#“technically-” well technically nothing. i said i need her slobbering on his bare teeth and i got it.

[dykemcqueen]

ive been joking about getting a valduggery kiss before phase 1 ends but i didnt really think ...........

[warsmith-38]

How I would do RWBY pt.4

World Travel Arc.

Season Four.

Cinder was found by Salem after fall of Beacon.

Missing arm and eye.

Salem helps her and even rewards her.

She accomplished her goal of shooting Ozpin with the arrow.

It didn’t take, sure, but that’s not Cinder’s fault.

Arm is replaced with grimm arm.

An eye was also offered but Cinder refused because she wants a visceral reminder of her failure.

Translation: Because chuunibyou.

Cinder spends her time training to compensate for and overcome her new disabilities.

Has massive grudge against Ruby.

What should have been two easy wins were stolen from her by sheer dumb luck and circumstance.

She has made it her goal to prove that she is more powerful than Ruby and will do so by tearing her heart out and turning it to ash.

Salem decides that Ruby will be an issue to her long term plans and sends her best assassin, Tyrian, to kill her instead of Cinder.

Just like Summer.

She doesn’t want to send Cinder on the grounds that she thinks that homegirl REALLY needs to chill.

Ruby is full murderhobo.

Killing grimm and taking whatever freelance bounty money she can on her way to Mistral.

Fuck if she knows what she’s going to do when she gets there but she hasn’t planned all that far ahead.

She just wanted to not be stuck at home again.

Finds JNR, who had volunteered for general assistance in the areas around Mistral.

JNR says that there’s both a grimm issue and a bandit issue in the area.

Ruby wants everything to do with it.

Blake is on her way back to Menagerie.

Encounters SSSN who are on light duties and are being sent to putz around in Menagerie.

Sun asks her ‘what the fuck is your plan?’

Blake says that the only place for her in the world is back home with her family.

Weiss is also back home with her family but is far less into the idea.

Dad is distant and detached.

Mother is drunk and miserable.

Winter is the only one she properly interacts with, training and sparring to keep herself in shape.

Winter offers a position in the military, a cushy one at that (Can I get an amen for nepotism?)

Weiss ignores the offer, is depressed, misses her friends.

Yang is stuck at home, also depressed, dealing with deepening abandonment issues, and constantly fiddling with the trinket Raven gave her.

Having Ruby run off only made things worse. Combining her abandonment issues with the feeling of letting her sister down when she needed her most.

Tai barely pays attention to her outside of his constant worrying about Ruby but eventually sees the trinket and tells Yang about Raven.

Is very clearly bitter about the whole thing but is pretending he isn’t.

VERY rose (ha) tinted glasses about Summer.

Not that she was secretly a piece of shit or anything, but to hear Tai talk about her she made saints look like goatfuckers.

Ironwood shows up and gives Yang robo-arm as an apology for saying he’d help her after the fight with Mercury and then letting her down.

Ironwood helps break Yang out of her funk, offers some military style counseling, helping her work off the muscle atrophy, even teaches her some spec-ops chokeholds and the like.

Yang says it’s nice to have an actual male role model/father figure in her life.

Ironwood rips Tai’s shit in for being such a bad parent to Yang.

Tai has no real counters to what Ironwood is saying.

He realizes that he’s been a neglectful asshole and starts helping retrain Yang too.

Weiss makes a scene at an event her father is putting on.

Jacques sits her down after it and says that they’re going to have a completely frank conversation.

Topic shifts to their viewpoints and life choices.

He’s fine with his daughter disagreeing with him, he just wants her to understand him and he her.

Weiss calls him out on the blatantly bad shit the SDC has done.

Jacques defends his points, saying that he tried to make things better for the faunus and the White Fang just made everything worse for everyone.

Weiss tells him that passing the buck is bullshit.

Agree to disagree.

Jacques gives her a spiel laced with double meanings about freedom and making your own path.

Weiss leaves that night. (keikaku doori (Translation: All according to keikaku (Translators note: Keikaku means plan)))

Jacques might be a dick but he does want his family to be as genuinely happy as he can make them.

Blake gets back home.

Gets royal reception on the grounds that she’s the daughter of the chief of the kingdom.

Sun sends SSN to get on with their mission, he’s gonna be a while, faunus business.

They understand, they’re hip to this sort of thing, and tell him that if he needs them they’re just a phone call away.

He calls Blake out for being one of the most privileged faunus alive while lecturing others on said topic.

Blake and Sun walk in on White Fang people trying to recruit Ghira.

Notices Blake in the process of telling them to leave.

Ghira shoves everyone out of his way to embrace his long believed dead daughter.

Emotional reunion.

Sees Sun, makes joke about ‘Adam’s cheerier replacement’.

Blake gets sad.

Ghira assumes Adam died or something and doesn’t press the matter.

Calls for a royal banquet to celebrate the return of his daughter.

Sienna is present.

Sienna is overjoyed to see Blake alive and well.

Blake is happy to see ‘aunty’ Sienna but is apprehensive to talk that much with Sun glaring at them both.

Ilia is there (as head of local White Fang cell) and is happy to see her old friend is alive.

She already knew but has to keep up appearances, especially after The White Fang was seen at Beacon.

Very poor publicity to be seen operating at a place like that.

Ilia had been reassigned to Menagerie before the fall happened so she’s not guilty of taking part.

Later has small meeting with Blake, Sienna, Ilia, Sun, Ghira, and Kali.

Sienna tries (again) to bring Ghira into the White Fang.

His joining would bring all of Menagerie and the connected resources into the conflict.

This is opposed by everyone else present barring Ilia.

Ghira says that he has washed his hands of the problems in Atlas and has local stuff that he believes is more important in the long run.

Supporting Wild Call is how he helps the rest of his people.

Kali’s been running Wild Call since Ghira stepped away to run Menagerie.

