to what you really wanted anyways. So to feel something so new, it was quite wonderful.You moan loudly as you feel yourself begin to get close. "Oh, oh daddy~" Rovix doesn't seem to mind the name, so you hear yourself repeat it softly, "Harder daddy~!"The robot seems to hear your plea, because the whirring of it's gears increases as it's hips begin to move faster. You tilt your head back and let your back arch even more as you get closer and closer to your orgasm. You begin to feel the familiar feeling of pleasure running up your spine as you cry out. "Gonna come daddy~!" It lets out one last strong thrust as you come undone beneath it, moaning loudly as you feel yourself come hard.A feeling similar to shame crawls up your spine after you come, the fact that you had gotten off on something that wasn't even human was dirty, and yet all it did was make you hotter. You turn Rovix off with your foot, watching as the red lights of its eyes slowly fade away into nothingness as it stops moving. You move to get off but bite your lip in hesitation. Instead of getting off to clean yourself, you begin fucking yourself on its cock again, mewling loudly as you make yourself come for a second time. You are much more spent this time, pulling off of the robot and letting the metal slip out of you. You shiver at the sudden emptiness it brings. You shudder as you remove the part from the crotch of the robot, cleaning it off in the sink before putting it in a protective case for later use. You somehow manage to move the robot from the bed, putting it into a seated position in the corner of the room. When you finally finish cleaning up, you kneel by the now silent robot. You press your hand to it's metal cheek and gently kiss it's lips. You groan softly at the taste of metal in your mouth, licking your lips just to taste more. You press a kiss to the top of it's head next, saying goodnight before you turn off the lights and get into bed. You giggle softly as you think of all the things you could do with the robot now that he's complete. "I love you daddy~" you whisper, and you swear that you hear a similar sounding response from the other side of the room.
10850304
The Noise Your Silence
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Nico di Angelo, Percy Jackson, Jason Grace, Hazel Levesque, Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean, Frank Zhang", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by greenish_appletini", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-08T00:00:00", "words": "10,227", "Additional Tags": "Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Mute Nico di Angelo, Camp counsellor Percy, Fluff, Camp counsellor Hazel, Shy Nico, Annoying Percy - just for Nico though eheh", "Relationship": "Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Nico had always felt good in his own silent world. Not that people around him were quiet; not at all. It was him. He was the silent one. And he was kind of all right with it.When he was born with a rare tonsils' malfunction eighteen years earlier and he had learnt how to deal with it in the years that had followed, Nico's personality had also started to bloom in ways people would have never imagined.Nico knew what the masses' biggest problem was. They felt like they had the need to constantly demonstrate something to the others, to show off, to defend themselves from a tough world which challenged them on a daily basis. They needed to build a shield made of words and facts. And lies, the majority of the times. Lies told to themselves, or the others: it wasn't important.Nico seemed unaffected by all that. No one expected him to demonstrate anything. He carried his little notebook, he barely used it to communicate, and that was it. Few were the people that knew sign language – his parents, his sister, a couple of close friends, his doctors – and it didn't bothered Nico. Those who couldn't stand Nico's silent presence were people Nico didn't need.That was the thing with him: Nico put anyone in front of their true self. Nothing was more challenging than having to hold a conversation with someone who expected you to be yourself and nothing else. Society didn't particularly like that.Nico's world was a world of introspection, of calm, of not putting too much effort in trying to be right all the time. Nico didn't like right. He liked authenticity. And he also liked wrong, at times.So, it was kind of a overturning for him when he eventually crossed paths with someone so... interested in his person. Someone who couldn't stop bombarding him with questions, expecting a lot of answers, being everything but chill around him. Someone full of life, loud, unpredictable. The exact opposite of what Nico was.And that's the story of how his life was blown.** **“Well. That is kind of annoying, dad,” the girl snorted loudly as she put her phone between her shoulder and ear, trying to open a Ben & Jerry's bowl at the same time. “You know I barely have the time to breathe, with uni and everything. This request is kind of outrageous coming from you.”“Hazel,” the man sighed on the other side of the phone. “Please. I'm asking you this as a personal favour. He cannot stay alone for the whole summer.”“Maybe you should have thought of it before organising your holidays with mom and deciding to leave for fucking Africa for three months straight!” Hazel managed to finally open the bowl of ice cream and put it on the kitchen counter to rummage in the cutlery drawer.“First of all, I don't like this language of yours. You know it. Second of all, it's for charity! My agency is-”“Yeah, yeah,” Hazel rolled her eyes and smiled. “I know. You go vaccinating kids and purifying their water by digging some kind of hole in the ground to build a well and stuff like that. I admire you for that. Do not play the 'I'm-a-good-man' card with me because you know it's gonna work.”Hades sighed amusedly on the other side of the phone. “You're a good girl yourself. I did a great job raising you.”“I still cannot ask Travis or Jason to find him a job. Not there. It's impossible, dad. He could do a lot of other things for the summer! That's just... not fitting.” Hazel brought the spoon to her mouth. “It's a summer camp, dad. For little kids. Do you realise that?”“What do you suggest? We leave him alone in the middle of Connecticut all by himself, for three months? Three months? That's simply not happening. Your mom and I thought you would have skipped camp this year.”“Are you mad? Do you have any idea of how much they pay me?” Hazel snorted loudly. “This job is the reason why I stopped asking you money for my tuition.”Hades clicked his tongue. “And we are so proud of you. It's just a little favour. It's your brother, we know he's able to take care of himself but... three months alone is an amount of time we're too scared to think of. You know it.”Hazel bit her lip, pondering her father's words. “I adore Nico. We all do. And he specified many times he'd like to experiment independent life sooner or later. You even denied him to study in another city!”“That's not the right moment! Your mother and I will be on the other side of the world, and you will be on the other side of the country. What if something happens? Something bad happens?” Hades let the question sink.His daughter bit her lower lip harder. She perfectly knew her brother was a smart person, had his head on his shoulders and could perfectly take care of himself for a short period of time. Her father's statement was being reasonable, though. Nico was not like the others. If an emergency had occurred... she just didn't want to think about it.“Well...” Hazel sighed deeply. “I could ask Jason. But-”“If not to work there, at least to stay there under your supervision!” The man continued. “He's also good friends with Jason. That would be perfect.”“Dad, Camp Pegasus is for children of the age of 4-13.”“Yeah, well. They sure have a little bungalow or I don't know for him.”Hazel chuckled. “For, like what, free?”“We'd pay for it, you know it.” Hades sighed. “You're making fun of me now. Ask your friends if they can find a place for him just for this year.”“I'm asking Neeks, first.”“Ask them, Hazel.”The girl played with her spoon. “... Okay.”“Thank you. You know it's important.”Hazel gazed at the clock on the wall. Her room-mate was going to get home soon. “I know.”** **Nico adjusted his glasses on his nose, sinking in the armchair more and more by the second. His eyes just couldn't move from the pages of the book he had in his lap.Not even the doorbell managed to distract him.“Nicooo!” A woman yelled from the kitchen. “Open the door! It's your sister!”Nico's head finally rose to the clock on the wall, realising it was past noon. He smiled widely. That meant his sister had come from New York City to have lunch with them.He particularly loved that kind of Sundays.Jumping off the armchair, Nico threw his book on the coffee table and bolted towards the front door. He slammed it open.“Neeks!” Hazel yelled, engulfing her brother in a really tight hug. “You keep growing taller!”Nico's smile grew wider as they separated. <Liar>, he said in sign language.“Yeah, okay. Don't believe me. Your loss.” Hazel waved her hand at him and stepped inside the house. Everything smelled like home, and she missed it. “Where are our parents?”Nico rose an eyebrow and pointed at the kitchen's door with sarcasm. <Where else?>, he added.“Hazel!” A woman appeared on the doorframe, a wide smile adorning her face. “How was your trip?”“Hi mum. A lovely couple of hours on a stinky bus. Thanks for asking.” Hazel chuckled and let her bag falling near the entrance. “I'm staying until Wednesday, is it all right?”Nico's eyes sparkled, as he clapped his hands to claim for her attention.Hazel turned to look at him with amusement. “What?”<Really?>“Really.” She confirmed. “I have a lot to tell you.”Nico's heart was beating fast. <Happy.>Hazel ruffled his hair. “Me too.”“C'mon, you two.” Their mother called them, getting rid of her apron. “Lunch is on the table!”“Real food...” Hazel whispered in awe, wrapping an arm around Nico's shoulders. “You have no idea how lucky you are.”Nico just shrugged.He wouldn't know.** **Hades chuckled as he filled his wife's glass with red wine. “They will adore it. It sparkles and plays Jingle Bells without any reason. I bought tons of that stuff. They were on sale at Walmart.”“Dad,” Hazel rose an eyebrow. “Why are you bringing African children fake candy canes that play Jingle Bells? How the hell did you even find them in June?”“Your language,” Hades warned her with a simple glare. “Anyway. African children do not care about what month it is. I'm not even sure they know Jingle Bells. They will think it's a random song.”“It's ridiculous. Couldn't you bring them... I don't know, shoes or something?” The girl stated.Nico almost spit the water he was drinking, trying not to laugh.Hazel winked at him.“They need a little joy!” Hades insisted. “It will make them laugh and have a fun. They will love them! Stop being so bitter.”Nico snapped his fingers and his father looked at him. <When are you leaving?>Hades rolled his eyes. “In a week. You can't wait, can you?”Nico smiled widely and shrugged. <Sorry.>“Speaking of which,” Hazel cleared her throat and glanced at her parents warily. “Neeks, I had a chat with Jay the other day.”Hades went a bit tense on his chair.Nico asked his sister what was that about.“Well... You know, mom and dad are staying away for a long time.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “I asked Jason if they could find a place for you at camp. We'll have fun! You could help us with organisation and all those things. It's not a official job, you know. But... We could spend the summer together! Jason can't wait to see you.”A heavy silence fell in the room. Nico's eyes were fixed on his sister's figure, trying to decipher the meaning of that statement. Then, he rose a hand and opened three fingers. He closed them.Hazel sighed deeply. “Nico, c'mon, you-”Nico brusquely punched the table with both his fists, sniffing loudly as he tried not cry. <You have no trust in me,> he added.“Nico, dear, we do trust you.” Persephone leaned closer to the table. “But three months is a really long time to spend alone. We're worried that something could happen and we wouldn't be there to be able to help you.”A tear crossed Nico's cheek, streaming past his glasses and down to his chin. He quickly wiped it away with his wrist. <I'm an adult.>“We're aware. But considering your condition...” Hades started, realising the harsh truth of his words in mid-sentence. As he noticed Nico's eyes full of pain for what he was about to say, he never continued.Nico pursed his lips before falling with his back against the chair. He crossed his arms over his chest, crying silently with his eyes now fixed on his salad.In sign language, that pretty much meant I have no intention whatsoever to keep talking to any of you.“Neeks, c'mon... We're gonna have so much fun. You have no idea. It's still gonna be three months without mom and dad...” She whispered in the end, leaning closer to Nico and trying to bring a smile to his lips. “Three months without their obsessive supervision... I'm not gonna be with you 24 hours a day, you know.”When Nico shyly rose his eyes at her, she winked knowingly.Nico started to reconsider the whole situation.** **Nico regretted having thought, for just a second, that Camp Pegasus was in fact a good idea.He regretted everything he had thought in the past week.That place wasn't silent, it wasn't calm; it was everything Nico didn't want to deal with.Camp Pegasus was loud, placed in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the United States, full of trees, far away from human civilization, and freaking hot. He was sweating in places he didn't think could possibly sweat.Seriously. Did his parents think that place was safer than staying home alone for three months?Nonsense.The flight had been exciting and full of expectations. Nico had started having seconds thoughts around noon, when the camp bus had arrived at the airport to pick them up, as well as a few other kids who had reached the rendezvous parking lot with their parents.He had started having third and four thoughts when a bunch of oblivious kids began asking him stuff such as his name, and why he was there, and who was the girl with him, and why he was so quiet.Nico soon realised his whole life was a mistake. A horrible and huge mistake.He slapped his neck, distracting himself from his thoughts.Mosquitoes, now. It could impossibly go worse than that.“Nico, Hazel!”A male voice called them from the distance, a smile so bright on the guy's face that it could have been seen from space.“You made it!” The blond guy was slightly panting when he reached them. “I'm so glad to see you!”Despite everything, Nico found himself blushing. He was undeniably happy to see Jason Grace, ex-captain of their school football team, probably soon-to-be an Abercrombie & Fitch model, very cool friend of his sister and incredibly good at sign language, since his mother had been a selective mute for a few years after his father had left them alone. He could wear questionable orange t-shirts without looking ridiculous, too.Nico waved his hand as the international sign to say hi.Hazel dropped her bag on the ground as she smiled widely. “He's beauty, he's Grace!”Laughing loudly, Jason punched her shoulder. “Shut up! You're always so annoying.”“I'm amazing. Okay, listen, if I'll be rooming with Annabeth Chase again I swear to god I'll kill myself.” Hazel stated, turning serious all of a sudden.“Actually,” the blond grabbed the clipboard Nico hadn't even noticed him carrying on his back, stuck between his jeans and the belt. He turned a few pages. “Let me look... Female... Female... Ah! There you are. Counsellors' residential bungalow number 14, rooming with the one and only Rachel Elizabeth Dare!”“God bless!” Hazel almost fell on her knees for the gratitude. “Last year we spent the whole summer talking about art and comparing our styles and it was the best summer I've ever had here. Do not get me wrong, but when it comes to room with Annabeth you start to reconsider your friendship with her.”“I'll take your word for it,” Jason chuckled. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes were on Nico. He smiled even wider. “I picked a special bungalow for you. I personally asked our camp director to let you have the best room-mate you could possibly have.”Nico's heart started beating fast. Was he going to live with Jason Grace for three months?!Nico took all the bad thoughts back. He loved, loved that place.“Jay, Hazel!”A guy with dark brown hair and green eyes approached them with an enormous, disturbing smile. He placed his hand on Jason's shoulder – fact which made Jason roll his eyes since he was taller than the guy – and locked eyes with Nico.If drop-dead gorgeous had been a person, that had been this guy.“You must be my room-mate... Nico. Nice to meet you. I'm Percy. Percy Jackson.” Percy Jackson offered him his hand to shake it.Nico gulped loudly. He shook Percy's hand. And said nothing, as always.Percy wore an orange t-shirt that seemed the exact replica of the one Jason was wearing. There was a pegasus on it, and the writing Camp Pegasus in big letters. “Are you a good swimmer? I've been looking for someone to compete with for years, now. But everyone sucks,” he chuckled, shaking Jason's shoulder for good measure.Nico looked like a cold fish. He even tried to open his mouth, but soon remembered he was a mute person. What an unfortunate coincidence.He limited himself to shake his head.“No? Well. I'll have to teach you. Can you do archery?”Nico shook his head again.“Me neither. I'm really crap at it. Canoe?”Nico rose an eyebrow, sceptical.“Horse riding? No?”Nico sighed deeply. His patience was starting to run out. He shook his head once more.“God,” Percy clicked his tongue in amusement. “I'll have to teach you everything. It'll take me the whole summer, but we're gonna make it.”Nico pursed his lips. He was going to room with a sports-obsessed. That was a nightmare. Couldn't the guy just be nice to look at and not try to get him into doing things? Was that too much to ask?Fortunately, Hazel came to his rescue. “Percy, I'm pretty sure you'll have to burn all of his books before being able to see him outside.” She chuckled, trying to ease Nico's increasing tension.“What are you currently reading?” Percy asked him. He didn't even bother to look at Hazel. His eyes hadn't left Nico; not even for a second.Nico licked his lips in embarrassment and pulled his little notebook out of his pocket. He used to get mad every time people managed to force him to use it. He wrote in big letters, and then turned the object towards Percy.Percy squinted, and then his eyes sparkled as he locked them with Nico again. “A Song of Ice and Fire. Is that a chemistry thing or something?”Nico widened his eyes in shock, looking at Hazel for a confirmation. Was that guy serious?Jason and Hazel both burst out laughing.“Jesus, Percy!” Jason clutched his belly. “That's the Game of Thrones. The book series has a different name.”Percy blushed. Just a bit. “Oh. I had no idea.”Nico smiled, despite everything. He shrugged in a common sign for nevermind, it's fine.Hazel was still laughing when Percy continued. “So, is there a lot of sex like in the TV series or is it just for the audience? I know some scenes ended up on YouPorn or something. Did you know that sex scenes have higher costs for the producers than any other types of scenes? It's about agreements and everything.”Nico's smile faded. The guy was a chatterbox. His prospects for the summer were growing worse and worse by the minute. He shrugged again, in absence of any other idea to answer to that.Percy wasn't a quitter. “Also, I really hope you don't mind a bit of mess when it comes to our room. I could be a bit chaotic sometimes, but it's not a big deal. Really. I always wash my clothes anyway, which isn't a thing we could say about everyone.” He snorted. “Am I right, Jay?”Jason shook his head in amusement. “My God. I couldn't do laundry for a week two years ago! It just happened once. Drop it. Show Nico the way to your bungalow, instead of being such a prick.”“Sure thing!” Percy clapped his hands with enthusiasm and grabbed Nico's bag from the ground without asking for permission. “I have to pick a map for you, give you the camp uniform, show you where bathrooms are and the dining hall and everything. I'm your tour guide!”Nico was screaming inside.“C'mon!”Percy grabbed Nico's wrist. Tight. “See you later, guys!”Hazel had to force herself not to laugh. “See you later...” She took a brief look at Jason as her brother and friend walked away together. “Nico is so going to kill you.”“I'm aware. But... I got a nice feeling about all this.” Jason folded his arms over his chest and shrugged knowingly. “Just wait for the end of the summer.”Hazel rose an eyebrow at him, sceptic. “When you'll be already dead, you mean?”“Yeah, probably.”The two looked at each other with amusement, chuckling seconds later.That was going to be an interesting summer at Camp Pegasus.** **Percy slammed bungalow 28's door open and almost literally shoved Nico inside.“Okay, the bed near the window is mine because I've always feared to sleep near the door. I mean, it sounds a bit disturbed but... I guess I have problems. Then, we have a little sink in that corner just in case, but if you need to pee or take a shower or anything you have to reach the common bathroom which I'll show you the way for in a minute.”Percy dropped Nico's bag on his bed. “I'll tell you something, that sink isn't so special. The water needs to run for a while until it stops being brown. Then,” he chuckled, “it sometimes happened that we escaped from the window to reach the bus stop and go to town, but I guess it sounds a lot less cool when you say it than when you do it. You could join us if you need anything. We usually go to a tiny supermarket, the only one in town actually. If you hear any animal noise during the night do not get scared; the sound may seem close but they're in fact really far away from here. We've got lights and stuff, animals are scared of them. Actually, I remember of this one time when-”Nico punched the wooden wall to claim for Percy's attention, who didn't seem to have any intention to shut his damn mouth. Nico wasn't sure he remembered all the information Percy had given him in the past thirty seconds.Percy's mouth stayed open, but fortunately no word escaped him.Nico took a deep breath and nodded with gratitude. He gave the room a quick study. Two beds with orange covers had been positioned horizontally in front of the door, the headboards attached to the wall on the left. On the other side of the room, on the opposite wall, a huge window faced a portion of the wood Camp Pegasus was in the middle of. A couple of metres far from the window, parallel to Percy's bed bottom, stood an anonymous sink with a mirror and a tiny towel hanging next to it. There was another window on the door's right.Overall, the bungalow wasn't that bad. Each bed had a quite big night-stand positioned next to it, with three drawers and a lamp. The general atmosphere felt cosy to Nico, with a mixture of warm colours and the wood's scent coming from the windows. It still felt kind of hot at that time of the day, but something suggested that temperatures used to drop off significantly during the night. Their bed covers looked kind of heavy.Nico bit his lower lip and grabbed his notebook from his pocket. He started writing under Percy's impatient look, until he was finally ready to show him.<I didn't intend to offend you. I just got a bit overwhelmed. I apologise.>Percy read with concentration and then rose his eyes to look at Nico. He smiled widely. “I apologise, too. I've got the tendency to overwhelm people when I'm too excited or nervous or both. Especially with people I like. I mean, it doesn't happen really often that... You know what? Nevermind. I'm shutting it.”Nico had to blink a couple of times before being able to form coherent thoughts.That Percy kid was... exasperating. Exhausting. He made Nico feel like he had just run a marathon and lost it miserably. It was kind of endearing, though, the way he constantly tried to keep the conversation up to not make feel Nico embarrassed.Nico had spent eighteen years of his life encountering people who, as soon as they realised Nico wasn't exactly the person they expected, simply ran away. It was easier. His school mates never put too much effort into trying to befriend him. Nico had never minded people avoiding him. No one had ever struggled that much to make Nico feel at ease.Though, Percy Jackson's behaviour – Nico thought - was probably justified by the fact that they had to share a room for three months. That kind of made sense.There was no such thing as interest coming from him. It was simply the need to not get things to turn weird.Nico managed a shy smile. Percy's effort, no matter the reasons behind it, was still significant. He placed his open hand on his chin and directed it at Percy instants later.Percy rose an eyebrow, smiling back. “Was that... thank you?”Nico nodded and the tension in his body eased a bit.“Will you teach me sign language if I manage to remove a few sports from the list of sports I wanted to teach you?”Nico laughed at that. Genuinely laughed at that. He found himself nodding, a weird feeling of relief making its way in his body. He showed Percy his closed fist and shook it a couple of times.“That's yes!” Percy said enthusiastically.Nico turned a page of his notebook and wrote again.<You already know two signs. You're a fast learner.>Percy put a hand on his chin and directed it at Nico.Nico smiled, and probably blushed too.** **Alarms set at 7 am during summer holidays should have been against the law. Especially Camp Pegasus' special idiotic alarm: apparently, every bungalow had a speaker in it which Nico hadn't noticed the day before. And music for children got out of it at full volume at 7 in the fucking morning.Why had no one warned him about it? Was that torture?Nico sat up on the mattress, his hair completely dishevelled, his soul still trapped in another dimension. When he finally managed to focus the room around him, he almost had a heart attack.Percy's belongings were scattered everywhere. Shoes, clothes, socks, a toothbrush, a razor, and even a freaking pair of boxers with fishes on them - fishes – occupied a great portion of the floor and Percy's bed.Much to his luck, Percy was nowhere to be seen.Nico rubbed his eyes and wore his sneakers. He had learnt the night before that flip flops weren't allowed if not to go to the lake. Percy had told him something about snakes. He didn't want to think about it.Yawning shamelessly, he grabbed his bathroom kit and opened the bungalow's door. That section of camp was mostly quiet because children weren't allowed in it. Counsellors didn't take care of them, neither: another section of the camp's personnel helped kids washing themselves, dressing up, eat and other things small children needed help to get done.Nico's sister and the other young counsellors mostly managed camp activities and games, having to take charge of the entertaining part.Nico wasn't going to do any of those activities. He was there exclusively because Hazel had asked a favour for his parents. Thinking about it now, Nico got sad and disappointed. That situation made him feel like a burden for his family. Nico spent a lot of time blaming himself for things he had no control over.Like his tonsils' functioning, for example.As he crossed the counsellors' bungalow section, he noticed a lot of guys and girls around his age wandering around. Some smoked their morning cigarette, others were on the phone, many others chatted on their way to the bathrooms. He even caught a glimpse of two girls iron flattening their hair on the patio.Nico's heart was beating fast. He had never been among so many teenagers without adult supervision. Their parents had denied him to graduate in another city, not to mention in another state. Nico had eventually decided to enrol in an online private college Hades was going to pay for. It wasn't a big deal for him, having been home schooled until the age of eleven.Sometimes though, it just felt like living in a glass case. And it started to make Nico feel like he was made of glass, too.The boys' bathroom was... packed. Luckily enough, it wasn't small. In the middle of the hall towered a long series of washbasins – Nico counted ten on each side of a short ledge that separated them. On the left, there were showers with white curtains. On the right, cubicles with doors Nico supposed being toilets. It was essential, but spacious and well aired. Overall, it could have been worse.The half naked – or integrally naked – well-built boys inhabiting the room were a bonus point for Nico.He immediately spotted Percy and Jason brushing their teeth in front of each other at the very last sinks of the row and reached them.As he placed his little sack next to Percy's, Jason and Percy exchanged an amused look. Percy spit the toothpaste and wiped his mouth.“Did you like the alarm?” He giggled.Nico glared at him warily, fact which made Percy laugh louder. “I knew you were going to adore it!”Nico rolled his eyes, showed him his middle finger and started washing his face.“We're doing camp introductions today. Assigning kids to their groups, getting them to know each others' names and everything. Some kids stay here a week, others a month... we do introductions every Monday just in case.” Jason explained as he wore his t-shirt. Nico wished he hadn't. “You could join. Or I guess... not? You're free to do whatever you want.”“Good morning, ladies.”A blond, very tall guy approached them at the sink. His eyes were light blue, like a clear sky you look at early in the morning. They lingered on Percy's figure longer than necessary. “Who's your new friend here?”Percy pursed his lips and Nico was very surprised. He had met Percy just the day before, but he wouldn't have imagined the guy could have been capable of looking all that pissed off in his entire existence. “Hazel's brother. Not that you should mind.”“Look at who's still mad at me. I texted you for the whole year. You could have answered, Jackson.” The blond guy chuckled with sarcasm. “You and your damn pride. I didn't expect to room with you again, but...”“Luke, I've got nothing to tell you. You fucked up. We are done forever.” Percy locked eyes with him. “And Nico's my room-mate this year. Get over it.”Luke's eyes moved to Nico, who had been furiously analysing their short conversation over and over again in his mind. Were Luke and Percy...?“So Nico is your name. Nice to meet you. How is it that Hazel has never mentioned you?” He asked him with curiosity which didn't sound convincing at all.Nico blinked once. And an answer never came from his lips, obviously. That Luke kid didn't deserve Nico's effort to take his notebook out of his pocket.Jason cleared his throat. “Luke, Hazel mentioned Nico many times. She just didn't mention him to you. Also I suggest you stop asking him stuff since he can't answer. Or don't want to answer, I don't know. But I can understand.” He shrugged.Nico's eyes sparkled. Was Jason Grace being a prick to anyone on that planet? That was an event to take note of, with the date and exact time.“He can't?” Luke turned to look at Nico again, genuine confusion crossing his face.Nico shook his head and brought his fist over his mouth.Luke rose an eyebrow. “Oh. I think I got it.” Then, his attention was on Percy again. And Nico's jaw almost dropped to the floor when he saw him wrapping his arms around Percy's waist. “Can we talk?”Percy instinctively pushed him away. “Hell no! You're like dead to me. Don't touch me.”Luke rose his hands in surrender. “Okay. It's fine. You'll come looking for me. I'm in bungalow 25 this year. That specific bungalow which saw many things last year...” He chuckled and winked at Percy. “If you know what I mean.”Percy took a deep breath and tried not to punch Luke in the face. “Are you done? Can you disappear now?”Luke gave him a nod, turned tail and exited the bathroom.Nico was surprised. He had learnt a lot in just a couple of minutes. First of all, Percy Jackson looked hot when he got mad. Second, Jason wasn't all sweet and kind as he had always thought. More, Percy was into boys. And Jason knew and was supportive of it. Apparently Hazel knew, too.Nico had never mentioned his sexuality to her – to anyone, for all that mattered - , and now he felt stupid not having done it before.The missing piece of that puzzle, though, still remained what did exactly happen last year between Percy and that dude? Nico took a mental note to find out. More simply: he took a mental note to ask Hazel.“Don't mind him, Nico,” Jason interrupted Nico's flaw of thoughts. “Are you joining us, then?”Nico smiled at him with embarrassment and slightly shook his head. He wasn't ready to spend a day among all those people, and kids, and strangers in general. He still didn't feel at ease, and needed some time on his own.If Jason was disappointed, he didn't show it. “It's fine,” he smiled reassuringly. “Come and find us if you feel like doing it.”Percy zipped his bathroom kit and nodded. He was showing his disappointment, though. Or maybe he was still thinking about Luke's interference. “Don't forget breakfast. Use the map.”Nico nodded, and watched as Jason and Percy silently left the bathroom.That Luke guy surely had ruined Percy's mood.** **The days started passing by. They kind of followed a routine, for Nico.He woke up, followed Percy to the bathroom, had breakfast with his sister and her friends. They then would go doing their jobs and Nico would spend the morning on his own, reading a book in his bungalow or near the lake, waiting for lunch. He'd eventually have lunch with the others – he had met Annabeth Chase, the smart blond girl who had roomed with Hazel the previous year; Rachel Dare, who was really good at drawing and painting; Piper McLean, current Jason's girlfriend and a very funny girl who Nico found out liking very much; and finally Frank Zhang, a boy Hazel had always been mentioning and now Nico got the reasons why.His sister definitely was head over hills in love with the guy. It was so obvious and ridiculously evident that Nico wondered how they still weren't a couple.Piper had whispered to his ear, one night during dinner, “don't get mad, but I'll be your sister's bridesmaid of honour one day. I'm not trying to steal that role from you, but I'd look better in heels than you would.”Nico had laughed at that.In the afternoon, Nico usually tried to join the others in their activities. He soon understood it was a bad a idea when Percy managed to convince him into helping the kids wearing their life preservers.Those weren't kids. They were Gremlins. They ran here and there, yelled for no reason, usually cried from time to time.And then, there where those typical older kids who used to be confused about life and started being mean to anyone because of it. They made fun of Nico being mute, giggling behind his back and shouting the worst things until Percy – or the counsellor in charge of the activity – sent them to the camp director.Nico had always hated middle graders. And even if he wasn't a middle grader anymore, he still hated them. He kept wondering how adults managed to repress the urge to slap them in the face constantly.Three or four weeks passed this way. Nico struggled to participate, gave up when something bad happened and ran to his bungalow to try not to cry. He didn't know who to blame for his character being like that – probably himself, but also his parents - , but he couldn't help it. The glass case he was living it menaced to break more and more by the day. And Nico was scared of the consequences.Nico sighed, tossing and turning in his bed once more. It was one of those nights in which his thoughts didn't let him sleep. It occurred a lot, lately.Until Percy turned his lamp on and sat up. He wasn't wearing any shirt.“Okay. You sure do a lot of noise for someone who's mute.”Nico sniffed distractedly and sat on the mattress. He pursed his lips and lowered his eyes in a silent apologise.Percy chuckled. “I'm not mad. But you need to change your course.”Nico rose an eyebrow at him questioningly.“Dress up. We're breaking the rules.”As an obvious reaction coming from Nico, he panicked. He shook his head furiously and refused to do what he was told as Percy got out of his bed and whore his jeans and a random t-shirt.“Hey. It was an order. Dress up! Quick!” Percy clapped his hands and laughed.Nico stared at him as a cold fish, until Percy grabbed his cover and tossed it on the floor. Nico brought his knees to his chest and covered himself instinctively.Percy's shoulders fell in disappointment. “Nico, c'mon. Don't get me to grab your ankles and drag you outside.”Nico's eyes widened, and he stood up in worry. He finally dressed up and bit his lower lip as Percy opened the bungalow's door. When Percy turned around, he put a finger on his mouth and ordered him to shut up.Nico rose an eyebrow at him, sceptic.Percy realised his gesture and covered his mouth not to burst out laughing. “Shit,” he whispered while giggling, “I'm sorry.”Nico shook his head in annoyance and shoved him outside.They woke Jason and Frank up. Then, as silent as cats, they proceeded to wake Rachel and Hazel up. Last step, Annabeth and Piper.Once they were all ready and together, they directed towards the camp's exit.“Jesus, guys,” Piper whispered. “I wonder why this didn't happen before. It's been a month! I need a new lipstick from the store!”Annabeth yawned. “I was all right with it. What time is it?”Frank glanced at his wristwatch. “2 am.”“Fuck,” Rachel concluded.Jason and Percy were having a private conversation behind Nico's back. Nico was struggling to get what was that about, but unfortunately he couldn't hear a thing. Percy looked agitated, kept waving his hands in the air, and Jason nodded seriously in response.Nico just hoped they weren't talking about him, until the name Luke caught his ears.Nico now wished they were talking about him. After that episode in the bathroom a month earlier, Nico had made his researches. He had asked Hazel about Percy and Luke, and eventually he learnt to hate Luke Castellan.The previous year, Percy had finally managed to tell Luke about his feelings and they had started dating. Hearing his sister, they were a really nice couple. They kissed all the time, hand in hand constantly; Percy was deeply in love.Until the day Luke cheated on him and fucked everything up.Apparently, it took Percy the whole year to recover from that brutal break up. He still couldn't hear Luke's name without it changing his mood and getting him mad.Nico was jealous. It was stupid and ridiculous, but the power that Luke's name had on Percy's behaviour made Nico jealous. And Nico didn't even know why.Percy sighed deeply. “Anyway... Nico?”Nico immediately turned around.“Are you ready to see the saddest town you've possibly ever seen?”Nodding a bit reluctantly, Nico let Percy approach and wrap an arm around his shoulders.“There's a single drug store that stays open 24 hours a day. The owner and only working person there is this old lady that will kick your ass if you give her a reason,” Percy chuckled. “Miss Palfrey. Our saviour.”Percy smelled good.“It's just a bus stop away from here. Not a big deal. Don't worry, I'm paying for your ride.”“Ah, no!” Hazel got in the conversation, running after them and punching Percy's shoulder. “I'm paying for the little brother.”Percy's eyebrow furrowed. “What does that mean?! I want to pay for it!”“Why would you even-”“I got him into breaking the rules and... yes?”Nico was patting on his shoulder. He showed Percy his labelled wallet and smiled sheepishly.Hazel laughed loudly. “Apparently he's gonna pay for himself.”Percy rolled his eyes and turned around to whisper into Nico's year. Nico got goosebumps. “Let me offer for this time, okay? I want to.”Nico locked eyes with Percy for an instant. He was so close. It felt weird and made Nico's heart beating fast. Nico smiled. He smiled widely, genuinely and put everything he couldn't say in that smile.As their friends laughed and chatted around them, ignoring them completely, Percy's eyes never left Nico.“You're welcome.”Nico's mind was blown by the smile he received.** **“I can't believe it. There's not my colour.” Piper snorted loudly. The lights of the store were ridiculously bright compared to the outside darkness.Nico chuckled in amusement, picking another lipstick and showing it to Piper. He nodded with a smile and forced her to take it in hand.Piper rose an eyebrow at him. “You're saying this would look good on me.”Nico gave her a thumb up.“You're such a cutie pie. But you know nothing about make up, my dear.” Piper patted Nico's shoulder and giggled. “My skin colour doesn't fit with this lipstick. I'd look like someone on point of death.”Nico shrugged and opened his arms. I tried.“But it'd look great on Annabeth, as pale as she is. Hey, Smart Ass!”Annabeth reached them with a new book at hand. “What?”“Buy this.” Piper handed her the lipstick.Annabeth folded her arms over her chest. “We've known each other for a lifetime. You should know I don't do make up.”“That is why you should buy this.”“You know what I think of make up brands.”Piper rolled eyes. “You're impossible!”“This specific brand does animal testing! It's disgusting.”Nico slowly walked away and let the girls fight over make up brands. He had enough shit to deal with in his life. He didn't need another one to worry about.As his eyes fell on Percy and Jason on the other side of the store, he quickly reached them. They were checking candies.With the corner of an eye, Percy noticed Nico approaching and shoved an uncountable amount of candies and sweets in his arms. “There. Help me carrying them.”Nico looked at the candies in his arms and rose an eyebrow at his with scepticism.“Yeah. I need all of them. Do not make that face at me.”Nico rose his eyebrow higher.“I know it's not healthy! My God, leave me alone.” Percy snorted loudly and kept picking candies up from the shelves.Jason laughed at that scene. “You two have already reached that level of relationship in which you can look at each other in the eyes to know what you're thinking?”Nico blushed furiously, but Percy didn't seem affected by that statement. “Sort of.”“You sure look cute.”Percy was trying to choose between licorice or chocolate muffins. He turned around to look at Nico. “Pick one.”As he gulped in embarrassment, Nico pointed at the chocolate muffins with his eyes.“I knew it.” Percy clicked his tongue in happiness. “Okay, I'm done. Are the girls ready to pay? Did they spend three hours to pick pads already?”“Percy Ass Jackson, pads and tampons are not tax exempt like some other medical necessities. Do you have any idea of how wrong this is?” Annabeth folded her arms over her chest as she approached everyone near the cash register.Nico nodded in agreement.“I sure know,” Percy replied, letting the candies fall on the counter under Miss Palfrey not-so-impressed gaze. “And it sucks. That was a sexist joke and I apologise. Is that better?”Annabeth rolled her eyes and smiled. “You're an imbecile.”“You're just disappointed we never went out.”“Who am I to judge other people's stupid life choices?”Piper and Percy both laughed. “Nico... the candies.”Nico dropped the candies on the counter, and Miss Palfrey started scanning them.“Speaking of sweetness...” Piper murmured, ruffling Nico's hair.Everyone except Nico laughed. The younger kid was too busy blushing.When he rose his gaze at Percy to catch a glimpse of his facial expression, he noticed that Percy was trying to hide the fact that he was blushing, too.“Oh, hey!” Jason shook Piper's hand. “Everyone look outside!”As six heads quickly turned towards the store's huge windows, they noticed that Hazel and Frank were kissing shamelessly in the parking lot and basically stumbling on their feet until Frank's back bumped against a car.Piper covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh my God, they finally made it!”Nico grinned at that scene. He was so happy for his sister. Those two truly loved each other.He shook his head to himself, still smiling and wishing he just could say something – anything – to express his feelings. When he rose his eyes, he casually crossed gazes with Percy, who had been looking at him for apparently no reason.Percy quickly moved his eyes to another target, looking worried.Nico wondered what had just happened.** **The days that followed made Nico feel weird. Percy's behaviour was weird.Nico wasn't sure if he was seeing things, but Percy was avoiding him. He got up earlier, he went to the bathroom alone, had breakfast quickly so that he could leave the table as soon as Nico arrived and disappeared for the rest of the day.Nico was starting to get pissed off. What was that behaviour about? What was he doing wrong that was bothering his room-mate? He had no idea. And he got tired of wondering why things were the way they were.Jason jumped on his bench when Nico patted him on his shoulder. The blond turned around and swallowed his eggs before speaking. “Nico! Good morning.”Nico was deadpan. He really much wanted to fold his arms over his chest, but he needed them to communicate. <Where is Percy?>, he asked in sign language.Jason pretended to be thinking about it. As if Nico was stupid like that. “You know... I have no idea.”Nico pursed his lips. <He was here. Seconds ago. Where is he now?>“Nico, I really don't know. Yeah, I mean... He was here.”Nico got tired of signing a whole sentence. <Avoiding. Why.>Jason got up and grabbed his glasses from the table, wearing them. He wrapped his hands around Nico's shoulders and dragged him a bit far for anyone's ear. “Luke is giving him a tough time. He's... trying to sort some things out.”Nico sighed heavily. That damn guy. <Avoiding. Why?>, he insisted.Jason rubbed his eyes from under his glasses, and then did something Nico didn't fully understand. He smiled. “He's got... conflicting feelings. Don't you get it?”Nico shook his head in worry. <Did I do something wrong?>“No. It's not that kind of conflicting feelings. He's struggling with good feelings, and needs to feel completely done with his past with Luke.”Nico stared at him like a cold fish. He still didn't get it.“Nico.” Jason shook Nico's shoulders. “Give yourself time, mh? Do not worry your head over Percy. He will tell you.” He chuckled, patting his head seconds later and going back to his table.Nico was determined. He was not going to let that sink. He had learnt to kind of like Percy, and he wasn't ready to get used to Percy avoiding him.Percy never shut his mouth, he was loud, he bothered Nico when he was trying to read in peace, he shoved chocolate bars in his lap to annoy the crap out of him, and shoved him into the water when he didn't want to get his clothes wet by standing by the lake. Percy sometimes snored and talked in his sleep, or just got out of bed in the middle of the night to close the window and cover Nico up when he was pretending to be asleep.Damn. Nico already missed Percy's invasion of his personal space. The guy had zero concept of personal space, while Nico was a champion at it.Nico already missed Percy.He bolted to his bungalow, slammed the door open, checked Percy's schedule on the wall and grabbed the bathing suit he had barely used in the past weeks. He wore it and and threw his glasses on the night-stand, directing towards the lake with all the determination he had never used in his life.There he was, Percy, standing on the lake's bridge to teach some kids around the age of ten about the basic signs on how to understand if someone was drowning or not.The kids started splitting in couples.Percy clapped his hands. “Okay! We're making turns. One of you will jump in the water and pretend they're drowning. The other will jump after them and try to save them. Who wants to begin?”The kids started jumping enthusiastically. They seemed very happy at the idea of faking their own death.Nico clenched his fists and crossed the bridge until he reached them.Percy used his whistle to start the training. A girl with a pink bathing suit smiled widely and jumped in the water.“Help! Help! I can't swim!”Percy winked at her friend as she jumped in the water as well, reaching the girl and pretending to be saving her.“Very good!” He showed the girls in the water his thumbs up, and that was when Nico patted on his shoulder.Percy was still smiling when he turned around. He froze at the realisation of what Nico was wearing.“... Nico.”Nico pointed at himself, and then at the water.Percy's eyebrows furrowed. “You told me you can't swim.”Nico repeated the gesture. And them jumped in the water.Percy rose an eyebrow as the two girls climbed on the bridge again.“Percy, is he drowning for real?” One of the girls asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at Percy when Nico didn't emerge from the water.Percy woke up from his daydreaming and threw his whistle on the ground. “Shit!”He followed Nico in the water, and soon every sound was muffled around him.Nico was struggling to reach the surface, and looked visibly scared for what he had just done.Percy promptly swam towards him and wrapped his arms around Nico's chest from behind, swimming up towards the surface and keeping Nico's back against his own chest. When they emerged from the water, the kids started clapping their hands.Nico started coughing and spitting water as Percy swam backwards, towards the lake shore. Eventually, Nico was able to touch the ground and Percy let go of him.They got out of the water.Percy widened his arms. “What the fuck, Nico?!”Nico sniffed loudly and approached him, shoving him back in the water with anger. He pointed at himself.Percy stumbled to get on his feet again, and looked at Nico questioningly. “I don't understand! What?”Nico pointed at himself again, and then he pointed at the ground.“You are... here?”Nico nodded furiously. He then pointed at Percy and then at his eyes.“I have to look at you?”Nico nodded again. He was starting to calm down. Percy seemed to understand. When he pointed at Percy again, then at himself and then widened his arms in a question, Percy gulped loudly.“There's nothing wrong going on between us.”Nico folded his arms over his chest and rose an eyebrow at him sceptically. Really?“Listen... in the past weeks, Luke tried to talk to me. And I kind of listened. I'm just really confused. He asked me to give him another chance and... considering some recent events, I don't know what to do.”Nico's anger increased again. He brought his hands to his head. He wanted to shout, he wanted to say a lot of things, he wanted Percy to open his eyes, to make him understand how people managed to manipulate other people with their words. And he could do none of that. Because he couldn't fucking make a sound, not even a feeble one.Nico shook his head in denial and then fell on in his knees, in the water. He kept tapping his lips with his fingers, as if he was praying some otherworldly presence to give his mouth the power to pronounce any word. He was crying. He sometimes got really tired of his condition.Percy swallowed, kneeling warily in front of Nico. He placed his hands on Nico's shoulder. “Nico. Calm down. It's fine.”Nico shook his head. Nothing was fine.When he rose his head, he didn't look at Percy. He rose his eyes to the sky and glanced around him, at the nature, at the birds, at the trees, the kids. Then, he looked at Percy again. And he pointed at himself.Percy kept looking at him deeply in the eyes. A faint smile started curving his lips. “Are you telling me to choose you?”Nico sniffed again as more tears escaped his eyes. He shook his head.Percy rose an eyebrow and chuckled, trying not to cry too. “Yes, you are! You're a little shit and a liar!”Nico closed his eyes and shook his head firmly.“Okay. Let's pretend you're not. I'm not avoiding you anymore, is it all right?”Nico stood up, and Percy's hands fell from his shoulders. He stood up, too.“Do you want to help me with the lesson?”Nico smiled faintly, and then nodded.** **“What is going on, little brother?”Nico chocked on his water when Hazel appeared from behind his back at dinner.“Do you need to tell me something?” Hazel sat next to him with her tray.<What?>, Nico asked her.“It's been days now. I barely see you! The bookmark in your book is always on the same page. So... what is going on?” Hazel smiled knowingly and elbowed him.Nico tried not to give his sister any kind of satisfaction by smiling, or worse, laughing. He bit his lips and shrugged.“Oh, c'mon!” Hazel begged him, grabbing his arm and shaking it. The water in Nico's glass swung dangerously.Nico deposited it on the table before something bad could have happened to it. <What are you talking about?>“She's talking about your not-relationship with Percy Jackson, who manages to seduce every person he gets to room with.” Jason laughed as he sat in front of them.Nico blushed furiously and tried to melt with the floor.“What?!” Hazel slammed her fists on the table. “Are you fucking around with me?! Percy and you are a thing?! I mean, not that I never noticed you kind of liked boys...”Nico's eyes widened, his mouth drying in an instant.“No, they're not. Have you heard me? Not-relationship.” Jason stated, “that's how Percy defined it.”Nico squinted at Jason and snapped his fingers to claim for his attention. <What did he say?!>Jason and Hazel giggled. “He said that a couple of weeks ago you almost drowned yourself to get him to notice you.”Hazel snorted.“And then you started following him everywhere as if it was a normal thing. Which, in fact, he's totally fine with.”Nico pursed his lips. <Liar.>“How is he a liar? He's got a point. Why don't you two make out already and make it official?” Hazel shrugged.“That's a statement coming from you, Miss I crushed hardcore on Frank Zhang for four years and told him just now.”Nico folded his arms over his chest and nodded knowingly at his sister. Exactly.Hazel rolled her eyes and forked her potatoes. “You are impossible.”“Nico! Oh. Hey, guys,” Percy smiled as he panted, having run to reach them, his tray in hand. “I hadn't seen you being here.” He nonchalantly sat next to Nico and stole a potato from his dish. “You fine?”“We're excellent.” Jason smiled brightly, intentionally brightly.Percy snorted in amusement. “What is up to you, Jay? New toothpaste?” He looked at Nico as he chuckled.Hazel wanted to slap them in the face. The level of cuteness was unbearable.“Something like that. Are we going in town, tonight?”Percy shook his head. “I don't know. I'm tired as hell. You wanna go, Nico?”Nico swallowed his salad and questioningly looked at Percy for a full minute.Jason cleared his throat. “Nico, I think that means Percy's doing what you're doing.”Nico blushed, opening his mouth in an silent oh. He shook his head almost imperceptibly.Percy shrugged. “We're not coming. But you can go without us, guys!”“Sure thing,” Hazel winked at Jason knowingly.Jason chuckled at her.** **Nico was fast asleep when the first pebble against the window woke him up. He sniffed loudly, rubbing his eyes when the second pebble hit the window again.As he sat up on the mattress, he noticed that Percy was nowhere to be seen. Another pebble was thrown against the glass.Nico snorted and got up, grabbing his notebook from the night-stand and opening the window near Percy's bed. He then started writing on the notebook and positioned it on the windowsill.Percy appeared from a behind the tree. “Damn. I was trying to hide.” He approached the window and read Nico's note. This bungalow is on the ground floor. And you're my room-mate. Why are you doing this to me? Percy laughed. “Leave the notebook. I need to show you something. Wear your flip flops.” He winked at him.Nico rose an eyebrow at him sceptically, but did how he was told. As he went for the door, Percy called him from the outside. “No! Climb the window, like in the movies!”Nico slowly turned around and gave him a look.Percy chuckled. “C'mon, don't argue with me. You know it's not gonna work. I promise it's gonna be worth it.”Nico rolled his eyes and climbed the window, helped by Percy. When his feet touched the ground, he instinctively grabbed Percy's arm and glanced around him with fear.“Don't worry. It's safe. Just trust me.”Nico squeezed his arm. He trusted him.Percy smiled in the darkness of the night, and they crossed a little portion of the wood in silence, exception made for a few sticks breaking under their feet.When they reached the lake, Nico had to hold his breath.“You know,” Percy began. “We weren't this close the last full moon, so I had to wait for another month before showing you. And... That's it. Do you like it?”For the first time in his life, Nico felt speechless. Not speechless in the common meaning; speechless as if he truly felt like he didn't need words in that moment. And he didn't want words, in that moment.The moon towered proudly over their heads, perfectly round and bright and magnificent, creating a breathtaking game of lights on the water surface.Nico squeezed Percy's arm tighter and made him turn towards him. Crickets were singing around them to keep company to the sound of water lapping against the shore. Nico trembled a bit.And Percy's eyes fell on Nico's lips.He didn't say a word. He kissed Nico.Nico held his breath as Percy's hands gently cupped his face to feel his warmth against the skin, and he closed his eyes. He grabbed Percy's shirt and sighed deeply into the kiss, opening his mouth and letting Percy in.Nico's life was being blown. The glass case he was living in broke into pieces, and Nico felt free for the very first time.Percy's hands moved to Nico's neck as he tilted his chin to kiss him deeply. Percy's kiss was growing more passionate, and Nico had to grab his biceps not to stumble.Percy giggled against his lips. They separated. “Holding on to me for dear life? What if we both fall?”Nico smirked knowingly, and then shrugged. He shoved Percy into the water.“What?!” Percy yelled and laughed the same time. “Jesus! It's freezing!”Nico smiled widely and followed him into the water. He widened his mouth when his belly came in contact with the cold liquid.Percy laughed louder at that. “I warned you!”Nico reached him and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck, attaching their lips together once more and making Percy stumbling. They both laughed on the other's mouth as Nico wrapped his legs around Percy's waist and let Percy bring him whenever he wanted.When they separated, Nico noticed that Percy's eyes looked even more beautiful under the moonlight.Nico took a deep breath. He made a cross with his arms over his chest, and then pointed at Percy with his index finger.Percy was slightly trembling. “You taught me that word. It's love.”Nico nodded, and a tear escaped his eyes.Percy smiled. “I love you too.”Nico pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes. Percy was caressing his sides gently.There was no need to say anything else.
10869822
Its the Side Effects
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen", "Fandom": "Arrow (TV 2012)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by theshipsfirstmate", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-10T00:00:00", "words": "1,555", "Additional Tags": "5x20 fic, Not A Fix-It, just a bunch of angst", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Title from “Graceless” by The National.  It’s the Side Effects That Save Us It says something about them, that he only apologizes when he thinks it might be the end, and she only does it when it’s time to begin again.Felicity walks into Oliver’s room at the ARGUS facility on legs that still feel like pins and needles. But they’re working, well enough to be there when he asks for her, and that’s what’s important right now. Of course, it’s the first thing he points out, and she can’t help but remember the last time, how she stood again in front of him, how she walked, and how it led them to this moment.The first time she lost her legs was a lot like the first time she lost him, a shock to the system that very nearly took her under for good. How do you unlearn something your body’s known forever? How do you let go of something that’s been there from the start? She had sat alone in a hospital room like this one, waiting for him, just like she had sat alone in the bunker after he left for Nanda Parbat. Both times, she wept – first for him, then for herself, and then for what could have been.Tonight, she lost her legs first, like some kind of cosmic retribution for learning to stand on her own. But that hadn’t been anywhere near as painful or devastating as watching Oliver collapse in the tunnel underneath the bunker, knowing she was powerless to save him. Even worse, somehow, had been the words he uttered before losing consciousness.He had apologized like a penance, forcing out a confessional with what he thought might be his dying breaths, even as she begged him not to. She’s heard so many goodbyes trip from his lips and still, when he spat back up the poison that Chase had force-fed him, the last salvageable pieces of her heart had ground to dust.“I don’t trust myself,” he had whimpered, begging her with everything he had left to believe him. And she did, Felicity knew for certain in that moment. She dug her nails into his chest, tears soaking through the front of his shirt as blood seeped through the back, and promised herself that if he came back to her this time, she’d remind him once again.She knows who he is, even when he forgets. She’s known him since the day his blood stained the backseat of her old car and all the perplexing pieces of his persona fell together. She knows him well enough to promise him that the things that villain planted in his head aren’t true, and they never have been. She knows him well enough that she was ready to promise him “‘til death do us part,” even when they both knew that could be sooner rather than later.The man she fell in love with. Every time she utters the phrase, Oliver shifts almost imperceptibly, as if he’s so sure she’s talking about someone else. But that’s who he is, even still. After everything they’ve lost and everything they’ve been through, she knows him, and she loves him. Felicity tries to cut through his tortured and battered psyche to tell him as much – there are only so many words she can say out loud – and then he saves them both all over again.Now, mercifully alive in front of her, Oliver reaches for her hand and she clutches back tightly as a million memories of being tangled up with him flash through her mind. The last time they sat in a hospital room together, his eyes were sparkling like his mother’s ring and he was trying to cheer her up with promises she thinks they both knew, even then, that he wouldn’t be able to keep.And so it’s fitting now, perhaps, that this next chapter of their story starts with another mess of half-truths, strung together like an inelegant elegy.She tells him that she’s sorry, again, even if she’s as unsure about saying the words as he seems to be hearing them. Maybe it’s because he’s already said them once tonight, it’s her turn. Maybe it’s because she knows that two wrongs have never made a right. Maybe it’s because she keeps realizing that it doesn’t hurt any less to lose him, now that he’s no longer hers to hold.She doesn’t tell him that, when she pressed her ear to his chest earlier, desperate to hear his heart beat, a tiny part of her had been grateful that if this was it, they would at least go together this time.She tells him about Billy, tells him that her quest for retribution started when Prometheus put an arrow in her next best attempt at happiness. She tells him that mostly to keep the guilt off of the broad shoulders that already carry the weight of the world.She doesn’t tell him that she discovered how to turn heartbreak into vengeance years ago. She got a taste after Cooper, but it was loving Oliver that helped her perfect the practice. She doesn’t tell him that she’s been headed down this path since she stuck a needle in Slade Wilson’s neck and sneered in the face of three different Demon’s Heads. All for him. She doesn’t tell him that one of the reasons Billy’s death had knocked her so sideways is because she had only ever prepared herself to avenge one man.She tells him that she’s gotten a taste of what he’s been through, though really it was a bitter mouthful.She doesn’t tell him that it wasn’t his lack of support that she had longed for while diving headfirst and headstrong into Helix. It was him. Him and John and the rest of the team too, but mostly him. In a room full of similarly-minded peers, she’s never felt more alone than when Alena pressed a gun into her hand with a smile that understood more than she did.She tells him that he was right, she was becoming like him. But she makes it sound like it’s something reversible. There’s no limit to what he can do if he thinks he can save her, they’ve already proven that a few times today, and more than anything, she wants to give him something to believe in. He’s so beautiful with hope in his eyes.She doesn’t tell him that he hasn’t been watching closely enough to see that her metamorphosis is already complete. Just like him, she had become someone else in Russia, ready to wrap herself around an atomic bomb to save the lives she couldn’t get back in Havenrock. There’s no coming back from the place that she’s sunken to, and the rational part of her knows that’s something Oliver would understand all too well. But she won’t give him more to carry, not right now.She saves the biggest lie for last, and it nearly sticks in her throat.She’ll never understand why he lied to her about William. Never. Not when there was a diamond on her finger and room on their mantle for more family photos. She’s re-lived that moment a million times in her head, and not even in her wildest, most irrational imaginings, does she see herself reacting in a way that would justify his secrecy.It wasn’t about his trust in her, that’s what he says. But there’s nothing else it could be, and even if hindsight is 20/20, the secrecy, that specific deception had picked painfully at some of her oldest scars.But there’s no time now, to cry for herself. Chase knows about William, which means that’s what’s coming next. And she can’t let Oliver shut her out again, not when his biggest battle lies ahead, not when his son’s life is on the line.Felicity can’t save the world, or even the city, but maybe she can save him from himself. And after their ordeal tonight, she’s newly aware, with stark clarity, that she’s still willing to die for him, no matter what role she plays in his living. She’ll give him anything if he’ll let her help, even an apology that she only half believes.She tells him these lies, and then she tells him something true.She’s tells him that it’s time for him to figure out who he is, because she’s not sure how many more times she can remind him. She tells him that because she can’t say I still love you, not out loud. Not just yet. She tells him that because this magnetic pull between the two of them feels as inevitable as it always did. For as long as they keep at this noble and unrewarding work, they’ll be in each other’s orbit and she can’t stay by his side without remembering what it was like to be even closer.She doesn’t tell him that she misses him so much she can’t breathe sometimes, doesn’t tell him that she can’t tell if the ache in her chest is hardened hollowness or the space he used to fill. She doesn’t tell him that tonight, when she returns to the empty home they once shared, she’ll cry – first for him, and then for herself, and then for what’s to come.
10824897
Vampire nerd
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": null, "Fandom": "One Direction (Band)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by eilaen_subres", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-05T00:00:00", "words": "2,502", "Additional Tags": null, "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Marcel/Louis Tomlinson", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
(Marcel’s POV)I woke up from my short sleep at about 7:00 am, I got up out of bed and took a shower. I got out, dried off and styled my hair and got dressed. I went down to the kitchen and grabbed 2 blood bags, drinking one and then emptying the other into a metal travel mug. I checked the time and seen that I had about 30 minutes until I had to be at school. I locked my house and walked out to my car, it’s nothing special just a small black mini cooper. I drove to school and parked in the back of the car park. I kept my head down and walked quickly to my locker. I grabbed my history textbook and put the metal coffee cup on the shelf, I didn’t want it to spill during class and have everyone find out my secret. There were a small hand full of kids at the school that were openly vampires but everyone either feared them and kept a distance or they were super popular and everyone wanted to be their friend, and i don’t want either of those. I walked into my first class and took a seat in my assigned desk. A few minutes later, the bell rang and kids quickly came into the classroom before the teacher did. One of which was Louis, my bully and long time crush. In class my mind wandered as the teacher rambled about the revolutionary war. “Mr. Styles!” I shook my head and looked at the teacher in embarrassment. “Now, as I was explaining, what was the first battle of the revolutionary war?” She asked. ‘Pft, easy...I fought in that battle’. I thought and rolled my eyes. “The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775.” I said quietly. “Very good Mr. Styles now no more daydreaming.” she said sternly, i nodded and paid attention the rest of class.When my 3rd period class got out I quickly went to my locker, only to be stopped by Louis and his group of friends. “Hey nerd boy! Where do you think your going?” Louis taunted. I was starting to get hungry and felt my eyes and the veins around my eyes go black, my fangs also started to grow. I squeezed my eyes shut and looked down at the ground. I willed myself to calm down and my face went to normal. I looked up and received a punch to the jaw, me being a vampire it didn’t hurt that much. But i had to do a bit of acting so i turned my cheek and whimpered out quietly. After Louis and his posse had their fill of punching me, i got up off the floor and went to my locker. I grabbed a book and my coffee mug, walked to a table in the corner of the canteen and sat down. I took a sip of the red liquid and hummed at the taste. I licked my lips and went back to playing on my phone. When lunch was over I rinsed my cup out in the bathroom, careful that no one seen me, and then i went to my locker and got my books for my next class. I walked into the room and sat down in my assigned seat, a few minutes later i seen louis and his friends walk into class. And just to my luck his seat is right behind me. Half way through the lesson I felt a piece of paper hit the back of my head, I gripped my mechanical pencil tightly and snapped it in half like a toothpick. When another hit my head and a few chuckles followed i took a deep breath and turned around. “Can you stop?” I asked politely. Louis’ smirk turned into a glare and he leaned in closer, i backed up a bit. “Shut the fuck up and no i won’t stop.” I looked down and turned back to my seat. “Now class you are going to be starting a project, you will have assigned partners and you will have to write a 2 page paper about them and how getting to know your peers is positive for students.” the teacher said, many students groaned. When she started reading off names, i crossed my fingers and hoped that i didn’t get paired with any of the jocks. Well apparently luck was not on my side because Louis’ name and my name were called out together. After class I turned to Louis and he sent a harsh glare my way. “I want to hurry up and get this stupid project over...when are we working together?” he asked. “I don’t have time, i'll email you stuff about me later just...i...you can’t come over and yeah.”When school got out I went to my locker to get my book bag, but my locker was slammed shut and i was whipped around. Louis slammed me against the locker and i put a fake pained look on my face. “Aww is the nerd gonna cry?” one of Louis’ friends, Zayn, pouted fakely. Everyone snickered at his comment and a few of the other boys started beating me up, it didn’t hurt at all since I heal very quickly and it’s hard for humans to do any damage with their fists. I faked getting really hurt and they all walked away snickering and smirking. I picked myself up off the floor and dusted off my pants. I walked back out to the car park but as i was unlocking my car I felt a gust of wind and felt a presence behind me. A low voice spoke in my ear, “Meeting tonight, be there at 11 sharp.” I nodded lightly and the presence was gone. I got in my car and drove home, when I got home i showered and pulled on a pair of boxers. I looked into the mirror and seen my tattoos and the bite scars all over my body. Before i was turned i was kidnapped and was used and a personal blood bag for a house of vampires, until one decided to turn me. I broke out of my thoughts, went back downstairs and sat down on the couch. “I should go to the bank again” I muttered before taking another drink. A knock was heard at the door and i got up to go open the door. I opened up the door and smiled. “Hey! What are you doing here?!” I said excitedly before bringing them into a hug. “Harry! Mate haven’t seen you in 50 years! I was passing through town and decided to drop by.” I smiled and pulled back. “Come in, we got some catching up to do Liam.” I stepped aside and he came inside. I used vampire speed and ran upstairs to put on a black tee shirt and black skintight jeans (also my tattoos were on display). I came back downstairs in 5 seconds and grabbed 2 blood bags and poured them into two glasses. I came back into the living room and gave a glass to Liam. We sat down on the couch and talked about everything that has happened while we were apart.“So I’m in town for the meeting, are you coming?” Liam asked, i nodded. “What do you think they’re going to talk about?” I asked swirling around the liquid in my cup. “Eh, probably just the usual human problems…” Liam said trailing off into an awkward silence. “Hey Li, wanna go out for a run?” i asked. Liam nodded and got up with a smile. We walked out the backdoor and stopped on the patio. “Wanna go to the lake?” Liam asked, I nodded and we both raced each other to the lake. At the lake we spotted Louis and one of his friends, Liam looked over to me and smirked. “Fancy a snack?” I frowned and shook my head, putting a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “No, liam! You can’t do that and you know it’s against the law here!” I scolded liam and rolled his eyes. “Fine..” he grumbled. The law that pertains to not feeding off of humans is heavily enforced in my city/area, but where Liam is from said rule isn’t really enforced. I scoffed and walked to the shore line. “C’mon haz! I was just messin with ya!” Liam called out. I picked up a flat rock and skipped it across the lake, i watched the ripples disturb the calm water. I skipped another rock, but suddenly I heard a gasp and a pained cry. I looked about 300 meters away and seen Louis clutching his knee, there was a cut in the side of his knee. I looked over at liam and his gaze was focused on the pair. “LIAM...NO!” I shouted. Liam used vampire speed and ran over to the boys. Liam gripped Louis by the collar and I raced to them. “LIAM! Stop!!” I pulled Liam off of louis and pushed him away, he flew back 10 meters from my force. “Hey, do i know you from somewhere?” I shook my head. “Erm, no sorry...I apologise for my friends behavior.” I turned on my heels and walked over to Liam. “You need to control yourself..” I scolded, but sighed when liam gave me a guilty look. “Hey! Wait up...I didn’t get your name!” Louis and his friend came over to us. “Uh, i’m Harry and this is Liam.” I said awkwardly. “Listen as much as i’d love to talk, we gotta go…” I said as I looked at the time. I nodded to Liam and we raced back to the house. ~~Time skip~~I got up in the morning and looked around, Liam and I were in someone’s living room. There was a few other vampires and humans around, the vampires cleaning up all of the red solo cups and beer bottles. I slapped Liam in the chest and he jolted awake. “Wha?” liam mumbled. “Li, get up...great, i’m late for school..” I grumbled. I walked out of the house and drove with Liam to my house. I got out of the car, ran inside and quickly showered. I looked through my closet and groaned, i don’t have any clean ‘nerd’ clothes. I sighed and pulled on a fresh pair of calvin klein boxers, black skin tight skinny jeans and a grey sweater. I put on my glasses, put on some cologne, styled my hair and grabbed my book bag. I quickly emptied a blood bag into my cup and ran out the door to my car. I drove to school and quickly went to my locker. On the way to my class, i was stopped by Zayn (one of Louis’ friends). Now mind you i was cranky, late for school and i didn’t have my morning glass of blood. He shoved me against the lockers and smacked the books out of my hands. In a flash I pinned Zayn against the lockers with one hand, a shallow dent was made from the impact of his body. Zayn gasped and tried to pry my hand off of his shirt with both of his hands. I felt my eyes go black and my fangs came in, but i couldn’t care less as i growled low in my throat. The color drained from his face and Zayn looked as if he was about to cry. I dropped his shaking figure and he collapsed to the floor. I crouched down to his level and warned him lowly. “Nobody will know about this...if i hear you say one thing about this, i will come after you and drain your body...understand?” I said deathly serious, my eyes and fangs still visible. He frantically nodded and I gathered up my books. I was 2 class periods late and awkwardly walked into my third hour class. Everyone’s eyes followed me to my seat. “Late, mr. styles?” I nodded and bit my lip. “I’ll excuse you seeing that it’s your first tardy...but be on time from now on.” I nodded again and grabbed my notebook. At lunch i walked into the canteen, I found my usual table and sat down. I looked around the room and locked eyes with Zayn. He visibly gulped and i smirked darkly out of old habit, but shook my head. ‘Not again, I’m not that monster.’ I thought.(Zayn’s POV) -super short-After the thing with marcel i was very shaken up, but when i seen him smirking at me darkly from across the lunchroom I gulped in fear my hands also slightly trembled. I was terrified of vampires since i was 12, I had watched one kill my sister. Since then i almost never stay out past midnight and I always lock my doors and windows before bed. And now knowing that marcel, the nerd we bully, is a vampire scares me. But i also know about the law, he can’t drink any of my blood. That put me a bit at ease, but still. “Hey Zayn, you alright mate?” Louis asked, I nodded and went back to eating. About halfway through lunch, i watched as marcel got up from his seat and walked out of the lunch room. After lunch, I walked with Louis and Niall to English and sat down in my desk. (3rd person POV)Louis and Marcel went to the back of the classroom to work on their paper. “So when are we going to work on this paper?” Louis asked, Marcel sighed and drug a hand down his face. He knew that there was no avoiding them having to work outside of class. “Ok, well i’m free on Wednesday, Thursday and today after school until 6, otherwise i’m busy.” Louis nodded and leaned back in his chair, throwing a pencil at Niall. “Wha?” The blonde mumbled as he was just sleeping. Louis moved his chair to Niall’s desk and leaned on the top with his elbows. “Mate...you’ll never guess what happened at the lake yesterday.” He said quietly, but marcel could still hear clearly thanks to his enhanced hearing. “We were walking around the lake, right? And i tripped over something and scraped my leg...out of nowhere a vampire and came at me. But i managed to fight him off.” He said cockily to the small group that had gathered around the desk. ‘Yeah right, you couldn’t have take on a vampire that old’ Marcel thought, as he rolled his eyes. The bell soon rang and everyone filed out of the room. Louis stopped in front of marcel and handed him a piece of folded paper. “You can come over for a few hours after school today so we can work on this stupid paper...but i have practice until 5 so don’t show up til then.” Marcel nodded and grabbed his books before going out of the class.
10863651
The Stem of All Evil
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Keith (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Shiro (Voltron)", "Fandom": "Voltron: Legendary Defender", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-10T00:00:00", "words": "2,142", "Additional Tags": "stress for poor Keith, Fluff", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "The Arms of Voltron", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
"Math is stupid!" Keith threw down his Algebra book. "Why does it have to be so... Rrrgh!" He ran his fingers through his hair. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why had he thought he could take two math courses at once? He wasn't good at math! How was he supposed to juggle algebra 2 and Calculus as well as all his other classes? He had barely passed Geometry! He never should have taken the Stem course. He never should have let the counselor talk him into it. He banged his head on the wall."Um... Are you okay?"Oh. His mechanic. Great. The girl was fine, but she always wanted to help, when he didn't need any help.  He didn't need anyone. "I'm fine!""Are you sure?""Yes! Stop trying to help me! I don't need anyone's help, and I certainly don't need yours!"She flinched, and he immediately felt bad. But he couldn't apologize. It would sound fake. "I've got homework to do. Go away, you're distracting me."She left without a word. Keith's guilt grew, but he didn't react. She'd forgive him. That was how she was. He turned back to his algebra. He could do this.  He couldn't  do this. Stupid quadratics. Stupid math. His brain couldn't focus, and he still had English, Physics and Economics class homework. He was worthless at this. Stupid. Just. Needed. To. Focus. "Hey, I heard you needed some help with math."What? Who was this girl?"My name is Katie Holt. Leah, your mechanic, sent me."Holt... Where had he heard that name before? Oh, yeah. Shiro's flight group. So she had lost someone to the mission as well. But wait... She was younger than him!"Aren't you a little young for this kind of math?""No.""I don't need help."Katie Holt crossed the room without asking, peering at his homework. "Yeah, well, all of those solutions are wrong, so I'd say you do.""I'm fine!" He wasn't fine. "Get out of my room!"She held up her hands peaceably. "Okay. Just saying. Here's my number if you need me." She set down a sticky note and left. Keith put his head on his desk. He would never get this.  "F. Kogane, you failed."Keith avoided his teacher's eyes."Did you even try.""Yes. I did.""It doesn't look like it.""Well, I did, Sir."Mrs. Leon glared at him. "That would be a ma'am."Keith closed his eyes. He'd been up all night trying to figure this out. "I'm sorry, ma'am.""Kogane, I'm disappointed in you."Ah. There it was. the D word. Something Shiro had never said. Something his dad had never said."If you can't handle this, maybe you shouldn't be here."Keith sighed. "I'm trying, ma'am.""Try harder.""Yes ma'am" The teacher moved away. Keith could feel his face burn as his classmates snickered. It didn't help that Leah's gaze was both sympathetic and accusing.  "Leah, we've got a gas leak, please fix it.""What percent are we losing gas at?""What? I don't know, just fix it.""Maybe you'd know if you'd let Katie help you!""Are we really doing this right now?""Yes!""Uh guys," interrupted their communication's officer, a guy named Joe, "Maybe we could talk about this later?""Thank you, Joe. Leah, go fix that tank."Leah crossed her arms. "No. not until you talk to me.""Seriously? We're going to crash and you're trying to talk?!""Yes! You need to let me help you!""I don't need to do anything! But you need to fix that tank, or we're history!"Fuel systems failing the computer remarked calmly please fix soon."See? Even the computer agrees with me! Go fix it!""I swear, you never pay attention! It's like you're ADD or something!""Took you long enough to figure it out. Now fix it!" Fuel tank has been destroyed. Please take immediate action. "Great, we're past the point of no return. Good job, Leah. Now be quiet." Keith took hold of the controls and steered the ship down towards the Earth's surface. "Come on, come on, come on," he muttered, putting more pressure on the throttle, trying to make the most of his fuel. "You can make it, come on!" There was a bleeping in his ear as the red warning lights started to flash. "I know, I know, too much atmospheric pressure, going to burn up. Leah, maybe you should've checked our heat shields!""Too late.""What?"Leah pointed. Sure enough, the heat and fire was speeding up, reaching towards the gas tank. "You're too late." Simulation failed. "Alright, cadets." Iverson stuck his head in the door. "Anyone care to tell me what just happened?""Sir-""Don't sir me, Garza." Leah flinched. "If you and Kogane are having relationship issues, you take them outside of the simulators. You don't screw up your whole test."There were snickers with the word relationship and a couple of wolf-whistles back where Iverson couldn't see. Keith turned bright red."Smith is the only one who didn't screw up, because he didn't have a chance to!""Commander, I-""Kogane," Iverson growled, right up in Keith's face, "I've heard you aren't doing to well in your other classes. I already knew you weren't a genius, you're barely average, and you don't follow orders well. But I was willing to over look those things for that." He pointed at the simulator. "And then that abomination happened. Keep screwing up and you're out in the street. I won't tell you again."  "Argh!" Keith threw his math book at a wall. There was no way. absolutely no way he could do this. Stupid Iverson. Stupid Stem course. His Physics, Economics and English book followed his Calculus and Algebra book. He collapsed into his desk chair, head in hands. What was he going to do? "Kogane! Pay attention!"Keith snapped up in his desk, out of the light doze he'd slipped into. "Sorry sir- I mean ma'am, I meant ma'am!""Kogane! Do you ever wonder why you're failing? It's probably because you are falling asleep in class!""I'm sorry.""Sorry isn't good enough! If your behavior doesn't improve, I swear I will see you out!""Yes ma'am" "Hey, cowboy."Oh. great. One of his classmates who had an I.Q. of probably negative ten. Keith had no idea how he'd gotten in, but he got the feeling that it had been of his stupid rich parents."I'm talking to you cowboy. Are all Texans this stupid?""Go away.""Aw, does Kogane want to cry? Does he miss his horse? Is he sad that his girlfriend broke up with him?""Shut up and get get out of here.""And what're you going to do?" Keith ignored him and kept walking."Hey, I said, whatcha going to do?""Keith doesn't speak idiot. Try again with more intelligence." Leah slipped her hand into Keith's. "Oh, I forgot. Idiot is the highest intelligence level you speak. Whoops.""Garza, I'm going to...""Going to what?" Leah nodded at the teachers in the hall. "Choose your next words very carefully."The idiot looked around and then slunk off, defeated.Leah turned to Keith, confident air dissipating as she released his hand. "I... I'm sorry!""What? What are you sorry for?""I... I was so mean! I sent Katie, even though you didn't want any help, and I didn't notice that you're ADD, and if you get kicked out, it'll be my fault because I made us fail the flight simulator, and... and...""Leah...""Don't say anything. If you hate me, I deserve it.""Leah, don't apologize for something somebody should have done a long time ago.""What?""Honestly? The last time someone forced help on me, it was Shiro. And I'm just not... I don't like depending on people.""Why not? You have to depend on someone.""Because if you depend on someone, they'll let you down.""Keith, that's not true.""Yes it is. You can only depend on yourself.""Keith, why..."Keith clenched his fists, trying not to let tears fall. "I've depended on two people in my life. And they're both gone. One's dead, and the other one is in space. The ones you depend on will always disappoint you.  it's a fact of the universe." He ran away, away from her sympathetic eyes, away from her desire to help him, away from caring about someone again.  Keith slumped in his chair. He might as well give up. There was no way he could handle this. He was going to fail, get kicked out and never be a pilot. You have to depend on someone.Something caught his eye. Kaite's number. Hadn't he thrown that away? He reached towards it, before hesitating.You have to depend on someone.Why not?Because she was younger than him, it was a little humiliating, and he was trying to do this by himself.But then again, he wasn't doing to great, and if she could help him... He took in a deep breath and texted the number.  Katie looked up from her computer as she heard a little beep from her phone. She picked it up. Unknown text.Hi. Keith Kogane here. Could you help me please? She smiled. "Nice boxers.""Please don't.""Sorry. So... velocity, time, distance... alright. Let's do this. Katie explained it for an hour, and Keith still didn't really get it. She huffed with impatience and picked up a little rocket ship that Shiro had given him before he left."Okay. If I were to drop this from my height , and you wanted to catch it when it was an inch above the ground, which I'd say would take about, oh, 3 seconds, and you're moving at about half a foot a second from your distance of a foot, how long would you have to wait to dive and catch it?""I don't know... one second?""Wrong." Katie dropped the statue, Keith jumping to catch it. He got up, glaring."What is wrong with you?"Katie looked at her stopwatch. "1.5 seconds. and you caught it an inch above the ground. There's your answer. She snatched the statue out of Keith's grasp and moved back a foot. "Now when would you have to move?"  "Alright. I'm standing on this chair, which gives me 5 seconds before it hits the ground. You're across the room, which is about ten feet. How soon do you dive?"0.001" Keith prepared to jump."Correct." Pidge jumped off the chair. "Good job." She set the statue back on Keith's desk and walked towards the door."Hey, wait, what about this?" Keith waved the homework."I'm not going to hold your hand. I showed you, figure it out." She shut the door behind her. Keith stared at his homework. Suddenly, he understood this. it was just like the statue. Different distances and times, but the same basic principle. He could do this.  "Kogane!""Yes ma'am?""Who did you cheat off of?""What?""You heard me! Which person let you copy their answers?""I don't know what you're talking about.""Math abilities don't change overnight! You couldn't've thought of this by yourself, so who did you cheat off of?!""Nobody, ma'am. I did them myself.""Alright, class. Who let Kogane cheat off them? Miss Garza?"Leah pointed to her C and then to Keith's B. "No, ma'am.""I didn't cheat. I had help explaining the concept.""Oh, really."Keith nodded. He could stop now. He didn't have to keep going. But thinking of Katie, forced to take Algebra when she was on a higher level, kept him talking. "A girl named Katie Holt.""An eighth grader. You're telling me an eighth grader is smarter than you." Snickers."She's probably smarter than everyone in this class." The snickers halted."Is that so.""Yeah, it is. you should definitely look into letting her into a higher class." There. Social suicide committed. And it felt wonderful.  "Kogane!""Hello, Katie. I was actually about to text you. I need help on my- What's wrong?"Katie had tears streaming from her eyes, and a piece of paper in her hand. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Keith's waist. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.""What?"Katie handed Keith the piece of paper she was holding. Dear Miss Holt: It has come to our attention that you possess math skills above your grade level. If you would prefer, you can take a test and skip math levels Algebra-Calculus and various sciences, as well as English, and join older students in engineering and communication. You would be assigned to a flight group and would graduate along with the higher classes. We sincerely hope you will consider this offer and join us at the Garrison. Commander Iverson "Leah told me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
10811088
Hungry
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": "Lavender Brown, Ron Weasley", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by luvscharlie [archived by thequidditchpitch_archivist]", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2008-11-13T00:00:00", "words": "487", "Additional Tags": "Romance, Fluff, Explicit Language, Alternate Universe, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Drabble, Post-War", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "The Quidditch Pitch", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Lavender arrived shortly before the Cannons' practice ended, and found a seat in the stands to observe Ron as he made another lap around the pitch. Her entire office was having lunch at the Leaky Cauldron today, and it would be the first time she had the opportunity to show off her handsome, fit, new husband.Ron caught sight of her on his next loop around the pitch and raised his hand in greeting. She waved back as Coach Flint signaled the end of practice.That's when she showed up. Pansy Parkinson's father buying the team had come as an unwelcome surprise, and Ron had ranted about it for days on end. He had not, however, mentioned that Pansy had started showing up at practices and making eyes at him. And, there was no other way to describe that leer without being crude. Lavender had to remind herself that she was a lady.When Pansy engaged Ron in conversation, touching his chest unnecessarily and laughing melodically at something he said, however, Lavender quickly forgot any notions of what was or was not ladylike and made her way out of the stands and across the pitch to where Ron and that slag were holding their conversation.She cleared her throat loudly when she approached and moved to take her place at Ron's side. He put an arm around her waist and when Pansy didn't acknowledge her, he prodded. "Pansy, you remember Lavender.""Brown," she said."My last name is Weasley," Lavender corrected.Pansy gave her a disdainful glance and curt nod of acknowledgement, then turned back as though she intended to continue her conversation with Ron.He, however, had other ideas. "Just let me put my broom away and we'll be ready to go."Lavender nodded at her husband with a wide smile, and he headed off toward the changing rooms at a quick pace.Pansy gave her a look that clearly said, 'I'm better than you,' and asked, "So, how did you manage to land the best Keeper in the League? He's a star. What is he doing with you?"Before she could answer, Ron broke in. "The question, Parkinson, is how did I get so lucky?""Whatever," Pansy retorted, though she was clearly ruffled by Ron's reply. She rolled her eyes, turned and stalked off the pitch.Lavender grabbed hold of him and with a soft "crack" they were standing in their bedroom."Lav, this isn't the Leaky Cauldron.""You're right," she said, her voice sultry. "I've lost my appetite for food. All I want is you."Her lips captured his in a deep kiss that chased any thoughts of his growling stomach away. "I'm going to have to start eating a bigger breakfast in the mornings, if this is the way all of our lunches together are going to go," Ron said."Well, if you're really hungry—""Oh, I'm hungry. Hungry for you, that is"
10826235
An Abundance of Rogues
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Baze Malbus, Bodhi Rook, Cassian Andor, Chirrut Îmwe, Jyn Erso, K-2SO (Star Wars)", "Fandom": "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by quantumghosts", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-05T00:00:00", "words": "2,070", "Additional Tags": "Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, i mean they're all buds, it's just that those pairs are mentioned in particular, if briefly, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, One Shot", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Chirrut Îmwe/Baze Malbus, Family Relationships, Jyn Erso & K-2SO, Cassian Andor & Bodhi Rook, Cassian Andor & K-2SO", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "Gen, M/M", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Kaytoo ran his equations and calculated the best outcome. It was guaranteed by his zero percent chance of survival.Chirrut challenged death in every step he took, driving it into a corner until it had no choice but to ambush him like a coward.Baze embraced death with trembling arms, wanting it all for himself. The last thing he saw was his life, unmoving before his eyes.Bodhi looked death right in the eye. It came so quickly that he had no time for shock or fear, only acceptance.Jyn and Cassian admired it like the rising sun, basking in its warmth until it swallowed them whole.They'd accepted their fates, one way or another. They'd accepted that there would no turning back, long before they'd set foot on the planet.That was supposed to be it.* * *The first time they're reborn again, it feels like a dream. It may as well be, because the only time the fleeting memories of their past lives come back to them is in their sleep. They're gone in the morning, leaving them nostalgic and breathless, and unsure of what kind of dream could leave them feeling so restless.Their lives don't stray very far from what they're used to. Chirrut and Baze grow up in a temple, leaving only when the fog in their dreams finally clear after years of meditation and training. The memories come in waves that pull them under and fill their lungs with an entire lifetime's worth of joy, of fear, of loss - but it is their rediscovered love that makes Chirrut's laugh brighter than ever before, makes Baze hold Chirrut closer than ever before.(Baze realizes that he'll one day have to suffer losing Chirrut again, and nearly breaks Chirrut's back as he holds him closer still.)Chirrut and Baze left with a heartfelt goodbye to their brothers, who protested, but accepted. They had important matters to tend to, after all. They had a family to find.Cassian is once again thrown into a fight all-too soon, having lost his parents to war and seeking refuge with his cousin. They run far, and when his cousin eventually collapses, Cassian runs farther still. It's good that he never looked back, he thinks, because otherwise he might have missed Bodhi that day.They run into Chirrut and Baze when they reach the city, where the two had already been waiting for three years. Cassian stays up until the sun rises that night, and Bodhi remembers that he is the pilot.Kaytoo has the hardest time adjusting, although he doesn't know why. He just…doesn't feel right, with his disproportionate limbs and scrawny legs. He picks at his skin, and his beady eyes that are too big for his head make him an easy target for cruel children who have yet to learn empathy.He grows bitter and resentful, his words made of snide remarks more often than not - his body battered and bruised more often than not. He was getting ready to take another hit when his attackers got hit instead, and the girl who helped him up introduced herself as Jyn.They're the last to be found, tucked away in the musky corners of Jyn's bedroom attic, and it takes hardly a glance for Kaytoo to remember, to understand why he has always felt the way he does. He doesn't know if he prefers a body made of flesh and bone over circuits and coding, but admittedly had always been curious about what Cassian feels like.(He finds Cassian to be pleasantly warm, and perhaps that he would like another hug sometime in the future.)It took far too long to get to this point, they think, and now that they're here, they're at a loss of what to do. Their life is suddenly fragile, like hypertension glass, at risk of shattering from just a single touch.But then, it's suddenly filled with comfort and familiarity, with laughter and bickering that they could never afford to waste time on before. Their time is finite still, but it's more than they could have ever hoped for, so when it finally runs out, they're ready.Baze is the first to go, sick and weary with age. He holds Chirrut's hand until his final breath, too tired to cry away the weight in his chest, but not enough to keep from smiling. It's hard to be upset when he all he prayed for was enough time to say goodbye, but instead had been blessed with an entire lifetime more. It'd be rude, he thinks, to scorn death this time, even though they got to live in an era of peace and used their training only for health, and not war. Yes, he thinks. This time, it's alright.Because death doesn't sneak up behind them in the form of a gun or a grenade this time, but rather like a mother's warmth soothing her child to sleep. The last thing he hears is Chirrut's voice, wet and cracked over a gentle prayer.So when he wakes up again, it's almost embarrassing.Almost, because he doesn't know if his initial reaction is to be relieved or heartbroken that Chirrut doesn't remember.(Which is ironic, given that he's a Buddhist monk in this life.)But Chirrut, being Chirrut, has always been always vaguely all-knowing. That, at least, has stayed constant. He feels a peculiar sense of nostalgia overcome him whenever they're together, particularly when they exchange hushed whispers in the early morning. It's warm, and so he trusts it, letting it guide him to Baze's side.Baze had mentioned what he remembered only once, when they first met in this third life. The heavy drop of his heart when Chirrut responded with a furrowed brow and tilted head was more than enough to make him dare never to raise the subject again.Not until years later, at least, when a certain young man comes to pray, supposedly to learn of the country he was adopted from. He spots them first and greets them by name before they even see him. His voice startles Baze into turning around with a pang in his chest, and he gratefully welcomes the pilot into his arms.Bodhi remembers, he explains. He took an educated guess by searching the temples for Chirrut and Baze. Chirrut doesn't remember, Baze explains. Bodhi falls silent, his eyes pinched and stinging.Chirrut reassures them with a laugh and smile, tries to hide how they're weighed down with sorrow. There is always next time, after all, and while Baze has his fears that Chirrut's lack of memory suggests the end of their cycle, of course he's right.Jyn finds them when she is a tourist with her father. Kaytoo and Cassian follow shortly after her to study the temple's architecture. They live their third lives - separate, but still connected - until the end, after which Chirrut takes his chance to make up for lost time when he remembers that this new life is his fourth.It's the first time he's not with Baze, but at least he remembers, he thinks. Despite having been with them, he feels as though he'd been cheated out of a year, so in his desperation to find them as soon as possible, he begins his search as soon as he can afford to travel alone.Chirrut finds the search to be shorter than the ones that came before, perhaps because he has developed some kind of instinct for where they might be, or perhaps because they are searching for him as well. It hardly matters when they are all face to face again, and because of Chirrut's unexpected missing memories from the third life, they discuss their situation for the first time.The future is nothing but the unknown, and although they are living proof of the contrary, surely all life must eventually die and stay dead. How many more lives does that leave them with, then? How will they know which life is their last? What is the purpose of this, if any, for them to be caught in this cycle - a cycle that has become both a blessing and a curse, because as much as they are grateful to have more time with each other, at what point should they truly mourn each other's deaths?Their fourth lives ultimately end with them having found no answers, and the cycle continues indefinitely.In trying to make sense of it, they find that there are patterns, but little to no constants, like how Baze is with Chirrut more often than not. He's an asteroid caught in Chirrut's orbit - wherever Chirrut goes, he goes, no matter where, or when.Kaytoo is almost always human. The first time he wasn't, the others still manage to recognize him because one day, in the living room of their shared home, the Roomba shows up with a knife taped to it and everyone insists they didn't do it.(Another time, he's a cat, and relishes in being pampered and spoiled. He's rather fond of being a cat.)The other three almost always start alone, except for the one time Cassian arrives nearly fourteen years late with a daughter named Jyn.(They are not blood-related, however, for Jyn Erso will always be Jyn Erso, and while she is not sure at what point she should for the others, she will always mourn for her father.)And so not even their ages are constant. The life after, Baze and Chirrut become the fathers of four after a complicated process of being godfathers and adoption. In the one after that, Bodhi runs a daycare where he struggles to keep Chirrut off the trees, Jyn and Cassian from fighting, and Kaytoo from taking everything apart. Bodhi's happy to take care of the ones he loves most, but he's also happy to know that he can get payback in their next life.(Baze is the only well-behaved toddler - he sleeps through the day like the old man he always will be, no matter what age.)After tens of lifetimes, they find that whatever this is, it's less about the nature of their relationship and more about whether or not they are together at all. They take the ones where they are for granted.But then Baze misses Chirrut by a fleeting moment, the doors of the subway closing just a second too soon, and he fears that he's lost his chance. He runs after it until he reaches the end of the station, certain that he'd spotted those familiar blue eyes looking back at him. Chirrut blinks, unseeing, having sworn that he'd heard his name being called, that he'd just missed something terribly important.At the same time, Cassian is checking passports for the passengers of the flight that just landed. If only he'd started his training at the academy sooner instead of taking a gap year, he would have been in the same class as Jyn. Meanwhile, Jyn starts her shift at the security check, and if only she'd looked up from the screen just a second sooner, she would have seen Kaytoo walk through her gate. Kaytoo boards his flight for his business trip, and if only he hadn't put his headphones in so early, he would have heard Bodhi Rook introducing himself as their pilot this evening.They spend the rest of that life waiting for the moment they'll finally meet. They die learning that sometimes they never will.And so the next time they find each other, they know to cherish it while it lasts, because there's no longer any guarantee that they can afford to wait until next time. If there's a point to any of this, that might've been it - to value their time, no matter how much of it they have or how much they think they have (but then, it's not like some all-knowing being will descend from the sky and tell them if they're right or wrong, or confirm that there's a particular purpose at all).Their hearts are like a string being drawn taut, tight and full of tension the farther they are from each other, a constant ache the longer they are away from each other, and maybe the cycles will end with a sudden snap, with no warning. But, they think, so long as they treasure each and every moment they have, perhaps the end won't be so bad.
10843461
What Was That
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Ricochet | Prince Puma, El Patron, Konnan (mentioned), Brian Cage, (mentioned)", "Fandom": "Lucha Underground", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by OndoriNaramaki", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "293", "Additional Tags": "Puma has ADD, just like me!", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Lucha Underground Snippets", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Puma is working out his aggression about the whole towel and Konnan and Cage thing when El Patron swoods into the room, already blabbering on about something as he's heading towards Puma. What is he doing here though?He's finally next to Puma and stands there as he says something about manning up and listening to something, but then Puma was suddenly distracted by- wait, is he seriously wearing a shirt of himself?? He had to do a double take just to make sure, and yup, he was indeed wearing a shirt of himself. How conceited do you have to be to even actually do that? Puma's pretty sure he doesn't know anyone else who has ever done such a thing. He's searching his memory for any possible cases. Then Patron is suddenly behind him. Huh? Is he getting a shoulder massage now? Eh, he supposes he could probably use one. Doesn't last very long though, as El Patron is already making his way towards the exit (still talking) by the time Puma realizes that the massage had come to an abrupt end. El Patron is way gone by the time a thought crosses Puma's mind. Wait, what did he say? Dang it! Puma spin jumps and kicks the heavy bag in mid-air He wasn't listening! He calms down pretty quickly after thinking that it probably wasn't very important anyway, and shrugs, going back to his training. Not even thinking he needs to bother seeking out Patron for clarification. Just once again thinking about how is wasn't fair that Konnan stopped the match for him by throwing in that towel. He was so focused on his task of working out his frustration that he didn't even notice when it eventually became night time.
10824687
Im not as think as you
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/F", "Characters": "Kara Danvers, Lena Luthor, Alex Danvers, Maggie Sawyer, Winn Schott Jr., Jimmy Olsen, Lucy Lane (DCU)", "Fandom": "Supergirl (TV 2015)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by sunshinedanvers", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-05T00:00:00", "words": "3,559", "Additional Tags": "starGAYzing, kara goes to her first high school party, and guess what???? THERES ALCOHOL", "Relationship": "Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Kara’s not a nerd.Sure, she spends almost every night studying, but that doesn't make her a nerd.(Okay, so, Kara's kind of a nerd.)This realization doesn't dawn on her until Alex comes busting into her room. “Okay, that's it.”Kara looks up from her book, startled at the intrusion. “What's it?”“You- this! What you're doing right now!” Alex exclaims, making wild gestures with her hands towards Kara.“Reading?” Kara tilts her head to the side, with a confused face.“Yes” Alex says exasperated. “It's great that you study all the fucking time,” Kara winces at the curse word. “but it's a Friday night! and you're here, just, reading?” Alex says like it's a concept she's never heard of.“I mean, what else do you suggest I do? It's not like I have any friends.” Kara snaps defensively, starting to get agitated by Alex’s words.Alex cringes at Kara's words. “Okay, I'm sorry just-” she sits down by Kara on her bed. “I'm a senior, and I'm leaving next year. You barely do anything as it is, and I'm scared that if I don’t push you out of your comfort zone now, you won't ever get out of it. I know you're just a junior, but I want to take you to a party!” Alex smiles, like it's a great idea.Except it's not.It's not a great idea in any which, way, shape, or form.Kara Danvers, a girl who sleeps with a pastel pink nightlight, is not capable of managing at a party.Alex sees the hesitance in Kara's face. “Hey, listen.” She says, her voice softening “I obviously won't force you to go, but mom and dad are gone for the weekend. You won't have to worry about being caught, and I swear it’ll be lots of fun. What do you say?” Alex asks with hopeful eyes.Finally giving in, Kara nods.“Yes!” Alex inwardly fist pumps. “Oh, by the way, you should get dressed. Maggie’s picking us up in 5 minutes” she gives a sheepish smile and quickly leaves the room.Kara panics. 5 minutes!?She jumps out of bed and immediately opens her closet. Only to be met with pastels button ups and sweaters. Kara face palms.Kara doesn't actually want to go, she just feels bad about her sister. For Alex’s sake, she’ll go and pretend to have a good time. She grabs a light yellow sweater and her only pair of blue jeans. By the time she finishes putting it on, she already hears Maggie knocking on their door. Kara scrambles to get her blue converse on, and pops out of her room.When she walks out of the hallway, she's greeted by her sister and girlfriend making out.Kara groans. “You guys” she says, drawing out the last word. “Stop it, you're both so gross.”Alex backs away from Maggie, chucking. “Are you ready-” alex stops. “Uh, Kara, what're you wearing?”Kara pouts. “I don't really have,” Kara lifts up her hands to do air quotations. “Party clothes.”“I- yeah, okay, I probably should've realized that. It's okay, though. You're probably more comfortable in that anyways.” Kara smiles, glad her sister is so understanding. “Maybe try leaving your hair down though?”Kara thinks about it for a second, and relents. She walks back to her room and looks in the mirror to take out the pony tail. (She ends up pulling a strand from each side to clip in the back. She has an image to maintain, of course.)“Ready to go?” Alex asks when she walks back out.“Yep.” Kara pushes her glasses up.“Huh” Maggie starts. “Never thought I’d see the day little Danvers goes to a party.”Alex rolls her eyes. “Shut up” She pushes her shoulder playfully. “I want her to have fun.”“Yeah, yeah. I know.” *** The drive to the party takes about 20 minutes. It would've been 15, but Maggie insisted she knew a shortcut.When Kara walks in with the both of them, she instantly feels out of place. There are pretty girls who are far less dorkier than her, and guys who are the epitome of cool.And she's just Kara Danvers.The stench of alcohol, sweat, and smoke is repulsive. Before Kara can even complain about how she feels uncomfortable, a group of girls pull Alex and Maggie into another room, saying something about body shots.Which leaves Kara by herself.The music is booming to the point where Kara isn't even sure she can hear her own thoughts, and Kara wonders where all these people's parents are. Surely they know these type of parties aren't the best? Kara starts to back up towards the door, hoping to free herself. If she has to wait a few hours by playing angry birds (yes, she knows the game basically died in 2011, but she doesn't care.) on her phone to pass time until they leave, she will.When she reaches for the door knob, a gentle hand stops her. “Leaving so soon?” Kara freezes when she looks up. A guy- no, not just any guy, the freaking quarterback of their school, is smiling at her. A perfect smile, might she add.(Gosh, she is so bisexual.)“I- uh, ha i’m just-” Kara doesn't even finish before he starts laughing. Great, she's already made a fool of herself. And it hasn't even been 5 minutes.“What's your name? I'm James.”“K-Kara.” She manages to stumble out.“Well, Kara, would you like a beer?” He asks.Kara blushes, because she doesn't really know how to tell him she's never had alcohol before. Taking in her appearance and facial features just now, he probably got the idea, though.He smiles while shaking his head downwards. “Don't even worry about it. Here, come hang out with my friends.” He gestures over to a group of people sitting by the couch.“Um, I don't know…” she says reluctantly.“They're great, trust me. Plus, you look a little lost.” He says with an honest expression.Kara blows out a breath of air to get rid of her nerves. “Yeah, okay. I’ll sit with you guys.”When they walk over, the large group barely even notices them. When James takes a seat on the couch, he pats the side for Kara to sit next to him. Right when Kara takes a seat, a sluggish pale guy plops into James’ lap, and wraps his arms around his shoulders.“I think I had a little too much to drink.” He mumbles into his neck.James lets out a throaty chuckle, and just rubs his back. “Alright, Winn.” He presses a kiss to his forehead.Oh, okay. The quarterback likes guys, apparently. How nice.“Hey, what's your name?” The person next to her asks.When Kara turns her head, she's greeted by a girl with shoulder length brown hair, and a facial structure far too perfect to be human.“I'm Kara.” And she sticks her hand out. Of course Kara would stick her hand out.The girl looks down at Kara's hand with a lifted eyebrow, and giggles. She shakes it anyways.“I'm Lucy, and you look far too sober. Come with me.”Not even a moment later, she's being dragged off to a nearby table. “I would give you beer, but it literally tastes like piss. Plus, it doesn't really have that much alcohol.” The girl then opens a mini fridge and pulls out an already made drink in a solo cup. “This should do the trick.”Kara stares down hesitantly at the cup. Isn't there some sort of safety measure for accepting drinks from strangers?Lucy then realizes that she is absolutely clueless when it comes to drinks.“Oh-oh my god, I am so sorry. You've never drank before?” Kara just shakes her head, slightly embarrassed. “Hey, don't be embarrassed.” She jokes.“I'm not embarrassed!” Kara protests.“The blush on your cheeks say otherwise.”The statement causes Kara’s cheeks to flush further. Lucy takes the red solo cup from Kara's hands, and takes a gulp. “If you want to, just take one from the fridge. Don't feel pressured to.”This is Kara’s first party. She wants to.So no matter how out of the ordinary it is, Kara walks back over to the fridge and takes one of the cups. She then proceeds to take a sip. A very big sip, which causes her to choke a little.“Woah, be careful. It might burn if you drink that fast.” The girl, who she now knows as Lucy, says as she pats her back.“It's… fruity?” Kara says quizzically. “I was expecting something worse.”Lucy snorts. “Yeah, it usually does taste really bad. But these drinks were pre made, and they're honestly really good.” Lucy takes another sip. “Come on, we’re gonna go hang out back where we were.”Kara follows Lucy back into the room. If Kara knew parties were this friendly, she would've joined Alex ages ago.For the first few minutes, nothing really happens. The group is just talking while Kara doesn't really intervene, considering she only knows two of the 20 people.(Yes, she counted. She had nothing better to do.)To pass time, she kept taking sips of her drink. But the time ended up going really fast, and she already finished.When Lucy looked over, her eyes widened. “Oh, jeez. You finished pretty fast.”And Kara starts to get nervous, because she really doesn't know if it's ‘party appropriate’ to drink something fast.“Do you want mine?” She says, pushing her cup forward.And Kara's a little taken aback, but when has she ever been one to deny food or drinks? She takes the cup.She ends up finishing it, and then she takes James offer of a beer. Which, in hindsight, probably wasn't the smartest idea. The liquid courage does help her actually start speaking to the group. She learns that the guy sitting on James lap, Winn, is in her AP computer science class. She's never noticed him because she always gets to class early and sits right in the front. They end up bonding over some new comic book release, before their conversation is abruptly ended when someone yells ‘let's play truth or dare!’And, like, really? Are they 12? Sure, Kara probably isn't allowed to even criticize them considering this is her first party, but that seems a bit childish. She's about to speak again, when Lucy hands her another one of those fruity drinks. Kara smiles, feeling a bit too grateful. “Than-” hiccup “-k you.”The game starts on the other side of the room, thankfully, so Kara doesn't have to speak up just yet. She's already nervous thinking about what to say.And maybe it's the drinks, or maybe it's just Kara becoming more confident (doubtful), but she feels oddly lighter, losing the anxiousness she was feeling. She takes one more sip, before some random guy starts speaking at her.“Hey, you, with the glasses.” He points. “I dare you to ask the hottest person in the room for their number.”Kara looks around the group, not sure on who to ask. Confrontation has never really been her strong suit.“Ah, plot twist. It has to be someone out of the group.”James looks like he's about to say something in protest, probably assuming Kara is uncomfortable with this, but she speaks before he can.“I've got nothing to lose except my dignity.” Kara shrugs.The statement causes a few whoops and laughs to break out in the group, which makes Kara feel good, before she pushes herself off of the couch and searches for someone to ask for their number. There's probably a bunch of eyes on her as she looks around the room full of people dancing, talking, and just drinking.In the midst of everything, one girl catches her eye. She's got dark hair that flows so beautifully, Kara believes she could be a model. Kara immediately starts walking over, albeit, a bit wobbly. When she reaches her, the girl waves goodbye at whoever she was talking to when they leave. When she looks back, she sees Kara staring at her.She quirks a brow. “Can I help you?”“Hi my names yours, what's Kara?” And Kara wishes she could be sucked into the void, because she meant to say ‘hi my names Kara, what's yours?’ She knew the drinks were having an affect on her, but she didn't know it was that much. And now the girl is covering her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh loudly. And at this moment, Kara knew she messed up. She smiles awkwardly and points backwards. “I'm just gonna- uh ha, go over there-” the girl gently tugs her wrist right when Kara takes her first step back.“No- no” the girl finishes laughing. “I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting that. It was really cute.” Kara blushes for the 100th time that night. “My names Lena.” She says with a smile, and oh gosh, it's a really good smile.A few moments pass of Kara literally just smiling at Lena, because it's a really good face, if you ask her.“Not that I didn't enjoy your entrance, but was there a reason you came up to me?” Lena asks with a head tilt and a tug of the side of her lips.“Oh I-” and Kara drops her cup on Lena before she can admit why she came over.Looking down, the black skinny jeans have a spilled spot on them now. Kara widens her eyes before rapidly throwing out apologies. “I- I didn't mean to” she squeaks. “I’m sorry, i’ll give you money to buy new pants?”And Lena laughs. She honest to god throws her head back laughing.“W-what's so funny?” Kara asks, slightly frightened. What if she gets beat up at a party? Does that even happen?“You're just-” she takes a breath from laughing. “You're just so cute. And endearing.” Before Kara has a mini stroke, she continues speaking. “Do you think you could come upstairs with me and help me clean this out?” Kara nods surely, wanting to be of any assistance.On the way up, Kara sees Lucy give her a thumbs out and mouths ‘nice!’. Kara frowns. What's so nice about this situation?Kara still wishes the void took her in at the first mistake she made. She manages to apologize way more times than Lena can count as they're walking up.“I am so sorry.” Kara says, once again.“Honestly, it's not a problem. I'm just glad you didn't get it on my sweater.” When she says that, Kara looks down at her sweater for the first time. ‘HARVARD SPEECH AND DEBATE’ is printed in large white letters over the maroon fabric.Kara’s mouth is left gaping. “Oh- oh my gosh, are you a college student?”Lena laughs. “No, I’m in high school. Harvard hosts a high school tournament every year.”Kara is...oddly attracted to that.“Are you good at it?” Kara asks, and maybe it was a stupid question, but she doesn't care.“I would like to think so, considering I championed at it.” She's replies. Not exactly cocky, but she definitely knows she's on another level.“I didn't know they invited debate kids to parties.” Kara jokes.“I didn't know they invited nerds to parties.” Lena shoots back playfully.“Okay, but, that's like the same thing.” Kara says as she falls into a fit of giggles.“Alright,” Lena says with an eye roll. “I suppose you're right.”“And hey, I'm not even a nerd!”“Kara, honey, you're wearing a collared shirt under a yellow sweater at a party. Only a nerd would do that.”(Kara doesn't comment that Lena is literally wearing a debate sweater at a party.)“Wait, why are you going in that room instead of the bathroom? I thought I was going to help you clean it?” Kara asks with a confused face.“That was just an excuse to get you alone.” Lena says with a tone that Kara has a hunch is flirtatious. “Also, it's my house.”“Wait, this is your house!?” Kara exclaims, considering it was so huge. And full of random people. Lena just nods. “Oh man, is it weird that I'm here and you didn't even know me? Because I swear I didn't even want to come! My sister told me to and-”Lena cuts her rambling off. “I don't even know half the people here. I usually invite a few, then the whole county comes.” Lena shrugs, like it's no big deal. She wants to ask if her parents know, or if she’s going to get busted, but decides it's a bit too personal, and maybe a conversation for another day. When they walk inside her room, Lena flicks the light switch on. Kara looks around to see a huge room with navy blue walls with painted constellations, two book shelves filled with books in every section, and a desk with papers organized on every inch.It's very nerdy, and Kara can't help but be entranced.“Can you turn around so I can change?” Lena asks with a smirk and another pair of black jeans in her hands.Kara turns red, and quickly turns around. She mumbles a quick sorry.“No need to be sorry.” Lena's voice says, and it's a lot closer than Kara thought it was. “So, Kara, how do you feel about science?”Kara turns around, not even remembering that Lena could be pantless. Thankfully, she already got her jeans on. (Which, by the way, that was really fast? Must be a talent. Kara falls down when she tries to put on skinny jeans too fast.)“My moms a scientist! I think it's really cool.” Kara then realizes how lame that sounded.“What type of science?” Lena asks, showing her interest with bright eyes.“It's like, biology, I think? I'm not entirely sure, I've never been that good in science. I'm more of a history and geography person.”“I love biology, but my favorite is any that involves space. Which, I'm sure you can tell.” She says with a chuckle, gesturing to her NASA poster and rocket models by some paper with equations Kara would never even fathom the answer to. “Well, there is a type of science that kind of has to do with geography. Care to take a look outside with me?” Lena asks as she walks to her balcony, and honestly, who even owns a balcony."Astronomy." Lena answers her implied question. Kara follows, not sure of what to expect. When she gets outside, she sees a huge white telescope, a chair, and some blankets on the floor. “I sometimes come out here to look at the stars. They're just really magnificent to think about. Would you like to look?”Kara nods her head excitedly, and puts her eye to the lens. She then backs up because she forgot to take off her glasses. She's glad she made the little mistake, because it drew a chuckle from the girl by her. Lena helps adjust it when she puts her eye to it again, and then starts speaking. “What do you see?”“I’m not sure specifically,” she says as she lifts her head with a glint in her eye. “But they're definitely stars.”Lena lets out a laugh. “Well, you’re not wrong.”Lena takes a seat on the blankets on the floor. “The stars always look lovely to me. A never changing phenomenon, kind of.”And Kara just plops onto the floor, ungracefully.“Can you tell me more about them?” Because if Kara is being honest, seeing someone talk about something they love is the most wonderful thing in the world.Lena goes off on a tangent, and probably ends up speaking for almost an hour. With Kara interjecting with questions every now and then, she feels her knowledge on stars grow, but the best feeling was to hear her speak so happily. Kara was happy to say she was sobering up, so she could remember this.“I- wow, you probably think I'm a huge nerd.” Lena finishes some sentence about her theory on black holes and stars.“I don't know, I've always thought stargazing was pretty romantic.” Kara says, fidgeting with her glasses, and that's when Lena’s eyes meet hers.It's a brief moment, of just shared breaths and eye contact. But Lena shifts closer, moving her hand to the side of Kara’s face. Their lips are so close to touching, but Lena doesn't budge. She looks up into Kara’s eyes to make sure this is okay. Kara nods, and they both lean in.The kiss is soft.It's her first kiss, and Kara thinks that this is what it's supposed to be like. There's a new type of fluttering in her chest, and Kara decides that she likes it. It's not anxiousness for once.At this point, Kara completely forgets why she went up to Lena in the first place. All that she's focusing on is the gentle tug of Lena's teeth on her lips while one of her hands pull her closer. Lena's hands find Kara’s, and they tangle their fingers together.When the kiss ends, Lena speaks with a smile on her face.“Can I have your number?”
10886367
The Scent of You
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Círdan, Thranduil (Tolkien)", "Fandom": "TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by Deathangelgw", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-12T00:00:00", "words": "520", "Additional Tags": "Sappy, Light Angst, POV First Person, Slash", "Relationship": "Cirdan/Thranduil", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Five Senses", "Collections": "Library of Moria", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Title: The Scent of You (Part Five of the Five Senses Series)Author: DeathangelgwAuthor email: [email protected]Disclaimer: Not mine, though I do indeed take liberties now, don't I? heheWarnings: AU, POV, PWP, sap, lime, slashRating: Soft RPairing: Thranduil/CirdanSummary: Before leaving for Aman, Thranduil must find peace. Cirdan offers that peace.A/N: This is prolly the hardest one, because it is a first meeting kind of thing. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement! Thanks to MA for the beta, as always sweets! Enjoy and please review! The sea is powerful in its draw. I never thought I would leave the green lands of Arda, but even my beautiful Greenwood is no more. Now, the soft scents of nature are pervaded with death, the lovely forest now no more than gnarled trees that haven’t succumbed to the evil that had once poisoned them beyond saving. Sorrow…loss…death…that was the stench of my woods and I could no longer stay within. My son, my dearest Legolas…he had stabilized me for so long. His scent was green and fresh, as our land had once been so long ago. He smelled of laughter and new life and I relished having him close to remind me of what I fought so hard to protect. Then he left for the far lands. Now, I go to join him. Even as I stare at the Gray Havens, I find myself breathing deeply and longingly. It smells of freedom. I smile as I see a single Elf waiting for me, his shimmering white beard blowing in the wind. Cirdan the Shipwright. My heart beats as I see him, feeling the power and wisdom that he radiates so effortlessly. I know I am lost. As I come to his side, he smiles at me and I return the smile, feeling the tension leave me as well as my grief. I no longer need to worry on leaving my lands, for here is a reason to go on. I hear his soft voice greeting me and I return it, bowing deeply to him out of respect. He then embraces me gently, welcoming me. I bury my nose in his shoulder and breath deep, feeling all of my doubts fade. He smells of the sea. I am free and returning home, guided and held by the wind. A new life begins, fresh in life, and Cirdan shall be for me as the trees once were. Thus are my thoughts as he holds me at night, gazing at the stars with me. The sounds of the sea float over, surrounding us in the tangy smell of salt and abandon. His smell surrounds me and binds me. He nuzzles my neck and breathes deep. I ask him what I smell of to him. His answer brings a smile to my lips before he kisses them softly. “You smell of trees and life.” To me, he is my new life. I believe the stars have led us right. The next day a new life will begin. I welcome it with great joy. ~Fin
10885800
What Monsters Dont Need
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": null, "Fandom": "The Batman (Cartoon)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by thethrillof", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-12T00:00:00", "words": "336", "Additional Tags": "Arkham Asylum", "Relationship": null, "Character": "Killer Croc", "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Names have power. He used to have a name. A “real” name, according to the pack of doctors that try to dissect him with their eyes, since even in Arkham they can’t just pick up scalpels to cut away at his scales. Mm. But Joker does too, doesn’t he? It’s almost flatterin’, that they consider him, Killer Croc, more human than Joker.They put him behind glass you can fire missiles at without makin’ a scratch, electric collars to lock around his throat, but at least some of them look at him with fear and hate and stubbornness and try to fix him.Joker’s as monstrous as they come. Nobody does anything but go through the motions with him. Almost flattering, he thinks again, sourly, watching a doc scribble over a little palm notebook.They don’t even call him Killer Croc half the time. Just the patient or you. It’s pathetically amusing sometimes, rankling and obnoxious others. Mostly the latter.His boys asked, once, not too long after their little introduction.  Practically tripped over themselves to make him feel included. He smiled enough for ‘em to see all his teeth, since they were starin’ anyway.Names have power, boys, don’t you forget it, is all that he says. Killer Croc is all they need.That’s probably what sparks off the gossip he gambled with voodoo. Now, he finds that hilarious. That’s not what he meant at all.Maybe he’s envious of Joker, loathe as he is to admit it, watching the clown cackle while being wheeled past in the extra-security sector. Nobody tries to humanize him, find out his name–-not often, anyway–-or tries to think of him as less as he is.A monster, through and through, even with the mask of politeness he keeps up. He doesn’t mind keeping his pets fed, whether they’re one-hundred-percent crocodile or mid-tier thieves. That doesn’t make him what the doctors want him to be. There’s no cure. There’s no name.Killer Croc doesn’t want to be humanized.
10801698
Kuro
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Fai, Kurogane, Fay (CLAMP)", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by Phiso", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2010-03-27T00:00:00", "words": "1,455", "Additional Tags": "saved from LJ", "Relationship": "Fai D. Fluorite & Kurogane", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, CLAMP - Works", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Kuro-tan. Kuro-wanko. Kuro-pi. Kuro-rin, Kuro-puu, Kuro-myuu, Kuro-wanwan, Kuro-chuu, Kuro-sama… But not Kurogane. Never Kurogane. I don't know why or how I started giving him those ridiculous little nicknames, what possessed me to give such a dark and threatening creature something so cute and fluffy. But he was always so livid and grumpy, I couldn't help it; seeing his face contort into something so furious always amused me somehow, like a child poking at a sleeping dog, giggling each time the dangerous teeth snapped at his fragile fingers.At first, I simply wanted to test the waters a bit; to see if he had a sense of humor, and if so, how far I could push him before it turned into something fiery and fatal. It's something one should know of all their companions – their limits, their weaknesses, their soft spots. You can't survive long without knowing what to look out for. But, before I even realized it, every time another new name escaped my lips, I was drawn closer and closer into the flame, relishing its blaze without even tasting it.Sakura never got a nickname, really; she's never needed one. Sakura-chan is adorable enough without the aid of a silly abbreviation or an unusual honorific. Her very name is the essence of goodness and love and unknown beauty; to butcher her name would be blasphemy. Still, that didn't keep me from calling her my chikoi nyanko, my little kitty. I always saw more of who I used to be in her than in the others.Syaoran-kun – or the person who used to be Syaoran-kun – only got one nickname as well: Kurogane's chikoi wanko, his faithful little puppy. Those two always reminded me so much of father and son I simply had to pair them up. He was just as young and sweet as Sakura-chan, but his heart was already much more mature than his face was, and it burned with a fire so old and strong I didn't dare douse it with something as trivial as a nickname.Mokona is Mokona. Moko-chan only enhances his cute, bouncy, marshmallow-sweet nature.And Kurogane. So far, I've only said his name once, only once, with such formality it was as if we were perfect strangers. I might as well just have told him I hated him; at least then the look of painful disappointment on his face may have been replaced by his typical expression of anger I've grown so accustomed to. I don't think I ever loathed myself more than I did in that moment - the moment I acknowledged I was finished, severing ties I didn't even know had been created.That blind idiot…he has everything, and he doesn't even realize it. Mere jealousy can't begin to describe it. He's got a home – a home - with a beautiful princess that watches over him, waiting for the day in which his wish can be granted and he can finally return to her and her court; he has a strength so pure it radiates in every movement; a mind so clear and determined it never wavers and is never wrong. He's harsh and angry because of what he's lost, but unlike me he doesn't shut himself away from everyone as a result; he's willing to share his story, to reveal his dark secrets without apologizing for them and chooses to learn from them rather than hiding the pain away and leaving his demons imprisoned to fester. He's so comfortable with whom he is and confident in where he's going it's enough to frighten the hell out someone like of me.Of course, soon I did what I do best when placed in any situation. I run in circles, chasing tails and cars and whatever I can find in hopes of distracting everyone from what I'm trying to hide, and I more or less succeed. Well…with everyone except him. He's the only once who can see past my well-practiced façade and scrutinize me with the merciless eye of a warrior who knows who deserves to live and who doesn't.It's funny; sometimes, I give him blank looks, oozing with answers I'm afraid to give and he'd do anything to know, his eyes glinting in curiosity and a slow-growing fear, as a dog who while calculating his prey realizes he might have underestimated the situation. Of course, suddenly, without warning, I decide to smile, a jackal amused by his helpless hunter. I don't know why; the seriousness, the deafening silence is almost enough to make me laugh. He takes the smile in relief and with a grunt, thinking it's just me being stupid again, his brow furrowing over his intense eyes flickering away in disgust.Oh, his eyes. I hate his eyes, his crimson red eyes, the color of blood and the color of a dark, ancient blaze, hot and powerful and so the opposite of mine. I hate how they can just look at me and tear down all my walls, the way nothing more than a glance can leave me breathless and vulnerable, naked for but a moment to the world and leaving me without my protective shell. He shatters my shield into a thousand shards an instant, a single word rendering me speechless, and I hate it.And yet…I crave it. I've gotten so good at pretending, at lying through my teeth and smiling the day away that most if not all people I come across simply brush me off as hopeless and leave me alone if they're not fooled. He's the only one who's persistent enough to keep trying; who, despite my warnings and my pleas and my glares, will never stop trying. He's still trying.I've grown attached to everyone, but I fear I've grown attached to this ninja the most. This, above all else, terrifies me to my core. I find myself relying on him, his commands a small strand of words I can play with like yarn before settling down and following their path. I can't be too far away from him anymore; if I spend too much time out of his company, I feel a queer emptiness, as if there's another hole in me that I can't fill up. It's gotten to the point that I almost feel dizzy when he leaves for battle and leaves Sakura-chan and I behind, wondering why he must keep leaving the people he cares about to protect them and marveling over how he does it so willingly. His very presence calms the fluttering bird in my chest, locked in a cage and panicking, praying for freedom with every second gone by. In battle, I can sense his actions before he makes them, and he mine. In conversation, we know exactly how to promenade around each other without asking the questions we really want answered. In public and in our group, our roles are set – he's the stern but loving father, and I'm the doting mother who works tirelessly to give my loved ones what I won't allow for myself. He knows what I'm thinking without a word; he can invoke any emotion, any at all, with a simple utterance.We're close - too close, in fact - and I can't have this anymore. No matter how much I want it, yearn for it, scream for it with every fiber of my being, I cannot let myself have it. I can't let myself be his in any way possible; to own any part of him or to allow him to own any part of me would be the end of us both. Solitude is my only resort; to be so closely associated with him would be folly, dooming him to something that was reserved for me and should only be received by me. I'm much more dangerous than he is, and he doesn't even realize it; he just keeps trying to save me, the perpetual warrior and protector, constantly infuriated but never ceasing in his attempts, oblivious to who I really am. I'd rather be ripped to shreds by his fuming hands than let my past catch up with him and cause him to regret trying. I don't want him to regret trying. I just want him to stop.And so…I have to hurt him. I have to kill him inside as I die along with him, watch him as he watches me, speaking coldly and adopting his laconic nature, abandoning my own mannerisms in the process. I have to become the worst parts of him and awaken the worst parts of myself in order to succeed, and even then I fear my will power will wade. I have to clutch the cold blade, to become a ruthless murderer again, and quietly destroy us both.
10847208
Elysium
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/F", "Characters": "Agent Texas | AI Program Beta, Vanessa Kimball", "Fandom": "Red vs. Blue", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by Hinn_Raven", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "5,183", "Additional Tags": "RvB Rare Pair Week, Crack Relationships, Drinking & Talking, Body Image, 5+1 Things", "Relationship": "Agent Texas/Vanessa Kimball", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Asphodel Meadows", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
1. After an injury “Are you feeling okay?”“I’m fine,” Tex said. It was true. She was a robot. She didn’t feel pain.The bullet had passed through her shoulder, punching right through the armor and Kevlar in the process. That, Tex thought with a scowl, was more of a pain than the hole in her body.  She’d shut down the power to that arm before it had started sparking, which might have alerted Kimball that something was wrong with her mercenary. Luckily Tex was ambidextrous and happily returned fire with her other hand.She’d already repaired her armor. In a lot of ways, she was lucky she was in the future; her armor no longer was next-generation, top of the line. If it weren’t for the active camouflage unit, it would have been no better than the armor that the rest of the New Republic war. Not that she used her camo, these days.She kind of envied Felix his fancy armor and toys, some days. It would be nice, not having to hide. She was definitely a little jealous of Locus, whose own cloaking was just as good as hers, but took less energy to run. She promised herself that when she’d kill him, she’d scavenge it. She deserved a fun new toy, after dealing with all this bullshit.But there was a bounty on her head, last she knew. And Felix was a self-proclaimed greedy son of a bitch. So Tex wasn’t about to show her hand. Not even for Kimball.“Here,” Kimball handed her a bottle of something.“What’s this for?” Tex asked, peering inside. The liquid was dark amber, and smelled awful.“You got shot today,” Kimball said. “Figured you could use a drink.”Tex hesitated for a moment. Alcohol didn’t have much effect on her.Shrugging, she pulled off her helmet. Kimball visibly startled. Tex rarely removed her armor, so she guess she couldn’t blame her.“Join me?” Tex asked. It was stupid but…She hated the quiet.It reminded her too much that the silence was supposed to be filled by idiots in colorful armor.She wasn’t as good at being alone as she’d once been.Kimball looked possibly even more surprised, but she joined Tex, sitting down next to her and taking off her own helmet.They both shed their armor, leaving it in haphazard piles on the ground. Tex leaned against the headboard of her bunk, Kimball leaned against the foot, and they passed the bottle between them.“Your eyes,” Kimball said, hesitantly.Tex knew her eyes didn’t look normal. They were as fake as the rest of her body, but they were one of the parts that showed it best. “You like them? The guy who installed them told me I should have gone with brown, but I told him he was biased.”Sarge had been completely opposed to blue eyes, when he’d helped her remodel her body. Brown, he told her, brown would be the way to go, but Tex had reminded him that she was a Blue, whether he liked it or not. Scowling, he’d acquiesced, but she’d had to promise to insult Grif three times to get it done.The alcohol was affecting her more than she’d expected. She was getting maudlin.Kimball smiled, and took another drink.“Where did you even get this?” Tex asked. It tasted disgusting. Tex’s taste buds were crude—Sarge could only do so much—but she was pretty sure alcohol wasn’t supposed to taste that awful.  “Confiscated it from someone who was drinking on watch duty,” Kimball saluted with the bottle, then passed it over. “Officer’s privilege.”Tex snorted.“Are you alright?” Kimball said. “Really? When Locus shot you—”“I’ve had worse friendly fire,” Tex lied. It hadn’t been friendly fire at the time. Donut hadn’t been an ally, not then. But it had the effect she wanted—the concern in Kimball’s eyes faded just a bit. Tex didn’t need Kimball to worry. She might wonder why Tex was perfectly fine, despite the injury.Tex didn’t think about how, if she was a human, she might be dead right now. A blow like that had killed York fast enough. Same shoulder, too.She passed the bottle back to Kimball without drinking anything.“He was aiming for me, wasn’t he?” Kimball asked.Tex shrugged the shoulder that hadn’t been shot. “Maybe,” she admitted.Kimball hit her head back against the bar she was leaning against. “I never wanted this. Any of this.”“What did you want to do? Before?”Kimball shrugged. “Politics, I guess. I wanted to fix things.” Her eyes lingered on Tex’s face. Tex glanced away, suddenly worried all her patches had peeled away, revealing the metal underneath Sarge’s careful work. “What about you?”Tex laughed. “It was never about what I wanted.” Never. All she wanted was to go home. All she wanted was her friends to be alive. All she wanted was Freelancer to burn, to leave her alone, for the Director hurt the way she had. All of those were distant dreams now, faded with age and torn around the edges. Now there was nothing but the fight in front of her. She’d accepted this when she’d realized she wouldn’t be getting off Chorus anytime soon, even with all her skills, no matter how many people she killed or how many shipments of supplies she brought back.Tes accepted the bottle from Kimball. It was almost empty. She raised it up in a toast to the dead, the missing, and those left behind. “I was always going to be a soldier,” she told Kimball, and drank the last of it. 2. After a long day Another failed training exercise lead Kimball to the bunk she shared with Allison, nearly ripping her hair out.She was grateful, for this, for everything. Allison didn’t judge her for yelling, for being frustrated. She saw Kimball for who she was, and didn’t judge her for fraying around the edges, for nearly falling apart. It was a friendship Kimball was grateful for—she was a mercenary like Felix, sure, but she was solid. She didn’t try to charm, didn’t even ask for money. She just wanted to be gone, and she was clear about it. Things were straightforward with Allison. Kimball knew exactly where she stood.“And then they turn the corner, and Captain Grif shouts, ‘Every man for himself!’ And then everything falls to pieces!” Kimball couldn’t believe it, sometimes. The mighty Reds and Blues, the heroes who brought down project Freelancer, and they were… she didn’t even know. They weren’t what she expected, that was for sure.Allison grimaced. “They’ll get better,” she said. “They’ve got a lot at stake here too.”“I’m not sure if that’s enough, Allison,” Kimball said quietly. Missing friends and determination were nice, but this was the entire Federal Army. This was Locus, who had even Felix running scared half the time. They were running out of time, and everyone knew it.Allison sighed, and suddenly there was a bottle of something amber in her hand. “Got any glasses? Sounds like you need this more than I do.”“Where did you get that?” And how had she managed to procure it at just the right time.“Found it on a supply run,” Allison said, removing her helmet. As always, Kimball felt herself relaxing slightly when Allison signaled she considered it safe enough to remove her helmet. “Figured we might need it.” “For medical purposes,” Kimball said, but there was a smile on her face that she tried to hide. She thanked everything she could think of that Allison had crash-landed here.“Destressing the general is a medical purpose,” Allison said, pouring two generous helpings into the cups Kimball had managed to scrounge up. She was smirking as she passed Kimball her cup. Kimball threw it back, telling herself the burning in her throat was only due to the alcohol, not due to the gratitude closing up her throat.“I just—I thought they’d be heroes,” Kimball said, leaning forward, her hair falling in her eyes. She brushed it away, irritated. It was getting too long again. “Stupid of me. I thought they could fix things.”“No one can fix this mess that easily,” Allison said. “I wish they could.” Her gaze was distant, lost in some memory, some private thought that Kimball was not privy too. Allison’s past was vague and mysterious. She didn’t like to talk about herself much at all. Kimball almost was irritated by that sometimes, but that was the way Allison was. She’d grown to accept it.Kimball found herself laughing, the taste of it bitter on her tongue. “I don’t even know what would happen if we won. Then what? We’ve been at war for years. We have an army of traumatized kids and no one knows how to run anything and it’s been years and no one’s come to help us!”It was all hopeless. Once, she’d had such a clear picture of the future, of what she wanted, of the way she would help her people. Now, she felt like she was drowning just trying to keep them all alive long enough to even think about tomorrow.“You’ll figure that out when it happens,” Allison said. “You’re good at this, Kimball.” She sounded almost earnest.Kimball burst out laughing again in disbelief. Kimball wished she could blame the alcohol. “Alright. Bed time for you,” Allison said. Kimball blinked, realizing just how drunk she actually was in that moment.“We’re so screwed,” Kimball muttered, despite herself.“No, you’re not,” Allison’s hands were warm on Kimball’s shoulders as she rolled her onto her side. “Now sleep.” 3. Just because  “I like your face,” Kimball slurred at her. The stuff they’d gotten their hands on that night was stronger than usual, enough to reduce Kimball to a five-drink state two drinks in. “It’s… pretty.”“Used to be prettier,” Tex said dryly. It was true. At Freelancer she’d been… uncanny. Smooth features, a button nose that had never been broken, eyes so solidly blue they’d looked like marbles. Blonde hair that never seemed to get dirty or greasy, always soft to the touch. Every injury she’d ever sustained vanished before she could track it, the Director and his cronies wiping it away. No scars, no marks, proportions so balanced it was like she’d been designed, not born. Which was what she had been. A fighter in a body built for beauty.A perfected version of a dead woman.Truth be told, she’d been grateful when Donut had scrapped it. The body she was in now was built like a soldier, solid if short, but her shoulders were broad and every inch of her body appeared to be corded with muscle. Her nose was crooked, her teeth uneven, and the patches of her repair work on her face and hands gave her the look of scars. Sure, she had dyed her hair blonde, but she still had to keep it clean, still had to work for it, not that she always bothered.It was a comfort that Sarge had given her. A flawed, breakable body.Kimball laughed. “Weren’t we all?”Tex stopped, considering this. “I guess.” She stared at her hands. Her last ones had been dainty, pale things. Her current ones were crisscrossed with scars. These hands had been to war and looked it. “I think I like me now better, though.”This body was hers. The Director had never seen it, never touched it, had no part in shaping it. Sarge had made it for her, with her input, and she could still see him in its workmanship, even now that she had taken his creation and taken it to hell and back.“Me too,” Kimball said, giving her a little grin. She leaned against Tex’s shoulder, and Tex let her. Human contact was a rare and precious thing. She didn’t often like it, but she could handle this. This was okay. “You’re here now.”Tex snorted, looking away from Kimball. “Going soft on me, Kimball?” She wondered what Kimball would have made of her, back at Freelancer. Would Kimball still be here, leaning against a pretty little mannequin who followed orders without so much as a question, blowing up buildings and killing someone who called her a friend without hesitation? The absence of CT’s dog tags around her neck felt conspicuous in that moment. She’d lost them in the crash, and it still felt wrong. “Well?”Kimball didn’t answer. She had fallen asleep on Tex’s shoulder, head lolling to one side as she began to snore.Tex grinned to herself, and moved Kimball under the covers as gently as she was able to.“Night,” Tex said quietly, before leaving. Tex didn’t need as much sleep as Kimball did. She’d keep an eye on things until Kimball woke up.   4. After an argument  Kimball held up the bottle as she pushed open the door to the new room in Armonia that she shared with Tex. Tex was lying down on the bottom bunk, staring at the bottom of the mattress above her.  “I hear you were fighting with Carolina.”“Damn it, who told?” Tex complained. She was scowling—it had actually bothered her, whatever had gone down. It was rare to see Allison—Tex, Kimball corrected herself—flustered at all. She took everything in stride. It had been a comfort, earlier, to know that no matter what had happened, Allison would be… not stoic, exactly, but un-phased. Nothing could cause her to falter. And now that Kimball knew that she had spent years with the Reds and Blues, that particular aspect of her personality made a lot of sense.  But it seemed that Carolina was good at getting under Tex’s skin. It worked the other way around, that she already knew—she’d been regaled multiple times by Wash and Tucker both about Carolina’s own issues regarding Tex. But she hadn’t realized that Tex would have been affected. Tex was supposed to be unstoppable. Not emotionless—Kimball had never made that mistake. But she’d never seemed to be bothered by other people’s opinions of her. It was a confidence that Kimball had always envied. But it seemed like Kimball might have made a mistake, assuming that was the case.Tex sat up, and Kimball’s brain stuttered to a complete stop as she realized Tex’s state of dress.Dark pants were normal for Texas to wear, but for once Tex had done away with her long sleeves and high necks, instead wearing a tank top with a low back and front. Kimball couldn’t help but stare. Texas was built like a boxer, compact with muscle, and despite her short stature Kimball couldn’t help but feel dwarfed. Kimball had assumed a lot of the power Tex exuded normally was the armor, but clearly, that wasn’t the case.Tex noticed Kimball staring and looked away. “You going to tell me to get repaired too?” She asked bitterly.Kimball blinked, tearing her eyes away from Tex’s biceps to finally take notice of the rest of what was exposed.Her mouth fell open as she really looked at Tex.There was a rough looking puncture through her shoulder, the edges of her synthetic skin curled away from it, exposing the metal beneath. Right above Tex’s collarbone there was a place where a spider-web fracture could be seen. The skin on her upper left arm had been roughly torn open a long time ago, revealing a jagged slice of darkened chrome.“Your shoulder,” Kimball said quietly. “That was from…”“Yes,” Tex said tersely. She didn’t want to talk about it, Kimball could tell. But the memory was so clear to Kimball; the way Allison had yelled when the bullet had punched through her shoulder, but she had still knocked Kimball to the ground, her other hand swinging up to return fire without hesitation. Kimball had been terrified she’d been about to lose Allison, like she’d lost so many others over the years.But Allison had been fine, she’d said. And Kimball could see that—there was no blood in Tex’s body, and she’d been using both arms since, so the damage clearly had not effected the complicated circuitry of Tex’s body.But there was a hole, where Locus had tried to kill her, and Kimball didn’t know how to handle that.“You said you were fine,” Kimball wanted to reach out and touch it, but she kept perfectly still. Tex looked like a wild animal, cornered and feral. Kimball hated that; hated the idea that she was the one making Tex like that. The last thing Kimball wanted to do was make Tex feel trapped.“I’m fine,” Tex snapped. Her electric-blue eyes, which Kimball had once supposed to be prosthetic, but now new to just be one of the most obviously robotic touches of her body, were completely unchanged, reflecting nothing about how she was feeling, but her mouth was drawn into a thin, dangerous line. “It’s superficial.”“There’s a hole in your shoulder,” Kimball’s eyes kept drifting to it.“And I’ve had it for ages now, and it hasn’t affected my performance,” Tex’s chin went up, challenging Kimball, daring her to say otherwise.Some of those injuries looked ancient. Tex had probably had them since before she’d even landed on Chorus. Bullet and knife wounds, alongside all sorts of other marks, gathered from fights long passed. From a life long before Tex had stumbled into Kimball’s own.  Kimball swallowed dryly and nodded, meeting Tex’s gaze as evenly as she could. “Understood, Agent Texas.”Tex relaxed slightly at that, although she still didn’t sit down. It was not quite parade rest—her arms crossed defensively, but her feet were planted solidly, ready for a fight. It was a stance Kimball knew well; she was pretty sure she saw it in the mirror every day.“What’s the one on your chest?” Kimball winced—she should have changed the conversation, pulled them away from.Tex reached up absently to touch it. Kimball wanted to touch it herself—it had cracked like something solid, like ceramics or even glass, but the rest of Tex’s skin looked soft, like human flesh. How had Sarge managed to make her a body so lifelike, that Kimball had never even suspected before the truth had come out? “That one? Just a scratch. You should see my back.” There was a faint smile playing at the corner of her mouth—lost in memory, maybe.“Maybe later,” Kimball said, fairly certain that she would either have one of two reactions in she was given the opportunity to examine Tex’s back up close: drooling or gasping in horror, and Tex wouldn’t appreciate either one. Tucker had been very clear about one thing when Kimball had asked—there had been a boyfriend, back when he had known Tex, before. A boyfriend named Church, who was apparently a completely separate entity than the Epsilon A.I. that dwelled within Carolina’s armor. And, in Tex’s mind, he had died only recently. (And Washington had apparently killed him, which really only raised more questions for Kimball that she didn’t dare ask.) “Drink?” She said, holding up the bottle again.Tex fell down back onto her bed with a sigh. “Please,” she muttered. 5. After the war The ceremonies were all done, and the parties were dying down. And Tex was trying to figure out what happened next.The war was over. That had always been her end point, the time she was supposed to escape, to go back to Blood Gulch, to find her boys, to find Church.But they were all here—all except Kai, at least—and Church was dead. He’d been dead the whole time Tex was on Chorus. He’d been dead and she hadn’t known, he’d died thinking he was going to find her in the Meta’s patchwork of AI, he’d died thinking she was gone, and Tex hadn’t been anywhere, lost between point A and point B in the timeline.  What was left at Blood Gulch for her?Tex didn’t like those thoughts.She stared down at her new smooth hands, and scowled. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, she knew. She’d destroyed her old body herself. But the blankness, the newness, of this body rankled. It felt artificial and cold, it felt like—felt like the first time she had taken her armor off in front of York and he’d freaked out, because she was so obviously inhuman, with no scars and a too-pretty face.Luckily her face was mostly the same as it had been before, minus a few chipped teeth, a couple of scars, and a broken nose. There was no artificial beauty in this body. And then there were her new eyes, a bright, vivid green, an electric counterpart to Carolina’s.“Penny for your thoughts,” Kimball said. She looked exhausted but happy, her smile crooked and her eyes bright. Kimball had scars; years of war had left their toll. Kimball wore them like badges of honor, each one a screaming statement. She had survived, she had lived, and whoever had tried to make it otherwise wouldn’t live to regret it.“My thoughts are way more expensive than that,” Tex scoffed.Kimball laughed, reaching out and pushing at Tex’s shoulder. Tex was wearing a tank top, since there were no scars or holes she needed to cover up, and Kimball’s hand ended up resting there, Kimball’s thumb brushing against her collarbone. It was the first time that Tex could think of that Kimball had touched her skin, and something about it made Tex pause, turning to stare at her.Kimball looked panicked for a second, but recovered quickly enough, holding up a bottle of what had to be the awful gin Tex had caught Jensen brewing in a bathtub last week. “How’s this for a down payment, then?”“You know how to convince a girl, General Kimball,” Tex said, grabbing the bottle and removing the crude wax seal.“Got to keep my loyal mercenary happy,” Kimball said with a lightness they both knew she didn’t feel.Three mercenaries had come into this war. Two had been traitors, two had survived.“I’ll bring you Locus’s head when I find him,” Tex volunteered, rather generously in her own opinion. “You can mount it on the wall in your office.”“I think I’ll have to pass,” Kimball said, but her mouth was twitching.Tex took a swig and spluttered slightly at the taste. “Fuck, Jensen is awful at this.”Kimball grabbed it back and sniffed it cautiously before trying. “Grey says it’s safe, at least,” she said, making a face of her own.“Well in that case…” Tex took the bottle back. Kimball’s hand had left her shoulder, and Tex wondered why the loss of contact bothered her.She passed it back to Kimball, and for a moment their fingers brushed. Tex’s eyes widened as she recognized the feeling that rose in her chest. Shit. Not good. No crushing on your boss, Texas, she scolded herself. “Any sign of Felix’s body yet?”“Nope,” Kimball said. “But I’m not stopping until we find it.”“Want to dance on his grave?” Tex asked. She was pretty sure that this new body didn’t have the alcohol tolerance of her old one—either that or Jensen’s booze was very strong—because her smile was a bit wider than it should be, and she nudged Kimball.“It will be important to morale to definitively prove that he’s dead, Agent Texas,” Kimball said loftily. “And if we can prove his identity to the UNSC, it might aid with any potential investigation—”Tex snorted. “Suuuuure.”Kimball narrowed her eyes at her, but she was smiling too, the bottle dangling loosely from her fingers.“How’s the new body?” Kimball asked abruptly. “I wasn’t sure if—you’d like the changes—”Tex shrugged. “I—it’s fine.”“We can get Grey to change them back, if you don’t like them,” Kimball said hurriedly. “It shouldn’t be a problem—”“No,” Tex said, a little too harshly. She stared down at the ground.“Tex?” There was a pause. “Allison?”She didn’t understand. None of them had. Tex didn’t care about the eyes—if anything, she was touched by the gesture—but they were gone. Every bullet, every knife, every grenade, the fall from the ship that had brought her to Chorus, her last fight with York, every encounter with Locus… all of them were wiped away.Tex closed her eyes. “It’s too—clean. Too new. And my scars are gone.”“… oh.”Tex swallowed and grabbed the bottle back. A few swallows later, Tex could make herself speak again. “It’s what he used to do. The Director. Bastard. I’d get injured and when I’d wake up the scars were gone because I wasn’t allowed to lose. I couldn’t… I had to stay like that. They reminded me. I liked that. I don’t like forgetting things.”There was a long, silence, after she’d finished speaking.“Have you considered tattoos?” Kimball said. “I’m sure there’s someone around who could help you with that.”Tex paused, considering it for a maybe. “Maybe when I’m sober,” she decided.Kimball laughed, and Tex savored the sound slightly.“And Kimball? Thanks.”Kimball’s hand landed on hers. Her hands were scarred and warm.“You’re welcome, Tex.” +1.  A date The bottle of wine was a lucky find—buried in an old house, but still good. Grey had given it to her with a slight wink, obviously knowing what Kimball had wanted it for. At least no one else seemed to have cottoned on to Kimball’s blatantly unprofessional intentions towards Tex. Even if Kimball technically wasn’t Tex’s employer anymore. And even when she had been, they’d been friends as well.Kimball was nervous about this; she and Tex drank hard liquor and talked about things as friends. They didn’t drink wine and… do anything else.But Kimball had to know for sure.                                                                       It was odd, no longer sharing a bunk with Tex. But there was more room in the new base and less need for someone to watch Kimball’s back at all times, and Tex had claimed her own room. Kimball would be lying if she didn’t admit that she missed the company. She missed Tex. She knocked on the door cautiously.There was the faint sound of footsteps, and then Tex opened the door. There was a small but genuine quirk to her mouth when she saw it was Kimball. Today Tex had chosen to wear very tight black pants, and her favored black tank top, which exposed Tex’s arms, as well as the new tattoo on her arm; a simple black α. Honestly Kimball was just amazed she hadn’t tried to jump Tex ages ago.She held up the bottle. “It’s a…good vintage?” She offered, all of the smooth, witty lines she’d worked out in her head in advance flying right out the window the second she was presented with the image of Tex’s hair pulled up into a ponytail, exposing the curve of her neck.Tex blinked, squinting at the bottle. “Is that wine?”“Yes?”“Shouldn’t you save this for like… a date or something?” Tex asked, tilting her head to one side. A lifetime in armor had taught Tex to be expressive with her body language. “I’ve got some proper tequila under my bed.”Kimball shifted, her mouth dry as a bone as she forced herself to speak. “I was, um. I thought that… that’s what this could be?”Tex stared at her for a long, painful moment, her new green eyes unreadable as her blue ones had ever been. Kimball nearly ran to spare them both the embarrassment, but she held her ground, forcing herself to wait to hear Tex say it.“Huh,” she finally said. Then she reached across and took the bottle from Kimball, examining the label curiously. “You’ve got glasses? Or are we drinking from the bottle again?”“Why change habits?” Kimball managed to say. They’d only drank with glasses the first time after the Reds and Blues had arrived, when Tex had been the one to provide the alchol. The other times it had just been the two of them, passing the bottle back and forth. There was an intimacy to it that Kimball had savored.Tex stood aside to let her in, and closed the door firmly behind them. She locked it.Tex laughed and sat down on her bed, the invitation to join her implicit as she started to wrangle with the cork.Kimball sat down, and took the bottle when Tex handed it to her. It felt slippery in her grip. She took a sip, and nearly dropped it in surprise. It was good. Kimball couldn’t remember the last time she’d had alcohol that hadn’t been terrible. It had been bathtub gin and rotgut whiskey for years.Tex took it back and took a sip. “Not bad,” she said, her mouth making that small, secretive smile that Kimball always enjoyed seeing.And then she kissed Kimball.Tex tasted like metal and wine, her lips were dry and oddly smooth, but Kimball honestly couldn’t care less as Tex grabbed her hips and pulled her closer. Kimball cupped Tex’s jaw in her hands, her thumbs coming to rest on her cheekbones. Tex’s skin didn’t feel synthetic at all, and Kimball was in awe of what Sarge and Grey had done, creating a robot so lifelike that if it hadn’t been for the strong metal taste, Kimball might not have known Tex wasn’t human.Tex pulled Kimball forward more until Kimball found herself on Tex’s lap, their foreheads pressed against each other as they separated, breathing heavily.Tex had finally succeeded in getting her nose broken again so it was the way she liked it. Her face and hands were now marked with the faint, scarlike lines of patching on her skin. Tex must have done them herself; Sarge or Grey could have done them so that they left no marks, but Tex wanted those marks. Kimball indulged herself, just this once, and traced over the skin of Tex’s cheeks with her thumb, feeling the bumps of the scars.“Like the new face?” Tex laughed, her mouth going down to Kimball’s neck.Kimball gasped, her fingers tangling in Tex’s hair. “Yes,” she managed to say. “Yes.”Tex laughed. “And here I thought I’d have to get you drunk to get you to admit that again.”Kimball flushed but Tex had returned to kissing her lips. After a considering moment, she fell backwards onto the bed until she was lying down, Kimball sprawled out on top of her.“Well,” Kimball said, propping herself up as best she could to preserve her dignity. “We do still have the rest of the bottle.”“Maybe later,” Tex said, and she reached up and touched Kimball’s face with a gentleness that seemed almost out of place. “I can think of a few better things to do.”“Me too,” Kimball admitted, and then she leaned down to kiss Tex again.
10872027
Last Smile
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, Max Lightwood-Bane, Rafael Lightwood-Bane", "Fandom": "The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by RandyQueen", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-10T00:00:00", "words": "531", "Additional Tags": "Sad, I'm Sorry, Why Did I Write This?, Future Fic, Malec Week 2017", "Relationship": "Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Magnus walked through the familiar halls. 505, 506, 507, he read off each door. He continued down the hall. The bare walls made the hall brighter to the point it hurt, but all he felt was a dullness. 511 , he made it. He took a deep breath before pushing the door open. The flowers in his hand bent under the pressure that he gripped them with. The steady beep brought sorrow to Magnus. “Hey, Darling,” he said in a falsely cheery voice. “Mags,” a weak voice said. Alec looked as beautiful as ever with his aged face. “Shh, don’t speak,” Magnus said. “I can speak enough for the both of us.” And he did. He talked about anything and everything. From the things Chairman Meow did to Max and Rafael's lives. He told Alec stories from his past that he never told him (he seemed to find new things every day). He told him what really, really happened in Peru. “Mags,” Alec said, stronger this time. “Yes?” “Stop, you’re only hurting yourself more.” Magnus took in a shaky breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. “Cancer’s a bitch, huh?” Magnus said. A deep wracking cough escaped Alec. All Magnus could do was rub his back, hoping that it would stop soon. He pretended not to notice the blood staining Alec’s hand. “Feeling better?” “Not really. The documented that I won’t have too much longer,” Alec said. The tears Magnus tried to keep in fell freely. He made a choked sound. “Oh God,” he whispered. Alec held his hand tight. “Magnus?” A timid and familiar voice said. Catarina. “Cat,” Magnus cried. Catarina rush forward. “I wish I could help.” “We know that magic can’t cure this,” Alec managed to get out. “Still,” she said. All three of them had red-rimmed eyes. “I brought news, not good news,” she said. Magnus took another breath in. “Lay it on us.” “Alec only has a week left.” Magnus’ world shattered. “I-I,” he stuttered, “I need to tell Max and-and Rafe,” “I can bring them after school,” Catarina offered. “Please.” Magnus hated how his voice cracked on the word. Catarina gave a small smile and left. Magnus, Max, and Rafael spent the entire week in the hospital room. They tried to keep the tone light and stayed as far as possible for the mentions of death. Alec kept getting weaker and weaker On the last day, Everyone tried to not think about the inevitable. “Mags,” Alec said when the kids left to go to the bathroom. “Yes?” Magnus scooted closer to the bed. “When I’m gone, don’t go off. Live your life to the fullest and take care of the kids,” Alec said. Magnus’ vision blurred. “Of course, Alexander.” Max and Rafael walked in a few seconds later. The heart monitor got slower. “Max, Rafael, look after each other and your father when I’m gone. I don’t want the three of you to forget that you have friends, lives, and each other to help you. Don’t push them away. I love you all.” “I love you, Papa,” Max and Rafael said. “I love you too, Alexander,” Magnus said.   The last thing Alec did was smile.
10811871
Wheres Ron
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": "Fred Weasley, Percy Weasley, George Weasley, Ron Weasley, Molly Weasley", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by mench [archived by thequidditchpitch_archivist]", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2006-08-03T00:00:00", "words": "268", "Additional Tags": "Drabble", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "The Quidditch Pitch", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Author's notes: JKR owns them all. Ten o’clock in the morning and Molly Weasley had her hands full with her childrenTen o’clock in the morning and Molly Weasley had her hands full with her children. “Fred! George!”“Yes, Mum?”“Where’s your brother? Where’s Ronnie?”“We don’t know! We haven’t seen him since this morning.”“Well, go and find him. Now!”“But… Mum…”“I said go, now! I still have to give your baby sister a bath.”“Why don’t you ask Percy instead?”“No, Fred. Percy is studying. He can’t be disturbed.”“But we also don’t want to be disturbed.”“George, be a good boy now and look for your brother. Don’t be like your twin who’s always whining and complaining.”“Yes, Mum.”Reluctantly, Fred went with his twin and looked for their youngest brother in his room, then in their room, in the broom closet outside, and still no sign of little Ronnie.Exhausted and bored, the seven year old twins were getting annoyed now. Where was their little brother?“Let’s try and go over there.”“Good idea, Fred.”And there he was, lying on the grass near the pond, blissfully asleep. Their little brother had been taking a morning nap all this time while they were being pushed around by their Mum.“Percy was with Ronnie, Mum.”“Are you sure?”“Yes, we think he was reading something really boring to Ronnie, that’s why he fell asleep.”“Really, Mum, what do you think Percy’s reading to Ronnie? Maybe you can ask him what it was, it was more effective than your lullabye.”“Oh stop it, Fred.”~end~
10852041
Misremembered
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Kate Beckett, Richard Castle", "Fandom": "Castle", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by TrinityEverett", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2016-02-15T00:00:00", "words": "1,766", "Additional Tags": "Episode Related, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Romance", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Kate Beckett/Richard Castle, Kate Beckett & Richard Castle", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
This is for the fantastic prosemeds on her birthday, plus or minus (plus) 12 or so hours. I hope you like this!  (And you might recognize the prompt, too. ;)) Misremembered Prompt: "Season 4 AU, Castle doesn't say I love you. Beckett hallucinates that he does."Category: AU, Caskett, Angst"Do you want to know trauma? I was shot in the chest and I remember every second of it."After weeks and months of half-truths in public and secrets shared in the safety of her therapist's office, admitting to her lie in a space so committed to truth is almost fitting.It's freeing, telling another soul her dark secret in a fit of fury, but it is also wrong, so wrong. The person she needs to bare her soul to isn't Bobby, the suspected bomber, it's Castle; her partner, her friend, the man who had broken himself open that day in the grass to give her something to hold onto as her life slipped away.She remembers every second of that day, down to the cloud formations above her head. The shouting, the panic, Castle hovering above her, begging her to stay. She remembers his mouth twisting in anguish, his breath spilling across her face, even the faint scent of his mint toothpaste, of all things. "Kate, I love you. I love you, Kate." He'd come to her days later, grief etched on his face, his need raw and overwhelming, and still he had put aside his feelings and deferred to her. He had heeded her request for space and for time. And when she returned after months of silence – still too broken and cowardly to do anything but pull his words, his love, deeper within herself – he had forgiven her. He had loved her.He loves her, even though she's still too messed up to love him right.And now her secret is out. At least somewhat.As quickly as her anger flared, it fades away, leaving her with the ache of her words once more. Bobby remains silent, stubborn, unwilling to confess his own sins, and experience tells her that she won't be getting anything out of him for now. He needs time to think, to stew, to contemplate all the ways this could end for him, and she needs to take a moment to get herself under control.Touching her palm to the center of her chest, she pushes away from the wall and leaves Bobby without a word. Silence for silence.Her breath catches in her throat when Castle steps out of the observation room to join her in the hall. His eyes seek hers without hesitation, and it's all she can do not to flinch away from the compassion and love in his gaze.He has to have heard her, but his eyes hold none of the anger, none of the hurt, none of the devastation she had expected they would after her unceremonious announcement."Letting him sweat for a bit?" he asks, jerking his chin toward the box."Yeah. I had to; he shut down on me.""Good call," Castle murmurs, offering her one of the coffees in his hand. He refrains from commenting when the cup wobbles as she takes it.Her first sip warms her throat, easing the constriction in her windpipe to the point where she can breathe again. The second sip is more easily savored, and her eyes slip shut as the familiar vanilla flavor bursts over her tongue.She must make some noise, some indication of enjoyment, because her partner chuckles, startling her out of her stupor.Shit, he knows. He knows she lied, he knows she remembers it all, he knows she had run away with his love ringing in her ears and given him nothing back.Yet, he's still here."Beckett," he starts, his chest expanding with the pull of his breath. He's steeling himself. For what, she can't be sure, but she waits him out. She owes him that much. "Can we talk?"Heart in her throat once more, she can only nod. "Yeah, yes. Yeah. Just let me get my…" she trails off, thinking of the jacket draped across the back of her chair and mentally calculating the likelihood of making it across the bullpen without being pulled into another task.Forget it. She can go without the extra layer. "Forget it, let's go. Want to walk?"Castle nods, gesturing for her to lead the way. Always letting her lead.They exit the precinct together, curling their free hands against their bodies to ward against the chill as they set off on a path of her partner's choosing. Regardless of their destination, she won't argue, not with the reminder of her secret between them.Still, her steps stutter when they reach Boylan Plaza. The majority of the carnage has been cleared, and memorials and candle vigils have been set up instead. Castle leads her to the largest of the tributes, wrapping his fingers around the weathered metal police barricade that separates it from the foot traffic on the sidewalk. He seems to be ignoring the single remaining mass of twisted metal across from them, but she can't tear her eyes away; it's beyond heartbreaking. All of this is."Castle," she breathes, forcing herself to break the silence. She made this mess between them; she needs to be the one to start cleaning it up. "I –"He cuts her off, scrubbing a hand across his face. "This was almost you. This – this could've been outside the precinct, it could've been your picture on a poster, and I…" he trails off, shaking his head at himself, as if the words aren't cooperating."You heard me tell Bobby," she picks up in his absence, urging the words to spill out before she can hide them away once again. "I remember. I remember everything. The gunshot, you tackling me, you… telling me."Castle's head tilts. "Telling you?" he echoes, licking his lips. "What do you mean?"He may be trying to school his face, but his eyes give everything away.Dread churns in her belly, clawing its way up her chest. Oh God, he's not being coy or playing with her; he is confused. He – shit.Kate sucks in a breath, turning away, retreating from Boylan Plaza and her partner. She makes it all of half a block before sinking back against the brick side of a building and cursing herself once more.She remembers it with complete clarity. She remembers every break in his voice, every ragged syllable from his lips. She remembers, damn it. "Kate, shh… Kate. Stay with me, Kate. Don't leave me, please. Stay with me, okay?" "Kate," Castle murmurs, touching her arm, so very careful not to startle her. "What do you remember me telling you?"Swallowing hard, she shakes her head. Maybe she can salvage their partnership, if not her pride. "Forget… can we forget I said anything? I misremembered. I should - we should probably get back anyway -"His fingers slip down her sleeve, thumb caressing her wrist, tenderness infusing every swipe. It's too much, it is entirely too much; her throat contracts against the well of tears, but she's unable to bring herself to pull away and run from him again."Before we do that, can I finish what I was going to say?"Biting her lip, she nods. "Okay."He nods in return, swallowing his nerves and plowing ahead. "I put this off once, and I've regretted it ever since. After the other day, I'm not putting it off anymore."Castle's fingers close around hers, his grasp firm, steady. She grips back, digging deep within herself to square her shoulders and face him."I love you, Kate. I-"The coffee cup in her other hand clatters to the ground, splattering the remainder of her drink across the concrete as she grapples for his lapel. She leaves it where it is for now; having him closer is her first priority. Her partner comes without argument, wrapping his arm around her back, keeping her grounded as she searches his face."You didn't say that in May?""I, no. It was on the tip of my tongue, but you passed out and we were so focused on getting you to the hospital, there wasn't another opportunity. Was that what you…?"She nods, sucking in a breath. It had seemed so real then, every consonant, every vowel, but it hadn't been. It hadn't been real until now. "I thought I'd beenlying to you about hearing it this whole time. It was just so big, Castle," she continues, rolling her eyes at the quirk of his lips. She had walked into that one and he was showing remarkable restraint by not saying anything. "I needed time to get a handle on it all. To get stronger, to get my head together, everything.""That was why… what you said that day on the playground."Kate nods again, fighting against another swell of shame. Her fumbled attempt at assuring him if he waited for her, she would catch up. "Yeah. Yeah, it was. I thought I needed to explain."His face blooms with a smile, probably the first real joy she has seen since before the bombing, and she finds herself mimicking it."So you," he clears his throat a moment later, stroking his thumb against the small of her back. "You do, right? Because that was kind of the subtext I got out of that talk, but I want to be sure.""Yeah," she croaks around a wry chuckle, brushing her fingertips over the swell of his lower lip. "Yeah, Castle. I do. I love you, too."She barely finishes her sentence before his mouth lowers to hers and he breathes his happiness, his hope, against her lips. She can't help the shiver that moves along her spine, rocking her deeper into her partner's embrace, but he seems to have no complaints. No, he hums his appreciation, sinking his fingers into her hair to keep her from retreating.After a moment, she mewls his name, releasing his lips to drag air into her greedy lungs. Castle does the same, rubbing their noses together as his chest bumps hers on every deep inhale. They need to make their way back to the precinct, to go back to trying to break Bobby and get some kind of justice for those lost the other day, but she can't force her feet to move without taking one last kiss from his mouth.One they'll both remember. Prompt courtesy of prosemeds herself. I hope I did it justice!
10872645
Chance
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": "Reinhardt Wilhelm, Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Angela \"Mercy\" Ziegler", "Fandom": "Overwatch (Video Game)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by angededesespoir", "chapters": "2/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-10T00:00:00", "words": "1,644", "Additional Tags": "Merfolk AU, Aquaphobia, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Depression, Minor Injuries, some OoCness perhaps, Anxiety, Angst, Suicidal Ideation, Near Death Experiences, Pnigophobia, blood mention, Survivor Guilt", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison/Reinhardt Wilhelm, Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison & Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes & Angela \"Mercy\" Ziegler", "Series": "Merfolk AU, Tumblr Prompt Memes", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "M/M, Multi, Other", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
The steam rises steadily and Reinhardt basks in the warmth, the water bubbling up gently against both flesh and scale. To find a hot spring was always a glorious occasion. He sighs, stretching one arm out on the rock behind him, the other moving around Jack’s shoulders, pulling him close.Jack cozies up to him, humming, flicking his tail energetically. He hasn't seen him look this genuinely happy in a long time.“What has got you so excited, Mein Liebling?”“Well...as you know, I was exploring the river today.”“Mmmmhmmm. Und?”“So, I found this waterfall. The biggest I’ve ever seen, Rein. And-” He fidgets, pausing.“Ja?” he asks, intrigued.“There was a man there, Rein! Sitting nearby, on the shoreline.”He can’t help but tense, suddenly anxious as a wave of unwanted memories comes to him. He fights the urge to trace the scar on his face. The one he had never told his partner the true origin story of. He had been alive a lot longer than Jack, seen too many things, lost too many friends.“Did he see you?” He tries not to sound too worried.Jack shakes his head, a small frown forming. “No. I didn’t want to startle him, and I was a little nervous, too, so I hid myself, watched from a distance. I think he was resting. He looked really tired. Had a lot of mud on him, too.” Jack tips his head back, resting against his partner’s arm as he gazes at the clouds and tree tops, lost in thought.“He had a beautiful voice,” he muses. “ It was soothing. Made me want to come closer just to hear it. He knew a lot of animal calls, too. He kept trying to communicate with the birds. He fed some seeds to this one that landed near him. Some type of blue bird. It was gorgeous. I wonder what kind it was. I’d never seen it before.”He shifts slightly, looking up at Rein. “The man seemed nice. Not at all like the ones the elders talk about. I wish you had seen him. I wish we could have interacted. I feel like we could have learned a lot from him and he from us.”“Jack.....” He cups his face, presses a kiss to the younger’s forehead. “Meine Perle, you have to be more careful. The elders tell those stories for a reason.”Jack clutches at the hand. “I know, but Rein, not everyone’s like that. We can’t trust blindly, sure, but just because human’s are different from us doesn’t automatically make them bad.” “I know, Liebling, and I agree. I just worry that you’ll get hurt. Sometimes you get too eager, jump at opportunities without thinking them through.”Jack quirks an eyebrow. “So do you. At least I’m not the one who got stung by twelve jellies at once.”“Ah, you wound me! Your words hurt worse than their sting!”“But it’s true.”“Ja. Ja, it is.”The atmosphere shifts back, flooded with the seriousness of the matter.He peers into Jack’s eyes, thumb brushing against his cheek, tail loosely twining with his. “He seems nice, ja. I’d like to believe he’d react well. But there’s no way to tell unless you try.”“Then...why don’t we try? If he comes back while we’re still nested here.”Reinhardt hesitates for a second, conflicted. The look in Jack’s eyes is enough, though. “Only if I’m by your side. Understood?”“Of course.” Jack’s arms lace around his neck, scales scraping against skin as he pulls himself a little higher, planting a kiss on his lips. “Thank you, Rein. It means a lot.”“Bitte, Meine Perle. I only want you to be happy. That’s why we left, ja?”Jack let’s his body slip slightly, curling tighter around Reinhardt, head pressing against his chest. He nods. “Yeah. I appreciate all you’ve done for me. You didn’t have to go this far.”Reinhardt wraps his arms around him, tail and fins swaying, keeping them above the surface. “Nein, I did. I wouldn’t let them hurt you, Jack.”His gills flutter as Jack presses his lips to his neck, rests his head against him, again. “There’s no one among our kind that I’d trust more than you or...or Ana. If she were still alive. Rein....I’m sorry if I’m a dreamer, but it helps. It gives me hope.” He watches him bite at his lip, teeth sharp, digging in. He senses the storm of emotion, the one Jack always tries to hide behind a sunny façade.“I miss my family. I miss my home.”“Jackie,” he smooths his hand through Jack’s hair, not sure how to ease his mate’s pain, nor his own. “I know, I know. But at least we still have eachother.”“Yeah.” The voice is soft. “I count my blessings.”“As do I.”They lapse into silence, pressed against eachother, water warm and bubbling. The birds chatter above them, but it’s like they’re the only two on Earth. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- He winces as she sanitizes the wound- cuts stinging and bruised flesh protesting the pressure.“Angela, is this really necessary? It’s just a scrape.”“Yes, yes it is! You’re always off getting yourself hurt.”“It’s not a big deal.”“It is! I wish you would be more careful. You’re going to wind up with an infection- or, God forbid, worse!”“Hey- I’ll try to be more careful, okay? But it was just an accident.”“It always is.” He winces again at the frustrated tone and the application of the bandage. "One of these days I’m worried I’ll wake up and find a lion gnawing on you or a giant squid pulling you to the briny depths.”Gabe laughs. “Come on, Angie. Give me more credit than that. I’m as careful as I can be, but we’re here to observe creatures. Some less than ideal encounters are bound to be expected.”“Yes, well, do you think you can keep those ‘less than ideal encounters’ to a minimum, please? We only have so many supplies and, more importantly, I hate seeing you hurt. Even if it’s something as minor as this.”“Hey...” He waits until she looks up before he pulls her into a gentle hug. “I’m sorry for making you upset. I didn’t mean to. I’m thankful for everything you do, not just for me, but for the others. And I’ll try to be more careful, so you don’t have to worry as much.”He lets her go and she shifts back, a little flustered, hand toying with her hair. “Thank you. And...It’s fine. Now,” she clears her throat and moves to pick up her supplies, “I really should get back to work. Try to stay out of trouble, and rest well.”“You, too, doc.”He waits until she's gone. Sighing, he rolls his pant leg down and pulls himself up from the mossy log. He winces as he puts weight on his ankle. He hadn’t mentioned it seeing as how distressed his friend already was. He would take care of it himself. The injury wasn’t that bad afterall.He limps back to camp, careful to avoid everyone. He sits in front of his tent, gazes up at the sky. He has never seen the stars so bright, the moon so full.“You would like it here, Pa,” he whispers.--He bursts up, breathing heavily, tail thrashing in the seaweed. Several fish dart away in alarm, leaving him for the darkness which stretches out before him. A crab scuttles from their nest and Jack flinches, His webbed hand rubs at his chest, feeling the deepest of the scars as he tries to get his bearings.He can still taste the blood and can’t quite tell if it’s real or just the whispers of a memory.His limbs are shaking, tail beating anxiously, gills rapidly opening and closing.He looks down at his mate, worried that he had disturbed him, but Rein is still asleep beside him, peaceful. A fish shimmies through his hair, blowing a bubble.He might have smiled at the sight at another time. Not now. Now he’s scrambling from their nest, propelling himself to the freedom of the surface. He clutches to the first rock he can find, pulls himself up to perch there.It’s harder to breathe up here, especially if he plans to be out of the water for more than a few minutes, but somehow it calms him. It always felt less threatening than the sea, where so many of his kin would kill him simply for the beliefs he held and the dreams he had.He curls up on the rock, shivering. The moon hangs high overhead, bathing him in light. He closes his eyes to shut it out. It reminds him of Ana. Of her poems and riddles and late night talks.It reminds him of the night he was left with a void he could never fill. Someone snatched away too soon.He lets out a shuddering breath.He does not cry.--An hour later, Rein is peeling him from the rock, submerging him. He does not protest. Even if he wanted to, he’s too weak. His breathing is shallow and his scales soak up the water eagerly.His mate does not scold him, does not lecture him. He holds Jack close, loose enough so he can breathe. He presses kisses to his face and Jack can hear the murmurs of speech, can hear the tone of worry and pleading, even if he can’t process the words.He does not open his eyes. He cannot bear to see the tears in his mate’s eyes, again. Cannot bear to see how he’s hurt him once.He brushes his tail against the other’s, weakly rubs a hand on one of the arms that holds him.He is alive. And he is sorry.
10802337
Anthology of the Goddess
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Leonardo (Fire Emblem), Edward (Fire Emblem), Micaiah (Fire Emblem)", "Fandom": "Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by marriedtothedancer", "chapters": "1/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-03T00:00:00", "words": "1,623", "Additional Tags": "Anthology, Short Stories, character interactions", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
What makes a perfect shot?Consistency. Accuracy. Power. Skill. These were all the words that Rolf could think of as the slender teenager stalked the blond marksman as he practiced. Rolf watched from behind one of the many walls of the snowy fortress in which the Silver Army was residing on their journey to the Tower of Guidance. The dire situation, ironically, allowed for a calming and peaceful environment; the perfect one to practice marksmanship. Leonardo plucked another arrow from his quiver; he nocked it, and, with a quick breath taking form in the cold air, he released the stressed string. Rolf gazed as the arrow ripped across the air for what seemed like a millennium before it eventually hit the yellow bullseye in the center of the target. Another perfect shot; the head of the arrow came out from the target on the other side. That shot made Rolf suddenly hyper aware of the bow he kept with him on his back. He saw Leonardo’s lips curve into a slight smile, to which Rolf couldn’t help but smile to as well. He looked on at Leonardo’s hands; they were red and cut from the constant practice, not to mention the unforgiving wind and temperature of Leonardo’s practice area. Such perfect technique did not come without its consequences on the body; Rolf knew that all too well. “Rolf, if you’re still out there stalking me, could you go get me the arrows I just fired?” The spoken words from Leonardo caught Rolf completely aback given his entrancement with his archery practice; unfortunately, it was so much so that he fell back onto the stone ground before quickly getting up and regaining his composure. Rolf sheepishly made his way back to the target, and pulled out the arrow from the target before giving it to Leonardo who put on a cheeky smile. Silence ensued as Rolf looked down at the ground while putting his hands behind his back in embarrassment. “It’s okay, I’ve noticed you for the past few days now.” Leonardo said casually, as if that would make Rolf feel better; it, in fact, did the exact opposite, and Rolf felt his face grow redder, and not just because of the whipping of the cold air. Leonardo noticed this reaction, and gave him a reassuring smile.“Don’t worry about it, I really don’t care if you watch me or not.” To this, Rolf’s mood cheered up a little. Rolf reached into the midpocket of his quiver, and pulled out a spare vulnerary he kept. “Here, this should help with the bleeding and the blisters.” Rolf spoke as he applied the medicine onto Leonardo’s hand. This caused him to yelp a little in pain, to which Rolf laughed. “Why do you keep that in your bag? I thought only I used to do that!” “A friend.” Rolf grinned as he thought of his pegasus-riding friend who was traveling a different route to the Tower of Guidance. Leonardo understood Rolf’s aura; given his best friend’s constant impulsiveness, he was usually the one to carry around the spare vulneraries. The blond marksman went over to Rolf’s stalking wall, and put his bow down, before sitting on it. Rolf sat down next to him. “You know, it’s funny.” Rolf struck up a conversation. “What is?”“Just a few weeks ago, you and I were on opposite sides of the battlefield. Our arrows were fired at each other, and I remember seeing you take down multiple laguz…” Rolf remembered Leonardo’s light blue marksman armor as a striking contrast to the typical black used by Daein soldiers. His form, just as in practice, was impeccable. Leonardo seemingly never ran out of arrows, as he kept plucking and shooting at whatever had come his way. A path of incapacitated laguz were in front of the deadly marksman, and he showed no intentions of stopping. His one weakness? Rolf noted how he constantly looked after a trueblade dressed in brilliant red garb; after every few arrows, Leonardo would run over to the trueblade with either a vulnerary, or a concoction available. In that way, he left himself exposed, both physically and emotionally. “You also took down quite a few Daein soldiers; I noticed you almost immediately and knew that you were an archer to watch out for.” Leonardo remembered their second encounter with the Greil Mercenaries at Nox Castle when Prince Pelleas was busy finding information on the blood pact. Rolf was at the front line, atypical of an archer, able to shoot in between the chinks of black armor donned by Daein knights. Leonardo remembered thinking how Rolf clearly learned from a master as he took down more and more soldiers from afar. His weakness? Leonardo noted how Rolf stayed always in proximity to a silver knight and a reaver who both had green hair, most likely his brothers. The younger sniper would always need to be reassured by his two brothers’ protection and simple presence. In that way, he left himself exposed, both physically and emotionally. “But, now… we’re on the same team on the same route to the Tower to try and reverse a goddess’ judgement on our world…” Both looked up at the perfect blue sky. The peace and lack of energy in the air was unsettling as it was comforting. Neither could remember a time where they felt more at bay, yet knowing the reason behind it all had absolutely tainted the experience. There was an unwavering path to follow so that they may have a chance at restoring the lives of the civilians from Daein, Gallia, and all other countries in the world. Such was the path that they had chosen to follow, and it had all led them to this moment in the present; two former enemies were now sitting side by side with no ill intent toward one another. “Life is meant to be chaotic even if it isn’t what Ashera wants; it’s how this kind of friendship blossomed.” Leonardo looked straight ahead with a piercing gaze; he thought of the people in Nevassa in the capital all turned to stone to match the craggy setting of the capital. Each and every person that was there motivated him to pursue this goal, regardless of how difficult the trek would be. Each and every person deserved another chance, and didn’t deserve to be abandoned by circumstance like he wa- he let out a sigh, calming himself down. “Friendship?” Rolf asked curiously; he didn’t mean to offend, but it was a genuine question. To this, Leonardo turned his head to face the green-haired teen and smiled softly. “I mean, I’ve let you stalk me for the past few days, and I know that I’ve been meaning to talk to you just to break the whole Daein-Laguz ice, so… yeah, I would call it friendship.” Leonardo chuckled as Rolf began to laugh slightly as well. Life, indeed, was very funny. While only a few weeks ago, the two were ready to shoot at each other. Now, Leonardo couldn’t imagine seriously hurting Rolf, and vice versa. “So, who’s the guy that you always hang around with on the battlefield?” Rolf asked Leonardo, to which Leonardo let out another chuckle. “Oh, that’s Edward. He’s been at my side since forever, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. We’ve been there for each other always.”“That’s me with my brothers, Oscar and Boyd. Our mother wasn’t in our lives, so it was Oscar basically taking care of the both of us.” Leonardo looked on in understanding, but remembered a painful fact; Boyd and Oscar were traveling in a different group.“They’re traveling with Ike now… don’t you miss them?” Leonardo asked, and Rolf simply stayed quiet. Silence filled the air for a few minutes before Rolf finally answered.“Yes, I do miss them a lot. It’s different without them here. But, I’m stronger now. I’m not the same kid I was three years ago.” Rolf affirmed, brimming with confidence. Leonardo smiled at this and then looked down at his palms; they were healing quite nicely because of the vulnerary, and it had only been a few minutes. Not being the same kid three years ago? Ha… Leonardo thought to himself, not feeling quite comfortable yet in spilling out his whole life story to someone he just began speaking to. They had already begun to share intimate details with one another, but this was something different. The images of what he had experienced would be forever burned into his mind, and that part of his life he had kept hidden away except for members of the Dawn Brigade.Without skipping a beat, Leonardo got up, and picked up his bow once again. He nocked the arrow Rolf had given him earlier, and pulled the string back as he gazed at the target once more. He could feel a bead of sweat roll down his forehead despite the cold, winter atmosphere. He released the string, causing the arrow to whizz across the air. Leonardo blinked, expecting to hear the sound of a single arrow ripping across the material at the bullseye just as before. However, in those few moments, he didn’t just hear one tear. Leonardo opened his eyes and saw two arrows that had pierced the target right next to each other, but still accurate enough to be in the bullseye yellow region of the target. He peered to his side, and saw a smirking Rolf with his bow in hand. Leonardo’s lips curved into a sly smile before he got another arrow from his quiver; Rolf did the same. The two both nocked their arrows while Leonardo made a quick quip. “Watch and learn, Rolf.” “I have been.”
10837965
Science
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, Original Female Character", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by Psistriker", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-06T00:00:00", "words": "843", "Additional Tags": "Alcohol, Drunken silliness", "Relationship": "Clint Barton & Original Female Character & Kate Bishop", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Chronoverse", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Avengers, MCU, Marvel Comics, X-Men", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
“Are you sure about this, Chronos?”Chronos rolled her eyes. “Loosen up, Wannabe,” she replied. “Scientific endeavors sometimes take sacrifice. Besides, this was your idea.”“Getting Clint drunk and taking him to the shooting range is not a ‘scientific endeavor’,” Kate Bishop pointed out. “And how is this fiasco my idea?”“Last week when he was throwing darts blindfolded. You wondered if there were any conditions where he can’t make the shot. I’ve been testing your hypothesis, drunk was the next one on the list,” Chronos explained. “Although technically WE didn’t get him drunk, Thor did. I’m just taking advantage of the situation.”Kate looked over to where Clint was leaning against the wall, stroking his bow and humming to himself. “Yeah, this is gonna end well,” she sighed.Chronos finished fiddling with the controls. “Yo, Birdman, you ready?”Clint flashed her a drunken thumbs up. Or at least he tried to. “Don’t worry, Timex,” he slurred. “I can do dis in m’sleep.”“Yeah, that’s next week,” Chronos replied.“Should we be standing behind something?” Kate asked, concerned.“Katey-Kate-Kate-Kate-Kate-Kate,” Clint hiccuped. “Relax, Hawkeye. I got *hic* I gotted dis. I da bested, ‘member?”“No, I’m the bested, you’re the wasted,” Kate shot back.“Listen here, girlie.” Clint started towards them but tripped over his feet, nearly face planting in front of them. “Aw floor, no.”Chronos helped him up, turning him towards the targets. “Easy there, Birdman,” she said. “Wannabe’s not worth it.”“She not wannabe, she Hawkeye,” Clint admonished. “She very good. You very good too. Hawkeye and Timex, my good, good friends.”“Oh God,” the girls groaned in unison.“If he pukes, you’re cleaning it up,” Kate declared.“Screw that,” Chronos replied. “If he pukes, Thor can clean it up. He’s the one that brought the Asgardian mead.”“Mead!” Clint exclaimed. “Want mead, is nummy.”“Do this for me, Birdman, and you can go back to the party and have all the mead you want,” Chronos said.“Yay!” Clint cheered. “You da the bestest little sister ever!”Chronos patted his shoulder before heading back over to the control panel.“You’re not really going to let him drink more of that, are you?” Kate hissed.“Oh hell no,” Chronos answered. “I’m crazy, not stupid.”“So you just lied to him.”Chronos shook her head. “I said he could go back, I never said he’d make it,” she said. “I promised Natasha if he didn’t pass out after this I’d knock him out.”“Can I help with that?”“You knock him out, I catch him?”“Deal.”“Works for me.” Chronos flipped a few more switches on the control panel. “All right, Birdman, it’s all yours!” Then she hit the start button.The change was instant. Clint raised his bow, all traces of his drunken state gone. He pulled an arrow out of his quiver and fired, hitting a perfect bullseye.Stark had actually designed this particular range specifically for the archer, using Clint’s carnie past as inspiration. It was modeled after a carnival shooting gallery, complete with moving targets and flashing lights. Only these targets were life-size, three-dimensional, and occasionally shot back.Chronos played with the difficulty, slowly increasing it as they went along. No matter what she threw at him, Clint made every shot.Once he ran out of arrows, she shut it down.“Aww, they wented away,” Clint pouted, lowering his bow. “Why for did they wented away?”“Because you ran out of arrows,” Chronos explained.Clint’s pout deepened. “But I like arrows.”Kate shook her head. “He’s still completely trashed!”“Yeah, and apparently Asgardian mead causes a mental regression in normal humans that makes them act like a four year old,” Chronos said. “I may have to test this further, but I need a bigger sample size. I wonder what it would do to Big Green.”“No!” Kate snapped. “No more testing, especially with mead.”“You are seriously no fun,” Chronos said.Meanwhile, Clint was wandering around, calling “here, arrow, arrow, arrow,” at the top of his lungs.Chronos shared a look with the younger girl. “Hey, Birdman. We can get you some more arrows.”“Right,” Kate agreed. “We know where there are lots and lots of arrows.”“Yay!” Clint came over and wrapped his arms around them. “My girls, my friends,” he sighed. “I love my girls.”“If this shows up on Youtube, you’re a dead woman,” Kate growled.“Please, give me a little credit,” Chronos replied. “This is going straight into the blackmail file.”Clint added his own two cents by snoring.“Oh gross, he’s drooling!” Kate grimaced.“Wuss.” Chronos grabbed him and threw him over her shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Since he was taller than her, she ended up levitating so his feet wouldn’t drag along the ground. “Good thing this coat’s waterproof. Get the door, will ya?”Kate held the door for them as Chronos floated out. She shut it behind them before following the mutant down the hall. “So tell me about this blackmail file.” “All in good time, Birdgirl. All in good time.”
10882452
Suspense
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Aaron Burr, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, Hercules Mulligan", "Fandom": "Hamilton - Miranda", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by tarragonthedragon", "chapters": "4/4", "completed": "2017-06-16", "published": "2017-05-11T00:00:00", "words": "5,396", "Additional Tags": "BDSM, Shibari, Light BDSM, Light Dom/sub, Bondage, Rope Bondage, Yoga, Blow Jobs, Polyamory, Angst, i guess, Relationship Problems, Polymory Negotiations, Bonding, relationship troubles", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Aaron Burr/Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, Aaron Burr/Hercules Mulligan", "Series": "split second", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Lafayette’s hips arched up towards the ceiling. He swayed breezily in place as Aaron’s clever fingers traced along the ropes, sliding over his skin, tugging and checking. His hands were warm, a little rough from hauling the soft rope harness into place, catching and slipping in an irregular tempo on Lafayette’s skin.“Colour?” Aaron murmured, closer than Lafayette had expected but already sounding tinny and far away.Lafayette sighed, sinking into the ropes that held him up. “Green.”“Are you ready to go a little further, love?”The ropes weren’t entirely holding his weight, yet, his head and shoulders still cushioned on the bed, ankles brushing on the sheets. He nodded slowly, his hair rustling against the sheets. There was a low heave of breath as Aaron pulled him all the way into position.Weight tugged just on the right side of painful where the ropes constricted, tight enough to cling and crush when he drew breath, but not enough to hurt. His whole body on display in a long, graceful curve. Aaron scratched his fingers slowly through Lafayette’s hair as he adjusted, a soft litany of praise hovering through the air between them.Lafayette tipped his chin back a little further, stretching back into the hand until Aaron’s lips met his own. They were soft, chapped and full. The hand was still tangled, soothing, in his hair.He gave a breathy sigh and fell back into the touch. “Thank you, sir.”“There’s my angel,” Aaron praised. His other hand was smoothing up Lafayette’s thigh, until the back of his knuckles ran against Lafayette’s cock and drew out a strangled, gasping moan. Aaron chuckled.“Sir, please,” Lafayette keened. The hand under his cock was perfectly still, the other tugged soothingly at his hair. He could feel the ropes shifting as he tensed and squirmed, silken and bulky over his skin.Aaron hummed. “No, sweetheart, I don’t think you’ve earnt my hand yet. Try something else.”His tone was soothing, encouraging. This was exactly what Lafayette had asked for. He cringed anyway, a whimper building up at the base of his throat. The hand was still in his hair, scratching and kneading. “I—May I have one of your toys, sir?”“I think we can manage that.” Aaron pulled his hands away slowly, tracing over Lafayette’s skins reassuringly as they went. For a moment, he was utterly alone, and floating in his silky rope harness. Then a hand was on his thigh, fingertips kneading at the slack muscle. “Can you spread your legs for me, darling?”It was hard. The ropes wanted to swing back down into alignment where Aaron had left them. Lafayette wanted to carve himself open. He held the new position.Aaron’s slick finger slid past his entrance slowly, checking he was still prepped, swirling without pressing deep enough to even begin really filling him. Lafayette keened.“Patience, sweetheart,” Aaron murmured, swatting lightly at his ass as his hand pulled back. Something cold and pliant pressed up against his rim.Lafayette gasped, recognising the slick give of the jelly dildo, and began to wriggle eagerly, trying to bear down on the toy. The ropes swung him easily back into place, no purchase offered. He whined.Aaron was laughing at him, free hand petting fondly at his abs. “Colour?”Lafayette swallowed. “Green.”The dildo slid home in one steady press, Aaron’s hand holding him in place at the small of his back. It was small and slimy, cold, giving him almost nothing as he flexed and tensed around it.“You look so pretty, love, so pretty,” Aaron murmured, back up by his head. Lafayette preened. “Think you can show off for me?”Lafayette bit his lip, tipping his head back until Aaron pressed a kiss against his hairline. “Yes, sir.”He let the ropes sway him a little, drawing his legs apart, rolling his hips. Pulled even further back on them, stretching up into a tighter, more delicate arch. Bore down until the jelly dildo pressed up against his prostate, and flexed, gasping. Pushed again, and again, brows screwing tightly under his blindfold, until white-hot pleasure sparked through him again, and again. Aaron was whispering in his ear, telling him how pretty he looked, how nice it could be if he could just work a little harder, put on a little more show. Lafayette keened, still only at half-mast, struggling for traction from the jelly dildo in his ass. Every squirming roll of his hip brought him, inch by struggling inch, towards his reward. By the time he was fully hard, there were tears soaking through the blindfold from his effort, and Aaron was peppering soothing kisses over his chewed lips, almost chaste, with a soothing hand coiled into his hair as he withdrew.“My good boy,” he murmured. “Do you want my hand, sweetheart? My mouth? You’ve been so good, darling.”“Been good,” Lafayette repeated, dreamily.“Colour check, sweetheart?” Aaron sounded worried.  That wasn’t right.“Green,” Lafayette said. “Want you, want you now.”Aaron laughed, kissed him again. Lips, then his collar, waist, hips. Hovered with his breath huffing warmly over Lafayette’s groin. Dappled more kisses up his shaft, before letting the slightest lap of tongue trace over the head.Lafayette keened. When Aaron’s mouth slid over him, hot and wet, he bucked and felt the ropes pull him back, swaying.Perfectly composed even with a mouthful of Lafayette’s cock, Aaron chuckled at his predicament. Lafayette squirmed and bucked again as Aaron sucked, perfect, overwhelming. He came in a crash of white light, a sound more sob than scream, and fell back limp into the harness. Instantly, he could hear Aaron up and moving, felt warm hands at the knots, sliding the ropes gently over Lafayette’s skin as they flowed undone, resting him gently back down on the bed.  And then he was up in Aaron’s arms, the sheets folding up and bundling around him until he was cocooned in against Aaron’s chest. “My good boy,” he murmured. “Eyes shut?”Lafayette grunted in affirmation, squinting his eyes tight shut as Aaron pulled away the blindfold, and then blinking himself back into the light. Aaron’s face was right above him, dark eyes smiling. Lafayette snuggled a little closer into his chest, trying not to notice how small Aaron felt behind him.Aaron seemed to sense his distress, and folded the sheets more tightly around them both, leaving only his own arms free to turn on the tv.“Soft,” Lafayette mumbled.Aaron nodded, and put on a children’s movie, bowing his head so that he was breathing straight into Lafayette’s curls. Called him beautiful. They lay tangled together, joking and laughing at the movie, until Lafayette began to grow aware of Aaron’s finger tap-tapping against the sheets.He huffed, and wriggled out of their huddle. “Go on, then.”Aaron shot him a wry grin as he stood, perfectly aware that Lafayette considered it very little hardship to watch his lover stretch. Aaron swayed forwards to touch his toes first before beginning to move in slow, circling movements through his stretch routine. Through sheer force of will, Lafayette did not fall asleep until Aaron had slotted into place next to him in the bed.***“So, are you gonna tell me about it?”Lafayette blinked at Aaron through the steam of his coffee. “Hmm?”“Whatever’s bothering you.” Aaron, quite unreasonably, was perfectly awake, sipping at a glass of something suspiciously green that probably contained more nutrients than Lafayette had seen in the last month. He was still shirtless, wearing a pair of Lafayette’s sweatpants, having just finished piling their soiled fabrics into the washer. He had made breakfast, sweet and sugary, just to Lafayette’s tastes rather than his own.“Nothing bothers me,” Lafayette said, staring down at his hands. “Are you going to the park this morning?”Aaron fixed him with a flat, unimpressed look. “Yes. You can tell me why you’re so worried, Laf, you know I want to help.”“I will walk with you.” He took a sip of his drink, watching Aaron carefully, and then continued before he could speak any more. “The shower is free.”Guilt stabbed up into his lungs. Aaron sighed, lips thinning out in annoyance, and stepped into the bathroom. As soon as he heard the bathroom lock click shut, he pulled out his phone and sent one message. Today. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Hercules rammed his hands into the pockets of his coat with entirely too much force as he stepped under the park’s gates, heading towards the lake. It caught his eye before any of the figures were clear—the delicate catch of the early morning sun on still water, dancing over the ripples’ crests.The air was fresh and crisp in the morning’s quiet inactivity. A jogger passed him, green ponytail bouncing as she nodded along to her headphones. An older couple were sitting by the lake, leaning on each other as they watched the water birds. A young woman with a little gaggle of children was helping them feed the ducks. An overexcited dog almost bowled him down, bounding delightedly along with its roller blading owner.And there was Aaron, on the crest of the hill, just as he liked. Wearing black leggings and a grey tank, without regard for the chill breeze swirling leaves through the air above him. He was facing the water, but Hercules knew his eyes would be half-shut, unseeing. He moved with almost ethereal grace, a dark shadow against the brightness of the grey sky, stooping low to the ground and swinging up in one slow arching motion. Even from here, Hercules could see the shake as Aaron extended his limbs to their absolute fullest extent.There was an apple tree behind him, over the crest of the hill, with first a cloud of white blossoms, and then the sturdiness of the trunk, edging into Hercules’ vision. Someone was sitting under it, watching Aaron work through his morning routine.The man under the tree was tall—as tall as Hercules, he would have dwarfed Aaron—and dark skinned. Thinner than Hercules, slender and lean-limbed, a thick bundle of hair pulled back behind his head, a few wiry strands falling loose over his face. He was sipping at a cup Hercules recognised as coming from the park’s little shed café, wearing loose jeans and a sharply tailored red blazer over a white tee that clung to sharply defined muscles. He would look great next to Aaron, in one of his neutral-toned cosy sweaters, leggings clinging to his calves.The man looked up, and rose, approaching Hercules with a wide smile. “You must be Hercules!”“Lafayette?” Hercules asked extending a hand and trying to smother his growing anxiety. He had an accent, damn him.“C’est moi!” Lafayette shook his hand with almost puppyish exuberance, pulling him back into the sunny patch where he had been sitting. “It’s such a delight to meet you at last.”“You too. I can tell Aaron cares about you a lot.” Hercules sat.Lafayette joined him, sipping at his drink and sitting back to watch their boyfriend stretch. “There’s no need to—put yourself short? It is clear that you are very important to Aaron also.”*** One, two, three, four, five… Aaron breathed in with the motion of his hands, eyelids almost shut to keep out the morning sun’s hazy glare. His heart rate slowed to a slow, tidal motion ringing in his ears.Slow motion. Smooth, steady. Let the blood ripple, spreading up through the muscles into rolling waves. The wind wrapped around him, chill over the bare skin of his arms and shoulders. There was nothing.Rose slowly onto one leg, pulling the other up in a dragging stretch over his own head until the muscles of his back screamed in protest. Held it.He caught the soft bubble of Lafyette’s voice on the air behind him. Not loud enough to be addressed to him—accompanied by a lower voice, gruffer, just as familiar.Aaron stumbled in his haste to turn, eyes snapping open. And icy rush of panic shuddered over his bones like the crackle of ice floes scraping against each other. Hercules and Lafayette were sitting together under the heavy boughs of apple blossom. Chatting, Lafayette sipping on his coffee and Hercules tapping absently at his phone. Sitting close together, as if they had known one another for years. Aaron must have made a sound, because they both turned to look at him, and stood to approach him. He took a step back.“Aaron!” Lafayette called, smiling, pulling Hercules forwards by the wrist. “Look who I found!”Hercules had the grace to look a little shamefaced. “I--”“What are you doing here?” Aaron stumbled over his own tongue in the frantic effort of keeping the shock out of his voice.“Looking for us,” Lafayette replied. “As I asked him to.”“Why?” Aaron demanded. Wet, angry heat pricking at the back of his eyes. Not now. He counted back down from ten in his head, trying to control the seizing in his throat. “You were never going to introduce us,” Hercules said, pulling his arm free of Lafayette’s grip. “It was hurting us both, Aaron.”He felt his fingers twitch microscopically, wanting to curl into fists. “And you couldn’t have told me that? You had to go behind my back?”“I have tried talking to you, mon cher--”“Don’t.”“Aaron, let him talk.”“Don’t tell me what to do, Hercules.” His voice didn’t raise, or shake, or grow shrill, even if he did sound like a petulant child. He stooped to pick up his hoodie.Lafayette’s hand fell lightly on his wrist. “Aaron, please. Walk with us?”“This is what you were so upset about, isn’t it?” he asked. “I was worried about you, Laf, and you were just feeling guilty because you were going behind my back and lying to me about it?”“You promised to bring us together eventually, Aaron. Who lied first?”That wasn’t fair. “I was going to. When I was ready.” He pulled on his hoodie and shook his head, hard, turning to walk away.“Aaron, please don’t storm off.” Hercules wasn’t grabbing at him, but Aaron felt trapped all the same.“You two go get coffee. Get to know each other,” he said curtly. They'd figure out what they'd figure out, it was out of his hands. Out of his control. The lump in his throat was so painful that he half thought it might be tearing its way out. “I don’t want to have this conversation right now.”“Oh, and you expect us to believe you were ever going to?” Hercules called after him. Aaron ignored him, and walked back towards the path at a steady, measured pace. At least they had the decency not to follow him. He made it out of the park before the panic slammed all the air out of him, almost buckling his knees. He pulled out his phone and texted his roommate to pick him up. While he waited, he moved along the wall, and tucked himself into a narrow crevice where neither Lafayette nor Hercules would find him if they came looking. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “I do mean it,” Lafayette said, breathing in a deep draught of his coffee’s steam. “I am sorry, that he was so upset.”“We both knew it was coming.” Hercules sounded anything but sure, fingers tapping at the sides of his own cup.Lafayette sighed, slouching forwards over the table. “I thought he would be angry. Not hurt.”“You ever seen Aaron angry?” Hercules asked, cocking an eyebrow.The coffee was hot and peppermint-laden, just a pinch of chocolate. His lips tingled when he took a slow sip. “Non. Have you?”“Not really.”They held one another’s gaze over the rackety plastic patio table. The clouds passed over them in fluffy streaks of grey, following the winds as it twisted and curled around Lafayette’s shoulders, leaving him shuddering. Hercules broke eye contact to look past Lafayette with deliberate precision. “He’s a very private person.”“Oui.” It had been easier earlier. Speaking to Hercules. It had been easier before Aaron had noticed them. Now Lafayette could barely focus, his gaze twitching treacherously towards the park’s gate where Aaron had left.Hercules, by contrast, was fixed entirely on Lafayette, as though he wanted something. It made Lafayette’s gut twist anxiously, rebelling against the hot drink. “So, you, uh— you and Aaron?”Lafayette blinked. “That is not a question.”“I mean—what’s your deal? Are you, you know, casual? Serious?” An edge that might have been cruel flickered across Hercules’ lips. “Just fucking?”Lafayette flinched. “Quite serious, I suppose?” It was weak, and he knew it. He had not been expecting an attack.Hercules shrugged. “Think you will be after this?”Lafayette felt his shoulders jerk downwards in the flinch he was trying to avoid. “I--”“I’m sorry,” Hercules said, looking down at Lafayette’s hands. “I didn’t mean to--”“You are not comfortable with our—arrangement,” Lafayette said, understanding. He bit his lip, almost ashamed. “I should apologise. I wished to meet with you only out of—curiosity, I think. I assumed you to be likewise.” “Oh.” Hercules knocked back a huge gulp of his drink, as if he was going to stand up and leave—Lafayette grabbed his sleeve, almost knocking over both cups. “Hercules. Stay. I am the one who—if there are problems in your relationship with Aaron, it is my introduction that has caused them. Talk to me.”“That’s not…” Hercules trailed off, frowning. “I don’t know.”“Know?” Lafayette was acutely aware of his phone weighing down his pocket. Not ringing.Hercules was fidgeting too, now, his gaze flicking within a hair’s breadth of Lafayette’s face and then jerking away, jittery. “Does he—with you—he never, you know, finishes?”“Comment dis-tu?” Lafayette yelped, almost tipping his coffee into their laps.Hercules made a distressed whining noise, head tipping a little to the side as he refused to meet Lafayette’s wide-eyed gaze. “You know.”“I suppose—I mean, no, mais—no. He does not, I had assumed it was a preference, or—with you?”The awkwardness was palpably firm in the air between them, crawling down their throats and lodging there. But Hercules’ shoulders sagged in relief. “It’s just him then? Aaron doesn’t--”“Oh!” Lafayette leaned forwards, clasping Hercules’ hand in dismay. “You thought he didn’t--”“Yeah.” Hercules had large, callused hands that did not pull out from under Lafayette’s. “I should apologise. I guess I got insecure, and he’s hurt.”Lafayette felt a smile break out over his face, relieved. “We both owe him an apology, I think. That does not mean that we were entirely wrong. A relationship such as ours requires trust, does it not?”“Trust,” Hercules repeated. “Yeah. I just thought—a lot of what Aaron and I do—don’t look like that, I’m not gonna spill the grisly details in a coffee shop, come on—but it gets pretty heavy. If he was upset with me, and he didn’t say anything—I could really hurt him.”Lafayette quashed the urge to ask if the two of them played safe. Trust. “Aaron is hurt, and he wishes space. He will come back to us.”Hercules looked like he might be about to argue, but instead pulled out his phone. “I’m gonna make sure someone’s with him.”“Do so,” Lafayette agreed, and then leaned forwards, resting his chin on his hands. “And then, you can tell me all about yourself.”***The car rolled to a halt under Aaron’s apartment building. He didn’t move.There was a sigh, and a rustle as Jon unclipped his seatbelt and opened the door. The slam when it close made Aaron jolt, but not enough to pull his head out of his hands. Then the door was opening, and warmth fluttered over his chest as Jon undid his seatbelt. Firm arms wrapped around him, trying to pull Aaron to his feet. He slumped.“Really?”Aaron flinched at Jon’s fond annoyance, but relaxed when he was scooped carefully into Jon’s arms. Barely registered the slamming door and beep of car keys.The panic had hit him almost the moment he left the park, hands already shaking by the time he had managed to tell Jon where he was, and then mounted, building like a bellows in his chest until he was shaking and struggling to breath, movement barely registering in a flicker of confused colours over his eyes. He was only even half sure it was Jon’s car he had stumbled into.He felt the arm holding him shift awkwardly, and heard the door swing open. Jon carried him in a few more endless paces onto the couch, and sat down with Aaron on his lap. He slumped, unmoving.“It’s been a really long time since I saw you this bad,” Jon said in a carefully conversational tone.Aaron buried his face in his friend’s shirt. “Sorry.”“I’m worried, Aaron.”Of course he was, because Aaron was panicking like a child over something that was out of his hands and out of his control, and wasn’t worth worrying about. His stomach twisted. “Sorry.”Jon sighed, and held him a little tighter, as though Aaron deserved the comfort. “Okay. Okay.” He sounded exhausted. Aaron almost apologized again, but was cut off by his own cringe at the sound of Jon’s phone. Jon shuffled Aaron up so he could reach into his pocket. “May I?”Aaron nodded. Jon pulled the phone out, and he could just hear the sound of fingers on the screen. He sighed, and the weight of his head tipped down onto Aaron’s shoulder.“Is it bad?” Aaron asked.“No,” Jon said softly, his breath warm against Aaron’s neck. “They’re worried, too.”Aaron felt his heart judder out of rhythm, and snorted in disbelief.“Aaron,” he chided. “Talk to me.”“I’m sorry.”Jon groaned. “No. Talk to me.”“They hate me.” Aaron’s weight had to be making Jon uncomfortable, he should move. He started shifting, already mourning the safety of his hold, but found Jon’s arms tighter around him. “Both of them.”“Why do you think that?”“Lied to them.”“They lied to you too,” Jon said, far too gentle.Aaron shook his head. “Different.”Jon sighed again.“Sorry.”“It’s okay, Aaron.” Jon sighed, yet again. Aaron’s stomach curled in guilt. He sounded so tired. “You know you won’t feel better until you’ve done something. How about you tell me what to say to them, then we can go into the kitchen and make lunch. Watch a movie?”He didn’t want to move. “Okay.”Jon helped Aaron sit up, until they were cuddled up on the couch together. “Your phone or mine?”“Mine.” Aaron pulled it out. No messages. They hated him.“They promised me they’d leave you alone until you wanted to talk,” Jon said, soothing. “Do you want to talk to them?”Aaron shook his head, and then remembered Jon didn’t like it when he wouldn’t talk. “No.”“Then we’re going to text them, is that okay?”“Yes.” Aaron forced his eyes to focus properly, unlocking his phone. “What do you want me to say?”“What do you need to tell them?” Jon was solidly present against his side. Aaron opened a message to both Hercules and Lafayette.His hands were still shaking. Less now. He stared at the screen.“When do you want to see them?”“They don’t--”“You don’t know what they think. Just that they’re worried about you.”Aaron sighed, and obediently tapped out a text saying he would see them both the next day for dinner. He knew they were free. Before he could even see if either of them had read it, he turned off his phone.Jon hugged him again, and then pulled them both up off the couch towards the kitchen. “Well done, Aaron, so proud of you.”Aaron kept close to his friend, cringing, knowing that his presence was getting in the way of the cooking but not quite willing to move. Jon, for his part, kept Aaron in a firm, breakable grip where he could feel like he was wanted. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- He had picked a café on the edge of town, an old place that still had blocky, high-walled booths left over from when it had been a diner. Plenty of privacy. Aaron arrived three quarters of an hour early, and stood on the sidewalk staring up at the sign.It was pink and grey and chipped away to reveal cheap pale plywood. The wind swirled down from it, stripping new flakes away before curling over Aaron, chill drawing over his skin despite the bright, cloudless sky.A burning hot hand fell lightly over his arm. He jolted and froze, every joint locking in place.“It’s me,” Jon said, despite being the only person standing anywhere near him. Squeezed his arm a little. “You want me to come in with you?”A lot. Aaron felt his fingers twitching with the urge to fidget, and quashed it. “I said just the three of us.”“I can wait out here.” Jon was staring down at him, all kind eyes and soft smile like that was a completely normal thing to offer someone.Aaron huffed. “We might be hours.”“I brought a book.” Because he had known how ridiculous Aaron was going to be about this.“I’m sorry.” It upset Jon when he apologised. “I’m—I mean, I don’t want to make you waste your time. You have things to do.”“I scheduled in at least three days of cuddling you when you called from outside the park.”Startled, Aaron blinked up at him and turned, finally able to feel his fingertips. They were tingling.Jon was looking down with a wicked little grin, teasing. “Found you.”“You don’t have to wait. I’ll be okay.” Aaron bit his lip. “They wouldn’t do anything.”“How about I drive back round the corner and wait in that coffee shop we passed? My laptop’s in the car, I can work, just like I would be at home?”He was being coddled. “Please.”“Okay.” Jon leaned forwards and strong arms were wrapping around Aaron’s torso. “If either of them hurts you, you come straight back.”“They won’t hurt me.”“I didn’t mean hit you, Aaron.” Jon’s brow twitched like he was trying not to frown, because he was always careful with Aaron. “I mean, if they do, I’m gonna—”“Don’t.” Aaron managed to make his arms moved, and hugged Jon back. Then he stepped into the café and found a booth, ordered a cup of tea, and didn’t watch Jon walk away.***Lafayette sped up as he caught sight of Hercules’ coat on the road ahead of him, meeting him just as he reached to door to the café.“Herc!”He turned, hand fumbling the handle. “Lafayette?”“Don’t look as though you’re shocked to see me.” Lafayette forced a tight smile. “Shall we?”Hercules grabbed his arm, gave it a reassuring squeeze, and pulled him through the door.Only when he caught sight of Aaron, half-standing as he stumbled out of a booth, blinking too fast but otherwise smiling and natural, did Lafayette realise that they had arrived together. A united front. He pulled out of Herc’s hold, stepping forwards to catch Aaron in a hug.He could feel stiffness in Aaron’s shoulders, melting into his embrace. Breathed in the honeyish scent of Aaron’s shower gel. The world froze for three perfect heartbeats, and then shattered into new perfection as Hercules’ arms encircled them both. Strong and shaking.They pulled apart before any of them could become too aware of the eyes of the room. Looked down at the booth, each struggling with the mathematical impossibility of an equal discussion. After a moment, with a fond huff of disbelief, Aaron slid into the side facing the door, in the middle of the bench. Lafayette took the hint with a glimmer of hope tickling his lungs, and pushed Hercules in between himself and the window.“I’m sorry,” Aaron said, dark eyes pinned on his lap.“Aaron, no,” Herc said, propping his elbows on the table and leaning forwards. Lafayette sat back against the bench, watching the approaching waitress cautiously. “I’m sorry. You wanted to wait, and we should have respected that.”Aaron gave them another smile, shaking his head. “I’m sorry I worried you.”Laf held up a hand to stop them as the waitress set her tray down on the table.“Got your drinks, you boys want food?” she asked, all smiles and bouncy curls.“No, thank you.” Lafayette waved her off as politely as he could, and picked up his drink. The scent of peppermint and coffee hit him and he melted, saw Aaron’s gaze flicker up to watch his reaction. “Thank you, Aaron.”This time the smile was real, glittering in the corners of Aaron’s eyes. Lafayette turned to Hercules, who was taking a deep gulp from his mug with shaking hands. He pulled away with a nod. “Yeah. Yeah, thank you.”“Hercules left his number in the gift box,” Lafayette said, calmly. “I told him where we would be, and asked him to come along.”Aaron nodded, only a little jerky. “You were right. I was putting it off.”“We should have talked to you instead of going behind your back,” Herc cut in.Lafayette rolled his eyes. “Not that we didn’t try.”Herc, shyness apparently extending only to Aaron, elbowed him in the side. Hard.“I’m sorry,” Aaron said again, and all eyes were on him. “I think—I’m glad, though. You seem to like each other.”“I’m not fond of his elbows.” The comment drew a startled laugh out of Hercules, and finally Aaron smiled properly, a flash of teeth and a huffy giggle. Lafayette kicked forwards a little to hook his ankle around Aaron’s.“You’re right, though.” Hercules’ arm looped around Lafayette, his other hand creeping across the table to Aaron. “I like him. You’ve got great taste in men.”They were laughing again, Aaron uncurling to clasp Hercules’ arm. “Guess I do,” he said, blinking up at Laf through thick eyelashes, faunishly sweet.“Then maybe we—we all can talk?” Lafayette asked.Hercules’ arm squeezed his shoulders. “Talking sounds good.”“Talking,” Aaron repeated. He took a long drink of his own pink fruity tea. Laf wrinkled his nose as the scent hit him. Aaron set the glass down with a clunk. “Yeah. Let’s talk.”***They wound up at Aaron’s, the closest they had to neutral ground. His roommate arrived to give them a ride, suspiciously fast, and let them settle on the couch together while he fixed drinks.He came back in, and handed out mugs of cocoa before perching on the armchair. Herc had met him, though just the once, but Lafayette apparently hadn’t, watching him curiously with one hand petting at Aaron’s side in an absent gesture.“Any preferences, not from Aaron?” Jon asked, tipping back towards the couch impishly.The cushion was disturbed as Aaron made a rude gesture, cosying a little more into Hercules’ side. “Mean.”“I like Aaron’s taste in movies,” Lafayette protested, stretching out to tangle his legs with Aaron’s. “But something quiet would be nice.”“No romcoms,” Aaron mumbled.Hercules moved so that his chest wasn’t completely covering Aaron’s face. “Try again.”“No romcoms, please.”“Oh come on, just once!” Jon threw a cushion irritably at Aaron, nailing him square in the face and dissolving instantly into giggles.When Lafayette joined in, Aaron snatched up the cushion and smacked him with it.Herc jerked forwards and yanked it back. “Not when you’re sitting on top of my junk,” he said sharply. “Quit it.”Maybe too sharply. Aaron leaned back, shifting so he was lying fully on Hercules’ chest, warm and weightless. Gave him a tentative wink. “Gonna make me?”When Hercules tore his gaze off the long, smooth curve of Aaron’s neck where he was craning to look up at him, he met Lafayette’s gaze. Hungry, honey-brown eyes. Not moving.“Okay, okay, okay, you can pick the movie, just don’t have an orgy on the couch!” Jon broke in.Herc choked and jerked, almost dropping Aaron. Aaron rolled, almost hiding where he was tucked under Herc’s arm. Lafayette laughed at them, clearly unashamed, and moved a little closer.
