#afangst

Anya trembles, tears at the corner of her eyes as her mama kneels and gently wraps her into a comforting hug. Anya vaguely listens as her mama scolds her for leaving her side and wandering off somewhere dangerous.

Anya lifts her trembling arms and wraps them around her mama's waist, squeezing it as much with the little strength she has. The adrenaline from running away from the bad men with the big dog by her side has already worn off, and she feels exhausted.

"Mama," she sniffled, voice trembling along with her body.

Her mama pulls her closer, engulfing her entire body in her warmth. "Shh… it's okay, Anya-san," she murmured. "Mama's here."

Anya looks at her mama. Her mama's eyes are full of concern towards her, void of the murderous expression she saw when her mama looked at the bad guys. Her smile is soft and full of warmth that immediately brings her more comfort.

Anya smiles back at her mama, giggling when she wipes away the tears before they fall. Her mama looks at her everywhere, eyes darting towards her face and body before she relaxes.

Her mama gives her another pat on the head before standing up. She looks at the tied-up unconscious man beside them and her body jerks as if remembering the situation they were in earlier.

"We need to report this to the police quickly…" Her mama turns to look at her. "Do you remember what the bad guys looked like and what their conversations were about?"

"Uhm…" Anya ponders, scrunching her eyes as she recalls the bad men who were after her. "I'll try my best."

Her mama claps her hands in delight. "That's great!" She looks at the big dog and bows, polite as ever. "Thank you again for saving Anya-san!"

"Borf!" the dog barks, his tail wagging when he looks at her.

Anya turns to the big dog and wraps her arms around him while nuzzling his fur. The dog barks in return, licking her face. She laughs, nuzzling his fur even more.

She turns to her mama when she feels a hand on her back. "Let's go find a phone booth and you can tell me all about the bad guys."

She nods. "Okay, Mama."

Anya follows her mama out of the alleyway with the big dog beside her as she recounts the events of what happened while leaving out details that could expose her of her mind-reading abilities (including the dog's future-seeing ability) in fear of how her mama would react when she finds out. She watches her mama's expression change several times while her thoughts go between being relieved that Anya's safe and a vivid image of what she would do to the bad guys if she sees them again.

Her mama ushers her to a bench nearby when she sees a phone booth. Anya sits down and quietly watches as her mama talks to the police on the line. She fiddles with the buttons on her coat as she looks down. She turns to the big dog beside her, noticing his nose twitch before his ears perk up.

Anya leans forward. "Doggy?" Her eyes widen when she feels a thought forming in the dog's mind. You… Anya leans closer to the dog, curious about what future the big dog will show her next. Are you seeing the future again?

Anya closes her eyes to further focus on the big dog's mind and sees a vision of her family with smiles, hers being the biggest of them all. It's the same future she saw when she first met the big dog, but it changes. A sudden change that threw her off. The vision glitches and it changes. Papa is gone and all that remains are Anya and Mama. Anya is looking down with trembling lips while Mama is turned away with her arms crossed.

Anya is taken away from the vision for a moment, her eyes widening in shock and fear. Papa's gone?!

Anya can't continue her thoughts because the vision resumes, taking her back to see the future. She sees a giant clock tower and one of the arms moving. Where is this? The clock tower gongs loudly and she is shown a wider view of the area before an explosion happens.

She sees herself standing in front of a ruined building, rubble surrounding someone. The vision gives her a closer view of herself hyperventilating, eyes wide of fear and despair, as it finally gives her a view of who was under all the rubble: her Papa. Her Papa is covered in blood, with open but lifeless eyes. "P-Papa!" her future self cried out.

Anya tries to focus more on the vision, but she keeps thinking back on the vision of her dead papa. She sees news about the explosion on the TV and the peace between Ostania and Westalis breaking apart.

The vision ends and Anya is left with the knowledge of a future happening where she loses her papa and peace breaking. Her eyes are wide with fear and her hands tremble. She quickly gets off the bench. "Was that the future?" she whispered to the big dog. She tries not to be too loud or her mama will find out the truth, but it is louder than what a whisper should sound like in her state of panic. That future is horrible! Anya shakes the big dog, wanting to see more of the future. Papa will die, and peace will be over!

Anya flinches when her mama scolds her, but she only focuses on the crisis happening in the future. She spares the dog from more shaking as she lowers her arms. She looks down. Papa will die by an explosion…? She shakes as she imagines the vision of her papa. I need to tell Mama and ask her for help… — Anya turns to her mama, who continues talking to the police on the phone. She knows her mama will do anything to protect her and papa. She has the strength and skills for it — but I can't tell her about my telepathy…

Anya looks down at her predicament before an idea strikes her. She turns to the big dog and asks, "Doggy… if we try really hard, can we change the future?"

The big dog tilts his head. Anya doesn't know if that means ‌the big dog agrees, but she is not taking her chance away from saving the future. With a silent agreement, both she and the dog look at her mama and then at each other. Anya leans closer to the dog and whispers behind her hands, "Can you still run?"

"Borf!"

Anya nods, giving a pat to the big dog. She turns to her mama, thinking of an excuse she can give to her mama without exposing her secret. "Sorry Mama… Anya just remembered something." With her eyes closed and not looking at her mama, she exclaims, "Papa went to the toilet without any paper!" Her mama sounds confused, but Anya doesn't pay attention. She quickly opens her eyes and turns to the dog, jumping on his back. "He's in danger right now! Anya will get him his toilet paper!" she continued while the dog started running away. She adjusts herself on the dog's back so she wouldn't fall off.

Anya hears the worried cries of her mama, but she doesn't tell the big dog to stop. She needs to save papa and stop peace from breaking. She holds on the white fur tightly and she looks around the area, paying attention to any towers or buildings that she sees in the vision.

