#HOW HE THOUGHT HIS LOVE HAD DIED BUT NOW SHE'S BACK.

[pineapplepr1nc3ss888]

HOW TO REVISE:

revision is the thought of rewriting a past event that you wish to have occurred, you immerse yourself in that feeling and you affirm/visualise your desired outcome and act as if it’s true.

do not fear this, you have to remember you are the creator and get yourself out of the victim mentality. revision is changing past events to your desired outcome and it’s nothing to be scared of, whatever you revise will reflect what you have assumed/manifested.

reality as i have said before is completely malleable because it’s fluid. you shift yourself to a state/reality where these events never ever happened. it is extremely easy. you can revise anything you want.

death for example, a loved one died in your reality? you will shift when you immerse yourself in the feeling they’re alive or affirm/visualise they never died then you shift to a reality where this person never died. that is ALL you are doing. revision is shifting your awareness to a reality where it never happened. it can be anything.

these are some success stories from Sammy’s Mermaid Gang, all creds goes to the people who posted them but using these for examples that anything is possible:

I cured my grandpa when he was in his death bed!!!

“So guys I'm so grateful and happy that my grandpa is doing so much better now so what happened was 10 days back my grandpa got very sick everyone around us including my family members n doctors said that he won't survive the day everyone was preparing themselves for his demise but I decided that wasn't fuckin happening i kept revising in my head that he's alright and though he kept getting worse I kept staying positive and I even told my mom to just affirm but she just yelled at me calling me immature and everything so i didn't tell anyone n kept affirming in my mind, even though everyone was so worried at home i kept calm and didn't worry much and now I just went n visited my grandpa after few days n he's almost back to normal he's doing great I'm so happy ❤️”

another:

“I REVISED MY GRANDMOTHER’S PERCEIVED DEATH.

to make a long story short, she was in the ICU on a ventilator and i only had about 3-4 days of rampaging before they would take her off. i persisted and affirmed that she’s healthy and well over 30000 times on the counter app and even more in my head alone. i was anxious and fearful the entire time but persisted anyways. yesterday was the day and there was NO movement or signs that she was doing better. my family and i were in a video chat saying our last goodbyes to her. i was at work and had to hang up, so i was under the impression that she didn’t make it after they took her off the ventilator. i was told that she “lived a long life”. i couldn’t comprehend what happened because i KNEW i was persisting and the law is foolproof, so i affirmed more for her before bed and left it at that.

i woke up to news that she actually survived throughout the night BREATHING ON HER OWN WITH OXYGEN ONLY and that the hospital will be sending her home because there’s nothing they can do for her and she’s completely stable. i called multiple family members CONFUSED saying i thought she died and the responses i got were: no, she didn’t die. who told you that? despite everyone being gathered together in the hospital crying the night before…

the only explanation i have for this is that i shifted realities. because persisted anyways despite the 3d evidence (old story) and perception of her dying, my new assumptions came to pass and everything else before that ceased to exist. i’ve never manifested anything like this before. i’m going to keep affirming until she’s fully healthy.”

this is revising age:

“This is my second time revising my age... First time I did it was I was turning 26 and I wanted to join a certain competition with the age limit of 24! So I revised my age to 23... I kept telling myself that I was born in 1994, even my birthday certificate shows I was born in 1994, and that no body not even my own mother remember my old age...

Here comes the interesting part.. 2weeks before the registration deadline my birthday certificate went missing and I always had it with me... But it disappeared completely, and I couldn't find it so I asked my dad if it was possible to make another for me, since my information was already in the system so it was going to be easy to make a new one so I could finalize my registration... Here comes an interesting part when my new certificate came it said I was born on June 7, 1994.. when in actuality I was born in 1991, I asked my father why is it saying I was born in 1994... He looked at me surprised and told me it's because that's when I was born, I said no dad I was born in 1991, he started laughing and told "are you on drugs or something, I am your father so I Know when you were born"

I swear I couldn't believe it even though I asked for it I was the one who was left surprised

People always love to ask the change of documents... just know If that's what you want your documents will change don't ask how, just know they will change by any means necessary!i The changes can happen naturally just like my school certificate changed on their own, or something will happen that will require the making of new documents with the dates you were affirming”

this one was inspired by someone else who erased a 3p (third party aka someone who interferes in your life” and this 3p was literally her husbands ex wife but she erased them from their reality which meant she shifted to a reality where this person NEVER existed do not ask me about what happens to the old reality stop worrying about it you are the creator what you say fucking goes but anyways:

“So long story short I've been revising to change the past since I saw a comment under Sammy's post, which claims that she erased the 3p like they never even existed in her reality using affirmations. I think well maybe I'll try this shit out with my SP.

The affirmation I used was pretty straightforward:

I am the only person my SP has ever knew online

And guess what happened, after robotically affirming everyday along with some other revision affirmations for some time, my revision has happened. I wavered a lot and the old story kept playing in my mind all the time! But I never gave up, I persisted in my affirmations. My SP got back in contact with me just a few hours ago, when I asked about the 3ps, she said she never knew anyone like those and I'm the only one she has ever knew online.

At this point I was still skeptical about it so I went on Twitter to check about it, to my surprise SP's Twitter account has disappeared into the thin air like she never even on Twitter and all the 3ps' traces are gone too like they never even existed! And SP even confessed her feelings to me saying that she's been wanting me from the moment she saw me (That's my another revision affirmation)

Wow, this revision shit is so powerful, I just get to know loa a couple months back and law of assumption about three or four months and I can still pull this off. I just want to remind y'all we can all make it cuz it's our reality, we literally get to change and delete any shit that doesn't serve us anymore like they never even existed from the first place!”

this is health revision:

“YEAHH! Health revision success story here!

Last week I had my right knee swollen and couldn’t move so that I went to hospital to take a MRI image. The doctor said that there was a tumour in my right knee and in a super deep position, she suggested me to have an operation as soon as possible and gave me cephalosporin for diminishing the inflammation. After I got home, I started repeating affirmations:”My knee works normally, I’m feeling so great, I have never had any health problem.”

Yesterday I took the MRI image for further consultation and turned out that the tumour was GONE and my right knee was fine like nothing happened. The doctor was like:” Your knee is totally fine, why are you here? Maybe inflammation but it’s just fine.”

Revise it if you don’t like the situation! Producing miracles is easy as breathing🪄✨”

and last one, this girl revised being in hospital she shifted from the hospital to her own house:

“I Know I've had my share of big and small manifestations,... But what happened 4 days ago has to be my top tier manifestation, My biggest Manifestation ever! Even as I am writing this, I am shaking! Here we go....

4 days ago I went for a morning walk, on my way back home I was tired and wished someone could offer me a ride to my house, few minutes later a man stopped his bike and offered me a ride and i said sure, as we were about to reach my destination we got into a really bad accident, it was dark really quick and the next thing I know, it's hours later I am in the hospital with a wounded body full of bandages and a fixed broken leg,... I mean now I am so confused, nothing feels right anymore and I started panicking and shouting "this can't be real blah blah blah....." They injected me and I went back to sleep when I work up again, I was about to throw another tantrum but I caught myself and said "Renee(that what I call my Goddess self), You got this, this is just a bad dream, it can't be real how can this be real when you haven't even woken up, you are still home in your bed" I kept telling myself that, with tears in my eyes, deep down I was like I know I can shift realities but can this be possible today... I had doubts but I kept repeating my story to myself till I fall a sleep, I woke up and my mother was there, she was crying 😭💔.. I almost gave up and accept that reality but gathered all my strength and persisted even harder! I went to sleep again and I was awakened by my mom's voice calling me by my name and telling me, "You usually go for a morning walk, why are you asleep till this time"

Now, I think I am loosing my mind like how is it even possible... I asked my mom where are we? She laughed and asked me what do I mean, of course we are home, I asked her surprisingly "not the hospital?" She looked at me confused like "why would we be in the hospital, who is sick?" I hugged her and " No one mom, I just had a nightmare, please just hug me" I am perfectly fine not even a stretch on my body

Happy New Year to me!

Happy New Year to Y'all!”

NOW WAKE TF UP!!

no seriously wake up and fucking learn your own power, absolutely no one can do this except for yourself. stop asking others to shift or manifest for you no one can do this except you! you are the fucking creator of your reality no one else is. YOU ARE A MF GOD!

stop whinging, stop crying, finish your little pity party. you are a god, if you need to cry let those damn emotions out and once you’re done then get your ass back on to affirming.

no more complaining.

no more victim mindset.

if you want something then you need to persist in that assumption that desire is already true, affirm it’s true, visualise its true. this year is yours, you just have to step into your mf power. work on your self concept, affirm you are a master at manifesting, you manifest instantly etc it’s that simple.

stop accepting things you don’t want. you don’t like something that’s happened? revise it. you don’t like this 3p? revise them cos 3p who? 🙄 and no you don’t have to revise they never existed just revise whatever the situation is like they never dated your SP or they were never your friend. whatever you want!! REVISE REVISE REVISE!!!!!!!

ps. stop glorifying the void as the answer to your problems, sure it’s instant but you can also just affirm you manifest instantly you just have to have the concept or belief you manifest instantly and your subconscious will make whatever you manifest instantly happen.

act like a god, be the god you are, claim back your power from the 3d, revise shit you don’t like, work on your self concept. just be the fucking god you are and say this is my reality bitch and make that 3d your fucking bitch💋

[thewritetofreespeech]

Omg open requests! You know me, you know what I'm about. How about Alucard with the Angry Love Confession?

Types of Love Confessions - Angry

“How can you be so reckless?!” Alucard hissed at his partner. His panic at the thought of their imminent demise breaking way to anger at their foolishness, now that he knew they were ok.

“What else did you expect me to do?!” They snap back at him. “Sit back while lives are at stake? Let that monster destroy more while we wait for a ‘safe’ opportunity? I saw an opening and I took it.”

“At the risk of your own life for the safety of others!” He yelled at her. “How would that have helped if you died!?”

“Why are you so angry?! I did the right thing, and it worked out, so you are yelling about something that didn’t even happen!”

“Because I love you and if you died all of this would be for nothing!”

The fight stops immediately. Both parties realizing what Alucard had just said, and the implications of his confession. “You…love me?”

Alucard hissed through his teeth. “So, you are blind as well as foolish.” He clipped at them. His hand coming up to his face to try and soothe his coming headache, and push his hair out of his face. “I have tethered my heart to an idiot.”

“Hey! Don’t call me an idiot!”

“Then stop being an idiot.”

The fight resumes with new fuel to the fire as Alucard continues to reprimand his paramour on their recklessness and they argue that the ends justify the means.

“Should we stop them?” Sypha asked as she watched them argue along with Trevor.

“Nah, let ‘em keep going. This is the kind of fight that leads to babies. Old boy could use it after today.”

[elixirfromthestars]

So...originally I told myself I would treat myself to this chapter once I finished writing something...but I had a draining day at work and could use the comfort of our beloved Hangout, so now here I am 🥰

More under the cut ᯓᡣ𐭩

Liz, you already know where I’m going to start: THE WOODEN HORSE. First my heart ached reading the ptsd symptoms Scout is going through and then you hit me square in the chest with the hand carved gift. 😭🩷 The thought of Jake sitting there and whittling away at a piece of wood, carving it into a horse thinking about Scout the entire time will forever now be my roman empire. 💗 Even though I gave myself the sneak peak earlier in the week, I still sobbed reading that part again. 🤧💕 He's so smitten and I love him so much 🥹🩷🩷 He’s so soft for her and I live for that!! 🥹💖

I adore hand made gifts like they're just so thoughtful and full of meaning and ahhhhhhh!! 💗💗 And the fact that it brings her so much comfort while she deals with the trauma 🥺🥺

I have a little question though 👀 did you imagine Jake carving the horse for Scout right after the incident at the saloon or was this something he had been working on for her for awhile? 🫶🏼

The wooden horse had quickly found a home on your bedside table where you would pluck it from its perch during the late night hours, holding it to you tightly before drifting back into a comfortable sleep only to repeat the same cycle the following night.

^ I shall call him Whiskey Jr and he shall be mine 😌💖💖

The subtle coolness in the air that had been present a month ago finally gave way to a full blown chill, and you soon found yourself planting winter vegetables.

