Sam comes for a visit and brings along the new Falcon. You're instantly smitten, though you do your best to deny any and all feelings until you can't anymore.
Words: 12K
Author's Note: I've had writer's blocks for months now. This has been sitting in my drafts for over a year, so here. Merry Christmas. Have a cute, smitten boy to feast on.
Also, Tony lives! And so does Stark Industries inside the tower. Also, spoilers for Brave New World, but if you haven't seen that movie by now it's not my fault.
After defeating Thanos and a near death experience, Tony called it quits on being an Avenger.
But, being the good man that he is, he kept an open door policy for his friends should they need information or a place to crash. And as an Inhuman who hated being on the government's radar.. you took him up on that offer. Not only did Tony change your name, picture, and abilities in the government's databases, but he made sure that any traces of you led to an average looking life before he oh-so-kindly took you under his wing.
Inside the reinstated Stark Industries tower, you shadowed Pepper to learn the ins-and-outs of SI while also training with Tony away from prying eyes. And in between all that, you and Morgan were as thick as thieves.
Basically, you were another Stark child, but a "child" that's been legal to drink for a few years now.
Right now, however, it's Pepper and Tony who are enjoying a much-needed night off with some drinks in their penthouse. They're two glasses deep when FRIDAY alerts them to two visitors downstairs, Sam Wilson and one Joaquín Torres, who are needing a place to stay for the duration of a week. Tony has FRIDAY send them on up, and he and Pepper get up to go greet their guests.
When the elevators open, Sam steps out while his friend walks at a slower pace as if unsure about his presence. Tony and Pepper are there to meet them halfway.
"Hey, man," Sam says as he approaches Tony. "I'm really sorry about asking at the last minute for a place to stay."
"Don't even worry about it." Sam, knowing Tony isn't one for touch, stops before he can hug him.
Instead, Pepper steps into Sam's space and he kisses her cheek in greeting. "Hi, Sam. It's so good to see you."
"You too, Pepper." As Sam steps back, he gestures to his friend. "This is Joaquín. My right hand on the ground and in the sky."
"Hey! It's Falcon 2.0." Joaquín huffs a laugh, nodding at Tony and shaking Pepper's hand when she offers it. "You know, Torres, you're supposed to get under the missile and lead it elsewhere; not fly directly into it."
"Yeah, yeah." Despite having the traumatizing event brought up in a joking manner, Joaquín smiles. "Not all of us are cool enough to have the lifesaving Stark or Wakandan tech."
"Just say the word, baby bird, and I'll get to work on a better suit."
Joaquín chuckles, but when he sees Tony's expression, his smile falters. "A-Are you serious?"
"Yeah. I might not be an Avenger anymore, but I'll always be here to help the heroes when needed."
"Y-Yeah, man. That'll be really awesome."
Sam chuckles at his friend's surprise, nudging him. Then glancing around, his brow furrows. "Am I blind or are you two missing mini Stark?"
Pepper smiles, sipping her wine.
Raising his voice a little, Tony says, "Hey FRIDAY, can you have Y/N and Morgan come up?"
"Sir, I'd like to remind you that tonight is Girl's Night. If you interrupt it, then Girl's Night will be brought to you."
Tony groans and Pepper laughs. "FRIDAY, please have the girls come up to greet some guests of ours."
"Right away, Mrs. Stark."
Joaquín is all smiles as Sam's head tilts in confusion. "Who is Y/N?"
Tony waves him off, gesturing for everyone to follow him to the sunken pit to get comfortable. "Pepper's protégé and Morgan's sister from another mister. Just take a seat. If I know Y/N, which I do, then they're gonna walk in here acting like fools."
Sure enough, the lights suddenly turn dim. Joaquín and Sam tense as Pepper snorts, but then Feel So Close by Calvin Harris starts to play. Now, Joaquín and Sam are just plain confused.
I feel so close to you right now, it's a force field.
I wear my heart upon my sleeve, like a big deal.
The lights flash in tune with the music. Tony's eyes roll and Pepper starts to laugh.
Your love pours down on me, surrounds me like a waterfall.
And there's no stopping us right now.
I feel so close to you right now.
The elevator door dings open and out steps two individuals; one that stands at about 5'3 and the younger one barely reaching the other's chest in height. Both are wearing numerous glow stick bracelets, glow stick glasses, and light up multi-colored leis.
They dance towards the sunken pit, sliding down over the cushions until they're standing in front of Pepper. They pull her up, shimmying shoulders and giggling.
Sam looks at Tony, expression wondrous, and Tony shakes his head. "Give it a minute. Y/N can't party like she used to. She'll tire out."
Sam then turns towards Joaquín, snorting as he finds his friend staring directly at this so-called Y/N individual, expression slack. The man is definitely intrigued.
Pepper sits down right before the beat then drops, lights flashing fast, and Y/N and Morgan start jumping around in a dance.
A minute later, Y/N makes a gesture towards the ceiling and the music cuts out. The lights return to normal.
"Oh, hell. I am not as young as I once was," she pants.
Tony glances at Sam, stifling laughter. "Told you."
. .
Pulling the glasses off your face, you blink a little rapidly as you try to focus your vision. You grin at Tony, and then that same grin falters when you spot the guests.
"Dammit, Tony! Why didn't you warn me Captain America and the Falcon were here?!" Pasting on a smile, you step up to both individuals who immediately stand to shake your hand. "Hi! I'm so sorry about.. this. If I would have known we had guests, I'd have dressed more appropriately."
"Oh, come on," Tony muses. "I thought you loved your booty shorts."
Pepper slaps the back of her hand on Tony's chest, biting back a smile. You turn to glare at Tony. "I. Do. But when wearing them in front of new people, you gotta work up to the booty shorts. You can't just put the booty on display for the first meeting."
"..I kinda like the shorts."
You whip back around, eyes wide at the Falcon's remark. Sam barks out a laugh, clapping his friend on the shoulder. Joaquín, realizing he voiced his thoughts aloud, opens his mouth to apologize.
But before he can, Tony bursts into laughter. Pepper splutters on her wine and you groan quietly at the situation you've found yourself in.
"Dad," Morgan suddenly wonders, "when can I get booty shorts?"
"Never!" Morgan's question had been so innocent and Tony's immediate refusal makes you burst into laughter. "Y/N, sit down before you give my daughter any more ideas."
Giggling, you plop down next to Pepper while Tony drags Morgan onto his lap, hugging her protectively. Pepper then offers you her wine, and you quickly down it. Sighing softly, you realize Joaquín keeps glancing at you. And when he realizes you've caught him staring, he offers you a sheepish smile that makes you blush and pull a couch pillow onto your lap.
Clearing your throat and praying the blush goes down asap, you ask, "So what brings you gentlemen by our neck of the woods?"
Sam's smile is easy going when he says, "Just doing some traveling. Rubbing elbows with some senators to smooth over any doubts after everything with Ross went down."
Your lips twitch. "M'not trying' to be an asshole-"
Morgan gasps. "Swear jar!"
"Shit."
"Extra in the swear jar!"
"Mother-"
"Stop. Just stop," Sam laughs.
Mock scowling at a gleeful Morgan, you say, "I'll cashapp the swear jar later when I have my phone." Satisfied, she slumps back into Tony, and you address Sam once more. "So back to Ross. Not to be.. mean, but you gotta admit that what happened to him is kind of poetic karma."
Tony snorts. "The man hounded Banner for years because of the Hulk, and now Ross is in the same boat. Only difference is that Banner is in control whereas Ross is not."
Sam nods. "To be fair, I think he actually did have a change of heart about super powered individuals. He just- he made a promise to Sterns before he became President and found himself backed into a corner."
You lightly shake your head. "He's just a bad person. Just because his health is frail does not give him a free pass. He can rot in the Raft for all I care."
"Harsh," Sam utters, but he doesn't seem to mind your opinion.
Then clearing your throat, you say, "So you guys just needed a little break from all that elbow rubbing, huh?"
"Yeah, and Joaquín needs some rest as well." Sam glances at his friend, nudging him. "I told him it was too soon to be out and about, but do you think he listened?"
"Hey, man, you try being laid up for days at a time."
"I have been laid up for days at a time!"
"Well, then you know it's not fun."
You're grinning as the two go back and forth, and Pepper says, "Well, we have more than enough room for you guys. In fact, Y/N can show you where you'll be staying. She's the only one with a permanent residence on the floor below us, so it'll just be the three of you."
"If you guys want to go grab your bags, FRIDAY will bring you to the floor where I'll show you around. Fair warning though, I am not cutting Girl's Night short so the communal living room is a bit of a mess right now. Fortunately, we're ending the night with a movie so we won't be too loud."
Joaquín perks up. "Movie night? Alright! What are we watching?"
"Girl's Night, Torres," Sam muses. "Emphasis on girl. I don't think you qualify."
"It's alright," you tell him. "Right, Morgan? Anyone can join in on the movie?"
"Yeah! We're watching Ice Age!"
"Ice Age?!" Joaquín gets excited, making Morgan giggle. "I love Sid the Sloth!"
"Well, why don't you four go on and enjoy the movie so me and Pepper can get back to date night?"
You and Morgan jump up, but Sam and Joaquín stand a little slower. They, once again, thank Pepper and Tony for letting them stay, and then all four of you are loading up in the elevator.
The ride to your floor is quick, so you and Morgan step out just seconds later. Before the doors can close, however, you instruct FRIDAY to bring the guys back once they have their belongings with them. Then when they're whisked off, you and Morgan start preparing snacks, drinks, and sacrificing two blankets for Sam and Joaquín.
By the time the two guys return, you and Morgan have set out little personal containers of popcorn, m&m's , nerd clusters, and small bottles of orange/pineapple juice. Morgan snuggles down on the mattress, which she has dubbed the Nest, and you show Sam and Joaquín to their respective rooms. Joaquín asks if there's any food in the communal kitchen, and you inform him that there's leftover chinese on the kitchen island that you'd been waiting for it to cool before putting it in the refrigerator. But if he and Sam want it, they're more than welcome to it.
Grateful for the food, Sam mentions that they should shower before heading out to eat and relax. Joaquín thinks that's a great idea, and you leave them to it.
The guys apparently take very quick showers, because not even ten minutes into Ice Age and they're both entering the communal space. Sam is Sam. You knew him from before, even if he didn't know you because you were not a great socializer. But Joaquín- Joaquín is pretty. He has a killer smile, that you experienced earlier when meeting him, but it's his head of damp curls that makes you quietly sigh in appreciation. He's wearing a cutoff University of Miami Hurricanes tank top (hello, biceps) with black basketball shorts and ankle socks.
With Morgan occupied with the movie, you get up and follow them into the kitchen. You tell them what everything is and point out the microwave, but Sam assures you that Chinese food tastes better cold. You also point out that there's beer in the fridge, as well as water, but that Morgan had set out orange/pineapple juice bottles for them by the Nest. Joaquín wants the juice since he has some meds he needs to take, but Sam opts for beer.
Then in the living room, you crawl back into the Nest with Morgan while Sam takes a recliner and Joaquín takes the couch for himself.
You watch the movie, snacking throughout it, and chuckling at the funny parts of the movie.
By the time Ice Age is over, Morgan is knocked out. And so is Joaquín.
"Aww. He's adorable," Sam muses.
You snort and Captain America helps you pick up the trash around the living room.
As you're tidying up, you glance at Sam.
"How are you doing, Cap?" He startles at the question and your lips twitch. "Tony, Pep, and I saw everything with Japan play out on TV," you say. "I imagine watching Torres go down brought back some unpleasant memories."
He frowns. "How do you-"
"Know about Riley?" You ask. He hesitantly nods. "Believe it or not, I was a frequent guest at the Avenger compound before Thanos blew it up. I knew a lot about everyone, but I preferred to stay in the background."
"Really?"
Smiling sadly, you nod. "Before the Sokovia Accords came to light, I was basically homeless and trying to survive from shelter to shelter. Wanda sat down next to me one day out in the park and my stomach grumbled when she pulled out her lunch. I had never been so embarrassed in my life," you muse, recalling that day. "Her and Clint helped me get back on my feet, and I had officially been adopted by those two. She.. she was my platonic soulmate. We did everything together when she wasn't training to be a badass."
Sam offers you a kind smile. "I'm sorry for your loss."
You thank him, sniffling softly. "I.. I kind of lost my way when you all got locked up on the Raft and then she had to go on the run. Vision, of course, sent me encrypted messages to let me know she was fine every other day. And then the Blip happened.. and Natasha picked me up to take back to the Compound. She had me move in, taught me some self defense, and showed me how to hack. Steve, that goober, kept trying to set me up on dates with people he knew."
"He didn't!" Sam laughs, surprised.
"He did. But I told him I'd only go out on a date of his choosing if he went out on a date of my choosing."
"And let me guess, he did?"
"No." You huff. "I picked someone I knew would intimidate him and he backed off."
"Wow. So triple the loss, huh? I feel like I should be asking you how you're holding up."
"How who is holding up?" Joaquín stumbles sleepily into the kitchen, plopping down on a stool.
You grin at him, your gaze darting to Sam. "You're right. He is adorable." Joaquín's answering smile makes you and Sam both chuckle. "And I'm- I'm fine. Or at least getting there," you say. "Losing Natasha and Steve back to back hurt, but Wanda.." You trail off, exhaling roughly. "I know everyone says she's dead, but- but I feel her sometimes," you say quietly. "I don't- I don't know how to explain it. Some days I feel like she's gone and other days I just get this feeling that she's out there somewhere."
Sam nods. "People deal with grief in many different ways." He goes on to give you a brief speech about grief and how time varies for moving on.
"Wow. You must have been very popular at the VA. Did Steve give you tips on how to give a speech like that?"
Sam barks out a surprised laugh. "Yeah, well.. believe it or not, I sometimes need to hear speeches like that every now and then too. It took a heart to heart with Joaquín to make me stop feeling so guilty over his accident."
"We cried. It was beautiful," Joaquín agrees.
Laughing softly, you shake your head at him. You watch as he discreetly stretches, wincing when you assume his scars pull. "Still sensitive?" You ask.
It takes a moment for Joaquín to realize you're talking to him. "Uh, yeah. A little."
"I have some gel, specifically made for burns, if you want to try it out. Dr. Cho made it for me after an incident where both my arms were on the verge of needing skin grafts." Both Joaquín and Sam look at your arms, and you lean against the island to lay your arms flat so they can get a better look. "I don't know if it'll take away your scarring like it did for me since it was applied just a couple days after the incident, but it should lessen the burning sensation and make the scarring not feel so tight."
"Please."
"Yeah. I'll be right back."
"Hey, you want help getting the Pipsqueak to your room?" Sam asks.
"Nah. We sleep in the Nest on our nights together. She's fine where she is."
You head to your room, and then into your bathroom where you pick up the 35oz jar of gel that you had only used twice. You take it with you back out to where the guys are still waiting and hand it over to Joaquín.
"So you're gonna wanna apply this twice daily," you tell him. "Once in the morning as you're getting ready for your day and then once again in the evening, after you shower. It dries in under three minutes, so you don't have to worry about stickiness throughout the day."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
With the kitchen all tidy, Sam and Joaquín bid you goodnight before disappearing to their respective rooms. You pad over to the Nest, smiling down at a sleeping Morgan before crawling in next to her and going to sleep yourself.
The next evening, you're gathering the supplies for cheeseburgers and fries when Joaquín makes an appearance.
"If you're not a hugger, tell me now or else I'm gonna get all up in your personal space."
Laughing, you angle your body towards him. "I actually really love hugs. Just too shy to initiate them."
"Perfect."
Joaquín hugs you.. and it's nice. It's more than nice, actually. Wrapping your arms around Joaquín's waist, you can't help but melt into him. "Oh. This is nice."
"I do give good hugs."
Chuckling, you let Joaquín hug you a little longer before stepping back. "So, not that I didn't enjoy that, but why? And are you going to want a hamburger?"
"Yes. Do you need any help?"
Glancing around the kitchen island, you point at the unpeeled potatoes. "Peel those and shove them through the fry cutter."
"Yes, ma'am."
As you season the ground meat, Joaquín gets to work.
"So, I hugged you because that gel you gave me is incredible." You huff a laugh at him. "I'm not gonna lie, I doubted it. I thought it was just going to numb me a little, but-"
"But everything feels less tight and movement is much easier?"
"Yes! How many tubs did you have to go through before you could stop?"
"The bottle you now have was my third." He frowns. "But I can text Cho later and see if she'll send some over for you. It'll probably get here after you and Sam have left, but I can ship it to wherever you are."
"Could you? That'd be awesome."
"Of course."
You and Joaquín smile at one another, and then finish whipping up dinner. He drops the fries into the oil you had started heating up, and you told him where the seasoning for the fries was. You fix up the burgers, asking Joaquín how he wants his put together, and getting it done for him.
When you hand Joaquín his plate with his burger, he places fries on his plate, along with a mound of ketchup. You copy him, and then grab a couple of sodas from the fridge, but instead of going to the table.. you head for the elevator.
"Uhh, where are you going?" He asks.
"A thunderstorm is rolling in, Torres," you say while gesturing to the floor to ceiling window that gives off a view of the city. "We're eating in my rooftop nest."
"How many nests do you have?" He laughs as he follows you into the elevator with his own plate of food.
You reply to him with a laugh and a shrug and let the elevator take you to the rooftop. What was once a greenhouse for your brief gardening obsession is now your favorite hangout spot during a storm. While there are a few plants that you tend to in the nest bubble, there's also a couch, numerous pillows, a coffee table, and a round mattress that's piled with more pillows and a couple of blankets.
"Uhh, is it safe here?" Joaquín asks when he notices lightning in the distance.
"Yep. Stark's got a security protocol in place. Lightning won't hit us up here."
"Cool."
The sky quickly darkens, but it's not ominous. The rain starts almost as soon as you get comfortable on the couch with Joaquín at your side, and the distant rumbling thunder makes you wanna snuggle down on the mattress. But first, food.
"So," you muse, taking a bite of your burger. "Who is Joaquín Torres?"
He chuckles around his first bite. After washing it down with some soda, he says, "I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. It was just me, my ma, and my abuela."
You hum. "Figures."
"What?"
"You have that whole aura of being raised by women. You're just.. instantly likable."
"That is the best compliment I've ever got," he says.
You shake your head in amusement, and he goes on to tell you a bit more about himself as the two of you eat. He mentions that he's ride or die for the University of Miami, and that he took an interest in watching various superheroes as he grew up- aspiring to be just like them one day. You smile fondly at the thought that his childhood dream became a reality for him.
He then tells you he'd become an intelligence officer for the Air Force, which is how he met Sam. They became friends after going on a few missions together, and then the whole ordeal with the Flagsmashers is what really cemented his bond with Sam and him being handed the Falcon mantle.
"What about you?" He then asks. "I heard you talking to Sam last night about how it was Wanda and Clint you were close with, so how did you end up with Stark?"
"Natasha had originally taken me in when Wanda disappeared in the Blip and Clint became a mercenary. Pepper was at the Compound a lot, waiting for any information on Tony, so I got close with her as well before Tony was brought home. Then Pepper became pregnant and I spent a lot of time at the Stark cabin, and I just- I became very protective of Morgan when she was born. And then Tony nearly died, and I basically took over Morgan's care while Pepper tended to Tony and his healing journey. After that, Tony hung up the Iron Man suits and threw himself back into SI, and brought me along for the ride."
"That's so cool. You live with Iron Man."
"And you're best friends with Captain America," you muse. "Aren't we just a couple of cool kids?"
Joaquín laughs and the two of you finish dinner, stacking your plates and setting them aside. Joaquín then makes a beeline for the mattress, snuggling down. You smile at him, content to let him have the mattress while you take the couch, but he suggests you join him.
Normally, you'd be nervous at laying next to such a handsome person, but there's just something about Joaquín that puts you at ease. So, you get up and join him on the mattress, laying side by side and doing your best not to fall asleep.
For several long minutes, the two of you lay there as the rain hammers your protective dome. The booming thunder calms you even further and you find your eyelids are taking longer and longer to open back up every time you blink.
"That was badass," Joaquín says when lightning forks across the sky. He then angles his head towards you. "So, you like to do this all the time?"
"When I have the time, yeah," you tell him. "Lately, it feels like I haven't had the time to come up here. Shadowing Pepper is very intimidating, especially when those in the boardroom look down their noses at you because you're not as smart as they are."
"Nothing but a bunch of pricks in suits, huh?"
You snort a laugh. "Yep. But it's alright. As long as Pepper and Tony are happy with my work, I don't care what the others think."
"Good for you."
The two of you lay there for the duration of the thunderstorm, watching the stars twinkling after the sky has cleared. And then when you've yawned one too many times, Joaquín calls it a night. He takes the trash and plates, and you rearrange the blankets and pillows so it doesn't look messy.
Inside, in the communal living space, you and Joaquín bid each other goodnight and go your separate ways.
Sam has returned to the tower after having a couple of beers down the street at a bar, typing on his phone and sighing when his text goes unanswered yet again. He gets to the elevator at the same time as Tony, and Tony smirks at him.
"Why so glum, Cap?"
"Joaquín was supposed to meet me at the bar, but he's not answering."
"Huh. Pepper too. Well, she wasn't supposed to meet me anywhere, but she's not answering her texts."
Tony and Sam stare at one another, and Tony gets a knowing glint in his eye. Talking directly to FRIDAY who has access to anything and everything Tony owns, he asks FRIDAY to bring up camera feeds of Pepper and Joaquín . Sure enough, his gut instinct was correct.
"That's why they're not answering," Tony muses, staring at his phone screen. "They're pampering themselves."
"What?" Sam leans over to watch the phone screen, and he can't help the snort he releases. There on the screen, Pepper is reclined in a recliner with a some sort of mask on and a champagne flute in hand. On the floor sits Joaquín , in front of Y/N on the couch. His head is tilted back into her lap as she smears some sort of goopy mask onto his face, and Morgan happily paints his nails. "You know what, I can't even be mad."
"I think your little protégé and Pepper's little protégé might have a crush," Tony says.
"I don't think, I know." Sam shakes his head, grinning. "Torres is gonna drag his feet when it's time to leave."
"Well, let's just let them have this time. I got some good whiskey and the new specs for baby Falcon's suit if you wanna check those out."
"Sure, man, let's go."
. .
Over the next few days, Tony, Pepper, and Sam take joy in watching Y/N and Joaquín. It's very obvious the two are smitten with each other, but nothing goes past flirting, and they always take a step back once the other gets too flustered.
Joaquín is well enough to get back on the road, so Pepper plans a farewell dinner.
The four of them, plus Morgan, are hanging around while waiting for dinner to be delivered when Tony decides to add upgrades to FRIDAY. There haven't been any threats or any inkling of someone being unhappy with Stark, so he doesn't double guess FRIDAY going dark for a few minutes.
Big mistake.
Almost as soon as FRIDAY is offline, the building shakes. Everyone freezes, Pepper rushes to Morgan, and Tony starts shouting for everyone to get to the panic room. Joaquín is quick to grab onto your hand, but before anyone can get to the stairs, the floor to ceiling window that should be shatter proof is blown to pieces.
Gunshots ring out, bullets hitting the wall above your heads, causing everyone to duck. Morgan starts to cry, and you and Pepper do your best to shield her. And even though the men do their best to fight back, they're easily subdued with a few well aimed punches and hits with the butt of a rifle. They're angry, but rifles being aimed at you, Pepper, and Morgan make them drop to their knees a few feet apart.
When you're approached and grabbed by the back of your neck, your training kicks in. You reach back and grab him by the wrist, breaking it and twisting your body beneath his arm. When you kick in the back of his knee, forcing him to drop, you elbow the back of his head and send him sprawling. Two other men converge on you, and you're not prepared for the force of their attack.
The pain of a dagger embedding into your shoulder makes you shout in surprise and pain, and the punch to your jaw dazes you. You're forced to your knees, panting, and are forced to watch as Joaquín tries to reach you. He takes another hit to the face, his lip bursting open.
As your hair is forcibly grabbed and head tugged back, your heart lurches as Pepper and Morgan start screaming. They're separated and Pepper is silenced with a gun pointed at her head. Morgan, however, can't stop crying and screaming. The man holding Morgan grasps her mouth, squeezing to the point her cheeks are pressed in harshly.
You immediately see red.. and the lights flicker.
Tony's panicked gaze swings to you.
"Get. Your. Hands. Off. My. Sister."
The four masked intruders start to laugh.
Lightbulbs explode.
"Shit." Tony immediately starts scrambling back, urging Sam and Joaquín to do the same.
"What?" Joaquín glances at him in a panic. "But Y/N-"
"Don't worry about Y/N," Tony says. "Sparky is about to come out and play."
Sam frowns. "Sparky..?"
You slowly climb to your feet, palms heating and ears popping. The intruders are no longer laughing and they're also no longer paying attention to everyone else in the room. Morgan runs to Pepper, Tony crawls over to them, and Sam and Joaquín sit back in wide-eyed wonder as little lightning bolts spring outward from all over your body.
"You should have never touched the kid."
One guy scoffs. "Fuckin' freak." He takes aim with his rifle, but the moment you raise your palm in his direction, a large bolt of lightning meets the muzzle of his weapon and electrocutes him.
As he falls, his comrades open fire. You fall to one knee, spinning out of their aim as electrical whips form in your hand. As you dodge, you whip out the electricity and strike two others. The last man standing fires and there's no dodging the aim. You grunt through the pain, the whips disappearing from your hand as they glow brighter and brighter. Even your eyes start to glow a blinding white, and when you scream and direct your power towards the last man standing, he goes flying backwards out the window that had exploded.
Panic seizes you and you rush forward, ignoring the calls behind you. Diving out the window, you tap the metal cuff bracelet that Tony had gifted you. As you free fall, your own Iron Man suit unfolds around your body.
Wrapping your hand around the intruder's ankle, you pull up right before he can hit the pavement ground. You then fly him back into the tower, dropping the groaning man at Sam's feet.
Sam gapes at the feminized black Iron Man suit, golden lightning bolts painted along the legs and arms. As the helmet melts away, Y/N pants. "I might be an Inhuman, Captain, but I am not a murderer."
Stumbling backwards, Joaquín catches you and you let him hold your full weight as everything in you just gives out. Sam hurries to bind all the intruders.
"So stupid," Tony grumbles. He hurries forward, stopping just shy of touching you. "Retract the suit. Now. I need to see the damage."
Smiling weakly at Tony, you gulp. "It's bad, Tones. I can't-" Your voice cracks, eyes filling with tears. Glancing at Pepper, you tell her, "Don't let Morgan see."
Immediately, Pepper hides Morgan's face against her abdomen.
"You shouldn't have used too much," Tony says, eyes suspiciously glassy as your entire body starts to tremble. "You weren't wearing your gauntlets!"
"Morgan's safety comes above mine," you remind him. "Always."
Tony slaps a hand against your chest, the suit retracting. Immediately, Joaquín whines when he sees the state of your arms, completely burned and charred as if you were electrocuting yourself the entire time your powers were active. But it's the blood soaking your shirt that catches everyone's attention.
More specifically, the gunshot wound that the blood won't stop oozing from.
"Well, fuck," you utter.
Joaquín lays you flat on the floor and immediately rips open your shirt just enough to see the extent of the damage. Sam falls to his knees next to him, helping him turn you to see if the bullet is a through and through. It's not.
You start trembling harder with the pain. "You better.." You pause to gulp. "You better not put Sparky on my headstone," you try to joke.
"You're not dying," Tony says. "Not like this." A hand towel that he's produced from somewhere gets pressed to your abdomen and you cry out in pain.
As you settle back down, you end up staring up at Joaquín's face that's hovering above yours. You smile softly and reach up to wipe away a tear that had been trailing down his face. "I'm so glad I got to meet you. You're-"
Time freezes.
"Y/N?" Joaquín gently shakes you, but it appears you're frozen in time. Your eyes are open, hand frozen near his face. "What's going on?!"
Pepper suddenly sobs, holding onto Morgan tighter. Tony and Sam look at each other, unsure of what the hell is going on. They're all at a loss for words.
And then the crackling starts. Not crackles of electricity, but crackles of glass breaking. There's nothing that should be causing the sound and it's Sam who points out a mirror that's faintly glowing red. Tony gets up to inspect it from a distance and he startles when he sees a hand protrude from the mirror.
The hand is followed by an arm, then a body in a familiar dark red and blackened suit, and the face of a woman everyone thought to be dead.
Wanda steps through, her crown nestled at the top of her forehead. She looks tired, but strong. Tony gapes at her.
"Where is she?" Wanda asks. Tony doesn't need to ask who she's asking for and points. Wanda looks at her, expression lax. "You need to get Cho here as soon as possible. She's the only one who can reverse the damage that's been caused."
Tony immediately gets on the phone and Wanda walks towards Y/N. On the way, she smiles fondly at Pepper and nods. She meets Sam, smiling and accepting his hug when he steps into her space. She doesn't know Joaquín , so she says nothing to him as she kneels next to Y/N.
"It is not your time yet, Y/N. Sleep." She presses two fingers to Y/N's head, and everyone watches as Y/N's arm lowers back to her side and her eyes slip closed.
"What did- what did you do?" Joaquín asks.
"I've frozen her in time," Wanda says. "She's dying. She needs Cho."
Joaquín looks at Tony in a panic. "She's on the way," Tony assures him. "But we need to get her to the infirmary."
"I've got her." With a wave of her hand, Y/N's body is enveloped in a red mist. Her body lifts from the floor and Wanda starts to head for the elevator.
As everyone follows Wanda to the elevator, Tony instructs Pepper to take Morgan to Y/N's place since there's always several changes of Morgan's clothes there, and she can start calming their daughter down.
After Pepper and Morgan are dropped off, they continue on down to the infirmary. The whole floor is abuzz, a doctor and several nurses waiting with a gurney. Wanda ignores everyone and sets Y/N's body down on it, but she doesn't remove the stasis she put her under.
When they start trying to take Y/N's vitals and they find no heartbeat or a blood pressure, Wanda has to calm everyone down by assuring them you're very much alive. But if she were to remove the stasis, your vitals would immediately plummet which is why she's waiting for Cho.
Relieved, the doctor guides the gurney and Wanda into the operating room to wait. The nurses scurry about, checking on Joaquín since he's the only one bleeding out of the men. He tries to wave them off, but Sam urges him to at least get cleaned up. Reluctantly, Joaquín lets a nurse clean up his face and make sure the split in his lip has a liquid bandage on it.
Once he's done, the infirmary is very quiet. He walks to the room he last saw Y/N disappear into, only to find Wanda standing near Y/N's head as her hands glow at either side of her temples. Sam and Tony are sitting against the wall, watching quietly.
"What's going on?" He asks.
Wanda glances at him, smiling softly. "I am just keeping her comfortable. I was about to go in and let her know that we're all here for her, waiting."
Joaquín gulps. "Y-You can do that?"
"I can do a lot of things."
"And it won't hurt?"
"No. She will be perfectly fine."
"Okay." Joaquín stands at the foot of the gurney, hands gripping the footboard. "Let her- can you let her know that she has to wake up? I am so mad she didn't tell me she had such a cool Iron Man suit."
Wanda chuckles. "I will."
"A-And that I can't believe the audacity she had to call me baby Falcon when she's been baby Iron Man this entire time!"
"Is that all?" Wanda muses.
"Yeah. Thanks."
Wanda nods and then stares down at Y/N, eyes glowing red before she deep dives into her mind.
"Kid, sit down," Sam says. "She's in good hands with Wanda."
"Y-Yeah. Of course."
Joaquín takes a seat next to Sam and then Sam turns towards Tony. "So, Sparky? Were you going to tell us Y/N had powers?"
Tony sighs. "It wasn't my story to tell."
"Was any of what she told us true? About Wanda finding her in the park, practically homeless?"
"Yes. Y/N is an Inhuman. But had she never eaten some contaminated fish, her powers would have never developed."
"Contaminated fish?"
"Yeah. Something about some alien crystals getting released into the ocean and infecting the ocean life. Loads of people who didn't even know they had alien DNA accidentally ingested contaminated fish or took fish oil pills, and the government jumped all over these new super powered individuals."
"Why isn't Y/N in the system then?" Sam wonders. "Though the Sokovia Accords have been severely amended, we still have a list of powered individuals and I didn't recognize Y/N's name."
"Because I erased her from the government's files," Tony admits. "When Wanda found her, Y/N was in the park, scared. She didn't understand her powers, she didn't want to hurt anyone, and anytime she used her powers the electricity flowing through her would burn her out."
"Her arms," Joaquín realizes.
"Yep. She ended up worming her way into Wanda, Clint, Natasha, Thor, and Pepper's good graces. And then I met her.. and she was just the sweetest kid who didn't want these powers bestowed upon her. She is the definition of a Hufflepuff," Tony muses. "But you mess with what is hers and all bets are off."
"Like Morgan being manhandled earlier," Sam utters.
Tony nods. "Like Morgan being manhandled and scared out of her mind. I had made some special gauntlets for her to prevent the electricity from burning her out, but she wasn't wearing them and she was more focused on getting Morgan safe."
Sam goes quiet, watching Wanda do her mind melding trick with Y/N.
"She was like a Black Widow and Iron Man rolled into one."
Tony snorts. "I've heard rumors you're recruiting for a new Avenger team. Y/N won't go for it."
"No?"
"Nah." He pauses and then leans forward to glance at Joaquín . "Well, who knows now. Pretty Boy down there might make her get out every now and then to help save the day."
Sam snorts, but Joaquín pays them no mind. His gaze is set on the woman in bed, knee bouncing nervously as he waits.
. .
Glancing around an empty park, you try to recall how you ended up here. The last thing you remember was sitting next to Joaquín, laughing and joking as you waited for dinner.
When you shift on the bench to get into a more comfortable position, you just so happen to glance down and spot your blood-soaked shirt. And just like that, you remember what happened.
Your breath hitches, and..
"You're going to be okay. Don't panic."
Your head whips to the side, tears immediately filling your eyes. "Wanda?"
She smiles. "Hello, little love. It's been a while."
You get up, rushing your friend and hugging her as if your life depends on it. "I knew it. I knew you weren't gone." Wanda shushes you, rocking you back and forth. "What are you- how are you here?"
For a moment, Wanda says nothing. And then she pulls back, urging you to sit down. "I felt it- when you got shot," she admits. "And then I could feel you slipping away. It was like Pietro all over again." Your bottom lip wobbles and she reaches over, taking your hand within her own. "I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do something, so I came out of hiding. You're in a frozen stasis until Doctor Cho can get here."
You frown. "Why are you hiding?"
"Because I've done a lot of terrible things and I don't know where to start making up for them." She smiles sadly. "And I have so much to tell you before Cho gets here, but first.."
"First..?"
"Who is Joaquín and why is he so adorably worried about you?"
You start to blush and Wanda laughs.
It's been two days since Doctor Cho worked on Y/N; two days since Wanda had to restart Y/N's heart twice on the table, and two days since she slipped into a coma. Joaquín had been beside himself, but Sam was not worried whatsoever with the Scarlet Witch keeping watch. In fact, he even joked with Joaquín that now he understood what it was like to watch someone he cared for be on the table. Joaquín, however, did not find that funny.
"I got us another four days before we have to get back on the road," Sam says when Joaquín returns from his shower.
Joaquín sighs as he reclaims his chair closest to the bed. "You think she'll wake up before then?"
"I.. honestly do not know, man. I hope she does."
"Yeah. Me too."
Sam opts to go get lunch, returning half an hour later to find that Joaquín hasn't moved. At first, he thought this was all amusing, but now he's worried for his friend. If Y/N doesn't wake up, he's not sure how quickly Joaquín will bounce back from this. He's been joking with Joaquín about girls for years now, but not once has he fallen so hard for someone. And now, he's fallen for one girl who he barely had any time with.
After lunch, Sam and Joaquín are slowly pacing the room to stretch their legs. And just when Sam is about to leave the room entirely, a surprise visitor knocks on the opened doorway.
Sam takes in the tall, blonde Asgardian, and smiles. "Thor? What are you doing here?"
Smiling kindly, Thor approaches Sam for a brief hug. "Samuel Wilson, the bird in the sky. How are you, old friend?"
He chuckles. "It's Captain America now. I've actually passed on the mantle of the Falcon to my friend Joaquín here."
Sam quickly introduces an awestruck Joaquín to Thor, the two of them sharing a handshake before Thor's gaze falls on Y/N.
"How is she?"
Joaquín steps up beside Thor, staring down at her. "Her heart stopped. Twice. If it weren't for Wanda, I don't think Doctor Cho would have been able to save her."
"Ahh, so the Scarlet Witch lives," Thor says.
"She does. She did all she could for Y/N, but she still slipped into a coma. Cho says that's good; that it'll let her body properly heal," Sam says. Then, he asks, "You knew Y/N?"
"Of course." Thor steps even closer, gently grasping Y/N's hand in his own. "My little lightning sister." He leans down, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand, murmuring against her skin. An Asgardian prayer. As Thor straightens back up, he pulls up a chair to the side of the bed and takes a seat. "When I first met Y/N, she tried to hide what she was capable of. But I knew."
"Did she hit 'ya with a little lightning of her own?" Sam muses.
"No, but she did knock Steven on his ass when he pushed Wanda a little too hard in training."
Sam and Joaquín both chuckle before all three of them take up a silent watch.
Thor stays long enough to greet Tony, Pepper, and Morgan, but then must take his leave because apparently he's got his own adopted kid to look after- a daughter he calls Love. So after another quick Asgardian prayer, Thor leaves, but not before making Tony promise to keep him updated.
Tony then has a cot brought in for Joaquín when he realizes the kid won't be moving anytime soon. Sam doesn't bother urging him to go back to their floor, and instead just tells Joaquín to keep him updated if there are any changes since he'll be busy with some video calls for the duration of their stay.
Joaquín stays around for the third day, only leaving to shower, eat, or use the bathroom. He watches the nurses come and go, checking Y/N's vitals and spreading the healing gel Doctor Cho had left behind.
Then early morning on the fourth day, Joaquín wakes early. The sun hasn't even come up, and he just has too much anxiety in him to sit still. So after quietly telling Y/N that he'll be back soon, he leaves to get washed and dressed for the gym. He works out until he's bone tired, letting out all his frustration about not being able to do anything when Y/N had taken on the intruders herself.
Afterwards, he grabs another shower and orders in the greasiest burger and curly fries he can find.
Taking his food and drink to Y/N's room, Joaquín gets comfortable and starts to eat.
The heart monitor beeping is the only sound besides the burger wrapper crinkling every time Joaquín picks his burger up. "You know, Y/N, this is going on too long now." He takes a sip of his soda, popping a curly fry into his mouth after. "Besides the fact that you have cool as hell powers, we need to discuss that you knew some of the coolest OG Avengers and didn't even tell me."
The heart monitor continues to beep. He sighs.
"But most of all, you need to wake up so we can discuss whatever this is between us. I am not leaving the tower until I get your phone number."
Joaquín holds his breath, but there's no change. Shoulders slumping, he goes back to eating. But just as he starts to collect his trash...
"How dare you bring that hamburger into my room knowing I can't have any."
Joaquín whirls around in surprise, and you wince as you attempt to move. "Don't! Don't move. I'll go get a doctor."
You frown as Joaquín rushes out of your room and then pat your hand around your sides for the bed remote to sit yourself up. But before you can find it, a doctor and Joaquín are returning. He stays by the door as the doctor checks your vitals and asks you questions, and then gives you the rundown of your injuries.
Your arms were severely burned, but Cho's special gel has been healing them nice and slow.
The bullet has been removed from your abdomen, insides stitched up and the entry wound closed thanks to Cho's special plastic graft.
Your heart stopped twice but was restarted and you'd been given two blood transfusions.
You quietly groan and ask for some water. When the doctor turns to find the pitcher of water, Joaquín rushes in and gets the cup for you. And then before the doctor can leave, he tells you that they want to keep you at least one more night for observation now that you're awake and you easily agree.
Left alone with Joaquín, you ask him to help you sit up. Once the top half of your bed is angled up just enough, he helps you sip some water through a straw and then takes a seat next to your bed.
"So, what have I missed?" You ask.
"Seriously? That's what you lead with? Not with the fact that you're a superhero?!"
You wrinkle your nose at him. "I'm hardly a superhero," you tell him.
"Uh, you control lightning or electricity or whatever and you have your own Iron Man suit."
You can't help the faint twitch of your lips. "Well now that the cat is out of the bag, we gotta go flying one of these days."
"Yeah, we do." Reaching forward, he grabs your hand and holds it between both of his own, and his expression goes lax. "We were really worried about you, you know?"
"I'm sorry. I just- I saw that man gripping Morgan's face and I saw red. Is she- is she okay?"
"She's fine. A little sad you were hurt, but she understands that you saved everyone's life."
You gulp, nodding. "What did those guys want anyway?"
"Money." Joaquín scoffs. "According to Tony, that group of four blackmailed some SI underlings into finding out when Tony's security on the building would be down. They couldn't get a definite answer, so they've just been sitting and waiting."
"Dicks."
Joaquín smiles, but before he can say anything, the others are walking in.
"Sparky, you're awake!" Tony walks in first, grinning. "Thanks for letting us know, Falcon Jr."
"I- she just woke up!"
"Mhm. I see you, kid. Tryin' to hog all our girl's time, but not today."
Joaquín gapes and you chuckle at him. You shift to get comfortable again, turning your attention to Tony, Sam, and Pepper. "Hi, guys."
"I am so glad you're awake." Pepper steps forward, leaning over the side of your bed and cautiously hugging you. "Thank you. I know you don't like using your powers, so thank you for doing so to save Morgan."
"Always." You close your eyes, relishing Pepper's hug before she lets you go.
Tony and Sam fist bump you, and you tiredly smile at them.
"So what all do you remember?" Tony asks.
"Everything." You sigh. "Even Wanda's visit."
"Well, you did say you felt like she was still alive out there somewhere," Sam says.
"Told you."
"Any idea why she left so abruptly?" Tony then asks.
"Oh, uh, yeah." You pause to ask for some water- water that Joaquín quickly grabs for you. Thanking him, you then address Tony once more. "She had to get back to her kid."
"Kid?!" Sam asks incredulously.
"Maximoff got knocked up?!"
You roll your eyes at Tony. "When Wanda created the Hex over Westview, she not only recreated Vision, but she created twin boys. She made souls."
"How is that even possible?" Pepper asks.
You shrug. "That's the power of an Infinity Stone. But when Wanda deconstructed the Hex to release the residents of Westview, everything she created had to go too. So, she lost her sons." Pepper gasps. "Or so she thought."
"What do you mean?" Tony asks.
"The whole reason why Wanda turned against Strange was because she needed to get to an alternate timeline. She kept hearing her sons calling out for her, but she couldn't find them. And then when she did find another version of her twins, they belonged to another Wanda. She hated herself for traumatizing her kids and another one that Strange had been protecting, so she went into hiding."
"I'm confused. How are her kids calling out if they vanished alongside the Hex?"
"They're bodies vanished, but their souls live on," you tell them. "Billy and Tommy, their souls went into limbo when the Hex vanished. And then there was a terrible car accident just outside of Westview, and without knowing what was happening, Billy's soul went into the teenager that had passed away."
"Oh no. That's terrible. I think."
You smile faintly at her. "On one hand, it is terrible for that teenager and his family. But on the other hand, Wanda got one of her sons back."
"What about the other one?" Joaquín asks. "Tommy? Is he-"
"He's still out. Still calling out," you tell them. "That's why Wanda left. She and Billy are looking for him."
"That is crazy."
"Yeah." You snuggle back against your pillows, yawning.
"Alright, alright. I think this is enough excitement for the day," Sam says. "You, young lady, need to get some real rest."
"Yeah, I think I will."
Tony, Pepper, and Sam all take their leave with Sam lingering back to wait for Joaquín. He tries to wave Sam off, but you urge him to go too- to sleep in a real bed and that he can show up the next morning. Very reluctantly Joaquín agrees.
The nurses get you some broth and ginger ale, and then afterwards you go back to sleep.
The next day, you're up early. You do a few stretches and a nurse remains in the bathroom while you shower in case you need help, but you feel somewhat steady. In fact, you feel really good after your shower.
You dress in a loose black shirt with cutoff sleeves and a pair of biker shorts. Doctor Cho had left behind numerous tubs of healing gel for both you and Joaquín, so one of the nurses slathers it on your arms for you. Then after your arms have dried, you're brought solid foods and more ginger ale.
You're in the physical therapy room, laying flat on your back and staring up at the ceiling. You hear the whoosh of the door opening, but don't bother to see who it is. It isn't until Joaquín steps into your view, face upside down, do you smile.
"Whatcha doing down there?" He muses.
"Well, I was doing some stretches. But then I just got the urge to lay down, so I did."
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" You shake your head. "Any lingering pain?"
"No. Doctor Cho works wonders." From your position, you reach for the hem of your shirt and shove it up to beneath your bust. "Can you tell where I was hit?" Joaquín stares at your bared stomach as you touch the spot where you were shot. "I can't, but I sure can feel it. The graft feels weird."
"Isn't it supposed to feel like real flesh though?" Lowering himself to the floor, Joaquín takes a seat beside you.
You gesture to your stomach. "Feel for yourself. It feels.. almost like plastic, but not fully. It's very flesh-like, but I don't know. Maybe I'm just thinking too much about it."
Joaquín is hesitant, but your reassuring smile urges him to continue. He touches your stomach, fingers skimming up and down, side to side. He hums. "I think you're just thinking too much about it," he says. "I don't feel a difference."
When he pulls his hand back, you pull your shirt back down and quietly sigh. "So, when do you leave?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. I tried to push for a couple more days, but they're really breathing down Sam's neck."
"I'm fine, Joaquín. There's no need for you to hover."
He frowns. "But we didn't get to fly."
Chuckling, you roll onto your side and shove at his knee. "The both of us are not in any condition to fly in our suits. But I promise the day we're both cleared, I'll fly out to you if you're not busy."
"Pinky promise?"
"Sure." Grinning, you lock pinkies with Joaquín. "Now, help me up. I need to walk around so the doctor can see that I'm fine. I miss my bed and want to go already."
. .
The day Joaquín and Sam were set to leave; you found yourself in the underground garage with them. You were sad to see them go, but you knew it was inevitable.
So as Joaquín loaded up his belongings, you pulled Sam aside for a brief conversation. You had pulled out one of your SI business cards and handed it over to him, telling him to contact you should he ever feel that a mission needs more than Captain America and the Falcon. He seemed surprised, but you shrugged and told him it was time to stop being selfish. You had the powers, so you needed to do some good with them. Plus, you'd show up in a photostatic veil so no one could link Sparky back to you. He'd laughed, hugged you, and then told you to give Joaquín a proper goodbye.
Eyes narrowed and chancing a little jolt of electricity without your protective gauntlets, you'd zapped Sam on his side before walking over to Joaquín.
Joaquín hugged you for what felt like forever, but you squeezed him back just as long. He wasn't his usual smiling self, but neither were you.
"You have my number, Torres. You better use it," you'd told him.
"Oh, I will."
There'd been a moment when he had pulled away- a moment in which his gaze darted to your lips and your gaze to his lips, but the moment of will he or won't he had passed just as quickly as it had come on. Sheepishly laughing, you stepped away from Joaquín and told him to text you when he got to their next location.
He did exactly as you asked of him, and then you focused on getting better so you could go back to work.
For days after Joaquín's departure, you focus on getting better so you can get back to work. And when you do, you have to keep reassuring Pepper and Tony that you're fine. They encourage you to go on the road and meet up with Sam and Joaquín, but you have a job and don't want to just up and leave because you're a little sad about your crush being far away.
You and Joaquín text for months after his leave, and your crush has unfortunately only grown. Even Pepper and Tony pick up on it after they'd caught you smiling at a selfie Joaquín had sent you, and then laughing at a video Sam had sent you of taking 'behind the scene' pics of Joaquín trying to find the perfect angle for said selfies.
After returning Morgan to her parents from a day out at the Central Park Zoo, Pepper and Tony ask to speak with you.
"How are you doing, Y/N?" Pepper asks when Tony leaves to get Morgan changed into her pajamas.
"I'm-"
"And don't say you're fine."
Closing your mouth, you smile smally at Pepper. "I'm.. good. Just living day by day."
She smiles back, gently. "Are you happy?"
"Yeah. Of course! Do I.. do I not seem happy?" You frown.
"You seem.. content, but I feel like you can be more. Like how you were when Joaquín was here," she says cautiously as if bringing up Joaquín will make you clam up.
"Joaquín is a crush. Do I miss hanging out with him? Yes. But I'm sure the shininess of Joaquín's friendship will fade with time."
"Or will it grow until you finally crack and go visit him," Tony says as he reappears. You open your mouth to retort, but he stalls you with a hand held up. "Pep, Morgan, and I are going to California for a month to oversee SI over there and you.. you are going to take a month off to go see Joaquín or just pamper yourself or whatever."
"What? But- are you sure? I don't- I don't want to take too much time off. I love my job and my place here, and-"
"Your job is safe," Pepper assures you. "Your home with us is safe. We just- we realized you need to have more time for yourself."
"Yeah. We love how fast you've caught on to understanding SI under Pepper and how you treat Morgan like your little sister, but you need some personal time too, Y/N."
"So, take the month. You'll still be getting paid, because let's be honest, you're basically a Stark anyway. But go. Have fun. And send me updates," Pepper says with a smirk.
Huffing a laugh of disbelief, you slowly nod. "Okay. Um, when do you three leave for California?"
"Next week," Tony tells you. "I might have been in contact with Cap and learned they have a lull of activity right now," he muses. "And found out that the compound they're stationed at has some spare rooms for guests."
You try not to smile, but you can't help it. "Fine. I'll make some calls or something."
"Atta girl. Also, don't put out on the first date."
"Tony!" Both you and Pepper scold as he barks out a laugh.
. .
You kept up with texting Joaquín, wanting to surprise him rather than have him anticipate your visit. Sam gave you dates in which they'd be free, so you booked your trip around that.
Only on your way to their compound, Sam sends you a quick message that he and Joaquín got called out to disassemble a cult that was showing signs of mass terrorism. You ask if he wants some help and he replies that he won't say no to an extra hand.
You finish your drive to their special compound that they work out of and live at, parking your vehicle and stashing your luggage in the room Sam told you that you could occupy. Afterwards, you apply a photostatic veil and suit up, and have FRIDAY bring up the map for the coordinates that Sam had sent you.
The flight there isn't far, especially when you use the thrusters to get there faster.
From the distance, you can see the standoff between a line of cult members, and Sam, Joaquín and members of the army that worked with Sam. You're almost there when tempers suddenly flare, and the cult members attack. Only, they're fighting without any weapons so the army is hesitant to use theirs.
Sam, Joaquín, and the army obviously have hand-to-hand combat training, but you still don't like seeing them take the odd punch that gets past their blocking. And then when you see a small group converge on Joaquín, and he hesitates to use the repulsors Tony added to his suit, you change your direction.
You land in front of Joaquín, squaring off against his would-be attackers and wagging a finger at them while tutting in disapproval. "Didn't your master teach you to not touch what isn't yours?" The men sneer at you, and you back up to Joaquín's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Mine," you tell them. "And you've pissed me off for daring to touch."
The men shout before lunging and you have no qualms about using your repulsors, the electricity electrocuting them and knocking them out. Joaquín whoops in cheer and you turn as your mask dissolves to show your face.
His smile falters and you laugh. "Photostatic veil, Torres."
"Oh. Right. Is this face someone you know or stolen from the internet?"
"Nah. Totally AI made. I would feel weird using a real person's face."
"Good."
And with the fight going on around you, Joaquín grasps your face and kisses you. It's really just him pressing his lips to yours, well his lips to your teeth really as you end up smiling like a dumbass.
"Falcon, Sparky! Is now really the time for that?!" You hear Sam shout.
You pull apart, turning towards Sam. "Sorry, Cap!"
Laughing, you then reach forward with one hand to grasp Joaquín by the neck and pull him in for a brief peck on the lips. "We're definitely finishing this later."
"Yes, ma'am."
And with that, your mask recovers your face and you take to the sky before flying low and electrocuting everyone you can.
. .
After the cult members have been dealt with, zip tied and then transported to holding, Sam introduces you as Sparky to the rest of his team. You speak with them, answering a couple of questions here and there. And when they ask just who you are and how you have an Iron Man suit, you jokingly tell them that Stark is the Daddy Warbucks to your orphan Annie.
Sam dismisses everyone at that, and you wait with him until it's time for Sam and Joaquín to fly back to the compound.
And once you're back at the compound, you let your suit dissolve back into your bracelet. Joaquín is eager to approach you, and he reaches behind your ear to deactivate the photostatic veil. "There's my girl."
You wrinkle your nose as you laugh, accepting Joaquín's kiss and hug.
"Aw, you guys are cute."
You and Joaquín separate, but his arm remains around our shoulders. It's like now that you've crossed the line into romantic territory, all bets were off about how much he could touch you.
"Hi, Sam," you muse.
"Sparky." His lips twitch in amusement. "How was the drive over?"
"It was good."
"Wait, you knew she was coming?" Joaquín asks and then glances at you. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"We wanted it to be a surprise. Tony and Pepper went to California, and they gave me a month of paid time off to just have fun."
"You're gonna be here for a month?" He seems to perk back up.
"Yep. Unless you and Sam need to go on some confidential mission that I can't be privy to, I'll be here."
He glances at Sam and Sam raises his hands in mock surrender, chuckling. "The best I can give you is a week, but if anything pops up that I need you for-"
"I'm there. No doubt. But my week starts tomorrow because I'm beat and all I want is a shower, some food, and some cuddles."
"You're so lucky you met a girl whose love language is cozy night-ins," Sam says.
"Right?" You grin. "So are we cooking or do you guys get take-out here?"
"Normally, we'd cook, but I'm craving one of those big ass burritos from Chipotle."
"Oh god, yes," you groan.
"Let's order now since it'll take them over an hour to get here," Joaquín says.
The three of you huddle together, letting Joaquín take the reins by ordering whatever you and Sam say to order. All three of you get burritos, plus cups of queso and vinaigrette, as well as two bowls and two bags of chips to use for dipping in the bowls. Then afterwards, each of you go and take showers, dressing in comfortable clothing to laze around in.
When you get out, Joaquín is waiting outside your room. He smiles and crowds you against the wall, taking the time to properly kiss you. Your smile instantly vanishes as you melt into him, teeth nipping and tongues sliding against one another as one of his hands slides down to grip your thigh and lift your left to hitch on his hip. And then when he's seemingly had his fill of you, he quietly groans as he pulls back but leaves his forehead resting against yours.
"I've wanted to do that since I met you."
"Same." Looking down at your hips pressed tightly together, you grin. "Although, I don't think the hallway is the time or place. Sam's nosy. He'll come around the corner soon and never let us live this down."
"You're right." Joaquín presses one more kiss to your lips. "Now let's go get those cuddles in before the food gets here."
. .
When Sam finds Joaquín and Y/N, he can't help but smile. Both are lightly dozing, Joaquín wrapped around Y/N as she's pressed between him and the back of the sofa. He sets the food on the coffee table and Joaquín wakes, staring at his friend.
"Food's here," Sam says. Joaquín sleepily smiles and starts to stretch. "Look at you cheesin' like a fool in love."
"Hey, man, when you know you know."
"Yeah? This thing between you two gonna be serious?"
"For sure. But I guess I'll just have to wait and see how she feels about this."
"She," you tiredly speak up, "feels really good about this. But we will have to have a conversation about how we're going to make this work."
"Yeah?" You don't have to look at Joaquín to know he's smiling. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I have my Falcon suit and you have your Sparky suit. Long distance won't be an issue for us."
Huffing a laugh, you start to push up off Joaquín so you can get to your food. "Or we can just drive back and forth, and not abuse our suits."
"Yeah, or-"
"Oh my god, no." You laugh and finally get up. "Now, let's eat and go cuddle in one of our beds."
Sam scoffs. "Be real. You are not going to be using the room I had made up for you."
"Sorry, Sam. If I had known Joaquín would jump me as soon as I got here, I wouldn't have had you go through the trouble."
He barks out a laugh. "S'all good, Y/N. I'm just glad he grew a pair and I don't have to witness all the sexual tension."
"What kind of girl do you think I am, Cap?" You muse. "You really think I'm gonna put out before the first date?"
"Are you really trying to tell me all those hangouts at the tower don't count as dates?"
You smirk at him. "I guess the judgement on those hangouts falls to Joaquín, huh?"
You and Sam both glance at the man in question to find his mouth slightly agape. "Yep. Dates. Those counted."
Sam barks out a laugh, shaking his head. "Get your butt up and eat your food, man. And no funny business until I get some noise cancelling headphones! We're not at Stark Tower right now, so the walls here aren't that soundproof."
Summary: You would have never pined after a man like Daryl Dixon. Until you do.
Words: 15,281
Author's Note: This has been sitting in my drafts for MONTHS!
If you're gonna nitpick, click the 'x'.
What you need to know is that Outbreak Day happens just weeks into the Reader and Beth's senior year of high school, so the girls are both about to be 18. And I'm just going to assume Daryl is in his late 20's which will later make this an AGE GAP. If you're not comfortable with an age gap, click the 'x'.
Also, Beth lives because I need someone to girl talk with lol.
Here's your TRIGGER WARNING for mentions of past SA.
You had known the Greene family since the sixth grade, when the school counselors accidentally messed up your class schedule. Nowhere on your paperwork had you asked to be put in the Future Farmers of America class, but they put you in the FFA class anyway. Everyone in that first period class were kids you knew who either grew up on a farm or worked with farm animals. You were the only one who was out of place, but Beth Greene was kind enough to help you out.
Funnily enough, for being a city kid, you loved learning about crops and farm animals.
Since then, you and Beth had been attached at the hip. You even went to Sunday church with her, getting to know her parents Hershel and Annette, her sister Maggie, and her stepbrother Shawn.
For years you were the happy-go-lucky gal, and then junior year happened. Your whole demeanor and attitude changed, and no one except for Beth knew why. But she was such a good friend that she never told anyone why, so everyone chalked it up to teenage hormones.
The Greenes took your change in stride, but your parents hated it. Gone were the dresses and skirts, the girly-ness, and gone was their perfect little girl. So, when your father got a new job hundreds of miles away, you threw the most intense tantrum ever when he decided a change was in order. You would not leave your best friend, especially when you were only one year away from graduating high school. You had been so distraught and on the verge of ruining your relationship with your parents when Hershel suggested you stay with his family until you graduated.
And just like that, you were an honorary Greene.
Everything turned out fine, but just as you were learning to let go of what happened in the past, the dead started to reawaken and attack the living. You'd heard the stories and seen the videos, and you couldn't believe what you were seeing. But Hershel didn't- he couldn't believe the people were dead. He firmly believed they were just sick, and that belief became stronger when Shawn was attacked by a neighbor that had wandered onto the Greene farm.
After Shawn, Annette was attacked. It was a blow to the Greene family, but Hershel would not believe that his wife and step-son were dead. So, he put them in the barn until a cure could be found.
Slowly but surely, all contact with the outside world was gone. When you accompanied Maggie on a trip to the pharmacy for some much needed hygiene products, the two of you got to see first hand what the world came to. It was then Maggie started to realize that maybe her daddy was wrong, but there was no changing Hershel's mind.
As the days passed, Hershel's neighbors and farmworkers Patricia and Otis joined you on the farm. You gave up your room for them, moving into Beth's room. And then Beth's boyfriend Jimmy came knocking, but Hershel put him on a cot in the living room.
Then food started becoming scarce, so Otis took to hunting for your meals.
Boredom eventually kicked in and there was nothing to do around the farm. You tried to help out as much as you could, but Hershel wanted you and Beth to do nothing. Eventually though, you managed to rig up a washing machine just outside on the side of the house with a barrel, an old agitator, and an old bike. Hershel had been grateful, especially since he wanted to use as little power as possible.
Then came the others, brought in by Otis because he'd accidentally shot a young boy when hunting a buck.
Having newcomers on the farm was very tense, but at least Maggie was enjoying her time with the new boy Glenn. You and Beth, however, took to watching everyone from her bedroom window. Not only were they staying on the farm to await the fate of young Carl, but they were also looking for a little girl that went by the name of Sophia. They seemed close knit and desperate to stay on the farm, but Hershel wanted them gone as soon as possible.
As you watched the group go through their ups and downs, you noticed a bit of a power struggle between Rick and Shane. But it was none of your business, so you turned a blind eye to it. You did, however, meet the others though you felt as if you were out of your element among them. They seemed to have a schedule among each other, working jobs and rotating shifts. And there was you, doing nothing but gossiping like a teenager as if the world hadn't turned upside down.
To everyone else, you were just a kid- a kid who needed to be looked after.
And the one night it all changed still sits vividly in your mind.
Shane had rallied his group into a mob, pissed off that there were people- or walkers, as you heard the group call them- in the barn. Hershel and Rick had gone off the farm somewhere, so you and Beth and the others had convened on the porch to watch the mayhem take place.
Though you knew the people in the barn were dead, it was still hard to watch them be put down. You held onto Beth as she cried for her brother and mother, but you kept it together for her. And though you didn't know the girl Sophia, it absolutely broke your heart when you realized the girl had been in the barn the entire time.
Afterwards, Beth went catatonic and Hershel went missing. As Rick and Glenn went looking for him, you talked to your friend, expressing how you'd be there for her no matter what and that you couldn't survive this new world without her. You realized you were getting through to her when she grabbed your hand, and then you wanted to scratch Andrea's face off when she entered the room after you'd gone for a bathroom break, and you heard her talking about how some people were 'opting out' and that she wouldn't hold it against Beth if she took that route. You yelled for Maggie, and Lori surprised you when she showed up as well, yelling at Andrea to get her damn head straight.
Beth cried as she came out of her state of shock, telling you how she thought she should kill herself because this new world was scary. But you wouldn't let her. You couldn't.
And then just as you were settling down after a crazy afternoon, Rick and Glenn show up with Hershel and an injured individual. Though he was blindfolded, you could still tell who it was and it made your blood run cold. Beth had noticed right away that you'd gone pale and when she inquired as to why, you told her who they had just brought onto the farm.
Immediately, Beth was no longer thinking about her life. She was thinking about yours.
You'd gone quiet. Too quiet. Only Beth had noticed, but then again you think this is the moment Daryl- the hunter- noticed too.
As the groups converged in the living room to talk about what they should do with Randall, you went back to your room to retrieve the switchblade you'd bought after that terrible night junior year. When they admitted they needed more information out of him about his group, you followed them and hid out of sight.
Only when Randall pleaded that he was innocent, that he wasn't like the other men in his group did you make your presence known.
"They won't believe you, you said." Stepping out of the shadows, Rick and Shane and Daryl stepped back in surprise as you stalked towards their hostage. "Are you sure you weren't asking for it, they said." Stopping near his bound ankles, you squatted down to meet those dark eyes you've never forgotten. "You were a manipulative liar then and you're still a manipulative liar now.. Jesse."
"Who the hell is Jesse?" Daryl had grunted.
Jesse, who told these men that his name was Randall, paled. "Y-Y/N?"
"Do you remember what I told you the last time we spoke?" You asked.
Jesse gulped, shaking his head. "P-Please. I've changed. I promise!"
"No. You haven't. And I told you karma would get you in the end. It's me. I'm your karma."
Before Jesse could retort, you'd reached for the switchblade in your boot, flipped open the blade, and slit his throat deep enough that Hershel wouldn't be able to help him.
Rick and Shane had shouted and pulled you away, and Daryl stepped up to check on Jesse. "Well, I guess we don't need to take vote on whether we should kill 'im or not."
Disgruntled, Rick marched you back into Hershel's home and made you stand before everyone while he told them what you did. Everyone but Beth were shocked and you did your best to hold it together while everyone asked you the same question over and over. Why?
Since that night in your junior year, you had only told Beth and your school counselors.
"He lied to you," you'd said. "His name wasn't Randall; it was Jesse."
"And how did you know Jesse?" Rick had asked.
"He-" Your voice wobbles, throat swelling with emotion as your sight goes blurry with tears. "He-"
Beth had stepped up to your side then, grabbing your hand and twining your fingers together. "You brought her rapist onto our farm."
The entire room goes quiet and you avoid everyone's gaze.
"Oh, sweetheart." Hershel's fatherly tone made your tears finally fall and Maggie rushed to hug you. She held you as you quietly broke down. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"She told the counselors at school," Beth admitted, "but they didn't take her seriously. They basically said she was asking for it because she wore dresses nearly every day or that she knowingly led him on."
"I was too ashamed," you then told them between sniffles, head resting on Maggie's shoulder. "I didn't- I couldn't have the police tell me the same thing, so I-"
"You hardened yourself." Maggie smoothed her hand up and down your back. "Everything makes so much sense now."
With one last sniffle, you had briefly pulled yourself together and stepped back from Maggie to address the room. Specifically old man Dale who had been begging to spare Randall's life. "He took my life last year, so I was only returning the favor like I told him I would if I ever saw him again."
You didn't know what to expect after that night, but it wasn't for the women to treat you like you were fragile or for the men to look at you with respect in their eyes.
It was only a day later, as you sat on the tire swing behind the farmhouse, that Daryl approached you to give you back your now clean switchblade and a hunting knife with a belt sheath because, according to him, switchblades weren't that great for taking out the walkers.
And then, it was only after the farm had fallen that you noticed how Daryl gravitated towards you. He always kept himself in front of you, made sure you were warm, or that you had enough food and water when he caught you sneaking your portion to pregnant Lori. You didn't know what his deal was, but it made you feel a tiny bit special.
Because while everyone had someone looking out for them, you had no one. Not really.
But now, there was apparently Daryl.
After the prison had fallen, you did your best to run in the direction you last saw Daryl and Beth run off in. But the dead cut you off, you got turned around, and you were left to fend for yourself.
You walked for days with no real destination in mind, clutching your hunting knife and taking out the dead that got too close for comfort. And then, a miracle happens.
You'd been keeping to the woods so as to not be spotted by someone who could be non-friendly when you spot an individual siphoning gas from a car on the highway. You made sure to stay hidden as you watched them, but when that person turned.. you let out a laugh of disbelief.
Stepping out from between the trees, you shout, "Carol!"
Carol turns, hand on her knife at her hip. When she spots you, her hand drops and you take off sprinting towards her. And then when you collide with her, arms wrapping around her, you cry.
"Y/N? What are you- what are you doing way out here?"
"It's gone. The prison is gone."
"What?" Carol pulled away, hands holding you at arm's length. "What do you mean?"
"The governor came back." Your expression crumbled then. "H-He killed Hershel." As the tears fell, she pulled you back into a hug. "They took down our fences. They had a tank and blew apart one of the prison walls. The dead were everywhere."
"Where is everyone else?"
"I don't know."
Carol gave you a moment to collect herself and then she wanted to go see the prison for herself. She hadn't known what was going on since Rick had apparently banished her- a banishment you saw no reasoning for. Given how sick Karen and David were, and the fact that there was no cure for the sickness they had, you felt Carol did the right thing by putting them out of their misery and doing her best to prevent the spread. Unfortunately, it still spread, and Carol had been kicked out of her home.
When you eventually got back to the prison, it made your chest ache to see it again, even more so when you saw a few walkers that bore familiar faces. The bus that was meant to escape with the children had only made it a few yards from where it was originally parked and there was fresh blood splatter everywhere.
Carol made the decision to check the armory and load up on any weapons left behind. So, you did. And then you drove, hoping to find anyone on the road.
Tyrese must have racked up some good karma somewhere in his life because you found him in the nick of time, clutching Judith to his chest with one hand while he wielded an axe with the other, fending off the dead. So when you and Carol dispatched the dead for him, he sagged with relief. He told you he'd originally been with the kids Lizzie and Mika, but that something was wrong with Lizzie and she had willingly let her and Mika be swarmed by the dead. Now, he was alone with Judith looking for everyone else.
It didn't long to notice the Terminus signs, Terminus being a place of sanctuary. Tyrese was all for heading straight there, especially when he spotted one sign that bore Maggie's name and a note from Glenn saying they were headed there. But Carol was skeptical about it, and you trusted her instincts. So, after finding a cabin in the woods for Tyrese to hole up in with Judith, you and Carol went to scope out Terminus. And what you saw left you terrified for your friends.
So, you and Carol planned, and then you went to save your friends. Your family.
.
Rick and Daryl do a head count after escaping Terminus, checking on everyone to make sure they're okay. Glenn, Maggie, Beth, and Tara are huddled together. Eugene is sandwiched between Abraham and Rosita. Bob and Sasha are leaning on each other for support, and Michonne is guarding Carl as if her life depends on it.
"Everyone okay?" Rick asks.
No one speaks, but there are nods all around. Then, a branch snaps, and everyone looks in the direction it came from. Seconds later, Carol steps out with a rifle in hand.
Daryl takes off running, expression crumbling as he hugs the life out of her. Everyone smiles, relieved, and joins them.
"You? You did that?" Rick asks, eyes teary as he points back at Terminus. Terminus, which is now on fire.
Carol nods, accepting Rick's hug and quiet apology for banishing her. "Well, it wasn't all me."
"What do you mean?"
"Goddammit! Stupid cannibal motherfuckers!" Someone snorts and people start turning, looking for the source. "I almost ate a hamburger in there, Carol! A human hamburger! I nearly barfed on the crazy lady."
Even though they just came out of a life and death situation, several of the group can't help but snicker.
"Y/N?" Beth stumbles away from the group, gaze set on the figure that's covered in a gut soaked poncho and mud marring their face.
Hearing your name, you look up and smile. "Heya, gang. Fancy meeting you all here."
Beth nearly tackles you in a hug, forcing you to drop your rifle. She cries tears of relief, mumbling over and over about how she knew you weren't dead. Maggie hugs you after her, and then there's Daryl. You can see the relief in his red-rimmed eyes, but you don't say anything to him. Instead, you let him grasp you by the back of your neck and rest his forehead against yours.
Smiling, you reach up and cup the side of his neck. "Hey, it's okay."
"Thought 'ya were gone."
"Thought the same thing 'bout you, but then I remembered you were a Dixon. You ain't goin' nowhere." He huffs in amusement and finally pulls back, his own hand going up to wrap around your wrist. He pulls your hand down, but doesn't let go. "Got you a present on my way out of that hell hole."
"If it's one of those burgers, I'll pass."
"Ha. Ha," you deadpan. The group chuckles and then you start pulling the poncho off. Beneath it, Daryl's crossbow is strapped to your back. "Thought you might want this back."
Daryl helps you take it off your back, flashing you a faint grin that his hair hides.
"Sorry I couldn't grab more," you then address the group, "but there were a lot more crazies in there than I expected."
"S'fine," Rick says. "I'm just glad you got out okay."
You're then introduced to the newcomers of the group, nodding politely as they express their thanks for helping them out. Rick then digs up a few weapons he had been smart to bury before they stepped into Terminus, and then Carol reminds you about the cabin. Your eyes light up as you tell Rick and Sasha you have a surprise for them and then lead them to the cabin.
Watching Rick and Carl reunite with Judith and Sasha reunite with Tyrese was well worth keeping the secret, even when Carl pestered you the entire walk there.
Having just gone through the traumatic event of nearly being killed to be prepped for dinner, the group was not fond of going anywhere near any well-traveled roads or towns. Rick had everyone keep to the woods and then take a break to gather their wits about them when he spotted an abandoned church.
The church itself had been boarded up, and when the group forced their way in there had only been five dead wandering around. It was obvious they had taken their own lives, but none of you could figure out why given they still had a small food stash to ration between them. But their loss was your gain, and you didn't even bat an eye when the food got passed around.
Sitting against an overturned pew, you're starting to nod off when you feel a presence over you. You look up in time to see Daryl stepping over your legs, grunting as he takes a seat to your left.
