#Ethan's not here. yet. he will be eventually

[everythingwasalreadypicked]

can you put the titans win AU on AO3? I don't want to miss something interesting. (which is all of it)

^the ficlets I have on my tumblr combined to one place

The art is still here under the #ethabaster titans win au tag

[canthelpit0]

Enemies (With Benefits) PT4

Pairing: Cold!Chris x Reader

Wordcount: 4K +

Summary: Chris and reader have always been enemies ever since they’ve known each other. neither knew why they had this burning feeling in their gut. So one day they decide to fuck it out. Until, eventually doing it regularly

Warnings: Smut, language, mentions of insomnia, mentioned nightmares/dreams, slight facial dysmorphia (if u squint), mentions of crying, slightly toxic, party, use of y/n, nickname (cherry), pet names (ma, sweetheart, etc), fight (not graphic), switching, unprotected, creampie (she’s on the pill)

(A/N: hope you guys like this! got the idea from this request. Tysm again <33)

PT1 PT2 PT3 PT4 FINAL

Everything with Chris is so unnecessarily complicated.

Why does he act like a little bitch sometimes. Coming to my house, begging me and than being all sassy and annoying.

I let out a harsh scoff when I accidentally smudged my mascara a little bit. Rolling my eyes I pick up a make up remover and a cotton pad to clean up my mistake.

I’ve gone back to ignoring Chris, for my own sake. And he’s stopped attempting to talk to me fully.

I’ve been sticking to Ethan a lot recently. Just staying by his side and all.

We were both invited to this party. But we were both gonna Uber there separately.

I was thinking of getting wasted tonight. I haven’t done that in a while. The last party I’d been to was the party Evelyn forced me to go to.

Evelyn and I haven’t talked much, due to me distancing myself. But she hadn’t tried to reach out either. I’m sure though, that she’ll be at the party.

Having finished my make up now, I look at myself in the mirror. I color corrected my red eyes from crying, well. That as Well as my dark eye bags from sleeping bad.

I was never the type of person to cry a lot. But recently… i was crying because of Chris. But I hate him. Yet he was making me cry, wishing that he was here to comfort me

I hum a tune that’s been stuck in my head.

I just wanna rub my eyes harshly, and just start crying again. I’ve been dreaming of Chris. All in different scenarios.

Sometimes we fucked, cuddled, or even argued. Other times he was with charlotte; or someone else. And other times I was with someone else and saw him in the corner of my eyes.

I’ve been sleeping bad at night, so occasionally I’d have naps after school. Wich didn’t really help much since I’d dream again.

I sigh staring back at myself. And it feels like the more I stare into the mirror, the more my face morphs and changes. That doesn’t look like me.

I purse my lips. My hands slam on my vanity as I aggressively get up.

I let out a harsh sigh moving away from the vanity.

I get a notification from my phone, notifying me that my Uber is here. I snap out of my trance. Honestly I’m so glad that that caught me off guard because I actually might’ve broken that mirror if it hadn’t.

I grab my tiny handbag and shove my phone into it. Then I just walk outside.

Once I’m in the Uber again I drift away in thought.

Chris had done nothing but mess with me, since I’ve known him. Since forever.

Now I’m in my tiny dress, my ass probably showing slightly when I walk, and I’m gonna get laid from someone other than Chris.

Maybe I can obsess over someone else.

And maybe I can finally remember that Chris is not the only human with a dick. And not the only one who can use it.

Before I knew it we were already there. I could hear the slight music from outside blaring into the car.

I tip the dive and finally get out the car.

I heard the car speed say behind me. While the house party in front of me had loud obnoxious music playing.

I swing open the door. I sigh at the tight crowd of people and just decide to card through them.

I’m getting Deja vu from this really. But last time I’d been here I’d seen Chris almost fuck charlotte, and than proceed to fuck me.

Chris..

Chris?

I raise an eyebrow staring back at a person across the room. He was dancing a solo cup already in his hand.

Okay so I was extremely late, so what.

I need to stop going to parties ‘fashionably’ late. By the time I arrive everyone is already wasted.

I purse my lips pushing through the drunk teenagers to get to the kitchen. From where I was standing I could still see Chris.

I need to stop thinking about him.

But how could I do that when he is just a few feet away, probably drunk and dancing with charlotte.

I turn to the counter grabbing some random liquor and pouring it into a, presumably, clean solo cup.

I down half of it in seconds. I need to feel the rush. I need to get drunk.

Honestly I could go looking for Ethan, but than I’d probably hang out with him in the backyard and smoke all light. Or I could find myself some good dick.

★ ★ ★

After a good few drinks I was dancing with some dude. I don’t know his name, and I don’t care to.

This would be a simple hook up.

Before I know it he starts to guide me outside mumbling something to me about how we can fuck at his house.

And honestly I don’t know why I let him drag me out of the party.

I don’t really want to hook up with him, I want Chris. But I won’t stop him either. I don’t care to.

Suddenly we stop walking. And within seconds I feel his hands off of me, and a loud cry echo through the night air.

I turn around to see what’s happening.

It was Chris. He’d punched my possible hook up guy. My mouth falls open. I want to say something. To tell Chris to fuck off and leave. But I want Chris.

I don’t pay attention for one second and suddenly the guy is on top of Chris beating him up.

I can see from their faces that Chris had gotten a few punches in too though. The guy was taller and bigger than Chris. And I remember something about him being an American football player or something.

Chris manages to flip them around beating up the guy. They wrestle on the ground while I just stand there stupidly and watch.

My drunk brain was processing this way too slow.

Suddenly I see Ethan come into my field of view trying to separate the two on the ground, without getting involved.

I feel another presence next to me. And it’s charlotte. The girl looks as shocked as me. but she also looks more sober.

I snap out of my trance, my slow brain having finally caught up.

I put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder to tell him to back off. And once he does I pull them apart. And they let me.

I yell at both of them about how stupid they are to make a scene like this. Both of them look down in shame.

I turn fully standing in front of the random dude. I slap him across the face and tell him to fuck off.

After that everything is a blur really. Once I somehow got Chris to my house, and up the stairs without waking my siblings, we stand in my bathroom.

Chris is sitting on the closed toilet seat. I sprint downstairs really quick to get him some ice, because, half his face was definitely going to be blue by tomorrow.

Once I’m back I put some alcohol on a cotton pad gently dapping it in his skin as he occasionally takes in harsh breaths.

“Why would you hit him?”

I sigh. That’s the first question I’ve asked since we’ve gotten here.

He holds the ice on his cheek, while I tend to a wound on his forehead. He wasn’t cut up too badly though. It was just a fist fight after all.

“Because he was going to take advantage of you” he scoffs as if the answer to that was obvious.

I purse my lips. Honestly I was subjecting myself to it. I was literally begging for anything, I would’ve been fine with that.

“You had no right to intervene.” I purse my lips. I take the alcohol from the sink and put it back in its place in the cabinet.

I help him up. Chris wasn’t walking bad, I just wanted to touch him.

We walk to my bedroom where he sits down on the bed, and I once again stand between his legs.

I take the ice out of his hands to look at his cheek to see how bad the damage is.

And after a moment I feel his arms wrap around my waist. He berries his non-bruised cheek into my stomach.

“You don’t get it cherry” he sighs, relaxing more as he touches me. “He was looking at you in a weird way.”

“Like what?” I ask. My hand goes to his head. I card my fingers through his messy brown hair.

“Like an object.” He mumbles so lowly, I barely even understand it.

“Oh and you don’t?”

The question is asked flatly. I just look down at him blankly not thinking anything of it.

“No.” He pulls away to look up at me. He looks at me like he is insisting he’s telling the truth.

“I may be rude, but I never look at you like you’re an object.” He scoffs at the accusation. He rolls his eyes hard.

“You don’t?” I ask flatly, not bothering to even act surprised. As much as in hate Chris, he doesn’t treat me bad. Necessarily. He’s just a dick.

He grumbles disagreements turning his face fully into my stomach as he keeps holding me closer.

He starts to complain about his head hurting, and how he fought someone for me and whatever.

I pull him off of me slightly. I was still holding the ice in my hand. It was a bunch of ice cubes I had put together onto some towel.

I slowly sink to my knees between Chris’ legs. I look up at him through my lashes.

“Want me to take your mind off of things baby?”

I ask in a mildly mocking way. But I was dead serious.

Chris lets out a shaky breath. He tugs his shirt off, quickly throwing it off to the side. “Please” he sighs out.

I tug at his belt trying to undo it slowly, to tease him more.

“God I’ve missed you so much.”

His breaths are shaky. His eyes close for a moment. He was getting so worked up and bothered already.

“Have you?” I ask teasingly. He purses his lips slightly staring down at me. He undoes the button on his jeans and finally slides them down.

I help him take them off fully. Then I toss them away.

I look up at him watching him, as he sat only in his boxers in front of me.

“Fuck, you gonna be all submissive like last time?” I mock still looking up at him.

“Cherry, don’t tease please.” He sighs looking down at me.

I stand up quickly and turn to face away from him. Since the dress was a halter dress. I pull my hair to my from teasingly.

“Be a sweetheart and undo this for me real quick.” I don’t wait for long. His hands find my upper back undoing the string of the halter.

I turn back around again letting the top fall, revealing my lacy bra underneath.

I wiggle the dress around a little bit to slide it down. I slip out of it and then kick it away. I was standing in front of him in my matching lacy bra and thong sent.

His eyes trail my body. He looks hungry and needy. Looking submissive as ever.

I lean down to help him take his boxers off. And once he does I sit back down between his legs.

I look up at his dick. And it’s the only one I’ve seen in a while. It’s the only one that I’ve ever found pretty.

Never thought that was possible. But here we are.

The tip was the same red as he has on his cheeks. He was painfully hard and it had pre cum leaking.

I cup it in my hand starting to teasingly slowly jerk him off. “Y/n/n, cherry, please” he whines loudly, to wich I stop my movements.

“Chris” I hiss under my breath my expression harsh. I slap his thigh for a moment to catch his attention. I squeeze his cock lightly.

“My siblings are home. Shut the fuck up”

I hiss. Usually I wouldn’t mind, but my siblings are younger than me. 4 and 5 years. Me being 18, they’re 14 and 13. They don’t need to hear my childhood friend that they have also known for ages get fucked.

“Sorry, sorry” he huffs under his breath. I watch as Chris leans back in his arms looking down at me.

I take one of the ice cubes from the ice in the towel. I then proceed to put it right on his aching tip.

He flinches at the contact of the cold ice in his burning hot skin. I grin at the reaction, watching the way his dick twitches.

“You’re such a tease” he scoffs, to wich I just chuckle.

I drag the ice cube down his shaft before putting it back on the towel with the other few ice cubes. I knew it was gonna melt but honestly I couldn’t care less.

I start to jerk him off slowly again. I lean down to place a peck on the tip, and then proceed to suck him off slowly.

I swirl my tongue only keeping the tip in and staying teasingly slow.

I hear Chris let out a sharp huff, throwing his head back.

“Come on, ma” he says under his breath. His hand snakes into my hair, Slightly gripping at it. And then he harshly pushes me down, making me deep throat him for a second.

I choke on it for a second. Chris starts to move my head, yanking on my hair. I was deep throating him roughly.

I keep my hands on his thighs and pull off. “Don’t” I huff pushing away his hand from my hair, And then smoothing it down again.

I go back to licking a teasing stripe up his shaft, before I go back to deepthroating him, jerking off what I can’t fit in my mouth.

“Ma- I’m-“ he sighs. He was leaning back on his arms his head thrown back. He was trying so hard to keep his moans and groans minimal and as quiet as possible.

I pull off and chuckle. I kiss up his sensitive shaft while looking up at him. Then I get up and hover over him.

I connect our lips in a deep passionate kiss. And while I continue kissing him I lean over starting to straddle him.

Still while kissing him, I start to slowly sink down on his length making both of us moan.

When he bottomed out in me I pull away. My hands go to his shoulders as I just sit there for a moment.

My cunt was aching at the stretch. I had to get used to it again, since we hadn’t hooked up in a while.

I haven’t hooked up with anyone other than Chris in a while. And the last time I had it was not nearly as pleasurable as when I did it with Chris.

“So good for me, baby” I mumble under my breath leaning in more as I wrap my arms around his neck.

His hands trail over my thighs to my hips to hold me.

“Just for you ma.” He mumbles back. We’re so close I can feel his soft breath in my face. He just looks so kissable right now. With his lips plump and swollen like that.

“Oh yeah? Didn’t get pussy from someone else, hm?” I say again my tone low and harsh.

I start to gently grind into him. His hands on my hips don’t stop me or help me either.

“Fuck-“ Chris’ breaths are heavy as he tries to keep his voice low. “You’re the only girl I’ve been fucking.” He admits lowly, the blush on his cheeks only deepen.

“Oh, am I?” I mock as I start to slowly lift myself. I start to ride him, his hands on my hips only being there to steady my movements.

“God- you’re gorgeous” he breaths out staring up at me. His eyes stay locked on mine.

One of His hands starts to trail up my side. And once he reaches my bra, he pulls my body closer to him so he has better access to undo it.

Both his hands back down to my waist now actually helping me ride him harder.

I clench my teeth my moans coming out as sharp breaths as I try to keep quiet. I’m doing a better job than Chris is though.

I put a hand on his mouth to muffle his groans further.

“God- you’re doing so good for me baby.” I pant under my breath, still trying to keep as quiet as possible. My hips pick up pace even more. I continue moving, his tip pressing against my cervix repeatedly.

He mumbles back an agreement, my hand still keeping him quiet.

I continue to ride him at a harsh pace until I feel the knot in my stomach get tighter, ready to snap.

“Chris- I’m so close-“ I breathe out trying to keep myself from moaning.

Chris gently takes my hand from his face putting his own hand on my mouth to muffle my sounds.

