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joelalorian · 8 months ago

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Fall Into Me - Chapter Five: My Whole World Came Alive

dbf!Joel x f!reader

Summary: Joel is hanging on by a thread as a single father to a tenacious 10-year-old Sarah. Feeling like he's drowning, like the world is about to spit him out, he needs some help before he breaks in half. At your dad's insistence, you show up in his life and change everything.

Story is inspired by the song Fall Into Me by Forest Blakk. Chapter titles will be lyrics from the song.

Word Count: 2.9k

Chapter Warnings: Mature, under 18 take a hike. No outbreak AU. Lots of feelings, confusion, and self doubt. Two idiots falling and pining for each other, and finally some progress. Tommy keeps it real. Age gap of about 9 years (Reader 24/25, Joel 33/34). No use of y/n. Reader has a nickname used only by her dad. Emily is modeled after my sister and JB is based on my dad, who used to try setting me up with his younger work buddies when I was in my 20s :)

Dividers by the wonderful @saradika-graphics

Thank you all for reading! Comments and reblogs make me weep with gratefulness.

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Chapter Four | Main Masterlist

Sitting in Phil’s Icehouse with juicy burgers and drinks – you insisted Joel try a mimosa – conversation flowed between the two of you. Joel found his lips twitching into a smile at nearly every word that came out of your mouth. He was fascinated with the stories you shared of your college years, and he listened, completely enraptured, to your plans for the future. Every bit of your lunch together felt like a date. He wondered if you felt the same, yet he couldn’t find the courage to ask outright.

“Yeah, so, I have a meeting at Sarah’s school this week for a possible position. Remember that interview I mentioned a few weeks back? It went really well and now they want me to meet with the teacher who’s retiring and the principal,” you explained, sipping at your mimosa. “I’m pretty excited.”

Joel’s eyes lit up. He’d forgotten that you were looking at a position at Sarah’s school. “Wow, that’s great, darlin’. This would be for a science teacher position, right?”

“Yep. Middle grade science.” The beaming smile you flashed him nearly blinded Joel. “Wanna know the best part? If I get this job, I’ll have the same hours as Sarah, give or take a bit, so I can continue with the school drop-off and pickup for you. She might have to stay later with me somedays, but it’ll still work.”

Nodding, Joel’s mind was flashing lightyears forward, picturing you calling his house home and taking Sarah to school with you, coming home to have dinner together, watching TV in the evenings. Heart thudding in his chest at just the thought of you living together, Joel shook himself. He had to slow his mind down, put the brakes on those kinds of thoughts until after you were actually dating him, at least.

“You could be Sarah’s science teacher in a few years, huh?” Joel asked, focusing once again on listening to you instead of drifting off into daydreams.

“Could be, yeah,” you laughed. “I imagine she’d be my favorite student.”

He beamed at that. Conversation shifted to other things and soon your meals were finished.

“We should do this again,” you said, glassy eyes meeting his across the table, lips curved in a gentle smile. “I really enjoyed spending time with you, Joel.”

Fighting the urge to grab your hand and entangle your fingers, Joel smiled back. “Yeah, me too.” He wanted to kick himself for not saying more, for not asking you out for a real date. He just couldn’t find his words.

How was it that you made him so nervous?

Joel spent the next week in some kind of weird liminal space between a dream and reality, between agonizing confusion and utter happiness. Lunch with you on Sunday felt like a date – he asked you with the intention of it being a date, even if you didn’t know that yet. He spent the week thinking about that lunch, how you teased each other, laughed, shared stories of your past. How your gazes locked for longer than necessary, touches lingered, the smiles never fell from your faces.

It was wonderful, yet nothing was said of what it all meant – which was his fault, probably. Hence the roller coaster of feelings throughout the week.

He could tell you felt it, too. Doing as Tommy suggested, he started paying close attention to how you acted around him, how you looked at him when you thought he wasn’t looking. It was all starting to come together. He could finally see what Tommy was talking about.

You liked him. You really liked him, Joel Miller, overworked single father.

It was a wonderful feeling, knowing that someone liked him. It’d been way too long since he felt that way, that spark of hope for something more.

For the first time in a long time, he slept well the night before and woke early, eager to face the day and see you before heading off to work. He was already out front, filling a birdfeeder Sarah asked for, when you arrived.

“Good mornin’, darlin’,” he greeted, pulling the car door open for you once you parked in the driveway. His heart skipped a beat at the way you smiled up at him, taking his hand to help you out of the car. Your touch electric on his roughened palm.

“Hiya, Joel.” Your voice washed over him, warm as honey and twice as sweet. “Whatcha doing out here?’

Gesturing to the red barn-style feeder Sarah picked, he finished filling it with the wild bird seed the clerk insisted birds loved. “Just fillin’ our new birdfeeder.”

“Oh, what a cute feeder!” You admired the intricate features as it hung from the post Joel installed. “Sarah has been talking nonstop about birds this week. Hopefully we’ll see some good ones.”

“Hope so,” Joel hummed in return. “Don’t know much about birds personally, but I’m sure Sarah’ll teach me.” Your smile brightened at his sheepish grin.

“I have a bird guide I could give her to help identify all the different types that visit the feeder.” Your face lit up with excitement. “I even have binoculars from when I took an ornithology class in undergrad. I’ll bring them when I pick up Sarah this afternoon.”

“Orna what now?” Joel questioned. He had no idea what kind of class you were talking about, but he loved how smart you were.

“Ornithology,” you repeated, drawing out each syllable with a soft giggle. “It’s the study of birds. It was a really cool class. We had field trips around campus once a week to go bird watching. I got pretty good at naming the different species that we saw, but it’s been a while.”

In awe of you, Joel’s eyes crinkled with the strength of his grin. “Would you, uh, maybe want to go on an adventure with us tomorrow?” he asked, stumbling a bit over his words, a nervous energy welling up in his gut as he once again sort of asked you out. “We could go for a hike in the county park, and you could teach us about birds.”

You gazed at him, lips pursed in thought, for long enough that Joel began to fidget, brimming with recurring doubt. Did he misinterpret the signs after all? He wouldn’t be surprised. He wasn’t any good at this stuff anymore. You responded before he could spiral back into the land of self-doubt. “That sounds great, Joel. I’d love to.”

A visceral relief washed through him. “It’s a date then,” he said, his voice deep and rough while his dark chocolate eyes locked with yours. A satisfied smirk graced his lips as your eyebrows rose in surprise. Too quickly, doubt clouded your pretty eyes, and you laughed it off like he was teasing you. Joel sighed. He would be more direct next time. He’d get the hang of asking a woman on a date again someday. Hopefully.

“We’ll have to go early, is that okay? Birds are more active in the early morning hours,” you explained, heading for the door to find Sarah.

“That’s fine. We’ll make a day of it, grab lunch somewhere when we’re done.” Joel followed you into the house, already plotting out conversations in his head on how to properly ask you on a date.

The rest of the day went by in a blur for Joel and before he knew it, the job was finished, and it was only mid-afternoon when he arrived home. You pulled into the driveway with Sarah shortly after him and he came down from taking a shower to find the pair of you on the living room floor playing a racing video game.

“Hi Daddy!” Sarah exclaimed as he kissed the top of her head and took a seat on the couch. It didn’t take long before Sarah asked him to play as well and the three of you were taking turns racing against each other, laughing when one of you crashed.

There were moments, when your gaze would connect with Joel’s and he’d swear you shared the same thought – this was how it could be if you were together, a family.

“Do you want to stay for pizza? Tommy and your dad are coming over,” Joel asked when Sarah’s attention focused elsewhere.

“We have an early morning ahead of us, Miller. Don’t be up late partying with the guys,” you replied with a smile that reached your twinkling eyes. “I’ll stay for a bit, but then I need to go dig out the old binoculars and get my beauty sleep.”

“You’re already beautiful,” he murmured, watching your eyes widen as you smile demurely.

“You say the sweetest things, Joel.” Your voice held a teasing tone that drove Joel nuts. How was he ever going to convince you that he was serious?

Shortly thereafter, Tommy arrived, pizza and beer in hand. “Come on, Millers! I come bearing gifts. JB here yet?”

“I’m right here, ya troglodyte,” your dad called from the front yard, stepping up the porch steps as Tommy whirled around.

“What the hell did you just call me?”

“A troglodyte. Learned it from Spud and thought it fitting since you don’t close doors behind you.” He winked at you as he teased the younger Miller brother. Placing a kiss on your cheek, he added, “Hey Spud, haven’t seen you in a bit. Must be working too hard. Miller! You workin’ my daughter too hard?”

Joel spluttered. He was too busy gazing at you to pay much attention to JB and feared he got busted. “I hardly think so,” he grumbled, fighting the blush he knew rose to his cheeks.

“Ah, in the same ol’ grumpy mood, I see. Maybe this’ll help.” Your dad placed a 12-pack of Joel’s favorite beer on the coffee table before taking a seat in the recliner he always chose at Joel’s place.

The five of you sat around the living room, eating pizza with beer for the men and sodas for you and Sarah. The conversation revolved mainly around construction work, and you ended up taking your leave before the sun dipped below the horizon. Your dad followed not long after, eager to relax in his own well-worn recliner.

“Alright, nugget. It’s time for bed. We have an early morning tomorrow,” Joel said, swinging the young girl over his shoulder much to her delight. “Say goodnight to Uncle Tommy.”

“G’night Uncle Tommy,” Sarah squealed as Joel tickled her sides.

“G’night nugget.”

Always a good kid, Sarah went right to bed after brushing her teeth, but not before pestering Joel about why they had to get up early on a Saturday. Pressing a loving kiss to her forehead, Joel tucked her in. “We’re going on a surprise adventure. Now, to sleep with you.”

Returning to the living room, Tommy handed him another beer as the brothers watched Sportscenter. “Have you made any progress yet?” Tommy asked.

Matching dark eyes met as Joel shrugged. He knew his brother was talking about you. “Some, I guess. Told ya I took her to lunch on Sunday and that felt a lot like a date. I asked her to go on a hike with me and Sarah tomorrow. I told her it was a date after she agreed, but she thought I was jokin’.” He paused, taking a long pull from the bottle of beer. “Then, this afternoon, I told her she was beautiful and again she thought I was teasing.”

Swirling the bottle of beer in his hand, Tommy shook his head and chuckled. “She’s givin’ you a run for your money, brother. Good on her.”

“Good on her,” Joel mocked, but his tone quickly turned to pleading. “I need more advice. Surely you got something up your sleeve for women like her.”

“Nah, brother. The only way to get someone like her is to be yourself and keep chipping away. It’s clear she has as much self-doubt as you do, so it’ll take her time to believe you’re for real.” Tommy eyed his brother a moment as he mulled over the situation. “Though, I will say this. You need to start bein’ direct – come right out and ask her on a date, for fuck’s sake. Enough hinting at shit. It’s clearly gettin’ you nowhere.”

You arrived on the Millers’ doorstep bright and early the next morning, two travel mugs of coffee and a container of chocolate milk in hand. A pair of binoculars and Sibley’s Guide to Birds were tucked away in the bag you wore over your shoulder.

“Wakey, wakey, Millers! The early bird gets the worm!”

Joel and Sarah were perched at the breakfast bar when you let yourself in, both looking half awake and less than enthusiastic about being up so early on a Saturday.

“Too damn cheerful for this early,” Joel grumbled half-heartedly. His pitiful smile looked more like a grimace, yet you found it adorable. It made you ache to run your fingers through his hair until you drew a real smile from his lips.

“Don’t gimme that. This was your idea, Joel Miller!” you sassed in return, patting his broad shoulders. “Let’s go!”

Herding cats, that was the perfect analogy to describe the next fifteen minutes as you tried to get the Millers moving and into Joel’s truck. Just when you’d get one heading for the door, the other would disappear. Finally, you managed to wrangle them both into the truck and you were well on your way to the preserve. The ride didn’t take long, Sarah peppering you with questions about birds she found in your guidebook as Joel drove. By the time Joel pulled into a parking spot at the entrance to the trails, everyone was wide awake and ready to hike.

The morning was crisp and refreshing as you zipped up your jacket and looked around. You’d never been to this preserve before and wanted to find a trail map, but the mini-Miller was too anxious to wait for that.

“I can hear the birds chirping already, Daddy! Come on!” Sarah exclaimed, charging toward the first trail excitedly.

Joel beamed as Sarah took off, turning to you before following her. “Ready?” He reached out a hand, palm up and fingers splayed, inviting you to grasp it.

Your eyes trailed from his outstretched hand to his heavy gaze, uncertain of what to make of the signals Joel gave off. The feelings you harbored for the man grew stronger each day, yet you couldn’t quite get a read on whether he shared even a fraction of those feelings. Somedays, you thought he did. Yet others, you figured he thought you had a crush on him and found amusing. Your heart sunk on those days, causing the doubt to linger every time he did something to make you think otherwise.

The moment carried on too long, you realized, as Joel’s warm eyes began to shutter, the tender smile starting to slip. Bolstering your nerves, you plunged ahead and grasped his large hand in yours, tangling your fingers with his thicker ones. His hand was warm, skin roughened from years of working with his hands, and it felt wonderful against your smoother skin.

Heat flashed up your chest and neck as Joel led you down the trail to catch up with Sarah. A broad smile never left your lips as you walked.

“I meant it, you know,” Joel’s deep, gruff voice rumbled from deep in his chest and you glanced up to meet his gaze. “What I said yesterday, about this being a date. If that’s something you’re interested in.”

Heart thumping wildly, your mouth opened and closed a few times before you found your words. “Are you sure? I mean, yes. Yes, I’m interested.” You winced at how flustered you sounded, tripping over your words. And, worse yet, why was your voice so squeaky?

“Never been surer in my life,” Joel confirmed, his gaze searing your skin as he watched you, taking in every minute change in expression. His hand squeezed yours gently, steadying the butterflies in your stomach.

“I would really like that,” you replied breathlessly, relieved to finally have confirmation that the moments between you and Joel weren’t all in your head. You were on Cloud 9 until reality smacked you in the face. “But what about my dad?”

Sarah popped around a copse of live oaks, startling you both from. “Come on, you slow pokes! The birdies aren’t gonna wait all day for us to find them!” Not trusting you both to follow her on your own, the little girl latched on to your hand and pulled you along the trail. “You need to help me find the birds,” Sarah reminded you.

Joel’s hand still clasped in yours, you dragged him behind you, grinning over your shoulder at him. “I’m liking this date already, Joel.”

He beamed back at you. The three of you walked in silence for a bit, listening to the sounds of nature around you. When you spotted a bird blind, you handed Sarah the binoculars and the guidebook, challenging her to identify as many birds as she could from that spot. Joel stood next to you, watching Sarah enjoy the activity.

“Let’s see where this goes first before we worry about your dad,” he murmured. “I’d like to take you on a few dates first, okay?”

It made sense and you nodded, pleased at the way things were working out. Your hand remained in Joel’s throughout the birding adventure and though Sarah never mentioned it, her smile grew wide at the sight.

tbc

p.s. we should start building up to the good stuff in the next chapter.

Taglist: @mellymbee @untamedheart81 @anoverwhelmingdin @runningmom94 @leilanixx @pedropascalfan221 @lovelyjess69 @sarahhxx03 @sofiparallel @tammythr @lulawantmula @islacharlotte @allyourfavesinoneblog @lover-of-books-and-tea @pedropascalsbbg @ashleyfilm @brittmb115 @lilmizmoz @loveisacowboyyy @shotgun-shelby @deninoe @casssiopeia @caitlynsixxx

#joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel x female reader #the last of us #tlou #dbf!joel #Fall Into Me #pedro pascal #eventual smut #mutual pining #idiots falling for each other

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reveluving · 10 months ago

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mother knows best ; phillip graves x reader x jeff sadecki

summary: mama knows love when she sees one. or three.

warnings: mostly Phil & Jeff’s mom’s POV, mentions of angst (teen!Jeff cheating but not on you, family fights, parents passing away), very tiny allusions to s~mut (minors DNI!), loads of fluff towards the end, Mama Denise is yours and her boys’ number one fan 🩷

a/n: thought I’d use this chance to write this after this ask! this is based on this lil' post! I know Jeff’s mom is named Linda but this is about him and Phil, a.k.a. my mind, so say hello to Mama Denise! pls don’t forget to leave some sugar! ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ

» interested in more of the series? find it here & here!