"'Ya gotta eat somethin'." He holds out two cans between you. "Fruit cocktail or chili?"
"Or how 'bout we do the smart thing and split 'em? That way we both have a little variety."
"I'm down."
You faintly smile as Daryl pulls two spoons from his pocket. The cans, fortunately, have easy open pull tabs, so you and Daryl can dig in right away. You've never been a fan of cold chili, but right now it tastes like the best thing ever. And then when you've eaten half the can, you switch with Daryl and enjoy some fruit and fruit juice.
When you're done, you set the can aside and sigh softly. Your head rolls to the side and you stare at the archer who's staring ahead at everyone else. "How are you doin', Daryl?"
He grunts. "Hmm?"
"Well, cannibals did try to eat you. Just tryin' to see how you're holdin' up."
"M'fine. What 'bout 'ya?"
"M'good. Just exhausted."
He nods. "We all are. I think we're gonna hunker down here for a few days, so get some sleep while 'ya can."
"Yes, sir."
Daryl huffs and you glance around trying to determine a comfortable position in which to fall asleep in. There's no place better than where you currently are, so you scoot to the right and lay down with your head near Daryl's hip. Then curling your arm beneath your head, you close your eyes and settle in.
.
The next time you open your eyes, there are slivers of sunshine beaming in through the boarded-up windows. You groan as you stretch out of your curled position, brow furrowing when you feel material under your cheek. Pushing yourself up, you grab the folded material and shake it out, surprised to find that it's Daryl's prized vest with the angel wings on the back.
Huffing, you don the vest and get up to see what's on the agenda for the day.
Half the group is asleep or attempting to sleep and others are stationed at the windows to keep watch for anything or anyone outside.
As you approach Daryl and Rick, both men turn to glance at you while clocking the vest hanging on your shoulders. "You know, I thought I'd feel cooler wearing the vest," you say with a yawn. "Sadly, I don't." Rick grins in amusement, reaching over to ruffle your hair. You scowl at him, stepping closer to Daryl. "Has anyone found a bathroom here? I need to pee and I'm not poppin' a squat during the day."
Daryl grins. "What is it wit' 'ya an' poppin' a squat durin' daylight hours?"
"M'not tryin' to flash my ass to friend or foe, Dixon. Now, bathroom?"
Chuckling, Rick points out the general direction. "Just follow the hallway. It's all been cleared already."
After relieving yourself, you decide to be nosy and go through each room. There's not much to find, which you assumed would be the case, but still you look. You shuffle through some papers on a desk, only stopping on a flyer for a food pantry event. You stare at it, wondering why the paper seems important. Minutes pass and then you clock the day of the event. You look for a calendar and start connecting the dots.
The day of the food pantry was to take place two weeks after Outbreak Day. So if no one was smart enough, there's potentially a lot of food just sitting on shelves.
With a bit of renewed energy, you scour the room for a map or something just to tell you what the church's address is. You have the address for the building where food should hopefully be stockpiled, and after you conveniently find a map of the town, you map a route from the church to the food pantry.
Folding the papers, you shove them in your back pocket and go look for Rick. You find him and Daryl in the same spot you left them.
Approaching them once more, you lower your voice as you say, "I wanna head into town." Both men stare at you like you're crazy, so you pull out the pantry flyer and the map you marked the route. "I found this in the back office," you tell them as you show them the food pantry flyer first. "It was supposed to take place two weeks after Outbreak Day. Now, there are hundreds of flyers in a box back there, which means they never got around to advertising it. If the people from the church didn't make it far, how much you wanna bet there's a room full of food still there?"
"It's a longshot," Rick says.
"But it's still a shot." Unfolding the map, you show them how you already mapped out a route. "If it's empty, then it's empty. But if it's not, we can stay here just a little bit longer to regain our strength and scout for a more permanent place."
Rick mulls it over before glancing at Daryl. "What do 'ya think?"
Chewing on the corner of his thumbnail, he shrugs. "She got a point, but we gotta keep the group small."
"Fine, but I want you two on point."
You smile, nudging Daryl when it looks like he wants to argue. "Cheer up, Dixon. It'll be fine. In an' out."
"'Ya just jinxed us, moron."
Rick huffs at the two of you and then he gathers everyone to tell them of your plan. He asks for volunteers, but only volunteers that actually got some rest the previous night. Tyrese, Sasha, and Bob all volunteer.
As you're preparing to leave, Beth approaches. "Are you sure you should be going?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?" You catch your friend's distraught expression. "I'll be fine, Beth. I won't be alone."
"I know. I just-" She sighs. "I hate you being out there. I was so scared for you after the prison, but it was Daryl who kept assuring me that you'd be fine."
"Really? Dixon?" You muse.
Beth nods and her somber expression suddenly turns mischievous. "He also mentioned how he's seen a change in you. Apparently, he's been watching since the farm."
You shove her, cheeks heating with a blush. "Shut up."
"It's.. cute," she settles on. "Didn't think he'd be your type, but you're parading around in his vest and-"
You glance down, eyes widening. "I forgot I was wearing it! It's not what you think. He just- and I'm-"
"Adorable. You're stammering now."
"I hate you. So much." Beth laughs and you quickly shush her, making her giggle wildly.
As you strip out of Daryl's vest to hand it back to him before you leave, Maggie and Glenn walk over to make sure you're fine with going along. And after telling them it'd been your idea to check the food pantry, they back off. Maggie then stares at you for a moment, eyes misting over as she explains how much you've grown from your time on the farm.
You smile at her, but then Beth quickly ruins by saying, "She has changed. Especially her taste in the opposite sex."
Glenn tries to hide his smile, but Maggie has no such restraint. She smiles wide and wiggles her eyebrows at you. "Oh, I noticed. I didn't think redneck hunters were-"
"And that's my cue to go."
This time, Glenn joins the girls in their merriment as you stalk off. Sasha, Bob, and Tyrese are already with Daryl, and you join them. Daryl gets his vest back and then once everyone is ready to go, you head on out.
Daryl takes the lead while Tyrese brings up the rear. In the middle are you, Sasha, and Bob. All five of you are quiet, eyes peeled for any dead or living. You guide Daryl where to go since you're the one with the map, and then when you make it to the main street everyone's guard really goes up.
You tell the group to be on the lookout for the Family Services Food Bank and Thrift Store, and it isn't long until you find it. The windows are all still intact, so hope starts to swell within you. But the moment you enter and take a look around, that hope diminishes. Sure, the place has been picked through, but not overly so. In fact, there are some good clothing options still hanging on the racks. But the thing that dampens the mood is the gaping hole in the floor in the center of the room. And when you peer down into it, the room that houses shelves of food items is half filled with murky water and several dead.
Sasha sighs. "Well, the food is ruined."
"Nah. The stuff outta the water should be fine," Daryl says as he points it out.
"So now the question is; do we risk it?" Bob asks.
"I think we can," Daryl says. He points as he talks. "Stay behind the shelves an' reach through to stab. No guns."
"That's a bit of a steep slide in," Tyrese says, eying the piece of floor that had dropped in, remaining angled like a ramp. "I think I should stay up here. Find something to move anything we take back."
"Yeah. Good idea," Sasha says.
Daryl slides down first, immediately stabbing one of the walkers in the head that had started reaching through the shelves for him. He turns back towards the group, gesturing you down. So you slide down with help from Bob, grunting as Daryl catches you. You then watch his six as Bob helps Sasha down before he slides down behind her.
For a few minutes, everything is fine. You reach through the shelves to stab the dead, making sure the shelves stay upright. And then when the coast is clear, all four of you make your way to the other side of the shelves.
Daryl comes up with a system of grabbing something from the shelves and passing it to Sasha, she then passing it to Bob, and Bob passing it to you- you who happens to be crouched on the fallen floor so you can toss it up to Tyrese. You keep it up long enough to fill a wheelbarrow that Tyrese had found when shit hits the fan.
One moment you had slid down to stand behind Bob, laughing as he cracked a joke. Next, Bob is yelping and lifting his left out of the water, only to find a living dead clinging to him. Four more suddenly stand from the water and you're so confused as to why they waited until now to pop up.
But that question will forever go unanswered.
Bob suddenly stumbles back, knocking into you harshly. You stumble back, the water doing you know favors, and you fall.
You fall straight into a damaged wall, shouting as a piece of rebar pierces straight through your left shoulder.
"Y/N!" Daryl shouts.
"I'm fine! Clear the dead!" You shout back, gritting your teeth against the pain afterward. Grasping your knife from its holster, you stand there, pinned to the wall. One of the walkers stumbles towards you, but Bob puts it down before it can get too close for comfort. You nod at him in thanks, letting your head fall back and eyes close. And then there are gentle hands on your pain-free shoulder, and instantly you mumble, "M'fine."
"I think it's a clean through and through," Sasha says as she studies the wound. "Can you move your arm?"
"Yeah." You lift your arm for her, wincing. "Just hurts like hell."
She chuckles. "I bet."
"She gon' be okay?" Daryl asks, looking over her shoulder alongside Bob.
"Yeah. We just need to get back to the others. I think there's a bottle of alcohol there that we can use to sanitize. As for closing the wound, that's gonna be a little trickier."
"Worry 'bout getting the food upstairs," you say. "I can hold out-"
"Fuck the food." Daryl grunts. "You're more important."
Daryl's words shock you quiet and even Sasha arches an eyebrow at them. But no one says a thing and Tyrese interrupts the moment.
"Here. Use this," he says, tossing down several torn pieces of cloth. "When you pull her off, it's gonna bleed like crazy. Drape a folded piece of cloth over her shoulder where it's covering both entry and exit wounds and tie another strip over it and under her armpit. That'll have to do until we get back to the others."
"Fuck. This is gonna suck."
"Sorry." Sasha weakly grins at you. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
Sasha nods and then grasps you by your uninjured shoulder and around your ribs closest to the wound. When she yanks you forward, you yelp in pain and don't bother hiding the tears that stream down your face. Bob hurries to get the wound covered and then all three of them are pushing you up the fallen floor so Tyrese can pull you out.
"Someone take what we have," you say while gesturing to the wheelbarrow. "And someone better come back for the rest. We're not leaving good food behind because I took a fall."
"I got it."
Sasha ends up pushing the wheelbarrow as Tyrese and Daryl flank you on the walk back. No one says anything about the blood dripping from your fingertips, but they do pick up the speed. But halfway back, you stumble and Tyrese is quick to swoop you up into his arms. You groan, mostly in embarrassment, and Daryl glares at Tyrese.
"I don't mean to overstep, man, but you got faster reflexes than I do. You can protect us better than I can if walkers surprise us."
A moment passes and then Daryl nods.
You get back to the church in record time and there's a flurry of movement as they realize something is wrong.
After a quick explanation of what's going on, Maggie grabs a bottle of liquor that she intends to pour over your wound to clean it.
"We don't- we don't have any needles or thread," Beth says, tears in her eyes. "How are we going to close it?"
The group is at a loss of what to do when you finally speak up. "Cauterize it." Everyone seems horrified at that answer, but you tiredly shrug. "M'losin' too much blood. We don't have a way to stitch it closed, so.. cauterize it."
"I- I can do it," Bob says.
Everyone goes into motion then, getting a fire started and finding the widest knives to use- two knives to be exact because Bob is going to have Sasha help him so they only have to burn you once rather than put you through that pain twice.
When it's time, Beth kneels at your side. "Here. Bite on this."
She hands you a leather belt and you fold it, smiling in thanks. Daryl then kneels on your other side. "Ready?"
"Not really, but I gotta be."
"Bite down on that belt, Y/N," Bob says.
Your breath hitches and Daryl grabs your hand, cradling your uninjured arm. "S'gonna be okay. You can do this."
You gulp, nodding. Then you put the belt between your teeth, clenching down on it and body tense as Sasha and Bob make their way towards you with red hot machetes.
"Look at me. Don't look at 'em." Your breath comes faster and faster as you turn to meet Daryl's gaze. "If 'ya gotta pass out, pass out. Don't hang on."
You nod and it's like your hearing stops working as Bob kneels behind you and Sasha in front of you. There's a muffled countdown.. and then excruciating pain. You scream through clenched teeth, tears flowing, and Daryl holds onto you tighter. You sob and then black envelops you as your body goes lax.
When you finally manage to stay conscious long enough to sit up and know what's going on, it's two days later and you find out that Bob has passed. You're shocked speechless, and Beth quietly explains that Bob had been bitten on the leg beneath the water, but he didn't want to say anything just then. His top priority had been to get you to safety and patched up. Then after you were settled, he told the group about his bite. The fever kicked in quickly and he had only lasted six hours before he succumbed to the infection.
Everyone had been happy to see you awake, but you were sad and apologized profusely to Sasha for Bob's death. Thankfully, she didn't blame you as the food was needed and Bob had made the decision to go himself.
You had kept to yourself afterwards, blaming yourself even when no one else did. You found yourself in a funk, only eating when someone thrusted food in front of you. And then when everyone seemed well rested and the food ran out, Daryl found a small river to collect water from, boil it, and fill everyone's drinking jugs as you all looked for a new location to settle in.
For days you walked, armed and ready for any threat that may come your way. The group was tired and hungry, but more so you were all desperate for some semblance of security. Unfortunately, there was none to be found.
Your energy started to wane by day four, and you found Daryl and Beth flanking you to prevent you from taking a spill.
The daytime heat and humidity killed you, and there was barely any reprieve at night.
And then you ran out of water.
After the water ran out, everyone quickly went downhill. People became snippy, so no one talked. Daryl hunted as much as he could, but one or two squirrels was not enough for the group and all food went to baby Judith first.
Life was miserable.
Even more so when walkers started gathering into a herd, following you. And then when they became too many, Rick hatched a plan to take them all on together. So, you did.
During and after, you nearly blacked out several times but you couldn't let your family down. Not again. So you pushed through, falling on your ass after the last walker had been dispatched, and then crawling off to the side so you could lay in the grass. Everyone joined you, exhausted, and all you wanted to do was cry.
It was quiet one moment, and then snarls from a pack of feral dogs made you pick up your head. Your group didn't even bat an eye, too exhausted to do anything, but a single gunshot from Abraham took down one dog and made the others scatter.
"Dinner is served."
The dog was quite filling for everyone, but you still needed water.
Then after a night of trying to sleep on full stomachs, Rick demanded everyone get a move on. But after stumbling one too many times, Daryl called for a break. He and Beth made you comfortable under the shade of a tree, and the others went to look for food, water, or shelter. You had rested your eyes and accidentally dozed off, only to wake with everyone in a panicked paranoia because a case of water had appeared in the middle of the road.
A few of the group are desperate enough to risk drinking the water, but Rick is sure it's poisoned. Eugene attempted to drink some, but Abraham knocked it out of his with an annoyed shout. And then when he looked to be near tears, a miracle happened.
It started to rain.
Relieved, you actually started to cry. And then Beth pulled you to your feet, dancing around you in joy. But the joy and relief was short lived as the rumbling thunder became ominous, and Daryl urged everyone towards a barn he found earlier.
The storm had raged as everyone tried to find sleep, but Judith's cries and the thunder had attracted walkers to your location. They piled against the barn doors and it took nearly everyone pushing all their weight against them to keep them closed.
The following morning, it seemed like a tornado had just missed the barn.
And then Aaron introduced himself, bringing food for Judith, and a story about a community called Alexandria that was looking for people who hadn't lost themselves in this new world.
Alexandria was unlike anything you've seen since Outbreak Day. It was.. it was almost like they were stuck in time- a time before the dead started to walk. People sat on their porches, waving and talking and drinking ice cold lemonade or water. Teenagers roamed the streets, sticking together since there were only a select few of them. Many people had jobs to keep the community running smoothly, but others lounged around and dug around their flower beds without a care in the world.
The group spent a few days crammed into one house, practically sleeping on top of one another, but then Rick deemed it safe to finally spread out and put in an effort to become an Alexandrian.
You tried. You really did. But after one botched scavenging trip, you returned to Alexandria with fury blazing in your eyes. You had marched up to Deanna's office where she was taking lunch with her husband Reg, and thanked her for the house and food but that you'd be taking your leave. Both she and Reg seemed shocked, and asked you to think about it, but you refused.
They had followed you outside where Glenn, Aiden, and Aiden's friend Nicholas were still milling about, and they asked why you had made such a drastic decision to leave. Glenn seemed shocked and Aiden had scoffed, and you hit your limit. You had whirled on Deanna, pointing an accusing finger at her son.
"Because Aiden and Nicholas are immature little twats!" There was a huff of amusement somewhere behind you, but you paid it no mind. "I nearly got bit out there because your son thought it was more important to flirt than watch my back! And Nicholas!" You pointed at him next and he paled. "He thinks it's funny to tie up the dead and treat them like piñatas!"
Reg seemed highly disappointed in the boys, and you were practically shaking with your anger. Deanna tried to play it off as a misunderstanding, but you knew it wasn't. You even brought up the fact how Alexandria's drunk of a doctor would end up killing someone soon if they didn't cut off his liquor supply, how the residents would eventually be slaughtered by people who wanted what they had because no one knew how to defend themselves, and how that no one inside the walls would ever survive the new world should the walls fall because they were too busy living their cushy little lives.
Your ranting and screaming had drew a crowd by the time you ran out of steam. Reg had looked thoughtful about everything you had to say, but Deanna didn't seem fazed one bit. It was like you were in a staring standoff when Beth stepped up to your side, grabbing your hand in a show of support.
"If Y/N goes, I go too."
Deanna huffed as Reg frowned.
"If the girls go, I go." Daryl stepped up to your other side, surprising you.
One by one, your old group started stepping forward, making you shake your head at them, telling them they didn't have to.
After Daryl came Maggie and Glenn's notice of their own departure, followed by Sasha and Tyrese. Tara and Rosita weren't far behind, and it amused you to see Rosita bully Abraham into going as well. And it was only when Rick and Michonne stepped forward did Deanna realize Alexandria would eventually be in trouble if you all left. Because deep down, you knew that she knew her people were too soft. If anything were to happen, it'd be your group out there on the streets taking care of the threat.
Reg immediately played mediator and told everyone to take a breath. He wanted a meeting with you, Rick, Glenn, and Daryl. He wanted to know what changes needed to be made because he didn't want Alexandria to fall. So, you told him.
First of all, Alexandria needed a sober doctor.
Alexandria's supply runners needed to take their job seriously or find another job because outside the walls was scary and no one needed a flight risk watching their back.
Children from the age of twelve on up needed to learn knife skills. They also needed to learn to not be scared of the dead to the point that they freeze up. They needed to learn how to trip up the dead so they could damage the brain just enough to put them down or know when to cut their losses and run.
Adults from the age of eighteen on up needed knife and gun skills, and also needed to learn how to put down a walker or know when to run.
The pantry system was fine as is, but the armory was a joke. It was stupid to have every gun in Alexandria in one place because, should a group break in, everyone would be defenseless if the armory was ransacked. Deanna was not happy to hear that the guns should be distributed to each occupied house, but Reg had seen reason and thought it was a good idea too, though it would be noted which guns ended up in which house.
All in all, you would only stay if the Alexandrians got off their lazy asses and put in an honest effort.
And.. they did.
Though the people of Alexandria were icy towards you for making them put in work, they eventually warmed back up to you when they realized just how in over their heads they were when target practice started.
Alexandria had been okay before, but now it's thriving. And it's all thanks to you and your group.
Your shift has just finished at the infirmary, Denise taking over since Beth was busy with Maggie in the gardens today. So not wanting to go back to the house you share with Beth, you walk over to Rick's house where Carol is watching Judith for him.
"Oh, good. I need your help," Carol says as soon as she spots you. She's bouncing Judith in her arms, the other hand encased in an oven mitt. "Can you take her for a bit while I finish up dinner?"
"Sure." You smile as you walk over, holding your hands out for the toddler. Judith smiles and giggles, and you take her out of Carol's grasp. "Hey, asskicker. How's it goin', pretty girl?"
Carol snorts. "She's never gonna live down that nickname."
"Nope."
You start walking around the house, heading upstairs where you know her toys are. You're surprised to see that Carl still shares a room with his baby sister, and you make a beeline towards a keyboard that's set up in the corner.
As you sit down on the little ottoman, you perch Judith on your knee and turn it on. She finds amusement in pressing keys for a couple of minutes and then lets you take over, content to listen to the noise.
Playing a familiar tune and seeing how calm it made Judith, you restart. And you sing.
"There was a time I used to look into my father's eyes." You slowly play, smiling as the feelings of singing once again has made you feel. "In a happy home, I was a queen, I had a golden throne. But those days are gone, now the memory's on the wall.." You trail off, humming the next part as Judith babbles happily in your lap. "Would you like to hear some more?" You ask, bouncing her a little.
At her happy claps, you take that as her answer. Then situating her directly in the middle of your lap, you use both hands to play, restarting the keyboard tune and humming the words you've already sang before tweaking the next part of the song lyrics. "Up on the hill across the prison lake, that's where I had 'nother heartbreak. I still remember how it all changed.. Hershel said, don't you worry, don't you worry, child. See Heaven's got a plan for you. Don't you worry, don't you worry, now. Yeahhh.."
The sound of wood creaking gives you pause, and you glance over your shoulder to find Daryl and Carol watching you. Embarrassed, you secure Judith and turn around to stand.
"You can sing," Carol says, surprised.
You shrug. "Not great, but yeah."
"No, sweetheart, that was great." She elbows Dixon. "Right, Daryl?"
Daryl frowns at her, but then shrugs with a terse nod when he looks back at you. "S'good. 'Ya should sing more."
You blush, and from the corner of your eye you see Carol smirking. "Yeah." You gulp. "Maybe."
Handing Judith back over to Carol, she tells you that dinner is ready. You squeeze between both her and Daryl, and hurry downstairs. But when you get downstairs, Maggie is standing there with tears in her eyes and a beaming smile.
"What?" You chuckle nervously.
"I haven't heard you sing in a long time," she says.
"There hasn't been an opportunity to."
"It's almost like old times again."
Behind you, Daryl and Carol are coming. "Yeah. All we need are some guitars, a harmonica, and a tambourine now."
Daryl snorts. "'Ya know how to play the harmonica?"
You shake your head, grinning. "Nah. But Maggie does."
She laughs, not denying it. "Daddy taught me. Y/N and Beth were all about the acoustic guitars and piano."
"Yeah." Your smile starts to fade. "But that was then. Now, it's all about survival. We don't have the luxury of playing music like we used to."
Mood effectively killed, everyone convenes in the kitchen and dining room to eat what Carol had made.
.
Nearly a week later, Daryl returns from one of his recruiting trips. No one had been near enough to chance Daryl stalking them before approaching them, so he checked out a few places for anything salvageable. And to your surprise, he brought something for you.
You're sitting with Beth in the infirmary, reading medical textbooks to further your knowledge since the main doctor Pete rarely visited the place unless someone actually needed surgery. Apparently, he was still pissed his supply of liquor was cut in half and that he'd been warned the next time he raised a hand to his wife, he was out- surgical abilities be damned.
The door opens and you glance up from your book, smiling when you see Daryl peek his head in.
"Hey, Dixon. Welcome home." He faintly grins. "You need some first aid or somethin'?"
"Nah. 'Ya busy?"
"Not at all. We're just studyin'."
"Good. I got a present for 'ya. Well, Beth too." Hearing her name, Beth looks up and smiles kindly at Daryl. He quickly ducks back out to grab something he has leaning up against the wall just outside the door, and when he walks back in.. the slight attractiveness you've felt towards the hunter turns into a full blown crush. He has an acoustic guitar. "The other day, 'ya mentioned that we didn't have the luxury to play music anymore. That it was all about survival." You nod, tears starting to form at the thought he remembered what you said. Beth gets up to retrieve the guitar, giddy to have one and starts to see if it needs tuning. "But we're in Alexandria now. We got a good thing goin' on here. Maybe.. I just thought that maybe 'ya can reclaim a little bit of the past."
"Dixon," you say, sniffling and smiling. "You better prepare yourself."
"For?"
"M'gonna hug you." Beth giggles and Daryl rolls his eyes. After giving him a moment to prepare himself, you step forward and embrace him. Chest to chest, your arms wrap around his waist and you rest your head on his shoulder. "Thank you."
"Welcome." And if the gift didn't surprise you, the redneck hunter you first met on the Greene Farm- and who seemed to avoid touch- putting one arm around your shoulders to hug you back, sure did.
Word then quickly got around within your close friend/family group about Daryl's gift and you did your best to avoid their all-knowing smiles. It was only now you realized how much Daryl did for you under the guise of doing it for others as well, and it made you fall just that much more.
And if Daryl frequently joined you on your porch, cleaning his crossbow and knives as you played the guitar and wrote in a journal and hummed thoughtfully, no one said anything about it.
You and Beth had been sitting near the town pond, strumming the guitar and jotting down lyrics. You'd forgotten how much you loved music and it felt very cathartic to get your emotions down in music form. Maggie had ended up joining you, followed by Tara and Rosita. Your jam sesh then evolved into an impromptu picnic, and you hadn't felt this free in so long.
Eventually, the girls had to get back to work, so you and Beth packed up to go back to your house. On the way back home, however, Aiden Monroe approaches you and you quietly groan as Beth giggles.
Aiden Monroe, the younger son of Deanna and Reg, has been a thorn in your side since you've gotten to Alexandria. He's attractive and he knows it, but he's the kind of attractive that your younger self would have fallen over herself had she known he was interested. Now, however, his smug uppity confidence is a total turn-off and he just rubs you the wrong way.
"Hey, Y/N. Beth."
You try to smile, you do, but you figure it comes off as a grimace as Beth snorts.
"Hi, Aiden," Beth greets instead, elbowing you.
"Yeah. Hi."
"So, I saw you two ladies having that music session out by the pond. I was going to join you, but then everyone else showed up and I figured it was a girls only type of day."
"Yeah, sorry about that," you say. You're so totally not sorry.
"Maybe next time. Right?" He swings his hand forward to touch your shoulder in good fun, but you scowl as he touches you. His smile falters, but he presses on. "So, do you have plans for dinner tonight?"
Waiting for Beth to answer, you remain quiet. But then Beth nudges you and you realize he's asking you only. "Oh, um.." Over Aiden's shoulder, you see Daryl sitting on your porch steps, watching your interaction carefully. "Actually, I do. With Daryl."
Aiden's brow furrows. "Daryl?"
"Mhmm."
"Oh. I didn't know you and-"
"Yeah so, I'm just gonna.." You point forward, sidestepping Aiden and making a beeline for Daryl. You have a feeling Aiden's watching you, so you take a seat near Daryl's feet and smile up at him. "Stop looking so grumpy and grin at me, Dixon."
"Why?"
"Because I think Aiden was trying to ask me out and I told him I had plans with you. Now grin or I'm gonna stab you with one of your arrows."
Daryl huffs, shaking his head in amusement. But he grins and you're praying that Aiden can see it through the man's shaggy hair. "I thought girls liked pretty boys?"
"I haven't liked pretty boys like Aiden in a very long time," you say. You avoid Daryl's gaze then, staring at Beth who can't stop smiling and talking to a scowling Aiden. "And besides, once a girl hits a certain age, it's all about the older rugged men."
Daryl scoffs, but says nothing. Beth soon joins you, giggling. "I think you just broke poor Aiden's heart."
"Good." Both you and Daryl say simultaneously.
"It's like watching a soap opera with you two." Both you and Daryl frown, and Beth gestures between you. "See! I just- You two- ugh!" You start laughing at her. "I'm gonna go make something for dinner now that Daryl has to stay to keep Aiden off your back. Any preferences?"
"Nah. Whatever's good," Daryl says, and you nod along in agreement.
Beth ended up making some sliced tomato and goat cheese sandwiches, served with glasses of ice cold lemonade. Then as you and Beth cleaned up, Daryl leaned against the kitchen counters as he told you he'd be accompanying some supply runners and if there was anything you needed.
"Uh, yeah," you tell him. "To go with. I haven't been out in a while and I'm getting that itch."
He seems to think about it before shrugging. "Aiden an' Nicholas will be there. Tara an' Glenn too."
"Ugh." You groan and Daryl's lips twitch.
"There's always the seat on the back of the bike," Beth muses. "Your arms around Daryl's waist? Yeah, that'll really drive it home for Aiden that you're not interested."
You open your mouth to retort, but then snap it shut. She's not wrong. And it's a win-win for you.
Daryl huffs, shaking his head. "Girls are goddamn crazy." You can only smirk at him, and he pushes off the counter a moment later. "I'll let 'ya know when we go so 'ya can find someone to cover yer shift."
"Alright. Thanks, Daryl! Goodnight," you call out as he heads towards the door.
"Night," he grunts.
As soon as the front door shuts behind him, Beth turns towards you. "You are so gone on him."
"I know." You grimace. "I can't help it. His gruff voice just hits all the buttons for me."
Beth starts to laugh now. "You are so screwed."
And then three days later, you get to return the favor to Daryl.
You're speaking with Rick and Michonne, taking requests from Michonne about what she wants if you're able to find any of it.
Mid-conversation, an arm drapes across the back of your shoulders and tugs you close. "'Ya ready?"
You tense at Daryl's voice, then can't help but melt against him. Glancing up, you squint against the bright sun. "Not that I'm complainin', but why are you touchy-feely this morning?"
"If 'ya can use me to scare off Aiden, I'm doin' the same when those naggin' women come 'round."
When Daryl gestures towards a certain direction, you and Michonne and Rick all look. Off in the distance, Marlene and Cassandra and consoling a rather dejected looking Justine.
Smothering a smile until you look up at Daryl, you ask, "Daryl Dixon, are you using me in hopes of chasing away your secret admirer?"
"Fair's fair."
You laugh, but it's Rick who says, "You two are somethin' else," as he attempts to hide his smile behind a hand.
"What- what is going on?" Michonne muses.
With his arm still slung around your shoulders, you and Daryl look at Michonne. He grunts and you smile as you say, "Aiden kept trying to get me alone for dinner, so I told him I had plans with Daryl. If he assumed there was somethin' going on, that's on him. As for Justine making puppy eyes at Daryl, that's all on him."
"That's 'er name? I thought it was Jessica."
You snort, elbowing him lightly. "That's why she looks so heartbroken. You couldn't even get her name right."
Michonne and Rick both chuckle. When you spot Glenn and Tara walking towards the vehicle where Aiden and Nicholas are waiting, you tell Daryl it's time to go. And noticing the women are still staring at you and Daryl, you wrap your arm around the back of his waist, hooking your thumb into his belt loop. You stare up at him, making kissy faces until he attempts to push you away. But joke was on him since you didn't go far as you had a hold on the belt loop still.
Michonne grins. "You think those two will ever get their head out of their asses?"
Rick snorts. "Not a chance."
Deanna and Reg like to hold monthly community mixers so no one in the community remains a stranger. At first, you didn't care for them, but they kind of grew on you. Especially now since you found a cute BoHo style summer short mini dress. It was in a dark pink color you used to love to wear, pretty lace decorating the fitted top. The ruffled skirt of the dress hit well above your knee, and you paired it with some of Beth's cowgirl boots.
When you had practically skipped downstairs, Maggie beamed at you while Glenn gaped.
"There's the Y/N I know."
"You trying to give Daryl a heart attack?"
You roll your eyes at Glenn's question. "I've come to the conclusion Daryl sees me as some naive girl that he's trying to protect from every male out there. He doesn't-"
Beth, Maggie, and Glenn all scoff, not letting you finish your train of thought. All three talk over each other, mentioning that the way Daryl looks at you is not the way someone looks at someone in a platonic manner. They assure you that Daryl most definitely likes you, but the thing is.. you and Daryl are the type of people to not make the first move. So if he does feel the way everyone says he does, you're perpetually stuck in limbo with him.
When you finally leave for where the mixer is taking place, you avoid all the stares you can practically feel on you. You head for the table where Rick, Michonne, and Daryl are sitting. As you approach, Michonne smiles as she looks you up and down.
Rick groans in amusement, getting up and scooting one chair over. "Sit next to Daryl. I have a feelin' you're gonna need it tonight."
Daryl glances over his shoulder and you internally preen when you see his eyes widen. As you take a seat, Michonne says, "Why have I not seen you in a dress before now? You look so good!"
Crossing one knee over the other and making sure the skirt of your dress covers everything, you say, "I, uh, I used to love wearing dresses," you tell her, your smile turning sad. "But then-"
"You don't have to say," Rick says, stalling you.
"It's okay." Michonne's smile is now gone as you glance back at her, apprehensive about what you could possibly say that Rick tried stopping you. "I.. was assaulted by my then boyfriend when I was in high school."
"Oh, Y/N, I'm so sorry."
"Thank you." You smile, glancing between her and Rick. "For the longest time I was ashamed, but now- now I'm just tired of it holding me back. I woke up wanting to feel pretty the other day, so I snuck in the dress the last time I went out on a supply run."
"S'that why you went?" Daryl muses. "I thought 'ya were lookin' for some type of drink?"
"Shush, you." You put your hand on Daryl's bicep and push him, causing him to chuckle. "Let me live."
Maggie, Beth, and Glenn soon join the table and everyone starts talking about what they've been up to. Eventually you get up to grab a drink and some snacks, talking with a few other community members. You try not to laugh as one of Justine's friends tries to get the scoop on you and Daryl, and politely excuse yourself to rejoin said man after you grab him something to drink.
"I don't think Justine is going to give up anytime soon," you tell him when you return to the table.
"Thanks," he says when he accepts the drink. "And why?"
As he sips, you inform him about how Justine's friends are hounding you for any information about the two of you. He scoffs and you chuckle, amused. Music starts to play on some speakers, but not too loud that you can't carry on a conversation.
Daryl is more than content to sit at the table, glaring at anyone who tries to get too close. But you want to mingle, so you do. You get up, speaking with the elderly couples and the females of Alexandria who coo over your dress. They ask if you can get them some cute things the next time you go out and you laugh as you tell them you'll do your best, but that you're gonna need to butter up Daryl and then get their sizes so you know which dresses to grab.
As you're making your rounds, the music cuts out. It was nice to have background music, so of course everyone notices when it goes out. Spencer tries to fix it, but he ends up laughing nervously and apologizing for the failing radio.
"Do you have a microphone and guitar?" You hear someone call out. But you know that voice and your narrowed eyes immediately find a grinning Beth. "Y/N can sing!"
"The fuck I can!"
Several people snort and Spencer, the goddamn traitor, eagerly produces a guitar and starts setting up a mic stand.
Beth stands and makes a beeline for the stage as you gape at her. Maggie gets up to start corralling you towards the stage, and as you try to stall and make excuses, Carl gets the room to start chanting sing, sing, sing.
Beth is tuning the guitar by the time Maggie drags you on stage, and you smile nervously at the crowd as they clap. You then point a finger, glaring at Carl and Rick and Carol who whistle. Spencer gets a microphone plugged in and makes sure it works, and with a smile you tell him to beat it before you beat him.
Left with just Maggie and Beth on stage, you ask, "What the hell am I supposed to even sing?"
"Daddys' song," Maggie says.
Your smile dims a little. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Of course."
Beth, remembering the song, starts to pluck the strings. You nod along, the lyrics immediately coming back to you. And when Beth is sure she can play the whole thing, you turn around to adjust the microphone stand and nervously chuckle into it.
"Hi. So, if you don't know me, I'm Y/N and I work in the infirmary. Maggie has requested a song that her daddy used to request all the time. He'd even join me sometimes with the tambourine and the harmonica." You meet the gazes of your original group, happy to see those who knew Hershel smiling at that information. "Now, it's a little sad so excuse me if I start to cry. And blame Maggie for being a mood killer."
"Hey!"
You laugh, glancing at Beth. "You ready?"
"Yep."
You face forward, one hand gripping the mic and the other gripping the skirt of your dress. "Leaves start falling when the cold wind blows." Beth comes in with the guitar, strumming slow and soft. "And soon get covered by the winter snow. Birds start singing when the spring rolls 'round; flowers blooming through the thawing ground."
Normally, you'd whistle this next part of the tune, but Beth steps as close as she can, taking the whistling part for herself. You smile at her.
"When you love somebody and the love grows cold. The sun starts shining when you let it all go. There's a certain kinda hurting only time can heal. That's a pretty good picture of the way I feel."
You pause, letting Beth strum. Then taking a deep breath, you sing the lyrics that have always resonated with you and what made Hershel fall in love with the song. "I'm a little bit hurt, but a lot more free. I ain't saying that you never took a toll on me. For what it's worth, I can finally see. That' I'm a little bit hurt but a lot more free. Yeah, I'm a little bit hurt but a lot more free."
Hershel usually comes in next on the harmonica, so you're more than a little surprised when it's Maggie. Her eyes are sparkling.. and it breaks you.
Clapping a hand over your eyes, you give your back to the crowd. Once her part is done, she hugs you from behind and Beth whistles the next part.
Taking a deep breath and wiping your tears, you step up to the mic again. And though your voice cracks on the first couple of words, you finish off strong. "From this mountain, I can see so far. Rivers running like deep, deep scars. Carrying the lifeblood through my veins. Is it crazy that I'm grateful for all the pain."
As your gaze drags over the crowd, you're surprised so see Deanna dabbing at her eyes.
"'Cause I'm a little bit hurt, but a lot more free. I ain't saying that you never took a toll on me. And for what it's worth, I can finally see. That I'm a little bit hurt, but a lot more free. Yeah, I'm a little bit hurt, but a lot more free."
Maggie finishes off the song with Beth, both girls playing the harmonica and guitar.
For the last bit, you whistle the last tunes.
The applause is a lot louder than you expected and it makes you turn red. Beth and Maggie hug you, and then push you forward to accept Alexandria's praise.
You end up singing another song at Beth's behest, but then let Beth have the stage afterward so she can sing a few songs of her own.
When you reclaim your chair between Daryl and Rick, Daryl leans over to say, "You like singin'."
"I do." You turn and smile at him, stealing his drink to sip. "I've missed it."
"'Ya should do it more."
"Yeah." You glance at the stage where Beth seems to be in her element. "Maybe I will."
You're woken from a deep sleep, dream already forgotten but heart pounding and stomach churning with nausea. You can feel the sweat coating your overheated body, your room stifling. So, rolling out of bed, you grab a fresh set of the tank top and underwear combo you're currently wearing, and head for the bathroom to take a shower.
You get the water nice and cool, strip, and then step under the spray. It feels good for a minute before you start to turn it hotter, sighing as the hot water soothes your aching body. After a while, you cut the water and step out. You quickly dry off and dress, towel drying your hair as you pad downstairs and into the living room. There's a spare brush on a bookshelf that you use to brush out the tangles in your hair, then you use a spare hair tie to get your hair off your neck.
Grabbing yourself a glass of cold water, you head outside to the porch. You figure it's late enough that no one will be out and about, so you don't care that you're in your underwear sans bra.
But as you're sitting on the porch bench, feeling a little better in the night air that's starting to cool as the season's change, you really should have known better when you hear a gruff, "What are 'ya doin'?"
Setting your glass aside, you lift one leg so your foot is on the bench. Hugging your knee, you shield your chest in a bout of bashfulness. "Hey, Dixon. Thought everyone was asleep."
He grunts as he stomps up the stairs, pausing briefly when he notices your state of undress, but continues on until he's taking a seat next to you. "Where are yer pants?"
"I don't sleep in pants." Your nose wrinkles. "Only crazy people sleep in pants."
"Yer not sleepin' though."
You shrug. "Eh. I was. And then I woke up feelin' like shit, took a shower, and came out here to breathe some fresh air."
Daryl frowns. "'Ya good?"
"Yeah. I guess." You reclaim your water, sipping. "I guess it was just a little too stuffy inside, hence the reason for being outside in my underwear."
He huffs. "Yer admirers are gonna get an eyeful if you continue stayin' out here like this."
"No worries," you grin at him. "Everyone's too scared to look at me now since they think you're my redneck boyfriend."
Though you're grinning in amusement, Daryl shifts a bit uncomfortably. Then just as you're about to apologize and assure him you'll set the record straight, he asks, "That don't bother 'ya?"
"What? People thinkin' we're datin'?" He nods and you shake your head. "No."
"Why not?"
Staring at Daryl, you smile softly as he avoids your gaze even though his body is angled towards yours. He doesn't seem mad or annoyed, rather he seems genuinely curious as to how the idea of dating him isn't nauseating to you.
"Daryl Dixon," you muse and he quickly glances at you before looking away again. "I'm gonna say something and I swear on everything I love that I am not making fun of you. Okay?" He hesitates before nodding. "You.. are hot." He scoffs, but you push on. "You have caught the eye of many women here in Alexandria. It boosts my ego that people think you would go for someone like me." His head turns back in your direction, surprise etched in his features. "Open your eyes, Dixon. It's not just Justine who finds you attractive."
Your heart skips a beat as those words slip out, but you paste on a smile and quickly stand, uncaring that Daryl's seeing you in your underwear. You start to walk backwards, chuckling nervously, and Daryl's gaze turns rather intense as he watches you go.
Under his gaze, your cheeks start to heat. Daryl's lips twitch. "Leavin' so soon?"
"Mhm. Yep," you utter. You trip and quietly curse, turning to grab the door handle. "Night, Daryl!"
Quickly entering your house, you shut the door behind you, dropping your glass on the kitchen counter before rushing upstairs to your room. You feel like an idiot, practically telling Daryl you like him. Though, his grin at watching you squirm gives you hope that you didn't totally ruin your friendship with him.
That night, after his brief talk with Y/N while she sat there in her underwear, Daryl has been watching her rather closely. He'd always watched her, but the second he got caught or almost caught looking, he made himself sparse so no one could make him confront his feelings.
Now, Daryl may have been clockin' the way the women of Alexandria were flirting with him, but he never once thought your teasing smiles or touches here and there meant anything. You'd been hugging him or laying your head on his shoulder or even just leaning into his personal space for a while now. Surely you didn't-
"You know, you two are a lot alike." Daryl startles as Beth steps up to his side, her gaze on Y/N who appears to be in a deep conversation with Denise, the other infirmary nurse besides Y/N and Beth.
He grunts. "How so?"
"The two of you are not great at talking about your feelings. Especially for each other." Daryl freezes and Beth turns towards him, smiling. "If you're unsure and want to know how she truly feels, check her writing. Or listen for any song that may be an original of hers. She usually pours her emotions into songs or poems."
Daryl gulps, fidgeting nervously. "She said somethin' the other night."
There's more he wants to say, but Beth's growing smile and giggle stops him. "Oh, I know. She crawled into bed with me that same night and woke me up. She was so embarrassed that she basically told you she liked you and was also afraid you wouldn't talk to her anymore." As her giggles taper off, Beth suddenly turns serious. "Everyone is pretty sure her feelings aren't one sided, but if they are please don't shut her out. I think it would break her heart more to lose you as a friend than it would if she were to find out that you didn't return her feelings."
Tersely nodding, Daryl glances once more at Y/N. "Hey, Beth?" The blonde, who'd been in the process of walking away, stops and looks at him once more. "Thanks."
She smiles. "No problem."
.
At the next mixer, you're nervous. You've grown accustomed to being asked to sing a couple of songs, but you've never sung an original. But Beth has convinced you and now you're standing on the side of the stage with a guitar strapped to your chest as Beth sets up a keyboard.
When she's done, she steps up to you. "Ready?"
"I might barf."
Beth laughs. "You're gonna be fine. Why are you so nervous?"
"Because you got me singing a goddamn love song!" You hiss.
Her eyes roll. "Daryl's not even here. And besides, it'll add more fuel to the gossip that you and him started about your fake relationship."
Her words sink in and your body seems to sag with relief. "Oh yeah." You don't know how you forgot Daryl had left that morning on a supply run.
A little relieved now, you make sure she's ready and she is. As she settles behind the keyboard, you step up to the microphone stand in the middle of the stage. Everyone starts to quiet down and you huff, smiling. "So, tonight's song is gonna be a little bit more upbeat than what I normally sing," you say. "It's also an original that I wrote and that Beth has requested. So if it sucks, please politely clap so I don't cry." The crowd laughs and then you catch Rick's gaze in the crowd. "I'm also gonna need my little hype girl up here, Grimes." He chuckles, bouncing Judith in his arm. "Hey, Judes, you wanna come up here and help me and auntie Beth with this song?"
The little girl claps, making the crowd chuckle. Maggie stands, gathering the little girl in her arms and walking on stage with her. You direct Maggie to stand at the second microphone stand, letting her know that Judith already knows when to chime in.
Taking a deep breath, you face the crowd. With your hands holding the guitar and fingers positioned to start strumming, you glance at Beth. She smiles, you nod, and then the two of you start playing the keyboard and guitar at the same time.
"Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh. Time stood still, just like a photograph you made me feel like this would last forever. Lookin' in your eyes, I see my whole life." The lyrics bring a smile to your face as you sing, especially when you glance at Judith as she has mouth already positioned by her mic. "They say you know it when you know it, and I know." Those from your original group are looking at you in awe, not because you can sing, but because they seem to be paying attention to the lyrics. "Promise that you'll hold me close, don't let me go."
"Hey!" Judith babbles into the mic, causing you to chuckle before singing once more. She even does the clapping, getting the crowd to clap along with her.
"Take my heart, don't break it. Love me to my bones. All this time I've wasted; you were right there all along. You and I stargazin'; intertwinin' souls. We were never strangers; you were right there all along."
The crowd seem to be enjoying the song, and you feel yourself light up. You're happy that they're happy.
"I lose my mind. When I'm around you, how I come alive. When I'm without you, I can't help but feel so lost. I wanna give you all I got." You're smiling as you meet Rick's gaze, his smirk a little unsettling. And when he turns his head, you follow his gaze, and your stomach drops. Daryl's standing by the stage, heated stare directed right at you. And though you're now nervous as fuck, you're no coward, so you hold his stare as you sing the next lyrics. "They say you know it when you know it, and I know."
Daryl's lips twitch, gaze now sparkling. You start to smile once more.
"Promise that you'll hold me close, don't let me go."
"Hey!" Judith babbles yet again, clapping.
"Take my heart, don't break it. Love me to my bones. All this time I've wasted; you were right there all along. You and I stargazin'; intertwinin' souls. We were never strangers; you were right there all along."
You finish the song while smiling at the crowd, strummin' the guitar rather expertly, and carefully avoiding the gazes of your original group. To them, this is a bold move on your part, but to the rest of Alexandria? They just think that this is a cute declaration between you and Daryl.
As the song ends and the crowd erupts into cheers and whistles, you finally meet the gazes of those you consider family. The one that makes you laugh is Rosita- Rosita who is sitting there with a hand hovering over her mouth as she glances between you and Daryl.
You're supposed to sing another song, but Beth steps up behind you, nudging your shoulder. "Go."
You glance at her over your shoulder, lifting the guitar strap over your head and handing it over to her. Then as you step off stage, she addresses the crowd and starts to sing.
Daryl is dressed in a dark gray button down with its sleeves still intact, jeans, and fresh-faced. You're not sure who convinced him to clean up, but you're not mad about it. You can see people staring at you as you near him, but you pay them no mind. You do, however, flip off your audience when someone wolf-whistles. Your money is on Glenn, the little shit.
When you're within reaching distance, Daryl reaches out and grabs you by the wrist. You grin as he tugs you through the crowd and towards the door, only turning around once it's closed behind you. He backs you up against the door, hands cup your face, and his lips press against yours.
You grunt in surprise, but willingly open up to return his kiss. It's brief, yet it still leaves you panting for breath when he pulls back just inches, remaining in your personal space.
Daryl's gaze darts over every inch of your face, cataloguing your expression. You lick your bottom lip, humming. "So, love songs, huh. Seriously, Dixon? I let you see my underwear and it still took that song for you to realize I liked 'ya?"
"Stop talkin'." He leans in again, the kiss softer and less urgent. Yet, it still makes you quietly moan.
"Mmm. Yeah. We're idiots."
"Morons," he agrees against your lips.
"We have so much time to make up for."
"Mhmm."
Eventually, the two of you have to pull apart when someone tries to exit and the door pushes against your back. With your kiss swollen lips, you avoid the gazes of the three people who have walked out.
Grabbing your hand, Daryl starts to lead you away from the building and towards your houses.
"We goin' to mine or yours?" You ask.
"If I go to yers, we're only sleepin'," he says.
You turn your head to watch his profile, smiling softly at him. "You know, I don't miss constantly being on the hunt for a secure location to stay in, but I do miss curlin' up next to 'ya."
Daryl huffs, glancing at you. "S'that why 'ya always placed yer sleepin' bag next to mine?"
"Duh. Why else?" You grin at him, chuckling softly until they taper off. "I think my subconscious knew I liked 'ya before I realized it."
"Yeah?"
"Mhm."
"I didn't- I thought 'ya were cute back at the farm, but you were just a kid. Didn't seem right to be lookin' at 'ya like that."
"And now we're grown and decently safe, and-"
"And it took Beth convincin' me to get back early an' listen to that song of yers."
You gasp. "What a little traitor! I was so nervous to sing that song, but she assured me it wasn't like you would hear it. And all along-"
Daryl finally laughs, moving the hair from his eyes as he walks towards the house you share with Beth. "Everyone's gonna be smug assholes now."
"Yep. But it's so totally worth it."
Squeezing Daryl's hand, you flash him a smile, eager to get home and shower just so you can fall into bed next to him.
With you and Daryl no longer dancing around each other, your close friends and family no longer throw teasing looks or remarks your way. No one really sees a difference between the two of you when out in public, but those who had been watching a little too closely take notice that you're a lot more free with touching and affectionate glances.
And that Daryl's taken to sleeping at the house that you share with Beth.
This morning is no different, Daryl being laid out in bed next to you. You're in nothing but the smallest of camisole tank tops and underwear, opting to sleep in as little clothes as possible. Daryl is on his stomach, his left arm stretched out over your chest and a bed sheet covering the two of you.
Eyes fluttering open, you squeeze them shut when you take notice of the sun streaming into your room. You quietly groan and try to go back to sleep, but your mouth suddenly feels dry and you need water.
Now sighing, you lightly rake your nails along Daryl's arm. He barely twitches, making you smile, and you slide out from beneath his arm. Normally, you don't have any issue walking around in a shirt and underwear, but the shirt Daryl had shed last night still has its sleeves, so you pick it up and push your arms through the sleeves, leaving it unbuttoned.
Downstairs in the kitchen, you grab the pitcher of filtered water from the fridge and pour yourself half a glass.
You're mid-gulp when someone knocks on the door, so you quickly drain the rest and walk over to answer it. But before you open up, you pull the shirt close over your chest and hold it closed while opening the door. Glenn stands there with Aiden just over his shoulder, and after a quick up and down look, he grins.
"I was gonna ask if you've seen Daryl, but by that shirt I'm assuming he's here?"
"Yep." You match Glenn's grin. "What's goin' on?"
"We were supposed to leave like ten minutes ago on a supply run, but Daryl never showed."
You grimace. "Sorry 'bout that. We both overslept." Turning around, you shout up the stairs. "Dixon! Get your ass up! Glenn's here for that supply run you were supposed to go on!"
Then glancing back at Glenn, you smile and try not to laugh as a wide-eyed Aiden seems a little pale fidgets behind him. You've heard the rumors going around about how Aiden was talking about you and Daryl, telling everyone that your relationship wasn't real. And that you'd see what you were missing out on soon enough.
Ha!
There's a thump from upstairs, one that has Glenn snickering. When you hear the stomps coming down, you turn.
"Ay! You seen my-" Daryl finally spots you, eyes narrowing at the sight of you in his shirt. "M'gonna need that," he says, stopping halfway down.
You shrug. "Alright." Making sure only Daryl can see your front, you open his shirt and let it fall from your shoulders, but it catches in the crook of your elbows.
"Wait!" He shouts. Sighing, he turns and stops back up to your shared room. "I'll just find another one."
Smirking, you pull his shirt back on and close the front so you don't flash Glenn or Aiden your underwear. When you turn to meet your friend's gaze, he's practically wheezing from laughing silently. "You two.. you two are something else. I did not have him pegged as the possessive type."
You wiggle your eyebrows. "There's a lot of things about Daryl you don't know. Wanna know some more?"
Glenn's smile vanishes as he shakes his head.
"Dammit, woman! It's bad enough 'ya gossip wit' Beth. Yer not doin' it wit' Glenn an' Aiden."
"Oh, shush," you say while glancing over your shoulder, watching Daryl make his way towards the door in a new sleeveless shirt. He scowls at you up until he's brushing past you, pausing briefly to brush a kiss to your temple on his way out. You hum and can't help your impulses. You rear your hand back, slapping his ass on his way out.
Glenn whirls around, eyes widening. Then Daryl slowly turns around, chest heaving but quiet. You arch an eyebrow at him, daring him to do something. Instead, Daryl says, "Yer payin' for that later."
"Lookin' forward to it." Then glancing at a red Glenn, you say, "Bring 'im back in one piece."
"Uh, yeah. Course!"
Daryl stomps off with a too gleeful Glenn and a wary looking Aiden.
.
After a boring day of looking over individuals who have some minor cuts or sprains, you've gone to Maggie's to just hang out with her. You find Beth there as well, and the day evolves into boy talk. Apparently, Spencer had his eye on Beth and she didn't mind his attention.
Wine gets broken out, though Maggie nurses her own glass with a knowing glint in her eye. But you get sidetracked by asking why she isn't guzzling the alcohol like she normally does, and your wondering is put on the backburner.
Just before sunset, Glenn walks in. He greets Maggie and then starts laughing when his gaze lands on you.
"Oh, man. Daryl is still heated after this morning."
You laugh. "Where is he?"
But before he can answer, Maggie asks, "What happened this morning?"
Grinning at your friend, you say, "I was feeling very affectionate and slapped his ass on his way out."
"In front of me and Aiden," Glenn gleefully admits.
Now, Maggie is laughing. "You didn't!"
You nod. "He loves it. He's just gotta keep up the image of the redneck grump to keep people like Aiden away."
Maggie and Beth shake their heads at you in amusement, and just then the front door opens again. Daryl, in all his scowling glory, walks right up to you and scoops you up so you're hanging over his shoulder.
Upside down, you can't help but laugh.
Without a word, Daryl starts to make his way back towards the door.
"You good there, Y/N?" Maggie calls out.
"Peachy!" You muse, picking up your head and flashing your friends a thumb's up. "But you might wanna let Carol know that we won't be making it to dinner."
Maggie, Glenn, and Beth's laughing faces are the last thing you see before the door shuts.
Numerous Alexandrians watch as Daryl carries you back to your home, you flashing everyone cheeky grins and winks on the way there.
Inside and upstairs in your bedroom, Daryl tosses you onto the bed.
"Yer gonna regret smackin' me on the ass."
Scooting backwards towards the headboard, you grin. "Am I? Or did you do exactly as I expected you to?"
Daryl freezes for a second, huffing a moment later in amusement as he starts to unbutton his shirt. "Pain in the ass."
"Your pain in the ass," you muse. "Now come on, Dixon. Make me regret it."
Songs that inspired Stargazin':
A Lot More Free - Max McNown
Stargazin' - Myles Smith
Summary: After introducing the nurses and doctors of PTMC to the soap opera that is your life, you become close to them after several mishaps land you in their ED.
Words: 6,221
Author's Note: You guys! After being out of the writing game for like.. a year(?), I was not expecting such a warm welcome back. Not gonna lie, I expected at least 100, maybe 200 notes on my first posting for the Pitt. But you guys exceeded my expectations and got Jack Abbot to 576 notes. Wow! Thank you.
So, yeah.. Happy Sunday! Have part two and the conclusion to Jack Abbot's story. It's cheesy AF.
Dana either forgets to give Jack your number or he's not a fan of texting because he never reaches out for his jacket. So, of course, you bump into him one evening while you're wearing said jacket. He looked you up and down, arched an eyebrow, and your shoulders slumped in embarrassment and resignation.
"To be fair, I told Dana to tell you to text me so I could get it back to you. It's your fault, really."
"Looks good on you."
"Shut up." He huffed, smiling. "So what brings you out and about, Doctor Abbot? No patients to put into cardiac arrest with that sparkling personality of yours?"
"No," he mused, shaking his head. "Just picking stuff up for a team dinner. You?"
You sighed, glancing at your basket. "Mandatory family dinner. Someone has news to share, and I still suck at rock, paper, scissors." Jack grinned at your annoyance. "I had to leave the comfort of my corner on my parent's sofa just to get what my mom needed."
"News? Think someone is pregnant?"
"God, I hope so. If I don't get to snuggle someone's baby soon, I'm gonna lose my shit. I adore my kids at school, but it's inappropriate to snuggle your students."
Jack had chuckled. "I'll take your word for it and let you get back to shopping. My fingers will be crossed that someone in your family is knocked up."
"Wait! Your jacket."
"I'll text you!" He called over his shoulder as he rounded the corner.
Fortunately, Jack did text you but made no plans to return his jacket anytime soon. He just wanted you to have his number in case of an emergency. And also fortunately, one of your sisters-in-law was pregnant and due around Christmas, but that wasn't the only news. Your parents had made plans for Thanksgiving to go out of state, which left you and siblings scrambling for plans. Your brothers couldn't cook to save their lives and your sisters-in-law had never cooked a big dinner on their own, so your brothers opted to spend the day with their in-laws.
Your parents suggested you go out of state with them, but you weren't feeling up to it. Instead, you opted to spend it alone and make your own Thanksgiving meal. But then as you got to thinking, you realized some of your new frontline worker friends will be on-shift, so you make the decision to make plates for both the day shift and night shift. Your parents think it's a wonderful idea and pitch in money so you can buy two large turkeys. And feeling guilty that you're going to be alone, your brothers also pitch in for the fund to cover the cost of the sides. You thank them, and then start texting Dana for details about how many plates you'll need to make to feed her monkeys.
. .
When the morning of Thanksgiving dawns bright and early, you get the first turkey in the oven. You've helped your mother plenty of times, so you know how to prepare this meal like the back of your hand. Slicing the turkey, however, proves to be difficult, but you think you manage just fine. Each plate consists of turkey, gravy, and dressing. There's green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet yams, a little container of cranberry sauce, and two slices of bread.
You manage to make thirty-three plates, each plate full and soon to be filling for whoever nabs one in the break room. Then around eleven, you text Dana that you'll be on your way as soon as you get everything situated in your vehicle.
When you get to the hospital, you park near the emergency bay like Dana told you to, but not close enough to block it in case an ambulance screeches in. And the moment you open the trunk of your vehicle, two men appear with rolling carts each. They introduce themselves as Doctor Langdon and Dennis Whitaker- the doctor a rather self-assured smug individual while the other seems wary of his presence there.
"So Dana tells me you cooked a feast," Langdon says. "Who are the lucky recipients because it smells awfully good right now and I'm wondering who I have to bribe to get a plate."
You smile as you hand over plates to stack on their carts. "As long as Dana, Robby, and Doctor McKay get a plate, anyone is welcome to whatever is left."
"You serious?"
"Yeah." With the plates all stacked to be taken in, you reach in for the box of plastic utensils, napkins, and salt and pepper packets. "I didn't have anything to do today and I've made a few friends here at PTMC, so I wanted to make sure as many of you guys ate a decent Thanksgiving meal."
"T-That's kind of you. Thank you," Whitaker says.
"No problem, man." You shut the trunk of your vehicle and follow the men inside. On your way towards their breakroom, Dana steps in beside you. "Hiya, nurse Evans."
She hip checks you. "Brat. Thanks for doing this."
"Of course. You know I couldn't let my favorite people go without a decent meal."
As the plates are being stacked on the counter in the break room, the door opens, and Doctor McKay pokes her head in. "What's this I hear about Thanksgiving plates?"
"Hi, Doctor McKay! Come in and grab one. I want to make sure you eat or at least write your name on one for when you're not busy."
"Oh, you're an angel!" She rushes in, grabs a plate, and uses a pen to write her name on one tray before putting it in the microwave for later. "Thanks so much!" She squeezes your arm on the way out and you can't help but smile.
Especially when Robby walks in next, looking around as he drapes his stethoscope around his neck. "Someone said food?" You huff a laugh, raising your arm to give Robby a side hug as he approaches. "Need me to save one for Jack later?"
"Ha. Ha," you deadpan. Him and Dana smile as they each grab a plate for themselves. "And don't worry about it. Night Shift is getting their own delivery." Both Dana and Jack stare at you, eyebrow arched. "What?"
"That's a lot of cooking." Dana says.
You shrug. "My family makes two turkeys every year; one for lunch and one for dinner."
"Yeah, but it's a lot of work for one person."
Again, you shrug. "I have nothing but time. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back home to eat my own lunch, get the second turkey in the oven, soak the pots and pans, and then shower before I do this all over again."
"Well, whatever you two did to earn such a good friend.. thank you." The words are a bit garbled and you all look at Doctor Langdon who is shoveling food into his mouth. Next to him, Whitaker is no better at the shoveling, but he's more concentrated on getting food into his stomach than making conversation.
"You can actually thank Abbot for this," Robby muses. "After all, he's the sole reason Y/N is doing all this."
Your gaze snaps to him, a smile plastered on your face. "You're so lucky it's Thanksgiving and I'm obligated to be nice today."
"Yeah? And what if it wasn't Thanksgiving?"
"Then I'd say eat my ass, Robinavitch." Dana barks out a laugh and Langdon chokes on his food. Robby's chuckling, eyes crinkled at the corners with his amusement. "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go."
"Come on. I'll walk you out."
Dana is still chuckling as she walks you through the ED, telling Princess and Perlah to grab a plate from the breakroom before they are all gone. Outside, she gives you a big hug and thanks you again, telling you to get some rest somewhere on your busy schedule. You make no promises and quickly get in your vehicle in order to get home.
Then at home, you get your plate out from the microwave and eat some before tossing out all the trash and putting your pots and pans to soak. You prep your second turkey before popping it into the oven, eat a bit more, and then prepare the other dishes early so you can pop them into the oven as soon as the turkey is done. And when you have nothing else to do, you grab a quick shower and relax afterwards.
Hours later, you're texting Jack to meet you outside with another person and the two rolling carts from the break room. Unfortunately, Jack is busy but he does send out Donnie and Jesse, two night shift nurses who look confused as can be when they roll the carts out.
You introduce yourself to them and explain what you're doing there, and Jesse seems to realize who you are because he's heard Robby and Jack talking about you. They're grateful for the food you've supplied them and their friends with, and then you're following them inside.
It's when you're in the breakroom helping them situate the plates on the counter does Jack find you.
"Did I hear that you told Robby to eat your ass?"
Donnie and Jesse freeze, and you snort a laugh as you meet Jack's gaze. "He was being a smug prick."
Jack looks you up and down in all your messy, yet chic, glory and cracks a smile. "Fair." Pushing off the doorjamb, he walks into the room and peers into one of the plates. "Dana said you were bringing food. Also said she had to stop Langdon from eating his fair share this afternoon."
"Did they have enough?" You ask. "I was worried it wasn't enough."
"It was more than enough."
Jack wants to say more, but a groan stops him. You turn, finding Donnie already digging into a plate. "Damn, girl. This is good. My momma would love this dressing."
You chuckle, smile bright and content to know that people are enjoying your food. "Well, my momma has no issue sharing recipes. I'll text Dana later so she can text it to you since I have a feeling this grumpy doctor won't appreciate playing messenger." You say while gesturing to Jack.
Jack rolls his eyes, grabbing a plate. He checks his phone for something and not finding anything that needs his immediate attention, he takes a seat to start eating. "What are your plans for the night?" He asks.
"My kitchen is an absolute mess." You groan tiredly. "I'm just gonna clean up then wind down with some beer and a movie." Jack grabs a piece of bread and wraps it around some turkey, then drags it through the gravy. His eyes close in bliss as he eats and you wink at Donnie and Jesse who are watching in awe as their coworker takes delight in something. "Well, I'll leave you boys to it. Have a good evening!"
"Wait." Jack takes another bite, closing his plate while looking at Jesse. "Don't let anyone touch that." Then looking at you, he says, "Let me walk you out."
You and Jack garner stares from his coworkers as he walks with his hand hovering right at the small of your back. You smile and nod at those you recognize, calling out to make sure they grab a plate from the breakroom.
Then outside, by your car, Jack surprises you by pulling you into a hug and pressing a kiss to your hairline. "Thanks for this. I'm used to working holidays, but some of the others miss the meals with their families."
"This was no issue. I was alone anyway, so I figured I might as well make the best of my time and feed this new group of people I suddenly found myself fond of." You roll your eyes playfully, making Jack's lips twitch.
"A whole group, huh? You sure it wasn't just one individual who inspired all of this?"
"Damn. You caught me," you joke. "You think Robby knows I'm harboring a crush?"
Jack lets loose a surprise snort, shoving you lightly towards the door of your car. "Brat. Go home and have a beer for me."
"I love it when you're bossy."
"You're trouble."
"You're just figuring that out?" Laughing, you slide into your car. Then with a beep of your horn, you wave at Jack and go do just that.
The rest of your Thanksgiving break was spent eating and relaxing, and then one day you found yourself sidling up next to Jack while waiting for your coffee order. He looked unimpressed to be awake during the daylight hours, but the moment you smiled at him and made a joke about him not being allergic to daytime hours after all, his shoulders seemed to slump with an exhale of relief.
You were driving around because you had nothing better to do and didn't want to be at your apartment, and he was out and about running a few errands. Only his vehicle was currently in the shop and he had to rely on public transit that was already pissing him off. And seeing as you were in a position to offer some help, you volunteered to be his chauffeur. He, of course, tried to decline but you weren't hearing any of it. You took him to the VA to update some of his paperwork, took him to his personal doctor so he could be outfitted for a new prosthetic- which is how you found out his right leg had been partially amputated, and even took him to the DMV to renew his ID. The DMV took hours, much to Jack's disgruntlement, so he treated you to dinner that he ordered to-go and ate at his house.
Jack Abbot's home was not what you were expecting, but you'd shown no surprise, slipped off your shoes, and followed him to his kitchen. Without the stares of his coworkers, Jack laughed and smiled more freely, and that's when you knew you were well and truly fucked.
You and Jack rarely had the same days off, but on the rare ones that you did then you found time to spend together either grabbing lunch or dinner and taking it back to either one of your places. Which is how you come to know more doctors of the PTMC, Robby texting you updates on Jack if he felt like it was going to be a bad day for his friend when they traded off shifts. And on those bad days, you'd pick up his favorite take-out and take it to him, telling him to quell his hunger before snapping at any more of his coworkers.
This late night, however, you're yawning at a coffee vending machine as you wait for your itty bitty cup of caffeine.
"Y/N?" Turning at the sound of your name, you smile sleepily at Parker- or Doctor Ellis as you first called her when you'd met her. "What are you doing? Does Jack know you're here?" She asks, turning to look behind her. You smile as the ends of her dreads whip back and forth from where they dangle as she had piled them atop her head in a bun.
"M'fine, Parker. My sister-in-law went into labor, so I'm staying with her until my brother gets here. He's about two hours away."
"Oh, uh, congrats?" She says. You huff a laugh and then glance at your now filled coffee cup. "Does Jack know?"
"Jack's not my keeper, you know," you muse, blowing on your coffee before taking a delicate sip. It's as good as it's going to get. "And no, he doesn't. I wasn't even aware he was on-call tonight."
"He wasn't, but Shen got sick so Jack came in."
You wince. "Yeah, bet he wasn't too happy about that."
"I think he made two interns cry earlier."
"Yikes." Parker snorts at your comment and you sip some more of your coffee. "Well, I should get back to my sister-in-law before she spirals. It was good to see you and tell Jack I said to behave."
"Girl, I ain't got a death wish."
"Fine. I'll text him."
"You're a saint."
You finish your coffee on the way back to the floor for labor and delivery, toss your trash and take a pee break before getting back to your sister-in-law's room. She's uncomfortable as can be, doomscrolling on her phone while waiting for your brother to finally show.
Finding the stress ball in the corner of her room, you kick it towards the foot of her bed and take a seat on it, bouncing while pulling free your phone and bringing up Jack's contact.
Y/N: I hear you're terrorizing ur coworkers. Play nice.
You're not expecting a reply right away, so you're surprised when one zooms in.
Jackie Boy: Who snitched?
Y/N: As if I'll divulge my contact.
Minutes pass and then..
Jackie Boy: Don't u have young minds to corrupt in a few hrs? Y are u awake?
Y/N: Don't you have lives to save? Why are you making ppl cry?
Jackie Boy: Y/N..
Huffing a laugh, you snap a quick pic of your sister-in-law in bed and send it off to him.
Y/N: My snuggle buddy decided to make his debut a week early. I was staying with my SIL while my brother was at work. She didn't want to be alone.
Jack doesn't text you back, so you figure he's busy. You go back to chatting with your sister-in-law, getting her ice chips when she requests them and going on walks to stretch your legs. Your brother finally gets there, but your sister-in-law doesn't want you to leave, so you don't. She has no family and your family will only show up to the hospital if there's an emergency. Without an emergency, they'll show up after their alarms have gone off.
So, before more time can pass, you text your main boss to let her know they need to find a substitute for your class since you have a family emergency.
Your sister-in-law's contractions get stronger and closer, which leads her to requesting an epidural after all.
And then six hours later, your nephew is born at nine pounds and two ounces. Once he's been cleaned and checked over and given a clean bill of health, he's swaddled up and given to mom and dad. You snap a few pictures, promising not to post them anywhere until after they've done so since you didn't want to steal their thunder.
. .
Outside the room, Jack Abbot paces in front of one particular door. He's had a long night and was on his way to the rooftop for some reflection, but the cry of a baby made him think of Y/N and the fact that she could still possibly be here at the hospital. So, after a little digging, and finding a patient that holds the same last name as Y/N had recently given birth, he found himself here.
Only after garnering one too many looks from some coworkers does he finally bite the bullet, knocking on the door before poking his head in. Two heads turn towards him, and he offers a sheepish grin, but his gaze is immediately drawn to Y/N who is standing at the foot of the bed and rocking a newborn in her arms.
Grin faltering, heart pounding, Jack steps in. "I- I'm sorry. I was just looking for-"
Y/N turns at the sound of his voice, eyes bright and smile blossoming. "Jackie! Come look. Meet my chunky snuggle buddy."
Jack gulps and enters the room, shutting the door behind him. He shakily smiles at the tired parents, about to introduce himself before Y/N does it for him.
"Guys, this is Jack. Doctor Abbot, if you want to be formal. Jackie, this is my sister-in-law and her baby daddy."
The sister-in-law chuckles, nodding at Jack, and the brother mockingly gasps as if offended. But seconds later, he smiles and nods in greeting as well.
"So you finally get to get those snuggles in, huh?" He asks, limping towards Y/N. He gulps as he stares down at the dozing baby, heart constricting. He never entertained the idea of kids before, but seeing this- seeing Y/N already getting in her snuggles does something funny to him. He glances down at the baby, at the chubby cheeks, and smiles. "Cute." Then glancing at mom and dad, he says, "Congratulations."
"Thanks, man," the brother says. He glances between Jack and Y/N, understanding dawning on him as he sees his sister smile at Jack. "You just coming in or getting off?"
"Off. It's been a long night, but Y/N was texting me this morning and I wanted to check in to make sure everything was going okay before going home."
Y/N glances at him, glances down, and notices the way he's shifting his weight off of his prosthetic. "Need a ride?"
"I don't want to pull you away."
"It's fine. I need to get some sleep too." Leaning down, Jack watches as Y/N rubs her cheek along the baby's cheek. "I can't wait until you're older and I can properly squeeze you," she says. "I'm gonna teach you all the swear words, teach you how to throw a punch, and give you all the sugar. Then, at the end of the day, you're going back to mom and dad so I can go sleep peacefully in my own bed."
The brother laughs. "You're such an asshole."
