#Feelin' no pain being single again

[hiddenbysuccubi]

What I wanted to do on V day: *self pamper, bathtime, etc What happened: *mom wanted to go for tea *Grandma called on the drive *AUNT then called to ask me how to get into my online job. FINALLY I am having my soak, face mask, fancy bath bomb, and crappy rom coms. Five Blind Dates so far is an unexpected cliche canned delight.

[cobaltperun]

Eternal Flame (17) - Eternal Flame

Jenna Ortega x Female Reader

Summary: For her it’s a passion, for you it’s an accident. And as she continues shining brighter and brighter with each role you are left mesmerized, drawn to her flame and cherishing every time she lets herself be vulnerable with you.

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Word Count: 4.6k

-A whole life so lonely, and then come and ease the pain, I don't wanna lose this feelin'-

You woke up way later than you were used to, in fact you could see some light coming through a window and your room was on the southern side. Not that it mattered, after all who cared what time it was right now, Jenna was sleeping in your arms. You glanced down, taking in the sight of her face, looking at the freckles adoring her beautiful face you, you smiled, remembering how much you kissed them last night, how Jenna tensed and then melted against you as you spoke about how beautiful her freckles were. You didn’t know why she reacted like that, and you hoped she would one day tell you, but she relaxed even more, as if what you did gave her one last proof that you loved everything about her. You smiled, hugging her a bit tighter now and she smiled in her sleep.

Last night she fell asleep in your arms and somehow the two of you didn't even move the entire night. You fell asleep with Jenna hugging you and resting most of her body on top of you and that's exactly how you woke up. And you couldn't remember the last time you were this happy. Sure, the last night was unexpected, but despite technically being something you rushed into with Jenna it was paradoxically something you felt was long-awaited for both of you.

She stirred in her sleep and nuzzled into your neck, and a few of the strands of her hair tickled you, and you wouldn't have it any other way. “How do we go from not speaking for almost three months to making love to first night after we reunite?” she muttered, but the smile on her face told you she was not complaining one bit, that she had no second thoughts about what happened between you last night or yesterday for that matter.

“Seems on brand to me,” you said, after all before you even kissed for the first time, before you even acknowledged you were in love with one another, you spent nights side by side so this almost felt like natural continuation of that.

Jenna thought it over and nodded after a few seconds. “Yeah, I guess you're right. Can't help that you're so irresistible,” she kissed your neck a few times, focusing on the places she could reach without moving much, and you just let her, just enjoying the moment, you even tilted your head back to give her more access to your neck. “So warm, always so gentle with me,” she gently held your left shoulder, pulled herself up so she was leaning over you while she caressed your cheek with her right hand. “Always making me feel so good, so wanted and loved,” she finally leaned down and softly kissed you on the lips.

And you caught yourself thinking that if you could wake up like this every single morning for the rest of your life you would be the happiest person on this planet. “You deserve all of it, and so much more,” you whispered, both of you smiling at that. You watched Jenna’s smile slowly spreading all over her face, enchanted by her. “I love you, Jen.”

“You should definitely wake me up like that from now on,” she kissed you again just slightly pecking your lips this time. “I love you too, more than you could ever imagine.”

“I think we can arrange that,” and you made the mental promise to make sure that Jenna would hear those 3 words every single morning no matter what. And if you couldn't be next to her because you were either filming or simply away from one another, then you would simply send her a message.

~X~

One very tasty breakfast later, Jenna found herself wondering what the two of you could do. It was raining outside, which made her very happy that she came yesterday instead of today, because dealing with this heavy rain would just be a pain in the ass. At least there wasn't any thunder this time around, but that also meant several things for the two of you. With the rain this strong you had no choice but to stay inside, and staying inside meant not really having much to do. You didn’t have games you could really play, didn’t have something serious to talk about and make decisions about, and it was way too early to just go back to bed and cuddle. Even if that was a tempting idea.

Jenna looked over to your movie collection and figured that was probably the best bet. You had some classics, and you had some more modern movies, and of course you had all the X-Men movies, you even got Logan and she was actually surprised by that. Jenna herself wouldn't really go and buy the movies she was in, but she was glad to see Logan here. Eventually she caught sight of the Scream movies and figured the second one would be appropriate for watching.

She still want and picked out a couple more movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the original X-Men because those were your comfort movies and she wanted to get familiar with them ad she also picked up Balto, she hasn't seen that movie in a long time. “Y/N, are you in the mood for any of these or do you want to do something else?” Jenna asked, trusting you to not only tell her if any of these movies didn't catch your fancy at the moment, but to also tell her that if her idea to spend some time watching movies didn't appeal to you.

You turned to her from the kitchen, where you were currently busy making light snacks, you were almost done making fruit salads for lunch, and they looked amazing. You made some pudding, put it on the bottom of the cups, mixed whipped cream and fruit, and then put it over the pudding, only to then decorate it with more whipped cream and some fruits sprinkled on top of it. Jenna could feel her mouth watering at the very sight of it. You put the cups into the fridge and approached her, looking over the movies she picked out. “Yeah, I guess Scream 2 is a good choice,” there was something mischievous in your eyes. “And I really do want to watch Balto later, haven't seen it in ages,” you said and went to your room for some reason.

“Do you want to make popcorn, or should I do it?” Jenna asked not really thinking too much about your decision to suddenly go to your room. You might have forgotten your phone there for all she knew, or you may have been looking for it because, as far as she could tell, you still haven't turned it on.

“I'll do it!” you answered from the room, so Jenna went to put the movie on. Then she got comfortable, grabbing the blanket the two of your brought to the living room last night and wrapping it around herself while also leaving enough of it for you too jump in and join her. She waited for a bit and before she knew it you came with a bowl full of popcorn in your hands and then she saw it. You were trying to drive her insane, weren’t you? You had your glasses on.

“Take them off,” she said, trying to sound authoritative, as you sat down next to her. You just smiled while grabbing the other end of the blanket and putting it around you.

“What for?” you had the nerve to sound so innocent, knowing exactly why she would ask you to take them off.

“Because I'm not responsible for my actions if they stay on,” and you gave her the most infuriatingly inviting smirk as you put the bowl on the table.

“I think that was the same reaction you had for this,” you went and pointed at the ring on your necklace. Jenna blushed hard as she thought of last night. What you said was true, while everything else came off she had the almost ridiculous need for that ring to stay around your neck last night.  And you didn't take it off until you were completely done with last night's activity.

“We really won’t get to watch the movie,” you just shrugged, as if to tell her ‘bring it’ and oh, Jenna brought it. She ditched the blanket and straddled your lap. “Don't say I didn't warn you,” she warned you, kissing you deeply, immediately slipping her tongue into your mouth as she grabbed onto you. “Y/N,” she gasped, just for a moment breaking the kiss and continuing it as she wrapped her right arm around your shoulders while her left slipped through your hair massaging the back of your head. You looked too good with the glasses. You looked too good anyway, but she figured it was the change in appearance, or that she never quite expected it, and so the movie was forgotten for a moment. Jenna showered you with kisses, deep sensual kisses mixed in with the slower, more timid ones, and all of that combined with quick pecks all over your face and you returned that same passion right back at her matching her energy in every way.

“We really should have just watched the movie,” you gasped leaning back a bit.

“Oh, am I wearing you out? Hmm?” she teased but she knew that she had no energy to take this further right now, and neither did you, but it still felt incredibly good to just keep kissing you like this.

“Never,” you captured her lips once more before the two of you finally separated, satisfied for now.

“You really do look incredible with those glasses though,” she said, you just shrugged not denying or confirming that you agreed with her, you probably didn't care much, as long as she enjoyed the view that was all that mattered to you.

~X~

Eventually you did end up watching Scream 2, it just took you some time to get to that point, but you did it and as the credits rolled you just felt like a sense of calmness and serenity engulfed the room. You found yourself sitting back, with Jenna leaning back against, she spent half of the movie sitting on your lap but about halfway through the act 2 she moved to sit next to you instead. Both of you could just actually relax for once, without any worries or fears for the future. Every major problem you would be dealt with later and thus had no right to stop you from having fun now.

“You know what I've been thinking?” Jenna suddenly spoke up, turning slightly to look you in the eyes.

“That's the sequel to Scream is incredible?” you asked.

“Well, yeah that's true. But it wasn't I wasn't thinking. Want to guess again?” she grinned clearly liking this game.

“That we got lucky to be in the franchise?” you guessed again, almost melting when she adorably put her finger on her chin, as if thinking it over.

In the end it wasn’t that either and Jenna shook her head. “Nope. Any more guesses, Miss failed mind reader?”

“None, I'm sure you'll tell me, love,” seeing her this happy, truly looking like there wasn't a single worry on her mind made you wish you could make the time around you stop so this happiness Jenna felt would last.

“What do I get in return?” she had the nerve to tease, leaning further back against you and your eyes met, and all you could see in those beautiful dark brown eyes was love and affection.

“I can think of some things,” you said and moved a bit to the side so you could place your hands on her shoulders, slowly starting to massage her and she just melted into it. You didn’t really have any experience with massages, so you just followed your instincts, hoping whatever you were doing was and felt right. “So, what is on your mind?” you asked, whispering directly into her ear. “I was thinking maybe you could get a dog,” that actually never crossed your mind but now that you thought about it it did make sense.

“I mean, I spent years being physically active and getting a dog I could go and run with would be good way to replace some of those workouts,” you pondered it. It wasn't a bad idea at all.

But Jenna tensed a bit. “I didn't exactly mean it like that! It was more a question of company. You know, since sometimes I won't be here and sometimes you'll be somewhere far away, and you know, it might help to have a dog by your side,” Jenna explained herself and you saw no issue with either of those reasons.

“Well, both are true though,” you leaned forward and kissed her shoulder. You could see she was a bit worried that you may have taken her suggestion the wrong way, but you didn't. While it was true that she didn't suggest it for the reason you went to immediately, it didn't make your reasoning any less true. A dog would be a great solution both for company and all the spare energy you would have. “I agree with your reasons too,” you whispered, reassuring her, and she seemed to deflate, relaxing against you at that. “I don't want you to worry about anything you say. I want this to work, and for this to work we need to be open,” you wrapped your arms around her waist and Jenna placed her hands on top of yours.

“I know, it still feels so fresh, though. On one hand I never thought I would be ready for a relationship right now. I thought I would focus on my work and that I wouldn't be able to commit to something like this, but with you it's easy, and I love it. I really do, but it also kind of scares me, you know?” and you knew, completely understanding where she was coming from. Weeks ago the idea of being this open and vulnerable would've been more frightening than damn near anything else to you. Yet here you were.

“What scares you?” you asked, gently nudging her to open up to you.

“That I might not be able to meet your needs. I sometimes struggle to meet my own needs, and I have this desire to just keep working and working, and I know that means we won't be spending that much time together, that the relationship would for the most part be long distance, and that we would sometimes need to get lucky for our schedules to match like they will in May. I know there will be plenty of times where you're not working and I'm working, and the other way around and I am overthinking that,” you understood Jenna’s concerns.

Hugh, for example married an actress and yet his and his family's solution for his work and career was for them to follow him everywhere. Doing that wouldn’t work for you. Doing that would mean either you or Jenna would have to be willing to do that and risk throwing your careers away, or at the very least slowing them down. Neither of you wanted to do that, especially at such a crucial point in especially Jenna’s career. It was really starting to take off, lots of her movies were coming out in the near future and she had projects lined up. And your career was slowly picking up speed as well.

If there was a moment to focus on your careers it was now, because the more your careers progressed and the more recognition you got the more chances you would have to find the compromise between work and relationship. But as it was you both understood that there's a very good chance that you wouldn't be working together until Scream 6, assuming it happens, so you would be spending a lot of time apart in the future. “I think we can handle it, though.” you told her confidently, and a small smile, just the hint of it, appeared on her face. “There might be difficult times ahead of us, but I think if we managed to push through this, we can do anything,” and she turned around, kissing you to express her agreement with your words. A promise that, no matter how tired or busy you would be in the future, you would always find at least the bare minimum time for your relationship hung in the air, never spoken, but mutually understood.

~X~

You definitely liked the idea of getting a dog, because pretty much the first thing you did when you woke up the next morning was to make breakfast, but the second thing you did was get dressed, get in your car and drive right to the shelter. And Jenna didn’t even have to suggest it, you just went and figured that was the only acceptable way to do this. So there you were, being shown different dogs and she could see your eyes shining with almost childlike glee and excitement and at the same time the sense of compassion and sorrow for the dogs that were here. And then you found him, a slightly malnourished German shepherd that couldn't have been more than three months old.

“What happened to this one?” you asked, crouching down and putting your hands on the glass door almost by instinct and somehow Jenna knew this was it. You were going home with this one, especially when the puppy perked up a bit, looked at you and slowly and cautiously approached the doors. The puppy sniffed a bit through the holes in the glass and you brought your hand closer. “Hey buddy, how are you?” you cooed at the puppy, it was love at first sight.

“Some kids found it in a box, starving. Doesn't look like it's anyone's dog,” the guy working at the shelter told you and Jenna and you nodded, gesturing to a small bit of glass that could be slid open, and the guy gave you a ‘go ahead’ so you pushed your hand through it and slowly reached out to the puppy. You let the puppy sniff your hand and get closer, letting him slowly get more comfortable before he actually went and nudged your hand. You smiled softly, petting the puppy gently.

“How come he's not already adopted?” Jenna asked, she was happy you clearly found your dog, but it was strange. It was a German shepherd puppy, and from the looks of it he was healthy, malnourished sure, but that could easily be fixed.

“We actually put him here this morning,” the guy explained and Jenna held back a laugh, your eagerness to get here this early really paid off. Jenna watched as the puppy whined a bit when you pulled your hand back, immediately chasing after it, and you had to continue petting him.

“Oh, he found his home, you’re going home with me, buddy,” you said and then looked over the other dogs. “I can’t take any more of these guys home, but do you take donations?” you asked with little to no thinking and curse you, you did it again, you went and made her fall for you even harder.

The guy nodded, clearly pleased with the question. “Right this way then, we'll get the papers ready,” he said, then placed the sign on the door saying adopted.

“What are you going to name him?” Jenna asked as you reluctantly left the puppy, promising you would be right back.

You thought it over then turned to Jenna. “Got any suggestions?” you asked, making Jenna blush at the chance to name your dog.

She did have a name in mind. “You know how I got this script recently, while I was filming X, and there is a character that is also a lightning beast,” she began and you raised an eyebrow, curious about the idea. “And if you noticed, your little puppy has this small patch of fur that looks like a lightning bolt,” and your eyes lit up as you remembered that. “That lightning beast isn't called a lightning beast on the show, it's called Raiju, so how about that?” the grin on your face told her everything, you loved the idea. You pulled her in for a hug, since you couldn't quite kiss her in public, just to be safe.

“That's good because I was stuck between Howl which would have been a bit corny, and Mr. Snuggles the Devourer of my Time,” Jenna burst out laughing at that and then slowly realized what the howl probably meant. It wasn't howl as in the sound of howling, but howl as in James Howlett, Logan. And she somewhat wished you just named the puppy Logan because that would have been kind of meaningful for you.

Raiju would do though, you liked it, after all.

~X~

You thought you were happy before, but right now, with all of this? You couldn't be happier than this, there was no better feeling in the world than this. You were sitting on the floor, watching Raiju as he was walking around, exploring the apartment and Jenna was sitting right next to you. The small puppy made his way back to you, he ate, got fresh water, he got his own bed, you scheduled visits to the vet, and you may have gotten overboard with the toys, and he was slowly getting very attached to a small squeaky toy shaped like a roasted chicken.

“He’s got good taste, you know. Recognizes food,” you laughed because not only was Raiju enjoying his toy, it was also, at this point in time, almost as big as he was, and that was just adorable.

“You really went overboard,” Jenna chuckled, leaning in and kissing your cheek. You did not care, you made sure you turned the apartment into a puppy heaven, as far as you were concerned that was exactly how it should be.

“Well, I’d say I love pampering my loved ones,” you turned your attention back to her because how could you not? She looked so beautiful.

“I know,” there was a hint of cheekiness in her voice and you quickly pecked her on the lips, just as Raiju came up to you and brushed against your leg. “Oh, he really likes you. This is adorable! Say, have you ever had a pet before? I don't think we talked about that.”

You lightly scratched Raiju behind his ears. “Never. Dad was allergic so we never got a dog, and cats weren't really mom's thing, so that was that. And over the past few years I wasn't exactly fit to care of an animal. Thinking about it now, maybe that would have been a smart thing to do,” maybe that would have forced you to take better care of yourself. “Anyway, I got this guy now! Look at him, he's so adorable!” you went to pick him up and then stopped turning to Jenna, suddenly terrified. “Wait how do I safely pick him up? I don't wanna hurt him,” you were genuinely concerned and Jenna just burst out laughing because apparently you were entertaining her a lot. “Jen, please, you guys have dogs, you know how to do this, I don't!” you cried out and luckily she took pity on you, moving from her spot next to you to guide your hands until you managed to safely pick up the puppy.

