Welcome to my little masterlist. Jensen Ackles is the key here. I write mostly for Supernatural, which means Dean Winchester, but also for Beau Arlen, Soldier Boy and the man himself.
I'll keep this updated. Let's see what happens next!
Yes, I still exist. Life has been really up and down, but it's starting to settle in again. I came back to like a trazillion notifications, so I'm not gonna work my way thru that, sorry. đ
If I missed you asking to be added to a taglist, please let me know. I will get myself organized again in the next time and then I will finish my current Beau Arlen story before we move on. So, stay tuned!
Summary: When a marriage promise forces Y/N to step up for her younger sister, she gets something she always wanted. But when the truth comes out, her new husband Dean is not so happy about the mix-up. Will she loose it all? Or will she be surprised in the end?
Pairing: AU!Dean Winchester x Reader
Word Count: 1079
Warnings: none really.
A/N: I hope you all had wonderful holidays and a good start into the new year! đ And here is the end of my story. All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!
Series Masterlist My Masterlist
One year later...
It was late November again, a bitterly cold wind was blowing across the country and the first snow had already fallen. A sight that always made Y/N wistful. She looked out the window across the white fields and icy trees to the horizon, behind which the sun had now almost disappeared. The orange-red light made the snow sparkle. Her mom had loved winter, which made the memories of her death bittersweet.
A lot had happened in the last year and Y/N had often wished she could exchange a few words with her mom, ask her for advice or just hug her. She had been the good soul of her clan and had cared for everyone. A trait that the young woman hoped she had inherited. But there was no way to talk to her anymore and so Y/N had to do a lot of things alone for the first time.
It had often been difficult or even frightening, but Millie had always been by her side and supported her from woman to woman. But not just her. Dean hadn't left her alone anymore either. Although it wasn't always that easy for him too. But each situation had strengthened their relationship more and more.
When Y/N thought of her husband, she couldn't help but smile. She had loved him for so long and her heart almost burst with happiness because Dean had also loved her before. Even if it took him a long time to realize it. And he had tried to explain it to her over and over again. The Alex incident had been followed by many long nights of conversation. Honest, open hours full of feelings and affection. There had been days when she no longer believed that this was even possible.
The door behind her opened and Dean walked in, carrying some firewood under his arm. As soon as he saw his wife standing at the window turning to him with a loving smile, he had to smile too. What kind of year had it been? It had had its ups and downs and often wasn't easy, but they had persevered through everything together.
It had shocked his clan when Dean had shot Alex. Many people didn't understand it at first, but there were enough witnesses on the tower who could confirm the necessity. But it probably hit Cassie the most. In the days that followed, she seemed completely different. She had withdrawn and appeared thoughtful. After about four days, she had sincerely apologized to Y/N and Dean for her behavior and told them that she couldn't stay here any longer.
Y/N had reacted to this with mixed feelings. After all, Cassie hadn't tried to drive her away or kill her. And even though she was offended by her behavior, his wife had shown compassion. In the end, she could understand what it was like to be in love with someone for a long time without those feelings being reciprocated. But Cassie couldn't stay any longer and so they let her go.
"You okay there, my love?" asked Dean as he put more firewood on the fire.
"Yes, yes. It's just this time of year and the snow." Y/N answered and turned back to the window.
Dean stood up again and came over to her. He put his arms around her from behind and looked out into the wintry world with her for a while. He knew that it made her a little melancholy, but that also passed.
"I just prefer summer." she turned around in Dean's arms. "Especially when you're on the high seas."
He had to chuckle at that and hugged his wife a little tighter.
Y/N had accompanied him on many business trips and in May Dean had extended the business trip by three weeks and had taken her to France. Also so that he could show her the stars on the open sea on clear early summer nights.
"We can do that again next year." he replied, which earned him a beaming smile from his wife.
"But you know it won't be as easy as this year, right? After all, we're not alone anymore."
Dean smiled now. "Which probably makes it even nicer." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and let go of Y/N to go to the second door in the bedroom, which was open a crack and gave a small glimpse into the room behind it.
They had had to switch bedrooms three months ago and had now moved into a larger room because they simply needed the extra space. And they were also closer to Sam and Millie, who had finally gotten married in July and were now overjoyed themselves.
"How is he doing?"
"No! Stop, Dean! You're gonna wake Connor up!" Y/N whispered loudly with a chuckle as she saw how Dean attempted to open the door a little further.
"He'll be fine." He replied, but hesitated for a second before he opened the door a little more.
Y/N came over to him and both looked to the small bed in which their son lied and slept peacefully.
Dean pulled Y/N to his side and she hugged him back. He placed a kiss on her hairline, enjoying the warmth she gave off. The last year had so many firsts for them and sometimes he couldn't believe how happy he was now. Dean looked at Y/N and knew that she was a big part of this and he would do anything to not lose her again.
"He has your eyes." The woman said lovingly.
"And he has your nose." Dean countered with a smile.
"Come on. We should let him sleep as long as he does so calmly and peacefully." Y/N said and turned away from the door again.
Dean did the same. "You're probably right." But his wife couldn't go far before he took her back into his arms. "Actually, I was thinking about something." Dean grinned.
"And what is that?" although Y/N already had an idea.
"I'm sure Connor would like to have a little sister." he wiggled his eyebrows and Y/N laughed. She pressed herself a little tighter against him and looked at him lovingly.
"I'm not sure if it will work that quickly, but we can practice anytime if you want." Now she wiggled her eyebrows and Dean laughed.
"That's sounds like a solid plan to me, sweetheart." Dean agreed and begann to kiss her with all his heart.
A/N: And now we're truly at the end here. I'm a little sad now, tbh. đ„č
It has been such a ride and I wanna thank all of you who have joined me on this. And I want to thank everyone who left me feedback or reblogged my story. I was so overwhelmed with the responses and I felt so blessed. I appreciate you all so much! đ And I hope we see us again in february to my new story. đ
Summary: When a marriage promise forces Y/N to step up for her younger sister, she gets something she always wanted. But when the truth comes out, her new husband Dean is not so happy about the mix-up. Will she loose it all? Or will she be surprised in the end?
Pairing: AU!Dean Winchester x Reader
Word Count: 5669 (again, I'm sorry! đ«Ł)
Warnings: everything a finale might entail.
A/N: It's done! This beast of an ending is finished! I hope you all will like it the way I do! đ All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!
Series Masterlist My Masterlist
The whole day went well. In fact, the whole of last week had gone pretty well. Dean hadn't known exactly what would happen if Y/N's family came to visit. Her father wasn't much different than before the wedding. But Helena...
He didn't know how he imagined they would meet, but he definitely didn't expect her to immediately seek his company. At first Dean had been unsure how to act. But then he fell back into old behavior patterns quite easily. And the more time he spent with the younger of the two sisters, the more it felt like back then. It took him back to the time when he had courted her.
But this time Helena seemed to be more open towards him, as if she was now more able to get involved with him and that did something to him. There were these moments over and over again, the smallest moments. They came soft and quietly, like a gentle touch, and whispered to him that it could always be like this. Then every time he looked over at Helena as she laughed and looked for him, he remembered what he had originally wanted. She had been the woman he had wanted to marry from the start. And the way it was right now, it could be like this forever.
Even though November was slowly coming to an end and it was noticeably cold, today the sun shone down from a bright blue sky and lit the way for them during their little ride. By now they were on the way back and Dean was telling a story from his childhood. The blonde woman at his side seemed to be listening attentively, eventhough she barely participated in the conversation.
And so a few minutes later he came to the end of his story and they rode on in silence. Even now she still didn't say much about herself. That made Dean a little suspicious, but he already knew that from her.
After they rode over the last hill, his castle came into view again and suddenly his heart felt a little heavy. Y/Nâs face appeared in his mindâs eye and he frowned. How different sisters could be. His wife had told him a lot about herself. From the beginning he felt like she shared almost everything with him and secretly he had liked it. And once he had let her in, once he had overcome his anger after she fell sick, he started to like her.
The days they spent together were light and happy. They shared stories and made small memories. Her experience as a leader of the house was surprisingly giving him a big support. After her mother had sadly died, she had to step up and Dean realized at one point that they had a lot in common.
And they started to share the nights together. After they had sex the second time in the morning he got reminded on what he had liked about her the first night. Her scent was still so intoxicating. He had ordered her soap so that she would not run out of it for a while. Her body soft and warm and she still fitted right into his arms, over time he couldn't get enough of her. How confusing this all was. In his mind he had a clear vision, but his heart seemed to want something else.
When they arrived back in front of the castle, Helena's father was already coming towards them. Dean got off his horse, handed it over to Benny, who was already waiting, and then helped Helena dismount. They smiled at each other briefly before the young woman turned to her father.
"Pack your things, daughter. We will leave first thing in the morning."
"Really?" she asked, sounding a bit surprised.
Her father just nodded. Huh. The disappointment at this news didn't spread through Dean as much as he thought it would. Of course he thought it was a shame that she was leaving again, but somehow he had internally expected a stronger reaction on his part.
The second person who came out of the castle towards them was Ellen. With a quick step she stopped in front of Dean and told him what had happened just an hour before and that Y/N had almost been seriously injured. This news, on the other hand, triggered a lot of things in him. Ellen immediately showed him the place where the large stone figure was still lying on the ground. With a searching look, Dean looked up and immediately recognized the spot where the figure had been placed. Weird. Normally the anchor wouldn't just break like that. It was solid craftsmanship.
"Nothing happened to her, luckily." Ellen Dean answered a question he was about to ask. "But she's upstairs now. That... shook her up quite a bit."
Dean could well imagine that. Still, an inner feeling urged him to check on his wife and make sure she was okay. With a curt nod, he turned around and made his way into the inside of the castle when his eyes fell on Helena again, who smiled at him. This caused his steps to slow slightly for a moment before he hurried again.
Mixed feelings accompanied him up the stairs. Dean hadn't expected that seeing Helena again would upset him so much. It was as if he had been reminded of the shame of the false wedding and the woman he actually wanted. A woman who also seemed to be looking for his company. He ignored the small doubt that arose in his mind as to why she hadn't come to the wedding herself.
When he reached the bedroom door, he took a quick breath before opening the door and stepping inside. But as soon as he closed it behind him again, Y/N suddenly ended up in his arms. The slight impact meant that he had to briefly correct his stance. His arms automatically closed around Y/N and the calm that suddenly spread through him grounded him. But he only allowed this feeling for a moment.
He slowly peeled her out of his embrace and put a few steps distance between the two of them. He leaned down a little to look her in the eyes and examined her for a moment.
"Are you okay?" he asked and Y/N nodded her head.
Relief flooded through Dean and he closed his eyes briefly. But then he let go of Y/N and put more steps between the two of them as he ran his hand over his mouth in thought. Y/N was now his wife. The one he didn't actually want and yet she brought out more emotions in him than he would have liked.
"I think that was planned. I mean... something like that doesn't just fall off the wall, does it?" Y/N continued, bringing Dean's attention back to her.
"No, not really. At least it shouldn't." he replied.
"I think that...someone is still targeting me."
"Y/N..."
"Please Dean, just think about it. This... this can't be a coincidence!"
He was about to contradict her, but this time he couldn't. This action seemed strange even to him. But he still couldn't imagine who it could really be and why. So he just said nothing. He couldn't have guessed that he was only fueling Y/N's insecurity.
"Don't you think so?" So Y/N asked again.
"I... I'm not sure." was all he could say.
But he didn't need to say more, because Y/N could already feel the distance that was now spreading between them again. The brief moment in which she had finally felt close to him again, in which he might have believed her without a doubt, was gone and that scared her.
"Why are we drifting apart again, Dean?" So she asked with her heart pounding and received a surprised look from her husband. "What happened to us in the last week?"
Now Dean turned away from her. "It's not that easy, Y/N." and it wasn't.
But another thing became clear to him. He needed to sort out his feelings and he couldn't do that here. Not if he continued to share a room with Y/N. So he grabbed some clothes and his soap. Y/N raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"What...what are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm going to sleep in a different room tonight. Just for... tonight." Dean then told her.
"What?" Y/N was now starting to panic a little.
"I... need time to think. This is all... kind of confusing."
"You mean your feelings for Helena." she threw back at him and he heard her hurt.
"That too, yes," he admitted. "Look, I'm just trying to be honest here."
"But Dean... we're married now. Shouldn't we... talk about it?"
He couldn't leave her alone now. Again. Not after what had happened today. Shouldn't he be over Helena by now? Otherwise he wouldn't have finally gotten involved with Y/N. Or would he?
"I just need the distance now. Besides, Helena and your father are going home tomorrow morning. So..."
With this news, his behavior made sense, of course. But it still hurt Y/N again.
"Oh, I see. Because you can't bear the thought of her leaving... and then you'll be here alone with me again."
The words had a sharp undertone, but Dean immediately heard between the lines what she meant. "I didn't say that. Y/N..."
"I'm really sorry that it's such a pain to be married to me." she whispered now, tears beginning to gather in her eyes.
"No, it's not like that. But..." he broke off his sentence. He didn't want to see her so hurt, but he also knew that his words wouldn't make it any better.
"But what?" Y/N asked anyway.
"I... I always just wanted to marry Helena. Not you." he still said it now.
And the same old story again. She was the woman nobody wanted. Everyone always just wants Helena. And even though she was the big sister and had to take care of her, she had had enough now. Too much was too much.
"But she never wanted to marry you!" she angrily shouted at him. "The whole time you were courting her, she only put up with it because our father wanted it that way!"
"What?" Dean frowned and looked questioningly at Y/N.
"She never loved you. She didn't even like you. And on the night of the wedding, she ran off with the man she had really loved for years to get married to him instead of you."
"Wait a minute..." so that was the reason why Y/N stepped in for Helena? No, that couldn't be.
"His name is Peter and he worked for my father. She fell for him immediately. And when our father forced the wedding on her, she came to me and begged me to help her. That's why I stepped in for her and married you."
Telling him the whole truth was, surprisingly, a very liberating feeling. It was finally out. Finally he knew the real reason for all this. But she also knew that it would feel different for Dean to know that now.
"That... that can't be." he said to himself, although it sounded pretty logical all in all.
"She never wanted you, Dean." now Y/N's anger had faded and she felt slightly exhausted from the whole day. But she still wasn't quite done. "But... I do."
"That... I..." But Dean didn't seem to have heard her, as lost in thought as he seemed. "I can't do this right now. We... we'll see each other tomorrow."
And with these last words he turned to the door and opened it. He had just stepped into the hallway when Y/N gathered all her courage.
"I love you, Dean!" she called after him, but the door had already slammed shut again, leaving her alone in the room.
"Why can't you see that?"
The next morning, Dean said goodbye to Helena and her father. Sam and Benny stood by his side and all three watched as the carriage slowly drove away. A strange feeling had settled in Dean's stomach. He had been thinking about what Y/N had told him all night and yet he still couldn't quite believe it.
Could he really have been so wrong about Helena? All the conversations they had had, all the time they had spent together, was it really all just a lie? And yet... even if he didn't normally put much faith in his intuition, it told him that this could all be possible.
After he had enough time last night to think about everything, he remembered that he knew this Peter. He had seen him several times when he was visiting them and he had not missed the look he had given Helena. But he didn't get a chance to think about it any further, because suddenly Sam's hand landed on his shoulder.
"So, where is Y/N?" his brother asked. "Didn't she want to say goodby to her family?"
"I don't know." Dean answered. "I haven't seen her this morning."
Sam and Benny exchanged a meaningful look, but Dean didn't notice. He was still too lost in thought.
"Okay." Sam said and turned his brother around who looked at him questioningly now. "I think we need to talk."
Y/N heard the carriage drive away, but didn't want to get up. She had barely slept all night and didn't want to say goodbye to her father and sister. And from the looks of things, they didn't mind either.
After a few more quiet moments, she finally stood up. She put on her dress and made her hair, but she again felt sick to her stomache. Something that has occurred every morning all week. She thought that once her family was gone, she would feel better. But after what happened with Dean, the feeling would probably last a little longer.
Even if she didn't want to, she had to show her face at some point. So she went out into the hallway and immediately ran into Millie, who was about to knock on her door. Her friend was slightly startled, but then seemed relieved when she saw that Y/N was okay.
"They're gone." Millie said.
"I know." Y/N answered.
An understanding silence spread between the two women, because they didn't need to say anything more.
"How about breakfast? You didn't eat anything last night, Y/N."
"I know, but I just can't eat anything at the moment."
"Are you still feeling sick? It's been like this for almost a week now." Millie asked worried.
"Yes, but it's probably just an upset stomach because of the whole situation here. It will definitely pass." she tried to calm her friend down and it seemed to work.
"Okay, but let me get you at least a cup of tea, okay?"
"Yes, please." Y/N smiled. "Go ahead. I'll be right there."
Millie nodded, smiling as well, and made her way back downstairs. As soon as her friend disappeared from her field of vision, Y/N took a quick breath and gathered her nerves before she too wanted to set off.
"Y/N?" she heard a familiar voice behind her. When she turned around, she realized that it was Alex.
"Alex, hey." She said friendly.
"Is Dean with you?" he asked and looked around.
"No, he is not." she actually did not want to think about him before she stood infront of him, but something in Alex's voice seemed off. "Why? Did something happen?"
"Sam and I were just up on the tower and we found something. We wanted to show him."
Now her interest was aroused and she took a few steps towards Alex. "What exactly did you find?"