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We Wants It
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "Other", "Characters": "Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Gollum | Sméagol", "Fandom": "The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by AnglachelGurthang", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-11T00:00:00", "words": "367", "Additional Tags": null, "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "LotR Stories", "Collections": "Henneth Annûn Story Archive", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Master. Master sleeps. Good master, sleeps so quiet, so pretty. Good Master likes us, likes Sméagol. Not like nasty Hobbit. Master likes Sméagol, is like Sméagol. Has the Precious. When is our birthday, precious? When will we get the Precious? When the reeds turn brown and the apples are sweet, then is our birthday. Master like Déagol, gives us the Precious. He knew we needed our Precious, and he came back with it. So nice to us, so nice, good Master. Déagol, my love, my precious, you came back. The Precious was lost and you found it, and it was lost again and you found it again. We's sorry, my love, we's sorry. Please come back with me. Leave the nasty Hobbit and the nasty place. He can go see Her. She'll like him, she will, yes. He is for Her. You are for me. Déagol, love, we wants it. We wants it. Déagol, we loves you and we need to go love, precious. Go back to the reeds. You give me my Precious and then you will come with me to the reeds and we'll find fish. No nasty elves and big people, with spears and knives. I will take you back safe. I'll find fish and we'll eat them. We wants it. We wants fish and reeds. We wants you, Precious, my Déagol. We wants it.***** -- Gollum looked at them. A strange expression passed over his lean hungry face. The gleam faded from his eyes, and they went dim and grey, old and tired. A spasm of pain seemed to twist him, and he turned away, peering back up towards the pass, shaking his head, as if engaged in some interior debate. Then he came back, and slowly putting out a trembling hand, very cautiously he touched Frodo's knee - but almost the touch was a caress. For a fleeting moment, could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought they beheld an old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of youth, an old starved pitiable thing.LOTR, The Two Towers, "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol"
10877430
Of Ruin and Salvation
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Nesta Archeron, Cassian (ACoTaR), Amren (ACoTaR), Morrigan (ACoTaR), Azriel (ACoTaR), Elain Archeron, Feyre Archeron, Rhysand (ACoTaR)", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by onepageatatime715", "chapters": "3/3", "completed": "2017-05-13", "published": "2017-05-11T00:00:00", "words": "4,610", "Additional Tags": "Inner Circle - Freeform, a court of wings and ruin - Freeform, a court of mist and fury, A Court of Thorns and Roses - Freeform, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Angst, Canon Compliant, Smut, First Time, lots of smut, Oral Sex, Wing Kink, Shameless Smut", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Nesta Archeron/Cassian, Feyre Archeron/Rhysand, Feyre Archeron & Rhysand, Azriel & Cassian & Rhysand (ACoTaR), Azriel/Cassian/Morrigan (ACoTaR)", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas, MAAS Sarah J. - Works", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
After Amren stormed out of the house, and Elain had noted that the “new Amren” was crankier than the old, I had found myself laughing – actually laughing – along with the rest of my court. With my family.Except Nesta, who stared at nothing.I considered going to her, but my lingering uncertainty about what lay between us, even after she had shielded my body with hers on the battlefield, made me hesitate.A moment’s hesitation was all that was needed.“Come on,” Mor said, slinging her arm around Azriel’s shoulders, then one around mine, leading us towards the sitting room. “We need a drink.”I glanced back, trying to catch Nesta’s eye as I called over my shoulder, “We’re opening the fancy bottles.”But it was Rhys who answered me, “Save a bit for me, at least.”I hoped that just maybe Nesta would follow – but she lingered with her sisters, so I let myself be led away, not wanting to interrupt the Archeron sisters, or their shared grief. Not when Feyre still looked so haunted.But after a moment I heard footsteps – slow and stiff – marching up the stairs. Felt the now familiar tug in my ribcage. And I knew without a doubt who those footfalls belonged to. Knew with dark certainty as I heard the click of her shutting bedroom door that she was hiding herself from us.I debated it – going to her now – but somehow I already had two bottles of amber-coloured liquid in my hands (undoubtedly Rhys’ finest bottles, since Mor herself had picked them out). I hesitated again, letting Mor flit about as she uncorked the bottles and filled the crystal glasses with liquid.Then I made my decisionI stood up, drinks in hand, and made for the hallway, intending to go upstairs – only to pause at the sight of Rhys, my High Lord, and my brother, standing alone in the kitchen, gazing out the window.“You coming to drink, or are you just going to stare at the flowers all day?” I quipped. Almost immediately I felt Azriel behind me, as if he too had been drawn out of the room by a missing friend – though likely not the same as I, even if we had ended up in the same doorway.Azriel floated Rhys the second drink he carried, which Rhys scooped up. “Sneaking up on your High Lord is ill-advised,” he told us, drinking deeply.“It’s good to keep you on edge in your old age,” I heard myself saying. “Why are you hiding in here?”Azriel shot me a look, but Rhys just took another drink.“You really did open the fancy bottles,” Rhys murmured. And I saw it then – the same thing I felt – in his face. As he listened to Feyre and Mor laugh. That fear that none of this was real.“It’s real,” Azriel said softly. Our Shadowsinger, always so soft-spoken, so observant.Rhys took another drink.“Let’s not do this again for another five hundred years,” he said hoarsely, coming over to clink his glass against ours. He didn’t ask who my second glass was for.Mor called us again, and Rhys and Azriel made for the sitting room – towards our friends who waited for them there. And neither of my brothers commented as a slipped away, following that tug in my ribcage, up the stairs, to the one person in the house not celebrating the end of the war.I knocked lightly on her door, afraid to hope for an answer.None came.“Nesta,” I called softly, “I didn’t want you to miss out on what is most certainly the finest bottle of whiskey Rhys will ever allow us to open, so I brought you a glass.”My words sounded foolish, even to me, and I mentally kicked myself.But then I heard it – a scuffle from her room – and the door cracked open slightly, revealing Nesta’s face. Still so blank, so emotionless.“I brought you,” I began, but she cut me off.“I heard you the first time,” she growled, reaching for the glass. I handed it to her, and she turned away, retreating back into her room. She didn’t close the door behind her though, so I slipped in behind her, tucking my wings in tight to avoid jarring the still sensitive tissue.What could I say? I remembered those moments on the battlefield so clearly – remembered kissing her, feeling her lips brush against mine as we faced certain death. And I remembered my shock as Nesta covered my body with her own.What could I say to this female who meant the world to me? Who had been willing to sacrifice herself? Who had been unwilling to let me go?“Say what it is you came to say, Cassian,” Nesta grumbled from the window, where she stood nursing her drink.“Why?” My voice was barely more than a whisper, but I knew she heard me. Knew she understood what I was asking.“I couldn’t leave you,” She whispered back, her blue-grey eyes meeting my hazel ones from across the room. “Because I would have lived my life regretting it every single day. Regretting that I didn’t have time with you, Cassian.”I could have sworn my heart stopped.Somehow, impossibly, I was across the room to her in a moment, my drink discarded on the windowsill as I cupped her face, my eyes searching her own as I held her. Still uncertain – still hesitating.“I don’t want either of us to regret not having enough time,” I whispered hoarsely. Nesta didn’t pull away – just met my gaze with her own, as unyielding as she had ever been.And she didn’t stop me as I leaned down and kissed her – lightly.Nor did she stop me when I claimed her mouth again, more forcefully this time, savouring the taste of her as our bodies pressed together, both of our half-finished drinks now forgotten on the windowsill. I pressed one of her hands to the small of her back, drawing her closer to me, pressing her body against mine as I deepened the kiss.She pulled away slightly and I froze, uncertain all over again.“Nesta,” I began, but she silenced me with a kiss of her own and a growl. I kissed her back, desperate for whatever she would give me, for more. Her hands were in my hair, and I moaned into her mouth at the feeling of it.I backed up, pulling her with me, until my knees hit the bed and a practically fell back onto it, pulling Nesta on to my lap as I did so. She gripped my shoulders to steady herself, and I huffed a laugh.“I won’t let you fall,” I whispered against her lips, and Nesta shivered slightly. I traced my kisses down her cheek then, to her neck, savouring in the taste of her, taking infinite pleasure in the small shivers that rippled through her body as I did so.I paused as I reached her collarbone, uncertain of what to do next. Unwilling to push her too far. And, despite the desire I felt building in my core, resistant to the idea of making love to her for the first time in a place where every single one of our friends could hear us.“The House of Wind,” Nesta whispered, already knowing where my thoughts had gone.I met her eyes, and found nothing but unrelenting conviction there.But I asked anyways. “You’re sure?”“I have enough regrets in my life, Cassian. I don’t want either of us to regret not having enough time.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- We had snuck out Nesta’s window as silently as we could, my still damaged wings straining as I flew us up to the House of Wind. I’d probably catch hell for this flight later – whether it be from one of my brothers, or the healer, when they noticed the strain I’d but on my wings.Nesta clung to me desperately, her terror evident, and I silently cursed Rhysand for instilling a fear of flying in her.“You’ll learn to love it,” I murmured into her ear.“I very much doubt that,” she muttered back.I couldn’t really complain though, not with Nesta pressed against me, every inch of her body clinging to mine, her scent, somehow both sharp and sweet, swirling around me as we flew. I pressed her closer to me still, savouring her scent.I landed softly on the House balcony that adjoined to my rooms here, but I didn’t set Nesta down. Instead, I carried her through the curtains into the room – to the waiting bed. As I set her down, I saw it again – that empty expression in her eyes.So I knelt before her and gripped her chin gently with my hand, forcing her to meet my gaze.“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked softly.“No.”“Fine, then I’ll talk,” I nearly growled. Because as much as I wanted this, there was still something between us. “When I told you I would find you again in the next world – the next life, I meant that Nesta. From the depths of my heart, I meant it. You’re not just some girl to me, sweetheart,” my voice cracked slightly, but I pushed forward. “I love you, Nesta Archeron.”Nesta met my gaze, and something burned in those grey-blue eyes of hers as she stared into my own hazel eyes – as if she had stripped my soul bare, could see into my heart. I prayed she could see the truth there. Could feel the same tug I felt, pulling me towards her.“You’re my mate,” she whispered.I knew she felt it then – the bond between us. And I cried as I pulled her into my arms, so we were both kneeling on the floor beside the bed, wrapped in this embrace.“My mate,” I whispered into her hair, awe and reverence and love in my voice.Nesta pulled back and regarded me, then she spoke. “I don’t know how to live in this body anymore Cassian. The Cauldron – it took back what I stole from it. Now, more than ever, I feel like … I don’t belong in this body. There’s something missing, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fix it. To fix me.”Tears were streaming down her cheeks now too, and I gently kissed them away before she continued.“I keep thinking that if I could have saved him, could have stopped Hybern sooner, than maybe I could have saved that bit of me too. Could have protected everyone else from everything that came after. But I wasn’t enough,” Nesta choked on a sob, and I pulled her closer, my heart pounding, aching at the sight of her brokenness.“We’ll figure it out together, sweetheart,” I murmured. “We have that time now, because of you. You saved me when you made Hybern hesitate – you saved me. You are more than enough – you were facing impossible odds, and still you save me.”“I couldn’t save him,” she sobbed.“He wouldn’t want his life to be your regret Nesta,” I murmured. “He made his choice – and he loved you fiercely. He would be proud of you, for all you accomplished, for how strong you have become.”“I’m anything but strong,” Nesta whimpered.“No, Nesta, you’re anything by weak,” I countered, smiling softly as I regarding my mate before me, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears as she regarded me.Nesta opened her mouth to protest, but I silenced her with a fierce kiss, pulling her body to mine as I scooped her up and laid her back down on the bed with all the gentleness I could muster.“We’ll find a way Nesta,” I promised. “A way to make you whole again. To heal you.”“And if we can’t?” Nesta whispered, gazing up at me.“You are already perfect to me, Nesta,” I whispered back, pleased to see Nesta flush slightly at the words.“What now?” she asked.“I owe you my life, Nesta Archeron, and I fully intend to pay that debt back however you’ll let me,” I whispered. Then I let my gaze peruse her body, taking her in hungrily, letting her know exactly what I intended, if she’d have me.“Do your worst,” Nesta purred, eyes dancing with challenge.I growled at that – at the desire I could now scent on her, and leaned forward to kiss her again, pressing her body beneath mine as I did so. My hands quickly found her body, slipping around to the back of her dress as they explored, my eagerness to finally – finally – see my mate bare before me getting the best of me.Nesta started as she felt my hands on the lacing of her bodice, and I paused.“Cassian, I’ve never…” she trailed off, and I pulled back just a bit.“I know,” I murmured. “Are you sure – about this?”Nesta nodded, that fiery determination rekindling in her eyes, and I leaned forward to kiss her again, whispering as I did so, “I’ll stop, Nesta, whenever you ask.”Then I captured her lips in mine again, before letting my kisses trail lower – along her neck, and her collarbone, to the exposed skin of her chest – all the while carefully unlacing her dress, my hands steady despite my raging heart.I nipped at her neck, and Nesta moaned, sending my instincts roaring. I wanted to hear that sound again – many, many times. So I slipped her shoulders free of her dress and kissed those too – and then I kissed my way down her body as I slid her free of her dress, savouring the small sounds she made as I did so, revelling in the way her body writhed beneath my hands and my mouth.And finally, when her dress was in a puddle on the floor, I stopped to survey my mate – bare before me but for her thin undergarments. She watching me as my gaze surveyed her body, as I took in every inch of her skin.“Why is it that I’m naked and you’re still fully clothed?” Nesta mused softly, pushing herself up until she was standing before me. My breathing hitched as her hands landed on the hemline my shirt. “How do I get this off?”Her question was practically a growl, and I responded in kind as I guided her hands to the slats at the back of my shirt, showing her how to slip the shirt over my wings. And as she pulled it off me, her hands inadvertently brushed against my wings, sending shudders through my body.“Are you … okay?”“Yes,” I replied, silently wondering how it would feel if she touched my wings again – if she stroked them.As if she sensed my thoughts, she raised her hand to touch my wings again – and when her first finger delicately touched my wing, unsure, I shivered again, nearly groaning at the sensation that rippled through me. She ran another finger down the wing, her face curious, and I shivered again, barely biting back the groan that rose in my throat.“What does it feel like?” Nesta breathed. Her eyes were studying my face – studying whatever emotion was on there as she stroked my wings.I grinned wickedly and leaned forward to trace my lips along the sensitive part of her neck, barely more than a whisper of a touch. She gasped and arched her body towards mine, and I chuckled softly.“Like that,” I whispered in her ear.Nesta flashed me her own wicked grin before tracing a line down the other wing, and this time I didn’t hold back my groan as I buried my face in her neck. Pressed against her like this, I could feel her bare skin against mine – could feel her breasts pressing against my chest.Gods, I wanted her.“Nesta,” I ground out, each word a struggle.“Cassian,” Nesta replied. Her lips – what would they feel like on my wings?Words were lost to me – so I pressed my body to hers, kissing her again, never able to get enough of the taste of her, the feel of her. My hands made quick work of her bra, freeing her breasts. She moaned as I traced my finder along her, teasing her nipples. I slid my kisses lower again – this time stopping to kiss each breast – before sinking to my knees before her. I slowly slipped her panties down, until they too were a puddle at her feet.Then I turned my attentions to the inside of her thighs, drawing patterns closer and closer to where I knew that heat was building in her core. Nesta whimpered, and I grinned up at her wickedly.“Fuck you,” she growled. I only smiled more broadly.“I certainly hope that’s your intent, sweetheart,” I drawled. Then I brought my mouth to her centre and kissed the exact spot I knew she was most sensitive.Nesta cried out, then whimpered, her hands twinning in my hair. I gripped the backs of her thighs tightly, holding her tight against me as I feasted on her. She bucked against me and I gripped her harder, one of my hands slipping upwards to cup her ass. I moaned against her at the feel of it, and she growled – only to have her growl swallowed by a moan.“Cassian,” she moaned.I picked her up then – only to deposit her on the bed, so she was spread before me, completely bare. She stared up at me, her chest heaving with desperate breaths.“Yes, sweetheart?” I crooned. My hands were drawing lazy patterns on her thighs again, moving closer and closer to that spot.“Why are your pants still on?” she growled, and I threw my head back and roared with laughter.“Because, sweetheart, I’m not done with you yet,” I growled back at last, and I finally slipped my first finger inside her. She cried out at the sensation, and writhed as I pumped in and out, my other hand teasing that sensitive spot. I could feel it building in her, that need, that desire, that heat –She cried out suddenly, her entire body tight and quivering as she fell over that edge. I leaned down to kiss her, swallowing her ensuing moans, my hands teasing her breasts.“Now, Nesta, my pants can come off,” I growled. She watched me as I undid them, her breaths deep and wild, eyes widening suddenly as the length of me sprang free. And when I too was bare before her, I joined her on the bed, positioning myself above her.I leaned down and kiss her again, capturing her lips with my own, savouring in the taste of her. It was a gently kiss – a caress. I brought my hands up to her face, cupping the back for her neck and her cheek with them as I deepened the kiss, my body humming with satisfaction. Nesta’s hands found their way into my hair and I quietly groaned into her mouth, savouring the feel of her hands on me.The kiss that came next was not gentle – it was a wild, claiming thing. I groaned as Nesta’s hands explored my body - they found their way to my arms, to my back, exploring the hard planes of my body. It was an effort not to shiver at every touch, not to beg the female beneath for more. My own hands slid lower, to rest on her hips, my thumbs drawing lazy circles on the exposed skin.When Nesta moaned into the kiss it was my undoing.I lowered myself to her, pushing in slowly and gently, giving her time to adjust to the feel of me. And when I filled her to the hilt, I couldn’t stop the groan the escaped me. The feel of her –“Gods, Nesta,” I groaned.We moved together then – slowly, at first, then faster, as my fear of hurting her ebbed away, replaced by a need to claim – to affirm the bond growing between up, strengthening with each thrust, with each kiss, with each touch.Until at last Nesta cried out again, finding her release, and this time I followed her over the edge, roaring as I came.We lay like that for several moments, panting, our bodies slick with sweat. I pulled away slightly – only to roll to the side and gather her in my arms, pulling her tightly against me so I could cocoon us both in my wings.After some time, Nesta stirred in my arms, turning her face to look up at me.“Does this mean that we’re mates now?” I raised an eyebrow at her question. “I mean, mates like Feyre and Rhysand…”I cut her off, growling at the sound of another male’s name on her lips, not realizing until now that I would have to suppress the urge to do so. I took a deep breath, fighting down that territorial urge I still felt hovering beneath my skin.“I believe you’re supposed to cook for me first,” I began, but Nesta just scoffed.“I don’t cook.”“Yes, I get the feeling none of you Archeron’s do,” I drawled. “But seeing as we’ve gone about this whole thing quite backwards, I’d say yes, Nesta, you are my mate, truly and fully, if you accept me as such.”“Of course I do, Cassian,” Nesta murmured, snuggling closer.And my heart swelled at those words until I thought I might burst.Mates. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- We dozed for a brief time, but quickly found ourselves tangled in one another again, unable to get enough of each other. I’d never felt this before – this need, this unrelenting desire for another. Rhys had been right when he’d warned me of the intensity of the mating bond – how the need for Nesta drove all else from my mind.I could think of nothing but her.The first time Nesta touched my wings during sex I nearly found completion then and there, so intense was the sensation. I cried out, flaring my wings wider, silently begging her for more. And of course she obliged, smiling wickedly as she ran a finger down my wing. Then another – her finegrs moving closer and closer to that sensitive spot at the crook of my wing. I trembled at her touch, astounded by the feel of her. And when she brought her lips up to my wings and kissed them, I did find completion, roaring again as I fell over that edge.I spent the night finding infinite ways to pleasure her an exploring every inch of her body. Savouring in the moans and whimpers I could elicit from her as I kissed her, as I teased her with my hands and my body. Delighting in the feel of her as I slid into her, and as she rode me. Of her skin against mine.And as the sun rose, we found ourselves tangled together in that same bed, a mess of limbs and sweat, satiated for the moment.“Nesta,” I began, carefully. She raised her eyes to meet my gaze, and I swallowed the desire that rose in my throat – already I wanted more, wanted to see her eyes widen as I took her again. “We should bathe.”“Are you suggesting that I smell?” Nesta inquired tartly.I chuckled softly. “We both smell, sweetheart. And my poor, aching body needs a bath after all this … exertion.”Nesta’s eyes narrowed at that, sliding down my body again.I scooped her up before either of us could lose focus, carrying her to the bathroom. She sat on the edge of the sink as I drew the bath, her eyes sharply observing my every movement.Finally, when the tub was filled to the brim with steaming water, I picked her up again and carried her over, lowering her gently into the water, before sliding in behind her myself. It was a tight fit with the wings, but manageable.“Would you wash my hair?” Nesta inquired, passing me a bottle. A challenge sparkled in her eyes.I took the bottle and poured some of the soap into my hand, then I began to run my hands through her hair, massaging her scalp. She leaned back into me and moaned at the sensation – the sound alone was enough to have me hard against her again, but I narrowed my focus, determined not to be the first one to break in this game.After I had rinsed her hair, Nesta turned to me, “My turn.”And so I turned, giving her full access to not only my head, but also my wings, which I flared out, ignoring the water they sloshed onto the ground. A challenge of my own.Nesta smiled wickedly but went to work on my hair, accidentally brushing her hands against my wings with increasing frequency, chuckling at the groans she elicited from me.“Nesta,” I growled at last, turning on her.“This bath is not big enough for whatever you’re thinking of,” Nesta said slyly. I growled at that, and scooped her up, striding out of the tub far more quickly than I had entered it, and pressed her against the nearest wall.“Will this do?”Nesta growled in response, the desire I could scent on her matching my own need as I took her against the wall.~~~I was sitting across the table from Nesta, watching her eat, when I scented him. A low growl ripped through my chest, and I was on my feet in an instant, moving to protect Nesta. From what the logical part of my mind knew was not a threat.Nesta stood slowly, reaching to touch my arm, her eyes darting around the room, looking for whatever threat I had sensed.“Cassian?” Rhys called out. Nesta relaxed slightly; I did not.My brother slipped into the kitchen from the opposite door, then stopped dead in his tracks as he scented us.Another growl rumbled in my chest.“Right, well, Feyre was just wondering if you knew where Nesta had gone off to…” Rhys muttered. I snarled at him, disliking the fact that he was talking about my mate – my mate who I had to protect. Regardless of who she was to my High Lady. Or the fact that the male before me was my High Lord.“I’ll let her know all is well then,” Rhys muttered before winnowing away.The tension drained from my body as he vanished, and my shoulders sagged visibly. I turned to face Nesta, only to find her eyebrows raised questioningly.“I suppose I should explain some of the… side effects of being mated,” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck abashedly.Nesta growled quietly, “That was damn sexy.”So I took her against the table to show her just how damn sexy I could be.~~~“Did you find her?” Feyre leapt up as Rhys winnowed back into the room.Rhys chuckled softly, “Of course I did darling.”“Well where is she?” Feyre demanded, leaping up. “How could she sneak off without telling us? What was she thinking?!”Rhys chuckled again, smirking slightly as he did so, “I doubt either of them were thinking very clearly when they snuck up the House of Wind.”Feyre paused at that, and Rhysand opened the memory up to her – showing her a very territorial Cassian growling at him, protecting Nesta, his mate. Let her scent what he had – that their scents were now inextricably intertwined.Feyre sighed, “I suppose the House is off limits for a while then?”“It would appear so,” Rhys chuckled.
10898328
Point Made Currently
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": "Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Severus Snape, Blaise Zabini", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by Xerxeci", "chapters": "15/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-13T00:00:00", "words": "23,210", "Additional Tags": "Child Abuse, Flowers in Vases, Good Malfoys, Good Hermione, Haven't decided about Ron yet, If I include the twins they will be good, not finished, Slow To Update, Plot Coming Soon, Psych...Just Kidding, It's not that I don't have plot, I just don't know where it's going, Misunderstandings", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "F/M, M/M", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Harry glanced outside as he rubbed his bruised side. The sun was slowly melting into the earth as the day itself faded from existence. He couldn't help but wonder when his last day would be, with the Dursleys or maybe after he defeated Voldemort? He wasn't even sure he had the energy to defeat Voldemort, he could barely get out of bed since Sirius's death. His friends had all told him that it wasn't his fault but they didn't hear the voices. The terrible voices in his head that whispered constantly about how stupid he was to believe the vision was real. He laughed pitifully as his rubbing became forceful, a now constant pressure on his bruise that only created more pain.Of course, that was the point. Harry discovered very quickly after Vernon's first beating that the voices had no power over his pain. It clouded his mind in ways that vanquished the voices just as many wizards wished they could Voldemort. However, Voldemort was his job. Harry had to take care of him even if he didn't want too. Even if the idea of killing him caused bile to run up his throat.Harry still remembered when Dumbledore had first told him, he had held it in until the meeting was over and scurried to the nearest bathroom to empty his stomach. The sour taste had invaded his mouth just as he suspected it would for the rest of his life if he killed someone. "Boy! Wheres my dinner?!" Vernon exclaimed as he stomped up the stairs. Harry was tired, so incredibly tired of listening to Vernon's foul mouth speak. He just wanted it to end, all of it. Even his own life."Boy! Just because your insolent, lazy parents created you doesn't mean I'll allow you to follow in their footsteps! You will get up and make me my dinner!" The last part was yelled out in one breath and Harry could just imagine how red his face became and realized he was correct as Vernon slammed the door open with such force that the wall it hit was tainted with a crack."Who's the lazy one who can't make his own dinner." Harry whispered as he turned back to the window. He felt more than heard as Vernon yanked him up by his hair and dragged him out of the room. "You think you're so much better than me and my dear family. Why?! Because of that stupid wizard blood in your system." Vernon pulled Harry up to eye level, "Maybe I should drain you of it." Vernon's eyes had taken on an evil glint as he threw Harry down the stairs.His body hurt, Harry smiled. He couldn't hear them anymore, those nasty voices that penetrated his thoughts, they were gone. "You think this is funny! This is a lesson, boy, I will not have you lounging about while I work all day. I expect a warm meal when i return!" With each sentence Vernon increased Harry's pain in a new way. As blood entered his mouth from both outside and inside Harry realized this might not be a good thing.If he dies, who'll save the wizarding world? Who will defeat Voldemort? Dumbledore can't tell his right side from his left. It was all Harry, always Harry. As much as he enjoyed the silence in his head he knew he couldn't die here. He had things to do. Even as he started to black out Harry felt his magic pull into his gut, circling inside like a carousel. Harry smiled as the blackness embraced him and his magic saved his life once again. He supposed it was only a matter of time until he woke up but Harry wasn't prepared for the green walls that graced his vision. He expected more the antibiotic scent and white walls of Saint Mungo's. The silver canopy of the bed above him should have given him an intimation as to where he was at but in his state of mind he wasn't thinking.Attempting to sit up Harry felt a hand resting on his chest stopping him, "I wouldn't suggest that, Mr.Potter." Snape's cold voice said in greeting. "Professor?" Harry choked and then coughed, his hands moving to rub his throat. "I wouldn't suggest talking either." Snape reprimanded reaching for some salve that sat on the bedside table. "This will help with the pain. Just rub it on your throat." He passed Harry the salve, cringing at the sight of his neck. "I'm gonna go get the Malfoys. They would want to know you're awake.""Malfoys?" Harry asked as he began to rub in the salve. The effect was immediate and he nodded to Snape in thanks."Yes." Snape looked at Harry for a second and then sighed before sitting back down, "Harry, the wards around your house collapsed. The Dursleys are dead." He patted Harry's arm in comfort not noticing the little smile on Harry's face."Oh." Harry whispered, "I'm guessing death eaters attacked then?" He picked at the sheet in thought wondering how the Malfoys fit in still refusing to believe that they had rescued him."Yes, Harry." Snape continued, still not noticing his use of Harry's first name, "Luckily Mr. Malfoy was called to join the raid. By the time he arrived, your house was in ruins and he thought you were dead. He pulled a couple of boards up wanting to confirm your death before he left and found you under one."Your magic protected you from the rubble. You never cease to amaze me, Mr.Potter." Snape cleared his throat as he removed his hand and stood. "I'm going to go get Mr. Malfoy now." Harry nodded waiting until he heard the click of the door before he cheered. He wouldn't have to go back anymore. He knew he shouldn't be happy that they died but he couldn't stop the little bubble of excitement in his chest that fed his smile. Pushing himself out of bed Harry pulled the curtain aside. The pristine carpet was soft on his feet and sunlight streamed in through a window to his left, that he assumed was enchanted. He turned to his right as someone coughed and found Draco gracefully sitting in a grey couch that rested against the wall by the door."Any reason you should be smiling after just hearing that your guardians hit the cauldron?" Draco inquired fingering a silver ring that rested on his right middle finger."Any reason you should be waiting for me to wake up?" Harry retorted leaning against the bedpost as he found his prior adrenaline rush gone."I think tormenting you is a great reason." Draco responded as Snape entered the room followed by Lucius."It would do you good not to aggravate my patient, Draco." Snape turned finally spotting Harry against the bedpost, "What are you doing up?! You foolish boy." He grabbed Harry arm supporting him as he hobbled back to the silver sheets."Does everything have to be so... slytherin?" Harry spoke, unsure of himself."We are a family of slytherins Mr.Potter." Lucius said in response as he took a seat next to Draco. Harry stared at his hands waiting for someone to speak. It was Snape who broke the silence."Would you like to explain what happened?" "I thought you already knew." Harry wasn't sure what Snape meant as he remembered hearing Lucius's account."We know what Lucius knows but not about anything before that. We believe the death eaters were there for an hour before Lucius arrived. The bruising on your side agrees with this." Snape explained."So what more do you need to know?"Snape rubbed his head and Lucius finally spoke, "What happened to you, Harry? How much do you remember?" As the realization dawned on Harry he wondered if he should tell the truth. That it wasn't the death eaters who almost beat him to death but his uncle. That he was happy they were dead and he wouldn't have to go back anymore.However, he was Harry Potter. He was the boy who lived and the savior of the wizarding world. Heroes weren't supposed to beaten by their uncles. Heroes are supposed to fight back and win. Harry lost. "I don't remember much, but the death eaters came in through the front door. We were eating dinner and they took out Petunia first... with an avada kedava. My cousin, Dudley ran out the back door but they sent someone after him, so I don't think he's still alive. My uncle fought the hardest but hes a muggle so he died quickly as well. "They were...beating me up when one of them moved and it gave me an opening to run. I ran up the stairs to my bedroom and barricaded my door. I guess they just decided to burn the whole house down and me with it." Harry shrugged nonchalantly."Why wouldn't they just unlock it?" Draco challenged him. "I had my wand with me and put up wards.""You didn't have your wand with you when we found you, so who is to say you had it then?""My wand?!" Harry looked around frantically shoving his hands in his pockets."Harry its not here." Snape confirmed. "It wasn't with you when Lucius found you. He looked around for a bit but couldn't find it.""You have to take me back! Please, I know where it is!" Harry begged grabbing Snape's coat.Draco gave a shout of victory as he stood up, "So you admit you didn't have it with you when they attacked.""Fine, I didn't." Harry admitted still pawing uselessly at Snape's robes. "Just take me back to get it.""Why would you lie, Mr.Potter?" Snape asked grabbing Harry's hands so he wouldn't tear the fabric."That doesn't matter. Just take me back." Harry whispered unable to make eye contact."Fine." Snape said unhappy with Harry's response, "Don't ask for my help later.""B-But my wand. Sir, I need my wand." Harry stuttered finally looking at Snape's face. He was disappointed as his eyes met Snape's. They were angry and disagreeable. "How will i go back to Hogwarts without it sir?"That isn't any of my concern Potter. It's just a wand after all. You can always get a new one." Snape replied throwing Harry's hands down onto the sheets and storming out of the room."I'll take you." Lucius said, a gleam in his eye."You will?" harry asked. He wasn't certain if he should agree even if Lucius offered."Yes, I'm very curious as to where your wand ended up." He stood and walked over to the bed."Father, are you certain that is a good idea?" Draco questioned form his seat."I think so." Lucius said picking Harry up and turning back to Draco. "Would you like to come?""I think I've had enough adventure for the day." Draco answered as he stood and stretched. "I'm going to retire for the night. I'll see you at breakfast father, Harry." He said nodding at both of them before leaving."Sir, why are you helping me?" Harry asked looking at the bumps that scattered the walls."Like I said, Harry. Curiosity." Lucius answered before turning in place and apparating them to Privet Drive. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Lucius's hands tightened unconsciously around Harry's body as they landed in between the two houses across what used to be the Dursleys' lawn. Police crowded the cement road redirecting traffic as reporters and investigators tried to understand what happened.The bright blue and red cars brought a new hint of excitement that the residents of Privet Drive hadn't seen for ages, so those who didn't have to work and those who didn't have plans stood outside their doors or in front of the rubble, hugging their own torsos, as they gossiped among themselves.Harry subconsciously rubbed his arms as a tingling of regret crossed his mind. He had invited the death eaters in. He had broken the peace that once covered this street like a warm blanket. It was his fault that these cars and lights disrupted the daily lives of everyone and made them abnormal."Are you alright?" Lucius asked quietly, observing Harry's reaction to his voice. He wasn't disappointed as Harry flinched before turning to look at him."I'll be fine when I have my wand in my hands again." Harry answered before looking back at the remains of his old house. The boards lay haphazardly scattered on top of each other like a giant pile of jenga pieces that no one bothered to clean up. He turned back to Lucius as he heard him whispering and saw Lucius's wand tap him before he felt something descend down his skin. "A disillusionment charm?" Harry guessed.Lucius looked at him with something like approval before nodding. "Where is your wand?""I left on a table by the stairs, last I remember." Harry said, thinking quickly. Lucius nodded and began walking to the scene in a clipped pace. Harry thought he saw Mrs. Figg, but she disappeared too quickly for him to be sure."Police are still uncertain what caused the house to collapse, but some of the neighbors say they would often hear screams from the house before this day. It is confirmed that Vernon Dursley, Dudley Dursley and Petunia Dursley are dead. However, their adopted son Harry Potter is still missing. If you see this man please call the missing person's department immediately." A female reporter said from Harry's left, he noticed Lucius slow a bit to listen but as it cut to break he sped back up.Harry saw the tree in the backyard that Marge's dog had chased him up. It's once prideful branches were bowed because one of them was stuck under rubble. They passed the police line without any trouble and Harry heard Lucius's feet break some board as he maneuvered onto the pile."It should be over there." Harry said pointing to where he thought the staircase would be. "You can put me down." Lucius looked unsure for a second but at Harry's exasperated look released him. "Just be careful, I'll wait over here for you. Yell if something happens, I put up a silencing ward earlier." Lucius turned to look at the crowd before his eyes lit up and he turned back, "Just don't leave this area." Harry nodded in response before making his way to the middle of the rubble.He pulled up a board assuming Lucius would cover him and began to shift the wood below it trying to find something identifiable. He spotted a shoe rack hidden beneath a board and smiled remembering Petunia putting it in the cupboard when he was moved to a bedroom. He pulled it out and reached his hand even father back before his hand found the worn out brown suitcase that stowed his wand and magic items. Grinning he dug it out of the pile and opening it, pulled his wand out. He caressed the holly wood for a minute, relishing in its return, before he grabbed his suitcase and made his way back to Lucius. He looked at Harry curiously before asking, "I thought you left your wand on a table?""Must've forgotten I put it away, I guess." Harry responded jumping from the rubble so Lucius couldn't force him to talk anymore. As his feet landed Harry couldn't help a gasp of pain and he grabbed onto a board sticking out as he felt his knees give in.A police officer turned to look at the loud noise and tapping his partner's shoulder walked to the edge of the rubble looking around. "What's wrong?" His partner asked running a hand through his hair. Lucius jumped down and grabbed Harry's side, picking up both him and his suitcase."I thought I heard something." The man said, his blue eyes shining. "Never mind." He nodded at his partner in apology as they returned to their posts. Lucius's heels didn't make a sound as he walked back to the grass that they apparated in on. As Lucius turned around quickly preparing to apparate, Harry stole one last glance at the rubble and chaos that had called everyone out like moths to a flame. He couldn't even recognize the ceiling from the floor as the pieces mixed together and he was thankful when a small crack sounded in his ear and the green walls of his temporary room greeted him.As Lucius moved to set him back in bed he noticed Snape sitting on the grey couch that Draco had been on earlier. he nodded at him and placed Harry on the covers before turning to leave."Thank you." Harry said just before Lucius left and he turned and smiled at him before closing the door. Harry stared at the silver sheets as he twisted his wand in his hand. "I suppose you're mad at me." Harry whispered breaking the silence."I suppose you're happy you got your wand back." Snape joked as he stood up and walked to the bed. "I wanted to apologize." Harry looked up in surprise as Snape took a seat in an uncomfortable looking, wooden chair. He realized it was the same chair Snape was sitting in when he woke up. He wondered how long Snape sat there for."My actions earlier were uncalled for. I acted like a child running off like that. I am sorry, Harry." Snape choked out maintaining eye contact with Harry. He was slightly biting his lip and his forehead was wrinkled as he worried about Harry's reaction."It was mostly my fault." Harry finally responded, sighing. "The moment I realized my wand was gone, I started worrying about my position at Hogwarts and took it out on you." He looked at the brown door in front of him in thought."You'll never have to worry about your position at Hogwarts, Harry." Snape stated fluffing Harry's hair before reaching over to the bedside table and grabbing a vial Harry didn't notice before. "You should get some rest," Snape said handing him the potion. "It's a sleeping draught."Harry smiled as he drank the potion in one gulp passing the vial back, "Thank you, Professor Snape." He put his glasses on the table sinking deeper into the mattress as Snape's voice began to fade."You're very welcome, Mr. Potter." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "He's lying Snape." Lucius said pacing around his own office. Snape glared at him from his seat at Lucius's desk as he picked up the medical report the healer had left."I don't know what you want me to do. I exploded on him today, I won't be able to get any information from him. If he's gonna talk to anyone it would be you." Snape replied flipping through the report in anger as he was reminded of his own childhood. Just how many children will become adults before they're of age?"I know what you're thinking about, and don't." Lucius said coming to a stop behind Snape's chair so he could read over his shoulder. Neither of them could still believe the number of injuries he had suffered.Snape sighed and nodded lowering the paper, "His magic is amazing.""I'm happy I switched sides while I could." Lucius agreed sitting down in his seat across the desk. He looked at the books that covered his walls in thought, hoping one would contain the answers he sought."I am as well." Snape said laying his head on the desk, ignoring the pile of papers that scratched his cheeks, "You really should keep your office neater.""I'm trying. Isn't that enough?" Lucius smiled at Snape's try at normalcy. "Nope."____/\____Harry shivered as the cold air caressed his skin. His mind traveled back to the cupboard and its scratchy old towel that he used as a blanket and he wondered if the Malfoys were a dream. A sweet dream like the one he had of his mother and father."Harry." Draco's snarky voice said in greeting, "Get up. Breakfast." Harry groaned and turned to the other side of the bed. He didn't feel like getting up, especially if it was what Draco wanted. "I'll steal more than just your blanket if you don't get up. You'll find yourself pant-less in a couple minutes."Harry shot him a glare from bed as he turned around, "You wouldn't." "Oh, but I so would." Draco replied picking up the blanket he had stolen and after folding it, placed it back on the bed. "Breakfast is downstairs. Snape says you can walk so you're supposed to join us.""I'm not hungry." Harry argued throwing his head back onto his pillow in a fit and rolling away from Draco. He felt a hand at his pants and looked down to see Draco's slender fingers pulling."Oi!" He shouted, jumping up and crawling back to the hedboard. "What are you doing?!""I said that if you didn't get up you would become pant-less. Did I not?" Draco glared folding his arms across his chest."That doesn't matter! You shouldn't take someone's clothes off without their permission," Harry responded. He knew he wasn't going back to bed at this point and grabbed his glasses as he stood."So if I got your permission, then I could do it." Draco smirked watching as Harry tested his legs and stretched."Don't even go there. The day you get to do anything to me is the day I die." Harry replied leading the way downstairs before he realized he didn't know where the dining room was. He stopped and looked at Draco expectantly."What?" Draco asked irritated at the sudden stop."I don't know where the dining room is." Harry stated, looking at Draco as if that should be obvious. Draco ran a hand through his hair and walked past Harry, down the stairs.He set a brisk pace giving Harry no time to admire the paintings that were hung every couple of feet. "It's just in here." Draco intoned pushing open a door to reveal a large black table and pristine silver walls. Lucius sat at the head of the table with Narcissa on his right and Snape on his left.She smiled at him, "Good morning Harry. Did you sleep well?" Taken aback he only nodded, unsure where to sit. Draco decided that for him as he took the seat next to Snape and began to pile his plate with bacon and pancakes.Harry pulled the chair out cringing as it scraped against the tile and sat down turning to face everyone. He nodded at them, reaching out to grab a piece of bacon."Father, can I visit Pansy today?" Draco asked after he finished a bite of bacon."How about you bring Harry with you. He could use a bit of time out of the house." Lucius offered with a look in his eye."I'm alright. Thank you though." Harry argued while still trying to be polite."It would be good for you, harry." Snape agreed with Lucius cutting his pancakes. Neither him nor Lucius were certain how Narcissa would react to be alone with Harry."Leave Harry alone. He has enough to deal with as it is." Narcissa reprimanded them and then smiled at Harry, "I'll be in my garden all day if you want to talk about anything." Snape shared a glance with Lucius shocked as Harry smiled back."I might just do that. I don't know what we could talk about though, but I've always loved gardens." Harry agreed. He wasn't sure if he could count Narcissa as an ally, but he didn't want to make her mad just in case."We can talk about all sorts of things." Narcissa comforted him pulling his plate to her and putting three pancakes on top. She slid it back, "Have you ever gardened, Mr.Potter?'"Once or twice." Harry said grimacing as he felt the sun on his back again. He looked down at his full plate and scowled before picking up his fork."Don't worry about what you can't finish. I have some dogs out back who can finish our leftovers." She reassured him as she caught his look.Lucius coughed as Harry stabbed a piece of pancake, "I'll be going into Diagon Alley with Severus. I'm afraid the two of you will have to entertain each other." He said nodding at Harry and Narcissa.She frowned, concerned, "You just went there Tuesday. What do you have left to get?" Harry began to eat hoping they wouldn't start arguing. Vernon and Petunia frequently argued over him. This often led to Vernon getting physical and Vernon was never physical with Petunia."Just a couple things." He said looking at Severus who tapped her foot under the table. She startled and then smiled."Alright, just be back in time for dinner.""We will be. Draco, shouldn't you be heading off as well." Lucius said turning to his son."But I'm not done eating." Draco complained after swallowing another piece of pancake."It isn't good to leave a lady waiting." Lucius said, an edge to his voice. Draco dropped his fork and sighed."I guess I'll grab a bite to eat with her." "That's my son." Lucius smiled wrapping his arm around Draco's shoulder and steering him out of the dining room. "We'll be back soon." Snape promised before he followed."Be careful!" Narcissa called after them as she called a house elf. "Poppy, can you get me a vase?" "Yes, Mrs. Narcissa." She nodded eagerly popping out and back in with a blue vase in her hands which she passed to Narcissa."Thank you, Poppy." She said smiling at the elf who apparated away. Harry took another bite as he examined the almost empty room. He wasn't sure what was going on but Lucius and Snape were acting suspicious. Part of him believed they wanted to leave him here with Narcissa on purpose. "Would you like to help me make a bouquet for the table, Harry?" He startled at the use of his first name and he set down his fork."I'm not sure how much I can help. I've never made a bouquet." Harry replied honestly. He did take care of Petunia's garden but he had never picked any of the flowers, he wasn't allowed too."That's alright dear." She said. "Have you finished eating?" She looked pointedly at his still fork and he nodded. They both stood and Poppy came back into the room clearing the plates."Thank you." Harry said looking at her as she grabbed his plate. She startled and dropped it. The plate stopped a couple inches from the floor and Harry looked at to see Narcissa moving her wand. "Poppy is sorry. Poppy didn't mean to drop the plate." Poppy repeated as Narcissa put the plate back on the table then dropped to her knees in front of the elf."You didn't mean it Poppy. Everything is fine. You can head back to the kitchens now, Poppy." Narcissa comforted her, standing up as the loud crack resounded through the room."I didn't mean to startle her." Harry apologized following Narcissa out the french doors. Vines crawled around pillars with little pink and white flowers sprouting from their sides. A small glass table was set off to the side a chess game set up and already half-way through.He smiled and couldn't help but step forward as he caught sight of a group of Crane flowers. "You know about Birds of Paradise?" Narcissa asked moving beside him to admire the orange petals that looked like wings."Birds of Paradise? I thought these were Crane flowers." Harry replied detached as he caressed a petal."They are known either way." Narcissa assured him. She looked uncertain as she continued, "I thought you said you weren't a gardener Harry?" His hands played with the petal as he nodded."It isn't exactly common for men to be gardeners is it?" He released the petal and stepped back to look at her."So you think its embarrassing?" She asked watching him twist his hands, "Draco helps me with the garden." She smiled as she spotted a pot full of crimson flowers. " He planted these.""Are those Amaryllises?" Harry asked. He couldn't help but admire how straight the stem was, "I can never get the flower to stand that straight. Some would say that's because I have no dignity." Harry chuckled, but the sound was fake."You know the language of flowers?" Narcissa asked surprised."Of course. Doesn't every gardener?" "I suppose." She agreed before she continued. "What would make people think you have no dignity? You defeated the dark lord." She looked at him curiously, noting the way his fingernails were bitten down."I was a baby when I did that. It doesn't count.""What about the basilisk?" Narcissa asked as she took a seat at the glass table."How do you know about the basilisk?!" Harry exclaimed turning around to examine her."Draco loves to tell the story." She said smiling, "Why don't you take a seat Harry?" She waved her arm in the direction of the other chair and he followed her direction, sitting down."If it wasn't for Ron and Hermione I would have died before meeting the basilisk. They get far too little credit." Harry's lip curled as he spoke and he glared at the white floor below them."I think you give yourself too little credit." Narcissa said smiling. She folding her hands in front of her before standing. Her robes flowed around her, not willing to stay still with her movements."I think I'll retire until lunch, Harry." "What about the bouquet?" Harry asked surprised as he saw that she had already stood up."I think I'll leave that to you, Mr.Potter." She replied ignoring his questions as she disappeared through the french doors. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Harry stared at the door, expecting her to come back. He sighed after a couple minutes of waiting and set the vase down. He figured he still had a couple hours until lunch so he could waste some time in his room before coming back down to finish the bouquet.Sliding open the french door he stepped back into the dining room. The table looked small inside, the chairs all pushed in. He looked around letting the silence sink in as he compared it to that morning. There was no freshly cooked breakfast smell and no conversation to end the quiet.Harry had lived most of his life in silence, so he left. It didn't seem right for him to enjoy the quiet anymore. Not after meeting the Malfoys, or this version of them. This version of the Malfoys were not bad people. Draco was snarky but he wasn't as big of an ass as he was in school. Narcissa seemed to like to talk to him. Lucius and Snape had actually helped him. Harry wasn't sure where he was supposed to stand anymore.Was it with the light? The light who abandoned him to the Dursleys every summer, not that he had told the Weasleys or Hermione. Harry had told Dumbledore though. "Harry, a punishment is a punishment. You must have deserved it." Would the Malfoys feel the same way? Would the dark?The black walls closed on him like the walls of his cupboard and he was relieved to see one of the paintings from earlier. He stepped forward taking a closer look at the portrait, his hand rubbing his chin. The plump man sat still for a minute staring out of a window that sat outside his room.He looked like an artist with paintbrushes and canvases scattered around the floor, haphazardly. It looked similar to the wreckage that was the Dursleys' house. "Do you need something?" Despite his friendly appearance the man's voice was cold and Harry shook his head before leaving.Harry didn't understand himself. Whenever people were nice, he would always break out in a sweat and get nervous. It had happened earlier this morning as well. When they were nice to him, he was unresponsive. It didn't make any sense.This didn't happen before her. When Harry was in elementary school, he had a teacher named Ms. Mable. She would pull him aside after class, asking him how he was and if Dudley was bullying him again. She was nice.Harry pushed open the door next to his room and found a white bathroom, the only room he had seen so far without slytherin colors. The floor was a deep molten brown tile. He stepped up to the counter space, looking through the mirror. His hair fell limply around his face.He picked up a strand, pulling on it and scrunching it, hoping to bring it back to life. He shook his head and dropped it. He noticed the shower behind him and saw a towel on the rack. He smiled. He didn't think the Malfoys would be mad if he used some water.He refused to look back in the mirror as he stripped down and stepped into the shower. He pulled the white knob out and twisted it to the hot side.____/\____"Morning Pansy." Draco called out as he stepped out of the fireplace. He waved at her place on the couch before walking to the kitchen. "Did you not eat breakfast?" She called back, probably in the middle of a book."My father and Snape were acting weird." He replied grabbing an apple. He turned to head back but found Pansy in the doorway."Weird?""Yea, he basically kicked me out of the house before I finished my breakfast. They've been weird ever since Potter got there." Draco whispered pulling out a bar stool and taking a seat."Potters at your house?" Pansy asked and then burst into laughter. Draco rolled his eyes as he took a bite."Its a long story and keep your voice down." Draco reprimanded her as he glared."Well I have both ears and time." She joked sitting down next to him, her hands resting on the black marble. "I also have the house." She stated for him, so he wouldn't be worried about her parents overhearing."Where are they?"She shrugged, "Mom needed new robes, but I think that's just an excuse. However, she looked at me like, 'You be good and don't invite any boys over. You have to save your chastity for marriage.'""Oh." Draco said, unsure about how to explain what happened last night. "My father saved Harry Potter from death eaters and now he's staying at my house until he recovers.""Wait," Pansy stopped him grabbing his shoulder, "Wouldn't that expose him to the dark lord?""The death eaters burned his house down and left," Draco said shrugging again, "I don't know. Potter's side of the story is...vague.""What do you mean vague?""I don't know." Draco admitted looking at her white cabinets. "My father said that he heard about a raid on Potter's house, but he was busy so he arrived an hour later. He found Harry under the rubble and pulled him out.Harry says that they killed his relatives and beat him up. One of the death eaters apparently let him go or something and Harry said he ran to his room before they could catch him. That he locked himself inside and they burned the house down in response."Pansy looked at him surprised, "and?""And?" Draco asked confused."That sounds reasonable. What makes you think he's lying?" Pansy restated looking exasperated. "I really thought you would have something juicy." She murmured standing up and heading back to the living room.Draco sighed and threw away his apple. Pansy might be right. The story was plausible, but Potter lied before that. He followed Pansy into the living room and collapsed onto a purple armchair in thought."Draco?" Pansy inquired looking uncertain, "Why are you sitting there?""Because its a chair." Draco drawled as he played with his ring."No, you never sit there. You hate that chair. You yell at me about it every time you get here."Draco realizing Pansy was right stood up and moved to his much preferred red armchair. "Damn thing doesn't go with the furniture.""Whatever." Pansy protested still looking concerned as she grabbed her book from the table. She glanced at the wall clock, noticing that Draco hadn't been there ten minutes and he already had her tense. She turned back to her page to continue reading."He lied about it though." Draco added, rubbing his chin."Lied about what?""Having his wand. I caught him in the lie and Snape questioned him, but he brushed them off. I forgot about it this morning because I had to wake up Potter." Draco admitted biting his lip as his cheeks turned a subtle pink."What happened?!" Pansy cried dropping her book into her lap."Nothing.""You have to tell me." Pansy insisted, "I mean I know you only told me you were gay a month ago, but come on! I'm your best friend and your only friend." Draco eyes narrowed and he glared, blush dissipated as quickly as it came."You are not my only friend.""Name someone.""Blaise.""Blaise is 'friends' with everyone he wants to get his hands on." Pansy argued, "Name someone else."Draco was silent as he glared at her. She smiled deviously before continuing, "So, my dear friend, Draco Malfoy, what happened this morning."He groaned and rubbed his face, "Fine. Snape sent me to wake him up and I was just surprised is all." Pansy waved her hands still waiting for him to finish, "His eyes are really green."She laughed grabbing the edges of her chair, "My god! Draco, I knew you were a virgin but good god!" Her book hit the ground as she held her stomach, squirming in her chair."Anyway, he still lied about having his wand." Draco cleared his throat before speaking hoping to shut her up."So what are you going to do?""Ask him about it." Draco declared looked determined. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Harry twisted the knob and leaned his head against the warm tiles. The bruises were more extensive than he thought, littering his back and legs like freckles. He rubbed his face before stepping out of the shower. He couldn't see into the mirror and assumed he had the water hotter than he thought. Grabbing a towel he wiped the surface cringing as he caught his reflection. "Better not look at that again," he whispered. Wrapping the towel around his wait he looked around the room before realizing how spur of the moment his shower was. He hadn't bothered to bring any clothes.Running a hand through his hair he grabbed his dirty clothes and left. He didn't think he would run into anybody because they were all out so he wasn't worried. "Potter?" A voice called from just down the hall and looked up to see Draco. He looked shocked at the state of Harry's body and his hand twitched."What are you doing back this early?" Harry asked trying to appear normal. He hoped that Draco would let it slip by, unmentioned."Pansy chased me out of the house," Draco replied distantly unable to look away from the bruises, "What are those?""Those?" Harry questioned. They both knew what 'those' was and Draco definitely knew that Harry knew. Neither of them wanted to clarify what 'those' was though. Draco because he didn't want to admit that someone he had once considered to be his enemy had suffered and Harry because he didn't want to look weak."Why would you-" Draco started but closed his mouth and tried again, "Who did it?""I told you death eaters.""That makes no sense. Death eaters don't kick people. When you said they beat you up last night, I thought you meant they cursed you.""It doesn't matter Draco and stop putting your nose in my business." Harry growled throwing open his door and walking inside. He moved to close it but Draco grabbed on holding it open."It does matter.""Why," harry asked. "Why would it matter to you? The boy who found happiness in my misery! Why don't you just gloat Malfoy? I mean this show that you have been putting on since Lucius saved my life! Why? I don't understand. Why pretend when you can outright hate me!" Harry's voice escalated as he continued. All of his settlements at their treatment, all of his insecurities rising to the surface."Because that was all for show! My parents are spies for the light, if I was nice to you in front of everyone it would be obvious that they were faking it and they would be killed." Draco snarled placing his feet between the door and the wall. "I will not be the cause of my parents' death just to make you feel better.""I never asked you to do that!" "Yes you did. You're so concerned with keeping everyone out that you don't even bother to think about what you say." Draco sneered looking him in the eye, "You're so selfish Potter." Selfish. "Boy, stop being selfish! Get up and make me my breakfast!" "You're such a freak! Ruining my poor Dudikins birthday party.""Let's play a game of Harry hunting."Draco glanced at him concerned but Harry just turned and walked to the bed. He should've realized he didn't have any extra clothes. He had only retrieved his suitcase last night, which contained his books and wand but no clothing, except his robes."Harry?" Draco asked stepping into the room and looking at him nervously. He put a hand on the bedpost waiting for Harry to respond."Yes?" Harry asked, sitting down on the bed."You can borrow some of my clothes." Draco offered and Harry looked up, surprised. "Just because you are selfish, doesn't mean I am." He held out his hand, waiting for Harry to accept it, just as he did when they were first years. Nerves crawled up his skin forming goosebumps until Harry grabbed his hand. "I should have something your size. Albeit three years old."Harry snorted but didn't comment on the quip as Draco led him across the hall and into another room. This one was similar to his but with blue walls and green sheets. A wooden wardrobe sat next to the bed opposite the nightstand.Draco strided to the doors and pulled them open to reveal a small room, similar to a walk in closet. The inside was made of wood-the floors and walls- and Draco stepped into it leaving Harry in the other room. "You like sweatshirts right?" Draco asked before tossing something over his shoulder. Harry jumped and grabbed it to find a comfy red sweatshirt, it looked to be twice his size."Why do you have a red sweatshirt?" Harry whispered fingering the cloth. It was the same color as the gryffindor common room walls. He hugged it to his chest, trying to get warm in the chilly air.Draco shrugged and turned back to the clothes, rummaging. "I don't know. Must've gotten it somewhere.""But, its red." Harry explained to him looking at his back. He repositioned his towel and turned to look at the clothes hanging up. Draco had a very extensive wardrobe."And?" Draco drawled pulling a pair of jeans from a box in the back, "These are from last year. I couldn't find anything earlier than that." He passed them to Harry and jumped out of the wardrobe."Red is a gryffindor color." Harry elucidated playing with the jeans. Draco turned back to look at him. His hand was on his hip in the perfect replication of the average teenage girl and his eyes glared a hole into Harry's."Red is not a gryffindor color. Red is its own color." Draco argued turning back to his nightstand. He grabbed his clock from the top and began to fiddle with it. "If you believe I'll let you gryffindorks ruin my favorite color, you're mistaken.""Red is your favorite color?" Harry asked, ignoring the insult. He didn't know what to do now that he had the clothes. Part of him was uncomfortable standing next to Draco half naked, but another part-a more reasonable part- wanted to continue the conversation and see what happened.Draco ran a hand through his hair and gave up on trying to make himself look busy. He set the clock down and turned back to Harry, leaning back against the nightstand. "Do you have a problem with that? Its just a color."Harry stepped back at Draco's tone before he steadied himself and glared. "Of course not. My favorite color is green." He squeezed his arm, angry that he let his anger take over. Draco glanced at him curiously."How narcissistic of you.""What do you mean?" Harry growled, confused."Your eye color is green, dimwit." Draco replied, smirking, as he grabbed a piece of Harry's hair and let it slide between his fingers. "I can understand why you would be proud of it though." He smiled and let go of the strand leaving Harry speechless. They stood there, awkwardly, for a couple of minutes until Draco cleared his throat. "You should go change," he whispered.Harry blushed and nodded. He made his escape from Draco's room, hearing Draco's light chuckle behind him. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Harry was just pulling the over-sized red sweater over his head when an owl flew up to the window. Tilting his head to the side he walked over to it curiously, giggling as it nibbled on his finger. He untied the string fixing the letter to the owl's claw and unfolded it. Rough, cursive handwriting spread across the paper, almost finding its way to the bottom.Dear Harry, I'm sending this letter on the whim that you might still be alive. No one knows where you are, Harry, and we're all worried about you. Dumbledore says that the Dursley residence is destroyed and I was shocked myself to turn on the news and discover that the Dursleys were dead. Ron and the twins are worried sick...so am I. If you are alive and do receive this letter please respond immediately at your own convenience or not. Harry I really hope you are reading this somewhere... Please be safe. Hermione Harry folded the letter back, following the creases. Slipping it into his pocket he petted the owl affectionately, "Hang here while I write a reply." The owl simply chirped in response before settling on the dresser. Opening the door, Harry glanced out into the hall looking for Draco. He wanted to ask the other teen if he could have some paper and a quill. Harry had not brought his own of course. "Looking for something?" Draco asked as he closed his bedroom door behind him. Harry turned to meet his eyes and nodded."Do you have a quill and some paper?""Writing someone, are we?" Draco asked. His eyes shifted as he considered whether or not he should trust Harry. He didn't want to force the boy to promise not to give away his location but on the off chance that Harry did so, it could be detrimental to Draco's father and their position as spies.Harry shrugged nonchalantly before looking at Draco, determined. "So what if I am?""Don't have to be so defensive, Harry. I have some paper and quills in my room." Draco raised his eyebrow at Harry's tone before making his way back into his own room. Harry followed behind, diligently."Sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude."Draco scoffed as he pulled out a sheet of parchment and a quill, holding it out to Harry. "You didn't seem to trying very hard to be nice either."Harry bit his lip and grabbed the two items. "No, I suppose not. I'm sorry, Draco." The other boy blinked at the frank apology, uncertain what to say. Harry just nodded in acceptance at the dismal response before making his way back to his temporary room. Luckily he had a spare container of ink in his suitcase so he didn't have to go to Draco to ask for that. Setting the items up on the empty desk, he sank down into the chair. Running his hands through his hair he began to wonder why he couldn't keep the snark out of his voice when speaking to Draco before the owl hooted, reminding him to write the letter.Dear Hermione, Life can be a surprising, can't it? I'm glad you are worried about me, though the circumstances are disagreeable to say the least. Your owl, or Ron's-frankly I cannot remember-I suppose, has quite the attitude. I don't think I will be coming to the Weasley's before Hogwarts, like I always do. I'm a little 'tied' up at the moment, not literally of course. This letter is all over the place, but I'm sure you'll sort it out Hermione. You always do. P.S. : Yes, I am safe. HarryRolling the letter up and tying it off with the same string Hermione had used, Harry put the letter on the owl's leg. Said creature hooted at him once before flying out the window. "Who is the letter too?" A voice called from the doorway.Harry turned to find Narcissa and smiled. "One of my friends had sent a letter and I thought it would be better not to leave her worrying for too long." Harry began and noticed Narcissa's frown deepen."I didn't mention any of you, if that's what you're worried about."Narcissa raised her eyebrows, an exact replica of Draco-or maybe Draco was the replica. "I suppose that would worry me but no, Harry, I was simply curious."Harry bit his lip, "I guess I'm doing a lot of conclusion jumping today.""That's to be expected, Harry," Narcissa smiled warmly. "We never did explain to you why Lucius saved your life." She considered the green walls for a moment before flicking her wand and they both watched as green was invaded by a rich brown with red swirls. "Did you ever finish that vase?"Harry, bewildered, only shook his head in response. Narcissa was becoming more and more surprising every minute. "How about we go downstairs and out into the garden then. You can fill the vase, while I tell you a story." She slipped her wand back into her robe pocket and led the way out of the room. Harry looked around for Draco as they left but he was no where in sight. Draco's door was closed shut, though, so it was safe to assume he was inside.It was midday. That's what it looked like to Harry, anyway. Around two pm at the latest. He placed the blue vase on the floor and began to admire the flowers. He considered adding orange, but he didn't think the colors meshed well and began to look at the red flowers."Lucius and Severus were young when they joined the dark lord." Narcissa began, her voice heavy. She folded her hands over the table, looking every pit the proper woman she was bred to be. "They had no idea what they were doing. Severus regretted his choice immediately after your mother's death but Lucius took a bit longer. We only transferred to the light three years ago. "Her voice faltered and Harry nodded at her, encouragingly, despite the fact that she couldn't see him. He decided he liked the way the red and silver flowers looked against the blue and began to order them.She cleared her throat, "It isn't much of a story but we, the Malfoys, are now members of the 'light' side." She stressed the word as if it were wrong and Harry supposed she was right. The light side could not be truly good, not if they were murdering people. They could not be good, especially, because they had Dumbledore. "What do you think of Dumbledore?" Harry asked. He formed the silver flowers to be the outer ring and placed red roses in the center, but the vase looked devoid of color. He spotted a group of Chocolate Lace flowers and began to pile them in between the silver and red ones. "Dumbledore?" Narcissa asked curiously. Her eyes narrowed as she evaluated Harry but, he refused to look up. "I think he is a fool. I also think he considers life to be a game of chess and not the welfare and survival of his fellow wizards."Harry grinned at her and picked up the vase, "It isn't perfect but I like it." Narcissa smiled at it too. Harry wasn't sure if she would understand that he wasn't only speaking about the flowers but he hoped she would. The Malfoys were not perfect but in Harry's mind they weren't the Dursleys. "You know I think it could use some yellow," she quipped.Harry's lip lifted at the corner and he tilted his head to the side as if he were considering it. "You might be right but I like it."Narcissa laughed outright. She took the pot from him and walked into the dining room. "If you like it Harry, then it is a beautiful pot of flowers." She placed it on the table, twisting it a couple times before stepping away. "Are you satisfied?""I think I am," Harry replied, unsure. He had never been asked if he was happy with something before."How can you not be sure?" Narcissa asked but the door opened before Harry could continue.Draco scowled as he entered the room, his eyes landing on the offending pot of flowers that attempted to destroy the room's color scheme. "What in the bloody hell is that monstrosity?" "Draco Malfoy, you watch your language around me," Narcissa scolded. Draco shrank back and opened his mouth, flabbergasted that his mother was not siding with him. Harry was beginning to think that the Malfoys were never the problem. The problem, he considered, must have been the judgmental wizards who put them in a box labeled 'dark'. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "I'm not sure what you want me to do," Lucius admitted. He was leaning against the fireplace while Severus sat on the couch. Books were strewn across the coffee table and the curtains pulled tight. "We both know Harry suffered physical abuse." Lucius nodded his head waiting for Severus to continue and the other man sighed. "Neither of us have spoken to him about it since he first arrived... right?""Of course," Lucius rolled his eyes. "I mean, what would I even say to the boy?"Severus snorted and pulled a book off of his coffee table before tossing it to Lucius. "If you're curious then read up." Lucius caught the book and turned it over to read the title. "You're reading about how to talk to victims of abuse?" Lucius asked, incredulously. "Severus, isn't your personal experience enough?"The other man shrugged and pulled his coat tighter around his body. "Everyone reacts to it differently. A slytherin girl who's mother laid a hand on the girl all break would break down and cry the moment someone raised their voice but...""Harry only flinches." Lucius continued for him. Severus nodded and waved his wand in the direction of the kitchen, calling two mugs of tea to the table. They settled themselves on a couple of magazines and Severus picked them up. He moved them to a clear spot before shuffling the books into a pile."I'm not sure what to do." The man ran a hand through his black hair and took a sip of his tea. "I used to dream of escaping my own father but I was never sure what i wanted people to say after they found out. Sympathy? No, that just made me feel worse. Hatred? Definitely not. Them being happy that I escaped felt like I had never belonged to my father in the first place."Lucius strode from the wall to take a seat next to Severus and squeezed the man's shoulder. The only kind of comfort Severus would ever allow after his father. Severus smiled at him in thanks."We'll figure it out," Lucius spoke up. "Draco will help too, I'm sure.""Draco?" Severus asked, shocked. "Those boys can't see past their own egos. I doubt either of them will be friendly to each other when we return. Speaking of, did Narcissa ask you about our unexpected leaving?""Of course she did," Lucius huffed. "That woman is a bigger mother bear than Molly and I think you'll be very surprised. She actually sent me an update on Harry and Draco in that letter." Lucius smirked behind his cup of tea unwilling to share the details with his old friend.Severus only raised his eyebrows in response. "I'll have to complete another checkup on Harry when we return and find a way to disguise nutrient potions. I can probably just tell him that they're to speed up the healing of his bruises.""The boy isn't stupid, Severus. If he's been beaten his whole life, then I think he would be able to predict his own healing time. He might notice if they don't heal any faster.""Might," Severus agreed. ____/\____"When are they coming back?" Draco asked his mother. She smiled and put another sandwich on Harry's plate to which Draco snickered. "They should be back by dinner." The vase still sat on the table but it was pushed to the side since they were eating.Draco still glared at it every other minute, but he had agreed to it after his mother had scolded him. "What are they doing anyway? The dark lord didn't call them, did he?" Narcissa cringed and Harry tensed as Voldemort was mentioned.Harry still didn't know how he fit in here. Both, Narcissa and Draco, had confirmed to him that they were spies and planned on severing all ties with the man after he was killed, but Harry wasn't sure they were telling the truth. For all he knew, they were keeping him here until Voldemort decided to kill him. Harry looked back up at Narcissa as she spoke. "You know I don't like talking about that man, Draco." Her voice was stern, but she smiled, still the image of peace and happiness. "They said where they were going when they left. They're just visiting Diagon Alley."Draco huffed and stabbed his fork into a corner of his sandwich, which he had decided to cut into pieces. "You and I both know they went there this Tuesday." Harry frowned and looked at his hands. "They had to go pick up a couple more things, Draco. That's all. Your father forgot some potion ingredients Severus needed," Narcissa explained."He would never forget anything. He always makes a list.""Draco, drop it.""I'm almost of legal age. You don't need to hide the unspeakable things from me anymore, mother. Were they called?" Draco argued as he set his fork down. Harry didn't think he had much of an appetite left either. "No, they were not." Draco sighed in relief and pulled his plate back to himself. Something in her voice must have told him that Narcissa was telling the truth because Harry couldn't see another way those simple words would banish the fear. "So, what are they doing then?"Harry nearly slapped him right then. The tension had left the room the moment Narcissa confirmed that they weren't called and Draco just had to call it back like it was a dog that needed to be fed.He bit his lip and looked at Narcissa, who at the moment was looking at him in concern. "Harry are you alright? You're looking a little pale." Her voice was softer than when she had spoken to Draco."I'm fine. Just lost my appetite; that's all." She smiled at him before bringing a piece of her sandwich to her lips. She, too, had cut it up into pieces and Harry was beginning to wonder if he had missed a memo. "Make sure to eat at dinner then," she said.Harry, taking this as a dismissal, picked up his plate and stood up. Narcissa looked at him curiously before smiling and when Harry looked at Draco, the boy looked curious, too. "What is it?""Why are you taking your plate?" Draco asked and his mother waved her hand, stopping the conversation. "I'm sure he just plans on finishing it later." Harry rubbed the back of his neck, "I was actually planning on taking it the kitchen and washing it. Was I not supposed to?" Narcissa paled and set her fork down before snapping her fingers. Poppy appeared with a 'pop' and bowed, her ears flopping against her head. "What do you need?"Harry grimaced and shuffled from one foot to the other as Narcissa motioned for him to put the plate back down. He did. "Harry has finished eating. Can you take his plate back to the kitchen and have it cleaned." Her words were formed into a question but her tone left only one possible answer. Harry wished he had lied and agreed with Narcissa earlier. "Of course!" Poppy grinned and took the plate off the corner before disappearing. The 'pop' left Harry flinching this time and he rubbed his arms, trying to get rid of the goosebumps. "You don't have to ever clean your plates, Mr.Potter. The elves will take care of that," Draco's mother affirmed. Harry flinched as they returned to a last name basis before nodded and leaving the room. He heard the floo activate and assumed that the oldest Malfoy and Snape were back, but he didn't want to see anyone in his current mood. He climbed the stairs and opened the door to his room. Falling onto to the bed, his eyes closed immediately and released him into a blissful sleep with no dreams. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Draco grinned and stood up as he heard the floo activate. He had been looking at his mother, curiously, before the sound drifted into the dining room, but now he was doing his best to not run into the living room. His father was already sinking his leather chair while Severus shrugged off his coat. “How was Diagon Alley?” Narcissa’s voice inquired behind him and Draco turned to see her striding into the room, hands skimming the edges of her skirt. Lucius looked away from Severus to admire his wife. “Borning,” was his mild response. Draco groaned and looked at Severus for confirmation. Severus snorted and set his coat against a nearby chair, an elf apparating into the room to take it out. “We got what we needed.” “What exactly did you guys need? You went shopping three days ago,” Draco countered. “You could have sent Poppy for any supplies that you needed unless you had to visit him .” None of them needed a clarification on who him was. The only person who wouldn’t accept a house elf in replacement of the two men was Voldemort. “Draco we already discussed this,” Narcissa said. “They did not get called on by the dark lord.” Severus ran a hand through his hair before grounding out, “The boys right. We were called.” “Lucius!” The man grimaced and stood up. “It wasn’t a big deal. The meeting only lasted an hour.” “I don’t care how long. I asked you where you went and you lied to me.” “Yes, let me say that we went to see the dark lord by owl and have it intercepted.” Lucius argued and shot her a look. Severus finally spoke up from his spot by the fire trying to relieve the room’s tension. “The dark lord was curious about Dumbledore’s reaction to Harry’s disappearance. We need to decide quickly if Harry will return to Hogwarts.” Severus waited until all three of them looked at him before continuing. “If he is returned to Dumbledore then we risk losing him to death.” “Why would Dumbledore want Harry dead?” Draco asked. “Horcruxes,” Narcissa whispered. Severus and Lucius nodded at her horrified expression. “He used horcruxes?” “He accidently made Harry one as well,” Lucius replied grimly. Draco, who had no idea what a horcrux was, could only continue to look at the others completely lost. “I don’t understand,” he finally said, “What’s a horcrux?” Narcissa looked at him sympathetically while Lucius spoke. “It puts a piece of your soul in an object.” Draco blanched, “Harry has a piece of his soul inside of him?” Lucius ignored Draco’s misuse of pronouns and looked at Severus for assistance. “We’ll figure something out, Draco.” “It’s not a matter of figuring something out!” Draco shouted and crossed his arms. “It's...I was... “ Draco looked like he might puke and turned to look at the fire. “What are we going to do with him?” Lucius and Severus shared a glance at his sudden change in attitude. “We’ll try to find ways to get rid of the horcrux without killing him,” Narcissa said. “I will not let you men decide otherwise.” She bit her lip and gazed at Lucius, expectant. “Draco, you should go check on Harry. I didn’t mean to lash out at him like that. Memories are a deadly thing.” Lucius looked curious, but neither Narcissa nor Draco clarified on what happened. The boy only nodded and took the stairs back up the hallway. He almost entered his own room without bothering to check, but he second guessed himself. Did it really matter if Harry had a piece of the dark lord’s soul inside of him? Did it really change the way the other boy acted? Draco doubted it, but he couldn’t be sure of anything. He closed his door with a sigh before walking the rest of the way to Harry’s room. Correction: Harry’s temporary room. If asked why he didn’t knock later, Draco wouldn’t know how to reply. Maybe his mind had been too full of horcruxes and dark lords. Either way, Draco did not knock and simply pushed the door open. He didn’t walk in on anything eventful though. He marveled at the new wall colors for a moment before looking around for Harry. The boy was sleeping in a corner of the room, sheet pulled up to his knees. Draco considered calling for Severus and asking him about Harry’s strange behavior, but something stopped him. Surely the dark lord would prefer to sleep in a bed as opposed to a corner, so this act could be counted as proof of Harry’s actions being his own. This didn’t explain Draco’s reluctance to call Severus though. Draco sighed and stalked his way into the room, crouching before Harry. The other boy’s shoulders and chest followed the pattern of his breaths, moving up and down every few moments. “What makes you so special?” Draco whispered. Harry seemed to flinch before settling back down again, almost startling Draco into running out of the room. It would be hard to explain to Harry, one who just woke up that is, why exactly he was watching him sleep. It wasn’t as if Draco could answer that question either. Even when the question left his own head. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Draco didn't have a reason when he checked on Harry later in the day, but he did. The boy still hadn't moved, huddled up in the corner of the room and clutching the sheet like it might run away. Draco ran a hand through his hair and left. If Harry was still asleep there wasn't much of a reason for him to stay.Plus, the slytherin still had some questions for his godfather. In the first place, Harry Potter was a human not an object so obviously a horcrux could be placed in living things. Draco paused on the staircase and leaned against the wall for a moment considering what he needed to do. The Malfoy library was one of the biggest libraries known and would most likely have the information he needed, but it would take time. However, Draco was starting to wonder how much of the truth his guardians would tell him, considering that they're willing to lie to each other.Turning on heel, Draco decided it would be best to go to the library. Severus wasn't known to lie, but he couldn't be sure anymore. In fact, Draco Malfoy was beginning to become unsure of everything.When he was younger it was simple; everything was so simple. Grow up and make the dark lord proud, make his parents proud. But, three years ago things began to change. Severus and his father would meet in private behind closed doors that were covered in magic. Draco had tried using spying charms multiple times, but his father caught him and sent him to his room.After that, it wasn't a question of how to please the dark lord to Draco, but a question of if that was still his goal. His parents revealed to him a couple months later that they didn't support the dark lord anymore and Draco began to question himself. This person that he built...this bossy, refined, and narcissistic person he became to please the dark lord. Was this person who he really wanted to be?A couple days after his parents told him, he visited Pansy.Pansy wasn't exactly his best friend at the time. Draco had been irritated that she refused to follow the dark lord wholeheartedly. If it wasn't for Severus, Draco would never have gone in the first place."I don't understand why I have to go over there," Draco snapped. "It's not like I'm friends with her. She's stupid for not following the dark lord and so are you guys." He sneered at his godfather before turning on heel to go to his room, but a hand grabbed his robe, pulling it tight."You don't know what you're talking about." Severus said, rubbing his face with a hand. "You're just a child and you haven't met the dark lord yet. Not like we have." Draco rolled his eyes knowing that Severus was talking about the time his father and him came back from a meeting, completely shaken. "Just because I wasn't there doesn't mean I don't know who I want to be. I want to be a death eater and kill Harry Potter!" The boy shouted the last part at the top of his lungs, not caring if his parents heard or anyone else. Harry Potter was a half-blood who had the nerve to refuse Draco and that's all that mattered.For the first time in his life, Draco's blood ran cold as he felt a sharp pain on his cheek that radiated out into a stinging puddle. "You slapped me?!" he screeched clawing at the hand that still held his robes.The pain wasn't bad. It was obvious Severus hadn't used all his strength behind it, but to Draco, who had never been hit in his life before, that slap was a betrayal of trust. "You're still a child. You didn't know who you wanted to be. You only knew who you were supposed to be, Draco." Severus grabbed his chin and forced him to look the man in the eye. "Don't ever tell me that you want to be a killer. I've known you since you were a child. Telling me such a blatant lie is stupid.""It's not," Draco paused drawing in a breath. It isn't a lie, right? I do want to kill Harry Potter. I do! I'm sure of it. So why...why can't I just say it."It's not your fault, Draco." Severus sighed and pulled him into a hug. "You had too much pressure on you to please the dark lord and I know that's it's going to be hard to discover who you really want to be now that that pressure is gone. However, me, your father, and your mother are always here to help you. Don't forget that."Draco found himself stepping into the fireplace an hour later and meeting Pansy for the first time as himself. Draco Malfoy wasn't the narcissistic bloke who wanted to please the dark lord anymore even if he still sneered because of habit sometimes. Pansy made sure he knew that.The girl grinned up at him when he entered, cheekily. "I bet you're gay."The boy narrowed his eyes and sneered, "in your dreams pug.""That's a slip of the tongue Draco. You and I both know you don't really think I'm a pug, but can you apologize? It kinda hurt my feelings," Pansy asked. Draco bit his tongue before he could retort and sighed. "Is this really necessary? I was just sent here by my father. I don't even like you.""I know," Pansy said looking at the carpet. A part of Draco couldn't help, but feel like he had wronged her. It was a new feeling. No, not new, but old. He hadn't felt guilty in a long time."I'm sorry." Pansy rolled over, looking up at him with a smile. "I think that's the first time I've heard you apologize.""It is," Draco huffed. "Don't expect you'll hear again either. I don't make the same mistake twice." Pansy laughed for a while after that and Draco soon learned that it was something she did often, especially when she was unsure of how she was feeling. The girl found it easier to laugh and pretend she was happy then to face her own emotions. Which was something Draco hadn't figured out how to help her with to this day.Pansy found it easy to help Draco though. She forced him to apologize many more times after that until Draco was used to it. He didn't reply with a snarky comment anymore. Well, most of the time. Old habits die hard.Draco slid his hand across the line in the book. An old one that he had found in the back of the library.Horcruxes can be placed in living things, but the horcrux is destroyed when they die so this method is not preferred. To this day, there isn't a known way to separate a horcrux from the object it is put into as the magic is banned and rarely seen in action. This wasn't going to be easy. Draco knew that. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Harry Potter lifted his head as his eyes snapped open. A hand reached up to rub his eye trying to wipe away what he had seen, but it didn't work. Eventually Harry let his hand drop into his lap the dead woman still lying on the floor before him. Ruby red hair covering her face in a mock imitation of a mask or last act of kindness.What he had done to her face. "Who was it?" Harry asked bringing a hand up to his face only to find it covered in blood. Me?I wouldn't have. I would never. Why would I...I didn't even know her? Did I?Harry flinched and pushed himself back into the wall, shivering. A face appeared in his mind for a moment before disappearing. That picture, harry thought, but the couple danced from his mind before he could react. The woman on the floor disappeared and Harry stared at his once bloodstained hand for a long moment before running it through his hair. He pulled it back into view as if expecting the blood to reappear before shaking his head, numbly, as he saw it clean. Harry Potter had no idea what he had dreamed about anymore. Maybe it was the shock or his own mind, but he couldn't remember for the life of him who the woman was or how she had died. He placed his hand against the wall surprised at how cool it was and even placing his cheek beside it as if it had the ability to leave him numb. A knock penetrated his thoughts and Harry turned to the door trying to get rid of the excess fear that still had his limbs weak. He considered standing, but couldn't find a reason too. "Come in," harry decided to say instead. He didn't know who was at the door, but it shouldn't matter. The gryffindor had nothing to hide.It was, surprisingly, Severus who made himself visible when he opened the door. Harry idly wondered why the older man was visiting him as he waited for him to speak. However, he didn't say anything. Though, his face appeared to be blank there was a stiffness to the man's posture that left Harry shrinking into his corner. The silhouette of Severus appeared to widen against the wall taking on a bulbous shape that left Harry's depleted mind in a dreamlike state."Severus? Is he okay?" A voice asked from the hallway and a blond poked his head into the room. Draco didn't look an ounce uncertain and took a step inside when he saw that Harry was awake. "I thought you might sleep through dinner too. I asked Severus to wake you up." Draco explained as he continued into the room until he stood by his godfather.Even if Draco was tall for his age, Severus stood at the impressive height that his last growth spurt had given him, easily an inch or two taller than the other slytherin. Severus made a movement that was close to a shrug before turning and walking out of the room leaving Draco and Harry speechless.When Severus had fully left the room, Draco looked questionably at Harry was only shrugged in response with a shake of his head. Draco huffed before putting his hand out for Harry, "I guess he's just in one of those moods. We need to get to dinner or my mother will throw another fit. She nearly chewed my father's ear off when you skipped out on breakfast and lunch."Harry blinked before grabbing onto the hand letting it pull him up. "Did I really sleep that long?""Longer since you went to bed before Severus and Lucius got back.""Oh yea," Harry whispered as they left his room. Draco snagged the light before closing the door letting Harry walk in front of him. "I forgot that they left." Harry looked a little worried for a second and Draco couldn't help but grab his wrist to keep him from going ahead.The syltherin's eyes were crinkled and tired, a completely different look from the one that Harry had grown used too. "You missed a lot last night. My mother wanted to apologize to you personally, but when she sent Poppy to check on you, you were already asleep. She didn't mean what she said Potter."Potter?Harry rolled his eyes before pulling his hand out of Draco's grasp. "Whatever you say, Malfoy."Draco flinched and reached his hand out before deciding against it. Old habits really do die hard, he thought as he followed the other boy down the stairs.____/\____When Severus entered Harry's room, he didn't know what he was expecting. Maybe the boy would be reading a book or had just woken up and was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, or maybe the child had taken to playing a one man game, though Severus didn't know many. What did not cross the older man's thoughts, however, was that the young boy might be curled up in a corner of the room, shivering. Severus wasn't sure what to do. Even if he did know what to do Draco could be here any minute. He had left Draco downstairs, but just before he knocked he heard footsteps. It was likely that the slytherin was right outside the door. Potter, no... the gryffindor, had no reason to trust Draco enough to want him to know about the abuse so Severus couldn't ask him about what happened. At least, not without Draco coming in moments after. As if reading his thoughts, Harry visibly relaxed and looked at him curiously. It was as if Severus had never seen him shaking or cringing away. The boy was still huddled in the corner, but Severus couldn't sense any fear from him anymore. It was as if Severus had imagined everything. Maybe I did. I mean, who's to say I didn't?But no, that didn't make sense. Even if Harry had been relaxed, why was he sleeping on the flo-"Severus, is he okay?" The man gritted his teeth as he turned around to glare at Draco, who didn't even glance at him, but continued into the room, unfazed. "I thought you might sleep through dinner too. I asked Severus to wake you up." Draco explained to Harry before looking at him expectantly, but Severus just shook his head. He shrugged a bit, before hesitating and leaving. Draco could help harry get to dinner. Severus needed to talk to Lucius for a bit. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- It is a difficult to raise one's feet or hands when one does not wish to. Harry Potter knows this very well as he descends the staircase ahead of Draco. The other boy only a mere couple steps away, but Harry couldn't bring himself to speak. He was irritated with himself and with Draco. He wanted to stop and fix things, but his pride silenced him. The way in which Draco had said his last name left a sour taste in the gryffindor's mouth. Each step felt hollow and Harry wasn't sure why he continued down or why they had started to fight again, for that matter. Except, the reason, itself, could be simple: their past couldn't be forgotten.The silence hung around them like a dark cloud until they entered the dining room. Lucius, who sat at the head of the table, looked at them curiously before his gaze lingered on Draco, questioning. "I was wondering if you boys would make it," Narcissa spoke up from Lucius's left. She smiled at Harry and patted the spot beside her, encouraging him to sit down. The younger boy smiled and gave in to her request. He was happy that Narcissa wasn't mad at him despite the obvious glare he was getting from Severus and Draco. "I would never miss dinner, mother. I know how much it means to you." Draco said as he took the seat next to Severus, directly across from Harry. "Though the idea of locking myself in my room and reading was tempting."As the slytherins continued to pass pleasantries around him, Harry found himself staring at a scuff on the table. The only mark it appeared to have. A tiny wedge cut into it by what was most likely a fork. It was only one line, but Harry wondered why Narcissa hadn't fixed it yet, or, as horrifying as it was to imagine, replaced the entire table. From what he had seen, the family prided themselves on perfection.At least, in their surroundings, Harry specified as he thought of their attitudes. Even when, Poppy had brought out the food, Harry still found himself absorbed in the mark. His fork absentmindedly stabbed a piece of meat and bringing it to his mouth, but he didn't draw his eyes from it. In a way, Harry considered himself to be a mark. A mark on the Dursleys. A mark on the Weasleys'. Even to a certain extent, a mark on the Malfoy family. It seemed that no matter what the boy did, wherever he went became tarnished. The more Harry thought about it, the more the idea stuck.If Harry Potter didn't exist then Lilly and James would be alive. Sirius wouldn't have suffered. Remus wouldn't have lost his two best friends. Peter Pettigrew would have had no reason to betray his friends. The boy became so lost in his thoughts he didn't notice the silence that had enveloped the room or the occasional nudge against his foot until it turned into a kick. Harry glared at Draco as he rubbed his foot where he was sure it would be bruised by tomorrow. "What was that for?!"Draco bit his lip as Harry met his gaze, glancing around nervously. "I was just wondering if you were going to eat or not. You've pushing your food around. Is it not to your tastes?"Harry narrowed his eyes and then deflated. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem that way. I'm just distracted is all. School should be starting soon and I'm worried since I haven't received a new letter from Hermione.""Speaking of school," Lucius said. "Severus and I don't think it would be a good idea for you to go." Draco and Harry, both surprised, took it in different ways. While Draco would be sad not to see Harry during school, he couldn't help but agree. After conducting more research he had come to the same conclusion. The moment Harry returned to Hogwarts there was nothing the Malfoys could do to protect him. Plus, this way I won't have to be mean to him, Draco couldn't help but think.Harry, on the other hand, was seething. "Hogwarts is my home." His eyes returned to the mark as he continued. "I can't stay here forever. Dumbledore will find me eventually and I won't have you guys getting wrapped up in this anymore.""This isn't the time for heroics, boy. Your life is on the line," Severus said."We are grow adults, Harry. We know what we can handle." Lucius continued, "besides it has already been decided."Harry looked at them, surprised. "What do you mean 'its already been decided'?"Lucius blinked and shared a glance with Narcissa before explaining, "We discussed it last night and agreed that the safest course is for you to spend the school year here. Severus can slip away from school occasionally to teach you potions and defense against the dark arts while Narcissa and I manage the rest."Harry practically growled from his seat as he stood up glaring at them. "If I am not included in that discussion then what makes you guys any different from Dumbledore?" With those words, Harry stormed from the room. The boy seethed as he stomped down the hall, the portraits whispering as he passed."He's a guest is this house, but he-""Shh, it's best to leave it alone.""Leaving it alone won't teach this child his place! Children are meant to be taken care of not given responsibilities.""He is a special case.""Shut up!" Harry yelled at the portraits. "It doesn't matter anymore. I haven't been a child for years so, just, shut up."____/\____"He has a point," Narcissa frowned from her spot. She couldn't help glancing worriedly at the door every couple of moments. She had never dealt with someone like Harry before and she was beginning to realize why her father had hated gryffindors. They were far to independent for him."It doesn't matter if he has a point," Severus frowned. "It's for his own safety that we do this.""What does his safety matter if he doesn't want it though?" The older slytherins looked at Draco, surprised. "I'm just saying, isn't it useless if Harry becomes depressed because of it. Dragging him away from his friends. Taking away his free will." Draco wasn't sure why he was defending Harry.The boy had considered Hogwarts to be the most dangerous option from the beginning. "Wouldn't that just corner him into defeating Voldemort?" However, it seemed wrong. Lucius blanched and ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, I didn't consider that.""Draco why don't you go find Harry and tell him we've changed our mind," Narcissa suggested. "I'll have Poppy send up some food to his bedroom so see if you can get him to eat as well."Draco huffed, "We're fighting at the moment so I don't think he'll want to see me. Send Severus."The older man wrinkled his nose. "I don't have time to play with children. I'm going down to the potions room. Lucius would you care to join me?""Later, Narcissa and I need to discuss something first.""Alright then," the man said before he strolled out of the room.Draco Malfoy knew when he was cornered. It wasn't difficult to tell especially since he had grown up being cornered by his parents and godfather into doing things. With one last glare at his parents and a toss of the normal, "I really dislike you two sometimes", Draco left the room.Considering that Harry hadn't received a tour of the house yet and only knew about the gardens, his room, Draco's room, and the dining room, Draco couldn't help but assume that Harry would be in his room. Of course, things with the gryffindor are never as easy as they appear to be.Which is exactly why Draco should not have been surprised when he found Harry, two hours later, sitting on a rock outside. He wasn't in the gardens, but the foolish gryffindor had wondered past the gardens and into uncharted territory. At least, uncharted territory for Harry. To Draco, that rock and it's surroundings were very familiar."I don't suppose you could scoot over?" Draco decided to ask as he smiled at Harry. The other boy glared at him, but relinquished the left of the rock. "You like the outdoors?""The Dursleys wouldn't let me outside much. But, when I had outside chores it was nice. Even though, the sun was hot and I was tired, I wasn't trapped inside." Draco frowned as he listened. Harry didn't seem to even know he had spoken out loud. "So that's why you weren't in your room." Draco wasn't looking at Harry, but who could feel his flinch. The boy really hadn't noticed. "I was a little scared I would find you in the library. Didn't seem right, you being a gryffindor and all.""Thank you," Harry whispered. Draco understood him a bit more. He had been right, it hadn't been death eaters. Even if Draco wanted to react badly and curse the Dursleys that wasn't what Harry needed right now. Harry Potter seemed to need to feel normal and that's what Draco planned on doing. "Poppy." He called before waiting a few moments for the elf to appear. "Bring me the tray of food mother sent to Harry's room." A nod and a pop left the two boys alone again."Your mother had food sent to my room?" Harry asked with a frown."You aren't alone anymore, Potter." Draco grinned letting Harry's last name roll of his tongue like it was natural. "Also, my parents and Severus gave up on it. Forcing you to stay here that is. I guess they came to the conclusion that there was no point keeping you here if you didn't want to be."Another pop and Draco found a plate of food in his lap. "They did?!" Harry shouted and Draco looked up to his eyes shining. "So I'll get to see Hermione and Ron again. Neville will probably lose his frog on the train again and I'm sure that Luna will say something weird. Something about nargles most likely. Speaking of which, do you know what nargles are Draco?"So this was it. This was what it was like be friends with the Harry Potter. The chosen one. The boy who lived. The boy who Draco might just be falling in love with. "nargles?" Draco asked. He really hadn't heard of such a thing though the boy had to admit that he really hadn't been listening. He had been lost somewhere around Neville Longbottem when Harry's eyes started to sparkle. Draco had heard from his mother that when people spoke about the things they love their eyes sparkle and their mouths move faster than before or their hands follow along like those of a conductor leading an orchestra. Draco had believed it. He had seen Severus's eyes when he was making a difficult potion or discussing theory with his father. He had seen it in his father's eyes when he boasted about his day at work or when Draco and he discussed what they would get Draco's mother for her birthday.However, Draco didn't think anyone's eyes could quite compare to Harry's though Severus might disagree with him later."Yes, nargles! And wrackspurts or moon frogs!""You really do have some weird friends, Potter.""You're one to talk.""Did you say wrackspurts? Those exist.""You can't be serious?""I have no reason to lie to you.""Says the slytherin.""Now you're bringing houses into this? How mature are you?""Mature enough to see from your childish point of view."The two dissolved into laughter at the ridiculousness of it all, Harry being the first to stop. "Are you serious about the wrackspurts?"Draco looked at him stunned before speaking, "Are you serious right now, Harry? You have got to be kidding me." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Two Weeks LaterDraco pulled his legs up to his chest staring at his mother. Her hands moved without thought as if the needles she held guided them. She smiled at him and set the cloth down. "What is it? Is Harry mad at you?""Why would you assume that Harry's mad at me?" Draco asked.His mother chuckled and straightened her posture. "You spend as many hours in the day as you can with him, but suddenly you want to watch your mother knit. It is uncanny," Narcissa didn't sound angry with him. The fact, that Draco, her beloved son, wasn't as inclined to spend time with her as he was when he was younger didn't leave her angry or sad. She had resigned herself to him leaving her long before he had begun to do so. If anything, she sounded humored. Draco snorted and turned his head to side, glaring at some of the flowers that were placed on the patio. "I do not spend every hour of the day with him. I eat meals with you and father...and Harry. However, I do write letters to Blaise and occasionally visit Pansy."Narcissa waited until Draco had stopped talking before she spoke, "You only visit Pansy at your father's insistence. I'm surprised you haven't convinced Harry to come along with you, yet." "He always says that Pansy would hate him, but she wouldn't. I know she wouldn't. She always laughs when I tell her about the stupid stuff Harry does." Draco frowned as he spoke, but he didn't continue the argument. Narcissa smiled softly as she considered what he said, her hands picking up the cloth again."Did you tell Harry this?""Tell him what?" Draco asked as he looked at her curiously."Tell him that Pansy laughed.""Of course I did," Draco replied with a pout. "I thought it might make him feel more comfortable around her.""And? How did Harry react."Draco grimaced and pulled back from his chair, "How would I know? I'm not the Harry Potter whisperer."Narcissa sighed and looked at him pointedly. "At least you know what you did wrong." "I didn't do anything wrong," Draco growled. "It's just that Potter's a brat when he comes to his pride. Can't tell the difference between a joke and an insult." Narcissa raised an eyebrow and Draco sulked, but didn't glare at her any farther."Draco darling, how long ago were you two enemies?"He bit his lip and looked at the flowers again. "I don't see what that has to do with anything."Narcissa sighed again, "Consider things from his perspective a bit. You and Pansy, all of us, were his enemies only two and a half weeks ago. Your jokes are very similar to your insults, Draco. I doubt that Harry has forgotten them so easily.""I see what you mean, mother. But, can I ask you something?""Of course, love." Narcissa rarely used that pet name with her son, but occasionally it slipped. "When we, me and Harry...I mean...Harry and I, when we return to Hogwarts, will I have to pretend to be his enemy?""So that's what was on your mind." It a statement. Narcissa had known that something as trivial as Harry not wanting to meet his friends would not keep Draco down. "I believe that is up to Harry."Draco looked up at her, surprised. "I thought-I thought that you and father would decide?""You and Harry made it very clear where our opinions should be. Your father and I decided it would be best if we let you boys make your decisions. After all, it won't be too long until you become adults. Whether Harry wishes to reveal his position to Dumbledore, whether Harry wishes to face the possibility of losing his best friends, and whether Harry wishes to risk losing you, that is all his decision."____/\____Harry Potter sat up in bed and looked at the black clock on his bedside table. That wasn't right, not his bedside table. His temporary bedside table upon which sat his temporary clock. He asked Poppy to get him a clock and, while she looked confused at first, after a quick explanation she brought him one. It appeared to be old, probably an antique knowing the Malfoys. Being only sixteen, Harry was still underage and after his last run in with underage magic, Harry did not want to be caught again. He paused in his thoughts, contemplative. "They wouldn't-"He bit his lip...They might count it. What had happened after I passed out? Did I perform magic? Harry drew a weary hand across his face before shaking it. I shouldn't think about this now. I have things to do.Harry crawled to the side of the bed, which he still considered far too big for him, and set his legs on the ground. Harry had taken to going to the library lately, much to Draco's chagrin. The blond had tried to stop him and offered to go flying with him, but Harry knew what he needed though he wouldn't tell Draco. Harry needed to study.It wasn't that he wanted to show off once school began again or that he felt he needed to prove himself. It was what happened a week ago. Harry had seen Voldemort once again shamelessly, and effortlessly hurting someone. Harry had let his feet continue on the path, but he wasn't surprised when they stopped and he looked up to see the library doors. The gryffindor didn't glance at the portrait of Abraxas as the man had grown accustomed to him visiting and after the first three days decided Harry wasn't worth the trouble. Those three days had been a pain though, Harry had to admit that Abraxas was one of the more determined Malfoys that he had met.However, Harry's feet did stop as his eyes met black. Black hair to be more specific. Harry looked towards Abraxas's portrait, but the man had disappeared. "You don't have to stand there. Take a seat, Mr. Potter." A voice, that Harry recognized as Severus's said from behind the chair as a hand waved around it in greeting. "I won't bite."Harry rolled his eyes and stepped into Severus's view. "I know that you won't bite. I'm just here to pick up a few books...sir.""Hoping to bring up that worthless grade of yours in potions?"Harry's eyes narrowed at the wall of books. Averting his gaze came naturally to him, Vernon had enforced it. "Not entirely, sir."Harry wasn't looking at the man, but if he was Harry might have been surprised. Though Severus, himself, didn't realize it, the man was frowning, or one could say concerned. He hummed before speaking, "If not entirely potions then what else have you been researching?"The gryffindor grimaced, "Just Hogwarts subjects." Harry looked at Severus for the first time in the conversation attempting a prideful face. "I want to touch up on the subjects that I scored badly on and get better at them before returning next week.""It's a little late for that," Severus said. The man closed the book he was reading, his finger holding his place. "You might as well be cramming for a test. If you really do need help in your classes then I will help you at Hogwarts. We can meet up once a week for tutoring if you wish."Harry's eyes roamed the room until they came down to his hands, which had begun to squirm and clash before breaking apart. "Why are you being so nice to me, sir?""Because I understand now." As Severus spoke Harry looked up from his hands, curious. "I misjudged you and mistreated you. For that, I apologize."Harry blinked. Then, the boy blinked again. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of Snape apologizing. Even if it had already happened, Harry hadn't felt that Snape was really apologizing then. Now, though, it felt real. Harry could somehow feel that the man was sorry.The gryffindor let himself breathe in, then out, before nodding. It was his way on confirming that he had heard Snape and understood. It was also Harry's way of telling the man that Harry hadn't forgiven him yet. He took another glance around the room, his eyes catching on the empty frame. "Where is Abraxas?"Snape snorted and uncrossed his legs. "That old fool? He saw me and fled to Lucius's study. He's probably irritating the man as we speak. How did you know who he was?""He wouldn't stop yelling at me the first couple of days I came here so I asked him what his name was. I think I may have shocked him because he couldn't speak for a good minute." Harry said as he chuckled at the memory."I'm surprised you got him to be quiet at all. The only person he will listen to is a Malfoy. If Lucius hadn't told him to leave me alone, and this was at the threat of burning the man's portrait, then I doubt I would get the peace I do now."Harry smiled at the idea of Abraxas shouting profanities at Snape before fully taking it what the other man had said. "I should let you get back to reading. I was just here to pick up a couple of books." Harry said as he made his way to the left corner of the room. Snape rolled his eyes at the gryffindor's back and opened his book. "I am perfectly capable of holding a conversation, but I appreciate the gesture. The offer on tutoring still stands, Potter. You need only ask." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- A/N: I didn't think anything through when I first started this and now it's all biting me in the butt. So I went back and revived Sirius. I only mentioned his death once so it wasn't a super big change, especially since I didn't really write the way it had effected Harry properly anyway. Honestly, I'm kinda irritated with myself because it was so easy to fix. So this is based in sixth year, HOWEVER neither Sirius nor Dumbledore died. I'm not quite certain what happened in my version of fifth year, but it is not important at the moment and will be decided later. So just gotta know this is sixth year which means everyone is like 16 to 17 years old (I really didn't want to start a romance with some of them being 15, didn't feel right) and soooo Umbridge is the DADA teacher in my version of sixth year and Dumbledore, who did NOT die, is still the headmaster. Yea... It wasn't that it didn't hurt. The bruises that had not disappeared yet were indeed part of the worst of his injuries. Harry Potter wasn't sure when the other, more minor ones, had healed. The days had blurred together at Malfoy manor. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had been pleasant at the very least and quite the conversationalists at the most, though, Harry hadn't spoken much to Lucius. As for Severus, well, the man had no way with words, he stormed into rooms more than he walked, and he frequently fled away from something he didn't want to deal with using his potions as an excuse, or maybe he just had unique timing. Either way, the adults, throughout the little time Harry had seen them, tried to make him feel comfortable at the manor.Draco Malfoy was another story entirely. The patches had been rough at first, specifically before their first agreement and their first fight since friendship-if it could be called that. However, after their meeting where Harry slipped about the Dursleys it was as if they were walking on egg shells. Harry wasn't sure if Draco was too scared to talk to him about his summers or if Draco was trying to be courteous, but the effect was lost on him.When Harry had let it slip, he had expected Draco to be angry or laugh, but the boy had slid over the topic like it wasn't breached. At the same time that Harry appreciated his actions, he also hated them. Harry, for whatever reason, wanted someone, anyone, to be angry for him. Hermione and Ron, while Harry had not explicitly told them about the happenings of the Dursley residence, had known all the same. Hermione had left potions, illegally made, on his bedside which soothed his injuries, albeit at a slow pace. She had left no notes, or messages, but no one else would have taken the time to make the potions or have the knowledge and confidence. Ron had looked sympathetically at his suitcase and raked his eyes over Harry's body the moment they arrived on the train, searching, but never finding anything. Harry's glamour activated itself like clockwork every morning on September 1st. Harry, himself, wasn't sure what year he had started using it. While they had both expressed their concern, neither of them had been angry on his behalf or taken the matter to someone else, someone who might be able to help. Of course, Harry remembered with a snort, he had taken to someone else and been refused. Dumbledore had blamed him.Harry pulled his blanket tighter around his shoulders and traced a scar that marred his right arm. It was merely a straight line, not nearly as bad as the others which connected to form pictures or words, however the idea of it existing on his skin disgusted him. The scar disappeared before his eyes and Harry blinked. A sigh escaped his lips as he rolled over, turning his attention to the wall. He must have accidentally activated the glamour. His fingers, which had not stopped tracing it, could feel where the scar began and where it ended. Another reason Ron and Hermione knew. Harry could remember Ron's face, clear as day, when he had grabbed Harry's arm in third year and felt the mark. He had curiously turned over Harry's arm, who had stilled momentarily unable to breathe. The boy twisted it and turned it, but the skin revealed nothing, it was completely unmarred. Ron's face had twisted until he looked constipated before he finally dropped Harry's arms and returned to his game of chess. Harry had flicked his wrist as if he was stretching it and let his eyes begin to take in the words of his book once again.Remus and Sirius had no clue, to the best of Harry's knowledge. Harry had been concerned when he heard they wouldn't be taking him in. He wondered if they had figured it out and been disgusted, but they explained later on that Dumbledore felt it best that Harry remain with the Dursleys. While the two hugged Harry on a regular basis, at least when they met, they had never messed with Harry's arms or felt a scar. This didn't discourage Harry however. While he wanted someone to be angry for him, Harry didn't want anyone to know. The idea of Remus and Sirius discovering his secret...the idea of them knowing what had transpired at the Dursley residence scared him. So when Sirius had asked if he was okay, Harry had said that he was. When Sirius had asked if Harry was treated properly, Harry had said that he was.Swinging his legs off the bed, Harry stood up on shaky legs and made his way over to his suitcase. A couple of bags sat next to the suitcase. Those were not his target. Harry's gaze wondered until he found them. The hand me downs. Three sizes too big and torn to shreds. Dudley had sometimes found it enjoyable to tear his clothing when it became too small, knowing that it would be given to Harry. Some which bore stains, Harry hated more, while others, which nestled deep into his suitcase appeared well taken care of, Harry loved. Ron had snuck in clothing some nights, or maybe it was Neville. Harry wasn't certain. Harry reached out his hand and grabbed Dudley's old clothes, pulling them out of the suitcase and throwing them against the ground. His fingers raked through the fabric of the only shirt he still held before letting it join the others. Then, in a fit of rage, Harry dropped onto his knees and slammed his fists against the appalling items. They seemed to look up at him, unashamedly as if they didn't care about the pain they had inflected upon him and Harry found himself tearing another one right down the middle. The fabric tore easily, a stark reminder of how he was treated at the Dursley's; a stark reminder of how little they had cared. Harry took a shaky breathe in an attempt to collect himself and with one last tear, let the fabric lay in a mistreated pile. Despite everything the Dursleys had done to him, despite it all. Harry had still yearned,though it was not for discovery or vengeance. As Harry stared at the lump before him, he was reminded of how truly powerless he was and found himself apologizing. The words tumbling out of his mouth before he could harness them, completely out of control. The fabric hadn't asked to be used in such a way. It had no choice. The fabric couldn't decide who bought it and cared for it. It had no choice in what happened to it.Harry hated himself, in the moment, for what he had done. For as much as the clothing before him had only brought him misery, Harry felt a strange connection to it. Harry had been forced upon the Dursleys and mangled by them in the ways that they saw fit. Despite all that they had done though Harry, in the same the fabric had, wanted to be loved by them. It disgusted the gryffindor. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- How much pain do you have to go through until giving up is okay? Harry Potter sits on his windowsill as he waits for Vernon to come ‘home’. It’s not the first time Harry has done this since he returned home for the summer. Not touching a single chore and his list and just waiting.  Harry Potter liked waiting. He liked the silence that came when he sat on the windowsill, one leg hanging outside and the other inside as he breathed. The air outside was nice. Their neighborhood was clean and didn’t reek of garbage like some of the neighborhoods he passed as a child.  Harry clearly remembered the garbage bags stacked by the road and the homes that rotted and crept towards unlivable. He also remembered how happy the families he passed had been. Children who played in the yard and hugged their parents. Parents who hugged their children back. A door slammed downstairs and Harry looked out the window. Vernon had pulled up. As the man pulled himself out of the car he looked at the wilting flowers and then up at Harry’s windows. His face was red. Not newly red, but a deep one that came with time. Vernon had a bad day at work. It didn't hurt Harry as much anymore when Vernon passed his anger onto him. Rather he welcomed the punishments at times. Today was one of those days. A day when he could barely think beyond the thoughts inside his head. Petunia’s voice that called him worthless and Vernon’s trash. The loudest though was a new addition. Sirius yelling at him. Sirius hadn’t meant it to hurt. It was a reprimand, but it still sat with him. Eating at him. The day had a vision. It was so real he dropped everything. Hermione and Ron had followed behind as he tried to figure out what to do. It was Ron who remembered. The classic strategist.    “Before we do anything stupid Harry, let’s try to call him.” “Call him? Voldemort has him! We don’t have the time Ron!” “Just give him the mirror Harry.” Hermione sighed. “What if Voldemort wanted you to see this?” “Fine.” Sirius answered within the first minute. He was frazzled, his hair a mess. “What’s wrong?” “Harry had a vision,” Ron said. “Vision? What’s going on? Are you guys okay?” Hermione shoved her head in front of Ron, smiling politely at Sirius. “Harry had a vision Voldemort had kidnapped you. In the middle of the celebration.” “Harry,” Sirius had sighed. “Please tell me you thought this through. That you weren’t going to run off like always.” He hadn’t answered and Sirius repeated himself. Harry could only nod. His head hurt and his eyes stung as he remembered. Sirius’s screams had sounded so real. His voice through the mirror was calm however, not in pain. “You two best leave before the teachers notice you’re gone. I need to speak with Harry a little longer.” Sirius said. He waited for the two of them to leave the room before speaking again. Only looking at Harry through the mirror, studying him. “You can never do that again, do you understand me? That kind of foolishness can get you and your friends killed. Harry?” He sighed and Harry flinched. “I need you to answer me. You need to understand what this means. Voldemort knows about the connection. He will use it to gain information and spread false information. You can’t take these visions seriously anymore.” “I understand Sirius.” “Good. If this ever happens again, you contact an adult and wait.” “Sirius, no one listens to me.” It was true. No one listened to him. Dumbledore didn’t care what happened to Harry as long as he fought Voldemort. Otherwise he would have listened about the Dursleys. Harry looked into the mirror. He hoped for Sirius to be attentive, listening. Looking at Harry like he always did. Instead his eyes were unfocused, his beard unshaven and his mouth tight. “That’s an excuse Harry,” he said as he ran a hand through his hair. “I need to talk to Dumbledore about this. I’ll call later tonight.”   Sirius never did call that night. Or the next. Harry still hadn’t heard from him. Sirius’s disappointment was palpable. It was Vernon who dealt the punishment though.  Harry had almost killed Ron and Hermione. Neither mentioned that night, but it clearly bothered them. He would catch them in the halls sometimes whispering when he wasn’t there. Snatches of “Harry” were always present. He never tried to use spells to hear them. He didn’t want to know what they were saying about him when he wasn’t there. Hedwig rustled in her cage as Vernon slammed the front door open. He shut it, closing out the neighbors, before yelling up the stairs. “Boy, why are my flowers dead?!” “They aren’t dead,” Harry murmured. “They’re dying.” He stood up as Vernon waited for his answer and pulled the old blanket off his mattress slinging it over Hedwig’s cage. He didn’t want her to draw Vernon’s attention. “Boy!” Vernon yelled.  Harry didn’t answer. Instead, he walked back to the windowsill and sat back down. He took in a breath of cool air and waited.  He didn’t have to wait long. Vernon was never very patient when it came to Harry. Dudley could yell at him for hours and Vernon wouldn’t move, but Harry? All Harry had to do was shut up and Vernon wouldn’t last more than two minutes without a ‘Yes, sir’. His steps were loud as he came up the stairs. The only sound in Harry’s head other than the beating of his own heart. Despite how used to the pain he was his body still anticipated it. Heart rising. Hormones moving. Breath quickening. Senses sharpening.  Thud. Thud. Thud. The sound continued until it stopped. “Boy you better get out here now or I will beat you until you can’t!”  It always surprised Harry how loud Vernon could get. It was almost a game. How loud could he make Vernon get? Could he make him loud enough for the neighbors to hear? Would Vernon even notice if he got that loud? Would the neighbors care? Vernon slammed Harry’s door open. His face was even redder than it was outside in the sun. Climbing the stairs must have been hard for him. His chest moved rapidly, sweat sliding down his forehead in the summer heat. “Don’t pretend you don’t hear me boy. Last I checked you had two working ears.” How long ago had Harry been checked? The last he remembered was when he got his glasses prescribed.  “Boy!” Vernon tried again. Harry finally met his gaze and smiled.  The smile did it.  Vernon grabbed the front of his shirt, dragging him outside his room. “You want to make fun of me? Make fun of my family? We feed you. We clothe you. This is how you repay us? Snide comments as we ask you to do small chores for us in return for my hard earned money?” He waited a moment, giving Harry time to beg. He loved it when Harry begged. After being stepped on at work all day by customers, he loved stepping on Harry.  “That’s the end of my patience, boy!” He yelled.  His grip tightened on Harry’s shirt as he dragged him to the edge of the staircase. It wouldn’t be the first time Harry had ‘fallen’ down the stairs. He didn’t want this punishment though. He wanted more. So much more than the staircase was likely to do.  So Harry smirked and whispered, just loud enough for Vernon to hear. “Maybe if you ran as much as you talked, you wouldn’t be so fat.” Harry didn’t like belittling people especially about a physical characteristic, but the insult did it’s job. Vernon’s grip tightened and his fist connected with Harry’s face. Small dots floated across his vision and he blinked. Vernon’s fist connected again in the same spot around Harry’s right eye. Again, he saw dots. It wasn’t enough, but he didn’t need to ask for more. Vernon let go off Harry’s shirt as if finally realizing what he had done and Harry stumbled back. His hand reached for the rail instinctively as his foot touched air, but it was too late. Harry went to the stairs. He heard Petunia gasp in the living room more than he heard his own body. It was over in seconds and he sprawled across the floor of the staircase. Vernon stepped down behind him. “Bet you won’t do that again boy.” “Vernon!” Petunia yelled. “Don’t interrupt me, Petunia. Your nephew needs to learn his lesson. He’s a no good freeloader that needs punishment. No different than the homeless on the street.” As Vernon spoke Harry blinked. His glasses had broken and he could feel some of the smaller shards in his face. Most of the glass remained intact though.  Still, he could barely see. Lights danced and a drunk feeling enveloped him. He couldn’t feel the pain yet. Adrenaline spiking, but he knew he would feel it soon. “Vernon, his arm.” Petunia whispered. Her voice sounded weird, almost worried. “It’ll heal. Just another lesson. I’ll snap it back into place right this minute in fact.”  Harry's eyes widened at the thought. “Please no,” he mumbled. His words weren’t coming out right. Jumbled and distorted even to his own ears. He was too far gone to know what he was saying. “What was that?” Vernon asked as he reached for Harry’s arm. “I couldn’t quite understand you. I think you need to speak up. Boy.” Harry screamed as he touched him and Petunia tried to pull him away from Vernon. The pain doubled as he was yanked.  “The neighbors will hear,” she whispered furiously.  “They’ll think it’s a horror movie.”  “We can’t risk it.” “Go sit down Petunia.” Vernon said. His tone was deadly and it was clear if she didn’t obey him he would redirect his anger again. She dropped Harry’s arm and stood up. She brushed off her pants, stepping back.  “I need to go to the store. I’ll take Dudley.” Harry could hear her speaking to Dudley. Then the back door slammed shut as Vernon tapped his fingers, waiting. This time, Harry hated the waiting. Just as Harry thought Vernon might just forget about his arm, the car door slammed and Vernon moved. Harry screamed. ___/\___  Some might say it was fate that led Lucius to be in Little Whinging that day. He rarely visited muggles, but Lucuis had fought with Narcissa that morning. Arguing about the war and what they would do with Draco when it broke out.  Lucius wanted him to fight with them. Their son couldn’t remain a child forever. If Draco made a name for himself during the war it could reduce the damage Lucuis had done to the Malfoy reputation.  Narcissa was angry with him. She wanted to send Draco to one of their safe houses. By keeping him out of the war they could reduce the risk of losing their heir. Reduce the risk of losing their son. She had spoken calmly to him that morning, but Lucuis knew he had crossed the line with his words. So he left. In the times he overstepped it was always better to let the both of them cool off. Lucuis wasn’t in the mood to talk to others either, so he went to the best place to avoid other wizards. A muggle city. Today he was in Little Whinging. Trying to forget the things they both had said in anger. It was as Lucuis exited an antique store that he felt it. A burst of magic. He looked around as it happened. The muggles were oblivious. That was to be expected. Muggles were as ignorant to the muggle world as they were to each other. Always going somewhere and never with anyone. His walking stick hit the ground as he moved, much faster than before. Narcissa wouldn’t miss him for another hour or two if he had time. ___/\___ A/N: I have officially started the rewrite for Point Made. I'll be editing this again tomorrow because me and my beta reader are a bit tired right now so I'm not sure how many errors are mixed throughout. I'll be adding any new chapters to this so as not to confuse people too much and adding a note to the top of the first chapter saying where the rewrite begins. If you're an old reader stopping in again, I'll try to finish it this time. If you're a new reader I hope you enjoyed and despite to check in on the story occasionally. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Harry Potter doesn't stir in Lucius' arms until he is standing outside Severus' house. The boy moves and whimpers a moment, but settles back down. Lucius pulls a strange comfort from Harry's own uneasiness here. He hates Spinner's End.The way the cobblestones break off in parts and how the houses lean over as if they might swallow him whole.He knocks quickly upon the door and Severus opens it within seconds.His robe skims the dirty ground, but he doesn't bother to pick it up.Lucius sighs as he repositions Harry. "Can you at least attempt to take care of my gift?" He smirks as he asks knowing full well Severus won't answer."Lucius," he breathes. "Is that?"He smirks again, shrugging as much as he can with Harry Potter in his arms. "Just doing my wizardly duty. If you will let me in I can explain."Severus steps back from the door letting Lucius tap it open more with his foot as he moves to clear the nearby couch. The walls are lined with bookshelves leaving barely enough room for Lucius to move as he drops Harry down."Why would you bring him here? No. Why would you have the boy in the first place Lucius." It's less of a question and more of an accusation. Severus' tone was too hurried and angry to be anything else. His voice is low, wary of any interference."I was nearby when it happened." Lucius starts as he sits in the armchair. He sighs and waves his wand, dishes moving into place as he begins to brew tea. Severus never offered him any even when Lucius came by with permission. "Narcissa and I fought this morning."It's not much of an explanation, but it's all that Severus needs. "You went to a muggle town? Coincidentally the one near Harr-this boy's residence?""Some might call it fate, Severus.""I don't have time for your games.""Of course not. If one does not even have time to firecall..."Lucius lets his sentence hang between them. When Severus doesn't respond he continues, "Narcissa was very distraught when you stopped answering.""I was busy. She understands that.""Does she? Do I? Severus you are not alone anymore. When you agreed-""-When I agreed I did not expect to be hounded by you two. Once again Lucius, explain."Lucius pulls his cane out of his pocket, unshrinking it in front of him. The familiar silver cool to the touch. "As I said I was nearby when I felt it. An outward explosion of magic. It wasn't antagonistic however so I wasn't concerned. I followed it to Privet Drive. The boy was unconscious.""What of the wards?""Gone. The boy was under the rubble. I didn't have time to look around so I grabbed the boy and fled. I couldn't exactly go to Malfoy Manor with him and of course, you live with the godforsaken muggles, so I had to carry the boy."For the first time since Severus saw him on the stoop, he looked over at Harry Potter on his couch. "The Dark lord?""Nowhere nearby. He knew the wards fell though.""The mark?""Yes, it burned for a moment when I left.""No time to spare then.""No." The mark had burned severely when Lucius arrived on Spinner's End. Voldemort's anger always transcended words.Lucius' tea floated to him from the kitchen as Severus leaned closer to Harry. "He doesn't have any injuries?""Not that I can see. A minor one on his arm, but I think it's from the Triwizard Tournament."Severus pulled Harry's sleeve up revealing a long, still healing scar. "Foolish boy. I gave him Dittany." He summoned a bottle from his shelf and uncapped it."That's strange."Severus hummed in response, barely paying Lucius any attention. He spread a small amount onto Harry's scar watching as it bubbled for a moment then slid off.Lucius stood up from the armchair. "Severus.""I know. It's a glamour.""Runs right off. Do you want to remove it?"Severus ran a hand through his hair and sighed then dropped down next to the couch. "Why would he use a glamour?"Lucius leans on his cane as he considers him. Did Severus want the truth here? The most likely answer: no. He already knew. They both did. Severus wanted Lucius to lie to him. To make everything better.Lucius couldn't."Why did you use a glamour at Hogwarts?"  When Harry wakes up the first thing he notices is the massive hammer in his head. He can't think beyond the consistent thumping and moving feels impossible. Still he opens his eyes. The light is blinding, but he blinks until he can see.It doesn't take him long to notice the blond boy across from him. Much less time to guess at who."Malfoy?!"His hair is loose, ungelled, as it follows his movements when he looks up. "And so the golden lion awakens, gracing us with his presence." Draco's mouth hasn't changed at all."Where the bloody hell am I?" Harry asks, moving to sit up, groaning when his vision blurs. He grabs the sheets as much as he can, squeezing them. When this doesn't help, Harry reaches up to grab at his hair pulling it.He can hear Draco moving, but he doesn't bother opening his eyes to track the other boy's movement. Harry couldn't even if he wanted to. So when Draco's fingers wrap around Harry's wrist squeezing lightly, Harry flinches."Don't do that." Draco says as he pulls on Harry's wrist.Harry wants to yell at him. Who the hell was Draco to think he could touch Harry? Act like his friend by doing unnecessary things. Hermione and Ron never bothered to stop Harry in these moments. They already knew it was the only thing that could help Harry. Draco is not an acquaintance or even a friend, much less Hermione or Ron.Draco seems to reach the same conclusion at Harry's silence because he drops the wrist. "Sev hates wasting potions." He says as if that explains everything.It doesn't, but Harry doesn't want him to elaborate so instead he asks, "Where am I?"Draco sighs, stepping even farther back. He moves toward the door not even bothering to look at Harry when he says. "I'll go get Sev. He can explain everything to you. You probably need more potions anyway after pulling at your hair like that."Sev? Did Draco mean Severus?Draco leaves before Harry can think to stop him so instead he reaches up for his hair again. The feeling of rebellion he gets when he pulls it quickly is odd. Draco wasn't an adult, not someone who could command him to do something. But, Harry finds himself relaxing his grip on his hair.He can still feel Draco's fingers on his wrist. The burn of it. Harry has hated physical contact ever since the first time Vernon slapped him. Still can't stand it despite the efforts of the Weasleys.He tries to ignore the remnants of the feeling as he lets his fingers graze over the spot he had pulled, massaging it. Part of Harry wants to look for his glasses. To try to search for them despite the fact he can't see one foot in front of him.The bed is empty. Satin, green sheets slipping down his skin so soft he barely notices them. Harry had never felt such quality before and despite himself, he reaches out to touch it.Too soft.It slips past his fingers without any effort as if it's running away from his touch.Harry doesn't blame it, instead he sits up in the bed. The pounding returns with a vengeance."I wouldn't recommend moving so much Mr. Potter." Obviously Harry wants to say as he rubs his eyes."Professor?""Who else would I be?" Snape asks as he moves closer. Harry can barely see him with his bare vision, but he tries. He squints until he can make out Snape's robe floating behind him. The damn thing must be spelled because every time it happens the robe seems to follow the same current of wind. "Draco please find Mr. Potter's glasses. I'm afraid he'll injure himself farther with how much he is squinting at me.""No, I won't." Harry argued on reflex. "How could squinting hurt me anyway? I've been doing it for years with no side effects.""And if it caused later damage to the eye? How would you know?" Snape asked as he moved his wand toward Harry. He whispered a spell so low he could barely hear it."What was that?" Harry asked.Draco rolls his eyes as he tosses Harry his glasses. "It's a spell to check you for injuries. Obviously. Do you not have any common sense Potter?""I have enough common sense not to attack a student in front of a professor." Harry says as he crosses his arms. Then, when Draco barely reacts he mumbles, "ferret."Draco smiles cruelly. "I'm sorry what was that? You do know mumbling is frowned upon in high society, don't you know? Or do you not have parents to teach you such a thing.""Children," Snape sighs. "You do remember I am standing right here correct?""Impossible to forget," Draco murmurersSnape looks at him pointedly and Draco corrects himself. "Draco.""Sorry, professor.""Why am I here?" Harry asks.He remembers yelling. Uncle Vernon getting so angry his skin turned vermilion and then a fist coming towards him. Stairs?Yes. He does remember the stairs. A familiar ache in his bones, his right arm sluggish as he makes a fist.When Snape watches Harry flex his fingers and arm he can't help but wonder if he knows. Yet when Harry looks down his glamour is in place. A nifty potion he had learned that senses nearby magic. Even unconscious it will activate in the presence of anything not muggle.Snape can't know."Mr. Malfoy was nearby when your wards fell. You're very lucky he found you Mr. Potter. Voldemort and his death eaters descended on Privet Drive just as he left."Lucky? Luck would have been having a proper family or being born normal.Luck would have been not being discovered at all."Lucius Malfoy?" Harry asks as he remembers the man's face. Remembers the anger when Lucius sees Dobby free."Lucius Malfoy saved me?" he asks again because he still can't wrap his head around it."I wouldn't call it saving exactly. I just pulled you from the rubble," Lucius says. Harry looks up to see him in the doorway. Dark robes covering everything, but his face. It left him looking almost sickly at times. The black clothing makes him so pale he looks unnatural."Rubble? What happened?""That's what we wanted to ask you Mr. Potter," Severus says. "Mr. Malfoy found you on Privet Drive under what remained of your aunt's house.""Wretched place. Nearly as bad as yours is Severus.""Mr. Malfoy." There was a lot of bite in Snape's tone, but Lucius only rolled his eyes in turn."I can't remember." Harry says and it's mostly true.He remembers the bare minimum, but not much else. The fall must have been harder than Harry expected."Just forget about it Mr. Potter." Snape says. "If you continue to push yourself you'll only create more problems for me in the long run.""But professor-""No 'buts'. Lucius and I will return to Privet Drive and examine the rubble. I'm sure even us mediocre wizards compared the great Harry Potter can trace the magic from the explosion. You will rest here with Draco to keep an eye on you."Draco rolls his eyes as Harry cringes. "Oh, please. You'll be in far better company than I will.""As if," Harry yells. "I'll be bored out of my mind in bed and forced to suffer a prat.""My son is a lot of things, Mr. Potter, but he is not a prat." Malfoy said with narrowed eyes.Harry bit his lip as he considered his situation. A Gryffindor in a room full of Slytherins. A "boy-who-lived" in a room of current and future death eaters. People that should want him dead. He had been so caught up in the familiar banter with Snape and Malfoy that he had forgotten to think. To consider the war they were fighting.By all accounts Snape was supposed to be a double agent for the light, but Harry had grown familiar with lying while living with the Dursleys. He knew that one lie could grow quickly. He also knew that lying became easier the more you did it. Being a legilimens could only make it easier for the man.The sheet slipped off farther as he scooted back into the headboard. "Are you going to take me to Voldemort?""The Dark Lord?" Draco asked incredulously. "Why would we do that?""Mr. Potter, I'm afraid you have the wrong idea." Harry might have found the words comforting if they weren't coming from Malfoy.He snorted then laughed. "I'm in a room full of death eaters calling Voldemort their 'Dark Lord' and I'm the one who has misread the situation?""We aren't death eaters," Draco says."As if I would believe that. Show me your arms." Harry looks pointedly at Snape when he says this, knowing the man bears the mark.Snape doesn't flinch, but rolls up the sleeve of his arm revealing his dark mark as Malfoy does the same beside him. "We bear the mark, but we do not serve. I know Dumbledore told you, but I have defected. Lucius and I defected at the same time.""I do not serve the Dark Lord," Malfoy confirms. "Have you ever heard of the taboo curse, Mr. Potter?"Harry shakes his head and Malfoy continues, "The taboo curse allows someone to trace a word. Anytime that word is spoken, a trace to their very location is sent out. The Dark Lord has placed such a curse on his name.""That's why everyone calls him 'he-who-must-not-be-named.'""A single utterance of his name could bring death eaters into the area within minutes," Snape agreed, smiling sadly. "It helps quell any resistances. Minor resistances anyway."Harry understood even if Snape didn't think he would. Forcing people to call him 'The Dark Lord' or 'he-who-must-not-be-named' dehumanized Voldemort. Any small resistances unable to even call the man by his name would be discouraged every time they discussed him. Any small resistances too misinformed to know better would be killed."Severus," Lucius said pointedly. "We don't want to waste time.""He's right. We'll be back within the hour so don't kill each other. I would hate to waste good potions getting the blood out of Narcissa's carpet."Draco shivered beside Harry and nodded. "I don't want to die just yet," he smiled. "If we do kill each other I'll make sure to keep the blood on the balcony.""Good idea Draco." Lucius smirked as he pushed Snape out the door. "Just have one of the elfs hose off the balcony when you're done.""You can't be serious Lucius.""It's a joke. Clearly.""Clearly."Harry watched them leave as much as he could from his position until Lucius closed the door behind them. "Are they always like that?""As much as they can be," Draco replied, watching him. When Harry met his gaze though, he didn't bother to avert his eyes."Now Potter, what shall we do to pass the time?" He asked, smirking.
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Let me tell you about my
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Prompto Argentum, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia, Ignis Scientia, Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII", "Fandom": "Final Fantasy XV", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by I_M_Bunnys", "chapters": "4/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-05T00:00:00", "words": "8,250", "Additional Tags": "Fluff, Bromance, Best Friends, BFFs, Happy times, Just Dudes Being Dudes, not sure what else, will update this as i go along - Freeform", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
So bright. Noctis tried to block the sun out with his hand but the heat still overwhelmed him. The prince, dressed in all black as usual, trailed behind his best friend going from shop to shop along Insomnia’s most popular strip mall. ‘The land of one armed people’ as Gladio called it, referring to how everyone either had a drink in their hand or a poodle under their arm. Umbra would ditch me if I brought him here, Noctis thought.  “It’s soooo hot.”  “Then lose the jacket buddy!” Prompto looked back to smile at his friend. Taking Noctis’ hand he pulled him forward. “Come on, the dance is tomorrow and we don’t have anything to wear yet. Aren’t you excited?” Prompto’s eyes twinkled with anticipation. Noctis couldn’t bear to snap at him even if he was tired, bored, and frustrated. “Prom, we’ve been shopping for 6 hours…” “Just a few more stores!”  Noctis willingly let the blonde pull him along.  -------------------- Prompto ravaged Noctis’ closet trying to dress the prince and add to his own outfit. When Ignis stepped into the royal chambers he was immediately reminded of his OCD.  “What in the Six is going on?!” Ignis took off his loafers not wanting to sully the presumably clean clothes that were on the floor. He picked up everything along his path from the entryway to his highness’ bed where Noctis sat, half naked.  “The dance is tomorrow and we have nothing to wear,” Noctis said unenthused.  “The dance is tomorrow and we don’t know what to wearrr,” whined Prompto. He stepped out of the closet donning tight pants, a vest over his bare chest, and an ascot (at least that’s what Ignis thought it was). The advisor was mortified and couldn’t hide his expression. “This is that bad? I kind of thought I had it this time?” Prompto shrugged.  Gladio walked in all smiles totally oblivious to what he walked in on.  “Whoa Prom, looking good!”  Ignis shot Gladio a death stare cold enough to rival Shiva herself.  “Uhhhhh, I mean….w-whuuut. That does NOT look g-good….at all.” Gladio tried to shrink against the wall, as if his muscles would let him. “Prompto, into the closet this instant!” Ignis ordered. Operation: Makeover had commenced. Noctis laughed and laid down on his bed awaiting his turn.  ---------------------------- Finally, the day had come.  With Ignis’ fashion advice Noctis was sporting all black: a crisp v-neck shirt under a mid-length black cardigan, black pants with even blacker pinstriping, a brand name monogrammed belt, and some red bottomed oxfords. Ignis had suggested some clear indoor sunglasses but Noctis kept them hanging from the V of his shirt.  Ignis had gone in a totally different direction with Prompto and rightfully so, given his personality was much different than the prince. Prompto wore a baby blue button up with a faint print that he wore half buttoned. A light gray vest over, dark denim pants, and more dressed up sneakers. He tied a silk black scarf to his bicep as an extra accessory in addition to a newer watch and beaded bracelets.  “Are you going to ask anyone to dance Noct? I’m sure all the girls dressed up for you!” Prompto squealed, unable to sit still in the Regalia.  “Dancing really isn’t my thing and I don’t really talk to the girls.” Noctis didn’t speak of it but inside he was overjoyed. When he told the king he was going to his school dance his father had patted him on the back and praised him profusely for finally taking an interest in a social activity. King Regis had sat him down, shared a story of his first dance, and given him the best fatherly advice he could give: don’t be nervous, show them what the Lucis line can do on the dance floor, and have fun. Noctis didn’t take the dance seriously at first but when he saw how happy it made his dad he started looking forward to it.  “Everybody out,” Gladio commanded. He and Ignis were to be chaperones yet seeing how they were old enough to attend the high school it didn’t really make sense. King Regis ordered them as chaperones (instead of bodyguards) and the school didn’t fight it. But they weren’t going to waste their time monitoring punch bowls. The two were purely there for their own entertainment. Gladio couldn’t wait to see all the potential blackmail material they’d stumble across tonight. For extra assurance he even brought Prompto’s camera. Of course Ignis had pitched it to Prompto as ‘capturing the most memorable moments of their youth’ which made Prompto’s eyes glaze over in awe and he readily handed it over.  As the boys stepped out of their car all eyes were on them. People began whispering and moving back to let them pass. Prompto was so hyped.  “The gym looks way better at night!” His smile beamed as he took in the flickering lights, cheap streamers, and rumbling of bass that resonated through the floorboards. A few people from class approached him and he made small talk while Noctis stood loyally at his side nodding occasionally to seem interested but saying nothing. “Prince Noctis?” A sweet voice cut through the air. Noctis and Prompto immediately recognized her as the captain of the volleyball team, a senior, one of the most popular girls in school. Prompto’s mouth dropped open at the sight of her legs in a sleek burgundy mini dress.  Noctis cleared his throat while Gladio nudged Ignis far in the distance. “Oh hi. Do I know you?” Prompto groaned silently. He knew his best friend was bad with people but he had to have more common sense when there was a girl this pretty in front of him.  The girl giggled. “No, actually I don’t think we’ve ever met.” She introduced herself and after a handshake she stepped in a bit closer. “Would you like to dance?”  Noctis’ eyes darted from Prompto to Ignis then to Gladio then to the girl. EDM music blasted, something that sounded more like video game background music than something he could really move to.  “Thanks but I don’t really dance,” Noctis shook his head. His best friend stood in shock as the girl politely accepted her rejection and walked away.  “What were you thinking turning her down? You could’ve been all ‘I don’t dance but you can teach me’ or something like that!” The blonde sighed in disbelief.  Across the way Gladio and Ignis were fighting their own battle. A crowd of girls had approached them and once Ignis had replied that they attended a private school to prepare them to support the next king of Lucis all the girls audibly swooned and clung to them. Prompto caught sight of the attention they garnered and began to feel slightly disappointed. Noctis noticed the sudden change in his friend’s body language but paid no mind.  The next two hours were spent walking around, commenting about random things, and checking their phones. Prompto had been so excited all week but hadn’t even set foot on the dance floor. “Why don’t you go dance Prom? I know you want to,” Noctis asked.  “Dance? By myself? That would be weird.” “Weird? Dancing at a dance?” Noctis raised his eyebrow. “If you wanna dance then dance, doesn’t have to be with anyone.” Noctis looked at the people dancing and noted that aside from couples there were big circles of girls. No guys by themselves. But that doesn’t matter right? No one is paying attention to who everyone’s with anyway.  “Ok you’re right! I came here to party and I will party!” Prompto left Noctis standing along the wall as he made his way to the center of the floor. Noctis caught a few glimpses of his friend bobbing through the crowd throwing some erratic moves here and there. After a while he had a clearer view of him. People had made way for Prompto. This is a good thing, maybe? Noctis got his back off the wall and moved closer.  “That’s the prince’s best friend right?” Noctis overheard. “Why is he by himself? Prince Noctis must be embarrassed.” Noctis weaved through more people. “Is he really trying to dance or is he trying to be funny?” Gladio and Ignis began to move once they saw Noctis leave his post on the wall. Gladio wrapped an arm around Ignis and pushed him through the groupies that blocked their way.  By the time Noctis reached Prompto he was fuming. He’s just dancing what the fuck. They don’t have to talk shit about him. When Prompto saw Noctis he greeted him with the biggest, brightest, smile. “Noct! You came out! Come on!” Snickers came from behind the prince.  “Noctis is probably there to pull him away.” “I would too! I mean, is he fist pumping?” “Bet you he and the prince won’t be friends after this.”  With a quick swipe of his hand Noctis equipped the sunglasses Ignis had accessorized him with. He took a deep breath and repeated to himself: I am a Lucis Caelum.  Noctis took the floor with Prompto doing every single move he could remember from every music video he’d seen. First, the robot. Next, the sprinkler. The butterfly, stanky leg, dougie, and a lot… A LOT of body rolls followed after. Noctis politely ended his whole routine with a series of dabs.  The prince realized he was out of breath and paused for a moment locking eyes with a stunned Prompto. From his slumped position he turned his head to see Ignis wearing a grin and Gladio eagerly snapping pictures. He turned back to Prompto who had come to his side and placed a hand on his back.  “Noct, are you going to be ok? I think people are going to be talking a lot about this.”  Oh Gods bless you Prom. Noctis looked at the crowd who seemed frozen; maybe too afraid to talk because they’d be executed? I mean it’s an option, Noctis thought laughing to himself. “I’m good Prom. Sorry, did I embarrass you?” He scratched the back of his head and looked down.  “No way! Never expected all of that to come out of you though,” he took the Prince’s hand. “Fuck everyone, you’re having fun right?”  “Yeah I am.” Noctis and Prompto started up again, jumping to the beat of the next song. The crowd passed off Noctis’ performance as him being funny with his best friend and soon they were absorbed into the amoeba of regular people just having a good time.  ------------------------------------------- The next day at the palace….. -------------------------------------------- “You took some really good shots big guy!” Prompto complemented Gladio as he went through the memory card on Noctis’ computer.  King Regis came in, hopeful to hear about the night’s shenanigans and see a photo or two.  “Oh! The sprinkler!! Noctis I had no idea you liked to do that move as well!” The king lit up with joy as Prompto continued to scroll through the pictures.  “It appears our prince is quite the party animal,” Ignis quipped hiding his grin beneath his gloved hand.  The screen stopped at a photo of Noctis and Prompto jumping together in the center of a crowd with flashes of blue and pink light spotting around them.  “Hey, that one’s kinda good,” Noctis pointed out.  “Yeah I like it too,” replied the blonde.  “Well then, let’s have it printed!” King Regis clapped his hands together then tousled the boys’ hair.  ------------------------------------------ Prompto came home to an empty house that evening. He set all his things down, one of them being the newly printed photo from the dance. He found an empty frame, slid it in, and placed it on his desk. He stared at it a while remembering what the girl who asked Noctis to dance said to him after the dance was over that night. “Hey! The prince really saved you out there!” she said, her smile radiating through the dark. “Yeah? From what?” Prompto asked, wiping sweat from his face. “From what? You guys really planned to give us that show from the beginning?” “Umm, haha yeah?” The girl playfully pushed Prompto. “Oh my gosh, you guys are really clowns! So fun! I totally thought he embarrassed himself on purpose!” “Come on, why would the prince do that?” Prompto replied. They both laughed. Prompto didn’t bring it up to Noctis and Noctis had never mentioned anything at his place or as Prompto was leaving to go home. The blonde laid flat in his tiny bed picturing all of Noctis’ moves. He laughed out loud and began to cry.  “Thanks Noct,” he whispered to himself. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- “Gladio! Get your head out of your ass!” Clarus screamed as he threw his son against the wall of the training arena. Gladio wearily stood, knowing that he was to always get up after a fall no matter what. Shaking, he gripped his wooden sword and did his best to land a strike on his father but it was no use. He was taken down once more. This time with a crack to the neck, gut, back and an axe kick for extra punishment. Clarus towered over his boy. “You are to double your training regimen this week. Today was a complete waste of my time.”  Gladio’s chest burned and he tried desperately to catch his breath so that he could apologize to his dad but by that time Clarus had already walked out on him. He clenched his fists and pounded them as hard as he could into the mat. His body wasn’t responding like it normally did. He felt tired, slow, and stressed. Maybe he had pushed himself too hard this week. The clock on the wall read 4:27. I can go for an early dinner. Gladio brushed himself off and made plans to head to the citadel kitchen after washing up. --------------------------- “Hey Iggy,” Gladio greeted, “you in here learning or ordering today?”  The future advisor smiled. “I am placing an order. I’m not sure if I am even capable of learning anything new at this moment.” Ignis looked weak. His eyes carried dark circles and his posture was lacking.  Gladio took the seat next to him. “I hear ya. Finals week is kicking my ass too.” He slumped and rested his head on the table after giving his order. “Not getting much sleep?” “Is it that obvious?” Ignis pulled his glasses off of his face and rubbed the lenses. “I’ve been running on coffee and fumes it seems.” Ignis studied Gladio’s features and noticed something was a miss about him as well. “Gladio, are you hydrating enough during the day?”  “Hydra-what?”  “Are you drinking enough water? Your skin appears to be dry despite you sweating.”  Gladio ran his fingers over his cheeks and lips. He didn’t have a skin care routine but his diet was very strict. “Maybe it’s the weather, been cooler lately.” Ignis began to say something but their food arrived. The boys finished their plates within minutes, humming with satisfaction not too long after.  “Well that hit the spot,” Gladio rubbed his stomach. “If you ever need a study break you should come take a walk with me. The air might do you well Iggs.” “Thank you for the offer. I pray that you are not spending more time outside than needed, you need to be hitting the books as well.” Ignis laughed as the bigger boy whined. --------------------------------- Ignis closed the door to Prince Noctis’ quarters after checking in on him. Noctis had complained that he hadn’t talked to anyone aside from Prompto in days and seeked Ignis’ company. When Ignis showed up hauling his textbooks the prince nearly hid under his bed afraid that Ignis was going to teach him something.  “Noct, this isn’t for you. This is for me, unfortunately,” Ignis frowned cracking open a book while sitting with the prince.  After the loudest sigh of relief, Noctis climbed up behind his advisor. His hands started to rub Ignis’ neck as he had seen attendants do for his father many times catching Ignis off guard. The advisor suddenly closed his eyes and welcomed the pressure from his prince’s hands.  “Iggy, I know you have it rough so if you need me to order someone to take care of you just say it,” Noctis’ concern was enough to make Ignis blush. Even though Noctis was a spoiled prince he was good to his friends. “And, you can tell that to Gladio too. I heard Mr. Amicitia talking to dad today about how off Gladio has been lately.”  Ignis raised an eyebrow to that bit of information. After bidding Noctis goodnight Ignis headed to the Amicitia house to check on the prince’s shield. Before he could get close enough he noticed Gladio’s physique behind a tall tree in a nearby garden. Taking a break outside during this hour? Then again, who was Ignis to judge when there he was strolling around at the same time. Small clouds floated from behind the tree up to the sky where they eventually dissolved. Ignis blew into his hands and noticed his breath didn’t look much like those clouds. He took cover behind a pillar of the building and saw Gladio raise a cigarette to his lips. He’s smoking! He smokes! Ignis covered his mouth with his hand as if he had blurted his thoughts out. They were only 16, if Gladio was caught smoking he could only imagine what the punishment would be. He should be taking care of his body! He’s the shield! Ignis pressed his back into the pillar trying to devise a plan. His thoughts were already packed with school lessons, all he could do was feel a sense of impending doom. I am useless.  “Whoa there Specs, can’t be falling asleep outside or you’ll lose a toe,” Gladio’s warm smile greeted him from the pathway. Ignis must have zoned out for longer than he thought.  “Forgive me, I was just returning from meeting with his highness,” he looked at the ground. “Are you headed to bed?” “Yeah,” He placed his hand on Ignis’ shoulder. “Good night Iggy.” ---------------------------------------- “I don’t even know why I have to learn Econ if I know I’m going to be punishing bastards with my fists for a living,” Gladio complained as dropped his backpack and dove into Noctis’ bed.  “Hey but at least you both are done right?” Prompto chirped. “I’m so happy our finals are nothing like yours!”  Ignis unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and opened a can of coffee he’d been saving.  “Specs, I think coffee is the last thing you need right now,” said the prince keeping a watchful eye on his beloved advisor.  There was a pounding at the door that shocked everyone into sitting upright. Noctis darted forward to reach for the handle but Clarus and Regis walked through before he could do anything.  “Hey dad, hi Mr. Amicitia. Is something wrong?” Noctis asked trying to remember if he did anything recently that he should be worried about.  Regis looked around the room and in a booming voice announced, “It has been brought to my attention that one of you or all of you have been engaging in behavior much too young for your age.” Clarus eyed his son while Ignis gripped his can of coffee, his pulse racing. “All of you, give me your bags.” Noctis stood wide-eyed desperately trying to remember what he had in his backpack. Prompto’s face had cycled through all the various shades of pink. Gladio picked up his backpack and placed it at his father’s feet while Ignis lifted the handle of his messenger bag and handed it to the king. The two men gave each other a nod and took a breath before going through the bags. Ignis was first.  As expected, Ignis’ bag was cleared. Although the men did comment on how unusual it was for him to have so much hand sanitizer, spare batteries, and instant ramen seasoning packets. “One whole packet contains more sodium than is necessary so I use half and save the remains for next time or for seasoning other things,” Ignis had explained to a bewildered room. Next was Noctis’ bag. The men unzipped it and almost instantly their faces twisted in disgust. “Son, cleanliness is a part of royal image,” Regis started as he poked around in Noctis’ bag.  “I’m clean dad.”  Just then Clarus pulled out a tupperware filled with something that they couldn’t make out. There were varying colors, each item at their own level of decay.  “Noctis Lucis Caelum,” Ignis began as he recognized the container. “Are those the vegetables I’ve requested be added to your lunch?”  The tone in Ignis’ voice was enough to stop Clarus and Regis from probing any further. Shame washed over Noctis’ face. “I was going to compost them.”  “Haaaaaaaaa?” Ignis questioned, mouth open and hands folded over his chest. Noctis hung his head down. Ignis caught Prompto whispering that next time he would eat the vegetables instead and that earned Prompto a quick hush from the prince.  Gladio’s bag was next. Almost instantly Clarus was at his throat, holding an open pack of cigarettes that had been the first thing visible upon the bag’s unzipping.  “Smoking? You are training to be a shield, not some regular glaive or guard! Do you know what this does to your body?” Clarus reached back to slap his son but his hand was caught by Regis. Gladio flinched, something his father could only make him do.  “Clarus, while this is a bad offense he is still young. He is still your son.” Regis slowly lowered Clarus’ hand. Clarus shook with aggravation.  “Where did you get these?”  Gladio looked down unable to answer. With each moment of passing silence Clarus grew more impatient and angry.  “I stole them from one of the glaives in the training locker room.” Ignis chimed in. Everyone turned to Ignis in shock, including Gladio. Ignis ranted, “I was feeling out of control from all the studying and lessons. Coffee did not have its usual effect and I had confided in Gladio that I wanted to try smoking just for this week until exams were over. I read that smoking could reduce anxiety and seeing that many of our officers smoke after something particularly strenuous I thought…”  Ignis was cut off by the raising of King Regis’ hand. “Then why does Gladio have your cigarettes Mr. Scientia?”  “He was disappointed in me,” Ignis averted his eyes to Gladio. “He told me that if he couldn’t stop me from doing it then we would try it together and he would keep them so I wouldn’t abuse it. Because…... I may not care if I’m harming myself but if he was doing it with me I might think twice about doing it at all.” Gladio knew what that meant. He knew Ignis must have known for a while. Gladio rubbed his face into his palm and kept his head lowered.  “I have higher expectations of you Ignis,” King Regis’ glare fixing on both Ignis and Gladio. “You both have broken a law of the land and will be required to perform community service to right your behavior. You have been foolish to think that you could get away with something like this inside the palace. However, I will acknowledge your honesty towards me and loyalty towards each other.”  “Who snitched on them dad?” Noctis butted in. The group was fortunate enough to witness King Regis roll his eyes.  “The staff and guards all care about you a great deal,” Regis started. He turned to the older boys, “so when they said the two of you were roaming at night leaving trails of smoke then of course Ignis you cleaning up everything after so obviously they were quick to report.”  Gladio shot Ignis a look and Ignis closed his eyes tightly.  “Gladio, being a shield isn’t just about physical strength. You should be strong enough to where you can lift people up with your words as well. You do not let them falter and enable them.” Clarus now calmer than before patted Gladio on the back. “See to it that this never happens again.” “Yes, sir.”  With that, the older men excused themselves leaving the boys to gossip.  “You both were smoking?” Prompto looked between the two. “No, just me,” Gladio confessed. “You knew? Why didn’t you tell me? Why were you picking up after me?”  “I wasn’t sure how to approach the topic. But now that we’re on it, what possessed you to start?” Ignis asked. “Nothing really. I was stressed and I’ll admit it does take some edge off. But…. after seeing my dad try to kill me I think I’m good now.” Gladio chuckled. “Thanks Ig, you really came through.”  “Indeed. You should be prepared to reimburse me.”  “Hopefully our community service won’t be too bad,” Gladio joked.  Noctis sprawled on the floor. “Prom, you lucked out. They didn't check your bag!”  “I KNOW! THANK GODS TOO!” Prompto unzipped his bag and dumped the contents on the floor. Towels, soaps, disposable razors, shampoos, conditioners, and pillow mints scattered all around Noctis. “I’ve been taking stuff from the guest room home with me for like, EVER. I know I never asked if I could but it’s been so long I figured it was okay? I mean it gives your staff something to do right?”  “Ugh, Prom what the hell…………..” Noctis rolled over.  ------------------------------------- “Up! Up! Up!”“Spin me!”“KWEHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Ignis and Gladio were surrounded by little Insomniacs who were incredibly delighted to see them. Everyday after school for a month they were to go to the nearby daycare and provide entertainment for the kids. This was to be done in a Chocobo and Moogle suit. Being the generous man that Gladio was he let Ignis have first pick. Ignis picked moogle as he felt it easier to give a convincing ‘Kupo’ than ‘Kweh’.  “This is quite unbecoming of me Gladio however, you do look rather talented in your feather suit.”  Gladio flapped around. “Hey, just when you thought you were passing by a harmless chocobo… BAM!” Gladio stomped on the ground kicking up a dust cloud, ”The shield appears and kills you!”  A group of toddlers started screaming in terror.  Ignis and Gladio quickly raised their hands and spun around to try and pacify the crowd.  “Gladio, you owe me.” “Yeah yeah, I know I know.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompto sat at his desk, his lamplight illuminating the slip of paper that he mindlessly doodled on. Within those doodles resided the prompt to his final project for the year: “My Hero: someone whom I admire, someone who has greatly influenced my life”. As soon as it was assigned Prompto knew who he would write about, yet the second part of the project which required him to bring the person in made him uncomfortable. Hero was a heavy word. He knew what the word meant to him but started to second guess his interpretation. Prompto heard the other kids in the class planning to bring in one of their relatives, doctors, and coaches. Normal choices for the most part. How would Prompto even introduce his person? As he thought about it he didn’t even know what to formally address him as.  Not wanting to waste any time (his deadline was in a week) he pulled out his laptop and began drafting his essay. He knew exactly what to say because this person was without a doubt a hero to him. For now he was going to focus on finishing the paper, if sleep didn’t decide to take a hold of him first. -------------------------------------- “So….. are you done?” Noctis asked pulling out his phone at the dinner table.  “Yeah, I finished writing it I just need to work on the second part.”  “What are you guys talking about?” Gladio came in and pulled a chair out.  As Ignis walked in the room carrying entrees Noctis replied, “Prom has a project for his lifeskills class that is kind of a big deal.” “Oh?” Ignis inquired. “Are you unprepared?” “It’s not that. The topic is ‘My Hero’ and I’ve already written the paper but I need to bring my actual hero in and that’s going to be kind of hard,” the blonde let the end of his sentence trail off as he helped Ignis place the plates on the table.  “You mean your hero isn’t Noct?” Gladio chuckled.  “I know right?” The prince winked at his best friend.  Prompto put his carrots on Noctis’ plate in retaliation. “I think everyone is hoping for it to be Noct so they can oogle him or imagine us as boyfriends or something.” Before Noctis could interrupt with a witty comment Prompto cleared his throat and continued, “I just hope I don’t get too many points taken off if my hero can’t be there. I can probably think of an excuse.” “So who is it?” Gladio asked.  Prompto looked down. “I don’t want to say.”  Gladio started to rant but Ignis stopped him. “Prompto, if you are unable to get over your nerves to request their presence then you might as well prepare to get no higher than a C.”  “Well…. If I do get my hero to come will you guys come to my class to cheer me on? You know, in case I freak out and throw up?”  The three men laughed.  “I would definitely NOT miss that!” Gladio grinned from ear to ear.  The prince looked at Prompto slyly and shoveled a piece of fish and rice into his mouth.  --------------------------------------------- Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio made their way to Prompto’s classroom on the evening of his presentation.  “I’m so happy I didn’t get this teacher,” Noctis admitted. “Anything school related should be during school hours. Such a pain to come in after you already went home.” Ignis elbowed his prince. “Such things shouldn’t be said in public your highness.” Guests began to arrive and Noctis’ attendance had gained a bit of attention. Ignis grabbed the first three seats he saw front and center of the room.  “Gods, Iggy you’re such a teacher’s pet,” Gladio groaned as he squeezed his arms in to take up less room. “Noct, so Prompto was able to drag his hero out here?” Noct nodded. “Apparently.”  The teacher walked into the room with her students following close behind. She greeted the spectators and gave a slight bow to the prince. One by one the students began to give their presentations. Gladio’s eyes began to water as a young man paid tribute to his football coach. His story reminded Gladio of all the long nights he spent running around the track after hours when he thought no one was watching. Gladio had learned that every night that he was out there his coach was tucked away near the equipment shed writing down his lap times and jotting down notes on his form. Gladio just about lost it when the young man’s coach gave a choked up “Thank you” to the boy. Applause rang through the room and soon a familiar, freckled face emerged.  “Good evening everyone. My name is Prompto Argentum. I want to start this by saying that I’m not a great public speaker so I’ve set up my presentation a little differently to help myself and everyone else understand how great of a person my hero is.” Prompto turned off the lights in the room and turned on the class projector. As the projector warmed Noctis gave Prompto a thumbs up. “I’ve always been better at expressing myself through photographs. My words have failed me more times than I can count and even if I get what I want to say out, sometimes the weight of my emotions don’t come through enough. For instance, telling someone ‘Thank you.’ I can say it but I don’t think my hero really understands how grateful I am.” The projector displayed a home screen on the board. Prompto shuffled over to pick up the remote and scanned the crowd. With a sharp inhale he proceeded with his speech. “This is my home. A two bedroom condo on the less affluent side of Crown City.” A picture of the dim living room and bare walls appeared. “Looks like it’s barely lived in right? That’s because no one really lives here but me. For as long as I can remember my parents have been off on business and I’d come home to nothing but my bed and the fridge.” A picture of a chubbier Prompto popped up. A few people giggled and there were a few people in disbelief over his previous shape. “I was a lonely kid. I wanted to make friends but was too self conscious and I never had a grown up to guide me or pat me on the back to say everything will be okay. When I realized I was on my own I committed to making myself stronger and eventually my body changed along with my attitude.” A smiling, more current picture of Prompto appeared. A few whistles were heard throughout the room. The blonde blushed and playfully hid his face.  “Moving on, because you guys are here for my hero right? It’s hard for me to say this with a straight face but probably the most pivotal point in my life thus far was meeting my best friend. Maybe you’ve heard of him,” a picture of Noctis from his Wiki page covered the board. People whispered and anxiously awaited the rest of Prompto’s speech. “Yes, that’s the Prince Noctis you all see on the news. But, this is the Prince Noctis I see.” Prompto clicked through about three or four pictures of Noctis sleeping, looking pissed off after being woken up, playing King’s Knight, and fishing on a dock. Gladio and Ignis shrieked with laughter while Noctis made a gun out of his hand and fired at Prompto. “When Noct and I became friends I knew it was going to be a big deal because he was the prince, even if I didn’t treat him like one. Soon I got to know the Kingsglaive, the palace staff, the king, and the people who were closest to Noct.” A picture of Gladio, Ignis, Prompto, and Noctis appeared. “These guys have become my family- and one has hands down become my hero.” The three men exchanged glances with one another.  “There’s a saying: ‘Not all heroes wear capes.’ Mine doesn’t but when he puts on his suit it works just as well. The first time I met him I felt so… unworthy. Here I was just this normal, average kid, waltzing into the Prince’s life and there he was opening doors for me, chauffeuring me. I know he has to get up before sunrise to start his routine yet there have been nights where he’s stayed late to help me study or to take me home after falling asleep on Noct’s couch. The first time he packed a lunch for me I cried,” Noctis nodded at the crowd and mouthed a ‘He really did!’ to everyone. “The lunch was the best thing I had ever eaten in my life and it was so thoughtful. He even shaped the eggs into chocobos.” A photo of the lunch replaced the previous photo. “I grew up thinking I didn’t need things like that. Packed lunches, hugs, encouragement. I wasn’t used to any sort of acknowledgment before I met him. One day he ruffled my hair to tell me good job for getting good grades and he made my favorite meal to celebrate. While I survived that far without that kind praise I realized that I had really been missing out. His duty isn’t to me, it’s to Noctis but still he treats me with such care. Sometimes I see him sneaking in his work in between running errands for us. If you look in the trunk of the car there are party packs of Ebony back there.” Cases of Ebony are projected on the board followed by empty cans in Noctis’ recycling bin. The crowd laughs. “I know he’s tired from working pretty much 16 hour days everyday but I’ve never heard him complain.” Prompto turned his attention to Ignis. “He isn’t that much older than me yet he has so many responsibilities and he fulfills them all like an over achiever. You would think that would take a toll on his personality but it doesn’t; he’s still the kindest, most thoughtful, and nurturing person I know. He’s filled a role in my life that I never knew I needed. I feel horrible that I have no way to repay him for what he’s done and continues to do for me. I want him to know that I see how much he does and how hard he works. I want him to know that if he wants to act his age a little that I’ll do what I can to cover for him…. But if the Glaive come roaming, I mean I don’t know how much I can stall.” Again more laughs from the audience. “When we were first assigned this project I worried over what to call my hero. I consider him my friend but it feels wrong to introduce him as that. His official title is Royal Advisor to the Crown Prince of Lucis but… that’s too formal for someone like me. Instead I will introduce him in name only- seems simple but really he’s more than enough just being himself.” Prompto extended his hand. “Everyone please welcome my hero, Ignis Scientia.” A flattering picture of Ignis graced the projector screen and a teary Ignis reached for Prompto with a gloved hand. He whispered into the blonde’s ear, “I am beyond honored, Prompto.” Ignis gave him a warm embrace and turned to bow to the crowd.  -------------------------------------- “So you knew it was Iggy this whole time?” Gladio inquired turning to Noctis after the three dropped Prompto off at home.  Noctis nodded. “I’m surprised you couldn’t figure it out. He only gushes about Iggy every second.”  The three parted ways when they arrived at the palace, ready to get some sleep.  Ignis unlocked the door to his apartment, walls bare, tabled cleared, everything in pristine condition. He opened the door to his fridge which was filled with various meats, produce, and coffee. After grabbing some leftovers he silently ate at his table alone. His phone buzzed with a text message. Prompto: Thanks again… Prompto: You know, for everything.   Prompto: [img.78] A photo of them from the end of Prompto’s presentation trailed the end of Prompto’s message. Ignis smiled and replied. Ignis: It’s my pleasure.   Ignis: And just so you know, I am very grateful for you as well Prompto. Good night. Ignis washed his plate and retreated to his bed. He had always come home to an empty apartment but tonight was the first night he wished he could’ve stayed in everyone’s company a little longer. Letting out a sigh he removed his glasses and rested his head. I’m happy I was able to take away some of that loneliness Prompto.. As you have done for me. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Slick fingers ran through raven locks as hot steam began to fade from the mirror revealing an attractive face that was best described as princely. Noctis eyed himself; he didn’t need to shave, one run of the blow drier and his hair would fall into place after years of training it where to go. His focus went to his ears. They always stuck out to him, maybe because under his massive fringe his lobes had become an unintentional extension of his face. A recurring thought came to mind and with that, Noctis slipped into his favorite black shirt and pants and headed out. ----Iris smiled as she watched Noctis down his breakfast mimosa. He had just turned 21 and had no shame in ordering alcohol anywhere they were serving it. She took a bite of her fruit loaded crepe, indulging in the fact that she was on “kind of a date” with Noctis. At least that’s what she called it. Little did they know Gladio had seen Iris sneak out that morning. He sat at a table on the second level of the restaurant looking down at the two. Iris reached out and cupped Noctis’ face in hand. He turned his head from her but didn’t bat her hand away. Gladio’s big brother instincts kicked in and suddenly all the novels he’d read and porn he’d watched seemed like probable options for what may happen next. Thankfully a waiter stole some of his attention, filling his empty water glass and asking if the food was alright. After Gladio gave as courteous of a reply as he could (despite having thoughts of Noctis ravaging his sister) he turned back to the couple whose table was already vacant. Shit, he thought. Taking out his phone he called Ignis. Ignis: Yes, Gladio?Gladio: Hey, what’s Noct’s schedule like today?Ignis: I believe he has the day completely free. Did you need him for something?Gladio: No, but do you have any idea what he’s up to?Ignis: Gladio, what’s wrong?Gladio: Nothing Igg, thanks. Ok maybe I’m just being stupid. Gladio finished his breakfast and left some gil on the table. -------------------Iris lead Noctis through the Crown City shopping district to show him some of her favorite shops.“I’m sure you’ll love it Noctis! You like more of a punk style don’t you?” Noctis thought for a moment then saw all the black coats, chains, and collars in the window. “Yeah I guess so. I don’t know about all the chains and spikes but the dark colors and leather I definitely dig.” Iris smirked, thinking something way beyond her age in reference to the mention of chains and collars. The prince browsed through racks finding a few things to update his wardrobe with. He spotted a Marlboro keychain that reminded him of Gladio; its mouth was scowling and there was a red gash across his eye. He laughed to himself and tucked it with his other items. “Noct over here!” Iris waved, standing next to one of the store employees who was covered in tattoos and piercings. What kind of friends does this girl have? Then Noctis remembered who her dad and father were. Oh, well I guess it makes sense. He hurried over to not keep them waiting.-----------Iris was beaming as she entered the Amicitia quarters. She wrapped her arms around her dad’s neck and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m home daddy!” She pulled away and caught Gladio’s eye. “You’re awfully cheery. Something good happen?” Gladio tried to sound as indifferent as possible but really he was ready to slam the prince through cinder blocks. He gritted his teeth waiting for her response. “Nothing really. Just happy that I got to spend some time with Noctis.” She put her shopping bags down and took a seat across from her brother. “His highness requested your company?” Clarus asked, interested. “Yeah! Said he wanted to buy some new clothes and I told him about this new place that opened up that I like. Oh and Gladdy here,” she dropped the keychain in his lap. “Noctis said it reminded him of you.” Gladio stared at the novelty beast. “Why didn’t he just go with Prompto? Kinda weird that he’d take a highschooler out.” Iris frowned. “Maybe other people can’t offer what I can.” Clarus and Gladio damn near choked. “Young lady, please explain yourself.” “Daddy! I just had fun with Noctis, that’s all! I swear you and Gladio don’t get me. Thanks for ruining my mood.” Iris grabbed her bags and stormed into her room making sure to slam her door as hard as she could. Clarus sighed. “I’ll give Regis a call just in case. Maybe you should cozy up to Noctis and see what this is really about.” Gladio nodded to his father, happy to follow his order. -------------------“My dad was being such a pain yesterday,” Iris complained as she and Noctis entered the lift to Noctis’ apartment. She smiled at Noctis. “I think you look really good by the way.” Noctis blushed as they reached his floor. “Thanks. Your dad is just looking out for you but yeah, he’s a scary guy. I’ll bet you he’s not as scary as mine!” As the door to his apartment swung open Iris and Noctis were greeted by their dads, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto. Iris immediately scoffed and ran forward towards her father. “Daddy! Are you spying on us? I can’t believe you!” Gladio stepped towards Noctis. “Spit it out. What are you doing spending so much time with my sister?” Noctis rolled his eyes while Prompto hid behind an observant Ignis. The advisor gave the prince a quick look up and down and hushed the blonde who began to whisper something into his ear. “We were just hanging out.” The prince declared, unphased. “Noctis Lucis Caelum,” King Regis placed his hand on his son’s shoulder, “would you raise your head and look at me?” Noctis slowly turned upwards to look at his father while Regis gasped. Regis took his son’s face in his hands with the urge to violently shake him. “Have you something you wish to tell me?” Gladio stared at Noctis stunned. His anger dissipated once Regis had stepped in. Getting in trouble with your dad was on a completely different level than getting told off by your bro. Gladio withdrew and watched as Regis stared daggers into Noctis.“I got my ears pierced.” “You got your-” Regis stopped himself, thinking what it was that he really wanted to say. “And what possessed you to do this?” The king released his son’s face from his hand. The whole room focused on the onyx studs in the prince’s ears. “I’m 21. I’ve always wanted my ears pierced so I thought what better time than now?” Noctis looked at Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto hoping someone would back him up. “And I take it you consulted Iris to make this happen?” Ignis commented. Iris nodded. “I knew a guy. I think Noctis looks really hot.” “Congratulations, the prince of Lucis is now every high school girl’s fantasy,” Clarus quipped. “It looks good Noct,” Prompto assured, “makes you look even more emo and mysterious.” Regis shook his head. “You look like a rebel. Imagine what the press will say.” “Imagine it Noct,” Gladio wrapped his arm around his friend. “Prince Noctis: Making the Band.” Regis shuddered while the rest of the group laughed. “Noctis….” Clarus waved his hand. “ Well, I came here to bash the prince’s skull in for touching my daughter but since that’s not the case I will take my leave. Regis I suggest you let the boy be for now.” Noctis looked at his dad pleadingly. “Fine. Next time if you plan to do anything to your body please please please consult me first.” The king and his shield turned heel to leave. As they were halfway out the door Prompto prematurely blurted out, “Yeah Noct but I don’t know how you’re going to show him those piercings below the belt.” “Oh fuck me,” came from the other side of the door. Was it Regis? Was it Clarus? No one was sure but soon after Ignis had given Prompto a well deserved slap with his glove. Iris had turned pink up to her ears and Gladio was not going to have any of that. “You are too young to be hanging out with a guy his age. The next time you guys make plans I’m coming with you,” Gladio declared. Iris sheepishly looked down, too embarrassed over her thoughts to refuse. “Ok everyone out,” Noctis ushered his friends out of his apartment but Prompto seemed to lurk behind. When the Amicitias and Ignis left Noctis gave a curious look to his best friend. “So you’re staying over?” Prompto inched a little closer and grinned. “It would be wrong if the first pictures of your new piercings came from a camera that wasn’t mine don’t you think?” The blonde winked at the prince. Noctis gulped, suddenly aware of how close they were. The door to the apartment slammed shut and the other three who were already next to the elevator flinched with the sound. “Hey, Prompto’s not coming?” Iris asked the other two men. Gladio and Ignis looked at one another thinking of the right reply. The older Amicitia was perplexed, he didn’t know why Prompto was staying. The advisor however had a hunch that may have been too risque to say outloud. Instead he offered a safer answer…“Headshots. Whenever his highness changes his look Prompto is quick to update his portfolio of the prince.” “And they usually take the pictures alone?” Iris added. Gladio looked down at his sister. “Hey… what are you thinking?” Iris blushed again. “Uh-huh. Can you just.. Can you not?” Gladio slapped his own face trying to shake the image from his mind.The elevator reached the lobby and the siblings plus Ignis walked out of the building almost tempted to look up into the penthouse window (that they clearly couldn’t see through) to maybe test Iris’ theory of what really was taking place. Iris let out a few giggles while Gladio made a vow to train his sister to the bone to keep her hormones in check.
10889604
Isabelle
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles", "Fandom": "One Direction (Band)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by SomeoneYouDontKnow", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-14T00:00:00", "words": "1,625", "Additional Tags": "Kittens, Cats, zarriall, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, because I cannot physically write something without angst, Fluff, Prompt Fic, Alternate Universe", "Relationship": "Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Harry Styles", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "M/M, Multi", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
When they had agreed to go to the animal shelter to pick out a cat, this wasn’t what Zayn had expected to happen.Firstly, he thought that it would be a pleasant day, picking a new member of their little family, caring for the little cat that they all thought would make their lives just a bit brighter.(Instead it is starting to look grim. Niall wants the cream-coloured kitten, while Harry is leaning towards the larger black cat, and they can’t seem to make up their minds. At the moment, Niall’s decided to pout beside the kitten’s cage until he gets his way, while Harry is currently cuddling the darker cat that he immediately fell in love with, ignoring Niall’s annoyed frown in favor of feeding her more treats. Zayn watches the two of them incredulously, smiling an uncontrollably fond smile at his adorable boyfriends and their stubbornness.)Secondly, Zayn had the idea that they would shop around the animal shelter, making the sort of important life decisions, like what food they would buy for the cat, and what toys they thought would be appropriate.(Instead, Niall refuses to walk a foot away from the kitten he is already so attached to, annoyance turning into blistering irritation as he watches Harry and Zayn walking around the store, picking out a few things for their new pet. Zayn can tell Harry is pleased as can be, almost skipping at Zayn’s side, sticking out his tongue crudely at Niall whenever they catch a glimpse of the blonde. Zayn didn’t think the downfall of this relationship would be a cat, but it’s starting to look that way.)Lastly, they were supposed to go home, set everything up and introduce the kitty to their house, giving them a name and start to bond with them.(Except now Niall’s upset. No, Niall’s pissed. Because Zayn ‘sided’ with Harry and they asked the pet store lady for the black cat, and now Niall won’t talk to them, an uncomfortable silence between them unwavering as they start the short drive home. It wasn’t supposed to be this serious; this playful back and forth that Zayn thought was happening in the animal shelter. The three of them play-fight all of the time, though it’s more Harry and Niall than Zayn, but it never turns into something like this.)-Niall seems to get over his annoyance rather quickly after they get home. The cat, Isabelle, as Niall has already dubbed him, warms up to Niall almost immediately, like he can feel the blonde’s tension as soon as he is released from the cat carrier. He instantly crawls onto Niall’s lap, ignoring the withdrawn way that his owner ignores him, deciding instead to nudge his head under Niall’s crossed arms, purring contently when a tentative hand reaches out to scratch at the top of his head.It’s a bit of a surprise to Zayn; watching Niall sullenly cuddle the new cat. Their blonde partner has never been one to hold grudges, so it isn’t unusual to watch him quickly make friends with Isabelle, but Zayn had never seen him so upset over something as trivial as this, so it’s a bit unnerving.Harry walks over to the two, shaking a ball in front of Isabelle’s face. The cat meows, pawing at the toy as Harry smiles. It makes a weight float from Zayn’s chest; they'll be okay.-Niall’s aunt comes over to visit later the next day. She’s a quirky lady, never really liked Zayn or Harry, but likes to visit their flat often enough for some reason. Usually, Niall plays referee between her loud mouth, Zayn’s quick wit, and Harry’s short temper, but he gets called into work halfway through her visit, kissing his lovers’ cheeks in apology as he slips out the door.Before Harry can snap at the elderly lady for once again insinuating that Niall doesn't love them, Isabelle hops onto the coffee table, catching everyone's attention as she seems to pose; chin tilted and eyes narrow.Niall's aunt is completely enraptured in the small animal. “Oh! Niall had a kitten just like that when he was a child, before it passed away. Poor Niall was heartbroken about the whole thing,” she says this cheerfully; happily reaching out to pet the cat while Zayn and Harry share a look of realization.“I never would buy myself a cat that reminded me of another deceased cat, personally,” she continues in her old croaky tone, ignorant to the slow looks of horror that are creeping up Harry and Zayn’s faces. “I mean, really. Who would want that constant reminder of something like that? I mean, good for young Niall to get over it so quickly, to each their own.”-They don’t have time to talk to Niall that night; their blonde partner is exhausted from his shift, passing out before he has time to eat dinner. Harry and Zayn are up early the next day to go to work, but they both agree to talk to Niall after their shift.They find him easily, settled in his now-regular spot on the couch, Isabelle purring in his lap.“Hey Ni?” Harry says, voice rising a bit in the end like he’s asking a question. Niall looks up curiously from where his eyes were trained on the tv.“How was work?”“Good,” Harry starts, but Zayn cuts him off.“Work was good, Niall, but I think we need to talk. All of us.” Zayn sees Niall’s face harden until it’s passive, unfeeling, hating that he had to be the one that had to bring that expression to Niall’s face.“Me being pissed off at the cat thing? I was just being an arse,” Niall says, in his I-don’t-want-to-talk-about-this voice, “it doesn’t matter anymore, anyway.” Isabelle butts his head against Niall’s folded fingers, settling into Niall’s sweater as the blonde pulls him into his chest. Zayn watches as Harry fights to hide his grimace.“We were talking to your aunt today,” Zayn spills, walking around the couch until he’s standing in front of Niall. When Niall shrugs and refuses to meet his eyes, Zayn sinks down to have a seat on the coffee table.“She told us that you used to have a cat when you were younger?” Harry continues, sliding in next to Niall on the couch.Niall takes a great big sigh, “yeah, long time ago.”“And Isabelle looks like your old cat?”“Yeah, but it doesn't matter Hazza. It was just an overreaction anyway,” Niall groans out, his embarrassment sounding a little too forceful for Zayn’s liking. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore; I was just being stupid.”“Your feelings aren’t stupid, Ni,” Harry says, reaching a hand out to run down Niall’s back. Their boyfriend practically melts into the touch, leaning his weight into Harry’s side. Isabelle perks up at the movement, shifting around until he’s half-laying on Niall’s lap, head and front paws digging a pillow into Harry’s thigh. “You’re allowed to be sad, especially about something like this.”Niall nods silently, reaching out a hand to pull Zayn to his other side. He goes easily, curling into Niall, Zayn’s lips pressed comfortingly against his boyfriend’s shoulder.“I didn’t mean to make it a big deal,” Niall starts again, after a moment, ignoring Zayn’s hushing noises and continuing, “no, like, really. It’s just hard, I think, because she helped me through my mom moving away, not like she really helped me, because she was a cat, but when my parents divorced she was the only real constant in my life, and she was hard to lose, y’know?” Niall’s voice trembles through the last sentence.“You don’t have to explain yourself to us,” Harry says, soft into Niall’s ear. They’re both watching him, noticing his shaky breath and creased forehead. He seems to be having an internal battle, biting his lip hard so the disagreeing words don’t form on his tongue. Zayn feels more than sees Harry slide a big hand into Niall’s hair, the blonde shivering and arching into the touch.“Okay,” Niall murmurs at last, relaxing into Zayn’s arms, “I love you.”“Love you too, both of you,” Harry says, and Zayn hums in agreement, smiling against Niall’s neck as he watches his partners share a chaste kiss, a feeling of contentment washing over him.-Harry walks into their kitchen the next day, cardboard box in his arms. Niall and Zayn are both puttering around their flat, prepping for the meal that Harry had promised to cook them that morning. Neither of them gives their boyfriend a second glance, but he quickly gathers their attention when he reaches into the box, pulling a small, cream-coloured cat into his arms.Niall gapes for a minute, while Zayn looks at Harry in bewilderment.“You...got the other kitten?” Niall asks softly, hesitantly walking to Harry, as if not to startle the small creature in his arms. Harry smiles and his lover, gesturing for Niall to take the cat into his arms.“I had actually gone back to the shelter the day after we got Isabelle, wanted to surprise you two with this little one,” Harry says, looking sheepish. “I hope you don’t mind. I figured that it’d be good for them to have a bit of company when we’re not here.”“Brilliant,” Zayn says fondly, moving until he’s standing next to Niall, scratching the new kitten’s head with a cautious hand.Niall smiles, large and gleaming. “Yeah, Haz. She’s beautiful.”It’s just at that moment that Isabelle makes his way into the kitchen, quickly finding the trio of people and sitting at their feet. Harry makes a comment about them being a big happy family, and no one disagrees.
10832325
Bedridden
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/F", "Characters": "Floor Jansen, Simone Simons", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by platinumnib", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-06T00:00:00", "words": "1,143", "Additional Tags": "Smoor, MD/LG, Ageplay, Sickfic, mommy", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Floor Jansen/Simone Simons, Simone Simons/Floor Jansen", "Series": "Babygirl", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Epica, Nightwish", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Nothing could make Floor more distraught than the pathetic sight of her usually lively girl bedridden, looking wan and feeble as she’d never seen her. The poor girl had made a terrible entry into winter, catching the flu in the first few days and quickly worsening until she couldn’t step foot outside of the house. Naturally, neither did Floor, as soon as she’d made a trip to the grocery store to stock up on much-needed tissues and fill the fridge with fresh fruit, chicken soup and anything she knew to pull up Simone’s morale even just a tad. She set up a comfortable armchair by their king-size, to which Simone was confined most of the day, bathroom aside, lest she stray too far from her gigantic stack of tissues and the packets of some expectorant, ibuprofen for the headaches and once-a-day oseltamivir. That saturday was no different: coughs and sneezes and mommy Floor always loyal to her post. Sitting up as much as she could, Simone uttered a few barely audible words. “Please, mommy, would you pass me some water? My throat is dry.” “Of course, sweetheart. It’s about time for your medication anyway.” First she popped a white and yellow capsule out of the packet and handed it to her to swallow. Pouring out half a glass, she carefully put it between Simone’s trembling hands to make sure she didn’t drop it, then watched her drink it one minute sip at a time to help the medicine down. Floor prided herself on Smoony being such an unfussy and well-behaved little, even in those moments when anyone else would have just been crotchety and a pain in the ass to take care of. “Thank you, mommy.” She handed the glass back and Floor set it on the bedside table, next to the drugs, before extending a hand to stroke Simone’s cheek, a chalky shade of white instead of its usual healthy pink glow. “You’ll be alright, babygirl. I’ll make sure of it.” “I know you will. I know I’ve got the best mommy in the world.” “And I have the loveliest little girl,” she smiled. Over the next hour or close enough, Floor didn’t budge, not even a minute; she kept to her chair, still caressing the tired face peaking out from under the blanket, lulling her girl to sleep in hopes of relieving her of her pitiable state. She was well on her way to dreamland when Floor noticed a sudden shudder run through Simone’s shoulders. “What is it, sweetheart?” she asked in her softest voice. “Are you cold?” “I’m fine, mommy,” came the answer from beneath the blankets. Floor wasn’t fooled. She was shivering like never before in spite of the sweat pouring out of every one of her pores. “I understand that you’d rather I not worry, but I’ve taught you before about always being truthful, most of all with mommy,” she admonished. Simone nodded, slightly ashamed. “I just didn’t want you to worry,” she said by way of apology. “Well, it’s very thoughtful of you, little one, but taking care of you is not a chore. And you need even more taking care of now that you’re ill, yes?” She bobbed her head once more in acquiescence. “Good girl. Are you cold?” she asked again, holding Simone’s hand firmly between her own. “A little.” “I’ll get you what you need right away. Will you be alright if I leave you alone for ten minutes?” “I’ll be fine. Thanks, mommy.” She stood up and stepped out of the room then made her way to the kitchen. Simone closed her eyes, which she found to be the best self-reassurance when her mommy wasn’t on hand. Her eyelids were the only barriers to shut off the instinctively disquieting sight of Floor’s empty chair. “Here we are, Pompoen!” Her cheery voice was heard a moment before she appeared, and with it, a pungent smell of sweet cocoa wafted through the air to soothe Simone’s runny nostrils. She opened her eyes again, relieved to find the ten minutes had passed rather quickly and Floor was back. In her hands, a tray with a pot of hot chocolate and two of the many pink mugs they owned, and on her shoulder, an additional quilt. “Do you think you can sit up for me?” She nodded and slowly slid herself up until her back was against the headboard. It visibly took quite some effort, as her breathing was ragged and her moves quite clumsy, but the worst was that, now, there was only a pink pyjama top between her chest and the cold she complained about. Floor hurried to set the tray on the bedside table and spread the blanket over her little’s shivering body then tucked every corner of the quilted fabric. Then, producing a thick scarf of grey wool, she wrapped it around Simone’s neck and made sure it fit tight and snug until the cold couldn’t possibly breach the fuzzy fortress. “Now, are you still cold?” Simone gave a little smile, feeling quite nice and cozy all of a sudden, encased as she was in her new, warm cocoon. “Thank you, mommy,” she cooed in her babyish voice, the one only Floor was allowed the delight of listening to. It earned her a resounding kiss on the forehead. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. Now for some chocolaty comfort…” Glassy as they were, Simone’s eyes seemed to light up at the mention of her favorite drink. She kept them aimed at the mug Floor was slowly filling with the dark brown treat. “Here you go, sweetheart.” She handed her the mug and the sick girl took it - much more eagerly, it seemed, than her medication. First, she took a deep whiff over the drink, letting the scented steam mend her body and her mind. Already, she could feel herself getting better. Bringing the mug to her mouth, Simone took a gulp and her lips stretched into a lovely smile. “This is delicious,” she whispered with a sniffle. “Then have more,” Floor whispered back and leant down to brush aside some strands of brown hair sweat had plastered on Simone’s face. “It’ll do you good.” The docile sufferer took more of her potation. Floor then settled back into the chair, delighted that her girl could still be happy about something. Again, silence overtook the place. “Mommy,” “Yes?” “Were did you get this scarf?” she asked, poking at the muffler. “It feels marvelous.” “I knitted it.” She furrowed her brows and took another sip of cocoa. “But mommy doesn’t knit.” “She does when it’s for Pompoen. I made it a few months ago, thought it might come in handy someday.” A sniffle and a nod. “Thank you, mommy.” Floor let out a contented sigh. “Just keeping you warm and happy, sweetheart… that’s what I live for.”
10832859
A Candle In The Darkness
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Azriel (ACoTaR), Nesta Archeron", "Fandom": "A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by highfaelucien", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-06T00:00:00", "words": "3,482", "Additional Tags": "friendship fic, Brotp, trauma talk, Sexual Assault Mention, abuse mention, child abuse mention, ACOWAR, (not many spoilers though), but it is set during actual ACOWAR so you know, do with that what you will", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Azriel & Nesta Archeron, Nesta Archeron & Azriel, Nesta Archeron/Azriel", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Azriel had come to help her while she was working in the library. She hadn’t heard him approach, hadn’t sensed him at all, not even with the new senses that were honed so sharply she could hear heartbeats and feathers drifting to the ground, but she could not hear him as he approached her.He apologises quietly for startling her, bowing a little towards her. She furrows her brow at him. She understands everyone in this court, Cassian...Well, she had been figuring him out for some time. Mor wore her heart on her sleeve, open and warm and free. Even Amren she understood better than this silent, shadow-wreathed bat. Amren was like her. But Azriel...The Illyrian has hardly said three words to her since she arrived here. Not out of rudeness, he’s been perfectly polite to her, helpful, welcoming..He’s just quiet. Doesn’t like to waste words on idle conversation or say things simply for the sake of talking. She suspects that Mor talks enough for both of them. Nesta decides in that moment that she likes him.As though sensing this decision on her part one corner of Az’s mouth twitches up for a moment, then he blinks at it’s gone, his typical smooth, impassive mask replacing it. “May I sit down?” He asks quietly, Nesta nods, watching him, half wary, half curious.“Why are you here?” she demands, watching him study the careful piles of notes that she has carefully arranged on the table before her.If he tries to move any of them she might suddenly find it much, much easier to access and unleash whatever power the Cauldron gave her. Cassian had sauntered in here the other day and casually picked up and dumped a pile of notes a foot away from where they’d been to make room for the huge booted feet he’d promptly placed on the desk in front of him as he lounged in his chair. She’d nearly throttled him. Azriel, however, touches nothing, he only raises his hazel eyes to her once more and says quietly, “I thought I would offer to help you sort through these,” he gestures at the books and scrolls on the table, “I have a few hours before I have to train with your sister, I felt I should make myself of use.”There’s no suggestion of any other motive behind those eyes, those words. His tone is precisely controlled, voice light and polite. If it had been anyone else she might have thought they were trying to force their company on her, check upon her at her busybody sister’s request. But him...Nesta shrugs, “If you like,” she says, not quite sure why she’s accepting his help, she doesn’t need it, she’s perfectly capable of sorting through this on her own and yet...Yet the nightmares had been bad last night and she knows Az won’t press her, won't try and talk to her, won’t do anything but sit and help. And perhaps...perhaps she needs that right now.Opening her mouth she starts explaining her system of organisation to him but Azriel very carefully and deliberately reaches out and selects a book from the pile that’s been set aside for her to work on next. Then he pulls a piece of parchment from the stack she has prepared, along with a pen, and begins to work. Nesta smiles. He had taken the time to study her desk and understand what she was doing, then adapted to it.Oddly, this fact instantly relaxes her around him. Mostly she’s constantly on edge whenever anyone tries to help her with something she’s doing herself. She has a way of doing things and she dislikes anyone even threatening to interrupt it. But Azriel...He took the time to understand what she was doing and accept it and it calms her, makes her trust him. A part of her whispers that this aspect of him, this ability to know just how to put people at ease around him, is what makes the shadowsinger one of the most dangerous people she’s ever met.Still, she can’t help herself as she settles into her chair and resumes her work, quickly becoming absorbed in it again. They work in quiet, companionable silence for almost half an hour, no sound at all between the turning of pages, the scratching of their pens and the soft rustle of robes as some of the priestesses move quietly through the shelves around them.As time passes however, she starts to find her eyes being drawn by the shadowsinger’s hands. Deft, precise, and incredibly careful, he never so much as nudges one of her papers an inch out of place but...She can’t help watching him, can’t help staring at those scars that mar his hands. She suspects they extend further, beneath the sleeves that he always seems to wear, a little longer than necessary, as though he wishes to hide the worst of them.A stray shadow curls around Azriel’s ear and his eyes lift from the page he was scanning, making neat columns of notes in a careful hand, and catches her eyes, sees what she’s looking at. Nesta rarely blushes anymore but she does then, “Sorry,” she mumbles, hastily returning her eyes to her book.Az however merely shakes his head, “It’s alright,” he says softly.She snorts, “It’s not,” she says bluntly, not looking at him, “You must hate it, the stares, the questions, the-” Pity. The same pity she had been terrified of after Tomas, the reason she’d hidden her bruises from all of them, even Elain.Azriel nods slowly at that, not contradicting her, and she feels her respect rise for him at that as well. Too many people insist on stumbling around what they want to say, on denying, and maintaining an odd veneer of politeness that looks more and more like lies the more she’d studied it. Az doesn’t bother with that.His eyes meet hers for a moment and then glance away slightly, at the ears she has concealed behind her hair, the styling of it deliberately done to cover the pointed tips. She just nods jerkily and he dips his chin in affirmation, understanding.She swallows, should return to her notes, but the question blurts out of her before she can stop it, “How did it happen?” She finds herself demanding. Az looks up again, slow, “Your hands, I mean,” she says, jerking her chin towards them.She holds his gaze with unflinching focus as he studies her, weighs the question. She had struggled for years in her youth, while her mother had been alive, frustrated at her lack of what she had termed ‘proper etiquette’. Nesta had never understood why the blunt questions she asked were considered so offensive, had never understood why someone had to bury an honest question or simple answer beneath an avalanche of frills and false politeness to make it acceptable in high society circles.Elain had excelled at it, had seemed born knowing just what the right thing to say was and just what the wrong thing was. Nesta had given up. After years of insecurity and second-guessing herself she had simply decided to be who she was, ask the questions the way she felt was appropriate, even if others recoiled from her for reasons she still couldn’t understand.Even so, she finds herself having to bite her lip to stop herself telling Az he doesn’t have to answer her if he doesn’t wish to. He knows that, there’s nothing stopping him keeping silent if he chooses to, no point wasting words on empty assurances.At last, flexing the hands in question, having stared at them as though he isn’t quite sure they’re real, seeing something she can’t, Azriel asks quietly, too quietly, “How much have you heard about my childhood?”For once she considers her words before spitting them out. From what she’s heard he didn’t have much of a childhood at all. None of the Illyrians did, particularly, but him...Finally she says, carefully, “I have heard it was...Unpleasant, but..No-one has given me details.”She winces inwardly at the clunky phrasing, at the soft, humourless smile that had touched his lips at the word ‘unpleasant’ a feeble, empty word compared with what he had endured. She doesn’t let her discomfort show however, simply sits there, watching him, as he decides how to answer.At last, “I was eight.” Her stomach lurches and she swallows, wondering suddenly if she truly wants to hear the story that’s about to follow. “I grew up a bastard in my father’s keep. He was a lesser Illyrian lord, tradition dictated that he care for his own, that he keep me alive, as I was his son.”A muscle in his jaw feathered, his eyes darkening, but he continued a moment later, “His wife took a rather literal view of this law. As long as I was still breathing, she reasoned, then he had fulfilled what the laws dictated regarding bastards. I was locked in a cell, chained to a wall, my wings pinned, left in darkness for eleven years before the shadows came and I was at last unleashed.”Every word was soft, empty, utterly devoid of emotion, as though he was speaking about a stranger, about a story that was not real and had never happened to anyone, let alone himself. But that final word, the chilling promise that it still carried all these years later...Nesta found herself understanding that, too. Understanding that when she had risen from the darkness the Cauldron had forced her into...There was a chilling promise to be unleashed in her as well, in what it had given to her in that darkness, in what she herself had taken from it, as he had.“His wife had brothers, older than me, trueborn, they...” He swallowed, and for the first time seemed to struggle with himself, with the memories, old as they were, the scars upon his soul that remained as brutally etched there as the ones upon his hands. How old he was and yet they had never faded, never fully healed, the damage had been so bad. “They enjoyed...Tormenting me, for their own entertainment.” A cold spike of horror goes down her spine at that.“Fire and oil...Should not be mixed with Illyrian healing blood.” He says at last and she feels her entire body stiffen, disgust and anger roiling together in the pit of her stomach.That anyone could do that to a helpless child...She lifts one of her hands, lays it gently on his, no more than a brush of her fingers but...She would never normally do that, never typically seek to reach out and touch another to offer comfort but...In this case it seems to have been the right thing to do. “I am sorry for what you went through,” she says quietly, meaning every word, and he nods his head in polite acceptance. Then he looks at her and says, carefully, “I am sorry for all you have been through as well.”His eyes again flick to the pointed ears she keeps hidden at all times, avoiding looking at them in mirrors whenever she can. She hasn’t bathed since..That day. Can’t stand even the thought of it. And the nightmares when she closes her eyes...There’s a reason she forces herself to remain awake working but rises early the next day.A part of her though, the part that squirms with what was done to her, the violation of her body before that body was torn from her...Wonders if he sees that too. Cassian would never have told him, she’s sure of that but...The way he looks at her. She wonders if he knows, wonders if he understands how she felt coming out of that Cauldron. A new body. Strange. Different. Foreign. But a body that he had never touched. That he never would touch. A body that could, some day, be entirely hers again. She wonders if he would have felt the same, coming out of the Cauldron, with hands unmarred by his brother’s cruelty.There’s an odd sense of compassion to the shadowsinger, one she isn’t sure others pick up on. She’s heard them whisper about how cold he is, how distant, how empty. Unfeeling. Emotionless. Dead inside. She had heard those things whispered behind her back too. They had bothered her once. She was not devoid of emotion, rather she felt everything too much but...But she had never known how to show it, how to put it into words, how to make others understand. She wonders if Azriel has experienced that too, wonders if, perhaps, he feels as much as she does, just in a way that no-one but she can see or know, because they haven’t experienced that.That sense, the sense he understands whatever she will say next, that he will accept it, the sense that there is no way of her saying anything wrong to him, has her saying quietly, “How did you endure that...Afterwards? How did you...” She trails off, unable to put what she needs from him into words but the way he watches her tells her he knows what she’s asking of him. He shifts slightly in the chair, the wings at his back rustling as he readjusts them, folding them in tighter. “When I left my father’s keep for the first time...It felt like what I imagine all of this feels like for you,” he gestures around at the library. “I emerged from the darkness into a new world, a world I had never experienced before, with a body that was not entirely my own.” His wings shift again, as though emphasising that point. “I had strange abilities I did not yet fully understand, that others did not understand either. I had a body that could do things I was not accustomed to. I was thrown into a place I had no knowledge of. I did not understand their rules, what was expected of me, what would be done to me if I failed there.” He stops himself, as though afraid he’s said too much, eyeing her with a piercing stare that she can’t quite read. Then he continues, more smoothly, “I trained,” he says simply, “I trained my body, I trained my abilities, I learned how to be...Me.” A small frown creases his brows at that, “I do not think I ever learned how to be an Illyrian. I tried. I tried very hard. I learned their customs, their mythology, their lore. I learned their rules, I learned how to pretend to be one of them so well that they accepted me as one.” Nesta swallows, looking away. Perhaps that was why this had all been easier for her than it had been for Elain. Elain had fit in that world, she had had a place, she had known what to do, had known the rules without having to try and learn them, work to remind herself to obey them every day so that she would fit in...Perhaps she was so good at pretending she fit into the fae world, as she’d spent her entire life practising, trying to fit into a world that never quite seemed made for her. “I never truly saw myself as one,” he says softly, “And after a long time...I stopped trying.” She looks up at him then, meets his eyes, feels the flicker of understanding that passes between them. “I simply learned how to be myself. What that is...I cannot explain to other people.” He shakes his head, “I do not need to. They may name me Illyrian if they wish. Shadowsinger, bastard, spymaster, monster.” He shrugs, “They see what they wish to see. I see...I see what I became. What I made of myself. You can try to be high fae. You can try to embrace whatever it is that the Cauldron gave you, Nesta...None of that will matter if you cannot accept yourself.” “I am not curled in my bedchamber refusing to see anyone,” she snaps tartly at him. Elain...She wishes she could help her, wishes she knew how. She’s always been more comfortable around her than others, has spent so much time around her that she understands her, how to help her, what to do with her, but now...The wraith in that room is not her sister, not the sweet, soft, strong girl she knew so well. She doesn’t know how to help her and it kills her, a little more each day. Azriel does not answer, simply gives her a knowing look. She isn’t sure whether that makes her want to rage at him or simply respect him for his understanding. Nesta has never quite accepted herself...Not deep down. She has always wished to be something else. Before their mother died she had wished to be her, elegant and so confident, so capable with people, reading them, playing them, being with them. In that cottage she had wished to be Feyre, to be able to do what she did, to be practical, useful instead of the helpless, spiteful burden she had instead felt like. When they had escaped she had wished to be someone of power, of consequences. She had wished to be away from that small town, those small-minded people with no ambition. She had wanted to be something, be someone, someone important, someone who might be able to change their fractured, broken world, who would be taken seriously. Now...Now she was someone. She had power, she had a story that might change things, she...She could be what she had always wished to be. If she accepted what she was, what she had, not what she wanted. Feyre had asked her to speak at the High Lord’s meeting. To train. To use her powers. To be something. To do something. Perhaps...Perhaps she would. She and Azriel worked in companionable silence for a few more minutes before he began arranging piles and notes in a way that told her he was readying himself to leave and meet Feyre for their flying lessons. The words she’s kept contained for weeks burst out of her before she can stop them. “I can’t sleep.” It’s a harsh rasp, as though her throat constricts around the weakness, the vulnerability, and threatens to strangle her rather than let her reveal it to him. But once she’s said that the rest follows, tumbling out of her beyond her control. “I cannot bathe, I cannot stand the feeling of being submerged, it feels like I’m drowning. I cannot stand the darkness. I cannot stand-” The feeling of his hands on her, still. But that...That she’s not ready to tell him, to tell anyone...Even herself. Azriel stands but his face is unusually soft, his voice gentle when he says, “It will get better with time.” She opens her mouth to snap out a retort but he placidly continues, “Talk. To your sister. To Morrigan. To Cassian. It will help.” He looks down at her, thoughtful, “Do you know where you are?” He asks softly, “Do you know what this place is?” She nods tightly, “Mor brought me here,” she says quietly, “She..Explained.” Why this library had been founded, who ran it, who decided who could enter it. “Talk to them too,” Azriel murmurs softly, “It will help. In the meantime...Wash with rags and buckets if you have to. Sleep in the same bed as Elain again, if it helps. Walk when you cannot sleep, seek someone out who can help. You survived what was done to you initially, in that Cauldron, elsewhere.” Her eyes snap to his but he makes no further comment. “You can survive what comes now. You will survive what comes now.” She swallows, nods her head in acceptance of his words as he rises, graceful and sure, and turns to leave. He hesitates before he does however, glancing back, debating something with himself. Finally he says softly, “Sometimes...I still leave a candle burning when I sleep, so I am not left alone in the darkness.” She starts in surprise and wonders, from the look in his eyes, whether he has ever confided that fact, that flicker of vulnerability, to another soul in all these years. “There is no shame, Nesta, in doing what you must to survive what you have endured. And none will think less of you for asking for help, for...For needing a candle to stop you fearing the darkness.” With that he leaves, not saying another word to her, and Nesta sits surrounded by her books and notes, thinking that perhaps...Perhaps she might like to sleep. Just for a little while.
10819509
Circus Sinister
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": null, "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by Imaginos_Buzzardo_Desdinova", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-04T00:00:00", "words": "223", "Additional Tags": "Song Lyrics", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Creepypastas - Fandom, Dead Woods Circus", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Circus SinisterVERSE 1:Can you hear the music?It’s all around you?Can you hear the musicAs it surrounds you?The calliope’s playing as loud as it canWith the help of the drums of the old marching bandIt’s the music that haunts you in all of your dreamsIt’s the music that’s drowning out all of your screamsBRIDGE:Lovely childLovely childCome to the show.Come to the show.Lovely child.Lovely child.Come to the show.Come to the show.(come to the circus. come to the show.come to the circus. come to the show)CHORUS:Sweet little girlWith your sweet little curlsWon’t you come to the show?Sweet little girlWith your sweet little curlsWon’t you come to the showVERSE 2:There's a boy of nightmaresWith hair of midnight blueWatch out or his madnessWill ensnare youAnd that pretty little singer With her voice like a bellHas a pair of legsLike a demon from hellBRIDGE:Lovely childLovely childCome to the showCome to the showLovely childLonely childCome to the show(come to the circus. come to the showcome to the circus. come to the show)VERSE 3:(repeat first verse) Lonely childLonely childCome to the show.
10868523
Your Enemies Will Die By
{ "Archive Warning": "Graphic Depictions Of Violence", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Allura (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Pidge (Voltron), Coran (Voltron)", "Fandom": "Voltron: Legendary Defender", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by KnifeBinaryPrince", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-10T00:00:00", "words": "3,398", "Additional Tags": "Blood and Gore, Blood, Angst, Violence, Fluff, Altean Lance (Voltron), Galra Keith (Voltron)", "Relationship": "Keith/Lance (Voltron)", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "VLDfanfiction", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
The darkness was suffocating, even with the dim blue accent lights that ran along the bottom of the walls through the hallways. Footsteps of two Galra soldiers sounded out within the empty hallways, loud and unnerving.Both were nervous, hands shaking and breaths coming out uneven. The cool air of the castle causing chills to run down their spines.Their eyes glowed a dim yellow, barely blinking even when cold sweat ran down their faces.Steps sounded in the dark down one end of the long hallway they were walking in and both jumped, blasters firing. They stopped moments later when their comes came to life, the voice of their commander filling their ears."What the quiznak is going on?! Unit 2 what's your status?" Their commander all but growled out, causing the two to wince."There's someone else here.""Idiots, of course there is! We're looking for the paladins of Voltron! Find them and bring them in!" He yelled.Both of them, more scared of what the commander could do than any footsteps in the dark, readied their blasters and pressed forwards to where the footsteps were last heard, the darkness swallowing them.***"Why are we sitting here doing nothing when Lance and Allura are out there with those soldiers running about?" Pidge whispered, even if there was no need, they were in the most secure part of the castle hidden from enemy eyes. But for how long no one could say with certainty.Shiro stood off to the side, arms crossed as he stood next to Coran, who answered Pidge's question a moment later."I assure you Pidge that Lance and Allura are perfectly capable of handling this situation on their own." Coran said, too cheerily for anyone to be reassured by."How can you be so sure?" Hunk spoke up from where he was fiddling with some gadget Pidge had given him earlier on. A distraction from the tense situation they had somehow found themselves in.Keith stood off to the side on the floor, back leaning against the wall. The young Galra's ears twitched at the conversation, worry eating at the pit of his stomach, yellow eyes glowing dimly in the dark, the small amount of light playing off the shine of the fur that ran thin around his eyes."We Alteans have a little evolutionary trick up our sleeve as you humans call it! Very effective indeed!" He said proudly. Looking a bit too happy given the fact that the castle was currently overrun and taken over by a Galran commander and the soldiers that were placed under his command. They had holed themselves up in one of the lower and more secure rooms in the bowels of the ship, Lance and Allura staying behind for whatever reason. And no matter how much the others pleaded they stood fast in their decision to deal with this on their own. To prevent the paladins from trying anything stupid they had locked the room from the outside to ensure their safety."And what exactly is that?" Shiro asked, tone betraying the questioning curiosity that was left off his face."Well you see..."***The soldiers walked down the hall where they had first heard the steps, a bit more terrified than they had been before. But then again hearing whispers in the dark would terrify anyone. Especially on a ship as old as this one.They seemed to echo off the walls, incoherent and sounding every bit of sinister.Footsteps sounded behind them and they turned to shine their light down the hall, by the time they processed there was no one there footsteps- fast and hurried - sounded behind them where they had been previously."Who's there? Show yourself!" One of them yelled, lights pointing down the hall until it focused one a figure standing just out of range of the light."Surrender yourself to the Galran Empire or be taken prisoner!" One of them yelled, the other standing at the ready.Long silver hair glittered prettily from the light, color rendered blue from the accent lights below.Princess Allura raised her hands in surrender, fingers curled into lax fists."Turn around! Now!""I'd rather not.""This is your last warning!"Allura sighed but complied nonetheless, mouth pressed in a thin line and eyes closed against the bright light. Even with the bright wash of the light a pink hue could be seen salmon around her mouth and some blue both on and around her eyes, her cheek marks glowing faintly."Why are her eyes like that?" One whispered to the other, jumping when she answered."Because my brother's messy with his kills and I'd rather not see that.""Wha-"Gunfire sounded and the lights that had been on the blasters where moving erratically. Two screams were cut short in quick succession, the sound of two bodies hitting the floor prompting silence until Allura opened her eyes, which glowed a bright blue."You need to learn some manners and finesse with your kills Lance, you can't be sloppy like this all the time." As she spoke a bright pink glow escaped from her mouth. Teeth with sharp fangs glowed pink and looked as if they were made of glass played across her mouth in rich shines and hues.Her hands now by her sides, we're now washed with a pink glow, her nails once dull now sharpened claws. So sharp they threatened to rip through her royal garb.Lance wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before answering, his skin coming back darker than before. "They're taken care of aren't they?" Teeth glowing a glassy blue just like his sibling, eyes and cheek marks glowing a soft blue as well."Do you know how hard it is to clean out blood from the castle's floors?""Oh please, you throw some Dreutic acid on it and you're fine." He said nonchalantly, waving it off as he followed his sister down to the main control room where the commander and his soldiers had claimed."That's not the point, you need to learn how to kill most effectively without leaving a trail." She admonished, shaking her head at him."Whatever you say Princess, let's just hurry up and get this over with, Hunk said he'd try and make cookies today so we need the main auxiliary power on to be able to do that ""Is that...an earth food?" Allura questioned, looking puzzled."Yeah! He says it's really good, they're pretty much like Furivan pastries but with little candy things like from Orjerco market stalls. You know the little candies they sell during the festival.""Oh...sounds interesting." Allura said slowly, a look of distaste and confusion on her face. How could something like that even taste remotely edible?***Everyone startled at the sound of gunfire, Pidge waking up with a start from where she had fallen asleep at Hunk's side."What was that?" Hunk asked, sitting up a little straighter as everyone looked around, like they could pinpoint the exact location of the far off and muffled sounds."Hmm, seems like Lance and Allura are taking care of our current problem, and quite well given how quick the noise died down." Coran answered, his eyes peering into the dark above I'm like everyone else."Dude this is like the movie Aliens." Pidge exclaimed."Why did you have to remind me of that? I was perfectly fine before you mentioned that movie." Hunk said, both of his hands on the side of his face as he rocked freely, causing Pidge to lose balance and fall behind him."What's Aliens?" Keith asked, curious and a bit puzzled as to why humans would just name something after a group of random aliens.Pidge's eyes "Oh you're in for a ride, okay well first..."***They made it to the control room with little to no discrepancies, any Galra that got in the way quickly disposed of. Allura reminding Lance of the importance of a clean kill while Lance more or less brushed it off. Soldiers of the Galran Empire didn't deserve a quick death in his opinion, but he understood her meaning behind it even if he didn't want to follow through with her advice.A few well aimed punches took care of the only door standing in the way of taking their castle and childhood home back, and it bent under their combined strength like nothing.Anticipating the gunfire was easy enough, taking them out would be a piece of cake. A kick of what was left of the door into the crowd of soldiers was enough to send them scattering every which way, a group of them hit head on.Using that as a distraction made it almost too easy to take them all out, leaving just the commander in the middle of the slew of slain soldiers kept under his command.He wouldn't let these Alteans know how terrified he really was, although he expected they already knew, if their grins were anything to go by."Thank you for the toys commander, it was quite nice to stretch out the fangs and claws for a bit, even if it was to easy to dispatch of your men. Honestly if these are the best that Zarkon has to offer I'm already disappointed." Allura mused, both her and Lance walking closer, flanking him on both sides. Their eyes glowed with the added adrenaline of the other kills, claws itching at their sides."Wha...What are you?"They froze, eyes glowing and peering into his very soul, or so it felt."Funny, I would've thought that Zarkon would have clarified as to why you and others under his command were ordered to eliminate Alteans on the spot. And why it was seen as first priority. I guess we're nothing more than myths now hm?" Allura said, voice monotone and blank, her head tilting to the side. Something of which unnerved the commander greatly.Even then he readied his stance into a fighting position, he want going to let some glow in the dark Alteans get in the way of his prize of lions and Zarkon's praise.The siblings grin grew wider and without a moment to spare they charged.***Keith was getting impatient, ears twitching and tail harshly going back and forth across the ground. Causing a sound of swishing to sound through the room."Dude, I know you're worried about your boyfriend and all but could you cut it out? That sound's getting on my nerves." Pidge said, looking lazily from where she was perched laid across Hunk's shoulders like a scarf.Keith simply bared his teeth at the human girl who remained unphased by his actions and stilled his tail, clenching his hands and opening them, repeating the action to relieve any tension in his muscles. The gnawing of worry in his gut grew even with the reassurance that both the Princess and Lance would be fine on their own like they were.A judge of someone's foot against his hip caught his attention from where he was seated on the floor. He looked up to see Shiro, the man's eyes warm and thoughtful."They're going to be okay Keith, have a little faith okay?" Shiro said, watching Keith to gauge his reaction."We're talking about the same Lance that nearly drop kicked Pidge's computer out of reflex when it beeped angrily at him right?" Keith said sourly, just a tinge of worry edged in his voice still."Okay as far as computers go we have to be concerned, but Coran practically raised those two, if he says they can handle themselves then we have to trust his judgment." Shiro finished, watching Keith as the Galra bit his lip, mulling over what the older had just said.Shiro left him to his own thoughts, joining Coran to talk about what to do next or if he had any plan for if Lance and Allura didn't come back to get them. Coran reassured him that there was nothing to worry about, Lance and Allura would come back safe and sound in no time at all.Keith really hoped so.***Lance was breathing heavily, the cut at his side flaring up in sharp pains with each breath. He was hunched over Allura's frame, blood escaping from her temple and breaths shallow.Apparently they had underestimated him, though not by much. The commander was covered in bleeding lacerations and bruises, blood staining his armor a deeper purple than usual."You are nothing, weak and pathetic, I'm ashamed to say I was almost afraid of you both at the beginning. But now I see you weren't worth the energy it's going to take to kill you both."Lance glared at him, blood running down his temple and into his left eye. He had to squint to see at this point, his teeth bared and jaw clenched in anger."And after I'm done I'll kill your friends and that traitorous half breed . How dare he betray the empire after all Zarkon did for him!" He growled, grabbing his blade and limping towards them."And he dares consort with the enemy too! Does he know no shame?" He spat, blood dripping down his lips, eyes glowing and figure looming. Lance clenched his teeth, fangs gleaming in the dark as he listened, blue claws digging into the metal floor beneath him like it was nothing more than dirt."I'll take care of you first, maybe I'll take your head for a trophy- He limped closer - "And show that half breed traitor scum what's become of his pet."A flash of blue, a choked gurgle, and a loud thud signaled this commander's death. Lance stood over his body, ripping the bloody shard of metal from its flesh and blood home before plunging it back into the bloody flesh, repeating it over and over and over again.When his boiling anger had finally tapered off to wisps of steam he stopped, muscles in his arms burning with the movements. His lungs burned as he sucked in gasps of air, drops of something wet hitting his clasped hands.When did he start crying?***Allura woke up slowly, wincing as she sat up. A hand she placed at her temple came back darkened with blood and she looked around, eyes landing on her brother not far from her, hunched over and back shaking.With slow movements she crawled over to him, hands leaving back dark prints that faded the farther she went. "Lance...are you okay?" Allura asked, placing her cleaner hand on the middle of his back.In a whirl of movement she had an armful of a shaking Lance, his hands gripped into the folds of her dress.Allura didn't say a thing, letting her younger brother cry into her embrace. She wrapped her arms around him, glowing eyes dimming a bit as the adrenaline from the fight previous left her veins. Her eyes landed on the mangled and broken body of what was once the commander. Cuts so deep into flesh the bones had all but shattered. Her eyes crossed over to the floor, seeing the dug out hole that lurched up from where Lance had pulled it up.She hugged him closer.***The paladins startled as the door opened with a hiss, Princess Allura appearing the doorway as a shadow. Her appearance was immaculate, although she was wearing a different outfit that they remembered before."Is it safe now?" Shiro asked, Hunk, Pidge, and Keith all looking at her for an answer anxiously."Yes, the soldiers and their commander have been dealt with accordingly." She promised, smiling at the relieved looks on their faces."Where's Lance?" Keith asked, eyes wide with worry.Allura smiled softly at his obvious concern. "Lance is fine, he just needed a shower and some rest, he'll join the lot of you shortly if he feels up it." She answered them, leading the paladins along with Shiro and Coran out into the dining area. Coran immediately made a beeline for the kitchen, Hunk hurriedly following him with a nervous look on his face.Shiro stood to the side conversing with Allura while Pidge sat in on of the chairs, fiddling with her newest gadget.Keith slipped out from view, going down hallway after hallway until he reached Lance's room. With a soft knock he waited patiently, slipping inside when he heard Lance's voice tell him to enter.The prince was wrapped in his bed sheets in the middle of his large bed, a lump under the blanket facing away from Keith. He approached slowly until he reached the edge, ears flattening in surprise when he was pulled into warm, welcoming arms and manhandled until Lance was situated comfortably on his chest, face buried in the Galra's neck comfortably.Keith didn't protest the movement he was just...confused by it? Although he really shouldn't have been by now.He took a deep breath, smelling Lance's shampoo and body wash lingering on his still warm skin. And..."Are you bleeding?" Keith asked puzzled, grabbing Lance's face in his hands to look at him. The first thing he noticed was just how blue everything was. His markings, eyes and from what he could see in the gap of his teeth they all glowed a soft blue color, like lights within a lantern if he were to compare them."Been awhile since had my fangs out." Lance mumbled, his gums still sore from earlier.Keith held his face more gingerly after hearing that, poking his fingers around to move his lips out of the way and look at his colored glass like teeth. They seemed to glow from the inside out in different shades of blue, all vibrant and bright like some of the stars he's viewed on a few missions both in the empire and with Voltron.He hummed, lips settling in a stern line at the sight of Lance's gums, which looked swollen and red at and around his canines."You need to put some ice on that." He muttered, stopping in his examination of the new sets of fangs his boyfriend apparently had."You don't seem surprised." Lance said quietly, clearly expecting a different reaction than pure nonchalance."Coran filled us in on how Alteans can apparently glow in the dark. Besides, I have fangs too remember?" Keith showcased his own set of fangs briefly, letting Lance touch a sharp one with a careful blue claw before pulling back."Yeah I guess, but you don't light up like a Marvarian Hiphyl." Lance laid his head back in the crook of Keith's neck, sniffing softly."What's wrong? Do I smell?" Keith asked.Lance shook his head, "No, you smell just fine kitty.""I wish you wouldn't call me that, I'm not some earthling fur ball." Keith muttered."I don't know, it does fit. Small, Moody, hissing balls of fur, warm and soft as cotton balls whatever those are, it's pretty accurate." Lance explained."How are you going to compare me to something you've never seen?" Keith questioned curiously. Lance shrugged settling back down, content with leaving the question unanswered.Keith stopped his questioning for now, planning to bring it up the next day anyway as he settled down, licking a stripe across Lance's face and hair in his own version of a goodnight kiss before he sought out sleep. Only to have something lick up his cheek and side of his face in return. Upon opening his eyes it happened again and...okay.Apparently Alteans tongues were long and tapered, similar to a lizard without the forked tip. And they also glowed as well to match their cheek mark colors.Lance continued his actions of "grooming" so to speak, eyes closed and sleepy like even as he laved over Keith's cheek like a cat would her kitten. Keith probably would have said something if the feeling didn't bring back warm memories of a mother long gone on quiet nights when he had woken from a nightmare, his grooming sessions a soothing balm on his fear stricken mind.Purrs rumbled up from his chest and left his throat in guttural type growls that rolled off his lips like warm streams in spring. His eyes fluttered shut as the gentle ministrations continued and easily enough sleep engulfed him in fond warm dreams of memories past.