Y/N quietly chuckles and then passes the baby back over to her sister-in-law. "Do you need anything before I go?"
"No, I'm fine," she smiles tiredly. "Thanks for being here and not trying to take a picture of my vagina."
Y/N snorts. "We're close, but we're not that close."
Jack watches the family moment, again his chest aching. This is what's been missing in his life.
After hugging her sister-in-law and brother, she grabs a set of keys from a backpack on the floor and then turns towards him. "Let's go, Jackie Boy."
"Congratulations again and I'm sorry about intruding."
"You're good, man," the brother smiles at him.
With a parting wave, Jack follows Y/N into the hall. She looks about as tired as he feels, so they leave the hospital quietly. Y/N drives him home, he tells her to text him when she gets home, and she waits until he's in his house before driving off.
While winding down in preparation to take a shower before crawling into bed, Jack removes his dog tags and wedding band from around his neck. He places it in a shallow bowl he keeps in front of a framed picture of his late wife- a frame that he picks up and stares at.
"What is going on, sweetheart?" He asks the photo. "I'm an old man missing half of a leg. She can do so much better than me." There's, of course, no response. But somewhere outside, the muffled laughter of a baby filters in. He hadn't even known his neighbors had kids.
Just as he's set the frame back in its rightful place, he goes to stand but the dinging of his phone stops him. He grabs it, finding a notification from Y/N.
Time to get naked and slide under the sheets. Sweet dreams, doc!
"Jesus," he mumbles. "She's gonna be the death of me."
Life continues on as if the world hasn't tilted on its axis.
You still text Jack, hang out when you're able to, and it's just- it's easy to be around him. Surprisingly so.
Your family notices a change in you, just as you're sure his coworkers notice a change in him if their whisperings or all knowing looks are anything to go by. But enough people know about your and his pasts, so no one says anything outright to prevent spooking either one of you off.
And as the year comes to a close, you realize you need to make a change. If you want to be happy, you can't keep feeling guilty about it just because Danny is no longer alive. You loved Danny, you still have love for him, but you still have so much more love to give.
So, you're going to attend your friend's wedding and vow to do better tomorrow.
Dressed in an emerald green satin dress, you feel like you're on top of the world. The bodice is fitted with spaghetti straps, an empire waistline, and a high front slit in the floor length skirt. You have some very delicate heels strapped to your feet and you feel hot- a fact which Dana, Doctor Mel, Doctor McKay, Doctor Ellis, and Doctor Mohan all reiterate back to you when you send them pictures in a group chat that's just for you ladies.
At the wedding, you sit towards the front with other girls you went to high school, and then college, with. You only have eyes for the bride and the groom when they're joined together at the altar. You watch the entire ceremony with joy as it unfolds, so it's understandable you don't pay attention to the other guests.
But at the reception, when it's time to find a table to sit at, your attention is stolen by a man chatting up the groom.
Jack Abbot is smiling at the groom and holy hell.. he looks good.
Before you can fully comprehend what you're doing, your feet are carrying you in his direction. His conversation has wrapped up and just as he turns, you stop before him and whistle lowly as you give him an obvious up and down.
"Well, don't you clean up nice, Doctor Abbot."
Jack's eyes widen before, he too, gives you an obvious look over. He gulps. "You- you look beautiful."
His cheeks seem to tint red as the words were obviously not meant to be uttered aloud, but you give him a smile and merely wink. "Thanks. What are you doing here, Jackie? I figured you'd be elbow deep in someone's chest cavity with all the chaos that happens on New Year's Eve."
"I, uh, I served in the military with the groom. I've had this day requested off for over a year now."
"Nice," you muse.
He quickly glances over your shoulder, looking for something but not finding it. "You're here alone?"
"Yeah. The bride is a friend; we went to high school and then college together. Once upon a time, my date would have been Jonathan, but he's in a relationship and I'm not trying to stir up drama."
"Well then, will you let me have the honors of escorting you this fine evening?" As Jack offers you his elbow, you can't help but laugh.
"Sure, Jack. I'd love that."
Hooking your arm through Jack's, you let him lead you towards an empty table. You see your friends all eying you, but you wave them off and pretend you don't hear their cheers or wolf whistles that follow you.
Once seated, Jack takes a moment to look around. "I need a drink. Want anything?"
"Yes, please. Whatever cocktail on the menu is fine."
"Alright. I'll be right back."
As soon as Jack's back is turned, you race to pull your phone out of your clutch and bring up the group chat with the girls.
Y/N L/N: So was no one going to tell me that not only does Scrub Daddy Jack Abbot look good in scrubs, joggers, and fitted tees.. but that he looks damn good in a suit?
Y/N L/N: I hate y'all.
Cassie McKay: Where even are you? Why is Abbot in a suit?
Y/N L/N: Wedding. I'm with the bride, he's with the groom.
Y/N L/N: Srsly, y'all. I was seconds away from tossing my panties at him.
Nurse Evans: I can't wait to tell Robby.
Samira Mohan: I need to see pics.
Mel King: If Dana tells Doctor Robby, I'm telling Frank.
Mel King: Langdon here! Can I just say I'm kind of jealous I'm not included in this chat? It sounds fun.
Samira Mohan: Girls. Only!
Instead of snapping a pic, you take video of Jack walking back to the video. He's got a glass tumbler in one hand and a cocktail glass in the other, and his resting bitch face is enough to make people step out of his way. You smile at him, still recording, and he starts to smile back right before you end the clip.
"Do I even want to know?" He asks, setting your drink down.
"The girls didn't believe me that you look hot in a suit." You go back to texting, sending the video to the group chat and tagging it as 'Scary Dog Privilege' before setting your phone down.
But just as you set your phone down, Jack picks it up. There's no code on it, so he opens it right up to the group chat and scrolls up to start from earlier that evening. He reads through the thread, snorting in amusement, but you're not ashamed of anything you said, so you simply sit there and sip on your drink.
Once he's finished, he scrolls back up to the pictures you'd sent of yourself in the dress. "I'm sending these to my phone."
You shrug. "Only if you'll take a picture with me later. We look too hot to not capture the moment."
"Deal."
Despite what Jack read, it doesn't seem to affect him. He does, however, inch his seat closer to yours to the point that your knees knock together beneath the table.
You and Jack quietly chat, laughing here and there, and then when it's announced that dinner is about to be served, people start taking any available seats. Unfortunately, that means your table is about to be intruded upon.. and it's just your luck that two of the intruding individuals happen to be Jonathan and Natalie.
All throughout dinner, Jonathan tries to chat you up from across the table. He goes on and on about not seeing you as much as he'd like, and tries to make plans for future hangouts, and it makes you feel uncomfortable to see Natalie be hurt by his words. His girlfriend is literally right there, but Jonathan is paying you more attention.
And try as you might, pulling Natalie into the conversation does no one any good as she seems to hold onto her hatred for you.
Eventually, dinner ends, and the music starts. The newlyweds have their first dance which prompts everyone to fall quiet.
And then when the next song starts, Jack turns in his seat towards you and grabs your hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Wanna dance, sweetheart?"
Your heart flutters and you smile at him. "Don't have to ask me twice."
Securing your clutch and phone, you let Jack lead you to the dancefloor. Neither of you bring up the drama that is Jonathan; you just enjoy swaying back and forth with the handsome doctor. Then another song later and he's leading back to the table where Jonathan and Natalie are both missing. Part of you wants to ask where they went, but you know better and let it go.
Jack ends up getting you another round of drinks and the two of you go back to talking. Eventually, you get your picture with him that you make a college friend take of you, and you immediately set it as your wallpaper because why not? And then when the music from your youth starts- the music that gets your ass shaking and hips swiveling- you're dragged out to the dancefloor by your friends much to Jack's amusement.
Jack watches you dance, unaware you were capable of such moves. All he does know is that your knees will not be forgiving you anytime soon if you keep up with the very provocative moves you and your friends are performing. Although, he kind of enjoys watching you let loose.
Everyone must have lost track of time because when the DJ announces that midnight is fast approaching, everyone scatters to find their date. You approach Jack, fanning yourself and laughing. But before you can sit, Jack is standing with your phone and clutch and offering you his arm once more.
The guests are instructed to head outside for fireworks, so Jack sheds his suit jacket to drape over your shoulders. You head outside and immediately start grumbling about the cold as Jack chuckles at you.
The countdown starts.
At ten, Jack steps closer, making your breath hitch.
At six, your bodies angle towards one another.
At three, you glance up.
Smiling softly, you say, "Happy new year, Doctor Abbot."
At the first bang of a firework, under a shower of colorful sparkles, Jack leans down to capture your lips in a kiss. It's not heated or rushed, but rather soft and loving and dare you say.. hopeful?
A kiss that promises a new future where Jack Abbot is more than just a friend.
And when the kiss ends with Jack staring directly into your eyes, you can't help but nervously giggle when his thumb swipes just beneath your bottom lip. "Happy new year, Y/N."
His smug smile makes you lightly whack him and then seek warmth under his arm as you press as close as you can to him to watch the fireworks.
A year and a half later..
Blessedly, Jack has the night off, but the evening still finds the two of you heading to the hospital. Dressed in a baggy shirt and leggings after the long day you've had, you follow after Jack as he rounds up Dana and Robby before they can leave the building. You smile and wave at all of the others you've become friends with, but keep on track towards the break room.
Sitting down, you yawn and let Jack take the lead.
"What's going on?" Robby asks, glancing between the two of you. "Is everything okay?"
"Peachy." You grin and Robby seems to sag in his seat. Dana, however, has a calculated look in her eye as she glances between the two of you.
"We just wanted to share some news with you," Jack says.
"If you got married without me there-" Dana starts, making you bark out a laugh.
"We're not married, Dana," Jack says, grumbling. "As if I'd invoke the wrath of her sisters-in-law by depriving them of a party." Robby huffs at his friend, amused to see him so settled in your family dynamic.
"But-" you drawl, bringing the conversation back on topic.
Jack finally breaks into the biggest smile his coworkers have ever seen. "We just wanted to let Uncle Robby and Aunt Dana know that baby Abbot will be terrorizing the pitt crew in about four months or so."
Robby and Dana both go slack jawed. As Jack pulls out a strip of sonogram photos from his wallet, you stand and lift your shirt. Sure enough, the smallest of baby bumps has finally made itself known.
Dana squeals and stands to hug you, and Robby stares at the sonogram photos.
"Brother, how the hell did you keep this a secret?" Robby wonders, awed. He finally stands up, hugging you when Dana lets up.
Jack huffs. "We only just found out last week."
"What?!" Dana looks at you. "Didn't your body feel off?"
You shake your head. "Nope. I mean, I got cravings for certain foods, but that's normal for me. And I was still having a period."
Robby stiffens. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine," you assure him. "Apparently, my mother had the same thing happen to her when she was pregnant with me. She didn't know she was pregnant until she was five months along. I guess my kid is just returning the favor."
"It wasn't until she had a pain I couldn't diagnose and she became short of breath did I have her make an appointment. And wouldn't you know," Jack muses, "baby Abbot had their feet shoved up in a place where they weren't supposed to be."
Dana squeals again, hugging you some more and asking to touch your stomach. You let her, laughing. "Who all knows?"
"You're the first two to know," you say, reaching for Jack's hand and letting him tuck you beneath his arm. "You watched everything unfold here at PTMC, so I wanted Jack's family to know first. And besides, my family already went through this once, so I'm just gonna drop it on them at the next family dinner."
Suddenly, Dana straightens up. "Dibs on planning the baby shower!"
As the room fills with chuckles and more congratulatory comments, you can't help but feel that this is where you're meant to be. You'll always have a special place in your heart for your first love, just as Jack will have a special place in his for his first wife, but loving Jack and being loved by him feels like it was always meant to be.
Summary: After introducing the nurses and doctors of PTMC to the soap opera that is your life, you become close to them after several mishaps land you in their ED.
Words: 5,713
Author's Note: I know nothing of the medical field, and I applaud those who research medical terms and conditions because that ain't me lol. Also, we're just going to ignore Robby's little breakdown because I want my babies happy, so this is obviously OOC.
Also, I'm sorry for rambling. Someone told me I 'talk too much' here, but I don't know how to cut anything out.
Walking through the emergency room doors at Pittsburgh's Trauma Medical Center, you wait in the short line for the ward clerk to tell her why you're there. The poor woman looks haggard sitting behind the plexiglass that protects her from possible volatile patients, so you smile kindly at her when she meets your gaze.
"Hi. I'm the emergency contact Jonathan Gaines. I was called and told he was brought in."
The lady types something into her keyboard, nodding a moment later. "Go ahead and step over here by the doors," she says while gesturing to the doors that lead to the back, "and I'll have a nurse come get you."
"Thank you."
You wait, a little impatiently, by the doors. Minutes later, a smiling middle-aged nurse with short blonde hair clipped behind her head pushes the door open and asks, "Y/N Y/L/N?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, good. Follow me."
Walking into the back, you grab both sides of your hoodie jacket and tug it closed over your chest. You're not sure why hospitals are always freezing, but they are and you're ready to go home after being dragged off your couch. "So, what exactly happened to Jonathan?"
"Your friend was in a very bad car accident. Numerous broken bones and currently in a medically induced coma because his brain was swelling." You wince. "He's very lucky to be alive."
"Yeah, that sounds like Jonathan," you mumble. "That guy has an insane amount of sheer dumb luck."
The blonde nurse huffs a laugh before whipping open a curtain to a room. Inside, there's who you're assuming is a doctor given the different color scrubs, your unconscious friend, and his girlfriend Natalie- said girlfriend who takes one look at you and immediately puffs up.
"Oh, hell no," she seethes. "What the hell is she doing here?"
You roll your eyes, already done with Natalie's antics, and glance at a now bemused doctor. "You in charge?"
He nods, tucking a tablet beneath his arm as he gives you his full attention. "Doctor Abbot. Jack."
You take a moment to look Doctor Abbot up and down, taking note of his attractiveness for an older man. Well, maybe not too old given there's still some brown showing in his curls that hasn't been overtaken by gray. "Is Jonathan going to be okay?"
He opens his mouth to respond, but Natalie screeches. "Excuse me!? Why are you even here, Y/N?"
"Oh, I don't know, Natalie. Maybe because I'm his goddamn emergency contact?"
"I'm his girlfriend! I should be-"
"Natalie. Shut. Up!" You hiss at her. You look at her, jaw clenched, and the nurse and doctor wisely let you talk. "There are other patients back here, you moron. Some probably worse off than Jonathan. No one needs to hear you screeching like a harpy all because your boyfriend can't be bothered to change his emergency contact." She glares at you. "Now will you please shut the fuck up so they can tell me what's going on and so I can go about changing his emergency contact because you annoy the fuck out of me and I don't need to be dealing with this anymore!"
Natalie scoffs. "I don't need to listen to this." She pushes up and out of the chair, stomping off to do God knows what.
As soon as Natalie disappears, you exhale and walk over to drop into her vacated seat.
"What was that all about?" Blondie asks.
"I will give you all the gossip after someone tells me if Johnny is out of the woods and how I can go about changing his emergency contact because I'm tired of Natalie's antics." You rub at your temple, already done with this evening. "I deal with children from seven to three, I don't need to add dealing with Natalie on top of that."
Doctor Abbot plops down on a stool, draping a stethoscope around his neck. "Jonathan was in a lot of pain and he hit his head pretty hard. He was struggling and fighting against us, so we sedated him. When we noticed the swelling in his brain, we then made the decision to put him in a coma to give his body a chance to calm and for the swelling to go down."
"Is he out of the woods?"
"Hmm, mostly. As long as the swelling goes down, he should be fine. Then we just wake him up and address all his broken bones, none of which need surgery."
You huff.
"Gossip. Now," the blondie muses.
You glance at her, tiredly grinning. "I don't even know your name."
"Dana Evans, charge nurse. Now come on. I need to know what's going on before I gotta get back out on the floor."
Doctor Abbot huffs and you sigh yet again.
"Short version or long version? Longer version will give you a better picture."
"Long. Now chop, chop."
Doctor Abbot's lips twitch at Dana's impatience.
"Believe it or not, it all started in high school," you say. "Jonathan and I became friends. Clicked really well. And then we were best friends. I will admit that I developed a bit of a crush," you grimace, "but I never said anything about it. I figured if he liked me back, I'd know and we'd go from there."
"Aw. Puppy love," Dana coos.
You weakly grin at her. "Unfortunately for my younger self, he didn't return those feelings. I spent the whole school year watching him collect girlfriend after girlfriend and being ignored. Eventually, those feelings fizzled out." Doctor Abbot says nothing, but Dana frowns. "I learned that crushes come and go, and I wasn't really hurt over him not liking me back. But then at graduation, Jonathan dropped the bomb on me that he was in love with me."
Doctor Abbot snorts. "He didn't."
"He did. And to make matters worse, he thought that I'd be happy and forget all about my scholarship to Texas University in hopes of staying here with him." Dana and Doctor Abbot groan. "So, I did what any best friend would do. I told him that while I loved him, I wasn't in love with him. I thought he took it rather well and then we went our separate ways, keeping in touch through texts and emails."
"Things didn't get better, did they?" Doctor Abbot asks.
"Things were stagnant." You shrug. "He did his thing and I did my thing. The only difference was that while Jonathan boasted about partying and hooking up all over his socials, I kept mine secret. And then I fell in love."
"Oh, no," Dana utters.
"Danny was.. everything to me," you say. "I didn't know I could love someone as much as I loved him. I fell fast and I fell hard, and the same went for him given he proposed after a year of dating." Both their gazes drop to your hand and you grin as you reach into the neckline of your shirt, pulling out a silver chain where your engagement ring resides. "We assured our families we wouldn't marry until after graduation and had secured jobs, and they were happy for us. Everyone was happy for us. Until Jonathan saw my engagement photos and decided to fly down to Texas and thought he could persuade me to leave Danny."
"What the hell." Doctor glances at an unconscious Jonathan, frowning at him. "Not cool, man. Totally not cool."
"Exactly what I told him," you muse. "I also told him I needed space and sent him back to Pittsburgh. Then a month before my wedding, Danny was hit by a drunk driver and died."
"Oh, honey." Dana moves to stand next to you, squeezing your shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks, but it was a while ago. I've accepted it and moved on. I think I'll always have love for Danny, but the grief of losing him won't prevent me from finding that love again whenever I'm ready for it. Hopefully."
"Good."
"So where does Jonathan and his jealous girlfriend come into play?" Doctor Abbot wonders.
"Well, I obviously moved back. My family helped me cope and Jonathan.. well, Jonathan has no family. He was a bit clingy. I told him we could be friends again, but the second he made it weird I was walking away. He agreed." You pause, giving yourself a brief respite. "Jonathan dated and it seemed like every girlfriend of his disliked me instantly. You don't know how many times I had to assure his girlfriends that there was never and will never be anything romantic between us. Most seemed to take my word for it after a while, but he ended up breaking up with them anyway. And then he met Natalie a little over a year ago, the longest he's ever dated someone, and she's just never gotten over her hate for me."
"You think she knows he's in love with you?"
"Probably, but it's not my problem. I've grown tired of having to assure her insecure mindset that I don't like Jonathan romantically. Which leads me to this- how do I remove myself as his emergency contact? I'm tired of this back and forth with her every time he gets hurt."
"It's just one sheet of paper that needs your signature," Dana says. "I can go get it now if-"
"Yes, please. I need to get home, eat, shower, and then mentally prepare myself for tomorrow. It's Field Trip Day and the kiddos are excited for the zoo."
"Aw, how sweet. I'll be right back."
Left alone with Doctor Abbot, you flash him a tight smile as he stands.
"For what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing in taking your name off his file."
"Thanks, Doctor Abbot."
"You can call me Jack." As Jack walks out, he winks before finding some hand sanitizer on the wall and continuing about his shift.
Dana returns, handing you a clipboard as you sigh longingly. "So, tell me, Dana. Is Jack Abbot the only hot doctor around here or are there others?"
She chuckles. "Well, there is Doctor Robby. Total sad boy vibes."
You grin and quickly fill in the paper, handing the clipboard back to her. "Now if you'll excuse me-"
"Yep, yep. Go on your way, sweetie." As you walk by her, she says, "And have fun tomorrow!"
After removing yourself as Jonathan's emergency contact, you didn't know anything about his health until three days later when he called you. You were happy to hear that he was going to be okay and then had to bite back a groan when he tried to guilt you back into being his emergency contact. It took nearly half an hour of going back and forth with him to make him understand that you would not be doing that since his girlfriend had issues with it. And when he finally accepted it, you wished him well and focused on yourself once more.
And then just as you're getting into the groove of work and have forgotten the pretty faces of PTMC, you're loaded up into the back of an ambulance and taken to that exact same hospital.
With one arm slung over your eyes, you let the emergency workers do their job and wheel you into the hospital as they rattle off your name, age, and vitals to the charge nurse so they can find you a room to put you in. Your ankle is throbbing and you fear that it's actually broken.
"Y/N?" Your name being uttered in a questionable manner makes you remove your arm and you find a worried nurse staring at you.
You manage a weak grin. "Dana, right?"
"Yeah, honey. What happened?" She asks.
You pick your head up to glance down at your ankle, wincing at the angry purple it now is. "Uhh-"
"Hey, Dana," someone else says, stepping into your curtained room. This doctor has dark hair, a dark beard with some gray sprinkled in, and the kind of eyes that makes you wanna hug him. "What do we have here?"
"Not too sure. Y/N was just about to tell me."
"You two know each other?" The doctor asks.
"Fuck me," you mumble, watching as the doctor slips on some blue gloves. His gaze darts to you, a smile blossoming as he fights back a laugh. Your cheeks immediately heat as Dana snorts and you drop your head back, arm covering your eyes again. "Don't. Say. Anything."
"We won't if you tell us what happened." Someone presses around your ankle and you hiss, head snapping up to glare at the offending person. It's the handsome doctor.
"I'm, uh- I'm a teacher. My class was having P.E and, since I was caught up on my class plans for the day, I stuck around the gym. Bad move on my part because the gym teachers know I'm a bit competitive and dared me to join in on the dodgeball fun."
Dana snorts. "You like dodgeball?"
"I love dodgeball. Especially if, now don't judge me, I can nail a few of the unruly kids." Both nurse and doctor look at you, mouths slightly gape in surprise. "What? They're foam balls. No harm, no foul."
The doctor shakes his head, amused. "Okay, so you were playing dodgeball. How did you roll the ankle?"
"A kid went down and decided to be funny by being dramatic about it, so I kind of leapt over him to nail another kid on the opposite team. I landed wrong."
Dana's giggles fill the room and even the doctor can't help a few chuckles escaping.
After a moment to collect themselves, the doctor with his jacket sleeves pushed up to his elbow says, "Well alright, dodgeball queen. My name is Doctor Robby and you're going to need some x-rays. I will be surprised if it's not broken."
"Fuckkkk," you groan, dropping your head back onto the pillow.
Dana laughs some more while mentioning she'll go get their on-call xray technician and another nurse to take over. You call out a goodbye to her, then glance at Doctor Robby. His attention is on the tablet in his hand and you can't help but appreciate the hot older man. Between him and Doctor Abbot, you weren't sure how the nurses got anything done around here.
Soon enough, a portable x-ray machine is brought in and they get your leg prepped so they can snap an image of your ankle. They take the image which is then shot off to the tablet Doctor Robby has, and he huffs in disbelief.
When he looks up at you, smiling and eyes sparkling, you mentally swoon. "Well aren't you lucky. Nothing broken."
"You're joking."
"Nope." He steps closer, showing you the x-ray of your ankle. "Despite the angry coloring and it being swollen, your ankle is fine."
"So, what's the prognosis?"
"How anxious are you to get back to work?"
"If I can get the rest of the day off, I'll take it."
Doctor Robby grins and then turns to the nearest nurse. "Go ahead and bring the patient an ice pack. I won't feel comfortable releasing her until I see some of the swelling go down." She nods. "And put in an order for some crutches."
As the nurse takes her leave, you glance at the doctor. "Are crutches necessary?"
"Yep. You rolled the ankle pretty good. You'll need to be off it for about a week."
"So, no dodgeball for the foreseeable future?"
He laughs. "No. No dodgeball."
You pout.
. .
You've managed to kill time by remaining in the ER, Dana visiting when she can to bring you a ham and cheese sandwich, and a small can of Coke. You try to keep the ice pack on your ankle as much as you can, but the cold hurts at times so you have to constantly remove it and then reapply it.
Eventually, Doctor Robby reappears with a pair of crutches. "Ready to test drive them?"
"Not really."
You move anyway, putting your weight on your one good leg while keeping your injured ankle lifted. Hopping a little so you're facing Doctor Robby, he hands you the crutches that you immediately tuck into each armpit.
"Know how to use them?"
"Sort of. I used to mess around with some when I was younger," you say. You take a few steps, keeping your injured ankle lifted all the while. "Is there even an improper way to use crutches?"
"Surprisingly, there is, but you seem to be doing pretty well."
"Thanks, doc. Does that mean it's time to go?"
"Yep. There's about to be a shift change, but I'll see if Dana can get your discharge papers before we leave."
"Thanks-"
"Robby, you got a sec?" A familiar voice asks and in walks Doctor Abbot.
You glance between the two doctors. "Jesus. How does anyone get anything done here with you two looking like you do?"
Doctor Robby glances at you, grinning, and it takes Jack a moment to place you. "Y/N!" For a moment, he actually looks happy to see you. And then that expression shutters as he realizes just where it is that you're at. "What happened? Did your friend manage to make you his emergency contact again?"
"Fortunately not," you muse. "I'm actually here because I'm an idiot."
"Go on." His amusement makes you glower at him.
"Am I missing something here?" Doctor Robby asks, glancing between you and his coworker who looks highly amused.
You shake your head and then grin as you address Doctor Robby. "Nah. I met Dana and Doctor Abbot last week or so because I was my best friend's emergency contact."
"The best friend whose girlfriend didn't like that Y/N was his emergency contact," Abbot says.
"And I might have lost my temper and told her off," you say. "Moving on." You glance at Jack, exhaling. "I'm about to be discharged, but I was here for a really bad sprain that Doctor Robby says I have to stay off of for about a week."
"What'd you do?"
"She jumped over a kid to nail another kid with a dodgeball," Doctor Robby deadpans.
"Nice. Did you get them?"
Chuckling, you nod, and Doctor Robby swears beneath his breath. "Okay, you lunatics. Jack, I'll see you at the nurse's station. Y/N, I'll send a nurse your way to discharge you. Please refrain from pelting any more kids with dodgeballs."
"No promises, doctor. I cannot be held responsible if they don't know how to dodge."
Jack nods. "It is called dodgeball for a reason."
"Jesus. You, out," he says while nudging Jack. "And stop encouraging her."
You can't stop smiling as both doctors take their leave, catching Dana's watchful gaze before wiggling your eyebrows at her. She laughs and finishes up some last minute paperwork before she can go home.
For a week, you abided by Doctor Robby's orders to stay off your ankle. Your coworkers thought it was hilarious, the gym teacher telling anyone and everyone that will listen all about your leap in dodgeball that resulted in your trip to the ER. And though you should have been embarrassed, you weren't because everyone knew you loved working with kids, and you meant no harm when you got a little competitive during games.
Life goes back to normal- as normal as it can get when you're molding the young minds of the latest generation.
And then just when you think you're done with the pretty faces of PTMC, you run into Dana at the grocery store who happens to be stocking up on Halloween candy. She's happy to see you, and you her, and she gets you talking about your upcoming Halloween plans. You admit you normally stay in, order some food and binge watch horror movies while passing out candy bags to the apartment building kiddos, but this year your friend scored two tickets to a Halloween party at a warehouse so that's where you'll be.
Dana sighs longingly about being young and still able to party, making you laugh, and wonders what your costume will be. You tell her you opted out of anything revealing because you're not a fan of crowds that will run the risk of wandering hands, but you did find a rather form fitting Beetlejuice costume that gives you the coverage you want. She laughs and tells you she's going to need a picture, and you promise to give her updates after handing her your phone to input her number.
The two of you chat a little bit more before going your separate ways.
And true to your word, the day of Halloween, you start with your makeup and hair. You have white, gray, green and black face paint, and manage to give yourself a dead and moldy look after some blending. You straighten and tease your hair to give you a tousled look, eating some leftover pizza because you knew you were going to be drinking later and needed the carbs to soak up some of the alcohol. Afterwards, you get the green colored hairspray and color everything. It smells gross, but the look is so worth it.
You dress in black and white striped leggings, a short sleeve burgundy button up that's at least one size too small so it's really fitted against your upper body, and a fitted black and white striped blazer. You pull on some zippered combat boots and then take the pictures that Dana had wanted before shooting them off to her in a text. Even when your friend gets there in her Poison Ivy costume, you snap a couple of pictures for Dana. And then the last one you send her is you sitting perched on a stone column outside your building, head tilted, and arms spread in the 'It's showtime!' pose that Beetlejuice is famous for.
Nurse Dana: Cute! Be safe and have fun. I'll save you some candy.
. .
Hours later, you're sitting in the back of an ambulance as the EMT tries to stop your friend from having a seizure.
With shaky hands, you pull out your phone and text Dana- going 2 ER. Friend was drugged. I'm scared.
Nurse Dana: I'll let the boys know. They'll take care of you, honey.
Even after the EMT stops your friend from seizing, your stomach churns at the fact that she isn't waking up. They've asked you question after question as to what your friend could have possibly taken, but you've told them numerous times that your friend doesn't do drugs. The EMT has administered a couple different medicines, but still your friend won't wake.
Then when the ambulance jerks to a stop in the ER bay, the doors are thrown open and you stay put until they get your friend out. Then hopping out yourself, you stumble in a hard chest, firms hands cradling your arms to keep you steady.
"Y/N?"
"Jack?" Glancing up, you sag in relief.
"What happened?"
"We-"
"Let's move!"
Doctor Robby has taken charge, following the EMT's as they steer your friend into the hospital. You move to follow, stumbling over air, and Jack is catching your arm. Which in turn brings his attention to your blood-soaked hand. "What happened here?"
You glance at your hand he's holding up. "Punched a guy in the mouth."
"What? Why?"
"They were trying to drag me and my friend down an empty hallway. I fought back."
Jack tenses, his gaze looking you over before saying, "Atta girl. Now come on. Lets get you checked out and check on your friend. Dana is worried and is blowing up mine and Robby's phones."
As Jack leads you into the ER, despite the mood being somber, various hospital workers are in costume to help any underage patients feel comforted. Your friend is in one of the curtained rooms, Robby watching as his coworkers work get an IV started in her arm and someone else gets a tube down her throat. You whine at seeing her in such a state, but Jack leads you to another room further down the hall.
Once situated on a bed, Jack urges you to get comfortable as he wheels around a medical tray and a stool so he can sit next to your injured hand. Before he can say anything, another coworker of his walks in. Her dark auburn hair is pulled back into a ponytail, bangs hanging just above her eyes as she smiles kindly at you.
"Y/N, this is Doctor McKay. She's gonna talk while I clean up your hand and see if you need stitches."
"O-Okay."
"Hi, Y/N. Do you mind going over what happened tonight? We need to know how to help your friend, so if you can tell us what she took that'd be a great help."
You frown. "What she took? She- she didn't take anything." Jack pours a liquid over your knuckles, making you hiss. You glance at him when he blows on your knuckles, gulp, and then turn back to Doctor McKay who's looking at you like you're lying. "I'm being honest. My friend and I work with kids. We love our job and would never jeopardize it. All we had were drinks. Drinks that I'm suspecting were tampered with by the bartender."
Doctor McKay freezes. "Why do you say that?"
"Because my friend and I have a rule. We only have five drinks each before we cut ourselves off and we never accept drinks that the bartender doesn't hand us themselves. She was barely on drink three, something that should have made her giggly and stumble a little, but she passed out. I got her awake, but it was like she was half asleep and couldn't hold herself up anymore."
"And then what happened?"
"I thought it was funny at first, but then a group of three guys surrounded us and asked if I needed help. I asked if they could help us outside so we could Uber home and they agreed. Only they weren't leading us towards the exit, they were leading us towards a hallway where there really weren't any people around."
"I'm sure that was scary."
Unwillingly, tears well up. You have to blink rapidly and angle your head upward so they don't fall. "When I realized what was going on, I started to struggle. I'm pretty sure my wrist is going to bruise from where one of the guys grabbed me," you say while gesturing to the hand Jack is working on. He stops, slides up your jacket sleeve, and sure enough your wrist is starting to turn colors. "They- they clamped a hand over my mouth and picked me up to make it easier for them, but by some miracle another group saw. They helped me and my friend out, I punched the guy holding me, and then someone was calling 911 because my friend wouldn't wake up."
"You had the same drinks as your friend?" McKay asks.
"Yeah, but- I was drinking water in between. She opted out of having water."
"Do you feel any different?" Jack asks.
"I-" You pause and take a moment to do an inner catalog. As you're sitting still, it feels like you're swaying in position. "I feel a lot more tipsy than I should be feeling."
"Shit." Jack looks at Doctor McKay and starts ordering for a blood test to be done as well bringing you an antibiotic and getting an IV started for you. Once she leaves to do what's been demanded of her, Jack draws your attention back to him. "We're gonna take care of you. Alright?"
"Yeah." You shiver, the hospital's cold finally settling in as you lean back against the raised upper half of the bed you're in.
Jack grins. "Cold?"
"What do you think?" Your deadpan delivery makes him chuckle.
"Well, you lucked out with not needing stitches, but since you did get this cut from someone's tooth, I think it'll be a good idea to get started on some antibiotics."
"You're the doctor, Jack. I'll do whatever you say."
"Whatever I say?" Your gaze darts back to him, breath hitching.
At his smug grin, you roll your eyes. "Shut up or I'm telling Dana. You can't look like you do and flirt with me after I've possibly been drugged. S'not nice."
Jack chuckles some more, standing up and shedding his jacket. He shakes it out and holds it open, telling you to sit forward before draping it along your shoulders before you slide your arms through the sleeves. "Nice costume, by the way. Dana was showing all of us before she left for the night. She was like a proud mom showing off her kid."
Huffing a laugh, you tug his jacket closed over your chest as you lean back and smile. "I love her."
Suddenly, Robby is there in your room, concern in his expression. "Hey, you alright? McKay is saying this is a date-rape drugging."
You grimace and Robby's eyes subtly widen. Doctor McKay comes back, supplies in hand to draw your blood. Arms crossed over his chest, Jack stands sentinel as Doctor McKay gets to work. The sound of a picture being taken fills the small room and everyone glances at Robby as he slowly lowers his phone. "Blame Dana. She wants proof you're okay." You flash him a weak grin. "Is there anyone we need to call for you?"
"No. I don't want to pull my parents out of bed and my brothers- there's no use in getting them riled up. Even if I was drugged, I'm awake and can possibly go home as soon as you guys let me."
Doctor McKay finishes and bandages the crook of your elbow, quickly gets an IV started in the back of your hand, and then Jack brushes her out of the way. "Expedite those results," he tells her.
"Already on it," she calls over her shoulder, quickly leaving the room.
Jack sits on the vacated stool, rubbing a hand down his tired face. "Are you sure you don't want to call anyone?"
"Positive." Before you lean back to get comfortable, you take off your boots and place them at the foot of the bed. You curl up in Jack's jacket, yawning. "I just want to sleep this night away."
"Go ahead and get a nap in," Robby tells you. "When the blood results come back and if it's positive for Rohypnol, then we'll need to get a statement for the police."
"That's fine. I'm not sure how much I'll remember of the group that tried taking us, but I can give a detailed description of the bartender."
Immediately, Jack pulls out a pen and pad of paper. "Tell me everything."
For the next ten minutes, you detail everything you can remember about the bartender and the group of guys. Jack writes it all down and then assures you that you can sleep now without needing to be woken for your test results.
Only after Jack brings you a warm blanket do you fall asleep, curled on your side closest to Jack since he had stayed for a moment.
Half an hour later, Robby is making his way towards your curtained off room with your test results after checking in on your friend. The friend was now awake and weepy, but after being assured that you were being well taken care of did she finally fall into a fitful sleep.
Stepping around the curtain so it doesn't make noise, Robby pauses at the sight that greets him. You're asleep, curled in on yourself while Jack sits as close as he can get to your bed, doing his charts for the night. Jack briefly glances up before going back to charting.
"Well?"
"Uh, positive. You have her statement?"
"Yeah."
Quickly and quietly, Robby takes out his phone and- after remembering to silence it- snaps a photo for Dana. He pockets his phone, Jack hands him your statement, and Robby opens his mouth to ask his friend a question but decides against it. He's seen Jack flirt without it meaning anything, but he's never seen his friend feel protective over someone else.
Not like this.
Not after his wife had passed.
So whatever is going on, Robby's gonna let it play out as it should. And maybe- just maybe- he'll gossip with Dana when neither you nor Jack are around to hear anything.
. .
When you're woken up to finally be discharged, Dana is there and proves to be a mother hen. You assure her over and over you're fine, she takes you to the bathroom so you can remove the face paint since it's now become itchy and then ushers you to your friend. You hold your friend as she cries and apologizes, but you only assure her that it's all fine now. Nothing happened and you're just happy that she's okay.
You look for Jack to give him his jacket back, but Dana tells you not to worry about it. You do worry, however, and then tell her to give him your number so you can bring his jacket back after washing it for him. She smiles and hums and waits for the Uber to arrive before leaving you and your friend alone.
Only once you're in the back of the Uber does your phone go off, a picture message from the charge nurse who had just left your side.
Nurse Dana: Dare I say we found Doctor Abbot's soft spot?
The picture attached is of you asleep and Jack working at your bedside. You find yourself smiling and saving the picture, the reacting to the photo with a heart emoji so Dana can see and then putting your phone away.
As you stare out the back window, your hand reaches for your engagement ring that still hangs around your neck. You grasp it, running it back and forth over the chain before pressing a quick kiss to it and dropping it.
You haven't thought about seriously dating after the death of Danny, but Jack.. Jack feels different.
He feels settled in a way that no other man has compared to and maybe- just maybe- do you see yourself starting something new if Jack were interested.
Author's Note: If you liked this, please encourage me to finish part 2.
When the hotels are all booked up, your cousin asks if a few friends can crash at your place. You accept, not knowing you'll be meeting some people who will become lifelong friends and get a shot at doing what you once loved.
[Part Three of Three]
Words: 9.9K
Author's Note: I know Rey Mysterio is part of the LWO or whatever it's called, but for the sake of this.. he's all alone and needs help from others. Also, I know there are several females on the Smackdown roster that are amazing, but I just recently started watching again so I only mention those I'm somewhat familiar with. No offense to any of those lovely ladies.
FYI, I don't write smut. The most I write is mediocre kissing lmao.
And Jesus fuck. Do you know how hard it is to write a wrestling match? Why did I do this to myself?
You continue to make appearances on Raw, this time everything being filmed backstage.
The feud between father and son amps up, you being there every time to help your Tio up and glaring at a laughing Judgement Day, but more importantly at a smug Liv who thinks she's untouchable. Even the Terror Twins and Jey Uso get involved, helping Rey when Judgement Day overwhelms him. Eventually it evolves to a fight, four on four; Rey, Damian, Rhea, and Jey versus Dom, Finn, Liv, and JD with Carlito subjected to watching from the sides. Everyone knows Carlito will get involved, but so will you. Even if the fans don't know it.
Before you're revealed on Smackdown, however, you're to be an anonymous ally to Rey, Jey, and the Terror Twins for their match. Only Rey will know of the identity of the ally, leaving everyone in the dark, but everyone will know exactly where this ally is to be hidden during the duration of the match so as to not mess up what's been written in the script.
You're to have a slight makeover for Smackdown, but you can't do what they want just yet, so you settle for only the anonymous outfit. They give you an oversized black hoodie with black jeans and black booties with a chunky heel. To keep your identity hidden, they double french braid your hair, plop in purple contacts, and give you a mask like the one the Winter Soldier from the Marvel universe wears.
Between one match and the next, the arena goes dark during a commercial break. The production crew has to sneak you to the ring and hide you beneath it before the lights come back up.
(Live on Raw)
It feels like forever before the two groups swagger down to the ring and are introduced, and then even longer once the match starts.
Once you get the cue from your Tio, you slide out from beneath the ring and stay crouched by the side. The fans that see you start to cheer, and any second Liv will round the corner of the ring, running from Rhea. Sure enough, when she does, you fly up and sprint at her, spearing her to the ground.
The crowd goes wild, even more so when Rhea comes to a stop in front of you and the two of you have a stare down. She seems suspicious of you, at least up until you mockingly salute her- the same salute she'd given you when you first made your appearance on Raw. Her eyes seem to gleam with recognition then, but then your gaze is darting behind her where Carlito is running up.
Shoving Rhea aside, you superkick Carlito right across his chin. As Carlito falls, you turn towards Rhea and place your index finger over where your mouth is beneath your mask as if shushing her to keep the secret.
In the ring, there's a count of three and your Tio and friends are announced the winners. When Rhea takes her gaze off of you, you jump the barricade and rush through the crowd.
(End of segment broadcast.)
You make quick work of jumping into a waiting car in the garage, stripping off your mask behind the tinted windows and are driven to the hotel you're staying at. You find your bag at your feet, yanking out your phone and sending a text to Rhea, while also changing into normal clothing so Jey doesn't find the anonymous outfit in your room.
To Rhea: All will be revealed Friday Night. Stay tuned.
It's not until you're back in the room you're sharing with Jey that she texts back.
From Rhea: So, it's safe to assume you'll be on Smackdown?
To Rhea: Paul hasn't spoken to you guys?
From Rhea: What's going on?
To Rhea: Shit. You didn't hear this from me, so don't spread it. My home will be Smackdown, but Paul mentioned that with how the storylines are going.. it looks like both rosters will be making appearances either night. No one's going to be stuck only on Raw or only on Smackdown. I'm not sure how long that will last though.
From Rhea: This is going to be fun. Btw, Jey's convinced you were the anonymous female who helped us.
To Rhea: Good luck proving it. I've done a good job making it seem like I've been in the room all night.
You send her the gif of Karen from Mean Girls where she fake coughs and says I'm sick. Rhea sends you back a laughing emoji and wishes you luck.
Later, when Jey gets back, he looks prepared to grill you about your whereabouts. But when he sees you all snuggled up and looking a little under the weather, he leans over you to kiss your forehead.
"You need anything?"
You feel bad lying to him, but it's only for a few more days. "No. Just want you to hold me. How was work?"
"You mean you didn't watch?"
"I did, but I just want to hear you talk."
Jey smiles. "Let me shower really quick and I'll tell you all about it."
Jey makes quick work of showering and when he exits the bathroom in nothing but a pair of briefs, you mentally curse the restraint the two of you have. It's no secret to either of you that you're it for one another, but taking that next step seems to be stumping the two of you. You'll be affectionate with each other and sleep in the same bed, but you've yet to kiss or anything. It's almost like you're afraid to take that final step and lose what you currently have.
But as Jey snuggles in next to you, all that seems to fade away and you listen as he recounts his day at work and how he'll be making an appearance on this upcoming Friday Night Smackdown.
Week after week, Roman's been dealing with Solo and his version of the Bloodline. Sure, he has Jimmy, and Jey's been allowed to come over when needed, but Solo has something that Roman doesn't and it's hindering his climb back to Tribal Chief.
It goes against both Roman and Jimmy's real life and alter ego's morals to lay hands on a woman, even though Nia Jax has no issue laying hands on them. So, when Paul laid out the storyline that a female wrestler would be put into Roman's side of the Bloodline, Roman was relieved but also skeptical. Who would be good enough to stand up to Nia Jax? He knows the female roster on Smackdown and there's no one decent enough besides Bayley, but Bayley doesn't seem to fit with him or Jimmy. She has her own alter ego, and it doesn't mesh well with that of Roman.
When he learns that some wrestlers will be given the green light to swap back and forth on Raw and Smackdown, he thinks of Rhea since she now has a connection to Jey, but then disregards it because she has the Terror Twin schtick going for her. When he asks Paul who his little enforcer will be, Paul merely smirks and mentions that he's going to like her just fine.
The night for the newest addition to his faction comes, and he's anxious. The storyline is pretty good, and he can't wait to see his female enforcer take out Nia Jax since Nia is currently injured and needs an excuse to be out for a few months. That and he gets to unmask her.
. .
. .
Ready for your debut, you stare at your new haircut in the mirror. They gave you a trim so your hair reached just below your shoulders while also giving you a small undercut on the left side of your head, just enough to cut a design into the shaved part. As your hair swoops over to the right, the roots along the part in your hair are dyed a vibrant red.
The purple contacts have been left out, showcasing your natural eye color. Your mask, the one you dubbed the Winter Soldier is back in place, shielding the bottom half of your face. You have your hoodie zipped all the way up to your neck, you're back in dark skinny jeans, and back in the black booties with heels.
You watch the monitors as everything unfolds out in the ring, waiting for your cue to rush to Roman's aide.
(Live on Smackdown)
The fight turns brutal fast.
Solo is livid that the Ula Fala has been stolen from his locker room, and everyone is in agreement that Roman must have taken it. But when Roman meets them in the ring, he has no idea what they're talking about.
Solo and his Bloodline are hearing nothing Roman has to say and beats him down. When he's handcuffed to the bottom rope, Nia takes her chance to get in a few hits on the ex-Tribal Chief. Only when a table is brought in and set up near one of the corners do the Usos theme song blare through the arena. As the twin brothers rush to Roman's aide, Paul Heyman seems relieved outside the ring.
When Solo sees Jimmy and Jey though, he quickly drops to roll out of the ring and drags Jacob Fatu with him. Uncaring of their cowardice, Jimmy and Jey deal with Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. As those two are tossed from the ring, all that's left is Nia who isn't paying attention and delivering kick after kick to Roman's chest as he slouches in the corner of the ring, unable to move.
Having crept into the crowd, you jump the barricade much to everyone's glee. Jumping onto the side of the ring, you step between the bottom and middle ropes, and crouch in the corner opposite of Nia. Jimmy and Jey glance at you, but you only have eyes for Nia. As you start pounding on the mat, the crowd matches the beat with a clap of their hands.
Nia finally takes notice of the atmosphere, and she goes to turn, you stand and rush her, delivering a superkick to her chin. Dazed and confused, Nia falls. You glance between Jimmy and Jey, pointing at Nia and then pointing to the table. Both brothers glance at one another before shrugging, picking up Nia and laying her out on the table before stepping back. Paul Heyman then rushes to uncuff Roman.
Turning to the corner post closest to the table, you start to climb. The crowd goes wild as Solo and his Bloodline watch Nia be annihilated. As you stand on the top rope, you briefly glance over your shoulder to make sure you're lined up. Then with a roar as your arms stretch out on either side of you, very reminiscent of Jeff Hardy, you moonsault backwards off the top rope and put both your body and Nia's through the table.
The landing practically punches the breath out of you, but you pull it together as you crawl away from the destruction. Nia lays there, unconscious, and you stand to glare at Solo and Jacob as they reach under the bottom rope to grab Nia by the ankle and drag her out of the ring.
You pace back and forth then, adrenaline pumping and watching Solo and his Bloodline retreat up the ramp.
When the crowd quiets, you turn around, only to be met with Roman Reigns rubbing at his sore wrists. Jimmy and Jey flank him, unsure of you, and Paul Heyman stands off to the side looking a bit weary himself. At least he looks weary until you unzip the hoodie and strip it off, leaving you in an OTC shirt- Roman's merch- and the missing Ula Fala draped around your neck.
Paul Heyman gasps, Jimmy and Jey act surprised, and Roman's jaw twitches as he stares you down. Fisting your right hand, you cross your arm over your chest with your first above your heart and bow your head to Roman. A moment passes and then you take off the Ula Fala, holding it up for him. Roman watches you and hesitantly lowers his head, and you drape the Ula Fala around the rightful Tribal Chief's neck.
As the crowd goes wild for the turn of events, you stand back with your feet shoulder widths apart. Your hands clasp behind your back and you stare straight ahead. Roman takes his sweet time searching your features for any sign of deceit. He reaches for your mask then and, when you don't budge, he unclasps it.
Roman makes it as dramatic as he can as he pulls the mask off and when he does… you can see him fighting a smile when recognition sets in. Jimmy, however, has no restraint and ends up laughing when he sees it's you. Apparently, Roman and Jey weren't the only ones kept in the dark about your identity.
The crowd is surprisingly cheering for you and you're grateful for it. You weren't sure how your presence on Smackdown would be taken considering your family was on Raw.
Jimmy is slapping a stunned Jey on his shoulder, nudging him while pointing at you. Roman proceeds to shock everyone as he steps forward and envelops you in a hug, tucking your head beneath his chin and just holding you close for a moment.
"You're my female enforcer?" He asks, making sure to hide his mouth so no one can read his lips.
Pulling back a little, you stare up at him. "It looks like we're gonna be spending a lot of time together, Reigns." You allow yourself to flash a cocky smirk. "Get used to it, Big Uce."
Roman chuckles as you step out of the hug. You step to his side and grab his wrist, raising his arm in the air as high as you can while pointing at him and hollering at the crowd. Jimmy grabs his other wrist, doing the same, and then Jey grabs your other wrist to raise in the air. When you glance at him, you can see the excitement in his gaze, but he's keeping it toned down since he can't do anything to jeopardize his storyline with Rhea.
In the middle of the Smackdown ring, Roman and his Bloodline is introduced.
You, Jey, and Jimmy then break off, amping up the crowd and acknowledging Roman with a hand raised in the air, index finger pointing to the ceiling.
When it's time to head back, you pick up your mask and roll out of the ring. There are people screaming and hollering, and you flash everyone a cocky smirk while walking backstage.
(End of segment broadcast.)
Once the camera lights cut out to signify the end of filming, Jey whirls on you and backs you into a wall where he grasps your face and plants his lips on yours. The surprise doesn't even register with you because this kiss has been a long time coming, and you gladly return Jey's enthusiasm, but Jimmy's exclamation of, "Finally!", has you snapping to attention.
When you come up for air, panting and heaving, you take notice of the position you and Jey are in. Your hands are cradling his bearded face, one leg being held up on his hip with one of his hands and his other grasping at your ass. You're momentarily distracted by his own heaving chest, but you quickly snap out of it.
Hands pressing against Jey's chest, you push him away and lower your leg. Your eyes widen, especially when you hear the chuckles all around you, and you slap at his chest when he tries to crowd into your space again. "Not where there are cameras around! I am too invested in Jhea for the cameras to accidentally film you fooling around with Roman's newest addition."
Jey blinks at you. "You right, you right." He steps back, licking his bottom lip as he stares you up and down. His darkened gaze, however, proves that he's moments from losing control again. "But damn, girl. How you gonna go out there lookin' like a badass and not expect me to jump on that?"
You snort and before Jimmy or Roman can start joking, Solo steps up. "You little thief," he muses.
You're grateful for the distraction and laugh at Solo, bringing the Uso's younger brother into a hug. "Surprised?"
"Yes. You're surprisingly good at keeping secrets."
"Aw, don't feel bad, uce," Jimmy says as he slaps a hand on his brother's shoulder. "She told none of us."
"The only ones who knew were Rhea and tio Rey," you admit. "Tio Rey because he was there for my contract signing and Rhea because after spearing Liv Morgan last Monday, I teased her with a gesture that would clue her in."
"Well I'm glad you're here, even if Nia is going to kick your ass when she comes back."
You laugh. "Speaking of, where is Nia? I wanna check on her."
Before you can go check on Nia to make sure the bit with the table didn't aggravate her injury further, Solo takes it upon himself to introduce you to his cousins that made up his Bloodline faction. All three are very intimidating in the ring, but off-camera they are as lovable as Solo, Jey, Jimmy, and Roman. Then after introductions are had, you briefly meet with Nia where she jokes about you being prepared for her return because she was going to kick your little ass.
Laughing, you tell her you're looking forward to a proper match with her and that you hope her recovery goes smoothly. The production crew then gathers Roman and his Bloodline for pictures to be added to WWE's socials, introducing the reunion of the OG Bloodline, plus their newest addition.
You take pictures with your mask on and off, with the whole group, by yourself, and then with just Roman. You're excited, especially since the photographer makes you look badass and promises to email the pics to you so you can start adding some to your own socials.
Then when it's time to go to the hotel, Jimmy has to keep his twin in check every time he reaches for your hand. You're not even out of the arena yet when Jey turns handsy, and Roman has to push you in front of him to shield you from Jey's wandering hands, less the paparazzi and fans capture pictures of Jey cheating on Rhea.
During the week, you manage to make time for both your jobs- fielding calls for your main source of income and hitting the gym with Roman and Jimmy. And when you're not letting your two brothers kick your ass in the ring in preparation for taking on any male wrestler that goes after your boys, Jey has you locked away in the hotel room you share to make up for lost time.
Roman and Jimmy take great pleasure in making you run back and forth across the ring, shoulder checking you and making you practice your falls. You even have to practice falling from higher heights, making Roman and Jimmy crack up when on one particular fall, you land wrong.
"Ow. My tits." Rolling over and rubbing at your chest, Roman spews the water he'd been drinking and Jimmy falls to one knee laughing. "Fuck off," you grumble.
As you get to your feet, Jimmy can't help but muse, "I'm sure Jey will kiss it better."
"Don't tell him anything!" You warn him. "I'm all for our sudden, enthusiastic sex life, but my vagina needs a break. Jesus, it hasn't even been a full week and-"
Roman starts coughing. "No! No. We are not talking about that."
Jimmy is dying of laughter and you smirk at the Tribal Chief. "Aw, come on, Roman. Aren't you curious about your cousin's dick game?"
"Hell no."
"Fine. If you want my silence, I demand chicken tenders and ranch."
Roman grimaces. "What is it with chicken tenders and ranch?"
You shrug. "It's good."
"If you say so. Now come on. Spar with Jimmy one more time and we'll call it a day."
Jimmy has a case of the giggles during your entire spar, so it's easy for you to get the drop on him a few times.
. .
. .
When Friday Night Smackdown rolls around again, you have to deal with Solo's Bloodline alongside Jimmy, and it's the first time they get to get their hands on you so you can show how resilient you are against the men.
Jimmy has a solo, no disqualification match against Tonga Loa, who will be accompanied by Tama Tonga. You will accompany Jimmy to the ring, keeping an eye on Tama whose mission is apparently to make you as uncomfortable as possible with suggestive comments and licking his lips as he looks you up and down.
(Live on Smackdown)
The match starts, and Jimmy and Tonga are pretty evenly matched. Both take hits that have you wincing and trying not to break character and laugh, especially when Tonga takes an accidental hit to the groin area and you hear him shout, "My balls!".
You're pounding the mat, urging Jimmy to get up when you notice Tama Tonga climbing onto the side of the ring. Jimmy rolls and pins a dazed Tonga Loa, but the ref is distracted by Tama. Annoyed, you walk in Tama's direction, and he takes notice. When he smirks and hops down, you take off at a run. And when Tama opens his arms as if volunteering to let you have the first hit, you surprise him by running faster, jumping, and then kicking him with both soles of your feet.
You've just dropkicked Tama Tonga, stunning the Samoan.
However, as you're getting up, spitting curses at Tama, you're grabbed by the back of your hair. You shout, scratching at the hand holding you, and then urgently try to get away when you realize it's Jacob Fatu that has a hold of you.
With a shout, Jacob picks you up sideways and drives your back into the steel steps that lead into the ring. You scream as he drops you, rolling onto your back as you reach behind you with one hand to hold the aching spot.
"Uce! You good, uce? Get up!" You groan at Jimmy's voice, slowly getting to your hands and knees.
Roman's theme goes off, the crowd goes wild, and Roman flies down the ramp to meet Jacob Fatu head on. It's a clash of two strong personas that everyone's been wanting, so you leave them be. In the ring, however, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa are teaming up against Jimmy.
Anger building, you stand and roll into the ring under the bottom rope. When you get to your feet and Jimmy notices you standing there, he shoves Tama Tonga off of him and Tama stumbles towards you with his back facing you.
Hands bracing on his shoulders, you jump and place both knees against his back. Then falling backwards with Tama still in hand, your knees drive hard into his back as you both fall on the mat. Hurt, Tama Tonga rolls out of the ring. You stand up, hunched just a little because your back in on fire, and Tonga Loa gets into your face. You sneer at one another, but yours slowly morphs into a smirk.
"What the hell are you smilin' about?"
"Just the fact that you're focused on me when you should be focused on Jimmy."
Your gaze darts behind him, but before he can turn, you headbutt him. Dazed, Tonga turns right into a spear from your friend.
Jimmy takes the win and as he celebrates his victory around the ring, you drop to the mat and roll under the bottom rope, sitting on the ledge. Roman walks up, hair mussed from whatever fight he got into with Jacob.
"Need a hand?"
"Not in front of the camera, Reigns," you grit out with a smile. Roman's lips twitch as he still offers you a hand, a hand which you take and hold onto as you hop off the side of the ring. Jimmy is suddenly on your other side, clapping you on the back. "Fuck!" You shout, twisting out from beneath his hands.
Immediately, Jimmy's hands go up. "My bad, uce. My bad."
You glare at him as Roman does his best to mask his chortles, and then the three of you walk up the ramp.
(End of segment broadcast)
Off camera, Jacob rushes up to you, concern in his gaze. "I'm fine," you immediately tell him.
"Are you sure? That scream didn't sound like it was fake."
You grimace at him, and then tense when someone lifts the back of your shirt. "Shit. You're bleeding."
"What?" You turn around just in time for Roman to call for a medic. "Huh. I must have caught the edge of the stairs." When you face Jacob again, you can't help but chuckle. "Jacob, it's fine! Promise."
He winces. "I know. I just- I hate that I actually hurt you."
"It's all part of the job, buddy."
When the medics come and lead you to a room, you're laid out on your front. They clean and assess the apparent two-inch gash but conclude that it doesn't need stitches. As they reclean it and bandage it up for you, they tell you that you'll be sore for the next few days and that it's best to take it easy so the wound can close. You huff, but tell them you'll speak with Paul to see what he says.
Surprisingly, Paul agrees. He tells you to rest up and that while you can accompany your faction to the ring next week, he doesn't want you in the middle of the action.
And when you get back to the hotel, you're met with a worried Jey and have to deal with his mother hen tendencies.
Talking trash is not as fun if you can't throw down with your faction. But you keep to the rules laid out for you and stand back as Solo and Roman continue their feud.
On Raw, Judgement Day and the Terror Twins feud is still going just as strong. You've been watching, growing annoyed when one week Damian and Rhea seem like this overpowered duo, only for them to get their asses kicked the following week by the entire faction they once belonged to. It amps up until Finn suggests a match- Finn, Dom, and Liv versus Damian, Jey, and Rhea. The fans seem to love the idea, so the match is made for the following Monday.
However, behind the scenes when Damian, Rhea, and Jey are talking, Judgement Day attacks them out of the blue. You're not sure what goes wrong, but something seriously happens to Rhea's knee. You're not sure how severe it is until Paul calls you, asking if you can make an appearance as Damian and Jey's third. You agree.
. .
. .
"There is so much bad blood here, that I want it to seem as unscripted as possible," Paul tells you Wednesday night when he calls a meeting between all the wrestlers involved. "The fans will go wild."
"So, there's no script for the match?" Dominik asks. "How do we know who will win and when to make the pin?"
Paul now smiles. "It's gonna be the first match of the night and you'll fight until you're exhausted. I want you guys to take it easy on each other, but the women," he says, glancing between you and Liv, "I want you feral. I want you spitting mad. Just don't seriously injure one another. The crowd seems to love when the women go off on each other."
Glancing deviously at Liv, the two of you laugh when all the other men swear at the matching smirks you're now sporting. "Free reign to kick ass?"
"Hell yes," Liv muses.
"I just want you to know right now that whatever is said or done out there on camera, it's not personal."
"I want your best, YN. Bring it."
"I don't know whether to laugh or cry," Dominik says. When everyone glances at him, he says, "I've seen YN fight, truly fight, before my dad got her disciplined in the ring. If she doesn't hold back, it's gonna be a fight to be remembered."
"That's what I'm hoping for. Especially since it'll be YN's first official match. This will set the tone for her place in Roman's faction."
After a few more details are hashed out, everyone goes their separate ways.
"You sure you're ready for this?" Jey asks.
"Yes. I've been in fights before, babe. It's nothing I can't handle."
"Man, Rhea's gonna be so jealous." Damian chuckles. "We're all taught to hold back, pull our punches. And here Paul is giving you permission to seriously mess each other up."
"It's gonna be fun, but I swear you boys better take this win."
"Oh, we will," Jey muses.
When you get to the hotel, Damian walks off to find Rhea, and you and Jey head to Roman's room. He wants to know what's going on and when you tell him, he's surprised.
"You better kick some major ass, girl."
"Don't worry, I will."
"I want you in the ring by eight tomorrow morning."
"Goddammit, Reigns."
Jey laughs and Roman turns to him. "I don't know why you're laughing. You need to be there too. In fact, call Priest and tell him to meet us in the morning. I'm not going to let the two of you make the Bloodline's She-Wolf look incompetent in the ring."
Jey gapes before sighing and giving into the inevitable. Pulling out his phone, Jey texts Damian what Roman is demanding. And just when you think you can jump on the bed and relax, Roman gets down to business and starts asking questions about what you have planned for the match.
(Live on Raw)
Judgement Day takes the ring, the arena booing them as they're all smug smiles and laughter. They've just finished the replay of Judgement Day attacking Damian and Rhea last week, and then Rhea confessing to Damian and Jey in the back earlier that night that there's no way she can fight in tonight's match.
"So, you see," Liv laughs on the mic, "there will be no match tonight. Damian and Jey might have some new friends backstage, but they have no females to fill in for that pathetic Rhea Ripley."
As soon as the words leave her mouth, blue lights start flashing.
USO!
Jey walks out with Damian by his side and Rhea hobbling on crutches on his other side. Damian is the most heated, pacing back and forth as Jey amps up the crowd for a few seconds. As the music cuts out, Damian raises the mic to his mouth and says, "Güera, do everyone a favor and shut up." The crowd cheers and laughs. "Honestly, I don't know how Dom deals with your ass. Your voice is annoying as hell."
In the ring, Liv gapes and shoves at Dominik before pointing at Damian and demanding Dominik to defend her.
"You're honestly so lucky that Rhea can't fight tonight. So lucky."
"But that luck just ran out, white girl. The match is still on," Jey says, producing his own mic as the crowd cheers. "Because you right about us not havin' female friends here. But just because we have no female connections here, doesn't mean we don't have any female connections.. on Smackdown."
The crowd cheers even louder, especially when in the ring Dominik is the first to make the connection as he freezes in shock. And then, he rips the mic from Liv's hand. "No. You're lying! My prima wouldn't do that to me. We don't see eye to eye, but she would never-"
Roman's theme blares and if the crowd was loud earlier, they're deafening now.
The Tribal Chief walks out, the red Ula Fala draped around his neck. Flanking him are you and Jimmy, and behind you is Paul Heyman. You're sporting your new mask, the black mask having been painted with markings that match the tribal symbols from Roman, Jimmy, and Jey's tattoos.
"Danngggg," Jey muses as he steps up to your side, glancing at you and then staring at Liv down in the ring. "Betchu really wishing you were taking on Rhea now, huh. Because I can promise you, the Bloodline's She-Wolf is very much all bite."
"The She-Wolf?" Liv barks out a laugh before sneering. "I'm not afraid of some little bitch."
The crowd ooh's and a camera man kneels in front of you, catching your reaction. Slowly but surely, you reach up and remove your mask. Smirking, you lean into the mic that Jey holds out for you. "You will be."
As you turn towards Roman, he holds his hand out for your mask. You hand it off to him and then Jey's theme starts again. Together, you, Damian, and Jey stride down to the ring with you in the middle. Behind you, Jimmy, Roman, Rhea, and Paul Heyman follow.
Before you can stomp up the steel stairs, you feel a pat on your butt. You freeze as the fans behind you laugh and whoop, and glare at the culprit over your shoulder. "That's not very brotherly, Roman," you hiss.
He smirks. "Show 'em your teeth, She-Wolf."
You nod, jaw clenching, and then stomp up the stairs and into the ring behind Jey and Damian. Carlito and JD roll out of the ring, weary of Jimmy, Roman, and Rhea spreading out along the sidelines. Liv and Finn are glaring at the three of you, but Dominik looks like he wants to call the match off.
The bell rings, and Damian takes one step in their direction just as Dominik and Finn drop and roll out of the ring. Liv turns to seethe at them, but then turns back around. "Fine. I'll win this match myself."
Jey and Damian laugh, stepping back to step outside the ring. You step forward, smirking. "We'll see, Güerita. We'll see."
Liv screams and rushes you, but you very easily block her punch. You deliver three punches of your own, driving her into a corner post. Then switching it up, you grab onto the middle ropes and drive your shoulder into Liv's abdomen over and over.
"Stop it, prima! That's enough!"
Dominik's words garner your attention and you turn towards him. "That's enough? That's enough!?" You shout at him. "It's not nearly enough. Cowards don't get mercy."
You realize too late he was a distraction and Liv takes the upper hand. She grabs you by the hair and throws you backwards so you slam your back on the mat. Then standing over you, she delivers kick after kick until you grab her by the ankle and roll her up into a pin. Unsurprisingly, she kicks out and you stand up, grinning.
As you walk backwards, you hold a hand up and let someone tag in. It's Jey. As Jey enters the ring, Liv tags in Finn.
Finn and Jey go toe to toe, evenly matched. Finn gets the upper hand right away, but you and Damian championing for Jey reinvigorates him. When Finn, the coward, realizes he's losing the upper hand, he tags in Dominik. Dominik is too confident as he knocks Jey around, but the moment Damian is tapped in… he's nothing but a scared little boy.
Damian tosses Dominik around the ring like a rag doll that it's laughable. Carlito and JD are too close to the ring, too close to Damian, so you start to climb off the ring as inconspicuously as you can. Roman and Jimmy watch you, not interfering as you watch Liv climb off the side of the ring. When Finn helps Dominik tag team Damian as the ref gets distracted by JD, and Damian then gets up on his knees with his upper body leaning between the ropes, Liv jumps up and grabs him by the back of the head to choke him out on the rope.
Rhea sees everything go down and she chases Liv with her crutch. Liv runs around the ring, laughing over her shoulder, and giving you the perfect opportunity to catch her. Instead of spearing her, however, you pick her up by the back of her thighs and then slam her back onto the announcer's table.
Climbing on top of Liv, you rain down punch after punch. She grabs one of the small monitors on the table and hits you upside the head with it, and you roll off of her. Briefly dazed, you stumble off and right into Carlito's chest. He tries to intimidate you, but you're distracted by the liquid falling into your eyes.
Reaching up, you swipe where you feel the wetness and your hand comes away red. Fuck. You're bleeding from the head.
Carlito gets spun around by Jimmy who starts attacking him, and before you can turn there's a pair of arms wrapping around your abdomen from behind. Liv bear hugs your waist and throws you over her head, into the barricade.
THIS IS AWESOME, the crowd chants over and over.
Trying to catch your breath, Liv then stands and picks you up, tossing you into the ring. It seems Jey and Damian weren't faring as well as you hoped.
You and Liv are now the eligible wrestlers, the two of you slapping, punching, and kicking until you're out of breath. The side of your face is covered in blood, but you're not tapping out. Not today.
The cheers from your faction, your friends, and the fans get your adrenaline going once more. You start slapping and punching back harder. And then as you have her in the perfect position to superkick her, Dominik rushes between the two of you.
"Don't do it!"
You freeze, standing on one leg with the other in the air, bent as you stare at your cousin. "Get out of my way, Dom!"
"No! That's enough."
"It's enough? Now it's enough when I'm about to kick in the teeth of your precious güerita?"
Dominik goes quiet and then he slowly, cruelly smirks. "Fooled you."
"What?"
There's a sudden, sharp pain to the knee of the leg you'd been standing on. It seems Liv got enough wind to sneak around and take you out by the knee.
You go down, screaming, and Liv takes the opportunity to start kicking at your injured knee. Dominik stands over you, laughing, but then gets taken out with a spear by Jey. Then just as Finn goes to fight off Jey, Damian steps in and kicks him off the side of the ring.
Having enough, Damian turns and grasps Liv by the back of the neck and tosses her outside the ring where Carlito and JD readily catch her. "Not today, sucia."
Spitting mad at your cousin for distracting you and the now throbbing pain in your knee, you get up, hopping on your one good leg. "Really, primo? You're gonna let that little hoodrat do me dirty?"
Rolling onto his back, Dominik holds his hands up in surrender. "Listen, it's not- I didn't-"
"Save it." You spit on the mat, closest to his head. Turning, you meet Damian's gaze while pointing down at your cousin. "Put his ass on the mat. Chokeslam that cabrón!"
"It'll be my genuine pleasure, She-Wolf." Damian roars as he strips off the top half of his wrestling suit, then bends down to pick up Dominik.
Dominik tries to get away, but there's no use and Damian chokeslams him brutally. As he groans flat on his back, you push past the pain in your knee and start climbing the corner post. Once at the top rope, you stare down at your cousin who stares up with wide eyes.
Flipping Dominik off, you leap, and frog splash your own cousin before rolling over and getting back to your feet. Damian falls on top of Dominik for the pin and at the count of two, Liv rushes in. But before she can throw herself on the men to break the pin, you surprise her with a spear.
The bell rings and you remain crouched, trying to catch your breath.
Jey and Damian turn around in the ring, offering you hugs for a job well done. Even Rhea rolls into the ring, fist bumping you for taking the win. And when Damian notices you are favoring one leg over the other, he goes to support most of your weight you as Jey excitedly yeets with the crowd.
Jey's smile falters when he notices Damian supporting you and he walks up to you. He grabs you by the chin, tilting your face a certain way to find where you're bleeding from.
"M'fine." You pull your face from your grasp.
"You got a cut by the temple."
"Yeah." Huffing a laugh, you flash him a grin. "Liv caught me with a monitor. That bitch."
Jimmy suddenly jostles his brother, and you turn away, only to bump into Roman. As the others are celebrating the win, you're wincing up at your Tribal Chief.
"Need a medic?" His voice rumbles.
"Nah." You blink and then sway on the spot. "Maybe," you then amend. "And then when I'm all patched up, I want food. I'm surprisingly starving."
"Chicken tenders and ranch?"
"You know it."
Roman grins down at you before lifting your arm and draping it around his neck, helping you walk to the ropes. You crouch down and slide beneath them, surprisingly finding Damian already outside the ring and helping you hop down. You thank him, but then Roman is there and lifting you off your feet in a bridal carry.
As the crowd cheers, you groan and wrap your arms around his neck, resting your head on his shoulder. "I hate you. They're gonna start shipping us if you're not careful."
Roman merely smirks and continues to walk you backstage.
(End of segment broadcast.)
Behind the curtain and off camera, you're congratulated by everyone who'd been watching. Those in the women's division are stoked about how you and Liv put it all on the line like you did. Then after the congratulations are over, Roman and Jey escort you to the medic where the small cut by your temple is cleaned and patched up with a butterfly bandage.
There's a brief segment you all shoot, a victory dinner of sorts where it's nothing but chicken tenders, fries, and ranch. Damian, Rhea, and Jey take great pleasure in joking about Dom and chicken tendies while you, Jimmy, and Roman watch from the other side of the table. It's an odd dynamic with the goofiness on one side and the stoic seriousness on the other. But it isn't until Jimmy reaches for something on your plate that you snap out of watching everyone across the table, your hand snapping out and slapping his hand away.
The slap garners everyone's attention, Jey snorting at his twin holding his hand to his chest with a look of betrayal on his face.
Both Damian and Rhea chuckle.
"Never touch the tendies," she muses.