"From the looks of things, the figure did not fall down on its own, but someone helped it." explained Alex.
This surprised Y/N, but in the end this statement only confirmed her own suspicions. So someone was after her after all. She had to see it with her own eyes.
"I knew it! I would also like to see it and talk to Sam about it."
"Oh, yeah. Sure!" Alex nodded obviously slightly taken aback. "I'll take you up to Sam and then I'll find Dean. That's no problem."
"Then let's go!" said Y/N and Alex cleared the way for her to go ahead.
He pointed her in the direction and waited until she had passed him so that he could walk behind her and Y/N couldn't see the large kitchen knife that was in the back of his belt.
With a whiskey in hand, Dean, Sam and Benny sat in front of the fireplace in the dining hall. Dean was still kinda confused on what Sam was on about, but he welcomed the amber liquid anyways. Sam turned around to see if they were alone in the room, before he started to talk.
"Okay, Dean. What is wrong with you?" he asked quite bluntly.
"What?"
"You seemed so happy in the last month with Y/N. And then her family comes to visit and you change that suddenly."
"It's not that easy, Sam." Dean grumbled and put his glass down in the ground infront of him.
"Yeah, no. I get it. You wanted to marry Helena. I know. But you ended up with Y/N and the two of you seemed to match really well."
"She's one of a kind, brother." Benny agreed with Sam.
"Yeah, yeah, but I catched feelings for Helena!" Dean exclaimed. "That nobody wants to understand this!"
"So that's the reason why you treat Y/N so badly?" Sam asked straight forward.
"I... I treat her badly? Are you serious?" Now Dean got angry.
"You ignored her and just did not care about her. You focused solely on Helena." Benny explained.
"We... we were reconnecting." Now Dean stood up again. "I don't even know why I have to explain myself to you."
"I'm only asking you because I want to understand what's wrong with you, Dean." Sam also stood up now. "Because the Dean I know would never treat a woman like that."
Dean huffed. "I brought Y/N here with me, didn't I? She's here now and I didn't break the deal with her father. So don't tell me I'm treating her badly."
"She has feelings for you, Dean," Sam replied.
"Oh, what nonsense." Dean waved it off and half turned his back on the two men. But the memory of how he had imagined last night that Y/N had called after him that she loved him came right back to him.
"Anyone can see that." Now Benny stood up too.
"But I have much more in common with Helena than with Y/N."
"Really? Like what?" Sam challenged.
"Sam, c'mon."
"No, Dean. I would really love to hear that."
"Well..." Dean gave in. "First of all, the thing about children. I definitely want to have children, in the near future, and Helena wants that too."
"No, brother." Benny now intervened. "That was Y/N. Y/N said that, not Helena. We were all standing at the stables and watching the horses. That was... on the first or second day after they arrived."
Now Dean frowned slightly and thought about it. But it didn't take long for Dean to remember. "Oh. Yes. Okay, you're right, Benny. But... that's not the only thing."
"And what else do you have in common?"
And then Dean started to list. He remembered all the conversations he had had with Helena and the points in which they were so similar. Whether it was about the future of his business, protecting his clan against the redcoats. A possible future in America or their favorite pie.
"And for our honeymoon we wanted to travel across the sea to France. So that Helena could see the stars on the high seas at night," he almost enthused.
"But Dean..." now Sam looked confused. "Everything you just said, every single point, was not said by Helena, but by Y/N."
"No, no, no." Dean shook his head in disbelief. "It was Helena."
"No, it was not! Helena only wants to travel in the near future. She wants to enjoy life and spent a lot of money... basically." Summarized Sam Helena's words in his own way. "She never said anything else."
"You're wrong, Sam."
"No, I am not! I was there too when you talked about these things!"
But Dean didn't want to believe it. He folded his arms in front of his chest and shook his head. None of this was true. He couldn't be so wrong, he hadn't imagined it. Helena had said that, not Y/N.
But Sam didn't want to give up so quickly. "Did you hear that she ran away on the night of the wedding to marry another man?"
"How...?" Dean's eyes widened in surprise.
"Millie heard Helena tell Y/N. Unfortunately, the guy was already married. He even has a son!"
Y/N hadn't told him that last night. Dean let his arms fall again. Something wasn't right here.
"And something else..." now Sam came up to Dean and looked him straight in the eyes. "The thing about seeing stars on the open sea... that was Y/N's wish. Because her mum..."
"...had told her about it so often when she was little." Dean finished the sentence in a whisper and looked at Sam in surprise.
And suddenly everything was there again. The memories, of the conversations. The real memories. Dean saw them one after the other in his mind's eye and he had to sit down. He had heard every word Y/N had ever said. No matter when it was, no matter how often he had visited, she was always there. And something else was there again too.
His memories of the first meeting with Y/N. Her warm gaze and friendly smile. Her shimmering eyes that made his heart beat a little faster. How could he have forgotten that? How could Helena have blinded him that much? It was Y/N. From the beginning, it had always been just Y/N.
When Y/N got to the top of the tower, it didn't take her long to realize that Sam wasn't there. Alex had already closed the door behind her and she turned to him questioningly. She was about to ask him where Sam was, but the look on Alex's face made her stop.
"You're really making it too easy." Alex said and then carefully pulled out the knife.
Y/N's eyes widened in shock and she took a few steps back. She raised her hands defensively.
"What... what are you doing, Alex?" but the young man wasn't listening to her.
"I was actually hoping that my little gift would make you run away, but somehow it didn't work. On the contrary, it brought you and Dean even closer together."
What? Y/N couldn't believe her ears. Alex. It was Alex who was behind all this. That couldn't be true.
"Although..." he pointed at her with the knife and took a few steps back and forth. "At first, things didn't look so bad for me when you were lying in the stable in the cold. I didn't tell anyone that I saw you there because I thought you would freeze to death that night anyway. Then I wouldn't have had to get my hands dirty."
Y/N still remembered that. She had seen Alex walking through the stable when she was hiding there from Dean and had been relieved that Alex hadn't seen her. How foolish of her.
"But then Benny had to find you the next morning. He was in the stable before me, even though I was awake so early. That annoyed me even more because I couldn't be sure that you had actually died already."
The coldness with which Alex spoke made Y/N freeze. She had gotten to know the young man as so friendly and nice that she couldn't imagine that he actually had such an evil side to him. That he was actually capable of something like murder, but apparently she hadn't known him well enough. Because he had cleverly hidden this side from her. And he had kept this side secret not only from her, but also from everyone else.
"So I had to think of something else. But you know what? It wasn't easy because suddenly Dean wouldn't let you out of his sight. You were terribly stuck together."
Y/N carefully looked over her shoulder, but she couldn't see anyone in front of the castle. What should she do now? She had to stay calm and hope that Alex made a mistake. Calling for help was not an option. That might cause Alex to react frantically and she would put herself in danger.
"So I had to wait for a suitable opportunity again. Unfortunately, it seemed to take longer than I thought. After a month, I already felt like I had to come up with something more drastic. Separate you somehow or something. But then your family came to visit and luck was on my side again."
"The statue..." Y/N realized.
"Exactly!" Alex smiled, but not for long. "It took forever to cut the damn thing off without anyone noticing. And when you were finally in the right place, I dropped it. But of course Ellen, our head mom, had to notice and save you."
The contempt with which he uttered the last sentence was written all over his face. He came another step closer and Y/N's heart began to race in her chest. She kept her eyes on the knife.
"So I had to get creative again and look where we are now, just one day later."
"You... you don't have to do this." she stuttered, still keeping her eyes on Alex.
"Aahh, see? You're wrong there." Alex shifted his stance slightly to the side. "That's all I have to do."
And then he leapt forward and swung the knife.
"Dean! Sam!" Millie shouted as she came running into the dining hall.
Sam was up on his feet first. "Millie? What's wrong?"
"It's Alex! The one who is after Y/N! It's Alex!" She came to a halt right infront of Sam.
"What?" All three men said, but not just them.
Ellen stood in the doorway with two other maids and Cassie behind them. All women looked shocked and for a second nobody said a word. But then Sam came back to his sense.
"Wait, how do you know?" He asked.
"I was just upstairs looking for Y/N. She's not feeling well in the last days and I met her in the hallway. We talked and then I went ahead to go down first. But just when I rounded the corner, I heared Alex's voice and I stopped in my tracks." Now she was looking at Sam. "He had said to her that he just had been up on the tower with you."
Dean didn't need to hear anything more. With a determined look on his face, he jumped up and immediately made his way upstairs. Sam and Benny also started running when Millie called for Sam again.
"He had a big kitchen knife with him!"
Now Sam's expression darkened. He turned around once more to take a loaded shotgun from the cupboard next to the stairs and then continued upstairs.
At the last second, Y/N managed to dodge it with a jump, but that brought her to the edge of the tower wall. Alex, on the other hand, almost fell to the ground, but was just able to catch himself. But now pure anger was visible on his face.
"Why are you doing this?" Y/N asked and got back on her feet.
Now Alex looked at her a little astonished. "You really still don't know that?"
Y/N kept her back to the wall and Alex came to a stop just a few steps away from her. The door was now behind him again. The woman infront of him only shook her head no.
Alex huffed. "Well, for Cassie, of course!" he said, looking like it was the most logical answer in the world.
What he didn't notice was the door behind him opening quietly and carefully. Y/N, however, saw it all too well and hoped he wouldn't notice.
"So... did she put you up to it?"
"What? No! Oh god, no. She has no idea about it."
Now the barrel of a gun was visible and then Y/N saw two green eyes directed at her. She would recognize these eyes anywhere and her heart leapt with hope. Still, she had to tear her gaze away from the door and force herself not to look there anymore.
"But I... thought you would love her?"
"I do! That's why I'm doing this!" Alex exclaimed.
"That... does not make sense... don't you think?" tried Y/N to distract him.
"Of course it does!" But when Alex looked at her face he realized that she really didn't understand what he meant and so he started to explain it to her.
"I love Cassie and I want her to be happy. Unfortunately, she doesn't love me, which I can't change. But she loves Dean and she said herself that she can only be happy with him."
Okay, that wasn't anything new for Y/N, but somehow she had a bad feeling about what he was getting at.
"But as long as you're here, she won't be able to be happy with Dean and that's why I have to kill you. So that Cassie can finally take this chance and be happy."
Meanwhile, Dean had stepped through the door and had the shotgun aimed at Alex's head. Behind him, Y/N noticed that Sam and Benny were also there and seemed to be getting ready.
"But if you kill me, Dean will marry Helena. Because that's who he originally wanted to marry, not me."
Now Alex thought for a moment, but quickly recovered. "If it really comes to that, I'll think of something. But now shut up and let me finally kill you!"
The young man was just about to jump forward again when he heard Dean's voice behind him.
"I'd think about that again, son of a bitch!"
Alex looked back in shock, but didn't even have time to take another step. The shot from the gun could be heard across the entire castle. It hit Alex right between the eyes, causing him to stumble backwards a few steps and then fall over the tower wall.
Dean didn't waste another second, dropped the gun to the ground and ran straight to Y/N. He took her face in his hands and saw tears forming in her eyes.
"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
"No, he did not hurt me. I'm fine, Dean."
But then Y/N broke down. She began to sob wildly, letting her tears flow freely and clinging to Dean. He immediately took her in his arms and held her tightly while giving her a kiss on her hairline.
"It's over." Dean reassured her. "It's finally all over."
It took a little longer until everyone was back down from the tower. Especially since Y/N didn't want to let go of Dean. He took her down to the kitchen, where Ellen had already prepared a hot cup of tea for her. He slowly released her from his arms so she could sit on a chair. Y/N had calmed down a bit, but her tears hadn't all dried up yet. Ellen touched her lightly on the shoulder and pushed the cup a little closer to her.
"Drink this. It calms the nerves." which in turn meant that Ellen had put a sip of whiskey in the tea. "I'll leave you alone then." and with a gentle smile she disappeared.
"Dean..." Y/N begann, but she did not come very far.
"I'm sorry!" He blurted out. "I'm sorry about everything!"
Y/N had expected everything, but not that. And so she stayed quiet for a moment because she didn't know what to answer or how to react. But she didn't have to wait long for an explanation, because Dean looked at her determinedly and continued.
"I should have believed you. All of this... is so damned my fault. It's only because of me that you got into this situation." He ran his hand through his hair. "Just because I was such an idiot..."
"Dean..." she tried again, but even on the second attempt she didn't get very far.
"I love you." now Y/N was stunned and her eyes widened in utter surprise. "I love you since the first time I Iaid eyes on you."
Again, Y/N felt emotions rising within her and she looked closely at Dean. But she could see nothing but honesty and sincerity in his eyes and so she just let him continue talking.
"But I was just too blind to see it. It took me so long to really see it and so much had to happen for me to finally see it clearly. Sam and Benny also had to talk to me so that I could see my mistakes. But now I know, I know for sure."
Y/N was holding her breath, the tea long forgotten.
"When I look at you, I see the future and I guess I always have. I think I was just too cowardly to admit it to myself. But now I never want to give it up again. I want to spend my life with you, until the end of our days."
And Dean was completely serious. Deep down he knew that was exactly what he was feeling. He was wearing his heart on his sleeve, but the longer Y/N remained silent, the more he became afraid that it might already be too late. But then his wife started sobbing again before she spoke.
"I would be careful with what you say because if you really mean it... then I swear you will never get rid of me." and then she smiled at Dean, while relief and happiness flooded through him at these words.
"I couldn't imagine anything better."
A/N: Aaaand we're done! I'm happy and sad at the same time. đ„čđ„čđ„č But I was thinking... since we had so many up's and down's, who would want an epiloge? đ«Ł Feedback is very much appreciated! đ
I hope it was a surprise. I tried to make it not to obvious. đ€ But yeah, he was really lovesick. Poor fella. And Dean finally came to his senses. đ
Summary: When a marriage promise forces Y/N to step up for her younger sister, she gets something she always wanted. But when the truth comes out, her new husband Dean is not so happy about the mix-up. Will she loose it all? Or will she be surprised in the end?
Pairing: AU!Dean Winchester x Reader
Word Count: 3260
Warnings: I think... we all know what's gonna happen...
A/N: The second to last chapter, guys! All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!
Series Masterlist My Masterlist
Something had changed. Within a few hours, Dean became more distant again. At first Y/N thought it was just because of the letter. They had both lost sight of the fact that they would definitely see Y/N's family again at some point. But when Y/N's shock wore off, she wanted to see if Dean felt the same way. However, he had withdrawn from her again. When she asked if everything was okay, he only answered briefly and then left their bedroom. That had left Y/N with an uneasy feeling.
It was late at night when Dean returned. Without a word, he got into bed with her, but turned his back to her. This brought tears to Y/Nâs eyes. They had only just found each other. The affection they had built was still fragile. They were just beginning. Their relationship, if you could call it that, wasn't yet solid. Yes, Y/N loved Dean. But did he now feel the same way? She didn't know.
Still, the next morning came quicker than Y/N had hoped. With each passing hour she became more afraid. What would happen if Dean saw Helena again? Would his feelings for her flare up again? His anger about the wrong wedding too? Would he realize that he was just passing his time with Y/N? Made the best of an unchangeable situation? Would he reject her again?
Y/N stood at the window and looked out at the street. At some point Ellen joined her. The women didn't speak to each other, but Y/N knew that Ellen understood what was going on with her. At some point they heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs and both turned around. When Dean saw the two women, his pace slowed.
"Can you... see them yet?"
"No. Everything is still quiet." Ellen answered him.
Dean just nodded and then wanted to go outside, but Y/N couldn't just let him go.
"Dean!"
The man stopped, his eyes a little wide, but when he saw Y/N approaching him, his gaze seemed to soften a little. Or Y/N was just imagining it. She stopped a few steps in front of him, unsure if he would even allow physical contact. But since Dean's hand didn't reach out to her, she preferred to play it safe. She smiled timidly at him, but all the words that had been on the tip of her tongue were gone. After a moment, Dean cleared his throat slightly and folded his arms behind him.
"I..." Y/N began, but again she faltered in her words. "You... you came to bed late." That wasn't what she wanted to say.
"Yes, I... Benny needed my help with Rika. She had her foal."
"What? Really?" Now Y/N was really surprised, because this pregnancy had not been an easy one.
"She had a healthy daughter."
Y/N was really happy about that and her face seemed to show it, because Dean was now grinning warmly. And somehow this news managed to make both of them take a step towards each other.
"Why didn't you tell me that when you came up?"
"I didn't want to wake you. You slept so peacefully."
He couldn't see through the darkness that that wasn't true. And yet it touched Y/N's heart and they exchanged an intense look. Then Dean lifted his hand, almost as if he wanted to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, but he didn't get around to it.
"They're here!" Ellen announced, still standing at the window and letting the ominous news sink in.
Three hours later, Y/N wanted nothing more than to be somewhere else. It was unbelievable how quickly you could slip back into old roles.
As soon as Helena stepped out of the carriage, she attracted everyone's attention. She was friendly to everyone, greeted everyone warmly and her laughter could be heard almost everywhere. She was an apparition, as always. And Y/N disappeared into the background again. As always. She had now forgotten what it was like to be invisible and remembering it again brought back her insecurities and made her afraid to stand by Dean's side.
But even if she had taken her place next to her husband, she was no longer sure whether he would have even noticed. Helena had Dean completely occupied and he seemed to enjoy the attention she was giving him. In the meantime he had shown her his property and finished the tour at the stable. There they stood at the fence and talked. Y/N stood nearby and tried to look over at the two of them inconspicuously.