^ wait...its been a whole month?? 🫢 now where in the world did the Dagger Gang go and what are they doing?? 👀

He looked at you with a gentle expression, causing heat to rise to your cheeks. His baby blue eyes moving to closing as he began to lean into you oh so slowly. You wished they were green.

^ Levi, Levi, Levi, you do not stand a chance, bud 🙂‍↔️ sorry not sorry!! 🤷🏻‍♀️

He had then introduced the new teacher, who appeared to be a shy little thing before the reverend had dismissed everyone for the day. This was of course after word had spread that the Dagger Gang was back in town.

^ Yay for the new teacher in town and yay for the Dagger Gang's return!! ✨ I’m just hoping they didn’t get into any trouble while they were away 😅

This was news to you. You were shocked at the wave of disappointment that rolled over you. They had gotten in last night? Why were you just hearing about it?

^ Aw, she was hoping Jake would come by, wasn’t she? 🥹

You had just made it to the stalls of the market when you felt eyes on you. A couple of girls walking by stared past you, and they giggled before you heard him speak. “Mornin’, Scout,” Jake drawled.

^ Good morning, handsome 🥰

You couldn’t stop the words that left your mouth. “Not enough to come and see me when you got back yesterday, apparently.” Jake leaned his head back with a booming laugh, causing your cheeks to heat up. His laughter died down into a low chortle as he looked at you with twinkling eyes. “Is that why you’re being so cold to me, pretty girl? Y’mad that I didn’t come and see you?”

^ Oh, I just know he’s absolutely loving the fact that she’s upset over that 🤭💗 I can see that shit eating grin clear as day!! 😂🩷

He leaned down so that his mouth hovered over your ear. “I got something for you.” You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, and he let out another chuckle, turning you slowly to face him. He reached into the pocket of his pants when you were fully facing him, pulling out a long, golden chain. Attached at the end was a large, cut emerald surrounded by a halo of tiny diamonds that sparkled in the late morning sunlight.

^ He got her a necklace 👀 That’s so sweet 🥺 And I love the way it matches his eye color so she’ll always have a little part of him with her 💚✨

“How did you afford this?” you breathed, voice so soft even to your own ears. “I have my ways.”

^ Oh no...I don't like the sound of that… 😦

“I bought it, if you must know,” he sniffed, looking more than a little put out at your sudden shift in tone. “With money you earned?” “Oh, I earned it,” he smirked ruefully. You scoffed at that. “You shouldn’t lie, Jake,” you said pointedly. “It’s a filthy, disgusting habit.” “What does it matter?” he frowned. You narrowed your eyes up at him. “It matters,” you seethed, “because I only accept gifts from men who earn their money in a respectable way.”

^ I have mixed feelings here ☹️ I don’t want to believe Jake just went up and stole it, but he is an outlaw so… ☹️ And as far as we know right now, Jake doesn’t have a job, so the most likely conclusion is that he used stolen money to buy it 😕 And I understand why Scout would be uncomfortable accepting such a gift, I mean I would be too! I just hope such an expensive gift didn’t come from a place where Jake felt pressured to get her a fancy necklace because of what she might be used to before she came to the west 🥺 Because while yes jewelry is pretty and people usually love being gifted some, I have a feeling Scout treasures the carved wooden horse more 🥺🩷

You both turned to see Levi watching you two with an uncertain expression on his face. He walked over to the two of you, and he placed an arm around your shoulder. Jake stiffened at the action, eyes blazing and lips set in a tight line. “Is everything okay?” Levi asked. You flashed him with a quick smile. “Yes,” you reassured him, turning back to glare at Jake who still had his eyes locked onto Levi, scanning him up and down with a look of utter distaste.

^ Levi, buddy…you best get your hands off of Scout before Jake teaches you a little something about why they call him Hangman 🫢

“That’s cute,” you smiled softly. “I hope one day someone will feel that way about me.” “What on earth are you talkin’ about, darlin’?” she chuckled incredilously, stopping her movements to stare at you. “You’ve got that Seresin boy wrapped around your little finger.” “Hardly,” you scoffed, rolling your eyes. Penny shook her head and pointed an accusatory finger at you. “You may not see it, Scout, but everyone in town knows it. That boy would eat his boots if you asked him to.”

^ Scout that man would do anything for you. Tell him to jump he’ll ask you how far? 😌 Tell him to climb, he’ll ask you how high? 😌 Say the word and that man would move heaven and earth to get you anything 😌 It’s always hard to see that stuff ourselves, but the devotion that man has for you is evident and he’s not even officially yours yet!! I can’t wait to see what he does once he is!! 🥰❤️

“I didn’t accept it,” you said plainly, earning a look. “He bought it with stolen money, Penny. How could I accept it? I can’t. I won’t.” Penny watched you thoughtfully for a moment. “What is it you want from him?” You stared at the wooden top of the bar, chewing your bottom lip thoughtfully. “I want him to make an effort to do things the right way.”

^ I get what she means 😕 I doubt Scout wants Jake to be wealthy or anything like that, she just wants to make sure he’s making his money the honest way and I agree!! Being the partner of an outlaw who gets into a lot of trouble sounds like too much to handle. I mean Cyclone mentioned hangings once and I still have anxiety over it. 😭 And then with unsavory characters like Isaac entering Scout’s life because of Jake…I would also be hesitant to be with someone who does things that would invite (albeit involuntarily & more so through consequences) such people into their life. I understand it comes from a place of survival, but I hope Jake can find somewhere to make his money the right way 🥺

You had only made it three buildings down before realizing that footsteps sounded behind you, following you. The hair on the back of your neck stood on edge as a wave of terror washed over you. You quickened your pace, and tried not to panic as the footsteps behind you matched your pace.

^ NOT AGAIN. LEAVE MY GIRL ALONE, PLEASE!! 😭

“Then you better make this believable,” he said. Your brow furrowed in confusion. Jake reached down to grip the back of your legs, hoisting you up and pinning you againt the wall. You let out a startled gasp as he wrapped your legs around your waist, and you clutched at his shoulders. Jake gave you one final look before leaning down and pressing his lips against yours.

^ AHHHHHHHH THEY FINALLY KISSED!!! GIGGLING AND KICKING MY FEET LIKE CRAZY 🤭💗🤭💗🤭💗

The smut was written in beautiful detail and If I were to pinpoint every single moment that made me either a) giddy with my heart racing b) giggily and kicking my kick c) blushing and smiling like a fool d) all of the above we'd be here all day, so instead I will pick highlights and attach my very accurate reactions:

“You’re so tight, baby,” he moaned hotly into your ear, pressing gentle kisses to your cheek that served as a stark contrast to the way he moved his fingers inside of you. Your cheeks grew hot as you heard the squelch that sounded every time he pumped into you. “Do you hear that, pretty girl? You’re pussy is so gready, sweet thing. She keeps sucking me back in like she doesn’t want me to leave.”

“Feels good, doesn’t it, baby? Feels good to just lean back and let me take care o’ you lke this. Nobody is ever going to make you feel like the way you do right now. Only I can make you feel this good.”

He crooked his fingers in a “come hither” motion that had you gushing around the invading appendages. He smiled. “There she is.” “Tell me who this sweet, little cunt belongs to,” he demanded. You clenched around him at his words, a strangled moan slipping past his lips at how tight you felt. “You,” you cried, more tears streaming down your cheeks, begging desperately for your release as you stared into his green eyes. “Again,” he ground out, feeling you squeeze him impossibly tighter as you neared your end. “Let this whole town know who you belong to.”

I have been absolutely ended by Jake, you can find me in a puddle on the floor 🫠💗💗💗 I need a moment to breathe and calm my heart because that was ahhhhhhh!!! 🤭💞💞💞 Liz!!! You write in amazing detail and your dialogue is so so good!! 🫶🏼🫶🏼 Everything feels so real and so right as I read and I am just in awe of you as a writer!! 🥹❤️❤️

He slowly opened his eyes to look at you, dropping his fingers back to his side. His gaze was affectionate as he leaned forward to nuzzle your nose with his. “Just as I thought.” You looked up at him in confusion. A smirk played on his lips. “Sweet as honey.”

^ STOP IT SIR YOU ARE A MENACE (affectionally) 🙈💕

You turned to him with a confused frown as he looked affectionately down at you, pushing a piece of hair behind your ear. He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead, so quick you weren’t sure he had even done it. He let go of your wrist and took one step down off the porch. “Goodnight, Scout.”

^ Not him acting all sweet after what he just did 💀 The duality of this man is going to be the death of me 🫠💗

“Just know I blame you for this.” “Benjamin, are you going to tell me what this is about or-” You were cut off as the men stopped their hammering to look at the two of you as you approached. Each one greeted you, but your eyes were glued to the newcomer. An easy grin hung on his lips and mirthful, green eyes stared at you as you gaped. “Hey there, honey girl.”

^ JAKE IS WORKING THERE NOW?? 🫣💖 NO WAY!! 🤭💕Oh, the things that are potentially going to happen with them being around each other more often, ahhhhh I’m so excited!! 🥹💞 (But also what a rascal calling her honey girl after last night’s events 🙈😂🩷)

What more can I say about this chapter?? 🥹🩷 I feel like I have bombarded you with many of my thoughts already 😂🩷 I’m so giddy that these two have crossed that line into deeper feelings and I can’t wait to see how their dynamic and relationship evolves as they interact more now that Jake will be working at the ranch 🤭💕

Don't Hang'em Til Noon: Chapter Five

Don't Hang'em Til Noon: Chapter Five

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Reader

Summary: Jake "Hangman" Seresin is a notorious leader within the Dagger Gang of the old western territories of the United States. You, a recently orphaned socialite from the eastern seaboard, find yourself swept off to live with your older brother who has set down roots in said western territory. Determined to to make the best of your situation, what will you do when said outlaw sets his sights on you?

Warnings: Swearing, Reader being angsty, Jake Seresin (flirting, jealous), Fingering, Dirty talk

Word Count: 4,766 (oops)

A/N: I am so overwhelmed by the amount of love you all showed Chapter Four! It was beyond anything I could have every imagined!! Side note, I also love how many of you come into my inbox and leave me asks either praising the stories, or just talk about them (*hint, hint*)! I'm honestly shocked you all aren't sick of me and these stories yet with how much I talk about them. Thank you all. As always, reboots, comments and likes are greatly appreciated!! 18+ ONLY!! Find me on AO3 under arcane_vagabond!

Series Masterlist || DGU Masterlist

A month ago, you didn’t jump every time a door opened to loudly in the other room. A month ago, you didn’t bolt up in bed in the middle of the night with the phantom stench of cheap liquor and stale tobacco. A month ago, you didn’t dream about grabbing hands and cold, black eyes that stared at you with the intention to possess. A month ago, the sight of the little, hand-carved horse didn’t fill you with an instant sense of comfort and warmth.

You had found it sitting on the railing by the steps of the porch the morning after the incident at the saloon. You had walked out the front door to do the morning chores, Benjamin having already tripped out the door with a promise thrown over his shoulder to come check on you in the later morning after his meeting. It wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but it was clear that someone had spent a lot of time whittling it down before deeming it presentable. You had walked over to it slowly, taking it in your hands gently. Whoever had carved it had made sure to add in extra details. You could see the curve of the horse’s eyes and the strands of its mane that flowed down its back. Every detail had been painstakingly carved as if the crafter had wanted it to be perfect. Your breath caught in your throat and your heart swelled when you saw the final detail on the underside of the horse’s belly.

J.S.

The wooden horse had quickly found a home on your bedside table where you would pluck it from its perch during the late night hours, holding it to you tightly before drifting back into a comfortable sleep only to repeat the same cycle the following night.

The cattle had arrived shortly after the departure of the Dagger Gang from town, and both you and Benjamin found yourselves scrambling to hire workers to help with the overwhelming workload.

“I’ll put the word out, don’t you worry,” Maverick had smiled over dinner one night. Two days later, three young, new faces had made themselves comfortable in the small cabin behind the house.