“C’mon ma, come for me” he bites his lip. leaning back slightly, he watches as I do all the work. “Go on, get off on my cock”

My pace starts to become more messy and uncontrolled. Chris was also not helping, doing nothing except keeping his hands on my face.

With a muffled moan I slam myself down one last time. My head falls forward as I feel my orgasm wash over me. I feel warm and so relieved.

He takes his hand from my mouth, he then leads me to him by my neck and presses our lips together.

His hands both go back to My waist. just holding my body close to his.

I could still feel him rock hard in me. I knew we weren’t done, but I was appreciating the break.

Chris pulls me off gently and picks me up. He turns us around so he is on top of me.

Us fucking in missionary was always rare as hell. Because we’re there for the benefits. -And according to Chris, he hates my face so much he doesn’t want to see it.

well at least that’s what he used to tell me.

He slides his dick through my folds, before slowly pushing in.

I sigh feeling him fill me up again.

In our enemies with benefits situation we never did anything that felt intimate. The sex felt like sex, and not love. And that’s how it worked. It was good like that.

But like this, Chris, his blue eyes staring right into mine. The way he kept his hand at the curve of my waist, his other hand holding him up placed next to my head.

We were so close, I could practically feel him breathing on my face.

This felt so intimate, like something we, as people who hate each other, shouldn’t be doing

And that’s exactly what it was.

Well I guess we already made the first mistake when we first hooked up.

We were never meant to be. Not like that. Not like this.

So why did it feel so good though?

“You good ma?”

Have I been staring? Probably. But how can I help myself when he is so close to me, looking ever so handsome.

“I’m good. Please move” I whine trying to keep my voice low.

He sinks down, his face burying in the crook of my neck as he starts to move. All slow and sensual.

we barely ever did missionary, and when we did, his face was as far away from mine as possible. But right now it seemed like he was trying to be as close to me as possible.

He occasionally groans into my skin, sending tingles down my spine and right to my aching core. I try to keep my voice low, but still let a few soft moans slip.

“Y/n?” He says abruptly. He keeps up the slow sensual thrust, keeping himself buried deep. Yet he sits up slightly, his forearm next to my head holding him up.

“Mhm?” I say lowly not really trusting my voice.

Our eyes lock. Chris swallows. My eyes trail his features, trailing down to his chest, to his lips and back to his eyes again.

“Can I come in you?”

I raise my eyebrow at the question. Usually we used condoms. I mean I’m on the pill but according to Chris he ‘doesn’t want to take any risk’. But recently we had done it like that more than we had since the whole arrangement started.

“ ‘corse” I mumble back.

And before I know it Chris is picking up pace. He doesn’t move back, keeping himself hovering right above me our eyes connected.

My core was aching from all the over stimulation. So I shudder when he picks up pace.

He still keeps his strokes sensual and deep. I moan lightly, cautiously keeping my voice low.

He re-adjusts my legs, wrapping them around his torso for a deeper angle.

He picks up pace even more. I throw my head back at the overwhelming pleasure, my eyes closing, my mouth falling open in a silent moan.

Chris doesn’t even bother to make me look back at him. He just lets me enjoy this, and watches. Watches the way I look with my head thrown back in euphoria.

“Chris, Chris- chris-“ I keep my voice low but the more I chant his name the higher and squeakier my voice gets.

Chris takes that as a telltale sign that I’m close, but so was he.

He cups my mouth shutting me up. or atleast muffling my moans and whines.

He picks up pace even more. My eyes go back to meet his, my eyebrows scrunched in pleasure.

I tap his wrist to tell him I’m close. He licks his lips. Of course he knew I was close without me telling him.

His hand stays firmly on my mouth, keeping me quiet. “You’re doing so good, cherry”

His other hand goes to my clit in order to finish me off quicker. He rubs it harshly.

Suddenly I throw my head back again, clenching around him. I feel my release wash over me again.

He keeps pounding into me. But his thrusts get more sloppy and uncontrolled. Until his hips stutter. He gives me one last thrust before his spurts of cum shoot into me.

My legs are tense around his torso from the overwhelming pleasure.

I feel warm and so filled. It felt way more intimate than the countless times we’ve hooked up before.

And the fact that he stays there, collapses on top of me, his face in my neck, gently kissing, And not moving off, only made this feel even more intimate.

After a long while of just cuddling, and being in each other’s presence, Chris sits up. He gently and slowly pulls out, making me wince at the loss of contact.

He stares down at my cunt for what feels like a long time. Until his pointer and middle finger meet it again. Pushing the seed that was leaking out of me back in.

“Chris” I hiss my body shooting up. I was now half sitting my arm propping me up, my other hand going to circle his wrist to stop him from moving his hand.

“Awe poor baby does that hurt?” He huffs in a slight mocking tone. But for once it doesn’t seem menacing.

“Yes. don’t do that” I roll my eyes.

He chuckles at the sassy tone. “Well I gotta make sure you don’t waste it.” He sasses right back.

Chris already prepared for the worst outcome.

“I’m still on the pill.” I huff. I then slowly pull his fingers out of me, seeing the way they were covered in a whole lot of our mixed juices.

He chuckles popping his fingers into his mouth.

Matserlist

A/N: I loved writing this series. But it’ll probably only have one more chapter (so 5 in total). This was my first ever series, and it was so fun to write. Love y’all. My dms & req are open 🩷

‼️please don’t copy my work/idea‼️

Taglist: @muwapsturniolo , @sturnad , @iluvm4ttsturni0l0 , @evie-sturns , @me09love , @fratbrochrisgf , @spideylovin , @chrissgirlsstuff , @stunza , @whicked-hazlatwhore , @sturniooolos , @ecliphttlunar , @orangeypepsi , @klaus223492 , @t1llysblog

[jennycalendar]

i'm gonna be so real here i can't come up with a snappy caption for these images i just wanted them next to each other. the dark age as an episode is such a win for bisexuality. we get the two great loves of giles's life in one episode and they never once interact but they both share this moment of existing on the outskirts of an intimacy they don't/can't/will never understand. yet at the same time absolutely they get it because both jenny and ethan are irrevocably changed by giles and their mutual desire to Get Him Back is what eventually destroys them both in one way or another.

and GOD the difference in the way giles grips ethan's hair vs. cups jenny's face!!!! does that not say it all??? jenny as quietly unnerved by a violence she has never experienced vs. ethan as quietly resentful about an unguarded intimacy he has never experienced. jenny knows he's never gonna touch her like that & ethan knows he's never gonna touch him like that. very different contexts.

[rileyslibrary]

Be gentle, man!

Synopsis: You and the team go undercover to a dinner where high-profile guests are invited. You need to acquire vital information while acting posh at the same time. Good lord, help you all.

Relationship: Simon "Ghost" Riley x F!Reader, Task Force 141 x F!Reader

Word Count: 1,519 (approx. 6-7 min reading time)

Notes:

This is the second (and final) part of the story but you can read it as a oneshot. Here’s Part 1 if you’re interested.

No warnings; casual read with platonic relationships.

———————————————————————

The Athenian Palace: You’ve heard of the place a few times, mainly through the news, but never had the chance to visit. And why would you? Are you the president of a country? A diplomat? A wealthy businessperson with significant influence over government decision-makers? No, you are just a soldier among the many considered expendables. Your duty is to protect your country with your life—the same country that many attending the event have a vested financial interest in.

But today, everything is different. Today, you’re supposed to act like someone who comes from money.

For the past month, you and the rest of the team have undergone extensive training in formal dining, conversation, walking, and dancing. Everyone has adapted to their undercover personas somehow, except for Price, who couldn’t accompany you since he’s been undercover in a similar instance some years ago and poses a threat to the mission if he gets recognised.

Gaz required the least training among the four of you. You haven’t yet determined if he was naturally suited for this role or if his assigned persona was more straightforward than the rest. Nevertheless, he seemed comfortable conversing about the tech industry and acting like James Sinclair, the alleged tech entrepreneur.

On the other hand, Soap was the complete opposite of Gaz. Your etiquette instructor, Lady Theodora, struggled to mould him, but he always found a way to break free. Eventually, she found the tipping point to channel Soap’s extravagance to benefit the mission.

“What would you do if you were a trust fund child?” She asked, to which Soap replied that he would be “poised and all” but at the same time act “like Paris Hilton in the 2000s.” And that’s how Maxwell Vanderbilt—or “you can call me Max,” according to Soap—was born: with a mohawk, a loose-fitting suit, and an unchallenged attitude. You hated to admit it, but he was the most authentic and convincing among the four of you.

As for you and your Lieutenant, you were still adjusting to your role as a couple, particularly with the required intimacy. Yet, with Lady Theodora’s help, you managed to get closer, even if that involved a few unorthodox ways of doing things. One day, for example, she duck-taped your hands together and ordered you to spend the entire day together. She taught you how to dance, touch each other in public, and show, without telling, how you and Ghost— or Sir Ethan K. Wood—would infiltrate the facility and gather vital information as a couple.

He hated the name. “Why should I pretend to be fucking Ethan?” He asked, but Lady Theodora explained that it was a name forged by Laswell and she could do nothing about it. And when you told him you were named “Constance”, he spitted out his drink and immediately became grateful to Sir Ethan K. Wood.

Arriving in a Maserati Levante, you were greeted by a team of three people, two opening your doors and one guiding your hand as you stepped out of the car.

You wrap your arm around Ghost and approach the entrance.

As you walk through the imposing double doors, the room reveals itself in all its glory—a high ceiling decorated with murals stretch towards the heavens. The ballroom’s walls are draped in exquisite fabrics of gold and burgundy while crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow, illuminating the space and creating an inviting and elegant atmosphere.

The ballroom’s focal point is a large dance floor. It invites guests to dance while a live orchestra, hidden in a corner, fills the room with melodies. Surrounding the dance floor, elegant tables decorated with crisp linens showcase elaborate floral centrepieces, while towering candelabras provide additional illumination.

You look at the guests; men wear tailored tuxedos, and women glide in flowing gowns and sparkling jewellery. Your gaze shifts to Ghost, who looks dashing in a three-piece navy suit, a matching tie, and a white handkerchief in his chest pocket.

“Are you ready, my dear?” You ask with fake confidence.

“Ah, my love,” Ghost replies, “in for a penny...”

“... in for a fucking pound.”

“Language, Constance.” He corrects you sternly.

“Apologies, darling.”

You enter the crowd, mingling with the elite. Ghost introduces you as his wife, guiding you with a firm yet gentle touch on your back. Engaging in conversation, you discuss the land you supposedly own, the inflation—that most people in the room are the direct cause of—and collectively sorrow over the economy’s current state. All this while sipping champagne from crystal glassware that’s worth more than your annual salary.

Among the guests, you spot Soap conversing with a group of Wall Street figures. He appears relaxed, holding a glass of whiskey with an orange peel garnish.

“Ah, what can you do?” You hear his Scottish accent echoing in the room. “It’s a self-regulating market, after all.”

Lots of things baffle you in this world. Soap, talking about self-regulating markets with a bunch of Golden Boys who nod and agree with him just added another paradox to your list.

“Darling,” Ghost says, with his hand finding yours and interlacing your fingers, “dinner will be served shortly; let us find our table.”

You approach your seats, and Ghost pulls out a chair for you. As you settle in, you look around at the surrounding tables, searching for familiar faces. Gaz, sporting a suit with no tie and fake glasses, is seated at the table next to yours and talks with the people around him.

The evening unfolds with a symphony of courses served with artistic precision. Each dish arrives like a work of art—a culinary masterpiece. You apply Lady Theodora’s training and indulge in the exquisite feast while engaging polite conversations. You observe and listen closely to the guests’ discussions, hoping to obtain any valuable information that might aid your mission.

With dinner concluded, everyone moved to the ballroom for the entertainment segment. Ghost discreetly signals for you to follow him. Excusing yourselves, you navigate the corridors of the Athenian Palace, with the music and chatter fading as you reach the server room.

“This is it,” Ghost whispers as he approaches the servers. “The information we need should be here. You need to get to work.”

You nod and navigate the complex digital landscape, leveraging your technical expertise to penetrate the encrypted files. Meanwhile, Ghost maintains a vigilant watch and stands guard, ensuring no unexpected disruptions throw a wrench into your plans. Each creak or distant voice makes him reach for the gun in his inner jacket pocket.

Minutes pass like hours. Suddenly, your face lights up.

“Got it!” you shout, and Ghost brings a finger to his lips, urging you to keep quiet.

“Got it!” You repeat, this time in a whisper.

“Good girl,” he replies softly, “now let’s go find the others and get the fuck out of here.”

You begin your return to the ballroom, but things feel strange this time. The calm conversations surrounding the place have turned to screams, and the music sounds somewhat different than when you left the hall.

Ghost puts a hand in front of you and stops you.

“What’s going on, Constance?” he asks, concerned.

“Let’s find out, my love,” you reply, loading the pistol strapped to your thigh.

You run through the corridors, but there’s no one there—it sounds like everyone has gathered in the main hall.

Just before entering the ballroom, you compose yourself, adopting the poised stance Lady Theodora taught you. You enter the hall to uncover the reason behind the change in atmosphere.

Soap stands on a table in the centre of the ballroom, flipping his mohawk from left to right in sync with the rhythm of “Macarena”, played by the orchestra. Ties are now worn as headbands, and champagne glasses have become shots.

Dumbfounded by the spectacle unfolding right before your eyes, you approach Gaz.

“Ga-James, what’s the deal with all this?” You ask while looking at Soap dancing on the table.

Gaz chuckles, adjusts his fake glasses, and points towards Soap. “This fucking genius had a brilliant plan to create a diversion while you two were working your magic behind the scenes.”

Ghost raises an eyebrow. “So, this whole… thing is Soap’s way of keeping the spotlight off us?”

Gaz nods. “Exactly, mate. Soap figured throwing a wild party would divert the security’s focus from their employer’s safety.”

You look at Soap, who has now started a conga line. “If their employer is too drunk and occupied, they won’t care about outside threats,” you utter.