"So this is your sister Helena." Benny suddenly stood next to her and looked suspiciously at Dean and the blonde woman.
Y/N was slightly startled. "Yes. Yes, she is."
"The woman Dean actually wanted to marry."
"Exactly..."
"How many years younger than you?"
"Four."
"Hmm..."
Silence fell between the two friends as they continued to look at the fence. But Y/N had to avert her gaze at some point. Her uneasy feeling hadn't gone away and it hurt a little to see the two of them together.
"As good a businessman as he is..." Benny said after a few minutes. "...he sometimes has so little idea about women."
"What do you mean?" Y/N asked in surprise.
"She's too obvious." Now Benny also turned away and looked at Y/N. "The exuberant way. That exuberant laugh. And if Dean doesn't pay attention to her for a moment, her mask falls a little. But only until Dean looks at her again."
Now Y/N looked at Benny in surprise and he grinned. "Your sister isn't quite as inconspicuous as she thinks." he winked.
"Benny? I really like you." and suddenly she didn't feel quite so invisible next to her sister.
The blonde man laughed and crossed his arms infront of his chest. "Well, thank you."
"How is the foal doing?" Y/N now wanted to know.
"She's doing really great. We only need a name for her.
"Y/N?" called Millie as she was coming over to her and Benny. "Y/N!"
She looked a little worried as she came to a stop in front of Y/N and Benny. "Your father is looking for you. He wants to talk to you."
She felt uneasy and wanted to look over at Dean, but she didn't. At the moment he only had eyes for Helena again and probably wouldn't even notice what was happening and how Y/N was doing. Of course that didn't make it any better.
So she simply went back into the castle and immediately found her father standing next to the stairs. She wasn't exactly looking forward to a conversation, but she wouldn't be able to change it. As soon as he saw her, he reached out to lightly grab Y/N by the upper arm and pull her closer to him.
"So? How's it going?" he also asked directly.
"What...what do you mean?"
"Well, with Dean! Are you keeping him happy? You're not embarrassing me, are you?"
Y/N couldnât answer that straight away. That he even had the nerve to ask that? Had he forgotten that they were all in this situation because of Helena?
"I mean, of course he won't be happy. After all, you're not the woman he actually wanted. But that doesn't mean you have to make things worse."
"I'm sorry, what?" she blurted out.
The door opened and Helena came in. Speaking of the devil. She had a big smile on her face and looked around with her arms outstretched.
"It's really so beautiful here. I never imagined it would be like that."
"It is, isn't it?" Her father chimed in. "Where did you leave Dean?"
"Oh, he's still outside with... with..." Helena thought about it, but quickly gave up. "...with whoever is in charge of the stable. Something with one of the horses."
Benny. She meant Benny. Her sister could be so ignorant sometimes. And then Y/N remembered Bennyâs words.
"Helena?" she jumped right in. "Can we talk? Alone?"
Then Helena just nodded and Y/N led her into one of the unused side rooms that were usually only used for celebrations. She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. Helena seemed to have no idea what was going on or what her sister might want from her.
"What are you doing?" Y/N asked after a couple of seconds.
"What?" Helena looked at her rather confused.
"Well, let me rephrase. Why are you even here?" Y/N asked again, a little more upset.
"What's the point of this question? I'm your sister!"
Helena said it like it was the most logical thing in the world. As if it explains her behavior. But Y/N knew she was trying to distract. However, she wouldn't succeed.
"And where is Peter?" Now Helena's face hardened a little. "Shouldn't you be with him? Or shouldn't he at least be here with you?"
"The thing with Peter and me... didn't work out." Helena answered briefly, but Y/N could see the emotions in her eyes.
"What do you mean, it didn't work out? You ran away! He was obliged to marry you!"
After all, Helena had already been promised. So Peter had to answer for this act. Regardless of whether it was Helena's idea or not. She had been on her way to another man. Not only did her reputation suffer, but also that of her family. Her feelings had determined her fate and now she had to come to terms with them.
"But he couldn't do that because he was already married!" the younger woman blurted out.
This was news that even Y/N hadn't expected. Helena had fallen for a fraud.
"He's been married for almost six years. He also has a child..." Helena looked down and played with her fingers a little nervously. "...But they probably didn't get along anymore. So...he left her. And then he sought refuge with us."
Y/N could still remember that. He had joined the clan four years ago and had arrived desperately asking for work.
"You can't imagine what happened when she suddenly burst through the door into the pastor's house with the little boy on her hand..."
"Helena!" Y/N interrupted her sister a little harshly. "Did you even know him?"
"He really loved me!" she replied just as harshly. "And I loved him too!"
Y/N was at a loss for words. For once she believed her sister. Even if her actions were pretty stupid. The heart was easily deceived, but that didn't make the feelings any less real. Y/N in particular understood this all too well. Still, it wasn't entirely clear to her why Helena was here now.
"Okay, but... at the risk of repeating myself... why are you here now?"
"Father didn't want to leave me alone and thought it would be better if I came here too."
Which in turn meant that he was afraid she would do something stupid or run away again. Y/N could understand that too, but it still didn't explain her behavior.
"I understand that... but it doesn't explain your behavior towards Dean. In case you've forgotten... I'm married to him now."
Now Helena grinned. "Oh, sis. Are you jealous?"
"What? No, I..."
"You don't have to be. He's just... showing me everything here."
Something about the way she said it didnât sit well with Y/N. "If it's really just that, then why don't you leave his side anymore?"
Helena didn't answer immediately, as if she were struggling with herself. But then she sighed briefly and took a few steps towards Y/N. As if she wanted to tell her a secret.
"You know, I'm really grateful to you for helping me and stepping in for me. You not only helped me, but also our father. But... well... after things with Peter ended so unexpectedly... I've been thinking about a lot of things."
Y/N frowned. A foreboding feeling rose within her and she knew she wouldn't like what came next.
"Maybe I was too blind, too narrow-minded. I never gave Dean a real chance, you know? Because I was always focused on Peter. But now... I just think that maybe it's for the best to take this burden off of your shoulders again."
"What?" Shock spread through the older woman.
"After all, Dean only wanted me from the start. And you said it yourself: YOU are not the right bride! So maybe it would make sense for everything to finally take its right course."
"You... you can't be serious!" Y/N felt a chill run down her spine and fear spread through her.
"Yes, of course! And as you can see, Dean still doesn't mind me either. I think that would be best for all of us."
The next three days passed almost like a blur. Every day was almost the same and Y/N felt with every passing hour that Dean was moving further and further away from her. He hardly looked at her anymore because Helena continued to demand attention from him and didn't seem to want to let up. When they were in the same room or in the shared bedroom in the evening, Dean hardly spoke to her anymore. He rejected every attempt on her part to get closer. He didn't seem to notice that he was hurting her again with his behavior, which reminded her so much of their early days.
So Y/N also withdrew more and more. She tried to avoid her family as much as possible. She couldn't stand her father's lectures or Helena's attempt to win Dean back. Millie had said that she should fight for Dean and she had tried. But Dean had put up the wall between them again and behaved almost as if Y/N didn't exist. At least that's how it seemed to her.
On top of all that, the feeling that she was being followed had become stronger again. She had to suppress the urge to constantly look over her shoulder, even though she always got goosebumps when she was alone somewhere. The climax was not long in coming.
Y/N had watched Dean and Helena disappear on a ride when she had walked a few steps along the castle wall so as not to lose sight of them. A torture that she had consciously inflicted on herself, but she had not been able to help it.
She did not know how long she had watched the two of them, but suddenly she heard Ellen calling her name loudly. She looked over at the older woman, who was gesticulating wildly and running towards her. So Y/N looked up and saw that one of the large stone figures that were attached to the edge of the tower above her had fallen directly on her. Y/N was only just able to jump to the side and remained unharmed.
After that, she couldn't take it anymore. It was just too much. She started to cry and her whole body was shaking. Someone really had it in for her and Dean didn't care. Ellen tried to calm her down, helped Y/N up and took her inside to the kitchen. There she sat the young woman down at the table and filled her a cup of wine.
But Y/N could hardly calm down for a long time. She didn't want to be alone again. Not after Dean had let her get so close to him. And then there was the attempt on her life. All of this couldn't be true.
"Take a sip, Y/N. It calms your nerves." Ellen tried again.
"But I don't want to drink anything," Y/N blurted out. "I want this to all end. I want Dean to finally open his eyes and come back to me."
An understanding look graced Ellen's face and she hugged Y/N lightly. It wasn't easy for her to watch all of this either. And she would have to talk to Sam and Benny as soon as possible if they hadn't heard about the incident already.
"I miss my mum so much," Y/N whispered, but Ellen had understood her. "She would have known exactly what to do now."
And that was true. Y/N hadn't had it easy from the start after Helena was born. She had shed a lot of tears in her whole life and even though her mother had loved them both equally, she had always taken a little more care of Y/N.
"And what would she have done to cheer you up?" Ellen wanted to know.
Y/N laughed quietly. "She would have made me some warm milk and told me that everything would be fine. Before she told me some funny story from her childhood."
"Well, I can also help you with some warm milk." Ellen winked and went over to the stove. "She sounds very nice."
"She was wonderful." Y/N answered and her tears began to dry up. "Everyone liked her."
"May I ask how she died?" Ellen asked carefully as she filled a pot with milk, put it on the stove and lit the fire.
Y/N did not answer immediately. "She was ill. No one could say exactly what was wrong with her, but within a year she lost a lot of weight. She became weaker and weaker until at some point she could no longer even stand up." Sadness overcame her again and she looked down. "The morning she died, the first snow of the year fell..."
So it wasn't long until the anniversary of her mother's death. Ellen didn't know what to say. Silence spread between the two women as they waited for the milk to warm up. After it had reached the right temperature, Ellen added a little cinnamon and handed Y/N a cup, for which she thanked her.
"I know I'm not your mother and I don't want to replace her. But I definitely know one thing." Now Y/N looked at the woman across from her. "You have to talk to Dean. And you can't let him fob you off. Make him listen to you. For both of your sakes."
And Y/N knew that Ellen was right. She had to at least try it again. After all, something had changed between them. He had also felt attracted to her. She was sure of that. So she made her way upstairs shortly afterwards. When Dean came back from riding, he always went to their bedroom first to change. So she would wait for him there and confront him.
But when she got upstairs and walked straight to the door, she saw Alex who had already opened it and was carefully looking inside. That was strange, because he would normally never just open the door like that. Especially not when neither of them was inside.
"Alex?" asked Y/N and saw the young man slightly startled. "What are you doing?"
"Oh! Y/N!" he quickly closed the door again and scratched the back of his head slightly nervously. "I... I'm looking for Dean. But when I knocked, no one answered. So I just wanted to see if he was sleeping. I couldn't find him anywhere."
That made more sense. Especially since they had a situation like that just a few weeks ago. Dean hadn't been very happy about being rudely roused from a nap.
"He's not here. He went horseback riding with Helena."
"Oh. Okay. Then I'll just wait for him outside. Sorry again."
"It's fine, Alex." Y/N assured him and watched the young man go down the stairs.
After he disappeared from Y/N's sight, the young woman took another deep breath. She had a plan and this time Dean wouldn't get away from her so easily.
A/N: Our girl is going to fight for Dean again. Let's just hope he'll realize that it will be his second chance to her heart. đ«Ł
Her sister is a low down bitch. How could she after practically forced her to Marry Dean. She better really talk to him or she will lose him. I think maybe Alex is trying to kill her ,for Helena.
Summary: When a marriage promise forces Y/N to step up for her younger sister, she gets something she always wanted. But when the truth comes out, her new husband Dean is not so happy about the mix-up. Will she loose it all? Or will she be surprised in the end?
Pairing: AU!Dean Winchester x Reader
Warnings: arranged marriage, lying, abbondanment, forced proximity, jealousy, fluff, smut and a couple of other things.
A/N: Hello! đ On to the next one. I do have to say that "Outlander" and some of my fav books influenced me here. We'll be going to scotland in the 1800's somewhere. I actually had a similar dream and I could not get it out of my head. So, I hope you like it too.
charming SPN AU with the right amount of drama, complications and heartache đđđ. Only one question remains unanswered: does Dean suffer from brain tumor or was he kicked by a donkey?? How can he mix up all his memories of the two sisters so much?? Absolut idjit!
Thank you so much for reading and reblogging! đ I'm really happy you liked it! And those questions are very valid. đ€ This just made my day! And I had a lot of shitty ones lately. I appreciate it so much! đ
Summary: Moving to and living in Montana had once been a necessary thing for Beau. But three years later now he loved it. His daughter by his side, some new friends he had made. Only problem was that Beau, an alpha in his mid-fourties, starts to feel the effects of not being mated. Will he become feral or is fate on his side one last time?
Pairing: Alpha!Beau Arlen x Omega!Reader
Word Count: 2839
Warnings: some fluff, some surprising moments and a possibly dangerous situation.
A/N: Happy Easter everyone! đ°đŁđDid I tell you guys that we're having an age gap here? No? Well... now you know. đ All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!
Series Masterlist My Masterlist
"So? How was your date, Beau?" Jenny asked, grinning after she popped her head through his office door without warning.
The man in question glanced at her briefly, then looked away again and looked at his whiteboard. A new victim had been found this morning. They were now averaging one victim per week, and that was starting to worry him. Another thing that worried him was that the sniffer was now only looking for new victims in Helena. This noticeably narrowed their search area, but it still didn't make things any better.
"How do you know about that?" he simply asked, staring ahead with his arms crossed.
"You should know that it's no secret around here when the divorced sheriff meets a woman for dinner." Jenny came over to Beau. "But I'm happy for you, Beau, I really am."
And he believed her, but it didn't help his own thoughts. It had been a great evening and he'd gotten along great with Y/N. They'd gotten to know each other better and Beau really just wanted to know more about her. He wanted to spend more time with her. And yet, there was a 'but'.
"Thanks." he answered succinctly, which made Jenny pause.
"Was it not good?" she asked.
Beau sighed. He wasn't going to get rid of his partner until he'd at least told her something. So he walked over to his desk and leaned back on it.
"No, it was great." he began, but then said nothing more.
"But?" Jenny continued, now crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"She's twelve years younger than me... actually." He confessed and looked to the ground.
Beau had known that Y/N was younger than him. But he hadn't expected such a big age difference. And even though he knew the attraction between them was already very strong, it still made him feel guilty. Because in the end, he would drag her into his situation and he didn't know if he was ready to do that to her. She should have the freedom to choose and not be forced into a decision by his impending fate of going feral.
"So what?" Jenny asked, somewhat incomprehensible. "You should be happy about that. I told you, you're still a good catch for the Omegas here."
But Beau didn't really react, which confused Jenny. He was attractive, had his heart in the right place, and was one of the few Alphas who didn't mess with Omegas. All of that spoke in his favor.
"But seriously, Arlen... I'll be happy for you if you finally found someone. It doesn't matter if she's younger than you. You can just see if it works out between you two or not. And if not... then you can just find another partner."
But there was the real problem. "No, I can not."
He couldn't hide it anymore and maybe it was better if at least Jenny knew what was going on with him. Even if Beau would have preferred to delay it even further. But now Y/N was also a part of his story.
"What are you talking about? Of course you can!" protested Hoyt, who had already discussed this topic with the man in front of her more than once.
"I'm slowly going feral." he dropped the bombshell after a brief moment of silence.
"WHAT?" now Jenny was truly horrified. "Are you serious?" and Beau just nodded, still looking down. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Because this isn't easy for me either."
"What can we do? How can we prevent this?"
"My doctor says I have to find a mate again."
"But then that's perfect! If you two like each other, then..."
"No." Beau interrupted Jenny, shaking his head firmly while he stood up again.
"Because I don't want to force such a decision on her. She's still young, has her whole life ahead of her, and should be able to decide for herself who she wants to be with. It would be selfish of me to tie her to such an old alpha like me."
"But that's not true!"
"Hoyt!" he almost growled. "I won't force her to do it!"
They both stared at each other stubbornly, but Jenny didn't want to give in either. "Have you at least told her? What's happening to you?"
"No. And I won't either."
Now Jenny could only shake her head. "But it would be the fairest thing you could do to her. So she knows what she's getting into, if you should keep seeing each other."
Of course Jenny was right. Beau knew that, too. But on this point, he had already decided to be a little bit selfish. At least for a little while longer.
The cafe was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday afternoon, but Y/N didn't mind. Today there were three of them, serving customers every minute and keeping them busy. The volume of conversation was significantly higher, and yet Y/N didn't mind, quite the opposite. Today she liked the buzz and hum that surrounded and occupied her. Everyone was friendly, the tips were good, and she enjoyed herself. Actually, everything had been more fun for her in the last few days than before. She couldn't completely rule out that it might have something to do with a certain Sheriff.
She had really enjoyed the date. They had spent a lovely evening together, had told each other a lot about themselves, and by now she felt like she knew him better than any other alpha she'd ever dealt with. She had been a bit surprised by their age difference. Of course, she could tell he was a little older than her, but she hadn't realized it was quite a bit more.
Ultimately, though, it didn't bother her as much as she'd initially thought. Otherwise, she wouldn't have kissed him again when they said goodbye. Her heart felt like it was beating even faster the next morning. She felt so safe in his arms, as if nothing could happen to her. As if Beau would protect her, no matter what. As if he were her home.
"Y/N? My coffee?" Matt's voice sounded from the counter, tearing her from her thoughts.