“You’re adorable,” Jenna teased you and let go of your hands. “There you go. Gotta watch his back and shoulders,” Jenna said and it seemed to be working, as Raiju seemed to be quite comfortable, he even raised his head and licked your cheek. “You both are,” Jenna said and pulled out her phone snapping the picture, she showed you the photo she just took. Damn the puppy was so adorable. “And that's a new lock screen right there. Finally, I won't have to look at myself when I check my phone,” she did hate seeing herself. Then she stuck her tongue out at you. “I'm only doing this for Raiju by the way, just so you know,” and you laughed as you gently put the puppy back down.

And so the night continued, the two of you kept watching over the puppy as he got confused when he saw his reflection and immediately ran back to you, prompting Jenna to just melt at the cuteness. And you would have melted too, but you were now a parent of a puppy, and had the responsibility to protect him from his own reflection.

Hours later, quite late at night you felt Jenna leaning her head on your shoulder and noticed she was fast asleep there. The two of you ended up cuddling as you've watched over Raiju as he was getting used to his new bed in the living room. And your eyes softened at that.

For a moment you just wondered what you did to deserve this happiness and this much love. You must have done something right to deserve a girl as special as Jenna. Slowly, careful not to wake her up, you lifted her up in your arms and took her to the bedroom. Both of you planned on going to bed soon, so you were already ready, you were just waiting for Raiju to fall asleep. Granted you did have some dishes to wash left, so you couldn't join her right away, but you tucked Jenna in and turned the lights off, silently making your way to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

About halfway through you heard the bedroom doors opening and glanced back, seeing a half-asleep Jenna stumbling into the kitchen. She just came up to hug you from behind, resting the side of her head on your back.

“Hey sleepyhead,” you whispered softly, not wanting to completely wake her up because you could tell she was still half asleep.

“You weren't in bed,” she mumbled leaning on you a bit more now and humming a tune you didn't quite recognize.

“What song is that?” you asked curiously, wondering if maybe you could just leave the dishes to dry themselves. Yeah, that would probably be fine. If you did that you would be done in a minute or two, and that meant going to bed with Jenna right away, so that's what you would do.

“Nothing really, just a melody that popped into my head. I just felt really happy, that’s all,” Jenna was adorable when she was just sleepy. You feared you were going to die of cuteness. Actually, scratch that, you were definitely dying of cuteness, because between the puppy and Jenna you simply doubted your ability to survive this onslaught of cuteness.

“Come to the bed with me right now, because I really want to cuddle with you before we fall asleep,” Jenna said and who were you to refuse her.

You wouldn’t miss the chance to tease her slightly. “You're already half asleep, though,” you put the last plate away and washed your hands.

“Exactly,” Jenna didn't even deny it, just got up on her tip toes and kissed the back of your neck. “And I want fall asleep cuddling you,” yeah, that was as good of an argument as you would ever need. So, you scooped her up off her feet and carried her back to the bedroom.

Taglist: @lilbitdepressed27 @freakshow2501 @osnapitzmel1 @belatrixdragon @ijustlovemaths

@niqmandu @justspance @mirage018 @godamnityess

Masterlist / First Part / Previous part / Next Part

[tinylilacbun]

rafe involuntarily regresses and doesn't know it ‧₊˚ ┊

You are just about to finish your skincare routine when you see your phone light up, wiping your hands on a towel before picking it up, smiling at seeing that its a message from Rafe.

A frown spreads on your face, reading that you both couldn't meet up today because something came up.

Weird. It's unlike him to abruptly cancel your plans since he always looks forward to every second he gets to spend with you, so you're a little concerned that something might be wrong.

He has been under a lot of stress lately, to which he just replied that it's just because of Sarah acting up or some shit, but you know better.

That's how you're now making your short way to Tannyhill, luckily living a few houses away from your boyfriend.

As you round the corner you stop when you hear a familiar voice shouting.

"Please! Sarah, please don't leave, okay?" Rafe calls out desperately, continuing when Sarah stops her bicycle. "Dad's gone. And now it's just...it's you, me, and Wheezie."

"What's the point, Rafe?" Sarah sniffles, trying to keep up a tough facade.

You watch as he approaches to stand in front of her, not being able to make out what they're saying and shocked by what you just heard, Ward is gone?

After a while Sarah simply drives past him and he lifts his hands to fist his hair in frustration, turning to watch his sister leave he catches you standing a few feet away, his hands falling back to his sides.

Walking over to him you see a single tear rolling down his face, picking up your pace you embrace him just in time for him to break down.

He loosely wraps his arms around you, burying his face in your neck and his body trembling slightly as he cries, finally letting out all the pent up emotions he kept sealed for the past weeks.

"He's gone...he-" He chokes on his own words and you shush him softly.

"I'm here, I got you..." You assure him, rubbing a hand up and down his back. "C'mon, let's go inside. Tell me what happened."

Soon you're both cuddled up on his bed. Rafe laying on top of you, using your chest as a pillow while you run a hand through his hair to soothe him as he sniffles, his hands holding onto you for dear life.

"If I wouldn't have...I could have saved him I-" He keeps on rambling over and over again, blaming himself for his father's death.

You sigh heavily, on one side you obviously feel bad for him, not wanting to see the person you love so much pain.

On the other side you can't help but feel a tinge of frustration at how much Rafe cares for his father who didn't even wanted to acknowledge the fact that his son needed help even after he himself told him that he's not well.

He doesn't need to be all big and independent in your eyes. He should get to have someone that listens to him and help him fight his demons, not push him away and tell him to 'man up'.

"You're not alone, baby...I'm here for you, always." You hum, your nails softly scratching the back of his head to the nape of his neck, pressing a kiss to his hair.

He adjusts his position to be able to look up at you with glassy eyes, the tiniest pout on his face as he blinks at you. "M'scared..."

"Scared? Of what?" You ask, your voice soft and like balm to his soul.

"This- This feelin'." He mumbles, his grip on your shirt tightening momentarily. "I jus'...feel so small? I dunno, you make me feel safe and- and taken care of."

Your eyes widen a tad, your hands not stopping their comforting gestures. You've noticed for a while that Rafe seems to slip into some kind of subspace? But not exactly what you would expect.

His speech slurs and he won't let go of you, not even for longer than a minute, almost whimpering when you would pull away.

He reminds you of this sweet little boy he was when you both were younger and playing or fooling around in figure eight.

"It's okay, don't worry about anything right now. Just relax." You smile at him, cupping his cheek with your hand, caressing his cheek with your thumb as he nuzzles more against you, craving your comfort.

Whatever this is he seems to slip into, you're there for him, always. You love Rafe with your whole heart and would do anything to make him feel cared for.

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[justplainlovely]

“Feelin’ better, sweetheart?”

Based on a season 2 idea by @faembrosia. This did not turn out how I expected at all, but I enjoyed writing it anyway! Will probably become part of a longer fic in the future, paired with another idea I saw on here that I already have an outline for. Let me know if you like it and if you do I’d be happy to continue.

After leaving the observatory, Cooper decides that Lucy needs to break. He’s been there before and it’s better she do it now than on the trail with the most dangerous critters in the wasteland.

Cooper "The Ghoul" Howard x Lucy MacLean.

WARNINGS: Swearing, violence, blood lust

Count: 4,696 words

Cooper books it on the old 210, Dogmeat trotting along like the faithful canine she is... well, maybe not faithful. She stops every few minutes now to whine at the person taking up the rear. Behind him, the vaultie huffs and puffs as the sun begins to set. Useless smoothskins. Can't keep up for shit. Especially no okie-dokie-ass vault dweller. 

They moved nonstop from the Griffith at the crack of dawn. They had to. Coop was more preoccupied with tryin' to get away from the Brotherhood of Steel than he was in worrying about the current stamina of the woman a few paces behind him. It was his fault, of course, for mercing every one of them tin-can soldier boys and he knew they wouldn't take too kindly to anyone taking out their "well-protected", T-60-wearing knights, much less a ghoul. Much less the Ghoul. He grinned at the thought, imagining the mess that'd ensue if they did find him. Some sick part of him wished they would just for the thrill of a fight. Unfortunately, his ammo supply was cut in half during the shootout. He would have stocked up with what was leftover of the NCR’s stockpile, but timing necessitated a quick departure.

As he walks, Cooper's mind drifts back to his own struggles. He remembers the pain of his transformation, the loss of his daughter, and the desperate measures he took to survive. The memory of his cremello stallion, Sugarfoot, and the harsh decision took to end its life still lingered, a burning reminder of the rad-riddled earth he stalks.

He recalled escaping with his daughter on the horse, wrapping Janey's mouth and nose with the yellow handkerchief around his neck in the hopes that it would keep the particles away from her. That bomb was so close, and if protecting her was his one mistake, then he was happy to make it. He would make it again if it meant saving her from his fate. Of course, those times had worse pains than the idea of her succumbing. Being ripped away from her, being blocked from the Vault-Tec doors as his sweet baby girl shouted for her daddy, as she begged her mommy, was possibly the single worst heartbreaking moment of his life.

Cooper jolts to the present when he notices, out of the corner of his eye, that Lucy is now struggling to keep up. Her pace is slowing, and he can see the strain on her face as the sun dips lower into the sky. They were getting close enough, now, to Big Dalton Canyon and he knew those Brotherhood men wouldn't trek out this far. The array of radiated critters alone was enough to keep them at bay… radiated. Watching Lucy struggle with the rads was an aching reminder his own curse.

“Sir?"

Cooper's reverie is broken by Lucy's weak voice. He sighs and turns to face her.

"Sir... can we... can we stop... please… I’m…" she pauses, staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights. She should be right to look at him that way. Perhaps he had finally killed that too-trusting, too-green, sweet-as-pie thing she had going on. Then again… wasn’t that why he invited her along?

“I can’t…” she panted, “I..."

Cooper surveys the perimeter, spotting the tin roof of what was an old fire station just outside the trail. He looks back to the young woman, a sickly sheen across her forehead and the whites of her eyes bloodshot. He had been sharing with her whatever water and food he had, but the rads in the water were no doubt doing a number on her. It was why he didn't let her have much of it. He has exactly two bags of RadAway on him and they’ll likely need to use one before her symptoms get any worse. 

“Havin’ trouble keepin’ up, huh?” he says with a stupid smirk as he moves into her space.

Lucy frowns and shakes her head, "Sorry, sir. I... I know you're in a hurry... we're in a hurry... but... I…"

Before she can completely fall, Cooper moves fast and catches her by the waist. Dogmeat whines, licking Lucy's limp hand and sniffing the air for trouble. The shepard looks up at Cooper with those big ol’ puppy dog eyes.

“The fuck you lookin’ at me for? Scan.”

The dog immediately goes to work, her nose pressed to the ground as she scans the area for any signs of life. She barks and wags her tail, ears perked up, which he takes as a good sign. As he adjusts the vault dweller into his arms, he considers continuing further up the trail. The last time he traveled out this way there was a shack not far, perhaps 10 miles, from the mouth of Big Dalton. He can make it, for sure, but can she? Maybe. Only maybe. The risky part of going back down to the fire station’s the sheer size of the building. Anyone could be in there and it wouldn’t be smart for him to get ambushed while carrying 130-pound, radsick baggage. He sighs.

“C’mon, Dogmeat.” 

The dog lopes alongside him as he heads for the shack. Sure it’ll be a journey, but it beats the possibility of whatever could be there. Rad sickness be damned. He isn’t gonna get held up when he’s gotten this far. When he’s so close to the possibility of seeing his little girl again. He knows, staring down at the vault dweller in his arms as he goes deeper into the trail, that this is what Janey would want. What Barb would’ve done… if he knew her like he thought he did.

Though he dares not admit it aloud, he has a great deal of respect for the young woman he carries. Giving him those vials back at the Super Duper Mart when she so easily, and so justly, coulda shot his ass on sight and left him in the dirt in his puddle of drool and blood… she was not pretending when she professed the golden rule. And although it would get her into all kinds of trouble out here, does get her into all kinds of trouble out here, it’s almost a comfort to know that things aren’t completely lost. That some of the good from the old world still survives in her, even if it had vanished from everyone else.

────୨ৎ────

Lucy starts awake, her eyelids heavy as she registers her surroundings. She feels incredibly dizzy as it all floods back to her; the observatory, the murderous Hank MacLean, the Ghoul standing in the setting sun, Maximus on the ground, made unconscious by her father’s hand. The radiation sickness is enough, but she feels sick all over again just thinking about it. She had never felt so useless before. It wasn’t her thing. Back home, she was an enthusiastic, hard-working community member with a dedication to team building and tenacity that put even the oldest vault dwellers to shame. She was lauded, applauded - confident, intelligent, and kind. 

Up here, on the surface, these things mattered little and she found that out the hard way. Many times. She had several near-death experiences; fiends, ghouls, radroaches. She was also used as bait, had her finger cut off, was tied up and lassoed like an animal, and was sold to an organ dealership, all by the man… ghoul she was currently traveling with. Was she stupid for following him? For trusting again? Some part of her knows he’s right. 

Max’s friend Thaddeus had said that the Brotherhood of Steel was a “complicated organization”. By surface standards, she took that to mean that they were willing to do anything for their mission and, not knowing herself exactly what that mission was, she wasn’t so keen on finding out what would happen if she stayed behind. Part of her also wonders what her company had to say about her father. What unsettling secrets will come to light when he decides she’s ready to hear the information. 

At least when she travels with the Ghoul she has an idea of what to expect. Cruelty, snide remarks, sarcasm, belittling. But also honesty. He had never lied to her, at least, and that could be said for something. Her whole life had been a lie up until that point. But even though she has this, she still feels hollow.

She blinks rapidly when she hears the tiny screech of a critter, probably a roach, outside that brings her back to reality. A pinch in her arm that she looks down to follow to a drip bag of RadAway, a cough outside before she hears his inhaler puff. She peeks through the door of what she assesses as some kind of shack she sits in, a twin bed crammed in the corner with a rusted-out sink, no doubt useless, right beside it. Just outside the door, she sees the Ghoul toss a radroach into a battered can that sits in the middle of a fire he’d stoked. Lucy tries to get up from the bed, only for her foot to wobble underneath the weight of her leg. She falls back down, her eyes fluttering shut angrily, “Fudge…”

She wishes she could get up and help - prove herself, distract herself - but her legs are as strong as a fresh jello cake and she knows getting up would only cause more fuss. Better let him focus, as he had already wasted enough time taking care of her. 

The sweet shepherd scampers into the shack and sniffs at her RadAway drip sight, panting and whining happily when she realizes she’s okay. Lucy involuntarily smiles when the dog rests her head on her thigh and she gives the dog, which he called Dogmeat - an ugly name if she said so herself - a gentle pat on the head.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. The Ghoul opens the door fully and eyes her with that curious tilt she was all too accustomed to. However, she can’t quite tell if he’s studying her, mocking her, or trying to measure her up for dinner in case she gets sick again. She figures it best not to dwell on the “what-ifs” of this particular scenario.

“Thank you.” She whispers.

He raises a non existent eyebrow at her statement before taking another few steps forward. Dogmeat retreats to the other side of the shack, where a decrepit rocking chair sits on the other side of the rusted out sink, while the Ghoul lifts up the RadAway bag to inspect it, “Don’t mention it, darlin’.”

It’s almost empty, about a quarter of the way, when he decides she’s had enough and not so gently pulls the needle out of her forearm. 

“Ow!” She winces at the pressure and yanks her arm away. 

He smirks as she moves her hand to the hem of her tank, tucked below the top of her vault suit which had been tied at her waist, and tears off a strip. She ties it around her arm to cut the bleeding, all the while avoiding his eyes.

“Gotta ration these,” he says, lifting the RadAway bag, “It’ll be a few days 'fore we get to the nearest settlement. I ain’t got no real use for 'em, obviously. Woulda sold 'em, had ya stayed with yer lil white knight. Didn’t expect you’d be foolhardy enough to come with.”

Lucy scoffs, “You know… I didn’t exactly follow you for your astounding moral character or anything, so you can just…” she stops, thinking better of it. 

She wants to dig into him, to ‘tear him a new one’ as he might do to her, but stops herself. Her upbringing prevents her from that kind of vulgarity. Better yet, it’s best not to anger him when he so clearly holds the reigns in this situation. He could have easily left her to fend for herself after she fainted and she’s honestly not sure why he’d even bother to take care of her. She shakes her head in dismissal.

“‘I can just’ what, darlin’? C’mon now. Y’ain’t said much of nothin’ since we left the Griffith. Go ahead. I’m all ears.”

