#Back in the Saddle

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Aerosmith - Back In The Saddle

[mafaldaknows]

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Welcome back, Armie 💪💙✨👌❣️

[tbranch]

ART! Cassandra Cain vs. Lady Shiva

HELLO EVERYONE! It has been a while since I’ve posted new work. I practically quit at one moment, but I’m back! And my first piece is a companion piece to my LAST Cassandra piece. A few days of work and a lot of hardware issues concerning my tablet and it talking to my computer. But its sorted now. I suppose this is the Jade Canary version of Shiva from Pre-52 Birds of Prey. Whatever, enjoy!

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

Tulsa King (TV Series) S2.E1 Back in the Saddle (2024) - Alpha Trivette

The king is back!

And they gave me another episode with this hot silver-haired daddy.

[catierambles]

Back in the Saddle

Pairing: Syverson x Heather Markum (OFC)

WC 3282

Warnings: Some talk about divorce, sterilization, and childlessness

@brattymum96 , @ouroboros113 , @peaches1958 , @summersong69 , @eldarwen333 , @omgkatinka , @identity2212 , @lucypaulette , @km-ffluv , @kebabgirl67 , @squeezyvalkyrie , @rebelangel1102 , @dopegardensaladhuman

By hour two she was about ready to shotgun a bottle of wine or stab someone with a spoon. It wouldn’t be so bad if she had her phone, but the speed dating company that one of her friends had registered her with had a strict “no phones” policy, and she was given a numbered key in exchange for her things when she got to the restaurant, her bag locked securely in a locker in the back. Damnit, Beckah, she was fine. Who cares if she hasn’t dated once since her divorce? It was her choice and all the guys their age wanted something that she just wouldn’t and couldn’t give them. It would just be a repeat of history, save for the walk down the aisle and credit card debt.

The first guys that sat across from her, she couldn’t even remember their names or faces anymore, and given that they each had half an hour, that was telling how forgettable they were. One went on and on about his job in the stock market and crypto, flashing his fake Rolex whenever he could (it ticked, not swept, so it was fake) and veneered smile. Another devolved into a rant about his mother, making her chug her wine. Also not her fault she couldn't control her face when around people that bugged her.

"Okay, gentlemen!" The host said after the bell rang, "Move on to the next lucky lady!"

"Is it time already?" The guy across from her said, Dave? Or was it Tim? She didn't care. "I'll be looking for you in my stream audience, hope to see you there."

"Yep." She said and he got up, moving to the next table.

"Damn, doll." She heard as she saw the next guy sit down from the corners of her vision, "You look about as miserable as me." She couldn't help it, she laughed, and it made her look up at him. He was handsome, in a rugged kind of way, with a buzzed head of dark hair that came to a widow's peak, a full beard on his jaw, and clear blue eyes. What the hell was he doing at a speed dating event? What was wrong with him?

"That obvious, huh?" She asked.

"Just a bit." He said with a shrug. "Jake Syverson, call me Sy." He held his hand out slightly across the table and she took it, his palm rough and his hand dwarfing hers.

"Heather Markum." She said and they shook briefly. He was the first to get her full name, as the company didn't believe in name tags, wanting their introductions to be "organic".

"So," He sighed, "Well-meanin' friend set you up with this shindig?"

"Yup." She said and he nodded.

"Same." He said, “Told me I needed to get “back in the saddle”, so to speak.”

“Been a while?”

“I was in a long-term thing for the last couple of years, but I got home from deployment and found her in bed with another guy. Dumped her then and there.” Sy said, very matter-of-factly, and she gave a low whistle.

“Damn.” She said and he nodded.

“You?”

“You could say I was in prison.” She said and he arched a brow at her, “Married.”

“Oh.” He said with a snort. “Mind my askin’ what ended it?”

“Not at all. He wanted kids, I didn’t.”

“Thought he woulda found that out before he put a ring on ya.”

“Oh, he knew. He knew while we were dating, while we were engaged, and while we were married. He thought I would change my mind or I would make an exception for him. He realized I was serious about it when I got myself sterilized.” Heather said.

“That’ll do it. Fucked up policy, but don’t they ask the husband if that’s okay?”

“I lied on the paperwork and said I was single, and we have separate insurances so he didn’t come up when they ran it.” Heather said and he nodded again.

“Well, I don’t want kids either. I have enough nieces and nephews to know that yeah, I like kids, but I like’em better when I can give’em back.” Sy said and she snorted.

“You said you were deployed?”

“Army.” Sy said and she nodded.

“Still active?” She asked and he nodded.

“What about you? How do you pay the bills?”

“I have an OnlyFans.”

“Really?” He asked, his voice pitching up slightly and she snorted.

“No, not really, I’m in real estate.” She said.

“Damn, I was about to ask you for your handle.” He said, making her laugh again. The rest of the half-hour went by far too quickly for her liking. He was charming, made her laugh, and had a killer smile that made his blue eyes sparkle. Soon the five-minute warning chime went off, signaling their time together was coming to an end. “Can I give you my number?”

“You absolutely can.” She said and he gave her another smile, grabbing the supplied pad of paper and pen and scribbling it down for her to add to her phone when she got it back. The end bell rang and he sighed, pushing up from his seat and touching her shoulder lightly as he went past, Heather watching him go before turning her eyes forward again, the next guy already seated.

“Hello, gorgeous.” He said with a sleazy smile and she sighed, pouring herself another glass of wine.

The rest of the night dragged on with none of them holding a candle to Sy and soon, thankfully, it was over. Turning in the key, she got her things and stepped out into the night air.

“Heather!” She heard and turned around, seeing Sy walking over to her, weaving his way through the other people also leaving the restaurant.

“Hey.” She said, unable to stop the smile from pulling at her lips. They moved to the side as he reached her so they weren’t in the flow of traffic and now that they were both standing, she could see just how massive he really was. Tall, broad through the chest and shoulders, narrow through the waist and his slacks hugged his thighs just right.

Down, girl.

“The rest of my night was a bust.” He said, “Yours?”

“Yours is the only number I accepted.”