10800906
An Assortment of Han and
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Han Solo, Leia Organa", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by madame_alexandra", "chapters": "10/10", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-03T00:00:00", "words": "6,552", "Additional Tags": "Romance, Falling In Love, Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Drabble Collection, One Shot Collection", "Relationship": "Leia Organa/Han Solo", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Assortment Anthologies", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "F/M, Gen, Multi", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Prompt: "I believe you dropped this."  Laundry.It was a horrible word. Not only because, prior to the destruction of Alderaan, the loss of her family, and the obliteration of life as she knew it, Leia had no working concept of the technical aspects of laundry (she had been preciously accustomed to clean clothing just appearing in her closets) – but also because it was such a monotonous, time-consuming, and somehow exhausting thing to do. The Rebellion apparatus had no money to allow each individual an autovalet in their quarters, though Leia was sure she’d have been allotted one if she’d requested it – just as she was sure she’d have been allotted luxurious quarters if she’d fought for it. She, conspicuously, had not – and thus she was relegated to doing her laundry the same as everyone else on base: i.e., she took it down to the large room full of recycling units. What was troublesome was – she had first realized it was on her to do the laundry when she opened her drawers and found that everything was dirty – and in that moment, she felt more spoiled and pampered than she ever had in her life. As she’d struggled with the awfully humbling realization that she was going to have to ask someone to teach her to do laundry, she’d also come to the conclusion that she’d have to wear the same clothes twice, as they were the least dirty - Which of course, prompted a certain Han Solo to make approximately ten thousand suggestive jokes about why she was wearing the same clothes, including one very loud comment, in a room full of people, that she was welcome to borrow something of his if she needed to. He was good for something, at least: he inspired her to learn how to do laundry, and damn fast, too – So she got the hang of it, though she always dreaded dragging all of her stuff down the halls of the base to the laundry unit, hoping no one was there – because they always tripped over themselves trying to give her their unit or bow to her and it just made her feel alone and uncomfortable – and laundry, laundry was a terrible word, because laundry was how she found herself struggling with the most embarrassing moment of her life one evening, after she’d enjoyed a – suspiciously – nice dinner with Han, Luke, and Chewbacca aboard the Falcon – Han behaved himself the whole time, in a frighteningly polite way, so that Leia was still hanging around, listening to him talk, long after Luke had awkwardly left – she could tell he’d expected her to leave when he did, and when she didn’t, she didn’t miss the slightly hostile look he shot Han. Conversation lulled, and finally, Han cleared his throat, and winked at her.“I have something for you,” he said.Leia sat up, raising her brows.“Oh?” she asked. He’d just treated her and Luke to a fresh-food dinner; she didn’t think she needed more than that right now – “Yep,” Han said brightly. “Been tryin’ to give it to you since last week, but you been avoidin’ me.”Leia gave him a dark look.“You annoyed me last week.”Han said nothing. He leaned back, reached into his pocket, and pulled something out, holding it up and dangling it by his index finger over the table – handing it to her. Leia blinked for a moment, and then gave him a grim, annoyed look. She closed her eyes. “Please tell me you are not dangling a pair of women’s panties at me,” she growled stiffly, inching away from him, her eyes still closed. Han snorted. “Well, Princess – ““I do not think the woman you snatched those from would appreciate you bragging to me – or whatever – this – is – ““S’not bragging,” he said calmly.“Then what – !”“Hey, will you open your eyes, Your Worship?” he drawled.She peeked one open, and he shook his hand at her, arching a brow. “Look a little closer,” he coaxed.Leia didn’t move, so he rolled his eyes, leaned forward and bent down the light pink material of the waistband – and Leia leaned back sharply, her eyes widening immediately – because she saw a flash of gold embroidery – and – “Remember when I was chasin’ you down the hallway after you did laundry last week?”Leia said nothing. Han swung his hand lazily.“I believe you dropped this.”Leia said nothing – again.He was showing her the back of the panties – which read, in gold lettering, L-O-A – her initials – and she was vividly remembering him shouting after her in the hallway last week as she furiously ignored him, because she’d been sure he was going to make fun of her for doing laundry or something so .. not aristocratic. Han arched his brows curiously.“What’s the ‘a’ stand for?”Leia kept giving him her wide-eyed, horrified look – this was – this was Han Solo – and he was just – brazenly slipping his dirty, smuggler fingerprints all over her – She shut herself down, drawing a cool, unshakeable expression over her face, and leaned forward, snatching the slip of pink fabric from him - he’d had them in his pocket, throughout dinner? The nerve – He grinned at her a little. “Hey, I picked ‘em up before anyone else could see ‘em and, I dunno, tack ‘em up in a locker room,” he offered sincerely.Leia tried to glare at him, but only blushed, furiously. He arched his brows.“So, you gonna tell me what the ‘a’ is for?” he prompted again. She spent a full, silent minute trying to come up with a snippy response, because telling him her middle name when he’d just been holding her panties felt as intimate as asking him to marry her. She thought about it a long time, and then said, deadpan:“Ass.” Han arched his brows, taken aback. He cocked his head to the side. “What?” he demanded. She decided not to explain to him the finer nuances of initials – that L-O-A was Leia Amidala Organa, in proper monogrammed form – she said:“L-O-A - Leia Organa’s Ass.” Han just stared at her. After a moment, he put his hand over his mouth, and took a deep breath, as if he’d decided to take the bait.“And – why?” he asked slowly. Leia was quick with her response – “So that it is labelled and easy to find when I tell people to kiss it.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompt: "Prepare to be amazed."   Another year, another Rogue Squadron birthday bash, another night Leia was rolling her eyes as she basically poured her husband into bed, sitting on the edge next to him and pulling his boots off as she responded to all his drunken quips with vague platitudes and gentle placating. Why those pilots had to celebrate all of their birthdays at once – well, she supposed it was so they weren’t constantly asking for leave time to accommodate one or the other – but kriff, when they all banded together in one large, explosive celebration, it was like they made up for any and all drinking they may have missed out on throughout the year – Han twitched his foot at her as she pulled his sock off and dropped it to the floor. He wiggled his toes and lifted his head, looking at her blearily.“Where are we?” he asked contently.“We’re at home,” Leia answered smoothly. Han looked impressed. “I got us home?”Leia grinned, and then stifled it.“Yes, you did, all by yourself,” she said, moving to his other boot. “You walked and everything.” Han frowned at her. He dropped his head back.“You’re lying,” he accused.“Yes,” she agreed. “You fell asleep in the back of Wedge’s girlfriend’s speeder.” Han grumbled something. Leia made a mental note to to make sure she got Han’s leather jacket back from Selmaya later – she’d yanked it off Han because she hadn’t wanted him to get too hot. Leia pulled his other sock off and then crawled up on the bed, inching up to his waist and unbuckling his belt. “Hey,” he drawled suggestively. “Whoa. You tryin’ to get my clothes off, Princess?” Leia rolled her eyes. “Every time you get drunk, this comes as a surprise to you,” she murmured wryly. “As if you go into some mental place where you forget we’ve been together for years.”“Years?”“We’re married.”“Really?”“Han,” she laughed.“’M kidding, I know that,” he slurred. She loosened the belt, untucked his shirt, and frowned.“You have to help a little, flyboy.” “Mmhmm,” he mumbled, and sat up, fumbling with the shirt. Leia sat back and watched the show, arching a brow in affectionate amusement as he grumbled to himself and managed to finally – five minutes later – undress. He laid back and went for his trousers, and Leia laid down next to him, watching, her head propped on her palm. He turned to her, jerkily kicking his trousers off his feet, and onto the floor. “Hey,” he whispered conspiratorially. He reached over and ran his hand over her hip, pulling the material of the silky blouse she was wearing into a knot in his hand. He closed his eyes. “I’m going to rock your world, Your Worship,” he drawled.Leia laughed, and pushed his hair back. “Oh, I’m sure,” she agreed, though he was clearly seconds from falling asleep. He sensed her lack of faith in him, and frowned, glaring – she sensed he was glaring, even though his eyes were closed. “I’m serious, Leia,” he growled. “Prepare to be amazed.”He slid his hand off of her – and then he turned his head slightly, and took a deep breath, remaining still for the next few minutes. Leia stared at him, patiently waiting, until he shifted, opened one eye, and grinned at her smugly. “See?” he gloated.Leia opened her mouth to tell him he had done absolutely nothing, and then she sighed, and tilted her head, smiling at him. She changed her mind – “Mmhmm,” she agreed, feigning a breathy sigh. “This is the best sex of my life.” “Told you,” Han grumbled, closing his eyes, and falling asleep. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompt: "How can anyone not be afraid of love?"  It seemed selfish to take a break from the endless barrage of missions, assignments, and battles – but everything Leia did these days seemed to be viewed as selfish; each time she took a moment to look into some intelligence concerning Boba Fett’s whereabouts, or spent a split second communicating with Chewbacca – Luke was one of the only people who didn’t seem to begrudge her the downtime, eager as he was to find Han, as well, and she was glad he’d convinced her to take a day of leave and come with him to a bazaar that was located on the peaceful side of a resort planet – somewhere no one would expect two of the Empire’s most wanted to be – and now she sat with him on a riverbank, leather leggins covered in grass and mud, hair pulling loose from a sort of carefree frolic in the river, and she skipped rocks while Luke played with his Jedi powers, occasionally snacking on baked pear crisps she’d bought from a vendor – and she was glad she’d finally been honest with Luke about her motivations – “I guess if I was stuck with someone without a hyperdrive for that long, I’d probably fall in love with them,” he quipped, using a flick of his hand to make leaves shake free of their tree, and tumble down around Leia. Leia laughed, grasping for a handful of soft falling leaves.“What if it was you and Threepio, all alone?”Luke shrugged solemnly.“I suppose I’d be married to Threepio,” he joked.Leia laughed, and curled leaves into her hands. She shook her head.“The broken hyperdrive had nothing to do with it,” she murmured.“Sure, I know,” Luke answered sagely. Leia smiled. She rested her chin on her knees. “So, what happened? Before he was frozen,” Luke ventured.“Well,” Leia said quietly. “I told him. That I loved him.”Luke hopped off the bolder he was standing on. He summoned a blossom down from the tree branches, and handed it to her casually. He sat down next to her. “Did he say it back?” he asked. Leia tilted her head thoughtfully. She thought of everything that had happened on the way to Bespin, and took a deep breath – “Yes,” she answered mildly. “In his own way.”Luke gave her a quizzical look, though she did not elaborate. He picked at the grass in front of him. “It must be a weight off your shoulders, to tell him how you feel,” he said quietly. “That weight off, another weight on,” Leia said softly. “Mm-hmm,” Luke agreed. “It’s pretty fearless, though, telling him then. It seems like you’ve been afraid of that sort of thing. Love.”Leia let out a harsh breath, her voice cracking –“How can anyone not be afraid of love?” she demanded shakily. “Do you know how much this hurts?”Luke nodded wisely. “I can imagine,” he allowed quietly. “But I think you’d rather hurt because you might lose something that good, than hurt because you never let yourself feel it.” Leia picked at the petals on the flower he’d given her, and held it up – it reminded her of something Han had so smugly drawled at her, his hands running over her sides in the Falcon’s bunk, seeing the indecision in her eyes – wouldn’t you rather regret me than regret never knowing, Sweetheart? – and of course, the answer had been yes, then, and even now, nothing she felt was anywhere close to regret – She tucked the flower behind her ear, skipped another rock – smiled. Selfish to love him, selfish to look for him, according to the Rebellion, but completely healthy for her. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompt: "My nightmares are usually about losing you."      Early in the morning - before her alarm had a chance to jar her awake - Leia shuffled into the kitchen, pushing the heel of her hand gently against one of her eyes, and yawning sleepily. She lazily ambled over to the kaffe kettle - and stopped in her tracks when she nearly collided with Han - he was one step ahead of her, already there and filtering grounds into the mechanism. Leia blinked, taken aback. She slipped her arm through his, sidling up to him, and her brow creased. “Morning,” she mumbled. “Why’re you up so early?” she asked, voice thick with sleep - she yawned again, and Han finished what he was doing, flicking the ignition button on the kaffe decanter. Han shrugged. He turned and leaned back against the counter, drawing her in front of him and resting his hands on her shoulders. He smiled at her tiredly and pulled her head forward to kiss her forehead. Leia planted one of her feet in between his and stepped closer, running her hands over his chest. “Bad dream?” she ventured quietly. She tilted her head at him, lifted an eyebrow cautiously. “Han?” He smiled at her a little tightly, and nodded. “I never hear you wake up,” Leia murmured. “Or get up,” she added thoughtfully. She knew there were times when he’d definitely been up in the middle of the night - once in a while there was kaffe already brewing for her when her work arm went off, though Han was back in bed and sleep next to her. He was quiet about it, though. Once or twice she’d woken up to get water or a painkiller for a headache or even just to go to the ‘fresher, and she’d noticed Han was awake. Silent, and sort of looking distracted, but awake - or feigning sleep. “I’m fine,” Han said gruffly. “What are yours about?” Leia inquired softly. “You never tell me.” He breathed out slowly. “My nightmares are usually about losing you,” he muttered vaguely. He tilted his head, and gave her a tense smile. He ran his hand back over her hair. “You’re here, though,” he said. “I’m okay,” he repeated. She blinked at him intently, and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning forward to press her body against his. She smiled at him soothingly, and rested her cheek against his shoulder. Han closed his eyes, bowed his head, and sighed in relief. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompt: "You sound like you're trying to convince yourself."    In the middle of a particularly vicious fight – a fight that they’d have no private, isolated place to recover from, considering they were trapped in what amounted to a slow-moving tin-can for the foreseeable future – Leia felt herself getting out of control even as she refused to back down. Han, she was sure – experienced the same phenomenon – “You – don’t take anything seriously, you don’t understand anything – ““Where’d you get this high and mighty idea that I’m such an idiot?” he shouted, talking over her. “I’ve got brains – “You never use them! What good are smarts if you’re going to waste them on pulling off high crimes and misdemeanors – ““Yeah, that’s all you see me as, a criminal? Still?”Leia thrust her hands out as if she would shake him, her face reddening.“You don’t care about anyone but yourself!” she shouted. “You make sure everyone knows it!”“Yeah?” Han snarled, his eyes flashing venomously. “Well, you care about everything but yourself, and I don’t know which is worse, Sweetheart.”Her lips moved soundlessly and she blanched, angry at that insinuation and provoked by it; frustrated, she shouted – “Why would I ever want to be with a man as selfish as you are?” she yelled nastily, twisting their argument back to its original point, his comment – we’ve got all this alone time, Princess, it’s the best time to really get at this thing between us – and her self-preserving rejection – there’s no thing – you’re imagining things again – Han reared back. He turned and slapped his palm against the wall, shaking his head furiously – fuck, that hurt. If there was somehow he could make her feel just how much that hurt – selfish, she still thought he was selfish, after all these years?He turned around and gave her a cold look. “Couldn’t tell you, Leia,” he snapped icily, “you think there are a bunch of men lining up to be with you?” She closed her mouth, and he pushed on, digging in sharply – “You’re so kriffin’ selfless you don’t know who you are,” he berated, “you’re so busy crammin’ your heart into the Rebellion, all that’s left is a shell,” a muscle in his temple pulsed angrily, “and I’ve been hangin’ around, standin’ there, right in front of you, for three years, and you want to put me down? For givin’ you the benefit of the doubt, and figurin’ there’s more to you than the warrior lady droid you act like you are?”He drew his hand sharply across his neck, in a swift, cutting motion – to indicate a finale; finished – done. “Every time you try and tell me what’s wrong with me, when you’re insisting you don’t have any interest, it sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself. No one buys it. You don’t even buy it. The way you live your life every damn day makes me think you hate yourself, and let me tell you, Princess,” he held up one finger, his voice going hoarse, and tense, “it’s really fucking hard to love someone who hates herself.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompt: "I've been buying the wrong underwear."  Leia had been quarantined. It was election week – election week! – a week she thrived on, was exhilarated by, a week that reminded her of why she became a politician – and she had to stay home and miss the frenzy all due to some minor, slightly unattractive, but very, very contagious blue spots. She didn’t even feel sick. She wouldn’t even have seen a physician, if it weren’t for the fact that she’d felt nauseous and all of her muscles were sore, and she’d suspected she might be pregnant – no, only being attacked by one of the various obnoxious poxes that plagued the galaxy. She insisted she’d had the vaccine for Klatt Pox, but the Two-OneBee had methodically informed her that she actually had missed her two years booster (not her fault; she was busy strangling a Hutt on Tatooine at the time) – and while the illness was a minor nuisance to her, it could be passed from her, to people who were vaccinated, but might carry it home to children too young for the vax – and so they bid Leia stay at home until the last spot vanished. Leia was hardly one to put people’s children in danger, but she still lamented her own absence from the fray – she was too melancholy about it to even watch the returns on the Holo, so she settled on trashy “female beings” television instead. Curled on the couch in a t-shirt, underwear, and a blanket – with a smoothie Han had made before leaving this morning (he’d filled an entire pitcher to keep her from having to make more) – she listened with vaguely increasing ire to the talk show she had on. She was glaring at it in consternation when Han got home and strolled in the door. He ditched his boots and jacket and came to stand behind the couch, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Ha,” he drawled smugly. “You look ridiculous,” he teased – blue spotted skin was her least attractive look to date. “Cad,” she growled. Han rested his chin on the back of the couch. “What’re you watching?” “How To Please Him, with Dasha and Sasha,” Leia answered stonily. Han gave a strangled snort. “What?” “It is two women from Offred,” Leia explained, saying the planet’s name with distaste, “advising human women on how to appropriately keep their men happy.” Han cleared his thirst and feigned seriousness. “And what have you leaned, woman?” he growled playfully. Leia sighed dramatically and turned on her back to stare at him. “I’ve been buying the wrong underwear,” she lamented, drawing up her t-shirt revealingly. Han arched his brows. “Apparently, all men prefer their women wear the thong,” she related, “and since I don’t, you’ll cheat on me.” Han looked skeptical. “You don’t agree?” Leia asked. Han shrugged. “I think most men would actually say their favorite kind of underwear is none,” he joked wryly. Leia flung her hand out. “You clearly need to be one of Dasha and Sasha’s guests,” she said. Han lifted his toes, ignoring the Holo program. “Speaking of underwear, you told me if I came home early and made more smoothies you’d show me if there’s blue spots on your ass, too.” Leia glared at him. “ Did you think about that all day?” she groused. Han flashed a grin. “Your ass? Of course, Sweetheart.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompt: "Can I open my eyes yet?"  “Han,” Leia whispered, “Can I open my eyes yet?” She was perched on the edge of the bunk in the Falcon’s cabin, her eyes lightly closed, listening to Han rummage around in his storage trunk. “Not yet,” he muttered. “Ain’t patience a virtue you’re supposed to have?” he griped good-naturedly. “I’ve had them closed for five minutes,” Leia protested with a sigh. “Just…hang…on,” he glanced over his shoulder and saw one of her lashes twitching, one eye blinking open. He glared. “No peeking!” Leia bit her lip, made a show of obediently closing her eyes again. “Why am I not surprised that you would lose something you bought for me?” “It’s small, will you cut me a break? It was in a pocket, and I threw those pants in, and it fell out,” he went on, trailing off and muttering to himself. Leia finally heard him give a grunt or triumph, and the sound of the trunk dropping shut. She resisted the urge to peek as he moved around, and finally sat next to her, tapping her knee. “Okay,” he allowed. “Open ‘em.” Leia did, and he placed a very small, gold foil package in her palms, facing it upwards so she could see the label and the accompanying photograph. She stared at it for a long time, and then drew it up to her face, peering closely, and catching her breath. “Han,” she breathed. “Are these authentic?” Her senses told her they were - a packet of genuine, Alderaanian rose seeds – Sith knew where he’d found them, or how much he’d have to pay to get them – so rare these days – “Yeah,” he said, scoffing. “Like I’d give you fake flowers.” She pressed them to her chest and turned to him, her eyes lighting up. “Where did you –? Who? How –” she stopped, shaking her head. “Thank you,” she sighed. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, running his hand over her knee affectionately. He nodded, playing it off like it was nothing - but of course, it was certainly more than nothing. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompt: "I'm alive. I can tell because of the pain."  The black pit of unconsciousness slowly faded int a cloudy, grey semi-awareness, and she started to feel the urge to open her eyes, though the ability to do so lagged far, far behind – she started to feel trapped behind her own lethargy and weakness, as she struggled back towards consciousness, and a panic almost rose in her chest as she tried to force open her eyes and was still, still, too weak to do it right away – Fear gripped her heart, cold, lurching fear, tugging at her chest and spilling through her veins – am I dead? – she thought in horror – am I trapped? what happens after death? – for the first time in a while, she was aware of herself breathing, and how it seemed difficult to do – where was she, what had happened? – she tried to think, but that was a little futile – oh, wait – there’d been a bomb, in her office – Leia swallowed with some difficult, finally able to slit her eyes open just a little, and the light around her was blinding, shocking – nothing unnatural, just something she was unused to. She blinked rapidly a few times – and simultaneous with her fully regaining consciousness, was the sudden, wrenching pain that snapped through her, crawling over her skin like fire, old, decaying fire, scabbed flames – burns, burns, burns – Alive, I’m alive – she thought – I can tell because of the pain – and she was relieved, because she had not lived through the war only to die during peacetime in the New Republic, no matter how many people had decided to hate her, now that they knew the truth – Leia took a deep breath, and she heard herself this time, and waking up felt like an overwhelming rush of relief and terror, because she had no idea what she was coming around to – “Leia.” She identified Han’s voice immediately; it was so close, right in her ear, and then his hand was lift and cool and gentle on her forehead. “Leia,” he gasped, his voice raspy. He leaned forward - both hands on her face now, soothing and reassuring – though she couldn’t tell if he was soothing her, or himself. He pressed his forehead to hers, brushed his lips against her cheek, and pushed her hair back, taking a few quick, deep breaths. “You’re alright,” he choked – and he didn’t sound like he was informing her of it, but letting himself know he could relax – His lips brushed over every inch of her face, wet lashes dragging against her cheeks as he pressed closer, hands drifting down to her shoulders to pull at her as gingerly as he could. “They said if you woke up on your own you’d be alright,” he mumbled huskily. Leia lifted her hand and curled it around one of his, her head hammering, her skin stinging, tired, but sure she was safe, with him there. She swallowed hard. “Han,” she breathed. “What happ…?” her voice failed her, and Han let it a breath, answered in a rush – “Someone threw a fire grenade in your office window,” he managed. She felt his muscles shake, trembling under the effort of holding back extreme emotion, and she closed her eyes, wincing, sighing slowly. She didn’t ask why, or if the perpetrator had been caught. “Leia,” he said again. He laid his head down next to hers, his face in the pillow. “Sweetheart, I was so scared I lost you.” Leia squeezed his hand, to let him know he hadn’t – yet again, she survived. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompt: "You're an idiot. I've met smarter sandwiches."  Warily, Luke poked his head into Leia’s cubicle in the Hoth command center, peering at her for a moment to see if her posture indicated she was in a good mood. She turned her head almost immediately, as if she’d sensed his presence, and her expression was dark – but it brightened quickly when she saw it was only him, and she smiled warmly. “Hi, Luke,” she greeted. “It’s alright – I won’t bite,” she said, beckoning him in. “What’s up?”“Uh,” Luke began, arching a brow. “Well, I want to know what happened earlier,” he said, a little sheepish. He crossed his arms a big smugly – “For the record, one of the stories going around is that you did, in fact, bite Han.”Leia rolled her eyes, her eyes narrowing – cloudy, and sharp. “I did not bite Han,” she said snippily. “I thought that sounded a bit feral,” Luke said dryly. “As if I would ever,” Leia sniffed. “He’d enjoy it far too much.”Luke gave her an amused look, and sat down, leaning forward.“Leia – what did happen?” he pressed. “Exaggerations aside, Jansen told me you screamed at him so loudly his eardrum is ruptured.”Leia flushed.“That’s – absolutely – untrue,” she stammered. “Do you know what kind of decibel it takes to burst a human eardrum? I cannot possibly achieve that level of – ““Okay, so you screamed at him,” Luke deduced, talking over her circumlocution. “What did he do?”Leia closed her mouth, and glared at Luke dully. She was silent for a long time – “He’s just,” she began, gritting her teeth – “I hate – he’s so – he’s – “She held up her hands and clenched them, as if ti mimic strangling someone – and then launched into the tale –  They’d been in a hangars – the Falcon’s hangar, which was, basically, the only hangar – and they’d been arguing, of course, this time over a modification that Han had rigged that Leia happened to see in action, and happened to think was very dangerous –  So naturally, she lectured him on it, and naturally, Han decided that she was lecturing on safety because she was hopelessly in love with him – logic which Leia concluded was entirely ridiculous – so she insulted his intelligence –  “You’re an idiot,” she’d snapped – “I’ve met smarter sandwiches.”  To which Han, obnoxious as ever, had solemnly answered, with blatant concern –  “You’re talking to sandwiches, Princess?” The argument devolved from there –  “Very funny, Han – “ “I’m just sayin,’ I’d like to meet the sandwiches in question, Your Highness, maybe challenge ‘em to a couple of rounds of trivia, ‘cause I think I am smarter than a sandwich, since you can’t talk to sandwiches – or meet ‘em.” “It’s a figure of – “ “You seen a doctor about these imaginary sandwich friends?” Han interrupted loudly.  “Han,” she’d snarled.  Han ignored her, grinning –  “How many sandwiches have you met, anyway, to decide I’m dumber than one?” he pressed. “I mean, I’m not five course meal, but I could prob’ly hold my own against a – “ “SHUT UP,” Leia shouted, looking at him in disbelief. “You’re – deflecting, I want you to terminate that modified shock weapon, it’s unstable, you’ll hurt someone on our side with it – “ “I need to consult the sandwiches you’re talkin’ about first, since they’re so smart,” Han retorted.  Her face flushed, and she glared at him, trying to reign herself in – get back on his level; if he wanted to play deadpan and annoying, she could try to be as –  “You can’t.” “Why not?” “I ate them,” Leia threw out flippantly.  Han tucked his head down and looked at her smugly.  “Are you going to eat me next?”  That was when Leia had opened her mouth to shout at him, and, finding she had nothing to say – had simply screamed at him wordlessly, shrieking, very unladylike, totally unintelligible – and he’d jumped back, startled, grabbing his ear, which probably helped contribute to the rumors that she’d ruptured his eardrum –  “Wait, wait,” Luke gasped, doubled over with laughter. “You just screeched in his face?” Leia shook her head, furiously blushing.“I – yes, but it was not my – plan,” she said loftily. “I – well, in any case, it thoroughly shocked him – and shut him up.” she asserted. “Sure, and gave him exactly what he wanted,” Luke snorted. “Han lives to make you lose your composure.” Leia grit her teeth – she shook her head – “Well, I won this round,” she said shortly. “He ran off with his head tucked between his legs – “A slow-moving mass of fur interrupted her, as Chewbacca poked his head in and gave Leia a weary look, conveying an eyeroll with the mere tilt of his large head – and next to him, he had Threepio, waiting to translate.“Yes?” Leia asked.Chewie warbled something, and then Threepio said, in his clean, mechanical inflection – “Chewbacca thought it would be polite to tell you that Captain Solo is telling the entire base he is able to make you scream. The comment, while vague, seems sexual in nature.” Luke compressed his lips, trying to look solemn, as Leia flew out of her chair, her mouth dropping open – he tried not to think of how ironic it was that she’d assumed her actions put the victory on her, and not on Han – Leia scrambled out of her office, pushing between Chewie, and nearly knocking over Threepio – “I’ll give him screams!” she threatened, outraged, barreling through the halls – and Luke slumped forward, laughing, and shared a look with the Wookiee – silent, but for Threepio’s quickly sighed ‘Oh, dear me’ – both Luke and Chewie nodded their heads, as if to confirm that Han and Leia were clearly deadlocked in a battle to tear each other apart – of course when that battle came to an end, and Han was left holding pieces of Leia, and Leia was left holding pieces of him, they’d have to come together just to fix themselves together again, and Luke was sure they’d each end up keeping permanent pieces of the other. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Prompt: "I didn't intend to kiss you."  Holed up in her office on her lunch break - the only time during the day she could steal away and hide from the barrage of persons, places, and things she was constantly overwhelmed with, Leia, as she scrolled lazily through a running feed of top news for the day, came across a peculiar photo, and stopped. Head resting lazily on her palm, eyes half closed, she stared mutely for a full minute, and then lifted her head, blinking slowly and leaning in. She’d noticed the headline first – “Family Drama; Siblings Share Everything” – which hand caught her attention much at all until a little red folder she had set up to notify her of certain buzzwords - specifically involving Han and anything demented he did to ignite the press - pinged! and turned, gold – and she clicked on it and there was this same article, complete with a holograph that – –well, it appeared to be – Leia squinted balefully. It couldn’t actually be, though – She heard loud, muffled arguing outside of her office door, and she flicked her eyes up, taking a mine to identify the male voices – Han and Luke. She waited patiently for the moment they would come busting in, and they did not disappoint. Luke was the first in, but Han leapt after him, grabbing him by the back of the shirt and dragging him back. “Leia,” howled Han. “Look, you might see a holo, and it’s –” “HAN’S FAULT,” Luke shouted. Han shot him an outraged look, but Leia noticed his face was red. She looked between them silently for a moment, and then she nearly straightened up and grasped either side of her terminal, turning it around swiftly to expose the picture she was looking at. “I assume you are here to explain this snapshot depicting you,” she glared at Luke mildly, “kissing my husband.” Luke shook his head violently. “No-! That’s what I’m-! I wasn’t, Han kissed me!” Leia raised her eyebrows in slight alarm. “That’s not a kiss!” Han protested. He jammed his offer at Leia’s console, sheer panic sweeping his face. “That’s not – kriff, kid, have you ever had a kiss? That’s not – ” “Leia has the picture!” Luke yelled. “You can’t deny -” “I didn’t intend to kiss you!” Han bellowed. “You know damn well-” Leia put her fingers in her mouth and gave a loud, sharp whistle, immediately silencing the men. She stood up, placing her palms flat on her desk, and leaned forward slightly– “Would either of you care,” she began crisply, “to explain?” “Han got into another measuring contest with Wedge,” Luke said narrowly, folding his arms. Han made an annoyed noise. Leia blinked. She failed to see how that translated into a pixelated holo shot of Han outright planting one on her brother. “He was trying to prove he’s the most masculine,” Luke continued. Leia blinked derisively. “Oh, I see,” she said, deadpan. “That makes perfect sense.” “It does?” Han asked. “No,” she said, glaring. “What are you doing, Han?” she asked, exasperated. “Leaving me for Luke?” Both of them erupted into protests, spluttering at her. “I TRIPPED,” Han insisted. Leia parted her lips. “You tripped and accidentally kissed Luke?” she clarified. “I didn’t kiss him,” Han growled. “I…tripped…my face, hit his – my forehead hit his – it’s not – what it looks like –” Leia stared at him dubiously – she holo specifically showed Han sprawled on a hangar floor on top of look, almost definitely with faces pressed together in an unmistakable – “How was this a measuring contest?” Leia asked, exasperated. Luke folded his arms. “Wedge suggested Han wasn’t secure in his sexuality,” he related, “so they had a contest to see who could get the closest to another man without being weird about it.” “Never mind, I don’t care about this story,” Leia said, rolling her eyes. “Get out of my office.” “No!” Han griped. “Now you have to hear – Antilles PUSHED ME so I fell on him,” he violently gestured at Luke – “and my mouth … accidentally landed – and there was a reporter there –” he stammered. Luke coughed some choked laughter, and Han turned red, giving him a glare. Leia glared at both of them. Did the two of them have any idea what sort of important things she actually had to deal with? And then they pulled stunts like – “Well, I hope it was a nice kiss,” she said sarcastically. “It wasn’t a kiss!” Han howled, at the same time Luke quipped – “Not really, I’ve had better.” Han, ever prideful, turned on him in a minute – “What are you talking about, kid? I’m a hell of a kisser!” Luke smirked, giving Han a wry look at having tricked him into arguing that point, and Leia shook her head, rubbing her forehead delicately and laying her head down on her desk – as if the Galaxy didn’t already think her family was weird enough — !
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{ "Archive Warning": null, "Category": null, "Characters": "William (Westworld), Logan (Westworld), Dolores Abernathy", "Fandom": "Westworld (TV)", "Language": "Русский", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by Cammia", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "2,180", "Additional Tags": "Missing Scene, Love/Hate", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Dolores Abernathy/William, William/Logan", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply", "Categories": "F/M, M/M", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
«Ты никому не можешь навредить, потому я тебя и выбрал»…Отзвук этих слов висит в воздухе после ухода Логана и сопровождает Уильяма, когда Пария остается позади. Он пытается забыть и разговор, и Логана, но Долорес снова напоминает о том сама. Ночью, в поезде, они говорят: взахлеб, торопясь высказать друг другу все и обо всем. И конечно, разговор касается и этой темы.Долорес подбородком упирается ему в грудь и смотрит снизу вверх. Ее лицо прекрасно и безмятежно. Сейчас она кажется похожей на куклу. Уильям поскорее отгоняет эту мысль: Долорес дышит, в ее глазах сочувствие, она живая, что бы там ни говорил Логан. Прикосновения ее рук наполняют теплом и зажигают страсть. Это руки не куклы, а возлюбленной.— Вы такие разные, — говорит Долорес. Удивление в ее голосе тоже естественное, живое. — Не представляю, как вы подружились.Уильям молчит, иначе придется лгать. Или сказать правду — а это невозможно. Он представляет, какими глазами Долорес будет смотреть на него. Что будет в ее взгляде: отвращение, ненависть? Потом Уильям понимает, что просто не смог бы подобрать слов для описания внешнего мира. В словаре Долорес нет таких понятий. И там, и тут идет одна и та же борьба за власть — но как по-разному она выражается.В том мире лицо Логана знают все. Оно сияет белозубой улыбкой и хитринкой в глазах с журналов и плакатов, регулярно появляется в рекламных роликах. Отец Логана знает, что продукт может продать только привлекательное личико. Поэтому реклама парка и Логан неразрывны. Майя не появилась в ней ни разу.Конечно, Уильям знал, кто такой Логан. Знал задолго до того, как встретил лично — в кабинете правления, куда попадают лишь сливки общества или те, кто надеются ими стать. Отношение к последним — снисходительное. Лучше, чем к рабочим, хуже, чем к равным. Уильям чувствует это, переступая порог. Учеба с отличием в Беркли, высший балл, престижная стажировка, два года работы в парке — все меркнет, стоит переступить порог. Уильям — все тот же робкий парень, каким приехал из глубинки. Мышцы напрягаются, и вместе с ними — язык. Уильям заставляет себя расслабиться, язык — свободно лечь в нишу нижней челюсти. Только не заикание. Только не сейчас. Свой голос он слышит словно издалека: негромкий, отчасти нерешительный. Не заикающийся. Хорошо. Член правления вскользь пожимает его руку и поскорее прячет свою.А навстречу уже идет, улыбаясь, Логан.Конечно, Уильям попадает под его чары с первой встречи. Логан умеет завлечь, очаровать, заставить себя любить. Но об этом Уильям узнает потом. Сейчас он просто смотрит на Логана, инстинктивно чувствуя расположение к этому человеку: тот глядит на него без снисхождения и презрения. Взгляд на секунду скользит вниз, потом обратно вверх, наскоро ощупывая фигуру Уильяма. Задерживается на бедрах, потом — на губах. Уильям испытывает смущение, но Логан тепло улыбается, глядя ему в глаза, и стеснение тает без следа.— Билли! Мы тебя заждались. Ничего, что я сразу на «ты»? Терпеть не могу официоза. Мы ведь как одна семья…Логан не лжет. Он действительно относится к Уильяму как к семье. Но кто сказал, что семьей нельзя манипулировать, нельзя ее предать?Вечером Логан не отпускает его.— У нас столик в «Амбассадоре», — говорит он, и Уильям понимает, что вечер распланирован. — Возражения не принимаются, — предупреждает Логан и дружески обнимает его за плечи.Внезапный контакт кажется слишком интимным. Но и приятным: в поступке Логана никакой фальши, он искренне делает, что хочет.А Уильям хочет поверить в его дружелюбие. Если есть любовь с первого взгляда, почему не быть такой же дружбе? Он улыбается в ответ:— Едем.У Логана, конечно, личный лимузин. Мягкое сиденье принимает Уильяма в свои объятья. Он устраивается на черной коже, стараясь сделать вид, что все это ему привычно, и пытаясь не показывать удивления. Особенно когда в руках Логана словно сама собой возникает бутылка шампанского. Позже Уильям понимает, что ее, заранее охлажденную, принесли сюда за минуту до их прихода, и чувствует себя дураком. Так просто совершать чудеса и извлекать сюрпризы из воздуха, если у тебя есть деньги. Семья Логана имеет право на капризы: и на их счет капает большой процент от посещения парков. Больше, наверное, только у основателей.Логан поднимает бокал:— За новых друзей и еще больше веселья.Лимузин сворачивает налево. «Амбассадор» остается позади. Уильям вопросительно смотрит на Логана, тот смеется его удивлению.— Ты думал, я повезу тебя в этот старомодный гадюшник? Ну нет, у нас в программе кое-что поинтереснее.Лимузин едет в район, куда людям вроде Логана лучше не соваться. По крайней мере, без охраны. В машине они одни, а шофер не кажется слишком крепким. Однако Логан бесстрашно выходит на улицу, когда автомобиль останавливается. Этот участок улицы не освещен, если не считать тусклой лампочки над лестницей. Она уходит вниз, к подвалу. Уильям уже догадывается, куда они прибыли — в один из закрытых машинных клубов, куда простым смертным вход воспрещен. Время от времени проходят облавы, но какой процент дел доходит до суда? Говорят, клубы постоянно переезжают. Чтобы знать, где они сейчас, надо быть знакомым с нужными людьми.Конечно, Логана тут знают. Дверь распахивается, стоит ему постучать. Он оборачивается, стоя на пороге.— Ну что же ты? Идем.Когда Уильям входит за ним, Логан хлопает по плечу.— Теперь ты в нашей команде. Пора привыкать к привилегиям. Привет.Логан сладко улыбается девушке, держащей поднос с приветственными напитками, ощупывает взглядом ее грудь в вырезе блузки и голые ноги под юбкой. Уильям берет шот с подноса и гадает, кто эта девушка. Настоящая ли она? Ее кожа сияет, а губы выглядят такими мягкими… Когда он в последний раз был с женщиной?Логан быстро прихватывает девушку за ягодицу, хостесс улыбается, чуть вымученно. И Уильям решает: эта — настоящая. Ей не в радость прикосновения Логана, за профессионализмом читается желание уйти.Машинный клуб безумно разочаровывает. Это две наспех оборудованные комнаты, одна из которых обставлена мягкими диванчиками и столиками, вторая представляет собой небольшой ринг. Уильям заглядывает туда из интереса, но снова не может понять: вяло дерущиеся на ней девушки — они настоящие или нет?Логан усмехается, догадываясь о его сомнениях. Машет рукой, прося Уильяма сесть рядом. Комната так мала, а музыка настолько оглушающая, что Логану приходится наклониться к его уху, чтобы сказать:— Это лишь жалкая пародия. Поверь, на самом деле все гораздо интереснее.Это совсем не то, чего ожидал Уильям, секретный машинный клуб оказывается обыденным. Но он все же здесь, сидит рядом с одним из самых могущественных людей современности, так близко, что чувствует его дыхание на своей щеке. И от этого окружающее вдруг становится ярче. Опьяняет не происходящее, думает Уильям, опьяняет власть. Пока он чувствует только ее проблески.Им приносят коктейли. Они, в отличие от обстановки, великолепны. Уильям делает большой глоток и только потом понимает, что напиток крепче, чем кажется. Логан пьет его как воду, на последнем глотке запрокидывая голову и показывая обнаженное беззащитное горло. Уильям скользит по нему взглядом, от подбородка к кадыку и расстегнутому вороту рубашки. И поспешно прячет взгляд, когда Логан смотрит в упор. Его глаза смеются, но не весело, а зло и горячечно. Это должно оттолкнуть, но напротив, сильнее притягивает Уильяма.Потом они смотрят бой. Девушки на арене красивы, но зрители плотно ее обступают, и Уильяму плохо видно происходящее. Только одну картину он запоминает четко: пошатывающаяся блондинка заносит нож над соперницей, ее глаза огромны и пусты, вокруг губ размазана помада, движения топорны.Бой идет до смерти и заканчивается слишком быстро, когда одна красавица прокалывает второй грудь ножом. Кровь до ужаса настоящая, Уильяма охватывает страх. Логан недоволен:— Старье. Видел, как они двигались? Как куклы. Их, из старой партии, нельзя даже трахать. И в то же время таких сил стоит вытащить их сюда. Форд трясется над ними, как скряга, прячет в подвалах. Они, — Логан тычет сторону опустевшей арены, — были созданы для нашего удовольствия, и ему должны служить.Он вдруг сгребает Уильяма за шею, притягивает к себе, дыша алкоголем. Тот пытается вспомнить, сколько коктейлей Логану уже поднесли.— Знаешь, что, давай съездим в парк. Я покажу тебе, на что способны эти куколки. По-настоящему.Логана ведет, и Уильям вынужденно обхватывает его за пояс, удерживая в вертикальном положении. От того пышет жаром, как от печки. Ощущение близости, чужое тепло, крепкая хватка на плече затопляют Уильяма с головой, от смеси эмоций тяжело дышать, грудь теснит.— Там, конечно, тоже не идеально, — продолжает Логан. — Слишком скучно, слишком много дурацких квестов с кладами и бандитами. Люди едут туда не за этим дерьмом. Это новый мир, Билли. Люди едут туда, чтобы быть, кем захотят, а не для того, чтобы им навязывали роли. Форд этого не понимает, но мы все исправим. Ты и я. Мы будем богами этого кукольного мира. Хочешь быть богом?— Ты пьян, — деликатно говорит Уильям.Он может в деталях рассмотреть радужку в глазах Логана, так близко тот придвинулся. В голову приходит неожиданная идея: о том, что он мог бы сделать прямо сейчас. Мысль кажется притягательной, как и сам Логан, но здравый смысл шепчет, что это будет огромной ошибкой. А Уильям привык слушать этот внутренний голос.Зато Логан — нет. Он поворачивает лицо Уильяма к себе и целует. В последнюю секунду его немного ведет, но он тут же выравнивается и крепко прижимается своими губами к губам Билла, а потом властно раздвигает их языком.Тот оглушен поступком Логана и собственным сбывшимся желанием, потому позволяет исследовать языком свой рот, ничего не предпринимая. Но Логан прихватывает зубами его губу, тянет — немного болезненно. И на Уильяма внезапно находит. Он сам наклоняет Логана к себе, положив руку ему на макушку, целует губы, собирая с них запах сигарет и виски. Борода Логана щекочет лицо, ощущение непривычное, именно оно окончательно подчеркивает разницу между Логаном и женщиной. Именно оно окончательно сводит Уильяма с ума.Логан подносит к его губам еще один шот, Уильям машинально глотает напиток, не узнавая вкуса. Видимо, туда что-то подмешали, потому что дальнейшее помнится плохо. Он не знает, отправились они в гостиницу, домой к Логану или им отдали комнату там же, в клубе. Они двое просто вдруг оказываются на постели. Уильям пытается выпутаться из одежды, ему мешает обнимающий его Логан. Запоминаются только его хаотичные поцелуи и быстрые ласки.Логан опрокидывает его на спину, нависает сверху. В полутьме комнаты блестит белая полоска зубов, Логан улыбается хищно и смотрит с жадностью, как на кукол на арене. Это Уильяма неожиданно злит и подстегивает, он с силой наклоняет Логана к себе и крепко целует в губы, чувствуя, как его собственные начинают болеть.Некоторое время они борются за лидерство, Уильям побеждает. Логан позволяет подмять себя. Выпустив запал, он становится мягким и податливым, послушным, а на Уильяма накатывает ощущение власти. Наркотик дурманит кровь, делает всемогущим. Имеющим право на все.Логан стонет под его руками. Уильям раздвигает его ноги, приподнимает бедра и входит одним движением. Логан шипит, вцепляется ногтями в его предплечья, пытаясь оттолкнуть, но Уильям держит его крепко и вбивается снова и снова. Пальцы на его руках обмякают, соскальзывают. Уильяму и самому больно, но в какой-то момент становится проще двигаться. Трезвой частью мозга он думает, что наверняка повредил Логана, но его новое, властное «я» отметает эту мысль. Этому человеку хочется причинить боль и доставить удовольствие. Поэтому он целует-кусает того в губы и ощущает ответное прикосновение зубов.— Я знал, — шепчет Логан потом. — Знал, что ты не святоша. Ты из нашей породы…Он говорит еще что-то, про то, что они станут хозяевами нового мира — «весь мир будет нашим парком», надо только подвинуть Форда и отца, но это почти сделано, Логан скоро возьмет правление в свои руки и разделит власть с Билли. Кажется, Логан упоминает сестру — Уильям и не знал, что у того есть сестра, но за поцелуями и ласками это забывается, теряется нить монолога.Утро совсем не похоже на ночь. Он просыпается в своей квартире, и сразу ищет рядом Логана, но рука проваливается в пустоту. Уильям в гостиной, на диване, на нем вчерашний костюм и плащ. В голове тонко-тонко стучат молоточки. Стоит добраться до холодильника и проглотить ледяной минералки, как стук отступает, в голове проясняется. И Уильям вспоминает прощальный поцелуй: легкое касание к щеке и шепот на ухо. «Мы будем богами нового мира». Логан пьян, поэтому Уильям почти не слушает его, только поддерживает, пока рука скользит в карман плаща.Вспомнив об этом, Уильям роется там и извлекает нацарапанную на чеке записку с номером. «Сестра Логана», — вспоминает он. Гениальный план Логана, как ввести Билли в семью. От этой мысли приступ тошноты возвращается. Уильям совсем не уверен, что готов предстать перед женщиной, с чьим братом он вчера был. Это немыслимо, невозможно и даже мерзко. Проще забыть.Но записка греет руку, клочок бумаги словно связующая нить между ними. Самый большой шанс в его жизни. Предложение, от которого не отказываются, а если отказываются — жалеют всю жизнь. Уильям смотрит на номер в раздумье и в конце концов кладет листок обратно в карман.Сейчас вспоминать тот момент, и все, что было после, гадко. Грязь подпольного клуба, сломанные куклы на арене, обман Майи («Это мой новый друг, сестренка, Уильям настоящий святой») — все это не вяжется с чистым образом и лицом Долорес. Она смотрит, ждет ответа. И Уильям уверен: она поймет или постарается понять.Но если он расскажет, как устроен внешний мир, и что он сам сделал, чтобы занять там достойное место, он словно впустит грязь в этот неидеальный, но неиспорченный мир. Здесь все так просто: вот белое, вот черное. Герои и злодеи. И сам Уильям твердо знает, кем хочет быть: не богом кукольного мира, а просто мужчиной рядом с этой женщиной.— Как-то так вышло, — отвечает он на невысказанный вопрос Долорес. И пытаясь оправдать не то Логана, не то себя, лжет: — Он не всегда был таким мудаком.Если не вспоминать прошлого, то его и не было. Можно все построить с нуля, быть кем захочешь. Это новый мир. Это новый шанс.
10802436
A Lullaby For The
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Haytham Kenway, Ratonhnhaké:ton | Connor", "Fandom": "Assassin's Creed - All Media Types", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by DopeDad", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-03T00:00:00", "words": "2,253", "Additional Tags": "Constructive Criticism Welcome, Not Beta Read, Hurt/Comfort, Burns, Until The Ribbon Breaks, Persia, Criticism Welcome", "Relationship": "Haytham Kenway/Ratonhnhaké:ton | Connor", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
The fire licked at his copper skin. His skin was slick with sweat, his body trying to cool itself. No matter how much he sweat, it was not enough. Blazing reds and blinding yellows singed the hair that dusted over the child's thin body. Amazingly, the mop of black hair that adorned his head was kept intact, although messy, knotted, and full of dirt.From the blase, his dark brown eyes could make out a capped figure, it's teeth glinting in the fires light. It stepped through the flames, it's clothes carrying some of the flame after it. The flames clung onto the cotton of his cape, burning the ends. The fires light made it's face legible. Haytham Kenway, an important man, stood over the boy. His boot clad foot stepped down on the boys sweltering leg, forcing a cry from his lips. His leg was already blistering. Sweat and other fluids burst from the burn, coating the bottom of Haytham's boot."Now, now," Haytham's voice purred, "There is no need for that."The boys eyes pricked with tears. The burning sensation on his skin, coupled with the pointed heal of his fathers boot was agonizing. He looked up at his father with hate filled eyes, his chest heaving as he tried to breath. His lungs could only fill with smoke. He coughed to try and clear the pollution from his lungs. With every gasp for air only made it worse.Haytham slowly removed his foot from his child's scolded skin, slowly bending down to pick up his nude body from the dirt covered ground. The boy cried out again in both fear and un-measurable pain. His strong hands clung to the material of Haytham's cloths. The pain was so great that he felt like he was ready to pass out.The older man carried his son away from the licking flames of the fallen building. He ignored the cries for help from the people. He was given one order, "Save our child." Haytham took the small boy to a nearby stream to cool the bubbling flesh of his legs and clear away the ash that clung to the child's sweaty skin. As the child's legs were submerged, his eyes rolled back, his body seizing at the sudden cold. His body kicked into over drive, trying to correct the sudden change in temperature. The small boy clung to his father, tears streaming down his sweaty cheeks. "That's it, I bet that feels better." Haytham cooed, trying to calm the fidgeting child.The child sobbed in a language that Haytham had only heard once before. The child's legs were shaking violently. The once golden-copper skin was now red, bubbled and torn. Haytham slowly pulled the boy out of the water and onto the grass covered bank. He looked into the child's eyes to be sure he was okay. He pulled off his cape, tenderly patting the burns dry. The child cried out, small fists pulled out the tall grass from it's roots. "Father!" His child cried. Haytham worked quickly to crudely bandage his son's legs, not wanting him to be in any pain longer than he needed to be.~*~Haytham had taken his son in, bringing him to live in the city and renaming him Connor. With his copper skin, he could pass for a Spaniard. Several years had passed since the fire had burned down Connor's village to the ground, and he had not yet returned. His father had pampered him, having numerous doctors try to treat his legs, with no success. His legs were permanently scolded. The bottoms of his feet were amazingly not burned as well as his large portions of his knees, with only licks of white discoloration that stretched down from his ankles and around the side of his knees. The rest of his legs, up to his mid thigh were red, white and bumpy. Thankfully, at the age of fourteen, it was no longer as painful, but sometimes the constant bending of his knees could sometimes be a challenge.It was late at night. The dark blue sky was illuminated with bright stars and a full moon, with storm clouds rolling in quickly in from the west. Connor, curious as ever, watched the sky from his bedroom window. He longed to go outside. He wanted to feel the eventual rain that would pat against his window pane against his skin, taste it on his tongue. He was hardly ever allowed to go outside. Haytham was... more than cautious with his son. He feared that he would be forced out of the city if someone was to see him or he would wander off and never return. He was also scared that he would be put into harms way and he would lose him.When Haytham had taken Connor in, he had never imagined that he would grow attached to his child. The first few weeks were the hardest. He was constantly at his side, helping him sit up, move around the home, use the washroom. Naturally he would have had to, he was only four when he had decided to take care of him.Haytham entered his child's bedroom, a candle guiding him through the halls. He had expected to see him fast asleep in his bed, the blankets pulled up to his chin, only to see him with his nose pressed against the cold glass, his breath fogging the glass, watching the thunder clouds roll in. The young teen smiled when he heard the familiar rumble of thunder and grew excited by the flash of lighting. He unlocked the window and leaned out, his hand reaching out to touch the cold droplets of water."Connor!" Haytham called, crossing the room quickly to pull the child back into the building. Connor glared, his lips curled in displeasure. "Never do that again!" Haytham fretted, touching his son's face to be sure he was alright."I just wanted to touch the rain..." He said softly."Why on Earth would you do something like that? Do you realize that you could have seriously injured yourself?" Haytham sighed, letting go of his son to close the window and draw the curtains shut. Connor only looked up from the corner of his sorrow filled eyes. "You need to get to sleep, your tutor will be here first thing in the morning."Connor nodded obediently. He crawled into his bed, pulling the blanket up to his chin. "Father...""Yes, Connor?""Sing to me?""You are much too old for that." Haytham said, kissing his son's forehead before leaving the room.Hours after he had fallen asleep, Haytham crept back to the entrance of his sons bedroom. His lips parted, singing softly. "It's still a whisper though a megaphone. It's not your volume, it's your tone. Those olive eyes are good enough to pick in winter time. So did I say too much, if that's my crime?"~*~Once Connor turned sixteen, Haytham allowed him freedom, with in reason. He could leave the house from the hours of nine am until twelve in the afternoon. Three hours of freedom. So much to do, so little time.Often, Connor would just wander. He liked to watch the people, walk to the outskirts of the city, smell the fresh air, see the peeping animals from the tree line. At times, he would lay in tall grass a short distance from the road so people could not see him.On one particular occasion, he was caught. A guard protecting a high-class lady had seen his dark hair in the tall grass. Connor watched the clouds, twisting the grass between his fingertips absent minded. The guard, did not care. The boy was too close to his ladies carriage for his liking. He promptly pulled the boy off of the ground, swinging at his face. His knuckles made contact with the tip of his cheek bone, knocking Connor onto the ground. He cupped his cheek to stop the stinging.Before the guard could hit him again, Connor took off running. His legs ached, his skin stretching in ways it never had before. Connor was surprised at how well he could run.By the time Connor returned home, his cheek and eye was bruised and swollen. Unfortunately, Haytham was already at the house, sitting in the living area, waiting for a very important guest. Once he heard the door open, his attention turned to Connor. His eyes widened and he launched himself to his son, cupping his chin to inspect the damage. He asked several questions, needing to know just who had harmed his son.Haytham had coddled Connor for the rest of the day. When his guest had arrived, he turned them away. The high-statues lady was turned away, and was highly disregarded once Haytham had learned that it was her guard who had attacked his son.Haytham had led Connor to bed, covering him with a thick blanket. Connor cuddled into the blankets. "Father?" He asked."Yes?""Sing to me."Haytham sighed, about to refuse. But... He hadn't sang to him in so long. What is the harm in singing one more time? "I will zip, shut my mouth, won't forget about you. Just one more whisper, to see me through. Let's hush, hush. So Persia if you like me, then what's the fuss?" Connor was asleep by the end of the first verse. Haytham smiled down weakly, brushing the boys long hair away from his face and kissed his forehead.~*~When he was eighteen, Connor and Haytham developed a new part to their relationship. Their connection was rather uncommon. The pair did not mind, only took care not to show such affections out in the public eye.Connor clung to the side off the tub as Haytham washed his legs. He hated when Haytham cleaned them. He was so gentle with his sensitive skin, but, it made him feel hot and uncomfortable, and the water didn't help the over overwhelmingly warm feeling. Even when dry, Haytham would touch any part of Connor's legs and he would blush. His heart would skip a beat with ever stroke of Haytham's hand as it brushed a soft cloth over the burns. He did not trust the Connor would wash them properly."Father, please, enough." The skin of his legs was beginning to sting."Almost finished, Connor." Haytham replied. He dropped the cloth, massaging his legs lightly, barely touching them."Father, it hurts." Connor whimpered. Haytham nodded softly, letting go of Connor's leg gently. He rose to grab a towel for the younger man to dry himself off. Connor pulled himself out of the tub. Droplets of heated water dripping down his toned body. He took the towel from his father and wrapped it around his hips. Connor entered their shared room, rummaging through their dresser to find something to sleep in. Haytham came behind him, wrapping his arms around the boys middle. His lips ghosting over Connor's shoulder. "Clothes won't be necessary." Connor could feel Haytham's lips curl into a smirk. He couldn't help but smile himself.The young man turned in his lovers arms. They stood chest to chest. Connor still had some growing to do, he was still a few inches shorter than Haytham. Connor reached up slightly to drape his arms around the man's shoulders."What are you waiting for," he purred in response. Haytham swiftly picked up the younger man and placed him on their bed. He sank right into the mattress. It was not large by any means, but, it was extremely comfortable.Haytham undressed himself quickly and pulled Connor's towel from around his his. He licked his lips slowly, drinking in the sight of his lover below him. Connor spread his legs apart, his arms pulled away from his torso, allowing Haytham to see everything. The older man lowered himself, hovering over Connor. His lips brushed the young mans."Are you prepared?" Haytham asked. Connor shook his head. "I'll be alright." He said, rocking his butt against Haytham's hardening length. Haytham nodded, a low hum in his throat. He eased himself in slowly, watching Connor's face for any sign of discomfort. He listened intently, only greeted with soft moans, urging him to go on.They moved together slowly, passionately. Their voices were low and quiet. Connor's moans and whimpers were for only Haytham, as were Haytham's to Connor.When they finished, they laid together. Connor's face pressed into the crook of Haytham's neck."Haytham, would you sing to me?""Oh, Persia, Persia, if I can't be your prince, then I whisper, I'd like to leave you in my fingerprints. Persia, Persia, I might not be the one. I will whisper, until you tell me we're done. Oh, Persia, oh no. Oh, Persia, oh no. Oh, Persia, oh no. True love, I saw a poster for it. Now you love, someone else had bought it. I tried to trade, offer my regrets. He said you have to give it all, and nothing less. I said I'd try for you, please let me try for you. And this is far beyond what I thought I'd ever do. Please let me try.Oh, Persia, Persia, if I can't be your prince, then I whisper, I'd like to leave you in my fingerprints. Persia, Persia, I might not be the one. I will whisper, until you tell me we're done. "Connor fell fast asleep, his soft breaths blowing against the older man's neck. That in itself was his own lullaby.
10853769
Anything for Megan
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Jim Ellison, Blair Sandburg, Megan Connor, Original Male Character(s)", "Fandom": "The Sentinel", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by PattRose", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-08T00:00:00", "words": "1,267", "Additional Tags": "Happy, One Big Happy Family, Friendship", "Relationship": "Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Anything for MeganBy PattRoseSummary: How is life going for Megan and Lucas? They are the new caretakers for A Family Affair and Jim wants them to be very happy. Warnings: Kidfic, Genre: SlashRating: GenWord Count: 1267A/N: Thank you to anyone that is still reading this series. You’re all the best. Happy Birthday, Finlaure. I’m know I’m late, but please forgive me.  Jim and Blair had to find a day care center to take the kids while they worked on A Family Affair. The new day care center at A Family Affair wasn’t open yet. Nothing was ready quite yet. Jim and Blair wanted everything to be perfect, but they especially wanted the place to look nice for Megan. She had worked her butt off getting everything done and looking perfect. And she never complained about the hours she had to put in, or missing out on spending quality time with Lucas. But then again, Lucas was just as wonderful as Megan was. Jim and Blair had gotten the best two people in the world for this project. The program was very lucky to have them in their corner. Jim looked around at the two bedroom house for Megan and Lucas and said, “Blair, I want this to be super nice for Megan. She’s giving up everything for us. And believe me, the salary isn’t that big a deal.”“Oh, I agree, man. This little house is super nice. The floors are beautiful, the curtains are all gorgeous, and the furniture is going to make her so happy. She’s not expecting us to do all this. She thinks that they’re going to have to do all of it when they move in. But after all, we would do anything for Megan.”“She’s coming over tonight to start moving things in and boy are they in for a surprise when they get here. I’m so happy for them. They have their own little place, they’re in charge of everyone here at night and they know they can call us anytime for anything. She’s especially going to love the washer and dryer in her house. That way she doesn’t have to use one of the machines in the laundry shed. Thankfully all these people moving in next week will have a place to live, to do laundry and to take their children while they look for work. This is a great program, Blair. I couldn’t be happier about it.”At that moment, Jim heard them drive up in the driveway. “Oh-oh, Megan and Lucas are already here. I hope they are okay with everything we did.”Blair smiled. “She’ll love anything we did for her because she loves us, Jim.”She opened the door and said, “Oh, I thought you guys would be home with the kids tonight. Whoa, Lucas look at this house. It’s beautiful. Jim and Blair you are such stinkers telling us that we couldn’t come until some mold work was taken care of. I take it, there was never any mold issues?”Lucas looked around and said, “It’s gorgeous, Jim and Blair. You did a really good job. Thank you. WE thought we would have tons of work to do tonight when we got here. Now it looks like we just need to move in. This is great.”Jim asked, “Would you like help bringing things in?”Megan laughed and replied, “No. Get out of here. Your children are waiting for you. We’ll get everything moved in tonight. Is the phone hooked up?”“The phone is hooked up. And tomorrow on your day off, you are going to meet with Betsy for the front office and Olivia for the day care program. They both need keys to their places and they can move in anytime now. The keys are in the basket by the telephone,” Jim answered. “When are families going to start moving in?” Lucas asked. “They will be calling Betsy for interviews and it’s up to her and Megan to decide who stays and who doesn’t. This next week is going to be busier than hell,” Blair pointed out. “We’re going to head home to our kiddo’s. My dad has had them since 3:00 today. He’s probably tired. He insisted on picking them up while we finished your place. My dad is crazy about the two of you and wanted to do his part. We’ll bring Cooper and Carley over in the next four days to see how things are going,” Jim said sweetly. Megan hugged him and said, “Thank you for everything.”And not to leave Blair out, she hugged him next. “You two are the best friends ever.”Then Lucas shook hands with both of them and walked them out to their SUV and wished them well. * “Do you believe how much they did to this house?” Lucas asked.“It looks brand new. And I never would have dreamed that we would have our very own washer and dryer. I’m so excited about that. The house looks great. Let’s move our things in and get settled in the big bed in the bedroom. It looks super comfy,” Megan gushed. “I can’t wait to spend our first day in our new home. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited. And why didn’t you bring it up that they are paying us way too much for just keeping an eye on things at night? I thought you were going to talk to Jim about that.”“Lucas, I saw the house and it went to my head. I’ll talk to them later, although I already know that he’s going to say that it’s a set amount and there is no discussion. He’s very stubborn.”“Takes one to know one, Megan.” They both laughed and went out to start bringing their clothing and small items before they tackled the bigger items. Before long, the truck was empty and they were busy putting things away. As the night went on, they could see the house becoming theirs. It had their own touch here and there. Lucas kept saying how much he loved the house and Megan was thrilled about it. And if they decided on having a child someday, they had a nice spare bedroom for that. Before long, they ate something for dinner and put their dishes in the dishwasher and got ready for bed. It had been a long night. Megan couldn’t wait for the next day dealing with Betsy and Olivia. Both Megan and Lucas fell asleep quickly anxiously awaiting the new day. * Jim was lying in bed next to Blair and asked, “Do you really think Lucas and Megan loved the house as much as they said?”“Megan would tell us exactly how she felt if she didn’t like something. So I would say she loved it.”“Thanks, Chief. I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t pushing my taste onto her.”“Before I forget, your dad isn’t going to pick up the kids from day care tomorrow. He looked exhausted tonight. There is no way we’re going to take advantage of him like that.” “I agree, he did look tired. We’ll take them with us tomorrow to see how Megan did with the ladies for the jobs. It’s all going to work out great. I knew it would,” Jim stated. “You did not. You’ve been worrying since day one. But there was no need. It’s all coming together. Megan will have that place running so smooth we won’t need to worry about anything. I just love her.”“I do too, Blair. I do too.”
10873536
The Scent of Petrichor
{ "Archive Warning": null, "Category": null, "Characters": "Original Characters, Original Non-Binary Character, Original Male Character(s)", "Fandom": "Original Work", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by LycanDelta", "chapters": "4/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-10T00:00:00", "words": "7,233", "Additional Tags": "Disease, Inspired by Dangan Ronpa 1, dr1, High School, Arts High School, AU, Alternate Universe - Future, Future, Zombie Apocalypse, I just can't seem to get as many readers as I'd like, SO, eh, nonbinary, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Protagonist, PoC, POC Protagonist, Slow Build, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Violence, Like, Somebody gets their head beat in with a can of soda, I had to do research on that, Aftermath of Violence, Implied Sexual Content, Murder, ??? I don't know if it counts here in chapter 2, but we'll see, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, feel free to suggest tags I haven't thought of yet, Trans Character, dfab protagonist, Shower Sex, Locker Room Sex", "Relationship": "Original Non-Binary Character/Original Male Character", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": "Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage Sex", "Categories": "Multi, Other", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Petrichornoun/ˈpeˌtrīkôr/ -a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.  Today's run to the vending machine at the end of the hall had nearly ended them. Again. It had been a week since they'd had any classes, and 3 days since the full lockdown, since things got bad. Bad. Frankly, Petrichor wasn't sure it could get much worse. Everybody had been at each others' throats. Staff, students, didn't matter. Everybody was ready to put a knife into the back of anybody. Of course, every time Petrichor grumbled about how bad everything had become, Isidore always chided her. Like they hadn't just almost died for a few protein bars and Lipton teas. "We're just stuck in the dormitories. Imagine the chaos in any of the actual school wings! The only place I can imagine that'd be even relatively safe would be the library, maybe a few of the labs," He'd chuckle. As much as Petrichor couldn't help but wince at how lightly he seemed to be taking this, this being the end of the world it seemed, Isidore's positive outlook kept it from getting much worse. He had a point as well. The school and dormitories were connected, but the school had several segments, wings so to speak. The Literary Wing, the Art Wing, the Science Wing, the Tech Wing, the Physical Wing (or Health Wing, depending on who you asked) and the Performance Wing. Akin to a college, every student had a major. Some had a secondary major, but for most, they had only one. Petrichor belonged to the Science Wing (of which they missed dearly) and spent a bit of time in the Literary Wing (only for the library.). Far as Petrichor knew, Isidore was part of the Literary Wing. They couldn't remember Isidore's particular specialty, but apparently he was fluent in at least 3 languages. For the past few hours, Petrichor had been boarded up with Isidore and a few others in a segment of the Dorms. A teacher (who they were all nearly certain was infected) had been prowling the hall. Making sure they weren't leaving their rooms, wandering. Miss Ralston was her name and she had been one of the sweetest people who worked in the Dorms. Had been. She'd grown so awfully predatory, a far cry from her normal benevolent self, and a few people were quite sure they'd seen her...foaming. At the mouth. Like a rabid animal. They weren't sure where the other teachers who watched the dorms were. Maybe they each watched over their own section? "Like predators, divvying up their territory," Petrichor had remarked, which earned them a pinch from Isidore, and a subtle whimper from the other two in the room. "Well, none of the Health Wing seniors that had checked on us before are back I think," said a Performance Wing student. She was a mousy thing, Freshman, and she hardly broke 5 feet in height. Her voice however, didn't show any sign of weakness. She seemed disappointed at best, worried at worst. "You don't suppose...one of the teachers snapped, do you?" another Freshman piped up. This one was a darker boy, and Petrichor vaguely recognized him, he was a Tech Wing kid. He was definitely quivering a bit, and he seemingly made no effort to hide this. It was true, that rumors were circulating that a security guard had snapped, smashed a kid's head in, but they had no proof. They weren't sure. Everything about all of this was unsure. Isidore was distributing the haul the duo had gathered. Petrichor was curled up in the corner of the large room, assessing the situation, and the mood. It was cheery overtones, though only because of Isidore. Otherwise, there was nothing but grim undertones. He was doing his best to keep the two Freshmen from growing too melancholy. Petri snorted as they recalled one of Isidore's remarks about the importance about troop morale in various wars throughout history. "Hey, Petri. You wanna do a quick hall check? You're the quietest," Isidore chirped. Petrichor had gotten so wrapped up in thought, recalling all the interesting, fact filled conversations they'd had with Isidore in the past. And of course, it was 4. Every hour, on the hour, one of them was to scan the halls, and report to Petri in detail, that is, if Petri wasn't doing the scouting. All this, for the purpose of recording possible symptoms, changes in Ralston's behavior, like any good doctor. Nobody had been killed, that they knew of for sure. For this, everybody was grateful, but there was almost no doubt at this point that the risk was very real. "You know I never want to. But yeah, 's about that time huh?" Petri scoffed, scooting off the twin size bed and going to the door. Their room had already come up with a procedure for their observational hall checks, and Petri went down the line as they leaned their ear against the door.Listen for 30 seconds. If you hear somebody nearby, get away from the door. Petrichor did so, there was a faint commotion. It was nearly close enough to them to be of concern. Nearly. With a begrudging sigh, they slipped their fingers around the handle, slowly, God so painfully slow! As with every time, the room was dead silent, everybody's hearts beating in their throats'.  Peek outside the door. If you don't see anything, then slowly and quietly open the door further, until it's open all the way, or until you see Ralston. Remember to keep your body close to the door, so you can slam and lock it.  So Petri did. Nobody at first, but God dammit if that's blood on the wall over there... Further, still nobody. The commotion was easier to hear though. It certainly wasn't positive commotion, but it still wasn't close enough to raise any alarms. Petri kept going, until the door was finally opened fully. They stepped out from behind the door, looked around it to see down the other side of the hall and yeah that is probably blood. But there were no people visible who it belonged to. It wasn't a terrible amount either, just a few dark crimson splotches, like a nosebleed unattended. Against eggshell tiles and ochre walls, it was still noticeable. Petri popped back into the room, giving an O-K signal to the others. Isidore responded with a nod, and slid off the middle bed, softly creeping over to join Petri by the door, while the Freshmen were curled up on the side of the leftmost bed, cowering just a bit. The Performance Wing student was protectively curled around the quivering Tech Wing (though being significantly smaller than the Techie) and humming something that was probably from a musical. Isidore turned to the little ones quickly, stage whispering while Petri kept lookout on the now wide open door and hallway, "Alright kids, me and cousin Petri are gonna go check things out again. Stay here, behave, use protection, uh...etcetera. Don't open the door unless it's us. Got it? Good." Without hesitation, he shoved Petri forward a little, forcing a small yelp from them, which in turn, earned Isidore a sharp elbow. He snickered a bit, as Petri rolled their eyes and cautiously began moving out into the hall, eyes darting back and forth. "So, Doctor Arden, where to? I'm rather tempted to follow the blood or go towards all that yelling myself, but if you don't have the guts to go investigate, I suppose we can make this another supply run," Petri hissed a little to get him to lower his voice, sighing after. "Well, Mister Najem, if you're willing to take the lead, I suppose I'm feeling adventurous. Better you're doing this with me instead of going alone. No way am I going to let you leave me to take care of the Freshmen. I may be a doctor but that sure as hell doesn't mean I like people," Petrichor responded, stepping aside so Isidore could get by, then kneeling to investigate the blood closer, trying to figure out what direction they had been heading based on the way it splattered. Isidore left Petri to intensely glare at the drops of blood for a moment as he pulled his hair back. He noted it was a bit greasy, and he was probably due for a shower. Maybe instead of putting both his, and Petrichor's lives on the line, he should just try to sneak to the showers. He paused to think about it for a moment, playing with his hair. Nah. He leaned against the wall, humming classical music while he ran his fingers through his somewhat tangled hair. He could probably wash it in the sink in their room.After about 5 minutes of them whispering to themselves, Petrichor finally stood up, turning to Isidore. "They were heading to the right. Do you still wanna follow it? I have a weird feeling that perhaps our... stuck pig is connected to the commotion from earlier," They mused, a bit of a pleased purr. Isidore couldn't help but note that Petri was no longer as nervous as they had been before. "I would absolutely love to investigate, alongside you at that, Doctor Arden," he laughed, putting a hand on Petri's shoulder that caused their face to heat up a bit, "Now, where do think the nearest broom closet is?" ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- It was 5. One hour since Petrichor and Isidore had left the room, 45 minutes since they'd left the hallway right outside their room. One hour. 45 minutes.And there was already a corpse. They had already found a corpse. Not even all that far from their room either, just in a small alcove with 2 chairs and a vending machine.Isidore had nearly puked on sight, and Petri was certainly feeling a bit queasy. The duo was just glad that the killer wasn't around, (seemingly) so Petri dared to near the battered body."Hey uh...Petri...I think I'm gonna hang back, you know, make sure we don't...end up the same," Isidore managed to spit out. He wasn't so cheerful now, and Petri would've been somewhat pleased to see him knocked down a peg, if it weren't for the cadaver splayed out before them. "That's fine. I understand. I'm a medic and even this is...making me squeamish," They grumbled, pulling out a basic medical kit, sliding on latex gloves. "Do you think I should perform some sort of autopsy, Izzy?"        Isidore gave a shrug. He was leaning on the wall, staring at the nearest patch of clean floor. Petrichor sighed, and kneeled in front of the corpse. They were used to studying the living exclusively, but they had studied the concepts of forensics, and pathology. They knew that they weren't going to have to cut the person; one of the Physical Wing Seniors that had checked on them earlier, open. The cause of death was more than obvious.         A dented and bloodied large can of Sprite was on the floor nearby. The senior's skull, near the temple, was cracked. The temple was the weakest part of the skull, so Petrichor could only hypothesize that somebody either very strong or very angry beat them senseless with a can of soda. Wild, really. Carefully, ever so carefully, Petrichor tilted the senior's head to the side to get a better look at the wound, and the scent of metal was nearly overwhelming. There was a vast difference between reading about human anatomy, and practicing on dummies, but this? This was...beyond anything Petrichor imagined that they would have to do. Especially at 16. After a good ten seconds of manhandling the lukewarm...meat, bone, Petri couldn't take it any longer. They stood up, turned to Isidore, and sighed. He needed to bear witness to this, or at least know the details."I assume our...culprit used the corner of the can to do this, holding it like a knife. Blunt force trauma caused the temple portion of the Senior's skull to fracture. The temporal lobe is assumedly the most injured part of the brain, but bleeding on the brain was most likely the cause of death. I think the pieces of the skull jabbed into the temporal lobe, Isidore. I...just wanted to make sure you understood what happened here," They spoke, matter-of-factly, and they were tempted to add a rather selfish "I don't want to deal with this alone..." as their true reasoning for sharing this morbid information. Isidore grunted in acknowledgement, letting Petrichor know he heard.Petri then stood up, moving away to investigate the can. They had to swallow bile that threatened to come back up, they absolutely couldn't vomit in front of Isidore. Partially, because he was attractive (and perhaps Petrichor in turn, found themselves attracted to this naively positive boy) and partially, because they wanted to make sure Izzy didn't vomit. They weren't strong enough to haul them back if they got sick. Petrichor was correct about the corner of the can being used. The top rim was bent, dented, and covered with blood. It looked like it wouldn't take much more effort to get the can to splinter, shatter, or explode otherwise. Petri gulped a bit, and looked around for signs of a struggle. They really didn't want to believe any of the school staff did this. Hell, they didn't want to believe that there was a dead person in the room at all! "But sometimes, life just doesn't work like that, huh?"  They thought to themselves as they got back up, keen eyes scanning the walls as they removed the bloodied gloves, throwing them away in a trash can. The first thing noticeable about the area was a fresh crack in the wall, somebody had been smashed up against the wall. Just by eyeballing it, the person was about the same height as the senior. They must've been the wall-smashing victim. The next most noticeable thing...was the cracked glass of the vending machine. Somebody was probably slammed against it. Probably the now deceased Senior. The biggest question that Petrichor had still was who? What teacher (or possibly student) could have done this and why?Well, from the perspective of somebody infected with that awful disease, (most called it Necro Rabies) they'd be driven to attack people to spread the...disease. Oh no. Petrichor realized this a bit slowly, hadn't they? They quickly scanned themselves for any blood, anything that could've caused them to get infected too, and then the body once more. He didn't seem to have any bites, or scratches... Better safe than sorry. "Isidore. We...We need to go. ASAP. Don't touch your eyes, nose, ears, mouth, face, whatever, just, no hands in your orifices! Come on we need to go, now," They began to ramble, grabbing Izzy's hand before beginning to drag him back in the direction of the room. "Whoa, wait now, shouldn't we grab some food? Did you see a teacher or something? Petri! Come on I'm serious this isn't cool, let go," He hissed, trying to pull away. Petrichor was still babbling about him not touching anything, trying to drag him away, until finally Petri managed to choke out something, voice raised and trembling with concern."The disease! The Necro Rabies! The body could have it and they fought and it's here and... and..." With that, Isidore went wide-eyed. Now, he understood. He nodded, letting Petri drag him along. They moved quick, though Petrichor was still shaking, and was clumsy, knocking into things and generally making noise. Not too much, but God how much louder everything always was when you were trying to be quiet...This was fine and well.  For a while. "YOU ARE ON LOCKDOWN. YOU SHOULD NOT BE OUT OF YOUR ROOM AND YOU SHOULD NOT BE TOUCHING THINGS THAT DO NOT BELONG TO YOU!"Her voice was distant, but it wasn't distant enough. It made Petrichor squeak and drop to their knees, caught only by Isidore, who flinched. Isidore quickly recovered and looked around, only to find that nobody was in sight. He hastily pulled Petrichor back up, who was sort of shellshocked. They dug their nails into Isidore, who began to drag them along. They could hear hard, clicking footsteps drawing closer by the second. Not a run, but definitely walking fast, predatory in nature. The closer the footsteps got, the harder Petrichor began to breath, the more Isidore had to hold them up. Petrichor was almost literally falling apart in his arms."Come on Petri...Don't let me down now, I don't want to lose you..." He hissed softly, which caused Petrichor to gulp air loudly, and grab onto Isidore tightly, before rooting themselves to the floor for a moment, then steeling themselves. They looked to Isidore, nodding. Wordlessly agreeing. They still shook like an earthquake, but now they moved faster, more efficient now that they were in some sort of sync and it was starting to seem likely that they would make it out of this unscathed. Until they heard a howling scream. Miss Ralston now blocked the way and she was seething. Foam poured from between her bitten up and chapped lips. This caused Petrichor to begin crying noiselessly, but this did not deter Isidore (not externally at the very least.).  He grabbed Petrichor, moving back cautiously. "Stay...behind me," He managed to gasp. He protectively stood in front of Petrichor, who dropped to their knees, overwhelmed in this moment, aghast with the unbelievable horror. They were on the ground, wheezing and dry heaving. Miss Ralston turned her awful gaze onto the pair, and somehow, somewhere, she had acquired a metal chair leg. It looked like it had been pried off by her raw anger, one end of it jagged. Isidore tried to take his attention away from Petrichor pitifully writhing on the ground, and onto Ralston. This was fight or flight, and there was almost no way they could both make it out alive if they ran. The options were clear.Fight, or flee. Flee and abandon Petrichor. Leave Petrichor to the monster, leave them to become infected. Or, fight. Fight and die. So that Petrichor can escape. Petrichor wasn't any good under pressure, but they were a medic. Sure, everybody had to take health and all, but there were little to no other medical specialists save for Petrichor. For the sake of the Freshmen, and for the student body as a whole, he had a sort of obligation, didn't he? What good would a historian like himself be right now?He had decided. He knew what he was going to do and just in the nick of time at that. Ralston was screaming incomprehensibly, in a strange mixture of Welsh and English, garbled. She wielded the chair leg and began to stomp closer, closing the distance slowly. Fight or flight...Could Isidore really rely on himself not to back down? He wasn't sure, he hadn't had his medicine in 3 days now, and he was an anxious mess behind his naive facade. The facade that was more for him than anybody else.Out of nowhere, Ralston lunged, jagged end of the chair first. Isidore didn't know what to do, and at this point was guided by his instincts. Flight."I'm so sorry Petrichor..." he whispered to himself as he rolled out of the way, leaving Petrichor the only one in Ralston's attack radius. Like any good predator, she saw an opening and took it. Petrichor barely managed to skitter out of the way in time. They moved on the floor like a lizard. This is how they would die, not gracefully, not heroically, but pitifully. Dry heaving, sobbing. Prey, cornered. Isidore found himself entranced in the show, a morbid curiosity of sorts. He was paralyzed on the floor a few feet away.Ralston growled, raising the chair leg like a stake. And Petrichor's instincts took control. "I will not die like this."Petrichor had been digging through their med kit they kept in their pocket. There were supplies all over the ground in front of them, but they had pulled out a scalpel. It was better than nothing... And so, with all the strength Petrichor had, they got to their feet hastily, abandoning the rest of the med kit on the ground. They wielded the scalpel, huffing, tears blinding them. Ralston began stomping towards Petrichor, cursing under her breath. She seemed fatigued already. Petrichor glared daggers into her exposed neck. The artery, pumping hard enough for them to see, was exposed, and an easy target. Without hesitation...Petrichor rushed Ralston, while Isidore, having caught wind of some sort of plan, did the same. He grabbed her arms, while Petrichor stumbled back as she attempted to lunge, albeit unsuccessfully due to Isidore. With not even a moment of doubt, Petrichor took the opportunity, and sunk the scalpel into an artery, hopefully deep enough to puncture the veins beneath too. Like a grotesque oil well, blood sprayed from the wound, causing Petrichor to yelp and jump back, and it caused Isidore to drop her in a heartbeat. For a moment, they just stood there. Watched the blood pool. She didn't move. She didn't die instantly though, so perhaps, she just gave up. Eventually, Isidore looked up to Petrichor, who's eyes were still clouded with tears, filled with shock."You've uh...got...good accuracy with a blade so small," He managed to cough out, eventually. Petrichor nodded a little, gulping. They looked at their hands, and the scalpel, and began to let out choking sobs."What...have I done? Oh my god...I've killed. What kind of monster...Isidore....Oh God," They rambled, and they stumbled back, falling onto their behind as they threw the scalpel across the room. They held their left hand away, as though it were cursed now for having sliced the artery. They began to curl up on the floor, and all Isidore could do was watch helplessly. He felt the same. He was an accomplice to this, after all. "Petri...Let's...uh, let's go. Go to the showers. We need to clean ourselves up. You can shower first and I'll keep watch so...Let's go. Come on," He muttered. He tried to be as encouraging as possible, pulling Petrichor back to their feet. They sniffled softly, nodded, and leaned into Isidore, head hung. "Th...Thank you.""Of course Petri...We're in this together. Okay?" Petrichor nodded, slinging their clean arm around Isidore. Together, they quietly began making their way to the showers. The two were in this together now. As they made their way to the showers, Isidore stopped by a few dorms to let them know Ralston was...gone. There was a solemn rejoice as they were no longer entirely trapped. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- 2 days ago, together, they killed Ralston. Apparently Ralston just patrolled the couple of halls near the showers and baths. But, this more or less freed everybody who was under her watch. However, Petrichor couldn't rid themselves of the guilt that consumed them."I used my knowledge of the human body and its weaknesses for bad...I murdered a sick person, Isidore and I'll never forgive myself, no matter what the consequences would've been otherwise," They whimpered.        Everybody who could congregated in and around the shower locker rooms in the dead of night, even those still being watched by teachers from afar. More or less, it was just the kids who resided in the dorms near Ralston, and a few "delegates" sent by the kids still trapped by other staff members who were infected. Isidore had put Petrichor to the task of informing the others on the Necro Rabies virus (with what little info they had) and how to keep from catching it. Anything to keep their mind off what they had done.         It didn't help much though, as people kept congratulating Petrichor on the kill, treating them like a hero. Of course, this only caused Petrichor to snap at them, eyes glassing over with tears each time and their voice threatening to break. After the third or fourth time, people caught on due to Petrichor's unstable and ornery aura. They knew better now.         After a sort of congregation, discussion on what to do about the other vicious infected staff members, discussion on the best places to attack a human being (much to Petri's chagrin) and plans on what to do about the already limited supplies. They all planned to loot the dorm vending machines, killing as necessary. "Allow me to emphasize the word necessary..." Petrichor growled when the subject was brought up. Everybody had now more or less, developed a sort of fearful respect for Petrichor. They were the medic, but their capability with knives and other sharp tools was not to be doubted. For the rest of the evening and into the very earliest hours of morning, they stayed there. It wasn't until 2 am that nearly everybody had cleared out. Tomorrow they would meet at 10 pm to go foraging, in parties.         Eventually, it was just Petrichor, Isidore, and the two freshmen from their rooms, Millie and Edison. Petrichor and Isidore still hadn't gotten to shower yet, they passed some people, speaking to them and they ended up being wrapped up in this impromptu meeting."Hey, are you two gonna get showers now? If so, Eddy and I can keep watch for a half hour or so, make sure no staff members bust in on you two," squeaked Millie. She had a presence despite being so small. Not obnoxiously loud, but she certainly didn't let her size stop her, nor did she let exhaustion. "I can't speak for Petri, but I know that I'd appreciate it," Isidore sighed, giving her a grateful smile and pat on the head, not so demeaning as it was fatigue making it harder to show gratitude. Petrichor nodded quietly in agreement, sitting on the floor and leaning against a locker room bench. With that, Millie and Edison took their leave, and after hours of being crowded and filled with stress and teenagers, it was empty save for Petri and Isidore. There was still an awful tension lingering though, that Petrichor obviously had no intention of defusing. This lasted a few minutes while Isidore searched for his locker, searching for showering supplies and his spare pair of underwear he kept here."You can go first, and I can just sit in this area. If you uh, don't want me seeing you undressed or anything," He eventually coughed, not entirely sure of how comfortable Petrichor was with being around others bare, due to them not having talked terribly much, before all of this."I'm fine. If it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother me. I can use a private shower stall if you're bothered or whatever," They grunted, standing finally to start undressing out of more or less, the blue. Isidore had to force himself to look away. No matter Petrichor's assigned sex, he was a gentleman. His curiosity could wait until Petri cared to tell him, which could easily be never. "No, no it's fine by me. I just wanted to be polite is all," This caused Petrichor to chuckle, at which Isidore feigned offense, "What? You think I'm that type of guy? I'm insulted." "No, I just took you as the modest type. I was worried about you more than me. Frankly though, I'm a medic so I kinda have to study the human body, you know, that thing under your clothes and disgusting optimism. In vast details at that. Also, I've never been so much the modest type about my body, 's just skin and all," They snickered a bit more, continuing to undress. By now, they were sitting just behind Isidore, in boxers and a chest binder. "Well, I have nothing to hide, Doctor Arden. Hell, I may as well ask for a medical evaluation while we're here," He laughed pulling supplies out of his locker and turning around. He jumped a little when he saw how close Petrichor had gotten, they moved more quietly than he thought, which caused Petri to snort a bit in amusement. "Alright, come here, undress to your underwear and I'll check up on you. It's easier for me to find broken ribs this way," Isidore sputtered a bit before beginning to take off his shirt, " Oh uh, didn't think you would actually...I mean I was sorta kidding but hey, may as well, right?""You don't have to. If you want to walk around with broken ribs you can. I just wanted to be polite is all," Petri mocked, standing up to squirm out of their chest binder. Once again, Isidore made sure not to stare, though curiosity about the chest binder more than their chest burned. He'd rather not risk his glance be misinterpreted. Though, it couldn't really be helped when Petri massaged their chest with a relaxed sigh, muttering something under their breath, and it definitely made Isidore turn a bit red."Are...you sure you don't want me to leave? Like, leave leave? I can wait outside with Mill and Eddy, shower tomorrow or something," Isidore jabbered, gathering his stuff in his arms, ready to leave in a heartbeat. If they were going to be stuck in close quarters, he'd much rather it not be awkward."Dude. I've had my binder on all day, I'm just making sure my ribs aren't cracking or anything, it's cool okay?""Didn't know your ribs were in your breast""Okay, well when you wear a chest binder, your tits hurt too but pardon me for trying to be subtle," Petri bluntly put it. They shot Isidore a look, huffing a bit and standing up."Grabbing your chest and making suggestive noises isn't what I'd call subtle," Isidore's words only made Petrichor angrier."Well, then you're free to leave!""I'd much rather not.""Then don't complain!""Okay...uh, sorry," At this point, Isidore just wanted to end the conversation. It would've been best to not have said anything, he realized. Petrichor grunted with annoyance before moving beside Isidore to get to their shower locker, getting their stuff out. Isidore noted for a moment that they had a preference for Old Spice, before they slammed the door, readjusting and testing the lock on it.  "You're still staring? I thought you were getting a shower.""I am, uh sorry. I did get sorta caught up in staring, b-but off into space, not uh, at you. Also, at your shampoo and stuff. I've never...really used Old Spice. Is it good?"Petrichor couldn't help but burst into giggles due to the way Isidore's composure dissolved. He always tried to play the cool guy, but he was just too genuine for it. This only embarrassed Isidore further."God, I can't even stay mad at you for my own good. Kinda like how you can't seem to be the apathetic cool dude even if you'd die otherwise. Heh...You wanna borrow my Old Spice? This stuff is based off wolves or whatever, smells pretty fruity too," They remarked. Isidore lightly laughed, even redder than before, if it were even possible. At least they weren't still mad, right? Isidore nodded a little, and Petri tossed him a red and black drawstring bag, then got up and walked towards the showers. Isidore was unsure about following, but he'd been taking risks all day. All week, really.What harm could one more be? ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Neither of them is quite sure how they got here, soaked and slippery, kissing in the corner of the showers, in the early hours of the AM. It was messy, uncoordinated, and Isidore especially, was unsure how to take it all any further. Except Petrichor quite remembers how this escalated so far; with Isidore's occasional glances, to which they asked him if he wanted to help them wash up. Petrichor still was unsure if it was a mistake or not, because the tension just kept building. Petrichor couldn't hardly keep their eyes of Isidore's oddly athletic build, and Isidore had trouble keeping his eyes from wandering Petrichor's slender body. It really was rather neutral looking, if they had their arms above their head, and their legs closed. Next thing the two knew, they found each other on their lips, messy and not in the sexy way. More in the way most teenagers were, unexperienced, fumbling, just doing their best to imitate what the kids did in the media, and in the porn they all undoubtedly snuck. This was all of course, to little avail, though Petrichor was both surprised and comforted by how unexperienced Isidore seemed. He was after all, attractive. His personality wasn't half bad either, from what Petrichor had witnessed these past few days. Wouldn't he have at least some background on the art of kissing, even if he was a virgin? Or...could he just be this bad? It was a bit of both for Isidore. Sure, he'd been kissed before, but he'd never been one to initiate. He wasn't sure which one of them initiated this. It just...happened. Like in the movies, but a lot less sexy, and a lot more of them trying not to fall in the showers and get found dead, naked, on top of each other. It was also a lot more of Isidore being confused, because he hadn't really known what procedures you should take with a nonbinary partner like this. Sort of how one should be sensitive with a transgender partner, was this the same thing? Well, given how handsy and reckless Petrichor had become, he supposed not. That, or it depended on whether or not your partner in question is Petrichor Arden. There probably wasn't enough communication between the two, they just went with their instincts, going off what they'd gauged from the other's reaction. This resulted in Petrichor sitting on the wet, well kept white tiling, leaned against the wall, with Isidore sitting across from them on his knees, gently fondling their aching chest. Petrichor responded with labored breathing, face to the ceiling, eyes closed as their arm shield them from the too-bright florescent lights of the showers. Isidore needed to say something, break the silence, make sure they weren't messing up or doing this against Petri's will... "H-How does that feel?" His voice came out lower than he expected, almost a growl that could be barely heard above the pounding water. Petrichor responded with a nod, chest heaving and back arching a bit, trying to move closer somehow. The position was awkward, Petrichor's legs spread suggestively, stretched out a bit too, with Isidore on his knees between them, hunched forward because he didn't want to move in any closer, lest he mess up, something of his brushing something of their's and ending this peculiarly pleasant encounter in a heartbeat, nipping the rose bud before it got to bloom. Isidore kept going, thumbs tracing circles across delicate epicenters on Petrichor's chest, and it seemed to take all of their will not to make anymore noise beyond pleased grunts. This went on, Petrichor only growing more tender, until they couldn't take it anymore, they'd already been brought to panting by then. Their skin was too hot, too tight, they just wanted to slice open their belly to relieve the pressure, but they couldn't so they settled for ungracefully throwing Isidore's hands off their chest, much to his surprise. They pushed themselves off the wall,and into Isidore's lap, arms slung carelessly around him as Petrichor sought for tender flesh in his neck to bury their teeth into, with some success it seemed. Isidore yelped in surprise, his hand moving into Petrichor's hair, while they awkwardly ground themselves against his leg, desperate for stimulation however they could find it. Petrichor was using the vulnerable flesh of Isidore's neck to muffle the noises they made, while they struggled to get in enough air quick enough through their nose, they didn't want to let go of the other. Isidore's interest in it all was rather visible, and every now and again, Petrichor's slim, slick stomach would brush against his tip, causing him to buck his hips, because God he suddenly felt deprived and needy and what he was getting wasn't enough, and it took all of his strength to keep from pushing Petrichor off entirely so that he could tend to himself. But, he settled for pushing them away from his now raw throat, leaving them gasping for breath. "F-Fuck, hold on a second..." His voice was gravelly as he spoke, and Petrichor immediately slid their fingers into Isidore's inky shoulder length hair, their eyes hazy from a lot of things, exhaustion most likely being one of them, among others. Petrichor's legs clamped around one of this, shaking a bit as they tried to keep themselves still. For a moment, the two just sat, tangled up in each other, trying to catch their breath. "Wh-what is it?" Petrichor muttered in annoyance, thighs squeezing around one of Isidore's. "I just needed a sec...This is all happening kinda fast you know...," he managed to gasp. The realization hit Petrichor like a bullet, and they looked away guiltily. "Not that it's a bad thing... I just...wanted to make sure we're still on the same page here." He gave them a shaky grin, fingers stroking their back to reassure them. They nodded, readjusting themselves to completely straddle Isidore, hands running along all the bite marks they left on his neck. "Could use a bit of...stimulation myself though." He let out a choked laugh, as Petrichor moved in even closer, gasping a bit as their clit brushed a bit against Isidore. "L-Like this?" Isidore nodded, burying their face into Petrichor's neck to reciprocate the biting from before, causing the other to yelp a bit, legs clenching around Isidore, which caused Isidore to bite harder. A cycle of affection, that continued with growing volume, until the leg clenching became hips bucking, and that continued until the sound of pounding water was almost drowned entirely, by heaving breaths and moans. There were fingers tangled in Isidore's hair, pulling a little bit as the owner rocked their hips. Every now and then, a word would form from the noises, mostly curses, or one of them urging the other on, more, more. It was graceless, and sloppy, and without a doubt, satisfying, but not enough so to apex. It kept both of them just on the edge, until one of them made realization of this, pulling away for a moment. "H-Here...Let me...B-better position," Isidore's voice was rough and spent. Petrichor nodded and crawled off, and it was in that moment, Isidore realized he didn't have anything in mind that was any better, or was simply in the question rather than out of it. His hand idly stroked himself, causing Petrichor to catch his attention again with a noise of annoyance. He gulped, nodded, and his mind flipped through all the smut that came to mind, as he tried to think of something, anything. Eventually, he just moved to sit on his knees in front of Petrichor, reaching between their legs to rub them, and on a hunch, they reached forward to reciprocate. It didn't take long before they ended up moving closer, tangling in each other's limbs, kissing and groping and grinding, whatever their instincts yearned for, they satisfied best they could in a heartbeat. Eventually, out of nowhere, Petrichor tensed up, legs wrapped around Isidore and their hips were bucking wildly, breath catching in their throat as they tried to spur him on without words. Luckily, he got the memo, and rubbed their clit to a faster tempo, an impressive feat given Petrichor's quivering. In return, once they had just barely began to come down from the high, they stroked Isidore rough, until he finished, his panting becoming sporadic as he came. For a minute or two, they stayed there, lazily rubbing each other as they came back to their senses. "Mill and Eddy probably think something is up...don't they," Petrichor finally managed. Isidore smiled and nodded softly in agreement. "Fun. If I get any weird questions from either of them, I'm letting you answer. I am not about to give them the skinny on how nonbinary folks engage in coitus. That's all you." They laughed, climbing off Isidore to go rinse themselves off, though they shook a bit as they walked. Isidore decided to get up and do the same, walking behind Petrichor, and gently fondling their chest, which won them a surprised, shaky moan. "Gotta make sure your chest isn't gonna be sure. I sorta interrupted your personal massage earlier...Consider this me making it up to you, i-if you want." Petrichor nodded, leaning back against Isidore as they sighed contently, not even all that aroused by their chest being touched, but more just enjoying the contact, and intimacy of it. Isidore leaned in, burying their face into the crook of the other's neck, gently kissing marks they left. Once they were both content with their cleanliness, they finally decided to dry off and get redressed. It was still a bit awkward, but more in a different way. They still hadn't really spoken about the circumstances, the fact that it happened, the fact this was accidental, and the fact that neither of them were very sure about how they felt other than sexually satisfied. Before they left the locker room, as Isidore was pulling his long hair back into a ponytail, Petrichor sat beside them, leaning a bit. "When we're a little less sleep deprived, we...we should talk about this, if it's alright with you," Petrichor muttered against them. "Yeah...when we're both in the right mind, we should. That, and I uh, really enjoyed this. Even if it was a bit...impromptu," He laughed softly, leaning back against Petrichor, and kissing their cheek softly. Petrichor had been so bold before, but now they were back to being a bit sheepish, a bit worried, almost like Isidore would disappear in a heartbeat. "Don't think I ever realized how uh, backed up the past few days made me, and how good it felt with another person," Isidore nervously whispered, but at the same time, it had part of that growl he had before. It made Petrichor blush and feel hot between their legs again, already anticipating the next time. "Wait, you've...never been with anybody before? I thought you were some sorta heartthrob..." This made Isidore blush, and turn away for a moment with a sigh.. "Well, I am, but I never, uh...yeah. Just never happened. And I'm not sure how much this counts?" Petrichor grunted softly in response to Isidore, leaning against the other more in thought. "I'm counting it. I got touched, it felt good, it counts as far as I'm concerned," Petrichor laughed anxiously, looking to Isidore who smiled back, standing up and running his fingers through his hair. He offered his hand to Petrichor, who took it. Now that they were both dressed, and freshened up, they left the locker room. They definitely got weird looks from Mill and Eddy. "Did...one of you fall or something? Like, a lot?" Millie asked.
10879470
In Sickness And In
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Alec Hardy, Ellie Miller (Broadchurch)", "Fandom": "Broadchurch", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by HalfASlug", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-11T00:00:00", "words": "1,596", "Additional Tags": null, "Relationship": "Alec Hardy/Ellie Miller", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
“Sir, I think you had better come and see this.”Hardy looked up from his computer and saw Harford was leaning through his door with a worried expression.“Is it Bradford? Is she back in the area?” He jumped up from his chair and rushed from his office to see a small crowd around Miller’s desk. “What is it?”The other officers scurried away at the sight of him, but Harford remained. She stood behind Miller, who had her forehead resting on her desk.“She’s ill, sir.”“What?”“I’m fine,” he heard Miller say. “I… I just need a minute.”He looked to Harford. “She’s been sat like this for fifteen minutes.”“Snitch.”Remembering that Miller had said something about her father being ill the previous week, Hardy approached her and rested a hand lightly on her back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”Miller made a strange noise and tried to sit up straight. There was a sheen of sweat across her forehead and dark circles under her eyes. “See. Fine.”“Go home, Miller,” Hardy sighed.“No, it’s-”“You’re shivering,” he pointed out. “You can barely keep your eyes open. Frankly, you look like shit.”She glared at him. “Arsehole.”“And you can’t even think of a better response than that. Get your things. Go home.”Harford picked her bag up from where it dropped on the floor. “I can give you a lift, if you want? You live near Marshall’s Field, right?”“I’ll do it,” Hardy said, holding his hand out to take the bag from her.Harford stared at him. He could feel Miller’s eyes on him as well, but he was deliberately not looking at her.“I don’t mind, sir.”“No, I’m the boss so I’m y’know…” Harford didn’t finish his sentence which was a shame because he had no idea where he was going with it. “You can take over Miller’s CCTV tapes. I’ll give your follow ups to Kane. It’ll be good for him to do some bloody work.”She gave him the bag with a nod and a curious look. Rather than acknowledge it, he waited until she went back to her desk to turn his attention back to Miller.Her head was once again on the desk.“You’re all making a fuss over nothing.”“I swear to- get up.”It took some coaxing, but eventually he convinced Miller to log her computer off and leave. He carried her belongings as she stumbled towards the exit. When they reached the door to the staircase, he pulled her sleeve.“Getting the lift,” he explained. “You can barely stand.”It was a sign of how ill she was that she didn’t argue with him. She waited for the lift to arrive with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall. As people walked by, they would inquire into how she was. Rather than her usual cheery remarks, she would mumble something indistinct and give them a weak smile.Hardy found himself annoyed that she had been hiding how ill she was all morning.The lift door opened and she practically slid around the wall until she was inside. The moment the door closed, Hardy put an arm around her shoulders and she willingly fell into his chest.He held her close, hating how clammy her skin felt.“You were being obvious,” Miller said into his shirt. “They’re gonna realise if you shit yourself every time I get a cold.”“You know this is probably flu, don’t you?”“Don’t be a wanker when I’m too weak to fight back.”He sighed into her hair and watched the numbers above the door count down. “Does it matter? If everyone knows about us, I mean.”“We agreed. Not worth the hassle.”The lift came to a stop and Hardy reluctantly let her go and encouraged her to stand properly. It was true that most days he was grateful not to be the subject of gossip or deal with accusations of favouritism flying around. Some days though, he wished they could walk into the building together in the mornings or he could touch her throughout the day rather than worry about how their every word and move could be taken.There was nothing in the rules about them being together providing it didn’t interfere with their work and if, when they did go public, they could prove they had been working together before as couple without any change it would help them.After nearly three months of secrecy though, Hardy just wanted to tell everyone, gossip be damned.Miller shuffled towards the car park. The weather had been unseasonably warm recently, giving the residents the rare opportunity to enjoy the beach without the mass of summer tourists. Despite this, Hardy noticed Miller was still shivering.“You cold?”“Freezing.”He stopped by his car and took his jacket off. She immediately shoved her arms ungracefully through the sleeves and thanked him. He draped her coat over her shoulders and opened the door for her. She said something about him being a gentleman but it wasn’t particularly coherent.The car was uncomfortably warm for Hardy who wished he could wind a window down but saw Miller was still shaking and curled in on herself in the passenger seat. He sat forward to stop his shirt sticking to his back instead.“Did you feel ill this morning?” he asked as he pulled out onto the road.“A bit,” she sniffled. “Thought it was a cold. Was just gonna power through, y’know?”“You should have called in sick. Why the hell didn’t you?”She snorted. “Someone’s gotta pay the bills.”They stopped at a traffic light and Hardy noticed she had her head resting against the window. He suspected she would have struggled to lift it.“You know,” he began, looking back to the road, “if you need money, I-”“It’s just a saying,” she said harshly, before adding, “I’m fine. Thanks, though.”The rest of the drive was made in silence and Hardy thought she might have fallen asleep. When he parked, he was out of the car and opening her door before Miller noticed they had stopped.“This is your house,” she said, blinking in the sunlight.“Figured you wouldn’t want to give your dad the flu. Or Fred.”“But Daisy-”“Is at school and isn’t as high risk. Plus, you’ll be asleep in my room. She doesn’t spend as much time in there since that goblin under bed stopped scaring her.”He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and helped her walk down the path. She leant against him as he unlocked and opened the door. Once inside, she wasted no time in heading to his room. Hardy watched her before getting a glass of water and some painkillers and following.By the time her got there, she was already pulling on one of his jumpers and was wearing the pyjama bottoms she had left there her last visit. He helped her under the duvet and popped a couple of pills out of the blister packet.He crouched beside the bed as she took them and settled back down. “Keep your fluids up. Rest.” He stroked her hair off her face.“Thanks.”“If you want I can bring Tom and Fred over tonight? I’ll make us all dinner, make sure homework gets done. All that.”She smiled sleepily. “I should be ill more often. You go all sweet.”He rolled his eyes.Miller blinked slowly and he knew she was on the verge of sleep.“I know Daisy isn’t home and I’m already in the bed,” she mumbled, “but if you even think about touching me, I’ll rip your balls off.”Hardy chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, doubting she would be able to do any such thing in the state she was in. “Noted.” He left his lips against her skin and closed his eyes.“You need to go back to work.”“I know.”He didn’t move.It was such a simple thing, to be able to be affectionate towards the woman he would eventually admit to himself that he loved. Words had never been his strong point, but Hardy knew he compensated by being more tactile than people expected. At some point in his marriage, he had obviously failed at even that, and it left him paranoid that he would do the same thing in his relationship with Miller.“Hey.” Miller took his hand and he pulled back so he could see her. “This not telling work thing is bugging you, isn’t it?”He nodded. “I know why we’re doing it, I just…”“We’ll talk about it tonight, yeah?” She yawned. “Now piss off. Let me sleep.”Rather than listen to her, Hardy slipped his shoes off and climbed onto the bed with her. He stayed on top of the covers and spooned himself against her. Miller leant against him with a sigh.“I’ll only stay a wee while.”“Explain that to the station.”“I’ll say you were being difficult. No one will doubt that.”“Wanker.”She laced her fingers through his and Hardy smiled against her hair. He knew he wasn’t the only one who was frustrated with their arrangement. As she fell asleep, Hardy pictured being able to drop into conversation that the incredible woman in his arms was part of his life. It made eventually getting out of the bed so much harder, but the image stayed with him long after he left.Unlike so many of his old daydreams, this one would materialise and it that was enough for now.
10832790
Lumiere matinale
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": null, "Characters": "Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, Barnaby Brooks Jr. | Bunny, Keith Goodman, Ivan Karelin, Karina Lyle, Nathan Seymour", "Fandom": "Tiger & Bunny", "Language": "Français", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by Nozumire", "chapters": "3/3", "completed": "2021-03-10", "published": "2017-05-06T00:00:00", "words": "1,101", "Additional Tags": "drunk, Hangover, Fluff, Friendship, FanFiction.Net: Nuit du FoF, Post-Canon, Feelings, Pre-Relationship, Ficlet Collection, Les Nuits du Forum Francophone, Blanket Permission", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Barnaby Brooks Jr. & Kaburagi T. Kotetsu | Bunny & Wild Tiger, Barnaby \"Bunny\" Brooks Jr./Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, Keith Goodman/Ivan Karelin", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": "Gen, M/M", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
En Enfer... Il était en... Enfer...Sa tête était compressée entre deux blocs de pierre dont il n'arrivait pas à se débarrasser. Des poids ne cessaient de cogner contre ces deux blocs, faisant résonner un son insupportable dans son crâne qui l'empêchait de penser.La moindre source de lumière qu'il entrapercevait lui brûlait les yeux, le rendant complètement aveugle. Son corps était étrangement faible, il n'avait plus aucune force et bouger ses membres lui demandaient une concentration extrême et de longues minutes avant qu'ils ne lui répondent.Sans oublier sa perte de mémoire... L'endroit où il s'était réveillé lui semblait familier mais impossible de se souvenir de plus. La veille lui semblait complètement floue, vide, un trou noir.S'était-il fait enlever ? Allait-il être torturé ? Mais pour quoi ? De l'argent ? Des informations ? Son identité ?Peu importe l'enfer qu'il allait vivre, Kaburagi Kotetsu, non, Wild Tiger, n'ouvrirait pas la bouche, ne révélerait aucune information qui pourrait compromettre ses alliés ou son partenaire. Il était un héros, son devoir était de protéger les citoyens de Sternbild, il ne laisserait pas des mécréants lui soutirer des informations aussi facilement. Il le jurait sur son honneur, sa fille serait fier de lui jusqu'au bout.- Kotetsu-san, tu peux arrêter de marmonner des bêtises ? … Cette voix lui semblait beaucoup trop familière.- Bunny ? réussit-il à dire faiblement. Mais si son partenaire était là, alors ça voulait dire que...- Ils t'ont eu toi aussi ? continua-t-il, la bouche pâteuse. Le plus vieux sentit le matelas où il était couché s'affaisser, signe que Barnaby venait de s'asseoir à côté de lui.- C'est la dernière fois que tu bois autant, Kotetsu-san... soupira le blond en voyant l'état dans lequel était son partenaire. Et... oh. Kotetsu se souvint soudainement pourquoi tous ces symptômes lui semblaient familier.Il avait juste une énorme gueule de bois. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Lorsqu'on lui avait annoncé qu'il allait avoir un partenaire, Barnaby avait d'abord cru à une blague. Une blague de très mauvais goût, mais une blague tout de même.Et pourtant, le lendemain-même, alors qu'il rencontrait pour la première fois dans le cadre de son travail son... partenaire, Barnaby avait pris conscience de l'énormité de la chose.Kaburagi Kotetsu, plus connu sous le nom de Wild Tiger, était une catastrophe. Il avait une vision des héros qui était complètement dépassée, ne cessait de foncer dans le tas au lieu de prendre le temps d'analyser ce qui se trouvait autour de lui, était beaucoup trop naïf et il en passait.Les premiers jours, les premières semaines, avaient été insupportables. Barnaby avait demandé un nombre incalculable de fois à changer de partenaire. N'importe qui, même Origami, ferait l'affaire.Mais tous avaient été catégoriques, Kotetsu et lui formaient la combinaison parfaite.Franchement, il ne voyait absolument pas en quoi. Leur travail d'équipe était inexistant, ils ressemblaient plus à deux héros faisant leur travail chacun de leur côté plutôt qu'à des partenaires. Mais, n'ayant pas le choix, ils continuaient à faire équipe. Ce qui consistait simplement à faire leur travail en essayant de ne pas trop gêner l'autre.Du moins jusqu'à ce que Jake ne réapparaisse, jusqu'à ce que Ouroboros revienne le hanter.A ce moment, Barnaby avait pris conscience des qualités de son partenaire. Et ce sentiment ne cessait de grandir de jour en jour, de prendre une ampleur telle qu'il avait du mal à le cacher.Kotetsu était un homme juste avec des valeurs et des principes qu'il respectait. Il faisait de son mieux pour sauver le plus de personnes possibles, peu importe les dommages matériels qu'il faisait. Il continuait à utiliser ce surnom horrible, ce « Bunny » qu'il détestait, mais étrangement il s'était surpris à arrêter petit à petit de le lui reprocher.Et une fois qu'il s'était rendu compte à quel point il appréciait sa compagnie et le fait que travailler avec lui ne le dérangeait absolument plus, Barnaby avait compris.Il avait compris que c'était sa vision entière qui avait changé, que lui-même avait changé et que c'était grâce à Kotetsu.Lorsque Kotetsu avait décidé de démissionner, il n'avait pas hésité avant de faire de même. Continuer sans lui ? On lui avait même proposé un nouveau partenaire... Certainement pas ! Il ne pouvait pas imaginer quelqu'un d'autre que Wild Tiger à ses côtés.Mais alors qu'il avait enfin réussi à enfouir ses sentiments au bout d'une longue année de solitude, alors qu'il commençait à reprendre le contrôle de ses pensées, il avait eu le malheur de reprendre une de ses mauvaises habitudes.HERO TV.Le retour de Wild Tiger.Et il ne lui avait pas fallu plus de dix secondes pour qu'il se retrouve dehors, courant pour chercher son costume.Aujourd'hui, le duo Tiger & Barnaby revenait sur scène. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Ivan n'avait pas osé l'avouer mais... Il était jaloux. Oui, jaloux de Kotetsu et Barnaby.Ou plutôt, jaloux de leur complicité.En fait, il ne comprenait pas pourquoi il avait été décidé qu'ils devraient être partenaires. En général, deux héros étaient obligés de travailler ensemble lorsqu'un des deux n'était pas prêt à être seul. Mais ici on parlait de deux héros expérimentés qui avaient le même pouvoir, un pouvoir bien assez fort pour qu'ils se débrouillent seuls.Alors que de son côté... C'était lui qui aurait dû avoir un partenaire. Son pouvoir était presque inutile en plein combat, il ne pouvait que compter sur ses capacité physiques, mais même là il était loin d'arriver à la cheville des autres héros.Après avoir réalisé que s'apitoyer sur son sort ne l'aiderait pas, Ivan avait décidé de passer plus de temps à la salle d’entraînement, touchant à toutes les machines qui pourraient l'aider à s'améliorer de n'importe quelle manière.C'est de cette façon que Sky High le remarqua.Tout le monde le savait, le King des Héros passait une bonne partie de son temps à s'entraîner alors forcément qu'il allait remarquer l'entrain soudain d'Ivan. Naturellement, voyant que le plus jeune s'y prenait mal, notamment en oubliant de s’étirer correctement après une bonne séance, il s'était précipité pour lui montrer comment s'y prendre.Réalisant que Keith savait vraiment très bien utiliser ses mains, Ivan ne s'était pas plaint.Il remarqua aussi que, de l'autre côté de la salle, Karina et Nathan les regardaient avec un petit sourire en coin et des yeux malicieux et le jeune homme se dit qu'il aurait peut-être dû refuser son aide.Mais la façon dont il massait ses cuisses... Il espérait juste que son pantalon était assez large pour cacher sa réaction.Quelques minutes plus tard, réalisant que le plus vieux le massait depuis un peu trop longtemps, Ivan se demanda s'il avait vraiment pris la bonne décision.… Pas qu'il s'en plaignait.
10887618
Another Round
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Danny Fisher, Carlo Goss", "Fandom": "Finisterre: The Nighthorses - C. J. Cherryh", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by arkosic", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-12T00:00:00", "words": "2,370", "Additional Tags": "Post-Series, Future Fic", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
You’ve knocked back at least one more drink than is wise before you find the courage to make your way to the table. Nerves bolstered, or perhaps just numbed. At least your legs don’t wobble.The two men seated there don’t look up until you’re nearly standing over them, but there’s little reason they would – you’re no familiar face. Just one more greenhorn junior lurking nervously in the shadows, pretending like you belong. The town riders know you, of course, but you chose these men because you’ve not seen them around camp before. You chose them for their sun-creased jackets and the way there was no map spread on the table as they argued in low voices, tracing invisible pathways on the table with their fingers, memory alone shaping the terrain.Men who’ve gone the long distances, seen the unmarked trails. Borderers.Their argument’s long since passed into a comfortable lounging, light talk between themselves and some with other riders, and your judicious eavesdropping has earned you a name – Fisher – that you think belongs to the one on the left, the shorter and lankier of the two. He’s the first to pay you any mind, pausing over the last of his bottle to lift an eyebrow, and his companion follows the silent signal like it’s a whisper in the Wild. You hold steady under their gazes, fold your arms across your chest, and try to will the sweating stay under your collar.“Buy you a drink?” you say.No real ambient here, as far as the tavern is from the dens; boss doesn’t think drink and horses mix, and she’s probably right. Means there’s nothing to carry your apprehension to them, but also nothing to tell you what they’re thinking in turn, and their faces aren’t saying a whole lot as they look you up and down.“What’s the occasion?” Fisher says.“No occasion,” you say. “Just looking to have a talk.”The other man – lighter in hair, broader around the shoulders – sits back in his seat a little, dismissive in a way that sends panic jolting through you. “We’re not taking on hires right now.”“Not after being hired. Only-”“Talk.”“Yeah,” you say. “Yeah.”They exchange a look. It’s easy to see their long association; spend enough time on the road, enough time with the horses tangling your thoughts together, and a man’s mind stops being such a mystery even in the private moments. Partners, maybe.“Alright,” Fisher says. There’s a shrewdness in his eyes that makes you think you’re not masking your nervousness half as well as you’d like, but no tease in his voice when he says, “I’ll take a beer since you’re offering. Carlo?”“None for me,” the other says, without rancour. “I’ve had my share for the night.” The glass at his elbow doesn’t look tall enough to be any kind of concern, but you know better than to question a rider’s judgement of their own limits. Besides, your wallet’s not so deep that it’s in your interests to go insisting.The giddiness of success chases you all the way back to the bar and through laying out your bills for two drinks. A subtle glance back over your shoulder shows Fisher shrugging at something his companion – Carlo – has said. Hopefully not fending off protests about having some new kid butting into their evening. The bartender meets you with a knowing look as you turn back around, so you grab the drinks she slides you and hurry away before anyone else can cast judgement down for having the gall to go cosying up to seniors.Fisher takes his with a nod and a thanks, and doesn’t ask you what the devil you’re thinking when you tentatively set yours down in front of a spare seat. Just siphons some of the froth off the top of the glass, makes an appreciative sound, and says, “What’s your name?”“Lou. Lou Bresil, on-” Instinctively you try to say her name as you know it, as <wind washing across wide grassy plains, rippling colour as the stalks bend in waves>, but without a horse around you have to settle for the lame verbalisation of, “Ripple.” You’re sure it sends most minds to water.“Dan Fisher. And my partner, Carlo Goss.”“Goss?” you say, surprised, hand on the back of your chair. “Huh. You have aught to do with Tarmin?”Turns out you don’t need the ambient to sense a change in the atmosphere. Fisher presses lips together, flicks his eyes sideways at his partner. Goss…Goss is a large man, you realise suddenly. Looks it next to Fisher a little, but looks it all the more when he goes still like that and fixes you with a hard stare, his wide, callused hands folded on the tabletop.“Why do you ask?” he says, deep-voiced and quiet.“I don’t mean anything by it,” you say hastily, fumbling, trying to work out how you’ve stepped so wrong. Tarmin’s a big settlement, respectable; maybe has more than its fair share of spook-tales attached with the Fall and all, but not the kind of place a rider could be expected to hackle about. “I just, I did an escort ride that way a month back – with others of course, I don’t ride by myself yet, not that you get a lot of solitary jobs heading up the mountains-” Lord save you, you’re babbling to borderers. “There was a town rider, a junior, went by Goss. Randy Goss and, uh, a mare, Ridge or summin’…”“Rise,” Goss says. “Randy and Rise. My brother.”He smiles a little as he says it, a small turn of the lips that blows all the gathering tension out of the room and nearly drops you where you stand out of sheer relief. Just like that, danger’s passed. You don’t waste time in staggering into your seat before you give them another reason to change their minds over your company.“Rise,” you say, “yeah, that’s the one, Rise. Your brother?”“Since birth,” Fisher quips. Goss ignores him with the ease of long practice.“How’s he doing?” he says instead. “He looking well?”“Uh, yeah,” you say, and curse yourself for the lost opportunity. The ride up the mountain had been a blur of keeping Ripple from sticking her nose where something might bite it off and keeping your own head quiet and clear of the seniors and their oft-thin patience; by the time the convoy reached Tarmin you’d been plumb exhausted and not inclined to seek company or long conversation. You remember Randy Goss – smooth-talking confident, on the cusp of making senior – but you doubt he’d say the same of you. “Looked good, I guess? Pretty busy. Camp boss seemed to keep him running.”Fisher snorts into his drink and Goss twitches a smile again. There’s a story there, you realise, wistfully envious. Townsfolk talk like the borderer life is a lonesome thing, always being on the move; no roots, no community. Watching the easy familiarity here, the half dozen riders they seem to know in this bar alone, you don’t think lonely is a feeling that hangs on them overmuch.“I’ll never be so glad as when he didn’t take up with that colt,” Goss muses.“At least you’d know it had good lineage,” Fisher points out, and Goss shakes his head, like there aren’t enough saving graces on the planet.“Colts are bad?” you say doubtfully.“Older horse or mare?” Fisher asks of you, and when you nod to the latter he says, “Colts are wandersome. Not to say mares can’t be too, but male horses just tend to be a bit more…”“Stupid about it,” Goss says blandly.“Thanks, Carlo.”“Your own words, Danny.”“Mares can be stupid enough,” you mutter into your glass, memory full of Ripple’s free-spirited curiosity and all its wrought, and flush a little at their chuckles.“Well,” Goss says. “Young is still young.”It could be a jab, but it doesn’t feel like it, not when you look at the fondness playing about his face. More likely still thinking on his brother. Not uncommon to get family out among the riders, of course, though you wonder at what sets one on the roads and keeps another close to town. Goss the younger had seemed to know the place well, and it had been a strange town to navigate even in just the rider camp, newer architecture jostled up alongside structures from before the Fall-For a second Tarmin seems to flicker in front of your eyes, and maybe something else too, something not your own, and you hunch in your seat, thinking <tall grass, long grass, straw-dry and whispering> in sheer nervous reflex – but the horse, if it is one, is passing at a distance and neither of the seniors show sign of hearing you. Doesn’t mean they didn’t, but they’re at least being polite about it.Something prompts Goss to half-turn in any case, hooking an arm over the back of his chair as he glances towards where the clock is nailed to the tavern wall. “Might move on,” he says as he turns around again, more to Fisher than you. “I want to look in on spook before turning in,” and before you have a chance to parse that sentence he’s giving you a tip of the head. “Pleasure meeting you. And thanks for the news.”“Yeah. Yeah, you too.” You drag your thoughts away from wondering why a rider is looking for a spook in time to say, “Hell, gives me something to say to Goss- uh, Randy, if I see him again.”It gets you another small smile – easy button to press, that one – but then as he stands, Fisher reaches out, smacks the back of his hand lightly against Goss’ arm. “Carlo, if you’re heading to the dens, mind checking-”“Yeah, Danny,” is the response, all exasperated affection like it’s an unnecessary asking and Fisher should know it, and finally it twigs that it’s not some wildling creature they’re talking about, or at least no wilder than the horses ever are. “You stay out too long and Cloud might come looking himself, though.”“Hah,” Fisher says, hand still resting on Goss’ arm, and when Goss moves he drops a hand briefly against the back of Fisher’s neck; a close gesture, warmly meant. You bury your nose in your drink, not wanting to look like you’re gawking.Then he’s swinging his fringed jacket off the chair and around his shoulders – bigger man still, standing – tilting his head in acknowledgement as the bartender hails him goodnight, and leaving you sitting one-on-one with a borderer.“He named his horse Spook?” you say into the silence, the moment you’re sure he’s out of hearing, and then want to bite your tongue in half for how incredulous you sound. You’d been aiming for casually curious. “I, uh, I just mean-”“I named him.” Fisher meets your startled look with a raised eyebrow, mercifully not wearing too cantankerous an expression along with it. “Spook’s a good horse, under Carlo. Always going to be a little shifty, but that’s just his nature.”“Sure,” you say weakly. “Makes sense.” It doesn’t, truth be told, but it’s not like the man named the horse Goblin Cat and sure as hell not like it’s your business.He holds your gaze a moment longer, then glances down at his glass and lets you blink again. “How long you been riding?”“Uh, ‘bout eight months? Eight months, nearly.”“And you’ve done a ride to Tarmin?”He sounds almost interested, and you hate to sink that, but- “Got a cousin,” you mumble. “On the trucks. And it’s not like it’s so far from here.”“Still,” Fisher says. “Some tricky trails around the mountains.”He says it real knowing, with all the long experience of the senior. The kind of experience you ache for, though you know enough to know it’s hard-won. Fisher’s not so old, more creases on his coat than around his eyes, but you can see the crooked bent of one finger that’s not healed right, the way one ear runs flat along the top like it lost skin it never quite grew back.“It was a pretty hard ride,” you acknowledge. Not supposed to contradict seniors, and even stupider to do it when he’s just about complimenting you. “And it was…well, anyway. Uh. So, Fisher-”He waves a hand. “Dan’s fine.”You’ve definitely had too much to drink, because you say, “Not Danny?”He gives you an amused look – you hope. “Dan.”“Okay. Dan.” You draw a deep breath, and find to your desperate frustration you’re not sure how to say it, how to ask the cussed questions that pulled you over here to begin with. How to tell someone: I want your life. I want to know the secrets you had to figure out for yourself, the shortcuts you created, the traps you fell into and how you climbed out of them again. “Aw, hell’s bells, I’m just…”“Breathe, Bresil. We got time.” He tilts his head then as if acknowledging some unspoken point, adds wryly, “Cloud bidding.”You laugh – giggle nearly, nervous and a little drunk – at the notion of a nighthorse come to fetch his rider from the tavern like a cross spouse resenting a cold bed. It’s not so unlikely, you know, but you feel the tight set of your shoulders loosening all the same for the release, and Fisher smiles, almost approving.“Tarmin’s a good start, you know," he says, all easy-like. "However you got into it. Good experience to have under your belt.”He already knows, you realise then. He damn well already knows exactly what kind of talk you’re looking for, and has from the start. “Yeah?” you say, hope blooming in your chest, bright enough to finally put a smile on your face, feeble a showing as it is. Lean your elbows on the table, glass cupped between. “I mean, it was hard, but…but it was good. For both of us.”“Horses know what they like,” Dan Fisher agrees, and settles back comfortably in his own seat. “So. What kind of gear do you have?”
10842036
When Dreams do come true
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Jensen Ackles, Reader, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Donna Ackles, Clif Kosterman, Bob Singer, OMC, Lots of OFC's, Richard Speight Jr., Rob Benedict, Shepherd Padalecki, Odette Padalecki, Tom padalecki, Maison Collins, West Collins, Vicki Vantoch, Genevieve Padalecki, OMC- Unnamed Cop., Alan Ackles, mention of Joshua Ackles, Mackenzie Ackles, Georgia (fan), Numerous unnamed fans., OFC - Alex - Character, OMC - Kyle - Character, unamed board members, Stephen Amell, Grant Gustin, Emily Bett Rickards, The cast of IZombie", "Fandom": null, "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by Secretfurrydragon", "chapters": "41/41", "completed": "2018-10-08", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "189,758", "Additional Tags": "Past Child Abuse, attempted suicides, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, self hate, Low Self Esteem, Fluff, Angst, previous injuries mention, Hurt, Anger, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Supportive Jensen, supportive jared, supportive Misha, low self worth, Acceptance, Humour, coarse language, Nudity, talk of past child abuse, Hate, Almost sex scene, Love, Jensen a sweetie, Jared a sweetie, Misha a sweetie, Graphic description of child abuse and violence, trust building, Fun, Happy ending., Tooth Rotting Fluff, Jensen's strip tease, almost raped/non con, photos taken, Nightmare, Supernatural Convention, Nervous, Marriage Proposal, Jensen's home, overwhelming feelings, Reader cuts her wrist, scared, frighten, Panic Attack, Worried Jensen, Worried Jared, Worried Misha, Hospital Visit, cut wrist, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, OFC psychiatrist Daniela, Mention of thinking about suicide, feeling suicide, Trust Issues, Reader Hurt, Jensen hit by Misha, Donna yells at Jensen, Jensen Hurt, Everyone supporting the Reader, OFC - Alex, OMC - Kyle, Mutual Masturbation, Explicit Language, talking about sex, Trusting Each Other, Reader feels overwhelmed, Reader sees Jensen erection for the first time.", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "JensenxReader, JaredxReader, MishaxReader", "Series": "When dreams do come true", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": "Supernatural RPF, Supernatural AU", "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
My day started like any other day I got up and showered. Got dressed and made myself some breakfast. Not that I would normally eat breakfast but today I was volunteering at the animal shelter. I loved my job as my only interactions were with the animal’s people left there. My home phone started ringing and I looked at the number I didn't recognise it, so I hesitated to answer it.“Hello?”“Hi, is this Y/N Y/L/N?”“Yes why?”"This is Sarah Fuller. I'm calling from SPN Productions.”“Who? If your selling something I'm not interested," I mumbled I always get these calls.Sarah sighed on the other end of the line “I'm not selling anything.” She paused, “SPN productions we do the supernatural conventions in Australia.”“Oh, sorry Sarah what can I do for you?”“Well I'm been asked to track you down Mr Ackles, Mr Padalecki and Mr Collins has asked for you to attend the convention in July 2017.”“Your shitting me, right Sarah.”She laughed and replied "No I'm not shitting you Y/N."“Why?”“I wasn't told the reason I was asked to find you and make sure in attend both days as their guest.”“This has to be some sort of prank nothing good ever happens to me.”“I can assure this is not a prank do you need confirmation.”“Sure."“Hang on one moment please." I held onto my phone tight my knuckles were going white.“Are there Y/N?”“Yes, I'm still here."Sarah was saying something into a line go ahead please and her line disconnected.“Hello,” I said shyly.There was quite, then I heard "Hello, Y/N this Jensen Ackles here," and then I heard him connect it loud speaker. “I'm here," Jared said. “She can't see you." Jensen answered. “Oh, soo sorry Jared here,” and then Misha said, “Hello, Misha here.”“Fuck you got to be kidding me.”Jensen said, “Fuck, no it's us.” Then I heard them all laughing.Jared said, “We are on set of supernatural talking to you.”“I would really love to see the set where you work. Also like to see you guys prank Misha?”They laughed and Misha said, “I wouldn't.”Then I laughed too.Jared said, “Y/N do you have Face book or Twitter?”“Yeah, Face book why?”“Put Face book on will ya.”I pulled Face book up on my mobile phone and I was catching the last bit of a live stream.Then I saw Jensen say "Hi,Y/N."I looked at them and said, “You're all crazy.” Everyone heard what I had said.Misha said, “Yeah, that's us.”Jensen said, “Did Sarah tell you why we wanted you to be our special guest, at the SPN convention in July.”“Jensen,” I said as I finally realised I was talking with them live on Face book“You alright, sweetheart?"Jared said, “I think it's hit her we are talking with her,” with a small laugh.Misha said after more silence, “Y/N are you there? Are you ok?” in a worry voice.I mumbled, "I'm fine."They all sighed with relief when they heard me speaking.Jensen said, “Now Y/N did Sarah......?” I cut him off  “Sorry Jensen yes she did but why me?”He replied "We have a surprise for you that's one of the reasons your attending."I said, “And the other reason?”Misha said, “Sorry confidential you will find out in a few weeks.”I said, “I don't like surprises plus I've never attended a convention before I …. I stopped.Jared said, “Well you just have to wait and see until then what your surprise is. Hey, you will enjoy yourself we will make sure of it. We will stay with you the whole time.”“Ok, but can I ask you something?”Jared said, “Sure anything?”“Do get photo ops?"Jensen said, “You will be given a VIP pass where it accesses all areas during the convention ok.”Jared said, “Hey we have to get back to the set, but thanks for talking to us Y/N.”I said, “No thank you."Misha and Jensen said, “Thanks and bye.”I said, “Before you go can I speak with you privately first.”I saw the camera being turned off by Jared and I heard Jared said, “What's up?”“May I ask a favour?”“Sure sweetheart," Jensen said.“I know this will sound weird, but I was hoping maybe getting to know you all better before the convention, so I feel comfortable with you all. I know you are a very busy people, but it would give me....... I stopped. Please will you allow me to contact you or maybe you could contact me if it's easier."Jensen heard the crack in my voice and he knew something was happening. The whole reason they contact me in the first place was my kind words to them. Not that I knew that at the time. Jared and Misha looked at Jensen and they shook their heads yes in agreement.Jensen said, “We all would love to keep in contact sweetheart.”I said, “really?They all said, “Yes” in unison.I said, “Jensen do you have a pen I will give you my number.” All three open their phones and as I rattled it off they enter it into their phones and saved to contacts.Jensen said, “Do you have a pen a paper I start with mine," he rattled off the number and I checked what he told me. Then Jared and Misha did the same.I said, “Thank you for trusting me with your numbers.”Jensen said, “No problem really we will talk soon sweetheart, bye.”I said, “Thanks again and goodbye" to them.I heard their goodbyes as they hung up. Then Sarah came back on the line “Y/N?”“I'm so sorry Sarah.”“It's fine I probably wouldn't believe me either.”“Thanks for letting me speak with them it was amazing."“That's my job to keep the stars of the convention happy. You only have eight weeks to wait. We will send you plane tickets and hotel reservations near the venue plus a VIP pass access all areas at the convention. Can I have your address Y/N.”“Sure, I told her what it was and thank her. I still can't believe it. Hang on do you know anything about the surprise they were talking about?"“Thank you for your address and no sorry I don't."“That's ok, thanks again.”“We will be contact soon bye Y/N.”“Bye, Sarah.”I hung up the phone and finished my breakfast lucky I didn't volunteer for another hour. I stood there for what seemed like forever just daydreaming about meeting Jensen, Jared and Misha face to face. My mobile phone went off three different times with messages so I checked them. I opened the messages I didn't know the number I was going to ignore it but I looked. I opened it, it was from Jensen.He said, “Hey, beautiful just texting to make sure you have my number.”I sighed and texted back “Thanks Jensen adding you now to contacts.”Check the next one it was Jared with a similar message and then Misha was the last one but his was a very different message. I laughed when he said, "Overlord here just giving you my number follower, so you can get in contact with the supreme being." I had to laugh so I sent the same message to Jensen and Jared, but I sent a different one to Misha as I played along."Hey, Overlord supreme being thank you for your number. Never know when I might need help from a superior being like you. I will add you to my contacts now oh mighty Overlord."Misha looked at the message and laughed so hard he had tears down his face. Jensen and Jared wondering what was going on, so he showed them my answer and they to laughed.Jared said, “Well she has a sense of humour.”Jensen said, “Yeah but something was going on?”Misha said, “How do you mean?”Jensen said, “She was pleading with us didn't you here her voice crack.”Jared said, “I heard it, but I thought she was happy that's all?”Jensen said, “Maybe we better get back to the set or Bob going to kick our asses.”I smiled as I did a selfie I hate doing selfies, but I thought it would be nice for them.I sent it to each of them Jensen sent back a picture of him smiling and a message looking good beautiful. I never thought myself beautiful I always felt ugly.Jared sent back wow your cute with an attached photo.Misha sent a picture with raised eyebrows and a smiling with caption your Overlord.Jensen sent me a text talk soon beautiful.I answered, "Yep looking forward to it.”   The next day I was volunteering when I got a call on my mobile. I saw it was Jensen I had just finished volunteering for the day, so I left.“Hi, Jensen."“Hi, beautiful watcha doing?”“I just finished volunteering. You?”“Dinner break and I was sitting here looking at your smokin hot picture and I thought I would give you a call.”I laughed and said, “You're a goof ball Jensen. Yeah, I been thinking about you, Jared and Misha too. Not getting much volunteering done I'm finished now I'm on my way home talking to you in my car.”“You’re not driving, are you?”“I'll probably crash the car if I was.”He laughed, “Have you told anyone yet about the convention?”“No, I haven't I really want to keep this to myself for a while longer." I couldn't tell him I had no friends. "I still can't get over it, it's incredible really."“My pleasure we saw your Face book messages and we decided we would ask you.”“I'm not sure how you found me though my number is private and you shouldn't be able too.”He laughed “We had SPN productions track you down by any means possible.”“So, you invaded my privacy?”“Basically, we looked on your Face book account. So that's how SPN found your number it's on your account.”“You know you could have sent me a message by messenger.”“Would you have believed it was us?”“Yep your account would have the blue tick.”“Damn that would have been easier.” I laughed and he laughed too.“Yep, where are you now Jensen?”“I'm in my trailer. Why?”“I just wanted to know if you were alone.” I switched my phone to Face time and he smiled.“There you are. How are you? I wouldn't know how to do that.”I smiled, “I'm fine I can't wait to meet you all in person.”“I'm looking forward to it to Baby.”“Jensen, can I ask you something?”“Sure what?”“Why are you all keeping in contact with me. I'm no one special, I'm a nobody,” and I put my head down so he wouldn't see the pain on my face.“Look at me Y/N," I looked up and he saw the hurt on my face and the tears threatening to fall. “You are not a nobody. You are a wonderful special person I seen the messages you leave for us when we do a live feed. To tell you the truth we search through them all, too we all find yours. I know Misha does and was very touched with the one you left when everyone was giving him shit over the spelling of his character’s name. Jared looks at the messages with his boys and Gen. You are so kind to us all and now it's our turn to repaid your kindness it's not a chore for us we want too ok. Don't you ever think you’re a nobody or not special because to us you will always be special. You got me Y/N," with a little anger in his voice.“Your Dean is showing Jensen.”“I'm sorry but, no I'm not sorry you need to know how much we care for you and feel about you.”“I'm sorry Jensen,” as I wiped the tears that fell down my face. “Thank you, Jensen.”“If I was there now I would be giving you a hug right about now. You know these few weeks are going to be hard for me.”“I know what you mean Jensen.”“Call me Jay” we both laughed.“You have a beautiful smile you know that Y/N?”“No one has ever said anything nice to me before. I'm not sure how to answer you,” with a blush on my face.He thought shit she never been given a compliment before what has happened to the beautiful woman looking at me.“Just say thank you Jay and your stunning when you blush Y/N."“Thank you Jen Jay I mean.”He smiled and then there was knock on his trailer door.“Mr Ackles your wanted-on set.”“Look baby I have to go but I will call you as soon as I get a chance ok. You look after yourself and you are beautiful to me ok talk soon bye sweetheart.”“Bye,” and we hung up the phone.I sat in my car willing my breathing to steady and collected my thoughts and drove home. Jensen arrived on set and Jared and Misha asked, “What happened?”He said, “I was Face timing Y/N you know she has a very low opinion of herself, she thinks she a nobody and we shouldn't be wasting our time on her because she's not important enough.”Jared said, “Well we will have to change her opinion of herself.”Jensen smiled, and Misha said, “Did you tell her how we appreciated her kind comments.”“Yep, but she thinks making us feel better is what is important. She can't even …....” he stopped.“What?” Jared said.“She doesn't even know how you react to a compliment like she's never been given one before. I told her she had a beautiful smile and was stunning when she blushed. She told me no one has said anything nice to her ever. So, I told her to say thank you and she did. I don't know what has happened in her life but she's never had a single person say a good thing to her before.”He looked down with sadness in his eyes he didn't know how to handle the heartbreak he was feeling.Jared looked at Misha and Jensen and said, “I think we needed to call her everyday all of us and get her use of compliments and build our friendship with her.”Jensen was still hurting for me, but he and Misha nodded to Jared's suggestion and then they were called to do a scene. Jensen pushed his feelings aside to get his scene done. He put on his Dean mask to get through the rest of his scenes. Jared and Misha were concerned for their friend, but they knew if he needed anything they would be there for him.I was home cleaning when my mobile rang I looked to see who it was. It was Jared.“Hi Jared."“Hi, Y/N I have at least 10 minutes, so I thought I would give you a call. Jay told about his call earlier so it's my turn to have a chat with you." Jared had it already on Face time, so he could see me.“Jared I'm fine really.”You look at him and he said, “Are you really ok?”I bit my bottom lip, “I'm just waiting until I get to meet you all.”“I understand Princess, but it will only be a few weeks I promise.”“I know,” and my voice cracked just a little.“You know what helps me get through these rough times is my family and friends.”I looked at him with a vague and haunting expression on my face.“I don't have any family my parents were killed in a car accident about a year ago. I've never really felt comfortable around people, so I just don't …...I paused. I volunteer at an animal shelter so don't have to be around people judging me at least the animals give you unconditional love and ask nothing in return.”“I'm sorry Princess but don't give up on us all, not all people judge and are mean. We will see you soon and I know you are looking forward to meeting us?”Tears were streaming down my face as though I never heard what he just said to me.“I have no one Jared, no one it's all too hard I just wish....”He saw my face was a void of any emotion, “Shit, just hang on a minute. Stay with me Princess.”I can see him walking towards a building and then I heard him calling Jensen and Misha. I also heard the Director calling out to them to finish the scene. Jared waved them over as he put his hand over the phone while he talked with Jensen and Misha.I can see them talking but I couldn't hear what Jared was saying. I saw Jensen worried face and Misha nodding to whatever Jared was saying.“Princess are you still with me," I had put the phone down as I couldn't bare to see the worry on Jensen's face. Jared all but shouted into the phone, “Princess answer me” he was pleading with me now.I picked up the phone I had tears still streaming down my face. My face was lifeless like my eyes had lost all the sparkle and was replaced by sadness and a despair.Jensen said, “I'll be right back” to Jared and Misha. Jared saw the hurt, anger and despair on Jensen's face as he left.Jared looked to check on Jensen and he was arguing with Bob the Director of the show his jaw was flexing and his hands were in fists he knew Jensen would do something stupid, so he watched them and he heard me.“Jared I'm so sorry.”“It's ok Princess we are here. We got you ok. Misha's here he wants to talk to you ok.”Jared ran over to Jensen and pulled him away from Bob and told him to calm down. He shook his head and walked a few feet away and took deep steadying breaths.“Hi Y/N can I just say a thank you for all your kindness you have shown me, with your wonderful kind messages about my family and my character’s name. You were the only one who didn't show me any anger or aggression, it really upset me that the fandom would do that to me. You basically said it didn't matter how his name was spelt and you told everyone to get over themselves.”“I did it because it wasn't right for them to hurt you like that I thought people would be better than that, but I know better I guess. They should be grateful that you, Jensen and Jared post anything. They should have been more understanding instead of attacking you. You are all amazing people I just wanted you to know not everyone was against you Misha. If I could stop the pain I would at least try.” I sniff and wiped the tears that had dried on my face.I could hear Jensen and Jared who was getting angry now in the background. I still couldn't make out why they were arguing or who with.Misha pulled my attention back to him he said, “That's why you are special Y/N. You are an amazing incredible person and you have such empathy for us, even now you don't know us personally that takes an amazing soul to feel that much empathy and compassion for us.”“I've always felt for people even though my life was fucked up. I was kicked about a lot as a child physically, mentally and emotionally abuse by my parents and kids all through school. So, I gave up on people a long time ago. It kinds of scares me to have to be around any people I couldn't handle their judgements and insults. I'm not that strong Misha I'm not, I can't.”“Hold on Y/N hold on.”Misha could hear Jared threatening for all of us to walk off if they didn't allow them some time off. He was towering over Bob his 6 foot 4-inch body with an almost feral look on his face. Jared normally the calm one was about to punch something. Bob looked terrified and shrunk in his seat to get away from Jared's anger. Misha was trying to calm Jared and told him to breath and relax which Jared did.Jensen walked over, and Misha gave him the phone and went to help Jared.“Hey babe you still with us.”I had fresh tears rolling down my cheeks and said, “Yeah Jay I'm still here.”“That's my girl.” I could see the sadness in his eyes and the worry on his face.“I'm ok Jay I'm just having a rough day the shelter called and told me one of my dogs I cared for passed away I was very close to him. It just broke me that's all.”“I'm so sorry sweetheart.”“I know you are trying help me but I'm fine and you all need to get back to work before your Director has a fit at you all.”“No, Baby stay on the line," he pleaded.“Bye Jay.” I hung up the phone and I turned it off.“Jensen what happened?" Jared asked when he gave his phone back. “She hung up. Jared I really worried she looked almost …....” he couldn't finish.Then they started putting the puzzle pieces together.Misha said, “She was telling me she was abused by everyone who she's ever had contact with. That's why she works at the animal shelter no judgement.”Jared said, “Fuck I hate people who hurt other people to make themselves feel better. She's never had anyone to protect her from the hate in the world. I wonder why she sounds so empty and lost.”Jensen said, “She lost one of her favourite dogs today she loved him and he passed away it broke her.”Jared said, “Her parents died a year ago and what Misha just said I don't think it's grief that she's feeling I think it's more being alone to battle the world with no support.”Misha said, “I agree her parents were the first to put her through all this pain they started all this.”Jensen said, “Son-of-a-bitch if they were alive I would put them through what Y/N's been through.”Jared, he nodded his head towards Bob, “His given us a week. I think I scared him when I towered over him." He smiled then and Jensen and Misha both knew Jared would have never touched Bob but he could be a scary fucker when he needed to be but Jensen on the other hand would have punched him and lost his job. “We can leave for Australia as soon as we pack some stuff.”Jensen said, “We will bring her back here and take care of her and show her not everyone is abusive and show how much we care.”Jared and Misha both shook their heads and ran off to their trailers to grab some clothes.Jared rang for tickets on the next flight out to Australia they had to change planes in Sydney to Adelaide.Jensen kept trying my number but I turned it off. He called his Mum instead.“Hi Mum.”“Hi, Honey what's wrong you sound upset?"“Mum I'll be gone for a week. I'm flying to Australia.”“Why? Honey what's happening?”“Mum you remember Y/N I was telling about her.”“Yes, has something happened to her?”“I don't know Mum but I'm worried. Jared was talking to her and she was in a very bad place. I'm worried she might” and he paused. "Mum she has no one, no support she's been through a lot of abuse I need to help her Mum. I think I might be......”“Honey go be with her and bring her back with you. I would like to meet the women who has captured my son's heart. Be safe and I love you.”“I love you too Mum,” and they hung up.Jared and Misha knocked on his door and said, "They were ready."Jared said, “I called Gen and she was very supportive and told me to be there for Y/N. She told me to bring her back so they can become friends.”Jensen smiled as he knew Gen would be a wonderful friend for Y/N and a great support.Misha said, “Vicky told me to be careful and to help Y/N. She was very understanding of what was happening and encouraged me to go and support her.”Jensen said, “Mum wants to meet Y/N too and told me to do what I need to, to get her to comeback with us. She told me she wants to meet the women who's captured my heart.”Jared said, “Your Mum is a very smart women Jensen.”Jensen said, “Yeah” with a blush.They got Clif to drive them to the airport and he said, “Jensen man you bring your little lady back here I will keep her safe.”Jensen said, “Thanks man.”Jared and Misha were smiling and they bid Clif goodbye. Jensen tried my number again and it was still off “fuck” he mumbled to himself. "I can't get hold off her, her cell is turned off. I'm worried she might do something stupid Jared.”Jared said, “Maybe we should ring someone to check on her there has to be a mental health service in Adelaide.”Jensen said, “No, they will put her in lock down for 36 hours. She just might need some time to sort through it all. I will try again when we get to the airport.” His thoughts were constantly on me being alright he kept saying to himself like a mantra be alright baby I'm coming.Jared and Misha both tried my number and still it was turned off. I had been sitting on my kitchen floor for most of the night with the bottle of pills resting in my hand. I looked down at them and I knew they would do the job. No one to save me this time all my rescues are long gone. I thought it would be so easy to just stop the pain. I thought no one would miss me. I would become another statistic no one would care if I lived or died. It would be so easy to just do it and drift off to sleep. Yes, it would be so easy. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- They boarded the plane and Jensen was quiet and wondering what he was going to find when they arrived. He kept telling himself please be alright.Jared said next to him “She will be fine Jensen I know she will be.”He gave Jared a tight smile and said, “I hope so.”Misha placed a hand and squeezed gently on his shoulder for support.The flights seem to take forever but they finally arrived in Adelaide about 20 hours after leaving Canada. It was about 4pm in Adelaide when they arrived.They all were exhausted but Jensen wasn't going to rest until he saw I was alright and he knew Jared and Misha were the same.Jared said, “How do we find her Jay?”Jensen said, “I'm not sure but we better think of something.”Misha said, “How about ringing Sarah from SPN Productions she might know her address.”Jensen said, “Worth a try I guess thanks Mish.”So, he pulled up his contacts and hit the button for SPN. Meanwhile Jared and Misha tried my number again.The SPN answered the voice said, “Hello Sarah speaking.”Jensen said “Oh, thank god this is Jensen Ackles. Sarah, we need your help finding Y/N it's an emergency. Do you have her address Sarah please?”Sarah said “Mr Ackles” stunned it was him talking to her direct.He said “Yes Sarah please I need you to hurry I don't mean to push but like I said it's an emergency. We are here in Adelaide looking for her.”Sarah shook herself and said, “Yes ok course Mr Ackles.”Jensen said, “Just Jensen ok.”She said, “Ok Jensen her address is, hang on, there it is," and she told him as he scribbled it down on his hand.“Thanks Sarah.”“Hope Y/N is aright Jensen?"He said, “Me too bye.”She said “Bye” and hung up.Misha and Jared said in unison “Well?” “We need to get a cab,” he said as they already passed through customs with no problems as they only had carry on luggage.So, they grab the nearest cab and Jensen told the driver the address. Jensen had trouble with the street name so the driver typed it in the GPS for the quickest way there.Jensen said, “Did you reach her yet?” looking at both of them.They both shook their heads no.He said, “Damn it Y/N please be alright.”They both saw the concern in their friend’s eyes and heard it in his voice. They both prayed I was ok for Jensen sake this would brake him if anything happened.Jensen said to the driver "How much longer?" getting impatience to arrive.The driver said, “About another 5 minutes.”They pulled up outside my house and paid the driver and got there bags out of the boot. They walked up to my door after Jared said, “She lives here it doesn't look good here Jensen.”Jensen said “Yep.”Misha said, “It doesn't look safe Jensen.”Jensen said, “No I don't think it is.”Jensen knocked gently as he found the screen door unlocked, as was the front door he looked at the lock, it looked broken. They entered cautiously not knowing what to expect.Jared saw and said, “How long has she been living in here with a broken lock.”Misha said, “Jensen we need to get her out of here as soon as we can.”Jensen nodded and walked in slowly he called out my name but got no answer.They walked into the living room and they saw the tore and tattered furniture. They could tell I didn't use this room at all. There was dust over the shelves and had no TV in the room. He put his bag down and turned to see a door beside him. He knocked gently and said my name as he opens the door they saw my unmade bed and a little black and white TV on my cupboard. Then they continued through the house the kitchen was empty with only a fridge it looked old and about to fall apart.Jared said, “Fuck, how does she live like this Jensen.”Jensen said, “It's probably the only thing she ever known.”They moved on as they saw the other room was empty. They were almost to the back door when they heard a noise in, what they though could be the bathroom. I was singing a song and Jensen had to smile to know I was ok and singing in the bath.Jensen knocked on the door and called my name again I didn't answer but he thought I might not hear him if I had head phones on as they couldn't hear any music playing. So, he looked at Jared and Misha and pulled down on the handle to open the door. He was afraid of what he might find as he opened the door.I was too busy singing to realise the door was opening and three of them looking at me singing in the bath. I still have not realise they were there as I soaked in my bubble bath. Jensen reach out and touched my arm I screamed in fright and then turned to see three pairs of eyes looking at me.I met forest green, hazel and baby blue eyes all were much more gorgeous in real life as I only saw them in black and white. Jensen's forest green eyes were incredible they took my breath away as his met my Y/E/C eyes.I blushed and took the earphones off and said “What? Why?”Jensen sighed in relief as he said, “We were worried you weren't answering our calls and you left your front door open anyone could come in?”I said, “It's broken and I thought I shut and locked the screen door.”Jared said, “So we all decided to come see if you were ok.”Misha said, “Sorry about the intrusion” just now realising I'm still in the bath naked.I laughed a little soft laugh and they all looked like they never seen a person laugh before.Then I blushed again I said, “Can you hand me the towel please Jensen.” It was a bit tattered but still dry me well enough.He had put it in front of him and they all then turned their heads to give me some privacy. I slipped on my flannel getting up and I tried to grab on to Jensen to steady myself and I pulled Jensen in with me. There was a loud splash and we landed in a pool of suds. As we landed with a loud thud Jensen landed on top of me and I heard a sickening crack I wasn't sure if it was me or Jensen. As the towel settled on my wet body covering me from their eyes.We both said in unison “Are you ok?”Jared and Misha were trying to hold back their giggles because Jensen was soaked to the bone.Jensen shifted in the bath and moved the water as he moved exposing one of my breasts as the towel moved. He noticed and gave me the most amazing shit eating grin I've ever seen. I flicked some water at him and it hit him in the face.It was then that I knew I was starting to fall in love with him. Shit who wouldn't he was gorgeous with his dirty blonde hair and his lips so full and soft. His amazing forest green eyes and knew I could get lost in them easily. I felt an instant connection with Jensen, it was like I don't know..... All I knew is I felt something for him.I said, “Jensen you first.”Jensen said “Jared, Misha can you please help me up.”They both grabbed an arm each and lifted a very wet Jensen out of the bath. He again moved the water and the towel and all three saw a little more than I wanted their eyes roaming over my curves the ones I did have. Jensen licked his bottom lip moistening it while Jared and Misha tried to turn but Jensen was in the way. I met Jensen's eyes and he had a smirk on his face which turned into a smile.It was then when Jensen was out of the bath I felt the pain in my left knee as I moved my leg. I cried out in pain.Jensen said, “Shit, baby you ok?”I looked at him and he knew something was wrong with the pained look on my face and me crying out.He told Jared and Misha to leave. While he'll get me out of the bath with the wet towel still over my body seeing how he was already wet. He told them to find more towels. I called out in the cupboard in the kitchen. He told me to put my arm around his neck and he gently put his arm under my legs and lifted me effortless.He said “Baby your so light. Can you stand?”I said, “I don't know?”He gently put me down as I grabbed the towel to hide my body. He was still supporting me as I put pressure on my leg I cried out with pain. He held me in his arms as he looked down to find the cause of the pain. He saw my left knee was very swollen and bruised.He gently sat down on the edge of the bath with me in his lap and said “I need to feel your knee ok? Can you be brave for me Baby.”I nodded as he gently touched my knee and I bit my bottom lip to stop myself for crying out. He noticed the tears forming in my eyes and turned me in his lap until he could give me a hug.He said, “I think I broken you knee when I landed on it.”He was still holding me tight to his body to cover me up as much as possible from the cold as my skin was cooling with the water drying.Jared came back with some dry towels for me.Jensen said, “Can you put one on Y/N's bed and those next to it and I will wrap this one around her."So, Jared handed him the towel and left. He gently lifted me off his lap and supported me so I didn't put any weight on my left knee and he wrapped the towel around me as I pulled the wet one off.He said “Better?”I said, “Still cold” as I snuggled back into Jensen even though he was wet. He lifted me back into his arms and my head was resting on his shoulder. He walked me the little way to my room and gently laid me on the towel Jared had put down.Jared and Misha were waiting patiently outside my bedroom in case Jensen needed help.I started drying myself with the towel sitting next to the one I was lying on. Jensen also started stripping off and dry himself with the other towel. I watched as his shoulders muscles ripped with him drying himself. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow as I was watching him and forgot I was cold. I felt a heated blush rise from my chest to my cheeks.He said, “Do you need any help?”I said, “Yes can you grab me some clothes in my wardrobe please and underwear over in that drawer.”He walked over to my drawer and saw some black panties and a black bra and handed them to me with a devilish look on his face.“What?”He smiled, “Nice underwear.”I laughed as I put my bra on with the towel still covering me but I couldn't get my panties on.He looked and came over and lifted me off the bed and stood me and I bending down slightly for support of his back. He lifted my sore leg first and I groaned in pain.“You ok?”“Hmm.”Then he did the other knee but he sat me down so there was no pressure on my leg. Then he pulled them up and told me to lift my bottom and when they were in place he looked me in the eyes and kissed the top of my head.He said,"Clothes?” as he looked at my threadbare clothes and decide a skirt and one of his plaid shirts would be best.He pulled out a plaid shirt and said, “Here put this on it will be warmer.”“I can't Jensen you,” he stopped me.“I can buy new stuff if I need it ok."“Ok, thank you.”He put the skirt on me it was his purple plaid shirt and he was right it was a lot warmer and way too big for my 4ft 9inchs in height but it smelt of Jensen's cologne and I felt content.He finished getting changed and put his wet clothes in a plastic bag after asking where they were.He grabbed me some shoes and asked, “Where's your car?”I said, “In behind the gates not sure how much petrol is in it. I only use it when I volunteer as I can't afford the petrol. The keys in the cupboard.”He lifted me into his arms again and asked Misha to grab the keys.Misha was shocked to see a bare amount of food in the cupboard mental note tell Jensen and Jared.Misha said, “Jared you think you can get us to the hospital. He looked at the Laser and wondered if his over 6-foot frame could fit into it.I said, “you can move the seat Jared.”He nodded he looked worried but he moved the seat as far as it goes he just fit into the car. Misha sat in the front and Jensen held me in the back with my leg resting on his legs.He was gently rubbing my legs and he was looking at me worried. I felt his gaze on me and I grabbed his hand and held it to my chest. He knew I was not coping well with my knee and he knew I needed some comfort so he turned me so my leg was now resting on the seat and I was wrapped in his arms as he turned himself so I was comfortable.Jared said, "Where to Y/N?”I said, “Go on to the main road and drive straight down the road.” I showed him the easiness way to get to the hospital we arrived 20 minutes later. Jensen carefully lifted me and carried me into the ER and the triage nurse asked what happened. Jared and Misha were standing their trying not to attract attention to any of them.The triage nurse looked at them she recognised them and said, “Are they.....?” she stopped.I looked and said, “Are they what?”Jared said in a quiet voice “Jensen do you want me to hold her?”Jensen said, “Nah buddy I got her.”The nurse smiled as they answered the question she asked me and said, “Ok, Y/N this way.”I said, “Thank you.”I whispered to Jensen "She knows who you all are that's why I got in so quick.”The nurse heard me and smile and said, “I thought you might want some privacy.”Jensen said, “Fame has some benefits I guess.”She led us to a private waiting room but before she left she asked if I mine if she got a selfie with them.I smiled and said, “No it's fine if they want too.”Jensen said after the selfie “Can you please make sure we have some privacy we are here for our friend.”She said “Of course and thanks. The doctor shouldn't be too long Y/N," after taking my BP and heart rate with the monitor and wrote it in my file. Then she left us there.Misha said, “I think she likes you Jared.”Jared said, “Nope you.”Jensen and I laughed as they banter back and forth so I decided to add my opinion. I said, “Nope definitely Jensen,” he smiled a most breath-taking smile when I said it.“Nah, Baby definitely those two.”We all laughed then and was told to keep it down by a hard ass nurse who didn't care who they were.Jensen said, “She has a stick up her ass.”We laughed again the Doctor arrived a short time later. He introduced himself, I'm Paul your doctor," handing a card to Jensen as I told him our names.He said “Your full name, date of birth, allergies to medications," just to make sure I was the right person. "So, tell what happened?”So, I went into an explanation of what happened and he said, “Ok let's look at that knee shall we.”He lifted the blanket and then my skirt to above my left knee.He said “Yes, it is very swollen and bruise. I'm going to touch and feel it alright.”Jensen had hold of my hand as he was holding it all the time I was there. They saw the worry look on my face so Jared grabbed my other hand and Misha rubbed my right leg for support. He touched it and I cried out in pain I squeezed both their hands that hard they thought I was going to break them.Dr Paul said “I know, I'm sorry just a bit more there. We will need to take X-rays but I think it is broken. I'll let the X-ray confirm. I will be back and I will get an orderly to take you to X-ray and I will get the nurse to give you some pain relief.”“Thanks Paul.”Jared looked at Jensen and both were flexing their hands.He said, “Hey Y/N you almost broke our hands with that grip of yours.”I smiled as I knew he was trying to make me laugh as I looked worry.Misha said, “What's worrying you Y/N?”I said, “I can't have a broken knee”.Jensen said, “Don't worry baby we will take care of you.”It just occurred to me that they are in Australia why?I said, "Why are you here?”Jensen said, “Well I hurt you.” I waved him off.“Not here, I mean in Australia?” I said.Jared said, “We were worried about you, you seemed really upset and I we thought....”“I might hurt myself,” I finished for him. I looked at them and cast my eyes down and they then knew I was going to do something.Misha said, “We got the first flight out here. Our Director wasn't happy if Jared hadn't threatened that we would walk off the job he wouldn't let us come.”Jensen said, “Simply we had to see if you’re ok, ok," squeezing my hand.I started crying Jensen was up in a second hugging me then Jared and Misha joined in.“I can't breathe,” I try to say through their tight hug and my tears and they pulled back to allow me to breathe.Jensen said, “Baby what's with the tears,” as he wiped them gently from my face.I said, “I've never had anyone who cared enough about my welfare or what happens to me. To come here and fly around the world and give up their jobs to come see if I'm alright. I was just a piece of furniture before to be kicked around. I was treated like a dog and abused and ignored, most of the time they only kept me around to be their slave, in cleaning the house and cooking their meals. I really did want to kill myself before you came but I watched the live feed of our phone call, you all saved my life. I just couldn't give up so I kept on fighting for you all and myself.”Jensen said, “Your safe now baby we going to look after you, no more being kicked around by anyone. No more feeling like nothing or a nobody ok. You can lean on us any time you need to, we will always be here for you whenever you need us.”I wiped the tears from my eyes as they held my hands as they were trembling and I gave them all a melancholic smile.Then the orderly came to take me to X-ray and the nurse gave me some pain killers.Jared said, “We will be here waiting for you.”I said, “Thank you.”They wheeled me away, as soon as I was gone.Jared said, “Jay we can't leave her here like this especially now, if her knee is broken and her having suicidal thoughts.”Jensen looked at Misha and Jared and said, “I know.”Misha said, “We can only stay for the a few more days and we have to be back before the end of the week.”Jensen looked sad and said, “We can't leave her in that house where the door doesn't lock and the furniture all ripped and the threadbare clothes it breaks my heart to see her this broken.”Misha said, “She's living on spaghetti and noodles Jensen I saw them when I grabbed her keys.”Jared said, “Shit when was the last time she had a decent meal?”Jensen said with sad look in his eyes, “I have an idea but I need both of you to agreed?”Both said in unison "What?”“How about we take her back home with us as she has nothing to keep her here. She can use our support and I feel guilty about her knee. Plus, she's needs us so we can show her some love and maybe the SPN Fans can too. I don't think she's ever have anyone tell her that she is loved or love her.”Jared said, “She's really gotten to you hasn't she.”Jensen said, “It breaks my heart to see her this broken, crying and shattered Jared and no one in her life cares if she lives or dies. I want to help show her we care for her and she's not alone anymore.”Misha said “I'm in. Y/N was caring towards me so I want to help show her I care too. I know Vicky will too she also saw the messages she wrote for me.”Jared said, “Ok I will too, Gen wants to meet Y/N and I think they could become best friends and I don't like seeing her, this shattered either.”Jensen said, “Now we have to convince her in the next three days.” I came back from X-ray and Jared asked if I was hungry.I said, “Maybe a little but I'm good.”Jensen, Misha and Jared all looked at each other and Jared said, “My treat anything you want Y/N?"We have been in the hospital for three hours waiting and I had dark circles under my eyes, my face looked pale and my eyes were still a bit swollen from crying earlier. I looked exhausted like all the fight had left my body I was slumped down on the gurney and had no energy.They all noticed and Misha said “Jared, I will come too. Y/N anything you want?”I said, “Maybe a sandwich with ham and cheese and a lemonade thanks.”Jensen said, “Burger and chips and apple pie if they have any thanks.”Jared rolled his eyes and said, “Ok we will be back soon.”Jensen saw the exhaustion settle over my body and said, “Try to get some sleep Baby. I will be right here with you.”I said, “I'm not tired Jensen,” and then I yawned.He moved and sat on the side of the bed and I was careful when I moved over to let him lie next to me. He held me in his arms singing a song to me it was “Lean on Me” gently until I fell asleep and he soon followed and that's how Jared and Misha found us a short time later with Jensen's arms holding me tight.So, they left and let us sleep they went to find somewhere to eat their food.They were sitting quietly not drawing any attention to themselves when people started recognising them. They always took selfies and gave autographs to fans as they are the ones who keep their show on air and them in a job.Jared said, “Misha have you seen the way Jensen is very protective of Y/N?”“Yeah he feels guilt for braking her knee that's all.”“No, I know him for a long time it's more.”“How?”“I think he really likes Y/N. You saw what happen back on set he was the one who went to Bob and ask for the week off and in there just now the way he's holding her like his life or her life depends on his touch.”“So, you think he's in love with her, don't you?”“Maybe we should head back they maybe awake and hungry.”“Ok.” They arrived back and Paul had woken them and was speaking to us as Jensen was still holding me tight.Paul said, "Your knee is broken and you would need to wear a brace for 6-8 weeks and no putting any weight on it at all."Jensen said, “Sorry Baby I didn't mean to hurt you.”Paul said, “The X- ray show previous injuries with your knee, you had it broken several times over the years.”“Yes why?”“Your knee taking this much punishment has damaged it and made it weaker so it was in a very fragile state. You will eventually need a knee construction but not yet. When Jensen fell on it, it couldn't handle his weight and added trauma so that's why it's broken it should heal up in the next 6-8 weeks, if not you will need to have the re con done.”“Oh, see Jensen not your fault my stupid knee broke I such a worthless person.”Jensen looked at me and said, “No you’re not I never want to hear you say that about yourself again you hear me," and I turned my face so he couldn't see my eyes.He turned my face but I saw pain in his forest green eyes and I said, “I'm sorry."Jensen wanted to know how my knee was broken so often and he was going to talk to me about it later when we were by ourselves.Paul said, “We will get you a brace and some crutches to get around on ok. We will see what happens with the brace and if it heals, then we will do physical therapy and get the knee stronger.”“What if it doesn't help?"“Worst case we do the re con don't worry about that now we will wait and see. I will organise your brace and crutches and do a discharge letter so you can follow up with your GP. I will also give you a script for some pain killers.”"Thanks Paul.” He gave me a heartfelt smile as he left.Jensen said, “Looks like your going to be on crutches for a while,” he looked at me and I was pouting. “What?”“I hate crutches they are uncomfortable and hurt couldn't we ask for a wheelchair too.”“Sure Baby" Jensen said.Misha said, “I'll go ask for you Y/N."“Thanks Misha.”He smiled and Jared said, “I got you some food. Sorry Jensen yours might be cold but it's still eatable.”Jensen said, “Thanks Jared I'm starving.”He looked at me, “Baby are you going to eat?” with a mouthful of food. He devoured his burger in minutes and ate his chips and was about to start on his pie.“Not really.”Jared said, “You should try to eat something Y/N.”A look passed between Jensen and Jared I was looking elsewhere so I didn't see the look.I just shook my head in response to Jared's question. I wanted to get out of the hospital and go home when we heard a commotion out in the corridor.I heard Misha talking to a lot of people. Jared when out there to see what was happening and was pulled into the conversation with Misha and all the nurses. Apparently, word had gotten around about them being in Emergency so they all came to meet them. They all wanted to know if they could get pictures and autographs.One of the nurses asked if Mr Ackles were here also. Jensen laughed when he heard the nurse and said, “That's my Dad not me.”“Go I'm alright. Go dazzle your fans their waiting to talk with you.”“You sure?”“Yeah go on, I'll be right here.” He laughed as he knew I wasn't going anywhere. He kissed my forehead and went into the corridor. I heard them all talking and getting pictures and autographs then nurse hard ass came along and told them to be quiet.I looked at the sandwich Jared had brought and opened it and took a small bite. I put the rest on the table and started thinking as my mind drifted off to how I was going to manage again with a broken knee. I won't be able to drive and walking on crutches were hell last time. I guess I will make it work I did last time but I was much younger then and easier to move around, now I'm older it's going to be more difficult.Jensen, Jared and Misha don't know how much trauma I've being through. They don't know how many broken bones I have had over the years due to my parent’s beatings. How I was tormented, teased and beaten regularly at school. How I had no friends as I remember all this abuse tears begin to fall unbidden down my face. I felt a pair of arms wrapped themselves around me I didn't hear anyone re-enter the room. I didn't know who it was but I felt safe and comforted.I heard him say, “It's ok I got you.”I turned my head into his shoulder as he rubbed soothing circles on my back and cooed softly, “It's ok you’re never going to be alone again.”I finally calmed down and I whispered, “Please don't let me go.”He said, “I won't Baby I won't.”I pulled back and saw worry in his forest green eyes he still had hold of me. He saw the pain on my face and in my Y/E/C eyes. He wished he could take all the bad memories away so I wouldn't look so empty and broken any more. He could understand why I would want to end it all because of the all pain I had to go through.He decided there and then he would build new memories, happy memories with me and Jared and Misha too. He pulled me back into a hug and kissed the top of my head rubbing his hand over my Y/H/C hair. He felt his heart break with my tears as he was fighting off his own. Then Paul walked in with the brace and the crutches. Misha and Jared followed him into my room and Misha wheeling in a wheelchair for me. Jensen was still holding me in his arms as I wiped the tears away and Jared and Misha wondering what happened and would ask Jensen about it later.Jensen said, “Hey baby looks like you have a ride.”I pulled back and my eyes were red and puffy from the crying when I saw the wheelchair I laughed a sad kind of laugh.Paul said, “Let's get this brace on so you can get out of here.”I said, “That will be great Paul thanks.”So, Paul was gentle putting the brace on and helped me adjust the crutches so I could use them when needed then helped me into the wheelchair.He gave the discharge letter and the script for the pain killers and we left after Jensen grabbed his pie and my sandwich. We all laughed when he picked his pie up.He looked at us and said, “What?”As we left the nurses all were saying their goodbyes to them. I didn't mind that they were giving the nurses their attention as it helped me be invisible as I don't like large crowds of people.I looked up as we went back to the car Jared paid the parking fee and I said, “What now?”Jared said, “We going back to your place and you pack some things and come with us to a hotel. Plus, your front door doesn't even lock it's dangerous for you to stay there.”I said, “I can't....?”Jensen cut me off, “You can't take care of yourself let us help you.”I looked at them and all three of them were giving me their best puppy dog eyes.Jensen said, “Please,” it sounded so heart wrenching so I agreed.I said, “Ok I will come and Jared the screen door locks.”We headed out of the hospital car park all smiling and went back to my house. Jared unlocked the screen door to let us in. They left the wheelchair in the car and gave me my crutches to move around on better. It was hard to not put my leg down but I knew I had to stay off it.I asked them to help me. Misha he found a bag and I told him what to put in it. Jensen, Misha and Jared had the same thought take me shopping tomorrow for some new clothes and suitcases.So, we all got back in the car and headed towards town after giving Jared the directions.He said, “Which is the best hotel in Adelaide?”I said, “I don't know, I know there's a few on North Terrace that look alright. I don't normally come to the city.”He kept driving with me giving him directions and Jensen holding me in his arms with my knee resting on the seat.Misha said, “Look at that?” It was the entertainment centre and the display across the road he was looking at.Jensen was not at all interested as he kept his hand enclosed in mine rubbing his thumb along my palm. He lifts my hand and kisses my palm I blushed at the intimate moment and he saw and I was rewarded with a dazzling smile then rested my hand back in his.It was nice but I was feeling unsure as we have only known each other maybe a few hours at most. But I looked into his green eyes and saw them sparkle in the dark when the street lights hit them. It made my heart flutter with excitement at the sight as he looked at me like I was beautiful. I hummed and smiled, Jared heard me and looked back and saw how relaxed I was and tap Misha to look and they both smiled. We arrived a short time later Jared pulled into the first big hotel on North Terrace. I didn't know its name but Jared decided it looked alright. The valet opened the door for Jared as he stepped out and towered over the poor man. Misha got out and opened the boot and got out the wheelchair. Jensen got the crutches while Jared grabbed our bags.The valet said, “I will go and get someone to help.”Jared said, “It's not necessary we got it.”He said, “Of course Sir would you like me to park your car?”Jared said, “Yes thank you,” and handed him the keys.Misha and Jensen helped me into the wheelchair while Jared was attending to the valet. Jensen gave me the crutches to hold while Jared took most of the bags and Misha helped while Jensen wheeled me in.I looked surprised and shocked the hotel was gorgeous it had a check in desk as you walk in and the rest of it was open with plants and waterfalls and little shops and a restaurant it was cosy.We went up to the counter and Jared asked a room with four bedrooms. The person behind the desk said, “The one room with four bedrooms is the pen house suite Sir.”Jared looked at Jensen and Misha for confirmation I didn't notice I was in total awe of the place.“We will take that please.”“Of course Sir, whose name shall we put it in?”They decided to use my name.Jensen said, “Y/N L/N.”“How long will you all be staying and will you be paying now or when you leave Sir.”Jensen said, “We will be here at least six days and we will pay now."“Of course, your room has only one entrance and has a lock key on the elevator as well so no one can enter your room without your key.”“Thank you,” and handed him his card.“Enjoy your stay,” as he handed Jensen's the key card. Jensen smiled as he gave them the key card to the elevator which took us to our room.We headed to the elevator and Jensen pressed the number and put the card in so it would stop on our floor.We arrived and the elevator opened on to the room itself. The room was enormous bigger than my whole house.I said, “Wow this is incredible.”We went in and Jared and Misha put the bags down and Jensen had wheeled me around the room. Jensen led me over to the big window you could see the whole of Adelaide almost it was glorious with all the lights. I looked down and I could see the river Torrens even though it was dark it looked pretty.Jared said, “What room would you like?'I said, “I'm not fussed really.”Misha said, “How about the one with the view.”I said, “No I could have one of the other rooms.”Jensen said, “It's settled,” and he wheeled me into the room with the biggest window I've ever seen.He laughed when he saw my face.He said, “Let's get you settled. Do you want to take a nap for a while you look exhausted Baby?”I said, “Yeah that would be nice.”He lifted me out of chair bridal style and lay me gently on the bed and pulled a blanket over me to keep me warm and kissed me on the cheek before he left.He said, “Sweet dreams beautiful. We will be out there ok.”I said, “Ok thank you Jensen,” with a yawn my eyes closed I was asleep before he left the room.Jared asked, “Y/N ok Jay?”Jensen answered, “She was out like a light. Poor thing she was exhausted.”Misha said, “She's had a rough couple of days.”Jared said, “Jay what happened earlier at the hospital when she was crying?”He said, “I don't know when I came back she was crying. I think she was remembering and has some very deep wounds and emotionally trauma not to mention the physical abuse as well.”Jared said, “Do you think we will be enough to help her Jay. What if we can't?”He said, “I think if we could replace the bad memories with good ones. Yes, I think we can help Y/N. I think all she needs is us to care about her and show her that we are here for her. She needs to feel supported and loved.”Misha said, “How are we going to that?”Jensen said, “First we buy her some nice new clothes and some new suitcases.”Jared said, “I don't know how she keeps warm during winter she must freeze?'Misha said, “She probably can't afford heating and warmer clothes most of her clothes are threadbare. She must have a bleak life and yet she can show kindness to others. She is one amazing person and she has a beautiful soul.”Jensen said, “We need to convince her to come home with us.”Jared said, “Then what Jensen?”Jensen said, “She could stay on set and we could get her an easy job while on the crutches or she could just watch us on set. All I know is I don't want to leave her on her own as soon as we get back. It will be all new for her and she will be scared.”Jared said, “Maybe I could get Gen to come be with her too. Dude I will help any way we can and I know Gen wants to meet Y/N.”Jensen said, “Yes maybe we could get Gen, Vicky and my Mum to stay with her while we are on set? We will work out the details later.”Misha said, “She's going to object to shopping tomorrow you know that, don't you?”He said, “Yeah I know. We will take her in a store and let her look around and then offer to buy her some clothes.”Jared said, “Ok it might work. I'm going to call Gen and I'm wiped I might go to bed see you in the morning.”Jensen said, “Ok see you then.”Misha said, “I'll go ring Vicky too tell her what's happening.”Jensen said, “Ok buddy see you in the morning.”They had taken the rooms on the opposite side to where my room was and Jensen was in the room next door to mine.He pulled out his phone to ring his Mum.He waited until she answered.“Hi Mum.”“Hi Doodlebug! How's Y/N doing?”“Mum please stop calling me Doodlebug I'm a grown ass man.”“Sorry Doodlebug you will always be my doodlebug.”He sighed and knew he wasn't going to win this argument which they have had many times before.“Mum she's not good I broken her knee we have been in the hospital all day.”“What happened?”“We got to her home and she was in the bath and she slipped pulling me with her and I landed on her knee.”“You walked in on her in her bath?”“Her front door was open and we were worried something might have happened so we came in and found her in the bath. She was fine and singing in the bath. She looked amazing Mum she so beautiful.”“So where are you now?”“We are all in a hotel in Adelaide Y/N is with us. Mum its worse than we thought she is living on barely nothing her clothes are all threadbare and she has no decent food. Her life has been hell Mum she was going to kill herself but we saved her. We fucking save her. Mum I can't bear to see her like this it's killing me.”“Jensen what do you want to do?'“I want to give her everything she deserves Mum. New clothes and enough food and happy memories. Mum I think I'm...” shit his world shifted as he realised he was in falling in love with me.He didn't think a person could fall in love so quickly, easily, but he felt like he was drowning in a flood of emotion and he was finding it hard to work out his feelings they were overwhelming, suffocating as he struggled with the pain and love in his heart. One thing he knew he was undeniably and unequivocally in love with me.“Your falling in love with her?”“Yes, I think I am she's all I can think about. I want to protect her and make her happy Mum. I think I want to marry her someday and have children with her.”“That's beautiful you do what you have too to bring my future daughter-in-law home.”“Mum what if we aren't enough to help her?”“Oh, Jensen you show her you love her with all your heart and soul and that will be all she needs. Does she feel the same way about you?”“I don't know but we have become closer Mum. I think she has feelings for me I don't know if it's love?”“Maybe you should make her a promise. I don't know what, maybe show her that you will always be there for her.”“Yeah, I will think of something. Thanks Mum. I love you.”“I love you too. How's Jared and Misha doing?”“They are fine and helping with Y/N. I think they care a lot about her also.”“That's good honey you all show her you care and it will bring her back from the edge and into caring relationships.”“Thanks Mum see you in a few days.”“Love you Doodlebug.”“Love you too bye.” She hung and Jensen when too his room and got ready for bed he just finished putting his PJ’s on when he heard me crying out in my sleep. He knocked gently on my door but got no answer. So, he came in quietly as not to wake me up.He walked over and squatted down as I mumbled “Please don't hit me. I'll be good.”He thought fuck how much has Y/N taking in her life. How much fucking disappointment and heartache, hurt and anger has Y/N felt. I was still whimpering in my sleep when Jensen gently stroked my face pulling a bit of hair away and whispered, “Your safe Y/N I got you, your safe Baby.”I grabbed his arm and said, “Please stay with me Jensen?”“Baby are you awake,” I opened my eyes and looked into his amazing coloured eyes. “Do you want to talk about it sweetheart?”“Not now maybe some other time. Can you please stay with me I don't want to be alone?”“If you’re sure?”“Please," and I pulled the covers back. He climbed in the other side of the bed careful not to hurt my knee. He pulled me close to his body and held me tight.He kissed the back of my neck and said, “Night Baby.”“Night Jay.”   In the morning, I was lying half on top of Jensen my sore knee was draped over Jensen's thigh and my body was nestled close to his. I was looking at his sleeping form trying not to wake him I felt comfortable in his arms lying next to him like we have known each other for years but it's only been one day.I was looking at how handsome his face is when he's asleep I gently ran my finger along his eyebrow and my breathed hitched in case I woke him up. His face looked relaxed and he looked comfortable even though I was lying almost on top of him.He inhaled a breath and my heart fluttered it was like I was seeing him for the first time as I continued to look at him and rubbing his stubbled cheek gently. I moved my leg as easy as I could so I wouldn't wake him up and he stirred his beautiful forest green eyes fluttered open.He said, “Hey baby” voice hoarse from not being used.My hand still on his face as he smiled at me.“Sorry I didn't mean to wake you?"“You didn't I been awake for a couple of minutes. I felt your hand on my cheek it's nice to wake up like that.”“Jensen?”He looked at me and knew what I wanted. He rolled me over gently so I was lying flat on the bed and he looked down so he wouldn't connect with my knee.He gently rubbed my face as he licked his bottom lip and lent down and kissed me, it was a soft kiss and tender to begin with and he then deepen it. He gently bit my bottom lip asking for permission to enter and I opened willingly to allow him to explore my mouth with his tongue.I jumped slightly as our tongues touched and I heard a small laugh into my mouth. I relaxed into the kiss after the moment of shock and he was more experienced at kissing than I was so I just let him take control. I moaned in the back of my throat and he growled in reply and smiled as he continued to deepen the kiss. I felt butterflies growing in my stomach and felt a warmth between my legs. I also felt something hard on my thigh.I felt the air being sucked out of my lungs when we finally pulled back. I made a whimpering sound trying to follow his lips. I was panting for air in great gulps and Jensen laughed.“Wow," as I inhale some air.“Y/N was that your first real kiss?”I looked embarrassed and flushed again he knew what the answer was.“Yes, I've never had anyone....” I stopped.“It's ok baby I liked it that I was your first." Then I blushed and he looked at me, "God your beautiful when you blush and your lips all red and swollen from our first kiss.”This time I decided to kiss him to show him what I had learnt from his kiss and because I really needed to kiss him again I laughed at myself I am becoming addicted to Jensen's kisses.I put my hand at the back of his neck as his fingers stroked through my hair. I deepen the kiss I could hear him moaning this time and I laughed into his mouth.I could feel the butterflies again and it felt good and exciting as the tingling between my legs grew. His hand had travelled down to my breast and he was squeezing it and rubbing it gently through his shirt. He started to undo the buttons and pushed my bra aside and squeezed my breast gently as we still kissed. I rubbed my hand down his shirt back until I was squeezing his very firm ass. He moved and kissed my jaw and then my neck just behind my ear and I mewled in pleasure as he kissed me. His mouth found my pulse point and then sucked his mark on me.“That's to let everyone know your mine.”I was like putty in his hands. I could feel he wanted more.“Jensen, we should stop.”“Alright I don't want to push you to far if this is your first time. I don't want to force you into anything you’re not ready for.”I wanted him so bad but I didn't know anything about having sex.“Thanks Jay your right I'm not ready, I'm not even sure how to have sex. It will be my first time and I'm a little scare of what might happen between us. I've never been in a relationship before and it terrifies me it was easier when I was being abused I knew where I stood and this is all so new and exciting I can't breathe with how much I feel about you.”“It's ok Y/N we can take this as slow as you want get to know each other inside and out. Let me show you how to love someone unconditionally and you can have that love returned without abuse. I can't say there will not be any pain but all relationships have pain. I can promise you, you will never be beaten or abused again. I will show you my heart and soul and you will show me yours if you will have me.”I had tears in my eyes, “Yes Jensen I will have you.”He kissed me gently and I remembered I was going to tell him.“Jensen, you are one amazing kisser.”He gave me a shit eating grin which lit up his whole face as it reached his eyes and said, “You wait and see what else I can with my mouth,” with his eyebrows raised.I blushed as there was a knock on the door.Jared said, “Y/N you up? Is Jensen in there with you?”I said, “Come in Jared” Jensen was doing up my buttons before they opened the door and he laid back in the bed holding me in his arms.Jared and Misha both walked in and noticed the shifted in Jensen and my relationship.Jared said, “Hi Y/N, Jensen.”I said, “Hi Jared and Misha.”Jensen just nodded at both in greeting.Misha said, “Hi Y/N.”I said, “Are you going somewhere?”Misha said, “Jared and I are going for a run Adelaide's a beautiful city and a run along the river Torrens looks beautiful.”Jared was trying to work out why Jensen was in my bed.I noticed and said, “I was having a bad nightmare he came in to see if I was alright. I asked him to stay with me for comfort to keep them at bay.”Jensen said, “I held her until she was asleep and this morning we kissed.”They could see my swollen lips from kissing Jensen.I said “It was nice but I asked Jensen to stop as I'm not ready for anything else. Plus, I've only known you all for what one day.”Jared said, “Just don't rush into anything you've been through a lot.”Jensen said “I wouldn't force her into anything we have spoken and agreed to take it slow. I want Y/N to know me first before will do anything.”Jared said “Good I'm glad you both talked about it. It's nice seeing your happy Princess.”I said, “Thanks Jared.”Misha said, “We better get going we will be back soon.”They left and I kissed Jensen until he relaxed in my arms. I was leaning on his chest when I said, “Jensen I care a lot about you,” as I turned to look at him, “you have made my life better it doesn't seem so dark and foreboding all the time. I don't feel so alone you saved me Jay.He looked at me and smiled so I continued as my life story poured out of me. “When I was a child my parents were great and they loved me. But when I reached my 4th birthday everything changed my Dad lost his job after a work injury. He never really recovered from the injury. My Mum worked her job as well and she had to leave to care for us both. We barely had enough money to paid the bills. Anyway, our life changed for the worst that day. I think Mum started resenting him and me as she had no freedom. As I grew I could see the hate and his growing towards me and each other. I just didn't know why she just never left it wasn't until they died I found out Dad had a very big life insurance but it was stated she had to stay with him to get it. When they died, I used all of it to paid their mountain of debts and funerals there was nothing left.As I got older when they would get angry at each other they would use me as a punching bag.” I pointed to my knee “this isn't the first time I had a broken knee it's been broken what 5 times before as well as my wrists, arms, legs and my ribs and a couple of broken fingers due to their violence. I also have numerous scars as I pulled up my shirt and turned so he could see the scar running down my back.They used to cut me until I was unconscious and need stitches which they had a friend of the family do. I was basically a dog to them and that's how they treated me. I was fed with their scraps most days or nothing at all. The only time I got away is when I actually went to school. I wasn't allowed to go while I was injured which was most of the time. If I told anyone what they were doing they had hurt me more and lock me in my room.I would be in dirty filthy clothes that were ripped and beyond repair. The kids were cruel and mean to me because of the way I looked.The teachers didn't care as I slipped through the cracks. The kids were nasty as I never had anything nice to wear to school. I had no lunch at lunch time while they had food to eat I was being cornered in the toilets and they would take turns in hitting me. I never made a sound when they hit me as it was only an extension of my parents. I had tears streaming unbidden down my face as Jensen listened and tears were flowing freely down his face also. So, I learnt to hide from the kids at school but they always found me.One day I was hiding under the trees on the oval and I flinched at the memory. I took a deep breath and Jensen grabbed my hand and stroked my cheek to let me know he was there.They found me and ripped at my clothes which were already in tatters. I was standing their trying to protect myself from what was coming. They beat me until I was unconscious while I could hear them laughing then the world went black. They left me there in the trees unconscious I was bruised, battered and broken. I was small and very petite and I had no body fat for protection. I was very thin as I wasn't getting enough to eat. When I finally woke, I had a few broken ribs and a bloody nose when I got home my mother saw me and they beat me until there was nothing left I wanted to die.You have to understand they chipped away at me like I was a mirror and I started to splinter each time they hit me until finally I shattered like broken glass the shards ripping at me. I felt worthless, hopeless, ashamed, I felt alone. I tried to fight back but I couldn’t, I felt like I deserved everything I got. It shattered my will to live and I just couldn't keep going. I was 8 fucking years old when I tried to kill myself as I rub my wrist where the scar was. Jensen looked he never noticed the scars before but it was faded and not so noticeable.These kids were 7 – 8 years old and they were beating me as I took the beating I wonder what their lives were like if they had a loving home and family and how could that do this to me. I blotched the attempt I didn't cut deep enough I only grew weak from the loss of blood I was only 8 years old. I also tried running away a few times but I was always returned and they would lock me in my room and beat me more. I never fought back as I thought I deserved everything I got I never knew anything different with the put downs and the beatings. Everything they told me I thought was true.As I grew school became more of a horror show for me as I was beaten and I was a quiet person. I also tried to commit suicide several times I swiped some of my father’s medications to use it was less messy and they wouldn't know I've taken them. I felt like nothing a nobody. I had no one who cared if I live or died. I had no friends, the teachers at school treated me like I didn't exist. My parents called me lazy, worthless no hoper, fat yet I had nothing to eat, stupid, loser bitch and I should never have been born. That one was my favourite so I took them at their word and try to kill myself. You know how hard it is for child of 8 to feel that much hatred and anger and know that you are not wanted it broken me. I became quiet and timid I didn't talk to anyone or felt comfortable around people so I kind of shut off the world.So, as I looked in the mirror each day I saw it cracking and splinter as I lost apart of myself until it finally shattered and there was nothing left to hold me together. He sat quietly listening to me he knew not to stop me while I was telling him otherwise I wouldn't. I never understood why they just never let me die. One day my mother told me I was there to be their play thing, their punching bag. The school did ask about my numerous absentees but mother always told them I had to help her with my father. When someone come out and check and I had a broken arm and a black eye my father told them I fell over the steps outside. They always had an excuse when anyone poked around. I remember this one time at high school a girl stood up for me when I was about to be beaten. You know what they did to her they humiliated her in front of everyone she never helped me again but they made her hurt me. I saw the pain in her eyes but she didn't want to feel that humiliation again.I was never shown any kindness, nor love, I've never had a boyfriend or any kind of relationship. No one's ever cared enough about me to give a damn. When my parents died in the car crash you know I fucking felt relived. I was finally free of them and there abuse but it still haunts me as the damage has already being done. The other day when I hung up you were right I was going to kill myself I had the bottle of pills in my hand. I was having a really difficult day I just wanted the pain to stop. I didn't want to feel like this anymore it hurts too much.He moved on the bed and hugged me tight I could feel his tears falling on my shirt. I pulled away but he still held me close as I still didn't make eye contact “you know why I didn’t, I watched the live feed we had done on Face book. I saw how happy you all were to talk to me. It made me feel good for the first time in my life. I finally have people who cares what happens to me. I couldn't do it I finally found some hope. I finally felt loved and had you all looking out for me and cares what happens to me. I finally have a chance at a real life with love and no abuse. You all saved me and for that I'm the luckiest person in the world.” He wiped my tears that had been flowing unchecked down my face while he hears about my fucked-up life. I didn't look at him while I was telling him it hurt to see his pity. He looked at me and moved my chin so I was looking into his tear-filled eyes and I saw no pity I only saw pain and sadness. His beautiful forest green eyes were glistening with tears as he showed me I was loved by him. I wiped the tear that fell from his left eye and then another fell from his right as he blinked the tears away and he then pulled me into another hug as he stroked my hair gently to help me relax and I felt safe and comforted in his arms."Jensen, I never thought myself beautiful or even pretty. All I saw was a broken, abused shell of a person. I felt like I was drowning and didn't know how to swim to the surface to get air. After being told your whole life you’re an ugly, good for nothing no hoper and a worthless bitch I felt nothing I was and empty shell. My parents weren't good on giving praise and encouraging good self-esteem. So, when you all came into my life it took me a lot to get use of you all calling me beautiful my body isn't what you would say beautiful Jensen.”He whispered in my ear “You are in my eyes, Jared's and Misha's too don't ever doubt that. Baby I will always be here for you. You will never be alone again or abused. You must be kind and gentle on yourself Y/N. I promise you I will give you the life you always deserved and the love you always hoped for. Will you let me show you?” Then Jared and Misha walked into my room and I never got to finish what I was saying. They both looked at us and saw how upset we both were they knew something had happen. They came over to my bed and Misha said, “are you ok Y/N, Jensen?”I pulled out of Jensen's hug and wiped my eyes as Jensen did his.I said, “yes everything fine.”Jared said, “you sure you both look upset.”I grabbed both Jared's and Misha's hands and looked at Jensen's sad face and said, “thank you all for saving me and showing me people do care for one another.”They both hugged me and both looked at Jensen and he gave them a tell you later look.I pulled away and said, “I better get ready can you please help me into the bathroom Jensen.”He said, “sure baby.”Jared and Misha decided they would go get cleaned up too while I was in the bath. Jensen got the hot tub ready and helped me in. I was still feeling a little self-conscious about him seeing me naked.He said, “call me when you want to get out ok baby” and gave me a long lingering kiss.He went to his room and showered quick and put on the last of his clothes.Misha and Jared were sitting on the lounge waiting for an explanation. So, Jensen sits down next to them and he sighed a heavy sigh as he told them about my life. Both had tears flowing down their faces and the anger was bubbling up inside them. He told them how I felt shattered and despair and had no hope. To them everything seemed to click into place the threadbare clothes, the hardly eating, the haunted look on my face.Jared spat out, “I wish they were alive I would kill them myself.” Jared normally the calm one of the group actually wanted to physically hurt another person.Misha said in his casual way, “it's a shame we couldn't kill them again.”Jensen said with much more anger than he intended, “yeah I had the same thought while she was telling me. I was thinking maybe we can get her something to remind her of us and how much we care for her?”Misha said, “like what?”Jared said, “how about a necklace with a heart.”Jensen said “yeah and we can get it engraved. Always keep fighting with our names.”Misha said, “how about we put pictures of ourselves in it for her too. To help her remember that she is loved by us and we care for her.”Jensen said, “great idea Mish”Jared said, “fuck what she's been through it's a miracle she's still here, so we have to give her as much support we can and show her we love her.” I called out to Jensen and he helped me out of the bath and I got dressed in my clothes still wearing Jensen's shirt.We ate breakfast as I noticed something had shifted in my relationship with them they were more comforting and supportive. As we talked they were careful not to bring up anything from my past. They talked about the future and how they were always going to be there for me.After we finished breakfast we went for a walk down Rundle Mall and Jensen took up the place of wheeling me down and around the shops. Jensen, Jared and Misha noticed a nice ladies dress shop so Jared tapped Jensen's arm and he nodded. He wheeled me in there and I looked around at all the pretty amazing new clothes. He distracted me looking at a pretty purple dress while Jared and Misha talked with the ladies behind the counter.I noticed and asked Jensen, “what's going on Jay?”“We are buying you some nice new clothes. But before you say anything and get upset. We want you to have nice clothes and we want to do this for you, you need new clothes sweetheart.”I knew I needed new clothes but I don't want their pity or their money so I told him.“I can't Jay, I can't take your money or your pity.”“It's not pity sweetheart we want to give you something nice you said you've never had any nice clothes, that you deserve to have and we so want to give them to you. Can you let us please?”I saw the pleading in his eyes and said, “ok as long as I can pay you back.”He's thinking to himself as if that's going to happen. I won't let you pay us back.“There's no need really we can afford it, it's a gift from us to you ok," yeah that should do it no one can turn down a gift.Jared said, “you can't turn down our gift it will hurt our feelings,” with the best puppy dog eyes ever.“No one's given me a gift let alone anything new what can I say?”Misha smiled and said, “how about yes”“Yes, ok you are all wonderful too me thank you.” The ladies stood there waiting for me to agree and then Jared introduced them as Pam and Jess.I smiled and Misha said, “they will help you with everything ok get whatever you need no expense Jensen, Jared and I will pay for whatever you want ok.”“Ok, where are you all going?”Jensen said “sweetheart we all need new clothes too we only brought enough for a few days. As he looks at his shirt on my small frame and I blush. So, will you be ok on your own for a while you have own numbers if you need us. We will be shopping in the Mall.”“Sure, Pam and Jess can help me into my clothes. I will be fine, it's alright I feel comfortable.”Jensen kissed me quickly while Misha and Jared kissed the top of my head.“See you soon Y/N," Jared said.They left and Pam said, “you're one lucky person their Y/N having three incredible gorgeous men willingly to buy you anything.”I smiled and said, “Yeah I am, they're great.”Jess said, “Y/N?"I looked at her and said, “are they Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins.”“Yep sure are.”She was very impressed that I had them as friends and I was damn proud too.Pam said, “we better get started they will be back before you get finished.” Jensen, Jared, and Misha all put hats and sunglasses on to semi hide who they were. I thought they looked funny as I laughed at the hats they wore but they didn't care they wanted to remain unseen so I wouldn't be hassled by paparazzi. They walked down the Mall no one took any interest in them. They found a men's clothes shop about half way down the Mall and they had what they wanted even clothes to fit moose size of Jared.They brought a lot more clothes than they needed but they didn't care. They asked for them to be delivered to the hotel and continued their walk down the Mall. They found a Graham's jewellery store and they were met by a nice woman asked if they needed any help and Jensen said, “yes thank you ma'am”She said, “you may call me Yvonne”Jensen said “thank you Yvonne we are (pointing to Jared and Misha) looked for a heart necklace for a very special lady in our lives. It has to be big enough to be engraved.”“I have the prefect one for you follow me.”She showed them and their faces lit up and Jared said, “that's perfect. Can we get it engraved here also?”She said, “hang on a minute I will check?”Jensen moved around the store looking at other things while he waiting as did Misha and Jared. Jensen saw something that caught his eye and decided he was going to come back and get it later.Yvonne came back and said, “sorry we don't do engraving here," she looked sad.Misha said, “can you tell us where we can please?”She smiled and said, “yes of course there an engraver just maybe four or five shops down the Mall,” and pointed the direction.Misha said, “thank you."Jensen paid for the necklace and they headed towards the engraver they noticed a photo booth along the way so they got the photos done to take them as well.They arrived a short time later and explain to the man what they wanted the heart to say and add the photos he told them it may be at least 15 minutes before he could get it done.So, they left to go get some coffee and the three of them sat down in a quiet part of the centre. They were talking quietly as people passed them some looked twice but continued. One very shy little girl of maybe 3 came over to them with her doll and talked to Jensen. He smiled at her and she handed him her doll.He asked her questions about the doll. Then he mother came running over and grabbed her daughter. The little girl started to cry as Jensen bend down to give her doll back. Her mother looked at him and then looked at Jared and Misha and apologised for her behaviour.Jensen said, “no it's fine I would have been worried my daughter was talking to three strange men.”Then she realised who they were and what they were doing in Adelaide. She got all flustered suddenly and stumbled over her words.Jensen smiled at her as Jared said, “she was ok we would never hurt her.”She gave them a small smile and then finally found her words. The little girl had stopped crying when Jensen gave her doll back.She said, “sorry I didn't mean to offended you but with the way the world is now you can't be too careful. I don't want anything to happen to my little girl."I'm Aeryn and this little muffin is Hope.”Jensen shook Aeryn's hand and then Hope's as Aeryn shook Jared and Misha's. Then Aeryn noticed Hope was holding her arms out for Jensen. Jensen looked pleased and had a huge grin as she handed Hope to Jensen. The little girl sat comfortable in his arms.Aeryn said, “she never normally goes to strangers. She must really like you.”Jared said, “yeah all the girls like Jensen,” with a wink.Jensen said, “shut up Jared.”Misha said, “I think they are adorable.”Aeryn said, “may I take a picture Jensen?”He said. “sure."So, he turned them both around towards her mother and she took a couple of pictures. Then she asked if she could get pictures with them also. They agreed and she said, “thank you.Jensen still had Hope in his arms when she said, “we better get going. Thank you again for looking out for Hope.”Jensen said, “your welcome Aeryn.”She said, “it was nice meeting you and I love Supernatural it's a great show.”They said, “thank you” in unison.Then they left and Jared said, “who's wants a baby?”Jensen looked at Jared with daggers but his eyes had a twinkle in them.Misha said, “I think you would be a wonderful amazing Dad Jensen look how you handled Hope. She was quite taken with you.”He said, “yeah maybe one day.”He was thinking about me and how he would love to have a baby with me and how he really wanted me permanently in his life.He said, “come on the necklace should be finished and Y/N's probably wondering where we are.”So, they went to collect the necklace and thanked and paid the engraver.With their clothes being shipped back to the hotel they didn't need to carry anything Jensen put the necklace in his pocket so I would not see it.They arrived back at the ladies’ shop that I was at. I was standing with Jess's help in a dark blue dress which set off my eyes. I also had a long braid done in my hair which went half way down my back.Jess smiled at me and said, “Look”I turned to where she said and the three of them stood there with their mouth agape and huge smiles on their faces. Jensen's eyes lit up at the sight of me as he looked me up and down.Jensen said, “baby you look incredible. You look absolutely fucking gorgeous sweetheart. Wow look at your eyes their beautiful.”“You like it?”Jensen licked his bottom lip then bit down on it. Yes, he liked it very much. Jensen noticed my eyes and that's what we wanted him to notice. I smiled at Jared and Misha.“Baby you are the hottest thing I've ever seen.”Misha said, “Y/N you look beautiful.”Jared said, “if I wasn't already happily married I definitely would have asked you. You are stunning Y/N.”I said, “thank you” as I blushed.Jensen couldn't take his eyes off me so Jared paid the account and asked if everything could be taking to our hotel.Pam said, “yes I can arrange that should be they’re within half hour Y/N.”I turned slightly as Jess still held me and said, “thank you Pam for everything.”She said, “my pleasure to have a wonderful customer like you Y/N.”Jensen came over and held me in his arms just looking into my eyes. I felt all warm and I wanted to kiss him. I lend up and he bend down and I kissed him on the lips and the kiss was heated and he wanted to deepen it but Misha cleared his throat breaking the spell.He then helped me into my chair as Jess pushed it behind me. I sat down as he fussed over my legs and he looked up and dazzled me with the look on his face. He was happy almost serene and I couldn't help but return the look.I said, “thank you again” to both Pam and Jess.I wiggled my finger to get Jensen to bend down and whispered in his ear.“Can you please do a selfie with Jess and asked Jared and Misha she is big fan of the show and was a really good helping to me today.”He smiled and whispered back, “I'm on it baby.”Jared and Misha wondered what I was whispering about when Jensen said, “Jared, Mish I need you help for a minute?”They looked wondering what he was talking about.He said, “Jess can you come here please.”She did and he asked for her phone and then got Jared to take the picture and then Jared and Misha worked out what I have asked Jensen. So, they also took one with Jess. Then they took a group picture with all of us.Jared said, “you can put that one on your wall if you want?”Pam said, “that's very nice of you.”Jess said, “thank you Y/N.”I said, “your welcome Jess.”Then Jess hugged me and said, “thank you” to me, Jensen, Jared and Misha.I said “goodbye.”Then we left the store it was still early so Jensen wheeled me to Elder Park with Jared and Misha close behind and we sat on down on a bench and just relaxed.“Baby,” I love it when he calls me that makes me feel special, loved, and most of all wanted.“Hmm?"I was sitting on the bench next to Jensen and Jared I was resting my head-on Jensen's shoulder just watching people going by. No one was paying us any attention which was nice. It was peaceful and quiet. He turned slightly so he could look at me. Jared and Misha were looking also.I said, “what's up?”He said, “we” pointing at Jared and Misha “were talking and we would very much like to know if you would like to come back to Canada with us. We want to support and help you with your broken leg and help get your life sorted out.”He had hold of my hands “and show you how much we care about you and help you feel love and wanted. Please come with us, let us be there for you. If you want you can get your own place and we can be your support network. Jared and Gen, Mish and Vicky and me and my Mum will you let us? If you want you can stay with me or one of us until your settled. We can find you a job on set or anything you want to do. Sky the limit here, anything. I know that we really want to be here for you Y/N.”Jared said, “Princess we want to help you by returning your kindness you have shown us and I know I really want to help you too. Plus, my wife will kick my ass if we didn't at least try to get you to come back with us.”I chuckled at that a 6 foot 4-inch man scared of his petite wife.Misha said, “we have grown to care about you very much Y/N and we want to be there for you.”I said, “that's nice but I don't want to be a burden or make you feel obligated to me that not what I wanted. That's what I feel I am a burden and an obligation.”Jensen said, “you are not a burden or an obligation sweetheart you are never going to a burden to any of us, we want you to come. We know how hard this change will be for you but you have nothing here and we can be there for you every day to help you. We can see you instead of calling and I feel better seeing you baby. Please I don't know if I could go back without you baby.”“Can I think about it!'“Sure, but we have to leave in a few days we have to get back or we will be out of a job.”“Ok." Jared said, “I'm getting hungry you want to go grab something to eat.”I said, “sure there's a pizza place in Hindley Street or McDonald’s if you want that.”Misha said, “pizza sound's good.”Jensen said, “yep love me some pizza.”We all headed to the pizza place in Hindley Street and they ordered several pizzas and Jared ate a whole family size on his own. I had a few pieces but my mine was lost to what  Jensen had asked me. They noticed I was quiet but didn't push for me to talk with them. They talked about the show and how they thought the season would end and what they will do when they get home. I heard me name mentioned every time Jensen said something he included me with hope sounding in his voice. I smiled to myself when I heard he was making plans that included me.When we finished, we headed back to the hotel and all our clothes were waiting for us as we entered our room. Jensen carried all my clothes in and put them on the floor for me to go through later. He said to himself mental note buy lots of luggage for Y/N clothes and smiled to himself.I sat on the bed and changed into his shirt he gave me to wear the first day. Shit was that only yesterday it felt like months ago. He told me I could kept it as I looked good in his shirt even though it was way too big for me. I loved the smell of Jensen on it as it had a calming effect on me. I said, “goodnight” to them all on my crutches and went to bed. I was wiped, it has been a very exhausting day but I felt good and hopefully for the time ever.Jensen said, “Jared, Mish can I spend some time on my own with Y/N tomorrow. I would like to give her our necklace we got for her but do you mind if I do it alone?”Jared said, “Dude we can see you have developed feelings for her. It's cute how you protect her and are with her almost all the time. No, I don't mind Jay.”Misha said, “Jay do what you need to do buddy if it makes you and Y/N feel better I am ok with it.”Jensen said, “Thanks you guys.”Then they all sat down and watch a couple of movie and they talked about what they will do when they got home. Jensen was wondering if I would agree to go with them or not? All he knew he couldn't lose me not now he is in love with me.Misha said, “I'm heading to bed but I will call Vicky and talk to my kids. See you in the morning.”Jared said, “yeah I might to go call Gen and talk with the boys. Night Jay.”He said, “Night Misha and Jared.”Jensen had a thought he will ring his Mum.He waited until she picked up.“Hi Mum.”“Hi Doodlebug! How's things going with Y/N?” He rolled his eyes at the nickname.“Good Mum I'm going to buy her a promise ring tomorrow to give her something to hope for and look forward too. I know she feels the same Mum I see it every time she looks at me it's in her eyes Mum.”“That sounds wonderful honey have you picked one out yet?”“Yes, I have I going to go buy it tomorrow for her. But I rang to ask you and maybe you could ask Gen to help you. I would like you to set up my spare room for Y/N. Can you do it in her favourite colour purple and can you get some purple roses for her also?”“So, she's agreed to come back with you then?”“Not yet but after I give her the ring I'm hoping she will come back with us.”“Doodlebug I know you really want this but don't be disappointed if she said no. She is basically moving to a new country and with people she barely even knows. I will if she comes, make her feel welcome and Gen and Vicky will too. But she will feel strange in this country Jensen.”“I know Mum that's why I want the room set up I'm not going to force her to sleep in my bed. She can have her own space and feel no pressure.”“Ok Jensen I will see what Gen and I can do?”“Thanks Mum.”“Let me know if she is coming back home with you and when you’re getting back I will meet you at the airport. Don't forget to ring Clif and let him know too. I know he will want to take you home.”“Ok will do. Love you Mum.”“Love you too bye.”“Bye.”Jensen got ready for bed and then he climbed in my bed with me and pulled me into his arms.I mumbled “Jay."“Yeah baby go back to sleep,” he said and kissed my head as he too drifted off to sleep. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- I was whimpering and thrashing in my sleep when Jensen woke and was trying soothe me until I settled back into a deep sleep. He looked worried but he decided he would talk to me later and went back to sleep.He awoke thinking he had to get back to the jewellers before our dinner tonight.I started to stir next to him and opened my Y/E/C eyes looking into forest green eyes. I thought could he get any more handsome but I was wrong he looks even more gorgeous with his short dirty blonde hair all sleep tossed and his face lit up with a huge smile like he was seeing me for the first time ever. It was quite endearing as he made me feel like the only person on the planet. His lips soft and pink as his tongue swiped over his bottom lip. His eyes shone with happiness and had a devious sparkle behind them.“Morning Jay.”“Morning baby, sleep well?”"No I had a nightmare didn't I?.”"Yes baby you did. I settled you back down. You want to talk about it?""I was back there in my room and my Mum was hitting me.""I know it's hard but your safe Y/N. I am always here for you ok.""Thanks Jensen. Can I ask you something if I go back with you? Can I get some counselling.""I think that would be a good idea baby. I will go with you for support.""Thank you Jensen." He decided it was enough to know I was asking for help. So he decided to ask me on a date to make me feel better.“Y/N sweetheart,” grabbing my hand, “will you go on a date with me tonight?”“What a date.... I've never....”“It will be ok, we will be great together. Please let me show you all the firsts you missed. First with a date?” I swallowed nervously, “ok Jay you can be my first date.” “Don't be scared I will be with you the whole time. I want to see if we can eat in the restaurant here in the hotel. How does that sound, not to scary?” “It's sounds nice. Will Jared and Misha come too?” “No just us," a little disappointed that I wanted them to come too. I saw his disappointment on his face and said, “that's good because I want to spend some time alone with you too Jay.” His face grew a huge grin and he said, “really?” I laughed and said, “yes really” and kissed him. I rubbed my hand along his jaw and his two-day growth was sexy and his face was sprinkled with freckles that look like little angel kisses. I want to kiss them all and decided to do so, so I kissed the ones near his mouth. “What are you doing?” “Kissing your angel kisses.” “What?” with a huge grin “Your freckles I want to kiss them all. They look like angel kisses dust on your face.” He smiled and chuckled and let me continue my exploration of his freckles. I dipped down passed his face and kissed his pulse point I nipped gently and he hummed. “Returning the favour, you belong to me Jay now and forever.” “I would like that.” He dipped his head so our mouths were kissing desperately we both felt a new hunger growing inside of us. As our tongues explored the other's mouth intimately. It was a wonderful feeling to be kissed with so much passion and want. We finally pulled away both panting for air as we try to regain our breaths. “Whoa he taught you how to kiss?” I laughed, “No one you would know. My boyfriend taught me, you know I'm cheating on you with another man, don't you?” “Wow his one lucky man to teach you how to kiss like that. Maybe I should have words with him and tell him your mine.” I giggled as he went along with my joke. “Sorry but I only have eyes for one man he is gorgeous, caring, loving, and has shown me how much I mean to him.” “He is willingly to show you the world too, and now, everything in it and give you everything you deserve too. Your it for him too, he knew the first time he saw you, you were the one he would give his heart too.” “I felt the same too. The first time I saw you on Supernatural I thought wow you were this really hot guy way out of my league. That you were either married or gay but I kept my dreaming and had my fantasies about meeting you and hoped to get to know you. I never dreamed I would be here in bed with you. Jay your it for me too. I want to give you everything too.” He kissed me and rubbed his thumb over my face and said, “you know I'm not gay or married and I too hoped to meet the right women too. I didn't think I was ever going to find the right person to give my heart too. Then I meet you and you were so broken and fragile I knew then you were the one.I felt things for you I never felt for anyone else it scared me at first, as I wasn't sure how to deal with what I was feeling. The more I saw you and how much you needed our help I was falling harder for you. I also think we all have dreams, that's what keeps us alive and give us hope. Long as you had hope you kept on fighting even with all the abuse and heartbreak it was the dream to one day meet me that kept you going.I am the luckiest man alive because I meet you and you showed me how caring and loving you can be like. I know this is hard for you to show any kind of love but I am very grateful you chose me and are willing to show me sweetheart. I'm glad that we chose you and came here to Australia you are becoming my everything baby.” He kissed me gently we better get up before they come knocking on the door. I smiled “Jay I never thought I would be this lucky and I'm glad you all came to Australia too. Jay, thank you.”I looked into his eyes for a brief moment before I cleared my throat and said, “Ok, you want to help me into the bath.” “Of course, I will help you.” “It's not like you haven't seen me naked before Jay.” He gave me a shit eating grin as he has seen me naked. “You have a bath and I will have a shower how's that sound.” “Ok I will call when I finish.” “Can I use your shower?” “Oh, of course.” “I will go run your bath come in when you’re ready?” He grabbed the crutches and put them next to me and went and turned on the bath. I hobbled into the bathroom as the tub finished filling he said, “you ready Baby?” I shook my head yes as he undid my shirt button by button, god it felt so sexy. He looked at me and smirked, “you like that baby.” I blushed as he continued to unbutton my buttons. He pulled the shirt down my shoulders as I held onto him for support as he took the crutches and lean them against the wall. He tossed it aside and bent down to remove my brace and panties. He pulled them down slowly and told me to sit on the side of the tub and he removed them and tossed them on top of his shirt. He then lifted me bridal style and gently lowered me into the tub. Then he waited until I was comfortable before moving towards the shower I grabbed his arm. “Baby,” with eyebrows raised. I pulled him down and I kissed him sweetly on the lips. “I'm not going to make it to the shower if you don't let me go.” I smiled and he walked away again I grabbed his arm and pulled him down for another sweet kiss. He knew what I was doing now and decided that he would kiss me longer until I was out of breath. I felt the air being sucked out of my lungs as he deepens the kiss. I felt a strange electricity run through my veins I felt it every time Jensen kissed me I knew it was right that we were together. I finally pulled away I was panting for breath with my lips swollen from our kiss he gave me a quick smirk then moved off towards the shower across the room. I watched him take of his shirt, he made sure to make a show of it. I couldn't help but laugh at his antics. He slowly pulled the T-shirt over his head and threw it at me I caught it before it landed in the water. Then he slowly pulled his pyjamas pants down a bit at a time. I saw his stomach was thin but tight with muscle, as was his arms that flexed when he continued his strip tease. He pulled them all the way down taking his boxers with it. I looked at his muscular frame and his legs were slightly bowed and he had muscles in his thighs he was one good looking man. His cock was big and but soft hanging down between his legs. He said when he saw me staring “you like what you see Baby?” I felt flushed and blushed from my toes to my face. He laughed at me and I said, “yep” in a whisper. He came over then and whisper in my ear "I like you too." He laughed a hearty laugh as he climbed in the shower. I felt hot and it wasn’t the water. I needed a cold bath so I turned the cold tap on and splashed some on my face to cool myself down. I thought wow and he is all mine I'm one lucky person. He started singing in the shower and I knew the song it was my favourite song I heard him sing before on you tube it was the chorus to Simple Man. I sat in the tub just listening to him sing he did really have and amazing voice. I heard him open the shampoo and conditioner bottles and put them both on his hair at once. Then I heard him drop the soap and heard him curse son-of-a-bitch. I had to chuckle at that. I washed myself and I try to wash my sore leg but gave up I was in a bubble bath anyway so I did worry too much. Jensen finished his shower and turned it off and grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. I was a bit disappointed but I knew we had to get dressed. “You ready to get out Y/N?” “Yep can you help me please.” He lifted me with no effort at all. He let me slide down the length of his body until my feet touched the ground then held me there as he wrapped the towel around me. Then lifted me again and sat me on the bed. “Can you manage while I get dressed?” “Yes, I will be fine everything is right in reach.” So, he went to his room to put some clothes on I had decided on a pale blue shirt and a skirt that matched. I put on blue bra and panties. Then I sat their brushing my long strawberry blonde hair and I tied it into a braided. I got up with the crutches and hobbled out into the main room. Jared and Misha had ordered breakfast for us all and was sitting talking. Jared saw me and his face lit up with a smile, Misha saw me and his did as well. Jared said, “let me help you Princess.” I smiled at the endearment only Jensen and Jared called me by an endearment. Misha called me his minion which always got a smile. Jared came over and said, “morning Princess sleep well?” I said, “morning Jared I did thank you," they didn't need to know about the nightmare. Misha said, “minion how are you today?” I said, “really good and you my Overlord Sir.” He smiled a full-face smile and said, “I fine thank you minion." I had to laugh then and so did Jared and Misha that's when Jensen walked in. He said, “what's so funny?” I said, “nothing just our Overlord here.” He looked at Misha and said, “Overlord?” I said, “yes remember my message to Misha about him being my Overlord and our superior being?” He said, “yes why?” I said, “well he asked me his minion how I was today, so I thought I would continue the joke and answered him as my Overlord.” Jensen knew what I had texted back to Misha and then he smiled and said, “no he's not your Overlord but I know someone wanting the job.” I blushed and turned away and looked at our breakfast. Jared and Misha looked and laughed. While Jensen smirked. Jensen got us both some breakfast and we sat and ate with Jared and Misha. Jensen said “Jared, Misha domyou mind helping Y/N today. I got a few things I need to do before our date tonight.” I said, “Jensen I will be fine.” Jared said, “we will look out for her Jay.” Misha said, “yes maybe we could go for a walk down along the Torrens and have some lunch in the park.” I said, “sounds nice Misha.” Jared said, “there's that's settled we be ok, Jay.” I smiled as he finished his breakfast as I picked at mine like I normally do. Jared said, “eat up Y/N we have a big day planned.” I looked wondering what he was talking about. I ate a few more mouthfuls and drank some orange juice which I didn't like very much. I said, “I've had enough. What are we doing today?” Misha said, “it's a surprise?” I said, “Jay do you know?” He said “no I don't baby. I better get going if I want to be ready for our date later." He kissed me on the lips, “see you later.” I smiled and he left and I looked at Jared and Misha. Misha had my wheelchair and Jared lifted me into it. I said, “ok what's going on?” Jared said, “wait and see?” I huffed and they both laughed. He wheeled me out of the hotel and towards the Torrens and I saw all these people walking and running along the river. It was the most incredible thing I've seen. I have lived here my whole life and never seen the Torrens before. The water looked dirty but the swans and ducks like it. It had beautiful hanging trees on the side of the river and some bridges and the pop eyes were on the river.Jared wheeled me over to one of the pop eyes and said, “Y/N we are going for a ride on the pop eye you said you'll never been on one so we want to take you.” I said, “I can't Jared the wheelchair will be too hard to get on board.” Jared lifted me into his arms bridal style and I shriek with the shock of being lifted and carried me on board and sat me on the seat nearest the water. Misha had folded the wheelchair and passed it to Jared and Jared put it behind our seat. He then paid for our tickets and sat next to me and Misha sat next to him.I started to shiver he said, “Princess you alright?” I said, “I'm a little cold.” He knew that I got cold very quickly so he wrapped his arms around me so I was leaning on his chest. He said, “better.” Jared was like a heater he didn't feel the cold because of his big frame and height. I said, “hmm thank you.” He said, “your welcome Princess.” The pop eye started down the river and moved towards the Weir. The Weir had water running from it. It was quite pleasant just relaxing against Jared and watching the scenery passing by. Then we headed the way we came and headed up the river. We saw the bridges and people crossing to get to various places in Adelaide. Then we passed the Adelaide zoo I've never been there either. Misha said, “have you been to the zoo Y/N?” I said, “no we never had the money to go.” Jared said, “maybe we could come before we leave I know Jensen would want to come too.” We continued down the river until we came to and over hanging tree it was the most beautiful tree I've ever seen. It must be at least 50 years old. It's long branches and green leaves I should have brought my phone and took a picture to show Jensen. Maybe next time he will be with us. Then the pop eye turned and headed back to where we boarded the trip took about an hour and I really enjoyed it. I said, “thank you Jared and Misha that was beautiful.” Jared said, “is there anything else you want to see?” I said, “there's a museum and art gallery here somewhere and botanical gardens too.” Misha said, “we have the whole day to fill so why don't we ask someone for directions.” Jared stopped the first person who walked by us and said, “excuse me can you please tell us where the art gallery, museum and botanical gardens are?” The person said, “sure man there are all up on North Terrace. The art gallery is next to the library and the museum is next to the art gallery and the botanical gardens is way pass the hospital. It’s a fair walk down the road that way.” Jared said, “thank you" and gave the guy a 20 for his trouble. He said, “no you don't have to do that here. Glad to help.” Misha said, “thank you.” Then we headed towards the art gallery. It was a big, open bright place. The paintings were incredible. Misha said, “do you paint Y/N?” I said, “no but I draw. I'm not very good at it, but it helps me to focus and relax. I took it up when I moved out of my parent’s place. I couldn't always afford the paper or pencils but I made do.” Misha said, “I would like to see your drawings someday.” Jared said, “I would like to see them too?” I said, “there are back at the house when I go back I will bring it and show you both.” We finished at the art gallery and Jared was getting hungry so we found somewhere to eat. I asked for a meat pie with sauce and Jared and Misha decided to try it as well. They had sauce running down their faces and hands. I was laughing so hard I almost choked on my pie. I said, “so how did you like it?” Jared said, “that was nice and messy. But I think I might get another one would you like another one too or something to drink.” I said, “maybe just something to drink please.” Misha said, “I might get another one too and a coke.” Jared walked over and asked for two more pies with sauce and got him and Misha a coke and me a lemonade. We sat in quiet while they ate their second pie while I was still eating my first. I had eaten about ¾ of it and told Jared I had enough. He passed me my drink and a straw and I drank some of it. I did up the bottle and put it in my lap. Jared and Misha threw their garbage away and had a drink also and asked me to hold their drinks. I sat them all in my lap.We headed to the museum and we explored the different levels. They had stuffed animals that were extinct. Dinosaur bones and rocks and mummy's and a gift shop I asked Jared if I could buy something for Jensen and we decide on this koala stuff animal. Then he looked at his phone and it was almost 4pm.He said, “Y/N can we do the botanical gardens another day. It's almost 4pm and you have to get ready for your date with Jay.” I said, “ok I'm really nervous Jared.” We sat down for a moment and Jared said, “you don't have to be nervous Jay likes you a lot. If he hurts you we will kick his ass.” I smiled and said “I really like him a lot too. What if I screw it up and he never wants to see me again?” Misha said, “Jay's not like that, hey we screw up all the time and we are all still friends. He wouldn't do that to you and if he did, we would as Jared pointed out kick his ass.” Jared said, “we wouldn't be the only ones, I know his Mum will too.” Misha said he grabbed my hand, “your special to him Y/N. We can see how much he cares about you and he really wants you to come back with us, as do we.” Jared said “I've seen Jensen with other women but he's never been like this with any of them. He is very protective of you and I know how much he cares about you, I see it in his eyes and the way he moves around you. Whenever you are in the room his eyes never leave you not for a second. I see he wishes your life was different and you never had to go through all that you have. He just wished he was there early to protect and help you. He was so heartbroken when you hang up. You know what he kept telling himself all the way on the plane and taxis ride to your house. “please by alright. I'm coming Baby, please be alright. He said it over and over to himself. Misha and I tried to comfort him by saying you would be fine but he had to see for himself. So, he really does care Y/N.” I had tears flowing down my face as I never thought how Jensen, Jared or Misha was feeling when I turned my phone off and Jared wiped them away and gave me a hug. I said, “I owe you all apology I should have left my phone on I'm so sorry for hurting you both.” Misha said “we understood and were glad you were alright. But Jensen was on the verge of braking if he found you.......” he didn't finish the sentence. I said “fuck I really need to say sorry to Jensen too. I promise I will never turn my phone off again if I am upset like that again.” Jared said, “ok deal, but we are fine, now you’re ok and doing better.” I said, “I am and it's thanks to you all.” Misha said, “yes I am a good Overlord” breaking the tension. I said, “I hope I don't let him down or you or Misha?” Jared said, “everything will be fine promise. We better head back or Jensen will send out a search party wondering where his date is.” I laughed a small laugh and we headed but to the hotel. We entered our room and Jensen was not back yet. I said, “I need to take a bath I smelt like Jared's cologne," it was a nice smelt but I didn't want to smell like him. I put the water on and I tried to get in the bath on my own and I dropped the crutch as it banged to the floor. Jensen had arrived home and heard it. I was sitting on the toilet crying with my head down. He walked in and saw the tears. “Hey! what's with the tears Y/N? Are you ok?” “I can't even get in the bath on my own. I'm so useless and no good to anyone.” I still had my head down when I felt his hands holding onto mine and he moved his hands so they were rubbing my arms. “Look at me” as he lifted my chin up “you’re not useless you have a lot of empathy and compassion for people. You really got to be gentler on yourself like I've told you before. It will take some time to heal and when it does you will wonder what all this fuss was over. I am here I can help you into the bath.” “I'm just really frustrated with myself because of my leg. I couldn't even get my bottom part of my clothes off.” He smiled, “I know you are frustrated with yourself. But I am here for you always. Hey, I enjoy helping you” and gave me a wolfish grin. I had to laugh then and said, “you are amazing you know that, don't you?” “No but I do now thanks baby. Let's get you in the bath. We don't want you to be late for our date.” I shook my head and he helped me finish undressing and lifted me into the bath. I have gotten so use of Jensen lifting me into the bath naked that I didn't feel any discomfort or embarrassment it felt natural to me to let him. It was as if we were supposed to meet and him helping me.I wish he could be in my life forever. He was my comfort and support it felt good to have someone there for me. I know I've only know Jensen for what a couple of days but I feel like I known him for years watching him on Supernatural since day one. He has a gentle kind of way about him. He is different to the character he plays but sometimes they are also alike in other ways. That grin was still on his face when he said, “want me to wash your back and anywhere else for you?” “You can do my back but you need to get ready too.” He washed me back and then when to wash my hair. I hadn't even thought to wash it. It was hanging lose down my back. “Would you like me to wash your hair it kind of smells like Jared?” “Jealous," with a giggle. He growled at me and I laughed and he laughed too then. “Jared held me in his arms as I got cold on the pop eye today. Jared and Misha thought they would take me for a ride Jay. It was beautiful, can we go on it before we leave I would love to go on it with you. I felt warm when he held me you know he is like a heater don't you?” Jensen laughed and said, “yes and he sweats a lot too that probably what I can smell.” “Jay, you know you’re the only one I want. He just didn't want to see me shivering.” “I will thank him and you’re the only one I want too,” he kissed me on my lips and continued to wash my hair. We used the hotel shampoo and conditioner it smelt like apples. “Mm you smell like apples now.” “Yep and thank you Jay.” “Call me and I will come help you out. Now I've finished with your beautiful hair.” “I will you better go get ready too.” “Yes ma'am,” and left. I had stayed in the bath another 10 minutes doing the necessary shaving and cleaning. I called Jensen who still hadn't had his shower yet. He lifted me out of the bath and wrapped a towel around me and handed me my crutches. “You alright now? I'm going to go shower and I will wait for you outside.” “Yes , I will be fine” He left and Jared said, “she ok, Jay?” Jensen said, “yeah and thanks for keeping her warm today Jared.” He smiled and said, “my pleasure.” Jensen said, “I've got to go shower and get ready for my date with a beautiful woman.”I hobbled out of the bathroom on my crutches and sat on the bed and dried myself. I had decided on wearing a dark purple long chiffon dress we had it altered at the dress shop me being so short. But it still looks nice I decide to wear flat shoes as I wouldn't be able to walk in heels. I did my hair into a side braid that hang down the other side of my shoulder and I put a purple ribbon in my hair. I put on a bit of perfume and spray my body with body spray. I was going to put some make up on as it wasn't necessary so I just put some lick gloss on, as I still wasn't sure with the whole make up thing yet. I didn't worry about a bag as I didn't really need one. So, I opened my bedroom door and Jensen, Jared and Misha were standing there in awe of me. I hobbled out on the crutches and stopping just outside my door.Jensen was in a tuxedo and he looked incredible gorgeous as they all were staring at me. I said, “what you don't like it, I can change.” Jensen cleared his throat with a huge smile on his face and said, “no he sighed you are fucking beautiful. These are for you," and handed me a bunch of purple roses and took one of my crutches so I could hold them. “You look handsome to Jay and these are gorgeous thank you. How did you know the colour purple was my favourite colour?” “Look at you it's definitely your colour plus I saw most of your clothes were either purple or blue” with a deep throaty laugh. I laughed too and replied, “I never had a chance to choose my own clothes or colour of my clothes and I've always loved the colour purple." Jared and Misha stood there waiting patiently for us to finish. Jared walked over and took the flowers from me, to put in a vase. Jensen handed me my other crutch as I had hold of his arm. Misha said, “you look beautiful Y/N.” Jared said, “wow you look incredible Princess.” I blushed and said, “thank you.” Jared said, “you didn't expect Jensen to clean up nicely too.” I said, “I didn't have a doubt in my mind. He is very attractive you know” and I winked at him. Jared laughed and said, “yeah I guess you knew.” Jensen said with a huge grin on his face “you alright on them?” I said, “not really I just wanted you all to see me standing in this beautiful dress you all brought for me.” Misha got the wheelchair and Jensen and Jared helped me into it. Misha smiled and said, “you kids have a great time and be home by midnight you have school tomorrow.” Jensen scowled at Misha and Jared and I laughed. I said, “see you soon Dad and Uncle Jared.” Jensen laughed a whole body laugh and I couldn't help but giggled too. Jared said, “have a good time Princess, Jensen.” We left and went down the lift to the dining room. Jensen was wheeling me in and I noticed it was empty. I looked around as the waiter show us to our table. He said “Mr Ackles your table is ready. Please follow me Sir, Ma'am.” Jensen said, “thank you” as he wheeled me to the window where I could look at the lights over the river it looked very pretty all lit up. The waiter whose name was Jason said, “let me know when you’re ready to order. Would you and the young lady like something to drink Sir?” Jensen said, “yes thank you Jason I like a beer on tap and Y/N what would you like?” I said, “I've never had alcohol before maybe just a lemonade thank you Jason.” He said, “Of course I will be right back with your drinks and menus.” I said, “he seems nice.” Jensen said, “yes he does.” I looked around and Jensen noticed and I said, “Jensen where is everyone?” “Baby I thought you might be comfortable if it was just us and I wanted to be alone with you. So, I brought the whole place out for the night.” I felt a blush creeping up my neck to my face. “you look really hot when you blush.” I blushed even more and Jason picked the exact moment to come over with our drinks and menus. He said, “your beer Sir and Ma'am your lemonade with a straw in it.” I said, “thank you” Jensen said, “thank you will let you know when we wish to order Jason.” He said, “of course Sir.” Jensen picked up the three white roses these are for you baby.” I looked at them after I had a drink to cool myself down from the blush. He said, “two are from Misha and Jared but the other is from me it means something to me?” “What does it mean to you Jay?” “It means to me how much I care for you and want you in my life baby.” “I know you do. I see the way you look at me and your eyes follow me everywhere." He blushed this time boy did he looked hot with red cheeks. "I look at you the same way too Jay.” “Shall we order?" We picked up our menus and had a look what was on it. I thought I would stick with something I know but there was nothing on there I knew. Jensen saw my frown and said, “would you like me too order for you?” “Please, I don't know any of this food?” He laughs a soft laugh and had a gently look in his eyes. Jensen motioned for Jason to come take our orders. He said, “yes Sir what would you both like to eat?” Jensen said, “I will try the burger, fries and salad.” He said, “yes Sir and the young lady what would she like Sir?” “She will have pork roast, chips and salad on the side." Jason said, “would she like gravy as well Sir?” Jensen said, “ask her” with a smile. He turned to me and asked, “would you like gravy on your pork Ma'am?” I looked at Jensen who had a smirk on his face and he shook his head. I said, “Yes please Jason.” He said, “very good Ma'am, Sir it won't be to long” he collected the menus and headed for the kitchen. I looked at Jensen who was still smiling and said, “Jensen tell me about yourself?” “What would you like to know?” “Tell me about your family Jay?” His face lit up when he started to tell me he said, “I have a wonderful Mum and Dad. They both were really good parents and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I have an older brother and a younger sister." “So, you’re the middle child.” “Yeah I liked being the middle child as my brother took the blame whenever we got into trouble being the oldest.” “What were your dreams and desires Jay?” “You know I never ready thought about acting before I was going to go to University. I was going to do sports medicine and become physical therapist. But I decided to give acting a try and moved to LA to start my career. Well it went well and here I am now in a show which is in its 12 season and doesn't look like finishing any time soon. You know I use to do modelling too I started at age 4 and continue on and off. Until I landed my guest appearance in different shows then I landed the role on a major soap opera I still think it's going today. I like acting it fun and I get to meet new people and play different roles. I enjoy it I love playing Dean on Supernatural and Jared is really like a brother to me and Misha is my best friend. I will miss it when it finishes especially Dean. I've grown to love the character.” “Yes, I will miss the show too, it was the only that kept me going, I identified some much with what the characters were feeling.” “So, tell me about your dreams Y/N?” I looked at him and he smiled and I said, “well one of them has come true. The other is I hope to be able to do someday, it's still a work in progress for me to work out the details.” He looked waiting for me to tell him and I giggled “I would hopefully one day open a Organisation for abused kids to help with clothes and food and even accommodation if needs be. I don't want anyone to go through what I did if I can help them I will gladly.” “That's amazing Y/N. It sounds like a really good idea you have the most compassionate heart baby.” “I just hope I can get it off the ground one day?” “You will, I will help you.” “How?” “I could help set up the Organisation and maybe we could talk to Misha and get him on board to and I know Jared will want to help as well.” I never got to answer as our food came over. I looked at the plate it was stacked with more food than I could eat. Jason put the plates down in front of us and I said, “thank you” as did Jensen. We ate in silent for a bit Jensen watching me eat the pork and gravy while he cut his burger in half. I was really enjoying the meal and Jensen said, “want to switch meals so you can taste mine and I taste yours?” “Ok now I really did like the look of his burger but I knew I wouldn't eat the amount of pork they put on my plate.” “Sure.” So, we changed plates Jensen tucked into my pork while I took little bites of his burger. He finished the plate while I was still a little way through his burger. I had cut it in half in case I couldn't eat it all. “That was nice, you going to finish that?” I laughed, “no, where do you put it all?” “I'm a growing boy plus I love food. I hate to see it go to waste.” I pushed my plate over to Jensen and he ate the rest of the burger while I nibbled on the chips on the side. He finished everything on both plates. “Jensen tell me about the set and filming the show?” “Well it's a very long day we could work anywhere from 10 – 12 hour days to get it finished plus we work almost 9 months of the year it's quite hectic at times” I looked at him and saw the worry and fear in my eyes. “hey, it will be ok if you come back with us. I will make sure you are safe and not alone. Jared and Misha can stay with you while I'm filming or you could watch and I will get Clif to sit with you or I could ask my Mum and Gen if you want. But I won't until you feel comfortable alright.” “Won't I be in the way you won't have time for me. Maybe I should just stay here in Adelaide.” “Look while we were out yesterday and you were getting your new clothes. Jared, Misha and I brought you something? It's to show you much we care and all want you in our lives” “What?” He pulled out a box and open it. Inside was a gold heart and he pulled it out to show me. He opened it for me and showed me the picture of Jared, Misha and himself inside of it. “Look on the back?” I turned it over and it said, “always keep fighting. You are not alone. Love Jensen, Jared and Misha.” I had tears glistening in my eyes and a single tear slipped down my cheek. Jensen wiped the tear away as he took the necklace from my hands and put it around my neck. He squatted down and kissed me it was a soft gentle kiss it had all our hopes, dreams and promises in this one kiss. When he pulled away he had a smaller box in his hands. He was thinking of what to write on it when he brought it this morning. Yvonne recognised him and helped him pick out the right ring. He also had it inscribed as well. He opened the box and sitting in its cushion was a double gold band it looked like the one he wore on the show for five seasons. It was encrusted with little diamonds around the whole ring. It was gorgeous he pulled it out and handed it to me.I noticed something on the inside of the ring it said “Ti Amo forever & Always Jensen." “This is from me it's a promise that we will be together and get married. Ti Amo means 'I love you'. I want to have it all with you Baby.” Then realisation hit me this was really happening Jensen Ackles love me. He put it on my left hand and kissed the ring. As I looked at him his eyes were a different shade of green as tears glisten in his eyes. “You are mine now and forever. I love you baby and have since the first time I saw your picture on my phone. He pulled his phone and showed me I was his screen saver. “Look at this beautiful lady, how could I not love you. I was lost from then on, it was only going to be you. I can't seem to breathe without you baby.” “It’s beautiful” as I wiped a tear away before it felt down my face. “I love you too Jensen I always have. Loved you more when you pulled me out of the bath and held me in your arms.” He laughed and kissed me again. “How about we get out of here?” We both said, thank you to Jason and the other staff for our wonderful meal. Then Jensen took me for a walk down to the Torrens he helped me out of the chair and we just sat there in each other's company. He held me in his arms as we watched people rushing by. I felt my life moving in a different direction and it was finally the direction I wanted it to go. I was actually happy I had a smile which lit up my whole face. Jensen looked at me and he too had a smile which cover his whole face too. We both knew we had an unbreakable connection and it felt exciting and new. I finally found my peace and my home it was Jensen all long. We sat there and I said sleepy, “Jensen I want to come to Canada with you. I don't want to lose what we have. I know it's only been a couple of days but I feel like it was supposed to happen. It's like we are connected and belong together. You are the light at the end of my tunnel Jensen.” He said, “I feel the connection too Y/N and I don't want to lose you either. I yawned “how about we go back to the hotel your tired.” He helped me in the wheelchair and we headed back to the hotel. We were in the elevator and I said, “thank you for the best evening of my life Jay.” He bent down and said, “I hope I can top it baby.” We came out the elevator both still grinning and Jared and Misha were sitting on the lounge watching TV when they heard the ping on the elevator. Jensen wheeled me in and I was fiddling with the necklace they had given me with my left hand. They both saw the ring on my finger and Jared looked at Jensen and Jensen looked at Jared then Misha. Jared said in a tight voice, “Jensen?” Jensen noticed Jared's discomfort and said, “it's a promise ring Jared.” Misha said, “promise?” I said, “that we will be married one day.” Jared said, “Oh right.” I said, “thank you both for the necklace I love it. I will never take it off ever.” Misha said, “your welcome sweetheart.” Misha kissed my cheek and hugged me and then Jared kissed my other cheek and whispered in my ear as he hugged “princess are you happy, really happy.” When we pulled back I smiled and shook my head yes in answer. He smiled then and congratulated us on our promise. He said, “as officially being Y/N adopted brother number one Jensen you hurt Y/N and I will kick your ass.” Misha said, “here, here.” Jensen smiled and said, “I wouldn't have it any other way.” I laughed at them all, I now officially had two brothers I liked the feeling of being protected by both Jared and Misha. I said, “now I never thought to have Jared and Misha as my official brothers but I never dreamed to fall in love with Jensen either. I didn't think I deserved any happiness in my life. I thought of my life before you all was what I deserved but now I have you in my life I don't want to lose any of you. So, if you will have me I will come back to Canada with you all.” Looking at each of them and I saw a huge grin appeared on all their faces it's like they just got the greatest gift in the world, me. But I'm the lucky one I got the gift of three gorgeous men and now I had them forever. Jensen already knew so it was Jared who said, “really you will come back with us?” I said, “yes I will. Jensen did promise me we will be together forever.” Jared bent down and lifted me out of the chair and hugged me to himself. Then he gave me to Misha and he hug me tight and said, “your Overlord will take care of you.” I smiled as Jensen took me from them and swept me into his arms and kissed me for what seem like an eternity when Jared and Misha cleared their throats. Jensen still had hold of me when he carried me with Jared and Misha following. He sat me down and sat next to me and I leaned my head on his shoulder I wasn't quite tall enough so his arm was around my waist as I was leaning on his chest. He stroked my hair with his other hand. Jared put on a movie but I was sound asleep 5 minutes into it. Misha looked at me and said, “Jensen Y/N's asleep." Jensen said, “yeah I felt her relax against me. I guess I should go put her in bed she's had a very long day.” Misha and Jared both offered to help but Jensen said, “he was good”. He lifted me careful after turning me towards him. He carried me to my bed and took my shoes off and changed me into his shirt I was so fond off and kissed me goodnight. He went back out to where Jared and Misha were sitting. Misha said, “Jensen you have made her very happy today.” Jared said, “yeah I think she's going to be ok. I think we will still need to support her but I think it's a step in the right direction. Jensen, you did good” Jensen said, “that's what I always wanted to do since I saw her Jared. It's hard to explain but I feel a strong connection to Y/N. Like she was waiting for me all along. It feels really right. She has also asked to see a counsellor when we go back to Canada. I think it will be good for her and I will support her." Jared said, “I'm happy for you both Jay and we will help too" getting up and hugging Jensen. Misha said, “if you make her happy and she wants you why would I stand in her or your way. I see how much you both care for each other it's beautiful.” He tapped Jensen's shoulder and smiled. Jensen said, “thanks man it means a lot you both supporting this.” Jared said, “we better get some sleep we have a lot of sorting out to do tomorrow back at Y/N's house. I also want to call Gen and tell her what's happening and talk to my kids.” Misha said, “I also what to call Vicky and talk to the kids.” Jensen said, “night, see you in the morning.” They both said, “goodnight” and went to bed. Jensen decided he would call his Mum. He flipped through his contacts until he found his Mum's mobile number and pressed the button to contact. She picked up and said, “Hi doodlebug! How's Y/N doing?” Jensen replied, “Hi Mum she's good. We gave her a heart necklace tonight as a gift to reminder her that's she's not alone. Mum I brought her a ring and made her a promise that we will be married one day.” “How did Y/N take the gifts Jensen?” “Mum she loves the necklace and when I gave her the ring everything seem to click into place for her. She is coming home with us and I want her to stay with me. How's her room coming along Mum?” he asked. “We painted the wall a pale lavender and we are putting the furniture in there for her. I've brought her everything purple as you wanted.” “Thanks Mum. I told her I loved her Mum I feel a connection with her I never felt with any other relationships I had. I want to give her everything thing she deserves in life. She told me one of her dreams was me Mum and the other was setting up a Organisation to help abused kids. She is so giving, caring and compassionate about other people. How did I get so lucky to have her love me? It's an honour to have her love and trust Mum I feel really humbled by the amount of compassion she has for everyone in her life. Y/N is very special person and has the biggest heart and she gives it freely.” “Does she love you too Jensen?” “Yes, she does and has from the first moment she watched my show. Maybe she was meant to be with me, maybe it's fates way to put us together and now it's telling us to get a move on as we have wasted to much time already.” “I think it was supposed to happen at a time she was ready to have you in her life doodlebug.” “Yeah and now we have forever together.” “So, when are you coming back to Canada?” He said “in a couple of days we have to sort out Y/N's house. I will call when we are heading to the airport.” “Ok, give her my love, and Jared and Misha too.” “I will Mum, love you.” “I love you too doodlebug.” He hung up the phone and got himself ready for bed. He looked at me sleeping soundly and climbed in next to me and wrapped me in his strong arms he kissed my neck and was sound asleep a few seconds later. