“You’re in shock Bedelia, you need to rest.”
“I need answers.”
“Hannibal will be here soon. I think he’d like to talk to you personally.”
“Weren’t you, along with everyone else, the one that told me I shouldn’t be around him? That he is dangerous?”
“He is.”
“The way everybody acts when he’s in the room, as…”
"As if he could knock them all out with just one hand? I think, after what you saw, you can be the judge of that."
“Well yes, but there’s also something else. The way they move, like he’s some kind of…”
“Royalty?”
“Of sort”
“He is. Everybody is just waiting for him to claim the throne. He’s the rightful heir, crown prince by blood.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s not made. He was born”
“Oh”
“Vampirism is a form of genetic mutation, very rare. Most vampires are created more or less as you’ve read in books, but some of them are born. Their bodies change but in a different way, slowly. Hannibal belongs to one of the twelve ancient families of pure blood”
“So, that time I dressed his wounds, he didn’t really need my help”
“No, he just likes your company”
“My…?”
“And he feels protective of you. His attentions put a target on your back. The way he acted today, he’s making sure everyone knows that you’re under his protection. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe.”
“Oh, sure, I just discovered that someone might want to hurt me but no panic because a very angry rare vampire is taking care of everything. Let’s make some tea.”
Hello and welcome to the very first challenge by I Trope You! Before we begin, please make sure you check out the introduction post for more information about this challenge.
Challenge Date: September 1st, 2023 - September 30th, 2023
This Month's Trope: Genre Shift
A genre shift is just as it sounds - it begins with one genre, usually a familiar one, and it shifts to a different genre by the end! You'll see this a lot with fluffy comedies that shift toward drama at the end.
An example of this would be the Cars franchise. What began as a simple racing film shifted into an action-spy film before returning as a racing film.
If you'd like to read more about this trope and find some more examples, you can click here.
Remember to @ this account and use the tag #ITYchallenge so I can reblog your wonderful works ^-^)/ If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to me. Most importantly, have fun!
For APF, who underestimates how cute I can make disgusting things. And for Ducks, who humoured me and my ridiculous ideas.
Solemates
One of her socks goes missing the day after she wins gold.
Maya doesn’t notice right away, not until she’s packing her bags to leave the athlete’s village. Not until there’s only one sweaty, blood-covered sock in her pile of dirty clothes.
She looks for it, at first, because she isn’t really thinking about that. Isn’t thinking about anything except how her father probably wants to frame them, wants to hang them above the mantle in the living room as a testament to what a Bishop is capable of.
What a Bishop can win.
What a Bishop can overcome.
She gives up, after a while, when it’s clear there’s no sock to be found. Instead, she shoves her sports bras and her leggings and her training gear into her duffel bag, ignoring the sharp stench of sweat laced into the fabric.
Ignoring the sharp pinch of her ankle in the bandage wrapped around it.
When she steps out of her room for the last time, gold medal hanging heavily around her neck, she doesn’t look back. Doesn’t think too hard about the missing sock.
Doesn’t think at all about dropping the other one in the trash.
~
Carina’s living in Milan when it arrives.
Actually, living in is a generous term. She’s more gravitating, lugging herself between hotel rooms and friends’ couches with only a suitcase to her name.
It hurts too much to put down roots, still.
And she’s not really thinking about what anything means, when it shows up on the bathroom floor. Isn’t thinking anything beyond the grief sticking in her bones.
Or maybe that she should really find better accommodations if the cleaning staff would miss a disgusting, sweaty, bloody sock on the bathroom floor.
But then it does come rushing back, all at once. Her mother’s voice, soft and familiar and comforting, weaving a tale of soulmates and eternity and meant to be.
She isn’t expecting it, when it arrives. Has given up expecting that such a thing is even meant for someone such as her. But she doesn’t deny it, when it appears.
It’s too hard to ignore when it smells so bad.
~
Her bra goes missing a couple months later, when she’s settled back into the spare room at Gabriella’s. And that Carina does notice right away, because she’d washed it and hung it in the bathroom with the intention of wearing it and the whole draw of moving back in with Gabri is that she doesn’t touch her stuff and –
Gabriella stares at her like she has grown an extra head when she asks. “Why would I take your bra?” she mutters, strolling past into the kitchen, “It wouldn’t fit me.”
She remembers again, then; remembers the sock wrapped in a plastic bag to hide its smell, shoved into the very bottom of her suitcase. It feels unfair, just a little, to know that someone, somewhere in the world, has gotten her nice bra and in return she’s received their disgusting sock.
Their bloody, sweaty, stinky sock.
At least her bra was clean.
~
Maya finds it in her pack while she’s sorting through her things on a hostel bed in Nepal.
She pales instantly, shoving it into the open pocket to hide it from her bunk mate. Shakti has been too intrigued by everything Maya has done in the last few days they’ve been together – from brushing her hair to doing sit ups on the floor.