The dog runs and runs, not stopping for a break. He changes directions constantly as if knowing where he needs to go. Anya ignores the awes and thoughts of the people when they see her and the big dog, completely focused on stopping the future.

It goes on for a few minutes, but it's forever to Anya when she finally sees the clock tower from a distance. "Found it! It's that pointy clock thing!" She points over to the direction that gets them closer to the tower. "Over there, Doggy!"

The dog runs faster, and she has to hold on to her dear life, fear and panic taking over the longer she is taking to save the future. "That's where Papa's gonna die! We can't let that happen!"

The dog runs past the crowded people and stops when they arrive at the place where her papa dies. We got to the tower! Anya gets down from the tired dog and she frantically looks around the area while the big dog pants in exhaustion. Where's Papa's death place?! She sees no hints or anything that can help her save the future, so she runs back to the big dog.

She jumps at the big dog and shakes him in hopes that a vision of the future will play. "Doggy, show me the future again!" She gets off the big dog when he doesn't give her the vision that she needs to see. She thinks back to the vision she saw earlier and remembers another detail. Anya remembers the clock going ding-dong when the bomb exploded! She points her fingers, trying to imitate where the clock arms were in the vision she saw. When the needle is at the top!

So we only have… Anya looks at the clock tower, her brows furrowing when she tries to read the time. Anya can't read a clock! She panics as she stares at her two pointing fingers, hoping it can tell her the time. The short needle and long needle… Which is which?!

Anya panics even more, watching as the longer needle moves closer to her papa's death. She worries she won't be able to save her papa in time. A vision of her papa's lifeless eyes crosses her mind again, and she shakes them away, not wanting to be reminded of it. She looks around the area, hoping for anything that could help her.

Anya stops looking when she finds an old man on the bench with his eyes closed. Maybe he can help…? she thought, while lowering her arms. Anya looks at the big dog and he seems to have regained some of his strength.

Anya pets the big dog when he moves closer to her, using his snout to push her towards the old man on the bench. Anya stumbles and would have fallen if the big dog hadn't bitten her coat, letting her steady herself before pushing her towards the old man until she walks towards the bench, with the big dog sitting down next to her.

She takes careful yet fast-paced steps until she's in front of the old man. "Excuse me…" The old man wakes up from his nap and looks at Anya. She points at the clock tower and asks, "How many minutes before that clock goes 'ding dong'?"

The old man looks at the clock tower. "Oh, you're talking about the bell? It rings every hour, so I guess the next one is about thirty minutes away."

Anya bows. "Tank yew!"

Thirty minutes! Gotta hurry! Anya leaves the area quickly, with the big dog by her side. But then she stops. How many are thirty minutes…? She still doesn't understand how time works, and she wonders if she would know about it if she paid more attention during her classes. She frowns at the thought.

The big dog sniffs at the air and before Anya can even ask what the big dog is doing, she is carried away and only lets down when she is hiding behind a building. "What is it, Doggy?" she asked. Curious as to why she was hidden away by the big dog, she takes a peek at the side of the building. Oh no! Her heart jumps when she sees the bad guy from earlier. That's the bad guys' boss! She hides away before the man could see her, pushing the big dog behind her so he wouldn't be seen by them.

Anya holds her breath, covering her mouth to keep herself from making a sound. Her eyes widen when she hears another dog bark and move closer to them. He found us! It's silent for a few seconds before the boss speaks and the dog whines and barks while being yanked back.

Anya takes a small peek, and she exhales in relief when the boss' dog didn't find them. The big dog does the same, although still looking worried.

I need to get outta here before someone notices me. Anya perks up when she hears the boss' thoughts, moving closer to focus on it. Be sure to blow up for me… My improvised trap…

"The bomb is his doing?!" she whispered behind her hands.

Go, come after me, you stupid pigs! The moment you open the door, you'll be greeted with a bang! the man continues his thoughts with a smirk as he looks at the building where the hideout is supposed to be.

Anya follows his line of sight. "That building over there?" She must look worried out of her mind because the big dog moves closer to her, a muted bark to reassure her. Anya is still frowning. Her brows are pulled closer together, but she allows her hands to go across the big dog's fur. It brings her comfort, but it doesn't last long when she hears the boss's thoughts.

There might be some casualties from the explosion… But it's a must for the greater good. Anya turns when she hears a car move and realizes the boss is about to drive away. At least you can take pride in dying for your country.

As the car leaves, Anya finally leaves her hiding spot. She is frantic and worried. "This is bad!" The comfort from the big dog is gone and replaced with panic as she flails her arms around. "We have to stop the bomb!" She points at the clock tower and imitates the needles with the gesture of her hand. "Uh… the big hand moved from the seven to the eight, so… We've only got eight minutes?" She tries to recount any lessons she might've had with her papa or the teachers, but her mind draws blank. "Uhh… Ahh…" She can't focus on all her panic and the constant thoughts from the other people around the area. The more she tries to think, the bigger the headache is growing.

"Anyway, let's hurry up!" Anya shakes her head and she runs towards the building where the bomb should be. The big dog follows her the entire time. She tiptoes to reach the doorknob and open the door with a slam.

Anya looks up and sees all the stairs she has to go on to reach the floor where the bomb will be. She wants to complain. She feels it bubbling in her throat, but she has to stop herself from bursting into a tantrum because it's not the time for it. She needs to be a big girl. Anya swallows the lump in her throat and climbs up the stairs, fastening her pace whenever she feels herself slow down just a bit.

Anya eventually reaches the top floor, taking large gulps of breath as she holds on to the big dog so she doesn't collapse on her knees. Anya wipes away the sweat on her forehead. She looks at the big dog, who starts sniffing at the air, his nuzzle pointing towards the only door in front of them.

"This place…?" she asked the big dog, who nodded at her in response. Bomb…! Anya takes careful steps, afraid to trigger the bomb that would hurt them and everyone else nearby. The big dog does the same behind her, but she can still hear his steps due to his size.