She has many questions. So many. How does you know my father? How can you track down people like this when there’s little physical evidence of them? You're looking for a family - how did you lose them if you're so good at this? When exactly did you turn into… what you are? Why are you such a son of a biscuit? Why does you look so familiar? He must decide that she takes too long, because then he brushes her off with one of his little grunts.

“Well,” he shrugs with a clap of his gloved hands, “the rad roach’ll be ready in a jiff. I usually don’t bother roastin’ ‘em, but with your smoothskin stomach ’n’ all… can’t be too careful.”

Lucy watches as he steps back outside and while she is not looking forward to their rad roach dinner she knows it beats the alternative. She noticed earlier he still had some of that “ass jerky” left and would rather nom the radiated soil on the ground than stoop to cannibalism. She’s not him yet. Not if she has anything to say about it. Though, the more she dwells on her vault upbringing, the more she thinks about her father and about what she told Max, the more she questions whether her vault’s existence, whether Reclamation Day, was a sham to begin with. And if it was, if it is… then what does that all mean for her? What does it leave her with?

She doesn’t want to think about it. Doesn’t want to become emotional on top of being the useless “vaultie" the Ghoul no doubt thinks she is. Lucy takes one cautious step off the earthy-smelling bed, Dogmeat crawls to her side from the other corner of the shack. The canine whines up at her and she gently scratches her behind the ears, earning a thump from her hind leg.

“Aww,” Lucy coos, “Do you like that, sweet canis familiaris?”

“Fuck kinda nerd speak is that?” Lucy turns her head to see him offering her a skewer stacked with meat. She cautiously accepts the offer, “‘Canis familiaris’"…  Why, darlin’, were you some kinda scientist down in them vaults?”

He takes a big bite of his meat and she blearily looks down at hers. 

Lucy scoffs, “I was a history teacher, thank you very much,” she takes a wary bite of the rad roach meat, grimacing when the robust, sticky taste hits her all at once, “All vault dwellers are given a thorough education of all subjects.”

He grunts, taking another bite of his roach flesh and tossing a piece to Dogmeat, who hungrily laps it up. Lucy’s tempted to throw her whole skewer down to the dog, but decides against it. The food will, hopefully, help to ease her stomach. Hopefully keep her occupied enough that she won’t think of all that she’s been through. That she won’t have to speak too much to the ghoul across from her and risk her already fragile grasp on sanity. He’s proven thus far to be an absolutely frustrating travel companion, if she could even call him such a thing. He was more like a reluctant guide.

And yet...

“Sweetheart?” he sing-speaks, breaking through her reverie, “Ya just gonna stare through me like that, or are ya gonna finish your meat?”

Lucy shakes her head. “Here,” she says, holding out the skewer, “I’m not that hungry, anyway.”

The Ghoul glances down at her hand, then her eyes, before reaching out and taking back the flesh he’d procured. She felt bad for only eating half of it, she was thin enough as it was, but she simply couldn’t stomach another bite. It wasn’t the worst thing she had put in her mouth on the surface by far, but one more bite and all of it would be on the floor.

He drops the rest of her meat onto the ground where Dogmeat feasts. Lucy turns her eyes to avoid the sight, suddenly feeling more queasy than she already was. She hears him set the now empty skewers on a hook and, out of the corner of her eye, catches sight of his hand going to his belt buckle and scrambles for the corner.

“Relax, won’t ya? Just gonna go take care of that fire.”

He turns around and heads in the direction of the fire pit he’d crafted - putting it out, as he said. Perhaps he isn’t all bad. Gruff, crude, disgusting at times, but not completely evil. She hopes her assessment isn’t off, hopes that she’s not completely “foolhardy” in deciding to follow him, even if he is her best shot at her father. She suspects he invited her for a similar reason.

────୨ৎ────

The following days had Cooper trudging them further east. The first day had seen them making it up to Nealey’s Corner where they slept outside, taking shifts to watch the camp. He’d gone first, letting the girl get some rest. It seemed to be all she could do these days; fulfill the basic biological functions, as she might say. He understood well, better than anyone, probably, what she was currently going through. He went through much of the same with Barb when he heard her speak about the bombs, so casually suggesting in that Vault-Tec meeting with those morally bankrupt higher-ups that they drop them to ensure results. To guarantee that the end of the world was in their control. He remembered how cold he felt then and the rage that swallowed him up in the time following… and this little killer hadn’t even had her blow up yet. He’d have to make sure to fix that.

The second day was met with more silence. She stayed glued to his side, standing at attention only when the wasteland greeted them with vile little critters looking for a meal, mostly rad scorpions and serpents in these parts, but they would reach the Mojave outpost in another four days, the Long 15 in a little over two, and it was crucial that she get over whatever the fuck she was going through before they get to deathclaw territory. She could hold her own against the scorpions and serpents, sure, but what they were soon coming up against was another beast entirely that had even ghouls like him frightened out of their wits.

That night, they set up camp in what seemed a long-since abandoned mechanic’s shop outside Summit Terrace, miles ahead of the Long 15. They roasted some rad scorp meat for dinner as Dogmeat crunched on a radroach just outside their temporary shelter, tail swishing through the soil. Cooper put out the fire with a dirt kick just as Lucy had taken the skewers off the now extinguished pit. They ate in silence, the crunch of the dog gnawing on grubs the only sound cutting through. Cooper gnawed on a skewer absentmindedly, eyes flicking between Lucy and the darkened wasteland outside. Even the mutt seemed to sense the tension.

It had been too long like this—Lucy, silent and sullen, her gaze distant. She followed orders, killed when necessary, but something was off. Cooper could see it in the way her hands shook, how her eyes would glaze over whenever her ghosts crept up on her. The kid was slipping, losing her edge, and they were running out of time before deathclaw territory swallowed them whole. He wasn’t about to drag dead weight.

He takes another bite and eyes her, deciding it's time to poke the hornet's nest.

“Well, well, well. Looks like someone’s lost their fire,” he drawls, breaking the silence with a forced grin, “How's it hangin', lil’ Miss Sunshine? You done with your vow of silence yet?”

Lucy doesn’t respond. She just stares at the snuffed out fire pit, her eyes dim, the muscles in her jaw twitching.

Cooper scoffs, tossing his now empty skewer aside. “C’mon, kid,” he grins, “Where’s that Vault-Tec initiative? Y’ain’t gonna make it to the Long 15 like this. Didn’t ol’ daddy MacLean raise you better?”

Still nothing. Her fingers tighten around the skewer she's holding, but her eyes don’t lift.

The ghoul leans back against the rusted bench and smirks, stretching his legs out. “Ah, I see,” he says with a chuckle. “You're missin’ your knight in shinin’ armor. That it? Can’t handle this big ol’ world without someone holdin’ yer hand, huh? I bet he’d have a good laugh seein’ you like this.”

That got her. Lucy’s eyes flick up, a flash of fire in them, but she chews her cheek and says nothing. Cooper grins, sensing the crack in her armor.

“There y’are,” he says, his tone sharper. “Look at you. All that Vault-Tec trainin' and you could barely handle a few rad scorps.”

He leans forward, elbows resting on his knees, voice lowering. “'Haps you’re scared. Just a lil thing out of her depth... ’S’that it, sweetheart? Ya know I'd be happy to hold your hand...”

Her grip on the skewer tightens, knuckles going white. She still doesn’t speak, but Cooper can see the cracks multiplying. Good. He needed to push harder. Just one more—

“Or maybe…” he let the words drag out, his grin fading. “you’re afraid of becoming just like him. Destroying everything in your path, just like he did. Is that what’s eatin’ at ya, sugar? Are ya scared you’re turnin’ into him?”

The skewer snaps in her hand, and Lucy's on her feet, glaring at him with eyes full of rage.

“Shut up.”

“Now we’re talkin’!” Cooper cheers, his grin widening as he stands slowly, wiping dirt off his gloved hands. “Finally, that spunk! Tell me I’m wrong. Or better yet, show me.”

Lucy’s hands tremble at her sides, her breath coming fast, her face twisting in fury. “I said - be quiet!”

“You’re almost there,” Cooper taunts, stepping toward her. “Go ahead, pumpkin, let it out. We both know you need this. You’re angry, and that’s good. But if you don’t deal with it now, it’ll get ya killed. And I’m not going to let that happen.”

“Stop it!” Lucy’s voice cracks, and she shoves him hard in the chest. Cooper stumbles back but catches himself, laughing darkly.

“Yeehaw!” he shouted, stepping right back into her face. “You wanna fight? Then fight. Prove to me you’re more than a useless vaultie.”

That's all it takes. Lucy roars, tackling him to the ground, fists flying. Yes! Cooper quickly flips them over so she’s on her back, but it isn’t for long. She’s flexible, something he wasn’t aware of. She turns at the waist, legs wrap against his side, and she throws him off seamlessly. Lucy’s onto her feet and he grins, jumping up to his. 

"Ooo…" Cooper tosses off the tattered remnants of his duster and grins, “Kitty got claws!”

She screams, pushing him back up against the rusted remains of an Oldsmobile. He unsheathes his hunting knife, not with the intent to use it, and grazes her collarbone, exercising the softest pressure. Dogmeat takes interest now, whining at the pair of them, but Cooper shoos her away with the wave of his hand. 

The distraction is enough because Lucy has his knife and she's about ready to press down on his jugular, “How dare you suggest that I’m anything like him! I could… I could never do something like that!”

“Oh, no?” He says with a smirk, swatting the knife from her hand, “Maybe I haven’t pushed ya hard enough yet.”

Cooper shoves her off of him, backing her up against the bench. Lucy shouts and kicks him in the chest, he stumbles backward. She rushes for his knife again, but he’s faster and he tumbles her to the ground. She yelps as her back hits the sand-covered pavement, nicking the side of her head slightly, drawing a little bit of blood, and that’s when the rage festers in her pretty, doe eyes.

Lucy goes for the same move, her hips writhing to the side this time to be met with his thighs squeezing her like a vice. Panting, she wraps her arms around his neck and pushes as hard as she can. It’s not enough to move him, but it’s enough to catch him off guard and she slips out from underneath him, back onto her feet again. She steps on his back with one booted foot and stares down at him. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little turned on by this point.

“Well, sweetie, I guess ya got me.” 

She smirks something evil and that’s when he springs to action again. Cooper yanks her calf, sending her on a forward tumble and into the sexiest floor routine he’s ever seen. She sticks her landing and turns around, the fire still in her eyes.

“Gotta say, kid,” he spits, “you got spirit.”

“Fuck you!”

She rushes him and he takes in her posture, slightly off balance on her right leg, her left arm coming in for a punch, and he quickly sweeps his foot, knocking her onto her side. She whimpers, but before she can get back up he surrounds her again. Another miscalculation, she’s right next to his discarded hunting knife and she grabs it from the ground, pressing it against his throat.

“What if I did it, huh? Would you stitch back up just like those other ghouls?”

“I dunno, sugar. Ya got the gumption to find out?”

She presses slightly, drawing some blood, but he moves fast, yanking her arm aside and curling her up. Lucy breaks free again, bounding away from him with the knife. Cooper moves in a fluid motion, knocking her slightly off balance with a kick of his boot, taking his knife back, and sheathing the weapon. She growls and he finds himself with his back up against the Oldsmobile again, his smile widening as she wraps her hands around his neck. He lets himself relish what’s become of her. He’s responsible for this, at least a little, and it feels good knowing she’s finally exhibiting that potential. That she’s embracing the little killer she could be in these wastes.

Cooper doesn’t let her go too far, though. He sees the exhaustion in her movements, the way her blows lack the bite they had before. The flame is flickering out. He takes advantage, sweeping her leg out from under her and sending her tumbling hard against the opposite wall.

She tries to fight back, but the fight is drained out of her. Her eyelids flutter with the weight of it all—adrenaline running dry, muscles no doubt aching, and her mind cracking under the pressure of all that had happened. Cooper pins her against the wall, not too rough, but firm enough to make her understand that the game is over. They are done here.

She glares up at him, defiant, hazel eyes smoldering, refusing to give in. Her breath comes in quick, shallow bursts and their mouths are close enough that he can feel her warmth ghosting over his face, close enough to share the same air as it brushes up to the cavity in his face where his nose used to be. He schools his expression, tired himself by the time they wrap up.

As he looks into her eyes, something shifts inside him. He sees the same desperation and pain he had felt so many times before. The same fear of losing everything. He holds her there a moment, the only sound the now quiet breathing between them.

“Feelin’ better, sweetheart?” He asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tears. Silent, at first. Then they come in waves, rolling down her cheeks. Cooper loosens his grip on her wrists. His face softens further, and he gently helps her stand up, supporting her as she sways. He had seen this kind of breakdown before. Hell, he’d had his own more times than he cared to count. She needed this. He needed to be there for it. He’d wished someone had been there for his.

[tired-biscuit]

cw: spanking, slight degradation, bratty reader. // 18+ mdni, fem!reader

thinking about meanie!bakugou slapping your ass so hard that the tights you wear - with nothing else underneath, of course - rip right where his hand strikes you.

it's what you get for being a brat and teasing him during the entirety of your date, when he was so kind to take you to the fancy restaurant you've been nagging him about visiting for weeks on end. after all, instead of eating and chatting about your day like a normal fucking person, you just had to make it difficult for him, didn't you? batting your eyelashes at him and giving him the googly eyes whilst rubbing his leg with the tips of your toes underneath the table, he was ready to lose his goddamn mind when you had reached over to whisper about not wearing any panties underneath your tights tonight.

so, speaking of the skimpy clothing article, it outright tears from the blunt force he uses now as punishment now. he watches how the fat of your booty jiggles for a long while after his strike hits home, and brings tears to form at your waterline because of the resulting sting. as messed up as it is, it's pure delight.

and he knows he's hit you hard; has even activated his quirk during it. the warmth that sizzles on his palm, seeping right into your skin is almost unbearable because of it. especially when he squeezes the now tender flesh, and makes you whine from the ache.

you can see him sneer at the sight of the single tear that slips from the corner of your eye as you turn to glower at him over your shoulder. his sharp features portray nothing but ego and twisted delight at the pout you bring forth, now. he's so handsome, despite the wicked glint in his eye. you blame it on the expensive suit he's got on.

"can't you be just a little bit nicer, ki?" you ask with a sigh, bottom lip jutting out as a means to be coy.

"nah," he replies, the word an unbothered drawl. he doesn't buy your shtick as he grins at you, the beam crooked but appealing. doesn't buy it at all. "not feelin' like it right now."

no, he's in the mood to be mean. has forced you into dropping onto all fours, with your knees digging into the mattress of your bed that he stands right beside of now. and you can deny it all you want, but your pussy is already turning sticky with growing arousal as you feel his intimidating presence fill the room; a damp patch forming on the thin fabric that serves as the only barrier keeping you from his greedy touch.

it's not like that's enough to stop him.

because when he spanks you again - landing a second slap right atop the same spot that still hurts so bad, making you squirm and push forward from all the force and the pain - you hear the sound of shredding fabric mix with the twisted snicker he lets out.

he hooks his fingers to the edge of the nearly-smoldering hole he's created in your tights and that exposes your skin now - that smooth, warm skin he's so very eager to touch - and tugs at it until cool air is brushing over your weeping cunt, making you shiver from the sudden chill to touch all the wetness.

he's breathing hard when his thumb grazes your clit; all slow and intentional. is trying to calm down the impatient flutter of a muscle that's ticking in his defined jaw. god, what a view - he could almost whistle at it. truthfully, he can barely wait to pound you into oblivion and watch himself spoil the sight.

the silence and anticipation that linger in the air make your toes curl as you readjust yourself for what seems to be like the hundredth time. he snorts at how twitchy you've become. the sound is annoyingly derisive, even if your jittery movements make his cock hard.

"what," you spit out in answer, brows furrowing and fingers clutching the bed sheet. you've got this, he doesn't scare you. not at all. "you gonna make fun of me for finding you hot, or something?"

"i'm just taking my time to look at you and how fuckin' drenched you are already," he says, ignoring your provocation in a mocking sort of tone that almost makes you feel ashamed for liking this entire thing as much as you do. he clicks his tongue against his teeth, observing your body language as he feels the need to add, "you dirty lil' slut."

rolling your eyes as dramatically as you're able despite that he can't see it, you huff, "eat me, you dyna-cunt."

the third spank he gives you rips the air right out of your lungs from how harsh and sudden it is. your breathing hitches as you let out what resembles a mixture of a moan and a sob, but before the sound can even finish leaving your lips, it turns muffled from the way his broad hand lands on the back of your neck and he uses the momentum to push your face into the mattress.

the heat of his quirk truly is intense, you can feel the sparks as they dangeorusly dance across your skin. they're not enough to burn you, per se, but are still threatening enough to keep you wary just as a precaution. it all makes your stomach tighten with lewd anticipation, even if you know he'd never cause you any real harm.

because as he still holds you firmly in place, making your ass push high into the air, bakugou's voice is a mere growl of agitation when he snarls,

"don't mind if i do, princess."