Denise Baker has always been a sweet lady. The epitome of a Southern’s hospitality. Married twice, first to a man named Danny Sadecki, then the second being Tom Graves after Danny passed away. They were good people. The best, feeling grateful each day for giving her the best gifts a hopeful mother could ever ask for.

Two amazing boys.

Keeping their last names rather than changing them to her maiden name was instinctive. At a one-year-plus age gap, Phil took after his mother’s Southern twang whereas Jeff followed his stepfather’s general American accent. They grew to be one happy family, and the brothers, despite their differences in interests and personality, would fight tooth and nail for one another.

But since Tom’s passing, the boys have been less lively, and understandably so. No matter how well they hid their sadness behind innocent smiles each time their mother was in the room, she could see right through them. She didn’t know what she did to earn such sweet boys, always attentive to their Mama at a young age, but she had always hoped to see the fire in them return someday.

That was until they met you.

You and Phil were the same age, just beginning middle school with his brother somewhere a little further from the Bakers’ than the town’s high school.

The brothers had been waiting for their mother to pick them up when you slid next to Phil in the waiting chair. It was raining cats and dogs in Wiskayok, so you had to squeeze yourself into the bus stop to avoid getting drenched.

“Sorry,” You squeaked with a guilty smile when your shoulders touched.

Phil was beyond the age of believing in cooties, plus, he and Jeff were a mama’s boy, and she didn’t raise a woman (girl?)-hater.

“S’okay.” His smile was half-hearted, a little miffed that he couldn’t get to the stand in time when it began raining, and at this point, Jeff had noticed your sudden presence. They’ve seen you before, especially Phil. You always sat in front of him in class, mostly seen with full of life and blinding smile with a missing tooth.

“Your mom’s coming late, too?” Phil knew he didn’t have to make the conversation any longer than he’d like, but he had no reason to do that with you. You were so… nice, and yet, so respectful. Always giving him a wave instead of barging into his personal space bubble like a lot of his classmates did.

Plus, his mother was already thirty minutes late, what was there to lose?

“Yeah. My brother and I have been waitin’ for a lil’ while,” He replied with a shrug, pausing for a second before asking, “You?”

“Yeah, same,” You responded, though more lighthearted than he was, kicking your feet as you looked at the road, “It’s okay, though. Mom’s always busy. They’re probably tired. So long I’m not alone here, I’m not scared to wait for my mom.”

There you go, with your smile again. Phil couldn’t help but smile back, it was tiny but you could see the slight quirk of his lips. Jeff, too, found your positivity infectious and had been listening.

He had joined in on the conversation moments after. It was fairly light, with Jeff doing most of the talking, but that didn’t mean Phil wasn’t listening and chiming in once in a while. It wasn’t until fifteen minutes later when Denise came, rushing over to her boys with an umbrella and endless apologies.

You were ready to say goodbye to the two and resume waiting on your own when Denise approached you with a motherly look.

“Hi, darlin,” She crouched in front of you, with Jeff and Phil at a perfect height as they stood under her umbrella, “I’m Denise, Jeffrey and Phillip’s mama. What’s your name?”

You were a lot shyer with her, considering she was an adult, but you trusted her enough with your name since you kinda knew his youngest.

“That’s a beautiful name,” Even with the heavy rain, her soft-spoken voice was hard to miss, “D’you know when y’mama will come pick you up?”

You shook your head, telling her that with your mother working at a busy cafe, it could vary. And like you told the boys, you were alright with waiting rather than daring to walk home since the bus stop was always full. Still, Denise, ever the kind-hearted woman, offered to drive you to your mother’s workplace.

Denise understood that you were wary and good on you for being careful, but to her surprise, Jeff and Phil were nice enough to reassure you. And whether you agreed because of their mother’s gentleness, Jeff’s natural talent to make you feel comfortable with all three of them or even the hint of promise in Phil’s eyes that everything was going to be fine, Denise was glad you did.

Your mother was extremely thankful, even offered to pay for their lunch for their next visit, but Denise refused and with the two becoming fast friends just as you were with Jeff and Phil, the rest was history.

Though, high school was… eventful, to say the least. While the two of you remained close, almost joined at the hip, you and Phil sometimes preferred backing off as Jeff’s popularity grew. Not that Jeff’s behaviour changed with the two of you, he was still the dorky, good-willed boy you knew.

Although you and Phil may have fought a little with Jeff when he told you about his cheating on Jackie with Shauna. He broke up with Jackie soon after, but his decision to stay with Shauna may or may not have affected your friendship. You and his brother weren’t too keen on the idea of their own friend/brother being a cheater after all.

Jeff especially hated it when it rocked what the two of you had. He was dumb enough to think ending up with Shauna or Jackie would make him forget his interest in you, and surprise surprise, it didn’t. The three of you stayed close friends, though he promised never to bring up about Shauna around you or Phil at all.

And then, high school ended.

Phil’s decision to leave town for the Marines was not only the biggest shock to the neighbourhood but especially to his own family. Not that he didn’t have the means to be one, if anything, his mother and brother knew he’d be one of, if not, the best ones out there. He just never expressed his interest in military work at all.

Throughout their years as a family, Mama had never seen the two fight so badly until Jeff discovered that Phil had been considering leaving Wiskayok, leaving their mother after they both finished community college. Though their fall-out didn’t last long, no more than two weeks, especially when their mother expressed her worries and sadness over their rocky relationship.

Plus, Jeff didn’t want what strong bond he had with his brother to end just like that. He cared for his brother too much, and in their moment of vulnerability, he apologized for not doing more in their high school years. When some of his peers saw his little brother as his shadow rather than a person. Phil insisted that he barely cared about them, even flat out said they weren’t necessarily his friends unless it had to do anything with football.

They hugged it out, and Mama was over the moon. Suddenly, the thought of Phil leaving for the military wasn’t as difficult, knowing that her boys were still going to keep in touch, and on a high note, no less.

He spent his last month in Wiskayok with you and your mother with the most mundane of things.

But oh, how Mama’s emotions dipped when you, too, left shortly after your mother passed away.

She couldn’t put it past you for doing so. How could she, when you’ve been nothing but an angel? A one in a million and she’d be damned if she convinced you to stay like a bird in a cage. As much as she and Jeff would love to, insisting that there was something for you in town, but just like with Phil, they didn’t. It was far too selfish of them, and you had so much potential.

And as thankful as Mama was to have Jeff by her side at all times, there was someone else.

Shauna.

Shauna never sat right with her, no matter how far she was ‘willing’ to go to get to know her future mother-in-law better. Though the smile she brought out of Jeff was nowhere near as big or as wholesome as he was with you, there was a hint of guilt for feeling the way she did. Hoping you’d end up with one of her sons.

But she wasn’t the only one thinking as such, but Jeff felt that he had lost his chance when you left.

So, he carried himself again to be a better person, especially when he truly believed Shauna was the one, much to his mother’s disbelief. Hell, she’d seen bigger smiles from him when he was with that Jackie girl before they broke up.

But her boy was insistent.

Maybe, for once, her mother’s intuitions were wrong.

And as the days went by, the possibility of Jeff putting a ring on Shauna grew higher, Mama did her best to accept her as her own. The two were civil at best, and no doubt that was enough for the two.

But the years grew dull for the Sadeckis, and the second Jeff came knocking on his mother’s door at two in the morning, his wife not in sight, she knew she should’ve done more to stop what they had.

It began with petty arguments, with Jeff being the one apologizing to Shauna, despite knowing she was in the wrong or if she began the fight in the first place. Then it became quarrels, something about her nonexistent book club when in reality, she had been meeting up with a man named Adam.

Each time Mama received a call from her eldest, telling her that he and his wife ‘needed space’, she’d cook up a nice meal and make sure his old room was ready with the amenities he needed.

If it weren’t for Jeff’s attempts to calm his mother down, telling her it wasn’t worth the trouble, she would’ve marched down to Shauna’s front door and knocked some sense into her with a rolling pin. How dare she point her finger at Jeff, attempting to invalidate her own faults by saying it was him who cheated first during their years of marriage, thus, giving her the green light to do the same.

Although yes, Jeff has done it once, when he cheated on Jackie, he regretted it. Immensely, especially seeing the disappointment in his mother’s face. Oh, how he apologized to her like he had committed the biggest sin of all, and frankly, he did. And though his mother was dismayed by his dishonesty, she knew when any of her boys truly regretted something.

Boy, never has he wished for things to turn out differently and still, he wanted to work things out, when he tried to show his mother what he saw in Shauna.

And she did, but she didn’t see what she or Jeff hoped she’d saw. The final straw was when his wife—his ex-wife disrespected his mother in her own house. He had given her many chances, forgiving her more times than he could count, but he could not stand for her raising her voice at his beloved mother.

Denise had every right to feel grateful when the divorce happened, but that didn't mean she openly celebrated it in front of her son. But Phil was different, even went as far as having a congratulatory gift sent to their doorstep since he was still on duty. Despite knowing his brother was rolling in dough with his line of work, Jeff couldn’t help but gawk at the gifts, much to his mother’s amusement. A set of cashmere sweaters that probably cost anywhere from half to one grand, complete with a few bottles of fragrances and even one of the finest reds to commemorate the moment. Plus, a personalized rose-gold bracelet for Mama because why wouldn’t he want to spoil her at any given chance?

And though he and his mother did enjoy a few sips after moving back into the Bakers’ house, he couldn’t help but wonder how you were doing.

But he didn’t have to wait for long.

The day you and Phil returned to Wiskayok, standing in front of Mama’s door, she nearly dropped to her knees. Not only has she missed her youngest boy, despite his efforts in calling and texting and visiting in secret each time his deployment ended, but she most certainly missed you, too. It was your first time visiting since the very day you left, after all. Phil didn’t take it to heart when his mother scolded him for not telling her that the two of you were colleagues and maybe were together.

In reality, though, she had a feeling that you were still around. Closer than what you made them believe.

There were days when Phil had a chance to call his mother, and she’d suddenly bring you up. Wondering aloud if you were alright, how life was treating you in God knows where, and somehow, Phil’s confidence in his responses, telling her that he was certain you were doing well, she believed him. Word for word. As if she knew he was with you throughout your journey to find yourself, just like he did.

And she’d be right when the universe reunited you and Phil on the battlefield. When Shadow Company joined forces with 141 and Los Vaqueros, not expecting to find the girl of his dreams amongst the chaos and in those years, you laughed, you smiled, you wept and you released yourself for him and him alone. Finally acknowledging what the two of you were afraid to address as teenagers all those years ago.

Phil couldn’t imagine bringing his walls down for someone other than you and though like with everyone else, he still kept up the proud and almost infuriating act, no one else had the privilege to see the more caring, affectionate side of him except for you.

But Mama wasn't the only one surprised by the revelation.

On the first night of your arrival, Jeff didn't talk much, instead, hanging on to your every word. From the very moment you reached the city alone for the first time, till the very day you carried yourself into your team and reunited with Phil. How you even remembered the gifts you were meaning to give him and their mother in the middle of the conversation. And as the night fell, you insisted on booking a hotel not far from the neighbourhood.

Oh, how Mama has missed the old days when she'd tell you to stay over, making sure to call your mother about your whereabouts. While she wouldn’t dream of replacing your mother, it was understandable how her attentiveness for you has skyrocketed, now that she knew you and his son were coming over much more often.

Still, she had conditions, eyeing Phil with a knowing look before telling him that you’d be staying in the guestroom. Still spick and span for hopeful days like these. Phil's cheeky smile was worth a thousand words, knowing his mother had caught on to what type of little games the two of you played. Her eye-roll was good-natured, even letting out a hearty laugh when she caught the embarrassed look on your face.

Throughout your stay, she saw how your relationship with Phil blossomed, and how the more-than-friendly feelings between you and Jeff were beginning to rekindle. How her sons’ true emotions—their true colours were showing in that same very house as it always did, as if nothing had changed. Mama knew there was something more to the loving looks they’d give you whenever you looked away.

And when she saw the three of you hanging out and sitting close in the backyard patio, watching the stars and laughing over a stupid stunt one of them had done as kids, she knew that you and her boys were going to be A-ok.

˚ · . f i n . · ˚

a/n: we love mama denise. ;; gorgeous rose divider by @firefly-graphics ♡

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hugsandchaos · 1 year ago

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@evandarya , @fluffen-spooky , @shorterthanaverage , @nottmuchtopost , @killercranberries , @cmstars2 , @amecurio , @scythgal , @writer-extraordinaire , @waitimdissocaitingagain , @imaginationmademanifest , @chrysanthemum9484 , @rasberry-muffin , @jaguarthecat , @dannyphantomphan , @starmee-lodurrson , @thefearfullone , @decisively-o-indecisive , @nifeout , @sailor-goddess , @the-legal-shipper , @ollietheotaku , @lov3ly-pain , @robinmedea , @viyatrix , @markus209 , @kyrianclawraith , @newgraywolf , @the-church-grimm , @scribbiesan-main , @bruh-incoming , @sunflower-sovereign , @britcision , @spooky-fm , @phoenixdemonqueen , @latheevening226 , @avenlfear , @starscreamlover , @undead-essence , @emiwritesthings , @jaytriesstuff , @calcifina , @bun-fish , @luffyrose, @potatoeofwisdom , @thegatorsgoose , @markus209 , @may-rbi , @mothman-the-mothman-87 , @dannyisababyking , @soul-lime , @elvesandlanterns , @bahfev , @blackroserelina , @love-has-no-labels , @deepslumberworld , @lesling123 , @peachpopprize , @moons-cat , @phil-lis I GOT YA’LL SOME SECONDS!!!

This is much later and a lot shorter than I intended it to be.

Diana was expecting to have a normal night routine, which included the typical 3AM snack, not go downstairs and nearly have a heart attack when she realized a boy had broken into her house to get some food. She should’ve called the cops, yet here she was, sharing some leftover chicken noodle soup with him.

“Sorry for the intrusion. If it makes you feel better, I didn’t break anything and the only thing I intended on stealing was a bit of food.” The boy, or Danny as he introduced himself, apologized. Diana handed him a bowl and fork and sat next to him on the couch, where they both sat in darkness, with the exception of the light from the kitchen.”It’s alright. Now that I’ve given it to you, it’s not considered stealing, now is it?” She replied. The black haired boy smiled a bit and shrugged.

They both ate in silence for a while. Or at least, in audible silence. Diana’s mind raced with questions and only a few answers. How did he even manage to get in without breaking anything? Did he pick a lock? She would probably have to change them. Where did he come from? In the little light flowing in from the kitchen, his clothes looked battered and dirty. Diana couldn’t tell which assumption was worse; the possibility of him coming from an awful home or not having a home at all.

When Diana glanced at her phone to check the time after eating, she saw that 15 minutes had flown by. It felt like only three or four. She got up to bring her bowl to the kitchen sink, but was stopped by Danny speaking up.“Do you know of any homeless shelters I could crash at?” He asked.

So that confirmed that assumption.”The closest one is a couple miles. You should stay here for the night.” Diana said. She put her bowl in the sink, which was soon copied by Danny. He looked at her as if she grew a second head.”Wait, seriously?” He asked.“I’m grateful for the offer, but a kid appeared in your house with no sign of forced entry raiding your kitchen and you want to let him stay the night? I honestly expected you to chase me out when you turned on the lights.” He said.

“I think we’re both a little too tired to discuss this. Get some rest and we’ll talk more in the morning, you look worse than some of my coworkers.” Diana said, flipping the light switch off and heading to bed.”There’s a closet with spare blankets and pillows down the hall. Help yourself.” She added.

At the end of the hall, she opened the door to her bedroom and Danny found the closet.”Isn’t it technically already morning?” He asked. Dianapaused and rolled her eyes with a small smile.”Oh, no. The kid who broke into my house is into jokes.” She joked before closing and locking her door.

In the morning, Danny was gone. He left a thank you note and mentioned that he’s heading towards the homeless shelters.

If we ever cross paths again, teach me how to make that soup! — Danny

#danny fenton #danny phantom #dc x dp #dp x dc #dc x dp fic #dp x dc fic #stray cat Danny

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lesbiandanhowell · 9 months ago

Text

Have I told you lately, I’m grateful you’re mine

pairing: Dan Howell/Phil Lester

rating: general audience

warnings: no ao3 warnings apply

tags: domestic fluff

word count: 2.2k

summary: It wasn’t just the pain, but also the frustration he felt over how debilitating it was, he wanted to do things, he had planned to edit a video he had filmed for his channel and research some games they could play (or rather Dan could play) for the gaming channel. Now he just felt like someone had hit him over the head with a club and forced him into standstill, because just the thought of looking at a screen made him squeeze his eyes shut tighter.