“Isaac is a mean sonofabitch,” Penny had told you once she heard about what happened in her saloon. “But I wouldn’t worry too much about him for the time being, especially now that Pete and Tom know he’s in the area. He’ll lie low for a little while to try and wait’em out.”

Her words left you with little comfort, but you slowly stopped casting worried glances over your shoulder every couple of seconds every time you left the confines of your home. An easy routine had settled on your ranch. Get up, get ready for the day, feed the goats and chickens, tend to your garden, make supper for the ranch hands and Benjamin, work on mending the various articles of clothing that were handed to you, go to bed, repeat.

The subtle coolness in the air that had been present a month ago finally gave way to a full blown chill, and you soon found yourself planting winter vegetables.

“How are you today, miss?”

You looked up to see one of the ranch hands, Levi, smiling down at you from where he leaned over the fence. He was a handsome man, maybe only a year or two older than you. Brown hair draped across the golden skin of his forehead and baby blue eyes twinkled at you.

“I’m doing just fine,” you smiled at him. “And I’ve told you a hundred times now to call me Scout, Levi.”

He chuckled, grinning at you. “Of course, Scout.”

He walked around the length of the fence and through the gate to drop down beside you where your hands were digging up the cold earth.

“Anything I can help you with?” he offered, chucking the dead plants beside you into the bucket behind you.

“No, I think I’m just about done here,” you hummed, wiping your hands on your soiled apron, smiling at the handsome man. “But, I could use some help bringing things back from the market, if you don’t mind helping?”

“Of course,” Levi grinned, offering you a hand as you moved to stand. You took it, and he pulled you up gently, pulling you into him slightly. The two of you stood in silence as he stared down at you. He looked at you with a gentle expression, causing heat to rise to your cheeks.His baby blue eyes moving to closing as he began to lean into you oh so slowly. You wished they were green.

The thought alone snapped you from your daze, and you pulled away from Levi with a clear of your throat. Resting a hand on his chest, you refused to meet his gaze, eyes darting around the yard nervously. “I should go clean up.”

“Right,” he breathed, nodding slowly. “I’ll be here.”

You gave him a brief smile before pushing past him and into the house. Minutes later you were walking out the front door towards Levi, basket in hand. He offered you a smile which you returned shyly before the two of you made your way into town. There was a distinct lack of children running around, which you were grateful for. Maverick had announced to the congregation after the church service the previous morning that the first day of school would be held in the sanctuary the next morning. He had then introduced the new teacher, who appeared to be a shy little thing before the reverend had dismissed everyone for the day. This was of course after word had spread that the Dagger Gang was back in town. You had overheard two of the girls in the pews ahead of you giggling about the different men.

“Did you hear?” giggled a red head to her friend excitedly. “The Dagger Gang is back in town!”

That had caught your attention.

“Really?” the blonde had squealed, earning several disapproving looks from the older members of the congregation. The two girls paid them no mind. “When did they arrive?”

“Just last night!”

This was news to you. You were shocked at the wave of disappointment that rolled over you. They had gotten in last night? Why were you just hearing about it? You were shaken from your thoughts when the red head continued.

“Oh, that Jake is so handsome!”

That had caused you to let out a rather unladylike snort, drawing the attention of the girl who sat a few rows ahead of you. You rolled your eyes at the other two to your left. The blond man was very handsome, but if only they knew his true nature.

“He is,” the blonde nodded with a wistful sigh. “But that Bradley isn’t so bad on the eyes either. It’s been horrible going this long without seeing all those handsome men walking around town.”

Your thoughts soured at the reminder as you fought to keep your face neutral. You weren’t even sure why you cared so much. It wasn’t like you even liked the man. He was cocky, brash, pig-headed, thoughtful, brave-

You shook your head. You would not go down that road. Mercifully, the reverend had started the service moments later and you were given a reprieve from the ridiculous thoughts that insisted on taking up residence inside your head. Jake hadn’t come to see you that day, and now here you were; standing in the market and well into the next day.

You greeted Hondo where he stood behind the counter as usual.

“Mornin’, Scout!” he grinned at you. “What can I help you with today?”

“Was just coming to see if Joel was back with any sugar.”

Hondo gave you an apologetic grimace. “‘Fraid not, honey. He should be back any day now though, so you keep comin’ by and checkin’.”

“That’s alright,” you smiled. You turned to look at Levi. “Why don’t you go on down to the feed store and purchase some hay for the horses? I’ll finish up here and meet you at the stalls by the saloon.”

“Alright,” he smiled, giving you a lingering look before turning and walking out the door. You chatted with Hondo for a couple of minutes as he filled a container with salt and packed different preserves into your basket. You waved to him with a promise to check back in the following day before stepping outside. You had just made it to the stalls of the market when you felt eyes on you. A couple of girls walking by stared past you, and they giggled before you heard him speak.

“Mornin’, Scout,” Jake drawled. You turned to see him leaning up against the side of the butcher’s shop, arms crossed in front of his chest and a cocky smirk hanging from his lips. Green eyes studied you as you stared.

“Jake,”you greeted cooly, mouth pressing into a firm line. Jake’s smirk turned into a grin as he pushed off the wall, taking slow, deliberate steps towards you.

“Missed you, pretty girl,” he hummed, reaching up to dance his fingertips across your cheek.

You couldn’t stop the words that left your mouth. “Not enough to come and see me when you got back yesterday, apparently.”

Jake leaned his head back with a booming laugh, causing your cheeks to heat up. His laughter died down into a low chortle as he looked at you with twinkling eyes. “Is that why you’re being so cold to me, pretty girl? Y’mad that I didn’t come and see you?”

“Hardly,” you snapped, glaring up at him. His smile didn’t falter.

“I’m sorry, darlin’,” he chuckled, “had I known you’d be this upset, I would have come to see you first thing.”

You ignored him, turning to walk towards the stalls. He wasn’t far behind you, and when you stopped in front of a stall to inspect the apples, he pressed up against you from behind. He leaned down so that his mouth hovered over your ear. “I got something for you.”

You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, and he let out another chuckle, turning you slowly to face him. He reached into the pocket of his pants when you were fully facing him, pulling out a long, golden chain. Attached at the end was a large, cut emerald surrounded by a halo of tiny diamonds that sparkled in the late morning sunlight. Your breath caught in your throat as you stared at it, recognizing it from the jeweler’s shop just down the road. It cost a fortune, and many women around town had taken turns to stand in front of the shop windows to admire it.

“You like it?” he smirked, holding it up for you to see it closer. You nodded slowly, eyes wide.

Your hand moving on its own to reach up and stroke over the precious gem.

“Thought of you when I saw it, pretty girl,” he hummed, leaning in so that his breath fanned over your face. “Thought the green would help you remember me when I’m not here.”

“How did you afford this?” you breathed, voice so soft even to your own ears.

“I have my ways.”

Your eyes snapped up to his at that. Frowning, you took a half step back to put some distance between the two of you.

“You mean you bought it with stolen money,” you accused. “Or did you just force Mr. Benson to give it to you free of charge?”

“I bought it, if you must know,” he sniffed, looking more than a little put out at your sudden shift in tone.

“With money you earned?”

“Oh, I earned it,” he smirked ruefully.

You scoffed at that.

“You shouldn’t lie, Jake,” you said pointedly. “It’s a filthy, disgusting habit.”

“What does it matter?” he frowned. You narrowed your eyes up at him.

“It matters,” you seethed, “because I only accept gifts from men who earn their money in a respectable way.”

Before Jake could reply, you heard someone call your name.

“Scout?”

You both turned to see Levi watching you two with an uncertain expression on his face. He walked over to the two of you, and he placed an arm around your shoulder. Jake stiffened at the action, eyes blazing and lips set in a tight line.

“Is everything okay?” Levi asked. You flashed him with a quick smile.

“Yes,” you reassured him, turning back to glare at Jake who still had his eyes locked onto Levi, scanning him up and down with a look of utter distaste. “We should get going. I forgot to grab the goat’s milk for Penny and we need to get the cart to pick up the hay.”

Levi nodded, looking uncertainly between you and Jake. You turned and began to walk through the crowd without a glance back at blond behind you.

Levi and one of the other ranch hands, Phillip, had dropped you off in front of the saloon with the promise that you would meet them by the bank before sunset. That had been a couple of hours ago, and you had fallen into an easy conversation with the older woman.

“She’s a timid, little thing,” Penny said as men began to make their way into the saloon. “I’ve never seen Bradley so sweet on anyone before. Calls her Birdie and everything.”

“That’s cute,” you smiled softly. “I hope one day someone will feel that way about me.”

“What on earth are you talkin’ about, darlin’?” she chuckled incredilously, stopping her movements to stare at you. “You’ve got that Seresin boy wrapped around your little finger.”

“Hardly,” you scoffed, rolling your eyes.

Penny shook her head and pointed an accusatory finger at you. “You may not see it, Scout, but everyone in town knows it. That boy would eat his boots if you asked him to.”

“I doubt that,” you frowned. “You know he tried to give me a necklace today?”

The older woman perked up at that. “He did?”

You nodded, humming at the memory. “You know that emerald pendant that’s been sitting in Mr. Benson’s window for forever and a day? It was that one.”

“Well where is it?” she asked curiously, eyes darting down to see the empty space by your collarbone.

“I didn’t accept it,” you said plainly, earning a look. “He bought it with stolen money, Penny. How could I accept it? I can’t. I won’t.”

Penny watched you thoughtfully for a moment. “What is it you want from him?”

You stared at the wooden top of the bar, chewing your bottom lip thoughtfully. “I want him to make an effort to do things the right way.”

“Alright,” Penny conceded, a knowing smile on her face. She turned to pull out some bottles from behind the bar, and stopped when her eyes caught sight of one of the windows. “Weren’t you supposed to meet your ranch hands at sunset?”

You turned to see what she was looking at and let out a low curse. It was clear that the sun had set ages ago, inky darkness resting against the windowpanes as lamp light filtered out.

“If you go now, they might still be waiting for you outside,” she said as you scrambled to your feet. You cast her one last smile over your shoulder before waving her goodbye. Practically sprinting out of the packed saloon, your warm cheeks were kissed by the cold, night air. Your breath came out in puffs as your eyes swept the street for any sign of the men you had come into town with. The streets were empty save for the few men who stood outside the saloon. Sighing, you figured they must have thought you had already gone home without them. You cursed again and began to make your way down the street. You had only made it three buildings down before realizing that footsteps sounded behind you, following you. The hair on the back of your neck stood on edge as a wave of terror washed over you. You quickened your pace, and tried not to panic as the footsteps behind you matched your pace. Your heart began to hammer as you heard more footsteps join in with the first.

You rounded the corner a few paces ahead of the group behnd you. You let out a yelp as a hand grabbed you from the shadows of an allyway, pulling you into a strong chest. You struggled as the man pushed you up against the wall, hand still covering your mouth.

“Hey, hey. Scout, it’s me.”

You opened your eyes, struggling to focus on the stranger in front of you as you adjusted to the darkness. Jake stood in front of you, eyes filled with worry as he watched you relax. The both of you stiffened when you heard a man shout from the front of the building, and Jake turned his head to look.

“She went this way!”

Jake looked back at you, seeming to weigh his options. He removed his hand from your mouth. “Do you trust me?”

“What?” you asked breathlessly.

“Do you trust me?”

You heard the shouts of the men grow closer as you studied the man in front of you. Slowly, you nodded.

“Then you better make this believable,” he said. Your brow furrowed in confusion. Jake reached down to grip the back of your legs, hoisting you up and pinning you againt the wall. You let out a startled gasp as he wrapped your legs around your waist, and you clutched at his shoulders. Jake gave you one final look before leaning down and pressing his lips against yours.

You weren’t sure what you had been expecting, but his lips were surprisingly soft against yours. Jake’s lips moved against yours slowly, urging you to respond. Slowly, unsurely, you began to move your lips against his and he let out a desperate sounding moan. His hands clutched your hips in a vice as he moved his knee in between your legs, slotting it against you. You let out a gasp at the action, and Jake took full advantage, slipping his tongue into your mouth. His tongue caressed yours gently as his right hand slid up the length of your body to rest under your left breast. Your hands moved on their own to tangle in the strands of hair that rested at the base of his neck, tugging lightly. Jake rewarded you with a strangled groan and a press of his knee into your core. You cried out at the action, feeling Jake grin against your mouth as he nipped on your bottom lip.