“Indeed,” Gaz says, “they have a whole other worry; their employer not getting any more shitfaced.”

“That audacious, brilliant motherfucker,” Ghost shakes his head in awe, “he just created the perfect cover for our mission.”

Soap notices you looking at him and raises his hands triumphantly. He looks so proud of his achievement. He brings his thumbs to his chest and mouths something.

“What is he saying?” You ask, confused.

Ghost��s lips curve up, and he leans towards you.

“He says,” he whispers in your ear, “like Paris Hilton in the 2000s.”

———————————————————————

[keraxxx]

Pretty boy

Ethan Landry X Bimbo Fem! Reader

A/N: I know I keep leaving and coming back but like i need some ideas so if you have any please request i’d be happy to write it! :) Also sorry this is another short story.

Summary: You find out Ethan is a virgin and decide to give him a blow job.

Warnings: Smut, oral(M reviving), not proof read. (lmk if i missed something.)

——————

“So you’re a virgin? And you’ve never even had a blowjob before?” You and Ethan were having a friendly chat on the couch of your house until one thing lead to another andddd it landed here. You try to cover your laughter by biting your lip. “Yeah..” Ethan says as he rubs the back his neck. You giggle slightly. “Awww Poor baby.” You teased as you scooted closer to him. You saw his face flush red as you did so, your knees touching.

You smirk as thought pops into your head. “What if… i give you a blow job?” Ethan gasped at how straightforward you were. His eyes traveled up and down your body as they eventually landed on your mini skirt. “I um…”

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. It would just be an experience..” You wink. He thinks for a second before he looks up at you again and nods. “O-Okay..” You smile as he says that and your hands fly to his face to pull him closer to yours.

You kiss him, your tongue meeting his, his soft moans going to the back of your throat. He grabs the back of your neck for support. “Mm fuck..” You groan before pulling away. You slowly got off the couch and and got on your knees, Ethan being able to see down your shirt now. “Are you ready?” You smirk and rub your hands over his pants as you slowly unbuckle them. He nods slowly yet eagerly as you finish unbuckling his pants.

You slide his pants down his thighs and get to his boxers. You could see his dick twitching and getting harder by the second. You rub your hands over it, teasing him. His soft moans and whimpers were music to your ears. “So eager.. does the baby need to hold my hand?” You say sarcastically as you see Ethan cover his mouth with his hand.

“Come on let me hear you..” You take his hand off his mouth and hold it as your other hand pulls down his boxers. His cock springs out, tip red and sticky from the pre-cum. Your eye widen at how big he is. “Oh my…” You giggle as you lick the pre-cum off. He gasped and jumps slightly bucking his hips up.

“God!” He said as he shuts his eyes. “Don’t cum too early now.” You tease and Ethan grips your hand. “Is this okay pretty boy?” You ask genuinely. He nods again. “Yes…” Without hesitation you slowly insert his cock into your mouth. You reach his base and you choke slightly. Ethan whines as you do so.

You smile and bob your head up and down, Ethan’s hand grabbing your hair into a makeshift ponytail to control your speed. “F-Fuck…” He says to the warmth of your throat. Spit falls out your mouth as you slightly go faster.

Ethan bucks his hips into your mouth, his head falling back as he whimpers, your tongue swirls around his sensitive tip a couple times. “I’m- so close..” He groans as he pushes your head down before bringing it back up again. You lift your lips off his cock and start stroking him fast. “Cum for me pretty boy.” You say, spit in your mouth as you keep sucking him. He starts panting, his heart beating erratically as he comes in your mouth.

You moan as you swallow his cum. You pull away licking your lips. “Well did you enjoy that ‘experience’ Ethan?” You giggle as he looks at your mouth that is covered in spit. “I’ll take that as an yes..”

————

[neo-novaa]

hey I lov your writing!! could u write ethan landry x fem reader where they have a movie night and try to pull an all nighter but eventually she falls asleep on ethan during the film

your wish is my command! and ty for the compliment :))

“hey. hey!”

you're barely awake, head stuck on ethan’s shoulder as the soft glow of the tv makes your tired eyes sting.  

“i’m awake e,” you lie, trying your best to rub the sleep out of your eyes. 

“if you want to go to sleep you can—“

“no, i’m not tired.” you say. firmly. 

you’re too exhausted to notice the way ethan smiles knowingly.

you’re trying your hardest to pay attention to whatever horror movie ethan put on, you really are. but it’s 4am and your energy drinks ran empty hours ago. you were the one begging him to stay up with you yet, here you were, seconds away from sleep. 

“hey, did you know that while they were filming the scene, when aragon kicked the helmet, he actually broke his toe.”

your eyes snap open.

“we’re watching lord of the rings?”

ethan furrows his brows and narrows his eyes. “y…es? did…did you not know that? what did you think we were watching?”

“ethan…let me level with you—“

“i’m gonna bet a million dollars that i know what you’re going to say.”

“i am…so tired that i genuinely thought we were still watching that woodsy horror movie.”

ethan pulls you close and rests his head on top of your head, sighing deeply. “you mean the blair witch project?”

you shrug against his chest. “dude…i have no fucking clue.”

“well, seeing as though that was the only horror movie we watched, and the fact that we finished that over an hour ago—” you fake a sob against his chest. “i think it’s time someone goes to sleep.”

“ethaannn,” you drag his name out, eyes so heavy that it feels like a workout to keep them open. “i’m not tired.”

“me when i lie,” he mutters, and you muster up enough strength to slap his chest.

“you are literally fading in and out of consciousness every other second! there’s no shame in going to sleep babe, we’ll just pull an all-nighter another time, ok?”

no response. 

“hello? are you alive?” he leans his head down to meet your face, finding a you to be very much alive but very much asleep.

if you were awake, you’d be able to feel a soft kiss on your head, and hear a smug “ ‘not tired’ my ass.” from your boyfriend.

[w2soneshots]

Confess -W2S

words: 1.1k+

warnings: angst, alcohol consumption, hospital, injury, car accident, worrying.

summary: when you fall in love with your best friend you struggle to keep your feelings at bay then Harry gets into an accident and it changes everything.

notes: hello my loves! Here is the request🫶🏼. This is like nothing I’ve ever written before so I hope you enjoy🤭💓

Tonight I'm going to a club with the boys and the side girls for a night out. It was Freya's last minute idea since we haven't been with each other as a group in so long. I was slightly nervous since I knew Harry was going to be there. I've had a crush on him since last year. There wasn't a specific moment that I realised but when I found myself constantly thinking about him and his big blue eyes I knew there was a problem.

I tried to convince myself that I didn't like him but eventually I accepted that I had a crush on one of my best friends. We've grown apart the past year due to me not wanting to be within two feet of him, worried that I'll do something I'll regret.

I invited Faith round to my apartment for pre drinks. Once she arrived I poured us both a drink and turned the music on. She helped me figure out what I was going to wear then after a few finishing touches we left. When we arrived outside of the club I took a deep breath. "You alright?" Faith asked with furrowed brows. "Mhm." I hummed then hopped out of the uber.

Thankfully Harry hadn't arrived yet so I got myself a drink. When I made my way back to the table I noticed that in the five minutes I'd been gone Harry and Freezy had arrived. It felt so weird to be nervous around him, we've been friends for so long and I've always felt so... safe when I'm with him. "Hey! y/n, how've you been?" Freezy asked. I smiled politely. "Great thanks." I sat down next to Talia.

After almost an hour of avoiding Harry I left to use the toilet. "Wait!" I turned around swiftly, just as I was about to open the bathroom door. Harry stood before me. I started to panic. I've never felt so strange in my life. Why do I feel like I'm going to explode. "I just- are you ok?" He asked. I looked to the floor. "I'm fine." I replied, swiftly pushing myself into the bathroom.

I took a deep breath once the door closed. "What the fuck is wrong with me?! I need fresh air." I thought. I made my way outside after freshening up and I let the cool air wash over my body. "I can't continue like this. I need to talk to Harry." I told myself. But first I need to get a little more drunk. When I returned to the table Talia began asking me where I'd been. I told her I wasn't feeling great so went to get some fresh air. She didn't look like she fully believed me but she let it go.

Later in the night once I was extremely drunk I decided it was time to talk to Harry. I took a deep breath then walked over to the bar where he stood next to Ethan. I tapped him gently on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you?" I asked him softly. He nodded quickly. I led him outside. "Ok so-" my words slowly cut out as he stepped towards me, so close I could smell the mixture of cologne and alcohol lingering on his body. "Can I kiss you y/n?" He asked. My breath hitched. I leaned closer. "Yes. Please." I whispered. Slowly his lips touched mine and everything finally felt complete.

After that night I didn't hear a word from him. I was upset but assumed that he didn't remember since we were so drunk or that he thought it was a mistake. But I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. It was sweet but desperate. Slow yet fast. Soft yet rough. I tried desperately to forget and move on but I just couldn't.

Almost two weeks after that night I was headed to my car after a long day at work when I got a call from Freezy. "Hello?" I answered, confused. "y/n, hi. Um- Harry's in the hospital." He told me quickly. My eyes widened. "I- what- Is he ok?!" I frantically ran towards my car. "He's ok but he's asking for you." "Me?" I stopped as I opened the car door. "Yes. Are you on your way?" He asked. "Mhm. I'll be there in ten."

When I arrived outside of the hospital I quickly parked then practically jumped out of the car. I made my way towards the reception desk and gave Harry's name. The woman nodded politely then showed me to his room. "Just in there." She said sweetly. I smiled lightly. "Thank you." She walked away and I stared nervously at the closed door. I took a long, deep breath. "He's fine. Everything's fine." I attempted to silently reassure myself. Before I could contemplate any more I pushed the door open.

Harry sat on a hospital bed with a few machines hooked up to him and a large bruise on his forehead. My mouth dropped open. "Oh my fucking god! I thought Cal said you were fine!" I rushed towards him. "I am." He reassured quietly. "You're clearly not! What the fuck happened?" "I- I was hit by a car." He looked into my eyes. A look of complete shock graced my features. "Hit by a car?!" "Uh, yeah. It was only a bump but I fell and knocked my head on the pavement. I think I passed out, it's all kind of a blur." My eyes fluttered closed. "Why am I here Harry?" I asked, eyes still shut.

It was silent for a second before he finally spoke. "Because I- I realised that if I had been really hurt today I would've regretted not telling you that... that I- I love you y/n." My eyes shot open. "You what?" My voice came out much quieter than I expected. "I love you. I've loved you for years. And I haven't stopped thinking about you since that kiss." "You remember?" "How could I not?" He pushed himself from the hospital bed. "Why- why didn't you say anything? No call, no text, nothing." I stepped back. "Because I thought you didn't remember." He replied.

I sighed, looking down at my feet. "I love you too." I whispered, barely believing that I was saying those words out loud. A tear slipped down my cheek. I wasn't sure if it was because I was nervous, stressed or happy but I didn't have time to think before I felt two strong arms wrap around my figure. I burst into floods of tears as I clung onto him. "I was so worried." I squeaked out. "I'm sorry." He whispered. I pulled away slowly with a sniffle. "I'm glad you're okay." "Me too because if I wasn't I wouldn't be able to do this." He placed his hand on the top of my back as our lips connected for the second (but definitely not last) time.

[ssa-atlas-alvez]

I hate myself for this but... sigh, I can't help it. At least this one is soft and not angsty

Aaron Hitch x Dad Male Reader

Hotch has been having trouble moving on from Haley (maybe divorce?) Despite it being 2 years. Garcia decides to talk him into going on a few blind dates, one of which is a friend of hers from an online RPG. Hotch is reluctant but agrees, trusting Garcia with her taste in friends.

When Hotch arrives at the small restaurant and stares hes there for a reservation that Garcia set up, he's lead to Reader already waiting at a table. Garvia failed to mention that Hotch's blind date was a man and so he's caught off guard. Through the date, it's obvious Hotch and Reader are awkward until Hotch mentions his son. As it turns out, Reader is a single dad as well after his fiance walked out

They bond over being parents and agree to meet up again. So they do, multiple times. They even set up little get togethers between the kids

Hiya, sorry this has take me so long (actually I'm sorry all of my requests are taking me so long aha) but I hope you enjoy it, it was a really cute request! :)

Description: What is says on the tin, really aha

You watch a man approach you and you know its him. Garcia knows your taste in men well and you have no doubt she would have ensured that the date she picked out for you would be perfect.

He approached you awkwardly, seeing that you were the only individual who was on their own. "Are you here for a blind date?" He asked, cheeks tinting pink.

"Yeah, I'm (Y/N), are you Aaron?"

The man, Aaron, nods. He's awkward, which makes you awkward. He sits down, "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting a-"

"Man?"

"Yeah,"

"I see... We, er, we don't have to do this, if you don't want to-" You rush out, already standing up.

"No, no, it's okay," He said, giving a small smile, sitting in the chair opposite you. "So, how do you know Garcia?"

"We play the same RPG, but we started talking on the forums and then eventually met up," You nod.

"RPG?" Aaron tilted his head, "That's role playing game, isn't it?"

You nod, grinning, "Yeah." Man, he was just too cute.

He nods as well, with a small smile.

Another minute passed in awkward silence. "So... Garcia mentioned you had a son?" You asked.

Aaron nods, a small smile already painting his face, "Yeah, Jack. He's just turned six."

"Oh, wow, my son's five," You nodded.

"You have a son?" Aaron asked, eyes widening slightly.

"Yeah, Ethan," You grinned. "His favourite thing at the minute is cars,"

"Jack's the same," Aaron said with a small laugh, "Cars and trains,"

"See, Ethan's not hopped on the train trend just yet," You laugh, "He's definitely on the dinosaur trend though,"

"Jack's not gone through that phase just yet,"

"Oh, cars and dinosaurs are all Ethan talks about," You smile.