"Oh, yes. Just a minute," she replied, and went to the coffee machine.
That had never happened to her before. Especially with Matt, she'd almost had the coffee ready before he even got to the counter. Huh... who would have thought her attention would actually shift like this. The charm the young alpha had once exuded for her was gone. Instead, he now seemed like a player. Someone who knew exactly what to say to charm women. Calculated and strategic. And now, for the first time, she noticed that the smile he always wore never reached his eyes. Almost as if he were wearing a mask to protect his inner self.
"What's wrong with you? You seem so different lately." Matt asked, and Y/N frowned.
Why didn't she like that question? It was also the way he emphasized it. And at the same time, she realized that she was reacting differently than before. Normally, she would have tried to convince him otherwise and given him her full attention. But now it was different.
"Really?" she replied questioningly. "Well, I don't think I'm acting any differently."
Matt paused, but Y/N ignored him. Of course, he noticed, because the pink glaze that had been over her eyes was gone. She wasn't hung up on him anymore, and that, too, had given him an ego boost, as she now realized. But that was over now. And she was very happy about it. Matt only had himself to blame if he hadn't realized who she was and what she had to offer long ago.
"I don't know how to describe it. And I don't mean it in a bad way. But somehow you've changed."
She listened to him, but she felt it was unnecessary to answer him. His time was over, he hadn't wanted her. So she preferred to give her time and attention to another alpha. And that very same alpha just happened to enter the cafe. Y/N immediately began to beam and waited until he spotted her. And as soon as Beau's eyes landed on her, he too smiled as he approached.
"Hello darlin'," the Texan greeted her, smiling broadly.
"Oh, have I moved up?" she asked with a cheeky look. "From 'sweatheart' to 'darling' now?"
Beau chuckled. "In Texas, 'darling' is very common, but I can come up with something completely different for you if you want." Now he wiggled his eyes, and Y/N blushed slightly.
"Well, I think... I'm happy with 'darling' for now." she winked.
And while Y/N and Beau flirted with each other, neither of them noticed Matt, who was watching the whole situation with furrowed eyebrows. And he, too, seemed to realize that he was no longer the most desirable alpha. At least not for Y/N.
"What are you doing here?" Y/N asked after serving him a coffee. "Are you asking me out on a second date?"
"Oh, I'd love to, but unfortunately that's not the reason for my visit." Beau replied, leaning a little closer to her. "Since our last tip unfortunately came to nothing, we're trying to retrace a few steps."
Beau looked around briefly and lowered his voice a little. "I'm not supposed to tell you about this. I could really get in trouble. But... I was just in the area and had to stop by to see you for a moment." he explained, taking a sip of his coffee.
Y/N's heart swelled with warmth. She could see in his eyes that he was serious, and that only made it more meaningful to her. And yet she was a little scared, because she slowly realized she was starting to fall in love with him.
"So when are you going to ask me out on a second date?" she lightened the mood a bit.
"Soon. Unfortunately, it probably won't happen this week, but I promise I won't keep you waiting too long." he responded to Y/N's hint and then pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Besides, we have these, and I intend to make some real use of it." He waggled his eyebrows again.
If Y/N knew one thing by now, it was that the sheriff in front of her had a real sex drive. And if she was honest, she felt the same way about him.
Beau leaned forward a little and kissed her cheek before leaving. She watched him go until he disappeared from her sight. But her smile didn't disappear so quickly.
"Are you two together?"
Y/N looked to the side, a little confused. Oh, right. Matt was still there, too.
"Um... no. But we're trying to figure out if we're compatible." She didn't really need to explain anything to him, but the words were out before she could stop them.
"Don't you think he's a little too old... for you?"
Now she looked at him incredulously and a little annoyed. "I don't see how that's any of your business."
And she meant it. The Matt chapter was over, and she wasn't going to let him judge her.
The following Saturday, Y/N was on the late shift. It was already 10:30, and the last customer had left the cafe about 20 minutes ago. So she cleared the tables, cleaned the dishes, and mopped up. She was alone, which wasn't unusual, and at the same time gave her the freedom to complete any last-minute chores at her own pace.
She had just put away the last few cups and was putting on her jacket. It was already dark outside, with only the streetlights providing some light. Before she could even sling her bag over her shoulder, however, her phone rang. When she looked at the display and recognized Beau's number, she couldn't help but smile.
"Hello, Mr. Sheriff." she greeted him and heard the man on the end of the line chuckle.
"Hello darling! Are you off work yet?" he asked.
They had been texting a lot over the past few days and had also spoken on the phone in the evenings. Beau had become an integral part of her day, and she always enjoyed hearing his voice. Who would have thought?
"I'm just leaving the cafe and locking the door. You picked the perfect time." Y/N replied, taking the key in her hand as she walked toward the door.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'll be busy for maybe another ten minutes, but then I'll be off work, too. And I thought... if you're up for it... we could meet up. For a midnight snack, perhaps?"
The idea itself didn't sound bad, but it was still over an hour until midnight, and she heard the slightly lascivious undertone in his voice.
"Interesting... are you making a booty call, Sheriff Arlen?" Now she was standing outside the cafe, locking the door.
"What? No!... No, I just thought... you just wanted... to maybe meet up with me for a bit." he stammered, and Y/N had to grin.
"Relax, Beau." she said, laughing, and started walking to the nearest bus stop. "I actually like the idea, but my shift was long and I just want to go home and fall into my bed."
He could understand that. "Fine, Y/N. But surely you don't mind if I keep you on the phone until you get home?"
"I would really like that." she replied, smiling.
They chatted a bit longer, and while Beau informed her that it would have been safer if she had driven to work so late at night, she dismissed it, arguing that the car wasn't worth it for the short distance and that she had always taken the bus.
But as soon as she finished her sentence, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Nothing unusual, really. There were several bars, a few restaurants, and a movie theater on this street. But as she quickened her pace a bit, the footsteps behind her also became faster. And a quick glance to her right confirmed that someone was behind her. She saw the person's reflection in the windows of the parked cars she passed.
"Beau..." she said, a little worried, her heart rate beginning to rise, interrupting him mid-sentence.
Beau immediately heard that something wasn't right. "What's wrong? Y/N?"
Y/N frantically considered whether it would make sense to cross the street or go to a bar.
"I think... I'm being followed." she said quietly, and she heard the scraping of chair legs on the floor through her phone.
"Where are you?" Suddenly, he had that tone in his voice he only used when he was working.
"About two minutes from my bus stop." Was her pursuer getting closer, or was she just imagining it? "What should I do?" she whispered. "Should I cross the street?"
"No. Can you run into a bar or restaurant?"
"Yes. The bar called Mullets is right up ahead."
"Then go in there and wait there until I get to you. I'm already on my way to my truck."
"Okay." Y/N said and started running. But before she even reached the door, she was grabbed from behind and dragged away.
A scream escaped her. "Beau!" she cried into the phone, but the next moment her attacker slapped it from her hand, and it landed on the ground a few meters away.
A gloved hand was placed over her mouth to muffle her screams, and she was pressed against a hard chest that pulled her further into the darkness of the alley they were in.
She tried to fight free, to draw attention to herself, but nothing seemed to work. Suddenly, she was slammed to the ground. The man above her was masked and incredibly strong. He pinned her arms above her head with one hand while pulling a knife from his jacket pocket with the other.
Now her eyes widened in fear and panic, and she began to struggle again. She called for help and screamed, but it still seemed to have no effect. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she began to talk to her attacker. She begged him to let her go. But that didn't seem to help either. She would lose her life here and now.
"HEY!" a voice suddenly called from the beginning of the alley, and the attacker looked around.
"Let go of the woman! Now! Or I'll call the police!"
Y/N continued to struggle, and slowly the attacker let go of her.
"Help! Police! Help!" the stranger continued to shout, and the next second the attacker was off.
He disappeared into the darkness without a trace, and Y/N tried to get up. The stranger came to her aid, and as he helped her to her feet and led her back to the street, Y/N experienced another surprise.
"Matt?" she asked, surprised.
"Hey." He smiled crookedly as he supported her. "I left the bar at the right time, huh?"
A/N: Phew... That was a close call, right? đ«Ł But surprisingly she got saved by Matt. What do we think about that? I hope you guys have wonderful holdiays! Let me know what you think! Feedback is very much appreciated! đ
@lyarr24 @k-slla @nancymcl  @globetrotter28 @hellsbratonthet
"I think... I'm being followed." she said quietly, and she heard the scraping of chair legs on the floor through her phone.
Oh no!!!! At least she was already on the phone with Beau, and he is already in his way. I'd he going to get there in time?!
Wait, Matt scared off the attacker? He just happened to be coming out of the bar at that exact time, right after he realised she is no longer interested in him and is developing feelings for Beau! Hmm đ€, I'm still suspicious of him.
Oh no!!!! At least she was already on the phone with Beau, and he is already in his way. I'd he going to get there in time?!
He will still get there anyway. But this was a reality check for Beau. It's getting serious now.
Wait, Matt scared off the attacker? He just happened to be coming out of the bar at that exact time, right after he realised she is no longer interested in him and is developing feelings for Beau!
Yeah, he was at the right time in the right place. And aren't we happy about that? No? đ€
Hmm đ€, I'm still suspicious of him.
Your Spidey Senses are really strong with this one. đ You'll soon find out if your right about that. đ
Thank you so much for reading and reblogging! I really appreciate it! đ
Summary: Moving to and living in Montana had once been a necessary thing for Beau. But three years later now he loved it. His daughter by his side, some new friends he had made. Only problem was that Beau, an alpha in his mid-fourties, starts to feel the effects of not being mated. Will he become feral or is fate on his side one last time?
Pairing: Alpha!Beau Arlen x Omega!Reader
Word Count: 2445
Warnings: first date and a murder
A/N: Let's see how this goes and what else will happen. All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!
Series Masterlist My Masterlist
He was late. Beau was late. It had only been ten minutes, but that was enough to make Y/N have second thoughts. Maybe he'd changed his mind. After all, he'd had plenty of time in the last two days. Why had she let herself be persuaded to go on a date with him in the first place? He wasn't in her league, and yet there was an attraction between them that neither she nor he could deny. And just thinking about him made the Omega inside her purr contentedly. Y/N sighed.
With her now slightly sweaty hands, she stroked the dark red wool skirt she'd put on for what felt like the hundredth time. The black sweatshirt and boots looked chic together, but it was all very comfortable. And easy to take off if necessary. At the thought, Y/N shook her head slightly, her cheeks flushing. The power this man had over her was almost spooky.
She looked at her watch again. It was now fifteen minutes. That was it. He wasn't coming. But just as she was about to take off her shoes again, there was a knock on her door. Taking a deep breath, she looked through the peephole and saw Beau on the other side. He was lightly running one hand through his hair, while she spotted a small bouquet of flowers in his other hand. That softened her heart a little, and she opened the door. As soon as Beau saw her, he smiled warmly.
"Hello, sweetheart." he greeted with his deep timbre. "I'm sorry I'm a little late. But I was looking at cars with my daughter Emily this afternoon, and that took a little longer."
Y/N just nodded. Of course, he had an explanation, and he was only 15 minutes late. But she still couldn't quite shake the strange feeling. She opened the door a little wider and let the sheriff in.
"That's why..." he held out the bouquet to her with an apologetic smile. "...I brought you some flowers."
"Thank you." Y/N replied quietly, taking the flowers.
She took a light sniff of the bouquet, and a small smile crept onto her lips. The flowers smelled of summer. Warm, fresh, and somehow familiar. She went over to the kitchen and placed the flowers in a vase before returning to Beau. Y/N grabbed her jacket and bag.
"Shall we go then?" she asked, looking at Beau properly for the first time.
The Texan had furrowed his eyebrows and was looking at her closely. Beau had immediately noticed that she was acting strangely. Distant, and her smile over the bouquet hadn't reached her eyes. So it was clear to him that something was wrong.
"Are you okay?" he asked, seeing Y/N's eyes widen slightly in surprise.
"Um, yeah. Yeah, everything's fine." she replied quickly, put on her jacket and started to walk past Beau to the door.
But he wasn't letting her off so easily and stood slightly in her way. "Why don't I believe you?"
She couldn't say anything to that, lowered her gaze and hugged herself. She should have known he'd notice. He was a sheriff, a good sheriff, and he paid attention to details. Or maybe she was just easy to read.
"Has something happened? I feel like I'm missing something here." With a finger, he gently lifted her chin so Y/N had to look at him again.
She saw concern in his beautiful green eyes, and that didn't make it any easier. She didn't want to tell him, didn't want to make herself so vulnerable. But she knew he wouldn't let up.
"I... I thought you weren't coming." she confessed, pulling away from his touch.
"What?" Beau asked, somewhat incredulously. "You really think I would have just stood you up without giving you any notice?"
Y/N shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time."
Now Beau took a deep breath through his nose as he briefly closed his eyes. "Y/N, I would never have just stood you up without at least letting you know. I asked you about the date, and I definitely meant it."
"You... could have reconsidered. Men do that sometimes."
Now he lightly grasped her shoulders and lowered his gaze to her eye level. "If there's one thing I don't have to reconsider, it's the date with you."
Y/N looked at him again and realized he was completely serious. But now he was so close to her again, his touches too familiar and the eye contact so intense that the omega in her reacted. The alpha in Beau also seemed to stir, because his eyes darkened a little. But today wasn't supposed to be about their sexual drive. At least not right from the start. They wanted to get to know each other properly. So Y/N tried to keep control of herself.
"So... you have a daughter?" she asked, breaking Beau out of the trance that had formed between them.
"Yes." He let go of Y/N and cleared his throat slightly. "Yes, and it's really about time she gets her own car."
Half an hour and a quick drive in Beau's truck later, the two were sitting at a table in a restaurant, getting their food. But that didn't disrupt their ongoing conversation in the slightest.
After Y/N asked about Beau's daughter, Beau told her a few things. Then Y/N also had something to share, and they moved from one topic to the next without it becoming tiring or boring. They asked each other questions and shared their experiences. The atmosphere was relaxed, both felt really comfortable.
By now, Y/N knew that Beau had a younger brother. She had no siblings, but several cousins. Beau's family was a bit larger than hers, but contact had still been a bit difficult since he moved to Montana.
"So that's why you and your don't talk much anymore?" asked Y/N before indulging in a forkful of her delicious pasta.
"Well... yes and no." Beau replied. "Moving to Montana itself wasn't necessarily the problem. It was more the reason for the move."
But he didn't say anything more and Y/N knew right away that the topic wasn't easy for him. She saw a shadow fall over his face, and concern spread through her. The Omega inside her also whimpered slightly, as if she could sense what was going on inside him. And then a thought occurred to her. Maybe he needed a leap of faith. Something to show him he could tell her anything without her judging him. And now, in this moment, she was ready to give it to him.
"My parents are dead." she revealed and Beau looked at her with slight surprise. "About eight years ago, they had a car accident. Dad was driving and at an intersection, a truck ran a red light and hit their car head-on." The memory still hurt, but it wasn't as bad as it had been back then.
"Dad died instantly, but Mum was still conscious. When I got to the hospital, she was still alive. She had a broken leg, two broken ribs, and internal bleeding. The emergency surgery went well and they had to wait the night. I wasn't allowed to stay with her. And when I got back to the hospital the next morning, Mum was dead too." Now she had to swallow.
"Y/N..." Beau touched her hand and she smiled sadly.
"There were complications during the night. I don't remember exactly what happened. I was numb when they told me she had died."
"I'm so sorry." he said calmly, and Y/N smiled at him a little more firmly.
"Thank you."
Silence fell over the two, like a silent companion. It enveloped them, as if it wanted to protect them and their painful memories from the outside world, giving them a moment that connected them in a new way. Until Beau cleared his throat again and broke eye contact. But that didn't change the mood between them. Quite the opposite.
"I'm responsible for the death of my partner Randy." Beau suddenly confessed and now Y/N looked at him with slight surprise.
She could tell it wasn't easy for him, but he had decided to open up to her nonetheless.
And then he simply told her the story. Who Randy was and how long they'd known each other. What had happened on that fateful day and how Beau had blamed himself so severely. That it had been so bad that it had turned his entire world upside down. That he'd crashed and hurt so many people.
He hadn't just lost himself, but also his then-wife and his daughter. His parents had tried to talk him into it, but he hadn't wanted help from them either. Only alcohol had been able to help him back then. Or at least that's what he'd thought.
Y/N let him talk, just listened and was secretly grateful. It made him so different from the other alphas she'd met. He made himself approachable, showed a vulnerable side and at the same time made her feel like they were equals. That he truly liked her and was genuinely interested in her and what seemed to be going on between them. That made her heart swell a little.
An hour later, when they'd finished dessert, the mood was lighter, more relaxed, and the two were even flirting again. Beau looked over at Y/N, who was just enjoying the last spoonful of her chocolate mousse, and his gaze lingered on her lips.
The evening had been truly lovely. Even though he hadn't intended to open up to her so emotionally. He hadn't been on a first date in a long time, but even he knew that such topics of conversation were more suited to another date. Nevertheless, Y/N didn't seem to mind. And if he wasn't entirely mistaken, it had even brought them closer together.
And something else became clear to him at that moment. He didn't want the evening to be over yet. So he ordered another beer as the waitress cleared the empty plates. A small, knowing smile appeared on Y/N's face and she, too, ordered another glass of wine. Neither of them said anything, knowing they weren't ready for the evening to end.