Sienna talks about how faunus are treated in certain parts of the world.

It really is nowhere near as bad as she says it is.

Blake brings up terrorist acts in places completely innocent of any faunus abuse.

Sienna ‘condemns’ these acts and blames them on ‘bad apples’ like Adam, citing the fall of Beacon.

Says that Adam was acting alone and without official endorsement.

She’s lying through her fucking teeth, but the only other one who knows that for sure is Ilia.

While taking part in the fall was technically unsanctioned, Sienna knows all about Salem and was okaying Adam’s efforts working with her.

Ilia suddenly feels very guilty for some odd reason.

Ghira is very confused, doesn’t keep up too much with world affairs, generally too busy.

Blake rounds on Sienna for trying to shift the blame to Adam, cites all of the bullshit attacks she was involved in, letting it be known that she herself was in the White Fang.

Ghira and Kali both become enraged at Sienna, who told them that Blake was killed years ago at a protest gone south.

Sienna tries to make excuses for the cause.

Is escorted with Ilia from the palace at gun point.

Kali and Blake reconnect as Ghira has a sit down with Sun, telling him to tell him everything he knows.

Weiss is stowed away on airship bound for Vacuo/Mistral (doesn’t really matter which, ship gets taken down either way).

Ship gets attacked by grimm and gets splashed.

Weiss makes it to shore and travels southward, realizing that maybe she should have planned this a little more than not at all.

Wonder who she picked that up from.

Ends up surrounded by bandits who see the pretty girl from Atlas who might just be worth a lot of cash.

Weiss kicks the shit out of them.

Raven shows up.

Weiss loses.

Yang decides enough of her sulking and gets ready to set off to find Ruby and either 1. Bring her home 2. Look after her and keep her safe on her personal quest 3. Kick her ass for running off and making everyone worried 4. Some combination of the above. (Maybe hit up where Raven’s map leads along the way if she gets the chance)

Tai acknowledges that he can’t always protect his girls.

Tells Yang to not be too hard on Ruby, realizing that she would never have been happy with a calm, sheltered, life.

Summer was the same way.

He also apologizes for neglecting Yang for as long as he did.

Yang gets a hug from Tai, a salute from Ironwood, and a slobbering from Zwei.

Yes, the dog is still here. He’s a good dog. Every story could use a good dog or twelve.

Gets to the continent that Mistral is on. (I do not care about the name)

Starts biking in the direction that the conflict zones are, hoping to find word about Ruby along the way.

Gets accosted by bandits along the way.

Kicks the crap out of them.

Raven shows up saying that she expected nothing less from her daughter.

Yang realizes that she is indeed around where the map was pointing her.

This was supposed to be a test to see if Yang was resourceful enough to track her down.

Didn’t really mean to come this way just yet, but sometimes things just work out that way.

Raven happily takes her daughter to the main camp.

Yang is apprehensive to get comfortable and seems a little disappointed that her mother is just some asshole bandit.

Raven gives her a speech all about survival of the fittest and might makes right and all that jazz.

Yang wants to know why she left her in the first place and why she is suddenly wanting to be back in her life after all this time.

She’s got a lot of questions and Raven has very few answers.

Raven avoids Yang’s questions and says that she’s always been watching her from behind the scenes.

Yang actually dislikes that even more because it means that she could have been there for her the whole time, yet wasn’t.

Raven continues by saying that if Yang’s so weak that she couldn’t beat a pissant like Neo then she really needs mama to teach her what’s what.

Offers Yang a position in the tribe and even offers to make her second in command.

Yang then sees Weiss in a cage.

Raven explains that she’s going to be given to Salem to use as a hostage in Atlas.

Yang had already given up on getting answers and was already going to tell Raven to eat shit but now...

Demolishes the camp, takes Weiss away on the bike, and leaves the trinket Raven gave her in the dirt.

Would have taken the time to kick the shit out of Raven, but she needed to get Weiss out of there.

Raven is livid.

In Menagerie, Ghira and Kali have very upfront conversation with Blake.

They are upset with her that she ran off with terrorists but are happy she’s alive.

They also admonish her for running/taking the easy way out of every problem she’s had.

Blake is exasperated that the last place she could run off to is calling her out for running off so much.

Adam is all like ‘what up bitches, imma kill ya’.

Has sizable team of White Fang commandos with him and some grimm Salem sent.

Ilia shows up with her own commandos to counter his.

Both sides duke it out with the Belladonnas (Nightshades technically) getting pissed and telling all of them to get off their lawn.

Blake fights Adam.

Starts losing.

Sun calls SSN in for the assist.

They help but not all that much.

Sienna shows up to break the stalemate.

Starts kicking the shit out of Adam’s posse.

Officially denounces and attaints Adam for his crimes.

Adam leaves and swears vengeance, telling Blake that if he can’t kill her, he’ll kill RWY and make sure they know it was her that sent him to them.

Blake finally learns her fucking lesson.

Start to pack up to stop Adam before he kills RWY and, either afterwards or in the process, find and reconcile with RWY.

Takes the time to actually explain why she’s leaving this time.

Ghira understands.

Sienna takes partial blame and offers Blake the last known location of a red hooded huntress with a big fucking scythe her spies found.

Blake thanks her, but refuses an escort, hitching a ride back to the mainland with SSSN.

Ghira and Kali thank Sienna for the help but still tell her to get the fuck out and that the White Fang and their war are both not welcome in Menagerie.

In the name of their past friendship, they don’t just shoot her.

Blake has parting conversation with Sun about justifications and personal growth.

She and Sun amicably part ways.

SSSN go back to their usual shit and Blake starts hunting for Ruby.

Her logic is that, as far as she knows, Weiss is surrounded with SDC security and Yang is probably somewhere safe-ish, while Ruby is actively in a dangerous locale and ripe for predation.