After that, the rest of the meeting (*cough* date *cough*) went rather well, the initial awkwardness has dissolved and the pair of you stayed out late, talking about anything and everything. He now knew that Ethan's mother had left when he was still a baby, and you knew about the nasty divorce with his ex-wife Haley. You had even arranged a second meeting (read: 'date - sort of') where Jack and Ethan could meet each other the following week.

It was next week before you knew it. Ethan was so excited, practically bouncing off the walls.

"Are they here yet?!" Ethan asked, running in again.

"Bud, I've told you, I'll let you know when they're here-" You said with a small laugh, getting cut off by the doorbell ringing. "And it looks like they're now here,"

"Wooo!" Ethan cheered. "I can't wait to meet them,"

Ethan babbled as he followed you to the front door. "I'm sure Jack's just as excited to meet you," You grin. You really hoped the pair of them got along, you thought as you opened the front door.

"Hi," You breathed, seeing Aaron (that polo shirt on him? Damn).

"Hi," He replied. You grinned slightly, seeing the tips of his ears go pink.

"Hi! I'm Ethan!"

"I'm Jack!" Jack exclaims, equally excited.

"You wanna go play? My dad got me some new cars!"

"I love cars!" You smile as Ethan grabs Jack's hand and they both run off to go and play.

You turn to Aaron, "That looked like it went well,"

[emfleaa]

My horrible, no good, very bad, terrible, awful Mold!Ethan design (or his mutation if he’d had one)

clearly heavily influenced by the cleric beast from Bloodborne.

but I do actually have my reasons alongside the fact that I simply think the aesthetic fits well.

Deer/Antlers/Head

To me, Ethan Winters is best signified as a stag; a deer. The cleric beast, while not being completely ‘deer focused’, does have notable traits.

Deer are often thought of as shy, meek, weak prey animals due to their herbivore nature. Though certainly that can be the case, other times it is not. Deer are powerful creatures, quick and nimble. Antlers grown by deer can be strong enough to puncture the body or even cause interlocking, resulting in the eventual starvation of the other male (as well as possible decapitation).

Deer can be dangerous despite their initial appearance. A deer's kick can generate an estimated 700 psi. In comparison, a human punch can generate around 200 psi. They can easily break bone, knock a person down or cause internal bleeding through striking someone.

Ethan is often a character seen as weak or lesser than other Resident Evil protagonists, which I think is quite ridiculous. Drawing the parallel of deer and Ethan being seen as meek is an easy gap to bridge. But both are powerhouses in reality. Ethan is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with, injuries or not. More often than not, he is injuried in some form during gameplay.

Deer, even being hit by a car can still kill a man by kicking him to death through the windshield. (If it survives the initial impact of course.)

His antlers, and by extension head, would be made up of a hard material- possibly bone like. Perfect for ramming, skewering and protection.

Fur, claws, fangs, Skin

As for the fur aspect, I’m going to explain that using headcanon power/kind of canonical shit.

HGT or Horizontal Gene Transfer is the movement of genetic material between organisms other than the ‘vertical’ transmission of DNA from parent to offspring(reproduction).

HGT is present within the games and it is quite literally why Ethan is still Ethan after he is made up from the mold. Miranda uses it as well, disguising as Mia, and even Marguerite Baker ended up as a chimera of various insect genomes intersecting with her own.

All this to say, I believe the fur would come from lycans. But how?? How, dear god, is that even possible if lycans are the result of cadou experiments, emfleaa??? This is where things get more headcanony if they weren’t already. The cadou parasite changes one’s body, altering them heavily or not so unheavily. We know that lycans were the result of the cadou not taking properly to villagers, yet they are still a result of the cadou itself! As for how the DNA would be transferred onto Ethan, my explanation is extremely simple that it’s frankly stupid but apt, in my eyes.

He got his fucking fingers bitten off.

Now, I’m not saying the bite ‘infected’ Ethan, because clearly it didn’t. But for the sake of my little mold critter, I do think some lycan dna was taken in by the mold making up Ethan as a sort of reserve. Probably through the absorption of the lycans saliva through the wound.

And hence, the fur, the claws, the sharp teeth.

The skin, as I could try to depict it, wouldn’t actually be skin. It would more so be like the texture of the Molded from RE7, made up of pulsing mold.

Bloodborne

Bloodborne is so fucking amazing and personally one part sticks out to me and really makes me think of Ethan.

Djura, the retired hunter in Old Yharnam says, “There’s nothing more horrific than a hunt. In case you’ve failed to realize… the things you hunt, they’re not beasts. They’re people.”

I personally believe this sentiment fits Ethan so goddamn well. Especially if he were to mutate at all, into a beast, a monster. He’s still a person, somewhere deep down (probably).

But how or why would he mutate at all?

BLAAARRGHHH if you’re here for non-headcanon explorations into this topic this is where you can check out because I AM NOT GOING TO CLAIM I AM AN ETHAN WINTERS EXPERT. NOR RESIDENT EVIL. I AM SIMPLY A FAN WHO LIKES THIS WHITE BOY.

I truly believe Ethan Winters wouldn’t mutate unless under extreme emotional distress. I don’t believe that extreme physical distress would trigger a mutation within him, as he’s unfortunately fairly used to extreme physical distress. (Hand cut off, leg cut off, hand cut off again, impaled so many times, thrown around like a ragdoll, etc.)

Because of this mutation during extreme emotional states, I think his mutation would be a bit different from the usual “IM KILLING YOU. IM KILLING YOU. I DONT CARE WHATEVER THE FUCK ELSE IS GOING ON, I AM KILLING THAT GUY RIGHT THERE” mutation. I do think Ethan is capable of reacting violently, no doubt. I think he would lash out and create problems, but I don’t think he would actively seek them. To me, Ethan is the best example of the human will to survive.

I believe his mutation would prioritize survival over anything else. Doing whatever he needs to do to survive, no matter the cost, while staying safe.

I think on the chart of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Mold!Ethan would simply want the basic needs. While Ethan himself would want all of them, as is human nature.

Mold!Ethan would not seek violence, unless provoked I believe. (Which would probably happen anyways considering the conditions needed for this mutation to arise to begin with.)

What’s with the eyes/red marks?

On the topic of his eyes, you’re probably thinking, uh, where the fuck are they or why are they closed. Both great questions. My answers?

His eyes are on his face, they’re pretty massive. I imagine that he’d have them closed most of the time, as seeing through such large eyes would be incredibly overwhelming, possibly painful. Once more, I believe he’d only open them out of necessity, or extreme distress.

He’s got those big bulgy eyes like a dog or a rat boggling. (Eye colors were inspired by Jack Baker’s mutated form in the boathouse.)

The red marks along the skin are scarring; I just made them red as a sort of undertone glow that some mutations in the series have. I tried to depict most of his more severe/memorable injuries through the scars left behind, including the exclusion of his two eaten fingers.

Okay that was a lot. Anything else?

yeah uhhh here’s molded Ethan freakin out I imagine him to be like one of those really nervous shaky chihuahuas despite being incredibly tall if he stood up straight (though he quite feasibly can’t, he wouldn’t be able to support his weight)

there’s a whole bunch of shit else but that simply delves into my headcanons of Ethan himself, and idk about exploring them too much here haha, I’m already nervous enough as is with my silly ideas

if you read this far you can smoke a fat one with mold!ethan my thanks to you

[malehypnofantasy]

Read Part 2 here

Ben Richards is the ultimate all-American douchebags. He's blonde, he's muscular, and he's rich, and he knows he's a hot shit so that laid out the foundation for his ego.

He's also well-connected, with his family embedded deep within the political and economic leadership of not only in the United States, but also globally. The sheer level of power the young brat holds compounded with his attractive looks made him feared, respected and the most important of all, adored.

People wanted to be on his good side and everyone tried to get close to him. But only the reserved few that can get close to him and enjoyed all the perks of being his good friends. The others won't be seen or noticed by Ben and he wouldn't even hesitate to set the record straight or put people back to their places id he wished to do so, and that involved regular people like Casey that he viewed just as insignificant miscreant. Yet, that didn't phase Casey anymore, not when he got his magical power by his side, as Ben would be nothing but his mere puppet to play with.

Casey's family member always preached the need for a sorcerer to have not only strong mentality, but also strong physique as magic tend to consume a lot of energy and can push a magician to its physical limit. Having stronger physique means higher tolerance of pain and limit to exert one's magic, and for Casey, Ben is the answer to it. Casey is just simply too lazy to work out to build his body and endurance, and with his family never worked with magic in related to physically transform oneself, he needed to resort something more involving mental. The plan that Casey have in mind is to basically hijack Ben's body and use that jock's body as a proxy. From the memory of his great grandfather, such feat is possible as certain magician pulled it off in the past to create this front for their business enterprise with mere mortal as their original form seemingly unable to wield charisma or charm that they are lacking while human have this tendency to fall and adore someone that exude such quality

Ben's latest update involved a shirtless selfie he took in the gym. That's almost an hour ago, and per latest intel, Ben supposedly went to Walmart after his gym session. When Casey and Ethan finally arrived in Walmart's parking lot, they spotted Ben's electric blue BMW still parked nicely with no one inside, so they know they just need to wait for the jock to walk out from the store.

After around 15 minutes of waiting, Ben finally walked out with several groceries bag in both hands. Watching from safe distance inside their own car, Casey eyed Ben like the prey he is while Ethan just stared at Ben with no regards to the safety of his supposed frat bros as he is already gripped tightly under Casey's control. Casey then started to make his move as Ben finished with putting down his groceries inside his car. He walked out from the car and then called the jock while running. As Ben turned around then made eye contact, Casey utilized the opportunity to froze the muscular jock under his control. His 20/20 vision proven to be his shortcomings as he clearly entranced with Casey's eyes he managed to see. With zero control over his body, he stripped himself off and then forced to turn around and faced the car by Casey.

Ethan eventually followed Casey to walk out from the car. From the distant, he witnessed Casey pressed his body close to Ben's body and a radiant glow emanated from the two. The glow turned blinding as Ethan got closer but after several seconds, the light vanished and while Ben's body flopped to the car seat, Casey's body dropped to the road. Ethan dashed his way to see what is happening and trying to find way to help Casey, but once he got closer to the car, Ben suddenly roared as he flexed his muscle

"Hey there Ethan, how do you like me now?" Ethan's eyes went wide, is that his Master's voice coming out of Ben Richard's mouth?? "--sorry, that doesn't sound right. How do you like me now?" Said Ben now with his usual tone and air of confidence that accompanied his sultry, deep voice

"Master, what happened?"

"Well, what about you put my body to the backseat and I'll explain to you what's up,"

So with ease, Ethan lifted Casey's original 130 lbs body and shoved it to the backseat and trampled Ben's gym bag as he then seated himself in the front passenger seat

"Okay, so let me explain---"

[sillylittlegirlthoughts]

hiiii! could you possibly do a ksi fic where you're friends (maybe you work behind the scenes for the sidemen or something) and everyone convinces him to admit his feelings for you

work crush | ksi

thank you anon for this request!!

ksi x reader

open for requests!!

He laughed. You loved his laugh. It was so distinct and rather loud but you knew it was truly him. All the boys were laughing as well. As well as the entire crowd.

You stood further away with your headset on and adjusting certain things like camera angles and sound intensity. “Next up we’d like to welcome the legend himself, Stephen Tries!” Tobi announced as the crowd cheered. Stephen walked on stage with a smug look on his face and many of the boys heads were already in their hands. He rambled on about the usual, much like everyone else until you heard your name. “KSI has had many things put against him: Tommy Fury, bad hairline genetics but soon a restraining order. Filed by Y/n ‘cause you won’t leave the poor girl alone.” Stephen blatantly said, his eyes rummaging through the crowd to pick you out same goes for nearly everyone. You just laughed, every other option seemed to awkward. JJ tried to avoid eye contact but his eyes eventually finding yours and giving you sympathetic eyes but also with a slight smile.

“Seriously, stop. It creeps us all out.”

He then carried on with the rest of his segment, and you carried on with your job. It did take you back though because you had never noticed JJ acting weird around you but then you were that caught up in your own feelings about him.

Once the roast had ended the boys got off stage and started talking with the all their friends in the audience. JJ and Simon walked down together as JJ’s eyes were glued to you making sure the joke didn’t get to you. “Mate! Did you not hear what Stephen joked about?” Ethan laughed at JJ and his mindless staring. “Nah, I’m just making sure she’s alright!” He exclaimed as he watched you pack cameras away. “Yeah right. At this point just marry the girl.” Ethan bickered as him and Simon walked away laughing to one another. JJ did want to talk to you but the crew were so caught up in packing the set away to get it all ready for another sidemen shoot the following day he couldn’t find a second you weren’t already occupied.

The next day at the sidemen shoot all the boys were gathered waiting to get the go ahead to start filming. “JJ did you tell y/n you love her yet?” Josh spoke to the man who was speaking with Kon. JJ rolled his eyes and looked at Kon who had been smirking. “Guys! Leave me alone!” He laughed, averting his gaze to the beautiful girl he seen standing beside a set piece. You noticed JJ looking and gave him a big smile. He instantly lightened up.

Once the shoot was over and JJ had endured many comments. Everyone headed home. JJ approached you, holding two drinks. “Here.” He handed you the drink in his hand. “Thank you JJ!” You thanked him, taking a sip of the drink. “Here I’ll help you.” He added as he lifted some of the equipment you needed to put in your car and you returned it with a smile. As you both walked to your car he turned to face you. “Y/n?”

“Mhm.” You hummed as you looked at the man who was now looking at you with a look that spoke a million words. “You didn’t get weirded out by Stephen’s joke did you?” He asked. “What? Is that why you’ve been so weird? JJ. It was harmless. I thought it was cute.” cute? cute!

“Nah, nah. Look, y/n, honestly I was thinking maybe I could take you out for dinner. Friday night?” He put the equipment in the car. He watched as your face lit up. “Yes! Of course.” You beamed, JJ’s nerves flooding out of his body.

