I'm so excited for the Ghost fanfic part3 <333, Also bro you're doing great and your English is actually amazing, thank you for blessing us with your cute fics ♥️
Thank you so much for being here!!!
I'm gonna try harder to get the grammar perfectttt
Find all my fics below!
Ghost Of A Connection
-> [ANGST] In which you work at the nearest store at base, Ghost being your least favourite and unfortunately, most frequent, customer. Is there a connection there, or is it in his head?
If I meant something to you.
[Part 2]
[Part 3]
-> [ANGST] You want him, but does he want you?
Just a memory
[Part 2]
-> You viewed Simon as your friend, but clearly he didn't feel the same
His name is Ghost
->
Impressive yet unimpressed
[Part 2] Unimpressive yet Impressed
-> [ANGST] In which König overhears gossip about him, and the change in his actions affect you, physically and mentally. Part 2 -> He attempts to reconcile with you after his attack.
König und Prinz: Meine Entführer
-> Your attempts to run away with your son fails, and your husband confronts you. Seems like he's really influencing your little one.
König und Prinz: My Escape
-> You've successfully escaped! Or have you...
Silent Smoker
-> [FLUFF] Price can't seem to find his missing cigars...and you're the only culprit.
Tulips or Roses?
-> blurb - rose meets tulips
-> [ANGST to FLUFF] In which you find John's old diary detailing his love for you his teammate and you begin to question his love for you.
-> Gaming with König
your tulips and roses fic was SCRUMPTIOUS omggg 🥹😫✨ i was also wondering are we going to get more Captain Price angsty fics in the future ??
Thank uuuuu
Duh ofc! I live for angst 😝🫶 feel free to give me ideas, anything in particular?
Here's Part 1 and Part 2 hehehe enjoy ;> Word Count: 5k trigger warning: drugging. viewer discretion is adviced.
He would stay over at your flat, shower you with wet kisses, and the next day he'd walk right past you as if you didn't exist.
It felt like at times Simon did really love you. He listened you to, he brushed and plaited your hair post sex, but sometimes it's like his brain would switch and his behaviour would mimic that of a ghost.
Though it been nearly 3 months since he'd popped that question in the car, you often found yourself regretting your decision.
"I do like him...but I mean- it's just, he doesn't like me back you know? Sometimes I wake up and he's just staring at me like I've just told him I've killed his dog. I mean, he doesn't have a dog I don't think, but if he did, he'd prefer the dog over me, y'know.
I don't even know why I said yes that day. I mean, he's the first real guy that's actually shown interest in me. Maybe that's why I crave his attention so much. He makes me actually enjoy being with my family, if that's so hard to believ-"
"With all due disrespect, d'ya know you?" Your neighbour answers finally.
You stare back, blood rushing to your face, "I literally live next door to you. I smile at you before I leave for work every morning-"
"So, there's nothing wrong with your face?
"What? You know me- and I'm talking about Simon, he's next door to me too..."
"What?"
"You know skull face..."
"Who?"
"Tall buff dude, y'know."
"Huh?
"Riley-"
"Oh, the guy with the big dick."
You choke on your saliva, "What- How? Um..."
"Military dude yeah? The fit blonde? Yeah, he's big, if you get what I'm saying, virgin."
You furrow your eyebrows, words trailing off, "No I'm not...I'm sorry, how'd you know..."
"Yeah, he's fucked like everyone in this building, girl. Why d'ya think he doesn't come to the flat meetings? 'Cos then he'd be surrounded by all the people he's stuck his dick in, duh." She states like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Guy comes in, drinks a bit, and runs out."
"...I thought it was because he was nervous to see....me?" At this point, you don't know if you're telling your neighbour or asking her.
"Oh girl don't be delusional, you ain't no Beyonce. Anyway, been a while since I got that dick. Let 'im know next time you see 'im." She winks at you before, hobbling off with her walking stick.
"Yeah...sure...wait- Mrs Brenda, you're like 65... AND MARRIED-"
When the 3rd month anniversary mark finally reached, Simon decided to treat you to an expensive meal at a luxurious restaurant.
And by that I mean, 6 McNuggets at Maccies.
"They're cold, babe." He complains, slouching across you, one leg bent and propped on his seat.
Yes, Simon. Because you spent 15 minutes arguing with the worker for an extra packet of mayo. But you refrained yourself from saying that, in case you'd anger him further.
"So how's the task force?"
You've learnt very little about Simon, one part that stuck out to you was that the people he was closest to was his team in the military, naming his Captain John Price, who seemed to pop up in every conversation the two of you had.
"You got that 'lil mustache on yer face again."
"Excuse me?"
"Nah babe, it's cute. Reminds me of Captain's."
It hurt even more when he showed you a picture of John Price and you're face to face with a middle aged man with a full grown beard, who's being compared to the peach fuzz on your upper lip.
"Team's good." He sighs out of exhaustion. "Soap's engaged now, y'know."
You smile, mind suddenly racing to the thought of Simon proposing to you, but you shake it away, oddly cringing at the thought.
"'Old man's thinking of getting transferred to the States. Finally..."
The thought of Simon being jealous over his Captain was always a hidden theory for you. He'd mention it so frequently, it was as if he was keeping tabs on his superior, bringing it up at every moment at his signs of weakness. And when he'd compare Price to you, it was never in a positive light, rather one where it felt like he was looking down at Price, but through you.
You wondered if Simon had a superiority complex, and maybe that's why he'd chosen a little naive lamb like you, to project all of his insecurities onto you.
I mean, you're not gonna do anything about it are you? Nah, you're gonna take it like the good little girl you are.
I mean you are right now- literally.
His dick is cramped right in your pussy, his rounded tip rapidly kissing at your cervix. His chapped lips crash against yours, but you can't seem to ignore the faint taste of his Big Mac through his mouth.
"Can tell your cunt likes that, 'lil slut." He seethes out, through inconsistent breaths. You can barely hear him, through the sound of your sweaty bodies colliding and the ringing through your head.
You hum uncomfortably. It was gonna be a long night.
The following weekend, you find yourself spending eons getting dolled up for a get together at the base. You decorated your face with a bold smokey eye, paired with a lined red lip, only to be mocked by Simon.
"Red? We're going to base, not the circus."
So you take off the lipstick. And the eye makeup. In fact, even when you changed from a tight black pencil skirt to a matching sweatshirt and joggers combination, you still find yourself being berated by Simon.
"Getting kinda lazy with the clothes huh, love?" He asks, cocking his eyebrows towards you.
Is he for real?
Grunting in response, you look out the window, shoving your headphones in, grateful for the noise cancelling feature so you wouldn't have to sit through Simon's mouth breathing throughout the journey.
The meeting itself was as awkward as imagined. The moment the pair of you entered the room, Simon decided to detach his arm wrapped around your shoulder and immediately brisk walk to the nearest woman possible. If he was trying to fool his team to thinking he was single...boy was he good at it.
Being left out in an unfamiliar space was unfortunately not too foreign for you, and you quickly found solace by the water fountain, sipping on a plastic cup of lukewarm water.
"Bored, eh?"
You jump, having zoned out.
You turn to a man you've seen oh so many times on Simon's phone.
"Captain John Price?" You smile.
"The one and only, lass. My, a pair of sweatpants. Priorising comfort, are we?" He jokes, lightly.
"Were you expecting lingerie?"
"Pretty either way." He chuckles, and you eye the way his eyes squint as he smiles, and the smile lines painting his cheeks. You shouldn't be looking at your boyfriend's competition captain this way.
You're at peace with John. You find yourself opening up about yourself, something you now know you couldn't truly do around Simon. John cared about what you said, reacting to every joke you dropped here and there, unlike Simon, who plays connect the dots with your forehead blemishes as you rant passionately.
John chuckles, "Oh God. Work sounds intense."
You hum, admiring his laughter, which cuts off to the sound of a loud buzzing (buttplug?) coming from his back pocket. He excuses himself from the conversation, but you can't help but eavesdrop.
"John Price speaking. Yes. Uh huh-what? Another soldier? Same substance? Christ's sake...Doctor's got a name? Succiny- Succinylc- what? Okay, okay. I'm coming, gimme 20 minutes-what, now? I'm...busy" He turns to flash you a small smile, "Okay, fine. Dammit."
"You okay, seemed urgent?"
He dramatically sighs, "We both got work problems...There's been a...how do i say this...another one of our soldiers have been getting drugged?" It sounds more of a question than an answer, "We think it's some sort of new drug on the black market, and now that our enemy's have a hold of it, our soldiers...fuck, getting drugged left, right and centr- Sorry, um, unauthorized information..." He trails off, realising he's said too much.