Speaking of…

Ruby and JNR are clearing out local grimm around Mistral as expected.

Include sad scene or two there they find the ruins of Nora’s home village, destroyed by bandits.

Tyrian is all like ‘what up bitches, imma kill ya’.

Ruby is actually very eager for a fight against one of the important bad guys.

That excitement is curbed when Tyrian lets her know that he was the one to kill Summer.

Ruby is now more scared than anything.

R+JNR fight him and get their asses handed to them.

They try running but Tyrian isn’t giving up the chase.

Turns into cat and mouse game.

Jaune is pushed to his tactical limit against an incredibly intelligent and just as unpredictable enemy.

Everyone is scared out of their minds.

The cat (Tyrian) is just playing with his food (R+JNR) at this point.

Could have killed them at any point but he’s a sadistic animal that gets off on this shit.

Nora flies into a fury, bellowing that she will never lose anyone close to her ever again.

This creates an opening in Tyrian’s style.

Jaune’s planning manages to exploit this enough so Ruby gets a good hit on him, severing his tail.

He is very unhappy at this development.

Decides that he’s done playing with his food.

Wrecks R+JNR.

About to kill Ruby when Qrow ex machina runs him off.

Jaune discovers his semblance is healing and uses it on everyone that needs it. Which is everyone.

Qrow is annoyed that Ruby ran off on her own but understands.

Says that there’s an abandoned chateau that can serve as a pit-stop.

Been in the Branwen family for ages.

They abandoned it after they lost their fortune and it got overrun with grimm in the past.

Grimm have since moved on but the building is still there.

He’ll explain everything he can when he knows they’re out of danger.

Raven contacts Salem and tells her which direction Yang and Weiss are going.

Salem barely cares about what one of her least important agents is up to.

Notices that Ruby is in the same area and gets wind that Tyrian failed.

Sends Cinder and company to meet up with Raven and get hunting.

Salem makes a point of ordering Cinder to let Tyrian take on Ruby and not get involved against her.

Cinder just happens to ignore that order.

Blake does a little extra tracking but heads in the right direction.

Yang and Weiss hear about a red hooded huntress with a big scythe and follow the rumors.

Everyone converges at the chateau at the same time.

It’s a very all over the place scene.

Ruby is happy to see Weiss and Blake but is a little wary of Yang after how their last conversation went.

Yang is eager to make things up with Ruby but more than a little scornful of Blake.

Blake is scared of everyone’s rejection but understands their anger and is more than willing to work through it if they’d have her.

Weiss is happy to see everyone but her happiness and excitement is curbed by how everyone else is reacting to each other.

The tension explodes when Cinder and co. arrive.

Ruby and Cinder lock eyes.

Ruby goes quiet for a moment-

And then goes completely Broly BERSERK!

Group of boss fights.

Ruby madly charges Cinder in a rage.

JNR, Qrow, and Weiss begin fighting Emerald, Mercury, Tyrian, and grimm they brought.

Blake fights Adam. (again)

Yang fights Raven, constantly calling her on her shit.

Abandoning her and Tai to be some asshole bandit, siding with Salem, being a coward, et cetera.

Says that she has figured out that the reason Raven left was because she’s just a chicken shit coward who can’t deal with the world.

All of her issues and traumas have manifested into a sort of nirvana of wrath that gives her a one-time, ‘fuck you, mom’, power up that puts her at Raven’s power tier level.

Ruby vs Cinder takes them away from the others.

Ruby is in berserk, adrenaline filled, wrath fueled, fugue state, taking hits that should be stopping the fight but aren’t.

Cinder is also not fighting at her best due to A. missing eye, B. her grimm arm having a built in weakness to Ruby, and C. the fact that she had no idea that Ruby would go fucking mental like this.

Ruby eventually knocks Cinder down a pit and promptly passes out from blood loss.

Blake beats Adam and tells him to fuck off, saying that she will not stoop to his level of murder.

Yang overpowers and beats Raven, but barely.

JNR is busy with the grimm and Qrow is busy with Tyrian, who has a freaky grimm tail now.

Weiss is fighting both Emerald and Mercury.

Is losing pretty hard.

Yang shows up to fight Mercury.

WY have their first proper rival fights against E+M.

And proceed to lose.

Raven has heel-face turn and bails them out.

Tyrian is killed at the same time. Small justice for Summer.

Qrow reunites with Raven.

The Branwen siblings intimidate E+M, faking not being fuckoff exhausted.

Dare they stand against this deadly alliance?

Nope.

Emerald and Mercury cheese it.

Raven explains that since Yang beat her, Yang is now in charge of the bandits.

Raven says how proud she is that her daughter is such an ass kicker.

Yang is about to tell her off but then realizes that Ruby is still gone.

They find her in a widening pool of her own blood.

Jaune heals her.

Everyone wonder just what the fuck that was that Ruby did.

It’s not its own power or a sub-power of her new semblance.

She was just that fucking angry at seeing Cinder.

RWBY has a big ‘we beat the middle to high tier bad guys’ group hug.

Ruby affirms that she senses that Cinder is still alive but accepts the hug anyway.

Raven says that Salem’s next target is Mistral itself with Adam’s White Fang hardliners.

Yang says thanks for the info and then tells her to do what she does best and fuck off.

Literally everyone mirrors the sentiment.

Raven leaves in a huff but starts to question her morals.

RWBY is now reunited as a team.

They’re not quite back to normal, but they’re all together again.

Reunited RWBY, JNR, and Qrow now on course to Mistral proper to recoup and make new plans.

Season four done.

[shimmershae]

Waltzing might have stalled (for the moment), but all the words and worlds crowding my brain haven't.  Wanna have a look-see at some of the other little Caryl drabble-verses I'm considering turning into their own full-fledged stories (eventually)?  Here you go.  Tell me which one(s) you'd most like to revisit.

