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heartbreak-sandwich · 9 months

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Billy Hargrove x Fem!OC

Summary: After a day of sledding with a group of her former classmates, JJ is freezing and prepares to walk home when Billy offers her a ride. She invites him in for a warm drink to repay his favor, and things quickly heat up when he lights a fire and shares his best tips on keeping the frost bite at bay. Bask in the glow of this incendiary encounter in the next 1.8k words🔥 CW: SMUT, oral (f receiving), overstimulation, Billy is a little demanding A huge thank you to my beta reader and editor @lifesshort-imshorter for helping me bring this piece to life!!!

DAY THREE OF HOHOHOE WEEK Prompt: Fireplace Read the rest of this mini series here: Part 1 | Part 2

JJ stood at the top of the snow covered hill with the rest of her classmates. Quite a few of them showed up to the Hawkins sledding reunion party Nancy had organized for those of them that were home for the holidays. Everyone was complaining about how cold it was and how they didn’t want to be chilled to the bone by falling in the snow. She couldn’t believe these people had agreed to make an appearance solely for a party to play in a winter wonderland and then refused to participate.

“Seriously, you guys?” She shook her head in disappointment. “Move. I’m going down.” The small crowd parted, and JJ steadied her sled at the top of the hill, making sure it would travel straight from where it started. Everyone’s eyes were on her, including Billy’s, whose burned brightly as he watched her daredevil antics.

“Need a push?” He stepped forward and offered to help JJ start her downhill journey. She smiled over her shoulder at him and replied with one simple word.

“Nope.” With that, she took a running step forward and jumped into the sled, the momentum propelling her forward and down the hill. Inspired by JJ’s bravery, the rest of the group followed suit, everyone finally conceding to having the good time they all gathered for in the first place.

The rest of the afternoon was spent laughing, catapulting snowballs, and wiping out in the icy powder. Everyone agreed they couldn’t remember the last time they had so much fun. Billy was just glad to be there with JJ, soaking in the warmth that emanated from her on that freezing winter day.

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The sun was setting, and JJ was completely soaked through her clothes. Teeth chattering, cheeks aching from smiling and the bite of the bitter wind, she began saying goodbye to her classmates.

“I need to get going so I’m not walking in the dark. I’ll see you guys at Tina’s in a couple days!” She waved, a chorus of farewells arising from the group as she gathered her sled.

“Walking?” Billy’s voice boomed above the rest.

“Yeah,” JJ answered. “It’s not far.”

“No way. You’re freezing. Come on, let me give you a ride. It’s on my way.” Billy stepped toward her while all of the bystanders quieted, waiting for her to bite back sarcastically. To their surprise, she accepted graciously.

“Actually, that would be nice.” JJ’s whole body shook from the cold as she spoke. Following Billy to where his car was parked, she was thrilled to see he was still driving that cobalt blue Camaro she had always made fun of him for but secretly loved.

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“Thanks again for the ride.” JJ was still shivering as Billy pulled into the Ferons’ driveway.

“Any time,” he drawled, his signature smirk sliding into place. JJ had the house to herself for the night. Her parents were being entertained at another stuffy cocktail hour for some other overly posh law firm, and while she originally planned to get some relaxation time in, she now had a better idea.

“You want to come in? I’ll make you a hot drink for your troubles.”

“Thought you’d never ask,” Billy replied, his smirk blooming into a smile. He followed JJ inside, and he couldn’t help but notice she was still shaking from the cold permeating through her wet clothes.

“I’ll put the kettle on. You make yourself comfortable,” she instructed, leaving Billy alone in the living room.

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“What’s all this?” JJ’s grin shone brightly against the dim glow of a fire crackling in the fireplace. She handed Billy one of the mugs she was carrying back from the kitchen, taking note of the pile of blankets on the floor in front of the dancing flames.

“You’re freezing. We need to get you warmed up, and I thought a fire might help. Here,” Billy said, taking JJ’s hand and leading her over to the bundle of warmth he had prepared. They sat down on the plush area rug together, and Billy draped two of the blankets over JJ’s shoulders, wrapping his arms around her, moving them up and down slowly to create friction.

“What a gentleman,” JJ crooned in jest, giggling at Billy’s display.

“Frostbite is no joke, Jacqueline,” he quipped back, his smile still bright in the low light.

“I suppose that’s true,” she agreed. They shared a comfortable silence looking far off into the fire, the crackling and popping sounds keeping them company.

“You know,” Billy started. “Body heat is really the most effective way to warm up.” JJ met his gaze, and his ocean eyes were dark with a devilish haze. She knew exactly what he was playing at, and she loved this game.

“Oh, well, in that case.” JJ stood up, letting the blankets fall from her shoulders, and pulled her sweater over her head, discarding it onto the floor. Billy’s eyes followed her every move as she peeled off more layers – t-shirt, undershirt, pants, socks – until she was down to just her underwear, her blue lace bra almost matching the color of his stare.

Billy followed suit, shedding his sweater, shirt, and pants, still watching her all the time. JJ felt the heat of a blush creep up to her cheeks just looking at him. He was like a God. The outline of every dip and valley of Billy’s body was contoured by the flickering of the fire. His golden skin looked butter-soft, and all JJ wanted to do was touch him, but she forced herself to be patient.

They returned to their seats on the rug, and Billy leaned closer to her, cupping the side of her face in his hand with a hungry look in his eyes. JJ’s lips parted as Billy ghosted his thumb over them, and there was no more talking. He kissed her slowly, with passion and sincerity, and she was already losing herself.

Billy tasted sweet like honey and warm sugar, and soon JJ was melting into him while their kisses turned fiery, all teeth, tongue, and desperation. Billy pressed wet, needy kisses to her jaw, her neck, her collar bone, leaving playful bites in his wake. JJ’s breathing grew heavy, and all she wanted was more, more, more.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take it any longer, Billy leaned into her until her back was pressed into the thick, plush rug in front of the fire. He lowered himself to her face one last time, locking her lips into his and running his tongue along the bottom one, then the top. He was teasing her, and she was eating it up.

Billy placed nips and kisses again down her neck, to her collar bone, to her chest, and he didn’t stop until he got to the top of her panties, taking the waistband in his teeth and letting it snap back against her skin. He glanced up at her from between her thighs, eyes full of sin, and JJ’s heart hammered double time.

“Are you warming up yet?” Billy asked seductively before pressing his warm, wet tongue flat against her clothed slit, just enough so that she could feel the rush of his hot breath.

“Whatever you do,” JJ warned, running her fingers through Billy’s sandy curls, “just don’t stop.” A dangerous grin formed on Billy’s face just before he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties and slid them down her legs, tossing them to the side. Big, strong hands pushed her thighs apart, making room for Billy to nestle down in between them. His breath ghosted across her bare skin, creating goosebumps over her entire body as he licked a long stripe through her folds.

JJ’s breath hitched at the contact, and she pulled lightly on Billy’s curls, eliciting a growl from deep within his chest. His tongue was like warm velvet sliding up and down and in delicious circles around her clit, and her vision grew hazy in the glow of the flames. She didn’t have room in her mind to care that her moans sounded pathetic and desperate as she tightened her grip in Billy’s hair and moved her hips languidly against his expert mouth.

“Fuck, that’s so good.” Billy’s eyes snapped up to meet hers as she glanced down at his mesmerizing movements, the work of his mouth and his dark stare setting her core ablaze. She let out a gasp when she felt him push two fingers inside of her, curling them up to meet her sweet spot. He fucked her slowly, the constant contact of his tongue pushing her closer and closer to the breaking point.

“Billy, please,” she breathed, her eyes brimming with tears at the stimulation.

“Beg me,” he purred, the low vibrations of his voice against her aching pussy sending shockwaves crashing over her.

“Please, I want to cum for you so bad. Mmmm – please, Billy.” With those magic words, he picked up the pace, thrusting his fingers into her harder and faster and sucking fiendishly on her clit until her moans turned into blissful sobs. Every move Billy made stoked the embers in her core until it was white hot and smoldering, and then there was an explosion.

JJ’s eyes screwed shut, tears spilling down her cheeks as she lost control, her whole body shuddering as her walls clenched around Billy’s fingers. She writhed against his tongue, a string of colorful expletives flooding from her lips as she rode out her climax. Slowly seeping back into the fabric of reality, JJ steadied her breathing as Billy removed his fingers and set an iron grasp on her thighs, pushing them farther apart while his blunt nails dug into her flesh as he held her there.

He continued to lavish slow, lazy circles on her clit, the overstimulation sending jolts up her spine as more tears slipped down her cheeks. JJ couldn’t take it anymore and tried her best to push him away, but he was too strong.

“Beg me,” Billy commanded once more. He wasn’t going to stop until she was a pathetic, weeping mess.

“Billy, please,” she cried. “I can’t take it anymore, please.” He gave one last long lick along her clit and looked up at her, his cerulean eyes shining like the surface of the ocean under the sun. He steadied himself on his knees and stretched his back, the glow of the fire rippling over his defined muscles before he laid down next to her.

“You taste divine,” he whispered. He leaned in and kissed her fiercely, and she could taste the sweet and sour remnants of herself on his tongue.

Once she was finally able to string a coherent thought together, JJ knew she was in trouble. Everything about Billy consumed her entirely, and though she knew she’d never be the same, in that moment, all she wanted was to be completely immersed in him. He was going to ruin her, and she was content to let it happen.

💕Tag list: @imyourdaninow @justsimonrileythings @b1tchy3lf @jozstankovich @darleenjade @peachyaliien @dananahenderson @strangerthing93 @yoyokiss97 @californiaboytoybilly

#Billy Hargrove #Billy Hargrove smut #Billy Hargrove x OC #Billy Hargrove x Fem!OC #Billy Hargrove fanfic #OC JJ Feron #Fergrove <3 #hohohoe23 #day three - prompt: fireplace #writing events #holiday writing event #sando writes #12/20/23

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sluttyforpascal · 1 year

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(Anti-) Hero - Joel Miller x OC

Chapter 1 - Welcome to Texas

Summary: September 2002. In the aftermath of her father's death, Jess Young travels to Austin. With her life enough in shambles as it is, her goals are simple: sort through her father's possessions and then sell the Texan home. Things in life are never that simple, though. Especially not when her father's friend-and neighbor from across the street-tries to keep an eye on her. Joel is a total piece of ass, which is highly distracting Jess from said goals. Will Joel capture Jess' heart... And panties? 😈

Warnings: Joel being hot AF, but sadly that's it (for now...).

Wordcount: 6k.

Author’s note: Ahhh Joel Miller... I. Am. Obsessed. I couldn't help myself and somehow this idea for yet another multichapter monster emerged. There's much filth that needs to be written. 🥵🔥 A special thanks to my dear friend @fizzyxcustard, who listens to me rambling about my Joel obession. You mean the world to me!! 🥰🥰❤

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

-Seneca

Thursday 26th of September, 2002.

The taxi had brought her from the Austin International Airport to the suburbs of the city and though Jess usually enjoyed taking in the scenery along the route or talking to the cab driver, today she would not even have noticed if a purple elephant had been rampaging across the street. Even the cab driver—a handsome guy named Earl—had fallen silent, for his client was too distraught to even tell him who she was visiting or where she was from.

As she sat on the worn backseat and vaguely registered Nickelback’s ‘How you remind me’ coming from the stereo, the synthetic fabric burned against her bare legs—the Texan heat making it even more uncomfortable. Jess suppressed a groan and shifted in her seat. She knew she should have opted for her long sundress, but the denim shorts and flimsy Metal band-shirt she wore instead were rather comfortable; it made her feel safe within herself. And though Jess had spent the first years of her life in the south, apparently it was easy to forget how unforgiving the Texan sun could be—hence her current, uncomfortable state.