“Any sign of her?”

You moved to pull away and look at where the voice came from, but Jake’s hand moved up pull you back into him before returning to its spot on your chest.

“No,” came a voice at the enterance to the ally. “Just a randy couple back here.”

You heard him walk away, and the hammering of your heart in your chest was due only in part to the small fraction of relief at his exit. Jake licked into your mouth like a man starved, delving deeper with each pass of his tongue against yours. You felt your hips rock against his knee, and you let out a desperate keen when he pulled his lips away from you. He kissed from the corner of your mouth and down the expanse of your neck. Finding a spot below your ear that made you give out a particularly loud noise, he smiled against you before honing in. He left little nips to the spot, soothing the sting with his tongue before sucking a bruise into your skin.

“Jake,” you cried out, the pleasure clouding your mind. Jake pulled back to look at you, eyes blazing and darkened with lust. He studied you for a brief moment before a salacious grin broke out across his kiss swollen lips. His right hand moved to grab your breast, squeezing gently at the same time he ground his knee into your core. You let out a quiet wail, arching into his touch, desperate to have his lips back on you. He complied with a chuckle, leaning back in to bury his face into your neck. His left hand still sat on your hip, and he used it to help grind you against him. He left hot, open-mouthed kisses as he made his way from the base of your neck and up to your ear.

“I should take you over my knee, you know,” he ground out hotly, nipping at your earlobe. “Walking around here at night with no one to accompany you. Lucky for you I happened to be walking along.”

You let out a choked gasp as he removed his right hand from your chest, sliding it down and under your skirts. With expertise, he bunched the offending material at your waist before reaching his hand into your drawers. Your head hit the wall when you felt his finger press against your entrance.

“So wet for me already, sweeheart, and I’ve barely even touched you,” he murmured into your ear. “Nobody has ever touched you like this, have they, angel?”

You shook your head, too far gone to answer and certainly too far gone to care about the consequences. He pressed a finger into you, your mind going blank at the sudden intrusion. His finger felt so big inside of you, and you let out another choked gasp at the slight burn as he stretched you.

“I know, sweet girl,” he cooed into your ear, slowly adding a second finger and thrusting up into you. “Let me make you feel good, darlin’.”

Your cries grew higher pitched as he slowly began to pick up the pace of his hand, palm brushing the little bundle of nerves that had you seeing stars.

“You’re so tight, baby,” he moaned hotly into your ear, pressing gentle kisses to your cheek that served as a stark contrast to the way he moved his fingers inside of you. Your cheeks grew hot as you heard the squelch that sounded every time he pumped into you. “Do you hear that, pretty girl? You’re pussy is so gready, sweet thing. She keeps sucking me back in like she doesn’t want me to leave.”

He licked a strip up from the base of your neck back up to your jaw before giving the skin there a gentle nip.

“Feels good, doesn’t it, baby? Feels good to just lean back and let me take care o’ you lke this. Nobody is ever going to make you feel like the way you do right now. Only I can make you feel this good.”

“Jakey,” you whined, reaching down to draw him into a kiss. He moaned into your mouth, pulling back to stare at you hotly.

“Say it again,” he whispered against your lips, fingers moving faster as he chased your high. You felt an unfamiliar pressure begin to build in your lower stomach as you ground down onto his hand.

“Jake,” you gasped, but he shook his head, fixing you with a stern look. You felt the hot sting of tears kiss at your eyes, crying out when he slowed his movements down to a crawl. His eyes bore into you, and you tried desperately to move your hips against him, but his hand had you pinned. He tsked up at you with a borderline sneer at your pitiful attempts to get yourself off.

“Try again, sweet girl.”

“Jakey, please,” you cried, feeling a tear escape and roll down your cheek. Jake hushed you, once again resuming the pace of his thrusts. You clutched at him desperately, nails digging into the exposed skin of his chest. Jake let out a soft hiss and slipped a third finger into you, causing a loud cry to spill out past your lips. He crooked his fingers in a “come hither” motion that had you gushing around the invading appendages. He smiled. “There she is.”

“Tell me who this sweet, little cunt belongs to,” he demanded. You clenched around him at his words, a strangled moan slipping past his lips at how tight you felt.

“You,” you cried, more tears streaming down your cheeks, begging desperately for your release as you stared into his green eyes.

“What’s my name, sweetheart?” He demanded, focusing his fingers on that one spot inside you that had you crying out and clutching at him every time. “C’mon, sweet girl. What’s my name?”

“Jakey!” you cried wantonly, burying your face into his neck. His groans became breathless and constant as you began to press sweet, chaste kisses to the spot between his neck and shoulder.

“Again,” he ground out, feeling you squeeze him impossibly tighter as you neared your end. “Let this whole town know who you belong to.”

“Jakey!” you wailed at the top of your lungs. Your gaze flashed white as you came hard around him, biting into the juncture of his shoulder. You felt your release gush out past his fingers as he continued thrusting, riding out your high.

“That’s it, sweet girl,” he hummed into your ear, pressing soft kisses to your cheek as you calmed down. “I’ve got you, don’t worry.”

As your breathing returned to normal, Jake slowly pulled his fingers out of you, causing you to hiss at how empty you suddenly felt. Jake chuckled, holding your gaze as he brought his fingers up this lips. He sucked on them with a hum as he closed his eyes, savoring the taste of you. You choked out a breath at the sight, the fire inside of you returning with a vengeance at the sight.

He slowly opened his eyes to look at you, dropping his fingers back to his side. His gaze was affectionate as he leaned forward to nuzzle your nose with his. “Just as I thought.”

You looked up at him in confusion. A smirk played on his lips.

“Sweet as honey.”

Jake made sure your skirt was on correctly before pulling you by the hand out of the allyway. He walked you quickly to your front door, stopping you with a grab of your wrist before you went inside. You turned to him with a confused frown as he looked affectionately down at you, pushing a piece of hair behind your ear. He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead, so quick you weren’t sure he had even done it. He let go of your wrist and took one step down off the porch.

“Goodnight, Scout.”

“Goodnight, Jake.”

The next morning your brother greeted you with a scowl, chastising you for getting home so late.

“What were you even doing, Scout?” he griped. You felt the blood rush to your cheeks and you refused to look at him.

“I just lost track of the time while talking with Penny,” you answered him, quickly clearing the plates from the table. Benjamin’s scowl grew deeper at your answer.

“That was stupid,” he snapped, earning a glare from you. “You need to be more careful. Who knows what could have happe-”

“Benji, it’s fine,” you cut him off with a huff. Placing your hands on your hips, you watched him as he moved to put his work boots on to go outside. “I know last night isn’t what has you in such a foul mood, so what is it? What happened?”

He didn’t say anything as you followed him towards towards the back door.

“Benji?”

“We hired on a new ranch hand,” he said evenly, this tone worrying you more than the previous one. “Was real insistent he get a job here too.”

“Alright?” you questioned, following him down the steps and into the yard. You saw four figures hammering away at the fence posts down by the barn, and you took quick steps to keep up with your brother’s longer ones. “Do we not have enough to pay him?”

“Nothing like that,” Benjamin muttered, casting a quick glance your way before back at the figures ahead of you. “Just know I blame you for this.”

“Benjamin, are you going to tell me what this is about or-”

You were cut off as the men stopped their hammering to look at the two of you as you approached. Each one greeted you, but your eyes were glued to the newcomer. An easy grin hung on his lips and mirthful, green eyes stared at you as you gaped.

“Hey there, honey girl.”

[cokoladasljesnjakom]

tag you're it

summary: shes a ruthless killer. she does not care if someone dies on her watch. her moves are like shadow. she is a shadow. once you see her, its too late. its not her problem. she cant complain, but what she can do is to complie. thats what is she made for. thats what they made her do. but once she escapes from their grasp, she searches for him. for her brother. but of course what goes around, comes around. and thats is when she meets him. the winter solider. and oh yeah the rest of the avengers.

bucky barnes x fem! reader

word count: 5.9k

a/n: sorry it took me years (a week) to write this down. i lost the motivation but the i got it back... somehow... anyways! shes here and im hoping someone is going to like it because my sleep schedule is fucked up so PLEASE LOVE ON HER! thank you for the reading! by the way if you cant tell this is SLOW burn...

masterlist

He escaped. The target had escaped. How dare he? He was supposed to be dead, not running, not hiding, not slipping through her fingers. Not from her.

Shadow stood frozen, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides.

The man beside her spoke, voice sharp and impatient. "We have to go."

She didn’t move.

When she still didn’t respond, he snapped, "Now. The mission is messed up. It’s over. He escaped. You failed."

Failed.

That word echoed in her skull like a gunshot. No. It couldn’t be. She didn’t fail. She wasn’t supposed to fail. Not now. Not ever.

She was designed to kill. To shape history with bloodstained hands. To make people suffer while they begged for mercy that would never come.

The ruthless, cold assassin known as Shadow was not supposed to fail.

And yet, the mission was compromised.

A hand grabbed her arm, yanking her toward the black SUV waiting for them. Her boots scraped against the pavement, but she didn’t fight back. The realization of her failure was too heavy, suffocating her.

She slid into the car, staring blankly ahead as they drove away.

And yet—she couldn’t stop thinking about him. That man. The way he looked at her. Like he knew her. Like he had seen a ghost.

Something about him… it rattled her.

She tried to shove the thought away, but it clung to her, sinking into her bones. He wasn’t just another target. He was something else.

And she needed to know why.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the safe house. Every step inside made her stomach twist. Not out of fear—but because she knew what was coming.

The footsteps came first. Slow. Heavy.

She forced herself to stand still, to keep her face blank.

Then, a voice. Sharp. Cold. Unforgiving.

"Mission report. Now."

Her mouth opened. The words should have come easy. The usual, precise details, the confirmation of success.

But instead, she asked, "Who was that man in the car?"

The slap came fast and hard. Her head snapped to the side, the sting blooming across her cheek.

Not the first time. Not the last.

"No one you’re supposed to know," the thick Russian accent said. But he was lying.

She could feel it.

"He was a mission, and you failed."

The words cut deeper than the slap.

She took a slow breath, but it didn’t steady her.

Her handler stepped closer, grabbing her jaw, tilting her face up to his.

"Now what do I do with you, hm?" His voice was mocking. "Do I throw you in that room for days? Let you starve? Break you? Or..."

He trailed off, laughing darkly.

She swallowed, not daring to move.

"Or do I wipe you clean again? Make you forget, all over again?"

Her hands shook. She curled them into fists.

Then, softly—so softly she almost didn’t hear her own voice—she whispered, "I want to be free."

The laugh he let out was cruel. "No, you don’t. You don’t get to be free. You don’t get to feel free. You don’t get to think about freedom."

He leaned in, voice lowering to a venomous whisper.

"You don’t get to know what it feels like to have a family."

Something inside her cracked.

Family.

Tears burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Because she had a family once.

A mother she had killed. A brother she had nearly destroyed.

And now?

Now, she didn’t even know his name.

not even thinking a second Vasily, the man in front of her demanded told the siencetists in russian "wipe her and make sure she freezes to death. she doesnt deserve to live after all this."

one of the man that worked here took her carefully under her arms and wiped her clean. the look he gave her was soft. he was sorry for her. for everything she had to go through.

he never actually wanted to be the part of this, but his family was in the picture and he had a daguhter maybe younger than her but they were close in the age.

to think that this can happen to his daguhter made him sick in the stomach. he never wanted for anyone to experience this kins of torturement.

she was tired and her eyes wanted to close badly. she wanted to fight ot off, but she couldnt.

"мне жаль" and she really was. all she wanted was to feel free. to feel the warmth in her dreams in real life too.