Shakti doesn’t need to see the rather lacey bralette that’s somehow magically appeared in Maya’s pack.
Unless Shakti is the one…
No, Maya thinks instantly, there’s no way. It must’ve been one of the other girls, one of the other many people she’s crossed paths with in the last week of her travels.
A funny joke.
The fabric is soft beneath her fingers, despite the lace. Warm, almost.
And tiny; far too small to fit her own breasts.
She keeps it without much more thought, wondering if maybe she’ll cross paths with the girl who put it there. Wondering if maybe she’ll get a bit of practice removing it from the body it belongs to.
She doesn’t think about what the appearance of an undergarment is supposed to mean.
~
Andy gushes about it years later, grinning over a shot glass on her front porch.
She’d found her sock as a child, tucked beneath the covers of her bed. She thinks it belongs to Ryan, Maya knows, thinks the flirty glances they’ve been sharing across the front lawns of their parents’ houses mean they’re meant to be.
It all sounds ridiculous to Maya, though. Too far-fetched to be true.
Even if Vic has found one, too. An undershirt, stained with sweat, buried in the bottom of her gym bag while she was at the academy.
“I bet that means he’s in really good shape,” Andy suggests, smirking salaciously.
“What about you, Bishop?” Vic asks, handing over another shot of vodka.
Maya laughs, throwing it back quickly, drinking away the memory of soft lace beneath her fingers. “Monogamy is for the weak,” she declares loudly, eyes shifting to Andy’s face and the sharp fall of her smile. “Or the very, very dedicated.”
“Not quite monogamy,” Vic challenges, glancing off towards the approaching form of Ryan.
“Yeah,” Andy whispers, “It’s soulmates.”
~
She doesn’t think about it, when Maya’s warm hand slides into her own, a drink and a story hovering between them. Doesn’t think about it when they talk on the phone, or over dinner, or beneath the covers of Maya’s bed.
Carina doesn’t even think about it when Maya shows her the gold medal for the first time, her fingers soft and her kisses softer.
In fact, she forgets about it at all until she shoves her hand into the bottom drawer of her dresser, searching for the last of her things to pack, and lands on the plastic bag instead.
She knows what’s inside without looking. Remembers the sweat stains and the blood and the smell. It’s ridiculous, to have hauled it along with her for all these years.
Ridiculous, that she drops it into the box alongside the rest of her clothes, destined for their new home with Maya.
~
Carina is very good at packing, Maya finds, but less so at unpacking.
Her boxes of things litter every surface of their newly-shared apartment, the only indication of Carina’s organization the carefully written labels stating that they are, at least, in the right rooms. Like the box of toiletries in the corner of the bathroom.
Or the one that’s taken up residence on top of the dresser instead of in it.
Maya starts there, carefully extracting articles of clothing Carina has deemed okay to be folded. Her other things – the nicer things – have already been hung safely in the bedroom closet, Maya’s own collection of rarely-worn dresses and jackets relegated down the hall to the living room.
She stops when she reaches the bottom, confused by the plastic bag nestled amidst Carina’s intimates. It smells a bit, even though it’s been carefully wrapped up, completely out of place within the gentle scent of Carina’s laundry detergent.
“Carina?” she calls before she can think better of it, before she can even really register what it might be, “Is this yours?”
“Oh,” Carina murmurs when she appears in the doorway, a spatula still in her hands. She lowers it slowly, considering.
“Is this yours?” Maya asks again.
Carina frowns. “Sort of,” she nods, “It’s my… sock.”
“Oh,” Maya repeats, glancing down at it in her hands, “Oh.”
“You can throw it out,” Carina suggests, turning back towards the kitchen, “I don’t need it.”
“Hey, wait,” Maya calls after her, following, still clutching the offending object tightly. “How long have you had this?”
Carina shrugs, suddenly indifferent as she resumes unpacking her kitchen boxes, carefully arranging items in drawers. She’s good at it, now that she’s trying to deflect.
“You don’t even want to open it?” Maya offers. “One last time?”
Carina shakes her head. “I don’t need to.” She looks up, smiling softly, effortlessly yanking the breath from Maya’s lungs when she promises, “I love you, Maya.”
“Besides,” she adds on as an afterthought, waving her hand between them as though dismissing it, “It’s stinky and sweaty and covered with blood. I should’ve thrown it out years ago.”
“Now I have to see it,” Maya laughs, grabbing hold of Carina’s wrist to pull her closer.
“It doesn’t change anything,” Carina argues, tipping into Maya’s arms, “I am still choosing you, bambina.”
“But what if we’re sole mates,” Maya chuckles anyways, teasing even as Carina’s words send a flood of butterflies through her stomach. “What if it’s my sock inside this bag?”
“If it is,” Carina whispers, nuzzling closer, “I’d like my own sock drawer, because yours are very gross.”