‘It’s hot today, don’t you think darlin’?’ Earl tried, his last attempt to engage in a polite conversation with the lady. ‘Yeah,’ Jess agreed, her deep blue eyes fixated on the back of the seat in front of her. She heaved a sigh, feeling a bit guilty she hadn’t obliged in some casual banter earlier. ‘I hadn’t expected it to last. October is right around the corner.’ ‘Summer’s not your favorite season, then?’ Earl asked, looking at her through the rearview mirror. His handsome hazel eyes observed her with interest. ‘You strike me as a lazy summer type of gal.’ Jess chuckled at that. ‘No, I am not.’ ‘Christmas, then?’ She momentarily thought of her mother and her overfondness of Christmas decorations, and shook her head. ‘Definitely not.’ ‘Spring?’ Earl tried. ‘No? Are you more of a Halloween and pumpkin flavored drinks type of lady?’ ‘Yeah, I do love fall.’ Jess caved in as she brushed her long, raven curls over one shoulder before glancing outside. She recognised the block they were driving on, which meant they were almost there. ‘What about yourself?’ ‘I like all seasons,’ the cab driver replied with a grin, and it made her wonder briefly if Earl was one of those people who liked to stay impartial on most topics—either too scared to make a bad impression or too dumb to function. ‘Every season has its benefits,’ Earl went on, stopping at a red light. ‘But if you’re makin’ me choose, I would pick summer. I like the warm weather and the late night parties that come with it… Where we smoke somethin’, if you know what I mean.’

Jess eyed his golden curls, and a small smile tugged on the corner of her lips. ‘Are you abusing substances that you shouldn’t, good sir?’ She quipped. ‘Nah,’ Earl countered. ‘Just the occasional bit of pot, you know. To chill.’ ‘I hear you.’ ‘Really?’ Earl said, watching her through his rearview mirror again. His hazel eyes flashed with interest. ‘You smoke?’ ‘Just the occasional bit of weed,’ Jess said with a grin. ‘A bad habit I picked up in highschool, mostly to annoy my mother.’

Their conversation was cut short, for they had arrived at the end of the street and consequently her father’s home. Earl stopped the car in the curve of the cul-the-sac and took in the suburban bungalow. Jess’ father had painted it in a faded blue color awhile ago and the color went nicely with the low, gray roof, white painted window sills and the patch of grass stretching out before it. Even the red Ford F-250 that was still parked in the driveway matched the color scheme nicely. ‘Nice place,’ Earl remarked. ‘Is it yours?’

Technically, it was. Or would be soon. But since Jess didn’t want to share the details of her life with a practical stranger, she settled for the easy answer. ‘No, it’s my dad’s,’ she replied as she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the cab door. ‘I’m staying here for just a while.’

Earl got from his seat to retrieve her suitcase from the trunk of the car, while Jess gathered her bag from the backseat before following him. She slammed the door behind her and eyed the silent street while waiting for her baggage. It was around half past three, the sun just coming down from its daily peak. Since it was a Thursday most of the neighborhood was at work, except the elderly couple sitting in the shade of their front yard across the street—the Adlers, if she remembered it right. They had been at the funeral.

‘Hi sweetheart!’ Mister Adler called as he waved enthusiastically her way. Jess couldn’t help but smile at that and waved back.

‘Here,’ Earl said, directing her attention back again. ‘Here’s your suitcase.’ ‘Thanks,’ she murmured. ‘What do I owe you?’ ‘Twenty bucks?’ he said with a laugh, though he had driven her all the way from the airport which must have cost her much more than just twenty dollars. Earl watched her retrieve the money from her purse. ‘And…’ he continued after he had accepted the money, scratching the stubble on his chin. ‘Maybe I can call you sometime, y’know?’

The move was cheesy, but sweet. Her first instinct was to decline—she had a fiancé, after all—but then the realization hit her. Like her dad, Adam wasn’t in her life anymore.

‘Sure,’ she said with a nod and rummaged through her bag again, now for her notebook and a pen. She scribbled her phone number on the paper and tore it from the book. ‘Here,’ she said. ‘That’s my cell.’ ‘You got a mobile phone?’ he remarked as he accepted the piece of paper. ‘Nice.’

There was a small awkward silence, in which both of them didn’t know what to say. Jess shuffled on her feet, unsure how to continue. ‘I have to go,’ Earl finally said. ‘Have to get back to the city. I’ll call ya, okay?’ She nodded and watched as he got in his car, started the engine and turned in the cul-the-sac. Forcing herself to smile, she waved her ride goodbye as he disappeared in the street.

Then, she paused at the front of the yard—keys in one hand and her suitcase in the other. She knew she was stalling, but she granted herself a few seconds regardless. For entering her dad’s home like she owned the place, meant also accepting the fact that he truly was gone.

Dad’s place looked exactly like how they had left it the day after the funeral. Jess dumped her suitcase under the staircase in the small hallway, and moved to the living room on her right. She eyed the sparse furniture—her dad had been a practical man, not needing more than a television, comfortable chair, a couch no one sat on and a small dining table.

She heaved a sigh and moved through the living room into the kitchen, where the breakfast bowl she had used on the morning after the funeral still stood in the kitchen’s sink and a forgotten glass of water sat on the counter. Mom had been eager to catch their plane, pushing her daughter and daughter’s fiancé to hurry up.

Jess leaned against one of the bar stools, half expecting her father’s heavy footsteps on the stairs, excited to see her. ‘I miss you, dad,’ she mumbled, a lump forming in her throat. Her fingers traced aimless circles over the stone kitchen counter. ‘Wish you were here… You’d know what to do with me…’

The silence was deafening. ‘Please,’ Jess whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Her fingers faltered. ‘I… I don’t know what to do, dad… You’re gone and he—’

She couldn’t bear to say the words out loud, for the memory was still too fresh. Her chest burned, like someone had ripped her heart out of her cage. Adam had betrayed her, and the worst thing about it was that she hadn’t seen it coming. At all.

Diiiing.

‘Shit,’ Jess mumbled, quickly rubbing away the tears from her cheeks before making her way through dad’s home to the hall. Why mister Adler already was calling on her after she had been here for just five minutes was beyond her, but because she wasn’t exactly familiar with the neighborhood it would be wise to be on her best behavior. So when she opened the door, she was surprised to not find mister Adler, but Sarah Miller standing on her porch.

Jess knew the thirteen year old a bit, for their dads had been best pals from the moment the Millers had moved into one of the homes across the road—now six years ago. Though Jess’ father was twenty years Joels’ senior, the Millers had been quick to adopt her father as a part of their family and as a consequence, Jess had heard much about the family before even meeting them in person. Apparently Joel was a single father who had just started as an independent contractor in the construction business and Sarah was this quiet kid that—upon closer inspection—turned out to be equally funny and smart. So when Jess finally visited her father a few months after the Miller families’ arrival, she had expected to meet a typical American dad and his bright daughter. But as it turned out, her father had left one important detail out.

Joel Miller was anything but the typical American dad: he was a total piece of ass and he didn’t even know it… With his dark, tousled hair, his deep brown eyes, scruffy facial hair and sweet smile Joel had captured Jess’ heart—and panties, let’s be fair—the second he had greeted her, effectively turning her into this weird, clumsy gal she didn’t recognize.

Sure, she had experienced her fair share of crushes and dalliances before, but this was different. Something switched whenever Joel came around the corner; she laughed too loud, choked on her drink or said something extremely stupid. Her dad—who knew her too well—had teased her endlessly about her crush and at one point Jess had suspected him of matchmaking. Which, as she had told her dad, was highly inappropriate, for at the time she had been in a relationship with Adam.

‘Jess?!’ Sarah inquired with a small chuckle. ‘Are you in there?’ ‘Oh,’ Jess said, a genuine smile lifting the corners of her mouth. ‘Hi Sarah! I didn’t expect to see you this soon! I just arrived five minutes ago.’ ‘I’m sorry for disturbing you,’ Sarah quickly greeted her neighbor. ‘But my dad isn’t home yet and I forgot my keys. He will murder me when he finds out. I saw you entering mister Young’s—Carl’s—house, and I know he kept a spare for us. So I thought maybe you could help me find them and save my life?’

Jess laughed at the girl’s direct approach and leaned against the doorway, the hard wood uncomfortable against her shoulder. ‘I would gladly help you, but I have no idea where my dad kept your key, so you have to help me look. Deal?’ Sarah quickly obliged, her beautiful hazel brown curly hair bouncing as she nodded. She straightened the blue backpack that hung over her shoulders. ‘Come in,’ Jess said while stepping aside. ‘Do you want something to drink?’

Unfortunately, their search for the spare key turned out to be futile and after an hour, both Jess and Sarah had to accept the fact that they would never find out where Carl Young had kept the Miller’s house key—or his own spares, for that matter.

Both girls had resorted to the couch, initially exhausted by their search. Though it was nearing half past five, the Texan heat was still quite unforgiving, and the only way to cool off was lying splayed out on the couch, allowing the fan to wash over them—a cold glass of Coca Cola in hand.

‘How long are you staying?’ Sarah inquired, watching Jess taking a sip from her drink. ‘Dad said he wasn’t sure anyone would come back here….’ ‘I don’t know,’ Jess mused, watching the ice cubes float in her drink. The fan brushed over her face, her own hair ticking her cheeks. ‘A month, maybe two. I need to sort out all my dad's—Carl’s—stuff and I have an appointment with the notary to settle some affairs next week.’ ‘What will happen to the house?’

Jess shrugged, unable to present the teen with a clear answer. ‘I need to figure that out too. Maybe I will sell it, maybe I’ll stay.’

It was weird saying the idea out loud, for it only had existed in her own mind since she had boarded the plane. With her relationship with Adam in shambles and her mother living in the big city, the only thing that tied her down to Staten Island was her job. The school board hadn’t been too happy with one of their teachers taking unpaid leave when the term had just started, so Jess wasn’t even sure her spot would be there when she came back. If she’d come back.

In the background, the first tunes of INXS’ ‘Need you tonight’ emerged from the radio. Jess grinned brightly and despite the warmth she jumped from the couch. She had been addicted to this record back in 1987, when she had been just sixteen. ‘Sorry, I have to,’ she told Sarah—who was watching her in both typical teenage annoyance and amusement—and placed her drink on the radio before turning on the volume.

‘All you’ve got is this moment,’ Jess sang along with Michael Hutchence as she bust out her best dance moves. ‘Twenty-first century is yesterday….’

Sarah watched Jess making a fool out of herself and rolled with her eyes, though a small smile adorned her lips. ‘You look like my dad right now,’ she told her neighbor over the music. ‘’And trust me, it’s not a compliment. How old are you anyway?’ ‘I’m turning thirty in December,’ Jess replied with a laugh. ‘Which is—as my kids at school inform me—the equivalent to the age of the dinosaurs.’ ‘Yeah,’ Sarah agreed before taking a sip of her own drink. ‘That’s pretty old. Though my dad is even older than you are.’ ‘Oh, really?!’ ‘He turned thirty-five today,’ the teen told her. ‘So if you are turning into a carnosaur, don’t worry—dad’s probably of the herrerasauridae family.’

Jess laughed at the girls’ smart-ass notion. ‘Well played, young Miller,’ she quipped. ‘Have you bought him a gift?’ ‘Not yet,’ Sarah said, a frown now decorating her forehead. ‘I wouldn’t know what to get him and besides, he probably will be home late again. All he does is work.’ Jess heaved a sigh and turned down the volume again. She picked up her drink, absentmindedly rubbing away the condense the glass had left on the radio. She felt sorry for Sarah. Spending time with her dad must be important to her, especially because he was all she had.

‘We could start with buying a cake,’ she offered. ‘And see what Walmart has to offer that could be to Joel’s—your dad’s—liking?’ ‘You would do that?’ Sarah chimed, her dark brown eyes pleading for her neighbor to say yes. ‘But I have no money.’ ‘It’s nothing,’ Jess replied with a vague gesture from her hand. ‘I need to get some groceries anyway, and I think we should do something nice for your dad, don’t you agree?’ The teen nodded. ‘One problem, though,’ Jess murmured, her eyes scanning through the living room. ‘We still have to find the keys of my dad’s truck….’

It was around seven when the girls returned from their shopping spree. They had picked up some pizza on their way home—caprese for Sarah, pineapple for Jess, and pepperoni in case Joel showed up—and now were lounging on the couch while enjoying their meal and watching Legally Blonde that was showing on tv. Jess watched Sarah as she enjoyed her pizza, and laughed with her when Elle reprimanded Warner with the iconic burn of 2001: ‘What, like it’s hard?’