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- The next morning, we got the house sorted with my landlord. I was up to date with my rent so I owed nothing else. We told the landlord to ditch what I didn't want. We decided to keep the car until we leave and give it to a car yard for some one who couldn't afford to buy one.As I went through my things I found my art book and I showed them my drawings. They were very impressed and told me to go to art school when we get to Canada.I told them I would think about it. I also had my other bills to settle so we did that too. We headed to the post office to get a passport for me and I was told it would take a couple of weeks.I said, “Can I get it any sooner please my friends are leaving in a couple of days.”She said, “you could get a temporary passport due to illness you need your doctor to fill in the documents.”I said, “ok I will be back.”Jensen was already dialling the hospital and asked for my doctor.”Paul said “hello”Jensen passed the phone to me and me said “Hi Paul, it's Y/N Y/L/N here.”“Yes, what can I do for you?”“I need your help. I've been unable to cope very well with my broken knee and you remember the three men that were with me that night.”He laughed and said “how can I not with the nursing staff fussing over them. They still talking about them. So, what about them Y/N?”“They are leaving the day after tomorrow and have asked me to go with them to help me with my broken knee. But I need a passport and the post office said it would be two weeks.”“Yes, I know so what do you need from me?”I said “I can get a temporary passport due to medical illness can you help me get it?”“Sure, can you be here in the hour at my office. It's in the new building just ask for directions with the help desk down stairs.”“He wants me there in the hour.”Jared said, “I can get you there.”“Yes, Paul I can be there we are at my house cleaning up.”“Great see you then.”“Thanks bye” then hung up.Jensen said, “what's wrong?”I said, “what if I have to wait the two weeks Jay?”Jensen said, “we will work it out ok.”I shook my head and Misha said, “hey don't worry just yet see what Paul put on the form first?”I said, “but what if it's not enough?”Jared said as he hesitated to say it. We all looked at him and waited. He cleared his throat and said, “don't take this the wrong way but you could tell him about you know wanting to ah” and he stopped and looked at Jensen.Jensen knew what he was trying to say and said, “baby you may have to tell them about your suicidal attempts and that we are supporting you through it all.”Misha said, “We know you've been a lot better with us here as a support but if your left here for two weeks on your own” and he stopped.I said, “I know what you are saying if I need to I will tell him ok.”Jensen said, “ok we will be there with you.”The hour went by quiet quickly and we were sitting outside Paul's room. He came out and I was in the wheelchair and he wheeled me in. Jensen followed me as did Jared and Misha.He looked at them and smiled and said, “it's just a formality if you all want to wait outside.”Jensen said, “sorry but we would like to stay.”I said, “Paul it's fine really.”He said “ok," and took the forms from me.I said, “Paul they have been helping me with my knee being broken.”He said, “I don't think a broken knee will give you a temporary passport Y/N. Is there anything else you want me to put on here for you?”I looked at him and turned to look at Jensen, Jared and Misha. Jensen had hold of my hand and Jared and Misha rested their hands on my shoulder. Paul saw and said, “what haven't you told me?” I looked at him as the tears formed in my eyes. “Y/N are you alright?”I said “No I wasn't alright. I had a very abused home life and was mentally, physically and emotionally abused.” I turned slightly and pulled up my shirt and he saw the scar down my back. “Anyway, before Jensen, Jared and Misha came I wanted to kill myself.”He said, “and now Y/N?”I said, “I've been better with their support I've not once thought about it. I feel different, happy. But I know if I don't have their support I don't know what might happen Paul. I need them as much as they need me. Please let me go with them back to Canada.”Jensen said, “I will always be there for Y/N and I know Jared and Misha will be there for her too and our families. She will have all the support she will need and if she needs more then I will help her with that too.”Jared and Misha both agreed.Paul said, “alright Y/N you are one lucky lady having them in your life I can see how much they care for you. I will put it in the form and it should be enough to get you your passport.”I said, “thanks Paul,” as Jensen gently wiped the tear from my eyes as Paul watched the tender moment between us.He handed me the form and said, “good luck Y/N and don't forget to get your knee checked.”Jensen said, “I will make sure she has the best care.”Paul said, “may I speak with you for a moment Jensen alone?”Jensen looked and said, “sure.”Jared wheeled me out and Misha followed closing the door behind us. “What's wrong?” Jensen said. “You know you going to have to be her support and be there for her.”“I know.”“That type of abuse just doesn't be forgot she may need to speak to someone. It would probably be good if she does to deal with what happened and what she feels now.”“I know she has told me what happened and she does want to speak to a counsellor. I will organise it when I get home. She been through a lot Paul if I can help her I will."“You love her, don't you?”“Yes, I do the first time I laid eyes on her I was gone.”“Be her strength and support and Jensen take care of her.”He smiled, “I will, thanks Paul.”“You need anything while in Australia just call I will work something out.”“Great thanks man.”He shook his hand and then left. We were waiting in the waiting room. I looked at Jensen and he smiled to let me know it was nothing to worry about.Misha said, “let's get this form in so we can leave in a couple of days.”I laughed and said, “ok lead away.”We put the form in on the hotels address so the letter would go there.Jared said, “let's eat?”I said, “what you have in mind Jared?”He smiled and as he headed towards the beach and we parked at Semaphore.He said, “is there a shop here where we can get food Y/N?”I said, “there's a kiosk over there and I think there are food shops down Semaphore Road?”He said, “Jay, Misha want to go for a walk down the road?”Jensen said, “ok."Misha shook his head yes.I sat in the wheelchair as Jensen always pushed me and we headed down Semaphore Road. We passed ice cream shops, clothes shops, foodland, a pub, a lolly shop and many more. We crossed over the lights on Military Road and walked passed the cinema and we found a nice little shop on the corner and we decide to sit outside the day bright and sunny. Misha grabbed some menus and we looked at them.I looked at the different foods on their and said, “I would like a bacon and cheese toasted sandwich with tomato sauce please.”Jensen said, “I'll have burger and fries.”Misha said, “the same.”Jared said, “ok I will go order you guys want drinks?”I said, “lemonade if they have one if not just a bottle of water please.”Jensen and Misha both said, “cappuccino.”Jared smiled and walk in and told them our order. The lady said, “she would bring the drinks out and the food when it was ready.”Jared thank her and walked back outside and sat next to me while Jensen was on the other side of me.We were looking around when we noticed some people gathering together as they walked up to us and asked if Jensen, Jared and Misha would take pictures with them. Jensen looked at me and I smiled a dazzling smile and they said “ok.”They have been lucky so far, no cameras or paparazzi have noticed them yet.They just finished when our food arrived and the lady said, “your meals are ready the burgers and chips” and gave them to Jensen, Misha and Jared, “and the bacon and cheese toasted sandwich must be yours.”I said, “thank you” as did Jensen, Jared and Misha and she went back into the shop.I took a bite of mine and made a noise like a hum in satisfaction and they looked at me and laughed.I said, “what it's nice I never eaten anything like bacon before it tastes wonderful.”Jensen said, “it's good to hear you enjoying your food baby.”We were eating our food enjoying it when the lady came out and asked how our food was.I said, “it's very nice thank you.”Jared said, “these are amazing burgers.”The lady said, “thank you we make everything in the shop as well as the cakes.”Jensen asked, “do you have pie?”She said, “yes I think we have apple and blueberry pie.”Jensen said, “may I get a piece of blueberry pie.”She said, “of course and we also have brownies, cheesecakes, banana loaf, and lots more.”Jared asked for a cheesecake and Misha asked for a brownie. I was full so I didn't get anything.I listened to Jensen humming in his mouth this time I couldn't suppress my laugh.We all finished our food and thanked the lady for the lovely lunch and headed back to the car.Misha said, “how about we go for a walk along the jetty? Y/N have you ever been down the jetty?”I said, “no." I looked a little worried.Jensen said, “I don't think the chair will go down there.”Jared said, “we will put the chair in the car” and handed me my crutches.I looked at them and Jensen gave them back and swooped me off my feet holding me bridal style.We got ¼ of the way and Jensen put me down to rest as I have put on a little weight since I have been eating three meals a day.Jared picked me up this time like I still weighted nothing. He was holding me as we reach the end of the jetty and he sat me on the sit under the cover out of the sun. I looked out over the ocean it was a beautiful dark blue, emerald green shade almost the same colour of Jensen's eyes, it looked glorious.Misha said, “wow look at that.”I looked, it was a dolphin frocking in the water below us.I said, “it's a dolphin they live in the Port River but come here sometimes.”The dolphin then did a back flip and Misha was filming the dolphin on his phone. They were delighted watching it. It was amazing what a dolphin can do. I started to yawn when Jared noticed my eyes drooping closed. I had my head resting on Jensen's arm and Jared looked at me then Jensen to let him know I had fallen asleep. He turned so I was resting comfortably on his chest. Jared took a video of us as Jensen gently rubbed his hand through my hair. He was being so gently and loving as he kissed the top of my head.Misha whispered maybe we should go.Jensen shook his head but Jared gently lifted me into his arms and carried me back to the car. We had not noticed a paparazzi watching us taking pictures of us.Jensen got in first as Jared gently laid me on Jensen and slept all the way back to the hotel.Jensen had carried me upstairs to my room and gently laid me down on the bed and covered me with a blanket.Then he left they sat down and watched movie quietly for the day and the news report came on. They had pictures of us all and it said, “The stars of Supernatural caught cheating on their wives with a bimbo.”Jensen saw red and shouted she no bimbo.Jared said, “Misha and I better call our wives.”They left and Jensen was so mad he called the one person to calm him down.“Hi Mum,” she could hear the anger in his voice.“Hi Jensen, what's happened Y/N is alright? Jared and Misha too?”“Yeah, she's fine, just asleep. Jared and Misha are doing damage control.”“What happened?”“Their are photos of us with Y/N. They called her a bimbo Mum,” and he sighed.“How bad were the pictures Jensen?”“We were on the jetty watching a dolphin and Y/N fell asleep so Jared was carrying back to the car. She had her head resting on his shoulder as he held her Mum. Why do they have to make something so innocent into something dirty and tainted.”“Does Y/N know Jensen?”“No, she's asleep.”“Talk to her about it first then decide how to deal with it.”“Ok Mum thanks.”“Bye Jensen.”“Bye Mum.”Jared and Misha came out and Jared said, “Gen thought it was Y/N and she could tell she was asleep. She was ok with it I told her how you feel about Y/N hope you don't mine.”Jensen said, “Nah she going to know anyway.”Misha said, “Vicky was good about it too as she could also see that Y/N was asleep. She knows I wouldn't cheat on her we've been together for too long and I love her.”Jensen said, “Mum said, “to talk too Y/N first about it and go from there. I was trying to shield her from all this.”Jared said, “it was about to happen away maybe now you can show the world you love her.”Jensen said, “It's not me I worried about, its Y/N she been through so much in her life. Maybe it was a mistake to fall in love with her. What if she can't deal and......” he couldn't finish.Jared said, “hey man we will help you and Y/N to deal with this ok.”I hobbled out on my crutches and asked what all the noise was about.Jensen said, “Hey baby you have a good sleep?”I said “yes I did. What's wrong?” As I heard the anger and worry in Jensen voice. Jensen said, “come sit down” and tapped the lounge.Jared and Misha sat as well. I looked at them and they have a worry look on their faces.“Jay your scaring me what's going on?” I said.He said, “Baby when we were out today someone took pictures of us and they were plastered all over the TV news. It was you sleeping on my shoulder and Jared carrying you back to the car. But the report they called you a bimbo and said Jared and Misha were cheating on their wives.”I went paled as a ghost and I was taking shallow breaths when Jensen grabbed me and kissed me. When we pulled away I was steadying my breathing.I stuttered out, “why? III can’tt doo thiss JJay”He said, “I know but we will keep you safe. I want to ring the station and fix this. But first I need to speak to our producer.”My breathing was back to normal and Jared had come and wrapped an arm around me.I said, “Jensen you not going to tell them who I am are you?”He said, “no baby I just going to tell them you are a close friend of ours. Will that be ok?”I said, “yeah I guess but what if they want to know more Jay?”He said, “this not up for discussion.”Jared said, “Jensen you better call the producer.”So, Jensen left to make the call and Misha had sat where Jensen was a few seconds ago.Misha said, “hey Jensen will fix this.”I said, “Maybe I should.”Jared cut me off and said, “don't think like that Jensen loves you and you love him, it wasn't a mistake and don't doubt yourself Princess. You have our support and we will continue to give it.”Misha said, “we love you too Y/N”I smiled and said, “and I love you both.”They both held me tight when Jensen came back said the producer said, “that they want to release a statement on our behalf.”I said, “what will he say?”He said, “What I told him to say.”Jared said, “which is?”He said, “That Y/N here is a very close friend and is not involved with either Jared or Misha. So, she is not a bimbo you are all making her out to be. She had an accident which we found out about and wanted to come help her out for a bit. So, there is nothing physical going on between any of the cast and Y/N.”I said, “Jensen you didn't tell him about us?”He said, “I did but he didn't want you to get any unwanted attention which I agreed with.”Jared said, “you sure people going to believe that?”Jensen said, “they should if we laid low for the next couple of days.”I said, “I'm fine with that. I'm in no hurry to be photographed again.”Jared laughed and said, “hey Princess you were asleep anyway.”Then we all laughed which broke the tension in the air.Misha said, “so what are we going to do now?”I said, “can we just watch some movies and eat in.”Jensen looked at me and half smiled he knew I was still worried but he said, “sure baby.”The Producer released the statement it was on the news and he said, “what Jensen had told him to say. The reporters were firing questions at him and answered the one's he knew the answer to the others were no comment or I unable to answer that question. He did say that Jared and Misha were happily married and in love with their wives. Jensen is still single and is happy.I looked at Jensen he said, “it's ok baby we will sorted it out when we get home,” as there was a lot of unanswered questions.We stayed in the rest of the day and watched movie and ate dinner in the pen house. I was quite and Jensen kept looking to see if I was alright as did Misha and Jared who were used to dealing with this all the time but it was all new for me.I said, “I'm going to bed. See you all in the morning.”Jensen said, “need any help?”I said, “no I'm fine.”Jensen said, “ok baby night.”I hobbled into my room and closed the door and the dam burst and I cried I didn't know how to handle this attention it was too much. What if I destroy their careers. I knew I had to leave I will do it when they fall asleep. Jensen slept in his room to give me some space.I waited until I knew they were asleep before I got myself together and hobbled out quietly on one crutch. I went down stairs and hobbled to the river Torrens and sat on the bench. I just sat and though about everything that has happened in my life and when I thought of Jensen a smile appeared on my face. Someone came up behind me I didn't hear them as I was lost in my thoughts.I heard, “hey aren't you the one that was on the news with those men.”I looked and it was a man he was leering me.I said, “no I don't know what you are talking about.”He said, “it is you, you like a lot of men do you, like being a whore.”I said, “leave me alone I'm not her.”He said, “let's find out?” he pinned me to the bench and was pulling up my skirt. I felt his hand touching me and alcohol on his breath. I screamed and screamed for Jensen he covered my mouth with his dirty hand. Jensen had woken up and he felt something was wrong. He went to my room and looked in and I wasn't there he went to wake Jared and Misha.Jared said, “what's wrong?”Jensen said, “Y/N's gone Jared” he was up in a second as they went to wake Misha.“Misha Y/N's gone?” Jared said.They all piled into the elevator and looked downstairs I was nowhere. Jensen asked the door man if he had seen me.He told them I was heading down to the Torrens.They were running when they heard me screaming Jensen name and they followed the source of the screaming they saw me fighting off a man looks like he was about to rape me.Jensen was there first he pulled the animal off me and punched him in the face and kept on punching him until Jared and Misha pulled him off. The police were called when other people noticed what was happening. Jensen got up as I looked into his angry eyes when they saw me and they soften.I said, “I'mm sorrrry Jay needed time tooo think. He, he was going to rape, rape me Jay.” I choked on a sob as the tears were all dirty down my face. The police arrived and took him away and they took our statements. They charged him with attempted rape as he had warrants and broke his parole he when straight into jail with no bail I didn't even need to testify.Jensen held me and said, “it's ok baby. I'm sorry I put you through all this maybe it's better we don't.”I looked at him and told him to hold me.I said, “Jensen it's not your fault” as I was shaking but I had calmed down.He picked me up and carried me back to the hotel as I was still shaking and trembled in his arms and there was a reporter standing there.Jensen growled but I said, “talk to her Jensen, tell her the truth.”He said, “you sure?”I said, “yes I'm sure" I was still shaken but felt safe in Jensen's arms. I knew we needed to fix what people think of them.Jensen motioned for the reporter to follow them in the elevator and he sat me on the lounge and Jared made us some hot chocolates as he knew I liked them.The reporter introduced herself as Nicole from some news show wasn't playing attention.She said, “so what happened tonight? Are you ok you look scared?”I said, “I was attacked and I'm ok now” as Jensen held me in his arms as I was still trembling a bit.Jensen said, “first we don't want her name in or on any reports ok. We are willing to tell you everything but you got to keep her name out of it.”She said, “agree.”Jensen said, “this is Y/N she is the reason we are here in Australia instead of filming in Canada.”Nicole said, “why did you come here?”He looked at me and I said, “I was in bad shape and they were worried I would do something to hurt myself.”Jared said, “so we caught the next flight out to Australia."Misha said, “we had made friends with Y/N on face book as we invited her to our next convention here in Australia in July.”Nicole said, “why her?”Jared said, “we chose her as a thank you for all the support and kind messages she leaves for us. Sometimes the people's comments are a bit hostile, she never was, always friendly and made us feel better.”Misha said, “so when we made contact we talked with her regularly,” he wasn't going to say it was only six days ago.Jensen said, “then the other day she wasn't doing well so here we are.”Nicole said, “tell me about the beach.”I said, “I had fallen asleep and Jared was just carrying me back to the car nothing happened.”Nicole said, “so how did you break you knee Y/N?”Jensen said, “it was an accident I broke it.”I said, “I slipped in the bath and Jensen got pulled down with me and fell on it.”She said, “so Jensen was in the bathroom while you were in the bath?”I said, “yes” with a blush “I didn't know they were they’re until Jensen tapped me on the shoulder scared the shit out of me. I was covered by bubbles as I had was having a bubble bath they could not see anything.”Nicole said, “then you slipped and Jensen fell on you.”I said, “I slipped on my flannel and I pulled Jensen down. I was trying to grab him before I fell but he lost his balance and he fell with me.”Nicole said, “what happened then?”I said, “Jared and Misha helped Jensen out of the tub and I was still covered in bubbles and my towel. Then I moved my knee and found out it was broken. So, they took me to the hospital.”Nicole said, “so you are having sex with any of them?”I said, “no Jared and Misha are married I would never.”She said, “and Jensen?”Jensen said, “we are not having sex either but we are working on a relationship.”Nicole said, “oh! I see so you and Jensen are together.”I said, “yes we are but we wanted to keep it private, as I'm not use to this attention.”Jensen said, “we will understand if you can't, but if you could just keep it under wraps until we go home in a few days that will be great.”She said, “we go home is Y/N going too?”I said, “yes I am.”Nicole smiled and said, “I can keep your relationship quiet but I will have to put that Jensen is seeing someone it might stop the harassment from other reporters.”Jensen said, “ok but can you also keep the knowledge of Y/N's mental state out of it too.”She said, “sure I'll just say she had an accident that's what your producer said anyway. But you have promise me all inclusive, if any, deal.”Jensen smiled and said, “sure.”I said, “Nicole thank you for your understanding. I feel like I can trust you, don't let us down.”She said, “I won't I just wanted to tell your side off the story. Thank you all for your time it was a pleasure.”We all said, “thank you” and Jared when down the elevator with her.She said, “Jared you all care deeply for her don't you.”Jared said, “yes, she is Misha's and mine best friend and Jensen was taken the first time he saw her. He knew he loved her before she even knew. They are so right together and he is so in love with her. It's the same way I feel about Gen and Misha about Vicky.”She said, “I saw a ring on her finger they aren't married?”Jared laughed, “no they aren't married it's a promise ring.”She said, “a promise ring?”Jared said, “to be married one day.”She smiled and said, “I saw the way they look at each other they belong together. I hope they will be happy. I will keep her name out of the report as long as I can.”Jared said, “that's all we ask.”She said, “bye Jared.”He said, “bye” and went back up the elevator to our room.We all went back to bed Jensen stay in my room holding me in his arms and I was slightly trembling so he held me tighter.I said, “Jensen I'm sorry?”He said, “what for?”I said, “I couldn't handle the attention I was going to leave you. I was sitting on the bench and all I could think about is how happy I am. I couldn't do it, I couldn't leave you Jay."He said, “it's ok baby. Please don't scare me like that again I didn't know where you were.”I said, “I didn't have anywhere to go Jay, your my home now.”He smiled and said, “as you are mine.”I was still shaking and trembling Jensen kissed me and held me.“I got you baby, you're safe,” he said he sang me a song it was a song I've never heard of before until I stopped trembling and fell asleep in his arms. He soon followed.I woke a few hours later screaming. Jensen was trying soothe me as Jared and Misha came running into my room.Jensen was now shaking me awake."Y/N, baby wake up?"I opened my eyes and saw Jensen, Jared's and Misha's worried eyes looking at me.I stammered "what happen? why are you all here?"Jared said, "Princess you were having a really bad nightmare."Misha said, "you were screaming for help."Jensen said, "I was trying to calm you but I had to wake you."I said, "Oh God, I'm so sorry. It's just...."Jared said, "is it everything that has happened with the photos and the attack?"I gave a sad smile and replied, "its everything and what my parents did to me. I guess the attack brought up some things I didn't want to remember."Jensen said, "you want to talk about it?"I looked at them and I knew I could tell them.I sighed and sat up in bed as Jensen followed and he held me his arms."The man that attacked me it wasn't him in the nightmare it was my father. I couldn't get away and he was telling me this is all I'm good for. I'm nothing but a whore for him then, I saw my Mother laughing as I saw everyone of the people who abused me, it was horrible. Then it changed I saw you Jensen, Jared and Misha trying to get to me but couldn't quite reach me. I was screaming for your help but you couldn't get me. My father kept hurting me. I was crying and screaming but no one came."I had tears flowing down my face as Jared wiped them away.Jared said, "you know we love you."I shook my head yes.Jensen said, "we will always come for you Baby."Misha said, "you will always be safe with us Y/N."Jensen said, "I love you Y/N.""I love you too Jay."Jared said, "it's just a nightmare. Your father and mother can not hurt you anymore. You have us and we were protect and support you."I looked at them and saw unconditionally love in their eyes."Thank you I love you Jared and Misha."They both gave me a hug and said, "you're going to be alright Y/N promise."I nodded as they left to go back to bed.Jensen looked at me with worry in his eyes. This is the first time I had a very bad nightmare. He held me tight and gently lied us both back down as he stroke my hair to relax me.I said, "love you Jay.""Love you too Baby."He started singing the song I was singing when we first met in the bath. It brought back the good memories off them. I hummed and relaxed in Jensen's arms as he kissed the top of my head.I drifted off to sleep with the good memories still in front of my eyes.Jensen stayed awake for a bit longer just to make sure I was settled and then when to sleep too. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- We all saw the news report and Nicole had kept my name out of it and she said “all you ladies out there during my interview last night I found out Jensen Ackles has a special someone in his life. He did not say who it was what I gather it's someone back in the States. So, he is officially off the market.Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins also confirmed they were missing their wives and children and are deeply in love with them. Jared also confirmed this special lady in Jensen's life. So, leave them in peace so they can enjoy the time with their injured friend.” “So” I said. Jensen's phone rang it was Nicole.Jensen said, “Hi Nicole”She said, “Hi Jensen, did you see the news?”Jensen said, “Yes, thank you for that Nicole they might leave us alone now.”Nicole said, “hope so take care of Y/N”He said “I will. Thanks again bye.”She said “bye”I said “Nicole?”He said, “yeah just seeing if we saw the news?”I said, “she did what we asked of her.”He said “yes she did. She told me to take care of you.”I smiled and said, “so what are we going to do today?”Jensen said, “well we need to buy you some luggage for your things.”I pouted and said, “I have another idea?”He looked and I looked at Jared and Misha.I smiled “how about the zoo and the pop eye ride to the zoo" I saidHe laughed a deep throaty laugh and said, “you want to go to the zoo?”I said, “I've never been to the zoo before, please, please?” with puppy dog eyes.Jared said, “we did promise her the other day while on the pop eye.”Misha said, “I would like to go see the animals.”Jensen said, “ok we will go to the zoo” with a smile on his face.I clapped and said “goodie.”We all had our breakfast and I wore a shirt that covered my arms and neck from the sun and floppy hat and sunnies to cover my face. Jensen, Jared and Misha all wore all sleeves and hats and sunglasses to hide their faces. I was so excited and Jensen was smiling at me and he too was getting excited. Jared and Misha were also excited and looking forward to spending the day at the zoo.We all got on the pop eye as Jensen lifted me in his arms and I snuggled into him. He laughed as I sighed with contentment. Jared and Misha had already been on the pop eye so it was not new but Jensen took in everything and I enjoyed watching his reactions. The pop eye finally stopped at the stop where the zoo was and Jensen had to carry me up the stairs as there was no ramp. While Jared carried the wheelchair. Misha stood in front of Jensen in case he fell forwards and Jared behind but we made it up there with no problems. Jared had opened the wheelchair and Jensen sat me in it with a quick kiss on the lips. We all headed towards the zoo. Misha paid for us to get in and I looked at everything it was incredible the Pandas were adorable and Misha took pictures for his kids. Jared took pictures for us. We were in the monkey enclosure and Jensen said, “you are enjoying yourself baby?”I looked up at him and said, “very much it's amazing.”Jared said, “you should see our zoo in Texas it has many more animals”I said, “is that a challenge we are going to visit all the zoo's in the states.”Misha said, “the one is LA is really nice also you would love it.”Jensen said, “let's go eat.”We found a kiosk and got food and sat on the grass area it was nice just listening to the animals.Jared said “Y/N?”I said “yep”He said, “you know we all love you right.”I said, “yes Why?”He said with a laugh “you have ice cream on your face.”Jensen and Misha looked and laughed. Jensen said, “Let me get that for you” He licked it off slowly, Jared and Misha both cleared their throats and poked my tongue at Jared.Misha said, “shall we continue”I said “ok.”We ended up in the nocturnal house and Jensen was sitting on a bench watching a bat flying and I looked at him even in the dark his eyes sparkle.He leaned over and kissed my lips it was soft and tender and he said, “I love you Y/N Y/L/N.”I said, “I love you too Jensen Ackles.”He said, “how about we get out of here and look at the tigers and lions.”I said, “don't forget the wombats too.”So, we finished at the zoo it took the whole day and it was fun I really enjoyed myself as did Jensen, Jared and Misha. We took the pop eye back to Elder Park and we sat under a tree for a bit.Jensen said, “we should head back it's getting late.”Jared said, “yeah it's being a long day.”Misha said, “it was a nice day though.”I said with the biggest smile “the best day.”Jensen said, “how about we stay in and eat tonight at the restaurant down stairs I bet you Jason would be glad to see us.”Jared said, “ok we should go shower and get ready”Jensen said, “I will call down and make reservations”I said, “Jensen can you help me with the bath.”He said, “Sure baby.”Misha said, “I'm going to shower.”Jensen wheeled me into the bedroom and I got ready for my bath he had the water running and I hobbled in on my crutches.He said, “you look sexy on those'” I smiled “all ready” and he lifted me into the bath.He gave me a quick kiss and left I knew the drill so he would come. He rang downstairs and made the reservations for us.He headed to the shower and but didn't get dressed as he was waiting for me to finish. I called him and he lifted me out of the bath and I wrapped a towel around myself and he put me on the bed.I got myself ready and Jensen, Jared and Misha did too.We all meet at in the lounge room. Jared had on a black suit he looked quite handsome. Misha had on pants and a blue shirt which really set his eyes off. Jensen had walked out in pants and a light green shirt and tie. I couldn't keep me eyes off him he looks incredible. I had on a long purple spaghetti strap dress that hang to my knees. I decided to use my crutches which were easier to move around at the restaurant. They looked and me and said, “I looked stunning”I blushed and I said, “Thank you, you looked really nice too.”Jared said, “shall we?”We all headed to the elevator and were at the restaurant a few moments later.We were meet by Jason. He said, “evening Ma'am and Sir's do you have a reservation.”Jensen said, “yes Jensen Ackles party of four.”Jason said, “It's nice to see you again Sir and Ma'am follow me.”Jensen walked with me while Jared and Misha followed close behind. Jensen had asked for a private table so they wouldn't be noticed so Jason put us near back of the restaurant where there was some cover.Jensen pulled out the chair for me and took the crutches and rested them against the wall.He sat next to me while Misha and Jared sat across from us.Jensen had hold of my hand and was gently rubbing my palm. It felt nice and I was relaxing to his touch. He knew I felt uncomfortable with large crowds of people.Jason gave us our menus and we ordered our drinks and the waiter brought them over to us.He came back to take our orders and I got seafood basket and Jensen got a different burger, Jared got pork and salad and Misha got the same burger as Jensen.We talked about the future and Jared was excited for me to meet his wife and us becoming best friends. Misha was happy that I was going back with them. Jensen was really excited that I will see his home with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. I asked about their work and some of the story arcs they couldn't tell me too much but they did tell me enough. Jensen looked at me like he was remembering something.Jensen said “Y/N has an idea and she wants to know if you well, help support it. I think it's a really good idea and I will help her as much as I can. She wants to make it worldwide if she could?”He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.I said, “to Jensen I would like to set up a foundation for kids that are abused and need help with money and clothes but most of all food.”Misha said, “that really is a great idea I could maybe get my charity involved too.”Jared said “I would be happy to help too financial or being one of the faces for it. It might get support by the SPN fans. I would like to get involved with helping kids.”I said, “really you think it's a good idea?”They looked at me and laughed and Misha said, “it's a great idea we will work out the details when we get back to the Canada.”Just as we finished laughing someone walked over to us and asked to have a photo with the guys and when they said “yes” her face beamed bright.She said to me “sorry about the media and know it would be hard for you but hang in there we all don't believe what we read ok. You are one very special lady to know them” pointing to the guys “take care of yourself” and she hugged me.I said, “thank you.”She said, “thank you all have a great meal.”Then she walked away and looked at Jensen and he smiled it was a brilliant smile to let me know everything will be ok.Our food came and we ate in quiet Jensen and I swapped meals again and Jared and Misha looked and laughed when Jensen was eating the rest of my meal. They got dessert and I didn't want any but Jensen order me a piece of chocolate cake and whipped cream. I took a bite and it was delicious so I ate half of it and Jensen had some and so did Jared.We stayed there for a bit longer and ordered another drink and just talked until the restaurant closed at 11pm.Jason bid us all goodnight and we left to go but upstairs. I was leaning heavily on Jensen shoulder and I had fallen asleep. Jared noticed and picked me up and Misha grabbed the crutches.Jensen said, “it's been a long day for her.”Jared carried me to my room and gently laid me on my bed. He removed my shoes and Jensen said, “I got her thanks buddy.”He said, “night Jensen.”Misha had already gone to bed probably calling his wife.Jared left to call his too.Jensen careful got me changed into his shirt I use for sleeping in and put me in the bed and when to call his Mum.He said, “hi Mum”She said, “hi Doodlebug, How's Y/N doing?”He said “she's good and coming back with us. She was a pretty shaken up some guy try to rape her" with anger in his voice "but we got to her before anything happened. She will never have to see him again.”She said “I'm so sorry Jensen it's good she has you. What about the scandal?”He said “we have that sorted too. A reporter interviewed us and Y/N told the truth and the reporter left some things out of the report to protect Y/N but no one is taking any notice of us now. Which is good for Y/N.”She said “yes, it is I bet she was upset over it all?”Jensen said, “she was, she was going to leave me Mum" with hurt in his voice "that's how that guy almost hurt her.”She said “well she's safe now and coming home with you all. When will you be home Jensen?”He said “we will packet tomorrow and make sure Y/N has her passport. If it comes tomorrow we will leave on the first plane out and we should be back late in the day.”She said, “Will you let me know so I can welcome Y/N at the airport?”He said, “I will ring before we board the plane.”She said, “how's Y/N's knee Jensen?”He said “it's still in the brace and I help her as much as I can. She is walking on her crutches more which makes her a little bit more independent but I like helping her too.”She said, “I know honey but let her try too ok.”He said “ok I talk to you tomorrow Mum. I love you.”She said, “I love you too”She hung up and Jensen got ready for bed and he climbed in my bed next to me and kissed me lightly on the neck. I hummed in my sleep and he did it again and I turned to look in his eyes they were a gorgeous shade of green.He said “go back to sleep baby. I love you.”I said, “I love you Jay.”He pulled me into his arms and held me all night and we both fell asleep. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- I woke to Jensen's lips touching mine gently I moaned into the kiss.He pulled back and smiled and said, “morning baby.”I smiled and reply, “morn'n Jay.”He said, “we have to get you some luggage today and check to see if your passport has come then we can leave Australia.”I said, “It will be a little sad it was my home even though it's wasn't always ideal.”He said, “we come back in July for the convention and you can come back to Adelaide if you want to.”I shook my head and said, “its fine I'm building a new home with you and Jared and Misha. Jay, can I ask you something?”He smiled and said, “anything?”"I was wondering do you and Jared live close by each other?”He said “why?”I answered, “when we were talking about zoos to visit you didn't say one so I just though you either lived close to either Misha or Jared? I saw how well you and Jared get on like you were brothers so I nailed it down to Jared.”He laughed then and said, “wow nothing gets passed you does it” with a chuckle. “Jared and I are very close his sons call me Uncle Jensen and I do spend a lot of time with him and his family. We actually moved homes so we were very close together and I enjoy his company.”I smiled then and said, “yeah and he teases you like a brother would too it wasn't just friendship. Misha treats you as a friend but Jared treats you different still.”He said, “you have to understand Jared and I spent 9 months of the year filming anywhere between 9 – 12 hours a day and then we do conventions on the weekend so yeah I would class us as brothers. He has learnt to read my emotions and I have his. We are as close as any family would be. I love him like a brother and he is my best friend.”I said, “I'm glad I love him too Jensen.”He said, “you will understand as you spend more time with us all and you will see how much I adore his boys.”I said, “ok I'm sure I will love them too. I'm a little nervous in meeting them and Gen and Misha's family what if they don't like me Jensen? What if your family doesn't like me I couldn't bear it. It would......."He stopped me with his finger and kissed my lips and said, “they all will love you and they will see how much I love you.”I said, “ok Jay.”He said, “you ready for a bath?”I said, “yes.”I got up and Jensen when and ran the bath and I hobble in on my crutches and he lifted me in after I had gotten undressed. His eyes roamed over my body appreciatively and he smirked.I said, “like what you see big boy?”He gave me a deep chuckle and said, “sure do baby, your gorgeous.”I blushed and he continue to laugh and then bent down and kissed me tenderly on the lips.He said, “I'm going to shower be back in a bit.”I said, “ok take your time.” He left me too it and Jared and Misha were sitting eating their breakfast as they just got back from their run.Jared said, “morning Jensen. How's Y/N this morning?”“Morning Jared. She's good, she's in the bath now.”Misha said, “morning Jensen. What's wrong you look a little worried?”“Morn'n Misha. Y/N is worried your families and mine aren't going to like her.”“What brought that on?” Jared said."I think it's because we are leaving soon and it's just occurred to her that she would be meeting them all.”Misha said, “She will be fine I know our families will like her. We do, so why wouldn't they.”Jensen laughed then and said, “I told her basically the same thing but she's not so sure.”“I will talk with Gen and see if she can help relax Y/N?”“I will talk with Vicki too.”“Thanks I don't want it to go to hell before I even get her home.”“It will be fine I promise Jay," Jared said.He smiled as Jared put a hand on his shoulder giving it a squeeze then he got up and gave him a very manly huge.Jensen and Jared pulled away from each other and Jensen said, “I'm going to go shower.”Jared said, “sure Jay I will listen out for Y/N and let you know.”Jensen said, “thanks man.”Jared waited to Jensen left and said to Misha, “we have to make this work for them it will kill Jensen to lose Y/N now. I don't even want to think what it would do to Y/N either.”“We will be there for them both even if our wives don't like her. I know Vicki is looking forward to meeting her and she will be opened minded and give her a go.”“So will Gen, I'm just afraid it might be too much for Y/N to handle all in one day?”“So what you are thinking?”“I don't know yet but I'm gonna make sure no one gets hurt.”“Yeah your right.”I called Jensen to help me out of the bath Jared came to the door and said, “Jensen still in the shower.”I said, “ok can you tell him went he gets out please.”He smiled as I was always polite when asking them to do something for me.“Sure Princess.”He left then and a few minutes later Jensen came in to help me out of the bath he smelt like vanilla and lavender soap and he had washed his dirty blonde hair. He smelt amazing and I felt lucky all over again to have him in my life.“You alright now baby.”“Yes thank you I can manage now.”He smiled and left to get ready as I did also. I had put on a pair of shorts and a nice purple top.I hobbled out on my crutches Jared and Misha were nowhere in sight. Then Jensen came out of his room and I looked he said, “they were in the shower.”I nodded and we sat down for breakfast.We were just about finished when Jared came out of his room. His face lit up when he saw me and came over and kissed my cheek and wished me a good morning.I said, “morning”Misha came out about 5 minutes later and did the exact same thing Jared did and we laughed.Misha looked at us and said, “what?”I said, “it's nothing” but we continue to giggle.Jensen said, “we need to get Y/N some luggage today and I think we might need some too.”Jared said, “yeah I have more clothes than what I came here with.”Misha hummed in agreement.Jensen said, “so shall we do this now?”I said, “ok why not.” So, we all headed to the elevator and went down to the bottom floor. The desk clerk called out, "excuse me Miss Y/L/N?”I turned in the wheelchair and said, “yes”He said, “I'm glad I caught you?”I looked as he handed me an envelope.I said, “thank you” and we stood there until I had opened it. It was my temporary passport.It said, “they would send my new one to Jensen home address we had listed."Jensen said, “looks like we can leave any time now.”I smiled and Jared saw the worry and squeezed my shoulder.Jared said, “shall I ring for plane tickets we could be back by tomorrow some time ready for work on Monday.”Jensen said, “sure, find out when the next flight out of Sydney is too. There's something I like to do in Sydney before we leave Australia?”I looked and he smiled and I said, “Jay?”He said, "It's fine, all good promise.”So, I held onto my passport as we all shopped for luggage I had a lot of the cases as I had a completely new wardrobe.We headed back to the hotel and I packed my things into the different cases while Jensen, Jared and Misha packed their things. I had made sure I had everything as Jared had made reservations for the plane in three hours. I knew I had some time as I finished packing before the boys so I sat down on the bed with my sketch book. I started drawing a memory of us all at the zoo. I was so lost in drawing that I didn't hear any of them come in to my room. They looked at the picture and was amazed at how much they looked like their pictures I had drawn.Jensen cleared his throat and said, “hey baby all ready to go.”I blushed as I saw them looking at the picture.Jared said, “that is really good Y/N.”Misha said, “I have a friend who's an art dealer if you’re ever interested in displaying your work?”I said, “I'm not that good yet but thank you Misha. Jensen, I am ready to go.”He said, “ok baby you want to put that away or take it on the plane to finish it?”I said, “can I finish it on the plane.”He smiled and said, “sure”The elevator pinged then and a bellboy came to grab their luggage.Jared and Misha helped him and they put the wheelchair with the luggage as I would use my crutches I had a carryon bag for my art supplies and phone.So, we all went down the elevator and said, “goodbye to everyone” then got taxi to the airport. We arrived about 30 minutes later and we got our tickets and Jared did all our luggage with Misha's help. While Jensen sat with me waiting to we boarded the plane.Jensen said, “Y/N?”I said, “Mm."He smiled and said, “I got Jared to get us first class tickets so you could rest your knee comfortable.”I said, “what first class?”He said, “Yeah we will have privacy and you will be comfortable.”I smiled and said, “thank you Jensen.”We got called to board the plane and Jensen carried me on to the plane while Misha carried my crutches. Jared was making sure I had a seat with a view and I could have my leg out comfortable.I got the window seat in the very first row and the stewardess gave me something to rest my knee on.Jared and Misha were talking quietly behind us and the plane started to move. I looked at Jensen and he saw the fear and anxious look in my eyes.He moved closer so his arm was around me and said, “it's ok it's just them adjusting the flaps and then we were gliding down the run way my ears popped as we took off. Jensen continue “that's them putting the wheels up.”I said, “Jay thank you I'm good now.”We undid our belts and Jensen pulled the arm rest between us up so he could hold me.Jared was walking around in front of me and said, “so how you are doing Princess?”I said, “find now we are in the air.”Misha said from behind me “you will get use of after a while it will become second nature.”I smiled and said, “I hope so.”Jensen said, “do you want to finish your drawing baby?”I said “nah I want to enjoy the flight. I will do it on the way to Canada to fill in the time.”He said, “ok baby anything you want.”The Stewardess came over asked if we wanted anything to drink or eat?”So, I asked for a lemonade. Jensen, Jared and Misha all had a beer.I just relaxed against Jensen and all too soon the plane landed in Sydney. Jared carried me off the plane this time as Jensen was looking something up on his phone. We stopped at the gift shop and Jensen brought some flowers and some chocolates.We when into the airport and Jared said, “we have three hours to kill. What do you want to do?”Jensen said, “I have a something I would like us all to do while we are here?” pointing to the flowers and chocolates.Misha said, “What Jensen?”Jensen answered, “it's a surprise for Y/N."I looked at him while still in Jared's arms and he put me down and Misha handed me my crutches.Jensen said, “we need a cab.”Jared whistled and a cab pulled up and picked us all up. Jensen gave him the address and we arrived about 10 minutes later. We all got out and three sets of eyes were on Jensen.Jensen laughed and put his arm around me he said, “you ready baby?”I said, “no."We walked into the building and behind the counter it said SPN Productions.I looked at Jensen as he asked for Sarah Fuller.The Receptionist said, “Whom may I say is asking?”Jensen said, “It's a surprise can you ask her to come out here please.”The Receptionist gave him a dirty look but she rang Sarah.“Hi Sarah,” she said.“Hi What's up?” she asked.  “There are three gorgeous men and one women out here for you?”“Really, I will be right there," she answered. The Receptionist said, “she will be right out.”The door opened a few minutes later and she looked at the four of us.Jensen smiled and said, “Sarah?”She said, “yes” with a huge smile on her face.He smiled widen then and said, “this is Y/N, Jared, Misha and I'm Jensen.”She laughed and said, “I know who you are.”Jensen came over and hugged her and gave her the flowers and chocolates.She said, “thank you, come with me where it's more private.”We walked down the corridor to a lunch room no one was in there so Sarah gestured for us to come in. I was looking around and I saw pictures of them on the wall.I said, “Jensen?”Jensen said, “this is Sarah Fuller she was the one who found you and saved your life.”Then I remembered the name and said, “Sarah."Jensen smiled and said, “Yes.”I hobbled over to her and I gave her a hug and whispered, “thank you for giving me Jensen.”I pulled back and she looked between us and saw Jensen move to hold me around the waist.She said, “are you two together?”Jensen said, “yes we are.”Jared said, “Sarah it was good of you to find Y/N for us."Sarah said, “I can't believe you are all here?”Misha said, “we are on our way home and had a stopover. Jensen wanted to come thank you.”I said, “It was a surprise for me he wanted me to meet you. The women that basically save and changed my life and I will forever be in your debt.”She said, “no it's fine really. So, tell me what happened when you all met?”I laughed as Jensen, Jared and Misha looked guilty. It was Jared that said, “We found Y/N in the bath when we arrived.”Misha continued the story, “Her front door lock was broken so we entered not knowing what we were going to find?”Jensen said, “she was singing in the bath and I tapped her on the shoulder and scared her.”I said, “then I was trying to get out of the bath and slipped on my flannel and pulled Jensen down into the bath with me.”Jared laughed at the memory and said, “he looked like a drowned rat. Anyway, we got Jensen out and we learnt Jensen had broken Y/N's knee.”Misha said, “long story short we went to the hospital and Jensen and Y/N fell in love and she's coming back home with us.”She said, “Y/N are you happy?”I said, “yes I really am” as Jensen lifted my hand with the ring on it.She noticed the ring and said, “you’re not” pointing to the ring.Jensen said, “no we are not, it's a promise ring.”She said, “oh that's really good I'm happy for you both. I can I ask you a favour.”Jensen said, “anything?”She smiled and said, “May we get some pictures of you all for our walls.”The three looked at Sarah and said in unison “it's the least we can do.”Sarah said, “thank you.”Jensen asked where's the bathroom.Sarah said, “follow me.”Jensen said, “I don't need the bathroom. I wanted to ask you something in private."She said, “what's up?”“When we come back in July for the convention it's Y/N's birthday on the Saturday and I want to do something special for her.”“Like what?”“Maybe a cake and presents. I was going to sing her favourite song too.”“I can arrange a cake for you.”“I would like you to be there too you are a friend now to us all.”“I would like that very much.”“Thank you, Sarah,”“No problem really. I go get the photographer you going to go back to the lunch room?”“Yeah, they will be waiting for us.”Sarah had the photographer take pictures of the boys and Jensen asked to get one with all of us including me and one with just him and me. Sarah said," she would send them to us."We said, “our goodbye's" and said, "we would kept in touch” and then we left.We still have an hour so we explored Sydney and when to the Opera house and Sydney Harbour bridge we had lunch on the Opera house steps overlooking the bridge.Then we headed back to the airport our flight was called about 30 minutes later. Jensen had called his Mum and Clif, Jared called Gen and Misha called Vicki to let them all know we were heading back and what time the flight got in. So, they could meet us at the airport. We all boarded the plane as I headed to my new life. The months went by quickly as I settled into Jensen’s home and we fell in more in love if that was even possible. I became really good friends with Gen and Vicki. I spent more time with Gen than Vicki but we all got on well together. Donna become a fill in Mum fussing over me and making sure Jensen and I were ok. I have to admit I was starting to love Donna she was the Mum I always wanted.Jensen’s family they all were very accepting of me and what Jensen felt for me. They were the family I always hoped for and I loved being with them. I also fell in love with Jared’s family especially Shep he was such a sweet little boy. He was always with me when I visited his home and made sure I was happy. Jared and Gen couldn’t get over how much Shep has grown attached to me and I him. We were heading back to Australia for the convention I was much more healthy eating properly and I had a nice glow on my cheeks. My knee was healing well and I was seeing a therapist about my abuse Jensen went with me and held my hand all the way through it. He was a great support for me and when he couldn't go Jared and Misha came instead. I also was offered a job on set I was the one who kept Jensen, Jared and Misha in line while on set. It was a hard job especially when Jared and Jensen keep pranking Misha. I also run lines with the boys too. I got my Organisation set up and Jared, Jensen and Misha also helped with donations and charity events. I was coming home for my very first convention in Australia. After the convention, Jensen and I are headed to Adelaide to see Paul and get my knee checked hopefully I get the brace off and it’s healed completely with no need for surgery.We arrived in Melbourne and the convention was the next day.We when sightseeing in Melbourne for the day. Jensen had to leave for a while because he was performing at the convention so they had to do sound checks. So, I stayed with Jared and Misha we hung out at the motel and watched movies. I felt relaxed and happy. I was almost purring at how content I was lying next to Jared and he looked and laughed at me.He said, “you doing good Y/N?”I said, “I’m feeling wonderful.”Misha said., “you look really happy Y/N.”“I am I’ve never been this happy but I am a little scared what’s going to happen at the convention tomorrow?”Jared said, "It’s fine we will have your back ok.”Misha said, “I will,  goof it up as always so you don’t have to worry.”I laughed then and said, “ok I hope everyone will like me?”Jared said, “sure they will love you like we do.”I smiled and blushed.Jensen returned a short time later and we all when out for dinner.We enjoyed ourselves and headed back to the hotel. It was convention day and I was panicking on what to wear it was Winter in Australia so it was cold. I put on a pair of jeans and a thick woollen jumper to kept me warm.Jensen smiled at me as he knows I get cold very quickly. We all headed out to the convention.I was wringing my hands nervously when Jensen grabbed both of them and turned me towards him.He smiled and said, “Look you been through so much and you’ve gotten threw it. You will get through this also just be yourself and they will love you like I do. I shook my head in answer and he kissed me lightly on the lips and rubbed my face to calm me.We arrived and went in the back door to the stage area. Richard and Rob were on stage talking and Jared, Jensen and Misha were getting ready for their panel. I was sitting off to the side on a chair listening. Richard introduced them and the whole place was filled with screaming fans.They said, “Hi, thank you all for coming.”They answered questions which the fans had asked and the one come up about me.Jensen said, "We have a surprise for you all?''Jared said, "Yes it was a surprise for us too?"Jensen said, "Will we were in Canada going through some lines for the episode. Richard you want to take over."Richard said, "Y/N was helping Jensen, Jared and Misha with their lines. I was watching them as I was Directing the episode and I saw something in the way they all interacted with each other. Anyway I taped the scene, they were going through and I called Jensen over to come and look and he agreed."Jensen said, "I was knocked off my feet. Y/N was a natural so Richard went and saw the producers and writers."Jared said, "anyway to cut a long story short Y/N's in next week episode. It will be Y/N's first ever acting in an episode of supernatural."I was thinking about that day off stage I was running lines with Jensen, Jared and Misha one day and the Director for the episode Richard Spieght Jnr was watching us. He liked what he saw and I was given a small part which they wrote into the show. I was very nervous my first day and I stuff my lines several times until Jensen told me to look at him and not worry about the cameras. So, I did and I was always self-conscious being in front of a camera but Jensen was always in all my scenes so I just looked at him. Richard told me I was a natural and the camera loved me.I smiled as I became part of the cast by accident and everyone seemed to like me on there. I of course played Jensen’s love interest and was a hunter as well from Australia. They had found me in a middle of a vamps nest I had killed 6 vamps and the last vamp had crippled my knee when the Winchesters found me I was on the ground nursing my knee of course as the vamp was about to kill me. Sam killed the last vamp. Dean was very impressed and he picked me up and we went to the hospital. I stayed with the Winchesters until I healed and they asked me to stay afterwards and we hunted together.Jensen and Misha had come off stage and grabbed me and I hobbled on to the stage with crutches.Jensen smiled and said, "give her a round of applause everyone."I looked self conscious during the whole applause and said, "thank you I hope you like my new character."The fan asked, "so Y/N's apart of the supernatural family now. Will Y/N be doing photos and autographs today?"Jensen said, "it's totally up to her."I said, "I'm not sure yet. Richard is their anything set up for me?"He said, "no but I can get something organised for you."Other fan asked, "can we get pictures with Y/N and all of you as well?"Jared said, "Sure if Y/N wants too."Misha looked at me and I looked overwhelmed by it all. My head was spinning as I didn't know they were going to tell Melbourne I was in the next episode of Supernatural.Jensen looked at me and winked.Fan asked, "Y/N how's your knee? Is it getting better? How did you break it we heard Jensen did it?"Jensen laughed and said, "yes I did," but didn't tell anymore.I said, "it's doing fine. I'm hoping to get the brace off tomorrow when I see my doctor in Adelaide."I smiled as I was glad the questions shifted from me as I moved back off stage. They answered a lot of questions as I was comfortable back stage they had ask me to stay but I told them it was their convention not mine so they let me off stage plus they knew I was uncomfortable in front of everyone.Misha told the audience about his kids and Jensen told them about the stupid things they do on stage until one fan asked Jared about his kids.Another fan asked Jared, “how’s your boys and baby Odette doing?”Jared had a huge smile his face and said, “they are doing well Odette is growing and my youngest son Shep is in love?”Jensen coughed and whispered so they just barely heard him with my girlfriend.Misha said, “I know you all wondering about Jensen’s girlfriend you just have to hang on a bit a longer. You will get to meet her soon.”The crowd cheered and another fan asked about the surprise they had for me.Jensen said, “yeah would you like us to do that now?”There were cheers and shouts yes.Jared said, “Misha you want to help me?”Misha and Jared left the stage while Jensen was saying "come on, come back it’s so bright.”I was sitting by the stage when Jared said, “Hang on Jen we will be there in a sec.”I was lifted off the chair and Misha and Jared had me between them supporting me without my crutches as they brought me back on stage.“Jensen,” Jared said, “can you turn around.”He turned towards me and a big shit eating grin was on his face. He walked over to me as Misha when back for another chair.He held me in his arms as I was supported between Jensen and Jared this time as they led me to the chair.I sat down and everyone cheered. Jensen kissed me in front of everyone. When they audience oohs.He said, “shh you’re not suppose, to see,” they all laughedMisha said, “Y/N do you remember the surprise we had for you when we contacted you on Facebook?”I said, “I had totally forgot about it.”Jensen laughed and said, “well here it is?”Jared said, “Y/N you are going to Hawaii with us and being our special guest for the whole convention.”I said, “what no it’s too much. You all have done so much for me I would like to give it to someone in the audience. Can I do that please.”Jensen bent down and whispered we could go there for our honeymoon. I blushed and smiled at him and he was looking at me mischievously.Misha said, “It’s your prize you can do what you want.”Jensen said, “ok baby you choose someone?”I said, “thank you” as I looked around the room there was a little girl sitting with another little girl. I looked at her she on thread bare clothes and her eyes were downcast. She reminded me of me I knew she was the one I wanted to have the trip. I looked at Jensen and he saw where I was looking and smiled. Jared and Misha followed my eyes and they smiled their agreement as well. Jensen went off stage and grabbed her hand. She looked up terrified and upset as he was looking at her.Jensen walked her onto the stage and quietly asked her name.She looked shy and scared as I ushered her over to me.I said, “I know it’s scary I was scare too. You don’t need to be afraid here your safe ok.”“I’m scared can I stay with you?”“Sure, sweetheart what’s your name?”“Hayley," she answered.“That's a nice name. How did you come to be here today?”“My best friend brought me. We watch supernatural at her house.”“Is she here now?”She nodded and pointed to the little girl off the side of the stage with other women.Jensen was listening and when to grab her friend and bring her on stage as well.“Hayley how would you like to repay your friends kindness.”“I would but,” she stopped.Misha came over and said, “Y/N."“This is Hayley, Misha."“Hi, Hayley would you like to come over to your friend?”She stuttered, "ok."Jensen and Jared were finding out her friend’s name when Hayley joined them.Jared said, “everyone this is Hayley and April.”I said, “Hayley and April how would you like to go to Hawaii and spend the weekend with these goofballs.”Jensen looked affronted and said in a hurt voice “goofballs, hey we are amazing.”I laughed then and Hayley and April settled more on stage.Hayley looked at me with tears in her eyes as her friend hugged her. She came over to me and hugged me tight and said, “Thank you.”“Your welcome sweetheart enjoy yourself.”Jared said, “hang on Hayley and April since Y/N has picked you, you both get to be our guest for the remained of today. We will do photo ops and autographs anything you want ok.”April said, “thank you. Mum did you hear.”She said, “yes baby I did.”She was standing off the side of the stage and she looked at me and mouthed a thank you towards me. I smiled in return.I could see the kindness in this women’s heart for Hayley as she was treating her like a daughter too. I knew April will be Hayley’s friend forever. The girls were talking to Misha as April’s Mum came over to me and said, “you don’t remember me, do you?”I really looked at her as all the memories I wanted to forget came to the surface. She saw me visibility flinch at the memories. I saw her beating me every day in high school.“I can’t make up for what I did to you all those years ago. I just wanted to apologies, my daughter has shown me what I did was wrong. She taught me a lesson I never was taught, tolerance for people who are different and accept them for who they are and not what they look like and kindness. She has shown me what I did to you was wrong."Hayley has had a hard life her father is alcoholic and is very abusive towards her. My daughter who was in grade 4 at the time saw the other kids picking on Hayley so she stood up for her. She protects Hayley from the bullies. She also was strong enough to report them to the teachers and now the whole school is being re-educated about the effects of bullying.I always wondered why you never reported us. With what we did to you.”In a whisper, I reply “I never told anyone because I thought I deserved it all.”Jensen saw the tear slip down my face and saw I was upset with the way I had closed my body off.He said, “Baby you ok?”“No, I’m not, this is one of the kids that bullied me at school. She has apologised and I know she feels bad but I can’t forgive her just yet.”She looked sad at me but she understood why.“You didn’t deserve any of the treatment you got from us or your parents. I wish I was strong like April to help you instead of hurting you. I am truly sorry.”“Jensen, can you give her the Organisation's number so Hayley can get some help.“Sure baby,” he hugged me briefly and I hobbled over to Jared and Misha and they both held me. I wiped the tears from my eyes and try to will the imagines out of my head.“Ring this number and they will help you with things for Hayley.”“Thank you. I am truly sorry.Jensen smiled a sad smile as she will never know what Y/N has been through her whole life. So he tells her “she’s had it tough all her life and is now starting to live her life without fear of abuse. She is finally happy and is enjoying her life. You must had brought back the memories she had buried deep and all the hurt and anger she was feeling. She didn’t want to remember she is getting better back sometimes it’s just overwhelming for her. I am trying to make her life better and enjoyable. She will get through this because she is strong and well supported.”She said, “I hope one day she can forget all that happened to her.”“Me too it will take time and lots of love but I have enough for her as does Jared and Misha.”“Y/N is lucky she has all of you to help her.”“We are the lucky ones. I have to get back on stage.”She smiled and went over to the girls and sat back down.I was still being hugged by Jared when Jensen came over.“Hey baby it’s ok we are here.”He held me until I felt safe enough to leave his arms. Jared and Misha were back on stage and talking. Everyone was asking where Jensen and I was.Misha said, “Y/N was a little upset so Jensen is comforting her they will be back out soon.”Jensen said, “Hey look at me.” I turned my eyes towards Jensen, “you are stronger now. I know it hurts but she didn’t mean to hurt you today she just wanted to apologise. You can do this ok.”I shook my head and he hugged me one last time and we headed back to the stage.Jared smiled when he saw us and said, “Jensen and Y/N coming back on stage.”I smiled as he looked so relieved that I was alright.Jensen said once we were back on stage “I have a surprise for you?”I said, “no you’ve given me so much already.”“We hear it’s your birthday today Y/N," Jared said.Misha said, “we would like to celebrate it with you.”Jensen said, "Bring out the cake please.”Sarah and Nicole had hold of this huge cake.I smiled with tears in my eyes.Jensen whispered we wanted to surprise you as you’ve never celebrated your birthday before.I laughed and he kissed me on the lips it didn’t go unnoticed by the audience.Jared said, “ok everyone let’s sing Happy Birthday to Y/N."I could hear them all singing to me. I was so happy and overwhelmed with love.Jensen said after everyone had finished singing, “we have a surprise for all your good people in Melbourne?”There was complete silence as they waited for the announcement.“Y/N here is currently starring in Supernatural her first episode will air next week so let’s give her a round of applause.”Everyone was clapping and cheering.Jensen picked up his guitar and started playing the song he was going to sing.He said, “baby this song is for you.”He started singing: I’ll be your dream, I’ll be your wish, I’ll be your fantasy. The audience started screaming and cheering and I could hear them singing the words too. “I’ll be your hope, I’ll be your love be everything you need. He knew this was my favourite song as I always sang it in the bath and around the house. I love you more with every breath truly madly deeply doI will be strong, I will be faithful “cause I’m counting on a new beginningA reason for living. A deeper meaning yeah I want to stand with you on a mountainI want to bath with you in the seaI want to lay like this foreverUntil the sky falls down on me. Jared and Misha were standing next to me and they both had a hand on my shoulder. And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,I’ll make a wish send it to heaven then make you want to cry. I was I had tears flowing unbidden down my face. The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certaintyThat we’re surrounded by the comfort and protect ofThe highest power. In the lonely hours. The tears devour you I want to stand with you on a mountain,I want to bathe with you in the seaI want to lay like this forever,Until the sky falls down on me. Oh, can you see it baby?You don’t have to close your eyes’ cause I’m standing right before you Jensen was standing in front of me as he saw the tears rolling down my face. He winked and smiled at me and I smiled back. All that you need will surely come. I’ll be your dream, I’ll be your wish, I’ll be your fantasy.I’ll be your hope, I’ll be your love everything that you need.I’ll love you with every breath truly madly deeply do oooo.I want stand with you on a mountain ooo Then the song died out the audience were hysterical and screaming it was so loud in the room. Everyone was applauding and clapping and he said, “thank you” as he put the guitar down.He came over to me and wiped the tears away gently and got down on one knee as he pulled out a box. He opened it and had a gorgeous ring in it. I wasn’t expecting Jensen to propose to me. He looked at me with so much love I knew I couldn’t live without him.He said, “Baby you are a lot stronger than you think with everything you have been put through. You are alive and now with us here. I love you more than I thought I could love anyone. You are my whole world Y/N. Will you marry me?”“Yes, Jensen I will marry you.”He then kissed me passionately as he slipped the ring on my finger it was a diamond with two little one’s next to it. He took the promise ring off and slip it on my right hand.He kissed me again as he lifted me to deepen the kiss as the audience were going crazy I could hear the cameras flashing around us.I knew Nicole was in the audience filming all this but I didn’t care because I was the happiest person alive. I had the man I’ve always loved and he loved me nothing could be better than this.Misha and Jared were happy and clapping too and waiting their turn to congratulate us.When we finally pulled apart.I said, “dreams do come true.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Epilogue Time went by quickly as we landed in Canada and we went through customs as we had nothing to declare so we were not held up. I was very tired from my flight. We headed out to the terminal where family and friends were waiting for their loved ones.I was going slowly on the crutches and Jensen noticed I slipped and he caught me and swooped me into his arms. We walked out with Jared carrying my crutches and Jensen carrying me.He put me down once they had found their families.Jared ran over to hug and kissed Gen and his boys and nurse his daughter.Misha hug and kissed Vicky and his kids.Jensen walked over where he put me down and gave his Mum a tight hug and he turned to me. He said “Y/N this is my Mum. Mum this is Y/N”I said, “please to meet you Mrs Ackles.”She smiled and said “Please call me Donna. Do you enjoy your flight?”I smiled and said, “it was very long.”Jared pushed over towards us and he was holding his daughter.Jared's little boy came over and hugged me. They both looked at the boy and Gen said “Shep would you like to hug Y/N?”He nodded his head as Jared was about to give his daughter back to Gen when Jensen said, “I got this.”He picked Shep up and Shep wrapped his arms around my neck so tight. I lifted him from Jensen as Jensen moved to hold me so I wouldn't fall.I hugged him tight back as he pulled back in my arms and looked at me.He said, “your pretty”I said “thank you Shep your very handsome like your Dad" and he giggled. "My name is Y/N.”He said, “that's my Mummy, Daddy, Tommy and Sissy” as that’s what the boys call her.I said, “Yes I know Daddy but I haven't meet Mummy, Tom or Sissy yet.”He said, “Mummy you want to meet Y/N?”Gen moved forward and said “yes Shep I would like that.”Jensen still had hold of us both as he smiled.Shep said, “Mummy this is Y/N?”I smiled and said, “Please to meet you Gen.”She smiled back and said “you too. You must be special as Shep doesn't normally do this with strangers. He is normally a very shy boy.”Shep said “Mummy I like Y/N and Unca Jensen loves her so can I love her too.”Gen said, “I hope we all will love her baby.”Gen hugged us both and took Shep out of my arms so I could meet Tom and Odette. I said, “hello Tom, how are you?”Tom looked and said, “Hi Y/N what happened to you knee?”Jensen laughed and said “Unca Jensen broken her knee.”He looked and I said, “it was an accident.”He smiled then and pulled Shep from his Mum's arms and they walked over towards Misha's kids.Jared brought Odette up I looked at her she was gorgeous. He looked at me and was about to let me hold her and I said, “I shouldn’t I might drop her and she too precious to hurt.”Jensen said, “it’s ok baby I will hold you both.”I took Odette from Jared she was so tiny with her dark hair and big eyes looking at me. She looked like Jared she had his eyes and mouth and Gen's nose and smile. I had tears in my eyes at that moment I wanted it all with Jensen. Jared looked at me and said, “you ok Y/N?”I said, “yeah she beautiful. I've never really held a baby before and all the baby smells and feels are a little overwhelming. Thank you Gen and Jared for letting me hold her it means a lot to me.”I passed her back to Jared and Gen gave me a hug and said, “anytime Y/N.”Misha brought his family over for me to meet as Gen had Odette in her arms as they headed off.Vicky came over first and hugged me and said “please to meet you finally Y/N. I'm Vicki, Misha's better half.”I had to laugh at that and Misha said, “She's probably right there.”Misha said, “these are West and Maison my children.”I lend down and said, “Please to meet you West” he shook my hand and Maison stretched up and kissed my cheek. “thank you, Maison, and I'm glad to meet you too.”West said, “are you going to be staying with Uncle Jensen?”I said, “yes I am.”He said, “so I will see you again?”I said “sure.”He said, “can we play games together like Daddy does with me and Maison.”I said, “I would love that very much.”Jensen said "ya all coming back to my place?""No we don't want to overwhelm Y/N more than she already is" Cas said"I will take the kids to Mum and Dads and we will come later. You will want to show Y/N around and get her settle in." Jared said "ok see you soon""thank you I will see you soon Jared and Misha can I see you tomorrow?""Sure" he kissed my cheek.Jensen and Jared headed off to get our luggage Donna came over then and said “Y/N you alright?”I said, “I'm a bit tired it's been a long few days.”I started to sway a bit and both Donna and Misha noticed and grabbed me before I fell. Misha picked me up and carried me over to the chairs and sat me down.He looked worried “are you alright Y/N?”I smiled and said, “yes just really exhausted and need some sleep probably just jet lag. I will be fine once I've had some sleep.”Gen had gone in search for Jared and Jensen it was his boys that found them first.Shep ran up “Daddy and Unca Jensen” they noticed the worried in his boy’s eyes.He said, “what baby, what happened Mummy and Odette are alright?”Tom said, “Their ok Daddy, its Y/N”Jensen said “Shep, Tom what happened?”Gen finally caught up to her boys as Jensen asked what happened to Gen.Jared had wrapped his arms around his wife and child and she said “Y/N almost collapsed. She told us she was exhausted and had jet lag but Jensen she looks very pale.”Jensen said, “Jared you right with theses. I will send Misha to help.”Jensen turned to see Clif coming towards them.Jared said, “Go I will sort Clif out with the luggage.”Jensen was gone he got back to me in a few minutes.He looked worried as my face had paled even more.He said, “you alright baby?”I said, “yeah it's been a long exhausting day Jay can we go home now.”He said, “sure baby Clif's here so our luggage should be in the car.”Donna said, “you ok to walk Y/N?”I said, “I'm fine really.”I stood up with my crutches and almost fell again.Jensen lifted me into his arms as my head rested on his shoulder and carried me out with Misha's family following and Gen and the boys close behind as Odette was still in her arms. Donna stood off to one side of me giving me a worried mother look. She gently rubbed my back as Jensen carried me.Shep had picked up the crutches and him and Tom were carrying them."Clif" Jensen said as he half hugged the rough looking man as he still had me in his arms.Clif said “all packed Jay.”Jensen said “Clif this is Y/N. Y/N baby this is Clif he is our bodyguard slash protector and friend. He will make sure you are safe too.”I was half asleep when I mumbled please to meet you Clif. Jared came over with his boys and they both gave me a quick hug at Shep's insist. Gen half hugged me because of her little girl in her arms. Misha hugged me as well and Vicki pat me on the shoulder. Jensen put me in the car and he climbed in after me after saying goodbye to everyone. His Mum lent into the car and said “have a good sleep Y/N. We will talk" she gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek and turned to give her son the same.Clif said “Jensen let's get Y/N home?”Jensen had me in his arms and I fell asleep a few moments later.We arrived at Jensen house a short time later and he gently kissed me and said, “we are here baby.” Cliff smiled at the endearment as he knows Jensen doesn't give his affection easily.I opened my eyes and said, “Jensen.”He smiled and said, “we are home baby.”Clif said “Jensen do you want me to bring the bags in for you?”Jensen said, “I will get Y/N settled and I will come help you.”Clif said “Ok I will start bringing them in.”Jensen said, “Baby you want to walk or me carry you” with a shit eating grin on his face.I said, “I can use the crutches you help Clif with the bags Jay.”He gave me a quick kiss and helped me out of the car I wobbled so he picked me up I looked at his house it was beautiful. We stood there and I just looked as Clif opened the door to the house.Jensen watched my face and he saw the love in my eyes and he smiled."it's beautiful Jay, I love it especially the roses""Wait to you see the inside baby?"As he carried me over the threshold of his home. I was hit with a sweet smell not sure what the smell is. I will have to ask Jensen later. He carried me in and shown me the loungeroom area it was big and spacious. It had a beautiful grey lounge in the middle with a huge Entertainment system and some DVD’s. He had bookcases with loads of different authors. The doors were open and a cool breeze was coming through it. I felt relaxed and happy.He said, “you be alright while I help Clif with the bags” as he put me on the comfortable lounge.I said, “I will be fine you go help him. It’s too much with all my luggage on his own.”He smiled and said, “I will be right back.”I sat and just took in Jensen home it smelt like apples and oranges I wonder if he has trees somewhere.I felt relaxed I drifted off to sleep again.Clif said “How is she Jay?”“She’s good, she’s on the lounge while I help you.”“wow she has some amount of luggage here Jay.”“yeah we brought her some nice new clothes as hers were not good.”Clif looked at Jensen and said, “you really love her don’t you. I’ve never seen you like this with any other women in your life. She must be one special lady for you to fall in love with?”He smiled and said “Clif I was so gone before I even left for Australia and when I meet her it just seemed to all fall into place. Her and me it seemed natural and I knew I wouldn’t leave her no matter what.”“we better get these inside she will be wondering what has happened to us by now. Jay I’m happy for you man, if there is anything I can do for you and her just let me know.”“thanks, Clif” they hugged briefly as they took most of the luggage inside the house.Jensen came to check on me and saw I was asleep so he gently lifted me off the lounge and carried me upstairs to my room he pulled the covers back and laid me gently on the sheets and covered me with the blankets. He removed my shoes and put a pillow under my knee. He then kissed me and said, “I will be back in a minute.”Not that I heard him I was sound asleep.Clif said “she all good.”Jensen shook his head “I put her in her bed to sleep. I will go up after we bring the rest of the luggage in.”Clif said “Ok”They brought last of it in and Clif bid Jensen goodbye and left.Jensen grabbed a quick drink of water and headed upstairs to my room. He was tired from the long journey so he took his shoes of and his jeans and slipped into bed with me wrapping me in his arms. He kissed me gently and feel asleep too. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- I woke first trying to remember my surrounding then I felt strong arms wrapped around my waist. It was later in the day and I felt much better.I rolled careful in Jensen’s arms and just looked at how relaxed his face looked and how handsome he really was. He opened his beautiful green eyes and smiled.He said, “Hi baby have a good sleep?”I said, “Yes wonderful I feel much better.”“Would you like me to show you around our home? This is your room" as I sat up to have a look around it was beautiful. It was a four poster with bed with netting. Everything on the bed was different shades of purple. The room was painted a lavender and I could still smell the paint. I had a huge wardrobe and drawers everywhere. There were purple roses by the bed.His pointed to the door and said "That's your bathroom. I will show you it later. How do you like it?"I looked around the room as a tear slipped down my face I was so happy. "I love it Jensen, it's beautiful." He wiped the tear away and said, " How about I show you the rest of the house?" “In a minute” and I kissed him deeply, he returned the kiss with just as much passion.Then he moved away so he could show me the rest of his home he was proud of his home.How about I show you upstairs first. I nodded and grabbed my crutches and hobbled behind him. He leads me to a door and opened it. "Bathroom, spare room, and this is" as he opened the door. I looked in wonder it smelt of Jensen his cologne and leather. "This is my room," as I looked at everything he lead me into it and I sat on his bed and just took in that I was actually in Jensen's home.I felt overwhelmed with happiness and the tear slipped down my face I wiped it away. I looked at Jensen and said, "Thank you for loving me."He kissed me softly and said, "Show you downstairs."We headed out and I stopped at the top of the stairs. He looked then realised why I stopped. I looked at him and he smiled swooped me off my feet and carried me slowly down the stairs. I carried my crutches down. We reached the bottom and he slid my body down against his as I put the crutches in place. He kissed me again a lot more heated than before. Our tongues explored the others mouth and I moaned into the kiss. He pulled away and we continue the tour. He showed me the kitchen, laundry, study, a few other rooms. We were in the lounge room when Jensen said, "We can change anything you want too Y/N?""No, I don't want to it's beautiful Jensen" he preened at the complement."Want to see outside?""Jensen," that one word holding so much meaning.He saw the look on my face and said, "What's wrong baby?""No one’s ever done this for me before Jensen. I've never had a nice room, clothes or even house, it's just all new to me.""I know baby but I'm here and we will work this out together ok""I know and I love you for your support but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment.""I can tell everyone not to come over tonight.""I need some time to get used to being here Jay, you’re not mad at me?""Of course not, I should have thought of it. I'm sorry for pushing you when you’re not ready yet. I will ring them now. How about you have a nice hot bath.""Ok," wiping the tears from my eyes."I will run it for you, you be alright while I call everyone.""Sure."He left to go get his phone. He called Jared first."Hey Jared.""Hey Jensen, what's wrong? Y/N's aright?" with concern in his voice. "Can we delay you coming over Y/N's feeling overwhelmed at the moment."He sighed with relief and said "Sure Jay. She looked really nervous at the airport. How about we give her a few days to settle in and then we will try again?""Thanks man, I know she would love to see you tomorrow? Can you Gen and the boys and Odette and hug for me?""Ok, I will come alone and I will give they a hug for you, Bye Jay.""Bye, Jared."Then he rang his Mum.'Hi Mum, "he said."Hi doodlebug.""Mum, Y/N is feeling really overwhelmed at the moment can we delay for a few days?""Is she alright honey?""Yeah, she's just in a new place and country and I think it's all catching up with her.""Did she like the room Jensen?""Yeah, she loved it Mum. She had tears in her eyes, she said, "No one has ever done something so beautiful. Thanks Mum for getting it ready for her.""That poor girl hasn't had a lot, has she?""No, she hasn't Mum. I want to give her everything, she's had so much abuse and hatred in her life. I want to show her that we can love her, that she will always be a part of our lives. Mum I realised when I was in Australia, how much I care and love her. You know Mum I gave her the promise ring in hopes that we will marry one day. I want to build a life and have children with her. I wanted her the first time I saw her. She was all I wanted.""I know honey I saw the way you were with her at the airport. The way you look at each other it's like she's apart of you.""Mum you think it's too soon to marry her?""Jensen," in a serious voice "I think you need to get to know each other first, remember she still has some things to sort out. I don't think she can deal with a marriage propose yet? Just take it slow and get to know each other.""I know I just don't want to lose her Mum.""I know doodlebug just be there to support her. We will be here to help support you both. I will see you in a few days.""Thanks  Mum, Love you""Love you too doodlebug, bye.""Bye Mum."I was sitting in the lounge just smelling the sweetness in the air. Jensen was in the doorway watching taking everything in.He said, "Hey ready for your bath?""Jensen what's the sweet smell in the air?"He looked at me and said, "It's the apple and orange trees, I think I have a lemon tree too. Would you like to see?"I shook my head and he walked with me outside with his arm wrapped around my waist. I was standing there just looking at his land it when as far as I could see. He was smiling and looked at my amazement. It was gorgeous he had trees off to the side of a road that lend down to big buildings he saw me look at him with the question at what they were.He said, "The building in front is the barn and the other is the horse stables.""Horses?""Yeah, horses I will take you down another day. Here are the apple, oranges and lemon trees." He pulled off an apple and an orange for me to try.He bit the orange to pull the skin off it. He passed me a slice and I put in my mouth as the juice ran down my hand. I looked at him and smile and hummed in satisfaction. He passed me half of the orange as we both ate it. He ran inside and grabbed a cloth to wipe our hands.He gently wiped one of my hands and kissed my palm it sent a shiver down my spine. Then the other hand he licked the juice from my fingers and I started moaning. He licked his lips to kissed me then and he tasted of orange his lips were so soft and fit perfectly with mine. He smelt so amazing and I felt at home in his arms. He deepens the kiss as we were tasting each other's mouth. He lifted me and my crutches fell to the ground as he laid me under the apple tree. He kissed my neck finding my pulse point I mewled in pleasure and he started to unbutton my shirt and kissed down my neck. He made his way to one breast as he kissed it through my bra. He wanted more and pushed it aside. I murmured Jensen's name as he continued the exploration of my breast. Then he moved to the other side and laved his tongue over it. Sucking and nipping gently as I ran my hand through his hair. He looked at me and kissed me hard on the mouth. When he pulled away we were both breathless. I saw the lust in his eyes as his pupil were black with want. He moved his hands to my skirt pulling it up to get into my panties. I was wet and soaking from just kissing Jensen, I could feel his hard member through his jeans. I started to panic and thought I can't do this it's too soon I'm not ready."Jensen," I said as try to push his weight off me. He was still kissing me as I said it louder "Jensen, stop" he stilled his movements as soon as I said stop.He looked at me with worry. I turned my head in horror and guilt for disappointing him. He pulled my head back and said, "It's ok."I didn't need to say the words the horror on my face was enough. He kissed me again as he moved next to me gently stroking my face with his thumb his eyes never braking contact."I'm sorry Jensen, I can't I'm not ready.""Hey, it's ok I should have stopped sooner.""No, it's fine, it was nice and I was enjoying it. I'm just not ready to have sex with you yet. Please be patient with me Jensen it scares me.""How about I get you used of my touches and work our way from their ok. If you get uncomfortable tell me I will stop.""Thank you, Jensen.""We better head in," as the sun was going down. He helped me up and washed my other hand as he held it a bit longer than necessary to let me know everything was fine. He picked my crutches up as we headed inside.He said, "You hungry I can make us some dinner or get take out of you want?"I said, "Whatever is easier for you Jay."He went in the kitchen and see what was in the fridge. He pulled out some bacon and tomatoes and other ingredients for Spaghetti Bolognese. He had me cut up the bacon and tomatoes and other vegetables he was putting in there. We sat down and ate twenty minutes later as we ate he said, "Jared is coming over tomorrow and I think Misha is too?"I said, "It would be nice to spend time with them."He looked at me and knew I was still upset over what happened earlier. He said, "Y/N?" I looked up, "I love you and when you’re ready we will make love, ok."I smiled a sad smile and said, "Ok."He got up and put the dishes in the dishwasher. "How about we go watch some TV? How about a Star Wars trilogy?""Star Wars?" I questioned.He laughed and said, "You will love it. Come on I will get you settle and make some popcorn and hot chocolate's."I sat on the comfortable lounge Jensen turned the TV on and I sat and waited for him to return. He sat next to me and turned me so I was leaning on his chest. I hum in contentment as he turned on the DVD. I sat drinking my hot chocolate my eyes glued to the TV. Jensen was watching trying not to laugh. I was so into the movie I hadn't realise he was watching me. When the first one finished he asked if I liked it. I looked at him and said, "It was incredible. I never got to watch TV at my house I was always shut in my room."We watched the next two Jensen held me when I cried when Han was in cased in carbonite. Then I jerked when Luke lost his hand. I cried again when Darth Vader told Luke he was his father and Luke was trying to save him. Then it ended as I wiped my tears away Jensen turned me and hugged me. He didn't say anything just held me in his arms.I sniffed and said, "Are there anymore Jensen?""Yeah but three after weren't very good but they made another that was ok.""Can we watch that one too?""I think you've had enough Star Wars for the night. How about that bath I promised you earlier."I nodded yes as he turned everything off and lifted me into his arms and carried me into my bathroom. It was the first time I had seen it the bath was huge and deep and had jets in it. He turned the water on as he poured bubble bath into it.I started to undo my shirt he stopped me and started to undo the buttons for me. He placed a quick kiss on my shoulder before pulling off the shirt and threw it on the floor. He slowly undid my bra and it joined my shirt. He took a brief look at the tub and turned the water off. He turned to jets on and said, "It will help your leg." Then he continued his journey of pulling off my clothes my skirt and pantie soon joined the pile on the floor. He stepped back and looked at me and he smiled, "Your beautiful Baby," not touching me just looking. He smiled that shit eating grin of his and moved to kiss me deeply. Then he lifted me and placed me in the tub. I moaned at the bubbles where the jets were soothing my aches and pains. Jensen said, "Donyou want help with washing your hair."I smiled and said, "Yes please."He got a cup and started wetting my hair and then he put shampoo and massaged into my scalp. I moaned in pleasure and he continued. "How does that feel Baby?""Wonderful and relaxing," I said.He continued until he had to rinse my hair and then he condition it as well I was lost, I was so relaxed I almost fell asleep again.He rinsed my hair and put a towel around it as he asked if I was finished. I had to wash myself quickly and he lifted me out and put a towel around my body. Then he carried me to the bedroom and got me my comfy shirt of his I was still wearing to bed with a pair panties and pj shorts. When I was dressed and comfortable he set to work on drying my hair. Then he got my brush and brushed my hair."You have beautiful long hair Baby. It's glorious I love your hair this long." As he pulled the brush through it. When he finished he left it hanging down my back loose. He gently lifted me again and I asked, "Where are we going?""I'm putting down by the fire so your hair dries and I'm going to go have a quick shower. I will be right back ok. I will leave the phone next to you in case someone calls."He put me down on the soft rug in front of the fire it was cosy and warm. He ran up the stairs to go shower. I was looking into the fire and just getting lost in the feelings of contentment when the phone rang.It took me a moment to register the ringing and as I was brought out of my haze.I push the speaker button and said, "Hello.""Hello Y/N, this is Donna."I smiled and said, "Hi Donna, how are you?""I'm fine Dear.""Jensen's in the shower if you wish to talk to him?""No, I wanted to see how you were settling in?""Good, Jensen showed me around and I need to thank you for my beautiful room. I love it.""Your welcome Dear, it was Jensen's idea to do it purple for you.""He is an amazing man Donna he has helped me in so many ways. I don't want to think about what would have happened to me if I never had meet them.""You don't have to, your safe and Jensen will keep you happy and safe.""I know he will.""Look all I ask is you don't break his heart.""I won't Donna, I love him.""I know Dear, I have to go and sort out his father. I will talk again soon. Take care.""Bye Donna you too.""Bye Y/N, give Jensen my love."Then she hung up just as Jensen walked in from his shower. "Who was on the phone?""Donna she just seeing how I was settling in. I told her I was good and that you showed me around today.""Sorry about that, she tends to worry.""No, it's fine really."He sat down behind as he grabbed a blanket and gently laid us both down and pulled the blanket over us and pulled some cushions off the lounge for pillows. He said, "You want to sleep here tonight in front of the fire?"I hummed my agreement as he pulled me into his arms and I felt my eyelids closing in sleep. I closed them as he kissed me goodnight and my breathing even out as Jensen felt asleep too. Sometime during the night, the fire had burnt out as I snuggled into Jensen more. He pulled me tight against his body as he murmured my name in his sleep. Morning came too quick for the both of us as we groaned with the morning sunlight coming through the windows. I turned to see Jensen looking at me. He pulled some of my hair from my face and gently kissed me. He smiled and said, "morn'in Baby.""Morning already, it’s too early."He laughed and said, "It's 8 o'clock. You want some breakfast?""No want to lie here with you," then my stomach rumbled.Jensen said, "guess your stomach has other ideas" with a grin.He got up and helped me up too. He got my crutches and he kissed me long and passionately before making our way to the kitchen. I said, "Now that's a good morning" he laughed a deep throaty laugh and said, "Yeah it is."We had a quick breakfast and got ready for the day. I put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a pullover. He was looking at me and there was a knock on the door.Jared was on the other side of the door. He looked happy to see me but a little sad.He said, "hey Princess, how are you?""fine thanks, what's wrong?""Shep wanted to come too and I had to say no and he was upset when I left. Gen was trying to calm him down. Looks like he's taken with you too. My 3-year-old has he's first crush" and sighs."you could have brought him""no, it would've been fair to leave Tom home.""anyway, are you all settled in yet?""I still have to unpack, Jensen showed me around yesterday. This place is huge and the trees are amazing. I had an orange yesterday it was delicious" as I licked my lips.Jared laughed "I see your enjoying Jensen's fruit."Then there was another knock and Misha stood there on his own. I looked at him and he said, "Vicki though it best to give you some time to settle more."He kissed my cheek as did Jared a few moments before. "You’re looking good all settle?"Jensen said, "we both have unpack our clothes." I gave him a smile of thanks. We all sat while the boys drank their coffees and it was getting towards lunch time. Jensen said, "you guys hungry I can go make some sandwiches"I said "can I do it please Jensen. I will be fine can you help me with the ingredients out of the fridge."Jared looked at him in their silent communication to say let her be independent.He said, "sure baby."I beamed this bright smile at him and he grinned back pleased that he made me happy. So, he helped me with all the ingredients and said, "need any help call out ok"I nodded as he kissed me and when back to talk with Jared and Misha.Misha said, "she all set"Jensen said, "yes she's all good"So I set about making us all a sandwich. I picked up the knife to cut the tomato. I was looking at it but not really seeing it. It gleamed in the light as I had to turn my head and shy away from the bright glare on the knife. Then I was hit like bulldozer a memory of my parents beating me and telling me I was worthless, I was nothing, a nobody, a piece of shit to stomp on. I started heaving I couldn't get air into my lungs as I was reliving this memory.The vivid memory continue I was lying on my bed angry. I had taken a knife from the kitchen after they left me lying on the floor bleeding, bloody and battered. I looked at the knife like it was foreign, like it was my only salvation out of the pain and abuse. I was in my room when I turned my wrist and I sliced downward. I didn't scream or even make a sound as I didn't feel any pain. I felt peace as I watched the blood appear around the wound. Then I cut my other wrist as well as the knife was bloody as blood drip down my hands.I was feel lightheaded so I laid down on my bed. It was just a matter of time my 8 years wiped away, all the abuse and pain gone. I shut my eyes and waited, then my door open and my mother look at me. For a brief moment I thought she might let me die. Then she decided to help me, she slapped me across the face. She got me up and told me to hold my wrists. I was only a child so I found it hard and I was lightheaded and disoriented from the loss of blood.  I was covered with blood and so was my bed but she looked angry and I knew I was in for a serious beating. She rip some of my rags for clothes and told me to put pressure on the wounds. She wound two different rags around my wrists and she tied them tight I winced at the pain. She looked at how pitiful I looked and she punched me in the face. I collapsed unconscious on my bed.I had cut my wrist without realising it while in the memory. Their was blood pouring out of it dripping on the floor. Jensen called out to me but got no reply wondering what was taking so long with the sandwiches."Y/N?" he called sounding worried every second he couldn't see me. He ran into the kitchen I was fighting to breathe and he saw the blood dripping down my arm onto the floor. With the knife against my other wrist, I was just looking down at it."Fuck" he shouted and Jared and Misha heard and came running into the kitchen. He ran over to me and took the knife from my grasp and threw it across the floor. It slide across the floor and landed near the fridge.He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my wrist. He gently ease me to the floor with Misha's help while Jared called and ambulance. I was still dazed and out of it.Jensen said calmly "baby look at me, can you do that for me?"He was worried as I wasn't responding. I was still in the daze. Can they save me or will it be too late? ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Jensen said calmly "baby look at me, can you do that for me?"  My eyes were still not focusing as he gently touched my face. I saw worried green, hazel and ocean blue eyes looking at me.Jared said, "Ambulance will be here in a minute I can hear the siren."Jensen didn't acknowledge Jared he was solely focused on me. Misha still had hold of my wrist as Jensen said, "that's it baby, breathe with me, in, out, in, out, that's it, in, out." He kept this up until my breathing had settled and the tears stopped flowing.  He grabbed hold of me and held me in his arms just to reassure himself I was alright and to comfort me. He whispered, "you're alright now, I'm here, you're safe"I held onto him tightly as Jared said,"we should get her off the floor Jensen."Jared lifted me and carried me into the lounge room as Misha still had a tight grip on my wrist. Jensen had brought clean towel in.I said, "what happened?"Jensen looked at me and said, "you don't remember?"I said, "no all I remember is making lunch and then went to cut the tomato and then you holding me."I was looking at my wrist. Jensen said, "do you remember cutting your wrist?""No I don't remember anything Jensen, what's wrong with me" with my head down covering my tears. In a whisper I said, "please I need some help I can't do this alone. Will you all help me?"Jared said, "of course I will, do you want me to call Gen and Donna?"I looked in horror as I shook violently at the thought. I said, "no please don't Donna will hate me and make me leave Jensen. I couldn't bare the look on her face, the disappointment and losing Jensen, Jared please," pity in my eyes."Ok, I won't call Donna or Gen for now." Misha said, "will with not leave you when you need us most. I know, I won't leave you.""Gen and Shep would kick my ass if I left you when you needed us," Jared said."Mum wouldn't do that baby she loves you and she knows how much, I love you. She will want to support you." Then the ambalance pulled up and Jared let them in. The nice paramedic had a look and cleaned and bandaged the wound and said, "I would need to get stitches, so they will have to take me to the hospital. You can follow in the car."I looked scared and agitated and said, "No, Jensen don't leave me!"The paramedic didn't want me to get upset so she said, "Jensen could come."Jared said, "We will follow you in the car."Jensen said, "Ok, see you then."We left in the ambulance, as Misha washed his hands and Jared cleaned the blood from the floor in the kitchen.Jared said, "So much blood. I thought we were going to lose her Misha. It scared me so much."Misha said "Yeah, me also, I just hope she is alright?"Jared said, "what if they put her in 36 hour lock down. I don't think either of them will survive without the other now. You saw how she was with the ambulance." "Yeah she looked scared and terrified.""I hope they can help her and she's alright. Jensen will not cope well if anything happened to her." We arrived at the hospital a short time later. The nurse took my pulse and heart rate and oxygen levels as the doctor walked in. He introduced himself as Will and he had a look at my wrist.He said, "can you tell me what happened, Y/N?"I looked at Jensen and shook my head no.He said, "ok, let's get this fixed up"He gave me multiple needles to deaden my arm as I winced with each needle prick. Jensen had hold of my other hand as each needle went in. I squeezed his hand hard they put 8 stitches in my wrist and then bandaged it. Telling me not to get it wet.Then he said, "Y/N do you know what happened?""No I don't remember. All I remember is Jensen holding me and my arm bleeding.""I need to ask were you trying to kill yourself? Have you tried before?" Looking at my previous wounds."No, I don't think I was. I was happy but I feel ashamed and hate myself for doing this to Jensen, Jared and Misha. I can't remember anything what happened. Yes I have tried to kill myself before.""I would like a psychiatrist to come talk with you, are you alright with that Y/N?"I shook my head as my eyes were filling with tears. Jensen had hold of me as I lean into his touch. He was my comfort, my strength, my love, without him I don't know what I would do.Jared and Misha turned up just after the doctor left. Jared asked, "How are you, Y/N?"I said, "I'm better now my wrist is fixed up."Jensen said, "They are sending a psych to talk to Y/N"Misha looked at Jared and Jensen noticed. "What Jared?"He sighed a heavy sigh and said, "Misha and I were talking and we thought what if they put Y/N in lock down for 36 hours?"I said, "No, Jay didn't let them take me away."Jensen grabbed me and rubbed soothing circles on my back to calm me down.Then an older women walked in and smiled. She said, "I'm Daniela Morgan, I head of psychiatric here in the hospital. Hello Y/N, I heard you had an accident."I pulled my eyes down so I wouldn't have to look at her.Jensen said, "She's worried you might put her in lock down for 36 hours."Daniela said, "Not unless she's a risk to herself or others. Do you mind if I talk to her alone?"I shook my head telling Jensen no don't leave me. Then I cried, "please Jensen don't leave me."Daniela saw I was getting distressed and she said, "It's ok Y/N, Jensen can stay. Just breathe that's it a little more. Has this happened before Jensen?""Yes, it has!""What else has happened?"Jensen took a deep breathe and said, "Y/N was bleeding when I found her, she had cut her wrist, her eyes were unfocused, she couldn't hear me, she was in a daze, she was having trouble breathing. I didn't think we were going to get her back as she was unresponsive. It frightened me.""So, your saying Y/N was unresponsive, dazed, having trouble breathing, bleeding and unfocused. Is that right?""Yes!""How did you get her to respond to you again, Jensen?""I touched her face and she seemed to come out of it.""Did she say anything?""Only she couldn't remember, what happened?""I see, Y/N can you tell me what you remember."I looked at Jensen and he had hold of me still. "I was making sandwiches for lunch and I was about to cut some tomatoes and next thing I know I was on the lounge with my wrist bandaged and Jensen's, Jared's and Misha's worry faces looking at me."So you still don't remember what happened in between?""No, I don't. I think I'm losing my mind. What's happening to me Daniela?""I will need to do some tests but my diagnosis would be Post Trauma Stress Disorder. With the memory loss, the dazed expression, the panic attacks, unfocused eyes are all symptoms of PTSD. When you cut yourself I think you were having a flashback of something that had happen in your life. I would like to explore that a bit more when you come to see me. For now I don't think you're a danger to anyone but Jensen keep an eye on her. Make sure she has plenty of rest too. I will prescribe an antidepressants and a tablet to help you sleep."I said, "Jensen helps me with my sleeping. I don't think I would need that one.""I will give it to you anyway ok. Can you call this number tomorrow and make an appointment at the clinic here at the hospital" as she passed the card to me and my prescriptions. "So, I can go home?""Yes, you can but if you have anymore problems call the number on the card. It's a twenty four hour service. They will send someone out if you need any help.""You can go now Y/N, remember to call the clinic in the morning and we will have a longer talk then.""Ok, thank you, Daniela, we will see you soon."Jensen helped me as he forgot the crutches. We headed out to Jared and Misha. Their faces lit up when they saw me leaning heavily on Jensen. Jared had my crutches in his hands as he brought them over. They both hugged me tightly to them.He said, "thought you might need these?""Thanks, Jared it was good of you to remember them for me."Misha said, "So, what happened?"Jensen said, "Y/N can come home and I have to keep and eyes on her for now. We also need to ring the clinic tomorrow for and appointment. Need to get her some medication as well."Jared said, "the doctor say anything on what might be wrong, Y/N?"I looked at Jensen and said, "She thinks it might be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?"Jensen said, "She has given Y/N scripts to get filled and see if they help?"Misha said, "there should be a pharmacy in the hospital? Jared and I could go look and you two wait here?"I said, "That will be good Misha, thanks I am a bit exhausted."Jared said, "Ok" Jensen pulled out his wallet and Jared looked at him and said,  "No need I got this Jensen." They walked off looking for the hospital's pharmacy.Jensen smiled as he helped me over to the chairs where I rested my head on his shoulder as he held onto me. Jensen moved his arm so he was holding me."It's going to be alright baby. You will get better and we will beat this."I must have drifted off to sleep as Jared and Misha came back.Jensen said, "baby wake up it's time to go."I yawned and said, "Jensen, what's happening?""Jared and Misha are back we can go home.""I'm don't want to, to comfortable."Then I heard them laughing at me as a pair of arms scooped me up as I rested my head on his shoulder. I knew the familiar smell and scent of Jared holding me. Jensen grabbed my crutches as we walked out to the car. Misha had opened the doors and Jensen got in first as Jared passed me to him. Jensen had me lying as my head rested on his legs. Jared drove back to Jensen's as I was again asleep and Jared carried me inside and laid me on the lounge. Jensen put a blanket over me.Jared said in a whisper, "you go back to work tomorrow. What's going to happen with Y/N?"Jensen said, "I will talk to her and see if she will have maybe Gen or Mum sit with her?"Misha said, "She was really upset with Donna finding out."Jensen said, "yeah I know but I can't leave her alone."Jared said, "I will talk with Gen and maybe she could bring the boys over for company. I know Shep would love being here with her."Jensen said, "It's funny I have competition with a 3 year old," and laughs.Jared said, "I think it's cute. I've never seen Shep do that with anyone other than family."Misha said, "you're son is wise beyond his years Jared. He saw what took us all those phone calls to see. He saw it as soon as he looking at her at how special Y/N is.""You're right Misha she is special," Jensen said, as he stroked my hair."She, is that Misha, she is that," Jared said.They turned on the TV on low volume as sat quietly watching as I slept. I stirred a few hours later and felt comfortable and warm. I felt Jensen's hand rubbing my hair as I hummed in satisfaction.Jensen said, "Hey, baby!"I smiled and said, "How long was I asleep for?"Jared said, "A few hours listening to that horrifying snore of yours.""I don't snore Jared, do I Jensen?""Will, baby I didn't really want to tell you."I hit Jensen as they laughed at me."You hungry we didn't get to have lunch......" and stopped himself. He saw the sad look on my face as I looked at my wrist."Hey, it's not your fault. I'm sorry I shouldn't brought it up. It's going to get better?""I'm sorry I didn't know I had cut myself Jensen, I didn't mean too.""I know we all do," as he looked at Jared and Misha.Jared said, "How about I call for pizza and we can watch a DVD."I smiled a sad smile as I nodded my head as tears welled in my eyes.Jensen said, "Baby, we need to talk about tomorrow?'"Why?""We go back to work and I don't want to drag you into work. So we were thinking maybe Gen and the boys could come and keep you coming for awhile.""I don't want you to leave me Jensen, but I know you've all taken so much time off already because of me. I would love Gen and the boys to come over."Jensen let out the breath he had been holding in relief."I will call you every chance, I get alright and Jared and Misha will too."Misha said "We will too minion."I smiled and said, "Thanks Overlord." Misha always got me to smile no matter what was happening.Jared said "Hey promise us that when it gets tough, you will always keep fighting, ok?"I shook my head as the tears slipped down my face. Jared gave me a hug and kissed my forehead. I don't know what I did to deserve these angels, in my life but I'm glad they found me. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- The next morning Jensen called the clinic to make an appointment for me. He came in and said, " We got an appointment for tomorrow as they had a cancellation.""Jensen are you going to come with me?" I pleaded with him. "Sure, I am, I wouldn't let you go on you're own Y/N.""Can you get time off work Jensen?""Yeah, I will get them to do my scenes today that why I can be with you. Don't worry I will be here for you." As he came over and hugged and kissed me. There was a knock on his door as he opened it, Jared, Gen and the boys were standing there. Shep pushed passed Jensen to find me. He found me in the lounge room on the lounge. He saw me and ran up and gave me a hug. Tom, Jared and Gen walked in a slower pace. Gen said, "He wanted to come over like as soon as he was out of his bed. We dropped Odette at Jared's Mum's house she wanted to spend sometime with her granddaughter."I said, "Ok, I'm going to miss her. Good morning Shep."He looked at me and giggled before saying "Good morn'n."Then I said, "Good morning to Jared, Gen and Tom."They all replied with a Good morning as Tom, Jared and Gen all hugged me.Jensen said, " Your not going to ditch me for Shep are you Baby?" with a fake pout on his face.I laughed and I said, "Seems that way. How could I not look at that adorable face."He bent down and whispered "He can have for today but I get you tonight." As he kissed me deeply and I blushed.Jared said, "We better go or we will be late" as they heard Clif honk the horn for them.Jared kissed Gen and said, "He would call later."Jensen said, "You will be alright Baby, with Gen and the boys?" A bit hesitant to leave me for the first time since arriving in Canada. I said, "I will be fine really. You go have a good day. I love you Jensen.""Ok, I love you too Baby," as he kisses me on the lips. "I will call later to see how your doing."I shook my head and they left after he kissed me one more time. Gen laughed and said, "He really loves you Y/N."I looked at her and said,"Yeah I know but I don't know so much after tomorrow. ""What's tomorrow?" "I have my first appointment with the psychiatrist.""You have told him what happened to you haven't you?""Yeah, but this will be in more detail Gen. What if he can't handle what happen to me and doesn't want me Gen. I couldn't bare losing him, not now." As a tear slipped down my face. Shep saw the tear and came over and climbed onto my lap and gave me a hug. He hugged me around the neck with his little arms. He said, "Its ok, Unca Jensen will make it better, he loves you like I do."Gen smiled at her son. She said, "Shep's right you know Jensen loves you and wouldn't turn his back on you not now."Shep only just noticed the bandage asked "What happened to your arm Y/N?"I had forgot about my arm I was going to hide it under a jumper but the house was too warm. I said, "I accidentally cut myself and needed stitches."He looked down and asks "does it hurt?""A little bit sweetheart."So he gently lifted my arm and kissed the bandage and said, "It will feel better now, Mummy and Daddy always kisses our hurts to make them feel better."I had another tear slip down my face as Tom hugged me too. He said, " It will get better Y/N.""Thank you both for your kisses and hugs it has helped a lot." Shep decided he didn't want to leave me just yet so he sat on my lap for awhile as Gen set up a game for them to play. He looked at me and said, " Your pretty like Mummy, Y/N."I said, "Your handsome like your Daddy, Shep." His smile was so bright it warmed my heart. Gen told him to hop down and play with Tom. So he climbed down after given me another quick hug and kiss. I said, "I think Jensen has some serious competition there."We both laughed then when there was a knock on the door. Gen got up to answer it and Donna was standing on the other side. Donna looked at Gen wondering why she was at Jensen's. Gen looked agitated and was trying to look into the house.Donna said, "Hi, Gen what are you doing here?"Gen smiled and said, "The boys wanted to see Y/N.""Oh, can I come in Gen?""I don't know, I don't think Y/N should be overwhelmed with people at the moment Donna."Donna looked suspicious and asked "Gen what's going on? Is Y/N alright? Let me in now Gen or I will call Jensen."Gen said, " I'm sorry Donna I can't not unless Y/N says it's ok.""Why wouldn't it be ok for me to visit her?"I heard the noise and went to see what was going on. I said, "Ok, Gen she's going to find out sooner or later.""Find out what, What's the hell going on here I want to know now Gen, Y/N?"Gen opened the door I was standing there on my crutches. It took Donna a moment to realised my wrist was bandaged. Gen came over and lead me back to the lounge as Donna followed.She looked at me and I said, "Don't worry Donna, I will leave Jensen and never come back." With tears flowing unbidden down my face. Shep and Tom both saw me crying and came over to hug me.Donna said, "What happened to your wrist Y/N?""I don't know, all I remember is making lunch yesterday and I was starting to cut tomato and next thing I knew I was in Jensen's arms and Misha holding my arm. I know what your going to say, I'm nothing but trouble for Jensen and I should leave and let him live his life."As I was full on crying Shep tighten his hug and whispered "It's ok Y/N, Unca Jensen won't let you leave him he loves you."Donna came over to me with a sad face and said, "Do you think that bad of me Y/N?"I wiped the tears as Shep sat on my lap and I said, "I would if it was my son.""Oh, Y/N my son loves you and I know how much. I love you too and I would never send you away, the only person who could do that would be Jensen or yourself." "Really Donna you love me?""Of course, is it so hard to believe. The way Jensen talks about you. I felt I already knew you before you arrived." She got up and gave me a hug as Shep moved out of the way. "Don't ever think I would not support you too if you needed it. Your family now and family sticks together."Gen said, "Y/N, we love you too and Jared has told me he would always be there for you to support you. I know I will as well and Shep adores you and I know he would be upset if you were to leave him."I looked down at Shep and he smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He was so precious and had a child innocence it was incredible how much love a child could give you unconditional. I knew I love him too. Donna said, "So you went to the hospital and got fixed up.""Yes and they ask if I wanted to see a psychiatrist.""Want did you say?'"I see her tomorrow she thinks I might have Post Trauma Stress Disorder.""Do you need Gen or myself to go with you?""Thank you for the offer but Jensen is getting time off work to go with me.""Ok, let me know if I can do anything for you alright."Then the phone rang Donna said, "I'll get it."She picked it up and said, "Donna speaking"The voice said, "Mum what are you doing there?""I'm visiting Y/N.""Is she alright Mum. She was scared of how you would react to her hurting herself?""She's fine Jensen. We had a talk and it's all sorted.""You didn't kick her out did you Mum?""Dear God, Jensen why would I do that. You don't think I can understand what's happening to her.""I did but Y/N was scare you wouldn't.""Here I will give the phone to her and you can find out for yourself."I looked up and questioned who it was. Donna said, "Its my son" with a sigh."Hello Jensen.""You alright Baby?""Yes, Jensen I'm fine, Donna was very understanding as you said she would be.""That's a relief. How's your day going Baby?""Good actually now that Donna knows.""Look I have to go. I love you Baby.""I love you too.""Be home later. Bye Y/N.""Bye Jensen."My day went pretty quickly after Jensen's call as he called every few hours and Jared called a few times as well. Donna stayed the day with Gen, the boys and myself. We all got to know each other better. They were very careful not to ask anything what happened in the past. But only mention the week I had spent with Jensen, Jared and Misha. I presumed Jared and Jensen had told them anyway.Jensen and Jared arrived just after dark and the boys we're hungry so Donna made them a sandwich to eat. Jensen kissed me when he entered the house and said, "How was your day Baby?" As Jared kissed Gen and his boys and them me. I smiled and said, "Good and I had fun." Jensen kissed Gen and his Mum and the boys jumped into his arms for a hug. Gen smiled and said, "Looks like the boys have finished their dinner and are getting tired. We have to go get Odette.Y/N do you want me to come sit with you until your appointment tomorrow?"I said, "Jensen what time is it?"He smiled and said, "9am so I will stay home with her and go to work after."Gen said, "Ok, just call and I will come over after."I hugged and said, "Thank you Gen for today."She smiled and said, "Anytime Y/N."Jared said, "It's time to go Tom and Shep. We need to go get Sissy."Shep was looking at me and I smiled and said, "Thank you Shep for the hugs and kisses today it made me feel better."He beamed a huge smile and ran into my arms and said, "I love you."I kissed his cheek and said, "I love you too sweetheart."Tom gave me a hug and a kiss too and a smile. Gen said, "Ok let's get moving." As both her and Jared hugged me and said, "Goodbye." As they left Shep ran back and gave me another hug. Then he turned back to his family. Donna said, "I better go to Jensen's father will be hungry and want his dinner."I smiled and said, "Thank you for today Donna."She waved me offf and said, "Remmeber I will be here if you need anything and don't be afraid to tell me anything also. I am a very understanding woman. I love you both."I hugged her and she smiled and as she turned to hug Jensen. He whispered, "Thanks Mum, you're awesome."She laughed and said, "You bet your ass I am. Good night Y/N, Jensen."We both said, "Godnight" and she left.Jensen came over and hugged me tight and said, "Are you really alright Baby?"I smiled and said, "A little emotionally tired but yes I'm fine. It's been a long day and I would like to eat something and go to bed if that's alright."He said, "Sure, what would you like for dinner?""Anything I don't mind. I might go and take a bath first."He scooped me up into his arms and carry me upstairs to my bathroom. He turn the taps on and helped me undress as he decided he was going to have one with me. So he undressed to and climbed in the bath after he helped me into it. It was soothing and I relaxed against his chest. I said, "Jensen."He whispered in my ear, "what's wrong Baby?""I'm worried about tomorrow?""With the appointment with Daneila.""Yes, I'm going to be telling her some horrible things are you going to be alright with it?""Hey" as he turned me to face him, "I promise I would be there for you." "I know but I'm worried you might not like what I'm going to say. It's very traumatic and distressing. I don't want to hurt you Jensen.""I will be ok, you have already told me some of it and I was fine then.""I know but this is the whole picture of what happened to me.""If it gets too bad I will take a few minutes. Don't worry Y/N I promised I would support you so that's what I would do. I love you Baby very much. "I turned back and lend back as he twine his fingers with mine. Then he put my hand out of the water and kissed it. It was soft and his lips were cold against my warm hand. We stayed there a bit longer and I was feeling really tired so I dried off and went to bed. Jensen went down and made us a sandwich to eat but I was asleep went he returned. So he ate them both and then climbed in next to me and wrapped me in his arms.We were sound asleep when I started whimpering in my sleep and I must have lashed out hitting Jensen as I screamed "please don't leave me Jensen please."Jensen heard my scream and woke up as he gently shook me awake. "It's ok, I'm not going anywhere" as I had tears flowing down my face as he soothed me back to sleep. He kissed my lips as I kissed him back.I settled back to sleep as Jensen held me tighter to keep the nightmares at bay. We woke the next morning Jensen could feel my appreciation and discomfort about the appointment. So he didn't talk about it he just kissed me good morning and made breakfast I was quiet so he didn't push me to talk. I didn't eat much breakfast as I was worrying about the appointment. We headed out to the hospital as we made our way to the clinic. I gave my name as was told to wait as the doctor was with another patient. It was only about 10 minute wait as Jensen held my hand and gave me a reassuring smile to let me know it was going to be alright. Daniela came out to get us as we followed her to her room. It was a nice room with a calming view of the garden outside. She told us to sit so we did. She sat in the other chair and said, "So, how are you Y/N?"I said, "Fine I'm a little nervous" as I looked at Dean.She said, "Nothing to be nervous about. First of all are the tablets helping with the anxiety and nightmares?""I haven't had an anxiety attack and I don't think I've had any nightmares."Dean said, "She had a nightmare last night she was worried I was going to leave her.""What did you do Dean to calm her down.""I rubbed her arms and shoulders as I soothe her and said, "It's ok, I'm not going anywhere.""Did it work?""Yes, Y/N settled back into sleep. That's probably why she doesn't remember it."I said, "Why didn't you tell me this morning Jensen?""It's ok you were fine and when back to sleep so I didn't it think it was necessary.""So Y/N is there anything you wish to talk about today which is upsetting you the most?""I seem to lose time and I'm not always there. It's like I would be doing something and when I come around I'm sitting in a corner of my home with a bottle of tablets in my hand. I don't remember getting them or even how they got there. I feel like I'm losing my mind.""Ok, So let's explore this shall we. Do you mind if I get you to lie down on the couch. Jensen can you please sit in the chair." Jensen got up to move and I lied down on the couch. "Alright now I want you to take some deep breaths for me. In.....out, In......out, that's it keep going I want you to listen to my voice ok. I will count down from 5 when I get to 1 you will be totally relaxed alright.""Yes, ok." "God 5 just deep breaths, 4 your eyelids are feeling heavy, 3 you are relaxing your arms, wrists and hands, 2 now relax your whole body that's it. 1 you are totally relax now, now I want you to picture a TV where you have hold of the remote.""Yes.""Now you will see your life flash in the TV but remember you can't be hurt your just watching. Nothing can hurt you.""Yes, ok.""Turn on the TV and what do you see?""I'm just turned four and my Mum made me a cake for my birthday it is so pretty. Dad has just come home and he isn't looking good. His limping and got his arm bandaged. He hurt himself at work and him and Mum are fighting. I whimpered as I said, "Please Mummy, Daddy don't yell."  I cowered down into a corner and tried to hide myself. They looked at each other with so much hatred. Then it flipped to another scene. I was 8 and it was my first suicide attempt. I was crying now as Daniela said, "you're safe you not there you're watching it on the screen. Tell me what you see Y/N?""I'm 8 and in the kitchen making dinner for us. I was making spaghetti on toast. My father has just come in and saw the spaghetti and he's angry at me. He throws the saucepan as I duck down. He looked at me as if I'm a stranger to him and he hits me in the stomach as I double over in pain. I fall to the floor where he lifts my tiny body off the floor. My voice cracked as I tried to get the words out. Jensen is crying softly to himself as he listens. "He throws me against the wall I hear a rib crack. I'm in so much pain. He drags me back to the middle of the kitchen as he hits me in the face and spilts the skin above my eye. "Please Daddy don't hit me, please I will be a good girl." As I put my hand up to shield my face from the imaginary punches. I was whimpering more. Daniela said, "Y/N listen to me, can you hear me, your safe your here with me and Jensen in my office. It can not hurt you."I screamed as he hit me again and again. Then I turned into myself forgetting about my knee. As I dragged my beaten broken body to the kitchen sink and grabbed a knife. Daniela asked, " What's happening now Y/N?""He's left me beat and broken on the kitchen floor. I dragged my body to get a knife and now I'm dragged my useless worthless body to my room. I'm in so much pain it hurts to breath. I have the knife in my hand. I just want the pain to stop as I cut my wrist I watched the blood flowing from it as I cut my other wrist and I rub them both in the office. Jensen noticed and couldn't take it.  I'm lying their as the blood flows freely from both my wrists.""What are you feeling now Y/N?" As Daniela looks at Jensen who was very pale and she motions for him to leave. He shook his head and walks out quietly. "I feel peace and no pain. I feel a little lightheaded and disorientated but most of all contentment. Then my Mum burst through the door and she looks at me. She stood there for what seems like an eternity before she came over. She got me up  I felt lightheaded and nauseous as she ripped up my sheets and made me put them around my wrists as she tied them almost painful tight. Then she was calling me all these names. I was crying and whimpering and cowering. Then she hit me and knocked me out. Daniela said, "Ok, Y/N I want you to remember that memory but remember it can't hurt you anymore. You can let go of it. It has no hold on you any longer ok. I going to bring you out of it now 5... just breath, 4....deep breaths, 3......relax your arms and legs as Daniela sees the tension leave my body. 2.......you doing good keep breathing. 1.... you should be relaxed now, open your eyes for me."I open my eyes as I noticed Jensen wasn't sitting there I turned my head as the tears fell down my face.Daniela said, "How are you feeling?"I turned and she saw the tears and I said, "Better about the memory. But upset where's Jensen?""He left he couldn't take listening to how much abuse and pain you've been through.""He's going to leave me I knew this would happen. I thought he understood me but I was wrong no one would ever love me I'm damaged goods."Daniela came over and sat next to me as I curled my legs up under my chin not caring about my knee. She said, "Give him time Y/N he just listen to you being abused by the people who were suppose to protect your and keep you safe. He has to adjust to how he feels. Just give him some time he will come around he loves you he will.""I'm not sure he will.""You did good today, shall set up a new time""Yes thanks Daniela."She looked through her appointment book as I wiped the tears from my tear streaked face. I hobbled out on my crutches and Jensen wasn't in the waiting room. So I walked outside and he wasn't there either. I looked for his car but it was gone. I had no way of getting home. I called Gen to come get me. I waited as I felt my heart shattered and break even more. She arrived and saw me on the sidewalk crying and broken. She pulled up and got out and hugged me. Jensen was watching out of sight just to make sure I was alright. Gen helped me into the car and we took off. Jensen knew he did a dumb thing but he is hurting and trying to work out how to work through this. It was bigger than he first thought. He needed someone to talk too so he headed to the one person who would understand.Gen didn't say much as I looked at the window twirling Jensen's promise ring around my finger. We arrived at Gen's house as the boys were at school today so it was just us. She helped me in and I sat on the lounge. I looked at her and burst into tears. She held me as she waited for them to stop. I said, "He left me and doesn't want me I'm too damaged for him. He doesn't love me. This was a mistake I should have stayed in Australia.""He loves you Y/N, I know he does."I sniffled "Then why did he leave me?""I can't answer that only he can.""He doesn't want me, maybe I should go back to Australia then he won't have to see me again."Gen said, "No, you still have support here. You have us and Donna,  Misha's family.""I can't stay as I will see him everyday Gen it will hurt to much. Please Gen can I just go pack a few things and leave before he gets home."She looked sad and wasn't sure but if this is what I wanted she would help me. So we got in her car and drove to Jensen's his car wasn't there so we went upstairs and I packet a few things and grabbed my passport. Gen needed to do something and fast but what.I wrote Jensen a letter telling him thank you for everything but I can't be here if you don't want me. This was a mistake. I love you. Bye Jensen.Gen looked at me as the tears slipped down my face. I had put Jensen's shirt in my bag as a reminder of what we had as I took off my promise ring and sat it with the letter. As Gen and I left Jensen's house one final time. Jensen drove to the set to talk to Jared he found him in his trailer. He noticed the look of his friends face and knew it wasn't good."Hey, Jensen What's happening?""Hey, Jared." As he sat down and at first didn't answer him."Jensen, Y/N's alright isn't she?""I don't know I left her and Gen picked her up.""What do you mean left her?""I couldn't take the pain Jared it was too much, it was killing me.""So you left her, Jesus Fucking Christ Jensen, you knew this was going to be hard and you left her. ""I know I'm ashamed of myself but I couldn't listen to her telling us she wanted to die. The pain she must have felt.""Jensen tell me this, do you love her even though you heard more about her abuse.""Yes even more now. God I never realised how alone she was. She must have had a terrible violent lonely life.""Then why don't you go tell her that and work through this together. She probably thinks you don't want her Jensen.""Oh, fuck what have I done?""Call Gen and see if Y/N is alright first?"He shook his head as he pulled out his phone as it rang and rang. "She's not answering?"Jared got out his phone and dial and it rang and rang finally Gen picked it up. "Hey, sweetheart just checking to see how Y/N's doing? Then he heard a airplane. "Gen is that an airplane I hear in the background?""Yes it is Y/N's leaving going back to Australia because she thinks Jensen doesn't want her. Jared she really isn't doing good she shattered and broken. I'm not sure she will go back to him, he left her when she needed him most. Her flight leaves in an hour." "What! You did tell her we all love her.""Yes, but she couldn't bear to see the pain on Jensen's face as she thinks he thinks she's broken and damaged. She thinks coming here was a mistake Jared." "Ok, stall her we will be there as fast as we can.""Jared she left her promise ring at Jensen's she didn't want to take it with her. It was too hard for her to keep and she cried when she took it off. She's been crying since I picked up Jared and I don't know what to do for her, it's breaking my heart to see her like this." "I will let Jensen know. I love you Gen. See you soon." He hung up the phone as he looks at Jensen.Jensen said, "What about the airport Jared. It's Y/N isn't it she leaving me.""What do expect you know she's in a fragile state. She trusted you to protect her and support her. She thinks you don't love her that's she too broken for you. She even left your promise ring at your house Jensen. How could you fucking do this to her Jensen.""Jesus, we need to get it and get to the airport before the plane leaves." As they rush out and jumped into Jared's car and headed to Jensen's house.He was thinking please don't let me be to late. I need you Baby. Please forgive me. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Gen drove to the airport as I twisted the necklace they had given me around my finger as I stared out the window. Gen kept check on me all the way there as the tears stilll fell down my face as I wiped them away. We arrived at the airport and I used the card Jensen had giving me when I wanted to buy anything. As I brought the ticket to go back to Australia. We had a while to wait so we sat down.Gen's phone rang I knew it would be Jensen as I said,  "Gen don't answer if it Jensen, I don't want to talk to him please," with pleading heartbroken eyes. Gen saw my face and couldn't put me through anymore pain so she ignored it. Then Gen's phone rang again a few minutes later.Gen said, "It's Jared.""Please don't tell him where I am he will bring Jensen and I can't talk to Jensen. It's too hard."Gen answered the phone and said, "Hi Jared." As she walks away from me. I didn't notice as I was watching the planes."Hey Sweetheart, just checking to see how Y/N's doing?" Then he heard the plane in the background. "Gen is that an airplane I hear in the background?""Yes, it is Y/N's leaving going back to Australia because she thinks Jensen doesn't want her. Jared she's really isn't doing good, she shattered and broken. I'm not sure she will go back to him, he left her when she needed him the most. Her flight leaves in an hour.""What! You did tell her we all love her.""Yes, but she couldn't bear to see the pain on Jensen's face as she thinks, he thinks she's broken and damaged. She thinks coming here was a misktake Jared.""Ok, stall her we will be there as fast as we can.""Jared she left her promise ring at Jensen's she didn't want to take it with her. It was too hard for her to keep it and she cried when she took it off. She's been crying since I picked her up Jared and I don't know what to do for her, it's breaking my heart to see her like this."I will let Jensen know. I love you Gen. See you soon." As she hung up and sat down next to me. Holding my hand as I watched the planes. Jensen and Jared are speeding on there way to the airport. Jared was doing way over the legal speed limit when they heard a siren behind them.Jared said, "Fuck.""What, Jared?""Cop on my tail wants me to pull over."Jensen sighs as he checks his watch they had already been to Jensen's as he holds the ring in his hand and he clutches the letter he has read it numerous times since finding it. Jared pulls over as the cop comes up and said, "Sir, Licence and Registration please."  As he looks in the car and notices two men. Jared reaches for his Licence and Registration and passes it to the cop.The cop said, "You know you were speeding in a 35km an hour zone Sir.""Yes Officer.""I'm going to have to write you a ticket Mr Padalseki.""Yes, I know Officer and it's Padalecki. But we are in a hurry trying to get the airport before someone's leaves and doesn't something stupid when she gets back to Australia.""What do you mean stupid Sir?"Jensen said, "She's in a fragile mental state and we are worried she might hurt herself if she returns home. Please Officer her flight leaves in 30 minutes and we are not going to make it in time."He looked at Jensen's and Jared's faces and saw the worry and anguish on them. Jensen had tears unshed in his eyes. So he made a decision to help they get there on time.He said, "Ok, Mr Padalecki, I will give you a warning this time but watch your speed in the future.""Yes, Sir" as he starts his car to pull away when the cop stops him."Follow me I will get you there faster."Both Jared and Jensen looked at the Officer and shook there heads. As he pulls out with his siren going as Jared follows close behind him.They arrived at the airport with 5 minutes to spare as they parked the car in the police car park with his bike. As they all ran into the airport looking for the flight they cleared the gates and was looking on the boards for the terminal.As it got closer to board I could feel my anxiety building. I could feel my self on a verge of a panic attack. I took deep breaths as Gen was watching me closely. They called to board the flight when I went into full panic attack."Gen, I can't breath" as I was taking great gulps of air."Listen to me deep breath in and out. Come on follow me Y/N."I couldn't focus as my eyes were glazed over and my breathing was coming in short pants. I couldn't hear anything around me as I was lost in my mind. I had my hands clench into fists and my jaw was shut tight it hurt. I couldn't think of what was happening around me. Then Jared saw Gen and they both came running with a police officer behind them. Jensen looked at me and said, "panic attack?"Gen shook her head as Jared held her tight as she sobbed into his shoulder. Jensen kneed down in front of me and grabbed my hands, he put my ring in one. He said, "I'm sorry Baby, I shouldn't left you. Please come back to me." My breathing was becoming shallow as I was starting  to feel dizzy from the hyperventilating I was doing. He continue "Y/N, breath with me" as he put my hand on his chest to feel his chest rise and fall with each breath he took. "That's it in....out....in....out" as he touched my face. I knew that touched as my brain registered it's Jensen he's here. His tears falling freely down his face as I struggled to come back to him.As he rubbed my cheek and I whispered "Jensen."He said, "Yeah Baby, it's me."My eyes focused on his glistening green ones as he kissed me lightly on the lips."Welcome back, Baby."As I looked at my hand and felt the ring in it. I looked at it and gave back to Jensen as I held out his hand and placed it in there. He looked at me and I lowered my head I couldn't look at him. Jensen was devastated when I put his ring in his hand.I whispered, "I can't do this Jensen, you hurt me when you left." As a tear slipped down my face. I thought they would be dried up by now but no they are still flowing. Jensen wiped my face and looked hurt for hurting me."I'm sorry Baby, I should've left you. Please come home so we can work this out?""I can't Jensen you broke my trust and I can't forgive you that's easily. You know how hard it was for me to let you into my life. You broke me Jensen when you wasn't there.""I know and I deserve your anger but please stay don't go back to Australia where you will have no one?"Jared looked at me and said, "Y/N, you can come stay with Gen, me and I know the boys and Odette will love having you around."I said, "Ok, If I won't be a burden on you and Gen."Gen came over and hugged me and said, "Never your more than welcome."I said, "I will like to stay with you and Gen, Jared thank you."Jensen sighed with relief at least I was staying in Canada and had support. He thought all the way over here what if it's too late. She goes back and commits suicide. He would never be able to live with himself if he had caused it. The cop was watching the scene unfold and said, "Well, you must be the little lady he was trying too, get to?"I looked at the Police Officer and said, "Yes Sir I am.""You know I pulled over Mr Padalecki for speeding. As they tried to get here before your plane left. He loves you little lady maybe you should give him another chance?"I looked at the Police Officer then at Jensen and said, "Ok, but I can't be with you Jensen you need to earn my trust back."He smiled and said, "Anyway I can I will."Jensen turned to thank the Police Offcer as he said, "Goodbye and told Jared not to speed anymore."Jared nodded as he shook his hand.Jensen picked up my bag as we all headed out to the car. Jared was holding Gen with his arm wrapped around her waist. Jensen stood close to me but not to close. As we got into the car I climbed in the back with Jensen as Gen sat in front with Jared. I looked at Jensen as Jared drove Jensen back to his house. I got out to pack a bag to take to Gen and Jared's house. Gen helped me as I was finding it hard with my crutches. When the bag was packed I said, "Goodbye" to Jensen. He kissed me lightly on the lips. I turned and went to the car I saw the pain in Jensen's eyes as I hobbled away from him. It was killing me to leave him but I can't stay not now. Not until I feel I can trust him again. Jared said, "Give her some time Jensen she loves you."Gen said, "She does, that's why this hurts her so much to leave you.""I know I should have stayed and talked it through together now I fucked up and I have to make it right. She will forgive me and we will be together again."I sat in the car as I looked at Jensen as he try to smile. I knew he was braking inside but I couldn't do anything about it. It was going to hurt me to walk away from Jensen. As Jared drove the car I looked at the window until Jensen was out of sight.I felt numb and lost and unsure of my future as I headed to Gen and Jared place. I didn't know what my future held anymore it was always Jensen and I when I saw my future. But now it's me alone and my anxiety was starting to build, how was I going to be alright without Jensen. He was my rock, my security, my love and now I feel empty....hallow like there is nothing inside me except and empty shell. I have felt like this before and I tried to end the pain. Maybe it would best if I just slip into the night. No one needs me as a burden in their life. Jared and Gen don't need me upsetting their lives and Shep with his big heart so full of love doesn't need some one so broken and damaged to destroy his ability to love. No I'm no good for any of them. How could anyone want me I'm beyond repair. I'm worthless, an nobody, what was I thinking in trying to have a life with Jensen. He's too good for me, he could have some sexy model for his girlfriend instead he has me shattered into pieces. Just a burden for them all as the thoughts keep going around and around in my head. Maybe it would be easier?? ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Jared, Gen and myself arrived that their house as he jumps out and opens Gen's and my door. He helped me out and grabbed my crutches as I stood waiting for them. He gave them to me as he also grabbed my bag and we headed inside. We climbed the stairs and Gen and Jared took me to my room while I was staying there. I hobbled into my room and sat on my bed as Jared come over and gave me a quick hug. He said, "I better go check on Jensen, make sure he's alright."I looked at Jared and said, "That would be good Jared, he needs someone too.""Ok, then I will go?" as he gives Gen and me a quick kiss. "Will you be alright?" "Yeah, I'm tired I might just go to sleep for awhile."Jared and Gen both nodded. Gen said, "Ok, I'll be downstairs if you need anything alright Y/N." I smiled a sad smile as Jared said, "I will see you after work. I will take Jensen back with me too."I said, "See you then Jared."They both left as they shut the door behind them. I got up and moved towards my bag as I opened it. I pulled out a bottle of pills I had there. As I sat down on the floor clutching them in my hand. I looked at them like they were strange and foreign to me. I open the lid as the tears fell down my face.  Jared arrived back at Jensen's as he entered he called out. He looked in the lounge room and the kitchen. Jensen wasn't there so he went upstairs as he walks passed my door. Jensen is sitting on my bed just looking at the ring crying softly. As Jared walks in and said, "Hey buddy." Jensen looks up and Jared grabs him and hugs him tight as Jensen cries in Jared arms. He held his best friend as tight as he could as knew Jensen was in a lot of pain. Jensen stepped back after a few minutes and he wipes the tears from his eyes which were red and swollen. His voice was hoarse as he speaks.He said, "Jared is Y/N alright?""To be honest, no Jensen she's not.""At least she stayed here in Canada" as his voice soften."Yes, she did but she's hurting Jensen, you need to sort this out with her fast.""I know but she doesn't trust me anymore Jared, how do I fix that?""Same way you got her to trust you in the first place.""By being there and taking her on dates.""It's a start Jensen, show her that you can handle her past. Talk to her about it, explain to her what you are feeing. She needs  to know you don't think she's broken or damaged Jensen.""I've never told her she was broken or damaged. Jesus fucking Christ how could I do this to her. I wouldn't blame her if she never speaks to me again."Jared smiled and Jensen saw and said, "What?""I told her I was coming here and said, "It was good as you need someone too." So I don't think she hates you Jensen she just hurting and unsure as you broke the one thing she thought she could count on you for.""Yeah, and I fucked that up.""Just give her some time and she will come around.""I hope so Jared, its killing me she not being here where I can hold her and tell her how much I love her.""I know it's killing her too Jensen. We need to get to work before we are out of a job." I was looking at the pills inside the bottle. Yes it would be the easiest thing to do if, I took them all and ended all the pain. Then flashes of Gen, Donna, Jared, Misha flashed into my mind. Then it moved somewhere else and I saw Shep and Tom smiling and comforting me. I saw Jared and Misha happy that I was coming home with them. My mind settled on Jensen his first phone call, him smiling as he gave me my ring. The necklace around my neck as I twisted in my hand. When I first arrived in Canada, Misha's family, Gen letting me hold Odette as Jensen held us both, Jensen just holding me close the smell of him and the calming effect he has on me. I can't believe it's only been a short time since I arrived in Canada. I screamed as I threw the pills to the other side of the room. Gen came running in and saw me on the floor and looked to where my eyes were focused and saw the pills. "I couldn't Gen, I couldn't do it. I love you all to much to end it all. It hurts so bad it would have been so easy for me. But all I keep see was Jensen's grieving face. I couldn't do it to him or any of you. Gen please help me stop this pain." As the tears fell hitting my hand.She came over and helped me up off the floor and sat me on the bed. She looked at me and gave me a hug. She said, "Y/N, the only way the pain will stop is you need to talk to Jensen and work this through together. That's why your hurting you need him Y/N he's become your anchor of sorts. ""Anchor I don't understand?""I saw you at the airport, I tried to calm you but you couldn't hear me or even took any notice. When Jensen came you inextinctively knew it was him and he brought you back. That's a bond that is unbreakable and you need it in your life like he needs you. He has always been a loner he wouldn't date. He would only do things with us when Jared pushed him into it. When you came he was more open and he liked the idea of doing things with you. Your his anchor too Y/N. Will you talk to him please if not for me but for you."I wiped the tears from my eyes and said, "Ok, Gen I will talk to him."She smiled a huge smile of relief and said, "I will call Jared and get him to bring him over after work."I shook my head and she said, "Rest for a little while Y/N. I will stay here until you fall asleep.""Thank you Gen."She "Pfftt" at me and said, "Not necessary."I felt my eyelids getting heavy as I closed them and fell asleep. Gen had gone over and picked up the pills on the floor and took them with her as she left my room.She went downstairs to call Jared. Jared answered on the third ring, "Hey sweetheart, Y/N's alright?""Jared I'm not sure how to say this?""What Gen, What are you trying to say?""Y/N was going to take some pills but she threw them across the room. I picked them up but she's in a very bad way Jared. She needs Jensen. So I talked to her and convinced her to talk to him. Can you bring him home after work Jared. "Where is she now Gen? You sure this is going to work?""She's asleep, she was exhausted and I hope so for both there sakes. How is he doing Jared?""Hurting like her. He's stuff his lines several times already and Bob is getting frustrated with him so he sent him to his trailer. I doubt we will get anything coherent out of him until this is sorted out. So they have postponed his scenes for a couple of days. They are working on Misha's at the moment.""Does Misha know what happened with Y/N?""No, I haven't had a chance to tell him yet. I will when he finishes his scenes. I'm in one coming up soon and it should be the last for the day.""So we will see you soon?""Yes, do you want me to pick the boys up on the way?""No, I ask Mum to do it and to keep the boys for the night. Don't need them to hear Jensen and Y/N shouting at each other it would upset them too much.""Good idea. I love you Gen.""Love you too."They finished there scenes as Jared drove them to his home. Jensen was nervous like a school boy dating his very first crush. He knew he had to convince me to go home with him. He kept playing over in his mind what he wanted to say when he didn't hear Jared ask him a question."Um, What Jared?" He said. "I said, "Are you nervous about talking to Y/N Jensen?""No" Jared looked with eyebrows raised "Fuck yeah I'm terrified. What if she still doesn't want to move back with me Jared. It's killing me I can't concentrate and forgetting my lines. All I can think about is her and how much I fucked up. I need her to know how much I love her. But I'm not sure words are going to be enough.""What do you have in mind Jensen?""Can we make a stop on the way home Jared please?""Ok, Jensen." They made there stop and was headed to Jared house which didn't take long at all. Jared pulled up in the drive as both of them got out the car. Gen came out of the house and saw them both. She gave Jensen a hug as she pulled him inside. He looked but didn't see me.He asked, "Where's Y/N?""Still asleep.""Do you mind if I go up?""No, go ahead." As he walked up the stairs he took deep breaths as he walked into my room. Jensen has stayed here before so he knew where the spare room was. He just watched me sleep, I looked peaceful and content. I had a smile on my face as I murmured Jensen's name. He smile as he heard me and that I was dreaming about him. He took off his jeans, shirt and shoes and careful climbed into bed next to me. He wrapped his arms around me as I again murmured his name. He felt at peace with me in his arms. He kissed me lightly on the neck as I turned around and he kissed my lips. It was soft and sweet nothing to rushed or heated. I sighed into the kiss when he chuckled lightly. He said, "Baby you awake?""Mm Jensen." Then I realised I wasn't home in Jensen's arms I was at Gen's and Jared's as I opened my eyes and Jensen lying next to me. "Hey, Baby?""Jensen what are you doing in my bed?""You were murmuring my name so I thought I would climb in and cuddle with you.""Jensen out, now" I shouted. Jared and Gen came running in to find Jensen in my bed. Jared said, "What the hell?"He looked down when he said, "I had to hold her, she looked so peaceful and happy. I thought....."I cut him off "You thought you would climb in and hope it would be alright. Right Jensen?"He looked up and met my eyes as he said, "I'm sorry I fucked up again. Maybe it's best you don't come back. I'm a fucking screw up."I saw the pain etched on his face as he eyes were slightly downcasted. I didn't want to see him like this so I said, "It's ok, Jensen."He looked at the me with shock and said, "You sure."I smiled a genuine smile and said, "Yes, I'm sure."Jared said, "You ok, now Y/N?"I shook my head yes as they both left. Jensen was sitting up in bed. When I moved up so we could look at each other. It was uncomfortable and awkward. He smiled at me as I smiled back. No one said anything for what seemed like an eternity. Jensen sighed heavily as I followed with one of my own.He said, "I'm sorry Baby. I shouldn't have left you" in a whisper only they could hear. "It was just to much all in one go. With you being beaten by your father and mother. Then you try to...." he paused on the words.I looked and said, "Say it Jensen, I try to commit suicide.""Then you try to" as he found the strength to say the words out loud. "Commit suicide Baby. I couldn't deal with it, it was killing me inside to know you were so alone and beaten and broken. I had to get out and sort out my feelings.""You know it wasn't easy for me to relive that memory Jensen. I needed you and you weren't there for me. You hurt me Jensen. I stood there not knowing what to do. I was lost and alone for the first time since I arrived in this country. You don't understand how hard things for me is sometimes Jensen. I could be doing something perfectly normal and then I'm sitting in a corner with a bottle of pills or a knife in my hand ready to hurt  myself. I feel like I'm losing my fucking mind. Your the only sane think in my life Jensen. Gen thinks your my anchor as you always bring me back from an attack."He smiled as he has felt that connection between them since they first met. It's like we were soul mates. He said, "I know I feel it too Baby. It's incredible but can also be heartbreaking as well.""I don't want to feel like this Jensen. I wanted to get better. But I'm afraid I can't do that unless I have your full support and I can fully trust you again."He got up out of the bed and headed for his clothes on the floor. He pulled out a box and said, "I'm hope this will help you to remember what's important."He pass me the box and I opened it. Sitting inside was a plain silver bracelet. I took it out and saw the inscription on it. In beautiful writing it had on it Always Keep Fighting. I looked inside and I saw our inscription Tia Amo forever inside it. He looks at me waiting for an answer. "I can't take this Jensen, I can't.""Why? It's a gift." "It's too much.""I want you too remember how much I love you. I know it will take awhile for you too trust me again but I want this to be the first step back to winning your trust. Will you let it be Y/N."I looked at it and it was beautiful and I said, "OK, Jensen. There's something I need to tell you?""What, Baby?""I was hurting really bad Jensen, I felt lost, empty and alone so I was going to commit suicide. I was going to take some pills Jensen to end the pain I was feeling.""Fuck, it's my fault. I pushed you to this. God Baby I so sorry" as a tears slipped down his eyes. "What stopped you?""You and what I have here with everyone I couldn't do it. I love you all too much to cause you any pain.""I'm glad Baby. I'm sorry I put you through all this. I promise I will talk with you about everything alright Baby.""Ok, full honesty and no more leaving me Jensen.""I promise. Will you come home with me Y/N? Please?" He looked at me pleading with glistening eyes. "Ok, Jensen I will but you still got to earn my trust back." He took the bracelet and slipped it on my arm. He smiles as he kisses me slowly and then he deepens the kiss. I was whimpering into the kiss and he growled. I know I loved him and we would get through this together.He pulled away and looked me in the eyes and I wiped his.He said, "I love you Y/N.""I love you too Jensen." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Jensen got up and put his clothes back on. He looked at me and smiled. He said, "You ready to come home Baby?"I said, "Sure I'm ready, but we have to talk to Gen and Jared first. "He nodded and helped me out of bed and got my crutches as he finished putting on his clothes. We headed down stairs where Gen and Jared were talking quietly. They heard us coming as my crutches were making a noise on the wooden floors. They both turned when they saw us enter. Gen smiled at me and Jared came over to give me a hug. I said, "I'm sorry for causing this much trouble." As I held my head downcast and Jared lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. He said, "Hey, are you ok? Gen told me about the pills?" A tear slipped down my face and I said, "Better now. I'm sorry I was just feeling to much and I couldn't handle the pain. Then I thought about all of you and how much you all mean to me. I couldn't bring that much grief into your lives. So I threw them away and I feel stronger for doing it." Jared hugged me tight and said, "That's really good that you are feeling stronger Princess." Gen said, "So what's happening now?" As she noticed Jensen had my bag. "I'm going home with Jensen we need to talk this all out."Gen said, "Ok, are you sure?" I shook my head yes. "If you need me just call.""I will thanks for everything Gen. For being here with me and giving me support. I love you both."Gen hugged me and said, "We love you both too."Jared said, "Remember to Always Keep Fighting Y/N and you will get stronger everyday." As he held me tight again. I always felt comfort in his strong arms, as he's like a brother too me and I loved him like one. I smiled and Jensen came over and held me. Jared said, "Jensen you do that to her again and I will kick your ass, you got that!"Jensen said, "I know I will let you kick my ass. But we have a lot of talking to do and I promised her we will talk everything through and no more running off on each other."Gen said, "I'm glad you are going to talk this through and work it out. It was upsetting to see you both hurting and there was nothing I could do to help.""I'm sorry I put you though this Gen can you please forgive me?""Of course I can you're the one I was worried about. I'm fine." As Jared moves over to hug her tight and kiss her head.Jensen said, "Ready to go Baby?"Jared said, "I'll drive you both."I said, "We can get a cab?"Gen said, "Nonesense Jared can drive you both and I will come for a ride too.""Ok, thank you both for eveything. I love you both very much."Jared said, "I know you do. Ok ready to go." I shook my head and we went out to Jared's car as Jensen put my bag in the back as Jared helped me into it. Jensen climbed in next to me and held my hand as Gen sat in front with Jared. I felt content being with them and for the first time I feel like someone really cares about me.It was a short ride to Jensen's from Jared's house so we were only in the car for like ten minutes. Jared pulled up out front of our home. Jared climbed out and helped me as Jensen grabbed my bag. I hugged Gen again and whispered "I love you Gen."She smiled and whispered back "I love you."Jared hugged me in a bear hug and said, "You going to be alright?"I smiled and said, "Yes I will be fine. Thanks for asking Jared."He raised an eyebrow and said, "You sure. I could kick his ass for you."I looked at Jared considering it for a moment when we both laughed. I said, "No it's fine really. I got this covered. Promise I will be alright."He nodded as he grabbed Gen and helped her into the car.Gen said, "Bye Y/N, Jensen."We said, "Bye."Jared looked at Jensen and said, "Remeber Ackles I will kick your ass next time. She deserves better."Jensen rolled his eyes and said, "I know Padalecki she does."Jared tension left his body as he looked at me. He smiled and said, "Bye Princess, Ackles."I laughed and said, "Bye Jared."Jensen said, "Get out of here Padalecki. Talk tomorrow."Jared started the car up and took off as we waved goodbye. Jensen carried my bag into the house and asked if I wanted anything.I said, "No, I might go to bed."He said, "Alright do you need help with the stairs?""No I'm fine see you in the morning Jensen." As I turned away from him he grabbed my arm gently to stop me. I turned to look at him and he had such sadness in his eyes. He smiled but it didn't quiet reach his eyes as he moved around me to give me a kiss good night.I lean into him slightly as he kissed me. It was a soft kiss and wasn't rushed but I could feel all the hurt in the one kiss as he was a little hesitant. It was like our first kiss I was the shy one but now he is. I pulled away and smiled and I said, "Night Jensen we will talk tomorrow."He said, "Good night Baby."I hobbled upstairs and went into my room where I pulled my door closed. I sat on the bed when Jensen knocked on the door. I said, "Come in."He opened the door and said, "I forgot to bring this up for you." It was my bag that have my PJ's in it. "Thank you Jensen." As he puts it down on the bed as he turns to look at me and gives me a sad smile and then leaves. I open the bag and pulls out his shirt I've had since they took me to the hospital. It was my favourite shirt I always wore it to bed. As I still imagine it smelt like Jensen. I got undressed and put the shirt on with a pair of long pants and climbed into bed. I pulled the pillow from where Jensen normally slept so I can smell him. Let the tears started to fall as I felt so alone. Jensen walked to his room dragging his feet and he felt so alone too. He opened his door and looked at his room like it was a stranger to him even though he has slept in this room for a long time. He stripped out his jeans and shirt and climbs into bed in his boxers and t-shirt. The sheets are so cold and empty as he moves to his side of the bed forgetting that I'm not sleeping in his bed. He sighs a deep breath as he whispers to the darkness, "night Baby. I love you."I wipe my eyes as I turn and miss seeing Jensen next me as I whisper into the dark, "night Jensen. I love you." Then I close my eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.Jensen has also fallen asleep and was dreaming about the first time we meet. How he wasn't sure what they were going to find whenthey opened the door. But instead of finding me alive his mind saw me lying in the water in a pool of blood. He was calling out "no Y/N please don't be dead. Baby please wake up." Everything was going in slow motion as he felt like he was running for an eternity to get to me. He screamed no so loud it startled me awake. I grabbed a crutch and hobbled to Jensen's room. I knocked gently on the door but heard "please be alive I love you Y/N." Then he started to whimper and cry in his sleep. I opened the door and Jensen was tangled up in his sheets and pulling on them. I wondered if this is what I looked like each time I had a nightmare as I made my way over to Jensen's bed. I sat down and gently tapped his arm but got no response.I said, "Jensen wake up, I'm here I'm safe." Still no response so I bent my head and kissed him lightly on the lips. He seemed to register the kiss as he stopped thrashing and went still.He opened his eyes and they were all glistening with tears and his voice broken as he shot up and hugged me so tight I couldn't breath. "Jensen can't breath," I tried to get out.He said, "Y/N, What happened?"I said, "You were having a nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?"He looked at me with a look of pure relieve that I was alive that he kissed me again to make sure. I pulled back and wiped the tears that fell down his face when he gently grabbed my hand and kissed it. He said, "Here," as he grabbed my hand and guided me to his sit at the top of his bed. We sat up and I waited patiently for him to start. He looked devastated and lost. "Jensen we don't have to talk about this if you don't want too?" He still held my hand as he started to tell me his story. He looked at me and said, "No I need you to know. You see when I was in my teens I fell in love she was pretty and she was smart and gorgeous. She was my first in everything, her name was Jo, she was my first kiss, we have sex for the first time. You know she was my best friend as well as my lover. So she went out with her parents they were going to the lake and they asked me to go but Dad made me stay home to help him with chores. I remember the day it was hot and the sun glare down mocking me for not being with her. Anyway they were coming home from lake and their car was hit head on by a truck. Her parents were killed instantly. She was thrown from the car and was in critical condition, she live for three days. She opened her eyes and looked at me and smiled.She said, "I love you Jensen." Then the machines beeped and she died. They told us she had a blood embolism and it went to her heart. That day I lost everything I swore I would never love someone like that again. I retreated into a shell, I became quiet and shy around other people. I just didn't want to be around people or get to close in case it happened again. I couldn't bare to lose someone else I loved. I still am shy around people today. I'm better now with the help of singing at cons in front of everyone. But I still have times lwhere I just wanted to be alone.""So that's why you don't really date or like going out with Jared and Gen?""They try to set me up and Jared and Gen doesn't know any of this. I haven't told anyone including my family how I feel. Your the first person I have ever told this too." "Gen said, "You were a loner and Jared has to push you to go out. So why now with me? Why be with me Jensen?""I saw your face and it was like a light switched on. It was always you, I was suppose to be with. I don't know how or why, its just when I'm with you we fit together like puzzle pieces. I don't fit like that with anyone else. Like Gen said, "We are each other's anchors and I know you feel it too the first time you saw me. Didn't you a connection we can't explain. It there but when we are apart we feel terrrible like it's been broken. When we are together again we are whole again.""Yes I feel it too Jensen. I didn't feel it with Jared or Misha I love them but it's not the same way I love you.""So I was dreaming you in the bath and you had cut your wrist and bled out. I couldn't cope with losing you Y/N. Promise me if it gets to tough again and you can't talk to me, speak to Jared, Gen or Misha. Hell even talk to Mum but please don't be alone.""I promise Jensen I will talk with Jared or Gen. I feel stronger Jensen I threw them away. I think I will get stronger with everyone else's help and of course your's."He smiled and said, "You know you're the first women I have had in my bed ever. Not saying I'm a virgin I just never brought anyone home here and in my bed."With a wink and a smirk on his face I slapped his shoulder and laughed. He looked at me and said, "I am really sorry for leaving you like that. I just couldn't listen to you tell us you wanted to die. I know it felt like the only way out when you were a kid but now you have me and Jared's family, Misha's family and my family for support. You will never be alone again Baby."As a tear slips down his cheek and I kiss him gently on the lips as he moves me down the bed and deepens the kiss. Our tongues explored each other's mouths and I could taste the tears that had fallen on his lips. It was a sweet kiss as we both pulled back breathless.He said, "Can you stay here with me tonight Baby. I need you, need to hold you close."I said, "Ok but you still need to win my trust back Jensen.""I know, I hope what I just told you is a start?""It is but I have another appointment with Daniela in a couple of days. Will you be able to come and stay?""Yes I will come and promise I will not run off this time. I will listen to you and hold your hand the whole session." I kissed him again as he snuggled my body into him and he whispered, "Good night Baby. I love you" to me this time and not the darkness. I said, "Good night Jensen. I love you too." I smiled as I was saying it to him and he kissed my neck as we fell asleep. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- I woke up with Jensen's arms around me and hum in contentment. Jensen was watching me as he had been awake for a while as he looked at my peaceful face as he gently removed a piece of hair from my face. I opened my eyes as I looked into his forest green eyes he smiled and said, "Morning Baby?"I said, "Morning Jensen, how did you sleep?""Good and you?""Like a Baby I felt safe in your arms."He smiled and said, "I should get up and get ready for work?""Yes you should."He laughed as he moved his lips towards mine and gave me a kiss. It was soft and he bit gently on my lip, I opened to let him deepen the kiss. His tongue danced with mine as they did they own exploration of our mouths. I moaned into the kiss and Jensen moved over me and settled have on and half off my body.He pulled away and just looked into my eyes as he said, "God your beautiful Y/N. I love you."I looked him in the eyes and said, "I love you too Jensen."He dipped his head so he could kiss my neck and as he sucked on my pulse point. I moved my hands to his waist as I rubbed my hand up his back under his t-shirt leaving scratch marks as he growled in response. He moved down lower as he kissed me through his shirt.He looked at me and said, "You know you look sexy in my shirt.""Mm and your not getting it back Ackles."He laughed and said, "What if I take it back now?""You can try but I will win."He gave me a smirk as he started to undo my buttons and pulled it open as he kissed my chest and then he lifted me off the bed so I was sitting in his lap. As he pulled it off completely and threw it on the bed. I looked at him as he pulled down one strap of my bra and then the other as he unhooked it. As it joined the shirt, he squeezed one breast as he moved me as I was stretched out so he could kiss and suck the other. He held me steady as he nipped it gently and I let out a whimper. He looked at me and saw I was lost in the pleasure as he moved to the other one and gave it the same attention. He hesitated where to put his hands. I looked at him and he saw the fear in them so he stopped.He smiled and said, "It's ok. We were going to take this slow remember."I shook my head and I said, "Is there any way for me to see what happens during sex so I would be less afraid of the idea of it Jensen?"He laughed and said, "You want to watch porn with me." I looked all innocence and said, "Porn?"He couldn't help but laugh again. "That's what it's could when people have sex in front of a camera."I said, "They do that?""Yep and some of it is done very tastefully as well.""Ok, I need to know what happens Jensen." I still had the look of fear on my face as he kissed me until I relaxed into the kiss and the fear had disappeared. He moved me off his lap and asked if I wanted to have a bath before breakfast. "Sure can you help me?"He lifted me and carried me into his bathroom as I shriek in surprise. He ran the water for me as I got undressed. He helped me into it as he kissed me on the nose. He looked at me and just watched and he had a far away look on his face as I said, "Jensen you alright?""Mm," as he looked me in the eyes "I was just thinking about the first time I saw you in the bath.""Yes I didn't know you, Jared or Misha were even in my home.""You should have seen the surprise on your face.""Well I was in the bath and three pairs of eyes watching me.""Anyway now look your in my home and bathing in my bath.""Hum it is nice Jensen, you better shower before you have to go to work."He smiled as he slowly got undressed and climbed into the shower. He washed himself as I watched him he looked so handsome and his body wow it was incredible. His was gorgeous as I watched him climb out and dry himself as he grabbed a towel for me and helped me out as he wrapped it around me. Then he carried me back into my bedroom. He got some clothes for himself and asked me what I wanted as we got dressed together. He said, "Y/N do you mind if I get Gen come and stay with you today. And after work if my family comes over to meet you?"I knew I couldn't keep avoiding his family so I said, "No it's ok Jensen I would like to meet them."He said, "Really?"I laughed and said, "Yes really."He kissed me a quick kiss on the lips as he said, "I need to call Gen and Mum."I said, "Ok, can you get my crutch and I will go start breakfast."He said, "Sure" as he ran into his room and grabbed it for me. As the other one was lying on the floor as he picked that one up as well and gave them both to me.I hobbled out of my room and down the stairs carefully. Jensen grabbed his phone as he called Gen first. Jared answered the phone as Jensen said, "Hey Buddy, can I ask a favour?""Hi Jensen, What's happened Y/N hasn't left again?""No, dumb ass, can Gen sit with her again today?"Jared said, "Give me a minute and I will go ask."He could hear Jensen calling out to Gen and said, "Sure I want to talk to Y/N see how last night went?"Jensen rolled his eyes as he knew Gen will ask her everything. Jared came back and said, "Gen would love too. So how did it go last night Jensen?"Jensen said, "Good we spoke about things and we are good. I still need to win Y/N's trust back but it was a start."Jared said, "That's good. We also need to tell Misha what happened too. He would want to know he loves Y/N too."Jensen sighed and said, "I know I will tell him when we get there.""Ok, Got to go Gen's calling me.""Ok, see you soon Jared. Bye.""Bye Jensen."He dialled his Mum's number and waited for her to answer."Hello Doodlebug, What's wrong, Y/N's alright?""Hi Mum, Y/N's fine just wanted to know if you and Dad, Joshua and MacKenzie would like to come over for tea and they can meet Y/N?""Well Doodlebug, You're father and I can come I'm not sure about your brother or sister. I will give them a call and find out for you? What time do you want us there? You sure Y/N is up to seeeing this many people Jensen? Do you want us to bring anything?""Mum slow down. Y/N wants to meet ya all. Come around 7pm and I got food covered. I will cook and BBQ and make some salads all good Mum.""I could come over early and help with the salads?"He rolled his eyes and said, "Ok, Mum. Gen is sitting with Y/N today I know she would love to see you too.""Ok, Doodlebug I will be over soon.""Bye Mum.""Bye Doodlebug."He sighs a deep sigh as he walks into the kitchen where I'm making scrambled eggs and toast. He smiles as he kisses me deeply and he holds me to him."Jay is everything alright?""Yeah, it's just frustrating talking to Mum. She's coming over early to prepare the salads for tea." He saw the panic in my eyes and pulled me in for another hug. "She doesn't know anything about what happened the other day. I didn't tell her it's between you, me and the Padalecki's. Are you ok with her coming over. I should have asked first.""No its find I was worried she will find out about the pills and leaving you Jensen.""It's ok, Gen will be here with you while Mum is here.""Can Jared and Gen stay for tea as will. Maybe invite Misha and Vicki too. I really would like to meet them all and this will be the best way. Plus Misha doesn't know either does he?""No, we didn't have a chance to tell him. Do you want me to do it today while we are on set?""Could you and Jared please tell him I don't want him to be in the dark. He is like a big brother to me Jay.""Ok, I will let Jared know and we will talk to him later.""Thank Jay." He saw the tears in my eyes as he hugged me tight to him."It's going to be alright Baby.""I hope so Jay, I hope so." I said into his shoulder.We finished making breakfast and was eating it in silent I was pushing my food aroun down on my plate. When Jensen picked up our plates and put them in the sink as he washed them off. He put them in the dishwasher and came over to me and said, "Gen should be here in a minute?"The door bell rang as Jensen went to answer it. Standing there was Clif waiting patiently on the other side. "Clif man what are you doing here so early?""It's eight o'clock Jensen you ready to go?""No we are waiting for Jared to come. Come in Clif, Y/N's in the kitchen."He walked through the house until the came to the kitchen and I was drinking my hot chocolate Jensen made me early.Jensen said, "Look who's here?"I looked and Clif was stand in the door way. "Hi Clif, come in would you like some coffee?" As Jensen walked over to the coffee machine and poured him a cup."They would be nice Y/N.""Please take a seat, Jensen will get you some..." I stopped as he put the cup in front of Clif.He smiled at me and said, "I know how Clif likes his coffee."Clif said, "How are you feeling Y/N?"I smiled and said, "Better thank you for asking Clif."He waved me off and said, "I've know Jensen and Jared for a long time and your family now so I care for you too."I got up from my seat and gave Clif a kiss on the cheek as he blushed and I said in a whisper "Thank you Clif to know you will look after me too.""It's my job to take of them too and now you as well.""Well technically you don't but as I'm not them but it means a lot Clif.""No, it's means a lot for me to be able to protect you both."Jensen said, "Clif Jared should be here soon.""Bloody Jared always late."I had to laugh as the front door burst open with Jared's over 6 feet frame as Gen follows behind with Shep running pass them and into my waiting arms. "Hi Shep, how are you?"He giggled and said, "Good."Tom came and hugged me too as I said, "Good morning" to him.Jare and Gen came in as Jared said, "Good morning" and gave me a kiss and turned to Clif and looked at this watch. "I'm not that late am I?" Clif said, "8am start today Jared."He looked again at this watch it said 8.15am. "No one told me we better move or Bob will have my ass."He kissed Gen and the boys and Odette quickly as he ran out to the car. Jensen kissed me deeply before he left and Clif I gave him a kiss on the cheek as did Gen. Then they were gone. The boys were playing quietly in the lounge room while Gen gave me Odette to hold. I looked down at her she was so tiny and beautiful. I said, "She looks like you Gen, she's so pretty and tiny." As tears slipped down my eyes and Gen noticed. "Hey, What's wrong Y/N?""I'm happy I guess. I've never felt this close to anyone that I do you and your family. I'm glad I met you Gen your a good friend.""Me too Y/N you are really special and I know Jensen will fight for you. So want happened last night when you both spoke?""I told him how I was feeling and how I felt when he lefted me Gen." We didn't heard the front door open or close or the footsteps coming down the hall. "I told him about the pills Gen."At that moment Donna walks in and said, "What pills Y/N's?"Gen and I both looked around shocked to see Donna standing there with a look of utter shock. My own face resembled one of fear.I stuttered out "Donna."She looked at us both waiting for an answer. I sighed and said, "Come and sit down Donna and I will tell you everything."She sat and looked waiting for me to start. I said, "Donna do you remember when I was going to see my therapist for the first time and Jensen was going with me.""Yes, Why?""This isn't Jensen's fault Donna so please don't blame him."As I looked at Gen who only looked at me and gave me a smile. "Jensen and I did go to the appointment. Daniela my therapist got me to remember a memory where I wanted to die. Jensen found it hard to listen to and left me. I couldn't find him anywhere so I called Gen. She came and picked me up and then I decided Jensen didn't want me so broken so I was going to leave and go back to Australia. Jared and Jensen came in time as I was having a panic attack.""Yes alright so what happened then?" She kept her face neutral as she looked at me."Jensen brought me out of it and asked me to stay. I couldn't stay with him Donna I had lost my trust in him. So I went to stay at Jared's and Gen's house." As the tears fell down my face Gen took Odette from me as I started to shake. Donna got up and hugged me to her."I felt so broken and empty Donna I wanted to die to know the man I love did want me so I got out some pills I had in my bag and sat there looking at them. They felt alien to me as I opened the bottle and looked at them. I knew this would stop my pain but then I remembered all of you and I couldn't do it so I screamed and threw them across the room."Gen said, "That's when I came in and saw her on the floor crying so I picked her up when I noticed the pills on the floor. So we talked and I asked her to talk to Jensen which they did and here they are now.""So my son left you there and didn't even check to see if you were alright?""He said, "He was watching me when Gen came.""But he left you?""Yes he did.""Then he almost made you hurt yourself.""Yes but Donna I feel stronger now after that.""It good that you do but it still doesn't matter I thought I taunt my son better than to do that. I am very disappointed in him. I am so sorry he did that to you" as the tears slip down her eyes."Donna he did explain why he did it and I forgave him but I still don't trust him yet. He still has to earn it back.""I think you sure make to hard on him, don't give in to easily with him. He needs to understand what he did to you.""I know, I thought you would blame me?""Oh, God no dear girl my son is in the wrong here not you." As she hugged me again and looked at me and wiped my eyes. She kissed my forehead when the boys came running in and Shep saw and came over to hug me. I accepted his hug and kiss on the cheek. He said, "Its Ok, Y/N I'm here now."Gen and Donna try to hide there laughed as he probably heard his Dad say it to his Mum. I smiled and said, "Thank you Shep my big strong man."He beamed a smile so bright it lit up his whole face. Gen said, "Shep, Tom what's wrong?""We are hungry Mum," Tom said.Donna got up and said, "What would you both like. Let's see what Uncle Jensen has in the cupboard."So Donna found some of Jensen's gummi bears sash and gave some to the boys as I looked at her and she smiled."Gen why is Donna smiling?""Oh, you don't know?" As she smiled, "Jensen hides his gummi bears from the boys as they eat them on him and he gets none."I thought about it and it occurred to me what Donna was doing and then I smiled. So we all moved into the lounge room and put the TV on for the boys to watch a DVD. As Gen, Donna and I talked and became closer. Meanwhile at the set Jensen and Jared had caught up with Misha as he always asks how I'm doing.Jensen told him the whole story about how he when to my therapy session and what happen and him leaving me and the pills. Basically everyhitng that has happened for the last couple of days.Misha looked at Jensen and punched him in the face. Jensen said, "What the fuck Misha?""I told you if you hurt her I would fucking hit you. You left her Jensen in a strange country, you were lucky she had Gen's number. You know what she's been through and you couldn't deal with one session Jesus fucking Christ. She had to deal with this her whole life and you betray her by running away. Your lucky she even took you back Jensen I would've not after you hurt her into doing something that could hurt her." His anger was growing each time he spoken as he balled his fist up and hit Jensen again."Ok, I deserve your anger but can you stop hitting me."Jared said, "I wanted to do that but Y/N asked me not too.""Yeah well we have to stick up for her she's only has us Jared. She's like a little sister to me Jensen you hurt her again and I will beat the living shit out of you. You got me?" He ocean blue eyes blazing as his nosils flared in anger but his hands remained at his sides."Yeah I got you Misha" as he smiles knowing I have some protectors other than him."What are you smiling at Ackles,"Jared said."I know now that you both will protect Y/N no matter what or who it is."Jared said, "Of course we will she's family,""I love her too you know," Misha said."I know Y/N wants to know if you Misha and your family would like to come for tea? You as well Jared she said "she's wants to do it all together to make it less stressful for her.""I'll have to ask Vicki but it shouldn't be a problem.""Great I know she's waiting to meet Vicki properly?""Yeah so is Vicki she wants to become friends."Then they were called to the set where Jensen's eye was all puffy and bruised where Misha punched him twice. Bob the Director said, "Jensen what the hell happened?""Oh, sorry with were mucking around and Misha gave me a good right hook." As Bob rolled his eyes as he knew they were prone to injuring themselves mucking around Jared has a few times."Ok, we might be able to use it for the next few scenes."" Great," Jensen said. The day passed quickly with Gen and Donna for company and I got to hold Odette for most of the day. Donna and Gen started getting the salads ready for tea when there was a knock on the door.Gen answered it, it was the meat for tonight Jensen must have ordered it during the day. So that packed it in the fridge. Gen came in and asked if I wanted anything."Can I help in any way Gen?""No, we got this you hold Odette for me.""Ok, she been very peaceful. Gen may I get something to drink please.""Sure, what would you like?""A glass of lemonade thanks.""Sure" as she left and Shep came over and said, "That's Sissy Y/N?""Yes I know Shep she's beautiful as you are handsome.""I love her like I love you.""I love you too Shep." As he gave me a hug being careful of Odette.Gen returned with me drink when she saw her son hugging me. She didn't even asked why as Shep when back to play with Tom.She gave me my drink and I took a long gulp as my throat was dry. I put the drink on the stand next to my chair.When the front door burst open and Jensen and Jared came through with the older man I presume Jensen's father. Jensen came over and gave me a kiss and a hug as he saw Odette in my arms and said, "Suits you Baby."Jared gave me a kiss as he went in search for Gen as the boys attacked hugged him and he fell over laughing. Gen and Donna heard the commotion and came in from the kitchen.Donna kissed the older man and said, "Y/N this is Alan, Jensen's father."I smiled and said, "Please to meet you Sir.""What's with the Sir just Alan will be fine.""Ok thank you Alan."Donna glared at Jensen as I noticed the bruise on his face. I said, "Jensen what happened to your face?"Jared laughed as Jensen turned and said, "Shut Padalecki, Overlord got pissed and hit me twice.""What Misha hit you twice? Why?""We told him about everything that has happened the last few days."Donna said, "Speaking of which I want to speak to you about that Jensen Ross Ackles."Oh shit she only uses his full name when he's in trouble. "Ok, Mum let's do it now before everyone else gets here.""Alan you need to hear what your son did." He rolled his eyes as he knew he would have to deal with whatever it is.They walked away towards the study when you could hear Donna yelling at him for being irresponsible and leaving me plus hurting me enough into hurting myself. Then I heard Alan he's quite voice was enough to rattle me as he asked Jensen "why he did it." He said, " I couldn't listen to Y/N say she wanted to die it hurt to much it broken me Dad. I just couldn't deal with it all. So I needed to clear my head. I know I did wrong and hurt her. We talked it through and worked it out she has forgiven me Dad. I know I don't deserve her forgiveness but she found it in herself to give it anyway. Can you both?"Donna looked at her son how sorry he looked, how heart broken and distressed he feels. Donna hugged her son and whispered "of course son we can forgive you." Alan said, "You better make it up to the nice young gal Jensen she loves you.""I know Dad and I love her."He tapped his son on the shoulder as they left the study Jensen came and bent down on one knee and said, "Baby I am sorry for what I did and it will never happened again."Jared said, "Not if you don't want your ass kicked again."I looked at Jared as Gen told him to be quiet and Jensen said, "I know I have to earn your trust back Baby but can you forgive me enough.....?" as he pulled our ring out. "To where our ring?" He looked with hopefully eyes. I said, "Do you carry my ring with you everywhere Jensen?"He looked down when I pulled his head up to see his eyes as he had tears in them. He said, "I couldn't leave it here not unless your wearing it.""I can't Jensen not yet? It's too soon." He looked down as a tear rolled down his face. "I thought you have forgiven me Y/N?""I have Jensen I just can't wear it yet. We need to trust one another again before I put it back on."He wiped the tears and said, "Ok, I understand Y/N."I kissed him softly on the  lips as he deepen the kiss as his Mum cleared her threat just to remind us we weren't alone. We pulled back and laughed.Alan said, "Ok son, Jared lets get the BBQ cooked."Jensen got up as he was still holding my hand as he pulled away slowly. They headed outside and the doorbell rang Misha, Vicki and family were standing there. The kids ran to find Tom and Shep as they all sat down and played together. Misha came looking for me bringing Vicki with him.I looked at Misha and said, "Hi Misha, Vicki."Then West and Maison came up with some flowers and gave them to me. I looked at them and I smiled and said, "Thank you both very much."They both smiled as they heard the boys running around to go follow. I looked at Misha as he bent and whispered, "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you Y/N?"I said, "It's alright Misha. But did you need to punch Jensen in the face?""I'm sorry I just got angry for what he did, he needed to know that I would stick up for you. It won't happen again I promise. But don't tell him that he thinks I will do it again if he hurts you again."I laughed and it felt nice to laugh as Misha and Vicki joined in. Vicki said, "So how are you doing Y/N, Misha told me what happened?""I'm good and I feel stronger than I have in a long time. It's good to know I have the power to do something to help myself. I wouldn't before I would have just......" as I didn't finish. "It's also good to know I have you all here for love and support too."Vicki knew what I was saying. Misha said, "I'm so proud of you Y/N that would have been a huge struggle for you. But you didn't do it. You know we all love you.""I couldn't I knew I would be hurting to many people and myself if I did. I love you all and your my family."Vicki said, "Yeah we are kind of family as we all spend a lot of time together during filming.""Thank you both for coming and I hope we can have time just us and your family."Vicki said, "I would like that."Gen came in and said, "The big burly men are outside cooking the BBQ if you want to help Misha?"He laughed and said, "Yeah better make sure they do it right. Talk to you later Y/N."Gen took Odette for a feeding as I sat with Vicki we chatted about different things and I decided I liked her a lot. So was nice and caring and showed interesting in what I had to say. Jensen came in and said, "Joshua and MacKenzie are going to be late stuck in traffic."I said, "Ok, no worries."As he went back out to the BBQ and I sat and talked with Vicki, Gen when she returned and Donna. It was nice and I was enjoying being with them all. It was calm and pleasant and I felt comfortable and safe talking to them. It was the first time I felt part of a family and I liked it. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Y/N was sitting on the lounge talking quietly with Gen, Vicki and Donna when Mackenzie walked in the door. She walked in and saw her Mum and Gen talking with me. When Donna looked up and said, "Mackenzie you're here we were waiting for you and your're brother. Mackenzie said, "It's just me Mum.""Come in here" as Donna gets up and grabs her daughters hand to bring her in as she stands in front of me. She looks at me and she looks just like her Mum. Donna said, Mackenzie this is Y/N, Y/N this is Mackenzie Jensen's sister."l smiled and said, "Please to meet you Mackenzie.""So your're the one who has claimed my brother's heart. You know I never thought it would happen but here you are.""Yeah, I guess?""You guess he brought you back with him so he must love you a lot Y/N. I've never seen my brother do that with any one before?""He is very special you're brother.""Yes he is" as she gave me a smile. Gen said, "So Mac how have you been?""Good and you?""We all have been well and Shep has a crush on Y/N.""He does that would be so sweet.""Yeah he is a sweetie."Donna said, "Y/N's from a Australia Mackenzie.""Yeah, Mum I heard the accent. So what's Australia like?""It's a nice place to live if you haven't been anywhere else.""I bet this is all a little strange for you?""You don't know the half of it."Mackenzie looked at her Mum and said, "What's happened?""I will tell you later Mackenzie I don't think Y/N want to go through that again.""Thank you Donna."Vicki said, "I will go check on the boys."Mackenzie said, "I'll come too to say hi. Talk to you later Y/N?" "That would be nice Mackenzie."She moved off with Vicki and I looked at Donna and said, "She seems nice.""She is when you get to know her better." Meanwhile the boys were cooking the BBQ having a drinking contest when Jensen spotted Mackenzie. He said, "Hey Mac how long you been here?""Only a few minutes.""Have you met Y/N yet?""Yeah she seems nice Jensen what happened to her arm?""She accidentally cut herself.""She's going to be alright?""Yeah the wound will heal. But not what I did to her?""What did you do?"As they walked away from everyone he started to explain what happened. He told her about the appointment and leaving me. How I was going to leave him and stayed with Jared. How we talked but I still don't trust him. How he really loves me.Mackenzie looked at her brother stunned at what he told her. She gave him a hug and then said, "So you really love her Jensen without a doubt?" "Yes, Mac I haven't felt like this in a long time. She the one for me, she's the only person I want.""You know she will trust you again Jensen. She's forgiven you for leaving her and you will earn her trust just give her some time.""I know Mac but it's killing me."Mac gave him a sympathetic look and said, "It will take some time Jensen." Vicki was talking with Misha and Jared when Jared hugged Mackenzie as did Misha. He looked down at her and said, "So Mac you going to drink us under the table again?""No, not tonight I'm driving home.""Oh, that's a shame.""Maybe some other time.""Ok, your on."She stayed outside with Jensen talking to him as he helped with the BBQ. His phone rang and Josh said, "He was unable to come his son was sick."Jensen said, "Nothing serious Josh.""No, just a cold, he will be fine in a few days.""Ok, you talk care of my nephew." "I will can you apologise to Y/N for my Jensen.""Sure no problems. Bye Josh."Bye Jensen." Jensen excused himself for Mackenzie who followed him into the house to tell us that Josh wasn't coming. Jensen came in and said, "I sorry Baby but Josh can't make it. His little boy is sick.""Oh, he's going to be alright Jensen?""Yeah just a cold."Jensen came over and kneed down in front of me and said, "You alright you're looking tired Baby?""I am tired but I want to do this Jensen, it's important for me to know you're family."He smiles and said, "We could have asked Mackenzie and Josh over another day? You're not feeling overwhelmed Y/N?""I do but I'm fine I have Gen and Donna here to help me and I just look at Odette and she seems so small and fragile that she helps keep me grounded.""You know that really does suit you holding a baby." I blushed as he leans in and whispers "maybe one day Baby." As he kisses my neck and then my ear as Mackenzie watches her older brother with so much awe at how much he really does love me. He then kisses my lips as I whimpered softly no one but Jensen heard me. When he pulled back Mackenzie could see the love between us and smiled. Jared came in and said, "The foods ready if you want to set up the tables. So they all headed outside to help with the food as I was left with Odette I looked down at her and said, "Hey baby girl I want one like you one day with uncle Jensen. Would you love her as much as we all love you."Mackenzie was standing at the door listening in when I said, "Your Uncle Jensen hurt me and I know he didn't mean to but I just can't trust him yet. I love him more each and every day Odette. One day we will have a beautiful little girl like you. He has already promised me he will marry me and I know he will keep his promise. He has helped make me stronger and I know I can fight anything now. I'm glad that only the boys know the struggle I go through each day just to live. They know I cut myself with a flash back, but I don't know how Mackenzie or Josh would take it to know I did it without thinking and then when Jensen left me I wanted to die. But I found the strength not to do it. Yes sweet girl it will take awhile before that trust can be built again between us but I'm not giving up. I love him to much to give up on us." As I kissed Odette on the head.Mackenzie was holding her breath listening as a tear slippped down her eyes she never realised the struggle I have and how much I fight to stay alive. She smiled at the thought that I knew Jensen would keep his promise. She though maybe she has miss judge me and that I really am a nice person and Jensen really does love me. She can see the love I have for him. She knew she wanted to get to know me better. She cleared her throat as she wiped the tear away and walks in and said, "Y/N are you ok?"I looked at her and said, "Yes fine, are you?""Why do you ask?""It looks like you've been crying?""No, it's just the smoke from the BBQ stinging my eyes.""Ok, you need any help with anything?""Nah, I think Mum has it covered.""Maybe I should call Gen to get Odette then.""She will come in a minute. So Y/N tell me about yourself." "What would you like to know?""How you and Jensen meet and how your knee got broken?"I laughed as I said, "Well I was called by SPN productions in Australia saying that Jensen, Jared and Misha wanted me to be their special guess at the July con. Anyway one thing lead to another and they came to Australia and they found me in the bath. I slipped over and pulled Jensen down with me and we both heard a crack and it was my knee.""So why did they go to Australia in the middle of filming?" She asked."I....I'm," then Jensen burst in the back door telling us tea was ready. He looked at me and saw panic in my eyes.Mackenzie said, "We will finish talking later." As she got up to leave and walked out the door.Jensen came over and saw the look that I was about to have a panic attack. He grabbed my hands and held them he said, "Baby look at me."My head suddenly felt really heavy when he lifted my chin my breathing was coming in short pants as he kisses me. He moved his mouth on mine as he deepen the kiss and I whimpered and he growled into it. We kissed for what seemed like an eternity when he pulled back. I was breathless but the panic had left my eyes. He said, "What happened?""Mackenzie" I stuttered out. "Yeah what about Mackenzie?""Jensen she wants to know why you, Jared and Misha dropped everything and went to Australia? Jensen what if she already knows somehow?""How I didn't tell her?""Maybe Donna did?""No, Mum wouldn't not without asking us first. Do you want her to know Baby?""I guess there shouldn't be any secrets between us.""Do you want me to tell her?""I was thinking yes but it's probably better if we all do it? Jared and Misha too so she can see it from all points of view. Jensen I'm scared what if she decides I'm not good enough and makes trouble for us?""Don't worry we will stay together she won't  do anything."Donna walked in and said, "you two coming there be no food left with Jared out there eating it all."Jensen  said, "We will be right out." Jensen takes Odette from me and helps me up with his other hand. I hold Odette briefly as he grabs my crutches and takes Odette back. We walk out together when Gen comes and takes Odette from Jensen. Jensen puts his arm around my waist as I hobble on the crutches to sit down.He whispers in my ear, "It's going to be alright Y/N? What do you want to eat?" As he squeezes my hand for reassurance.  "I don't know Jensen just put anything I'm not all that hungry."He looked as I haven't not eaten much since we left Australia. I looked him in the eyes and said, "I'm fine Jensen really."He knew something was not right maybe I was worried about the talk with Mackenzie he thought. He grabbed two plates and put some salad on mine and some meat. He stacked his plate with food as he came back and sat down. He pass me my plate as I looked at all the food on it. I knew I probably wouldn't eat much at all. I picked up the fork he gave me and tried the potato salad.It wasn't bad, when Jensen said, "Mum's famous recipe she puts bacon and egg in it." "Its nice Jensen." He smiles as he watches me eat very little food. He looks at Jared who also is watching me and raises his eyebrows in question to what's going on. Jensen looks at Mackenzie as Jared looks where he's looking. He nods his head in understanding.Jared said, "Hey Princess the meat is cooked really nice we cooked it, Misha and I with Alan's help."Misha then picked up on what Jared was saying and looked at me as he noticed I was looking pale and not eating again. He tried this time.He said, "Hey Minion this is your Overload here, you are he by ordered to eat some meat."I looked at him and their was a slight smile on my face he could always make me smile. I said, "Sorry Overload I'm not hungry?" Misha looked sad as he looked at Jensen and he again looked at Mackenzie as a silent cue for what's going on. I said, "Will you all excuse me I think I might go rest on the lounge for a bit."Jensen said, "Baby you've hardly eaten anything, try to eat something more."I smiled at his worry and said, "I'm fine really I'm just not hungry."I got up to leave when Jensen grabbed my arm and held me and whispered "Is this to do with Mackenzie?"I shook my head yes and he let me go and I moved off toward the house.Jared said, "Jay you want me to go talk to her?""It couldn't hurt Jared."He followed me into the house as I was sitting on the lounge with tears streaming down my face. He saw the tears and hugged me tight and said, "Hey what's happening?"I cried into his shirt for what seemed like forever which was only a few minutes. "Sorry about your shirt Jared?"He waved me off and said, "It's easy to clean. So you going to tell me what's happened?""I was talking with Mackenzie and I almost had another panic attack when Jensen stopped it.""What happen to bring on the attack?" He asked"She asked me to tell her what happened in Australia. Which I did but I left out the almost wanting to commit suicide part. Then she asked why you three left filming in the middle of a season to come out here Jared. I'm worried she will force Jensen and me apart I couldn't bare to lose the only support network I have and him. Jared what if she hates me.""Hey, hey look at me. Jensen, Misha and myself will never abandon you ok. No matter how she feels or what she does. We all love you and you're apart of our family now. We will always be here for you.""But Jensen won't want to lose his sister over me. I'm just someone he met a few weeks ago." Jared noticed I had digressed back into no one would care if I was there or not or want me. He sighed trying to hold back his anger at me as he schooled his emotions. "Look I know how much Jensen loves you. Remember when you were going to leave him yesterday and you stayed at our house.""Yes" I sniffled. "Well all day on set he couldn't get any of his lines right. He couldn't remember any of them or was even interested in being there. The Director end up calling it a day as he wasn't getting anywhere with Jensen. Jensen was spaced out half the time we had to snap him back from where ever he was. He was very unfocused and unsettled. The Jensen I know wouldn't never have done that he was more profession than that. So he screwed up because he loves you and cares about you. If Mackenzie makes trouble I know who Jensen will chose and I won't be his sister.""Really Jared you think he will chose me?""Of course without a doubt in my mind he will.""I asked him if we could tell everyone what happened in Australia and why you all came out so it won't cause me to panic anymore.""See that's a really good decision and a very strong one. So we will all talk to everyone after tea?""Yeah, I guess but I'm feeling really tired Jared do you mind if I just rest a bit first.""Sure do you want me to stay?""Please could you?"He turned me so I had my head resting in his lap as he stroked my hair gently as I closed my eyes. I was asleep in seconds as he continued to stroke my hair. I had hold for his other hand as well my hand went lax in his when I feel asleep. He kept his hand in mine as for comfort. Jensen walked in and saw I was asleep and whispered "What happened?""She's worried you will leave her again Jensen and decide she's not worth the effort. Shit Jensen she actually distressed back to when we were in Australia saying she wasn't worth worrying about that no one would care. I was so angry I had to school my emotions for her. I never thought she would be this bad again Jensen. Fuck I just want to make it better for her.""Does she still wants to tell everyone what happened?""Yes, Y/N wants to be able to not worry about a panic attacks when it's brought up. She thinks it will help make her stronger."Jared still was stroking my hair when Jensen looked down and said, "I made this worst didn't I leaving her and now she thinks I'm going to do it again.""Yep but I think deep down she knows you won't but her mind she screaming something else at her. You have to show her you won't leave her again Jensen."Misha walked in then and saw I was asleep and asked, "Is Y/N ok?""Not really'" Jensen said. "What did you do this time Ackles do I need to punch you again?""It wasn't me sort of anyway?""What do you mean sort of?""I came in earlier and Y/N was talking with MacKenzie and she was starting to have a panic attack. I stopped it but she told me Mackenzie asked about why we went to Australia. Now she thinks I don't want her and has gone back to the way she was in Australia went she said, no one cares what happens to her. Fuck I am to blame for her feeling like that when I left her she thinks I'm going to do it again.""So what are you going to do Ackles?""Y/N wants tell you everyone why we went and she needs to know I will now leave her ever again.""So when are we going to talk to everyone?""Is everyone finished tea yet Misha?""Just about why?""When they are done we will call everyone in here and I will wake Y/N up and then the four of us will tell them everything. I can't let her feel this pain anymore Misha.""Ok, we will back you both up and help with the telling too."Donna and Gen walked in and saw I was asleep and Donna said, "Is Y/N ok, Jensen?""No, but she will be soon."Donna looked at her son wondering what he has planned and saw he was looking at Jared and Misha for support. Gen walked over to Jared and said, "What's happening Babe.""Y/N is going to tell everyone what happened in Australia. I've told you most of it but some I missed out because she asked us not to say anything. Y/N want you all to know the whole truth.""Mum has everyone finished outside?""Yes, Doodlebug they have."He smiled as this is the first time since the argument that she has called him Doddlebug. "Can you ask them all to come in here in about 10 minutes give us time to wake Y/N without scaring her.""Sure Doodlebug," as she left. Jensen turned to me and rubbed my cheek I moved my hand to my cheek and I moaned in my sleep. "Baby, its time to wake up?""No, nice and warm and comfortable."He laughed and said, "Jared's legs gone to sleep."I opened me eyes and waited for them to adjust to the light. He looked in my eyes and I saw love and worry. He smiled a sad smile as he bent to kiss me on the lips. Jared said, "Princess you ready for our talk to everyone?"I sighed and said, " I guess I can't keep putting it off."Gen said, "You have us for support ok."I smiled as I knew she would always be there to help and support me."Jared I think we need to put the boys somewhere they have fallen asleep at the table."Jared said, "Excuse me," as I moved to let him up so he could grab his boys.Misha said, "I will help you both, my kids are asleep too. Jensen can we put them in your room?" "Sure Misha."They left and he looked at me and sat down next to me and said, "See how it's just us I want to say something to you." I shook my and waited. "I need you to know Y/N that I will never leave you again. You are the one for me and I will always want you. The first time I saw you on my phone screen I was lost and I knew I would move heaven and hell to make you happy. I am sorry for leaving you and I hope you can again trust me. I know it's killing me that you don't but I do understand. I love you and I really truly want to marry you. I asked Mum if knowing you for a week was too soon to ask you. She told it was so I will wait and we will grow together Baby as a couple. I will show you the joys and wonders of having sex. We will do it all and have it all. I love you Y/N more each day. I'm glad I wake up too you beside me in our bed. The first thing I see is you and you look fucking amazing."He kissed me long and passionate and I felt loved and wanted it was something I needed to hear as we pulled away he kissed my forehead.I said, "After a week Jensen?"He laughed and said, "Yep that's how sure I was.""I'm glad you waited Jensen. I don't know if I can handle a marriage proposal at the moment. Plus we need to get to know each other better too.""I know that's what Mum said.""Smart woman your Mum."He laughed a throaty laugh and I said, "What?""That's what everyone said."He gave me a brief hug as everyone came in. Jared, Gen and Misha returned and Gen must have put Odette in the bed with the boys. They all sat down when Alan asked, "What's going on?"I took a deep breath and said, "There are questions you need answered so we are" as I pointed to Jared, Jensen and Misha "are going to answer them."Jensen said, "I know you are probably wondering why we when to Australia in the middle of filming?"As he looks at Mackenzie who said, "Yes, I was wondering why?"Jared said, "Well we wanted to surprise Y/N with a free trip and attend the July con in Australia. Anyway she didn't believe so we did a live feed."Misha said, "Anyway after the feed we gave Y/N our numbers as Jensen noticed something in her voice."I looked at him as I hadn't realised he even heard my voice crack. He smiled and nodded as he did. I said, "Anyway Jensen called me the next day and we spoke and I was crying and he told me that I mattered to them. That I was important to them. That I was special and cared about and I was a worthless nobody." As a tear slipped down my cheek and Jared sat down the other side of me and held my hand as Jensen had his arm around me and gave me a squeeze.Jensen  said, "Then everything happened all at once. Y/N lost a pet where she worked, she felt alone and thought no one cared. When she hung up we were worried she was going to hurt herself so we intimidate Bob in letting us have a week off. Then we caught the next flight out and all the while we couldn't reach her. It was killing me not to know she was alright." As tears were stinging his eyes as he looked at me and kisses my hand.Mackenzie said, "So you went after her to see if she was alright Jensen?""We all needed to know we couldn't leave her there alone and broken." Jensen answered.Jared said, "I've  ever seen Jensen threaten to hit someone before so I told him to cool down and then I stepped in and got our week off. When we arrived we didn't know how to find her? So Misha said, "call SPN Productions and we got her address.""When we arrived the front door was broken and unlocked. She had furniture which was ripped and her fridge looked like it was going to fall apart. We looked at each and decided our decision to bring her out of there was a good one. We looked in the bedroom she had a black and white TV and her clothes where threadbare and unsuitable for keeping her warm. We eventually found her in the bathroom, " Misha said.Jensen said, "We could hear singing. I could tell you now my heart was beating so fast as we didn't know what we were going to find in the other side of the door. I was so worried we would her in a different way but when we opened the door there she was. When I looked into her eyes for the first time, I knew she was the only one for me. It's was like a instant connection I can't explain I know Y/N felt it too. I knew then I would do anything to make her life better."I said, "I was going to commit suicide the night before I sat on my kitchen floor and looked at the pills. I cried as I watched the video feed on Facebook again. I knew then that there were some people who cared even though they were on the other side of the world so I put the pills away. When they arrived at my house and opened my bathroom door I didn't hear them and they scared me. I was getting out when they turned to give me some privacy when I slipped and fell pulling Jensen with me as we fell I heard a crack. I thought it was Jensen who was hurt."Jared laughed and said, "He looked look a drowned rat all wet. Anyway we got Jensen up and that's when we knew her knee was broken. She cried out in pain so we decided to take her to the hospital where Misha saw she was living on spaghetti and noodles. We couldn't leave her there. So we took her to the hospital and found out her knee was broken and she told us she was going to commit suicide. She looked lost and empty, her eyes were emtionless. So when we finished at the hospital we when back to her house and collected some clothes. Then we took her to a hotel with us."Misha smiled and said, "We got the penthouse suite. You should have seen her face it was like absolute awe of everything. So we gave her the room with the view and she rested as we settled in for the night. Sometime during the night Y/N and a nightmare and Jensen comforted her. He stayed with her in her bed and they both slept soundly. As he did every night after that."I said, "The next morning I was looking at Jensen and one thing led to another and he kissed me. It was my very first kiss and it was amazing" as I blushed. "Jensen then helped me into the bath and I got dressed and they took me shopping for new clothes. It was incredible the clothes and makeup I've never seen before. I told them I would paid them back I'm no charity case. But Misha said, "It was a gift so I couldn't paid it back.""We left her at the store with some very nice people as we had a thought to buy her a necklace which is around her neck. We wanted to give her something to remind her to always keep fighting. We asked her if she would come back to Canada with us so we could be her support network. I couldn't leave her not when I saw the way she was living it was breaking my heart. I also made her the promise I will marry her one day and gave her this ring," He said as he pulls the ring out of his pocket. Jared said, "So we began building her trust and slowly she was beginning to trust us. Then all the stuff with the media happened and she was going to leave us and go back home.""Y/N went out to think and she was almost raped by a man as we heard her screaming my name for help. So help me if Jared and Misha hadn't pulled me off him I would have killed him. I was so worried he had hurt her but she was shook up but he didn't do anything. The cops said, "he broke his parole and went back to prison. I was so relived Y/N was alright." Jensen sighed. Gen said, "So that's why you never told us because Y/N didn't want us to know what happened.""Yes, I wasn't sure if you would blame me for it and I couldn't really deal with it.""You know we would never judge you Y/N, you have been through so much all we want to do is support and help you," as she got up and gave me a hug. "Thank you Gen it means a lot to know I have you all. I haven't had anyone ever who cared about my welfare before.""Then we spoke to the reporter and set everything straight and we stayed another day waiting for Y/N's passport and then we left and came here." Misha said. Donna said, "Y/N was doing well until she had a flashback and cut herself while having it. You was worried I would send you away from Jensen.""Yes, I couldn't bear it." "Then I screwed up at Y/N's therapy session. I couldn't handle her saying she wanted to die so I left her there. I watched to make sure she was fine. But she wasn't she was going to go back to Australia and leave me. So Jared and I chased after her and she was having a panic attack when we arrived. Gen was trying to get her to listen but she was gone. I touched her face like I did with the flashback attack and she came back. But she couldn't stay with me as she didn't trust me anymore.""Y/N came and stayed with us. Jensen hurt her and she thought he didn't want her because she was broken and damaged so she was sitting on the floor with a bottle of pills in her hand. I heard her scream and came to see what happened and I saw the pills and as I helped her up I hugged her and said she needed to talk to Jensen," Gen said."So I brought Jensen home and they talked it out." Jared said. "I decided to come back home with Jensen but I didn't trust him still. He had a nightmare and I went to wake him. He held me so tight and I asked him what it was about?" As looked at him. Jensen looked at his parents before he started. He took a deep breath and said, "Mum, Dad do you remember Jo?"  They both shook their heads. "You remember how we were together what I never told you Jo was my lover, my girlfriend, my best friend she was my everything. When she died it broke apart of me too. I lost the one person I loved most in the world and just like that she wasn't there anymore. I was suppose to be with them that day but Dad needed help with the chores so I stayed home."Donna looked at Jensen as it suddenly dawned on her why Jensen never really when out after Jo's death. "Oh, my dear boy I'm so sorry why didn't you tell us?""I couldn't it was too painful so I retreated and cut people off from me. When Jared and Gen wanted to set me up I just couldn't let anyone in. In case they died again but when I saw how much pain Y/N had gone through I knew I needed to let her in and help her. I knew I was in love with her. That's why I left it brought back to many painful memories for me, listening to her wanting to die. I just couldn't do it."Donna got up and hugged her son and whispered "I'm sorry my boy.""I walked in here earlier after Y/N and Mackenzie spoke and she was about to have a panic attack so I had to help her. So we decided it would be good to tell you all everything so next time you ask she won't feel uncomfortable to the point of an attack."Mackenzie looked at me and said, "I'm really sorry for causing you any pain Y/N. I was worried for my brother what if you hurt him and he would be devastated.""It's ok I understand Mackenzie I really do."She smiled and said, "Call me Mac."I smiled and said, "Ok, Mac." As she got up and hugged us both and said, "I love you Jensen and Y/N your one lucky woman to love my brother.""Yes, I am." Alan said, "So what happens now?"Jensen said, "I'll go to Y/N's therapy session tomorrow and we promise to always talk about what we are feeling so this never happens again.""I feel better, I feel relieved no more secrets and it's good to know you all were understanding."Alan said, "If I know my son he will not give you up that easily my dear girl."I smiled as Mackenzie said, "I don't think Y/N would give up either Dad."Jared staid, "Maybe we all should go as I know Y/N's tired and we have to get our kids home to bed." Donna said, "What about the dishes?""Don't worry Mum I will put them in the dishwasher tomorrow you go with Dad.""Ok, son I love you both,"as she gave us both a kiss. Jared got up and went to get his boys while Gen got Odette and they hugged us goodbye. Misha and Vicki grabbed Maison and West and they too hugged us and left.Mackenzie got up and headed for the kitchen. Jensen said, "Mac it ok I will do them in the morning. Go home and drive safe. I love you little sister.""I love you too Jensen and Y/N you take care of him.""I will promise," as she hugs me and then Jensen and leaves too. "Jensen let's get the dishes done?""Nah, I will do them in the morning you're tired let's go to bed and worry about this tomorrow.""Ok, I am tired after all the explaining. I feel drained emotionally."So we headed upstairs Jensen picked me up and carried me up the stairs and helped me change into my PJ's. I climbed into bed as he joined me a few moments later. He kissed me good night and said, "I love you Y/N.""I love you Jay."We both were asleep a few moments later. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- In the morning Jensen had been up for awhile he had cleaned everything up from the BBQ, he let me sleep in. I moved downstairs on my crutches after I had finished dressing when I noticed everything had been cleaned.I looked at Jensen and said, "Why didn't you wake me? I would have helped you?""You have a very tiring day yesterday and you have your appointment with Daniela today. I will get time off work to come with you. Unless you want to come with me to work?"I looked at him as he never asked me that before. I said, "What will I do while your working?""You can talk to Misha and Jared. I will introduce you to our Director anything you want to do.""Um," he looked with at me with hope in his eyes. "Ok, Jensen I will come but are you going to be alright with my session today?"He walked over as he lift me to hold me in his arms and said into my ear, "I promised to hold your hand through the whole session and that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to let you down ever again Baby."I shook my head as he pulled back and kissed me it was nice and gentle. He smiled and said, "So you want some breakfast?""Yes, please.""How does bacon and eggs sound."I smiled as he knows how much I like bacon. He got the food from the fridge and a frying pan and started to cook it. He looked at me as I moved over to help with the toast as he handed me the bread. So we worked in companionable silence as we got our breakfast ready.We ate breakfast when there was a knock on the door. Jensen said. "It's probably Jared?"Jensen opened the door and he saw Jared and Misha standing there. He said, "Hey guys, Um Misha what are you doing here?"Jared said, "Hey Jensen, look who I found lurking outside your door.""I'm filming today remember?""Yeah I know," as he rolls his eyes "I mean here we usually pick you up along the way.""Oh, I thought I would save Clif a extra trip. It's ok isn't it?""Sure it is buddy. Come in Y/N's in the kitchen."I heard voices as I recognised them it was Jared and Misha. They all walked in as I looked at them. Jared said, "Hey Princess, how are you today?""I'm good and you?""Same," as he kissed my cheek."Minion, how are you?""I'm good Overlord Sir. Jensen asked me to go to the set today with you all."Jared looked at Jensen and said, "That's a really good idea.""At least I will have someone to talk too while these two do their scenes," Misha said.Jensen said, "Yeah you never know what might happen on the set?" Looking at Misha and smiling. I couldn't help but laugh at them. Jared and Misha got a cup of coffee while we waited for Clif.Misha said, "So you looking froward to coming on set Y/N?""Yeah, I would love to see where you all work and met the Director of the show."Then there was a knock at the door. Jensen said, "That will be Clif. Baby you ready?""Do I need anything?""Nope just you and the crutches.""Ok, I'm ready then."He opened the door as Clif saw Misha standing there as well as me. He said, "Morning Y/N, Jensen, Jared and Misha."I said, "Morning Clif."He looks at Jensen and Jensen said, "Oh yeah, Misha came in early to save you a drive and I invited Y/N to the set today."His face lit up into a huge grin and said, "Really you coming with us?""Yep, that's alright isn't it.""Yes, it wonderful as I get to care for you too and I can help you."Jensen has never seen Clif this excited before as he looks at me and smiles.Clif said, "Do you need any help Y/N?""Not at the moment Clif but thank you."Jared looked at Jensen and Misha as they were trying to hold back their laughed at the way Clif was acting. The normally badass bodyguard who was a tough as nails with the boys, was all gushy and soft with me.Jensen whispered "I don't think he will be going to far from you today Baby."I smiled as I knew Jensen was probably right as we walked out to the waiting SVU. Jared hopped in the front because of his long legs as Jensen helped me get in and put the crutches in the back. I sat in the middle as Jensen was on one side and Misha on the other. I leaned on Jensen shoulder as his arm went around my waist. Clif looked to make sure we all were comfortable and had our seat belts on as he pulls out. He takes the extra long route to the set and points out the different land marks on the way for me to see.Jensen looked at me and smiled went we finally arrived and Clif stopped the car as he jumps out to get my crutches for me.Jensen said, "You ok, Baby?""Yeah, this is a big place?" As we get out the car.Jared said, "Look we will take you over to the other sets to met the stars if we get time?""Jared that would be nice but I have my appointment in a couple of hours."He looks at Jensen and before he can say anything. Jensen said, "We are good Jared I promised her I wouldn't leave her."Misha heard and said in a low growl, "You do Ackles and we will kick your ass."I said, "He will be fine Misha but thank you.""We Overlords have to protect their minions.""Thank you Overlord," as I hugged him, when Jared said, "Where's mine?"So he moved over to me and hugged me.We moved onto the set with Clif closed behind us as he left to go find me a chair to sit on.Jensen lead me over to a older man sitting in the Directors chair when Jensen said, "Bob Singer this is Y/N?"Bob looked at me with a stern face and said, "So your the one who shut down my set for a week?"I looked at Jensen and then Bob's face soften and said, "I'm glad your ok Y/N. These two here were ready to kick my ass," as he points to Jensen and Jared."I'm sorry for their behaviour Mr Singer, I didn't want to be any trouble?""Please call me Bob and it's ok. They told me why they went and I'm glad your safe," as he smiles,"Are you staying to watch filming today Y/N?""If you don't mine Bob?"Jared moves away as he was called to wardrobe."Of course not, maybe you can actually get them to work?"I laughed and said, "I will see what I can do for you Sir.""If you do I will give you a job to get them organised for there scenes. You think you can manage it, being their PA's.""Sure, I would love too."Then Clif turned up with a seat for me but I followed Jensen to his trailer as he got changed into his Dean clothes.I said, "Jensen are you alright with what Bob just asked me to do?"He looked unhappy for a minute when I thought he didn't want me to do the job and then his face changed into a wide grin.He said, "Of course I am now we have to make sure that Misha and Jared are pull into line.""They aren't that bad are they?"He laughed a deep throaty laugh and said, "You haven't seen them on set.""Oh boy, what have I've gotten myself into?" Jensen came over and held me in his arms and gave me a heated kiss. He pulled away as he looked me in the eyes and said, "They will be alright once we tell them what Bob said?""I hope so or this is going to be a very short job offer."We walk out to the set where Jensen tells them what Bob had said about the job and Jared said, "Ok we will behave."Misha smiled and whispered in my ear "Thank you I will be safe from pranks today."I smiled and said, "Ok you all better get on set." As Clif comes up behind me and guides me to a seat he had waiting. He stood nearby but didn't hover.Bob looked at me and was impressed when they were on set really to go. His said, "Jensen we will do your scenes first since your leaving early for Y/N's appointment."Jensen nodded as I took the seat Clif had gotten me and watched as Jensen and Jared had a dialogue scene. It was interesting watching them change from Jensen and Jared to Dean and Sam.Misha was sitting next to me as he is suppose to walk in and then speak. He moved quietly to his marker and with no preamble starting saying his lines. I watch them all in awe of their acting ability. It's so different watching in real life than on TV. Then Bob yelled cut and the scene was finished.The three of them came over like excited school boys asking me what I think?I said, "Well to tell you the truth I think you could have done it better," trying to hide my smile.They looked at each other and I laughed then and Jared said, "You're going to regret that Princess?""Yeah how am I?"Jared looked at Jensen and Misha as he tickled me and I said, "Ok give, I'm sorry you all were amazing and very sexy."That brought a smile to each of their faces as Jensen lean in and said in a whisper, "This is still not over wait until later Baby," in a husky voice that sent a shiver down my shiver.Bob said, "Right we are ready for the next scene as the three of them were in the Impala talking. I was watching when I didn't hear Clif come up beside me and whispered "if I wanted anything to drink?"I jump and let out a scream as Bob said, "Cut" and looked at me. Clif said, "Sorry my fault I startled her that's all, won't happen again.""Ok, from the top boys?"I was totally lost and in awe of them and I knew I had found my place in the world. Jensen did four more scenes when Bob said, "he could leave."He came over to me and said, "Thank you that's the most they have worked without pranking each other in a longtime. The jobs yours if you want it you seem to be able to handle them.""Really Bob?""Sure if you want it?""Of course I do thank you" and gave him a big hug.Jensen said, "Thanks man for giving her a job.""She deserves it with you three," as he smiles at me. "Go on get out of here."Jared said, "Ackles?" He didn't need to finish as Jensen knew what he was saying as Jared kiss me.Misha looked at Jensen with a menacing face as Jensen got the idea and I couldn't help but laugh at my two big adopted brothers as Misha hugged me and said, "Good luck Y/N?""Thanks Overlord and I love you both for being here."Then Clif looked as he was told what happened as well and he said, "Right ready to go Y/N? By the way I'm not leaving until your appointment is finished and if someone does something I'm going to kick his ass too."I smiled as Clif really is becoming a really good friend and protector too and you have got to love him for that."Thank you Clif," as I gave him a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug.We got in the car and he drove us and pulled up out front. He said, "I will be right here when you finish."I nodded as Jensen looked at the old softie and smiled.We walked in and we had to wait for about 10 minutes. Daniela was looking at us and said, "Y/N how are you?"I'm good I got a job today at Jensen's TV show," with huge smile on my face. Jensen had hold of my hand as soon as we sat down and Daniela said, "Jensen how are you? Last time I saw you, you were having a hard time dealing with the session?""I'm good now," Jensen answered."Y/N have you had any more flashbacks or panic attacks?" She asked."I have not had any flashbacks but I've had a panic attack and a almost one," I replied."Do you want to tell me what happen to bring them on?" Daniela looked at me as she spoke."When Jensen left last week, he actually left me here with no way of getting home," I said."How did that make you feel?" She asked."I felt alone and lost I was in a strange country and didn't know my way around and had no money. I though he didn't want me that I was too broken and damaged for him.""So what did you do Y/N?""I called a friend to come and pick me up. Then I decided I was going to leave and go back to Australia as Jensen didn't want me. I was at the airport and I was having a panic attack. My friend tried to help but she couldn't get through.""So how did you come back?"Jensen said, "I brought her back. I touched her face and she seemed to come back.""Then what happened?""I decided to stay at our friends house but I was in a dark place I got some tablets out.""What was you feeling Y/N?" Daniela asked."I felt like I had no one, alone, lost, broken and most of all damaged.""So what did you do?""I held them in my hand and I opened the lid and looked at them. Then I was hit with imagines of my friends and Jensen. I couldn't do it so I screamed and threw them across the room.""So you felt all this and you were strong enough to throw them away.""Yes, I couldn't break their hearts like that. It would destroy them all.""That is an amazing step in your recovery and it now proves to me and yourself that your getting stronger and you can fight the demons in you head," Daniela said."I feel stronger and Jensen and I talked about why he left me and I forgave him but he still needs to earn my trust back."That's was good that you both talked about it and you forgave him.""We promised each other we will always talk about what's going on in our heads," Jensen said. "I don't want to lose Y/N again it almost killed me."I looked at Daneila and said, "But I did almost have another attack?""Yes go on," as she listened attentively."We were having a BBQ and my sister asked questions anyway it sent Y/N into an attack. I again stopped it by kissing her. We decided to tell my family and friends the truth and it's seems to be helping Y/N she hasn't had anymore," Jensen said."That's good that you wanted to try and stop the attacks and tell about your life. So shall we start today's session?"I nodded and said "Ok, I'm ready.""Ok, Jensen do you want to move seats?""No, Daniela I promised Y/N I would stay and hold her hand all the way through this.""Y/N how do you feel about Jensen holding your hand?""It comforts me to know he's here with me.""Ok, then Jensen sit here," as she moved the chair where Jensen was so he was able to hold my hand."Thank you Daneila.""Ok, Y/N take some deep breaths like before and I will count back from 5 when I'm at 1 you will be completely relaxed. Alright 5........deep breaths, 4......that's it relax your legs and arms, 3.....relax your body and the muscles, 2......your eyelids should be heavy now 1.......you should be completely relaxed."Jensen looked at our hands join and my grip had become lighter. I was still holding it but it wasn't in a hard grip.Daniela said, "Now Y/N I want you to picture the TV and turn it on. Can you do that for me?""Yes, I am.""Good now flick through the stations until you see something you want to tell me about ok.""Yes," as I flick through the stations I finally stopped on one."Good can you tell what you see. Remember you are safe and your watching it on the TV. It can not hurt you alright."My grip had gotten tighter on Jensen's hand but not painful. "I see me as a little girl. I'm maybe 10 years old I'm at school but my face is bruised and I have a blood nose." Then I flinched as the hit, hit me and I cried out in pain.Daniela said, "Your in no danger your watching it. Tell me what's happening?""There's a group of older kids they are teasing me about my clothes as they are dirty and ripped. They are saying I'm nothing and nobody. Then the older girl hit me in the eye as I took the punch without making a sound. Then she said "there's something wrong with me." Then she kicked me in the stomach and the others join in hitting me. I'm bleeding from a blood nose and my eye is shut close due to the swelling. I never asked them to stop the older girl said, "beg me and I will stop." I didn't as I thought I deserved it."Jensen had tears flowing down his face as he wipes them away. I had tears also flowing unbidden down my face."Then what happened Y/N. Did you get help or asked for help?""No, I lied there for about 10 minutes when I made my bruised and battered body move. I stood with the help of the sink as I looked in the mirror.""What did you see?""I saw a pair of eyes that weren't mine as I didn't recognise myself anymore. All I saw was a broken, damaged, worthless nobody. Nobody cared if I was alive or dead so I dragged my broken body home. When I entered the house my Mother saw me and she pulled my hair which was filthy and dirty as she slapped me across the face. She hit me again and again. I was then made to make them tea. I could barely stand but I did it. I made spaghetti as it was the only thing I knew how to make.""What happened then?"My grip on Jensen hand got tighter I was crushing his hand. Daniela noticed I was getting agitated so she said, "Y/N listen just take some deep breaths. In........out, In....out, that's it now remember your safe it can't hurt you..""My father wanted his dinner and I took it to him with his beer. He saw it was spaghetti and yelled at me and called me a mistake I should never have been born. Your worthless good for nothing mistake as he threw his food and drink at the wall. He then got up and he hit me as I tried to get away he grabbed and twisted my wrist when he grabbed it. I heard a snap as I cried out in pain.He threw me to the floor as I held my arm in pain. My mother told me to get to bed. So I dragged my body to my room. I climbed on my bed as I tried to find some way to stop the pain in my wrist and the hunger pains in my stomach. My bed had one sheet on it and a very threadbare blanket. I eventually passed out with the pain.""Alright I'm going to bring you out now and remember what you have seen but it can't hurt you anymore. It's just a memory which can not do you any harm. 5.......4........3.......2 you are really relaxed now and slow breaths, 1......open your eyes and you will feel relaxed and comforted by Jensen." I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was Jensen's beautiful green eyes searching mine. His was glistening with tears as I reached up and wiped them away. I said, "Hey Jay."He smiled and laughed as he said, "Hey Baby." He bent down and gave me a sweet kiss as his thumb caressed my cheek, not caring if Daniela was in the room. All he wanted to do was give me comfort and support and I love him for it. Daniela cleared her throat and he pulled away but still had his thumb stroking my face in a soothing manner.Daniela said, "You did well today Y/N and how do you feel?""Drained but better now I have one less memory to terrify me. It's also good Jensen is here to, to help me.""Ok, your doing really well Y/N opening up in our sessions and letting in the memories. We will deal with each memory together so they can't hurt you anymore.""Thank you Daniela I'm feeling stronger and haven't been this good in a long time. These sessions are helping me just talking about it and letting it go. I'm glad I'm here doing them.""Ok, so same time next week or do you think you want another one in a couple of days?""I think I will try for next week but can I call if I have a memory that's hard to deal with?""Of course but remember Jensen is also here to help you if you think you can't get through it.""I know he has helped me with my panic attacks and I know he would help me if I have another memory.""I will always be here for you Baby. I hope one day you can trust me again?""I will Jensen, I love you.""I love you too.""Ok, see my Secretary and she will arrange another appointment and Y/N good luck with your job."I laughed as I had forgotten I told her, "Thank you, see you next week."Jensen and I walked out and made the appointment as we walked out the door I turned and looked at Daniela and smiled and she waved to us.Clif was out of the car as Jensen had his arm around me as we headed for the car. Clif said, "So how did it go?"I smiled and said, "Really good Clif thanks for asking."He waved me off as a blushed creeped up his face. We got in the car as Jensen held me all the way home. Clif helped me with my crutches as we headed inside.I said, "Clif would you like to stay for tea?""I would love to but I have to go get Misha and Jared when they finish on set. I will see you both tomorrow."I hobbled over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Ok, another time then. Drive safe Clif."Jensen said, "See you tomorrow Clif.""Bye," he said as he walked out the door.Jensen said, "You look tired want to have a rest before dinner Baby?""Yeah, that would be good," as I grabbed his hand and pulled him along as he picked me up when we reached the stairs.He whispered in my ear, "I owe you for earlier Baby?"I looked at him and he eyes were all dark and his voice was all husky. He gently put me on my bed as he climbed on next to me.His said, "I want to show you everything Baby but we can start off slow?"I looked at him as he lowered his head and kissed me as our tongues explored each other's mouths. He deepen the kiss as I moaned into it. Then he stops and starts tickling me."Jensen," I said laughing and kicking my legs."I told you I had to get you from earlier.""Please stop.......can't breath."He stops for a second or two and starts again as I break out in another fit of laughter.He looked at me and said, "Your beautiful when you laugh Y/N."He finally stops as I gasp for air. He lies down next to me and listens to my breathing as it evens out."You did good today Baby, I'm proud of you. It couldn't been easy to remember that pain.""No, it wasn't but it is helping me. I'm glad you stayed with me Jensen and was still holding my hand.""Yeah, you almost broken my hand with that grip."I smiled but I looked at him and I kissed him gently on the lips. It was soft and he deepen it so our tongues explored our mouths which was the hottest thing I ever felt.He pulled back and said, "Let's get some rest before tea Baby."I rolled over as he pulled me into his body. I always felt safe and comfort in his arms as he would always be here to protect me.I closed my eyes as did Jensen as we both slipped into a deep sleep. I dreamt of what my life is going to be like with Jensen. I felt content and happy. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- We woke a few hours later and Jensen got us some tea and we ate it in the lounge room in front of the fire. It was nice and cozy as we snuggled into each other as Jensen fed me and I him. It was calm and loving and I really liked our quiet time together. He was looking at me with adoringly as he smiles and said in my ear, "Y/N you are so amazingly beautiful and I am so lucky to have you in my life." I turned so I could see his eyes as they sparkled with so much love. I moved gently as I kissed him on the lips.I said, "Jensen I should be saying I'm the lucky one in finding you, Jared, Misha and the wonderful support of all your families. It's given me something I've never had." "What Baby?" "A family who loves and cares for me. I know I will be loved and safe and protected with you and everyone else including Clif." Jensen laughed and said, "Yeah, I've never seen him like that with anybody with us he's usually all business hardass but with you his all soft and protective." "What can I say I have that effect on men." Jensen laughed and said, "Yep, you sure do and I will prove it." As he kissed me it was a deep kiss and he growled in his throat and I moaned into it. I pulled back as he rubbed his nose with mine as I smiled at him. He said, "What do you want to do now? "It's nice sitting here in front of the fire. Maybe you could sing to me?" "What would you like me to sing?" "I don't know anything you know?" "Ok, I sing this at a convention not so long ago. I need to get my guitar." I shifted to let him move as he grabs his guitar.  He started singing "Simple Man." Mama told me when I was young Come sit beside me, my only son And listen closely to what I say And if you do this It will help you some sunny day Take your time.........don't live to fast Troubles will come and they will pass Go find a woman and you'll find love And don't forget son There is someone up above.   And be a simple kind of man Be something you love and understand Be a simple kid of man Won't you do this for me son If you can?  "Theres more, if you want to hear the rest?""Can I Jensen please. You are very good and I really like listening to you sing.""Sure Baby" with a huge grin on his face.  Forget your lust for the rich man's gold All you need is in your soul And you can do this if you try All that I want for my son is to be satisfied.   And be a simple kind of man Be something you love and understand  Be a simple kind of man Won't you do this for me son If you can?   My eyes never left Jensen's as he sang with what was in his heart. I was thinking this story kind of fit us as a couple. He was amazing playing the guitar like it was second nature and his voice was husky but very sexy as he sang. He was watching the emotions flint across my face as he winks at me and I blush. He truly is a star be it a TV star or a rock star no matter to me he was mine and he would always be Jensen the person who showed me love and saved me.   Boy, don't you worry......you'll find yourself Follow your heart and nothing else  And you can do this if you try All I want for you my son is to be satisfied   And be a simple kind of man Be something you love and understand Be a simple kind of man Won't you do this for me son Can you do this for me son If you can?  