She unwraps it slowly, both of them recoiling slightly as the years-old sweat reaches their noses. It’s plain looking, beneath the blood stains; simple.
Except for the Team USA logo on the toes.
“Oh,” Maya mumbles.
She steps away, slowly at first and then quickly, her feet picking up speed as her mind does. She dashes towards the living room closet, reaching on her tiptoes for the box tucked into a corner on the shelf.
She should’ve known, she thinks. Should’ve considered, that first night. The first time she pulled lace up and away from Carina’s body. The first time Carina’s array of bras appeared along the top of the shower door, hung to dry.
The first time her fingers felt the warmth of soft fabric beneath them.
Maya opens the box slowly, uncovering the bralette she’s kept for all these years.
“Oh,” Carina echoes when she turns. “Oh.”
“My sock,” Maya whispers, stumbling back across the room to Carina’s side, feeling the pull of her like gravity. “My Olympic Gold Medal sock.”
“Now I definitely want my own drawer,” Carina declares, dipping low to capture Maya’s mouth with her own, “And my favourite bra back.”
Summary: Tobias is secretly in love with one of his closest friends, Casey. Casey is happily in a relationship with one of his oldest friends, Ethan. He deals with his heartache alone until, one night, he accidentally slips up to a friend. This excerpt contains his heartfelt confession.
Category: Excerpt from Extended Series (WIP)
Warnings: None
Trope: Unrequited Love
A/N: This is an excerpt from Chs. 5/6 of my series "Delaying the Inevitable. I decided to present it in this format for @openheartfanfics trope challenge: Some good ol' pinning because this is my best pining (in my opinion). I hope you like it too..
A/N 1: I was't sure if I should tag, but decided to. Not everyone is reading DTI (it's monolithic, I get it), so some non-readers may enjoy this stand alone. Also, some readers (who are very enthusiastic and I love you for it!) may want this trip down memory lane since this is from about 15-weeks ago already. I hope you enjoy it!
Bryce, Tobias, and their dates had taken a table in the back, not too far from their usual booth. Even though it was difficult to hear above the loud music and chatter, Bryce was his animated self; he was trying, effectively, to keep everyone laughing all night. It appeared to be working on his date, Megan, as she was engrossed with every word he said. If Bryce’s smile was any indication, he was pleased.
Tobias tried to be engaging too, but it was clear that his heart was just not there. Keenly aware of this himself, he ordered a few more drinks than normal in hopes of lifting his spirits, but that did produce his desired effects. When the crowd started to dissipate, the four decided to move up front to sit at the bar a bit before leaving. As they made their way, Nicole needed to use the ladies room and Megan joined her.
“You know, I could go myself,” Bryce said, “Tobias, want to grab some stools for us?”
“On it,” he said saluting as he commandeered four seats at the bar.
When Bryce returned, he found his friend staring somberly into his drink. While it was obvious that he had a bit too much to drink tonight, he had not been himself for weeks, and Bryce was growing concerned.
“Hey, change in plans. The ladies are waiting out front, we were thinking of swinging by my place, but I can tell you’re not really into Nicole, so I’ll leave it up to you.”
“Yeah, you know, I’m pretty exhausted. I think I’ll say good night and head home. The three of you should still hang out, although I don’t know if you’ll get that lucky Lahela.” He attempted a smile, but it was clearly forced.
Worried about his friend, Bryce said, “Look, how about I go talk to Megan, I can meet up with her tomorrow. Then you and I can hang out, you don't seem..."
“Nah, I’m fine…”
Bryce let out a sigh, lowering his voice he leaned in toward Tobias, “T, I’m honestly worried about you. You haven’t been yourself for a while and it’s painfully obvious tonight. Today, while I was in line for coffee, I overheard you talking to Casey, and I really think…”
“Oh, for Christ's sake!” Tobias yelled, drawing the attention of nearby patrons. “First Harper, now you? I honestly liked it better when I was in denial! I will get over this, it… I’m not stupid… I know I don’t stand a chance in hell with Casey. I know it is never going to happen, I know that. OK?”
Bryce’s eyebrows shot to his forehead as his jaw fell slack, “You need to get over… don’t have a chance… with Casey?”
Tobias shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I knew I had one too many tonight, yet, just like that, now I’m completely sober.”
Tobias expected more of a reaction from Bryce, but he remained uncharacteristically quiet, especially when you consider the bombshell he just dropped. He looked over his shoulder, “Lahela, as pleasant as it is to have you rendered speechless, I suggest you pick your jaw up off the floor, it’s really not a good look for you.”
“Uhm, yeah,” Bryce said shaking his head vigorously, “Well, now that we’re both insta-sober, I’m going to go help the ladies get a cab, then I’m coming back and we’re talking.”
“I really don’t want to talk.”
“It really wasn’t a request.”