Phil is struggling with feeling like a burden on a day of strong migraines and Dan helps him feel at peace with accepting being taken care of.

note: this was the first fanfic I wrote after a few years of not writing much and it was inspired by asking @dapg-otmebytheballs what they would like to read. so thank you for the inspiration hazel!!

read on ao3

#my fic #phanfiction #phan #dan and phil #i love getting inspiration from what others would like to read so feel free to dm me or send an ask!

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andydrysdalerogers · 1 year ago

Text

Your Submissively ~ Excess

Steve Rogers X OFC Isabella Davis

Summary: Five Years after the events of Civil War, Steve Rogers has moved on from avenging and has started his own business, Grant Inc. He has a secret that would turn his world upside down. And he's good at keep that secret. Until he meets the woman with violet eyes that could bring him to his knees. Now his mission is to make her, his. But she is the key that could bring the world into balance... or chaos.

And she has no idea.

Series Warnings: slow burn at the beginning, smut, angst, sexual themes of BDSM, dom/sub dynamics, kidnapping, (and a bunch of others that will come up)

A/N Surprise for the holiday in the States! Happy Labor Day!

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Previous: Infatuation

Series Masterlist ~ Main Masterlist

Belle didn’t mention the offer that Steve Rogers had given her to anyone. But she also didn’t let the business card out of her pocket. She would play with the card, thinking of the man. He wouldn’t leave her thoughts. The fit of his suit, how his face looked with the trimmed beard and the ocean blue eyes that she would get lost in.

“Belle!” Lila yelled, finally gaining her friend’s attention. “Where are you?”

Belle shook her head. “Sorry, just worried about this thesis.”

“Don’t be. You’ve got this. Anyways, Scott called. He asked if we were going to go out with the gang.”

“Do I have to?”

“Belle, c’mon. Ever since that gala you have been so preoccupied. Did something happen?”

“No Lila, It was fine. I’m sorry.” Belle sighed. “Ok, help me find something to wear.”

Lila pulled a blue, strapless top and black jeans. “This. You will look hot in this.”

The little group of friends were a mix of the Gen Ed program and the engineering program. Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, Peter Parker and Michelle (MJ) Jones all hung out together most of the time. These were the closest people Belle had in her life.

Belle used to live with MJ and Lila before MJ and Peter decided to move in together. Scott and Hope had their own singles but were on the same floor as Belle, MJ and Lila freshman year. Her little adopted family took her in and she was forever grateful. Her adopted father had died when she was 16 and she had no one left. She was forever grateful for Phil Coulson, and she missed him dearly.

They bar hopped until they landed at a bar in Manhattan. Peter and MJ were celebrating their recent engagement and Hope was celebrating getting into Columbia for law school. Scott was in the Gen Ed program with Belle. But he had heard that he had gotten a great job for the next school year at a prestigious high school. Belle still hadn’t heard and this fueled her consumption of alcohol.

Belle was tipsy but still very aware in the bar. It was fun, lots of seating, room for dancing, a pool table. She had been here before with Scott, teaching her to play pool. The music was a fun mix of old school pop and alternative rock. Belle swayed to the music, occasionally singing along. She used to sing in school but stopped once Phil was gone.

Scott had been abnormally close this evening but Belle let it go. Her mind kept drifting to the ocean eyes that she could still see in the back of her eyelids. She got up, a little wobble in her stance.

“Where’re you going Belle?” Scott helped steady her.

“Just to the bathroom. I’ll be back.” As she waited, she pulled the business card from her pocket. She stared at the name.

Steven G. Rogers, CEO.

She scoffed a little before she dialed.

Hello?

“Hello Steven G Rogers.”

Belle?

“That’s me.” Belle sighed. “I don’t know who you think you are but I don’t need your offer.” Her speech slurred slightly.

Isabella? Are you ok?

“I’m fiiiinnnneee,” she sang.

Have you been drinking?

Belle laughed. “Of course, I have. Big girl.”

Where are you?

“A place.” Her sass was coming out.

Tell me now. She could hear him growl into the phone.

She giggled. “I’m in New York. Not Jersey, I gotta go.”

Isabella, wa-, she hung up the phone. She laughed at herself and went on her way.

Steve was furious. What the hell is she thinking, he thought to himself. He called Bucky,

Yea?

“Can you trace Isabella Davis’s phone please?”

Sure boss.

“And get the car, we are headed wherever she is.”

Belle decided she needed air. She went out to the brisk night and leaned against the wall, feeling the world spin slightly. She was so frustrated with her career, with her life, with Steve Rogers. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She felt someone come up to her and she opened her eyes. Scott stood up in front of her. “Sorry.”

“It’s ok Scotty. Did you need something?”

“I wanted to talk to you Belle. About something kinda important.”

“Oh, is everything ok?” She smiled, hoping her friend was ok.

“Yeah, well no, but it could be.” Scott swallowed looking more nervous. “I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me?”

“A date?” Belle squeaked. She had never considered Scott more than a friend.

“Yeah, a date, Belle. You’re beautiful, so smart and I’ve fallen for you. Please?” He leaned in.

“Scott, wow, wait,” before she felt his lips on hers. Suddenly they were gone.

“She said wait,” a deep voice growled. “That’s not consent.” Steve pulled Scott away from Belle.

Belle’s head spun. “What are you doing here?”

“I was worried about you.” Steve pulled her towards him and stroked her cheek. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine. I just don’t understand.” Belle closed her eyes and felt herself falling.

“Belle!” Steve caught her as she tipped over. “Belle? Can you hear me?”

“Sure can Mr. Fancypants!” Belle sang the words as she clutched onto him. She shivered from the crisp air. She pressed herself against Steve’s warm body. “You’re so warm.”

“Ok Isabella, let’s get you some water.” Steve looked around and didn’t see the guy that tried to assault Belle anywhere. He guided her inside and to the bar. “Water,” he said to the bartender. Once the glass was on the bar, he handed it to Belle. “Drink. Now.”

“You are so bossy,” Belle said with a pout.

“Drink the water Isabella or I will put you over my knee.” Steve’s eyes blazed with authority. Belle took the water and drank, some of it leaking from the corners. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Good girl,” he whispered in her ear. “Let me take you home.”

“I came with Lila.”

“Ok stay right here.”

Belle watched as he approached a dark hair man who was talking with Lila. Lila spoke back to him and then glanced at Belle with a smirk. Belle started to feel dizzy again as Steve approached her again. “Think you can tell me where I need to go?”

“Nope because I see two of you so I don’t know who to talk to.”

“Ok, Miss Davis, lets go.”

“Can’t walk. So sorry to disappoint,” Belle said with a giggle. She twirled around and stopped. “My head hurts.”

“Isabella? Are you ok?”

“I feel like I’m going to faint.”

“What? Right now?” Steve asked as he saw Belle close her eyes. He grasped her as she went limp in his arms. “C’mon baby,” he said as he adjusted to carry her to the car. Bucky came a few moments later. “Is Delilah ok?”

“Yeah, also got a date with her so I’m happy.” Bucky smirked. “Where to?”

“Home. I don’t want to leave her alone.” He cradled Belle in his arms. How did he end up this lucky? They got to his apartment, and he took her up to his room. He laid her gently down and removed her shoes and socks, her jeans and lacy top. He grabbed one of his shirts and sipped it over her. He pulled back the covers and placed her in between.

He went to his office and shut everything down. Bucky came in. “Is she ok punk?”

“Yea, I put her to bed. Can you get her some clothes? Jeans, top, underwear.”

“Sure. I’ll have it here in the morning.”

“Thanks Jerk. I’m going to turn in.”

“Is Miss Davis in the guest room?”

“No,” Steve cleared his throat. “She’s in my room.”

“Steve…” Bucky started.

“I know Buck. But she’s different. We’ll see in the morning.”

“Whatever you say man. Good night.”

“Night.” Steve headed back to his room, where Belle hadn’t moved. He placed two ibuprofen and a glass of water on the night side table. He stripped down and climbed into the bed next to her. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Good night sweet Belle.”

Taglist:

@patzammit

@texmexdarling

@slutforchrisjamalevans

@jennmurawski13-writes

@firephotogrl74

@tinkerbelle67

@before-we-get-started

@bunnyforhim

@alexakeyloveloki

@amiquette

#andy's hea #andy's shenanigans #yours submissively #chris evans fanfiction #steve rogers au #steve rogers smut #steve rogers fanfiction #Steve Rogers x OFC #Bucky barnes #chris evans #mcu fanfiction #Steve rogers #steve rogers imagine #chris evans au #avengers au

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echotunes · 1 year ago

Note

Slimecicle characterization: (sorry this is a bit long)

* Mainly referred to as slime but close friends (Wilbur, Philza, etc.) almost exclusively call him Charlie

* He makes up slime related words a lot and will just make random noises

* Makes up songs a lot/ will replace lyrics of existing songs to whatever he finds situationally appropriate/ funny

* Does both goofy humor where he laughs at himself/ along with others and dry humor where he plays everything totally straight

* “Yarf/ I’m gonna yarf” (throw up)

* “My bones!” (When hurt)

* Doesn’t use emoticons in messages, no caps unless it’s the full word for emphasis, single messages with punctuation if needed (chat example: “we won the war. (qsmp)” vod 35:45 you can see his chat history with Foolish)

* He has a really extensive vocabulary and when making jokes will always switch up the phrasing/ use synonyms so as to not say the same words repeatedly

* He will make jokes to himself/ quietly and if no one heard it then he might repeat it once more but never more than that

* He makes himself the butt of the joke a lot, especially with new people. Only when he’s super close friends with someone will he makes jokes about them

* Literally king of the bit. Will take any opportunity to continue a bit or make a new one (breaking Roier’s windows, calling Phil old, getting “stuck” in the ghost maze)

* Mf is both easily distracted and laser focused, often at the same time and rarely aware of his surroundings

* He almost never responds to being hit when people are trying to get his attention, especially if he’s having a conversation with someone else (in general if he’s having a one on one convo with someone he’s practically blind to anyone else)

* Doesn’t move around when talking to the point that someone may leave his view and it might take a few seconds for him to move to see them again

* Despite being highly social he doesn’t like interacting with large groups that have multiple conversations going on (most likely cause it’s hard for him to pull focus) - he’ll often ask others to step to the side

* *After leaving a group* “I can finally hear myself think”

* He’s isn’t super knowledgeable about minecraft so isn’t aware of a lot of mechanics. He plays almost exclusively to hang out with people and doesn’t enjoy doing things alone

* Will play into his own ignorance for a joke - typically comically over exaggerated

* He’s super grateful for gifts and if it’s something that directly benefits him (amour, food, supplies) he’ll always ask if the giver is sure

* If he’s around quackity there is an extremely high chance of him getting manipulated

* Boy has pipes and while yes this does make him a good singer it also makes him a really loud screamer

* Loves to be silly and goofy and then pulls out the most gut wrenching angst/ trauma you’ve ever had the misfortune of witnessing

* When in serious situations will entirely drop any jokes and talks very sincerely/ more soft voice

Specifically QSMP

* Canonically can shape shift

* Was kept in a cage as a child and had abusive parents and multiple other siblings who are assumedly deceased

* Thinks very lowly of himself and doesn’t think himself deserving of any kindness shown towards him since accidentally killing Tilín

* Is an alcoholic and self harms (uses a taser to electrocute himself when he feels sad… which is often)

* Loves his family more than anything and actively talks about how much he misses them every time he streams

* Fights with Mariana are more humor based - like what’s the most absurd thing that can be said

* Repeats eggs’ names a lot when talking to them

* There’s natural gas in his mine that makes him hallucinate and forget things

(I definitely went a bit overboard with this so feel free to pick and choose what would actually be useful for the cheat sheet. Hopefully there’s some helpful stuff here 💙)

!! ty so much anon! I'm not much of a Charlie viewer so this is a big help I'll make sure to add it to the doc

#:D #echo.asks #anon #character voices cheat doc

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typingtess · 11 months ago

Text

youtube

His plan to have them leave the cabin in Mammoth Lakes at 6AM so they’d be back in LA just in the early afternoon. While he was on vacation from NCIS, Deeks was working for the LAPD at the Rose Parade tomorrow and then the Rose Bowl.

The undercover unit had to send a few people over every January 1st to help with two huge events so Deeks always volunteered. Showing up for something most of the rest of the squad hated got Deeks some points from all of them. Plus, Deeks liked the parade – his Mom took him every year as a kid because New Year’s Eve was something old Gordo sort of controlled. Now, he was paid time-and-a-half to watch the people watch the parade. Nobody getting hurt means he did his job.

After the Parade, LAPD transports the officers working the parade to the Rose Bowl. He got moved to the VIP area after an old college buddy who worked in sports facility management saw him a few years ago. He’s there undercover – mixing and mingling with the VIPs - making sure nobody who shouldn’t be there somehow got in and making sure those who are supposed to be there behave. With Oregon playing, Deeks hoped to meet Phil Knight. Maybe he could get a pair of Jordans out of it.

But the plan to get back to LA took a turn around 8:30ish when they were on 395. Kensi saw a Denny’s and well, suddenly a Lumberjack Slam was in her future. And obviously his since he was driving. She got it as takeout with what looked like a gallon of orange juice. There was some breakfast sausage for a grateful Monty. He got a muffin, some fruit and a cup of coffee.

Another pitstop to clean out the truck and take Monty for a bio-break had them about an hour behind Deeks’s mental schedule.

“So, do we have a plan for the office?”

“Plan?”

“You know, for when we go back.”

“Well, I guess we go to the office, say hello to Callen and Sam. Ask Sam if Aiden is still home. Ask Callen if Joelle is still in the picture – probably need to find a better way to say that.”

“Deeks, be serious.”

“Well, you didn’t let me get to Nell or Eric yet. Or Hetty. Or Granger. I do wonder how he’s doing.”

“Be. Serious.”

“I. Am.”

“What are we going to tell them about us?”

“As little as possible.”

“That’s not in your nature.”

“That is exactly my nature.”

“Deeks, I say this with great affection, you talk all the time.”

“Thank you for the great affection. And I do talk all the time. But I’m pretty good at saying very little by saying a whole lot.”

Kensi sat for a second, opened her mouth and decided against whatever she was going to say. “So we say nothing.”

“Nobody’s business.”

“So our secret.”

“Not a secret, just not something I want to discuss with Eric, Hetty, Ty in IT.”

“What if Hetty wants to know?”

“Hetty’s not in the position she use to be. For good and for bad.”

“What does that mean?”

“She probably can’t send you halfway around the world again but I could go back to LAPD without Director Vance breaking a sweat.”

“So we keep things quiet.”

“No, we don’t flaunt things. Things were going on before this trip, things will keep going on after this trip.”

“That wasn’t firmed up before.”

He turned his head and looked right at her. “It was always firm for me.”

“Me too,” Kensi said with a big smile.

They drove a little while with the area looking a lot more like the California they knew and a lot less like the mountains.

“So what do I say if Trudy from accounting asks about my vacation.”

“That Trudy is the office busybody. Probably comes with being named Trudy.”

“And if I don’t have an answer, she’s fill in the blanks.”

Imitating Kensi, Deeks started, “Trudy, I went skiing with Deeks and Monty. And snowboarding. I was bad at that.”

“That’s a lie!”

“The bruises on your ass disagree.”

“They’re not bruises.”

“Kens…”

“The rental snowboard was cheap.”

“It’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools,” Deeks chided before going back to his Kensi imitation. “I went skiing and snowboarding with Deeks and Monty. He rented this great two-bedroom cabin right at the foot of the mountain. Two bedrooms are totally the way to go. We had such a great time.”

“We did.”

“And she doesn’t need to know that Monty used the other bedroom because the cabin stove in our room and the fireplace in the living room were bad for him.”

Kensi was quiet for a minute. “You would have been dangerous as a fulltime lawyer.”

He smiled. “The secret is to tell the truth, just tell the truth in the way that is best for your case.”