Anya stops in front of the door. Slowly and carefully, she reaches for the doorknob to open the door.

She is stopped by the big dog barking at her, reminding Anya of what the boss thought earlier. Her body jerks and she immediately drops her arm. "I forgot! I'll explode if I open the door!"

Anya takes careful steps back, holding her hands together and keeping them close to her body as she looks around the room and how she can go inside without setting off the bomb. She looks up and sees an open window that leads to the inside of the room. With her size, she would fit through it. Maybe I can fit through that little window! Anya pushes the boxes nearby as a staircase to reach the window. Half of her body goes through, but she struggles to get the other half and get her fully inside the room. She tries to tiptoe, but it doesn't work. "Doggy, give me a push!" she commanded as she struggled to get in.

The dog gives her the push she needs and the rest of her body fits through the window. She gasps as she falls, but the pile of boxes saves her from the landing. She groans in pain before opening her eyes to look around the room, her eyes falling on the bomb attached to the wall with tape. A bomb!!

Her nerves are fraying at seeing an actual bomb, but she also feels excitement coursing through her veins. It's an adventure just like the Spy Wars show! Anya gets up with a determined expression as she faces the bomb. She grabs the gloves in her pocket and puts them on, remembering not to leave any fingerprints just like what Bondman did in one of the episodes. If I can disarm it, I can save Papa!

Anya climbs on top of the wooden cabinet for closer reach of the bomb. Her hands reach towards the bomb before stopping. She draws her hands back with one thought crossing her mind. "How do I… disarm a bomb?"

I saw on TV that you must cut the red cable or the blue cable to stop it; she thought while looking around the bomb. Anya jumps off the wooden cabinet and moves closer to the bomb, her eyes darting forward for any red or blue wires. "Cables… cables…" she mutters while her arms are spread out, sneaking around the bomb.

Shock!!!! Anya freezes when she sees no red or blue wires. The cables are all black!

Anya darts around the room, pacing in her panic while she looks for anything that can help her out. I don't even have any wire-cutty scissors! She presses her hands closer to her, eyes wide as saucers the longer she can't think of a solution. What should I do?! There's no time left! She briefly looks at the bomb taped to the wall. I need to tell Papa not to come in… But then he'll find out about me and throw me away!

But if Papa dies, that's worse! Fear takes over Anya as she kneels while covering her face, at a loss of what to do. And world peace is disrupted! She closes her eyes. The brave front she had earlier is gone, and she is left with herself dealing with this situation. Her body trembles when she recalls the vision of her papa under the rubble. It haunts her mind, worse than her experience at the lab with the scary men in white coats.

She opens her eyes and looks up at the bomb, unsure how much time she has left before it goes boom. She is tired, and the fatigue is already settling in her. Anya looks to the side, and sees a squeeze bottle of ketchup, as well as discarded food and drinks on the table.

I can send a message to Papa! She brightens at the new idea popping into her mind. Once again, she is reminded of a Spy Wars episode, where Bondman found a cryptic message that saved everyone from a disaster. She gets up and heads to the table to grab the squeeze bottle of ketchup. She is filled with a new sense of determination and bravery now that she found a solution to her problem. Anya grabs a broken piece of glass with another idea forming in her head.

It is now time for her to get out of the room. Anya takes a glance at the bomb taped near the door and knows she cannot use it to get out. She glances back at the open window and knows she needs to get through it again. She looks at the boxes she fell on top of and decides to use the table instead. She places the squeeze bottle of ketchup and the broken piece of glass on top of the table before pushing it towards the wall. It takes her a lot of tremendous effort and willpower to do it, sweat dripping down her forehead once she achieves it.

Anya uses the remaining boxes and uses it to climb on top of the table. Anya grabs the squeeze bottle of ketchup and drops it to the other side through the window. The big dog jumps when the squeeze bottle lands, and the dog lying down while waiting for her to complete her mission.

Next is the tricky and dangerous part. She has to get through the window while avoiding getting hurt by the broken piece of glass. She takes a careful approach in this, grabbing the broken piece of glass and opens the window. Anya looks down at the height she has to get down to. It's high, and it scares her, but she doesn't give in to the fear.

Anya grins. "Doggy!" she calls out to the big dog, and he barks in response. "Anya needs your help to get down!"

The big dog moves towards the boxes, giving her a safe place to land on when she falls. Anya goes out in the opposite way; she starts with her legs, kicking them lightly as she slowly makes her way down. Her grip on the window still tightens the longer she is hanging on to it. She places the broken piece of glass on the window still to give her papa a view of the bomb. With the little strength she has left and hope the big dog is there to help her, Anya releases her grip and she falls.

He huffs out an exhale when Anya lands on his big body; the fur softening her landing. "Thank you, Doggy!" She gets off the big dog and pats his head in gratitude.

Anya then grabs the squeeze bottle of ketchup and heads over to the door. With her artistic skills, she draws bombs and explosions, along with an arrow pointing towards the doorknob. She moves the boxes that haven't been destroyed by her earlier and uses them as a stepping stool to write 'NO' on the door while using the squeeze bottle of ketchup.

Anya takes a step back with a proud grin at her work. There's a delight in her eyes, gleaming at her message for her papa. "Let's go, Doggy!" She drops the squeeze bottle next to the door, already making her way down the stairs. The big dog follows her behind as they run out of the building.

She climbs on top of the big dog and they run as far as they can from the area. Simultaneously, Anya sees a car pass by them and a fleeting thought of 'Anya?' inside it.

Anya turns her head towards the car with wide eyes while feeling her heart drop. Papa? She wants to tell the big dog to stop, but she doesn't want her papa to ask her any questions that could expose her secret. Instead, she faces forward and instructs the big dog to go faster. She is not taking any risks on this one.