Tobias let out a groan, What. The. Fuck. Carrick! How did you just do that! He gulped down the rest of his drink and surveyed the room. OK, on an up-note, it does not seem like anyone else heard, hopefully. To test his theory, he walked to the other end of the bar to settle his tab with Reggie. Reggie and Ethan were tight so, if he had overheard Tobias’s outburst, he would have a tell. Relief came over him when Reggie was his usual pleasant self. At least Ramsey wasn’t already outside waiting for him. Speaking of outside…
“They’re gone?” he asked exiting Donahue’s.
“Yeah, I told Megan I’ll meet up with her on Sunday, but, Bud,” Bryce said shrugging, “I would not sit around waiting to hear from Nicole if I were you.”
Tobias snorted, “Well, I think we both know that really won’t be a problem.” He walked toward Bryce, “If you want to talk, we talk, but I have two conditions: one, we make it brief, and two, we don’t do it here. I like this place, but it’s becoming synonymous with conversations I would rather not have, I don’t want to sully it.”
“Fair enough. Name the place, name the duration.”
“Now you sound like most of my dates in med school,” Tobias mumbled as he slid into the cab.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
“One Franklin Street, please.” Tobias turned his attention back to Bryce. “Not a word about this until we are in my apartment, OK? Not a fucking word.”
“Fine, we can just talk about how you will never be my wingman again.”
“At least you’re admitting you need a wingman Lahela, that’s a step in the right direction.”
The men entered the luxurious lobby and made their way to the elevator, “55, please.”
“I guess this is one way to see your new place.” Bryce said sarcastically, “55th floor in the Millennium Tower! Damn, this has to give you at least 1000 points in your competition with Etha… shit... sorry… just a reflex.”
Tobias shook his head. “You’re cocky as hell and your timing sucks, you truly are a younger version of me?”
“Younger and better looking.”
“Well, I only closed three weeks ago,” Tobias announced pushing the door open, “I wasn’t expecting guests yet, so don’t mind the condition.
Bryce shook his head, a small foyer led to a spectacular great room, anchored on one end by an opulent white marble kitchen and the other by a breathtaking, two-story wall of windows that provided unparalleled views of the city. Apologizing for a few scattered boxes and some furniture with plastic covers still in place seemed unnecessary.
“Yeah, the place is a dump,” Bryce grinned, “Seriously though, wow! What made you upgrade to this beauty.”
“I liked the view,” he replied nonchalantly while pouring two club sodas. He handed one to Bryce, “I figured we’d keep the sober thing going. So, you’ve got 15 min… what do you want to know. The timer is on, take your shot.”
“OK, well…uhm, Casey… Admittedly, I’m a little shocked. I mean, not because she isn’t incredible, she is. I know that firsthand, I was once bitten by the Casey-bug too…”
“Yeah, that’s right.” Tobias interrupted, “How the hell were you stupid enough to let her go?”
Bryce chuckled as he placed his drink on the counter. “I didn’t. Casey and I were more of a friends with benefits arrangement. Then one day the benefits stopped, but the friendship didn’t, and it never will. Back then, I would have been cool with the two of us growing into something more but, once she fell for Ethan, it was game over for anyone else.”
“So she rescinded your benefits contract two years ago, correct?”
Bryce nodded.
Tobias looked perplexed, “I just don’t get it. So, two years ago she ended … things … with you and wrote off all other mere mortals because of Ramsey, yet they’re only together a couple of months now?”
“No. They have been together ever since their eyes locked over a gurney 15 minutes into her first day as an intern. It took them a while to realize it, a little longer to accept it and they, well, he took a good two years to finally surrender to it. But, let me be clear, she was never mine to let go. She has never been anyone’s other than Ethan’s.”
“He always was a lucky SOB.”
Bryce shrugged and half nodded. “Perhaps, but the timer is on, and I don’t want to talk about Ramsey, I want to hear about you. I knew you and Casey had become close friends, but how… when did it turn into something else for you?”
“How? I would tell you if I could, but I can’t. She’s magic. You meet her and you think, Jesus, no one can possibly be this beautiful, but she is. So, you wait for the other shoe to drop because there is no way the inside can be as magnificent as the out, right? I mean, God doesn’t play favorites that much, does he? So, you get to know her and it’s like, holy shit, apparently, he does. Now, I had no illusions. I knew what she has with Ramsey. I knew nothing would ever come of it, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care because it felt like an honor just to be in her orbit. I was overjoyed knowing that she knew my goddamn name and that maybe, every so often, I might get to hear my name on her lips.”
He stopped and took a sip of his club soda, suddenly wishing he had chosen something stronger.