Sarah had picked up an Aerosmith and Nirvana CD—‘then he can finally listen to them on repeat in the car instead of one song on the radio’—and had chosen the most elaborate cake design they could find. And though the thirteen year old swore she would pay Jess back, the latter one refused kindly. It must be hard for Sarah that her dad was doing overtime on his birthday, and Jess hoped that Joel would return home soon.

She had just taken a huge bite of her pizza, when the doorbell rang again. ‘That must be dad,’ Sarah concluded, scrambling herself together. ‘Got it,’ Jess muffled with a mouth full of pineapple and rose from her seat. With the last of the pizza part still in her hands she walked towards the door, quickly swallowing her food before opening.

Joel Miller was still as hot as she remembered. He was leaning against her porch, his dark brown hair tousled from his day at work and his dark eyes observing her in a curious, though friendly manner—but if one would look closely, one could easily see the exhaustion written in them. Joel possessed a so-called ‘roman nose’, with a prominent curved bridge that ended in a sharp, though rounded tip. His full lips were crowned by a thick, dark mustache and his cheeks sported a messy scruff. It seemed like he had just arrived home: there was some construction dust on his temple and he still wore his work clothes—a simple black t-shirt that clung nicely to his defined torso and gray, worn jeans—both in the same rugged state. In his hands he held the note that Sarah had hastily scribbled on Jess’ counter before they left for the store, the post-it paper looking small compared to his palm.

‘Hey neighbor,’ Joel greeted her, his lazy southern drawl wrapping around her like a silk shawl. ‘I’m lookin’ for my daughter. She left a note on the door, sayin’ she would be here.’ ‘Yeah, she’s with me,’ Jess said, eyeing him with a small smile while she told herself to just breathe. ‘She forgot her key and said she’s grounded forever now.’ ‘She tryin’ to find an ally now?’ Joel said with a smirk. ‘Smart girl, raised her well.’ ‘Well, it is working…’ Jess commented. ‘I mean, come on, Miller. Is forgetting a key such a big offense?’ Joel laughed at that and ran the hand that wasn’t holding on to the note through his hair, tousling it further. His tanned arm flexed. ‘It is when there’s no one to let her in,’ he argued. ‘Carl had one, and I don’t like t’give the Adlers access to my place, if y’know what I mean. Can’t leave my daughter stranded.’ ‘No, definitely not,’ Jess agreed, thinking of mister Adler. Her dad had told her that though the couple was kind, they were very meddlesome; the type that would rearrange your home while you were away—just to help, of course. ‘Though,’ she went on. ‘In the event I hadn’t been home… I can imagine spending a free afternoon with the Adler’s would have been enough punishment, don’t you think?’ ‘Sure,’ he agreed. ‘She can count herself lucky that you were here.’

There was a short silence, in which they observed each other—gorgeous chocolate depths burning in their deep blue counterparts. A small twinge burned in the pit of her stomach, the same one she had felt at the funeral when Joel had shook her hand to pay his respects. It had struck out to her that even in her grief-stricken state a simple touch from him was enough to make something spark within herself.

‘How are you holdin’ up?’ Joel inquired gently, pulling her from her thoughts. ‘Hadn’t expect to see you back soon.’ ‘Me neither,’ she replied, stepping aside to let him in, and vaguely sensing the cold half-eaten pizza part in her hand. ‘But I have to handle some affairs here.’ ‘How long will you be stayin’?’ Joel asked as he brushed past her, his eyes not leaving her frame. ‘I don’t know,’ she confessed. ‘As long as I need to. To go through his stuff, I mean.’ Her throat went stuffy at the reminder of the enormous task of cleaning her dad’s home and sorting through his belongings; she wasn’t ready for that yet. Joel nodded, offering her a sympathetic smile. ‘Lemme know f’you need my help, okay?’ ‘You already work too much, birthday boy,’ she told him while she sent him a cheeky smile. ‘I wouldn’t want to impose on your free time.’ Joel groaned at that. ‘She told you, huh?’ ‘Happy birthday,’ Jess congratulated him as she waved with her pizza part. ‘I hope you’re hungry, we got you pepperoni.’ ‘Y’didn’t have to—’ ‘Yes, I did,’ she argued before taking a bite of her pizza. In her haste she accidentally gobbled down a larger chunk than she’d bargained for; of course her clumsy, nervous ass did. Joel watched her struggle to maintain her dignity—which meant not coughing herself to death in his presence—but her trachea protested against her ego’s wishes. Jess toppled forward and went into the very coughing fit she had been trying to avoid. Joel was eyeing her with growing concern and after a few moments of hesitation, he carefully rubbed her back. ‘Keep it up,’ he instructed, his tone calm. ‘It helps.’

Of course it did, she knew that. But it also meant that she turned into a watery eyed, tomato faced mess; and that was a look she didn’t particularly pursue. Jeez, the man was only in her vicinity for a minute and she already had to make a fool of herself?!

‘You’re not allowed to cook on your birthday—’ she began, her voice unsteady because at the same time her throat managed to get the loose chunk of pizza in the right place. ‘It’s one of my dad’s rules,’ she added while looking at him through tear stricken eyes, ‘and it’s bad luck if you do. The fact that you dared to mention it almost made me choke, Miller!’ A grin tugged on the corners of his mouth, whether it was from her pun or her current disheveled state, she didn’t know. ‘I remember him sayin’ that last year,’ Joel remarked, his hand still on her back. ‘Carl took us out for burgers.’

Jess slowly rose from her huddled position and smiled faintly. The sweet taste of pineapple burned in her throat and she still couldn’t see properly through the tears, but her heart stung at the memory. She should have visited her dad more often, but at the time she had been so busy with her own, Adam-infused life… ‘S’okay,’ Joel murmured as his fingers brushed over her t-shirt once more, which set off a confusing array of emotions in her system.

‘Dad?! Jess?! What are you two doing?!’ Sarah called as she jumped from the couch and made her way through the hall. Upon eyeing the pair she laughed. ‘What happened here?’ ‘Didn’t you hear me almost choke myself to death?!’ Jess croaked, internally groaning when she felt Joel’s fingers leave her. ‘I almost died.’ ‘That’s for eating pineapple on your pizza,’ Sarah quipped as she turned on her heels and sent a knowing glance to her dad. ‘I warned you, Jess. People like you belong in hell.’ ‘You’re one of those?!’ Joel asked Jess with a grin while the three of them made their way into the living room. ‘She is,’ Sarah agreed as she eased herself onto the couch once more, her eyes sparkling with joy. ‘You don’t know what you’re missing out on!’ Jess defended herself half-heartedly, though she knew her chances persuading pineapple pizza haters to come to the dark side was usually a fruitless task. ‘Nah, it’s disgusting,’ Joel tutted. ‘The state of New York is ruinin’ your taste buds.’ He lowered himself next to Sarah on the couch. ‘Hi, kiddo. What are you watchin’?’ ‘Legally Blonde,’ Sarah said before pulling her father into a hug. ‘It’s pretty cool. You wouldn’t like it.’ ‘Lemme decide f’myself!’ ‘Dad! I’m telling you, it’s a girl’s movie!’

Jess let the pair bicker and went to reheat Joel’s pizza in the oven—a skill she had perfected over the past few years—doing overtime and still having to cook makes a girl creative. She tossed the cold remnants of her meal into the garbage bin; another consequence of nearly suffocating on her beloved pizza was that she had lost her appetite. As she listened to Sarah’s excited chatter and Joel’s low hum, she fetched two beers from the fridge. She knew his favorite—thanks to her dad—and as her hands searched for the bottle opener in the kitchen drawer, her mind drifted to Joel’s pretty eyes and to—

Ugh, he had no reason to be this hot, it was borderline criminal. Especially not after a long day at work, where he undoubtedly had busted his butt ordering others around and hauling stuff across the construction site. Jess peered in the drawer, her mind fixated on the way Joel’s biceps had bulged under his t-shirt. She shouldn’t think of him like that, she really shouldn’t—

‘D’you need some help?’ ‘What?’ she gulped, her hands randomly grabbing a knife, and he hissed at the sting it caused. ‘I was just—’ ‘Carl kept the bottle opener on the side o’the fridge,’ Joel told her as he made his way towards the sink and gestured at the drawer. ‘No need for searchin’ in there.’

Ah. Of course. Her father had been practical about life. He surely would have hated to spend hours searching for a bottle opener. Tears burned behind her eyes and Jess quickly grabbed the object from its place against the fridge. After lifting the cap from both bottles, she offered one beer to Joel.

‘Thank you darlin’,’ Joel rumbled, leaning against the kitchen counter before taking a sip. As he studied her with his dark eyes, Jess busied herself with inspecting the shallow cut she had made in her fingers. It drew some blood and she hissed at the sight. She was many things and possessed many talents, but blood—especially her own—always made her knees weak. And not the good kind of weak.

‘S’just a little cut,’ Joel remarked with a small smirk. ‘Hold it under the tap and you’re fine.’ ‘I’m not one of your men,’ she countered with a huff, eyeing him defiantly. ‘I don’t haul dangerous stuff around all day.’ ‘Glad y’don’t,’ he murmured, while planting his beer on the counter and turning on the faucet. Without ceremony, he got hold of her hand and pushed it under the cold stream. ‘I don’t think you’d be of use at the side,’ he continued. ‘You’d keep hurtin’ y’self.’ Would have t’fire you on your first day….’

That remained to be seen. If Joel stayed out of her way, she would be fine. If not… Well, then she was fucked—and again not the good kind.

Jess observed the water as it poured over their hands and slowly turned into a pleasant temperature. After a short while Joel pulled her fingers close and inspected the damage. ‘S’fine,’ he concluded before shutting off the tap. ‘It doesn’t even bleed, see?’ ‘Are you judging me, Miller?!’ ‘F’course not,’ he replied as he retrieved his hand and dried it on his shirt. Jess—her own fingers still hovering over the sink, dripping with water—couldn’t help but notice that his hands were littered with scars, roughened from his days at work. ‘I don’t believe you,’ she quipped, narrowing her eyes. She reached for the kitchen towel. ‘Remember I’m a highschool teacher, Joel. I can smell lies and omitted truths from a mile away.’ ‘Yeah, I was told to be careful around you,’ he replied with a grin as he leaned against the kitchen counter. ‘Teachin’ these unruly kids like my daughter must be a callin’ or somethin’, I really couldn’t.’ ‘Ah, they’re not that bad,’ Jess said. ‘I can boss them around all day, just like you do with your crew.’ ‘Why’d you think I’d do that, huh?’ ‘I got it from a very reliable source,’ Jess said as she fetched her own beer from the counter and took a sip. As the rich, deep flavor swirled through her mouth, she eyed her father’s friend’s handsome features. ‘I imagine you had the same source,’ she mused with a smile. ‘Tell me… What do you know about me that you probably shouldn’t?’

Joel sipped from his beer and observed her with an amused twinkle in his eyes. There were a thousand things she’d rather not have him know. The first and obvious one was the fact that she had a crush on him, but after that there were a few cringeworthy childhood memories she’d rather forget. It would be embarrassing if Joel knew how she had caught herself in barbed wire during one summer—trespassing farmer Jack’s property had seemed a good idea, until the world turned upside down—or how accidentally had dyed her hair orange instead of blonde.

‘Why are you lookin’ at me? I’m not tellin’ you,’ Joel finally remarked with a vague smile. ‘Promised him not to.’ ‘Aha! So he did tell you stuff he shouldn’t!’ ‘Not much,’ Joel admitted, despite his previous statement not to reveal any of the information he knew. The twinkle in his eyes was gone and now was replaced with genuine concern. ‘Just that he hoped Adam takes good care of you.’

Though Joel couldn’t know about their separation, his revelation still stung. Jess shrugged and bit on her lip. ‘He never told me that.. Did dad—Carl—have his doubts?’ ‘S’not my place to say,’ Joel confessed, his brows furrowing together. He shuffled on his feet and watched Jess sink to her knees to check the oven. The smell of pepperoni pizza filled the kitchen.