“Good, ‘cus you were the only one I offered it to.” He said and she felt a small blush come over her cheeks, “The rest of the ladies I talked to just…couldn’t compare.”

“You hungry?” She asked and he sighed.

“Starving.” He admitted, making her giggle slightly. “In the mood for something special? We are in the neighborhood for it.”

“A cheeseburger, with bacon and mushrooms. Greasier the better.” She said.

“Woman, if you’re tryin’ to seduce me, it’s workin’.” He said, making her laugh, “You don’t gotta be so heavy-handed with it though, damn.” He smiled at her continued laughter before holding out his hand, “Come on, doll. I eyed a burger place down the street as I was drivin’ up. Let’s get some meat in ya.” He winked at her, well tried to, and she swatted at his arm playfully.

“Cheeky bastard.” She said, taking his hand, a small thrill going through her chest as he laced their fingers. Okay, this felt nice. He was handsome, charming, funny, with a slightly naughty sense of humor. Please don’t turn out to be a serial killer.

They talked as they walked and she thanked her foresight to wear flats and not heels. The burger place was a glorified hole in the wall, so she knew the food would be fantastic. They were extremely overdressed compared to the rest of the patrons and got some looks as they were placing their orders, Sy grabbing the numbered flag that was slid forward and they found themselves a seat towards the back, Sy sitting with his back to the wall and a clear line of sight on the entrance. Must be a military thing. He had insisted on paying for her food even though she told him he didn't have to.

The conversation picked up where it left off and they shared some more things about themselves, how she had originally gone to school with an arts major but switched to business when she realized that unless she wanted to teach, an arts degree wouldn't really get her anywhere. Sy had a bachelor's in Criminal Justice, which got him into the Army Officer's Program once he graduated. He wasn't just in the Army, she found out, he was a Captain.

"So what kinda real estate do you do?" He asked, taking a sip of his soda.

"Commercial." Heather said, "Office buildings and such. Bigger price tags mean a bigger commission, and I don't have to be constantly flipping properties."

"Sounds pretty relaxed."

"It's got its challenges, like when a Fortune 500 company tries to lowball me, but I manage." She said and their food arrived, the server setting the trays down and taking the flag with her. "Goddamn." The burger was massive, covered in cheese, bacon, and mushrooms.

"Eyes bigger than your stomach?" He asked, picking up his own burger.

"Shit no." She said and dug in, letting out a low sound when she bit into it, making him cough on a piece of his burger. "Food goes in stomach, not lungs."

"I'm trying." He wheezed, taking a sip of his drink. "Shit, doll." She just smiled into her food, biting into a couple of the rough-cut fries that came with the burger. 

"Fries are good too." She said and they resumed talking in between bites, the conversation not dying even after they finished their food.

"You parked by the restaurant?" He asked, "The looks we're gettin', they probably want to close up."

"Yeah, in the lot next to it." She said and they stood, taking their trays over to the bin and dumping the garbage before setting them on top, wishing the staff a good night as they walked out.

"I'll walk you to your car, I'm parked in the same lot anyway." Sy said and offered his hand again. She took it and again he laced their fingers, that small fluttering in her chest making a comeback. They didn't talk as they walked back, but it was a comfortable, companionable silence. Her car and she guessed his truck were the only ones in the lot and he walked her to the driver's side as she dug out her keys. "I wasn't expecting much from tonight, but I’m glad it turned out the way it did."

"Me too." She said with a small smile and there was a slight hesitation on his part.

"Heather, can I…can I give you a kiss?" He asked and her smile widened.

"I'd like that." She said and he smiled back before leaning into her. His lips were soft as they brushed over hers and her eyes closed as she pressed back against him. His hands came up to hold the sides of her jaw as he seemed to fall into the kiss and her own hands found their way to his trim waist, sliding under his suit jacket that he hadn't buttoned. Okay, he was good at this and her heart pounded in her chest as he kissed her. He finally broke away, breathing heavily, and she opened her eyes, seeing his were closed still.

“Let me know you got home okay?” He asked, his eyes still closed.

“Yeah.” She said, having put his number in her phone earlier and given him hers. She wanted to ask if he wanted to come back to her place, but it was way too early for that and she didn’t want to give him the wrong impression about her. They said their goodnights and he moved away, but she noticed that he didn’t get into his truck until she got into her car and started it.

She barely remembered the drive home, her mind and heart soaring from the night and the kiss they shared, but she did remember to send him a text once she got inside and locked the door, letting him know she was home safe like he requested. She got a simple heart emoji back but it made her smile nonetheless.

Taking off her makeup and getting changed into her pajamas, she brushed her teeth and got into bed, setting her phone on the charger.  She lay there for a little bit before giving a small giggle, wiggling a little under the covers in giddy excitement. She felt like a teenager again, not a divorcee, but then a moment of doubt crossed over her mind. What if he didn’t feel the same? What if she never heard from him again? He didn’t give her the impression of someone who would ghost someone, but you never knew. Whatever happened, happened. If she never heard from him again, then so be it. She’d be a little heartbroken, but it was ultimately his choice.

Sleep came quickly after that and she drifted off.

The chime of a notification from her phone is what woke her the next morning and she opened her eyes, blinking blearily and reaching for it. Turning on the screen, she saw she had a text from him and couldn’t stop the smile from pulling at her lips. It was a picture of him still in bed, his head resting on his pillow as he laid on his side, the selfie showing that he obviously went to bed with no shirt on as she saw a bit of hairy chest that was obviously muscular.

“Morning, beautiful.” The message said and she tapped in her reply.

“Morning, handsome.” A bit lame, she knew, but she just woke up. “I look like a swamp witch first thing in the morning, so you’re not getting a selfie.”

“Lol fair enough. Plans for today?”

“Nothing really, seeing as it’s the weekend.”

“Wanna meet for coffee? There’s this great spot I like that has killer muffins.”

“Absolutely, send me the address.” It came over a moment later and she put it into her GPS app, seeing that it was about a twenty-minute drive away. “Meet in about 45?” She needed time to get herself presentable, after all.