“Great.” He barely got the word out as you reached out for a hug. His body wrapped around yours his arms rubbing your back as you placed a kiss to his cheek. “Bye.” You waved as you got in your car. He waved back before turning to walk to his car as he could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket. It undoubtedly being the Sidemen group chat.

[toasttt11]

michigan -> detroit

November 6, 2021

Hayden looked out the plane window as the plane started descending and she could see Michigan.

Hayden was able to leave a day before her team planned to leave to Detroit so she could catch one of Luke’s games, not that Luke knew. She was surprising him as he thought he would see her when her team gets into Detroit on Sunday.

Hayden was landing in Michigan and Ellen and Jim are gonna kick her up and they are heading straight to Luke’s game.

Hayden grabbed her duffle bag and headed off the plane quickly and headed to the bag conveyer waiting for her bag to come out.

Hayden scrolled on her phone as she waited till her suitcase came out and then she grabbed her suitcase and headed out of the airport.

Hayden smiled seeing Ellen and Jim waiting in the car and she immediately put her bag in the car and hopped in. She hugged them both the best she could from the backseat.

Hayden had a pair of blue jeans on with a plain black hoodie and blue and yellow converse she had gotten when Quinn started to go to Umich.

She grabbed her blue crew neck out of her bag and slid it on, it was Umich crew neck with Hughes 43 on the back. She had originally got it when Quinn played but now it’s still perfect for Luke. She spending a blue Umich hat and was all ready for Luke’s game.

Hayden happily talked to Ellen and Jim the entire ride to Yost.

They walked into the stadium to their seats just as warm ups were over.

Luke looked out at the stands where his parents were supposed to be sitting and froze seeing someone sitting between them, Hayden.

Luke beamed brightly seeing his older sister and waved happily at her. Hayden hasn’t been able to see Luke play yet and Luke has been waiting for her to be able to go to one of his games in college.

Hayden smiled seeing how happy Luke got seeing her and waved softly back.

Hayden watched the game happily, it was one of her favorite things to watch Quinn, Jack or Luke play and she doesn’t get a lot of chances to watch them.

Hayden cheered proudly seeing Luke score, it was an absolute beautiful goal and a move she had worked on in the summer with Luke.

Umich won against Michigan state.

Hayden, Ellen and Jim all headed down to the locker room where they waited for Luke to come out.

Dylan Duke walked out of the locker room with Ethan Edwards and smiled seeing Hayden, he waved softly, “Hi Hayden.” Dylan now realized why Luke is so happy because Hayden is here.

Duke was probably Hayden’s favorite out of Luke’s friends, “Hi Duke.” Hayden kindly waved back.

Ethan’s eyes widened as Duke and him walked by, “Dude that’s Hayden Blake!” Ethan whispered shocked.

“She’s also Hughesy sister.” Dylan laughed seeing Ethan’s shocked face as they walked out for the rink. Dylan found it amusing how many people how many people don’t remember that the Hughes and Blake’s are family.

Luke rushed out of the locker room his suit messily buttoned back up and holding his backpack in his hand.

Luke rushed right to Hayden and hugged her tightly making her oof and she hugged him tightly back, “Stop growing.” Hayden groaned as Luke got even taller in the last two months.

Luke just smiled clinging to her tighter.

Hayden kissed the top of his curls and closed her eyes enjoying the hug with her baby brother.

Ellen took a sneaky photo of the two always wanting more pictures of her kids.

Luke eventually let go of Hayden and hugged both his parents before going back to Hayden’s side.

They all walked out of the rink and to the car, Jim started the short drive back to their house.

Hayden let out a soft sigh as she looked out the windows, Michigan has become a place she sees a home just like she does San Diego, Toronto and Edmonton.

Luke helped grabbed Hayden suitcase as they pulled into the driveway, they all headed inside and it was already pretty late so they all headed off to their beds.

Hayden was getting comfortable in her bed just reading her book when she heard a knock on her door and Luke peeked in.

Hayden smiled softly knowing what he wanted and she lifted up the other side o her covers making him smile and slide into the bed.

Hayden let Luke lay next to her cuddling close, they didn’t a lot of time together anymore so they both cherish the time they do get.

Luke fell asleep as Hayden continued to read.

November 7, 2021

Hayden was able to spend the whole day still in Michigan as she didn’t need to be in Detroit until later the next day.

Hayden enjoyed getting to eat breakfast that Ellen made, drinking coffee with Ellen and Jim as Luke fell back asleep on the couch.

They all went on a nice walk together in the colder weather, it was a beautiful walk with all the trees changing colors.

Hayden got to pick where they went out for lunch, she of course picked the country club as it’s her favorite.

Ellen then packed up some dinner and they went out on the boat for a sunset ride and ate dinner on the boat.

Hayden loved every second on the day and was just glad she got to spend so much time with her family.

November 8, 2021

Hayden needed to be in Detroit by the middle of the day. Ellen, Jim and Luke were all coming to Detroit and spending a night there to see her play.

They dropped her off at the rink so she could go to her practice as they went to the hotel and checked in.

Hayden finished her practice and took the team bus back to the hotel and headed up to the room her family were in.

Hayden was free for the rest of the evening so they ended to waking downtown until they found somewhere they all wanted to eat.

November 9, 2021

Hayden was gone before any of them woke up in the morning for her morning skate.

Hayden didn’t get see to much of her family before her game and she headed back to the rink for her game.

Ellen, Jim and Luke all sat in their seats and Luke looked so excited to see Hayden play. He was wearing an Oiler’s hoodie and hat that have Hayden’s number on them.

Hayden waved at the family as she got on the ice, she smiled seeing them, it was also nice to have someone at her game.

Hayden focused on the ice and scored the first goal of the game.

Unfortunately it didn’t last long as Detroit scored two more in the first period.

By the third period the Oilers could only score one more goal by the end of the game. They lost 4-2.

Hayden honestly didn’t care about the loss but was getting sad realizing she would when to say bye to her family now.

Hayden walked out of the locker room and saw them waiting for her. Luke immediately clung to Hayden and Hayden hugged his just as tight.

“I’ll miss you.” Luke mumbled softly. Saying bye has gotten easier over the last few years but it still makes him sad every time.

“I’ll you miss you to so much.” Hayden softly whispered pressing a kiss to the side of his head holding him tightly to her.

Hayden blinked and pulled back giving him a soft smile and cupped his cheek.

She let go of Luke and fell into her aunt’s arms hugging her softly.

“We’ll see you soon.” Ellen softly told her rubbing Hayden’s back softy.

Hayden nodded and pulled back and hugged Jim.

Jim pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek and they shared a smile beside Hayden hugged Luke once more before sending them a smile and walking away.

Leon was waiting the corner for Hayden and looked up seeing her walking over with a small frown, he knows saying bye to your family is hard and it’s always tough on Hayden.

Leon gave her a smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulder making her lean her head on his shoulder as they walked to the bus together.

Leon gave Connor a reassuring nod as Connor looked at Hayden worried.

[tmwcs]

hi reinaa hru? My brain just gave me an idea abt heethan where readen like runs away cause she thinks heethan doesnt want her anymore and she leaves all of her stuff behind so heethan cannot like track her by credit cards or by her phone so she leaves em all behind and flies away to her parents but surprise surprise, heethan finds her and gives her the most toe curling punishment to ever exist

also can i be 🏆 anon? thanks love u nd ur brain sm! ♡♡♡♡

”Surprise! Guess Whose Here?”

Warnings: heavy non/dub-con, mentioning of punishments, human rights violation, yandere behavior (hardcore yandere) mentions of the word ‘rape’ (again, non con), stalking, coercion, force, brutality, and lots of juicy, obsessive love. Reader is a bit touched starved and this is more consensual than you might think.

“Y/n! What are you doing here? Come inside, it’s dark.”

your mother pulls you in, completely stunned to find you standing at the doorstep. With hard work and perseverance, you left college and gave up your dorm assignment. Leaving no trace of your whereabouts, you left without saying anything to anyone. It was easy, considering the change in Heeseung’s behavior. You didn’t indulge any information regarding him to anyone, not even your parents; as far as they were concerned, you were here on vacation…a vacation where you will eventually indulge and spill your plans on doing college online, and eventually transferring.

heeseung had been quite distant, emotionally and mentally. Yet his possessive and obsessive attitude still remained, but it was so different to see it without the constant indulgence of your touch, the clinging ness of your kiss, and the desire for your flesh. He has been so stoic and barely spoke to you.

You had figured he lost interest, so you asked him if he wanted a break. It shocked you that he grew angry at your inquiry, and punished you by isolating you for days. Punishments weren’t out of the ordinary, at least for him. He always stated it was to show how much he loved you, yet since his behavioral change, his punishments lacked the brutal force of his physical caliber of passion and lust…it lacked the yearn for your body, which you never thought you would admit that you would miss, considering what he used to do was flat out rape, but would transition to an equal rate of desire on your part.

when the punishments came without his usual insatiable acts, you knew it deep down, you lost him…or rather, he lost you…he lost the love he had for you.

“sorry I showed up unannounced mom, we had a random break at school and I wanted to surprise you and dad.” Your throat grew shaky as you lied, you wanted to break down. You missed him so much, leaving him became the hardest thing you had to do. You didn’t even want to think about why he lost interest…especially since he said he would love you forever. That you were only his, and that he would die for your happiness. Was it another woman? Oh God…breaching that question nearly did you in.

“oh well you should have called, I would have prepared dinner for you.” Your mom expressed gleefully, not at all detecting the hidden sorrow beneath your gloried expression. “But this really is such a surprise, I’m just curious as to why you didn’t come together.”

your countenance perks up. “Together?”

“oh sweet pea! There you are.” Your father exclaims happily, almost as if he knew you were arriving. “Ethan, she finally arrived my boy!”

Ethan?!

Your eyes grew wide as you watched him enter the foyer, smirking victoriously as your father pats him on the back of his shoulder, bringing him in to your arms. “He told me that you were going to be paying us a visit and wanted to surprise you. He said that you both will be staying the entire weekend.”

“oh honey that’s wonderful!” Your mother claims jovially, before turning to preparing the guesthouse for you, Heeseung….and Ethan.

“mmmm you finally made it. I was starting to get worried when it got dark.” Heeseung exclaims as he pulls you into a hug, kissing atop your head. You weee stark shock and would have stopped breathing, had it not been the fearful gasp that forced its way out when he faintly brushed his finger over your ear, tucking the strands of hair behind it and whispering for only you to hear…

“But now that I caught you…be fucking ready for what’s coming…my bad girl.”

your mothers voice breaks the airy tone of his words. “It’s late, so why don’t you both go to the guesthouse and get some rest, we’ll do breakfast first thing in the morning.”

his cold hand establishes grip as he leads you out into the back door. Once you were out of sight from your parents, his gentle guidance turned into a harsh drag as he nearly flings you inside the guest townhouse. Turning to lock the door, he shuts the curtains before slowly turned his deadly gaze over to you.

you laid helplessly on the floor, using your elbows to back away as he approaches closer and closer.

“hee-Heeseung…”

“Don’t fucking talk.”

“but—“

he lunges down and toward, grabbing and restraining you as you shifted and did your best to break free through the scuffle.

“stop! Wait—why are you doing this?!”

he doesn’t even bother to answer you, instead, he takes out a leather strap from his pocket, in which he used to tie your wrists together overhead.

everything happened so quickly, the way he tore your blouse open as the buttons fly off and roll across the floorboard. He used his handheld knife to cut your skirt down the center, completely flaying it from your hips. Your undergarments shredded by the pure strength of his own grip. You would have panicked and braced for what was to come, but this time…it was different. He was stripping you—preparing you for something that he hadn’t done for a while. Did this mean he hadn’t lost interest? You wanted to ask, but the sash he fetched out from his back pocket restricted your vocal ability as he tightened over your mouth.

“I don’t know what you were trying to do…putting me through that, but frankly I don’t care to know.” He voices out as he snaps the lace material from your skin, leaving your cavity completely exposed.

“haven’t I made it clear how much I love you?! How much I care and cherish just you?! How i live solely for you?!” He grits his words as he presses his forehead and nose tip aggressively against you. His eyes psychotically wide with a malicious sense of amusement. Smirking deviously, he mocks a tone as he tells you…

“Now I don’t intend to make this pleasant for you, you have to be punished. when it starts to get painful, and believe me darling…it will…” he chuckles deeply with a dark sense of evilness in his voice. “Just remember that all punishments are reminders of our consequences. To be reminded of them, is not a punishment.”

You tremble as he whispered his shallow, but truthful words before raising the hem of his shirt up and above his head. His abdominal muscles flex as he flings the shirt away, along with his baseball cap. He undoes his jeans, pulling the material down with his boxers simultaneously, right before your very eyes. Your heart nearly stopped beating as you watched the stiff erect length of his shaft pop out, poking through the still air, fully perpendicular from his groin. An image that you had been without for weeks, it finally returned to you. Could it be that you misjudged the situation?

watching as your eyes soften, he raises his brows in annoyance, growing perturbed as the level of fear remains absent, which was quite out of the ordinary. Why were you so willing? Normally you would struggle up until the tip of his cock kissed your soft spot. Instead, you lay calmly, almost yearning for it. He wondered for a moment if you were playing games and conducted this whole charade on purpose, just to get a rise out of him. Was it possible that you wanted a punishment? Why wouldn’t you just ask for it? Or would that have lacked the authenticity of its gravity? Now he was curious. He swallowed his words and inquired while untying the sash from a round your mouth.

“what the hell are you doing? Hmm? You trying to be funny little girl? Because you’re pissing me off and I have it within me to make you bleed in more ways than my normal method.” His eyes grew fierce as his Ethan side flares and takes over. Your wrists remained bonded, despite that, you curl your fingers as you try to signal your willingness.

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…I thought…I just—“ you begin to tear up as you shy your face away and off to the side. Sobbing away, your hair drapes over your profile; you barely found a way to finish your verbiage.

seeing you breakdown so suddenly furthered his confusion. He was still too angry to entertain soothing you, until you pitifully spoke out. “I’m just so happy that you’re here…and that you still love me.”

his demeanor calms down and the anger in his countenance is replaced with shock. What did you just say?