“When? The best answer I can give you is that one day, and I couldn’t tell you the day because it happens so frequently, but we were at work or maybe the bar, and she started laughing the way she does, you know, when her nose crinkles and her face lights up, she gets that little glimmer in her eye and no matter how bad of a day you may have had, there is no way that laugh isn’t going to pull you in. So, she is…God, she’s just beautiful… and she’s laughing and then she flipped her head around and smiled, and I realized that smile was for me… now, absolutely nothing was implied by it, she was just smiling at a friend, but I was that friend, that smile was for me… I couldn’t freaking breathe, and… I have not been able to let go since.”
He stood up and sauntered across the room, placing his hands on the expansive windows he stared vacantly down at the city below.
“But I knew…I knew any feelings I had for her were futile. So, I pushed that shit down, I pushed it down so deep that I didn’t even have to acknowledge it myself. Sure, it was a lie, but I was comfortable living in it. Then the night of the boards, I ended up talking with Harper and she totally called me out. She said that she could see it plain as day and she was worried about me, and I’m sure worried about the team by extension. So, she asked me to be honest with her about my feelings for Casey, I wanted to deny it, I tried to deny it, and that is when I knew I was so screwed because, as much as I wanted to, I could not deny what I felt for her any more than I could will myself to stop breathing.”
He turned and made his way back across the expansive room and sat next to Bryce at the counter.
“So, now I get to work with her every day, I get to hear that laugh, see that smile, smell her perfume as she sits down next to me each morning, and I then I get to watch those gorgeous eyes gaze, with all the love in her heart, right past me and onto Ethan. It’s a fucking hoot, you should try it sometime.”
“Damn, T. I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I’m going to be honest with you, I came here armed with the standard 10-minute speech that I give to friends going through shit like this. It starts with, ‘yeah, she’s great, but she’s not that great, then I veer into the ‘there are other fish in the sea’ portion. Of course, I modified your version because Casey is that great, but now, I have to toss the whole damned script because…this isn’t just some little crush, is it?”
“No. I wish it were. If not for Ethan, I would move heaven and earth to make sure she was mine.”
“So, now that you mention him, I have to ask; T, I have never seen you fall like this for anyone…you were the confirmed bachelor, is there any chance, even subconsciously, that this is part of your weird-ass competition with Ethan?”
Tobias shook his head emphatically, “No. Absolutely not. I understand where you’re coming from... but no. What I feel for her has nothing to do with Ethan, or anyone else, it is only about Casey!”
Bryce raised an eyebrow, shocked at just how protective Tobias was about his feelings, and by how deep those feelings appeared to run.
“But you’re right, I have never felt this way about anyone else before. I did not look for this, I did not want this, Bryce. It’s like a fever I woke up with one day and there it was… and I know I can’t fight it… but I am doing my best to control it.”
“Does anyone else know?”
“Only Harper, and now you. God willing no one overheard me at the bar tonight because I do not want this spreading any further.”
“Do you think Casey suspects anything? Or, God forbid, Ethan?”
“No, Casey has no idea, and I can pretty much guarantee you Ethan doesn’t either.”
“Yeah, you’d probably be in the ICU if he did.”
“Thanks, pal.”
“Just keeping it real, T.”
Tobias chuckled half-heartedly. “I’ve been trying to avoid her, at least outside of work where I have some control over that. But, honestly, I think it has been counterproductive. She notices it, so now I get 20 questions about why I haven’t been around, and I’m running out of answers. Also, not having her around… I miss my friend, it just makes me miss her and want her more. It’s not working.”
“You know, if circumstances were different, I might say cold turkey would be the way to go, but you can’t do that. You need to have a working relationship and you have too many friends in common, you’re going to have to find a middle path on this. Maybe see her less, or only in groups, but you’re right, cutting her out completely, won’t be a solution. It’s going to be hard too because, I know she cares about you deeply, just… not in that way.”
“Stop making sense Lahela.”
“I always make sense, you just don’t want to hear it! Some more sense, going forward USE ME.”
“Oh, now you need to just stop,” Tobias laughed.
“No, seriously. You need to keep yourself busy, do things, sometimes you may need to talk. I’m not only here for the good times, man, I’m here for you now.”
“You know you’re a better friend than Ramsey ever was!” Tobias said with a laugh.
“Of course, and I’m better looking! Come on, come over here, bro hug, bro hug.”
“Oh, Jesus, your 15 minutes have GOT to be over by now…right? But seriously, thanks, pal. It may not seem like it, but this has helped. But yeah, I’m done talking about it for now.”
“No problem. So, let’s change the subject, starting with this freaking amazing place. When are we throwing our housewarming party because this place is INSANE.”
“We? Our?” Tobias laughed, “I didn’t realize my mortgage would be going down by half now. But, yeah, let’s plan something this place needs to be christened.”