Anya looks at the clock tower, her eyes widening when the long and short needles are getting super close to what she saw in the vision. She holds her breath when the clock tower dongs; the sound echoing in her ears. The big dog stops when her grip on his fur tightens, body trembling while waiting for her plan to work. Papa… did you see my message?

The world is silent for a moment.

She hears no loud boom.

It's quiet.

Eerily quiet.

Anya turns her head towards the building she just left a few minutes ago, and she waits.

She is startled by the big dog's sudden barking, as he continues running farther away from the building. His ears are pointed forward, his snout twitching. "Doggy—?!"

Anya sees a flash in the new vision she got from the big dog and then nothing.

Before Anya can begin to question it, the vision ends and she is hit with a sudden flash in her eyes.

And then…

Boom.

A/N: writing child characters is hard... the next chapter will come out on october 24! ... if i manage to finish writing it before the day.

anyways, i finally got my first entry for whumptober 2024 out!! this was the first thing i worked on and i had to stop myself from publishing this before october. i have already pre-written 12 whumptober entries while the rest are wips. this is my little treat after not posting anything for 9 months excluding the one shot i posted last month, that was supposed to be out a year ago :)

During whatever breaks they have in their year, Snotlout and Hiccup tend to return home to Berk. Not just to see their friends again, but also because if Hiccup didn’t go home, someone would probably come get him, telling him that his father was making everybody’s lives miserable in the woes of missing his son.

It has happened before.

But Stoick isn’t the person Hiccup is currently seeing. At the moment, he and Snotlout have joined Astrid, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs on one of their many beaches, Berk is an island after all. And as the weather isn’t usually this warm and sunny, they’ve found the perfect excuse for a day at the beach. They’re here and in swimwear.

Astrid is in a bathing suit, Ruffnut in a bikini, Tuffnut and Fishlegs are in shorts and Snotlout is in a speedo. Meanwhile ever the victim of cold and insecurities, Hiccup is in swim shorts and a t-shirt.

Ruffnut is currently trying to bury her brother and Astrid decided to help out. Snotlout was requested as a third pair of hands, but he declined. His attention lies elsewhere.

He’s staring at Hiccup as he sits nearer to the cliffside with Fishlegs, geeking out together about something he can’t quite hear. And he knows Hiccup is geeking out because he’s grinning, his hands are all animated and he can’t stop talking.

Snotlout huffs in agitation. His cousin doesn’t look nearly that happy when it’s just the two of them in their apartment, does he?

There’s laughter and Hiccup lights up like a sunny day. Toothless, resting right behind him, perks up at the sound. He hasn’t left him alone since their reunion, not even to let him use the bathroom. And because he knows it’s temporary until his human has to leave him again, he doesn’t plan on straying even a foot away from his side.

Snotlout must be doing a bad job at hiding his feelings, because Tuffnut notices the way his fingers turn white as he crosses his arms and the angry furrow in his brow deepens.

“Damn, jealous?” He asks, buried up to his neck in sand. Ruffnut and Astrid are a distance away now, washing their hands in the calm waves rolling onto shore.

Snotlout remembers to check himself, forcing his shoulders and face to relax.

He has to remember, nobody knows that their two friends, quite literally related by blood, are in a relationship.

“Pff, who? Me? Of the geeksquad?! No way!” His tone is extra mocking, he makes sure to be loud, then he physically turns his back to Hiccup and Fishlegs.

But he can only bear it for a moment.

The next secondhis boyfriend laughs, he looks over his shoulder and glares once more at the two. Why can’t he make him laugh like that?

Tuffnut wears a strange pout as he watches his friend.

-XOXOX-

As long as they’re on Berk, they’re not together. Or they’re certainly not supposed to be. This rule was made after their first time back at their apartment after a break nearly got them in hot waters. Pretending like they’re both single was meant to make it easier on them to hide the fact that they’re couple.

Even so, they still spend at least the evening together when no other engagements draws them away. When asked why, Hiccup made the excuse that they’ve just gotten used to hanging out together.

Tonight, Snotlout followed Hiccup home and together they sit in his room, watching an action movie the latter pirated. Action movies aren’t necessarily his cup of tea, but they are Snotlout’s and he watches them with him for him.

But it would appear that Snotlout isn’t paying attention. Otherwise, he’d be reacting to those explosions and those stunts with glee, but now there’s just a scowl and silence. It’s disconcerting.

“Snotlout is everything okay?” He asks. “You’ve been quiet all day.”

“What’s with you and Fishlegs?”

His question catches him off guard.

Hiccup takes a moment to place his laptop on his boyfriends lap before rising from his bed and closing the bedroom door. He left it open because his parents aren’t home and he wanted to hear them return.

In their case, it’s more than a mother and father worrying about whether or not their just recently legally adult son is practicing safe sex.

Hiccup turns to face the other and crosses his arms. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

Snotlout, scowl deepening, looks away from him, his arms once more crossed. His stubbornness lasts for only a moment before he shoots up to his feet.

“I’ll tell you what’s going on! You and Fishlegs were all buddy-buddy today and forgetting all about the rest of us! What was up with that, Mr. Two-timing Bastard!” He shouts and Hiccup is so glad his parents aren’t home at the moment.

“Two-timing… What?! Fishlegs is a friend! With whom I was catching up with! I’m allowed to catch up with our friends, Snotlout. Even in private!” Hiccup raises his voice back at him. He can hardly believe that he would turn on him like this. They’ve all grown up together, Snotlout should know better!

“You were all over him!”

“I was not, I was all over Toothless and you’re not jealous of him, are you?!”

“You were laughing!”

“Yeah, that tends to happen when someone tells me something funny!”

Horrible scratching on the window leading to the balcony outside this room causes both young men to take a look. Through years upon years of claw-related abuse, they see Toothless there and he looks less than pleased to be hearing all this yelling.