‘Almost,’ she commented quietly, her mind still stuck at Joel’s remark. It didn’t surprise her that her father had worried about her relationship with Adam; usually when her mother pressed her to do something—like pursuing a relationship with Adam—her father had been against the idea. Jess had often wondered if this had become her parent’s typical dynamic or if they truly were two opposites in every choice life had to offer.

‘Your dad was somethin’,’ Joel changed the subject. ‘Must be weird f’you, to be back here. With him not bein’ around here.’ ‘Yeah, it is,’ Jess agreed with a heavy heart. She looked up at him through her lashes. ‘I miss him terribly and to be honest I don’t want to be here—no offense of course. It’s just…’ she heaved a weary sigh while her gaze swept through the kitchen. ‘Everything reminds me of him.’ She rose to her feet and retrieved a plate from one of the cabinets. Joel watched her as she placed it in the sink and opened the tap. ‘Heating the plate will keep your pizza warm,’ Jess explained as she waited for the water to get hot. ‘I learned that from a chef I once dated. He was an ass, but he did teach me a useful trick or two.’ ‘Never thought of that,’ Joel murmured. ‘Cold pizza ain’t that bad, why complicate it?’ Jess laughed at that. ‘I bet single dads don’t have time to complicate their dinners,’ she told him as she dried the hot plate and fetched dad’s mittens from a drawer to retrieve the pizza from the oven. ‘Give it a try, Miller,’ she teased as she handed him a mitten and his plate. ‘It won’t kill you.’

Joel, Sarah and Jess spent the evening like a normal family would—at Sarah’s request they watched the rest of Legally Blonde while Joel ate his late dinner. Though the latter wouldn’t tell Jess if the heated plate had made his pizza better, Jess liked to think that it had. After Legally Blonde had ended, Sarah told her father and their new friend about her day at school and Jess was obliged to share the details of her trip from Staten Island to Austin. Jess could not bring herself to explain her breakup with Adam—it would surely result in a tsunami of tears—so when the topic landed on her ex she simply stated that her fiancé had been too busy to help her out. Though Sarah seemed to accept the story right away and chatted about Carl’s tendency to hoard stuff he liked, Jess felt Joel’s eyes burning on her. He probably sensed there was more to it, but he didn’t press her to share. She would probably have to tell him the truth, in time. But for now, his birthday turned out to be the perfect diversion for unwanted questions.

It was around half past ten when Jess found herself leaning against the doorframe of her porch, waving at Sarah who had just ran across the street with her father’s keys. Joel had stepped down from her porch—about to follow his daughter—but had paused at her lawn. ‘She’s a great kid,’ Jess told Joel as they watched Sarah disappear behind the front door. ‘I know a lot of teens, but Sarah’s one of a kind.’ ‘Yeah,’ he agreed quietly as he pushed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. ‘Don’t know what I’d do without her, y’know?’ ‘Well, for one you would not get roasted all the time….’ Joel chuckled. ‘I could do without being called old, yeah…’ He shuffled on his feet. ‘Listen, I wanted to thank you. For takin’ care of her and everythin’. You didn’t have to.’ ‘It’s okay,’ Jess said with a grin. ‘I didn’t mind.’ ‘At least let me pay you back,’ Joel offered, his right hand shifting to his back pocket and retrieving his wallet, which was in a rugged, worn state. ‘No!’ Jess cried out as she raised her hands defensively. ‘Not a chance in hell. We’re good. I have to thank you for the company, especially on your birthday!’ Joel shrugged and his hands fumbled over the worn leather. ‘I wouldn’t have done anythin’ special,’ he confessed. ‘Not after a twelve-hour shift. Probably would have ended up on the couch, watchin’ somethin’ stupid.’ ‘Legally Blonde doesn’t count as stupid?!’ she teased with a smile and was awarded with a cute grin. ‘It was okay,’ Joel concluded. ‘I was enjoyin’ the company, Young.’

There was a short silence in which their eyes met and Jess almost drowned in the beautiful molten chocolate hues. ‘Before I forget; here’s my number,’ Joel murmured as he retrieved a business card from his wallet. ‘Just in case. Y’dad would want me to keep an eye on you.’ ‘Very fancy,’ Jess commented as she took the card—careful not to brush her fingers across his. ‘Was an idea of your dad,’ Joel explained. ‘He told me I needed to be more professional or somethin’.’ ‘Though I also heard you have no trouble finding work,’ Jess replied as she admired the design. It was simple, neat—very Joel. ‘So you could always use the pile my dad probably made you buy to pick up ladies. Chicks like stuff like that.’ Joel laughed at that and Jess reveled in the sound. ‘And about keeping an eye on me…’ she went on as her gaze met his. ‘I can take care of myself, Miller. I’m not a damsel in distress.’ ‘I know that,’ he agreed. ‘Y’dad told me as much. But just… Don’t be stubborn and call me when y’need me. Or swing by.’

‘Even when I have night terrors?’ Jess heard herself question, but by the time she realized how flimsy—and filthy—that must come across, it was too late. She bit on her lip, unsure how she could save herself from her clumsy mouth. Joel didn’t seem taken aback by her comment. He grinned broadly, an amused twinkle in his eye. ‘Yeah, Young,’ he replied in a soft tone. ‘Especially then.’

Thank you for reading this first chapter 🥰🥰 Feedback is highly appreciated, so if you have a minute to spare I'd like to know what you think of my work!

Until next time. ❤❤❤❤

Taglist: @fizzyxcustard @lathalea Let me know if you like to be added or removed!

#tlou #tlou hbo #joel miller tlou #the last of us #joel miller #joel miller x oc #joel x oc #joel tlou #joel tlou x oc #pedro pascal #joel x jess #ahhh their dynamic

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randomperson99sworld · 1 hour

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Ruffled Feathers 🪶

~ Part 30 ~

Summary: Julia Morgan, Bobby's niece, has always been a royal thorn in Dean Winchesters ass since the day they met 1 year ago at Bobby's memorial. She wants to be a hunter, he thinks she's a dumb kid playing dress up. Will she always be seen as an unwanted load in Dean's eyes or will he see something more?

Pairing: Dean x OC

Warnings: Age gap, language, sexual themes (used lightly), physical abuse (Not by Dean).

Word Count: 820

A/N: I know y’all are dying for some Dean and Julia romance but keep in mind this is a slow burn 🔥 it will be soon tho I promise :) just hang in there for me lol. Stated as always this story is cross posted on Wattpad. Happy reading! ♥️

Julia sat in the bunker, her body shaking with quiet sobs. She had barely processed the events of the last few hours—Dean, the fight with Metatron, his death. The image of him collapsing in her arms haunted her, the way his breath had stilled, his body gone cold.

Her heart ached with a deep, crushing weight. She didn't want to believe it was over. Not like this. Dean was always supposed to come back. No matter how bad things got, Dean Winchester always fought his way back.

Sam walked into the room quietly, his face pale and grim. He'd been trying everything he could to figure out a way to fix this—to bring Dean back from wherever he was. But even his last-ditch effort to summon Crowley seemed futile. Cas is without his grace and Crowley was gone, and so was any chance they had of understanding what had happened to Dean, who is now a demon and is gone.

"Julia," Sam's voice was low and hoarse as he approached, something clenched in his hand.

She looked up, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "What is it?"

Sam hesitated for a moment before handing her the note. "I found this.” Her eyes fell to the note, her hands trembling as she unfolded it and read the farewell Dean left them

Her breath caught in her throat as she read it. Tears welled up again, but this time they weren't just tears of sorrow—they were anger, frustration, and confusion all rolled into one. She crumpled the note in her hand and looked up at Sam, her eyes blazing.

"We can't just let him go, Sam," she said, her voice breaking. "He's still Dean. I know he's still in there somewhere."

Sam's expression mirrored her despair. "I know. But if the Mark's still got a hold of him—if he's really... different now—then he could be dangerous. We have to be smart about this."

Julia stood, pacing in frustration. "Smart? He's out there—God knows where—and he's not himself. He could hurt someone or—" Her voice trailed off, the reality sinking in. She clenched her fists. "We can't let that happen. We have to find him, Sam."

Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I agree. But we need a plan. Crowley's in this too. Wherever Dean is, Crowley's not far behind. He's been playing some long game, and we need to figure out what it is."

Julia nodded, determination hardening her features. "Then we start there. Crowley might think he's in control, but Dean's not going to follow his rules."

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Crowley had indeed taken Dean in, though it was more for his own benefit than Dean's. The King of Hell saw potential in Dean—power, anger, and the Mark of Cain fueling something dark and unstoppable. Crowley imagined a future where they ruled together, two forces of chaos and strength.

But Dean was different now. The Mark had twisted him, made him colder, less tethered to his old life. Despite Crowley's best efforts, Dean wasn't interested in playing his games.

In the dimly lit, demon-infested bar where they had holed up, Crowley leaned back in his chair, watching Dean with a keen eye as he downed another glass of whiskey. They'd been traveling together for days now, and Crowley had tried every trick in the book to gain Dean's loyalty. He offered Dean power, freedom, anything he wanted—but Dean didn't care.

"Squirrel", Crowley drawled, trying once again to strike up conversation. "We could be something. A real partnership—ruling Hell together. The First Blade, the Mark—it's all yours. You and me, making Hell ours."

Dean barely looked up from his drink, his face devoid of any real interest. "I don't need a partner, Crowley. And I sure as hell don't need you telling me what to do."

Crowley's expression flickered with frustration. "I'm not trying to control you. I'm offering you the keys to the kingdom. You've got power now, more than you've ever had. Think about what we could do together."

Dean stood up suddenly, his presence menacing and unsettling, even to Crowley. "I don't care about ruling Hell. I do what I want, when I want. You think you can leash me? You're wrong."

Crowley watched him with a sharp, calculating look, but inside, he knew. Even as a demon, Dean Winchester wasn't someone who could be easily controlled. Crowley was trying to forge a bond that simply wasn't there. Dean had his own path, and it didn't involve following anyone's orders—especially not Crowley's.

As Dean stormed out of the bar, Crowley sat back with a sigh. He'd gotten more than he bargained for when he resurrected Dean with the Mark of Cain. Now, it seemed, even Crowley had no idea how far this new version of Dean would go.

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lathalea · 3 years

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Year coming to a close and I wanted to ask;;;

1. Favorite fic of the year.

2. Favorite fic of your own from this year.

3. Favorite writer of the year.

4. Favorite new writer of the year.

5. Favorite headcannon of the year.

6. Favorite event of the year.

First of all, thank you for your ask, Anon 💙 There's nothing better on a lazy winter day than replying fun asks like yours.

Disclaimer: I've read many, many wonderful fics this year, but right now I'm sitting under a blanket and my belly is full with delicious Christmas cookies (read: sugar coma), so my brain is not working too well. If your fic is not here and you know I read it (I try to leave comments on all the fics I read 💙), it simply means that I'm getting senile and you can throw things at me (preferably cookies) and call me names ("Queen Under the Mountain" is the one I'm quite fond of, btw).

1. Favorite fic of the year.

This is one of the toughest questions in the world! How about I give you three fics I read this year instead? 💚 In Whiskey, Wisdom by @joyfullynervouscreator - Bofur x OC, fake relationship, idiots in love, Gimli as a matchmaker, amazing worldbuilding. This is an ongoing fic with but I promise you, it is worth it! 💚Naughty Thoughts by @linasofia - Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 - It all starts with a horse and its criminally handsome owner named Richard... RA x Reader, E-rated fic. 18+! I'm not normally into RPF, but this fic made me seriously question my usual preferences 🔥🔥🔥

💚 Lonely Souls by @dustbunnyprophet-blog on AO3 - Thorin/Ori, Modern AU, slow burn, reincarnation of sorts, feels, great fic idea. I'm not going to tell you what it's about (no spoilers!), but... give it a try.

2. Favorite fic of your own from this year. It won't be a surprise to some of you, but it's All Is Fair in Love and Trade - AO3 link. Thorin x Ragna (Dwarf OC), lots of negotiations, pining, some angst and a lot of steamy E-rated scenes. 18+!