An hour later, however, they had no choice. They were now the last guests in the restaurant and it was time for them to pay. Just as Y/N took her wallet out of her pocket, Beau stopped her with a gentle gesture.
"I've already taken care of it." He gave her a warm smile.
"No, Beau. You don't have to!" Y/N protested.
For her, it wasn't out of the question that she should pay her part herself. But then Beau looked at her with a slightly disgruntled expression and she almost felt like he was trying not to give in to the impulse to put his hands on his hips and reprimand her. Even though she was sure the sheriff would make it satisfying for both of them.
"I'm sorry, but I'm a bit old-fashioned when it comes to this. My Texan pride won't allow me to let a woman pay anything on a first date." Beau grinned mischievously and Y/N knew there would be no point in arguing with him about it.
So she dropped the subject. For now. Beau helped her into her jacket, they said goodbye to the restaurant staff and then headed out into the cool night.
"Would you like to go for a little walk?" Beau asked, reaching for her hand almost shyly.
And Y/N would love to say 'yes,' but she was slowly starting to notice the wine she'd been drinking. "I'd normally love to, Beau, but I think it's time for me to go home."
"Yes, of course. Don't say another word." He was a little disappointed, but he couldn't blame Y/N either.
They'd had a lovely evening, and he'd been more than happy that she'd agreed to it at all. So he drove her back to her apartment and accompanied her to her front door. Once there, Y/N hesitated for a moment.
"Thank you, Beau. That was a really lovely evening." And she meant it.
"You almost sound like you weren't expecting this." he joked and Y/N had to grin, too.
"When it comes to the two of us, I'm starting to not know what to expect anymore," she answered honestly, leaning against her door.
Beau took a few steps toward her. "Doesn't that make it all the more exciting?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair from her cheek behind her ear.
And then it became clear what was about to happen. Beau leaned forward, and Y/N closed her eyes even before his lips touched hers. But the kiss was different from all the others before. It was slow, soulful, like a dance. Completely without rush or overflowing emotions. They held onto each other, simultaneously savoring the meaningful moments.
But then Y/N slowly pulled away from Beau's sinful mouth and leaned her forehead against his. It cost her a lot, but she didn't want this evening to end the way their last encounters had. And she could see that Beau understood, too.
"I'd love to do that again, if you want." Beau said quietly and Y/N nodded with a big smile before disappearing behind her door with a pounding heart.
At the same time, on the other side of town, a young Omega was fighting for her life. She had tried to run away, but her pursuer had been faster and pulled her to the ground. She had tried to call for help, but two hard blows to the face had taught her otherwise. She couldn't see the man sitting above her, pinning her to the ground. Her tears blurred her vision.
"Please... please don't... let me go..." she whimpered, shaking with fear.
"You know, I'd love to, but unfortunately, I can't anymore." he replied, leaning down to her throat. "You smell so good!" He took a deep sniff of her throat and almost purred.
"Actually, I have another Omega in mind, but getting her isn't that easy at the moment." he continued, pulling a knife from his jacket pocket.
Now the young woman opened her eyes in horror and tried again to free herself from beneath him. "No, please... I'm engaged! Please!"
The perpetrator looked at her somewhat thoughtfully. "Well, then your alpha should have claimed you sooner. You're pure fresh meat."
Then he covered her mouth and brought his lips close to her ear. "And I simply can't resist!"
And in the next moment, he plunged the knife into her beating heart while sinking his teeth into her neck.
A/N: Beau and Y/N had a succsessful night... and the sniffer too. đ How many more omegas have to die before Beau finally catches him? Let me know what you think! Feedback is very much appreciated! đ
@lyarr24 @k-slla @nancymcl  @globetrotter28 @hellsbratonthet
Time flies, right? I don't know where much went actually. đ„Ž
Yeah, of course she was worried about Beau not showing up. All her other expiriences with alphas were just bad and she still needs to find out that Beau is different.
The date went really well, right? They got to know eachother more. đ„°
Can I ask when the next chapter of your Beau story will be up? I really love it and want to know how all of this will end. đ
Thank you, lovely anon! đ đ„č I'm glad you like the story! And since it's flying under the radar a bit your ask really made my day! đ„č
I was actually debating with myself if I keep going with it. Again I'm out of pre-written chapters and since april was really weighing on me, I was just unsure. I'm not doing so fine right now and I'm struggling with some things.
But there are only 3 chapters left... I think đ€ and so I will finish it eventually. That being said, just be a little patient with me, yeah? Thank you! đ
i want better for you...what's better for you than me? - 1: For Better or For Worse...Pretty Sure This Is Worse - Jensen Ackles x Female Reader
Story Summary: Your heart is broken and youâre currently going through a divorce that didnât have to happen. Will you give Jensen the chance to explain everything that came about from that one night in Rome when you werenât there?
Chapter Summary: A phone call from your apologetic soon-to-be ex-husband is just the icing on the crap cake of a day you're already having.
You had just managed to get in the front door, a feat that a moment ago you didnât think would be possible. You were bogged down with grocery bags, dry cleaning, and the bulkload of mail that would most likely turn out to be eighty five percent bills. Despite being set up to auto-pay everything, you still received a healthy stream of bills in your mailbox every week. You didnât get it.Â
So you had already been carrying a heavy load while you managed to stick your latest Amazon package under your arm and the straps of your handbag and briefcase were on the other. Not to mention your dog was urging you to open the door after peeing on your lawn for the fifth time this week and he ignored your pleas for him not to. Somehow you did all of that and still got your key in the door. Milo, being the young spry German Shepherd pup he was, naturally almost mowed you down in his rush to get inside before you, but you survived the canine tornado and still stood strong. You werenât patting yourself on the back but you definitely deserved some kudos. You had always been laughed at in the past for attempting to do all of this in one shot without any assistance, but you proved you could. Every single time. Considering you now had an eager and energetic four-legged companion who lacked patience (and a tiny bit of discipline if you were being honest) to contend with, kudos were definitely in order.
You slowly put down the grocery bags and package, laying the dry cleaning on your thin table in the foyer, dropping your keys and mail into the giant bowl on a shelf underneath, and placed your other bags to the side of the structure. You heaved a giant sigh of relief and turned to close the door, wincing when Milo barked from the living room. âHush, Milo. Give me a minute to breathe, please.â
The second you secured the lock, you sank tiredly against the door. You were home and now you could begin to relax. It had been a long day and you were looking forward to changing into something more comfortable and starting the process of unwinding. And as if the universe wanted to foil that plan, your cell phone rang on cue.
âNo,â you whined, placing your forehead against the wood of the door for a moment. âWhat is it now?â
One of your clients had the brilliant idea of doing an impromptu live stream in the wee hours of the morning to discuss their upcoming divorce, in full detail, in a bid to get their estranged spouse back. As a result, your phone had not stopped ringing since 4:02 this morning and you had done your best to do damage control. It didnât help that this particular client had 20.4 million Instagram followers and the mainstream media alongside TMZ had already picked up the story by the time you were woken from a sound sleep to a panicked phone call from one of your clientâs publicists. A press conference had taken place a few hours later and of course, you were front and center, which you absolutely hated but had no choice in. So, today was not a good day by any means and you desperately needed some recharging time.
You huffed out an aggravated breath and spun on your heel, digging through your handbag to grab your cell. When you saw the name on the screen, you tensed up. Oh, your day was going to get even better apparently. Why hadnât you just called out sick today and stayed in bed? Content to hide under the covers and pretend the world wasnât exploding around you again ? Because that worked so well for you last time. You pressed your lips together at the snarky thought. Shut up, brain.Â
Deciding that it was best just to see what he wanted and to get it over with, you swiped green and put the phone to your ear, forcing yourself to give a cordial greeting. âHello?â
âHey, itâs me.â
âI know.â You grabbed the dry cleaning and turned towards the hall closet. âWhatâs up?â
âI just wanted toâŠâ You heard someone talking in the background and it made you freeze. Was that who you thought it was? Sure enough, he spoke again in a quieter tone. âI just wanted to see how you were doing.â
âHow do you think Iâm doing?â You snapped as you shoved the hook onto the bar and slammed the closet door shut, smirking in satisfaction when the sound echoed throughout the foyer. You knew he had heard that. âIs that her? Are you really calling me right now while sheâs in the room?â
âWhat? No.â His voice always went an octave higher near the end of a sentence when he was nervous. âNo, of course not.â You could hear the sounds of the person talking in the background fading as he presumably moved away from them. âNo, Y/N, thatâs someone from my team. We had a pitch meeting and weâre taking a break.â
âYeah, Iâll bet,â you hissed, picking up the grocery bags and moving towards the kitchen.
âIt is.â
âWhatever,â you muttered, pulling packages of ground beef and raw steaks out and placing them in the refrigerator and freezer respectively. âI should expect nothing less.â
A sigh came down the line. âY/N, I told you, I didnâtââ
âWhat did you call me for? Iâm pretty sure I made it clear the last time we saw each other that I never wanted to hear from you again.â
Silence reigned for a moment while you continued putting your groceries away. Perhaps that was cruel but it was nothing but the truth. You had told your soon-to-be ex-husband that when he tried to speak to you outside the conference room as you and your lawyer attempted to leave the contentious meeting that hadnât brought about any resolution. You were both trying to avoid going to court, wanting to settle this as soon as possible, but his lawyers were intent on playing hardball. Which was oh-so-hilarious considering he made more money in a single month than you did a year. And he had sat back, letting them come for your jugular, as he kept glistening green eyes fixated on you, urging you to look at him which you did not. When you told him you wanted nothing more to do with him, he appeared stricken and you felt sick seeing it, not just because you said what youâd said but also because you had meant it. You had trusted him, let him come in and sweep you off your feet though you kept insisting you didnât want anything romantic to develop between you, but he had pushed for a relationship, you ended up giving in, and then he had crushed you underneath his boot heel without a second thought. He had told you he loved you over and over again, touched you as if he truly meant it, and then stabbed you right in the back. Just like your friends and everyone you knew who had a brain had warned you he would.
âI saw the press conference and I guess I just wanted to make sure you were okay,â he quietly admitted.
You couldnât help but flinch. Great, he had seen you artlessly dodge the question about your own divorce and the catalyst behind it. And if he saw it, then that meant so did she. Great, just great.
âIâm fine. Better than fine, actually. So thanks for checking in but not necessary. Go back to your meeting and have a great rest of your day. Great rest of your life really. Ciao.â You were about to end the call when you heard him speaking suddenly.
âDonât hang up. Y/N! Please. Can we just talk for one freaking second? Please.â
You flipped the call over to speakerphone and placed the device on the counter, crossing your arms and waiting. Sometimes it was truly hard to believe that you had been so in love with this man that you had shared a life with him once. That you had smiled when he would call you, that you had craved to hear his voice even. And nowâŠnow you had a knot in your stomach the size of Texas and you despised the owner of said voice.
When he didnât say anything after a minute, you prompted him. âWell?â
âPlease, can we just talk? You know, like we used to. We were friends once, werenât we?â
You took two steps forward and bent at the waist to make sure your voice was as close as possible to the phone. âLike weâre friends? Are you for real? And let me just tell you that if youâre calling me to talk about your new relationship , youâd better think again. I will hang up and I will immediately contact my attorney and seek a no contact order.â
âWhat new relationship? Iâm not in any relationship.âÂ
âFuck buddies, then. I donât care what you call it.â
âThatâs notââ He let out a groan of frustration. â Nothing happened, Y/N. Nothing. I keep trying to tell you that but you wonât listen!â
âOh, so those photos and videos were just doctored then? Someone used PhotoShop or AI, right? All 62 people at the scene? Theyâre all lying? Thatâs what youâre telling me?â
You heard another sigh, this one sounding heavier, a mixture of exhaustion and defeat. âNo, Iâm not saying that. But I am saying that nothingââ
âThen we have nothing more to talk about.âÂ
You were about to hang up when he pleaded again for you not to. âWould you please just listen to me for a second? I know I screwed up, I do. But nothing happened between me and her. I swear.â
âSo the interview she gave to Vanity Fair where she implied how close you two were and the sources that told US Weekly about your incredibly passionate weekend in Rome last year when I couldnât make the trip â with full detail of your very public displays of affection I might add â that was all a lie?â
âI never had a passionate weekend with her, Y/N. I called you that night, because I knew you would still be up working that case. We evenââ He suddenly lowered his voice a little. âWe even were intimate if you remember.â
Just when you thought all of this couldnât hurt you anymore, that you shed every single tear your body was capable of creating, that your heart could no longer break because it was a pile of dust somewhere in this house, you felt the resurgence of a pain that you wished you didnât know existed. A pain that stabbed into you over and over again, forcing you to feel every fresh wound along with old ones, nearly overwhelming you and making you feel like you would never get away from it. You remembered the night he was talking about all too well.
âNo, that was the previous year. It was our anniversary,â you choked out, the age old lump forming once again in your throat. One you swore you wouldnât allow back.
âWhat? No. Baby, Iâm sorry but youâre wrong. It was that same night, Iâm telling you. I know it was because I left the restaurant early to go back to my room so I could call you. I even texted you on the way there. I know I did.â
You closed your eyes as the pain washed over you once more. If you werenât about to break for the thousandth time since this whole thing started, you would have reminded him what youâd told him when youâd agreed to date him. Never lie to a lawyer about anything because they will find out. He had simply smiled, told you that neither of you would ever have to worry about that, and leaned in to kiss you. If you didnât feel a sudden burning in the corner of your eyes, you also would have reminded him that he had tried to tell you this story once before and you had easily debunked it. And he had the nerve to speak to you like that as he lied to you once again, as if you were still happily married? As if he had the right to call you baby? No, this was too much.
âIâm hanging up now,â you forced out.
âHoney, please. Canât we just talk this out? I know I fucked up but I promise I didnâtââ
âDonât call me again. If you need something in the future, have your lawyer contact mine.â
âY/N, wait! Baby, please justââ   Â
You disconnected the call, took a deep breath, and went back to your task. Your phone immediately started ringing again and seeing your exâs name once more, you pushed the call to voicemail and then turned your phone off. You had enough for today; you deserved some quiet time. And the last thing you wanted to deal with was the cause of the void sitting inside your chest where your heart used to be. Though that empty space didnât seem to prevent the tidal wave of pain you were currently under. You continued taking deep breaths until you felt you had yourself fully under control and there was no longer any threat of you breaking down in sobs.
You heard the clicking of nails on the tile and turned around to see Milo sitting down, watching you intently and letting out a whine.Â
âDonât you dare take his side,â you whispered, afraid if you spoke any louder that you might finally shatter into a thousand pieces after everything today. You were already going to be indulging in a liquid dinner as it was. Alcohol would be the only thing your stomach would be able to handle right now. âHe left us , remember?â
The dog simply tilted his head in response and you snorted. âRight, I keep forgetting. All dogs stick together, donât they?â He didnât understand your snarky comment and he just continued watching you, not making a sound. It reminded you too much of your husband for some reason, giving you those infamous sad puppy dog eyes of his as he begged you to give him a chance to explain when you played a video on your phone that had been sent to you. You bit your lip and focused on pulling a bottle of wine from the undercounter cooler. âDonât look at me like that. I didnât make him do what he did. I didnât lie or cheat orâŠanything else he did. Okay?â Still no response. âItâs not my fault. Iâm not the bad guy here.â Still nothing. Not that you were expecting a response but the longer the silence lasted, the more pain you felt. âFine, you want to blame me? Go right ahead. Everyone else in the world does, why not you, too?âÂ
You passed him by and you heard another whine, but you ignored it. You clenched your jaw, making your way back into the foyer to remove your shoes and jog up the stairs to change. You pretended that the sudden blurriness in your eyes was your exhaustion from the day and that the tears rolling down your cheeks were just from allergies, nothing to do with the pain you were feeling hearing his voice again â the voice of your cheating ex-husband. Not at all.
You were bored, channel surfing, as Milo laid next to you, his head on his paws. Both of you stared at the TV screen but you werenât really seeing the constantly changing images. Instead, you had your head in your hand, turning his words from earlier over and over in your mind.Â
âNothing happened, Y/N.â
âI promise I didnâtââ
âNothing happened between me and her.â
If only there wasnât physical evidence to the contrary. If only he hadnât lied and was still lying. You reached for your glass from the side table and took another sip. You had foregone the wine in favor of something with a little more kick. You intended on drinking until you became so drunk you would have no choice but not to care. You had already let your assistant know to clear your morning appointments before your second drink; you were now on your fourth.