#NCIS: Los Angeles #NCIS: LA #head canon #NCIS Los Angeles #ncis la #densi #kensi blye #marty deeks

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ahappydnp · 1 year ago

Note

hello friend can you help me find a video?

it’s a dnpgames, but i don’t think it was a DvsP.

after 2 rounds, Phil was winning, and Dan asked for an all or nothing. Phil was like okay and Dan was like haha I’m gonna win this now big mistake Phil, and then he makes a joke about being grateful for the all or nothing. I think D ended up losing anyway.

Please help lol

12:56 of mario party

#anon ask

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fayestardust · 11 months ago

Note

for bob tours: was there a moment (or more than one) at a place where you felt ~connected to a scene from bob/the real events?

All the tours I’ve been on have special moments, though some more than others. Thank you for asking me about this, as I love recounting these memories. Some of this is actually what you asked for; the rest is just me being sappy.

Okay, ready? Behind the read more because it's SUPER long.

Eindhoven tour, April 2022

This was the first WW2 tour I’ve ever been on and the first of We Happy Few 506’s Band of Brothers tours. Special for that reason alone. It was a one-day tour with a Q&A the day before, and only four out of six actors who were supposed to join actually made it over to Eindhoven. First up: Matthew Leitch (Floyd ‘Tab’ Talbert), our fierce leader on all of the tours so I won’t mention him every time. He co-founded WHF506. He’s kind of a very annoying older brother to me now. Also there were Tim Matthews (Alex Penkala), Doug Allen (Alton More) and Mark Lawrence (William H. Dukeman).

I enjoyed the Q&A, though at that point was far too insecure to ask anything about Band because the room was filled with much bigger WW2 nerds (at the time, I’ve now caught up) who all seemed to ask very profound questions. I also shied away from taking any photos with the actors because people pretty much swarmed them, and I’m slightly claustrophobic.

I was making art already at that point, and for this trip had managed to draw Matt and Mark. See here a moment of joy for me.

The next day was the day of the tour, and I was pretty nervous about it because I’d never done a bus tour before, but in my experience, buses aren’t particularly wheelchair-friendly. Such was the case here, too, but the moment I approached the daunting steps of the Megabus, guests (special and not) flocked over to help me up them. All doubt evaporated. I got appointed the spacious back-of-the-bus seat, with my cousin on one side and Mark Lawrence on the other.

I’ll single Mark out for this tour because our conversations on the bus were very real and important to me. But also because one of the most moving moments on the tour happened when we visited the Crossroads. This is where Mark’s character and the real Dukeman died. If you ever get to visit... the Crossroads in the show looks exactly like the real location. Easily one of the most true-to-life set locations. And Mark had never been to the Netherlands. It tore him up. We all sniffled, watching him cry. The thing you have to realise is that he feels like he owes his entire life to the show. He met his lovely wife because she saw him on tv, and they fell in love. He has Dukeman’s service number tattooed on his body. And he’s the kindest, sweetest soul.

Later, months after the tour, he called me up to sing me happy birthday at six in the morning.

Both Doug and Tim remain my friends to this day. I’m perhaps most grateful for the connections made on these tours. Some of the other guests are now also like family.

Bastogne tour - part 1, November 2022

Bastogne is a magical place for me. I took one of my geekiest friends on this second tour. Special guests were Freddie Joe Farnsworth (military advisor on both BoB and the Pacific) and Phil McKee (Strayer). Not the most well-known people in this fandom I think. But interesting. And funny.

This tour was led by Reg Jans, and he’s THE guide who knows everything you could ever want to know about the Battle of the Bulge. So, during this tour, I feel like I learned a lot more about that, beyond what we see in Band.

Of course, we also visited Easy Company’s foxholes in the Bois Jacques. There was no snow (stay tuned for that on a later tour), so it’s not like it is in the show. But the woods are eerily quiet. I don’t know if I believe in anything supernatural beyond things like intuition, but if I were to start anywhere, it’d be there. Freddie Joe explained the consequences of sleep deprivation for your brain to us, to help us understand the soldiers better. Sometimes, they were their own worst enemies. They were freezing, underfed, underdressed and barraged by artillery, and most of the time, could not even see the Germans.

We also visited where John Julian was pinned down by Germans for hours. It’s still unclear what exactly happened to him, or when or how he died. We only see seconds of it in the show. It's like that with many things in the show actually. All the battles took a long, long time.

This tour isn’t my favourite - there’s a better one right after this, but this did solidify the idea that I would go on these tours just to see the people I’ve met while there.

Bastogne tour - part 2, January 2023

Here it is, my favourite tour. Barely two months after the last one. Bastogne in the very dead of winter. Let me tell you: it was COLD. But it would have been, for the soldiers of Easy.

The special guests on the second day of the tour were Shane Taylor (Eugene ‘Doc’ Roe), and Lucie Jeanne (Renee Lemaire). Doug (Alton More) was also there, and it was lovely to see him again. But as you can guess, having Doc Roe and Renee on the tour in Bastogne is pretty amazing. Eugene and Renee never actually met each other, one of the few dramatisations of the show. It serves a purpose, though, so it’s mostly seen as acceptable. Renee’s story is quite tragic, and she died very close to where she had lived with her parents and her body was wrapped in the fine silk of parachutes and brought back to them.

There were also some good hugs at the 'Nuts' bar! But the absolutely most amazing part of the tour happened without them. Our second day started really, really early. We got up at 5 am, got on the bus, and drove to the Bois Jacques. It was still pitch black when we got out, freezing cold and fresh snow crunched underneath our sleepy feet.

Reg Jans was on this tour again, and he had something truly haunting in store for us. We all stood in a circle around him with our (mostly just purchased for this trip) head torches on as he recited a prayer by Lt. Col. Robert L. Wolverton, commanding officer of 3rd battalion, 506th PIR.

Here it is.

Men, I am not a religious man and I don't know your feelings in this matter, but I am going to ask you to pray with me for the success of the mission before us. And while we pray, let us get on our knees and not look down but up with faces raised to the sky so that we can see God and ask His blessing in what we are about to do: God almighty, in a few short hours we will be in battle with the enemy. We do not join battle afraid. We do not ask favors or indulgence but ask that, if You will, use us as Your instrument for the right and an aid in returning peace to the world. We do not know or seek what our fate will be. We ask only this, that if die we must, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right. O Lord, protect our loved ones and be near us in the fire ahead and with us now as we pray to you.

And into the woods, we went. You have to remember, there are no cars at this hour. It’s dark. It’s quiet. We were told to be quiet. We were told to sit in the foxholes in the snow. We switched off our lights. No one was shooting at us, but we felt, in part, what the men of Easy Company would have felt. And then we watched the sun come up. It’s the closest thing to a religious experience I’ve ever felt.

I met one of my favourite people in the world on this tour, too. He took these wonderful photos of me and inspired me to take up photography again, myself.

Normandy tour, June 2023

This tour was a bit of an odd one out. It felt chaotic because it was scheduled around D-Day, which made Normandy really poorly accessible. It’s so busy, so our tour was mostly improvised around areas with the least amount of traffic jams.

It did have its moments, though. Normandy is a cool place. And we had the amazing Pete McCabe (Donald Hoobler) with us.

The day before the tour, I actually got to meet three Normandy veterans. Humbling, to say the least. I also met several more Band actors (Peter Youngblood Hills, Alex Sagba-Brady, Christian Black, Nolan Hemmings) and Scott Gibson, who played Captain Haldane in the Pacific. We still keep in touch. Christian Black is now a Still Photographer, and mostly shoots Tom Cruise’s movie stills. He also took this photo of Nolan Hemmings, this painting of him and little old me.

I was really glad to see many friends again. And I brought my own camera and took amazing pictures (teehee). We saw most of Easy’s known landing spots in Sainte Mère Eglise, like Winters’ and Lipton’s, to name a few.

Our guide here was Paul ‘Woody’ Woodadge, an English guy married to a French woman. He’s nice, but critical of Easy’s fame, not so much on account of Easy, but mostly because Easy was just one of the many companies that did incredible things. We visited the area around Brécourt Manor, where we learned that other company Paratroopers cleared the way for Easy’s famous mission. It doesn’t make it less impressive, but it adds loads of context.

Another thing that I found incredibly moving was the reading of Lt. Meehan’s last letter home. It’s easy to forget how young these men were. And how wise. Meehan’s plane crashed in a field, and nearly 80 years later, you can still see where it landed because while the field is fully planted, there’s a part near a hedgerow that remains barren to this day. Haunting.

We also visited Marmion Farm, where many famous Easy Company photos were taken (it’s where they more or less come back together after the jump).

One of my favourite stories, though, is that of medics Robert Wright and Ken Moore of the 101st Airborne. They treated 80 injured American and German soldiers and a child in a church in Angoville-au-Plain. There are still bloodstains on the pews.

So, as you can tell, not everything had to do with Easy, because we also went to Omaha Beach, where I got out of my chair and walked. Just to walk where these brave men had walked and really feel the history.

Eindhoven/Arnhem Market Garden Tour, October 2023

My second favourite tour after Bastogne in winter. Our guest here was Mark Huberman (Lester Hashey) who was meant to come on the original Eindhoven tour but couldn’t. He’s delightfully Irish, and had the best anecdotes from the set. Also absolutely hilarious.

Many of my friends weren’t on this tour, so going on to it, I couldn’t have guessed it would rank among my favourites.

It was split between two things. Some Easy Company sites and stories (some repeats from the first tour, but often with a slightly different angle or experience), and the British side of Operation Market Garden!

By the way, did you know that Hoobler picks up the Luger that ends up killing him in Bastogne, at the Crossroads? I think they changed it in the show to let the story flow better.

Anyway. I loved this tour. We visited Schoonderlogt and the Crossroads again. This time I sat in the grassy field while everyone else did the famous run across. It’s such a long way!

But the stories of the British troops were perhaps even cooler to me. Because that all happened right on my doorstep. I knew the bigger picture, but we had Reg Jans on this tour again, which is synonymous with really personal stories. So for our British troops day, we followed in the footsteps of leaders and soldiers alike, until we met them again in their final resting place in the military cemetery. A really rewarding journey. Mark also read a letter by Ivar Rowberry, which I posted about here. There’s an audio recording of it too, which is well worth a listen.

If you want to read more about any of these tours (I’m a bit tired of writing so much, check out my actual - non tumblr - blog over here. There is an entry for each one, there.

#band of brothers #ww2 tours #ask me things in my askbox please thanks

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phoenix-downer · 2 years ago

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Where I Belong Chapter 1

The Big Olive. ~1700 words. Sora/Kairi. Starts during the end of KH3/during ReMind and moves into KH4. Kairi POV. Angst, Romance, Fluff.

Chapter Summary: During their world tour, Sora takes Kairi to Thebes to visit some old friends. Meg insists the two of them take a break from cleanup duty to play hooky, and Hercules asks Pegasus to give them a ride to his villa.

Story Summary: Kairi and Sora spend his final hours at Hercules' villa, trying to enjoy the time he has left while mourning the future they'll never have. After his disappearance, Kairi struggles to cope and throws herself into her training. But when she's sent on a mission with Donald and Goofy to investigate Olympus for clues, a run-in with the Lord of the Dead just might hold the key to finding Sora.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Seeing the worlds with Sora was better than Kairi ever could have imagined. She’d dreamed of this for so long that it didn’t seem real, like any minute she might wake up and it would all be over. Of course, any minute it would be over. That was why it was so important to treasure things while they lasted. And their latest destination was just as magical as everything that had come before it.

Thebes was a beautiful, bustling city, filled with larger-than-life statues, soaring columns, lush gardens, and paved streets lined with classical buildings. Its citizens were hard at work restoring their home from the recent fires and destruction, and Kairi enjoyed meeting the people here and learning more about their culture and daily lives as she and Sora helped Hercules and his fiancée Meg rebuild the city.

They were currently working on clearing a small temple dedicated to Aphrodite. Kairi and Meg swept the floors of small pieces of debris (as Pegasus assisted with his wings) while Hercules and Sora tackled the bigger obstacles. Phil barked out instructions that made everyone laugh, his knack for miscounting words a running joke with the whole group. Bit by bit, the beautiful mosaics on the floor were becoming visible again.

“So, Sora, I can tell you’re stronger than ever,” Hercules said. He lifted and set down an entire pillar like he was rearranging a wooden block, and it felt into place with a satisfying thud. “I’m guessing you found the answer to your question?”

“It’s all my trainin’, it’s finally paying off,” Phil insisted. He was lounging in the corner on a plush Hercules pillow, eating grapes.

“Actually, Phil, I did find the answer to my question,” Sora said with a chuckle. “Though not so much an answer as an entire shift in my perspective.” He glanced at Kairi and smiled. She couldn’t help but smile back, a blush dusting her cheeks because she would never get used to how her heart fluttered when he looked at her. “I know where I belong now.”

“Glad to hear that,” Hercules said, dusting his hands off. “You’ve gotta make sure you don’t take that for granted.”

“I never will,” Sora said, his voice soft and low. His hand flickered in and out of existence, and he quickly shoved it into his pocket. Kairi felt like someone had stabbed her in the gut but pretended not to see what had happened. He still hadn’t admitted he was fading away, and she wanted him to tell her on his terms.

Meg frowned and took the broom away from Kairi’s hands. “Enough cleaning for now, we can handle things from here. You two need to play hooky for the rest of the day.” She looked at Hercules, and Kairi noticed the way his pupils dilated and how his entire attention was focused on her. “Wonderboy, whaddya say we let them romp around the villa? I think they could really use a break from all this boring cleanup duty.”

“Oh! Um, that’s fine, yeah, that’s totally fine. Please, make yourselves at home. I’ll have Pegasus take you there.”

Kairi gave Meg a grateful look. She was happy to help their new friends, but her time with Sora was running out, and she wasn’t sure how much longer they’d have together. Meg smiled and winked, then tossed Kairi’s former broom to Phil.

“Goat-man, get up and make yourself useful,” she said. Phil complained loudly and stomped his hooves, making them all laugh, but he did as Meg asked.

Pegasus dutifully clopped into position and used his head to gesture at his back. Kairi gulped. She’d ridden a horse with a saddle before, but Pegasus didn’t have a saddle or reins, plus he had those big old wings. How was she supposed to get on his back?

Sora smiled softly. “Here, I’ll help.” He put his hand over hers and moved it to Pegasus’s mane. “Grab a tuft of his mane like this, then skip to get a little momentum. You’ll throw your right leg up and use that momentum to get the lower half of your body up. Then you’ll grab his withers to help you pull the top half of your body up too.”

“If I fall, you’ll catch me, right?” she asked, gripping onto Pegasus’s mane for dear life.

“Always.”

She looked at him, her heart racing, then took a few deep breaths. “I can do this.”

“You can do this. I believe in you.”

She nodded, his faith giving her courage. She did what he said, skipping and then throwing her right leg up. Pegasus dutifully shifted position when she under-calculated her momentum and overshot how far she needed to go, but between his help and Sora’s help, she managed to mount successfully.

“See?” Sora said, smiling proudly as she straightened. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

She shook her head. “I’m always learning new things when I’m with you.”

He looked at her in a way that made her so flustered she had to look away, her face as red as her hair. He kept looking at her like that, and it was so much that her heart couldn’t handle it.

Hercules looked at Meg like that, too.

“Hang on, I’ll join you,” Sora said. “Scoot back a little, okay?” She did what he said, and a moment later, he gracefully mounted Pegasus and settled in front of her, grabbing tufts of Pegasus’s mane.

“But what will I hold on to?” she squeaked, realizing there was no easy way for her to grab onto Pegasus’s mane from her current position.

Sora turned his head and grinned. “Me.”

Gulping, she wrapped her arms around Sora as Pegasus broke into a trot, then a lope, then a gallop. She’d be more flustered by how close she was to Sora, by how her chest was pressed into his back, if she weren’t scared witless and holding on for dear life.

Then they weren’t on the ground anymore, and her stomach lurched as they rapidly ascended. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to fight the waves of nausea descending on her as the wind whistled past them.

“Kairi, open your eyes,” Sora called back to her.

“Ungh, I’m gonna be sick,” she moaned.

“Trust me, it’s worth it.”