First up, the AU Caryl married fic where they raise Sophia.  And a puppy. 

 1. 

 “Please, Mom.” 

 “Sophia,” Carol warned. 

 “But it was an accident, Mom.  He didn’t mean to.” 

 “Tell that to my begonias.” 

 She heard a snort behind her, and she whirled around to glare at her husband.  He was just as complicit in the laundry list of crimes as her twelve-year-old.  He didn’t know it yet, but he would pay.  “Daryl, don’t even.” 

 “Didn’t say nothing.”  He grinned, edged a little closer, penned her in against the counter.  “You know you want it, Sweetheart.”   

 “Mommy,” Sophia pleaded. 

 Three pairs of puppy dog eyes stared at her until she folded, completely melted. 

 “Okay.” 

***

“Daryl, have you seen my favorite…” 

 Daryl tried to hide the chewed-up shoe behind his back, but it was too late.  She’d already spotted it. 

 “Where is he?”

 “Sweetheart, just remember.  Harvey’s still a puppy.  He don’t know no better.”

 “Harvey Dent Dixon!” 

 Sophia appeared behind her mother, their happily slobbering new addition cradled in her arms. 

 Daryl tried to warn her away with his eyebrows, but he didn’t marry no fool.  His wife whirled around and angrily wagged her finger beneath the puppy’s nose.  

 “How do I even put up with you?”

 “Mom!”

 “We should have named you Wreck-It-Ralph.” 

 ***

 “Harvey, you know you’re not supposed to be in the bed.”

 The puppy responded to her half-hearted scolding with a sweetly pathetic whine and a broad swipe of his pink tongue across her chin, burrowing beneath the blankets with her and flopping down in an exhausted heap. 

 Caught between a giggle and a sigh, Carol merely smiled and opened her eyes, thankful her husband and daughter were at soccer practice and not bearing witness to her utter failure disciplining the little obedience school dropout.  “Oh, you.”

 Harvey’s tail thumped lazily. 

 “I have a secret.  Two, actually.  Promise not to tell?”    

 ***

“You can’t just hug me and think everything’s okay.” 

 Daryl peeled back, let his arms fall to his sides.  His blue eyes darted over to Sophia, but the preteen was looking elsewhere, anywhere but at them. 

 Harvey was flopped down between her daughter’s bare feet, his tongue lolling, mouth panting as he tilted his head this way and that, happily, tiredly unrepentant for the latest episode of chaos.

 “Help me out here, Soph.” 

 “It looked dead.” 

 “Weren’t, though.  How’s I s’posed to know Mama and Pa would go all Commando on us?  Fucking squirrels.” 

 Carol snorted out a laugh.  “Daryl!” 

 ***

“No more dogs.  How hard is it to understand?” 

 “Really?” Carol sighed as her husband mimicked her oft-repeated words.  Twisting in her seat to face him, at least as much as the seatbelt cinched snug across her hips would allow, she challenged, “C’mon.  You can do better than that, Pookie.” 

 Behind them, Sophia giggled. 

 Catching his stepdaughter’s eyes in the reflection of the rear-view mirror, Daryl narrowed his eyes.  “Traitor.” 

 Sophia grinned, stretching out her legs and wiggling her socked feet between them, her smelly socked feet. 

 “Sophia!  Shoes back on!” 

 “What your mom said.” 

 “Technically, it’s a kitten.” 

 “Pfft.” 

 ***

 “You fell asleep in the tub?”

 “Third time this week,” Sophia piped up oh-so-helpfully, fingers tightening in Harvey’s collar when he made another playful lunge at their newest family member.    

 Coined Poison Ivy by her feline-averse husband, the kitten squeaked.  Blue eyes huge, just as wet and bedraggled as Carol thanks to this latest disastrous romp, it shivered and snuggled itself into the open vee of her robe. 

 “Third time, huh?”

 “Not now,” Carol frowned.  “Sophia.  Take Harvey outside.  Let him chase some real squirrels.” 

 “But Mom…” 

 “Please?”

 Once alone, Daryl reached for her.   “Something you wanna tell me, Sweetheart?” 

 ***

 Eyeing her husband’s pale face warily, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth, Carol murmured, “Did you hear…” 

 Daryl staggered a little on his feet, hands fumbling to find the edge of their mattress, just flopped there like a fish out of water.  Still looking a little stunned, he nodded at her when she made her careful approach. 

 Smiling hopefully when his hands found her waist, Carol tenderly brushed his hair back from his forehead.  “Use your words.” 

 “A baby?  You’re…” 

 “I’m...” 

 “Holy shit, Sweetheart.  We’re living in a sitcom.”    

 “Daryl!” 

 Frightened from her doze, Ivy mewed plaintively. 

 “Cat agrees.” 

 **************************************************

 Second, the AU where Carol and Daryl are partners.  Purely platonic.  Or are they?

2. 

 “Bed, Soph.  Now.” 

 “Fine.” 

 “Love you.” 

 “Sure.” 

 “Teenagers,” Carol muttered, falling back against her bedroom door.  Kicking her heels off, she bent to peel the stockings from her legs, made short work of her blouse and skirt.  She was down to her underwear and thigh holster before she realized she wasn’t alone. 

 “Keep going, Partner.” 

 “Fuck!  Dixon!  Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?” 

 “Exterminators, remember?”    

 She took off her gun, turned on the bedside lamp, rolled her eyes at the erection tenting the sheet pooled around his waist.  “Seriously?” 

 He shrugged, grinned.  “Happens.”    

 “Stay on your side." 

  ***

Thing about Mason was, she was fun to fuck with.  And Daryl?  He loved fucking around.  Both in the bedroom, and…well.  Barring the field, everywhere really. 

 She’d left her bra on.  Sexy little number.  Just a lacy shadow against her pale, freckled skin. 