"я не хотел потерпеть неудачу" she only spoke russian when she needed to but this time she felt like she wanted to.

the man looked at her and wanted to comfort her, to give her something to hope for anything at this point. so he jsut whispered "я помогу тебе сбежать" he looked at her again and smiled at her.

and for the first time ever, she believed it.

then the another group of men took her and put her to a cyro alone. and all of her memories of her brother and mother? wiped clean. they dont exsist anymore.

while in the room next to hers, stood the infamous assassin. the winter solider. before named james buchanan barnes.

his mission went suscesfull. he eliminated the targed just perfect. clear shot through the skull and no signs of blood.

by the time he killed the person and hide the body, he was ready to go back. to his "home." where he belonged.

the footsteps were louder than he expected. sitting in a chair and waiting for the man that made him do the mission, he stated at the wall.

"mission report." the american accent said.

"mission suscesfull. target eliminated." same answer same mission. over and over again for 60 years.

"well done solider." the voice called out. it was cold and mocking.

suddenly a young man busted through the door and said "mr. pierce!" and alexander pierce turned around facing the young man.

however the man continued "shadow... she failed in her mission. shes put back in a cryo."

rolling his eyes he said "of course she would. for gods sake you are stupid enough to put her to kill him."

the man stuttered "we- we thought she was ready for this mission and she shiwed the signs that she had it all under control."

pierce laughed and grabbed the man by the collar choking him slightly "she was supposed to kill that idiot in the best way possible. i have given to you plenty of time to do that AND YOU DID IT IN THE MIDDLE OF A DAY?!"

the man now in the air chokjng in his own breath said "w-we thought maybe she is going to do it. the-the perfect shot but he just ran away and dissapeared." the man softly cried "we are sorry mr. pierce.

watching closely the winter solider gripped the armrest on the seat and took a slow and steady breath trying to calm his racing thoughts.

while pierce trying to shake off the feeling having his hands on the man smirked. thats what he wanted to happen. he wanted to break her. to rip her apart. to make her suffer and to destroy her. all of her memories that she had, he was planing to rewind them back all over again just for her to remember the one spesific memorie.

her family. her mom. her brother. her previous life that she had. when she was peacefull. when she was just 10 years old. making friends and trying to live her life, until that night happened.

where she was taken away from it. mom. brother. her family and all of her memories.

turning around to face the man he told him while taking the slow steps "next time dont be so stupid. or i swear to god ill make you beg me to end your life faster than you expect me to." he leaned down to a mans height "understand?"

the man now shaking and noding "yes mr. pierce. i understand. "

smiling to himself and patting the man on the shoulder he turned to the winter solider and asked him "you see that solider? we just made a deal."

dissmissing the man he turned to the solider and spoke the next words "now solider... if you dont want for the same thing to happen to you... you'll have to do your missions perfect. not good not okay but perfect." then he narrowed his eyes at the soldier "understand?"

the winter soldier looking straight at the wall emotionless noded his head "yes sir."

patting the solider on the arm he turned around and told the siencetists to wrap it up and put him on the ice.

walking out from the room, pierce's phone ringed making him stop in his tracks and huff when he saw an ID's caller. and before he could say a word a voice interrupted him.

"we need you back." a thick, gruff voice called out.

then a sarcastic laugh followed from pierce "yeah well I was on my way to do something and you just interrupted me nick."

nick however replied in the same tone as before "pierce this is important. come back as soon possible. you have an hour and a half. see you there."

and then the line went quiet. pierce now looking at the phone scoffed and murmured under his breath "asshole." and went off to the shield compound.

using his super hearing the solider listened to the conversation making the information hard to understand. what did the man know? was he trying to do something? where is pierce going? is this another mission? but soon enough his thoughts were interrupted by siencetists leading him in the capsicle making his thoughts freeze.

while the man from far away watched what was happening, his promise still lingered in his head. for more than 14 years he watched the young girl and a man getting tortured by hydra. their memories getting washed away again and again. every time when there was a mission to kill someone they were the one who got to do that, without asking them if they really want that.

now finally he had a chance to do something good. even if his life was in a danger. thinking something like that could happen to his daguhter made him to do this. shadow was someones daguhter too. the solider too. they were someone and it was eating him alive.

creating a plan how to get at least her out the man walked out from the room and started to make a plan.

MEANWHILE

The summer heat was unbearable, pressing down like a suffocating blanket. Even inside the apartment, the air felt thick.

Sam had just gotten back from his morning run, drenched in sweat and starving. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, kicking off his sneakers as he walked into the kitchen.

At the same time, Max trudged in, still half-asleep, hair a mess, eyes barely open. He didn’t bother with a greeting—just went straight to the fridge and grabbed some eggs and ham. Living alone meant cooking for himself, and since he barely knew how to cook, breakfast was usually the same thing.

Sam smirked, watching him fumble with the pan. "Look who finally decided to wake up." Max groaned. "Can you be quiet for like... five seconds? Thanks."

Sam chuckled, leaning against the counter and taking a long sip of his orange juice.

That’s when Max turned, looking at him like he had just committed a war crime.

Sam frowned. "Why are you looking at me like I just killed someone?"

Max squinted at the drink in his hand, full of nothing but judgment. "Why are you drinking orange juice?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "Apple juice is literally superior in every way."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "…Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Apple juice is better. You’re actually disgusting for drinking that."

Sam blinked, genuinely taken aback. "Because I like the texture? I like how thick it is, okay?"

Max visibly recoiled. "Jesus Christ. You’re actually insane." He shook his head in disappointment. "Like, actually brain dead."

Sam just stared at him for a second, then took another slow, deliberate sip of his thick orange juice. Max sighed. "I have lost all respect for you."

Sam smirked. "Good. Now shut up and eat your eggs." Max muttered something under his breath but didn’t argue further.

Sam let out a breathy laugh, still smirking. "What is up with you? You just woke up and you’re already walking on eggshells? Calm down, man."

Max didn’t respond, just finished cooking and dropped his breakfast onto a plate. Then, without breaking eye contact, he poured himself a glass of apple juice.

Lifting the cup to his lips, he took a slow sip—staring directly at Sam—before sitting down at the table and digging into his eggs and ham.

"There’s nothing wrong with me," he said finally. "But you? Waking up at—what?—5 AM? Running around like a lunatic? AND drinking orange juice?" He shook his head, clicking his tongue.

"That’s a crime, dude. A literal jail sentence."

Maintaining eye contact, Sam took another slow sip of his orange juice, dragging it out just to make a point. Then, without a word, he walked over to the table, pulling out a chair and sitting down with an easy, unbothered confidence.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved Max off like his opinion didn’t matter. "Anyway, when you’re actually awake—like, fully awake—and freshened up, because damn, you look like shit, man, I need you to be wide awake for the conversation we’re gonna have."

That got Max’s attention. He paused mid-bite, brow furrowing. "What conversation?"

Sam didn’t answer. He just stood up, stretched, and started walking toward his room. "You’ll see." And with that, he disappeared, leaving Max alone at the table.

For a moment, Max just sat there, staring at his plate, replaying Sam’s words in his head. 'What does he want? At 8 AM? Who even talks at this time?'

He sighed, checking the clock—8:07 AM. Way too early for anything serious. Still, something about the way Sam said it nagged at him. With a shake of his head, Max shoved the last bite of eggs and ham into his mouth and downed the rest of his apple juice. God, he loved apple juice. Seriously, he could kiss the person who invented that stuff.

Plate in the dishwasher. Bathroom. Fresh clothes. All done in 15 minutes.

Finally stepping into the living room, he found Sam already there, casually lounging like he didn’t just drop a cryptic bomb on him. Max narrowed his eyes. "Alright, dude. I’m awake. What the hell is so important?"

"I found the HYDRA base she’s in." A punch to the ribs. A fist squeezing his lungs. Max’s body froze. Then everything sped up. His heartbeat wasn’t beating anymore—it was slamming. Pounding so hard he thought it might break through his ribs. His breathing was off, wrong, useless. He tried to pull in air, but it wasn’t enough. Not enough.

The world cracked open. No—it collapsed.

Everything hit him at once, a tidal wave of too much, too fast, too loud. Sam’s words were still there, hanging in the air, but they didn’t feel real. They didn’t feel like words at all.

The fridge hummed. The clock ticked. Sam’s chair creaked. Too loud. Too fucking loud. His mind was screaming at him, Why did you let her go? You could have stopped them. His hand was small, too small to pull her away, but he should have tried harder. If he had just reached farther, if he had screamed louder, if he had done anything differently, maybe she wouldn’t have been taken.

Max’s breath hitched again. Why didn’t you save her? He felt like he was suffocating under the weight of that thought. The thought that had haunted him for years—that he hadn’t done enough, that he hadn’t been enough.

'If I had tried harder. If I had just been stronger.' He remembered the look on her face as they pulled her away. The way her eyes locked with his, desperate, begging. Please, Max. Please save me. And he couldn't. The floodgates opened. Her hand—small and desperate—reached out for him. She was begging for him to save her, and he had failed her.

Why didn’t you do more? Max’s throat closed up, and the panic rose again. His body was trembling, shaking in a way that felt so foreign, so uncontrollable, he couldn’t stand it. His chest was tight, but his hands were ice cold. He felt like his skin didn’t belong to him anymore.

And then, like a flood of dread that washed over him, the memories came crashing through—louder, sharper, heavier. He could still hear their mom crying. The desperation in her voice when she begged them to take her instead, to leave her alone. He could still feel her, right there, clinging to them, helpless, powerless.

Why didn’t I do anything? Tears burned his eyes. He wanted to scream, wanted to throw up. But no sound would come out.

His mind was a mess of memories and regret, spiraling so quickly that he couldn’t catch his breath, couldn’t catch his thoughts.

I couldn’t save her. I never could.

He wanted to smash his fist into the wall, punch something, anything, just to stop the overwhelming flood of emotions that were drowning him.

Sam’s voice cut through the chaos like a lifeline, but Max could barely grasp onto it. His hands were trembling. His heart was hammering. His lungs—his lungs felt like they were being crushed. "Max, breathe. Just breathe with me. Four in… hold… four out." The words were far away, muffled by the chaos in his head, but he latched onto them like they were his only chance of survival.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus. Focus. Focus on something.

But the guilt was still there, clawing at his chest. He had failed her. He had failed his sister. If he hadn’t been so small, so weak, maybe he could have stopped them. "Maybe I could have been strong enough to save her." But he hadn’t been. He wasn’t.

I wasn’t enough. The guilt wrapped itself around him, tightening until he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. She’s still out there, Max, and you’re still sitting here like you can’t do a damn thing.

He felt the walls closing in, felt the air in the room getting thick again. God, just breathe, please breathe.

Sam’s words repeated in his ears, soft and steady: "We’re going to save her, okay? We’re going to do this together. But you need to stay calm."

Max wanted to scream. He wanted to punch the wall, to break something, to do anything to make the pain go away. But he knew if he didn’t calm down, if he didn’t find a way to fight the panic that was pulling him under, he wouldn’t be able to save her.

I can’t lose her.

Sam’s hands were on him, steadying him, grounding him. The steady pressure was like a beacon in the storm. But Max couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still going to lose her.

What if I don’t save her? What if I fail again?

I can’t fail again.

Slowly, his breath began to even out, but the guilt didn’t go away. It lingered, hanging over him like a dark cloud. He wiped the tears from his eyes, muttering to himself, barely able to keep his voice steady.

“I’m… I’m not going to fail her again. I can’t.”

Sam, seeing that Max had finally calmed down, let out a breath and leaned back in his chair. "You’re not going to lose it, okay? You’ve got me, man. We’re going to get her out. Of course, if you fuck something up while we’re doing it, then yeah, your ass is on its own." He smirked, hoping to get at least a flicker of a smile out of Max.

And somehow, it worked.

A small, tired smile broke through the tension on Max’s face. It wasn’t much, but it was enough—the room didn’t feel as suffocating anymore. Air actually reached his lungs. It had been a long time since he’d had a panic attack this bad, and even longer since he’d let himself feel just a little bit okay afterward. But this? This was his life now. The panic, the overthinking, the feeling of his own breath catching in his throat like barbed wire. He had learned to live with it, even when it felt like it was killing him.

"What?" Sam raised a brow. "I got something on my face?"

Max furrowed his brows, taking a deep breath. His voice was rough when he finally spoke. "No… it’s just…" He trailed off, trying to steady himself, trying not to slip back under.