"Yeah," Damian rumbles. "That family has a weird thing about food."
You turn to glare at Damian, only to end up rolling your eyes. "Do not."
"Do too." Rhea smirks. Suddenly, the amusement fades as she says, "You know, I had my doubts about you when Jey said you could fill in. Family versus family is messy and you almost proved me right when you refused to kick Dom's teeth in." Remembering the betrayal makes you tense and Roman drapes an arm around the back of your shoulders. "But when you had Damian chokeslam him before you frog splashed him." She groans, smiling. "God, that was so good to watch."
Huffing a laugh, you nod. "If you ever need assistance with my primo, I'm only a phone call away." Smile fading, you also add. "And if you need a hand with that pinche puta, call me. I owe her one," you say while gesturing to the bandage at your temple.
Rhea smiles evilly and they cut the segment.
The storyline with Bloodline vs. Bloodline ended up exploding and coming to an end when Nia made her grand return, interrupting your match against Tiffany Stratton. When Nia had gotten her hands on you, Tiffany knew what to do and set up a table just outside the ring. Nia tossed you out of the ring after beating down on you, and before Jimmy or Roman could interfere, she put you through a table as payback.
And that- that was not acceptable to the Tribal Chief.
Roman Reigns had been a force to be reckoned with before there was ever a female he felt protective over, so after seeing you lying nearly unconscious in the wreckage of a table, it sent him off the deep end. For Bad Blood, Roman wanted Bloodline vs. Bloodline, and he got it.
But needless to say, Solo and his Bloodline was no match for the wrath that Roman unleashed. Even Jimmy and Jey were surprised, but the match ended and Roman made everyone acknowledge him.
Having then been given some time off so the industry can roll out other storylines, you gladly take the time to fly back home. You and Jey are very much still in the honeymoon phase of your relationship, so he flies out to his own apartment to pack a few bags before flying out back to you.
Being alone with Jey in your house is a completely different experience than when it was him and the others. This time around, while still fun, there's also a sense of domesticity that should scare you. Instead, it brings you a feeling of happiness and rightness, and you can tell Jey feels the exact same way when he easily makes himself at home in your space.
You're grateful for the time off, especially since your birthday falls during your break. But since you've never made a big deal out of your birthdays, you don't mention it to Jey. The only reason he finds out is because Dominik sneaks into your house early the morning of, along with a couple of your friends.
You're sleeping peacefully when you feel something tickle your nose and you continuously swat at it until muffled laughter pulls you fully into wakefulness. When your eyes blink open, Dominik is crouched on your free side.
"Happy birthday, prima."
"Go away, Dom."
As you move to turn over and hide away against Jey's slumbering form, you spot Rhea standing atop your bed with a party hat on her head and a party horn in her mouth. "Happy birthday!" She shouts, now bouncing and tooting the horn in her mouth.
Jey jerks away, confused as hell, and when your gaze darts to the towering form at the end of your bed, your eyes narrow on a smirking Damian. "Priest?"
"Happy birthday, hermana." From behind his back, Damian produces a large confetti popper and pops it over you.
Multi-colored confetti rain down on you and you groan as you fall against the mattress. "I hate you guys. I love you, but I hate you. Get out."
"What is going on?" Jey finally asks. As you try to pull the blanket up and over your head, Dominik yanks it away.
"It's YN's birthday. Didn't you know?"
"Dom," you whine. "You know I don't celebrate. Why would I tell anyone?"
"It's your birthday?" When you meet Jey's gaze, he looks hurt. "You should have said something."
"No, babe. No," you say. As you cuddle up to him, you shake your head. "I honestly don't celebrate. I don't like dressing up for dinner reservations or going to places where they sing happy birthday to you and everyone watches in awkward silence. I just.." you trail off, sighing tiredly and knowing full well these pushy individuals are going to make you do something for your day. "If I had to choose the perfect way to spend my birthday, it's laid up in my own house while wearing the comfiest clothes I own with a smorgasbord of food in front of me and marathoning my favorite show or movies."
"Say less," Damian muses. "We're doing exactly that then."
Rhea starts excitedly bouncing at the end of your bed. "Now get up. I'm taking you out for manis and pedis, and to get the color in your hair retouched."
"Rhea," you groan.
"Nope. Up."
"Jey?" You glance at your boyfriend, hoping he'd be of some help. You're not that lucky.
"Up." He slowly grins. "But first, a shower." You roll back over with another groan, trying to burrow into your bed, only for Jey to slap you on the ass. "Get up. We're gonna shower, you're gonna go out with Rhea for a girl's day, and all the while we're gonna get shit done here."
"Fine." Very reluctantly, you start to get up. Rhea cheers, but then everyone with the exception of Jey vacates the upper level of your house.
As you and Jey both collect clothes, you disappear into the bathroom together.
He gets the water going, the bathroom steaming up just how you like it. When Jey turns around, before he can strip out of his briefs, you embrace him in a tight hug. With your arms around his waist and forehead pressing against his shoulder, you say, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"Don't even worry 'bout it, baby girl." His arms wrap around you in return. "Some people like big and flashy, some people don't. And can I just say I'm actually pretty relieved you just wanna chill?"
You huff a laugh. "I figured you would be. Me and you are the same when it comes to downtime."
"Mhm. But before I send you off with Rhea…" Jey pulls away to mess with his phone he'd brought into the bathroom with him, along with a bluetooth speaker. "We're gonna start your birthday how it should have been started had I known we was gonna be celebrating you."
You frown at his back, brow furrowed. But then the familiar tune of a song resonates around the bathroom, and you can't help but bark out a laugh. Birthday Sex fills the air you readily strip out of your tank top and shorts when he turns around. "You're determined to traumatize our friends, aren't you?"
"They'll only be traumatized if you can't keep quiet."
"Birthday Sex is blaring. I think they know what's about to go down."
Jey slowly smirks and pushes down his briefs. "Only the best for my girl."
You laugh as Jey lunges for you, kissing you as he picks you up and walks you into the shower, under the heated spray. He then proceeds to start your birthday off the right way with a couple of orgasms before sending you on your way.
. .
. .
Rhea ends up taking you out for brunch before taking you to get your undercut touched up and redyeing the red in your hair, then out for mani/pedis. Through it all, she takes pics and videos. You and her serenade each other during brunch with some Justin Bieber song that had been playing over the speakers, but your favorite probably has to be when you're walking to her car after your hair is all done up and she's blaring We Like to Party by Vengaboys. You start dancing in the middle of the parking lot as she records you, laughing. With those videos in her arsenal, she then surprises you and her fans with a birthday post dedicated to her real-life bestie and that she'd forever be grateful to Dom for introducing the two of you.
When you finally get home, it's just a little after five in the evening. The boys had apparently been busy while you were gone, putting up a birthday banner, streamers, and placing balloon clusters all around the place. Your kitchen island is filled with all sorts of birthday treats and you can't help but laugh when you see it.
"Happy birthday!" Damian, Jey, and Dominik cheer when they see you.
You shake your head, accepting hugs, and then waving off Dominik and Damian when they mention needing to leave to go get the food they'd ordered. Walking up to Jey, you kiss him as he smiles, uncaring that Rhea has her phone pointed at the two of you.
Jey rubs a thumb across the undercut on the side of your head, then leaning in to kiss your cheek. "Have fun with Rhea?"
"Of course, but I missed you."
"Of course you did." He kisses you again before patting your butt. "Now go get changed. There's some stuff laid out on the bed for you."
"Yes, sir." Jey freezes and you wink, laughing as his gaze turns heated before you rush out of the kitchen.
"You two are disgustingly adorable," Rhea muses.
Jey snaps out of his lustful thoughts, pointing at Rhea and the phone in her hand. "Send me any and all pics that you have of me and YN. I'm gonna make a birthday post later."
"You finally gonna let the world know that Jey Uso is a taken man?" She slowly smiles.
"Yeah. I know the industry likes us to keep personal relationships off our socials, but that's my girl, 'ya know? I'm not tryin' to hide her."
"Good. Text the others, especially Jimmy and Roman. I know for a fact they have some good ones of the two of you."
"Good idea, uce."
Upstairs, you're staring at the outfit Jey had left out for you- a white crop top with a pair of gray sweats that say Uso on the ass, and a pink and silver birthday sash. You laugh and get dressed, careful not to mess up your hair since it's styled quite nicely. You even add a light layer of makeup so you don't look like death has warmed over in any inevitable photos, and then put on socks before heading downstairs.
"Pictures!" Rhea whoops when she sees you. "And you can't say no."
Laughing, you and Rhea take pics in front of all your birthday treats before she switches out with Jey, and you take even more pictures with him. Jey then proceeds to pull a cake out from the refrigerator and hand it to you.
"It's not much since it was all last minute," he says, "but I hope you like it."
It's a round, two-tier cake done up in various shades of purple with a marble effect. There are icing flowers along the bottom and edible pearls around the top tier with Happy Birthday, YN written in cursive on top. You smile down at it before glancing up at Jey. "It's perfect." He kisses you over the cake and then you pose with the cake as Rhea instructs you.
When Dominik and Damian eventually get back with the food, they set everything out on your coffee table while you queue up Criminal Minds on your TV.
Amidst the good food, defending that the Criminal Minds episodes with Hotch were better than those without, and some much-needed laughter, you're grateful for where you're currently at in life.
You had kept to yourself for most of your life, never getting too close to anyone. But then Dominik swooped in with these particular individuals who needed a place to stay.. and suddenly you wanted a life you never thought you'd ever have. You got the wrestling job, the man of your dreams, and friends who had quickly become family.
Then when the boys start clearing away the leftover food and instructing you to stay put, you cuddle up next to Rhea and take the moment to check the notifications on your phone. You have texts from Roman, Jimmy, Solo, Liv, and Nia that all wish you the happiest of days. You thank each of them personally and then check your social notifications. Apparently, Rhea's post blew up. The fans are all for the friendship between the two of you, and there are many questions about when Mami and the She-Wolf of the Bloodline will meet in the ring.
To tease the fans, you and Rhea snap two quick selfies- one of you with your heads tilted towards one another, cheesin' for the camera, and another with you kissing her cheek. You post them, thanking her for the much-needed girl's day. Then afterwards, you check out Roman and Jimmy's post that they had also dedicated to you- each Samoan posting candids they'd taken of you, and pics that others had taken when they caught you with them as the She-Wolf or during training as you looked up to Roman and Jimmy as they walked you through some moves they wanted you to try out. But the thing that really gets you are their captions where they both mention you as the little sister they'd always wanted and are happy to finally have.
As you're thanking them for their heartfelt words, a notification pops up about Jey tagging you in a new post. Without looking at him, you open his post and your emotions are quick to well up. The first picture is of you holding your birthday cake, nose scrunched up as you laugh. The second is one of you and Jey goofing off in your pool, the third is of you and him from Smackdown with your mask on, the fourth is of you goofing off with Solo, the fifth is one of you sleeping on the plane, the sixth is of Roman giving you a piggyback ride, but it's the seventh and eighth ones that make your breath hitch.
For the world to see, Jey posted a pic of you and him cuddling on your couch, followed by another one of you kissing.
@JeyUso_WWE: Speaking as Jey Uso, the man (not the wrestler), I'd like to take a moment to celebrate this wonderful woman. I don't like gettin' too personal on here, but these past several months have been such a whirlwind of work and the good fortune of finally findin' the girl of my dreams that I just needed to share it with the world.
enterusename came into my life when I least expected it, but I am so blessed to have her by my side, doin' what we love and surroundin' ourselves with friends and family who just get us.
Happy birthday, baby. Though I didn't find out it was your birthday until @DirtyDom_WWE, @DamianPriest_WWE, and @RheaRipley_WWE broke in and woke us up by jumpin' on the bed and poppin' a confetti popper over us, I hope you had a great day.
Now will you please stop readin' this and get yo ass in this kitchen so we can cut the cake?
Laughing, you quickly wipe at the tears that had gathered in the corner of your eyes, like Jey's post, and type out a quick reply.
@enterusername: Te amo, bebe.
As you toss your phone aside, you get up, followed by Rhea, and enter the kitchen. You immediately hug Jey, kissing him. "Love you too, baby." You smile against his mouth, heart swelling at the affection you have for this man. "But seriously, can we cut this cake?"
Author's Note: I am so sorry for the abrupt ending! I rambled and I didn't know where to cut it off lmao.
Spanish translations:
Güera/Güerita - White girl (slang)
Prima - Female cousin
Sucia - Dirty girl (can be slang to also mean offense to someone)
Cabrón - Bastard/Asshole (you get the idea lol)
Pinche puta - Fucking bitch (slang)
Hermana - Sister.
Te amo, bebe - I love you, baby.
When the hotels are all booked up, your cousin asks if a few friends can crash at your place. You accept, not knowing you'll be meeting some people who will become lifelong friends and get a shot at doing what you once loved.
[Part Two of Three]
Words: 7.4K
Author's Note: There's only a very brief Jey/Reader interaction in this. Oops. Just trying to set up Reader for part three, but at least there's some fluff that will make you smile. Hopefully..?
Over the next few days, your house becomes hang-out central. You even meet Liv, Finn, JD, and Carlito, but you don't click with them as you did the others.
It becomes obvious right away to everyone visiting your home that there's a connection between you and Jey, though the two of you dance around it. When he's not training at the arena or at the gym, he's snuggling you on the couch in the living room or just affectionately teasing you. Damian had volunteered to swap rooms with him, but you assured Damian that nothing overly intimate would be happening with Jey and explain your reasoning to him like you had explained to Jey's family. He understood and then dropped it, but you occasionally caught him smiling in sympathy at you when he saw you tucked into Jey's side.
Friday morning, your main three houseguests find you printing out a large picture of Roman. When asked why, you explained how Solo wanted you to crack Roman's serious facade, so you were going to sit ringside holding up a sign for him. And when they saw what you had written, they laughed, and Rhea took it upon herself to add red hearts around Roman's picture.
You drove to the arena early, flashing your backstage pass to be let in right away rather than wait in line. You had found your seat, which just so happened to be near the steel stairs leading up to the ring and took a moment to snap a few pics of the filling arena and post them. After posting them, you then had to clear out your friend requests yet again because the fans were interested in seeing who the woman that Jey, Roman, Jimmy, Dominik, Damian, and Rhea were posting about. Jey had posted about your workouts together, plus a few pics of your ass in your gear, but Dominik, Jimmy, and Rhea had posted your drunken dancing and Rhea's entrance stomp. Roman and Damian, however, posted group photos of all of you together or candids taken around your home and thanked you for opening up your home to their craziness.
And that, apparently, got their fans hella interested in you.
When the show starts, you keep your sign down by your feet until the perfect moment. Instead, you sit there cheering and booing as wrestlers come and go, snapping pics and video here and there. And when it's time for The Bloodline to come out, you boo Solo along with everyone else. However, when Solo notices you are booing him, his eyes squint as if he's trying to keep his mean mug in place and you're quick to form a heart with your hands and blow him a kiss. His lips purse as if to fight back a smile and you mentally cheer.
As The Bloodline talks, you grip your sign with one hand and prepare your phone with the other to take video. You boo as they talk and then scream when Roman's entrance song starts to play. Immediately you start to record on your phone.
Roman walks down the ramp, looking pissed off and intimidating as hell. You scream along with the fans, holding your sign out in front of you. As Roman nears, you cheer even louder and manage to garner his attention. He notices you first, keeping his expression neutral, but when his gaze darts to your sign and then back to your face, the wiggle of your eyebrows is his downfall. He barks out a laugh, realizes his mistake, and mouths I hate you while stomping up the steps. Half of your sign is a shirtless picture of him, but the other half reads Daddy's Home along with all the hearts Rhea had added.
As you watch The Bloodline and Roman argue back and forth, your phone vibrates with a text message.
From JeyBae: DID YOU JUST CRACK ROMAN ON LIVE TV?!
To JeyBae: Yes. Yes, I did. Tell your baby brother I expect all my WWE shirts within the month. He'll know what I'm talking about.
Jey sends back laughing emojis and you send him the video of Roman when he reads your sign and cracks.
And when you get home later that night, you have a text from Roman promising to get you back for that.
You don't believe Roman until that same weekend, everyone's winding down at your house again after hours of shooting promos and having their pictures taken to refresh the web page. This time the guys are cooking, so you're free to lounge around and sunbathe with Rhea off to the side. However, just as you get comfortable, Solo and Roman take it upon themselves to grab you by the wrists and ankles. You scream as you hang between them, eyeing the pool with trepidation. Both men are laughing, bringing up how you made them crack on live tv, and no matter how much you say that it was all Solo's idea, the two Samoans swing you and then launch you into the pool.
Monday night has you attending Raw, ringside yet again, this time reppin' Jey with a Yeet sign and wearing his merch. You cheer and boo along with the crowd, surprising those around you when Dominik and Rey both break character when they spot you at different times. Dominik fist bumps you as he passes by, but your tio Rey takes a moment to pause and hug you before getting back into character. A few people around you ask why the Mysterio's are friendly with you, so you throw them a bone and admit that Rey's your uncle and Dominik your cousin. After that, they decide to leave you alone when they realize you're invested in the story telling going on in front of you.
When you get home, you're in high spirits. But then you realize that when Damian, Jey, and Rhea get back to your place, they'll have to pack and get some sleep before they have to wake up at four in the morning so you can drive them to the airport, and your mood plummets. And since you had eaten after leaving the arena, and the others had eaten at the arena, you decide to take a shower and crawl into bed.
Close to midnight, you feel yourself being moved and your eyes flutter open. You're curled on your side, and you see Damian and Rhea crawling into bed in front of you.
Rhea smiles, voice quiet. "One last sleepover."
A hand slides over your stomach, and you slide your own hand over it, sliding your fingers between Jey's. He's held you like this a few times, but you never touched his hand. Tonight, however, you'll allow yourself this moment. "I'm gonna really miss you guys."
"We're gonna miss you too," Damian says.
"Get some sleep, baby girl." A kiss is pressed to the back of your shoulder. "We still have a few hours before we gotta be on the road."
Though you're sad, you still manage to fall asleep while being cuddled by Jey.
Later, when their alarms go off, everyone's dragging their feet downstairs. You take the Range Rover, letting Damian drive. Rhea sits up front with him, and you sit in the back with Jey who refuses to let you sit far from him.
Damian parks at the airport so you can get off with them, and you help Rhea carry her bags inside.
When everyone gets to the point where you'll have to stay behind, they each take a moment to thank you.
Rhea goes first, dropping her bags and pulling you into a hug. "Thank you for this week. I didn't expect to find another family member when Dom suggested we stay at your house."
"You will always be welcomed here. Always." As you pull out of the hug, you wrinkle your nose when you feel your eyes stinging with tears already. Rhea laughs, her own eyes glassy as she steps back.
Damian steps up next, and you wetly laugh when your head barely meets the middle of his chest. "See you around, hermana."
"Don't be a stranger, Priest. You guys all have my number. Use it."
"I will." He squeezes you one last time before stepping back, he and Rhea starting to walk off. "We'll give you guys a moment."
As you turn, you're immediately engulfed by Jey. This hug is different than every one he's bestowed upon you since meeting you and you can't help but melt into him.
As your arms wrap tightly around his waist, you hide your face against the side of his neck and the two of you just stay there like that, not speaking. Then after a moment passes, you say, "This isn't fair."
"Right guy, wrong time, right?"
You huff a laugh. "Your brothers and cousin gossip too much."
"Nah. They just want to see us happy. You make me happy."
His words make your heart ache and your throat swell with emotion. "You make me happy too, but-"
"I know, baby girl. I know. It's like you said, this isn't fair." When you and Jey finally pull free from the hug, you can't meet his gaze. Not until he gently cups your face and makes you look up, pressing his forehead against yours. "We'll figure it out, yeah? It's only been a week, but already I know that whatever this is, it's different."
You sigh. "I can't do long distance."
"You will." Jey presses a kiss to your forehead and then steps back, smirking. "I'm not letting you go, baby. We're gonna text and Facetime so much that you're gonna be sick of me."
"You're ridiculous."
"And you're mine. Remember that."
You gulp, his possessive words stirring something within you, but you manage to squash it less he notices. Jey continues to walk backwards with his bag, smirking, and then turns to head to his gate.
As you walk out of the airport, you're filled with sadness and loneliness, but also hope for the future.
You've never had an issue sleeping alone, in fact you preferred it, but you have trouble getting used to an empty bed this time around. You manage to cope though, especially when your new friends keep their promise to check in with you every other day. And not to mention that you get to see their alter egos appear on Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown which gives you a reason to text them, making fun of their storylines.
In between of keeping in touch with Jey, you manage to focus on yourself and grow your business of IT work, having enough resources to hire a few individuals and purchase a few work vehicles so no one had to drive their personal vehicles to any locations. And though you hadn't realized it at the time, spreading out the work actually lifted the weight that had been on your shoulders.
On Raw, you can say your favorite storylines are the Terror Twins beating the shit out of Judgement Day any chance they get, and Jey stepping up to protect Damian and Rhea when they need it. You don't really have a favorite storyline on Smackdown, but you do watch for Roman and Solo, and their ongoing battle for Tribal Chief. You get annoyed with the Bloodline when they accept Nia Jax into their ranks, making their faction even stronger. And then during one brutal beatdown on Roman, Jimmy finally makes his grand return to the ring. Roman and Jimmy aren't enough to take on the Bloodline, so Jey surprises everyone by rushing to their rescue. It's a mini reunion of the old Bloodline, and the new Bloodline seems to think twice about attacking them before retreating.
It's when you're Facetiming with Jey, teasing him about when the Creative team is finally going to give every fan what they want- his date with Rhea to Waffle House- that you get a call from your Tio Rey. You make up an excuse to hang up with Jey, not wanting to clue him in about Rey randomly calling you, and then call your Tio back.
"Hey, Tio," you greet when Rey picks up. "What's going on?"
"Mija, how are you?"
"I'm good. Work is keeping me busy."
"That's good, that's good." Rey falls quiet for a moment before saying, "Listen, I know I spoke about you possibly joining the business, but I need to know how serious you are about it."
"I mean, I wouldn't mind," you say. "I miss it. Miss the training and everything, but let's be serious for a second, Tio. I'm in no shape to suddenly get into a ring."
"You're in great shape, mija. It wouldn't take much to get you fit for the ring."
You chuckle. "If only, huh." Rey says nothing. "Tio?"
"What if I told you I got you a zoom meeting with Paul? Would you listen to what he has to say?"
"Shit. Are you serious?" Your heart starts to beat double.
"Yes." He chuckles. "I remember how much you loved wrestling and since you've made so many new friends within the business…"
"I'll do it." The words are out before you can second guess yourself. "But I have conditions of my own, Tio. The storyline has to be pretty decent if I'm to agree."
"I'd expect nothing less. I'll text you the details."
"Alright, Tio. Thank you. I love you."
"Love you too, mija. I hope your meeting goes well."
You're a ball of nerves and anxiety when Rey texts you the information about your video call meeting with Paul "Triple H" Levesque, the meeting only being in a few days.
You keep the meeting a secret from your friends and tell your Tio not to tell Dominik because your cousin wouldn't be able to keep it from Rhea. And to distract yourself, you keep busy with work.
The video call with Paul comes and goes, and you end the call feeling like you're on cloud nine. The storyline they're looking to drop a newcomer into is that of a female presence alongside Roman Reigns, of all people. They want someone who can be serious, but also a little goofy since they're looking to tone down Roman's alter ego since he's become very likable once again.
You had explained to Paul that you would love to work with Roman as a female ready to kick any other female's ass who dares to lay a hand on him, but you're not looking for a romantic storyline. Against your better judgment, you admit to having a very personal relationship with Jey Uso, and you rather not make things weird by your alter ego getting it on with Roman's alter ego. Paul chuckled away your worry, especially when you went on to playfully ask when Jey and Rhea were going to get that Waffle House date because you were waiting for it just like every other fan.
Paul talks a bit more about how Roman will be treating this newcomer like a little sister and be protective of her as she will be of him, and you're liking the idea more and more. And when he sees your very obvious interest in wanting to be that person, he slyly admits that Raw and Smackdown wrestlers will be making appearances on each other's shows, so it'll be likely that you see Jey Uso more frequently.
When you finally admit you're seriously interested, Paul tells you that there will be more phone calls and a meeting in person to be had in the near future. Since this isn't the normal way to bring in a new wrestler, the higher ups will want to see you in action.
"Noted, sir. If I'm to wrestle in person so you can see my skills, there's only one female I want to go against, but she needs to swear to secrecy about not letting it slip that it's me she's meeting with."
"Who do you got in mind, kid?" He had asked.
"Ripley," you mused. "Her technique is right up my alley. Plus, she's a friend."
"Jesus. Don't tell me I'm gonna have two brutal forces on my hand."
You smirked at him through the camera. "Can you imagine a team-up with us? We'd tear your female roster up."
Paul had chuckled. "How are your mic skills?"
You shrugged. "Not sure, but I don't have stage fright. I'm good at talking shit, but I will have to remember to censor myself. I have a potty mouth when I'm pissed off."
"That's what the production team is for. They'll bleep if necessary."
"That's going to be a lot of bleeping."
"I'm sure it can be handled." There was a moment of silence as Paul looked at something off screen. "Well, so far I like what I see. You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders," he'd admitted. "Why don't we exchange numbers, so we don't have to go through the hassle of emailing. Then when I get everything set up for our face to face, we'll fly you out so we can see you in action."
"Yes, sir. Thank you so much for this opportunity."
And after a quick exchange of numbers, the video call was ended, and you texted your Tio the good news.
Over the next few weeks, you change up your routine to make more time to work out and even change your eating habits. You even call a mandatory meeting with your employees, telling them that you're taking on a second job that's unrelated to what you're currently doing. If they wish to walk away, they're more than welcome to do it with no bad blood between you, but if they wish to stick around then they'll be getting a pay raise since they'll also be taking on a fair bit more of the work. Your new hires have no problem with a pay raise and decide to stick around, learning their new schedule for when you'll be out of town.
When you finally fly out to meet with Paul, your Tio Rey, Rhea, and the higher ups, you're driven to a random gym to keep your presence a secret. You walk in with the hood of your hoodie pulled up and you watch Rhea warm up in the ring. For a moment you just watch her and then you head in.
As you approach the ring, Rhea takes notice of you. Smirking, you pull down your hood and her eyes widen in delight.
"Shut the fuck up!" She practically yells in elation. "You?! You're the new blood?"
Laughing, you hop onto the side of the ring and step through the ropes. "Hopefully."
Rhea embraces you with more laughter, squeezing you tight.
"Good. You've met already," Paul suddenly says. Stepping up to the side of the ring and looking up at the two of you. "So, here's how this is going to go.."
As Paul tells you what he and the other higher ups expect to see, you strip out of your hoodie and toss it aside. You pull your shirt off, leaving you in a sports bra and your leggings that are more than acceptable to fight in. You take the time to stretch, asking questions here and there to make sure you're on the same page of what they want to see. And when you begin, you and Rhea take the time to warm-up by running back and forth across the ring, bouncing off the ropes and dropping to the mat so the other could hop over whoever was down on the mat at the time.
Then when Paul tells you to fight, to feed off one another's energy and read each other's body language, you and Rhea lock in the middle. Each of you takes hits and kicks from the other, acting as if it were a real match and you were seriously injuring one another. You take turns climbing onto the ropes, but never properly get a moonsault in. You surprise everyone when you 6-1-9 Rhea, but Rhea ends your little session when she gives you the Riptide and pins you with her provocative pin.
Panting and heaving, you lay there on the mat as Rhea falls onto her own back, catching her breath as well.
There's a silence that follows before several rounds of applause break out.
"Atta girl, mija!" Rey cheers.
"That.. was impressive work for being rusty," Paul says. "How do you feel?"
"Honest answer?" You ask, breathing heavily.
"Yes."
"Rhea's pin kinda turned me on a little bit." Rhea and Paul bark out a laugh, and your Tio shakes his head in amusement at you. "But in all seriousness, I feel great. I haven't done that since I was a teenager and it.. it felt like coming home."
"I'm glad to hear that," Paul says. "We're all impressed, especially since you kept up with Rhea so well. You weren't joking that your technique was right up alley. I think with a few months of training, you'll be good enough to be introduced."
"Really?" You slowly smile, eyes turning misty.
"Yes. In the meantime, you need to make your presence known on social media. You have the option of keeping your private life private while making a new profile that's just for your public life as a wrestler, or you can start integrating your wrestling life into the profiles you currently have."
"Uh, I think I'll make some new profiles. I'll post some private life moments for the fans so they can get a peek behind the curtain in my life, but nothing too personal that they can track down where I live."
Paul nods, knocking his knuckles onto the mat. "Sounds good. And good work in the ring. I'm glad your uncle just wasn't all talk."
You grin. "Thank you for taking a chance on me, sir."
"Thank you for being an asskicker. Now, I'll be in contact. I'll get you a contract soon and we'll talk some more."
"Yes, sir. Thank you again."
Paul and the others take their leave, leaving Rey and Rhea with you. As they disappear, you can't help but burst into tears. Rhea laughs, rolling over on top of you and straddling your hips as she grabs your wrists and squeals. Rey joins the two of you in the ring, and you end up laughing as Rhea can't stop cursing and just being excited about you possibly working with her.
"So, what's this about a faction I've been hearing about? Do you already know where you're going?"
As you wipe away your tears, you sniffle. "Yeah. There's a storyline that requires a female companion and Tio Rey told them I could possibly be a good fit."
"And I was right. You were magnificent, mija."
"But it's all still a secret, so Rhea, you can't say anything!"
"Got it, got it. My lips are sealed." She crawls off of you and you sit up, laughing at her smile. "This is awesome. I hope you come to Raw. You can be our tiny terror triplet."
You huff a laugh, shoulder checking her. "I thought Uso was the triplet?" She snorts. "Seriously, I'm banking on you and Jey finally getting to go to a Waffle House, only for Damian to obliviously be third wheeling. You should become a throuple. I'd ship it if no one else does."
Rhea laughs. "Shut up. Don't give them any ideas."
Rey finally helps you to your feet, making sure you're alright and that there are no injuries that need to be looked over. You want to spend more time with Rhea, but she's got to get back to the arena before anyone becomes suspicious. But before she leaves, she tells you to keep her in the loop about what you can and when you'll possibly be making your debut. You assure her you will and to keep a lookout for your new public social pages where you'll start off as inconspicuous as you can by posting about how you want to get back into shape and what not.
When it's just you and your Tio Rey left, you hang out in the ring to listen to all the pointers he has to offer. He works with you for a couple of hours before he buys you dinner and sends you back to your hotel.
For your contract signing, your Tio Rey sits in on the meeting with you to explain a few things here and there. You're aware that your public socials will mostly need to be posts as if your alter ego was posting or anything related to fan interactions/charities/upcoming shows, but that you can also have personal pics/videos so long as you explain you're posting as your real self and not your wrestling self. However, since your impending appearance on the show is being kept on the down low, you're only to post work out videos or get ready with me videos and show no inkling of you getting into the business.
The topic of body art comes up because when you're under contract, any tattoos need to be approved beforehand. You assure Paul that there's not really anything you plan to get at the moment and understand you need to run any future ideas by the higher ups.
When Paul and some of the Creative team spitball ideas about how to start showing your face associated with the business, you have an idea. They hear you out, and though the dynamic between Dom and Rey is overused, you ask them to bring it up again. You can start flying out to shows to watch your family do work, but then get upset one night when Judgement Day starts beating down on Rey. It'll give you the opportunity to jump the barricade and shield your Tio, only to get into an argument with Dominik in the ring, tearing down those he now calls his family. You suggest Liv and JD attacking you, and Finn and Carlito attacking Rey while Dom stands back, unsure of what to do.
As you were talking, you hadn't seen the team taking notes. Only when Paul chuckled and joked that you should take up a part time job as a writer, did you finally sign the contract. Rey was ecstatic and Paul welcomed you aboard, telling you to go home and continue doing what you were doing. They'd bring you in soon.
. .
. .
When you get back home, you don't change anything in your routine. The only thing that changes is that you start posting videos on your breaks, videos that Rhea immediately starts following and hyping you up for.
It takes a few days, but eventually you notice an uptick of followers from those you made friends with within the WWE community. Your comment section is full of encouragement and playful flirtation, but it isn't long until the trolls find your page. Some shower you with compliments because of your affiliation with certain wrestlers while others troll you. But since you're under contract, you can't lash out at their pathetic criticism less you want to be reprimanded by the higher ups at WWE.
One day, you're really feeling yourself and decide to do a pole workout. You wear a pair of cheeky workout shorts and a very pretty workout bralette, and get to work. There are no provocative dance moves, instead you decide to show off the strength of your arms and legs by climbing, twirling, and going upside down on the pole. You even show off your flexibility, and when it's all over you post the video with the song Play Hard by David Guetta, Ne-Yo and Akon. Immediately, the likes and comments roll in. And ten minutes later, Jey has you on Facetime.
"Yessss," you drawl as you answer the video call with a grin.
"You really gonna do me like that, baby?" As you stare at Jey, you see he's in a locker room, towel draped over his shoulder. You chuckle at his pout. "I know you danced in the past, but I didn't know you were still able to do all that."
"Of course I can still do it. Pole dancing is quite the workout. And it's fun when the person you want to see sees it." You wink and Jey squints his eyes at you.
"You still in them little ass shorts?"
"What is it with you and my ass?" You laugh, heading towards the body length mirror you have in the hallway of your home. Standing in front of the mirror, you angle your body so your ass can be seen as you twist, aiming the camera over your shoulder. When you see the screen white out for a second, you freeze. "Did you- did you just take a screenshot?"
Jey smirks. "Yes, and? I miss my girl. I need this."
You blush, heading shaking in amusement before heading to your living room and falling onto your couch to relax. "You're ridiculous."
"You know it! But as much as I've missed seeing your face and booty, there's actually a reason I called. Big Uce needs a favor."
You roll your eyes. "How many times have I told you and everyone else that my house is your house? If someone needs a place to crash, my house is open."
"See! Told you, man. You could have just showed up and she'd let you right in." Jey is talking to someone off camera and then he's scooting over, making room for another person. Roman enters half the screen. "Hey YN, how are you?"
"I'm good, Rome," you say. "How are things with you?"
He shrugs. "Could be better. My shoulder's been acting up, so the boss wants me to take a month off to heal and prepare myself for some storyline they wanna start me in."
"And you wanna spend that month here?"
You chuckle as Roman turns sheepish. "If you don't mind? It's just at your place, I know I won't be bothered if I go for a swim or soak in the hot tub."
"Come on down, Rome. It'll be nice to have some noise back in this house."
"Thank you. Do you think you can pick me up from the airport or should I get a rental?"
"Send me the details of when you'll be landing, and I'll be there."
"Alright. I'll go book the flight right now and text you right after." Jey takes over the call once more, grinning.
"What's got you cheesin'?"
"You. It makes me happy to see you treat my family like your family."
"Yeah, well they make it easy."
Jey continues to smile before it turns rather wistful. "The next time I ain't booked for anythin', I'm coming down. We have a lot of time to make up for."
"I'll probably see you before you see me," you muse. At his arched eyebrow, you say, "Dom and Tio Rey want me to start coming to shows. I'll probably wait until Roman leaves so I don't leave him alone here, but I should be coming to a Raw show at least once a month from now on."
"When you do, don't book a hotel room. You can bunk with me."
"Sure thing, Uso. Now get back to work. I wanna see you yeet that lame ass Judgement Day soon."
He laughs. "Your cuz is in that lame ass Judgement Day."
"I said what I said."
He shakes his head in amusement. "I'll see what I can do. Talk to you later, baby girl."
"Bye, Jey."
When Roman gets to your house, you help him get situated in the room that he'll be taking over for the month. You hand him the keys to your Range Rover to use while he stays and tell him you have a friend that works at the local gym who can get him some private hours should he want it. He agrees to the private hours so long as you join him which ends up being the perfect excuse to work out alongside Roman and post those pictures and videos. After all, you'll be part of his faction when you start at WWE, so it'll be nice to have those pictures on standby after your affiliation is known.
You and Roman post serious pics of working out side by side, encouraging one another. Some videos are silly, though, especially the one Roman posts where he mentions that having a workout partner is actually fun. But when he pans to you, you're laid out on the floor, panting for breath, and giving him a shaky thumbs up that he laughs at. While you had a decent routine, Roman's was intense, and you cursed him the entire time he pushed you to your limit.
Monday and Friday nights are reserved for watching wrestling on your flatscreen, and Roman can't help but tease you when you get into it, especially where it concerns his cousins.
"When are you going to make it official?" Roman asks as he watches you watch Jey's match on screen.
"When I can travel along with you guys for a couple months at a time," you answer without missing a beat.
"What about your job?"
You wince as Jey is tossed from the top rope. "I can work from the road," you admit. "I have employees now that can do the house calls and I'll be available Monday through Friday, nine to five over the phone. The only thing keeping me from flying out is that I've yet to find a trustworthy house sitter for when I'm away."
The only sound that can be heard is the commentators announcing Jey's win before, "You really love him, don't you?"
You freeze and turn towards Roman. "Love is a.. strong word."
He rolls his eyes. "If you didn't love him, you wouldn't be finding a way to travel on the road with us. It's okay to have strong feelings for him. You can't help who you love, when or how it happens."
You turn sheepish, not wanting to talk about it anymore with Jey's cousin. Your feelings for Jey were strong and they had caught you off guard. You figured they'd diminish when he left, but you only missed him more, and those feelings grew every time you spoke on the phone. It also didn't help that all your mutual friends were rooting for the two of you to work things out.
Roman lets the conversation drop and the two of you continue cohabitating like normal, treating one another like the world's most annoying brother/sister.
When it's time for Roman to get back to work, you fly out with him to attend a showing of Smackdown. You wear his merch, even carrying a sign that proclaims Roman as THE tribal chief. Unknowingly, Solo and Nia add beef to your future interactions with them when Nia rips the sign from your hands and tears it in half. You merely smirk at her, however, earning a nod of approval from Roman and a few secret texts from Paul who's giddy that his wrestlers are unknowingly setting themselves up for your explosive introduction.
But before you can get to your introduction on Smackdown, you need to make appearances on Raw as the distraught family member who's tired of your Tio and cousin beating each other down.
. .
. .
Paul gives you a total of three appearances on Raw, sitting ringside and shouting at your cousin when he takes things too far with his dad. Some fans start to suspect that you might join WWE, however briefly, since WWE usually pulls in a non-wrestling family members every now and then to spice things up. Unfortunately for those who don't know, you're very much into wrestling and know how to hold your own.
On the night of your so-called debut, you're sitting ringside yet again.
(Live on Raw)
Rey Mysterio walks out to an amped up crowd and when he spots you, he takes a moment to hug you and greet you with a kiss to your temple. As he slides into the ring to start warming up, the Judgement Day theme goes off. Dominik swaggers out with Liv hanging off his arm and your nose wrinkles as Liv openly laughs at you, mockingly wiggling her fingers in a wave when you try calling out to Dominik to stop this feud already.
He doesn't, and father and son go toe to toe.
Rey and Dominik trade blows back and forth, and even with the help of Liv… Dominik still loses the match. This enrages Judgement Day, and it isn't long until Finn, JD, and Carlito are running down the ramp to beat up on Rey.
From your side of the barrier, you're screaming at Dom to stop it. You ignore the camera crew when they film your reaction and when you see Finn pull out a chair to wrap around Rey's neck, you hop the barrier. The crowd cheers as you slide into the ring like it's something you've done all your life and you cover Rey's body, holding your arms out as you stare up at your cousin who's standing on the top rope, ready to jump on the chair around his dad's neck.
A microphone is slid to you, and you pick it up, pleading with Dom as you stand up. "Stop! Stop it, Dom. That's enough." Your voice cracks and you sniffle. "It's enough."
As Dom stares at you in shock, he slowly climbs down the rope and requests a mic as you remove the chair from Rey's neck and slide it behind you, glaring at Judgement Day surrounding you. "Prima, what the hell are you doin' in here?"
"What am I doing? What are you doing?" You ask in return. "This is your dad, Dom. Your blood! Cut the crap already and come home."
He's stunned silent before huffs, a cruel smile taking over. "Home? What home? And blood doesn't define family, cuz. You should know that. When was the last time you spoke to your old man, huh?"
Oof. Low blow, but part of the script. Paul did tell you to ad-lib the fight to get under each other's skin. Slowly, you stand, turning around in a circle and putting your back to the ropes rather than having someone stand behind you.
"Of course, I know blood doesn't define family, pendejo. But I seriously hope you don't mean to call this rag-tag team of cowards your family." The crowd laughs as those of the Judgement Day take offense to that. "You really think Judgement Day 2.0 cares about you?" You huff out a laugh. "You're delusional. The only one who cared about you in their own weird way was Rhea. She brought you in. She gave you a family. She kept you safe," you seethe at him as the crowd agrees with you. "Believe it or not, Rhea and Damian were the only loyal ones of Judgement Day, and you ruined a good thing when you betrayed them all for a Harley Quinn reject that has eyes for Finn when you're not paying attention."
The crowd ooh's.
"No! No that's not true," Liv screams when she rips the mic from Dom, shouldering her women's title as if it proves that she's the best. "I love my daddy Dom and he loves me. Rhea was toxic!"
"Toxic or not, she's clearly the better choice." The crowd cheers as you look Liv up and down, disgust evident in your features. "Have fun with Rhea's sloppy seconds."
You drop the mic, turning to help Rey up. However, Liv's scream of rage makes you pause, and you feel the weight of her championship belt connect with the back of your head. You fall forward and the crowd goes into an uproar. When kicks start connecting with your back, you curl up on your side and curl your arms around your head.
Liv gets in a few kicks before you take charge. Between one kick and the next, you roll onto your back and sweep Liv's legs out from beneath her. When she falls, you scramble onto your hands and knees and straddle the women's champion before grasping her hair in one hand and delivering blow after blow with the other.
The arena fills with screams and cheers, and then you're dragged off of Liv. As your arms are held behind you by JD, Finn and Carlito help Liv up. She attacks you with hits and kicks while Dominik watches from the corner, hands in his hair as he's torn between stopping the attack or not.
THIS IS MY BRUTALITY!
Rhea's theme song goes off, purple lights flashing, and the crowd is deafening as Rhea and Damian rush the ring. Judgement Day quickly abandons ship, and the Terror Twins stalk the ring back and forth, pointing and threatening the cowards as they run away.
You stand back, glancing warily between the Terror Twins and your Tio who's still laid out on the mat.
When they turn towards you, Rhea and Damian watch you with unsurety in their gazes. You're holding onto your stomach where Liv landed kick after kick, and when your Tio groans, you rush to help him to his feet. Damian beats you to it, however, and offers Rey a hand up much to the crowd's surprise.
There's another stare off before you say, "Thank you."
Damian's expression is kept neutral, but Rhea slowly smirks, licking her bottom lip in a rather seductive manner. You can feel your cheeks heating against your will, and she laughs before her and Damian are rolling out of the ring with a mock salute towards you and Rey.
After a moment, Rey heads for the stairs and you follow after him, the two of you leaning on one another as you make your way backstage.
(End of broadcast segment.)
The moment you make it behind the curtains and filming is cut, you're engulfed in a hug by Dominik.
"Prima, that was so good!"
Liv walks up beside you, squealing. "That was awesome. I hope I didn't hurt you. I felt a few of those kicks connect."
"Nah, girl, you're good." As you pull out of the hug with Dominik, you high five the blonde. "The more believable it is, the more people will wanna watch you."
She laughs, calls you crazy, and then steps aside. The rest of Judgement Day congratulate you on a great intro, and then Rhea and Damian are there putting you in the middle of their group hug.
"Mate, that was awesome. I'm so glad I don't have to keep this secret anymore!"
"What? You knew?!" Damian demands. Both you and Rhea laugh.
"Where do you think I was sneaking off to?" Rhea muses. "Paul wanted to see what YN was capable of, so I was her opponent for the trial matches. Needless to say, everyone was impressed."
"Damn. I wish I could have been there," he says.
"And ruin the surprise? Never."
After your friends release you, your Tio hugs you. "I'm proud of you, mija. You were meant for this life and I'm glad to be a part of it."
Rey's words make you a little emotional and you have to laugh less you start ugly crying. "Thank you, Tio. I'm looking forward to what's to come."
As soon as your Tio releases you, you're spun around and yanked into yet another hug. "Damn, baby girl. No head's up?" You laugh as you hug Jey, this hug being long overdue. "Does this mean you're going to be on Raw?"
You shrug as you step back, but Jey keeps you close by tucking you under his arm. "A contract is still in the works," you say, reluctantly lying to your friends. Your contract was already locked in, but they didn't know that. "At first I didn't want to fight, I just wanted to be what essentially is a hype man on the sidelines, but Paul thinks I'm destined for more. I was scared to step on the toes of the females still waiting to be called up to the main roster, but Paul says he saw something in me worth taking the risk."
"Damn right he did," Jey says. "You're ballsy."
You smile up at him, letting him press a kiss to your forehead. "But anyway, for now I'll be stuck in the middle of my cousin and Tio, playing the distraught family member. They wanna gauge everyone's reaction to me and if I'm liked enough, they'll plant me into a storyline either on Raw or Smackdown."
"Yeet," Jey says, clearly excited. "Everything's coming together, baby. Now let's go check that phone of yours. I'm sure Jimmy and Roman are blowing it up as we speak."
Author's Note: Reader is a little ass kicker. This is very self-indulgent, so don't just me haha. Let me have this.
Spanish translations:
Hermana - Sister.
Mija - Darling (term of endearment family mostly uses for younger girl).
Prima/Primo - Cousin.
Pendenja/Pendejo - Stupid girl/stupid boy.
When the hotels are all booked up, your cousin asks if a few friends can crash at your place. You accept, not knowing you'll be meeting some people who will become lifelong friends and get a shot at doing what you once loved.
[Part One of Three]
Words: 7.7K
Author's Note: Never thought I'd wanna write for wrestlers.
Just a reminder that I am writing for the CHARACTERS they portray on TV and the way I think these CHARACTERS would be "at home", therefore everyone is single lol. I will tagging this as Jey Uso X Reader, but please be informed that it will not be romance heavy. I'm pretty sure there's not a lot of Jey/Reader interactions, but some of the stuff between them is cutesy rather than steamy.
ALSO EVERYONE'S OOC BECAUSE I JUST RECENTLY STARTED WATCHING AND I DON'T KNOW THEIR PERSONALITIES JUST YET.
You're watching the new A Quiet Place movie when your cell rings. Glancing briefly at the screen sitting next to your thigh, you see it's your cousin that you haven't seen in quite a few months.
Pausing the movie, you answer the call. "Dum-Dum, you're alive!"
"Aye, prima, I got a huge favor to ask."
"Hey, YN, long time no talk. How are you? I'm good, what about you, cuz?" You retort a little mockingly.
Dominik sighs and your lips twitch in amusement. "Hi, prima. You good?"
"Never better. Now what do you need?"
The line goes quiet for a few seconds before, "So Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown are gonna be in the same arena next week and with all the wrestlers in one place, the hotels booked up pretty quickly."
"Okay, and?"
"It's in your city."
It takes a moment, but a lightbulb goes off over your head. "Let me guess, you need a place to stay?"
"Not me, but three friends do. They're scrambling right now, cuz. Please tell me no one's moved in since we last talked."
Chuckling softly, you say, "You know I'm gonna be the perpetually single prima." Dominik chuckles on his side of the line. "And my two spare rooms are always ready for a visitor. But if you're really desperate for a third, I don't mind bunking up with someone since my bed is huge. So long as it doesn't piss off any significant other, someone can bunk with me."
"Aw damn. Your bed is comfy as fuck, and you never let anyone in it."
"No, I just don't let you in it, Dum-Dum. I learned my lesson when we were little. You fight in your sleep."
"Do not."
"Do too. Now, am I rolling out the welcome mat or what? And for how long?"
"One sec." You hang on, listening to the muffled chatter. You don't know who it is that might possibly be staying with you, but you do catch Dominik mentioning that someone named Damian could benefit from sharing with you since he's the tallest and would actually fit in your bed. A few more moments and then he says, "Yes, and are you able to host for like a week or so? We'll be flying out early tomorrow morning. I can be at your place with your guests around five or six in the evening."
"That's fine. Do I get to know who I'm hosting?"
You hear Dominik squeak before, "Hi, mate. It's Rhea. Thanks so much for doing this. I really wasn't looking forward to sharing a small bed with someone."
"It's 'ya uce, Jey Uso." You chuckle at his enthusiasm, realizing his energy matches his persona on TV.
"And, uh, I'm Damian. I promise I don't punch or kick in my sleep."
You huff a laugh. "Priest, right? The tall one?"
"Yeah."
"You'll be good, man. The mattress of my bed is literally from one side of the wall to the other. The only way to get on it is to crawl on from the foot of the bed. Just ask Dominik."
"S'true, man. YN has always been weird about her space on the bed. She needs a lot of it."
"But I'll be fine sharing. I just wasn't a fan of waking up spooning or being spooned by a cousin. But walking, talking, kink material? Yes, please."
There's a sharp bark of laughter of who you assume is Rhea.
"What did you just say?" Dominik muses, more laughter ringing out as your words sink in.
"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, cuz. I'm only joking."
"No, you're not. You totally think he's hot."
"Duh. Ripley, Priest, the Usos, Roman Reigns.. they're all smokin'."
"Thanks, mate!"
"You're welcome, mi amor," you retort. "But just because I think they're hot doesn't mean I wanna be railed by them, Dum-Dum."
"I know." He gives a long suffering sigh that you can't help but smile at. "It's why when I realized we were gonna be in town and these morons needed a place to crash, I thought of you. You won't fuck around with my friends. Not like that."
"Aw, I love you too, cuz. Now get off my phone. I was watching a movie before you interrupted me."
"Alright, alright. I'll text you tomorrow."
"Okay. Bye, everyone!"
After hearing a chorus of byes in return, you end the call and go back to your movie.
After a long morning and afternoon of cleaning and changing out bedsheets for fresh ones, you're finally able to relax. You had planned to make a meal, but not knowing if anyone had any dietary restrictions, you decided against it. Instead, your cousin Dominik assured you that they'd pick up some food on the way to your house for you and themselves since you're hosting them.
You're cleaning the pool and making sure the water is balanced to be of use the next day when your phone pings with alerts from your security cameras out front. When you check it and see a black SUV parked behind your Jeep Compass and Range Rover in the driveway, you put everything away and head inside to greet your guests through the front door.
You open your front door, leaning against the door jamb as you watch the men unload suitcases and duffel bags.
Rhea Ripley, however, is walking up your porch stairs with four boxes of pizza in hand. "Ding dong," she muses.
"Hi," you greet. She manages to balance the boxes on one hand, reaching out with the other to give you a brief hug. "Did you guys have a good flight? Drive?"
"Yeah, dude, it was fine. Just this thing with the hotel was stressing us out, but you and Dom came through for us."
"Well, I'm glad to be of service," you say. Just then, the guys start walking up. "Hey, Dum-Dum."
You offer him a brief hug right before he personally introduces you to Rhea, Damian, and Jey.
"Hey, lil' mama, thanks for doing this. It was really cool of you to let us crash here," Jey says.
"It's no problem whatsoever," you assure him. "Now if you guys wanna come in and set the food in the kitchen, I'll show you around real quick."
Rhea sets the pizzas down on the kitchen island, Dominik volunteers to get drinks out, as well as plates while you show your three guests around. The main rooms they need to know on the first floor are the bathroom, the laundry room, your office in case they have any work that needs to be addressed with a computer, and one of the free guest rooms. Rhea and Jey glance at each other, but when you assure them the two guest rooms are the same size, Jey opts for it and sets his belongings in the room.
Upstairs, Rhea places her own belongings in the second spare room, peeks into the main bathroom between the bedrooms, and then the way Damian smiles when he sees the bed you and him are to share makes you laugh.
"Looks like I'm actually gonna get some good sleep this week," he says as he places his suitcase and bags off to the side. "Hotels really need to make bigger beds for those of us over six feet."
"Goddamn, you're tall," you mutter.
Rhea laughs, even more so when Jey tries to swap places with Damian because your bed looks really inviting as large as it is.
When you head downstairs and back into the kitchen, Dominik asks, "Did you show them the gym?"
"Gym? What gym?" Rhea asks, clearly excited.
You roll your eyes at your cousin. "It's nothing fancy. I just closed off my garage and turned into a gym that's perfect for me."
"I wanna see it."
Chuckling softly, you lead them to your small gym. When you turn on the lights, you say, "It's nothing sophisticated, but it's mine."
"Can we use it?" Jey asks.
"Sure. You probably won't get the workout you're used to with this equipment, but you're more than welcomed to this space."
"As long as we can break a sweat, we're good," Rhea says.
"Question," Damian says, his deep voice sending shivers down your back. It's really unfair that your cousin's friends are so good looking. "Is that a stripper pole?"
"Yeah." You laugh. "Dum-Dum didn't tell you how I bought this house?"
Jey's mouth drops open. "Girl, you a stripper?"
"Was a stripper," you correct him. "But that's a long story. I can tell it over pizza."
As you head into the kitchen, Dominik tells the four of you to dig in while it's still warm. Dominik leans against one of the kitchen counters, you hop up on another, and your three guests take a seat on a stool at the kitchen island.
Only after everyone has downed at least a slice and a half does Dominik start talking.
"Is anyone curious as to why YN has a gym in her home?"
"Because she likes to work out?" Rhea shrugs, glancing around at the random question.
"To keep in shape for that stripper pole we peeped out there," Jey tries.
You grin, shaking your head at him. Apparently, he really wants that stripper story.
Damian, however, seems to piece a part of your story together. "With Dom and Rey in the business, my guess is that you're training for the family business as well."
With your free hand, you touch the tip of your nose and point at Damian with a wink. "Sort of."
"YN used to train with me when we were younger," Dominik says. "Was supposed to join the biz when I joined."
"What happened?" Rhea asks.
"My dad." With a sigh, you set down your half-eaten slice of pizza and take a drink of your soda. "I really love everything about the wrestling life and was stoked to be a part of it when Tio Rey said I had potential. My dad wanted me to head off to college, but my mom wanted me to do whatever made me happy."
"And wrestling made you happy," Jey says.
You nod. "Very much. I started training after school, giving Dum-Dum a run for his money," you muse before turning a little sad, "but then my mom got sick. Her insurance barely wanted to pay the bare minimum, my dad couldn't keep up with the bills, and it was my turn to get an after-school job that paid."
Everyone winces in sympathy.
"After I graduated high school, I knew I needed a job that would pay well without a college degree, so I took up stripping. It took me almost a year to make a name for myself and have some regular customers that showed up for only me, but I did it. I could tell my dad was highly disappointed, but he didn't say shit to my face because my money was making a dent in the bills that had been piling up." You pause to give a sigh. "After five years, the treatments just stopped working for my mom. She passed, my dad and I made plans to purchase this exact house we're standing in, but then his new girlfriend had to go and ruin that."
Dominik chuckles. "Pendeja was under the impression my tio was paying for this house. Little did she know that YN was putting up eighty percent of the cash for this place and was going to be paying the mortgage while her dad only paid the electric and water."
You shake your head as you remember everything you went through with your dad. "We were at the meeting to close on this house when his girlfriend started gushing about the changes she was going to make and how it was her house, and I scoffed. I informed her my name was going to be on the deed, changes would have to go through me and my dad, and that she wasn't going to have a say so like she planned. Only when my dad told me to just let his name and her name be on the deed, and he was serious about it, did I pull out from the deal.
"The homeowners who were selling understood because they'd been dealing with me the entire time, and in front of my dad, promised that they'd hold off if I still wanted the place and would give me time to get the rest of the cash. I wasn't going to agree because I really didn't need a place this big for just myself, but the second my dad called me a selfish bratty bitch did I agree to purchase the house and cut all contact with my dad."
"Damn, girl. That's rough," Damian says.
You nod. "It was, but I made do. I continued to dance to make up the difference, bought this place, and then danced some more to put myself through college. I earned a nice little nest egg while getting a higher education, and now that I work for myself.. I'm golden. I'm peachy fuckin' keen."
"That's what I like to hear," Rhea says, smiling and saluting you with her own drink.
"But that's not all, is it?" Dominik muses. "A little birdie told me that dad's been advocating for you in WWE."
You smile as everyone glances at you. "Your little sister is a narc." Dominik laughs as you explain. "Tio Rey wants me in, not to fight in the women's division but to just be someone on the sidelines to cause interference since I'm so rusty. And since my work schedule is pretty fuckin' flexible, I can swing it. There's just not a storyline that can be easily manipulated to bring in an unknown female."
"Well, whatever happens, I hope you get in," Rhea says. "We need more ladies."
"And look, uce, you can come to Raw with all the cool kids or I can hook you up with my brothers and cousins on Smackdown."
You laugh. "You guys are talking as if I'm for sure going to work in the WWE. It's all just talk right now."
"Well, if you still got that talent from when we were younger," Dominik says. "I'm sure we'll be seeing you on the sidelines soon."
"Yeah, yeah. Shut up and finish eating."
As everyone finishes up eating, Damian and Rhea take it upon themselves to wash dishes and Dominik takes out the trash since he's on his way out to go get settled in at his hotel.
You walk with Dominik outside, leaning against your porch railing.
"You good, prima?" He asks. You nod, smiling softly. "I just wanna say thanks again for doing this for my friends."
"Don't even worry about it," you say. "I've been bored lately. It'll be nice to have some noise for a little bit."
"Yeah? Well, if you need anything, I'm only a phone call away. Rey too."
"I'll be fine, Dum-Dum. Rhea, Jey, and Damian seem really cool."
"Alright." Dominik gives you a hug. "I'll see you if I'm not busy working. You also have ringside tickets for Monday, so clear your schedule for that day."
"Thanks. Night, Dom."
"Night, YN."
Waking up the following morning, you stretch and quietly groan. For a moment you forget you have guests, but then a deep chuckle from the other side of your bed reminds you that not only do you have guests but that you have a guest in bed with you. You turn your head, spotting a sleepy Damian just waking up himself.
"Goddamn. This bed had no right being this comfortable."
You huff a laugh and roll onto your side, tucking an arm beneath your head. "I take it you slept well?"
"Yeah. It's been a while since I've slept in."
His words slowly make you realize that you've slept in too. "Shit. What time is it?" You sit up, patting the bed around you for your phone until you remember you placed it on the floating shelf connected to the wall above where you had slept. Turning, you snatch your phone and check the time. It's nine in the morning. "Fuckkk," you groan as you fall back against your pillows.
"What happened? You miss work or something?"
"Nah. Nothing like that." You take a moment to yawn. "I just have a routine, and I forgot to set my alarm," you tell him.
He hums in understanding. The two of you go quiet, sleep threatening to take you back under until you feel the bed at your feet shift and jostle. Opening your eyes, you find Rhea crawling into bed, burrowing under the blanket you're using.
"Oi. What are we talking about?"
You chuckle as Rhea snuggles down, hair mused and face clean of her usual dark makeup.
"Nothing. YN was just talking about how she missed her routine."
"What routine?"
"I run in the mornings," you admit. "Wake up at six, run two miles around the neighborhood to get the blood pumping, and then do whatever needs to be done whether it be work-work or house-work."
"What's on the agenda for today?"
"Not a damn thing. I cleared my schedule until the middle of next week," you say. "I'm free as a bird, so if you want to do something in town, I'm down. Or if you have errands to run or need to head to the arena to train, the Range Rover is yours to use while you're staying here."
Damian and Rhea are saying their thanks when Jey launches himself on the other side of you. You groan as the others laugh. "Damn, uce, this bed is huge. You can fit at least one other body in here."
Jey is apparently an affectionate person and has no issue sliding under your blanket as well. But while Rhea kept a few inches between you, Jey practically plasters his chest to your back and snuggles up to you with a content sigh.
You shake with suppressed laughter. "Comfortable, Uso?"
"Extremely. What's everyone doin' today?"
"Priest and I have a meeting with the higher ups," Rhea says. "After that, nothing."
"I'll be making use of the gym here to get the blood pumping," Jey says.
All three go quiet and you only speak when you feel Jey squeeze you around the waist. "Well while you guys are working, I'll be relaxing out back in the pool."
Time seems to freeze before,
"You got a pool?!"
"Yes?" You laugh.
"Alright, change of plans. I'm gonna work out and then float my ass in the pool out back. You got any floaties, uce?"
"Duh."
"Then yeah, we floatin'."
You grin sleepily. "You guys gonna be free for dinner?" At their confirmed status of being free, you say, "I'm feelin' steaks, jalapeño poppers, and roasted corn. Any objections?"
"Nope."
"No."
"Hell nah."
"This arrangement is proving to be better than staying at a hotel," Damian muses. "You sure we're not putting you out?"
"No way. I grew up with big family cookouts, random hangouts, and sleepovers and I miss it. When mom died, dad and I stopped going out as much. Dad's side of the family kind of wanted nothing to do with me when I wouldn't let his then girlfriend take control of the house I was buying, and while I kept in touch with my mom's side of the family, it just wasn't the same."
"Which side does Dom come from?" Rhea asks.
"Mom's." You smile sadly. "My mom and his mom were sisters."
"Family is everything," she says and you nod in agreement. "But blood does not define family. If the rest of your family won't recognize you, we will. You're stuck with us now."
As Rhea spoke, your eyes got a little teary. "Goddammit, Ripley. It's too early to be crying."
"I'm sorry." She laughs and reaches for your hand, squeezing it.
"Come on," Damian eventually groans, reaching over to nudge Rhea. "The sooner we get this meeting over with, the quicker we can get back to chill by the pool."
Rhea groans as she has to get out of bed and Damian immediately calls dibs on the bathroom upstairs as he scoots out of bed after her.
"And then there were two," Jey muses, brazenly pressing his face into the back of your neck as he holds you.
Chuckling, you free an arm from beneath the blanket and then gently slap him on the thigh. "Come on, Uso. Let's get sweaty."
"That's what I'm talking about!"
This time, you bark out a laugh. "Down, boy. We're just going for a run to get that blood of yours pumping before you hit up the mini gym."
"Not what I had in mind, but I'm down."
Since Damian's occupying the upstairs bathroom, you grab an extra toothbrush and toothpaste from your hall closet and head towards the downstairs bathroom where Rhea is. Knocking on the door, you wait until you hear her call out.
"Yeah?"
"Is it cool if I brush my teeth in there? I promise I won't sneak any looks!"
Rhea laughs. "Sure thing, babe. Door's unlocked!"
Your shower stalls have glass doors, so you keep your gaze averted. Fortunately, Rhea likes a steamy shower so even if you had glanced in her direction, all you would see is the outline of her body.
"Didn't want to sneak any looks at Damian?" She muses.
You laugh as you wet your toothbrush and apply some toothpaste. "I still think of that man as walking, talking, kink material-" Rhea barks out a laugh, "-but now that I've met him, he gives off major big brother energy. I do not want to see the peen. Well, I kind of do, but I'm intimidated."
"Oh my god. I'm gonna love hanging out with you this week."
You make quick work of brushing your teeth and washing your face, and then tell Rhea where to find the keys to the Range Rover in case you and Jey leave before her and Damian are ready.
Back up in your room, you get dressed in your workout gear- a cropped dark tank top made out of spandex material and a pair of black and white running shorts. You put on your running shoes, tie your hair up into a ponytail, then grab the strap that your phone zips into before securing it around your bicep.
You run into Damian on your way downstairs, telling him what you told Rhea about where to find the keys to the Range Rover and not to bother locking up if you and Jey are gone before he and Rhea leave. He thanks you for letting them use your vehicle and you head outside into the backyard, stretching in the little spot that you've sectioned off for yoga sessions.
Jey is outside as well, taking a picture of the pool where he's apparently set loose some pool floats and rearranged the chairs off to the side. You shake your head at him in amusement, twisting your body into the runner's lunge twist.
As you're holding the pose, stretching your muscles, you hear, "Look up, sweetheart. Let me see that smile." Instead of just smiling, however, you flip him off. Jey laughs, snapping the pic. "Is it cool if I post that?"
"That's fine."
As Jey does a few of his own stretches, he's messing with his phone. He's smiling the entire time and when he puts his phone away, you finish up your stretching and check his socials to see what he posted and/or said.
It doesn't take you long to find the post on Instagram, a post of two pics. The first is your pool looking rather inviting and the next pic is of you flipping him off. The caption reads, Can't wait to go for a swim, but first I need to get the blood pumping with this peach of a lady and an added kissy face emoji.
"You're ridiculous," you call out and he laughs.
"You see it?"
"Yes." In response to his post, you leave a comment with the middle finger emoji and two blue hearts. "Now come on, Uso. Time to run."
You and Jey round the side of the house just as Rhea and Damian walk down the porch stairs. You tell Damian that the address to your house is already programmed into the GPS should he need it on the way back and he nods, tossing and catching the key fob in his hand. You and Jey then stand side by side on the sidewalk, and after making sure he's ready, you set off at a leisurely pace.
As you round the street corner, you speed up a little more. Jey keeps pace and the only sound for a good while is your feet pounding against the pavement. Several minutes into your run, however, you notice Jey lagging behind. And when you glance over your shoulder to see if he's fine, you see him with his phone out again.
Not wanting to speak and expend your breath, you continue running. Jey follows you, keeping pace once more, and then urging you faster on the way back to your house.
By the time you make it back to your kitchen, you're panting and leaning against the kitchen island. "I'm never running with you again."
"Aw, come on, girl. That was fun."
"For you! What were you doing with your phone out anyway?"
Before he can answer, his phone starts ringing. He glances at it, then at you. "It's Jimmy. Do you mind?"
"Go ahead."
Jey answers what ends up being a Facetime call and you walk around your kitchen, grabbing yourself a glass of water as they talk.
"Ay, uce, you good?" Jey asks.
"Yeah, but not as good as you apparently. Where the hell you at that you have access to a pool?"
You're mid-sip, grinning against the rim of your glass when Jey points his phone at you. "Mysterio's cuz came through. Say hi." You awkwardly wave at the camera as you hear Jimmy laugh and hear him call out his own hello. Then Jey continues the talk. "So how's the hotel?"
"Boring. We either hang out in our rooms or at the arena. Nothing fancy or fun."
Quickly finding a pen and pad of paper, you jot something down and then slide it over to Jey- Invite him over. Pool's big enough and dinner is on me.
"Ay, uce, who's with you right now?" Jey asks after reading your note.
"Just Solo and Roman. Why?"
Jey glances at you and you nod. "You guys wanna come over? Pool's big enough and YN is grilling steaks tonight for us here."
"Shit. Forreal?"
"Yeah." You call out when Jey looks at you once more. "I just need a headcount so I can go grab the steaks and corn from the store here in a bit. Damian and Rhea are currently at the arena in one of my vehicles, so I'm sure they can swing by and pick you up if you guys need a ride."
"No worries, we got our own ride. We just need an address."
"I'll have Jey send it to you. Are all three of you coming?"
"Sure thing, ma."
Jey talks to his brother for another minute before ending the call, opening up his texts and handing you the phone so you can enter your address. You do so and then after downing your water, you tell Jey you're going to shower before heading out to the store. Jey tells you he'll tag along and to not leave without him.
. .
. .
Later, when you're done shopping and preparing the backyard for guests, you smile wide when you spot your cousin walking in with a case of beer and a holler that the party has arrived. Behind him, Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, and Roman Reigns enter.
You greet everyone with a smile and hug (if they offered), then proceed to show them where both bathrooms are and the room that Jey is staying in so they can change into their swim trunks wherever they're most comfortable. Then before you go back outside, you take a moment to change into your own two piece bathing suit that consists of a dark green v-neck top that pulls down over your head like a sports bra and dark green high waisted bottoms that have cutouts along your hips. And since you're not jumping into the water right away, you pull on a loose, white button down shirt with its sleeves rolled up to your elbows and tuck the front hem of the shirt into a pair of cutoff denim shorts.
As you head back out, you pass Damian and Rhea in the kitchen, cutting jalapeños in half and scooping out the seeds so they can put cream cheese in them before wrapping them in bacon.
Dominik is outside, looking everything over before meeting your gaze with a smile. "You're loving this, aren't you?"
"I miss hanging out," you admit with a chuckle. "And hosting isn't so bad when all the men are handsome as fuck."
He shakes his head in amusement. "You opening up the hot tub?"
"Should I?" You frown.
"Yes, estúpida. I can guarantee that'll be the hangout spot after dinner."
"Well go get it set up," you tell him.
As Dominik preps the hot tub, you make sure the outside bar is all stocked up. The beer Dominik brought and the beer Jey suggested you buy earlier is in the cooler, the freezer is filled with ice, your blender is clean and ready for margaritas, and there's a whole stash of alcohol in case anyone wants anything stronger.
You're connecting a laptop to the outside speakers when Damian pops up. "Hey, hermosa, the poppers are sitting in the fridge for when you're ready for them. Do you need anything else done?"
"No, sir. You and Rhea are guests. Go change and lounge. I can do the rest."
"Are you sure?"
You smile at him. "Positive. Enjoy your time off, Priest."
"Alright. But hurry up. You deserve to have some fun too before you start cooking."
After shooing Damian off, you head inside to quickly peel some potatoes. Four shirtless Samoans finally walk out from Jey's room, and you have to shoo Jey out when he tries to help out in the kitchen.
"I'm good," you say, swatting at his hands when he tries to grab the potato peeler from the counter. "Go have fun."
"But-"
"No buts!" His jaw snaps shut and you arch an eyebrow at him, silently challenging him to do something about it. Hearing a snicker, you glance at his grinning twin Jimmy and younger brother Solo. "Can y'all please go throw his ass in the pool? Not only did this fool have the audacity to jump into my bed this morning-"
"Rhea was in there too! I thought it was a group thing!"
"-but he snapped pics of my ass on our run this morning."
"You saw those?"
You glare at him, but end up laughing when his brothers look offended on your behalf. "I follow you on Instagram. Of course I saw them! You're just lucky my account is private. Your fans already stalked the hell out of my pages and tried adding me." And before Jey can say anything to defend himself, there's a small scuffle as Jimmy and Solo grapple with their brother before pushing him out the door.
You and Roman follow, laughing and then whooping when Jey gets tossed into the pool. Roman lingers and when you glance up at him, he asks, "You sure you don't need any help?"
"Positive. Go have fun, Reigns. And if you want, the laptop at the bar controls the music. I'm not sure what you like listening to, so have fun making a playlist if you want."
"Will do."
You get back to work in the kitchen, but it doesn't take you long to finish up. There's still a couple of hours before you have to get to work, so you head outside to see what everyone's up to. Rhea and Dominik are laid out on the lounges next to the pool, conversing with each other and with Damian and Roman who are inside the pool but hanging onto the ledge near them. Jey, Jimmy, and Solo are not too far, the three brothers splayed out casually on pool floats.
Taking a moment for yourself, you head to the bar and immediately work on a pitcher of margaritas. Rhea hollers that she wants one and you give her a thumbs up to let her know you heard her loud and clear. On reflex, you dig your phone out of your pocket and leave it on the bar so there's no electronic casualties as you walk by the pool's ledge. Then salting the rim of two margarita glasses, you fill them with the slushie goodness and walk yourself over to where Rhea is just sitting up.
"Thanks, mate." She sips her margarita, humming, and you do the same.
You had only taken your eyes off the pool's occupants for a minute that you don't notice one in particular is missing. When you clock Jimmy and Solo staring at you though, your gaze darts around for Jey. Their smirks grow and you tense up. But before you can question where the troublesome individual is, wet arms come down around you from behind. You yelp and a deep chuckle sounds next to your ear.
"You thought you could get away with siccin' my brothers on me, didn't you? My own blood? Nope. Not today, baby girl."