3. Favorite writer of the year.

Okay, now I'm sure these questions were made to show how pathetic my memory is (think: swiss cheese). I love many fic writers for different reasons and it's impossible to pick just one. It's as if you let me into a library and told me to choose just ONE book. Impossible! I'd take all of them and go home 😁 I'm going to throw some lovely authors at you now but this is not even a half of people whose works I like to read: @legolasbadass @laurfilijames @fizzyxcustard @middleearthpixie @gwen-ever@i-did-not-mean-to @thewarriorandtheking @shalinizhara @linasofia @xxbyimm @bitter-sweet-farmgirl @kibleedibleedoo @guardianofrivendell @justfollowtheroad @shrimpsthings @sketch-and-write-lover @theblogofdurin @luna-xial @fromthedeskoftheraven @scariusaquarius @middleearthmama @midearthwritings @dumbassunderthemountain ... and that's just a short list of blogs off the top of my head. Send me an ask if you're searching for an author specializing in a specific kind of ships.

4. Favorite new writer of the year.

Oh, no! Not again! You're trying to trick me, fiend! ;) Jokes aside, quite a few of the names that I have already mentioned above fit that category, but there is one I'd like to give a shout out to: @elisethewildwolf . Why? Mostly because I admire how much they have developed throughout the year and how much they achieved. This fic author is 14 years old and has already written so many different stories for various fandoms! When I was 14, I wrote one extremely pathetic and very cringey fic that may or may have focused on pining after Luke Skywalker that I'd rather forget so I'm really happy to see someone like Elise who does it so much better! 💙

5. Favorite headcanon of the year.

My favorite headcanon this year is the cutest canon x canon ship in the world: Boffins. Do yourself a favor and watch The Hobbit focusing on the relationship between Bilbo and Bofur and tell me if it's not the sweetest thing ever. The initial teasing, the protective!Bofur, the awkward Bilbo... Just watch it. I dare you! 😊

6. Favorite event of the year.

Writer's Month 2021 - here's my masterlist. I had tons of fun writing all those little fics and getting an immense amount of feedback. Love you all! 💚

Thank you everyone for keeping me company this year and being wonderful! Let's hope for an even better 2022! 💙💙💙

#ask #fanfiction #lotr #tolkien #the hobbit #bofur #thorin #ask game #writer ask game #richard armitage #2021 #tolkien dwarves #fanfiction writers #writers on tumblr

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yetdevout · 2 years

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hehe 💥👪🎂🌙🙈🙊🙉⚾👑🔧🔥 all of those for sweetheart pleaseeee

this is gonna be long. 😅 but here comes sweetheart! my sweetheart is AMAB and uses he/him pronouns, so if that's something any of u don't prescribe to, you're free to scroll. 🌙

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

oooo boy

so, he quietly deals with A LOT of imposter syndrome. it's something he's struggled a lot with growing up – he's always been in some kind of position of power or excelling at something (because he won't let himself be inferior). lots of doubting his abilities in comparison to his colleagues. because of this, "fake it til you make it" has been a lifelong motto of his. he puts on bravado, confidence, and has a flare for the dramatics in an attempt to trick his brain into believing the shit ppl say about his talents. and it works! most of the time.

horrible at asking ppl for help. we can see that with milo and the shade situation, he's always trying to worm the support out of people without him asking for it (milo saw right through that. sweetheart isn't very used to that. he found it kinda hot). asking for help goes hand-in-hand with his imposter syndrome – he feels like he could be doing better, like why does he need to ask anyone for help? people are expecting a lot from him all the time, especially being this young, hotshot detective. but, good news; he's improving on this! i like to headcanon that cam was the one who provided sweetheart with that copy of jett's report.

oh but he didn't ask cam for that, oh no. he implied that he needed help and cam read him to filth. it's progress.

👪 FAMILY - what is their family like? what is your ocs relationship to them? does your oc have any siblings?

walk with me for this

he has two dads, his bio one is divorced and remarried to his now stepdad. that happened when sweetheart was like 10.

bio dad is an air elemental, stepdad is a magneto energetic. bio mom is unempowered.

he has a stepsister who's like 10 years younger than him.

sweetheart has a good relationship with his dads, loves them to pieces. him and his mom's relationship is a bit... rocky, but it's not terrible. him and his stepsister don't really talk much?? only at holiday parties or whatever. it's fine tho, they're chill, she's a vibe.

🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE - when is their birthday? do they like celebrating it?

may 9th. he doesn't have strong feelings about his birthday, but he'll still celebrate it with like... those cute little vanilla cakes with the glazed fruit on top.

🌙 MOON - what is your oc's greatest wish? how far are they willing to go for it?

justice? righting wrongs? sweetheart's willing to go hella far if it means bringing justice where it's deserved. we can see that with him bending the rules at DUMP to figure out what the hell happened at the inversion. you can see that with him breaking into milo's house to get information about the shade. now — should he have broken into milo's apartment to begin with? no, like, there were much easier ways for him to go about that.

but here we go again with his flare for the dramatics, his blazing determination, and his unyielding sense of justice, and you have the concoction for a questionably justifiable breaking-and-entering.

🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?

everything in regards to his feelings of inferiority and the fact his façade is... well, a façade.

🙊 SPEAK-NO-EVIL - what is something your oc will refuse to stay quiet about?

people getting fucked over, for lack of a better response 😭 he hates watching a situation get taken advantage of, he loathes the feeling of sitting back and doing nothing to help. sweetheart feels so strongly about the inversion because that's exactly what's happening. he really wishes he could shout from the rooftops "hey, this is fucked! we should do something about this!", but for the sake of his job, he has to work in secrecy. is burning extremely bright abt it though.

🙉 HEAR-NO-EVIL - what is the worse thing your oc could hear from someone?

"who cares?" "not my problem." and stuff along that nature.

who cares? he cares. sweetheart cares so much and it's both his strength and his weakness. if there's a problem, he's gonna solve it. if there's anything he can do to get people out of a shitty situation, he'll devise a plan to do it. hearing others give up so easily makes no sense to him – he doesn't get along well with nonchalant, unfeeling people.

⚾ BASEBALL - can they play sports? what is their best position if they play a team sport? what's their strong suit (speed, power etc.)?

his family LOVES sports (specifically basketball) so that's kinda been an ongoing theme for him all-throughout childhood.

sweetheart always liked basketball, knew sooo many things about the game — never wanted to play it though. so when he was in middle school, he was their basketball team's manager. pretty solid at it!

in high school, he played volleyball and ended up on his school's jv team. he was their libero 💪🏽 his reaction time is pretty short, so the speed and consistency in which he played was a huge strength.

👑 CROWN - what does your oc want to be remembered as? why?

sweetheart has always lived his life in service of others. he doesn't see that as a bad thing at all; he went into this job as a detective to help the society he lives in. because of all this, i think he'd wanna be remembered as a being someone who saved/helped people.

🔧 WRENCH - are they good at fixing relationships? or do they tend to avoid doing so?

yeah, id say he's pretty good at that. that's the whole thing he's got going on with his mom, their relationship has its faults but he makes sure it doesn't completely fail. if there's good people in his life and he cares about them, sweetheart's the type to initiate conversations and talk about what they can fix. very confrontational.

🔥 FIRE - do they have any self destructive tendencies? what habits do they have that hinder them from becoming their best self?

painful insomniac, he picked up the habit of working out to relieve stress in high school and it's... still here. gets ugly sometimes. him and damien are unfortunately shaking hands in my head.

#redacted asmr #r.thoughts #my r.hcs #redacted sweetheart #asks #zozo :D #so yeah!#there's my boy.... i love him #he's a little firecracker and i think that's great #still doesn't have a name tho #oops #redacted oc

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artaxerxesthegreat · 3 years

Text

Playing with Fire: Part 7 (I think)

A/N: Everyone in this story is 18+, if minors are mentioned they aren’t getting in any weird, sick, twisted situations with adults. I also use female pronouns for the reader and the reader may be a bit OC. I would also prefer that minors DO NOT interact with this at all. Thank you.

Warnings: Dream based, Actors mixed with characters, College AU!, Mixed universes, Raffey Cassidy stands in as Sprite, Swearing, gaslighting, manipulation, cheating, mild violence (?), implied sexual content, mentions of bullying, college strife, MCU/X-Men/Spider-Man/Actors mashed in one universe, self- doubt, insecurities, depression, angst, fluff, enemies to lovers, slow burn, family issues, mentions of disabilities, (Please let me know if I’ve missed something too.)

This is a bit of a spicy chapter 💋🔥💦

Will I stop?

….

…Fuck.

Alright I’m not reasionalizing this (yes I am) plus as the years went on we’ve relaxed on the touching and flirting, so that’s good! I’m doing good! I’m not a horrible person! It’s not like I’m cheating and- and he isn’t either. He’s crazy about Sprite, and he asks for my advice when it comes to her- told him he could ask Ikaris and I stopped talking after that.

Though there was this one time, about a 1½ year into their relationship, he called me extremely frustrated because Sprite decided to stay out super late at some party when he told her not to go. He asked if he could come over .

—1 ½ years ago—

“Yes! Totally… No it’s not too late… I know it’s 2:30 in the morning, but my friend needs me, so get your ass over here.”

He came by and collapsed on my small twin sized bed face down into my pillow.

“Sure, just make yourself at home.” I laugh sitting in my desk chair. My reward for my sarcasm is a loud muffled groan, “You want something to drink?”

He nods his head in my pillow, getting up I go get him a glass of orange juice and I can’t help the feeling that this is familiar somehow. Dismissing the feeling I go in and nudge his leg, “Here you go bud.”

Sitting up he stares at the glass, “Orange juice? Don’t you have anything a bit stronger?”

“I can add soda-” Ah, yes, I remember now, “whoa, Deja vu.”

“What is it?” He watches as I shiver at a thought remembering how the rest of that night went.

“Uh nothing, just remembering something is all. So you haven’t heard from Sprite since she went to the party?”

He takes a long drink before he answers with a simple, “Nope!”

“Hmm, well do you want to go and see if she’s still there?”

“Not really.”

“Why not?”

“I- I…” He sighs deeply, rubbing his face roughly as he leans forward hiding his face in his hands. I thought he was just trying to organize his thoughts, or was maybe tired because of how late it was, but when I hear small sniffles I know that isn’t the case.

“…um…Druig?” I whisper, putting my hands on his wrists, he tenses at this and I move to sit in front of him on the floor letting him go, softly I say, “Sorry, sorry. You don’t have to talk or tell me anything, but if you want to I’ll be outside in the living room. Okay?”

He just nods his head and I step out into the living room closing the door behind me. As soon as the door clicks I can hear small sobs coming from the other side and it breaks my heart into pieces, I’ve never felt so useless or helpless. Taking a breath I go sit on the couch and turn on the TV on to let him have his moment in peace. A few minutes later my roommate walks in with one of her friends and both their boyfriends.

“Y/N, you’re up?!” She says shocked.

“And in the living room.” Her dark haired friend points out dryly, her boyfriend laughs sitting in the chair in the corner.

“Hey Jane, Thor, and two people I don’t know.” I nod at them in recognition.

“You don’t know me? Everybody who’s anybody knows me.” The guy with white hair states matter-of-factly.

“Ignore him, I do. He thinks he’s God's gift to man.” She says sitting on his armrest tussling his already messy hair, “I’m Darcy and this annoying guy is Howard.”

“Oh, hi.” I give them the best smile I can, but it’s so forced they grimace at me, “Sorry, have a lot on my mind right now. I’m Y/N.”

“Yeah, I heard when Jane said your name.” Howard quips as he pulls out a silver flask.

“Right… Are you drinking?”

“Always!” He says proudly sharing the flask with Thor. Looking at Jane she rolls her eyes and goes into the kitchen.

“So what has you down in the dumps, Y/N/N?” Thor’s voice is loud as he sits in the chair opposite Howard.

“Uh, a lot. I’d rather not get into it right now.” I shift uncomfortably on the couch as I look to my door.

“It’s a guy isn’t it?” Darcy says plainly.