“I’ll be there.” She hoisted herself out of bed after that, taking a quick shower and throwing on clothes after too long of a deliberation. Casual, flirty, sexy was out for just coffee. She decided on nicer jeans, a long-sleeved shirt with a V neck, and black leather flats, twisting her hair up and keeping it secure with her hair clip that looked like skeleton arms. As it was, she was late leaving and nearly walked out of the house without her keys. Can’t go anywhere without those.

The drive to the coffee place was a blur of nervous anticipation and soon she was looking for parking, having already seen him sitting at a table outside of the shop. Finally finding a spot, she got out and walked up.

“Hey, sorry I’m late.” She said and he looked up, setting down his cup and standing to pull her into a hug, pressing his lips to her cheek. Damn, he smelled good.

“It’s perfectly fine, got here not too long ago myself.” He said and she sat down across from him, a server coming over to take her order a moment later.

“So I don’t know what we’re going to talk about.” She admitted with a small, nervous giggle, “We pretty much covered everything last night.”

“I’m fine with just sittin’ here enjoyin’ your company.” Sy said she felt the wide smile pull across her face.

“Son of a bitch.” She said, looking away from him and shaking her head.

“What?” He asked with a chuckle.

“You’re not real, you can’t be. You have to be a paid actor or something.” She said and he gave a laugh.

“I ain’t that, trust me. Besides, even if I was gettin’ paid, I’d give the money back.” He said, giving her a clumsy wink.

“Motherfucker no one is this charming.” That made him laugh again and he was still chuckling when her coffee came. They talked about nothing in particular as they drank their coffee, sitting there long after their cups were empty. “And that’s why I can’t stand horror movies.”

“Makes sense.” Sy said with a shrug, “You understand basic anatomy and you know someone ain’t gonna spray blood from what’s basically a papercut.”

“Also, with Jason Takes Manhattan, subway tracks are alternating current, not direct. He would have been pushed away from the tracks when he touched them, not grafted to them.”

“You sure do know a lot of random trivia.”

“I get bored and I google things.” She said and he snorted.

“Fair enough.” He said, “What’re your plans for the rest of the day?”

“Nothing really, I usually just sleep on the weekends.”

“No errands you gotta run?”

“Adulting is for the weekdays, there’s no adulting on weekends.” She said and something caught her eye, making her look over, but she looked forward quickly again, hiding the side of her face with her hand. “Oh no, please don’t see me.”

“Darlin’?” Sy asked, giving her a questioning look, and the sunlight hitting the table was blocked.

“Heather?” She heard and dropped her hand, looking up and giving him a tense smile.

“David, hi.” She said.

“What’re you doing here? Who’s this?” David asked.

“It’s a coffee shop, I’m having coffee. David, this is Sy. Sy this is my ex-husband, David.” Heather said and Sy moved his head at him.

“Hey.” He said, correctly reading the mood.

“He your new boyfriend, or something?” David asked, giving him a dismissive look.

“Too soon to tell, really.” Sy said, “I like spendin’ time with her, though. Like talkin’ to her. Wouldn’t mind takin’ her out on a proper date, if she’ll have me.”

“Oh my god, Sy.” Heather said with a smile, “Yeah I wouldn’t mind that either.”

“All right, then.” Sy said with a smile and David huffed.

“You know she isn’t going to give you kids, right?” David asked.

“Yeah, I know.” Sy said and shrugged, “And?”

“He’s the one who asked for the divorce, not me.” Heather said and Sy gave an understanding nod.

“I see.” Sy said, “Well, my guy, it’s her body, so it's her choice. She doesn’t want to have kids, then that’s that. She’d be the one carryin’em. I don’t want kids either, so that works out for me.”

“What about your legacy? Who’s going to carry that on?”

“My what?” Sy asked and Heather gave a suffering sigh.

“For the last time, David, you don’t have a legacy. Monarchs have legacies, you have a ten-year-old Corolla and student debt.” She said and Sy snorted. “Now if you don’t mind.” She turned her attention back to Sy, “Where did you want to go?”

“How do you feel about laser tag?” He asked.

“Aren’t you in the Army?”

“I’ll go easy on ya!” He said and she laughed.

“Laser tag sounds like fun.” Heather said, “But I can be bold for a moment?”

“As bold as you wanna be.” Sy said and she beckoned him with a finger, making him lean over the table to get closer to her.

“How about…” She started whispering in his ear, his facial expression ranging from shocked, to amused, to excited.

“Girl, you’re dirty! I accept those terms because either way I win.” He said sitting back again and there was a moment before he looked back up at David. “What’re you still doin’ here? Lady dismissed you.”

“Yeah.” Heather said, “Bye, David.”

[myimaginaryradio]

Back In The Saddle - Aerosmith

[jaredwalkersam]

walker | 1.02

[hexedwinchester]

Walker S01E02 Back in the Saddle

Jared in a Henley!!!!!!!

Maybe I'm watching SPN too much but the C W and E W on Emily's satchel felt like a nod to S.W. and D.W.

i forgot how good Cordi is at his job And how much I loved Cordi's partnership with Micki

for the crappy way everyone treats Cordell, I don't see him get mad. Why, Cordi? Why you must be so sweet??

Love how Cordell tries to connect with Stell through texting

the re-certification tests were good too. Cordi nailing the shooting, the driving and eventually the horse riding too. I love how smug he is about it. Love, love, love it!

ok but why is everyone treating Cordell like a freakin time bomb that's about to explode? All things considered, he is still managing his job and family a lot better. Cut him some slack, will ya

I love Liam for being there for the kids in Walker's absence. Calm down, Cordi, ain't nobody taking your kids. Though I understand his panic. He lost Emily and he fears he will lose his kids too especially with the way Stella keeps acting

I'm a sucker for Cordi-Stella moments! ❤️ Jared makes a cute girl dad and I'm so here for it!