As he finished the last cord on the guitar I clapped and cheered. He got up and bowed and I laughed as he sat back down and kissed me. I said, "Jensen that song kind of suits us as a couple?""What do you mean?""Well the song was talking about you finding someone to love and follow your heart. Not to rush it and be in an easy relationship which is what we have. We are not rushing it and taking it slow.""Yeah, I never really thought about the lyrics before. So what you thinking our song maybe?""If you want it too be, I like it.""Ok, Baby we can do that it's our song now.""Really?""Yeah, ever couple should have a song.""Yeah," as I clapped my hands together. We stayed there in front of the fire watching Jensen's favourite DVD's. I didn't mine as I hadn't seen they anyway. My favourite still was the Star Wars trilogy. We fell asleep the wee hours in the morning wrapped up in each other as he had me snuggled into him in front of the fire. We awoke to the sound of the birds outside as Jensen held me in his arms. It was nice and he said, "Morning Baby ready for your first day at work?""Yeah, I'm excited Jensen. I will be doing something that I'll enjoy and I will be with you, Jared and Misha."He said, "Yeah, better get up and in the shower and you in your bath before Jared and Clif get here.""Ok, but can we stay just for a few minutes longer?"He smiles and said, "Sure only a few minutes or we will be later." "Ok, Jensen."We stayed like that for a little while longer when Jensen moved to get up and he helped me up and I sat on the lounge as he got my crutches. I headed for the stairs when he stopped me and gave me a good morning kiss. I melted into the kiss as he held me in his arms and squeezed my waist. It was hot as and left me breathless. He looked at me and said, "You right?""What, Oh the stairs?""No, the kiss.""Yeah, it just left me breathless as you normally do."He smirk at my replied and asked, "Do you need help with the stairs. I know you can manage but I like be close to you."I smiled and said, "If you want to."He lifted me off my feet and carried me up the stairs. We entered my bathroom as he run the water and said, "How about we both have a bath.""Ok, Jensen I'll like that."So we both got undressed as Jensen lifted me in first as he followed and I moved to give him more room. He pulled me on top of his body so my back was against his chest. The jets were on and it was lovely and warm as Jensen starts to wash my body. I moaned as it was relaxing me and he was enjoying being this close. I said, "Jensen that's nice.""Mm I can see you body relaxing."He continued bathing my body and then washed his own as he helps me out when he is out and put a towel around me. As we head into my room of course my crutches are downstairs so he takes the weight so I don't put any on my knee. We get dress and he carries me downstairs and I get my crutches and we make breakfast. I was all chatter this morning about my job and how excited I was. He looked and laughs at my excitement. We eat breakfast and clean up when there's a knock at the door. I go and answer it and I'm lifted off my feet into Jared's arms as he spins me around and puts me down with a big moose grin."Morning Princess.""Morning Jared."Clif comes in and said, "Morning Y/N.""Morning Clif," as I hobble over and give him a hug. He smiles and said, "You ready for today?"Jared said, "Today?""I start my job today Jared.""Oh, Yeah you'd be great. How did it go yesterday?" As Jensen walks down the hall and towards us. "Good, we are making progress and Jensen held my hand the whole way through my session. He was a great support yesterday. Just what I needed.""That's good so we don't need to kick his ass?""No, you don't," Jensen said, rolling his eyes."Ok, we better go or we will be late.""Where's Misha?" I asked."He's not filming today.""Oh, I'm going to miss him.""Don't worry I can bet he will be in sometime today he normally does. Right Jared?""Yep, always does."I smiled as we headed out to the SUV. We arrived a short time later when Bob came over and said, "How are you this morning Y/N?""I'm good and you?""Good too. Jensen, Jared and Clif morning.""Morning Bob," Jensen, Jared and Clif said one after the other. "I need to talk to you all before we begin. We have a convention on this weekend and I was hoping you all could go."I looked and said, "Me too Bob?""Yeah, your still there PA's and still have to keep them in line.""I'm not sure I'm ready for a convention yet Bob?"Jensen said, "We will be with you Baby please come."Clif said, "I will be near and I will keep you safe Y/N."Jared said, "Hey if you don't he will worry about you the whole weekend."I smiled as Jensen knew I would be alright I would go stay with Gen until they got back.I looked them in the eyes and bloody Jared and his famous puppy dog eyes won me over."Ok, I'll come."Bob said, "Great I will make the arrangements. Will you want your own room or will you share Jensen's."I blushed when Jensen said, "Y/N will share my room Bob.""Ok, good so you do what you do here but at the convention. Just make sure they are there on time and ready to go.""Ok, I can manage that.""Good, if you have any trouble Clif here will sort them out for you."I nodded as I told them to go change and get ready for there first scene as they both looked at me and smiled as they left.They both return as they where called to makeup. I watched in totally fascination of how everything worked on set. Clif had my seat ready from yesterday as he stood near by but not to close. I watched them in awe as the day progressed I really didn't need to do much at all as Jared and Jensen worked will together. Bob always came over and asked my opinion on different things where it concerned Jensen and Jared and I felt like he respected me when he asked. Clif was forever my shadow. I thought he was so sweet and caring. Jensen, Jared were also nearby if they were not in a scene. I was introduced to Mark Sheppard and Mark what's his name again the one that plays Lucifer I was trying to think. But it didn't matter much as I didn't have a lot to do with them. I did like both Marks they were very kind and asked me questions about working on the set. Bob came over and said, "Good job today Y/N oh, Misha has scenes tomorrow are you going to be alright with all three?" when they finished for the night. I said, "Yes, Thank you Bob, see you tomorrow?""Ok, you see tomorrow," as he hugged me for the first time. I was feeling like part of the crew now and it was absolutely amazing to feel apart of something. Jensen came over and said, "How did it go?""Good, I'm still working, he wants me here tomorrow and Misha's working. I thought he might have come in but he didn't did he?""No, I didn't see him.""Oh, well see him tomorrow.""You ready to go?""Yep," as Clif handed me my crutches and I said, "Thank you Clif." I smiled as Jared caught up with us. He said, "So, what did Bob say?""What, that I'm coming back tomorrow.""Yeah, I really enjoy seeing you on set Princess.""But you have to be on your best behaviour tomorrow." He looked at me and then Jensen. Jensen said, "Misha's in tomorrow.""Oh, I will try promise Princess. We don't want you to lose your job do we.""No, we don't," Clif said in a menacing voice. Jared said, "Ok, Clif we will behave.""Good or I will kick both your ass you understand me.""Geez Clif, I would do anything to hurt Y/N.""I know but when your around Misha you kind of lose your wits and do dumb stuff."He laughed and said, "Yeah, I know but I will keep it in check tomorrow while on set ok.""Ok, that's all we ask right Y/N?""Yes, thank you Clif. I appreciate the help."He looked at the road hiding a wide grin on his face. We went home and had something to eat and then we went to bed as I was exhausted after my first day on set. Jensen snuggled into me as we slept soundly. So we got up and did our usually routine then Jared, Misha and Clif turned up and we all piled in the SUV. We all arrived at the set and the boys all went to change as I waited patiently for them. They all did their scenes with a occasionally blooper but that's natural and Bob was happy with the scenes they did today. We were leaving when Misha came running in looking for the bathroom as Jared had super glued his toilet seat down and he couldn't use it. I have to admit it was kind of funny but poor Misha was running around looking for the public bathroom to use. I said, "Jared that's was mean super gluing his toilet," as I tried to hide a laugh."Yeah, I know I'm sorry but I had to do something as it was building inside waiting to come out." That was it, we all burst out laughing then as Misha returned in the middle of it. He said, "See what treatment I get on set?"I laughed harder than I ever have before as four of them was in awe. Misha said, "Ok, Jared I will let you off because look at that face. It was worth the humiliation to see her laugh.""Yep, it sure was you look beautiful Princess."I stopped laughing as little hiccups replaced the laughter. Jensen said, "Yeah, I know her whole face lights up its incredible to see."I blushed when Clif said, "You all ready and Y/N thank you?""What for?""See how amazing you are when you laugh.""Oh, Clif that's so sweet."So Clif took us all home and we ate and Jensen said, "Do you want to talk about the convention? I know your worried something is going to happen. I also know you are uncomfortable with large crowds of people. Are you going to be alright?""Jay I'm am a little worry I've never been to a convention and there is bound to be lots of people there right.""Yes, you don't have to come if you feel uncomfortable.""Jensen I want to try going to this convention and Clif will stay close.""Ok, but if it becomes to much let Clif know and he will take you back to our hotel room ok.""Ok, I love you for asking me Jensen how I was feeling about this.""We were going to be honest with our feelings remember plus I can pretty much read your looks now." "Really what's this one tell you?" As I look at him."Oh, that ones easy?" "Yeah, what do I want?"He lean over and kissed me on the lips it was soft and he deepen the kiss so our tongues were fighting for dominance as I have become pretty good at kissing Jensen now.He looked at me when we finished the kiss and said, "Ok, your turn."As I looked into his eyes I smiled as he wanted me to kiss him this time so I did just that and their was lust also in his eyes. I knew he wanted me but not yet I wasn't ready. We when to bed and the rest of the week passed quickly as we flew out for my first convention. I had hold of Jensen's hand that tight he told me to easy up on his hand. I looked down and his hand was white. I apologised and he smiled as I easy of a bit. Jared said, "Hey, Princess it's going to be alright. We will be with you and so will Clif.""I know but what if I have an attack or someone asks about me?""If they do we will answer the best we can ok?" Jensen said."Look people are going to be curious about you but we know how to almost answer a question without actually answering it.""Ok, so I have nothing to worry about.""Nothing at all." Misha said. We landed soon after in America. I asked "Where are we Jensen?""Seattle we will be here for two days at this convention.""How do you guys get used to working long hours and then conventions on top of that?"Jared said, "The fans like you keep us in a job and it's good for us to give back to them. Sure it's time consuming for us but we love it. There is always something new happening or we just do something crazy and they love it. We are here because they will be here." "Yeah, and its all in fun for us and we do enjoy ourselves a lot when the audience all get revved up and excited," Jensen said."Are you singing Jensen?""I don't know Baby you want me too?"I blushed as Jared and Misha was wondering what was going on. "Only if your comfortable with it Jensen."He winked at me then and smiled. We waited for the car as Clif headed off to get one as we walked through the airport. They were spotted by a group of girls as I stood off to one side as they took pictures with them. The girls were all very excited and asked for their autographs as they talked with them for a few minutes giving them hugs. It was sweet watching them change someone's life just by taking a picture or autograph. Even talking to them makes a difference Jensen was saying. When they finished the girls all said, "Thank you" as we continued to the entrance of the airport. It was warm in Seattle but not hot. Clif parked the car and grabbed our bags and then drove us to our hotel. The clerk behind the counter said, "Name please Sir?"Jensen said, "We have four rooms booked in the name of Bob Singer."He looked and said, "Oh, yeah here will are. Mr Singer has already paid for your rooms I will get your bags brought up Sir. Here are your room keys. Do you need any help," as he looks at me. Jensen said, "No, we are fine thank you."We all headed for the elevator and pressed our number. We have a floor to ourselves as the hotel was only small. So our floor only had four rooms on it. It was good to, as we all had our privacy. Jensen opened our door as I looked at the king size bed and I looked at him.He said, "You sure your alright with this Baby?""Yeah, people know you have a girlfriend right they just don't know it's me.""Yes, so you want me to tell them about you?""Only if you feel comfortable with it and nothing to personal.""I wouldn't tell them anything personal we try to keep our lives private and look you were with us today and you were alright.""Yeah, because the girls only had eyes for you, Jared and Misha. I just looked at how excited they were to meet you all.""You alright with that.""Of course I am it's good to be in the background I really don't want to be up front."He smiled as he knew that's what I would say. You hungry we could go get something to eat. Asked Jared, Misha and Clif seen how he won't let you out of his sight.""What you jealousy of Clif?" "No, because I know you love me. Clif he really likes you but I think it's more a daughter thing going on there.""Yeah, I know it's nice though to have him close by.""Ok, so shall we go knock on their doors and ask?""Sure," as Jensen held me by the waist and knocked on Jared's door. He called out "hang on a minute," as he opened the door he was shirtless. He saw Jensen and I standing there and looked embarrassed by his state of undress.He said, "Sorry I just getting out the shower and I hadn't fully got dressed.""Don't hurry on my account," as I looked at his chest and muscles with my eyebrows raised. Jensen laughed at Jared's discomfort and I had to giggle too. Jensen said, "It's alright Jared we can wait. We just wanted to know if you want to go out to get something to eat with us?" "Yeah, sure is Misha and Clif coming with?""We are going to ask them now.""Ok, give me ten minutes and I will meet you back here.""Ok," as we moved away he closed the door with red cheeks. We moved along the doors and knocked on Misha's he opened right away. He was on the phone to Vicki. "Hey Vicki, Jensen and Y/N are here? Yes ok I will tell them and I will talk to you later? Love you honey. Give the kids a hug for me. Bye.""He hung and said, "What's up?""Just want to know if you want to grab something to eat with us?" I said. "Sure, we going now?" "We going to go ask Clif and then get Jared and then we are,"Jensen said. "Ok, I will just find my wallet and key and there, ready. How you doing on those Y/N?" "Better," as we moved day too the last door. I knocked as Clif opened his door the TV was on and he smiled when he saw me. "Are you alright Y/N?""Yes Clif, we are just going to get something to eat and thought you might like to join us?"His face lit up as Jensen and Misha were watching and he said, "Sure I would love too.""Good, come on then."He grabbed his key and wallet and shut the door. We all headed back to Jared's room who was waiting for us. "Right ready to go?" Jared said. We all went down the elevator when Jensen said, "Where too?" "I don't mine what we have?" I said.Jared said, "How about burgers there's a little shop just a short walk from here?"Misha said, "Y/N you going to be alright with the walk?""I'm not sure how far Jared?""Maybe two or three blocks away."Clif said, "Wait here I'll get the car. Y/N's not walking on crutches that distance its too much for her."I smiled at him and said, "Thanks Dad."He looked proud of himself when I called him that and went to get the car.Jensen said, "Did you see his face when you called him Dad?""Yep, I'm glad he's here Jensen."Jared said, "You know you could probably pass as his daughter?""Yeah, I know he's a hell of a lot better than my own father. I would be proud for him to be my father."Misha said, "I have a feeling he would be just as proud your his daughter." I had a happy tear slip from my ear as Clif pulls up and he helps me in the car. We drive the three blocks which actually was four to the burger joint. We went in and ordered and we all got different burgers as we ate the boys were asked for selfies and autographs as Jensen had hold of my hand under the table. We finished the burgers and Jensen said, "Its about time to go to the convention?"Clif said, "Yes its starts in an hour so I better get you all there on time.""We don't want me to get fired."So we all got in and headed to the convention centre where Clif parked in back as we all were given wrist braces to wear to know we were the stars and crew for them. Jensen put it on my wrist. As we walked in they had a green room where they had to wait. Richard and Rob walked in. Jensen introduced me and they both gave me hugs.Richard said, "So your Y/N, we've heard so much about you. We didn't know you would be here today?""It's was last minute as Bob gave me a job. I've only been working for a week. So I'm really nervous about this convention."Rob said, "We are all nervous our first one but you will be fine. Your not going on stage so you should be good."Richard said, "You ready boys?"Jensen said, "Can we organise for a chair for Y/N to sit on?"Clif said, "I'm already on it.""Thanks Clif."So we all walked to the edge of the stage where there was a chair waiting for me and I sat down and Clif took the crutches. Richard and Rob went on stage and the noise was deafening. As we watch them as they introduced Jensen, as kisses me quickly and walks on stage. The audience were screaming and whistling as Jensen stands and waits for Jared's intro he kisses my head as he walks on next to Jensen and the room is so loud. I said, "Is it always like this Misha?""Yes, except when we do solo panels."Finally Misha was called on stage. As they all keep saying thank you and sending kisses out with their hands. Jensen taps his chest as he bows slightly and then they take there seats.Jared said, "Thank you all for coming and we love Minneapolis it's a beautiful place to visit."Everyone had cheered when Jared said that.Jensen said, "How many first timers here tonight?"I put my hand up as he turns to look at me and winks at me. He sees Clif standing to one side of me watching everything around him.Misha said, "So who's got the first question?"The person said, "Thank you for coming and I really love your show. My question is to Jared and Misha, how are your kids doing?""Funny thing you should ask they question," Misha said, "You see we when over Jensen's the other day for a BBQ and my adorable kids" the Jared cuts in "our adorable kids," "oh yeah our adorable kids feel asleep at the table and looked incredibly cute all sleeping in Jensen's bed."Jensen said, "Yeah they were cute.""Ok, next question please," Jared said."Love your show and my question is for all of you?  Can you tell us how your friend in Australia is doing?"Jensen said, "Thank you and she is doing really well and is getting better every day.""She is moving around better on her broken knee and is enjoying being here with us," Jared said.The person asked, "So Jensen we heard you have a girlfriend is it true? And is it your friend in Australia?"Jensen looked at me and I nodded my head yes. He smiles at me when the audience noticed Jensen looking at something off stage. He said, "Yes, I do and I love her very much and yes it is our friend in Australia. She amazing and sweet. She's inspires me to be a better person and to be more open. She's the love of my life. Who knew I would find an amazing beautiful Australian to fall in love with. She's my everything.""We also love her like a little sister as we all have become very close. She has made the trip back with us to Canada so we can support her while she has her broken leg," Misha said."We actually have a funny story to tell. When she landed with us my little boy Shep was instantly taken with her. Jensen was jealous as he has some competition for her," Jared said."Yeah, I don't know about competition but he is so sweet with his crush on my girl," as he smiles.The next person asked, "Jensen is she here now?""Yes, but she is uncomfortable with coming on stage."The next question, "Do Gen, Vicki and Jensen's girlfriend get along?""Yes they are best friends and its what she needs to have friends who will stick by her," Jared said."She is an amazing person who deserves all the happiness we can give her and all the love and support. I will give her all I can as will Jared's family, Misha's family and my own. She is the only one for me," Jensen said as a tears slipped passed his eyes. He turned and wiped them as Jared came over and gave him a hug for support. "Ok, any questions on the show?" As Misha asked to distract everyone from Jensen. Jensen walks off stage for a few minutes and came to me as I held him in my arms. He said, "I'm sorry, it just got to me for a minute.""Hey, look at me Jensen. We knew there would be questions about me and I think you all handled them well. I'm so proud of you and your the love of my life as well babe."He wrapped his arm around my waist as he kisses me passionately on the lips. It was soft and tender and I could feel his emotions in this kiss. We he broke away he said, "I love you Baby." I said, "I know and I love you too."He took a deep breath and walked back on stage as Misha and Jared were talking about the pranks Jared has done on Misha.They both turned and looked at Jensen he was smiling and all business again. The rest of the panel was good as they answered the questions given them. There were no more about me until the last question was asked as like they do they sing last question it's the last question. They asked the person they name and they said, "Hi" and gave her a hug. Jared put the mike in front of her face as she asks, "Jensen are you going to marry your girl?"He smiles and said, "Funny thing you should ask that. I knew the first moment I meet her that we will be married someday. I even gave her a promise ring so she will always know how much I love her and always want her in my life. Yes we are planning to get marry someday." They said, "Thank you for coming" to everyone and Richard and Rob shouting Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins everyone." Everyone was cheering and I was clapping too. They all ran off stage and gave me a hug and kiss. I said, "You all were great and it was good.""You didn't mine about the question?" Jensen looks at me."No, it's the truth right.""Yeah.""So you told them the truth not the whole truth but what you could.""God I love you.""Yep, I know that. So what happens now?""We do autographs and photo Ops with people. Do you want to stay and wait or Clif can take you back to the hotel?""I'm good, just find me a seat and I will wait for you to finish. Clif will stay with me.""Will you be alright they all know now that I have a girlfriend I'm madly in love with. That know you're here what if they work out its you? Are you gong to be alright with the crowd.""If they do I will handle it the best I can. I'll sic Clif onto them. I'm alright so far I think it's because I'm not out there in the crowd.""Don't worry man I got her covered," Clif said."Ok, we will see you later.""Yep," as he kissed me goodbye. I moved slowly on the crutches as Clif walked next to me. We found somewhere to sit where we wouldn't be noticed and away from the main mass of people as Clif asked if I wanted something to eat or drink.I said, "something to drink would be nice Clif thanks.""Ok, you'll be alright for a couple of minutes.""Yes, fine go on," he walks away but kept checking to see if I was alright until he was out of sight. I was looking around and I could see Jensen, Jared and Misha from where I sat. I watched them and didn't heard the person coming up next to me. She said, "Excuse me are you Jensen's girlfriend?" I've been watching out for you when I saw Clif leave I thought it must be you."I stammered, "Yyyyes why?""I just wanted to tell you how lucky you are. Jensen is a wonderful man and always makes time for his fans. He spoke to me once when I was upset and he made sure I was alright. I didn't believe all those stories about you. I think your really nice.""Thank you for your honesty and it's nice to know. If you like I could get Clif to take you to Jensen and he could take photos with you if you don't have an op.""Nah, it's all good I have my ops soon they doing the higher price ticket holders first. Can I sit with you a bit while I wait if you don't mine.""No, that's fine so what's your name?""I'm Georgia and a very big fan of Supernatural.""Who's your favourite?""I like them all but I like Dean the best.""Yeah, he is my favourite too even before I met him.""What's he really like?""Basically what you see is what you get. He's all soft and sweet and kind and gentle. He is wonderful and I love him." Georgia said, "Yeah, I noticed the look in your eyes when you speak about him."Clif came back and cleared his throat. He said, "Are you alright?"I said, "Yes Clif this is Georgia she's waiting for photo ops with the guys." "She hasn't done anything to hurt you?""Heavens no we were talking and she was telling me Dean's her favourite character on the show."He looked at the line as we heard the next lot of photo ops called over.Georgia said, "that's me, nice meeting you and Clif.""You too Georgia. Let Jensen know you spoke with me he might make it extra special for you.""Ok, I will bye," as she walks to the line and shows her ticket.Clif said, "You got to be more careful Y/N. She could have hurt you?""Yes, I know but she didn't and she was nice. I can't be scare of every person who approaches me Clif.""Next time wait until I'm with you please," I saw the worry and pleading in his eyes."Sorry Clif I didn't mean to worry you next time I will wait."He let out the breath he was holding as he hugged me. "Clif," I said, "I'm alright." He held me a bit longer as he wanted to make sure and reassure himself I was fine. "Clif, you can let go now." He pulled back and blushed at how he was acting. "Sorry anything happen to you and the boys will kick my ass for letting it." "I won't tell if you don't ok."He nodded as we sat and waited the photo ops took a couple of hours and Jensen came over said, "Hey did you talk to someone named Georgia today?" "Yes, why?" "She was telling me how nice you were and I was lucky to have you.""She did, did she and what did you do?""I gave her a free photo op with the one she already had. With Jared, Misha and myself.""Really, thank you Jensen.""Hey she was nice too you, so I was nice to her." "You are wonderful Jensen, so what happens now?""We go for awhile and come back for Friday night concert.""So you are singing?""Maybe Baby, Maybe." We get up and head back to the hotel. Where we relaxing in our room on the lounge as Jensen held me in his arms. He said, "tomorrow there will be more questions about you?""I know, just answer like today. You did good but if you want to tell them more that's fine too.""Not yet Baby. Your still coming to terms with it all and so am I." But he moved me briefly and pulled my promise ring from his pocket. "Will you consider wearing our ring again?"I looked at him and I knew he wouldn't leave me again so I said, "Yes Jensen I will wear our ring.""Really, Baby?"I laughed and said, "Yes Jay I will. I love you and trust you."He beamed a huge smile as he puts it back on my left finger and kisses it. He looked at me and was so happy his face lit up as I pulled him in for a kiss. Tonight the concert and another day at the convention and then back home. It has been exciting so far and I was enjoying myself. We shall see what tomorrow brings and how the panel goes. I looked down at my ring and that's where it belongs and I was never taking it off again. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- We must have fallen asleep we woke up to Jared knocking on the door saying, "Jensen, Y/N we have to get back to the convention."I said, "Jensen what's happening?""We must have fallen asleep Baby. You ready for the concert?""Mm I need to go to the bathroom and throw some water on my face. Let Jared in I'll only be a minute.""Hang on," he said, as he kisses me and then our ring.I pick up the crutches and head to the bathroom while Jensen let Jared in and he said, "You ready to go Jensen?""No yet Y/N's in the bathroom we must have fallen asleep she be out in a minute.""Ok, I will go get Clif and Misha while we are waiting for her.""Ok," Jared left and we could hear him knocking on the doors as Misha opened and said, "I'm coming."Clif was already walking out his door just as Jared was about to knock. He said, "Jensen and Y/N ready to go?""Y/N was in the bathroom she should be when we get back."I was standing on my crutches leaning into Jensen when they returned. Clif smile and said, "Hey Y/N, Jensen?""Hey Clif, you have a nice rest?""Yes and did you?""Yes, Jensen and I fell asleep its was nice I feel more relaxed and rested now."Jared said, "That's good because the concert could go late which normally happens and then we normally go out drinking after.""Yeah, we usually get drunk and make complete ass of ourselves but we have fun," Misha said.Clif said, "Alright we better get moving or we will be late."So we head to the elevator where there were some girls waiting out side the hotel so they stopped and did autographs and photos with them and Jared asked, "are you coming tonight?"They said, "No couldn't afford tickets we hope to be able to make it there one day."Misha said, "Hope to see you there?"They all giggled as they walked off as Clif had gone to get the car. We all piled in when Jensen grabbed my left hand and Misha noticed my ring."Y/N is that was I think it is?""Mm it is?"Jared and Clif turned around and saw the ring. Jensen said, "Y/N's wearing our ring again. I'm so happy that she's accepted it back."Misha said, "That's really good Y/N I'm glad for you both."Jared said, "Wow, congrats to you both and it's nice to see you both happy again.""Thank you both for your love and support and it would never have happened if you both were here to help us."Clif looked in the review mirror but didn't say anything he just nodded his head.We arrived a short time later where we were bustled into the green room and then sent to the stage area. You could hear everyone screaming as Rob's group I think were playing a song. Jensen said, "Its Louden Swain playing Rob Benedicts group.""Ok, he's good and it's very loud."Jared said, "Yeah, Jensen normally sings with them while they are on stage.""Are you going to sing Jared?""God, no I just play a guitar when I feel comfortable enough to play.""Misha what about you?""Nope can't sing or play I usually just watch and listen.""Ok, so you both can keep me company then while Jensen's on stage."Jared said, "Sure we have seats here somewhere where we can see the whole stage."Clif said, "Y/N are you going to be alright with the stairs they are really steep to climb."Jensen said, "You can always stay here and watch from here."The song finished as Rob was talking with Richard I knew they were getting read to introduce Jensen. I said, "Jared and Misha can help me with the stairs.""Sure we can Princess."Jensen kissed me and we headed to the place Jared was talking about. We found out seats after Jared decided to carry me up them and we sat with Clif close behind us.Jensen was called on stage as the room was electrified with excitement and anticipation of what Jensen was going to sing. He was joined on stage with Richard on guitar and Rob on guitar and he's band and Jensen's also on guitar as he said, "Hi everyone, how are you all here in Seattle?"The audience screams we love you Jensen and he said, "Love you too. Ok so shall we sing some songs?"The audience screams were so deafening and exciting I couldn't wait to hear Jensen sing with a band behind him. The song started and I knew what it was. Jensen said, "This is for the love of my life." As he looks for me in the audience as he sings a Simple Man. I had a tear slip down my face as Jared, Misha and Clif were watching me. Jared put his arm around me as I lean into it as did Misha the other side. Clif stood back but close enough incase I needed him. We listened to Jensen's voice it was purely amazing the way he could put his emotions into our song. When he finished he looked straight at me and said, "Love you Baby."The audience was were clapping and cheering. Jared said, "Y/N do you want something to drink?""Yeah, thanks Jared.""I go with you Jared and help," Misha said.They both left as Clif sits next me and said, "Y/N." I look at Clif and said, "Yes Clif?"He said, "I'm proud of you and Jensen for working through your problems and taking his ring back. You belong together and you've become part of our family. I love you like a daughter as I never had any children of my own Y/N and if he ever hurts you again I will kick his ass."I looked at Clif and said, "Thanks Clif and I'm glad I have you in my life and I never had a love of a father before but if I did I want him to be you. You are amazing and kind and I know you care about me Clif." I leaned over and gave him a hug and a kiss as I said, "Thanks Dad."He hugged me back as tears slip passed his eyes. He held me for a few minutes more when he pulled away as I wiped his eyes and he looked happy and embarrassed as Jared and Misha came back and saw the tears. I said, "he got something in his eyes I was just checking them for him."Jared and Misha knew better but didn't say anything and Clif hugged me again and I told him to sit next to me. Jared had brought us all drinks including Clif as we sat and had a drink while waiting for Jensen to sing his next song. The music started when Jensen called Jared to the stage. Jared shouted "no way Jensen.""Everyone give Jared some encouragement" as he looked at me and I said, "Please Jared I would love to see you play?""Ok, for you Princess."He heads over to the stage as they had changed the stage to a few chairs and Jensen sitting in one with another for Jared and Rob. Richard was calling Jared to the stage as the audience were going crazy. Jared walks on shyly as he talks with Jensen. "Y/N asked me to do this Jensen, she wants to see me play.""You have a soft spot for her don't you?""Of course Jensen I love her like a sister and she wants to see us both perform together.""Thanks Baby for getting Jared out here," as he taps his chest by his heart.They both sat down and the music started as Jensen was watching Jared to make sure he was comfortable. Jensen started singing free fallin while Jared played. It was the most amazing think I have ever seen they were in perfect sync with each other. Jared was incredible on the guitar as he played he kept his head down but he was still amazing. He looked up once at me and I smiled so he kept his head up during the rest of the song. "Misha would you look at that they are amazing up there.""Yeah, they are it's good to see Jared so comfortable too."Everyone was singing and clapping as Jensen changed the words slightly but no one cared. Everyone was singing along to the song when it finished everyone clapped and cheered and gave Jared a standing ovation. He bowed and Jensen said, "Jared Padalecki everyone."Jared walked off stage and came back to me and I said, "You were incredible Jared that was amazing to watch you both on stage together. You should do it more often Jared."He had a smile from ear to ear when Misha said, "It was really good Jared, you and Jensen know how to get the audience going.""I wouldn't gone up there it if wasn't for you Princess.""Oh, sh Jared you welcome.""Love you Princess.""Love you too Jared and thank you for playing for me. It was wonderful seeing my two favourite people on stage preforming together.""Anytime Princess anytime."The music started playing and Jensen started singing Brother. I love this song too and I watched him as his eyes never left mine all through the song. It was ridiculous how talented my boyfriend was and he was letting other people see that. I was so proud of him and Jared for going out of their comfort zone and perform it's good to see them up their smiling and enjoying themselves. Jensen finished the song and took a breather while the other stars sang. We were waiting for him after he cleaned up and changed his clothes. We were all sitting there watching the others sing when the time just slipped by. Jensen sang two more songs with the rest of the cast and then it was time to finish. So they all said, "Goodnight thanks for coming. See you all tomorrow."As we left Jared said, "The guys are going for drinks are you going to come with?""I'm not much of a drinker Jared but Jensen can if he wants too.""You be ok Baby going back to the hotel?""Sure I'll be fine, enjoy yourselves you've earned it all of you."Clif said, "I will take her back to the hotel and make sure she's fine and come back for you all.""Ok, thanks Clif," Jensen said. He gave me a kiss goodbye and "I will see you soon.""Ok, goodnight everyone have a good time." They all said, "Goodnight" as Jared and Misha gave me a kiss.I left as Clif and I walked to the car which wasn't far. He drove me back to the hotel and made sure I was settled before he left and told me to lock the door. I got ready for bed and was watching TV when I fell asleep. Jensen banged through the door at about 1.30am drunk and smelt of alcohol as he tried to undress. He plops down on the bed and said, "Baby you awake?""I wasn't until you came in.""Sorry Baby I didn't mean to wake you" as he slurs his words.He lies down next to me and gives me a alcohol breath kiss as he passes out fully clothed. I roll into him as he moves to hold me in his arms even though he is passed out, it's out of instinct. I was finally falling back to sleep when I felt Jensen's hard  shoes as he kicked me in his sleep. I moved down the bed being careful of my knee and pulled his shoes off and undid his jeans and pull them down as well so he is in his boxers and shirt. I knew he was going to have one major hang over in the morning. I snuggled back up to him as he pulled me in close. We both slept until there was a knock on the door.Jensen groaned as his head was pounding as he tried to open his eyes. I said, "morning Babe how's the head.""Sh to loud. Oh God don't let me do that again bloody Jared can drink." I got up to see who was at the door it was Clif with Jensen's morning cup of coffee. "Morning Clif, that for Jensen?""Yes and there's a hot chocloate for you too.""The rest?""Jared and Misha, we need to leave in an hour can you both be ready by then?""Sure Clif and thanks," he blushes as he walks away."I had left a cutch by the door as I carried the tray with our hot drinks on it to the bed. "Jensen, Clif brought you a coffee to help with the hang over.""God bless him he's a angel where is it.""We need to be ready in an hour.""Ok," as he moaned into this cup of coffee. "I need to shower Jensen?" As I took a drink of my hot chocolate. He pulled me down so I was at eye level and kissed me sweetly on the lips.  "I didn't make an ass of myself last night did I?""No, you came home and passed out, no ass making there."He sighed with relief as he thought he did something but guess he didn't. I said, "Jensen do you want to run the bath for me please?""How about we make it a double and it will make us getting ready shorter." "Ok, I'm in."He stumbles over to the bathroom the room is spinning slightly as he turns on the taps. I get up and move towards the bathroom as I start to undress. Jensen then realises that he has only his boxers and shirt on. I said, "You kicked me last night with your shoes so I stripped you.""Sorry Baby I promise I will never get that drunk again.""Hey it's ok you deserved to let loose and don't let me spoil all your fun."He came over and held me in his arms as he said, "You're amazing you know that.""So I've been told by this gorgeous guy I'm dating.""Yeah well he will have to fight me for you Baby because I'm not letting you go ever.""Oh, he will be disappointed when I tell him I'm in love with someone else.""Oh, well I can't help it I'm irresistible to you."I slapped his arm and said, "I love you Jensen.""I love you Baby.""We better get in the bath before Clif comes back and finds us in a awkward position."He laughs and then moans as he remembers his headache. When we got out he took some pain killers and got some more coffee. When I saw Jared and Misha they weren't looking any better either. I tried to hold a laugh back but it was hard when the three of them were moaning in unison. Clif said, "You better feel better you have a whole day of panels, photo ops and autographs to do."They groaned when I said, "I will have a supply of coffee and pain killers brought to you throughout the day ok."The three of them mumbled a thank you. We arrived a short time later al three were still groaning with their hangovers. We walk in when Richard and Rob said, "great night last night guys. You should have seen them knocking the shots back. Jensen at one stage though you were there and was talking to a mannequin. It was funny watching him until we told him it wasn't you.""Really that would have been funny. I guess you did make an ass of yourself after all Babe."Jensen groaned and said, "Thanks Rob for telling her what an ass I was.""It's ok Babe, I still love you."Richard said, "Ok, ready for the panel?"Jared said, "Can we keep it down my head hurts.""Mine too, next time we will drink after we finish the convention."I laughed at them as they had sunglasses on to hide there eyes and the glare of the lights. Rob said, "Ok its time."We all headed to the stage where I sat where I was yesterday as Richard and Rob went on stage to introduce them. "Put your hands together for Jensen Ackles" he looked at me and gave me a quick kiss and said, "don't forget the coffee and pain killers Baby?" As he took his glasses off and headed for the stage."I won't love you."He stumbled on the stage and the audience cheered and clapped him. He flinched at the loud noise of all the audience. It was breathtaking and surreal how many people are there for their panel. It was for me a experience I wouldn't forget and it was awe how everyone reacted to them. Richard said, " Jared Padalecki everyone." As Jared also stumbles out and bows.Rob said, "Misha Collins Everyone."All three sit down and said, Hi everyone glad you could come." As all three put down their coffees they were holding. Jensen said, "It's nice being back here in Seattle," as the audience cheers. Jared said, "It is and did anyone go to the concert last night?"A lot of the audience cheered and shout "Yes."Misha said, "It was a special night as Jared Padalecki here played on stage for the first time ever."The room erupted in cheers and whistles as Jared with his hat took a bow. Jensen said, "Maybe we could get him to do it again sometime," as he looks at me and winks.Jared said, "Maybe? First question?""Hello, I'm a fan of supernatural and you all do an amazing job on the show." They all said, "Thanks.""My question is what would be your ideal heaven?"Misha said, "With them on stage."Jared said, "With my family."Jensen said, "Home with my girl," as he looks at me and "thank you for your question."The audience all ah and oh.Misha said, "Yes next question?"Have you ever been able to sit down and actually watch the show or complete season to see what the fans see in you. Why we love and why we respect you all so much? Jared said, "Boy that's a good question for me I think it's more the bond we have together on and off screen that you see everyday that what makes us feel the love you have for us. Also we are open with the love with give you guys and you return that love."Jensen said, "Yeah, I guess Jared's right we did have a screening of an episode a few weeks back and we sat and watch it with the fans of the show who were there. It was amazing to see the different reactions to the episode as these people come up to us and said, "How we have helped them in the struggles and how much they respect the AKF campaigns and how our characters have been through so much and are always their for each other. It gives us a sense of what you all are feeling towards our characters and how we portray them. We have the special bond between us. I mean us the actors and you the fans there hasn't been anything like it in any convention. We love ya all."Misha said, "I've never watched an episode of supernatural or a season where someone doesn't die or something happens to one of us. It to us feels real especially when you have to build the emotions and then you have a death scene and I know when Jensen died Jared was feeling the emotions of losing a brother. I was feeling the emotions of losing my best friend. It is easy for us to see what you feel as you come to theses conventions and show us. Be it with a hug or a shy smile or just speaking with us. Thank you for the question I hope it answered it?""Yes thank you and we love you all too," the person said. Jensen said, "Next question?""Jared thank you so much for the Always Keep Fighting campaign it has saved my life more than you know. Is there anything that you plan on doing more for AKF or has it closed for now?"Jared said, "We do have something coming up in a few months once we get it organised and Random Acts is also going to be involved. But we can't say too much just yet but yes keep a look out for it. I hope ya all will support it as it will be for a very good cause." As he looks at me and I smiled as he remembers my Organisation I wanted to set up. Jensen said, "Yes," as he notice Jared looking at me. "It will be very close to our hearts so please help support it.""Random Acts are going to help get this campaign off the ground as it is special for us all.""Ok thank you," the person said.Jared said, "Ok next question yes what's your question?""You know you are all special right?"Jared said, "Jensen, Misha and I just actors but people tell us we are in our own world and its awesome because ya all are in that world too."Jensen said, "Ya all beautiful." As the audience cheers and claps their hands.Jared said, "People are thanking us for saving them but we didn't do anything. You did it all the love, strength and sacrifice that got you through and we love you all for Always Keep Fighting. You are amazing in our eyes and we always hope to encourage ya all to keep up the fight and stay strong." The audience clapped and Jared said, "Yeah."Misha said, "Another question?""Jensen this is for you. How is your girlfriend adjusting to all this the conventions, the filming and you given your time to complete strangers?""She was uncomfortable with the whole convention thing yesterday but today she seems a bit more at ease. With the filming she actually she there with us Bob gave her a job so she is with us on set. The strangers she is good with it all she likes being in the background. But if you ever see her please be nice to her this is all new to her and she deserves the same love you give us." "Jensen" the next person asked, "Is she starring in Supernatural?""No, she doesn't like the cameras or people knowing who she is. So no she's not starring on Supernatural.""Jensen you said, at yesterday's panel you want to marry her. When did you realise it?""Boy, it was the first moment I looked into her eyes." The audience ah and oh again."This is for all of you. When you met Jensen's girlfriend was she in trouble?""What do you mean in trouble?" Jensen said."Did she have her broken leg or did you all go out for another reason?" The person asked.Jensen looked at me and I nodded he could tell them."No I broken her leg in the bath. We went out because she was in a bad way and needed our help."Jared said, "Look you have to understand we were in contact with her on the phone and she was having a really rough day and we thought she could use some support.""So we caught the next plane out and found her in the bath where Jensen accidentally broke her knee. She was fine and singing in it.""But you all stay a week? Why?" Another person asked."It took us that long to convince her to come back to Canada with us. She was unable to cope with a broken leg." Misha said."Why didn't she just come straight back?" The same person asked."It's because we wanted to stay in Australia for a bit before we came back. So we had a week off looking around Adelaide and having fun," Jensen said. Richard changed the subject and said, "Anymore questions for me?""Richard as you said before you directed a few episodes in the show recently but I was wondering if Gabriel will becoming back?""Right, at the stage their are no plans for the return of Gabriel but I will continue to Director the show for a few episodes this season."Rob said, "Last question, it's the last question" as Jensen gets up and sings too.Misha and Jared find someone in the audience and brings her up on stage and they ask her name.She replies, "Julie."Jared said, "Hi Julie."Misha said, "Hi."As Jensen comes over and said, "Hi Julie your question is?" "What's the best thing about working on Supernatural?" Julie said.Jared said, "Friendships, meeting my wife, family and most of all meeting ya all."Jensen said, "Well I would say meeting my girlfriend, free haircuts, free clothes, being a role model for ya all, friendships and family but most of all the Impala." I laughed as he winked at me.Misha said, "Yeah I would have to agree with the friendships, family and the fans are the best thing working on the show. Thank you for watching and keeping us on air."Rob and Richard "Everyone thank Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins." They bowed and tapped the chest and sent kisses out to everyone and said, "Thank you we love ya all."They all came off and Jensen looked completely drained and he came into my arms as I hugged him. Jared said, "You did good Jensen answering the questions about Y/N.""I guess but I tried to get it away from the what you were feeling and planning to do," Jensen said."It's ok they are going to find out eventually," I answered."Not until you are ready for them to know Y/N," Jared said."They will when we set up the Organisation there will be personal questions for me to deal with.""You don't have to Baby if you don't want to set it up.""I know it's one of my dreams to help other abused kids out there Jensen.""Yep you're going to do this and we will help you any way we can," Jensen said."Jensen it's important to me and it's also going to help me heal," I said.Jared said, "You're very brave to do this and we will stand behind you one hundred percent."Misha said, "So we will have to talk to the CEO of Random Acts and see where you want to go.""Ok, but not yet.  I'm still getting use to be here and working on the set.""When you're ready Baby.""Ok you all have photo ops to do so off you go."They laughed and said, "Yes Ma'am." As they walked off Clif and I sat where we sat the day before. I was watching them with the people of the photo ops when their was a lady who looked terrified so Jensen pulled her into his arms and whispered something to her. She shook her head as they did the op. She seemed much calmer after whenever it was he said. She moved over to Jared and Jensen nodded at him as he did the same thing. The lady seemed happy too after both photo ops as she walked passed me. She stop and looked at me and said, "You are lucky to have him in your life."I smiled and said, "Yes I am thank you.""No, thank you for letting us share him with you." She came over and said, "May I hug you?"I looked at Clif and he shook his head yes. "Yes of course," she hugged me tight as she whispered "he was very nice to me and I wanted him to know how much I appreciated it." We pulled back and I said, "I will tell him for you. Have a good rest of the day.""You too I hope I get to see you again."She walks away and I sat back down Jensen was looking my way when the lady was talking to me and then hugged me. He knew I was safe as Clif was standing right next to me. I looked at him and smiled and he smiled back as he resumed his photos.I had a few other people come over and talk with me and it was good to speak with them and find out why they liked Supernatural and what character they liked. Clif was ever vigilante as he made sure I was safe. Jensen finished his photo ops first and came and sat down next to me."How are you Jensen? How's the head?""I'm tried but the headaches gone. How are you Baby?" "I'm good some of the fans have stopped and talked to me.""Yeah I saw and I saw Clif get a little closer with each one.""Jensen man I can't let anything happen to Y/N she's our family.""Clif was just fine Jensen," as I turned to smile at him.Jared and Misha came over soon after when Misha said, "Jensen we have cockles pictures to do?"So they walked off after he gave me a quick kiss and the line was only about 50 people so it should take long.  Jared said, "Are you enjoying yourself Princess?""Yes, I am really enjoying myself.""Good it's nice to see you smiling it lights up your whole face." We sat there for about a hour talking about different things when Clif said, "It's lunchtime break.""Ok, thanks Clif."As Jensen and Misha make their way back to us I said, "It's lunchtime.""Finally a break" as he collapses on the chair next to me.I said, "What would you like to eat?""Anything and a beer would be good," Jensen said.Jared said, "Maybe a sandwich or something."Rob and Richard came over and said, "There's food in the green room for us all."So we all head there. It was a buffet with salad, sandwiches, and lots of other foods.Jensen, Jared, Misha and Clif all got a plate as I sat down and waited for them. Jensen looked at me and grabbed a plate for me too. He put on assorted food for me to try. As he stacked his plate and they all came over and we ate. Rob and Richard sat we us also. We talked about different things when Jared came back with drinks for us all. It was nice and relaxing just siting and listening to them speaking. They included me into the conversation as well but I enjoyed listened to them laughing and talking. When lunch finished they had more photo ops with Jensen and Jared. Then the three of them together. Then they signed autographs and that was it for the day. Jensen pulled me into one of the photo shoots as we had ours done after everyone had finished there's he held me in his arms. Then Jared and Misha joined in and I asked to have one with Clif done. He's face beamed with happiness as we had one down together. It was amazing and the pictures were nice. It was the pictures ever I had done with people I loved and I was going to get them framed and put up in the house. Jensen looked at me and saw the tears and asked "What's wrong?""Nothing just happen I've never had pictures done with anybody before it's nice to know you want one done with me.""Of course I do Baby you are beautiful and amazing. This one I'm going to put by our bed so it's the first thing you see other then me in the morning." It was the picture of us together in a hug and one where he's kissing me.I smiled as they all hugged me in a family hug. We got the photos and headed back to the hotel. We packed our clothes and headed to the airport to catch the plane home. I held the pictures close to me as Jensen smiled and said, "I love you.""I love you too" as he kissed me and held me all the way back to Canada. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- They all arrived safely back in Canada and Gen, Odette and the boys were waiting for Jared. Vicki, Maison and West also were waiting for Misha. Shep saw me and came running up as he stopped in front of me as Jensen picked him up so I could hug him. Meanwhile Jared was hugging Tom and Odette and gave Gen a kiss.He looked at me and said, "I see my son is more interested in seeing you than his Dad," with a smile.                                                                                                                Shep said, "Daddy I love you too but I don't see Y/N very much I see you all the time." Jared came over and tickled his son as he squirmed in Jensen's arms.He said, "You do, do you and I love her too and Uncle Jensen.""Does Mummy know?" "Of course Mummy knows, Mummy loves her too."                                                              "Mummy do you love Y/N too?"                                                                                    "Yes, Shep I do.""Oh, ok Mummy and Daddy," as Jensen gave Jared his son.Gen said, "So how did it go?"I said, "good there were questions about me.""How did you feel about them?""Ok I guess they are going to find out sooner or later that I'm Jensen's girlfriend. But Jensen found it difficult to talk about me."Jensen said, "I know we agreed if they asked we would tell them but I really didn't want them to ask anything to personal."Gen noticed the ring then and said, "I see you worked out a lot while you were gone?" Pointing to our ring."Yeah, I did it’s good to have it back on. I do love Jensen a lot Gen.""I know and he loves you," as she gives me a hug.Jensen said, "Yep sure do Baby," as he kisses me.Vicki comes over and said, "it's good your back and you look incredible and happy.""I am happy haven't never been this happy before. It's a little overwhelming but in a good way."Clif said, "Ok shall we get going on we going to stand here and talk all day."We laughed at him as he smiles and I said, "Alright we are coming."He drove Jensen and I home after we all said our goodbyes.Jensen said, "Clif see you tomorrow."He said, "Yes, when I pick you up 8am start tomorrow. I should have told Jared.""Thanks Clif for the whole weekend," as I gave him a hug."You’re welcome Y/N, bye." "Bye Clif."He leaves and Jensen and I go inside the house. It's nice being back in familiar surroundings and I do enjoy the smell of the apple and orange trees it is comforting. We went to sit on the lounge and I just took it all in the peace and quiet. Jensen's calmness and his steady breathing he was my home.He said, "What are you thinking?""How peaceful it is here and the smell it's home to me. You as well but it's the house itself it's the first time I've had a loving home."Jensen picked up the pictures and moved some he had up and pull the one of all of us on the mantel above the fireplace. It looked good sitting there. The ones with Jared and Misha he put on the shelves so I could see them."What do you think?""They look incredible. Thank you for putting them there it's good to see what I have in my life and they are going out be a part of it.""They will always be a part of your life now for as long as you need us Baby.""I knew it would be good to have your support you were right when you said, "you all would be good support and you have. Even after I cut my wrist and was going to leave.""Hey, that's in the pass we only look to the future now." I had my wrist unbandaged as the stitches had dissolved.He kisses my wrist and said, "You will always be loved and safe Baby.""I know I just wanted to let you know how comfortable I am in our home and with you Jensen."He gently grabs my chin as he rubs his finger along my face and kisses my lips it a slow kiss to begin with until he deepens it as our tongues touched and explored each other's mouth. It was the best thing about kissing Jensen he knew how to make a kiss special be it just a quick kiss to a deep kiss. He always left me breathless after and wanting more.He pulls me down onto his chest as he holds me. "You hungry I can make us something to eat?""Can we get something brought in I like seating with you like this.""Ok, what would you like?""I don't know?""We will work it out later?" We sit there for maybe another hour before our tummies growled with hunger pains.He said, "Ok that's a sign what do you want to eat?"                                                              I giggled as stomachs made a loud noise. I said, "Maybe pizza or Chinese or whatever you want?""How about we have pizza for something different?""Ok can we get half Hawaii and bacon and cheese pizza?""Anything you want Baby.""Ok you want me to call or will you.""I will Baby you rest you look tired.""I am a bit and it's nice sitting here."He moved to get the phone to call out for pizza. He got the pizza I wanted and a supreme for him.He came back and sat down and pulled back me into his chest and said, "They will be half hour to 45 minutes."I shook my head as he said, "Looking forward to work tomorrow?""Yeah I am actually it's nice to be a part of something you love doing. I know I will love it too. I've watched all the seasons and I have enjoyed all of them but my favour was when you were Demon Dean and the ones where you all show your feelings like when you have an emotional scene and the single tear falls down your face. I just want to hug you so much it hurts.""Hey, I'm here now and you can hug me all you want to and I love it when you do.""I know and I am glad I can do it in person now and not scream at my TV wanting for someone to hug you."He laughed and said, "You did that huh."I blushed and said, "Yeah all the time.""I'm shocked at you no, you would do that?""Sorry but I did each and every time."He hugged me then and said, "I'm glad I have you there now with an emotional scene and you can give me a hug.""Always Jay."There was a knock the door and Jensen answered the door and the pizza man was standing there. He said, "Your Jensen Ackles may I please have a photo with you?""Sure," as he stands there for the photo and he gives the guy the money. He said, "Thanks man and here's your change.""Keep it and your welcome.""Thanks man have a good night.""You too bye now.""Bye," as he stumbles down the stairs.Jensen waited before turning the light off as he walked into the lounge room with the pizza. He said, "Pizza's here.""Hm smells nice.""I'll get us some drinks.""Ok" as he passed me the pizza's and I opened the Hawaii and bacon and cheese. I was about to take a piece when wait a second."What, what wrong Jensen?"He smiled and said, "Nothing I just want to do this."As he put our drinks down he picked up a piece of pizza and held it to my mouth as I took a bite and then he took some. "Hm that's nice," I said, as some of the cheese was fallen off the piece we were eating. We continued to feed each other pizza as he licked his lips boy was it sexy as.I had enough after two slices of Hawaii and he ate almost all his pizza. He looked at me when I burped after have a drink. We both laughed and he said, "I see you enjoyed it.""Yes, it was very nice."We closed the pizza boxes up and Jensen took them out to the kitchen and put them in the fridge.I was curled up on the lounge when Jensen found me asleep. He gently lifts me and carries me to our room and lies me down. He takes off my shoes and put me in my night shirt which he smiles when he sees I'm still sleeping he his shirt he gave me. He thought I will have to give me another shirt to wear to bed soon. He pulled his pants and shirt off and climbs in next to me. I said, "Jensen.""Yeah Baby, go back to sleep."I roll over to see him looking at me and I softly kiss him on the lips. As he kisses me back with such intensity that it left me breathless."I love you and Jensen thank you for everything you have given me.""I love you but no thanks needed you have given me so much in return Baby.""Jensen...."He knew what I was trying to say and he kissed my lips again and said, "Get some sleep we both have a busy day tomorrow."As I rolled back and he pulled me into the curve of his strong body as I knew it so well. I felt myself drifting off when my breathing even out and I was asleep. Jensen was awake for a little while just thinking how lucky he is to have me in his life. He smiled as he knew how much he loves me. The next morning, I woke up before Jensen and I was looking at his peaceful relaxed face. He was smiling in his sleep as I rubbed my hand down his cheek. He grabs my hand and kisses the palm and open his incredible green eyes and said, "Morning Baby, sleep well?""Morning Jay, I did and you?""Like a log and it nice to see you with a smile.""I'm excited about today and watching you film. I know Bob probably have lots of questions about the convention but I'm glad I get to spend the day with you.""Me too Baby me too.""We better get up did Clif said, "8am start?""Yeah it only 6.30am we can stay a few more minutes.""We need to shower and have breakfast.""Ok, ok we will get up but first" as he rolls over on to me slowly and kisses me good morning.I’m pulled back and said, "Keep kissing me like that and we won't be going anywhere Jay."He laughed and said, "That's the plan.""Jensen, I really love that you want to stay in bed with me but I really want to do well at this job.""I know and I'm sorry I should have been more supportive of you.""No, it's fine really but we need to get up and ready ok, we will stay in bed another day together," as I winked at him.He growled low in his throat and said, "You can count on it."We both got up and did our usually bathing routine and got dress. Then we both went downstairs where Jensen had to carry me down the stairs as my crutches were down here. He went to grab them and gave them to me. As we made our way into the kitchen. We made breakfast as we chatted about the day ahead and how will we eat lunch together. When there was a knock on the door and Clif was standing there with Jared and Misha.Clif said,” You both ready we are running a little late thanks to Padalecki," as he rolls his eyes as I guess Jared is never on time. "Yep I'm ready to go," as they each gave me a kiss and a good morning."Jensen, you ready to go?""Yes, let’s go before we are any later."So, we all get in the SVU and arrive a short time later. As predicted Bob asked about the convention and then told me I did a great job. We were getting ready to do a scene when I took my seat and Clif was close behind me. I had told the guys to go to wardrobe and get there gear to change into. Bob said, "Alright action."It was an easy scene with a lot of dialogue which Jensen stuffed once and Misha was trying to get through without laughing at Jared's face pulling. Bob looked at me and I nodded as I hobbled over and said, "Hey stop Jared Bob is getting annoyed and was looking at me to stop it. I don't want to lose my job Jared please.""I'm sorry Princess it's just so easy to make him laugh.""Yes, it is but come on Jared, Y/N really likes this job and I know Clif" who was shooting daggers at them "will kick our asses if we keep it up.""You don't want Clif to kick our asses Jared," Jensen said." Ok, I'll be good Princess."" Thank you and Misha?" "Yes, I will behave."Jensen came over and whisper in my ear, "sorry Baby forgot to warn them for you." "Its ok Bob needs to see me deal with this so he is," as Jensen kissed me quickly."Ok, they ready Bob."He nodded as they did the scene again perfect as I sat and watched. When they finished the scene they have to practice the fight scene but Jensen was having a wardrobe malfunction so we sent him to wardrobe to get it fixed. He looked at me as he left and gave me a huge smile.Bob said, "Ok Jared and Misha lets go through the fight scene."Thet both got them self ready with the extras that were on set when I was watching but I wasn't really seeing what was happening. I was so still Clif came around and looked and said, "Y/N you.....?" and stopped when he saw my eyes were unfocused and I flinched. He said, "Y/N, baby  girl look at me please," in a pleading voice. I was seeing my father hitting me and couldn't hear Clif as I flinched again and I cried out "no please don't hurt me." As my knuckles were going white gripping the chair.Jared and Misha both looked over to me and saw Clif was bent down in front of me with tears flowing down his face. They both came running over with Bob close behind.Jared said, "Clif what happened?""She was watching you both doing the scene and she went unnaturally still and I came around to check her and she was like this. What's wrong with her Jared? Please help her?"Misha said, "Jared she's not breathing well either?""She's having a flashback and a panic attack. Misha grab her hand and rub gently."Misha picked up my hand and did what Jared said.Bob said, "Who normally helps her when she has an attack?""Jensen usually brings her out of it but his at wardrobe and might be to late. We will have to bring her back.""But how Jared," Misha asked.Jared picked up my hand and rubbed gently as he spoke softly to me. "Princess can you hear me I want you to breath with me ok" as he puts my hand on his chest and said, " alright in.......out.......in.......out. Come on Princess you can do this I know you can?" As his voice breaks on a sob.Misha said, "Minion this is your Overlord here I need you to follow my voice." He also put my hand on his chest and said, "Alright minion breath in.......out.......in......out." Misha looked and knew it wasn't helping me he had silent tears falling down his face. Still no response Clif said, "Maybe I should go get Jensen?"Bob said, "Go on Clif if he's the only one who can get her back."I screamed and flinched as I said, "Please don't hit me Dad I'll be good."Jared said, " Your safe Princess no ones here will hurt you."Bob looked astounded by the fear on my face and the tears flowing down them.Jared said, "How did Jensen get her back Misha last time?""He touched her face it was his touch Jared.""Ok, here goes,"  Jared touched my face as he rubbed his thumb down my cheek and said, " It's ok Princess we are here for you, your safe you can come back please. We need you, we love you." I moved slightly at the touch as I could feel a hand on my face it wasn't Jensen's but it felt familiar. I took some deep breaths as Misha said, "That's it Y/N deep breaths" as I felt him rubbing my hand.My eyes started to focus as the tears were still falling and I looked at Jared and said, "Jared," and collapsed in his arms. Jensen came running in with Clif who had wiped his eyes and said, "What happened Jared, Misha?"Misha said, "She had a flashback and a panic attack.""Then she passed out Jensen," Jared said.He still held me in his arms as he carried me to Jensen's trailer and laid me gently on the bed.Bob said, "Jensen does this happen often?""No not unless something triggers it? What were you doing?""We were practicing the fight scene and we were being fake hit.""Jesus I should have realised it was the fight scenes."Jared said, "She was screaming about her father hitting her."Bob said, "Shit Jensen she reacted over a fight scene?""Look Bob we didn't tell you everything about her. She was physically and mentally abused by her parents and the kids at her school. She tried to do commit suicide when it all became too much. She has been seeing a therapist but sometimes something triggers a memory and she kind of shuts down and goes into the dark place in her mind. So far we have been able to get her back by touching her face but I'm scared one day she might not come back."Jared said, "She will always come back Jensen she loves you.""Yeah but is it strong enough to keep her here will me. I can't lose her Jared."Bob said, "When she wakes up you both go home. I think I will call it a day. I think we are all pretty shaken by what has happened to her."Clif looked absolutely exhausted. Jared and Misha were also shaken too but they had seen it happen before but never really dealt with an attack."Thanks Jared and Misha for bringing her back to me.""We are just glad she listened and came back. She had us all worried when we couldn't reach her."Jensen lied next to me and said, "Hey Baby your safe. I'm here as is Jared, Misha, Clif and Bob. I love you," as he bends down and kisses me. I kiss him back as I open my eyes. We pulled away and said, "What happen Jensen?""You had a flashback and a panic attack. Jared and Misha brought you back.""I don't remember all I know is I feel really tired." I turned to see Jared sitting on the bed next to me as Misha stood near by. "Thank you for being there for me Jared and Misha."Bob said, "You ok, Y/N? I've called it a day you go home and rest and see you in a coupe of days ok. You take care of her Jensen she my best PA I have.""Ok, thanks Bob.""I will Bob."Clif looked upset still, as he moved over so I couldn't see him. I looked around and asked, "where's Clif?""I'm here Y/N," as he step out of the shadows and I saw the sadness in his eyes as I motioned him over. I tapped the bed as I sat up and said, "I'm so sorry I frighten you Clif but thank you for being there for me." "I didn't do much except get Jensen by that time Jared and Misha had gotten through to you.""You did a lot Clif you stayed with me when the attack was happening that could've been easy for you.""No, it wasn't Y/N. I'm glad your alright now though.""Come here Clif," he moved closer as I gave him a hug and a kiss as he hugged me tight to him. He held me for along time before he was comfortable enough to let go. Jensen grabbed his shoulder for some support. Jared and Misha was patting him on the back.He pulled away and dried his eyes and said, "I care for you too Baby girl."I smiled at the nickname and said, "I care for you Clif."Clif got up and said, "I will go get the car," as he left.Jensen said, "I think you scared him Baby.""Yeah I know I will try to make him feel better. Jared and Misha are you both alright?"Jared looked at me and burst into tears as he came over and gave me a hug.When he calmed down he said, "I thought we were going to lose you Princess. I know how Jensen feels now when you have an attack. Fuck it was hard watching your pain and not know what to do to help you.""I'm so sorry I put you both threw that and you found away to bring me back I think you were incredible and courageous to help me like that. I love you both for being there and supporting me."I motioned for Misha to come over as I hugged them both until they were settled and calm. Misha held my hand as I pulled away as Jared sat there not wanting to let me out of his sight. "I'm tired can we go home Jensen?""Sure Baby Clif should be outside with the car.""What about my crutches Jensen?""I will run and get them for you," Jared said."Thanks Jared," as he finally felt it was time to let go of my hand. He gave me another brief hug and went to get my crutches."Jensen I'm not sure Jared is alright.""It's ok he will talk with Gen about it she will help him.""I am so sorry I put you all through this I know it's not easy seeing me like that.""As long as your alright Y/N we can get through this together give each other support. Now that Bob knows everything as well he will also be understanding and another support for us all," Misha said."What must he think of me? I'm shocked he didn't fire me.""Why because you had an attack?" Jensen answered."Yes and putting you all though this.""He was more worried you were ok than the attack itself. Yes it scared him too and Clif but they were going to see one sooner or later and now they all know how to handle one when it happens. So they can help you if I'm not around." Jensen said."We are family and family help each other not throw them away because something gets to hard to deal with. No we support each other and be there no matter what," Misha said.A tear slipped down my face as Jared and Clif walked into Jensen's trailer. "Here Princess, you alright to walk?""I don't know Jared?"I got up and stumbled a bit so Jensen lifted me into his arms as we all walked out to the car. He put me in the back as he climbed in and held me tight in his arms. Misha, Jared and Clif kept checking to see if I was ok.Jensen carried me inside the house as Jared, Misha and Clif followed us. Jared carried my crutches as Jensen put me on the lounge. Jared kneeled down and said, "I love you Y/N," as he hugged me."I know see you tomorrow. I love you too.""Yep see you tomorrow Princess."Misha came over next and just hugged me as Jensen watched. I whispered, "I'm going to be ok Misha. I love you too.""I know but I just need to hold you. I love you."As he pulls away and Clif sat down on the lounge as Jensen, Jared and Misha left and went in the kitchen.Clif looks at me with sad eyes and I said, "Clif you know you have a special place in my heart. Your the Dad I never had I was wodering if you would mine if I could come to you about Dad things?"He tried to talk when he got all choked up with emotions and said, "I would like that Baby girl very much. Thank you for including me in your life too.""Hey we are all a family and we should take care of each other. Are you going to be alright Clif or would you like to stay here the night with us?""No, I'm good I know your alright but I will probably ring three or four times tonight."I laughed and said, "I was expecting it from Jared and Misha too. I love you Clif.""I love you too Baby girl," as he hugged me and I wiped his tears. We held each other until Jensen and the others came back in. He pulled away and nodded his head. I gave him a reassuring smile and he relaxed a little.They each gave me another hug before they all left and Jensen reassured them he would look after me.Jensen finally came and sat with me and said, "how you feeling Baby?""Tired and emotionally drained.""I'm sorry I wasn't there for you today?""It's ok Jay you couldn't help it, you were at wardrobe. Jared and Misha did ok and brought me back.""I think they will call all night to check on you.""Yep I know they will and I love them for it. I hope Jared and Misha is going to be alright. But I worried about Clif he took it so hard. They all did but Clif more so.""Yeah I've never seen him that distressed when he came and got me he looked like he was in shock. I got him to calm down and he told me. I think he thinks of you as his daughter Baby and it hurt him to see you in so much pain and he couldn't do anything to help you. I know I felt that way when you had your first attack. I was treading on territory I didn't know but I got you back. I will always get you back.""Jensen what if it doesn't work one day and you don't?""I hope Daneila can help you before that ever happens Baby.""Yeah, I guess we should make an appointment to see her too now I've had another attack.""When's your next appointment Baby?""On Thursday why?""I think we should keep that appointment and see how you go if it get bad again we will go earlier.""Ok, but what if I have another one?""I think I know what caused this attack?""What Jay?""They were doing a fight scene and you kind of zoned out Clif was saying and then you had your attack.""So you think I shouldn't be there when you have fight scenes?""Just until Daniela can sort them out so you don't have anymore attacks.""Ok, Bob's given me the next few days off so you will film them while I'm gone.""He gave us all a few days off due to the shock we all went through including himself.""So we go back Thursday and I have my appointment with Daniela.""I will ask Bob for more time off he will understand now he saw what happens during an attack.""Jensen I'm glad we have the friends we do in our lives and I'm glad you got me to come with you. Who knows what would have happened if I had an attack at home on my own?""You safe Baby and we will make sure your always safe.""I know. Jensen I'm tired can I go and have a sleep.""Sure Baby," as he picks me up and carries me upstairs and I get myself into bed and he kisses me."I'll be right back Baby I have to get the phone.""Ok love you.""Love you too," he walks out and down stairs where he sits in the lounge and lets the tears fall. He cried for what seemed like forever as he let all his emotions he was feeling out. He was thinking about everything that happened today and losing me if I don't come back from an attack. It was heartbreaking for him to see me so emotionally drained and tired. He sat there for another few minutes and wiped his eyes when his phone rang. He picked it up and it was Jared."Hey Jensen, how is she doing?"'"She's asleep at the moment Jared but she's good," Jared noticed the hitch in Jensen's voice. "How are you Jensen?""I'm good Jared.""No your not, tell me what's going on?""I guess my emotions caught up with me and I didn't want Y/N to see.""You know she will be alright Jensen," saying to reassure himself too."I know I was just thinking about what ifs.""Don't Jensen they are no what ifs she will always come back to you.""Yeah, how are you Jared?" Changing the subject."I spoke with Gen and she reassured me she would be fine. Gen would like to see her and have a talk with her and see if she's alright.""That's fine come over tomorrow. I think Clif will be over here first thing tomorrow too. Misha might be later but I can guarantee he will be over too.""Ok, Jensen you sure your alright?""Yeah man all good now. Thanks for ringing Jared. I better go check on her and see if she's asleep.""Bye Jensen.""Bye Jared."As he hung up the phone and took it upstairs with him he comes in and sits on the bed and just looks at me. I look so peaceful and calm as I slept. He took of his shoes and jeans and climbed in next to me. He wrapped me in his arms as he put the phone next to the bed. He soon fell asleep also tired from crying down stairs all he knew he had to be strong and support me. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- As we thought Jared, Misha and Clif rang at varies times during the night as Jensen asnswered them all. I woke a couple of times when Jensen was telling Misha and Clif I was fine but tired.The calls finally stop at around 11pm and we settled into sleep I was still very tired and drained from the attack but I did manage to stay awake for some food Jensen had send out for. I remember eating something I think it was Chinese. I soon fell asleep after as Jensen cuddled me.The next morning we were not wrong at all. Clif was at our door at 8am knocking when Jensen went to answer it."Hey man what are you doing here so early Clif?""Sorry Jensen but I had to make sure Y/N was alright?""She's still asleep Clif can you hang on a minute and I will see if she's awake?""Ok I will go and make the coffee for you.""Ok thanks man."Jensen ran up the stairs as he saw I was still asleep so he came down and said, "she's still asleep Clif.""Oh how was she last night Jensen?""Clif she's fine really I know her attack freaked you out but she's fine. She sees her therapist on Thursday and she will help with whatever brought this attack on.""You said, "It was the fight scene, what if it's something else Jensen?""We won't know until Thursday so stop worrying Clif.""Ok, but it's hard Jensen I care about her like I do you, Jared and Misha and their families. You're all I have you're my family." Jensen tapped Clif on the shoulder and said, "I know Clif and we love you too like family."He nodded as he wiped his eyes from the unshed tears. Jensen said, "how about that coffee?""Yep sounds good Jensen."Jensen poured a cup for the both of them as Clif sat down and said, "So what are we going to do the next few days?""I was thinking of going home to Austin and show Y/N the zoo we promised her in Australia, we would show her all the zoos in America.""Does she like zoos? You know San Diego has the largest zoo in the world, you could take her their one day?""Yes she had never been to one before we took her in Adelaide but we told her we would go to them all one day. Also I haven't told her about our home in Austin yet either I was going to wait until hitus but I really would like her to see our house.""She will love it there Jensen as long as your with her she will love anywhere.""I know but this will be our home and she's only just getting used of this house. I don't want to upset her by putting to much on her at the moment.""I can understand that Jensen but she's doing good here and she's made progress.""Yeah that's the thing I don't want to destroy the progress she's made by moving her to Austin to soon.""Why dont you ask her what she wants to do?""Yeah I guess I could but I really would like to surprise her.""Ok do it after you show her the house?""Yeah I might."Then there was another knock on the door and Jensen said, "I can bet that's Jared, Gen and family?"There was a man standing there Jensen didn't know who he was. He said, "can I help you?""Yeah I'm looking for Y/N Y/L/N I was told she lives here?""Yes she does I'm her partner how can I help you?""I have her passport here for her.""Oh right, is it ok I sign for it?""Yeah I don't see why not.""Thank you just hold on a minute. Clif you got some money for a tip?"Clif pulls out a twenty and Jensen takes it and gives it to the man.He said, "Thank you Sir.""No worries have a good day.""You too Sir, bye now.""Bye and thanks."He walks in with the packet as he rest it on the kitchen bench.Clif said, "What that?""Y/N's passport it finally came.""She will be happy that she has it now.""Yeah but I have to get her a work visa now so she can work here legally.""Shouldn't be a problem should it.""No I don't think so but you never know and I can't have her arrested and deported back to Australia. She wouldn't survive and I wouldn't leave her.""Maybe get her therapist to write a letter to help Y/N get it.""Yeah I might ask her thanks Clif."There was a other knock at the door and Jensen walks and opens it. Jared, Gen had Odette in her arms and the boys run in."Hey boys you have to be quite Y/N's still asleep."Jared said, "she's ok Jensen?""Yeah just exhausted with the attack she will wake up soon."Gen said, "do you mine if I go up and see if she's alright.""Sure Gen she would love to see you," as she gives Odette to her Dad to hold.Jensen said, "Can I hold her Jared?""Sure Jensen," as he puts his daughter in Jensen's arms.Jensen looks down at her and he said, "Your a beautiful girl Odette and one day I will have one like you and Y/N will be so taken with he or she I won't be able to stand being away from them.""Jensen you sure your alright?""Yeah Jared I'm good just thinking of the future with Y/N.""That's good your looking to the future I know you both make wonderful parents."Jensen shook his head as he looks at Odette.Meanwhile Gen opens my bedroom door and walks in softly as I was still alseep when Gen gently rubs my arm "Y/N are you awake?"I moaned and said, "No I'm asleep still Gen.""Sorry if I woke you.""No you didn't I've been awake for a little while I was just lying here thinking about Jensen and my life?""What did you come up with?""How amazing it's been since Jensen, Jared and Misha came into my life. I don't know what would have happen to me if they hadn't. I probably would have ended my life if they hadn't call.""I glad you came back with them I know Jared was worried about you and wanted to help you as much as he can.""I know they all were and I'm glad they talked me into it. I have an amazing network of friends and great support and a best friend I've never really had before."As a tears slip down my face and Gen said, "How are you? Jared told me about yesterday about the attack. I know you scared him and he was freaked out when he came home. I held him for the longest time as the boys were worried about their Dad so they held him too. He eventually calmed down and told me what happened.""I'm so sorry Gen," as I wiped the tears away. "I knew I'll freaked everyone out as well as Bob but poor Clif he was as pale as I was. Do you know if he's alright?""He's downstairs with Jared, Jensen and the boys. When I left Jared was holding Odette talking to them both.""Oh how do I face everyone now they have seen an attack. What if they push me away Gen. I couldn't bare it.""They will understand Y/N they may have questions but they all will understand.""What if Bob fires me because of this? I haven't even thought of that.""He won't if he did I know three actors and a bodyguard who will fight for you."I smiled as I knew they would too."I guess I should get up and have a bath.""Do you need any help with the bath?""Jensen normally helps me.""Ok you going to be alright and I will go get Jensen for you.""Yes I'll be fine and Gen I love you.""I love you too Y/N," as she gives me a hug.She walks out to find Jensen he was still holding Odette as he was talking with Jared and Clif about today."How about we go home to Austin for a couple of days and we can go to the zoo. We promised Y/N we would take her?"Gen said, "I think that's a good idea she's worried about you all going to push her away after the attack yesterday."Jared said, "We wouldn't do that to her Gen.""I know that but you will have to reassure Y/N. Jensen she's wants help with the bath.""Ok I go up now and help her," as he gives Jared his daughter."Jensen tell her she's got nothing to worry about she's still Y/N," Clif said."I willl buddy I will, but I think ya all will have to reassure her yourselves. Can you let Misha in when he gets here he shouldn't  be too long.""Yes we can do that," Jared said.Jensen nodded and went upstairs where I was softly crying on my bed. He comes over and holds me in his arms."Hey, hey what's with the tears Baby?"I hiccuped as I said, "What if everyone pushes me away Jensen and can't handle the attack?""Oh Baby, they won't do that. Clif asked me to give you a message he said, "you got nothing to worry about your still you.""He did really?""Yes Baby he did. So let's dry theses eyes and get you in the bath. I need to shower as well but we have a surprise for you when we are dressed ok.""Ok Jay thank you," he smiles as he gives me a kiss. It was a heated kiss as he moaned into it. We pulled away as he kiss my forehead and picks me up and takes me into my bathroom.We both bath and were ready in record time as we had people downstairs waiting for us. I put on a pair of jeans and one of Jensen plaid shirts as he smiles. He said, "They look better on you Baby.""Jay you sure it's ok.""Yes Baby, it is promise."We head downstairs as he watches me on the stairs as we enter the kitchen. The boys were eating some toast as Jared looked up and saw me. He smiled a huge smile as I returned it."How are you today Princess?""I'm good Jared and you.""I'm good too come here," as he moved to me and gave me a bear hug as he held me and whispered, "I'm all good.""Are you really Jared?""Yeah I have an amazing supportive wife who let me cry like a baby. No I'm good as long as you are.""I'm fine really.""Hey Baby girl, how you doing?""I'm better Clif and you I was worried about you?""I'm ok now I've seen you and know your alright."I moved over to him and he gave me a hug and kiss.Then there was a knock on Jensen's door and Jared went to open as Jensen was getting us breakfast ready.It was Misha with the kids as they ran in and found Tom and Shep. Misha came in and the first thing he did was hug me as tight as he could. He said, "Glad you're alright Y/N I was worried.""I'm so sorry for worrying you all I didn't know it was going to happen. I will understand if you didn't want to see that again. It would break my heart if you left but I will understand.""We are not going anywhere Y/N you couldn't help it we just glad we were able to help you," Misha said."Sure it scared us all but we had to learn what to do eventually. I for one am glad I was able to help you Princess.""I was terrified as I've never seen an attack like that before and I was panicked as I didn't know how to help you. Bob told me to go get Jensen so I did but Jared and Misha had brought you back. But I don't look at you any different Baby girl your still the woman Jensen loves and part of our family," Clif said."Really you are staying?""Of course we made you a promise to be your support. You don't throw someone away when it becomes to hard to deal with. It's not us at all you have us for life now Baby."As Jared, Gen, Misha and Clif agree and I smiled as did they. "Hey we have a plan for the next couple of days. We haven't spoke to Misha yet but he can listen in.""Hold on Misha where's Vicki?" I asked."Her Mum is sick so she's gone to take care of her for a few days.""She left you with the kids she's definitely a brave woman."Everyone laughed and said, "Yep I think she wants to see if I can cope.""Can you?""I hope so? So what's this plan Jensen?""We taking Y/N to the Austin Zoo and stay for a few days. Your passport came today Baby," as he passes me the envelope to open and I pulled it out."I could be in that it would be nice to relax and spend some time together," Misha said.I looked at Jensen when I said, "Jensen we don't have too. I'm fine here really." "Yes we do I want to show you something while we are there ok. Plus we can use your new passport too.""Ok, I guess I'm in."Misha said, "Kids how would you all like going to the zoo?""Yeah," they all said in unison."I guess the kids are in too," Jared said.I turned towards Clif, "are you coming too Clif?""If you want me too I will.""Of course we do you're our family too.""Alright I will be honoured to come.""Ok then we all should go pack for a few days and meet us back here in two hours," Jensen said.They all shook there heads as Jared asked, "Do you mine if I leave the boys here?""No, there fine and we can play a game together," I said."Can I leave my two too?" Misha asked."Sure why not. Go on do what you have too do and meet us back here," Jensen said."We will take Odette with us she's due for a feed soon," Gen said."Ok, we will back soon," Jared said."I will be back in 20 minutes," Clif said."While your all gone I will call for plane tickets," Jensen said.Jared said, "Well it will be all of us going including Odette."Misha said, "Me and the kids."Clif said, "Just me but I have you guys.""So we need 11 tickets then?" Jensen said."I don't think we need one for Odette ask them anyway," Gen said."Ok, can do. Go pack and I will organise the tickets.""Dude, you sure?""Yeah go on," he smiles. They all leave and we are left with four kids so I tell them to sit down while Jensen calls for the tickets. Shep said, "Y/N can you tell us about where you live?""Sure sweetheart, what would you like to know?""Do you live near an ocean?" Shep asked."Yes I do Shep it's beautiful as far as the eye can see. On a sunny day the water sparkles like it has diamonds on it. It's a glorious sight to see.""We've never seen an ocean where we live there isn't one close enough," Tom said. "Maybe one day you could come to Australia and I will show my ocean the one I see while I was living there. Would you like that?"They all nodded and Shep gave me a hug.Maison asked, "What kind of animals are there. Do you have dogs and cats?""Yes of course we do but we also have kangaroos, koalas, emus, wombats and lots of other animals.""What's a kangaroo and a koala look like?""Here I will show you," as I pulled out my sketch pad and draw them for them. West said, "Wow they look funny but I like them.""Yeah you have to be careful of a full grown kangaroo and koalas can sometimes bite."Jensen was standing in the doorway watching me with the kids as he said, "I'm going go pack a bag for us ok Baby.""Ok thanks Jay."Tom said, "Why does Unca Jensen call you Baby. Your not a baby?""It's a term of endearment like when you Mum calls you baby boy.""Oh like my Dad calls you Princess," Tom asked."Yes that's right."Shep said, "Y/N do you love Unca Jensen?""With all my heart I do yes Shep." He looked sad and he pulled his head down. I grabbed his chin gently and said, "Shep I love you too and you will always have a special place in my heart," as I kissed his cheek and gave him a big hug."I love you too Y/N."West said, "Y/N can you tell us about your home?""You sure you want to hear about my boring home.""Yep can we please.""Ok I live in a house that's connected to another house. The neighbours I've had over the years haven't been nice. It was small only had three bedrooms and a bathroom and toilet. I did have a big backyard which was nice but I had no one to play in it. It was yellow on the outside and my front yard was small.""How long did you live there?" Asked Tom."Around 10 years until Uncle Jensen found me and I came to live here. It's very beautiful here and I love this house.""Daddy and Mummy have another house in Austin that's where I was named after," Shep said."I didn't know that Shep do you like your house in Austin?""Yeah we have our own rooms and sissy will have one too," Shep answered."Do you have lots of toys?" I said."Yeah Mummy and Daddy brought me and Tom lots of toys.""Ok, what's your favourite toy?""Tom?""Ah my bike Mummy and Daddy taught me how to ride.""Wow that's a big step in growing Tom. How did you go?""I fell down a couple of times and then I was better and I was really doing good and didn't fall once. Daddy and Mummy were so proud of me.""I am too it's hard to learn how to ride a bike, you did an amazing job Tom," he beamed me a smile as he looks at Shep who was smiling too.Jensen came down with one suitcase and a backpack packed with our things as he said, "So what's happening here?"West said, "Y/N was telling us about her home.""They just asked about the ocean and where I used to live.""You alright Baby?"They all giggled when Jensen called me Baby and I said, "Yeah I fine they were curious.""Ok, you lot lets go outside and you can go for a run."They all screamed with excitement as Jensen lets them climb the trees.We all headed outside where I sat in the chair as they all ganged up on Jensen and pulled him to the ground. He was laughing and smiling, the kids were having fun. I could sit here all day just watching them all. Jensen looked at me and winked. I laughed as he roared as he pulled himself up and the kids all fell to the ground. He did this with them for about 20 minutes before Jared and Gen returned. Misha and Clif came in a few minutes later. Jared was watching Jensen as I was watching he was watching me and said, "It's nice when you smile Princess.""Thank you Jared it's nice to smile."Jensen said, "So we all ready the flight leaves in an hour."We all decided to take two cars with everyone. Jared drove his SVU as it had the baby seat and the seats for the boys and Misha drove his car for the same reason.We all arrived at the airport with half hour to spare as we loaded all our luggage. I noticed Jared and Gen didn't have much and I asked Gen."You don't have much luggage?""Oh, yeah we have a house in Austin it's where Jared wanted to live so we brought a house.""Ok," then I noticed Jensen only had the bare minimum of clothes as well."Jensen you didn't bring much?""It's ok Baby don't worry it's all good promise.""Ok, Jensen."We boarded the plane as Jensen watched the boys as Jared offered to carry me on. Jensen carried my crutches for me. As Gen followed behind us.Jensen had brought first class seats for us all so the boys can stretch out with Maison and West. I could stretch my leg out as well and Gen could breastfeed if she needed to in the baby room on board. We all took our seats when the plane took off. Jared was watching his boys as he got up when he was allow to and asked the stewardess if the kids could go up front to the pilots cabin. She asked the Captain he said, "it's was fine," so Jared took the kids up front.Gen said, "Y/N how are you with flying?""I'm still a little nervous this only the fifth plane I've been on. I still have to get use of my ears popping and the flaps moving but I'm ok." "Yeah I know what you mean," as Jensen moves to let Gen sit next to me and he went to talk to Clif and Misha. "Would you like to hold her?""Can I she so beautiful Gen and I just love her."Gen passed me Odette as she watches me. Odette grabbed my finger and hung on as I smile down and said, "Who's  a beautiful little girl then.""Gen can I ask you something personal?""Sure."I look around and said, "Gen what's it like to have sex?"She smiles a kind smile and said, "it's the most amazing thing you will ever experience except giving birth. Both can be painful but look what you get at the end," as she looks at her daughter with such love."But does it hurt a lot?""Only if your a virgin it might hurt for a minute or two but the pleasure over rides the pain."I blush and Gen notices and asks, "Has Jensen ever touched you intimately?""No, he has touched my breasts but I get to scare and he stops he's waiting for me to be ready.""Jensen will make it pleasurable for you but remember if you don't want children yet get him to use a condom. But Jensen is responsible so he should remember.""Can I get pregnant that quick Gen.""It can happen but Jensen wouldn't do that until you both were ready. Are you thinking about having sex with Jensen?"I blushed again and said, "I asked to watch a porn video with him so I can see what's involved.""Well that's a good start if your scared but let Jensen touch you every now and again he will be gentle."I turned to look at Jensen when he senses me looking and smiles that million dollar smile that makes my heart melt."Gen I really would like to try and let Jensen touch me more but I'm not sure, what to do?""Oh, Y/N my dear girl, you will work it out when your ready. It will rock your world Y/N.""Ok, thanks Gen, Gen is it really painful having babies?""Yes it is but you get a baby at the end and then it's just a memory. The contractions are the pain in the pregnancy and when you have to push the baby out."I looked scared and Gen reassured me."Hey it's amazing really. You won't even remember the pain after just make sure you squeeze Jensen hand as he would feel it more than you.""Why?""Let's just say your grip gets really tight and you could brake his hand.""Really I don't want to do that.""Just kidding you will be fine."Odette had fallen asleep in my arms as I nursed her. Gen and I talked about other things as the plane was getting closer to Austin we were told to put own seatbelts on and the plane was coming in for a landing.We arrived safely as we all piled down to the rent a car place and two SVU with car seats for the kids. Jensen drove and said, "follow me," to Jared who was driving the other car.We soon arrived at a house it was glorious as I looked at it. I said, "Jensen this Jared's house?""No Baby it's mine this is what I wanted to show you. This is our other home when we are on hitus.""Hang on Jensen what about......" he stopped me with a kiss. "This is our permanent home Baby. Come on let me show you around quickly?"We walked up the stairs as Jensen swept me off my feet and opened the door. It's was fresh smelling and I smelt roses everywhere. He put me down as he grabbed my crutches. The house was huge much bigger than the one in Canada. He showed me all of downstairs and he again had stables and trees but they were further back from the house. He looked at me as I looked in wonder. I heard a noise as Clif brought our luggage in and put it on the floor by the door as well as his and Misha's. Jensen showed me the guest house where Misha will be staying with the kids. Then he took me upstairs and showed me everything up there the bathroom, the spare rooms he had three of them as Clif put his things in one and then he stopped outside a door. He opened it and I smelt the familiar cologne that Jensen uses. The room was huge it had a massive bed in the centre of the room with a net around it. I hobbled over as Clif put the bags in our room and left us.It was painted a light blue and he had a connecting bathroom and walk in robes. I looked at him as he awaited my thoughts on the house. As I sat on the bed."Jensen I'm, I'm speechless. God I never knew you had two houses?""Well actually I have three I have another one in Los Angeles."I put my face in my hands as he bends down said, "Hey what are you thinking?""I'm a little overwhelmed with all this.""But are you ok with this?"I looked into Jensen's eyes and saw the anxious look and I said, "Yes I'm ok with this. It might take me awhile to get use to each house but I love it.""Really Baby?""Yes Jay I love our home.""We can change anything you want to ok.""Ok, I will let you know.""I love you Baby and I hope we will be happy in our home.""I love you too and me too Jay me too.""How are we going now or we will never make it to the zoo?' Jared said."Ok, did you know about this Jared?""Yes he wanted it to be a surprise for you. Did you like it?""Yeah I was a little overwhelmed but I'm happy.""That's good to hear Princess. Shall we go."We walked down to the car when I stopped and looked at the huge house. Jensen wrapped his arms around me and we just took a moment.Then we got back in as we headed a few minutes down the road and stopped at another house."Jensen who's house is this?""It's Jared's," as the boys got out screaming home.Then Jared said, "This is our home Y/N.""Yeah Jensen told me. You two don't do anything by halves do you," as I looked at his huge house as well. It would be about the same size as Jensen's.Gen said, "Just give us a minute I need to change Odette and the boys probably need the bathroom.Misha said, "can West and Maison use the bathroom too Gen?""Of course come on kids," Gen said.As they leave with Misha and Clif helping with the luggage I was left alone with Jensen. He looked at me as I looked at Jared's house."What are you thinking Baby?""How big the houses are and that I'm surprised Jared lives basically a few minutes away.""Yeah I moved here to be closer to him and his family. See they are my family too.""I know I think it's wonderful and I will get use to all the change it's just very overwhelming at the moment Jay.""I should have told you and you could have prepared better.""No I loved the surprise I did. I just never thought my life would ever include a big house with a white picket fence I always dreamed about. Also to have beautiful clothes and enough food to eat it's, and you all love me, it's,........""Overwhelmingly.""Yes Jay," he pulled me into a tight hug and kissed me on the lips as he looks into my eyes. I can see the love in them for me it really is beautiful as his eyes sparkled a different colour. Then everyone can back out as we got in the cars and headed to the zoo. It was lucky for the time different as it was still early in the morning in Austin. We arrived about an half hour later. Jensen looked at what we needed as he got some prams type things the kids could sit it if they got tired and he got me a wheelchair to sit in too. Jared paid for the tickets as we all entered.We were near the Tiger and Lion enclosure as we looked. West said, "Dad look how big the Lion is?"Misha read what was on the plague out side the enclosure. Then we headed off and the next one was the Tiger enclosure. The Tiger had babies so we could see them. Shep said, "Daddy I can't see them," so Jared lifted them all one at a time to see them. As we walked around the kids were excited at seeing all the different animals. We got to the water animals and we saw they had a dolphin, seals, and all different bears. Misha was standing a bit close to the enclosure when the dolphin jumped up and kissed him. He was startled at first and the dolphin did it again. We all laughed as the kids wanted the dolphin to kiss them too. So Jared held the boys as the dolphin displayed his affections. I was close enough to rub his belly it was glorious.We headed further along and the kids said, "they were hungry," so we stopped for food.After lunch Gen asked me to hold Odette to get her a rest and I nursed her until she felt asleep. All the while Jared, Jensen, Misha and Gen were taking pictures of everything and the kids. Clif was happy to just look at everything he did take an interest in the spiders. Yuk they were horrible and I couldn't look so I stayed outside while Clif took the kids in to look. Jared said, "bit scared Princess?""No I don't like spiders they freak me out.""Ok, we are going in. You can wait here?" Jensen said.So they all went in and looked at the spiders and scorpions and other creepy crawlies. I moved the wheelchair over with great difficulty as I had hold of Odette to the shade as I was looking at the meerkats and the elephants. Gen came out and was shivering at the sight she just saw. She found me under the shade and came over and said, "Next time I will listen to you Y/N they were huge and scary.""I know right," as she turns to look at the meerkats and elephants."Wow they are cute and look how big the elephants are.""Yeah I would love to own an elephant but it's cruel to do that to them""Look howvmajestic they are," Gen said."Yeah beautiful and you can feed them too.""The kids will like that.""I know they will love it."They all came back and were looking at the elephants. I said, "You can feed them if you want too."They eyes all lit up with excitement as Misha brought them some peanuts. He showed them how to hold their hands as the elephant took the peanuts from his hand.The kids and even Jensen and Jared had a turn at feeding the elephants when one of the elephants decide to grab Jared's arm to move him closer. He looked stunned but he allow the elephant to do it as he fed him more peanuts. When we run out of peanuts after like five different packets were given to the elephants we moved on. We headed for the children's zoo where the kids can feed the animals there with pellets. They were laughing and having fun as I watched everyone enjoy themselves. I was enjoying being a part of a family who wanted me and didn't expect me to be there slaves most of all I didn't have to worry about being hit or abused. It was a good feeling to finally feel loved by the people in my life. Odette had woken up as Gen handed me a bottle of breast milk for her so I could feed her. I was watching Odette when Shep ran over and said, "Y/N did you see the emu chase me?""Yes Shep I saw it," it happened before I started feeding Odette.He went back with his brother as we had stopped in a park area so I could feed Odette and the kids could play. The day was going a lot perfectly and we all were having fun.I was looking at Odette wen Jensen was watching me. Jared was looking at Jensen and tapped Gen and they both were watching the look across his face. He so wanted to have children and the look he was giving me was almost like he wanted them soon.Jared said, "You look good holding and feeding our daughter Princess," I blushes as I looked up and noticed Jensen looking at me also."She's a good girl and drinking her bottle. I lifted her to burp her when she threw up on my shoulder. It was lucky I had a towel draped over it to pick up her over flow. Jensen got up and wiped her mouth and face. As he leans down and said, "You look incredibly sexy feeding Odette Baby. I wish she was our's?"My neck and face heated as the blush rise to my face and my cheeks went red. Jared and Gen were smiling as they knew what Jensen said.Clif and Misha were playing with the kids so they didn't see. I said, "Jensen do you really want to have children with me?""Oh dear God Baby of course I do.""But we haven't......" I stopped as another blush rose."I know but we will when you're ready, can we at least talk about it together. I know you are not ready yet but I do enjoy watching you with Odette. You will make a great parent.""I will I never thought about children before Jensen.""It's ok no pressure. We will talk about in the future ok. I was just letting you know I would be on board with having a family with you.""Ok, we will discuss it later."Jared said, "Princess you would be a amazing parent I've seen you with Odette and the kids you are really good with them.""Thanks you Jared but it's easy when you can give them back."Gen said, "Want to talk about this later you look absolutely scared of the idea Y/N?""That would be good Gen thanks."Then the kids came over asking to move on and see the rest of the zoo. We looked at all the animals and we were all tired after so we all headed home. Jared and Gen took the boys and Odette home after giving us a hug and a kiss. I hug her and said, "talk tomorrow Gen.""Sure Y/N don't worry too much."I shook my head as I was saying goodbye to the boys. Gen said, "Jensen don't push the baby thing she's scared and I want to talk to her about her fears.""Yeah I saw the look I won't  I will wait until she brings it up. Bye Gen and thanks for being here for her.""My pleasure."Jared gave me a hug and kiss. Then they left as we hopped in our car with Clif, Misha and his kids and drove back to our new home. It was going to feel strange being in a different house but I guess it's my home too so I will have to get use of it. We arrived a short time later as Jensen parked the car and we headed inside. Misha took the kids out to the guest house and Clif said, "Goodnight" as he went to his room.We both said, "Goodnight to Misha and his kids and Clif and headed upstairs to our room. Jensen closed the door as I lie down on the bed and fell asleep clothes and all. Jensen smiled as he pulled my shoes off gently and pulled my clothes off and put my shirt on as he kissed me on the forehead. He stripped down too and climbed in next to me. He was exhausted but all he could think about is having a baby with me. He eventually felt asleep and dreamt of our child. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- I tossed and turned all night dreaming of our child and how beautiful she would be. I was happy and then a dark cloud appeared over our lives as Jensen looked at me and laughed. He said, "We have a child only for you to hurt it like you were I wouldn't dare have one with you. You wouldn't be a good parent, not now or ever," as he laughs.Then I see Jared and Gen pulling their kids away from me for protection. Jared yelling, "You monster stay away from my kids."Clif looked sad and disappointed as he moved away as well.I was crying in my sleep when Misha said, "Y/N you going to have to leave your hurting our kids. I can't let you hurt them."I was thrashing around when Jensen woke and my arm hit him in the face. He grabbed both of my arms as he straddled me to get me to wake.He said, "Y/N, Baby wake up it's just a nightmare."I screamed at the top of my lungs when Clif ran through the door and saw Jensen on top on me. Jensen said, "She's having a nightmare I'm trying to wake her."He walked over and kneeled down by the bed and said, "Baby girl your safe, you can open your eyes it's just a nightmare," as he stroked my face and pushed some hair away.I had stopped thrashing and Jensen let go of my arms as he bent down and rubbed my cheek and kissed me lightly on the lips. I rubbed my hand over his and my eyes fluttered open as I looked at Jensen's green worried eyes.As Clif said, "Baby girl."I turned to look at Clif and I was wondering why Jensen was straddling me. I said, "What's going on?" As Jensen moved to the side of me."You had a nightmare and screamed so Clif came to see if you were alright?""I did, I'm sorry if I woke you Clif?""No it's ok are you?""I'm not sure?""Do you want to talk about it Baby?""I'm," I stuttered out, "not sure Jensen. I kind of freaked me out.""Yeah I guessed that Y/N."I sighed and said, "Jensen how much do you love me?""Why Baby?""I'm not sure I want to have children Jensen?""What brought this on Y/N? Is because I said, "you looked good holding a baby?""Part of it. What if I have them and hurt them Jensen. I couldn't bare to hurt my child.""Hey who said, "you are going to hurt our child?""I dreamt it we had a little girl and then she disappeared. You were saying you would never have a child with me incase I hurt it," as the tears sting behind my eyes ready to fall. "Then Jared, Gen and Misha told me to stay away from their kids as I will hurt them and I was asked to leave. Clif he just looked sad and disappointed in me.""It's only a dream Baby. Jared, Gen and Misha would never stop you from seeing their kids. I will never ask you to leave either."Clif said, "I will never be disappointed in you Baby girl you have overcome so much. You are an inspiration to me and I'm proud of what you have done with your life. You have Jensen, Jared, Misha and their families all love you and support you. You have me a normal hard ass turned to jelly when your around," as he laughs."You also have your job and you want to set up the foundation for abused kids. You have an amazing soul and empathy for people you care about. I love your heart as you show it to us everyday. You will make an incredible parent Y/N and I know when we decide too you will love our child as much as I love you.""Jensen I still a little worry about it?""Ok, how about you talk to Daniela about it tomorrow to calm your fears.""Yes that would be good."Clif said, "You good now Y/N?""Yes thanks Clif.""Ok I will go shower and see you both downstairs."Jensen said, "Ok Clif," as he moves out of our room.Jensen looked at me and pulled me into his arms where my tears had fallen unaware down my face. He released me as he looked into my tear filled eyes and wiped them away as he moved a bit of hair from my face.He didn't have to say the words I could see them in his eyes. He was worried about me and didn't know how to reassure me enough to calm my fears."Jensen I'm sorry for waking you and Clif.""Don't be you were having a nightmare I would have woken you sooner except you didn't respond to me when I tried. Not until I kissed you.""But I always wake when you touch me with your hand.""No it wasn't my touch, it was the kiss what brought you around this time.""Maybe I like kissing your sexy lips Ackles."He laughed and said, "You do, do you?""Of course I do," as I moved my lips near his and kissed him deeply.He responded and kissed me back. He moves over me as he rubs his hand down my face as he moans into the kiss. I could feel how much he wanted me and I wish I could give him more but I'm just not there yet. He pulled away and smiled as he looked into my eyes and said, "What do you want to do today,""Jensen can we go for a ride on the horse and explore the property please?""You can't ride with your knee.""I know but I've never been on a horse before couldn't we ride together?""Yeah sure I could sit behind you.""So we can go?""Yep I don't see why not.""Yeah, I love you Jay.""I know," as he smiles."Did you just Han Solo me Jensen.""Yep," as he laughs and kisses me again. "Jay?""Yeah Baby.""Can it just be you and me going on the ride. I would like to spend sometime alone with you. If that's alright?""Of course it is Baby.""I guess we should get up. Clif is probably wondering if we are getting up.""Guess we should go shower and get dressed.""Jensen can I have a shower with you please?""What about your leg?""You can hold me while we shower.""Oh God, Baby your amazing you know that.""Yeah, so I've been told by my handsome boyfriend.""He did, did he, smart man your boyfriend is." "He is and he's incredibly patient with me too.""Hey I'm not going to rush you into something your not ready for Baby.""I know I just wanted to let you know I appreciate how patient you are being with me.""I will wait forever for you.""You would?""Of course, I love you.""Me too Jay. We should go shower before Clif comes knocking on the door."He gets up and helps me up and I grab my crutches as we move to the bathroom. He slowly unbuttons my shirt and throws it on the ground as he kissed my neck. He then slowly pulled my panties down and then lifts one leg as he kisses my foot. Then the other as he kisses the other foot. My panties landed next to my shirt. He then looked at me as he undressed himself. He then turns on the shower as I hobbled as close as I could to the shower when I put the crutches against the wall. Jensen grabs me around the waist and slightly lifts me so I don't put any pressure on my knee. As we both enter the shower the water was warm and relaxing as he grabs the soap and lathers it up and turns me so Im resting on his chest as he washes my stomach. He then moves his hand between my thigh as he washes my most private of parts as he other arm was holding me steady. As he was being gently with washing me as the water splashed down on us. He washed every inch of me and it felt incredible he has the most talented hands. We finished washing each other. I tried to wash Jensen but some of it was hard. So he washed what I couldn't. We dried off and Jensen got my crutches and we got dressed in the bedroom. "Put on some jeans and a shirt Baby.""Ok," as I pulled out a pair of jeans and one of his shirts.He laughed at me as I always took his purple plaid shirts. We headed downstairs when we finished dressing and Clif had coffee made and breakfast of waffles and panacakes ready. Misha and his kids were eating quietly when we walked in. Misha saw me and beamed a smile as he gets up and gives me a hug and kiss. "Morn'in Y/N, sleep well?""Morning Misha, yes thank you and you?""Well I did but these two were up hours ago."Jensen said, "Morning Misha. West and Maison."Misha said, "Morning," as the kids giggled while they were eating. I went over and kissed the heads and said, "Morning," tothem too. I moved over to Clif and gave him and hug and kiss as well. Clif smiled as he continued to cook.Misha said, "So what are we doing today,"Jensen said, "Y/N wants to see the property so we thought we would take a horse and go for a ride."Clif looked worried and said, "What about your leg? You don't want to brake it again?"I smiled and said, "Boy you and Jensen are alike. As I said to him I will be fine as Jensen is going to be on the same horse he will make sure I'm safe.""She will perfectly safe Clif and I will hold her. I've been riding since I was a child I know how to make sure we are safe.""Ok, but be careful," Jensen rolled his eyes as he knew Clif was looking out for me but he also knew I would be safe.West said, "Can we come too Uncle Jensen?"He looked at Misha and Misha said, "Not today West we need to call your Mum and explore Austin a bit. Maybe see if Tom andShep would like to come too?"He looked disappointed but he said, "Ok Dad," as he grabbed Maison hand and went to play outside.We finished breakfast as Clif offer to do the dishes. Misha was on the phone to Jared when Jared asked, "what were doing today."Misha said, "Jensen and Y/N are going horse back riding. Y/N wants to see the property so Jensen is taking her on the horse."Jared said, "She going to be ok to ride?""Jensen will be on the horse with her. He assures us that Y/N will be perfectly fine.""Ok, tell them I said, "Hi.""I will, I was wondering if the boys would like to go to the park with West and Maison today?""Yeah that would be great Mish give Gen and I some time together.""I'm happy to take them. I think that's what Jensen and Y/N want some time together too.""Yeah they haven't really had any have they,""No we are always with them.""I guess. Ok what time are you coming?""About an hour?" "Ok I will have the boys ready.""Thanks Jared."As he hung up and said, "Jared said, hi."Jesnen nodded his head and I said, "What are they up too today?""I'm taking the boys and they are going to spend some time together.""Sounds wonderful."He laughed as he said, "Yep and I know you and Jensen want the same thing."I blushed and said, "Yes we do you don't mine.""Of course not enjoy yourselves. I better get the kids organised so we can go.""Ok, have fun Misha.""I will," as he walks out looking for his kids.Jensen said, "Well Baby we better get some supplies.""Jensen," he looked at me and smiles.Clif said, "Do you need help getting Y/N onto the horse Jensen?""Yeah that would be great Clif thanks," as he grabbed some food and lemonade out of the fridge.We all headed over to the stable as Jensen saddles up his beautiful black stallion as he moves over to it and gives him an apple.He said, "He's name is Chevy after the Impala."I laughed as he grabbed my hand and put an apple in it. He showed me how to hold my hand as Chevy took the apple. He then showed me how to pat his mane and between his eyes. Jensen continued "I've have Chevy since he was a foal he's a good boy and he won't hurt you.""He's beautiful Jensen," as Chevy canted his head in response.Clif said, "You ready Baby Girl?""Yes thank you Clif."He gently lifts me like I don't weight anything and put me in the saddle. He also helped Jensen up too. I said, "Thanks Clif."Jensen said, We will be back in about four hours Clif.""Ok, Jensen."Jensen slowly walks the horse out to the open field in front of us. The wind in my face and blowing through my hair. I felt free and light as Jensen moves the horse into a trott as he picks up speed. Jensen had he's arm around my waist as he holds me. My head is leaning against his shoulder. As he moves towards the mountains they were beautiful and green. He continue to ride Chevy up the mountain for a bit as the horse canters and throws his head back. He really is a beautiful animal and he is well taken care of.We continue to ride along a creek as the horse was walking. I looked around me and saw all the different wildlife on the property. He stopped Chevy at the top of the creek under a beautiful tree. It was in bloom as its leaves were a beautiful shade of purple. It was the first time I had ever since one. Jensen said, "It's a blossom tree you like it?" "Yes it's beautiful Jay," as he jumped off the horse and he helped me down. I stood there just taking in the smell and sounds it was absolutely peaceful. He grabbed our food and blanket as I lean against Chevy until he came and got me when he had put the blanket down. He lifted me and gently placed me on the blanket.He looked out at the sky as he said, "Listen to that Baby?""What the peace and quite?""Yes it's nice and I love riding up here it's my favourite spot on the property.""Yeah it is very beautiful Jensen," there was the creek in the midddle of the property and the were blossom trees and rocks. It was a place you could go and think.""You hungry Baby?""Yeah but my butt and legs hurt."He laughed as he started to undo my buttons on my jeans. I looked at him and he said, "It's ok I'm only going to take you in the creek it will help soothe the soreness. I said, "Jensen your coming in?""Of course."He took my jeans off and my shirt and I was left in my bra and undies as he stripped down as well. He carried me into the creek. I was surprised I thought it would be cold but it was warm and soothing as Jensen said.He said, "What do you think?""It wonderful Jay," as I relaxed in his arms. He held me as I floated on top of the water and just lied there in the water.He moved my body so I was again fully in the water as he kisses me deeply. I moaned into the kiss as our tongues touched each other licking and exploring each other's mouths. We broke the kiss and we were breathless. I felt warm all over I don't know if it was the heated kiss or the creek. Jensen rubbed my back and moved down to my legs as he massaged them until I felt them loosen up. He touched me everywhere on my body as he massaged my sore butt as well. "I want to feel you touch me Jensen, I want to know what it feels like."He looked me in the eyes and smiled as he rubs his hand over my breast as he kisses my lips. I move my head as he attacks my neck with little bites as I mewl. He slowly touches every inch of my body. His hands are so warm and gentle as he work it relax my muscles and get me used of his touches. "Hold on my shoulders Baby," as he continued to touch me. I was moaning and he looked at me and said, "I can stop Baby?""No, it feels good and I want you too. I want to experience this Jay and not be afraid of your touches."He continued to rub my shoulders and back when he put his head against mine and just looked at me. It was such an imitate gesture I just looked back and kissed him. We stayed in a little longer as my fingers were turning to prunes as he helped me out and laid me on the blanket. The sun was warm as he laid next to me and he held me in his arms as we both dried. "Jensen," he looked at me, "Thank you for your gentle caresses and touching.""I would do anything to make you more comfort Baby. Maybe next time we could try something else?""Ok Jensen this is nice though and I'm enjoying it.""You hungry, we have food and drink.""Sure."He sat up and helped me as he grabbed the basket. I grabbed my shirt and his t-shirt as we put them on so we wouldn't burn.  He took his shirt and smiled at me as he got out our food. We ate quietly listening to everything around us as he was smiling at me.I said, "What Jensen?""You look beautiful Baby with the sun in your hair. You know I love you right.""You look incredibly gorgeous to you know. I know, I love you too Jay."We finished eating and Jensen put everything back in the basket and we put our clothes back on. He helped me up onto Chevy as he climbed up behind me and we continue to explore the property. It was huge more than I thought it was as we hit the boundary to the property. "This is the end of the line Baby. That's not my property." "Jensen this is a big place do you have any plans for it.""Not yet as I don't have the time to do anything yet. Maybe when Supernatural finishes I might consider raising horses.""That sounds amazing Jensen.""I've always loved them. I've had Chevy since I was 20 years old. He's a good horse and he's strong. I love him," as he taps his neck and Chevy neighed. We head back to the house as it was late afternoon and we were gone longer than we said we would. Clif was watching out for us as he stood waiting with my crutches.Jesnen walked Chevy up to Clif as he helps me off. He asks "how was the ride?""It was incredible I didn't realise how big the property was. The creek was amazing," as I rubbed my butt. Cliff laughed and said, "Yeah the ride takes a lot on your butt."Jensen said, "She enjoyed the time alone and the quiet it was nice for us both.""Is Misha back we the kids yet?" I asked."Yeah they returned awhile ago and they are playing in the guesthouse.""What have you been up to Clif? I said. "I went and check the car and made sure everything was good. Then I just read some I haven't been able to do that in awhile.""I'm glad you have a relaxing day Clif," I said. Jensen said, "You want to soak in the tub you look like your butt is hurting?""Yes please sounds good," as I head off to the bathroom. Clif took Chevy and said, "I will take care of him. You go help Y/N she looks like she needs it.""Thanks Clif," as he moves off to follow me to the bathroom.He was behind me when I reached the stairs as he looked at me and took pity and lifted me off my feet and carried me up the stairs. We entered the bathroom and he put me down and turned on the water. He helped me strip down and gently lifted me into the water. He said, "You need any help Baby?""No I'm fine but you can give me a massage when I get out like at the creek my limbs all hurt.""Sure Baby, I'm going to shower too." "Ok, Jay thank you for today it was nice.""Anytime Baby anytime."He strips off and climbs in the shower where he starts singing our song. The water was that soothing and Jensen singing I dozed off in the bath. Jesnen finished his shower and saw I was asleep so he gently woke me. "Jay what's wrong?""Hey Y/N you can't sleep in the bath. How about I get you out and give you that massage and then you can sleep for a bit.""Sounds nice Jay," as he gets the towel and puts it near by as he lifts me out of the bath and wraps the towel around me as he carries me into our room. He lies me down and he puts in some pants as I wait patiently. He rolls me over as he massages my back and neck I moaning in pleasure. "Your muscles are tight Baby. You have big knots in your neck and shoulders," as he press deeper to soothing my body. He works his way down my back squeezing and rubbing. My breathing had even out as he felt me relax under his skilful hands as I fell asleep again. He continued to massages my body and my sore bottom and then moved to my legs. I didn't wake once as he looked at me all relaxed. He finished and he lied down next to me for a bit too. Clif knocked on the door as Jensen put some jeans on and said quietly, "Hang on."He opened the door as Clif said, "Chevy's all brushed down and back in his stable eating hay. How's Y/N?""Thanks Clif she asleep I think the ride took a lot out of her and her body. She will be fine once she's slept for awhile.""Ok are you coming down or staying with her?""I will be down in a minute I just need to finish dressing.""Ok, see you in a bit."Jensen closed the door and finished dressing as he kissed my head and pulled the blankets over me and left. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Jensen went down to the kitchen to find Clif he was drinking a cup coffee with Misha. The kids were watching a DVD in the lounge room. Misha asked, "How's Y/N doing?""She's asleep it was a long ride for her today."Clif said, "we will need to go to the airport soon to and get back before filming starts.""Yeah I know I will ring and see when the last flight out is and get us back in time.""Better she sleeps as she has a long day tomorrow with her appointment with Daniela," Misha said."Yeah I know and she's worried having kids and hurting them.""What," Misha said."Shit you didn't know?""No what's going on Jensen?""She had a nightmare where we had a baby and she hurt it. Then you and Jared all told her that she wouldn't be allow near your kids and I told her to leave.""What why didn't you tell me I could have helped her.""She didn't want you and Jared to know.""Y/N really has had it tough and now to be dreaming about abusing her child. You seen her with ours, with Odette she's amazing.""I know I tried to tell her she was amazing with them but she has her doubts.""I even told her she has overcome a lot and is an inspiration to me but that didn't ease her mind either," Clif said."Maybe we should ask Gen or Jared to talk with her?""Hang on Misha you might be on to something there?""What?" Misha said."Not Gen or Jared but Shep.""What a great idea he adores her and he can tell her how much he loves her," Misha said."We have to tell Jared and Gen what's going on too so they know," Clif said."Yeah I know," as he sighs."Maybe ring them and see if they could come earlier so Shep can spend time with Y/N without Jared and Gen knowing what's going on."He picked up his phone and rang Jared's number."Hello Jared here.""Hey Jared, can you guys come over as we need to leave soon and get the flight back to Canada.""Yeah sure when do you want us there?""In half an hour.""Ok we will get the kids organised and come right over.""Thanks Jared see you then."He hangs up and said, "they will be here soon.""So we wait for them to come. How are we going to wake Y/N up?""No need I will send Shep up there to wake her. She will probably just hug him.""That's sneaky Jensen but it's a good idea.""Yeah I thought so."Clif looked at the two men and shook his head as he said, "Why don't you just go up and wake her now?""No she needs her sleep and I don't want to disturb her."So they talked about the show and the set. About half an hour later there was a knock at the door. It was Jared and Gen and the kids. Gen looked at Jensen and said, "What's wrong Jensen?"She always had a way of reading Jensen as he said, "Gen nothing's wrong.""Yes there is, Y/N's ok isn't she?""Yep she's asleep.""Ok then I will go and wake her up.""No," Jensen all but shouted.Jared looked at his friend and said, "Dude don't shout at my wife.""I'm sorry but I need Shep to go wake Y/N up."They both looked at him and Jared raised an eyebrow in question. "Ok I will tell you when Shep goes upstairs please Jared.""Ok, ok. Shep you want to go wake up Y/N for us. Be gentle remember she has a sore leg still.""Ok, Daddy I will be gentle," as he ran up the stairs almost falling down them. "Jensen," Gen questioned."Y/N had a nightmare where she hurt our child and then you and Misha wouldn't let her near your's because you were afraid she would hurt them. So I was hoping Shep would show her how much you trust her with him being upstairs with her.""Jensen you could have come to us. We love her too.""I know and I'm sorry." Meanwhile Shep walks in the bedroom and leans down and whispers, "Y/N it's time to wake up." No response so he kisses my cheek and he rubs his hand down my face. I moan and he said, "Y/N you have to get up." "Shep what are you doing here?""Unca Jensen asked me to wake you.""Oh," as he leans in and gives me a hug. I try to pull away but it's a bit hard when your lying down. Then I realised I was naked under the sheet. Shep looked at me and said, "I love you Y/N.""I love you too sweetheart, can you go get Uncle Jensen for me please.""Yep," as he gives me a quick kiss and hug and then left.I looked under the sheets and I was stark naked. I'm just glad Shep didn't move the sheet it would have been embarrassing. Jensen walked in and said, "What's wro......?" stopping mid sentence when I pulled the blanket down so he could see my naked body."Jensen I'm naked and you sent Shep in here. Why?""I'm sorry Baby I forgot and I thought Shep would cheer you are.""No you wanted to prove to me that I wouldn't hurt him.""Yeah ok your right but it worked didn't it?""Yeah but I don't have him all the time Jensen and he's such a great kid I would yell at him anytime. We need a baby over night if we are going to see if I can cope?""Oh, ok I'm sorry." There was a knock on the door as I pulled the sheet up as Jensen got my shirt for me to put on. Jensen yelled hang on a minute. The voice on the other side said, "ok."As I was doing up the buttons Jensen opened the door for the person waiting on the other side. He looked at me and said, "We leave for the airport soon.""Ok, I will be ready Jay."He opened and Jared was standing on the other side and he said, "Can I come in?"I looked wondering why Jared was up here.Jensen said, "Sure come on in."I moved up the bed so the pillows were resting behind me as he walks over and gives me a kisss on the cheek. I said, "What's wrong Jared?"He just looked at me and pulled me into a hug as I look at Jensen wondering again what's going on?He pulls away and he said, "Don't be mad but Jensen told us about your nightmare. I was talking to Gen and she has asked me to reassure you that we don't think you would hurt our children Princess. We have watched you with Odette and you are amazing with her and Shep and Tom adore you. Shep told us he kissed your cheek to wake you up and you never got mad or even angry at him. So no we would never stop you from seeing or being with our kids. I for one think you would be an amazing Mum to you own child one day Princess. We all love you and wouldn't never ask you to leave us."I had a tear slipped down my face as he wipes it away and Jensen said, "I needed you to know your wonderful with the kids and Jared and Gen think so too. I hope your not angry I told them?""No I'm not I needed this reassurance Jay and thank you Jared. I love you and you kids so much it would hurt me if I didn't see them.""Hey, how about when we get back and if you want you and Jensen take Odette for an afternoon and you can see what kind of parents you are?""I don't know Jared what if I fail and hurt her?""I will be there to help Baby. I think we both need this and you need to feel secure in having a child with me one day.""Can I think about it Jared.""Of course Princess just let me know and we will bring Odette anytime."I shook my head and Jensen said, "You better get up and finish dressing as we have to go to the airport soon."Jared looked at me with a wicked grin and I blushed as Jensen laughed. "Leave you two so I can dress," with a smile on my face as Jared hugs me. "I'll be downstairs is this the bag we are taking back with us or leaving here?""I might leave it here so I will have clothes here too.""Ok, love you.""I know," he smiles as I did Han Solo on him. He shut the door as I got up and found my clothes. I put them on as Jensen had put my crutches where I could get to them. I sat for a few moments just thinking about what Jared said and I wondered if Misha felt the same with his kids? There was a soft knock on the bedroom door and I said, "come in."Misha stood in the doorway and he smiled at me. I love his smile as it lit up his whole face and his ocean blue eyes sparkle. He came over and hugged me in his arms as I dropped the crutches as he crushes me too him. I said, "can't breathe Misha.""Oh, my apologies Y/N. I wanted you to know I love you and trust you with my kids. Your amazing with them all.""I know Jared told me the same thing but I have doubts about being a parent. It's ok when I can give the child back but what about full time I don't know.""I can see your worried about this and I can ease your fears Y/N. I was abused at school I was beat up a lot and hurt. I turned out alright and I haven't hurt my children and you won't either. I haven't told a lot of people about my life but I wanted you to know so you know where I was coming from.""Thank you for sharing with me, but how can we know that Misha?""I do because you have a kind heart and a soft soul.""Misha I still have doubts. I will talk to Daniela about it when I have my appointment tomorrow.""Ok but know that we all trust you we our kids and I would be proud to leave them with your for the day.""I know and thank you Misha.""We better get down there as we need to get to the airport," as he picked up my crutches off the ground. He handed them to me and gave me a hug before we went downstairs. Gen saw me and hugged me she didn't say anything. She just gave me a soft smile and said, "You good?""Not sure yet Gen?""Do you want to talk more?""Maybe later?""Ok whenever your ready."I shook my head as Clif said, "we all ready to go?"Jensen looked at everyone and said, "we are all good."So we all walked out to the cars as I turned to look at the house one more time. Jensen looked at me and he held me around the waist. I said, "We will be back won't we Jensen?""Of course every chance we get.""It's a beautiful house Jensen thank you for bringing me home.""Your welcome Baby," as he kisses me and Clif honks the horn. We turn and get in the car and we drive to the airport.We all board the plane back to Canada and work tomorrow. We get up up after I had  a restless night sleeping. I knew I needed to tell Daniela what happened on set and my feelings about the baby. But first I had to make it through the fight scene on set. I looked at Jensen as we ate our breakfast and said, "Jensen I'm worried about the scene today?""I know Baby it will be ok.""How am I suppose to sit there and hope I don't have another attack?""We will work something out I promise.""Ok Jensen," as there was a knock at the door. Jensen answered it as it was Clif with Jared and Misha. Jensen said, "Baby you ready for work, Clif's here to drive us.""Ok, I'm coming now."Clif said, "Good mornin Jensen.""Mornin Clif, Y/N will be here in a minute."Jared said, "How is she today Jay?""Worried about the fight scene incase she has another attack.""What can we do to reassure her everything will be alright," Misha said."Nothing you can do any of you," as I came out of the kitchen."We just trying to help Baby?""I know and I love you all for it but this is something I need to deal with. I need to face my fear and kick it in the butt so to speak."Jared laughed and said, "That's definitely one way of dealing with it.""I thought so," as I smiled.Clif said, "Ok we all better go or we will be late.""Yep and Bob will kick our asses," Misha said."Misha where are the kids?""Gen offered to take care of them for me today while I was filming.""That was nice of her.""Yeah she wanted the boys distracted for awhile.""She wanted some her time huh.""Yeah exactly while Odette is still asleep.""Can't blame her and a soak in the tub sounds nice."We all piled into the SUV as Clif drove us to work. I was wringing my fingers when Jensen grabbed my hands and held them in his. His hands were warm and soft. I loved his hands as he starts rubbed his thumb in my palm to calm me down.We arrived a short time later when Bob saw us he came over and said, "I need to talk with you Y/N?""What about Bob?""About the other day when you had the attack."Jensen, Jared, Misha and Clif looked at me and then Bob.Jensen said, "What's this all about Bob?""It wasn't her fault Bob?""You need to understand more about what happened Bob."I looked at them and said, "Thank you all for your support but I will be leaving now. I'm sorry for wasting your time Bob. I miss working for you."He looked stunned at what I was saying. "What I'm not sacking you Y/N.""I thought when you said...." he stopped me mid sentence. He said, "No I would like to learn more and how to help you through and attack that's what I wanted. Plus to make sure you are alright from the scene the other day and alright with it being filmed today?""I'm not sure about the scene today but I'm alright from the other day. Thank you for asking.""Yep the attack the other day kind of scared me and help me decide what's important. Plus if I sack you I would have them all to deal with," as he points to the guys as they stand there listening in. "Yeah I know they will protect me. Bob remember I have an appointment with my therapist today.""I remember Y/N you can go whenever it is.""Thanks Bob.""Ok let's get some work done before then.""Your three wardrobe," as I looked at them and smiled."Yes Ma'am," they all replied as they walked to wardrobe. Clif followed me as I sat in my chair as Clif had moved it closer to Bob's Directors chair at his request as we waited for them to return. Jensen was dressing in a plaid shirt and green army jacket, Jared was dressed in a plaid shirt and brown jacket and Misha was in his usual trench coat.Bob shouted ok let's run through the fight scene. He looks at me and I shake my head yes.He said, "Action."Clif said, "Are you alright with this Baby Girl?""Yes I can't run from my demons forever Clif I need to start standing up to them."Jensen looked at me and mouthed "I love you."I smiled as the fight scene started. I was holding on to the chair as my knuckles went white. Clif saw and grabbed my hand and held it tight as I moved my other hand to and Bob had hold of it. I looked at Bob and he smiled at me and I relaxed my hand in his. Clif was rubbing my shoulder with his other hand. I watched as I flinched went they were hit each time but I got through the whole scene without an attack. Jensen was bruised and bloody with the make up as he came over and kissed me. I got some blood on my lip as he pulled back and smiled."What Jensen?""You have my fake blood on your lip Baby.""Yuk, wipe it off please."His shirt was all bloody so he used that to wipe away the blood. He said, "There all done. Are you alright?""Yes I am I faced my demons with the help of Clif and Bob holding my hands. But I feel really good I got through it all.""I'm proud of you Baby you did good."Jared and Misha came over too and Jared said, "Hey look at you?""Yeah look at me I'm still here and grateful for not having a attack."Misha said, "I'm glad your alright.""Thanks Misha. You all better go get cleaned up. As I looked at Bob and said, "How long until the next scene Bob?""Maybe 10 minutes.""Ok, you've got 10 minutes to change costume now move it," as I giggle at them.They all ran out of the building to wardrobe to change and wipe all the blood of their faces and arms. Bob said, "They really do what you ask of them.""Yep it's an understanding we have. If they don't I will kick their asses."Bob and Clif both laughed and I joined in.They finished filming early so I could go to my appointment as Bob comes over and said, "hope everything goes well with your appointment Y/N?""Thanks Bob," as he walks away.Jensen said, "You ready to go Baby?""Yeah I guess.""What's wrong?""I'm just worried about the appointment.""It will be fine promise," I tried to smile but it didn't quite reach my eyes.Jared, Misha and Clif came over and Jared looked at me and said, "What's wrong Princess?""I'm fine really.""No you're not," said Misha."I'm just a little worried about my appointment today.""Why what's got you worried Y/N," Clif said."I have to tell her everything what if she tells me I'm not going to be a good parent or that one day you might not bring me out of an attack."Jensen saw the tears threatening to fall when he said, "Hey, look at me."I turned to look a him when he said, "we will always fight for you Baby. We will always be here and we will continue to support and comfort you as much as you need us too."He wiped the tears away and kissed my nose and Jared said, "Princess no matter what Daniela said today you are always going to be an amazing person with our kids and we love you for how far you have come. It wasn't easy for you to move and get used to a different country with people you barely knew but you did. You amaze us each day with a new battle as you are determine to conquer it which you do. We are proud of you Princess.""Just look at what you did today you made it through the fight scene and you're on your way to see your therapist," Misha said. Clif said, "Are you ready to go. I will drop you both off and then take Jared and Misha home. I will come back and pick you up after. If that's ok.""Yes that's fine," Jensen said. We all got in the SUV and Clif dropped Jensen and myself out front of the office. I was standing there just looking at the building when Jensen said, "I will be with you every step. I'm not going anywhere promise. If she decides we cant have children then we will work it out.""Jensen I sorry I don't think I can go in. I don't want to disappoint you and I know it will bring a wedge in our relationship you  won't want me anymore. Yeah you will for awhile until you realise it just going to be us for the rest of our lives. Maybe I should leave and let you find some who can give you a family?" As my breathing hitched holding back the tears of overwhelming sadness.He pulled my chin up as I dropped it down and said, "If we can't have children I'm not going to love you any less because of it. You are the one I want to be with children are an added bonus. Remember no matter what I love you."A tear slipped down my face as he wipes it away and kisses me gently on the lips and then rests his forehead on mine until my breathing had settled. "Come let's do this together," as he squeezed my hand for a second as I needed it for the crutches. I shook my head and we moved into the building. We arrived and the receptionist knew who I was and said, "Daniela won't be long please take a seat."I smiled as Jensen and I went over to the nearest seats. I sat and rested the crutches on my shoulder as Jensen gripped my hands to stop me from twisting them. Daniela came out about 10 minutes later and called me in. Jensen gave me a smile which he was showing his support.Daniela said, "Hello Y/N, Jensen."I said, "Hello Daniela, how have you been?" Jensen smiles and nods his head in reply. "Good and you?"Jensen smile turned sad as Daniela picked up in the cue he was given her."I'm good I guess?""You guess what's been happening?" as she looks at Jensen for some idea to how bad it was."I well um kind of had an attack at work and Jensen wasn't there it help me. But Jared and Misha brought me back.""Ok, so what was happening to bring on the attack?" as she directed the question to Jensen."We were doing a fight scene and it kind of brought on an attack.""Right so Y/N you went into an attack. Where were you Jensen?""I was at wardrobe getting changed and Clif came and got me.""So what happened before you arrived Jensen?""Jared and Misha said, "she was screaming and calling out. They stopped and came over to help her.""Jared and Misha was talking to me and I couldn't hear them. So Jared remembered what Jensen does as he touches my face. He did that and it brought me back.""Daniela this question has been bothering us every since Y/N had her first flashback. Can she get stuck in the memory and not return to us?"She saw the worried looks on our faces and she gave us a soft smile and said, "No, she can't we will work on techniques for you and Y/N to work out a memory for real life. Once she realises they are just memories and can't hurt her they will become less frequent and hopefully all together stop. As she had one at the work and it was a fight scene I believe it may have triggered an abusive memory of her being beaten. If we hypnotised you and work through the memories you will also become less sensitive to the memory.""Daniela I would really like to try to get rid of the memories which trigger me. But there is something else I haven't told you yet?"She looked at me and said, "What's else do you want to say Y/N?""I had a nightmare and again Jensen couldn't bring me out not until.....," I blushed."Until?""He kissed me. But my dream was about me hurting my child and my friends children too. They called me a monster and told me to leave. Will I hurt my children?" when a tear slipped down my face. Jensen saw and held my hand tighter and wiped the tear away.Daneila watched the touching emotion between us and she said, " No just because you were abuse there is no evidence to say you will abuse your children. Once we work through all this and they are no longer triggers then you should have a happy and  normal life. I will like to increase your medication though just for a month or two and see if that helps with the nightmares and with the attacks.""Ok, are we going to do hypnosis today Daniela?'"No, I think you have been through a lot already today but if you want too we can talk about things Jensen can do to help when your feeling unsettled."Jensen smiled at the idea and I said, "Ok.""Jensen can you take Y/N's hand. Gently rub circles on it and say reassuring words to her. That you love her, that she is important to you, anything to make her feel wanted and needed. Your friends can do this too as you can also get use to their touches as well.""I can do that anything else?""You could touch her imitately like rub her shoulders or back. Touch her body and gently caress her. You could make love to her too so she feels the experience of having a loving relationship. Anything you want and feel she will enjoy.""I'm not sure about sex yet Daniela I've never really experienced it before. I'm a little scare.""It's ok you don't need to have sex just be imitated with each other show each other how comfortable you are with each other's touches. That way you won't be frightened when Jensen touches you.""Ok, we can do that.""Now let's try something here in my office. Jensen sit behind Y/N and let her rest on your chest."He moved to sit behind me as he waited. I rested my head on his chest. "Now bring your arms to rest on her stomach." He brought both arms around and rested them gently on my stomach. "Ok, now Y/N gently touch Jensen's arms and rubbed them and moved them to where you would like him to touch you."I moved them so his arms were resting on my thighs as he gently rubbed along my thigh and legs. I was humming with contentment as he went slowly. "That's good, so start off slow and work your way up. You should try this at least three or four times a day when you can. More the better as you both will get use to your touches and it will become second nature to you both."I had closed my eyes as Jensen said, "Baby you ok?""Hm great Jensen why?""We are still in Daniela's office.""Oh, oh," when I realised what he was saying.He laughed and said, "I guess that worked.""Hm a little to well. I'm so embarrassed.""Don't be that's what I was aiming for," Daniela said, "for you too be relaxed and comfortable with Jensen.""I guess it worked thank you Daniela.""Ok, our time is up. Here is your scripts take them twice a day and continue the good work Jensen," as she smiles at him."When do you want to see me again?""In two weeks give you and Jensen time to practice getting to know each other.""Ok, thank you Daniela it's been a really good session. Now I know we can have children without hurting them, it's lifted a weight off both our shoulders.""Your welcome we will work on your memories next time.""Bye Daniela," I said.Jensen smirked and said, "Thanks Daniela it has helped us both.""Your welcome Jensen bye now.""Bye Daniela."We left and had some time before Clif came so we went and got a coffee. I sat down and drank my hot chocolate and just looked at Jensen as he was watching me. We never said a word to each other but the look between us was enough. Clif arrived a short time later after Jensen called him. He said, "How did it go?""Amazingly well and she said, "I won't hurt my children Clif it's that's really good news."Yes that's great Baby girl."Jensen smiled and I knew what he was thinking. I tapped his arm and Clif noticed."What's going on?""Nothing Daniela wants us to try some new things and I'm really into doing them."I blushed a deep red when Jensen laughed as he turned and kissed me hard on the lips. Clif said, "that must have been one really good session?""Yep it was and I also can't wait to try out the new things." Jensen looked at me and grinned from ear to ear. Clif pulled up a little while longer and said, "see you both tomorrow 8am.""Yep see you tomorrow Clif.""Thanks man see you tomorrow.""Bye," as he drove away.As soon as we got in the door Jensen all but picked me up and climbed up the stairs. He had a mischievous smile on his face as he lowered me to my bed. As I look at him he eyes sparkled with love and happiness. I've never felt this much love before and I knew Jensen would love me always. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Jensen looked at me lying there all spread out on the bed. He lies down next to me and just looks into my eyes. His eyes had become a shade darker and I was hypnosis by their colour. He moves his hand to my face as he  gently rubs down my cheek."Is this ok Baby?""Hm it's nice."He continued to just rub my cheek as he takes my chin in his fingers and he moves above me to kiss me. It was a soft kiss as he just wanted to kiss me. I smile at him and he smirks at me. He then moves a little closer so there is no room between us. He is lying on top of me as I took he weight. It felt nice to be this close to him.He moves his mouth over mine again as it becomes more intense and hungry. He's tongue touched my lip as he wanted to enter my mouth as I open for him. He tongue touched mine I will never get use to the feeling of complete and utter desire for his mouth on mine. He deepens the kiss as his hands travel to my breast and mine travel to his very firm ass. As I squeeze gently and he moans into the kiss.He starts to unbutton my shirt as he squeezes my breast and then he moved his hand inside of my bra. I was not sure what to do as I push him off me. He looked stunned and said, "Baby what's wrong I thought......." and stopped."I'm sorry Jensen I'm still a little afraid of what could happen?"It took him a moment to realise I was talking about sex. "You mean us having sex?""Yes I'm not experienced like you are Jensen. What if I don't enjoy it or you don't you know?" As my eyes drift down to his pants.He saw and said, "If I don't orgasm that's what you were saying?""Yes what if you don't orgasm.""Ok, I have an idea?""What Jensen?""How about we go down stairs in front of the fire and explore each other's bodies before we do anything sexual like sex."I would like that Jay can we.""That's what Daniela wanted for us too do. How about we start simple like explore each other's face, hands, arms and feet."So lifts me in his arms as we make our way down stairs. He sits me on the lounge as he puts a blanket down and some comfy pillows. He then lifts me again and puts me on the comfy pillow. I had my legs out wide as I couldn't bend my sore knee. He sat down opposite me as he gently lifts my legs so they are resting over his.Jensen had put on some soft music and lit some candles and turned the light and phones off before he sat down. It looked beautiful with the fire crackling in the background. He definitely knew how to set the mood for us. Then he just looks at me. We just look at each other for what seemed like an eternity. I looked at his soft pink lips as I wanted to touch them. He saw me looking and grabbed my hand as I gently caressed his lips as his kisses my fingers. I explored his mouth and lips until I knew every shape and curve. He just sits their passively and let me explore his face.I moved my hands to his nose as I touched it, it wasn't a big nose but it was soft and defined it looked a perfect shape for his face. I then ghosted my hands over his freckles over his face. They looked like little stars on a beautiful canvas of his face which were adorable. I had to touch them so I did, I then moved my hands to his eyes. He had closed his gorgeous green eyes as I ran my hand over his eyelashes and eyebrows gently rubbing them. I then continued my exploring and rubbed my hands down his cheeks caressing gently as he leans into my touch. He had a little scruff on his face as I rub my hand down it. It was sexy as and I couldn't think of anything better on Jensen. He looked absolutely gorgeous as I rubbed my hands through his hair. I moved my hands to his and held them as I looked and explored his hands. As I rubbed his wrist and fingers as I circled his palm with my fingers. I looked at him and smiled as I moved my hands to his shoes and pulled them off with his socks. As I looked at his perfect feet I started to rub his left foot as he moaned at my massage. I moved my hands over his foot as I rubbed the knots out of it. He was moaning in pleasure as he looks at me with surprise at how good I was at massaging his foot. I move to the other foot and massage it as well. He was so relaxed his body was also relaxed. I was watching his face he was so lost in the pleasure. I continued to do it for a few more minutes. My hands moved on there own after that I explored his arms as I rubbed my hands up and down them. He was just watching me with a smile. I was totally comfortable with touching Jensen and he was completely comfortable with me touching him. I enjoy touching him in a imitate way there was no pressure to be sexual or have sex. It was easy and comfortable for us both. I looked him in the eyes as I kissed him. It was an soft kiss as my tongue explored his mouth. He deepened the kiss until we both were breathless.He said, "You alright Baby?""Yes great this is nice Jay.""You ready for me to do the touching now.""Yes Jay please."He looked at me as he took my shoes off and started with my feet first. He was gentle with massaging my foot with my sore knee. He rubbed and squeezed my toes and rubbed under my foot and then massaged the whole foot. It was nice as I was moaning in pleasure. It was different and I have never had a foot massage before so I was going to enjoy it while I can. He bend down and kissed the top of my foot as he looks me in the eyes. Then he moves to other foot and does the same thing. I was in complete bliss as he continues his massaging. He stops and grabs my hand and then rubs the palm and twines our fingers together as he kisses each finger. It the most erotic feeling ever to have him kiss my fingers and palm. He then gently massages them one at a time. Then he moves to the other hand and does the same again. I was completely lost in the overwhelming desire I felt for him.He moves me closer to him so there is hardly any space between us as he kisses my nose and rests his forehead against mine for a few minutes. This was so imitate I was over whelmed with how caring and gently he was being. He pulls back and rubs my cheek with his thumb. He looks into my eyes as he kisses each eye. I was breathless with anticipation to what he would do next. We haven't done anything sexual as we were both still fully clothed. I was alright with us just exploring each other. He moved his hands over my eyes and eyebrows. A shiver went down my spine as he gently smoothed his fingers over them. He put his hands through my long hair as he massages my head for a few minutes as I relax under his hands. He is watching me as my eyes are closed as I am almost boneless with the intensity of the massage. I start to rock forward when he gently grabbed me and said, "You alright Y/N?""Hm, just very relaxed don't stop Jay it's nice. I like it when you touch me and make me feel special and loved.""You are loved and I will always do this with you."I straightened my body as Jensen continued his exploration of my face. He touches my nose as it was small but just the right size. He rubbed my lips as I did what he did and kissed his fingers as he lifts my chin and kisses me. He hand had gone to the back of my neck as he pulls me closer still. He rubs my ear as he continues to kiss me. He explores my mouth with his tongue but he bit my lip. It didn't hurt it was wow amazing and I wanted more. We finally broken away as he looked me in the eyes as he rubs both my cheeks with his hands as l mewl in peace and contentment. The music had stopped playing during our exploration exact when I couldn't tell you. The candles were still burning and the fire crackled. I could hear both our breathing We were both breathless as we try to regain our breaths. This was just what I needed and it was amazing to felt this comfortable with each other. I said, "That was amazing Jay.""Yeah I didn't want to go to far our first time. You happy with what we done.""Yes very happy, thank you for not pushing for more Jay.""It's ok I enjoyed this and touching you. We don't always have to have sex Baby touching like this is just as good. Next time we could explore a little further if you want too.""That would be nice Jay.""Hey I want you to feel comfortable with my touches and kisses.""I know and I will and I do love your kisses Jay.""Yeah," with a huge smirk on his face as he leans over and kisses me again. He thought of something as he was kissing me and said, "how about we go out for dinner tomorrow after work and enjoy ourselves, maybe even see a movie too.""I would like that Jay very much.""Ok, then it's a date." He turns me so I'm resting on his chest as he moves us so he's resting against the lounge. He just holds me and rubs my hand. "Jay.""Hm.""I've been thinking?""About what Baby?""Maybe it's time to open the Organisation for the abused kids out there. I've been researching it a little it has to be an Organisation as a Foundation is for researching major illness.""Really, you did and you want to do it.""Yes, I'm a little scare the Board might say no.""No, they won't when they see they have us coming with the deal.""Really you, Jared and Misha would do this for me.""Of course we will. We love you and it's for a good cause. We can talk with them tomorrow.""You an amazing man Jay thank you.""No, your the amazing one to want to help kids that were like you. That's takes a lot of strength and empathy and I love you more for it."I turned and kissed his face as he eyes sparkle with love. We sit there and I'm looking into the fire when Jay asks, "You hungry?"I hadn't really thought about food but I did feel hunger pains. I said, "Yes I am."Jensen helped me up and he grabbed my crutches as we headed for the kitchen to make some food. He had his hand in the small of back as we entered the kitchen."What would you like my lady," with a exaggerated bow.  I giggled as I said, "I'm not sure, you decide Jay?""Um, I'm gonna need music for this," as he puts on the IPod in the dock. It was my iPod he had brought me a few weeks ago. The song on was a Savage Garden song, "Truly Madly Deeply."He picked the song up quick as he sang along with it. It was one of my favourite Savage Garden songs as it was half way through. I started to sing it with him as he came over and lifted me so my feet were on his as he danced us around the kitchen to the song. He was softly singing still as I was giggling as he moved us effortlessly. It was nice to laugh and have fun together our lives have been so serious up to this point. He was laughing to now a deep throaty laugh as the song finishes, he is still dancing me around the kitchen when the next song came on it was his voice he heard. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow wondering when I had time to put the song on there.I said, "Jared and Misha did it for me just after you gave it to me. I asked them if they could? They called Richard in and he did it for me before you noticed.""Oh, I see you like me singing?""I think your amazing singer Jay. I wish you could do it more often. I would listen to you sing all the time at home. It was one of the things I enjoyed in my life.""Then I'm glad he did it for you.""Really I thought...." he cut me off,  "I would be mad?""Yes.""No, I'm not I'm glad it helps you and you enjoy listening to me sing.""I always well Jensen."He smiles and kisses me and said, "Ok, what are we going to have!" As he puts his hand to his cheek in a thinking pose. I'm trying not to laugh at the serious express he has on his face."I've got it," as he moves to the fridge and puts out all this food. He gets out the pan and puts some chicken strips in it. "What are we having? Do you need any help Jensen."He looks at me and said, "Chicken stir fry with vegetables how does that sound.""Mm I like stir fry," as I start cutting up the veggies for him to put in it. The music was still playing in the back ground when "eye of the tiger" came on. Jensen couldn't resist doing the dance as he was cooking. I was laughing so hard I had tears flowing down my face. He flipped the meat as it was cooked so he added the veggies while still doing the dance. He was shaking his very firm ass as I smacked it as he looks at me and smirks. I feel so blessed to have such a beautiful soul in my life. The food cooked and we sat down to eat. Jensen had changed my iPod for his as he put on some soft music. It was nice and peaceful as we ate in the lounge room on the lounge he had me facing him as we fed each other. I was eating some and some of it dribbled as Jensen kissed it away. It was sensual and exciting to eat like this. He knew how to make the butterflies flutter in my stomach. This whole night has been amazing with his touches and kisses. I felt comfortable with Jensen as he continue to touch me as much as possible. We finish eating as Jensen put the bowls in the dishwasher. He came back as he brought some ice cream. I discovered I like chocolate chip fudge ice cream. He likes Banana but he also liked to help eat mine. Which he did tonight he brought two spoons and we ate it out of the tub again he feeding it to me and I him. As we kissed I could taste it, as he licked my mouth as he hums and said, "taste nice Baby."I said, "Hm I like this?""What the ice cream or the kisses?""Both and how close we are now it's feels amazing.""Yeah, it does I like being this close to you.""Jay I've had enough ice cream, I think I have brain freeze," as I put my hand to my head. "Yeah me too," I will be right back as he puts the ice cream away.He comes back and lifts me off the lounge and on to the pillows as we laid down in front of the fire. He is rubbing my arm as he looks at me. He said, "God your beautiful."I just look at him as he kisses me again. He takes his time exploring my mouth and lips as he bites gently on my lip. I open it as we explore each other mouth we just kiss lazily for a few minutes when he stops and kisses my forehead. He holds me in his arms just holding. I could feel his breath on my neck as he kisses me. He's breathing was rapid as we were both breathless from the lazy kissing. We both finally calmed our breathing as he turns me to look at him. We just look at each other, we didn't need words as our eyes told each other everything we needed to know.I rested my hand on his face as his was rubbing circles on my arms. We were calm and content with each other. As we both fell asleep with my hand touching him and he touching me. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- We woke the next day as Jensen still had his hand on my waist. His hand was warm as he was still asleep as I ghosted my hand over his face.As he hums in his sleep he opens his eyes to see me looking at him. I smile as I kiss him on the lips. I felt really comfortable and content lying there with him.He said, "Morn'in Baby, sleep well?""Yes I did and you?""Yep and I just like being here holding you. We have another session after work today.""Yeah I would like that," as I blushed and he smiles."You were like really comfortable yesterday when we were touching each other. Anything you like me doing?""I like this," as I moved my hand to his face as caressed it. "And you Jensen what did you like?""I liked you exploring my face with your hands like a blind person does. It felt amazing just to have you touch me.""I'm glad maybe we we could explore more tonight?""Yeah that would be nice but I want you to be completely comfortable with touching me before we take it any further alright?""Yes I know and I will tell you if I'm not comfortable with anything we do.""Good and now we better get up and shower as Clif, Jared and Misha will be here soon.""Ok, but first," I kissed him long and passionately it was hot and he was surprised I was so open to kiss him like that."Wow, Baby that was hot.""I know," I said, all breathless.He got up as I pulled him back down for another quick kiss. We finally made it off the ground when he lifted me bridal style in his arms and we went upstairs to my bathroom. He put me down as I rested on the side of the tub.He said, "You good or do you want some help?""Well if we weren’t  in a hurry I would say yes I’m fine but seeing how we are you want to have a quick bath with me.""Your wish is my command Baby," as he filled the tub up and he put on the jets as he lifted me in and then he climbed in after.I rested on his back as he washed me and it was soothing as he washed the ache out of my bones. Then I washed him and it was peaceful and simple as we cared for each other's bodies.He hopped out and wrapped a towel around his waist as he lifts me out. He gives me the towel all the while his hand still touching me.I dry off as he does as he helps me into our room. We dress and go down for breakfast he is carrying me down the stairs.I said, "Jensen do you like carrying me?""I like being close to you.""Oh, I do too."We enter the kitchen as he stood me at the counter and he went to get my crutches for me. I was getting food out of the fridge which was directly behind me.He saw and said, "Good choice."I smiled as he gets out the waffle pan and we make waffles together. I had become a good cook thanks to Jensen teaching me how. He helped me with the waffles and we cooked them as we sat down to eat. He had put banana's, blueberries, strawberries and honey on top with ice cream. We were eating them when the doorbell rang.I said, "Clif?""Probably," as he went to open the door and Clif was standing there with Jared and Misha.They all came in and saw our waffles so they made them self some with the left over mixture and fruit so we all ate together. Jensen hand brushed mine and I smiled as Jared noticed."Is their something different with you too. Clif said, "you were acting weird when you can out of Daniela's office?"I looked at Jensen who had hold off my hand and kissed it.I said, "Yes Daniela wants me to get use of all your touches so I feel comfortable with you all. It's also to help if I have another flashback I will know who's helping me. So Jensen and I have been......." Jensen cuts in, "We have been practicing touching each other. It was incredible and we felt so content and comfortable we each other.""We still have along way too go but it's a start for us both.""So your saying you want us it touch you imitately like Jensen?""No, not like Jensen come here and I will show you Jared."He walks over and sits in the chair next to me as I put my spare hand on his face as I moved it on his lips and nose and eyebrows."Like this, is what Jensen and I have begun doing but we will get more imitate as we become more comfortable we each other but you, Clif and Misha it will just be the face and the arms."Jared said, "that was nice can I do with Gen.""Of course it's very imitate just touching each other and have no more expectations."Misha said, "I can see that.""I will help you anyway I can Baby girl," Clif said."Thank you all."Jensen said, "While we are here Y/N wanted to talk to you all."Jared said, "What's up Princess?""I think I'm comfortable enough to set up the Organisation if your all are ready to help me."Misha's eyes sparkled and said, "Of course we are. I will ring the board and set up a meeting.""Really thank you Misha.""We will help too Princess any way we can.""I don't know what I did to deserve you all.""You were who you are the kind and empathetic person we love," Clif said."I love you all too."We put our dishes in the dishwashers as Jensen had his hand in the small of my back as we walk out to the car. We climb in as Misha was in the back with Jensen and myself. He looked at me and put his hand on my arm just gently resting it there.Jensen looked at me and I smiled as he felt comfortable enough to touch me. It wasn’t an intrusive touch just a soft comfortable touch. He looked at me to see if I was alright with it and I smiled. He got a bit more bold then and touched my face. His hands were soft and warm. They were smaller than Jensen and felt different too. He gently caressed my face as Jared turned around to see what was happening as I was giggling.He said, "Misha I don't think you are suppose to make her laugh.""I'm not doing it intentionally she seems to find it funny.""Oh, I don't it's your ring it tickles and feels like butterflies on my face.""I see shall I take it off.""No it's nice and I will know it's you."He smiles as he now realised I wasn't laughing at him it was his ring that Vicki made him. He continued to touch my face while Jensen held my hand and was rubbing circles on it. It felt nice being gently touched and I wasn't afraid of them touching me it was just another milestone in my recovery towards getting better. We arrived a short time later when Bob noticed us all and smiled. He said, "morning all." We all said, "morning back."Jensen was walking with me as his hand was in the small of my back as Jared's hand was resting on my shoulder. He was smiling like it was a everyday occurrence. I took my seat as Jensen slowly kisses me and then Jared kisses my head. Misha taps my shoulder as Clif stands behind me with his hand on my shoulder as I put my hand on his. Bob looked as he was wondering what was going on.I said, "You all better get to wardrobe you have," as I looked at Bob. He said, "ten minutes for the first scene." "Right ten minutes so move it or lose it," they all laughed all the way to wardrobe.Bob looked as Clif still had his hand on my shoulder as he moves it to gently caress my face.He said, "something's different with you and everyone. Do I want to know what's happening?"I laughed and said, "I was going to tell you Bob. Remember I went to see my therapist?""Yes and what did she say?""She has told me to get use of people around me touching me. If I have another attack it will help bring me out and also make me comfortable with the people I am around like Jared, Misha, Clif and you.""So you want me to touch you too?""If you would like to. It's not going to be as imitate as Jensen and I but you can do what Clif is doing. Touching my face, wrist and arms will be enough for you all." He hesitated even as I grabbed his hand and rested it on my hand. He smiled when I didn't pull back. He moved his hand over mine as he looks at my face. He was happy as he just held my hand.Jensen, Jared and Misha came back and saw Bob. Jensen said, "She told you?""Yeah Jensen she told me.""Are you ok with this?""I was a little unsure but when Y/N said, “it's only the face, hands and arm I was ok with it. Hence me now holding her hand.""Ok, Bob you ready for them to work?""Yes," as he lets go of my hand and turns to give them directions. "Ok, first scene rehearsal first then we shoot it. Ok, marks everyone and action."They rehearse the first scene and I’m basically watching Jensen my eyes roaming over his body. I’ve never noticed his strength in his legs and upper body as he is doing a fight scene. He punches the guy in the face. It’s all fake but the way he pulls his arm back for the connecting blow. I kind of sighed as my eyes were still on him, never leaving him.Clif looks at me and smiles as he knows why I am sighing so loudly. The scene finished when Jensen turned to look at me it was the most intense look I’ve ever seen on his face. He winks at me as I almost melt in my seat. I never knew just touching each other would have this much effect on me. I can also see it in Jensen’s eyes how much he wanted to touch me. Bob said, “Ok, action,” as they did the scene again. I was squirming in my seat when he looked at me and he smiled that amazing smile. It literally took my breath away. Clif said, “Y/N are you alright?”  “Mm hm I’m just admiring Jensen and his body. Shit did I say that out loud.”He laughed and said, ”Yep, do I want to know?””Probably not,” as I giggle. Bob said, “cut everyone take 5 minutes.”Jensen looked at me and headed over to me where he touched my face like a starving man. As I touched his, I pulled him down for a kiss. “God Baby all I could think about was touching you. I was hard not to come over here and just do it.””Yeah I know what you mean,” all breathless as a blush creeped up my face. He bends down and said, “We are going to have an amazing night tonight Baby,” with a added wink. Jared comes over and said, “Hey Princess you alright you look a little flushed.”I couldn’t help but smile at him as Clif rolls his eyes. Jared saw Clif and smiled as he knew what was going on. He came over and said, “Can I touch you.””Of course,” as he puts his hand on my face as Jensen had his hand on the other side. He watched Jensen as he stroked down my face and rub my cheek. I was totally lost in the sensation when Bob said, “Ok, Everyone next scene.”Bob was looking at me how content I was with them touching me and said, “Ok, we need to talk?”We all stopped as he said, “I know it’s important for Y/N to get used of our touches but not while we are filming. It’s important we all concentrate on work. Y/N I hope you will understand where I’m coming from with this.”I smiled and said, “Of course Bob sorry for the disruption it won’t happen again.””It’s ok but we need to work or we won’t finished this episode on time.”Jensen said, “Sorry Bob we will not do anything while we are filming or rehearsal.””Thanks Jensen.””Ok, Let’s get back to work everyone,” I said.Bob smiled as the guys walked over and did the next scene we worked solidly for five hours when Bob called an hour break for lunch. Jensen walked over to me and said, “You hungry Baby?””Yeah but not for food,” as I looked him straight in the eyes. He gave me my crutches as we headed to his trailer. Clif stayed to have something to eat. I wasn’t moving fast enough so Jensen picked me up as I grabbed my crutches before they fell as he flung open the door and threw me on the bed.He climbed on next to me and he looked into my eyes and said, “God your beautiful,” as he kissed me deeply and sensually. He had his hand rested on my face and the other on my waist as we just lazily kissing each other. It’s like we were hungry for each other. It was nice and calm as he pulls me up so I’m in his lap as he never broke the kiss. It’s turns more heated as his arm is around me holding me to him. Our tongues were dancing to their own beat as I was feeling light headed as I finally broke the contact. I was all breathless as was Jensen.  We just looked at each other when my stomach growled for food. We both burst out laughing when there was a knock on Jensen’s trailer door. Jared shouted out, “You both decent in there. Misha and I brought you some food.”Jensen gives me a tender kiss on the lips as he gets up to open his trailer door. Jared has a big smirk on his face as he and Misha bring in the food. I’m still half lying half sitting on the bed. “We didn’t interrupt anything did we?” Misha said. “Well yes and no, my stomach was telling me I was hungry so you and Jared came at the right time,” as they looked at my kiss swollen lips. Jared said, “We brought croissants with ham and cheese. Coffee for Jensen and a hot chocolate for you.””Thanks man I need a coffee right now,” he said to Jared.Misha handed me a croissant and my hot chocolate as I unwrap it, eating it slowly. Jensen had most of his eaten before I had taken my first bite. Misha and Jared were almost as quick. I looked at Jensen and their was a twinkle in his eyes and I blushed. Jared ask “Y/N may I try to touching you like Jensen does?”I smiled and said, “sure you can I would like that.”He moved over towards me on the bed when he hesitated touching me. He looked at Jensen for permission first as he didn’t want to piss his best friend/brother off by touching his girl. He smiled and nodded his approval as I grabbed his hand and put it on my face. I said, “it’s ok Jared.”I knew Jared’s hand as it was bigger and a lot warmer than Jensen’s and Misha’s but he was being just as gentle. Misha watched quietly as he learnt from Jared what to do.I was humming softly when his hand moved over my face. He let his hand just gently stroke my cheek as I moved my face more into his hand. It was nice and I felt totally comfortable with him touching me. It’s not as imitate as Jensen’s touches but nice all the same. I had closed my eyes when he said, “Princess open your eyes.”I opened my eyes as he looks into them. I never really looked at his eyes before they were a different shade. One minute they were hazel, then blue and even a little brown. Unlike Jensen’s eyes they are green, with flecks of brown in them. When he is aroused they go a shade darker and look as sexy as hell. Misha’s eyes are are a dark blue when you look at them you basic see the sky above in them. I always wished for eyes that colour as mine as just a plain boring colour. I observed Jared’s face as I lifted my hand as he nodded it was ok.I explored his face with my hands as he closed his eyes. I brushed over his eyebrows and lips. Then his eyes and run my hands through his hair. I forgot how soft his hair felt. Jensen’s was a lot shorter than Jared’s as I ran my fingers all the way through it. It was glorious and I knew I had long hair but Jared’s looked amazing all the time. Jared had moved his hand and mimic what I was doing to him as he ran his hands through my hair. He said, “You have amazing hair Princess and I love how long you have it.”Jensen said, “I know right it beautiful and soft and smells amazing like apples all the time.”Misha said, “We better get back or Bob will be pissed as we told him we wouldn’t do this while filming.””Well technically we are not filming it’s our break and we can do whatever we want to during it,” I said.Jensen said, “She’s right. How do you feel Baby?””Good and Jared how about you?””It feels weird touching someone other than my wife but I know this is necessary for your recovery. Plus I can practice on Gen and she’s going to love it.””Jared you know it’s not about the sex. It’s to help make us feel comfortable with each other, before we even think about having sex.””I know it will be nice to just touch each other imitately and not have to worry about sex.”Jensen said, “Its much more imitate than sex is. As we get to explore each other’s bodies until we are comfortable enough with each other.”Misha said, “We can use this technique on our wives and will they enjoy it.””Hey we did it last night and it was wonderful. It was nice without the pressure to have sex,” I said. “I feel closer to Y/N and all I want to do is touch her. It’s like I’m possessed but it’s not in a sexual way. It’s more like been near her and feeling her.”I laughed as I said, “We basically can’t keep our hands off each other.”Then Jared and Misha laughed too and Jared said, “We’ve noticed since we saw you this morning.”I blushed as Jensen kisses my hand and holds it to his face. Then there was a knock on the door, “5 minutes Jensen.”I moved to get up but Jared was still sitting on the bed and in my way. I said, “Jared can you please move so I can get up.””Oh, sorry sure thing.”As he gets up he helps me and Jensen gives me my crutches. We are walking out when Misha’s phone rings. He answers it and it’s the board for Random Acts as Misha explains everything to them. He said, “Ok, I will tell her and let you know if it’s alright, yes bye.”I looked at Misha and he smiles as I said, “well what did they say Misha?””Come Misha don’t leave us hanging here,” Jensen said.”Misha your killing us,” as Jared looks at him waiting for a answer.”They want to meet with you in a couple of days. I’m to bring you to the panel and we explain everything to them.””I god I’m really nervous now. I have to get it all prepared and organised. I don’t even have a name Misha what are we going to call it?””We have a couple of days to think about it. Don’t worry we will think of a good name for the Organisation promise,”Misha said.”You will be great and they will love you,” Jensen said.Jared said, “Is there anything we can do to help with the presentation?””I don’t know Jared I will have to work on it tonight and let you know tomorrow?”He could See I was getting stressed out as he touched my shoulder as we walked back to the set. Bob said, “Ok let’s get started.”l said, “Ok where do you want them Bob?””Wardrobe to get them in the clothes for the next scene.””Of course sorry Bob,” he looked at me wondering what was going on. “Ok, Jay, Jared and Misha wardrobe.”Jensen noticed I was off my game and squeezed my hand before they walked out.Bob said, “Y/N are you alright? You seem distracted?””Um, yeah sorry Bob. Misha got a call from the board and I can present the Organisation before them in a few days. I’m kind of nervous and distracted with what I’m going to say to get them to help fund it.”He came over and held my hands and looked me in the eyes and said, “You will work it out! You are amazing and know all,about this from your own experience just tell them what’s in your heart and they will fall in love with the idea.””Yeah I do know about this don’t I. I could tell them about my experiences and Jensen, Jared and Misha are going to help me with this. I hope it alright we take some time off in a couple of days. I think Misha said, “two days.””Of course we all,will be their to help you with this. I wouldn’t let a good cause like this pass us by.””Really you will help me too Bob.””Yes and I think Cliff will also.”Clif said, “Of course I will help.””Thank you so much both of you.”Jesnen, Jared and Misha returned and saw Bob holding my hand. Jensen looked wondering what has happened.Bob said, “She was telling Cliff and me about the board and getting the Organisation set up. She was a bit unsettled so I was giving her some support.””Bob it’s ok you don’t have to explain to Jensen he knew something was wrong when he left.””How did you know I knew Baby?””Your facial expressions showed worry and I know how to read them.””So you good now Baby’s?””I’m still nervous but Bob told me to tell them my story and that is something I know well.””That you do Baby.””Ok, places everyone, we will run through the scene first and then do then the take. Ok on my mark. Mark.”The boys did their scenes as I quietly watched them. We worked solidly for another five hours and Bob called it a day. We had worked for 10 hours and we all were getting tired so it was time to go home. Jensen said, “Baby you still want to go to dinner and a movie?””No, I’m tired and I still need to work out my presentation for the board.”Misha said, “Hey we can also speak to help with the funding of the Organisation.””I can tell them what I’ve seen since you’ve been living here with us if that helps Baby.””It would be good I think if it’s just me talking and telling my story as I will be more personal for me. As I’m the one who’s trying to get the help. They may think Yeah I have other people speaking for me. But thank you if I can’t do it I will ask you all to help me.””Ok Princess we understand where your coming from.””Thanks Jared.”As we all walk out to the car as Clif drops Jensen and me off first as they kissed me goodbye. I hobbled slowly into the house as Jensen notices and asks what’s wrong. “Hey what’s wrong?””I really would like to touch you but I’m to tired.”He smiles and said, “It’s ok Baby we can just look at each other and touch each other’s faces.”We head up to bed as I go up the stairs slowly as I have no energy left in me. Jensen is woeeied something else might be happening with me. We finally reach my bedroom where I lie down and curl up on the quilt. He said, “You want a bath?””No too tired Jay,” as I yawn and close my eyes. “Hey you need to put you PJ’s on.”I was already asleep as he took my shoes off and put me under the covers as he strips down and climbs in next to me. He kisses me softly on the lips as I hum in my sleep. “Are you awake Baby’s?””No sleeping,” I whisper as I open my eyes.I look into his beautiful green eyes as he moves some hair from my face. He gently rubs my cheek with his thumb. He moves to kiss my nose and then my cheek and then my mouth. It was a hungry kiss like he has been holding back all day. Then he  soften the kiss as I open my mouth so he could explore with his tongue. I was touching his face as he kissed me. It was a gently yet also hot kiss. He knew how to make my stomach get butterflies in it. It happened each time he kissed me or even look at me. I still couldn’t believe he chose me to spend his life with and love each and every day. I knew I was the luckiest girl in the world to have Jensen Ackles hit TV star love me. But to me he was just Jensen one of the guys who saved my life. For that I would be forever grateful to them. I closed my eyes again as Jensen pulled me into his arms. “I love you Jay, more each day you are my hero.””I love you Baby.”As we both closed our eyes and went to sleep. Tomorrow I will have to work out what I’m going  to say to the board and Jensen and I will have to have an early session before work. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Jensen woke a lot earlier than me as he watched me sleep. I had a restless night worrying about the meeting but he is letting me sleep in. He gently moves a bit of hair from my face as he just looks at me sleeping peacefully. He gently gets out of bed as he makes his way down stairs and gets things ready for our next session. He knew what he wanted so he put the pillows on the floor and the soft music in the player. He had pulled the curtains across and looked outside and decided to set it all up outside in the beautiful sunshine. He knew it wouldn’t be here much longer as the colder weather will be here soon. He pulls a blanket down and set it under the apple tree the first time we kisses here. It was a shame the apples had stopped growing and now the tree was bare but had a lovely green foliage to it. The day was bright and cool as the breeze was gentle as it swayed the leaves. He smiled to himself when he thought of letting the birds be our music today. They were singing a pretty tune as they chirped around in the tree.He walked into the kitchen and got a glass of water as he headed back upstairs to see if I was awake. He knew we needed enough time to have our session without interruption. He was looking down at me as he dipped his head and kissed my lips. He said, “Hey sleepy head you gonna get up?”I moaned, “no too tired need more sleep.”He laughs gently as he whispers, “come on Baby we have a session to do remember we were to tired last night.””Hm as I roll over and pull the blankets above my head.””Ok, then I will go have a shower and get breakfast organised and we won’t do the session,”  as he deadpanned as he was looking forward to it.I heard his voice voided of all emotion and said, “wait Jay I’m coming. Come help me up.”He all but lifted me to my feet as he grabbed the crutches and helped me down the stairs. I was trying not to laugh at his eagerness to start our session. I look around the lounge room and I raised an eyebrow as he heads outside. I follow and he has a blanket with our pillows under the apple tree. He helps me sit on my pillow as he sits on his. He just looks at me all dishelved and my hairs a mess. He said, “your beautiful Baby.”He waits for me to start but I just look at him with his sexy bed hair and his eyes look so green this morning. I still hadn’t touched him when he looked at me wondering why I was taking so long. I smile as I move my hand to his face and rub my hand along his jaw. It flexed slightly at my touch as he waits for me to move my hand. I stopped when I heard the birds singing as he looks to where I was looking. It was two pretty little birds singing together it was so sweet.I returned my attention back to Jensen as I touch his mouth and nose. I gently touched his eyes as I slowly moved my hand down his chest to his waist as I smiled and started to tickle him. He bucked as I tickled him mercilessly. He was laughing a deep throaty laugh as it was infectious and I laughed too. He said, “give,” as I stopped I saw the mischievous look in his eyes and knew he had something planned. He basically rolled on top of me and tickled me until I couldn't breath. I was gasping for air when I said, “Alright I give up, point taken.”He stopped and just looked me in the eyes and smiled. He hand was tracing the fine lines of my face as he wanted to remember ever line and curve. He closes his eyes just touching my face for what seemed like forever when he shifted his weight and moved off me. He pulled me up as he run his hands through my long hair. It was exciting and my body was reacting to his touch as I moaned with contentment. He grabbed my hand and put it on his chest as I rubbed down his body. He rubbed my shoulders as I rubbed his chest we were in complete sync with each other. As we explored each other’s bodies. I moved my hand to his face and just rested it lightly on his cheek. He moved his hands and rubbed my arms. It was nice as the birds were singing as my heart was pounding. I wondered if Jensen’s was pounding too or if he felt light headed and giddy from the pleasure and comfort we felt for each other. He moves and put his hand around my neck as he pulls me in for a passionate kiss as he took over completely. The kiss wasn’t light or soft it was demand and sensual.I pulled away gasping for air as I said, “Wow Jensen.”He gives me the most brilliant dazzling sexy smile I’ve ever seen on his face. He said, “Sorry Baby got carried away.”I blushed and said, “No, I liked it.”He gives me a smirk and another heated kiss as his mouth moves over mine. “We should go and shower and have breakfast?””Yep Clif, Jared and Misha will be here soon.””Jensen?””Yeah Baby,” as he looks at me with his eyebrow raised. “What are we doing tonight?””Why?””I need to get everything ready for our meeting tomorrow I was wondering if you could help me come up with a name?”He smiles and said, “Of course I will help you, we are in this together. But we better move or we won’t be ready on time.”He helps me up as he just strokes my face with his thumb it was soft and tender. We walk inside as we head upstairs as we both shower well I actually had a bath but that doesn’t matter as I got ready for the day. I had put on a skirt and a blouse with a jacket as I tied my hair in a lose bun. Jensen had on a very tight pair of jeans which hugged his curves and a blue henley with a jacket he looked really hot. We went down stairs to make breakfast as we cooked bacon and eggs with toast. Jensen had other things like harsh brown and sausage with his. I just had bacon and eggs as he fed me some of his hash brown it wasn’t to bad. We sat as I looked at him and said, “Jay are you still going to help me with the name?””Sure Baby maybe we could ask Misha and Jared to help as well?””I would like that. I was thinking maybe something with a acronym like GISHWHES, Im not sure yet depends on what we come up with.”He had a serious look on his face and said, “do you want anything about kids being abused?””I think it would be good to have that in there but not necessary.””Ok, Its going to be world wide as well.””Yes hopefully if they let me.”“I will get the guys to think on it all day for you ok.””Thanks Jay.”He gets up and gives me a sweet kiss.  We finish eating when there is a knock on the door I get up to answer it. I open the door and I’m swepted off my feet by Jared. He puts me down and kisses me on the lips. I was surprised and I looked dumbfounded as he's never kissed me on the lips before. He saw the look and said, “Oh sorry but I wanted to thank you.””What for Jared I didn’t do anything?””Um, Yeah,” he went all shy and blushed. “Gen and I tried the touching last night and it was incredible we were so relaxed with each other it was nice. We just touched each other and cuddled it was peaceful.””I'm glad Jared, that you and Gen enjoyed it.””We are going to do it again tonight.”Jensen said, “Do what again tonight?””Jared and Gen have been trying out our touching sessions on each other.”His eyebrows raised, “Oh really.””Yep and Gen loves it Jay it’s incredible and relaxing we’ve never been this relaxed with each other for a long time.”He smiles and said, “Yeah I know what you mean Jared,” as he holds my hand. Misha clears his throat,”Um we are here too you know.””Oh god Im sorry Misha and Clif.”Misha smiles that award wining smile and said, “its ok Jared wanted to tell you his news. Good morning Minon.””Morning Overload Sir,” he kisses my cheek. ”Morning Clif, how are you?” I said.”Good and you?” He answered. ”Great a little apprehensive about tomorrow and I still need to find a name. Can you all help?” As I looked worried. Jared came over and hugged me gently. ”Of course we will help,” he said. ”I was thinking of something like GISHWHES like a word which is a acronym,” I said. ”So something like World Organisation for the protection of children from Abuse and violence,” Misha said. ”Yeah but makes a word hopefully. Its ok if it doesn’t as well.””Maybe we can have a think session at lunchtime. If you and Jensen aren’t to busy,” Jared said, with raised eyebrows. I blushed 20 shades of red. As Jensen smiles at Jared.Clif said, “We better get going or we will be late and have to stay back late again.””Ok, Clif,” as we all get in the car. Misha was rubbing one of my hands as it was a natural thing for at least one of them to be touching me. Jensen always had hold of me when we were in the car. We arrived as Bob said, “Morning.”We all said, “Morning,” back when Richard walked from behind him. “Well morning everyone guess who’s here?”I looked at Bob and he saw me question why Richard was there.”Oh Y/N, Richard is Directing this episode I’m sorry I forgot to let you all know.””Really Richard knows what I do here?””Yes he does and hopes you will do a good job for him like you do me.””Yes I will Bob.””Y/N please don’t worry I don’t bite really?”Jensen said, “Nah his a pussy cat Baby.””Ok you lot wardrobe,” as Jensen gives me a quick kiss which has become habit. Richard said, “I will also need you to run some lines with them as well as Samantha is not here for filming today. Is that alright Y/N?””Sure just let me know when and I will set it up.””Good, Good I knew you would be great to work with.””Richard may I ask you something?””Of course anything.””Well I need you to do soemthing for me if you feel comfortable enough.””What Y/N?” as he notices Clif gently rubbing my shoulder.”I need you to touch me like Clif is if thats alright.””What about Jensen?””Hes alright with it as my therapist wants me to get use to the touches of people around me.””I don’t know can I ask Jensen first?””Of course if you feel safer asking him,” as I smiled. “Ok, So I will need you to get them to get to their marks and we can rehearse the first scene.”They all walk in Jensen is in his red shirt he looks so hot in that shirt. Jared is in a brown plaid shirt while Misha is in his usually trenchcoat. They came over to see where they had to be. Richard pulled Jensen aside and said, “Hey man you girl wants me to touch her. Are you cool with this Jay?”Jensen laughed and said, “Yep she told you?””Yes she did and you are letting people touch her?””Jesus Richard its only on her face, hand, shoulder and arms. Its nothing imitate Richard. I’m the only one thats allow to touch her like that.”He let out a breath he was holding incase Jensen hit him. He said, “Ok I can do that.””Good because it can help her recovery a great deal Richard.”He nodded as he said, “Ok, places everyone and action,” as they rehearsed the first scene of the day. Then when he was happy they filmed it. Richard is a really good Director and fun he had us all laughing several times during a take. He was very good and had an amazing way with the guys. He said, “Right Y/N when your ready you will seat out there and you can run lines with them. You can do Marys part ok.”I nodded as I was nervous as Clif carried my chair out there as I followed behind him. I sat down as Jensen looked at me wondering why I was on the set. Then he saw the scripted being passed to me to read. He looks at Richard as he yells out, “ok everyone Y/N is doing Marys part as Samantha is unavailable and I want to see the scenes as I get a visual on how I want them to look.”Jensen came over and squeezed my hand for reassurance as Jared and Misha could see the anxiety build in me. Misha squeezed my shoulder and Jared grabbed my other hand. I started to feel safe and my breathing settled. Richard was watching us as he told the camera guy to flim us. Once I was breathing normally again Richard yelled action. I started to read Marys part, then Jensen said his lines as he looked at me and smiled. Jared also said his lines as Misha was last to say his lines. We actually worked well together as we looked at each other and the guys did what they were supoose to do. Richard saw something that no one else saw and it surprised him as he watched us. We continued like this until we finished the scene. Richard had recorded my dialogue speak I gave to the boys as he zoomed the camera in on my face. He was looking at me, he couldnt take his eyes off me all the time he was filming. He called Jensen over as Jensen had directed some episodes as well. Richard said, “Hey Jay I want you to see something?”I looked over there worried I had done something wrong as Jared said, “Hey its ok, it’s probably Director stuff as they both have directed before.”I shook my head as Jensen watched whatever it was Richard was showing him. He looked at me and smiled as his attention was drawn back to the screen. Jensen was watching intently as Richard whispered, “Look at her Jensen shes a natural.””Yeah, she is but what are you telling me?””I want to take this to the producers and Bob and see if they see it too.””You want her to star in Supernatural with us?””Yep, shes incredible the camera loves her. Just look at her laughing and having fun with you all. Even this scene here look the seriousness in her eyes and face.”Jensen looked as he was amazed at what Richard was saying but he too could see it. “Richard do you want me too come and talk to them as well?””No, they will think we set it up just let me. I think Bob will see it and maybe Andrew but I will have to convince them to let her join the cast.””Jesus Richard what do I tell her?””Nothing for now not until I know for sure.”He nodded as he walked back to me he seemed distracted but I didn’t ask I figure like Jared said Directors stuff.Richard said, “Ok, everyone the next scene please.”Clif said, “Hey Baby girl do you want me to take your seat back to where we sit?””Yes thanks Clif that would be great thank you.””No need I would do anything to help you all.”Jensen smiles a big bright smile as like a light was switch on and he finally worked it out. I smiled back as my heart settled to know everything was alright.We worked all the way through lunch to get the scenes done for today as I still needed to get this done to be organised for tomorrow’s meeting.We finally left at around 7pm that night I was exhausted as we still haven’t worked out a name yet. I said in a tire voice with a yawn added to let them know I was tired, “are you going to still help me with the name for the Organisation.”Jared said, “Sure Princess I will help can I call Gen and just let her know I will be a little later,” as he also yawned. “Look Jared you go home and be with your family. We can work on this tomorrow before the meeting if you come in early.””You sure Princess I can stay?””No, really Jensen and I can make a start on it.”Misha said, “I can stay if you want too.””No, you go and be with your family too Misha.””Ok, I’ll be over bright and early tomorrow to help.””Thank you both I love you guys.”Clif said, “I can come back after I drop theses two off if you would like some help.””I would love the help but Clif you look just as exhausted as we are. Go home and get a good night’s sleep and we will start early tomorrow.””Ok Baby Girl,” as he pulls up into Jensen’s driveway. Misha gave me a kiss and said, “Don’t worry you will be brilliant tomorrow.”I shook my head unsure if I am brilliant but I will agree with him. Jared said, “how we will be there with you ever step of the way and we won't let you go through this on your own,” as he kisses and hugs me too. “Hey Baby girl you have come a long way since you first arrived and I’m proud of you, actually we all are proud of you,” as he kisses my head and hugs me to himJensen said, “You know Baby Clif is right you have come long way and doing this is coming out of your comfort zone and doing something amazing for abused children and I think that takes a lot of guts to tell people your story,” as he kisses me lightly on the lips as his hand went to the small of my back as I lean into him.They all gave Jensen a shoulder squeeze as they got back in the car and it pulls out. Jensen and I both waving goodbye we stood there a long time after the car was put of sight just looking at the stars. “Jensen what is it?” I knew something was bothering him.”Its nothing, its just a beautiful night look at thoses stars and that sky Baby. Its the most incredible thing on the great Earth to look at.””Yes it is Jensen I used to look at them back home it was my one thing that they couldn’t damage. You know I use to wish for aliens to come and take me away from them and give me a better life.”He laughed a soft laugh and said, “Aliens huh, I guess they never came.””No, no one did but I eventually got my other wish my knight in shining armour rescued and saved me.””Yeah who’s this knight who saved you, you know your mine now and always.””Oh I think the knight knows that as he is amazingly sexy and handsome.””He is,” with raised eyebrows.”Yep he is and I’m never letting him go ever.””Well I don’t think he will let you,” as he rolls the ring on my finger.He dips his head and kisses me deeply as we kiss under the stars and the black sky. He moves his mouth over my lips as he didn’t want to break the kiss. I pulled back and panted for breath when he said, “We better go in.””Yeah, I guess Jay.”We walk in as he asks, “What would you like for dinner Baby?””Chinese its easy and simple to clean up after.””Ok, I will go ring, you go to the lounge room and we will start brainstorming names.”I move off as I head towards the lounge when Jensen yells out, “You want something to drink as well?””Yes thank you Jay.””He comes in a few moments later and said, “I got fried rice with king prawns I know how you love them.””Thanks Jay,” as he passes me a can of lemonade.He sits down behind me as I pick up the pen and paper as we start to think of acronyms for names. “Jensen what do you think?””What for a name?””Yes silly what else would I been asking you for?””Oh I don’t know, I was thinking you do you want to have child abuse in the acronym?””Yes but if we can’t  that’s  find as long as it tells people what we want to achieve with it.””Ok, how about, ‘World Organisation for Child Abuse Prevention which would be W.O.C.A.P.’”Yep I like it but it needs to say a word like GISHWSHES does.””Ok, how about we both think of one.””I had a thought how about this, ‘Action and Prevention of Child Abuse which the letters would be A.P.C.A.’”Or it could be, ‘Action and Prevention For Abused Kids, letters will be A.P.A.K.’”Yeah that sounds good but we need more.”The doorbell rings as Jensen gets up from behind me and answers it.The delivery guy which has come to know Jensen so well said, “Hey Jay, here’s your order,” as Jensen passes over the money with his usual tip.”Thanks man enjoy your night.””You too Jay see again soon.”As he closes the door and sits back down after handing me the food. “Mm smells nice Jay.””Yep it does,” as his tummy rumbles with hunger.I give him his food as I turn to let him eat without me resting on him. As he opens his and starts to eat his noodles. I open mine as I pull put a prawn and put in my mouth. I make humming noises as it’s delicious. Jensen laughs as he watches me eat.He said, “I didn’t know chinese tasted so good before not until you came.””Why?””Because you make everything taste so much better now that I’m eating with someone I love.””You know I’ve never had chinese until you introduced it into my diet. Its is very nice and I love the prawns, you want one Jay?””Only if you can spare one for me.””I don’t know they are very nice to eat,” as I wink at him. I pull one out and put it in his mouth on my fork. He smiles as he eats it. He said, “Your right they are nice and tasty.”He bends over and kisses me and said, “you taste just as nice.””Jay this is not getting the names done.””Ok,” he said with a mouthful of food. “What about as he swallows his food,  ‘Save the children from Abuse and Torture, which the letters will be, S.C.A.T.’”Better and I know we can think of more Jensen? What about, ‘Saving abused kids everyday, S.A.K.E.’“That sounds good Baby, I have one too, ‘Giving Hope to Abused Kids Everyday, G.H.A.K.E.’I wrote it down and looked at them what we had was good but I think maybe we could think of some more or use one we already have. I was exhausted as I snuggled into Jensen and he held me.”Hey your tired we can do some more tomorrow?”””Mm Jay I love you.””I love you too Baby,” as he held me tight to him and I relaxed and closed my eyes and fell asleep. He could hear my breathing even out and knew I was asleep. He held me for a long time before he decided to lie us down on the rug he took our shoes off and pulled a blanket over us. He was asleep a few minutes later after kissing me on the back of the neck. “Night Baby,” as he closed his eyes. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- I was crying out in my sleep please don’t do this, theses kids need help. I want to help them please as the picture changed and everyone was laughing at me and Jensen was saying, “You couldn’t save yourself what makes you think you can save some poor messed up kids.””No, Jensen please I can with your help,” I started to pull on the blanket as Jensen wakes with the sudden coolness and he hears me talking in my sleep as I was saying his name.He said, “Hey Baby wake up it’s just a dream,” as he kisses me lightly on the lips as he deepens the kiss. I open my eyes to see his above me. His green eyes looking and wondering what was happening.”Jensen what’s happpening?””You were saying my name in your dream. You want to talk about it?””I was having a nightmare. They wouldn’t let me set up the Organisation and more kids were abused as I couldn’t help them Jensen. What if they say no and I can’t do it,” as I turned my head to hide the tears falling.”Hey look at me,” as he turned my head and wiped my eyes. “They will do it or they are fools not too. You have the best people backing you and I know Misha will not give up without a fight.””I know but I’m worried Jensen and I can’t seem to shake the bad feeling I’m having. Maybe I should just cancel the whole thing it was stupid anyway.””It’s not stupid you have a great idea and need to sell it to the board and they will see it too. I will be there as will Jared, Misha and even Clif will be there with you too. You don’t need to worry if they say no I will fund it with my money if needs be or we can do some fun raising things like Jared with the AKF campaigns.””Jensen you would do that for me.””Of course I will and so would Jared and Misha. How about I donate to help start the ball rolling.””God, I love you Jensen so much,” as he smiles and I kiss him deeply. “We better get up Jared, Misha, and Clif are coming over to brainstorm some names remember?””Yep I haven’t forgot but can we do our session first is there time.””I don’t see why not,” as we sit up and I was facing him. He looks me in the eyes and slowly rubs his warm hand down my face. I undo his buttons on his shirt and pull it off his shoulders as my hands touch his warm flesh. He shivered slighty at the cool touch. As I explored his shoulders as they flexed with my touch and then I moved my hand down to his nipples as I ran my finger around his left nipple. It felt odd touching Jensen like this but he was looking me in the eyes the whole time. His left nipple went hard under my touch as I moved to the right one he was moaning with pleasure as I circled my finger around that one. I kissed his mouth as we explored each other. I wanted to know every inch of Jensen by the time we finished all our sessions. I moved closer so I was almost sitting in his lap. I rubbed my hands down his back as my nails digged in slightly as he growled in his throat. I was surprised at how comfortable we were with each and what we were doing. I wanted to touch lower but I couldn’t bring myself to explore that low yet. I was just getting used of touching his upper body without throwing in the lower body too. I don’t think we are quiet ready for that yet. I was looking at Jensen when he gently grabbed my hand and he kisses my palm. I always felt a surge of intimacy between us. I knew how much he loved me when he did little things like this it made my feel special and most of all wanted. He just held my hand to his lips as he was about to rub it on his cheek. I liked his cheek as he had a two days scruff on it and it was all rough and it excited me. I think he would handsome with a full beard and I could get used off it as he would rub it along my face and body. I shivered slightly at the thought when Jensen looked.”Are you cold Baby?””No I was just thinking of what you would look like with a full beard. I kind like your scruff Jay it’s makes me like the idea of a beard.””It does, does it?””Yeah it does very much.”He raised and eyebrow when he said, “Ok, during hiatus I will grow one just for you.””You will for me.””Yep and I will make sure to kiss you everyday with it.””Mm I would like that Jay.”He laughs as he pulls my shirt over my head. He looks at me as he gently rubs his smooth hand down my chest to my breast. I still had my bra on so he rubbed my nipple through the bra. As I mewled with pleasure. “Jensen,” As he looks at me. “What Baby you want me too stop?””No, I was going to say it feels good.””Oh,”  like he hadn’t heard me then he said, “Oh,” as he thought about it and gives me a grin. He continues to rub the breast as I was feeling something odd between my legs and like their’s butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t tell Jensen what I was feeling incase he laughed at me. He moved his hand inside the bra as he ran circles around my breast as I moved closer for his hand to touch me. He moves to the other breast as he moves around behind me and undo my bra and throws it on the floor next to our tops. He looks at them for a few seconds as he moves his thumb over the other breast. I started to squirm just a little and Jensen asked, “You alright Baby.””Hm, what Jensen,” as my thoughts were on his hand moving over my breast ever so slowly. Teasing it gently and he then rubbed the underside and I almost jumped into his lap. “You alright you just jumped you want me to stop.””No, I wasn’t expecting it to feel so good and Jensen you won’t laugh but I feel something happening between my legs.”He tried to hold back a laugh as he gives me the biggest grin man has even seen.“You getting aroused Baby and that’s what happens when you want to have sex.””But we aren’t having sex so why is it happening?””Your body is responding to the pleasure you are feeling.””Will that happen when we do have sex Jensen?””Yes it will and what will happen with you?””Maybe we can talk about this another time and if your ready I will show you. As Jared, Misha and Clif will be here soon.””Ok, we will talk about it again.”He helped me up as we were headed for the shower when the doorbell rang. We both answered it as Tom and Shep ran in and Shep gave me a hug and said, “I missed you Y/N.””I missed you too little man.””Daddy can you pick me up please.””Sure Shep,” Jared answered. He moved closer to me as Shep gave me a kiss on the cheek. I returned the kiss and said, “Thank you Shep.”Tom said, “Morning Y/N and Unca Jensen.””Good morning Tom, look you’ve grown a whole foot the last time I saw you. You will be as tall as your Daddy soon.”He giggled and said, “Daddy’s tall.”Shep said, “How about me?””Yep you too.”Gen walks over and said, “Ok boys go amd play and you can talk with Y/N later.”The boys ran off to find the toys Jensen keeps for them to play with. I said, “Thanks Gen,” she smiles as she kisses me good morning and I say good morning to Jared, Misha and Clif who waited patiently for Shep and Tom to finish.Jared said, “Morning are you guys ready for us?””No, we were about to go shower with had a session this morning.””Oh, how did it go?”I blushed as it didn’t go unnoticed by them all. Misha said, “Will I see it was good,” as he pointed to my very red face.”Yeah is was amazing,” Jensen said.”Gen can you help me with the bath I need some girl time. Do you mine?””Of course not.”Jensen said, “I will shower in my room to give you some privacy to talk.””Jensen can you help me into the bath first.””Of course Baby.””You guys had breakfast yet?””Yep hours ago,” Clif said.”Make yourselves at home we won’t be long.”So we head upstairs and Jensen helps me into the bath as he disappears to his room. Gen closes the door so we could talk privately without anyone hearing us. “What did you want to talk about Y/N?””Hm,” as I go all shy. “What did something happen when you and Jensen had your session. By the way thanks for that Jared and I have really enjoyed just touching each other.””You’re welcome Gen, yes something did happen and I’m not sure if it’s good or bad.””You want to tell me about it?””Well hm I um, please don’t laugh at me Gen. I couldn’t bare it, I um had this feeling in my stomach like butterflies but I also felt embarrassed as I had a wet feeling between my legs. So is that normal or is their something wrong with me?”She gives me a soft smile and said, “Their is nothing wrong with you Y/N. What you felt was arousal Jensen awaken the sexual pleasure in your body. It’s nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about it all natural and wonderful when you feel the full pleasure of sexual desire and imitacy. He will bring you pleasure you’ve never felt before and it will be amazing.”“Jensen told me I was aroused but what happens to a man when they are you know?”She raises her eyebrows and said, “You know.””Gen please dont make me say it out loud.””Oh you mean when they are aroused and ready to have sex.””Will how can I explain this, you and Jensen haven’t had sex yet?””No, we were taking it slow and I wanted to know more about it and how to do it. We were going to watch porn together but we have been way too busy.””Ok look when a man is aroused you will know as his penis gets hard its called an erection. For a women its harder to tell but you have already found out how we feel when we are.””Are their penis’s hard or its just a saying?””No its actually its hard but when you touch it its soft.””Does it hurt Gen?””It can your first time that’s only because Jensen is braking through the barrier that keeps your virginity intacked. But it shouldn’t afterwards it will be the most incredible thing you have felt. Except maybe having a child but this comes close.”“Gen I’m scared of what I’m feeling I’ve never had feelings like this ever and it’s a little overwhelming and I’m not sure what to do about them.””How may I make a suggestion talk to Jensen about them and you both can work through this together. I’m sure he is probably feeling the same thing as you?””Really you think so Gen?””Guarantee it. I know this is difficult for you but it’s better to be honest so he knows whats going on in here, (as she points to my head), and in here (as she points to my heart).””Ok, I will thanks Gen. I don’t know what I would you if you weren’t in my life.””Hey that’s what B.F.F’s do for each other. We talk and help each other among other things.””Gen can you please get Jensen I need his help getting out of the bath.””Ok, be right back.”I sat there while I was alone and thought of how I felt that morning and how much Jensen means to me. I knew I will have to speak to him about all this but now is not the right time. Jensen knocked on the door as I said, “Come in Jensen.””Hey Baby, Gen said “you need some help.””Yes thanks Jensen and I need to talk to you later after work.””Ok is it about this morning?””Yes and other things as well,” he looked worried and I saw and said, “Nothing bad I promise.”He sighed with relief as he picks me up and takes me into our room. He sits me on the bed as I start to dry myself. He watches me as I get dressed.“Jay you like what you see?””Of course have the first time I saw you naked Baby.”I blushed as I remember to when he first got me out of the bath back in Australia boy was that over a month ago. I felt like I’ve been here like forever with my new family and friends. Everything seems to fit at the moment. I felt wanted and loved and most of useful. “What are you thinking about you zoned out on me.””Sorry Jay I was thinking how happy I am and how much I love you all. Plus the first time we met in the bath,” as a smile comes to my face.He smirks at me and said, “Yeah you know we were worried what we were going to find behind that door and their you were in the bath no less singing a song.”I smile at the memory it was a good memory even though I broke my knee it was really good to know they flew around the world to see if I was alright. I said, “Yeah it’s a wonderful memory for me Jay. I better get dressed or they will be wondering what we are up too,” with raised eyebrows.Jensen laughed a fully belly laugh as he help get my clothes for me. I quickly brush my hair and we head downstairs where there is breakfast waiting for us. Jared hands Jensen his coffee as I sit down with my hot chocolate. They had made us panacakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, toast, hash brown basically every breakfast food you could think of. I sat down as Gen gave me a plate and handed me the food that was being passed around. I only had a bit as I put some bacon and scrambled eggs on my plate. I was given a hot chocolate by Jared as we all sat and eat our breakfast. Jared said, “Ok, now” between bites of food. “What are we going to name this Organisation any suggestions?”Gen said, “How about something to do with abused kids.””Yeah that would be good if we could add that into the title but I want an acronym like GISHWSHES.” Misha smiled and said, “Ok so an acronym with abused kids in it.”Clif said, “What about Organisation for helping abused kids its acronym would be OHAK?” He thought about it and said, “Oh it doesn’t work.””Its a good try Clif thank you.”Jared said, “Help each child from Abuse which will be HECA.””Ok Jared sounds good but we need something catchy and everyone will remember it. I will write it down though to use just incase.”Jensen said, “Does it need to be a acronym Baby?””I was hoping for one so it would be easy to say.””Ok, we still have time to work on it.” I picked up my hot chocolate and held it in my hands when Gen said, “I might have one?”I said, “Ok, Gen what you got?”She said, “Save abused Kids everyday.” Jared said, “Gen that was a good one it spells SAKE””Hm sounds good I will write it down with the others. Thanks Gen for your help.”Jensen said, “Ok, mine is “Abused Children Recovery Organisation” which is ACRO.”I wrote it down as I was playing around with the Supernatural letters as Jensen asks, “whats that?””Oh I was just playing around with the Supernatural letters and came up with, “Show Reunited Protection to Enable and Rebuild the Negative Abuse and to Teach and Unite to Recognise And Learn” which spells out SUPERNATURAL.”Jensen said, “Wow thats a mouth full but I like it.”So I wrote it down with the others. Misha said, “What about GISHWHES acronym like, “Give Individual Service to Help With Healing Each Soul,” but I also thought we could add “For Abused Children Together” so its GISHWHES FACT. What do you think?”Jared said, “Doesn’t GISHWHES have copyright?””Yes, but we could maybe do a side charity with its name,” Misha replied.”Yes it is good Misha we will added it to the list.”Gen said, “How many do you want Y/N?””As many as we can come up with.””Mm, What about just using wishes like, “We Individualised Services to Heal Each Soul.”“Yep that shorten down Misha’s. Clif said, “Save and Protect Abused Children Everyday” which spells SPACE.”I added that as well. I looked at the ones Jensen and I had done the night before and saw I had written down, “World Organisation for Child Abuse Prevention (WOCAP).I had crossed out a few from the night before as they didn’t spell an acronym. Misha said, “Giving Abused Children Hope Everyday,” I wrote down the letters GACHE I put it with the others possibilities.Jensen and Jared both got up and took all our plates over to the sink to clean off for the dishwasher to wash them. I said, “What if nothing of theses are good enough and we can’t find a good name for the Organisation?”Gen said, “Hang what we have are all good and worthy name for a wonderful Organisation. You will have to decide which one you like the best?””Yeah I know but it too hard. Maybe we can vote on the name?””If thats what you want to do, we can.””Yes its too hard a desicion as its taken me awhile to think of the ones we have already.”Jensen came over as they finished loading the dishwasher and he lifted me to my feet and hugged tightly to him. He knew it was the anxiety talking and nit my head. He also knew I loved his hugs.So what will the name be? We will have to decide soon as the meeting was in a few hours. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- So I have my list as I get ready for the meeting with the board. I am really nervous I might stuff up and the child's might not get any help. Gen is helping me to dress nicely as I've never done this before and to tell them about my life is going to be hard as well. I know Jensen, Jared, Misha and Clif will all be there for support.Gen said, "You look worried?""Gen what if I stuff up and I can't do this.""Hey you will I have every faith in you.""I'm just terrified standing in front of the board I've never done this before.""Misha would have told them and they will understand if you are scared. Just remember why you are there and the reason you want to help the kids it will get you through.""Thanks Gen, I'm glad your apart of my life.""Your welcome and let me do your hair for you," to calm me down and get my mind off worrying.Gen finally finished my hair it looked amazing and I loved what she had done. We head downstairs where Jensen had gotten changed into a dark blue suit and boy he looked incredibly sexy. Jared, Misha and Clif were heading home to change and meeting us there. I was fidgeting with my ring when Jensen grabbed my hand and said, "You look beautiful baby.""You look handsome to Jay," as he bent to kiss me as he held onto my hand. Jared said, "Ok, we will meet you there ok Princess."I shook my head and Jensen said, "Ok, Jared."Misha came over and whispered in my ear, "You will be great Y/N and they will see how special the Organisation really is." As he hugs me gently to him.Clif said, "You got this Baby girl they will be stupid not too." As he kissed my forehead, I gave a tight smile as they left after Gen called the boys and they both gave me a hug and then Gen said, "Good luck Y/N?" "Thanks Gen."I was left there with Jensen he looks at me and gently cups my face with his hand as he leans in and kisses me as he pulls me into him. It was a soft kiss and I knew what he was trying to do was to distract me for my worry too."You will do good today Baby and we will then work out how to raise money for the Organisation too.""We have to get support first and then work that all out.""Its a shoe in you will get their support. I know you will.""Glad one of us are optimistic and can see that I won't stuff up.""Just remember to breath Baby and you will do fine or if it gets to much look at me I will be right next to you.""Ok, thanks Jensen. I know this could be amazing if I just get through the meeting.""You willl I promise.""Ok, we better go or we will be late."He laughs as he knows we have enough time to get there. He helps me into the car and put the crutches next to me. I grip them tightly as to calm my nerves. Jensen notices and grabs my hand and kisses the palm that always feels amazing and such and imitate thing to do. He smiles at me and just him doing that and the kiss it settles me. We arrived a short time later at the hotel where we were meeting. Jared, Misha and Clif haven't arrived yet so Jensen and I go in and sit in the lounge area. He said, "Would you like something to drink Y/N?""Yeah maybe a lemonade," he grins and said, "ok be right back."I watch him move away from me as I sit there lost in my thoughts when a hand touches my shoulder I jumped slightly as I wasn't expecting it but I knew the hand. It was Misha's hand as he moved around me and said, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startled you Y/N.""No, it's fine I was lost in my thoughts and I knew your touch after. It's ok I'm just a little nervous.""Hey you we be fine they are people like you and me. So think of they as us when your talking to them. We will be with you all through the presentation as well so if something happens will be there to help you through it.""Like me forgetting what I'm about to say or having a panic attack or flashback Misha. I hadn't thought of that what if I have a full on panic attack?""It's alright just breath Y/N. If you do Jensen, Jared, Clif and myself will be there for you. Don't worry we have got your back," as he gets up and kisses me on the head and rubs my shoulder gently to soothe me. Jensen came back with my lemonade and a coke for him as he was watching Misha rub my shoulder. Misha saw him walk up and he said, "She still nervous?""Yeah she's worried she might have a panic attack or flashback Jensen."He puts our drinks down and kneels in front of me. He looks me in the eyes and said, "You have come a long way Baby and if you do have an attack we will help you through it. You are an amazing person Y/N and I know sorry we know (pointing to Misha) that you can do this with our support. So if it happens it's ok you are still recovering and getting stronger. I love you no matter what happens. I also know they will give you the funding for your organisation because it's a damn good one.""Jensen I'm really scared," as my leg twitched slightly from nervousness. "I know Baby I will promise to hold your hand the whole way through the meeting so you know your not alone ok."A tear slipped down my face as he wipes it away. "Jensen what did I do to deserve a wonderful positive man like you.""Well," he laughed as I tapped him on the shoulder as he pulls me into a hug. Misha said, "Can I join in to," I giggled as he hugged me when Jensen pulled away. "Thanks Overlord.""Your welcome Minion remember you got this. You know what you want to say and call the Organisation and it's damn good.""Yes I do."Jensen said, "You will be amazing and I forgot the most beautiful person in the room."I blushed as he lifts me off the chair and sit in with me on his lap and he lends me back as he wraps his arms around my middle and gently rubs my arms. I was totally relaxed and calm when Jared and Gen arrive. I looked at Gen and she smiles and said, "Surprise I wanted to give you some support too. I hope you don't mine."I smiled and said, "No I don't mine thank you Gen.""You and me need to stick together.""Yeah we do," as she squeeze my hand. Jared said, "What happened?" He noticed I was sitting on Jensen."I um was going into panic mode so Jensen and Misha talked me down. Jensen was calming me.""I thought if she could feel me near she would relax and it worked.""I see. Princess you are going to be fine and do the best damn presentation these egg heads have ever seen. I no sorry we (as he pointed to everyone there as Clif walks in the door) believe in you and what you can accomplish.""Jared right," as Clif walks up. "You have amazed us all with the strength you have and how far you have come in such a short time. I proud of you Baby girl." He kisses my forehead as Gen said, "You are special for doing this to help the kids out there still struggling with all sort of abuse. They will see this is a good cause and back it in an instead. Then you can help as many as you want. Jared and I were talking about donating money to help set it up.""Really you both would do that for me?""Of we love you silly and do anything to help a good cause.""I was as well going to put some money in as well," Jensen said.Misha said, "Ok I guess we all had the same thought to donate some money to help start the Oragnisation."Another happy tear slipped down my face as I swiped it away as I just look at the incredible people I now have in my life. As Jensen lifts my hand and kisses it. Misha said, "We better go or we will be late." As Jared helped me up off Jensen and Jensen stood next to me holding my hand and crutches."Hang on," I took a drink of lemonade and continue, "However this turns out I want to thank you all for being here to support me and helping with this. It means a lot to me you are all in my life. A few weeks ago I had nothing now I have you. Who cares about me and looks out for me (as I look at each of them), and to have a best friend and two semi big brothers. I love you all."Gen moved to give me a hug but then they all hugged me together as I was giggling as Gen and I were being crushed in the middle. When we pulled away Jensen softly kiss my lips. He whispered, "You got this."We moved to the elevator as we headed up to the floor we needed. It arrived as we all got off. We were greet by the one of the committee as she guided us to where to sit.Misha started to introduce us to everyone before we started. I was standing as close as I could to Jensen for support as he had his arm around my waist. I took a deep breath and another and another as the names were being lost as I couldn't remember them all.Misha said, "Ok Y/N the board is ready to here what you want to say." He gave my hand a squeeze as they had provided a chair for me to sit in. Jensen was on one side of me holding my hand as he promised and Jared was on the other side.Misha was sitting with the board as he was CEO but he wasn't aloud to vote being to close to me. I looked at Jensen and Clif and the Jared and Gen who also were holding hands too. I cleared me throat and said, thank you all for coming, my name Y/N and I would like to set up an organisation for abused children. You would be wondering why as I will tell you my story.I was 4 when my life changed dramatically my Father had lost his job due to a work injury which he never recovered. My Mother was forced to care for us both. In time she hated us as she lost her freedom and job. My parents were very abusive towards me and hit me often."As a memory flowed in my head my breathing hitched as both Jensen and Jared noticed at the same time. Jensen said, Y/N it's ok we got you," as he squeezed my hand and Jared squeezed my other hand as I turned to look at him and gave him a weak smile. I took a deep breath in and out and continued, "That wasn't the only thing I was also abused at school for being dirty and wearing hand me down and threadbare clothes the kids use to beat me as well. I was 8 the first time I tried to," I stopped as another flash of memory hit me as my eyes were not focusing and my breathing was coming in short pants. I tried to say, "Jensen help," but I didn't need to as he was on his knees in front of me.He said, "Hey look at me," when I didn't turn my head he did and he looked into my unfocused eyes and then he kissed me. It was long and soft.One of the board memebers asked what was happening. While another was looking with disgust.  She said, "It's not the time to make out there's a proper place for that?"Misha said, "They are not making out, Y/N was about to have a full on panic attack he is stopping it but letting her know he's there the only way she knows with a kiss and touch.""Really it's hard to believe," she snorted.Jared said, "Look she suffers from Post Trauma Stress Disorder and she has flashbacks which bring on a panic attack. We have been working with her to help bring her back. This is Jensen's way to bring her back."Jensen finally pulled back and said, "Sorry for the show but she was almost in full panic mode from a flashback."I heaved in a breath and looked a little embarrassed but I pulled my head up and said, "I'm sorry for the interruption. I was having a flashback which wasn't good. You see I suffer from an mental condition called PTSD. It's like I go back to the moment when I'm being abused or hurting myself yes I tried on numerous occasions to commit suicide. That's why I want to set this Organisation up to help kids like me with food and clothing, medical care, even a safe place for them to stay, or help the people who are looking after these kids and giving them support. I don't want any child to have to suffer like me ever again. I also would like to do it internationally to include Australia and other countries as well."Jensen said, "Y/N a few weeks ago was going to hurt herself but find the strength not too," as a tear slipped down his face. Jared said, "We have as a whole have given Y/N support and love she needed and she has now got a job and is in a loving relationship with Jensen.""I am also seeing a therapist and that's what I would like to help the kids with also get the the counselling they will also need." Misha said, "I offered Random Acts as a funding for the Organisation if the whole board agrees. I think it is a good cause to help the young and teenagers out there being abused everyday by their families or even strangers. Being bullied at school and even hurt. We ( as he looks at his co-stars) are going to make donations to the Organisation to help set it up. Then we will do like a GISHWHES thing to raise money. We can do charity auction maybe put Jensen up for auction for a date."Jesnen looks at him with a scowl as Misha smiles the toothy grin. "We can do t-shirts as well as other merchandise," I said. The lady from before said, "So what is its name if we give the all clear?"I looked at everyone as Jensen shook his head. I said, "I was thinking of an acronym. Clif actually help with this one," as I look at him and he smiles at me like an proud poppa would do. "We all came up with names but I like this one it's, "Save and Protect Abused Children Everyday the acronym is S.P.A.C.E which is Space."Clif looked at me and said, "I think that is appropriate as that what you want to do Baby Girl.""Thanks Clif."The board made some pleasing noises and she said, "We will have to discuss this and we will let you know in the next couple of days Y/N. Thank you for your inlightening presentation it was very interesting indeed.""Thank you all for your time and thank you again for seeing me. Goodbye."I got up when one of the committee members said, "Y/N can I ask you something before you go?""Yes Sir what can I help you with.""Can you tell me how this abuse has effected your life besides the suicide attempts?""Sure I had no friends or support. I couldn't work with people so I took a job at an animal shelter back home. I really was alone and was getting worst each day. Until Jensen, Jared and Misha flew around the world to see if I was alright as I was going to commit suicide I was sitting on my kitchen floor with a bottle of pills in my hand as I thought no one cared or would care if I died. I was wrong these three amazing men showed up at my door and saved me. Jensen did accidentally broke my leg but he has kept his promise and looked after me and help me see a therapist and he stays with me. We did have a few problems to begin with but now we are solid and together. I even have a job now around lots of people which I never could do before. My life has changed so much that I still think it's a dream and I will wake up back home in Australia. I struggled day to day as I still think of what I did to deserve these beautiful giving kind men in my life."He said, "Thank you I can see how much they care for you.""I'm the lucky one to have them. Thank you again for your time."As we walk out the room and into the elevator. Once the door closes I take a big breath in as they all look at me. Clif moved first and gave me a hug and said, "Wow that was incredible you were amazing.""Yeah but what about the panic attack and that women. She's didn't like me?""She's just one person Y/N. The man who stopped you seemed very interested in the Organisation," Gen said as she squeezed my hand.Jared said, "You did great in there I'm so very proud of you Princess.""Thanks Jared I didn't think I could do it. I guess I was wrong but I'm glad I was. Now we wait for a decision?"Jensen said, "They will do it I have a good feeling about this.""I'm glad one of us does. At the moment I don't think they will.""Hey Y/N be positive. You did all you could to get this off the ground. He'll even had a panic attack to prove it," Misha said.He smiled and then I smiled and we all were laughing soon after and it broke the tense in the elevator.We finally stopped when we got to the bottom and I felt much better. We hopped off when Misha's phone rang. He looked at the number and shook his head with the unasked question.He said, "Hello Misha here," as the person spoke to him at great length and he finally said, " I see," as he hang up his phone.I looked waiting for the rejection and he said, "Well I'm afraid Y/N you won't be my minion anymore we will have to think of a new name for someone with the new Organisation.""What did you say Misha?""It's almost the full board who voted yes. Apparently they thought it was a excellent idea and want to get things started as soon as possible. They will work out the funding and how much you will need, plus you can use the GISHWHES volunteers to help with the phone lines. Yep this is happening," as he saw my stunned face. I almost collapsed in shock as Jensen grabbed me before I fell. I stuttered out, "I I ccan't believe it Jensen it's finally going to happen.""Yeah Baby all because you were brave enough to go and fight for it. I'm so damn proud of you. Let's go celebrate? Are you alright to walk Baby or do you need to sit."The elevator open and the man who ask the question came out. He looked at me and smiled, he said, "I voted for you and I think what you said and the attack kind of pushed them towards you. You had me as soon as you said children. I'm an advocate for children's rights and protection. I would like to help you set this up if you would allow me too.""Really you would like to help me?""Yes I'm a financial advisor maybe I could help with the money and where it would be needed most.""I hadn't thought that far ahead I just wanted to get the meeting over with. I would love your help Sir.""It's Kyle and your welcome." "Ok, Kyle we will have to talk about plans and numbers and whatever else is involved.""How about I do all that and you and your friends do the charity work to raise money." "Ok, I can do that. Oh by the way that's Jensen, Jared, Gen Jared's wife, Clif and you know Misha already.""Please to meet you all. Are you going to be the face of the Organisation Y/N?""No, I'm not Jensen, Jared, Misha has offered to be the faces of the Organisation. Jared has a campaign called Always Keep Fighting and he knows about t-shirts."Gen said, "We also know about jewellery as well to help raise money." Misha said, "The fandom will get wind of this and give there support to it.""I hope so otherwise it's dead in the water before it begins."Jensen said, "We have another con soon don't we Jared?""Yep next weekend I think.""Ok, so I will have to work on some sort of design for the t-shirts before then?""We will help you too," Jared said.Clif said, "We can do it while on set as they film.""That's a great idea Clif.""Its will give us something to do during their scenes if your not needed Baby Girl.""Let's go and celebrate shall, Kyle can you come too?""Unfortunately I can't but we will catch up. Give me your number and I will call later in the week?""Ok that's again," Kyle as he handed me his phone and I put my number in it.He rang it and said, "Now you have mine I case you need to talk to me about anything in the mean time.""I will probably need to discuss their donations with you and how we will use them?""Ok, let's get the t-shirts done first and then we will work out food and clothes and other things the kids might need.""Ok, I can do that."He shook my hand and said, "We will talk soon. Nice meeting you all," as he walks away back towards the elevator."Misha can he be trusted with this?""Of course he is brilliant with numbers and funds he will make it work.""Ok, good I just don't want the money being wasted on something that doesn't need to be. It's for the kids and helping them.""He will make sure it's gets to where it has to be."Jared said, "Lets celebrate where you want to go?""I don't know, Jensen do you know somewhere?""Oh, maybe a restaurant or a burger joint nearby.""I don't mind anywhere is good will me."Gen and Jared looked at each other and said, "Ok follow us.""Where?" I asked with raised eyebrows.Gen smiled and said, "Have to wait and see."We all got in our cars as we followed Gen and Jared. They took us a fair way and stopped at this little place just outside of Vancouver. It was  a  nice quiet little place as we pulled up.Gen walked over and I said, "What is this place Gen?""Jared and I used to come here for dates to get away from everyone.""It's quiet and quaint little place," Jared said."Ok, lets go see.""Oh, yeah it has amazing burgers and fries too," Jared said.I laughed as I know they like their burgers especially the bacon burgers. We walked in and there was hardly anyone in there. There was soft music g in the background as we were met but a waitress as we entered. She looked at Jared and Gen and smiled and said, "Nice to see you both again.""You too, how have you been Alex?""Fine the usual working and more working. So would you like seats for 6.""Yes thank you we are celebrating?""Oh, yeah what may I ask are you celebrating?""Y/N here just got funding to set up an Organisation to help abused kids."She looks at me and said, "That's amazing. Those poor kids need all the help they can get. If there is anything I can do to help please let me know."I smiled and said, "Of thank you.""Y/N see the painting over there." I turned to see what Gen was talking about.It was a painting of a scenery with kids and families in it. Was done nice and the person who drew was talented. I said, "Yes why?""Will this here person drew it," as she points to the waitress. "Really it's really good.""Nah, I was just goofing around when I drew that."No, really it's great," as the thought just occurred to me why Gen pointed it out. "Hey I'm interested in looking at any other work you have done?""Why?""Well we are going to make some t-shirts with a design in the middle and I'm not amazing at drawing so I think Gen here thought you might be interested in helping us. She obviously thinks you talented and I also would like to see some more work too. But if you want you could draw us something and we can take a look. I will give you walk we are looking for and see what you come up with. We will pay you for your time and the design of course.""Really you want me to design something for your new Organisation?" "If you say yes it's all yours.""Yes, yes, oh God thank you," as she hugs and then Gen who laughs."Your welcome Alex you deserve this.""Oh, I'm stunned." As she takes a deep breath to steady herself. "Will that's parts done, I look forward to see what you come up with Alex.""Sure, do you want to order now?" As she puts the menu's in front of usJensen is smiling and holding my hand as I talk to Alex like a professional and was interested in her art. He grinned from ear to ear thinking this might be the best thing to happen to me besides him off course. We a little chuckle to himself as we look to order our menus. .He looks at me and give me a big smile as I said, "What's that for Ackles?""You being all business, I really like it. You are amazing Baby. You will do get with this Organisation and help all those kids out there."I push him and said, "I hope so Jay."We all order from our menus as we sit and talk about the Organisation and what we would like to do for fundraising and Gen said, "I can get help with selling jewellery for the Organisation too. All we need to do is come up with something easy and then have it made.""Like the hearts you and Jared did?""Yeah similar to that but maybe a bracelet something with small. Maybe a bird or something like that on it.""I like it Gen it's sounds nice.""Ok then we will work on it together if you like?""Sure that's sounds great. Thank you all for supporting me today and my crazy notion for an Organisation. It guess it wasn't so crazy after all and they liked the idea. I'm glad I have this opportunity to help these kids and give them a better life."We all raised our glasses as we all said, "Here here," and we all took a drink. I saw out the corner of my eye Alex also raised her glass and took a drink as well. I know she will be a great assist to the Organisation and hopefully become involved in it full time. I looked around at my friends and smiled as I knew this is where I'm suppose to be. With these amazing people as we laughed and hugged each other. My family don't end in blood because as they say on Supernatural they will have your back and I will have there's. They will always be apart of my life as long as I always keep fighting the fight. Together I think we will win this fight and I will be ok. I finally found my place in the world with people I love. Now my next adventure begins and we set up the Organisation which is named S.P.A.C.E. I smiled as it was appropriate as children will need space to heal and grow. Yep it was a good choice. I looked once more at my family and smiled. Can my life get any better we will have to see? But for now it's all I want.As we continued to talk about different things and we were completely comfortable with each other. Who knew a few weeks ago I would have this at all. Now I have everything I ever dreamed off and more in my life I felt content. I was happy and amazed how much my life changed in that amount of time thanks to theses wonderful people sitting with me. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- I excused myself to talk to Alex about the t-shirts and what I wanted on them."Alex can you draw something like two kids with arms around them like they are shielding them and above them a white dove with it holding a love heart.""I'm not sure but I can try and see what I come up with.""That would be great Alex. Here's my number when you come with something and want to show me.""Thank you for the opportunity Y/N."I looked at Gen and said, "you come highly recommend," as I smile at Alex.Jensen came over and said, "How's it going Baby?""Great I gave Alex my idea and she's going to work on it for the Organisation.""That's sound great Baby. We better get going as it's getting late and we have a big day tomorrow.""Yep just give me a second need to use the bathroom.""Ok, we will be waiting out here for you."I moved off towards the bathroom as I opened the door and locked it behind me. I needed a bit of space as it finally hit me I was becoming overwhelmed with it all. I stood in front of the mirror and said, "You can do this, just breath in, out, in, out."I turned the tap on and splashed some water on my face as there was a knock on the door."Just a minute?""Y/N you ok?" came the voice on the other side of the door. I smiled as I knew who it was who was asking. I turned and I unlatched the door as the door opens and in walks Jared.Jared said, "Hey Princess you ok, you been in here awhile?""Yes I'm fine just felt a little overwhelmed I think it all hit me at once. I'm fine now I just needed a few minutes alone.""Ok, so you ready to go?""Yes, I am when you are."We came out of the bathroom as Jared had his arm around my waist for support and comfort. Gen looked and asked, "Y/N you alright?""I'm fine Gen just a little overwhelmed by everything today.""That's understandable with the meeting and the attack. Then being told you can set up the Organisation it would have been very overwhelming.""Thanks Gen for all your help today.""Hey that's what family does, we stick together through thick and thin.""Yes we do," I said, "Goodbye" to Alex."Be in touch soon," she said.I smiled as we headed out to the cars. Jensen helped me into ours as he held my hand. Cas and Clif were behind us as Jared and Gen were in front. He kissed my hand as I let the motions of the car lull me into a sleep. Jensen looks over at me and sees I'm asleep as he keeps hold of my hand. As we arrived home he gently opens the door and he lifted me out of the car. He carried me with ease upstairs to our bedroom and lied me gently on the bed. As he takes my shoes off as I stir awake. "Jensen,"""Yeah,  Baby go back to sleep.""I need you to hold me Jensen. I need to feel your arms around me.""Hey what's going on Baby?" He said in a worried voice."I just feel overwhelmed and I need the security of you arms to ground me."He looked into my face as he gently kisses my lips. He takes his shoes off and climbs in beside me. He moves me against his chest with his arms holding me tight. He kisses my neck and said, "It's ok Baby, I've got you.""Jensen?""Hmm.""I didn't think it would be this overwhelming. I thought it would be a lot easier and not having to worry about logos and fun raisers it was just a bit too much all at once.""Yeah I know but you handle like a pro Baby. Talking to Alex and letting her know what design you wanted. I'm proud of you, you know that don't you?""Mm I do. I will be fine once I get my head around all that needs to be done.""You know we will all help you too?"I smiled as I know they will help me anyway they can. "Jensen I have an appointment tomorrow with Daniela.""Oh, Yeah I forgot about that. I will ask Bob for some time off.""Jensen," as I turned in his arms. "Can we have a session?""Should Baby anything in particular you want me to do?""No just touch me like you do.""Ok," as he moves his hand to my face. He gently looks into my eyes as he smiles. He eyes shining bright when he looks at me. He is gently stroking my face as he moves his hand along my jaw and down my neck. He rests his hand there waiting for permission to go further. But before I could give it he kisses me long and deep with his heart and soul. The kiss was making me dizzy as I've never realised how much he loves me until this moment. It's really humbling to know you are loved and finally wanted by someone. He pulls back as we are both breathless and he winks at me. I grab his hand and move it along my chest to my breast as he gently squeezes it. He looks at me and I look him in the eyes as his hand slips into my shirt. He explores my bra for a second before his smooth hand goes underneath it. He rubs it and squeezes it as I moan in pleasure. He dips his head as he sucks on it gently until it is hard. I said breathless, "Jensen more please.""You sure Baby?""Yes I'm sure, I trust you not to hurt me Jay."He moves to the other breast and gives it the same attention as I grab his hair to let him know I was enjoying it. I mewled with pleasure as he continued his torment. He kissed his way down my stomach until his reached my belly button. He licked a circle around it as I was shaking with excitement. "Jensen said, "You alright Baby?""Oh God Jensen. What's happening?" I said, breathless. "Your aroused Baby it's your body telling you your enjoying this.""Jensen what will happen?" As I looked at him with worried eyes."Oh god, don't look at me like that Baby. Do you want to stop?""No, I want to feel what I was feeling."He smiled as he moves to kiss me it was a soft kiss as he rubs his hand through my hair. "Love your hair Baby," as he tugs back on it gently to pull my head back. He kisses my neck and sucks and bites my pulse point. As I moan with pleasure and he looks at me as my eyes had gone a darker shade. He smiles as he knows I'm aroused and enjoying this. He continues his torture of my body as the pleasure builds inside me. He kisses down my neck to my shoulder and gently bites me down to my breast. He then bites my nipple and licks around it. I could feel the heat between my legs building. I wasn't scare of what was happening I was to lost in the pleasure. Plus I trusted Jensen to be gentle with me. He kisses my stomach as he makes his way down my body to my thighs. "Jensen something's happening. I feel like rubber band and I'm about to snap.""That's because your body needs a release."He continued to kiss me and I could feel it building and building. My body had a mind of its own and Jensen hasn't even touched me where the heat was building. He moves his hand over my clothed centre. He sits it there for a minute so I could get used of his touch. Then he gently rubs me through my panties."Jensen," I say breathless.He rubs circles on my clothed centre and I tense as I felt like I'm about to explode."Almost their Baby a little more."I jolt when he rubs a little harder and I come undone as I scream his name. I was lying there in a orgasmic haze. I felt boneless like a jelly fish as he lies down next to me. He kisses me and just looks at my face after the amazing orgasm. "How do you feel Baby?""Jensen," I choked out in a hoarse voice from screaming his name.  "Wow Baby that was hot.""Jensen what happened?""You had your first orgasm.""I did? It felt amazing I could feel it building Jensen. Thank you for showing me how good sex can be.""It gets better Baby.""Really?""Yep when your ready I will show you how much better.""Ok, Jensen," I look at him and he's jeans look a little tight. He saw me look and said, "I was aroused by you Baby. I will go take care off it in a minute just wanted to make sure you were alright.""Jensen can I help you?""Sure if your sure Baby."I nodded my head as he gets up and gently undoes his jeans and pulls them down with his boxers as well. He stands there for a minute and let's me look at him. His erection is standing tall and proud. He was big and I looked worried. He saw the worry and said, "hey when we do this I will make sure you are aroused and fully opened before I enter you ok.""Jensen will it fit."He laughed and said, "Yes a man and a woman are made for each other. It might hurt being your first time but after that you should only feel pleasure."I look at his erection as I ask, "Jensen what's that stuff leaking out of your um." I blushed as he grins at me. "It's pre cum Baby. That's what happens when a mans aroused.""Jensen is that what goes inside me and makes a Baby?""Yes but a lot more. Here let me show you."He moved over towards me and sits on the edge of the bed, as he gently grabs my hand. I pull back and he said, "it's ok."I just look as he guides it to his erection. He gently puts my hand on it as I touch it. It was soft and felt like velvet but was also hard. He moves my hand up and down after putting some pre cum on my hand for lubricant. He then moved it down around the underside where the vein was as he groans. I stopped as I thought he was in pain."Don't stop Baby," he whispers as he breathing picks up. I move faster as his hand directs me what to do. He was close I could feel him tensing and as he holds onto the side of the bed for support. "Faster, fuck Baby," he pants out so I move faster. "I'm going too...." as he blows his load on the ground below him. I watched in fascination as he empties himself and I had some on my hand. It felt sticky and a little weird. His face showed how much pleasure I had given him. His eyes were close as he rides the wave of ecstasy. He is panting heavy like he had run a mile and he was flushed. I wonder if I looked like that when I had my orgasm. "Jensen are you alright?" "I'm good Baby thank you."He bends down and kisses me then gets up to get a wet towel to clean up the mess and my hand. I notice his penis is soft and limp now as well when he walked to the bedroom. He cleaned himself up and put on some pants as he wipes my hand. He looks at me, "Are you ok Baby?""Yeah that was amazing how your body does that.""Yes and it can do a lot more.""Jensen thank you for showing me how to give you pleasure too.""All good Baby. I'm glad we did this together.""I am too, it's less frightening to know how some of it goes.""I will e gentle when we have sex for the first time Baby. I won't rush uni through it. It make sure your ready complete before I do anything alright?""I know you will Jay. I trust you.""I love you Baby.""I know you do Jensen.""Ok, let's get some sleep big day tomorrow.""Yep, you coming to my appointment with Daniela right?""I wouldn't miss."He looks at me and just moves to lie next to me. He kisses my lips as he ghosts over them before actually kissing me. He said, "Night Baby.""Night Jay."He wraps me in his arms as he pulls me to his body as he makes us both comfortable. This is where I want to be for the rest of my life in Jensen's arms. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Jensen woke first as he was watched me peacefully sleeping. He moved a bit of hair that had fallen in my face as gently as he could without waking me."Hm Jensen that's feels nice," as he rubs his thumb down my face. He kissed my nose and then my eyes."Morning Baby, how did you sleep?""Good and you?""Well I had a beautiful woman in my arms so I slept great.""Your a goof Jensen," as we both laugh."Yeah but I'm your goof.""Yes you are and Jay I love you.""I love you too Baby.""We should get up and get ready. Are you going to talk with Bob to see if we can have the time off for my appointment?""He will say yes, shouldn't be a problem. But I will ask anyway.""Thanks Jay.""Oh yeah we need to get your knee looked at as well make sure it's healing properly.""I know I was going to make an appointment with the specialist.""I might know someone who could help and look at your knee. He's an old friend.""Ok, if he can see me and happy to see him a Jay.""I will ring him and find out after we shower.""Jay can I shower with you?""Sure I can hold you while we shower together.""I would like that Jay.""Ok, we better get moving then but first I need to do this," he kisses me deeply as I moan into the kiss. He pulls away as I smile and he helps me into the bathroom."Jay I can sit on the side of the bath while I undress.""Hm, I will help you in when we are both undressed."He pulled his pj pants and boxers down as he takes off his shirt. I pulled off my clothes on had on from the day before. Jensen threw them all in the wash basket to be cleaned. I wait as he lifts me onto my feet and he holds me as I hop over to the shower keeping weight off my knee. He has totally support of me as I move. He stops me before I hop in as he turns the taps on and adjusts the water. "Alright the water should be hot now."I hop in as Jensen's is close behind me holding onto my waist so I don't fall or slip. I am leaning heavily on Jensen as he grabs the soap and lathers it over my body. He's been gentle and caring as he ghosts the soap over my body. It was pleasant and kind of sexy. He looks at me and see I'm lost to his touch. I know he was just washing me but I felt pleasure as he washed me. He moved his hands around my body with ease as like he memorised every inch of it. "God Baby your body is soft and beautiful.""Jay please it feels real good.""I know but we don't have time for anything else Baby. Jared, Misha and Clif will be here soon.""I know but promise me later."With a huge grin on his face he said, "sure Baby."I rinsed off while Jensen washed himself. Once he was washed off he turned the shower off and grabbed us some towels. He turned me to wrap me in the soft towel. I've been here for a month or so and I still haven't gotten used to how soft his towels are. He looked at me as I hum in contentment. He wrapped one around his waist and helps me into our room. I sat on the bed as he dries himself and I dry myself. I was sneaking peeks at him, boy his body couldn't get any better. He was one fine looking man and he was all mine. "Jay can you grab me some clothes and underwear please.""Sure Y/N what would you like to wear?""Is it hot or cold today?""I think it's cold and we are expecting snow.""Really I've never seen snow before Jay."He laughs and said, "Will you might today.""I guess warm clothes. Jeans and a jumper." "Ok, how about I get your favourite jumper and shirt out."I knew which shirt he was talking about. It was the one he gave me when we first met. I still had the shirt as I normally wear it to bed but I had it washed. He grabbed it and some jeans and put them on the bed as well as some black underwear and a thermal singlet. I smiled as he was thinking about how quickly I get cold and he looked and said, "What?""Thank you for remembering about me getting cold quickly," as I hold up the thermal singlet."Well," he said, with a sheepish grin. "I can't hold you all day and keep you warm so I thought the singlet is the next best thing.""Yep, you can hold me when we get home later.""Oh yeah Baby and who knows where that may lead."I blushed as I knew what he was referring too our session last night. I was still feeling the effects of it.I got dressed as did Jensen as he finished before me as I was doing my hair and about to go clean my teeth when he looked at me with awe."I forgot how beautiful you are Y/N.""You told me when we woke up.""I know but look at you, you get more beautiful everyday.""Jay we better finish getting ready."So we finished as I left my hair flowing down my back. Jensen loved my hair down as he could put he's fingers through it as it felt soft and smelt like apples. We headed down stairs to get some breakfast. We worked together to get everything ready as we sat down to eat. We heard the knock on the door. I yelled out, "its open come in." We were only expecting Jared, Misha and Clif to walk through the door. Jared yelled out, "it's just us.""We are in the kitchen," Jensen yelled back. Next you see Jared, and Clif come around the corner. I look and asked, "Where's Misha?"Clif said, "He's coming in later as he doesn't shoot until 11 o'clock.""Oh, no one told me?""I'm sorry Baby I was suppose to tell you."Jared looked at me and said, "Morning Princess," as he looks. "Is there something different about you today."I looked at Jensen and he smiled, "Morning Jared. No, why?""You look like your glowing with happiness.""I am happy Jared.""Morning Baby girl and Jensen.""Morning Clif," I said. Jensen said, "Morning," to both Jared and Clif.I said, "we will be ready in a minute."Clif said, "it's ok we still have some time. Do you mine if I have a coffee Jensen.""Of course not help yourselves."Clif poured a coffee for him and Jared as we finished getting ready. Jensen came up behind me in the bathroom while I was cleaning my teeth and startled me. I also would have fallen if he didn't have hold of me. He spun me around with the toothpaste still in my mouth and kissed me. "Mm taste nice."I turned back around and spit it in the sink as Jensen got his toothbrush and quickly brushed his. When I was satisfied I was ready I went back downstairs and waited for Jensen. Jared said, "wow Princess you look nice today.""Why thank you kind sir," as I giggled and he came over and kissed me on the cheek.Jensen came down and said, "the appointment is all set after we see Daniela today for your knee Baby.""Ok, thanks Jay."Clif put his and Jared's cup in the sink as he looked at me and smiled a bright smile. He said, "Ok we better go or we will be late."Jensen quickly put our dishes in the dishwasher to wash. Jensen put my scarf, hat and gloves on as he did his own. We all went out to the car and Jared decided to sit in the back with Jensen and myself. He had hold of one of my hands as he stroked it gently as Jensen had the other one.I felt content inbetween the two men I loved most in the world. Jared moved his hand to my face and rubbed gently down the side like Jensen does when we are being imitate or bringing me out of an attack. Jared's hands were warm as my hands were out of the gloves, as I found them hard to wear with the crutches. He lightly ghosted his finger over my hand as I shivered with how it felt. He saw the shiver and asked, "Princess you alright your not cold are you?""No, it's the way your touching my hand it feels all tickling and nice.""Oh, sorry I just wanted you to get used of my touch.""It's ok really Jared I liked it."We arrived at the set a short time later when Bob comes up and said, "How are we all today?"I said, "Good Bob, can Jensen and I please leave early as I have my counselling appointment this afternoon.""Sure what time?""About lunch time," I answered. "Alright just remind me if I forget.""Will do Bob thanks, you two get to wardrobe and change."They both laugh as they like it when I take charge. They walked to wardrobe when Bob came over and said, "Um Y/N there's something I need to tell you?""What Bob?" looking confused and worried."Will the other day when you were runnng lines with Jensen, Jared and Misha?""Yes I remember, why?""Ah Richard filmed you and the producers and myself are shocked with how the camera loves you. We would like to offer you a full time part in the show. We worked it so your in every scene with Jensen to make you feel comfortable. You will be his love interest as well.""Um, what? Your kidding me right, I'm not, jesus Bob I'm shocked and overwhelmed by this offer.""Say yes and we can get the scripts written.""Can I think about it first. I'm just setting up the S.P.A.C.E for abused kids. Can you give me a few weeks to get that set up first and then I will let you know.""Sure Y/N when your ready I will get them to write the scripts anyway just incase you change your mine.""What about?" Jensen said as he walks but over to me. "Um Jensen I um been offered a part in the show.""So they liked the video then Bob?""Yes they loved her and think she would be great in front of the camera.""Richard has asked to direct her when she's ready to do it and if she wants to.""Wow that's great Princess," Jared said. "Yeah I am humbled by the offer but I need to concentrate on the Organisation first."Jensen said, "It's ok Baby the offer will be here when your ready to join the team.""Thank You for understanding Jay.""Its fine I know how much the Organisation means to you Baby.""Yes it does."Bob said, "Ok, let's get some filming done before the day passes by."I giggled as it was still early in the morning. Clif looked at me and smiled. Jensen and Jared were on their markers and getting ready to film the scene when Jared was looking at me and Jensen was wondering what he was looking at. "What's wrong Jared, Y/N ok isn't she?""Yeah she's fine," as Jensen looked Jared added more sugar to Jensen coffee. Jensen turned and waited for Bob to say action as Jared looked on as like it was just another day on set. Bob yelled action and Jensen took a slip of his coffered and almost spat it over Jared as it was too sweet. Jared was laughing so hard he was doubled over and had tears down his face. Bob looked at them and then at me.  