 His hands, body burned with the need to touch that skin, touch her.  He didn’t.  Didn’t trust himself not to take them both down a long, dark road that would consume them both.  Didn’t want to put their partnership on the line that way, but fuck.  She was right there.  He groaned. 

 “My name isn’t Leslie…who’s Leslie?” 

 ***

Carol rolled over, glared at her uninvited bedmate.  “Answer me, Dixon.  Who the fuck is Leslie?” 

 His smirk was slow.  Sly.  “Why?  You jealous?”  He deftly avoided her attempt to knee him in the nuts, pulled her leg over his hip instead. 

 “Dixon.” 

 Heeding her warning, he let her go.  “Relax.  Been watching tv with your ball-busting daughter.” 

 Carol softened.  “She loves that show.” 

 “Yeah, well.  Didn’t do much for me.” 

 “Your taste is questionable at best.” 

 “Mine?  What about yours?” 

 “Excuse me?” 

 “Your UPS man wear his little shorts on your date?” 

 “Dixon.” 

 “…” 

 “Scoot over a little bit, please.” 

  ***

“Quit moving.  I’m trying to sleep.  Wait.  Are you…what?!” 

 Daryl’s hand stilled under the sheet just long enough for him to hiss, groan.  “Jesus, Mason.  Think you can stop screaming in my ear?”  That was absofuckinglutely the wrong thing to say because those blue eyes flashed and caught fire, and shit.  Shit.  His hand quickly went from tugging his dick to shielding it as his partner’s small hands balled into fists, and she growled.  She fucking growled.  He was equal parts terrified and turned on.  Alright.  More like 60% terrified, 40%...

 “My kid’s…” 

 “14 going on 40 and not here.” 

  **************************

Third, teen besties Caryl AU where they both grew up with absent parents and found each other early on. 

 3. 

 “We really doing this silent treatment shit?  S’not my fault they only had one room.” 

 Carol heaved her duffel on top of the bed with a roll of her eyes, started digging through it like it held the secrets of the fuckin’ universe. 

 He wished.  Some last hurrah this was turning out to be.  Stuck in Bumfuck, Nowheresville in this Bates Motel wannabe.  With a best friend who’d sooner rip his nuts off than utter a civil word.  “Got a beer in there?” 

 “…” 

  “Shit.  Sorry.  Jesus.”

 “…”

 “Is that…That’s my shirt.  So is that…wait.”   

 “…” 

 “S’Walsh, right?  You crushin’ on me, Sweetheart?" 

 ***

 He was almost asleep, first decent forty winks he’d managed since they’d started this trash-fire trip when he heard it:  a blood-curdling scream worthy of this place’s whole Psycho ambience. 

 “Daryl!”

 The bathroom door bounced against the wall when he burst through it, practically broke his nose on the rebound, but that was all beside the point.  Two steps inside, and Carol was in his arms.  Shaking, still squealing, naked as the day she was fuckin’ born.  “Shh.  Got ya.  S’alright.  Somebody…shit.” 

 “Kill it.” 

 “A roach?  Seriously?  Thought you were bein’ murdered.” 

 “It’s prehistoric…what?” 

 “You’re so clingy.  I love it.” 

 ***

 They checked out, ended up at some Waffle House knock-off a half mile down the road that smelled like grease and maple syrup. 

 Daryl had already demolished his burger, was on the second refill of his shake before he addressed the huge fuckin’ pink elephant in the room.  “So, I saw you naked.  No big deal.” 

 Carol tugged at one of her wet curls.   “Great.  What every girl wants to hear.” 

 “Yeah, well.  Waxing poetic or some shit ‘bout your world class tits would only make things weird.” 

 “World class, huh?” 

 “Fuck.” 

 “Sharing is caring.  Now, give me your fries.” 

 ***

 “Oh.  Did I scare you, big boy?” 

 His fingers still fumbling with his half-zipped fly, Daryl scowled.  “Fuck off.” 

 Carol sighed, gathered her loose curls in one hand, lifted them from her sweaty neck.  “Would you relax?  I didn’t even see anything.” 

 Daryl remained skeptical.  “Sure?”

 This time, Carol rolled her eyes.  “Yes, I’m sure.   Want me to tear the hinges off a bathroom door next time?” 

 Daryl’s ears burned with the pointed reminder, and he joined her on the truck’s old tailgate, cast his eyes to the evening sky, their surroundings.  It was too…

 “Children of the Corn.” 

 “Stop.” 

 ***

 Fourth, Sophia finds herself in a spot of trouble. 

 4. 

“Quit stalling.  Where’s your father?” 

 Beside her, Sophia moaned into the cover of her hands.  “Mom, please.  It’s not Cade’s fault.” 

 Feeling her blood pressure tick up another notch, Carol wryly reminded her teen daughter, “Of course not.  I paid attention in health class.  It takes two.” 

 “Which makes it both their faults.” 

 The screen door slammed shut behind the man as he belatedly joined the fray, and Carol did a double take.  “Daryl?” 

 The boy’s shoulders lifted defiantly, but his blue eyes still looked just as worried. 

 “You’re Cade’s father?” 

 “Uncle,” Daryl clarified. 

 “This keeps getting better and better.” 

  ***

 Finally, because this post is too long and I'm going to have to do another one, AU.  Carol and Daryl are two neighbors not-so-secretly pining over each other, and the waiting game for one of them to make a move is killing Carol’s visiting friend Aaron.  He decides to help things along. 

  5.   

  “Hold my hand so he gets jealous.” 

 “What?  But you’re, well.”  Her cheeks almost as red in that moment as her hair, Carol couldn’t even sputter out the word. 