Mated pairs in dragonkind have their fights, too. But as someone who was right there as his human and Meatlug’s human caught up on the past couple of months, he knows Snotlout has nothing to worry about. Fishlegs was telling Hiccup about this micr-sized dragon that found her way into his house and how he had to turn everything upside down just to find and release her.

Hiccup moves to slide the glass door open and the Night Fury waltzes in. Hiccup’s house is arguably the biggest on Berk, so his room is the biggest of the six of them. A dragon Toothless’ size fits.

Staring disapprovingly at Snotlout, he makes it very clear that he’s outnumbered in this argument. Hiccup was not courting the other male. And as Fishlegs isn’t just “another male” Snotlout should know better than to assume he’s a rival.

“Psh,” Still, he scoffs and turns away from the two.

Picking his laptop up from his bed, Hiccup allows Toothless the room to climb up and settle before he sits down with his back against the dragon’s side. “Now are you going to come enjoy the movie with me or not?”

After a moment of thinking it over, Snotlout does take his seat again, even if Toothless’ presence forces him to sit right on the edge.

Hiccup hits play again and the loud sound mixing of the fight scene returns. Snotlout has no idea what’s going on in this film.

“Besides… I’m not sucking his dick, am I?” The former mutters, causing the other to tense up. There are probably moreeloquent ways to express “I’m sleeping with you and not him and don’t you dare forget it,” but if he wasn’t so angry, he probably would’ve found it.

Snotlout makes himself relax. It’s a big deal that Hiccup is comfortable enough with him to pursue a sexual relationship and sometimes he forgets that.

He sighs deeply. Being in a secret relationship that’s far different from the familial one they’re supposed to have is difficult enough, the last thing he should probably do is draw attention to them by inventing all sorts of other issues where there are none.

"Excuse me, Mr. Huffman?" You knock on your boss's door and wait a couple of seconds before peeking your head in. "You have a call on line two." 

Scott looks up; his light blue eyes that were reading one of the many articles on his desk are now trained on you. They're kind as he offers you a soft smile, and you feel your cheeks heat up. 

"Thank you, Y/N. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Scott?" 

He gives you a look that seems almost dominant, but that can't be right. He wouldn't ever see you that way. Your gaze moves to your chipped nail polish. Even though he looks almost the same age as you, your boss is nearly twenty years your senior. 

Normally, it's unheard of for a woman your age to get a job as an assistant to one of the most respected men working at the Pentagon, but you were lucky enough to know the right people. 

To your friends, it's no secret that you harbor feelings for Scott. He's extremely kind, understanding, respectful, and very, very handsome. Of course, he has no idea how you feel … well, at least you hope he doesn't. It won't bode well for your office relationship, not to mention your career if he finds out. 

You realize he's waiting on you to respond, and you nervously return his smile, answering him the same way you always do. "At least once more, Mr. Huffman." 

Your eyes close, and you let out a long breath as you carefully shut his door. Honestly, it's a miracle that he hasn't figured out your crush on him. You catch yourself staring all the time, and if he knew what was in your sketchbook locked in your bottom desk drawer? There's no way he'd be able to look at that and not know you have feelings for him. 

The folders on your desk catch your eye, and you sigh. If you want to leave at a decent time this afternoon, then you need to get through all of the case file notes from the past week.

You sit down and smooth out your pencil skirt before grabbing the top file from the stack. There are several different things that you're tasked to do for Scott, but this one is by far the most time-consuming. 

Transferring the handwritten case notes into the computer system is a bit tedious, but you know what a big opportunity this job is, and you're more than happy to do it. 

A couple of hours go by, and you've made it about halfway through the pile. You're munching on a carrot stick when Carlton Stanton, one of Scott's colleagues, taps on the top of your desk impatiently. 

"Hey! Do you know where Scott is? I've been looking for him for an hour." 

Even though he gives you bad vibes and is rather rude, you still give him a warm smile. 

"Mr. Huffman has been in his office all morning to my knowledge, Mr. Stanton. I can let him know you're waiting for him if you'd li-" 

He waves you off dismissively, "no, thanks. I can let him know myself." 

You frown and watch as he barges into Scott's personal space like a bull in a china shop. He shuts the door rather harshly, and you can hear them having a heated conversation. 

Moments later, a seemingly annoyed Scott emerges with Carl. He gives you a tight-lipped smile and stops in front of you. "Hold all of my calls for the rest of the afternoon, please. And can you also reschedule my four o'clock for tomorrow?" 

Your eyes meet his and you nod, "of course, Mr. Huffman. I'll do that right away, sir." You watch them leave and can only hope he isn't angry with you.

Even though he's gone for the rest of your shift, Scott is still fresh in your mind. He always is. As embarrassing as it is, you often conjure up scenarios of the two of you in your head. 

A picnic in the park, both of you sitting on a blanket as you share a nice meal. And afterward, Scott holds you with your back to his chest while the shade of the trees shelters you from the harsh sun. 

Another time, it was you and him snuggling on his couch or what you picture as his couch since you have no idea what it looks like. There's a bowl of popcorn between the two of you, and the latest action movie plays on the TV. 

The latest one, however, was the both of you laying in the bed of his truck watching the stars. The crisp, cool air nips at your skin, but Scott has his arm around you, so you stay warm. The moonlight makes his eyes sparkle as he looks at you, and it's the most intimate moment you've experienced. 

Well, not really… more like it's the most intimate moment your inner conscience has experienced. 

You blink and refocus; the last folder is open, revealing the final notes you need to copy over. The thought of leaving them for tomorrow crosses your mind, but the hard worker in you outweighs it, and you begin typing. 

By the time you're done, you're the last one in the office. After making sure you've secured the files and locked everything up, you head home to finish out the remainder of your night. 

Once again, you try to think about something other than your boss and your unwavering feelings for him, and once again, you fail. You begin to fall asleep and remember how Scott always looks at you when you refer to him as Mr. Huffman. His piercing, blue eyes are the last thing you see before sleep takes you.