You're ears perk up, "Drugs? What are the um, symptoms?" You can't help but be curious.
John looks around, as if to check if anyone was listening to the conversation, though most people are hammered on hardcore liquor and cigarettes. He lowers his voice, "Starts off with headaches, nausea, then there's seizures...worst case scenario is paralysis. Gotten 4 of our soldiers already, poor men, had to be medically dismissed...."
You hum, silently and unsure of what to reply with. If you were attempting to flirt with John, the mood had definitely dissipated.
"But hey, listen. You ever need a change of pace, a better job, you can call me." He grabs your hand, and messily writes his phone number with a biro, winking before he leaves.
Maybe you will call him.
As the sky becomes darker and the clock strikes past 9 P.M., you find yourself walking outside the building, searching for Simon.
"...annoying."
Huh? You peer over the corner to overhear the conversation. Was that Simon?
"..follows me around a sad 'lil shit."
Was he talking about you?
You catch a quick glance, confirming that it was indeed a drunk Simon, with who you believe was Soap.
"Her mum's hotter, too. All over me." Simon boasts, whipping out his phone, presumably to show them a picture of your mother, as it sparks a 'milf alert' comment from Soap.
"...nothing compared to her. She's like a doormat."
You look at Simon, and for a second, you swear he made deliberate eye contact with you.
For a moment, time pauses.
...
Spineless.
You're spineless.
I mean, it may be true. But the truth doesn't always have to come out, no?
After doing so much for this man, you'e still...spineless?
Laying at the comfort of your bed, dragging a tipsy Simon out of the car and him rushing to his flat, you find yourself gazing down at the smudged ink on your palm. Maybe it's time to switch your job.
Who knows who you'll run into...
That night, you rest, dreaming about John Price.
You're in an abyss in your dreams, John's pale muscular arms wrap around your frame, with the faint scent of cigars and whisky wafting around your nose. You blink and you see the bottom of his groomed beard, and small smile resting on his tired face.
You blink once more. But this time, you don't see John Price. This time, you're staring into the sullen eyes of a skeleton-masked man, lifelessly staring straight at you with no emotion. You look down the body of Simon.
The lower half of his body was missing.
By the third blink, you jolt awake and look around, but this time you're on the floor wrapped in your quilt and covered in sweat. Very much alone.
What was this dream trying to tell you?
The jump from retail to cyber-operations was large and challenging. You went from serving customers to quite literally serving the country, from scanning items to defending the weapon's system. But 2 weeks into your new career and you feel like you've actually put your degree to some use.
Your family have been ringing you almost weekly, asking about your new position, although it's mainly your mother interrogating you about Simon.
And to say he was upset with your choice of working with the army, was an understatement, in his words, he felt like you were crowding him in all areas of his life. His home, his workplace, and now his mind.
You'd ask him to drop you off, considering he's going the same way, but he'd come up with unjustified excuses.
"Can't. Need to be there early."
"Nah, gonna distract me, love."
"Can't be seen with you." He mutters the last one, but you're not deaf and Simon can't exactly whisper very well. Sometimes you wonder why you haven't broken up with him.
So you've resorted to the next option.
Public transport. Calling John Price.
"You're not a burden, sweetheart. Who's been tellin' you that?"
You subordinate <3 But you can't say that, so you resort to casually laughing at his question. You can't help but think about the reoccurring dream you've been having, they always start the same.
You're in a abyss, and you're in the arms of John Price, you blink and suddenly face to face with the half-corpse of Simon. You're struggling to work out the deeper message of the visio-
"Love, you there? Went to lala-land or something?"
Think about John Price. Focus on him, why are you still bound to that jerk? You think.
"I'm good. So uh, how's the situation with you? And the um...drugs thing?" You look at him, your words surprising yourself, since when did you have an interest in drugs?
"Oh, uh. We're not allowed to disclose that sweetheart...besides, Simon didn't tell you? Kinda big thing here..."
Of course, Simon wouldn't tell me, why would he? You tell me, John.
You give him your best puppy dog eyes, eyebrows knitting together, "Oh..."
He runs his thick fingers through his brunette hair, adjusting himself in his seat, "Succinylcholine. There's a mixture, but that's the main component. Causes paralysis to the legs and spine...seems like that's what they wanted, to paralyse our soldiers, 7th victim this we..."
Paralysis huh. You turn to look at the passing trees outside the windows. Paralysis to the spine and legs...
By the time you reach work, you're at your computer by your desk, typing away at the lines of code on your programme, once again eavesdropping to the conversations in your vicinity.
"...it's the same location they keep getting deployed, why are they getting deployed there again?"
"Captain Price is going this time..."
"...2nd guy's in a coma now..."
The chatter dies down to the loud slam of the door: Your supervisor.
"People. Come on. Chop chop, we have deadlines to meet. Stop the chatter, fucks sake."
You get back to your screen, but you can't help but shake the unsettling feeling off your mind.
Ding!
11:26 A.M. Si:- Come outside on your break. Need to talk.
I guess you're finally breaking up.
"Getting deployed."
Simon's scarred hands caress yours, gently lifting your ring finger and slotting a shiny silver ring, with a skull stuck in the center. You think back to the times where you told Simon that you preferred gold jewelry over silver, since it complimented your skin tone better. To love is to be seen I guess.
A crowd of soldiers begin whistling at the scene, and Simon retracts his hands almost instantaneously.
"Wanted to give this to you for anniversary...but I ordered it a little late."
You hum, immediately twisting the ring around your ring. It's tight and cramped.
"How's work?" He asks, his eyes roaming around the people behind you, his gaze not falling on you once since the conversation had started.
"Oh it's goo-"
"Cool. So um, here's my key if you need something." He hands you his key, more like shoving it into your chest, before pressing a chaste kiss on your forehead and running off towards the crowd of soldiers that were now practicing drills.
Seems like you've gotten promoted from girlfriend to house-keeper.
By 8 P.M., you and a handful of your colleagues began to go home.
With your 4th cup of caffeine in your hand, you check Simon's text once more.
7:52 P.M. Si:- What time u finish Si:- 8? Si:- Too long to wait, going home
He couldn't wait 8 minutes?
As you trudge past the empty hallway, you're met face to face with the door of the lab, which you notice was half open.
You felt like a character in Alice in Wonderland. Trespassing is a crime, is it not?
A normal person would just inform a staff member and go home right? Definitely wouldn't enter the room. And definitely wouldn't head straight towards the counter that held various labelled test tubes.
Definitely wouldn't snatch a test tube labelled danger, and most definitely stuff it in their bag and run out the door, as if they haven't basically committed a crime.
But it's a good thing you wouldn't consider yourself a normal person.
The wind blows against your skin when you finally make it outside, and it feels like natures punishing you for breaking into the army's laboratory. With your bag clutched tightly against your chest, your mind begins racing - what if someone saw you? What about cameras? What if-
"There you are love. Thought I'd have to come 'n get you myself."
John leans against his range rover, wrapping his large military jacket around your shoulders, and you instantly lean into his towering frame.
"John...didn't you go home?"
He shakes his head. "Saw Simon speeding off the moment we finished, thought you needed a ride, especially at this time."
The wind blows against you again, and your smile falters, remembering the contents of your bag.
"Can we go home now? Please?"
A comforting silence accompanied the drive, with John's palm ghosting your thigh ever so slightly and you had to resist every urge in your body to just lock hands with him.
So you do.
His large hand encompassing yours completely. If his grin could widen anymore, they just did, and you swear you could see faint dimples decorating his cheeks.
But they fall just as quickly, jerking his hand back.
"Nice ring."
You're visibly confused, eyes dragging back to the tight skull band wrapped around your ring finger.
Fuck you, Simon.
When you exit John's car at the entrance of the block of flats, your eyes catch another deep brown pair of menacing eyes, standing at the balcony, hiding behind a black balaclava. You can't see the lower portion of the face, but you'd bet your life that there was a smirk hidden behind the cloth.
You grit your teeth, tossing the ring by the nearest bush as the car drives off. The grip around your bag tightens, and you remember the test tube.
If you're going to ruin my chances of love, I'll ruin your chances of life, Simon Riley.
A week later and the test tube lay aimlessly on your bedside time, alongside a small post card gifted yesterday from your truly. John Price, that is, not Simon.
Leaving soon - If I find something you like, I'll bring it for you :-D - J Price
Even the way he drew his little smiley faces warmed you.
On the other hand, Simon had shot you a single text, ignoring all the spelling mistakes.
Si:- bee home ina mont. by.
When he gets home, you're immediately breaking up with him, assigning yourself mental homework.