She took a deep breath, then peeked at their surroundings. The steady thump, thump, thump of Pegasus’s wings was soothing, and Sora was right. The view was absolutely worth it. All of Thebes plus the surrounding countryside unfolded beneath them, brilliant greens and lush fields and mysterious forests and winding rivers. In the distance was Mount Olympus, and Kairi marveled at how beautiful this world was, how different it was from Destiny Islands and Radiant Garden.

And best of all, she was getting to experience this with Sora. Now that she was feeling more comfortable, she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed happily. They were so close to each other and it felt really, really nice. She felt him stiffen a little at the increased contact and then melt under her touch.

She wished she could see his face, see how he felt about this, but then again, it might make her so flustered she had to look away again. Maybe touching him like this at first would help them feel more comfortable doing more later.

No, what was she thinking. There would be no later. All they had was now.

Presently, they began to descend. Below them was a sprawling villa with verdant walled gardens, elegant buildings with tiled red roofs supported by sprawling columns, and fountains and pools filled with beautiful blue water. This must be Hercules and Meg’s home. It was right by the ocean, and the sparkling sea glittered up at them. The villa got bigger and bigger till at last Pegasus glided to a smooth, easy landing by the foot of a tall stone staircase. They were on a paved garden path near a rounded seating area, and one of the fountains enticed them with its cool waters.

She, Sora, and Pegasus were all panting, Pegasus from carrying two people on the journey, Sora from doing all the difficult parts of riding him, and Kairi from the thrill of it all.

“Kairi?” Sora asked. “Mind if I dismount?”

“I wish I didn’t have to let go of you,” she murmured, her face red. She was sad their wonderful flight was already over. Yet another ending on the path to their final separation.

“It’s only temporary,” he promised, and she relented and released her grip. He dismounted and then helped her down, his touch gentle and strong at the same time.

She wobbled a little when her feet made contact with the ground, and he was quick to wrap his arms around her to steady her.

“Thank you,” she said, resting her hand over his heart. They were both breathing heavily, and Sora licked his lips. Their faces were so close that he could lean forward just a little further and kiss her. Her heart hammered in her chest. He had this look in his eyes that she’d never seen before, and a thrill went through her. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, imagining what it would feel like to kiss him at long last—

Pegasus neighed loudly, startling them apart.

“Sorry, thanks for the ride, Pegasus!” Sora said, his face bright red as he rubbed the back of his neck. An overly cheerful smile was plastered on his face, like he was really embarrassed and was trying to hide it.

“Yes, thank you,” Kairi quickly added. Maybe she’d just imagined Sora had wanted to kiss her. She’d caught him by surprise, that was all.

Pegasus whinnied appreciatively, then took flight again. Kairi and Sora watched until he became just a small figure in the sky, no bigger than a toy horse. Sora turned to her, a soft smile on his face. He put his hands behind his back in that delightfully charming Sora way of his and tilted his head.

“Well Kairi? We have this entire villa to ourselves for the rest of the day. What do you wanna do?”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: The prompt for this fic was provided by Aquafolia, who requested a story based on the following quote from Hercules during KH3 in regards to why he gave up immortality to be with Meg: “I’d have to be apart from the person I love most, and that life would be empty.” She also suggested Sora and Kairi explore Thebes together as well as a few later plot points 👀 ✨ Thank you for providing the prompt and a basic framework for the story 🙏

Thank you also to Liv for reading through the story, providing suggestions, helping me stay motivated, and providing helpful feedback as always ❤️ I really enjoyed bouncing ideas off of you and hearing your thoughts. Thank you for always being so supportive of my writing, it really means a lot 🥺 ❤️

Also, the instructions for mounting a horse bareback are from this YouTube video. I just thought it would be really fun for Sora and Kairi to get to ride Pegasus together, but he doesn’t have a saddle or reins, so reality ensued and I had to do a little additional research. And I also rewatched the actual Hercules movie, pausing to take screenshots and make notes about character dialogue and world details to incorporate. It was a lot of fun and gave me a deeper appreciation for the movie and for how Kingdom Hearts has incorporated various details from the movie over the years. As I was watching the movie too I was like “wait a second, I don’t know that Hercules’ villa has really appeared in Kingdom Hearts yet at all (unless the garden-y areas in KH3 count), it’s so beautiful and I’d really like to feature it,” and thus the end of this chapter (and the next chapter) was born.

Also, the title is taken from one of the lyrics in Hercules’ song, “Go the Distance,” since his search for belonging is such a core part of his character arc, and he finds that place of belonging with Meg. Wink wink nudge nudge I wonder how that will apply to this story 🧐 😉

As always, thank you for reading!

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babeczka415 · 2 years ago

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Not Again

Thanks @raemae17 for this amazing monthly prompt.

NOVEMBER PROMPT

(background: in the US we celebrate Thanksgiving at the end of November. It has morphed into a day to hang out with family, eat a lot of food, maybe watch American football, NAP, and just be grateful for those in our life. Alongside this has developed Friends-giving. Basically, the same idea and a chance to gather with your close friends instead of family.)

The group has gathered to celebrate Friendsgiving. Everyone is having a great time, until……

———————————-

It’s been three years since I met this crazy gang and Jake. Where has the time gone? I grew up in America and here I am halfway around the world in Duskwood. Today here is just like any other day, but for me it holds a special place in my heart. You see, today is the day to be extra thankful for everything you have in life.

Once Jake became free this year I finally managed to convince him to let me host a friendsgiving. He was totally confused by this so I sat him down and explained what Thanksgiving was, and then how people also celebrate it with their friends. It’s mostly about food, laughter, and most families watch football on TV or play a tag game if the family is big enough.

I had spent months planning this as I was so excited. I gave everyone a dish to make and bring. well expect Cleo who was incharge of dessert and Dan who was going to be bringing the drinks.

I was in the house Jake and I had bought, nothing fancy but perfect for us here. The kitchen was exactly what I wanted and needed and had enough space to host this wonderful holiday.

All morning long I was cooking in sweatpants and a tshirt but finally got up to shower and throw on this dress. I had picked it out with the soul purpose of teasing Jake until everyone left. It was this golden yellow dress with sheer long sleeves, it had a high neckline but an open back. It sat just above my knees but had a slit in it that was a little too much for me but it was going to do the trick. I had put Jake on oven duty in case any timers went off while I was getting ready. I come walking out of the bedroom and the food smells amazing. He’s sitting at the bar top watching my phone with the timers of what is nervous to burn anything, I can just tell.

I walk up behind him and grab my phone and kiss his cheek. He hasn’t even noticed the dress yet but I know in moments he will. I see a timer getting ready to go off so I go towards the stove and I start pulling them out as the timers go off. Just as I pull out the turkey, Jake shuts the oven and wraps his arms around me. I can never get over the warmth of him and I just smile.

“What are you doing?” He asks in a devilish voice.

“Getting the food ready, everyone will be here soon” i state trying to keep my calm.

He leans into my ear with my back towards him still but he puts a hand on my back and the other one moves to the slit. “I mean with this dress. Are you looking for trouble?” He asks.

I smirk as I don’t answer him and he knows the answer. His hand moves further up my thigh and I sigh. I feel his smile on my skin and the doorbell rings. I lean back into him and a sigh of frustration comes out.

Everyone starts showing up and Jake helps me get the food all to the table. I can’t help but smile as I’m the last one to walk into the dining room and I see everyone sitting around. These are the moments I need in my life. This group, even Phil, has become my family even with my family all the way around the world. I turn my back to them and snap a selfie without anyone noticing, except for Jake. He grabs my hand and has me sit down.

We enjoy all the food and drinks, laughing and smiling. We talk about all we are thankful for before jumping into the deserts.

Just as Jake is about to sit down his phone goes off and he answers it, heading into the kitchen. I follow him as I’m concerned, he’s never been one to keep things from me.

“What do you mean there is an issue with our deal? I did what the FBI asked me to!” His voice raises and I stand in front of him.

“So you’re telling me I have to get him arrested which means going back to that hellhole?" His tone makes me nervous.

I grab his free hand and draw circles to help calm him down but what I can’t hear seems to be making it worse. "I have to go tonight? You couldn’t have picked a worse night could you have?” He yells.

Hes silent for a moment and he closes his yes “yes, I get itm if I don’t you have to arrest me.”

He hangs up his phone and I must have tears in my eyes as he pulls me in close. “No you can’t not tonight” I managed to get out between the tears.

“I promise you, I will come back home to you. You are my forever MC” his eyes hold love and sadness in them and I wrap myself around him, my nails going into his back and he doesn’t care.

He picks up my chin and kisses me softly “how long?” I ask.

“They don’t know, I need to get one of my old bosses arrested.”

His words feel like stabs into my heart and he knows it. He slips a ring on my right hand and kisses my head. “I promise you, I will find a way to keep in touch.” He pushes me away and I reluctantly let him go. I watch him grab his book bag and laptop and change into black jeans and tshirt with a hoodie. Jessy and Dan wrap their arms around me as I watch Jake get ready.

Once he’s ready to go, he pulls me in close and kisses me deep and I know he doesn’t want to let me go but he has to do this one on his own.

“I love you, MC” he looks into my eyes as his forehead is against mine.

“I love you too, Jake.” I cling onto him. Dan gets my hands loose and I watch him get in his car and drive away.

———

3 weeks later

Jessy is over as we are decorating the house, wrapping presents,and baking. Her and everyone has been taking turns keeping a close watch on me. We have the christmas music blaring that we don’t hear the door open and my back is too it. Jessy looks up shocked and I turn around and I see Jake. I jump up and over the couch back so fast I almost fall but he catches me.

“It’s over, again” he states, holding my waist with one hand as his other hand touches my cheek.

I kiss him deep, wrapping my arms around his neck. He pulls away to let me breathe, “for real this time?” I ask, staring into those blue eyes.

“I have some paperwork to finish but I needed to see you. So tomorrow that happens” his smile lights up my world and I lean into him.

“I’ll let you two be alone tonight” states Jessy as she grabs her coat to leave.

#duskwood #duskwood fandom #duskwoodlover #duskwood fanfiction #duskwood mc #duskwood jake #fanfics #jake x mc #mc x jake #i love jake

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unorthodoxsavvy · 1 year ago

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The Philver Scream

Thank God It's Friday

Chapter 3

Word Count: 75k

Rated: R

Genre: Horror

Of course, there was nothing like dead children to ruin the mood.

Phil’s face had turned an ashy white and Dan’s face had turned into a confused look of concern.

“You think you killed them?” Dan clarified. “How?”

“I had a dream last night-”

In the worst possible timing, their waitress brought out their pizzas.

“-thank you-anyway, I had a dream last night that you and I were camp counselors-”

“Me?” Dan asked. A part of him wanted to make a “you dreamed of me?” joke, but he could tell by Phil’s expression and even paler face- honestly he didn’t know Phil could even get any paler- that this was serious.

“Yeah, you and me, and we were camp counselors, at THAT camp.”

“And?” Dan prompted.

“And?” Phil repeated, confused. “We died! Horribly! Dramatically!”

Dan shook his head.

“So you’re telling me that you had a dream that you and I-”

“And other teens-”

Dan sighed, frustrated at being interrupted.

“Alright, so that you and me and other people were camp counselors at that camp, and we all died.”

“Murdered.”

Dan nodded, trying not to roll his eyes.

“Well how do you even know it’s the same camp?” Dan asked.

“I saw the sign in the news footage!”

“What if you’re just misremembering and this jogged your memory of your dream and you just think it’s the same camp now?”

“It wasn’t a dream, it was a nightmare!”

Dan sighed but decided not to point out that it had been Phil who had started calling it a dream first. He could be so childish sometimes. It got to be grating.

“Okay, well, whatever it is, I’m sure it had nothing to do with you.”

“We HAVE to go down there and investigate!”

Dan had finally started to reach for a slice of the pizza he order but stopped suddenly.

“Woah, woah, woah. We don’t have to do anything. This has nothing to do with us.”

Phil couldn’t help but notice his heart skip a beat at the use of Dan’s “us” despite everything.

“Dan, I’m TELLING you, I have something to do with this.”

Dan finally succumbed to rolling his eyes.

“Dan! Please. I’m asking you. As a favor. As a friend. Please. I want to be on this case.”

“How do you know the FBI is even going to look into this?”

In a moment of instant karma, his phone lit up and he glanced down at it quickly.

Are you seeing the news coming out of Texas??? Going to be called down there ASAP!!!

It was Jake.

Dan let out a heavy sigh. He stared down at his pizza. He stared at Phil. He stared down at his pizza again.

“Fine.”

Phil’s face split into a smile.

“But I’m finishing this fucking pizza first.”

*-*-*-*-*

“You know, just because you dreamed this before it happened doesn’t mean you killed them,” Dan offered.

They had driven back to Phil’s apartment where Phil had packed a bag and left his car. They then hopped into Dan’s car and started the drive back down to Quantico.

“Well what, then?” Phil asked. He was distressed, Dan could tell.

“Maybe you just saw it before it happened,” Dan suggested.

“Like what, seeing the future?”

Dan shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“I can’t do that,” Phil shook his head.

Dan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened ever so slightly.

“Well I don’t know what you can do,” he argued. Because you never talk to me.

“I do talk to you!” Phil whined.

Dan slammed on the brakes a bit too hard as the car in front of him started slowing down. He used the break as an opportunity to sip his coffee.

“You said you wouldn’t do that,” he commented stoically.

“I can’t control it!”

“Alright, Phil, just calm down-”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!”

The radio started to become staticy as it flipped through the stations.

“This only happens when you’re around, anyway!”

Dan started grinding his teeth.

“And whose fault is that?”

“Yours! If you weren’t so-” Phil gestured him up and down in the driver’s seat- “you!”

Dan rolled his eyes, but he knew what Phil meant.

“I’m sorry I’m such a problem. I’ll just drop you off if that’s what you want, then.”

Phil bit his tongue. Once again he needed Dan, and he knew that.

“This doesn’t happen with anyone else,” he muttered instead, under his breath. Dan heard him, though.

“You don’t have anyone else,” Dan muttered back. He reached for the volume dial and cranked it up. Phil pulled out his trusty earbuds and plugged them into his phone and cranked the volume up himself.

*-*-*-*-*

There was no fanfare, no welcome, when they arrived on Quantico’s campus. Dan parked his car in one of the numerous parking lots and Phil followed him into the building. Dan led the way through a series of hallways and up and down floors until he was able to locate Jake in his office.

“Dan!”

Phil peered around the doorway behind Dan.

“And you must be Phil!”

Does he know? Phil asked, reaching out.

No. Dan smiled at Jake, never once turning back to look at Phil.

“You’re back much sooner than I expected!”

“Didn’t you get my text back?” Dan asked.

“Well, sure, but I still didn’t really expect you to have such an interest in the case!”

Dan reached a finger under the collar of his leather jacket and scratched absent-mindedly. “Yeah, well, you know Phil just saw the case on the news and really thought he could lend a hand to the case! He asked as a personal favor if I could bring him down here to talk to you guys about it.”

Jake focused his attention on Phil.

“Well, you drove all the way down here, I’m sure there’s something you can help us out with while you’re here. I can’t promise much else though. I’m a bit low on the totem pole, but I’ll do my best to put in a good word for you both. If I’m being honest, I’m rather interested in this case as well. The killers hardly left a clue behind! Camp Crystal Lake is a privately owned summer camp, so it doesn’t fall under our jurisdiction, and you know how they can be down there- it’ll take a lot for them to ask for outside help.”

“Seven mutilated children isn’t enough?” Dan asked, using the same description as they had on the news. Jake shrugged.

“I’ll try my best, Dan. Let’s head down to the briefing room now and see who I can scrounge up that’s taken an interest in this case as well.”

Phil backed up so Dan could move out of the door way and Jake could exit his office. On his way out he shut off the lights and closed the door behind him. Phil heard the door lock with a click.

The three of them started down the hallway, Dan and Phil trailing behind Jake.

“So, Phil, Dan told me it’s thanks to your case that he got the FBI’s attention. Said something about you guys uncovering a mass conspiracy for some whack cancer treatment testing on people. Wild! ‘Course, it makes you wonder, if that can go under our noses for so long, what else can.”

“Probably a lot,” Phil replied.

Dan elbowed him in the ribs.

“You’re right!” Jake agreed. “That’s why it’s so great that more people like you guys are looking to join and help out around here. We do the best we can, but more eyes on something, more minds with different ideas- that’s how we’re going to make a difference.”