[solesurvivorkat]

Shadow of Steel ('Remastered' - 2.0!) - Chapter 1 - Kat123 - Fallout 4 [Archive of Our Own]

For anyone who might still be interested - with the 'Fallout' Amazon series coming out in April (can't wait! Hope they don't screw it up!), and having taken a chunk of time to settle into my new job and have a 'mental health break', I knew it was time to finally get the ball rolling on my 'redo' of my Fallout 4 fic, 'Shadow of Steel'.

I'm by no means a great writer - but there were little things that I wanted to tweak w/ my fic, and this is my chance to do so and finally take the story forward.

I've started posting the chapters from the beginning again. They're largely the same - save for a few grammatical fixes and a slightly different wording here or there. If you choose to skip any, the main story will basically be the same and you won't really miss anything. However - as I get into later chapters, I might change a few more details. Again - main story will be the same, but... well, I leave it up to you guys to do as you wish. Obviously I hope whatever 'fans' I have will continue to read it, but if not, I understand. I just want to get my story finally told (hopefully).

[rosielindy]

Spin bike Day 2 to fight dark cold day blues! 🚴‍♂️

[the-song-of-the-day]

August 6, 2024

Song #180

Back In the Saddle by Aerosmith

It was released in 1976 in their album Rocks

Fun fact: A real bullwhip was intended to be used for the whip effects and hours were spent trying to get it to crack. The band members ended up cut up and hurt without making any progress. Eventually, the band decided the whip effects would be created by whirling a 30-foot cord from the studio, then by firing a cap gun to create the crack of the whip (the sound effects are more prominent in the Quadraphonic mix of the album). 

[athenepromachos]

🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣

Cowboy Cavill at ya service ma'am ♥️

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls, 2/18 “Back In The Saddle” (more glorious filler) Part 1

The episode begins with an uninteresting Friday Night Dinner intro that has nothing worth writing about, except we see Richard again, and I feel like I haven't seen Richard in a really long time. (This is a Richard-centric episode, which is fine with me).

They fixed the Tomatos Sign? Say it ain't so!

Oh, the other chalkboard.

I recommend you all look up a woman named Valerie Campbell on TikTok or Instagram. She worked on the show and shares a lot of behind the scenes stories. I can’t seem to find this specific post again, but if you care to dig around yourself, she had a little story about the crew member that actually designed this sign.

I don't remember it being a particularly fascinating story, but if you want to hear the story of Sign Guy, go on and find Valerie.

Thinking about the time Rory took a slice of unbuttered unsyruped French toast on the run like it was a god damn pop tart. You weirdo.

LG: Look at the handwriting on that sign. It's so precise. So determined. It's focused Luke. RG: That's Jess' handwriting.

That tone of suspicion again. Sigh.

You know what, I won't pile on Lorelai too much for this comment, because it was lighthearted and not dripping with passive aggressive sauce for once. You win this round, Gilmore.

Couldn’t have killed you to throw in a “that’s so thoughtful/cute/sweet” or something though.

I love how blasé they are about their notions that either Luke or Jess could have such gorgeous handwriting. Neither of them are marveling even one bit over that skilled graphic design. Sad lack of shock, wonder, and awe.

Lorelai is very much NOT Team Jess and is actively trying to destroy this adorable friendship. Being a Lorelai and Literati supporter at the same time seems like a paradox of sorts? But hey, according to Tumblr, I'm just a big ol woman hater for saying Lorelai is evil. Continue, Lorelai. Lay some old fashioned Dean Lust on us. It's what the people want.

Rory looks thrilled to see ButtZilla.

Drop yourself off a bridge.

Lorelai: Please please please eat with us Dean!

So much said with so little in her tone of voice alone

From left to right: Wetting her pants in excitement to have Dean for breakfast/ thinking about covering his naked body in maple syrup; a man wondering if this will be one of the rarest of days when the Gilmores pay for their food; Hello Darkness My Old Friend; and Buttzilla.

I've got something you can eat, Dum Dum.

JOKES ON YOU BUTTZILLA! JESS WROTE THE SIGN! YOU'RE GONNA EAT AN OMELET THAT YOU ORDERED OFF A SIGN THAT JESS WROTE!

Mind your own business, AssButt. Your necklace is stupid and so are you. Your mother doesn't love you.

"Next time I get you all alone I'm going to give you SUCH a spanking, young man."

Poor put-upon Brad. One day, Brad will rule the world, and the peasants will be sorry. Our usual Chilton crew that consists of Rory, Paris, Madelyn, Louise, Brad, and one rando (some 30 Year Old Archie looking dude) are gearing up for a Business Fair. They have to invent a product appealing to high schoolers. Rory is the CEO, and they have an imaginary 1 million dollars to imaginary market/produce/and distribute it. They also have to find a responsible adult to be their "business advisor". Richard will eventually join them and muck things up. Everyone else's negligent dads are too busy working and Rory's deadbeat dad Crusty is off somewhere trying to impregnate some chick named Sherry and wouldn't know how to Business if his life depended on it, so Richard it is. But this is the 2000s, so surely someone's mother could also have business experience?

Paris and Madelyn suggest Rory's mom, seeing as she "Runs a hotel", but the girls wouldn't know that Rory's mom regularly leaves her shift in the middle of the day to do things like look at coffins. Not a good role model. Joyous filler nonsense.

Rory: LOL yeah I guess. Let’s have someone look at Lorelai’s “books”. The Independence Inn and Stars Hollow are both an accountant's wet dream.

I neglected to include Brad in my poll of Gilmore Girls characters whose quietly bubbling anger will one day no longer stay contained until they snap and murder somebody.

She's definitely not, but Paris threatens her so Rory promises to ask her anyway.

The people of Stars Hollow are incredibly angry and violent. Don't let their sweet faces fool you. Try to take away their coffee or twinkle lights, or fuck up their wedding invitations, and you'll be sorry.

[catierambles]

Back in the Saddle Part 2

Pairing: Syverson x Heather Markum (OFC)

WC 4896

Warnings: Some non-explicit allusions to sexy times.

@brattymum96 , @ouroboros113 , @peaches1958 , @summersong69 , @eldarwen333 , @omgkatinka , @identity2212 , @lucypaulette , @km-ffluv , @kebabgirl67 , @squeezyvalkyrie , @rebelangel1102 , @dopegardensaladhuman , @ilsacharlotte

It was by the third yawn hidden behind her hand that she was really starting to feel it, the dreaded caffeine crash.