Pairing: Bryce x Sienna (special mention to Raf x MC)
Word count: Approx 900
Rating: General
Summary: Bryce takes a moment to himself during the Hopeful Hearts Gala and finds Sienna in need of comfort
Category: Hurt/Comfort
@openheartfanfics trope challenge, week 8
Bryce slurped up the last of a fruity cocktail as he surveyed the Hopeful Hearts gala. Philanthropists and medical staff alike were all dressed up, charming smiles and hearty laughter tugging on the heartstrings of the donors who could possibly save Edenbrook. Bryce had no idea how much they raised; they could have saved the hospital, they may not have even made a difference....but just for the moment, Bryce didn't care about what the outcome would be. It wasn't for him to worry about; it was out of his hands now.
Besides, he was having fun, and after the tumultuous start to the new year his friends deserved the chance to dress up, drink and dance. Of course, the first few hours of the night had been dedicated to schmoozing the guests into opening their pockets. He had even met a woman over sixty who resisted his charms...such a thing had never happened before.
The evening had relaxed now and people were having pictures taken or sharing drinks at the bar, a few couples twirling together on the dance floor. Casey and Rafael had been amongst them, entwined together in their own little world, until they had snuck round the edge of the room and disappeared down a corridor. Bryce smirked to himself; perhaps they thought they were being subtle. Still, if anyone deserved the chance to sneak off and have fun it was those two.
A blur of purple flickered in the corner of his eye, and he turned to see Sienna at the bar, a tiny bit wobbly on her feet and her eye make-up slightly smudged. Bryce reached over and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, Double-Oh-Tiny, are you alright?"
Sienna smiled a little at his nickname for her but it didn't quite meet her eyes.
"I've had some wine," Sienna sniffled. "Then I had to go outside for some fresh air."
"Are you feeling OK? If you need to go home..."
"No, no, honestly...I just...had to be alone for a bit."
Tears welled up in Sienna's eyes again and she hastily dug some tissue out of purse. Bryce quietly ordered a glass of water from the bartender.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Bryce asked, quietly. Sienna was good at taking care of everyone else, but not so good at taking care of her own needs.
"I don't really know what else there is to say about it," Sienna said as she wiped her eyes. "Danny's dead. Nothing will bring him back. I just..." she trailed off briefly, watching the dancing couples, then turned back to Bryce desperately. "Sometimes I feel like I should be over it by now. Danny and I never made it official, we left it too long, the spark disappeared, I figured we'd both just move on over time...but I miss him! And I miss how he made me happy last year and how we would sometimes get coffee at work together...and then all I could think about just now was how he should be here, making a difference to the hospital, and maybe..." Sienna's voice choked off with sobs, but Bryce could finish the sentence himself: maybe Sienna and Danny would have been amongst the dancing couples.
Bryce wrapped his arms around Sienna and hugged her tightly, passing her the glass of water. She thanked him weakly, sipping slowly until she calmed down.
"You know there's no timeline for this kind of thing, right?" Bryce said gently, playing with the end of her hair. She had released it from it's usual braid and it flowed elegantly down her back. "You take as long as you need to move on and no one gets to tell you otherwise."
"But...in the grand scheme of things..."
"I don't think that matters," Bryce said. "You two never really had a fair chance. Whatever happened before, now there's always going to be a 'what if' attached to it. Maybe you could have made it work again...but you'll never find out, and sometimes that knowledge is the most painful part."
Sienna bit her lip, trying to stop more tears, as Bryce stroked her hand comfortingly.
"Sometimes...it feels like I'm not supposed to be happy," Sienna whispered.
Her heart-breaking confession caught Bryce by surprise, and his face floundered for a second before settling on stern determination.
"That is not true," he said firmly. "You are one of the best people I know. I have never met someone so kind and so loving, and I refuse to believe that you'll never be happy. The very idea...it's just unfathomable."
He held Sienna close to his chest where she nestled against him, before giving him another weak smile.
"Thank you Bryce."
They stayed like that for a few moments until Sienna reached for her tissues again.
"Sorry for bringing you down, I probably shouldn't have had that last glass of wine."
"You didn't bring me down," Bryce reassured her with his sweet smile. "Are you feeling better?"
"A bit." Sienna's smile was stronger now. Bryce chucked her under the chin affectionately.
"Then it's worth it."
Sienna giggled as she glanced over at the dancefloor and then back to Bryce.
"Do you want to dance for a bit?"
"I would be honoured."
Bryce made a show of bowing and offering his arm; Sienna laughed and swatted at him playfully before making their way to the dancefloor where slow music was still playing.
They kept on the outskirts, simply turning together on the spot, enjoying a moments peace. Bryce looked down at Sienna.
"Listen, Sienna, I'm here for you, OK? It doesn't matter what it is, or how long ago it was, if there's something on your mind, you can talk to me. I'm always gonna be here for you."
"Thank you."
Sienna closed her eyes and leaned against Bryce's chest. Bryce carefully rested his chin on top of her head, where she could be safe and secure and loved.