The next morning, you wake up ten minutes before your scheduled alarm, so you decide to go ahead and shut it off. You couldn’t go back to sleep even if you tried. Wednesdays are your new favorite day. Not because it’s the middle of the week, but because Scott and you have lunch together. He makes sure to take the time to do that with you once a week just to ensure you’re not having any issues.  

A bright red and white sundress from your closet catches your eye, and you pair it with some white flats before styling your hair. A bit of light makeup finishes your look, and you’re happy to see that you have enough time to stop and grab Scott and yourself some coffee. Of course, you’ve memorized the way he takes it because why wouldn’t you? You loved seeing him smile, and you’ll take advantage of being the cause of it every chance you get.

You’re running about fifteen minutes late once you pull into the staff parking lot, but hopefully, the coffee gesture qualifies as a get-out-of-jail-free card. By the time you make it to the hallway that your office is in, you can hear Carl talking and you try not to let the fact that he’s already probably starting his usual shit sour your mood. What you weren’t prepared for was him sitting behind your desk, flipping through your sketchbook, and about ready to show every single one of your drawings to Scott. 

You freeze in the doorway, unable to even breathe as you listen to what he says. They haven’t seen you yet, and you’re hoping that they won’t. “I told you that little girl’s got a thing for you, man. Just look at what I found inside her bottom desk drawer.”

Scott whips around, venom laced in his tone as he fires back at his colleague. “First of all, Y/N isn’t a little kid. She’s eighteen, and she does amazing work for me that I would never be able to accomplish without her. Second of all, leave her things alo-” He stops, words dying on his tongue as he takes in what he’s seeing.

Drawings.

Multiple pages of drawings and they’re of him.

It’s then that they both look up and see you standing there with humiliation and sheer terror all over your face. You still haven’t taken a breath, and you pray that the floor opens up and swallows you whole. 

Carl sneers, “see that? Just look at her. She was too scared to tell you how she felt, and now that her dirty little secret’s out, she still can’t own up to how inappropriate this is.” 

You finally suck in a breath, but your throat still feels like it’s closing up. Tears sting your eyes, and you begin to shake as the coffee falls from your hands and spills all over the carpet. Scott shoots Carl a death glare and starts towards you, but before he can get close, you turn on your heel and take off running. 

“Y/N, wait!” Scott calls after you, but it’s no use. He’s lost sight of you in the sea of people still coming in to start their morning shifts. That’s it. He’s had enough of the way Carl bullies everyone, and he’s especially had it with the way he treats you. He storms back into your portion of the office and snatches the sketchbook out of his hands.

“Get. Out.”

Carl chuckles, “aw come on. I was just teasing her.”

Scott grabs him by the front of his shirt and slams him against the wall, his eyes narrowed to thin, perilous slits. “Yeah, well, it wasn’t fucking funny, Stanton. Y/N is a wonderful woman and an even harder worker that I go out of my way to make feel welcomed and valued here. I’m sure she already catches shit for how young she is, but that doesn’t mean she needs to get it from you, too. You’re a fucking bully, and I never want to see so much as one of your goddamn toes step foot in this office again. Get. The. Fuck. Out!” 

Once Carl’s gone, Scott grabs his suit jacket and makes sure to lock up the office before going to find where you’d gone. He finally finds you crying in your car and gently taps on the glass, 

“Y/N”?

You wipe your eyes and roll down your window, “if you’ve come to mock me or tell me that I’m fired, save it. I just want to leave with what’s left of my dignity.”

He frowns, “what? You’re not fired, and I’m not going to mock you. I’m flattered that you’d take the time to draw me of all things.” He opens your door and holds his hand out. “Can we go talk? It is Wednesday, and you know I always treat you to lunch.” 

Everything inside of you wants to refuse, but you also don’t want to disappoint him, so you reluctantly take his hand and let him pull you to your feet. 

You're close, more so than you've ever been, and even though his face is blurry from the tears in your eyes, you can see the concern in his. Scott tries wiping your tear-stained cheeks with his thumbs, but fresh ones immediately take their place. It's so hard being in this moment with him, knowing that he's just going to let you down easy. Why would he, a thirty-seven-year-old man, want anything romantically to do with you, an eighteen-year-old woman?

“I wish I knew how to get you to stop crying,” Scott says softly. “Would you want to go sit at one of the picnic tables around back instead of going somewhere more public?”

You nod because you don’t quite trust yourself to talk yet and walk with him toward the side of the building. The two of you stay quiet, other than your occasional sniffle, and eventually take a seat at a table in the shade. He’s watching you, studying your demeanor, but it doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable. You’re still too nervous to look him in the eyes, so you pick at the varnish on your nails instead. 

A few minutes pass before he sighs, “I’m sorry about Carl. He’s an ass and had no right to treat you that way. I want you to know that I made him leave, and he won’t bother us again if he knows what’s good for him.” He hesitantly reaches across the table and gently grabs your hand. “Will you tell me what’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

Butterflies erupt in your stomach, and you blush furiously.

He called you, sweetheart!

You lick your dry lips and wipe your eyes with your free hand before looking up at him. It’s hard not to get your hopes up when he’s looking at you like this. “Well, I…there’s um…there’s a lot on my mind right now. For starters, you’re now fully aware of my feelings for you. How are you okay with this? I mean, no offense, but you’re technically old enough to be my father. Not that you look it. If I’m being honest, you look my age. I just find it hard to believe that someone like you could ever be interested in someone like me.”

Scott scoffs, “seriously? Do you truly believe that I wouldn’t be interested in someone as smart and as talented as you? Not to mention beautiful.” He leans across the table, and his free hand cups your cheek, so you stay looking at him. “Just like your drawings, you too are very beautiful, Y/N. Anyone would be lucky to have you, and yet, I’m the lucky one you chose to have feelings for.” 