"You can head out if you're tired." Sy said but she shook her head.

"I'm fine." And just to make her a liar, another yawn split her face making him smile. 

"Go on, go get some sleep. I won't take it personal, you said that's what you do on the weekends anyway."

"I have an idea and feel free to shoot me down, I'll understand."

"What's up?" He asked and she hesitated. "Doll?"

"How about we take a nap together?" It came out in a rush and she looked down at the table, nervous about his reaction. She was coming off as needy, clingy. They'd only met last night for Pete's Sake and she just--

"Sounds like a great idea." He said and she looked up at him. "Really. I wouldn't mind spendin' a lazy day with you, and apparently, Nap Dates are a thing."

"G-great." She said with a small smile, "I'll send you my address and we can go back to my place. Unless you'd rather we go back to yours."

"Yours is good. Whatever would make you comfy. Military life trained me to sleep just about anywhere." Sy said and she pulled out her phone, texting him her address and hearing his phone chime a moment later from his pocket. "Come on. Nap time awaits." 

Even though he had her address as a backup, he had no issues following her back to her place in his truck, parking behind her car in the driveway. He looked around as they got inside, letting out a low whistle.

"Nice digs." He said and she shrugged. "Maybe I should get into real estate."

"You could do a lot with that bachelor's degree you have," Heather said, throwing her keys on the table by the door and kicking off her shoes. "Police, state troopers, maybe even apply to Quantico. Prior military experience will help, too."

"I got a buddy who was snatched up by the CIA when his 6 years was up. He told me he'd put in a good word for me if I decide to leave before retirement age." Sy said, "I don't think I'm spook material, though. Hadn't considered Quantico."

"Never hurts to keep your options open."

"True enough." He said and turned to her, going to her and sliding his hands around her waist. Her own hands went to his chest, the material of his shirt soft under her palms.

"Bedroom's this way." She said, patting his chest once before pulling away from him and leading him up the stairs. "I'm going to get changed out of these clothes if you want to get comfy." He leaned in the doorway of her bedroom, watching her for a moment before his eyes swept over the room. Something on her dresser caught his attention and he went to it, staring down at it with a quizzical expression. "It's resin, don't worry." She said, going up behind him as he stared at the skull and he snorted. Grabbing her pajamas from the end of the bed, she went into the bathroom to change, pulling the clip from her hair and running a brush through it. Seeing as it had still been damp from the shower when she clipped it up, it had dried in messy waves so she just pulled it back again into a sloppy bun at the back of her head.

Sy was laying in bed when she emerged from the bathroom and she saw his clothes folded neatly on top of the dresser, his boots on the floor with his socks shoved into them.

"Kept my drawers on just to be on the safe side." He said and she smiled slightly, looking over at him. The blankets were at his waist and his hand was behind his head as he lay back against the pillows. The sight of his hairy muscular chest and stomach threatened to short-circuit her brain. He didn't have a happy trail, he had a parking lot. Some nervousness started to creep in as she went around the bed to the empty side, her movements a little hesitant as she climbed in. "If you're havin' second thoughts, I can take a hike. No harm done."

"It's just been a while since I shared a bed with anyone, is all." She said and he made an understanding sound.

"Come here, doll." He said, his voice low and she turned over to face him, seeing him on his side towards her. The look in his eyes made her heart race, but it wasn't one of lascivious intent. Moving closer to him, his arm wrapped around her waist and he tugged her even closer, his lips pressing to her forehead and making her sigh, tension she didn't even realize was there leaving her muscles. His skin was warm, his chest hair slightly coarse, and he smelled fantastic. Turning in his arms, she put her back to him and his arm tightened briefly, pulling her back against his chest and she felt his legs tangle with hers, pressing them fully together. "That's my good girl." The whispered praise made her sigh again and, oddly enough, made tears burn in her eyes. She just blinked rapidly to clear them before sliding her hand over his arm and shifting slightly to get comfortable, closing her eyes as she felt him press a gentle kiss to her shoulder.

Heather had been a fitful sleeper just about her entire life, never staying still, tossing and turning, briefly waking up several times. Even when she was married it didn't stop, much to David's chagrin. He was often snippy with her in the morning as her constant movement was an annoyance for him. With Sy, though, she didn't think she moved once, sleeping deeply wrapped in his arms with his warmth at her back. She was utterly and completely dead to the world, not the half-conscious rest she was used to.

She didn't know how long she was out, but it must have been several hours as the sun was setting when she finally woke. Had she really slept the entire day? She had been more tired than she realized. Sy was still asleep behind her, his arm still around her waist and his warm breath fanning across the back of her neck. Shifting slightly, she turned over as gently as she could so she didn't wake him, looking at him with his face relaxed in sleep. He really was handsome, almost devastatingly so. What was he doing with her? She knew they weren't officially together, but the fact that he had any interest in her at all surprised her somewhat.

David always commented on her appearance, telling her how plain she looked, how utterly unremarkable. He also scoffed at her slightly Gothic design and wardrobe choices. Dark clothes, and anatomical diagrams in frames on the walls. Her Tristan and Isolde Salvador Dali painting had been taken out of storage after the divorce, as David hadn’t allowed it in the house, saying it was "creepy", whereas she described it as "hauntingly beautiful".

Why had she married him? Maybe it was because he had convinced her that he was the best she was ever going to get. After she informed him that got herself sterilized while he was away on a "boys trip", he raged at her, calling her selfish among other less civil things. It still devastated her when he asked for a divorce, citing fraud as the reason. Her attorney asked him to clarify and he said that when he married her, he was under the impression that they were going to have children, start a family. She had quickly rebutted that he knew she didn't want children, that she had informed him very early in their relationship that she didn't want children, his sister backing her up at the character hearing. It wasn't her fault, nor was it fraud, that he didn't believe her or had no plans to respect her wishes. The judge agreed and David's attempts to weasel out of alimony on the basis of fraud failed.