“Oooooo guy troubles.” Howard adds leaning forward with interest.

“What- no no, I’m not having guy problems. Not saying I’ve never had any, but I’m not having any right now- I’m just- it’s… I mean I have a friend who’s a guy, and- and he’s dealing with something. But no, I'm good with my guy. We’re good. Completely and totally.”

“That wasn’t defensive at all.” Howard smiles as Darcy shoves him.

“Howard, stop being so nosy.”

“Can’t help it, babe, and I’m not sorry.”

“Well what troubles does your friend have?” Thor asks in a calmer tone.

“Um, I- I- I don’t think I should…”

“Ooohh.” Everyone says understandingly.

“You’re a really good friend, I would’ve laid out their business like a spreadsheet.” Darcy laughs taking the flask.

“Lucky me, huh?” Jane sasses coming to us with a cup of coffee.

“Hey, if it wasn’t for me you never would’ve been with that hunk over there, so you’re welcome.”

“Thank you.” She smiles into her cup.

“Jane, it’s 3 in the morning.” I deadpanned, pointing at her coffee.

“Actually it’s 2:58, not quite 3 yet.”

“You and technicalities.” I roll my eyes at her with a small smile.

She shrugs with a smile while taking another long sip, “I’m so glad it’s the weekend right now, because I’m going to have a hangover tomorrow.”

“And coffee is going to help? You might as well just keep drinking.” Howard tosses the flask to Thor, but I catch it on the way, “Whoa, hey!”

“I need this more than you guys.” I say chugging the contents. After four gulps I take a breath and groan as it hits my throat and stomach, “Jack Daniel’s, smooth.”

“…Wow, okay I wasn’t expecting that- Jane you didn’t say your roommate was cool!” Darcy gets up and sits down next to me on the couch smiling impressed.

“She’s not.” Jane replies at a loss for words.

“Oh, thank you Jane.” I give her a face and she tries to find the right words.

“No-no, no no, you’re cool, sure, but… not like… in a kind of- I I…”

“It’s fine Jane, I know what you mean.” I wave her off and she gratefully takes a breath, “I don’t always drink but when I do I do it for a reason.”

“What reason is that?” Howard asks.

“I have no idea, I thought it’d be cool to say that.” I laugh out looking at their faces.

“She’s gone.”

“Oh yeah.” Darcy pats her knees and stands up, “Come on lightweight.”

“No, I'm fine! No one gets drunk that fast.” I sit back on the couch handing her the empty flask.

“Uh- huh.” Howard isn’t convinced so he goes into the kitchen, he comes back with a pb & j handing it to me, “Eat this, please.”

“Fine.” I roll my eyes while taking the sandwich, “I’m not drunk, but I won’t ever say no to food.”

“So.” I don’t miss the look Darcy gives Howard as she sits back down.

“So?” I say taking a bite.

“What’s bothering your friend?”

“His girlfriend decided that she- oh you sneaky bitch.” I glare at her as she and Howard laugh at my slip up, “And I saw the look you gave him too!”

“You caught it but couldn’t process it fast enough, Y/N you’re not sober.” Howard chuckles as he continues, “Even though you knocked this back like water, I have to say I’m impressed. Not many can do that, just eat and hit the hay.”

“Okay dad.” I roll my eyes.

“Don’t call him that.” Darcy says in a serious tone, “Please, don’t.”

“S- sorry.”

“Told you I’m a ‘daddy’!”

“Oh my god.” Darcy sighs out rolling her eyes, “Howard. Shut up. Go make me a sandwich.”

“Ugh, fine.” Getting up he complains to the kitchen and while he’s making the sandwich, “Work work work, that’s all I do, but am I appreciated? No! Work me day and night to the bone, and for what? Some sex? Please!”

I look at the small group and they all share a knowing smile and laugh at his antics. Jane waves it off telling me not to play him any mind.

“So this is a normal occurrence?”

“Oh yeah.” Thor confirms smirking, “Y/N, I have to ask. Is this about Barry?”

“Uh…”

“Never mind.” He says, shaking his head, not pushing it any further. Nodding my head in thanks I try to stop a yawn that’s coming up.

“You should probably go to sleep, Y/N.” Jane says, looking at my face with slight concern.

“No no, I’m fffiii~~~*yawn*~~~ne. Not tired at all!” I have a dopey smile on my face as I look at her through blurry eyes.

“Go to bed kid.” Howard gives Darcy her sandwich and then tries to usher me to my room.

“But- but!”

“No ‘buts’, go to bed, you can play when the sun is up.” He opens my door pushing me inside and promptly closing it behind me. I can hear him snickering, I’m about to go back outside when I hear soft snores.

“What the fuck! Who’s in my room!” I panic and stop replaying the thought, “What’s with all the deja vu tonight?”

Looking at my bed I see Druig’s fallen asleep… on my bed, and it’s the cutest shit I’ve ever seen! He’s laying on his side, wrapped in my throw blanket and all I can see is from his eyes up, walking over, I kneel down in front of him and decide to watch him sleep.

Is that creepy? Yes, but I’m intoxicated so it’s fine.

Reaching over I brush some of his hair back and he stirs slightly, panicking I pull my hand away, seeing that I haven’t woken him up I turn to go sit in my desk chair.

“Where are you going?” His hand grabs mine, stopping me.

“Druig! Uh, you’re up! So- sorry, I didn’t mean-”

My rambling is cut short as he tugs me over to him, he scoots back towards the wall creating a small space for me. With wide eyes I look at him and then the space, he seems to be second guessing his silent request, but before he can say anything I lay down next to him on my back.

…Okay, so this still isn’t cheating, and even if we’ve never done this, it doesn’t mean anything. We’re just two friends, sharing a bed, in a completely platonic sense. I’ve had sleepovers before, I’ve shared a bed with my friends before… Sure they were all girls, but still!

Neither of us move as he stares at the side of my face, and I stare at the ceiling. My heart is beating loudly in my ears and I’m sure he can hear it. He shifts closer to me and I tense turning my face further from him.

“Sorry. I should go.” His voice is a bit raspy and he moves to get up.

“No, no it’s fine, there just isn’t a lot of room. That’s all.” I stop him from leaving and I can hear that annoying voice in the back of my head telling me to let him go. I ignore it because 1. He needs a friend, and 2. I’m THAT FRIEND!

“Are you sure?”

“Completely.”

“Have you lost your mind, Y/N?”

“Alright,” He lays back down and this time I turn to lay on my side so we’re facing each other. He looks around the room before saying, “Your friends are loud.”

“Yeah to be fair I met two of them today, so…”

“Hm.” He keeps avoiding my eyes and focuses on the blanket wrapped around him.

“You okay?”

Wishing I didn’t say anything, I can see that he’s struggling with telling me and not crying again; I don’t know what Sprite did to him, but when I see her I swear to-

“No, I’m not. I just don’t feel like I’m this perfect person Raffey makes me out to be, I feel like I have to be this ‘guy’ she likes instead of being me. I even cut back on drinking and smoking for her, but it’s like her standards for a man don't apply to her in any way. If I tell her to not go to parties, or drink as much I’m trying to boss her around or hold her back, and not let her be her own woman. I don’t think I can keep this up, but I don’t want to break up with her.”

“…How- how long has this been going on?”

“A while.”

“Why don’t you just break up with her then?”

“I love her.”

oh… o- Oh, okay. This- this is fine, utterly fine! He… he loves her. Yay!

“Y/N?”

“Uh- uh yeah, wow, that’s nice… When you say you love her, you mean…?” I ask trying to wrap my mind around this news, surely he can’t mean he’s IN love with her… Can he?

“I’m in love with her.”

Well FUCK ME WITH A CACTUS!

“W-wow, that’s really-…Are you sure?”

“…Yeh.”

“Well, I’m happy for you. You thought you’d never fall in love, look at you now. I’m happy for you.”

“You said that already.”

“What?”

“That you’re happy for me, you said it twice.”

“That’s because I’m really happy for you. Have you told her yet?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“What?”

“Huh? Nothing, nothing, maybe you should tell her.”

I have no idea why my mouth decided to say that last bit, but I hate myself for it.

“I know, but I just don’t want to talk about it, or think about it. Least for right now.” He pushes his face deeper into the pillow with tears rimming around his eyes.

“Okay. Okay, let’s get some sleep.” Getting up I feel him grab my arm again, “I have to turn the lamp off Druig.”

“Leave it on, please.”

“But I can’t sleep with the light on. Are you afraid of the dark?” I tease.

“No, I just don’t…” He never finishes his sentence and I know I’m not going to get him to, so I lay back down and pat his dark hair.

“Can’t believe you got rid of the blonde, it’s kinda weird.”

His eyes close at the patting and his brow creases when I stop, putting my hand back to his hair, I laugh as I comb through it, “Yeah, I hate it.”

“So why’d you do it?”

“Sprite thought it’d be funny to switch out my dye. I just haven’t been able to dye it back yet.”

“That little imp.” I mumble rolling my eyes, looking back at Druig he’s already staring at me, “Sorry.”

Not staying anything he turns to face the wall

- I’m not hurt.

Still facing the wall he grabs my hand and pulls me to his back. I basically became a big spoon as he curls in on himself

- I’m not hurt!

Barely relaxing and holding onto my sanity- if i even had any- I try to go to sleep. The keyword is try, and I’m failing. Ikaris doesn’t even do this with me, sure we cuddle, but never like this.

“Ikaris. I know that name… Oh SWEET FUCK THAT’S MY BOYFRIEND!” I quickly pull my arm out of Druig’s hold and scramble out of the bed. Startled, Druig turns to me.

“What?! What happened?”

“I just remembered something!”

“…What is it?”

“I… need to pee.”

“…Really?” He is visibly relaxing.

“Yup. Excuse me,” I walk to my bathroom and turn around quickly, “I’ll be right back. Don’t listen!” I rush inside, locking the door behind me and sliding down the door I try to breath.

I didn’t exactly forget I had a boyfriend, I know I do, but it didn’t hit me until now. It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped on me, thinking about how Druig reacted didn’t help either. In the grand scheme of things if either Sprite or Ikaris were to see that they’d flip their shit! And that makes total sense, why would I be cuddling with someone who isn’t my boyfriend?… Even if he is my friend. I need to seriously reevaluate my life. Getting up from the ground I flush the toilet, and open the door. Stepping into the room, Druig is sitting on the edge of my bed looking at his phone.

“Hey Druig, I need to tell you something-”

“Hang on, Sprite’s texting me.” He barely spares me a glance.

“…‘Kay.”

Letting out a sigh he gets up, “She wants me to pick her up. She wants to talk.”

“That’s- okay. Talk about what?”

“Don’t know, usually when someone says that it doesn’t end well.”

We stand around in awkward silence debating on what to do or say next. Clearing his throat he gives me a weak nod moving to the door, “I’ll just…go then?”

“Y-yeah you should. TO pick her up. You know.”

“Mhmm.”

I place a hand on his shoulder and squeeze it reassuringly, “You got this, just remember she’s probably drunk so don’t take it to heart.”

“And if she isn’t?”

“You always have me.” Smiling sincerely at him I realize how what I said sounds, “As a friend! A friend, you know, cuz I have a boyfriend and stuff.”

“Yeah, don’t remind me.” He scoffs.

“Sorry.” I give him a sad smile avoiding his eyes, he lifts my chin up to look at him and it’s like time stands still. No one says anything, no one moves; it’s quiet, calm, and intimate in a weird sort of way. His eyes are tired but he still smiles like nothings wrong, it feels like nothing can ruin this moment. Letting my chin go he gives me a hug, that I return wholeheartedly, he sighs pulling away just enough to look at me.

“Thanks for this. I really appreciate you- it… You and it. I appreciate you and it.” I chuckle at him nodding my head.

“Anytime Druig.”

Giving me one more smile he kisses my forehead, I feel my face heat up at the sudden action, and when he pulls back his face is just as shocked as mine. Laughing it off I push him to the door.

“Get out of here and go get your girl.”

“Y- yeah.” He blinks quickly, smiling, he opens the door and we’re met with eight pairs of eyes who seem very interested in this.