I hobbled over and said, "Jared you behave or I will have to bring out strict Y/N," with a huge smile. He said, "Will strict Y/N spank me?" Which set off another round of laughter. Jensen said, "Hey man how about we finish this later and behave or Y/N will lose her job.""Oh shit I'm sorry I forgot. I will be good Princess.""Good," as I smacked his butt when I hobbled pass. Jensen looked at me and winked. I was trying not to laugh as Jared said, "ouch that hurt Princess.""You will get more if you keep misbehaving young man."Then we all laughed and Bob said, "Ok let's get the scene done."We got all the scenes done and time went by quickly. Misha came in about two scenes before Jensen I left for my appointment. I told him about the part I was offered and he congratulated me with hugs and kisses. I told him I'm going to concentrate on the Organisation first. He said, "Y/N you know Kyle could do it all for you?""I know but the Organisation means everything to me and I would like to set it all up and be there to raise money for the kids.""I know I was just letting you know.""I know you were Misha thank you but I have a few ideas I was thinking of to help raise money for the Organisation.""Yeah sounds good Y/N," distracted as he was getting called.Misha was called to wardrobe before I could tell him any of my ideas. It would have to wait as Jensen and I have to go to my appointment after he did the scene with Misha. Bob said, "cut, Jensen and Y/N you both can go. Good luck with your appointment?""Thanks Bob and see you tomorrow."Jared and Misha came over and Jared said, "Good luck and talk to you later Princess.""Thanks Jared I will let you know how it goes.""Ok, talk later," as he gives me a kiss on the forehead. "We can talk about the Organisation later Y/N, you concentrate on your appointment with Daniela?""I will thanks Misha," as he too gave me a quick hug.They both told Jensen to look after me and said there goodbyes. Clif said, "You ready to go Baby girl," as I smiled at the nickname he calls me. "Yes, thanks Clif."Jensen had his hand in the small of my back as he walks out close by me. Clif opens the car doors and we get in. Jensen always sits close by me so he can hold me. I felt safe in his arms and stronger with him by my side. Our relationship has gotten stronger since I first came to Canada. We support each other when either of us is having a bad day and it's nice just hold and comforting each other. He said, "Baby.""Yes.""Are you ok, I said your name three times?""Yeah I was just thinking about our life together and how lucky I am to love you Jay. How different my life is from when I first came here and how good it is now. I can't believe how comfortable I am with you as well. It's the most incredible feeling to know I have you in my life and not worry about being hit.""You never need to worry about that Baby, I will never hit you ever. You are to important to me, jesus I love you more than my own life. I would do anything to make you happy. I will give you the world if I could.""I know you would, I feel the same way."Clif said, "You make a wonderful couple and Jensen if you don't do right by Y/N, I will kick you ass."Jensen laughed and said, "You will have to stand in line after Jared and Misha.""I know but as her honorary Father figure I have a duty to protect her also."I smiled as Jensen said, "So when we get married you will be my honorary Father as well."He looks Jensen in the eyes through the rear view mirror and deadpanned, "You bet your ass I will be."I couldn't help but laugh as Jensen looked afraid. Then Clif smiled a big bright smile. Then Jensen laughed as well as Clif looked at him. We arrived a short time later, Clif said, "what time would you like me to pick you up?""My appointment with Daniela is an hour and then we are seeing Jensen's doctor friend to check my knee. Probably need to have more X-rays to make sure it's healing alright."Jensen said, "I will call you when we are ready ok Dad," with a smirk.Clif looked unimpressed and gave him a look that said, don't mess with me. All Jensen could do was laugh as we got out the car.As Clif pulled away I said, "you shouldn't tease Clif like that Jay.""Why he had me going?"I smiled and said, "True but it still doesn't make it right.""Ok, ok," holding up his hands in surrender, "I will apologise next time I talk to him ok.""Yes, that will be fine."As I leaned up and kissed his lips. We walked into the building when the receptionist said, " Nice to see you again Y/N, and Mr Ackles. Please take a seat Daniela shouldn't be long.""Ok, thank you."We went to sit down and Jensen had hold of my hand as he rubbed the palm to calm me. He knew I was nervous about this appointment as I am with every appointment with Daniela. Daniela comes out and she smiles when she sees us and motions for us to come in. I take a few minutes getting my crutches right as I almost stumble. Jensen moves quickly as he steadies me before I fall. This didn't go unnoticed by Daniela as she looks at Jensen for any hint in what happened. He shrugs his shoulders as we move into her room and we sit on the lounge as Jensen pulls me to him to hold. Daniela notices the change in our relationship and asks, "I see you two have become closer. You been doing the exercises I asked you to do?"I blushed as I said, "Yes we have and it's been nice to feel Jensen's touch."Jensen said, "Yeah we have been touching each other a lot and it's been incredible," as he looks at me. "That's great to hear Y/N, have you been doing the touching with other people around you as well?""Yes, Jared, Misha, Clif and even my boss touch my hands, face and arms. Jensen he has also touched me imitately," as I blushed again."Do you mine if I ask how imitate?""I um, ah shit," I sighed. "We have been very imitate when I touched her she got aroused. So the other day we kind of took it a step further," Jensen answered. "Further how exactly?""Um Jensen and I touched each other intimately in, um our most private of parts."Jensen was trying to hold back a laugh when he said, "We masturbated each other.""Oh, that's good you felt comfortable enough to let Jensen touch in that way. Means you are building up your trust with each other. I would like to try something different today if your up to it Y/N.""Sure, what do you have in mine.""When you are on your own and there is no Jensen or anyone else, or even if your shopping and you feel an anxiety attack coming on I would you to list people's names or your favourite characters in your TV show, or anything you want too, dogs, cats, names that start with the letter A, anything at all you can think of.""Why?""It will help ground you to the present and not the past.""Will it work?""I've had other clients try this same technique and they all reported it helps them a great deal and it stops the attack as you are so focus on remembering the names instead of the having an attack."Jensen said, "That sounds really interesting Baby. You could do it went you feel alone or when an attack about to happen. Do you know what you are going to use?""That's easy my favourite TV show and my boyfriends beautiful eyes and the different shades I've seen them become.""Would you like to try now?"No, I'm good at the moment.""So let's get you lying down so you can focus on a memory," Daniela said. "Daniela I had one the other day when I was in a meeting setting up the Organisation for abused kids.""Your setting up the Organisation?""Yes why?""No reason it's good you want to help those innocent kids out there.""Yeah I couldn't let the poor kids out there suffer like I had to when I can do something to help them.""Its good to see you open yourself to new possibilities and acting on them. That's a healthy step forward.""I know but I still almost had an anxiety attack the other day, I was under a lot of stress."Jensen said, "I had to kiss her to bring her out of it.""Kissing a good way as she has to hold her breath and it returns her breathing to normal. Can you tell me what it was about? Do you remember the memory Y/N?""It was in the kitchen and my father was hitting me and kicking me and then he stomped on my knee. I howled in pain but he kept going until I was bruised and bloody. He didn't care I couldn't walk he made me get up and make them dinner. I dragged my body up," as a tear slipped down my face and Jensen had a tight hold of my hand. "I cried silently as I was in terrible pain. The tears ran down my face as he laughed at me. I made their dinner and was order to cleaned the dishes after. My knee was very swollen and hurt like a son-of-a-bitch but I did it. I was still bleeding from and open wounded above my eye. I dragged my leg behind me as I headed to the bathroom to fix my eye. He stopped me and threw me in my room as I landed on my knee. I had to hold back a scream otherwise he would have beaten me again. So I did what I could to bandage my knee and above my eye. My Mother came in with the first aid kit and threw it at me. So I cleaned up my eye and put some sticky plaster over it to hold it together. My knee on the other hand I had to bandage it and I bit my tongue to stop from crying out. I must have passed out from the pain as when I woke he was standing over me. He looked at me like I was a stranger to him. He looked at my broken beaten body and then walked out," as I wiped the tears away. "That's good you remembered the memory without hypnosis. You also know this memory now has no control of you, as it's all it is, a memory your Father is dead and you are safe with Jensen. I want to remember what I told you to do if you have deal with another attack? Can you practice now for me?"l looked at her as I tried to think of something to say over and over to myself to distract me. I settled on the chapters in Supernatural so I started to whisper their names. Jensen could hear me as he smiled as Dean came first, then Sam, then Misha and so on until I couldn't remember anymore. So I then started on the real names and again until I couldn't remember anymore.She said, "Ok, I think you got it now. Just say them and keep focus on them and they will help with an attack and keep you grounded so you won't have any flashbacks. I'm not saying they all will disappear but this should help ok.""Yes, Daniela thank you.""Let me know next time if it helps?""Ok, I will.""Jensen keep up the good work, keep being imitate with Y/N even if she gets aroused it's a good sign when she does.""Will do," with a huge smirk and I elbow him in the ribs. "So we will set up another time, said in two weeks is that alright Y/N?""Yes, if you think it's fine."She smiles a soft smile and said, "Yes I think your coping a lot better now and you don't need weekly anymore.""What if I have a set back?"" Just call and I will fit you in. But you don't good and your getting stronger each and every day. You should be proud of the progress you've made so far.""Yes I am, all thanks to you for you help and Jensen and his friends support."Jensen said, "You've always been strong Baby you survived the abuse your parents gave you and the kids at school. You one amazing woman and I love you for the strength you show," as he kisses my lips in a soft kiss. "Thank you Jay you help give me the strength to keep fighting," he raised my hand he was still holding and kissed it. "Ok, here's you go give this to the receptionist and she will set up your next appointment.""Thanks Daniela, bye.""Bye Y/N see you in two weeks." We leave as Jensen said, "we have time before we meet with my friend.""Can we get something to drink Jensen I'm a little thirsty?""Sure are you hungry too?""Not really."He looked at me but didn't say anything as we went to the cafe near Daniela's office. I asked for a hot chocolate while Jensen gotten a latte. He also got us some food as well. He got me a bacon and cheese toasted sandwich while he got a burger. I took a slip of my hot chocolate and got chocolate on my lip as he saw and smiled. He brushes his finger over my lip gently as he wipes it away and then sucks it off his finger. I took a bite of my sandwich as he had eaten almost three quarters of his burger. He finished his and I was still struggling with eating mine. "You alright Baby, you love bacon and cheese sandwiches?""Yeah, I'm just nervous about my knee.""Why? If you need an operation on it then I will be there for you.""I know but I will be laid up for months with recover and physio, what if I can't get the S.P.A.C.E. up and running?""Hey, don't worry about all that until we seen the doctor. It might be healing just fine too.""I guess so I just doing the what if's." "Don't because everything will be fine promise."I give Jensen a tight smile as we finish our drinks and he eats the rest of my sandwich. We head to the back into the hospital and up to the floor Jensen was directed to go too. I was asked my name and then told to have a sit. I had a nervous twitch when Jensen put his hand on my knee to stop it. I could feel the panic rising so I did what Daniela told me to do. I said to myself, Dean, Sam, Misha, Lucifer, Bobby and continued silently when Jensen notice I was deep I thought. He lean over and kissed my neck and whispered, "your safe and everything is fine Baby." I took a deep breath when this man walked off to us as Jensen gets up and gives him a hug. He said, "Hey Matt, how the hell are you?""I'm good and very busy, but not to busy to see my best bud Jensen.""This is Y/N," as he turned towards me."So your the one he's been talking about. Well he wasn't wrong you are beautiful. So he broken your knee?""Yes," as I blushed. "Ok, come with me and I will have a look."We followed him to an examination room as Jensen had his hand in the small of my back. I sat on the bed and Jensen sat next to me in the chair. He made sure to give my hand a squeeze first as Matt noticed the squeeze and realised Jensen really was in love with me. "Y/N, I'm going to take the brace off and have a feel first ok.""Yes ok."He removed the brace and looked at it the swelling had gone down a great deal over this past weeks. He touched it and I wince slightly as he put pressure on it. He furrowed his brow as I asked, "Is something wrong?""I'm not sure yet, we will need a X-ray. Come with me and I will get  done right now."So we again followed him to the room adjoining his. It was where he got all the X-rays taken. So I was taken in there as Jensen and Matt caught up with each other. "So Jay where did you meet her? I here an accent?""She's Australia and she won a competition and we were video phoning her. Anyway one thing lend to another and now she here living with me. I love her man, she's the only one for me.""I saw the ring did you give it too her?""Yeah, it's for a promise I made her.""She is a beautiful woman Jensen you better watch yourself I might steal her from you," with a laugh and a slap on the back."Your no competition for me Matt," as he knew I only loved him and have for a lot of years. "Oh," as he thought about it. "So how's the family?" As he changed the subject. "They are good."I hobbled out as Jensen gets up and helps me to the chair. Matt said, "You Ok?""Yeah just a little tired it's been a long day with work and my other appointment and now this.""Are you able to make it back to the exam room while I go and get your X-rays."I lean heavily on Jensen when he noticed I was about to collapse so he lifted me into his arms and carried me back to the exam room. Matt followed with my crutches. "Jay is she alright? Do you need a doctor?""No, she's fine just exhausted with everything today. Once we finish here we will go straight home.""Ok, I'll be back in a few minutes."Jensen was rubbing my face as I kissed him hand. He said, "We will be home soon Baby. I will call Clif and get him to pick us up in 30 minutes.""Ok," as he dialled the number and spoke to Clif. "She's fine Clif just tired it's been a long day for her. Yes I will take care of her, you don't need to worry. Ok, see you then. Bye Clif.""What was that about?""Clif worrying about you and told me to take care of you."I smiled to know Clif was giving Jensen orders to take care of me just like a Dad would do. It warmed my heart to think of him as my surrogate Dad. Jensen smiled too as he was telling me. Matt returned with the X-rays and put them in the machine to see what was going on with my knee. He looked and show us."See there that's where the brake was. Look here see how it's healing itself properly and it's not to bad.""That's good news as I will be seeing my doctor in Australia soon and we will see what he wants to do.""He will probably want some physio done and I can set that all up after you get back." "He did mention it. Your not upset that I would like my doctor in Australia to decide?""No of course not he knows your history and the best course of action. But I can tell you it's healing well and should be healed in a few weeks.""That's great Baby, it's good news.""Yep it is," as a happy tear fell down my face. Jensen saw it and wiped it away. "Thanks Matt for seeing Y/N.""My pleasure and don't be a stranger Jensen, how about we catch up soon.""Sure man I would like that.""Thank you Matt for seeing me.""It's all good," as he gives Jensen a hug and bends to give me one also. "Bye," Jensen said to him. "Bye Jensen, Y/N."I gave him a smile as Jensen lifted me into his arms and carried me to the car as Clif was waiting for us. I had hold of the crutches as he put me down and I rest against the car as he opens the door. He gently helps me in and closes my door as he throws the crutches in the back seat. He hops next to me in as Clif pulls out of the car park. Clif has the music on low as I drift off listening to it. Jensen's hand resting on my knee. He sings with the music as I could hear his amazing voice it always had a calming effect on me. He rubs my knee and then moves his hand to my arm. "Mm Jensen, that's nice," as my eyes close. Clif looks and see that I'm almost asleep and said, "Jensen how did it all go?""Y/N did real good and her knee is healing well also.""That's good to hear," as he smiles. Then Jensen pulls me closer to him as I fall asleep. Clif remains quiet as Jensen rubs my face gently as I hum quietly in my sleep. He held back a chuckle as he closed his eyes for a few minutes as well. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- We headed home as Jensen is holding me in his arms like he always does. I was startled awake by a siren nearby as the police car screamed passed. I jumped as I opened my eyes as Jensen is soothing me. I never thought I've ever feel this kind of love and each time Jensen shows me a bit more of himself and his love. I know it can be hard for him with my flashbacks and memories and hearing what happened to me. But after the first session he has been with me and holding my hand through every session since. I should ask him how he feels and see if he would like to talk about anything. He doesn't really mention anything about my past incase it upsets me. I know he would be hurting and angry but he never shows it to me or even expresses to me. So I'm going to ask him how he is feeling when we get home so he will really talk to me. I know he must have questions?Clif saw I was awake and asked, "Jensen said, "everything when well with both your appointments Baby girl?""Yes it did Clif. I should be able to take the knee brace off in a few weeks. I have to see Paul first and get his ok to take it off.""It's what three maybe 3 and half weeks away.""Yep it would be nice to go home and see it from a different perspective.""You sure you want to head back there after eveything that has happened?""No, I don't but I need to for my own piece of mind and I need to deal with my past."Clif said, "I can understand that. I know it will be hard for you. But I know you will deal with it with Jensen by your side."Jensen reply, "I will always be there with you Y/N.""Will you Jensen can you make me that promise?""Of course I can why wouldn't I be with you?""I...um....nothing of course you will," he noticed my hesitation as was wondering why?"Ok, here we are. See you both tomorrow.""Bye Clif and thank you.""All good Y/N.""Bye Clif," Jensen said. "See you both tomorrow," as he pulls away and we head inside. Jensen looks at me as we head to the lounge room and I sit on the lounge. He's not sure if he should bring up the comment and the  hesitation in the car so he walks to the kitchen and gets a drink. He comes back with a beer as he sits and just looks at me. "Jensen are you alright?" He takes a big gulp of his beer before he decides to speak. He swallows the lump forming in his throat as he tries to get the words out. "Y/N," he said as his voice when hoarse as he clears his throat."What is it Jay, your frightening me?""Ah, it's when you hesitated in the car when I said I will always be with you. What was that about?""Oh, you noticed?""Of course I did.""Ok, Jay come here and I will explain everything," he moves to sit next to me as he put the bottle on the table next to the lounge. He waits for me to speak as I try to figure out the words. "Jensen can I ask you something?""Of course anything we have no secrets from each other." I smiled as I knew he would never have a secret without me knowing about it. "Why don't you ever talk about my past with me. I know you got to have questions?""Oh," as he lets out the breath he didn't realise he was holding. "I thought it was going to be something much worse. I dont talk about it because one: I don't want to upset you, two I knew you would ask me sooner or later, and three I knew you would tell me when you were ready.""Are you ready to hear what I have to say Jay?""Yes I am. Can I ask you a question?""Mm anything.""If I wasn't ready would you still tell me?""No I wouldn't not until you were absolutely ready.""Ok, that's good to know. I do have questions but I'm not sure where to start.""From the beginning," as he gives me a wicked grin for the smart ass comment. He had hold of my hands as he squeezes them gently. He kisses me first it's a slow kiss and all he's mixed emotions are locked into this kiss. I moan as he smiles into the kiss, he shifts so he is closer to me as he deepens the kiss. I can feel the excitement coursing through my body as my toes curl. He has he's hand on the back of my head as he tilts his mouth this way and that. He other hand is running his fingers through my hair. As my hands rest on his shoulders and I move my left hand through his short hair. We are both moaning now and we had to pull away for air. His eyes are a beautiful shade  of green and he lips look so kissable. He pulled me back as he looks into my eyes. He said, "We will get no where if we keep kissing like that.""It was incredible Jensen. I've never felt this much love from one person before it's mind boggling to me." "I know I've only ever really loved two people in my life and we never kissed like that ever. You know before you came into my life I was closed off to any kind of love. When I saw you cry that first time I knew it was you and only you I was meant to be with. Your the love of my life (as he kisses the promise ring), we are forever Baby."I had a tear slip down my face in happiness as I smiled at him. "Jensen you are the only one for me too. I knew when I first watched Supernatural in 2005. I wished we would even though my life sucked you were the one that help me to keep going. I know I had days where it was just too much and I did try to hurt myself but I always failed. It was because we were suppose to meet and I knew in my heart it would happen even though my head was telling stop having stupid dreams they will never come true. But here you are and you love me. My life couldn't get any better than this Jensen."He wiped the tears away as he gently kissed my forehead and just held my hands for a minute and gave me time to calm down. He said, "Can I ask you something now?""Yes of course.""You said your Mother and Father were nice to you up until you were 4 years old. Do you remember that time before the abuse?""Not all of it only glimpses here and there nothing concrete.""So they changed when your Father lost his job, was it straight away or did take some time?""It was maybe a few months later when my Mother realised he wasn't getting any better and she lost her freedom and he couldn't do anything and lost his job. I didn't understand what was happening why they hit me and hurt me but I knew I was scare and frightened. I also knew no one cared.""So how many times has your knee and other bones being broken and not fixed.""Jensen I sorry for putting through this," as I saw the tears slipped down his face. I put my hand to his face as he rubbed his face in my hand as I wiped the tears away. "You sure you want to continue Jay?""Yes I want to know it all. I'm ok, really, listening to this is better than living it.""Ok, if you want to stop just say ok.""I will, I love you." "Me too Jay me too. Well to answer your question my knee has been broken about 4 or 5 times before. That's why it's in the shape it's in now. I had three broken wrists, a couple of dislocated shoulders, numerous cuts and wounds as you've seen." Looking at my hand he brings my head up and sees a scar he's never really noticed before. He rubs it gently as in question of what happened? "My head was bashed against the bathroom sink he split my head open. They told the hospital I tripped and fell when they patched me up.  See here as I show him other scars it's where they bashed me against things leaving me bleeding most time except the head wound. They couldn't let me die or they wouldn't have a slave no more. One last thing they broken all my fingers on my right hand by slamming the toilet lid down on them I was 8 I think. I remember screaming with the pain as he threw me in my room. I tried so hard to please them Jay but I was never good enough for them why did they hate me so much. Why?"He gathered me into his arms and held my while I keep saying why, why in his arms as I cried. He rubbed my back as he pulled back and kissed my forehead rubbing my hair out of the way. As he kisses me deeply on the lips. This wasn't like the other kisses this was different. It was a comfort kiss as he was more demanding in our lips and tongues touching. He wasn't rough in any way he wanted to show he loved me and that I will be ok, as I have him now and I always will. He pulls away still holding me in his arms. "It's ok Baby, it's wasn't never your fault you were just there for them to beat on and hurt. You or anyone else wouldn't been good enough for them," as he swallowed the lump forming in his throat again. He whispered as he said, "You were just unlucky enough to be there. They hated themselves so much that they couldn't hit each other so you being defenceless and little you were an easy target Baby. But you lived through it and your getting stronger everyday. Look what you have achieved so far. You have a job which you love. You're setting up the Organisation which you never thought would happen ever and you've been offered apart in the best show on TV." I laughed a sad laugh but he rubbed the tears away and he smiled. He eyes were wet with tears as well. "I haven't finished. The best thing you your life is me, Jared, Gen, and the kids, Misha, Vicki and their kids, Bob and my family, my Mum and Dad both adore you and so does MacKenzie and Joshua. So you are good enough and wanted now you will never be alone ever again. I will always be here for you and go to any appointments you may have if I can't I know Jared or Misha will go with you instead that's what we all are one big family. Even the SPN fandom are your family now also so you have them too. So you have an amazing bunch of people who love you and will be there for you.""Thank you Jensen, I never though I was good enough for anyone I always felt broken and shattered but I know how much you all love me I feel it everyday and see it everyday. I'm glad you contacted me and I have this incredible life now. I could've done any of it without you and the others thank you. I love you more each and every day Jay. Your the light in my heart that once only had darkness and it feels good to see the light now and the darkness being pushed aside.""Anytime Baby I will always be your light and show you how much you are loved and wanted in our lives.""I know and I love you for it all.""Um, can I ask you?""What?""Do like my sexy butt?" I laughed as I know he was trying to lighten the mood."Oh, I don't know I've seen better butts," as he pouted with a fake hurt expression. "Really you don't like this," as he slapped his booty. I got closer as I rubbed my hands over his very firm booty and I gave it a squeeze as he moans with want. He got his own back then and squeezed my ass and then pulled me closer to him. I could feel him as he lays me on the lounge and attacks my neck with kisses and bites my pulse point as I mewl in pleasure. My hands were moving under his shirt as I rubbed them up his back. He was lying on top of me as I took his weight comfortably. He snakes down my body and kisses my breast through my shirt and he looked at me with a grin on his face. "Jensen please, I need more," as my blood was boiling with lust. I could fill the coil build in my stomach as he moves down between my legs. He lifts them gently up and he bends the knees being careful of my injury still. Then he removes my panties I was moan so loud now as he puts a finger on my womanhood. "So wet for me Baby, you sure you want this?""Please Jay.""Ok, I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do so there's no surprises ok.""Mm, Ok I trust you." "I'm going to rub you like this," as he demonstrates with his finger. I moan more as he rubs gently in circles. I jerk a little with the sensation as he held my stomach down. "Easy Baby, their you go. Alright now I'm going to put my finger in you and gently move it in and out." I'm tossing my head from side to side as he moves it in. "Wow, your tight Baby." "Jensen please need to, oh Jensen," as he rubs my breast as he moves his finger as he's hitting my sweet spot. He bends over and kisses me as I bite his lip with my teeth. I was so close to exploding as he moves faster. "Cum for me Baby," his voice all husky with desire. I scream as I squirted on his hand. "Jensen I didn't just wet myself did I?""No, you squirt for the first time." I looked dumbfounded by what he said, he saw the look and said, "You cummed but the sensation when I hit your sweet spot made you squirt. It perfectly normal and natural. When we have sex you will do it sometimes." He gets up to get a wash cloth to wipe us both down as I noticed his pants. "Jensen do you want to um release yourself," as I looked at his ballooning pants. "Yeah but I would like to try something here you alright with that?""I don't know, what do you want to try?""Are you alright to stand?""Yeah why?"He helped me up as he positioned my back against the wall for support. "I would like to rub myself against you body but first I need to put these back on."  I looked at him as he gives me my panties and jeans back to put on. He helps me and then he looks at me and see the worry. "Don't worry it's perfectly safe.""Jay what if I get....., couldn't finish the sentence."Pregnant," he finished for me. "It's safe we have our clothes between us and no chance of getting pregnant ok.""Ok, Jay that's looks painful. I'm good if you want to try and give yourself some relief."He moved closer to me as he kissed me and gently rocks his hips against mine like we are grinding each other. He moves us like we are dancing together as he is moaning as I am following his sounds. As our denim makes contact with our sensitive areas. I'm thinking, how I could possibly orgasm again. But the faster he moved the tighter my stomach got with the butterflies in it. The familiar feeling was building as I knew how much I really liked it as I was getting hot and flushed. His hands are holding my hips as he is groaning in my ear. "You feel so good Baby, I'm close." "Jay what's happening I could be, ah, oh, my Jensen is it?" As I cried out with another release as Jensen screams my name as he empties himself into his jeans. He breathing heavy as he still moving slowly against me. Yep we both just peaked again. Our breathing settled as my legs feel like jelly as Jensen picks my up and put on me on the bed. He's face is red and sweaty as his voice is hoarse as he clears his throat. "Wow, that was incredible. Thank you for trusting me and helping me find relief.""It's ok it was kind of sexy and different. I didn't realise we could find our release more than once?""Yes a women and man can orgasm a number of times during sex.""That's incredible Jensen. When we eventually have sex what will you do?""I put my manhood inside you and do what you have already experience but with my manhood instead.""Before we do that can we you know watch some porn first," as I blush."Of course I won't do anything until you are completely sure.""I know." We cleaned up and put on pjs on and went to bed as Jensen whispered in my ear. "You're amazing Baby and I love you.""So are you Jay and I love you too."As we fell asleep I dreamt of Jensen and a baby. It was a little girl and she looked like her Dad. I was moaning in my sleep as I giggled and was talking. Jensen woke up and listened as I giggled and he knew it wasn't a nightmare I was having but an actual dream. He kissed my forehead and went back to sleep. He pulled me closer as he like being the big spoon and I was comfortably against his body.The next morning the phone rang as Jensen answered it."Hey Jensen, here?""Hello, Jensen, Kyle here is Y/N there?""She's still asleep but I can wake her for you," as he rolls over to see if I'm still asleep."Jensen, who is it?" As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes."It's Kyle!""Ok, I will speak with him."Jensen passed the phone over as I say, "morning Kyle, how can I help you this morning?""Well I was wondering if we could met and talk about the Organisation today?""Um, I will have to talk to Bob and see if I can get time off from work?""Oh, I forgot you worked at the set.""Yes, I do and I love it. Can I call you back later and let you know?""Of course and sorry for waking you both.""No, it's fine really. Bye Kyle speak soon.""So what did Kyle want Y/N?""He wants to work out what to do for the Organisation?""Like what?""I'm not sure, oh you think Bob will give me some time off to work this all out?""I don't see why he wouldn't once we explain what it's for. Do you want me to come too?""I think I will be ok Jensen, I have to do things on my own without you sooner or later. I think I'm strong enough to do this.""You sure?""Yes Jay I'm sure," as I gave him a kiss."Ok, call me if you need anything at all and Baby I'm proud of you.""Thanks Jensen it means a lot to me." "You're going to be amazing and people are going to see how good a person you are and help you raise money.""I hope so otherwise it won't be going anywhere.""We better get up and get ready. You need to ring Bob and ask him for a couple days off.""Yep I'm a little worried he will say no?""He's a good guy just explain it to him.""Ok, I will," I picked up the phone and dialled Bob's number.He answered on the third ring. "Hello Bob speaking.""Hi Bob, its Y/N.""Hi Y/N, how are you?""Good, I need to ask you something. You can say no is you want to but it's important to me.""Ok, what is it?""Can I please take a couple of days off to set up the child abuse Organisation see how it was supported by Random Acts." I said all in one breath as I took a deep breath when I finished. Bob was laughing as he told me to breath. "Of course you can. I know how much this means to you from what happened with you. We will muddle through without you. If the boys misbehave I will tell them they will have to deal with you when you get back."I giggled as I knew they will pull pranks on each other while I was gone and Bob knew it also. "Thanks Bob I appreciated this.""Take as long as you need. Your job will be there when you get back. Shit your the only one who can handle them anyway," with a laugh. "Jensen isn't going with you?""No, I'm going alone.""Are you sure, you will be alright?""Yes I think I will I need to learn to be on my own, as Jensen has other commitments and isn't always going to be able to be with me.""True but I can send Clif with you as support?""I would like that but please let me try to do this. If I get into any trouble I will call Jensen or I'll get Kyle too.""Ok, of your sure?""Yep very sure but thank you for caring Bob.""Hey your family now we take care of each other.""I know. Bye Bob see you in a few days.""Bye now and take care.""I will promise."We hung up the phone and Jensen asked, "so I gather he was all for it?""Yes he was and he said to take as long as I needed. He was worried about you three on set and pranking each other.""Who us nah we will be good," with a devilish grin.  "Yeah right Jay I know what happens when you all get together.""I swear I will be good, scouts honour," as he puts up three fingers like the scouts do."Were you ever a scout Jensen?""Well no but it's the principle of it.""Ok, ok I believe you. I bet call Kyle and let him know I will be meeting him today after all.""Don't be too long I will be waiting in the shower for you," with the biggest grin.I tapped his arm and said, "Oh, your incourageable Jensen Ross Ackles.""Yeah I know," as the laugh followed him to the bathroom. I dial Kyle number and he answered straight away. "Hi Kyle it Y/N.""Hi Y/N, so can you make it?""Yes I can where do you wish to met.""We can do it at my office or I can come to you if that makes it any easier for you?""I would say yes for you coming here but I need to try to do things on my own so I will met you at your office at 9am. Is that alright?""Yes fine see you then.""Bye Kyle.""Bye."Then I heard Jensen call out, "hurry up Baby it's awfully lonely in here without you." I giggled as I hobbled in on the crutches as he turns to look at me. "About time I missed you."I put the crutches up against the wall and undressed as he came out to help me in the shower. It was nice to feel the hot water over my body as his hands massaged the soap into my shoulders as I moaned. He smiled as he moved his hands down my body and lathered the soap all over me. His hands were big but very gentle as he moved over my familiar body. He kissed my neck as I moaned as he bit my pulse point. He continued to attack my neck with his teeth and lips. As he turned me around and I kissed his chest and licked up to his jaw. He was moaning as I kissed him ferociously. We knew we didn't have time for anything else so we just kissed and explored. He was smiling as me when he sifted back a bit as I looked into his beautiful incandescent green eyes. They shone with happiness and love. He finished washing me and then himself and turned the shower off, he grabs us some towels and slowly wipes me down. It was torture as he went ever so slowly stopped at my most private off areas. As he wiped they slower still, I moaned as he looked at me. "Jensen please stop the torture, we can't do this now we don't have time?""I know I just like to touching you and you know what to expect next time we are alone.""I know God I know and I can't wait. Maybe we can watch some porn Jensen and I can see what happens between a man and woman before we go any further?""Sure Baby anything you want."My stomach growled at that moment and we both laughed. "I want some breakfast I think."We got dressed and headed down for breakfast. As we looked at each other it was the hottest thing ever. Our look has changed since we have been imitate with each other to the fact Jared has made comments about it. I like to look at Jensen boy he has a hot body and a gorgeous face. I blushed just thinking about last night when we were very imitate. He saw and smiled as he knew what I was thinking about. "You alright Y/N?""Yeah just thinking about last night when we um did that thing with our clothes on.""I thought you might have been when you blushed you still look gorgeous when you do that. We can do it again if you like when you knee is better.""Yes I would like that Jay."We a grin which reached his eyes he said, "me too."Then there was a knock on Jensen's door and in walks Jared, Misha and Clif.Jared is always the first one to kiss me when they come in. "Hey Princess, how are you?""Good thanks Jared and you?""Great. Hey Jensen?""Hey Jared."Misha looked at me and said, "Are you alright you look a little flushed?""Oh, yeah I great," as I hid behind my hot chocolate cup."Ok, I was worried you might be getting sick.""Nope I'm good really."Clif said, "Hey Y/N, Jensen?""Hello Clif, how are you?""I'm good and you and Jensen.""We are both good," Jensen answer. "Y/N won't be coming to work for the next couple of days."All three of them looked at me with worry. I smiled and said, "I'm fine, I'm just meeting with Kyle to set the Organisation that's all."They let out a collective breath when Jared said, "Are you....?" I cut him off, "yes I'm sure. I need to do things for myself and I can't keep relying on you all. Please I need to do this.""Ok, if your sure.""Yes I am. But can I ask you one thing?""Sure anything?""Promise me no pranks on Misha or each other while I'm gone. I will be very disappointed in you all if you do."They all looked at me and each made a promise not to prank each other.I smiled as Clif asked, "if I needed a lift?""Yes that would be good that's Clif." Jensen pulled out his wallet and handed me some money as I looked at him. "For lunch Baby.""Jay thankyou but I have money for lunch.""Alright I didn't want you to go hungry.""I'm good shall we go then."We all went to the car as Jensen always helps me in and holds me to we reach the place. Misha knew where to go so he gave Clif directions as he sat in back with us as he held my hand and stroked my face. He hasn't touched me in awhile and it was nice to feel his hand on my face. Jensen was whispering in my ear, "You got this Baby. Remember I'm very proud of you."Clif pulled up as Jensen  hopped out and helped me. Everyone wished me good luck as Jensen held me tight in his arms. This would be only the second time we have been apart since I moved here. He kissed me long and hard as he didn't want to let go. "Jay," I whispered. "I need to go, otherwise I will be late.""I know you sure, but you don't want me," I stopped him by putting my finger on his lips. "I love you Jay but I need to go."He shook his head as he kissed me again. I moved away from his embrace and hobbled into the unknown for the very first time. I looked back as Jensen got back in the car and he waved and Clif drove off. I turned back around and walked into a place I've never been before as my heart hammered in my chest. I kept saying an affirmation to myself, your strong you can do this. At the moment I didn't feel strong I felt like I was going to puke but I made my way forward towards the reception desk. As I look at all the names and the receptionist is looking at me. Can I do this or will I need to call Jensen or worst have a panic attack? ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Sorry I am having trouble with posting the next chapter as it is only posting half of the chapter. So I have deleted it for now and I will rewrite it fresh in the next couple of days. I am so sorry if you were reading this chapter as I have also changed some of it as well.Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause any of you and I hope you will continue the journey with me. There aren't to many more chapters to go. I will be heart broken when I say goodbye to the characters and the story. It everything comes to an end I guess. Take care and have a safe new year. Secretfurrydragon. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- I looked nervously at the receptionist as she waited for me to ask to see someone. She looks over the computer screen and asks, "Can I help you?"I swallow the lump in my throats and whisper, "yes I um have an appointment with Kyle.""One moment please," as she picks up the phone and talks to someone I presume it's Kyle.Next thing I knew Kyle was standing in front of me. He looks at me and gives me a warm smile. He comes over and grabs my clammy hand and holds it for a second just to reassure me everything was ok."Thanks for coming Y/N, how are you?""Tell you the truth I'm terrified," as I wipe my hands on my clothes and clutch them for a second to help with the shake in my hands."It's ok, let's go this way," as he guided me towards the conference room behind the building. It was quiet and peaceful as I hobbled over to the window. Wow I thought he has a nice view."Nice view isn't it?""Yes it is. It's lovely and calming," I said. "Yes I sit in here sometimes to just think.""It must be nice and relaxing as well?""It is, look at the trees," that were white with snow it did look absolutely unbelievable as I never seen snow until I moved here and it still amazes me. "The lake which is frozen over due to the cold snap we are having it's very unseasonal weather. But it's still beautiful with the birds it's picturesque. It was one of the reasons I brought this building was for this view and the closeness to all the shops nearby. Please have a seat, would you like something to drink or eat maybe?""Maybe a hot chocolate to warm me up a bit," as I take of my heavy coat Jensen made me wear to keep me warm."Just give me a minute while I go organise your drink," I shook my head as he left. When he returned I was looking at the window again. He just watched me for a second as he cleared his throat I jumped as I was lost in my thoughts. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startled you. Penny for your thoughts?""I was just thinking of how lucky I am.""In what way?""I have Jensen and really good friends and people I trust and care about. I have this amazing job I love and now my dream of setting up the organisation is becoming a reality. It's a little overwhelming, you know I had nothing before I can here. I was barely living if I stayed there I probably wouldn't be alive today. Jensen gave me something I could never repay him for......my life and love.""I've noticed how very protective Jensen, Jared and Misha are of you.""They saved my life Kyle. They flew around the world at risk of being fired to make sure I was safe, and I hadn't hurt myself. I knew then they would be a big part of my life.""You are lucky he really loves you. I'm surprised he's not here with you?""He wanted to, but I told him I have to do this on my own. You should have seen him awhile ago he wouldn't let me go went we arrived here. It would be the first time we have been apart since I left Australia.""I know it must be hard for you both?""Yes but I'm getting stronger everyday and with the help of my therapist I'm getting there. Also, the love and support Jensen, Jared and Misha gives me.""That's really good to hear Y/N. So, shall we start," there was a knock on the door as his secretary walks in with food and two cups as she puts them down. "Thank you, Susie."She walks out and shuts the door. He gives me my cup of hot chocolate as I take a sip. "Better?""Mm, much thank you.""You're welcome. Let's start ok I just want to know where you want the organisation to go?""Well we have a name for it. It's called S.P.A.C.E. for 'Save and Protect Abused Children Everyday.' I would like to see it go worldwide and help kids in Australia as well as other countries. I have a friend designing the t-shirt and logo for the organisation. I know with Jensen, Jared and Misha's donation I hope it will be enough to set it up and get the phone lines working.""Actually the funds we have are more than you think?""What I don't understand. I thought Jensen, Jared and Misha were only putting money into this?""oh they didn't tell you?""Tell me what?""Here I will show you?" He grabs a piece of paper with a bank statement he had set up. I looked at it and saw their separate deposits and I saw an extra one from Random Acts as well."What that's a lot of money but I thought?" as I stopped mid-sentence. "Obviously they all believe in the organisation and what you want to do. I guess they believe in you.""That's way too much money," I could see my eyes were becoming unfocused and my breathing was becoming harsh as little or no air was getting into my lungs. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. No, I thought I'm not having a panic attack as I started saying Jensen, Jared, Misha, Gen, Vicki, Shep, Tom, Odette, West, Donna, Alan, MacKenzie and Joshua over and over. I didn't know if I was saying it out loud or in my head. "Are you alright Y/N?" as he touches my arm. "Do you want me to call Jensen?" As I didn't answer as I didn't hear him. He watches me quietly for a few more second and gets his phone out ready to dial Jensen. He continue to say things to me but I couldn't hear him, he was getting worried.I was trying to calm my breathing as it was coming in short pants as I continued to say Jensen as I pictured his face in front of my eyes, then Jared and the others over and over again. I finally found my eyes focusing on Jensen's face as he was smiling at me and my breathing settled as I took in a deep breath of air. Kyle had hold of my hand rubbing it gently like Jensen does. It was calming to know he was there with me. "Are you ok Y/N, do you want me to call Jensen to come get you?""No, I'm good please don't call Jensen I have to do this on my own.""Yes alright but you don't look so good now.""I'm fine I just never thought they would put that much money into this. What if I fail them and the organisation doesn't take off?""It will, and I will make sure the money is spent appropriately so you never have to worry about how it's spent. I will keep your accounts and whatever you need for anyone it will be distributed and the main priority is making sure the kids are safe and not in any kind of danger. So, this money we have been given will help a lot of kids out there. We will still need to keep raising funds and doing charity auctions and things.""I'm really overwhelmed by their generosity. I knew Jensen was donating but I never knew how much. They must have talked about it and decided they each would donate the same amount.""It looks that way. I'm glad they are supporting you in this. But we need to move on are you sure your alright?""I'm good, I'm so sorry Kyle, I will pull myself together.""It's ok, I should have prepared you before I showed you the amount. Misha also donated some of GISHWHES money into this as well. So, we are doing good to help the kids. We need to work out are we going to have separate phone lines, or will we use GISHWHES phone lines?""I think it would be better to use different phone lines but have them in the same building as GISHWHES as we are going to need volunteers to man them.""Yes, we are that's a good idea. Maybe I could ask the volunteers who aren't working for GISHWHES lines to volunteer on ours.""Ours," I look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, I will like to be a part of this organisation and help as much as I can. I don't care about being paid I just want to help the kids.""Why Kyle?""Well I have a personal interest in this.""Do you want to tell me?""Ok, but I've never told anyone this before this is why I was so quick to believe in you Y/N. My sister was bullied at school. My parents and I didn't know until she committed suicide. I was in my teens when this happened she was a couple years younger than me. She left a note telling us how much pain she was in and what was happening to her. I never knew I could have protected her from it all, but she never told me. I thought the change in her behaviour was puberty and her attitude as well. My sister and I were close but went she changed we drifted apart where we barely spoke to each other. In some way I blame myself for her death. She didn't deserve what happened to her and now I want to make sure it never happens to anyone else ever again."He wipes his eyes as I had hold of his hand and I say, "I'm so sorry Kyle. There was nothing you could have done if you didn't know.""I know if I took more notice of her.""You were young you didn't know what was happening to her.""Yeah I guess I miss her though. So, when you spoke about your abuse I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by again. Maybe this time I can save some innocent children's lives.""Yes, we will Kyle.""Enough about me. Let's work out accomodation for the kids.""I was thinking maybe a temporary safe shelter. We have all this money we could build one or buy one in each city. We could have safe people there for support and maybe get them some counselling and new clothes and maybe prepare them to go to school.""Wow this is going to be huge Y/N," he said. I laughed at his excitement and said, "Yes, we will need to raise a lot more money as well.""That we will. Hey why don't we start small and find a safe place here in Canada first for the kids and see how it goes?""Sounds good Kyle. So we need to look at a place where there's multiple rooms and the doors lock so the kids feel safe. Maybe have trained staff there for them as well.""Ok, let me look into some properties and see what I can find?""Ok, so we need to decide on fundraising, any ideas?""Well maybe Jensen, Jared and Misha could do a guess appearance or a carnival type thing. Maybe a dunk the star or kissing booth?""I can imagine Jensen all wet and I," I sighed as I remember him all wet. "Maybe a fundraiser at a convention as well. I will have to call Alex and see how she's coming with the design and logos for the organisation."He smiled at me when I stopped. "So we get the design printed on t-shirts and jumpers?""Maybe hats and a bracelet could be done as well.""You really have thought about this haven't you?""I've had years to think of how I want this organisation to go to help the kids.""So we have worked out about the money, a place for them to stay safely and fundraiser. Oh yeah the logo as well.""I will let you know about the logo when I call Alex?""It's ok no rush at this stage."He looked at his watch and realised that had worked through lunch. "Wow, it that the time?""What time is it?""Almost 2pm are you hungry?""I am a bit.""Shall we go eat or would you like to eat here. I can get something brought in.""No, I would like to go and eat in the restaurant down the street if you don't mind?""Ok, let's go."We get up and head out the door Kyle tells his secretary where he will be and to hold all calls. We take our time going down the street as I look around at everything. Kyle is walking beside me chatting about where we are heading. He seems relaxed and enjoying the walk.He takes a deep breath and said, "Y/N what do you like to eat?""Well at the moment I'm trying new things as I've never really eaten much of anything before but my favourite would have to be bacon and chocolate cake."He laughed as he said, "Yes, good old chocolate cake it's one of my favourites too.""Jensen's being buying different food for me and we share what we get as I never be able to eat it all.""He must love you very much Y/N.""Yes and I love him very much too."We reached the building as we walked in all these different smells hit me. There was burgers and chips, curries, bacon, Chinese and there was something I couldn't work out what it was."He directed me towards a table and we sat down and he offered me a menu. I opened and looked at all the different foods. There was main courses and lots of desserts. I was looking at the dessert when Kyle said, "you can have dessert first if you want too?""I can, I only do that with Jensen sometimes we eat dessert first.""Of course you can what would you like? ""Um, I'm thinking maybe trying something new like maybe a trifle or cinnamon doughnut with the chocolate drizzled over it.""Why don't you get both.""I'm not sure I would eat both?""Alright then we will get both for you to try."I was about to say no when the waitress came over and he order the desserts for me. He also ordered us two hot chocolates with extra marshmallows in it.The waitress left and my phone beeped. I looked at it and it was Jensen."Hey Baby, How's it all going?""Fine Jay we are having a late lunch.""I miss you Baby," with a red heart emoji."I miss you too," with a purple emoji."I miss your sexy lips and how soft they are and those amazing eyes.""Jay please I'm here with Kyle.""I miss touching you and holding you close.""God Jay, stop I'm blushing.""You look so, so sexy when you blush Baby. Wait to you get home I'm going to give you a night you won't forget. I'm going have you screaming my name.""Oh, my Jay this is so hot. I can feel the heat rising in my body."Kyle cleared his throat, "Are you alright Y/N? You seem to be blushing. I take its Jensen?""Oh I’m sorry Kyle," as I got more red with a blush. “It is Jensen telling me he misses me. Jay I have to go. I love you," with a face with heart eyes emoji. "Ok Baby see you soon. I love too," with two small heart emoji's. "Bye Jay.""Bye Baby."Then my phone stopped pinging and Jensen was gone. Kyle noticed the look on my face. "Is everything alright Y/N?""Yeah I just miss him when I'm not near him.""I understand he has been there for you.""Yes he has.""Do you enjoy your job Y/N?""Yes I love it and I get to see Jensen, Jared and Misha everyday. I know it's silly but they keep me grounded and I feel stable with them nearby.""Like before with the almost panic attack. I heard you repeating there names over and over until you brought yourself out of it.""Yes my therapist told me to try the grounding technique to see if it helps and it did.""That's good isn't it," as I looked a little sad."Yes it is but I feel lost without Jensen. He's always been here with me. He's my rock when I braking and he catches me every time and puts my back together with his love and support.""It's good you have Jensen but now you know also you can deal with and attack on your own if you have too. This is good news Y/N shows your getting stronger.""Yes I know and I'm glad really I just wished he was here.""Ok, tell me what you do on set," changing the subject and to occupy my mind while we wait for lunch."I'm what you would say there boss I make sure they behave on set.""Behave in what way?""They like pranking each other while on set and it was disrupting filming so I'm the one that keeps them in line. I'm their PA's I guess and I always on set when they are.""Is it a hard job to do?""No they are great when I'm there. Sometimes they slip up but I sort them out and it's business as usual. Bob said, "he can't get over how much work his achieved since I've been there to keep them in line.""Wow you must be one tough lady to deal with.""No, not really I just explain and tell them if they misbehave I could lose my job.""Ah, guilt them into behaving," he laughs as I thought about it and maybe I was."I'm not sure if I am. But they are good while I'm there. I was helping them with their lines the other day and apparently Richard filmed me and now they want me to star in the show.""That sounds really interesting.""Yeah but what if I'm not good enough to star in a famous tv show with Jensen, Jared and Misha.""You will never know unless you try it and see what happens.""Yeah I guess so.""You will be amazing like you are with the Organisation. You will succeed in anything you do. You deserve to be happy Y/N do what you think is right for you. Once we get everything set up you can do the tv show if you want too.""Really you have a lot of confidence in me Kyle.""That's because I've seen your strength and your ability to preserve and achieve even when life was kicking you in the guts you still manage to pick yourself up. I know you've had some let down's but being here I've seen the strength inside you."I looked down as he gently lifts my head and sees the tears, "I've never had anyone besides Jensen, Jared and Misha have that much confidence in me. Thank you Kyle it means a lot.""It's going to be ok you know you will have an amazing life with Jensen and you will have a equal good career as well."Just then our food was placed on the table as well as our hot drinks as I wiped my eyes. He gave me a soft smile as he motioned for me to eat. I picked up the spoon and had some trifle as I hummed in satisfaction. He laughed as he watched me eat it. I then had some doughnut wow it was mouth watering. We ate quietly as I was enjoying both of my desserts. He took small bites of his cake he had gotten.When I finished as much as I could he had the rest wrapped to take home with me. I looked at him and said, "That's was amazing I've never tasted dessert that nice before.,"Oh, there are a lot of other desserts to try. Maybe next time you could try two more different ones?"I smiled and said, "That would be nice thank you Kyle."The waitress brought over my leftovers and the bill. As I pulled out some money to pay my share of it when Kyle stopped me. He gave back my money and said, "my treat Y/N.""You sure I have money.""No, it's all good.""Ok as I put my money away thank you."My mobile rang again as I looked at the number it was Alex getting back to me."Hi Alex, what can I do for you?""Hi Y/N, I've finished the design if you would like to see it?""Of course I would love to see it Alex."Kyle said in a whisper, "Alex is the one doing the design?" I nodded, "can she bring it into the office now so we can see it?""Alex, Kyle's has just asked can you bring it into the office so we can see it today?""Yeah I guess I can be there soon where is he?""We are in a restaurant near his office on Misty. But we are heading back to his office now. Are you nearby?""Yeah about 5 minutes actually I was visiting a friend nearby.""Ok, see you soon then. Bye Alex.""Bye Y/N"."Alex will be here in 5 minutes give it take traffic.""Ok, we better head back to the office then."He grabbed my food as well thanked the waitress and left we arrived at the same time Alex did. She saw me as she comes over with a huge portfolio under her arm. She gave me a quick hug and said, "Hi Y/N.""Hi Alex this is Kyle. His our financial officer and decides where all the money goes.""Oh, hi Kyle I'm Alex.""Hi Alex shall we," as he directed us towards the doors.He took us back to the conference room where we were before as Alex was freaking about the view. She turns and looks at Kyle said, "nice view I would love to draw it one day?""Thank you I would like that if you did. I would love to see what you draw?"I watched them exchange pleasantries and then we sat down. He said, "So you've come up with a design and logo?""Yes would you like to see it?""Of course," as she puts the portfolio on the table and opens it. She pulls out several different drawings as I look at them. Kyle was spellbound at how good she is.I pulled one aside it was a picture of two kids in the palm of a hand with a dove holding a heart. It was exactly what I asked her to do she even put our name on it as well. It was amazing then there were others of just two kids and the dove. But I liked the first one I pulled aside as Kyle looked at it as well. He liked it two as he smiled. Alex watched us as we looked at her drawings. She was holding her breath when I finally said, "I like this one Alex it's what I asked for and it's amazing."Kyle said, "Wow you are very talented young lady Alex."She let out the breath she had been holding and said, "Thank you I'm glad you like it.""It's amazing Alex we just need some colours now and then it will be our logo for S.P.A.C.E. Well done Alex you should be proud.""I am it's my best work to date.""Yes it is but I've seen your other drawings they are amazing too Alex.""Not as good as this one.""You did well Alex.""Thank you. So what colour were you thinking of?""Maybe bright so the logo stands out and the t-shirts as well.""Ok, I can do that. I can have it done by tomorrow for you.""That would be great Alex, we will see you tomorrow then?""Alright about 9am as I work at 10am.""Sure shouldn't be a problem see you then."Alex leaves as I yawn and Kyle calls it a day. "Y/N go home get some rest and we will work on this again tomorrow.""I am tried I better ring Jensen to come get me.""Ok, you can wait here if you want too.""Thanks Kyle see you tomorrow," as he walks out and I ring Jensen."Hey Baby.""Hey Jay, can you and Clif come and get me we have finished for the day," as I yawn into the phone."Sounds like it was exhausting day Baby?""Yes but we got a lot done and sorted. I will tell you about it when you get here.""Won't be long. Love you.""Yeah, love you with a yawn too," I could hear laughed as my mobile went dead.I sat on a chair and looked at the window where I must have fallen asleep. Jensen arrived 20 minutes later where he found Kyle as he directed Jensen into the room I was waiting in. They both found me sound asleep as Jensen looks at me with love in his eyes. As he crouches down and rubs his hand down my face. He said, 'Hey sleepy head I'm here.""Jay is that you?""Yep it's me. You fell asleep and you looked so comfortable Baby I didn't want to wake you.""Mm it is nice here Jay," as I open my eyes and look at him. He's smiling at me as he kisses me gently on the lips. Kyle said, "You both right I still have some work to do. See you tomorrow at 9am Y/N.""Yep ok see you then Kyle and thank you.""My pleasure get a good night's sleep. Bye now.""Bye Kyle.""Bye Kyle," Jensen said, as he helps me up and just holds me too him. "God I missed this all day just being able to hold you.""Me too Jay. Shall we go home.""Yep Clif’s waiting for us.""Ok lets go," I gave Jensen my leftovers to carry as we walked out of the building to Clif waiting in the car. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Jensen was carrying my food as his other hand was in the small of my back. As we head out to the car Clif saw me and got out and gave me a hug. It was like he hadn't seen me in a hundred years.“How was your day Baby girl?"“Good we got a lot of work done.”“That's good to hear.”“Y/N,” Jensen said.“Hm you look exhausted you are alright?”“Yeah it's been a very busy day I just need some sleep.”“Ok,” as he kisses my hand and helps me into the car. Clif climbs in as does Jensen. I'm leaning on Jensen heavily as my eyes were heavy and I was about to fall asleep. Jensen has hold of my hand like he normally would as he whispers in my ear.“Sleep Y/N, I will wake you when we pull in.”I hummed as I close my eyes he's humming a song that is down low on the radio.Clif said, “She alright Jensen?”“Yeah just tired Clif. She will be fine when she's had some sleep.”“Ok, I've seen her tired but never this wore out.”“Yeah I know what you mean Clif,” he moved a bit of hair that had fallen in my face. As he just looks at how peaceful face was. Clif takes his time driving home as he just likes having us in the car with him even though I'm asleep.“Jensen do you want to stop and get some dinner so you don't have to cook?”“Sure Clif that would be great.”Clif pulls into a fast food place as Jensen is careful to hop out and not wake me.“I will stay here with Y/N.”Jensen shook his head as he walks over to the place and looks at their menu. Clif is watching me sleep as he smiles. He always wished for a daughter but unfortunately it wasn't to be. So he consider me as his daughter and you know I love Clif like a father he was kind, caring and the most gentle man there was. I felt safe with him and I knew he would protect me. Jensen returned a few moments later with burgers as he handed one to Clif and he smiles as Jensen always thinks of other people.Clif said, “she must have been exhausted, she didn't even wake up.”“Yeah I will talk to her when we get home I think there is more to this.”“What you think she's had an attack that's why she's exhausted?”“Possibly I've seen how tired she gets after an attack I think she might have. If she did how did she cope without us there to help her. I knew I shouldn't left her alone but she wanted to do it on her own.”“Hey man you gotta have faith she can do things in her own. Maybe it was an attack it might have been a lot of work.”“Yeah she did say they got a lot done. She was proud that they had worked out some things.”“She's going to be amazing Jay. She loves you very much as well.”“Yeah she is and I love her,” he looks at me with heart eyes. We arrive home and Jensen is hesitant to wake me as I look so peaceful. He decides to carry me into the house with Clif’s help. Clif put our food in the fridge as he waits for Jensen to return. He settles me onto the bed as he takes off my shoes and changes me into my favourite night shirt. He said, thanks to Clif for his help and walks him to the door. He locks up and comes up stairs. He lies down next to me after pulling his shoes off.He pulls me to his body as he kisses my neck and whispers, “I love you.” He closed his eyes and is asleep a few minutes later his day had been a busy one with the stunt scenes he had to do. He was a bit sore from the fight scenes but a nice hot shower will relieve the aches and pains. He cuddled into me as we slept. He felt the comfort of my body next to his.I woke a few hours later as I felt Jensen next to me. I turn and look into his handsome face. He was still asleep so I slipped from the bed and went downstairs to started dinner. I look and see the fast food Jensen had brought I knew he probably brought it to save us cooking but I wanted to make him something nice. So I hobbled around the kitchen on one crutch as I pulled things out of the fridge. Cooking was normally Jensen’s thing to do but I have been helping him cook so I think I can manage homemade hamburgers for us to eat. I cut up the tomatoes, lettuce and cheese.As I cooked the burger which I had made from scratch I was very proud of myself. I set them aside and cleaned the pan as I cooked the bacon and eggs. I put the buns in the toaster to cook. I have everything almost done when the fire alarm went off. Jensen wasn't even fully awake when he literally flew days the stairs almost falling to get to me. I'm in the kitchen with a towel trying to stop the alarm when he runs in and almost hits the cupboard as he stops himself and just looks at me. I haven't noticed him yet as he watches me with a smile. He was fine now he knew I was alright.I was saying, “son of a bitch stop already before you wake Jensen.”“Too late Baby.”I jumped at least 5 feet in the air when Jensen spoke.“Shit you scare the crap out of me Jay,” I shouted over the noise of the alarm it was deafening.“Sorry I thought you might have heard when I almost hit the cupboard,” he yelled back.“Can't hear anything over this,” pointing to the alarm and my ears. Jensen walked over and opened the windows and turned the fans on as the alarm finally stopped but not before I yelled out, “I was cooking you dinner Jay.”He laughed as there was silence. “So I see. What happened?”“This,” as I held up the bun that I pulled out of the toaster.He chuckled as said, “ok you want me to cook them for you?”“Could you please,” as I stood at the stove cooking the bacon and eggs still.He comes up behind me as I rest against him and he kisses my head. I turn slightly so he can kiss my lips. It was a sweet kiss as I turned back. He stepped aside of me and cooked the buns. When everything was cooked we put together our hamburgers and I had tomato sauce and Jensen had mustard and sauce. He carried our plates into the lounge room with our drinks as we sat down.He looked at the food and said, “it looks wonderful Baby.”“Thanks Jensen I wanted to make you something nice for dinner.”“You did looks great.”“Dig in,” as he took the first bite and moaned with satisfaction.I smiled as he was enjoying the burger. I took small bites of mine as Jensen had most of his eaten by the time I had eaten half. He stopped to have a drink and then put the rest on the table and he continued to eat. I managed ¾ of the burger but I was full. Jensen ate the rest of mine as well. He got up and took the plates out as a very loud burp was heard in the kitchen. He yelled excuse me. I just giggled and he laughed. He came back after all the dishes were in the dishwasher and sat down next to me.He motioned for me to lie on his chest, so I moved myself as my legs were resting next to his. His arms were around me as he took in a deep breath and the scent of my hair.“You smell amazing Baby, your hair smells like apples. Today was hard without you there I kept looking over to your seat expecting to see a smile.”“I know I missed you today to Jay. Um, I need to tell you something that happened today?”“What happened Y/N?”His voice had changed from the light banter to a serious voice so I knew something was bothering him.“Jensen I had a panic attack today.”“What why didn't you get Kyle to call me?” I turn in his arms and look him in those amazing green eyes.“He wanted too Jensen but I asked him not to. I got through it I used the grounding technique Daniela taught me. I said your name and Jared, Misha and so on. But you know what brought me back?”“No, what?”“I pictured your face, when you fell in the bath with me, when you gave me this,” as I moved the promise ring. “Every time we had a special moment I pictured them all. It brought me out of it. I was extremely tired after it but I managed to continued to work Jensen.”“Wow Baby that's good the technique worked, I proud of you, you did it on your own but you still should have gotten him to call me at least to tell what happened.”“I asked him not to Jay I wanted to tell you myself and I was alright.”“Yeah ok but next please let me know?”“Ok, I promise I will if your not with me,” I kiss his lips and he settles me back so I'm lying on top of him as he hugs me.“I love you Y/N.”“I love you Jensen.”We just hold each other for awhile until he was getting uncomfortable so I moved off him and get up.He grabs my hand and asks, “where you going?”“Might have a shower want to join?”With a raise eyebrow and a devilishly grin he gets up and follows me upstairs. But he turns on the taps for the bath instead. He looks me in the eyes as he starts to unbutton my shirt. I felt a shiver go down my spine with each button as the butterflies fluttered in my stomach.He got to the last button as he slowly pulled the shirt from my shoulders. As it shimmy’s down my body and finally hit the floor. He kisses my neck and shoulder as he looks at the mark he left a few days ago. His eyes sparkle as he moves and kisses my neck on the other side leaving a matching mark. He has his arm around me holding me up. I'm moaning as he bites me gently on the collarbone. He removes my bra and throws it on the floor. He squeezes my breast with his spare hand as my legs feel weak under me. I stop his hand as I move to look at his clothed body.I pull back and I rip his shirt open all the buttons go flying everywhere. He looks at me with lust in his eyes. I kiss behind his ear as he bends down for me to reach as I'm standing on my tip toes he's hands are supporting me around the waist. He let out a growl as I kiss and bite his ear. I move to his chest as I bite little marks down to his nipples. He muscles ripple as I touch him.He is moaning with want as I move kiss his nipple as I lick around it until he is moaning obscenely. I move to undo his belt on his jeans and undo's the zip. I pulled them down as Jensen kicked his shoes and socks off. I looked at him as he shimmy out of them as I look at him. He standing there in his boxers as he helps me out my clothes. He looks at me and gives me a wink as he follows with a smile. I blush as he pulls my panties down and goes to touch my heat. I stop his hand again as I'm looking at the bath. He pulls his boxers down as he helps me into it and he climbs in after me. He positions himself so my back is on his chest. He turns the bubbles on as he moves his hand to find the soap. He pickes it up and moves it between my legs as he rubs me ever so lightly with it. I moaning as I squirm on top of him. I could feel his cock getting hard under me. "Jensen," I moaned. As I gripped the bath but I couldn't let this go all the way I wasn't ready not yet. So I grabbed his hand and moved off him as he looks at me and saw the scared look on my face. His cock goes soft once he sees my scared face. "I god I'm sorry Y/N, I didn't mean to," I put my finger to his lips and said, "You didn't I'm stopped it I'm not ready yet Jensen. I'm so sorry." As I put my head down in  shame and guilt. "Hey," as he gently put his finger under my chin. "It's ok, I shouldn't have pushed you.""You didn't Jensen was I was enjoying it. I'm just not ready for what comes next that's all.""That's ok, when you are I will be here. I will wait until you are Baby. I'm not going to push you into something your not ready for. Come here." I move to him as he kisses me deeply to show he wasn't mad or angry at me. I had a tear slip down my face as he wipes it away. "How about we just had a nice relaxing bath together nothing physical alright.""Thanks Jensen," as I relax against him again. We just spoke and caught up on our days while relaxing in the bath. He laughed when I told him what happened with the texting and what Kyle had said. "Wow, so he knew it was me then?" "Yeah he thought it was you when I was blushing.""Baby," he said in a serious tone. I turned to look at him and his eyes were downcast for a second while he thought of what he wanted to say."Jensen, everything is alright, isn't it?"He moved his eyes up and said, "Yes everything's fine. I am, I just worried about you being on your own. It's hard for me to let you go that's all.""I'm not going anywhere Jay.""Not what I mean. When you do things on your own it's hard for me not to worry about you. I miss you when your not with and I don't know if your alright?""Jensen I miss you too but I need to do things for myself. I know you worry as I do about you. But I'm know one thing it's that I come home to the most incredible amazing man ever.""Really?""Of course Jay. You're my hero, you saved me. I would never be able to repaid you for that. But I can give you something in return my love and my heart. I know it's not much but that's all I have to offer you.""That's all I need Y/N and that's all I want.""I love you more each day Jay.""I know and I love you too."We were silent for a minute as the water was getting cold so I looked at Jensen and said, "I think it's time to get out of the bath Jay.""Mm," as he moves me and gets up. He bends down and helps me up as he lifts me over the bath and puts me on my feet as he climbs out and pulls the plug. He grabs a couple of towels as he wraps one around himself and then the other around me. As he helps me into our room. He sits me on the bed as I just look at everything Jensen Ackles has given me. I have this amazing room with the most comfortable mattress and warmth in the room itself. He has also given me, my very first loving home which I thought I would never have plus unconditional love which is all very new to me. I know I love Jensen more than my own life but this is more than I imagined it would be. He has excepted me with all my baggage and flaws and still showed me he cares. I also have wonderful friends and family which I wasn't really looking for but found me. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. Jensen saw my far away look and asked, "Penny for your thoughts?"I giggled and said, "I was just thinking of all the amazing things you have given me Jay. I feel more complete with you than I have my whole life. You have taken me in with everything I have been through and excepted it all. I know it was a lot but you never gave up on me and for that I am very thankful."He bent down in front of me and looked me in the eyes and said, "It's my pleasure plus if there is no you in my life there might as well be no me as we are connected Y/N. I feel the lost when you are not near me and my heart aches to see you again. I know it sounds corny but it's true. I'm like a love sick puppy when your not around. When we are together my heart is overwhelmed with love and happiness.""I know I feel the lost as well Jay. It hurts here," (as I put my hand over my heart).He kisses me on the palm of my hand as he smiles at me. "We better get dressed," he said.   "Yeah I guess we should," as my skin was cooling from being wet. I wiped myself and put my pyjamas on as did Jensen. We went down stairs and watched TV for awhile. We both fell asleep in front of the TV.  We got up and did the usual things that that needed to done in the morning. Jensen said, "you working with Kyle again today?""Yes Alex is bringing in her pictures which we saw yesterday and I asked her to put some colours on them.""So she has done the artwork you both like them then?""Yes she has but you, Jared and Misha will get to see it this afternoon when I return to work.""I can't wait Baby.""We are also going to look at some properties Kyle has been looking out to set up a safe home for the kids. I told him to make sure to was big and we can install locks on the doors so they feel safe.""That's a really good idea. Are you going to make sure their is someone their to counsel them as well?""Yes we are organisating counsellors, and people who can help them with money, food and clothing. Your donations which I was shocked with how much you all donated well help but we need to still do fund raising to keep them supported.""It was the least we could do plus you're doing all the hard stuff."I hobbled over and said as I stood in front of him, "When Kyle showed me the amount I panicked and it almost brought on the attack. I kept thinking what if I let you all down and you lose all your donations.""I'm sorry I should have told you we talked about the amount between us and thought it should be enough to get the Organisation up and running. It's a good course and we wanted to help you."He held me in his arms for a minute as he looked me in the eyes and I said, "That's really nice of you all to have that much faith in me.""We do believe in you and the Organisation. You have a wonderful heart to help these kids Baby.""Jensen you know how much I appreciated everything you have done to help me and the organisation?""Of course I do. You don't have to say anything my money is your money also. We are going to be married one day you know. What I have is also going to be yours too."I had a tears slipped down my face as he watched me. Just at that moment Jared, Misha and Clif knocked on the door. Jensen went to answer it as I wiped the tears away. He opened the door and they all said, their good mornings as Jared asked where I was. Jensen of course told him I was in the kitchen as he rounded the corner and stopped and saw the red puffy eyes. He looks at me then to Jensen."Hey Princess, you alright?""I'm fine Jared just happy," as I smiled. "Really?""Yes, I would like to thank you and Misha for your generous donations. It will help us buy a house for the kids who can't stay at home safely.""Your welcome Princess," as he lifts me to give me a hug.He puts me down as Misha was standing quietly off to the side of us. He came over and gave me a hug also as he smiled at me. Clif was the last to hug me. Misha said, "We knew how important this was to you and we thought it was a really good idea.""You know it was actually Gen's idea as Shep wanted to donate his piggy bank to help you. But Gen told him that we would donate and we talked about it," pointing to Jensen and Misha. "That we would donate the same amount but enough to get you started.""Yes Kyle showed me the amount I was surprised by how much you all donated. I would like to thank you all for your support and encouragement. If it wasn't for you all I would've followed my dream.""Your one amazing , kind hearted woman Y/N and we will do what we can," Misha said. "Y/N and Kyle saw the logo for the organisation yesterday.""Really so what's it look like? Do you like it? Do we get to see it as well before you decide?""Hang on Jared one question at a time. It's looks amazing, yes Kyle and I both like it, yes you will see it this afternoon when I come back to work.""Your coming back today?" Clif asked."Yes I couldn't be away from my boys. I was lonely without you all."Misha said, "Do you need any help today?""Kyle and I were going to look at a few house later this morning."""Really I only have a couple of shoots today can I met you and Kyle at the first house.""Sure if you want too. We could use your expertise in real estate Misha."Jensen said, "We will see you later after lunch then Baby. Sorry Jared and I can't come too some of us have to do the hard work," with a chuckle. "That's ok Jay. You and Jared will see it if we find a suitable house."Clif said, "Would you like me to drive you, Kyle and Misha to each house while Jensen and Jared are working.""That would be nice Clif, if it isn't to much trouble.""Too much trouble for me girl never. I would love too. I will bring Misha with me. Do you want us to pick you up at Kyle's office at around 10.30am.""Sounds great thank you," as I give him a kiss on the cheek and he hugs me too him. "Ok, we better get going or Bob will have our asses for being late."We all head out to the car as I sit in back with Jensen and Jared for a change. Jared had my legs across his lap as Jensen had me leaning against him. "God I missed this Baby.""Me too Jay."Jared looked at me and rubbed my legs it felt nice having him touching me again. I haven't had time for them to touch me like before. Cliff pulled up and Jensen said, "I'm walking you in today Baby."I knew not to argue with him as he helped me out and we walked in. Kyle was waiting for me as I was directed to the back of the building again. We entered when he saw us both and came over and shook my hand and also Jensen's. "Morning Kyle.""Morning Y/N, how are you feeling better I hope?""Yes much thank you."Jensen said, ""Morning Kyle.""Morning Jensen its good to see you.""You also. Kyle can I ask you something?" "Sure Jensen, what can I do for you?""I would like you to let me know when Y/N has an attack. I know she asked you not to call but can you as I would like to know what is happening.""Of course Jensen I will definitely call if it happens again. I'm so sorry I didn't.""It's ok really Y/N told me she got through it and was ok.""She did and she is absolutely amazing how tough she really is.""That she is Kyle.""Ok, I will leave you too alone for a minute while I go get us something hot to drink.""Y/N I better go before Clif sends Jared in here to get me." "See you this afternoon Jay," he dips his head and kisses me on the lips it was a sweet kiss. "Love you Baby.""I know," he laughs when he gives me one more look and walks out. Kyle comes back with our hot drinks and we do some small talk while waiting for Alex.  Alex arrives with the pictures a little while later. She is beaming with happiness as she said, "Good morning."I noticed the way Kyle was looking at her like he really liked her. She seemed oblivious to him as she was focus on the logo's. She pulled out the pictures and I have to say wow they were incredible with all bright colours. Kyle looked at me as we both were trying to decide which one was the best one. "Alex these are amazing I love them," as I give her a quick awkward hug with my crutches. She was so proud her smile got even brighter. "I decided to do the bright colours so the t-shirts stay out more. We can also put them on different colour t-shirts as well.""You really did think of everything Alex. I would like to use them both, one for our logo and the other for our merchandise. What do you say?""Really you like them?""Yes we do, don't doubt yourself you are a wonderful artist. Kyle what do you think?""Y/N's right you are an amazing artist Alex and with the logo you have done it will be a great addition to the Organisation.""I'm so happy," Alex replied. "You should be." The time had slipped by as we spoke about the different colour t-shirt, jumpers, hats and coffee mugs we could do. Kyle said that Random Acts has a printer that can help us with the printing and to put the design on everything. So we decided we would do it exactly how Alex had dreams it and coloured it. She was so overwhelmed with happiness. Alex had to leave for work but Kyle said he would put a cheque in the mail for all her hard work. She nodded as she bid us goodbye. The next half and hour when with Kyle making phone calls and expressing what he wanted on everything and pricing it all. Misha walked in  with Clif about 20 minutes later. I looked up at Misha and was surprised the time has gone by so fast. Kyle got up and greeted them both as I said, "Misha has offered to help with the house search and Clif would like to drive us if it's ok?""Sure it's ok, I heard Misha is good at spotting amazing properties."He laughed and said, "Yes well we will have to wait and see.""Misha how's Jensen doing?""He is fine and trying hard to concentrate on his lines.""I know he's worry about me but I'm fine.""You look amazing Baby girl," Clif said. "I feel amazing. Hey look at this!" As they followed me over to the table. "Is that the new logo?" Misha asked. "Yes what do you think?""Will Alex lived up to what Gen said about their artwork.""Clif what do you think?""It's wonderful and stands out.""Yes it does and look at the detail in each drawing, she really is talented," Misha said. "Do you think Jensen and Jared will like them too?" Misha grabbed my hand and said, "Of course they will Y/N. If you love them they will also."I blushed as Kyle said, "we better get going have six properties to look at today and see if they fit for us.""Of course lend the way," we all walked out as Misha walked with me as Clif walked behind me to make sure I was alright. We arrived at the first property which looked good on the outside but a wreck on the inside. That went for about 4 of the six properties until we pulled up to the next one and I knew this was it. It was huge and in really good condition as we make our way inside. Kyle said, "it used to be someone's home but we can rebuild the inside if we need to.""I love it, it amazing.""it's in good condition and solid. The plumbering and everything works. We will have to rebuild to put decent size rooms in here but the good thing is we have three stories to work with," Misha said. "So you like it too Misha?" He laughed at my excitement and how wide my eyes were. "Yes I think this is it our house.""Yeah," I said clapping my hands. "Ok, then I will put in a bid and see what happens."We then took a closer look around, there was a inground poool, the lawns are well maintained and looked after, there was a guest room at the back of the house as well. Yep this is the house that these kids are going to feel safe in. When we finished we took Kyle back to the office and he said, "ring you tomorrow with any information Y/N." "Ok, thank you Kyle."He smiles and waves as we drive away heading back to the set. We stopped to get a bite to eat first and then continued our journey. I was so excited to tell Jensen and Jared what was happening I kept moving in my seat when Misha told me to settle. We finally arrived as I tried to get out the car and almost felt as I was trying to get the crutches out at the same time as myself. Misha and Clif were trying not to laugh at me. I hobble into the studio when Jensen saw me and he ran over to me and twirled me around. "Jensen are you alright?""Am now your here." Jared walks over and kisses my cheek and said, "It's good your here Princess, I missed you telling us to behave ourselves," with a huge smile. I tapped Jared on the shoulder and Jensen laughs."I have a lot to tell you both but first I want to show you something?" As I sit in my seat so I can reach into my bag and put out the pictures."Here look at theses and tell me what you think?" I hand them to Jensen as he opens them and he and Jared both look at them. Jared's eyes widen at the sight of them. Jensen smiles and said, "hey these are great. Alex drew these Baby?""Yes and we have decided to use them as our logo and the print for our t-shirts.""That's wonderful Princess they will sell and the organisation will be a success.""Yes that's what I'm hoping. We have a convention here in Vancouver coming up don't we Jensen?""Yep, why?""Thinking of trying to sell them there at the convention. Maybe do a bucket pass around for donations.""What a good idea will they be ready by then?" Jensen asked."I'm not sure I will have to ask Kyle he has arranged all this.""I, we are proud of you Y/N," as he points to Jared, Misha and Clif. "Princess you have come so far and look what you have added to your achievements the organisation.""You are definitely one determined woman Y/N. I'm proud of you.""Thank you but I wouldn't got anywhere without all your support. You all should also be proud of what we all have built."Clif steps towards me and said, "You may me proud everyday your here with us everything else is a bonus." As he hugs me and I wipe the tears away. Misha said, "We also have found a building for the kids also. It's in good condition all we need to do is put rooms in it for each kid so they feel safe.""I loved it the first time I saw it I know it was the one for us. It has class but also spirit.""You will have to show us one day Y/N," Jared said."Sure anytime."Bob walked over and said, "nice to see your back. I thought you will be gone for another few days Y/N.""No, I've done all I can at the moment.""Alright then lets started shooting.""Hang in a minute I have something I would like to tell you all?""What Baby?""I've decided to do the show."Bob looked startled at first but he quickly got himself under control. "You have that's great news Y/N. I will let Richard know and we have scripts already prepared for you joining us.""Really, but how did you know?""I didn't I just hoped you would."Jensen looked at me and said, "I'm glad you will be on screen with us. It will be great all of us together.""I'm glad your happy Jensen," his smile was enough to tell me he was over the moon. Jared said, "Hey we will have to run lines together as well.""Yes we will and so excited about this Y/N,"Misha said. Clif said, "Yep definitely you will be amazing.""Thank you all for your encouragement and I'm excited too. Everything seems to be coming together the Organisation and setting it up. Now the part on the show it will be great."Yes I was excited but was my bubble about to burst whenever something good happens the other shoe normally drops and it's the end of my dreams. Will it happen this time or will it all be alright. I guess I will have to wait and see. Until then I can enjoy what I have achieved and what was to come in my life. It couldn't be any better than this. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Well what can I say it's my first day on set. Yep I'm absolutely terrified and yet oddly excited as well. I know I have Jensen, Jared and Misha there with me. When they gave me the script my hand shook everytime I tried to turn the page. Jensen would hold my hands steady while he would kiss me to calm me down. I like Jensen's kisses they do have that effect on me. Richard had asked to direct the episode with me in it. He told Bob he saw something in me and wanted to show the world. They also decided to film the episode over two weeks so I can do my scenes and be as comfortable as I can with them.  Bob of course agreed about the two and Richard being my Director I know, yesterday I was setting up the organisation today I'm filming on the set of Supernatural what more could a girl want. I don't come into it until about half way through the episode when Dean and Sam investigate a vamps nest near Alabama. When they arrive I had killed the complete the nest except the alpha vamp. I had blood all over my clothes and face as the Alpha vamp was just about to kill me when Dean and Sam burst through the door. Dean and Sam both see the vamp as Dean runs over to me and he yells at Sam to kill the vamp and Sam does as he calls for Dean's help. Then Dean looks around impressed at the dead vamp bodies lying everywhere. Richard runs through the scene until I was comfortable with everything that was going to happen in it. They used a stunt double for the scene where the vamp was hitting me so I wouldn't have an panic attack. But Richard decided to change the scene as we went through it. He said, "we will make it more realistic by the vamp hitting you and pulling you up on your sore leg and he's just about to rip your throat out when Dean and Sam brake through the door ok.""Richard can we do a run through first.""Sure we can to help you. Do you want Jensen here to help as well?""If you don't mine it's my very first scene and I'm really nervous.""Sure it's all good, you will be amazing. Jensen come here I want you to run through this scene with Y/N so she's comfortable with it all.""Ok Rich you want me to be the vamp then?""Actually that's a good idea Jensen.""Alright everyone markers. Y/N on your mark there. That's good. So the vamp has just beaten you and your broken and hurting and in pain. Can you make pain noises?""Yep sure Rich.""Ok Jensen you pull her up by her clothes and just about to bite her. Can you do that Jensen?""Baby you ok with this."I gave him a smile and whispered, "let's do this.""Ok Rich we are ready." "Scene 35 take one action."I was moaning as loudly as I can in pain and I was holding my knee as Jensen pulls me up by my clothes and his just about to bite me. When Richard yelled cut. Jensen continued and kissed my neck instead and I giggled. "Y/N that was good but maybe add some words like I going to kill you, bloodsucking vamp or whenever you feel you want to say. I want you to owe this scene ok.""Yep I can try it for you.""Good, good. Ok places everyone.""Jensen."He smiled as he rested me back on the ground as Richard yells action again. I moaned but this time I said, "I'm going to kill you, you son of a bitch. You murder a lot of people and they didn't deserve to die. So I'm going to make sure I kill you slowly until you feel there pain." Jensen laughed and said, "I'm the one who has the advance here hunter. No one is coming for you. I might torture you slowly first and then drain you dry.""Go ahead I'm not afraid to die you blood sucking freak.""Cut," Richard called out. "That was amazing you did really good. Can you do it again for me exactly like that.""Um, sure I guess I can.""You were wonderful Baby, that was really good.""Really you think so Jensen?""Yep your a natural at this.""Ok you two love birds let's get this scene done.""Ok Rich I can do this.""You have to go to make up first and get the bruised and bloody face put on.""Oh yeah ok I do that now.""Jensen and Jared let's go through your scene when you rescue Y/N."Jared said, "She was amazing Jensen she's going to be loved by the fandom.""I hope so as we know how the fandom feels about love interests on the show.""They will see what we see and they we love her like we do.""Yeah and I think Richard is her biggest fan look at him."He was watching the scene and smiling to himself. Jared looked and he laughed and said, "I guess your right I've never seen him like this he's really invested in showing how good she is.""He is and he's really good with her but I don't want her hurt when this comes crashing down.""Hey Jensen it might not she might be on the show for a long time and become a regular that's the plan anyway wasn't it?""It was but if the fandom doesn't like her well you know what happens then.""Yep but they will love her Jay.""Yeah I guess I'm wondering over nothing really.""It's ok to worry and care Jensen you do love her and want her to be happy."He smiles the brightest smile and said, "Yes I do love her more each day and it grows stronger. She absolutely amazing.""I've seen the look you know on your face and not to mention the love she gives you each time you look at each other.""I'm going to ask her to marry me soon Jared I want her in my life forever.""I know but it's only been just over a month Jensen you don't think it's to soon?""No we waited to long but we will have a long engagement so she can adjust to the idea.""Sounds good buddy.""Jared, Jensen places," Richard calls out. "Action!"They did there scene as I return from makeup. I was amazed with how well they do the makeup my face looked swollen and bloody. For a minute it brought back quite a few memories of being hit but I reminder myself it's not really and I was alright. Jensen and Jared are waiting for me to do my scene. Jensen sees my face all bruised and battered as he eyes soften and just looks at me. He comes over and said, "You alright Baby I know this would be hard for you to see yourself like this?""I have had a few memories Jensen but I reminded myself you were here and they aren't really.""Your strength amazes me Baby. You got this and you owe this scene and make this scene the best scene on Supernatural.""I will try Jay for you and I don't want to let Richard down either.""Ok, everyone places. Y/N you alright with the makeup?""Yes fine thanks Richard." Jensen gives me a quick kiss on my forehead for luck and then we did the scene. Richard was astounded as I did the scene on the first take. We finished my first ever scene on Supernatural as Richard yells that's a wrap for today everyone. Let's go get some drinks I think Y/N deserves a round of applause from everyone, the amazing job she did today. Everyone clapped as I snuggled into Jensen and was a little embarrassed but they all can over and congratulated me. Jared hugged me and said, "You were amazing and I know you will love being on the show with us.""Thanks Jared that means a lot.""Minion you have made your Overlord proud and you were great out there.""Thanks Overloard I'm glad you liked it."Jensen turns me and looks into my eyes and smiles and he bends down and kisses me softly on the lips. He said, "You were the best actor on set today Baby your were incredible. Your given me a gift today by being here in my world with me. I feel so much closer to you and hope we continue to grow together more.""I do to Jay I never knew how hard it was to learn lines and do scenes I will never underestimate your work again. But I did enjoy it and Richard is a wonderful Director as well.""Yeah he is good and he puts us all at ease. But you are going to have different Director's with different ideas in the scenes and you will have to do what they want you to. They are all good Directors though. I might Director and episode in the next season and we can work together and you can see how I Director?""I would love that Jay.""Ok, let's go get you cleaned up they are waiting for us."I giggled as we head to make up to get my face cleaned off and then we went and changed as I'm for now sharing Jensen's trailer with him. We met up with everyone at the bar and there were two drinks waiting for us as we entered the bar. Jensen was beaming with happiness showing everyone he was proud of me. We sat with Jared, Misha and Gen was there Jared must have called her to join us. She came over and hugged me and whispered, "Heard you did good today on set.""Yeah Richard help make me feel comfortable and Jensen helped with the scenes as well. I think Richard was pleased with it all. He even let me ad-lip the scene." "Yeah he is good like that.""It was good and for the first time I felt free and in control of something other than my life with Jensen. It's nice to feel that.""It would have been and I'm glad you did well.""It was. How are the kids doing Gen, we haven't spoken for a few weeks with everything going on?""They are good Shep misses you and keeps asking when he is going to see you again.""Oh, bless his heart maybe we could do a BBQ on the weekend sometime?""Yeah don't you all have a convention coming up on the weekend?""I don't know I will have to ask Jensen?" I turn to Jensen who's talking with Richard and I said, "excuse me Jensen can I ask you something?"He excused himself from Richard and said, "Sure Baby what's up?""Do we have a convention this weekend?""Um, yes I think we do here in Vancouver."Jared heard and said, "Yes we do and we are all expected to be there.""Ok," as I looked at Gen and said, "Maybe Shep could come and spent some time with me while we are at the convention. You can come too Gen it would be nice to catch up on everything?""Sure I would love too as long as I'm not pulled on stage again," as she looks at her husband's shocked faced and then he grins. I had to laugh as you could see she loved spending time on stage with Jared and I guess I will be doing it with Jensen soon when everyone finds out about me starring in the show. Jared said, "Me I would never pull you on stage Babe.""Oh no you wouldn't would you how about the convention three months ago?""Oh yeah ok I promise I won't pull you on stage unless you want too.""You too are so adorable together and I'm glad we are friends.""Baby you know you will have to start doing conventions soon too?""Yeah I know as long as your there with me I will be fine.""Will the first convention we will all be together as I will make sure your not alone.""Thanks Jay. This is going to be exciting and different I know. What if they don't like me and I get kicked off the show?""Hey Baby everyone will love you like we do.""Yeah but you all know me and they don't. Plus women don't fare to well on this show they get killed off quickly.""True but you will be different as I will fight for you to stay as will Jared and Misha.""I know and I love you but if it puts the show at risk I will leave.""Let's see what happens before we worry about you leaving?""Ok.""This is a celebration in your first complete scene was was amazing by the way.""You think so I thought it wasn't that good.""If it wasn't we would still be shooting trust me Richard is very good at his job.""Who's good at their job?" Richard asks."You we were talking about you.""Oh, alright. You were amazing and I love watching you on camera. You bring the best out in me and I just want the world to see how truly amazing you are. If I could direct all your episodes I will but I only have this one shot.""I, um not sure what to say Rich. Thank you for believing in me.""Hey what's their not too. Look at what you have achieved and now everyone will see it." He gives me a hug and kiss on the cheek as a tear slips down my face. "Thank you Richard," I whisper in his ear. "You're welcome Y/N." Jensen moved closer to me and gave me a hug when Richard moved off. I looked at him as he wiped the tears from my face and just smiled and moved his thumb over my cheek. It was very intimate as we just looked at each other like we were the only two people there. He moves off the seat and pulls me with him as he moves us towards the dance floor. He doesn't say a word just lifts me so my feet are on his as he dances me around the floor as our bodies are almost one together. Jared and Gen are watching and Jared is holding Gen as his arms are wrapped around her shoulders. "Jared look at them. They are so in love with each other.""I know he was telling me his going to ask her to marry him soon.""Yeah I guessed that. How couldn't he just look they haven't taken there eyes off each other.""It's good to see them happy Gen. They were meant for each other.""Yes they are. Can we dance too Jared.""Sure come on," as he grabs her hand and lends her next to us. We look at them briefly before returning our gaze at each other. I'm smiling as Jensen whirls me around the floor. The back ground noise fades away as we only see and hear each other's heartbeats and our breaths on each other's face. We didn't even hear the song finished when Jared startled us back into the room. He taps Jensen on the shoulder asking for a dance with me while Gen goes to Jensen. Jared lifts me like Jensen did but we were so close together, Gen also was at a distance with Jensen but still close enough to dance. Gen said, "So Jay, Jared was saying your going to ask Y/N to marry you soon?"Shocked look on his face by being put on the spot but it turns into the biggest grin. "Yes I am maybe when we go back to Australia.""You are both good together Jensen. I see how much you love each other.""It's getting stronger. It's weird as I've never felt anything like this before. It's natural and beautiful us together.""It is Jensen it is," with a smile. "I'm glad you found her Jensen you belong together."Jared was dancing me around the room as he said, "You look amazing dancing with Jensen Princess.""Thanks Jared it felt nice to be able to.""You love him very much don't you?""He's my soul mate Jared. He's the air I breath, he's the love of my life."Jared laughed at me being corny but he knew what I was trying to say. It was that I love Jensen Ackles and he was my world and my life. The song continued for a little while longer and then Jensen came over and helped me back over to my seat. He looks around and sees all his friends having a good time and I'm smiling and enjoying myself. Misha is telling us stories of how they used to prank him on set and everyone is laughing loudly. It's nice just sitting here being apart of something amazing and wonderful with my partner and our friends sitting here with us. The would be one of the best day of my life and I finally feel apart of a family. Yes these wonderful people are my family now and I feel safe with them as I know I will never be hurt or hit again ever. This is what I always wanted in my life and now that I have it. I'm a little scare something will happen to destroy my happiness. Nope nothing will as I won't let it I will hold on to my new family with both hands and my heart. I am due for some happiness and love and I'm not giving it up without a fight. Jensen comes around me and holds me in his arms as I rest my head on his chest and he kisses my head. Yep I am loved and he has shown how much by letting me be apart of his life and his friends lives. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- So my first day on set went really well and I'm happy that everyone was happy. It was interesting and it was overwhelming but Richard eased my mind by taking it slow. He really is a wonderful Director. Bob and Richard decided it was better for me to not film today as they didn't want to overwhelm me all in one go. They wanted me to concentrate on the coming convention in Vancouver. We all were also swore to not say anything about me being on the show just yet. Which for me was fine and as all this is still like a dream. Yes it's a good day but I'm still not ready for the attention I will be getting soon. I like being in the back ground as Jensen, Jared and Misha are the stars of the show. They will always be the stars and I will eventually be killed off like most of the female talent. But for now I will do my best and enjoy the experience.It was a few days later as Jensen, Jared and Misha were still filmed their scenes and I was still officially their PA's. I don't have another shoot until after the convention was over with which was tomorrow. Jensen was holding me in our bed as he whispers in my ear and giving it a brief kiss. I giggle as it tickles with his scruff but I adore theses moments with him."Hey Baby, what you thinking about?""The other day on set when everyone was pleased with my performance.""You were amazing Y/N. Richard was right when he saw something special in you. You handle doing the scene like a pro. I also enjoyed helping you with it. You did good Baby.""Yeah, I guess but what if the fandom doesn't like me. You know how they are with female love interests on the show.""I know but they will see what we all do and love you too.""I hope so Jay. But if it doesn't work out I have the Organisation I can spend my time with as well.""How is it all going with Kyle?""Good, he is very good at his job. He rang me and updated me on what he has been doing. He has purchased the property we looked at with Misha and is in the process of having it renovated for the kids. All the money you all gave is helping with it all. Plus we should have the t-shirts and jumpers printed off before the convention as well so we can sell them and make some more money.""Wow he has been busy with helping you with all this.""He has been a great help Jay and I'm glad he decided to join the Organisation.""Maybe we could wear and sign the t-shirts and then auction them off. We could also just sign some as well.""That's a really good idea if Jared and Misha agree as well.""They will do anything for you Baby and signing and wearing some t-shirts won't bother them. We can donate all money made on them to the Organisation.""That will be great Jay as we know how much the fandom loves doing things for charities.""Yeah they are a great group to have for our show. It's weird our relationship with them, it's like they're an extended family and it's nice to know they are there for us too.""I guess they will become my family too and I will see what you all see.""Yes you will."He rolled us so his arm was resting on my thigh and my hand was entwined with his. I pull his hand up to my chest as I felt his breath on my neck. Jay kissed my neck and whispered, "I love you." I smiled as I never get sick of hearing him tell me he loves me. I replied, "I know.""I know. Did you just Han Solo me?" he said as he moved his hands to my waist to tickle me. "You'll be begging for mercy in a minute.""Jay please don't I can't," as he tickled me. My legs and arms flailed out everywhere as he continued his torture of my body. I was laughing that hard I was having trouble getting air into my lungs. "Stop can't breath Jay pleasssssee."He took mercy on me and stopped tickling me. He looked down into my flushed face from laughing and kisses me softly on the lips. He pulled back as he just looks at me. "What is it Jensen?""Your beautiful Y/N."I blushed as I still have some trouble hearing him tell me I'm beautiful. "Even more now with the blush Baby.""Jensen I'm not," he cut me off. "Don't you dare say your not beautiful because you are?" "Sometimes I don't feel beautiful Jensen," as I turned away from him. "Look at me," as he turned me to see his eyes. "You will always be beautiful to me, Jared and Misha you hear me.""Yes, Jensen I hear you and your Dean is showing again.""I don't care because he loves you too. You have a kind heart and a tender soul. You know I want to marry you right? You will become Mrs Ackles if you want my name?""Yes I know you do Jensen. Why wouldn't I take your name?""Will I can think of one reason?""What Jay?""You are a hit on the show and you want to keep your last name.""It wouldn't matter to me I will still take the man I love last name.""Really?""Of course why wouldn't I become Mrs Ackles. Has a nice ring to it don't you think Jay."He laughed and said, "Of course it does Y/N Ackles. I like the sound of that.""So do I Mr Ackles, so do I.""Jay, I love you.""I know," I laugh as he answered what I had answered earlier.   "Night Jay.""Night Baby." I fell asleep in his arms which didn't stop the nightmares this night unfortunately. It started off with me on set and I'm doing the scene where Jensen's character picks me up and takes me to the hospital. Jensen picks me up but when I look at him it's my father laughing in my face. He drops me on the ground and said, "you think your a movie star ha your nothing, nobody will like you. Your good for nothing and I'm going to fix it now. I had changed from being an adult to the little girl who he beat. He hit me as I tried to shrink anyway from the beating. I gripped Jensen's hand tight and he heard me whimpering in my sleep. He woke and rolled me so he was looking at me. I cried out, "please don't hit me Daddy." Jensen then knew I was having an nightmare he tried to wake me. "Y/N wake up it's ok, your safe with me. He can't hurt you.""Please I'm in pain don't hit me again," I cried out. He shook me but he knew when I was in a nightmare that didn't work. He did the next best thing he kissed me until I kissed him back. I had tears in my eyes as he continued the kiss when he felt my lips moving on his. He pulled back as a tear fell down my face. "Y/N, you alright?""No, Jensen hold me.""Want to talk about it?""In a minute just hold me first.""Hey your shaking," as he pulled me closer to him. "I'm sorry I woke you Jay.""Don't worry about it. You want to tell what happened."I found it hard to swallow as my throat was dry but managed to say, "we were doing the scene where you pick me up and take me to the hospital. But then you changed in my father. He laughed and said, I was a nobody, nothing and nobody will like me." Then he hit me over and over again. Fuck I was an adult Jay but he made me feel like a child again. It scares me he still has control over me. Like he is here and he can still hurt me physically and mentally. What if I never get rid of him Jay and he ruins my life. Fuck it will destroy me Jensen," as a tear slips down my face. He kisses me lightly on the lips and wipes the tears away. He said, "You will get stronger and beat him. It's just your insecurity about how the fandom will react to you and if they will like you character. He is not here, he's fucking dead and buried he has no control over you. You have come so far Baby and look what you have done since leaving Australia. You will always have me, Jared and Misha even if they don't like your character. You are loved and wanted and you will never be hit or abused by anyone again." "I'm just a little unsure Jay. I know he's dead but he always seems to spoil anything good that comes into my life. I don't know if I can fight him and win Jensen. I'm scared of what might happen to me if I try.""He's not real, he's dead. You have it fight him in your mind and win there. You have to prove to yourself you are stronger than he is. Once you do this he will not have control over you anymore." "I think I should see Daniela and get her help with this Jay.""It's a good idea Baby. She will be able to help you better than I can. Let me help you now by keeping the monster away."I shook my head as he gently strokes my hair and sings simple man to me. It's soothe my aching heart as he rolls me into his body as he likes being the big spoon. I did feel safe in Jensen's arms he would always make sure I'm protected. We settled back into sleep where Jensen held me tight all night. I didn't have anymore nightmares but Jensen saw the bags under my eyes so he left me there to sleep as long as I could before we had to go to work. He got up to make us breakfast he had a quick shower and dressed for the day. He knew we had the convention today which means a long day for the both of us. He enjoyed the convention's as he liked interacting with the fan base. It was amazing part of his job and he gets to meet them as well. He gently shook me awake as he whispered in my ear. "Baby you need to get up and ready for work.""5 more minutes Jay please."He laughed as he always did this also. "Ok but you need to be ready before Clif, Jared and Misha get here." "I'll be ready on time Jay."He kisses my head before walking out the door. I was managing in the shower on my own now as my leg was able to take my weight standing. We knew my knee was healing and getting stronger everyday. I still used the crutches until I see Paul in Australia and he tells me otherwise. But I could walk on it which was a good sign. I moaned as I get up and get ready for work. I head downstairs as the door bell rang. Jensen shouted Y/N, Clif, Jared and Misha are here."I was at the bottom of the stairs when I said, "I know Jensen," as he turns to see me hobbling towards him. He smiles this brilliant smile it makes my insides go all gooey as I smile back. Jared, Misha and Clif notice the bags under my eyes but they don't say anything. Jensen comes over and hugs me to him.Jared said, "Hey Princess ready for the convention today." "Yeah I'm excited about the t-shirt and jumpers we will be selling. I hope people will like them Jared."He laughed and said, "Of course they will. Do we have a plan on what we are doing with them?"Jensen said, "We discussed this last night. Y/N was hoping we could auction some off with our signatures on them. Hoping they will sell big and maybe we could wear them as well. It always gets the fandom in a frenzy.""We could also put things on them like we did before and they sold for a good price," Misha said. Clif said, "Baby girl are you going on stage to tell people about S.P.A.C.E?""God no, Jensen, Jared and Misha could you do it for me please."Jensen knew about the nightmare but Jared and Misha didn't. Jensen said, "sure Baby we can tell people about it. We did decide to be the face of the Organisation. When you feel comfortable you can take over," he looks at Jared and years of reading each other's looks told him something else was also going on. "Sure we can do that for you Princess.""Thank you all. I love you all," as I move to hug them all each. "We love you too," Misha said.Clif said, "We better go or we will be late and Bob will be pissed at us."We all laugh because Clif always made sure we were on time. We headed to the convention hall as Jared kept watching us. Jensen had hold of me like he always does but I was wrapped in his arms. Misha wa stroking my legs as he also saw how nervous I was. "Everything will be fine Princess," Jared said.I gave him a tight smile as he looks at Jensen for some clue to what was going on. Jensen shook his head as Jared understood he would tell him later in their dressing room. We arrived a short time later as the place was filled with Supernatural fans. I saw a lot of fans here they were everywhere. They were screaming when we pulled up as Jensen, Jared and Misha got out and went to talk briefly to the fans. I am helped out by Clif as we stand back. Jensen has a few photos done and comes back to me as we walk into the convention. Jared and Misha were hurried along by Clif as they followed behind us. Jensen has his arm around my middle as he walks in time with my crutches. He was always very protective of me when we are at an convention. The fans are screaming for him to take a photo but he just waves and said, "Hi." Jared and Misha do the same as we head to the dressing rooms. We find Bob waiting for us all. He said, "Finally your all here.""Bob what's wrong?""Nothing it's good your all here. Remember that you will not be mention starting on the show just yet. So Jared keep it a secret will you. We looked at Jareds shocked face as we all laughed. "So what the program for today Bob?""Looks like Jensen you and Misha are doing a cockles panel together and Jared your with Jensen later for an gold panel. Then tomorrow Jared and Misha do a panel together. Jensen you'll be on your own doing one. But if you want I can get maybe Jared and Misha both put there with you. I know you don't like doing them on your own."I never realised how shy Jensen really is when he's on stage as he looks Bob in the face and said, "That would be good Bob. Maybe another gold panel with Jared.""What about autographs and photo ops Bob?" "They will be later in the day and then they have Saturday Night Special.""Jensen are you singing tonight?" I asked."Yes I think I am. Will have to do sound check with the band soon.""Ok, so Jared your with us and Jensen and Misha let's go and find your panel.""Hang on I need a coffee first before I go on stage," Jensen said. Misha grabbed a couple of waters as well. Jared came with Clif and myself as we headed to side of the stage. I looked out at all the people waiting for them. I saw the florescent bin with the S.P.A.C.E logo on them. People dropped money in them as they walked by. I was happy to see the fandom supporting the Organisation. Richard and Rob were introducing Jensen and Misha as they ran out on stage. Jensen sat down next to Misha's seat as Misha looks around and said, "Good morning Vancouver."Everyone screams and cheered as Jensen said, "What a beautiful audience. How are you all here in Vancouver?"Everyone yells out good. Jensen said, "Who's a first time to a convention?" Several people put up there hands and he said, "Welcome, as you know this is a cockles panel with Misha here. So please be respectful to us and the questions asked."Misha said, "Before we start I would like to point out the stands by the door." Everyone turned to look at them."They are there to raise money for a very special charity. It's to help house, feed and cloth abused kids so please dig deep and give what you can to help this really good cause," Jensen said."Later when Jared and Jensen has their gold panel we with be auctioning off some t-shirts with our autographs on it," Misha said. Just then Jared walks out with a florescent green shirt on as the audience screams and Rob introduces Mr Padalecki everyone. Jared walks over to them as he stands there with some shirts for them as well. Kyle had come and given them to him. I also had one as did Clif. We put ours on over our clothes as it was the big size. Kyle said, "Hey Y/N, I brought some shirts for you to sell for the Organisation their is a table out in the hall and it's manned by volunteers.""Thanks Kyle I had thought to get the shirts but didn't have time.""It's ok as long as they sell well and I think the three of them have anything to do with it they will."I laughed as Misha was trying to put his over his head but it was all tangled thanks to Jared. He really is a mischievous guy but the fans were laughing. Jared said, "Hey Misha need some help with that.""That would be great Jared I seemed to be suck."Jensen was watching trying not to laugh at them. He turns to look at me and I give him a warm smile. Jared somehow got Misha more tangled as he looks at everyone with a wicked grin on his face. Jensen goes over and in a second pulls the shirt off and saves Misha. He then puts the shirt in the right way and puts it over Misha head. Of course with a comment like, "Who taught you how to dress Misha?" Everyone laughed when Misha answered Jared did. Even Jensen couldn't hold back a laugh. So they all had their shirts on and was showing everyone when a person yelled out. "Auction them now?"Jensen said, "What you want to do it now?"The audience screams out a loud yes. Misha said, "Looks like we are doing it now."Jensen said, "Jared you staying for the auction?""Wouldn't miss it buddy." Richard and Rob both walk back on stage as Rob said, "So tell us more about the charity guys."Misha said, "Well I can help there as Random Acts is helping with support. This Organisation is very dear to each of us as a very close friend set this up." "She is a very strong courageous woman who has been through a lot in her life. She wanted to do something to help Abused kids so she went to Random Acts for funding and they thought it was a good idea so here we are," Jensen said. Jared said, "We are supporting this for her as it's dear to our hearts. These kids don't have anything when they are abused. So we are raising money to open a shelter to keep them safe. They will have protection, food, clothing and most of all counselling. So please help us support this."Richard said, "Everyone if you want to donate money here's the phone number," as he reads out the number. I also believe in this organisation and the people who are running it. She has a very special gift and I'm glad she is a dear friend." He looks over to me and a tear slips out from he corner of my eye as I nodded my head and I smile. Rob said, "So who's first." Misha said, "I will go first," as Jared walks up behind him and puts on his shirt Always Keep Fighting with his very large signature and a love heart. Misha turns to show everyone what he has wrote as everyone cheers.Rob and the band started playing music as Richard said, "Ok first bid for this awesome shirt."Jensen and Jared were watching as Jared said, "We will throw in a date with Jensen."Jensen laughed as everyone started bidding. He said, "Sorry I'm taken." The bidding went outrageous it went up to $3,000 before Rob and Richard called it. Misha said, "I shall wear this for the rest of the panel. We will give it to you after it." Then Jensen wrote on Jared shirt, "Son of a bitch" and signed it. Jared turned around and everyone laughed as they started the bidding. Jensen said, "So how much shall we start off at?"Jared's shirt sold for nearly $ 4,500 when it was called. So he smiles at the woman who told him to keep it on until after the panel as well. So Misha was left as he wrote on Jensen's shirt. He thought about what to write as Jensen was getting impatient with him. He end up writing "I am Clarence," with little angel wings. He also signed his name as Jensen turns around. The fans all cheered as he said, "Ok, first bid."The bidding went for a few minutes as his shirt sold for $4,000 as he laughs with embarrassment. "Thank you all for your support and we will be signing some T-shirts later which will be for sale as well. So please show your support. Jared was talking to Jensen in the background quietly. "Hey Jensen, what's going on with Y/N she looks tired.""She had a bad nightmare last night about her father beating her. She thinks he always going to have control over her. I told her that he's dead and he won't as she gets stronger but she's worried he will destroy all her happiness. I also think she's a little worry how the fandom will react to her character on the show. "Even now his still ruining her life. She shouldn't worry Jensen she's did an amazing job with the scene they will love her like we do.""I told her that but she's not so sure and she's feeling a little overwhelmed with it all.""So how do we help her feel more secure and loved.""I'm not sure yet but let me think on it. Just give her lots of hugs and kisses and tell her she's doing good with the Organisation it might help her.""Maybe we can reassure her she's not alone and never will be.""That would be good Jared." Misha looked at them talking as he raised an eyebrow in question and Jensen mouth tell you later. He shook his head as they all showed everyone their t-shirts and how much they have raised with the auction. "So we have raised $11,500 for these three t-shirts thank you everyone who brought and participated in the auction," Misha said. "We will be signing t-shirts after this panel for a short time," Jensen said. Jared said, "I will be signing them as soon as I come off stage so if you would like me to sign your shirt please come. It's for a very special charity so please open your hearts and help." Richard came out and said, "Jared Padalecki everyone," he left to cheers and whistles. I was sitting next to the stage as Jensen looks at me with tears flowing down my face. Jared comes off and hugs me and said, "hey Princess I'm here." He holds me for the longest time until I had finished crying. He pulls back and wipes my tears as Jensen is looking at us. He is itching to come off stage and hold me himself but Jared smiled at him to let him know I was ok. "Jared," I said through my tears, "they really are going to help support the Organisation?""Sure they will Princess the fandom is a good one and they support all our charity work. Plus when your finally ready to tell them your story they will understand why it means a lot to us.""Jared can you hold me a little longer.""Sure Princess," as he wraps me in his tight embrace. I feel safe when he holds me like Jensen. Misha was looking at us and went over to ask Jensen what was happening. "Jensen is Y/N alright?""Yeah I think this is all overwhelming for her." "She doesn't look good today she looks tired.""Yeah she is, she had a nightmare last night." "Ok, I will talk to her when we come off stage."The audience noticed they were whispering and someone asked what they were talking about?Misha said, "We were talking about how wonderful you all are and we are happy that we get to see how great you all are."There were cheers and whistles as Jensen looks at me and Jared had left to go do the autographs but I had calmed down and was sitting with Clif's hand on my shoulder I had hold of it. I smiled to let Jensen know I was alright. He smiled back and missed the question asked of him.Misha said, "Sorry Jensen is a little distracted today with everything that's happening.""Um, yeah I'm sorry. What was your question again?" "I was wondering how is your girlfriend?" "Oh yes ok. She is doing great and her leg is healing well. Thank you for asking.""Your welcome."Misha said, "next question?""Misha what's in stored for Castiel this season?""Will I can't go into to much detail but Castiel will be going through a lot again this season.""Yeah and I think he might get a few surprises too. As does Dean also," Jensen said.Richard and Rob came out, "Last question everyone."Rob said, "Ok, what's your question?""Well this is for Jensen. The fundraising today for S.P.A.C.E has it something to do with your girlfriend?"Jensen wasn't sure how to answer the question so Misha stepped in. "It's actually a part of Random Acts and it's also being set up up with the hope to help abused children."Richard said, "Thank Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins," the audience screamed as they walked off stage. Jensen said, "Thanks Misha.""No worries Buddy. I know Y/N is not ready for all the attention it would bring her just yet.""Yes your right."He sees me and rushes to me and pulls me into a hug. "Are you ok Baby?""Yes just a little overwhelmed with the fandom supporting the Organisation and giving all that money.""They are a good group of people our fandom and they do support our charitable work we do.""Yes I see that Jay. Can you just hold me for a minute.""Sure Y/N I will hold you as long as you want me to."Another tear slipped passed my eyes as I snuggled further into Jensen's chest when he decided to walk me to the his dressing room where we would have more privacy. Clif carried the crutches while Jensen had hold of my waist as I hobbled along. We reach his dressing room as Clif stood outside the door when we closed it behind us. He grabbed me and lifted me and laid me on the bed which looked very welcoming and I rested my head as he stroked my hair. "You rest Baby. I need to go sign some autographs and do another panel with Jared. You will be safe here as Clif will stay with you and you look exhausted. I will be back as soon as I can.""Jensen can you stay just until I'm asleep please," as I grabbed his arm and pulled him down next to me. "Ok, until your asleep," he kissed my lips and pulled me into his body. I felt the warmth as it surrounded me and I knew I was safe in his arms. He hummed a song as I drifted off to sleep. He felt me relax against him as he moved me gently. He got up and kissed my forehead and whispered, "I love you," then he walked out the door. He gave Clif instructions to stay outside the door and if I woke up from a nightmare he was to send someone to find him. Clif nodded his head as Jensen walks off towards the table where Jared and Misha were doing autographs. I was sound asleep as my mind played over what has happened the last few hours. I smiled as people bidded on the t-shirts but I knew it would turn into a nightmare. I was waiting for him to destroy my happiness and make me feel like a child he always does when he comes in my dreams. He was my monster I have to fight and win against otherwise I'm not going to have anything good in my life. He will eventually destroy what I have with Jensen and then Jared and Misha. Then I will be alone again and back to being suicidal and I don't want to be that way. I have to end this with him and next time he comes I'm going to finish this. I'm going to stand up to him and win for me and for Jensen. I love Jensen and I'm not going to let him destroy my happiness not again. I deserve to be happy and have a good life. I deserve to be loved by people who care and love me back. I going to fight for my happiness and most of all Jensen. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Jensen had gone and sat down next to Jared and Misha when they both looked at him with worry.Jared said, "Hey buddy, how's Y/N doing?""She's asleep at the moment and I'm worried about her.""How so Jensen?" Jared asked. "She having theses.....," he stopped when he realised the fans could over hear them. "I will tell you later Jared." Jared nodded his head as he knew Jensen will tell them both what was happening with me. They signed autographs until Jensen and Jared were called to do their panel. Misha stayed a bit longer to sign the remaining autographs. Jensen felt flat as he walked out on stage and Jared notice Jensen dragging his feet so he took control of the panel. Jensen only answered questions that were directed at him only. Jared being the bubbly person that he is answered almost all the questions. Jensen's mind was elsewhere as the fans noticed something was wrong with Jensen. "Jensen are you alright?" One fan asked.Jensen smiled a half smiled and said, "I'm fine," when Jared was about to answer for him. The panel was finally over as Jensen hurries off stage to his dressing room. I was still alseep as he walks in and sees that I'm comfortable as he lies down next to me. I stir as he gently strokes my hair and I fall back asleep. He kisses my neck as he to falls asleep. Jared and Misha come looking for him and sees his sound asleep so they leave us there. Jared whispered to Misha, "let's go before we wake them."Misha said in a whisper, "what's going on with them. He's being out of it most of the day?""Tell you outside," they both leave and gives Clif instructions not to wake us up. Jared said, "Jensen is worried about Y/N she's been having nightmares which are really serious.""What kind of nightmares Jared?" Misha asked. "Not sure, Jensen said, "something about bad nightmare's about her father beating her. She thinks he always going to have control over her. He told her that he's dead and he won't as she gets stronger but she's worried he will destroy all her happiness. Jensen also thinks she's a little worry about how the fandom will react to her character on the show.""So he thinks it's all brought on by her part on the show?" Misha said."He's not sure but yes he thinks her anxiety has brought some of this on and he fear of her father also I think hasn't helped either.""So what do we do Jared to help them both?""I don't know Misha," he shakes his head as he said again; "I don't know. For now we let them sleep."Misha nodded and then they heard a ear piercing scream rip through the dressing room area. Luckily no one else would have heard it except them and Clif. They run to Jensen's dressing room where they burst through the door and find Jensen struggling to wake me up and he is holding my arms down so I wouldn't hurt myself. Jared and Misha look at Jensen as he's saying soothing words that aren't working. Clif also comes into the room as he doesn't know what to do so he walks over and bends down and said, "Y/N, baby girl you are safe no one is here that will hurt you. Please wake up and see the people who love you." A single tear slips out of his eye as I thrash around. Jared had come over to help hold me down as does Misha. Jensen is still lying next to me as he whispers in my ear. "You're safe Baby we are all here. I love you Y/N." He lends over and kisses me on he lips but nothing happens I continue to thrash around. He looks at Jared with worry as tears form in his eyes. Jared said, "Maybe we should take her to Daniela and she could help?""No time Jared she needs help now?""Maybe ring her Jensen," Misha said. "Ok," as he gets up off the bed and calls Daniela he puts it on loud speaker she Jared, Misha and Clif can hear too. "Hello Daniela here.""Daniela it's Jensen, Jensen Ackles. We need your help?" I let out a scream as Daniela questions what's going on."What's going on. Is that Y/N screaming?""Yes it is, she's been having these nightmares about her father and how he has control over her.""When did they start Jensen?""About a week ago I guess. They seem to be getting stronger and more violent. She hasn't come out of this one yet and I even kissed her with no response.""I see. What is the one thing you have that's special with Y/N, the thing she loves most about you Jensen?""I don't know Daniela it's hard for me to think?"Jared said, "She loves your singing Jensen it calms her.""Sing to her Jensen now before it's to late and she does some real damage to herself physically."He choked back the tears as he start to say the words to Simple Man. Jared looked at him and said, "Dude you have to sing them."He took a deep breath as he wiped his eyes and started singing the words: Mama told me when I was young "Come sit beside me, my only son And listen closely to what I say And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day" "Oh, take your time, don't live too fast Troubles will come and they will pass You'll find a woman and you'll find love And don't forget, son, there is someone up above" I had stopped struggling as Jensen continued the song. Jared and Misha let go of my arms as Daniela said to Jared, "What's happening?"Jared whispers, "she has stopped struggling and has settled back to sleep.""Good now give her some time then wake her up ok," Daniela said. Jensen continues the song:And be a simple kind of man, as he fights to keep his voice steady.  Oh, be something you love and understand Baby be a simple kind of man Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can" "Forget your lust for the rich man's gold All that you need is in your soul And you can do this, oh baby, if you try All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied" "And be a simple kind of man Oh, be something you love and understand Baby be a simple kind of man Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can" I had completely relaxed now as I stir from my sleep and I open my eyes to see Jensen's glistening eyes while Jared, Misha and Clif were standing nearby. I just look and see worry in them as he continues the song. He sits down next to me and puts his finger on my lips as he worry eyes look into mine.  Oh yes, I will "Boy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself Follow your heart and nothing else And you can do this, oh baby, if you try All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied" "And be a simple kind of man Oh, be something you love and understand Baby be a simple kind of man Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can" Baby, be a simple, really simple man Oh, be something you love and understand Baby, be a simple, kind of simple man  He finishes the song and grabs hold of me and hugs me in his arms. He pulls back and kisses me on the lips and head and eyes as I'm wondering what's going on. I look at my wrists and see bruises and wonder how I got them. Jensen finally lets go and I ask, "What the hell happened and how did I," Jensen cuts in and said, "You were having a nightmare and you were thrashing around so we had to hold you down so you wouldn't hurt yourself.""What, What are you? It dawned on me what happened. "No I had another one and it was bad, wasn't it?""Yes we didn't know how to wake you so we rang Daniela and she told us."Jared said, "She's on the phone still she wants to talk to you Princess."I take the phone as Daniela said, "Hi Y/N, how are you now?""I'm, um, fine Daniela. I'm tired and bruised but fine.""So I need you to come see me tomorrow and we need to work on theses nightmares. Why didn't you call me sooner Y/N?""I thought I could handle them. I didn't know they would be this bad. Daniela I feel like he's always going to control my life. I'm not strong enough fight him.""Yes you are Y/N, you just need some guidance and strength which you have.""I don't think so Daniela he's going to win.""We will discuss this tomorrow and I would like Jensen, Jared and Misha to be there too." "Ok I will ask them too. See you tomorrow. What time?""Say 9am you will be my first patient for the day.""Ok, we will be there thanks Daniela.""Bye see you tomorrow 9am.""Bye Daniela."I passed the phone back to Jared who gave it to Jensen as asked, "What did she say Princess?""She wants all of us to attend tomorrow. Jared and Misha can you come?""Shouldn't be a problem we will asked Bob when we see him.""Thank you," as they both come over and hug me as does Clif. It was late afternoon I felt drained and put through a ringer so Jensen took me home for awhile to rest. I didn't sleep but just relaxed in a familiar place. He sat with me as he knew we had to go back to the convention for Saturday Night Live show. But he had asked Richard if he could go on later in the night before we left. Richard was ok with it all he could see how tired we both were. We sat there both drained emotionally when Jensen moved and cradled me in his arms.He turned my head so our eyes met when he said, "You're my world Y/N. I'm going to help you with your nightmares.""You are my too Jensen. I'm scared of what Daniela might say. That I'm cracking up under all the pressure and maybe I should pull back.""Hey you're doing great job on set and with the Organisation. You are an amazing woman Y/N and I'm glad your in my life.""I don't feel amazing Jay I feel exhausted and tired. I'm tired of fighting and trying to slay my demons. I thought once he died I would be free. I guess I'm never going to be free not entirely from him.""You will and we will help as will Daniela she knows what's happening now and will know ways of fixing you.""I hope so Jensen, I hope so.""Hey look at me," I had my head down in defeat when he gentle lifts my head under my chin. I look into his gorgeous green eyes I so wanted to get lost in them and not have to face the nightmares but I also knew it wouldn't help me. "I love you and look at what you have overcome so far in your life." "I know but this is different it feels different more personal. Like he's trying to keep me like that scared little girl he used to beat. I know I'm not I'm an adult with a wonderful life but sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by everything. I just wait for the other shoe to drop so to speak.""I promise you here and now that everything will be ok." He kisses me slowly on the lips it wasn't a hurried I think it was more for comfort for the both of us. He knew there was going to be a fight ahead of us both to get rid of my father out of my nightmares. But he was the strong one, he was my rock and I hope this doesn't chip at him and break him like it is me. I need him to be him and have his support and love. I have to be the strong one too and show him I can do this and not let it break me completely. The phone rings and brings me out of my thoughts. Jensen answers it and said, "Hello Jensen here.""Hey Dude you coming back soon as it's almost time for you to go on stage?""Yes Jared we will be right there.""Ok see you when you get here.""Yeah, yeah Jared bye."He hangs up and gets up and helps me up. "What's going on Jay?""We have to go back to the convention Baby.""Ok, but I thought," he cuts in, "me too but apparently Padalecki wants us back there so I can sing.""I forgot you were singing guess we better get up and moving.""It can wait a minute.""Jensen," I look at him with a raised eyebrow. He slowly puts his fingers through my hair and stops at my neck as he bends as he slowly kisses me on the lips. It's a sweet kiss with lips touching and mouths opening. It was what I needed most was Jensen's love and comfort. He rubs his finger down my face as my hands when up around his neck as I kiss him and move my lips over his. He pulls back and smiles and said, "Boy you kiss me like that I won't want to leave."I laugh as we put our shoes on and head down stairs. I still find my crutches a hindrance but I still need them for support on the broken knee. I was walking with the crutches on both legs now which wasn't so time consuming for us both. Jensen helped me into the car as we headed back to the convention. We arrive a short time later when Bob came over with a serious look on his face. He see us and said, "Y/N I heard you was well are you feeling better?""Um, what Bob?""Jared and Misha told me Jensen took you home because you weren't feeling well?""Oh, right yes Bob I'm feeling better but," then Jared came over and interrupted as he pulled me into a tight hug. He whispered in my ear, "You feeling better Princess?""Jared can't, I choked out, "breath.""Ah, what, oh sorry Princess," as he put me down and I take a deep breath. Jensen knew how worried Jared, Misha and Clif were over me when Misha and Clif come over. I waited for them and told them all, "I was fine. Thank you for worrying but we all are seeing Daniela tomorrow and see we be able to help."Bob said, "What this about all of you seeing Daniela tomorrow?""Oh, sorry Bob I forgot to ask. Daniela wants us," as I point to Jensen, Jared and Misha. "To see her tomorrow is that alright?""What this about Y/N are you ok?""Well no Bob I'm not." He looks at Jensen for conformation as he shakes his head. "What's wrong Y/N?""I'm, ah, um," Jensen could see I was having trouble answering so he did for me. "Y/N is having bad nightmares where she dreams of her father bearing her and telling her bad things about herself.""I think he is always going to control my life Bob and I can't let him destroy what I have built. So we are going to see Daniela tomorrow so she can help me deal with it and I guess tell Jensen, Jared and Misha ways of waking me up safely.""Wow I didn't know you were struggling with this why didn't you tell me sooner."Clif cut in and said, "She thought she could handle it on her own," his eyes were downcast and his lips were in a frown. "I see alright you can have whatever time you need off tomorrow and I hope she can help you Y/N. You're family you could have come to me sooner and I would have helped too.""I know Bob and thank you," as I kiss his cheek. Richard comes off stage and said, "Who died," we couldn't help but laugh as he broke the tense in the air. "No one Rich," he looked at us all laughing at him. He ignored our laughter and said, "Jensen ready to go on stage?""Yes Richard." He turned to me and gave me a kiss when he looked at Jared and the silent words passed between them again. Jared shook his head in response to the silent question Jensen asked him. Jared said, "Come on Princess there's a seat out front for you." "Ok where are we going Jared?" "Follow me," we all did including Misha and Clif. He lend us to some seats which were in front of the stage but away from the crowds of fans. He helped me sit as he sat next to me and Misha the other side of me. Richard introduced Jensen as he came running on the stage and looks at the audience he searches for me when Jared yells out ooh. "I can see you," he said in the mike as he looks me in the eyes and said, "this one is for my lady. I hope ya' all will like it. This is Baby."The music starts as I recognise the song it's "Brother."  Ramblers in the wilderness we can’t find what we need We get a little restless from the searching Get a little worn down in between Like a bull chasing the matador is the man left to his own schemes Everybody needs someone beside em’ shining like a lighthouse from the sea Baby, let me be your shelter Never leave you all alone I can be the one you call When you’re low Baby, let me be your fortress When the night winds are driving on Be the one to light the way Bring you home Jared and Misha both have hold of my hands as Jensen changed the words so the song fit us. I had tears flowing down my face but they were happy tears. He eyes never left mine as I can see a tear fall out of his left eye. He's voice cracked on a note but he continued to sing.  Face down in the desert now there’s a cage locked around my heart I found a way to drop the keys where my failures were Now my hands can’t reach that far I ain’t made for a rivalry I could never take the world alone I know that in my weakness I am strong, but It’s your love that brings me home  Baby, let me be your shelter Never leave you all alone I can be the one you call When you’re low Baby, let me be your fortress When the night winds are driving on Be the one to light the way Bring you home Jensen wipes the tear from his eye as the audience as screaming as he is singing. I had rested my head on Jared's shoulder as his arm was around my waist as he looks at me. "Are you ok Princess?" He shouts over the music. "Yes I'm fine did you know he was going to sing this song this way," as I continued eye contact with Jensen. "No, I didn't he must have wanted it to be a surprise for you." "It sure is. Look at him Jared he is a natural on stage and look at the people they can't get enough of him.""Yeah I think he asked Richard to video it for you, look over there."I looked to where Jared was pointing and there was Richard video-ing the whole song. Mental note thank him later when Jensen finishes in stage. Jared pulled me closer so I felt the warmth if his body and comfort. Jensen still hadn't looked else where his eyes were still on mine. Richard zoomed the camera on me as he saw what only a few people saw my eyes were on Jensen and they showed how much I loved him. He smiled to himself as he turned back to Jensen and zoomed in on him. Misha was still holding my hand as he rubs my hand with his fingers for comfort. He knew how much I loved Jensen and he me. "Minion are you enjoying the show?""Yes Overlord Sir I am."He gave me a toothy grin and kept hold of my hand through the whole song.  And when you call and need me near Sayin' where'd you go? Baby, I'm right here And on those days when the sky begins to fall Baby be my love We can get through it all Baby, let me be your shelter Never leave you all alone I can be the one you call When you’re feelin' low Baby, let me be your fortress When the night winds are driving on Be the one to light the way Bring you home Baby, let me be your shelter Never leave you all alone I can be the one you call When you’re low Jensen is a wonderful singer and he does love it in stage. I love hearing him sing sometimes that was the only thing that would help when I was home and was depressed and felt like giving up. He always made me feel better about myself even though we never have met. His character Dean always was an amazing character as I felt closer to Dean than I did any other character. I guess it's was because we both felt like nothing and we didn't matter to the people around us. Dean was always important as he held his family together and was always there to fight and help.  Baby, let me be your fortress When the night winds are driving on Be the one to light the way Bring you home Be the one to light the way Bring you homeThe song finished as the audience went wild. Jensen said, "Thank you," as he kissed his fingers and tapped it on his chest. "I love you Baby," he mouthed the words for me to see. Rob said, "Jay you staying to sing one more song?""Yeah alright," he had turned and wiped his face and had a drink of water. The music started for "Simple Man" as he sang my two favourite songs. Richard was still recording when he zoomed in on me. I was laughing, smiling and singing along to the song. Jensen encouraged us all to sing as I got Jared and Misha to sing also. It was fun and I forgot my troubles just for a little bit. I was having a good time with my friends and boyfriend. This is what I needed as I know tomorrow is going to be a hard day and I need to relax and enjoy myself. Can Daniela help me tomorrow or will there be no hope? Will Jensen, Jared and Misha also help or not? Will I be able to fight my demons and finally win? Or will I be lost to my father forever and his abuse? Am I strong enough to fight him or too weak and lose? ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- The convention ended and we all went home I was exhausted and Jensen literally had to carry me inside the house. He gently laid me down as he kisses me lightly on the lips. He looks down at me with a look only lovers knew. Their was hope in his eyes, the eyes that looked into my very soul. He smiles as his eyes sparkled in the light."Baby do you want to sleep?""Why what did you have in mine?" I said, with a yawn. "Well I was thinking maybe we could watch something on TV and relax together.""Sounds nice Jay what shall we watch?""What are you in the mood for Babe," as he pats my stomach."Maybe a Rom-com something funny."He rolled his eyes but he still had the smile on his face. "Ok, how about Sweet Home Alabama.""What's it about?""Well it's about a woman who is getting engaged but she is already married to someone else. So she goes home to Alabama to get the divorce papers signed but she has faked her name after making something of herself in the city. So she goes home and mayhem happens while she is trying to ge the divorce. I won't tell you the ending as it will spoil it but you will love this movie.""Ok, sounds interesting," as he takes my shoes off and then helps me with my clothes as he puts my shirt on I wear to bed and he quickly changes in his PJ's as well. He puts the TV on and Netflix as he lies down next to me and pulls me into his arms as we get comfortable. He turns the lights down and then puts the movie on. I'm watching it when the scene where Jake has locked Melanie out of the house. I'm laughing as Jensen is watching me, his smile widens as he eyes don't leave me as I watch the movie. He kisses my head as I continue to laugh. He is enjoying this movie way more than any other time he has watched a movie alone. He wasn't overly fond of Rom-coms until now. He couldn't get over how much he loved me and it was the best feeling in the world to love someone and have the love return unconditionally. I went quiet as the movie got serious for a time as he watched the emotions sweep across my face. I had tears falling down my face with the bit with the cemetery and when Melanie is talking to the dog who passed away and Jake walks up. I wiped my eyes and Jensen is trying not to laugh at me. "You'll alright Baby?"I sniff and reply, "Fine why?""You sound like you're crying.""Shut up Jensen that scene was sad," he did laugh now as I nudge him in the ribs."Ouch that hurt," with a huge grin."Good that's for laughing at me.""Who me never?""Jay please.""Ok, ok I will let you watch the rest of the movie.""Thanks Jay," he pulls my chin up for a quick kiss first. "You know it's just a movie right.""Yes, Jensen I do." He nodded as he held me tighter. He kept quiet for the remainder of the movie and when it finished he said, "So how was it?""I loved it I thought Josh Lucas is very sexy Jay.""Sexy hey.""Yep sexy as he had amazing blue eyes," as I kiss his eyes. "Soft pink lips," as I moist mine and kiss his lips. He moves his tongue in my mouth as we massage each other's tongues. He growls as he rolls me onto my back and deepens the kiss and his squeezes my breast. My hands had gone up under his t-shirt he wore to bed as I scratch lightly down his back. He moves so he is on top of me and he grinds our bodies together as I could feel his hardness on my thigh. "Jay," I say breathless. "Hmm," he answered and continues to grind against me. He kisses my sweet spot on my neck as I moan with pleasure. His hand slips between us as he rubs my clothed heat. He was moaning loudly now as was I. He was moving his hips faster as I moved with him. I felt the coil tighten as it was about to snap. "Jensen Ackles I'm ah, oh my God, Jensen." "I'm right with you Baby."I shake as my orgasm hits as I let out a silent scream of Jensen's name. He grunts as he squirts in his pants. He's kissing my neck as we ride each through our intense orgasms. We are both panting and sweating when Jensen finally rolls off me and laids down beside me. I can't believe I just did this with Jensen I've never initiated any kind of sex before. Boy did it feel so good. We were both panting as Jensen's just looks at me and gives me a smirk."Jay um, I didn't um --," he puts his finger on my lips and said, "it's ok it's incredible but it won't get you pregnant." "No I wasn't going to say that I was going to say it felt good to start. I like grinding with you and maybe we could go further than just grinding on each other.""Really you think your ready for that?""I'm not sure but we could watch some porn and go from there.""Ok sounds good Baby.""We should clean up and change out of these's clothes Jay.""Shower together?" as he raised his eyebrows in question.I tried not to laugh but I smiled and said, "Sure Jay."He helps me up and into the bathroom as we get undress. Yep I was watching Jensen undress. He is very mythological on how he does it. I've watched him before. He takes his shirt of slowly as he pulls it over he chiseled chest and then slowly over his head. He drops it to the floor. I can tell you it was hot or maybe it was getting hot in the bathroom and the shower wasn't even on yet. Then he bends down so I have a very sexy view of his firm ass. I wanted to squeeze and slap it but I pulled my hand back. He saw the sudden movement and smirked. He removed one leg then the other. Yep him pulling down his pants was even more sexy. As he wiggled his butt as he went. I did try not to laugh at him but it looked absolutely hilarious and hot at the same time. He then stood in front of me in his boxers which had a large wet patch in front of them. He watched me never breaking eyes contact as he pulled them down. He stood there completely naked. One thing you could say about Jensen he was definitely buff and hard in all the right places as I smiled to myself. He stood then and waited for me to begin to undress. I did one button at the time as he groaned waiting."Come Baby I want to see you.""You are seeing me Jay.""Funny all of you naked.""Oh right.""I'm feeling a little undress here Baby."I giggled as I finally but slowly pulled the shirt off my shoulders as I had it down straddled around my breasts. He couldn't wait so he kissed my neck and sucked my sweet spot as I let my arms wrap around his neck and the shirt fell to the ground. "Nice," as he looks at my breasts. He ghosts over one as he softly brushes it. I felt a shiver go down to my heat between my legs. He doesn't touch anything else and just softly circles my breasts. "Jensen I need to take these's off," as I point to my panties. He lowers his hand and pulls them from my body as he throws them on the floor. He picks me up and turns the shower on. We climb under as he reaches for the soap and lathers it to wash my body. I put my head up the water and he puts the soap down and gets the shampoo he loves washing my hair. I am leaning heavily on the wall for support as he turns me around so my ass is facing him. He washes my hair and then conditioner's it also. He had hold of the soap but he gives it to me as I wash my body while he watches me. Then he washes his head and body. I could tell you this it was the most erotic thing I have witness as he glides the soap over his curves and bulges. He can make a shower the sexiness thing ever and god I was trying not to moan aloud as I closed my eyes. "Open your eyes Y/N," he whispers quietly. I swallow the lump which formed in my throat as I continue to watch him. He deliberately takes his time with the soap and the way he moves it over his body. I was watching him he was perfect in every way. His eyes meet with mine as he gives me a grin which was mischievous and devilish. I was thinking was are you up too Jensen Ackles. But he finished washing himself as he rinsed off letting the water run over his very hot body. He turns the water off and grabs our towels he wraps one around my hair and then the other around my body. He then wraps one around his waist as he helps me into the bedroom. He gets me some panties and one of his clean shirts to wear to bed. I dried myself as he wraps his shirt around me. It smelt like him and the scent was familiar and relaxing. I felt like he was giving a warm hug. I sat down to put on my panties as he had chosen the satin ones. He then got dressed as well in his PJ's and then told me to turn as he dried my long hair with the towel. He massaged my hair as he dried it and it felt wonderful and was relaxing under his skilful hands. He moved to my shoulders and back as he told me to lie down. He massaged my back and moved his way down my body until I had relaxed enough to fall asleep. He hands were magic as I drifted off to sleep. He looked at me and knew I was asleep as I hadn't moved so he climbed in next to me and rolled me over and pulled me to his very warm body. I slept without any nightmares which was a first night I haven't in over month. I woke first as I could feel Jensen's breath on my neck. I could smell his familiar scent it was always comforting to wake in his arms. I knew we will have to get up soon as we have to go to my appointment with Daniela and Clif, Jared, Misha who was coming as well. We had asked Bob if he could move some of the panels around so we could go to my appointment. He told them they we all were exhausted and would come in later in the morning. So their panel times had been moved as well as their ops and autographs. We explained how important this session was with Daniela and why I needed to see her today. He was very understanding and said, "take all the time you need." So this is what I have to face today the battle with my father. I was worried he will win but I'm going to give him a hell of a fight first. With Jensen, Jared and Misha there I will have the strength to beat him finally. He isn't going to control my life anymore. When we get back to the convention Gen is meeting us there today. I was thinking it would be nice to have Gen there with me today. She has been a great support and I love her like a sister. I never felt the love of a sister before and it was nice to have someone there for me other than Jensen, Jared, Misha and Clif. We can talk girly stuff together and I feel comfortable talking to her about it all. She explain how sex will feel when Jensen and I finally have it. It sounds incredible and amazing. I want to have sex with Jensen but I'm afraid I will not be good enough for him. "She told me he would show what to do and how to bring him pleasure as he will make sure you also get pleasure from the experience. He will also make sure your ready before he does anything. Jensen is a good man and he will wait for you. He loves you Y/N I've never seen Jensen in all the years I have known him to show this much love for a person." I smiled and said, "thank you," I gave her a hug and we talked about other things. Jensen moaned as he was waking up. "Good morning Babe," I said. "Have a good sleep?""Morning Baby," as he kissed me. "I should be asking you that question. But yes I did and you, did you sleep well?""Yes I did no nightmare Jay.""That's good so what did you dream about.""Well," I gave him a sheepish grin. "Jared and Misha were......," "You dreamt about my best friends," I laughed and he knew I was joking. "I dreamt about you and me Jay we were happy and it's good to have good dreams for once.""Yeah it is and I'm glad we were happy as I am the happiest man alive when I'm with you.""Really Mr Ackles," he looked at the Mr Ackles and smiles. "Yes Y/N Y/L/N I am."He drew me into his arms and kissed me ever so slowly as he worked his mouth over mine as our tongues danced together. It was a good morning and today was going to be a good day. Today I'm going to beat my demon and kill him off for good. My life meets to much to me for me to lose it now and I don't want too. For the first time in my life it's been perfect and I've been happy. "Jensen," I said while we were kissing. "Mm," he answered."Have to get up and go to see Daniela today. Are you ready for it?""I am, what about you?""I'm going to try and fight him today Jay. I need him to be gone for good."He grabs my hand and said, "I will be right there with you as will Jared and Misha.""I know you will be. I'm so sorry for worrying you yesterday when I had the nightmare.""I was worried we couldn't get you back Baby. But you came back to me.""I will always come back to you Jensen always," as I kiss his lips. "We better get up and get ready.""Yep ok," as we both head to the bathroom to shower. We dressed and headed down for breakfast. I pushed my food around on my plate as I wasn't really hungry I think it was more nerves than anything else. Jensen ate a few bites of his before he took them away and washed them up. "Ready Baby." I shook my head as the doorbell rang. Jensen answered it and looked at Jared and Misha with Clif in the rear. Jared looked at Jensen and asked, "How is she today?""Good she's doing better Jared.""Is she in the kitchen?" Misha asked. "Yes," as they all headed their. Jared got there first and pulled me into a tight hug. He seemed upset and didn't want to let go. "Jared need to breathe." "Oh sorry Princess, I was scared I was going to lose you yesterday we all were.""I'm so sorry I put you all through that," as a tear slipped down my face. Misha came over and wiped the tear away and said, "As long as your alright." "Yeah I'm good I'm glad you were all there for me and I love you all," as I rubbed my face in his hand. He gives me a small smile as Jensen looks at us as Misha pulls me into a hug as well. Jensen mouths the words, "I love you." "I know," I mouth back. Clif cleared his throat as he moved towards me and said, "Baby girl I'm happy to see your looking better today and I hope your appointment goes well also."I whispered, "Thanks Dad," he gives me the best smile and pats my shoulder. Jensen said, "We better go or we will be late.""You ready Princess," Jared said. "Yeah I'm ready to fight my demons and hopefully slain them as well.""Don't forget we will be there to help you to Minion," Misha said. They all walked out as I stood there just watching all four off them leave the house. They were the people who saved me in Australia, can they save me again. Or is it too late this time. What did Daniela have in store for my session with her that Jensen, Jared and Misha had to attend. I felt a little apprehensive and anxious about my appointment but I knew I was in safe hands as Daniela has always helped me. Can she help me this time? ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- We all head to my appointment I'm wringing my hands as I felt the anxiety rising within me. I'm not sure what's going to happen with Daniela. What if she can't help me and he gets complete control over me. What if I hurt Jensen not meaning too. God I'm so afraid with what's going to happen.My breathing was coming in short pants as my eyes start to blur. I reach out for Jensen who's talking to me but I couldn't hear him. It's getting harder to breath as Misha shouts to Clif to stop the car.Clif pulls over as Jensen lifts me out of the car and places me on a chair nearby. Jared rushes out of the car with Misha as they sitting on the other side of me as Jensen squeezes my hand. Clif looks on worried as he tries to help. "Can't, can't breathe," I said between gasps. "I know Baby let us help you," Jensen said.I claw at my throat trying to get air into my lungs when Jared decides to grab me in a hug, it's making it worst as Jensen said, "Jared she's not looking so good.""Jensen what are we going to do?" Misha asked."This," Jensen rubs his hand along my cheek as he slowly pulls me towards him. He moist his lips as he slowly touches my lips. He moves his mouth this way and that as I close my eyes and focus on his lips. The softness of them, the warmth, the heat of them on mine. He knew the exact moment he had me back as I kissed him back. He still rubbed my cheek softly as he pulls back, he looks me in the eyes to see they were clear and focusing."Hey Pincess, what brought the panic attack on?" Jared asked. "Can you tell us what happened?" Misha said."Baby are you alright?""I, um, not sure."Clif looked at me and held my hand and said, "you can tell us anything and we will be here for you. We love you Y/N." I smiled as I looked at four sets of worried eyes. I knew I owed them an explanation but how do I tell them my fears and what I was feeling. They have had enough to deal with, with me so far. Maybe I shouldn't come here and gotten them involved in my broken life. They don't need me to damage them any more than I already have. But I knew now if I left they will come after me and make me see reason.So I knew they wouldn't move from this spot without me saying something.So I looked each of them in the eyes and said, "I'm fine really I was just worrying about the appointment," I know I lied but I didn't want them to worry unnecessarily or until the time came to worry.Jensen said, "hey look at me. We will be there with you the whole time.""Yeah Princess and we won't be going anywhere.""We better go if your feeling better Y/N or we will be late," Misha said.Jensen helped me up and gave me a quick hug while Jared and Misha rubbed my back and Clif squeezed my shoulder. I knew they all cared a lot for me but will it be enough to help me.We arrived a short time later Clif wished us all luck as we get out of the car. Jensen has hold of my hand as I was only using one crutch now. I see Paul back in Adelaide in a few weeks but my knee felt fine to walk on. We were told to sit as my good leg bounced in agitation Jared softly put his hand on it to stop it and to help settle my nerves. He gives me a grin as he whispers, "it's going to alright. Promise you Princess."I nodded as my grip on Jensen's hand got tighter. He looks at me with worry in his eyes. Daniela called us all in as she had brought in more chairs for Jared and Misha.She looked at me and asked, "Are you ok Y/N?"I shook my head no."Do you want to talk about it?""Not yet Daniela.""Ok, when your ready.""Thank you.""Hello Jensen and who's this?" She was pointing to Jared."That's Jared and Misha.""Please to meet you both. I guess your all wondering why I asked you all to come today?""The thought had crossed our minds," Misha said. "Well Y/N here will need all the support she can get from the people she trusts most and loves. So I asked you here for that plus to show you how to help her."Jared looks at me as I made myself as tiny as possible as I was curled into Jensen's side. He knew I was scared and afraid they had seen me like this a few times before."First Y/N tell me about yesterday with the nightmare?"I looked at her blankly for a minute until Jensen said, "she was thrashing around a lot and screaming in her sleep. When she woke she didn't really remember any of it.""Is that true Y/N?""No," I whispered.I heard three gasps as they each looked at me wanting an answer. I swallow a lump in my throat as my voice was weak when I say."I'm sorry," as I look at them all. "I remember bits of it but not all of it.""What do you remember Y/N?" Daniela asks.I swallow as my voice is soft and tiny, "I remember my father hitting me in the nightmare making me feel scared and afraid of him. I vaguely remember him calling me horrible names.""Anything else Y/N?""The nightmares I have at home," as I grip Jensen's hand harder, "He's fucking more aggressive and he asks me what I'm thinking. Like he would tell me my dreams are a waste of time because I'm a nobody and I mean fucking nothing to no one. He would get more violent and angrier in each dream." I was holding back the tears that threaten to fall down my face. I shook my head to stop them from falling. Jared was looking at me as he was wishing he could make me better. Misha moved over towards me and sat down near my knees and gently rubbed them. Daniela was taking this all in watching how they each showed me love and support. She had seen Jensen before as she observed Jared and Misha. Jensen was also watching me very closely as I was trying to hold myself together. He bent his head as it touched mine and he said, "You don't have to be strong Y/N, we will still love you no matter how bad it gets."Jared moved my face so I was looking at him as he kissed me gently on the forehead, "I love you and so does my kids and Gen.""Jared I'm um......," "no Princess we do and tell me that you know that. We love you and will tell you every day until you believe it!""I know but I'm worried I'm going to hurt you all or disappoint you. I'm not strong and I'm a complete mess. I'm damaged and broken and I don't think I can beat him he has control over me and he's getting stronger each nightmare. I hate him I want to kill him. But I can't  fight him, he scares me.""Y/N he's not real he can't hurt you. I want to try hypnosis and see if we all can fight him together. Jensen I want you to talk to her while she is under and direct her. Jared and Misha I want to two to hold her hand and when I tell you I want you both to tell her how much she means to you both to bring her back." "Daniela I'm not sure this will work he's a violent fucking evil son-of -a-bitch.""Do you trust me?"I shook my head when she said, "I need you to say the words Y/N.""Yes I trust you.""So will you let me try and see if we can make you stronger."Jensen looked at me with such sorrow and sadness he had a tears forming in his eyes as he tried to hide them. I reach over and cupped his face as one fell and I wiped it away. He whispers quitely, "You got this Baby or at least try for us."I looked at Jared who was given me a sad smile as was Misha.Misha said, "Minion you can do this and we are here with you," as he squeezed my leg. "I, um, ok I will try.""Good so lie down," as Jensen moved but Daniela waved him off. "Stay there and hold her Jensen so she can feel you."I put my head in his lap and I looked into his tear glisten eyes as I saw something I've never really noticed before he's eyes show how much pain he was feeling for me. They also were a darker shade of green, he's brushing my hair off of my face as he rubs my forehead and bends down and kisses it. Daniela said, "Are you comfortable Y/N?""Yes Daniela," I had hold of Misha's hand and Jared was rubbing my arm. Jensen had his arm over my chest as he held my arm. I felt safe in Jensen's arms as Daniela started the hypnosis. "Right Y/N just breath in, out, in , out that's it. Felt Jensen holding you and you feel safe as you relax. You also feel Jared and Misha's touches as well and they are soothing and calming. That's it now relax you arms and hands, relax your eyes and mouth, relax your whole body. I want you to listen to my voice and Jensen's. She motion to Jensen to say something. "Hey Baby your safe here.""Can you hear us Y/N.""Yes I can.""I will count to 5 and you will be completely relaxed, 5.....4.......3.......2.......ok you should be really relaxed now.....1, how do you feel Y/N.""I'm feeling calm and rested.""Good now I want you to see the TV. Remember what the TV does Y/N?""Yes, it shows me pictures of my life but they can't hurt me as they are only memories in the TV.""Good, good so turn the TV on and tell me what you see?""I see my father he's drunk and angry.""What is he doing?""He's sitting in front of the TV watching some sports game and I think they are losing.""What are you doing?""I'm cleaning the house and I'm sweating in front of the TV.""Where is your Mother while this is happening?""Don't know she's not here.""Ok, so it's just you and your father right?""Yes.""What happens next?"I grip Misha's hand tighter as I flinch Jensen's arm tights more on my chest. Jared grips my arm gently as he looks at my face it had changed from a adult into a child like face. "I'm scared," in a small voice. "Remember it's can't hurt you it's just a memory. You an adult now not a child.""I kicked me out of the way of the TV. I landed heavily on the floor and bruised my knees. The broom has landed under me and snapped the wood has broken the skin. I'm bleeding but he gets up and pulls his belt from his jeans. Please Daddy I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me.""Y/N I need you to move. Can you move?""Too much pain and blood," as I had tears flowing down my face. "Your watching it on the TV it can't hurt you Y/N.""No, please no, daddy." I jump with every hit with the belt. Daniela looks at Jensen he was crying but he understood. "Baby can you hear me?"I was screaming in pain now as Jensen said, "Y/N listen to me. Can you hear me?" I went silent as I said, "Jensen?" "Yes Baby, I need you to stand can you do that for me.""I'm in a lot of pain Jensen he whipped me with his belt.""Listen to me he hasn't hit you, you are safe here with Jared, Misha and myself. It's just a memory. I need you to fight back can you do that?""I don't know Jensen his too strong.""Hey your stronger and you can bet he for yourself and for us.""Jensen can you help me?""Sure Baby what do you need me to do?""Can you talk with me as I do it?""Of course I will. I'm not going anywhere." He wipes the tears from my face as he said, "ok let's do this Y/N.""Ok, what do you need me to do?""First of all stand up. Can you do that?""Yes give me a second. He's coming again Jensen I'm scared.""Don't be, are you standing?""Yes.""Now find some kind of protection is there any there?""I can put myself between him and the lounge he can't reach me.""Good do that. Now look at him.""What do you see?""He's drunk and staggering, he's mumbling and he can't really see me.""That's good so what are you going to do.""I'm going to shout at him, he can't frighten me any more he has no control over my life. His fucking dead and he's going to stay dead. He means nothing to me. He's just a monster that beat on his child. I hate you damn son-of -a- bitch for all the broken bone, the beatings, the abuse and scars. You damaged me mentally, pysically and emotionally. I'm a grown woman now and I'm stronger than him. I am loved and have a great life and have people who love me very much. You can't hurt me anymore." "So tell him that," Jensen said in a soft voice. I started shouting at him, " I hate you, your not my father your an fucking evil devil," but he look at me and changed into the kind man he was before he lost his job and started drinking. "Jensen it's my Dad.""What's happening?" Almost in a whisper. "His my Dad before he lost his job and beat me. He's looking at me with sadness.""What's he saying?" Jensen said in a loving voice. "Jensen his coming over as I move away but he's telling me it's safe. He's hugging me Jensen and whispering, I'm so sorry Y/N. Please forgive me over and over again.""Can you forgive him Baby?" his voice cracked with tears. Jared, Misha and Jensen were silently crying as they listen to me. "Jensen I needed to forgive so I can move on and have my life with you.""Then forgive him Baby."I said, "I forgive you Dad," he kissed me and disappeared. Daniela said, "Y/N what happened?""He kissed me and disappeared.""How do you feel now?""I'm, god, I'm not sure. I feel emotionally drained and tired but he's gone.""Ok, I'm going to bring you out now. So relax I will count from 5 to 1. 5......., 4.......,3......,2......,1 ok you should be wide awake but relaxed. Open your eyes Y/N."I slowly open my eyes as I see Jensen's looking down at me. As his hand goes to my face as he bents to kiss me on the lips. It was a soft kiss and I knew he was proud of me.Daniela said, "Y/N you did good. I think you both have found your peace."Jensen helps me sit up as I look at Jared and Misha's faces. I motion for Jared to come over and I hold him in my arms as he let out breath and he coughed to clear his throat. "Hey Jared it's ok. I'm good thank you for being here for me. I love you.""I love you too Princess."Misha came over and sits next to me as Jared moved away and pulls me into a hug as he held me so tight but I let him. He was hurting for me as was Jared and he whispered, "You did good minion. I'm proud of you." "Thanks Overlord that's means a lot."Daniela waited until we had finished when she said, "You all did good today to help Y/N because of you she was able to find some peace with her Father. Jensen you did amazing job talking Y/N through the trauma she really loves you.""Yes she does and I love her.""Y/N I'm proud of the progress you've made today and how much you have achieved in our sessions. I still would like to see you maybe every two weeks as you still have a lot of things still to sort through but making peace with your father was a big step to healing.""Thanks Daniela I feel better like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I appreciate everything you have been doing for me.""Your welcome. See you in two weeks. If you need me before then just give me a call and I will fit you in like today."Jensen said, "Thank you Daniela.""All good Jensen, nice meeting you Jared and Misha," as they shake her hand. "Good bye Daniela.""Good bye Y/N and Jensen."Jared helps me up as they both Misha and Jared have hold of me around the waist as we wait for Jensen. Jensen gets up and Jared moves away to let Jensen in but he waves him off and they walk with me out to the car. We get my next appointment and we head out to the car. Clif sees us coming and hops out and opens the door. He helps me in as Jensen, Jared and Misha also get in. Clif asks, "So what happened?""Well I made peace with my father Clif his finally gone.""That's great to hear Baby girl. I'm so proud of you," as he kisses my cheek and gives me a brief hug. "I wouldn't be able to do it if it wasn't for theses three amazing men in my life who helped me through it all.""We didn't do anything you did all the work Princess.""No your wrong you did help by being there for me and it's mean a real lot or me. I love you all very much.""We love you too Baby," Jensen said.  Clif got back in the car and we went to the convention. It's wasn't too far from where we were and it only took us about 10 mins to get there. They had pushed all there panels and photo ops back an hour so we arrived with 10 minutes to spare. Bob saw us enter and asked, "how it all go Y/N?""Great Bob thank you for letting us all go it helped me a great deal.""I'm glad it helped. Ok Jensen you doing a panel with Misha and Jared now. I cancelled your solo panel as there wasn't enough time. So that should put everything back on schedule.""Thanks Bob, I need a coffee before we go on stage.""Sure I've had Louden Swain and Richard and Rob doing a panel to fill in time.""Ok, we will be back in a minute. Baby would you like a drink?""Maybe some water thanks Jay," he smiles and kisses my forehead before he, Jared and Misha move away to get there drinks. Bob said, "How are you feeling Y/N?""I'm good I've made peace with my father and I feel lighter and not so scared anymore Bob.""I think it's good to make peace with the things that hurt you most and that way you can move ahead with your life.""Yes I think so too."Clif said, "Y/N do you want a chair, I will go get you one.""That would be nice thanks Clif," he gives me a smile that reaches his eyes. They return with there drinks and Clif with the chair as we are all directed towards the stage. Clif puts the chair down and I sit he stands behind me like he normally would do. Jensen, Jared and Misha are waiting to go on stage. They each look at me and Misha gets me a quick hug. Then Jared gives me a hug and kisses my forehead. Jensen pulls me slowly into a hug and kisses me deeply. He pulls back and said, "I love you Baby."I smile back as they are getting called to the stage and I shout I love you too Jensen Ackles. The screaming was so loud as they make there way on stage. "Hey Vancouver," Jared said. "Hey Everyone its nice to be here," Misha said. "Hi Canada, how you all doing?" The screaming was deafening but they loved it. They put their drinks down as Jared turns his chair. Jared said, "So who's a first timer?" There was screams as people put there hands up. "Welcome all you newbies to your first convention," Jensen said. "So sorry we are late we had a personal matter to attend to this morning," Misha said. The audience are screaming and shouting things out as Jensen looks at me. I smile back and for the first time in a long time my heart isn't feeling heavy with fear or being scared. I can feel myself happy with my life with Jensen. I'm going to enjoy my peace and make sure nothing ever destroys my happiness again. I'm not going to be afraid and be that scared little girl anymore. I know I'm stronger now and I can achieve anything. As I watch there panel I realise my life is where I want it to be with Jensen, Jared, Misha and Clif. The love of my life and my best friends and this is my peace, my heaven, my life. What more could I ask for or want. Except maybe sleep for a week but we had a convention to do and then I can sleep in Jensen's arms and feel safe. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- The panel finished and they came off stage. Jensen was the first to reach me and gave me a hug and whispered, "he loved me." Jared literally pushed Jensen out of the way to give me a hug as he lifted me so I would reach. I giggled as Jensen was mad at Jared. Misha stood quietly while Jared hugged me and Jensen was complaining that I was his girlfriend. Jared finally let go and before he did he said, "it's nice to see you smiling again Princess."I said, "It's good to be able to and I feel really good."Misha smiles at me it's really does light up his face when he smiles like when Jensen does. He gently pulled me into a hug and I cuddle into him as he rubs my hair. He doesn't say anything as I know he is happy that I'm better. He finally lets go as he rubs my arm and Jensen watches as he realises how much they care for me. His face softens when he looks at me and smiles. He knows I love him more than anything but I love Jared and Misha like brothers. Jared looked worried as if he wanted to say something but hesitant."What's wrong Jared?" I asked. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?""No, what would you like to know?""Are your sessions always that hard Y/N?"I look at Jensen and he nodded, "Yes there Jared. I have had a lot of things happen to me in my life and sometimes when I'm hypnotist I go back to being a little girl who was abused by her parents and friends at school.""I found it hard and not being able to help you," Misha said.I looked at them both but you did help me both of you. You were their for me and held my hand I could feel your touches and it helped me. It made me stronger than I have ever been and I love you both for being their for me.""Princess I was really hard seeing you that broken and I didn't think we could help you. I'm glad we did and we're able to help slay one of your demons.""You did and thank you. If it wasn't for you three I wouldn't be here now. You all saved me and I can never repay that to any of you."Jensen rubbed my face as I lean my head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head. He knew how much I loved him and his support but I need to tell them all how much it means to me."Each of your support is what helps me the most and I know I can come to you if I need any help and you will be there?""Of course we will Baby. We are in this for the long haul good or bad. We will still love you and be here for you. You just got to remember to Always Keep Fighting for yourself and for us.""I will I promise but I feel a lot stronger than I have in years and it because I finally stood up to my father. He can't hurt me anymore. Sure he will still be in my nightmares but I know how to stand up to him now to make him disappear. Eventually he will forever and then I will truly be free but I'm not scared anymore. I'm not that little kid who was broken and abused.""No, Princess your not and we are proud of you.""We also love you too," Misha said."I know," as I looked at them all. Jared smiled as Misha rubbed my arm. Clif was listening to all this and he said, "You can move on now with your life with Jensen and your other projects. It's good to see your happy Baby girl.""Thanks Clif I am too." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jensen hold my hand as we head to their photo ops. Clif is with us as a fan comes up and looks at us. She smiles as she sees Jensen holding my hand. She said in a soft voice as she looks at me, "Can I give you a hug?"Clif is on guard as I said, "Sure, what's your name." She said, "Aeryn.""Please to meet you I'm Y/N," as I hug her. I hold her for a few seconds before she brakes the hug and moves off. Jensen, Jared and Misha were surprised that Aeryn only wanted to hug me. I shrugged my shoulders as we move off together. Clif behind us as we walk watching everyone. We arrive at the photo ops as Jensen directs me to sit on a seat nearby. The people lined up were surprised to see me with them. Jensen is laughing and having fun with each photo op. Then it was them all together and I got to tell you I've never laughed so hard in my life. Then one young girl came up she was very nervous as she looked at them, they were welcoming as this poor girl started having a panic attack. I watched as I got up to help but Jensen waved me off as all three of them spoke to her and calmed her down. They have had plenty of practice with mine and it's good to see they were kind and waved the handlers off so they could calm her. When she was calm they gave her some water and Jared hugged her around the shoulders. Then when she was ready they did the photo op.Jensen looks at me and I smile and he winks as me. They then move on to the next person they sure did make them do some funny things in the ops. But most mainly got hugs from them or had props. It's was good to see them all laughing and having fun. Even Clif was asked to do some also with them. When we finished the photo ops we had some lunch this is the time when we have to ourselves as it's a rule they are not to be disturbed while they eat. So we all sat down and ate together. Bob came over and asked, "if we were alright?"Jensen said, "Just great Bob.""Don't forget we start filming again tomorrow. Y/N," he said in a low voice. "Richard wants to finish your scene." "Ok, Bob I will be ready and prepared.""Good, good Y/N, see you all tomorrow.""Bye Bob," we all said in unison."So Princess how does it feel starring on Supernatural?""It's kind is surreal Jared but it will hit me as soon as I have to do cons I guess."Jensen looked at Jared and something passed between them and I saw. "What?""Will you won't be doing them alone Baby.""What do you mean?""We have told Bob that we will do the panel's with you. If your anything like me you will be shy and scared to answer the questions.""So we are old hat at this and we will be there to support you and provide comedic relief if need be," Jared said. "Y/N will be there anytime is what we are saying," Misha answered. "You are the best you know that don't you," they all bowed their heads being humble. "We love you Y/N and that's what matters.""I love you all too."The convention finished and we headed home Jensen had asked the guys over for some dinner which we send out for. We had pizza and Jensen and the band had a jam session in the lounge room. He sang some songs I've never heard before as they sang a AC/DC song and got me to sing to. Yes I was a alright singer but no Jensen as they all laughed at my attempt. I laughed too as it was kind of funny. Jensen pulled me into his arms as he sang the songs. Jared was watching us and he knew we were right for each other. He had to speak with Jensen about a proposal. He knew it had only being a few months but you can never find love like this and if you do it's only once or maybe twice in your life. I saw Jared's way off look as he was smiling. They packed up around 11pm as we all have early call. I know it sounds funny as I think to myself. So they all left and Jensen and I went to bed. I didn't have a nightmare I had an amazing dream which was the first time ever. I was laughing in my sleep when I woke Jensen. He didn't hear screaming her heard laughter instead as he cuddles into me. He smiles and whispers, "Sweet dreams Baby,"as he kisses my neck and goes to sleep. ---------------------------------------------------------------------Boy I was happy and hyper the next morning like I had taking something and Jensen was laughing as I was trying to rush around the house and get ready bit hard though on one crutch. I will be glad when I finally get this knee brace off not long now. We ate breakfast on the go as Clif came early and we were just eating then. So Jensen poured our drinks into a hot cup holder and wrapped our toast. We were at the studio in no time at all. We ate the rest of our breakfast in the car as Jared and Misha were laughing at us. I poked my tongue out at them and they laughed harder I though Jared was going to fall out of the car with all the laughter he was doing. Jensen just looked at them and raised an eyebrow in question. We were all set to wardrobe and I had my makeup applied as I looked at it and it was still strange to see my face beat up again. I know this was only makeup and not real. We all made our way out to the set when Richard saw us. "Hey guys to ready to film you next scene. We might do a few takes to get it right ok Y/N?" "Sure Richard, just let me know what you want me to do?"So we continued where we left off. Richard looked at me all bloody and beaten as he directed me to lie down. Then he told, “Jensen to sit down next to me. Jared your killing the vampire.”“Right places everyone on my mark, Action.”Jensen said, “Oh, god are you alright,” as he sees my unconscious body.Then he went silent and Jared had killed the vampire pretending the guy was lying on the ground. Jared knew Jensen had another line as did I. Jensen was looking at me as his face changed and his eyes went all distance. He was seeing me when we had my sessions and what I was saying. When he left me and I was about to leave. All these emotions hit him in a blink of an eyes as the tears started to fall. Richard hadn't said anything no one has, as he let him do the scene. He was still filming it as Jensen lifted me into his arms and held me so tight. As he sobbed and the tears fell saying, “I'm sorry I was there for you Baby.”I opened my eyes as I said, “I'm fine really.”“I should have been there to protect you from the beatings and the abuse.”“No you couldn't, they would have hurt you too.” Jared knew Jensen was upset as soon as he went quiet. He was sitting behind his best friend rubbing his back. Jensen's head was in the crook of my neck as I rubbed the back of his head. Jared was hurting for his friend and me so he pulled us into a bear hug. Richard had stopped filming and quietly told people to leave. “I will give you some time be back soon,” I shook my head and he left. Misha came running in a few minutes later and seeing us all hugging he knew it wasn't good. He thought it was me until he saw Jared pull away and motion to Jensen.Misha came over and he saw I was uncomfortable so both he and Jared lifted us up so we were standing. Jensen not once broke contact with me.Jensen hiccuped as he sobbed in my shoulder.I just let him cry and until he felt like he could talk. I had a tear slip down my face as I could feel Jensen's pain. It scared me as Jensen has only did this a few times as if the makeup on my face caused him the distress. Misha was holding me as Jared was holding Jensen. You had to love them both for all the support they give us both. I looked at Jared and gave him a sad smile as Jensen finally pulled away slightly. His eyes were red and puffy as he uses his hand to wipe his nose. I gently kiss his tears away they tasted salty but I didn't care. The man I love most in the world was hurting because of me and I had to make it right. We didn't say anything as Jared and Misha watched us closely.Jensen said, “I'm sorry for losing it.” With his head down as he couldn't look is in the eyes. “Hey, look at me Jensen," as he pulls his head up and look me in the eyes. "It's ok, we all have a breaking point this was yours. You've been so strong and supportive I forget you feel this too. I'm so sorry I put you through all this Jay."Jared said, “Jay,” as Jensen looked at him.He nodded as Misha said, “So what happened Jensen?”“I um saw Y/N’s face and all the things we have been through kind of hit me and all I saw was her bloody beaten broken body. It was too much after everything she has been through. Don't be sorry Baby we wanted to be here for you."“Jay this isn't real.”“I know but when I saw you, you were a scared and I just couldn't handle seeing you like that.”“Oh god what have I done to you all. I've broken you.”Then he looked at me and said, “No you haven't I think this has been building for awhile and I saw you and it came out that's all.”"Can I tell you all something now while we are all here together?"Jared wiped the tear from his eye as he listened to me. "I know I can never repaid what you all have done for me. You all saved me and that's not a lie. I never knew what happiness was until I meet you all and you were patient enough to show me. I love you all for being here for me and the support and love you all share with me everyday. But when your hurting I'm hurting too as I can feel your pain in here, " (as I point to my heart). Jensen grabs my hand and kisses it and I kiss his. I wipe Jensen's tears away as I hug them all it was a little squishy but we managed. "So I'm doing good now and you helped me to get here. So don't do the what if? Do the what now's? We are going to pull ourselves together and get out makeup done. Then we are going to finish this scene no matter how many takes it takes. So we up for it?" Jensen, Jared and Misha all looked at me and they forgot how tough I could be. I gave Jensen one last hug and smacked his cute bottom as he gives me a smouldering look. Yep Jensen is back and he was getting back into Dean character. Jared on the other hand was still a little upset as I went over to him. "Jared.""Yes, Princess.""Remember the Always keep fighting campaign?""Yes, why?""It saved me before I met you, Jensen and Misha. Knowing it was out there and other people were having theses same struggles help me. When I wanted to give up I would hear your voice saying "Always keep fighting." It meant a great deal to a lot of us that you did thoses campaigns. I'm just sorry I couldn't afford any T-Shirts or the bracelet.""Thank you Y/N I needed to hear that. It's good to know that the campaign saved you for Jensen he's really in love with you.""I know he is as I am him but don't feel sad feel proud Jared you are an amazing man and you have helped me in so many ways. I love you, you know that right.""I know, I love you too. Your like another sister," as he kisses me softly on the lips. This was the first time he has ever kissed me on the lips. But I knew he needed to feel close to me and he was like a brother to me. It was nice he thought of me as a sister. He took a deep breath as we walked over to Jensen and Misha. "You alright Jared?" Jensen asked. "Yeah fine, you have a wonderful woman here Jay," as is arm was resting on my shoulders. "Don't I know it," as he came over I looked at Misha and he was smiling but I could see sadness in his eyes as I gave him a hug and said, "I'm good Misha thank you for all you support. Love you Overlord Sir," he smiled reached his eyes as he said, "Love you Minion." We pull away and Jensen came over and kissed me softly on the lips it was a sweet kiss. "Get a room," we heard it echo as Richard had come back. "Ok, we will bye Richard," I said with a mischievous smile. "Woah, woah you have to finish filming first so we all good now," as he looked at Jensen. "Yeah sorry Richard about that.""Hey your missus would have kicked my ass if I didn't let you sort it out."That was all it took as we all laughed and he grin and then joined in. Misha stayed on set and watched the scene as Jensen nailed it this time. I screwed up a few times as Jensen and Jared directed me and I got it right. Jared was happier now too. Misha was joking around with Richard as I watched them all. Theses were the men in my life and tell you the truth I wouldn't change any of them. Richard yelled, "Cut." As we finished filming that episode and there was an applause from the cast and crew as Jensen told me to take a bow. He handed me a drink of lemonade as I was to make a quick speech which I did. Jensen, Jared and Misha decided they were taking me out somewhere to celebrate. We ended up at Jared's as they gave me a wrap party. I got to see Shep, Tom and Odette boy has she grown and looked just like her Dad. Shep stayed with me the whole time until Gen told him it was time for bed. He gave me a kiss good night and a hug as he went up to bed. Jensen was smiling, "See he still had a crush on you Baby.""Yeah his a beautiful boy and I adore him as well you know.""I know I've seen you with them and Odette. Maybe went your ready we could have a baby of our own?""Yeah maybe but not yet Mr Ackles.""I didn't say now maybe in a year or two went you have become a big superstar like us," with a grin. I laughed as Gen and Jared walked in with Misha and Vicki. "What's so funny?" asked Misha."Well Jay here thinks I'm going to be a superstar like you all are?""Why wouldn't you be, your amazing, just look today you had us all crying and you sorted us all out."Gen looked and raised and eyebrow. "What happened today?" she asked. Jensen ducked his head as Jared said, "Well babe we kind of had......?"Jensen said, "I have a breakdown on set seeing YN in the makeup." "Oh, are you all alright?" "Yeah I helped them through it all. I was just sorry I caused it.""Hey Princess you didn't cause it as Jensen said, "it had been building for awhile." I was hurting because my best friend was. That's all it was ok." "Ok, they were alright after I told them all how much they all mean to me."Gen smiled and said, "I love you too.""I love you Gen and your amazing children," she came over and gave me a hug. Vicki looked at Misha and he just rested his head on her shoulder she understood what he was saying being together for along time. She rubs his head with her hand in a soothing motion which Misha seemed to relax too. It good that Misha has Vicki and Jared has Gen for support. It's also nice seeing them together and how much they all love each other. I hope Jensen and I am like that in 10 years time and happy. Maybe with a few kids running around even though the thought terrifies me but I know he will support me and help as much as he can with filming and all. But for now we are all happy and enjoying ourselves. As I look at Gen and Jared he has her in his arms as they are suited to each other. Gen was like a sister to me which I never had before and it was nice I could talk to her about anything as she has the experience. It was still really new to me this relationship with Jensen and having friends as I've never had them. I know Jared, Misha, Gen and Vicki will stick with me if I needed them. I'm know I said this before but I am one lucky person to have all these amazing people in my life. Now I finished my first episode of Supernatural and I hope my character is will received and I get to stay on the show. But only time will tell. We have filming all week again and then we head but to Australia for the convention on the Friday for the weekend. I'm feeling a little nervous going back but I will have to do it sometime right. I also have to make an appointment to see my specialist Paul and see if I finally free of the brace. So life is going good at the moment I hope it continues. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- It’s still a few days before we head to Australia for the convention so Jensen, Jared and Misha wanted to give me a surprise.Jensen said, “We have a surprise for you Baby?”I just looked at him and said, “Jay you’ve already given me so much.”He gives me a dashing grin and pulls out a blindfold. “Do you trust me?”“Of course I do Jay,” just then Jared and Misha come up before he blindfolded me.Jared said, “Is she ready to go Jensen.”“She will be in a minute.”I looked at Misha and he was grinning like a cheshire cat. “What are you all up too. Do I need to be worried?”They all laughed and Jared said, “of course it us remember.”I gave a little nervous laugh, when Jensen said, “stop it Jared, it’s fine really nothing bad promise,” as he crosses his heart with his fingers.“Ok, I trust you Jensen.”He put the blindfold on me and Jared had an arm, Jensen also had one and Misha was behind me incase I tripped on anything without my crutch. Carrying my crutch for me incase I needed it.We walked slowly as we made our way passed the supernatural studio and headed further along.“Um, guys where are you taking me?”“Hold on we are almost there?” Misha said.We walked for a few more minutes when I heard Jared open the door as he guided me in. It was loud like the supernatural set but the sounds were different.They walked me forward and Jensen grabbed my waist as I also tripped over the cords. Misha lifted me and we continued when whoever they were saw us the whole place went quiet.Jensen leans in and whispers, “we are here Baby,” and kisses my ear.I stand there waiting when I felt the blindfold being taken off as my eyes adjust to the light.  The Arrow Set.  When they finally adjusted I saw another set and there was a man standing in front of me shaking Jensen’s hand.“So this is Y/N?” He said as he grabs my hand to kiss.Jensen answered, “cut it out Casanova.” As he grabs my hand back and Stephen smirks at him. “yep this is her and the love of my life.”He hit Jensen on the shoulder and said, “You dog, she’s beautiful.”Jensen turns to me as the others are all saying hello.“Y/N this is Stephen Amell his our best friend and stars in Arrow.”He smiles and said, “Hi Y/N, please to meet you finally.”“You as well. What do you mean finally?”“Jensen didn’t want to overwhelm you with meeting everyone until you were a lot more settled.”“Oh right. So is this your show?”“Yes and the other actors as well. Wait until you meet the others in the other buildings?”“What! How many buildings are there?”“Well let’s see theses Supernatural of course, Arrow, iZombie, Flash, DC Legends, Supergirl and few more.”“Wow and you all film here in the same place but different studios.”“Yes we do.”“Wow that’s awesome,” they all laughed at me and I blushed.“Stephen and Jared and myself go way back.”“We like pranking him as well.”“Yes these reprobates have stopped filming on more than one occasion to the dismay of the Directors and the other actors. But it all in good fun.”“Yeah the last one we wrote Stephen Smells on his car park outside,”Jared said.“Yeah I still own you two for that one.”“We waiting for it Amell,”Jared said.“You wait when you're least expecting it Padalecki.”I’m trying not to laugh at the playful banter going back and forward between them but it’s nice to see they that all get on so well.Misha whispers in my ear, “See I’m not the only one they prank around here.”I nodded my reply as Jensen turns and looks at Misha and smirks at him. Misha knew he was in trouble now and they were going to prank him again. It’s bad enough that Jared pulls his pants down while filming a scene and then he has to try not to laugh and keep it together. He also knows that he ends up laughing and they have to redo the scene until he stops messing it up.Stephen said, “come met the other cast members,” to me. As Jensen has his arm possessively around my waist as he looks at me looking at everything with amazement. My eyes were twice the size with wonder and excitement.Stephen leans me over to a very pretty lady with blonde as he said, “Em this is Y/N Jensen’s girlfriend.”“Oh hi your very pretty Y/N.”I laughed as I was just thinking that about her. She looks at me and wonders what I’m laughing at. “I was just thinking that about you also Em.”She smiles and said, “so how long have you known Jensen?”“A couple of months,” her eyes sparkle as she sees the ring on my finger. A“Are you too um,” as her eyes go to the ring.I see where she is looking as I had forgotten I had it on as I was so used of wearing it. I forget people notice it when Jensen and I mention we are together. I replied, “It’s a promise ring. Jensen promises to marry me when we are both ready.”“It’s very pretty.”“Thank you it’s very special to me. It has a special meaning to me also and I love it.”“That’s good that you have it then.”“Yes I look at it when I want to give up and think of Jensen and his promise and I keep fighting.”“That’s amazing and I’m glad your still fighting.”Stephen, Jensen, Jared and Misha were talking as Em and I were.“So what happened to your knee?” Em inquiry.“It’s a funny story actually,” when Jensen walks over.“What’s a funny story,” he asked.“How I hurt my knee.”“Oh, right.”Em was looking between us and asked, “What’s going on?”“You see I broken her knee,” with a grin.“Do tell Y/N?” as she saw Jensen’s grin.“Well Jensen broke it as I was in the bath tub back in Australia and he landed on it when we fell in.”“What, you were in the tub really?”“Yes she was and she slipped and fell pulling me with her.”“But why were you in the bathroom?”“We heard a noise,” not going into any other detail.“They opened the door and their I was in my nake glory.”“They?”“Jared and Misha too.”“So they all saw you. Hang on a minute it was you they were checking on when they had that time off.”“Yes it was.”“I’m glad you're alright though and your knee is getting better.”“Me too I’m glad they came and asked me to come back with them as my life has been amazing since I moved here. Falling in love with Jensen was the best thing that has ever happened to me.”He pulls me into his arms and kisses my head and said, “me too.”The Directo called Em and Stephen to the set as Em looks at us and smiles.“Maybe we could catch up again sometime Y/N?”“Sure I would like that Em very much.”Jensen said, “we better go we held up filming for long enough.”“Ok now where too?”Stephen said, “I would go and see the set of the Flash with Grant.”“Jensen can we?”“Sure Baby.”“Bye Stephen and Em hope to see you again soon?”Stephen said, “yeah I would have you both over for dinner some time soon.”Jensen said, “ok let me know when Amell. Bye buddy.”“Bye Jensen, Y/N,” and he waved to Jared and Misha.Jared said, “Misha and I have to head back with have scenes to do still and Bob will be pissed if we are not there soon.” As Misha gave me my crutch to use with the help of Jensen.  “Ok Jared thank you both for the surprise it was wonderful.”“You’re welcome Princess,” as he has gotten in the habit of giving me a on the lips.Misha gave me a hug and squeezed my shoulder and they both left.“So what did you think of Amell and Em?”“She’s very beautiful and his well, um handsome and wow what a body.”Jensen looked a little hurt before I had the chance to say, “but I know my boyfriend's body is way better and I love him.”He growled as he took me in his arms and kissed me senseless and I love it when . he leaves me breathless as he looks at my dazed eyes as I focus on his lips and kiss him again. He breaks the kiss and said, “we better keep going otherwise you won’t get to meet everyone.”“Ok, so we are going to meet Grant did Stephen say?”“Yes he works on a show called The Fash and his the fastest man alive,” with a laugh.  The Flash set.  I looked at him and thought what was that supposed to mean. He is being very cryptic but I guess I’m about to find out.We look for the light to say if they are filming which but luck they weren’t. So Jensen helps me in as he is supporting me as he makes sure I don’t fall on any cables.Grant was talking with another cast member as he spots Jensen and comes over and see what’s going on.“Hey Jensen, what’s happening bud?”“Hey Grant, just showing Y/N around she has just finished her first episode of Supernatural. So I wanted to show her the fastest man alive.”“Really that’s great. Oh that it’s just the title of the show. The Flash the fastest man alive.” As I finally worked out what was going on so it’s apart of the show Grant works on. “So Jensen is showing you the other sets here I’m guessing?”“Yeah we just came from Stephen’s set of the Arrow.”“He’s a great guy isn’t he?”“Yes he is as I found out Jensen and Jared prank him too. They don’t you also do they?”He laughed as he looks at Jensen and I knew the answer. “Y/N’s my girlfriend Grant.”Then it dawned on him, “Oh, I’m so sorry well hello Y/N. What you see in him I do wonder, you know I’m much better!” He said with a huge grin on his face.“Watch it Gustin I know where you park your car,” with a smirk.“Sorry Grant I love Jensen even with all his unique flaws.”“Hey I don’t have any flaws Baby.”I laughed as did Grant. He mumbled with a smile, “bad idea showing Y/N around.”I move so I’m leveled with Jensen’s ear, “I love you, you're perfect Jensen and I will show you later,” with a blush to go with it.Jensen grins and said, “I will hold you to that Baby.”“I know you will,” Grant was looking at us and wondering what we were talking about. We didn’t need to explain as he was called to the set. Jensen and I decide to go to the next set. He looked around for a golf cart to drive to the next set as it was a long walk for me and my knee.We found one as he asked, “so which set next Baby?”“I don’t know which ones are there?”“We can go to DC’s Legends or iZombie?”“Can we do iZombie first and then DC’s after.”“Sure beautiful this is your day.”So we headed a long way away from the Supernatural set I never realised how big the studios were and how much filming went on here. It was interesting to see the different actors and sets so far. I wondered about iZombie obviously it’s about a Zombie but what happens in the show.“Jensen can I ask you something?”“Sure anything.”“What’s iZombie about before we get there?”“Will it’s about a woman who’s transformed by a scratch and she works at a morgue so she can eat the brains of the dead that come in. But she also works with a detective and he thinks she gets visions. The last season he found out about Zombies so she doesn’t have to hide anymore as they are a lot more zombies out in the show. Rose does amazing job playing all the different people when she eats their brains to solve their murders.”“Sounds like a good show a bit different to yours, Stephen’s and Grant’s. I would love to meet her Jensen.”“Sure we are here now.”  iZombie Set  He comes around and helps me in the studio we had to be quiet as they were filming a scene and I got to see Rose in action with a tall good looking man in a uniform and a dark haired man.We waited patiently until the scene was finished as the Director yells cut.Rose pulls the wig off and her hair flows down her back. She stops Jensen as she smiles I think she has a crush on him. Who wouldn’t he is incredible gorgeous.She pulls the uniform man and the dark haired man over as well.“Hey Jay, who’s this. Your new girl?”“As a matter of fact yes it is.”“Oh shit sorry.”“It’s ok Rose this is Y/N, Y/N Rose, Rahul and Robert pointing to each one.”“Hi please to meet you all. Jensen has told me a lot about your show and I think it sounds interesting. I like to see more if I can?”“Of course, how long do you have Jay?” Robert asks.“We have finished filming for today so we are free.”“Great let’s show you around shall we,” Rahul said.“Um Rahul can I ask where are you from?”“London, England but my parents are Indian so I have Indian heritage which is kind of cool.”“I was just asking as I never been to England or India and would like to know more about the them too.”Jensen looks at Robert looking at me, “Where’s the accent from?”“I lived in Australia until I meet Jensen, Jared and Misha and they brought me out here.”“Yep thought it was Australia. I was there filming a movie once on Queensland beautiful place, you’ve been?”“No, I didn’t travel much.”“Maybe one day Jensen could take you.”“Sounds good to me,” Jensen said. Rose was looking at my knee but didn’t want to be rude by asking and I said, “it was broken in an accident in Australia,” I didn’t want to go into any more detail so Rose shook her head in understanding.Rose said, “how about we show you the morgue set and see if there are any dead people there.”“Sure,” Jensen watches Robert as Rahul is telling me about England and India.I grabbed Jensen’s hand and squeezed it to let him know it was alright.He looked down at me as he bends and said, “I love you.”“I love you too Jay.”We that he was fine as we toured around the set. It was a smallish set compared to the Supernatural’s sets but they really didn’t need a lot. They showed me the morgue, Liv’s apartment, Ravi’s and Major’s house, cop station and Blaine’s restaurant. It’s was incredible how much they fit into the building.We finished with the tour as I made fast friends with Rose as she said, “Hey maybe you can come again some time.”“I would love that thanks Rose.”She gave me a hug and we left. “Jensen I’m getting tired can we maybe hold off the others for now.”“Sure Baby it’s been a long day for you.”“Thanks,” as I yawn and we got back in the cart as he drives us back to the supernatural set. I had closed my eyes for a minute as I was leaning heavily on Jensen’s shoulder. He knew I was asleep as his arm was around my back to support me incase I fell. He looks at me and kisses my forehead. He smiles as he knows I had a good day with the visits and that his friends all liked me.We pull up at the Supernatural set when Jared and Misha came out and saw I was sound asleep.Jared said, “long day huh.”“Yeah I wore her out.”“So how was everyone?” Misha asked.“They were good, I think Amell and Gustin were flirting with her but she told them no she loved me but it was all in good fun.”“Did she enjoy herself Jay?” Jared asked.“Yes she loved it,” as he lifts me out of the cart and carries me to the car.Cliff looks and smiles, “tough day?”“We took her on a tour to the other sets and she meet almost everyone. She got tired she I brought her back here.”“Ok, so everyone in, so we can get her home to a nice warm bed,” Clif ordered.They all laughed at him as he does have a heart of gold with all of them.Jared helped Jensen put me in the car and did up the seat belt as I rested on Jensen’s shoulder. He arm around my waist for support. He looks at me and he is so smitten that it’s written all over his face. We arrived a short time later as Jensen goes to lift me out but I open my eyes. “What’s happening?” I ask. “We are home do you want me to carry you in?” “No, I’m good,” as I rub my eyes as I hear Jared say, “hey sleepy head how was your day.” “I was good I loved meeting everyone they were all very nice.” Misha laughed and, “I heard that Amell and Gustin try to flirt with you?” Misha said. “Oh that it was nothing but fun plus Jay was there so I couldn’t take them up on their offer.” “Hey I sitting here you know,” Jensen said with a pout. We all laughed as I turned and grabbed chin and kissed his lips. I whispered, “remember my promise from early Jay.” He gives me a sly look with a raised eyebrow. I giggle into his shoulder as Jared, Misha and Clif were wondering what’s going on. “Dude, you going to let us in on it?” Jared said. “Nope sorry it’s between us only.” “Rightly so, you need some privacy!” Clif said. “Thanks Clif, thanks for the ride. You are one in a million.” “Oh shucks,” as he grins. He helps me out with Jensen close behind him as I give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Jared lifts me slightly in a bear hug and whispers, “have a good time if you know what I mean, wink wink,” I knew he knew what we were talking about as my whole face heats with a blush.Misha said, “Night Y/N and Jensen,” I think they all suspected what’s going as he give me a hug also.“Night Dude, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do?” with a laugh to follow.“Padalecki go home to your wife and we will see you all tomorrow.” As they all piled into the car Clif honked the horn as they were driving out of the driveway as Jensen lifts me off my feet and carries me inside. Luckily I had a tight hold on the crutch. We get inside and he carries me upstairs as we head to the bedroom. My room was still the preferred place we sleep as I feel more comfortable there. We had added a TV so we can watch Netflix in bed.Jensen threw me on the bed as I scramble to move the covers as he climbs on after me. He just looks at me his eyes are the most amazing sight as he face shows he much he wants me. He licks his lips as I follow his lead and then he kisses me. It was a sensual kiss as his tongue was already out as we touched we fought for dominance as this was the first time I kissed him back with tongue. Our tongues were hot and heated as our bodies were catching up. Jensen pulls away as I’m panting from breathless.He said, “Are you sure you want this Baby?” I looked a little apprehensive as he saw. “Ok, how about I show you how this goes?”“What do you have in mind?”“This,” as he flicks the tv on and searches the channels until he finds the right one.“There,” he said.I look hearing a lot of moaning and groaning on the screen. “Are we, um, watching porn,” I asked.“Yes I want you to see how everything happens so you won’t be scared.”I sat up as Jensen also sat up he held me in his arms as we watched. I watched with fascination as I’ve never seen anything like this before.On screen there was a man and woman and they were kisses and touching each other.Jensen explains, “it four play before the main event. This is where the man gets the woman ready for penetration. See this how she’s almost there as he uses his fingers and tongue. She’s about to orgasm.”Sure enough she did. I wasn’t afraid of this part as we have touched each other many times in the past it was the actual penetration that frights me a bit.“So is he going to..,” as I looked at Jensen.“Yes, he’s going to have sex with her.”“But his cock is huge how will it fit.”“Women are made for men but she’s not a virgin so it’s should be easier. For you being your first time I will have to make sure you are ready for penetration.”“Jensen will it hurt?”“It might and it might not depends on how much I prepare you and it might hurt when I enter you. There will be a bit of blood as well. But that’s all normal it shouldn’t hurt the next time we have sex but you will be a little sore for a few days after.”I watched as the man pushed into the women’s vagina and she moaned as he pulled out and pushed in again.“Jay will you do that too what he is doing to her?”“Yes but I will go a lot slower so you can adjust to the intrusion and stretch to accomodate me.”“Ok, I know you won’t hurt me Jensen it’s looks like she is enjoying it.” The sounds of grunting and moaning going on then the man pounded her harder at her insistance until she was screaming his name as she orgasmed and he continues to pound her until he groaned as he emptied himself inside her. He kissed her as they fell down next to each other. Showing his now flaccid cock and a fucked out look on her face.“Wow he must have been good look at them they look exhausted.”“Sometimes when you are right for each other you make it last as long as you can. Sex can be a beautiful thing with the person you love if we take it slow.”“Will you do that with me Jensen.”“I will try Baby but you being a virgin and don’t want to hurt to you. I will have to get you complete relaxed before I enter you.”“Can we watch some more Jensen?”“Of course,” as he sifted uncomfortably on the bed. I looked down and saw Jensen was tenting in his pants. Wow he can get hard just from watching porn. I moved my hand as I brush his erection as he takes a harsh breath in.“Jensen are you?”“Yeah Y/N I’m hard,” as I moved my hand inside his pants and I pulled his erection out. It felt the warm and wet with pre-cum as I moved my hand down his cock like the woman on the TV I match her stroke for stroke.Jensen was moaning and said, “oh God that feels good Baby,” his head thrown back and his eyes closed as he was panting heavily as I continued to squeeze his cock. I fondle his balls as he got even harder as he wasn’t going to last very much longer. He moved his hand down over mine as he helped me squeeze him to finish as he shouts my name and squirts in hand and over his stomach.His face is flushed and his breathing was rapid but his eyes were looking at me with amazement as I brought him to orgasm.“Thank you Baby, sorry this was supposed to be about you not me.”“Hey it’s ok,” as I wipe my hand on the cloth we had by the bed. “I learnt how to give you pleasure Jay it’s wasn’t just about me. I wanted to learn about sex and this is the first step in getting it right.”“Really your not mad.”I laughed, “of course not, your sexy and really hot when you orgasm with my hand.”“So your turn,” as he moved down my body the porn was still going in the background as Jensen looks up briefly at it.He slowly puts my pants down and my panties come with them. He moves his hand to my breast as he squeezes it gently.“I’m going to show you what I’m going to do to get you prepared for when we have sex ok Baby.”I nodded my head as I was already wet from watching Jensen getting lost in his pleasure.“I’m going to insert one finger tell me if this hurts you alright.”I couldn’t say anything as Jensen saw the look on my face he lubed his finger and slowly inserted into my clit. It felt weird at first but it didn’t hurt. Jensen looked for any signs of pain but saw none as he pushed in further. I keen with pleasure as I squeezed his finger.“Wow your really tight Baby I’m going to need to take this slow.”“Jay oh, that feels good.”He pulled my clit and he inserted another finger being careful not to hurt me. I moved my body as the pleasure increased. He moved them slowly as he changed the position he where he was moving them. Jensen was watching my face with each stroke in as my eyes were closed with pleasure. Yes we have done this before together but this seemed different more exciting and dirty watching porn while Jensen touched me.“Jen, Jensen please more I’m about to…”“I know I can feel you Baby. A little more,” as he pulls his fingers out for a second and then plunge them back in again.He moved them faster now as my body was moving with each stroke of his fingers as my hips moved of their own accord as he held them down gently as I was writhing on the bed waiting for my release.Jensen said in a husky but sexy voice, “cum for me Baby.”I screamed his name as I found my release my breathing was heavy and I felt like a rag doll all limp from my orgasm. It was the best experience yet with Jensen not pushing to hard and not going to fast for me.He climbs up onto the bed and lies next to me as my body cools he kisses me and said, “Fuck your amazing. Your going to be incredible when we make love.”I panted out, “Your the amazing one Jay being so patient with me.”He smiles as he hands me a glass of water as I drink most of it down in one gulp.He laughs as I was so hot and thirsty he takes the glass from my hand and pulls the blankets up after cleaning me up with a wet cloth.He snuggles with me as we both start to fall asleep in each other’s arms. I whisper, “thank you Jay.”He kisses me deeply before we fall asleep. “You’re welcome Y/N.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- We arrived back in Australia yes I’m a little apprehensive as this is the first time in two months I have return back to where it all started. Then I look at Jensen, Jared and Misha and I smile as I have gain so much from that first meeting. I have gain three beautiful kind men and their families, I have gain unconditional love from them and they have shown me how beautiful life can be. I have gain the most important thing ever Jensen Ackles the man who stood by me during all the pain and hurt and showed me how to love and be loved. He came into my life when I needed someone more than anything and he has stayed. You could say Jensen gave me the world and in return I gave him me.I can tell you this the last two months haven’t been easy for me as I had to face a lot from my past but knowing I had Jensen, Jared, Misha and Clif their for support has made it a lot easier to bare. So I look around now, thinking of the good memories I have of Australia with these men. We landed in Sydney for the first of two conventions. The one in Melbourne goes for a few days more which will be nice before we head to Adelaide.Jensen is holding my hand as he looks at me smiling. He said, “penny for your thoughts?”“I was just thinking about the last time we were here and how far I have come.”He smiled and kisses my head and said, “you have come a long way Baby and I’m glad I was apart of it all.”“I am too. You all mean the world to me and I thank whoever it was who brought you into my life.”“Well Princess it was you who brought us into your life,” Jared answered.“Remember the messages you left for us,” Misha said.“Yeah I know but actually coming here to Australia and making sure I was alright.”Jensen looked and said, “I guess we all had a part in that one.”I giggled as Jared said, “You know I think we were destiny to meet anyway one way or another.”“Really you think that truly.”“Sure Princess because you and Jensen belong together.”“Yes I have to agree,” Misha piped in.“Well I’m am truly blessed with you all in my life.”“So are we Baby.”“I’m glad you never gave up on me.”“We would never give up on you Baby,” as he kisses me on the lips.His kisses still take my breath away with how intense they can be even a peck on the lips.“Can I ask you something?”“Sure anything.”“Can we do some sight seeing before the con tomorrow?”“Of course Sydney is a beautiful place shall we.”We all agreed as we looked at the tourist stuff which was good to look at as we never really got a good look last time.”So we looked around Sydney and did the con and then flew out to Melbourne.Jensen and I took off on our own while in Melbourne as it was the day before my birthday and we didn’t need to be at the convention until later that night. When Jensen will sing at the concert.He took me on a drive along the Great Ocean Road. I can honestly say yes it is beautiful we stopped and looked at everything. The Twelve Apostles which apparently there are only six or seven left. But Jensen stopped along the road where there were no tourist and we looked at the ocean. It was so magnificent it really does make you feel so small with the beauty in front of you.He looks at me taking it all in as he snaps a picture. I slap his hand as he shows me how beautiful he thinks the picture is. Then he turns me and said, “I would like to ask you something Y/N?”“What is it Jay?” worried something was wrong.He takes a deep breath as he pulls out a ring box and gets down on bended knee. He licks his lips as he takes a deep breath I’m standing there in shock and not sure what to do. My hands are shaking and my can hear the sound of my heart beating in my ears.“Baby I know we have only known each a few months but I knew the first time I meet you, your it for me. Your the one who I want to grow old with and have children with.”My legs are shaking as I try to stand upright but I slowly sink to the ground as Jensen laughs and kisses me.“I wanted to give you an amazing birthday and present even though it’s tomorrow so here goes. Will you do the honour of becoming my wife now and forever.”I had tears falling down my face as he saw my hesitation. “Don’t worry we will have a long engagement promise.”“Jensen I’m the one who feels honor that you want me. Yes Jensen I will marry you.”He lifts me up and kisses me I can feel how much he loves me in this kiss. He makes me hot and gives me unconditional love how can I not love him. He kisses me until we are both breathless as he pulls back and puts the beautifully crafted ring on my finger.“I had this specially made for you. See the two diamonds and the infinity sign around it that’s us for a lifetime.”“It’s beautiful Jensen. Boy I love you. Each and everyday that love grows more.” “I know I see how you look at me and I love you too.”We stood there holding each other for what seemed like eternity as we shut the world out it was just us in that moment like time had completely stopped.“We better get back as Jared, Misha and Clif will want to wish you an happy birthday too. As we will be to busy tomorrow to do presents.”“Jay do they know about the engagement?”“I think Jared has some clue not sure about Misha or Clif.”I had to laugh as Jared was always observant but sometimes Misha misses the obvious as he is busy with other things. Clif he notices things but doesn’t say much. I wonder if he knows? He helped me back to the car as we take our time driving back to the city. Jensen had music playing as he was singing softly along. I love listening to his voice it always calms me.“Jay did you call Paul and make an appointment after the con for me?”“Yes I did it, while you were in the shower this morning we will take an early flight out when the con finishes as his really booked.”“Ok, I finally get this thing off and hopefully everything is healed alright.”“It will fine. Your knee would have healed and you will need no more surgeries.”“I hope so I hate needles,” he had to laugh.We arrived back at the hotel about an hour later when Jared was knocking on our door. I open it as he walks in with a gift for me.“Hey Jared,” I said.“Happy birthday Princess for tomorrow this is for you.”“Really,” as I pick it up and rattle it. He notices the ring and said, “fuck I knew Ackles you did it.”He grabbed my hand and Jensen said, “yes I’m making a honest woman of her.”“That’s just great! I’m amazed you waited so long Ackles.”“I thought being back here in Australia and being her birthday tomorrow it was the right time.”“He was very romantic. He took me along the Great Ocean Road and we parked and he asked me as we watched the waves hitting the shore it was beautiful. ““Wow Ackles never thought you for a romantic.”“Shut up Padalecki,” with a grin.“Can I open your present now Jared.”“Sure you can.”I ripped the wrapper off as I open it inside was a beautiful bracelet with my name on it. He said, “turn it over,” I did and it had engraved, “AKF.”“I love it thank you Jared it’s beautiful.”I hugged him and he said, “you’re welcome Princess.”Then there was another knock this time it was Misha and Clif. “About time you both got back I was going to send my minions after you both,” Misha said with huge grin. He looked at me and saw I was glowing he loved seeing me happy. He pulled a present from behind his back as he hugged me.“This is for you Y/N. Happy Birthday.”“You really didn’t need to Misha.”He handed me the present and I ripped it open as I looked into the box. It was another box as I ripped that open this when on for like five boxes each getting smaller each time to finally I reach the last one.“Finally geez Misha,” he laughed.Inside was an box. He said, “open it.”I did apprehensively as I didn’t know what to expect from him. It was a pair of earrings to match the bracelet Jared gave me.“Misha this is two much. I can’t accept this!”“You can and you will.”“Thank you Misha your the best, theses are beautiful,” as he held my hands and felt the ring.“No you didn’t Jensen?”Jensen looked like he didn’t know what he was talking about until Misha pulled my hand up and looked at he ring.“You asked her that was what this morning was about.”“Will to be honest yes I wanted to make an honest woman of her.”“So your engaged then.”“Yes we are Misha,” I said.“I’m so happy for you both I wondered why you were glowing when we walked in.”Clif cleared his throat and said, “Baby girl I have something for you too if you want it. I thought like Jensen, we make it official.” I looked at him not understanding until he pulled a big envelope from his jacket.He handed it to me and said, “happy birthday,” he kissed my cheek.I opened and pulled out some papers when I read legal adoption.“What! No you, Clif you want to adopt me?”“Yes I would like to become you Dad is that ok.”“Is that ok,” I ran into his arms and hugged him. He smiled as a tear fell from his eye.“I guess it is yes then Y/N.”“I god yes. I couldn’t ask for a better Dad. You all are so amazing to me. I glad I have you all in my life.”Jensen said, “Do I have to call you Dad now Clif.”“Shut up Jensen,” he replied in a gruff voice. We all laughed and hugged each other this was the best birthday ever.We spend the rest of the day of my birthday together before the con tomorrow and it was lovely they took me out for lunch and we went and saw the Eureka Towers and it felt weird when your ears popped going up the lift. It was 88 floors after all. I was a little afraid of heights and Jensen had hold of my hand so I wouldn’t feel like I’m going to fall. I walked very carefully as they laughed at me. I told them to shut up. There was a lot of people up there and almost immediately they were asked for autographs.Jared dared Misha to do the Skydeck as they looked at me and I said, “nope no way.” So Jensen stayed with me as Jared and Misha did the Skydeck. Clif walked around near us as he made sure we were alright.Jensen said, “you really are scared,” as I had a very tight grip on his arm. Almost bruising as he releases my hand as my knuckles had gone white. He smiles at me and gives me a quick kiss on the forehead.“You know your safe you can’t fall.”“Yeah but I feel like I am Jay.”“Ok let’s sit down over here and wait for Jared and Misha.”Clif sat with us as I lean on Jensen’s shoulder as he had his arm around me. “You having fun Y/N?” Clif asked.“Yes I am but this is scary for me.”“I know it will ok we will be going down soon.”“Won’t be soon enough for me.”“Hey Baby I was thinking maybe we should get married up here,” with a mischievous smile.“Your kidding right,” as my heart skips a beat.He laughs and said, “of course I’m kidding you really think I would do that when your scared.”“No, but when you said.”“I wouldn’t do that to you.”“Thank you Jensen.”Jared and Misha returned as Misha was scowling and I wonder what Jared had done.“Well how was it,” I said.Jared said, “love it you should have - ,” he stopped when he saw me shaking my head no.Misha said, “ it’s a lovely view but Jared pulled my pants down again,” funny think was he wasn’t angry with him he was smiling. I guess with all the pants pulling down he was probably used of it.“Can we go and put my feet back on solid ground again.”They all laughed as we headed for the lift not before Jared got the photos of him and Misha. He also brought me a snow globe. It was a good day but I was happy when we were down off there.We when to get lunch and we ate it in the sunshine it was a beautiful day in Melbourne. We knew we would have to head to the convention soon so Jensen can do sound checks and we need to find out there schedules for the two days we are here. I know they were really busy tomorrow with panels and photo ops and autographs that’s why we celebrated my birthday today.Jared was looking at me as he realises how happy I really am. He said, “you look nice when you smile Princess.”“Thank you Jared,” I found their compliments much easier to take now and it felt good when they say something nice.So we head over to the convention as Clif had a hire car and we arrived a short time later. We walked in a was greeted by Rob and Richard. As they took turns in hugging and wishing happy birthday.I smiled and said, “thank you both.”“Are you staying for sound check?” Rob asked.Jared shook his head and said, “no we have to go find our schedules for tomorrow and the next day. Y/N your getting Jensen’s for him right?”“Yes as Jensen will be busy here for awhile and won’t have time. Plus I need to know when to have you all here on time.”Jensen smiles and whispers in my ear, “happy birthday Mrs Ackles.”I giggled as Rob and Richard were wondering what was happening. I moved my hand and they spotted the ring.Richard said, “you dog Jensen. Why didn’t you tell us?”Jensen turned around and answered, “I wanted it to be a surprise.”Rob hugged me and said, “congratulations both of you.” I whispered a thank you to him.Misha said, “we better go or nothing will get done.”Jensen kissed me quickly on the lips and said, “see you soon.” I nodded as we left. Jensen POVJensen looked at Richard and Rob and sighed a loud sigh. Rob said, “what’s wrong Jay?”“I would like to sing Y/N her favourite song but I don’t have the music for it.”“What is it and we can practice it now with what other song you want to do tonight.”“No I want to sing it to her tomorrow on her actual birthday.”“Oh ok, we can do that as well,” Rob answered.“Great let’s get practicing then I want it to be great for the fans and for Y/N.”“How Jensen, your always great even when you mess they love you,” Richard said.“Yeah I guess they do enjoy my singing.”“Why wouldn’t they Jensen.”“Ok let’s get started,” Jensen said excited. Reader’s POV“Ok let’s go find the schedules for tomorrow shall we!” Jared said.We walked to the green room where all our schedules were lined up to let’s us know when and where to be while doing the convention. I found Jensen’s easily but mine wasn’t there as I looked around. Jared saw the worried look on my face as raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong Y/N?” he asked.“Um, ah I can’t find my schedule for tomorrow.”“It will have to be here, we will look for it together,” as I held onto Jensen’s.We looked everywhere on the table when Clif walks in holding a piece of paper. He turns me and said, “here’s your schedule Y/N they forgot to put it out for you.” I looked at it and was shocked to see I was apart of their panel.“Hang on I’m, um apart of your panel tomorrow,” as my voice shook with fear.Both Jared and Misha looked at my schedule and there mouths dropped. Misha showed he was unsure about this and said, “maybe it’s a type-o, maybe your suppose to get us here on time,” as an explanation.Jared said, “maybe your suppose to be here but not on stage with us.”“It’s said Y/N on stage with Jensen, Jared and Misha panel. I can’t do that I’m not really for a panel plus no one knows I’ve done an episode yet. So why would they do that?”“I don’t know Princess, maybe ring Bob and find out?” Misha said.“Yes maybe I should,” just then someone from the spn productions walked in.“Y/N, I’m Karen from spn productions. You’re probably wondering why the schedule said your on stage during their panel?”I shook my head and just looked at her as I tried to say something but the words wouldn’t come.“I should have been here when you got your schedule I am so sorry I wasn’t but it was a request from Mr Ackles that you be on stage with them.”“Really Jensen, why?”“That I can’t tell you all I know he asked for you to be on stage.”I looked at Jared, Misha, and Clif who all shrugged their shoulders with we don’t know.“You will have to ask him,” she said, as she walks away.“Jared do you know anything at all?”“No, he didn’t tell us anything. Maybe he has a birthday surprise for you or maybe he just couldn’t let you out of his sight now your engaged.”“Don’t think so Jared, maybe a birthday surprise.”Then Misha remembered, “hey remember your suppose get our surprise remember we were going to give you one.”“Boy that was so long ago I had totally forgot, a lot has happened since that call.”“Maybe that’s it then, he remembered.”“You have all given me so much I don’t need the surprise now.”“Maybe he still wants to give it to you, you do deserve it.”“His encourageable sometimes but I love him.”“Yeah we know,” Jared said with a smile as he hugged me.“What are we going to do now?” Misha asked.We could go and rested up before tonight, “Y/N your looking a little tired.”“Yeah it’s been a busy day I am a bit can we go back to the hotel and rest for a bit.”“Of course we can,” Jared said as I held tightly to the schedules almost crushing them in my hand.We all went into my room as Jared and Misha both knew I was still worried about the panel tomorrow.Jared said, “how you doing Y/N?” “I’m scared about the panel tomorrow.”Jared said, "It’s fine we will have your back ok.”Misha said, “I will, goof it up as always so you don’t have to worry.”I laughed then and said, “ok I hope everyone will like me?”Jared said, “sure they will love you like we do.”I smiled and blushed as I relaxed against Jared’s arm and felt asleep. Jared turned more so I was lying in his lap as he stroked my hair. Misha said, “what was Jensen thinking to put her in a panel?”“Maybe he wants to surprise her with a gift for her birthday,” Jared replied.“Yes but look at her, her anxiety is getting bad what if she has a panic attack on stage?” Misha said worryingly.“Oh god I hadn’t thought of that she hasn’t had one in a while. We will have to keep a close watch on her Misha,” Jared was worry to now as he drops his eyes to look at me sleeping.“I know Jensen will be watching her closely so I don’t think we have to worry if she does he will have it under control,” Misha smiled as he knew how much Jensen watches out for me.“He seems to know how to calm her best I guess theses last few months together they really have gotten to know each other. I see how much he loves her just by the way he looks at her,” with a knowing grin on his face.“He gets this look on his face and it’s so cute it makes me smile,” Misha said.“Me too it’s so sweet how much there in love.”They both settled back and watched TV until they too felt asleep when Jensen comes in and sees everyone asleep. He moves over to me and kisses me lightly on the forehead as I moan in my sleep more. He laughs quietly as he moves down to my lips as I turn in Jared’s lap as Jensen’s kisses me more fully.Jared notices I move when he opens his eyes to see Jensen’s head over mine kissing me.“Dude I’m right here couldn’t you wait until I moved.”“Sorry couldn’t help myself she look so adorably cute lying there I had to kiss her.”“Dude that’s gross,” with a smile.Jensen wakes Misha up as I get up off Jared’s lap and then I remembered about the panel.“Jensen can I ask you something?”“Sure Baby, what’s wrong?”“Um, tomorrow -,” I didn’t need to finish as Jensen said, “oh you weren’t supposed to know until tomorrow I didn’t want you to have a panic attack.”“I know now, can you explain?”“All I can say it’s a big surprise for your birthday,” as he hugs me and then kisses me to reassure me everything will be fine.Jared said, “you should have warned her Ackles she was panicking early about it.”“I’m sorry Y/N, I didn’t mean to worry you. You will be ok we all will be on stage together. I will hold your hand all through the panel and give it a little squeeze just to let you know you're alright.”I nodded as Jared and Misha both got up and we had a group hug as Jared said, “we all will be there to support you if anything should go wrong.”We pulled apart and Jensen said, “let’s go eat I’m starving from rehearsals.”So we headed out as Jensen had hold of my hand and Jared was close by as was Misha. I knew I would be alright but the thought was still a bit daunting going to stage during a panel. We all went to the concert and Jensen as always was amazing when he sings he gives it 110% and the fans love it. It was the first day of the convention and I was panicking on what to wear it was winter in Australia so it was cold. I put on a pair of jeans and a thick woollen jumper to kept me warm.Jensen smiled at me as he knows I get cold very quickly. We all headed out to the convention.I was wringing my hands nervously when Jensen grabbed both of them and turned me towards him.He smiled and said, “Look you been through so much and you’ve gotten threw it. You will get through this also just be yourself and they will love you like I do.” I shook my head in answer and he kissed me lightly on the lips and rubbed my face to calm me.We arrived and went in the back door to the stage area. Richard and Rob were on stage talking and Jared, Jensen and Misha were getting ready for their panel. I was sitting off to the side on a chair listening. Richard introduced them and the whole place was filled with screaming fans.They said, “Hi, thank you all for coming.”They answered questions which the fans had asked and then one come up about me.Jensen said, "We have a surprise for you all? But in a little while until then any questions?”The fans asked question after question as the panel was running smoothly. I was enjoying it from the side lines when Jensen said, “well time for the surprise?”The audience applaud as Jensen continued. “Well as you all know about our friend here in Australia, we have a surprise for her?” The cheers were deafening as the audience got really loud. “Well we are going to bring her out now to give her that surprise.”Misha and Jared left the stage while Jensen was saying "come on, come back it’s so bright.”I was sitting by the stage when Jared said, “Hang on Jen we will be there in a sec.”I was lifted off the chair and Misha and Jared had me between them supporting me without my crutches as they brought me on stage.“Jensen,” Jared said, “can you turn around.”He turned towards me and a brightest grin was on his face. He walked over to me as Misha when back for another chair.He held me in his arms as I was supported between Jensen and Jared this time as they lend me to the chair. I sat down and everyone cheered.Fan called out, "Y/N how's your knee? Is it getting better? How did you break it we heard Jensen did it?"Jensen laughed and said, "yes I did," but we didn't say anything else. Jensen handed me his mike so I could answer the question.I said, "it's doing fine. I'm hoping to get the brace off when I see my doctor in Adelaide."Misha steered the conversation back to the surprise and said, “Y/N do you remember the surprise we had for you when we contacted you on Facebook?”I said, “I had totally forgot about it until I was reminded yesterday.”Jensen laughed and said, “well here it is?”Jared said, “Y/N you are going to Hawaii with us and being our special guest for the whole convention.”I said, “what no it’s too much. You all have done so much for me I would like to give it to someone in the audience. Can I do that please.”Jensen bent down and whispered we could go there for our honeymoon. I blushed and smiled at him and he was looking at me mischievously.Misha said, “It’s your prize you can do what you want.”Jensen said, “ok baby you choose someone?”I said, “thank you” as I looked around the room there was a little girl sitting with another little girl. I looked at her she on threadbare clothes and her eyes were downcast. She reminded me of me I knew she was the one I wanted to have the trip. I looked at Jensen and he saw where I was looking and smiled. Jared and Misha followed my eyes and they smiled their agreement as well. Jensen went off stage and grabbed her hand. She looked up terrified and upset as he was looking at her. Jensen smiled and reassured her she was fine as he walks her onto the stage and quietly asked her name. She looked shy and scared as he ushered her over to me.I said, “I know it’s scary I was scared too. You don’t need to be afraid here your safe ok.”“I’m scared can I stay with you?”“Sure, sweetheart what’s your name?”“Hayley," she answered.“That's a nice name. How did you come to be here today?”“My best friend brought me. We watch supernatural at her house.”“Is she here now?”She nodded and pointed to the little girl off the side of the stage with other women.Jensen was listening and when to grab her friend and bring her on stage as well.“Hayley how would you like to repay your friends kindness.”“I would but,” she stopped.Misha came over and said, “Y/N."“This is Hayley, Misha."“Hi, Hayley would you like to come over to your friend?”She stuttered, "ok, ok.”Jensen and Jared were finding out her friend’s name when Hayley joined them.Jared said, “everyone this is Hayley and April.”I said, “Hayley and April how would you like to go to Hawaii and spend the weekend with these goofballs.”Jensen looked affronted and said in a hurt voice “goofballs, hey we are amazing.”I laughed then and Hayley and April settled more on stage.Hayley looked at me with tears in her eyes as her friend hugged her. She came over to me and hugged me tight and said, “Thank you.”“Your welcome sweetheart enjoy yourself.”Jared said, “hang on Hayley and April since Y/N has picked you, you both get to be our guest for the remained of today. We will do photo ops and autographs anything you want ok.”April said, “thank you. Mum did you hear.”She said, “yes baby I did.”She was standing off the side of the stage and she looked at me and mouthed a thank you towards me. I smiled in return.I could see the kindness in this women’s heart for Hayley as she was treating her like a daughter too. I knew April will be Hayley’s friend forever.The girls were talking to Misha as April’s Mum came over to me and said, “you don’t remember me, do you?”I really looked at her as all the memories I wanted to forget came to the surface. She saw me visibility flinch at the memories. I saw her beating me every day in high school.“I can’t make up for what I did to you all those years ago. I just wanted to apologise, my daughter has shown me what I did was wrong. She taught me a lesson I never was taught, tolerance for people who are different and accept them for who they are and not what they look like and kindness. She has shown me what I did to you was wrong."Hayley has had a hard life her father is alcoholic and is very abusive towards her. My daughter who was in grade 4 at the time saw the other kids picking on Hayley so she stood up for her. She protects Hayley from the bullies. She also was strong enough to report them to the teachers and now the whole school is being re-educated about the effects of bullying.I always wondered why you never reported us. With what we did to you.”In a whisper, I reply “I never told anyone because I thought I deserved it all.”Jensen saw the tear slip down my face and saw I was upset with the way I had closed my body off.He said, “Baby you ok?”“No, I’m not, this is one of the kids that bullied me at school. She has apologised and I know she feels bad with what she did. I can forgive her but I will never forget what you and the others did. I’m in a better place now and I have Jensen, Jared, Misha and Clif to thank for that.“You didn’t deserve any of the treatment you got from us or your parents. I wish I was strong like April to help you instead of hurting you. I am truly sorry.”“Thank you for your apology and I appreciated you owning up to it but like I said I can't forget what you did. Jensen, can you give her the Organisation's number so Hayley can get some help.“Sure baby,” he hugged me briefly and I hobbled over to Jared and Misha and they both held me. I wiped the tears from my eyes and try to will the imagines out of my head.“Ring this number and they will help you with things for Hayley.”“Thank you. I am truly sorry.Jensen smiled a sad smile as she will never know what Y/N has been through her whole life. So he tells her “she’s had it tough all her life and is now starting to live her life without fear of abuse. She is finally happy and is enjoying her life. You must had brought back the memories she had buried deep and all the hurt and anger she was feeling. She didn’t want to remember, she’s getting better but sometimes it’s just overwhelming for her. I am trying to make her life better and enjoyable. She will get through this because she is strong and well supported.”She said, “I hope one day she can forget all that happened to her.”“Me too it will take time and lots of love but I have enough for her as does Jared, Misha and Clif.”“Y/N is lucky she has all of you to help her.”“We are the lucky ones. I have to get back on stage.”She smiled and went over to the girls and sat back down.I was still being hugged by Jared when Jensen came over.“Hey baby it’s ok we are here.”He held me until I felt safe enough to leave his arms. Jared and Misha were back on stage and talking. Everyone was asking where Jensen and I was.Misha said, “Y/N was a little upset so Jensen is comforting her they will be back out soon.”Jensen said, “Hey look at me.” I turned my eyes towards Jensen, “you are stronger now. I know it hurts but she didn’t mean to hurt you today she just wanted to apologise. You can do this ok.”I shook my head and he hugged me one last time and we headed back to the stage.Jared smiled when he saw us and said, “Jensen and Y/N coming back on stage.”I smiled as he looked so relieved that I was alright. Jared said, “ since Y/N is still here on stage we have another surprise for y’all.”I looked at him not knowing what he was talking about as Jensen had a tight hold of my hand.Jensen said, "Will we were in Canada going through some lines for the episode. Richard you want to take over."Richard said, "Y/N was helping Jensen, Jared and Misha with their lines. I was watching them as I was Directing the episode and I saw something in the way they all interacted with each other. Anyway I taped the scene, they were going through and I called Jensen over to come and look and he agreed."Jensen said, "I was knocked off my feet. Y/N was a natural so Richard went and saw the producers and writers."Jared said, "anyway to cut a long story short Y/N's has a recurring role in supernatural and is in next week’s episode. It will be YN's first ever acting in an episode of supernatural."I was thinking about that day off stage I was running lines with Jensen, Jared and Misha one day and the Director for the episode Richard Spieght Jnr was watching us. He liked what he saw and I was given a small part which they wrote into the show. I was very nervous my first day and I stuff my lines several times until Jensen told me to look at him and not worry about the cameras. So, I did and I was always self-conscious being in front of a camera but Jensen was always in all my scenes so I just looked at him. Richard told me I was a natural and the camera loved me.I smiled as I became part of the cast by accident and everyone seemed to like me on there. I of course played Jensen’s love interest and was a hunter as well from Australia. They had found me in a middle of a vamps nest I had killed 6 vamps and the last vamp had crippled my knee when the Winchesters found me I was on the ground nursing my knee of course as the vamp was about to kill me. Sam killed the last vamp. Dean was very impressed and he picked me up and we went to the hospital. I stayed with the Winchesters until I healed and they asked me to stay afterwards and we hunted together.Jensen smiled and said, "give her a round of applause everyone."I looked self conscious during the whole applause and said, "thank you I hope you like my new character."The fan asked, "so Y/N's apart of the supernatural family now. Will Y/N be doing photos and autographs today?"Jensen said, "it's totally up to her."I said, "I'm not sure I’m not ready for that yet?”The fan looked disappointed but she understood as Jensen said, “this is all new to her so give her some time. It took us a lot to get her on stage today.”Misha looked at me and I looked so overwhelmed by it all. My head was spinning as I didn't know they were going to tell Melbourne I was in the next episode of Supernatural. Jensen looked at me and winked as I tried a half smile back.I was glad the questions shifted from me as I moved back off stage. They answered a lot of questions as I was comfortable back stage they had ask me to stay but I told them it was their convention not mine so they let me off stage plus they knew I was uncomfortable in front of everyone.Misha told the audience about his kids and Jensen told them about the stupid things they do on stage until one fan asked Jared about his kids.Another fan asked Jared, “how’s your boys and baby Odette doing?”Jared had a huge smile his face and said, “they are doing well Odette is growing and my youngest son Shep is in love?”Jensen coughed and whispered so they just barely heard him with my girlfriend.Misha said, “I know you all wondering about Jensen’s girlfriend you just have to hang on a bit a longer. You will get to meet her soon.”They answered more questions when someone asked about Jensen’s girlfriend.Jensen said, “ok, ok. Give me a minute and I will bring her out.”I shook my head no as I didn’t want to go out there again. Jensen whispered, “please Baby I have another surprise for you but I need you on stage to do it.”I sighed a loud sigh as he kisses me briefly on the lips as he leads me back out on stage. I sit down in my sit that was still there when Jensen kissed me in front of everyone. When the audience oohs and ahh’s. I couldn’t help but smile into the kiss.He said, “shh you’re not suppose, to see,” they all laughed. “This is Y/N my fiancée.”Everyone screamed with excitement and clapped it got so loud it deafen me.Jensen said “I have another surprise for you?”I said, “no you’ve given me so much already.”“We hear it’s your birthday today Y/N," Jared said.Misha said, “we would like to celebrate it with you.”Jensen said, "Bring out the cake please.”Sarah and Nicole had hold of this huge cake.I smiled with tears in my eyes.Jensen whispered we wanted to surprise you as you’ve never celebrated your birthday before.I laughed and he kissed me on the lips it didn’t go unnoticed by the audience.Jared said, “ok everyone let’s sing Happy Birthday to Y/N."I could hear them all singing to me. I was so happy and overwhelmed with love.Jensen said after everyone had finished singing, “we have a surprise for all your good people in Melbourne?”Jensen picked up his guitar and started playing the song he was going to sing.He said, “baby this song is for you.”He started singing:I’ll be your dream, I’ll be your wish, I’ll be your fantasy.The audience started screaming and cheering and I could hear them singing the words too.“I’ll be your hope, I’ll be your love be everything you need.He knew this was my favourite song as I always sang it in the bath and around the house. I love you more with every breath truly madly deeply doI will be strong, I will be faithful “cause I’m counting on a new beginningA reason for living. A deeper meaning yeahI want to stand with you on a mountainI want to bath with you in the seaI want to lay like this foreverUntil the sky falls down on me. Jared and Misha were standing next to me and they both had a hand on my shoulder. And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,I’ll make a wish send it to heaven then make you want to cry.I was I had tears flowing unbidden down my face.The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certaintyThat we’re surrounded by the comfort and protect ofThe highest power. In the lonely hours. The tears devour you I want to stand with you on a mountain,I want to bathe with you in the seaI want to lay like this forever,Until the sky falls down on me. Oh, can you see it baby?You don’t have to close your eyes’ cause I’m standing right before you Jensen was standing in front of me as he saw the tears rolling down my face. He winked and smiled at me and I smiled back. All that you need will surely come.I’ll be your dream, I’ll be your wish, I’ll be your fantasy.I’ll be your hope, I’ll be your love everything that you need.I’ll love you with every breath truly madly deeply do oooo.I want stand with you on a mountain ooo Then the song died out the audience were hysterical and screaming it was so loud in the room. Everyone was applauding and clapping and he said, “thank you” as he put the guitar down.He said, “Baby you are a lot stronger than you think with everything you have been put through. You are alive and now with us here. I love you more than I thought I could love anyone. You are my whole world Y/N.”“I love you too Jensen and thank you for coming and saving me. I’m glad I’m apart of your lives and the love and support you all have given me I couldn’t expect anything less from you. Your my family now and always.”He kissed me again as he lifted me to deepen the kiss as the audience were going crazy I could hear the cameras flashing around us.I knew Nicole was in the audience filming all this but I didn’t care because I was the happiest person alive. I had the man I’ve always loved and he loved me nothing could be better than this.Misha and Jared were happy and clapping too and knew it was meant to be. Jared knew from the moment we meant that I was going to be apart of their lives for good. He was happy that Jensen finally found his soul mate. Misha was just happy everything worked out with us and we are together.When we finally pulled apart both breathless and looking into each other’s eyes.I said, “dreams do come true.”