It had taken their marriage falling apart for her to realize that he hadn’t wanted a partner, he wanted a Stepford Wife. Someone to rely on him wholly and truly, to take care of the house and the kids, to give up her career and put aside everything she wanted in favor of his own wants. He hadn’t been like that while they were dating, pulling the wool over her eyes, hiding his true self until the vows were exchanged. She should have known, she should have seen. His mother had given up her partnership at a law firm when she married his dad, becoming a housewife, having dinner on the table at 5 o’clock sharp, all chores completed and the house spotless. For some women, that kind of life was fulfilling in its own way, but that wasn’t the life she wanted for herself.

Moving into him, she tucked her face into his neck, sliding her arm around his waist and sighing. It must have woken him, as his arm tightened around her waist and she heard him breathe in deep through his nose, his lips pressing to the side of her head.

“Hey.” He said groggily, and she hummed against him. “What time is it?”

“No idea.” She said, “Sun’s going down, though.”

“Damn, didn’t know I was that tired.” Sy said, his hand starting to rub her back gently. “How’d you sleep?”

“Better than I have in a while.”

“Same.” He said, his thumb moving back and forth over her back.

“You hungry?” She asked and he hummed.

“Don’t want to get up yet. Comfy.” He said and she giggled slightly, pressing a gentle kiss to his skin, making him give out a low hum. "Do that again." She pressed another kiss to his neck, this time to the heavy pulse under his jaw. "Mmmm, baby." He moved, rolling them over so he pressed her to the bed, his hips pressed against hers as he buried his face in her neck, his beard scratching over her skin as he mouthed along her throat. "Tell me to stop and I will."

"No." She said, moving her hands over his bare back. "Don't stop." He picked his head up to look at her, his eyes moving over her face before he kissed her, one of his hands coming up to hold the side of her jaw. The feel of his body on top of hers, his lips moving against hers made that familiar tingle start in her thighs, a pressure building between her legs. His other hand pushed under her shirt and over her ribs, fingertips skirting around the edge of her breast. "Sy…" She sighed.

"Oh fuck, Heather." He said, the timbre of his voice making a shiver go down her spine. Her arms raised as he pulled her shirt from her and she pulled him down into another kiss, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I didn't--I don't want you to think I agreed to this just to get you into bed. Euphemistically speakin'."

"I know." She said, "And I didn't ask if you wanted to with the intent of seducing you."

"But, fuck, you're beautiful." He said and her eyes burned at the sudden compliment. She just closed them, pulling him into another kiss.

Sy took her breath away with the passion with which he made love to her. This man definitely wasn't real. The whispered praise against her skin, the way he held her while he was inside her, and the eye contact. He insisted on looking into her eyes as he moved within her, wanting to see how he was making her feel. His hands on her body, his lips on her skin, how it felt while they were connected, it was all almost too much and she came more than once before he finally seated himself inside her fully, groaning as he released into her. He took her to the bed from their seated position with her in his lap, holding her close.

"Goddamn." She whispered and heard him chuckle slightly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Sy ended up spending the night, part of her telling her that they were going too fast, but it felt so utterly right to be in his arms. He surprised her the next morning with breakfast in bed, watching her eat as he drank his coffee, a small smile on his face. He spent all of Sunday with her, too, and they had sex several times throughout the day and in various rooms of the house. The shower, on the kitchen island, with her kneeling on the couch, her hands gripping the back as he held onto her hips. He couldn't seem to get enough of her and she was the same with him, returning his advances each and every time with a matched enthusiasm. She hadn't been like this with David, in fact they hadn't been having sex at all for almost the last year of their marriage. 

The feel of Sy's heavy body on hers, the way he touched her with his hands and lips, it made her feel beautiful, cherished.

He would have stayed the night again, if he hadn't needed to report for duty Monday morning and he left late Sunday night to head home. The kiss he gave her at the door made her toes curl and she very nearly pulled him back into the house by his belt. Somehow she resisted and watched him walk away, getting into his truck and pulling out of her driveway, disappearing down the street.

Her pillows still smelled like him when she went to bed and it warmed her heart, his goodnight text making her smile before she drifted off.

Sy had warned her that while he was on duty, he didn't really have access to his phone, so if she didn't hear from him, or respond to her messages, that was why. She kept her messages to a minimum, sending him a good morning text when she got up that wasn't responded to until long after she got home from work. He didn't have access to his phone, so she wasn't going to blow it up with messages.

It was about mid-week when she pulled into her driveway, seeing David's sedan parked out front, the man himself waiting on her doorstep. He was still wearing his suit from work and she hesitated a moment before getting out of her car.

"What're you doing here?" She asked as she walked up.

"Where is he?" David asked.

"Where is…"

"Jake Syverson." She hadn't told him his full name when she introduced him, just what he went by.

"How did you--"

"I waited until you guys left the coffee place and ran his plates." David said.

"That's…a massive ethics violation, David. Not to mention fucked up." She said, her fingers curling around her keys.

"Where is he?" He asked again.

"He's on duty this week."

"You mentioned he was in the Army."

"An Army Captain, yeah." Heather said, "David, what the hell is this all about? Please don't go all crazy jealous ex-husband. You asked for the divorce, not me. You wanted to end the marriage."

"He's not who he says he is." David said and she blinked at him.

"What."

"Jake Syverson is dead, Heather. He died three years ago in Afghanistan." He said, "I wasn't able to find particulars, just that it was in the line of duty."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She asked with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Of all the lame ass stories you could have come up with, "He's dead" is probably the dumbest."

"It's not a story." David said, "Whoever he is, he's not Jake Syverson. I don't know why he would take the identity of a dead soldier, but he's not who he says he is. Heather, I know we didn't end things on the best of terms, but I still care about you, and I'm worried about what this guy has planned for you. You need to cut off contact. Stop seeing him. If he tries to get in touch with you again, you need to call me and let me know."