His fingers twitched against his knee. His heart still felt like it was trying to break out of his ribs. "I need to find her, Sam. I have to save her—" the words caught in his throat. His breath hitched. He squeezed his eyes shut for just a second, like that would be enough to stop the rush of panic creeping back up his spine.

Max blinked hard. His breathing was turning shallow again, too quick. He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes, desperate to block it out, but it was right there. The echo of his own voice, five years old and screaming himself hoarse: “Give her back! Please—don’t take her, take me instead!”

No one listened. No one ever listened.

Sam’s voice cut through the noise. "Hey—breathe. Just breathe."

Breathe. Just breathe.

Max opened his eyes, forcing a deep inhale, then another.

He nodded, wiping his hands against his jeans like that would stop them from shaking. “I can’t—I won’t lose her again.”

This time, Sam didn’t tease. He just nodded, serious now. “We won’t.”

He lifted his gaze to Sam, his voice barely above a whisper, but heavy, so heavy. “Every time I close my eyes, I see her, Sam.” His throat felt raw, like he had been screaming for years. In a way, he had.

“She’s reaching for me. Like—like I’m supposed to save her. Like I could have saved her.” His breath stuttered, his vision blurring. “And every damn time, I fail. I keep failing her. I keep failing Mom.” His hands curled into fists so tight his nails dug into his skin, but the pain wasn’t enough to drown out the memories. “I should have done something. Anything. But I just—stood there.”

His voice broke, and for a second, he thought he might shatter with it.

Sam didn’t hesitate. He gripped Max’s shoulder, firm and steady, like an anchor. “I know, man,” he said, his voice rough with something close to grief. “I know. But you listen to me—she’s still out there. And she’s alive.”

Alive.

That word lodged itself in Max’s ribs, sharp and relentless. For years, he had imagined the worst. Had convinced himself that maybe it was better not to hope. That hope was a cruel, twisted thing that only made the fall hurt more.

But Sam—Sam believed it like it was the only truth that mattered. Sam exhaled slowly, his grip tightening. “We’re going to get her back, Max. I swear it.”

Max stared at him, searching his face for any sign of doubt. There was none. Just that unshakable, stubborn loyalty that had held him together more times than he could count.

Something inside him cracked, and before he could stop himself, he pulled Sam into a tight, desperate embrace. His body shook, but he didn’t care. “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice wrecked. “For everything.”

Sam clapped a hand against his back, not letting go. “You’re my brother, man,” he said, quiet but fierce. “Always.”

And for the first time in years, Max allowed himself to believe it.

Not waisting a minute max asked sam with a glint in his eyes "So whats the plan genius?" and Sam replied with a smirk on his face "Thought youre never going to ask."

AT THE S.H.I.E.L.D’S COMPOUND -

Pierce stepped out of his car, smoothing his suit as he made his way to the elevator. He pressed the button for the top floor, his face impassive, but his mind was already turning. "World Security Council."

"Confirmed."

As the elevator ascended, he replayed Fury’s message. “We need to talk. Urgently.”

No details. No context. And that? That wasn’t Fury’s style.

Pierce exhaled through his nose. Was this about her? No. Couldn’t be. He had buried that truth so deep it might as well not exist. If this was just another pointless security briefing, he was going to be pissed.

The doors slid open with a soft chime. He stepped out, pushed open his office door—

And found Fury. Sitting in his chair.

Pierce stopped just inside the doorway, his grip tightening slightly on the handle before he let it go. “You make yourself at home in everyone’s office, or is this a special occasion?”

Fury didn’t react, just leveled his gaze at him.

Pierce sighed, letting a casual smirk settle on his face. “What is it, Fury? Forgot your password again? Or—” he gestured to his eye with a smirk, “—misplaced another one?”

Fury didn’t take the bait. “Sit down, Pierce.”

The humor in Pierce’s expression didn’t reach his eyes. “I am sitting, technically.” He leaned a hip against the desk, folding his arms. “Now why don’t you tell me why I’m here instead of wasting my time.”

Fury stood, slow and deliberate, crossing his arms as he took a step forward. His voice was calm, but heavy. “December 25, 2006.”

Pierce gave a slow blink, but inside, something locked into place.

“Ring any bells?” Fury asked.

Pierce tilted his head. “Christmas?” He let the word hang, feigning indifference. “What, are you feeling sentimental?”

Fury wasn’t amused. “That was the day we were supposed to wipe out a Hydra base.” He stepped closer, his voice lowering. “Shut them down. Sabotage their entire operation. Make sure they never got back up again.”

Pierce kept his expression even. “That mission went south. Things happen.”

Fury exhaled sharply through his nose. “Things happen?” He shook his head. “A ghost tore through our team that night. She wasn’t even old enough to drive, and she damn near wiped us out.”

Pierce gave the slightest incline of his head. “And?”

Fury’s eye narrowed. “She took my eye. Almost took your life. And now—eight years later—she’s back.” He tossed a file onto the desk between them.

Pierce looked down at it but didn’t move.

“Over a hundred assassinations in those years,” Fury continued. “Then, last week, she tried again.”

Pierce finally lifted the file, flipping it open with practiced ease. The name staring back at him made his pulse slow, measured.

Y/N Harrison.

Fury spoke again. “Her target?” He let the weight of it settle. “Max Harrison. Her own brother.” Pierce barely reacted, but the air in the room shifted.

Fury took another step. “You know what doesn’t sit right with me?” He tapped a finger on the desk. “Why she just—vanished. Why there’s nothing on her for years. And now, all of a sudden, she resurfaces hunting her own blood?” He let the question hang, watching Pierce.

Pierce slowly closed the file. His grip on it didn’t tighten, didn’t betray anything. But inside? His mind was already moving three steps ahead.

Fury kept his eye locked on him. “I’m gonna find out why, Pierce.” He started toward the door. “And when I do—” he glanced over his shoulder, voice lower, darker, “—I hope you’re on the right side of it.”

The door shut behind him.

Pierce stayed still, staring at the file in his hands..The name on the page burned into his vision. He had erased this. Made sure she was nothing but whispers and smoke. But somehow, Fury had cracked the foundation.

Slowly, Pierce exhaled. Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and dialed.

A voice picked up immediately.

“Burn it.” Pierce’s voice was flat, emotionless. “Everything. Every file, every record. Fury’s onto her.”

The person on the other end hesitated. “Sir, that would mean—”

“That’s the point.” Pierce cut them off. His grip on the phone was steady. “Do it. Now.”

Silence. Then: “Understood.”

Pierce hung up, tossing the phone onto his desk as he leaned back in his chair.

He had spent years building walls around this secret..And now? The cracks were starting to show.

HYDRA’S FACILITY -

The man’s breath came fast and shallow as he hurried down the corridor, gripping the files like they might slip through his fingers. His hands were sweating. Not just from the heat trapped in the underground facility, but from what he was about to do.

He had spent years collecting this data. Cross-referencing. Double-checking. Piecing together fragments of information into a weapon sharper than any blade. And now, with one phone call, Pierce had ordered it all erased.

It was like setting fire to a masterpiece.

He swallowed hard as he reached the old terminal, its outdated screen flickering dimly in the dark room. The keys felt stiff under his fingers as he typed in his credentials. The system took longer than it should to respond, forcing him to stare at his own reflection in the black monitor while he waited. His heart pounded.

Then—there it was. The archive.

Decades of classified information. Projects. Identities. Secrets Hydra had buried so deep they shouldn’t exist. And soon, they wouldn’t. His hand shook as he moved the cursor to the DELETE ALL command. It was simple. Just a click. One click, and it would all be gone. His index finger twitched. He couldn’t do it. Not yet.

His eyes darted to the TRANSFER option.

A different kind of anxiety curled in his stomach. His rational mind screamed at him—this is treason. If anyone caught him, he wouldn’t even get the dignity of an execution. He’d just disappear.

But another voice whispered: It’s not wrong to keep a copy. Not everything. Just the important files. Just enough.

His breathing grew uneven.

His hand hovered over the mouse, his fingers tingling like they weren’t even his own.

The walls of the room felt like they were closing in. He had spent years building this database. Hydra had spent centuries constructing its empire. And he was about to erase it like it was nothing?

He pressed his fist against his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut.

Then, in a sudden burst of defiance, his fingers flew across the keyboard. He selected a handful of critical files—the most valuable data Hydra had. The ones no one should ever have access to… but someone had to.

His pulse was a hammer in his ears.

The TRANSFER IN PROGRESS bar crawled forward, each percentage point making his stomach twist tighter.

Come on. Come on.

His foot tapped anxiously against the floor. The room felt smaller. His skin prickled with heat.

Then—TRANSFER COMPLETE.

He barely let himself breathe before shoving the drive into his pocket. He had what he needed.

Now came the hard part.

His hand clenched into a fist as he forced himself to move the mouse again. Slowly, hesitantly, he guided the cursor back to the DELETE ALL button. His finger trembled, hovering over it.

For a second, he thought about stopping. Thought about keeping it all.

But that was suicide.

With a deep, shuddering breath, he squeezed his eyes shut and clicked.

CONFIRM DELETION?

The final warning. A last chance to back out.

He hesitated.

Then, before he could lose his nerve—

CLICK.

It was done.

The screen blinked. The files—the ones he hadn’t saved—began vanishing before his eyes. Line by line. Folder by folder. Years of Hydra’s work, turning to dust.

His stomach churned.

He stood up too fast, nearly knocking the chair over as he grabbed the physical files and turned toward the door. His hand trembled as he swiped his keycard, the door locking behind him with a dull click.

It was over.

Or at least, this part was.

He forced himself to breathe, to swallow down the nausea curling in his gut.

He had saved something. A piece of history. And no one would ever know.

At least… that’s what he told himself.

From the shadows of the corridor, another man watched. Unlike the scientist, his hands weren’t shaking. He wasn’t nervous. He was waiting. Calculating. In his palm, he held a small device—a custom override chip. It wasn’t enough to crack the system entirely, but with the right access…

His gaze flicked to the scientist’s keycard.

That was the way in.

The man—Ivan—knew exactly what he needed to do. He had done unspeakable things for Hydra. Followed orders without question. But this? This was different.

This was about her. He was going to get her out. No matter what it took. His mind was already forming a plan when— "Тсс, Иван, что ты здесь делаешь?"

Ivan stiffened. The voice was sharp, laced with suspicion.

Turning, he found himself face-to-face with a lab technician. Thick glasses framed the man’s beady eyes, his white coat hanging loosely over his thin frame. He was watching Ivan carefully, expectantly.

Ivan forced a breath, pressing a hand to his chest like he was steadying his heart. “Ах, не пугай меня так.”

The technician didn’t flinch. He simply repeated the question.

Ivan hesitated for half a second—then exhaled sharply, feigning frustration. “Эээ, я хотел пойти поесть, но блокнот выпал у меня из рук.” He gestured vaguely toward the floor as if proving his point.

The technician squinted at him. Then, after a moment, he gave a curt nod. “Ну, ну… просто возвращайся. Ты нужен нам в лаборатории.”

Ivan nodded quickly. “Скоро буду.”

The technician turned and walked off, leaving Ivan alone once more.

He didn’t move for a moment, letting the tension bleed from his muscles.

Then, finally, he turned back to the door.

He still needed that keycard. Still needed to get to the files. And still needed to free her.

But first?

He needed a plan.

Back in the cold, sterile chamber, she stood frozen in cryo—locked in time, trapped in silence. No thoughts. No movement. No feeling. Then—a twitch. Just her fingers, barely noticeable. But it was enough.

If she woke up, there would be no alarms, no time to react. One punch. One snap of the neck. One second. That’s all it would take for bodies to hit the ground. No screams, no struggle. Just dead weight collapsing onto cold concrete.

Across the hall, in another chamber, he stood frozen too. The Winter Soldier.

Once, he was Bucky Barnes. A man. A soldier. A friend. But that version of him had been buried beneath blood and metal, his name carved away like it never existed. Now, he was nothing but a weapon. Cold. Precise. Controlled.

Orders were given. He obeyed. Targets were marked. He killed. No hesitation. No mercy. No questions.

And yet, something cracked in the programming.