Only Phil didn’t want more eyes on this case. He wanted to figure it out, just him and Dan. He knew this was too big for either of them to go it alone, though. Even back when they’d been tracking down Martyn’s murderer they’d had the full force of the FBI behind them- and they’d needed it. This case was already far too big and public to go back now.

“I’m sending out a message to see if anyone’s available and willing to meet in around half an hour, or drop in at some point a bit later than that,” Jake informed them as they turned into a conference room. “Like I said, I’m not sure how much we’re really going to get out of this, but I’d hate to have you leave empty-handed. And I’m really proud of the initiative you showed by driving all the way down here. Not sure the other’s will see it that way,” he added quietly, almost as an afterthought to himself.

Jake took a seat and gestured to the seats on his right. Dan took the seat closed to Jake and Phil took the seat next to Dan.

“Phil, have you ever been to Quantico before?”

Phil shook his head.

“Well, I’m not sure half an hour will really give you time to take a tour around here, but you’re both free to go get something to eat or drink if you’d like. Maybe after Dan can show you around,” Jake suggested encouragingly.

Dan turned to Phil, acting as a mediator.

“Are you good? Do you need to use the bathroom or anything?”

As annoyed as Phil was at feeling babied by Dan, as soon as he’d asked, Phil realized he did, in fact, need to use the bathroom.

“Yeah, actually,” Phil mumbled awkwardly.

Dan turned back to Jake.

“Alright, we’ll be back in a few. And thanks again, for all of this.” Dan gestured vaguely.

“Anytime, Danny-boy,” Jake smiled widely. Dan smiled warmly back and Phil felt his stomach (and his fists) tighten.

Dan pushed back from the table and stood up followed by Phil. They exited the conference room.

“‘Danny-boy’?” Phil asked, trying his best to keep the sneer out of his voice.

“Whatever, he’s helping us out, alright? If you want in on this case, you’ll need to get along with him,” Dan huffed.

“‘Want in on this case’? I have insight on this case,” Phil argued.

“Insight, huh? And what exactly do you have? Because the cops down there haven’t found anything.”

“We were there, Dan-”

“You were there.”

Phil tried his best to push aside the memory of how he was feeling that night in his dream, before all the murder had started to happen. They had been… attracted to each other. But that was just part of the dream. That part wasn’t real, just like Phil wasn’t really there.

Phil had been feeling off since the whole thing. He felt… moodier. Little things that didn’t normally bother him were getting to him, and a part of him felt like he was overreacting to these things, but there was a darker part of himself he was desperately trying to push down as it desperately tried to claw it’s way out. It felt like he was justified in being annoyed at all of this. This, whatever “this” was, just wasn’t him. But was he really so wrong for being upset at how Dan was treating the whole thing?

In the end, Phil managed to bite his tongue until they made it down the hall to the bathroom.

“He was right, this place really is nice,” Phil tried instead, hoping that by forcing out his positive thoughts they could overcome his negative emotions.

“It is. I’ve had a lot of fun working here. More fun than I’ve had in years.”

It was hard not to take that personally.

The bathroom, thankfully, had stalls, and Phil was able to lock himself in one and just give himself a moment to breathe.

Phil sat on the toilet and hung his head in his hands. Things were moving so fast. This was just supposed to be a lunch date between friends, right? They were friends, after all.

Nothing more, nothing less, said a little voice in his head.

He didn’t care. He didn’t care.

He did care.

Phil curled his fingers in his hair and pulled. The pain of his hair tugging matched the emotional turmoil he was feeling. It felt good. It felt like something. Like maybe if he went far enough, was dramatic enough, someone would notice how hurt he was feeling inside and stop to ask him what the matter was. Who, though? Who could he even talk to about this? Certainly not Dan, and certainly not Jake.

“You good in there?” Dan asked, almost as if on cue.

“Yeah, I’m fine!” Phil responded in a cheery voice. It sounded so fake to him, and yet so real. Of course, he’d always had to wear a mask of sorts, hiding all the things he felt inside from others. But it was almost worse when it was his own feelings.

Phil stood up and turned around and finally unzipped his pants to take a piss. When he was done he walked out of the stall. Dan was waiting for him as he washed his hands, leaning with his back up against the wall by the sink.

“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how chilling it must have been to see us getting murdered.”

Phil nodded and walked past him out the bathroom door without a word.

They walked back into the conference room and sat back down in their chairs. Phil pulled out his phone and his earbuds and plugged them into one another before putting the round parts in his ears. He opened up his music app and looked for the heaviest music he had before hitting play.

Dan opened his own phone and started scrolling through his social media feed. Phil noticed a lot of hot guys out of the corner of his eye. He tried not to compare himself to them and turned the volume up on his music. A glance over from Dan alerted him that he could hear Phil’s music, but Phil really didn’t care. Anything to drown his own thoughts out.

After what seemed like an eternity and yet not enough songs, Jake returned followed by some men in crisp suits of varying ages.

Unlike a normal conference table, this one was round, meaning that when the men sat down, no one was sitting at the head of the table. Otherwise, Phil assumed, Jake would have been the one sitting there. He’d been the one to organize this meeting, after all.

“Welcome in,” Jake greeted, sounding almost like a cashier welcoming people into their store begrudgingly. “The time is now eighteen hundred hours on August the 13th. We are meeting here to discuss the case out of Texas regarding the mass murder of seven local teens.”

Jake looked around the room at each of them, waiting to see if anyone had anything to add.

Jake shuffled the file he’d brought in with him and flipped through the pages within the envelope.

“As of right now we have not been invited into the case, and since the camp is privately owned we don’t have any legal grounds to insert ourselves into the case. Our boys in black down there at the Texas Bureau of Information are of course on scene and working with local law enforcement, but they haven’t asked to bring the big guns in yet by any means.”

Jake looked around again.

“With us here I have a recent graduate of our training program, Detective Howell, as well as a specialist we have who has worked with Detective Howell in the past, Phil Lester.”

“A specialist in what?” One of the men piped up. Phil shifted nervously in his seat.

“He’s an on-call psychic.”

Phil could hear audible snickers around the room and felt a bump on his leg as Dan knocked his knee against Phil’s in silent support. The feeling from Dan’s knee lingered against Phil’s leg, and he clutched on to it.

“They have an interest in the case and would like to be sent down on our behalf to send a report back from us.”

“What’s the interest?” the same man asked. Dan pipped up this time.

“What’s not to be interested in? Seven murders and no evidence left behind?”

A few of the men nodded, acknowledging the fact.

“If the case really is so bamboozling then what’s the point of sending a greenie and a kook? Why waste the resources? There are plenty of other cases other people aren’t vying for to send them on.”

“Like I said, they expressed a personal interest.”

“I believe I can be of some assistance,” Phil pipped up, “and if they have no leads, then working another angle without taking away any real resources from their investigation wouldn’t hurt, would it? We’d stay out of their way unless they needed a hand with something but conduct our own investigative angle on the side.”

Phil caught a supportive look from Jake.

The older men looked around at each other.

“And once again this is time and money. Why should we be spending those on this case?”

“For time, I don’t have any classes I’m teaching coming up, meaning there’s no reason I can’t be out in the field. Detective Howell doesn’t have any cases to assist on yet, because, as you pointed out, he’s a newbie. Mr. Lester is a consultant, but is willing to work pro-bono on this. In fact, we all are. What we’re asking for is the resources from the FBI to work it under their name. If you really need me to, I’d be more than happy to work back the funds it would take to put us up in a hotel, gas, food, etc.”

One of the older men leaned back in his chair in thought while another one leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him on the desk.

“Well, I for one, think it could be a good thing,” said a man who hadn’t spoken up to this point. He had a snow white beard and looked scholarly despite his suit and tie. “There’s never anything wrong with having our own boots on the ground in a case like this.”

The man to his right nodded in agreement.

The man leaning forward on the desk, one of the ones that’d been asking Jake to justify this trip shook his head. “I just don’t think it’s worth the expense.”

The beared man waved a hand and shook his head.

“You guys and your finances. If we don’t let people here have opportunities like this, there won’t be a Federal Bureau of Investigation in the future. They’re young! Let them travel and work on this, even just for a few days. If you really get worried about the expenses, call them back home.”

The finances guy looked to the guy on his left.

“Fine. You’ll leave at oh seven hundred hours tomorrow. We’ll start getting ready for your trip now. Jake, you’re with me. The other two can stay in the dorms for the night.”

The men got up and started shuffling their way out. Jake turned to look at Dan.

“Your old dorm room should be empty if you’d like to sleep up there,” he suggested. Dan nodded. Jake shifted his gaze to Phil

“It was really nice to finally meet you, Phil. I’ve heard so much about you, I’m really looking forward to seeing what you can offer on this case.”

Phil smiled thinly and followed Dan out of the building towards the dorms.

“If he doesn’t know about what I can do, then what exactly does he think I do?” Phil asked as they walked.

“Pretty much he just thinks you go around and look at things and get vibes from them and translate those into something,” Dan explained.

“But that is what I do.”

“Yeah, well, I left out the part where you can deflect bullets and change the radio by blinking at it and, oh yeah, talk to people in their heads.”

Phil shrugged.

They stood outside the dorm rooms.

“This was the one I was staying in.” Dan held up a key and used it to unlock the door to his old dorm room, flicking on the lightswitch to his right.

Phil could feel the sense of home radiating off Dan: the nostalgia, the comfort, the familiarity. He missed it here. It was like he’d never wanted to come back home to Massachusetts. To Phil.

Phil pushed the feelings away as best as he could.

“Where am I sleeping?” he asked rather bluntly.

Dan went back out into the hall and unlocked the room next door with the same key.

“Bathrooms are down the hall on the right. Think you’ll be okay for the night?”

Phil went to answer when all of a sudden his stomach growled loudly.

Dan couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Pizza again for dinner okay?” he asked with a grin.

Phil rolled his eyes and a small smile escaped from his lips.

“Do you know a place?”

Dan smiled wider.

“I do.”

“Alright, let’s go then.”

*-*-*-*-*

Another booth in another pizza parlor on another road trip with Dan, only this time, he was an agent.

“Do you have a badge and everything?” Phil asked around a mouthful of cheese, sauce, and crust.

“Not yet. There’s still a lot I need to do before I become an official agent.”

“Did you come here with Jake a lot?” Phil asked.

“Yeah, I did,” Dan answered. He didn’t know why Phil was being so weird about Jake. Jake was a nice guy, and if anything, he was putting a lot on the line to help Phil with this little whim of his. He hoped Phil would lighten up soon. Even hunting down Martyn’s killers Phil had been the one to see the bright side of things. Now, everything just felt like doom and gloom. It felt like Phil had his own personal cloud hanging over his head, the weight of this prophetic dream he felt like he couldn’t share with anyone else, because they could never fully understand or felt the things he’d felt.

“Was it scary?” Dan asked.

Phil’s eyes flickered down to his lap.

“It was terrifying,” he finally answered in a hushed voice.

He placed the slice of pizza he’d been eating down and pushed the plate off to the side a bit.

“I’m sorry you went through that,” Dan said. He’d been trying to work on his “people skills” since joining the bureau. That was another thing Jake had been helping him with.

“I feel… different,” Phil admitted.

Dan cocked his head to the side just a bit.

“I can tell,” he replied.

“I’m sorry,” Phil apologized.

Dan shook his head. “I hope you feel better. But, in the meantime, do you think you should maybe… talk to someone?”

“Like you?” Phil asked, slightly confused.

“No, I mean, like, a therapist or something. You don’t have to go into detail about your powers and everything, but plenty of people have awful dreams that really leave an impact on them. Maybe a therapist would have some suggestions, and ways to help make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Phil hadn’t even thought about what would happen if he’d to have another dream like that one.

“I hate it when you call them that,” he mentioned.

“What?” Dan asked.

“My ‘powers’.”

“Well, what do you want me to call them? Your gifts? You abilities?”

Phil shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Dan nodded, sensing another opportunity to work on his communication and interpersonal relationships. “Well, that’s okay. I’ll try to avoid calling them that from now on, and maybe in the meantime, we can, or you can, think of an alternative thing to call them by.”

Phil shrugged again and pulled the plate with his half-eaten pizza slice back to take another stab at it.

“I don’t like feeling like this,” he mentioned casually.

Dan nodded. “I’m sure. I can’t tell what you’re feeling or what you’re going through but I can see how much it’s taking a toll on you.”

“I’m worried I’m going to take it out on you and Jake,” Phil admitted, his heart pounding in his chest.

“We understand. We’re on your side, Phil. We have your back.”

*-*-*-*-*

Phil’s alarm went off at 6:30 the next morning. He didn’t know if breakfast would be here or on the way to the air strip, but either way, he really needed to pee, and should probably brush his teeth.

Phil rooted around in his duffle bag for his toiletries pouch and made his way to the bathroom down the hall.

He was tired from the night before. He’d been worried about falling asleep and having another nightmare, so he’d stayed awake as long as he could before finally succumbing to sleep. Before that, though, he’d stared at the walls, stared out the window, stared at his phone screen… he’d wanted some fresh air and to go outside, but he knew with his horrible sense of direction he’d get lost trying to find the dorm rooms again, so he’d settled for a comfy arm chair like the one he sat in back at his apartment by an open window. It’d been a full moon on a mostly cloudless night, and it’d lit up his room in beautiful hues. He stared at the wall separating the room he was staying in and the one Dan’d had during his time training here, willing Dan to come over and talk to him, but he hadn’t.

Now, they were packing up their things and heading off towards the company car.

The three of them threw their duffle bags in the back. Jake climbed in behind the wheel, and though Phil totally expected it, it made his heart drop when Dan took the passenger seat beside Jake, leaving Phil to sit in the back by himself.

Phil pulled out his earbuds and turned on some music.

“Is he alright?” he heard Jake ask as they started to pull away from Quantico.

“Yeah, he just does that,” Dan explained.

Phil turned his music up a little louder.

*-*-*-*-*

The ride to the air strip was a short one. Phil couldn’t help but be grateful that they were flying. The idea of a two-day car trip in the back seat with Jake and Dan in the front sounded all sorts of awkward that Phil wasn’t looking forward to.

They’d be flying to an airstrip about an hour out from the camp itself and a little less than an hour from where local law enforcement had set up their base in one of the bigger police headquarters. There’d be a car to meet them at the airstrip and drive them first to meet up with Texas Bureau of Investigation officials working in the headquarters where they’d get established before being driven over to the scene.

Breakfast, as it turns out, was served on the FBI jet. There was an assortment of bagels, muffins, fruit, and more. Phil felt very out of place in his every-day clothes on what, to him, felt like a very fancy jet. It was like something straight out of one of those crime investigation shows they aired on TV.

Of course, the first time Phil had been in a helicopter was when they’d helicoptered him and Dan over to the medical base, if it could be called that, last year. Phil was experiencing a lot of new things lately. His life had really taken a different direction than he ever expected. He was glad, though. He wanted to be able to use his intuitions to help people, and he hoped this way he would be able to do it on a larger scale than on his own. And if he didn’t cause the death of these kids, then maybe he could even help solve their murders.

Phil had debated whether or not to bring some of his tools with him, but he didn’t want to look even more ridiculous than he figured he would already feel. Besides, if he was right, the souls of murdered kids probably wouldn’t be that hard to reach out to and contact. Wasn’t it the stereotype that all unsolved murder victims to want to reach out and help solve their case so they could rest in peace? Phil felt that was true, at least in the case of his brother Martyn. Martyn had moved on to whatever the “other side” was, and Phil wasn’t able to contact him again. He missed his brother, but he liked to believe Martyn was in a better place than he would be if he was still stuck here with Phil. Phil was willing to trade not being able to talk to his brother again if it meant he was someplace better, wherever that may be.

Phil was nibbling on a muffin, trying very hard not to let any crumbs spill onto the carpet. There were already faint stains here and there, but he didn’t want to add to it.

Dan came and sat down next to him and Jake sat at a bench seat with a table across from them.

“Do you want to go over the case before we arrive?” Jake asked.

Dan looked to Phil but Phil shook his head.

“That’s fine. The flight should be just under three hours. We have WiFi here if you want the password. Should be long enough to watch a movie or something if you want.”

“Thanks,” Phil mumbled and went back to carefully eating his muffin.