"Jey…" He starts walking towards the pool and you do your best to push back. Unfortunately, he's stronger. "Jey, I have a drink in my hand!"
"Not anymore." Jey had stopped right at the pool's ledge, right where Roman and Damian were, when the margarita is pulled from your hand. You stare down in shock at Damian who's now sipping it.
"You traitor! I'm giving you the shittiest blanket tonight, Priest!"
He shrugs, grinning. "I'll just steal yours."
Everyone starts chanting to toss you in and your toes curl over the pool's ledge as if that'll keep you from going in. "Jey, if you toss me in, I'll-"
"You'll what?"
You know there's no getting out of this predicament, so you reach back and grip onto the sides of Jey's shorts. "I'm taking you with me."
"Wh-" Before he can get the word out, you fall forward and take Jey back into the water with you.
All his weight falls on top of you as you go under water, but it's not as bad as apparently everyone thinks it is. When you resurface, wiping water from your eyes, you're surprised to see everyone looking quite freaked out. Even Jey looks worried, but you merely laugh in return.
"You good, uce?" Jimmy calls out. "That was a whole lot of fat falling on top of you."
You snort as Jey gasps in offense. "I'm good, Jimmy."
You tread water like a foot away from Jey and start stripping off your shirt and shorts while you grumble. You toss them onto the side of the pool, rolling your eyes when Rhea wiggles her eyebrows at you. Jey looks you up and down, even going as far to dip under the water. When he resurfaces, smirking, you swat the back of his head and end up treading water with him and his brothers for a bit.
Eventually, you all end up hanging out around the ledge and in front of the pool lounges where Damian and Solo have swapped out with Rhea and Dominik. Jimmy is the most vocal about getting to know you, especially when he spots you hanging onto his brother's back with Jey's hands supporting you under your thighs as you talk with everyone. He's never seen his twin so comfortable with someone he's just met like this.
No one bats an eye at your stripper past, hell Roman even cracks a joke about taking up stripping if wrestling ever falls through, and then Dominik happily informs them that you're actually quite the little wrestler yourself. You keep it humble though, telling everyone that you're very out of shape and rusty in the ring, and you're like eighty percent sure nothing will come of Rey's thoughts.
They all try to hype you up into seriously thinking about it if wrestling is something you love, but you brush it all off and tell Dominik to help you bring out the steaks from inside.
After drying off, you get the grill going and then put on an apron over your bathing suit. You get the seasoned steaks going on one side of the grill while Dominik fills the other side with corn on the cob that's been smothered in butter and wrapped in foil, as well as the jalapeño poppers. Then while that's cooking, you quickly head inside to dice up the peeled potatoes before dropping them into a pot of water so they can boil.
You and Dominik remain by the grill to make sure nothing overcooks. Then when you have to head back inside, he keeps watch while you mash the potatoes and make a small pot of brown gravy.
When the food gets taken inside, you set everything out on the kitchen island before calling everyone in. They all flood in with towels wrapped around their waists, and none of the men will serve themselves until you and Rhea have made up your plates first. So while you and Rhea take a seat at the table with full plates, you both watch in amusement as they moan and groan about the smell, practically salivating when they take their own seats with their own plates of food.
Dinner ended up being quite the affair, and you were very glad that you had cooked up more steaks than Jey deemed necessary. Apparently his brothers and cousin could really chow down.
Then after dinner and deciding to let the dishwasher get a workout, everyone takes a moment to let their food settle in their stomachs before heading back outside. Instead of the pool, however, they sink into the hot tub.
Drinks are passed around again and the last thing you remember is laughing uncontrollably with this group of people before everything goes dark.
When you wake up, you have a throbbing headache. But not only that, your mouth feels extremely gross, and you want nothing more than to brush your teeth and eat a mountain of breakfast foods. You take a moment to just lay there and wait for the room to stop spinning, and when it does do you take notice of the weight across your stomach. Slowly, you glance to your right and find Jey sleeping peacefully with his arm draped across you. But for some reason, the bed feels like there's more of a presence in it, and when you glance to your left you can't help but smile.
Next to you and under his own blanket is Jimmy, and then on his other side are Rhea and Damian who are sharing a blanket of their own. You're not sure how you all ended up here, but you carefully extricate yourself from the bed to get some answers. You're still in your bikini and you have a feeling everyone else is still in their swimsuits as well, so you know you're gonna have to do laundry so your bedding doesn't smell like chlorine.
After grabbing a pair of baggy sweatpants, a sports bra, and a pair of socks, you take the quickest shower you've ever taken to get the pool smell off of you and brush your teeth. You wring out as much water as you can from your hair, run a towel through it to soak up some more, and then run your fingers through the strands before tying it up in a messy bun just to keep it all off your neck.
As you pad downstairs and into your kitchen, you find Solo and Roman looking through the cabinets. You take a moment to watch them, grinning when you hear Solo quietly moan about wanting coffee, but not knowing where anything is.
"Two cabinets to your left." Solo jerks in surprise and you grin, walking to the cabinet yourself to grab the coffee grounds. You grab the grounds and filters, handing them off to Solo. "Not that I'm mad about it, but what the hell are you guys doing here?"
Roman's chuckle makes you turn around to face him. "You don't remember?"
"Unfortunately, no. I remember a lot of laughing in the hot tub and then sleeping." You squint your eyes a little, flashes of the night coming back. "Was there dancing?"
Solo snorts as he prepares a pot of coffee. "Do not check your Instagram."
"Aww, man. Who gave me the hard stuff to drink?"
"Your cousin."
"Dominik said you're very family orientated and that you needed last night," Roman says. "Rhea kept you supplied with margaritas, Jey and Jimmy took over the music and there was a dancing competition, your cousin decided shots was a good idea, then you got affectionate like a cat on Jey's lap-" you wince in embarrassment, "-and once the weepiness set in, Dom cut you off."
"And where is my idiot cousin?"
"Back at the hotel. He didn't drink like everyone else did. Solo, Jimmy, and I were capable of driving, but no one wanted to risk it with Smackdown in a couple of days."
"Jey jumped at the chance to bunk with you and Damian, and then Rhea volunteered as well. Jimmy, Roman, and I drew straws, and the shortest one had to bunk in your bed with everyone."
You giggle. "Poor Jimmy."
Solo grins. "He wasn't too mad about it though. He got to slip between you and Rhea."
"But Jey was quick to drag you all the way to the wall to keep Jimmy away from you," Roman muses.
You chuckle, reaching up to rub at your temple as you close your eyes. "Shit, guys. I just met you last night and already I made a terrible first impression."
"Nah, you're good," Roman assures you. "You don't know how bad we needed last night. It's been a while since we were able to unwind and last night was-"
"Exactly what we needed," Solo finishes.
"And besides, it's not everyday we meet a fan that's able to still be normal around us."
You freeze. "Why do you say I'm a fan?"
Roman slowly grins. "Well besides the fact that you have family in the biz, you also spent some time last night doing Ripley's entrance alongside her."
"Oh my god."
"Instagram," Solo says. "Don't check it."
"I hate you guys."
The two men chuckle and your stomach grumbling puts you in motion to make something to eat. Roman helps, pulling out some frozen hash that's in the freezer. He gets that going just as you throw some sausage links into another pan, and then Solo takes over making a huge pan of eggs.
Just as you're setting a plate of toast onto the table, Jimmy comes down. He doesn't say anything, but does grab himself a plate and load it up.
The four of you are quiet as you eat, exhaustion still lingering in everyone.
It isn't until Solo takes it upon himself to clear the table do you realize Jimmy and Roman are staring at you. You squint your eyes at them, then at Solo when he reclaims his seat. "What-"
"What are your intentions with Jey?" Jimmy asks.
You snort, grinning. "What?" Roman chuckles and you glance between the three Samoans. "Is this- is this a shovel talk?"
Jimmy shrugs. "It's not every day that Jey shows genuine interest in someone. We just wanna know where you stand."
Upon realizing just how serious these three are, your smile slowly fades. "I like him. I do," you admit. "It's very rare I connect with someone like I did with Jey…" You trail off.
"But-" Jimmy urges.
"But I literally met him like a day and a half ago! And besides, Jey's life is on the road," you tell them. "Being flirty and affectionate is all that I'm able to give him because if I give more…" You sigh sadly. "If I give more, it's inevitable that feelings will develop on my end, and I won't do that to myself." You pause, letting your words sink in. Your gaze falls to the table and your voice lowers. "As cheesy as it sounds, Jey is my definition of right guy, wrong time."
An arm is slung around your shoulders and then you're pulled into Jimmy's side. "Look at this way, sis. If your unc gets you in, you'll be traveling on the road with us and you can be disgustingly cute with my brother all you want."
"Shut up." You nudge him with your elbow. "Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to sweat out all this alcohol in my system. I'll be in my baby gym while you do whatever you guys wanna do."
Roman starts to stand. "We need to get to the arena and train. Is it cool if we come back later?"
"That's fine. Like I told everyone else, I'm not working until next week. My house is your house."
"Thank you."
As Roman and Jimmy head off to the bathrooms before leaving, Solo surprises you by lingering behind. You smile at him, letting him say whatever's on his mind.
"For what it's worth, I really hope your uncle's serious about getting you into the business. I think my brother really likes you."
"Aw, Solo," you coo. He shakes his head in amusement as you lean in to hug him. "Outside of the ring, you're a good guy. But inside the ring, I'm sad to say that Roman is still my Tribal Chief."
Solo barks out a laugh. As he pulls out of the hug, he asks, "What are you doing Friday night?"
"Nothing. Why?"
"Roman and I are gonna have a face to face in the ring. You think you can crack his facade if I get you ringside?"
"Solo," you slowly smirk, "it'll be my genuine pleasure."
End Note: Alright, this was bad. I admit that. But I'm slightly obsessed with these characters. Why are they so handsome?
Spanish translations:
Prima/Primo - Cousin.
Mi amor - My love.
Pendenja - Stupid girl.
Estúpida - feminine version for stupid.
Hermosa - Beautiful.
When babysitting your neighbor's kid, trouble seems to find you.
Author's Note: SOA AU - No Tara, Clay, or Gemma. Trigger warning for violence! This was supposed to be up for Valentine's Day, but as you can see... that wasn't the case lmao.
Charming, California is one of those picture perfect little towns where everyone tries to be prim and proper, and act like their shit doesn't stink. And in the short time that you've lived here, you quickly realized that the law-abiding citizens hated the fact that Charming was home to a MC, the Sons of Anarchy.
It doesn't bother you to see them riding down the streets as you're out and about, but you do find it hilarious that a majority of the locals either gasp in outrage upon seeing the bikers or avoid them at all costs. You find the bikers very easy-going, but then again the club president is your neighbor.
Jax Teller had taken it upon himself to introduce himself when you were moving in, carrying boxes for you and flashing a rather charming smile as he pumped you for information about yourself. You knew what he was doing, and it was rather laughable, but you had nothing to hide and were a rather boring person, so you gave the information freely. Between the two of you, he was more interesting as a MC president whereas you stayed home and lived off the money your brothers made. Jax seemed interested in what your brothers did for a living that they were able to provide you with the life you have, but you explained they made their money because of the family business that provided private security for celebrities and individuals with a high profile. You helped them with scheduling, but they still did a majority of the work.
Finding out Jax has a son (Abel) makes your heart warm towards the biker, and then warm up to the club when his brothers visit every now and then. Juice was really just a goofball when he wasn't doing business for the club, Chibs was a secret sweetheart, Tig was a little crazy, Happy was hard to read, but it was Opie who was the most normal of the bunch.
You settle into your home quite nicely, working from your little office when your brothers need help to prevent any scheduling conflicts. Then in your downtime, you either have a book in hand or waste time on your gaming system. Jax and his brothers have been over a couple of times, drinking a beer to wind down or eating whatever leftovers you happen to have after you've already eaten.
This morning, however, you've just finished making breakfast when there's a knock at your front door. With a strip of bacon in hand, you answer the door and are surprised to see Jax and his son Abel standing there.
"What's up, Teller?"
He immediately smiles and your eyes narrow. "I hate to do this on such short notice, but my nanny canceled. Do you think you could watch Abel for the day?"
You glance down at the blonde boy, shrugging. "Is he cool staying with me?"
Jax glances down and nudges his son, but Abel merely asks, "Do you have more bacon?"
You open the door wider as you chuckle. "Sure, kid. You want some eggs and hashbrowns too?"
"Yum."
Abel walks into your house without a care in the world and you meet Jax's amused gaze. "So are there any rules I should abide by? Are you one of those dad's that limits screen time or bans sugar?"
"Nope and nope. No allergies either."
"Cool."
"Thank you. I owe you."
As Jax starts to walk down your porch steps, you say, "I'm a slut for food, Teller. Bribe me with food and I'll say yes to anything."
"Anything?" He peers over his shoulder and arches an eyebrow. You scowl at him.
"Almost anything."
Jax laughs. "Don't cook tonight then. I'll bring some cheeseburgers and fries from this diner that makes pretty good food."
"Alright."
. .
. .
When Jax returns later that night, Chibs and Happy follow after learning he was picking up food from the diner. What surprised them, however, was that while Jax parked in his driveway, he started taking the food to his neighbors house. But Chibs, nor Happy, said a word and followed their president with their own food when he didn't protest.
Jax is poised to knock on the door when he hears, "Don't you- don't you dare do it, kid. If you do it, I will personally wait until you turn seventeen to kick your little ass." The words give Jax pause because what the actual fuck! But then Abel's giggling makes him grin.
"Did she just threaten to kick Abel's ass, Jackie?" Chibs wonders, smirking.
"I think so."
"No, no, no! You blue-shelled me?! You're like two. How do you even know how to play this?!" Jax snorts and finally knocks. The trash talking suddenly ceases before… "It's open! If you're friendly, welcome! If not, I got a little ankle biter in here and I'm not afraid to sic him on you!"
Jax laughs some more and enters the house, walking to where he hears all the commotion. Walking into the living room, he can't help but smile at the sight of YN and Abel sitting side by side on the couch, attention focused on the TV where they're apparently playing Mario Kart.
"You bring the goods, Teller?"
"Burgers and fries as promised."
"You are currently my favorite Teller." Still your attention is on the TV, your trash talking his kid being kept very polite all of a sudden. Jax, Chibs, and Happy have no idea what's going on, but suddenly one of the characters is spinning out because of a banana peel and then Abel's giving a long, suffering sigh as the other character passes the finish line. "Yes!" You jump up, pointing down at Abel. "Sucks to suck, kid. Now come on. Your pop's got the goods."
When you finally look up at Jax, you momentarily freeze when you see Chibs and Happy there as well. "Oh. Hey, guys. Kitchen's this way."
Everyone follows you into the kitchen and you immediately grab drinks from the fridge. When you turn around, Jax is divvying up some food for himself, Abel, and you. You pass out the beers to the men and you have cans of Sprite for yourself and Abel. Then as you take the last remaining available seat since Jax kept Abel on his lap, you thank Jax for the food before digging in.
"So did you have fun today?" Jax asks his son.
"Yeah. I got to color and watch TV and play games."
Jax glances at you and you shrug. "I made do. I would have gone to the store to pick up some stuff for him, but I didn't know if you'd feel comfortable with me taking him anywhere."
"I appreciate that."
"So what about you? Is your nanny good or will you need another favor?"
"Uh, she actually might be out for a few more days."
You nod. "I can do it. Is it cool if I take him to the store with me tomorrow morning? I forgot how much little kids snack throughout the day."
"Yeah. I have an extra car seat you can use and I'll leave you some cash."
"Nah. Don't even worry about it. I'll be snacking with him, so I can front the bill."
But still, cash ends up thrown onto the table from both Chibs and Jax. You have a feeling it'd be useless to argue, so you say nothing.
After dinner, Jax helps you clean up before they all take their leave. He tells Abel to tell you goodbye and your heart absolutely melts when you crouch down, and Abel hugs you.
You visibly melt as you hug the little boy back and then pull back to tweak his nose. "Okay, you're officially my favorite Teller again."
Abel smiles at you as Jax laughs and then you bid everyone goodbye at the door.
Abel ends up preferring your company to that of his nanny, so Jax ends up splitting his son's time between the nanny at his house and you at your own house when you have nothing going on.
On this particular day, after a lunch of sandwich and chips, you and Abel are lounging in a kiddie pool right in the middle of your front yard. You even went as far to put up a canopy to have the pool half in the shade and half in the sun, and are soaking in a sports bra and a pair of black tights that look like shorts.
You're sitting in the shade, sipping on a juice box as Abel stands on the other side playing with water blasters. You hear the rumble of a motorcycle, unsurprised to have Jax checking in.
As the blonde walks up, you smile innocently as he laughs. "Where did the pool come from?"
"The store." You shrug. Abel takes the moment to load up his blaster with lukewarm water and shoots his dad with it. Jax doesn't bother dodging the stream. "We saw a commercial for the waterpark and since we can't go there, I brought the water to us."
Wiping water from his face and using it to slick his hair back, Jax crouches next to the pool and asks, "How much do I owe you?"
"Not a cent, Teller." You sip on your juice, grinning. "I haven't been in one of these since I was a kid. This is for me as much as it's for Abel. He just gave me the excuse of getting one and chilling in it without looking like an idiot."
"Well I don't know about that…"
He trails off and you gasp in mock outrage. As he laughs, you say, "You're lucky I respect the kutte and the fact that you have a phone in your pocket somewhere. If I didn't, I'd drag your butt in here with us."
"Next time." Jax splashes his son and then stands before Abel can shoot him point blank with water. "Am I grabbing dinner tonight?"
"Nah. Abel already made a request. He wants chicken tenders and fries."
"And what the little man wants, he gets?"
"Obviously." You roll your eyes playfully. "Plus, it's an easy meal and I enjoy it too."
"Alright." He chuckles as he starts making his way back towards his motorcycle. "Don't stay in the pool too long."
"Yes, sir." You mockingly salute him, lips twitching when you see him momentarily tense before relaxing once more. "See you later."
. .
. .
It's past Abel's bedtime by the time Jax makes it home, and already he's prepared for his kid to either be bouncing off the walls or very cranky. But as he nears YN's house, he notices that it's mostly dark. All the lights are off with the exception of the porch light and a couple of lamps he can see through the windows that peer into the living room. And the TV, of course.
Instead of knocking, he lets himself right in. It's almost too quiet, but he can hear the TV playing rather low in the living room. Heading there, he walks up to the sofa and can't help but smile at the sight that greets him. YN is laid out across the sofa with Abel on her chest, his back to her front. Both are knocked out cold.
Without second guessing himself, Jax pulls out his phone and snaps a quick photo. Chuckling to himself, he then walks around the sofa as he pockets his phone and crouches down. "Hey. YN," he gently calls out while shaking her shoulder.
It takes a few shakes before you wake, sleepily humming until Jax's voice coaxes you until you're fully awake. Your arms wrap around Abel on instinct and when you notice Jax's smirking presence, you relax. "What time is it?" You mumble.
"A little after ten."
"Really? Fuck. I guess the sun really did kick my ass if I'm this sleepy."
"Yeah." Jax chuckles and then carefully starts to gather Abel in his arms. "Sorry about showing up so late."
"Don't even worry about it." You sit up, rubbing your eyes and yawning. "You know I adore your kid." As you follow Jax to the door, you remind him about going away for a week and not being able to watch Abel, but that you'll have your phone on if Abel wants to talk.
Jax laughs. "I swear, my kid loves you more than me sometimes."
"It's only because I'm a better cook," you muse.
Jax opens his mouth to argue, but ends up shutting it and shrugging. "You're not wrong there."
As Jax then exits your home, you bid him goodnight and watch until he disappears into his home.
When you explained to Jax that your brothers made their money because of the family business that provided private security for celebrities and individuals with a high profile, you weren't lying. Nor did you lie when you also explained you helped them with scheduling for said high profile individuals.
What you chose to leave out, however, was that your family had such a great record with security because no one wanted to fuck with a family who had connections to two different cartels through your dearly departed parents.
However, before you settled into the calm life of personal security, your brothers made a name for yourselves as ruthless hitmen amongst the cartels and you… you were a little unhinged when you were caught up in the moment as one of their torturers. You worked for the cartels when they needed you to, but when you and your brothers wanted to distance yourselves, it was the cartels who helped set up your security business.
The week spent with your brothers is just to visit and catch up with those who all three of you came to see as uncles. It was most definitely not supposed to end up with you being caught off guard by a fist to the face. Someone who didn't know all what you were capable of took advantage of the fact that you were a woman who was close to big names within the cartels. They thought you to be easily taken down and used as leverage, but what they didn't count on was you hiding daggers on your persons. The fight was dirty and bloody, and by the end of it you were spitting mad.
You have the urge to carve into someone that your brothers are trying to quell for once when your phone rings. You pull out your phone mid-pacing, and then freeze upon seeing Jax's name on the screen. But it's not a normal call- it's a video call.
"Fuck."
"What?" Your elder brother asks. "Who is it?"
"It's my neighbor. Most likely his kid Abel since I babysit him most of the time." Your brothers glance at each other and you roll your eyes. "I've told you about them. Now toss me my hoodie. I can't let them see my face like this."
Before the call ends, you answer it but make sure to angle the camera away from the bruised side of your face. "Hey, Jax, give me one sec," you say. Your brother tosses you a hoodie and you quickly pull it on after setting your phone down. Then you take a seat at the kitchen table, turning off a few lights so it's a little darker and you can hide within your hood. Picking up your phone and keeping only half your face on camera, you smile. "Hey, guys, miss me?"
Jax's smile falters, but Abel immediately starts talking, telling you all about his day with his dad. He tells you he misses your food and play time, and you assure him you'll be home soon. You tell him about hanging out with your own family and even make your brothers wave at the camera when you switch it on them. Abel's little voice telling them hi makes you smile and then Jax is telling Abel to go watch some TV before bed.
Left alone with Jax on the phone, his smile vanishes. "What happened?"
"What do you mean?" You refuse to meet either of your brothers' gazes as you can feel them staring at you. "Everything's fine."
"Bullshit." Your brothers snort and you huff. Very reluctantly, you pull your hood down and maneuver the camera so it catches your full face. Jax's expression hardens. "Fuck."
"Don't worry. It looks worse than it is."
"What the fuck happened?"
You shrug and quickly glance at your brothers, but they're back to doing their own thing. "Went out drinking with the family and got caught in a brawl. It's been handled."
"So I don't have to gather the boys and kick some ass?"
His words make you huff a laugh. "Nah. I'm pretty sure I put the guy in a hospital."
"You took down a dude?! Now that's hot. I wish I could have seen that."
Uncaring that they're eavesdropping, your brothers burst out laughing and you sigh. You can't help but smile and you end up rolling your eyes when Jax laughs too. "Whatever. How's Abel really doing? Is he driving his official nanny insane yet?"
"Not really. He's just moping around."
"Aww." You coo. "Well I should be home soon. I'll take him to the park or something."
Jax's teasing smile turns genuine. "You know, I've never told you this, but I appreciate everything you do for Abel. You don't have to do anything, but you still treat him like family."
"What can I say? I like kids." You shrug. "And my idiot brothers will never give me any nieces or nephews."
"Hey!" Both your brothers protest.
You grin at them before looking back at Jax on your phone. "I should get going though. We have a meeting with the uncles here in a bit and I need to get ready."
"Alright. No more fights unless I'm there to avenge you. I can't have my favorite girl looking like she's in an abusive relationship."
Snorting, you say, "No promises. Tell Abel goodnight for me and to come up with a plan for what he wants to do when I get back home."
"Will do. See you soon."
As soon as you hang up, your brothers start making teasing kissing noises. "Oh shut the fuck up."
Valentine's Day has never been a day that you really cared for. Sure it was sweet to see teenagers and kids swap gifts and/or cards, or to buy candy half off, but it didn't bother you to have a significant other on this day. But you do remember how good it felt to get a gift as a kid, so you want to make sure Abel has a good day.
With your time spent with Abel, you've come to know that he loves certain fruits and chocolate. So after heading to the store for a quick shopping trip, you return home with strawberries, bananas, and melting chocolate. Then after cleaning the strawberries and chopping up some bananas, you dip them all in the ooey-gooey chocolate before letting them harden while fixing up a white dessert box with edges that say Happy Valentine's Day.
You've just filled the box with chocolate covered fruit when your phone rings and you can't help but smile at the name. You're no stranger to how handsome Jax is, but you know better than to go there with him.
"Hey, Teller, to what do I owe the pleasure of your hot voice?" You immediately answer.
Jax's laughter meets your ear before, "While it's nice to hear you like my voice, I'm actually calling on behalf of Abel."
"Aw. What does my favorite Teller need?"
"You know I'm your favorite Teller, YN." You hum, not denying his words. "But Abel is requesting your appearance here at the shop because he has a very important question to ask you."
"A very important question?" You muse. "What does Abel have to…" You trail off, the amusement in Jax's voice suddenly making something make sense. "His question doesn't happen to coincide with what today is, does it?"
Jax chuckles. "I am not ruining the surprise."
"I swear to God, Jax, if I end up crying I'm going to kick your ass."
"I look forward to it. Now get pretty and get your ass over here. Do not break my kid's heart."
"Never. And I'm always pretty, Teller."
"...yeah. You are." Your eyes widen at his words, but you don't say anything. Jax then clears his throat. "I'll see you soon."
"Y-Yeah. I'll be there in ten."
You can feel yourself blushing as you hang up, but quickly put it out of your mind as you hurry to your room to get dressed. You pull on a black sundress that's covered in sunflowers, the flowy skirt hitting right above your knees. You step into some black wedge sandals and quickly tie your hair up in a messy ponytail. You apply the basic amount of makeup and spritz some perfume around your body.
Heading downstairs, you throw all your necessities into a purse and then grab Abel's box of chocolate covered fruit before heading out.
The drive to Teller Automotive isn't a very long one, and you're soon parking in the lot. You leave your purse in the car, but you keep your box of fruits in hand. You get several wolf whistles as you cross the parking lot, but you merely laugh off Tig and Chibs' teasing.
Before you can enter the auto garage, Jax walks out, a smirk in place. And then before you can ask him what he's smirking for, your gaze is drawn downward to Abel who walks out behind him… and oh. You fuckin' melt.
Abel's hair is slicked into a faux hawk, a red bow tie is clipped to the very crisp white button shirt that's tucked into a pair of tiny faded jeans. In his hands he's holding a teddy bear that's adorned with a miniature Sons of Anarchy kutte, and a red carnation. The adorableness of it all makes you melt and tear up at how cute he is.
"Oh my goodness. You look so handsome," you tell him.
As you crouch so you're more at his level, you make sure the skirt of your dress still covers everything. Abel blushes as he asks, "Will you be my Valentine?"
"Hell yes I will." Abel smiles as he hands over your gifts, and Jax and the others- who were apparently listening in- whoop in celebration. "And as my Valentine, it's only fair that I give a gift as well. Strawberries and bananas covered in chocolate. Your favorite," you tell him.
Abel is so ecstatic over his gift that he nearly knocks you over as he hugs you. When Chibs ask him what he's got, he's more than happy to run off and show his uncles what you've given him. Jax offers you a hand up and as soon as you're steady on your feet, you notice him looking at you in a certain way.
"What?" You huff a laugh, carefully wiping away your tears that never fully fell.
"You are amazing, you know that?"
"Hardly. Tiny Teller is just adorable as hell." You can feel yourself starting to blush so you glance down at the teddy in your hand. "Where did you find a tiny kutte anyway?"
"It's actually Abel's. The guys had it made for him when he was born and he wanted your teddy to have it."
"I'll take extra care of it then." When you glance back at Jax, you ask, "So does Abel have to stay or can I take my valentine out on a date?" You have no idea what Jax had been thinking, but it's like your words make him snap. From one second to next, he goes from staring at you in awe to gently grasping your face and pulling you into a kiss. You gasp but quickly return the sentiment. And when Jax pulls back, still cupping your face in his hands, you ask, "So me wanting to take your kid out on a date really did it for you, huh?"
Jax barks out a laugh and you smile as he leans in for another quick kiss. "Been wanting to do that for a while actually."
"And you waited until this moment to do it," you muse. "Jokes on you though. You gotta stick around and listen to your boys tease you about this while I take Abel out all on my lonesome." You kiss him for a third time and then step out of his reach to holler, "Little Teller, let's go! It's you and me, buddy. Whatever you wanna do."
As Abel approaches with a lot less fruit, he asks, "Can we eat pizza in the park?"
"We sure can. Now say goodbye to your dad so we can go stuff our faces."
Dating Jax Teller is rather thrilling. You do not care to know what goes on in the club unless it pertains to any woman trying to sleep with him, or when Jax needs someone to vent to. Then, and only then, do you let your opinion be known about what goes on with the MC.
But while you have nothing against the MC, you still prefer to spend a majority of your time with Abel. Sure you'll show up to some parties so all the other women know Jax is off limits, but you're content to do activities with little Teller wherever he wants to be for the day.
You thought it was cute Jax tried to shield you from the violence the club was capable of, but never pressed him for information when you noticed he looked stressed about something. This time, however, you wish you had pressed him for information when he asked you to stay in with Abel.
It's nighttime, and you and Abel are relaxing in front of your TV as you watch some new Pixar film about dragons and their riders. The two of you are dozing off when your front door is kicked in, which then makes you jump into action. But you're not just defending yourself, you have a little boy to think about. So before you can find a proper weapon, you're left standing in front of Abel who is now clinging to your leg as he whimpers in fear.
"Jax Teller chose a pretty one this time."
"Fuck off."
The men all chuckle in front of you. "Take her."
. .
. .
The Sons of Anarchy roll up to a subdivision that's still in development, cautiously dismounting their motorcycles and arming themselves. A new MC had established themselves in a neighboring town, looking to make a name for themselves, and they thought knocking down the Sons a peg or ten was what they ought to do to establish their foothold in the MC world for good.
The encroaching MC took to ambushing the Sons whenever and wherever, and the people of Charming were starting to become afraid of strolling their pristine streets. Even the Sheriff was looking to the Sons to end the conflict, but they could only do so much. Unfortunately, one of the fights involved a chase on motorcycles as the Sons were making a run, and the son of the enemy President took a bullet to the right side of his chest and fell. His injuries then resulted in a coma which set off to this little meeting.
As they creep through the eerily quiet streets of the deserted subdivision, Opie flanks Jax. "I don't like this, brother. Something feels off."
"I agree," Chibs says. "We should have put the club on lockdown before ridin' out."
Jax sighs. "Too late now."
Juice, Happy, and Tig jog up to homes still under construction, trying the doors or looking for any signs that someone's been there. It isn't until they get to the end of the block that they notice one home has been vandalized and they know that's where they're supposed to go.
Every Son cautiously enters the house, nose wrinkling as the state of the house. But in the middle of the living room, there's an odd clearing around a small round table. And on that table sits a folded notecard.
The Sons seem to freeze, but then Jax is marching towards the note. Snatching it up, the words written make him tense as his world starts to tilt. "Fuck. They're going after Abel."
As the note flutters to the floor, the Sons all race after their President as he flees the house.
The note read, [A son for a son.]
On the way to YN's, Jax instructs half the Sons to break off and check on the club, while also making calls to get everyone on an official lockdown. Jax, Opie, Chibs, and Happy race to his neighbor's house.
When they pull up, a few neighbors are peering out their doors looking a bit distraught. Immediately, they know something terrible has happened, and that feeling is only intensified when they spot the broken down door.
Rushing to park in YN's front yard, guns are pulled from the back waistband of their jeans. Jax takes point as he enters the house and his heart drops to his stomach. The house is an absolute mess, furniture and glass broken.
The TV is still playing some cartoon movie and when he walks further in, he curses at the sight of a body laying in a pool of blood.
Happy peers over his shoulder. "Now we know she can hold her own."
"Find them. Now."
. .
. .
Sitting in the bathtub, Abel clings to you as his face hides against the side of your neck. Your face hurts from the numerous punches you took, your lip is split, your arms have multiple lacerations, and there's blood dripping into your eyes. But your worst wound is definitely the bullet wound to the left of your abdomen, and you're grateful that Abel's weight is putting pressure on the towel you had pressed against the wound.
It's been quiet for what seems like forever, but suddenly you hear movement. Shakily raising the gun you'd taken from one of the intruders, you take aim and dare the next motherfucker who enters to be someone intending harm on you or the boy in your lap.
The door gently swings open, but no one is there. Your arm hurts from holding the gun up and then you see someone try to peer around the door jamb. You can only partially see his face, but the voice- you recognize the voice even if you rarely hear it when you're at the club.
"Baby girl?"
"...Hap?"
The stoic man steps fully in the doorway, putting his gun away as you drop yours in the tub. Abel shifts as he whimpers and you wince. "Jax! Upstairs bathroom!"
Abel realizes his uncle's voice and dad's name, so he moves to turn. Happy is quick to lift him, his eyes widening at the blood soaking his clothes. "S'fine. My blood," you tiredly tell him. "I didn't… I didn't let them touch him."
"You did real good." Happy's assurance makes you smile, but you're just so tired. As your eyes slide shut, you hear, "Hey! Don't do that. Stay awake, YN."
"Tryin'…" Pounding footsteps race up the stairs and it isn't long until Jax, Chibs, and Opie are pushing their way into the bathroom as well. Jax takes Abel right away, eyes scanning the room before they land on you. Happy and Opie move to help you out of the tub, but Chibs is quick to point out your bleeding wound. The last words you say are, "Call my brothers," before darkness consumes you."
. .
. .
Jax is pacing the hospital waiting room, blood covering his shirt and hands from where he carried Abel. Chibs had taken Abel back to the club to clean him up and fill in the others about what was going on, but now he's back and filling in the Sheriff about what they had walked in on at YN's house. Thankfully Jax and YN's neighbors liked them, and were honest about hearing gunshots before the Sons had frantically rolled up.
Opie and Happy are the only two sitting patiently, but their attention is drawn to a large group of men entering the room. Two men in particular glance around before making a beeline for Jax, but the others hang back by the door. It's evident these men mean business as they stand guard, their suits standing out among the scrubs, kuttes, and regular clothing of the others sitting in the waiting room.
When Jax notices the newcomers, his shoulders sag at the sight of YN's brothers. But his interest is piqued with the suited thugs behind the brothers, tattoos visible along their hands and neck.
The brothers quickly introduce themselves as Noah and Theo, both of their expressions grim.
"What happened?" Noah asks. He's the elder of the two, his muscled torso covered in a button down with their sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
"They were after my kid," Jax immediately tells them, voice low. "She took a bullet for him and she's in surgery right now."
Both brothers' jaws clench.
"Do you know who they are?" Theo asks, tapping away on his phone.
"Yeah. It's another MC. They attacked us on a run and the son of the President took a fall off his bike. He's in a coma, so the President went after my kid in return."
"And your kid was in the care of our sister," Noah realizes.
"Yes."
Noah sighs, running a hand down his face. Then after a few more taps and texts, Theo grins. "Found them."
Jax frowns. "Found who?"
"The people responsible for putting our sister in the hospital."
Jax then tenses. "This is club business, man. We'll handle it."
Both Noah and Theo tense, but end up chuckling. Jax's jaw clenches, but he keeps his anger in check.
Noah says, "If you think it'll remain club business when YN wakes up, then that means my sister hasn't confessed the family secret."
Jax freezes. "What secret?"
"We had to get our start somewhere when our parents died," Theo tells him. "And it just so happened that each of our parents came from very powerful, very wealthy families. We worked our way to the top of the food chain and became rather notorious until we wanted out and settled into the business we currently have."
Noah starts to smirk. "Your club business just became cartel business, my friend. And our uncles are livid that their little girl was attacked."
Jax glances at his boys, but says nothing.
"We'll find them and keep them occupied," Theo says. "When YN is released, she'll be out for blood."
"And she'll get it," Noah muses. "After all, she is quite the little torturer."
When you wake up, you're unsurprised to find Jax by your bedside. You are surprised, however, to learn that he knows about your past thanks to your brothers promising bloodshed. You groan, but then remember Abel. And after assurances that Abel is fine, you relax.
You're anxious to know where you stand with Jax as he explains why you ended up in the hospital. He feels guilty for not telling you what was really going on or putting you on lockdown, along with the club, but you don't blame him for what happened. Dating the President of an MC, you were bound to be pulled into the violence sooner or later, and with your past you knew you could handle it.
When he runs out of steam, it's your turn to start apologizing for not telling him about your life with the cartels. You make sure he knows that you would have never endangered Abel, and if your past had come calling, you would have made sure that they were protected at all costs. Jax assures you he's not mad, but he did wish you would have told him given you knew about the roles some of his brothers played in the club.
But what's done is done, and Jax is more interested in what you plan on doing since your brothers have gone quiet after calling him to inform him that they've got a majority of the MC tucked away in a building that no one can hear the impending mayhem.
"They broke into my home and put a bullet in me just to get to Abel and send a message to you," you say, expression turning thunderous. "The one who shot me doesn't get to walk away. Hell, the ones who fuckin' raised a gun in Abel's direction are lucky that they'll be limping away after I'm done."
"Limping away?"
You slowly smirk at him, lowering your voice. "I'm not gonna draw out my punishment, but my brothers and my uncles' men sure as shit ain't gonna sit back. They're gonna make sure they get the message that they fucked with the wrong people."
Jax huffs a laugh and then ends up staying for as long as the nurses would let him, only leaving when YN's brothers came or he had to go pick up Abel so he'd see that YN was fine for himself.
Then after two and a half days, you're released.
You're still sore, but you've got nothing but vengeance on your mind. When your brothers send you the address of where they're holding several individuals for you to interrogate, you get dressed and head for Teller Automotive.
Some of the guys are surprised to see you up and about, but you wave off their concern as you continue towards the club portion of the shop.
The usual sweetbutts are milling about, cleaning up and most likely getting ready for a party since it is a Friday. You spot Jax and Juice at the bar as Juice taps away on a laptop.
"Boys," you greet as you walk up behind them. "Whatcha workin' on?"
Jax turns in his seat, eyes subtly widening as he stands. "You're out! Why didn't you call me?" He's quick to carefully take you in his arms, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips.
"Because if I'd have called you, you'd have taken me home and coddled me."
"Well yeah. You were shot."
"I got shit to take care of, Teller, and I'm not wasting another day."
"Then what are you doing here?"
You shrug. "I just thought that you'd want to see the MC face their consequences."
"Now? You're going to do that now?" He asks, his gaze darting down to your covered abdomen.
"Yep. "My brothers procured a place just on the outskirts of Charming where we won't be interrupted. You in?"
"Well, yeah. Obviously."
"Good. Then gather whoever's in and follow me."
As you sit in your car, you watch Jax as speaks with several of brothers to see who he's going to leave in charge. And after everything is settled, only five follow Jax to their motorcycles- Opie, Happy, Juice, Tig, and Chibs.
You start your car and start to drive, pausing by the gate until Jax and the others start to roll out. You take off, keeping your speed down as you drive through the town. But the moment you get to the road leading out of Charming, you step on the gas and race towards the location your brothers sent to you.
You drive along an empty stretch of road until you turn down a dirt road which is surrounded by empty crop fields that have seen better days. The road leads up to a dilapidated farmhouse, a very rusted horse corral, and behind all that is a barn where several vehicles have parked.
You park and get out, waiting for Jax to find the perfect spot to park their motorcycles. Once they do, you wait until they gather around.
"I know this started off as club business, but now it's cartel business. I can't have you questioning me in there."
"This is your playground," Jax says. "We're just here for a show."
You nod and then turn towards the barn doors, pushing them open with the help of Chibs and Tig when they get stuck. Inside, several men are hanging about on turned over crates or bales of hay, some even sitting at a small wooden table playing cards. Music plays softly in the background, but it's cut off the moment your presence is noticed.
Immediately, every man and woman scramble to their feet as you approach.
In the middle of the barn, there's a line of eight men with burlap sacks over their heads sitting in chairs with their wrists tied down to the armrests and ankles tied to the legs. Walking down the line of men, you snatch the sacks from their heads.
"Wakey, wakey, motherfuckers." Each man is clearly exhausted, agitated, and pissed off.
You save the MC President for last, smirking as he sneers at you. "Stupid bitch." He seethes. "Let us go. Right now."
"Bitch," you muse. "If you're going to insult me, at least call me a cunt. Or whore. Those words have much more of an impact."
"Cunt."
Your fist whips out, striking him across the face so hard that his head jerks to the side. He turns to glare back up at you, spitting blood that lands on your pant leg. "Now, now. If you're going to insult me again, at least be creative about it. Your lack of creativity is sorely disappointing." He roars at you, trying to free his wrists and feet, but you merely laugh and continue to pace in front of his men. "Now I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here and it's quite simple, really." You stop pacing, expression hardening. "You fucked with the wrong woman."
Then like a switch has been flipped, you go back to smiling and pacing, gesturing wildly as you talk. "Normally I wouldn't touch MC business with a ten foot pole, but you fuckers messed up. You broke into my home and went after a child under my care- a child that I hold very near and dear to my heart. So, now your piss poor attempt at taking over territory that doesn't belong to you has now come under cartel jurisdiction, and I will make sure that any stupid motherfuckers who dares to come after the Sons of Anarchy will pay a price."
"Fuck that. We didn't cross any cartel!"
"Oh honey," you mockingly coo as you come to a stop in front of the one who spoke. "I am part of the cartel." Turning around, you walk towards a long table and lift the cloth laying atop of it. Beneath the cloth, there's a variety of weapons. You tuck a glock into the back waistband of your jeans and then grasp a dagger in your dominant hand. Then turning to walk back towards the bound men, you smirk. "Now what I want are the assholes who attacked me and dared to point a gun at a child. You give me those men and the rest of you can walk out of here."
Silence.
Dead fuckin' silence.
"Nothing?" You chuckle. "Come on, guys. Give 'em up. I swear it's not worth protecting them. I mean, I can probably figure it out. Eyes are windows to the soul and all that rot. You might have been wearing masks, but I still remember those cowardly glints very well."
"Fuck you! I ain't no coward."
"Bingo!" You shout, pointing the tip of your blade at the culprit. Walking up to the guy, you can't help but laugh as he realizes his mistake and clamps his mouth shut. "One down, one more to go."
"I ain't telling you shit."
"No?" Switching the dagger to your other hand, you pull the glock free from behind your back. You step close to the man, taking aim at his crotch. "Are you sure about that?"
He cruelly smirks. "You're all talk and no-"
BANG!
The guy immediately starts screaming, his buddies struggling in their chairs, and you laugh. When you glance around the room, you see those you consider family chuckling and the Sons cringing in sympathy as they cover their crotches. You walk around so you're standing behind the screaming fool, swapping the dagger and gun in your hands so the dagger is back in your dominant hand. "Going once… going twice…" He continues to scream, and you sigh when no one else speaks up.
And then before anyone can comprehend what you've done, you've dragged the blade across the guy's neck.
As he gurgles on his blood and his friends shout obscenities at you, you walk around so you're standing before them once again.
"That's three of my men you've killed already," the President says. "I think fair's fair."
"I want the last one," you say. "One last guy and you're good to go."
No one says anything, but the President's expression hardens. There's a cold glint in his eye that you're very familiar with, and you know that should he walk out of these barn doors, he'll do anything and everything for revenge. "Samuel. I sent Samuel."
The Samuel in question squawks and you smile beautifully at him over the shoulder before staring at the President once more. "Harsh. Selling out your own guy like that." You saunter up to him, sighing. "But he's the thing; I hate snitches."
Then before the President can blink, you take aim and pull the trigger. The bullet hits him right between the eyebrows.
The struggling, bound men all seem to cease movement and you turn towards them. "Now that that's out of the way…" You walk back towards Samuel, scoffing at his whimpering. "You might get to live today, Sammy, but not without something to remember why messing with the Sons a big no-no."
"And w-what's that?"
You slowly smile. "Open your fist, Samuel. Lay your hand flat against the armrest."
His eyes widen as he whimpers, but he hesitantly does as you've said. Then when his hand is nice and flat, you drive your blade through the back of his hand, pinning it to the arm rest.
As he screams, you sneer at him and then start to make your way towards the Sons. On your way, you hand off your gun before coming to a stop in front of Jax and pasting on a smile as you glance at each Sons. "Who's hungry?"
"Marry me," Happy grumbles.
You laugh at him, winking, and then glance back at Jax. "You're a little psycho," he says.
"Only when the occasion calls for it. But seriously, can we go get food?"
Jax laughs as he sidles up to your side, sliding an arm along the back of your shoulders. "Do burgers sound good?"
"Burgers sound marvelous. I also want a vanilla milkshake."
"Good. We'll go grab some and surprise Abel. He's been itching to go to your house again."
"Ugh. Your kid is so adorable. But maybe let me settle in before you grab him. My abdomen is on fire and if we tell him I'm sick, maybe he won't be so hyperactive."
"Let me see."
Begrudgingly, you lift the hem of your shirt and glance down. Sure enough, you've bled through your bandages. "New plan; No Abel."
"What? But-"
"Nope." Jax squeezes you to his side as you sigh. "You're gonna go home, Chibs will follow to patch you up, and I'll go pick up some food. Abel can go one more day without seeing you."
"Boo."
The Sons chuckle.
"What about us?" Juice asks, gesturing between himself, Tig, and Happy.
"I don't care, Juice. Do whatever you want."
As they head towards their motorcycles, Jax walks you to your car.
"So, are you really okay with this?" You ask. "Okay with me and all that I'm capable of?"
"Yeah." Jax nods. "More than okay, actually. It's good to know that should shit find its way to your doorstep again, you'll handle it."
"Damn right I will." You swing around so you're standing in front of Jax, arms wrapping around his waist as his go around your shoulders. "I will protect Abel with my life again and again. Never doubt that."
"Just Abel?" His eyebrow arches.
"You're a close second," you muse. Leaning up on the tips of your toes, you peck his lips. "Now seriously. Food, Teller. I need food."
"Yeah, yeah." He kisses you again. "Go home and get settled. I'll be there soon."
To the Sons of Anarchy, you're just Happy's neighbor that doesn't care for drama or the fact that they wear kuttes. But in actuality, you've dealt and probably have done far worse, and it isn't until you're kidnapped that they find out your secret.
Author's Note: Long time no see, huh? Does this mean I'm back? Hell no. This has been sitting in my drafts since mid-2023 and thought it was time to go out.
For never having seen more than a few episodes, I love these SOA boys. I'm not super familiar with the lingo or clubhouse etiquette, so this is gonna take place away from that particular setting. Trigger warning for graphic violence and attempted sexual assault (it doesn't get far). Reader is gonna be a little… off the rails. Blame all the dark romance I've been reading lmao.
Before moving into your new home, you knew it was going to be a fixer upper. Fortunately for you, you loved working with your hands, and after having been banished to Charming in hopes of calming your inner demons, you were going to have a lot of time to do just that. But the joke was on your family because there was no calming your demons. People just needed to learn to not piss you the fuck off.
When you get to the house, however, you see that a majority of the work has already been done for you. The only thing left for you to do is paint the walls, rearrange furniture, and unbox your belongings. The electricity and water are already turned on, and wifi has been installed with your password on a sticky note.
The master bedroom is huge and you love it, but you don't have nearly enough belongings to fill it. Your queen-sized bed looks tiny and you immediately want something bigger. So heading back outside to your vehicle, you grab your bag that has your laptop inside and head back in. Setting up at your kitchen island, you search for a place that will deliver any type of food and beverage. You find a pizzeria just on the outskirts of town that will deliver to Charming, so you place a quick order. It's a forty minute wait period, so to pass the time you start looking up bedroom ideas.
You run across a California king bed, but none really catch your eye. What does catch your eye, however, are the DIY beds that touch from one side of the wall to the other. You take your laptop back to your bedroom so see if it's do-able, and come to the conclusion that it is. You'll have to add some floating shelves since you won't be able to have bedside tables, but that's perfectly fine with you. You then take the time to get down the measurements of your room because you still have to situate your dresser and mount your TV to the wall, and you need to make sure everything will fit.
Eventually your food gets there and, sitting at the kitchen island, you dig in. You slowly eat and drink your fill, and then place any leftovers in the already cool refrigerator.
Needing some bathroom necessities and sheets for your current bed, you unload your vehicle. You place each box in their respective rooms, but leave them mostly boxed up. And not wanting to get any TV's mounted or bed fully put together since you still have to paint the walls, you remain on your laptop to pass the time and send messages to your family to let them know you're okay.
It takes you a couple of weeks to build your bed frame, get in your special ordered mattress, and paint the walls to your liking. You do most of your building in the driveway, so you've become accustomed to the people living on your street, waving at them as they pass or call out a greeting. But there's one individual everyone seems to steer clear of or avoid eye contact with, and that's your next door neighbor who rides a motorcycle and proudly wears a Sons of Anarchy kutte.
You had first seen the intimidating, bald man when he showed up a couple days after you moved in. You'd looked up when you heard the rumblings of engines and watched two motorcycles pull into the driveway next door. You paused hammering for a moment, nodded at the two men who took a moment to stare back, and then went back to work.
Over the next few days, men came and went from next door. And each time, they were intrigued watching you work. But eventually your bed frame was finished and you had to situate it in your bedroom. Maneuvering the mattress was no easy feat, but you were not about to ask for help, and it didn't take you long to finally finish furnishing your home to your liking.
As busy as you've been, you haven't really had the time to eat a home cooked meal. So after everything, you took a trip to the grocery store and bought hundreds of dollars of food and drink to stock your kitchen with.
The air is finally cool and crisp, so all the windows to your home are wide open. You'd been feeling a little restless, so you opted to cook a meal that would keep you busy. Enchiladas, rice, and beans is one of your favorite meals, so after making sure you have everything, you put a pot of beans to cook. They have to cook for a few hours, so while that's going on you get online to check in with your family.
When the beans are done, you get started on browning hamburger meat. Setting a majority of the meat aside, you use only a bit for the enchilada sauce. You pour in water, flour, spices, and some canned chili until it's to your liking, and then heat up some corn tortillas before you start rolling the enchiladas. After they're in a pan that holds far too many for only you, you pour the enchilada sauce on top before shredding some cheese atop of it. Once that's in the oven, you get started on a pan of rice.
It's when the rice is boiling that your doorbell rings. A little tired and more than a little hungry, you grab up your beer after turning off the rice, and take a swig of it on your way to the door. Since the door is wide open, you can easily see who's standing just on the other side of the screen door. It's one of the Sons, one of the only two with brown skin that you've seen so far. But this isn't the intimidating bald one, this is the one with a shaved mohawk down the center of his head and a killer smile.
You arch an eyebrow at him as he tucks his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and you take another swig of beer as you lean against the door jamb. "Yes?"
The corner of his eyes crinkle as his smile widens. "Hi. Uh, me and my boys are chilling next door and we couldn't help but smell whatever it is you're eating. You mind sharing the name of the place where you picked up your food from so we can go get some too? Smells really good."
Your lips twitch. "Who said I picked anything up?"
"You cooking?" His eyes widen. "Bullshit."
You huff a laugh and nod. "YN."
"Juice."
"Mhmm." You push the door open just enough so you can lean out and peer next door, catching sight of two men sitting sideways on the seats of their bike. "Just you three?"
"Yeah."
You hum again and then back into your home as the screen door shuts quietly. "I've been watching you guys come and go, nodding cordially when our gazes clash," you say. "If you're willing to leave your shoes by the front door, you're more than welcome to pull up a seat at the table."
"Forreal?"
"Sure." You shrug. "I never learned how to cook for one, so I might have made an entire tray of enchiladas that will most likely go to waste if someone else doesn't eat them."
"Oh hell yeah." Juice turns, cupping his hands around his mouth as he says, "Yo! Free meal! Get over here!"
You watch as one man eagerly gets off his bike, whooping in delight of free food. The other, the one you believe actually lives next door, casually gets up at a leisurely pace. You push open the screen door as they're stomping up your porch steps, and Juice introduces you to Tig and Happy. You do your best not to smile because Happy does not look quite so happy, but he grunts a greeting when you tell them your name.
As Juice steps into your home, he's quick to kick off his shoes and tell his boys to do the same. They do and then you lead the way to the kitchen, pointing at your table. "Siéntate."
"Ohhh. A Spanish lady," Tig muses as Juice translates for him to sit down as you instructed. When you glance at him, his wild-crazed gaze makes you snort. "I like 'em a little spicy."
"And I like 'em less talkative." Happy and Juice both snort, and Tig beams at your sassy retort. "Beer or soda?"
Tig and Happy take beers, and Juice takes a soda. You serve them each their own plate of three enchiladas, a scoop of rice, and a scoop of beans. You serve yourself last with a glass of water, and finally take a seat to dig into all your hard work.
"Goddamn," Tig grumbles after his first bite of everything. "This is some Mexican restaurant level shit here."
You grin as you eat at your own pace, feeling content at watching three grown men finding your cooking delicious.
"So what's your story?" Juice asks. "In all the times I've come around, it's just you here."
"That's because it is just me here."
"Why Charming?"
You take a moment to swallow your food, washing it all down with a sip of water as you lean back in your chair. Then glancing between each man and the patches on their kuttes, you ask, "Do you want the real story or the story I'm feeding anyone who asks in polite small talk when they see a new face in the store?"
All three men slow their eating, their gazes sliding up to you in surprise.
"What's the story you tellin' the locals?" Tig asks.
Placing a hand over your heart and changing your voice so you sound like a southern belle, you say, "Just that I just left a very nasty relationship and my family thought I deserved a fresh start away from the man who dared lift a fist in my direction."
Tig snorts. "And the real story?"
You chuckle as your voice goes back to normal. "My family thought I needed to calm my inner demons, so they banished me to Charming. Joke's on them, I've made peace with my demons. It's not my fault people keep pissing me off."
Tig and Juice laugh as Happy smirks at you.
"What'd you do to earn banishment?" Juice wonders.
You shrug. "I wasn't joking about the nasty relationship. I just leave out the small detail that once I was out of the hospital, I went crawling back to my dickhead of an ex-fiancé and plotted my revenge."
"Crazy and you can cook. Marry me," Tig says.
You shake your head at him, eating a bit more before finishing the story. "I was raised to take no shit from anyone. So after he put me in the hospital, I made him believe all was well. Then one night, when he least suspected it, I slipped him a little something so he was conscious, but paralyzed, and set fire to his house."
The three men freeze, but you continue eating as if it was no big deal.
"Did you- did you kill him?" Juice warily asks.
"Unfortunately, no." You pout and then laugh at their awed expressions. "He had nosy neighbors so they were able to get the firetrucks there as soon as they smelled smoke. But when my family found out, they said I was sloppy, so I got shipped out here."
"Yoo.. what the fuck?" A moment of quiet ensues and then Juice is laughing. "That has to be the craziest shit I've heard in a while."
"I highly doubt that." Your gaze drops to the patch on his kutte. "I'm sure you've heard, seen, or taken part of some pretty crazy shit." When you meet his gaze again, you smirk. "Am I wrong?"
Juice grins and then looks at Happy. "Your neighbor is cool as shit. I'm kind of jealous." The air of amusement lingers as everyone continues to eat. "So what do you do for work?"
"I do some IT stuff for my family." You shrug. "I can work from anywhere, so I guess I'll still be doing that. What about you boys? What do you do other than ride?"
"We work at Teller Automotive," Tig says. "Only car garage in town."
"Really? Do you guys have any openings this week? I need my oil changed."
"Sure. We'll leave a number before we leave."
The rest of dinner is spent with the men telling you what there is to do in Charming and asking how long you plan on staying. You're not really sure, but if you end up liking Charming then you have no issues setting down roots. And then when dinner is done and you've seemed to exhaust all the small talk topics, you plate up the leftovers and send the men on their way.
Over the next couple of weeks, you befriend your neighbor. You take your vehicle into Teller Automotive and Happy takes it upon himself to take care of it for you. Tig and Juice had kept you company, and introduced you to a few of their other brothers when they took interest in their new friend. You were invited to one of their parties and, after some pressuring, you went. Nothing shocked you, not even a few members of the club getting head in plain sight, but Happy apparently shocked everyone else by gluing himself to your side. According to the club President, Happy was normally found in the ring outside or fucking his way through croweaters, but that night he made sure that no one bothered you.
Then more often than not, Happy reaped the benefits of your cooking and appeared for dinner before taking leftovers home for lunch.
In such a short period of time, you grow accustomed to the stern biker's company.
One morning, you're startled awake by the doorbell ringing and a fist pounding on the door. You sit up and scoot out of bed, hurrying towards your front door in a groggy, yet panicked state. But before you pull the door open, you peer out one of the thin windows on one side of your door. It takes a moment for you to realize it's Happy and that the sky behind him is still dark.
Unlocking the door, you pull it open. "What the fuck, Hap? What's going on?"
With a duffel bag hanging off his shoulder, Happy looks you up and down. "You always answer the door like this or am I just special?"
You freeze and then glance down, rolling your eyes when you remember you went to sleep in a gray wife beater, that makes it very obvious you're not wearing a bra, and a pair of hipster underwear. "Neither. You're lucky."
"Sure." You narrow your eyes at him and he smirks. "I forgot the bills were due and everything got shut off. Can I crash here until I get it sorted?"
Without missing a beat, you say, "Yeah," and step back from the door, opening it wider. "Shoes off. You know where the bathroom is and I'm pretty sure you can find the guest bedroom." You yawn and lock the door behind your friend. "What time is it?"
"Little after five."
"Happy," you whine. "S'too fuckin' early. M'going back to bed." As you pad back to your room, you don't hear any footsteps behind you. "Stop staring at my ass!"
"Can't help it. Might start dropping by early now."
"Do it and die, Lowman." Stopping and turning, you point an accusatory finger at him. "Do not come in between me and my bed. I will murder you."
His lips twitch. "Worth it."
. .
. .
It takes less than a week for Happy to get his power and water turned back on, and then he's back at his house. Though there are times when he shows up for dinner, dropping off on your couch when he's too tired to walk back home. Normally you would mind, but Happy knew how to clean up after himself, so you didn't mind that it seemed he was practically half moved in.
One night, you get a call from your brother that they need you to come in and work on cracking the passwords on a few laptops they'd gotten their hands on. You agreed, but first you needed to arrange someone to look after your house.
The next afternoon, you show up to Teller Automotive. You find Happy on a smoke break and ask him for a favor. When you ask him if he can keep an eye on your house for two days, he seems surprised, even more so when you give him a copy of your house key. You tell him he can crash there and eat whatever food you have so long as he doesn't trash the place. He readily agrees.
And when you return two days later, you realize you should have specified that he could crash in the guest bedroom. Finding a nearly naked Happy in your bed isn't half bad, nor is the firmness of his ass when you smack a hand down on it to wake him up.
Immediately he jerks awake, twisting his body as he sits up, and pointing a gun right at your face. You laugh and lick the tip of the barrel while wiggling your eyebrows at him. "Wakey, wakey."
"You're a fuckin' pyscho," he grumbles, lowering his gun.
"Yeah, well duh. You should have had that figured out a long time ago." He rolls his eyes before turning to drop down face first back into your pillow, shoving his gun back under it. You grin. "Was there something wrong with the guest room you've been using?"
"No. I just didn't know how fuckin' massive your bed was. It looked lonely without a body in it."
"Mhmm. I'm sure." He grunts and you chuckle as you crawl out of the bed. "I'm gonna go pick up some breakfast from the diner. Want anything?"
"Anything and everything."
"Gotcha. I'll text you when I'm on my way back."
. .
. .
The dynamic between you and Happy ended up changing after that fateful morning. When he slept over, it was in your bed. You hadn't crossed the line past lingering touches or innuendos, but it was a given that he was the only person allowed in your bed. You didn't care for the croweaters at the parties his club put on every Friday night, but the two of you made a statement when he rolled up one night with you seated behind him.
The Sons nearly gaped as Happy amped up his protectiveness, pulling you between his parted thighs as he took a seat on a stool at the bar. Tig and Juice had walked over, and Happy perched you on his knee as you joked with his brothers. The croweaters didn't bother to hide their glares or sneers, but you merely smirked at their cattiness and took to scratching the back of Happy's head with your nails when you'd draped your arm around his shoulders.
"So, is this a thing?" Jax, the club president, had asked.
You shrugged and grinned. "We're friends."
"Friends don't stake claims."
"We're possessive friends."
Happy had snorted but didn't correct you.
From there on out, it was known that you were Happy's.
The Sons are relaxing at the clubhouse after a long day's work when blacked out Escalades and BMW's pull up. The atmosphere immediately goes from relaxed to tense, and the Sons flank their President when he walks out to the lot to see what the deal is.
Thug after thug exit the vehicles before opening the doors on two Escalades, ushering out four well-dressed men. None of them look like they'd be a person to fuck with, so Jax is extremely curious as to what the fuck is going on.
"Can I help you?" He asks, eyebrow arches as tattooed thugs flank the apparent important men.
"I hope you can." The one in charge reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out a picture. "What do you know about this woman?"
When Jax is shown a picture, he mentally curses. It's Happy's neighbor and a friend to many Sons. He keeps his expression neutral, before shrugging. "Nothing. Should I?"
"She's my baby sister."
"Oh hell…"
"YN never misses check-in and she's missed two," the man explains. "It's come to my attention that she's made some connections to Happy Lowman, Juan Ortiz, and Tig Trager- all Sons of Anarchy. Do you understand why I'm here now?"
"Fuck, man, we didn't know. What can we do?"
"You can start by questioning your men to see if they'd heard from her."
At that, Tig steps forward. "I haven't seen or spoken with YN in a little over a week."
"What about Juan or Happy?"
Jax looks at his gathered men, frowning. "Where are Juice and Happy?" No one says anything, looking as confused as their President when they don't see their familiar faces. Then raising his voice, he asks, "Has anyone heard from Happy or Juice today?" Nothing. No one utters a peep. "What about yesterday?"
"Jax." Opie has his phone to ear, shaking his head. "Both are going to voicemail."
"Shit." Then turning around to face the slowly darkening expressions of YN's apparent brothers, Jax asks, "How can we help?"
. .
. .
When your eyes flutter open, every inch of your body is in pain.
"How the fuck does my hair hurt?" You groan. You try to sit up, but realize you're on your side, on dirt and hay, with your hands tied behind your back. "What the actual fuck?" Clearing your vision, you see that you're not alone. Happy and Juice are with you, but they're in chairs with their hands tied behind their backs and looking a little beat up.
"Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty," Juice tiredly muses.
"What happened?" Maneuvering around some, you manage to sit up.
"Kidnapped," Happy says. "They injected us with some shit, but they gave you too much."
You grimace as you roll your neck. "Dicks." It's dim in the empty barn you're being kept in, but you can see sunlight through the cracks of the walls. There are stalls for animals on either side of you, all empty, and a table filled with various blades and weapons not too far away. Your aching arms are your main priority though, so you move into a crouch and wiggle your tied wrists under your butt. With a grunt, you fall backward and maneuver your hands until they're situated in front of you. "Ah. That's better."
"Get up and grab a blade so we can get the fuck outta here," Happy urges.
You do as you're told, mentally scoffing at the thought that these morons didn't think to bind your ankles. Unfortunately, you're not so lucky as someone had been watching from the shadows. So just as you're reaching for a blade, that someone jumps out at you and roughly pins you against the table.
Bent over with your arms above your head and someone pressed up right against you, you immediately start thrashing and cussing out whoever it is. Happy and Juice shout, and start wriggling in their own seats when a hand then pins you to the table by the back of your neck.
"So close, princesa." A man tuts and you jerk in his hold, but still he persists. Laughter causes you to look up, watching as another two men step out from behind Happy and Juice. "Is that anyway to talk to your host?"
"Fuck. Off."
"Oh, I will." Just then, a hand grips your waist and squeezes, and you freeze. "Just not yet. I have some questions for you."
"Don't you fucking touch her."
When you glance up at Happy, there's a look on his face that you've never seen before. You know what he does for the Sons, but you'd never seen that particular dark look or glint in his eyes, and for a moment it steals your breath away. Then you remember that look isn't meant for you, and you squirm a little as the man behind you laughingly presses his pelvis into your ass. "Or what?"
Juice answers, "Or we'll fucking kill you."
That causes all three men to laugh some more.
"Doubtful. But thanks for the laugh." Then the man behind you focuses on you once again. "Besides, my business isn't with you, but with the princesa de la mafia."
You tense. "I don't know anything."
"Aw. Of course, you don't," the man coos. "I would hope that your brothers are smart enough to never let a woman in on their secrets. But then again, you are the baby sister of one of the most dangerous mafias in the United States. I'm pretty sure you know something that I can use to hurt those brothers of yours."
You manage to angle your head just enough so you can make eye contact with Happy. He meets your stare, and you see it subtly soften, but then he's glaring at the man holding you once more. "I won't sell out my brothers."
"No?" The man releases your neck, only to trail his fingers down from your ribs to hips. "I don't want to mess up such a pretty face, but you do know there are other ways to break you and get you to talk, right?"
And then before you can answer, he's grabbing the back hem of your shirt and ripping it down the middle.
You yelp just as Happy shouts, "You motherfucker!", and squirm to get away. Across from you, Happy and Juice are pummeled a few times until they stop trying to break the chairs they're bound to.
The man rubs a hand up and down your back, fiddling with your bra strap, but never unsnapping it. You feel gross, but it's only when the guy reaches around to fiddle with the button on your jeans does red cloud your vision.
"Hey, Hap?" You manage to meet Happy's livid gaze. "Remember when I spoke about my demons?"
"Yeah."
"They desperately wanna come out to play."
"Shut the fuck up, you whore!" The man slaps you across the back of your head and you grit your teeth, biding your time.
Happy slowly smirks. "Then let them out to play, baby."
The moment the button on your jeans is opened, you scream at a pitch that startles every man in the room. Then pushing up as much as you can, you headbutt the man behind you. As he swears, you reach for the first handle you see and are pleasantly surprised to find a small machete. Then without even thinking, you whirl around and swing the blade, catching your would-be abuser in the neck with the blade.
Blood sprays as you immediately tug the blade free, leaving the man to try and cover his wound as he splutters on his own life force. From the corner of your eye, you see someone running at you, but another swing of the machete finds a home in the second man's face.
As the man falls back with a scream unlike anything you've ever heard, he takes the machete with him. Happy and Juice shout at you, and it's then you remember the third. He's running at you, a small blade in hand, and you reach for the nearest weapon. It's a metal bat and just as you rear back to swing, he swings first. The blade makes contact with your bicep, slicing it open, but you only feel the sting of it after you swing.
The bat clips the man in the jaw, stunning him. As he stumbles back, you advance. He sloppily swipes at you again, but you dodge it. The second hit with the bat hits true, catching him in the temple.
The man falls and you're quick to stand over him, bringing the bat down a third time.
The bat connecting for a fourth time makes Juice cringe, but Happy proudly watches on.
Thwack.
Thwack. A scream.
Crack!
"Shit. I think that was his skull," Juice mutters.
YN screams as she continues to wail on the man with her bat, caving his skull further and further in, to the point there's now a puddle of blood beneath his head and splattering with every pull back.
The barn doors open, and Happy and Juice tense when armed men start to file in, but they exhale with relief when they see Jax, Tig, Chibs, and Opie in the mix. All the unfamiliar men take in the scene with an air of indifference, but it's the expressions of the Sons that almost make Happy laugh out loud. They'd only known YN to laugh, feed them, or threaten the croweaters with violence. None of them, with the exception of himself, Juice, and Tig, knew the violence she was capable of.
"Uh, a little help?" Juice calls out. "My arms are killing me over here."
Tig rushes over, pulling out a blade to cut his brothers free. "What the fuck happened?"
"One of them threatened to rape her and she just lost her shit."
Juice is cut free first, and he immediately stands, rubbing his raw wrists. As Jax checks in with him, Happy is cut free.
"Boss, should we stop this?" Someone asks.
Happy looks over in time to see a guy in a suit grimace when blood is flung onto his pristine boots. "Do you want to get in the middle of that? You know how YN is. Let's just let her run out of steam."
As the guy steps back in line with a nod of agreement, Happy huffs and stands. He stalks over to YN until he's behind her. Then when she raises the bat high above her head, Happy lunges. He manages to grip the bat where it isn't slick and pulls it from YN's grasp.
Still very much livid, especially now that your weapon's been ripped from you, you whirl around to start screaming expletives and pummel whoever it is with your bound fists. Instead, arms are wrapped around you, keeping your arms stuck between your chest and another, and there's a gruff voice in your ear saying, "It's over. It's over, baby. The cavalry's here. You can stop now."
It takes a long minute for the voice to infiltrate the fog of rage, and then a moment to realize who's speaking.
When your struggles cease, Happy leans back a little to look down at you, but with his arms still wrapped around you. "You back?"
"Y-Yeah. M'sorry."
Happy grunts and leans his face closer to yours, and for a moment you think he's about to kiss you. Instead, he presses his forehead against yours as his eyes close, and he exhales with relief. "Don't be. That was hot as fuck."
You huff a quiet laugh as a bout of silence ensues, but then one of your brothers decides to ruin it.
"Hey, Lowman, we'll give you a million dollars if you give her your last name and take her off our hands."
You jerk in Happy's hold, turning to glare at all your smirking brothers. "Fuck off!" Laughter ensues at your disgruntled expression before Juice fills them in on what happened, and then Happy is tugging on your bound wrists so you look back at him before finally cutting you free. "Thank you."
One hand grasps the hair at the back of your head, gripping a little tight as he holds you in place so he can press a kiss to your forehead. "Let's get you home. You're covered in blood, and I need to take a look at your arm."
Glancing at your arm, you shrug. It stings, yeah, but it doesn't seem deep enough. And then just as you go to take a step, Happy swoops you up into a bridal carry.
It's then you notice that you, Happy, and Juice are all barefoot, and it's Juice who answers your unasked question. "You sleep like the dead, girl. Happy and I heard them enter the house, but they still managed to get the drop on us."
"I'm getting you a goddamn dog," Happy grumbles in response.
"Only if you clean up after it." He grunts and you grin. If he wanted a guard dog for you, then he was cleaning up any messes.
Outside the barn, suggestions are made about where to go now. Jax suggests the clubhouse, but at the wrinkling of your nose, Happy says you'll be going home. Your brothers mention not everyone can go because that many vehicles will draw attention, so Jax suggests sending your brothers' men back to the club with Opie and Chibs. They agree, and then you're loaded up into an Escalade with your brothers and Happy.
When you get to your house, Tig mentions that they had cleaned up and straightened your furniture after they figured out what had happened. You thank him and let Happy carry you to your bathroom while Juice takes the guest bathroom.
As Happy sets you on the counter, you watch as he gets the first aid kit from beneath your sinks. "They're gonna talk."
"Let them. The club already thinks we're fuckin'."
You snort. "Please. They should know by now that I'd never settle for a relationship where the guy gets to fuck around when he's on the road." Happy freezes with the antiseptic spray bottle in his hand before shaking himself free of thought and spritzing your arm where you were cut.
"Is that why you haven't given me the go-ahead to slip between your thighs?"
You smile at his blunt question and then wince when he wipes your arm clean. "Pretty much. I'm not a fan of my partner sticking his dick or tongue in some rando pussy, then coming home and doing the same to me." Happy grunts and you arch an eyebrow at him. "Would you be okay with me visiting my brothers and sucking someone's dick before coming home to you?"
"Fuck no."
"Exactly." You grin triumphantly. "So, unless you plan to stop dicking down croweaters or sweetbutts, the most you'll get out of me is some cuddling."
Stepping back, Happy tosses the used gauze pads into the trashcan and then reaches into your shower stall to turn on the water. Then looking at you, he demands, "Strip."
"If I fully strip, there's no going back. You're mine and mine alone." You hop off the counter, slipping off your ruined shirt without batting an eye. "I was calm and collected at your parties before because we're friends, but that all changes after this. I won't take it easy on any woman touching what's mine."