It happened every time they crossed paths, even in passing. Just for a second. A flicker of recognition—something human clawing at the edges of their minds. A moment of clarity, suffocating under the weight of their conditioning.

They wanted to speak. To ask. To remember. To scream.

And then—the switch flipped back.

Their bodies locked. Their minds erased.

No hesitation. No mercy.

What goes around, comes around.

And soon, something was coming for them.

One mission. One mistake. One fracture in the system.

And when it happened?

No one would be ready for it.

TO BE CONTINUED...

the translation -

мне жаль - im sorryя

не хотел потерпеть неудачу - i didnt want to fail

я помогу тебе сбежать - i will help you escape / i will help you out

Тсс, Иван, что ты здесь делаешь - hey! what are you doing here?

Ах, не пугай меня так - ah dont scare me like that

Эээ, я хотел пойти поесть, но блокнот выпал у меня из рук - Uh, I wanted to go get something to eat, but my notebook fell out of my hands

Ну, ну… просто возвращайся. Ты нужен нам в лаборатории - okay, okay... just come back. we need you back at the lab

Скоро буду - i'll be there soon

[222col]

BOT DUMP by @ 222col ✧˖°⊹♡

fine line - harry styles ꩜

꒰ notes ꒱ 1000 followers on c.ai??!!!?? holy shit that's insane !!!!!!! & 400k interactions. wtf thank u all so much. the final harry album i've yet to do, apologies a lot of the bots are sad/breakup bots, the album is very breakup heavy </3 but there's a lot of angsty fun to be had <3 enjoy angels!!! any feedback is welcomed in my inbox <3

ART DONALDSON (challengers) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( golden )

✩ you were the light in art's life, you lit up every room you walked into. art was ready to risk getting burned if it meant he had a chance of getting closer to you. but god, did that burn sting when you told him you were going on a date with someone else. ( partly inspired by laurie's monologue in 'little women' (2019) )

ART AND PATRICK (challengers) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( watermelon sugar )

✩ the three of you had been friends all throughout boarding school, but you were blissfully unaware how much both art and patrick had many more-than-friendly thoughts about you. a day at the beach after graduation brings those thoughts to the forefront, and art and patrick realise— they'd be more than willing to share.

ROMAN GODFREY (hemlock grove) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( adore you )

✩ roman was beyond in love with you, would do anything for you. everyone could see it, how different he acted around you compared to everyone else. the only person who couldn't see it was you, you were completely oblivious to his affections, and driving him crazy.

ART DONALDSON (challengers) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( lights up )

✩ it came as no surprise that art's new band were making waves in the music scene. challengers were taking the world by storm, small shows were a thing of the past. art became a new person, and lost you in the process, all because of a fuckin' groupie. thing is, art has no idea who he is without you.

PATRICK ZWEIG (challengers) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( cherry )

✩ you'd been broken up a year, yet the sting of hearing you call someone else baby hit patrick deep. he needed to be the one you called baby. hence why after some light stalking of your instagram, he's showing up at the bar you're at, midway through a date.

ERIC DRAVEN (the crow) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( falling )

✩ eric was heartbroken, so pained by your breakup that all he could do was sit alone and write songs about you. dreaming of you, wishing you were next to him again. seeing you in the crowd after the end of his show, all he can feel is himself falling in love all over again.

PATRICK ZWEIG (challengers) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( to be so lonely )

✩ 7 missed calls and a stream of drunken texts at 2:30am from your ex-situationship, what a treat! patrick's drunk, missin' you and feeling bad. it's been months, yet now he wants to apologise (oh! and sleep on a bed, not in his car).

ROMAN GODFREY (hemlock grove) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( she )

✩ roman had been having dreams again, but this time they weren't scary. they were all about you, but he didn't even know if you were real. you were haunting his daydreams, he was desperate to find you. he can't believe his luck when you walk into the bar he's in, his dream girl, in the flesh.

ART DONALDSON (challengers) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( sunflower, vol 6 )

✩ the flowers patrick had given you before he dumped you had barely died by the time art was swooping in to pick up the pieces. the petals had just fallen off as art grows desperate, he can't hold back much longer— he's wanted you since he laid eyes on you.

LEE (bones and all) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( canyon moon )

✩ lee never thought he'd miss virginia, never thought he'd go back after what happened with his dad. but god, he was missing nights under the stars with you. regretting ever leaving you, he's driving back with one thing in mind, telling you how sorry he is for leaving.

RIFF LORTON (west side story) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( treat people with kindness )

✩ riff's whole life changed the day tony died, he was ready to start a war. until he laid eyes on you, and you told him he wasn't getting a dance with you until his fighting days were over. riff never thought he'd disband the jets, but for you? in a heartbeat.

PATRICK ZWEIG (challengers) `✦ˑ ִֶ ⊹

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ( fine line )

✩ you and patrick met at the worst time for both of you, and almost immediately knew it was right person, wrong time. after tashi's injury, patrick's too scared to hurt someone else again, that all he can think to do is end it, but god is it killing him.

© 222col. do not steal or repost my work.

[astars-things]

what the hell y/n

Jack hughes x daughter!reader

where jack finds vapes in y/ns room

reader is 16

warning very angst

Jack had always prided himself on being a good dad. He wasn’t perfect—far from it—but he had always tried to do right by Y/N. He worked his ass off to give her a good life, to teach her right from wrong, to make sure she knew that no matter what, she could come to him.

But now, standing in his daughter’s room, holding the evidence of her bad choices in his hands, Jack felt like a failure.

The vapes sat in his palm, neon-colored with stupid fruity flavors written across them. He gritted his teeth, his chest tight with frustration and disappointment. His little girl—the one he’d raised, protected, loved—was doing this?

His hands shook as he shoved the vapes onto the kitchen counter and waited. Y/N was out with friends, probably laughing and having the time of her life while he sat here, stewing in anger. He didn’t even know what he was going to say. How could she be so reckless? How could she be so stupid?

The front door finally opened, and Y/N walked in, humming to herself as she kicked off her shoes. Jack wasted no time.

“Y/N,” his voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a knife.

She blinked, clearly startled by his tone. “Uh, yeah?”

He pointed to the counter, jaw tight. “You want to explain what the fuck those are?”

Her eyes flicked to the vapes, and in an instant, he saw it—guilt. Panic. She tried to mask it, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t know. They’re not mine.”

Jack scoffed, shaking his head. “Don’t lie to me.” His voice cracked, raw and furious. “Don’t stand there and act like this is nothing. You know better. And if you don’t, then I failed as a dad.”

Y/N’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re overreacting.”

That made Jack snap. “Overreacting?” His voice was sharp, almost a yell. “Do you even know what this shit does to you? You’re sixteen! Your brain isn’t even fully developed, and you’re putting this crap in your body?” He ran a hand through his hair, pacing. “What the hell were you thinking?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Everyone does it, Dad.”

Jack slammed his hand down on the counter, making her jump. “I don’t give a shit what everyone else does! You’re not everyone else—you’re my daughter!”

She swallowed, but the defiance was still there. “It’s not a big deal—”

“It is a big deal!” Jack cut her off. “Who gave them to you? Did you buy them? Did someone give them to you?”

Y/N looked away.

“Answer me!”

She huffed. “I—I got them, okay? It doesn’t matter how.”

Jack let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, it fucking matters. You think I’m just gonna let this slide? No car, no going out, and you’re giving me your phone until I decide you’ve earned it back.”

Y/N’s eyes widened. “What? Dad, no—”

“You don’t get to argue with me on this,” he snapped. “You clearly can’t be trusted to make smart decisions, so I’ll make them for you.”

She let out an angry noise, turning away. “This is bullshit.”

Jack ran a hand over his face, trying to calm himself down before he said something he’d regret. His heart ached. He wasn’t just angry—he was disappointed. He’d thought she knew better. He thought she’d respect herself more than this.

The front door swung open, and Luke walked in, grinning. “Hey, Jack, you see my—” His words died when his eyes landed on the counter. His face paled. “Shit.”

Jack’s blood ran cold. Slowly, he turned to face his brother. “Your what?”

Luke swallowed hard, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh—”

Realization crashed over Jack like a tidal wave. His stomach churned as he looked between Luke and Y/N. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he muttered.

Luke’s gaze flickered to Y/N, who refused to look at him. His shoulders sagged. “Y/N…”

Jack’s jaw clenched so hard it hurt. “You stole them from Luke?”

Silence.

Y/N stared at the floor, but she didn’t deny it.

Jack exhaled sharply, his hands shaking. “You stole from your uncle. And you thought what? That I wouldn’t find out? That I wouldn’t care?”

Y/N finally looked up, and for the first time, he saw it—the regret, the shame.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

Jack let out a dry laugh, completely void of humor. “Sorry doesn’t fucking cut it, Y/N.”

Luke cleared his throat. “Jack, maybe—”

“No, Luke,” Jack snapped, cutting him off. “She lied to me. She stole from you. And she doesn’t even think it’s a big deal.”

Y/N’s face crumbled. “I do! I—I just…” She trailed off, shaking her head.

Jack sighed, his anger still burning, but exhaustion was creeping in. “Go to your room,” he muttered.

Y/N opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. Defeat settled over her as she nodded, disappearing upstairs.

Jack braced himself against the counter, gripping the edge like it was the only thing holding him up.

Luke sighed. “She’s a teenager, man. She’s gonna make mistakes.”

Jack let out a bitter chuckle. “Yeah. And it’s my job to make sure those mistakes don’t ruin her life.”

Luke was silent for a moment before nodding. “You’re a good dad, Jack.”

Jack didn’t feel like it. Not tonight.

[sweetdispatch]

https://www.tumblr.com/sweetdispatch/776300941286703104/v-bakery-500-celly

1 piece of lava cake with peppermint ice cream and crushed almonds

Summer confession - N. Hischier

v' bakery pairing: Nico Hischier x fem!reader summary: You and Nico have known each other since you were kids, with years the feelings were growing but none of you made a move until this changed one summer warning: swear words note: inspired by "bones" & special dedication to @deviledhischier who i promised to post this yesterday but messed up:((

Since childhood, you and Nico have been inseparable. Everything you’ve been doing together. He was helping you with your homework and you were going on his hockey games. While growing up nothing changed between the two of you.  The only thing that changed were feelings. You fell hard for Nico and he fell hard for you. Although none of you admit this to each other. 

Your and his family knew that you two are gonna end up together sooner or later. Everyone could see that you are sharing mutual feelings. The same with your and his friends. They wanted you two to be a couple because they knew you are endgame. Instead of telling each other what both of you feel to each other, you two were bottling the feelings inside thinking that the other person is not interested. 

That’s the exact reason why you were dating other guys and he was dating other girls. Both of you were hurt when you found out that the other person had someone but never admitted it. Always acting like everything’s alright and trying to help while there was a crisis in someone’s relationship. 

The contact between both of you died a little bit when Nico moved to America. It was difficult to find any time to talk. In reality, you two were seeing each other only during summer. Everyone was hoping that this summer is the moment when one of you is gonna admit their feelings to another but this never happened. In fact, something worse happened. 

When you finally were ready to say to Nico what you feel to him, he came for summer with his new girlfriend. She was a beautiful and kind soul and you knew exactly why he was in love with her. That’s why you couldn’t break what these two have because you were ready to tell him that you love him. You couldn’t do this to your friend. 

This summer was painful for you because you were seeing all their cute interactions between each other. You wished it was you. You regretted not telling him earlier and now you needed to deal with this pain. You wanted to be happy for Nico but you couldn’t. You were jealous that there’s someone different in his life who gets all his attention. 

Nico, unaware of your feelings towards him, needed to hide his feelings for you. He was madly in love with you but knowing that you two barely work as friends since he’s in America, he never addressed them. He thought that moving on and finding another girl that will help with that will be easier. It wasn’t. When he saw you this summer, he regretted bringing this girl.

It was the last weekend before everyone was going back to their places. You saw Nico sitting cosy with his girlfriend near the bonfire and couldn’t stand this view. You excused yourself and went back home. In the kitchen you spotted Nico’ sister and talked with her. She knew your feelings towards Nico and knew that you feel uncomfortable around him since he brought his girlfriend. 