But for the meanwhile, you have to decide what to do with the test tube...for now you decide it's too risky to keep it at home, who knows if the wrong people get their hands on it.
So you opt to shoving into deep into your purse.
At work, as you walk back to your team's common room, you hear the commotion coming from the...laboratory?
"Doctor, how careless are you?"
"Sir...I-I-I didn't do anything! The lab was locked, I don't know who would have taken it-"
"And how are we sure you haven't stolen it? I mean for all we know, you might have the drug at home. How do we know you're a traitor and working for the other side. I should have you reported."
"Boss, you've known me for the longest! And why don't you stop shouting me and get these cameras fixed already-"
"Captain Price's gonna flip and fire his entire team when he comes back-"
"If he comes back that is-"
"Boy if you don't shut your mout-"
Scurrying to the common room, you shut the door abruptly. You don't why you stole the drug, but you do know you can't let anyone find out about what you did.
Not Simon.
Not John.
A month had nearly gone by, and a train of gifts has began coming, from small affirmation notes to bags of lego flower bouquets and teddy bears. All of course, accompanied by a small note with the signature smiley face :-D.
Considering the notes weren't hand written, you couldn't tell whether it was from Simon or John, though it was quite obvious. Even though you liked John, you couldn't help but feel some sort of sorrow towards Simon. I mean, who else does he have apart from you?
On a dark Friday evening while you and your team were getting ready to leave, the sound of shouting followed by stampede coursed through the hallway. Screams of terror broke from whom you made out to be doctors and nurses.
"What's happening?" You turn to your coworker.
"More people have gotten drugged, like 7 this time..."
You couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt washing over you, considering a sample of the weapon of the crime was quite literally concealed with your belongings.
"Oh -"
"Apparently, Captain Price and Liutentant Riley were involved."
That was enough to strike a nerve. You don't know which name hit you harder, but before your colleague could even stop you, you began sprinting down the hallway towards the hospital rooms.
By the time you reach though, it's already too late, and the doors have shut, the nurse informing you that surgeries have already begun undergoing. But for who, they didn't disclose.
It didn't matter who it was, you just had a reoccurring thought that if maybe you had left the sample alone, maybe a curve could have already been developed.
Oh God, this is your fault isn't it....?
A person's going to die in your hands, and you're not even a soldier.
With discomfort running through your nerves, you sit by the hospital rooms, your hands feeling heavy under the weight of your head, waiting to hear more from the nurses. But as they rush in and out of the room with urgency, your voice gradually drowns out by the monotonous beeping of the machines inside.
4 hours go by, and you can't tell if it from the lack of sleep or not, but the staff around you shoot you looks of pity as if you're in critical condition. Those hours in the waiting room felt like hell, and you couldn't help but notice the lack security in the building. No cameras again, huh?
"Nurse, is John Price in there?" You ask wearily, the strain in your voice was evident.
The nurse shakes her head, "It's Lieutenant Riley."
Your breath hitches, and unfortunately you can't help but a slight feeling of relief.
"Is he okay? Was he...drugged?"
The nurse clenches her jaw, "That information can't be disclos-"
"He's my boyfriend." You urge, standing up to meet the nurse eye to eye.
The palpable tension in the air was uncomfortable and pervasive, hanging over the room like a heavy fog, and the nurse eventually breaks, slowly opening the door to what looked like a corpse.
"No traces of the drugs were found in his body, but there's no way to really say in the early stages...He is displaying some symptoms however..." She reads off a clipboard.
You nod, though her words aren't really getting to your head, "Like...paralysis?" There's no movement from the bed, just the constant ringing from the machines.
The nurse pauses, "No. Headaches, and muscle pain, just the regular. Bullet shot in the shoulder, but that's been taken care off. We're still monitoring him. I'll be outside if you need anything." With that she leaves, shutting the door behind you. And you find yourself alone with Simon's corpse.
Simon's face looks like broken china, like fine art but damaged externally, yet still holding the essence of its beauty within. His features, usually composed and serene, now bore the cracks of strain and worry. His under eyes were now darker than ever, and you couldn't help but press your now tear soaked lips across his rough cheek, until you stopped.
His neck, though scarred, bore scattered red marks, which you know could be confused with a rash. But it wasn't.
They were hickies.
Fresh hickies.
It's been a month since you've last seen Simon, so you immediately rule out yourself, disregarding the fact that you haven't even been intimate with anyone in a while.
As you sit beside the bed, a surge of anger rises within you, fueled by the betrayal and disappointment coursing through your veins. You want nothing more than to confront Simon, to unleash a torrent of accusatory questions upon him, but you know it would be futile.
His chest rises and falls gently, a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within you.
The situations looks like that particular scene straight from your dreams. Dark room, alone with Simon, him laying there still.
His body is still intact, you think. Intact and littered with marks.
You try to recall what happens in the dreams after this, but you always wake up at the last second.
And you can't help but inch your hand towards your purse., the outline of the test tube screaming at you to finally use it.
Use it for the reason you had originally stolen it for.
Use me.
Drug him. It screams. It's not like he ever loved you? Francesca, remember her? The other women? Your own mother, your own flesh and blood? Think about the times he forgot your anniversary, your birthday, when he insulted you, in front of you, in front of others, hell, even behind your back! You're spineless remember.
I mean you'd be doing the world a favour, getting rid of this from this world, wouldn't you?
Wouldn't you.
John Price would be proud of you wouldn't he?
He finally be with you.
With a steady hand, you reached into your purse and retrieved the test tube, its contents glinting in the dim light of the hospital room. You hesitated for a moment, your heart pounding in your chest, before steeling yourself and uncapping the tube.
The acrid scent of the drug filled the air, its toxic fumes making you gag slightly. But you pushed past the discomfort, focusing all your attention on the task at hand. With precision, you extracted the entire liquid from the tube and carefully poured it into Simon's IV drip, mentally wincing at how effortlessly you had manipulated the situation.
You have to get rid of the drug somehow, and if it means using it against him, then so be it.
The next morning had come and you're awaken by the phone buzzing by your bedside table, the screen lighting up with John's name. You hesitate, your fingers hovering over the screen for a moment before you finally answer, steeling yourself for whatever news awaits you on the other end of the line.
"Hello?" Your voice comes out strained, betraying the anxiety churning within you.
"Hey angel, it's me," John's voice crackles through the phone, the urgency in his tone palpable. "You need to come to the hospital. It's Simon."
Without a word, you hang up the phone and hail a cab, the journey to the hospital passing in a blur of anxious thoughts and racing heartbeat. Did they find out you stole the drugs? No...how could they? The empty test tube is in your bin, at home, not at the hospital and there's no cameras at you recall...
Arriving at the hospital, you're met with a scene of controlled chaos. Doctors and nurses bustle about, their faces tense with worry. You navigate through the maze of corridors, the familiar scent of antiseptic hanging heavy in the air.
Finally, you reach Simon's bedside, and what you see makes your heart drop into the pit of your stomach. Simon manually lies propped up against the pillows, his face pale and drawn, his body racked with violent tremors as he retches into a basin. The sight is enough to make you physically ill, although it slowly dissipates, seeing the now purple marks on his necks darkening.
John appears beside you, and without a word, he takes your hand in his, his grip steady and reassuring, pressing a small kiss at the side of your head. In that fleeting moment, the world falls away, leaving only the two of you suspended in time.
"I'll be outside," he mumbles, leaving with you with Simon.
With a heavy heart, you take a seat beside him. Simon looks up at you, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion. It takes all your strength to meet his gaze, the truth burning like acid on your tongue.
"Hey." He groans out. He can barely move, as his head painfully cranes to look at you, the effects of the drugs taking effect slowly.
"What happened." But it's more of a demand than a question.
Simon sniffs, "Traces of drugs..."
"No. I meant your neck."
He pauses, like he was trying to carefully choose his words, though he didn't have much of a escape now.
"Don't act like I see you and Price-"
"Don't bring him into this, Simon."
Don't lie to me anymore.
A tear rolls down his cheek, but you can't tell if it's crocodile tears or not.
"They-they... dismissed me."
You hum, a smirk gradually building up on your face.
"Why?"
Simon closes his eyes, "Back. My spine. Can't move it..."
You let out a slow, deep breath, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on you like a heavy stone.
"I know." Your voice is barely above a whisper, but the words hang heavy in the air between you. "I drugged you."
Simon's eyes wince once again, studying your face silently.
"Excuse me?" He begins.
You stand up, placing your purse back on your shoulder.
"What- what do you mean? You he-heard me? Love. Listen to me-"
You walk towards the door.
"WAIT. Wait. What do you mean you knew? You said you knew. What. What did you do. Sweetheart. Come back. Let's talk. You love me don't you? I love you! Where's that ring I gave you?"