Happy smirks as he eyes you in your bra and jeans, and then strips off his shirt. "Good."
You've seen the man shirtless only a handful of times, but seeing his ink never fails to give you pause. You reach out for the first time, tracing the snake tattoo that takes up a majority of his chest and upper abdomen, before you trace the various happy faces on the side of his waist. You feel his abdominal muscles twitch and then between one heartbeat and the next, Happy's crowding you against the sink counter and angling your head up.
His kiss is as aggressive as you figured it'd be, his tongue sliding against yours and teeth digging into your bottom lip. You give as good as you get, nails digging into either side of Happy's waist as you kiss him. Then when the need for air arises, you pull back and try to catch your breath. "Well okay then."
Moving out from Happy's reach, you strip, uncaring of your nudity and then step into the steaming shower. Happy isn't too far behind you, but you're not too interested in seeing him fully naked as you are cleansing a stranger's blood from your body. Standing under the waterfall, you watch as the shower floor turns red. Happy presses in close behind you so he's under the water as well, and you straighten up before leaning your head back onto his shoulder, smiling softly at his hardness that presses against your ass.
"No funny business, Lowman. At least not until we've eaten a fuck ton and slept for a day or two."
He grunts. "Agreed."
You immediately start washing your hair, and you're surprised when Happy takes it upon himself to lather up some soap on your bath pouf to wash your body. For the most part he behaves himself, but when his thumb oh so casually brushes over your nipples, you slap his thigh and pay him back when it's your turn to wash him. He grunts when you take his dick in hand and thrusts into your soapy palm, but you quickly release him to finish washing his body.
"Fuckin' tease."
"You started it."
You get out of the shower first, smirking as Happy tells you he'll be out in a moment. You know exactly what that moment's going to entail since his hand is already stroking his cock before you can even find a towel.
"You gonna want something to eat?"
"Send Tig to get burgers and fries."
"Alright."
Back in your room, you can hear a muttered conversation from somewhere in your house. Clutching the towel around your body, you stick your head out your door. "Tig!"
"What?"
"Happy said to go get us some burgers, fries, and Cokes!"
"Do I look like a fuckin' maid?!" Tig appears in the hall, hands on his hips.
You grin at him. "No, but I do have a maid's costume. Wanna try it on?" Tig gapes and you laugh at his expression. "Come on, Tig. Please? You can grab some cash from the junk drawer."
"Fine. But only because I know Hap will murder me if I don't, not because I'm picturing you in a teeny tiny maid's outfit."
"Sure, buddy. Thank you!"
Tig grumbles as he turns to march out of your house and then you worry about getting dressed. You dress in nothing but a sports bra and boy short underwear, and then with a reluctant sigh you head to the front. Everyone's in your kitchen, sitting around your table, and your brothers groan when they see how little you're wearing.
"Oh, shut up. You've seen me in clothes like this before."
"In tights, not underwear," one brother grumbles.
"Just be glad they're boy shorts and not a g-string."
All your brothers groan yet again whereas the Sons find the interaction amusing. You take a seat at the table, grimacing a little and touching at your raw wrists.
"Let me get that for you," Juice says. He leaves to, no doubt, grab the first aid kit from the bathroom. Then taking a seat next to you, he asks, "Did Hap disinfect your arm?"
"Yeah. Just spritz it again and wrap it. It'll be fine."
As soon as Juice gets to work, Happy enters the kitchen in nothing but a pair of jeans hanging off his hips.
"Jesus," one of your brother's mumbles. "Are people suddenly allergic to clothes around here?"
You grin as Jax arches an eyebrow at his friend. "You have clothes here?" Happy nods and sits, and you quickly introduce him to your brothers while Jax looks at Juice to say, "You seem to know your way around this place too."
"It's because they practically live here when they're not at the clubhouse," you say. "Hap's moved his shit in my room, and Tig and Juice have slowly taken over my guest room." Then glancing at your brothers as if you didn't just drop somewhat of a bombshell on Jax, you ask, "So what the hell happened?"
Juice taps above one of your raw wrists and you situate them so he can disinfect them.
Your eldest brother meets your gaze. "There's a new family in town- Jimenez. They're trying to make a name for themselves and thought they could intimidate us." You scoff as your other brother's chuckle. "When they didn't get the reaction they were looking for, they came up with the bright idea to target the weak link. They thought they had the perfect candidate when they found out we had a baby sister."
"Joke's on them, you're fuckin' psycho," another brother muses.
"I'm not-"
"We literally walked in on you bashing a guy's head in."
"And let's not forget the whole reason you're in Charming is because you tried to burn down your ex's house while he was still inside."
"Or that one time you wrecked your car into that other girl's car all because she broke your friend's heart."
"That cunt cheated on him. She deserved every bit of karma I dished out."
Jax snorts, shaking his head. "Christ. You and Hap are gonna be a pain in my ass."
"You know it."
Tig shows up just after Juice is finished with your wrists. Juice then dishes out the food to you, Happy, and himself, and you get up to grab drinks from the fridge. As you settle back down, Jax and your brothers watch in surprise at how the three of you go to town on your provided meals.
"So, what exactly does one do as a mafia princess?" Jax wonders.
Chewing the food in your mouth, you only answer him after taking a drink of your soda. "I'm the family hacker. If they need a computer hacked into to gather information or scrub information, I get called in."
"So, in other words, you're female Juice," Tig says.
You laugh. "Yeah. Yeah, I am." Juice grins and you reach over to fist bump him.
You continue eating as Jax speaks with your brothers, listening as this small portion of the Sons of Anarchy are filled in about what business your family gets up to. When you're finished eating, you stand and start gathering up the trash to toss. While you're up, you grab yourself a glass of water and some Ibuprofen. Then after downing four pills, you head back to reclaim your seat at the table, only for Happy to gently grab you by the arm and tug you down onto his thigh.
Your brothers don't care about your new chair, but Jax, Juice, and Tig can't help but raise an eyebrow.
"So, is this a thing?" Jax wonders, gesturing between you and Happy.
As you drape an arm behind Happy's shoulders to settle more against him, you smirk. "What's the matter, Teller? Scared?"
He huffs and then stares at Happy, but the man beneath you merely says, "Gonna start drawing up a crow. Does that answer your question?"
The kitchen goes eerily quiet and then…
"Holy shit. Hap's actually gonna take a woman," Juice says in awe.
"This is a momentous occasion. We gotta throw a rager." The glint in Tig's eyes has you narrowing your own eyes at him.
"You just wanna see a girl fight. Don't you?"
"Hap's been possessive of you since you first showed up to the clubhouse, but now that you're staking a claim, the thought might have crossed my mind."
"Are you sure you wanna see that?" One of your brother muses. "YN might traumatize a few poor souls."
Tig smiles. "I look forward to it."
You roll your eyes at Tig's excitement about possibly seeing you fight and your brothers chuckle. The Sons really had no idea what they were in for when someone tested your patience.
Standing, you keep a hand on Happy's shoulder as you say, "Well as much as I love, like, and appreciate all of you, you need to go. I'm exhausted and I still need to sleep off whatever I was drugged with."
Jax grins. "Is that code for us to get the hell out so you can bang Happy's brains out?"
Snorting, you shake your head as your brothers all grimace. "No. I'm seriously exhausted. The fucking will come later after we're well rested. I have a feeling I'm gonna need loads of energy for Hap."
Your brothers all make noises of disgust as they stand, and you take a moment to hug and kiss each of their cheeks on their way out. You promise to call when you're feeling better and then you're ushering the Sons out as well.
Locking up after everyone has left, you head to your room where you find Happy stripping off his jeans. He's in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs as he pulls your blanket back before sliding under and you pad over to do the same. You meet him in the middle, laying on your side as you drape one arm over his abdomen. With your head on his arm, you snuggle closer and Happy reaches for your leg to have it draped over his thigh so you're as close as can be without actually laying on top of him.
"Were you serious? About the crow?" You ask right before you drift off.
"Does that freak you out?"
"Not really. But if I get your mark, you're getting mine."
Happy huffs. "And just what is your mark?"
"My lips and name." You run your hand across his abdomen before walking your fingers down to one of the few empty patches of skin, below his belly button and right beneath where the snake's tail curls. "Right here."
"Above my dick, you mean?"
"Mhmm."
Happy grunts and then squeezes you a little tighter to him. "We'll see, princess. Now get some sleep."
You just wanted to travel and forget all about the drama you left behind. You didn't expect to fall in with four boys who would become another family. Maybe more.
[Part Three of Three]
Author's Note: Y'all remember Elena's dress when she went to the party at the Mikaelson's? I think it was black and gold? Well anyway, that's what YN's dress is gonna be like except it's black and maroon. I'm totally unoriginal lol.
The fight is totally anti-climatic and the end just… ends. I was so ready to end this. I'm sorry.
Words: 7.2K
The only good thing about your upcoming party is that Rebekah's completely taken over all the planning. She's recruited Elijah since he's the easiest to talk to between her brothers, leaving Klaus at the mansion with you and the boys. David and Dwayne love to hear about the history Klaus has seen, whereas Paul and Marko love hearing about all things chaotic and bloody.
You're all lounging around the sitting area as Klaus fills in your friends on the drama he caused when he first waltzed in Mystic Falls from his point of view when the front door opens and closes.
"YN. Gilbert."
"Uh oh. Someone's in trouble." Marko giggles.
You flip him off and then turn towards the archway where yet another blonde marches through. "Hello to you too, Caroline. It's rude not to knock, you know?"
She huffs. "Oh shut up. We've all tried ki-" She immediately shuts up herself, taking stock of the new faces in the room. But she's Caroline Forbes, so she rolls with it, easily lying. "We've all tried sabotaging each other multiple times. There's no need to knock between friends."
You and Klaus both smirk, but don't call her out on it.
"Whatever," she grumbles. "I just came over to demand why you didn't tell me you were planning a party?! You know I love planning parties."
"I don't even want this party, Care, but Paul and Marko are all about seeing what type of parties I had to attend when I was younger."
At her pout and look of indifference between your friends, you quickly introduce them to each other. All the boys politely greet her and she them, and it hardly takes her a moment to deduce who your boyfriend is.
"So you're the boyfriend?" Her eyes narrow at Dwayne. "Figures."
"What's that supposed to mean?" You ask.
"It means you have a type. Dark hair, broody looking…"
Klaus chuckles. "She's not wrong, love."
"You're both annoying," you deadpan. Then glancing back at Caroline, you ask, "Is that all you came over for? To demand why you're not part of the party planning committee?"
"Yes. And to see if you already have a dress all picked out."
"I do. Rebekah had a bunch of dresses delivered and I chose one. You want to see what's left on the rack?"
"Yes, please! I hate shopping last minute."
You grin and walk over to Caroline, hooking your arm with hers. "Let's go upstairs then." Looking at Klaus and the boys, you wink. "If there's trouble you want to get into before Elijah comes home, now is the time to do it. Caroline and I are long overdue for some girl talk."
"You heard her, boys, let's go." Klaus downs the rest of his drink before settling the tumbler aside and then standing up. Marko and Paul cheer, shoving at each other as Dwayne and David casually climb to their feet.
Everyone except Dwayne makes their way out and then he walks up to you. "Need anything?"
"No, I'm good, but thanks." He nods before leaning in to kiss your forehead, cheek, and finally your lips.
You're laughing as you shove him away, eyes twinkling. He returns your smile before nodding at Caroline and turning to go catch up with his brothers and Klaus.
As soon as he's out of earshot, Caroline gushes, "Oh my god, that was so adorable! Where did you even find him?!"
"In his hometown." You chuckle and then lead her towards the stairs so you can show her the dresses in your room. "I actually met Paul and Marko first, but when I met Dwayne.. it was like love at first sight." You smile as you remember meeting the dark haired vampire for the first time. "We kind of tortured everyone else with the 'will they or won't they' schtick, so it became public knowledge that we were both off limits."
"What changed?"
Getting bit by a werewolf, you mentally admit, but can't say that out loud. Not yet. So instead, you choose something that's easily believable because the scenario really did happen. "After missing a day of hanging out with them, some girls decided to move in. When I decided to surprise them one night, one girl was standing too close to Dwayne, so I walked right up to him and kissed him."
"You didn't!?"
"I did." You laugh. "And then Elijah and Klaus visited, informing me that Elena was getting impatient that I hadn't come back to Mystic Falls to make sure I was really okay."
"Oh so you'll let Klaus know where you now live, but not us?"
When you glance at Caroline, you notice she's not truly upset about it. "Yes because Klaus won't drag me back to Mystic Falls the moment something inconveniences Elena's life."
Your friend winces, but doesn't refute your words.
In your room, you walk to your closet while Caroline walks to the rack of dresses that's in the opposite corner. You grab the dress bag, pull it out and unzip it to show your friend. "Anyway, this is what I'm wearing." The strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline is maroon with a fitted bodice covered in black beads and black ribbons right beneath your bust. The skirt slightly flares out with an overlay of black tulle so the maroon still peeks out.
Caroline sighs. "This is so pretty. Is your boyfriend matching?"
You laugh as you zip the bag back up and put it away. "I'm pretty sure Elijah will get him a matching pocket square or something."
"So he's got Elijah's stamp of approval?"
"I think so."
"Sounds serious." She turns back to the rack, moving aside dress after dress. "Is he the reason you're staying where you're staying?"
"No. I was already planning on staying there. Dwayne was a surprise, but a welcomed one."
Caroline glances at you. "Ohhh, you're in deep. Look at that smile."
You purse your lips, having been smiling without knowing you were smiling. But seeing as she's already seen it, you give up and laugh. "Ugh, this is gonna sound stupid, but remember when I said seeing Dwayne was like love at first sight? Do you believe in that?"
Your friend freezes and then fully turns to face you. "Spill. Now."
You groan again and head over to your bed, dropping down on the edge. "When I first met Dwayne, it was no shock that I instantly found him attractive. What was a shock, however, is how jealous and protective I am of him. We haven't even known each that long to warrant such loyalty, but when Damon threatened Dwayne… Caroline, I saw red. I wanted to rip Damon's heart out right then and there."
"Hmm. That is weird. You've never been one to get worked up over a guy. You usually just shrug it off and move on."
"I know!"
"And how does Dwayne feel?"
"I'm assuming the same. Damon pinned me to the wall by my throat and Dwayne saw, and he was visibly shaking. I could see it took everything in him to hold himself back and then when I got back to the table, his hand gripped my thigh and didn't move until we stood up to leave."
"How insane would it be if it turned out that soulmates were real?" You laugh. "I'm serious! Ugh, you're so lucky. I wish I had someone who looked at me the way Dwayne looks at you."
"You do have someone who looks at you like that, but you refuse to entertain him because you're afraid of what everyone else will think."
Caroline frowns. "He hurt us. A lot."
"So did Damon, but that didn't stop Elena from jumping on his dick."
The blonde vampire grimaces. "I rather not think about that."
"Mhmm."
"Now will you help me choose a dress?"
Without even glancing at the rack, you say, "Go with the blue one that looks like mine, but has off the shoulder straps. You always look good in blue."
The day before your party, Rebekah had the ballroom completely transformed. You had happily stayed out of her way, listening to her bark orders from the comfort of your room. Dwayne and David took refuge with you, purposely not saying a word to their brothers as they wandered downstairs and got roped into lending a helping hand. And with Rebekah barking orders, Paul and Marko stayed in line.
Then the morning of your party, Rebekah had even taken it upon herself to have a buffet of breakfast ready for everyone. Marko practically salivated at the sight of the food, mentioning that they'd never eaten like kings and queens before. David then reminded him that they never had the appetite for human food quite like they have now after wrapping the bracelets around their wrists, and Marko conceded while stuffing his face with sausage and eggs.
You don't get to rest long after eating, Rebekah whisking you away to bathe and pamper before getting ready for the night. You end up in a bath with so many essential oils and salts that you nearly doze off, but Dwayne enters the bathroom and decides he wants to wash your hair.
Rebekah enters the bathroom when she hears you groan, only to huff and cross her arms over her chest. "Why are you two disgustingly adorable? Stop it right now."
With your head tilted back and Dwayne's fingers scratching against your scalp, you grin. "Shut up. If our positions were switched, you'd be smug as hell right now. Let me enjoy this."
"I'm honestly surprised he's not in there with you."
"And have your brothers glare at me throughout the party?" Dwayne asks. "No thanks."
"Fair." Rebekah continues to watch you with a fond smile on her face. "Well when you get out, Dwayne can help David wrangle his other brothers while you and I get ready in my room."
"Okay."
Dwayne finishes washing your hair before you stand, uncaring that your body is bare beneath the suds. He watches as you scrub your body down in the shower before grabbing a towel and handing it to you. Then after wringing out your hair and drying your body, you use the towel to wrap around your hair before taking the offered robe to drape around your body.
"Thank you." You reach up on the tips of your toes, giving him a chaste kiss. "Now it's your turn. I'll be with Rebekah and most likely won't see you until the start of the party."
"Mmm. Have fun." Dwayne kisses you once more and then pats you on the butt as you walk on by.
You're still smiling as you enter Rebekah's room, laughing when she's waiting for you with a champagne glass nearly filled to the brim. "Happy birthday, darling."
"Thank you, Rebekah." You accept the glass, clink it against the one she produces herself, and then proceed to down it in one go. "Now can I nap?"
"No."
You groan as Rebekah leads you to her vanity, making you sit.
. .
. .
Rebekah starts on your hair first, making sure to detangle it and then spritz various hair products into it. She leaves out a couple of strands on either side of your head to frame your face and then loosely braids the rest of it to hang over your left shoulder. She sprays your hair again to make sure the hairdo holds, and then gets started on your makeup.
The make-up is kept mostly natural and nude, the only color being a hint of blush on your cheekbones, smokey black eyeshadow, and black eyeliner. Throughout the entire time, your phone was dinging with text messages from your family and friends, and you took the time to thank each of them.
Taking a break, Rebekah has sandwiches and fruit delivered to the room via Elijah, and it isn't long until Klaus shows up with presents with the rest of the boys trailing him. The Mikaelson's give you jewelry and money, a proper camera to capture the sights you see, and a brand-new laptop to edit and post the photos. You thank them profusely and even assure Dwayne, David, Paul, and Marko that you hadn't been expecting gifts from them so they can stop with the guilty expressions.
Then after kicking out the men from the room, you get started on Rebekah's hair and make-up. With her instruction, you get everything done pretty well.
When the time comes to finally step into your dress, you shamelessly drop your robe and step into a pair of panties. Rebekah holds your dress low for you and you step into it while she slides it up your body. Then after arranging your breasts to fill the cups, Rebekah zips you up.
Rebekah can only smile as she helps you don your newest necklace and bracelet, and then quickly dresses herself in a dress similar to yours, except the colors are black and gold. Plus, she dons a pair of black satin gloves as well.
"Well don't you two look beautiful."
You turn around to find Dwayne decked out in a suit with a maroon pocket square to match you. He has a few thin braids on one side of his head, only for all of his hair to be tied back in a stylish messy man-bun. "Holy shit." You look him up and down, licking and biting your bottom lip as you try to reign in your spiraling thoughts.
"Down girl," Rebekah muses, patting your shoulder. "It sounds like your guests are starting to arrive, so there's no use in messing up all the hard work I've done."
"Yeah, yeah. Get out." Rebekah laughs as you shoo her out of her own room, bidding Dwayne good luck as she passes him. He steps further into the room, and you readily accept him as he goes toe to toe with you. You lean up and kiss him. "You look handsome."
"It's all thanks to Elijah and Klaus. They really know how to style the riffraff."
You chuckle and kiss him once more. "So, how's it looking down there?"
"Marko and Paul are regretting the fancy suits, but David's keeping them well in line. And Klaus has already plied us with several blood bags each so we're not feeling peckish around your guests."
You sigh. "I think I should have indulged in a little blood myself. I have a feeling I'm going to need it."
"Come on. It won't be that bad."
"Famous last words."
Dwayne smirks. "Let's go greet your guests."
Looping your arm around Dwayne's, you rely on him to get down the grand staircase. And by the time you make it to the main floor, Caroline is arriving on the arm of her mother.
"Caroline! Sheriff Forbes!" You greet them with smiles and kisses to the cheek. "I'm happy you two could make it."
"Likewise." Sheriff Forbes smiles before warily glancing around. "When I got the invitation, I wasn't aware if the party was legit or if the Mikaelson's were up to no good again."
"I can see why you would think that," you say. "But when it comes to me, the Mikaelson's are family."
"But Elena-"
"Mom." Caroline politely nudges her, shaking her head.
Sheriff Forbes closes her mouth and takes a breath. Then smiling sadly, she says, "You never forgave her for the… attack on you and Caroline," she says while glancing at Dwayne.
"Oh. I'm sorry!" You say. "Liz, this is Dwayne. My boyfriend." Sheriff Forbes and Dwayne smile at one another, shaking hands. "And I forgave my sister for that a long time ago," you assure her. "What I don't care for is the way she and Damon treat me or my friends whenever something doesn't go to their liking. They don't take others' feelings into consideration."
"Well, happy birthday!" Caroline chirps. "Now point us to the food so we can get out of your hair."
Laughing, you're about to tell Caroline where she and her mother can find the food when you spot Bonnie and your brother coming up behind them. "Uh, Dwayne will show you," you tell her. "He's gotta check on his brothers anyway and make sure Klaus isn't getting them in trouble."
And without missing a beat, Dwayne detaches himself from you and offers his arm to Liz as he dips his head in politeness. "Ladies, if you'll follow me."
Dwayne ends up with a Forbes woman on each arm and you smile as he leads them towards the food. Then turning back towards the door, your smile widens as you accept a hug from Bonnie. "Hey! Long time no see." Bonnie is stunning in her own black and silver dress, and Jeremy surprisingly fills out his suit. Then again, he's been rather buff ever since he became a hunter. "Jer, you're looking muscular. Kill anything lately?"
"Ha. Ha," he deadpans while hugging you. "And you look good as well. I didn't expect…"
"Yeah, yeah. You didn't expect me to be alive and thriving just because of the Mikaelson's and blah, blah, blah." Both Bonnie and Jeremy chuckle, and you nudge them towards the party.
More people show up- Tyler, Elena, Damon, Enzo, Alaric plus his date, and several other locals that you hadn't seen for a while. You greet each and every one, thanking them for showing up and wishing them a good time.
Rebekah pulls you away from the door when it seems like no one else is showing up, leading you towards the bottom of the staircase where her brothers are waiting. Both Mikaelson men smile as you approach, but Rebekah leads you a few steps further up the staircase before telling you to stay put before joining her brothers.
You're confused, but no one says anything. Dwayne and his brothers are lined up just across from the Mikaelson's, each of them holding a champagne flute. Elijah, being the more diplomatic Mikaelson, calls for everyone's attention. And as a crowd gathers, you're not very surprised when the hired help walks around with platters full of champagne flutes to pass out to everyone.
"Thank you, everyone, for attending on such short notice," Elijah says as the gathered guests fall quiet. "Miss Gilbert has been off traveling the world and seeing everything this life has to offer, so we weren't sure she would be back in time for her birthday. Luckily for us, she decided to visit with some new friends of hers."
Paul whoops and you shake your head at him, grinning.
"So let us raise our glasses," everyone follows Elijah's lead as he raises his glass in a toast, "and wish Miss Gilbert a very happy birthday and safe travels when she no doubt leaves us all behind again." Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah turn, grinning. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."
"Happy birthday!" The crowd then cheers.
You smile bashfully, nodding your thanks to those whose gazes you catch before walking down the stairs. Rebekah hugs you whereas her brothers kiss each of your cheeks, and then Dwayne takes hold of your arm while leading you to the main room.
Immediately, the humming and clapping of Hozier's Work Song fills the air, and Dwayne leads you to the center of the room before turning to face you. As he takes a step back and then bows at the waist, your eyes light up. "You dance?"
"Obviously. Don't you?" As you grab the skirt of your dress and curtsey, you can't help but laugh. "And besides, the birthday girl has to open her own party with the first dance."
"I'm pretty sure that's not a thing, but I'll take it." You and Dwayne step forward and then back, close to touching but not. He raises his hands, palms out, and you laugh some more as you hold your own palms just an inch from his as you walk in a circle. "Who told you about this dance?"
"Rebekah might have mentioned something about a pageant this little town holds and the dances forced upon you."
Dwayne then takes you in his arms and the two of you sway back and forth before he's gently pushing you out and then bringing you in on a twirl. The smile never leaves your face, not even when you can hear his brothers ribbing him.
Halfway through the dance, others join you. Dwayne's dancing skills make him that much more attractive to you and you let him know when you can't keep your lips to yourself.
The party goes on and you make your rounds while on Dwayne's arm. You introduce him to everyone you know, talk about the places you've been with some curious individuals, but refrain from mentioning where you met Dwayne in case others were listening in.
You eat and drink and dance some more, and all in all it's a good time.
Until it isn't.
Elena hadn't said much to you other than wish you a happy birthday, so you're resigned to hearing her out when she asks for a moment of your time when the party starts winding down.
She leads you to an empty room just down the hall and turns to face you with a frown. "So, you're leaving again?"
"What?"
"Elijah's speech. He said you were going to travel again."
"Oh. Maybe." You shrug. "I still need to find a house and set down roots before I start taking trips again."
"Your house is here!" She says, hurt lacing her tone. "Why are you so dead set on getting away from me?"
"Elena," you say softly. "I love you. I do! But I can't be here anymore. I'm so over the drama where you somehow manage to be ground zero for it all. I'm tired of being hounded by Damon for not jumping when he says jump and I'm just- I'm over it. You have your life and I have mine. You don't have to like it, but you will accept it."
Done with the conversation, you turn to rejoin the party, only for your sister's words to make you freeze. "Jenna would be so upset to see you so chummy with her murderer."
There's a gasp from the door and you realize the others have followed. Bonnie, Caroline, Damon, Stefan, Alaric, Dwayne, David, Paul, Marko, Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah have all entered the room and you have no idea how you and Elena didn't sense the big group sooner.
The group from Mystic Falls knew how close you were to Jenna and how hurt you were over Klaus killing her, but they didn't know about Klaus' apology months later when you started having dinners with Elijah. It wasn't an easy apology to accept, but he promised to make it up to you for as long as you lived.
But not wanting to get into all that, you look at your sister and swing even lower than her. "Yeah? Well mom and dad would be even more upset to see you fucking your best friend's rapist." Elena gapes and her eyes fill with tears, and you roll your eyes. "Come now, Elena. Don't start the waterworks now. You wanna be Katherine 2.0, then be Katherine 2.0. If you're gonna be a bitch, then own it."
Your back suddenly hits the wall and you have a face full of an enraged vampire. "All right. That's enough."
"Damon!" Bonnie yells.
"What the fuck was that?" You hear Marko murmur, biting back a smirk at the fact that they're still playing human.
"That was a low blow, YN," Damon says, tightening his grip around your throat.
"Careful, Damon, your lap dog is showing," you muse. "This is between me and my sister."
"Yeah? Well, it becomes my business when you make her cry."
"Oh, how noble." You huff. "Now kindly take your hand off of me and leave. You're no longer welcomed here."
You hear a bit of a scuffle and look over Damon's shoulder to see David holding Dwayne back by the arm. You can see the rage in his eyes even as he attempts to keep his cool, and subtly shake your head.
Damon glances over his shoulder as well to see who you're looking at and turns back to face you with a smirk. "You're so quick to drop everyone in Mystic Falls, let's see if your newfound family will stick around after they find out that you're a monster."
Your expression hardens. "Damon, do-"
CRACK!
Damon has all of half a second of smug satisfaction as he watches your body collapse lifelessly to the floor before a heart stopping roar practically shakes the walls of the room. He whirls around, eyes wide, and braces himself for the truly monstrous individual advancing on him.
Dwayne's features have shifted, his features more sharpened and defined. His eyes are now yellow and red, and his fangs and claws have elongated in his rage. He grabs a stunned Damon by the shoulders before savagely sinking his fangs into Damon's neck and pulling free a chunk of flesh.
As Damon gurgles on his blood and Elena shrieks in horror, Stefan speeds at Dwayne to pull him off. Only then do David, Paul, and Marko fly at him and throw him across the room before making a wall in front of YN's body. Dwayne continues to attack Damon, snapping each and every bone in his body that he can to prevent the raven-haired vampire from fighting back.
Elena tries to intervene when it appears Damon can't defend himself, but Rebekah catches her by the arm. "Stay out of it. Damon made his bed, now it's time for him to lie in it."
Alaric pulls free a wooden stake to help his friend, but all it takes is Klaus tutting in his direction to give the history teacher pause.
Then having heard enough snarling and snapping bones, Elijah approaches Dwayne cautiously. "That's enough, Dwayne. I believe Mr. Salvatore has learned his lesson." Panting and heaving, Dwayne snarls one last time before kicking Damon so hard in the ribs that he sends him sliding across the floor towards his panicked brother. Dwayne then turns and his brothers part so he can make a beeline to YN's body. As he does, he sits on the floor to cradle her lifeless body in his arms. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why you should never touch a vampire's mate," Elijah says.
Everyone seems surprised, but it's Caroline who steps forward with a frown. "Mate? And vampire?" She asks incredulously. "What is going on, Elijah?"
"Dwayne, David, Marko, and Paul are vampires," he tells the room, ignoring Elena's whimpers as she tries to offer aid to Damon. "A different species, obviously, but vampires nonetheless. When Niklaus and I noticed some differences, I decided to do a little research after learning of how quickly Dwayne and YN became attached."
"And your research proved that our kind has mates?" Paul wonders. At Elijah's nod, he beams. "Fuck yeah! We totally called it after YN got bit by that werewolf."
"What werewolf?" Caroline's eyes widen in alarm.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. It's all been taken care of," Klaus assures her. Caroline huffs at him, but all it does is make him smirk.
"That's nice and all, but can I have a little help?" Elena grouses. "Damon's really hurt."
"Oh boo hoo," Rebekah deadpans. No one makes a move to help Elena except for Stefan and Alaric.
The three of them are doing their best to tend to Damon when Enzo enters the room. He takes a look at the Lost Boys before taking a look at his injured friend and then glances at the Mikaelson's. When his gaze finally lands on Caroline, he sighs. "I always miss the fun. What happened this time?"
"Damon's a bloody idiot, is what this is," Rebekah says instead. "He snapped a vampire mate's neck and said vampire didn't take too kindly to that."
Enzo shrugs. "Fair enough. Now if you're all done in here, some of the humans heard the ruckus. Jeremy and I have been doing damage control, but some of these locals are too nosy for their own good."
"Thank you, Mr. St. John. My sister and I will take it from here." Elijah beckons Rebekah to join him and she grumbles about missing all the fun.
Enzo, now too invested to see any more drama go down, walks over to stand next to Caroline and Bonnie.
"So, you four are vampires?" Bonnie wonders when no one says anything. "How come we didn't know?"
"Because YN wanted it that way," David says.
"And you just do what she says? How long have you even known her?"
"Long enough," you grumble. Immediately you feel yourself being squeezed and you groan as your eyes flutter open. You're staring up at the ceiling and you realize you're on the floor. "Dwayne?" The head tucked into the side of your aching neck lifts, and you smile at the vampiric face of your boyfriend. Reaching up, you tap on the tip of one of his fangs. "You can put these away now. I'm fine."
"He snapped your neck," he grumbles.
"Is he dead?"
"No."
"Pity."
"YN!"
"What?" You whine. You attempt to sit up, letting Dwayne help you. Then glancing over at your sister, you have no fucks left to give her. "He snapped my neck. The way I see it, if he's still breathing, he got off easy."
"You could have told us your friends were different vampires."
"But then Damon wouldn't have gotten his ass kicked." Then glancing at those standing, you ask, "Did anyone record it?" Everyone with the exception of Stefan, Elena, Damon, and Alaric find your question funny. Dwayne stands and helps you to your feet, and you stretch a little with a groan. "But now you all see why I left, right? I refuse to live a life that Damon wants to control."
"But you'll live a life that the Mikaelson's control?" Elena huffs.
You stare at her, shaking your head. "When are you going to get over your hate for them? You all refuse to forgive the Mikaelson's, yet Damon somehow gets a free pass?" You ask.
"Damon didn't kill Jenna!"
"No, but he did kill the love of Enzo's life and then left Enzo to burn alive," you say. Then looking at Stefan, you say, "He killed Lexi. He's killed Ric, Jeremy, and even me a few times." Looking at Bonnie, you add, "He threatened Grams into using too much magic that led to her death and let's not forget everything he put Caroline through. So why the hell is Damon forgiven for all of that, but yet you're so appalled when I associate with Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah?"
No one has anything to say, and Elena can't even look at you. She's too busy making sure Damon is healing properly.
"She has a point," Enzo says, breaking the silence.
Glancing at him, you offer him a smile before looking at each of your friends. "I'm tired, hungry, and pissed off now, so the party's officially over. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
As you walk off, Dwayne takes hold of your hand. "Go up to the room. I'll grab some blood bags and liquor from the kitchen."
"Thank you." You squeeze his hand before letting go, grabbing the skirt of your dress and lifting it just a little so you can walk up the stairs without tripping.
. .
. .
In the comfort and safety of your room, you strip out of your dress and run yourself a hot shower. The first thing you do is wash all the hair products out of your hair before scrubbing your face free of makeup, and then wash your body before standing under the rainfall of water. You sigh, reaching a hand up to rub at your sore neck.
The sound of the shower drowns out the outside noise, so you startle a little when you feel a hand land on your shoulder. Uncaring of your nudity, you turn around and are met with an equally nude Dwayne. He hands you a blood bag that's a little warm to the touch and you don't waste a moment. You grab the bag and immediately bring it up to your mouth, letting your fangs pierce the bag.
As you suck down your meal, you let Dwayne lead you a few steps back so he's standing under the rainfall of water as well. His hands gently cup your face, thumbs brushing the veins beneath your eyes that have slithered to the surface. Your eyes flutter open and you drop the bag when you're done with it.
Dwayne then leans down so his forehead is resting against yours, and his hands move down so his fingers gently probe around your neck. "I wanted to kill him," he quietly admits. "It took all my self-control to not rip his head from his body."
You huff a laugh as you wrap your arms around his waist. "As much as I wish you would have, it's best that you didn't. If anything happened to poor Damon, Elena and Stefan probably would have hounded us until the end of times."
"Then they would have met the same fate. You were dead at the time, but apparently we're mates and our instincts to protect each other are insane."
"Excuse me?" You pull back a bit, staring at Dwayne in disbelief. "Mates actually exist?"
"For my kind, yes. It's why I knew something was off that first day we were here and Damon had you pinned to the wall. It's also why I flew into a rage when he snapped your neck."
Mouth agape, you shut it with an audible click. A moment later, you shrug. "Well, that explains the rage I felt when Damon threatened your life. Normally I'd have laughed a threat like that off, but I got severely pissed off."
Dwayne chuckles. "This is going to be fun."
"For you, maybe. Protective instincts aren't the only instincts that rears its ugly head thanks to our apparent bond."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm possessive, dear mate." You smile up at him. "I noticed it the last time that one female tried gaining your attention, but it wasn't too bad of an urge to rip her head off. If she had touched you, however, I'm pretty sure it would have been game over for her." Dwayne slowly smirks and you slowly raise your arms so they're wrapped around his neck, and you hop up as you wrap your legs around his waist. "Now are you going to fuck your mate or just stand here under the water?"
"I wasn't sure you were up for anything after having your neck snapped," he says while reaching below you and grabbing hard length to notch at your entrance.
"For you? I'm always up for something." You slowly lower yourself on Dwayne's cock, head tilting back as your mouth opens in a silent moan. He grunts when you're fully seated and when you meet his smoldering gaze, you clench around him and cause him to grunt. "Now come on. Make me scream and embarrass my sister who is no doubt still trying to play victim downstairs."
Smirking, Dwayne places one hand on your ass as he walks over to the wall and then places his other hand on the wall for a bit of balance. "Hang on…"
Dwayne pulls out nearly all the way, and then a moment later he thrust back in. Hard. You moan, fingernails digging into the flesh of his shoulders, and then beam brightly at him. "Again."
The following morning, you have absolutely no shame when you and Dwayne enter the kitchen together. Everyone, with the exception of Elijah and Klaus, are all smirking at you.
"Well, well," Rebekah muses. "Look at you. I'm surprised you're not walking funny."
Paul and Marko immediately laugh, and Klaus looks quite appalled.
"Rebekah, please, can you not?" Elijah asks, already exasperated with where the morning conversation is clearly headed.
"Oh hush. We're all adults here."
You chuckle as you head towards the refrigerator, pulling out a pitcher of orange juice to pour yourself a glass. "Who all got an earful besides those in this room?"
"Well Damon thinks you were faking it."
"Of course." Your eyes roll.
"Stefan looked like he had sucked on a sour lemon, Elena turned beet red as if she was some prude, and Caroline and Enzo couldn't help but be impressed."
You chuckle some more as you sip your juice and then make your way to the table where Dwayne is already seated. You help yourself to a few slices of bacon and pay no mind to Dwayne's brothers who are patiently waiting to tease you. Unfortunately for them, you're not bothered by it at all.
"So will you be leaving this afternoon?" Klaus asks in order to break the silence.
"Yes." When you glance at Rebekah, you smile at her pout. "But you guys will always be welcomed in Santa Carla and I'll do my best to visit every other month."
"You better."
"What about these bracelets?" Marko asks. "Are we supposed to give them back once we're back in Santa Carla or…?"
"The bracelets are a gift," Elijah says smoothly. "And as a token of our appreciation for being on your best behavior and abiding by the rules we set out, we will pay for a trip for all of you to wherever you want."
"We appreciate that," David says, "but we need to settle our claim on Santa Carla before we can take off again. And speaking of Santa Carla, how is our home?" He then asks Klaus.
Klaus shrugs. "My hybrids have dispatched a werewolf pack looking to make camp in your woods. Your territory is as you left it- dirty and nearly uninhabitable."
"Klaus." You shake your head in amusement at him. "I've made my decision."
"I'm well aware."
"Then don't be a dick."
"I said nearly." You chuckle as he smirks. "Now let us have a nice breakfast before you and your friends start to pack. The jet is being fueled as we speak."
. .
. .
After a very talkative breakfast and barely half an hour of packing, you and the boys are on a private jet back to Santa Carla. You had immediately made a beeline for the singular bedroom at the back of the jet to go back to sleep, and Dwayne joined you for about an hour before rejoining his brothers.
You join them sometime later, taking the time to sip a drink as you listen to the boys brainstorm the perfect location for the trip you're all going to take once David's confident enough with his grasp on Santa Carla.
And it's only once you've stepped foot back in Santa Carla does your phone ping with a text message from Klaus. It's directions to a location and instructions to call him when you get there.
"What do you think it is?" Dwayne asks as he reads the message himself.
"I have no idea, but it's Klaus, so anything is possible."
You can see Paul and Marko are anxious to get back to their cave, but David wants everyone to stick together. So, after procuring- er, compelling- a car, you drive to the location Klaus had sent you.
Pulling up to the location that's still in Santa Carla, you're not surprised at its remote location, but you are surprised with the steel gate blocking a driveway and the steel fence that wraps all around the property. Off in the distance, up on a hill, there's quite the house sitting there.
"What the hell is this?" Paul asks, leaning forward between the seats.
"I have no idea." You pull out your phone and dial Klaus' number, still staring at the house in awe while holding the phone to your ear. When the line clicks over, you immediately ask, "What did you do?"
"Welcome home, love. The code to the gate is your birthday." You glance at the small box just outside the driver's side window and punch in the code. When the little red light turns green, the gates start to open. "Since there was no way you were going to leave Santa Carla, I figured that you could at least live in a proper home rather than that dark, dank cave your boys are apparently so fond of. Honestly, they needed to get out of there as well."
"Klaus… this is a lot," you utter in awe. You drive all the way up to the front steps and everyone hurriedly vacates the car to take a look around. "I can never repay something like this."
"Family doesn't repay family back. At least not ours."
"Klaus."
"I'm serious. It's done. Now since you're all vampires, I had a witch spell the house for you."
"How so?"
"No guest, whether they're supernatural or not, can enter your home without your permission. There was a little blood magic involved, so you'll have to invite your mate and friends in."
You walk up to the front door and enter the house with ease, smirking at Marko when he tries to enter behind you but can't. You quickly invite all four boys in and then turn to stare at the lavish home. "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, truly… thank you."
"Think nothing of it. But if you truly want to repay me back, you can take Rebekah on your next trip. She truly is aggravating."
You laugh and nod before saying, "Yes. Of course. Anything."
"Mhm. Well, I'll let you and the boys get acquainted with your new home. Have fun. Don't murder too many people."
"We'll try." You end the call with Klaus and only then does the sound of Paul and Marko's excitement reach your ears. You feel pressure at your elbow and find Dwayne standing there, looking down on you. "It's ours."
"What?"
"It's ours. Klaus obviously didn't like the living conditions of the cave, so he bought us a house."
"Well… shit." You snort at his utterance. "It's been a long time since any of us have lived in a proper home."
"Hey! If this is our house, do we get to call dibs on a room?" You hear Paul shout from somewhere deep in the house.
"Dwayne and I get the master!" You shout back. "It's a free for all for the rest of you."
All of a sudden you hear footsteps pounding on the hardwood floor, followed by grunting and whining, and protests of David being unfair.
Smiling, you turn back towards Dwayne and grin. "So, I guess this is home?"
"Do you want it to be?"
You shrug. "Home is wherever you are. If you want to go back to the cave, then let's go back. But if you want to stay here, then we'll stay here."
Dwayne flashes you one of his rare smiles as he reaches for you, and tugs you close. "Well, I wouldn't want to piss off the big bad hybrid by taking his precious baby sister back to the dark, dank cave."
You laugh and quickly lean up on the tips of your toes, pressing your lips to his in a chaste kiss. "Then we'll stay." You kiss him again. "Now come on. Let's go break in our new bed."
You just wanted to travel and forget all about the drama you left behind. You didn't expect to fall in with four boys who would become another family. Maybe more.
[Part Two of Three]
Author’s Note: This is... terrible. As with everything I've written before, I lost interest in this idea. But since I posted part one, I NEEDED to post a part two. Unfortunately, this then turned into three parts, so I need to start writing that now. Joy -_-
Words: 7.6K
In the privacy of the cave that was once a popular resort, you pace around the space as you poke at the burning wound on your shoulder. You can already see the venom from the bite poisoning the flesh around the wound and you grimace. "Fuck."
"What can we do?" Dwayne asks.
"Nothing."
Paul and Marko quickly ignite the barrels around the cave as David and Dwayne keep watch over you, and you pull your phone out from your back pocket, sighing with relief when you see you still have two bars of reception. Without meeting anyone's gaze, you find Klaus' contact and call him. The first call goes to voicemail, as does the second, third, and fourth.
"Answer the phone, Niklaus Mikaelson!" You hiss into a voicemail. Then finding Elijah's contact, you call him and sag with relief when you hear him pick up. "Where's your idiot brother?"
"Well hello to you too, Miss Gilbert."
"Elijah, I love you, but now is not the time. I'm on a time limit here. Where. Is. Your. Brother?"
The phone line goes quiet and then, "What happened?"
"A couple of werewolves decided to make camp in territory that doesn't belong to them." There was no beating around the bush. Not if you wanted the cure as soon as possible.
"We're on our way."
"Please hurry."
"Are you in a safe place? Does anyone know what you are?"
"Yeah. My new friends are vampires, but they're different. They're forced to sleep from sunup to sundown."
"Put them on."
"You're on speaker," you say as you press the speaker option.
"To whomever is listening, you need to prepare. YN's health will deteriorate very quickly, and she will hallucinate. She won't know who you are. Do you have a place away from innocent civilians?"
"Yes," David answers. "We're pretty well removed from the humans. At the bottom of Hudson's Bluff, there's an entrance into our home."
"Good. Niklaus and I will get there as quickly as we can. You might want to have chains on hand because YN will either try to harm herself or you. And YN? I know you hate it, but if they sleep while the sun is up, you need to give up your daylight ring so you can't leave."
"Figures." You sigh.
"We'll be there soon."
Elijah hangs up and you place your phone aside on an upturned crate. Pacing once more, you nervously fidget with your daylight ring that Elijah mentioned. You've never felt comfortable parting with it, but you know things are about to get crazy and you can't risk leaving the cave while the boys are sleeping.
"I haven't taken my ring off since it was given to me," you say. Hesitantly, you slip it off and glance at Dwayne. "If you lose it, I will murder you."
Dwayne doesn't even crack a smile, but he does accept the ring when you hold it out for him. He stares at it and then slips it onto his pinky. "You'll get this back as soon as you're cured."
"I know." You smile sadly at him and then meet the concerned gazes of Paul and Marko.
"Do we really need to chain you up?" Paul asks.
"It would be best."
"We're not chaining you up," Dwayne says. "What's the next option?"
"Nothing. If you leave me free, you need to barricade wherever it is you guys' sleep. I don't want to risk flipping my shit and thinking you're all threats when you can't defend yourself."
Marko nods. "We can do that. Anything else?"
"Yeah. Go out and feed. If shit hits the fan when you guys wake up, you're gonna want your full strength."
"We're not leaving you," Dwayne says.
At that, you smile softly. "I'll be fine right now. I'll clean off that mattress over there," you say while pointing to the mattress in question, "and try to get some sleep. It'll start off like a fast-acting flu before the craziness sets in."
Dwayne opens his mouth to retort, but David pulls rank. "She's right. Let's go."
Instead of arguing, Dwayne says, "Fine, but don't mess with that mattress and blanket. We can still access some of the rooms in this place, so we'll find you a better mattress."
"Okay."
As the four boys take their leave, you lay on the sofa and attempt to remain calm. You already know how this is going to go thanks to Rose and Damon being bit by a werewolf before, and you're dreading it.
. .
. .
The boys return hours later- Paul and Marko riding the high of a fuck and feed whereas David and Dwayne have yet to forget what's waiting for them in the cave. They immediately recognize something is off when Paul and Marko go quiet, and then hear Marko hesitantly calling out your name.
David and Dwayne rush into the main room to see you sitting on the couch, hunched over your knees with your hands clasped around your ears. But the moment Marko touches your uninjured shoulder, you snap. You hiss and grab Marko by the throat, moving so fast and pinning him to the couch you were just sitting on.
"Where's my brother?! Who are- what did you do with him?!"
"YN? YN it's me Marko. I don't-"
"Stop lying!"
"Grab her," David says.
Dwayne doesn't waste a second, flying over to you and wrapping his arms around you from behind. You buck and hiss in his hold, and he's surprised by the strength you possess even while injured. "She's burning up," he tells them.
"Holy shit. Have the hallucinations started already?" Paul asks, helping his stunned brother up.
Marko huffs. "Uh, yeah! Do you think any of us have ever met her brother?"
"Fair."
You continue to scream and thrash, and it isn't until David walks in front of you and grasps your face between his hands do you calm down. "YN. You're in Santa Carla, not Mystic Falls. None of us know who your brother is."
He can see when your mind clears, the glaze in your eyes dimming just a little.
"David..?"
"There you are." The blonde smirks as he releases your face. "I think you gave Marko a bit of a scare."
Your gaze darts to Marko who grins at you and then glance down at the arms banded around you. "What did I do?" You ask.
"Nothing much, girlie," Marko assures you. "I was just surprised by your strength."
"Dwayne?"
"You surprised him by pinning him to the couch. You didn't hurt him."
The moment you sag in Dwayne's hold, David instructs Marko and Paul to get your temporary room ready. Dwayne sets you on your feet, but he doesn't let you go. Instead, he sits on the couch and drags you down until you're sitting sideways on his lap.
"Everything hurts," you whine as you settle, resting your head on Dwayne's shoulder. "I just want it to stop."
"What can we do?"
"Nothing. Only the cure will stop it."
"What is the cure?" David asks. "You never said."
You hesitate to answer, but figure they're going to find out soon anyway. "It's Klaus' blood. It's why ninety-nine percent of infected vampires die. They either don't know there's a cure or Klaus refuses to give up his blood."
"So, he has the ability to infect and save a vampire with his bite and blood?"
Shivering, you nod.
"Did he ever bite you?" Dwayne asks. "When you were enemies?"
"No, but he did bite my friend Caroline. And then he saved her because he's in love with her."
Neither say anything and the only noise is that from Paul and Marko who are setting up your space. You continue to shake and whimper in Dwayne's hold, waiting until you can lay down. And then when it's all done, Dwayne stands and carries you over to the mattress.
"Sun's almost up. Do you need anything?"
"No." You curl up, dragging a sheet over yourself. "Just go and barricade yourselves in. If I somehow find you and you manage to wake up, snap my neck. I'll wake up eventually."
"Dibs on snapping-"
"We're not snapping her neck," Dwayne snarls at Paul. "Shut up."
Paul's eyes widen as Marko snickers at his misfortune. You manage a weak smile before letting your eyes drift close, and then the space darkens when the sheets around you are settled in place.
"You think she'll still be alive when we wake up?" Marko asks.
"Yes."
Dwayne stalks off and the boys watch him go. Only when he's out of earshot does David say, "For all of our sakes, those friends of hers better get here soon. I have a feeling Dwayne will brood for a long while if something happens to YN."
"Are mates real?" Paul suddenly wonders. "Because as far as I know, Dwayne and YN haven't even kissed, and our boy is protective and possessive."
David chuckles. "Who knows. Now come on. Sun's here."
As soon as the words leave David's mouth, shafts of sunlight start filtering in, and the boys make a beeline for the tunnel that leads to their own sleeping quarters.
The moment the sun dips below the horizon and the Lost Boys' eyes snap open, none of them waste another second hanging upside down. They fly down and rush towards the main room but hesitate by the opening of the tunnel to listen for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing seems amiss, so they head on out.
One by one, the vampires spread out with Dwayne heading towards YN's sleeping space. He pulls back the sheets and what he finds has the breath stilling in his lungs. YN lays there, paler than ever with sweat slicked skin. There are dark circles beneath her eyes, and it appears as if she's barely breathing.
"Find her phone. Call her friends. Now!" David barks.
Paul and Marko immediately go on the hunt and Dwayne steps onto the mattress, lowering himself down next to her. "..YN?"
With your peaceful slumber interrupted, your eyes flutter open, but readily fall back shut, and you whine as you register the pain your body is in. "Noooo."
"You gotta get up, sweetheart."
"S'too late. You should go. Don't need to see this." You weakly push at the hand smoothing hair from your forehead. "Go."
"No."
Tears gather behind your eyelids, and you manage to open them to get one last look. You sigh at seeing Dwayne's anguished features and then turn your head, only to find David and the others standing where your sheets once hung. "Thank you. For taking me in," you mumble. "I forgot what it felt like to have people treat me with decency."
"You're talking like you're dyin', girlie," Paul muses. "You ain't goin' nowhere. Not if we have any say so in the matter."
You manage a weak smile before you let your eyes fall shut. "If only.."
"Hey. Hey, no. Open your eyes." Dwayne lifts your upper body, moving behind you to cradle you between his thighs and against his chest. "Open your eyes, YN."
"Stop, Dwayne. Please." Being jostled makes you whimper even more. "It hurts too much."
"Your friends will be here soon."
"Will they?" Your head falls back until it's resting on Dwayne's shoulder, and you open your eyes to see him. You weakly reach up, fingers caressing his jaw as you attempt to smile. "We would have annoyed the others so much."
"We still can."
"Maybe in our next life."
"Well, that's a bit dramatic." The boys all hiss at the accented voice and you choke on a sob. "And here I thought your sister Elena was the best actress in the Gilbert family."
"Klaus."
"Hello, love. You look unwell."
You frown. "I feel like shit."
"Language, Miss Gilbert."
Your gaze slides to Klaus' left and you smile. "Hello, Elijah."
Elijah smiles at you and then turns his attention to his brother. "Please heal Miss Gilbert so that we may convene elsewhere. No offense to your living situation," he then says while nodding at David.
You snort and then groan, and Klaus finally takes pity on you. He pulls something out of his pocket and then tosses it at Dwayne. "Help her drink that."
Dwayne catches a vial in hand, notices the thick red liquid inside, and quickly uncorks it. He holds the vial to your lips, and you readily drink Klaus' blood. You take a moment to catch your breath afterward, groaning as you push yourself to sit up. "Sooo, that was fun. Let's not do it again." Paul and Marko laugh, and then you twist your upper body a little to look at Dwayne. "Aren't you glad I didn't die?"
"I knew you wouldn't."
"Yeah, yeah. Now help me up. I feel gross and need to go back to my hotel to shower." Dwayne hurriedly climbs to his feet, offering you a hand up. You groan some more, stretching and grimacing now that you're no longer horizontal.
"So, like are you healed now?" Paul asks.
"Pretty much. I just need a good shower, a bite to eat, and to listen to my gut instinct and not follow David into the woods to hunt a goddamn werewolf."
Paul and Marko snicker as Elijah and Klaus turn towards the blonde in question. He lazily smirks, uncaring that the most feared vampire and hybrid are staring him down. "You might have followed me into the woods, but you tackled that wolf off of Dwayne when it had him pinned."
Klaus groans and Elijah shakes his head. "We should have known."
"Oh whatever." You avoid everyone's stare except for Dwayne's. "Thanks for tucking me and not leaving when I said so." You wink at him. "I'll meet you on the boardwalk in half an hour."
. .
. .
It doesn't take you long whatsoever to shower, change, and guzzle down a couple blood bags that Elijah had taken the liberty to retrieve for you.
"Well, you look awfully dressed up for this deranged little town," Klaus says.
You smirk and give a little twirl, the skirt of your dress flaring out just above your knees. "Well, I gotta make up for how I looked just an hour ago."
"You really like this vampire, don't you?" Elijah wonders.
You shrug, suddenly bashful as you hunt down your cropped leather jacket. "I mean, he's nice."
Klaus snorts. "Nice doesn't catch your attention, sweetheart. Try again."
Slipping into your jacket, you quietly groan. "He's.. protective. And mine. And if anyone hurts him or his brothers, I will hurt them back."
When you meet the brothers' stare, you find them both smiling at you.
"It's about time you found someone," Elijah says. "Niklaus and I were starting to worry."
"Of course, you were." Your eyes roll, but you're still smiling fondly. "Now can we go? I also want human food now."
You, Elijah, and Klaus run to the boardwalk, blending in with the nightlife so no one sees you appear from between one blink and the next. The boardwalk brings a smile to your face, especially when the Mikaelson's look so out of place.
It isn't hard to find the Lost Boys since you know their usual hangouts and make a beeline for them leaning against the railing near their motorbikes. There are a few girls hanging around them, Paul and Marko eating the attention up and stringing along the poor girls with eyes for them. David and Dwayne, however, seem wholly uninterested in the two girls vying for their attention and you smile mischievously.
You saunter in Dwayne's direction, making sure to catch his gaze as you only have eyes for him. His eyes seem to pass over you before quickly flickering back and the moment his lips curve into a smile, you laugh. The girl who'd been standing too close in order to speak with him looks in your direction, frowning, but you completely ignore her. You walk right up to Dwayne, hands sliding around his bare waist under his jacket as you lean up on the tips of your toes to capture his lips in a kiss. He smiles against your mouth, immediately kissing you back as his own arms wrap around your waist to pull you against him.
The wolf-whistles and jeers from his brothers do nothing to deter you, nor does Elijah and Klaus' presence.
"Uh, excuse me?" The feminine voice interrupting you makes you mentally snarl.
You pull back and glance at the female for a second. "You're excused."
"We were talking."
"No, you were talking, and he was waiting for me. Now run along, little girl. Your presence isn't needed."
"Y'ow! That was cold, girlie." Paul calls out.
You wink at Paul and then look back at Dwayne. Lifting your left hand, you wiggle your empty ring finger. "I believe you have something of mine."
Dwayne smirks as he pulls your daylight ring off his pinky, sensually sliding your ring back into its rightful place. When it's settled on your finger, you chuckle before chastely kissing him again.
The girl who'd been vying for David's attention is apparently the smartest of the bunch and she readily rounds up her girls to walk off. Paul and Marko mockingly wave at them as they scoff at you still in Dwayne's arms, and you press a kiss to his bare chest before stepping aside and tucking yourself under his arm.
"Well, you're feeling better," David drawls.
"Mhm. Nothing like a little blood to perk one right back up."
The Lost Boys all chuckle but leave it to a Mikaelson to bring your mood back down.
"Well since you're in good spirits," Elijah says and your smile drops.
"Elijah, no."
"Your family is growing impatient with your prolonged absence."
You groan. "Have they gotten Bonnie to track me?"
"Yes, but fortunately I thought about that in advance and have had you under a cloaking spell for quite some time now," Klaus says with a smirk. "They're not very happy with me at the moment."
"They never are," you muse. After a moment, you sigh a little as you lean more into Dwayne. "I'm gonna have to visit, aren't I? Just to shut them up."
"Yes."
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as our witch gets your new friends their daylight jewelry."
Klaus and Elijah smirk as it takes a moment for their words to sink in. And when they do, you jerk out of Dwayne's hold. "Wait, what?! You're getting them-"
Klaus shrugs as if it's no big deal. "It's more for me than it is for you. No one other than Elijah and I know your new friends are a different breed of vampires. It'll be a nice surprise when Damon steps out of line."
You huff a laugh and then face the boys. "Would you guys even be interested in leaving Santa Carla for a bit if the jewelry works?"
"Uh, hell yes," Paul blurts.
Marko eagerly nods, Dwayne shrugs, and David frowns.
"We can't leave Santa Carla unprotected. If we do, other vampires are likely to move in."
"Fear not, I'll have some associates stay behind to make sure that doesn't happen," Klaus says. "And they'll even hunt down the wolf who bit YN, and any others trespassing since I'm assuming you boys run the entire city."
David doesn't seem too impressed, but with Paul and Marko overly eager, you can see that he doesn't want to squash their fun. "Are you sure these daylight rings will work for us?" He asks, looking at Elijah and Klaus.
"Yes. Though we figured rings wouldn't fit your aesthetic, so we have leather bracelets being fitted with the spelled stone. They should be ready in a day or two since the witch has to tweak the spell a bit."
"Well okay then."
"Yes!" You beam. Quickly grabbing hold of Dwayne's hand, you start tugging him away from the group. "So, while you all come up with a plan for our departure, Dwayne and I are going to go for a walk. Near death experience and all that, so I'm feeling a little bit foolish."
Elijah and Klaus immediately scowl, and you wink. "Love you, boys. Don't murder my friends."
Dwayne laughs as you hurriedly tug him away then, disappearing into the crowd of locals and tourists. You drag him past all the rides and booths, heading for a small, darkened pier. You lead him towards the very end, turning your back on the ocean and facing Dwayne as you lean against the railing. "Hi," you muse.
"Hi." He steps closer, caging you against the railing as he leans his head down to press a kiss to your forehead. "Glad to see you're not on death's door anymore."
"Feels good not to be on death's door anymore." You laugh, wrapping your arms around his waist so you're hugging him. "So, are you ready to get out of Santa Carla for a few days?"
"Depends. Do you think these bracelets will work?"
"Yes. The witches aren't dumb enough to double cross the Mikaelson's."
"Mhm. And what should we expect in Mystic Falls? What should I expect in Mystic Falls?"
You slowly grin. "Is this your way of asking if I left anyone behind, Dwayne?"
"Yes."
"God, I love that you're so blunt." You quickly lean up to peck his lips. "And no. I didn't leave anyone behind. I'm older than my sister's friend group, so I didn't go there with any of the boys. I almost had a fling with Damon, but I refused to play into his games when I realized he was doing anything to rile up my sister and his brother. And then there's that whole thing that happened with Caroline, and I've never forgiven him for it. I don't know how my sister managed to look past it."
"What thing?"
"Damon lured Caroline to bed, using her to feed and fuck. Sometimes, he'd show her what he was and practically brutalize her before compelling her to forget and then do it all over again the next night. He pretty much raped her and now my sister believes he's the love of her life."
Dwayne scowls. "She the girl that turned the same night as you?"
"Yep. She knocked him on his ass when all her memories returned, but she was just expected to fall in line and treat him as a friend when all was said and done."
"That's messed up."
"Yeah." You heave a sigh, shrugging. "Their whole friend group is toxic as hell which was the main motivator for me getting the hell out of there. And now I gotta return so they know I'm alive and well, so they can stop blaming Elijah and Klaus for anything."
"If this Damon guy so much as looks at you wrong..."
"Then I give full permission to snap his neck or rough him up some. Just don't kill him because then I'll never hear the end of it."
"No promises."
You laugh and kiss him once more. "Fair enough. Now let's go do some gross couple-y shit and piss off a few humans before we're stuck with your brothers and my family for a week."
It took nearly two days for Klaus' witch to pull through, delivering the bracelets to your hotel suite that the Mikaelson's had been staying in with you. The three of you then left for the cave where Klaus urged you to wake your friends before the sun set so they could try their bracelets. They'd been none too happy to be woken, but all too eager to try the bracelets once you told them they were done.
Paul, being the guinea pig, put his bracelet on and cautiously held his hand in a ray of sunlight. When his hand didn't smoke or burst into flames, he stepped fully into the light and held his breath before letting out a whoop of delight.
Another perk that came with the bracelet was that once the bracelets had been secured around their wrists, they all noticed that they weren't fatigued by the sun anymore. The lost boys took great pleasure in leaving the cave and standing atop Hudson's Bluff in broad daylight, and then Klaus urged everyone to hurry because Santa Carla was very much beneath him.
While Klaus called some contacts to be stationed around the little town, while also giving them the task of hunting down any werewolf in Santa Carla, you let your hotel know that you'd be gone for a week. Elijah assured the boys they'd have everything once they reached Mystic Falls, and then it wasn't long until everyone was loaded up onto a private jet.
. .
. .
There's a large SUV waiting at the airport just outside of Mystic Falls and you all pile in with Elijah getting behind the wheel. And instead of driving straight to their home, Elijah drives through the town so the boys can see just exactly where it is you came from.
"Everything's so.. clean," Marko muses as he stares out a window.
"I can't believe you grew up here," Paul then adds. "These people aren't gonna chase us out of town with pitchforks and torches, are they?"
You laugh. "Not the humans, but my family and friends will most definitely try."
Klaus points out the Mystic Grill and that it'll be where everyone will make their grand entrance after the boys don appropriate attire. And then it's off to their precious mansion and you take great joy in the boys' impressed expressions upon seeing it for the first time.
"Max's beach house has nothing on this house," Paul says in awe.
"You know where your room is, Miss Gilbert," Elijah says as you enter the foyer of the mansion. And with a lingering stare and then a sigh, he adds, "And if your beau wants to stay with you, that's fine with us." You meet Dwayne's stare and wiggle your eyebrows, earning a smile and nod in return. "As for the rest of you, please follow me so we can get you situated."
"Shower and change," Klaus calls out on his way towards his studio. "The fun begins in one hour."
Dwayne follows you to your room as Elijah shows everyone else to theirs. He walks in behind you, taking in the extravagant room and lavish decor. Dwayne's eyebrow arches. "You grew up like this?"
You chuckle as you open a closet to choose an outfit for yourself. "No. The Mikaelson's are filthy rich compared to everyone in this town. I lived in a much smaller, less fancy house."
"Yet you're completely at home here."
"When you meet my sister and her friends later, you'll understand why I've spent so much time here." You pull out an outfit and turn towards Dwayne. "Now go shower while I get Elijah to deliver whatever clothes he has for you. I'll shower in Rebekah's room."
"Or we can shower together."
"Absolutely not!" You hear Klaus' shout all the way from downstairs.
Laughing, you nudge Dwayne towards the shower and then go in search of Elijah. You ask for Dwayne's clothing to be delivered to your room while you use Rebekah's shower. You hurriedly shower and change, and when you exit you find Rebekah waiting on her bed.
"So who's the riff raff?" She asks.
"Hello to you too, Bex," you muse. At her expectant expression, you say, "They're my new friends."
"Sex friends?" She wiggles her eyebrows.
"Ew. No." You pause a beat and then, "Well.."
"I knew it. Which one is it?"
"Dwayne. He's showering in my room so I don't think you've seen him. And unfortunately, there's been no sex. Not yet at least."
She grins. "Where did you meet them?"
"Santa Carla. It's where I've been staying and plan to stay now," you admit. "They, uh, they're vampires. Not our kind, but the kind that look truly monstrous when their faces change. And they can fly."
"Well, that's interesting."
"Not as interesting as the fact that we're not telling anyone what they are unless they have to intervene in some drama."
Rebekah's eyes light up and you laugh at her sudden interest. "So what's the plan?"
"We're all going to the Grill just so everyone can see that I'm alive and well, and that your brother isn't keeping me in a dungeon somewhere. We'll probably be here for a week before we go back to California."
"Excellent. We're having a party."
"No."
"Can it be one of those fancy parties?" You startle at the voice, turning to see Paul and Marko standing in the doorway. "We really want to see YN in a poofy dress."
"Absolutely not."
"Ohhhh. A ball!"
You sigh, knowing it's a losing battle. You glare at your friends, but then take a moment to take in what you're actually seeing. Without the dirty jeans, mesh shirts, and tattered jackets, the boys actually look pretty decent. Marko kept his hair the same, but you were surprised to see Paul's hair in a messy bun. Both wore stylish ripped skinny jeans, band tees, and Doc Martens. "You boys clean up well."
Marko smirks. "You should see David."
When your brain reboots, you hurriedly step into your own shoes before rushing down the stairs with the laughing boys behind you. You find Elijah and David in the kitchen, most likely drinking blood from a mug since Elijah made it clear there was no killing within the town limits, and gape. David stands there in a burgundy dress shirt with the top two buttons left open, a black winter peacoat with its collar popped, fitted jeans, and brown boots.
"Keep staring like that and Dwayne will get jealous."
Your jaw clicks shut and then you can't help but laugh. "Enjoying the fresh clothes?"
"It's better than using the clothes of our victims."
You catch sight of Rebekah's nose wrinkling and you laugh. "Yeah. Definitely better than stealing from the dead."
You properly introduce Rebekah to David, Paul, and Marko, and let them chat as she asks to see their vampire face. Paul happily obliges and even the blonde Original is impressed with the difference between your breed of vampires. Klaus soon joins the group, and you're all enjoying warmed up blood from the fridge when you see Dwayne enter from the corner of your eye.
Turning to face him, your gaze sweeps along him from head to toe. He's in a white dress shirt that's been left unbuttoned to the middle of his chest, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, snug faded jeans resting on his hips, and black boots adoring his feet. His hair has been pulled into a ponytail, only on the last loop through he didn't pull his hair all the way through and left the strands trapped so it's all hanging above his neck still.
And holy hell does he look good.
"Maybe telling you boys to shower was a mistake." Rebekah snorts at your ogling and you snap out of it before making your way to Dwayne. "Hi." You kiss his cheek. "You look nice."
"Right back at 'ya."
"As bloody adorable as you two are," Rebekah says, "can we go? It's been a while since I've annoyed your friends."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go."
Rebekah isn't too keen on squishing herself between two strangers, so she takes her own vehicle. And not wanting her to drive alone, you grab Dwayne's hand and lead him along until you're pushing him towards the backseat of her car while climbing into the passenger seat yourself. He's quiet on the drive, but listens as Rebekah asks you about your travels.
When Rebekah finally parks at Mystic Grill, you get out and immediately wrap your hand around Dwayne's. You're giddy as you get closer to the front entrance, ignoring Rebekah's teasing. Then upon entering the establishment, you scan the place for Elijah or Klaus or the other boys. And a moment later, Paul's eager waving from the back catches your attention.
Rebekah saunters her way through Mystic Grill while you and Dwayne follow. They've pushed three tables together with Elijah and Klaus sitting on either end. Paul and Marko are sitting across from each other, closest to Klaus, and David is sitting near Elijah. Rebekah chooses the seat across from David, closest to Elijah, which forces you and Dwayne to sit across from one another instead of side by side.
Elijah tells the table to order whatever they want, and there's a mad scramble for the menus when a handful are dropped off.
"YN?"
You glance up and over your shoulder, and smile politely at the blonde haired, blue eyed ex-boyfriend of your sister. "Hey, Matty. Long time no see."
He smiles, but then that smile falters when he notices the company you're keeping. "Are you, uh, are you good?"
"Never been better," you muse. "And you?"
"It's Mystic Falls." He shrugs. "You know how it is."
"Yeah. I do."
A beat passes and then Matt clears his throat. "So what can I get everyone to drink?"
Elijah, Klaus, and David all get bourbon, Rebekah and Dwayne get sweet tea, Marko gets lemonade, and you and Paul order Coke.
As Matt takes his leave, Rebekah starts to chuckle. "Well if your sister didn't know you were in town, she will now."
"I know," you groan. "I know we're here to ruffle some feathers, but I was hoping we would be able to eat in peace."
"Are they really that bad?" Marko asks.
You shrug. "If Damon wasn't involved, it would be tense but a decent time. But since Damon will be involved, he'll do his best to antagonize one or all of the Mikaelson's. Maybe even you guys since you're new and friends of mine."
"Well we do love some good verbal spars." Paul wiggles his eyebrows and you playfully roll your eyes.
Matt soon returns with the drinks and then takes everyone's order. Elijah and Klaus don't want any food, but all the lost boys order cheeseburgers and fries whereas you and Rebekah opt for chicken wraps and a basket of cheese fries each.
You barely have a moment to relax before your name's being called again and you mentally groan. Turning in your seat, you plaster on a friendly smile. "Hey, sis."
Elena stands there, happy yet anxious as she takes in those you're sitting with. "When did you get in?"
As she takes a step closer, you stand and awkwardly hug her. "Earlier today," you say. "Made some friends and what not, and thought I'd show them where I grew up."
"So you picked up some stragglers and thought it was a good idea to show them where you live?"
Your gaze slides to the right and you sigh. "Lived. Past tense. And hello to you too, Damon."
Damon smirks, blue eyes sparkling with a little malice as Elena stammers. "L-Lived? What are you talking about?"
You shrug. "Mystic Falls isn't that great of a fit for me anymore, so I found a place that was."
"So where do you live now?"
"Out of state."
"YN." Elena frowns. "I don't really think-"
"Drop it, Elena." You shake your head at her. "I'm the older sister here. If I wanna settle elsewhere, I will."
"But-"
"Elena."
Elena frowns, but wisely shuts her mouth, and Damon gestures to the side with his head. "As adorable as this squabble is, maybe we should take this outside. Family business and all."
"Funny. Last I checked, you are a Salvatore and these two lovely ladies are Gilberts," Elijah drawls.
Damon's smirk falls. "Stay out of it, Mikaelson."
Paul and Marko snicker as David and Klaus grin, but Dwayne is watching the conversation rather closely.
You roll your eyes with a sigh and stand up. "Whatever. I'm not going outside though. I'm starving and Matt will be back with our food any minute now."
You walk towards the hallway where the bathrooms are, leaning against the wall. Elena and Damon are on your heels, and they don't waste a second laying into you.
"What the hell, YN? You disappear for a year and then come back, only to let me know you're not even living here anymore?" Elena says.
"We're not children anymore. I don't have to run my relocation past you."
She gapes. "Well, no, but-"
"But nothing."
"Knock off the attitude," Damon says through gritted teeth. "We get that you think you're important because the Mikaelson's are manipulating you, but enough is enough. It's time to stop playing nice with the enemy and come home to your family like a good little girl."
You hiss in Damon's direction, taking a step towards him. "Last I checked, you're not family. Shut up and wait outside like the good little lap dog you are."
"YN!"
Before you can blink, a hand is around your throat and you're being shoved back into the wall. "Careful, YN. I might not be able to make your life difficult with the Mikaelson's, but you brought four brand new, very fragile guys into the mix."