“For weeks…you were different…cold and you just—you just didn’t seem like you wanted me anymore. I couldn’t take it so I left because I was afraid that if I stayed…I was going to find out the real reason behind your change of heart. I was wounded and ran due to your distraction…or at least that’s what I thought I was doing. If I had known you still loved me, I would have stayed…you know I would have.”

he remained still, hovering over you in despair and guilt. The moment you confessed, he knew exactly what you were referring to. He was so burnt out, focusing on graduation so he could be done with college, only looking forward to taking you away. Dealing with the contractors for the house, making arrangements, certain ones that held the purpose to isolate you front the world, but you didn’t have to know about that right now, which was why he was making it all happen in secret. His days were filled in preparing a future to keep you away from the world to only where he could see, breathe, taste, and get to you. Funny how the one thing that held any purpose in his life was the thing he ended up hurting.

he swipes your hair away as his tone softens. “Hey…” he leans in to your side profile, rubbing his nose against your cheek. “Heeeeeeeeey…”

kissing your ear, he warms you with his touch. Skin to skin, you are comforted by the smoothness of his frame. “Don’t ever think that. I have been busy, but nothing is ever going to take me away from you…and nothing will take you away from me. We belong.”

kissing you, you melt at his loving gaze, when you felt an aggressive tug on the bound on your wrist. “But…you fucking had me in pain when you left…and THAT…is something you’re going to have to pay for.”

you found it hard to believe, but his threat painted a smile on your face, as did his. “But I’ll go easy on you this time…just this time…” his voice trails off as he leans in and elopes your lips into a firm kiss. Your body waves against his when you felt his hands roam and explore the treasured parts of your body.

“Heeseung…please…please.”

“I know baby…I know..”

Inserting himself, he pumps the tip in and out, warming up your entry as the shifting motion causes you to lubricate, allowing him to feel the increase in moisture. Once the slickness heightened, he slowly inserts the rest of his shaft. The pressure of swallowing his cock, experiencing the fullness in your gut, and the faint sting in the stretch nearly made you tear up. It wasn’t out of pain or fear, though that would have been the case any other time, but with this very moment— for the first time in weeks, you felt satisfied and whole again.

“mmm…more…please do more…” you begged.

“more pretty baby?”

you nod as he bellows out deep inside. “Kay….let’s give you more then.”

he slowly exits before jamming the entirety of his shaft back in, electrifying you from toe to finger tip.

“Ah!!”

“yeah baby, let’s give you more.”

you scream and gasp out, tightening around his girth as your walls throb and pulsate, dancing against the harden muscle of his cock. Your toes curl inwards as you desperately dig into your own palms, reminded that you were still restrained by the leather strap.

“yeah baby? Bet you want more, huh?”

your eyes roll back as he continues to thrust at a vigorous pace, causing you to go limp and dumb while he loosens the barren virtue of your chamber. You lose the ability to speak once he shifts his position and stabilizes his weight on both knees. Swooping his hands under your thighs, he unites them together and leans forward, your kneecaps come inches away from your breasts as he props n’s steadies himself by holding them in place. “Fuck you’re so tight like this.” Thrusting away, he delightfully takes in the full view of his cock feeding your entry, the lipped folds wrapped around his circumference as he pumps the juices in and out. “Let me fucking feed you.” He grits out as he feels your hips dip down, succumbing to the intense pleasure. The nerves in your legs, arms, and phalanges grow heated and tingling; your inner thighs shake as your chest heaves yet your breathing hyperventilates.

“Ready for more?” He smirks as he taps against the backside of your thigh. You remained incoherent as he never lost the momentum of his thrusts. “Here comes more.”

Shoving deep inside, his tip twitches as he growls aloud. Tilting his head back, he exposes a full view of his Adams Apple as he hovers directly above you, nearly choking out a deep gasp as his balls pump and twitch, fueling his shaft to continue injecting the fruit of his love inside of you.

“Oh baby…there’s more where that came from.” His voice grows sinister as his chuckling transitions to a full born laugh. A malicious and devious laugh.

his gaze fully transitions—here…was Mr. Hyde.

Ethan….

[auras-moonstone]

Hii! Could you please write an ethan fic based off the ybwm music video but y/n and ethan are childhood bestfriends and but doesnt notice her until prom? ALSO IM LISTENING TO 1989 TV RN AND ITS SOOOO GOOD

been here all along — ethan landry

word count: 3,306

pairing: ethan landry x fem!reader

summary: ethan and y/n had been best friends since they were little, but y/n, unbeknownst to ethan, has always been i love with him. it isn’t until prom night that he finds out.

warnings: none!

Y/N WAS STUDYING ON HER DESK WHEN SHE SAW HER BEST FRIEND’S SILHOUETTE THROUGH HER WINDOW. Ethan threw himself to the bed, lying on his back as he tiredly rubbed his face with the hand that wasn’t holding his phone to his ear. He felt eyes on him, so he turned around and saw the girl staring at him with a worried expression. He smiled instantly and, after hanging up the phone, he went to grab a small board and a marker.

hey, creep, he showed her the careless handwriting with a smirk.

Y/N stuck her tongue out before grabbing her own board. you okay?

i’m fine, he replied with a shrug and a forced smile.

Y/N arched an eyebrow, i know you better than that.

His shoulders slumped, can i hang out with you for a while?

always. back door is open!

Less than five minutes later Ethan entered her room and plopped down on her bed, resting his head on his hand. Y/N noticed his eyes were a bit red and had dark bags under them, and yet he continued to be he most gorgeous human she had laid her eyes on.

“What’s wrong?” she asked softly, resisting the need to run her fingers through his wet brown hair.

“Coach killed us at practice today. My whole body hurts.” he mumbled.

“And…” she urged him to go on, knowing that was not it.

Ethan sighed. “I hate that you know me so well.” he groaned. “I fought with Mila.”

“Again.” she added, trying to hide her bitterness.

Mila and him had been dating for a couple of months, and she had managed to turn the ray of sunshine that Ethan used to be into a person who was always tired and in a gloomy mood. She had completely brought him down.

People at school loved the couple. And, on the outside, they seemed perfect. Ethan was the captain of the hockey team and the most good-looking boy at school, and Mila was the cheer captain and most good-looking girl at school—perfect pairing, right? On paper, yes.

But Y/N had the disgrace of witnessing most of their fights and the toxicity that filled the air whenever they were together. At the beginning, they had a normal relationship but eventually, the attention got the best of Mila and she turned into a controlling, jealous girlfriend who was also obsessed with painting the perfect image.

“Yeah… this time it was about prom.” he scoffed.

“What about it?”

“She came to practice and said we had to go buy her dress and my suit. Then she wants me to take fucking dancing classes because everything needs to be perfect and I can’t mess it up with my dance moves.”

“She’s going to have to buy tons of oil bottles for that. The Tin Man from Wizards of Oz can move better than you.”

Ethan laughed and threw her a pillow. “You’re such an asshole.”

Y/N smiled like the Cheshire cat. Ethan had no idea that his smile could practically light up the whole town, and it made her furious that Mila managed to take that away. Ever since they started dating, Ethan very rarely smiled around others.

“Anyways, the thing is I refused to do that. You know how tired I am after practice, and she got pissed and wouldn’t let me leave. I ended up holding back hockey practice and coach was furious.” he explained. “Then, after practice, she called and silly me thought—nice, she is going to apologize, but no. She wanted to see if I’d changed my mind. And that made me mad, so we started fighting about her interrupting practice and how furious she would be if I were to find her during cheer practice. Then she started yelling and I just hung up because my head fucking hurts.”

Y/N watched with sad eyes. What was he doing with a girl like that? She clearly didn’t care about him. “I’m sorry about your psycho of a girlfriend. You deserve better” she said, and he gave her a small smile. “There’s Tylenol on my drawer and the bottle is filled with water.”

“Thanks. You’re the best, did you know that? Being with you is lately the only thing that makes me feel at peace.”

“I love you, Eth, and I’ll always be here.”

The boy grabbed her hand and pulled her into his chest, hugging her tightly. “I love you, too.” he placed a kiss on the crown of her head. “Can I stay over?”

“Of course.”

Ethan fell asleep quickly, contrary to Y/N, whose thoughts kept her brain working like crazy. Ethan’s sweet words about her making him feel at peace should be heartwarming, but instead it made her heart hurt. Why couldn’t he see her the way she saw him? The way he saw Mila. Why couldn’t Ethan see that she was dying to be in Mila’s place and that he deserved so much better than her?

Ethan deserved to be with someone who treated him like he hung the moon, and instead he was settling for someone who overwhelmed him and brought him down, someone who cared more about what other people said than about his feelings and happiness. It made Y/N both sad and angry, and she prayed he would wake up and see he was worth more.

ETHAN ENTERED HIS ROOM AND DRAGGED HIS FEET TOWARDS HIS BED. He wanted to take a long nap and disconnect from the world, ignoring all the things that were overwhelming him lately. He wanted those feelings to be gone, he needed a good sleep and a good cry. And as if God had heard his prayers, the problems evaporated once his eyes caught sight of his best friend dancing around her room without a care in the world. He crossed his arms and watched with a smile, waiting for her to notice.

The girl stopped as soon as she felt eyes on her. Frowning, she quickly scribbled something on her blackboard.

i don’t do shows for free, quit looking

Laughing, he wrote back, what kind of shows do you do? i’m interested.

Y/N pretended to throw up and replied, i’m calling 911 pervert. And as he shook his head, she quickly wrote something else. you look stressed. wanna talk about it?

And as every afternoon, Ethan ended up sprawled on his best friend’s bed with her lying beside him. “First of all, I broke up with Mila.” he started, and Y/N’s heart stopped.

She tried her best not to smile at that, and managed to mutter “I’m sorry about that.”

Ethan shrugged, “It’s fine. We both know we weren’t really invested in that relationship. I’m stressed because she was furious, screaming something about ruining her chances of being prom queen and disappointing the school by our break-up.”

“And you feel bad about it.” Y/N stated, knowing him like the back of her hand.

“A little bit. I mean, I don’t get it, but prom is important to her for some reason. And now she needs to find another date.”

“That won’t be a problem, though. She’s literally the most gorgeous girl in school.”

“She’s not the most gorgeous girl in school.” he said, but quickly shook his head and moved on. “But it’s us who they want. Ethan and Mila, not Mila and some other guy.”

“Well, if it makes you feel so bad, you should go with her.” Y/N said out loud as her inner voice called her stupid in different languages.

Ethan frowned. “I don’t want to get back with her. And I thought you hated her.”

“I don’t hate her.” she argued.

“I heard you said you’d like her to recreate Regina George’s bus scene.” Ethan said, trying not to laugh at the guilty face she made.

“Look, everyone has intrusive thoughts.” she defended herself and Ethan bursted out laughing. “I’m not proud of it. But, moving on, I’m not telling you to get back with her, but just be her date to prom and then go your separate ways. We’re leaving for college soon, anyways.”

“I suppose you’re right.” he nodded. “That’s another reason why I’m stressed, college.”

“What about it?”

“I’m scared.” he confessed

“Why? Eth, you’re an stellar player. Lots of colleges already told you they’re interested.”

“I’m not scared of not getting into any college. I’m scared that we won’t end up in the same one.” he explained. And his eyes got glossy by just thinking about Y/N not being part of his every day life.

They had known each other since forever. They grew up together and it was in his plans to continue to grow alongside her. She was his person, and he knew he was her person too. She was his other half, he wasn’t complete without her. He rolled his eyes everytime he heard someone say that ‘we are our own person and it was wrong to believe someone complemented you’. He thought that was bullshit. Him and Y/N complemented each other and their lives wouldn’t be the same if they didn’t have each other. A part of them would be missing.

“I’m positive we will both end up on the same college. But even if that doesn’t happen, there’s absolutely no way that will be the end of our friendship, Eth. Come on, you really think our bond is not strong enough to handle a little distance?”

“You’re right.” he said, wiping his tears with the heel of his palm. “It still would suck not to have you there to annoy me every minute of the day.”

“Fuck you, Ethan.” she pinched his side, making him squirm. “And bold of you to assume I wouldn’t call you and text every one second.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you.” he hugged her tightly to his chest, breathing in the scent of her shampoo.

“Love you, too.” she whispered. She wanted to kiss him so badly she had to hide her face on his chest to die down the temptation.

“Hey, I never asked you. Who are you going to prom with?”

“With no one.”

Ethan frowned. “I can’t have that. We are going together.”

Her heart started beating faster. “You’re going with Mila.”

“I haven’t told her we can still go together. And I’m not going to, we are going together.”

“No.” she shook her head. The inner voices screaming at her again. “It’s important to her. I really couldn’t care less about prom. Don’t worry about it.”

“All of your friends have dates, Y/N/N. I know you don’t care about prom, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a good time.” Ethan said, and she shrugged. “I don’t understand, though. I heard, unfortunately, the guys talking in the locker room. A lot of them were planning to ask you.”

“And they did, I just said I was going alone.”

“But why?”

Because I don’t want anyone but you, and I just turned your offer down. “I just don’t want to. Really, don’t worry about me. I don’t like parties anyway, so I won’t stay long. You will have to dance with me at least once, though.”

“Obviously.” he replied softly as he run his fingers through her soft hair until he fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Y/N laid wide awake, picturing that moment. Him, looking like a daydream in a suit, with his big hands around her body and her head on his hard chest, listening to the beat of his heart, which clearly won’t be beating as fast as hers. Yes, she didn’t know how she was going to survive that.

ETHAN STOOD NEXT TO MILA AS THEY TALKED WITH THEIR FRIENDS. Well, Mila did the talking and he was just standing there, looking anxiously at the entrance door, waiting for his best friend to arrive. Ethan had offered to drive her, but she instantly turned him down because there’s no way she was going to share the confined space with Mila.