You laugh, twisting the door handle.
"Baby, you better not fuckin' leav- THEY'LL FIND OUT-"
"And who's going to believe a damaged, deluded man, Simon Riley? You were out on a mission, I'll pin the blame on the enemies."
Simon shakes in his bed, unable to control any part of his body now. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME- HOW FUCKIN' DARE YOU- After that life I gave you-"
"Life? You call that living?"
"I LOVED YOU WHEN NO ONE ELSE DID-" His voice is painfully loud now, you're wondering how no one's running to his room already.
"Love? You don't know one thing about love, you fucker."
"I should have never fucked you, you- YOU BITCH-" He shouts, his body flailing violently, globes of tears racing down his clenched jaw and red cheeks.
"Rot in hell Simon Riley, I guess we're both fucking spineless now."
And that's a wrap for this mini seriesss - thank all of you for sticking around ;D IM AWARE IT TOOK SO LONG- I KEPT WRITING IT AND FOR SOME REASON IT DIDN'T AUTOSAVE LIKE TWICE??? SO I HAD TO REWRITE IT- Quick Notes: Let's all be real. We wanted reader to get with ol' john boy. But let's also be for real, if Reader was an object, she'd be a doormat. Although I've implied John Price x You, the bitch really needs to focus on herself and sort her shit out right now 💀 in the near future they're together for sure. ALSO the reference of drugs is highly inaccurate but let's all switch our imaginations on <3 lemme know you're interested to be tagged in my future posts! tags -> @lilliumrorum, @kxtz3, @poohkie90, @rainlovesyou12 , @restrictionsapply-blog , @lunamoonbby , @nigthmar3moon , @thychuvaluswife , @itsnourm , @bubusi11, @owkittie, @cheomain , @corvusmorte , @k4es , @mandythemint , @copiasratscheese , @yyiikes , @funkyyysho3s
HEYY DAWG, hope you’ve had an awesome time so far. I wanted to ask if you have any plans to make a part 2 of “A Ghost of a Connection” Ghost fanfic. I lowkey been stalking ur page, hoping. No pressure tho. 😊😊
DAWG YOU GOT ITT part 2 under constructionnn
The pressure is on 😭
Again I apologise for the delay, I've got uni exams coming so I've been busy revising 😭😭😭
i literally check ur acc everyday for part 3😭
NOOO IM SORRY ITS COMING PROMISE IM HALFWAY THRU
Part 2 to Impressive yet unimpressed! In which König attempts to reconcile with you after his attack. TOOK 4EVER but part 2 is here teehee fuck midterms Word count: 4.3k; translations in purple, shout out google translate.
König sat on the cold plastic chair beside your hospital bed in the infirmary, for what felt like months. 2 to be exact.
The room was empty at 2 A.M on a grey Sunday. Of course it was, it was 6 hours past visiting hours ended, but König couldn't help but enter through the infirmary's window, tiptoe past all the injured, asleep soldiers, and rest on the chair, watching your chest painfully heave up and down, with ragged breathes.
His first sane thought was to break into the respected infirmary, where he remembers laying after broken bones, with you besides him. It makes sense for him to return the favour.
I mean...he's the reason you're in a coma in the first place...
After attempting to check up on you, he'd overheard the doctors' order: You see a poorly dressed mammoth of a man, you tell security immediately. The poor girl's distressed enough, mentioned the Colonel's name and her heart rates quicken to an alarming rate.
That broke his heart. He loved having such an affect on you, yes! But in a 'cutesy-butterflies-in-my-stomach' way, not a 'panic-attack-about-to-die-omfg-scary-man-alert' way!
So he sits here, patiently waiting for the sun to rise, so he can exit the infirmary as quietly as possible, and sneak into, yet again, another room. Yours. Where he lays in your bed. Using your expensive floral soaps. Ate your food. Anything to feel like you were with him again.
He swears he sees your fingers shift, closed eyes twitching ever so gently, but according to your files (which he stole), stated that you 'were in a worse state that before, slowly recovering although there's limited hope,' and ah 'one of the worst non-mission on-base injuries seen'.
His actions caused great harm, I mean look at you. But one would say his plan worked.
News spread like wildfire, with almost everyone talking about the combat room incident. Soldiers murmured everywhere he walked.
König means King you know, bro lives up to the name.
He's a fucking beast, beating her up like that, mans got no emotion i swear.
Heard he's getting promoted for that stunt he pulled...
And indeed he was getting more recognised. His once slow forgotten image was roaring in popularity, with his higher-ups signing him up for more missions than one should be given.
"It's a great opportunity Colonel. I mean you've improved this month! Like you're on steroids or sum'" König finds himself being cornered in the hallway of the barracks by his superior, cheeks wet and reddening under this mask, after sneaking out of your room one morning.
His superior's eyes glisten cunningly, "And uh...those moves, yeah. Impressive." His head nods, gesturing towards your room.
König squints his eyes, glaring so hard in pure shame, he swear he feels his eyeballs vibrate. But instead he walks off, vowing to abstain himself from anymore violence. He's learnt his lesson.
'Unimpressive...' he mumbles, physically shivering as his mind is forced to recall that fateful day again.
Minutes feel like days and days feel like months, and all those hospital visits from your teammates gradually decrease, some unable to see you resting corpse-like with jagged scars painting your skin, some purposely avoiding the whole situation, with paperwork as their main excuse.
But König finds solace staring at your almost dead but resting state. Yes, he cringes at the slightly bent nose, the busted lip, and the countless stitches on your scalp, but overall he notes you seem peaceful on the bed.
Not like that fearful expression you pulled before he...you remember.
Though he'd rejected the numerous proposals to lead missions, he finds himself persuaded into changing into his musky, unwashed uniform, adjusting his mask whilst attempting to silence his growing headache. One more König, one more mission. Think about who you're doing this for. Think about your future. Think about that cottage. Think about that Austrian countryside.
So he gears up, attempting to push you away from his thoughts, though he can't. He curses himself for using your floral scented soaps, his senses being heightened and hyper-focusing on it the entire ride in that aircraft. It smells like you. Not like that dreaded dull stench of the hospital.
His train of thoughts halt as his superior yells strings of commands towards his team, and his priority shifts to stays alive for you.
After exiting the aircraft he takes a good look of his surrounding, as his team gather round in group, and his face drops. It looks like just Alpbach, the countryside he wanted to settle down in with you.
His eyes catch the small row of houses and buildings kilometres away.
That was meant to be the cottage you two grow old in...
"König! Where's your mind at?"
His eyes clench.
No time for mistakes.
2000 kilometres away, lay you. Eyes indeed twitching rapidly. You were most definitely not conscious yesterday, but the memory of a German bedtime story being read to you early morning comes to you frequently, must be deja vu.
Today though, you open your eyes, lazily making eye-contact with the medical intern who'd been studying you for research purposes.
"Hey, hope you don't mind m- OH MY GOD. UM- OH. MY GOD. ¿QUÉ DEMONIOS ESTÁ PASANDO? EH, ¿POR QUÉ ESTÁ DESPIERTA? VUELVE A DORMIR." What the fuck is happening. Um, why is she awake, go back to sleep!
And a week passes by, and your movements are restricted to sitting up and switching the TV channel. But you're better. Your closest 2 teammates visit you daily now, adorning you with gifts, like your luxurious chocolates.
But no one dares mention his name. Not even you. You don't care about the lack of flowers or medals by your bed like your last hospital visit.
"But you should have seen her face-" One of your teammates chokes on his laugh, caught up on a story you'd missed, "bitch tried to tackle me-" he stifles a laugh, "ever seen a mouse try to fight a lion-"
"How are you still on that, it was 2 weeks ago!"
You turn to your other friend, stationed at the other side of your bed.
"Wow, sounds like I'm stronger than you, and I'm in hospital." You tease her, cheeks aching from smiling too hard, a painful feeling you've missed.
"Dude, I tried to tackle him, König styl- I mean. I- um. Sorry-"
Oh.
Your face flashes a pained look, before your eyebrows furrow in anger, fixating on your clenched fingers.
"She, um, she didn't mean that. It's just-" your friend tries to defend her.
"So what's that fucker up to, huh?" You ask, though it comes out more like a command than a question.
"Um...he's on a mission, like in Austria or something, I don't know.-"
You scoff, "Good, hope that asshole dies there."
Another month and another successful mission from König's team go by, and your higher ups have talked you into being stuck at an office desk, buried in paperwork. It's long and monotonous, and although you want to be focus on improving your overall physical ability, your grateful you don't see as many soldiers on the base as usual, given the amount of pitied looks you've gotten after being discharged.