If anything, Phil was hoping to catch some more sleep. Since the nightmare he’d had two nights ago, leading into the lunch with Dan where they left for the long drive to Quantico shortly after directly to a meeting with a bunch of men in suits Phil had never met, only to try and stay up as late as he could, afraid to go to sleep the night before, he was exhausted.

As if sensing this, Dan got up and moved to sit near Jake.

“You can lay down and take a nap if you want, Phil. I’ll take a look over the case with Jake while you do.”

The thought of being left out stung a bit, but it was better than looking over the casefile and seeing all those dead bodies- the dead bodies of people who had been his friends- or so it felt like, at least- again. Phil finished his muffin and threw the wrapper in the small waste bin under the table Jake and Dan were sitting at and then moved to curl up on the couch he’d been sitting on before.

Jake reached up behind him and pulled the shade down over the jet window to dim the room as much as he could to try and help Phil sleep. Phil appreciated it, but didn’t say anything. He put his earbuds in, turned on some music, and was asleep within minutes.

*-*-*-*-*

Phil woke up to a hand shaking him gently. When his eyes fluttered open they landed on Dan’s softly chiseled face.

“We’re almost there,” was all he said before moving back to sit down next to Jake.

The feeling of Dan’s hand on his upper arm lingered like it always did. Phil sat up, rubbing it absentmindedly. He noticed Dan glance over briefly and sheepishly stopped.

Phil pulled out his phone and checked what song was playing. It was a band he wasn’t familiar with, but the song was good, so he liked it before clicking his phone shut and slipping it back into his pocket. He let the song finish before pressing the pause button on his earbuds and gently pulling them out of his ears.

“There’ll be a car to meet us there when we land,” Jake reiterated, “and then we’ll drive over to the office. From there some local officers will take us out to the crime scene. It’s a bit of a ways away from civilization, so it’ll be a bit of a ride as well. Now, I’ve tried my best to get the point across that we’re just interested in checking out the crime because it’s, well, interesting: aka that we’re not trying to step on any toes. I’m not sure how well that’s come across, though, so it’s going to be a bit of a delicate situation until we get settled in and know for sure. I’ll handle the talking.”

Jake looked at Dan and then Phil squarely with a nod.

“I’m going to use the bathroom before we land,” Dan announced, and got up to step away.

When Dan was locked away in the bathroom Phil turned his gaze from the bathroom door to Jake.

“Did you tell the local officers anything about me?” he asked.

Jake made a so-so motion with his hand.

“I told them that we have someone with an out-of-the-box way of looking at things who wanted to take a look around. Of course, they asked me directly if it was a psychic. I had no choice but to be honest and say yes. Unless, of course, there’s another term you prefer to use?”

“No, psychic, medium, both work. I just default to psychic.”

Jake nodded.

“I’m sorry. You must really be putting your reputation out on the line to support bringing in someone like me.”

Jake waved a hand in dismissal and shook his head.

“Any favor to Dan.”

Before Phil could ask about anything else Dan unlocked the jet bathroom door and exited.

As he was walking back to his seat the pilot made an announcement about their landing and a request that the three of them remain seated during the landing process. Dan took his seat and they started their downward descent.

Phil looked out the window as they started to land, watching the fields and houses and streets and trees come into clearer and clearer focus until they were flying over and empty expanse with just a few buildings here and there.

“Did you ever think we’d be back so soon?” Phil turned to Dan and asked.

Dan started to gather up his things and shook his head.

“Never in a million years.”

*-*-*-*-*

Phil shouldered his overnight bag and carefully made his way down the steep and large steps that folded up into the jet’s door.

He had taken off the sweatshirt he’d worn that day and shoved it in his bag before they landed, tucking his trusty earbuds safely into the back pocket of his jeans.

Phil threw his bag into the SUV’s large trunk area before climbing in behind the driver. Dan climbed in next to him while Jake rode shotgun.

“What a case!” Phil heard the driver say to Jake. He’d been part of the way of putting his earbuds in but decided to hold out. He was curious how much the driver knew about the case. Backtracking, Phil wound his earbuds around his fingertips and slipped them back into his pocket while listening to the conversation happening up front.

“You bet,” Jake had replied.

“Think you’re going to find anything the locals don’t?” The driver asked.

Jake shrugged. “We’ll see,” he replied casually.

“What’s your angle?” The driver asked. Phil felt his heart in his chest.

Jake shook his head. “I’m keeping that one under wraps.”

The driver nodded with a knowing chuckle and the conversation switched topic. Phil hadn’t even realized he’d been leaning forward in his seat until he exhaled and leaned back.

“Jake’s a good guy,” Dan said to him, low enough that they couldn’t hear up front. “He’s got your back.”

Phil looked back at Dan.

“What about you?”

Dan blinked at the question. “O-of course I have your back Phil,” he responded, stumbling on his words. Phil could feel the pained emotions radiating off Dan and he realized he’d fucked up. “We wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

Dan turned to look out the window, ignoring Phil for the rest of the ride.

*-*-*-*-*

They drove through heavily forested areas, something that didn’t remind Phil of the last time they’d been here at all. He’d never imagined Texas as a state with so much forests, but here they were.

San Antonio was a large city, most notable for the San Antonio river walk and The Alamo.

Phil watched in awe out the windows as they navigated the busy city streets.

Finally they pulled into the police station.

The line of squad cars all read “San Antonio Police” with “Protecting The Alamo City” underneath in smaller letters on them.

They piled out of the car and grabbed their bags.

“I hope y'all will have some time to do some sight-seeing while you’re here!” Their driver called out as a farewell. They waved him off together and all turned to face the police headquarters.

“Just remember to let me do the talking,” Jake reminded them as they headed inside.

The inside of the police headquarters was large and modern. It was certainly a far cry from the police station that Dan had worked out of. A bigger city meant more money, though, of course.

Phil followed Jake and Dan to the front desk where the receptionist was typing away on her keyboard while cradling a phone in the crook of her neck.

She glanced up at them briefly as they approached before turning her eyes back to her screen.

“Yup, I have that here. And will that be all for you today? Alright, you have a good one now. You too. Thanks. Buh-bye.”

She reached up from her keyboard to place the phone back in it’s cradle.

“How can I help you today?” she smiled, turning her attention to the three of them.

“We’re from the FBI, we’re here to consult on your case,” Jake mentioned.

“Of course,” she smiled. “And do you have ID?”

Phil had a card in his wallet the FBI had issued him as an FBI consultant, and Dan had a card saying he was a Quantico Trainee. Jake, of course, had his FBI badge and Identification in it’s own little wallet, like the ones they had on TV.

The receptionist took each of them and scanned them into her computer system before handing them back.

“Perfect, thank you! They’ll be expecting you up on the second floor. Just head this way behind me down the hall and there’ll be an elevator on your right. From there you’ll keep going down the hall to your right to conference room two-oh-five. Just give a knock and they should let you in.”

“Great, thank you, have a great day,” Jake smiled, and led them towards the elevator in the hallway.

He turned to Dan and Phil as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

“You’re doing great so far,” he smiled at them. Considering Phil hadn’t actually done anything, he wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not.

The elevator arrived and Phil, being the last one in line, ended up being the one facing the doors once they were inside and the one pressing the button to close the doors and head up.

Finally, something useful, he thought to himself.

He could sense a nervousness behind Jake’s confident facade, but it didn’t seem to be slowing him down for a second. Phil wondered if it was all that FBI training or if Jake was just naturally like that. It was impressive either way. A part of Phil had always been ashamed of how openly emotional and heart-on-his-sleeve he could be. Martyn had always told him it was admirable, though, and he’d tried his best to believe him. That was before Phil’s emotions had led him to become a literal ticking time bomb, though. Briefly, he wondered if he could get so upset that he could obliterate himself. Emotional self-destruct. Phil’s focus turned back towards the matters at hand when the elevator slowed, and with a ding, opened the doors.

“Smile and act confident,” Jake encouraged under his breath as they exited the elevator. “You have every right to be here.”

Phil appreciated the message. He made sure his shoulders were back and to walk tall and confidently. His outfit could have probably used some improvement, but it didn’t matter. He knew Jake was right. He deserved to be here. More than anyone else, in fact.

With his newly held confidence Phil allowed himself to be the one to knock on the door, taking a step back so they could swing it open.

A police officer got up from the conference table he’d been sitting at with some coworkers and pulled open the frosted door.

“Why hello! You must be the blokes from the FBI! I’m Officer Maxwell! Come on in!”

A large man with a deep voice held the door open for the three to enter. He had red hair both on top of his head and on his face. His uniform looked like it was stretched to the limits, as if the seams were about to burst at any moment and buttons would come flying off and ricochet off the walls. He waddled back to the conference table and resumed his seat.

“This here’s Officer Jackson and Officer White.”

Officer Jackson was an older looking man with heavily tanned skin in a sheriff’s-style hat and Officer White was a beautiful woman with deep brown skin and two perfectly manicured braids running from her hairline to the small of her back.

“We have a team of detectives on scene, we’re just holding down the fort for them,” she smiled, her voice exuding a rich South African accent.

Jake held up his briefcase. “Do you mind if we take a look at what you have so far and compare notes?”

Officer White smiled and gestured towards the empty seats at the table.

Jake moved to place his overnight bag by the wall of the conference room out of the way, so Phil and Dan followed suit.

They took a row of three seats at the side of the conference table, Jake placing his briefcase with the files he’d taken with him on the empty rolling chair to his right.

“My name’s Special Agent Hall, and this is Detective Howell and Mr. Lester,” Jake introduce. Phil hadn’t realized up until this point he hadn’t heard Jake’s last name.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Your angle was that you were bringing in a psychic on the case?” Officer Maxwell asked, focusing his gaze on Phil. Jake nodded, bringing his attention back to him.

“Yes, Phil here is an on-call psychic for the FBI. He’s worked one case with Dan so far, but when he heard the case on the news and saw there wasn’t a lot of evidence to go on, he figured he could be of some help. We’re not looking to step on any toes, though. Whatever you want to share with us will be left up to your discretion. We just want to take a look and see if we can offer a new angle.”

Officer Maxwell was nodding, and when Jake finished with his pitch, he turned his attention back to Phil.

“So, how does this whole thing work, then? Do you see dead people?” Phil could tell the guy was trying to be sincere, but the words still came off as abrasive to him.

“I prefer to call them ghosts,” Phil mentioned, ignoring the quoted movie line, intentional or not, “and yes, I communicate with them.” Jake had said to be confident, so Phil was trying to stand up for himself.

Officer Maxwell nodded. “Well, if you meet any of those poor kids out there, you tell them that we’re doing the best to catch the bastard who did this to them.”

Phil smiled, feeling accepted. Even if there were feelings of doubt around the room, there was no hostility.

“Yes, sir, I intend to do just that,” Phil reassured him.

“Well then, I think we’ll get along just fine.”

*-*-*-*-*

Phil listened and even chimed in from time to time while the six of them got to know each other as they compared notes and poured over the case file. The local police had information that of course the FBI hadn’t been able to get on short-notice, like a map of the camp and stills from the crime scene.

“Our boys in white will be out there on scene too. They’ve hardly left since this whole thing went down. Real dedicated, that team there is. Some of the best, in my opinion.”

Phil nodded. The crime scene techs at the secret lab had been kind to him, and that experience had given him a hands-on perspective of their jobs and a new respect for them that he knew he’d only gotten by being there in the trenches, so to speak, with them.

“We’ll be glad to have their trained eyes help us on the scene,” Jake assured.

Officer Maxwell turned to Phil.

“Do you think you can tell us anything off these photos?”

Phil didn’t need the photos to tell them almost everything they needed to know, but he took them anyway. He stared down at the lifeless bodies of Becky, Suzie, Jessy, and Tyler, his friends in another world, as they lay there, bloody, cold, stiff, and dead. And of course, two more boys that Phil hadn’t met in his dreams. He focused on what he did know, shuffling the photos in order.

“This girl, Becky. She was the first to die. Two of the boys by the fireside heard her scream, and went running. One of them checked her pulse. That’s why the smear of blood is there on her wrist. He got blood on her when he touched her, which alerted him to the fact she was injured, but when he checked for a pulse, he found she was already gone.”

Phil flipped to the next photo.

“The boys then met up with Tyler and Suzie in the main hall. From there one of them went with Tyler to go look for Louise and Jessy. They found Louise dead in the cabins, and then went to search for Jessy.”

Phil flipped to the next photo.

“They found Jessy dead in the tool shed. When they ran back to the main hall they found Suzie and Marco dead.”

Phil flipped through the photos of Suzie and the boy who had been Dan in his dream, a boy named Marco. Phil gazed down at the boy’s face. There was a resemblance. The boy’s skin was a bit darker than Dan’s, but the brown hair and doe-like brown eyes were a fit.

“From there they encountered the killer. They split up. Tyler tried to escape by driving away, but he was killed at Louise’s car. The last boy,” Phil flipped to a photo of the boy he’d been in his dream, Dominic, “took a canoe out to the middle of the lake, thinking he could see someone coming from any side. And yet he didn’t make it.”

Phil put the photos down on the table. The room was silent for a moment. Phil felt a knee nudge against his. Phil used the connection to draw from Dan’s stoicism.

“That’s a lot to pick up from just some photos,” Officer White remarked.

Phil shrugged.

“How did Dominic die, then?” Officer Maxwell asked.

Phil picked up the picture of the boy he’d been in his dream and stared at it.

“I haven’t figured that out yet,” Phil said. “I intend to ask him if we meet.”

Jake gently removed the crime scene photo from Phil’s hand and shuffled it in with the rest of them. “What are we waiting for, then?” he asked.

*-*-*-*-*

Officer Maxwell drove a squad car with Dan and Phil in the back while Jake sat in the passenger seat. Officer Jackson drove behind them in a squad car with Officer White riding shotgun.

“What happened to holding down the fort?” Jake asked as they drove.

“Well, if I’m being honest, I’d like to take a look at the crime scene myself with the new insight your bright young man here has provided, and I’m sure it’s the same for the others,” Officer Maxwell confessed.

Phil glanced away.

“I’d be interested to know what he can pick up from the crime scene itself if he can get all that from some photos.”

“Indeed.” Jake glanced Phil’s way, and Phil felt he was going to have some explaining to do later. For now, however, it was between a twenty minute and half an hour drive over to the camp-turned-crime-scene.

Phil turned his head to look over at Dan in the other side of the back seat, and he returned the gesture.

“What if I can’t help find who did this?” Phil asked.

Dan shook his head.

“You’re giving them more information. Anything you can provide is helpful, Phil. No one’s expecting you to solve the case. That’s their job. We’re just here to help.”

“That’s right,” Officer Maxwell chimed in from the front of the car.

They drove down a dirt road, clouds of dust flying up in the air around the car as the tires churned out the dry dirt. A sign on the right hand of the road read “Camp Crystal Lake”. Phil fought the urge to reach out and draw strength from Dan. He needed to learn how to hold his own.

They drove until they came to the parking lot that Tyler had been killed in. Louise’s car was still there, and when they exited the squad car and walked by, Phil could see smears of blood along the driver’s side doors.

He quickly turned his field of vision away.

They walked up the far set of stairs to the main hall, avoiding where Dan’s body- Marco’s body- had lain. There were still small plastic tents with numbers lined up on the stairs around a dried pool of blood. The stairwell itself had been tied off with crime scene caution tape.

Inside the main hall was almost just at Phil had remembered, however there were things here and there from the detectives scattered about. A map on a side table. Packages of what looked like blue crime scene booties by the door. A travel mug of coffee on the mantle.

In the kitchen area members of the crime scene crew sat once again at the kitchen table. The mugs of hot chocolate left behind by the campers before their untimely demise had been dumped out and moved to the counter area behind them. In their place were two matching mugs filled with coffee.

“You must be the blokes from the FBI,” one of the men said. He reached out a hand across the table and Jake, Phil, and Dan took turns shaking it.

“The name’s Harry.”

The other crime scene investigator did the same.

“Name’s Carson.”

The three of them shook Carson’s hand as well.

An officer appeared in the doorway they’d just come through.

“Howdy, Detective Waters,” Officer Maxwell greeted.

Detective Waters nodded back and shook their hands as well.

“Well, if you boys are ready,” Detective Waters glanced over at Harry and Carson, “then we’ll be on our way to showing these fine young men around.”

Harry took one last swing of the coffee in his mug before placing it back on the table and getting up.

Carson got up and stretched a bit.