Are you doing the trope mashup still? Would love to see what you’d do with 6. Bookshop AU with 100. Accidentally Saving the Day (I literally chose two random ones 😅).
alrighty, this took me a while to think of something. but i think i got it???
okay so my thought is julie works at a local bookshop and luke hangs out there some evenings bc it’s a super laid back and chill establishment and he gets a lot of his writing done there (could be bc he’s smitten by the cute curly-headed employee and that gives him a lot of inspiration but he’ll deny it)
they talk sometimes, very minimally bc luke absolutely loses his mind around her and his brain is unable to connect to his mouth whenever he’s near her. she just thinks he’s cute and his nervous babbling was funny.
this particular friday evening, it’s close to closing time and there aren’t many customers left, but luke’s there, of course. he’s just sitting over in his corner, writing in his song book and occasionally glancing up at julie
julie happens to witness a guy shove some books into his bag, and she’s just so annoyed with the day that she doesn’t even care about protocol and not confronting the dude, so she goes up to him and demands he give her back the books. the guy plays dumb (if you work retail, you know that they always do) and then starts mouthing off at julie as he gets more defensive
julie isn’t offended in the slightest but she can see he’s getting aggressive and doesn’t want anything bad to happen. luke overhears (and obviously he can’t keep his eyes off her so he witnesses the entire thing) and to be cautious, he walks over just in case she needs any backup. as he walks over, the guy notices him and starts mouthing off to him too. luke just merely raises his eyebrows in his direction and steps to the side in front of him when he tries to step past him
the guy ultimately takes out the books and slams them into luke’s chest, muttering “i don’t need this crap” and finally walks out
luke meekly hands back the books to julie, who still looks pissed off, but her features soften when she looks at him. she thanks him and takes the books to put them back
luke is ecstatic that she even talked to him so he literally skips back to his corner and waits until closing. he’s decided that it’s about time for him to suck it up and just ask her out. what’s the worst that could happen???
but then all the customers leave and julie heads for the door to lock it, so he gathers up his things and when he makes it to the door, julie cuts him off by turning to him and asking if he was free to grab a coffee. now. as soon as she was finished closing up.
luke just blinks in surprise, and julie bites her lip apprehensively bc he’s not saying anything but then he smiles and says he would love to
so they stop at the coffeeshop around the corner and spend hours getting to know each other. luke finally admits that he was literally about to ask her out bc he thinks she’s beautiful and she’s literally the only reason he spends so much time there
julie admits she thinks he’s super cute and she always looks for him during her shifts. this is literally how their relationship starts bc they’re dumbstruck dorks for each other and i’m screaming this is adorable
wtf should i actually write this????? i love it and i hope i did it justice??
send two trips from this list + a ship & i’ll tell you how i’d combine them in a fic!!!
This is the longest ficlet yet. Lol. It’s also combined with similar requests from @yellowcerulean & @tarantula-teeth for an added 34 & 8. So I give you...
Criminal AU / I didn’t mean to turn you on / Mutual pining / Detective AU
Mickey shook his leg and bit his thumbnail, his agitation overwhelming all his senses. It felt like he was trapped beneath a tsunami and was never going to be able to breathe again. He was totally and completely fucked.
At least he wasn’t handcuffed at the moment, which was kind of strange, but he wasn’t about to question it. He just wished one of them detective dickheads would come question him already so he could ask for a lawyer, get charged, and be on his way to jail. Sitting around here in the interrogation room was too nerve-wracking. They all knew how this was gonna end, so he resented all the wasted time.
According to the clock on the wall, he’d been sitting there staring at the blank wall for 45 fucking minutes now. He knew they did that shit on purpose… like antsiness was supposed to loosen tongues. Really, it just made people more pissed off. Being held against one’s will already sucked enough.
Finally, some dude walked into the room, his red head down as he read a case file. The door closed heavily behind him as he took a seat across the table from Mickey, still not making eye contact.
“Mickey Milkovich. Long time, no see. How’s your sister?”
Mickey’s eyebrows shot up. “Huh?”
The cop looked up at him then, a lopsided smirk on his fuzzy face. “Mandy. I haven’t seen her in ages. She doing alright?”
Mickey shrugged. “Yeah, she’s fine. Why do you give a shit, pig?”
The ginger-beard just snickered. “Guess you don’t remember me then.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I was a lot scrawnier then, rounder face, kinda goofy looking, couldn’t sprout a whisker to save my life…”
Mickey just stared at him like he couldn’t give a fuck less.
“I’m Ian. Gallagher. Detective Gallagher, if you’re nasty.”
That made his mouth drop open in surprise. Holy shit. Gallagher? He definitely remembered the teen version. Him and Mandy had been attached at the hip for years back in high school. Mickey never talked to him much, but he was around their house an annoying amount of the time. He looked… very grown up. Too bad he was a fucking cop. And straight to boot.
“Yeah, whatever. I remember you. Can we get this shit over with? Makin’ me sit here all goddamn night is fuckin’ bullshit.”