[y6g6mis]

NO TIME TO DIE

summary. In which, you’ve fallen gravely ill. But it’s much worse than you could’ve thought, sepsis. You’ve now been informed that you only have a single week to live.

includes. laurie laurence x fem! reader, love confessing, a lotta angst, hurt/comfort, also a lot of crying so ☹️

One week.

One week was all you had.

It wasn’t enough, you wanted more time. There were so many things you wanted to do.

You now lay in your bed with tear streaks down your cheeks, helpless, you couldn’t get out even if you wanted to, you felt weak.

You stared at the painting across from you, it was beautiful. It took your mind off of your infection for a while now.

You didn’t want to leave, you hated yourself, you couldn’t sleep, you cried too much.

There was one other thing that took your mind off of your suffering.

Laurie Laurence.

Laurie visited you everyday since he got the news, the first time he heard, he rushed over to your house and found you in your bed.

Tears in his eyes, he hugged you, thoughts were racing through his mind, he didn’t want to lose you, he’d rather die first than lose you.

You fidgeted with your hands, there was nothing you could do.

You then heard someone knock on your wall

“Hey.” He said.

“Hi, Laurie.” You said, your voice was hoarse and raspy.

He sat down next to you, you could tell he was tired.

“How’re you feelin’?” He asked, you could hear his voice breaking.

“I’ve been better.” You said. “H’bout you, how’ve you been?”

“I-“ He croaked. “I’ve been- I’ve been good.” You could tell he wasn’t, tears were swelling in his eyes

You nodded, pursing your lips together. You put your hand on his, then sat up closer to him.

“You’re sure?”

He hesitated, how could he not? he was going to lose you, forever. He was devastated.

A single tear streamed down his face. You raised your hand to wipe it away with your thumb.

"I don't feel any pain." You reassured him, he knew, but he still couldn’t bear to see you like this.

He put his hand on yours as his tears streamed down his face, he laid his head on your shoulder, you wanted to cry. You tangled you fingers in his dark curly hair, you only wanted to spend the rest of your days with him. Then you snapped. You were going to pass away, there was nothing stopping it, you wish there was, oh, how you wish there was. Your heart ached at the thought of you breathing your last.

“If I could take this away from you. I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

• • •

Morning came, a week had passed by as if it was nothing, you woke up with tears down your cheeks, nothing but tears.

Your mother came running into your room, and wrapped her arms around you.

“My dearest daughter.” She cried.

“Oh, mother.” You said, as you pulled away.

She then sat up, and dried her tears. “So, me and your father, we have a small surprise planned.”

“Really?” Your eyes glinted with hope.

She nodded.

You then watched with a smile as everyone in the March family came through your door, including Laurie.

Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth all came up to you and wrapped their arms around you, this was the happiest you’ve felt.

Amy, being the most excited, said, “We’ve each decided to bring you a small gift, of course, ‘twas Laurie’s idea, after all.”

You turned to Laurie to find him smiling at you, you then smiled back at him.

You smiled at them in awe. “Thank you guys, you honestly didn’t have to do ALL of this.”

“Nonsense.” Meg said. “We all love and care for you, we wanted to show that.”

Each of the March sisters passed around their gifts, as you thanked them, you couldn’t help but feel sad, not because they weren’t want you wanted, no, because you had no use for them, you truly loved every single gift, but, after today, you’d have absolutely no use for them, you fought the urge to cry, yet again.

“Thank you, guys, this truly meant a lot.”

They then all went and hugged you once more.

“We really do love you.” Amy said.

“As do I to you.” You said.

• • •

Laurie was the last one to leave, he couldn’t think for once to leave you alone.

Laurie sat beside you on your bed, you could see the sunset peeking through your curtains and shining onto this face.

“Laurie, I can’t thank you enough for doing this.” You say.

“I only did it for you.”

You smiled at him.

“I care for you, I really do.” He reassured.

“I’d do anything for you.”

Your smile dropped halfway, you did and didn’t believe what he was telling you.

He hesitated. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Your eyes glistened in the sunset, his words felt like stones being carried off your shoulders.

“Laurie…” Was all that slipped out.

He inched closer, and caressed your hand with his.

His voice was like a whisper in the wind.

“My darling,” He began. “When you smile, the earth shakes, the universe stops, the heavens collapse, and my heart bursts.”

There was a beat.

Happiness was an understatement for what you felt in that very moment, not even the words of God himself could describe your emotions, your facial expressions didn’t move, but your eyes…your eyes said it all.

Your eyes shined up at him like the waters from the shining ponds in the backyard. He then pressed his forehead against yours, as he said,

“I love you.”

Your hand reached up, and caressed his face, he then put his hand on top of yours.

He looked so pretty.

Though you’d be gone by sunrise, you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him, everyday, forever, you’d taken yourself for a fool, the day you fell for him, you were taken aback by your emotions. You couldn’t trust them, then, you grew fond of them, you realized you knew what real love feels like, it felt wonderful.

You shut your eyes, tears streaming down from your eyes, it was all too much.

Laurie tsked silently.

“C’mere.” He said, he laid you down as he did next to you.

You laid your head on his chest, you felt safer, but your emotions still came flooding out.

His hand was buried in your hair, knotting it, you couldn’t care less, you just wanted him next to you, only you and him, forever.

As you were falling into your eternal sleep, you uttered 4 words that stuck with him forever.

“I love you, too.”

[paintyoureyeswithavividmind]

close to home | chapter seventy three

close to home | chapter seventy three

plot: winter passes and the reader hits her ninth month of pregnancy

series masterlist

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader Word Count: 3,087 Warnings: violence, blood, typical twd, childbirth A/N: I have no excuse for the late update 😔

An hour later, you were stitched up and on a nice dose of pain medication that left your body numb but mind mostly clear. Michonne had gone out to tell everyone the good news, and Rosita sat beside you. 

“I’m proud of you, babe.” She smiled down at you. 

You reached for her hand. “It’ll be your turn next. Thank you for being here with me.”

“You’ll be able to repay me soon.” Rosita said with a wink. 

You smiled at your friend and squeezed her hand. You glanced toward the back of the room, where Siddiq was doing all the tests he’d read about. Daryl stood next to him, and you could read his body language like a book. He was on guard. Of course, he was. You were drugged up, and protecting you and the baby was his sole job right now. 

“I’m gonna let you two have some time; you want me to bring a change of clothes later?” 

Rosita was gone after you nodded, and then finally Daryl was carrying the baby over to you. He handed her to you and then helped you sit up, so he could sit behind you. Siddiq and Dante had made themselves scarce, and it was finally just your new family.

When your back was against his chest and his arms around both of you protectively, you let out a long sigh. 

“Ya gonna tell me the name ya had picked out for months?” 

You smiled and looked down at the baby girl, who looked up at you with wide, bright blue eyes like her fathers. She had been wiped clean, and she was absolutely breathtaking. 

“Josephine,” You said, gently rocking the baby. “After my grandma who cared for me and my sisters when we were little. I was thinking Josie for short.”

Daryl kissed the back of your head. “I like it.” He kissed you three more times, and his arms squeezed your side. “Was thinkin’... maybe Beth for a middle name.”

“I love it.” You smiled down at the baby.

“How are ya feelin?”

“Good. Drugged. But good.” You said, leaning your head back. “I’m tired.”

“Ya did a real good job. Never been more proud of ya.”

***

An hour later, and with no chance to nap, you had Daryl let everyone come meet the baby. There was no use pushing it off because you knew they’d be out there until the morning if you didn’t let them in now. So soon, the room filled with your family, and you looked around with tears. 

Michonne was the first who held her new niece and Godchild, and you could see her consistently wiping away tear after tear. Then Aaron held her and gave Daryl a look that made your heart ache lovingly. You knew Daryl thought the world of his closest friend, even if he never said anything about it. 

It was an energy you hadn’t felt in a long time. The happiness and love come from everyone. The congratulations and jokes, the laughs. 

But this was different. This was a family coming together and the single happiest moment of your life. 

“What’s her name?” Gabriel asked when it was her turn. 

“Josie,” Daryl said, and you heard a proudness in his voice you’d never heard before. The proudness of a father. 

“She’s beautiful,” Gabriel smiled widely and nodded at you. “Congratulations.”

It took an hour for everyone to clear out--and you had to promise both RJ and Judith they could hold the baby once you were home. But finally, it was you, Daryl, Josie, and Siddiq. He wanted to give you a once-over before he would retire for the night. 

Once you were cleared and everything looked ‘textbook picture perfect,’ he bid the three of you goodnight.

You looked over at Daryl, who was holding the baby. She looked so tiny in his arms. And the look on his face made you wish you had a camera. 

“I should probably try and feed her.” You said. 

“Huh? Oh, right.” Daryl was too engrossed with his daughter, and it made you smile again. He came over to you and handed you Josie. 

“I think she has your eyes,” You said, getting ready to try to breastfeed. “They are like the ocean. Same as you.”

Daryl came to sit behind you again and helped hold up your shirt. “Much prettier than me,”

“Well, no arguing there, old man.” You teased. “Now hold on, I gotta focus on trying to feed her. 

***

The next morning, you and Daryl brought Josie home. There were casseroles from everyone in the community waiting for you, enough to feed the whole house for weeks. And there were homemade cards from all the kids. 

And Judith was waiting on the couch, ready to hold the baby. 

“You gotta watch her head, okay?” You said nervously to the ten-year-old. You had her arm propped up on a pillow, so there wasn’t any room for error, and you’d be right next to her. 

“I got it,” Judith smiled. “She’s my new cousin.” 

Daryl was a little bit antsy, ready to jump in if something happened. But Judith was comfortable, and she held Josie perfectly. You breathed a little easier after that. 

“Do you want me to watch her so you two can get some sleep?” Carol offered. 

You glanced at your friend. “I have to feed her again, but actually, that would be great. I don’t think I’ve slept since the night before she was born.”

“We all took turns when Judith was born helping out. No reason why we can’t do that now.” Carol smiled at you; it was the first real one you’d seen in a while. Maybe watching the baby meant more to her than you thought. 

So after feeding her, Carol was excited to take the baby from you and tell you neither of you would get her back until you slept for at least a few hours. 

You were asleep before you could realize your head hit the pillow. 

***

Teaks soaked your cheeks as you rocked Josie back and forth. She wouldn’t stop crying, and it’d been hours. You did everything you could think of. You’d fed her, burped her, and changed her. You couldn’t figure out what she wanted. 

It’s been a month since she was born, and for the most part, she was a well-tempered baby. She fussed like normal but didn’t scream bloody murder like today. 

“What’s wrong with her?” RJ yelled over the baby’s cries. 

You glanced at the young boy at the kitchen table and continued rocking the baby. “I don’t know, RJ.”

“Maybe she needs more food,” Judith said. 

You glanced at your niece and nephew before looking back at your daughter. You quietly shushed the baby and walked over to the table to fix the swaddle. Once she was wrapped up tightly and you were rocking her in your arms, she started to calm down. You breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the counter. 

“Are you two finished with your homework? Where is your mom again?”

“She went out on a run to Hilltop, remember?” Judith reminded you. 

You couldn’t remember anything much these days. “Just finish your homework. I’m going to put her down for a nap.”

You left the two kids in the kitchen and headed for the stairs just as Daryl walked into the house. You sighed with relief. “Thank God, that was the longest hunting trip of my life. Take her. She’s ready for a nap. I need a minute.”

Daryl didn’t say a word as you handed him Josie and then walked out of the house. The early May air was warm, and you could smell flowers. You could also hear the buzz of the community, and you sat down on the brick steps. 

Dog came out to sit next to you, wagging his tail as you pet him. After a few silent, peaceful minutes, you hear someone leave the house. You didn’t need to look behind you. You knew it was Daryl. 

“She’s down,” Daryl said, putting the baby monitor on the ledge and sitting beside you. “Ya okay, pretty girl?”

You gave him a look. “I’m exhausted. My back hurts from breastfeeding, and my nipples feel like shards of glass. I haven’t showered in five days. And I’m with the baby and the kids every day. Carol is basically a ghost. Michonne is always doing something--which I understand. I just feel overwhelmed. And I’m pumping so much milk I feel like a milk factory. Not to mention Lydia is sulking around, and I can’t do anything to help her.” 

“I can ice ‘em again for ya. It helped last week. And I’ll have Aaron take Judith for a sleepover. RJ goes to bed early enough. Everythin’ else, we can handle together.”

You groaned in exhaustion and leaned against him. You had no room to complain to him. He was up every night with you because he refused to let you be alone, and then he was hunting almost every day to provide for you so you could produce for your daughter. 

“I’m just tired. And postpartum isn’t what I expected. Michonne made it look so easy. And we haven’t had sex in over a month, and we can’t for at least another two weeks, maybe more, since I’m taking forever to heal.”

Daryl chuckled and wrapped an arm around your waist. “Things will get better soon, pretty girl. Why don’ I watch the kids so ya can take a shower?” 

You looked up at him, frowning slightly at his handsome face and how much you missed being with him. “I knew I married you for a reason.”

***

A month later, Rosita went into labor. You’d been on an evening walk with Daryl and Josie when Gabriel came running, and you left both of them with a kiss before running with Gabriel to the infirmary. 

She was in the same bed you were in and sighed with relief when she saw you. You were immediately by her side. “Hi babe, I didn’t know someone could make childbirth look so sexy.” 

She laughed through her pain. “I’m just trying to live up to you.”

You smiled and took her hand as you looked at Siddiq. “How is she doing?”

“She’s got a long while to go. She’s only a centimeter dilated. She’s going to be here for a while.”

Rosita was in labor for a grueling twenty-three hours. You and Gabriel sat by her side, feeding her ice chips and holding her hand through every contraction. You only took a break when Daryl brought you breakfast with Josie, and you sat with them for a few minutes. Then Rosita started screaming again, and you bid your family goodbye. 

Finally, after you passed the point of delirium, Rosita delivered a healthy baby girl. Siddiq cut the cord, and Dante helped with the cleanup. Rosita was exhausted, and you didn’t envy her in the slightest. But you knew your job was done once the baby was in her arms and Siddiq could pull off his doctor mask. 

After Rosita thanked you endlessly, you told her you would visit her in the morning. You wanted her to have the time with her own little family. You bid goodnight to Eugene and the others who were waiting outside her room and headed home. 

It was really late, and both kids were asleep. You were sure Carol and Michonne were, too. After eating dinner that Daryl must’ve saved for you, you headed all the way up to Josie’s room. She was sleeping peacefully. 

You smiled as you adjusted the blanket and ran your finger along her chubby cheek. She barely had any hair, just little wisps of brown. And with her big blue eyes, you knew she would look just like her daddy. 

The floorboard creaked, and you turned to see Daryl standing at the doorway that led to the Jack and Jill bathroom. You could see into your bedroom through the open doors, and the lamp was on. 

“How’s Rosita?” He whispered as he came over to you. 

“She’s good. She had a girl.” You stood on your toes to give him a kiss hello. “Looks like Josie is gonna have a friend.”

Daryl wrapped his arm around your waist and stared down at the baby. “I can’ believe it sometimes.”

“What?”

“That we have a baby. That ya had the baby alright.” He squeezed your waist. “Never thought I’d see the day… didn’ think I’d be any good at it.”

You carefully caressed your sleeping daughter’s cheek again before you looked back up at Daryl and nodded toward your room. After turning on the nightlight and shutting the door, you followed Daryl. 

“You’re a great father. You were before Josie came along, too. You don’t think Judith and RJ see you as a father figure?” You asked as you started to get undressed. 

Daryl shrugged and sat down at the end of the bed. “Don’ really see it that way.”

“Well, you are. Why do you think Judith’s been wanting to spend so much time with you lately?” You asked as you put on one of your old maternity shirts to sleep in. “She sees you with Josie every day and is probably a little jealous. You moved in about a year ago or so. That’s a long time for a ten-year-old.” You walked over to the bed and moved his arms so you could sit on his lap. 

“Maybe I should see ‘bout takin’ her out huntin’, then?”

You set your hands on the sides of his cheek and smiled. “I think it would mean the world to her, old man,” Daryl grunted, and your smile widened. You leaned forward to press your forehead against his lips and then wrapped your arms around his neck. 

“Josie ate the whole bottle, by the way,” Daryl said against your skin. 

You nodded and looked up at him. “Good.”

His eyes closed as you pushed back his hair and gently caressed his skin. He must’ve showered while you were with Rosita because he smelt like the Hilltop soap that came in. You moved up on your knees and kissed him, taking him off guard, but he gripped you tightly. 