"Absolutely not." Heather said, "And if I see any police cars, marked or unmarked, around my home, David, I'm calling your Captain and reporting you. Now get the hell off my property." Pushing around him, she unlocked the front door and went inside, closing it and throwing both of the deadbolts. Her first order of business after David had moved out was to change all of the locks, so even if he still had his key, he wouldn't be able to get in.  Pulling out her phone, she tried calling Sy but it went straight to voice-mail so she hung up without leaving a message. What would she say anyway? My ex-husband, who's a cop, says you stole the identity of a dead man? "Fucking ridiculous." She muttered and set about getting settled for the night.

She didn't see David for the rest of the week, although she did get an email from him in her inbox with Sy's name as the subject. While she didn't delete it, she didn't open it either, letting it sit there. The weekend came around again and she was laying in bed late Friday night when her phone dinged at her. Picking it up, she turned on the screen and saw the message from Sy.

"Let me in?" She nearly jumped out of bed, bouncing to the front door with a smile on her face and throwing back the locks, opening the door. He hadn't changed out of his uniform and she pulled him in even as he moved into her, his arms coming around her waist as she encircled his neck with hers.

"I missed you, doll." He said, hugging her tightly and she gave a squeak as he suddenly picked her up, walking her into the house and kicking the door closed before setting her down again. He had trimmed his beard at some point and it was neat on his jaw instead of the slightly unkempt it had been before. The whiskers were soft under her hands as she pulled him into a kiss that he responded to instantly, his hands encircling her waist as he pressed back against her. "Come on, baby, let's get reacquainted. It's been a long week." With his hands holding the backs of her thighs, she hopped up, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him again. She heard him throw the locks on the front door before he carried her to the bedroom.

Sy was sleeping soundly as she left the bedroom, easing the door closed before walking down the hall to her office, dressed in only the green t-shirt he had been wearing under his uniform jacket. Get reacquainted with each other was right. It was like he hadn’t seen her in months, not just a week. Not that she was complaining. It was early morning, the sun was just barely up and she turned on her computer, needing to check emails for responses she was waiting for.

She saw David’s email in there still and she clicked the checkbox next to it before going up to the garbage can icon. She should just delete it. It was bullshit. Sy was Sy. He wasn’t someone pretending to be a dead man. Her curiosity won over and she opened it, looking over the obituary.

IN LOVING MEMORY

JAKE SYVERSON

There was a birthday and date of death, but no picture. The in memoriam statements matched what Sy had told her about himself. Born in Coppell, Texas, both parents were still in the picture, three younger siblings. Played football in high school, graduated middle of his class. It even mentioned the bachelors in Criminal Justice from UTD before heading into the Army Officer’s Program. A sliver of doubt started to creep in. It matched what he told her, but then it was his life, why wouldn’t it. She was being ridiculous. Served with distinction in the Army Special Forces, Purple Heart for sustaining injuries in the line of duty (he had a scar on his thigh that looked like a bullet wound), a Silver Heart awarded presumptuously at his service for valor. It didn’t say how he died, but then if he was Special Forces, it wouldn’t.

She was being stupid.

Going to google, she put in his name along with his hometown and the first match was the obituary David had sent her, but the second was a facebook profile. Clicking on it, she looked over it. There were messages on the wall posted after the date of death from friends saying how much they missed him, family saying that Christmas and Thanksgiving were hard without him that year. It was a public profile, so she went into the pictures, her eyes going wide. It was him. One-hundred percent him. The latest photos even showed him with the buzzed hair and beard, smiling a smile she knew so well. One of the pictures he was lying in a hospital bed, the leg with the scar wrapped in bandages and elevated. He looked tired, but still managed a smile and a thumbs up to the camera, a caption of “Well that sucked” on the sidebar along with comments for him to get better soon.

It was him. Why would he fake his death? And if he did fake his death, why would he still go by his real name?

“Babe?” She looked up, seeing him leaning in the doorway of the office. “It’s still early, what’re you doin’ up?” She didn’t answer, staring at him with wide eyes. The scant light coming in from the window was making his eyes glow with an unnatural golden light. “Shit.” She moved quickly, pushing out of the chair and running out of the side office door, hearing him chase after her. She was almost to the front door when his arms came around her tight, lifting her off her feet. Heather fought against him, tried kicking as her arms were pinned against her sides. “Stop fightin’ me, I ain’t gonna hurt ya!” Her mouth opened to scream, but his hand clamped over it, “Heather, baby, please stop fightin’ me. I’m not gonna hurt you. Please, baby, please.” He set her down on her feet, but kept a hold on her, tears burning in her eyes and spilling over, gathering on his fingers. “Don’t cry, please don’t cry.” He sounded in pain, pressing his forehead to the back of her head. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’d never hurt you.” She stopped fighting against him, stopped struggling to break free and his arm loosened around her. “I’m gonna take my hand off your mouth. Don’t scream.” She nodded quickly and his hand lowered slowly. “I need to explain.”

“You’re fucking right you do!” She yelled and felt him flinch at her back as if she had hit him. “You’re a fucking dead man!”

“Yeah, I am.” He sighed, “I died, baby, I died and was buried.” She hadn’t been expecting that, him saying that he faked his death for some reason, maybe, but not for him to actually admit that he was dead. “It didn’t take and I had to be dug up again.”

“What the fuck do you mean “it didn’t take”?!” He turned her around and she looked up at him, seeing the pain in his eyes that broke through her own anger and fear somewhat.

“Heather, I…” He stopped, closing his eyes briefly with a sigh, “The name I registered with the speed dating company is not the name I gave you. I gave you my real name, fuck I don’t know why, but I registered under an alias. I go to them to find women, take them home, feed from them, and then wipe their memories of me.”

“What?” She asked after a moment.

“But you, I knew the moment I saw you that you were different. I didn’t just want to have a night with you, take what I needed, and then move on.” He said, reaching up to hold the side of her face gently. “I wanted so many nights with you, and days, and weeks, and months, and years.”

“What the hell are you?” She asked and he sighed again.

“I don’t know if there’s a word for me exactly.”

“You said you feed off of women. What do you take from them?”

“Their energy, their life force, whatever you wanna call it. Not enough to hurt’em, but enough to keep me goin’.”