So when an hour later, you were watching some wildlife documentary on BBC and you saw a female bear running from a male bear who was intent on mating with her, you slammed your glass down and sat up, causing Milo to lift his head up. âThatâs right, run!â You yelled, slightly slurring your words. âFucking run! Donât trust him! Heâll tell you whatever you wanna hear just to get you on your back! Or your front or however the fuck you bears do it! But then heâll wander off to find some other bitch to mount when heâs done! Mark my words! So you fucking run and you donât look back! Fuck you, Baloo! Bare necessities, my ass! RUN!â
The female bear did run and she definitely put the male through it but eventually, she allowed him to catch up with her and gave in. You groaned loudly and threw the popcorn you had been munching on at the TV. âYouâve gotta be fuckinâ kiddinâ me! I told that bitch to run! Doesnât she realize heâs only going to screw her and then really screw her? Nobody listens to me!â Milo jumped down to eat the stray pieces and when he turned to look at you, you shook your head. âIâm tellinâ you, buddy. Dogs. All oâya.â He tilted his head curiously, his eyes laser focused on the bowl in your lap. You blew a raspberry at the TV when the narrator said the female bear would eventually give birth to cubs in monthsâ time. âYou just wait until he takes a trip to Italy, Iâm tellinâ ya. Youâll be sorry you didnât listen to me then.â For a reason that wasnât quite clear to you in this state, you threw more popcorn at the screen when a pair of mated penguins appeared next, waiting for their egg to hatch. You blew another raspberry and Milo immediately went on a popcorn rampage, all too happy to act as the cleanup crew.Â
You sipped more scotch from your glass and you loved the trail of the burn it left from your tongue to your stomach. This was an excellent decision on your part. You needed a break from your chaotic everyday life, your broken heart, andâŠmemories.Â
Memories like him sitting on this couch with you as you watched Working Girl for the 4,085th time.Â
It was one of your favorite movies and even though he was sick of it, he indulged your need for the familiar comfort it provided. You had a rough day at work, you and your mother had gotten into yet another argument over the phone, and your doctor had pretty much told you that your getting pregnant would be an impossibility. You were devastated and you were working up the courage to tell him, already not having told him about the existence of your appointment. He wasnât really sure if he wanted kids but you did; you had always wanted a little girl. So you both eventually compromised that you would give it a shot and if it happened, great. If it didnât, then you would cross that bridge when you came to it. That was the deal. But when you failed to get pregnant the past few months despite you both doing everything in your power to make it happen, youâd grown concerned and decided to get an official medical opinion on you first before asking him to. Sure enough, the news had been crushing. At some point over time, after all of the monthly hell it put you through since you were thirteen, your traitorous reproductive system had decided to clock out and refused to clock back in when it was needed.Â
So when you finally felt brave enough to tell him what youâd been told, that you wouldnât break down in tears as you said the words, you noticed he wasnât paying attention to the movie at all or you. He was on his phone and even when you called his name, trying to get him to look at you, he barely spared you a glance. When you asked him what he was doing, he said he had gotten some texts he was responding to, still not really looking at you. When you asked who they were from, a strange look fleeted across his face before he powered down his screen and slipped his phone back into his pocket.Â
He had then turned a reassuring smile on you. âJust work stuff.â He laid a hand on your shoulder and tenderly rubbed his thumb in soothing circles. âSo what is it you want to tell me?â
You arched a brow over at him. You hadnât said you wanted to tell him anything.
He inclined his head towards the screen. âWorking Girl? For the second time in two weeks? Somethingâs up.â
Dammit, he knew you too well. Something that had always been a plus in your relationship, especially since you two had shared a close friendship first. But while you had been finally ready to tell him your heartbreaking news, something about that look and his evading the question of who he had been texting now had you clamming up though you had no idea why. Or maybe you did but you didnât want to think about it or look at it too closely. âNothing,â you answered quietly, glancing back at the movie. âJust a rough day at work.â
âAnything you want to talk about?â
You shook your head and bit your lip. âNo, Iâm good.âÂ
He studied you for a moment and nodded, accepting your answer before getting to his feet. âAlright, well, Iâve already seen this seventy eight times and that was before our first date.â He chuckled at his own joke. âSo, Iâm going to jump in the shower and then head to bed. Come up when youâre finished?â You forced a smile and a nod. He leaned down and kissed the top of your head before leaving the room.Â
When he was gone and you heard the sounds of the shower upstairs start up, you sat frozen. You told yourself you were overthinking things and it made sense that if he thought something was bothering you, he wouldnât want to start going into detail on a work-related project that either might be going great or not going so well. Not until he knew what was going on with you first. But you were also a divorce attorney and a woman â you knew the signs. You didnât want to think that your husband â your best friend â would do that to you, especially knowing how much of a dealbreaker it was for you. Youâd been very vocal about it before agreeing to date him. He wouldnât really do that to you, would he?Â
Youâd shrugged it off, telling yourself you were being ridiculous, and turned the movie off before heading upstairs to bed. And when he scrolled through social media before sleep, smirking at the screen and typing something when he thought you were already out, you told yourself you were overreacting. And when a brief look of relief flashed in his eyes when you finally told him your doctorâs verdict a week later before he pulled you into a hug, you ignored your hurt and told yourself it was only because he had been up front with you about not really wanting kids at this stage of his life. That he had only compromised on trying to begin with in order to make you happy.
You shouldâve known then what your instincts had been screaming at you. Just like that damn bear should have known. What this goddamn penguin should know. You blew another raspberry for good measure when the narrator said the male was attempting to attract the female by building a fucktastic nest. You werenât exactly sure thatâs what the narrator said but it was all the same shit to you. âRun, girl. Thatâs how they getcha,â you muttered, your slurring somehow worse as you sifted through popcorn. âHeâs only trying to get in them panties. Trust me. Fly away â or waddle away very fast.â You laughed at your own joke and threw Milo a few pieces. He snatched them in mid-air, impressing you and making you clap happily for him. His tail wagged a thousand miles an hour as he waited for more snacks.Â
And then someone decided to ruin your little pity party. Miloâs head snapped in the opposite direction and he suddenly took off for the front door, barking like crazy and making you jump. A moment later, the doorbell rang and your cell phone chimed with the Ring notification. You glanced at the time on your screen; who the hell would be at your door at this hour? You quickly checked the Ring camera, your heart rate accelerating slightly as Miloâs barking didnât let up. Were you about to be attacked? Broken into? Scammed? Given the Good Word and a talk on how to achieve your salvation? What? And you were drunk â fffffuck.
You waited for the screen to pop up and when it did, your heart was pounding for a whole other reason. You could feel the fury racing through your veins like wildfire. Youâd know that set of shoulders and ball cap anywhere. Was this for real?
You watched as the person at your front door pressed the doorbell again, giving a hesitant wave to the camera. A familiar voice suddenly sounded through the speakers on your phone. âI know youâre home, Y/N. I can hear Milo barking. Can you come to the door, please?â
Oh, he wanted you to come to the door? Not a problem. He was going to regret it, though.
You jumped to your feet, you being the one to immediately regret it instead as you held onto the arm of the couch to regain your balance. When you didnât fall back onto the couch or onto the floor, you stormed into the foyer â well, you tried to storm into it anyway. Milo was there, half whining, half barking, and glancing back and forth between you and the front door, clearly wanting you to open it. You reached it, flipped the locks, and threw the door open, glaring at the last person you ever wanted to see darken your doorway again. âWhat the hell do you want?â
Your ex-husband looked shocked for a moment, more by what his assessing gaze took in of you than by your aggressive greeting. âHave you been drinking?â
You snorted a laugh. âYouâre going to ask me that? Really? You?â You shot him a meaningful look.Â
He had the decency to briefly appear ashamed as he should. Hadnât that been one of the several excuses heâd thrown your way once his dastardly deeds had come to light? God, youâd lost count of them at this point. âI was hoping we could talk but ifâŠâ He gestured to you with a hand but didnât finish the sentence. He didnât need to; you knew very well what he was implying and it just served to anger you further.
âAre you kidding me right now? You donât just show up on my doorstepââ
âOur doorstep.âÂ
âMy doorstep,â you corrected. âOut of the blue, wanting to talk. Itâs no longer about what you want, anyway.â
âY/N, please. Can we justââ
âNo! You hear me? N-O. No!â You went to shut the door when he stopped you.
âIâve been trying to call you all day, you wonât return my calls, you wonât answer my texts.â
âGee, I wonder why, Cheater McCheaterson,â you hissed, attempting to close the door despite him holding it open.
He let out an irritated sigh. âLook, I just want to talk, Y/N. No lawyers, no third parties, no more phone hang ups or emails not responded to â just us.â
You shoved against the door with all of your might though it proved futile. Why did he have to be so big and why did he have to show up when you were threeâfourâfive sheets to the wind? âLike Iâve said a hundred thousand times before, there is nothing to talk about.â You spun around and pushed your back against the door, trying to shut him out that way. The damn thing still didnât budge and you were starting to lose the battle with your balance. Milo watched you and you could see the judgment in his dark brown eyes; even he knew the door wasnât going to close and the man youâd once given your heart to wasnât going to go away that easily. âYou cheated, you lied, you got caught, weâre getting divorced. End. Of. Story,â you grunted as you uselessly pushed against the door. That whole spiel might have sounded more impressive had you not just slurred your way through about ninety percent of it.Â
A hand reached around and gently laid on top of yours, causing you to stop pushing and look down. Tears began to build in your eyes when you saw an all-too familiar golden band on the fourth finger, feeling the cold metal against your skin, almost burning you when the memory of you putting it on his hand immediately popped into your head.Â
He had graced you with a warm and affectionate smile as you repeated the vows you were told to say. âTo love and to cherish, âtill death do us part,â you finished, slipping the ring onto his finger and joining your hands as practiced. His smile grew and he didnât even wait for the officiant to finish speaking before he leaned forward and kissed you, causing a lot of âawwwâs and laughter from the audience. He had then placed his forehead against yours, staring into your eyes and looking beyond happy. As it so often did for you when he did things like this, the world around you faded away until it was just the two of you.Â
âWeâre married now,â he murmured. âNo returns or refunds or exchanges. No take backs. Itâs for real.â
âI must have missed that part of the vows,â you joked, wrapping your arms around his neck as your eyes roamed his handsome face. He gently nudged your nose in response. âYes, itâs for real,â you capitulated. âNot a bad choice for my first husband, if I do say so myself.â You shot him a teasing grin.
He chuckled and your heart skipped a beat; you loved that sound. âYou mean your only husband, right?â He growled out playfully before swooping down to kiss you more passionately than before as he wrapped his arms around your waist to pick you up. You laughed into his mouth and you could faintly hear the sounds of cheering, whistles, and clapping somewhere in the distance.  Â
You pressed your lips together to keep yourself from breaking down in tears. How dare he still wear that thing? After heâd pledged to love you for the rest of your lives together, no matter what? To be faithful to you even? You snatched your hand from underneath his and pushed the wood again, grunting loudly.Â
âSweetheartââ
âDonât you dare ,â you hissed.
His face appeared next, a lot closer to you than you had anticipated, and it took everything you had to keep standing. You could see devastation in those green depths that closely mirrored your own, the bloodshot eyes staring back at you along with a hint of dark circles underneath indicating to you that there had been a sleepless night or two very recently. His skin was at least two shades lighter than what it should be and his usually neatly trimmed beard was not as well kept. How dare he? How dare he look so hurt when he was the offending party? When he was the reason behind all of this pain he had caused you both?
âPlease, honey,â he murmured. âTalk to me.â
Your jaw clenched and you felt a tear start rolling down your cheek. Dammit, you had told yourself you would never cry in front of him, not after what heâd done. You would never give him the satisfaction of knowing just how deeply he hurt you. âI donât want to talk to you, Jensen.â The pain in his expression intensified but you willfully ignored it. You also ignored the oh-so-ironically timed whine Milo let out nearby. âSo just leave already. Weâre done and nothing you say is ever going to change that.â You roughly wiped away the tear and ambled down the hall to the guest bathroom, slamming and locking the door shut behind you without once looking back.
Only when you turned on the shower did you collapse on the floor, your back to the tub, and bury your face into your knees as you broke down into sobs. Youâd meant what you said; you and Jensen were done, and nothing he said could ever change that. Just when you thought your heart was beyond the ability of being damaged anymore than it already had been, you felt one final crack form as you poured out your anguish into the small tiled room.
Just needed a reset. I had to find my creative drive again. đ
So glad you found that again! It can be difficult sometimes. đ
Everything is good, thank you! I hope everything is good on your side, too! đ
So good you're doing fine! My life is a little hard at the moment, but it will be better soon. I'm sure. đ
I just saw the other day that Jawritter is gone. đ
Oh please, don't bring this up again! đ I knew Jen was not doing so well in the last months, but I had not seen that coming. I was really mourning her loss here tbh. đ
Summary: Moving to and living in Montana had once been a necessary thing for Beau. But three years later now he loved it. His daughter by his side, some new friends he had made. Only problem was that Beau, an alpha in his mid-fourties, starts to feel the effects of not being mated. Will he become feral or is fate on his side one last time?
Pairing: Alpha!Beau Arlen x Omega!Reader
Word Count: 2839
Warnings: some fluff, some surprising moments and a possibly dangerous situation.
A/N: Happy Easter everyone! đ°đŁđDid I tell you guys that we're having an age gap here? No? Well... now you know. đ All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!
Series Masterlist My Masterlist
"So? How was your date, Beau?" Jenny asked, grinning after she popped her head through his office door without warning.
The man in question glanced at her briefly, then looked away again and looked at his whiteboard. A new victim had been found this morning. They were now averaging one victim per week, and that was starting to worry him. Another thing that worried him was that the sniffer was now only looking for new victims in Helena. This noticeably narrowed their search area, but it still didn't make things any better.
"How do you know about that?" he simply asked, staring ahead with his arms crossed.
"You should know that it's no secret around here when the divorced sheriff meets a woman for dinner." Jenny came over to Beau. "But I'm happy for you, Beau, I really am."
And he believed her, but it didn't help his own thoughts. It had been a great evening and he'd gotten along great with Y/N. They'd gotten to know each other better and Beau really just wanted to know more about her. He wanted to spend more time with her. And yet, there was a 'but'.
"Thanks." he answered succinctly, which made Jenny pause.
"Was it not good?" she asked.
Beau sighed. He wasn't going to get rid of his partner until he'd at least told her something. So he walked over to his desk and leaned back on it.
"No, it was great." he began, but then said nothing more.
"But?" Jenny continued, now crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"She's twelve years younger than me... actually." He confessed and looked to the ground.
Beau had known that Y/N was younger than him. But he hadn't expected such a big age difference. And even though he knew the attraction between them was already very strong, it still made him feel guilty. Because in the end, he would drag her into his situation and he didn't know if he was ready to do that to her. She should have the freedom to choose and not be forced into a decision by his impending fate of going feral.
"So what?" Jenny asked, somewhat incomprehensible. "You should be happy about that. I told you, you're still a good catch for the Omegas here."
But Beau didn't really react, which confused Jenny. He was attractive, had his heart in the right place, and was one of the few Alphas who didn't mess with Omegas. All of that spoke in his favor.
"But seriously, Arlen... I'll be happy for you if you finally found someone. It doesn't matter if she's younger than you. You can just see if it works out between you two or not. And if not... then you can just find another partner."
But there was the real problem. "No, I can not."
He couldn't hide it anymore and maybe it was better if at least Jenny knew what was going on with him. Even if Beau would have preferred to delay it even further. But now Y/N was also a part of his story.
"What are you talking about? Of course you can!" protested Hoyt, who had already discussed this topic with the man in front of her more than once.
"I'm slowly going feral." he dropped the bombshell after a brief moment of silence.
"WHAT?" now Jenny was truly horrified. "Are you serious?" and Beau just nodded, still looking down. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Because this isn't easy for me either."
"What can we do? How can we prevent this?"
"My doctor says I have to find a mate again."
"But then that's perfect! If you two like each other, then..."
"No." Beau interrupted Jenny, shaking his head firmly while he stood up again.
"Because I don't want to force such a decision on her. She's still young, has her whole life ahead of her, and should be able to decide for herself who she wants to be with. It would be selfish of me to tie her to such an old alpha like me."
"But that's not true!"
"Hoyt!" he almost growled. "I won't force her to do it!"
They both stared at each other stubbornly, but Jenny didn't want to give in either. "Have you at least told her? What's happening to you?"
"No. And I won't either."
Now Jenny could only shake her head. "But it would be the fairest thing you could do to her. So she knows what she's getting into, if you should keep seeing each other."
Of course Jenny was right. Beau knew that, too. But on this point, he had already decided to be a little bit selfish. At least for a little while longer.
The cafe was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday afternoon, but Y/N didn't mind. Today there were three of them, serving customers every minute and keeping them busy. The volume of conversation was significantly higher, and yet Y/N didn't mind, quite the opposite. Today she liked the buzz and hum that surrounded and occupied her. Everyone was friendly, the tips were good, and she enjoyed herself. Actually, everything had been more fun for her in the last few days than before. She couldn't completely rule out that it might have something to do with a certain Sheriff.
She had really enjoyed the date. They had spent a lovely evening together, had told each other a lot about themselves, and by now she felt like she knew him better than any other alpha she'd ever dealt with. She had been a bit surprised by their age difference. Of course, she could tell he was a little older than her, but she hadn't realized it was quite a bit more.
Ultimately, though, it didn't bother her as much as she'd initially thought. Otherwise, she wouldn't have kissed him again when they said goodbye. Her heart felt like it was beating even faster the next morning. She felt so safe in his arms, as if nothing could happen to her. As if Beau would protect her, no matter what. As if he were her home.
"Y/N? My coffee?" Matt's voice sounded from the counter, tearing her from her thoughts.
"Oh, yes. Just a minute," she replied, and went to the coffee machine.
That had never happened to her before. Especially with Matt, she'd almost had the coffee ready before he even got to the counter. Huh... who would have thought her attention would actually shift like this. The charm the young alpha had once exuded for her was gone. Instead, he now seemed like a player. Someone who knew exactly what to say to charm women. Calculated and strategic. And now, for the first time, she noticed that the smile he always wore never reached his eyes. Almost as if he were wearing a mask to protect his inner self.
"What's wrong with you? You seem so different lately." Matt asked, and Y/N frowned.