His eyes move to your lips, “can I kiss you?” 

You swallow thickly, suddenly aware that anyone could see you two like this. He doesn’t seem to mind, so you throw caution to the wind and nod, “yes.”

His lips press to yours, slow and tentative, and you’re half expecting him to change his mind. He doesn’t though. He sighs and deepens the kiss, his other hand threading softly through your hair as he tilts his head to the side to gain better access. He kisses you like he wants to like he’s longed to be able to, and it makes your core throb at the thought of him wanting to do more with you. 

Scott pulls away, but he doesn’t go too far. His lip curls up in a slight smirk as his thumb grazes your lower lip. “Do you wanna get outta here?”

You stare at him with wide, unsure eyes. “What about work? Won’t we get into trouble for leaving after only being here part of the morning?”

He laughs and shakes his head, “honey, I’m your boss. You’d only get in trouble with me, and well,” he bites his lip, “I don’t plan on reprimanding you…yet.” 

“And what about you?” The concerned look on your face is the polar opposite of how your body reacts to his previous comment. If he only knew how your panties were soaked through at the thought of him choking you…spanking you… possibly even restraining you. Scott doesn’t seem like the type to be into such things, but you’ve always been told that it’s the sweet and quiet ones that are the most dominant in the bedroom.

“I’m taking the rest of the afternoon off.” He stands and holds out his hand to you for the second time that day. “Shall we?”

Scott strives for your comfort; of that much you’re sure. You fully believe that he would have offered to take you back to his place, but instead, he drives to yours, and you’re thankful that you took the time to clean up. 

It’s weird seeing your boss standing in the middle of your living room. He’s taking everything in, smiling at all of the artwork on your wall, and it’s then that you remember the piece you’ve been working on the nights that you couldn’t sleep. 

“I’ve um… I have something for you. I just finished it last night.” He follows you to your desk, and you watch as he carefully picks up the canvas. “I hope you don’t mind that I made you my official muse. I just… drawing you comes so easily to me and not to mention you’re really beautiful and I-” 

Scott slips his free arm around your waist, pulling you flush against him. The intensity of his gaze renders you speechless. “I love it, Y/N. You don’t need to explain yourself to me.” 

He kisses you again; only this time, it’s more passionate, and you can sense his urgency as his mouth moves with yours. Scott blindly sets the artwork down and backs you up until your legs hit the foot of your bed. 

“Is this okay?” He tucks a strand of hair behind your ear and searches your eyes for any uncertainty.

“Yes, it’s more than okay.”

Scott captures your lips once more and gently lays you down. It amazes you how, at this moment, he looks even more beautiful, towering over you with the look of pure, unaltered desire in his eyes, and it’s all for you. 

His gaze rakes over you, taking in the way your sundress is bunched up around your hips, the way your chest rises and falls as you breathe heavily, but mostly it’s how you’re looking up at him. There’s so much adoration, so much trust that he’ll take care of you, and that, combined with the little bit of innocence in your eyes, is his undoing.

"God, you look so damn gorgeous, baby."

You reach for his belt to get it undone and he chuckles at your haste. “You don’t have to rush this, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere.” 

A needy whine leaves your lips just as you get his zipper down, “But I want you.”

“And you have me, Y/N.” Scott pushes his dress pants down and kicks them off and his shirt joins them on the floor a moment later. Then he’s on you again, his teeth nipping the skin on your neck while his right hand pulls your panties to the side for better access. 

“You’re already so wet for me. I can’t wait to hear you scream for me while I make you cum on my cock, baby. I bet you’ll sound so pretty. 

Hearing him talk to you like this shouldn’t be as hot as it is, but you’ve thrown caution to the wind at this point. The way he’s grinding himself against your thigh makes it clear that he wants you just as bad anyway. 

“Scott, please…”

He moves down your body, leaving a chaste kiss in the valley of your breasts. His big hands hike up the bottom of your dress over the swell of your ass and he finally rests on his stomach between your spread legs. 

“I’ll take care of you, sweetheart.”

Scott’s fingertips hook around the waistband of your panties and he slowly slides them down your legs. He tosses them somewhere behind him and grabs you by the hips, pulling you toward him. Starting at your ankle, he leaves a trail of open-mouth kisses, each one a claim that leaves you more breathless the closer he gets to where you want him most. 

One of his hands holds you in place while the two middle fingers on his other one move slowly through your soaked folds. He pushes them in just as his lips close around your clit and you swear you’ve died and gone to heaven. 

“Scott! Oh, my god!”

He flicks your bundle of nerves with his tongue and moves his fingers slightly faster. “Mmm, you taste so fuckin’ good, baby. God, I could eat this pretty, little pussy all day. I swear.” He’s taking his time with you and although it feels sinfully good, you want more. You want to come undone on his tongue.

His movements are precise and calculated as if he’s trying to map out every place that makes you cry out for him. Scott’s grip tightens, his thumb slotting in the divot of your hip to allow for better leverage as he devours your pussy. 

Your hands tangle in his short, dark locks, desperately trying to pull him closer to your core as you grind against his mouth. The sensation of the way his tongue rolls across your clit is unlike anything you’ve ever felt and when he curls his fingers to rub the rough patch inside of you, it makes your eyes roll back. 

“Oh, my fucking god! Scott! Baby, please!”

His eyes lock with yours and he groans, the vibrations making your legs start to shake. The determination to make you fall apart for him is unmistakable. His pupils nearly cover all of the blues of his irises, and the way he’s looking at you makes you clench around him. 

“Oh, fuck… fuck you’re gonna…I’m gonna…”

Scott adds a third finger and you arch your back. You feel your walls begin to flutter and with one careful drag of his teeth, you shatter into a million pieces. He works you through it, slowly pumping his fingers while the aftershocks of your orgasm ripple over you in waves. Finally, he pulls off of you and you smile blissfully at him, the feral look on his face telling you that he’s not even close to being done with you. 