“I send her to bed alone and she comes out with a whole man.” Howard laughs out leaning back on the couch.

“Oh you must be her boyfriend.” Darcy stands up to shake his hand.

“Uh- oh oh, no nonononoo. No he- he’s- we’re just friends.” I wave my hands in front of my face and the look on her face is one I've seen from a lot of people. He looks at me then back at Darcy.

“Yeah we're just friends. I’m Barry, by the way. Oh, hey Howard.” His American accent sounds so weird to me now.

“Then if you’re just friends, why did you come out of her room in the middle of the night?”

“Darcy! Leave them alone, sorry about her, she likes to create problems for no reason.”

“Hey, I have a reason, my reason is curiosity. They aren’t dating but they sure are close. And before you say anything, I know friends can be close, but this seems a bit too close.” She scrutinizes us and I’m uncomfortable.

“Darcy.” Howard pleads, “Barry has a girlfriend, she’s that plucky small girl with short hair that likes to fool around with HER boyfriend.” Howard points at me, making my heart sink to my feet.

“What- Sorry uh what?” I close my eyes trying to decipher his words, “What do you mean ‘fool around with MY boyfriend’?”

“…Uuuuuuuhhhhh, nothing.” His eyes are wide as he looks at his feet.

“Howard, what do you know?” I take a threading step towards him, everyone stiffens at this and Druig places a hand on my arm.

“Calm down, Dote.” He stands next to me, glaring at Howard he loses the American accent, “She asked you a question, mate.”

“Whoa! What just happened? Did you hear that? He was American and now he’s Irish!” Darcy exclaims pointing at Druig.

“Darcy, now's not the time.” Jane whispers harshly at her.

“Howard, I suggest you start talking, while I’m asking nicely.” Druig’s voice is low and threatening, “Tell me what you know.”

Caving under the intensity of his stare he tells us how he’s seen Sprite run her hands through Ikaris’ hair, kiss his cheek- on multiple occasions, hold on to him like her life depended on it, get piggyback rides from him and the like. Sighing out I rub my forehead.

“Geez Howard, I’m sorry, you made it sound like they were having an affair.” I relax my posture chuckling a bit, I look at Druig and he’s still pissed, “What’s the matter? You didn’t know they were all buddy-buddy?”

“No, I knew.”

“Okay so why are you still mad?” He turns his dark gaze to me and my blood runs cold.

“Because I told her to stop.” The tension in the room is thick and I don’t know what to say, I don’t think there’s anything I can say to make this better. Opening my mouth he promptly says, “I have to go.”

Marching to the door like a man on a mission he leaves, but leaves his menacing aura behind. Jane is the first one to say anything,

“Well that was… interesting to say the least.”

“Yeah.” Howard shakes himself trying to get the uneasy feeling away from him.

“Damn girl, your boyfriend can be scary when he wants to be.” Darcy slaps my back.

“Ikaris? He isn’t scary.”

“I thought his name was Barry?”

“What no, Barry isn’t-”

“Nah his name is Druig.” Howard stands and start’s to stretch.

“Oh, well your boyfriend can be scary.”

“Druig isn’t my boyfriend.”

“…I’m so confused.” Darcy looks at Jane for help, she sighs and explains.

“Druig, aka Barry, is dating Sprite. Y/N is dating Ikaris aka Richard. Sprite is Y/N friend and she’s also close friends with Ikaris, but Druig and Ikaris hate each other for some reason.”

“OH! Okay that makes sense now.” Looking back at me she smiles, “Your wannabe boyfriend is scary.”

“He isn’t- you know what, forget it.” I throw my hands up defeated and go back to my room, “Good night everyone.”

Flicking the lamp off I plop onto my bed. Covering my face with my arm I can’t help the defeated sigh that comes from my lips, punching and kicking the mattress I stare into the darkness of my room.

“Loki was right.” Turning on my side I look towards the wall and it’s almost like Druig is here again, bearing his soul to me, showing me how much he truly trusts me. Scooting to his side I lay on my back, closing my eyes, and taking a deep breath I realize that I can smell him. Sitting up I pull the pillow up to my nose and smell his conditioner, smiling I put it back and cover myself with my blanket.

“Oh fuck this smells like him too.” I throw the blanket off, “…Don’t do it, Y/N. Leave the blanket where it is and change the pillowcase.”

…

So I took off the pillowcase and wrapped myself in the blanket- I was cold! And I don’t have another clean blanket! Of course that doesn’t excuse the fact that I’m imagining the blanket as Druig holding me close, making me feel safe and warm and like nothing in the world could harm me. It also doesn’t excuse the fact that my mind wanders to more… explicit content.

“Stop it Y/N, he is your friend and he’s also dating your friend!… But after what just happened maybe not…” Trailing my hand down I stop myself at the edge on my sweatpants, “No, no no no no no no! God, what’s the matter with you? What would Druig say if he knew you were doing this?!”

Actually… What would he say?

”Ha! Fucking knew it! As if you could resist all this!”

Hmm might be more of a

”Duh, I’ve known for a while.”

Maybe even

”Show me.”

WAIT, wait, wait slow your roll Y/N! He wouldn’t… Would he? Well, maybe not boyfriend Druig, but fuckboy Druig would definitely be down for that. Moving my hand into my sweats, I let out a gasp at the thought of Druig being here watching me. It’s like I can hear his voice in my head saying,

~“Fuck, Y/N, that’s how good I make you feel? I’m not even touching you…yet.”~

“Ah, shhhh~iiiiit!” I bring my free hand to my mouth to keep myself quiet, not realizing that I’m gripping the ‘Druig blanket’ up with it. Breathing in through my nose his scent invades my senses and I start to lose control when his voice chimes in my head again,

~”Look at you, barely hanging on just, and all from smelling a blanket, so pathetic. Imagine how you’d feel if I were there, hoverin’ over you, pounding into you over and over and over again.”~

I gasp for air again whispering into the darkness, “This- this is’t-”

~”This isn’t what, Y/N? Right? Was it right when you did it the first time or the second? Or when you brought Ikaris here to your room instead of me? Spare me your pitiful excuses. You should’ve been mine from the beginning and you know it, so don’t go and grow a conscience on me now!”~

My hand slows at his words, but I can’t bring myself to stop; not with his smell in the air,

~”Why are you slowing down? Did I say you could?”~

“N-no.”

~”Then?… There you go, just like that, don’t stop. Only if your friends could see you now.”~ His chuckle fills my head causing me to whimper, ~“All the sweet little sounds you’d try to keep quiet, only to scream my name out like a prayer. Is that what you want, Y/N? You want me to make you scream my name for all to hear?~

“Yes.”

~”Even Ikaris?~

A strangled gasp leaves me and I bite my lip trying not to make any sound. I can hear Jane and the others in the living and the last thing I need is for them to hear me.

~”Answer me!~

“Yes. Yes! Even Ikaris.”

~”Good girl, I suppose I should let you cum then, hm?~

“Pleeaase!”

~”Go ahead, Dote. Let go, with my name falling from your lips.~

“Ah fuck… Druig.” I feel myself tighten and my orgasm washes over me, my mouth opens as I struggle to breathe quietly, I feel my walls tighten when I hear the ‘Dote’ and my legs are shaking as I come down from my high. Not moving I stare into the darkness once more, and I feel like shit, “I can’t believe I just did that.”

Getting up I shuffle to the bathroom and clean myself up. Rinsing my face with some cold water I watch the droplets fall into the sink and my heart is heavy.

“I need to stop doing this!”

Marching myself back to my room I grab my laundry basket, taking the pillowcase and blanket I rush out of the dorm room to the laundry room. Since it’s so late- or early- no one's there, stuffing my clothes in I throw in the pillowcase, I almost hesitate with the blanket, but I get over myself pretty quickly. Putting the blanket in I see that the machine is pretty much at capacity.

“… Well, I don’t want to break their washer machine. I’ll just leave it in the basket. Yeah.” Tossing it in the basket I start the cycle and wait. I wish I brought my headphones to drown out Druig’s voice from my head,

~”Really, Y/N? You think washing is going to erase what you just did? It didn’t work the other times.”~ His snicker sends goosebumps to my arms and my nipples get hard.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” Looking up I see that I’m standing under the vent and the thermostat is set to 74, “Why didn’t I grab a sweater??”

Looking at the basket I can feel Druig’s ‘presence’ behind me. I know it’s all in my head, he isn’t there, but a part of him is. Picking up the blanket I glare at it like it did me wrong.

~”The blanket did nothing-”~

“I know, shut up! Fuck, man.” Rolling my eyes I wrap the blanket around myself and sit on the folding table and wait for the clothes to finish, “It’s not like I’m going to smell it again.”

~”….Mhmm.”~

“Shut up, you’re not even real.” I put my head in my hands, “Just a stupid part of my mind making you up- a dumb fantasy. I don’t need you.”

I wait for his voice to ring in my head again to tell me I’m the one that’s stupid, that I’m the made up one and he’s real, but the only sounds are from the washer. Sighing I sit up and lean against the wall and wait.

……

I shiver that the memory and Ikaris turns to me,

“Are you cold, love?”

“Hmm? Oh, a little yeah.”

“Here,” Reaching over he turns up the heat in the car, “That should warm you up.”

“Thanks.” I smile thankfully at him and go back to watching the Christmas lights on the houses. I can feel him glancing at me every now and again, and I know he knows something’s bothering me. He probably thinks I’m anxious about having dinner with my family and introducing him in person, but that’s not it at all.

I lied.

I lied about everything from I feel about Druig to how my love life is going. I thought that maybe because of being in a relationship for 2 ½years was supposed to mean that my feelings for Druig would die down, but it only seemed to stoke the fire more; there were some many times- I mean so many- that it seemed like Druig and I could’ve- would’ve just had sex with each other wherever we were. We never did anything, but ever since he had gone to pick Sprite up from that party, he turned back into his old self. He would flirt with certain people- myself included- dyed his hair half blonde again, and Sprite was fine with it. She even relaxed with how she was with Ikaris, and it felt like everything was going back to normal… You know minus the unspoken air between Druig and myself.

What I hadn’t expected was Ikaris pulling away from me; he wasn’t as touchy as he once was, he started ‘working later’, had too much homework, or he was too tired to do anything other than sleep. I was understanding at first until he was using my shower and his phone buzzed. I’m not one to snoop but I picked up his phone and saw that it was Sersi.

Answering the call, I was going to tell her that he was busy and he’ll call her later but she never gave me the chance,

``Ikaris, I have something to tell you… Please don’t get mad, but I think we should stop seeing each other. I know you said you love me, and for a time I loved you too, but I can’t keep up the lies. I don’t deserve that, you don’t and neither does Y/N. I want something real and I can’t have that with you, so I’m stopping this now. I hope you understand…``

All the air in my lungs was gone, my brain was fried and my emotions were so overwhelmed I felt dead inside.

``Ikaris?``

``Thanks.`` I don’t know how I was able to say anything so calmly.

``Y/N? I’m sorry I- I thought-``

``Call him again later.`` I hang up the phone and put it back on the bed, Ikaris comes out in a towel and I’m gathering some things to head out.

“Where are you going?” He asks confused sitting on my bed, he pulls me by my hips towards him.

“Out.” I cringe at the feeling of his hands on me knowing they’ve been on someone else, “Loki, needs a favor.”

“Can’t you do it later?”

“No. Get some sleep.” At that moment his phone starts to buzz again. He reaches for it too quickly for my taste and Sersi’s name is on the screen, “I’ll see you later.” Leaning down I kiss the top of his head to save face and walk out the door before I lose my mind.

Opting to take the stairs I run down them and out of the side door into the parking lot and to my car, my heart is beating fast, but I’m not crying just shaking slightly. Getting in I inhale and exhale slowly, getting out my phone I call Loki,

``Bast what a pleasant surprise I was just-``

``You were right- all of you were. Can I come over?``

``Uh- yes of course.``

Peeling out of the parking lot I drive to the Loki’s ‘hideout’- it’s just an old room in the theater building- ignoring the speed limit of 15 I make to the hideout in record time. Jumping out I run to their meeting room and slamming open the door they slightly jump at the loud sound.