Why didn't she like that question? It was also the way he emphasized it. And at the same time, she realized that she was reacting differently than before. Normally, she would have tried to convince him otherwise and given him her full attention. But now it was different.
"Really?" she replied questioningly. "Well, I don't think I'm acting any differently."
Matt paused, but Y/N ignored him. Of course, he noticed, because the pink glaze that had been over her eyes was gone. She wasn't hung up on him anymore, and that, too, had given him an ego boost, as she now realized. But that was over now. And she was very happy about it. Matt only had himself to blame if he hadn't realized who she was and what she had to offer long ago.
"I don't know how to describe it. And I don't mean it in a bad way. But somehow you've changed."
She listened to him, but she felt it was unnecessary to answer him. His time was over, he hadn't wanted her. So she preferred to give her time and attention to another alpha. And that very same alpha just happened to enter the cafe. Y/N immediately began to beam and waited until he spotted her. And as soon as Beau's eyes landed on her, he too smiled as he approached.
"Hello darlin'," the Texan greeted her, smiling broadly.
"Oh, have I moved up?" she asked with a cheeky look. "From 'sweatheart' to 'darling' now?"
Beau chuckled. "In Texas, 'darling' is very common, but I can come up with something completely different for you if you want." Now he wiggled his eyes, and Y/N blushed slightly.
"Well, I think... I'm happy with 'darling' for now." she winked.
And while Y/N and Beau flirted with each other, neither of them noticed Matt, who was watching the whole situation with furrowed eyebrows. And he, too, seemed to realize that he was no longer the most desirable alpha. At least not for Y/N.
"What are you doing here?" Y/N asked after serving him a coffee. "Are you asking me out on a second date?"
"Oh, I'd love to, but unfortunately that's not the reason for my visit." Beau replied, leaning a little closer to her. "Since our last tip unfortunately came to nothing, we're trying to retrace a few steps."
Beau looked around briefly and lowered his voice a little. "I'm not supposed to tell you about this. I could really get in trouble. But... I was just in the area and had to stop by to see you for a moment." he explained, taking a sip of his coffee.
Y/N's heart swelled with warmth. She could see in his eyes that he was serious, and that only made it more meaningful to her. And yet she was a little scared, because she slowly realized she was starting to fall in love with him.
"So when are you going to ask me out on a second date?" she lightened the mood a bit.
"Soon. Unfortunately, it probably won't happen this week, but I promise I won't keep you waiting too long." he responded to Y/N's hint and then pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Besides, we have these, and I intend to make some real use of it." He waggled his eyebrows again.
If Y/N knew one thing by now, it was that the sheriff in front of her had a real sex drive. And if she was honest, she felt the same way about him.
Beau leaned forward a little and kissed her cheek before leaving. She watched him go until he disappeared from her sight. But her smile didn't disappear so quickly.
"Are you two together?"
Y/N looked to the side, a little confused. Oh, right. Matt was still there, too.
"Um... no. But we're trying to figure out if we're compatible." She didn't really need to explain anything to him, but the words were out before she could stop them.
"Don't you think he's a little too old... for you?"
Now she looked at him incredulously and a little annoyed. "I don't see how that's any of your business."
And she meant it. The Matt chapter was over, and she wasn't going to let him judge her.
The following Saturday, Y/N was on the late shift. It was already 10:30, and the last customer had left the cafe about 20 minutes ago. So she cleared the tables, cleaned the dishes, and mopped up. She was alone, which wasn't unusual, and at the same time gave her the freedom to complete any last-minute chores at her own pace.
She had just put away the last few cups and was putting on her jacket. It was already dark outside, with only the streetlights providing some light. Before she could even sling her bag over her shoulder, however, her phone rang. When she looked at the display and recognized Beau's number, she couldn't help but smile.
"Hello, Mr. Sheriff." she greeted him and heard the man on the end of the line chuckle.
"Hello darling! Are you off work yet?" he asked.
They had been texting a lot over the past few days and had also spoken on the phone in the evenings. Beau had become an integral part of her day, and she always enjoyed hearing his voice. Who would have thought?
"I'm just leaving the cafe and locking the door. You picked the perfect time." Y/N replied, taking the key in her hand as she walked toward the door.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'll be busy for maybe another ten minutes, but then I'll be off work, too. And I thought... if you're up for it... we could meet up. For a midnight snack, perhaps?"
The idea itself didn't sound bad, but it was still over an hour until midnight, and she heard the slightly lascivious undertone in his voice.
"Interesting... are you making a booty call, Sheriff Arlen?" Now she was standing outside the cafe, locking the door.
"What? No!... No, I just thought... you just wanted... to maybe meet up with me for a bit." he stammered, and Y/N had to grin.
"Relax, Beau." she said, laughing, and started walking to the nearest bus stop. "I actually like the idea, but my shift was long and I just want to go home and fall into my bed."
He could understand that. "Fine, Y/N. But surely you don't mind if I keep you on the phone until you get home?"
"I would really like that." she replied, smiling.
They chatted a bit longer, and while Beau informed her that it would have been safer if she had driven to work so late at night, she dismissed it, arguing that the car wasn't worth it for the short distance and that she had always taken the bus.
But as soon as she finished her sentence, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Nothing unusual, really. There were several bars, a few restaurants, and a movie theater on this street. But as she quickened her pace a bit, the footsteps behind her also became faster. And a quick glance to her right confirmed that someone was behind her. She saw the person's reflection in the windows of the parked cars she passed.
"Beau..." she said, a little worried, her heart rate beginning to rise, interrupting him mid-sentence.
Beau immediately heard that something wasn't right. "What's wrong? Y/N?"
Y/N frantically considered whether it would make sense to cross the street or go to a bar.
"I think... I'm being followed." she said quietly, and she heard the scraping of chair legs on the floor through her phone.
"Where are you?" Suddenly, he had that tone in his voice he only used when he was working.
"About two minutes from my bus stop." Was her pursuer getting closer, or was she just imagining it? "What should I do?" she whispered. "Should I cross the street?"
"No. Can you run into a bar or restaurant?"
"Yes. The bar called Mullets is right up ahead."
"Then go in there and wait there until I get to you. I'm already on my way to my truck."
"Okay." Y/N said and started running. But before she even reached the door, she was grabbed from behind and dragged away.
A scream escaped her. "Beau!" she cried into the phone, but the next moment her attacker slapped it from her hand, and it landed on the ground a few meters away.
A gloved hand was placed over her mouth to muffle her screams, and she was pressed against a hard chest that pulled her further into the darkness of the alley they were in.
She tried to fight free, to draw attention to herself, but nothing seemed to work. Suddenly, she was slammed to the ground. The man above her was masked and incredibly strong. He pinned her arms above her head with one hand while pulling a knife from his jacket pocket with the other.
Now her eyes widened in fear and panic, and she began to struggle again. She called for help and screamed, but it still seemed to have no effect. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she began to talk to her attacker. She begged him to let her go. But that didn't seem to help either. She would lose her life here and now.
"HEY!" a voice suddenly called from the beginning of the alley, and the attacker looked around.
"Let go of the woman! Now! Or I'll call the police!"
Y/N continued to struggle, and slowly the attacker let go of her.
"Help! Police! Help!" the stranger continued to shout, and the next second the attacker was off.
He disappeared into the darkness without a trace, and Y/N tried to get up. The stranger came to her aid, and as he helped her to her feet and led her back to the street, Y/N experienced another surprise.
"Matt?" she asked, surprised.
"Hey." He smiled crookedly as he supported her. "I left the bar at the right time, huh?"
A/N: Phew... That was a close call, right? đ«Ł But surprisingly she got saved by Matt. What do we think about that? I hope you guys have wonderful holdiays! Let me know what you think! Feedback is very much appreciated! đ
@lyarr24 @k-slla @nancymcl  @globetrotter28 @hellsbratonthet
Summary: Unable to control your abilities, youâre stuck in the present with Billy Butcher, his team, and Americaâs first asshole. At this point, youâve become Soldier Boyâs personal punching bag. But when an accident leaves you stranded in 1942, you run into a familiar face and suddenly rely on your future tormentorâs help as your only hope.
Pairing: Soldier Boy x supe!Reader
Warnings: 18+ for language, angst, humor, reader is a supe with chronokinesis (time manipulation), 1942 says hi, fluff if you squint, SB being a nice and kind human
Deep breaths, you reminded yourself as you squatted in a puddle of mud in an abandoned alley, throbbing and roaring head in your hands. If you could only manage to control your jittering, fragile nerves, maybe youâd find your way back.
Come on, come on, come onâŠ
âMiss?â
Fuck.
Your gaze lifted to the tall, shadowy figure by the mouth of the alley, already recognizing the unmistakeable deep timbres of Soldier Boy before he stepped into the light.
âI believe I told you to leave me alone,â you muttered, annoyed.
An idiot like Soldier Boy would not be historyâs downfall. You had to ensure the timeline stayed intact. The less interaction you had with him, the better.
âI know. Iâm-⊠Iâm sorry, miss,â he apologized once more to you.
If you hadnât heard it with your own ears, you wouldnât have thought apologies were even part of his vocabulary, hearing him say the word twice was almost mind-boggling. Then your eyes fixed on the little black box tightly clasped in his left hand and widened in horror â your phone.
Losing futuristic devices like this was a big time-traveling no-no.
Luckily, Soldier Boy was probably too much of a moron to puzzle it altogether. That might just be historyâs saving grace.
âYou-, uh, you lost this. Just wanted to return it,â he said and tentatively held the phone out to you.
With an exhaustive sigh, you jumped to your feet and ripped the device out of his hand. âGive that to me!â
You huffed a âthank youâ and stomped down the alley, back towards the busy street. All you needed was a quiet and warm place to figure this out and return to your own time. But Soldier Boy was still hot on your tail, following you with a swift pace.
âMiss, wait! Wait a second! Hey!â
With a few long strides of his bow legs, he had flagged you down before youâd even reached the main street. But that didnât halt your feet completely, although heâd slowed you down significantly.
âWhat? I told you to stay away. Stop following me,â you snapped.
âIâm just trying to ensure youâre alright,â he insisted, attempting to appear as harmless as possible.
At this point, you thought you were beginning to hallucinate because your mind tried to convince you there was actual, legitimate worry gleaming in his forest green eyes. In reality, he was probably just acting to save the damsel in distress, so he could warm her up at his penthouse and slip something into her drink.
Not fucking happening.Â
âIâm fine.â You gritted a smile and opted to ignore him as you scurried past the first crowd of people on the sidewalk.
âNo offense, miss, but you donât seem fine,â he insisted and ran in front of you, blocking your way. With a frustrated groan, you finally stopped and sent him a glare, but he only met you with a sincere look. âLet me help you, alright? I promise I mean no harm or ill-intention if that is what youâre worried about.â
Ha!Â
Internally, you snorted. But he raised his open palms again as if to prove his words, his eyes boring intensely into yours. He might as well have been fucking Mindstorm.
âListen, you look like someone whoâs used to getting what he wants all the time, but no means no. Stop following me, okay?â
You hoped you had finally drilled the message into his thick skull and heâd leave you alone after this, but alas he wouldnât be Soldier Boy if he listened to you. One step past him, and a hand grabbed your arm.
Ready to fend him off, you were surprised to find his grip wasnât strong by any means. It was barely a brush before he dropped his hand again and looked at you remorsefully.
âIâm sorry! I just-⊠Please let me help you,â he reiterated with imploring green eyes. âLook, you clearly seem lost. Just tell me where you live, and I can get you home safely, okay? Câmon, you canât do this to me.â He tried to loosen you up with a charming smile and a puppy dog look. âIf you leave like this, Iâm going to be up all night, worrying youâve died of hypothermia out here.â
And my God, he seemed sincere! No wonder he had gotten attention from women like a goddamn bunny in a petting zoo.
Musingly, you then chewed on your lower lip and assessed the man in front of you. The people who strolled by you threw you the occasional weird looks â youâd chosen a bad day to wear a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and ripped jeans.
Admittedly, you could use a little help here. Maybe if you were being careful with the timeline â and him â you could risk it.
You exhaled a hesitant breath, but your head nodded slightly. âJust-, uh, just get me to Fifth Avenue. I can find my way from there, alright?â
It was a simple request, but his brows drew together as if youâd just asked him something insane.
âFifth Avenue as in New York City?â he questioned.
Oh no, you didnât like where this was going.
âYes?â
He clicked his tongue, scratching the nape of his neck where the collar of his coat ended. âWell, uh, I guess I could take you there tomorrow. Itâs about a four hour car ride in this weather. I mean, if we took the train, weâd be a little faster.â
Four hours?!Â
âWhere-, uh⊠What, uh, what city am-, am I?â
He clicked his tongue again. This time, a little smirk twitched on his lips too, but he tried his best to hide his amusement. âUh, Philadelphia. You know, Pennsylvania?â
âYeah, no, I know geography, thank you.â
âAre you sure?â
Curling your lips, you tilted your head at him, your cheeks catching heat, even though you were practically freezing. Oh, he was trying to be clever now, wasnât he?
Sheepishly, he met your eyes and smiled innocently.
But when that little fascinating moment had passed, you realized you were still stuck here, and the panic set back in. Your gaze flickered around â there was nowhere you could go. However, you then noticed something else â no one was staring at Soldier Boy, even though he was supposed to be Americaâs greatest hero. Was he in a disguise? Was that what he did back then?
âSo, uhm⊠is this the 40s?â
There was beat of silence as he licked his lips. âYeah, uh, this is the 40s, sweetheart.â He laughed heartily, throwing his head back. âYou know, Iâve had some bad hangovers and woke up someplace, not knowing where I was, but Iâve never forgotten the year before.â
No surprise, you thought wryly and then swallowed, glancing back up at him.
âSo, uhm, what year is this?â
âItâs January 24, 1942,â he replied patiently, his eyes watching you closely.
And then, it began to dawn on you.
âAnd what dâyou do? Are you, uhmââ Soldier Boy? ââa soldier?â
He laughed again, his cheeks slightly blushing in the cold. He adjusted the flat cap on his head. âUh, no. Well, not yet anyways. I actually just came from the office downtown and enlisted when I ran into you.â
Holy fucking shit.
The man before you wasnât a supe yet. He wasnât Soldier Boy yet. He was just a normal human, and you felt like you were staring through the looking-glass and seeing Wonderland.
And if your math was correct, it also meant the guy in front of you was no more than 23 years old.
Holy fucking shit.
âBut, uh, I also work at my fatherâs office,â he added after you hadnât said anything. âWhy are-, why are you looking at me like that?â he then asked with a flustered chuckle, and you realized you were still staring at him.
âOh, uhm, Iâm sorry,â you apologized quickly and forced a smile. âYou just looked like a soldier, I guess.â
His cheeks reddened even more as he bashfully averted his eyes to the snowy pavement and scratched the back of his neck. âWell, uh, thank you.â
He clearly took it as a compliment that he already looked the part of a hero. Nice save, you praised yourself.
âWhy-, uh, why donât we get you warmed up a little, huh?â he suggested kindly and finally dared to step closer. Swiftly, he took off his coat and draped it over your shoulders and bare arms. âHere, take my coat. You poor thing must be freezing. Look at you, youâre shaking.â
His smile was friendly and reassuring as he adjusted the collar around your neck. Uncomfortably, you rolled your shoulders, though, and backed away from his touch.
âAlright, uhm, just please donât touch me,â you said, your voice meek and barely audible. You knew technically it wasnât the same guy who had abused, tortured, harassed, and bullied you for months on end, but you still didnât want his hands anywhere near you.
âOkay, yeah, sure,â he resigned and raised his palms again before gesturing down the street, trying his hardest not to lay a hand on the small of your back and lead you there himself. âThereâs a diner a few blocks from here. Would that be okay?â
Reluctantly, you nodded, wrapping the thick coat, which smelled like his cologne and cigars, tighter around you as you followed him.
Fortunately, the diner was quaint and dimly lit. The bell above the door jingled as you entered with your unwanted sidekick. He made sure to always stay one step behind you, and you didnât know if it was because it was polite to let the lady go first, or if he just wanted to keep a watchful eye on you in case youâd make a run for it again.
You passed a row of customers sitting hunched over at the counter before Soldier Boy â or not Soldier Boy yet â then picked a table in a quiet corner, away from everyone else as if he knew youâd appreciate the privacy. The less people saw and noticed you, the better. You knew you had to get home fast before messing up the intricate fabric of time too much.
âSo, uh, whatâs your name?â he asked as the waitress placed down his simple black coffee and your Earl Grey, your cold hands quickly grasping onto the hot mug and warming against the ceramic.
âUh⊠Cindy,â you replied quickly, not wanting to give him your real name and share too much. It was smarter to be careful.
âCindy, huh?â The name rolled off his tongue with a subtle smirk as if he liked the sound of it. âDoes that come with a last name?â
âUh, yes⊠Lauper,â you replied and bit your lip hard. âIâm, uh, from the Lauperâs of Upstate New York, you know? From a small town called, uh⊠Flatiron.â
âHuh. InterestingâŠâ he mused, pursing his lips. âNever heard of it.â
âYeah, well, like I said, itâs a small townâŠâ you deflected and sipped on your drink.
âWell, uhm, Iâm Benjamin Brooks,â he introduced himself with a suave smile. âBut, uh, most people just call me Ben.â
When you only gave him a disinterested nod, he licked his lips, his fingers tapping against the coffee mug in his hold before he looked at you again and cleared his throat.