“Your break-up lasted less than I expected.” one of Mila’s friend said.

Sensing Mila’s intention of not denying the statement, Ethan spoke first. “We aren’t together, we came as friends.”

“We’re always breaking up and making up, we both know you’ll take me back in no time.” Mila laughed.

“Mila.” he sighed. “We talked about this. I told you that we can still be each other’s date, but as long as it was clear that we are over for real. Don’t make me regret it.”

“Wow.” Zach, Ethan’s friend, said. His eyes were wide and his jaw was practically on the floor. And following his gaze, he found out the reason behind his reaction.

Ethan’s body stiffened and felt the blood rushing to his cheeks. Y/N walked through the gym, making her way towards her friends. No one, expect for his group, was paying attention to her. Why was no one paying attention to her?

She looked absolutely beautiful. Breathtaking would be most accurate word, because she took Ethan’s ability to breath as soon as his eyes landed on her figure. She was wearing a long, satin green dress. Her hair was up in a tidy bun, making her look elegant. Fuck, he couldn’t get his eyes off her, nor did he want to.

“Green is not her color.” Mila said between gritted teeth.

Ethan frowned, but his brown eyes were still glued to the girl across the room. “Every color is her color.”

“I’m going to ask her to dance with me.” Zach said confidently.

“Dude, get a hint. She told you she didn’t want to come with you.” another of Ethan’s friend said.

With that, Ethan finally looked away and instead glared at his friend. “You asked her?”

“Well, yeah. Can you blame me?” No, he couldn’t. But still, for some reason, it bothered him. “I can’t believe she said no.”

“Oh, come on. It’s obvious she was going to reject every offer. Well, anyone but one.” Mila said, and the boys’ curious glances landed on her. “What?”

“What are you talking about?” Zach asked.

Mila rolled her eyes. “Really? Literally everyone figured it out”

“Figure out what?” Ethan asked impatiently.

“She’s been in love with the same person for years.”

Ethan’s fists clenched and he felt like his whole body was on fire. “No way, she would’ve told me. We tell each other everything.”

Mila laughed. “It’s you, dumbass. She’s always been in love with you.”

Ethan froze and shook his head. “No. I would’ve- she should’ve… No.”

“Yes, Ethan. Ask anyone. I swear boys are so oblivious” she rolled her eyes. “It’s obvious she didn’t tell you because she knew you’d reject her. I mean, she is out of your league and you’ve never given her any signs that you might feel the same.”

Well, in that she’s right. But only because he had never let his mind wonder about being more because he didn’t want to ruin anything. Besides, he hadn’t seen her signs either and he also started dating Mila. But now… he could see them together. Now he couldn’t understand how he hadn’t thought about it before. After all, Y/N had always been his person—the one that understood him unlike anyone else, the one that made him laugh harder than anyone else, the one he always wanted to have by his side, the one who he belong with.

“She’s not out of my league.” he said, glaring at Mila. “I’m the one out of her league, hell, I don’t think anyone is really deserving of her! You know, she was the one that suggested I still should bring you here, because it was important to you. I asked her to be my date, and she said no. Even though she probably wanted to say yes. She’s that amazing, and I never saw her. What the fuck is wrong with me?”

Before anyone could say anything, Ethan let his feet guide him towards her. Y/N saw his silhouette making his way to her and her mouth broke into a smile. He did look like a daydream and the smile she loved was present on his face, shinier than ever.

"Hi, Eth." she stood up to hug him.

How could he have been so blind to notice it? The way her cheeks turned a light shade of red, her shy smile and the sparks in her eyes. Y/N was in love with him. "Hi. You look... like a daydream."

That made her blush even more. "Thank you. You look very handsome." Ethan smiled like a little kid, which made Y/N laugh. "What is going on? You're acting odd."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know, you're looking different."

"Is that bad?" Ethan frowned.

"No, it's a good different. You look happy. But what is happening?" she laughed with uncertainty. Ethan shook his head, trying to wipe the smile off his face. "Come on, you're making me nervous."

my love was as cruel as the cities i lived in

"First we have to dance to your favorite song." Ethan said, grabbing her hand and guiding her to the dance floor.

Just like she had it pictured it in her mind, her best friend's arms were wrapped around her waist, her hands resting on his broad shoulders and her head lying on his chest. But, contrary to what she had thought, his heart was beating inexplicably fast.

i don't wanna look at anything else now that i saw you

"I love you, Y/N" Ethan whispered in her ear. He felt her shoulders tense and she slowly raised her head to look at him.

It wasn't like any other previous I love you's, there was something about the way he said it—so softly and vulnerable—that gave her the hope that there was another meaning, that it was another type of i love you.

"Ethan..."

been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night

"I do. I really do love you. I am in love with you, and I'm really sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

and now i see daylight, i only see daylight

"For not realizing it earlier. For not seeing how you really felt."

Y/N widened her eyes. He knew. "Ethan... don't."

"Don't what?"

"You're confused. You don't love me like that, I don't want your sympathy. You just think you love me because you don't want to reject me." she said. He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off. "I promise you that our friendship won't change. I've always known it wasn't reciprocated, and I've come in terms with it."

Ethan just smiled. "Are you done overthinking? Because you have two options—you can keep on trying to convince yourself I don't love you and that my heart hasn't been skipping since you walked into this room," he put her hand on his heart. "or you can accept the truth—that I love you and I want you more than anything in the world—and let me kiss you while your song is still playing." he tilted his head down, nose brushing hers. "What is it, Y/N? One or two?"

"Two" she whispered.

He smirked "Good girl."

The kiss stopped time. When they finally pulled away, they stared at each other completely awestruck. Taylor Swift wasn't playing anymore, and they truly didn't have a clue how much time they had spent tasting each other. What they did know is that nothing had ever felt more right.

"Okay, enough show. Let's get out of here, I want you all to myself." he said pressing kisses to her neck.

"I want ice cream first, then we can make out."

"Whatever my girlfriend wants, she gets." with one last kiss, they walked out of the room hand in hand. “By the way, I have always thought you were the most gorgeous girl in school.”

[destinationtrekk]

imagine stars!wesker and the rest of alpha team (w rookie reader too) going to vacation together…

if they are going to the beach, the trip would be insufferable for wesker: after refusing to partecipate in this until they forced him to tag along after relentless complaints and so here he is. in the back of the car, in the middle seat. chris driving and jill sitting in front too while in the back there’s barry in the right seat, wesker in the middle one and reader on the left one. the car ride would be hell for him. music blasting from the car, everyone being squeezed up due to the bags and other stuff that didn’t fit in the trunk, the eta being at least few hours away (2-3 hours). he’d contemplate about killing himself just for an instant or simply kill everyone. and at the same time he’d think he’s never doing any of this EVER AGAIN. reader would occasionally talk to chris and jill but most likely just staying quiet while looking outside the window. eventually after complaining for too long about the music and lowkey beefing with chris, wesker is surrendering and he’s staying quiet for the rest of the car ride. his face unreadable as always thanks to his shades. it would have been a great opportunity for him to sleep a bit during this car trip but due to the loud music and chatters he’s definitely not getting any sleep as he intended to. reader would eventually close her eyes to relax considering the warm weather inside the car and the loud noises. she’d definitely doze off, her head resting on his shoulder as she gets the lightest sleep ever. wesker would turn his head and look at her before looking back at the street in front of them, pretending as if it’s nothing. once arrived at the destination, it’s as if god answered wesker’s prayers. he’s definitely getting off of that car immediately as they bring their stuff to the hotel they’re staying at before they can start enjoying their holiday. at the beach wesker is definitely laying under a beach umbrella, his arms behind his head as he’s just laying there relaxing, not tanning, talking or doing anything with others at all. chris is playing volleyball with barry while jill and reader are be playing together and creating sand castles while chatting not so far away from the others. wesker who has a crush on reader (that he wouldn’t at all) would keep an eye out from time to time to see if she’s still doing fine. AHH I LOVE SUBTLE TENSION. id also believe that if they were visiting any amusement parks while on vacation and reader would get too tired after a super long day of walking etc he’d definitely give her a piggyback ride although he’d initially complain and scold her for consuming all of her energies for a place like this (he’d say only children are allowed to be exhausted by at the end of a day at the amusement park but deep down he loved watching reader have the biggest smile on her face for the whole day)

this is so wesker and friends coded i can hear him screaming at chris in my head right now with ethan complaining in the background

but i live for subtle tension with wesker! he's the king of it- keeping everything to himself even though he can't help but show his affection and care for reader through his actions.

if reader needs sunscreen he'll suddenly be the first one to help them put it on (even though he's grumbling like it's a chore to put his hands on their shoulders) or he'll kindly offer to grab you another drink since, oh look! he's also going to get another one. if the waves are a little to big for you but no one else wants to go back in the water yet - well he supposes it wouldn't be such a chore to block the really big waves from knocking you over

and at the end of the day when you're exhausted and asleep in his chair under the umbrella, the team is shocked that he doesn't yell at you to wake up. they're even more shocked when wesker just slings your bag over his shoulder and carries you back to the car, making chris and barry pick up whatever bags are left over.

[thelightsandtheroses]

eight: don't let this darkness fool you

Your Hand In Mine | Joel Miller x female reader.

Chapter summary: after the reappearance of the junction, you try and find a way back to some form of normal Chapter warnings: Reader is a single parent to a teenager, mentions of breakups, discussions of cults/religious movements and violence within these, threat of a gun, tension, lightly implied panic attack/anxiety, 18+ blog mdni, Notes: Chapter title is from Call Your Mom by Noah Kahan (and the song that I personally credit with helping me through a rough patch last year) Thanks for all of your patience with this chapter - my life irl has been hectic but I'm good! Word Count: 3.9k

Previous | Series | Next

You can’t even remember how you got home, but you’re in kitchen and somewhere in Jackson right now Sean is talking to your son, trying to explain it all to him and Beau and Joel are … they’ll have killed Ethan by now.

The loss of power, of agency in your own past’s return to Jackson makes you feel sick. You should be the one talking to Gabe, it should be your final blow to Ethan. This is your mess, this is your life, not theirs. Having others involved feels intrinsically wrong and yet, you’re grateful to have them to share this burden. So grateful.

Maria makes you tea in your kitchen without speaking. She’s told you that you can stay, that’s something. You wonder if she’ll ever truly trust you again though.

You open your mouth but you can’t find the words, you don’t know where to start. You selfishly don’t want to talk about it. You feel tired in your bones, in every single part of your body. It’s a weight pulling you down.

What if Jackson is at risk though?

“Will they come after him here?” Maria finally asks.

“I don’t know,” you reply.

“And you don’t recognise anyone here?”

“I’ve been out of that group for almost seventeen years, Maria, I - I don’t think I would know if they were here. Hell, you could be one of them for all I know.” You laugh bitterly and take a sip of your tea. “I don’t know how much he would have told them, he’s secretive. They could be … I don’t know.”

“Okay.”

Maria pauses. If this was a film then this would be the moment where you confess everything, where you bare your soul over tea and cry together. Maria would hug you and tell you everything would be okay, or perhaps say it’s too much, that she was wrong, you do need to leave.

You just have to say something. There are so many conversations you owe people now, Maria included, but in the immediate aftermath you don’t have any words.

Eventually it’s just you in the kitchen with a cold cup of tea and silence as your companion.

You’re alter when Gabriel comes home with Sean and you inwardly count your blessings that he even returned. You wondered if he would.

The silence is protracted and stilted in the kitchen around the three of you. You’re not sure what to expect: anger, upset, hurt, a combination of everything?

Sean has taken his hand of Gabe’s shoulder, has moved to leaning against a counter exactly halfway between you and your son who loiters in the doorway, illuminated by the hallway light.

“We should talk, Gabriel,” you say finally, rising from your chair and placing your cold tea mug down.

“Yeah, I reckon so.” You wonder when he grew up, when he changed from a little boy - your little boy - who believed in myths and legends to the almost man before you. Gabriel folds his arms and looks at the ground. “Was he really -”

“We’re your -” We’re your family you want to say, it’s us and it doesn’t matter about Ethan. He’s irrelevant.

It’s not what he’s asking though and it’s not what you owe him. You are all too aware that one wrong word will send him running like a skittish animal, that every syllable matters right now.

“Yes.”

“I look like him,” he says quietly. “When I looked at him, I could see … I could see it.”

“You look like you,” you say gently, “You’re you and only you, you’re not me and you’re not him.”

Gabriel swallows. “Did - am I-”

“No,” you reply vehemently before he can even finish the sentence.

“So, you don’t regret me?”

You pause, taken aback that your son would ask you this. “You saved my life, Gabriel, I would never regret you. Never.”

“How did I save you?” your son asks, curiosity flashing across his face.

“I knew I was pregnant and I didn’t want that life for you, that’s what gave me the courage to talk to Sean, to find a way out, for something better.” You think maybe with everything that’s happened today, the fact that leaving led to a difficult journey where you gave birth in a bombed-out warehouse and then a more than decade long misadventure in the Kansas QZ can be glossed over. You’re in Jackson, you’re here, right?

“That’s … I didn’t know that.”

“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Gabe.”

“But if you had a time machine, if you could erase being with him”

“Then there wouldn’t be you and that’s not a decision I want to erase, that’s not a life I want. Would I have wanted you, just you, in a different world without infected or any of that? Sure, but I’d still want it to be you and without all this around us - maybe you wouldn’t be you and that’s not okay with me. I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“I - I don’t know what to make of all this. Sean told me … he told me some of it, a lot of it I think, but he said I’d need to talk to you and I want to. I do. I’m just …” Your son looks exhausted, eyes red from crying, his posture more crumpled than you’ve seen it before. “I didn’t know what it was like, I didn’t know why or what or … it’s a lot to take in. There are years, years that you’ve told me different things and it’s all muddled in my head. I’m angry about that, really angry, but I - we can get through it, right? I want us to be honest now, please?”