“I miss you,” You said against his lips. You tugged at his shirt and then slipped your hands underneath so you could touch his bare skin. 

Daryl hummed against your lips and broke away from the kiss long enough so you could pull off his shirt. You were kissing again in seconds, with your running up and down his warm skin. You then grabbed the hem of your shirt and pulled it off so you were completely naked on his lap.

“Darlin’, I don’ wanna if ya not ready yet.” Daryl whispered. 

You shook your head and ground against him. You could feel how much he wanted you, and you didn’t want to stop. 

“I will tell you if we have to stop.” You grinded against him again. 

Daryl didn’t give you time to adjust before he had you on your back and further up on the bed. His lips moved against yours feverishly, and his hands touched every part of you they could. You moaned into his mouth through each squeeze he gave you and each time he teased your clit with his fingers. 

“Promise me if ya start to hurt, ya say somethin’?” Daryl asked against your lips. “I know how ya are.”

You nodded and pulled him closer to you to deepen the kiss. 

Daryl’s fingers finally circled around your clit, slowly, tauntingly, and it felt so good you could already feel tears in your eyes. It’d been too long without him.

“I can feel how much ya miss me,” He teased you. 

You smiled against his lips and cupped him through his bottoms. “So can I.” You slid your hand through the band and wrapped your fingers around him. 

His breathing deepened, and he shook his head. “I don’ wanna wait.”

“Then fuck me already, Dixon.”

You helped him get out of the bottoms, and then he spread your legs. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, getting yourself prepared. You weren’t sure how bad it might hurt if it would hurt, but you couldn’t wait any longer. 

“Ya okay?”

You nodded and bit your lip when you felt him rub his tip along you before he pushed into you. You gripped his biceps and dug your fingernails in.

“Are ya hurt?”

“No, it just feels like pressure.” You breathed out. “Keep going. Please.”

Daryl kissed your forehead before doing as you asked, and the pressure was gone within a minute. So you wrapped your legs around his waist and pulled him by the neck to kiss you. You ran your tongue along his bottom lip and sucked in, making his thrust falter for a moment. 

“Fuck.” Daryl breathed out. 

“Harder.” You whimpered, and had to bite your lip when he did exactly what you wanted. “Oh, God…”

“Open ya eyes, pretty girl.”

You did what he asked, meeting his. The way he looked at you so lovingly made you want to cry, and you cupped his face with his hands as you stifled a moan. He was hitting that one spot again, enough to drive you crazy. 

“I love ya,” He whispered to you. “I missed this.”

You moaned, his words going straight to your core. “I love you too.”

His head dropped down to your forehead, and his hips quicked their pace but half a second. His nose bumped against yours every time he thrusted.

“Harder, please.” You nearly started to beg. 

You weren’t sure how you lasted that long, but too soon you felt your orgasm hitting you like a brick, and then Daryl followed suit. He managed to pull out quick enough, and you didn’t realize it was all over your stomach until he collapsed next to you. 

The two of you were breathing deeply, and you glanced over at him. “You better get me a damn towel.”

“Just give me a damn minute, woman.”

You smiled and grabbed his hand. “You should take a few of them, actually. Because you aren’t leaving this bed until I’m through with you.”

[thesamoanqueen]

Blackwater XVI

Raiting: 18+

Warnings: drama cause this story would be nothing without it

A/N: first chapter of the year and we're getting close to the end, so I've left a few little hints here and there

A couple of years ago him and Jey had bought a house by pooling their savings. It was one of those semi-detached houses sell for a few bucks, with few rooms and zero comforts, covered in faded wood slats, paper-thin walls and a single walled backyard without green. For them it had been a victory, they had a party too, one of those goals that their parents had dreamed of achieving for years when they were in their place. Jey had already started a family, Roman was trying to do the same with different results, but he had thought to be happy at that time. Struggling night and day to fill the fridge, he sold himself to the highest bidder, aiming to move forward at any cost, with his head down, without asking questions, open ears, so they had taught him and his cousin did the same. When they weren't working outside the city, they sat in the backyard together, on too small chairs ruined by the sun, telling how it was going and how long it took to reach the top.

They had carried on like dogs, for years, until Roman had realized that the pats on the head he kept down weren't enough to fill a wolf. Their paths had not always been side by side beyond the backyard of that house, life had pushed him with other challenges, other trials, disappointments, pain, lessons. What had happened next, what had led them to bite each other's throats and then be together and separate again, had been the result of all of that.

That warmth in the bottom of his stomach Roman had felt it again, months and months before, the illusion of being happy with little things in another backyard - his - in another house - his - and just as it had happened then, it was gone. He was not meant to live like that.

We eat first. It's all ours. The beginning and the end.

Sitting at the head of the table, with Y/N beside him finishing her breakfast, he stared at the plates still full, enough to feed an entire family, at the padded chairs just waiting to be occupied by someone of their blood, the well-kept backyard where not a single blade of grass grew out of place.

- How you feelin- sitting to his left, the wiseman asked in an attempt at conversation, but it was enough for Roman to put down the coffee he was holding in his hand to silence him.

He was fine, he had recovered his strength, there was nothing wrong. It had been enough sleep next to his mate to restore order in his life and home, to regain full control. He had lost yes, but it hadn't depended on him, it hadn't been a weakness of his and whoever was no longer sitting at his table was a loss he could afford. He had everything needed and more, he was still the undisputed alpha. The attack he had suffered had not left a scratch on him and would have been forgotten. He still had everything he needed to avoid falling back into that misery.

Y/N on his right, took a sip of her smoothie, her sharp eyes focused on Heyman who was already arranging his tie to give himself a tone.

- While you were taking your well-deserved break, my tribal chief, I figured you still wanted to know how business is going and I checked on our members personally for you. A couple of them had heard some silly rumours, some really bad ideas that sleep or a heart attack should have taken out of their heads if you ask me – bad ideas, rumours, opinions, just hearing those words was ruining his breakfast.

Impatient, he dropped the fork onto his plate of eggs and the wise man fell silent for a second, his eyes scanning him as the smell of anxiety increased.

- I made it clear... that they cannot change partners if they don't want to pay for the exit, as per the initial stable agreements. Someone has persisted in starting some… incorrect practices, they are finding allies, but we can appeal, extort what is owed. They're playing a game beyond their capabilities, they don't know how it works – he tried again, making his lip twitch.

Allies, partners, power games. He knew his opponents, men who pretended to be alphas and who he had kicked one after the other, exposing them for the nobodies they were. Now they were running their mouths, they plotted, raising their heads again and showing their dog teeth trying to scare him. He knew what they had in mind, he knew who would try to step forward and who was working to ruin what he had built to take his place or presume justice. The previous night had been a gift for them, the moment they had been waiting for to step forward.

- And even though the border has been temporarily moved a little further south, I have already made it clear that we officially have the right to-

My packland.

- How far south? – he stopped him, his attention suddenly high and focused on him.

He heard the wiseman swallow, trying to take time now that it was too late to take back his words, his eyes fixed on his figure like a prey that feels is being hunted. A moment of silence and then the voice that came out already in pain.

- The border state – he admitted with a grimace and Roman couldn't help the tic that made his head bob – we-we can negotiate though, I'll point out that there has been some interference and that it's clearly not done, they won't take real calls if-

Cutting out whatever the wiseman was raving about, he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, his lip curling in annoyance, a growl in his throat growing menacing.

Our home. They are close.

He still had his land, the one he had conquered, but the stain with which they had soiled him was spreading, threatening even what he could not afford to lose. He could do without some north land that he wouldn't have taken advantage of in any case, remote areas that he had never visited, that had never interested him. It was a loss he shouldn't have suffered, but he could bear it. What he couldn't tolerate was everything else, because the state border was south, too south for his liking and there were only two people, out of all the dogs that would be around his neck, who deserved to be blamed for that public execution.

- My cousins. Where are them? – he asked in a low growl and felt Y/N's eyes immediately on him, in silence.

- My Tribal chief -

- I asked you where are em, answer me – he snapped and so did her hand, invisible, under the table, resting on his thigh as if wanting to keep him anchored to the ground, blocked from smashing everything and exploding.

Heyman swallowed heavily, his attention now for a second on Y/N as if looking for an ally and Roman physically felt his eyes on her, immediately lifting his head to glare at him and make him press against the chair in a futile attempt to escape his fury.

- They came back with us yesterday morning, someone saw them on secondary roads to the west. I don't know where they are now, I've tried to contact them several times, still no answer... I'm sorry... - he said and Roman smelled what he too had felt in the bottom of his stomach the entire night, turning over in Y/N's arms: grief.

They had hit him from behind once more, using informations he had given them with trust, to get around him and go around his territory undisturbed. They knew everything, they had access to everything, there were only a few things that Roman had cut them off from in those years of success, the rest had always been there, served on a silver platter at their disposal. In the last period he had closed some doors, not given too many privileges, but there was no inch of that land where they had not spoken for him at least once or acted in his name. They could do anything, go where no other enemy could without attracting attention and this put him on the defensive more than he could tolerate. They were a danger on the loose and Roman couldn't allow them to keep doing what they wanted, how and when they wanted if he didn't want to find himself in an even worse situation than now.

They're our shadows.

He wasn't dumb to hope to physically block them from doing more or wandering around, he had once again shared the backyard and his land had been their home for too long, but he could find a way to remind them who owned the empire on which them and their families walked.

- Stop looking for them – he ordered seriously, his hand tightened around Y/N's now.

- My Tribal chief? – the wiseman whispered uncertainly, his expression at least as confused as Y/N’s.

His wiseman was right, anyone who tried to go against him made the same mistake: they were playing a game beyond their capabilities. For Roman it had never been just a game, everything for him had always been personal, inevitable, necessary. Those two, Jey especially as his right-hand man – and brother – knew everything about him, but he also knew everything about them and it wasn't what they knew about each other that would make the difference in the war they had threatened to wage against him. It was how they would use it and he had always been better at hitting to make his mark.

- Cut them out. From everything. All of em. The Bloodline is no longer their business – he announced without regrets, intending to finish his breakfast in peace.

They had decided to stab him and leave him after his attempt to fix the mess they had made. Now they would have to deal with it on their own, them and their families, filling the empty tables and starting to pay again for the air they breathed, everyone, from first to last without exception.

Starve them.

***

Y/N had seen him arrive from afar after hours, with his hands hidden in his pockets and that typical heavy gait. She had had the impression of watching a kid coming back home after a bad day and had stayed on the threshold of the entrance, waiting for him. Solo was not a kid, Roman and Paul called him the enforcer for good reasons, but the omega part of her, empathetic and protective, that sometimes couldn't stay in its place, had taken control of her that time. By tenaciously refusing, she ended up occupying that role within the new family, as if it had always been hers, as if she had always had it in her blood. She wasn't so sure if there was still a family anymore, but whatever shape it had now or how many people it was made up of, Y/N couldn't move from the entrance.

Solo opened and closed the door in silence, his head low, eyes resting on her only for a moment to acknowledge she was there, before walking straight on, slouching with his shoulders down. His round face, usually threatening, was swollen and his forehead marked by the thoughts that crowded his mind.

- Solo – she called him and even if he gave no sign of having heard, Y/N knew that it wasn't like that – it wasn't necessary for you to come – she pointed out, trying to say more, to make him understand and his voice came out quick, refusing.

-It's up to me – he announced seriously, heavy, time necessary to allow Roman to call him from outside after smelling him.

Y/N saw him staying there just for a minute before disappearing outside without further explanation and joining the empty table where Roman insisted on planning in Paul's company. From afar, she observed them together, in that new strange rigid balance and let herself breathe heavily.

Roman was ready to move on and Y/N knew that he would do everything in his power – and it was a lot – to regain control, but she wasn't so sure that that kind of approach was right. After what had happened to her as a child, she too had left everything behind able to move forward, until he made her understand that no matter what she thought, something would always be missing without a family with her.

That thought made her suddenly turn to go upstairs and try to do something, even if Roman didn't want to, even if he made her promise to let it go. She had avoided talking to Naomi after those messages, but it was time to do so, because she was perhaps the only one who in some way could understand and maybe help her. She could make Roman reason, she had already done it once, but if she needed to do it one more time she would have needed something more on her pocket and having someone willing to help ease the tension on the other side would have been useful. When she finally called her, she waited a couple of minute, but the chaos that reached her after waiting left no doubt. She knew that chaos.

- Y/N! How you doing? Ya good? – she asked immediately and as soon as she did so there was silence.

Her voice was a little too loud, a sign that she was probably joining that chaos before, but the apprehension inside made her realize that she wasn't the only one in that state of mind.

- I've had better days, it doesn't matter, im good.

- I'm sorry Y/N… believe me, im so sorry – she heard her admit too seriously and Y/N nodded even though she couldn't see it.

Naomi was the friend and sister she never had growing up, as were the twins. The bond they had made was a kind of connection that Y/N had discovered without looking for it, it had been natural, simple and now she had the impression of feeling it tremble for a stupid piece of land that had no value for her.

- I know, but it will be better when things calm down. That's why I called Nao - she said, hoping to hear from the other side the same intentions she had.

Naomi didn't answer, not right away, at least not to her, because Y/N clearly heard someone else making noise and her moving to silence him, before talking in a completely different tone.

- Listen... the boys want me to talk you, they say I have to make you reason about things before it's too late, explain to you how things are rightnow... - Did they want to make her reason about things? – I won't do it though, it's not on me. I just want you to know that even though it may seem that way there, it doesn't have to be like this, you don't have to end up in the middle. You don't deserve this, not after what you've already been through.

She hadn't expected to hear that when she decided to call Nao. They wanted to make her reason? What did they mean by not wanting her to end up in the middle with everything?! They were all in the middle, it was a family business, they had told her to the point of exhaustion what they were, for months, when she was still struggling to get used to Roman and now they wanted to keep her out? She was the only one who would listen to them, the only one who would defend them despite what had happened, but suddenly they kept their guard up, they didn't even try to explain to her why they acted the way they did and Naomi refused too. Did they just want her out or what?

- And what im suppose to do? Should I sit back and watch how will it end? – she asked in disbelief, confusion slowly turning into tension along her spine.

How could they have thought of suggesting something like that to her?

- It's this reaction that I worry about. None of us are asking you to choose and act, I'm just saying that we don't want this kind of pressure on you. Me, Jimmy and Jey, Im sure that no matter what, Roman also doesn't want to put you in such a bad position.

A noise, loud, like a sarcastic laugh, from the other side reached her despite everything and Y/N imperceptibly tightened her grip on her phone, trying to ignore that just mentioning him was enough to provoke them.

- A good way would be to resolve and make things the way they were, for everyone. It's not late if the guys- she tried, but Naomi stopped her before she could even try.

- We all hoped it would go differently Y/N. We all wanted things to change. It didn't happen and I'm not going to start talking about what has to be done or what will happen like Jimmy wants too, sorry, that's out of the question, I'm worrying about you and that you're there alone with him hearing all those stories.

Mate!

- What? – she snapped, her gaze suddenly directed at the wall as if she was in front of her.

Her she-wolf reacted even before her head, high attention, tense body.

Naomi wasn't the kind of person who ran her mouth about anything, she always said what she meant and what she was saying at that moment Y/N didn't like it at all. She herself had told Y/N almost a year earlier that she had to see beyond, that she had to give Roman an opportunity and she had seen beyond, she had tried hard and was doing so even at that moment. She was trying hard to understand and sort things out for everyone despite everything, but as things were at that moment, it seemed like she was really the only one who wanted it and she wasn't willing to hear unhappy hypotheses about what she was being told when just the day before she was kneeling to wipe blood from her mate’s body.

- I just want to make sure you're okay and you don't get any bad ideas, I love you – she listened to her add after a few moments, as if she had given her time to cool down knowing and Y/N closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

She believed in Naomi's good intentions, however she didn't want to upset her, they didn't want her to end up in the middle, but it was her who put Roman back on his feet after they had knocked him down, her who listened to him struggle to fall asleep with his arms almost crushing her, her who tried to keep them together despite their hard heads refused.

- I love you too, but I'm good like this. I’ll be okay. Thanks for checking on me. Give a kiss to the guys.

She hung up before hearing her answer, putting the phone away with the real intention of not using it again for who knows how long. With her head resting against the wall, hands frozen and an unpleasant shiver down her spine, she realized that it was becoming too much, too quickly and her eyes instinctively shot towards the walk-in closet where, lost in a corner, she had hidden the suitcase she had arrived with there in Florida. Roman hated seeing it and would have hated it twice as much if he had known she still had the suppressants inside, but she needed to be clear-headed, now more than ever.