"Damon, stop."
"I'll have no problem picking them off one by one until you behave."
Instead of rising to the bait, you slowly smirk at him. "I'd like to see you try."
"Am I interrupting?"
You, Elena, and Damon turn towards the open end of the hallway, and you smile at the sight of Dwayne. A very tense Dwayne. "Hi, baby," you coo. "And no, you're not. Is our food at the table?"
"Yes."
"I'll be right there." Dwayne glares at Damon before giving you a nod, and then he turns to walk away. As soon as he's out of sight, you reach up and grab onto Damon's wrist, yanking his hand from your neck and snapping his wrist. He hisses in pain and Elena gasps. "Touch me again and it'll be your neck I snap next," you snarl.
He sneers right back at you. "You have a weakness. Good to know."
"You go after him and I will fucking kill you," you suddenly seethe, fangs elongating in your sudden spike of anger. Then looking at your sister, you say, "If any of my friends are hurt by the hands of your little boy toy, we are done. For good. And given what we are, dear sister, that's a long time to have no contact with your only sister."
Elena sadly shakes her head. "You've changed."
"You're damn right I have. You and your enemies made me into the person I am today. I am done being talked down to and being walked all over. You have a problem, fix it yourself. Stop playing the woe is me card and deal with your life as it is. You wanted to lay with vampires? Well congratulations, Elena, you're laying with vampires and dealing with all the issues that come with the life you chose."
"I didn't want this!"
"Of course you did," you drawl. "Otherwise you would have turned the other way when Stefan let the vampire secret out of the bag. Now if you'll excuse me, I got a meal to eat and friends to show around."
You slam your shoulder into Damon on your way out of the hall, shaking your head in amusement when you catch sight of every Mikaelson and lost boy already staring at you. Paul has moved next to Marko, leaving the spot next to Dwayne empty for you.
"You good?" Dwayne asks as soon as you sit down.
"Peachy." Under the table, Dwayne pulls your chair closer to his and lays a hand rather possessively atop your thigh. You grin. "Now can we eat? I'm starving."
The first night back in Mystic Falls is fairly quiet. Your only run-ins were with Damon and Elena, but you did get text messages from Jeremy, Caroline, and Bonnie. Your brother and friends seem excited to know you're back in town, but explain their surprise with your sudden move. Jeremy tries to not so discreetly discover where you're now living, but you don't give up the location. You just tell them all that you're happy and you rather not say where you're living because Damon will do anything and everything to drag you back to Mystic Falls the moment something displeases Elena.
And the fact that none of them argue your point lets you know that they completely understand.
You and Rebekah then got to show the boys Mystic Falls at night, letting them see just how drastically different your hometown is compared to Santa Carla.
The boys, thankfully, don't cause any issues and your first night is easy.
Your second day in Mystic Falls, however, is proving to be testing your patience.
"I. Do. Not. Want. A. Birthday. Party."
"Too bad." Rebekah smirks. "We're throwing you one."
"You're my least favorite Mikaelson." Turning around, you sigh and pout. "Elijah, tell your sister no party."
"Sorry, Miss Gilbert. No can do."
"You're no fun. Klaus?"
Klaus merely smirks, attention never wavering from the canvas he's been painting his next masterpiece on.
"So, is this going to be a party party? Or a fancy party? I was digging those poofy dresses I saw in YN's phone," Paul muses.
Rebekah gasps as she perks up, and you groan. You'd hope they'd forgotten about that.
"No ball!" You snap. "I can deal with pretty dresses and suits, but nothing too fancy."
Rebekah immediately pouts, but she gives in fairly easily. "Fine. Then I'm inviting anyone and everyone."
"Fine."
"And your boys have to wear suits."
"Duh. If I'm dressing up, so are they."
"And cutting their hair."
"Absolutely not."
"Yes." Rebekah scowls. "Mullets are gross."
You shrug. "I don't disagree, but Marko and David somehow manage to pull it off."
"They need to go."
"Nope. Paul and Dwayne can do with a trim, but you're not touching the mullets."
"YN."
"Rebekah."
"They're gross."
"It's their style."
"Elijah!"
"Klaus!"
Both you and Rebekah, who'd managed to end up toe to toe in your back and forth, turn to look at her brothers. But instead of just finding the two of them, you find the lost boys watching along with amusement dancing in their eyes.
You and Rebekah both roll your eyes then, huffing simultaneously, which earns laughter in return.
"So, are we talking a live band or a DJ?" She then asks, ignoring all the men in the room.
"DJ, definitely."
"Food?"
"Anything small that can be eaten by hand."
As you and Rebekah walk off to plan, Elijah stares at the boys and stands. "Well since we're throwing a party, we must be fitted for new suits. Let's go, boys."
Paul whoops, but his delight only lasts as long as it takes for Klaus to remind him that he has to get his hair trimmed.
. .
. .
After spending the day planning a party with Rebekah and brainstorming what kind of dress you're looking for, you can finally call it a night after Klaus tells you not to wait up. Both he and Elijah have kept the boys out and about, none of them complaining because they're still awed about being able to be walking around in the sunlight annoying people that Klaus doesn't care for.
After showering and slipping into a tank top and pajama shorts, you lay in bed while scrolling through social media. You hear when all the men/boys return and can't help but smile when you hear Elijah's exasperation with his brother over telling a rather bawdy joke to your friends.
Then it isn't long until Dwayne enters your room and you put your phone down as he takes a clothing bag to hang in the closet. "Have fun?" You muse.
He gives you a deadpan look over his shoulder and you laugh. Dwayne then toes off his boots, sliding into the bed next to you with a quiet groan. "You know, I always wondered what it'd be like to have money." He drapes his arm over your stomach, dragging you closer to him so his nose is pressed to your temple as he breathes you in.
"And…?"
"It's insane. Klaus was compelling everyone to get what he wanted, but Elijah was just dropping bills left and right without a care in the world."
You turn your head and kiss the underside of his jaw. "No drama?"
"We ran into that Damon guy and his own brother. They kept dropping not so subtle hints that Elijah and Klaus were dangerous individuals, and he wouldn't be surprised if our bodies were found in the woods sooner rather than later."
You snort with laughter. "And what did you guys say in return?"
His lips twitch. "Klaus pretended to compel us all, fed off Paul, and told them to mind their business. I thought that Stefan guy was about to blow a vein when Damon gritted his teeth and mentioned that we were important to you."
"Please tell me Klaus' bite didn't poison Paul," you grumble.
"Nah. That was the only upside of the night. We found that a werewolf's bite doesn't affect us like it did you. Elijah's impressed and is going to look into our breed of vampire."
"Well that's good, I guess. Did everyone get fitted?"
"Yeah, we're all good."
"Good." You scoot up and kiss square on the lips. "Now go shower and change into something more comfortable than jeans. I'm in the mood for some cuddles."
Dwayne grins and kisses you again, lingering a little longer and leaving you breathless after scraping his fangs along your bottom lip. "Just cuddles?"
"Hmm? No," you answer in a bit of a daze. "Definitely not. Now hurry up."
You just wanted to travel and forget all about the drama you left behind. You didn't expect to fall in with four boys who would become another family. Maybe more.
[Part One of Three]
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm- I'm alive? Surprise! I'm still in a bit of a pickle with where I want part two to go, but I figured if I post this now then I can't back out and delete it. I need your help, but I'll ask at the bottom so I won't spoil this.
Words: 7.9K
Santa Carla is the total opposite of Mystic Falls and you couldn't have loved it here more if you tried. You grew up with pageants and balls and trying to stay at the top of the popularity totem pole, but you secretly loathed every second of it. Not to mention your sister was a beacon for the supernatural, attracting vampires like no one's business, which eventually led to you getting caught in the crossfire and being turned at the ripe age of twenty.
Stefan Salvatore did his best to teach you how to feed and control your blood lust, but his techniques just weren't cutting it for you. So Damon took over, leading Bonnie, Matt, Elena, Jeremy, and Tyler deeming you untrustworthy. You don't know why they disliked your friendship with Damon so much, but their wariness of you only grew when you eventually befriended the Original Vampires that once sought to kill you, your family, and friends.
The last straw was when everyone started fighting over a cure for vampirism. They all thought there was enough of the cure to go around for all those who wanted it, but nope. There was only a single dose, and both Elena and Rebekah wanted it. So when you saw the lines being drawn, you packed a couple of bags and left to see the world.
The only person who knew of your travel plans were, surprisingly, Elijah and Klaus. Elijah was sad to see you go, especially since you were one of the only ones who he could trust, but Klaus was all for you seeing the world and experiencing life as you should have. You were more than content compelling your way through the trip, but the Mikaelson's were having none of that and gave you a card to use since they amassed a ridiculous amount of money over the years.
After deleting all social media, with the exception of a traveling Instagram account that was newly made, you bought a new phone and only gave your new number to Elijah and Klaus. You traveled abroad first, touring the most beautiful cities, museums, and seeing every landmark you could. You kept the Mikaelson brothers in the loop about everything that they sometimes surprised you by showing up for a week before flying back home.
For a year you saw all you could and then headed back to the States. You wanted nothing to do with Mystic Falls, Virginia, so you settled in California. Santa Carla was the most nitty gritty town you'd ever seen, and it was the last place anyone in your family would expect for you to stay in.
It was perfect.
With a new hotel having been built in Santa Carla, you compelled yourself one of the suites indefinitely. You didn't want to purchase a house in case you needed to up and leave, and having a housekeeper stop by weekly was perfect.
You stood out amongst the locals of Santa Carla, it seeming like everyone walking around either had some crazy hairstyle, hair color, or numerous piercings. And then there was you, skin untouched and the only piercings you had being those in your ears.
So after a week of settling in and compelling those who needed compelling, you finally decided to hit the infamous boardwalk.
The boardwalk, for some reason, feels like you've stepped into the past. Could be because of the music playing or the way everyone dressed, but you know you didn't actually slip into the past given the cell phones in people's hands or air pods in people's ears. The bells, whistles, and flashing lights make you giddy, taking you back to a time when you were excited as a child to be attending the annual fair Mystic Falls put on, but the attendees were the total opposites of those you'd find in Mystic Falls.
The employees in charge of the various game booths attempt to entice you to play, but you rather spend your cash at the crafts section of the boardwalk. There was no use in paying for a rigged game that made sure you lost ninety percent of the time when you could buy handmade crafts and help support someone's living.
After buying some handmade jewelry and a couple of shirts, you decide to eat. There's a Chinese place that smells marvelous as you stroll by, so you turn back around and enter the establishment. And then almost as soon as you're seated, a waitress comes by to take your drink order. You quickly skim the menu as she gets your drink, then order a bowl of Hot and Sour soup, a plate of Chicken LoMein, two egg rolls, and a pan of fried dumplings. The waitress seems impressed, and you merely laugh it off before sipping your Coke.
As you wait for your food, you grab a napkin and start ripping it apart piece by piece as you stare out the window you'd chosen to sit by. People pass by, uncaring for what's going on in the small restaurant, but then there are two boys that you just so happen to clash gazes with. Both fit with the eighties aesthetic- one with wildly tamed blonde hair that only a true rocker could pull off and the other with a dirty blonde, curly mullet. Both hairstyles are wildly out of place, even if they're trying to make a comeback now, but fortunately for the boys they can pull it off.
"Hey, chika, you want some company?" The blonde with the teased hair shouts so you can hear him through the window.
Holding back a wince at his loud volume, you shake your head. "Maybe next time!"
"Aw. Come on, babe. You're breaking my heart!" He pouts, even as his friend smirks behind his fist.
You shrug, grinning, but are saved from having to interact any further when the waitress appears with your food. As the food is set in front of you and you thank her, you glance at the boys one last time while giving them a wink before digging in.
You casually devour your food bit by bit, asking for a refill on your Coke only once. Then when you've had your fill, you ask for your leftovers to be boxed up. And as you walk outside, you hand said leftovers to a couple of teens digging through a trash can.
Walking around, you soak in the night time atmosphere. The sweat from the humans and the oil used to deep fry all sorts of food is rather distracting from the ocean scented air wafting in, but none of it is as distracting as the copper smell you pick up on one particular gust of wind. There doesn't seem to be any panic-induced mayhem on the boardwalk, so you figure someone must have cut themselves and is getting bandaged up.
A diner further down the boardwalk advertises milkshakes on its main window, and suddenly a strawberry milkshake sounds superb. So after making a quick trip inside to secure yourself a milkshake, you're back on the boardwalk once again.
No one has bothered you the entire time, but the moment you perch yourself on the railing to sip and people watch, one confident individual saunters towards you. It hardly takes you two seconds to realize this individual is in his teens obviously thinking you're a teen as well. But given you were twenty when you were turned and have spent a few years undead, you're so not interested in whatever this boy has to offer.
Before the individual can open his mouth, you hold a hand up to stall him and shake your head. "Stop right there. Not interested."
The boy's expression drops into shock before quickly morphing back into his too confident persona. "Aw, come on, girl. You look like you're in need of some fun."
"I am, but you need to be at least this tall-" you say while holding your free hand at least a foot above his head, "-for me to ride that ride."
There's a snort to your right, but you ignore it, even ignoring the presence that jumps onto the railing next to you before sliding their arm around your shoulder. "Sorry, kid. Maybe the next girl you hit on won't have a height requirement."
There's even more laughter and the boy rethinks his approach before scoffing and leaving. You grin, wrapping your lips around the straw of your milkshake and turning your head to your new companions. "Blondies one and two," you muse. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Just thought we'd play knight in shining armor," blondie one says. "I'm Paul. My friend is Marko."
"YN.."
Paul practically vibrates with energy. "So do I meet your height requirements?"
You laugh, uncaring when he steals your milkshake to sip from. "You may meet the height requirement, but I don't go for blondes. Sorry."
"Aw, chika, you wound me!" He feigns his hurt, holding a hand to his heart as you take your milkshake back. Marko can only laugh, shoving at his friend's shoulder when he leans a little too far his way. Once he corrects himself, he doesn't remove himself from your side. "So what's a pretty girl like you doing here all alone? Waiting for friends? Family?"
"Ugh, no." Your nose wrinkles. "Too much family drama for my tastes so I've been traveling the world for a little over a year now. Santa Carla seems like the least likely of places my family would think to look for me, so I'm staying as long as I can."
Marko seems interested as he leans around Paul to ask, "What's been your favorite place so far?"
"Tromsø, Norway," you reply.
"Why?"
"Because ever since I was a little girl, I've been obsessed with the aurora borealis. It's the best place to view it."
"Cool."
"Where are you staying?" Paul asks. "Maybe we can have a party one of these nights."
"Doubtful. I'm staying in a hotel suite and I have a feeling partying with you would lead to my place being trashed. No thanks."
Marko smirks. "Smart girl."
You grin and sip your milkshake as Marko comes around to lean against the railing on your other side. They ask some more about the places you've been, and you don't know what comes over you that you feel comfortable enough with these two to regale them with your tales of travel. In return, Marko and Paul tell you about themselves and their two other brothers. They tell you that they're all not originally from Santa Carla, but ended up finding each other throughout the years and made their own family unit in town.
Then just as you hop down to throw away your empty cup, the crowd seems to part as two individuals approach. Another blondie with a mullet and a brunette whose hair is almost as wild as Paul's. You can't tear your eyes from the brunette who is all too comfortable going shirtless with nothing but a weathered leather jacket hanging off his frame and some snug fitting jeans.
"Oh, I see how it is." Paul muses in your ear. "You like 'em dark haired."
You throw your elbow back, tearing your gaze away from the brunette in front of you to smirk over your shoulder at Paul when he grunts. Marko snickers at his brother's misfortune. "YN, this is David and Dwayne."
Both the new blondie and brunette nod at you, and you flash them back a faint smile. You're quick to toss your trash, then head back to your new friends. "Well, it was nice meeting you boys, but I should get going."
"Aw, come on, girlie. Hang for a bit more," Paul pleads, but you shake your head.
"Maybe next time."
"Will there actually be a next time or are you gently letting us down?" Marko wonders.
Your eyes roll. "We've only just met and you're already clingy?" You tut at him. Marko gapes and you wink at him. "Yes, there will be a next time. At least there will be if we cross paths again."
"We'll take that," Paul says. He slings an arm around Marko and smiles. "See you around, girlie."
The next afternoon, you decide to have some fun in the sun. You spend the early afternoon in your room, ordering room service and having a nice steak and fry lunch. While eating, you post a few pictures you snapped of the boardwalk nightlife, ferris wheel, and carousel all lit up. Then afterwards, you dress in a bikini before pulling on a pair of jeans shorts and a tank top. Only after slipping your feet into a pair of flip-flops do you pack a backpack with a beach towel, your phone, sunglasses, and some cash before taking your leave.
You're surprised to find that the beach isn't packed, so you pick a spot on the beach to lay out your towel and backpack. You spend a bit of time searching for sand dollars and shells, then go swimming in the ocean. Afterwards, you lay out on your towel with your sunglasses shielding your eyes. You doze on and off, and then just as the sun is setting you start to get up.
Shaking off your beach towel, you get rid of all the sand before folding it and shoving it into your backpack with your clothes. Then heading over to the beach showers, you rinse off all the sand and ocean water, and let yourself dry in the lingering sun rays before slipping your shorts back on.
In the middle of choosing what to eat, you hear catcalls and wolf whistles. You try to ignore it, hoping they're directed to someone else, but nope. They're directed at you. However, when you turn to glare and give the boys a piece of your mind, you find Paul and Marko beaming at you with their other brothers Dwayne and David just watching on.
Your glare vanishes and you roll your eyes as you slowly untense. "Do you guys have nothing better to do than check out girls on the boardwalk?"
"Nope." Paul hops off his bike and practically skips towards you. "What are you doing?"
"Heading to dinner. I spent most of the day on the beach so I'm starving."
"Ohhhh. What are we having?"
"I'm having pizza and wings. If you want to tag along, you buy your own."
"Done." He turns around and shouts, "Come on, boys. We're getting pizza!"
You shake your head and greet Marko when he approaches, smiling at the other two who have yet to speak up. Paul takes the lead and you walk side by side with Marko. The pizza place isn't far and you all head inside. You place your order first- a medium Hawaiian and a side order of boneless honey bbq wings. You accept your number tag after paying and then wait for your new friends to order as well. Then once they've got their own number tag, Paul leads the way to a large booth meant for a large group at the back.
Paul and Marko slide into opposite sides of the booth, and it only takes you a second to scoot in next to Marko before placing your bag at your feet. Paul gasps and you chuckle. "What? Marko seems less likely to continuously elbow me as I try to eat."
"That's cold, girl."
You wink at Paul and are surprised when Dwayne scoots in on your other side. David settles in next to Paul and his ice blue eyes practically pierce you. "So what's a girl like you doing out here all alone?"
"You mean Paul didn't tell you?"
"I'm asking you."
The coolness of his voice makes you arch an eyebrow at him, but Paul's snickering keeps you at ease. So in the end, you shrug. "My siblings and I weren't seeing eye to eye for a while. I had some money put away to take a trip out of the States, but my new found family wasn't having any of that and gave me access to their money. I've traveled for a year before coming back, staying in a place furthest from my hometown."
"Parents?"
"Dead." Paul's smile falters and you kick him under the table. "None of that. It's been a while. It's fine."
"How did it happen?" Marko asks.
You face him briefly before saying, "My sister had a fight with her boyfriend and asked our parents to pick her up from a party. They did, but on the way back home my dad somehow lost control of the car and drove off a bridge. A bystander found them, but by the time he dove under water, my dad made the bystander get my sister out first. My parents ended up drowning."
"Do you have plans on returning?"
"Eventually." Just then a waitress stops by to deliver your drinks. You grin as Paul immediately starts flirting, sipping your Coke as the waitress blushes and stutters before leaving. "These poor Santa Carla girls have no idea how to handle you, do they?"
"Not a clue."
As Marko and Paul laugh, you shake your head rather fondly. You don't know what it is about this group that makes you feel at ease with them, but you're glad to have some people to talk to while you're in town. Another group enters the establishment, a little unruly as they find themselves a table. One of them catches your gaze and you grimace when you notice him leering at you.
Feeling a little exposed, you reach for your bag under the table and pull free your tank top. You quickly pull it on and then free your phone while waiting for your food, not paying much attention to Dwayne who's shifting in his seat next to you. You do, however, notice when something is dropped on your shoulders and realize Dwayne has given up his jacket.
You freeze and quickly glance up at Dwayne, taking a moment to stare at all the bronze skin now on display, but his glare is directed at the table of troublemakers who are snickering among each other. "Uhh.."
"Just wear it."
"Okay."
Those are the first three words Dwayne has spoken to you and you absolutely do not shiver at the sound of his voice. Paul, Marko, and even David sense something else and you flip them off after slipping your arms through the sleeves of Dwayne's jacket. Then just as you go to sip on your drink, your phone starts ringing with a video call.
Big Bad Wolf, complete with a wolf emoji, is stamped across the top of your phone above a picture of a smirking Klaus. "Uhh, do you guys mind if I accept this?"
"Go ahead, girlie."
You accept the call, keeping it so that only you're on screen. "What do you want?"
"Is that any way to talk to me, love?" You roll your eyes, grinning, and Klaus chuckles. "What are you doing?"
"Uhh, I'm out to dinner with some new friends," you say.
"You've already made friends?"
"Mhm. Look." You turn so Marko is in frame. "This is Marko." Marko grins and nods. Then you flip the camera and catch Paul. "This is Paul and David is next to him, but David is glaring at me. I'm pretty sure he'd kill me if I put him on camera."
Klaus chuckles. "Fair enough."
"And then this.." You glance at Dwayne, but he merely arches an eyebrow at you. You grin and turn the camera on him. "This is Dwayne."
A split second later and then, "No."
"W-What?" You splutter. Paul and Marko choke on a laugh, and finally both David and Dwayne smirk. "What do you mean no?"
"Elijah!"
Your eyes widen. "Why are you calling 'lijah? Don't call 'lijah!"
Elijah appears next to Klaus and you groan. "Go on, sweetheart. Put your friend on."
"Marko? Or Paul?"
"Don't play dumb."
You grumble and put Dwayne on camera. "Absolutely not," Elijah says.
"You guys are embarrassing," you grumble. "He's literally only said three words to me."
"Mhm. And whose jacket are you wearing?" Klaus asks.
You pout. "I hate you." Just then you catch sight of two waitresses coming with your pizza. "Oh, look. Food's here! I'll talk to you gentlemen later."
"YN-"
"I'm fine, Klaus. I'm okay and I'm happy. I promise."
"Well okay then. Call me back when you get to your room."
"Will do, big bad wolf. Talk to you later."
You end the call just as a pizza is being placed in front of Paul and Marko, then yours is placed in front of you, and then another is placed in front of David and Dwayne. You're handed your boneless wings, and you happily wiggle in your seat. You're starving!
After you take your first bite of the sweet Hawaiian pizza, David asks, "So was that your boyfriend?"
"Ew. No." Your nose wrinkles and you quickly swallow your bite of food. "Klaus and Elijah are like my older brothers. They're the two who are funding my whole trip."
"They sound fancy with those posh accents of theirs," Paul muses.
"They are fancy," you admit. "They host balls and everything. I seriously hated wearing those dresses with a poofy skirt. They're so uncomfortable to sit in."
"No way!" Paul laughs.
"Mhm. Look."
As you eat some more of your food one-handed, you open the photos app on your phone and seek out the album from all the parties you attended. You hand your phone over to Paul, and Marko actually leans across the table to get a glimpse of the life you left behind.
As the two of them swipe picture after picture, laughing, you eat in peace. You even crack a grin when Dwayne picks off your tray of boneless wings, chuckling when he tells you it's payment for wearing his jacket. You end up having to tell the boys who is who every time they ask and deny any romantic relationship accusations when a picture of you dancing with Damon pops up. You admit he was a good friend up until his feelings for your sister clouded his judgment and you'd had enough of their drama.
Dinner proceeds uninterrupted, but it's when you get up to leave that the table of troublemakers from earlier causes an issue. With Dwayne's jacket returned to him, you follow the group as David leads the way out. You've just passed the table of leering individuals when a loud smack! resonates in the room and a brief stinging pain blossoms on your butt. You freeze, your new friends freeze, and then you're whirling around to glare at the culprit. You slowly look at the smug individual as his friends cackle like morons.
Anger flaring, your hand whips out and grasps the guy by the back of the neck. You slam his head down onto the table, causing him to grunt and his friends to fall quiet. You lean down so your mouth is next to his ear and grit out, "Touch me again and I'll rip your fucking throat out." You put pressure on his neck, causing the table to groan under the weight of the pressure. "With my teeth," you hiss. Pushing off the too quiet guy and facing your new friends once more, you shrug. "What?"
David, Dwayne, Marko, and Paul just stare at you before chuckling.
"You're scary, girl. I like it."
With a roll of your eyes, you step forward and push past Paul. "Come on. Show me what Santa Carla has to offer."
Over the course of a week, you hang out with who the locals have dubbed the Lost Boys. Paul and Marko treat you like a long lost best friend, Dwayne has taken to hovering over your shoulder, and David is pretty indifferent to your presence although he will stand up for you if need be. Your senses tell you there's something off about the boys, but you don't realize what it is until you scent the coppery fragrance of blood coming off of them one night they're late to meet you.
If they're vampires, they must be vampires who don't know who the Mikaelsons are because none of them recognized the family in your pictures. But you don't call them out, nor do you hint about yourself, at least not until you're walking on the beach one night and your senses are assaulted with the scent of a lot of blood and screams off in the distance.
Glancing around, you notice the boardwalk is empty and shutting down. The beach where you're at is empty as well, and as you speed towards the sound of terror, your suspicions are proven correct about the Lost Boys.
They're unlike any vampires you've seen, more brutal in their feeding than even the Big Bad Hybrid himself. Their vampire visages showcase a true monster, but for some reason it doesn't bother you as it probably should. They're sinking their fangs into necks, shoulders, torsos, and even skulls, laughing all the while their victims scream in horror.
In their feeding frenzy, they don't notice you standing just on the outskirts of the firelight. Limbs are ripped from bodies before being tossed into the fire, blood spraying carelessly across the sand. But the moment the frenzy dies down, you can't help but make an entrance.
Slowly clapping, you smirk as all four vampires freeze and turn towards you as you walk into the light. David snarls, his monstrous face still on display as Paul and Marko quickly change their features. Their expressions are a bit crestfallen as you continue to find amusement in this situation, so you walk towards Dwayne who has gone stoic. "I get the bloodlust, but do you guys have to be such messy eaters? Gross." You wrinkle your nose as you kick an arm into the raging fire.
"W-What?" Paul splutters.
Looking back at Dwayne, you reach over and run a finger through the blood staining his chest. Then popping that same finger into your mouth, you wrap your tongue around your finger and savor the fresh blood now coating your tongue. You feel the veins beneath your eyes slither to the surface and your fangs elongate in your mouth. Then meeting Dwayne's gaze, you flash him a fangy grin. "I prefer to compel, eat, and release, but you do you I guess."
"Holy shit. You- you're a vampire?!"
Meeting Marko's stunned expression, you wink.
"You have a lot of explaining to do," David says.
"Sure." You meet his now ice-blue gaze. "But only after you clean up after yourselves. This," you say while gesturing to their dismembered victims, "is sloppy."
You watch as David oversees the cleanup of their little section of the beach, burning the bodies and kicking sand over the spilled blood. Afterwards, they all take a dip in the ocean to cleanse themselves of their meal.
On the way to their bikes which are parked just a bit down the beach, Paul asks, "So how old are you?"
"Which age are you referring to? The age I was when I was turned or how many years I've been a vampire?"
"Both."
"I was turned at twenty," you say, "and I've been a vampire for less than five years."
"No shit? How were you introduced to this world?"
"That.. is a very long story. Why don't we get someplace where I can actually tell it?"
As their bikes get nearer, you hiss at Paul when he pushes you in Dwayne's direction. Almost as if it was expected of you to ride with Dwayne, he settles on the seat of his bike before offering you a hand so you can situate yourself behind him.
Hanging on loosely, you enjoy the ride and take amusement in the sudden turns and jumps they take to try and startle you. But instead of being shaken, you merely laugh and pinch Dwayne's side when you're jostled too much.
The drive to the cliffs that you know to be Hudson's Bluff, overlooking the disgruntled sea, is rather short. You have a moment to glance down a rickety, wooden staircase before the group is driving down them one by one. You're jostled even more as the bike is driven over various rocks and through a gaping hole in the fence that's meant to keep trespassers out. They drive into a cave where the bikes are then parked, and you climb off to follow Paul down a very humid path.
Swiping cobwebs, vines, and roots out of the way, you're then led into a cavernous room. There are shafts of moonlight lighting up the space, and then Paul and Marko fire up barrels all around the space. The place is trashed, but you quickly realize it's not a normal cave. There's a sofa, chairs, and a broken water fountain. There's what appears to be a long counter- or was it a desk?- and a tattered portrait hanging behind it.
"What is this place?" You ask as you glance around in wonder. They obviously made it their own- seashells and broken CDs hanging from every place available, as well as hundreds of melted candles over every surface. You even spot a mattress, pillows, and blankets hidden behind some type of gauzy material.
"This was the hottest resort back in the day," David drawls. "Too bad they built it on a fault line though. When the big one hit San Francisco in 1906, this place took a header down into the ground when it split open. It's been our home ever since."
"Nice." You plop down on a couch, sighing as you stare at each boy. "So what do you wanna know?"
"Everything." David takes a seat on a wheelchair, staring right at you. "Start from the beginning."
"Fair enough. I was born and raised in Mystic Falls, Virginia to parents who ran their own business. I didn't want for anything and ended up being a letdown when I wasn't into pageants as my mother hoped I would be."
"Did your parents even die by drowning?" Marko asks.
"Yes. That was true," you tell him. "After their death, my aunt Jenna took in me, Elena, and Jeremy. Both my siblings grieved differently, but when the new school year started, my sister did a complete turnaround when Stefan Salvatore entered the picture."
"Why do I get the feeling this Salvatore dude is a major player in your story?" Paul asks.
"Because he is. Unbeknownst to any of us, Stefan Salvatore was vampire number one. He was drawn to Mystic Falls all because of my sister Elena."
"Why your sister?" Dwayne asks, startling you. He rarely spoke up, but when he did, you couldn't help but be drawn to him.
"Do you guys know what a doppelganger is?" At their nods, you explain. "Elena was the latest human doppelganger. The previous doppelganger, Katherine, toyed with two brothers back in 1864. The Salvatore brothers, to be exact."
"Shit." Paul giggles. "Talk about a vampire novella."
"Anyway, Katherine toyed with Damon's feelings and made him fall in love with her. When she tried the same with Stefan, he resisted so she compelled him to love her. And then when it came to light that there were many vampires in town, every vampire was rounded up, vervained, and anyone who associated with them were killed. As it just so happens, the Salvatore brothers' father found out his sons were romantically linked with Katherine, so he shot them. Unfortunately for him, Katherine had been feeding the boys her blood, so when they were killed, they didn't stay dead for long.
"Fast forward to the present time and both Salvatores are now salivating for the newest doppelganger. Only this time, Stefan has fallen in love with Elena without any compulsion, and so has Damon. Katherine's apparently been keeping tabs on the brothers and she's not happy that Elena has the love of the brothers."
David makes a motion with his hand to hurry you along. "How did you turn?"
"Katherine has made it her mission to make Elena's life a living hell, so what better way than to kill one of her best friends and older sister?"
Paul gapes. "You're joking."
"Nope. The crazy bitch fed me her blood before snapping my neck, then smothered Caroline who happened to have Damon's blood in her system. When we woke up in transition and fed on human blood to complete the transition, half of our friends turned on us. We had to rely on Damon and Stefan to teach us to control our bloodlust, but things were never the same. And to top it all off, learning to become a vampire was the least of our worries."
"What's more important than knowing you've died and have to kill people to survive?"
"How about that one of the Original vampires- who is over a thousand years old, by the way- needs the blood of a human doppelganger to break the curse on him, so he decides it's his turn to make your family's life hell as well?"
"Oh shit. What curse?" Paul asks.
You slowly smirk. "Niklaus Mikaelson is not just one of the original vampires, but he's the one and only original hybrid. He's half vampire, half wolf, and one of the most lethal individuals that still walks this earth."
The boys fall silent, but then Marko speaks up.
"Hold on. The dude funding your trip around the world is the same person who made your life a living hell?"
"Yep," you muse. "We were at each other's throats for the longest time, then his sister killed my sister which turned her into a vampire as well, and there was just a shit load more drama with doppelgangers, witches, werewolves, and hybrids." You shrug. "Elijah was never truly terrible, so I spoke more with him first, but then Klaus really took the brother role to heart. The Mikaelsons have kind of adopted me, and my siblings and friends didn't take too kindly to that. So, to avoid all the drama, I left. And now here I am."
For the rest of the late night and early morning, you answer all questions you can. Paul and Marko are interested to see the differences between you and them, but David and Dwayne are more interested in learning about the Original vampires and their unique differences. Their biggest hangup, however, is that the sun has no effect on you like it does them. Sure you both will catch on fire, but it doesn't pull you to sleep the day away like it does them. You're a bit jealous that they can fly, but you're so much faster than any of them.
The moment David mentions the impending sunrise is your cue to go, so you bid farewell to your friends before winking at Paul and disappearing before they can even blink.
For the next couple of days, you keep yourself busy by running some errands for Klaus. You meet with vampires and piss off a couple of werewolf packs, but all in all the work gets done. You hadn't been able to keep in touch with the Lost Boys, so Paul and Marko whoop in cheer when they spot you.
"Well if it isn't Miss Mystic Falls," Paul muses. "Where the hell have you been, chika?"
"Sorry. Sorry!" You lean against the railing in between the group, grimacing. "I had a few things to do and since you're all allergic to modern technology, I couldn't text or call."
"Anything we need to know about?" David wonders.
Normally you'd say no, but Santa Carla is his territory and you don't want any bad blood with him. "Not really. I had a few things to pick up for Klaus and a few messages to deliver to some werewolf packs up North."
David frowns. "There are packs nearby?"
"The closest one is fifty miles out, but they're all pretty scared of Klaus and what he can do so they stay in line. If there's anything to worry about, it's any lone wolves who decide to take shelter in the woods around Hudson's Bluff and don't give a flying fuck about the Original Hybrid."
"Pft. We can take on a rogue werewolf if need be," Paul says.
"You say that now, but you won't be saying much when you get bitten by one. Remember, werewolf bites are lethal to us vampires." Paul's smugness dims. "Now who's good to eat around here? I didn't have time to grab some blood bags from the hospital."
"Stay away from the Surf Nazis," Dwayne says.
"Surf Nazis? What the hell kind of name is that?" Your nose wrinkles in distaste.
"A name that they've had since the eighties," Marko says. "It just stuck because they're still a bunch of racist and bigoted pricks."
"Fair enough. So, if I can't eat them, who can I eat?"
All four boys readily scan the crowd, excited at the prospect of picking your dinner.
"Do you have a preference? Male or female?" David asks.
"No junkies and I'm good with either male or female."
After mere seconds, David already has his pick. "On your three. Group of guys keep glancing this way. I'm pretty sure they're not checking Marko out."
You subtly glance at them and figure any one of them is good enough. "Alright. Since you guys are intimidating as fuck, you're gonna say goodbye and go do your own thing. Whoever approaches me first is dinner."
"Boo. You're no fun." Paul's the first hop off his bike, giving you a side hug. "We'll be watching from the roof."
"Of course you will." You roll your eyes, laughing.
Marko winks at you as he follows after Paul, David nods at you, but it's Dwayne who makes you arch an eyebrow at him as he glares at the group of guys before leaving. You chuckle at the oddness of it all before shaking it off and then pulling out your phone to kill some time.
It doesn't take long at all for someone to approach you and you easily fall into the role of the lone human girl way too easily. You chat for a bit and find out he's in fact in college, on break for a week and just looking for some fun. You tell him you're taking a gap year, just passing through Santa Carla and was hoping for some fun as well. His lecherous grin lets him know you have him on the hook.
"Wanna take a ride on the ferris wheel?" He asks.
"I'll do you one better. I say we visit an alley away from prying eyes without giving any ride operators an eye full."
"Oh, fuck yes."
Smirking in triumph, you hop off the railing and grab up the guy's hand. You briefly meet his friends' gaze before winking at them, leading their friend off to what they think is going to be a very good time. For you it will be, but for him? Not so much.
Once at an alley that doesn't have much traffic passing by either end, you lure the guy inside. In the middle of the alley, you turn so your back is against the wall and let him grab you by the hips. But as you cradle his face before he kisses you, you meet his gaze and say, "Don't scream. Don't fight. This will be painless."
The guy goes quiet, and you let your face change before his very eyes. He tenses, but he stays stock still without uttering a peep. Then reaching around to grasp the hair at the back of his head, you angle his head so you can sink your fangs into his neck. You drink and drink, satiating your thirst while listening for the first skip of his heart. When you've had enough, you clean his neck wound of any blood and then prick your tongue with a fang to smear your own blood on the bite wound. It heals after a minute, and you pull back to meet his gaze once more.
"When you get back to your friends, you're gonna be smug but also a little bit let down. Admit I'm the greatest kisser you've ever had, but before we could get to any of the good stuff, we were interrupted by a homeless couple."
"We were interrupted by a homeless couple," he parrots back.
"Good boy. Now to make things more believable..." You slowly smirk before pulling him close, capturing his lips with your own.
The guy is shaken out of his compulsion and his arms wrap low around your waist to pull you even closer to him. You kiss him roughly to make sure his lips appear swollen and even muss his hair up. But the moment you reach under his shirt and rake your nails across his back, causing him to groan, you hear someone drop down beside you.
One second, you're enjoying a kiss and the next your victim is shoved away from you. Dwayne practically puts himself between you and your meal as he snarls, "Get. Lost."
The other individuals drop down into the alley, and you meet three amused expressions. Paul and Marko are snickering quietly whereas David is smirking at his dark-haired brother.
"You alright there, Dwayne?"
Dwayne turns, expression unimpressed at David's question. Instead of answering him, he turns his stare on you. "What?" You feign innocence. "I had to sell it. His friends needed to believe I brought him in here for anything other than feeding."
"Whatever. Next time, just kill the guy."
As Dwayne stalks off, you smile at his back. The moment he disappears, you ask, "Was that- was that jealousy?"
"Yep." Paul skips to you, draping an arm around your shoulders. "Dwayne's always been possessive, but it's been a long time since he took real interest in someone."
"This is going to be fun," Marko muses.
You roll your eyes and sigh but can't help but agree.
Over the course of another few days, it's now very obvious that Dwayne's hovering wasn't just because you were a female. He most definitely knows you can take care of yourself, yet he's still there, but now he's openly snarling when someone looks at you a little too long. To placate him, you only ride with him and pull him into the V of your thighs when you're sitting on the railing. He starts tensing up the moment you all people watch for your next meal and other guys stare back, but the tension drops from his shoulders when you hop onto the railing, pull him into the V of your thighs, and hug him from behind.
Nothing intimate happens between you and Dwayne, but it becomes an unspoken rule among the small coven that you're off limits.
Everything seems to be going well until you meet the boys on the boardwalk one night and David looks livid.
Your smile instantly vanishes. "What's wrong?"
"The woods smell like fuckin' dog," he seethes.
Immediately your gaze snaps towards the sky and your heart sinks. "It's a full moon."
"We know. We're gonna try and kill this wolf for stepping into our territory and pissin' all over the place."
"What?" Your voice is lethally quiet as you meet David's gaze. "You have to be joking. One bite- hell, even one nip!- is a death sentence."
"We'll be fine. We just thought we'd let you know."
As they turn to mount their bikes, you swear. "Goddammit. Wait for me. You're not doing this alone."
You climb onto the back of Dwayne's bike, wrapping your arms around his waist as you glare at the others for their idiotic choices. They're quite solemn as they drive to the woods, and you keep your eyes peeled for the werewolf in question. As they come to a stop, you climb off and glance around the eerily quiet woods.
"So do you have any tips on tracking a werewolf?" Paul muses.
You gulp. "It's a full moon and this wolf most likely claimed these woods as theirs. It'll be hunting us."
The boys chuckle and start walking, combing the woods for any sight of the wolf. It isn't long until a twig snaps- a twig that neither you nor the boys have stepped on. You all freeze.
"Showtime?" Marko wonders.
You sigh. "Be prepared to run. Werewolves can match a vampire's speed on the nights of a full moon."
"We'll be alright."
Almost as soon as the words leave Marko's mouth, the werewolf rushes in. It takes down Paul by his knees, standing on his back and snarling. Before he can snap his jaws, you rush over and kick the werewolf to send it flying.
"What the fuck was that?!" Paul incredulously asks as he hurriedly climbs back to his feet.
"A werewolf," you deadpan. "Keep your guard up. It'll come back."
For a few minutes, it seems like the werewolf is toying with all of you. It keeps knocking down the boys, snarling before disappearing. You've kicked it off your friends three times by now, but the second you hear a howl in the distance, you and the boys freeze.
"There's a second one?" You ask. David shrugs and you bite your tongue to keep from giving him a verbal lashing. "It was stupid to do this on the night of a full moon. We need to leave right now, and I'll do my best to sniff out the werewolves tomorrow so we can handle them when they're in their human forms."
"How much harder can two werewolves be?"
"Pretty fuckin' hard, David. I know you're a badass and all, but we need to do this another night."
Before David can answer, Dwayne shouts. You whirl around, eyes widening at seeing a werewolf pinning him to the ground with its sharp teeth inches from his face. Without thinking, you fly at the wolf, tackling it off of him. You and the wolf scramble for the upper hand and you hiss when there's a pain in your shoulder.
Eventually, you manage to pin the wolf to the ground by its neck and shove your hand into its chest cavity to yank out its heart. With the wolf dead, you toss the heart aside. "Now will you listen to me? This was such a stupid fucking idea." The boys remain quiet, staring at her.
Actually, they're staring at your shoulder.
"What?"
Dwayne steps forward, carefully reaching for your arm and pulling you a step towards him. You frown, but then hiss when he moves the neckline of your shirt off your shoulder. "You're bit."
Your heart falls into your stomach and you quickly glance at the shoulder that you now realize is burning. Your eyes fill with tears. "O-Oh."
"Oh? Oh?!" Dwayne nearly shouts. "Werewolf bites are lethal, remember? How could you be so goddamn stupid?!"
Your bottom lip trembles. "I'm well aware of that, Dwayne. I was the one who told you to hunt the werewolf another night, remember?" You sigh and pull your hand free from his grasp. You take a moment to collect your thoughts before admitting, "There's a cure. Only a select few know and the cure is hard to get your hands on unless you're on friendly terms with those who have access to it. It's not my secret to divulge, so I was compelled to not say anything unless it was an emergency."
"What is it?" Dwayne asks. "We'll get it."
"You can't. But I can," you admit. "Let's just get to the cave. I have a phone call to make."
So, for part two, do we want the Mystic Falls gang to follow Klaus to Santa Carla or do we want the Santa Carla gang to visit Mystic Falls?
Hows the writers block going? Also any book recs? Or like top 5 reads of the year
Writer's block is still going strong. It's so annoying.
And what type of books do you like? Apparently, I'm very much in dark romance/taboo stuff lmao.
The books I've liked a lot so far are:
The Nanny by Lana Ferguson - it's a bit of a second chance romance, though they don't know this is their second chance. She was making bank on OnlyFans and he was her top contributor. But then she left the site, a year or so later needs some cash so she decided to become a live-in nanny. And guess who she nanny's for...
Haunting Adeline by H.D Carlton - this book has a whole page of trigger warnings. It's dark romance and very non-consensual.. until it becomes somewhat consensual. You will question your morals with this book and especially its sequel.
Den of Vipers by K.A Knight - this is another dark romance. Dead beat father gives his daughter to a mafia-like gang to pay off his debt. Only when the guys go to retrieve her, they aren't expecting this tattooed bar owner who can kick ass. She's very much against being held against her will, but eventually she likes being there.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - I think this is book 2 in the series and I loved it so much! I think this is my favorite because we're introduced to the Court of Dreams and ugh... Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel are just perfection lol.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - Dragon. War. College. It gives off divergent/dauntless initiation vibes, and it's really good. I can't wait for book 2.
When your neighbor goes missing, you call upon your seven deadly sins to help get him back.
Words: 8.6K
Author's Note: SURPRISE! Finally have something to post, so here it is a day earlier than normal.
This imagine is probably ridiculous, but you know what? Blame the Kingdom of the Wicked series. I wanted my own seven deadly sins lol even if they don't make much of an appearance in here.
Sons of Anarchy AU.
Title translation: The Queen of the Underworld.
When you were little, you were probably the most spoiled girl you'd ever known. Anything you needed or wanted was yours and you ended up quite ignorant of everything going on around you. You didn't know anything about the family business, only that your daddy was an important man and you had numerous uncles who looked after you. And then you became a teenager, and you understood that not only was your daddy important but he was also dangerous too. Your parents did everything to shield you from the life, but when you and your mother were kidnapped and she was killed, you wanted to know the ins and outs of everything.
Your uncles, only a couple by blood, made sure you knew how to take care of yourself. You learned to fight and how to handle weapons, and learned about other families that were nearly as important as yours. You learned who your allies were and who your enemies were, and far sooner than you had anticipated, you were upgraded from Princess to Queen.
Losing your father made you bitter and you held no remorse for sending your men after those who had a hand in his death. It was your turn to lead the family business as your father's only child, and your father's brothers happily let everyone think they were in charge while you watched everyone and everything from the shadows.
Everyone learned to fear your family name since you were quite bloodthirsty, but as the years slowly passed you learned to take it down a notch. Eventually, you grew tired of having no privacy and decided to move out on your own since no one outside of the men you grew up with knew you were the head of the family business.
You chose Charming since it was quite the picturesque little town, but those who served under you didn't like you being so far away. So, to keep them from dropping by or watching you from afar, you anonymously purchased a large plot of land and let them build another compound and warehouse nearby.
The construction of the compound and warehouse gave you more than enough time to find a suitable house for yourself, and have it remodeled and furnished before you moved in. There was lots of talk around Charming about who was disrupting their usual routine, but no one ever found out anything of importance.
When you finally move into your house, it takes some getting used to. There's no noise, and no men lurking around corners or men coming up to you every half hour to see if you need anything. It feels good to make your own food and have a peaceful meal, and to just laze around to watch some television, but you're still the woman behind the curtain, taking phone calls and attending meetings and making sure everything is on the up and up.
You've been in your new house for a couple of weeks now and there's not been a single problem. At least not until you're in the middle of your shower and your scalding hot water turns unbearably cold. With a shout, you hop on out to try and catch your breath. You give it a few seconds before testing the water with your hand and quickly yank back when it's still cold.
You test the hot water in the bathroom sink, but that too is cold. Pulling on a robe, you head to your kitchen and test the hot water there. Cold. All cold.
With a sigh, you head towards the laundry room where the water heater resides. There's a little blinking light at the bottom that should signify the water heater is working properly, but unfortunately it isn't blinking.
"Son of a-"
You've learned a lot of things, but lighting the pilot light was not one of them. So uncaring for the fact that you're merely in a robe with shampoo still in your hair, you slip your feet into a pair of house slippers and head outside. You look around your neighbors' driveways and find a motorcycle parked at the house next to yours.
Scurrying next door, you knock on the front door. It doesn't take long at all for the door to be opened and you give yourself a moment to take in the tall specimen standing in front of you. Wet hair hangs down past the man's shoulders, water droplets clinging to a full beard, and a towel is wrapped tightly around his waist. Water droplets glisten down a tattooed torso and you have to quickly shake your head clear when you realize you're ogling. "Uh, sorry." You glance up to meet his amused gaze. "I, uh, I live next door. I really hope it's not a bad time, besides the obvious nakedness going on, but I could really use your help if you're not in a time crunch."
He arches an eyebrow at you. "What seems to be the problem?"
"I was in the middle of my own shower when my water heater went out. I checked it and there are no leaks which leads me to believe the pilot light went out. I have no clue how to light it and I'm hoping you do."
"Sure. Let me just…" He trails off as he glances down his body. "Let me get dressed and I'll help you out."
You sag in relief. "Thank you so much."
"You can use my kitchen sink if you wanna rinse your hair. You know, just in case the problem is something else."
"Oh. Yeah, thanks. I would rather rinse with hot water than cold."
The man opens his door further and you step in. "I'm Opie."
"YN. Nice to finally meet one of my neighbors."
He chuckles. "Yeah? Everyone 'round here steers clear."
"Motorcycle that off putting?"
"That and the MC." Walking into the kitchen, he points to a kutte hanging off the back of a chair. Sons of Anarchy. And huh. You've heard of them- heard all about the power struggle within the club, but they stayed off your radar and you theirs.
"What a bunch of pussies," you mumble. But Opie still hears you and he grins some more.
"Sink is clean. There's even a hose you can use. I'll be right back."
"Mhm. Thanks again."
Opie turns to walk away, and you tilt your head to admire his back muscles and tattoos. You bite your bottom lip at what you see, but quickly turn to the kitchen sink less you're busted ogling him again.
Turning on the sink's hot water, you grab the little hose and test it out. When the water is hot, you bend over the sink and flip your hair into it.
It takes you longer than anticipated to rinse out the shampoo in your hair and when you do, you're quick to turn off the water and then wring out as much water from your hair as you can. Letting your hair hang in front of your shoulder and over your chest so the front of the robe soaks up any other water, you find paper towels close by and take one to clean up the sides of the sink and counter where water splashed.
"All good to go?" You startle at the words and whirl around, finding Opie leaning against the doorway as he grins at you. His hair has been pulled back into a knot and a black shirt hugs his torso sinfully tight.
You gulp. "Y-Yeah."
"After you then."
You stumble and mutter a quick, shut up, when he laughs at you. He follows you all the way to your house, shutting the front door behind him and then stepping into your laundry room. "This is it. There's a light that's supposed to be blinking-"
"Yeah. I know. I actually have this same water heater."
"Oh, thank god."
Opie squats down and you watch him hold a knob down while clicking another button. It clicks about fifteen times before the light blinks, and you exhale in relief. "That should do it. If it goes out again on its own, just go ahead and come get me. It'll probably need to be cleaned and I can help with that also."
"Thank you! I really didn't want to have to call my uncles. They didn't want me living on my own and they would have teased me mercilessly if I had to call them so soon."
"I bet." Opie looks you up and down in your robe and your shift nervously. "Well, I'll go ahead and get out of your hair so you can finish your shower or whatever. If you ever need help, you know where to find me now. As long as my bike is out front, I'm home."
You smile as you walk him towards the door. "Thank you so much, Opie. I definitely owe you one."
You watch him until he's halfway between your houses and then shut the door before hurrying back to your bathroom.
And hallelujah! You have hot water once again.
After your first meeting with Opie, you seem to see him all the time when you're out and about. You have a smile and wave for him every time you make eye contact, laughing when his club brothers eye you up and down or whistle appreciatively until Opie shoves them hard enough to shut them up.
The next time you have face to face time with him, however, is when you're on the side of the road trying to replace a flat tire.
"Come. On. You. Sonnuvabitch," you grunt as you try to twist the lug wrench to loosen a lug nut. You've managed to get one off, but the others are proving to be a bitch.
The sound of motorcycle engines approaching has you looking up and down the side of the stretch of road you're on, and you spot two individuals riding closer and closer. Only needing their muscle to loosen the lug nuts since you know how to do the rest, you stand up and wave them down. And when you see them slowing down, angling their bikes to you, you sigh in relief.
One of the men has a very familiar beard and you can't help but smile as they stop right behind your car. "Hey neighbor," you muse when they cut their engines.
Opie pulls off his riding glasses and helmet, settling everything on his handlebars. His friend does the same before they both stand, and Opie offers you a small smile. "What trouble are you in now?"
"I just need your muscles, I swear." You chuckle, nodding at his friend and his too charming grin he throws your way. "The last place I got my car a tune-up at, they tightened the lug nuts too tight. I just need someone to loosen them up really quick and then I can take care of the rest."
"No need to worry that pretty little head of yours, darlin'," Opie's friend says. "I'm sure my boy Ope can take care of it for you." He claps Opie on the shoulders, squeezing and nudging him forward.
Opie's eyes roll. "YN, this is Jax. Jax, this is my neighbor YN."
You and Jax exchange greetings as Opie gets to work on changing your tire for you.
"So, how's that water heater treating you?" Opie asks. "No more naked knocks on other people's doors?"
"Naked knocks?" Jax arches an eyebrow at you.
"First of all, shut up," you tell Jax. And then looking at Opie, you say, "It's working fine. Haven't had a problem since you helped me."
"Good. That's good."
"So where did you come from?" Jax asks.
"From Salinas."
"Yeah? Why Charming?"
You shrug. "When my mom passed, my dad and his brothers raised me. And then my dad passed, and my uncles took my wellbeing a little too seriously. I needed some space from them."
"Pretty sure they're expecting her to throw in the towel any moment now and go crawling back to them," Opie says.
"Exactly." You grin at the biker that's nearly finished with changing your tire for you. "They know I know how to take care of myself, but they're still hoping I fail and call them up. Can you imagine how put out they're going to be when they realize I have a perfectly friendly biker living next door who doesn't mind lending me a hand every once in a while?"
Opie laughs as he lowers your car from the small car jack. He then grabs up the flat tire and carries it to the trunk of your car while Jax grabs up the jack and the lug wrench. Once everything is put away, the men face you as Opie says, "You're all set. If you stop by Teller Automotive, we can get the tire fixed for you and put the spare back in the trunk."
You arch an eyebrow at him. "You work at an auto garage?"
"Try own it," Jax muses. "It's mine. The club runs it," he says while pointing to the President patch on his own kutte.
"Huh. Nice." Then glancing back at Opie, you say, "Well I guess I owe you. Again."
"I'm just racking up those favors, aren't I?"
"Yeah, yeah." You smile as you pull open the driver's side door. "Thank you. I'll, uh, I'll see you around."
The men make their way back to their bikes, but they wait until you drive off before taking their leave as well.
As music blares throughout your room, you mouth along to the lyrics as you ready yourself for a party with the Sons of Anarchy. You had taken your tire to Teller Automotive when you found the time and Opie fixed it up for you like he said he would. Then after putting it back on your car, he made sure your spare was okay before putting it away back in the trunk. Jax tried to refuse payment by saying you get a freebie for being new to Charming, but you weren't having it and bullied the man in his office to take your money.
Needless to say, the Sons were impressed with how you didn't back down.
Jax then extended an invite to their party, and you agreed since you didn't have any plans. Opie tried to tell you that you didn't have to attend because their type of parties usually got out of hand, but you assured him you could handle your own with an all-knowing grin. Jax whooped and Opie looked a little apprehensive but still told you what time to be there.
So here you are, in a backless black bandana tank top and a pair of faded skinny jeans with rips along your thighs and knees. Your makeup has already been applied and your hair straightened, and you readily slip your feet into a pair of chunky heeled Doc Martens. And instead of taking a purse or wallet, you decide to slip your ID and Driver's License into the back of your phone case before slipping it into one pocket while shoving several twenties in the other.
Then after making sure everything is turned off, with the exception of two small lamps in the living room, you lock up your house and head out for the night.
The drive to Teller Automotive isn't that far and you get there fairly quickly. The entire lot is enclosed with a tall chain link fence that has some form of material draped on the inside so you can't see through, so you're not sure where to park, but one of the Sons who's speaking with a woman outside the fence spots you and tells you where to go. After following his directions, you park and get out of your car. Then pocketing your keys, you turn around and take in your surroundings.
There are barrels of fire scattered around the lot, as well as numerous picnic tables and a single boxing ring that has two men going toe to toe inside of it as many spectators cheer on the violence. The auto garage portion of the building is shut down, but the club portion has its bay doors rolled up. As you make your way towards it, you can see a bar and numerous tables scattered about the room. There are a couple of couches and even a pool table, and many scantily clad women working the room.
Chuckling, you enter the club with all the confidence in the world. Immediately you can feel the stares on you- both lecherous and envious- and you make your way towards the bar.
Sitting on the stool across from the bartender, you smile at him. "Can I have a beer? Whatever you have is fine." As the bartender grabs you a beer, you pull a twenty from your pocket and hand it over.
"It's only six bucks."
"Then I'll grab another two throughout the night. Don't worry about any change."
The bartender nods and puts the money away under the counter, and you turn around on your stool. Crossing one knee over the other, you lean back against the bar while taking your first sip of your drink.
"Hey. When'd you get in?" Jax takes the stool next to you and you grin at him.
"Just now. Was taking in the scene before I went looking for familiar faces."
"Ope would have greeted 'ya, but he's currently trying to fend off a couple of sweetbutts."
"Sweetbutts?"
"Women who want to fuck a Son in hopes of him giving her his crow."
You frown. "How does one give someone a crow?"
Jax chuckles. "You know, it's kind of refreshing that you don't know anything about the MC life."
"Yeah, well…" You shrug, trailing off as you take another sip of your beer.
"It can be a good thing or a bad thing," he continues. "Good because we know you ain't looking at Ope just because of his kutte and bad because this life is tough. Especially for the women."
You flash him a grin. "Who said I was lookin' at Opie?"
"Please." Jax huffs. "I put on my best smile for you when he was changing your tire and you only had eyes for him."
"It's the height. And the muscle definition in his back." You sigh wistfully, sipping your beer. "God, his back."
Jax laughs as he grabs himself another beer and you gesture the bartender to give you another. "Well, Ope can use a saving grace whenever you're ready. Don't let anyone push you around."
"Trust me. I won't."
As Jax takes his leave, you meet every woman's glare that had been directed at you because he had chosen to spend a few minutes of his time on you. You give them the most deadpan stare ever until they look away and then smirk as you start in on your second beer. A couple men try their luck with you, but you're quick to reject them before they can get too comfortable. Your gaze occasionally falls back on Opie, and you make your move when you see him drain his beer and the so-called sweetbutts on either side of him lean further into his personal space.
Rolling your eyes, you grab a fresh beer from the bartender and start towards your neighbor. The gathered Sons seem to perk up, making the women on their laps pout, but you only have eyes for Opie.
Coming to a stop in front of him, you smirk as he looks up and the women vying for his attention glare at you. Holding out the new beer to him, you say, "Come on. Let's go get some fresh air."
His lips twitch as he accepts the beer and the woman on his left scoffs. "Excuse me!"
"You're excused."
Opie and his brothers all laugh and then the woman on his right gets bold. "Back off, bitch. Seniority rules here. If you're gonna be a regular, you start at the bottom of the totem pole. Now go clean the toilets or something."
Opie looks offended on your behalf, but you merely laugh as you step so you're directly standing in front of her. "Oh honey, I'm way too pretty to do the toilets. You, on the other hand…" She gasps and leans forward to stand, but you're quick to lift a foot and plant your boot in the middle of her chest. Her eyes widen as you shove her back into her seat and you lean forward as much as you can with your foot pressing against her. "Trust me, you don't wanna go down this road. You think I'm easy prey because this is my first time here but let me assure you that they will not find your body if you decide to piss me off."
"And that's our cue to go." Opie is quick to stand, gently grabbing you by the wrist to tug you away. His brothers all whoop and laugh as the one woman tries to console her friend who had balked at your words. You follow after him as he leads you outside, walking up to a picnic table that he ends up stepping up onto the bench to sit atop the table. You do the same and as you settle side by side, he asks, "So we wouldn't find her body, huh?"
You snort, covering your mouth where beer had dribbled out since he asked the question when you were mid-sip. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises."
"I'll say." Opie takes a pull from his own beer bottle. "So how are you liking the party?"
You shrug. "It's decent." Then you point towards the boxing ring with the neck of your bottle. "You ever get in there?"
"If I ever have any aggression to work out, yeah."
"Most people fuck their aggression out; you fight it out." This time it's Opie's turn to snort his beer and you smirk. "So how are you liking tonight's party? Are the women always so…"
"Slutty?"
"I was gonna say bold."
Opie shakes his head as he chuckles. "Yeah. It's their life's mission to either get knocked up by someone in a kutte or get a crow or a ring."
"That's the second time I heard something about a crow. What is that?" You ask.
Opie looks at you, seeing that you're honestly curious. "In our MC, a crow is a big deal. Bigger than a ring."
"No shit?"
"It's basically the men branding their women as their property."
"Wow," you drawl, completely unimpressed. "The women around here really need to rethink their priorities."
Opie chuckles some more. "So, you're saying you wouldn't get a tattoo for your man?"
"I mean…" You trail off, shrugging. "It all depends on the situation."
"How?"
"Take me and you for example," you say and roll your eyes when Opie smirks. "If we started hooking up and a month or two from now you asked me to get a tattoo personalized for you, I'd say you were out of your damn mind. I'd have to be with someone for years before getting a tattoo dedicated to my partner."
"That's fair." He takes a moment to watch you, watching you take in your surroundings and be at ease in this new environment. "So how was your day?"
"So-so," you say, watching the men duke it out in the ring. "It was a bit of a bore if I'm being honest."
"No work?"
"I work from home." You turn to face him, grinning softly. "I, uh, I have a family-owned private security schtick going on. My uncles work from the office, but I take calls and answer emails at home."
"Does working from home turn a decent profit?"
"I'm living pretty comfortably, so I'd say it does."
Opie doesn't question your answer and then turns back to the fight himself.
For the rest of the night, the two of you keep one another company outside by the fire. You switch to water so you're able to drive home and you learn a little bit more about how the MC handles themselves and the people milling about their territory.
Over the next couple of weeks, you find Opie hanging out at your place more and more. After the faucet at your kitchen sink had deteriorated and leaked beneath the cabinets, Opie installed the new one for you after you bought everything you needed. You repaid him with dinner and a beer, and he just kept showing up after that. Sometimes with Jax or Juice or even Happy who reminded you of some of your uncles.
You've gotten to know each other really well that you have a date-slash-not date planned with him, so you're a little surprised when he doesn't show.
Or answer your call.
Or your text.
You keep listening for a motorcycle, but two days go by and nothing.
On the third day there's a pounding on your front door that immediately has you agitated. You march over to it, yank it open to give whoever it is a piece of your mind, only to gape as Jax marches in.
"Have you heard from Ope?"
"Well hello to you too," you deadpan as you swing the door shut. Sighing, you follow him to the living room where he's pacing.
"I'm being serious here, YN. Have you heard from Ope?"
His worry and tone give you pause, and then immediately sets you on edge. "No. We had plans two days ago, but he never showed up." You frown when you realize how exhausted Jax seems. "What's going on?"
Jax sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Nothing. Don't-"
"Don't tell me not to worry about it," you say. You step in front of him, arms crossed. "I was ready to bitch out Opie the next time I saw him, but then you marched in here all worried and now I'm worried. If he left town on his own, then fine. But if he was taken because of the club-"
"What the hell would you know about club life?" He scoffs.
"Don't get pissy with me, presidente." You snap back at him. "You'd be surprised at what I know."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes." You lightly glare at him, but then the glare softens as you smirk at him. "Weren't you a little bit skeptical at how easily I made myself comfortable at your parties? How I didn't cower to your women or how I stood up to the men who tried their luck?"
Jax tenses. "Who are you?"
"A friend, I hope." Jax frowns and you sigh. "Look. I didn't come to Charming looking for trouble. I didn't plan on Opie being my neighbor or getting to know you guys. In fact, I just wanted to fly under the radar, but you guys… you guys threw a wrench into everything."
"Who do you work for?"
You scoff. "I don't work for anyone."
"What the hell is going on here, YN?" Jax wonders, getting annoyed. "I'm confused as shit right now and my brother is missing and-"
"Hey." You step right into his space, reaching up to lightly pat the side of his face as you stare up at him. "I can help you look for him, but you're gonna need to trust me. I know this is MC business, but if you want Opie found then you're gonna have to spill."
"This isn't going to bite me on the ass?"
"Nope. In fact, I'm pretty sure you'll benefit from it. Now what do you say?" You hold a hand out to him. "If you say you trust me, you have to tell me exactly what's going on. The nitty gritty details won't ever be repeated from my lips."
Jax takes a moment to think about it before throwing caution to the wind and grasping your hand. "Fine. We have a deal."
"Good." Pulling out your phone with your other hand, you press on the name that's saved in your first favorite slot. It rings twice before the call is answered. "Gather my favorite sins and send them to my house. Discreetly. Someone important to me was taken and I am not happy."
You disconnect the call and Jax just stares at you. "Your favorite sins? What the fuck was that about?"
But you merely smile at him. "Congratulations, Mr. Teller. Sons of Anarchy are now under my protection so long as you don't do stupid shit."
"Your protection?"
"You'll see. Now talk. I need to figure out an abbreviated version to tell my sins when they get here."
Jax arches an eyebrow. "Your sins?"
"Yes. Now speak."
Jax huffs but takes a seat on the edge of your couch, spilling everything. You're familiar with turf wars and kidnappings and torture, and the more Jax speaks the more unsettled you are for Opie. The issue, however, is an old grievance another MC has with the Sons. They'd been spotted around town for the past week, keeping the Sons on their toes and making the Sons chase them out of town. But the Sons were split in all sorts of directions and Opie never came back.
Jax is in the middle of telling you possible locations of where Opie might be when the back door to your house opens. He pauses and immediately reaches for his gun, but you put a hand on his wrist and put a finger to your mouth to tell him to be quiet. "Let me do the talking. It'll be fine."
Jax hesitantly relaxes, but then he tenses right back up when man after man files into your living room. Each one is wearing dark jeans and a dark jacket with its hood pulled up, but when the hoods fall, he's treated to every man's face tattooed to look skeletal. "What the…"
Each man takes a stand around the room, only having eyes for you as they completely ignore Jax. "Listen up. Opie Winston is the man that was taken." You pull out your phone, pulling up a picture you snapped of him before holding your phone up- screen out- so your men can see. "He's my neighbor and has been nothing but kind to me. I've grown very fond of him."
One of your men (Pride) quietly huffs but you still hear him as he mutters, "Seems like our queen has found herself a king."
"¡Cállate!" You snap at him. "His club president has kindly offered up who took him and possible locations of where they might be keeping him, but they can't get close. I need you to find Opie and bring him back safely. Anyone involved in his kidnapping is to be brought in as well. I want them to see what happens when you take something or someone I deem important from me." After telling them what they need to know, your men all nod and you smirk before letting them go. "Now that you're caught up, you're dismissed. Happy hunting."
The men take their leave from the same door they walked in through and then you turn to Jax who has an eyebrow arched at you in amusement. "Queen, huh? And let me guess, those were the seven deadly sins?"
"Yes. Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth are my best crew. Now call off your boys and have them go back to the club. The last thing we need is them shooting at my sins."
"Fuck. You're right." Jax pulls out his own phone to call his boys off. You watch him as he sends out the text and then he stands as if ready to leave.
"Sorry if I overstepped by calling dibs on the men who took Opie."
"Don't be." He smirks at you now. "I'm kind of curious to see what you're capable of. And I totally called it. You have the hots for Opie. Happy's gonna be so disappointed."
You roll your eyes a little and you hand Jax your phone. "Put your number in. I'll call you when we have your boy back."
"Don't you mean our boy?"
"Shut up." You laugh and then reclaim your phone after he's done what you asked. "And just so you know, if there's more than one man they bring in, only one of them gets to walk so he's able to warn his club that Sons of Anarchy are now under my protection."
"You're that confident, huh?"
"You have no idea. Now get outta here, but don't tell your other boys about me."
"Why not?"
"Because I enjoy making an entrance."
Jax laughs as he walks out of your house. "If you manage to find Ope, you'll be my new favorite person."
"Yeah, yeah."
For the past day and a half, you've reclaimed your throne at the compound and established with your tios that you were coming out of the shadows. They didn't fight you on the decision and, in fact, they might have even encouraged you to see where things went with the missing Son since you needed someone by your side.
You've been in contact with Jax, keeping him updated, but you've yet to update him of the latest development.
Opie was found along with four bikers who'd been guarding him.
You're anxious to tell Jax, but you want to get Opie settled and cleaned up before calling in his brothers. So, to kill time, you go ahead and get dressed.
You strip down to your panties right there in your room, pulling on a blazer and buttoning it closed beneath your bust so your cleavage is on display. You even have to place some double-sided sticky tape so there are no nip slips while you put on a show. Then you find yourself a pair of leather pants that you manage to wiggle into and a pair of stilettos that make you feel powerful as you walk around in a room full of men.
You're adding a couple pieces of jewelry here and there when you get the text that Opie is there. You finish getting ready and then walk out to where you know they're holding him, and grin when you hear him cursing up a storm.
"Who the fuck even are you guys? If you really are my rescuers, why can't I leave?"
"That… would be because of me," you muse as you step into the room.
Opie's head whips in your direction and your smile drops when you see the black eye, the gash above his eyebrow and on the bridge of his nose, and the busted lip. Even his hands look like they have some damage, and his clothes are bloodied.
"YN?"
"In the flesh." You walk closer to him, hesitantly reaching out to him in case he balks from your touch, but he doesn't. You touch his hair, frowning to find crusted blood clumping the strands together. "And to think I thought you stood me up."
"Nope. I was just being held hostage. Still am."
You offer him a grin. "You're not a hostage here, Opie. I swear. Now come on." You offer him a hand. "Come with me so you can get cleaned up and changed. I'll call Jax and the others, and then I'll deal with those assholes who had you."
"You? You're gonna deal with them?"
"Yep. Got Jax's blessing and everything. Now let's go. I had to sneak into your house to grab you some clothes, so you might as well put them to use."
Opie laughs and then groans, clutching at his ribs. You rub his shoulder until the pain passes and when he stands you grab his hand. Mentally cheering when he doesn't pull away, you lead him back to your bedroom so he can use your private shower.
Opie looks around your room while you grab his bag from the closet and then show him to the bathroom. You try not to grin when you see him taking it all in and then leave him be. You pull out your phone to text Jax the directions to the compound and that they'd be let in upon arrival, and then settle in front of your vanity.
Whenever you've done business with those who opposed what you and your family have done or tried to claim your notoriety for themselves, you've always presented yourself a certain way. Your makeup was half and half, half normal and half skeletal, which is why your favorite sins have tattooed themselves that way. So as Opie showers, you get started on wiping off half your makeup before blending white and black face paint along your features.
It surprisingly doesn't take you long to get your makeup done, so you take a seat on the edge of your bed to wait for Opie to be done. A handful of minutes later, the bathroom door opens and Opie steps out. He freezes when he sees you and you smirk at him. "Come take a seat. We need to talk."
Rubbing the towel over his hair one last time, Opie tosses it back into your bathroom before padding barefoot towards you. As he sits, he asks, "Who are you?"
"I'm YN. You know that."
"You're clearly a very important person to have so many men working under you."
Grinning at him, you shrug. "I was my father's only heir. His business became my business."
"You said you worked in private security."
"Yeah. We do that too, but in the underground- in the underworld- we do so much more. They call me La Reina de Inframundo."
"Which means?"
"Queen of the Underworld."
Opie huffs and you hesitantly reach for his hand, clasping it between two of your own. "Why'd you go through so much trouble for me?"
"Because you were kind to me." He scoffs this time, and you angle your body towards him. "I'm serious. You had no idea about my reputation and treated me like any other woman that wasn't actively trying to get into your pants. You were kind and you became my friend, and I- I might have grown overly fond of you."
"Only might?" You roll your eyes with a slight huff and stand, but Opie is quick to catch you by the wrist and pull you in so you're standing between his parted knees. "Oh, I think you're pretty fond of me if you went through all this trouble."
"Fine. I like you, but I'm also aware about how the men of MC's work. And I just want to assure you right now, no matter what happens between you and me, I will have the Sons' back. I've never had a sibling, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want one if they're anything like Jax or Juice."
Opie grins at your joke. "Been keeping in contact with them?"