 Aaron, as always, was quick to bail her out of the awkward moment.  Hiding his smirk in her mad cap of curls, he took her hand in his own and pulled her against his side, ushering her quickly down the hallway to her apartment door while her neighbor—her hot, adorably awkward, single, and undeniably interested neighbor—watched.  “What Dixon doesn’t know…” 

 “But…” 

 “No buts.  Just play along.” 

 “He watching?” 

 “Definitely.” 

[aghostpost]

Games We Play (Frank Castle x Reader)

A/N: I’m alive! I know it’s been a while but every time holiday season rolls around (currently spring break/Easter) I usually get occupied with family coming to town, so sitting up on my computer isn’t really an option. I was feeling like writing some jealousy stuff so here’s my fix for that. Enjoy~ ♥

Word Count: 3574

“Frank, c’mon, this shit weighs like eighty pounds!” I was on my way over to Frank’s side of town when he asked me to bring some dog food for Max. I decided on the biggest bag I could find since I knew the man barely fed himself; who knew how long Max had gone without a decent bowl of food. He was probably getting tossed pizza crusts or whatever was left of Frank’s canned beef stew. Hell, maybe he was running on black coffee, too. I got lucky enough to visit the day his elevator was being repaired, so I had the pleasure of hauling the industrial size bag of food up four flights of stairs. I was prepared to yell and bang on his door again when it swung open, but Frank wasn’t on the other side. “U-uhh…”

“Hi! Come in,” the woman greeted, inviting me like the place was hers.

“... Thanks?” I entered skeptically, dragging the bag behind me wondering where the hell Frank was when he appeared leaving his kitchen with a glass of water and his famous chipped dark green mug; I knew what that was full of… “You’re alive after all.” At the sound of the commotion Max came from behind the couch and made his way over to me, sniffing at my feet and pawing at my legs, tail wagging at full speed.

“Hands were a bit tied,” he responded, suggestively raising his two hands.

“Well whenever you’re ready you can help me with this, barista.” I kicked his door closed as he set the drinks on the crate he used for a coffee table to grab the bag. I finally bent down and gave Max the attention he was clearly craving with a good behind the ear rub, trying to keep him from slobbering all over me. “Yes, hello to you too, handsome. Someone missed me, hm?” I patted him before returning to Frank. “Didn’t know you had company,” I spoke loud enough for only him to hear, looking at the woman now sitting at his couch drinking the glass of water.

He tossed the giant bag over his shoulder, motioning between me and her. “Y/N, this is Adrienne. Adrienne, Y/N.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said with a smile and a pleasant wave.

I returned the warmth. “Likewise. Good to see Frank’s making friends.”

“I should warn you, she thinks she’s a comedian,” Frank shouted from the kitchen. I could hear dog food pouring into a metal bowl like cereal.

Adrienne chuckled. “Actually I’ve known Frank for some time, we just never really spoke; nothing more than casual hi and byes passing through the building.”

“Oh you live here?”

“Adrienne lives two floors up.”

“Frank’s kind enough to help me out in a pinch; carrying groceries when the damn elevator’s busted like it is now, when there’s a leaky pipe that needs fixing… In fact, I was just dropping by to bring him some dinner since that’s the very least I could do.”

“So is that how you two met? Groceries and pipes?” I looked over at Frank leaving the kitchen. He leaned up against the wall and was giving me an eye I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but there was a tone of seriousness to it. I couldn’t break the stare.

Adrienne cleared her throat. “Um… A-Actually I was in some trouble on the street. Some asshole snatched my purse, ran off with it. I was lucky Frank was nearby to stop him.” I could tell she was uncomfortable, the way she was distracting herself by petting Max, redirecting all her attention to him.

I nodded slowly, eyes bouncing from her to the man still staring at me. “I see…”

“Ever since then, I’ve just been… super grateful. Honestly, he’s a gift.”

“Don’t I know it.” Frank was still staring as he scratched his head, not adding a word to the convo. I sighed. “So I just stopped by to drop this off while I run some errands; gotta get going before the bank closes.” I took my car keys from my pocket and made my way to the door.

“It was nice meeting you,” Adrienne said with a smile.

“Let me walk you out,” he finally spoke up, pushing off the wall and heading in my direction.

“Okay. You take care of yourself, Adrienne.”

He said nothing as we walked down the stairs of his building, and was still silent as he opened the car door for me to climb inside. When I started the car I rolled the window down and we stared at each other. “How much was the food?” he asked, pulling a wallet from his back pocket.

“No- Stop, c’mon. It’s nothing.” I knew no matter what I said he’d give me the money, sneak it somewhere when I wasn’t looking. He pulled a twenty from the leather wallet and tucked it in my sun visor. “Fine. I’ll take that as payment for you not telling me your elevator was being repaired.”

He nodded to himself. “I accept that. Maybe even payment for the surprise guest?”

I shrugged. “Your apartment. You’re allowed to have whoever you want over.”

“She’s a friend.”

“I must say, you’ve got a weak spot for a damsel in distress. You helped her with some guy snatching her purse. Remember how you helped me?” He stared at me, a small smile playing at his lips. I was working when Frank was sitting at the bar. There was this other guy, Mick, who was oozing booze from his pores and was starting trouble with other customers. When I tried to cut him off he started yelling at me too, even getting in my face about it and calling me outta my name once or twice. That’s when the knight in shining armor, or a dark green utility jacket, came to my rescue. “Anyway, you don’t have to explain anything to me. Enjoy your romantic dinner with your friend…”

At that he chuckled before leaning inside the window, putting a hand behind my head and kissing me. His kiss tasted like coffee but sweeter than the poison he actually drank. “You gonna call me later?”

I stared at his mouth as I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. “Maybe. I’ll make sure it’s real late, after your crush leaves.”

He shook his head and kissed me once more. “Bye, Y/N. Put your seatbelt on.”

“Unless she plans on staying for dessert!” I called after him as he made his walk back to his apartment building.