But hey! The good news in that you're not doing it all on your own. You occupy a small office with a lower ranked soldier, and though you both work under different positions, you both share a similarity. Both victims of König. The soldier you'd seen on the floor, who'd looked like he'd left bleeding to death, also recovered moderately well, and he sits across your desk, cheeks always looking flushed. As if he's still sick.
"You have another pen? Um, this one's ran out."
He's got a gentle voice, like König, but his don't make you pause in fear. He's definitely not as bulky as König rather, he's on the other end of the spectrum. Shorter, leaner, less muscular. But his differences to König make you appreciate him more.
"Huh- yeah, here." You toss a pen towards him and he clumsily misses it, apologising before crouching to pick it up, and you don't fail to catch his bruised knuckles and wrists.
"Thanks..." he mumbles shyly, pulling his sleeves down after realising what your gaze on.
You both haven't discussed it, but have mentally agreed not to talk about that night in the combat room.
"Team's coming back from an assignment today. Or so I heard." He strikes up a conversation, blushing and still avoiding eye contact.
You smile at him, humming as your fingers type away at the keyboard, "Hmm, when do they get back?"
"Couple of hours from now...it's been a month I think."
You nod in response, "They wish they were doing paperwork right now."
He snorts, before coughing it away from embarrassment, but you smirk at his reaction.
"Adorable." You mumble.
"What?" His eyebrows raise.
"Huh?" You mock teasingly.
The evening of paperwork and back and forth banter goes by, and you find yourself with him - who you've now nicknamed 'Paperwork' - at the canteen, sitting and eating alone, isolating yourselves from the obvious glances and murmurs from the other soldiers, yet neither of you want to mention the obvious unspoken tension.
"All my soap's gone, Paperwork!" You look at the obvious peaking black eye that he failed to cover fully with the wrong shade of foundation.
He looks at you curiously, amused at the new found nickname.
"Like, it's gone, and my bed's all messy." There's a cut on his plump lips.
He nods awkwardly.
"Food's nice." You state, receiving a hum from him, but you focus on his swollen wrists, gently reaching to touch them.
He flinches, dropping the steel cutlery on the floor, earning more stares than before, if that was possible, squeaking an apology and continuing to eat like nothing happened.
He's cute. You smile. He's nothing like him.
You continue munching on your food, unaware of the stares you receive. Of the stare you receive.
The 6'10 colonel stands metres away from you at the entrance of the canteen, your back turned to him, as his fists clench and squeeze at the first bouquet of hand-picked Austrian flowers out of envy, as he studies your new found friendship. Considering it's the evening, he's happy he's standing in the dimly lit corridor by the mess hall doors, so he's aware that you cannot see him.
But König can see you.
Most importantly, König can see you, with him.
Was zum Teufel macht er mit ihr? He curses. What the fuck is he doing with her?
"The food's shit mate-" He's interrupted by lower ranked soldiers, and he skillfully moves out of the way to hide behind the door, as they enter the mess hall, and he swears you turn back to look at him.
He wants to walk up to you. He wants to look at you straight in the face and apologise, but he deep down knows that no matter what he says to you, what he gifts you, what he promises you- you will never forgive you for his abuse. For the way he neglected you and your feelings, for putting his greed before you.
And he knows deep down, you'd be happier with...with him. That puny guy. Aren't soldiers meant to be strong and muscular? This guys looks the same weight as König's left calf, no wonder he beat him up to a pulp.
He scoffs, ignoring the sinking feeling in his heart, hearing your laugh at whatever this guy says to you. Deep down he knows he lost you. Deep down he knows he's no longer yours.
"Hey, I'm gonna get my phone, I think I left it in my room, see you in a bit?" You ask the soldier, and after he nods, you find yourself walking towards the entrance of the mess hall.
König watches as you walk towards the door and he swears his mind pauses.
You're walking towards him? Right now? What is he meant to say to you? Are the flowers okay? Would you like them? Would you even talk to him?
He finds his anxiety catching up to him all of a sudden, head feeling light and palms beginning to sweat. Though he feels a rise of panic, he doesn't find the strength to move, not even a muscle. He wishes you were by his side, stroking his biceps.
But you're not by his side. Yet, that is.
You open the semi-transparent door, yawning inaudibly, closing your eyes in the process.
And you walk straight into a brick wall-
"Holy shit, you scared me..." You look up at him, halting immediately after you realise who you bumped into.
König looks down at you, and like his brain, his heart stops and skips a beat.
"Liebling- what- who- why are you talking to him? Are you over me that quickly?" darling-
You glare up and him angrily. Over 2 months without König and no apology? And instead he dares question your relationships with other soldiers.
"Listen mein baby, I'm tired, can we just go back to our room-" my baby
"Our room?" The first words you've uttered to König before the incident.
"Our. Room?"
König looks away in embarrassment. "Liebling, can we talk in our-your room, I don't feel comfortable being here-"
"You don't feel comfortable? You don't feel comfortable? Oh what, now I'm supposed to care about YOUR feelings like you care about MINE? Are you fucking kidding me right now?" You point your finger at his chest as you feel your emotions pouring out.
"I-"
"You don't get the fucking right to tell me what I fucking do, you insolent freak. Yeah no wonder you were abused as kid, maybe domestic violence runs in your fucking blood." König widens his eyes at that last dig, knowing you said it only to hurt him, which it did.
He watches you walk away angrily, stomping down the dark corridor, slowing fading out of his vision and into the dark.
He knows he lost you.
He knows, but he'll try again.
The next 2 weeks you receive letter upon letter, all written in various languages, some in English, some in German, some in your mother-tongue, which were definitely google translated.
And every single one, you burnt. You wake up with them under the door of your room, and every single time you take your lighter and burn the bottom right corner without even bothering to read the entire letter. König could write a fucking novel for you, but nothing would fix the evident hatred you felt for the Colonel.
"And he just sends so many damn letter, like enough Shakespeare." You groan to your paperwork partner.
Over the weeks you've definitely bonded with him more, eating together more often, roaming the grounds more often, hell, one night he even slept on the couch in your room! You're grateful to have him by your side, if he weren't there, you would be spiraling down a hole of indefinite depression. Though, you question whether you could say the same to him, and you swear he ever so silently shifts away from you.
"You shouldn't get back with him." He warns you.
You smirk, "Paperwork, you jealous?" and he coughs aggressively in response.
Your smile thins, "But for real, I would never. What he did to me, what he did to you- it's unforgivable. I promise."
He nods wincing at the thought of seeing you with König, a smile ever so gently etching on his flushed face.
"You wanna go take a walk around?"
So you both tour around the base, past the barracks, past the canteen, past that damn combat room, through the gardens, until you find yourselves sitting on the benches by the empty concrete grounds, a comfortable silence filling the air.
The sunny yet cold weather breezes past you, your pony-tailed hair gently swaying towards the direction of the wind as you stare at both your shadows in front of you.
"Weather's nic- are you fucking for real?!" You grip the bench, gritting your teeth as you see a taller third shadow rising beside the original two shadows. Paperwork, looking behind him, jumps out of the bench after realising it was his superior.
"Colonel, sir", he salutes towards König, "sir- I-."
You interrupt him instantly, "Paperwork, I love you, but shut the fuck up."
"2 weeks and we're confessing our feelings already huh?" König stares down at the two of you.
"The only person that should be confessing their feelings should be you, Colonel. To a fucking therapist." You scoff.
"Schatz, listen-"
"Nothing you say will change my mind König. I don't want to see you anymore. Can't you get that through your thick skull or is that shitty cloth on your big head getting in the way?"
König feels his eyes shut involuntarily, being bombarded with all these insults, "Can I not apologise? Did you not read my letters?"
You laugh sarcastically, "König, you're a better clown than a Colonel, cos you're a fucking joke. Now leave me the hell alone." You brisk-walk away, yanking Paperwork behind you, who shoots an apologetic look towards König.
"Scheisse...." König mumbles. Shit....
König's relentless attempts of begging for your forgiveness were all fruitless. He attempting breaking into your room to leave flowers on your bed, but he didn't realise that he'd see you and Paperwork hanging out in the living room.
"Didn't realise there was a fucking rat infestation in this fucking building." You groaned, before slamming the window shut on König's fingers, as he jumped at the pain before falling 2 stories down onto the hard ground.
And there was a time he even had the audacity to sit next to Paperwork, across from you on the dinner table in the canteen.
"Hallo-" But he was rudely ignored by you throwing your scorching hot coffee straight onto his uncovered forearms.