10842009
SANCTUARY
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Severus Snape, Dobby (Harry Potter), Hermione Granger, House-Elves (Harry Potter), Original House-Elf Character(s)", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by The Tales of Josan (OTW_Open_Doors)", "chapters": "3/3", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "11,956", "Additional Tags": "Written Pre-Half Blood Prince, First Time, Psychological scarring", "Relationship": "Hermione Granger/Severus Snape", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Man of Property (by Josan)", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Title: SANCTUARYSubtitled: Second Installment in the Man of Property series.Author: JosanPosted: December, 2004Rating: NC-17, for psychological scarring.Pairing: SS/HGWarning: HETFeedback: leave a comment or [email protected]Disclaimer: the usual one about me not owning and therefore not financially profiting. If only!Beta: Bounced this one off several people, including kaiz, the Ottawa Slashers and my flist.~~~~~~~~~~ The small brown cat made her way cautiously through the hedge, her belly to the ground, her ears flickering, her nostrils flaring, alert to any sound or scent of potential danger. At one point, her whiskers stiffened and twitched as she passed through the protective yet unseen barrier which, after some effort on her part, reluctantly allowed her to continue on her way. Other than that, she came out on the other side unscathed.Still, she wasn’t taking any chances. With an eye on the house, she kept to the protection of the hedge – and not just because of the rain – as she made her way into the small orchard that stood to the right of the house. There she found enough shelter under the leaves and branches of a laden apple tree to take the time to groom herself. First appearances, she had been firmly taught by her mother, were important.Finally satisfied that she would pass muster, she sat on her haunches and took a good look at the property she had invaded.The house was, to say the least, interesting. After a few minutes, she determined that it was the kind of house that would appeal to her. Mind, she did wonder what he had seen in it. It was irregular enough to upset those who preferred the balanced symmetry of Georgian architecture – like Harry and Ginny’s so-called ‘cottage’ – or the sprawling, one-level, ultramodern, based-on-an-American design – like Ron and Eloise’s antiseptic monstrosity.Yes, at least this one had personality.The grounds were carefully but not fanatically kept. Things had been allowed to grow in places that best suited them, not their keepers. The orchard had several different kinds of fruit trees; she recognised pippins and russets among the apples. And further, she could see plum, pear and crabapple varieties as well.From her vantage point – not the best, admittedly, but the safest for the moment – she noted some of the groupings that spotted the terraced slope of the house on this side. There were definite herbs and plants that were of practical use, as well as the last stubborn roses of the season climbing up the front end of the house. Even from here and in this grey light, she could see different plants growing in the security of the greenhouse.Yes, he might have been drawn to the house just for that structure. Though, she herself felt more drawn to the light that glowed in the section before it, through the bank of windows that formed the length of one wall and the part which jutted beyond the greenhouse. Strange to think that he would choose a building with so many windows.She glanced up at the sky. The rain showed no sign of stopping or even diminishing. She had better make her move or she might find herself failing the renown code of Gryffindor conduct.With a flick of her head, she Transfigured into her human self. In her nervousness, she’d forgotten where she was and that her feline form was much shorter; her head hit the branches and cold rain trickled down her neck. Shivering, she ducked out from under the tree and went to stand, pulling her hood over her head.So much for appearance. She reached for her wand and then changed her mind. This might be a way of penetrating the next line of defense.Taking a deep breath, she anchored her satchel more securely over her shoulder. Then, with a nod, she braced herself and began walking briskly towards the front of the house, still keeping to the security of the hedges as she did so. Her brown cloak was blending in rather well; at least, no one charged out of the house, threatening to spell her away from the place.By the time she did find herself standing within reach of her target, what appeared to be the main door, even with her hood up, she was rather wet. She ran through the puddles on the walkway to the door and hoped that someone would take pity on her and let her in out of the sudden downpour, because, of course, as with everything else these days, Mother Nature had decided that this very moment was the perfect time to dump the contents of her clouds.She lifted the knocker, a brass snake entwined around a beaker – she smiled at the appropriateness – and rapped it hard against the wood of the door. There were a couple of narrow windows in the door but she couldn’t see inside. No doubt spelled to allow only one-way viewing.She waited.And waited.And waited.And waited yet some more until a sneeze made her take the knocker up to strike it against the door as hard as she could. She had no intention of going away so whoever was on the other side, waiting for her to leave, had better understand that she was not. And preferably before she caught a cold.She sneezed again and was reaching for the knocker when she heard an unlocking sound and the door opened but a sliver.“Go away,” said a voice. “We want no visitors.”Faster than the door could be shut, she jammed her shoulder against the edge, using all of her weight to keep it from closing.“Dobby? Is that you?”The pressure against the door stopped and she was certain she heard a sigh.“Dobby, please. It’s raining and I’m sopping wet.” And she conveniently sneezed to make her point.The door opened a smidgen, enough to allow a long-nosed elfin face to peer around the heavy door.“Hermione Granger? Oh, it is Miss Hermione!”But the door didn’t open immediately. It was as if Dobby had to consider the cost of letting her in. She didn’t blame him, not after the incident with Harry and Ron.“It’s all right, Dobby. I’ve not come to argue with him. I just need to see him for a minute. I promise. My word as a Gryffindor.”Mind, that didn’t mean she wasn’t hoping that he would invite her to stay longer.Finally, the door opened, but just enough for Hermione to slip in.The foyer was nothing special. Just an entry into a wide hallway. There was a winding staircase to the right, leading to the upper storeys, a closed door at its foot. To the left, she could see another door, open and providing the only light into the entry.Dobby stood shifting nervously, clasping his hands as though to stop them from reaching for her sodden cloak. She smiled at him, her most understanding, encouraging smile. “It’s all right,” she said again, her tone conciliatory. “I only need a minute, two at the most.”Dobby sighed loudly, resigned. “Come this way, Miss Hermione.”He headed down the hallway, past the open door of what, after a quick glance, Hermione determined was a large study/library. She didn’t lag behind but followed Dobby out of the dark, main house and into the brighter, warmer second section.What she had seen as a solarium from the outside was in fact a large breakfast room. There was a fireplace happily balancing out the grey, cold light from the outside. The walls were painted a soft yellow colour which picked up the warmth of the flames. The furniture, oak she guessed, old and heavily polished, added to the inviting warmth of the room.Which was a good thing as the man watching her from over the top of some journal, cup in hand, was anything but warm and inviting.He glared at Dobby, who hopped nervously again.“It’s not his fault,” Hermione said quickly. She didn’t want the house elf to be held responsible for her presence.“Of course not,” said the man, getting to his feet in a manner that indicated anything but courtesy. “Remembering you, I can quite believe that. Dobby, I suppose that Custom indicates you should offer Miss Granger a cup of tea.”Hermione smiled. She had depended on Custom to get this far; she might as well continue doing so. She carefully slipped her satchel and cloak off and, wand in hand, spelled them and herself dry before handing them to the waiting elf. “Actually, Dobby, if it’s not a bother, I really would prefer coffee. Black, please.”Then, turning back to her unwelcoming host, she pulled out a chair at the table and sat down, ignoring the stepped up glare as she did so. She smiled though, under the table, she crossed the fingers of her left hand. “You’re looking well, Professor.”And he was, so much more compared to the last time she had seen him, lying at death’s door in a bed at St. Mungo’s.His expression was as forbidding as it had ever been but on a face that looked as though it hadn’t bothered with that visage in some time. He’d put on some weight. Not that he would ever be fat, but his face had filled out somewhat, looking less spectral. The mouth was less pinched, making the thin lips seem fuller. The nose still commanded attention. His hair, pulled back in a plait, was now a dark grey, with only a few strands of its original black. Strangely enough, it made him look less severe. Mind, those eyes hadn’t lost anything in the intervening years. Hermione forced herself to meet them and consciously resisted the urge to wriggle.Face grimacing with his displeasure, her host sat, rather reluctantly accepting her presence at his table. “What do you want, Miss Granger?”Hermione nodded her head slightly; she might have known that there were limits to what Custom would grant her. “Well, Professor, I’ve come to beg Sanctuary from you.”There was the sound of breaking crockery behind her as the man’s mouth dropped open and his eyes blinked. Well, what did you know; she had actually managed to take him by surprise!In the silence that followed, Hermione used her wand to deal with the mess behind her. Fortunately, the pot of coffee had only spilled a little. Thanking Dobby with a nod and a smile, she poured herself some in the repaired cup and watched as Severus Snape worked his way through her request.ssSSss They’d moved into what Hermione had indeed guessed was a large library. Not only were there shelves of books on all the walls from floor to ceiling, but there were also three library-sized free-standing stacks that filled the far half of the room. At this end, a large fire, the source of the light she’d seen on entering the house, was dispelling the coldness and humidity of the late September storm.Hermione sat in the deep leather armchair that was to one side of the large, almost black desk that backed into the corner nearest the fire. She squinted at it, finally recognising it as the one she and her old partners in crime had faced far too often in her student days. Mind, in those days, it hadn’t been anywhere this polished.The light from a window fell onto a desktop that was relatively neat. Her own was usually a mess of reference tomes, paperwork and scraps of calculations. She waited, her hands folded on her lap, as Snape stood staring out of the window, his hands clasped behind his back which was to her.Apart from asking her to follow him when she’d finished her coffee, he’d said not a word. Now he sighed loudly and went to sit behind the desk. His face expressionless, he rested his elbows on the desktop, steepled his fingers and rested the end of his chin on them.“Sanctuary, Miss Granger?”She nodded. “Sanctuary, Professor.”He said nothing for endless seconds. If he hoped his examination of her was going to bother her, he was wrong. More determined than ever on this course of action, Hermione forced herself to sit quietly, waiting patiently, her eyes meeting his.He blinked first.“Does this have anything to do with the upcoming celebrations?”Hermione nodded.“I would have thought that you would enjoy being in the midst of them.”Hermione grimaced at the sarcastic tone. “The First Anniversary Celebration wasn’t bad. We all enjoyed that.”“I wouldn’t know,” said Snape.Hermione nodded again. “Yes, your absence was commented upon. At that time.”The eyebrow incredulously rising hadn’t lost any of its disdain.“It was,” she insisted gently then shrugged. “It’s not often that a living recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, does not appear in order to be so honoured.”Snape lowered his hands and sat back in his chair, his face now in the shadows, offering no comment of any kind.She made no mention of the fact that, to the best of her knowledge, he had never been invited to any such celebration. Even if he’d been physically able to attend. “I was studying in Florence for the Fifth. By the time the Tenth came around, I didn’t much see the point of it. But because Harry and Ron insisted, I did attend. And, frankly, I was bored out of my mind.”Hermione sat back in her chair, making herself comfortable. She crossed one foot over the other and stared at a wall of books. “I must admit that I’ve never quite understood this fascination with war anniversaries. All those old men and women pulling their medals out of some drawer and wearing them one day a year. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s because that war was the most interesting thing that ever happened to them. And that day is a way of asserting that their lives were once not as boring, as tedious, as uninteresting as they have now become. I think it gives them a reason to remember that they once experienced a true adventure, horribly though it was when it happened. That once they lived life to the fullest, not crawled their way through it.”“What does any of this have to do with Sanctuary, Miss Granger?”But she noticed that his voice was less harsh than it had been.“Well, it has to do with the fact that my life is still being lived to its fullest. I have work which occupies my life pleasurably. I have a book that I need to research and complete in time to satisfy my editor, which must be before the next International Arithmancy Convention. I really don’t have the time to waste an entire month with all the so-called festivities surrounding this, the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary.”“So?”“So, I need a place in which to hide out from Harry and Ron. They’ve been after me every year since the Tenth to attend and, this year, they are proving to be particularly headstrong about it. They’ve involved my editor, who has now offered to postpone my deadline. They have even approached my colleague in Florence and insisted that he refuse to work with me for the month!” She shook her head, bewildered by it all. “I’m certain that, if they’d thought of it, they would have approached the Arithmancer’s organization to have the convention postponed.”Hermione stood up. Her irritation at these incursions into her life was still far too fresh. She paced the floor in front of the desk, trying to control her anger, but not doing particularly well.“Just because that war was the highlight of their lives, they seem to think that no one else ever moved on. I’m certain that even you would admit that Harry had the potential of being one of our most powerful wizards...”Snape made a small moue with his mouth but, other than that, didn’t disagree with her.No, not even Snape could deny that.“But, no,” she went on, “he preferred to play Quidditch. And he did. For twelve years. He participated in three Quidditch Cups, and they won two. He even went on to coach a win. Now he dines off those experiences as a representative of the Ministry and its sports program.” She sighed, unable to hide her disappointment. “I wonder if he’s at all aware that he’s become our generation’s Ludo Bagman.”Snape snorted softly. She thought he did that to prevent a laugh from spilling out.“Sans the gambling problem, of course,” she hurried to add. Well, in a way, it wasn’t all that bad; Harry was indeed doing a lot with the sports sub-ministry. But he really should have been Minister for Magic by now. Once, he’d had that potential. Just not the ambition.Snape said nothing so she went on.“And I’m sorry that Ron never advanced any higher in the Ministry than Assistant to the Deputy Head of the Department of Aurors.”More of a glorified secretary, really. And still riding on Harry’s coat-tails.“He spent years laughing and mocking Percy, only to end up working under his brother. Far under.”She stopped in front of Snape.“But this does not mean that I...” she threw up her hands in frustration. “That I’m stuck in the same rut as they are. They just can’t accept that my life is...is more...” She began pacing again.“More occupied; in blunt terms, more meaningful than theirs.” Snape’s voice was coolly understanding.With a sigh and a nod of agreement, Hermione dropped into her chair. “It’s been twenty-five years, Professor. Twenty-five. I’m sorry that, for them, that time was the best it will ever be, Professor, but I have no nostalgia for those events. I’ve moved on and I don’t want to go back to that time. Not even to make them happy.”“But why me, Miss Granger? Surely you’ve friends with whom...”Hermione sighed even louder. “Yes, I do.” Then she shrugged, “Well, a couple. And they’ll expect me to go to them. Harry and Ron are determined that I shall participate at any cost. For some reason, they feel that my presence will validate...” she gestured wildly, “something.” She slouched back in the chair, legs stretched out, totally discouraged. “I just can’t seem to get through to them. And those of my acquaintances with whom I’ve spoken seem to think that it’s not such a big deal. That I should be honoured to participate. They don’t get the fact that I don’t see it that way.”Snape leaned forward, his face coming into the faint light falling from the window. “Again, why me?”She looked up at him. “Because they’ve already dealt with you.”Snape’s sneer was heartfelt. Damn the boys.“I’m surprised that you are aware of that encounter. I don’t believe it was ever mentioned in any publication.”Hermione stared haplessly at her hands now clenched on her lap. Not that she doubted that annual visits just before dawn would be of great interest to the Daily Prophet.“They came to brag about it to me.” She looked up, aware that this knowledge might be her ticket out the door. “I’m sorry, Professor. They had no right to attack you that way. You were only minding your own business. You had as much right to be in Diagon Alley as they had. That they dared to challenge you after all that you’ve done for us...for the Light. What you suffered...”Snape held his hand up, stopping her from continuing.“‘Challenge’,” he sneered, “tends towards understatement, Miss Granger.” Then he changed his tone to a slightly calmer one. “If you know that, you must also know the manner of their dispersal?”“Yes.” Hermione suddenly smiled. “Not from them, of course.”Snape growled, “Of course not.”“But from the apothecary who witnessed the...attack. I went to question him after their visit.” He’d fired the clerk who had given out the information of Snape’s visits to Ron. The man had been livid at the prospect of losing Snape’s business. She cocked her head as she dared, “Did you really threaten them with Imperio if they didn’t leave you alone?”Snape nodded slowly.“Would you really have used an Unforgivable to get rid of them?”Snape nodded even more slowly this time.“Why?”Snape’s shoulder rose in a small shrug. “It seemed that was what it took for them to understand that, like you, I have no urge to celebrate what for me is the demise of so many people I once knew as colleagues, friends and students, no matter which side they were on.” He stood up. “That last particularly seemed to arouse some very negative responses from Misters Potter and Weasley.”Hermione nodded; over the years, the distinction between the two sides had only grown stronger, not faded away, in the minds of her once-close friends.“I’m in agreement with you, Miss Granger. They seem to think that all our lives are stuck in some war that has long since interested only historians. As you say, it has been twenty-five years. Like yours, my life has moved on. They seemed to be...quite offended that it had.”He rested his hip on the side of the desk. His face grew colder. “And the fact that I have yet to claim my Order of Merlin seemed to be a particular irritant to Mr. Weasley. That,” and here Hermione could hear Ron in Snape’s voice, “a former Death Eater, such as myself,” he sneered; Hermione winced, “should consider himself fortunate even to have been considered for such an honour.”Snape’s smile was absolutely frigid. “I assume that Mr. Weasley still feels slighted that his Order of Merlin was Second Class. I could understand your offense at a mere Second Class...”Hermione raised her own eyebrow at that; when was strategy ever properly acknowledged? She had long ago dealt with that little slight. Now she ignored it to snort, “To hear Ron tell it, he cornered Voldemort on his own and held him at bay until Harry arrived to finish him off.”Snape said nothing but Hermione suddenly remembered what it had been like to find him that horrible day, broken and bleeding from having Voldemort’s attention centred on himself until Harry had indeed arrived to deal with the Dark Lord.“They won’t try anything again,” she spoke softly, using the view from the window to overlay the one from her memories. “I’ve left a note with my neighbour, telling her that I’m off to do some research. It will never cross their minds to come looking here for me. Not that they could get in?”Snape merely looked at her. “Meow,” he finally said, with certainty.Hermione felt the grin on her face. Yes, she needn’t explain to him how she had managed. He would remember her working with Minerva McGonagall all those years ago. Not that she’d ever registered as an animagus; officially, her ability to transfigure herself had never gone that far. Unofficially, it was how she had managed to slip into Malfoy Manor and open the wards which had allowed Harry, Ron and the Aurors to enter. It wasn’t something she did often now, only once in a while, just to keep her skills from rusting. She doubted that her being able to do so would even cross Harry’s, or Ron’s, mind.Serious once more, she stood and faced him. “Please, Professor. I promise I won’t get in your way. I just need some time to finish researching my latest book and have it published in time for the next conference. I’ve barely got eighteen months to do so. You’ll never know I’m here.”Snape scowled. “I seriously doubt that, Miss Granger. But since you’ve claimed Sanctuary, I cannot, in good conscience, deny you.” He scoffed. “As you say, Misters Weasley and Potter will never think of your coming here to me. Do you need much time to gather your belongings?”Hermione shook her head. “They’re in my satchel.”Snape’s face froze. “Of course.”Hermione shook her head. “If you hadn’t agreed, Professor, I would have headed for Oxford and hidden there as a Muggle doing research. I didn’t know if you would accept me and I certainly didn’t depend on it.” She slipped her hands into her sleeves and made him a formal bow. “But I thank you, Professor. I thank you very much for your generosity. And I promise I will not abuse it.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Though he had withdrawn from public view, Snape wasn’t kept out of touch with the wizarding world. He had his subscriptions to the Daily Prophet, the Quibbler, Witch’s Weekly. That last he perused only occasionally before handing over to Mindy for the elves’ delight.So he was aware of the occasional kerfuffle Granger’s progression through Arithmancy ranks was causing. Her first book had set more than a few arithmancic noses out of joint, a rare occurrence for a world that was almost as isolated as he had chosen to be.He had always thought it was not happenchance that Hogwarts had its Arithmancy classes at the top of a tower while Potions was in the dungeon. That tower would not have been out of place had it been made of ivory.Pure science versus practical science.Abstract theory versus visual evidence.Head in the cloud versus nose in the cauldron.Ne’er the twain would meet.And into this insular world of old Masters and Mistresses had come Hermione Granger, who was, by Arithmancy standards, still a babe pulling at her mother’s breast.Well, the “babe” had taught them a thing or two.Snape snickered in the privacy of his library. Not that he would ever mention it to her, but the day that he had read that a student of his had managed to become a Mistress of Arithmancy at the unheard age of 40, he had willing forgiven her for all the times she had irritated the hell out of him.Yes, she had been a know-it-all in his classes. Even the N.E.W.T. level classes had barely challenged her. Had it not been for Draco Malfoy, who, after O.W.L.s, had suddenly revealed a competitive spirit that had pleased Snape as much as it had annoyed Granger...But Arithmancy suited Granger’s temperament far better than Potions or Charms, even the realm of Transfiguration that Minerva had been so keen on Granger entering.And it would seem the adult Granger was not interested in the practical unless it interfered with her plans in some way. Then she dealt with it, in a way that was her arithmancic version of practical. Why else hunt out a professor she had barely been able to tolerate in order to get away from her friends?She’d promised not to get in his way and, in a manner of speaking, she kept her promise.Still, it took some getting used to, this having a partner in the morning sharing a first cup of tea. Well, coffee for her.Fortunately, like himself, she did not require conversation in the morning. Had she, he would have had to insist that she take breakfast in her room. But she joined him, whether for breakfast or supper – they never seemed to meet for lunch – a book or a journal in hand and, other than a polite nod of acknowledgement, didn’t expect more of him.Once the meal was over, she disappeared into her room or into the library. Either way, he neither heard her nor saw her. It truly was as though she wasn’t there. But, of course, she was.On the fourth day, she did wonder, as he rose to leave the breakfast table, if he might not happen to have a copy of “Arithmancy Tables, circa 1651? I seem to have left mine at home and I need to verify some information.”Snape thought as he rolled up the International Journal of Potions Mastery he had been reading. “Third stack over, left end, towards the bottom.”She looked surprised.“It’s among some of the books I inherited from the Headmaster. It was his Minor while at Salisbury. You may find other tomes there of interest to you. All that I ask is that you treat them with the care they deserved.”Well, uninvited guest though she might have been, there was no need to keep her away from his library. He wasn’t that petty about her use of Sanctuary.Of course, Dobby and the other house elves were delighted to have her around. His needs were few and, though they took excellent care of him, he knew that they looked upon the presence of another person as a rare treat. A very rare threat. Other than Poppy Pomfrey’s annual inspection of him, he had no other visitors.Mindy’s suppers were far fancier than they had been. Granger sent her compliments to Mindy for every meal and thanked Dobby with real pleasure when some favourite of long ago showed up. He suspected that she was uncomfortable with the presence of the other elves, what with her old commitment to S.P.E.W., but she said nothing to him, or to the elves themselves.Ola was sadly complimentary on the fact that she kept her room and the bathroom she used neat and tidy. Clim relished the fact that there was someone who really appreciated his flowers; small bouquets of them were now appearing on the table, sideboards and, no doubt, the rooms Granger used.Though between himself and his guest, there was very little conversation, Snape found that he was growing used to her presence very quickly.However, Granger was proved wrong when she said that no one would think of looking for her here.Snape looked up from the morning’s mail to stare at her until he’d got her attention.“What?”Like him, Granger was not prone to sentences until at least her second coffee, which she required to be as strong as he took his tea, also preferably in a large mug.“We are to be honoured with a visit from the Minister’s office.”She laid her book flat on the table and picked up her mug with both hands.He found it interesting that she didn’t inquire any further. For someone who had always had her hand up in his classes, who had lived – and still did – with her nose in a book, she had finally learnt to wait for information.“From the Deputy Minister himself.”“Percy Weasley!” Then she frowned. “Does the letter say why?”Snape looked down at the missive written with pompous formality. “No. Merely that he’ll Apparate here this morning around eleven.” He looked back at her. “It would be prudent that he not find any traces of your presence. I shall be meeting with him in the library.”Granger nodded, still frowning, obviously worrying over the visit. The elves had set up a table for her by one of the windows, which she used whenever she was researching in the library, always when he was busy in his laboratory. He was confident that, by the time Weasley arrived, there would be no signs of her in the library, or indeed on this floor.He rose to his feet. There should, however, be time for him to continue his experimentation on a potion before Weasley arrived. On his way out of the breakfast room, he paused. “I believe that should one sit quietly by the old heating vent in the bedroom to the left of yours, one could probably hear all conversation occurring in the library.”ssSSss Percy Weasley had changed mainly in that his face was more ferretty than Snape remembered. Unlike his younger brother, Ron, he still had a full head of hair, though it seemed less red than it had once been. He wore his position proudly and obviously. In the history of all the Weasleys who had gone to work for the Ministry, he had been the one to attain the highest rank. Snape did not doubt that he made much of that fact.“Snape. Thank you for seeing me.”And with a tone even more pompous than he had used as a student.Snape gestured to the chair that someone – it had to be Granger; its positioning was almost directly under the old heating vent – had set up in front of his desk. He waited until Weasley had settled his robe with its insignia of office to his own satisfaction before taking his chair behind his desk.“I’m certain that you won’t mind if I get straight to the matter.”Snape smiled coldly. “Not at all. I’m certain that we both have better things to do with our time.”Weasley nodded, not having picked up the sarcasm. Or perhaps just ignoring it. “It’s about the celebrations for the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Victory over the Dark Lord.”Snape fought the urge to roll his eyes. Dead twenty-five years and still so few people dared to call the wizard by his name. But he only nodded, waiting for the point of this visit.“Are we to assume that once more you will not be participating at any of the planned events?”“That is a very safe assumption, Mr. Weasley...”So the fact that Snape hadn’t use his title offended, did it? Well, too bloody bad!“...Since no one has bothered to send me an invitation. Is that why you are here? To assure yourself of that fact? I would have thought that Potter and your brother...”He was interrupted by a dismissive wave of Weasley’s hand. “Yes, yes. You made your position quite clear. It is merely that the new Minister for Magic feels that since you still seem disinterested in picking up your Order of Merlin, First Class...”The slight sneer on the word ‘first’ indicated to Snape that some people still did not think him deserving of that level of honour, even if he had been the only one among them able to spy upon Voldemort’s inner circle. He forced his thoughts away from that time. As he had maintained to Granger, he liked to think that he had moved on. So all he did was raise a cool eyebrow and look bored.Weasley slipped a hand into one of his inside pockets and pulled out a narrow case. He looked at it, made a small moue of disapproval and, with no more than that, he leaned over and placed the case on the desk in front of Snape.Snape waited until Weasley glared at him to pick it up and open it. The Order of Merlin, First Class, sat resplendent on its black velvet bed. He said nothing, merely looked at it then snapped the case shut and placed it back on the desktop.Snape rested his chin on the tip of his steepled hands. “I was under the impression that unless the recipient was dead, one could only receive this honour in the presence of the Minister and representatives of the Wizengamot.”Weasley nodded, his face coldly disapproving. “Yes. In your case, there has been an exception made. Madam Minister, as you may know, is fairly new to the office. In one of the briefings we had on the celebrations, it was indicated that you still hadn’t picked up your award. She insisted that, after twenty-five years, you shouldn’t have to come pick it up. So she assigned me to deliver it to you.”And that rankled, Snape could tell. A Deputy Minister being assigned to deliver an award, like some common delivery boy. It was quite obvious that Weasley felt such an assignment was beneath him.Snape looked at the case. If he remembered well, he had taught Roberta Thruffington’s daughter. A Ravenclaw, like her mother. They tended to like to tie up loose strings.“Please thank Madam Minister on my behalf.”“Yes, I shall.” Weasley made to rise and then settled back in his chair. Snape braced himself; now they would come to the real reason for the visit. He had no doubt that Weasley would have sent some underling to deliver the Order unless there had been a second, more important reason for the Deputy Minister to come himself.“Tell me, Snape, have you had any contact with Hermione Granger in recent times?”Snape sat back in his chair, affecting surprise. “Granger? Why would I have any reason to be in contact with Granger? Or, for that matter, she with me?”Weasley shrugged, as though it were not anything important. “It’s just that Madam Minister would like her to attend this celebration. She wants to present the three responsible for the destruction of the Dark Lord with a special award commemorating the event.”Well, that explained a few things. Potter and the other Weasley’s meeting and the manner of it. Their behaviour and attitude had been guaranteed to keep him from the celebrations, had he ever considered attending.Guaranteed that there would be no need to acknowledge a former Death Eater had had anything to do with the reason for the celebration.Long gone but, after all this time, he still had his enemies.Did that explain the delivery of his Order of Merlin? His pay-off for not forcing them to recognise his contribution officially?Maybe it also explained the reason for this Weasley’s presence. He obviously had wanted to offer that slight himself, in person. But Granger must have truly hidden her tracks if they were reduced to coming to him for information.Snape brought out what he thought of as his Death Eater’s smile. It pleased him to see that it could still affect the self-important twit sitting suddenly wary in his chair, under his roof. He stood up and gestured to the door. “I would warrant that Miss Granger has far more important things to do than to contact me, Mr. Weasley. Now then, if you will excuse me, I have a potion awaiting me. It’s at a delicate stage of experimentation and requires my full attention. Once more, offer my thanks to the Minister for her...consideration in sending the Order to me and I bid you good-day.”He watched as Weasley rose, wrapped his robe around himself and, sniffing with disdain, Disapparated back to his office.Snape picked up the case with his Order and opened it. He stared at the medallion, waiting to feel something at seeing it in his hands after all this time. Pleasure or vindication, even anger.Nothing. Absolutely nothing.He opened the top side drawer and, with a snap of its cover, tossed the case in. With a snort, he shut the drawer. He used his wand to re-establish the wards then headed for his laboratory and the waiting potion.ssSSss He was carefully checking the potion’s response to the addition of pulverised billy fly stings when there was a knock on the laboratory door. He paused, staring into the liquid that was slowly turning a vibrant green. He should have expected this; she wasn’t the kind to let what she’d heard lie.He dropped the rest of the powder into the cauldron and reached for his stirring spoon. “Come in.”“You don’t have any wards set up on your laboratory.”Snape glared over his shoulder as he mentally counted. She was just inside, standing on the landing that led down the stairs to the working section of his laboratory.He ignored her as he finished counting to 200. He placed the spoon down and turned, a little surprised to find that Granger was sitting on the top step, elbows on knees, her chin propped up on her fisted hands.“Until now,” he growled, “I haven’t needed any. The entire house is protected independent of the property wards. The reason Weasley sent the letter was not just to notify me of his visit, but so that the anti-Apparation wards on both property and house could be temporarily released.”He waited for her to comment on the density of his wards, but she said nothing. He rested back against the nearest counter and watched her as she examined his laboratory.It had been a workshop of some kind when he’d bought the small estate. Because of the property’s tendency to slope by the house, it was more than a level but not quite two. He’d designed his laboratory to take advantage of that. The deeper, farther end was where he’d set up his fires and working space. Along the two longer sides, at the lower level, he’d had built, on one side, a series of deep cupboards that housed his large implements, like the vats he sometimes used for certain potions, or the jars and bottles he used to store finished potions. The other side had bins and drawers for the storage of supplies that he used in great quantity. The counter tops were re-enforced to bear the weight of the second set of narrower cupboards and other storage cabinets, along with a walkway so that he could access these from the upper landing. The compartment under the stairway held storage for light-sensitive material and a door that led to the cold room built under ground.“What are you working on?”Snape wondered how long before she got to the point she wanted to make. “A potion for dealing with the deterioration of the mind.”“A cure?”Snape shook his head. Of course, she would be interested. When was she not? “More of a way of slowing down the deterioration. The medi-scientists I am working with have not yet located the exact cause. Until they do, it is hoped that this potion may help to prevent further degeneration.”“I had been wondering what you’d been doing with yourself all these years. I couldn’t see you without a potion at hand.”Snape shrugged but said nothing.“I think it stinks.”Snape blinked. The aroma coming from the cauldron was not pleasant but it wasn’t that bad.“Not the potion,” she added.Snape slipped his hands into his sleeves. So she was referring to the situation. “That’s the way it is.”“That’s why I want nothing to do with it. Except that, right now, I’m tempted to go just to use the opportunity to remind everyone exactly how much they owe you.”Snape felt a relaxing of some tension in him. He suddenly remembered that, when Granger felt strongly about something, her voice trembled. The vibrato in her words erased the insult of Weasley’s visit.“Don’t bother. Not on my account. I prefer that they should forget about me. Moreover, I have a particular dislike of crowds. But now that you know the reason they want you...”Granger’s snort gave him pause. “Is that why you never went to pick up the Order, because you hate crowds?”Snape straightened; he now also remembered her tenacity. “No.”He owed her no explanation and yet he felt that maybe she, of all people, just might understand.“No. My name was put up for the Order, First Class, because Albus Dumbledore insisted upon it. And since he was a dying hero, the then Minister acquiesced to his demands. The reason I was actually given it was because they thought that I, too, was then dying. And as we all know, Albus did but I didn’t. I doubt that I would have been received at any time with open arms had I decided to pick up my Order.”She lowered her hands. “You deserved that award. The Headmaster knew it. Even if they deny it now, Harry and Ron knew it. I certainly I know it. Without you...”He waved her sincerity away. “Let us be honest about this, Miss Granger. There were some at the time who thought – and probably still do – that I should have been more thoroughly investigated. The Ministry closed Slytherin House for twelve years after the end of the war, just to keep the few Slytherins left, even the innocent ones, from congregating together. Even now the Head of Slytherin House reports regularly to the Head of the Aurors.”A fact that even now had the ability to send Poppy into rants about honour and fairness and forgiveness.“One of the reasons I was not sent to trial was that my injuries were such that it took over two years for me to recover. I spent that time in seclusion, far out of public eye. And when I do go out, I am careful not to attract attention to myself. The incident in the apothecary shop occurred during one of the few sorties I have made to Diagon Alley in these many years.”Granger frowned, not happy with the situation but obviously not willing to debate his conclusions with him. “Wait a moment! There’s a purse that goes with the Award. Percy...”Snape shook his head. “Leave it be, Miss Granger. I have more than sufficient to deal with my needs. And I am well paid for the work I do with the medical community. Even if I my part is not officially recognised.”She cocked her head and sighed sadly. It amused him that she was upset on his behalf.“Is it enough to support this estate as well as your needs?”He froze and wondered if this was truly why she had come back into his life. His voice bare of emotion, he said, “The money used to purchase this estate was left to me by Albus Dumbledore.” Then suddenly angry at the events of the day and what he suspected was coming next, he added, “For some reason, maybe to appease his conscience about the way he’d misused Slytherin House during his days as Headmaster, he made me his sole heir. The Ministry is well aware of this fact.”Her eyebrow rose high and he waited for her to snap at him. She’d become very good at snapping at him in those last days of the war. She didn’t disappoint him. “And just how,” her voice as cold as his, “did Albus Dumbledore misuse Slytherin House?”He walked up to the foot of the stairs and glared up at her, surprised to find that, even after all these years, it still rankled. “With his blatant, unjust favouring of Gryffindor. With his overlooking Gryffindor’s flagrant breaking of the rules. With his turning a blind eye to the fact that, by doing so, he was alienating and even pushing some Slytherins into Voldemort’s camp.”Granger paled at the accusation but met him head on. “Harry had to be trained for his role in Voldemort’s death. If that seemed like Gryffindor was being favoured...”He moved up several steps until they were eye to eye. “There were some who would have come over to the Light had the Headmaster encouraged them to do so. Instead...” He took a deep breath to deal with the pain that always arose whenever he thought of this. “Instead I got to stand by and watch as people I knew and cared for died for a cause they never should have sided with.”The bitterness in his voice shocked him but he couldn’t stop it.“Instead I was privileged to put my life on the line for people who never wanted to recognise the fact and never believed that I was working for them. That I might believe as they did. All because I was one of those disavowed Slytherins. After all, why would a Slytherin...” he spat the word as he had last heard it from the mouth of Ron Weasley, “...a so-called former Death Eater, work for the Light unless he had a hidden agenda?”“That’s downright silly.” The fatuousness of her comment stopped him. “There’s no way that anyone from the Order of the Phoenix who worked with you in those days could believe...”She had the intelligence to stop there, knowing that her statement was far from true.He consciously pulled himself back from long-gone days and slipped his hands into his sleeves. He turned his back to her and went down the stairs to his cauldron. “Then I suggest you have a little talk with those major disappointments to wizardry, Misters Potter and Weasley.” ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- He truly expected her to leave then. To stand up and stalk out. Maybe even throw some insult his way for his disparaging of her friends. Instead she remained where she was, examining her hands. He was checking the consistency of the contents of the cauldron when she finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Professor. You’re right. Unfortunately. And sadly. I can’t speak for the others, but for myself, I thank you.”He looked around at her and was taken aback by the sadness in her face. “You’re right, of course. Albus was too taken with keeping the Boy Who Lived alive to see the consequences of his actions. In his defense, may I say that he’d fought one Dark Lord and wanted to win against this second one. And, yes, the cost was far too high. As for your risking your life, I know about that first hand. And you should have been publically thanked for that as well. There’s no excuse...”Oh, Merlin! The last thing he wanted to be was the focus of a Granger crusade. Snape shook his head, stopping her. He couldn’t infuse his voice with forgiveness, but he did draw out the cold. “Past history, Miss Granger. Let’s leave it there, shall we?”She watched him with those intense eyes of hers while he waited for her response. “All right. It shall be as you ask. But do you think you could bring yourself to call me Hermione? This ‘Miss Granger’ stuff makes me feel...old. I’m only 44, nowhere near ready for the Old Witches’ Home.”Snape took a good look at her. No, she was nowhere ready for that. She had the colouring and bone structure of someone who would always look younger than they were. Yet, the face had gained a maturity that allowed her to be taken seriously as the expert she was, in spite of her relatively young age. Most of the highly respected Masters or Mistresses of Arithmancy were a good 40 to 50 years her elder. She’d even managed to tame that bush of hair, as she now wore it cut as a cap of curls. He nodded. “Then you must call me Severus. We are no longer professor and student.She managed a small smile, her eyes warning him. “No longer commander and canon-fodder.”He could feel his eyebrow rising high at that. So she hadn’t forgotten that last argument of theirs. She had wanted to infiltrate some Voldemort nest and he’d forbidden it. She’d yelled at him that all he wanted her to be was common canon-fodder, not use her talents as they should be. And he’d yelled back that if he wanted to use her as such then such she’d be.It was the ultimate irony that her talents had been what had saved him.“Exactly. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some testing to do.”And this time she did leave the laboratory. Snape sighed. He could feel a headache coming on. It had been a while since he’d had one, but then it had been a while since his life had been honoured with so many visitors in so short a while.ssSSssThings went back to normal. They grunted their “good mornings” and Hermione worked in her room unless the library was free. She was impressed by the quality of Snape’s library; there were a lot fewer books than the one at Hogwarts, but they were the best of their kind. She found that often, as she was looking for a specific volume, she would find others, not necessarily in her specialty, that caught her interest.The Potions section comprised the main part of Snape’s collection; that was to be expected. What took her a little by surprise were the journals that filled a portion of his shelves. Journals from all over the wizarding world. As near as she could tell, most of them dealt with potions, but there were others as well. In fact, she was outright stunned to find a rare Arabic journal on Arithmancy that she had been trying to track down for years.Hermione had never questioned Snape’s intelligence, but she was now more aware of the diversity of his interests. The newer journals were not just there for show, they had been read. And annotated, in typical Snape manner; lots of dark, bold writing – with exclamation marks – in the margins.She began paying more attention to her host. It had been obvious that Percy’s visit had upset him. He’d come into the dining room with a slightly hesitant gait to sit to the evening meal with pale face and furled brow. Mindy had come into the room, taken one look at him and ordered him to bed.Dear heavens! The thought of anyone ordering the old Snape she knew to bed. And of him slowly rising from his place, excusing himself and actually listening! And that someone an elf!Hermione had wondered if her mouth would close long enough to eat. Heavens, she still shook her head over the memory.She also began watching Snape with his elves. He, of all people, would remember how she felt about house elves and their enforced service. Slytherins had teased often enough about S.P.E.W. Dobby had often tried to explain to her that elves never felt it was forced, that it was something they enjoyed doing.Maybe, but she was certain that it depended on the master.Well, it would seem that these house elves had finally found the right master. One whom she would never have considered in a month of Sundays as able to be not just the right master, but a kind one as well. One who enjoyed their company.Why else would he be out in the orchard, picking up wind-fall apples and other fruit with them?Hermione walked closer to the solarium windows so that she could get a better look. Breakfast had been waiting for her when she’d come down this morning, but there’d been no one else about. A flash of colour had got her attention and drawn her to the windows.There were the elves, dressed in their usual vibrant colours, laughing and squealing with delight as they rummaged around the leaves, locating fruit and filling baskets with them. And there was Severus Snape, not in his usual garb, but in – she squinted to make certain she was seeing what she was – what appeared to be black twills and a heavy black sweater. He was using his wand to move the baskets from tree to tree, or – and here she rubbed her eyes to make certain she was actually seeing what she thought she was – rounding up the leaves into small piles that one or another of the elves was jumping into as they were done with one area.Just as Hermione was wondering if they would object to knowing that she was watching them, Ola turned around just then and caught sight of her. With a cheerful wave, the elf invited her to join them.Hermione thought a moment then put her coffee down and ran up to her room to change into Muggle jeans and a heavy top.The air was crisp with the definite scent of autumn. She hummed a little tune, more to warn the others that she was approaching. Dobby looked up from the scattered leaves that were slowly coming down on his head and grinned at her. “Miss Hermione!”Snape turned to watch her join them, no expression that she could discern on his face. He cocked his head and raised that bloody eyebrow. She slowed and wondered if her presence meant he would return inside. Instead, he merely said, “I see that I’m not the only one who allows himself to be bossed around.” Then he went back to moving the filled baskets to a small outbuilding that she’d noticed on her walks over the property.“You needs fresh air,” chirped Ola, not at all taken by Snape’s attitude.“You needs to work if you wants apple pie and apple butter and apple cider,” Mindy giggled.Hermione nodded as she indicated the apples still in the trees. “When do those get picked?”“Clim decides that,” Snape commented. “As he does anything that concerns the gardens. We exist but to hear and obey.”The elves found that very funny and even Snape managed a smile. Hermione concluded it was some in-joke and bent to pick up a bruised apple.It was that day working with Snape and the elves that gave her the idea. Well, not exactly gave. She’d been playing around with it for some time, over the last few years. But whenever she’d thought of taking it further, something had always happened for her to shove it back into its corner of her brain. There had been some new idea to develop into a concept thereby requiring more research. And the dictates of her profession always took precedence over her personal life. Then the death of her parents had made it less...urgent than it had once been.She brought it out that afternoon after a quick lunch of mugs of pumpkin soup and cheese sandwiches, eaten in the spell-warmed spot under the trees with her co-workers, and found herself making a mental list of fors and againsts. She examined her list, moving some elements from one side to the other, as they collected more of the fruits and some vegetables from various beds on the property, to stack in the building that was, in fact, a cold house, due to the wards Snape had cast upon it.Hermione laughed with Mindy when Snape grouched about how it would require at least a couple of apple pies for him to recoup the energy these spells were draining from him. She marveled over the soft berries that were perfectly preserved for whichever time and purpose Mindy would decide to use them. And she was stunned to hear the elf tease her master about his fondness for blackberry preserves.“No matter how good a harvest we have in them, we never have any jars left come the next season. And we elves,” Mindy confided loudly to Hermione, all the time keeping laughing eyes on Snape, “are not all that fond of blackberry preserves, you know.”The new Snape only protested softly, “If you didn’t make them so good...”Supper that evening was more soup and thick roast beef sandwiches, for all, in the parlour. Which Hermione discovered was a fairly regular happening when Snape didn’t have guests. Not on his orders, but because the elves felt it wasn’t proper to do so in front of visitors.“They like you,” Snape said as he handed her a second piece of apple pie. “They don’t like to show themselves to just anyone.” Hermione could understand that as she had heard from Dobby about their previous master. “And they’ve never blessed Poppy with such an honour as allowing her to join us in a meal.”And that was one of the things that finally decided her. That Severus Snape, that most Slytherin of Slytherins, the bane of her school days, the man who once ordered others about with no regard for their feelings, was conscious of the honour of his house elves, a concept that Hermione felt certain was beyond most wizards and witches of the magical world.ssSSssMindy outdid herself for Hermione’s last supper under Sanctuary. Snape himself offered her a toast, “To the success of your coming book and may it set off many a turbulent dispute among Arithmancers, who have deluded themselves into thinking they have discovered all there is to know.”Hermione laughed; Severus Snape would offer a toast that indicated he was well aware of her secret love of challenging the norms of the Arithmancy community. Why was she not surprised that he would have deciphered that about her, a mere month after all those years of not having contact with her?She raised her glass and saluted him. Somehow the fact that this was her last night under his roof seemed to have loosened something within Severus Snape. He was actually smiling at her. A rather nice smile, now that she had time to look at it.Maybe he had been right to pull away from the wizarding world; it had certainly lessened his snarky bitterness. In fact, other than the day of Percy’s visit, she had heard none of the snap and snarl that had coloured his voice all those years ago.Maybe, Hermione accepted that her glass be refilled, this was a good idea after all. Maybe he would see it in the spirit in which she meant it.They had adjourned to the parlour, for cognac, when Snape, slouched spinelessly in his chair, asked, “So, was this Sanctuary all that you wished it to be?”Hermione slipped off her shoes and curled up, feet under her, in a corner of the couch that faced his chair. “Very much so. In fact, I got so much accomplished that I’m ahead of the schedule I set for myself.” She tipped her glass towards him, “I have you to thank for that.”He accepted her toast with a small nod of his head then sipped at his drink. “You were a good guest, Hermione, and I know the elves will miss you greatly.”Hermione smiled and wondered aloud, “Only the elves?” Before he could answer, she went on, “I, for one, have discovered just how comfortable you are. Funny,” she cocked her head as she contemplated him, “looking back on the times we spent together, I never would have thought of you and comfort being synonymous.”Snape’s laugh was a little rough, as though he weren’t certain how to handle her compliment.“Mind,” she continued, “it does allow me to wonder if there might be another favour I could request of you.”Snape smirked. “No, I will not gift you with that copy of the Arabian journal. Besides which, by now, you must have it memorized.”She smiled. “Yes, I have. And, no, that is not the request.”Snape waited for her to say more and when she didn’t, only looking, she hoped, mysterious about the matter, he prodded her. “Well, then, ask. At worst, I shall only say no.”Hermione put down the now empty glass on the small table that stood next to the couch. She placed her hands on her lap and looked at him with what she knew was her mother’s ‘we must have a serious talk’ face.“I would like you to impregnate me.” And as he blinked, not certain what he was hearing, she added, “Tonight, before I leave. The timing is right for me and...”“You want me to what?”He wasn’t yelling so he still wasn’t certain that she wasn’t joking. “You heard me. I want you to impregnate me.” And she waited for the fireworks.They didn’t come. He was too stunned for fireworks. She doubted that she had ever seen Severus Snape at such a loss for words. She decided to take advantage of it and put forth her reasons.“Severus, I am 44 years old. Old for conception by Muggle standards, close to it by witch’s. I have been thinking of this for the last several years. I want a child.”“A child?” He rose to his feet, face pale. “You want me to give you a child?”She met his incredulity right on. “Why not? You are everything I would want in the sire of my child. You are an expert in your field, a wizard of great powers, and no one can challenge your intelligence. Though it smacks of arrogance and elitism, I would want my child to have a chance at intelligence from both of its parents.”Snape paced before the fire then turned on her. “You’re crazy!”Hermione shrugged. “Yes, there are some who think so. But I doubt that I am less sane than most of my generation.” She allowed her voice to firm. “And I know what I want.”“A child? You want a child by me?” He still hadn’t moved into anger, but his voice was beginning to heat up. “Me? The greasy git of your nightmares?!”“Severus!” she snapped. That she had done so, so startled Snape that he stopped pacing.She used her mother’s voice. “Sit down and listen to me.”Interesting to note that worked. Was he really so taken aback by her request that he was that malleable? “Let me make this perfectly clear. I want you to impregnate me, not marry me. Once that is done, I will leave this house and you will probably never see me again.”“Never see you again?”Hermione nodded. “This child is for me only. You will not be asked to have anything to do with it. I have no intentions of claiming you as the father or asking that you help support it or us. I will give you my word that I shall not even reveal to the child who its father is. You will not be bothered by either myself or the child. I give you my solemn word on that.”“Your solemn word?” Sneered.She allowed herself to glare at him. She had to keep control of this conversation; she knew him well enough to know that if she didn’t, she wouldn’t get what she wanted. “I am still a Gryffindor, Severus. You know that when I give you my word, I keep it.”Hermione leaned forward and changed tactics slightly; honey and not vinegar. She softened her voice. “Severus, I want a child. Not a husband. I want my career. I want the pleasures associated with my work. And I want to know the joy of being a parent, of raising a child, of protecting it, of seeing it progress through whatever life it chooses for itself. But I don’t want a man interfering with either my life, my work or my child.”“Interfering?”She nodded, watching the old scorn take life in his eyes.“And wouldn’t a child interfere with your life and work?”She was almost relieved to be dealing with Snape of her youth. She had a pretty good idea on how to deal with him; the new Snape was still too much of an unknown. “No. Because it would be my child. And my child could never be an interference.”Snape’s sneer challenged her intelligence, as it always had. “And what makes you think I would do this for you? Give you a child? Why would I even want to?”Hermione sighed. She had hoped that he would be more amenable. She really didn’t have the time to argue this out with him. He was a veteran arguer; she had listened to him tear arguments apart far too often and too well when they had been battling Voldemort. If she allowed him an opening, he would grab it to come up with measures and countermeasures until it was too late. Her curtain of opportunity was short and it had to be now, within the next few hours. If she truly wanted this – and to some surprise, she did – she would have to pull out the big guns.“You owe it to me.”And suddenly, the Severus Snape of her first year was there, in that chair, in all his fearsome glory. “I OWE YOU!”She winced but nodded.“And how the bloody hell have you come to that delusion?!”“Life debt.”His mouth opened but nothing came out.She took advantage of that to clarify the matter. “I’m the one who found you. I’m the one who kept you alive until you could be taken to St. Mungo’s. I’m the one who went and got Poppy Pomfrey to force them to save your life when they refused to work on you.”Leaning forward, meeting him eye to eye, glare for glare, she affirmed, “You are alive because of me, Severus Snape, and I am calling in that debt.”His honour. She had been counting on his honour and his hatred of owing.He sputtered a little more but they both knew he would do it. What other choice did he have, he who hated owing? And she made it clear that all that was required of him was his participation in the act. Nothing more. And if she didn’t get pregnant, that was still the end of it. Not that he would ever know. She would never get in touch with him in any manner or form. She even wrote it all down for him, just so that he would have something to use against her should she ever try to contact him for any reason.He didn’t rape her. Not that she would have blamed him if he had. She had, after all, rendered him powerless to resist her request. He had to be angry, even if he hid it well behind a mask of emotional coldness.But it seemed that he had left whatever of him that was Death Eater back in the hell hole of Malfoy Manor, the night Voldemort had discovered that one of his Inner Circle was a spy. The night Severus Snape had been given over to Lucius Malfoy for the pleasure of the Dark Lord and his Right Hand.Still, it wasn’t an experience she’d ever care to repeat. He sent her to get ready in her room and came to her. Dressed in his nightshirt. He insisted on the room being unlit and she complied, wanding out the fire and the lamps.He was awkward. Obviously ill at ease. He didn’t remove her nightgown nor his nightshirt. There wasn’t much foreplay and she had to use her hands to get him hard enough for penetration. At least she had thought of lubrication because her body didn’t produce enough to make it easy.The fact of it was embarrassing for both of them and she found she was glad that he had wanted darkness.No sooner had he caught his breath from coming than he was off her. The door closed softly behind him; she discovered she would have preferred to hear it slam.She waited an hour, not moving, just staring at the canopy of the bed, mind blank, before she got up and dressed, draping her satchel over her shoulder.At the front door, she turned to look back up the stairs and caught sight of Mindy in the hallway, watching her with a tear-stained face.Damn. She’d forgotten that house elves knew everything that happened under their roof.She nodded to the elf but Mindy abruptly turned her back on Hermione and disappeared into the darkness of the house.Hermione closed the door behind her, as softly as Snape had done, and pulled her hood over her head. As fate would have it, it was raining, as it had been for her arrival.She rested her back against the door as she raised her face to the cold rain. She found herself smiling as her hand went to her stomach. She gave it a gentle pat. “Welcome,” she whispered.No one noticed the small brown cat that made her way out of the property though the hedge.
10847553
SVT
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": null, "Characters": "Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, Jared Padalecki", "Fandom": "Supernatural", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by ApprovedTrash96", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "888", "Additional Tags": "Supernatural - Freeform, SPN - Freeform, Sick Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Jensen Ackles - Freeform, Misha Collins - Freeform, Jared Padalecki (mentioned) - Freeform, Rob Benedict (mentioned) - Freeform, Richard Speight Jr. (mentioned) - Freeform", "Relationship": "Cockles - Relationship", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
“Alright, I’m just going up to my hotel room. I need to change; photo ops made me all sweaty.” Jared rolled his eyes in mock annoyance before smiling and clapping Jensen on the shoulder.  “Might have a shower too.”     “Fine, but don’t be late for the panel!” Jensen shouted after him as he left the green room.     Jensen took a seat as he waited for his best friend to return.  The other cast members were busy talking to each other or getting ready for their own panels or photo ops.  Jensen could feel his heart racing and thumping hard against his ribcage.  He knew he often got nervous before going out on stage in front of the fans, but this was ridiculous.  Jensen felt dizzy and sat down, taking deep breaths and rubbing his chest, trying to steady himself.     “You alright Jens?” Misha asked, coming to sit next to his friend.  “You don’t look so good.”   Jensen looked up at him and winced.  “My heart is going a mile a minute and I feel dizzy, I don’t think this is just nerves, Mish.” He let out a shaky breath.     Misha placed a comforting hand on the younger man’s shoulders. “Alright, just try and take deep breaths, in and out,” he soothed.     “It’s not working Mish, I’ve been trying for a while now,” he panicked.     “Alright, let’s take you outside for a minute, maybe the fresh air will help.”  Misha helped Jensen stand up and steadied him, as to not draw any attention. They made their way outside, waving off Clif as he tried to follow.     When the pair were outside and away from anywhere they could be spotted by wandering fans, Misha helped his friend to the ground so he was leaning against the wall.     “Just keep taking some deep breaths,” Misha spoke as he picked up Jensen’s wrist. He looked at his watch, counting his friend’s pulse.     “Jensen,” Misha’s voice was clearly panicked but he was trying to remain calm for his friend. “I don’t want you to worry, but your heart rate is 178.”     Jensen’s eyes grew wide, but he still tried to keep his breathing steady.     “Have you had any other symptoms recently?  Any history of heart problems for you or your family?” Misha asked, concern lacing his voice.     “No,” Jensen replied.     “Alright, I think this sounds like SVT.” Misha released a breath.     “Is that bad?”   “No, not usually or when it’s on it’s own.”     “Can you fix it?” Jensen asked, looking up to his friend.     “Yeah, there are a few ways we can.” Misha nodded.     “Well what are we waiting for?  My heart feels like it is going to burst out of my chest,” Jensen exclaimed, placing his hand over his heart for emphasis.     “Okay, well the first involves you putting your face in freezing cold water, but I don’t think Jared or the fans would be happy if you turned up soaking wet and shivering to the panel.” Misha laughed, relieving some of the tension.     “Yeah, not going to happen.”     “Alright, well you can also trigger the vagus nerve by bearing down like you are trying to have a bowel movement,” Misha suggested.     “Yeah, I don’t think the fans would forgive me if I pooped myself Mish.”  That caused Misha to chuckle before he paused in thought again.     “Okay there is one more thing we can try, it’s called carotid massage.”     “Is that dangerous?  It sounds dangerous!” Jensen raised his voice slightly.     “Not if you know what you are doing; and lucky for you, I do,” Misha smiled.  He raised his hands to the younger man’s neck.  “May I?” he asked.     Jensen nodded.     “Alright, I just need you to move your head away and extend your neck,” he spoke gently as he tilted Jensen's head away from him.  “Then I just put my fingers here,” he spoke again as he lifted his hand to his neck and pressed his fingers. He began to massage his friend’s neck in a circular motion.  He pressed his other hand into the small dip in Jensen’s wrist, monitoring his pulse.  The motion only lasted for no more than 10 seconds.  Misha removed his hand from the younger man’s neck, still keeping a firm grip on his radial pulse.  He smiled at Jensen, “There we go.”     Jensen raised his hand over his chest smiling in relief.  “Thanks, man.”     “You feeling better?  Usually it isn’t anything, it’s happened to me once or twice; you’ve just got to know how to stop it, or when it is dangerous enough to go to the hospital,” Misha explained.     Jensen looked at his watch. “Crap, we better get back to the green room - they’ll be wondering where we are.” Jensen shot up, grabbing Misha with him, walking back into the building and down the hall to join their castmates.     As soon as the pair walked into the room Jared approached them.  “Where have you been man, we’re about to go on in...” he paused to look at watch “3 minutes!”     “Just had some pre-con jitters, went outside with Mish to calm down,” Jensen explained, looking over to where Misha was standing.     “You okay now?” Jared asked concerned.     “Yeah, I’m good.”     Jared put a hand around Jensen and lead him to the stage as they heard their names being announced by Rob and Rich.
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{ "Archive Warning": null, "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Red (Pokemon), Ookido Green | Blue Oak, Blue (Pokemon), Yellow (Pokemon), Gold (Pokemon), Silver (Pokemon), Crystal (Pokemon), Ruby (Pokemon), Odamaki Sapphire | Sapphire Birch, Emerald (Pokemon), Diamond (Pokemon), Pearl (Pokemon), Platinum Berlitz", "Fandom": "Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by Seto_kun", "chapters": "11/?", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-08T00:00:00", "words": "7,987", "Additional Tags": "Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Ookido Green | Blue Oak/Red, Gold/Silver (Pokemon)", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": "Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death", "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Red laid back and looked over to his computer. He remembered Green telling him about blogging. "It's really fun." He said. "It also helps get your feelings out." Curious, Red got up and looked up blogs, he decided to settle with Tumblr. He quickly set up his username and password. It wasn't long before Red made his first post.ICanLieAboutI Nobody Understands!No one understands me...I hate myself...I want to die...if I was gone tomorrow would anybody care? I hate my life...I just cut myself again...it was deeper than before but it stopped bleeding after a few minutes...Red looked at the screen, it said he had a message. He clicked on the icon.ReadyForMyDreams asked you:Hey! I understand what you're going through! I've been there. If you want to have someone to talk to then I'm here for you. Email me at [email protected]!Red blinked. Did someone just email me? Did someone really just email me? Red quickly sent a reply.ICanLieAboutIThank you...sometimes I just feel like I'm so alone...email me at [email protected]. I really am glad that I have someone to talk to.Red felt a small smile light up his face. I'm feeling so much better now!ICanLieAboutI I Feel Loved!Oh geez, so many people are now following me. I feel so loved! Thank you all. I love you. Please feel free to ask me anything!AndYouCantStopMeFromFallingApart asked you:How does it feel when you cut yourself? Does it make you feel better? For me it makes me feel so much relief!ICanLieAboutII just feel like...I feel like...I feel like I'm still here, alive...still suffering...I feel like I have to make sure I'm still living or else I'll disappear...SoManyFeels asked you:When was the first time you started to cut? Why did you cut then?ICanLieAboutII was about 10. My rival was taunting me...I feel like nothing so I grabbed a piece of glass and sliced my skin...it felt good to me...WhySoSerious asked you:I LOVE YOU!! PLEASE DON'T CUT!!!ICanLieAboutIExcuse me? I'm pretty sure we don't know each other. You barely know me. I don't think you could love me...JustLikeARagingFire asked you:Get your head in the game! Learn to talk rather than cut!ICanLieAboutIWhat? I don't like to talk. I rather cut or blog.JustLikeARagingFire asked you:Then how about blog rather than cut?ICanLieAboutIMaybe...I'm not too sure...I can try...Red sighed and leaned back. This was a good start to his blogging days. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Red closed his eyes. He was getting tired. He was chatting with ReadyForMyDreams, it was so late now. It had to be at least 1:45 am.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: Hi.Hey, again ReadyForMyDreams! How about we chat tomorrow? I'm getting tired now...To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: Hi.Okay, then ICanLieAboutI. I'll chat with you tomorrow. I'm sorry for keeping you up late.Red shut down his laptop and crawled into his bed. He couldn't help but wonder who ReadyForMyDreams really was. Red finally managed to fall asleep.There was a knock at the door. Red groaned and got up. "Give me a minute..." Red mumbled. Red opened the door and saw Green, his rival. "What do you want?" Red asked, struggling to keep his eyes open. "It's 4:00, you said you would meet me and Blue at 2:30," Green said. 4:00? Is it really that late? Red just stared at Green, unsure of what to say. "You never were much of a talker, I get that but you really should stick to your promises," Green said as he turned and left.ICanLieAboutI Stupid Idiot!My stupid friend was being such a jerk! I'm sorry if I couldn't get myself up but I didn't promise anything! I said I would try and meet them! Really you suck Green! Go die in hell!ReadyForMyDreams asked you:What's wrong? If Green's your friend then you shouldn't be yelling at him like that.ICanLieAboutIYeah, you're right. As always. But he really pissed me off!ReadyForMyDreams asked you:I get that but that sometimes happens.ICanLieAboutIYou really can't understand...he's such a jerk to me...ReadyForMyDreams asked you:Please, don't stay angry...talk to me...ICanLieAboutIFine...email me...To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: What's wrong?Come on...tell me what's wrong ICanLieAboutI!To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: What's wrong?My best friend and rival came to my door today. I said I would try to meet him and my other friend Blue today at 2:30. He came to my door at 4. He said that I should really stick to my promises! I didn't promise anything! He's so mean to me! He makes me want to cut...To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: What's wrong?Is he the rival who first made you cut?To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: What's wrong?Yes...Red quickly logged out of his email and went on Tumblr.ICanLieAboutI I'm Such A Shitty FriendI can't believe I got so mad at Green...I hope he can forgive me...Red smiled and shut down his laptop. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- SoManyFeels asked:Heeeyyyy!!! How you doing?????ICanLieAboutIUm hey. I'm good.AndYouCantStopMeFromFallingApart asked:Why do you have to be so sad?ICanLieAboutIExcuse me? Why do you have to be so annoying?!WhySoSerious asked:PLEASE!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEAAAASSSSEEE STOP CUTTING!!ICanLieAboutIOnce again I would like to point out that we don't even know each other so therefore you cannot possibly love me.JustLikeARagingFire asked:Hey! You gonna come and show us some pictures of your cuts?ICanLieAboutII guess I could.ReadyForMyDreams asked:Hey~! You never did tell me what I could call you...I feel so unloved here... :/ You can call me Panny!ICanLieAboutIOh, I'm sorry. I just never thought it mattered Panny. You can call me whatever you would like. Call me...Suki...Red sighed and looked at the screen. Here I could be anyone I would like...I could... Red smiled as an idea hit him. I could pretend to be someone else! Red quickly logged out and made a new account called: HopeForAllHopeForAll Hello everyone~!Hi. My name is HopeForAll. You can call me Reddo. I hope that all of you will be having a good time... Please to all of you cutters out there, you're not alone and there are people who love you.ReadyForMyDreams asked:Hi Reddo!! My name is ReadyForMyDreams, you can call me Panny. My friend on here is named ICanLieAboutI. He cuts. Can you please help him? Email me at [email protected].HopeForAllYour friend eh? I will try my best to try and help him.Red smiled. I can live a lie... ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Red stared at the ground. "YOU'RE JUST SO STUPID!! WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?!" Green yelled. Red stayed silent. "WHY WON'T YOU GET LOST?!" Green screamed as he glared at Red. Red closed his eyes. "Green....you don't have to yell at him..." Blue said. Red opened his eyes and looked at his friend. Blue...she's always so nice... "GET OUT OF HERE RED!! NO ONE LIKES YOU!! NO ONE WANTS YOU!! NO ONE NEEDS YOU!!" Green screamed.Red curled up into a ball. He had just run all the way home. Tears streamed down his face. Why does he have to be so mean?! Red sobbed softly as he tried to let all the feelings out. I'm so unloved...no one wants me...no one needs me...no one would care if I died... Red sat up and looked around the room, he found what he was looking for. The steak knife he kept in his room just in case he ever needed it. Red picked it up and held it to his wrist. No one wants me... Red sliced downwards at his wrist. No one needs me around... Red twisted it in. No one likes me... Red cut in a zigzag line along the vain. Red smiled as the blood poured out. No one will ever care...Red heard the door open but he didn't care. "Red, are you here?" Blue asked. She peered around the house of her old friend. The walls were covered in writing, mostly about death, blood and destruction. Blue was saddened by this display. "Red are you here?" Blue asked again.Red just laid on the ground, not caring that Blue was in his house. The footsteps grew closer. Red heard the doorknob turn and the door opened. "RED!!!" Blue screamed. Red's wrist was slit and there was blood all over Red and the floor. "Oh my god Red! What did you do?! What did you do?!" Blue screamed as she grabbed Red's wrist.Red sat up. He was in the hospital. How did I get here? Red frowned. "Good morning sleepy head!" Came a cheerful voice, Red could tell that there was still sadness in the voice. Red looked over and saw his mother. "M-mom?" Red choked out. "Oh, my baby...how could you do this to me?" She asked. "Mother, please forgive me....I'm so sorry..." Red said.Red typed on the computer.ICanLieAboutI I'm AliveI'm stuck in the hospital...I tried to kill myself but my best friend Blue found me. She must have called 911 or something. My mom is in the room with me...I hate the fact that Blue found me...Red sighed and looked out the window. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- ReadyForMyDreams asked you:Hey Reddo! How are you? Can you please talk to ICanLieAboutI?HopeForAllI guess I could. Did something happen?ReadyForMyDreams asked you:He tried to kill himself...HopeForAllI wish not to get involved...Red sighed and looked at his screen. This was much too hard for him now. Red opened up Google Chrome. He logged in.ICanLieAboutI I'm Used To Being AloneDon't bother to try and save me... I'm not worth it...SoManyFeels asked you:Is something wrong baby?JustLikeARagingFire asked you:Are you going to cry?WhySoSerious asked you:Red... Don't do this!!!AndYouCantStopMeFromFallingApart asked you:Don't ever give up hope!!Golden-Eyed-Breeder asked you:Red! Don't you ever dare fucking scare us like that again! That wasn't cool.ICanCatchThemAll asked you:Red! We heard the news! Don't ever do that!IHateWeaklings asked you:Stupid. You're so stupid Red. Don't give in... Weakling...Anonymous asked you:We all miss you, man.Anonymous asked you:Do you hate us is that why you did that?Red looked at his inbox, so many questions were there. It seemed that somehow one of his friends had found out about his blog and told his other friends and fellow dexholders what had taken place. Red just stared at the screen blankly, he could easily see which was Silver, Crystal and Gold, but the others... The others... He was unsure of the others.ICanLieAboutI Who are you?I'm so sorry... I can't answer all these questions... Please tell me your real names by sending me asks... I can tell who some of you are but others... I'm not too sure of.A few minutes later Red's ask box was filled with replies. This will be interesting... ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- ICanCatchThemAll asked you:Hey Red! It's me, Crystal!Golden-Eyed-Breeder asked you:Yo! This is Gold!IHateWeaklings asked you:It's me Silver.JustLikeARagingFire asked you:This is Ruby! Bet you didn't see that coming!SoManyFeels asked you:Hey Red. It's me Blue.WhySoSerious asked you:Hey! This is Platinum!ReadyForMyDreams asked you:Hiya. My real name? Do you want my real name?AndYouCantStopMeFromFallingApart asked you:Yo. My name is Lucy.FoodIsAmazing asked you:Hey Red! It's me, Diamond! I just recently joined and I want you to understand that you shouldn't do this.JokesAndSeriousness asked you:Red! What is wrong with you?! Why are you doing this???? Oh, by the way, this is Pearl.DontFixMeImNotBroken asked you:Hey Red. You don't need to know my name at all... Just understand that I have been watching you for a while... I know where you live... I know each and every one of your friends and what they do. Trust me, I will hurt them if you don't do what I ask you to.Red blinked. He had to answer some of this questions.ReadyForMyDreams asked you:Hiya. My real name? Do you want my real name?ICanLieAboutIYour real name is fine or you can just stay with me calling you Panny.FoodIsAmazing asked you:Hey Red! It's me, Diamond! I just recently joined and I want you to understand that you shouldn't do this.ICanLieAboutIYou just don't understand Diamond...JokesAndSeriousness asked you:Red! What is wrong with you?! Why are you doing this???? Oh, by the way, this is Pearl.ICanLieAboutIWhat is wrong with me? What is wrong with me? Life is what is wrong. I can't understand why you guys don't get it!Red stopped and started at the ask from DontFixMeImNotBroken. He had no idea how to reply to that. Suddenly a chat showed up on Red's screen.DontNeedToBeFixed:Red...Red...Hey Red...I know what you're doing right now.Answer me!Red...?Red...?Are you there?Red recognized it as a website he had gone on to chat with people before. How this person got his account info was a mystery to Red.TearsOfAnAngel: Are you that person from Tumblr? DontNeedToBeFixed: Finally you answered me! TearsOfAnAngel: Answer my question. DontNeedToBeFixed: Yes. TearsOfAnAngel: How did you find this account? DontNeedToBeFixed: I already told you.I've been watching you for a while.Don't be scared.I won't hurt you...Just yet... TearsOfAnAngel: What do you mean by that? DontNeedToBeFixed: You'll see...I'll start with your friends!Then go on to your family!Then I will take your Pokemon!You will suffer!Suffer! TearsOfAnAngel: WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?!?!?! DontNeedToBeFixed: It doesn't matter Red...I've been watching you...You've been a bad boy...You need to be punished...Get ready... TearsOfAnAngel: I'm going to report you! DontNeedToBeFixedleft the chat.Red's chat opened again.EverybodysFool: Hey Red!How are you doing?I'm so sorry about Tumblr...Red smiled, at least he knew who this was.TearsOfAnAngel: It's okay Blue. Don't worry about it. EverybodysFool: Have you heard from Green lately?He hasn't been on chat in a while. TearsOfAnAngel: No I haven't...So sorry Blue...AnywaysHow are you? EverybodysFool: I'm good.What are you up to? TearsOfAnAngel: I'm just mainly chatting with you and my friend from Tumblr. EverybodysFool: Oh? A new friend?Are they nice? TearsOfAnAngel: Yeah...She's very nice. LastToKnow joined the chat. TearsOfAnAngel: Hey Green! LastToKnow left the chat.LastToKnow joined the chat.LastToKnow: Sorry...My internet is acting up. EverybodysFool: It's okay Green!We were just talking about you! LastToKnow: I noticed.What are you up to Red? TearsOfAnAngel: I'm chatting, that's about it. DontNeedToBeFixed joined the chat.EverybodysFool: Who's that?Do we know you? DontNeedToBeFixed: Blue...Green...Red is going to be punished...You will suffer along with him... TearsOfAnAngel: Just ignore him, guys.He has been bugging me. DontNeedToBeFixed: If I were you I'd run away...And stay far away from Red... LastToKnow: Excuse me?I'm going to report you.And you will be banned. DontNeedToBeFixed: Try it Green...It won't work...I'll just take someone else account... EverybodysFool: What does that even mean? YourCall joined the chat.YourCall: What is going on here? DontNeedToBeFixed left the chat. LastToKnow: Don't worry about it Gold. EverybodysFool: I have to get off...Bedtime for me~ EverybodysFool left the chat. YourCall: Okay then Green!Darn it! I'll be right back!Mom's calling me. YourCall left the chat. LastToKnow: Red...?You still there...?Or did you fall asleep again? TearsOfAnAngel: I'm still here Green.What is it? LastToKnow: I have to tell you something Red... TearsOfAnAngel: What is it Green? LastToKnow left the chat.FallingInTheBlack joined the chat.FallingInTheBlack: Hey Red! TearsOfAnAngel: Hey Yellow. FallingInTheBlack: TearsOfAnAngel.tumblr.com FallingInTheBlack has left the chat.Red clicked the link. It took him to a Tumblr account. The Tumblr account had pictures of Red and Green together. Red frowned. Why did Yellow send him this link? Red noticed an ask that was answered by this user.SoManyFeels asked you:Red is that you?TearsOfAnAngelYes, it is me Blue. What do you want? Do you want me to post pictures of you showing what a jerk you are? Or this about your crush on me? I don't like you. You're way too ugly for me. Go away don't talk to me. Oh, and by the way Blue, there is no need to stalk me on Tumblr and Facebook and Twitter. There is no fucking need Blue. So go and fuck off. Oh and I think I should remind you, I never have stolen anything before but you have stolen and scammed many people! Good day.Red's eyes widened. Someone had stolen his chat account's name. Red scrolled down and saw more asks.WhySoSerious asked you:Red? Why are you being so rude?TearsOfAnAngelWhy are you being so whiny and bitchy? Go fuck off and let me fucking try and kill myself. Leave me alone while I slit my wrists and hope to die!Tears filled Red's eyes. "No... This can't be happening..." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- A chat appeared on Red's screen.DontNeedToBeFixed: Hey Red!What's the matter?Scared?Mad?Sad?Suicidal? TearsOfAnAngel: Go away. DontNeedToBeFixed: So funny Red...Do you know who I have my eyes set on? TearsOfAnAngel: I have no idea.But I have a feeling you're going to tell me. DontNeedToBeFixed: Green. TearsOfAnAngel: Stop.Don't... DontNeedToBeFixed left the chat.Red stared at his screen. He had no idea what to do. Another chat appeared on Red's screen.LastToKnow: Red...I have to tell you something...Please don't be mad at me... TearsOfAnAngel: What is it Green? LastToKnow: I'm leaving... TearsOfAnAngel: You're leaving...?What do you mean by that? LastToKnow: I'm moving away...To another region... EverybodysFool joined the chat.YourCall joined the chat.FallingInTheBlack joined the chat.NeverBeTheSame joined the chat.YourCall: WHAT?! NeverBeTheSame: I come on to this?! FallingInTheBlack: What is going on? WhosWatchingMe joined the chat.WhosWatchingMe: ... ... ... ... ... EverybodysFool: Green... LastToKnow: This is goodbye, everyone...I loved you... LastToKnow left the chat. YourCall: COME BACK!!! EverybodysFool: GREEN!!! WhosWatchingMe: NO!!! NeverBeTheSame: DON'T!! FallingInTheBlack: THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!! TearsOfAnAngel: ... ... ... EverybodysFool: Red?You okay? TearsOfAnAngel: ... ... ... NeverBeTheSame: Well...I'm out. NeverBeTheSame left the chat.FallingInTheBlack: Same here. FallingInTheBlack left the chat.WhosWatchingMe left the chat. EverybodysFool: Great...Red why won't you answer?Red?Red?Are you still up?You know what?I give up. EverybodysFool left the chat.YourCall: I understand that Green was your friend...And rival...I don't know what I would do if I lost Silver... TearsOfAnAngel: ... ... ... YourCall: Message me on Tumblr if you want to...Or I could message you on Tumblr.Or I could message you using MSN. TearsOfAnAngel: ... ... ...I would like that...... ... ...Golden-Eyed-Breeder asked you:Hiya Red. Tell me what you want. Unless you wish to speak via email. Either way, I'm here for you.ICanLieAboutII just feel so upset. I can't understand why Green is leaving. He's my best friend and I understand that I do resent him a bit but I still do care for him a lot. I don't want to lose him.Golden-Eyed-Breeder replied to your post: Don't worry about it Red. Everything will work out.|Golden-Eyed-Breeder replied to your post: Don't worry about it Red. Everything will work out.Gold you don't understand. I sometimes feel like I need Green to find meaning in my life. Without him I'm nothing.Golden-Eyed-Breeder reblogged your post and added: So? And? Even if I lost Silver I would freak out. But I'd get over it with it...|ICanLieAboutI|Golden-Eyed-Breeder replied to your post: Don't worry about it Red. Everything will work out.|Gold you don't understand. I sometimes feel like I need Green to find meaning in my life. Without him I'm nothing.So? And? If I lost Silver I would freak out. But I'd get over it with time. I'd cry to Crystal and maybe even mope around for a few days before finally letting it go. I'd maybe even decide to stop training with my partners. Either way, I would get over it and move on with my life. You need to move on with your life Red. Get over yourself, get over Green.Red let out a low growl. Gold just didn't understand. It wasn't as easy as that. Getting over Green wouldn't be possible. Tumblr was too open. Email was much easier.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: You Just Don't Get ItYou're an idiot. I'm so disappointed with you. I thought that you of all people would understand me and my problems at the moment. I'm angry with Green yet I love him. You're in love with Silver it's plain to see you, idiot. Just understand that I cannot get over Green so easily.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: You Just Don't Get ItW-what?! What the hell are you saying?! I'm not in love with Silver!! He's my rival and nothing more. Red-Senpai you must be confused. Now anyway, back to what matters. You have to get over Green. It's not that hard. Just get busy with other things and don't bother to even explain shit unless you need to. Or I could just hang out with you until you feel better. It's your choice Red.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: You Just Don't Get ItSay what you want to say. I can read your face easily. You like him. Don't bother denying it. Just go for it and I'm sure it'll be fine. Silver does care about you. What's this? You'd be willing to hang out with me? Now I don't think you should do that Gold. I'm much too depressing to be around. I just do not understand how Green can stand me. You just wouldn't be much help.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: You Just Don't Get ItI don't like him! Don't say that! Silver doesn't care about anyone but himself and Blue. He's just so stuck up and annoying. but still a great rival. Of course, I'd hang out with you. You're my Senpai! I'd do anything to help you out. I don't care if you're depressing. Everyone has a side to them that they don't want others to see.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: You Just Don't Get ItDon't deny your feelings. If you leave it be for too long it will be too late before long. Just go for it. I may be your Senpai but I'm not that good. What would you know about people's secret sides? Do you have one yourself?To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: You Just Don't Get ItUgh. Stop being so stupid. Of course, I know about people's secret sides. It's not that hard to understand that. How else do people like Silver evolve their Pokemon? Do I have my own secret side? Why does that matter? It's for me to know and for you to find out~To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: You Just Don't Get ItStop being so retarded Gold. It's not nice. Maybe I don't want to find out. Maybe I just want to know if you're like me. How people like Silver evolve their Pokemon is their business. Don't stick your nose in places you shouldn't. Just get over it and do something else.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: You Just Don't Get ItYou really aren't the boss of me. So you can't tell me what to do Senpai. It was fun while it lasted. Just do what you think is right. No one can tell you otherwise. What you do is your own business if it helps you then no one should stop you. Just understand that suicide isn't the answer. It just makes other people worried about you and stuff. Don't go down that dark road. Go where it's much better, stay with friends and don't ever look back. In the end, you will do just fine. Everything will be alright. Now I have to go. Mom's calling me again.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: You Just Don't Get It... ... ... Okay then... Have fun... I never really expected you do say such deep things. I understand that you know what it is like. But maybe you should take your own advice. Not that I'm saying you need to move on with your life. I think you are very smart for an annoying kid. Your mom is always calling you when the chat gets good. Talk to you later Gold.Red sighed and shut down his computer. He stared out the window and sighed. Gold had been down a dark path before, his own rival had left and he couldn't handle it. Yet still, the youth was denying his feelings and pretending that everything was fine. A mask. That's what the two Dexholders had in common. They both wore masks when they were with others. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Red sighed and booted up his laptop. Maybe Gold had replied. Instead, Red was greeted with an email from a sender he knew, or at least he thought he knew.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: HiyaHi Red. I know it's been a while since I've emailed you but I thought I should. In case you have forgotten this is Green! I wanted to ask you how you have been and what is up but then I decided to ask you something else. Why? Why did you do it? Why did you blame me for everything? Why are you such an asshole? And mainly; What the fuck did I do to deserve this shit from you?! We're rivals and I hate your guts! I hope you die! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!!To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: HiyaHuh? Green? What are you saying? I'm really confused. What are you talking about? I don't know what to say. What the hell is going on? Green... Don't say such things.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: HiyaI'm sick of you. Seriously. What is the hell up with the second email account? Why are you sending everyone hate from it? I thought... You even asked me questions which I answered truthfully. And I thought you'd feel the same way. Well. I was completely wrong. You really must hate me so much. Stop it, please. Don't talk to me anymore.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: AssholeWhat the fuck is your problem Red?! What give you the right to insult us?! WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER FROM YOUR OTHER ACCOUNT?! WHY ARE YOU FUCKING DOING THIS TO US?!To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Are you alright?Red are you fine? Or are you sick? I want to make sure that you're alright. I mean... It's so unlike you to be so mean and rude to us. Are you upset about Green leaving? Because I can understand if you are but just understand that it isn't right to insult the rest of us because you're feeling bad.Messages upon messages were sent to Red from his friends. Only time would tell when he could speak with all of them. Opening his chat he sent out an invitation to join him in the chat room. It was only a few minutes before the others joined him.EverybodysFool joined the chat.YourCall joined the chat.FallingInTheBlack joined the chat.NeverBeTheSame joined the chat. WhosWatchingMe joined the chat.YoureJustLikeMe joined the chat.TheDeadCantTalk joined the chat.IfYoureSickOfIt joined the chat.SoakMyHeart joined the chat.YoureHotThenYoureCold joined the chat.IDontCareSoWhyPretend joined the chat.LastToKnow joined the chat. TearsOfAnAngel: Hey guys.What's up? TheDeadCantTalk: You're a jerk.We hate you. SoakMyHeart: You've changed Red.What's wrong with you?Tell us. IDontCareSoWhyPretend: Yes.Tell us. TearsOfAnAngel: That wasn't me!I swear!I would never insult you guys! YourCall: Bullshit!I call bullshit!You've done so many things wrong!Want me to list them all?Want me to? TearsOfAnAngel: Gold?What are you talking about? WhosWatchingMe: ???? NeverBeTheSame: ??? YourCall has changed their username to LiarGoDie.TearsOfAnAngel: Gold?What's going on? LiarGoDie has left the chat.FallingInTheBlack: What was that all about? WhosWatchingMe: No idea.I'm leaving. EverybodysFool: Same. EverybodysFool left the chat.FallingInTheBlack has left the chat.LastToKnow left the chat. WhosWatchingMe left the chat. YoureJustLikeMe left the chat.TheDeadCantTalk left the chat.IfYoureSickOfIt left the chat.SoakMyHeart left the chat.YoureHotThenYoureCold left the chat.IDontCareSoWhyPretend left the chat.NeverBeTheSame: I'll check on Gold. NeverBeTheSame left the chat.What was Red to do now? That chat failed so bad. What was wrong with Gold anyway? Why had he done such a thing? Red opened his email and found a message waiting for him. Seeing it was from Gold Red eagerly opened it. What was waiting for Red was a surprise.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: You Just Don't Get ItI hope you had fun while you could. Just understand that I'm starting to get to your friends. Who knows who will be next. Maybe that girl who is coming over to check on this young one with me. It doesn't matter either way. I will get what I want no matter what! So Red, will you give up yet?Red's blood turned cold. Gold had been caught by that evil person? Why? What had Gold done to deserve this? Red was furious and wanted this to end, warning Crystal was probably the right way to go. Red quickly decided to do the unthinkable. He decided to call Green."What do you want this time Red?" Came the Green's voice the moment that he picked up. It was hard to deal with. Red took a deep breath before saying anything. "I need your help. I don't know what to do. Green. You have to help me!" Red pleaded. "No. Sorry. But you made this mess so you have to get yourself out of it." Green said before hanging up. Red felt his heart stop. Usually, Green wouldn't think much about helping Red but was always up to give him advice. This sucked.Waiting to hear the news was horrible, Red hadn't been able to get a hold of Crystal. Hours had passed since Red had called Green. This was really stressful for him. Red started to tap his fingers on his desk. The waiting was the worst part. Finally, a message popped up. Red quickly opened it.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: GoldHey Red! I'm so sorry for bugging you. I mean you didn't even answer my other message I sent you. So sorry! Anyways... I got some bad news. I mean I don't want to bug you with it but if you want to know I'll tell you. Get back to me ASAP!To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: GoldCrystal! Finally! I tried to call you and you didn't pick up... I thought you were ignoring me... :/Anyway, so sorry for not replying to your other message. Everyone was emailing me and I couldn't keep up with it. Do you have bad news? What is it? Please tell me.To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: GoldI went to check on Gold and I couldn't find him. His mom wasn't home at all and his room was a mess! Even more so than usual. I don't know what happened but there was some blood on the floor. As far as I know, Gold's been taken. What should we do?? And sorry for not answering my phone. I lost it. ^^;To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Re: GoldTaken? Gold's been taken? That's bad. I'll message the others. Give me a minute!To: [email protected] (Green), [email protected] (Silver), [email protected] (Blue), [email protected] (Ruby), [email protected] (Sapphire), [email protected] (Emerald), [email protected] (Platinum), [email protected] (Diamond), [email protected] (Pearl)From: [email protected]Subject: IMPORTANT!!! GET BACK TO ME ASAP!!Hey guys. I'm sorry for having to do this but we have to hurry. Gold has been taken! There was blood on the floor of his room! Someone sent me a message from his account! We have to do something!To: [email protected] (Green), [email protected] (Silver), [email protected] (Blue), [email protected] (Ruby), [email protected] (Sapphire), [email protected] (Emerald), [email protected] (Platinum), [email protected] (Diamond), [email protected] (Red)From: [email protected]Subject: Re: IMPORTANT!!! GET BACK TO ME ASAP!!ARE YOU SERIOUS?! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! GOLD CAN'T BE GONE!!The messages soon started to pile up and Red shut down his laptop. Most of the messages had accused Red of lying while others questioned how Red knew. The fact that Green and Silver didn't answer worried Red. Green was pretty close to Gold in a strange sort of way and Silver adored his rival. Getting up from his desk Red glanced around his room before heading to his bed. No one cares... Red lifted up the pillow and grabbed the knife that was underneath it. No one believes... Tears filled Red's eyes before he started to cut. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Red was tired, really tired. He didn't want to get out of bed. But the screaming woke him up. "OH MY GOD RED!! WHAT DID YOU DO?! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?! RED!!" The voice screamed. Red lazily opened one of his eyes to come face to face with Gold.Bolting up, Red jumped out of bed and stared at Gold. "Where the hell were you?!" Red hissed. Gold just sighed. "I got hurt. I got kidnapped. That's 'bout it. Why do you care so much?!" Gold hissed before grabbing Red's arm. "Why the fuck did you do this?!" Red just stared at Gold, he felt like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. No words came out of his mouth. "Red... Why the fuck did you do this?" Gold asked again, in a softer tone. Red just shrugged his shoulders as he felt the tears sting his eyes. "You didn't have to Red... I'll always be there for you...""And where the hell were you?" Silver asked as he glared at Gold. "I was fucking kidnapped!" Gold shouted as he turned away. He was sick of the questions, Red was off to the side staring out the window. "You're a fucking idiot! Why didn't you contact one of us?! We thought you were dead!" Silver yelled back. "Guys... I think you should be quieter. We don't want to get kicked out." Blue said softly. The two boys glared at each other before becoming quiet. "You have to tell us what happened," Ruby said. "Yea! If ya tell us what the heck happened then we can figure out what to do to prevent it from happenin' again!" Sapphire exclaimed.Gold had spent a few minutes explaining what he could remember, he had said that he didn't see his attacker at all and really didn't remember much except for pain. What Gold told the others just made more questions than answers. "So why did that person take you?" Emerald asked. "It must have been part of a bigger plan. Maybe the person knew that Gold and Red had been talking. Think about it, they were chatting on Tumblr before switching to email." Pearl pointed out. "I already told you I don't know why I was taken or for what purpose." Gold said with a sigh. Nothing seemed to be making any sense. "If you're hurt then maybe you should go to the hospital." Platinum said. "Hey! That's right! Go to the hospital Gold and get yourself checked out! Maybe the attacker left some clues!" Crystal said. Gold's eyes narrowed quickly. "No. I can't." Gold whispered. "Huh? What do you mean?" Blue asked confused. "B-because! T-they said that they'd hurt me if I we-went to get checked out!" Gold exclaimed with a frightened expression on his face.Red had hurried and logged onto Tumblr. There was a question in his ask box as expected.DontFixMeImNotBroken asked you:Hey Red. I see that the brat escaped from me. Hmm... What can I do now? How can I torture you now? Oh, I know. I'll get rid of Green. Sending him away and making him hate you was so much fun. Now let's finish the task. Red just stared at the message, his jaw clenched. This was starting to get really annoying. He quickly went out of his ask box and went to check out what everyone was up to. Just as he was about to log out he saw that he had another message in his ask box.StrongMindWeakHeart asked you:Hey Red. I just wanted to say that I was sorry. I kind of overacted. I'm going to come over and visit you soon. I promise. Maybe then we can clear everything up. This is Green btw.Red didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This was just great. He didn't need another thing to appear but then something else did appear. Once again the chat opened up.FallingInTheBlack: Hey Red! TearsOfAnAngel: Hey Yellow. FallingInTheBlack: Hey.I need to tell you something. TearsOfAnAngel: What is it? FallingInTheBlack: Go here.www.thenextvictim.org FallingInTheBlack has left the chat.Red was curious yet scared of the URL. He wasn't sure what to expect at all but when he finally worked up the courage to click it he was shocked by what he saw. The main page showed bios and pictures of people close to him. Each had a status and location next to their names. Surprisingly for Gold, it had said:Status: First StrikeLocation: Lavender TownRed just stared at it. He faintly remembered that Gold had announced earlier that he had to go to Lavender Town with his mother. How did this person know this? Red looked at the whole site and was disgusted by it. The person seemed to be keeping tabs on each and every one of his friends. There was one thing that interested Red. The fact that the website had added some aliases that he hadn't heard his friends use before. He wrote down the aliases and decided to check them out in the morning. Red shut down his computer and crawled into bed. Hopefully, he would figure it out soon. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- The next morning Red got up and typed the name Hibiki into the search engine. He was surprised to see over 5,500,000 results. Red sighed and minimized his window before grabbing his bag. It's probably easier to ask Gold himself about this 'Hibiki' persona.Red knocked on Blue's door. Red heard the familiar voice telling him to wait. Gold would have to wait, Blue was closer to it would be easier to ask her about her 'Green' persona. Blue opened the door and smiled. "It's nice to see you Red. Is there something you want?" Blue asked. "I just want to ask you a question about... Um, your alias. Um. On this site that Yellow showed me... It said that your alias is 'Green'. I just wanted to understand more." Red answered. Blue looked surprised and let Red in."I've had this Green persona for a while. People used to think that my eyes looked green so that's what they called me. I only use it sometimes. It's more of a past thing." Blue explained as she sighed. "I have no idea how that person put that together." Red just nodded his head. "I just wanted to make some things. Some people have aliases and I feel the need to go and check it out. Thank you for your time." Red said as he got up and left.Red walked out and saw Yellow. "Hey Red!" Yellow called out. "Hey Yellow thanks for showing me that site," Red said with a smile. "Aah...? It was nothing. D-did you see anything bad...?" Yellow asked as a blush covered her face. "Well, I saw who the person was going to strike in order. Oh, and I saw that you have an alias." Red said. Yellow just smiled. "That was back from when I was looking for you. Blue told me not to give my real name." Yellow explained.The next nearest person with an alias was Crystal in Viridian City. Red hurried to go and check it out. The whole time Red walked there he was just nervous. Upon arriving in the City Red immediately saw Crystal. "Hey Red!" Crystal called out. Red smiled and waved. Crystal came over and started to chat. It was a few minutes later that Red asked the question."How did you find out my alias?" Crystal asked in a hushed voice. "Yellow linked me to a site and it has a whole bunch of information on us," Red explained. "I haven't used it in a while. I'm serious. When I was younger... I went by 'Crys' but everyone thought it was 'Kris', like with a 'K'. So I started going as someone named 'Kris'. I swear that I haven't used it in ages!" Crystal exclaimed. Red just nodded his head and thanked Crystal for her time.The next person on the list was Platinum, who happened to be in Pewter City. Red wasn't too excited to be travelling through Viridian Forest but tried his best to hide it. Upon exiting the forest and entering the city he spotted Platinum about to enter the museum. Red called out her name and hurried over."Good day Red. To what do I owe the pleasure to see you?" Platinum asked with a smile. Red just frowned slightly. "I need to ask you a question." He answered. "A question? Oh well very well. You may ask me a question." Platinum said warmly. "I need to know about your alias, 'Platina'," Red said sternly. Platinum explained the alias and soon Red was on his way again. There were two people left to talk to and one was on their way to Kanto!Lavender Town was the next place Red had to go to. Gold was there but so was Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire. If any of the others stopped to talk to him then he'd probably lose his chance to talk to Gold. Red sighed as he climbed on Aero and flew there.As soon as Red got there he felt that something was wrong. The town was eerie silent and no one was out. It was strange to Red since Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald were here. Those three often were loud when together. Gold was probably in the Tower, so Red headed there. As soon as Red entered there was chaos.There was screaming and lots of blood. Red felt sick. He could only make out a few words but he knew who was screaming. "Sapphire?!" Red called out. There was a choked answer. "He's dead! He's dead! I can't believe it!" Sapphire yelled back. "Who's dead? Who's dead?!" Red yelled. "Ruby! Ruby's dead!" Came the answer from Emerald. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Red was just shocked. How could this have happened? Red felt numb now. His friend... What had the other called him? Oh yes. Child's Play. Why? Why had this happened?! Red felt so frustrated. He wanted to scream but didn't. Tears started to stream down his face. He had no idea that the person who had killed Ruby was watching him with glee...ICanLieAboutI So confused Someone has been targeting me and my friends. They attacked one of my close friends and killed another. I'm worried about what to do. I'm tempted to cut, I feel that calling the police wouldn't help. I really don't know what to do.Red stared at his post before closing his laptop. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. The funeral for Ruby was to be held in Johto within the next few days. Red still couldn't believe it. This was just so shocking. Why would anybody do such a thing? He had to figure this out! Red knew he had to contact Gold and figure out all of this. Yet it was hard."So you're calling me to ask about an alias I use? Really? That's stupid." Gold said with annoyance in his voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how else to contact you. I'm a bit scared to use email." Red answered, now feeling bad for calling Gold. "Well... It's okay. Y'know, that alias, I haven't used it in years. It was only when I was younger. I pretended to be someone else, someone way cooler. That's it. But I'm much cooler now!" Gold said cheerfully. "Oh. Okay. I'll talk to you later. Are you going to Ruby's funeral?" Red asked. "Probably. But things might come up."With that out of the way, it left Red with lots of time to figure out how to protect Green. But it wasn't like it was going to be easy. So far Red had received taunting emails. It really hurt to know that someone was taking pride in killing his friend. Red knew it wouldn't be long until Green arrived. He was surprised to see an email from Green in his inbox.To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Info So I just got word that Ruby was murdered, is that true? I mean how is that possible?! Who would do such a thing?! When is the funeral? I'd like to go. I'll be arriving in a few short hours. I can't wait to see you again. I honestly missed everyone. It's not like it's weird for someone to move away and miss their old friends. I'll be heading straight to your house as soon as I arrive so you better be there!To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Re: Info Yes, it's true that Ruby died. It has really upset me. He was younger than us, our Junior and yet now he's gone. Sapphire and Emerald are pretty messed up. After all, they were a trio. The funeral is going to be two days from now. I guess it'll be nice to see you there. I can't wait to see you too! I honestly would be a bit upset if you didn't miss us! I don't think it's the best for you to come straight to my house, maybe I can meet you at the station? Hope to get a reply from you soon!To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Re: Info Man, that sucks. I don't understand it at all. Why kill a kid? It's horrid and wrong. I bet Sapphire and Emerald would be messed up. If I lost you, Blue or Yellow I'd be totally devastated. It's weird how it'll be nice to see me at a funeral but I guess it's actually true in a sense. I can definitely make it in time. You don't want me to come to your house? Fine. I'll meet you at the station. I'll be arriving in about an hour! See you then. Don't be late.
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What Comes Next
{ "Archive Warning": null, "Category": null, "Characters": "Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Allura (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), ??", "Fandom": "Voltron: Legendary Defender", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by BleuSarcelle", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "2,382", "Additional Tags": "broganes, Keith and Shiro are Siblings, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, ? - Freeform, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Keith is a Mess, Team as Family, Team Bonding, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Cannon Verse, Right after the end of season 2, missing shiro, Keith misses his bro, he's too sad, hint of the next Black Paladin, emotional breakdown, Blood, nose bleed, coughing up blood, bc of stress, and stuff, Pre-Relationship", "Relationship": "Keith/Lance (Voltron)", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "VGVF: Very Good Voltron Fics, QueenAvocados finished stories", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply", "Categories": "Gen, M/M", "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
There are eyes on him.Keith can feel them. From the worried and anxious glances Hunk sends his way when he passes by the kitchen’s open door but doesn't step inside to Allura and Pidge’s hesitation when he pushes past them at the entrance of the training room and starts his training sequence.He can feel Coran’s concern that seems like it’s washing over him in waves when the Royal Advisor finds him late at night outside Shiro’s empty room and guides him back to his own.Keith can even easily feel Lance’s heavy stare every time he visits Black’s hangar and spends hours and hours sitting in front of the sleeping Lion.He’s been able to feel them all but he still can’t hear a thing.Keith can’t hear the way his bayard hits the Gladiator’s middle, or the way the robot buzzes with an incoming attack before he dodges it, barely missing the hit.There’s nothing for him to hear except a muffled humming in the back of his head, the familiar sound of his brother’s voice being the only thing Keith takes comfort in these days but, of course, with Shiro being gone, it doesn't last.The faint memory of Shiro’s humming seems to dim with each passing day. The warm and safe feelings that it used to bring him are gone and Keith tries; he tries so hard to hold on to them. He tries to dig and dig inside his chest to pull them out of his heart to remember because maybe, just maybe, if he can do that, Shiro will come back.But he doesn’t. His brother doesn’t appear in front of him, in the middle of the training room, as he fights robot after robot and the humming only turns fainter in his mind, turning into a vague memory and making him even wonder if it ever really happened.That’s why when the humming stop, and the room is left in silence, Keith can’t do anything but scream.Keith rages. He shouts, curses and yells at the universe, at the Galra, at the war they never signed up for. Keith rampages until there’s nothing left inside him.He pants heavily, barely acknowledging the remaining shattered parts of the Gladiator, lying a few feet away from him. His head is pounding and his heart is hammering against his ribcage wildly as he leans forward and bends over with his hands against his burning thighs.Keith stares at the white floor below him as a few drops of sweat fall from his face and start staining the floor. It doesn’t take more than a tick before he finally becomes aware of the red dots that appear among them.The teen lets out a shuddering breath out as he tips his head back and allows himself to fall on the floor, barely hearing the way his bayard deactivates and falls from his shaking hand.Keith sniffles loudly, groaning when he feels the blood running down his nose. He forces himself to raise his hand to his nose to feel it roughly before moving it in front of his face.He stares at his hand and feels slightly bemused at the blood that keeps dripping from his finger tips and sliding down his palm before he scoffs, swiping it away on his pants nonchalantly.“Start training sequence.” He mumbles hoarsely, standing wobbly on his feet before taking a deep breath, raising his bayard high and moving back to his previous position in the middle of the training floor.“End training sequence.” A voice behind him speaks up and the Gladiator turns off before it is able to take even a step forward.Keith scowls and turns his head towards the voice, eyes widening slightly as he catches Allura’s glare with a mix of annoyance and worry clear on her face and in her eyes. Keith sniffles one more time, as if trying to hide his crime scene.Allura doesn’t fall for it.The Princess makes her way towards her Paladin, sighing when she takes in the sight of Keith’s face with blood dripping from his nose and smeared nearby on his cheeks.“Keith, you need to stop this. Your body is already under a lot of stress, you cannot keep pushing it in this manner.” Keith scoffs at the words and waves the concerns away.“I’m fine.” He replies shortly, sniffling one again to keep the blood inside him and Allura sends him an unamused look.“Keith, please.” She sighs, taking out a small handkerchief and raising it towards his face before Keith flinches away from it and her hand falls back in defeat.Allura frowns. “Shiro wouldn’t –” She starts but stops herself when she sees the way Keith freezes at the name and then shakes his head.“Don’t.” He cracks, voice quiet and so fragile that it makes Allura’s heart to take a sharp flip. “Please. Just – don’t, Allura.”“He wouldn’t want this, Keith.” She whispers sadly, taking a step forward and taking the teen’s hand on her own, dropping the handkerchief in his palm, “Please, be careful. This is not healthy, you –”“I need to go.” He declares abruptly, pushing the piece of cloth back to her hand as he takes a step to the side and frees himself from her touch, “I-I gotta – Yeah, I uh – See you, bye.”They stand in awkward silence before Keith coughs uncomfortably and walks away, heading towards the showers and ignoring the way Allura calls him for him one last time.Keith coughs against the palm of his hand and waves off Coran’s arched eyebrow when he turns his attention to him.The scanner on his arm beeps and he watches as Coran takes the small tablet in his hand and brush the surface of his moustache deep in thought as he reads the analysis.“Your stress levels are extremely high.” Coran announces softly, “You need more rest and you are greatly dehydrated, not to mention malnourished, having in mind you have been skipping dinner for a few nights since –”“Can I go back to training, now?” Keith cuts off, grabbing his jacket from the counter as he jumps down the med bay table.Coran frowns. “Keith, I just told you that you need to rest –““We’re at war.” Keith snaps, “We are at war and Shiro’s – Shiro’s –!”Keith growls and throws his jacket to the floor angrily, letting out a frustrated shout as he passes a hand through his hair.Coran stares at him sadly before he takes a step forward and places a hand over Keith’s shoulder, squeezing softly.“I know that Shiro told you to take his place as a leader in case something like this happened.” Coran speaks gently, “But you’re not alone, Keith. Let us help. You may be the next Black Paladin, you may be not, but let us help you figure it out. Let the team to care for you.”Keith’s breathe hitches and he bites his lower lip as he feels the sting on his eyes. He can’t do much than to turn his head away from Coran.“Can I go now, please?” He murmurs tiredly and he feels Coran’s hesitation before he raises his hand from his shoulder, allowing him to walk away.Hunk is walking down the hall when he hears it. He stops on his track and follows the dry coughs coming from the bathroom inside Keith’s room.He doesn’t hesitate to drops on his knees besides Keith when he catches the sight of the teen’s face pressed hard against the toilet’s surface.Hunk puts a hand on Keith’s back and feels him tense up before another wave of coughs distracts him and Hunk’s stomach drops unpleasantly when he sees the red liquid falling on the once clear water.Keith doesn’t stop coughing, spilling more blood into the toilet and dry heaving for a few more agonizing minutes before his shoulders fall and he pushes himself off, his body limp as he leans against Hunk’s hand on his back.Hunk makes sure to flush the toilet before he stands up, careful of not making any abrupt moves that may upset Keith’s state. He then grabs a cloth from one of the drawers, wetting it on the sink with cold water before kneeling once again besides the tired teen, wiping some of the sweat and blood dripping from Keith’s face and mouth.“I’m –I’m okay.” Keith’s rasps out, “It’s –It’s nothing, I’m okay.”Hunk just shushes him softly, saving his reprimands for another time as he continues cleaning the black haired teen’s face and if he catches few clear drops of water falling from Keith’s eyes.Well, Hunk stays silent and focuses on wiping those away too.“I’m fine.”Pidge shrugs her shoulder, pushing the wet cloth further into Keith’s bloody nose.“I never said you weren’t.” She mumbles softly, letting her hand drop once he takes the cloth with his hands and wipes the blood away.Keith’s eyes soften as Pidge leans her body on his right side, pushing herself under his chin as they both stare at the universe outside through the thin glass in between.“Keith, just – please.” She whispers, voice unusually small as she raises her gaze to look at him.“It’s nothing serious, just a few nose bleeds.” He tries to explain but Pidge cuts him off with a huff.“Just take care, Keith.” She mumbles, dropping her eyes back to the sight in front of them, “I …I don’t think we can afford losing anyone else. I don’t think I would be able to handle it.”  Keith doesn’t reply but he puts an arm around her shoulder and pulls her even closer as he push his head back, letting it rest against the wall.Lance is not surprised when he catches the red dot on the far end of Black’s hangar in front of the unresponsive Lion.Lance takes a seat besides Keith, his eyes never leaving Keith’s profile as the black haired teen just stares up at Black’s dead eyes.He doesn’t bother to try and talk. It didn’t work the first time and it won’t work now. Lance resigns himself to sit and let his presence be enough for the black haired teen.The silence around them is a little more than suffocating, the faint rumbling sound of the Castle not being enough to echo around them and Lance is usually okay with this, but right now, he looks for a sense of familiarity, for something to calm the tension in the air.He does the first thing that comes to his mind.He starts humming, aimlessly and distracted as his brain fills him up with the memories that comes with the old melody. It’s an old song, one he used to sing with his siblings when he was little. It never failed to sooth him, even in the lonely night that sometimes became a little too much out here in space.That’s why he hums, to fill the silence. He finds comfort in the soft melody and his mouth twitches as memories of his family flash through his mind.He stops abruptly when Keith lets out a sharp sob besides him.“No, no! Please, don’t stop.” Keith whispers, breath choked up and rubbing his right eye hard with the palm of his hand as he bites his lower lip hard in hopes to stop it from quivering but sobs just keep shaking his entire body. “Please, Lance, d-don’t –”“Okay.” Lance breathes out, a little unsure with the turn of events but doesn’t hesitate to agree to his friend’s plead, “Okay, okay, I got you, buddy.” He reassurance before he pulls the sobbing teen into his arms. “It’s okay, I got you. I won’t stop.”So, he doesn’t stop. He hums the melody softly near Keith’s ear as he holds him before he starts singing, quietly under his breath, gentle words of comfort slipping through his mouth and his heart flips sharply when Keith’s sniffles turn into heart breaking sobs, mumbling incoherently about how Shiro used to hum for him when they were kids and all the memories a simple melody held inside of him.Lance’s heart breaks at each confession and every single piece Keith pours out.“I-I can’t d-do this, L-Lance.” Keith wails, nails digging into the brunet’s arm hard but not enough for him to move away, “I-I c-can’t. I d-don’t want to b-be the l-leader!  I can't be a leader! And – And I just – I’m losing him, I can’t even hold on to his m-memory any-anymore and I’m –”Lance continues to hum, a little choked up with emotions but he doesn’t stop, he can’t stop, not when Keith’s breaking in his arms and he’s the only thing keeping him together.“God, b-bring him b-back, p-please. He was – He was all I h-had left and he’s g-gone. He’s gone, Lance. I lost him, a-again and I just – W-Why wasn’t I e-enough? Why c-can’t I be enough?” Keith sobs out, burying his face on Lance’s shirt, “Why do I keep losing people I love? Lance, why? P-Please, w-why?”Lance’s singing cracks slightly and the brunet can feel the way his eyes start getting misty. He pushes down the lump on his throat and keeps humming, repeating the same words of the song over and over again every few seconds.“H-he’s gone and I’m- I’m – I just w-want m-my brother b-back, p-please.”Lance doesn’t answer. He can’t answer because Keith’s sobs feel like a stab in his heart and he can’t do anything but hold him. He cradles him in his arms and starts rocking them back and forth in a soothing rhythm as his voice echoes around the hangar and let Keith to run his breakdown.A few stray tears fall from his blue eyes as he strokes Keith’s hair before a purr inside him makes him look up and his eyes widen in surprise when Blank’s vibrant yellow eyes focus on him, alive and ready.He feels another purr followed by a tug but Lance shakes his head subtly.‘Not now, Black.’ He thinks as he pulls Keith closer to him and looks away, ‘Not now, please.’Black stays silent after that and only Keith’s sobs echoes around them.
10807404
Prefects Privilege
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "F/F", "Characters": "Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott", "Fandom": "Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Explicit", "author": "by coffee_n_cocoa [archived by thequidditchpitch_archivist]", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2006-09-09T00:00:00", "words": "1,990", "Additional Tags": "Explicit Sexual Content, Bondage, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Dom/sub, Erotica, Femslash, The Quidditch Pitch: The Ladies Room", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": "The Quidditch Pitch", "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Hannah Abbott finished looking over the week’s worth of marked parchment, reflecting how well each of the other Hufflepuff girls had done in their assigned coursework. The others sat in a circle around her, their faces showing varying expressions of worry and tension as the seventh-year prefect perused the paperwork.“Susan,” Hannah said finally, just as the silence became excruciating and some of the younger girls began fidgeting. “Come with me.”Nearby, a similar circle consisting of all the boys in Hufflepuff had just been dismissed. Ernie was already leading a white-faced third year away toward the boys’ dormitory. None of the others followed.Susan rose to her feet, feeling shaky and, yes, ashamed. There was no honour in being chosen from this circle, none at being singled out as having the week’s worst marks of all the girls in the common room. What made it doubly shameful was that she was a seventh year, a supposed role model for the younger girls. In being chosen, she had, in a way, disappointed her entire House.She thought she knew a little of what to expect as she followed Hannah to the girls’ dormitory. Hannah herself had been singled out once during their fourth year. She had returned red-faced and sobbing, unable to sit down without a cushion for nearly three days. She hadn’t been chosen again. Her study habits had made significant improvement after that day, and she had been picked the following year as a prefect.That was what tradition was for, Susan thought. It upheld what worked.Hannah closed the door to the seventh year girls’ dormitory behind them and set a Silencing charm on it. She crossed to the trunk at the foot of her bed and opened it, rummaging through the contents. Susan swallowed and tried not to watch.“This isn’t like you, Susan,” Hannah said idly, setting something off to one side, beside the trunk where Susan couldn’t see. “I won’t ask what distracted you from your studies to such detriment, since it really doesn’t matter. Needless to say, I’m very disappointed.”“I know.” Susan’s voice was very small and shivery.Hannah finished going through her trunk while Susan stared at the floor, trying hard not to cry. She’d be crying soon enough, she was sure. She peeked up when she heard the trunk’s lid snap shut, and just as quickly looked back down to the floor.“Well, soonest begun is soonest done, my Mum always said,” Hannah said, her tone becoming business-like. “You can disrobe now.”“Wh-what?” Susan squeaked at the unexpected request, but Hannah only raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, reminding Susan that at this moment they were no longer best friends, but Authority Figure and Miscreant. She began undressing, her fingers shaking as they fumbled at the clasps on her robes, then the buttons of her blouse and the catch of her skirt. Her shoes and socks followed suit, and finally her bra and knickers. Naked, she resumed staring at the floor, biting her lip and keeping her arms at her sides only with the greatest effort. She couldn’t stop the blush from spreading across her face and down her neck, as brilliant as the scarlet on a Gryffindor scarf.She heard one of the beds creak as Hannah settled on the mattress. “Come here, Susan, and place yourself face-down over my lap.”Susan obeyed, unable even to swallow when she saw the hard-backed hairbrush in Hannah’s hand; her throat was too dry. Her mother had used to paddle her with a hairbrush when she was younger and had misbehaved. It hadn’t been something she’d ever wanted to repeat, but it could have been so much worse.Pushing her braid over her shoulder so that it hung in front, Susan arranged herself across Hannah’s lap. It dangled almost to the floor, and she focused on it as Hannah pinned her wrists behind her back with a murmured charm so she couldn’t ward off the coming blows and caught Susan’s legs between her own so she couldn’t kick.The first blow caught Susan by surprise, a loud, meaty-sounding smack against her right arse-cheek that elicited a muffled squeal. The pain followed an instant later, bringing the first tears prickling behind Susan’s eyes; and before she could mentally absorb the first blow the second had already fallen, and the third.She tried not to cry out, tried not to struggle. She had only herself to blame for being in this situation in the first place, after all; but Hannah had an unexpectedly strong arm, and she wasn’t holding back. The room filled with the sound of wood smacking against flesh. Susan gasped at the spreading burn sinking through her, gasps that became choked cries that in turn became great wracking sobs.Hannah didn’t slow down, nor lessen the blows raining down in rapid succession as Susan wriggled and fought against the charm binding her wrists and Hannah’s pinioning legs. The most she managed was a frantic, persistent rub over Hannah’s thighs, which brought a different kind of heat altogether, coiling deep within Susan’s abdomen and sending swelling warmth between her legs.She was weeping openly by the time Hannah set the hairbrush aside, blinded by tears and the incandescent fire in her buttocks and thighs. She was barely aware as Hannah slipped a hand between her legs, shuddering as the other girl brushed against her aching clit.“What’s this?” Hannah’s tone was sharp as she held her fingers, slick and shining and wet, before Susan’s streaming eyes. “This won’t do. This won’t do at all.”“I’m sorry!” Susan choked. “I didn’t mean to…”Hannah released the charm on Susan’s wrists and pulled her upright, glaring up at her with an expression that made Susan quail. “This is supposed to be a punishment,” she said sternly. “Apparently you have yet to learn that little fact.”“I have!” Susan protested, still sobbing. “I have!”Hannah stood, shaking her head. “Kneel at the foot of the bed, Susan.” Her tone brooked no argument.Snuffling, Susan knelt where Hannah directed. Her heart nearly stopped when Hannah bound her again, one wrist to each bedpost before disappearing momentarily from Susan’s view. The bed creaked again, and Hannah knelt before her, three small items cupped in the palm of her hand that glimmered brightly. It took a moment for Susan to recognise them, whimpering.Her whimpers grew louder as Hannah attached first one clamp, then another to Susan’s nipples. They were weighted, tugging painfully as Hannah tightened them until the pinched flesh stood out from her body, sending jolts of sensation throughout Susan’s body with each breath, jolts that seemed to go straight to her cunt.The third clamp went between Susan’s legs, squeezing the traitorous flesh of her clit in a painful vise that made Susan’s sobs increase to a continuous keen of distress. Hannah smoothed back sweaty strands of Susan’s hair back from her face once all three clamps were in place, meeting her tear-swollen gaze with a soft smile.“How long those stay is entirely up to you,” she said, her voice kind. “We’re going to go over your homework now. All you have to do is answer each question correctly. Simple enough, don’t you think?” The smile faded, wide blue eyes becoming solemn as she reached behind Susan for another object, holding it up for her inspection. “Of course, for each question you answer wrongly, you’ll be chastised accordingly.”The belt was thin, made of supple leather. Susan didn’t want to think about what it might feel like against her already red, sore backside. “Hannah, please…”Hannah slid off the bed and disappeared behind Susan. “Name the seven principles of conjuration, and give an example of each.”The belt slashed across the back of her legs when Susan got the third principle wrong, making her shriek. Sobbing anew, she started over at Hannah’s orders, this time naming six before receiving another sharp blow. And then she had to start over again.Once the seven principles of conjuration had been correctly listed, it only became more gruelling as Susan accrued countless welts, each blow licking across her already red flesh like a stroke of flame, criss-crossing the backs of her thighs as she choked and stammered out each torturous answer, dreading each new blow as she struggled against the pain to find the correct reply.Finally, Hannah set the belt aside. Kneeling once more in front of Susan, she removed the constricting clamps around her throbbing nipples, then the one pinching her clit. Susan moaned as the blood rushed back into the abused nubs of flesh, squeezing her eyes shut against the fresh tears.They opened again in shock when Hannah reached again between her legs. “No…”“Ssshhhh, it’s all right,” Hannah said tenderly. “It’s over. You were so good, Susan, so brave; and it didn’t take you long at all to get the answers right. You’d be amazed, dear. I didn’t think Rose would ever get them right last week.”Her fingers were still between Susan’s legs, stroking over the wet folds. Hannah bent her head, taking a reddened nipple into her mouth, suckling and laving the soreness away with her tongue. Susan gasped, back arching and giving Hannah better access. She felt one of Hannah’s fingers slide into her cunt, then another, fucking her slowly, leisurely. Her thumb circled Susan’s clit, stroking gently, then more insistently.Susan panted harshly, her head tipped back as her body made the adjustment between pain and pleasure. It curled throughout her body, making her tense and tighten beneath Hannah’s ministrations. The fire in her buttocks and thighs still burned, but it was a distant, faraway ache compared to the exquisite new sensations being coaxed from her.Hannah released her nipple, kissing a wet path down Susan’s sweat-streaked body, nudging Susan’s knees apart, baring her to her avid gaze. Pulling her fingers from Susan’s body, she brought them up to Susan’s lips. She obediently licked the moisture away, tasting herself for the first time, tangy-sweet.She cried out when Hannah stretched out in front of her, burying her face in her cunt. The touch of her tongue swiping across her clit sent shivers racing through her, fuelling the pleasure coiling in her belly. Rocking her hips forward, she silently pleaded for more, her cries spiralling upward as Hannah licked and suckled her clit as gently as she had done earlier with Susan’s nipples.Susan screamed when she came, her entire body wracked with violent shudders as she came apart, feeling Hannah lap at the fresh surge of wetness. A few further strokes of her tongue, and Susan climaxed again, her cries full-throated and raw.Licking her lips, Hannah sat up and untied Susan from the bedposts, catching her when she collapsed into her arms, crying helplessly. Susan tucked her head against Hannah’s shoulder, feeling her hand smooth over her hair and down her spine, the touch gentle, soothing.“There, there,” Hannah whispered. “Let it out, dear. Let it all go.”Susan cried until there was nothing left. Her backside still burned and throbbed, yet she felt oddly relaxed, almost sleepy. She accepted the handkerchief Hannah handed over to her once the tears ended, blowing her nose and wiping at her tearstained cheeks before dressing.“This is the part where you thank me,” Hannah said, once Susan finished refastening her robes. “Also, this is where you promise never to let your studies slip like that again.”“Th-thank you,” Susan whispered. “It’ll never happen again, I swear.”Shockingly, Hannah winked. “I’ll be by later tonight,” she said. “If you’re very good, I might heal the worst of those welts. Unless you’d rather keep them?”Susan shook her head and scurried from the room. She had quite a bit of studying to do.And later, she’d be a very good girl. Unlike Rose, Susan was a quick study.
10832466
Mornings
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Prince Sidon, Link (Legend of Zelda), Original Characters", "Fandom": "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by ObakeAri", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-06T00:00:00", "words": "2,674", "Additional Tags": "Sidlink family, a continuation of all the other fics, because these nerds are going to have the cutest fucking family omg, Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF, Nami is a little grump in the morning", "Relationship": "Link/Prince Sidon", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "Sidlink Shenanigans", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Nami was fairly certain that the morning was her least favorite time of day. Her sleeping pool was always so warm and so still, that to be forced out of her dreams was beyond aggravating. “Nami,” Dad’s voice was soft as he traced a claw gently down the front of Nami’s head. Every night the went to bed telling herself that she wouldn’t get too snarky with Dad in the morning and yet every morning, no matter how much he tried to wake her gently, she still managed to let out a stubborn, angry growl.“Mmm,” she groaned, squinting her eyes closed. She tried to shy away from Dad’s touch by sinking further into the water, but alas, Prince Sidon knew his daughter too well and he responded by dragging his claw to the front of her head before poking one of the sensitive barbels that protruded from Nami’s forehead.The sensation started Nami, letting out a snort as her eyes shot open. Nami blinked several times, eyes focusing as she found her dad laying on his stomach, chin resting on his arm as he continued to poke at her forehead with his other hand.“It’s time to get up, my Princess,” Dad grinned. Nami let out a groan, glaring fiercely at him. Nami responded by trying to duck her face into the water. “Nu-uh, sweetie, I’ve let you sleep in long enough,” Dad chided. “Up now.” “But Daaaad,” she whined, fairly certain that she was the first one being woken up and had plenty more time to sleep in, “Go get Rho up or something.”“Rho finished his homework last night,” Dad retorted. “Did you?”“Noooo,” Nami groaned, blowing bubbles up to the surface. “You have an hour and a half to finish it if you get up now,” Dad patted her head, “Now come on.” Nami squinted her eyes angrily, pushing herself out of the sleeping pool, hating the blast of cool air that hit her skin. As a child, the shock was enough to bring Nami to tears. As a teenager, she wouldn’t mind being able to throw a tantrum over how much morning sucked at least. Dad’s chipperness only continued to grate on her for as long as she was still stuck in her sleepy state. But knowing her well, Dad led her into the living room and pulled out a blanket, spreading it out for her. “Thanks,” Nami mumbled, stepping into the blanket and leaning her weight against her dad’s form. Dad wrapped his arms around her, thus wrapping the blanket around her as well and now that Nami was standing she could revel in the warmth and wake up a little more gracefully. “Anything for my sweet,” Dad cooed, kissing the top of her head. “Now, go finish your homework and keep Papa company while he makes breakfast.” “Sure thing,” Nami purred, nuzzling against Dad’s chest briefly before starting her day.    Cado was by far the heaviest sleeper of the four, despite the fact that he moved around even more than Link. Sidon had to admit that he wasn’t ever sure if the boy was conscious at any point before he spooned food into his mouth and he was just grateful that he was at least a Hylian and therefor easier to manipulate. “Cado, my boy,” Sidon shook him slightly, but his son only responded with a loud snore. “Hmmm.” While Nami was the crankiest Zora under the sun in the mornings, Sidon at least knew what tricks would wake her or at least pull her out of her mood. With Cado, once he was awake he was up for the rest of the day but Goddess above it was anyone’s guess as to how to wake him up. Today, Sidon tried ripping the covers off. Cado convulsed briefly and let out a series of sleepy groans. But then he rolled over onto his stomach and went back to sleep. “Oh, let’s not have any of this today please?” Sidon heaved a sigh. He stooped down and grabbed Cado by the armpits, lifting him up and watching as his head rocked limply backwards before he opened his bleary eyes. “Dad?” Cado yawned, smacking his lips together in a way that made Sidon wondered if he was still sleeping or just really good at mimicking Link. “Rise and shine, my faithful knight,” Sidon grinned, ruffling the boy’s messy brown hair. “It’s time for school.” “Mmkay,” Cado yawned again. Sidon hesitantly released his son, waiting to see if he would stand on his own feet or collapse back onto the bed. To his surprise, Cado stayed standing this time.  If only for a moment. “Back to bed,” Cado announced before flopping forward and curling his body around a pillow. “No you’re not, young man!” Sidon scolded, lunging forward to scoop Cado back into his arms with reflexes that only years of parenting could have earned him. He had to drag the boy to the bathroom before he finally perked up enough to start doing anything on his own accord that didn’t involve diving under the sheets, but even then he wasn’t sure if his son was actually awake as he brushed his teeth, his dark hair strewn about every which way and his blue eyes not quite focusing on his reflection in the mirror.    Rho usually stirred before Dad came to get him in the morning, but he enjoyed relishing in the warmth of his blankets and he was, on occasion, too impatient to wait until the evening to hear how Dad’s bedtime story continued so he’d snag the book after everyone had gone to bed and either stay up reading or grab the novel off his dresser when he woke up in the morning. When the door creaked open that morning, Rho snapped the book closed and sat up. “I’m awake,” he said, sitting up. “Good man,” Dad praised, though his expression contorted slightly as he watched Rho throw the covers off and stand up. “Is that my book?” Rho glanced down, realizing that he still had the book in hand and his cheeks heated up, hiding it behind him. “No,” he lied. Dad placed his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes, trying to look serious despite how his sly grin betrayed his false anger. “Now that’s just cheating.” “I wanted to know what happens!” Rho tried to defend himself. “I didn’t take the bookmark out or anything!” Dad merely chuckled and stepped forward, outstretching his arms, “Oh, come now, no need to be defensive I was only teasing.” Rho squirmed as Dad wrapped him in a hug. The young boy in him loved getting Dad hugs, feeling safe in his strong, long arms. But Rho wasn’t a boy anymore, he was a Hylian warrior in training and a Prince of the Zora domain. He couldn’t engage in such childish indulgences. “Daaaad,” Rho groaned. “I gotta get ready.” “But Rhooooo,” Dad whined, hugging him tighter. “You never let me hug you anymooooore.” Rho let out a groan and crossed his arms, trying not to look too annoyed because he knew that if he did, Dad would only ham it up. Still, Dad continued to whine, “Your siblings are never awake in the morning and Nami just gets mad at me but all I want to do is make sure my children know how much I love them!” “That’s nice, Dad,” Rho huffed. Biting his lips together, Rho gave in and wrapped his arms around Dad in a hug, earning a tighter squeeze and a pleased purr from Dad in response. “Okay, I’ll let you get ready,” Dad kissed the top of Rho’s head. “Thanks for putting up with your old man!” “Ancient,” Rho quipped, flashing a snarky grin at his now deflating father. “Oh don’t be like that,” Dad whined. “I’m kidding!” Rho laughed. “Besides, Pop’s older.” Dad started to say something back to the boy but he paused, tilting his head slightly and noted, “Fair point.”     Mipha stirred slightly when Dad stepped into her room. She felt his hand run through her hair and she let out a groan. “Mipha, my sweet,” he whispered. “It’s time to wake up.”“Mmhmm,” Mipha opened her eyes to look up at Dad who was sitting on the bed smiling down at her. “Are you awake?” he asked. “No,” Mipha chirped before contently rolling over onto her side. Above her, she could head Dad’s soft chuckle as two large, warm arms curled around her. Mipha couldn’t contain her giggles as Dad pressed his weight against her, his throat rumbling with an affectionate growl. He lifted her off the bed slightly and planted a kiss on the side of Mipha’s forehead. “Come now, little one,” Dad nuzzled Mipha’s ear. “I’ve let you sleep in longer than anyone, you best get up now.” “Mmmm,” Mipha groaned, wriggling out of the blankets just enough to wrap her arms around him in a hug. “But Daaaaad.” “Oh come now,” Dad teased, lifting the bundle of Mipha up and set her on his lap. Save for her head and arms, she was practically a burrito the way she had twisted herself into the blankets even before he lifted her up. “Do you think you can bat those pretty little eyelashes at me and expect me to cave and let you stay in bed all day?” “Nooo,” Mipha giggled. “I want you to stay and cuddle with me silly!” “Oh, well if that’s the case,” Dad said, squeezing Mipha tightly as he plopped back down overdramatically onto his side, still holding the girl hostage. “Goodnight.”Realizing that she was suddenly unable to move, Mipha panicked slightly and tried to wriggle out of Dad’s grasp, “Wait, Dad, no--” “You said you wanted to stay in bed and cuddle,” Dad said. “Yeah but you’re crushing my lungs!” Mipha complained. “Well, if you had gills there wouldn’t be lungs to crush,” Dad retorted. “But Daaaaad,” Mipha droned. “I can’t control that!” “No,” Dad mused. “But you wanted to stay in and cuddle.” “Yeah but I can’t move!” Mipha whined. “Aww,” Dad pouted, “You know, I remember when you were such a tiny little thing. You were just about the size of my hand, you were so small! You’d let me set you down on my chest and we could spend the whole day like that.” Mipha let out a whine, trying to find a reason to protest her father but realizing she sealed her own fate. “Okaay,” she grumbled, seeing his point, “I’ll get up!” Dad loosened his grip just enough so that she could swing her legs over the bed, untangle herself from the blankets and stand up, but that didn’t change the fact that he made a pitiful noise as she walked away.“And here I was thinking we could get to revisit those days,” he whined. “Sorry, Dad,” Mipha apologized, biting back an amused smile. Dad made an over dramatic display of standing up despondently, no doubt imitating Nami’s grumpy demeanor in the mornings as he scoffed at her. “It’s fine, I suppose,” he said, his expression betraying him as he cracked a smile. “Though I must say, I do appreciate that you are the easiest of your siblings to wake up in the morning.”   Cado spooned some food in his mouth, chewing it methodically for a few moments before something clicked in the back of his mind and he realized where he was. Blinking a few times, Cado’s eyes came back into focus and he was surprised to discover his two older siblings watching him intently and Nami’s eyes lit up as she let out a cheer and laughed, “Heeey! He’s awake now! Welcome back to reality!” Cado squinted his eyes at his sister, swallowing the food in his mouth as he realized that it wasn’t just Nami and Rho that were staring at him intently. Pa was still spooning things onto plates and biting back a smile while Dad was leaning against the counter, rubbing Papa’s back as he failed to hold back his laughter. “I’ve been awake,” Cado said contemplatively, honestly not sure of his own statement but not wanting to make a fool of himself. He knew he was in safe company, but still. Dad responded by doubling over, letting out a series of snorts and giggles. Pop swiftly swatted Dad across the shoulder, audibly hissing, “Stop it.” Cado was honestly a little too sleepy to fully process everything, so he missed when Mipha came up from behind him and pounced, shouting, “BOO!” “AH!” Cado shrieked, nearly falling backwards in his seat. “Mipha! Don’t do that!” Laughing at herself without remorse, Mipha simply shrugged, “Sorry.” “No you’re not,” Cado stuck his tongue out at his little sister. Mipha responded by sticking her tongue back out at him. “Alright you two,” Dad chided gently, “eat your breakfast.” Mipha took her seat beside Nami and Dad took his seat in between Rho and where Papa normally sat. Papa, on the other hand, cracked a few eggs in the still hot frying pan, anticipating that they would all need seconds. “Oh, Link, sweetheart,” Dad noted, “Take a seat and enjoy your breakfast.” Papa shook his head and turned away from the stove long enough to lift his hands and sign, “With such a ravenous household? I need to make sure my family is fed.” “Well, we will help ourselves to seconds if we’re still hungry, you just sit down and eat!” “Whose going to cook seconds?” “I can,” Dad insisted, though Cado and the others had to fight to hold down their laughter as Papa snorted in disbelief. Dad deflated suddenly, his tail drooping pitifully, “Whaaaat?” “You?” Pa signed, “Cooking!?” “I can try!” Dad whined, but a pointed look from Pa proved that he knew better. “Who wants seconds?” Pa signed, laughing as Cado launched his hand upward alongside his other three siblings. He fought back a bemused grin as he filled the children’s plates and only then sitting down next to Dad, who was grumpily picking at his food. “Alright, I see your point,” Dad mumbled, glaring at Pa who held up the remnants of what was in the pan in his direction. “Yes please.” Dad’s mood didn’t last for long as a few gentle prods from Pa brought his grin back.     After breakfast, Link helped Sidon get the kids out the door, watching in amusement as Sidon sat back on the floor, collapsing in relief that they all made it out with plenty of time to get to school. “You okay?” Link mumbled aloud, sitting down next to his husband. Sidon heaved a sigh, his gills puffing outwards as if he didn’t love every minute he spent with those rascals. “These children will be the end of me,” Sidon breathed, resting his arm over his eyes. “Waking them up alone is enough to do me in.” “Please,” Link scoffed, reaching out to scratch at the zora’s belly and laughing at the way Sidon contracted inwards from the ticklish sensation. Link waited until Sidon revealed his eyes before he continued with his hands, “The morning is your favorite part of the day and you know it.” “Hmm,” Sidon hummed, sitting up just long enough to plop his head back onto Link’s lap. Link absentmindedly ran his hand along the side of Sidon’s tail fin, smiling as he heard his husband purr before speaking, “You are correct. I know not what I would be without my family, especially my beautiful husband.” Link’s smile broadened at the statement, lowering his head so he could nuzzle against the side of his husband’s, pressing his lips against the large protrusion of his brow and kissing it gently. He ran his hand down Sidon’s shoulder, tracing his fingers along crimson scales. As much as Sidon praised him, Link wondered if Sidon knew just how much he and their perfect little family had changed the Hylian’s life for the better. He sure hoped the peppering of kisses spoke for themselves.
10824558
Little Rebel
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Galen Erso, Orson Krennic, Davits Draven", "Fandom": "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)", "Language": "Español", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by Pipesper", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-05T00:00:00", "words": "1,600", "Additional Tags": "Family, Spanish, AU, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, One Shot, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Memories", "Relationship": "Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
—Pero miren que tenemos aquí, una pequeña rebelde saltándose la hora de dormir.Después de la mueca que apareció involuntariamente en el rostro de Jyn, el director Orson Krennic sonrió, pretendiendo ser una persona que bromea incluso con los niños pequeños que interrumpen una reunión de vital importancia. Lo último que esperaba esa noche era que esa niña, precisamente la hija de Galen Erso, apareciera de la nada, como si tuviera todo el derecho de hacerlo, como si sus padres no la hubiesen educado correctamente, lo que Krennic sospechaba y a lo que culpa por ese irrespetuoso acto infantil. Entonces, sin planearlo realmente, la palabra rebelde salió de sus labios mientras intentaba hacerlo sonar como una básica analogía aplicada a una niña que, pasada su hora de dormir, seguía despierta y esperando tontamente que su padre le prestara atención; si no había sido así en las pasadas cuarenta y ocho horas, el director no esperaba que ahora fuera diferente. Sin embargo, al contrario de su propósito original, cada una de las letras desprendió una ligera gota de veneno que Jyn, aún a una temprana edad, alcanzó a escuchar e identificar.La mueca que tomó forma en su rostro eventualmente se transformó en una pequeña sonrisa. Algo en esa palabra, y en la directa referencia a ella, le agradó y le hizo considerar aquello como un pequeño desafío que no quería dejar ir.—Jyn, es hora de dormir.Notando la tensión que lentamente comenzaba a formarse, Galen intercedió, haciendo que la sonrisa de la niña desapareciera ante el llamado de atención, así como instalando los indicios de una retorcida sonrisa en los labios del director.—No puedo dormir, papa— susurró Jyn, sin mirarlo realmente, enfocando su atención en algo más, o alguien más—. Las sombras aparecen en cuanto cierro los ojos.—Cariño, puedes decirle a tu madre que-Mas, la atención volvió rápidamente a su padre.—Pero te lo estoy pidiendo a ti, por favor…—Jyn, estoy ocupado ahora.—¡Papa, por favor!Las miradas de incomodidad recorrieron la sala centrándose en los nuevos protagonistas del drama: la pequeña niña, Galen y el director Krennic. Este último era el que parecía el más molesto, incluso sin participar directamente en la discusión, pues, cuando sintió que la conversación no acabaría con un simple no, se levantó, acaparando toda la atención de los presentes.—Bien, bien, creo que esto será todo por esta noche, ¿no es así señores?El murmullo lleno de disgusto que llenó la sala, así como la dura mirada que le dio el director, hicieron que las mejillas de Jyn enrojecieran. Desde su punto de vista no había nada malo en pedir que su padre la acompañara, aunque fueran solo unos minutos, durante su hora de dormir, era lo justo, era lo que cualquier niño que tuviera el privilegio de tener a su padre cerca podría pedir. Pero, con los oficiales mirándola con distintas expresiones y el director intentando ser diplomático, Jyn entendió que quizás ahí habían otras cosas que pesaban dentro de ese asunto, cosas que estaban fuera de su control y que no lograba entender.—Siento que esto ocurriera, seguiremos luego…—¡Oh, no te preocupes!— Krennic sonrió fríamente, ahora fijándose en el apenado Galen—. Esta dulce jovencita necesita estar junto a su padre.Jyn frunció el ceño, el tono y la actitud del director le molestaron, por lo que la vergüenza y la culpa desaparecieron inmediatamente. No hay nada malo, pensó para sus adentros, es esa persona la que no logra entender.—¿Lo oíste? Todo está bien, papa, vamos, vamos— la pequeña niña quiso considerar aquello como un acto de rebeldía, así que, con una gran sonrisa y para cerrar el asunto, agregó: — Buenas noches, espero que nada ni nadie interrumpa su sueño luego.Galen Erso, entre el horror y el disgusto que le trajeron las palabras de su pequeña hija, la alzó en el aire mientras murmuraba una disculpa y un adiós, dispuesto a marcharse rápidamente. La pequeña rebelde nunca se consideró a sí misma como tal, pero pronto comprendería que con el tiempo esto sería algo de lo que no podría desprenderse...La palabra “no” se instaló en la mirada de Cassian desde la última vez que Jyn dijo algo. No digas nada más, no te muevas, ni siquiera pongas un ojo sobre el general Draven, no y solo no.De alguna manera, y aunque las palabras no hubiesen sido pronunciadas, Jyn logró identificar lo que decían esos oscuros ojos castaños y el mensaje era claro: no intentes provocar al general, otra vez, si no quieres escuchar otro concierto de gritos. Si hubiese sido otra persona, si hubiese sido otro el lugar y el mensaje, hubiese desobedecido sin dudar, pero era Cassian de quién estaba hablando, podía muy bien hacer una excepción, guardar silencio, esperar pacientemente por un castigo, e incluso asumir una culpa que no era completamente suya y que definitivamente no sentía, pero no iba a ser por mucho tiempo. Pues, así como los minutos pasaban, el silencio se expandía sin que ninguno de los presentes pronunciara una palabra y Draven no hiciera más que ir de un lado a otro, su paciencia se agotaba. El asunto que los tenía allí reunidos podría resumirse de manera sencilla, aunque en el acto había sido todo menos fácil: Jyn, Cassian y el resto de la tripulación del Rogue One se embarcaron en una dura misión, en medio de esta, algo salió mal, algo así como un “pequeño” problema con un ataque sorpresa y un improvisado plan que no había sido ni discreto, ni silencioso, aun cuando la misión especificaba exactamente eso, al final, todo acabó con resultados que podrían considerarse victoriosos. En teoría fue una misión exitosa, en teoría, el general Draven no consideraba que las medidas utilizadas hubiesen sido las adecuadas, por eso ambos se encontraban allí, en representación del resto y escuchando muchos gritos.Y así, los minutos siguieron avanzando hasta el último intercambio de miradas con el capitán, donde Jyn hizo clara las intenciones de acabar esa reunión de una vez por todas, por lo que, sin dejar que Cassian la detuviera, dio un paso adelante.—Señor, siento interrumpir lo que sea que esté haciendo, pero-—¿Aún tienes ganas de defender lo que ya arruinaron, Erso? ¡Qué valentía!Claramente la sutileza no estaba de parte de la rebelde, quién retrocedió instintivamente ante la súbita explosión de su superior.—¡La misión salió bien al final! ¿No era eso lo que se necesitaba?—Les dije que fueran discretos, les dije que era una misión en cubierto, ¿y qué hicieron? ¡Todo lo contrario!—Quizás tenga razón, señor, pero las condiciones en que se desarrolló la misión-Cassian apenas tuvo oportunidad de respaldar la opinión de Jyn, que también compartía, luego de ser bruscamente interrumpido. Draven había sido un volcán a punto de estallar y Jyn le dio un motivo, es más, incluso si no hubiese dicho nada, tarde o temprano habría acabado así.—¡No intente intervenir, Capitán! Sé que todo esto fue culpa de esta…de esta ¡pequeña rebelde!Lo primero que la golpeó fue la facilidad con que toda la culpa por la no tan fallida misión caía sobre sus hombros, lo segundo, los términos que usó el general para referirse a ella. Un fugaz, y quizás no tan agradable, recuerdo volvió a su cabeza, haciendo que toda la molestia anterior desapareciera para ser reemplazada con una familiar sonrisa. Nunca pensó que volvería a escuchar esas dos palabras juntas, especialmente ahora que ya no era una niña pequeña. Volverlas a oír después de tanto tiempo, en ese distante lugar, le causó tanta gracia que casi dejó salir una carcajada, que obviamente murió en cuanto salió.—¡¿Y que se supone que le causa tanta gracia, Erso?!—Eso…—Ella está cansada— intervino Cassian, dándole una mirada a su compañera que la obligó a mantener el silencio—. Además, se golpeó la cabeza en medio del escape, no sabe de lo que habla.Jyn quiso responder, demostrarles a ambos que estaba perfectamente bien, pero entendió al instante que no era el momento, que ya había hecho suficiente.—¿Está cansada y confundida, dice usted, Capitán?— Cuestionó Draven con un toque de gracia en su voz, sin creer por completo lo que estaba escuchando.—Sugiero un viaje a la enfermería y un poco de descanso— su tono no dejaba espacio para una negativa, ni siquiera para que otro argumento fuera pronunciado.Y así, dejando en silencio al general Draven y sin esperar una confirmación para su prematura salida, Cassian agarró la muñeca de Jyn, sacándola de ese lugar antes de que la siguiente ronda de gritos comenzara. En algún momento del trayecto, el agarre pasó inadvertidamente de la muñeca a la mano, pero ninguno de los dos pareció notarlo o, si lo hicieron, no les incomodó el contacto, como si estuvieran acostumbrados el uno al otro, como si aquello fuera lo más normal del mundo. Tampoco pasó mucho tiempo hasta que se detuvieran en medio del pasillo y Cassian se volteara a mirarla, sin soltar el agarre y con una clara pregunta escrita en todo su rostro.—Eso fue…no quieres oírlo, es una vieja y aburrida historia.—Nos queda un largo camino a la enfermería, escuchar una historia lo haría más ameno.Jyn negó suavemente con la cabeza con una media sonrisa en los labios, no era que no estuviera dispuesta a hablar de esa tonta historia en algún momento, quizás lo haría, en ese minuto o al día siguiente, pero no era más que la historia de una pequeña rebelde que ya había crecido lo suficiente para crear nuevos problemas.
10862937
Be Careful Making Wishes
{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "Gen", "Characters": "Beyoncé Knowles, Taylor Swift, Big Sean, Motorbaby | Grace (Danger Days)", "Fandom": "Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Album)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "General Audiences", "author": "by orphan_account", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-09T00:00:00", "words": "125", "Additional Tags": "Implied/Referenced Character Death", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": "The Kids From Yesterday", "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Herald taps the radio. ‘The Ops here. Blood, Herald and Queen.’The voice on the other end sounds weary and tired. ‘The Suitehearts are dead.’Blood gapes. Herald's eyes widen.‘How can we trust you?’ Queen retorts in her usual straightforward manner. ‘Who are you?’The voice sighs again. ‘I'm Motorbaby.’‘The Motorbaby?’‘Yes.’‘I guess she's trustworthy then.’ Blood replies gloomily. ‘So, they're dead.’ She tries to not burst into tears.‘So, now that that's out, I need the 4-1-1 on the Decaydancers.’Blood looks at Queen, her eyes red. Queen looks at Herald.Herald looks at the radio. ‘'Baby, I've got some bad news.’This is the beginning of a new dynasty.The rise and fall of an era.  Welcome to the 2020's.
10835697
Storm of love
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "M/M", "Characters": "Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson", "Fandom": "One Direction (Band)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Mature", "author": "by Latenighttalking33", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-06T00:00:00", "words": "2,099", "Additional Tags": "Fluff and Smut, Thunderstorms, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blowjobs, Bottom Louis, Louis hates storms, Naked Cuddling, Kissing, dont know what else to tag, Larry Stylinson Is Real, Love Confessions, Getting Together, Top Harry, Comforting", "Relationship": "Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Third person pov:The sky was gray and dark,rain was bouncing off the rooftop and thunder was rumblimg with lightning lighting up the sky. Harry was getting in bed and sliding under  the duvet over his body.He was ready for bed from a long tiring day of work.As he was almost a sleep he heard a soft knock at the door. He knew it was Louis. As far as he could remember Louis had been always afraid of storms, since he was eight years old. With Louis being 25 you would think he wouldn't be afraid anymore but Harry was wrong Louis was still scared."Come in," Harry said, softly."Harry, I hate to bother you, but do you think I could sleep in here?" he asks, feeling guilty for disturbing Harry."Of course, Lou," Harry says, patting the spot next to him.Thunder rumbled loudly and Louis ran to the bed amd quickly got under thw duvet, Harry laughing slightly. "Shut up." Louis says, pouting.Harry couldn't help but stare at Louis, he thought he was the most beautiful man he has ever seen. Harry has been in love with his best friend for years but never told Louis due to him afraid of Louis not feeling the same.They both lay back in bed and the thunderstorm was getting worse.Louis whimpered and Harry cuddled him against his body, feeling his warmth."It's alright lou I'm here," Harry said, comforting him."I'm sorry I'm keeping you up," Louis says, putting his face in the crook of Harry's neck."It's fine Lou, you're my best friend, I don't mind," Harry says truthfully."Okay," he says.They continued to talk as the thunderstorm got worse and Harry cuddled Louis closely but the closeness was driving him nuts.His heart was racing and he was having thoughts that he shouldn't be thinking about his best friend."Harry are you okay?" Louis askwd concerned."Y-yeah I'm okay," He lied.It was silence and all could be heard was the storm. Louis was getting scared and was moving around agaisnt Harry,which wasn't good because Harry was going to get hard."Uh Lou, could you not do that," Harry says, trying not to get hard.Louis felt Harry's erection and smirked."Oh you mean like this," he says and starts wiggling his bum against harrys front.Harry lets out a soft moan and Louis stops."Sorry haz, I shouldn't of done that," Louis says scooting away."No, don't it's fine." Harry reassures him.Louis stayed but still looked guilty."Lou, don't feel guilty I just needed you to stop before I lost control," Harry admitted."Oh do I turn you on, Haz?" Louis teased, his guiltiness long gone.Harry blushed "Yes you do lou, and it seems you grinding against me made you hard," Harry points out.It was Louis's turn to blush. Things were silent for a moment til a crackling noise came from outside, it was thunder and lighting amd made Louis jump into Harrys,knocking them onto the bed. Their faces were close together to where they could feel each others warm breath on there face.Something came over Harry and he planted his mouth right on Louis and louis breath hitched."Oh my god lou, I'm so sorry I shouldn't  of done -"mphhLouis shut Harry up by kissing him back, after the shock Harry kissed back and their mouths moved in sync.Harry put his hand on Louis' cheek and deepened the kiss, Louis moaned alittle loving the feeling of harry dominating his mouth,soon it was getting heated and they needed air."Wow," Harry says,breathlessly."I know," Louis smirked."Bur was it okay to kiss you?" Harry asked worried, biting his lip."Of course, or I wouldnt of kissed you back," Louis said, honestly.Harry was relieved."Harry if you haven't noticed for the past few years I've been sort of in love with you,"Harry was speechless at Louis's confession."Really because I'm sorta in love with you too.," Harry says, grinning cheekily."Wow, we have been some oblivious idiots," Louis laughed out."Yes, I agree," Harry said.Another rumble of thunder came and Louis jumped."Damn, I wish this storm would ease up," Louis said, slightly scared."It'll be over soon," Harry said, trying to make him feel betterLouis was silenced for a minute and he was smirking amd Harry wondered what he was thinking about."You know Harry you could take my mind of the storm," Louis says coyly as Harry looks at him confused."And how's that?" He asks."We could have fun," Louis said, wiggling his eyebrows."I don't think thats a good idea," Harry said."Well I guess I'll go back in the guest room," Louis says starting to get off the bed."No wait," Harry says.Louis smirks but Harry closes the gap between them and slots there mouths together, a flame ignites in Louis and deepens the kiss as he roams his hands through Harrys curls. Harry swipes his tongue over Louis bottom lip asking for entrance, which he happily granted.Their tongues collide and they both moan softly, as their tongues battling for dominance,of course Harry showing Louis he was the one in control . Harry lays Louis down on the bed without breaking the kiss. They kiss lazily until they pull away to breathe."Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry asks."Yes, I'm sure," Louis replied.Harry nods and leaves kisses along his jaw and slightly nibbles on Louis' ear. He travels down to Louos neck aand sucks and bites at the flushed skin. Louis moves his head to give Harry more access. Harry sucks a mark by his pulse point leaving a purple mark. Harry was happy and leaves a trail, bringing one of Louis' nipples into his mouth. Louis arches his back off the bed, moaning."More, Harry," Louis orders.He takes the swollen bud and rubs it between his fingers as he sucks on the second one. Once Harry was happy he leaves softs kisses down Louis tummy,stopping above his boxers. Louis gives him a nod and pulls louis boxers off, his erection standing proud,precum leaking out.Harry grabs Louis' cock and gives him a few pumps, his hand warm to the touch. He gives the tip a few kitten licks, tasting the salty substance. Without warning he takes Louis into his mouth, making Louis thrust his hips and hitting the back of harrys throat. Harry choked a bit, eyes watering."Sorry," "It's fine," Harry says hoarsely.Harry licks a stripe along louis tip and then bobs his head up and down, pumping what can't fit in his mouth."Ah! Fuck Harry, your mouth is amazing," he moans.Harry hollows his cheeks taking Louis a little further into his mouth and hums sending vibrations through out his cock."Uggnn,Harry," Louis continues to moan.Harry fastens the speed and continues to bob his head up and down."Harry I'm close," Louis warns."Let me know when, I want you to cum in my mouth," Harry says as Louis nods.Harry takes Louis into his mouth and bobs his head a few more times until Louis warns him he was about to cum.Louis pumps himself as Harry catches every last drop swallowing it."Wow that was amazing babe," Louis said, as Harry blushes at the endearment"Yes it was," Harry agreed."Harry, will you make love to me?""Louis, don't you think we're going a bit fast?" He asks."No, I want you Haz, and I want you to fuck me," Louis said and that went straight to Harrys cock."Alright, as you wish," Harry says.Harry slips his boxers off leaving the both men completely naked. Harry grabs the lube and a condom ftom his nightstand. He asked Louis one more time id he was right and Louis nods.Louis lays on his stomach while Harry lubes up three fingers with strawberry lube."Spread your legs a bit Lou," Harry orders.Louis listens and does what Harry tells him.Harry circles his lubed up finger and circles it around Louis hole and inches it until he gets through the tight ring of muscle,Louis was no virgin, Harry knew that much but he was tight.He starts pumping his finger in and out until Louis was moaning."Add another," Louis moaned.Harry adds a second finger and enters it until he is knuckle deep. He starts to pump the two fingers and Louis starts thrusting against Harry's fingers trying to get some friction. Harry scissors his fingers trying to losen Louos up a bit."Uh! Harry more," Louis said in a moaning mess.Harry adds another finger and Louis was a bit more stretched, he searched for the certain spot that will make Louis moan. He crooks his fingers and hits Louis prostate."Oh fuck, Harry right there!" Louis thrusts more against Harry's fingers.Harry thrusts his fingers in and out at a fast pace and Louis was on the verge of cumming a second time."Harry, I'm close," Louis moans."No not til I'm inside of you," Harry says,his eyes a dark green.Harry slips his fingers out,Louis feeling empty.Harry grabs the foil pocket and rips the condom open with his teeth. He rolls it onto his length and lubes up the condom."How do you want to do this?" Harry asked."On my back, I want to see you," he says as Harry nodded.Harry places himself at Louis entrance and pushes the tip in looking for any discomfort on Louis' face, there wasn't any so he enters Louis inch my inch until he fills him completely."Damn Harry you're big," Louis says."Why thank you, Lou." Harry replies, cocky.Louis rolls his eyes, "You can move," Harry pulls out half way and thrusts back in, Louis moaning already.Harry sets a steady pace and thrusts in and out. Louis scratches his nails up and down Harry's back as Harry thrusts into him.All Harry could hear was little  uhhs coming out of Louis mouth and slapping on skin."Harry, faster!" Louis orderes.Harry pickes up the pace snapping his hips as he thrusts faster into Louis.Louis wraps his legs around Harrys waist where Harry goes deeper hitting his prostate."Oh fuck right there Harry," Louis said, throwing his head back in pleasure.Harry surprises Louis and slips out and lifts him off the bed and slams back into him, thrusting at a fast pace,hitting his prostate head on."Harry, I'm close," Louis warned.Harry lifts Louis leg and wraps it around his waist again and enters him once again. He puts his face in the crook of his neck amd fucks him once more, hips snapping back. "Uh haz, more," Louis groans,on the verge of coming.Harry gives it all he gots and fucks Louos into oblivion with the headboard banging until  he feels his body convulse, spurting white on his chest and himself.That makes Harry give a few thrust and Harry cums shouting louis' name, filling the condom.Harry collapses onto Louis,breathing heavily."Oi, get off me you big oaf," Louis says."Is that what you say to someone who just fucked you into oblivion," Harry laughs.Louis just smiles. "Yeah that was amazing," Louis says, looking blissful to Harry.Harry slips out of Louis, throws the condom away and goes to get a cloth to wipe them off.He comes back and wipes them off.He lays beside Louis, yawning."Harry what does this mean for us now?" Louis asks, biting his lip nervously."I hope it means that we can start to date and take it from there," Harry explained, hopefully."I want that too," "So Louis william Tomlinson, will you be my boyfriend?" Louis pondered playfully and shook his head yes. "I'd be honored to be your boyfriend."Good, now come here and give me a cuddle," Harry said, as Louis scorched closer to him.Harry puts his arm around Louis and lays his head besides Louis and breaths happily."Goodnight, boo bear," Harry sighs,contently closing his eyes."Goodnight and Harry?" Louis questions.Harry hmms sleepily, "The storms over I don't think I'm afraid anymore," Louis replies.Harry laughs and smacks Louis with a pillow. "Go to sleep," Harry says.They both fell asleep contently with smiles on there faces and the storm all cleared up. You could just call there night A storm of Love.