“Bast.” Loki takes in my appearance watching me closely, “Are you alright?”

“Ha! Oh yeah, totally fine. More than fine, I’m fucking fabulous!” I smile brightly plopping on the old couch, the other Loki’s look at each other, then to me clearly uncomfortable and confused.

“You said that Loki was right. Right about what, exactly?” Old Man Loki leans on his knees with confusion.

“About Ikaris, duh.” I shrug while opening a game on my phone.

“Oh, so he is a douchebag.” Kid Loki confirms drinking from his juice box, “What else is new?”

“What’s new is that I just found out he was having an affair. Lol!” Laughing, I continue to play my game.

“Wait, he was actually cheating on you?” Theater Director Loki’s voice is a pitch higher than normal.

“He would.” Sylvie says plainly walking into the room with snacks.

“Oo! Snacks~!” I sit up reaching for the bowl of popcorn.

“Y/N are you sure you’re alright?” Loki asks one more time, “You seem to be handling this quite well.”

“Too well.” Old man Loki folds his arms squinting at me.

“Oh I’m fucking devastated, but the shock of it all is pretty strong, I have so much adrenaline right now, it’s taking everything in my power not to drop my phone right now I’m shaking so bad.”

“Want some ice cream?” Sylvie offers.

“Hmmm yes please.”

“Don’t spill any tea until I get back.” She says sternly walking to get more snacks.

“This place has everything.” I sit back on the couch and I’m met with silence and anticipating stares, “Guy’s relax, I'm not going to burst into tears- at least not right now. As long as I don’t think about it I’ll be fine. Seriously.” They somewhat relax in their seats but their stares are heavy. Shaking my head I look at Loki, “Babes please. I’m fine.”

“Okay I’m back with the ice cream!” Sylvie rushes back with five pints of ice cream, “Pick your poison, Basty.”

“Yyyyeeeeeeeessssssss~!” Grabbing a pint I hold it close to me, caressing it, “My precious~!”

“Alright, tea time.” She sits next to me digging into her ice cream, “How did you find out?”

“Answered- oh this is cold. Answered his phone.”

“Shut up! And you talked to whoever it was?”

“Yup!”

“Shut UP!”

“I’ve met her too.”

“SHUT UP!”

“I will not-” I take a big bite, “I know it’s so crazy.”

“Then what happened?”

“He came out of the shower and I told him I had to meet with Loki for a bit.”

“No, no, I mean what did she say?”

“OH, um she was saying something like she doesn’t want to keep having the affair and that even though he loves her she doesn’t feel the same anymore… uuuuummmmm she wants a stable relationship and he can’t give that to her… Mmmm good ice cream- and that she doesn’t deserve to feel like that and neither do we… Something like that?”

“Deserve to feel like what? Shit?” Old Man Loki snaps snatching a pint from the table, “She’s got some balls, I’ll say that much.”

“Who in their right mind thinks they’re the victim when they are obviously the problem?!” Theater Loki takes the pint from Old Man Loki angry, “I wasn’t this angry since my brother Thor was born.”

“You have a brother named Thor too?” I say choking on my ice cream, “What the hell?”

“Yeah this is one crazy family.” Sylvie smiles switching pints with me, “So even though we all told you he wasn’t good for you, how're you feeling?”

“It hasn’t quite hit me yet, but it’s getting there. But can I even get mad when you and a few others were telling me the same thing? I mean my friend Natasha even said he was bad news.”

“The Widow girl?” Loki questions.

“Um the what?”

“Never mind him. What’re you gonna do now?” Kid Loki has ice cream all over his face as he shows interest in my developing- crumbling- relationship.

“I don’t know. Break up with him?” I look around the room for an answer.

“Don’t look at us for the answer, it’s your relationship.” Theater Loki says, putting his hands up, “You are the one in the driver’s seat. Does he know that you know?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Good.” Old Man Loki says darkly, “We can use this to our advantage.”

“We- um I’m sorry… What? What WE?!” I put down my ice cream, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Well, you want him to pay don’t you?” Kid Loki asks, finally wiping his face.

“I mean I- I haven’t thought about it.”

“Y/N he hurt you, it’s okay to seek revenge.” Sylvie places her hand on my knee.

“Yeah but you guys make it seem like we’re gonna murder him or something!” I look around and when no one says anything I get up quickly, “ARE YOU TRYING TO MURDER HIM?!?!”

“Well~” Old Man starts.

“Would it be so bad?” Theater asks.

“I want to cut out his heart!” Kid shouts, putting his hand up.

“I’ll record it.” Sylvie leans back in her seat eating ice cream again, “Ooo you could even feed his heart to Croc Loki! I’m sure they’d appreciate it.”

“That’s a good idea!” Old Man and Theater nod their heads in excitement.

I look at Loki for help and he’s hanging his head in disappointment, sighing deeply he stands up,

“NO ONE IS KILLING HER…problem. This isn’t our fight or our problem, if she wants help she’ll ask for it. Alright?” The room is quiet as they watch Loki, “ALRIGHT?!”

“..yeah, alright…geez, we were only joking. -I wasn’t-… fine… Buzz kill.” Comes from the others as they begrudgingly let the issue go.

“Thank you, Loki.” I sit back down picking up my ice cream, but not feeling like eating any.

“So? What happens now?” Kid asks me.

“I really don’t know, I really thought we were good, but he started working late, having too much homework and the like, I just really thought everything was fine. I even stopped caring about Sersi’s perfume being on him.”

“Whoa he went to you with her perfume on? Oh bollocks he really-” Old Man stops himself trying not to get worked up again, “Why didn’t you tell him anything?”

“I did, but he always said I was worrying over nothing and that I needed to get a hold of my imagination. Which isn’t entirely wrong.”

“Clearly it wasn’t your imagination. Why did you let him walk all over you? That’s not like you, Bast.” Loki says anger in his features.

“I don’t know!” I feel a tear roll down my cheek, and the flood gates open, “Idon’tknowIdon’tknowIdon’tknowIdon’tknowIdon’tknowIdon’tknow!” By now I’m sobbing uncontrollably and I feel someone rubbing my back, my vision is blurry and I just let my body go slack as I’m now being held by Sylvie. After 26 minutes of ugly crying I wipe my face trying to calm down, “S- s- sorry.”

“Don’t apologize Y/N, this isn’t your fault.”

“Yeah, but I still feel like shit!”

“Understandable, you just found out your boyfriend was cheating on you.” Theater says handing me a box of tissues.

“Thanks; but that’s not why-” I blow my nose not hearing Sylvie’s question, “What?”

“Why do you say ‘that’s not why’?”

“Oh, I- um hmmm.” I clear my throat trying to find the right words.

“Oh my gods you were cheating on HIM?!” Loki seems to read my facial expression better than the others, “Oh my gods! BAST! Wha- I-… You know I have to say I did not see that coming.”

The others look at me for confirmation and my guilty face is all they needed.

“Y/N!! WHAT?! YOU- But! Whaaaahahahaha! I agree with Loki, I did NOT see that coming!”

“I’m a horrible person, I know!” I cover my eyes in shame.

“No, no no no no Y/N look at me.” Sylvie pulls my hands away from my face, “Ikaris is a dirtbag, a wanker and a twat! You already had your suspicions, you are completely validated. Give him a taste of his own medicine.”

“It still doesn’t feel right.”

“That’s because cheating is cheating. It’s still wrong Sylvie, stop confusing her.” Loki deadpans, “Who were you even seeing, Y/N?”

“Well, it wasn’t actually having a physical affair, it was more of an emotional one.”

“Oooooooohhhh.” Comes from the Loki’s, Kid tilts his head in question, “Who was that with then?”

“…”

“Y/N?” Old Man asks.

“…..” I bit my lip looking away.

“Y/N.” Loki tries to press the answer out of me.

“I know who it is.” Sylvie smirks at my wide eyes.

“Who is it?” Theater asks stuffing his face with popcorn engrossed by the drama.

“I’m not telling.” She replies, seeing the panic in my eyes.

“You don’t actually know do you?” Old Man accuses.

“No, I do, I spend quite a lot of time in the library as does Y/N.”

The room is quiet before the boys a yell,

“IT’S DRUIG!!!!??????”

“…yeah…” I hang my head.

“I FUCKING KNEW IT!” Kid shouts jumping up and down, “OW!”

“Language, young man.” Old Man smacks the back of his head, “You shouldn’t even be here, it’s way past your bedtime.”

“Whatever grandpa.” He sasses as he sits back in his chair grabbing another juice box.

“Youth these days- Anyway, it’s been Druig this whole time, hasn’t it?” Theater asks taking his seat.

“Yeah.”

“So why did you waste your time with Ikariass?” Sylvie turns to me clearly confused, “I’ve seen you and Druig in the library, you’re like two of the most smitten people I’ve ever seen.”

“He’s not smitten- not with me anyway.”

“Basty, I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Ikaris isn’t the only person cheating in their relationship.” She pops a piece of popcorn in her mouth.

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say that a person who has a bird's eye view sees a lot of shit that happens on this campus. How else is this campus getting safer? He sees everything and everyone, and he’s seen young Sprite with many a young men in less than ideal positions, with even less clothes.”

“She’s cheating on him?” I breathe out.

“Oh yeah.”

“It seems that some part of Druig knows this, hence why he doesn’t seem to care about flirting with some people now.”

“But, Sylvie, nothing is ever going to happen. He loves her- he’s IN love with HER. He told me himself.”

“Eh, all I’m saying is that the both of you need to get out of these toxic relationships before it’s too late and just get together already.”

“I- we can’t-”

“Trust me it’ll be better for the both of you.”

“HOW?”

“Being out of the relationship and hooking up doesn’t weigh as heavy as hooking up IN the current relationship. You are too good a person to just have a fling while you’re dating someone. It will eat you alive, but it’s up to you.”

“I can’t just- they are COUSINS! Do you know how weird that is?”

She shrugs her shoulders, not convinced by my reasoning, “Does that stop you from emotionally cheating?”

“I-”

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s getting late and Danvers is going to be patrolling the building soon.” Loki cuts in clearing our mess, “Whatever you choose to do, Bast we have your back, come on I’m sure Ikaris is getting worried.”

“For what?” I sass rolling my eyes. Standing up I stretch a bit and hug everyone goodbye, “Thanks again guys, I needed this. And… I’ll think about what you said Sylvie.”

…….

I never did think about what Sylvie said, I tried but every time I did I would just start crying all over again. Knowing that Sprite was messing around with other guys didn’t help our friendship either. I never called her out on it, but that didn’t stop me from making snarky and rude comments whenever she said she had ‘something to do’. Druig was getting annoyed and asked me what my problem was but I would lie and say that I was just having a day. He didn’t buy it, but he let it go; I would just stew in my anger and it wasn’t good for either of us. We’d go our separate ways and cool off.

I also noticed that on some of Ikaris’ clothes I could still smell Sersi’s perfume, when I would ask him if he saw her, he’d say,

“No, I haven’t seen her for a while, she’s been getting rides from someone else at work.”

“…okay.”

“You good?”

“Yeah! I’m gonna go to the library.”

“Alright.”

I knew they were still seeing each other but I didn’t have the energy to fight him on it. He’d just say I’m crazy and not in my right mind. He’s done it so many times, so ignoring it is just easier.

So why do I stay with him? That’s easy, it's because I love him, and he loves me. I know this because he told me- not that he loves me, but that I LOVE HIM! That’s rich right? But I do love him, just not how he thinks I do. And here we are driving to my aunt's house for Christmas dinner and Sprite and Druig will be there. It’s gonna be great!

Can’t wait!

Wooo.

———————————

Tag list: @aquanova99 @tompetersebbuckyhazleo @sokazuallycruel @treaclesquirrel

How was this guys? Please comment, like and reblog, Part 8 is almost done ❤️

#druig #eternals #fanfiction #college au #druig x reader #druig x you #playing with fire #angst #marvel #enemies to friends to lovers #ikaris #Ikaris x you #druig fic #mcu #Sersi #sprite #eternals series #part 7

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