“I’m gonna fuck you full of my cum, babydoll.”  

He moves up so he can kiss you, the taste of yourself on his tongue making you whimper as he lines his cock up to your entrance. “Gonna fuckin’ ruin you, pretty girl.”

The stretch to accommodate him is a pleasure you’ve never known. He begins to move and you wrap your legs around his waist so he’s flush against you every time he slides home. He leans on his forearm so he can kiss you while the slow drag of his cock makes you moan his name like a prayer. 

“Scott! Oh, god, baby, you feel so good…”

“Yeah? Do you like that, Y/N? You’re bein’ so good for me, honey.” He peppers kisses along the column of your throat before sucking a reddish, purple mark in the same spot. “Fuck, your pussy’s so good…taking me so well. None of those boys your age know how to make you feel this way, do they baby? Come on, tell me. Tell me who fucks you this good.”

You cry out, the kindling of your second orgasm sparking into a red, hot flame. “You do! Fuck, baby, only you do!”

“That’s right, sweetheart. Only I can make you feel this good.”

Scott said he was going to ruin you, and he’s done just that. No one you’ve ever been with before has fucked you like this, and you’re convinced that no one else ever will. It doesn’t matter anyway because you can’t imagine wanting anyone else. You knew you were attracted to him from the beginning, but it took you until now to realize that you belong to him.

“Scott! Oh, god, please! Please, I want you to make me cum! I wanna be a good girl and cum for you again!”

His eyes gleam with lust as he looks down at you. “My sweet girl,” he coos. “You’re so polite. Asking me for permission and wanting to be my good little girl. Is that what you need? Do you need to cum all over my cock, baby?” 

You only nod, because it’s all you can do. He’s fucking you harder, the flared head of his dick hitting your spot at an angle that makes your vision go white. 

“That’s it, Y/N. Come on, honey. Let go for me.”

And so you do. You scream his name and nearly sob as pure bliss flows through your body like a tidal wave. Scott isn’t far behind, his teeth sinking into the skin of your shoulder as he paints your walls with his cum. 

You’re still shaking in his arms and you plant a soft his into his sweaty hair. He sighs and turns his head to the side so he can look up at you. 

“I don’t know how it’s possible, but I swear you’re even more beautiful.” 

You blush and shake your head, “Thank you, but you’re the beautiful one.”

“I’m serious, Y/N. You’re stunning.”

You smile, but it doesn’t meet your eyes and Scott frowns. “What do I have to do to prove it to you, pretty girl?”

You smile and lightly stroke his arm, “I don’t know, but I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

He closes his eyes and feels himself begin to drift off. He’d already decided the moment he realized you felt the same way he did. No matter what it takes, he’ll make sure you always know how much he cares for you. His reply comes easily, and even though it’s barely audible he knows you hear him. 

“Hi, baby,” you croaked after the beep. “All your other numbers have been disconnected except this one. I just wanted to hear your voice again. I miss you. We all do. I just… today marks almost a year since you’ve been gone. We’re not… I’m not doing great. I mean, I’m trying because I know you’d want me to, but… it’s not easy, De. Sam has Eileen and he’s… he’s doing better. He’s smiling again. Laughing. I’ve been smiling too, but it’s more because I have to. I sure as hell don’t feel like it,” you stated, trying to hold back tears. “The other night everyone came over for a game night. It’s been the first one since you’ve been gone. And when everyone left, I just shut myself in our room and cried for hours. I kept imagining you sitting across from me, laughing, stealing from the Monopoly bank when you thought no one was looking. I’m not nearly as good at it. Claire called me out immediately. Donna wouldn’t stop taking pictures. Dean, you’d be losing your mind over how many photos she was taking. I could almost hear your voice going, ‘Really? Another one?’” you chuckled, on the brink of letting all your tears fall. “But, um… she took this one photo of Sam and Eileen and me… just the three of us. And that’s what my life is now, without you. It’s pictures without you. It’s memories without you. You should be here, Dean. You should be here and I’m so angry that you’re not. But I say that every week when I call your number just to hear your voice. My heart hurts. I don’t know how to move on without you, Dean. I miss you. I miss you so much, and I love you. And when you –” Your voice finally broke, tears falling from your eyes, “When you d-died… fuck, I can’t even admit it to myself, I can’t even s-say it out loud… y-you’re gone. You’re gone and you took most of me with you. You were my better half, De,” you cried, sobbing into the phone. “You were my better half and you – I want you back. I want you to come back, De. I miss you.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Dean whispered, as he sat down next to you on the bed. “Baby, I wish you could hear me. I’m right here. I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he continued softly, as he moved to touch your face in an attempt to wipe your tears. He wished he could touch you. He wished you could feel him. “You’re my girl; I’m waitin’ for you. Baby,” he sniffled, his voice beginning to crack too, “you’re not alone. I wish I could show you that you’re not alone. I’m right here. I see how hard it’s been for you. I see it when you can’t listen to Zeppelin anymore or even look at pie. And Baby’s been out in the garage for a year and I actually really need someone to drive her soon. She can’t sit like that for long,” he teased, chuckling to himself as he tried to hold back tears. He knew you couldn’t bring yourself to look at Baby, let alone get in and drive her. “Sweetheart… please, try and push forward for me, okay? I promise I’m here. I’m here and I’m with you every step of the way. I miss you too, baby. So much.” Dean placed a hand on your shoulder.

You sobbed as you felt a tickle on your shoulder, and then a shiver run down your back. You figured it was just the cold air turning on, but that’s not what you told yourself. You wanted to believe it was him, telling you he was there. As stupid as that may seem, it’s what helped you heal. You placed your hand on your shoulder. “I love you,” you whispered to your empty bedroom as another tear rolled down your cheek.