"Jax, yes. Juice just thought I needed to be checked up on for some reason. I guess he assumed I'd be a sobbing mess without you around or something."
"...thank you."
"You don't need to thank me, Ope." You reach for his face, gently cradling it in the palms of your hands before smoothing his hair back as his arms wrap around the small of your back. "You'd have done the same for me if I'd gone missing."
His smile immediately vanishes as his gaze darkens and his arms squeeze you tighter which brings you closer to him. And honestly, you quite like the feeling of being in his arms. "They'd be dead if they'd taken you."
"Likewise." His brow furrows and you wrinkle your nose at him. "Look at you all adorable and clueless," you coo. You lean down and press a kiss to his forehead. "Those men outside signed their own death certificates the moment they kidnapped you. They just don't know it yet."
"You're gonna kill them?"
"You'll see. Now put your shoes on. Your boys should be here by now and they're probably itching to pull a gun. Go keep them calm."
As Opie looks for socks and shoes, you walk over to your bedside table and pull open the drawer. Pulling out your gun, you make sure it's loaded before sliding into your waistband at the small of your back and then situating the back of your blazer over it. When you turn back around, Opie's staring at you with an arched eyebrow. You merely grin and shoo him out the door, telling him you'd be out there soon.
You give him a minute to find his way and then head out yourself, keeping to the shadows. Then when you get to the main room, you move to the darkest corner and watch everyone. The Sons of Anarchy stand off to one side as they look over Opie with your sins and tios on the other, and in the middle are the four bikers the sins had taken and bound to chairs.
"What the fuck is this?" One of the bound bikers scoffs. "Have the Sons turned into pussies that let a new crew handle their business?"
All the Sons, with the exception of Jax and Opie, bristle at the insult. Happy and Tig look like they're on a very short leash and would like nothing more than to tear apart the men limb by limb, but Jax keeps them in line.
"That's what I thought. Pussies."
Happy and Tig lunge, but Jax and Juice keep their brothers back. Opie mutters about it not being worth it and once it quiet, you take that as your cue.
Walking forward, you keep your head held high and let the click!, click!, click!, of your heels put the room on edge. The men part and it takes a moment for a majority of the Sons to recognize you. Jax gapes and then smirks, nudging Opie who shakes his head at his brother.
"What the fuck is this?" Tig asks.
"Our new ally," Jax muses.
Walking up to the bound four men, you arch an eyebrow at them. The mouthy one scoffs yet again as he takes you in. "You idiots made a mistake," you say. "You took someone I care about and I don't take that lightly." Reaching for the small of your back, you pull free your gun and grip it tight.
"Ha. I'm sure under that stupid makeup you're nothing but a pretty face, so why don't you strut that perky ass of yours back out of the room and let the grown men talk."
His companions all chuckle and you allow yourself to sarcastically laugh with them before aiming your gun and pulling the trigger. The laughing immediately ceases, and their expressions all morph into shock as their mouthy companion's head slumps backwards. You smirk. "Only one of you will walk out of here, so the more you mouth off the faster you will die."
The remaining three men struggle against their binds, and you giggle at their fear.
"Holy shit," Happy utters. Your gaze darts to him and you smirk as you watch him take in your tios and your sins. When his gaze darts back to you, he says, "La Reina del Inframundo."
You bend at the waist, arms sweeping out to the side as you mockingly bow. "At your service."
"What the fuck is that?" Tig asks, glancing between his brother and you. "Not all of us speak spanish, Hap."
"Queen of the Underworld," Jax answers. He saunters up to your side, nudging your elbow with his own. "Isn't that right?"
"Sí." Then losing your smile, you walk closer to the bound men, pacing back and forth in front of them. "So, this is what's going to happen. One of you is going back to your president and letting him know that the Sons are under La Reina's protection."
"Who is going back?" Another bound individual asks. He looks between his other bound brothers, throwing them under the bus. "I'll tell you whatever it is you want to know."
You slowly grin at him and then raise your gun, putting a bullet between his eyes. "No me gustan las ratas (I don't like rats)." One of the remaining two flinches and whimpers, and you put a bullet in his head too. The last remaining individual keeps his gaze straight ahead and though you see his bottom lip tremble, you let him live. "And it looks like we have a winner."
Your men and the Sons all chuckle.
"Untie him, Envy. Greed and Wrath, I need you two to drive him out to the middle of nowhere. Let him find his own way back home."
As the man is untied, he hesitantly stands while rubbing his wrist. "So, I'm free to go? Just like that?"
"Just a little like that." Before he can question you, you put a bullet in his right knee. He shouts in both pain and surprise, and you grin. "Now you're free to go."
Greed and Wrath stalk forward, grabbing the guy's arms and dragging him out of the room. You don't need to utter a word as other men under your rule step forward, untying the dead bodies and getting them out of there as well.
Looking towards the Sons, you gesture for them to follow. "I have a bar upstairs. It's about to smell like bleach down here, so unless you're into that…"
As you start walking, you grab Opie's hand and tug him after you. You hear Jax chuckle, but soon enough they all start to follow.
Upstairs sits one of your favorite rooms. A sleek mahogany bar runs the length of the side wall, the wall behind it lit up and showcasing every bottle of liquor in stock. There's a clear refrigerator that's stocked with several brands of beer and you even have a few on tap. There are a cluster of couches for those decompressing talks, as well as round tables and chairs for the rowdier gatherings. And for entertainment, there are two dart boards and a pool table.
"Pick your poison, boys. Pride will get you whatever you want so long as we have it."
As the Sons gladly make their way to the bar, Opie stays by your side. He tugs you closer, tucking you into his side and he presses his lips to your temple as your arm wraps around the small of his back. "What is it with naming your men after the seven deadly sins?"
"When I took over, I needed a crew of my very own who would be loyal to me and me only. All my men are obviously loyal, but some have a family of their own who will always be number one to them," you say as you glance up at him. "I get it, I do, but I wanted those who would put me first. My seven deadly sins do that."
As Opie stares down at you, you feel the tension between the two of you amping up. It's always been there, ever since the two of you started hanging out, but neither of you ever acted on it. But as his eyes dart to your lips and your hand finds its way under his shirt so you can stroke the skin of his hip, you know it's inevitable that this friendship is destined to be something more.
"I hate to be a cockblock," you hear Jax muse, "but how exactly is all this going to work out?" You and Opie both exhale in annoyance, glancing at his club president who's smirking between the two of you. "Not that I'm not grateful for the Queen's protection, but we can't be seen as pussies."
"And you won't be," you say. "The Sons of Anarchy will still operate as you have been. I don't care about your club business. But seeing as I've unfortunately grown fond of a few members, I will be on the sidelines waiting to put a bitch in a ditch should they cross a line."
"And what do you consider crossing a line?" Jax asks.
"Any unprovoked kidnappings and/or torture. If you're doing business and you piss someone off, that's on you. But if anyone comes around sniffing around Charming, pushing buttons to see what the response will be, I will set my sins loose."
Jax looks around at his men, gauging their reactions. No one seems to have a word to argue against you and he comes to a conclusion pretty fast. "I can work with that."
"That's what I like to hear." You slowly smile and then smother a laugh when Juice raises a hand. "Yes?"
"What exactly does the queen of the underworld do?"
"Now that's a secret, Mr. Ortiz." You wink at him. "All the prominent families of the underworld are interconnected in a way that I can't explain to you. As of right now, I keep the peace. Or force it if need be." As you smirk, you see Juice shrink down onto a bar stool. "I also make sure the most prominent families aren't murdering anyone without cause."
"When you first came into power, you were the most feared," Happy says. "Why?"
As you look at the man, your smirk slowly vanishes. "Some of the low-class families were looking to make a name for themselves. They waited until my father was at his most vulnerable and killed him in cold blood. They ripped my heart out that day. So, when I took my father's place, I hunted each and every one of them down, and did to them what they did to me."
"Which was?" Juice asks, hanging off your every word.
"I carved their hearts and delivered them to their head of house."
"Holy shit."
No one knows what to say to that, so Jax makes use of the pool table. They crowd around the pool table and dart boards, laughing and enjoying the beer you've offered them. Some of your men even come on up, grabbing themselves a beer and mingling with the Sons.
You feel yourself being led to one of the couches by Opie and then tugged down on his lap. Sitting sideways, you cross one knee over the other and wrap your arms loosely around his neck. "Well, aren't you being a little bold tonight."
Arms around your waist, Opie tugs you closer and lightly drags his nose along your jawline to your ear. "I just watched a beautiful woman avenge my kidnapping and beating." As he moves lower, you tilt your head to give him more access to your neck, shivering when his beard tickles the area. "I think it's time we stop tiptoeing around each other and just take what we want."
"Hmm. And what do you want, Ope?"
"You."
His teeth nip at your neck, and you quietly groan, moving to capture his lips with your own. Opie gives you a moment- a moment!- to control the kiss and then he's manhandling you on his lap so you're straddling him. As your hands delve into his hair to get a good grip on, his hands slide down your ass until he grasps the back of your thighs to hitch you right where he wants you.
The wolf whistles hardly faze you and you take your time enjoying what Opie's offering you.
It isn't until you hear the chanting of, "El rey, el rey, el rey (king, king, king)," that you pull yourself back from Opie's mouth and glance at your men who stop chanting and immediately explode into cheers and whistles.
"Uhh.. what's going on?"
You glance back at Opie, taking a moment to laugh at your skeleton makeup that's smeared onto half his face, before wiping it off and explaining, "They've been patiently waiting for their reina to find her rey. Outside this compound you might be a Son, but within this compound you're about to become King." Opie slightly gapes and you wiggle your eyebrows at him. "Congratulations, Mr. Winston. Life is about to become a lot more interesting."
When Elijah sends his sister to check on you during a harsh Winter, the Mikaelsons move you in with them.
Words: 7.4K
Author’s Note: So, I thought this was so good, but when I started editing it, I realized it was terrible lmao. But I need something to post, and this is the only completed thing I had. Sorry.
With a basket half full of non-perishables and a case of water, you're standing on the opposite side of the grocery store and staring at their small selection of home hardware in hopes of finding something to weatherize your small apartment even further than it already was.
The central heat was out so you're going to be forced to use space heaters and you'd already glued some thin strips of foam all around your doorways to keep the drafts of winds out. This was only going to be your second winter in the apartment so you knew it could get cold, but this winter was predicted to be an extremely cold one and you wanted to be prepared.
The windows weren't the best insulated, so when you heard the trick about bubble wrap being plastered to the windows to help keep the heat in, you figured it was worth a shot. But as you stare at the prices of the different sized rolls, you sigh and realize you might just have to pile all your blankets atop you instead.
"Miss YLN?"
Your name being uttered startles you from your mental musings and you turn to the source. You stand a little taller at the striking figure looking so out of place in the hardware aisle. "Elijah! Hi," you sheepishly grin at him. "How are you?"
His lips twitch. "I'm doing well. And yourself?" He wonders. "I couldn't help but realize you looked quite lost in thought."
Your cheeks burn in embarrassment, but you chuckle nonetheless. "I was trying to determine whether or not it was worth it to buy the bubble wrap."
Elijah looks at the overly large rolls of wrap. "And pray tell what you would need so much bubble wrap for?"
"Winter is coming, Mr. Mikaelson, and I am merely a fragile human." He still doesn't get what you mean, so you elaborate. "I heard bubble wrap on the windows can help keep the cold out. I'm desperate."
"Ah. I see."
It doesn't look like he quite gets it, but you don't call him out on it. Instead, you say, "But I think it's probably cheaper to just hibernate under my blankets."
As you start to push your basket away, Elijah follows. "What about your parents? Surely you could stay with them during this harsh winter."
"Nah." You shake your head. "We're on shaky terms at the moment. My dad barely wanted to give me extra money for groceries, so I rather stay in my shitty apartment than live in a tense atmosphere."
From the corner of your eye you see Elijah looking at you, but you keep your own gaze forward. Then when you come to the checkout lane, he leaves you with, "If you need anything, my siblings and I are only a call away."
"Thanks, Elijah." You glance at him with a small smile. "Say hello to Rebekah and Niklaus for me, will you?"
"I will. Good evening, Miss YLN."
The first night of the winter storm is brutal. Within hours the temperature dropped drastically and the wind howled. Several feet of snow was predicted and your college professors all emailed that classes had been temporarily canceled due to the storm.
You tacked up tarps over your front door and back door, and even the front windows to your living room. You had unplugged every kitchen appliance you knew you weren't going to use and stowed them away, plugging in a small space heater that you left running on the empty kitchen counter. You had one heater in your bedroom that you only used when you slept, another heater in the bathroom that you only turned on before you showered, and another heater running in the living room where you spent most of your time.
All in all, what was once your favorite season is now something you desperately want to hurry up and be over with.
On the third day, you're trembling under three blankets debating whether or not it was worth it to get up and make yourself something to eat.
And just when you've decided that a nap sounds really good, there's a knock on your front door.
You quietly groan but refuse to get up.
Another knock sounds.
"If you're of the immortal population and friendly, then just walk in. It's too cold to get up," you mutter.
You hear the door creak open and the tarp crinkle as it's moved. "What the bloody hell is this?" You huff a laugh at Rebekah's disdain. "Honestly, YN, don't you ever listen?"
"Hmm?"
"Elijah told us about your situation. Klaus has had his minions watching your place-"
"Aw. He's had his hybrids out in this cold? What a dick."
"-and they called to inform us there wasn't much movement in here anymore. We're really worried."
"M'fine, Rebekah."
"You're not fine. You're bloody freezing!"
"Well, it is Winter, and I am only human."
Rebekah grumbles and you can only imagine the face she's making as you hear her footsteps walking around your apartment. "'Lijah said you didn't enjoy your apartment and now I see why." She sighs. "I don't see why he just doesn't make you part of the family already and move you in."
You tense and slowly pull the blankets down from covering your head. "What?"
She glances at you, feigning innocence. "What?"
"You just said-"
"No, I didn't."
"I could've sworn you said-"
"I said no such thing."
You narrow your eyes at your friend and she smiles a little too big. Then softly rolling your eyes, you cover your head once more to preserve your body heat under the blankets. "Well you've seen with your own eyes that I'm fine. I'm just preserving my body heat under the blankets."
The blankets are suddenly ripped from you and you whine. "Get up. Packs your bags. You're coming with me."
"Rebekah, no." You weakly grab for your blankets, only to be denied. "Just let me go to sleep."
She scoffs. "I'm afraid that if you go to sleep, you won't wake up again. Now go pack or I'll have the hybrids do it for you."
Your eyes sting with tears and a lump forms in your throat as you stare at your friend's no-nonsense expression, but you manage to keep your emotions in check as you pull yourself into a seated position. Then very slowly, you wrap a blanket around your shoulders and go do as you're told.
But you're so cold that Rebekah ends up doing everything for you as you sit on the edge of your bed. Your thoughts end up drifting off as Rebekah moves around you, your eyelids feeling heavier and heavier. Eventually you feel yourself slump over, but you're so tired that you can't open your eyes.
You do, however, hear your friend swear before she's talking to someone else. Most likely on the phone, your mind supplies. Then you're being lifted and moved so suddenly, only to be placed down in a seat. You're cold all over again, but then you hear a car heater get turned on full blast.
"Hold on, YN. I'll get you home and you'll feel better soon."
. .
. .
When you're thrust back into consciousness, the first thing you hear is a crackling fire. Your eyelids flutter open and you find yourself in an unfamiliar room. Your confusion momentarily overrides your sheer terror at not knowing where you're at, but then the soothing baritones of a familiar voice instantly calms you.
"I thought I made it clear that you were to call should you need anything." You turn your head to find Elijah sitting by your bedside. "Rebekah doesn't think you'd have made it another night had you stayed in your apartment. She said your heart rate slowed down while she was packing your clothes and you passed out. You should have called."
You know Elijah is not scolding you, he's just stating facts, but hearing it so plainly scares you. Your bottom lip trembles as your eyes fill with tears and you quickly cover your eyes with your hands before the tears can fall. "I'm sorry." You sniffle. "I just- I didn't-" You shakily exhale and try to swallow down the lump in your throat.
A hand gently wraps around your right wrist, tugging your hand from your face. "It's fine. You're here now."
Your heart starts to pick up speed at his proximity, he having leaned forward. "I didn't think it'd be this hard," you murmur.
"Didn't think what would be so hard?"
"Being an adult." You sniffle some more. "I took a lot of stuff for granted while I was under my parent's roof and now? Struggling to make ends meet while being a college student absolutely blows."
Elijah's lips twitch at the sight of your pout. His eyes twinkle in the firelight and your breath hitches when he raises your hand to his mouth, his lips pressing a kiss to your knuckles. "Well now you're under my roof. Sleep. And when you wake up, this room has its own private bath with all the hot water you can use up and all the food you could want down in the kitchen."
"That sounds nice." Your blinks get longer and longer until you eventually can't keep your eyes open anymore. "'Lijah?" You sleepily slur.
"Yes?"
"You're my favorite Mikaelson. Don't tell the others."
Right before the void takes you, you hear muffled laughter. "I won't. You have my word."
The next time you wake up, you remember where you are and hurry to the windows to look outside. What you see is beautiful, pure white everywhere, but it's also a bit scary because the longer you look at the snow, the quicker Elijah's words come back to haunt you.
Rebekah doesn't think you'd have made it another night had you stayed in your apartment.
This is the most snow you've ever seen in your life and you're suddenly really grateful for nosy friends. As you turn around to face away from the too white picture, you see an opened door leading to a bathroom. Elijah's other words float to the forefront of your mind and you immediately look around for your bags. But finding none anywhere leads you to scope out the dresser drawers and sure enough your clothes have all been folded and put away.
Shaking your head and what was no doubt Rebekah's doing, you gather a change of clothes and head into the bathroom. It's one of the most luxurious bathrooms you've ever seen, but then again these are vampires who are over a thousand years old. Of course they'd splurge to have only the best.
Once you locate the towels and realize the shower stall has everything you'd need, you turn on the hot water and strip the second you see steam rising.
The hot shower is absolute bliss and you almost don't want to get out once you're done. But other needs must be met when your stomach starts to grumble, so you get out and dress in a set of comfortable clothes that's both warm and presentable enough to be in the company of others.
When you eventually find your way to the kitchen, all three Mikaelson siblings are hanging around. Elijah is reading the newspaper, enjoying either a cup of coffee or tea, Rebekah is staring into the refrigerator, but Klaus is smirking directly at you.
"So Sleeping Beauty finally awakens."
"Very funny, Niklaus." You wrinkle your nose as you pass him, offering a small grin as you make your way towards Rebekah. You wrap your arms around her waist from behind, leaning the side of your face against her back. "Please tell me you guys have ramen? I want all the ramen in the world right now."
"We do. Do you want me to make you some?"
"I've got it. Just point me in the direction of the pots and ramen."
As you put a small pot of water to boil, you go through the cabinets to find some spices to season the ramen better. You pull out two slices of cheese from the refrigerator and then drop the noodles into water. You wait patiently for the noodles to become tender and then drain most of the water out. You add in all the seasoning before tossing the cheese atop the noodles, mixing it until it's all melted.
"That doesn't look like the ramen on the packaging," Rebekah says as she looks over your shoulder.
"Because when you're on a budget and your daily meals consist of ramen, you find ways to spruce it up," you muse. "Wanna try?"
"No, thank you."
"Elijah? Niklaus?" You then offer them some.
Elijah politely refuses whereas Klaus' nose wrinkles. "Smells foul, love."
"Really? It smells foul to the person who prefers munching on the hearts of those who betray him?" Klaus chuckles before quickly deciding to take his leave, claiming to have people to torment. Rebekah sighs and grumbles about going with him to make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble, and Elijah just grins from his place at the table. "Would you like some company?" You sheepishly ask.
"Please, be my guest."
Putting some noodles into a bowl, you grab a fork and then a bottled water from the refrigerator before setting it all down atop the table. Then pulling out your own seat, you sit cross legged before digging in.
At the first bite, you smile with your cheeks puffed out and happily wiggle in your seat.
Elijah chuckles. "Good?"
"Mhm." You twirl some more noodles on your fork before blowing on them and then shoving them into your mouth. With another groan, you grab a napkin to dab at your mouth before sipping your water. "I'm a pasta girl, in case you haven't noticed. I will try any pasta dish at least once and then repeatedly if I like it."
"Noted." Elijah smiles at you before his eyes fall back to the paper in his hands. After a moment, he asks, "So was the bedroom to your liking?"
"Yes! Thank you." You perk up a little, grinning. "I hadn't seen that room before, so I was a little confused when I woke up."
"I know. Your heart started to beat frantically before I spoke up."
"Ahh, the perks of being a vampire," you muse. Elijah chuckles and then the two of you fall into silence as he reads and you eat.
You finish your meal without any more interruptions and then walk over to the sink to wash your dishes.
"You know we have a dishwasher, correct?"
"Yes, but I like to do things by hand. Keeps me moving since I have no idea what to do here now that I'm not secluded to the couch for warmth."
"What about your classes?"
"Canceled." Turning off the water, you grab a towel to dry your hands. "Well, at least in-person classes had been canceled. Maybe I should check my email to make sure there are no online assignments that need to be completed."
"Yes, you wouldn't want to fall behind."
You blow a raspberry in his direction before leaving the kitchen and heading for your temporary room to collect your laptop to see if there's anything that needs to be completed.
On your third day with the Mikaelsons, you've taken over their library as you attempted to complete an essay one of your professors had assigned since the campus was still closed. Elijah consistently made appearances, grabbing a book and reading quietly as you researched and typed, and Klaus showed up occasionally to paint while you worked. Rebekah was the only one to drop in for minutes at a time, just long enough to make sure you took a break and gave your brain a rest.
You're reading through one of the many journals Elijah had hoarded from centuries ago when your cell phone dings with a text message. You ignore it, but then it dings again.
And again.
And again.
"Are you going to get that?" Elijah asks.
You startle at his voice, momentarily forgetting you weren't alone. "Yeah. I guess so." The text messages just keep popping up, one right after another, and you try to read them as quickly as you can. "What the-" You frown.
"What seems to be the problem?"
"I'm not sure. Caroline, Bonnie, and Matt.. they seem worried, I think," you tell him. "Each of them asking where I'm at and if I'm okay and-" Your cell ringing cuts you off. "My dad's calling." You quickly accept it. "Hello?"
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
You flinch at the volume of his voice and even Elijah looks up from his book. "Dad? I'm- I'm at a friend's place. The apartment got too cold. Why? What's-"
"Your apartment is on fire!" Your head turns to quickly look at Elijah and he seems just as surprised as you. "We all thought you were inside. No one knew-" His voice cuts off with a sob.
"Dad, I'm okay. I'm fine." He continues to cry, and you do your best to console him. "How did a fire even start? I unplugged everything." You try to listen to your dad, but his blubbering is making no sense. But as you're on the phone with him, Klaus saunters into the room. As he passes you, you can't help but inhale deeply and then narrow your eyes. You know that smell. "Dad, let me call you back. I'll get to the apartment as soon as I can." You hang up and set your phone aside, leaning back into your seat with a sigh. "Niklaus, what did you do?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, love."
You look at Elijah, exasperated. "I believe Miss YLN is talking about the fact that you smell like smoke after she just got a very frantic phone call from her father who didn't know if she was dead or alive because her apartment is currently up in flames."
Rebekah saunters in next, expression a little too smug.
"Rebekah, please tell me you didn't have a hand in this either?"
"Well, it's not like you'd move in here otherwise." Her smug expression falls. "We did you a favor."
"You made me homeless," you deadpan. Then glancing at Elijah, you ask, "Can you take me over there? I need to see the damage."
"Of course."
"YN, we didn't-"
"I assure you we meant no harm," Klaus says. "We just thought-"
"I know what you thought, but you could have literally talked to me about leaving my shitty apartment rather than burn it down." Rebekah looks put out that you're not thanking her, and Klaus doesn't look apologetic at all, but it still makes you assure both of them that you're not angry. "I'm not mad, I'm just-" You trail off, sighing. "Please tell me you at least took out all my valuables before you set everything ablaze?"
Rebekah scoffs. "We're not amateurs. I took anything that might have sentimental value, all your clothes and all your electronics out the first night I brought you here."
You shake your head, unable to help the twitch of your lips. "You guys have been alive way too long if you thought burning down my apartment was the best way to approach me with the idea of moving in here." The two troublesome Mikaelsons start to grin when they realize you're not truly upset with them. "Now when we get back, I want all the chicken nuggets and fries from McDonalds."
"But the closest McDonalds is about twenty minutes away," Rebekah says.
"Then drive fast." Finally standing, you look to Elijah. "Ready?"
He nods. "After you."
. .
. .
The street you live on- er, used to live on- is packed with police cars, an ambulance, and two different fire trucks. The street has been taped off, but after Elijah parks and the two of you approach the officers keeping nosy individuals away, you tell them that it's your apartment up in flames and they let the two of you pass.
Across the street from your burning apartment, your dad stands there with more police officers. You make a beeline for him, accepting his hug and giving the police your statement. Elijah stands by your side as you answer everything you're asked, giving his own statement to back up your claim that you had left the apartment days earlier.
When the questions are done and over with, you're left to helplessly watch as the fire devours the place you've known as home for the last two years. When part of the roof collapses and you flinch, Elijah tucks you under an arm and turns you so your face is pressed against his chest.
"Miss?" Elijah releases his hold on you and nudges you so you turn around. There's a firefighter addressing you. "Are you the owner?"
"I rent," you tell him. "The landlord is elderly. They wouldn't be out here."
"Oh. Okay. Um, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think the house is gonna be a total loss. I'm sorry."
"Figures." You sigh and then paste on a smile. "Thank you."
Just as you turn back towards Elijah, you hear your father sigh next. "Well, I guess this means you'll be moving back in until you find another decent apartment."
"Wow, dad, don't sound too enthused now," you deadpan.
He glowers at you before looking back at the dwindling fire, shaking his head. "Your mother won't be too happy that she'll have to put all her sewing supplies into storage, but I guess we'll just have to make do."
"You know what-"
"Mr. YLN," Elijah smoothly steps in, offering your dad a hand to shake. "I'm Elijah Mikaelson. It's nice to finally meet you, sir." Your dad seems to stand a little taller, puffing out his chest as he takes Elijah in before shaking his hand. "I just want to assure you that you and your wife have nothing to worry about. My family and I will happily take in YN. My sister thinks of her fondly and we have more than enough space for her to stay with us."
"Mikaelson, huh? Your family built that fancy mansion a few years back, right?"
Your eyes roll as you groan, "Dad."
But Elijah only smirks. "Yes, sir."
"Hmm." Your dad huffs. But seeing this as the perfect outcome, he then says, "Well if there's anything my daughter needs to attribute to, I'm sure I can offer some-"
"There's no need. All expenses for your daughter will be covered by my family and I."
You can see the relief obviously wash over your dad and it pains you just a little that he so easily let someone else take care of you. You're pretty sure if one of your older siblings needed help, your parents would move Heaven and Earth for them. But for you? Apparently, your old room was just too much to ask for. "And on that note, Elijah and I will be going." You glance at your apartment, swallowing down the sadness threatening to overwhelm you. "There's nothing left for me here anyway."
Suddenly reaching for Elijah's hand, you start to tug him in the direction of his car. You wave at your dad over your shoulder, barely uttering a goodbye to him.
And then once you're in the quiet of Elijah's car, he asks, "Are you okay?"
"Not really, but what can I do?" You shrug. "Can you just drive? I don't want to be here anymore."
"Of course."
He turns the heater up in the car when he hears your teeth chatter, and you wrap your jacket around you more tightly. You let the warmth wash over you and allow your eyes to close, only opening them when he quietly tells you that you're back home.
Home.
Your eyes snap open as you stare up at the Mikaelson mansion.
Home.
You giggle in disbelief as your mind tries to comprehend how once you were enemies with the Mikaelson family, and now here you sit in the company of one as he calls his home your home as well.
Home.
"I guess this is home now, huh?"
"Yes."
Your lips twitch in amusement. "Then let's get inside. Rebekah and Niklaus better have my chicken nuggets ready for me to devour."
Elijah chuckles before using his vampire speed to exit his side of the car, only to end up on your side to open the door for you. He offers you a hand so you can easily climb on out as he grins at you. "And fries. You can't forget those."
"It'd be blasphemous to forget the salty, potato-y goodness which means I can almost guarantee Niklaus forgot them because he likes to see me suffer." You sigh sadly with a shake of your head. "Do you think the waterworks will get me dessert?"
"It's worth a shot. Shall we?"
As Elijah then offers you the crook of his arm, you hook your arm with his. "We shall."
As it turns out, Niklaus or Rebekah didn't forget the french fries. The table was laden with multiple boxes of nuggets and cartons of fries, and when Rebekah produced the small fried apple pies, you nearly cried.
Nearly.
The snow eventually tapers off as the temperatures settle back into what they usually are around this time of year, and classes resume in person. You have no issue driving yourself to and from school, but when your car starts to rattle and the vampires in your life urge you to take it into the shop, Elijah has no issue driving you to and from the college campus.
And though you were skeptical about living with the Mikaelsons in the beginning and had to deal with conversation after conversation from Bonnie and Caroline, you find yourself enjoying the freedom that comes with not having to worry about bills or what your next meal is going to be.
In fact, you get so comfortable that more often than not, Klaus or Rebekah find you cuddled up next to Elijah as you read a book or with your legs draped over his lap as he reads and you work on something on your laptop. They always shoot you knowing grins, but you wave them off and throw all your focus into your assignments.
One morning, as you're making yourself some breakfast, Rebekah saunters into the kitchen.
"Oatmeal and berries?" She asks.
"Mhm. Want some?"
"No, thanks." You take your bowl to the island bar where your laptop sits open on a document you're meant to be reading and take a seat on a stool. Before you can even get the first spoonful of warm gooeyness into your mouth, you hear Rebekah ask, "So where's my brother?"
You freeze with the spoon halfway to your mouth. "First of all, you have two brothers. And second, how should I know? I'm not either of their keepers."
"Elijah, darling. Do keep up."
"Oh." You shove the spoon of oatmeal into your mouth and shrug. "I dunno. He said something about meeting with someone and that he'd see me later."
"Mhmmm." You can feel the heat of her stare boring into the side of your head and busy yourself momentarily with your oatmeal and berries. "Can I ask you something?"
"You're gonna ask it either way, so yeah. Go ahead."
"Why Elijah and not Niklaus?" You inhale in surprise, choke on a berry, and immediately reach for your coffee. Only that seems to be a mistake as the drink is still too hot and you end up spluttering the coffee and oatmeal down the front of your shirt. Rebekah laughs.
"Goddammit, Rebekah!"
"It's a simple question."
"Yeah, I know, but-" You take the napkins she's offering you and sigh when you see your shirt is stained after dabbing away the mess.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Why Elijah and not Niklaus?" She asks again.
When you glance up at her, you see her amused grin and know she won't let this go. You're pretty sure the crush you have on Elijah is obvious to everyone under the Mikaelson roof, but Elijah's polite enough to not bring attention to it, so you settle for telling her the truth. "Don't get me wrong, both your brothers are smoking hot."
"But…?"
"But Niklaus is too chaotic for me. It's fun to hear about the drama he stirs up, but not so much when you're dragged into it. And Elijah… Elijah has this calm aura to him and can hold a serious conversation that doesn't devolve into murderous schemes unless it's to protect someone he holds near and dear. I just- I don't know. I'm more at ease around Elijah."
"Well, that's harsh, love." You freeze, Rebekah smirks, and you slowly turn to find both brothers standing there under the archway. Klaus' expression matches Rebekah's whereas Elijah is smiling a little guiltily. Knowing you were set up to admit that aloud, you sigh and go back to your oatmeal, but not before glaring at Rebekah. "I hate you."
"Pure lies," she muses. "And you're welcome."
"That's enough, Rebekah," Elijah calls out. "Let us leave Miss YLN be while she finishes her breakfast and her work. I'm sure you have locals to terrorize."
Rebekah rolls her eyes with a sigh and your lips twitch as she reluctantly leaves you be. You glance over your shoulder at Klaus, only for him to wiggle his eyebrows at you before following Rebekah.
And then when you look at Elijah, he grins. "Shall we talk when you're ready?"
"What if I'm never ready?"
"You will be."
"No need to sound so smug."
"How can I not be when I can hear your heartbeat race?" Your face starts to flame. "Or easily detect when the blood rushes through your veins?"
"Okay, I get it." You shift nervously in your seat. "We'll talk soon, just not right now." Elijah nods. "Now get out of here before I demote you to Mikaelson #2."
"Now we all know that's a bold-faced lie." You narrow your eyes at his smirk. "But I will leave you be. Until then…"
As Elijah takes his leave, you heave a great sigh. With your heart racing and face feeling more than a little warm, you try your best to focus on finishing your food and the passage you're meant to be reading.
For a week, every time Elijah walks into a room that you're in, you can't help the way your heart speeds up. Every vampire in the house does their best to hide their amused smiles, but you see them nonetheless and stew in your embarrassment until you finally realize you have nothing to be embarrassed about.
Elijah knows of your attraction towards him and wants to speak of it rather than immediately turning you down. So, in your book, that's a positive sign that he feels the same.
Hopefully.
Then by the second week, you're back to sharing the library with Elijah as you work, and he reads. And it's during this week that you end up with your head resting on his thigh as you attempt to read a non-school related book, only to end up sighing as you let the book fall closed over your chest.
"So, vampirism…" You say, waiting until you know you have his attention. When he hums, your lips twitch. "What's your take on it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've met some vampires who are all about vampirism and only have good things to say about becoming one, but I've also met vampires who completely hate what they are and the thought of creating more." You look up at him, shrugging. "I know you're completely fine with your existence and other vampires, but what's your take on me possibly becoming one?"
He tenses and immediately looks down to meet your gaze. "Is that- is that something you want?"
"What's the point in pursuing a relationship with a vampire if I'm human? I'll age, you won't."
"Would becoming a vampire solely be based on the fact whether or not we pursue a relationship?"
You snort. "No."
"No?"
"No." You sit up, but don't move too far. You turn so your body is angled towards the smartly dressed vampire you'd just been using as a pillow. "Elijah, I've been thinking about vampirism for a long time now. I've just been too chicken to ask for it."
"Why?"
"Healthcare is expensive." Elijah's expression slackens in surprise and you grin. "I'd like to live a life without worrying about throwing myself into debt just because I get an infection or need surgery."
"So, you'd want to become a vampire, not for the everlasting youth or powers or to date another vampire, but because you don't want to pay for healthcare?"
"Yep."
Elijah laughs. "Oh sweetheart, you are something else."
"Mhm. But no turning until after I've graduated. I don't want to attend classes and accidentally kill another student for annoying me."
"If that's what you wish, then we'll revisit this discussion later on down the line."
"Okay. But first I just need to see what I'm missing out on." Elijah must have been anticipating your next move because he merely smiles as you lean forward, one knee digging into the couch cushion as you then lean over him. Your hands gently grasp either side of his face so you can kiss him, and you quietly groan when he immediately grants your tongue entrance. His hands reach for your waist, guiding you towards him until you're perched on his lap. "Fuck."
You barely pull back just enough to catch your breath, your hands settling on his shoulders while his hand reaches up to trace the left side of your face. "Is your curiosity sated?"
"For now." You lean in to peck his lips once more and then pull back, reluctantly climbing off his lap. "Now I'm gonna go take a cold shower less I say something stupid and beg you to take me to bed."
He grins at you. "I see no issue with you begging."
"I'm sure you don't." You return his teasing grin. "But when our first time together happens, I want all of you. I don't want you holding back."
"Graduation is still a ways away," he muses. "Are you capable of that much restraint?"
You allow your gaze to look him up and down, and swipe your tongue across your bottom lip. Elijah smirks as you sigh wistfully and then you shake your head clear and head for the exit. "I'm gonna have to invest in a goddamn vibrator."
Elijah's laugh follows you all the way up the stairs.
As the months pass, you do your best to keep things calm between you and Elijah, but the tension between the two of you only continues to thicken. In fact, it isn't long before his siblings figure out something has happened. Klaus is the first to realize, but Elijah is a pro at redirecting the conversation and you only manage a whimper when his attention turns to you. And then when Rebekah picks up on what's going on around her, it isn't long until you cave and blurt out your entire conversation with Elijah, as well as the kiss.
Rebekah thinks it's cute that you're putting yourself through so much torture just so her brother can properly rail you into the mattress, and Klaus takes great pleasure in teasing the two of you.
But you hold strong, only slipping up here and there when Elijah looks just too good for you to resist, but never actually sleep with him. He takes what you give, chuckling when you whimper and groan when you have to walk yourself back to your room.
Graduation is then upon you and your family surprises you by showing up since you hadn't really spoken to any of them since your apartment burned to the ground. You're subjected to dinner with them, which means the Mikaelsons are subjected to dinner as well since you strongly urge them to tag along, and it's an all-around awkward night.
Your mother then manages to turn the dinner into a tense one by asking what kind of career you're going into with your chosen degree, and Elijah is quick to shut that conversation down by telling your mother you have a year to think on it since he has an all-expenses paid vacation planned for you after you've studied your ass off these last few years. That, in turn, leads to your mother scoffing and quietly berating you for riding your boyfriend's coattails, and Klaus stuns everyone by basically calling your mother a jealous cunt.
Graduation night ends with Elijah and Rebekah having to compel your family to forget the tense moments.
Days later you're surprised to learn that the vacation Elijah told your mother is actually real, and Rebekah helps you pack even though she won't be going on this trip with you- it's just you and Elijah.
Flying first class is an experience you'll never forget, nor the trip Elijah took care to plan so you could see the world and experience different cultures.
One Year Later
It's been a while since you've stepped foot in Mystic Falls and you're unsurprised that it's unchanged. Small towns are filled with people with small minds, and no one liked change when your town was as pretty as Mystic Falls.
Elijah opens your door when he parks in front of your home, and you take his hand as you climb out. Then leaning up, you press a kiss of thanks to his lips before moving past him.
"Happy to be home?" He asks.
"Yes. As much as I loved traveling the world with you, there's just something about my own bed that I was missing."
"Well, you're going to continue to miss it because you'll be moving into my room."
Your eyes roll fondly. "And you call me the impatient one."
"Yes, well…" Elijah steps right in front of you, tilting your head upward so his thumb drags your bottom lip from between your teeth. "Can you blame me?"
"Nope. I know I'm adorable."
Chuckling, he places another quick kiss to your lips. "That you are. Now let's get inside. I'll get some of Niklaus' associates to bring in our bags."
"I'm only agreeing with you right now because I want to see your siblings. Otherwise, I'd be grabbing my own bags."
"If you say so, sweetheart."
Stepping back, you practically skip to the front door and throw it open. "Honey, we're home!" You call out.
Your moment of happiness is interrupted when a hand is immediately wrapped around your throat, and you're slammed into a wall. It all happens within a split second and your eyes widen as you see Damon Salvatore hiss in your face, only to then find three very pissed off Mikaelson's at his back. "You won't heal Elena? Maybe you need a little motivation then." Damon growls, shaking you a little.
Your hands grasp at Damon's wrist, nails raking against the exposed skin there. "W-What?"
"Your new little family is refusing to help Elena," he sneers. "Maybe if their pet human is threatened, then maybe we'll get somewhere."
You make a show of being in discomfort with his hand around your neck before you cave and laugh. Klaus and Rebekah freeze, and Elijah loosens his stance as he slowly grins at you. "So, Elena decided to be a dumbass and now you want the Originals to clean up her mess? What'd she do now?"
"Got herself bitten by a little wolf," Rebekah hesitantly muses. "How are you-"
But Damon frowns as he quickly looks you up and down. "Why are you laughing?" He squeezes your throat a little tighter, but it merely causes your smile to grow.
"Because you underestimate me, Mr. Salvatore." Your smile vanishes just as quickly as you grab his wrist in your own grasp, snapping it backwards and sending the vampire to his knees. Then with a swift kick to his chest, you send him sailing across the room. "You underestimated me as a human and now you underestimate me as a vampire. Never put your hands on me again."
Damon is quick to speed to his feet, cradling his already healing limb as he stares at you in disgust. Rebekah and Klaus, however, look prouder than ever as Elijah walks up to your side, letting his fingers trace one side of your face before he kisses your forehead.
"So, you're a vampire now?" Damon huffs. "All that means is that when your guard dogs aren't around, I can torture you now without your pathetic little heart giving out."
"And that's where you're wrong." Using your newfound speed, you manage to make a dent in the wall where you shove Damon against before tossing him into the glass coffee table and shattering it. Then standing over him, you place your foot on his chest to prevent him from getting up. "You see, Elijah has always known I'd be a target for fools like you. So, when I turned, some of his friends who were looking for a favor from the noble Original made it so I also have the strength of an Original." You slowly smirk as reality sinks in for Damon. "So, you can come at me all you want, but I'll just end up putting you on your ass again and again and again."
He struggles to get out from under you, but you put more pressure on his chest to keep him in place. "Elena's your friend. You should want to help her!"
"Wrong. She stopped being my friend the moment her dumbass ended up sired to your sorry ass. Her messes are her own." You press down on his chest again until he groans and then speed back to Elijah's side where you end up tucked beneath his arm. Then glancing at Klaus, you smile sheepishly, "Sorry about the wall and table. I'll do my best to replace it."
Klaus' dimples are on full display before he lets his laugh echo around the room. Rebekah's tinkling laugh isn't too far behind. "Welcome to the family, love. And don't worry about the mess. Watching you throw around Damon was spectacular." You grin as you hear Damon huff and then Klaus turns to him. "Just this once, Salvatore. I'll help you just this once because YN has put me in a better mood. Any future bites and your doppelganger is dead."
"Fine. We'll take it."
As Klaus disappears with Damon, you turn to Rebekah who has her arms crossed over her chest and hip cocked to the side. "So how long did you last?"
"Three months."
Her eyebrow arches. "Only three?"
"I could have gone longer, but I might have goaded your brother."
"With what?"
"Rebekah, I don't think-"
You slowly smirk at her. "I told him I had this fantasy of him bending me over the railing at the top of the Eiffel Tower and he cracked. He made preparations for my turning almost as soon as we got back to our hotel."
"Okay that's enough." Elijah scoops you up just as his sister cackles and you find yourself being tossed on his bed a moment later as he crawls over you. As you grin up at him, he asks, "Did you have to share that with her?"
"Girls talk, handsome. Get used to it." You lean up, kissing him. "And besides, you're lucky Niklaus wasn't here."
"Rebekah will tell him."
"And he'll tease us until you and I decide to christen every surface in this room." You kiss again. "And the library." Another kiss. "And maybe even the kitchen."
"YOU WILL NOT BRING YOUR NAKED SELVES INTO THIS KITCHEN!" Rebekah's shout interrupts your final kiss, and you laugh as you fall back against the bed.
"Let him tease. He's the one who'll have to listen to us."
"AND ME!"
You giggle as Elijah sighs, lowering his body over you so he can rest his forehead against yours. "Maybe I should build another house for us."
"Absolutely not. I love you and I love your family. If we have to deal with them teasing us about our sex life, then so be it. It's not like they're so innocent themselves."
"You love me?"
"Always." You kiss him. "Now get up. I say the first place we christen is that fancy bathroom of yours."
Elijah is up within a split second, tugging you along.
Downstairs, Rebekah is fixing herself a mug of tea and blood when your giggles reach her ears. The giggles soon turn into a moan, and she grimaces. "Bloody hell. If I knew they were going to be this randy, I'd have invested in noise canceling headphones."
The Sons of Anarchy are in for a surprise when Jax's missing sister comes home.
PART ONE | PART TWO
Words: 6.1K
Author's Note: Some scenes from 'Black Widow' will make it in here though they'll be viewed through video feed. You'll see ;)
In the time that it takes Natasha to come up with a decent plan, you had to have a talk with Jax. He wasn't too impressed that you agreed to go so easily, but in the end he understood this was some business you had to take care of. He was happy to know you were doing a good thing- freeing women from mind control- but he didn't like that you were leaving so soon.
And headed straight into a dangerous mission at that.
Then on the day you're set to leave, you watch as Natasha brings in two black cases from her vehicle. She gathers your brother and Juice, and starts explaining the contents to them while you watch on. She explains she has a very rich and very bored friend who made her body cams- only these body cams are pinging from a satellite so no matter where in the world the cams are, whoever is on the receiving end can still see the video feed. Juice is impressed and happily follows her instructions to set everything up.
Jax leads them to a room that you know is off-limits and where they hold Church. Then after making sure the cams work and Juice knows how to log in, Natasha tells you to get your goodbyes in.
Juice surprises you with a hug, as does Happy. Happy's always rather stoic, but Juice always has a smile. This time, however, he's more subdued given what you're about to do with Natasha. Tig, Chibs, and Opie hug you while also telling you to come back home.
Huh. And isn't that odd. You actually have a home now.
Then when it's time to hug Jax, the two of you grab onto each other and don't let go.
"Come back. Alright? Promise me."
"I can't make that promise, big brother. Not in this line of work," you say. "But I will do my damnedest to come back. I still have to spar with Happy. Remember?"
Jax chuckles and when he finally releases you, you don't mention the sheen to his eyes because you're pretty sure yours are the same. You smile at each man before turning on your heel, marching towards Natasha's vehicle where she's already waiting.
Getting into the passenger seat, you keep quiet. It's only after Natasha drives out of the parking lot that you exhale shakily.
From the corner of your eye, you see her look at you. "You got attached pretty quickly."
"He's my last living blood relative," you say. "He remembers me when I was a toddler. Remembers when I was taken from the playground."
"Your parents?"
"Both killed."
"How?"
"Not sure. I have a feeling it's club related, so I told Jax I didn't want to know. What happened in the past needs to stay in the past."
"You seriously don't want to know how they died?"
"Not right now. Maybe somewhere down the line I'll change my mind."
Natasha hums but doesn't bring it up. "So are you ready to see Alexei and Melina again?"
"Not really, but we have no choice."
Natasha hums again and you settle in for a long ride.
For two days, the Sons are an anxious mess.
The core six who knew what SAMCRO's princess was and what she was truly capable of were in a constant state of checking their burners and the screens that Juice and Natasha had set up where Church commenced. No matter the time, the second Jax got the message they were all going to scramble for the screens to watch the girls do their job.
On the third day, Jax gets a message that the cams are going live and he hurriedly contacts everyone to meet in the room. He puts Half Sack in charge of the garage and any club matters are to be texted to him unless it was a matter better handled face to face.
By the time everyone's gathered, Juice has the screens split, showing a feed from each girl. It's obvious from the very beginning they're in the cockpit of a helicopter and they're surprised to see YN piloting with Natasha acting as a co-pilot.
"Well would you look at that, boys. We got ourselves a pilot," Tig muses.
The view they see is half control panel, half white. It's very obvious they're nowhere in the states with the mountains of snow they're flying over. Eventually, there's what they assume is the prison off in the distance before they're hovering too close for them to really see anything.
Moments of quiet pass before, "He's never going to make it." That was YN's voice.
"Get me closer." From Natasha's camera, they see YN turn to look at her in disbelief. "Got a better idea?"
YN's camera just shows them nothing, so they focus on the one that's moving. Natasha leaves her seat, heading towards the door and opening it. Her camera view shows multiple guards running around before she grabs a rope to swing herself down to their level, and the Sons are treated to seeing the Avenger in action.
They hear gunshots pinging off of metal, focusing on YN's camera view before alarms start blaring in the cockpit.
"Ooohhhh." The helicopter sways dangerously close to the prison and she barely manages to get it under control. "Woo! Sorry." She calls out when Natasha is forced to roll out of the way from the helicopter's tail.
"What are you doing?!" The redhead yells at YN through the windshield. "Are you kidding me?! Back up!"
YN gives Natasha a thumbs up. "We're both doing a really good job," she says while gaining more control of the aircraft.
All the Sons snort in amusement.
"They definitely act like siblings," Juice mumbles.
The helicopter then takes heavy gunfire and they can hear YN sigh. "Okay. Enough of this." She puts the aircraft on autopilot before leaving her seat. She heads to the side wall where she picks out a weapon, then turns to crouch in the opened doorway. With a missile launcher steadied on her shoulder, she fires at the guard shooting at her and takes out the entire tower. "Ha!"
"Holy shit. I think I'm in love," Juice mumbles again, this time earning a slap to the back of the head from Jax.
As YN reclaims her seat, they hear her say, "Whoaaaaaa." Their gaze darts to Natasha's screen where she's facing what appears to be an avalanche thanks to the explosion YN caused. "This would be a cool way to die."
Jax exhales roughly. "Jesus Christ. This girl's gonna give me a heart attack."
Anxious, the Sons watch as YN keeps her cool, navigating around the prison to find the perfect pickup location for Natasha and who was once her father. Natasha barely manages to grab hold of the man's arm as YN flies them out of danger, and all too soon the two of them are climbing the rope.
"Goddamn. Did she really just do that?" Opie asks.
Jax nods. "My sister's a badass."
Once Natasha reclaims her co-pilot's seat, they hear the man speak.
"Ah. Wow." His Russian accent is very heavy. They can't see what happens next, but they hear the man cry out. "Ow! Ah, okay. Why the aggression?" Neither woman answers him so the Sons take it that one of the girls hit him. "Is it your time of the month?"
Tig hisses, knowing full well that was not the question to ask.
"I don't get my period, dipshit. I don't have a uterus," YN answers.
"Or ovaries," Natasha chimes in.
"Yeah. That's what happens when the Red Room gives you an involuntary hysterectomy. They kind of just go in-" at this, they see YN's hands go up in front of her as she gestures her words to give the man a visual, "and they rip out all of your reproductive organs. They just get right in there and they chop them all away. Everything-"
"Okay. Okay!" The man shouts.
"So you can't have babies," Natasha muses.
"Okay! You don't have to get so clinical and nasty."
The Sons all chuckle, but it's a tense amusement. On one hand the man asked for it, but on the other… they can't believe their little princess went through that.
"Oh well I was about to talk about fallopian tubes, but okay," YN trails off.
A couple minutes pass with no one talking and then the man is back at it again.
"It means so much to me that you came back for me."
"This guy just doesn't know when to shut up," Opie muses.
"No," Natasha's voice can be heard. "We only got you out because we need to get to the Red Room. You know where it is."
"I do not know where it is, but I know someone who might."
"Who?"
"Your mother." Natasha and YN glance at one another. "She's in St. Petersburg."
"Uhhh, I don't think we have enough fuel for St. Petersburg." They see YN's hand reach forward, moving something aside on the control panel to see a fuel gauge.
"No, we're good. We'll make it."
"Okay."
Just outside St. Petersburg, alarms start blaring.
YN and Natasha scramble to make a soft crash landing, both of them shouting at their father figure in Russian.
"I have never wanted to know Russian more than I do right now." Chibs laughs.
The Sons watch as the two Black Widows crash land the helicopter, muttering at the man they broke out of prison as they exit. They're standing in a field with no building in sight, staring at each other and the now useless helicopter.
"You should have brought the Avengers' superjet," the man utters.
Both girls look at him head on and the Sons get a good look at him for the first time. He is not the kindest, nor cleanest, looking man and they have a hard time believing this is the person the girls once called 'father'.
The man then pulls the girls into a hug at the same time, squeezing them and proclaiming how proud he is of them and some of their respective achievements he's heard all about. Natasha, disgusted, quickly dislodges from his hold, leaving YN to awkwardly accept a kiss on the forehead.
"Mhm. Okay. You smell disgusting," YN says before finally pushing away from him.
The man starts off in a direction and the girls are quick to follow. The entire walking trip, no one utters a word, so the Sons take a breather by checking on the garage and grabbing some food before meeting back in the room.
When they're paying attention once more, they find the trio on screen being greeted by a woman with a sniper rifle. Thankfully it's not pointed at them, but for this being the one the girls called 'mother', she doesn't seem too impressed to see them.
They're on a farm, warily checking rooms and washing up before they're instructed to take a seat at the table for a family dinner.
The Sons aren't sure if the girls forgot the cameras were rolling, so they're subjected to the most awkward and stilted family dinner they've ever witnessed.
When their father rejoins them, he's stuffed himself in a red suit that he claims still fits when it's obvious it barely does. He calls himself the 'Red Guardian' and boasts about his glory days. From there they jump to what the woman has been up to and she proudly admits that their mission twenty-one years ago in Ohio had been to achieve the ability to effectively mind control a person and take their free will from them.
"Holy shit. She's actually proud of that?" Tig asks.
Opie nods. "That's fucked up, man."
The woman then demonstrates for them, pulling out an iPad and pressing several buttons. A pig eventually walks in through the door and she shows them that she's going to command it to stop breathing. Natasha and YN are obviously uncomfortable when the pig starts to show distress, but the woman allows it to breathe again before sending it back outside.
"So you still work for them then?" Natasha asks.
The woman glances at Natasha before shaking her head. "No."
"Don't lie to them," the man says.
"I'm not lying-"
"You're Dreykov's architect."
And that- that seems to strike a nerve within the woman. "What were you then? If I was his architect, you were his- you were his partner! You were his business partner."
"No, no, no. I was patsy." He slams a fist on the table.
"Don't give me that."
"He sell me ideology-"
"Oh stop with the-"
"Shut up!" Natasha shouts. The parents fall silent. "You are an idiot." She tells the man who seems hurt by her words before she looks at the woman. "And you're a coward." The woman looks at her in surprise. "You're a coward," Natasha says again. "And our family was never real, so… there's nothing to hold on to."
"YN flinched," Opie says. "I think she cares more about them than she's letting on."
"We're moving on," Natasha says.
"Never family, huh?" The man drawls. "In my heart, I am simple man. And I think that for a couple of deep undercover Russian agents- I think we did pretty great as parents."
"Yes." The woman agrees. "We had our orders and we played our roles to perfection."
Natasha shakes her head at them. "Who cares? It wasn't real."
"What?" YN's voice quivers.
But Natasha isn't paying attention, too focused on the man and woman. "That wasn't real! Who cares?!"
"Don't say that. Please, don't say that."
"She's crying," Happy notices and they're all forced to watch YN try to hold her emotions back.
"It was real. It was real to me. You are my mother," she tells the woman at her side. "You were my real mother. The closest thing I ever had to one." A pause. "The best part of my life was fake," she takes a stuttering breath, "and none of you told me." The table is struck speechless and even Natasha looks regretful of her words.
YN looks at the one she called 'mother'. "And those agents you chemically subjugated around the globe? That was me." The woman looks surprised before YN glances at Natasha. "And you? You got out. Dreykov made sure no one could escape. Are you going to say anything?" Natasha doesn't. "No?" The woman moves to grab YN's hand, but she's quick to yank away. "Don't touch me."
YN grabs a bottle of vodka from the table before angrily leaving the room.
"YN." Natasha calls out, but YN shakes her head.
"No."
The Sons watch as YN walks to another room, sliding down the side of bed to sit on the floor. They can hear her sniffle and see her drink Vodka straight from the bottle, but none of them say anything.
Eventually they hear a door creak open, but the way the camera is facing leaves them in the dark as to who it is.
"I do not want to talk," YN says.
"That's fine. I will just sit here then." It's the Russian dude.
And true to his word, he doesn't utter a word.
"We should've ordered a pizza or something," Juice grumbles. "I'm so hungry."
Tig snorts. "Then order it, idiot. Have it delivered."
Juice gets up to walk to the corner of the room to place an order while everyone watches on.
YN is the first to crack. "You know I met my brother? That's where I was when Natasha found me."
"Brother? Truly?"
YN chuckles. "Da. He's the president of a very notorious motorcycle club. You would like him."
"Then I look forward to meeting him."
The amicable moment is cut short when the screen suddenly goes black before switching to night vision. The power went out.
"Whoa. What happened?" Juice asks as he returns to his seat.
"Don't know. Everything was fine and then-," Jax mumbles.
A blinding light fucks with the camera feed, but then comes back into focus. The man is standing in front of a window, shouting and challenging whoever's found them. Then all of sudden he wobbles back, turning, and the Sons see numerous tranq darts sticking out from his front.
"Holy shit! Are they tryin' the kill the man?!" Opie wonders.
As soon as he falls, YN keeps low to the floor as she scrambles for the door. The moment she finds her feet to run through the house, she's met with the woman who had been called mother.
"Melina, what are you doing? We need to go!"
"I'm sorry."
"What?"
YN gasps.
"What happened?" Jax sits a little taller in his seat.
YN yanks something out from her chest and when her hand comes into view of the camera, the Sons see a tranq dart sitting there. "Mama?"
The camera view topples as YN passes out.
"No she fuckin' didn't!"
Melina quickly comes into view on YN's camera, holding her hands up in surrender as she looks directly into the lens. "Don't fret, boys. It's all part of the plan."
"What the fuck does that mean?" Jax grumbles.
"I don't know, but only YN and Natasha knew about the cameras, so how did this woman know exactly where to look and who was watching?" Juice wonders.
No one says anything as other Black Widows make an appearance, collecting YN, Natasha and their father's body. The girls are dragged onto a separate helicopter than their father, and then it's a quiet ride to wherever it is they're being taken.
"What the fuck do we do?" Happy asks.
Everyone glances at the stoic man, unsure of how to proceed.
"You heard the woman; she says it's part of a plan." Tig shrugs.
"A plan YN wasn't clued in on?" Jax asks. "Nah. I don't like it."
"They're in a completely different country. We can't do jack shit from here," Juice says.
"And even if we even did have a plan, what chance do we have against trained assassins?" Opie wonders.
"I can't just fuckin' sit here!" Jax suddenly stands, kicking his chair back in a fit of anger.
No one tells him anything, instead just letting him pace his anger out.
They wait in silence, even as Juice leaves to collect his pizza and bring it back to the room. Eventually the girls are being moved, but both camera views show different ceilings. Natasha is taken one way and YN another.
Natasha's camera view shows she's tossed into a room, but it's YN's view that has everyone holding their breath. A man hovers above her- a man wearing a medical hat and mask and appears to be doing something to her face.
He's speaking to others in the room, but it's all in Russian and the Sons have no hope of understanding what's going on.
Jax is still pacing when there's a quiet groan and YN's camera view moves just a little. "Was that her?"
But before any of the Sons can answer, YN does it for him when she says, "This is not a cool way to die."
Everyone heaves a sigh of relief, anxiously watching the next moments unfold.
From Natasha's camera comes a voice that isn't Natasha- a voice that sounds like that Melina woman which confuses the hell out of the Sons. But she tells YN of a blade hidden in her belt, tells her to free herself and to collect the vials of the red dust to free her other sisters.
YN listens, freeing herself from wherever she'd been strapped down to, and then attacking the medical personnel in the room when they try to raise an alarm.
As YN disappears into a vent, they hear, "Collect the vials, free the widows. Do not get caught. Again."
They watch her crawl through the ceiling vents until she drops down, quietly exclaiming her disgust when she lands in a superhero pose. She sneaks around a corner, swiftly eliminating a guard, and then finds the red vials she needed to find.
YN is then informed by Melina that the Red Room is falling from the sky and that she needs to find Natasha as soon as possible.
"I'm so confused." Juice's brow is furrowed as he stares at the screen. "How did the mom end up with Natasha's camera?"
"They switched body suits. It's the only explanation," Jax says.
Tig scoffs. "They switch faces too then? How else did the mom end up in the cell meant for Natasha?"
The Sons are all quiet before Happy- HAPPY!- smirks. "They're assassins. Of course, they switched faces. I need to ask how they did it though. That would come in handy some day."
The Sons all groan and then their attention is dragged back to YN's screen where there's a bunch of movement going on.
"Holy shit. They're going to kill the lass," Chibs says as he watches many Black Widows beat the shit out of Natasha.
YN panics and rushes around before they all watch her wrap the remaining vials of dust around a grenade.
"Jesus fuckin' Christ, please tell me she just didn't do what I think she did?" Jax closes his eyes, unsure if he wants to watch.
"She did and she just tossed it into the crowd." Opie winces.
The vials explode above all the women, each and every assassin going stock still before glancing around in confusion.
"She did it. She fuckin' did it, boys!" Tig crows. "She freed the girls!"
YN rushes to Natasha, helping her up and yanking a knife from her back.
"Get them out of here," Natasha says right before an explosion sounds. "Get them to safety."
"Not without you."
"It's fine. I just need to collect some data. I'll be right behind you."
YN is reluctant to leave, but she eventually does. She and the other newly freed Widows are running through hallway after hallway, trying to stay on their feet as explosions sound off one right after the other.
They eventually make it out in the open and from there YN tells the other Widows to grab an aircraft. When asked where she's going, YN says, "Dreykov doesn't get to escape. Not again."
YN separates from the Widows, running full speed towards a helicopter. She starts climbing the side of it, steadying herself as she walks along one of the wings until she's bent over an engine.
"No, no, no. What the fuck is she doing?" Jax wonders.
She grunts and a moment later she has two batons in hand. She clasps them together, twisting so they lock into place to make one long baton.
"YN!"
Her body angles so the Sons can see Natasha running towards her, stopping several feet away and out of range from the gunfire they can hear. "Don't do it!"
"This was fun!"
"NO!"
"Tell Jax I'm sorry!" And then before she can second guess herself, she slams the baton downward.
An explosion engulfs the front of YN's camera and she's thrown backwards into the open sky.
"MOTHERFUCKER!"
All the Sons are on their feet now, watching in disbelief as YN freefalls through the sky.
"WHY THE FUCK- WHY WOULD SHE DO THAT!?"
Eventually YN's camera is just facing upward, but it's obvious she's still plummeting with flaming debris falling all around her.
"Holy shit. Check this out."
Jax, who had his hands clasped behind the back of his neck with his eyes closed, opens his eyes and looks at the screen.
Natasha is falling now too, only it's a deliberate fall as she aims for YN. Seconds later they collide, and Natasha is grumbling at YN to get the parachute on.
"Oh, thank fuck."
Natasha holds onto YN as their descent slows, but then she's letting go and freefalling again as YN screams for her.
YN eventually lands safely and minutes later a rather battered Natasha is joining her. She makes sure YN is okay before the girls have a tearful conversation where Natasha admits that their family was real to her too.
The other Widows find them, along with Melina and their father, and then Natasha is urging them to leave when they hear sirens in the distance.
"Go. Go back to your brother. I'll see you soon."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
After hugging it out, YN is escorted onto a helicopter where the Black Widows are confused about what they're going to do now. Melina promises to help them, along with the help of Alexei, and tells them where to go.
Then the attention is back on YN and Melina wants to know all about the brother Natasha mentioned. YN tells them, but keeps names and locations very vague.
"She's okay, brother. She's coming home," Opie says. The words are meant for Jax, but everyone in the room needed to hear it.
The tension slowly bleeds from everyone and then Jax is making his way towards the door. "When she gets back, her ass is going on lockdown."
The remaining Sons chuckle.
"I'd like to see him try and put her on lockdown," Chibs grins. "She'd murder him in the ring."
"I'd pay to watch that fight," Happy says.
Tig smirks. "What did I say, huh? Family of badasses. John, Gemma, Jax, and now YN? I'd pay to see anyone give lip to that girl."
"Yeah? How much we talkin'?" Happy wonders, expression curious.
Opie rolls his eyes, clamping a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't do it, Hap."
"Do it. Please, do it," Juice begs.
"Fifty bucks," Tig suddenly calls out.
"Done."
Chibs groans. "Your funeral, idiot."
A few days later, you find your way back to the States. You hadn't told your brother and just got a flight to California before taking a cab to the garage.
It's as you're walking through the lot that you're recognized, someone hollering that the princess was back. You rolled your eyes, but braced yourself for the impending collision.
Seconds later, Jax is run through the bay doors. You drop your duffel bag, grunting when Jax collides with you, and wrap your arms tightly around him. "Lockdown. Your ass is on lockdown until I can come to terms that you didn't die."
You laugh into your brother's chest. "M'kay. Whatever you say."
"I'm serious, YN. I thought you were going to die."
"I know." Then pulling back so you can stare up at him, you ask, "So is it a house lockdown or club lockdown?"
"Club. We're staying here."
"Okay then."
Soon enough you're being passed from Son to Son, the ones closest to Jax welcoming you back.
"So how was that fall?" Juice asks.
You chuckle. "It was a rush, but I don't recommend it."
"I don't know. If that redhead of yours was the one rescuing me, I wouldn't mind the fall," Tig says.
You shake your head at him, grinning. "As much as I'm glad to be back, I need to sleep."
"Come on." Jax picks up your dropped bag. "Your room's ready for you."
You end up sleeping for nearly twelve hours straight, eating your weight in food afterwards, and then sleeping again. Jax is content that you're within eyesight, and once you're in a better mood to face people you start focusing on being a bit normal once more.
You're an excellent bartender, but you butt heads with the crow eaters quite frequently that Jax tries to find something else for you to do. You're bored behind the desk in the office, and it's only when some entitled douchebag brings in his sport's bike to be fixed that the Sons realize what an asset you'd be to the garage. Because while all the mechanics are busy, and poor Half Sack is dealing with the whininess of the douchebag, you walk right up to the bike, locate the issue, and explain how to fix it. The douchebag didn't want to believe that a girl could do what he couldn't, but with Happy backing you up he had to grudgingly take your word for it.
Jax was so impressed that he wanted to see what you were truly capable of, so he grabbed a bike from the junkyard and told you to fix it up. You took the challenge and showed all the Sons that you could be a mechanic just as good, if not better, than them.
. .
. .
Happy's finally got you into the ring, much to everyone's delight. Some of them had seen the fancy footwork you were capable of, but none of them knew how much of a punch you packed. So, when Happy gave you the first punch for free, you stunned even him when his head snapped to the side, and you busted his lip.
Happy looked back at you, expression stunned, before he smiled. You swore you heard someone swear as others started to make bets, and then the two of you really went for it.
Happy obviously gets some hits in, but only body shots. Either you were too quick for him to catch you in the face or Jax mentioned something about keeping the hits below the neck. You take great pleasure in hitting the man where it hurts, surprising him with your strength. Jax is far too amused watching his boy bleed and when he tells you to finish it, you shock everyone by using the ropes around the ring to jump off from, wrap your thighs around Happy's head, and then twist your entire body's weight downward to flip him over.
When Happy lands with a thud and a grunt, you squeeze your thighs tighter until he taps out.
"That's my fuckin' sister!" Jax crows.
You remain laying on the mat, panting and heaving until Happy gives you a hand up. He flashes you a bloody smile, hands you a water bottle, and the two of you lean against the ropes as you catch your breath.
As you're listening to the Sons joke and tease Happy about losing to a girl, a black SUV pulls into the lot. One by one, everyone starts to turn when no one gets out, but the windows are tinted so dark that the only thing you can determine is that there are two individuals in the vehicle.
Jax looks at you and you look at him, offering him a shrug. You drop your water bottle down into the hands of a Son, but before you can slide out between the ropes, the driver's door is opening.
Natasha steps out and the tension seems to drain out of the small, gathered crowd though some are apprehensive about an Avenger being there. "At ease, boys. My business is with my sister."
"Yeah? And what is that?" You shout. "You could've called."
"I could have, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise."
"What surprise?"
By now you're standing on the outside of the ropes, standing on the edge of the ring. Just then the passenger door opens, drawing your gaze, and your brow furrows at the man who steps out. He's wearing a leather jacket, hands shoved into the pockets, but it's his jawline that makes you tense.
You'd know that chiseled face anywhere, even with his hair shorn close to his head.
"You're supposed to be dead."
"Funny. I could say the same about you."
"Uhh, English, please," Jax says.
But seeing as you're too stunned to say anything else, Natasha happily takes the lead. "Gentlemen, let me introduce you to my friend James Buchanan Barnes."
"Holy shit," you hear Juice utter. "That's the fuckin' Winter Soldier, man!"
You hop off the side of the ring, hesitantly making your way towards the man. "You remember?"
He nods, lips twitching. "Some. More keeps coming back every day."
"How?"
"A princess in Wakanda helped me sort my head out."
"The triggers?"
"Gone."
You smile and huff a laugh in disbelief, and when the Asset offers you the same in return, you close the distance between the two of you. His arms engulf you and you let yourself bask in the moment of being reunited with him.
"What exactly are we missing?" Jax asks.
Natasha grins, eyes steady on her little sister and Barnes. "When HYDRA had control over James, they used him to train us in the Red Room. My guess is they waited too long in between memory wipes, and he and YN grew close. So, to prevent their greatest weapon rebelling, they separated the two by sending YN away on a mission. James told me that they told him YN was killed and he never saw her again."
"And he just knew she was here because…"
"I had to tell him, Teller. My whole team saw the footage from my body cam. He recognized her."
"Is he going to be an issue?"
"What? Do you mean for the little illegal operations that the Sons of Anarchy may or may not be a part of?" Jax stares at Natasha in surprise and she smirks. "I did my research."
"We're not-"
"Relax. I don't care what you do so long as you don't pull YN into it."
Jax's eyes narrow. "And if she inserts herself into club business?"
"Then I suggest whatever crime you're committing isn't big enough to draw the attention of the Avengers."
"Wait, what?" Natasha chuckles at his expression. "You're just gonna let-"
"I'm not letting YN do anything. She's an adult. But you've seen what Black Widows are capable of. You've heard rumors of what we've done. Do you truly think your little sister is innocent?"
"Well no, but-"
"But nothing. She can make her own decisions. And as for Bucky? He's done terrible things and even though he's trying to make up for it, silly biker's business is something he'll most likely overlook."
Jax has so many questions for the woman who had more years with his baby sister, but he's interrupted by Juice. "Hey, man, is this something we're okay with?" He asks while gesturing towards YN who is leading Bucky towards the club. "Because if not, I do not call dibs on telling the Winter Soldier he can't bone the club princess."
Natasha actually laughs as Jax seems to wince. "Nah, man. Leave it. That's her business."
"Oh thank god."
"Well while you boys get back to work or whatever it was you were doing while YN was kicking your boy's ass in the ring, I'm going to go get food. I'm pretty sure YN and Bucky are going to work up quite the appetite."
She smirks again as she dodges Jax's playful swat.
. .
. .
Hours later, after Natasha and Bucky have gone off to book a room at the local hotel, you find yourself sitting outside on the top of a picnic table with your brother.
"So, this is the life, huh?" You ask, staring up at the night sky. "Working ten-hour shifts, partake in shady side jobs every once in a while, and drink the night away."
"Yep."
"I can get used to this."
"Can you?" You glance at Jax and his expression is serious. "Can you get used to not being an assassin?"
"Being a Black Widow is ingrained in my every muscle." You smile sadly at him. "You can take the girl out of the Red Room, but you can't take the Red Room out of the girl."
"So, if Natasha calls…"
"I will answer, but I will do everything to prevent any blow back on you or Charming."
"I guess that's all I can ask for."
"Yeah." You huff a laugh and then ask, "So did Happy pop a boner or what when he saw the Winter Soldier?" Jax laughs and you press on. "I'm serious! I'm surprised he didn't ask for pointers on how to kill someone and clean up his tracks. It's like Christmas come early for him."
Jax shakes his head. "Happy's smart enough to not piss off someone like him."
"If you say so."
"Mhmm." Jax takes a pull of his beer. "So, what's the deal between you and him?"
"Nothing much. We liked each other. We made it obvious. And the Red Room sought to separate us. They told me he botched a mission and was killed."
"And you never questioned it?"
"I couldn't."
"Is he gonna stick around?"
You shrug. "For a few days, then he and Nat have to go back."
"You'll be happy here without him?"
"Of course." You glance at your brother, offering him a small smile. "I've only just found you. I'm not about to fuck off and leave you behind."
Jax grins. "Look at us, just a couple of badasses."
"A family of badasses."
Jax clinks the neck of his beer bottle with yours, chuckling. "Yeah. A family of badasses."
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