And that wasn’t the last time I saw Adrienne. I ran into her maybe two more times while visiting Frank, but more importantly she came to my job. We were throwing a birthday party for the bar owner and I invited Frank to come keep me company while I worked the night. I didn’t expect him to show, him not being one for a large crowd, but I was surprised when he did. And I was even more surprised when he showed up with Adrienne.

“Wow, you came,” I spoke with as much enthusiasm I could muster before addressing his date. “Nice to see you again, Adrienne. How you been?”

“Busy with work. Someone thought I needed to unwind a little bit,” she said as she grinned at Frank, “so here I am.”

“Well, glad you could make it. If there’s anything you need gimme a holler.”

“Can we start with you point me to the ladies?”

I directed her to the restroom and she parted, rubbing Frank’s shoulder beforehand. I handled a few customers all while exchanging glances with Frank until I could take a minute from the chaos to talk to him. “Looks like the family’s all here. Only one missin’ is Max.”

“He had a previous engagement.”

“... Seriously, Frank? I invited you because you know this place like the back of your hand- These people! And you brought your little girlfriend here??”

“She needed a break, I offered a suggestion.”

“Not your place.” I slid a pitcher of beer across the bar and picked up the cash, looking at Frank in between counting. “Bringing her here to unwind? Let loose a little? That your plan?”

He nodded. “Yes, actually, it was.”

“Yeah? And then what?” I crossed my arms to try to calm what I felt was a flaring temper and to brace myself for whatever his response may be, but Adrienne returned and took a seat next to him. I sighed, rolling my eyes at him and looking at her. “So what’ll it be? A round of relaxation on me.”

“In that case, I’ll take a rum and coke.”

“Comin’ up. And for you, I won’t even water down the rum. Beer, Frank?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Nonsense. No empty hands or healthy livers on my watch.”  I noticed his jaw flex as he watched me behind the bar, as I tested him over this Adrienne thing. He brought her here, and I wasn’t going to deal with this sober or alone. I served their drinks and raised my shot of vodka for a toast. “To friends.”

“To friends,” Adrienne repeated with a smile. Frank raised his beer bottle but said nothing, eyes not leaving mine as we toasted and drank together.

The more we drank and the further the night moved along, the more comfortable Adrienne got with Frank. I couldn’t stay with them all night, as I was still technically on the clock, but as I worked I noticed how she threw herself all over him. Frank mingled with a few of the regulars that he was more familiar with and she clung to him, arm wrapped around his waist or linked in his. Even one of the other bartenders, Vanessa, asked who Frank came with, wondering if she was his girl or something.

And as much as it shouldn’t have pissed me off, the fact she managed to get him on a dancefloor just burned me up. Granted he wasn’t dancing at all; it looked more like a bodyguard standing next to a celebrity having a really good time. The fact remained I couldn’t get him to even snap a finger to a tune with me in the two years I’ve known him, let alone step anywhere near a dancefloor. I took a shot every time I felt a pang of jealousy strike me and focused on work until Adrienne came and sat at the bar alone. “Bartender! Let me get a mojito and two shots of Honey Jack.”

I grit my teeth and made her order, deciding it best not to express my annoyance at being called bartender when she knew my name. “Hey, you ever seen Frank get drunk?”

“He doesn’t drink much; a beer here and there.”

“I mean, I know he says I’m wound up but geez. Has he met himself?” I gave her a weak half smile. I didn’t want to talk about Frank, didn’t wanna be reminded of all the things I knew about him that she had no idea of. “So tell me this: what’s really goin’ on between you two? Frank tells me you two are just friends; that true?”

I shrugged, biting the inside of my cheek. “If that’s what he says then that’s what we are.”

“Then you don’t have a problem if I… ya know.” She grinned and looked over her shoulder at Frank, who was talking to one of our bouncers and looking at us. She waved before turning back at me, biting her lip. “You guys never even… Not once?”

“... Are you asking if we had sex?”

“Curious minds wanna know.”

“Curiosity gets people in trouble.” I slid the drinks at her, ready for her to leave my immediate space. “That’ll be $15.”

“$15? But I thought…”

“Oh I’m not charging for the drinks, just the sugar, lime and mint it took to make yours. The liquor’s still free; friendship discount.” I smiled and held my hand out as she stared at me before rolling her eyes and reaching into her clutch.

“Expensive limes,” she muttered under her breath.

“Only the best.”

“You can keep the change. Save it for the next time Frank needs you for a dog food run.”

“What was that?” My face fell cold as steel before she tossed me a fake smile and left. I needed something to lighten my mood before I snatched that smile from her face. I’m guessing Frank could see me gritting my teeth from across the room because soon after she left he was taking her place. “Check your girl, Frank.”

“My girl…”

“I’m two seconds from scratching her face off, I want you to know that.”

“How much have you had to drink tonight?”

“Are you listening to me? She’s disrespecting me.”

“Yeah? You haven’t been all that warm and friendly yourself.”

“Are you shitting me? I’m giving her free drinks, smiling and making nice since I met her!”

“You think any o’ that shit matters when you’re pretending?”

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Of course you’re defending her. She’s still that weak girl that got her purse stolen and needed you to come to her rescue.”

“What does that make you?”

“I didn’t ask you to intervene, I was handling myself just fine! And I’m asking you to intervene now for her sake- This is the last warning I’m giving either of you. Next time I’m knocking her goddamn head off-”

“-Alright,” he said as he nodded to himself and rose from the barstool. “C’mon, come take your break-”

“-Gladly.” I told Vanessa I’d be back when I followed Frank off to a corner of the bar a little further away from the party. “I tried, Frank, I did- I tried not to be bothered by her, but I am. And I’m even more bothered you actually brought her here.”

He chuckled to himself as he leaned against the wall opposite me. “What, you think I didn’t know that?”

“Then why did you do it?”