âYouâve, uh, probably heard of the name. My father owns half the steel mills in the state,â he said with a bragging grin, which lost its energy when you still didnât give him the time of day.
âUh-huhâŠâ
âBrooks Steel Company? Youâve never heard of it?â
âNope.â
âHuh.â Somewhat defeated, he pursed his lips, his fingers tapping on the table this time. Then, a soft smile formed as he leaned back in his seat. âSo, uh, what about you? What brings you here to Philadelphia?â
âUhm⊠business,â you said as if you were answering a customs question at the airport.
âReally? What kind of business?â
âYou ask a lot of questionsâŠâ
He chuckled slightly, his cheeks blushing. âWell, uh, excuse my curiosity, please. Itâs just-⊠well, the clothes youâre wearing and the, uh, weird black box youâre carrying⊠What is it, anyway?â
Shit.Â
âUh, itâs a⊠flashlight,â you replied, thinking of the most basic function of your phone.
âFlashlight?â
âYes, itâs a⊠prototype. Uses lithium-ion batteries instead of the carbon-zinc ones you find in flashlights at this⊠current time⊠right now,â you explained in a careful stammer and only realized you might have said too much when his brow raised.
âHuh.â He stumped for a beat. âYou know a lot of technical things for a woman.â
Internally, you wanted to groan at the sexist remark, but considering it was 1942, you had to admit he was probably right. Even in the 21st century, it was still a rarity to find a woman in a STEM field.
âYes, uh, well, my father taught me some stuff,â you lied. As a matter of fact, your father was a drunk loser, who couldnât change a single lightbulb even if you turned it into a joke. âYou know, just small⊠simple things. God knows I could barely understand what he was saying half the time.â
Your silly giggle at the end was the cherry on top of your sales pitch.
âAh, that makes sense,â Ben bought it, chuckling.
Jesus fuck, shoot meâŠ
âWhere did you get it?â
âHuh?â
âThe flashlight.â
âOhâŠâ Think fast. âI-, uh, I built it, yeah⊠To sell, you know? Itâs an experiment, but it failed, so you can forget about it, okay?â
That was believable, right? Wozniak got nothing on you. And technically, you had already swapped out the broken screen glass of your vPhone multiple times â by yourself. It wasnât so far-fetched if you really thought about itâŠ
âAlright.â Ben nodded, a smile playing on his lips as he took a sip of coffee. âAnd, uh, is that why youâre wearing those clothes? Are you a mad scientist or farmhand orââ
Your eyebrows drew together. âA farmhand?â
He laughed lightly, shaking his head. âI promise I donât mean any offense, sweetheart. Itâs just women⊠people usually donât really run around wearing⊠well, that,â he explained and gestured a hand up and down your frame.
Uncomfortably, you wrapped his wool coat tighter around you, the small, pleased twitch of his lips at your action sending a shiver down your spine. As you let your glance wander through the small establishment, you noted the tight dresses and skirts with tailored waists all women were wearing. You definitely looked odd and out of place compared to all the Mrs. Maisels around you.
Most of them were even wearing hats, too. Hats. Wide-brimmed ones and pillboxes and snoods and berets. Fucking berets.
And here you sat â with a messy bun that you hadnât even bothered to brush once after rolling out of bed this morning.
âNo, I-, uh, I just grabbed what I found,â you answered him quickly then but could see his lips parting with another question. Luckily, you were interrupted this time.
âBenjamin Brooks! You rat bastard!â
Benâs green eyes widened almost comically as he shared a brief look with you before turning his head to the young, furious woman who stormed into the diner, heels clicking on the floor.
Ah yes, finally a more familiar side of the man you recognized from the future.
âGrace, darling!â Flustered, he rose from his seat with an awkward laugh, and you could tell he was trying to keep the drama on the down-low for your benefit.
The harsh slap across his cheek he instantly received, however, echoed loudly through the quiet diner. A few heads turned as cutlery clinked against tableware, but no one dared to say anything. You buried your face in your tea and tried to stifle your laugh.
Man, you would love to slap the human version of him, too.
âDonât darling me, Benjamin, after youâve been two-timing me with that tramp Betty Vanderbilt!â the girl yelled loud enough for the whole diner to hear.
Sheepishly and with a bit of charm, Ben scratched the back of his neck. âWell, to be fair, I thought you knew about Betty. We werenât exactly exclusââ
He barely got the word out before another slap rang through the diner as her hand came down hard on his cheek once more. It was turning crimson red rather quickly and was a sight to behold. You had to admit you liked that girl.
âI already forgave you once for sleeping with Sheila! I canât believe you did this to me again!â
As much as you enjoyed the show, you appreciated the distraction and saw it as a perfect opportunity to sneak away and finally get rid of him. Stealthily, you rose from your chair and crept by the arguing couple to the exit.
You were warmed up enough to find shelter on your own and hoped the timeline wasnât too cracked when youâd return. Mostly, though, you hoped Soldier Boy was too self-centered to remember someone like you.
You had made it all the way to the sidewalk again before his voice reached your ears. You sighed your frustration but kept on walking, ignoring his calls.
âCindy! Hey, uh, wait!â
Shit.
Why was he so fucking fast? He wasnât even a supe yet.
Once more, he came to a stop in front of you and blocked your way. âWhy-, uh, why did you leave? I mean, I know this looked really bad, butââ
âLook, uh, thank you for everything,â you interrupted his beginning of an excuse with as much patience as you could find within yourself. âI know youâre trying to be nice and all, and youâve been super kind⊠But Iâve got it from here, alright? Just forget you ever met me, okay?â
Amused, he snorted. âWell, kinda hard to forget someone like you, sweetheart.â
Fucking fuck.
âWhat dâyou mean? Iâm completely normal.â You tried to shrug it off, but youâd never been the best actress â another thing the two of you had in common.
âNo, youâre not.â A smirk rose on his lips that he tried to bite back. âI mean, sure, youâre exceptionally beautiful, but youâre also kind of⊠mysterious. Guess thatâs what intrigues me.â
Fuck. In all your effort to get rid of him and save the timeline, you had actually attracted his attention more. It seemed like your dismissiveness and aggression had only piqued his interest instead of deterring it. Your fallacy was thinking heâd back off from a strong, rude, and unruly woman like you.
You probably shouldâve acted more like Grace, Betty, and Sheila â be forgettable.
âAlright, out of curiosity, does this little routine usually work for you?â you challenged, arching a brow. A smile played across your lips as you watched his reaction.
âWhat routine?â
âOh, you know⊠Turning up the charming smile and being nice, while also dropping your rich daddyâs name and how much money youâve got,â you retorted. âI mean, I guess it must work, right? Surely worked for Grace, Betty, and Sheila so far.â
Bobbing his head, he pursed his lips for a moment while you enjoyed your win. But with a smack of his lips, he found your eyes, the little smirk on his lips not fully vanished yet.
âAlright, I know how this looks, okay? But itâs not what you think,â he started.
âOh, so you didnât sleep with all of these women?â
âWell, uhmâŠâ
Complacently, you threw him a smile. âGoodbye, Benjamin.â
âNo, wait! Why donât you come back inside with me where itâs warm and let me explain everything?â he proposed and then sent you that charmingly cute smile again. âIâm kinda starting to freeze here, you know? Youâre still wearing my coat, sweetheart.â
âOh, uh⊠Sorry.â Your brow knitted as you stared down at the warm, long clothing item around you. Flustered, your cheeks blushed, but as you began to take it off with the intent to hand it back to him, he stopped you.
âNo, uh, please keep it. I can find another one,â he said, laughing softly. âBesides, it looks better on you.â
God, you wanted to slap him like Grace.
âWell, uhm, thank you, but Iâm still not coming back in there with you again, alright?â you said firmly. âI have to get going now. Donât follow me anymore.â
You tried to push past him, but of course, he still wasnât listening to you.
âWait! Just wait a second!â
And you knew if you didnât stop, he would just keep following you till you both died of hypothermia. So, you spun to face him with a deeply impatient frown.
âDo you even know where youâre going? Do you have a place to stay?â
âYes.â
âWhere? In New York? You know, youâre not going to make it there on foot today. Especially during this weather,â he noted with a bit of playfulness in his voice. âUnless, youâre planing on stealing a car.â He chuckled but then lifted a brow at you. âYouâre not, are you?â
âNo, of course not!â
Well, not the worst ideaâŠ
âAlright, look, my parents are out of town for a month. Got the the whole mansion to myself. Just stay at my place for the night, and we can figure out how to get you to New York in the morning, alright?â
âYou do know what that sounds like, right? Are you even hearing yourself?â you questioned, causing him to laugh again. It was still weird to hear it without undertones of viciousness in it â like a temporal whiplash.
âThe house is big enough, and I promise youâll have your own bedroom. Not mine, alright?â he clarified but tried to hide a smile. âUnlessââ
âNope.â
âAlright, well, uh, the point is, itâs big enough, so you donât even have to see me if you donât want to,â he added with an innocently imploring look. âJust let me help you, please.â
You crossed your arms over your chest, your brow only creasing more. âWhy do you wanna help me so badly, huh? I donât understand. I mean, are you really doing this out of the sheer goodness of your heart of gold? Whatâs your angle here, soldier boy?â
He chuckled, his cheeks warming with a flush. âGotta say, kind of like that nickname.â
âI bet you do,â you muttered wryly. âSo, why? Why are you helping me?â
Ben scratched his jaw and took a step closer to you. The air shifted, a part of you wondering if heâd finally drop his mask. He kept his deep voice low as he spoke.
âLook, I donât know whatâs going on here, but I know youâve been serving me a lot of bullshit today.â Your heart stopped, but when you glanced at him, he wasnât angry. He was⊠worried. âI donât mind, okay? You just-⊠you look like someone whoâs in a bit of trouble, and I guess I can relate, so let me help you, alright?â
âI-⊠I donât know,â you replied honestly this time, both hesitation and caution shimmering in your eyes as your teeth clawed into your bottom lip. âWhat if I say no, youâre gonna hand me over to the cops? The asylum people?â
âIs that where you broke out from?â
A bit offended, you gasped. âThe asylum?!â
Granted, you were acting a little crazy â for the time period. You were perfectly ordinary and sane in your own century.
Oh God, was that how Soldier Boy felt in your time? Always displaced and out-of-touch? What a horrible feelingâŠ
âNo, jail,â he said then, which caused your brow to raise in surprise.
âOh.â
He cocked an eyebrow at you. âWait, did you break out of jail?â
âNo!â
âAlright, uhmâŠâ Ben laughed and rubbed his palms together, probably to keep himself warm. His sandy-blond hair had collected quite a bit of snow. He mustâve forgotten his cap inside the diner. âListen, Iâm not going to call anyone. I promise you can trust me, okay?â
That seemed like a trap, right? A demon tricking you into making a deal for your soul.
âAre you, uhm, running from someone?â he asked, with not only concern but also determination to fight whoever was after you gleaming in his eyes.
Ironic, you thought since you were running from him.
âUh, no, not really,â you replied hesitantly.
âWere you held somewhere?â he asked next, carefully licking his lips. âYou know, against your will?â
Yes, by you, you wanted to scream.
âKinda, yeah,â you admitted softly. And in a way, it felt weirdly therapeutic to confess that to the Dr. Jekyll version of your future Hyde.
âOkay, uhmâŠâ He swallowed subtly, nodding. Then, his eyes bored so sincerely into yours you really thought youâd fallen down the rabbit hole. âWell, you donât have to be scared. Youâre safe with me, alright?â
Fuck. You were fucking screwed, werenât you?
âSo? Youâre finally gonna let me help you?â
You exhaled a deep breath as you assessed the man in front you once more. You had no place to go, it was cold, and the sun was beginning to set. Your powers, on the other hand, still seemed to be dormant.
âFine,â you caved at last. âOne night. And you better not crawl into my bed, alright?â
Placatingly, he raised his hands again but there was a broad smile on his freckled face this time. âUnderstood, loud and clear. I heard you earlier â no means no.â
Wow. You began to wonder what really happened to the guy in the following 80 years to shape him into the toxic piece of shit you have to deal with on a daily basis.
âLong story,â you sighed. When you first had told Soldier Boy about your past, heâd been kind and understanding. Heâd said it was a good thing that all those people who tried to burn you were dead now â which was about the nicest thing a guy like him couldâve said.
Then he turned around and made fun of you for months on end.
âThatâs not what she said,â you pointed out. You were definitely believing that woman over him. He was a fucking dog â as Grace put it. You were sure that personality trait was the same at any point in time.
âTechnicality.â He shrugged it off. You arched a brow. He smirked. âItâs a long story, too.â
You rolled your eyes, sighing. âAlright, fine.â
Benâs smile twitched eagerly to rise higher by the heartbeat. âOkay, uhm, my carâs over there.â
He gestured down the street past the diner and let you pass, only walking closely next to you but careful not to touch as his arm only hovered protectively behind your back.
âStill no touching there, alright, Romeo?â you reminded him with a stern finger.
âI know,â he sang, chuckling. âJust trying to be proactive here. Thereâs a lotta ice, you know? Wouldnât want you to slip in your basketball shoes.â
For reference, you were wearing a simple pair of black Chucks.
âFine, Iâll allow it.â
âYou allow it, huh?â he teased with a boyish grin.
âYeah, Iâll allow you to protectively guard me from a distance,â you retorted. âYouâre not supposed to enjoy it, though.â
âOh, I donât think that was the deal we made, sweetheart.â His grin grew even wider now.
âDonât make me regret this already,â you sighed.
âWell, uh, too late. Weâre already here,â he then said and stopped, motioning to a deep emerald green, elegant, sleek car with a beige convertible roof. âThatâs it. Itâs a Cadillac 75. What dâyou think?â
âI donât know enough about cars to be impressed,â you told him.
He laughed, rubbing his chin. âWell, worth a shot.â
Ben then opened the door for you and waited till you were safely seated inside (or trapped) before rounding the vehicle and sliding into the driverâs seat.
And as the two of you drove down the snowy streets of Philadelphia, you wondered if you had just gotten into a car with Clarence or with the fucking devil himself.
â¶ïž Chapter 3: I'm Going To Be a Lady If It Kills Me
Ah, yes... Wouldn't we all love to slap him like Grace in the future? đ What do you think of young Ben so far? While he seems nicer and kinder than his alter ego, there are surely some core personality traits present đ
Coming Up:
Reluctantly, you stepped into the hallway, unsure of how to ask, but the need to find something â anything â took over. It wasnât like you could just wander around in a towel, although you were sure your host would probably appreciate the sight.
âUhm, Ben?â you called softly, your tone a little shakier than you'd intended.
A few moments passed before his voice answered from down the hall, a bit too loud, as though heâd been waiting for this. âYeah?â
âI-, uh, I donât have... anything to wear,â you said quietly and swallowed, your gaze drifting to your bare feet on the floorboards.
There was a long pause before he appeared in the doorway, his face flushed. âRight. Well, I-... I can get you something,â he said. His eyes flicked to the floor for a moment before meeting yours again, the awkwardness hanging between you like a palpable thing that you could reach out and touch with your fingers. âIââ His voice dropped lower as he turned away for a second, his hand on the doorframe. He then gave a brief chuckle, almost self-conscious. âI donât usually keep spare clothes for, uh, guests. But Iâm sure I can find something that fits you. One second.â
You felt tethered to the ground as he disappeared down the hall, unsure whether to laugh or fucking scream. He came back a few moments later with a shirt and pants, an outfit clearly meant for a man, and you were pretty sure they were his own. The fit would be loose, but better than nothing.
âHere,â he said, offering it to you. His gaze lingered on you a second longer than was probably polite before he turned away again, his cheeks tinged pink.
Yeah, you had to get rid of the towel. You didnât want to give him any ideas â or more, for that matter. Heâd already seen you naked various times in the future. You knew privacy was an alien concept to that man.
Thank Chuck I have a week off of work. So, let's dive into the second chapter. đ
At this point, you thought you were beginning to hallucinate because your mind tried to convince you there was actual, legitimate worry gleaming in his forest green eyes.
Yeah, I would have a mental breakdown. đ It's hard to believe, when you have no idea how the old Ben was. How it had affected him that his father just didn't care.
In reality, he was probably just acting to save the damsel in distress, so he could warm her up at his penthouse and slip something into her drink.
I know where this is coming from, but I actually don't think he would've done that. Because he didn't need to. He was a charming motherfucker. đ
âItâs January 24, 1942,â he replied patiently, his eyes watching you closely.
A lot of times I don't see the easter eggs, but this one I got. đ
âYouâve, uh, probably heard of the name. My father owns half the steel mills in the state,â he said with a bragging grin, which lost its energy when you still didnât give him the time of day.
đđđ Yeah, this is gonna sting his ego that his most used pick up line doesn't work. Poor Benjamin...
Jesus fuck, shoot meâŠ
âNot exclusive?! Weâre engaged, you dog!â
Wayne, stop it! đđđđ
He chuckled, his cheeks warming with a flush. âGotta say, kind of like that nickname.â
And here you make a full circle again. I kinda knew this was happening. So interested to see what she thinks if this dawns on her.
That seemed like a trap, right? A demon tricking you into making a deal for your soul.
Aaand I got the second one! Wow, I'm kinda proud of myself here đđ
âThatâs it. Itâs a Cadillac 75. What dâyou think?â
Boys and their cars. If you can't see that he has money, as soo as you see his car you know. And he's still trying to impress her. đ
Oh man, I can't wait to see how all of this unfolds. đ