***

Someone else in his place would have stayed in their own home, safe, away from prying eyes and the dangers that rumors can create. In other circumstances he would have done it too, because now he had a very valid reason to stay within the walls of his house. It had no longer attracted him for a while to be always on the road, to grace people's gazes, the desire, envy, admiration that he read in their faces, he had distanced himself more and more. Their attentions didn't even interest him, he didn’t care, but he needed them, because once he had them they would reach the right ears and it was necessary for others to know that he was on his feet, back in strength after just a day. They had hit him, but not knocked him down and him leaving his personal reserve must have been a statement, together with the agreement he had planned that afternoon, for the future of his legacy. A statement that he had hoped would also improve Y/N's mood, at his side since the previous day and with a face that Roman had learned to know and avoid.

- I thought you would agree – he reflected, interrupting the silence inside the big black suv speeding along the coastal road that would take them to the city.

Perfect and composed in her red dress, Y/N turned to look at him, leaving the intensive study of the road, her hand clasped in his, her look confused for a moment. However, he knew what was buzzing in her beautiful head even if she hadn't said it, even if she had avoided any scene with a coldblood that would have made anyone envious, she wasn't the kind of woman you could tell a story and move on. And he wasn't willing to play that game, not with her, not after what had happened, not at risk of losing her too after what they had been through to be together. He had learned from the trial, he knew what to do now.

- I made that decision thinking about you too and you're not happy – he added, already feeling words weighing in his throat.

- Me? How would I have influenced your choice? – he heard her ask and slightly tightened his grip on her fingers, his tongue sliding over teeth to banish the tic that threatened to make his lip curl.

Mate must be on our side. Mine mate.

- I should go and get’em inside their homes, make em beg. I'm controlling myself, you don't like arguments. I'm doing it for you, it's what you wanted. No fights.

What his cousins had done deserved more than a lesson, but going against them, smashing, punishing them as they deserved, leaving them floundering in their misery would have been a dangerous move. The family balance was built on strength, however it was not only with that Roman had managed to obtain what he had now, what others before him had failed to secure. He knew that he had to beat them with the head they lacked first and then with strength, if he wanted to keep everything and re-establish order, jumping to the last step was too high a risk. Y/N also wouldn't have taken it well, she had already tried to keep them together once and even if she hadn't said anything yet, if she didn’t asked it again, Roman knew that it would be difficult for her to leave everything behind. He had promised to keep her out of business, away from that kind of thing, his cousins had ruined every plan and it was enough having to drag her around with him so as not to lose sight of her, making the wrong move could ruin everything .

Her hand moved without force in his grip, but enough to allow her to free her thumb and rub it over the back of Roman’s hand, one of her many ways to calm him when anger began to rise.

- What I wanted was to see yall together – she clarified and Roman nodded, without thinking twice.

- We will do it again, when they will come and apologize. Door is always open for those who are family – he added raw, the skyline of the city now running beyond the window.

His dynasty was made up of men and women with thick blood and hot heads. He had to have an iron fist to prove himself worthy of the title he had, of the ulafala that the Elders had put around his neck, weaknesses were not welcomed and mercy even less so. He hadn't forgotten who Jey and Jimmy were, their blood would remain like his even in the grave, but Roman wasn't willing to pretend nothing had happened just because of that, not after yet another attempt, not after losing. He demanded something in exchange for his forgiveness, he wanted them to remember why he was on top, they had to pay. Only then would he hold out his hand again, not a second sooner.

- And do you think that will happen? That they will apologize?! You can't really think that – Y/N replied with a short sarcastic laugh, a curl swinging next to her gorgeous face.

- No, not now. Their stupid heads will think they can do it, that they can teach me a lesson, they will try to prove that they don't need me.

They would have accomplished nothing without him, just as they had never accomplished anything before he lifted them out of the ground where they were eating and took them with him to the top. The only advantage they had was that there were two of them and even that was worth little since both of them didn't make a full thought. They would carry on stubbornly, trying to challenge his influence, trying to move with the knowledge they had and when they realized that they were in hot water, that they could not do a damn without his approval, they would start to growl. And even then it would only be a growl because he was already two steps ahead.

With an annoyed grin, he turned just in time to see her frowning, lips pouting slightly in that little grimace she always made before talking back.

- And maybe they'll try to get you on their side. Somehow, at some point – he stopped her, running his gaze over her figure, feeling her freeze.

Mark her. We need to mark her.

That one was more than a possibility, much more than a possibility.

Y/N was his future, his legacy, as much as the land he defended. Before her he had done the impossible to secure as much as he could, trying to please everyone, without knowing what would happen after, but with her everything had changed. She was his centerpoint, she was made to be next to him and build a new bloodline with him and for this reason she was also his weak point. His cousins would never dare to hurt her, none of them were savages, but they would try to convince her to side with them somehow and he couldn't let her hear a single word.

-Ro – she called him as if trying to bring him back from wherever his head was going.

-I know Jey... he'll try. He’ll do anything to be the good guy, to justify himself, he can't handle the pressure, he never has. He needs an excuse to look himself in the mirror at night and say he's not doing this to take my place. He'll try it with you and Jimmy will try with Solo.

Jey was an hothead, looking at him from the outside he seemed a rabid animal, he had always struggled to open up to those who weren't family, but he had a soft heart, more than anyone else. Roman had seen him do unthinkable things, many times he himself had ordered them and Jey had never backed down, but he needed a reason, a trigger that meant something to him. He wouldn’t have come forward without seeking support, without he was just a kid watching something he was scared of. Jimmy on the other hand didn't have those problems, he was the other side of the coin, the trigger without reasons. It didn't take much for him to sprint and was used to truly believing himself the big brother of the litter, he wouldn't have let go of the chance to keep that title knowing in his heart that he couldn't have any others.

- Well, maybe it's not a bad idea to convince each other and find a common point - Y/N tried to suggest next to him and just the idea that it could happen or her even thinking about it again, made him snap.

- Like me going to the border to help em, finding myself with ma head half open?! This kind of common point?! I didn't start this, I won't let them finish it until I say so now! – he growled, voice too loud in the limited space of the suv.

He saw Y/N eyes widen and reflexively free his hand, to pass it over the face, torturing his beard, gaze going quickly somewhere else, outside, to the window and to the driver who, beyond the divider, was tenaciously looking ahead at the streets to not get involved. He inhaled deeply, pushing away the anger and then looking back at her, fingers reaching for contact again.

It wasn't her he was mad with, was them. They were ruining everything even now, even when they weren't around. He wouldn’t have let them be near her.

- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…- he apologized immediately, placing a kiss on her temple with caution – I know what you think… but it was you who cleaned the blood off me, you saw what they tried to do. It's not a game babygirl, it's not an argument. Ima doing this for us, I have to do it, that's what I meant when I told you it's just me and you

Y/N didn't move, but seeing her staying silent kept him with his gaze trained on her, fingers stroking her face now, trying to urge her to say something, react, nod, her hot spot on her neck still free from his mark, calling him louder and louder until it creeps into his head.

- ... have you thought about it again? You don’t want to be by my side? – he asked, unable to hold back the thought, atmosphere suddenly heavy and he saw her lower her tense shoulders. Walls down again.

One breath, her eyes closing before a hand found him, reassuring him, letting him keep his fingers where his scent should have been, the imprint of his teeth to make her forever untouchable to anyone other than him. She was made for him. The call, the impulse, became stronger with each passing day, after what had happened even more than before and Roman rested his forehead against hers, inhaling deeply to control the need to mark her there without no more waiting.

-If I had I wouldn't be here – Y/N whispered and he pulled her against him, burying his nose in her curls, grip becoming more possessive on her.

- I gave you my word I would take care of everything, I will do it – he stammered, looking distractedly through the window, while the Y/N nodded and the suv finally stopped in the building's parking lot.

Mine.

His, it was all his and would remain his forever. Y/N, the Bloodline, its territory and title. He wasn't a player like his cousins, he cleared the way when he went onto the field and made sure no one set foot there again without first asking permission. He was the alpha and would remain so until his last days.

***

Shaking his head, he went out into the backyard to see what had happened to his brother, who had disappeared into thin air as soon as Naomi had threatened a scene at Jimmy’s umpteenth attempt to convince her to talk some sense to Y/N.

Their call hadn't gone as they'd hoped, she'd refused to try and Y/N had hung up not in the best way. The last one hadn't been said, they could still make an attempt, Y/N was less unapproachable than she seemed at first glance, in a right way she would have listened and deep down Jimmy really wanted her to understand what she had ended up in. Naomi said they couldn't do it, that it was unfair and they should leave her alone living her life, he saw it another way.

Big uce wouldn't have put her in danger, him who didn't even look people in their faces when them spoke to him had lost his mind the first second he saw her, man was fucked, but he would have used her. He was already doing it, as he did with everyone, as he had been used to do all his life just for that place at the head of the table and she would realize it too late for her heart. It was up to them to make her understand how Roman’s head worked, what levels of manipulation he could reach to get what he wanted and it would be better for everyone.

Jimmy joined him as he paced back and forth along one side of the fence, like a caged animal, his face turned towards the neighbors house, his shoulders tense.

He didn't like that story, Jimmy wasn't even sure Jey could handle the stress. Roman had gotten inside his head so much that he changed his way of seeing things, taking advantage of the affection he felt for him, of his dedication to his family to keep him where he wanted, Roman had managed to manipulate him for years. He kept saying that they had to figure it out how to make peace, that he couldn't do it without all of them and Jimmy knew, he could already feel it through the bond, he was on the verge of exploding.

- Nao will try to talk her again, but not about this, she doesn't feel it right, she says is not good for Y/N and doesn't want to know about it, that we should stop... at this point we should try with Solo, he's eating trash from Uce’s hand and... hey? What’s wrong? – he stopped suddenly, when he was close enough watching Jey shake the fence in rage and immediately march towards the street.

- School called– he said in a hurry and Jimmy stiffened, going after him.

- Are the kids okay?

-They wants to throw them out. They say that they are not in order with documents, some checks, now they say that regulations have changed, we have to adapt or move them from there. They were rushing them, they tried to call him, Kecia is going to get them.

Documents, regulation changes, checks?! Without warning, from one day to the next and threatening to kick them out?! They were kids good God!

- Hey, hey, slow down, was it him? Do you think- he tried to ask and his brother snapped.

- Who do you think it was?! OG blocking everything, he wants to cut us off, he’s coming for our throats! Kids have nothing to do with this! – he growled mad, head down, teeth clenched.

It was unthinkable that he had actually done it, but more he remembered what kind of man his cousin had become over the years, more he knew that he had done it with a specific reason. The boys loved him, he was the uncle who solved their family problems, the one who spoiled them and who they could ask anything, they trusted that bastard, they were kids and he had used them as leverage to hit Jey again. Just as he had used him and Jey for years to take care of his business, Y/N to get out of the trial and as he would have done with anyone else at his disposal. He knew he couldn't go against both of them and tried to push things like this, with low blows and no morals, but he had gone too far that time.

He's coming for him. Get him.

Somewhere behind him he heard Naomi calling them, while Jey reached the car and he pulled his arm, trying to slow down what was now a hunt.

- Uce! Uce where-

- I have to talk to the elders, move.

It wasn't a request, it wasn't even an invitation. Jimmy knew that face and he also knew how it would go from here on out.

***

She had heard of a couple of those men names while listening to some conversation, one or two were faces she recognized, like that Pearce she had met some time ago with Solo during a tour of the city. They discussed balances, that silly border that started the war and Roman wasn't thrilled, even though his expression hadn't changed at all, even though he was sitting there with his back leaning against the chair like he was in full control. But he wasn't the one she was focused on, not now, not after seeing Paul reluctantly pull his phone out of his pocket to check on whoever was persistently calling.

His face had gone paler than usual and his eyes had rushed to Roman, as if seeking reassurance or terrified of his reaction. Y/N knew that face, it smelled of fear.

Something wrong, again.

Tag squad: @sunnyfleur23 @racerchix21 @alyyaanna @reignsangel444 @romanreignsdefencesquad @romanstheory @claymorexpunisher @keybladeofsteel @msbigredmachine @nayys-world @gobbersworld @utika151209 @cumxxslutt @civildawn @romanmydaddy @triscillal @papireigns-05 @helensanders92 @love-islike-abomb @darqchilddaydreamz @meggylynnloves @unfriendly--blvck--hottie @nicolewoo @reignsx @reigns-central-blog @kianaleani @daguenoire @extra-11 @thedonsfactory @snowpanda18 @brattyfics @mzv11 @romanreignseater @tribalchiefdaily @2baddies2furious @vebner37 @depressedneedingrevenge @cyberdejos2 @usosthetics @mahi-wayy @jxtina-86 @harmshake @harlem11680 @southerngirl41 @blkbutterfly816 @spritelucozade @smile1318 @joannasteez

[hrefna-the-raven]

The hunt

Fallout masterlist - main masterlist

Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x reader

Chapter 1 - The plan

Summary: Dom Pedro's caravan is in sight but you and Coop know exactly how to play this in your favour 😉

(this happens before Cooper ended up in that grave)

Words: 1404

Warnings: swearing, violence

Notes: this is still quite gender-neutral 😊 the next chapter will be less neutral for *cough* naughty *cough* reason 😇

Chapter 2 - The bounty

You snatched a sniper rifle from your backpack and made your way towards the upper level of a towering building, concealing yourself behind a weathered wall as you surveyed the approaching gang. Cooper gazed at you for a moment, lost in thoughts. You continued to be full of surprises and unusually well prepared for someone this young but then again, compared to an over two centuries old ghoul everyone seemed young. He came to the conclusion that, despite having only known you for a few hours, he enjoyed your company way too much. From the moment you looked up, a mischievous smile playing on your lips, he felt an ache, an old familiar pain from days long past, intertwined with a connection he rarely ever formed with others, even before the Great War. And yet, there was something about your way of being, a sweet tune that resonated perfectly with his own woeful ballad.

"Seeing something you like?", you teased, grinning at him.

"Certainly not what's headin' towards us.", he huffed, pointing at the group heading towards your position.

Cooper scolded himself internally, he'd never been this distracted, not on a job, not with anyone else. He grumbled, pulling his attention back to the task at hand. Dom Pedro's so-called caravan turned out to be a pack of seven well armed raiders, one of them wearing a modified power armour.

"Guess someone tried to fuck us both, but not in the fun way", you joked.

Cooper chuckled as he took hold of your rifle and peered through the scope at the armoured raider.

"Feelin' all mighty hiding behind his twelve-piece cast-iron skillet set but he's gonna have a hell of a surprise. Aim just below the chestplate.", he whispered in your ear, a pleased smirk forming on his lips as he loaded his revolver.

"And what are you gonna do?"

"Distract them with my irresistible charms."

Cooper stood up, shrugged his shoulders, and winked at you before making his way towards the raiders.

You aimed at the power armour's chestplate, waiting patiently until you heard the ghoul's whistle, drawing the raiders' attention to him. A faint smile tugged on the corners of your mouth. The way he carried himself, full of confidence and that smug grin plastered across his face, made your heart beat faster. Throughout your travels and hunts, you had met many different personalities but not a single one was quite like him. It wasn't merely your crush on the pre-war Cooper Howard whose movies you devoured whenever you had a spare moment, this connection deepened the instant you finally encountered him, winding its way under your skin, striking its roots into your beating heart. You weren't oblivious to the subtle glances he stole in your direction, leaving you to wonder if he had been caught in the same dilemma.

"Well, I tell you what, boys, whenever somebody walks around as fancy and loud as you, they gotta have something worth takin'", he slowly pointed at the wooden crate tightly clasped by the taller raider, "you know it'd be a real shame of those fine bottles would go to waste on a bunch of dickheads like you."

The armoured one stepped up, pointing his minigun at Cooper, his voice hollering from behind the mounted rusty cage.

"Oh yeah? What about you, ghoul? Did the radiation melt away your brain or why do stand here, unarmed, trying to threaten us?!"

Cooper laughed, raising both hands in a fingergun gesture, aimed at the raider.

"Careful buddy, ghoul's got magic powers."

He imitated shooting which you took as your cue and fired a shot right underneath chestplate. The raider stood still, like frozen in time for a second, leaving you wondering if you had missed but then he collapsed on the ground without a sound. Your eyes widened at the sight, marveling at how easy you just took out someone in a power armour. You usually avoided those while hunting alone but this was a game changer. With a swift reload of your rifle, you took aim at the next raider, a chuckle escaping your lips as you observed their startled reaction to their companion's sudden death.

"So what will it be? Shall I reload my", his eyes wandered to his fingers, a wicked smile spreading across his lips, "guns or will you be good little raiders and hand me that crate?"

One of them pushed his way through the group, pointing his gun at Cooper. Before he could even reach him to shout his threats, one of your bullets found its mark and took him out, his lifeless body slumping to the ground in front of the ghoul who was still grinning.