10851432
Over Dinner
{ "Archive Warning": "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", "Category": "F/F", "Characters": null, "Fandom": "Once Upon a Time (TV)", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Not Rated", "author": "by pcworth", "chapters": "20/20", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-08T00:00:00", "words": "49,581", "Additional Tags": null, "Relationship": "Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan", "Character": null, "Relationships": null, "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Regina wouldn't normally bring her son Henry to work with her, but she had been left with very little choice. Her ex-husband, Stephen, had dropped Henry back off at her place just as she was preparing to leave for work. Stephen said he had an emergency meeting for work out of town that he could not miss.It had erupted into yet another huge fight as she accused him of being unfair and his "emergency meeting" probably having more to do with his current slut of the month than his job.He had shot back with words that stung more than she thought possible. And it wasn't because the words hurt her.Stephen was standing there near the door trying to leave when she made her accusation."He's not even my kid," Stephen yelled.Regina had taken a step back not believing that this was a man she had once loved."Get out," she said."Gladly."She stood there for several minutes trying to process what had happened and how she had gotten to this place when Henry came around the corner. One look was all it took for her to know he had heard.It wasn't as if Henry didn't know he was adopted. They hadn't made a secret out of it or anything, but for Stephen to say that crossed a line."I'm sorry," Regina said bending down in front of him. "I am sorry this situation between your dad and I has gotten like this. I will talk to him when he gets back.""He's not my dad.""Oh Henry. He didn't mean …""Yes he did. I don't want to see him anymore.""You're upset and you have every right to be but Stephen has rights too as your parent.""He doesn't want to be my dad," Henry protested. "You were right; he is going away with some woman for the weekend. It has nothing to do with work. I heard them talking and he said that he wished he didn't have to bother with me at all but his lawyer said if he didn't then he would have to pay more child support to you and he wasn't going to do that."As much as her blood was boiling with anger right now she didn't want Henry to see that. Instead she embraced him."We will figure something out," she said. "You and me together.""Always," he responded.It was a little saying that hadShe had to rush around after that to make arrangements – her best friend Katherine agreed to swing by and pick Henry up but it wouldn't be until later which is why she was now taking Henry into work with her.It wasn't as if anyone was likely to say a word to her about it. After all, when you owned one of New York's hottest restaurants people didn't say much to you.Emma walked into the restaurant in one of her most form-fitting dresses. It not only hugged her body, which was good for trapping her prey, but it was also short, which was good for her if this required more movement than she was expecting.She had been flirting with this guy online for weeks and they were finally meeting face to face at a rather fancy restaurant. She knew he was trying to impress her with taking her to such a swank place.Normally she wasn't much for fine dining. Frankly, while her job paid well, fine dining in New York was still out of her price range.She wondered if she would at least get the chance to get a small bite of an appetizer.Somehow she doubted it.She looked around and saw the guy she was meeting."Brian?" she asked hesitantly as he approached her."Emma," he smiled.He helped her into her seat."I got to say you look beautiful," he said as he took his seat."Thank you. You look just like your photo which I have to say is a relief. Internet dating is a scary proposition sometimes.""Oh yes, you never know if the picture the person uploaded is really them.""Or cut from a Victoria Secret's website," she finished.They smiled at each other. "I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of ordering us some wine," he said showing her the bottle."A glass would be great."He poured her some wine and she took a sip of it. Damn, she thought, if the wine is this good she was definitely going to be disappointed when they didn't even make it to the meal."So tell me about yourself," he prompted."I m afraid there isn't much to say. I am single, obviously, I like to go running in the morning, I enjoy a nice bubble bath. Most of my time is taken up by my job.""What is it that you do?" he asked."I am a bail bondsman.""Oh," he said. "What does that mean exactly?""It means when people are arrested and their loved ones for instance their wife pays the bail, but can't afford the entire amount I put up the rest of the money. The problem comes when that person jumps bail. You see it's my job to track them down and bring them back to the police. It protects my investment in the whole venture. And it's actually quite fun, especially when the criminal in question has embezzled nearly a half a million from his employer and is now on a date while his wife is at home wondering how she is going to deal with any of this."She knew the moment she was part way through the speech that she had a runner on her hands. He tipped the table towards her and as she backed away – still getting wine splashed on her, he ran for it. He didn't go toward the front doors though, he went toward the back.Regina decided to keep herself busy that night in the kitchen. This allowed her to keep an eye on Henry while also doing something she loved – cooking. She had worked her way up the ranks in the kitchen before becoming the head chef several years ago at another restaurant. She always knew she wanted to be a chef, much to her parents chagrin. They supported her entirely in her dream, but when your father is a U.S. Ambassador to the Untied Nations and your mother is a well-known civil rights attorney, there are certain expectations there.She grew up never having to worry about things like money. She lived a life of privilege that afforded her the opportunity to indulge in her love of cooking.She opened her own restaurant nearly four years ago and it was constantly booked and had been given rave reviews. Owning the restaurant didn't always allow for her to be there in the kitchen which is where she preferred to be. She usually needed to make appearances on the floor and glad hand with celebrities or other members of the well-to-do in order to keep up the good will.Tonight though she was in no mood for such things. She wanted to get lost in a recipe to keep her mind off of what had happened with Stephen. Henry hadn't said much else on their way over here. When she had spoken to Katherine she had given her the mini-version of it. She would fill her in entirely later and she was prepared to ask Katherine for more than friend advice. Katherine was also an attorney and Regina decided to ask what could be legally done to perhaps break Stephen's adoption of Henry and give her sole custody. She didn't need Stephen's money or the child support. She only wanted Henry to be happy and if he truly didn't want to see Stephen ever again she would find some way to make that happen.A commotion from the front made her turn in that direction in time to see a man burst through the kitchen doors. He ran into one of the servers, knocking her down and came barreling down one of the aisles – the same one where Henry sat on a stack of boxes. Her instincts took over and she ran down the aisle she was in and made it around the corner as he reached the end colliding with him. They went down in a tumble, her head hitting the floor. She was dazed a moment but felt hands on her as she was pulled up.As her vision cleared she saw a woman in a tight pink dress in front of her, but the man she had hit had a hold of her and grabbed a knife from the nearby counter and now had it at her throat."Mom!" she heard Henry say from somewhere behind her. The man backed her up and was saying something to the woman in front of her. All she could think about was Henry and making sure Henry was ok.Emma wasn't sure what to do when she ran into the kitchen only to see Brian pull some woman up and hold her hostage. She could see a kid just behind them and when he yelled "Mom" she knew the brunette hostage was the child's mother."Hey, let's calm down here," Emma said keeping her hands up."I am not going to prison," Brian said, holding onto the woman a little tighter."Ok, ok," Emma said. "We can handle this, just let the woman go.""Right, and I am sure you will just let me walk out of here.""I will. Nothing is more important to me than her life right now."He seemed to consider it and backed up some more pulling the woman with him. They were getting closer to the kid and Emma looked in the woman's eyes and knew her concern was for the child, not herself."Hey kid," Emma said. "Why don't you take a wide walk behind that guy and come around over here."Brian glanced back noticing Henry for the first time and Regina gave a concerned look to Emma, who tried to communicate with her eyes that she needed to stay calm."He's just a kid," Emma said to Brian. "Just let him get out of the way.""Move kid," Brian ordered and Henry scrambled away from him. He went around to another aisle and one of the employees grabbed hold of him protectively. Emma could see relief spread across the features of the other woman."Alright, now let her go and you can leave. I won't follow."He backed up again still holding on.Once Henry was safe Regina's mind began to focus more on the situation. She was grateful for this woman for thinking to get Henry out of the way first. She got the feeling that whoever this guy was he wasn't going to make this easy.But she was the daughter of a U.S. Ambassador and as such she had taken self-defense courses growing up. True she hadn't had the occasion to use the techniques and it had been years ago but she didn't give up without a fight.She slammed her foot down on the guy's instep, which caused him to remove the knife from her neck long enough for her to grab his wrist. He was stronger than her and he easily pushed her aside and she went to the floor once again. She barely noticed a pair of legs leaping over her.Emma was surprised when the woman went on the offensive but as soon as she did Emma was moving forward. She saw the woman fall in front of her and she jumped over intent on stopping Brian. He made it out the back door and began ran to across lanes of traffic. She followed him, catching up to him even as she heard the sirens approaching their location. She reached out and grabbed the back of his suit jacket and he whirled around as she did so. It was only then that she realized he still had the knife. She couldn't move in time and it sliced into her left side. She did have the wherewithal to jam her palm upwards into his nose. She heard the crunch and his swearing as she backed up a step holding her side."Down on the ground now," she heard someone say authoritatively. Brian dropped the knife and put his hands up. She turned to see the cops."Miss, are you ok?" one of the cops said seeing the blood that was quickly staining her dress."Yeah," she said a moment before almost falling to the ground. She heard them call for an ambulance as one of the cops brought her safely to the ground. She was still conscious when the ambulance arrived and she was loaded in. The last thing she saw before the doors closed was that brunette lady and her son.Emma opened her eyes to the glare of the lights of a hospital room. She looked down at the IV in her arm and then she remembered why she was lying there. Well, that could have gone better she thought. She felt bad about how it all went down. She knew the risks she was taking with her job, but that was the first time she had been in a situation where others were at risk. She had read the dossier on Brian thoroughly. The guy was a sleaze and a white collar criminal so she hadn't been expecting something like that.She should have planned it out better.Lying there she wondered how long she would be unable to work with this knife wound. The area around it felt a little tender but otherwise ok.A nurse came in about 15 minutes later and checked her vitals and told her a doctor would be by to explain everything to her. She asked if there was anyone they should call and Emma shook her head. She didn't have anyone in her life to bother calling.The doctor came by nearly 40 minutes later. It wasn't as bad as it could have been and he was going to release her the next day so that at least was welcome.She was lying in bed hours later flipping through channels on the TV when there was a knock on the doorframe and the woman from the restaurant came in with her son."Hi," Regina said."Hi," Emma smiled."Henry and I, this is my son Henry and I am Regina, Regina Mills, we um wanted to come check on how you were doing."Emma turned the TV off. "Come in. I am Emma Swan.""We heard you got stabbed," Henry said excitedly. "Did it hurt?""Henry," Regina said in a warning tone."It's ok," Emma said. "I did get stabbed and yes it hurt, but the doctors got me all stitched up and I will be out of here tomorrow.""Cool," Henry said."I wanted to say thank you for what you did," Regina said."I should probably be apologizing to you actually. I shouldn't have let him get the upper hand like that. I'm sorry.""Please, you don't have to apologize. You kept my son from getting hurt and that it all that matters to me."Emma smiled as she took in this vision in front of her. Unlike in the kitchen where she was being held hostage, this woman seemed to exude a sense of authority and grace. And she was damn good looking especially in the skirt she was wearing that showed off her defined calf muscles."I am just glad you are both ok," Emma said. "You are ok?""Yes we both are," Regina said. "Just concerned about you.""We brought you food," Henry said holding out the bag he was carrying."I understand you didn't actually eat the restaurant and I shudder to think about what passes as food at a hospital, even a highly regarded hospital such as this," Regina said. "I whipped you up some food.""You are a chef?""I am," Regina said, seeing no reason to point out that she also owned the restaurant. She took the bag from Henry and took out the containers and placed them on the little stand. "I am sure one of the nurses can heat it up for you if you don't want to eat right now.""Oh no, I am hungry and was dreading whatever was on tap for lunch here. But I don't want to eat in front of you while were talking.""That's ok, we should probably get going," Regina said. "When you are feeling up to it though, I would like it if you would come to the restaurant for a meal. You can bring whoever you want. I will let the booking staff know to accommodate you whenever you want.""It will probably be a party of one then," Emma said."I will be your date," Henry said.Emma smiled at him and then looked at Regina who also had a smile on her face."It's a date then kid. You and me together.""Always," Henry said instinctively.Emma thought Regina gave him an odd look but there was still a smile on her face so Emma said. "Always kid. Always." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Three weeks laterEmma held her phone in her hands as she sat on the edge of her couch. She had been having this nearly nightly debate for a week now on whether to make the call.She felt silly because while Regina had told her to call anytime if she wanted to come into the restaurant and eat. She also didn't know if that was just Regina's way of being nice.The same day Regina had visited her in the hospital Emma had used her phone to google Regina Mills only to find out that she was no mere chef. The woman owned that restaurant and was apparently highly regarded in food circles. There was a feature story on her in the New York Times two years ago that gave her a lot of the information on Regina.Emma also found out that Regina had been married.It shouldn't matter, she thought. It shouldn't matter that Regina had been married.But Emma also knew that was a big reason she hadn't called. It was stupid, she knew. She had met the woman under an extreme situation so it was natural that she would feel some sort of weird connection to her. When Regina had come to see her in the hospital she had gotten an even better look at the brunette and beautiful didn't seem the right word for it.For a moment in that hospital room she felt – she didn't know what she felt but it had felt good.Then she had to start looking into who this woman was and Emma knew "out of her league" didn't even begin to describe it.Yet Regina hadn't seemed stuck up or anything like that. She seemed like someone who would be comfortable getting a cup of coffee with a person and chatting easily about any number of topics.And her son, well Henry was cute.Emma finally decided to dial the restaurant number, figuring she would get the hostess who wouldn't know what she was talking about because Regina probably forgot to tell anyone and that would be the end of it.A woman answered the phone and Emma hesitated before giving her name and telling her she was calling about a reservation. She was almost immediately put on hold. Yep, Emma thought, definitely has no idea what I am talking about."Emma?"She almost dropped the phone when she heard Regina's voice on the line."Um, yeah, it's me," Emma said feeling like an awkward idiot."I am glad you finally called," Regina said. "I had left instructions with all the hosts and hostesses to let me know if you did.""Sorry, it's taken so long. I've been busy.""It's ok. Henry only asks me like every day when you two are going to have your date."Emma laughed, "that is why I am calling.""Are you free this weekend, or are you out catching bad guys?""I think I can put the bad guys on hold for a night.""Good. How about Saturday night at 5 p.m.? I don't want Henry up too late.""That sounds perfect. I can meet him there.""He'll be delighted. Be prepared for him to ask about 100 questions.""I think I can handle it, so I guess I will see you then.""Bye.""Bye."Emma put the phone down, feeling better that Regina had not only remembered but she apparently had made it a priority. Now she needed to figure out what to wear on a date with a kid.Regina gave instructions for a table for Emma and Henry as soon as she got off the phone. While the restaurant mostly catered to those with reservations, like other establishments, hers always kept extra tables open for special guests or the occasional celebrity.She was happy Emma had called. She hadn't been lying when she said Henry had asked about her and when they were going to go on their date. Plus she was also looking forward to seeing Emma again.That night everything had gone so quickly. All she really knew about Emma at the time was that she was very brave and very beautiful. When she and Henry had gone to visit her in the hospital Regina had felt like there was a connection between them, especially when Emma had been so gracious toward Henry.She figured it was only a reaction to how things had been with Stephen and his rejection of Henry that made what Emma said that more impactful to her.Stephen. There was a mess that wasn't going to go away too quickly. She had a good idea that Stephen knew about what had happened to her at the restaurant and she was hurt that he hadn't bothered to ask how she was doing or how Henry was doing. She was again left wondering what had gone so wrong between them.Henry hadn't gone to see Stephen since and Stephen hadn't said a word about it. She had spoken to Katherine about her legal options and felt even more depressed that not only could she go forward with rescinding Stephen's rights as the adopted father, if Stephen didn't protest it was a fairly simple matter. Regina would have Henry and Stephen wouldn't have to pay support of any kind. It would truly sever their last connection to each other.Regina had mixed feelings about it and she didn't want to jump into it until she gave Henry some real time to think about what it would mean. In the end, it was his choice not hers – at least that is way she viewed it.Henry would be so excited when she got home and told him that Emma had finally called. She hoped Emma didn't find it to awkward to sit there with Henry. She figured if things looked like they were going bad, she could always join them for a bit.Emma entered the restaurant more nervous this time around than she had when she actually meeting a criminal there. She gave her name at the front and was escorted back to a table where Henry was already sitting. He beamed a huge smile at her which she returned."Hey kid," she said as she sat down opposite of him."Hi," he said."Your mom around?" Emma asked, taking a quick glance around the room."She's in the kitchen," he said. "I am sure she will be out as soon as someone tells her that you are here.""How is she? And you, how are both of you since that incident?""We're good," he said. "What about you, did your stab wound heal?""It did.""Does that happen a lot, getting hurt I mean?""No. I've gotten a few scrapes but nothing too serious. I shouldn't even have met that guy here. I didn't intend to put you or your mom in danger.""It was exciting, but mom says I shouldn't say that because people could have gotten hurt for real.""Thankfully no one did."Emma looked up to see Regina approaching the table. The brunette was smiling at her, and Emma smiled back."I am glad you made it," Regina said standing next to the table."I wouldn't miss it.""Order whatever you like. It's completely on the house. Appetizer, main course, dessert, even a to-go order if you want.""I might take you up on that dessert, but for now I will probably just order a main course.""Are you going to be our chef tonight?" Henry asked his mom."Yes.""You don't have to do that for me," Emma said quickly. "I am sure you are busy enough running this place.""It runs well whether I am here or not, besides I love to cook. If I didn't I wouldn't be here. So let your server know what you want."Regina disappeared toward the front and their server gave them two menus. Emma had to study hers for quite a while before deciding. Henry only looked at his for a few moments. When the server came back to get their orders Henry told him to "just tell my mom I'd like my usual.""What's your usual?" Emma asked him."You'll see."Once their orders were placed Emma was subjected to question after question from Henry."You should become a cop," Emma said after a while. "You would do well in interrogations.""Have you ever seen an interrogation?" he asked excitedly causing her to laugh.When their food arrived Emma gave a quizzical look at Henry's plate."A grilled cheese and fries?" she asked.Henry shrugged, "Growing up mom would cook a lot of different kinds of food. She used to try out dishes at home before trying them at a restaurant. I just thought that is what it was like for people – their moms cooking a bunch of stuff. Then when I went to school I discovered grilled cheese. I remember I came home and was telling her all about the gooey cheese and she wasn't impressed. But she spent like two days perfecting a grilled cheese sandwich for me. I really like it but she won't let me have them very often so when I am here, she let's me have grilled cheese.""Your mom obviously loves you very much."She looked down at her plate and then took her first bite. "God, that's good," she said conscious that she hadn't actually stopped chewing when she said it."My mom is really good.""Really good doesn't come close kid.""She will be really glad you like it.""Who wouldn't?""My dad probably," he said. "He didn't like it that mom is a chef."Emma knew better than to ask but she couldn't help herself. "Why is that?""I don't know. He always complained that since she owned this place she shouldn't be working in the kitchen and was always lecturing her about maintaining an image.""She said she loves to cook so being a chef is probably the best thing for her.""Yeah," Henry said taking a bite of his sandwich.They tried eating without talking while food was in their mouth and at one point Emma looked up and saw Regina standing off to the side watching them. Emma smiled at her and got one of those smiles in return.As their plates were being cleared Regina approached them again. "How was the food?""Excellent," Emma said. "My compliments to the chef."Regina smiled once more and Emma thought she caught a slight blush highlighting her cheeks."Will you be getting any dessert this evening?""No, I am full.""In that case, I at least insist on sending dessert home with you.""That's really not necessary.""Miss Swan, this is my place, you don't really get to argue,"When she got yet another smile from Regina, Emma knew there was no way she was going to argue against anything this woman said."I will put an order in for you, my choice," Regina said as she began to step away."You could come back and join us for a bit if you have time," Emma said."Ok,"Regina returned a few minutes later and took a seat next to Henry. They talked even after Emma's dessert was brought out to go. Emma found Regina very easy to talk to and it wasn't until she realized they had been talking for an hour that Emma regretfully said something about leaving."I probably should be getting Henry home," Regina said."Thanks for dinner, and Henry, you were the perfect date.""I had a lot of fun," Henry said.The two women were standing now and Emma felt awkward. "Well I am glad again that you weren't hurt and I really appreciate the invite to dinner.""You are most welcome," Regina said.They exchanged good byes and Emma left the restaurant, grabbing a cab to get home. She entered her apartment and felt alone. It hit her hard as she thought about how nice it was to sit with Henry and then Regina. Now she was alone and her small connection to their world was over. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Regina thought about calling Emma to see how she liked the dessert, but she felt silly about it so she didn't. She figured Emma would find it odd. It was one thing for this complete stranger to accept a dinner invitation made out of gratitude but quite another thing for Regina to call her up randomly.She had enjoyed getting to sit there and speak with Emma at dinner. It had been a while since she had been able to have such a care-free time. The blonde had an ability to put people at ease and Regina wondered if that helped her in her line of work. There was a lot of things Regina wondered about her, but she knew she wouldn't get the chance to ever actually get the answers to them.Dinner had been three days ago and clearly since she hadn't heard from Emma then Emma probably considered their brief interaction over. Regina wasn't even sure why she should expect otherwise.She was sitting in her office at the restaurant going over inventory items. She was double checking the figures when there was a knock on the door."Come in,"One of the wait staff came in carrying a small vase of flowers and placed it on her desk."What's this?" she asked."They were just delivered for you," he said.She stood up and examined them. It wasn't a big arrangement; in fact it was quite modest, but she enjoyed the simplicity of it. She plucked the card from it, opened it and smiled as she read the note."Thank you for dinner and dessert. Emma.""So who is your latest admirer?" the waiter said.It wouldn't be the first time she had been the recipient of flowers at the restaurant. Occasionally some one who enjoyed their meal would show appreciation for it. But this felt different than those."That will be all," she said dismissing him."Fine, keep your secrets," he said before walking out.Once he was gone, she bent over the arrangement and took a deep breath from the assorted flowers.She sat back down and dialed Emma's number."Hello.""Hi Emma, it's Regina.""Oh, hey, I mean hi. I mean I said that already. How are you?"Regina smiled as she could almost picture Emma's expressions as she stumbled over her phrasing."I am doing quite well actually. I am sitting here in my office with a lovely bouquet of flowers from you and I wanted to call and thank you.""I am glad you like them. I didn't know what kind of flowers you might like so I told them to make it different kinds.""They are perfect. You didn't have to send me flowers, but I admit I am glad you did.""Yeah?""Yes. It gave me an excuse to call you. You should know that I suspect that Henry told all his classmates about his date so there may be a rumor going around town that you are dating a child."Emma laughed, "I suppose that would sound creepy if I hadn't actually gone on a date with him.""If the authorities come knocking on my door to ask questions about it, I will be sure to let them know I was present and nothing bad happened.""I appreciate that."There was a moment of silence between them as both women tried to figure out something to say to extend the conversation."Well I should probably let you get back to whatever you were doing. I just wanted to let you know that I got your flowers and they made me smile. So thank you once again.""You're welcome.""Good bye Emma.""Good bye."She hung up the phone and sat there staring the flowers. She wished she had more to say to Emma but she didn't really know what to say. They didn't actually know each other. Without the flowers it just would have been weird if she had called Emma up.She had been thinking since that dinner with Emma that part of the reason she had enjoyed it was because of being able to talk to another adult casually. Yes she had her friend Katherine, but both of their lives were so busy and they knew each other so well that there was nothing new. That is what she liked about Emma, she was new, and obviously lived a life to different than Regina's that she found it easy to fall into stretches of silence where she could just listen to the other woman tell a story.Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts, and she saw it was Emma calling her back. She paused only a moment before answering it."So I was wondering since you had me out for dinner, if you might want to catch a bite with me sometime," Emma said.Regina smiled, "I would like that."Emma was less nervous this time around having dinner with Regina, although she wondered if perhaps she should be more nervous seeing as Henry wasn't there. She hadn't told Regina where they were going, only that she should dress casual because it wasn't anywhere fancy.She went to Regina's apartment which was in a fancy building, complete with a doorman. She had to wait at the security desk before she was allowed up. This was definitely not the kind of place people like her normally went. She could practically feel the judgment from the doorman when he opened the door for her.When she knocked on the door, she smiled as Henry answered it."Hi Emma.""Hey kid," she said. "How are things?""Good. My mom's almost ready if you want to come in."She stepped inside. Everything seemed modern and new, but there were small touches that seemed to show that this was a home. A jacket that she assumed belonged to Henry was draped on the back of the couch. There was a coffee mug without a coaster under it on a table. Emma took in these small details as Henry went back to sitting on the couch and grabbed a controller. She ended up taking a seat beside him."You want to play?""Maybe another time. If I start playing the game with you now, your mom and I will never get to eat. I am a bit of a video game junkie.""You are? What do you like to play?""I like racing games the best mostly because I don't get a lot of time to play so I tend not to do epic kinds of games that take too much time since I don't have the time to ever finish them.""I got some racing games, maybe we could play later.""Maybe kid.""You must be Emma."Emma stood quickly as she heard a woman's voice and turned to see a beautiful woman approaching her. They shook hands."Hi, I am Katherine. I am Regina's best friend and Henry's baby sitter for the night.""I don't need a baby sitter," Henry said."It's good to meet you," Emma said wondering just how friendly Katherine and Regina were. She forced herself not to think about it. And a second later she didn't need to think about it as Regina came out wearing a pair of khakis and a blue sweater."Hi," Regina said."Hi," Emma said.There was another moment of silence as they stood there just looking at each other."Well you two should probably get going," Katherine said, which jolted both women to attention."Night Henry," Emma said."Night,"Regina also said her goodbye as Emma held the door open for her. Once they were in the car, Regina asked her where they were going."To the place with the best apple pie in the city," Emma responded."Sounds delicious.""Oh, you have no idea."They arrived at the small restaurant that looked like any number of small eateries scattered across the city. Emma held the door open for Regina once more and hoped she didn't think badly of her for taking her to a place that was absolutely nothing like Regina's restaurant. This place was simply called Mama's Kitchen and it cooked homestyle meals. Emma had stumbled across it because of a job and had been a regular ever since.They got seated and while Emma didn't need to look at the menu to know what to order, she pretended to study it as Regina studied hers. She was surprised when Regina ordered the turkey breast with cornbread stuffing and greens. Emma got her usual – hamsteak with a baked potato.As they waited for their food, they talked with the same kind of ease they had the last time. When their food arrived she got a little more nervous that Regina wouldn't like it but she did and even ended up talking to the cook about how he made the stuffing. Just watching Regina engage in the conversation with the cook Emma got a real sense of how much Regina loved cooking – all types of cooking it seemed. It was definitely something that Regina was passionate about.Regina begged off dessert saying she was too full, but Emma ordered her a piece of apple pie anyway to go."It seems only fair," Emma said. "You did after all send me home with dessert last time, which by the way was amazing as breakfast the next morning."Regina laughed at the comment saying she had never thought of it as a breakfast food but as long as it was enjoyed that was all that mattered.Throughout dinner Emma was trying to gauge Regina's interest in her. She got the vibe that Regina was enjoying herself, but she wasn't sure if Regina was enjoying herself as she would if this was a date.When Emma drove her home Regina paused before getting out of the car."Thank you for taking me to dinner.""You're welcome. Oh and I meant to tell you before but you know if you want to call me ever to talk you don't need flowers as an excuse. Although I guess I could send more if it is a prerequisite.""It is not a prerequisite," Regina smiled. "And I will call. I really hope we can become friends.""Me too," Emma said.Regina got out of the car and Emma waited for her to get inside the building before pulling away. Friends, she thought, I can do a friendship. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Regina entered her home to find Katherine sitting on the couch reading from her kindle. She immediately put it down and looked up Regina."How was dinner?""It was very nice."Katherine noted the smile on her friend's face."Is Henry in bed?""He is, although I doubt he is sleeping. You can check on him later; first come sit and tell me all about it."Regina put her dessert away in the kitchen before taking a seat. She proceeded to tell Katherine about where she and Emma had gone to eat."I am telling you the stuffing was amazing. If I wanted to run a restaurant with that kind of food it would definitely be on the menu. As it is, I have already thought of a few different ways to make it, or enhance and I might need to try that when Thanksgiving comes around," Regina said."You know it's like unbelievable that you are as thin as you are. You are not afraid to eat anything. That figure of yours is definitely some sort deal you have made with the devil."They shared a laugh over it and Katherine was happy to see Regina be so relaxed. The divorce had taken a toll on her friend and even after it was all over it seemed like Regina had become more serious, less likely to laugh."Now tell me more about Emma.""What do you want to know? I've already told you about her. Tonight I probably talked more than she did. She was asking me about what it was like to grow with a dad being a U.S. Ambassador. She was asking me about the different countries I have been to and how I got into cooking. I told her about Nanny Wilson who helped me make my first cake from scratch and how that pretty much sealed my fate as a cook.""Wow, I think you and I knew each other a year before I ever heard about Nanny Wilson.""Are you jealous?""No," Katherine smiled. "I am actually very happy that you opened up to Emma.""I told her I thought she and I were going to become good friends.""And was she ok with that?""Yes, why would she be?" Regina asked; the confusion evident on her face.Katherine took a breath and exhaled. "Do you realize that Emma is gay?""Yes, I realize that she is interested in women. She and I haven't talked about it or anything. I don't see where it is an issue.""Of course it isn't until she decides she wants you as more than a friend.""I think you are getting way ahead of yourself," Regina said standing up. "She even said that she wants to be friends.""Ok, ok, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to make sure you were aware that she was gay in case you didn't know.""She took a substantial look at my chest when I saw her in the hospital. I know. And why would you think that would make me uncomfortable?""Regina, sit."She took her seat facing Katherine."If you and Emma become friends, I think that is great. If you become more than friends, that would also be great. I didn't bring this up to upset you. You hadn't mentioned before when you speaking about Emma that she was gay so when I first met her tonight and then you came out, well I saw the way she looked at you. I knew you were looking at tonight as going out with someone you had just met but wanted to get to know. What I wasn't sure was if Emma thought this was a date.""Lesbians can have straight friends thank you very much.""Yes they can, but you aren't straight, you're bi."Regina looked away from her and got silent before turning back to Katherine. "All I am interested in is friendship with her, and as long as she is ok with that then I think she and I could become good friends. Anything else is out of the question.""Ok," Katherine said.Emma brought her prisoner into the booking area at one of the downtown precincts. It had taken her only three days to track this one down, although it did require visiting every bar in a 10-block radius to do it. This guy was one of the ones that made her shake her head – he jumped bail on a charge of unlawful restraint after he held essentially held his girlfriend captive for 10 hours. Then the girlfriend pays the bail for him to get out and Emma finds him in a bar kissing another woman who was not his girlfriend.She had seen it too many times – wives, girlfriends, moms bailing out some poor loved one who then turns around and screws them over by jumping bail.Her job certainly gave her reasons to think some women were just naïve when it came to love.After she got him transferred to the custody of the PD, she left the building and looked at her phone. No calls or texts from Regina.It had been four days since they had gone out and while Emma had texted her the next morning to ask how the dessert was, she had gotten a one-word answer of delicious but nothing else. At first she figured that Regina was merely busy – after all she was a busy woman, but then when Emma had texted her yesterday some random message and she had heard back from her, Emma began to wonder if she had done something wrong.Stop thinking about it, she told herself. It would do no good to start examining the why nots of why Regina hadn't texted her back.She knew Regina had said she wanted to be friends, but maybe she was just humoring Emma. Maybe she should have taken Regina to someplace that was more fancy to eat at. She had really thought Regina had enjoyed the food and evening.Stop thinking about it, she told herself again.It was probably too good to be true from the beginning, Emma thought. She had nothing in common with someone like Regina so the idea that they could even be friends was far fetched.Regina sat at the conference table at Katherine's office. They were going over legal documents as it pertained to her custody of Henry and Stephen's visitation rights. Henry was adamant that he didn't want to be forced to spend time with his father and that he didn't consider him his father anymore than Stephen apparently considered Henry his child."I think we can do this and probably with minimum fuss, but it's going to cost you," Katherine said. "You will lose the child support.""You know I am not concerned about that money. I don't need it.""I know, but Stephen also knows you don't need it which is why it was a joy to get the courts to order him to pay it when you got divorced."Katherine had helped her with the divorce and Regina knew her friend could get on a euphoric high just from thinking about how she had made Stephen part with his money."Do you think he will fight you on this?""I don't know. I was kind of hoping he would.""How so?""I thought if I did this that maybe he would see that he loved Henry and that he couldn't stand to not be around him. I was hoping it might make him see Henry as his son.""Not to be blunt, but he never did when you were married, I doubt that this will change things.""Wow Katherine don't hold back or anything.""Please, it's nothing you haven't heard me say before. And if memory serves me right when you decided to divorce Stephen you also thought maybe it would make him see he couldn't live without you.""Don't remind me," Regina said. "My life is considerably better with him not in it, but Henry; he's just a kid. He shouldn't have to feel like he is being rejected by his father. What if years down the road he regrets this?""He might and he might not. You can only do what you think is best for him in the here and now.""The problem is I don't know if this is the right thing.""We don't have to file these with the court right now. We can hold off as long as you want.""I'm not ready yet.""That is fine, they will be here in my office when you want them or I can shred them at a moment's notice if you want them destroyed.""What would you do, if you were me?""I don't think you really want me to answer that.""Probably not."Katherine could see a little bit of depression sinking into Regina's face and her slumped shoulders. "Hey, why don't you and Henry come over for dinner tonight?""Thanks," Regina said. "I can't. I have to work the restaurant tonight. My father is taking some guests out tonight and you know how he loves to show off the place to them.""I didn't realize your dad was in town. What country are his guests from this time?""No idea, but as you know I have to do my best impression of a diplomat's daughter.""Which you excel at.""Only from years of practice. I really hope he doesn't tell them the story of how I got sick and threw up at that knighthood ceremony.""Ah, I love that story.""I hate that story."Later that evening"And there is my little Gina with puke on her shoes and her brand new dress and the queen just looks at me and looks at her and says to Gina, 'Keep your head up young lady, even a queen has a rough day.'"Regina stood by her father's chair with her fake smile plastered on her face as the translator relayed the rest of the story to the other men around the table, all of whom got a chuckle out of it."That's my Gina, always holding her head up high and now look at her, she owns her own restaurant, one of the finest in the city I dare say.""Thank you father," she said still smiling. "Can I get anyone anything else?"Thankfully they didn't ask for anything and she was able to escape back to the kitchen."Did he tell the puking story?" Grant, her head chef asked."Of course.""That story never gets old.""I was like six when it happened, trust me, it gets old.""Aw poor Gina," he said as he continued to cut the vegetables he was working on.She threw a dish towel at him. "Only my father gets to call me Gina.""Look on the bright side, they didn't order dessert so they should be leaving soon.""God I hope so. All I want to do is go home and sleep.""Rough day? One of the hostesses said you were gone for a couple of hours this afternoon. I thought maybe you were with your dad.""No, he is only in town for a few days. He took Henry out to a movie last night and we were able to talk a little bit when they got back, but this is not one of his trips where family takes precedent.""I figure it must be like having a dad who is a big rig trucker. You know on the road a lot and stopping back in for short visits.""I guess. It wasn't like that growing up too much. I think my parents wanted to provide as much stability for me as they could. But once I was an adult they traveled more. Sometimes my mother travels more than my father for her job.""There were times growing up I wish my parents would have traveled far away."She gave him a smile. She had hired Grant from a pool of applicants that had resumes a lot sturdier than his. There was just something about him – a kinship about food that made him stand out. She had never regretted the hire."So what's the deal with the hot blonde savior that was all badass in here saving your life?""What do you mean?""I heard she sent you flowers to thank you for the meal and that you two went out like last week.""Is nothing a secret around here?""You have worked in enough kitchens to know the answer to that is no."She laughed. "There is nothing much to tell about her. Actually she texted me the other day but I hadn't responded to her.""That's rude," he said. "Why didn't you?""I have been busy.""Come on, it's a text message. It takes like 30 seconds tops.""Why do you care if I text her back or not?""Because she is a total badass.""I will be sure to tell her you think so.""Ok then, go.""What?""Go text her. Jeez do I have to do everything around here,""You are lucky I like you.""Go," he repeated.She left the kitchen and took a circuit around the dining area to make sure all was well. Her father was deep in conversation – hopefully not telling more stories about her – so she ducked into her office. She picked up her phone to text Emma back and decided to her call her instead.It was four rings before she answered."Am I interrupting anything?" Regina asked. Emma had said she worked a lot of nights because of her job and she hadn't thought about that before calling."I am on a mini stakeout, but no you are not interrupting as I am sitting here bored out of my mind.""Do your parents ever tell embarrassing stories about you to complete strangers?""Um no, but then again I grew up in foster care so I didn't actually have parents.""Oh, I am sorry I didn't know.""You don't have to apologize. I am perfectly ok with being a kid from the system. As for any of my foster parents, I don't know if they tell anyone anything about me, but if they did yes they would probably have some embarrassing stories to choose from. One comes to mind that involves me running away to join the circus.""Really?""Yes, maybe I will tell you about it some day, but it's going to cost you.""And what would be the price for such a tale. Dinner, dessert?""No, but I would like to hear what embarrassing story you want your parents to quit telling strangers as I assume you would want them to stop.""First off I was six …" She went on to tell Emma the story and then had to sit through about a minute of Emma laughing at her. "Are you done?""For now," Emma said. "Wow, you puked in front of a queen. Just think if Twitter was around during that time, you would have totally gone viral with that.""At that point I wouldn't have to worry about my parents telling the story because everyone would know already.""I am sure your parents aren't telling the story out of malice."'They aren't. It's always my father that tells it. He thinks it is cute.""I could see that. I am sure you were a very cute six-year-old.""I don't know about that. My mother always said I skipped the terrible twos and just became downright pouty when I was five or six.""What were you pouting about at that age?""Not being able to rule the world.""So you were always ambitious."Regina could practically see the smile that was probably on Emma's face when she said it."Yes, I suppose I was," Regina replied. "Well I should probably let you get back to your stakeout while I get back to work. Sorry I didn't return your text message earlier; I've just been busy.""That's ok, I am glad you called.""Me too." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Emma was on night four of her stakeout for a suspect. It was getting beyond tedious, but this was a big game for her, which is why she was being patient. A car pulled into a spot a couple of vehicles behind her. It didn't match any of the vehicles that she was on the look out for, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.She watched it from her side mirror and then quickly got out of the car."What are you doing here?" she asked Regina who was approaching her."I brought you some dinner," she replied holding up a bag.Emma couldn't help but smile. "Come on, let's sit in my car."Emma put a protective hand on Regina's back and led her over to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her. She rushed around to the other side and got in, glancing around quickly before getting in.She had told Regina where she was conducting her stakeout, but was still surprised by her showing up."Is this bad, me just showing up like this?" Regina asked. Emma was struck by how unsure Regina looked."It's fine," Emma said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Now what did you bring me to eat?Regina handed over the bag and Emma wasted no time tearing into it. There was a to-go box which she opened to find a rather large sandwich.""I didn't want to bring you something you would have to warm up since I didn't know if you would be able to eat or would want to eat immediately," Regina explained."Now is good," Emma said taking a bite of the sandwich.Regina waited patiently for Emma to take several more bites before speaking. "Is this what a stakeout is like?""Yes, pretty boring. It's a bunch of waiting around until someone shows up that I am looking for," Emma said. "It's kind of late, is someone watching Henry?"Regina looked away out the window. "He's with his father.""Oh."Regina hadn't told her much about Henry's father, and Emma got the feeling more from what had not been said that it was a sore subject."I've been considering …The night you and I met, Henry was at the restaurant when he was supposed to be with his father. Stephen, he um, dropped Henry off at my place that night because he had to go out of town on business. That became a theme during the latter part of our marriage. It was code for he was going to go have sex with someone.""I'm sorry.""It's ok," Regina said looking at her again. "When I first found out he was cheating on me, I let him tell me it wasn't going to ever happen again. When I found out the second time, I just ignored it. Was I hurt by it? Yes, but really I was ready for my marriage to end for me, but I wasn't ready for it to end for Henry so I kept at it longer than I probably should have. Anyway, that night Stephen said something hateful that Henry heard and this is really the first time the two of them have been together for an extended time since.""What did he say that night?" Emma asked unable to help herself."He said Henry wasn't his child. I mean Henry isn't biologically our child, we adopted him, but that doesn't make him any less my child or makes me any less his mother.""It doesn't matter if he is biologically your kid or not and Stephen was an ass for saying what he did.""Yes, he was," Regina said. "And now Henry doesn't want to have anything to do with him. He doesn't want to see him anymore he said. As for what Stephen wants – a part of me doesn't care – but I don't want him to give up Henry either. I had papers drawn up to see about getting sole custody of Henry, to essentially null any claim Stephen would have on him, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything with them, not yet at least. What would you do?"Emma was taken a back by the question."Sorry," Regina said when Emma paused. "I shouldn't have asked you that.""I don't know what I would do. I think it's great that you adopted Henry. Growing up I always wished that a family would take me in on a permanent basis, but it never happened," Emma said. "I like to think I turned out ok, but I think every foster kid dreams of what life would be like if they had been chosen for adoption. Henry is lucky to have you.""If my opinion matters I think you turned out ok."Regina gave her another smile which Emma returned fully."I should let you get back to your dinner and back to your stakeout," Regina said."Thanks for the food.""You're welcome."After Regina left, Emma sat there in the car and finished her sandwich. She knew she should be happy that Regina stopped by, but she couldn't help but think about what Regina had said about Stephen. What a dick, she thought. It made her angry that someone could get a woman like Regina and then turn around and cheat on her. And saying that shit about Henry not being his child – she would like to kick his ass just for that.She was so caught up in thinking about it, she almost missed that her suspect was nonchalantly walking down the sidewalk and was near her car. Focus, she told herself as she got out of the car.…..Regina returned to her rather empty-feeling home after delivering the food to Emma. Whenever Henry wasn't there, the place seemed empty. She didn't miss Stephen but she did miss having another presence around.She thought about Emma and how she enjoyed the other woman's company. There didn't seem to be anything complicated about Emma. She very much carried herself like someone who didn't feel the need to hide who she was. It was almost like saying 'hello world, this is me and you can take or leave it.' She had an openness about her that Regina found appealing.Regina on the other hand felt like she was constantly playing roles – the daughter of a diplomat; for a while it was the role of a loving wife, and even her role as restaurateur felt strained at times. She enjoyed being a cook more than a restaurant owner and there wasn't a time when she out on the floor of her establishment playing that role that she didn't wish she could disappear into the kitchen and just cook.It seemed like the role of mother was the only one she didn't have to work at.And with Emma, she felt like she didn't need to play any particular role because she felt like if she did Emma would see through it.In the short time they had known each other Regina had felt like it was safe to be herself around Emma.She had given thought to what Katherine had said about Emma and while she had seen Emma checking her out on more than one occasion, she didn't get the sense that Emma was going to do anything beyond that. She was grateful because she didn't want to hurt Emma by rejecting her that way.It's not that she didn't find Emma extremely attractive as she certainly did, but she wasn't looking for anything in her life right now that was complicated and while Emma may not be complicated, a relationship with her would be.Her parents loved her, she knew that, but she also knew they were extremely happy when she started to date Stephen and eventually married him. There had been a sense of relief in a way for her parents.While her parents tended to be more moderate to liberal in their stances, especially her mother, she got the feeling that line of progressive thinking didn't extended to their own daughter – at least not when she had been dating Danielle. They had never said anything to her and had always been kind and polite to Danielle, but Regina could never shake the feeling that they would prefer if their daughter's sexual tastes didn't include women. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "Here you go kid, best hot dog in the city," Emma said handing over the food to Henry.She had talked Regina into coming out to a park with Henry to try a hot dog after she had discovered that it was one food that Regina wasn't fond of and therefore Henry only ever had them when he went to a ball game."And there is yours," Emma said giving over Regina's to her. "Hey no disapproving faces.""I am not disapproving," Regina defended herself. "I am studying it before I eat it.""Ok, you can study it until we get over there to sit down and then you must eat," Emma said.She looked at Henry who had already taken a bite of his coney and coleslaw covered dog. They walked over to one of the benches and sat down, Emma ending up between Regina and Henry. She bent down a little to get a bite of her dog which was smothered in red and green peppers, and cheese sauce."What do you think kid?" she asked after politely chewing her bite completely and swallowing."Good," he said in between bites.She turned to Regina. "Well?""It's actually not bad," she said. Regina had gone with a garden dog covered in veggies. "The fries are better however."Emma had insisted they try the fries as well. They were not frozen, but instead more like freshly cut potato wedges rolled in spices.Regina gave Emma a smile when she said it and at this point it was almost instinctual for Emma to smile back whenever she got to see Regina look at her like that.They had spoken on the phone and texted each other over the two months, but this was only the third time they had gotten to get together because they had both been busy. Even though they hadn't seen each other Emma was happy every time she saw it was Regina calling or texting her.As they sat there Emma ended up talking with Henry more than Regina as they discussed video games and movies. Once they had finished eating Emma and Henry threw a baseball back and forth. Emma had played softball in a summer rec league for two years and baseball was the only sport that Henry enjoyed so they both brought their gloves.Every once in a while Emma would glance over at Regina who sat on the bench watching the interaction. Regina had smiled at her again and it was distracting enough that Emma barely caught the ball before it hit her. The near miss made Regina laugh and Emma felt the close call was worth it just to hear that sound.Emma noticed Regina had checked her phone several times while she sat there, but she didn't seem to be texting anyone. She figured Regina was probably checking her email or something as things would sometimes arise at the restaurant that she needed to stay informed about.After awhile they called it quits at throwing the ball and went off to their next destination, which was a botanical garden that Emma had never been to before. It was Regina's idea as she had taken Henry there when he was a young kid but they had never made it back since. The three of them walked along the pathways – Emma and Henry marveling at various plants. Emma took opportunities to glance over at Regina when she knew the other woman wasn't looking. She saw a serene look on her face as she seemed to appreciate the beauty around them.After the day was over, Emma said goodbye to them and even got a hug from Henry. Emma agreed with Henry that they needed to plan a trip to the zoo soon.Once they parted Emma didn't feel like going home so she went to a bar that was within walking distance of her place. It was her spot to go when she didn't want to go home. She knew the owner, Ruby – helped her out once which had cemented their friendship. She checked to make sure Ruby was working before she went in. She took a seat at the bar and before she knew it Ruby was tapping her on the shoulder and indicating that Emma should follow her.They went back to Ruby's office after Emma got a tall draft."How are you doing?" Ruby said."I am good," Emma said. "How is business?""Busy, which equates to good. It's been a while since you have been in here," Ruby noted."I too have been busy.""Yeah, you and the funeral homes are the only ones who will never go out of business," Ruby joked."It's not my fault criminals are plentiful and they are also dumbasses," Emma said taking a drink."So really how are you?" Ruby said."What do you mean?""I mean how are you? The last time we spoke you couldn't stop talking about this woman Regina. Getting anywhere with that?""I told you, it's not like that.""Right," Ruby said."Regina and I are only friends."Ruby didn't miss the look on Emma's face. "Just friends? Her choice I take it?"Emma didn't answer, just took another drink of her beer."She and I don't really have anything in common," Emma said after a while."You really like her, don't you?""Yeah, I do," Emma said. "And her son, he's really great too.""Alright, what's the next step?""There is no next step. There are some lines you can't cross and this is one of them.""And there is no chance of anything there?"Emma exhaled deeply. "She and I haven't really discussed our sexualities. She knows I am gay because I've said enough about my past relationships so she knew you know in case she didn't know I was. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable or anything. Anyway, I know she is into women. I've seen her appraise a few.""Closet gay?""No, I don't think so. I think it's more likely that she is bi.""Ok, so why aren't you seeing if there is any interest there?""Because over the last couple of weeks she has made hints that she isn't looking for anything. She has some issues with her ex-husband.""How long has she been divorced?""Two years give or take a couple of months.""Plenty of time for her to want to move on.""You don't understand. She is purposely dropping hints that she isn't interested.""You think she knows you are interested in her?"Emma nodded yes."That sucks," Ruby said."Big time," Emma said taking another drink.….Regina returned home with Henry after they separated from Emma. It was a good day, she thought. They walked into their building and the building manager came out from behind the counter and approached her."Hello Sydney," she said."Hello. Hey Henry, I see you have your glove, playing ball today were you?""Just practicing," he said, throwing the ball up in the air and catching it."Do you mind if I borrow your mom for a moment?"Regina gave Sydney a look and then turned to Henry. "Go ahead and go upstairs. I will be right there."Henry went to the elevator and Sydney waited until the elevator doors closed before he turned to Regina. "Stephen showed up here earlier. He was told he wasn't allowed upstairs, per your instructions. He didn't like that answer.""I hope he didn't cause any problems.""No, no problems. I thought you should know however that he was quite insistent on going upstairs to see you. We of course did not tell him whether you were even in or not. If he should return, what would you like us to do?"Regina considered it a moment. "If he shows up, call me. I will make a decision at that time.""As you wish," he said."Thank you. Now I should get upstairs to Henry," she said. As soon as she was in the elevator she pulled out her phone. Stephen had called her eight times that day, never leaving a message. She hadn't called him back because she didn't know what he wanted and frankly she didn't want to ruin her day. She had a good time with Emma and Henry and the fact that Stephen interrupted it by calling her was the one bad thing about the day.She couldn't fathom what he would be trying to contact her for.When she got into her place Henry was there on the couch."Is something wrong?" he asked.She couldn't help but think of what a smart and observant kid her son was."Everything is fine," she said. "Your father showed up here earlier is all. Sydney was just letting me know.""What did he want?""I don't know, he didn't leave a message. I would guess he was probably here to see you.""Doubtful."She took a seat next to him, putting her arm around him. "Today was fun, wasn't it?" she asked wanting to change the subject."I really like Emma," Henry said. "She's fun.""I really like her too," she said.…The sound of her cellphone woke Regina. She grabbed it and saw it was after 2 a.m. and it was the front desk calling."Hello.""Sorry for waking you," the clerk said. "You have a visitor down here. It's Stephen."Regina came more fully awake and sat up. She didn't say anything prompting the clerk to ask if she was still there."Tell him to wait down there, I will be down," she said finally.It took her a while to get up and look presentable enough to go downstairs. As soon as the elevator doors opened and she exited Stephen was coming toward her."Where have you been all day?" he asked.She could tell immediately that he had been drinking. He didn't normally drink more than a couple of drinks, although he would on occasion drink to excess. He didn't appear to be drunk this time however."I've been out with Henry," she said."You didn't return my calls.""You didn't leave any messages," she sighed. "What are you doing here?""I wanted to talk to you," he said. "I've missed you and I stopped by earlier. I thought maybe we could have gone to dinner tonight or something."He put a hand on her arm in a way that was way too familiar for the type of relationship they had now."Invite me up," he said."I don't think that is a good idea," she said."Come Regina, I won't try anything I swear. I just want to talk. Maybe in the morning you, me and Henry could go get breakfast. Remember our Sunday mornings?" he said.She did remember. Sundays were their day. When they first started dating and early in their marriage they had made it a point to not deal with work or other distractions on Sundays. But slowly those distractions began to creep in."I know why you are being hesitant. I've messed up a lot," he said. "But you can't deny that we had a lot of good times too. Please Regina. It's been a rough couple of weeks and I wouldn't be here if I didn't really want to see you. And Henry. I'd like to see my son."She had loved him once. And there had been good times. That she couldn't deny. But she also knew she didn't love him any longer. Still, if there was a chance that Stephen and Henry could repair their own relationship she had to give it a chance."Henry gets to choose where breakfast is at," she said. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Emma returned home after what she was going to term a less than satisfactory date. Karen had hit on while Emma was at Ruby's bar and with a couple of beers in her, she decided to flirt back. They had gone out several times now, and Emma was ready to call it quits already. There was nothing wrong with Karen, and normally she would be Emma's type – she was laid back, not clingy and she wasn't complicated.But Emma didn't find their dates to be very stimulating either.She didn't want to admit it but she knew the problem was that she kept comparing Karen to Regina and Karen wasn't stacking up. Emma knew it was not fair for her to compare the two women, but she couldn't help it.Tonight was a good example. They had gone out to eat and Karen had spent time looking at the menu being completely undecided about what to eat. Regina would have studied the menu and chosen something easily and it was like she always had a story to tell around her choice whether it was something she had made personally, or some kitchen disaster or just something. Karen couldn't even decide what kind of dressing to have on a salad.Emma just wasn't engaged in the dates, which is why she had turned down Karen's invitation to go back to her place. Emma didn't think the day would come when she wasn't even interested in having sex with another woman. It wasn't that Karen wasn't attractive – she was, but again she wasn't Regina.Emma got a beer from her fridge and sat on her couch, turning the TV on although she really had no desire to watch anything.She checked her phone even though she knew she didn't have any text messages.Regina had been quiet lately. Even when Emma did call or text her, it seemed like Regina was preoccupied or maybe she was just distancing herself from Emma – after all she had Stephen back in her life now.She knew that wasn't entirely accurate. Regina had explained to her how Stephen had showed up at her place that night after the three of them had spent the day together. She told Emma that if it wasn't for Stephen wanting to spend time with Henry she wouldn't have bothered. Yet if Stephen was so interested in spending time with Henry, why was it that the time spent always seemed to include Regina as of late.Again, Emma knew she wasn't being fair. It was really none of her business if Regina wanted to spend time with her ex. Ever since Stephen had this epiphany that he apparently wanted to be father; Regina's free time had been extremely limited – limited to spending time with Stephen and Henry.As long Regina and Henry were happy Emma supposed that was all that mattered.It wasn't as if she had been dating Regina or even had a shot at her. She would have been better off never calling into that restaurant to accept Regina's offer. If she hadn't had made that call, maybe she wouldn't be sitting here now depressed. She shut off the TV and downed the beer before going to her bedroom – she might as well call it a day she figured.…Regina was sitting on her couch, her feet tucked up close to her body with her Kindle in hand – a Kindle that had reverted to its power saving mode due to inactivity. It was late, but she wasn't tired but she wasn't really interested in doing anything either.Henry was in his room asleep, and Regina, well she was just bored.These last few weeks it she barely had time to herself, yet here she was with time on her hands and she didn't have a clue as to what to do. She didn't want to watch TV, she didn't want to read and she didn't even want to be in the kitchen. That bothered her more than anything. At work lately when she wasn't on the floor, she was in her office. The only times she was in the kitchen was during pre-opening walkthroughs or meetings with the kitchen staff.She hadn't spoken much with Katherine mostly because she didn't want to hear a lecture from her friend regarding Stephen.That night Stephen had showed up here Regina had let him stay the night – in the guest room – and that morning the three of them had gone to breakfast. She could tell Henry was surprised to see his father there and even more surprised that the three of them were going out to breakfast. Regina tried to keep a smile on her face about the whole thing but she had to admit it was forced most of the time. Henry was extremely skeptical about Stephen's turnaround in attitude. Regina too was skeptical but she wanted so much for Henry to have a relationship with his father.When they had returned home from breakfast Henry had gone into his room and Stephen had asked her for a cup of coffee and they ended up sitting down and talking. He asked her how she had been and how things were at the restaurant. They had talked for a couple of hours – all of it amicable but none of it overly personal either – before he finally left. Once he was gone Henry had come out of his room and questioned why she had let him stay the night. She tried to explain that she had so that she could give Stephen the chance to make things up to Henry. But Henry was still skeptical and so was she.It seemed since then that there had hardly been a day that Stephen wasn't stopping by or calling. He always called Regina's phone first and spoke with her before asking to speak to Henry. On those days he would stop by, he would hang out with Henry – watching a movie or playing a video game – and then spend time talking with Regina.Two nights ago he had stopped by to say goodbye to Henry before he had to leave on a business trip. He promised to bring Henry back a present and before leaving he went out of his way to explain to Regina that this was indeed just a business trip. He apologized to her for all the hurt he had caused her during the course of their marriage and the aftermath.And then he kissed her.Regina hadn't really said anything as Stephen was out the door moments later, but she knew when he returned she was going to have to speak to him about it.Suddenly her thoughts turned to Emma. She grabbed her phone and held it for a moment, considering whether or not to text her. She didn't want to disturb her if she was working, or perhaps in bed already – or on a date. She put the phone back down since she didn't know what to say to Emma if she did text her.They hadn't seen each other since they spent the day with Henry. She got the feeling that Emma, like Katherine, did not approve of her allowing Stephen back into their lives – Henry's life, she mentally corrected herself.When they had texted a few days ago Emma had said she was busy getting ready for a date. Regina wished her well and nothing more had been said about it. This was the first time Emma had ever mentioned dating anyone. Yes, Regina knew she had dated in the past as Emma had spoken of a couple of past relationships, but this was the first time Emma had mentioned having a date in the present time. Regina wondered if this was a first date – and if so how did they meet. Emma hadn't offered up any details.She thought back to that afternoon spent with Emma and Henry. She had really enjoyed it – even going to get hot dogs. If Stephen hadn't have called her numerous times that day she would have said it was an almost perfect day. Emma was so good with Henry and Henry really liked her. Then there was the ease with which she and Emma interacted. There was just something about Emma that made it easy for Regina to open up to her. She thought maybe it was because she felt safe with Emma. Emma was a protector and not just because of her job – she exuded this feeling that she would do whatever it takes to keep a person safe. Regina had been hurt in the past, not just from Stephen, but Regina felt like Emma would never hurt her like that.…..Emma was reviewing some files when her phone buzzed. She looked down at it – Henry.The kid had insisted on having her phone number after she had hung out with him and Regina a couple of times, but he never texted her. She called up the message."Mom and dad are fighting."Emma bit her lip, trying to think how to respond and if she should at all. It wasn't any of her business and she wasn't sure why Henry would be texting her tell her this. It's none of your business, she said out loud and put the phone back down.A few minutes later, there was another text."They are yelling a lot. What do I do if he hits her?"This got Emma's attention and she didn't bother texting, she dialed Henry's number as she went out the door."What do you mean what do you do if he hits her, has he hit her before?" she asked as soon as he answered."Just the once, when they were getting divorced," he said. "Mom doesn't know that I know.""Where are you at right now?""I am in my room.""Good. Listen to me Henry, you stay there in your room as long as they are out there fighting. Unless your mom calls for you, you do not leave your room. Do you understand me?""Yes.""Alright, I am on my way there." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Emma wasn't aware of how fast her heart was beating or the fact she hadn't brought a coat with her despite the rain. The only thing she could think about was getting to Regina's. She entered the building and went straight for the elevators even as she heard someone say "Miss." She hit the up button and considered running up the stairs instead of waiting."Miss," the voice said this time with a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see one of the front desk workers. "Who are you here to see?""Regina," she said impatiently."Does the guest know you are coming, I am afraid we have no one expected."Emma knew that residents here left guest names at the front desk so they were allowed up and Regina didn't know she was coming."Look," she said. "Her son, Henry called me and he is worried about his mom – something may be going on up there and I'm going up to check on her whether you like it or not. Call the cops if you want I don't care, but I am sure as hell going up."The elevator opened and she hurried inside staring the man down as she selected the floor to go to.She knew it was her anxiousness that was making her feel like the elevator was going extra slow even though the rational part of her mind knew it was not. That rational part of her mind was being shoved aside though the longer this was taking. Finally the doors opened and exited, going to Regina's door and pounding on it.When the door opened a surprised looking Regina was there, "Emma?""Are you ok?" Emma asked."What?""Are you ok?" she said more forcefully as she slipped inside, passing Regina and ending up in main room where she was now facing Stephen who was across the room. Regina came up next to her."Emma, what are you doing here?""Who is this?" Stephen asked."Henry texted me," Emma said, never taking her eyes off Stephen. "He was worried, said you two were fighting."The phone was ringing, but no one moved."I don't know who you are, but we're having a private conversation here, and we would like you to leave," Stephen said taking a step toward her."You don't live here so that's not your call," Emma said taking a step toward him so he would know she wasn't intimidated by him the least bit. When she took that step she made sure to shift a little to place herself between him and Regina. If he tried something her first priority was to keep Regina safe.The phone kept ringing – still no one made a move."Who is this person?" Stephen asked Regina."She's a friend," Regina said."What kind of friend?" Stephen said crossing his arms."This is just some sort of misunderstanding I'm sure," Regina said and she put her hand on Emma's forearm. "Let's talk in the kitchen."Emma backed up and went with Regina."What are you doing here?" Regina asked her immediately upon entering. She kept her voice down as she did it."Henry texted me and said you two were fighting. He was worried about what Stephen might do to you," Emma said. "Has he laid a hand on you?""No," Regina said shaking her head. "Where would you … did Henry say something?""He said Stephen hit you before.""I don't know why he would say that," Regina said. "It never happened."Emma noticed Regina wouldn't look her in the eyes as she said it."Do you want me to make sure he leaves because I can do that?" Emma said."I … yes we were having a discussion, but …" she took a step away from Emma. "I am sorry Henry contacted you, I have everything under control here."Emma could see that Regina seemed unsure, frazzled even, so she moved closer taking her hand in hers. "I can take care of this situation for you," she said. "I can make sure he leaves quietly without any conflict."Regina looked down at their hands before pulling away. "I have this handled," she said even if it lacked her normal assuredness. "I will talk to Henry and make sure he doesn't bother you. Again, I am sorry and I appreciate your willingness to come here, but I don't need your help.""You can't think I'm just going to walk out of here and leave him here with you and Henry," Emma said closing the distance between them once more. "I'm not going to leave until I am sure you and Henry are safe."She reached up and cupped her hand around Regina's neck, placing her thumb along her jaw line, staring at her – trying to let her eyes convey what she couldn't say out loud. "I need to know you are safe," she said softly."Don't," Regina said, releasing herself from Emma's touch. "I …we … you and I are never going to be anything but friends, don't ruin that."This time Emma was the one backing away."I'm sorry," Regina apologized again. "I've tried to let you know that, I tried because I didn't want it to get awkward like this between us. I care about you, but if you think it could ever be something more …I'm sorry.""She's in there," Emma heard Stephen say and the next thing she knew Stephen was standing there with who she guessed was building security. She didn't barely heard the exchange between Regina and the two guards as she assured them everything was fine and she apologized to them for the disturbance.Emma didn't wait for the rest of it as she walked out.….Katherine watched Regina from across the room. She could tell Regina wasn't paying any attention to whatever the guy who was talking to her was saying. Katherine's husband was hosting this get together at their place and Katherine had practically forced Regina to come but she knew Regina was probably going to bolt at her earliest convenience.She studied her friend, picking up on things that others probably wouldn't – like how Regina despite eating anything and everything she wanted to taste has actually lost weight. It didn't make her look sickly or anything, but Katherine noticed her cheekbones and collarbones seemed a little more prominent because of it.Regina was also bored and completely uninterested in what was going on around her, which could be said about her life now, not just this party. Katherine had gone as far as talking to Grant the other day to find out how work life was going. Grant too was worried about her, her whole staff was worried about her, although outside of Grant none of them knew what was bothering her. Grant told her that Regina barely left her office anymore. She let Grant handle most kitchen meetings so she was rarely if ever in there. Her time spent on the floor had also diminished.Work itself was booming so there were no concerns there that Grant knew of. Their profits had increased year over year and they continued to get favorable reviews and feedback.Katherine had gone to Grant to make sure there wasn't a work issue that she was unaware of, even though she knew that wasn't what had Regina depressed. No, she knew exactly what was bothering her friend – a certain blonde whom Regina had treated unfairly. It was a couple of days after the incident that Katherine finally got the story about what happened the night Emma had shown up at the apartment after Henry had texted her. She had listened carefully as she always did but when Regina was done telling her she had only one question she could think to ask – "Why would you say something like that to her in that situation? She was only there out of concern for you and Henry."Regina didn't really have an answer for her at the time, and Katherine wasn't sure Regina had an answer even after nearly three months.Katherine saw Regina excuse herself from the man who had been talking to her, place her barely touched glass of wine down and head toward the door. Katherine moved to intercept her as she was putting on her coat."Leaving without saying goodbye?" Katherine said."I didn't want to interrupt you. It's your party," Regina said. "I'm going home. I will call you tomorrow."Katherine stopped her by putting a hand on her arm. "I'm worried about you."Regina gave her a weak smile, "I'm fine, go back and enjoy the party. You can tell me all the good gossip tomorrow.""Tomorrow then," Katherine said letting Regina go.…Grant entered the restaurant through the back as he always did. He was never sure if he ever wanted to have his own restaurant because he knew to be the owner would mean less time in the kitchen. Ever since he was a kid, he had wanted to be in the kitchen. That is why he was so appreciative of Regina for giving him this job. He knew he wasn't the most qualified candidate and based on his resume he was honored just for the chance to interview with her.But that first time they were in the kitchen together as he prepared a dish for her as part of the interview he knew they just understood each other. They clicked like no one else he had ever been with in a kitchen.These last couple of months had been hard for him because they were rarely in the kitchen together so he felt like he lost that connection that made it easy for him to talk to her – and lately she seemed like she needed someone to talk to.As he hung up his coat, Carlo, who was their tournant, came rushing up to him. "Regina's here," Carlo said quietly."Well it is her place," Grant said in amusement."No, I mean she is here, here, in the kitchen. Apparently she had been here since we opened cooking."Grant gave him a quizzical look and then stepped out into the kitchen, his eyes moving directly to "Regina's station." When the restaurant was designed Regina had insisted on having her own station in the kitchen. It was in the back on the other side of the walk in freezer from most of the other stations. It was here that she would cook when she felt like trying out a new recipe, or experimenting, or that time when Grant's grandmother had passed away and she had given him more than week off despite him being out of paid time off so he could fly back Georgia to be with is family. Regina had taken his place in the kitchen that entire time.Most kitchens were tight on space but not Regina's – was it tight yes, but she sacrificed some extra dining spots to make sure she had her station when she wanted it.Grant walked up behind her somewhat cautiously, as she was deep in concentration. As he got up next to her station he saw immediately what she was working on – Boeuf Bourguignon – a recipe he knew Regina enjoyed making. If you did it very traditionally it required a lot of ingredients and time. Regina liked it because she first had it when she was in France with her parents on one of her father's diplomatic trips and after speaking with the chef about it (at age 10) she laughed that he made the joke that the French couldn't help but "French up" beef stew.Based on where she was at in the process he guessed that if it met her standards some people during their dinner rush were going to get an extra treat. It wasn't on the menu but that was the thing about having Regina in the kitchen, she often made off-the-menu items that the staff could then pitch to their customers if they were having trouble deciding. Grant too made off-the-menu items as was his choice as executive chef. Many of their regulars had caught onto it and would often ask the servers if there were any such options available to them that day.He heard a ding at his station and was surprised. People didn't just use his station but when Regina stopped what she was doing and moved over to it, he could only smile. He watched as she pulled out a salt-crusted fish and then proceeded to lightly pour a lemon butter sauce around it and then drizzled just the barest amount over it. It was appropriately garnished and looked and smelled delicious, although Grant thought the sauce seemed unusually thick."Special order up," she yelled out and one of the servers came forward and took for their tray.She went quickly back to her station. "Sorry about usurping your place, but I wanted to try a new sauce out and I was full up over here,"As soon as she said new sauce he went over to the pan still on his station and wiped up some of it from around the rim, tasting it. "Oh God," he said. "That is more like a cream sauce, no wonder it was so thick. How did you get the butter and wine to not break up the fluffiness?""Hand whisking of the cream; and letting the wine and butter cook down more than you normally would before adding it," she said, not looking up at him.Grant smiled again and dove into work – Regina would be fine at least while she was in the kitchen today.After closing, Grant went to Regina's office where she had retired about an hour before closing time. He carried in a bottle of wine and two glasses. Without saying a word he poured a glass for each of them."It was good to see you in the kitchen today," he said taking a seat and sip of his wine.She smiled – a real smile, not the ones she had given lately. "It was a good day," she said."Our guests certainly seemed happy with their additional choices today," he said. Taking his cue from Regina he too had prepared many special orders today. He and Regina had worked on one together at his station and ended up out on the floor to the applause of their customers."It is going to be a sad yet extremely happy day for me when you decide to open up a place of your own," she said."How do you know I won't just stay here forever?""I would be extremely happy about that too.""Good because it's been awhile since you have been extremely happy," he said."It was a good day Grant, let's not ruin it," she said."It had been a good day which is why I feel compelled to speak," he said. "Just go talk to her."He didn't need to say who she was.Regina ran her finger along the rim of the glass. She had yet to take a drink. "I had breakfast with Katherine this morning. And yes I know you two have been conspiring behind my back.""I would hardly call it conspiring. We are both worried about you is all.""I know," she said. "It's not like I haven't tried to talk to Emma, to apologize to her, but she's ignored me. I messed up and now I don't know what to do.""Well you're about as miserable as I have ever seen you and since it's this thing between you and Emma that is causing it; you're going to have to find a way to get her to talk to you.""I called her the next day, she didn't return my calls, she didn't return my texts. I tried calling her again all that week and leaving messages and I even sent her flowers. She doesn't want anything to do with me, so it's best to move on," she said putting the wine glass down."It's been like three months so if you were ready to move on or felt like you could move on, you would have done it by now," he said. "Have you called her since – you know did you call her after a month passed to give her time to cool down?"Regina was silent."Really?" he said. "God, you are even a woman, you should know how women like these things to be handled. You got to give her time to cool down after the initial blow and try again.""But it's too late," she said. "I let too much time pass.""Says who?""Me, a woman.""I don't think it's too late," he said. "And if you go at it with that attitude, it will be too late." He stood up. "Today was a good day, even with this deep talking shit, it was a good day. It was good to see you smiling again, good to see you in the kitchen again. Now I am going to take my bottle of wine and go home. Just think about what I said Gina.""Don't call me Gina," she said smiling at him.….Regina was beyond nervous as she knocked on the door. Even though she was expected, it didn't do anything to help the racing of heart.The door opened."Hi.""Hi," Regina said."Come in.""Thanks," she said entering the home. Almost immediately she nearly stepped onto a child's toy."Sorry," she said picking up the toy and moving it out of the way. She turned to face Regina. "It's good to see you. It's … it's been a long time.""Yes it has. How have you been?" Regina asked."Good. Busy. And you?""The same.""Well not exactly the same," she said. "Or you wouldn't be on my doorstep. I admit I was surprised to hear from you. I didn't think that would ever happen.""Neither did I," Regina admitted."I guess that begs the question of why are you here? Don't get me wrong, it is great to see you, but we didn't exactly end things on good terms.""I know Danielle," she said. "To be honest, I don't really know what I am doing here except I know I need to come to terms with my past before I can move on."Danielle seemed to consider for a moment. "Why don't we go sit down? Something tells me this is a long overdue conversation that might involve something to drink." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "Are we going to go in or sit out here all night?" Katherine asked. She and Regina were sitting in Katherine's car – well her rental car as she rarely took her own out of its long term parking garage. It was New York after all, and she refused to take a taxi on this little mission of Regina's.They had been sitting there for almost 10 minutes and Katherine was regretting telling Regina to take all the time she needed when they first arrived.She sighed, "Look, she's either in there or she's not. We go in, we have a drink if she shows then yay for coincidence. If not well I have a bottle of whiskey at my place."Regina merely nodded and Katherine figured they would be in and out of this place in less than 20 minutes. Even if Emma were there Regina was way too tense and nervous for this to go well. The normally cool and calm exterior Regina put out to the world was definitely not on display tonight.When Regina made no move to actually get out of the car, Katherine did. Her door was shut and she was walking around to Regina's side before Regina even made a move. Finally they were both out and Katherine led the way across the street and then up the sidewalk to the bar.All she knew about the place was that Emma had told Regina she lived nearby and this was sort of her go-to bar because she was friends with the owner. Regina had never been to Emma's place although she knew it was near here but she didn't know exactly where which left her with hunting down Emma here at the bar. Regina had tried calling Emma again multiple times in the last week but Emma never answered and never called her back.Katherine had to give Regina some credit for being persistent enough to come here.It wasn't a bad neighborhood – not as well off as where she lived and Regina lived, but this was hardly the slums either. Emma had to make good money to afford to live here given the price of New York's rentals.Regina knew she was firmly in the wrong with what happened with Emma and she also seemed to realize now that she was going to continue to be unhappy if she didn't have the chance to apologize to her in person. What surprised Katherine was that Regina had gone to see Danielle. If Katherine was a betting person she would never have taken the bet of Regina ever speaking with Danielle ever again. And it was probably smart she hadn't told Katherine in advance of her going there as Katherine would have had some choice words to say about it.Katherine wasn't sure who she hated more Stephen or Danielle, although after this latest issue Stephen had pulled ahead considerably. Where she had never really taken to Stephen, she had liked Danielle which made it all worse when she did what she had done to Regina.She just wanted Regina to be happy but it seemed like all Regina ever did was get hurt – but now she had hurt someone and knowing what that felt like from her own experience she was now desperate to get Emma to hear her out.They entered the bar and Katherine realized it was much bigger than she had thought from the outside. There were flat-screen TVs all around the place playing a variety of things from music videos, news, to sports and she wasn't sure but there may have been one set to TV Land. She hadn't been sure what to expect from the place but this wasn't it. It was like it catered to everything but nothing at the same time and given the diversity of people she saw –not just culturally but by race, but also straight and gay couples. She had sort of thought they might be going to a lesbian bar given Emma's sexuality, and she scolded herself for being so close-minded.They found a small table to sit at and Katherine ordered them both a drink when the server came over as it was clear Regina was looking around the bar for one person. There was a band playing and the dance floor area looked packed.But even as she glanced around she didn't see Emma.Yep she thought, we will be out of here in less than 20 minutes.….Ruby was usually busy on Friday and Saturday nights and this Friday was no different. Her place was filled and she was behind the bar helping out although she had enough on staff to handle it. This is usually where she liked to be though.Normally, she gave people only cursory looks unless she knew them – recognizing regulars or saying hello to friends. Otherwise on crowded nights people's faces tended to all blur together for her.That is why she was surprised when she noticed two women sitting off toward her left about midway between the bar and the door.She tended to get all types in her place and there was nothing that made these particularly stand out except she thought the brunette was familiar. She moved around toward the end of the bar closer to them hoping to get a better look but all she could get was a profile as the woman appeared to be looking around for someone. The other woman was also looking but not nearly as intently as the brunette.Having only seen a picture of her, Ruby wasn't sure if the woman was who she was thinking she was – Emma's Regina.Ruby left the bar and walked up to the bouncer at the door with the excuse of checking on things so that she could walk by the two women. When she saw her full on, she was about 90 percent sure that it was indeed Regina.After speaking with the bouncer and getting another look on her way back, she went to her office where she dialed Emma."Pick up, pick up," she said out loud as she waited. Emma had been harder to get a hold of lately and Ruby often had to leave messages which Emma may or may not return. Emma always apologized however.She knew what had happened between Emma and Regina and she knew her friend was torn up about it, especially at the beginning. Now it was like some of the light had gone out of Emma.She got voicemail. "Emma, call me when you get this. I think Regina is here looking for you. I am not 100 percent sure it's her but I think it is. Just call me please."She tucked her phone in her pants pocket feeling doubtful she would get a call back and she went back out to the bar. She stood against it, not actively working and considered this woman who was still searching the faces for the one she was looking for. Her friend had already stopped and was sipping her drink."Fuck it," Ruby said and she approached the table. "If you are looking for Emma she isn't here and even if she was, you aren't someone she wants to see or speak to."She could tell her bluntness caught both women off guard."Yes, I know who you are," Ruby continued. "And I know what you did. Emma's my friend and what she doesn't need is someone in her life who is … as cruel as you were to her. Did it ever occur to you that Emma was only there to protect you, to make sure you and your son were ok? Emma doesn't cross boundaries and you made it clear beforehand that you weren't interested in her that way. Yes, she was aware you weren't as you apparently dropped enough hints about it. She would never have crossed that line with you. Now I don't know if you and your friend paid for your drinks yet or not but if you haven't consider them on the house and get out of my place.""Please," Regina said grabbing Ruby's arm as she turned to leave. "Please, I need to talk to her. I know how badly I messed up, I do; I just want to talk to her. I am not here to hurt her; that is the last thing I want. I am sorry for coming here, but I need to speak with her and I didn't know where she lived and I know she comes here sometimes. She won't return my calls…""Because she doesn't want to speak to you," Ruby interrupted. "Like I said, it would be best if you go.""Regina," the other woman said. She had stood up already and she placed a hand on Regina's shoulder. "Let's go."Ruby saw that Regina didn't want to go, but then her shoulders sunk a fraction of an inch and she turned and walked out. The other woman was still standing there."What Regina did was wrong. We all know it, she knows it," she said to Ruby. "She only wants to apologize. I know you probably don't care, but Regina has been torn up about this since it happened. She cares about Emma a lot. You don't have to believe it. You can think ill of Regina all you want, but she does care about Emma.""And Emma cared about her," Ruby said. "Cared enough to be there that night to make sure that ex-husband of hers didn't try anything and what does she get in return, a rejection when it was never about that.""And what happened that night was never about Emma, not really. When you've been hurt enough times at some point you expect it to keep happening.""What is that supposed to mean?""It means my friend has been hurt enough that she understands the hurt she caused your friend. She really does want to apologize, that's it. She will leave Emma alone after that if that is what Emma wants. She only wants the chance to say she is sorry. Please tell her that."Ruby felt her phone vibrate in her pants and by the time she pulled it out to see it was Emma calling the other woman was walking away. Ruby answered it as she walked back to her office."Is she really there?" Emma asked."She was, but I told her you weren't here and it was probably best if she and her friend left.""What friend?"Ruby described her."That's her best friend Katherine.""Well they are both gone now and I don't think they will be coming back.""Oh.""Should I have not told them to leave?""No, it's not … it's for the best. She and I have no reason to be in each other's lives. It was stupid to even think we could be friends," Emma said."It wasn't stupid," Ruby sighed. "She said she wanted to apologize to you.""Yes that is what her messages keep saying. Maybe I should send her a text, tell her I accept her apology but don't want to talk to her.""Do you accept her apology?"There was a long pause."That Katherine had something to say too," Ruby said when Emma continued to be silent. She told her what Katherine told her. "Are you going to text her?""I don't know," she said.….When Katherine got back to the car Regina was sitting there in silence. By the time she got Regina home, she was crying.Katherine could remember the three previous times Regina had cried and as far as Katherine knew they could very well be the only times she had ever cried. The first was when she found out she was infertile. The second was when Danielle gave her back the engagement ring. The third was when she found out Stephen was cheating on her.It was so rare for Regina to get emotional like this that Katherine was always unsure how to proceed with her. Since she wasn't sure why exactly Regina was crying – yes she understood it was the situation with Emma, but she didn't know why Regina was crying over it – she didn't really know what to do.She was thankful that Henry was over at a friend's house because he didn't need to see his mother crying.They were on the couch, she was sitting up and Regina was lying down her head in Katherine's lap as she cried quietly. Katherine didn't say much deciding to stay quiet until Regina chose to speak. She was beginning to calm down, but she still hadn't said anything since they left the bar.A ringing phone startled her and Regina, who sat up and wiped away the tears. "I should get that it could be Henry.""I got it," Katherine said getting up and fishing Regina's phone out of her purse. "Hello."She looked over at Regina while the person on the other end spoke. "Um yes, yes send her up please."She hung up the phone. "That was the front desk. Emma is here. She's on her way up." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Katherine opened the door to let Emma in."She's freshening up," Katherine said as a way to explain why Regina wasn't there to greet her."I won't be staying long," Emma said.They waited another minute for Regina to enter the room. Katherine went up to Regina. "I will call you tomorrow," she said before walking to the door. "Good night Emma."Emma didn't say anything to her as she left.The two women stood there staring at each other for several heartbeats."Do you want to sit down?" Regina said."No," Emma said, crossing her arms. "I just came to tell you that I've gotten your numerous messages and I get that you're sorry, but it doesn't really matter. Look you and I are from two different worlds. A friendship was … well it wasn't ever going to work so I think it's best if we stick to our own worlds from here on out."Emma stepped to the door."Please," Regina said. "I want to explain …""Explain what?" Emma said whirling around to face her. "Do you want to explain how I ended up being the bad guy that night when all I did was come here to make sure you and Henry were ok? Or maybe explain why you immediately jumped to the idea that since I am a lesbian I must be after you sexually? What is it that you think you can say that will make a bit of difference?""I don't know," Regina said. "I don't know that anything I say will make a difference, but I have to try. Please Emma, please don't leave. Give me a chance.""Why should I?""Because your friendship means so much to me, and did I ruin it, yes I did, but I want the chance to fix it. I don't deserve the chance, I know this, but I am going to ask for it anyway," Regina pleaded."Did Stephen hit you?""What?""You heard me. I asked you that night if Stephen had hit you before and you said no. Was that true?"Regina bowed her head slightly and then shook her head no. "No," she said out loud after a moment.Emma turned from her and hit the door with her fist and then faced Regina again. "Why did you lie to me?""Do you think me being hit my husband was something to be proud of? It only happened the one time after we were separated and during the worst part of our divorce. I didn't even know that Henry knew. I never even told Katherine that happened. And you … I didn't want you of all people knowing that.""What's that supposed to mean?"Regina licked her lips and sighed. "You deal with people who are victims every day you work. I didn't want you thinking of me like that.""I don't think of you that way, even knowing what I know now I don't think of you like a victim. Jesus, the first time I saw you, you took on a man who had a knife to your throat and you freed yourself from him. Lots of people have been victims of domestic violence but it doesn't mean it defines who they are. When Henry told me that Stephen had done that though I couldn't sit by and risk that he would do it again. Your son called me. He called me because he was worried about you and he didn't know what to do about it.""I know," Regina said desperately. "That night … it got out of control so fast and then you showed up and … first of all, I am sorry. What I said to you that night was inexcusable and I understand if you find it completely unforgivable …""Why did you say it?" Emma interrupted."I don't really know why I said it, at least not why I chose that moment to say it. My emotions that night were … I don't like feeling out of control of a situation and that is exactly what happened that night. I don't handle personal conflict well," Regina said. "I was on the defensive and then you showed up and instead of keeping my focus on Stephen I was cruel to you and you didn't deserve that. You did nothing wrong, you haven't done anything wrong."Emma crossed her arms again, studying Regina. She could tell the other woman was genuinely remorseful about what she had said, but it wasn't enough for Emma to even think about forgiving her."You still haven't explained why you said it," Emma said. "I'm not an idiot. In the weeks before all of that you had dropped enough hints for me to understand that you weren't looking for anything but friendship from me. Did you think because I am a lesbian that I am incapable of maintaining a friendship with a woman, even one I find attractive?""I wasn't thinking of you at all when I said it," Regina said. "I was thinking of myself, of protecting myself. Not from you. I hope you can understand that." She paused, not knowing how to proceed and she could tell Emma's patience with her was waning."I was engaged once before Stephen," Regina continued. "I was happy and I was in love and I was with the woman I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Her name was Danielle, and I was so taken with her that I got my grandmother's engagement ring from my mother and I asked Danielle to marry me. She didn't even hesitate to say yes. We were engaged for five months and then one night she destroyed me. I don't know any other way to describe it. When Stephen first cheated on me, I was upset and I was angry but in some ways it wasn't that big of a deal to me and I realized later it was because while what he did hurt, it wasn't even in the same realm of hurt for what Danielle did to me. I have carried that hurt with me for a long time; not really facing it or dealing with it until that night I lashed out at you and I realized why I did it was because I didn't want to be in a position to be hurt like that again. I know it sounds stupid and I know you wouldn't hurt me like she did, but I had spent the years after Danielle building a life that would ensure I was never put in that kind of situation again and then you came into my life and for the first time I was having to deal with having feelings for a woman again – feelings that went further than friendship."Emma was taken aback by the admission. She had thought Regina had been dropping all the friendship references and not being ready for a relationship hints because she was afraid Emma was going to hit on her and ruin things, but by what she was saying now it was less about Emma and more about what she was feeling."What did this Danielle do to you?" Emma asked, and she felt bad immediately because she could see a flicker of remembered pain briefly pass Regina's countenance."Would you like to sit down, it's not a brief story."Emma nodded and Emma took a seat in the chair while Regina sat on the couch."I am bisexual," she began. "I know you and I have never officially stated what our sexualities are and really, it's not something I discuss much anymore. I was engaged to a woman and then married to a man so there are a lot of people who know and there are a lot of people who don't know. Like Henry. He knows nothing of my past relationships and I have seen no reason to talk to him about it. I guess for all intent and purposes, since dating Stephen I've lived life like I was straight. Before Danielle, I never saw being bisexual as something I should be ashamed of. I mean I can't help that I am attracted to women and men. I like to think that the way I was raised – being exposed to a lot of different cultures – that it made me accepting of myself and others. I had dated men and women but my relationships tended to be short-lived. I was always so focused on my professional goals that I tended to put something like love on the back burner. Then I met Danielle.""She was working for a marketing firm that was doing mock ups for advertising for a restaurant I was working at. I was fresh out of culinary school and this was my first placement and she was a junior ad rep for the firm, but had come to the restaurant with a senior rep in order to learn the ins and outs of running a major campaign. I wasn't even supposed to be there but the chef had asked me to come in when someone else called in sick. We weren't open yet, but we cooked a meal for some display shots. I saw her and she saw me and she smiled and I smiled back. I don't recall saying more than a couple of words to her that entire time.""The next day she called the restaurant, asked for me and then asked me out on a date. I accepted and we dated for three years – moving in together after two years – and then I asked her to marry me. I should back up a moment. Danielle is a lesbian and I had no issue with that obviously but I didn't realize how much me being bisexual bothered her."Regina stopped talking a moment and Emma didn't say anything in the interim."There were signs of course, things I chose to ignore at the times they happened. She would make comments to our friends – small things like 'I've been waiting for Regina to come out of the closet' or 'don't ask Regina to make a decision, she can't even choose between men and women.' She would say things like that in a joking manner and while I didn't find it funny, I never called her on it either. I loved her and I was secure in the idea that she loved me and this was just some little insignificant thing with her. Danielle is very much out there – she is very active in Pride Week and working toward equal rights. I admired her for it, and while together I helped her when I could. It was a busy time for me and my career because I was still in someone else's kitchen – I wasn't a head chef or anything. When I couldn't help her out because of this, she'd get upset or accusatory about why I didn't find these activities to be worth my time.""When we became engaged, I thought it would show her that I was committed not just to her but to all the things that made her happy. Then one night I had an offer to meet with a restaurant owner to be a head chef. It was the opportunity I had been waiting for. These things tend to happen fast in our business because if there is a hot, up and coming chef, if you are an owner you want to snag that person before someone else does. I had to work that day at my job so I couldn't meet this owner until afterwards. It was late – I had brought clothes to change into and made myself presentable and went to his restaurant. I cooked a dish and spoke with him for two hours, which really isn't that much time, but it's not like he was unfamiliar with me either. He offered me the job that night and I accepted. I went home and I was so excited that I hadn't even called or texted Danielle afterward because I wanted to tell her in person.""This was like three in the morning at this time and I came home with a bottle of wine to celebrate. Danielle was in bed and I woke her and I told her the good news and she said congratulations in a tone that suggested she was anything but happy for me and then said she had a bad headache and maybe we could celebrate later. The celebration never happened because after a few days of getting the cold shoulder things blew up between us. It was a few weeks before the next Pride Week and it was a Saturday afternoon and we were at a friend's house where Danielle was running a planning meeting. Someone asked if I was going to be at a party that was going on during kickoff weekend and I told them I didn't know and I explained about accepting the new job and Danielle says in front of everyone that 'Pride isn't as important to people who are too afraid to come out of the closet.' There was this moment of awkward silence and then some people told me congratulations on the new job and the rest of the time Danielle and I didn't exchange a single word until we got home.""I immediately asked her what was wrong, if I had done something and she apologizes to me for saying what she had said in front of everyone but that she wouldn't apologize for saying the actual words. She started going on and on about how she was tired of me living in denial and that before we got married she needed me to stop pretending that me saying I was bisexual was anything more than a way to appease my parents so they didn't have to tell people I was a lesbian. I was beyond shocked. Sure I had seen prejudice against people – my mother sees it all the time in her work – I wasn't blind to it, but for her to say that to me.""I tried to explain, to reason with her and make her understand I wasn't a lesbian and I wasn't going to come out of the closet like she wanted me to do. I had already done my coming out and she laughed at me and asked how could I when all I was telling people when I said I was bisexual was that I was a lesbian who was too afraid to admit it so I had to make up this fantasy that I was actually attracted to men. I couldn't understand how this person I had given my heart to could not see who I really was. Even with that though I didn't think things were going to end between us and then she um … then she said …"Emma watched as a tear came down Regina's face. She could tell Regina had been crying earlier because of her bloodshot eyes, but something about seeing that single tear slide down her skin made Emma feel like she was seeing not some far away pain, but a present hurt."You don't have to say anything," Emma said. "You don't have to put yourself through this for my benefit.""No, I need you to hear this," Regina said resolutely. She didn't bother to wipe away the tear. "She said there was nothing a man could give me that she couldn't, after all neither she nor any man could ever give me a child."Regina looked away from her this time as she composed herself. Emma heard her give a big intake of breath before turning back to her."About a year before I had asked her to marry me, I found out I couldn't have children. I was infertile and even though at the time I wasn't really thinking about having children, it still hurt so much and for her to throw that back in my face like that … and the thing was, she wasn't even apologetic about it. It didn't make her pause and think about what she had said or what that meant to me. She merely looked at me and said if I couldn't admit I was a lesbian then she couldn't marry me. She took the ring off her hand and placed it on the coffee table and she walked out.""I was in a real bad place in the aftermath. I stayed in a hotel for a while to give her the chance to get her stuff out – Katherine coordinated it all because I wouldn't speak to her and she didn't try to reach out to me. The place was in my name but I didn't want to be there afterwards so I moved. I poured all my energy into my new job and I tried to forget about the fact that the woman I loved had this hate for me because of something I couldn't control. It messed with me more than I could have expected. Then one day I decided that I wasn't ever going to be hurt like that again. I was going to protect myself from it at all costs. And then I met you and you made me feel things I swore I would never feel for another woman again. That night with Stephen, when you showed up, I don't know how to explain it except to say that I felt like two worlds were colliding and I had to get control of it and when I said that to you, I realized what I had done was no better than what Danielle had done to me.""I kept calling you and calling you to apologize and then I stopped but I still wasn't happy; in fact I was miserable. I needed you to hear me out whether you ever forgave me or not. I needed you to know that it wasn't you that I was angry at that time, I was angry at myself. She made me feel that being like this, being attracted to two genders was wrong and she succeeded so well in it that the first time since then that I have felt a connection with another woman – I ignored it and I pushed it away but in order to do so I had to push you away too. You didn't deserve that. I'm sorry."Emma sat there silently thinking about all that Regina had said. Finally she stood up. "I'm sorry your ex treated you like that," she said. "I'm sorry she hurt you. What you said that night to me hurt me too. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it, maybe too much time, and while I appreciate you trying to explain it, I just don't know that it make a difference. I need some time and I'm asking you to give me that. No more texts, no more calls. I will contact you if this is something I think I can get past. If not, I'm still glad I met you Regina and Henry."She said nothing else as she walked to the door, pausing only a couple of seconds with her hand on the doorknob before exiting. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Regina was busy, as usual, but this time it was because she had to play head chef as Grant had been out sick with the flu for three days now. Normally it wouldn't be a big deal except another chef had called in sick and she had another on vacation, leaving her as the only one with the skills to lead the kitchen. It's not that she didn't find the rest of her staff fully capable, but the others had either shown no desire to move up the ranks as they were happy in their current roles or they weren't quite there yet in their development.So for the past three days she had been in the kitchen and on top of having the health inspector there for their regularly scheduled inspection earlier, she was already tired.She had spoken to Grant earlier that day and while he was sounding better she didn't figure he would be in for another couple of days.She was not even supposed to be working nights this week as the 17-year-old girl who lived two floors down from them and who she paid to hang out at her place with Henry (she didn't dare call it babysitting) was out all week on some school trip. Katherine was out of town and her other back up was not available so she wrestled with what to do with Henry. She could have brought him to work with her but ever since the night that man had come into the kitchen and held her knifepoint – the night she met Emma – she had been hesitant to bring him here.In the end she let Henry convince her to let him stay at home without an overseer. That isn't to say she wasn't checking in on him – as was Sydney who agreed to pop upstairs every hour or so and look in on him.She still didn't like leaving him alone like that but her options were limited.Thinking of the circumstances that made her wary about bringing him to her work, she had of course thought about Emma. Funny enough, she thought that if she and Emma were still friends she had no doubt Emma would have watched Henry if needed. Yet she hadn't heard from the other woman since she had tried to explain to her why she had reacted the way she had that night. It had been nearly a month since that had taken place and she hadn't heard from Emma and expected she would not be hearing from her.She knew she was in the wrong with what happened and she could only hope that one day Emma could look back and not feel ill will toward her.That is why she had gone to see Danielle – she had to face the woman and gain some closure of that part of her life. She had finally gotten an apology from her, although Danielle admitted she still struggled with the idea that someone could be attracted to men and women. There had been times over the years, Danielle said, that she had thought about reaching out to Regina to try and mend fences. When Regina asked her why she hadn't, Danielle said she just assumed it might be best to leave the past in the past and not bring up past hurts. After all they had both moved on.The whole encounter felt odd to Regina only because she had thought in seeing Danielle again there might be some stirring of her old feelings, but there wasn't any. It was much like how she felt about Stephen – someone she used to love but no longer felt that affinity for.She had tried not to think of Emma, but had failed constantly. When she first accepted Emma's dinner invitation that first time she truly had thought they could be friends. Yes, Emma would be unlike her other friends – she didn't come from the social circle as Regina, nor would she be friend from the business but that didn't matter to Regina. She could still picture Emma the first time she had seen her – the fierce determination in the other woman's eyes as she stared down the man who held a knife to her throat. The way she made sure Henry was safely out of the way.Regina had honestly thought a friendship could work.Then she found herself smiling every time she got a text from Emma or saw Emma and Henry interacting and she had tampered down those extra feelings she had begun to feel. No good could come from it, she had told herself.In the end she hadn't been wrong exactly – except in the end it was she who was in the wrong.Forcing thoughts of Emma from her head she began to get lost in her job.By the end of the night Regina was exhausted and she knew that she would have at least one more night of this with Grant being sick. There was a reason why owners of restaurants weren't also the head chefs at their own places.She had gotten a text from Henry to say he was going to bed about an hour earlier but she had a couple of things she needed to finish up before heading home. She escaped to her office as soon as she could and stopped immediately as she saw the vase of flowers on her desk. She hurried over and grabbed the card off of them, tearing into the envelope. When she saw it was merely flowers from her mother – a day early in honor of the anniversary of her opening her restaurant.Regina had been so busy she had forgotten about it. Looking at the flowers now she realized she should have known they were from her mother – they were the kind of style her mom would choose (or at least one her secretary would have chosen). Definitely not what Emma would have picked out.She scolded herself for being silly enough to believe the flowers would have been from Emma in the first place.Looking at the card again she sighed, her mother apparently was coming to visit or so the 'See you soon' that was written there must indicate that she was. She loved her mother, but her mother had a way of making her feel not quite up to standards. And right now she wasn't sure it would be a good idea to have her mother visiting. She knew she would have to call her mother tomorrow and thank her for the flowers and get the details of how soon they would be seeing each other.Her mom had essentially been living apart from her father for the past eight months – working on a major case on the West Coast. She had rented an apartment out there given the time investment she would be making. In those eight months, Regina had seen her mother just once. But she knew the case had ended a few weeks ago so it was only natural that her mother would be moving back. It wasn't as if she hadn't spoken to her mother in all that time either – sometimes Regina found it hard to get the woman off the phone when she would call.She respected the work both of her parents did and she understood its importance, but neither was an avenue that Regina had ever wanted to go on. She always felt like that had hurt her mom more than it did her dad.She settled down behind her desk to finish off her work although all she really wanted to do was go home, kiss Henry on the forehead and go to sleep.….Emma was on a roll. There was no other way to explain it. The past month had been really good for her business and her finances. While she was well-respected in her business circles for her sometimes uncanny ability to track people down, the last four weeks had been downright miraculous. She had returned more bounties in one month than the previous two combined – including one guy who had been on the run from the feds and the state.She wasn't so foolish as to not contribute some of her good luck to the fact she had been putting in more hours as well. All she seemed to do was work and sleep lately. It was why she let Ruby drag her out on this random Thursday night for dinner. She was running a little behind, so Ruby was already waiting for her outside of the Chinese restaurant that Ruby had chosen. They went inside and got seated and ordered."You look tired," Ruby said."Thanks, you look great too," Emma replied."Are you sleeping at all?""Yeah," she said. "Just odd hours you know. Some days I'm sleeping regular at night, some days I go to bed at 3 a.m., sometimes 3 p.m. It's just catching up to me a bit.""Please tell me you plan on going home after dinner to sleep and not out catching the bad guys?""No bad guys tonight unless I get a tip about something.""Good. You need your beauty rest.""Yes because I'm going on so many dates lately.""Well you could always stop pining over Regina and go out with someone else as I'm positive you have options. You always have options. Or you could finally call Regina which is what I know you really want to do."Emma had told Ruby about Regina a couple of days after Regina had made her tearful confession. At the time Ruby had asked her what she planned to do and she had responded she hadn't planned on doing anything. She was going to get on with her life and Regina could get on with hers. Moving on with life meant burying herself in work."I'm not going to call her," Emma said. It sounded hollow even in her own ears and from the doubtful expression she was getting from Ruby, her friend also didn't believe her. "There is no reason for me to call her," she added and then took a sip of her drink, hoping that Ruby would drop the subject."I am not saying you shouldn't still be upset with her," Ruby said. "But you really liked her. I mean you really, really liked her.""I know," she said dejectedly. If she hadn't really like Regina she knew this wouldn't be hurting as bad as it was. She had a better understanding of why Regina had said what she said but it didn't mean she was happy about her saying it all. The problem was she was pretty sure she could get past that incident.What she wasn't sure she could get past was her feelings for the other woman.She would never have crossed that line – of that she was sure. She would never have hit on Regina as long as Regina had made it known she wasn't interested. Yet now Regina had admitted that there were some feelings there and Emma didn't know what to about that. She figured staying away was her best option.When she allowed herself to think about the situation she wondered what would happen if she called Regina up."Earth to Emma," Ruby said.Emma snapped out of it and saw the waiter had brought their food and she was effectively blocking him from putting the plate down in front of her. She apologized and made room for the plate, thanking him as she placed it down. At least now she could concentrate on eating, she thought as she grabbed her fork."So are you going to call her?"Emma gave her an annoyed look."Sorry," Ruby said. "I will shut up and eat."Emma took one bite and put her fork down."Is something wrong with the food?" Ruby asked."No," Emma shook her head. "It's fine. Look, it's not that I don't want to call her, I want to call her. I can admit that. It's been constantly in my thoughts. Here is the problem thought, let's say I call her up – what am I calling her up for?""What do you mean?""She and I were just friends before, so am I calling her to rebuild our friendship. Or since she has finally said out loud that she is bi, and that she has some feelings for me; am I calling her up not as a friend, but you know as like a date type person?""What do you want to call her up as?""It's not up to me," Emma replied. "She is clearly the one who has to set boundaries.""Well that's bullshit," Ruby said. "If you want to ask her on a date ask her on a date. Since when did you shy away from stuff like that? If she rejects your date invite then decide if you want to say fuck it all and move on or if you think you can be friends with her."Emma grabbed her fork once more and began eating. Maybe if she sustained the eating Ruby would drop the subject. Ruby too began to eat and then the conversation slowly turned to other things, much to Emma's relief. She needed to stop thinking about Regina she decided.….Regina walked into her building feeling insanely tired. Sydney was there to greet her."Good evening.""Good night Sydney," she said, preparing to walk right by him."Um Regina …"The way he said it made her stop."Is Henry ok?""Oh yes, he is fine. It's just that he isn't alone up there. Your mother is here, and of course she is on your list to be allowed up so Todd who was on duty earlier let her go up. I was dealing with another matter at the time and when I went to check on Henry there she was."Great, Regina thought, she sends me flowers and then drops in for a surprise visit on a night where I left Henry home alone and am just now walking in smelling like I've been sweating over a stove all night."Thank you Sydney," she said and she made her way to the elevator. Even as she pushed the button to go up she wondered what lecture she would be getting.Making it to her floor, she paused briefly outside of her own door trying to gather up the will to go in. Finally, she unlocked the door and entered and her mother was right there almost immediately."Goodness Regina you look positively ragged," Cora said."Hi mom," she said giving her smile that was all lip and no teeth. "I had to work in the kitchen today; I'm sure Henry told you all about it.""Yes, yes he did," Cora said. "It's a good thing I decided to stop in with Henry here all by himself.""I didn't have much choice," Regina said. "Besides Henry is getting to that age where he can be trusted to handle some things by himself. It wasn't as if I wasn't calling here every hour and didn't have Sydney checking up on him."Cora didn't respond but Regina noticed she was continuously eyeing her like she wanted to say something."Well I put my stuff away in your guest room. I might as well stay for a couple of days or perhaps through the weekend. We have a lot to catch up on and I would like the chance to spend time with my daughter and grandson.""That sounds great," Regina said. "I'm really tired as you can imagine so do you think we could postpone catching up until tomorrow.""Of course, of course, you should definitely go straight to bed; you need your beauty rest. I will handle turning off all the lights and locking up.""Thanks," she said giving her a hug and then going to her room. She sat on the edge of her bed to just have a few minutes of doing nothing before getting ready for bed. At least she wouldn't have to worry about leaving Henry home alone tomorrow night as her mother would watch him. Her parents doted on their only grandson every time they got the chance to see him and Henry loved his grandparents very much.Her phone started to ring and she had to get it out of her purse to answer it – hoping her mother didn't hear it ringing or she was sure there would be some comment about it in the morning. She paused when she saw Emma's name come up.She took a deep breath and answered. "Hello.""Hi," Emma said. "Um, did I wake you?""No, I actually got home only a little while ago. We've had some people call in sick this week so I've been working in the kitchen the last couple of nights.""So I called at a bad time then.""No," Regina said quickly. "I'm glad you called.""Yeah, I wasn't sure I was going to," Emma admitted."Well I'm glad you did."Emma didn't say anything in response, and while Regina was sure their connection hadn't been dropped, she found she didn't know what to say to the other woman."Look, I don't know that we can just start up and be friends again," Emma said finally.Pause."I … I understand," Regina said. She wondered why Emma was even bothering to call to tell her this."It's just that …" Emma trailed off and went silent again."You don't have to explain," Regina said. "I do understand. What I did, what I said … I was completely in the wrong and you have every right …""Willyougoonadatewithme?" Emma blurted out."What?" Regina said, not sure she understood the super-speed question."I asked you if you wanted to go on a date with me.""Oh."Regina was not expecting the question, especially after the way the conversation started."I know, it's a stupid idea," Emma said backing off. "I was just thinking that … well you know I am attracted to you and while I swear I would never have done anything about that while we were friends, things have changed now. And I thought maybe we could try going on a date.""Ok," Regina."Ok, as in you want to go on a date?""Yes," Regina replied. "It's a date.""Good," Emma said and Regina could hear the change in tone – Emma's voice no longer sounding as tense as it had. "Do you want to go out Saturday night?""Can I get back to you about that tomorrow? I don't know if I will have enough staff to man the kitchen.""Of course. Just send me a text or call.""I will.""I should let you go so you can get some sleep. Good night.""Good night Emma."She hung up the phone and exhaled. A date. With Emma. She hadn't been on a date with a woman since Danielle. And Saturday was only two days away. And her mother was in town. Suddenly she felt too on edge to sleep. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- On Friday Regina made sure that Grant was going to be at work and well enough to cook on Saturday. After ascertaining that her mother was indeed staying through the weekend she asked her to watch Henry on Saturday night. It was a conversation that Regina hadn't looked forward to as her mother had a way of making her feel like she was on the witness stand being grilled."Who is this friend you are going out with?" Cora asked. There was no way Regina was going to tell her mother that this was a date, at least not to start with."It's Emma, I told you about her.""Oh yes, the one who saved you and Henry at the restaurant," she said. "I would very much like to meet her and give her my appreciation for her bravery.""Um … that would be nice of you, but maybe another time," Regina said. "I didn't tell her you were in town and I wouldn't want to ambush her.""There is a simple way to deal with that, text her and let her know I am here and I would like to meet her."Regina tried to think of another response, but her mother was staring her down. "I haven't even told her I am free to go out on Saturday because I wanted to speak with you first," Regina said. "Let's just hold off on until I can speak to her, ok?"Cora gave her a look that didn't exactly make her think that it was ok. She had once heard another attorney describe her mother as "the person who would take over guarding the pearly gates for St. Peter because there was no way you were getting through her without telling the truth."It may have been the best way to describe her that Regina had ever heard."Is there a reason you don't want me meeting this young woman?" Cora asked and Regina knew this was not going to end in her favor. "You have spoken very highly of her in the past.""I speak highly of her because she deserves to be spoken highly of. It's just that … look she and I had a sort of falling out a while back and this is the first time I'm going to spend time with her since that happened.""What did you have a falling out over?""Stephen," she said hoping that would be the end of it. Stephen was not a topic her mother wanted to talk about either. When she and Stephen were getting divorced her mother had tried to talk her into holding off, taking some time to evaluate her position. It's not that Cora particularly cared for Stephen but she didn't like the idea of Regina being a divorced single mom either.Sometimes Regina had to remind herself that her mother did love her unconditionally and that was one of those times.The moment Regina had told her mother about Stephen saying Henry wasn't his son however Cora was done with him for good. She had offered to draw up the papers to dissolve the adoption she was so mad."I hope Emma was counseling you to stay away from him," Cora commented.Since it wasn't a question Regina saw no reason to say anything in return, which was a mistake."So what was it then?" Cora asked. "Why did you two have a row over Stephen?"Her mother did not know when to let up."She didn't think that I should have been letting Stephen back into my life.""Very sensible of her. See, I simply must meet her.""I will see if she is ok with that then," Regina replied."See, now all of that for the same result," Cora said. "Honestly Regina sometimes I think you purposely make things hard."That was the conversation they had that morning before Regina went to work. Now that she had both her mother and Grant on board for Saturday night she called Emma."Hi," Emma answered."Hi," Regina replied. "So I'm free for Saturday.""Great," Emma said. "I was worried you would have to work.""Nope, I have the night free.""And you have someone to watch Henry?""Yes," Regina said. "My mother is actually in town and she is going to watch him for the evening.""Your mom?""Yes, she's staying with me through the weekend and then back home to dad.""If you want to spend time with her, we can reschedule our date.""No. I am sure she will give me enough quality time before she leaves. Somehow it feels like she already has.""How critical has she been?"Regina had told Emma of her mother and she was again impressed that Emma not only listened well but she picked up on things that may seem small in passing but which were really more."Not exactly critical. She does however want to meet you.""Excuse me?""She wants to meet you and say thank you for saving me and Henry that night we met," Regina explained."Oh. Well I guess that's ok. I can meet her when I come to pick you up.""Are you sure?""Yeah, it's no problem. She wouldn't be the first parent I met prior to going on a date, although I admit it's been a long while.""About that. Um … I haven't told her we were going on a date yet. I told her I was going out with a friend. I'm going to though," Regina said quickly, not wanting Emma to think otherwise. "It's just that my mom can be a little … overbearing at times and as soon as I tell her it's a date she's going to interrogate me and after the week I've had, I wasn't up for that this morning.""You don't have tell her if it makes you that uncomfortable. We can stick with the friend thing when I meet her."Regina paused, considering the offer. "No," she responded. "We're going on a date and she will have to deal with it."There was another pause, this time from Emma. "Is your mom part of the reason why you aren't really open about your sexuality?"Regina wasn't sure how to answer that question and she zoned out a moment thinking of it, that she almost missed Emma apologizing for asking it."It's ok," Regina said. "My parents know I am bisexual. I think they have chosen to ignore it much like I did when I married Stephen. They were never not supportive of me when I was dating Danielle, but it was more like the feeling I got whenever I had Danielle with me when I was at my parents. It's kind of hard to explain. It's like they were waiting to see where it was actually going as far as a relationship went. When I asked for my grandmother's ring to ask Danielle to marry me, there was no hesitation in giving it to me. They were nice to Danielle, but not warm to her if that makes any sense.""It does. Should I expect the same thing?""I don't know," Regina said. "Things are different now. I've been married and divorced. I have a kid. I'm not the same person as I was back then and maybe that will make a difference. Even if it doesn't, it doesn't change the fact that we are going to go on a date.""Good. And don't worry, parents love me."…..Regina put off telling her mother until she couldn't hold off any longer. She was preparing for the date and her mother commented that she seemed nervous. She was sitting at her vanity at the time with her mother in the background where Regina could see her clearly in the mirror. She turned toward her."I am little nervous," she admitted. "A lot nervous actually.""Whatever for? Is this because of the falling out you had with Emma?""No, although I wonder how much that will play into the evening. I'm nervous because I'm not going out with Emma because we're just friends. I'm going on a date with Emma. It's a first date with her.""So Emma is also bisexual.""She's a lesbian. And before you ask, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to express any kind of disapproval. I like Emma. I like her a lot. In a short amount of time she's become special to me and I've already messed that up once so I don't want it to happen again," she said."And you think somehow I would mess that up?" Cora said. "Why ever would you think that for? Did I ever have an unkind word to say to Danielle when you were seeing her?""No. You are too polite for that," Regina said. "But there is a difference in not being rude to a person and making them feel welcome.""Did Danielle say she felt unwelcome in my presence?"Regina shook her head no. "It's not about how you made Danielle feel, it's how you made me feel when I was with her. When Danielle broke up with me you said it was for the best. When I wanted to divorce Stephen you told me to hold on and think about it and do every thing I could to save my marriage.""You were married to Stephen, you weren't married to Danielle," Cora said. "Your break up with Danielle was her choice, not yours. The divorce was your choice so of course I would counsel you to make sure you were making the right decision. If I were a divorce lawyer I would give the same advice to my clients – to make sure this is what they wanted.""I'm your daughter, not a client.""I know that. My point is if that is the beset advice I can give a client, why wouldn't I also give it to my daughter?""We've never talked about it," Regina said. "Me being bisexual. I told you I was and then we never talked about it. You ask me a hundred questions about every little thing I do, but when I told you that I was attracted to men and women you didn't ask me a single thing. Why?""Who my daughter has sexual relations with isn't exactly a conversation that I feel I need to be a part of?""You know that's not what I'm talking about. It goes beyond who I am having sex with. Does it bother you that much I'm this way?"Cora didn't say anything immediately. It was rare that she saw her mother at a loss for words and as it stretched on, she turned back to the mirror to continue getting ready. She wasn't going to let her mother ruin her evening."When you told your father and I that you were bisexual, I admit that it was surprising. I wondered how it was that I didn't see it. I'm a mother and mothers are supposed to know things about their children," Cora said. "You stood there and made this declaration that you were this way and at the time you exuded such strength that I saw this spark in you, the spark I once thought would make you an excellent lawyer. You said it with such confidence as if daring your father or I to say one negative thing because if we had you were prepared for a fight. So I didn't say anything at the time because I didn't feel it would be welcome for me to ask any questions. I was afraid that by asking questions you would take it as a slight and I didn't want to offend you, not in that moment. Later, well later became too late. I'm not going to stand here and pretend that I understand it completely because I don't. And maybe I can't ever fully understand because I am not bisexual, but it doesn't change how I feel about you."She walked over to Regina and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you honey. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel I didn't.""I know you love me," she replied. "Sometimes I guess I just need to hear you say it.""Anytime my darling daughter, anytime you need to hear it, I will be here to say it," she said. "Now about this date, is that really what you are going to wear on a first date?" ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Emma was surprised when Regina didn't answer the door, but she recovered quickly as Cora introduced herself."I wanted to thank you for protecting my daughter and grandson that night at the restaurant," Cora said shaking Emma's hand. "I shudder to think what would have happened if you hadn't been there."Emma noticed Regina's mother giving her an appraising look. When Regina had told her that she would be meeting her mom Emma hadn't been worried but now that she was face-to-face with her she felt her nerves creeping in."Thank you," Emma replied. "I felt kind of bad about the whole thing since I'm the reason he was there and why he took off toward the kitchen like he did. But then again if it didn't happen I wouldn't have met Regina and Henry.""You didn't force that man to hold a knife to Regina," Cora said. "Right or wrong, we all make our own choices in this world. He is the one who chose a violent path that evening, not you."Emma could see the resemblance to Regina in this woman, but this woman seemed to have a harder edge to her. She of course knew what Cora did for a living and Emma wondered if being an attorney and working on the cases she did had made her hard or if it was something that came natural to her."I'm just glad Regina didn't get hurt," Emma said. "She really held her own with him. She got away from him and that didn't have anything to do with me. I was there to chase him down.""We insisted she take self-defense courses at a young age," Cora said. "I'm sure she told you that she traveled a lot as a kid. We tried to minimize it as much as possible but it wasn't always possible so we wanted to instill in her the confidence to defend herself.""Well she certainly did that night.""Emma."She looked over at Regina entered, and while she had seen Regina dressed nicely before, somehow this was different. It suddenly occurred to her that she was taking this woman on a date. Yes, her mind knew that, but somehow it wasn't quite registering until this moment."Hi," Emma managed to say. "You… you look great.""She does, doesn't she?" Cora said smiling at her daughter. She had convinced Regina to change into the dress she was now wearing. Earlier she had been wearing a skirt and top that looked a little too "business" for Cora's taste. She was after all going on a date, Cora had said, so she should dress like it."Thank you," Regina smiled."Hey Emma!" said Henry who came out behind Regina and gave her a hug."Hey kid," Emma said. "What game currently has your attention?""Mom wouldn't let me get the latest Call of Duty," he said. "So I've been played Tomb Raider, which isn't as fun.""Oh come on, women characters kick ass," Emma said. "They should make more video games with women.""If you two are done with your discussion of fake people, then perhaps we can get going," Regina said."Sorry kid, duty calls.""Duty?" Regina asked."You know what I mean," Emma said. "Shall we go?""Yes," Regina said.They took the elevator down, neither woman saying anything. Once they were downstairs, Emma flagged them down a cab and gave the driver directions."Where are we going?""Now what would be the fun in telling you that?" Emma smiled.Regina returned the smile, and also took the time to appraise what Emma was wearing. She had on a pair of dress pants on and a long sleeved buttoned up shirt that had a low cut to it, which Regina had glanced at when she had first come out to greet Emma.Regina was nervous but trying not to make it known. She had spent most of the day trying to convince herself that this was nothing more than her and Emma hanging out as friends. She had tried not to think of Danielle, but had failed at that. It was hard not to think of her as she was the last experience Regina had with going out with a woman."Are you going to be this quiet all night?" Emma asked, and Regina noticed that several minutes had passed."Sorry," she said. "Lost in thought.""Are you ok?""Yeah," Regina said, giving what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Have you had any good cases lately?""Good cases, do you think there are such things?" Emma said laughing. "I mean you know what I do.""I guess I do," Regina said."Actually there was this one case," Emma began. She told Regina how she was looking for this guy who jump bail and ended up catching him while she was having tea with the man's grandmother. "I'm telling you the look on his face when his granny starts beating him with her newspaper was priceless. Although my favorite part might have been when she ordered him to go with me and not cause me any problems and I was to call her to let her know if he behaved himself. He was probably the most well-behaved perp I have ever tracked down after that happened."Regina laughed, "Why am I not surprised that you charmed some little old lady into inviting you into her home for tea while you are looking for her felon grandson.""I told you, parents love me.""I suppose I will find that out when you return me home and speak to my mother.""I take it your mom had no objections to us going out?""None. She was surprisingly understanding. We had a talk about how we never have talked about my sexuality.""I thought you said that your parents knew you were bi.""They do," Regina said. "But my mother in particular has always asked me about seemingly every aspect of my life and that was one thing she never asked about. I took that as disapproval. When we were talking earlier she said it had nothing to do with disapproval. Instead, she said it was the way I told them, that it was powerful and I didn't seem like I wanted questions so they didn't ask. She said I showed how strong I was."Emma noticed the hesitation in Regina's voice when she said that last part."Don't you believe that, that you are strong?" Emma asked."No," Regina said and Emma detected the disbelief in her voice this time.Emma put a hand on Regina's. "You are so strong," Emma said. "The first time I met you, you amazed me. A lot of people in that situation would have froze but you didn't. You are such a strong person. It's one of the things that attracted me to you.""So you are saying there is more than one?" Regina smiled."Most definitely."They arrived at their destination – another smaller restaurant that Emma had been to before. Although she admitted that it was only the one time so she couldn't offer any recommendations to Regina. Not that Regina needed any help as she studied the menu before ordering."I am curious to taste the spices," Regina said after ordering."Can you like break down any dish into its individual parts?""I wouldn't say I can do it all the time or that I'm always right when I do it, but I do like to try it every time," she admitted. "I think to be a chef you have to love food, not just the making of it or creating it, but tasting it, experiencing it. I have never shied away from trying food. I've tasted a lot of bad but also a lot of good.""I hope this one is a good one. I got to tell you that I felt a lot of pressure in deciding where to eat.""You shouldn't," Regina said. "I may be a chef but I'm not a food critic.""Still you have to admit that there is some pressure there in picking a place," Emma said."Well maybe a little."Their food came and they chatted throughout the meal. Regina shared her food with Emma – trying to show her how she tasted food in order to determine what was in it. Emma didn't do very well at it, but they both laughed at the effort.Their dinner came to an end and as they were walking out, Emma took Regina's hand in hers as she neared the curb to hail a cab."Where are we going next?""Do you want the truth?""Preferably.""I have no idea," Emma said as the cab pulled up and she held the door open for Regina, who paused a moment. Emma shrugged, "I wasn't even sure you would go out on a date with me, and then there was the whole stress over where to go eat, I didn't plan out the rest of the evening."Regina slid into the back seat and Emma followed."Where to?" the driver asked.Regina looked at Emma, "What's your address?"This time it was Emma's turn to pause and then she gave the address to the driver."Um … I wasn't expecting you to um … well my apartment isn't like spotless and well … I mean if you wanted to go do something else.""You're cute when you are nervous," Regina said to her. "If you aren't comfortable having me at your place …""No, it's not that…""Good," Regina interrupted. "I thought we could go someplace private and talk. With my mother in town, my place is definitely out unless you feel like being placed on the witness stand and being interrogated about everything – no matter how embarrassing.""My place probably is better," Emma said.Even as she said it, she tried not to let out an obvious exhale. It was true she hadn't thought much beyond the dinner, but taking Regina back to her place was not how she expected the evening to go. She figured they would go do something mundane – or something Regina wanted to do. She cursed herself for not having a better plan.So far the evening appeared to be going well. Regina didn't seem to take offense at her taking her hand earlier and Emma wondered – not for the first time – how much touching they would do. She had figured she would at the very least give Regina a kiss at the end of the date, but now that they were going to her place she wondered if Regina had something else in mind.Stop it, her mind told her. Regina had said "talk" and that is all Emma should expect. Although Regina was wearing the proverbial "little black dress," which made it hard for Emma to keep her thoughts totally innocent. She did a mental walkthrough of her place and hoped she hadn't left anything out that would be embarrassing or left any dirty dishes in plain view.They arrived and Emma paid the driver and held the door open for Regina once more. This time she didn't take her hand as she was afraid her palm was sweaty from nerves and she had to fish out her keys to get in. Emma liked where she lived. It wasn't high class like Regina's building, but it was nice all the same. All rent in New York was ridiculous in her mind, but her place was rent-controlled so it was affordable for her. She like the building superintendent –having helped him navigate the court system when his nephew got in trouble got her in his good graces. Now if anything ever went wrong at her place he was very attentive to seeing it get done.They rode the elevator up to the fourth floor where she lived and Emma apologized again if her place wasn't exactly spotless. She unlocked the door and went in to turn on the light before returning to hold the door fully open for Regina to enter."You have a nice place," Regina said after she had come in and looked around the room."I like to think so," Emma said. "Do you want sit? Can I get you something to drink?"Regina took a seat on the couch. "Maybe later on that drink.""Oh, ok," Emma said still standing."Are you going to sit down?""What? Um … yeah.""You seem nervous, are you sure it's ok that I am here?" Regina asked."No it's fine. I just … I don't know, I guess …you and I are from different worlds and now it's like you are in my world and … what if you don't like it.""I like you," Regina said. "Shouldn't that be all that matters?""It should but it doesn't always work that way," Emma countered. "Look, there is probably something I should have told you before, but it's not something I tell people but if we are going to see each other like this I felt I should tell you because while we are only on our first date, we already know each other and I just want to be fair to you."She could see an expression of confusion on Regina's face."You once asked me how I got into the work I do," Emma said. "I wasn't lying when I said it was because I wanted to get the people who thought they could skirt the law. There was a little more to it than that."She stood up and began to pace, feeling less confined now that she was up on her feet. Then she stopped in front of Regina who now looked worried. "I have a record. I was in prison," she said. "I got mixed up with his guy when I was 17 and we stole stuff. At first it was like shoplifting here and there and then it sort of escalated. Then one day he um took off and left me holding a bag of stolen goods and I got caught. I was sentenced to two years but I got out after 15 months due to good behavior. I guess you can say I've been looking for the guy ever since."Her nervousness on full display, she kept her eyes on Regina, trying to figure out how she was going to react. The silence crept in and Regina looked away from her and Emma knew she had blown it.Regina looked back at her. "This guy, you've never been able to find him?""No," Emma said. "I suspect he's been moving around a lot and changing his name. The closest I came was in Chicago a few years back."Regina stood and Emma thought she was going to leave, but instead Regina took her hand and led her back to the couch to sit down. Regina kept a hold of her hand. "We all have made mistakes in our lives; you know I have. If you think that you telling me this was going change anything, you are wrong. You were a kid and you used bad judgment and trusted the wrong person. It doesn't make you a bad person.""I really want to kiss you right now," Emma said.Regina laughed. When she stopped, she leaned over and Emma met her part way. Their lips touched each other briefly at first, but on the second one Emma deepened the contact and the second turned into a third, fourth and fifth before Regina pulled back."Wow," Emma said. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Regina rode up the elevator to her home, a smile still gracing her features. She had left Emma's, taking a cab home alone despite Emma saying she didn't mind riding with her and then back to her own place. Regina appreciated the offer, but pointed out that it was a little silly seeing as Emma was at her own home.After their initial kisses on the couch they had settled down and talked for a long time. It was for the most part a relaxed conversation but there were a few times when it got serious. "So if you find this guy what are you going to do?" Regina asked when Emma had told her a little more about the things she had done. For the most part it was as Emma had described it initially – a bunch of petty theft and shoplifting, until this Neal talked her into some bigger scores, the last one ending in her arrest. "I've asked myself that same question a lot and the answer is I don't really know," she said. "It's not as if he is totally to blame, I made the decision to steal so I can't put that on him. But he did betray me and as a con artist he has betrayed others. I guess I will see where he is wanted at the most – the one that would get him the most time – and take him there." "Do you think you can forgive him?" "I'm not that good of a person." "I think you are. You have apparently forgiving me, or else we wouldn't be sitting here now." "Different circumstances," Emma said. "Have you forgiven me?" Regina asked. "Yeah, but I guess there are still things I don't understand." "Such as?" "You were dropping hints that you weren't wanting to date or were too busy for a relationship. That was intentional right?" "Some of it was, some of it was the truth too," Regina said. "I saw the way you were looking at me and I could tell you were interested. I didn't want to go down that route with you so I tried to put you off." Emma readjusted how she was sitting, tucking her leg underneath her. "Then why are we here? What made you change your mind?" It took a moment for Regina to gather her thoughts. It's not as if she hadn't expected this to come up – she had. Still now that it was here, she found the answer escaped her. "I like you. I think I liked you since I went to the hospital and saw you. You were so kind to Henry and then that night on your date with my son, I found you easy to talk to. You were different than most people I know. You were intriguing to me," she said. "Not sure anyone has ever said I was intriguing," Emma said. "You are to me. Maybe it's because we have such different backgrounds," Regina said. "I've met a lot of people in my life – many of them totally forgettable – but not you." "Ok, I'll buy it. I'm pretty unforgettable," Emma smiled. "Still doesn't explain what changed your mind." "I didn't want to lose you." Emma's expression conveyed her confusion. "What do you mean by that?" "I like having you in my life," Regina said. "I get that friendship isn't a possibility any longer. I wanted to give this a try because I do like you and I'm attracted to you, and I think you are worth the risk." "Risk?" "Yes, risk," she replied. "It's always a risk when you put yourself out there with another person. I've been burned by it before, clearly." "Stephen, were you getting back together with him?" "No!" Regina said. "That would never happen." "Then why were you spending all your time with him?" "Henry," she answered. "I didn't want to give up on the idea that Henry could have a relationship with his father. I felt like I had to do anything to give that a chance. As it turned out Stephen had his own motives for spending time with Henry – which came to a head that night. Stephen had run into some financial issues – issues which could easily be resolved if he didn't have to pay me child support and if he had the combined finances of when we were married. He thought he would rekindle things with me and all his problems would go away." "Ouch." "Exactly." "How did you find out about it?" "Katherine. She was never a fan of Stephen's and since we all run in the same circles socially, she heard some whisperings and looked into it. She then turned around and told me and I confronted him. We argued – loudly – and then you showed up." "When Henry called me, all I could think of was getting to you," Emma said. "I had to make sure you were safe." "I appreciate it," Regina said, putting a hand on Emma's. "And I'm sorry for how things ended that night." "I know," Emma said. "It's done, it's over with. We're good. But remind me to thank Katherine the next time I see her for her keeping an eye on you." "I'll pass along the message." Emma moved in for another kiss, which Regina accepted and returned. Regina unlocked the door to her home and was unsurprised when her mother was there immediately."Well?" Cora asked.Regina laughed, "I don't think you've asked me about a date since I was in school.""I'm not sure you've told me you were going on a date since you were in school," Cora countered. "So are you going to fill me in or not?""We had a good time.""Is that it?""That's all I feel like telling my mother," Regina said moving past her. "Good night."….Emma sat in her office reviewing some files unable to keep a smile off of her face. Last night's date with Regina had gone better than she could have dreamed of. Every time she thought about kissing Regina, she would smile. Her lips were so soft that Emma was almost afraid to kiss too hard. The last time they kissed Emma hadn't wanted to stop, but she understood that Regina wasn't ready for more than kissing.She had texted Regina earlier to just say good morning and had gotten the same in response almost immediately. It made her feel energized to get such a quick response.Regina had said she was spending the day with Henry and her mother, so Emma decided to spend her day doing some work on her own personal case. Neal was out there somewhere and she was sure that she was going to find him sooner rather than later. She was going to make him pay.She was expecting some information from a contact some time hopefully soon. Neal had a habit of swinging into Tallahassee every few years. He was always talking about taking her there, but of course they never made it. It took her awhile to even think about the connection to Tallahassee so she started taking trips there and cultivating resources in hopes of finding him.There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to Neal's trips back there so she hadn't found a way to track when he would be there. But this new source of hers was sure that Neal was visiting some of the same places each time he was there and that was what she was hoping for – a place to start looking for him.Telling Regina about it could have gone badly, very badly. When Regina's reaction was positive, Emma very nearly cried. Given Regina's background she could have easily have decided that an ex-con was not someone she wanted to associate with. It was why she decided to tell Regina sooner rather than later. She was afraid if she waited and got invested in a relationship with Regina only to tell her later that it would hurt worse if Regina rejected her for it.A relationship – she could actually picture it in her mind now, a relationship with Regina. Again the smile came to her lips. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- "As my dearest friend I must simply insist you share a little bit more than you have been," Katherine said. "You and Emma have been dating for three months and I have gotten only the barest of details. This is simply unacceptable."Regina and Katherine were sitting down for a lunch at one of their favorite places to escape to. Regina knew the owner and got along well with him as it was he who gave her the first head chef job she had ever gotten. When she was hired he had told her that she was going places and he wouldn't be surprised on the day that she opened her own restaurant. When she left to do so there were no hard feelings on his part and he had even attended the opening of her place.Regina liked coming back here because she was always curious about their menu changes and the current head chef was a friend of hers whom she had recommended to the owner."I don't really know what you want me to say. It's been going well.""Yes, so you have told me but that doesn't really tell me any anything. As your best friend I am supposed to get all the details. I mean I had to practically drag it out of you that you two has sex and I still have no idea if it was good sex or not."Regina looked around them hoping no one had heard that. Katherine didn't always know the meaning of the word discreet."I have no complaints in that department," Regina said as she silently wished that would be the last of that part of any discussion of her relationship with Emma."No complaints isn't exactly a rousing endorsement."Clearly Katherine wasn't going to let this go. Regina looked around her again to make sure there weren't any ears listening."The sex has been …," she paused trying to think of the best word to use. "Thrilling.""Ooh, thrilling," Katherine said smiling. "So Emma has some skills?""And she isn't afraid to use those skills," Regina said. She knew she shouldn't encourage Katherine in any way, but the truth was the sex with Emma had been nothing short of extremely satisfying. She had been nervous their first time but Emma seemed to sense that and she went slow and she was gentle. Since then – well Regina wasn't unskilled either and the two women seemed to know what the other one would like."It is really good to see you smiling again," Katherine said."It's good to feel happy again," Regina said."How has Henry been with you and Emma dating?"The day after her first date with Emma, Regina had sat Henry down and explained things to him the best she could. He was still a kid so she was sure he didn't actually understand everything she said, but he said he was ok with her seeing Emma in that way."Sometimes I wonder if she is dating me or being best friends with Henry. He adores her, and she, well, she treats him better than I could ever hope for.""Speaking of Henry," Katherine said, as she reached down and pulled out an envelope from her purse. She handed it over to Regina. This was the real reason why they were getting together today."He signed them?" Regina said."Yes.""And he didn't say anything?""Nothing. We sat down. I read the papers even as he had a copy in front of him. His attorney explained to him that all the legalese meant he was giving up all rights to Henry from that moment on and he picked up his pen, signed it, slid the papers over to his attorney and then got up and left."Regina sighed. Despite all that had happened she still had mixed feelings about taking this action. It was what Henry said he wanted and she could only hope that he one day didn't change his mind. For herself, she was resigned to the idea that the best thing for her was to have no contact with Stephen.She put away her copies of the paper in her purse."Thank you for handling that for me," Regina said."I'm sorry it came to that," Katherine said. "As much as I dislike Stephen I know this wasn't an easy choice for you to make but for what it is worth I think you made the right decision.""I guess time will tell.""On to better topics," Katherine said. "Have you talked to Emma about the trip to the Hamptons?""Yes, and she said it would probably depend on her work if she can make it or not.""Can't she just take time off?"Regina had thought the same thing, but she hadn't pressed Emma on it. In fact she felt that there was a bit of hesitation on Emma's part when she had invited her to come with her and Henry for a weekend in the Hamptons with Katherine and her husband. It was the first time since they began dating that she had sensed that Emma was being hesitant about anything.And Regina was at a loss as to why."I am sure if she can take the time off, she will," Regina said, even though she wasn't sure that was the truth.…Emma was bored.She was sitting on her couch with the TV on even though she wasn't actually watching it. She couldn't remember the last time she had a day where she literally had nothing to do. She didn't have any cases that were nearing completion or that she could actively work on. She was all caught up on any paper work she had to do. Normally she might spend a day like this with Regina but her girlfriend was in the Hamptons with friends. Regina had invited her to attend, even gave her a month's notice of the weekend trip but Emma had lied to her and told her she was too busy with work to go. She felt bad about the lie, but she figured it was better than having a conversation with Regina about why she didn't want to go.The idea of staying an entire weekend in the company of people who were rich enough to have homes in the Hamptons was terrifying for her because she figured it would be an entire weekend of her hanging out with Henry as he would be the only one who she could talk to. Not that she would have minded hanging out with Henry, but she didn't want Regina viewing her as someone who couldn't even carry on a conversation with people.The result had been Emma making up an urgent job so that she couldn't go with Regina. Now she was bored and kind of wishing she was with Regina right now. She was sure if she had went though that Regina would begin to see her shortcomings and now that they were officially dating, Emma didn't want Regina looking at her with regret.Turning off the TV she decided to go to the bar and see what Ruby was up to.…Regina tried not to look at her phone, but she couldn't help it. She had called Emma the night before and was a little concerned as she could tell Emma had been drinking. Emma had told her that she had gone down to the bar that Ruby owned and had a couple of beers. Regina wondered why she had done that when she had been too busy to come to the Hamptons with her and Henry. She hadn't questioned Emma about it, but when she called Emma that morning she hadn't gotten an answer and while she had left a message asking Emma to call her, she hadn't gotten a return call. She had gotten a text message saying that Emma was in the midst of a situation as someone had apparently jumped bail the night before. Knowing more about her job Regina knew that Emma needed to move quickly when things like this happened.Still Regina had some lingering doubts about all of this. When Emma told that she couldn't make the trip, Regina had been disappointed as she had been looking forward to getting out of town with Henry and spending time with Emma outside of the city. There were places in the Hamptons that she had wanted to show Emma.She had the feeling from the beginning that Emma wasn't keen on going and when she finally confirmed that she couldn't come Regina wasn't surprised by it. But she couldn't figure out why Emma was against going away and now Regina realized she was probably going to have ask Emma about it.Their relationship, once it got started, had been going smoothly up to this point. While both women were busy they found time to spend with each other, making it a priority to see each other.Regina hadn't been lying to Katherine – it felt good to be happy again. And that happiness had all to do with Emma.She didn't want it to slip away either.…Emma swore as she went running down the sidewalk after her prey. She hated it when they ran, which was funny since a majority of them would run. This guy was not someone she could let escape her. He was wanted on an attempted murder charge in addition to several felony drug charges. Everything on his rap sheet showed he was someone accustomed to violence. It had been a while since she had someone like this in her sights. It made her cautious in approaching him and that caution allowed him to get the head start on her.Her breath was heavy in her ears as she ran. She saw him take a sharp right in between two alleys and she slowed up to take a peek into the alley before following. As she did, he grabbed her – he had been waiting for her to do just that. He had a hold of her shirt and pulled her around, slamming her into the wall. The breath left her for a second, but she didn't lose focus breaking his hold on her and spinning out of the way to put a little room between them. One thing she learned early on, if you have to engage a perp who was obviously stronger than you – you kept your distance as much as you could."I don't suppose you would consider coming in quietly," she said smiling.He laughed at her and lunged at her. She expected the move and she sidestepped and let his momentum carry him by her. By the death look he gave her, she could tell he didn't appreciate it and he certainly wasn't looking to merely get away at this point. He was considered to be armed and dangerous but she didn't see where he had a gun, although he had a jacket on which could easily be concealing it.He came at her again and again she used his momentum against him, grabbing his arm and slamming him against the wall and keeping his arm in an outstretched locked position. This guy had strength though and was able to force the issue and Emma found she was now in a bad position as he used his body to drive her into the ground. Not only did the breath leave her, but her head slammed into the ground. She raised her head as he started to get off of her and punched her to keep her down. Again her head hit the ground, but she was able to remain conscious as she reached into her coat. He had gotten to his feet and was standing over her with a smile on his face. She watched as he reached inside his coat and pulled out a gun which he was now pointing at her."Stupid bitch," he spat down at her.She felt the metal device in her hand and quickly freed it, jamming it into his leg on full charge. The taser did its job as she kept it pressed against him. He dropped the gun and collapsed next to her, still conscious but reeling form the effects of it. She rolled over and by some miracle managed to get him turned over onto his belly and cuffed him. As soon as that was done she took a seat trying to get her own head to clear. Reaching for her phone she called the cops. Normally she would deliver her own perps to a station nearby but she knew she was in no shape right now to do it.Once she made the call, she got to her feet, having to use the wall to steady herself. She looked down at her phone. She had a missed call from Regina and a text message."Are you ok?" the text message said.Emma almost laughed.It took a while for the cops to get there and once they got there she released the suspect into their custody assured they had her info so she could complete the paperwork later on the apprehension. One of the cops made a comment about her eye which she had already felt swelling up and she could only imagine what she looked like.Her phone rang again and she looked down – it was Regina. She hit ignore and began making her way to her car.It was the message that Regina left her that made Emma call her when she got home even though by that time her eye was throbbing. Getting an ice pack out of her freezer, she put it on her eye as she dialed Regina."Emma, are you ok?" Regina asked. She had the same urgency in her voice that she had in her voicemail."I've had better days," Emma replied."What's wrong?"Emma told her the story which came out of her slowly. Her head was beginning to hurt and she was only part way through the story when Regina stopped her."Emma I think you need to go to the hospital," Regina said. "I don't know what happened, but your voice is slurring and you don't sound like yourself.""I'm ok," she said even though she didn't feel like it. "Where was I?""Emma listen to me, you are clearly not ok. I would feel better if you would go to the hospital. Just hang up and call for an ambulance.""I'm not going to the hospital," she said. "I'm fine. This is what I do. It's messy sometimes but this is my life. Sorry I don't have some white collar job that would fit in with you and your friends.""What are you talking about?" Regina said."I'm talking bout trips to the Hamptons and fancy dinners. That's not me," Emma said, her voice slurring to the point where even she heard it. "If you don't like it well I can't change who I am.""Emma …""I got to go."She hung up the phone and laid down on the couch.…The pounding was making her head hurt even more. She wished it would stop and then suddenly it did and she thought finally something is going right. Then she felt someone shaking her, which made her head hurt worse, and she realized someone was calling her name. She wondered if it was Regina.Opening the one eye that would open she saw a worried looking Ruby there."Oh thank God you aren't dead," Ruby said."Dead?""Yeah dead. Regina called the bar in a panic. I couldn't get her to calm down until I promised to rush over here and check on you. You look like shit.""Don't feel good," she said."I can see that. Can you get to your feet?"She sat up, immediately regretting it, but she gritted her teeth and stood."Good," Ruby said. "Now where are your car keys?""Where we going?""To the hospital." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Emma fought through the grogginess she was feeling to open her eyes – well, open the one eye. She groaned a little as she started to sit up and then thought better of it and let her head sink into the pillow once more.She was going to let her eye close so she could drift back to sleep when she registered that someone had touched her hand. Focusing her eye on who it was, she saw a very worried looking Regina sitting there at her bedside. She wanted to say something – do something to get Regina not to look at her with such concern, but she felt sleep pulling her under once again."I think I hit my head," Emma managed to say."Yes," Regina said. She gave Emma's hand a squeeze. "You have a rather severe concussion.""Oh," Emma said.She wanted to say something else, but she was having trouble keeping her eye open and she kept wondering why her mind was trying to tell her there was something wrong about Regina being there. She tried to keep a hold of that thought but couldn't get it to form quite right.Apparently seeing her struggle, Regina simply said, "sleep."When Emma woke next Regina was still there at her bedside, although looking much more tired."How are you feeling?"Emma yawned and reached for the controller to move the bed so she could be a little more upright. "Better.""Good."Emma got the sense that Regina wanted to say more than that, but she didn't. She was looking at Emma as if to reassure herself that Emma was indeed feeling better."How bad do I look?" Emma asked. She reached up and felt the bandage that was wrapped around her head. It was more padded in the back where her head had hit the concrete. Her eye was still swollen shut."You'll heal," Regina said. Again Emma got the feeling that there was something going unsaid in the way Regina was speaking to her. Regina's voice was even strange – more flat and unemotional than she was used to."Is something wrong?" Emma asked.There was a distinct pause before Regina spoke. "No," she said. "I'm just glad you are alright."Emma was going to say something in response since she was sure that something was wrong, when Regina stood up suddenly and announced she was going to get the nurse to check on her now that she was awake. There was definitely something wrong.Maybe she was hurt worse than a concussion, she thought and she did a quick visual on her body and made sure all her parts were moving.Emma quickly thought about what else may have happened for Regina to be acting this way. She remembered the confrontation in the alley way, vaguely recalled speaking to the police about it but after that things were hazy. She realized she didn't even know how she had gotten here.Or really why Regina was there. She was supposed to be in the Hamptons.Emma was beginning to understand that her hit on the head must have been more severe than she thought.Regina didn't return until the nurse did and then she stood back while the nurse examined her and asked her a round of questions. One of those questions dealt with whether she remembered what had happened to her and she told the nurse she did, but she couldn't recall much afterward. The nurse had her tell her what she did remember of what happened.She described the encounter and she noticed Regina's gaze had never averted from her and she seemed more worried now as Emma told of the assault.The nurse finally left, telling her the doctor would be in soon, and Regina retook the seat she had been sitting on."Ruby brought you to the hospital," Regina said. "She found you in your apartment on the couch and you weren't being very responsive so she brought you in here.""Probably a good thing she did," Emma said. "Did she call you? Did you leave the Hamptons just to come here? Where's Henry?""Henry is with Katherine. I came back here on my own," Regina said. There was another pause. "Ruby didn't call me. I called her and asked her to check on you after you and I were on the phone and I could tell something was wrong.""We spoke on the phone?" Emma said. "When?""Not long after it happened from what I could gather. You weren't speaking very clearly at the time and I got worried so I called Ruby. I was very grateful that she did as I asked."Emma recalled that Regina had called her before the encounter with the suspect – or so she thought – but she was having trouble remembering another phone call or speaking to her. Based on the way Regina was speaking to her she wondered what exactly was said when they talked."I hope I didn't say anything embarrassing," Emma said laughing a little. When she saw Regina avert her eyes, she knew something must have happened. "What? What did I say?""It's not important," Regina replied. "The important thing is that you are ok.""But I did say something, didn't I?""Like I said, it's not important.""Regina, just tell me what it was because I can tell it must be something."Regina bit her lip – a trait that Emma found endearing usually because it was cute, but now it made her more nervous."You could have told me why you didn't want to go to the Hamptons," Regina said. "We could have talked about it."Emma thought about protesting – telling her that obviously she was working as she said or she wouldn't have ended up there in the hospital. But not knowing what she had said to Regina she decided against it."It's not that I didn't want to go," Emma said. "You know how much I like spending time with you and Henry.""But that doesn't extend to people I know," Regina supplied to her.Emma shrugged. "The Hamptons. I mean that's where rich people go and talk about things like their stock options and yachts. What do I have to contribute to that world? To your world?"Regina was about to say something when there was a knock on the door and the doctor came in. He asked Emma some questions that were repeats to the ones the nurse asked. Regina stood back as the doctor spoke to Emma wondering what was going to happen next. Were she and Emma breaking up? When she had rushed back to see Emma in the hospital she hadn't really thought about what Emma had said on the phone to her. It was all about getting here to make sure Emma was ok.But the longer she had sat here thinking about it, the more it concerned her.Emma, despite the slurred speech, had almost sounded hostile toward her and the mere idea of the Hamptons. The matter of Regina's wealth and social standing had never been brought up by Emma before and Regina began to realize that maybe that was because Emma had been holding it in. When she had gotten the concussion, like being drunk, must have turned off any filter she had in withholding such thoughts or feelings.It wasn't as if Regina wasn't aware that she and Emma were not in the same circles financially or socially and it hadn't been an issue until now.She was lost in her thoughts when she heard the doctor say that Emma would be released but she shouldn't be alone. He asked her if she had someone to keep an eye on her for a few days."I have a friend, Ruby, the woman who brought me in, she can check in on me," Emma said."You can stay with me for a few days," Regina offered.The doctor looked at her and then at Emma."I don't want to impose," Emma said."You won't be."Emma nodded when the doctor asked her if that would be a good arrangement for her and then he left to get the paperwork processed for her release."Could you sit down?" Emma asked when Regina kept standing against the far wall. Regina reclaimed the seat but they didn't say anything for a while."Are you sure you don't mind me staying at your place?""I don't mind and I would feel better if you weren't at your place all alone."Silence again permeated the room."That isn't my world," Regina said finally. "The Hamptons I mean. It's a place to go visit. It's a place Henry enjoys and I enjoy because we can get out of the city and relax for a bit. I went there with my parents when I was kid and I've gotten to take Henry there. I have friends there and yes there is talk of stock options and yachts. But you know what else there is talk of? We talk about our children, about good schools, about what are good places to eat and a myriad of other things that people talk about regardless of their socioeconomic statuses.""I get that, but come on, what are people going to think if you introduce me to them and all I have to add to the conversation is growing up in foster homes, being in jail and getting my head bashed in by felons," Emma said. "What are they going to think of you?""Think of me?" Regina said confused. "You are worried about what they might think of me?""Of course. I don't want people thinking less of you because you are dating someone who had to get her GED in jail and never went to college."Regina took her hand in hers. "If you had come with me I wouldn't have expected you to be anyone other than who you are. I wouldn't have asked you to come with us if I didn't think you would tell people the truth of who you are if that is what you felt comfortable in doing. I don't care what people think of me because of who I am dating. I didn't care when I was married to Stephen and I am sure plenty of people there had their own thoughts about him. Emma, the things you have gone through, they make you who you are and who you are is someone I love."Emma beamed a smile at her. "Love? You haven't said that before.""Well, neither have you."Emma, the smile still etched on her face, "I love you," she said. "I would have said it sooner but I didn't know if you thought it was too soon or whatever. But I do love you.""Good," Regina said and she stood up and bent over to share a kiss with her. Emma put her hand on Regina's arm, keeping her from pulling back too quickly. When she finally let her go, Regina stood up, but she didn't sit back down immediately. She brushed her hand alongside Emma's face."I know we are from different backgrounds," Regina said. "And I know this probably isn't the last time something like this will come up. But when it does, I need you to talk to me. I need to know what you are thinking because I am not intuitive like you are. You read people so well. I'm not like that. I need things to be more direct; I guess would be the way to say it. So please just talk to me.""Ok," Emma said nodding. "Sorry. I guess it's just been a while since I've dated anyone where it was more than a casual kind of thing. And I don't want to muck this up because I do love you.""It's ok," Regina said. "Like I said, I just need you to talk to me."…Hours later, after Emma was discharged and they had stopped at her place to pick up some things before finally getting to Regina's place. Emma was tired so she laid down in the bed while Regina went about making some dinner for the two of them. Henry would be back the day after next so they would have more than 24 hours alone in the apartment. She had already called Henry to give him and update and to talk to Katherine.For dinner, she made chicken parmesan. When it was ready, she went into the bedroom to where Emma was still lying there asleep.She looks cute, Regina thought, even with the bandages.Of course she had heard what Emma had told the nurse and doctor about what had happened to her, but seeing those bruises and the bandages made it more real to her. Yes, she had met Emma under intense circumstances and it wasn't the first time she had visited her in hospital. But this was different – the last time she wasn't Emma's girlfriend.Now she was.She wasn't naïve. She knew that what Emma did for a living could be dangerous. Still, she couldn't help but feel more fear now – fear for Emma's life.While she had been cooking dinner she hadn't been able to get lost in creating a dish like she often could. There were times in her life when she had baked or cooked something just to take her mind off of things. She enjoyed getting lost in cooking.It didn't always work, and this was one of those times when it didn't work.Regina walked up to the bed and gently shook Emma awake."Huh?" Emma said, a slight look of confusion on her face until she realized where she was."Dinner is ready," Regina said. "Are you feeling up to it?""Your cooking, most definitely," Emma said. She rolled off the bed and stood quickly – too quickly and Regina had to give her a steadying hand. "I'm okay. I just won't do that ever again.""Please don't."They went out and sat down for dinner. Emma's trip to the hospital had done nothing to curb her appetite, which Regina was thankful for. She wasn't even part way through her plate when she began yawning."Have you had any sleep since you called Ruby?" Emma asked."Hospitals aren't exactly the best place for a nap.""You should have said something. Now I feel bad about hogging your bed and you cooking dinner for me.""Don't feel bad. Remember I enjoy cooking," she said. "Besides, if I had slept when we returned I would have had a hard time sleeping tonight and I don't feel like having my sleep schedule thrown off that much. I would hardly say you were hogging the bed either. You needed your rest far more than I did.""Still, I feel bad.""Well don't," Regina said simply. "Now if you hog the covers tonight then we might have a problem."Both women smiled at each other. While they had been intimate, their opportunities for such activities wasn't always there. With Henry living there Regina had insisted they be careful about affection when they were at her place. It was why they mostly waited until they were at Emma's.Neither woman expected they would be engaging in sex tonight either given that Emma just got out of the hospital, but the idea of sharing a bed for the night was just as appealing."I promise I won't hog the covers," Emma said. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Emma wanted to take her time in Regina's shower – it was certainly superior to hers, but Regina had been concerned about Emma being on her feet too long so she had promised to keep it short. When she had woken up that morning, she did so with Regina snuggled up against her. She took comfort in being close to her.She realized that things could have gone differently yesterday. Regina could have decided to end it with her entirely, and Emma was grateful her bit of concussion induced talking hadn't resulted in a break up. Most days Emma was still in some shock that she and Regina were actually dating. It didn't make sense as they couldn't be more opposite in terms of their lives. But now she knew how close she came to a major screw up.Her relationship history wasn't the best. It wasn't that she hadn't enjoyed some of her more serious relationships, but something always stopped her from getting too invested in it.She wasn't a fool, she knew why that was. After being burned by Neal she had sworn she would never again be put in such a position. It wasn't fair to those women to project her own insecurities into their relationships, but somehow it seemed to happen. She had been broken up with a couple of times with the women telling her that after a while of seeing her, they felt like a big part of her was still unapproachable.Maybe this was true; she hadn't really given it much thought.She didn't want it to be like that with Regina. That was part of why she had chosen to be upfront with her by telling her about her run in with the law. That and given Regina's social standing she knew it could have been a deal killer from the very start.Turning off the water, these deep thoughts had darkened her mood. Taking her time to dry off, she got dressed with the clothes she had brought in with her. She had kept it simple – a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. Regina had already made it clear that she wouldn't be going anywhere or doing anything beyond resting today.Leaving the bathroom, she took a seat on the edge of the bed.She didn't know how long she had been sitting like that until Regina came in."Hey, are you alright?" Regina said."Yeah," she said. "Come here."Regina came over and sat beside her and Emma took her hand and held it."I know we talked about this already, but I'm really sorry about not coming to the Hamptons with you and Henry," Emma said. "That was me and my own stuff. It had nothing to do with you or our relationship. I just need you to know that.""I do know that," Regina said."Good," Emma said. "Cause I really want this to work out between us.""I want the same."They kissed for a few moments before Regina put an end to it so they could have breakfast.The day went on – uneventful, but Emma kind of liked hanging out at Regina's all day with nothing to do but spend time with her. They talked a lot, Emma took a nap part way through the day and she spent time playing some of Henry's video games and then there was more talking before Regina let her help her cook dinner. Emma thought this was the best part of the day because she knew as a chef Regina probably didn't let a lot of people in her kitchen who weren't professionals.That night, she was feeling pretty good but still it took considerable amount of her charm to convince Regina she was ok enough for sex.In the morning, waking up to a naked Regina was enough to make her feel like this really was the one – the kind of relationship people dream about.….Emma walked out of the police station, another successful return of a criminal making her happy. Getting into her car she headed home. Despite the noises of the city inundating everything, she kept the car window down wanting to feel the slight breeze.Summer may be ending but today was one of those days where the weather couldn't be much more perfect. It had been a good summer for her – possibly even the best. She, Regina and Henry had just gotten back from a trip to the Hamptons the weekend before. It was their second trip this summer and this time Emma had felt more at ease with being there. Their first trip had only been a weekend trip and she had been a bundle of nerves for the first day but calmed down on the second.It really was beautiful out there, but Emma couldn't help but realize it really was another world. One was either rich or catering to the rich out there. It was unlike any thing she had really ever experienced. Seeing Regina there though, she could see how for her it was a natural as could be. It wasn't that Regina was different out there but Emma could see differences. They were small things though – like Regina being able to handle conversations of things that were well beyond Emma's experiences. But the grace that Regina always seemed to exude was there and Emma found she was smiling sometimes just watching her girlfriend.This last trip had been for the full week – a last hoorah as it were for Henry before he went back to school. Each day they did something with just the three of them, but at other times they were with groups of people like Katherine and her husband. Emma was introduced to a lot of people and there were only a few times where she felt like people were looking down on her. Those were mostly instances involving other women, which made Emma wonder if it was because of her or if these women had some interest in Regina. She kept a close eye out on anyone who was paying any special attention to her girlfriend.It wasn't as if she was worried about Regina's commitment – she wasn't – but she wasn't going to take any chances if one of these women did want to try anything.When she had mentioned it to Katherine, the other woman had laughed, telling Emma that it would hardly matter if anyone there did have an interest in Regina, as Regina would have none of it. Besides, for some of these people it was a realization for them that Regina was even bisexual.After spending the day with Regina and Henry, and most of their evenings in the company of others, Emma had most looked forward to returning to the house each night. There, after Henry went to sleep, it was just her and Regina and she took advantage of that time to make sure Regina knew how much she loved her. There wasn't a single part of Regina's body that Emma didn't enjoy touching, or in her more devious moments teasing until Regina was completely and utterly in her thrall.Yes Emma thought it had been a good summer.As the time had gone on Emma had considered more and more about having a future with Regina. They hadn't really talked about such things but they both loved each other so Emma knew at some point they would need to talk about when to take the next step in their relationship.Emma didn't really know what that next step should be or when they should take that next step. Usually by the time a next step had come up in one of her past relationships she or the other woman would have bolted.They did have one next step coming up this weekend – Regina's parents would be in town and they were going to have dinner with them. It would be the first time Emma would be with both of Regina's parents.She was a little nervous, but only because she wanted to make a good impression. While Emma was sure it wouldn't matter to Regina what her parents thought of her, it never hurt to have the parents on her side. She felt like Cora was already there – at least from their limited interaction, but she knew this time it would be Regina's father who would be making his determination.They had spoken a lot about their childhoods – Regina telling her stories of all the places she had been but also about the pressure she felt to always make a good impression. She never wanted anyone to think less of her father because of something she had done. It was part of the reason she hated the story of her throwing up in front of the queen because she knew it could easily have gone another way.For Emma's part, there wasn't a lot of talking about her past. There had been talks though – as they laid in bed together and Emma felt the most secure that she confessed things to Regina. She told her about some of the foster homes she had been in and why she ran away from the one where the father looked at her and his own daughter in ways that had made her ill. He had never touched her but Emma had been sure if she had stayed it would have only been a matter of time.She talked about how she used to dream of the day her parents would come and rescue her until she finally grew up and realized whoever they were they had no interest in the daughter they had given up.There were things she told Regina that she had never told anyone else before. But there was something about the other woman that made Emma feel safe.When she got home and up to her apartment, she was unlocking her door when her neighbor came out."Hey Emma," her neighbor Ron said. "Guy was here earlier looking for you.""Did he say who he was?" Emma asked. Given her work she didn't let a lot of people know where she lived. Yes there were ways to find out, but she didn't make it easy – keeping a P.O. box to her mail never came to her apartment."Said his name was Trevor," Ron said. "Big guy. Said you would know where to find him. He a friend?""Yeah, sort of," Emma said smiling. "Trevor is the one who I learned the tricks of trade from. Thanks for letting me know."She went into her apartment knowing she would be leaving again soon to go find Trevor at his favorite place to go in the city. He was a good guy, if not a little paranoid as he got older. For instance, he hated cell phones – believed the government was tracking people through them. He had a prepaid mobile he would use, but apparently calling her before stopping by wasn't on his agenda.While she worked exclusively in New York – Trevor traveled up and down the east coast. As a former Marine he tended to cut an intimidating figure to those he was after. In their line of work he had practically reached legend status.Calling a cab – because she knew meeting Trevor would involve more than a couple of beers – she quickly changed clothes so she could go meet him.…Walking into the bar, Emma immediately saw Trevor sitting in a booth, his back to the wall, and a platter of food in front of him."About time you get here," he said as she sat down."Good to see you too. Is this lunch, dinner or a bit of both?" she asked."Best damn reuben sandwich in the city," he said, taking a bite of the sandwich. This is how she knew where he would be. Trevor loved reubens. He tried them everywhere he went as if he was on some sort of mythical quest for the perfect one. While he wouldn't qualify this hole in the wall bar as having one of his top five reubens, in this city at least he felt it was a standout.The waitress came over and Emma ordered a beer and a cheeseburger.They exchanged some pleasantries and gossip about others in the business until her food arrived."What brings you up this way, a job?" she asked before taking a bite.He was working on his onion rings but he reached down to his seat and pulled up an envelope and slid it across the table to her. Wiping off her hands she picked it up and opened it, pulling out several photos."Where were these taken? And when?" she asked, flipping through them."That's your guy, right?""Yeah, it's him," she said as she got to the last picture of Neal. "Where and when?""Georgia, about a week ago.""And you are just now telling me. Jesus Trevor, you couldn't have picked up the god damn phone?""Easy on the blasphemy," he said. "Do you think I would be here simply enjoying a meal if I had more than some fucking pictures?""Sorry," she said, taking a drink of her beer. She suddenly didn't feel like eating. There he was after all this time, in black and white photos walking down a street as if he didn't have a care in the world."That's better," he said. "Now, he's been in Georgia, doing a job, I think. It was just dumb luck that I found him. I was taking down this kiddie pervert at this hotel and the guy kept screaming – God I hate whiny ass screamers – anyway, the door to the next room over opens and there is your guy looking like he wants to say something to me like to tell me to cut the noise down, but he takes one look at me handcuffing this other dude and he slinks back into his room. Now I didn't get a real good look at him at the time, but you know when someone does something like that – backs down without a word - it's suspicious as all get out. So I was working with a local, just some kid who does surveillance type shit and I set him up to watch this guy in the room, report back to me. He's the one who snapped the photos and also the one keeping an eye on him for you.""Then he's still down in Georgia?" Emma asked."For now, but he is moving on Florida this weekend. I figure that is your best bet to get him. You've been working that Tallahassee beat so you should be able to find him easy enough," Trevor said. "That's not really your problem with all of this.""What's the problem?""You don't have an active warrant to work off of," Trevor said. "I checked. Ain't no one looking for this guy but you.""What about that fraud case up in Michigan?""Dropped," Trevor said."And the theft charge in Tennessee?""Dropped.""California. He had that whole selling fake jewelry thing?""Not active.""North Carolina?""He apparently paid restitution and the widow he took advantage of had the charges dropped to avoid embarrassment," Trevor said. "How do you not know this?"Emma rubbed her forehead. She had been so busy with work and with Regina that she hadn't really checked in on Neal's status for a long time. She needed a warrant of some sort in order to go after him."Look, this guy is probably wanted, but you know how it is with these con men – they are either wanted under aliases that people have figured out yet or you have victims who aren't willing to come forward and admit they got duped," Trevor said. "Again, I ask, how do you not know this?""I …I got other things going on in my life right now," she replied."With what? You once told me that getting this guy was the single most important thing you will ever do in your life."Had she said that, she wondered, even though she knew it probably was true. Getting Neal had been the thing she swore she would do. Yet, she hadn't checked on his case statuses for months."What gives with you?" he asked.She shrugged, "I've been seeing someone."Trevor laughed, "Don't tell me some woman has finally made an honest woman out of you? I mean I don't see a ring and I sure as hell wasn't invited to the wedding.""It's not like that," she said."Good, because if you are going to get this guy your head needs to be in the game," he said. "Now, I've got us a flight on Friday down to Florida. We'll stakeout Tallahassee, keep an eye on your guy and figure out our next move. Maybe before then you can do some of your missed work and make sure no one is legitimately looking for this guy.""I can't go down there this weekend," she said."Why not?"She licked her lips, trying to decide whether to tell him she couldn't go because she was having dinner with her girlfriend's parents. Why did this have to happen now? She had waited years to be able to get this close to Neal and what if this was her best chance."You know, nevermind, I can go," she said. "I just need to rearrange a few things." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- Emma shifted on her feet as she waited for the door to open. Regina would know it was her there – even though she no longer had to wait at the front desk for Regina to give permission to come up she suspected Sidney had given orders to always call up and tell Regina if she was there. She had the distinct feeling that Sidney did not like her although she had no idea why.She was still moving on the balls of her feet when the door finally opened."Hey kid, where's your mom?" she asked when Henry opened the door. He stepped out of the way for her to enter."She's taking a shower. New server at the restaurant ran into her while carrying a full tray of food. She had spare clothes at work to change into but she said she felt like she had sauce in … well places I shouldn't know about," he said.Emma probably would have laughed if she didn't feel like she wanted to throw up. She was there to tell Regina in person that she wasn't going to be able to make it to dinner with her parents tomorrow night.She had spent all day yesterday and today trying to find information on a warrant to get Neal and strategizing with Trevor. In reality she had been putting off doing what she was doing now.She could only pray Regina wouldn't be too upset."Something wrong?" Henry asked."No," Emma said, rustling his hair. "Just wanna speak with your mom is all.""She just got in the shower before you came up so it might be a little while. You want to play a game while you wait.""Sure," she said, following him into the main room.Sitting on the couch with Henry, they played a couple matches of Wrestlemania – of which she lost both – when Regina came into the room, managing to get a couple of words out to Henry before she noticed Emma."Hi," Regina said with a little hesitation. There was a look of confusion on her face.Emma handed the controller to Henry and got up and approached her. "Sorry for just popping in like this.""Thank God," Regina breathed out. "For a moment there I thought that we had plans that I had forgotten about. It's been that kind of day.""I heard about you getting run into by the server.""That was the highlight," she said."What else happened?""We get our bread from a bakery – fresh deliveries – and they had a truck problem or something this morning so our first round of customers were not able to have bread with meals. Thankfully our lunch crowd is often people who believe bread will make them put on 10 pounds instantly so the impact was lessoned. Still it was an annoyance. It was just small things all day that seemed to add up. Seeing you though, that makes it all a bit better," she said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.Emma felt even worse now and considered backing out of this completely."Do you want something to drink?" Regina asked as she headed toward the kitchen and Emma followed."No thanks," Emma said.Opening the cupboard Regina pulled out a glass and then got some juice from the fridge. She took a drink before looking up at Emma, who had returned to shifting on her feet."What's wrong?" Regina asked, putting the glass down on the counter."Can we um maybe talk in your room, have some privacy?"Regina nodded yes, but Emma could see Regina was already getting concerned. They walked to her room and as soon as Regina closed the door silence descended upon them. Both had their nerves on display."It's Neal," Emma said finally. "I found him.""What? That's amazing. Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Regina said; her happiness in full force for a moment until she saw Emma's eyes go toward the floor. There was another silent pause. "Did something go wrong when you apprehended him?""I haven't caught him yet," Emma said. "That's why I'm here. A friend of mine, Trevor – I told you all about him. He's the one who taught me the job. Anyway he is really the one that found him and found out that Neal is going to be in Tallahassee this weekend."She let that linger between them. There was no reason to point out what this weekend was supposed to entail – they both knew."Then you have to go," Regina said."I don't want to miss dinner with your parents, but …""You have to go," Regina said walking up to her and taking her hands in hers. "This is your chance to bring him to justice. This is your chance to put this behind you once and for all. You have to go."Emma released her hands and came closer, hugging Regina. "Please don't hate me."Regina held her tighter. "I don't hate you," she said, softly. "What happened to you because of him, I understand why you have to do this, but I need you to be careful." She pulled away a little bit, just to be able to look her in the eyes. "I need you be careful because if something happens to you …""Nothing is going to happen to me. Neal is a con artist, a thief, he's not dangerous and even if he was, Trevor is going down with me so I won't be alone.""Well you tell Trevor that as long as he brings you back safely, I will work tirelessly to perfect a reuben for him."Emma beamed at her. She loved how Regina listened to her – even about silly things – and remembered these little details."I love you.""I love you too."They kissed but didn't take it any further. They ended up sitting on the bed and Regina asked her more about how Trevor found Neal and what the plan was. Emma told her all about it – confessing that she wasn't sure she could bring Neal into custody because she didn't have a warrant to go on. Regina asked her some logistical questions about how all of that worked. They were probably talking for nearly an hour before Emma said she needed to leave because she and Trevor needed to finalize a few things before flying out the next day."I'm sorry about this, even though you understand, I'm sorry," Emma said at the door. "Tell your parents I'm sorry.""I will," Regina said. "And I expect a call every day you are gone so I know you are ok.""I can do that," Emma said.They exchanged I love yous again and another kiss before Emma left. As she rode the elevator down, leaning against the back wall, she felt horrible about how understanding Regina was about all of this. She realized she may have felt better if Regina had been a little more upset. It would make her feel a little less like an asshole since she hadn't been entirely honest with Regina about the nature of her former relationship with Neal. They had only had sex a few times but Regina didn't know that Emma had had sex with any men.Looking back now Emma knew she had only had sex with Neal because of the situation she had been in back there. Neal was the only one in her life, the only person she had trusted at the time and despite being fairly sure she was a lesbian she hadn't seen the harm at the time of letting Neal use her like that. The truth was she had been afraid that Neal would kick her to the curb if they didn't change the nature of their relationship to include sex. Having sex with Neal had confirmed for her that she wasn't interested in men that way.She had been in a bad place back then – having run away from the foster care system, not having anyone in her life or really any practical knowledge of what it would take to survive in life. Meeting Neal, she had seen in him someone who lived on the fringe and was unapologetic about it and that is what she wanted – to not have to apologize for her life.Neal gave her that chance and then he took it away from her.….Regina was entirely not interested in the meal in front of her. Even without Emma there, she and Henry were having dinner with her parents. She had spoken to her mother on the phone before they arrived to let them know Emma would not be there – telling them only that work had taken Emma out of state and that she apologized for not being there. She hadn't gone into details despite her mother asking her questions – as usual – because she didn't feel like it was her story to tell.Yes, her parents knew things about Emma that she had told them. They knew what she did for a living. From that they could conclude that Emma was not in the same financial bracket as her, but they also knew that didn't matter to Regina. They knew she had been a foster child. But she couldn't tell them about Neal because she hadn't told them that Emma had a criminal record.It's not like her parents need to know every facet of Emma's life, but ever since Emma had told her this and other things Regina had begun to see how much it had shaped the person Emma was now. The strength she had seen in Emma from the moment she met her was ever present, but there was also this vulnerability in her.That combination of strength and vulnerability was one of the things that Regina found most endearing about her.It was like when Emma had told her about Neal being in Florida this weekend, that one sentence – 'Please don't hate me' had resonated with her.Emma had been afraid that Regina would indeed hate her because of this.While Regina wished that Emma was there with her right now she really did understand that this was something Emma had to do. If Emma didn't take care of this with Neal it would always be there on her mind."Regina?"She looked up at her father, realizing she had spaced out for a moment."Yes?""I said your mother and I are planning on extending our stay here through next weekend, do you think Emma will be able to join us later in the week?" he asked."I don't know. It's not like she has a set itinerary while she is out of town," Regina responded. "But when I speak to her later tonight I will see if she thinks it is a possibility. She really did feel bad about missing out on meeting you.""I was looking forward to it as well," her father said. "Which is why your mother and I are more than willing to stay in town a little longer. Plus I will take any excuse to spend time with my daughter and grandson."She smiled at him knowing it was true, and in her mind she hoped Emma would be back soon. Despite her saying Neal was not dangerous she didn't like the idea of Emma being so far away if something were to happen.After dinner they all went back to Regina's place and Henry was in his room, leaving the three adults to speak."Regina, are you sure things are going well with you and Emma?" Cora asked."Yes mother," Regina said. "Her being away has nothing to do with her and I. I told you it's her job. You know how busy I can be. But her life is no less busy than mine.""Your mother is just worried about you," Henry Sr., said."I know and I appreciate it," Regina said. "But things are going really well between Emma and me. I love her.""We know," Cora said, giving her a little hug. "Which is why we are looking forward to getting to know her better.""We sort of assume Emma will be sticking around for a while," Henry said."I hope so," Regina smiled. "She makes me happy in a way I haven't felt in a long time. Henry adores her and despite our differences she and I just fit if that makes any sense.""It does," Henry Sr., said. "I think anyone who finds the person they want to spend their life with feels that way."…Emma sat in the rental car with Trevor – working up the courage to go inside the bar where Neal had been sitting in for close to an hour. She and Trevor had gotten down there and found Neal quick enough but now came the hard part.She still didn't have a warrant.Somehow Neal had been able to pay restitution for his crimes or otherwise found ways to get the charges dropped. She knew first hand how charming he could be which is why she may have gotten more angry in the past 24 hours – angry that he appeared to be getting away with every thing he ever did to cross another person.She had done her time and the way she saw it, he deserved to do his time too."What's the play here?" Trevor asked. He had asked her the same question in different ways since they had been waiting there."I don't know," she said. "Hands are tied.""So what do you want to do? Want to give it up? Keep tabs on him a little better now that you know where he is at and hope he does something again? Go back home to your girl?"Regina. She had told him more about her and he had actually laughed at her – in a good way because he could tell how happy she was to have Regina in her life. Even as she sat there, she thought about how she was supposed to be at dinner at that very moment with Regina and her parents.Exhaling, she put her hand on the door. "I'm going in there. Going to play it by ear. You stay here.""You sure.""Got to do something."Exiting the vehicle she realized just how nervous she was about seeing Neal face to face once more. Walking in, she went straight to the bar, not even looking around for him. She ordered a beer and took a seat at one of the ends, her back to the door. As she took her first drink she let her eyes glide around the room. Neal was in the back; she had a clear view of him, and she recognized him immediately. He had a bit of gray in his hair near the temples but it was still the same Neal.He had already smiled once since she saw him there and it was the same smile she remembered. Back then there were a lot of smiles exchanged between them – each time they were successful in stealing something or at night when they would be sheltered down in a car or in a cheap motel. At the time Emma thought they were going to be together forever – not romantically, but as best friends.She had felt like she had gotten a bad run in life and so she used those feelings to justify what they were doing. The people they hustled, the stores they stole from, in her mind they were people or business owners who didn't have to deal with hardship like she had.Neal had become her beacon in that dark time and she would have followed him anywhere if he hadn't have turned around and hung her out to dry.There was another man at the table who was facing away from her and she had no idea who it was. From her past research and from her past with Neal she knew some of his associates – mostly people who helped Neal fence goods he had acquired.From Neal's expression and mannerisms, she gathered this was someone he knew well and someone who probably knew exactly who Neal was. Of course, she could be wrong. Neal had the ability to seem relaxed around anyone which was part of why people inherently trusted him because he never showed that he was worried about anything.What was she doing here, she asked herself for the hundredth time since she had left New York. Yes, she wanted Neal to pay for all he had done, especially to her. She wanted him to pay. It was what she wanted since the day the jail door closed for the first time in her cell.But now she wanted something else. She wanted to be home. She wanted to be with Regina and Henry.Here she was mired in the past when it was the future she should be thinking about.She got lost in her thoughts – engaging in an internal debate – when she finally came to the conclusion that she needed to go home. She finished off her beer and was standing up when she heard, "Emma?"Neal was there and suddenly he was smiling at her and hugging her."Neal," she said, when he released her.He looked at from bottom to top. "How are you?""Good," she said, trying to keep the range of emotions out of her voice. "I was actually just getting ready to leave. It was good to see you."She took half a step toward the door when he put her hand on her arm and she stopped. "Come on, sit, let's have a drink, catch up."Pausing, she thought about Regina once more, but all she could hear in her mind was the door to her cell closing."Yeah, sure," she said nodding. "I have time." ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- When her phone rang late that night Regina was quick to answer it."Emma?""Did I wake you?" Emma asked."No," Regina said. "I was awake. When you didn't call earlier I got worried.""Sorry," Emma said. "I was out later than I expected.""Did you get him?""No," Emma said. "But I did see him, spoke to him." There was a pause. "I was at this bar and he was talking to someone. I figured it had to do with whatever job he was either finishing up or getting ready to start." Another pause. "I should have just walked away. I thought about it. I was sitting there at the bar and I thought what am I doing here when I should be back there in New York with you and Henry. I was going to do it too. You have to believe me. I was going to walk away and then he, Neal, saw me and started to speak. God, I'm such an idiot. I've made so many mistakes and this one … I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.""Why are you apologizing?" Regina asked as she sat up in bed. While she hadn't been asleep she had been lying down and reading a book that she was barely paying attention to in order to pass the time.Several moments of silence passed this time and Regina finally said, "Emma?""We were just talking and I … fuck … he wants me to do a job with him.""Emma, please tell me you told him no."There was no answer."Emma.""I told him I would.""Emma!" Regina said."I know," Emma said quickly. "But he was sitting there talking about old times and all I could think of was how he hadn't paid for any of it. All the things he has done over the course of years and he never had to face the consequences. And he still isn't facing any consequences which is why I need to nail him now. I don't plan on going through with whatever he has planned but, if I can find out what it is then I can tip off the authorities and they can catch him in the act.""It's too risky," Regina said. "You can't trust him.""I know I can't, but don't you see this is the only way.""No, I don't see that. Emma you can't do this."There was more silence between them."I need to do this," Emma said. "You said you understood.""I do understand, but you can't do it like this. You are jeopardizing everything you have become since he put you in prison by dong this," Regina said. "Please Emma, just come home."More silence."I can't."This time it was Regina who went silent."I'm sorry," Emma said again."I'm sorry too," Regina said. "If you go down this path, I can't … just come home Emma.""I'll be ok," Emma reassured her.Regina again paused before speaking. Her heart was moving slow but powerfully in her chest. She loved Emma, but this was a step she wasn't sure she could take."What do you think he is going to ask you to do?" she asked."Not sure," Emma replied even as she felt a little relieved that Regina hadn't simply hung up on her or broken up on her. "What little he talked about I don't think he has actually started the job. He is all into the long con.""What does that mean, the long con?""A short con is like when you pretend to be injured or something like that in order to elicit sympathy to make money, or say you pretend to have a broken arm and struggle to put your groceries in the car and someone helps you. As they do you pickpocket them. It's a simple trick that you do quickly and not stick around. The long con is more complex. It can last days, weeks, months, hell even years. Its like a marriage con is a long con," she explained. "A guy pretends to be a socialite, gets a woman of high standing to fall in love, get as much money from her as you can and split. I don't know what kind of con he has in mind, but having a woman's assistance would make it easier he said."More silence from Regina."Are you still there?" Emma asked after the silence stretched on."I don't like this," she said. "What if you get caught up in all of this and he betrays you again and you end up getting arrested?""I'm not the same stupid kid I was back then. I'm not going to let him trick me like that again.""You aren't the same person as you were back then, but can't you see the person you are now, she's worth protecting," Regina said. "You are risking everything for revenge. It's not worth it.""Not worth it. I went to prison because of him," Emma said, getting a little angry. Regina was the one who had given leave to come down here in the first place saying she understood and now this. "What about the life he stole from me?""I'm not discounting what you went through. I'm just trying to get you to see that because of what happened to you and because you fought your way back from it that it's not worth risking him messing it up once more. Please Emma. Come home. My parents, they are going to stick around for a few days. You can get on a plane tomorrow and come back here and you and me and Henry, we can go out to dinner with my parents like we planned. We can …""So this is about your parents," Emma said interrupting her. "I miss dinner with your parents and what, they don't see me as being worthy of their little girl?""No that's not it at all," Regina said. "You didn't let me finish. I was going to say we can be a family. You, me, Henry. You don't need revenge. There are so many more important things in your life, like love. I love you Emma."This time Emma was the one not speaking."I love you too," she said. "But I have to do this.""No you don't. You are choosing to do this. And if that is your choice then I don't see where I fit into your life.""Well we've been down this road before," Emma said. "Maybe we should take it as a sign finally that we don't fit together."This time the silence was followed by Regina hanging up the phone.She sat there in bed staring at, willing it to ring, for Emma to call back and say she was sorry and that she would get back to New York on the first flight out she could manage. She almost dialed Emma back, to tell her that she was sorry, that she loved her and would stand by her even as she did this.But she didn't and the phone never rang that night.…."You're an idiot Swan," Trevor said the next morning when he dragged it out of her. They had been at breakfast and when Emma barely touched her food and kept looking at her phone Trevor started asking questions."I know," she replied."Then just call her.""I can't," Emma said."Why not?""Because when shit like this happens we women expect an immediate call back. I didn't call her back immediately so she spent all night probably thinking every horrible thing she could possibly think of me," Emma said."That is stupid.""Yeah well it's just what we women do.""Is that what you did all night – think of everything bad about her?""Not all night," Emma said."Well Regina is right, you shouldn't be messing around with Neal like this, just as I told you yesterday," Trevor said. "We catch criminals, we don't help them. You do this, I'm afraid I can't help either. Part of our success is our reputations and if I got caught up in something like this or if you get caught up in something like this well that might not be something our careers could come back from."Emma sat back in her seat, ignoring her food and Trevor while she thought. It suddenly felt like she was very alone in the world. What made it worse was that she knew it was her fault. She could have put an end to this already but she had chosen not to."I got to go," she said putting some money on the table. "I'm meeting Neal at 10."….Emma had to wait for Neal to show up – he was a good 20 minutes late when he showed up at the bar."Hey," Neal said sitting down with a big smile on his face. "Are you ready for a big game hunt?""No.""What?""I'm only here to say goodbye. I'm leaving. I'm going back home to New York, going back to my life," she said. "I have someone special waiting for me back there and I realized that I'm not going to risk what we have. Whatever you're doing here I don't want to know about it. Goodbye."She got up, not letting him say anything to her and left the bar as she needed to get to the airport and find out how soon she could get a flight home.…Regina had been putting on a fake smile all night as she played hostess to her parents, along with Katherine and her husband. Henry had recently gone to bed – not to sleep, she was sure, but hanging out with adults all night was enough for him to scoot toward his bedroom earlier than usual.Katherine had wanted to see her parents while they were in town and this was the only night that worked for her. She hadn't even gotten the chance to tell Katherine about Emma calling the night before. It was not a conversation she wanted to have in earshot of her parents.Her mother of course had commented first thing that day that Regina seemed tired. She was tired as she hadn't slept well after she had hung up the phone. All day long she kept glancing at her phone hoping to get a call or text from Emma. By the evening she knew that she wouldn't be hearing from her and she felt stupid for even thinking she would because they had broken up the night before – or so Regina assumed.Her father was regaling Katherine with a story when the doorbell rang. Regina excused herself as she got up to answer it, wondering who it could be. She looked through the peephole first and then opened the door quickly."Emma.""Hi," Emma said, and then she pulled a small bouquet of flowers out from behind her back and handed them to Regina. "Those are sorry I was an idiot flowers."Regina looked down at the colorful arrangement. "You were an idiot.""I know, but I came to my senses and got on the first flight I could to get back here," she said. "I had to get back here because you were right, I don't need revenge. I have everything I need with you and Henry."Before Regina could respond, Cora called out, "Who is it honey?""Oh God, I'm interrupting, aren't I? I should have called first," Emma said. "I'm sorry. I should go."Regina stopped her, taking her hand and pulling her inside. "It's Emma," Regina responded to her mother. "Look at the lovely flowers she brought me."Later on that evening Emma lay on her back on Regina's bed with the brunette cuddled up against her. She had apologized some more once Regina's guests had left and then explained how she had left Neal there in the bar."Are you ok?" Regina asked. "I know that had to be hard to leave like that without getting any closure from it.""I'm ok.""It's ok if you aren't."Emma didn't speak for a few moments. "It's frustrating because this felt like my one shot. Seeing him down there, it was like nothing had changed for him in all these years. He was still talking about the next job and how when he hit the big one he was going to retire forever because it would set him up for life. You know, he didn't even ask me what I've been doing. It was like he assumed I was still living a life of crime.""He really doesn't care about anyone but himself," Emma continued. "Despite all the built up anger I have over him, a part of me sort of hoped that maybe it had all been a mistake, that may he hadn't intentionally screwed me over.""You wanted to see the good in him. There is nothing wrong with that," Regina said. "It's actually quite an endearing trait.""Yeah?""Yes," Regina said shifting so she could kiss her. They continued to kiss until Emma stopped."There is something else I need to tell you, something I should have told you before," Emma said. "Neal, when he and I were together back then he and I, we slept together. He's the only guy I have ever been with and it was only a couple of times and frankly an experience I never ever want to repeat. You deserve to know though that it while it was just a friendship in my eyes, I did allow that line to be crossed.""Thank you for telling me.""That's all you have to say about it?" Emma asked after a moment or two of silence."What?" Regina said. "I'm not upset about it. You slept with a man, you didn't enjoy the experience. I'm not here to judge you. God knows I've slept with a couple of people I wish I hadn't. Our pasts have helped shape who we are, but they don't define us.""God, I love you," Emma said kissing her as she got on top of her. "How about I show you how much I missed you?""Please do."…..It was a couple of weeks later when Emma was headed to her office that she noticed a car parked across the street that she was sure she had seen yesterday near the coffee shop she liked to visit and near her apartment. It was a Chevy of some sort with tinted windows and a New Jersey license plate. This time she used her phone to take a picture of it.She was sending the picture to a friend of hers who may be able to determine who it belonged to when she heard someone clearing their throat. She had been walking up the stairs with her head down as she texted so when she looked up she was shocked to the point of stopping when she saw Neal."What are you doing here?" she asked, coming up the rest of the way to where he was standing."I was waiting for you to get here," he said. "You left in such a hurry that I was worried about you. I thought I would pop up here and see what was so important that you had to leave so abruptly. I thought, it must be something very important or else why would you pass up a chance at a big score. But before I came up I did a little research and found out about your current occupation. I must say, I was surprised. Here was Emma Swan gone straight. Say it ain't so.""I don't have explain myself to you.""Of course not, I would never presume such a thing. I only say it was surprising because you were always a natural. When we met, you picked up the tricks quicker than I ever did and you were good, damn good.""Yeah, well as you can see I don't do that anymore," Emma said. "You can see yourself out.""Oh no, we aren't done talking business yet," Neal said."You and I have no business together.""We could have, until you bailed on me. I wasn't lying when I said I could use a woman to pull it off. But now I'm afraid I'm going to have to look elsewhere," he said. "And lucky for me, you have already got it started.""What are you talking about?""I'm not some foolish mark," Neal said. "I know what you are up to.""Again I have no idea what the hell you are talking about.""Maybe I'm mistaken," he shrugged. "Maybe I don't know you very well at all. Or maybe you have found yourself the big one and don't want to share. You know with something this big you really need a partner, someone who can move the mark along and I'm here to offer my services.""You think I'm running a con," Emma said. "You think this office is a fake? Because I can show you it's not.""The job is legit, I know," he said. "I'm sure it affords you all kinds of opportunities. How else would you manage to get close to and meet one Regina Mills after all. You will have to tell me how you did it because I'm betting it was masterful.""Regina. Have you been following me? Is that your brown car out there?" she said grabbing a hold of him and pushing him against the wall."It's a loaner," he said. "And yes, I've been following you. I knew there was something up when you left suddenly. What, did Regina, need something from you and so you had to rush back here in order to not lose all your hard work? How much have you gotten from her so far?"Emma backed away from him, her voice gone as she realized that Neal thought that Regina was her mark. He thought she was conning Regina to get her money and he clearly wanted in.Then a thought entered her mind. What if she let him believe it? What if she pretended to bring him in on the con? What if this is how she could finally trap him? What kind of scam could she come up with in a short amount of time though?She looked at Neal, seeing that expression of expectation he would often get before a job. She shook her head."Leave Neal. And if I catch you following me again I will call the cops.""I'm not leaving, especially now that I know what are you up to."She laughed at him. "You know the only reason I was in Florida was in the hopes of seeing you. I wanted to see you and I wanted to bring up in to whatever state had the most charges on you. I wanted so badly to see you behind bars because that is where you left me. I went to prison because of you and it doesn't even mean anything to you. You have spent your going from place to place conning people out of whatever money you could get and what do you have to show for it. You are still the same guy looking for the big score. You are never going to change, I see that now. Go. Go find your next mark but make sure it's not in my city because sooner or later you will get caught and I will be more than happy to turn you over to the police."She walked away from him, getting her keys out to enter her office."People like you and I don't change," he said. "Maybe I should stop at Regina's restaurant and see about speaking to her about who she has let into her life."Emma rounded on him. "If you go anywhere near her and I don't care if you have a warrant out on you or not, I will end you.""Whoa, whoa, don't tell me you fell for your mark," he said putting his hands up in mock surrender. "What did I teach you about bringing emotions into the game?""You are unbelievable," she said. "This isn't a game. She's my girlfriend, not some mark. What I have with her is something you will never have with another human being – and that's true love. I love her. She is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with."She stopped once those words were out of her mouth as she came to the realization that they were true. She did want to spend the rest of her life with Regina. She wanted to be with her and help her raise Henry. For years she could have said the most important thing in her life was seeing Neal pay, but that was no longer the case. The hurt and anger she felt over what Neal did her was nothing compared to the love she felt with Regina."You've gone soft Swan," Neal said."Maybe I have," she shrugged. "But she's worth it."She walked away for good this time, unlocking her office and tossing the key on her desk as she took a seat.She had of course known she was in love with Regina. She knew she saw this relationship as being long term. But somehow she hadn't really considered what long term really meant.The idea of spending her life with Regina and Henry brought a smile to her face.A family. Growing up in the system that was all she ever wanted and she could see it now clearly. Her, Regina and Henry could be a family.Picking her keys back up she no longer felt like doing work – no suddenly there was only one place she wanted to be. ----- CHAPTER BREAK ----- When Emma left her office, she made a series of phone calls to set things up for an evening to be shared with Regina and Henry. The first one was to Katherine, as she needed her help with a few of the things on her hastily made list. Basically, she needed Katherine to kidnap Regina for a couple of hours so Emma had time to set things up.She texted Henry to let him know his mom would be late but that she would be over as soon as possible and would need his help.Her next stop was to a grocery store. She knew how to cook – nothing like Regina obviously, but she couldn't remember the last time she had cooked for another person. She knew that Regina wouldn't critique her cooking skills and she wanted to be able to say that at least once she cooked for the chef. This was the part where Henry came in as she told him her plan and that he could help prepare the meal with her. He, of course, was all excited about the prospect of helping.By the time she got over to Regina's and got all she had brought with her up to her place, she texted Katherine to tell her she might need a little more time than expected and to make sure if Regina was hungry she didn't eat anything other than a snack.It wasn't as if Regina and she had no contact, in fact she had gotten a text from her earlier to say that she was going out with Katherine after work for drinks because Katherine had something urgent to speak to her about and was being insistent that it must happen today. Emma chuckled a little over that. She told Katherine to come up with an excuse to keep Regina occupied and Emma did sort of wonder what she told Regina. When she had called Katherine to set this up, Katherine had simply said, "leave it to me."Emma let the babysitter (not that she would dare call her that in front of Henry) go the moment she got there, eliciting a promise from her (with the help of $20) that if Regina called or texted her to check in that she would pretend that she was still watching Henry and everything was fine."What are we making?" Henry asked as they took all the ingredients out."Spaghetti carbonara," Emma replied. "with a side of pan fried asparagus.""Is it hard?""Kid, if it was hard, do you think it would be something I could make?"He smiled at her in return and they started their work."I sure hope your mom won't be upset with me using her kitchen. She's told me how territorial chefs can be about their areas," she said."I don't think she will care as long as you clean up afterward."While they worked, Henry talked about how school was going and Emma asked questions about what he was learning class. When he mentioned a classmate named Violet, it opened him up to another round of questions he didn't seem as eager to answer."Hey, turn about it fair play kid," she said. "Remember our date? You asked me everything under the sun that night or so it seemed.""I thought you were interesting," he said. "That night when that guy had a knife to mom, you were like a superhero when you jumped over mom and went running after him.""You seem to be forgetting the part where I got stabbed.""But you were ok," Henry said. "I had never met anyone like you before and neither had mom. When she sat me down to tell me that you two were going to date, I didn't really know what to think because, well I didn't know my mom liked women like that. I didn't care and I don't really understand why she never said anything about it before, but she said it was complicated and I would understand better when I was older. Anyway, I was really happy she was dating you, because you make her happier than I think I have ever seen her."Emma couldn't keep the smile off of her face at hearing Henry say this."I love her," she said. "I've never felt like this before with anyone else I have been with. That's why I'm here right now. I want to do something special for your mom. I want her to know that what we have is something I'll cherish and protect forever.""Are you guys getting married?""What?" Emma said."I mean you love her and she loves you so are you getting married?""I think that's a conversation for your mom and me," Emma said. "Sometime down the road.""But you would like to marry her?""Don't you think she would be the one to know that first?" she said, rubbing the top of his head. "Now let's finish our cooking."…."Just one more drink," Katherine said as she motioned to the bartender to bring them another round.She figured one more drink would be enough time to let Emma do her thing. Plus if Regina was a little tipsy well Emma could thank her later."You said one drink," Regina said. "And you still haven't told me exactly why it was so important that you and I go have a drink after work. Is there something wrong? Because if you are trying delay telling me some bad news, I think it would be best if you just out and said it."The bartender put their drinks in front of her and Regina took another drink and then put her hand on Katherine's. "You aren't sick, are you?""No," Katherine said, pulling her hand away and taking a drink. "Really, that is what you jumped to?""Well, come on," Regina asked. "You call me up, insist I go out after work with you and so far you haven't said why we are here.""Maybe I want to spend time with my best friend."Regina gave her a curious look. "Do you feel like I'm spending too much time with Emma? Is this what this is about?"Katherine took another drink. "You are not spending too much time with Emma. This is … looks she is going to kill me for telling you this, but Emma asked me to take you out after work to give her a little time to work up a surprise for you, a surprise you have now ruined.""What kind of surprise?""I don't know," Katherine said. "I suppose that is a good thing or else I would have told you what she had planned."Regina smiled. "She's, she's amazing.""It is so good to see you so happy," Katherine said. "You know when Emma first came to pick you up that night, I knew she had a thing for you. The look on her face when she saw you come out – even if you saw it as a budding friendship – she, I think she was in love with you from the beginning.""We're so different," Regina said. "Yet, it feels so right. After Stephen, the way he neglected me, ran around with other women, I never thought I would meet someone like her. She's kind, attentive, caring …""And the sex is really good from what you have said.""Yes, there is that as well," Regina smiled. "All I'm saying is that it feels like a fairy tale."Katherine lifted her glass. "To getting your fairy tale."Regina clinked glasses with her. "Now how much longer do we have to wait here?"…Regina unlocked the door and entered, immediately seeing the low lights, candlelight glow and Emma."Hi beautiful," Emma said, holding out a flower to her."Hi," Regina smiled, accepting the flower – a lily. "Thank you, but what is all of this?""Dinner," Emma said. "A la Henry and Emma.""Really?""Yes. Come on, let's eat."Emma took her hand and led her over to the table where Henry was standing behind his chair waiting for the two ladies to join him."HI mom,"Regina moved over and gave him a quick hug and kiss on the top of his head. "Thank you for helping Emma with this.""It was fun," he said. "And we even cleaned up after ourselves.""I appreciate that. First rule of the kitchen …"Keep your station in order," Henry said at the same time as Regina."He used that same line on me earlier," Emma said.They all sat down and started to eat. Regina complimented both of them on the meal, and when Emma asked her tips for improving upon it, she said it was perfect in her mind. After the meal, Emma and Henry cleaned up while Regina went and changed clothes into something more relaxed and then they all sat down to watch a movie – Henry's choice which was Captain America Civil War. Emma already knew that Regina had watched all the movies based on comic book characters with Henry. Despite Regina saying that she only watched them for Henry's sake, Emma could tell she enjoyed them.Once the movie was over Henry went to bed and Emma and Regina continued to sit on the couch together and Emma told her about Neal accosting her."You don't think he will try anything do you?" Regina asked."I made my position pretty clear," Emma said. "And I mean it, if he comes near you I don't care if there is a warrant out for him or not."Regina gave her a kiss. "I love you, and if he does come near me, I will call the cops if he doesn't leave on his own. I don't want you involved with him anymore than you have had to.""I don't want to be anywhere near him," Emma said. "Like I said, I want to turn my back on that past forever. This is where I want to be, with you and Henry."They kissed some more until both decided to move it to the bedroom.….The two women laid wrapped up in each other, still naked after satisfying each other's needs."You will never guess what Henry asked me while we were preparing dinner," Emma said."You are right, I will probably not be able to guess it, so why don't you tell me.""He asked if we were going to get married.""What did you tell him?""I told him that was a conversation for you and I to have," Emma said. "And I'm not saying that this is the conversation right now, because if we were to, you know, well I would do it right. You know the ring and all of it.""And what makes you think you would be the one asking me?" Regina smiled."I was the one to ask you out first," Emma pointed out."True," Regina said. "It took you long enough for you to get around doing that; so, at this rate I would be waiting forever for a proposal.""Oh, no you didn't," Emma said, starting to tickle to Regina in punishment. They tussled around a bit until Emma ended up on top of Regina. They paused a moment, looking into each other's eyes, before Emma kissed her, deeply. After a few more kisses, Emma raised herself up again. "I love you Regina. More than I thought I could ever love someone. And when the time comes, I will get down on one knee, hold up a ring that will pale in comparison to you, and I will ask you to marry me. You, of course, will say yes and Henry can be my best man or maybe be the one to walk you down the aisle and give you away. Then we will have a lot of honeymoon sex."Regina laughed at this last part and pulled Emma down on her for more kisses. She got Emma to move on to her side."Now, one of these days," Regina said. "I'm going to surprise you with a ring. It won't pale in comparison to your beauty, it will complement it, because I will only get the most perfect one for you. Will I kneel before you to ask, I don't know, maybe. Maybe I will just wait until after some mind-blowing sex one night and then pull the ring out from under the pillow and not even say a word, just give you that look that tells you how much I want this, want you and I forever.""I don't know about you, but I think it's time for some mind-blowing sex," Emma said, kissing her once more.… Five years later "Come on little fella," Emma said, scooping up her son, David, who was despite being a toddler seemed to have mastered the art of running from bath time. He laughed as she picked him up and tickled him. "Regina, I got him."She walked him back to the bathroom where Regina was waiting to give David his bath. Emma settled the ornery child into the tub and then backed off toward the door where she stood watching her wife bathe their son. She glanced over at the top of the toilet where Regina's wedding ring sat. Regina always took it off when bathing David after it slipped it off of her hand once and she had a minor heart attack when she thought she had lost it forever down the drain. As it turned out, it has fallen into David's toy boat, but after that Regina refused to wear it at bath time."Hey, we going to finish this game or not?" Henry asked as he tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention."Yeah kid," Emma said, playfully pushing him. A couple of years ago, she would have put her arm around him, but he had gotten too tall for that. He was no longer that little kid she had gone on a "date" with.She gave one look at her wife and son and then followed her other son out to the main room to play some video games. She had never brought up the idea of adopting Henry, but when he asked her to do it, she couldn't say no. He wanted their family to be complete and even though she didn't think a piece of paper would change that, she gladly signed the papers.There were days where she still couldn't believe this was her life. She couldn't believe she was married to Regina. She couldn't believe David and Henry were her boys. The day she gave birth to David was one she would cherish for the rest of her life. They had considered adopting another child like Henry, but in the end they decided to use invitro fertilization so she could carry their child. She was worried at first about how Regina would feel about it since she was unable to carry the child herself, but Regina was nothing but supportive. Every step of the way Regina was there for her.After the bath, Regina and Emma traded spots and Emma tucked their son and read him a story as he drifted off to sleep holding his favorite stuffed dinosaur toy. Another half hour of game time with Henry and she gave up for the night, going off to bed where Regina was already at – sitting up and reading a book.Quickly changing clothes, she got into bed, grabbed the book from her wife's hands and tossed it on the floor."Hey.""Hey what," Emma said. "This is the first night that my wife has been home this week so forgive me if I don't want her spending the whole night reading when there are so many other ways to spend an evening.""Oh, is that so?" Regina replied. "And what did you have in mind?""Mind-blowing sex?""I could go for that, after all, it does work out for us," Regina said, looking down at the engagement ring she had placed on Emma's hand nearly four years ago."Yes, it does," Emma said. "But just remember, I asked you out first." The end
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{ "Archive Warning": "No Archive Warnings Apply", "Category": "F/M", "Characters": "Ladybug (Miraculous Ladybug), Chat Noir (Miraculous Ladybug), Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste, Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe", "Fandom": "Miraculous Ladybug", "Language": "English", "Rating": "Teen And Up Audiences", "author": "by a_miiraculer, clairelutra", "chapters": "1/1", "completed": "", "published": "2017-05-07T00:00:00", "words": "7,773", "Additional Tags": "Drabble Collection, like 30 drabbles ha, Fluff and Humor, with occasional feels and ust, the rarepairs are, DJWifi, adrialya, adrirose, adrialyanette, ninette, chlonath", "Relationship": null, "Character": null, "Relationships": "Chat Noir/Ladybug, Adrien Agreste/Ladybug, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a few assorted rarepairs i won't tag for the sake of not getting the shippers' hopes up", "Series": null, "Collections": null, "Fandoms": null, "Archive Warnings": null, "Categories": null, "Bookmarks": null, "Chapters": null, "Comments": null, "Completed": null, "Hits": null, "Kudos": null, "Published": null, "Words": null, "Updated": null }
Ladynoir “Then… just once,” Ladybug agreed in a whisper, and then she kissed him.Somehow, it didn’t occur to Chat that this might be a mistake until her fingers were carding through his hair and her breath was puffing hot against his cheek, sparking an electric, insatiable craving for more in his blood.She hummed low in her throat, tilting her head, arching, pressing into him, and he found himself scrambling to meet her halfway, trembling from the inside out.Ladybug had always been more than he could handle.Five long seconds of nothing but the stroke of her soft lips, the delicate flutter of her eyelashes, the roaring of his pulse in his ears, and Chat was goner.(He’d been a goner before, but now he knew what this was like — now he knew that her kiss was a drug and now he knew that he’d never stop dreaming of another hit.)“There,” she whispered as she drew back. She flashed him a wobbly, dreamy little smile with reddened lips and said, in a voice just wrecked enough to almost send him to his knees, “N-now will you stop bugging me, kitty?”There was a long moment of silence as Chat did battle with the overwhelming tumult of emotion in his chest, and then he let out a long, shaky sigh.“If… if that’s what you want.”Ladybug blinked, long and slow, then opened her mouth and closed it again.“…Yeah,” she said finally, “I… do.”“…Okay,” Chat said, and firmly told his clamoring heart that it wasn’t uncertainty that he’d heard in her voice. Adrinette “Tell me a secret.” Marinette stared at her hands, holding them up against the clear, starry sky, and considered.She could tell Adrien she was Ladybug… and then she’d reap the consequences on all sides.She could tell Adrien she was in love with him… and then he’d never look at her the same way again.She could tell Adrien how much she’d dreamed of a moment just like this… She dropped her hands back to her stomach. “Once I got someone akumatized by I accidentally stealing their phone.”…That was too heavy for the moment, probably.Laying beside her on the cool, damp grass, Adrien let out a long, loud snort. “Oh my god.”Marinette covered her too-warm face and mumbled, “I didn’t mean to, but…”Adrien had tumbled into full-on laughter by then, bright and scandalized and delighted, and Marinette relaxed into her choice, no matter how embarrassing it was.Worth it, she thought as Adrien’s warmth settled something deep inside her. So totally worth it.  Marichat “You fainted… straight into my arms,” Chat heard as the world slowly swirled back into focus. “You know, if you wanted my attention, you didn’t have to go that far.” The funniest thing about this, he thought, blinking awake to his pretty classmate’s rakish grin, was that that exact line could have — should have — come out of his own mouth.Instead, here he was, the fainting maiden in his shining knight’s arms, being… flirted with? By one of the most talented, hilarious, awkward people he knew.He should probably be flattered, but he was too busy trying not to laugh.“Sorry, I thought flowers were overdone.”Her bark of amusement was loud enough to be painful, but so charming he couldn’t find it in himself to mind. She set him back on his feet, swallowing down the tail end of her sniggers.“For future reference,” she said, smiling wide, “I like daisies.”“I’ll remember that,” Chat promised, dropping into an elaborate bow as soon as he was sure of his balance. “Thanks for the assist, princess.”“Anytime.” Ladrien “I… I think I’m in love with you, and I’m terrified.” …Of all the things Adrien had expected when he’d asked his partner what was wrong, that hadn’t made it into the top fifty. It hadn’t even made it into the top hundred. Or the—He swallowed. “W-what?”Ladybug had her hands over her face, sprawled out on his bed where he’d put her in his attempts to play therapist for his stressed out friend. “I’m… I don’t… I love you.”The leap Adrien’s heart gave rattled his teeth with the force of it.“…Oh.”She curled up on her side to face him, looking tiny and fragile and half-broken already, and said, in a funny, almost defeated tone, “I’m in love with you.”Adrien didn’t realize he was reaching for her until her fist was fitting into the palm of his hand. One breath to steel himself, and…“If… if it makes you feel any better, I’ve been in love with you… almost since I met you.”She hiccuped a laugh and curled closer, opening her fist so she could twine her fingers with his.There was a pause, and then: “What… what do I do with this?”“With me or with you?” “With me,” she whispered half to him and half to the night. “It’s… it’s so much. What do I do with all of this?”“Well,” said Adrien, because his heart was in his mouth and he couldn’t feel his legs, but he still knew what it was like to be there, and knew how much he would have given for a confidant at the beginning of it all, “I mean, usually people do stuff like… date, or something. K-kiss and… spend time together.”It took seven (loud, erratic) thumps of his heart for her to respond.“That’s… simple.”The dubiousness in her voice startled a laugh out of him, through the too-tight knot of emotion in his throat. “Not like I’d know or anything.”“Hm,” said Ladybug, at a timbre that told him that if he could see her, she’d be bright red by now.“Say, Ladybug…”“Yeah?”He grinned down at her through the dark and squeezed her fingers. “Wanna go on a date?”He only counted six heartbeats this time, and then she shifted and there was something warm and damp pressing to his knuckles and— had she just kissed his hand?!“Sounds like a plan, mon minou,” she murmured, low and sultry and rolling and mind-blowing and—“Great,” said Adrien, very, very faintly, and sagged against his headboard, feeling smoke pour out of his ears.…It was maybe occurring to him that, for all that he’d hoped and wished and prayed that Ladybug would one day return his feelings, he might not actually survive the reality of it. Marichat “Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?” “Oh shut up,” Marinette grumbled, but didn’t quite stop smiling. “I mean, you can’t be a drag all the time, can you?”—shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit—He was going to figure her out at this rate.He was going to figure out her identity and then Tikki was going to kill her — either that, or he was going to figure out that she wasn’t half as tough as she pretended to be, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself anymore.“Hmmmm…” Shit. “Didn’t you have an akuma or something to take care of?” she asked, maybe feeling a little bit desperate. If he figured either of those things out…He smiled at her, just a shade too knowing for comfort. “So I do. Sorry for disturbing you, little lady.” Ugh. Ladynoir “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you wanna stop and feel the rain?” Ladybug found herself laughing at the sheer incredulity in her partner’s voice as she danced backwards into the downpour. “C’mon Chat, live a little!”When she looked back, Chat was still standing under the overhang she’d left him in, wearing an expression that quite clearly said, but rain.Cats would be as cats would be, she supposed, and closed her eyes as she tilted her head back, welcoming the fresh spring shower on her face.There was something very settling about thunderstorms.She stumbled back to where Chat was waiting when she’d finally had her fill, shaking out her hair and shivering pleasantly. “Ready to g—” she started, and then looked up and found her breath stuttering to a halt in her chest.He was just… looking at her, an awed little smile hovering over his lips. For one long breathless moment, she was absolutely certain he was about to kiss her.And then he coughed and glanced away, face falling into something a little more normal. “Back to patrol?”Ladybug took a moment to breathe away the disappointed ache in her chest.“…Back to patrol,” she agreed, mouth tingling with loss of contact it had never had. Adrinette “Have you lost your damn mind!?”“Look,” said Marinette, flustering at Alya’s outburst, “it’s not actually that much! Just one little lineup and I might be chosen to have my designs modeled by Adrien.”“Girl,” said Alya, rubbing her temples as she looked at the requirements of the contest. And, okay, maybe it was a little much, but… if she could just win…Adrien, aiming bedroom eyes at the camera as he lounged in a leather jacket she’d designed.Adrien, smiling softly as he wrapped a sweater of her make tighter around himself.Adrien, posing in flawlessly tailored skinny jeans and holding a puppy against an open-cut shirt that she’s had in her mind for ages…Marinette sighed, caught halfway between wistfulness and drooling.“You’re gonna regret this,” Alya warned.Marinette begged to differ. Adrialya “Is… there a reason you’re naked in my bed?” “I thought I’d try seducing you,” Alya admitted easily. The beached-red ends of her hair tumbled over broad, smooth, bronzed planes of her shoulders as she turned to grin at him. “Is it working?”“Um,” croaked Adrien through a very dry mouth.She kicked her heels, pointing her toes in a girlish pose and letting him hear the rasp of bare skin against bare skin, and, to her credit, there was suddenly a lot more blood below Adrien’s belt than above it.Shock still had him throwing his arms up over his eyes when she rolled onto her back, though. His partner-in-ladyblogging was really incredibly attractive, but this was really incredibly sudden.“Adrien.”He lowered his arms a spare few centimeters, just enough to let him see her face, but not quite her… assets.She looked exasperated and almost on the verge of laughing, completely unself-concious despite her state of dress (or lack thereof). “Don’t tell me I practiced all these pinup poses for nothing.”Alya. Naked. In pinup poses.Adrien had to swallow a few times before he could manage words. Was it possible to spontaneously burst into flames?“I— no? Yes? M-maybe? —Oh god.”She rolled forward, stalking to the edge of his bed like a lioness with a smile to match. “Did I break you?”The urge to drop his arms entirely was insane.“…M—… maybe?”He couldn’t quite see her rake her eyes all over him, but he felt it all the same.“Come over here and I’ll fix you up,” she offered shamelessly, and, well…It wasn’t like he’d never thought about it before — quite the opposite. He just hadn’t thought he was on her radar. At all.“One question,” he managed to say without sounding too strangled, “what’s your angle?”She blinked.“Well, I mean, I was hoping you’d fuck me and then we could go out to dinner or something?“ Ironically, it was only the last but that got her to blush, rosy-warm under her tan. “Or just watch Batman for the twentieth time, I dunno.”Cautiously, Adrien lowered his arms, finding Alya with a hopeful look and still not a stitch of clothing on her behind them, and nearly choked on his tongue again.“S-sounds good to me?” came out a lot weaker than he wanted it to, but she lit up all the same, and maybe it didn’t matter that much after all. DJWiFi “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had,” Nino had said. “Of course I’m in.” Which was easy enough to say when his girlfriend was outlining her 17-step plan for world domination getting their oblivious friends together, but rather more difficult to follow through with when he was standing in line to buy condoms and trying to keep a straight face.“You owe me so much,” he couldn’t help but grumble as he tossed the box into her lap. Trying to estimate what size condom his best bro needed, while not entirely unpleasant, was a kind of hell all its own.“Oh man, do I,” Alya purred delightedly, ripping into the box with something not unlike glee. “Thanks, Nino. You’re the man.”“I try,” said Nino, trying not to think too much about his girlfriend and condoms and failing, but so was life, he guessed.“Now,” she announced once she was done checking out the goods, and held up one foil-wrapped packet with a gleam in her eye, “for quality control.”Nino choked.(Which was the story of how they spent the rest of the night laughing themselves sick over a large collection of condom balloons.So was life, and Nino wouldn’t have it any other way.) DJWiFi, fox!Alya “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice.” Roux stiffened guiltily.Nino, kind, patient, wonderful Nino, just smiled wryly. “You do know I already have a girlfriend, right?”Roux relaxed, her toes curling in her boots and her belly warming in pleasure. She flashed her boyfriend a flirty grin. “‘Course I do, but I’ve got eyes, you know.”That got him to falter, cheeks darkening and his smile turning bashful, and it was official — Roux loved being a secret superhero. Then he turned that smile on her, and she was a goner. “…Can I use my pretty face to get a picture with you, Renard Roux?”“Who said anything about your face?” she teased as she walked over into selfie range, maybe putting a little extra swing in her hips as she did so. The look that crossed Nino’s face was something she was going to treasure for a long time. Marichat “I can’t believe you talked me into this.” Chat crouched a little further behind her with a look oddly reminiscent of fear. “I need a fangirl buffer.”“A buffer?” Marinette echoed, looking around and trying to take in the fancy event. “I thought you loved fangirls.”He certainly had no issues pandering to them when she was around—“Only when Ladybug’s around to keep them from getting too crazy,” he argued, voicing her thoughts almost exactly. “Without her…” He shuddered. “Fangirls are scary.”…Well.Being something of a fangirl herself, she couldn’t exactly argue that.“Okay, okay,” she sighed. “I’ll stick around and keep the lawsuit-worthy things to a minimum, and in return…”She trailed off pointedly.“A VIP pass to Gabriel’s advanced showing, I know,” he grumbled, putting her between him and a passing socialite. “Just… please.”Marinette sighed again and prepared herself to face a small horde of jealous females.Chat had better get her that damn VIP pass. Ladynoir “Marry me?”  Crash! “Is now really the time?!” Tinkclinkclink— “What other time is there?” Crash. “Not! In the middle! Of! A! Battle!”This was worse than the puns by far. Why oh why had she started dating this doofus, again?A strong, black-gloved hand wrapped tight around her wrist, yanking her out of the way of a stray lightning bolt a putting her between Chat and a wall.Between a rock and a hard place, if you will.He was panting heavily, hot breath washing over her ear and down her neck, the tension leaking out of his frame as it started to look like the akuma had missed them and was now starting to wander off.“There,” he sighed as the akuma disappeared over the line of buildings across the street from their nook. “That was close.”“Mhmm,” Ladybug agreed, feeling the tension leave her own frame a little more with every breath Chat took, every second of his warm weight pressed reassuringly solid and close against her, and well…Maybe that was why.“…So,” said Chat, turning to look at her with a kind of anxious hope in his eyes that tied her insides in knots. “What do you say? Will you marry me?”Like she’d say no.She went up on her tiptoes to kiss him, adoration bubbling up and over in her chest. “’Course I’ll marry you,” she sighed against his warm mouth, wrapping herself up in the feeling, and then drew back so she could look him in the eye.“But god, Chat,” she huffed to his dumb, overjoyed grin. “I am never letting you forget this.”Somehow, he only looked happier.  Alyanette “If you die, I’m gonna kill you.” Alya glanced nervously at her friend. “You… do know I’ve never played this game before, right?”Marinette blinked bloodshot eyes, the shadows beneath them gaining prominence as she slowly turned to her inept gaming partner.Alya stared her down for one, two. three seconds, and then Marinette held out her hand for the second controller, and Alya surrendered it without a fight.“Is that gonna…” ‘Work’ died on Alya’s lips as Marinette settled one controller on each knee and glowered at her computer screen for a few seconds before hitting the start button.What followed was one of the most spectacular showings of pure badass Alya had ever seen.It took approximately ten seconds for her jaw to hit the floor, and there it stayed for the whole two minutes and thirty-seven seconds it took Marinette to beat one of the most notoriously difficult stages in the game in multiplayer wile playing both parts nigh flawlessly.Mission accomplished! stamped across the screen in boldface font, and Alya could only applaud. Ladrien “I thought you were dead.” Ladybug blinked, face half smooshed into Adrien’s trembling shoulder, his cologne in her nose and his shaking breath on her ear. “…Adrien?”“Don’t do that,” her crush begged, halfway to broken, and Ladybug blinked harder.“O-okay?” she whispered uncertainly, hands coming up to cup his shoulders.One long, shuddering inhale and he drew back, looking raw and open and a little bit wrecked, and then he actually looked at her, and he froze.“Uh,” he said, cheeks pinkening rapidly. He removed his hands from her shoulders like she’d burned him. “Y-you know, because Chat would be pretty heartbroken, ahahaha…” He cleared his throat and looked away, ears red.Ladybug glanced at his hands. eye caught by the thick silver band he wore on the same finger as Chat wore his Miraculous, and, almost against her will, remembered that Chat had used Cataclysm early on in this battle.But no.It couldn’t be… right?She shook off the faint tremors of intuition and smiled at the boy in front of her, almost wanting to swoon as soon as she got a good look at him in return.Adrien blushing? Her heart may never recover.“I’ll be careful,” she promised. Then, unable to help herself, she winked. “For Chat, of course.”Adrien blushed darker, his bashful little smile tripping up her heart, and Ladybug swore then and there to try to earn that smile as often as humanely possible. Ladynoir Okay so maybe, maybe flirting with the cute station attendant on the job hadn’t been the best idea, he could admit that — and getting kissed by a stranger wasn’t precisely his idea of a good time, but, you know, whatever.Where the hell did Ladybug get off with getting that pissed off about it? “What’s your problem, anyway?” he tried not to demand as they looked through the room the station attendant had left them in, frustrated and tired and knowing full well that it wasn’t jealousy making her act like this and wishing desperately that it was anyway.Ladybug turned her nose up, shoulders tight as she dug into the shelves by the window. “Bet I could do it better.”“Then put your money where your mouth is, miss goody two-shoes,” Chat snapped across the room, wired and a little bit too far past being able to handle… whatever this was. There was a beat — three heartbeats where he wondered if he should take it back and apologize for his tone.And then her scarlet lips twisted into a grin. “Come over here and make me.” Chat didn’t realize he was moving until his shoulder hit the shelving next to her chosen workspace, the dulled impact ringing in his ears and his heart in his mouth. “Depends on what you’re so sure you could do ‘better,’ Bugaboo.”She blinked at him, languid and slow, and then dropped her burning, burning eyes to his mouth as she straightened. “I can think of a few things.”…Gnffhk.He leaned in, his entire body tingling in pure craving, and said, in a voice that just about growled without any input from him, “Gonna have to be a little more specific than that.”A flash of white teeth bared in a smirk, and she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and kissed him like possession.Oh.So it was jealousy.He was trying not to think fuck yes as Ladybug shoved him back against a pile of boxes and crawled into his lap, antsy and needy and hotter than hell, but, well…She growled herself as she pulled away, blinking blown pupils down at him like she was checking her handiwork, then licked her lips and purred, “That, for starters.”Fuck yes. Ladynoir “If you keep looking at me like that, we won’t make it to a bed,” said Chat, starting to sound desperate and a little strangled after the third time he caught Ladybug trying to undress him with her eyes.Busted.“But I’m just looking at you,” Ladybug protested innocently, heat flaring in her gut at the way he sounded and the words themselves alike. Chat just gave her a ragged little laugh, one that said, that’s so ridiculous I don’t even know where to start, and leveled his staff at the street in front of them, despite the fact that the akuma was long-gone.What a dork.“There’s a—…” he started, and then glanced at her adoring smile and choked. “I-I mean, we, um. R-resprin— Responsility—… Super. Villain. There is.”Which was very true, but.“I mean,” said Ladybug, and jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “There’s also an alley. Right there.”And, sure, she wasn’t exactly a fan of alley sex, but hey.Chat looked at the alley. Then he looked at her. He swallowed and collapsed his staff with a shaking hand.Ladybug beamed. DJWiFi “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you wanna stop and feel the rain?” Alya demanded, baffled as she held the gadgetry her friend had dumped in her hands.“It’s like stopping to smell the flowers, but better.” She wrinkled her nose at him, dubious, but he just patted her shoulder and shucked his shoes before wandering out into the downpour.A damp, chill breeze nipped through the doorway as she stood in the relative safety of their nearly-empty classroom, and she scrubbed her arms, feeling his touch still burning through her flannel. Well…She might think it was a waste of time, but…She looked at the joyous smile on his face, at the lean lines of his body — relaxed now that he was out in the tempest — and breathed a tiny, smiling sigh, heart tight.Maybe there was something to be said for the merits of wasting time. Ladynoir “Kiss me.” “…Um. What.”Ladybug threw back her head and laughed.“That’s my price,” she said, ducking down with her hands behind her back, and it had the (probably intended) effect of doubling Chat’s blood pressure. “For one kiss, I’ll tell you one thing. Sound good?”…Had he stepped into an alternate reality? Some other world where first patrols ended with beautiful partners asking him for a kiss?“I. Y-yeah,” he managed, voice cracking tellingly. He cleared his throat. “‘Course, my lady.”A glowing, beatific smile. “Then fire away, kitty.”He swallowed around his heatbeat and tried to remember what he’d even wanted to ask her in the first place. “A-about next patrol…”Her eyes dropped to his mouth, and suddenly that mouth was very, very dry.“Uh…” he said, breathless. “D-do you… Did you want to…” He licked his lips, and then took another unsteady breath when she tracked the motion. “Where did you w-want to meet?”Which wasn’t what he’d been wanting to ask, but anything more than a simple sentence was beyond him right now.She hummed absently, the noise rattling behind Chat’s teeth, and leaned in. “Does the Eiffel Tower work for you?”The gaze on his mouth was so intense he didn’t rightly know what the Eiffel Tower was, but he nodded anyway, and was immediately rewarded with a kiss.The contact was sweet, short — barely three seconds of very, very soft lips pressing gently to his own — but it still left his entire body feeling like he’d touched a livewire instead.Ladybug skittered back with a girlish giggle and shouted, “Thanks, Chat!” as she left.Chat placed a shaking hand over his burning mouth and tried to remember where she’d said to meet next time. Marichat “So, are you in?”“This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.” A funny combination of emotions crossed Chat’s face. “What?” Marinette asked. Had she said something odd?“…No,” said Chat, shaking it off. “Just… how did you know my plans are always dumb?”“They are not!” said Marinette hotly, hearing ‘my plans are always dumb’ and not much else. “Just, you know, some of them… oh.”Chat raised his eyebrows at her, amused now.“Iiiiiiii… uh.” Marinette coughed, and then tried to illustrate her point in broad gestures and probably just ended up flailing instead. “You-you know… Ladybug talks about you a lot!! Aheheheheh… urk.”“Is… that a good thing or a bad thing?” he asked, worry mixing in with the amusement. Urk. Marinette resisted the urge to stomp her foot in flustered frustration. “Of course it’s a good thing.” Dumb cat. Did he really think she’d insult him behind his back? “Oh,” said Chat, and looked away, ears pink. “That’s… good.”That shyly pleased look of his was entirely too cute for his own good. Or Marinette’s.“Did you want to do this or not?” she pushed on, tapping her foot and shaking off the near miss with her secret identity. The bashfulness faded, and Chat beamed at her like the dork he was. “I knew I could count on you, princess.”“Yeah, yeah,” Marinette sighed, and wondered how she’d become her partner’s partner in crime twice over. At least it was always a hell of a lot of fun. Ladrien “Mmmrghfff… Wh-where…? What?” Ladybug mumbled as she awoke, vision blurry and room spinning around her. “You fainted straight into my arms,” she heard. “You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go so far.” “Mhh…” she grumbled, not up for anything much more intelligent than a, “Shut up, Chat.” Chat choked. Which was odd, because it wasn’t some witty rejoinder or a snort of laughter. Ladybug pried her eyes open out of confusion. And then choked herself. The thing about hearing that line while half-conscious? Ladybug heard the person she expected to hear it from, which was how she somehow ended up telling Adrien Agreste to shut up. End. her. now. “S-s-sorry!” she yelped, trying (and failing) to scramble out of her crush’s arms as her face burned and her heart tried to beat its way out of her chest. “I-I-I um! Thought you were someone else!!” Adrien, she couldn’t help but notice, was almost as red as she was. “No problem!” ‘No problem’? She’d told him to shut up of course it was a problem— “Great!” she chirped, panic crawling hot in her veins as she pushed herself up. “Just-just great! I’ll just. Be going. That way.” “Okay,” said one mildly shell-shocked golden boy, and let her go. “Um. Good luck!” He was too good, too pure to be real, and Ladybug spared a moment to thank whatever deity was responsible for his existence. And then something rumbled as it was destroyed by today’s akuma. “Thanks!” she had time to gasp, and then she jumped back into the fray, Adrien waving goodbye behind her. Marichat “Then tell me what you want to tell her. Just practice. It helps, I promise!”Chat hesitated, and then:“…I think I’m in love with you, and I’m terrified.” …What?For one long moment, Marinette couldn’t hear anything but the ringing in her ears. Then she forced air into her lungs and asked, “That… that’s what you want to tell her?”There was something tired and hopeless in Chat’s eyes as he stared at his hands, something broken in the slump of his shoulders as he sat at the edge of her lounge. “…Yeah.”Marinette swallowed and managed a shaky laugh. Holy shit. “D-don’t you usually ask someone on a few dates before dropping something like that?”A corner of Chat’s mouth hooked slightly. “That’s why I haven’t told her.”“O-oh.”This was not what Marinette had signed on for when she agreed to help Chat get together with her alter ego, not at all. Still…It was hard to reach for his hand, through the shock, but it was harder not to. “Hey.”He looked up.She pulled his hand over to herself and hesitated. “I think… I think you should tell her.” She kissed his knuckles, half in thought and half out of osmosis habit. “It… it’ll probably go over better than you think.”He stared at her, frozen and wide-eyed, and then took a hitching little breath and curled his long fingers in hers, the gesture heart-wrenchingly delicate. “…Okay.” Ladrien “Is… there a reason you’re naked in my bed?” was a very odd question to wake up to when you didn’t remember falling asleep naked anywhere.Adrien blinked awake, slowly becoming aware of the cool dampness of his hair and the very pink ceiling above him.Oh right: he’d gone over to Marinette’s apartment to take a shower while he was avoiding his own house and… had passed out on her bed before he managed to track down his clothes again.Classy.“Uhhhh,” he said, flushing at the bug-eyed look on Ladybug’s face. He sat up, the towel slipping indecently low on his hips. “Shhhhower?”Ladybug gulped.Adrien concurred.“O-oh,” she said weakly, even more faint than her first question had been.Goddamnit. This could have been the whole ‘pose seductively in your crush’s bed’ trope and he’d blown it. He’d fallen asleep.“Sorry,” he offered with a heartfelt wince. “I missed a photo shoot yesterday and I thought that if I went home Nathalie would kill me, and…”It occurred to Adrien that his partner was awfully silent. And awfully red.Thankfully, he knew how to fix that.He put his arms behind his head and stretched with a wink. “Aww, don’t tell me you like what you see, my lady.”There. One hundred percent guaranteed way to bring incapacitated partners back from the brink: flirt with them. A flirty rejoinder was sure to—Ladybug emitted a very faint, desperate whine.—follow?He blinked.“A… a little bit?” Ladybug wheezed, a hand on the door jam.She didn’t… sound like it was just a little bit, Adrien thought, feeling lightheaded. She kind of sounded like she wanted to jump his bones.Which would be ridiculous, because in no universe did Ladybug want to jump his bones.He cleared his throat. “I, uh, can put on clothes, if you want.”She licked her lips, even redder somehow as her gaze burned into his stomach. “If… if you must.”…She really sounded like she wanted to jump his bones.His 'bones’ were of the opinion that this was a very good plan that she should enact immediately, and Adrien himself was of the opinion that the towel wasn’t nearly enough to hide an erection.“Or I could just. Stay naked,” he croaked, even weaker than she. “That works too.”To which Ladybug actually growled, and Adrien swore to never wear clothes again — the photo shoots could hang. Chlonath “Tell me a secret.”“Why the hell would I do that?”Nathanael just blinked at her, clear and open as glass. “Because I’ll do what you want if you do. My price is a secret.”“Price?” Chloe snorted, irritation burning hot in her veins. “Why would I need to pay you for anything?”The boy shrugged, and ducked down over his sketchpad, fringe shuffling over those eyes once again.Unaccountably irritated, Chloe leaned over and made a grab for the pad.She caught the edge of it, but her attempts to remove it and get him to look at her again fell flat. He had a grip like iron.He deigned to look at her again with those eyes, and Chloe squashed the urge to throttle him.“Tell me a secret,” was all he said.Chloe let go of the pad of paper with a disgusted tch. Folding her arms, she scowled at the wall of the little studio and, reluctantly, she cast around for a “secret” that he might accept as his “price.”“…Fine,” she half snapped and half sighed when she finally had one. Her shoulders slumped a little in bitter defeat. “I… I fell in love with Adrien on my eighteenth birthday.”It was weirdly like trying to reason with some ancient deity, he was so unmoving and unmoved. Given her deepest, darkest secrets, he just blinked at her.And then he closed his sketchpad.“Alright,” he said, as mild and smooth as he always, always, always was, and slid his long legs to the ground. “What was it you wanted me to do?”Chloe hit the heel of her palm against her forehead and grumbled, “Teach me how to do laundry, you asshole.”What a load of work.Chloe hated work.Surprisingly enough, after he did the three requisite slow blinks, Nathanael gave her a soft, slow smile.“Okay.”Chloe would deny that she blushed until the day she died. Adrinette “You heard me. Take. It. Off.”And, because Marinette could be a thoroughly terrifying person sometimes, Adrien shucked his pants without further thought.It wasn’t until he was standing around in his boxers in the middle of a crowded street that it occurred to him that maybe he should have put up more of a fight.Marinette didn’t even seem to realize it, now sewing his loose button back on with a single-minded vengeance.“Uh, Marinette?”“Almost done…”“Marinette.”“There!” She held his newly fixed pants with pride. “What do you… ah.”Adrien smiled weakly. “Could I have my pants back, please?”“Uhh…” said Marinette, rapidly gaining color as her eyes stayed fixed on his boxers.“Marinette?” he tried, more amused than he possibly should be. “My pants?”She offered them up with a mechanical gesture, eyes not budging an inch.Adrien bent down to retrieve his clothing, and found that someone seemed to have superglued it to her hands.“…Marinette?”People were staring at them as they passed, and Adrien couldn’t blame them — he’d stare at the two teenagers playing tug-o-war with a pair of designer jeans in the middle of the street too.“Marinette.”Marinette, eyes wide and face nearing maroon, finally surrendered his pants.Well. That would teach Adrien not to neglect his clothing. Ladrien “You need to wake up, because I can’t do this without you.”Adrien, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and breathing even against her thigh, didn’t respond.“Chat?”No response.“…Chat?”Ladybug wondered if his breathing slowing and shallowing was just her panicked imagination.“Chat please…”Her heart was so tight she nearly cried when his eyelids twitched. “Chat?”Her partner pried his pretty green eyes open and blinked fuzzily up at her, mumbling, “L'dybug?”And then gave a quiet oof when she folded herself down on top of him, and cast around his waist and tears stinging her eyes.“Don’t scare me like that,” she hiccuped to his stomach, fingers tightening in his cotton clothing.One cautious, clumsy hand stroked the back of her head. “Okay.” Ladrien “You did all this… for me?”“I mean, it’s not that much,” Ladybug demurred, pleasure blossoming hot over her cheeks and in her belly. She scrubbed the back of her head. “I just thought… Well, Marinette said you’ve been having a hard time lately, and, well… Ta-da?”The look on Adrien’s face as he took in the little nook, the hundred-and-thirty-six candles and the mess of blankets and beanbags and pillows she’d lugged up here, said that no, it really was that much.“I, um, have food?” Ladybug offered once it became obvious that Adrien had nothing to say to that. “I-I mean, it’s just snacks, but— meep!” Was Adrien crying— He scrubbed his hands over his face, laughing shakily as he took her proffered bakery bag, and gave her thanks in a thick sort of voice that just about gutted her.“A-Adrien?”“Sorry,” he rasped, giving her a smile that felt like sunrise. “You’re… you…” He shook his head and looked at the candles, the faint flush left by the almost-tears deepening sweetly. “I was just thinking that… Chat’s really lucky to spend so much time with you.”Ladybug blinked. Chat?Before she could ask about why his mind had gone there of all places, a breeze snuck in through her precautions and, with one mighty gust, they were standing in darkness.Ladybug stared blankly at the space where her candles had once been lit, going hot and cold in sheer horror. It had taken her two hours to light all of those.“Are you kidding me?”“Pfffffffft,” said Adrien, the ragged edge in his voice easing in his amusement, and Ladybug immediately filed two hours of candle-lighting under ‘acceptable losses.’She held up her own bakery bag with a sheepish look, not that he could see either well in the gentle dusk. “Dinner?”Adrien grinned, teeth flashing white through the dark. “Dinner sounds good.” Ninette “The paint’s supposed to go where?” “Thanks, Nino,” Marinette chirped as she tugged the paints out of Nino’s hands. She left a smacking kiss on his cheek as she went, but even the tingles of awareness skittering over his nerves couldn’t quite distract him from the fact that his friend was about to scale the school wall that high.And scale she did.Like a spider.Nino could only stand back and watch in amazement as Marinette clung to near-invisible ledges and leaned over, paint brush in her hand and paint pot handle in her mouth.“Is-isn’t that kind of dangerous?” She flicked her paint brush at him dismissively, sending splatters of paint down the wall and possibly to the ground, and stretched out a little further to add more detail to the half-finished mural. Nino felt dizzy just watching her.Thankfully, it looked like he’d arrived late in the game, because it only took a few more artful flicks of her wrist before she was leaning back at a heartstopping angle to study her work, giving a satisfied nod, and scurrying down with about five less broken bones than Nino would have expected.“Thanks, Nino,” she said again as she handed him back the paint pot and shook out her reddened hands. “I ran out of white and had no idea what to do about the highlights. You’re a life-saver.”“…Yeah, sure,” he said weakly. “Anytime, dude.”Staring up at the high wall and scant footholds of the surface she was working on, Nino wasn’t sure life-saver was quite the right term. Ladrien “Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while…” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, watching Ladybug check the edges of the exit. “…Looks like.”Unless, of course, he wanted to transform and give away his secret identity, something she was abjectly against.Yyyyyeah, better not. If they were still here in a few hours, he’d consider it, but until then…Well, might as well make himself cozy.It took exactly one (1) long, luxurious stretch and soft groan for Ladybug’s head to whip around in his direction. One, two seconds of blatant staring and Adrien broke the silence with, “…Did you think of something?”Ladybug’s luminous eyes flickered. “Um.”Adrien blinked right back.“…Did you… need something?”Ladybug opened her mouth, paused for a second, and then said, “Your shirt.”“…You need my shirt?” Adrien wondered aloud, and then shrugged to himself. It was fair enough, wasn’t it? She didn’t exactly have a shirt of her own to use for whatever she needed it for. “Okay.”He grabbed the back of the neck and pulled it over his head. The rush of fabric over his ears only half-covered the strangled squawk from across the room, and Adrien shook his hair out of his eyes to give his partner a confused look.“What?”She was staring at him, gaping and red-faced, a daze she only seemed to snap out of when he tossed his shirt over her face. She pulled the fabric away with a frantic scramble and made a funny little gulping noise when she saw him again.Setting a hand on his hip, Adrien told himself that she probably just wasn’t used to seeing guys shirtless or something, and that this was really nothing to feel flattered over. “Cat got your tongue, m— Ladybug?”“Nnnnnn…” said Ladybug, and then looked between him and the shirt in his hands. “I. I, um. Thank you.” “No problem,” said Adrien easily enough, scrubbing the back of his head as her breathless last two words rather viscerally reminded him that there wasn’t… a whole lot on him to hide any… inappropriate indicators of interest. “What did you need it for?”Ladybug went a horrified shade of very, very quiet, and then: “…I don’t remember.”….How did she get so cute?Adrien bit down a snicker and wandered over, laying a hand on her back and guiding her back over to the exit. “C’mon, I’ll help you think.”Ladybug emitted a very soft, very squeaky agreement, and let him. Ladrien “Wanna bet?” Ladybug entirely blamed her suit for the courage it gave her to duck and pose and grin, eyes flicking to his lips and voice purring, “Depends on what we’re betting, hot stuff.”Adrien’s cocky smirk froze on his pretty red lips, his cheeks flushing as he said, “O-oh, um. Loser does one thing the winner wants, maybe?”A parade of images flashed before Ladybug’s eyes, ones that ranged from ‘private swimwear photoshoot’ to Adrien taste-testing her bakery creations to Adrien taste-testing her, and Ladybug’s flagging self-control wasn’t nearly meant to stand up to that.“Sure thing,” was flying out of her mouth before she could even think to stop it.Adrien grinned.* * *She would have won, too, if Adrien hadn’t decided to run though the obstacle course shirtless.All the superpowers in the world couldn’t help you if you could barely put one foot in front of the other, after all.“C’mon, Ladybug,” said the absurdly attractive cheating asshole leaning a (bare) elbow on her shoulder. “All you gotta do is admit that I’m amazing.”“Hmmm…”She turned to him, found him much closer (and much redder) than she’d expected, and dropped her eyes to his lips again.Adrien swallowed.“Oh, Adrien,” she sighed, only half exaggerated, and reached up to tap his lip. “You’re amazing.”Very slowly, Adrien let his arm drop from her shoulder, his entire top half blushing darker than she’d ever seen him blush before, and Max, who’d kindly refereed for them, smacked a palm to his forehead, muttering, “Please go get a room.”Ladybug grinned. That, good friends, was how to win at life.Adrien: 1. Ladybug: Infinity. Adrirose “Please, don’t leave.” Adrien blinked down at the tiny girl clutching his shirt hem with a look of abject horror on her face.“Is… something wrong?”She yanked her hand away. “Um! N-no, not really… j-just…”Adrien moved away from the door, wondering still more at the way the lines around Rose’s huge blue eyes eased. “‘Just’?”Rose shivered, shamefaced. “I… I hate being alone.”Ahhh… well. Adrien could understand that.Rubbing the back of his neck, he leaned against the wall next to her and slid down, folding himself down and bumping a shoulder companionably against hers as he crossed his legs. “I can stay,” he offered confidentially. A tenuous, fluttering, pretty little smile, and Rose hiccuped a giggle. “My knight in shining armor?”Adrien puffed his chest and flexed. “You know it!”The giggle turned into a laugh, and she pulled her legs up to rest her cheek on her knees. She gave him a shy smile and a quiet, “Thank you, Adrien.”Adrien shoulder-bumped her again, and got a slightly less shy grin for his trouble. “No problem.“Outside, the akuma roared, and together they settled in to wait for Ladybug to rescue them. Adrialyanette “Please don’t do this.” Marinette’s boyfriend and girlfriend both looked over their shoulders at her, gleeful grins at direct odds with the black-and-red domino masks on their faces.“Don’t,” she repeated with a groan, burying her face in her hands.How had she come into possession of such embarrassing significant others, she wondered hopelessly as Adrien and Alya went on preparing for ‘Ladycon,’ whatever that was.“One day,” said Adrien in his utterly ridiculous Ladybug cosplay, “one day we’ll make you see the light.”“Ladybug is love,” Alya intoned from beside the other half-packed bag, “and Ladybug is life. Stop denying the truth, girl!”“You two deserve each other,” was Marinette’s opinion of the matter, spoken through the tangle of her fingers.Wandering over, Alya kissed one side of her face, and Adrien the other. “No worries, babe,” was Alya’s. “We love you more, forever and always.”Adrien nodded firmly in agreement.It would have been entirely more heartwarming if Marinette hadn’t known full well that they were planning to use this opportunity to get her into a bed and a Ladybug cosplay of her own — preferably at the same time.God, thought secret-superhero Marinette “Ladybug” Dupain-Cheng, what on earth had she done to deserve this?