The nine of them filed out of the main hall and down the left stairs.

“We’ll start with the first body we found and then work out way from there,” Detective Waters stated.

They followed him up the path until they reached a dark stain surrounded by more crime scene markers.

“This is where we found our fist victim, Becky. She seems to have been running when a machete was thrown at her, striking her in the back and causing her to fall to the ground. It seems like perhaps someone heard her being attacked and came running over to check to see if she was still alive.”

They turned around and went back to the cabin.

“Here is where Marco was killed, on the steps. From what we surmise he was running down the steps out the main hall.”

They walked around the staircase and went back to the kitchen area.

“This is where Suzie was found with a head wound.”

The pantry was cleaned rather well. There was a dark spot on the floor where the blood had soaked in but the bits of her brain had been cleaned off the cans and walls. Phil was thankful he hadn’t seen her body. He didn’t know if he could have handled it in the moment. The picture alone was enough.

They filed back out of the cramped kitchen area and out of the main hall down towards the tool shed.

“This is where Jessy was found. We assume she was attempting to load this shot gun before she was killed.”

Phil remembered finding Jessy laying on the ground. They hadn’t lingered when they’d found her. They’d just left her there.

Phil turned away from the spot of dried blood in the dirt of the tool shed floor surrounded by markers.

They took the path to the cabins, going the opposite way that Dan and Phil, or more accurately Marco and Dominic had taken that night.

Under the bunk bed in the third cabin was another spot of dried blood. From the outside, the cabin looked the same as all the others except for the crime scene tape going across the entry way.

“Here is where Louise died.”

Phil stared at the spot forlornly before following them back out past the tool shed again and down to the beach. If this was the order they were found in, Phil figured there must have been more than one detective on scene finding the bodies. It wasn’t a cohesive route for one person to take to find all the bodies, what with them back tracking past the tool shed to head to the beach.

Phil trudged through the sand, sure it was getting in his sneakers, and gazed upon the canoe that he- Dominic- had died in. It had been pulled to shore and the boy’s body retrieved from it. Even having lived- in a sense- through it, Phil still couldn’t understand how the killer had managed to take them by surprise. He hoped Dominic had more answers than he did.

“We found Dom out in the lake, attacked in a canoe. We’re not quite sure how it happened. The running theory is that someone took a canoe out and caught him by surprise before paddling their way back to shore. Another canoe wasn’t found out anywhere though,” Detective Waters admitted. “They were still all in the shed.” He shook his head and turned to the group.

“Thank you,” Jake replied.

“We’ll give you time to walk around the crime scene on your own. If you need us, we’ll be in the main hall.”

The San Antonio homicide detectives and the crime scene investigators headed back up the trail.

Jake looked at Phil.

“You knew a lot more about this crime scene than you let on,” he said, glancing to Dan as well.

“I was here,” Phil simply stated, “in a dream.”

“You dreamed about the crime?” Jake asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Phil replied. “I was Dom. Dan was Marco. I saw it play out from Dom’s perspective.”

Jake glanced at the canoe then out to the lake.

“Then how did he die?”

Phil shook his head.

“I don’t know. I remember rowing out to the middle of the lake. It was like I said: my plan was to watch around me and make sure no one was coming. If they were I would simply paddle to the opposite side of the lake. It was a flawless plan. And then I just. I just. Something grabbed the boat. From the lake. Something reached up and grabbed the boat. I slammed down with my paddle but it didn’t do anything. A hand with a machete reached up and cut the paddle in half, so I stabbed the hand holding onto the boat with the splintered paddle and it didn’t do anything. Then the hand with the machete came back down and it… it…” Phil started to tear up. “I looked down at myself and I saw blood. And I looked up into the night sky and I knew I was dying. I closed my eyes looking at the stars and everything went black.” Phil sniffled. “But then I woke up. And Dom, he didn’t wake up.” Phil wiped at his eyes with his sweatshirt sleeve, but as soon as his thoughts caught up to him he started crying even harder. Much to his surprise, Dan moved over and held Phil as he cried. Phil clung on to Dan and pulled from him.

“I hate when you do that,” Dan joked softly.

“You can feel it?” Phil asked.

“Yeah, I can.”

Phil gazed back at Jake.

“I need to talk to Dom. I need to find out if he knows what happened. I need to compare notes or whatever.”

Jake moved to place a hand on Phil.

“I’m sorry, Phil. I didn’t mean…” he trailed off. “I didn’t realize that’s what happened. I understand why you’re so invested now.”

“You believe me?” Phil asked in slight disbelief.

Jake looked over at Dan above Phil’s head.

“Dan believes you, and that’s enough for me.”

Phil reached up and squeezed Jake’s hand on his shoulder. Jake really wasn’t a bad guy at all. Phil just knew he was jealous over him.

“Thank you. Both of you.”

Dan and Jake stepped away.

“We’ll be over up at the shore,” Dan gestured back towards the trail where the sand met the grass.

Phil nodded, tears still slowly coming down his face.

Dan and Jake took their leave and Phil walked over to one of the empty canoes on the side of the beach. He climbed inside and sat down on the front bench, facing the back of the boat.

“Dominic?” he asked, reaching out with his mind. “Are you here?”

There was no reply. A part of him regretted not bringing anything with him, but he just felt so awkward about the whole thing.

“Dominic?”

Phil felt a flicker of something on the back of his neck.

Suddenly a boy appeared in front of him. His hair flopped over his eyes and he wore a black hoodie with black sweatpants. His converse sneakers were laced up in perfect bows.

“Hello.”

“Who are you?” the boy asked.

For once, Phil didn’t know how to answer.

“Well. I’m a psychic, with the FBI. I talk to ghosts. I’m here to help solve your murder.”

“Why?” Dominic asked.

“Because I watched you die, in a dream,” Phil answered honestly.

Dominic glanced away. “Must have been a shitty dream,” he joked dryly.

Phil glanced out towards the water too. “It was.”

Dominic looked back.

“What do you remember?” he asked.

“I remember you sitting with Marco by the fire. You were talking. You heard a scream and went running and that’s when you found Becky. You ran up to the cabin to meet up with Suzie and Tyler, and then you and Tyler went to find Louise and Jessy. You found Louise in the cabins and Jessy in the tool shed. When you went back to the main hall you found Marco dead on the steps. You ran back inside the main hall and when you searched you found Suzie dead in the pantry. When you went to leave you saw a masked man at the door, so the both of you ran out the back door. From there he was in the woods, cutting you off from one another. While Tyler ran towards the parking lot you went back through the main hall and out the front door. From there you ran down to the lake and grabbed a canoe and paddled out to the middle of the lake. And from there you…”

“Died. It’s okay, you can say it.”

Phil shrugged, still not wanting to say it.

“I died.”

Phil shook his head. “But how? How did you die?”

“I was stabbed,” Dominic replied. “With a machete.”

“I know, but, how? How? You didn’t see a boat coming. In fact, he wasn’t even in a boat. It was like he just-”

“Melted out of the water? Yeah, I know. I’ve been asking myself the same thing.”

They fell silent.

“Dominic, how many killers were there?” Phil asked.

“Would you believe me if I told you I thought it was just the one?” he asked.

Phil nodded. “The police are looking for a group of people,” he told Dominic. Dominic shook his head.

“I dunno, I really think it was just one guy. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can tell you anything you don’t already seem to know. I think the same guy who killed Tyler at his car was the same guy who killed me. I don’t know how he got all the way from the parking lot to the middle of the lake, but I saw him through the window of the front door of the main hall and then I saw him again in the woods. I don’t know how he moved so fast. It was like he was able to teleport. Like some Deadpool shit.”

“Deadpool can teleport?” Phil asked.

Dominic chuckled. “Yeah, you didn’t know that?”

Phil looked at the boy in front of him who’d had his life cut so short.

“How are you?” Phil asked.

Dominic blinked in surprise. “Well, I’m dead. And I’m stuck at this camp. Talk about eternal hell.”

“Do you feel stuck here? Like you can’t move on because of what happened to you?”

Dominic shrugged. “I don’t know. Is that what most people say?” he asked.

“I don’t really know how it all works,” Phil confessed.

“But you’ve talked to other ghosts before?” Dominic asked.

“Yes,” Phil replied. “Lots of them. I’m a psychic by trade. I invite people to my house to talk to their loved ones. They can’t see you like I can, so we use ouija boards and things like that.”

Dominic shook his head. “That sure is something. Have you ever not been able to contact anyone?”

“Not usually,” Phil said. “They come from the other side.”

“The other side of what though?” Dominic asked.

“I don’t know,” Phil repeated.

“Am I there?” he asked.

Phil shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“So am I stuck because my murder is unsolved or something?” Dominic asked.

“Do you feel stuck?” Phil asked again.

“I don’t know,” Dominic replied again.

“Well, what happened after you, you know?” Phil asked.

“Died?” Dominic asked. He thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I don’t really remember anything after that. But it feels like time has passed.”

“You don’t feel like you belong somewhere else?” Phil asked.

“I don’t really feel like I belong anywhere, and I’m not just saying that because I’m an edgy teen,” Dominic joked. “Shouldn’t you know this? You’re the one that talks to other ghosts.”

“I never really asked,” Phil admitted. “I never asked for this, to be able to talk to ghosts, or anything. But I’ve seen them my whole life. I spent most of my life trying to ignore them, until I realized I had to embrace them. From then on I really only talked to them when I was with a client and reaching out to talk to them for that loved one.”

“Have you talked to anyone else who was murdered?” Dominic asked.

“Yes,” Phil replied. “My brother.”

Dominic nodded.

“Did you solve his murder?” Dominic asked.

“Yes.”

“And did he… move on?”

“I think so. I haven’t been able to talk to him since.”

“You tried?”

“Yes.”

Dominic looked away.

“Well, if you solve my murder, then fine. If not it’s cool.”

“I’m going to solve it,” Phil insisted.

Dominic shrugged. “It’s okay if you don’t though.”

Phil shook his head but he didn’t say anything.

“Is there anything else you need from me?”

Phil looked away.

“What is it?” Dominic asked.

Phil felt himself turn a bit red.

“I have a question. It’s not about the case though. Is that okay?”

Dominic shrugged.

“I don’t really see why it wouldn’t be. It’s not like I have anywhere else to be.”

Phil tried to gather himself.

“You and Marco… you guys were friends?”

Dominic shrugged.

“Yeah, I guess. I had his Snap. I don’t see why I wouldn’t have snapped him after this when it was all over. I guess I’ll just settle for being ghosts in proximity with him, though. Why?”

Phil hesitated.

“Hey, man. I can keep a secret. Let’s be honest, this is probably the last conversation I’m ever going to have. If you need to get something off your chest, this is the best place to do it. Dead men tell no tales and all that.”

Phil thought for a moment.

“Dominic, I didn’t just watch you die in my dream. I was you.”

Dominic tilted his head in surprise.

“How did that work?” he asked.

“I remember being you, and sitting on the log with Marco- only Marco wasn’t Marco. He was one of the guys over there on the shore.”

Phil didn’t turn to face Dan and Jake, but Domininc did. They, of course, however, couldn’t see that.

“The dude with the leather jacket?” Dominic asked.

“Yes.”

“Who’s he?”

“He’s the cop who helped me solve my brother’s murder.”

Dominic nodded.

“Alright, so you’re me, and he’s Marco. So, what, then?”

Phil sighed and tried his best to figure out how to explain everything.

“In my dream I was you. I was taking your role. But it was like I had been the one attending camp all summer, and like you didn’t exist. It was me instead. I had all these memories of me and all the other counselors, including Dan.”

“Is Dan that guy over there?” Dominic asked.

“Yes,” Phil confirmed. “Anyway, in my dream, in my memories, Dan and I… we weren’t friends like we are here.”

“Oh. That sucks dude. I’m sorry.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Dominic nodded, confused, until Phil saw the sudden realization hit his face.

“OH. Oh, yeah, no dude, it’s not, I’m not- yeah, no, I have, like, a girl at home and I think Marco does too. Or we did. That was not. No. Sorry. Actually I’m not really sure why I’m apologizing for that.”

“It’s okay,” Phil said, cracking a small smile.

They sat in silence for a moment.

“So, like, basically you had this dream where you guys were camp counselors together who had a thing and one night it all just went horribly wrong?”

“Yeah, and then we went out to lunch the next day and I saw your murder on the news.”

“Damn dude. That’s rough. So like, what’s the sitch now?”

“Besides the fact that I’m venting about my problems to a murdered teenager? Well, uh, yeah, basically what you said. We were work colleagues… friends, I guess. He’s gay, I’m gay. There was nothing there. But, um, yeah, I had a dream where we were a thing, albeit a nightmare, and that morning I woke up both really disturbed from having been murdered-”

“Same.”

“-and feeling really confused on how I actually feel about him, but before I could think about it or figure it out I found out that my dream literally came true in the worst way possible and that took precedence over whatever feelings I had or am having.”

“Murder is such an inconvenience. Truly very sorry. But like, what have you been feeling since then? I mean I got murdered like two days ago.”

“Jealous.”

Dominic looked back over at the shore.

“Because of that guy?” he pointed.

“Yeah.”

“Whose he?”

“That’s Dan’s FBI professor.”

“Damn, so he’s like, hot for teacher?”

“I don’t know, but I swear to God he thinks the sun shines out of Jake’s ass.”

“Ah. Jake. What a douchey name.”

Phil couldn’t help but chuckle.

“In order to get on this case I had Dan reach out to Jake. He’s the one who set it all up so I could be here working on the case.”

“Well, in that case, I’m sure he’s not too bad. I, for one, am grateful you’re here, whoever you are. Nice to talk to someone one last time after death, even if it is going over the most traumatic experience of my life which culminated in my death and then giving a 30-year-old relationship advice in the canoe we both literally got murdered in. Well, I literally got murdered in. You figuratively got murdered in.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure this isn’t how you envisioned the afterlife.”

“Can’t say as I really envisioned it at all, especially because I wasn’t planning on dying at sixteen, so I can’t really say that it comes as a shock or anything.”

Phil shrugged.

“Well, all I can say is that if you decide that you really do have feelings for him, you should tell him.”

“I don’t think he’d take it well.”

Dominic sighed.

“I think you’re missing the point. I died at sixteen. I had so much life left to live and it was cut short. I’m never going to see my family again. I’m never going to see my girlfriend again. I’m never going to see my dog again.

There’s so much more to life than what we’re facing in the moment. Learn from me. You never know what’s going to happen. Look at your brother. Look at me.

You can’t live with things unsaid because you’re never going to know when things are going to end. And apparently, even when you do, there’s nothing you can do about it.

I’m not saying your feelings are real, especially because they came from some sort of murder premonition dream, but if they are, and you really feel this way, you need to say or do something sooner rather than later, before it’s too late. Not even in a death sense, but in a way where maybe he does hook up with that guy or anyone else.”

Dominic looked sad and angry.

“If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for me at least. After all, how can you say no to a murdered child?” Dominic managed a wry smile.

Phil felt tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

“I’m sorry this happened to you, Dominic. Your murder comes first, either way.”

Dominic shook his head. “No, dude. I’m dead. Don’t let my murder get in the way of you living your life.”

Phil nodded.

“I’m assuming I’m going to be viewing your body,” Phil said, switching morbid subjects. “Is there anything you… need. Want?”

Dominic shrugged. “To be honest I didn’t really think about it.”

“I doubt they’ll let me see your family, but is there any message I can pass along to them through the detectives?”

Dominic shook his head.

“I doubt they’ll believe anyone who says that I told them to say ‘I love you’ or anything like that, but…” he hesitated for a second. “Can you… can you just give my dog a treat for me? Please?”

The tears in Phil’s eyes fell to his cheeks.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “And if I can’t I’ll have one of the detectives do it, okay?”

Dominic nodded, tears in his own eyes.

“I’ll come back and see you,” Phil promised.

Dominic smiled. “I’d appreciate that. Let me know how things go with wonder boy.”

Phil smiled and chuckled.

“What’s your name?”

“Phil. Phil Lester.”

“It’s been an honor, Phil Lester. Thank you, and good luck solving my- our- murder.”

Phil choked up and started crying into his hands while Dominic faded away.

#dan and phil #phil lester #dan howell #daniel howell #whump #whump writing #dnp #ospbb #ospbb 2023 #old school phandom big bang #phanfic #horror #80s horror #savvy's fics

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