"We still outnumber him, you morons! Get him!", another one screamed.

What happened next was the precise reason why you'd decided to forgo Dom Pedro's proposition and opted to work with this remarkable gunslinger. Cooper snatched his revolver out of the holster, his body leaning slightly backward as a flurry of shots rang out and before your mind could even comprehend what exactly happened, all of the raiders, with the exception of the one clutching the crate, were lying on the ground, crimson pools forming around their corpses. You stowed away your rifle, slung your bag over your shoulder, grasped the shotgun and made your way down to join Cooper.

"You got two choices, buddy. You either join your friends in their eternal nap or you hand over those fine bottles and be on your merry, very much alive, way."

Hiding behind the corner of a crumbling wall, you watched the scene unfold. The raider trembled so much that you could hear the bottles clinking together as he sat the crate down. Faint sobs escaped his lips, his feet moving a few steps backwards before turning around, fleeing in terror. Just as he passed by you, a deafening shot echoed through the ruins, his head exploding into countless tiny pieces before his corpse hit the ground, the blood drops, brain matter and skull fragments raining down on the sand. Cooper cocked his brow, intrigued by the unfolding murder scene that lay before him. You emerged from around the corner, your shotgun resting casually on your shoulder as you strolled over to him.

"No witnesses", you chuckled, kneeling down beside the crate and carefully packing the bottles into your backpack, "besides you shouldn't be the one to kill him."

"And why's that?", he asked, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind warning him not to, yet equally aware and afraid of the answer you'd give.

"Feo fuerte y formal", you replied, trying your best to mimic his thick accent, "although I much preferred your character when he didn't kill the villains. I know, I know, you're not truly that movie character, you're just...you."

The smile that graced your lips was genuine and innocent. He froze, hearing those words again after more than two centuries knocked the air straight out of his lungs.

"I know a place we can lay low until we take on Dom aaand", you wiggled one of the bottles, "we gonna have some fun, partner. We definitely deserve it."

You hummed a song he didn't recognise and your fingers found his hand, your broad smile hidden while you walked in front, tagging him along. No one had ever bothered to look beyond his ghastly appearance and acknowledged him for who was truly hiding behind that scarred noseless face. He was one to shoot anyone who admitted to have been ordered to kill him and definitely anyone who would have dared to take his hand, dragging him behind them like a puppy. To be honest, he definitely had shot a few for far less. And yet here you were, wrapped in the golden glow of the desert sun, a beautiful smile dancing across your lips, doing exactly those two things without any bullet holeson your admittedly attractive body. And to add insult to injury, deep down, locked away in his shrivelled heart, a glimmer of joy and affection shimmered in the darkness. He'd never admit it to you but, in the ways and words of the world before the bombs, he was falling for you and he feared that if you'd truly tempt him, he'd be too weak to resist and he couldn't bear the thought of letting another one into his wounded heart. The wounds of betrayal of the last person he held in there were, after all this time, still as painful as then.

Chapter 3 - The spoils (18+)

Feel free to reblog if you liked the story 😊

Tags: @dreamtofus

[bloodhoundluke]

lucky ❦ luke hemmings

pairing: luke hemmings x partner! reader

description: there's nothing more annoying than being sick, but thankfully luke is there to make you feel better. this was requested with the prompt #8 "i'll kiss away the pain, baby" from my prompt list. warnings: lots of pet names and FLUFF. and a few curse words. word count: 1,1k. a/n: hey there friends! 🌟 sooooo i finished this instead of doing my uni work, oopsie... and this is my first sickfic, so i hope it's okay! it's short-ish but hopefully you'll like it anyway. i really need a luke to comfort me the next time i'm sick 😥 i'll see u again 🧡

You were never sick. Well, maybe never was a bit of a reach. Once in a while you caught the flu, but this time it was different. Your head was burning and you couldn’t see properly. Fever. 

Thank god the front door opened and Petunia wiggled to the entryway without barking. It meant one thing. Luke was home. You heard him place his keys on the hallway table and take his shoes and jacket off. You squinted your eyes and groaned. Damn, you loved that man, but could he be quieter?

“What’s going on here bubs?” Luke curiously asked as he sat next to you on the living room couch. You had been laying there since the morning. Ever since you had wished a good studio session to him and he went to do what he did best, being creative. 

“Shhh, be more quiet baby”, you whispered as you adjusted your blanket over your legs. 

“Oh, shoot, sorry…are you okay?”, his tone changed and his sweet, quiet words echoed through your head. You shook your head no. 

“Oh no….Do I need to get you anything? Painkillers? Water? We’ve got your favorite lemonade in the freezer if you’d like”. One thing about Luke was that he took the caretaker role naturally. And a bit too serious at times, but you loved him for it. Before him, you didn’t even know men like him existed. 

“Lemonade, please”, you whispered. “Okay, I’ll be here in a sec”, he kissed your temple softly and you closed your eyes.

—❦

You woke up to the sound of Petunia barking and Luke cursing the dog off. “Shh, mama’s not well”. You felt Luke’s body next to yours and opened your eyes just to see him looking at you with his worrisome eyes. 

“Hey”, your throat was sore. “What time is it?”.

“It’s 6pm. Didn’t want to wake you up, princess”.

“It’s okay. Am starving. Can we order something?”.

“Of course”. So you ordered some cauliflower soup, ate it whilst watching your comfort tv show and went back to cuddling with Luke on the couch.

“Are you feelin’ any better?”.

“Not really”, you sighed.

“I’ll kiss away the pain, baby”, he peppered light kisses to your cheek, jawline and lastly, your lips. You moved your lips against his, feeling some sort of guilty conscience.

“You do realize you have a chance of gettin’ sick too?”.

“Yes”, Luke looked at you with admiring eyes and a smile that could make even the coldest of hearts melt.

“You’re being reckless”, your voice was hoarse, and a giggle escaped your lips.

“I don’t mind bein’ reckless when it’s with you”, he kissed you again. And just like all of those times before, he was able to capture your heart with a single comment.

“Lemonade?”, he asked and reached for the glass on the coffee table. “Please”, you murmured. After finishing the glass of lemonade, Luke kindly placed it on the table. “Do you want anything else?”, he placed his arm around you. You shuffled closer to him and placed your head on the crook of Luke’s soft neck. “No, this is perfect”.

“Good”, he murmured and caressed your hair.

Luke adjusted the blankets covering your body and fixated his eyes on the tv. And so did you until your eyes couldn’t stay open anymore. So you dozed off again, with Luke softly humming next to you.

"We could leave the Christmas lights up ‘til January And this is our place, we make the rules And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear…"

—❦

You woke up again, this time to Luke’s phone ringing. With your eyebrows frowned, you looked at Luke. He mumbled a ‘sorry’ and gave a peck on your hairline. Carefully, he got up from the couch and exited the room. You reached out for your phone on the coffee table. You watched some TikToks on low volume whilst you were petting Petunia, who had been sleeping on the couch for the whole evening. The pupper snuggled closer to you and you placed the phone away, holding her in your arms.

“I see my place has been taken”, Luke entered the living room with an entertained smile plastered on his lips. “That’s what you get when you leave my side”, you pouted.

“Am sorry, baby. It was Michael. He needed an opinion on something. Work stuff. Boring. And he wished you a quick recovery”. You thanked him, and motioned Petunia to move. The dog hopped off lazily from the couch. 

“How’s the head?”.

“It’s okay. I am okay. I’mma go to bed”, you gave Luke a tired smile and stood up with the blankets hovering over your body. You began to walk, but your head started to feel dizzy. So you stopped in your tracks and Luke walked closer to you. 

“You don’t seem okay”, he stood in front of you and placed his hands against the sides of your face.

“Maybe I exaggerated”, you admitted. “Let’s get you to bed then”, he detached his hands, picked you up in his arms and carried you over to your shared bedroom. He dropped you to the side of the bed, lifting the comforter and you got under the covers. You mumbled him a ‘thank you’ and Luke answered with a sympathetic gaze. You studied him, the man of your dreams, and a thankful smile crept upon your face. He stripped off his day clothes, and shuffled next to you. Petunia came into the room with a grunt and waited for either Luke or you to pick her up. 

“Geez, Tunes, will you ever learn?” Luke chuckled, got up from the bed and bent down to pet the dog. He picked her up, and placed the pupper at the foot of the bed. Luke reclaimed his place next to you. “We need to get her the dog stairs”, you insinuated, to which Luke responded with a ‘definitely’. You snuggled into his chest and could feel his steady breathing on your face. He wrapped his arms around you, resting his chin against your head.

“How did I get so lucky with you?”, you hummed and could hear the tempting sound of the dreamworld calling you.

“I am the one who got lucky here, love”, Luke peppered tender kisses on your hair.

“I’ll take care of you if you get sick because of me”, you promised him.

“But what if you are still sick?”, he pecked your head, and tightened his embrace around you.

“Then we might be fucked”.

“Nah, we won’t be. At least we’d still have each other”, he pointed out. You smiled as you closed your eyes. Despite the burning head and sore throat, this was everything you wanted: Luke’s fingers running through your hair and Petunia snoring in the background all while you were falling asleep.

© 2023 bloodhoundluke.

[fromdarzaitoleeza]

This post is not related to literature, books or art , please skip the post since that's what u thought and stumbled upon it , this post is all about me and my personal thoughts on various chain of things in my life , which I want to write down here since Tumblr has been my safe place .

I went through my blog yesterday and tried to look up what i have been posting since the last few months, it gave me a lot of blue vibes altho it is a representation of what's going on in my head , on Tumblr specifically I only post what goes through me & what I been feelin , I have lived in every peice of quote I have posted over the span of months, i have resonated with them not just only once but multiple times over the period of time , but I don't want to post them always, I want to feel so many other emotions that exist out there so that I can post about them , intimacy love happiness faith youth friendship I want to feel them I want them to happen to me the way I feel blue heavily, intensely ,constantly ! I post on this blog so I can find people who have felt things that I have felt so that I know I am not the only person who has felt it this way & again I sometimes think about the people who felt the same things as they felt and wonder how miserable it has been for them too. I am never not thinking about the quote from van Gogh when he says I want people to touch me through my art I want people to feel my art I want them to say oh he feels deeply he feels deeply.

This year has undoubtedly been one of the worst years of my life i have suffered great losses not just of people but also of the person I was , I don't recall a single day in this year when I looked in the mirror and felt happy looking at myself ( I am not talking about the physical appearance here ) . This year has made me weak on all levels & i can't write down all the reasons for it cuz they won't justify anything, this year I have spent more time somewhere else rather than in myself, despite what i am writing here trust me I am a very optimistic person I still keep the faith & hope to do better in life everyday I am the person who will fall down ninety nine times and stand tall again on hundredth, i don't give up and sometimes i think thats what goes wrong with me I don't know when to give up which l believe has significantly hurted me over many things , indeed nothing has hurted me than my very being & my mistake cuz i have done a lot of them but the what makes me more ridiculous is I am the most intelligent person in my family tree and it's branches ( no i am not trying to praise myself)my opinions/choices are asked for decision making over lot of important things in their life which amusingly fits them well and satisfies them but the same wisdom/intelligence doesn't benefit me,it has caused me more damage than good , I read the quote from Bukowski where he says "Sadness is caused by intelligence, the more you understand certain things, the more you wish you didn't understand them" and i have never looked at myself in the same way again

As much as I believe in efforts and action I also believe some things are not just subjectivity enough with them for example my experience with love and friendship, i believe one of strongest reason I loved Leeza was the resemblance of our tragedies in the past , there is quote from nagato ( pain from Naruto shippden) where he says "" unless people comprehend the pain as others they truly cannot understand one other"" here the pain i and Leeza shared was very much similiar I thought we would understand each other best out of anyone in this planet, which made to put my 100% into loving her but unfortunately that was not enough

I wanted to meet people who would want to understand me ( only /atleast those who already knew me inside out) based on the way I did things and what happened to me & how much of what changed me overtime as a person, because i don't want to explain each time I do something to the person who already knows about me ,maybe this doens't make a lot of sense since this by far has been the most delusional thing I have ever thought of , I have never met someone as such i am being very honest about it ,and this is solely due to my own fault I am an over expaliner cuz i think people are overthinkers ( simply because I am one) .

I am trying my very best to change my life in every way i can , even if things aren't beautiful I am grateful that I am alive, i will always hope that things will get beautiful over time, sincerely and most Genuinely I want to feel those things ,i can not describe how badly i want nice things to happen to me , how i would like to be friends with someone who won't hurt me & to be loved by someone deeply enough that i can find my peace in them.

[rex101111]

More stuff for the Baiken Game I Will Never Make. This time some funny Achievement names because those are always fun and some extra gameplay ideas.

Okay first, building on the idea for a Super Meter, each Demon Tool has a Special Attack (Overdrive) that costs half a meter and does something unique for each Tool. You can increase how much Meter you have by collecting stuff (Prayer Beads maybe? Increase Health by collecting Statues of various creatures, probably Asuras.)

The Claw pulls you in for a whirling attack you can follow up with a combo, the gun fires multiple shells with bigger AOE, the big sword (Yozansen) does two slashes instead of one as a good combo ender to send enemies flying etc etc.

With full Meter you can string specific Supers together one after the other. Using the same Super more then twice in a row halves the power and then again until you do at least two other different supers.

The main katana also has a Super based on her usual three hit Overdrive that takes full Meter and does a ton of damage, holding the input during boss fights when a boss' health is below about 15% or so lets you do an instant kill, based on Baiken's IK from Rev2 but rendered uniquely for each boss. You're wide open during the activation so choose your moment carefully.

Okay enough gameplay stuff time for Funny (citation needed) Achievement Names!

1. Get The Gears Turning: Wake up and finish Anji tutorial.

2. You. Over Here. Get.: Receive the Chain Claw.

3. Feelin' Lucky: Receive the Fireworks Musket.

4. Speak Softly: Receive the Spike Mace.

5. Slab Of Iron: Receive the Great Sword.

6. Give 'er A Spin: Receive the Spinning Blade.

7. Nothing Up Your Sleeve: Use three different Demon Tools to beat a single enemy.

8. SLASH!: Defeat an enemy with an Overdrive.

9. Predictable: Perform a counter/parry a total of 50 times.

10. Living For The Moment: Perform a parry 15 times in a row. (AN: Remember that one achievement in Bayonetta 1 where you had to perfect parry 3 times in a row. And it was ass because the input was like frame perfect? Feel my pain. Anyways there's an enemy type that has a flurry attack that hits 15 times exactly and if you go full Daigo and follow up with a Super you kill it on the spot.)

11. DESTROYED!: Perform an Instant Kill on a boss.

12. Seven Golden Letters: Beat a boss without taking damage.

13. A Momentary Peace: Beat the game on Normal.

14. Six Mon For Lord Enma: Beat the game on Hard.

15. Mirror Of A Broken World: Beat the game on Very Hard.

16. Strike and Sheath: Beat the game on Instant Kill difficulty.

17. Eternal Karma: Beat the game on Road To Naraka.

18. Skin Of Your Teeth: Beat a level using the Broken Katana.

Some Boss Achievements~ (a few scattered half baked Gear boss ideas plus a few interesting match and bonus stuff)

19. No Sake Needed: Slay the Eight-Headed Gear. (Gear that looks like Yamata-no-Orochi. Natch.)

20. Flash Of Lightning: Humble the young Crusader. (Young Ky boss fight where he tries to preach to Baiken about the Cause, very quick and agile, cutscene after boss is Baiken punching him in the nose.)

21. An Old Blade: Repel the Veteran Crusader. (Kliff boss a few chapters after Ky, wants to see what his protege was going on about. Heavy damage lots of health, second phase has him going Young and being much faster. Ends with Baiken knocking him away and running.)

22. Eye For An Eye: Lose yourself to the blood, the anger, the pain. For the first time, and not the last. (The chapter where bandits ambush an exhausted Baiken, break her one arm and sword, and she goes feral. Ends with her ripping the bandit leader's throat out.)

23. Never To Meet Again: Survive Justice. (Hopeless Boss against Justice. Gotta have that gut punch.)

24. Fire Of Corruption: Strike out against The Original Gear. (Final Boss Sol. Win and he goes Dragon Install and forces Baiken to retreat. Her goal of revenge still hanging heavy after failing to kill Justice herself.

Secret boss Achievements~~

25. A Promise Kept: See how serious a friend can be. (Anji bonus boss where he actually tries to beat you.)

26. Symphony After Dark: Fight a Gentleman. Ferocious and quick and strong. How Very Dandy. (Slayer bonus boss. As ridiculous and difficult as you would imagine.)

27. In Awe Of The Dawn: Face The Maiden Of The Grove. (Dizzy bonus boss. Though technically its a fight against Necro and Undine while Dizzy tries to help you calm them down.)