“I didn’t know I needed your permission to bring her to a public bar-”

“-Oh, fuck you. Public bar my ass- I didn’t ask you to come to the goddamn library, I asked you to come to a birthday party for friends, people we know, a place where you’re a regular.”

“So what, this is our place? S’at what you’re sayin’?”

“Can’t believe you’re being such an asshole about this-”

“-C’mon, tell me what the real problem is you have with her. What did she do that was so offensive you instantly decided not to like her from the start-”

“-Oh, stop it! This isn’t me just picking on the new girl, this is you not setting boundaries with her from the beginning. Then again we’re all friends, right? I mean, that’s what you told her, that I’m your friend? So that’s my mistake, thinking you needed to draw a line somewhere with her-”

“-Was there a conversation you and me were supposed to have somewhere along the line that I’m forgettin’?”

“I mean, I’m not expecting you to confess your love for me to the girl or anything, but shit. Friends? Really? So since we’re both your friends, that means you fuck her like you fuck me then too, right?”

“What would you like me to call you?”

“Damn, even an it’s complicated is more than just calling me a friend! At least then she’d know there was somethin’ else here instead of having to ask me if we fucked!”

“She asked you that?”

“You sound surprised.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I’m sure you guys can talk about it on the way home.”

“She shouldna asked you-”

“-Well no fucking shit, Frank! It’s none of her business!”

“It’s none of her business unless it puts her in her place right? You wouldn’t mind telling her about what we do if it made her back off me, right?”

I scoffed. “What is it, Frank? You need the both of us to kiss your ass? I didn’t peg you to be so greedy-”

“-I didn’t peg you to be so jealous.”

“Of what? Some sheep that clings onto you for dear life? I’ve never been that girl, never will be. If you wanted a leech then congrats, you got it.”

“That’s right, you’re a tough girl. Don’t need anyone, can handle everything by yourself, hm?”

“She asked if we had sex, talked to me like I was the fucking help, and you’re standing here defending her to me! You’re talkin’ to me as if I brought it on myself, like I’m the mean girl finally getting what’s due to me or some shit!”

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this. All this liquor in you, all fired up; you won’t hear any reason at all.”

“You’re gonna try to reason with me on this? What would you like me to do, bend over and take it while she comes for my neck at my own job?”

“You know what we are, you know what we do; why does it matter what she says?”

“Clearly I don’t know if all you told her was that you and I are friends! She thinks what she does because you never told her otherwise!”

He nodded. “You’re right. I’ll tell her right now that you are the person I, what? Think of as more than a friend, fuck somewhat often, but wouldn’t call my girlfriend because that’s not a step I’m ready to take just yet. That sum it up?”

I shrugged. “Works fine for me.” I stared at him to let him know I was serious when he shook his head and a smile started to break on his face, and when Frank smiled it was incredibly contagious. “I’m serious!”

“I know, which is what makes this even more ridiculous. You’re unbelievable.”

“Wait ‘til you see me when my claws come out…”

“Nah nah, no need for any o’ that. I’ll talk to her.”

“You’ll talk to her?”

“Yes, yes yes. I’d hate to have to protect her from you.”

“Yeah, I bet. You thought a mugger and a drunk were trouble; you haven’t seen two women going at it over Frank Castle.”

“Wasn’t aware I was so much of a prize.”

“Ugh, geez. Don’t flatter yourself.” I rolled my eyes and made my way back to the bar but he took my arm in his hand, pulling me in front of him. “Don’t worry that shaved head of yours.”

“You calmed down?”

“Yeah yeah, I calmed down, I’m good.”

“Good. And no more drinkin’ tonight.”

“You cuttin’ me off?”

“Someone has to.”

“Lookin’ out for me again… You just can’t help yourself, can you?” I asked as I moved closer to him, hooking my index fingers through the belt loops of his jeans.

“I can’t let you do anything too damaging to that perfect image you’ve made for yourself. What kinda man would that make me?”

“A very bad one.”

“How bad?” His voice dropped low enough for only me to hear, and as I caught a glimpse over his shoulder I noticed a certain someone staring holes into us. My eyes connected with his; I wonder if he could sense the more sinister side of me behind them.

“Just awful. Kinda bad you have nightmares about.”

“Can’t have that now, can we?”

“No we can not,” I whispered before taking his bottom lip between my teeth. “Come over my place tonight,” I spoke after standing on my tiptoes to talk directly in his ear over the music.

“Thought you didn’t like leaving Max alone?”

“Well I feel a lot better knowing he has more than enough food to last a lifetime, thanks to me. I think I need taking care of myself tonight…”

“Tell you what: you stop drinkin’ now, I’ll come over later.”

“You’re gonna come over regardless. You can’t pass an opportunity to take care of me.”

“You takin’ advantage?”

“Oh, absolutely,” I said devilishly before grabbing the sides of his face and pulling him down for a kiss, not caring who saw and knowing one person in particular was eyeing the show. His hands found my waist and gripped firmly, which was unusual behavior for Frank; he wasn’t one for much PDA. If I decided to be a little frisky with him in public he gave me his usual stern look as he shook his head, neither encouraging or stopping me. Funny, maybe this was Frank with a few beers in him.

I had no complaints. And when I pulled away from him and caught Adrienne enjoying the view I gave her a wink. “Maybe you won’t have to talk to her after all…”

He looked over his shoulder and caught her quickly looking away, suddenly chatting it up with one of the bartenders. “I’m sure that wasn’t calculated at all.”

“If I learned anything about calculated moves it’d be from you.” I kissed his jaw once more before walking away, feeling recharged and ready to finish working so I could get home and cap off the night with Frank. On my way back to the party I passed Adrienne as she clearly avoided looking at me. “You enjoy the rest of your night, sweetheart,” I whispered in her ear, my cattier nature getting the best of me for the night.

Check and mate.