"NEIN, MEINE ARME, ICH WERDE STERBEN, MAMA, HILFE!" NOOOO MY ARMS I'M GONNA DIE MAMA HELP
His useless attempts to woo you remained ... well, useless. You'd never spare a second for him, unless you inflicted pain onto him, like when you knocked down the weights at the gym on top of his feet, or when you 'accidentally' kicked his crotch as he snuck up from behind you. Although you found it funny, going back to your dorm to tell Paperwork about the new event, you just couldn't scratch the burning feeling in your chest. Like you only hit him, burnt him, kicked him out of spite, out of anger, out of revenge from that pain he caused onto you. You may be angry at him for his actions, but you knew hurting him just wasn't what you wanted. You wanted to be the bigger person, and cut him out of your life once and for all.
If only he got the hint.
When you found yourself forcing yourself to knock on his door, cringing at the awkward silence, you had learned from Paperwork that König had be assigned for another mission, which was listed for 2 months.
Ahhhh, 2 months without König. What a dream.
But oh how quickly those months have gone by. One month in, and you and Paperwork were back on the field. The doctor gave you both the signal that physical activity was okay, if done carefully, so now your evenings before dinner, you two would be found dead lifting at the gym.
And damn, did Paperwork look good in a black compression shirt.
"3, come on, 2 let's go Paperboy, 1 more 1 more come on, okaayyy and you're done, well done!" You patted him on his back.
"You're getting better, boy!" You toss him your water bottle, which he takes graciously.
Out of breath but smiling, he nods contently, sitting down on the mat, gesturing you to sit beside him.
"I need to tell you something." He starts, and you look at him narrowing your eyes.
"Don't tell me you have a wife and 3 kids and home..." You snort at him, quickly silencing yourself after he doesn't return a laugh.
"Listen, I was thinking..." He looks away from you.
"This isn't for me anymore-"
You furrow your eyebrows, "This friendship, did I make you uncomfortable, did König tell you I like you?" You ramble on.
"You like me?" He tilts his head, ignoring everything else you've said.
"Huh?"
"hUh? No! No. No, I've been thinking about my career in the army, and I've done it for like 2 years now, which you know, isn't a lot, but the paperwork we did together...it changed me."
You're the confused one now.
"Maybe I'm destined for an office job, maybe this, this just isn't me..." He trails off, finally meeting your eyes, looking for an answer.
You nod, and this time you look away, "No, that makes sense."
There's a pause in the conversation, and for a while, the both of you just stare at the other gym-goers in the vicinity.
You sigh, "I've been doing some of my own thinking you know..."
"You have?"
"Yeah, I talked to the boss and I asked for a tr-"
Suddenly the door, bursts open, and your friends run towards you, huffing, "König-" huff, "He's-" huff, "oh my days, I am so out of breath, I've come to the right place, the gym!"
"Get to the damn point, woman! König in the hospital, he's been shot-"
That was enough to get you up and running.
A 4 hour surgery later, and you and Paperwork sat outside of the hospital door, the same one where you were admitted to, and the same one König lay behind. Paperwork swears he felt his eyes strain, watching you walk up and down the corridor, and he questions whether there was still some unspoken, remaining feelings you had for his superior.
The doctors, leave the room, with a solemn look to their faces, greeted with you running up to you immediately.
"So? Is he finally dead?"
"Ma'am, what- no. He's good, he's recovering rapidly. He's also asking for you." A doctor states, pointing towards, leading both you and Paperwork towards the room.
The hospital rooms still sends shivers down your back, memories of the previous few months rushing back to you all of a sudden, but you're calmed down by the soft rub on the small of your back by Paperwork, who's already looking at you with a soft smile.
You walk towards the bed, with Paperwork standing behind you.
"König. And you're still here."
You look down at you and you wince.
There König lie, bloodied and bruised worse than ever. If your state when you were admitted was described as the worse, you wondered what the doctors were to say when they saw him.
"Schnucki...bist du das?" Sweetie-pie...is that you?
"König honey, what happened?" You gently rub the tears of his swollen face.
"Feind…habe es nicht gesehen…es tut mir alles leid..." Enemy…didn't see…i'm sorry for everything
You hum stroking his bare face, and you look back to Paperwork, knowing it's probably his first time seeing the Colonel maskless.
"Papierkram, es tut mir alles leid...Ich bin ein beschissener Mann mit noch beschisseneren Taten, aber du kannst es in dir finden, mir zu vergeben...." Paperwork, i'm sorry for everything. I'm a shitty man with shittier actions, but you can find it in yourself to forgive me.
Paperwork smiles, nodding as he understood what the fuck the Colonel just said to him in the foreign language, "Sì, non preoccuparti, amico." yeah dont you worry mate (italian)
"Glaubt dieser Idiot, dass ich Italiener bin?" Does this idiot think I'm italian, König warily asks looking at you.
Stroking your cheek, you giggle.
"König, listen. What you did, was...unforgivable."
König sits up slowly with your help, listening intently.
"But as much as I want to strangle you and throw you as you did to me...it's not going to solve any issues."
König tears up.
"I'll never forgive the memories we made together König. I really did love you. But-"
"But?" he squeaks.
"But we're done. I want to be someone's priority always. And König, let's be real, you need to talk to someone about all these pent up emotions."
König nods, tears now streaming down his face.
You wipe his tears, "Hey, hey, don't cry okay, listen. I know it's hard, but it's for the best. We both need to heal and grow separately. Maybe someday we can be friends again, but we need space."
König nods again, sniffling as he tries to compose himself. "I understand. I'll seek help, I promise."
You smile softly, feeling a mix of relief and sadness. "That's all I ask. Take care of yourself, König."
He nods once more, and you lean in to give him a gentle hug before standing up. As you start to stand up, you hear him whisper, "Danke für alles." Thank you, for everything.
Paperwork walks towards you, his arm wrapped your waist.
"Pass auf sie auf, ja?" Look after her, will you?
Paperwork nods, "Sì, signore, lo farò." Yes sir i will. (italian)
"Boy if you don't- listen. I wanted to tell you both something.
The two men look at you intensely.
"What I wanted to say at the gym...and to you König...I've been thinking, for a few months now."
The two men look at each other.
"I've talked to the superiors about this, but I requested a transfer. To England. And...it was approved this morning." You mutter.
König and Paperwork widen their eyes.
"Liebling, that's amazing! I mean I'm sad to see you go as a friend and a team mate, offensichtlich, but I'm happy. Truly impressed soldier." Darling, offensichtlich - obviously.
Paperwork smiles by your side, squeezing your arm gently, "England here I come," and you chuckle to the thought with him by your side.
"Where are you being transferred to you?" König asks.
"Oh, um, Task Force One-Four-One."
Why choose between Paperwork and König when you can have both, YALL GET ME?! Also this should've have taken me so long, my God, but i'm glad it's done fr, sorry for the wait :D also not proofread, so if you see any mistakes, treat it like a middle child and ignore it <3 I have a tag list! -> lemme know you're interested to be tagged in my future posts! tags -> @lilliumrorum
Please we need second part where reader successfully escape and make a run to her parent's alone, your toxic König is too good and amazing well written 😭😭💖
toxic! König x Reader - [King and Prince: My Escape] THANK YOU!! i planned to make a bunch of one-shots under this AU, but this received a lot of love and continuation requests so here it is! I'm also finally finished with exams and coursework, so I'm actually able to breathe a bit now- oh, oh. Never mind, 2nd term starts next week, okay. Trigger warning: Kidnapping, mentions of reader's mental health, poorly translated German (oh how I love you so DeepL.com and ChatGPT) There's also a poem that's mentioned here: "Der Erlkönig" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, written in 1782. I recommend checking it out, it's a short, yet chilling read!
He looks at the now empty ropes with no sign of his wife, huffing at the lack of her presence. In contrast, Leon giggles as he latches onto his father's head whilst sitting on his shoulders.
"Mama's playing a game with us, papa!" He says enthusiastically.
"Was meinst du damit?" [what do you mean?]
Leon hums in mock confusion, "Vielleicht will sie, dass wir sie erwischen." [maybe she wants us to catch her].
It's 9 P.M. and you've running in the middle of a field in nothing but an over-sized sweatshirt and joggers. Of course that fucker decided to tie you up in a basement in the middle of fucking nowhere. In fact, you don't even recall him ever owning that property, something similar to an abandoned farmhouse. But I guess the only animal getting played here...would be you.
You're questioning all the other things he might have hidden from you...other properties...maybe other women...and what's the deal with your son?
"Leon honey, listen. Mama's going to get out of here, and after that we're going to go somewhere safe, okay? We'll go to your grandparents, I'll take you home, okay?" You sweat out, exhausted after numerous times of pulling at the ropes.