28. Requiem For The Midnight Carnival: Overcome the onslaught of the Witch. (I-No bonus boss. Absolutely insane bullet hell bullshit in an action game. Deliberately and explicitly unfair. Just like she always is.)

29. Time Exile: Confront an image of your past self. Accept, and overcome. (Mirror Baiken bonus boss babyyyy)

Now for a few special secret bonus things I thought of~

30. The Other Side Of The Mirror: Listen to Anji's side of the story. (Beating the game on Very Hard unlocks a short Anji Campaign! Mostly just battle areas for you to try his moveset out. Doesn't have Demon Tools but has his dodge from Strive with all the follow ups and a ton of I-Frames.)

31. Bedtime Story: Wake up from a very sweet dream. (After finishing both the main game and Anji's campaign on Very Hard, you unlock Delilah's What If. Another side campaign where you fight as the Very Broken Delilah in a boss rush where it ends with Delilah musing on how she wished Baiken had someone who helped her like she helped Delilah.)

32. The Lonely Blade: Get every other Achievement.

[raccoon-in-a-dumpster]

guys so like. i found out yesterday that nurses are not SUPPOSED to pushbthe needle in deeper to get blood

i was gettin my blood drawn just to see if i had any complications that could impact my legs n' shit, (since having low iron can fuck you up BAD.)

and ig the vein wasn't rlly feelin it that day (makes sense, i was totally unprepared) so it didn't rlly do anything, and the person doing the draw pushed it in. and at first i was like: oh. this has never happened to me before!! and then it was like: oh my god kill me this is agonizing why does it hurt so bad it never hurts

and i had told the nurse that i was AWESOME at blood draws (i usually get them done at another clinic, and every single time, it's been great. found a good vein on my left arm, inserted & extracted with very minimal pain, felt great) but GOD. IT FUCKING HURT

so after a bit she SLOWLY took out the needle (and it hurt like fucking hell let me tell you) cuz there was no blood. And the MOMENT she starts taking it out, i feel sick.

She asks if i'm alright, and i say no, i'm really dizzy and i feel like i'm gonna throw up. so i lay down after my arm is bandaged. My head feels so fucking hot, my arm hurts like all hell- can barely move it- and i'm sweating. barely have the energy to speak at that point. I thought i was gonna pass out.

so after a bit of laying, she asks if i wanna try again, and i- still being nauseous- say no, and practically beg to not do it again cause this is the worst i've ever felt in my life. and so her and my mom talk about when to come back, and i pipe up sometimes

I suggest Saturday.

They don't draw blood on Saturday.

I suggest Sunday.

They don't draw blood on Sunday.

So after a bit of pushing with my mom, (she wanted today, i wanted Monday. I bring up that my arm might hurt afterwards and effect my marching, but really, i was still reeling and i was genuinely afraid, i needed some time, y'know?) we settle on Monday.

so i get home from marching after 9, and i chat with my dad. ask him if mom told him about what happened

"Oh yeah. So growing pains?" (referring to the possibility i might've developed osgood-schlatter disease)

"No, the other thing. With the blood draw?"

so i tell him what happened, and he tells me some stories about how he has really small veins, so doctors have a difficult time finding it. He tells me a story about how in basic, a nurse was tryna find a vein, and by the end he had so many puncture wounds and bruises from it that he looked like he had been shooting up or smth.

I tell him about how it didn't rlly hurt at first but then the needle got pushed deeper and he was like: man they aren't supposed to do that, if they aren't finding blood then they aren't finding blood.

So yeah.

I'm REALLY not hyped for Monday- I'd really rather get my blood drawn at the other clinic. The clinic i usually go to is linked up with my therapist and my psychologist, too, so it's generally just a lot more accommodating. being misgendered while you're experiencing the worst feeling you've ever felt sure isn't that great.

My arm/elbow hurts whenever i think about earlier, and i'm just. not hyped for next time.

[marvelmyriad]

@sheshootsxruns

It didn't take much emotional literacy to read Anya when she was being herself. She was a woman that didn't pussyfoot around what she was thinking or feeling, and he fucking loved that. He never had to worry about trying to read her mind if she was pissed at him, she would just TELL HIM where he'd fucked up.

Once Anya allowed Wade to know her, the two of them had a familiarity that enabled them to communicate with just a glance. She was even able to read him through his MASK.

All of that to say; he had been able to gather the gist of what her next sentiment would be with a single L O O K, even before she spoke. It gave him an extra moment to think of a smartass remark.

"Oh, your father is absolutely certifiable..." He glanced over at where Bucky stood near the corner of the room before his gaze returned to Anya. "And so am I. And I agree with him." He frowned for a moment with emphatic apology.

"Listen, 'cause I'm probably never gonna say this again..." The merc leaned in a bit closer to her. "I think this is the one for-sure time that Father Knows Best. I've lost my arms, my legs, I've been ripped in half, I was eaten by a giant lizard once..." he trailed off, shaking his head, "but I didn't have t' get used to a badass metal replacement. I just kinda...grow back whatever I lost."

After he had gathered a few more pressing details about Gail's current location, along with the status of any loved ones that she might need to contact as well, he had promised to stay in touch and said his goodbyes.

Bucky's mind was capable of extreme focus, it was one of the reasons he had been such an impeccable sniper even before HYDRA had gotten their hands on him. That however, didn't mean that he wasn't capable of processing damn near everything around him. In a room that size with only three people and only one on the phone, every sound that hit his ears was comprehended. Right down to the way that Wade tapped his foot on the ground some when he was nervous.

When he heard the other man agreeing with him on how Anya's recovery needed to be handled, he could see why Wade would be nervous. He sighed quietly, ignoring the slight warmth of appreciation that had hit him when the merc bit the bullet and stood firm with Anya.

It wasn't easy to do. Bucky knew that better than most.

"Alright," he interrupted, "everyone that needs t' be in th' know is caught up." He reached into his jacket and retrieved the file and flash drive that he had stolen from the facility that they had been keeping Anya in.

"I'm pretty sure these are a good portion of th' notes they took...so they need t' be looked over." He kept the items in his hand though. "I'm gonna start in on that. How are ya feelin'? An' don't say 'fine'. Are ya hungry, thirsty, need somethin' for pain?"

Luckily enough for her family, while there certainly HAD been people who had caught trouble just from KNOWING their family. Gail had yet to be caught up in something like that. That mostly had to do with the fact that she had QUICKLY become someone that Anya took the most care of when it came to any situation where someone might have it out for anyone in their family. She smiled when her dad IMMEDIATELY jumped on the task, even going so far as to make sure it was Steve, or Sam on the task. If it wasn't gonna be anyone in the family . . . It was gonna be one of them.

Wade took the hint that it was time to cover asses, and make sure you did all your HEAD COUNTS that you needed to do. And he seemed to act like this was something he had certainly done at least a HANDFUL of times in his lifetime.

The whole time the two of them were getting everything sorted, all Anya could do was look between the two of them . . . And ALREADY she was losing her mind from having NOTHING to do. Not a good sign for her recovery which she could already GUARANTEE her dad was going to make at least TWICE as long as his had been. ( though who was she kidding . . . it'd be more like four times as long )

Anya looked at Wade when he was finished sending his voice message, looking bored already and giving him a POINTED look. " He's absolutely nuts if he thinks I'm just gonna sit in this bed for longer than a week. "

[crinkled-emotions]

Ohhhh the prompts 😍

Could I request 61 and 12 for a sick Rooster please?

Of course!

12: "Sharing is caring" "Not sickness!" and 61: "I can tell you're sicker than you're saying"

Notes: this was prompted by a conversation I had with a friend about how the single-seaters get the bugs that go through the Daggers last so by the time it gets to them it is angry lmao.

Also, I'm not planning out these tumblr requests :) I'm having a lot of fun free writing them! I hope they're still as good, I'm literally just typing the first thing that comes to mind.

(the gif's not relevant I just love to see a dude boogie)

"Good morning avi- uh, guys?"

Maverick surveyed his team. Phoenix, Bob, Payback and Fanboy all seemed fine, back to their usual selves while Coyote was cradling his head, Hangman sitting beside him with his aviators on despite being in the dark. Rooster had tilted his head back so he could get a temple massage to relieve the sharp pain in his head.

"Definitely not the weirdest thing I've walked in on," Maverick uttered to himself. Bob paused Rooster's temple massage to wave at Maverick, gesturing to his godson and mouthing headache. Maverick ruffled Bradley's hair on his way past, pausing to check on Jake and Javy too. He could see Jake was going to be okay but Javy was in no shape to be flying. Maverick texted Hondo that he was walking Javy to his medical centre on base and waggled a finger at the rest of his team.

"No one do anything I would do."

"Yes sir," Phoenix deadpanned. When Maverick and Javy were gone Rooster hesitantly cracked open an eye, glaring at her.

"I'm actually so pissed you got me sick."

"Sharing is caring."

"Not sickness!" Jake cried out from the other side of the room, but promptly shut his mouth when the pain in his head worsened. Phoenix shifted over to sit with him, hooking an arm around his shoulders.

"Think of it this way, Bagman, if you're that bad Maverick might only take you out once instead of half a dozen times."

"Tash," he groaned. On the other side of the classroom Bob had a wet piece of paper towel and he offered it to Rooster.

"I'm good, but thanks," he said. Bob didn't look entirely convinced.

"Let us know if you need anything. Mav won't mind if you need a day off; probably prefer it, actually."

"Yeah, I know."

Bob squeezed Rooster's shoulder in reassurance. When Maverick returned he glanced at Rooster, arms crossed.

"Do you need to go home too? Feelin' okay kid?"

"M'good, Mav. Pr- hm. Promis- fuck."

Rooster dug the heel of his hand into his eye, trying to rub the pain away.

"Okay guys, let's clear out huh? Give me a minute with Rooster."

Natasha helped Jake up, Reuben coming to his other side. As Jake scrambled to his feet Bob followed behind him with Mickey, the five of them managing to head for the door.

"Get him into bed with some water, okay? And be kind. He's not feeling good."

"Oh, fuck."

Bradley shot up, legging it for the nearest trash can. Maverick followed, sighing as he knelt by him. Payback hauled the others out the door and let Maverick focus on his godson.

"I can tell you're sicker than you're saying," Maverick said softly to Bradley. Rooster groaned, his entire body shuddering before he pitched forward again.

"Okay B, it's okay. Just breathe."

[hexarcana]

Clearly the boy is way more hurt than he looks, Olive knows what wounded pride and bruised ego look like, and she knows they can be just as painful as the physical kind, especially when you’re a kid.

The first time she saw the twins she knew who they were. They looked so much like Mason did back then- but she knew they had to be Filbrick’s kids. (How any woman could stand him long enough to have kids with him she’ll never understand.). She’d been nervous that the boys would be like he’d been back then but much to her relief both boys, especially the one in front of her, were good kids.

He isn’t looking at her but she’s looking at him sympathetically. She can’t help but think of another little boy sitting in front of her, sniffling about a scraped knee, a littler boy with a mop of messy blonde hair and freckles. It hurts to think about, so she doubles down her focus on the present. She glances around and she swipes a clean dish towel from an open drawer just behind her. She opens one of the water bottles and tips it against the towel.

Her expression hardens as he goes on about that Stonewall kid. Aggie had told her about him, and if she wasn’t sure it would lead to a life sentence in prison, she would have tracked the kid down herself and- Well. She’d go to jail.

“Young man,” She says, scooting her stool a bit closer to him. “You aren’t stupid. Get that outta your head right now.” She folds the wet towel and very gently (more gently than one would think she’d be capable of) starts cleaning the blood off his face. “That boy is the real idiot if he can’t see when a girl hates him. And if he thinks it’s a good idea to keep pesterin’ her and her friends.”

She’s quiet a moment before she goes on, “Ya know, I feel like crap that I can’t be out there to keep Aggie safe. She’s a smart girl, and you n’ me both know she can handle herself, but she’s fragile, ya know? And she’s gotta be careful, keep her little… Situation under wraps.” She gently tilts Stan’s face to one side to get a look at the bruise blooming under his eyes. “I’m really glad she’s got a guy like you out there with her. I was real scared she wouldn’t make friends out there but she found a real good one in you.” She gently touches the bridge of his nose, relieved to find that it’s still straight, not broken. She goes back into her med kit and pulls out a few single use alcohol pads for his remaining scrapes. “That Stonewall boy’s probably just jealous that Aggie likes you and wants to be around you, not him. Jealousy makes boys stupid, and I bet he’s gonna stay stupid.” She sighs, quickly cleaning off his cuts, “Trouble is when they’re stupid and also freakishly large…” She narrows her eyes, thinking. “If you’re gonna keep protecting my girl you’re gonna need an edge.” She stands, “If a fight ain’t fair, you even it out.” She goes to the stairs, “You wait here a sec, I’ll be right back.” She descends into the bunker without another word.

She’s gone less than a minute when she reappears, a rusty metal toolbox tucked under her arm. She drops it on the table and opens it, rifling through its contents until she finds what she’s looking for. She sets them down on the table- A set of brass knuckles, a bit smaller than average sized. They’d been Olives before she switched to heavy artillery. Her hands are pretty small, though. She’s sure they’ll fit the boy. “Try those on.” She instructs, “Nobody, no matter how tough the think they are is gonna be feelin’ too hot after being on the business end of these bad boys.” She sits again and starts packing up the med kit. “If those fit ya, they’re yours.” She lowers her voice. “Now, if I give ya these ya gotta promise to only use them if you REALLY feel like ya need to. As tempting as it is to go beat the tar outta this kid right this second ya gotta play it smart. Ya understand, Pines?”

She looks so serious, with only a ghost of her usual madness set her features. She sees no issue in arming a twelve year old boy with an illegal weapon.

It’s been a few times now, but Stan still hadn’t fully gotten used to the sensation of disappearing at one place and reappearing at another. The first time Aggie had told him about the waypoints, shortly after he had learnt about her powers, he had scoffed somewhat. That all vanished pretty sharply once she had shown him them. His hair still stood on end and he got all goosepimply whenever he passed through.

For now though, his head still swimming he was too punch-drunk to take too much notice. He just felt tired and humiliated and he wanted to just lie down. As grateful as he was to Aggie for finding him and mending his hands, a small part of him wished he was able to appear before her triumphant, having bested Jesse once and for all in combat.

Having gone through the waypoint, Stan sees Aggie’s house ahead of him, old lady Yearling herself coming out to greet them both. Stan had also been reticent about Aggies house once he had first seen it. It was tumbledown and ramshackle, but Stan leant that the somewhat intimidating exterior of barbed wire, ‘keep out signs’ and grates across the windows only added to the mystery and intrigue of it all. Especially with what Aggie had told him about the bunker below.

It was kinda like Old Lady Yearling herself, tough and a bit scary to the outside world, but get to know her and she wasn’t so bad.

“Hi Ms Yearling….” Stan mumbled in greeting, still unsure how to address her. When he had brought it up with Graunty Mabel, she had curtly replied that Old Lady Yearling probably would be fine with most things as long as you didn’t treat her like the rest of the townsfolk.

As he walks through to the kitchen, he gives Aggie a small smile that he hopes conveys thanks back as she disappears down into the bunker to retrieve some things.

He got up on the kitchen chair and tried not to look or feel too sorry for himself, difficult as it was.

“I feel fine…” Stan lied. “Just some cuts and bruises is all…”

He looks down at his blood stained t-shirt. God Jesse really had done a number on him. He was only a year older than him but he was much closer to Thistle’s height than his own, and he was twice as a broad as he was. That meant he was nearly impossible to fight properly. It was like trying to chop down a redwood with a butter knife.

A tear drop hits his already stained shirt. Why was he crying? He never cried. His father told him that boys shouldn’t cry. It was a sign of weakness. And he couldn’t be weak, not with people like Jesse about. He just found it so difficult to be strong is all.

“I’m- I’m fine Ms Yearling….I just wish I coulda…”

He stops and oh god here come the tears again. Why was he crying, why was he like this? Stupid WEAK Stanley. Babies cry. Are you a baby Stanley? I bet Jesse doesn’t cry. I bet Aggie would laugh at you if she saw you like this. I bet she would find Jesse more fun to be with if she saw you be a BABY like this.

He tries to at least look up at Old Lady Yearling but he finds his gaze is glued to the floor.

The words start pouring out of him suddenly, in a low, sad mumble he’s not even sure Olive can hear properly, his voice warbly with adolescent emotion.

“I’m sorry. Jesse was being a butthole. Saying how he could get Aggie to be his girlfriend like that-.” He clicks his fingers for emphasis. “Saying that she was just playing hard to get. How she’d see things his way if she just spent some time with him.” He sighs. “How I’m just a stupid kid who doesn’t know what I’m doing.”

He finally looks up at Olive.

“I don’t think I do.”