“Do they know that you…”

“I do it in the middle of us bein’ together. They probably don’t even notice.”

“But you…wipe their memories.”

“Last thing I want to do is hurt’em by havin’em think I was just some asshole who wanted to get laid and used’em.” Sy said, “Best they don’t remember me at all.”

“But you did use them.”

“In a way, yeah. I ain’t proud of it, but I gotta do what I gotta do to survive.”

“Did you ever…feed off of me?”

“No.” He said sternly, “Heather, baby, I…you’re special, fuck if I know how, but you are.”

“How do I know you’re not just some…psychopath living in a fantasy world? How do I know you’re not just going to kill me and dump my body somewhere?”

“I’d never hurt you, Heather, I told you.” He said, “But you’re right, what I’m tellin’ you sounds crazy. Even to me and I’m livin’ it.” His eyes closed again and he breathed in deep, letting it out slowly. When he opened them again, his blue eyes were gone, replaced by a solid black that covered the iris and the whites, so dark that she could almost see herself in them. The black slowly faded away to the edges of his eyes, and they were normal again. The small display seemed to tire him and his shoulders sagged somewhat.

“Where were you?” She asked and he gave her a questioning look. “The Army thinks you’re dead. Where were you all this week?”

“I needed to feed, so I went out and…fed.” He said and she went quiet.

“Oh.”

“I didn’t sleep with’em.” He said quickly, “I went back to their place, yeah, but I fed and wiped their memories of me, leavin’em asleep.”

“You didn’t…” Why was that important to her? She just found out the man she’s been having amazing marathon sex with wasn’t even human and she was hung up on him sleeping with other women? Priorities.

“I didn’t want to. Wasn’t interested in bein’ with’em like that.” Sy said, “Not since I met you.”

“But you still…fed from them.”

“I needed to. Real food doesn’t do anythin’ for me anymore, it’s empty. It’d be like you not eatin’ for a couple days.”

“Oh.”

“I was going to tell you, I was, I promise.” Sy said, “When we had been together longer, I was gonna spill those beans and deal with the fallout.”

“David is a cop.” Heather said and he arched a brow at her.

“Okay?”

“He ran the license plates on your truck, it’s registered under your name. He emailed me your obituary.” She said, “He told me to let him know if you ever contacted me again.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Absolutely not.” She said, “That was…before.”

“And now?” He asked and there was a moment before she stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his chest and holding him. He gave a great shuddering sigh as he returned her embrace, holding her tightly.

“No one else.” She said and felt him go still.

“Babe?”

“You don’t feed from anyone else.” What the fuck was she saying? Was she wrong in the head? “Just me.”

“Heather?”

“You said it doesn’t hurt them, right?”

“Yeah.” Sy said, “I don’t take enough to hurt’em. I could, but I don’t.”

“Then no one else.”

“Oh, babe.” He sighed and pulled back, reaching up to hold the sides of her jaw before he leaned into her again, pressing his lips to hers. There was a moment of hesitation before she kissed him back, her eyes closing. “Somethin’ special.” He backed her against the nearest wall, kissing her again as he pressed against her. When she opened her eyes, she saw his were black as he stared down at her and there was a small fissure of fear before she shoved it away, pulling him back in. Bending a little, his face buried in her neck, lips moving over her skin and she felt his chest inflate as he breathed in deep. There was a pulling deep in her chest that made her gasp, her eyes closing and he groaned against her. “Fuck.” He sighed and pressed his lips to the heavy pulse under her jaw before inhaling again, the pull stronger this time and making her moan. It felt like a thread was connecting them and she pulled him up into a kiss, feeling him press against her stomach, hard and thick. “You taste so fuckin’ good.”

[fangbangerghoul]

Thorny Feelings

Rated: Explicit/Mature WC: 3,232 Pairing: @bearlytolerant's OC Valentine Blanche and my own destructive Ghoul Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3 Summary: Valentine follows his dear friend Ghoul out into the woods away from the camp of companions they've been traveling with in Faerun. Tags: smut, anal, light bondage, light bdsm, probably other stuff like magic

photo credit: @bearlytolerant because she always does great edits and virtual photography.

My first Ao3 post in forever is smut because why the fuck not. I'm back baby. I first wrote this maybe a month or two ago (I am horrible with the concept of time) but I finally have had a few days to sit down and revise it to my own satisfaction.

This is a gifted fic for @bearlytolerant but it's also secretly a gift for me because these two live rent free in my head.

Only a snippet will be below the cut, for the rest you must visit the ao3 link in the title of the post!

The stars decorated the sky as a small cool breeze graced their skin. It sent a shiver down Ghoul’s arms as she led the two of them through the forest away from the others. Val was close behind her his steps echoing hers as they broke small branches and trekked through the weeds. Soon they reached the clearing she had eyed earlier, and a small smirk of accomplishment formed on her face. 

“Here we are.” She confirmed as Valentine stood beside her, squinting as he tried to look around the dark little clearing in the middle of the forest. It was a bland spot where trees for some reason had decided not to grow. 

“And…what did we come out here for?” He inquired with a bit of skepticism. Val was willing to follow her initially. But the occasional small comments that he made on the way told her how he was second guessing himself. Especially now that he saw they were in the middle of nowhere so far from camp. 

“Privacy.” She answered vaguely. She went into the middle of the clearing, slowly taking off the assortment of weapons and satchels that carried her things. She motioned for him to come forward and he slowly copied her. His brown gaze watched her with intent as he followed the small motions. Ghoul could tell the gears in his mind were starting to finally catch up to her idea even if he didn’t know the full extent. 

She reached out to grab his shirt and dragged the larger-than-life man down to her. Making sure to kiss him ever so passionately. Their size difference was sometimes an obstacle but over time she had learned to adjust. Her free hand reached to his thick shoulders and squeezed tightly to silently demand he stays in place. He leaned in more, gently cupping the back of her head as they continued, and she smiled into it. Honored by the need he always displayed towards her no matter where they were or who they were with.

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[jaredwalkersam]

walker 1.02 | hot af 1/20