"But I'm already home." Leon smiles eerily. There's something broken in that kid, you think. The way he smiles with no emotion makes you fear for your life.
You try to caress the top of his head but the ropes dig at the possibly infected gashes on your wrists, making you hiss in response.
"Mama, you're bleeding." He state inquisitively, grabbing your wrists to examine them.
Groaning at the new contact, you curse out, "FUCK. Leon, stop. Just get me out of this, please sweetie-"
You breath hitches at his expression.
A deep toothy grin is plastered on his face.
"Red's always been mine and papa's favourite colour."
When you're eye catches his red beaded bracelet, the one mirrors König's, a part of you had to come to terms with losing both your husband and your son.
"Stupid kid, should have had a daughter..." You whisper to no one in particular, stretching over thorny bushes and rocks.
You can't tell how long it's been in that room, could be days, could be weeks, but the moment you left the house, it felt like taking a breathe of fresh air for the very first time.
"König, pleas-"
"Schnuki, quiet please, I'm trying to read Leon a poem." König scolds you, whilst sitting on the floor against the wall with Leon resting on his chest. For some reason, they both like to spend time with you.
By spending time with you, that means going about their day, in your presence...just, without paying any attention to you.
"König, I need to fucking piss again."
"Es war eine kalte, dunkle Nacht, und ein Vater ritt mit seinem kleinen Sohn durch einen nebligen Wald." He reads, completely shutting your needs out. [it was a cold, dark night, and a father was riding with his little son through a foggy forest.]
"Kö..." You drag out the syllables to see whether that would make a difference to his reactions. It doesn't.
"Der Junge klammerte sich ängstlich an seinen Vater und flüsterte-" [The boy clung fearfully to his father and whispered-]
Leon speaks out now, clutching his father's shirt as he sleepily recites from the book, "Papa, siehst du ihn nicht? Dort, zwischen den Bäumen! Der Erlkönig ruft nach mir!“ ["Papa, don’t you see him? There, between the trees! The Erlking is calling me!"]
The two giggle at their reenactment.
As they continue their story, the loudly spoken story begins to anger you, for days you've been practically caged in the room, forced to listen to such mundane tasks. Reading a story before bedtime (but they happen to sleep upstairs with actual beds, leaving you to practically rot downstairs), or when König decides to blast his tunes whilst working out, or even when Leon simply chooses to study right in of your shivering body in the afternoon.
"DOES ANYONE HERE HAVE FUNCTIONING EARS?" You scream.
In a instant, König flashes his eyes on you as Leon flinches at the tone of your stern voice.
There's a moment of silence, a quiet battle between you and König, who seems to want to rip your vocal cords and shove them into a book to read about to his son.
"Was haben Sie gerade gesagt?" [what did you just say?] He murmurs with his eyebrows furrowed.
When you don't respond, your son decides to speak up for you.
He turns his head around to berate you, "Sprich dich aus." [speak up]
Your gaze turns to the floor as you watch droplet after droplet hit the surface, "...why."
There's no response. Perhaps, they didn't hear you or perhaps they simply don't know.
"Why are you doing this to me. All I wanted was a husband and a son that respected me. What the fuck did I do to deserve such a shitty family?!"
Before you know it, you begin wailing at the end of your outburst, tears rapidly streaming down your aching cheeks. You look up at the pair, hoping to feign any sense of remorse or sympathy.
But you're met with none.
"Maybe if you hadn't broken this family, you could have got what you wanted."
You're not too sure who spoke, at that point it seems like both father and son began to share a twisted mind.
A large vehicle drives by you and you let out a sigh, maybe there is an escape for you after all.
"Wait! Wait for me!"
The look of pity the driver gives you as you ask them for a lift wasn't as bad as the ones your own family have been giving you for the past few days, so you don't complain. Instead you give a vague description of your parent's house, your childhood home.
With a deep breathe, you make your way to safety, and for a second, you allow sleep to evade you that night. A sleep so deep, you don't hear the quiet ring of a phone...
"Hallo König. Ja, sie ist bei mir. Du hattest recht. Ja, sei einfach da, ich bringe sie in 20 Minuten vorbei." [hello konig. yes, she's with me. you were correct. yes just be there, i'll drop her off in 20 minutes.]
"Miss, we're here. Miss-" The voice urges you to wake up, poking your shoulder as if you were roadkill.
With a groan you awaken, at the sight of your parents house, safety as last.
You thank the driver for troubling him, and for getting blood on his seats, "I'm sorry I don't have anything to repay you with...if you give me a minute, I can run in and get you some cash?" You ask, apologetically.
The stranger shakes his head, "No need, payments been taken care of already."
Oh. Okay, cool.
You squint your eyes in confusion, but choose to brush it off, it's been days since you've engaged in human interaction, maybe you just forgot the small quirky things a person can say.
"...okay, thanks again."
"Bis ich dich wiedersehe." [until i see you again.]
You stop midstep, looking back at the stranger, but he's already hit the pedals and driven off without a trace. That was German, right? See you again?
It seems like a coincidence, and you want to brush it off, but the way he spoke mimicked König's dialect a little too well....Many people speak German though...
You reach the door of your parent's house, admiring yourself in the reflection of the door. A frail being, dressed in tattered clothing, with blood marks decorating your wrist. Afraid of being bombarded with questions, you pull the sleeves of your sweatshirt down and re-tie your hair into something more acceptable.
The door opens and your met with the relieved look of your poor mother.
"Sweetheart, I'm so glad you're okay!" She pulls you into a bone crushing hug, with her face tucked tightly into your shoulder.
Humming against her, you question her, "I'm okay...wait, how did you know? Where's dad?"
"He's okay sweetheart, he's in the living room. But don't think you're off the hook, now that you've come back." She smiles, kissing your forehead, as she guides you through the house.
You scoff, "What do you mean?"
"Running away is a serious matter, don't take it lightly, sweetheart. How do you think we've all felt? I understand, if you're you know..." She starts.
"...Know what?"
"You know, you've become a little..." She spins her finger around her ear in a circular motion, "I guess...cuckoo! Um...but don't worry, we're already looking into treatments."
You stare at her blankly, stopping her, "Ma. I'm fine. W-what- I'm not crazy, where on Eart-"
Every muscle in your body flinches.
It's like your body hit flight or fight mode but instead decided to switch off. You've never remembered a time where your mind has ever been so silent, but I guess now counts.
Those blue eyes.
2 pairs.
Staring back at you, soullessly.
Not a word is spoken.
And yet both your parents seem to be gleaming at the scene, of what looks like a family reuniting.
Family.
If that's even what this is.
"Why did you run away from us, schatz?" [darling]
You can't distinguish between your husband and your son.
"We've missed you."
thank you for coming to my ted talk.
lemme know you're interested to be tagged in my future posts! tags -> @lilliumrorum , @kxtz3 , @poohkie90 , @rainlovesyou12 , @restrictionsapply-blog , @lunamoonbby , @nigthmar3moon , @thychuvaluswife, @itsnourm , @bubusi11, @chessecakelover , @owkittie, @cheomain , @corvusmorte , @k4es , @mandythemint , @copiasratscheese , @yyiikes , @funkyysho3es
Okay so I'm rereading Tulips and Roses, and omds there's so many spelling errors 💀💀💀
I wanna say it's cos English isn't my first language, but it practically is...
And everytime I try to edit them, Tumblr glitches and the changes aren't saved-
OMG I JUST HAD A THOIGHT. What if like on this fic that you wrote “tulips or roses”, what if Rose and reader met?!?!
PLSPLSPLSPLS MAKE IT ANGSTY TO FLUFF TOO 🙏🙏🙏🙏
AMAZING THOUGHT POOKIE I WAS THINKING THE SAME >_< also i'm on holiday rn visiting family so ofc the wifi decides to the shittiest rn so apologies for slow uploads and errors :( and tags aren't working??? Word Count: 2k
"'n' th' mornin' efter we shagged, she juist vanished! Efter a' th' love we made?"
Ghost grunts in mock sympathy, and Gaz stifles a scoff next to him, "She probably got scared of your haunted puppet collection mate-"
"Oh ye leave Bonnybelle oot o' this-"
These outings weren't as frequent as one would hope, considering how busy the Task Force usually was, but when there was a break with the missions, most of the soldiers found themselves at the hustle and bustle of the local pub, and it made it better when you could bring a plus one.
It's been a few months since the 'argument' about Rose, and even though John likes to name it a 'dispute', he's drilled it into your head how it was his fault completely not yours.
"Yeah well, me and my girl visited Bali for our anniversary-" Kyle boasts to the group.