“Yes. We can talk about it whenever you’re ready,” you say, “I’ll do my best to tell you what I can, Gabe, is that okay? I’m sorry, I’m sorry for all of this.”

He nods.

“I don’t think I can talk about it all any more tonight,” he admits and you exhale slowly. “There’s too much for one night.”

“Today’s been a lot, it’s been … I can’t even imagine how you feel, but I love you so much. Sean and Beau love you and none of that has changed, could ever change in fact. I’m sorry I kept this from you, I wanted to protect you. I never thought something like this, like today would happen.”

“Sean said you all thought this group - you thought that they were around here recently.” Gabriel pauses, “Is that why you broke up with Joel?”

“We needed to be able to prepare, to run if needed. I need you safe.” It’s easier to just stick with that to admit than that being so close to Joel, to this kind and solid man had been too overwhelming throughout it all. That losing him was a suitable sacrifice if you could bargain your family’s safety. That the pain was the appropriate punishment.

“You liked him though,” Gabe says, “you haven’t been like that with a guy for a while. I mean … he’s okay, you were good together or whatever.” From Gabe, this is the highest endorsement any man you have ever dated has received.

“I thought you were at the age where the idea of your parents dating repulsed you?”

“Oh, I am and this conversation is something that’ll I never admit it. I just, I do want you to be happy.”

“You too.” You move closer, wrapping him into a close hug. “You too, kiddo. I was so scared,” you whisper, “I was so scared I’d lost you.”

Relief floods through you, you haven’t lost him, you haven’t.

Maybe there’s a way through this.

Maybe there is a way to stay.

You’re avoiding Joel. You’re avoiding as much of the town as you can actually. In the wake of the Junction’s reappearance to your life, you bunker down in your home like a hurricane is still to come.

It’s been over a week now and your creativity in avoiding the town surely deserves recognition. You’re immune to Gabe’s frowns now, to the whispered conversations between Beau and Sean.

You can’t face it yet.

This isn’t permanent. You know you should speak to Maria and Tommy, to offer some sort of guidance on how to tell if the cult is entrenched in Jackson, rotting your home away from the inside, but Sean seems to be handling that for you now. Everyone around you is treating like a wounded animal, afraid of you either self-destructing or lashing out.

You’re not sure what you’re supposed to do now, you’re not sure what comes next.

The bench calls to you.

You find yourself walking there without thought. You need peace, you need to be in a place where the buzzing in your mind can quieten down and where you can avoid prying eyes that mean well. If Sean looks at you one more time with those giant sympathetic eyes of his, you might scream.

You didn’t expect the bench would be occupied.

“It’s okay,” Joel says as soon as he sees you, “I can go if you want to be alone.”

“No, no,” you say quietly, “I want you to stay, Joel.”

You did that to him.

Guilt courses through your body and you look away from his careful gaze immediately.

It’s quiet at this time of night. So quiet. Even the wind is still tonight and while this serene silence would usually bring you peace, tonight is different. You can feel the weight of all the words you should say, and can’t say, and want to say in your stomach.

You sit down next to him, not meeting his gaze and instead remaining transfixed to the night sky ahead.

“I’m sorry you had to do this,” you finally say, pointing at his hand, “does it - does it hurt?” It’s not the question Joel expected, or even you for that matter.

“Hey,” Joel carefully reaches to touch your arm and then hesitantly withdraws, clasping his hands in his lap instead. “It’s not on you.”

“You can’t mean that,” you protest, “if I had said something to Maria, if I had stopped him before-”

“You can’t do this to yourself,” Joel says firmly, “Trust me, you did - you made the best choices you could then, right? Not just for you, but for your kid and that’s got to be enough. It has to be.” There’s something desperate in his expression, something you can’t understand because his reaction feels too vehement, too firm for the occasion. “You did what you did for your kid and I can’t argue with that, no one can.“

“But I could have changed things. We might still be in danger because of me.”

“We can’t live like that, can’t punish ourselves for things we’d never have known. None of us can. Not now, and certainly not before. It won’t help you. Trust me.” Joel exhales. “I spent years agonising over decisions, over every single move I made the night that - that Sarah - I went through everything I did, what I should have done. If I’d just bought the damn cake, if I hadn’t picked up Tommy, if I hadn’t worked a double. Maybe I could have made a different turning, or I coulda said something else to the soldier and then it would be different. I spent years on that.” Joel exhales. “I tore myself up every way I could over it.”

“It was an accident. It was a tragedy,” you say, “it wasn’t joining a damned cult, or dragging your best friend into it too.”

“And how’d you have known that then?”

“I know, I know all this. Logically it makes sense but it just can’t - I can’t make it fit in my head.” You sigh. “I have blood on my hands.”

Joel looks at his own hands before he speaks, “I don’t think anyone who’s alive now doesn’t.”

“You and Beau shouldn’t have had to -”

“I don’t want a man like that near Ellie, near my town, near the people I lo - care about,” Joel says simply. “Beau was of a similar view.”

“What - no, I - is it wrong I don’t want to know?”

Joel looks at you seriously and shakes his head. “Not at all, not at all.”

“Still, I’m sorry you got dragged into this. I mean, we’re not - not anymore. You shouldn’t have been obligated or anything.”

“Beau let something slip earlier,” Joel says carefully, “That you’ve suspected that group was nearby for weeks.”

“I know, I should have told Maria.”

“Right about the time you told we couldn’t - well, you remember what you said.”

You feel your cheeks heating up. Joel’s a smart enough man, if Gabe had worked it out, of course Joel would have.

You want to say it was because of the Junction, that you still want him. That you haven’t stopped thinking about him since then. Only it’s not entirely true, is it?

You’ve spent weeks in fight or flight, your only thought has been survival. Now people are telling you the worst is over, that you can start to heal again but you don’t know that. Even if it’s true, your body doesn’t know, it certainly can’t feel yet.

You feel on edge, nervous and unsure.

You want to jump onto Joel right now, feel his embrace and touch once more as you pretend the last weeks were just a bad dream. You also don’t want him near you, you’re scared it’s you, that you made Ethan’s worst side come out. He wasn’t a cult leader when you met him after all.

You want Joel, but you’re not sure if you’re ready to jump back in yet. You can’t go from planning an emergency exit, to confronting the man you thought was dead, and then straight back into some sort of mythical romance just like that. Joel might have slayed Ethan, but unlike a fairytale, there are marks on you that won’t immediately heal.

“I am not going pressure you into anything, I just want to say that if - oh hell, I don’t even know what I’m saying.” Joel swallows.

“You can just blame it on being moondrunk.”

“Moondrunk?” Joel asks with a chuckle.

“Yeah, look at that view. Moondrunk.”

“Moondrunk,” he repeats gently. “I mean it though, I- I’m terrible at this, but when you’re ready, if you’re ready …”

“Thanks, Joel.” You wring your hands together. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”

“Live?”

“That simple, huh?”

He smiles wryly, “That simple.”

“So, you’re back at the bench, huh? Haven’t seen you here in a while,” you comment, keen to change the subject.

“I thought you were there first, figured it should be yours. But I - tonight I needed to come here, clear my head. I didn’t know if you’d be here.”

“Are you okay I am?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.”

You shut your eyes for a moment. For a second you allow yourself to pretend it’s weeks ago, that you and Joel are still together, the Junction a distant memory. For a moment you thought this would be your life now.

Can it still be?

Joel’s still here, he’s patient and kind and good. “When I’m ready,” you begin softly, “when I’m ready, you’ll know.”

You don’t open your eyes but you swear you can feel Joel’s smile. “Okay, that’s okay with me,” he says.

The two of you stay there until sunrise.

It’s the library that finally makes you leave your home. Sean lets slip that it’s been closed since you started your retreat from the town and it pulls at your heart. There are people who rely on the library - it’s an escape for them, or a chance to learn. It feels wrong to keep the place closed, another failing.

The library, like the bench, is a sanctuary for you. Only, unlike the bench it’s for the whole town. It’s a safe and comforting place. You’ve built something there.

“You should go back,” Gabe says one night as he picks at his dinner.

“I should?”

“To the library.”

“Oh.”

“You loved it there and it - it’s your place,” he says simply, “I think you should open it again.” It’s a truly polite way to challenge your new hermit state. You notice Sean and Beau raising eyebrows at each other from the table.

“I- I will.”

“When?”

You raise an eyebrow at your son. “When I’m ready.”

“I think it would be good for you,” he says.

“I will listen to that, Gabe, okay? I just -”

Sean says your name softly and the way everyone in this house suddenly infuriates you. You don’t want their kid gloves or quiet observation, the continued sense that you’re staying inside too long, that you’re becoming someone that they don’t recognise. It’s overwhelming.

“I’ll open it tomorrow,” you say, desperate to make them change the subject, to see that you are okay.

Beau looks over at you with surprise in his eyes. “You don’t have to. I’m sure that Maria can get someone to cover -”

“They’ll shelve things wrong, Beau, we all know that. I’ll - I’ve got this,” you say as decisively as you can muster, before stabbing a potato with your fork. You’re fine, you can do this.

For Gabe, you can do this.

The following morning, you find yourself nervously standing in the empty library. It smells fustier; the tension hangs in the air as you notice the books you were partway through shelving before you left it for the last time.

You curl your arms tightly around yourself and open your thermos of tea with shaking hands. It’s been too long hiding away, you’ve built up nightmares in your head of the Junction running into the library, or Jackson residents turning against you.

No one even glanced at you as you walked to the library this morning.

There’s no one here though. Perhaps word hasn’t got out that you’ve reopened the library yet, or perhaps Maria has told people to give you space when you eventually emerged from your hiding places. You appreciate it and throw yourself into rearranging a display, in picking out books for the school class who usually come by on Fridays.

“Hi,” a voice says from behind you.

You spin around to see Ellie standing ahead of you. Her hands are shoved into her jeans pockets awkwardly and she looks nervous as she meets your eyes.

“Ellie,” you say gently.

“Joel said I should give you space.”

“Did he now?”

“So did Maria in fairness.”

“Right. Of course they did.”

“Do you need space?” she asks as you pull yourself to standing from the floor you were kneeling on.

“Not from you, Ellie.”

“Good, because it’s been a while, man. How much space can you need?”

“You sound like Gabe.”

“Can’t all be wrong, huh?”

“Absolutely, so did you finish that space book?”

“Mmhmm and I’m going to be honest that I may have swapped it for another book while you were out.”

“The library was locked, Ellie.”

“There was a window and I got Ca- a friend to give me a booster. Joel and I had to do it a lot in um, when we were travelling.”

“So you learnt your break in skills from Joel?” You ask, fighting the smile on your face as you make a show of crossing your arms.

“Technically, I was breaking into places with my friend Riley … well, one time anyway. ” Ellie shrugs. “At least I owned up, right?”

“Sure. I feel you’ve pretty much exhausted our collection of books on space though. We could move you on to fiction though - sci-fi, lots of space.”

“That could work.” Ellie purses her lips together, clearly battling against saying something. You wonder what she really came here to say; is she angry that Joel got involved, that you endangered her and the town? Does she want you to leave?

You wouldn’t blame her.

“I’m sorry about what happened with that guy,” Ellie says.

“I should apologise to you, Ellie, you got caught in the middle and you shouldn’t have. None of you should have.”

“It’s not your - it’s nothing, honest,” Ellie says and her sincerity somehow makes you feel worse.

“I appreciate that, Ellie, thank you.”

“I wanted to talk to you, because - because before we came to Jackson, there were these people we came across.”

Your blood runs cold. What does Ellie mean? Did she and Joel come across the Junction, or something worse? Why would she say this? You look at the young girl and wonder what her and Joel’s story really is, the chemical burn, the vehemence at you not being involved that. What happened to Ellie?

“Ellie, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

“I want to tell you. Do you not want me to?”

“No, it’s fine, I just don’t want you to feel obligated to share something you may not want to.”

“Noted. I’m good though. So this group, they were these … I don’t know, cannibals? but this guy, he was like religious, or so he said and it was -”

“I’m sorry, you ran into a cannibal cult?” you ask incredulously.

“Kinda.”

“Fuck, Ellie.”

“I mean, it wasn’t a cult centred around cannibalism, that was more incidental.”

“Oh, well, that makes all the difference.”

“Right? Anyway, we got away. I - I got away. Joel was hurt before and so I was on my own and I know he feels bad about that.”

“Elie”, you whisper quietly.

“For a long time, I tried to figure out why this guy, Da- he was so … respected and so …. I don’t know. He was dangerous but quiet about it. I always thought the threat would be like a clicker or bloater, something visible. You look at it and you know that’s bad; you know what you’re up against. Plus on our way here I saw so much. Hunters, well at least they don’t hide it. This guy did. I - I almost bought it.”

“I’m sorry, Ellie.”

“It’s fine. It was almost a year ago now. It’s the past.” Ellie pauses and looks up at you. “I just wanted to tell you that.”

“I appreciate that, Ellie.” You take a deep breath. “For what it’s worth, the understanding the guy thing? It’s not like it starts off dangerous, it’s just normal at first, maybe a little different but within respectability. It … appeals to you, this sense of belonging, I suppose.”

“Belonging?”

“I’d never felt like I fitted in anywhere and then the world ended. My parents were …. all I had left was Sean and I didn’t want him to think I was clingy and end up with no-one. So there was this group and it seemed normal. It was normal at first. It was a slow change and then really fast and I don’t want to, I’m not sure if I should - you’re a kid, Ellie.”

“I’m-”

“A great and cool one, and one who’s seen a hell of a lot and is very brave, but you’re Joel’s kid, Ellie.”

“He’s not my - ” Ellie breaks off. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right.”

You scan through the pile of books you were shelving and pass one to Ellie. “Try this one next, I think you’ll love it.”

“Thanks,” Ellie says, saying your name kindly, “I’ll read it next.”

“Well, let me know what you think. I’ll be here.”

Ellie smiles. “Good, I’d hate to have keep breaking in to steal books.”

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