“Fair enough,” said Ian, folding his hands together on top of the file. “You wanna give me your side of the story before I start asking specific questions?”
“Ain’t it pretty self-explanatory, man?”
“Not necessarily. You were caught in the raid, in flagrante, but there seems to be some confusion as to the extent of your involvement in the prostitution ring.”
“What the fuck does that mean? I ain’t a part of shit!”
“Look, we’re aware of the hand-whore brothel your dad used to run out of the Alibi some years back, as well as the connection between Terry and the Bartkowicz brothers running this ring. Obviously, we have your prior arrest records, which coincidentally all seem to be related to dear old dad, so… you see why we have questions now?”
Mickey slammed both his fist down on the tabletop and stood brusquely, knocking his metal chair to the floor. “This is fuckin’ bullshit! You can’t pin this shit on me!”
Ian stood tall and menacing. “Sit down, Mickey.”
“Fuck you! I ain't listenin’ to anymore of this!”
He tried to march straight to the door, but found himself running into a wall of built redheaded dick. Before he could think better of it, he pushed Ian forcefully, then suddenly found himself knocked sideways into the wall, and in no time he was pressed against it chest first, arm twisted painfully behind him, with a forearm against his neck.
“I’m gonna give you one more chance to sit here without the fucking cuffs on and answer my questions. You try something again, and I’ll get one of the bruisers that likes to bust heads in here to put ‘em on your hands and your feet. Got it?”
Shit. The only thing Mickey was getting was a damn killer of an erection. That would be the worst thing to let on given the circumstances, so he nodded vigorously as best he could.
“Yeah, yeah, man. Sorry.”
Ian's body moved away, and Mickey felt cold at the loss, turning around slowly with his hands up. Gallagher pointed at him, then to the chair he’d previously occupied, eyeing Mickey apprehensively. Once he was seated again, the detective sat back down as well.
“Believe it or not, I’m trying to help you. For Mandy’s sake. I won’t be able to if you pull stunts like that. I know you wouldn’t rather be dealing with one of the other guys on the task force.”
Mickey sighed and sagged in his chair. “Whatever, man. I don’t know anything. And I ain’t actually just sayin’ that. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s it. I don't work for my piece of shit father anymore.”
Ian gave him an incredulous look, then re-opened the file on the table, thumbing through a few pages deep. Mickey watched as he read whatever the fuck was written there, and the way those orange eyebrows suddenly shot up, and Ian sent him a stunned look.
“What?” asked Mickey.
Ian cleared his throat and looked back at the page. “It says here that you weren’t busted with a woman.” Mickey gulped. “You were busted with a man.”
Mickey struggled to keep his cool, but quickly schooled his features. “So?”
“You’re gay?” Ian asked bluntly.
“Nah, I just like havin’ another guy’s dick in my ass.”
Ian’s mouth slowly lifted into an unreadable kind of smile. “Wait here.”
And just like that, Ian was gone, and Mickey was most definitely totally fucked. No way South Side cops were gonna go easy on the fag criminal son of a dude they all fuckin’ despised with a fiery passion. Gallagher had probably gone to get a whole squad to bash on him until they transferred him into gen pop.
He went back to shaking a leg and biting his nails, and it felt like fucking forever before Ian returned.
He was still alone, and he stood in the middle of the room for a moment and just stared at Mickey. After the dramatic pause, he said, “You’re free to go.”
Mickey’s jaw dropped yet again. He knew for a fact he’d been looking at about 30 days jail time, or at the very least, some hefty-ass fine for solicitation.
“What the fuck you mean I’m free to go?”
“Exactly what I said. You’re free to go.”
“How?” Mickey shouldn’t be glued to this fucking hot seat asking questions, but he couldn’t help it. It was like the damn Twilight Zone.
Ian shrugged. “I took care of it. From one queer on the DL to another.”
Mickey gasped. “You fuckin’ serious? Didn’t you used to date my sister?”
“I did. In a sense. She knew who I was from the beginning. Did me a favor. We protected each other. This is just an extension of that. Besides, I always kinda had a crush on your dirty, crude, thug ass. Even though you were always an asshole and never looked at me twice.”
If Ian kept shocking Mickey like this, he was gonna need a defibrillator to get his heartbeat back on the proper wavelength. What the actual fuck?
“Oh, I looked twice, Gallagher,” he replied, rising, “you just never caught me.”
Ian laughed. “Until now apparently.”
Mickey flipped him off and followed Ian out of the room. For some reason, he was escorted all the way to the station door.
“Stay outta trouble, Milkovich,” Ian called to him as he walked into the night.
Mickey smirked and turned around as he kept walking. “You know where I live if you got a problem, Gallagher.”
Seeing Ian’s reciprocal smile, he turned back around and pulled his cigarettes out. Definitely not how this night was supposed to go, but maybe Red would come see about him sometime.