"Yeah 'n' Simon gaed tae Croydon wi' his grandma, sae whit." [to all my non-londoners, Croydon is THE GHETTO. always in support of croydon slander]
John snickers, and you smile as the feelings of his arms encapsulating you. "You'll find someone one day, Johnny, I know it." You smile sloppily, partially tipsy from all the alcohol consumed and partially from all the sweet talk.
"Aye ah better, a'm wantin' th' Tulip tae mah Price."
Ah, turns out John's been calling you Tulip to everyone.
"She's limited edition, find your own fuckin' flower." John comically dismisses, taking a hefty sip of his beer, bringing you impossibly closer to him.
Your smile at the compliment is cut short when a blonde bob catches your peripheral, and just as you're about to turn your head to catch the face you're looking at-
"Is your garden in bloom?" Simon casually questions.
The table immediately erupts in coughs and laughter, with Gaz side-eyeing Simon's question, and Johnny laughing at the clever Bridgerton reference. John corrects his posture at the comment and covers his cough with his fist, a light tinge of pink painting his pale bearded cheeks. He'll make sure Simon runs double the amount of laps during practice.
"And that's my cue..." You press a warm kiss against John's temples, before heading off to the women's bathroom, not blind to the 'awwws' and coos from Soap, and the "What does it mean? I only watched the sex scenes..." from Simon.
Walking to the women's bathroom, you yawn and stretch your tense back after sitting on the wooden chair at the bar for so long.
"Tired?"
You snort, "An understatement, I'm sleepy as fuck- Oh."
Locking eyes with the voice in the mirror, grounds you back to reality. The once fictitious woman you were most worried about stands next to you in the bathroom, returning your glance through a mirror.
You break the silence, feeling awkward at the tense scene, although you're unsure if she's feeling the same. Does she know who you are? Does she think of you as her replacement?
"Weather's nice." A terrible comment considering it mid November in England; the weather's far from nice, yet Rose chuckles. For a moment, you can see why John longed for this woman, from the way her skin creased around her mouth as she flashed you a grin through the reflection.
"It's nicer in Greece, moved a few years back." She smiles amicably.
You hum, nodding as if in agreement, even though you hadn't even set foot in a Mediterranean country, "When did you come back? To the UK?"
She looks up, recollecting the days, "Hmm, must been a week now, Greece is lovely, but the UK's home, you know?"
Once again you just nod, watching as she pulls out a red Dior lipstick and reapplies to her supple lips. Watching her intensely focus on her lips makes you question John once again, a wave of insecurity rushing through you like that previous time.
She's so much better than me... You think to yourself.
"How's he been then?"
There's a pause in your breath, your eyebrows raising slightly. Rose makes eye contact with you again through the mirror, and you're grateful that she doesn't turn to look at you physically, you're scared that you might pass out in nervousness.
"I- uh, who?" You manage to blurt out, mentally cursing yourself for what you think sounded like a helium-produced high pitched squeak.
Rose chuckles at your response, "John Price. I see the way he looks at you, you been dating him for long?"
You purse your lips into a thin smile, even after years of dating and marriage, any compliment given to the both of you would send your heart to a warm frenzy.
"Been together for 4 years, married for 1..." Your smile in inevitably giddy as you admire the glittering rock plastered on your ring finger. Rose looks at your ring, her smile faltering a little, but you don't notice it in time.
"And you?"
"Me?" She straightens her posture, and even her mannerisms reflect that of your husbands a bit, "A few years of marriage...it's...nice." But it sounds like she's trying to convince herself more so than answering your question.
Your response is again, a shy nod.
Silence evades the conversation as she closes her lipstick delicately, placing it back into her expensive purse. You want to press the conversation further, beg her for more answers about the history that she might have had with John, you wanted to hear it from her perspective.
"I loved him you know."
Oh.
The world stops for a moment, and you feel the slow emergence of bile erupting from within. You're silent for moment, your thoughts halting. What kinda woman just announces that she had feeling for another's man...no, not just feelings...love.
Her reflection in the mirror breaks into small minuscule frames, as your eyes tear up. Not even a breath escapes from your mouth.
A droplet of sweat cascades down your back and you tremble at the thought of John kissing Rose.
"I...of course, realised too late. When we were celebrating my retirement, me and the team, I, uh...I was about to tell him...and I saw his phone screen...didn't know about you then, but it was a picture of you," She giggles at the memory, "Thought you must have been important 'cos that man's had that brick phone for years, and this is the first time I'd seen a different lockscreen."
You don't respond, unsure of whether to scream at her, calling her a homewrecker, or just to let her complete her speech. You realise she had used the past tense, loved. Did she still feel the same?
"And then I followed him back to his office...he was on the phone...to you. And oh my God. I swear I looked through the crack of his door, that guy was literally melting. Caught him twirling the invisible phone line and everything."
You can't suppress the tiny smirk on your face.
"And it was just a mundane conversation, nothing special...and it looked like he would kill the task force, just to have a spec of your attention on him. I've...never seen him this way, not even with me..." She whispers the last part, looking down at the droplets of water on the porcelain sink.
"I'm sorry if I'm intruding, I guess I just came here to get closure-"
"Did you get it?"
The first you've said in minutes, and the tone was so gruff, one would think you were berating her.
She nods, still smiling, and for a second you wonder how strong this woman would have been, flying all the way back, just to see someone she'd harboured feelings with another.
"And even if I hadn't, I wouldn't do anything to either of you...forgive me, I'm not like that."
You nod, intaking some air after what felt like hours. You force yourself to turn your body towards her, a question still stuck in your head, urging to be answered.
"Rose." You whisper. She looks at you with a sweet smile, and for a second you feel bad for even thinking such inhumane thoughts about her.
"Do you still love him?" It was short and curt, no hesitation in your question, which did sound somewhat more like a command.
She looks at her reflection in the mirror, as if assessing her flaws and imperfections. There's another uncomfortable pause in the atmosphere, and it feels like the two of you have sucked a breath in anticipation.
The truth is...she doesn't know. What even is love? Is it measurable? Is it subjective, objective, definite, is it yes or no? Are there layers to love? Can you love two people at the same time? Has she ever felt love?
Does she still love John?
Did she ever love John?
Did John ever love...her?
She thinks back to when she walked into the bar, her eyes searching for the bearded captain, only to see them locked on...you.
Oh the way he looked at you. It reminded her of a loyal dog watching upon his master, like a peasant being granted a sip of golden delicious nectar for the first time. Like the way the moon orbits the Earth indefinitely, following Mother Earth on her orbital path.
Like the way a wounded man would rest in his knees painfully, praying for his Goddess to notice at least one his pleas, as he weeps for her.
It was a look she never gave to him, and one he never gave to her. That look, he had only reserved for ... you.
"No, I suppose not, not the way he loves you." It comes out in a pained whisper, and Rose can't tell if she wanted to go back in time to have John all to herself or if she believes that she would ever experience that kind of connection with him.
You hum, it felt like your voice box was strained every time you responded, but you felt at peace, finally.
How long have been in the bathroom for?
Run along now, John's probably looking for you.
You hug Rose, and you can tell she's not used to physical touch, the way her tall frame freezes at the contact. She smiles to you, silently apologising for her burdensome self.
You leave the bathroom, with a smile bigger than you had ever worn.
Soap's points towards you, at the table, and the others smile, John immediately whisking his head so quickly, you fear he might have pulled a muscle.
"Hey baby," you whisper into his hair, sitting down next to him, with his arm around you, where you belong.
"Jesus, sweetheart, 'was about to go to the bathroom m'self to look for you..." He mumbles, pressing his soft lips against your temple, purposely brushing his beard against your cheek.
You hum, as he presses fluttering kisses against your neck, whispering all kinds of affectionate names, oblivious to the fact that Ghost was already submitting a letter of compliant for excess PDA.
Rose shortly leaves, exiting the pub, her eyes falling on John's blushed cheeks burying into your hair, as she opens the door.
He turns to her, feeling someone looking at her, but instead of freaking out, he just smiles, acknowledging her presence, and quickly shoving his cheek against yours.
Tulips truly were his favourite flowers.
"SHE GAED TAE TH' BATHROOM 'N' DINNAE WASH HER HAUNDS"
tag yourself, i'm gaz's wife 😹 tags -> @lilliumrorum, @kxtz3, @poohkie90, @rainlovesyou12, @restrictionsapply-blog, @lunamoonbby , @nigthmar3moon , @thychuvaluswife , @itsnourm , @bubusi11, @chessecakelover , @owkittie, @cheomain , @corvusmorte , @k4es , @mandythemint , @copiasratscheese , @yyiikes , @funkyysho3es, @delta98-idk , @spankmydepression , @yourfavbabigirl