You two were talking about your feelings for Nico and how you two are never gonna be together because he sees only a friend in you. What you didn’t know was the fact that Nico was standing in the kitchen entry. You and his sister stayed with backs facing the door frame. Nico was standing there and listening  to your confession. This made him happy but he knew that he had to have this conversation with you. 

You turned around to leave the kitchen and then you spotted him. You didn’t know how much he heard but you wanted to disappear in a moment. His sister knew that you two needed to sort things out and left you two alone. You didn’t want to start talking so Nico did it. 

“I heard everything you said about me” Nico said softly. You only nodded your head. You wanted to run from this room and escape this conversation. “I share the same feeling to you” When those words left Nico’ mouth, you only laughed. 

“Then why did you bring her with you?” You asked him. Nico didn’t say a word. “I want an answer” You said more firmly this time. Nico took a deep breath. 

“To forget about you” Nico admitted, ashamed. He realised that it was a bad move. 

“Let me get this straight. You have feelings for me but you also want to forget about me. Makes great fucking sense Hischier” You were annoyed with him and started walking to leave the kitchen. Nico grabbed your wrist to stop you. 

“I love you and it hurts me. I was all the time confident that you don’t feel anything for me and trying to move on was easier than being here, scared to do anything” You looked at him after he finished his sentence.

“I wanted to tell you this when you arrived, you know. I was prepared to tell you about my feelings but when I spotted you with her… I couldn’t. You look happy with her and I didn’t want to break your happiness” You ripped your hand from his grip and left him there. 

Nico was thinking all night about your confession. He felt ashamed of himself and didn’t know what to do. He was willing to break with this girl just to make you his. After many years, he was finally sure of his feelings and now he felt like everything was ruined. He didn’t even know how to fix it. The next day, Nico asked you to have a talk with you. At first, you didn’t want to talk but decided to go anyway. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I did. I know I should tell you about my feelings earlier and then move on. I should have confronted you and I regretted that I didn’t do it. I regret that we had the conversation in those circumstances. I have nothing in my defence. You can hate me all you want but that’s the truth” Nico said in one breath. You slightly smiled at him. 

“I don’t hate you. I’m sorry too. I could tell you this years ago but I didn’t have the bravery. Both of us were running away from each other feeling scared to admit to them” You hugged him and he happily hugged you back. 

“I will break up with her when we are in America. I don’t want to do it here but trust me. I want to make you mine. Officially” Nico smiled at you. 

“Let’s just see when this will go. No rush, let’s just enjoy it and see if we can make it over a long distance. How does it sound?” You asked him. You didn’t want to run into a relationship to break up after a month because you two can’t schedule your time. 

“Sounds great” Nico kissed your cheek. It was a huge step for both of you.

[miunachan]

Misc: Very Dramatic Story Ideas ♥

Hey❀

Because of my last post Ultimate List of Business Ideas, I decided to share one more list of ideas. This time it's all about drama, baby! Intrigue, affairs, wealth, secrets, babies, crash, death. You can never have enough spicy drama in your game, so here are a few wild story ideas for your action-thirsty Sims (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Most of the ideas are base game compatible, nevertheless I included recommended packs, but that's optional as always~

Feel free to comment your dramatic story ideas and I will happily add them to this list. Here is the original post. And in case you like cute CC, please take a look at my Patreon ♥

Happy simming (◕ω◕✿) - MiunaChan

🎭 Trapped in a Fake Life

She wakes up in a beautiful mansion, married to the perfect husband, with a gorgeous child… but she remembers nothing. As she begins to unravel her past, she discovers a terrifying truth — this isn’t her life. She’s not even supposed to be here. But if she leaves… will she survive?

Recommended Packs: Get Famous, Get to Work, City Living

💀 Pregnant with the Grim Reaper’s Baby

She cheated death once. Now Death wants something in return — and she’s carrying his child. What kind of powers will the baby have? And can she escape her fate?

Recommended Packs: Realm of Magic, Paranormal, Parenthood

💸 The Billionaire’s Widow

Her husband was one of the richest men in the city… until he mysteriously died under suspicious circumstances. Now, she’s inherited his entire fortune, but not everyone is happy about it. His family wants her out, the media thinks she’s a gold digger, and the police are knocking at her door. Is she really an innocent widow, or does she have her own secrets to hide?

Recommended Packs: Get Famous, Get to Work, City Living

🤰 The Baby Heist

She wakes up in a strange place with no memory of how she got there. But when she sees the adoption papers in front of her, she realizes something is terribly wrong — someone is trying to steal her unborn child. Now, she must escape, uncover the truth, and fight for the future of her baby before it's too late.

Recommended Packs: Get to Work, Parenthood

💔 The Affair That Changed Everything

She thought she had the perfect marriage — until she found out her husband had another woman… and a secret child. But instead of leaving, she decides to play the long game. Will she get revenge by seducing his business rival? Will she take everything in the divorce? Or will she find out that she’s the one who’s been living a lie all along?

Recommended Packs: Get Famous, City Living, Get to Work

👑 Runaway Heiress

Born into extreme wealth, she’s spent her whole life in a golden cage. But on the eve of her arranged marriage, she flees to start a brand-new life under a fake identity. Now, working a normal job and trying to live like an ordinary person, she’s finally free. But when someone from her past finds her, she must decide if she’s willing to give up love and independence for the life she was always meant to lead.

Recommended Packs: City Living, Get Famous

🏆 The Trophy Wife’s Revenge

She married for love — or so she thought. But after years of being the picture-perfect trophy wife, she finds out that her husband has a secret life… and a secret fortune he’s been hiding. Now, she’s playing a dangerous game of seduction and deception to take back what’s hers.

Recommended Packs: Get Famous, City Living, Spa Day

🧙‍♀️ Cursed Pregnancy

Her family warned her never to fall in love with him. But she didn’t listen. Now, she’s expecting his child — but something is wrong. The pregnancy is progressing too fast. The doctors can’t explain it. And worst of all, her unborn baby does not feel like a… baby. What did she bring into this world?

Recommended Packs: Realm of Magic, Vampires, Werewolves, Island Living

🌟 The Influencer’s Darkest Secret

Online, she’s perfect — flawless selfies, designer clothes, a dream romance. But behind the screen, she’s hiding a deadly secret, and someone knows the truth. A mysterious blackmailer starts sending threats, demanding more and more, until she’s forced to make a choice: confess everything and lose her empire, or destroy someone else’s life to protect her own.

Recommended Packs: Get Famous, City Living

🕵️‍♀️ The Nanny’s Deadly Affair

She thought she was just babysitting for extra cash — but when she fell for her boss, everything changed. Now, his wife is dead, the police are investigating, and the only suspect is her. Did she fall for a murderer, or did someone frame her to take the fall?

Recommended Packs: Get to Work, Parenthood, City Living

💔 Pregnant by the Villain

She thought she was seducing a powerful businessman to climb the social ladder. But what she didn’t know? He’s the most dangerous man in town. And now she’s carrying his child. Will she escape before he traps her forever? Or will she become his ruthless queen, ruling the city by his side?

Recommended Packs: Get Famous, City Living

🎥 Hollywood Heartbreak

She moved to Del Sol Valley to make it big, and she finally did — her name is on everyone’s lips. But when a scandal erupts, her entire career is on the line. Betrayed by her closest friends, dumped by her superstar lover, and exposed by the press, she has two choices: claw her way back to the top… or watch everything burn.

Recommended Packs: Get Famous

💀 Married to a Serial Killer

He was charming, rich, perfect. Their whirlwind romance led to the dream wedding. But now, something feels off. His late nights. His locked office. The missing women on the news. And then, she finds the box under their bed. Whispers in the dark tell her to run — but is it already too late?

Recommended Packs: Get to Work

💍 The Wedding Day Disaster

The bells are ringing, the guests are seated, and her fiancé is waiting at the altar. But just as she steps forward, the doors burst open — “STOP THE WEDDING!” The man she truly loved is back from the dead, and he’s here to claim her before it’s too late. Will she run into his arms, or marry the wrong man to protect a terrible secret?

Recommended Packs: Wedding Stories

🧛‍♀️ The Family That Eats Together… Stays Together?

She moves into a seemingly perfect family’s home as a live-in maid. They’re kind, generous, loving. Until dinnertime. That’s when she realizes — they don’t eat normal food. They eat something… else.

Recommended Packs: Werewolves, Vampires, Realm of Magic

👯 The Secret Twin

She has a beautiful, glamorous life, a devoted fiancé, and a bright future — until she gets a mysterious letter from a stranger claiming to be her long-lost twin. When they finally meet, her twin begs for her help in uncovering a dark family conspiracy. But as she digs deeper, she starts questioning everything. Was she really the lucky twin after all?

Recommended Packs: Get Famous, City Living

🏠 Desperate House-Flippers

She and her spouse have always dreamed of flipping houses for a living. But when they take on a fixer-upper that seems too good to be true, they discover a hidden diary revealing a decades-old murder. As they try to uncover the truth, strange things start happening in their dream home… and their perfect marriage begins to unravel.

Recommended Packs: Dream Home Decorator, Paranormal Stuff, Get to Work

🖤 The Last Sim on Earth

One morning, she wakes up and everyone else is gone. The entire city is empty. No cars, no Sims, nothing. Just her… and the one man she never wanted to be stuck with. How did this happen? And is she really alone?

Recommended Packs: Strangerville, Eco Lifestyle, Paranormal

👶 The Heiress’ Baby Swap

She wakes up in the hospital, cradling her newborn… but something feels wrong. A single clue — a nurse’s trembling hands — makes her suspect the truth: her baby was switched at birth. But why? Who took her real child? And what happens when she finds out she was never meant to survive the delivery at all?

Recommended Packs: Get to Work, Parenthood

🕵️‍♂️ My Husband’s Twin is My Baby Daddy

She thought she was married to the perfect man — until one reckless night with his identical twin leaves her pregnant. Does she confess? Or does she hope the babies don’t look too much like Uncle Johnny?

Recommended Packs: Parenthood

[starkeynation]

Forever & Always

Chapter 1

Based on this request

Synopsis: Elena Vanderbilt left Outer Banks right after being broken up with Rafe 3 years ago. Now, she returns to her hometown- but she’s not the same girl who left. This time, she’s back with a husband by her side and a daughter in her arms.

Elena

He hungrily kiss the side of my neck, and leave a trail down to my throat. I tossed my head back and whimpers at the feeling of his hot breathing.

“God..Rafe.”

“Elena..”

“Elena”

“Elena, wake up!”

I opened my eyes immediately, my chest heaving, my body drenched in sweat.

"Good morning, baby. We’re here."

Blinking, I turned to my side and realized I was in a car with my husband. First day back in OBX, and I’m already dreaming of my ex… great, I thought.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, the sea breeze hit me. The warm air and the scent of sun-soaked driftwood were nothing compared to the polluted air back in New York. It had been three years, and I missed this place more than i realized.

A small tug on my pants pulled me out of my reverie.

"U-up," Leiah muttered, lifting her tiny arms toward me, asking to be carried.

"Oof, come here, big girl," I grunted as I picked up my daughter.

"You ready?" Daniel asked before unlocking the house’s door with the keys I had given him.

This was Daniel’s first time seeing the house where I grew up—well, sort of. We had only moved into this mansion when I was 13. My family and I were Pogues until one day, my dad got lucky in his job. My parents passed away a year before I left OBX, so no one had been in this house since the day I left.

As I stepped inside, I gently put Leiah down, my eyes scanning the dusty hallway. Honestly, I didn’t know if I was ready to live here again. There was always a part of me that felt like this house was haunted—not in a scary way, but in the way that living here alone after my parents died made me feel trapped with my thoughts. That was another reason why I had to leave.

But luckily, I had a family of my own now.

"Hey, I’m kinda hungry… are you hungry?" my husband asked.

"Yeah, starving," I nodded. "I can grab us some takeout real quick if you want."

"Yes, darling, that’ll be great. I’ll just start cleaning up a little bit," he replied before giving me a peck.

I smiled at his sweet gesture. "Leiah, do you want to come with Mummy to buy food?" I asked, holding out my hand.

She quickly nodded and rushed over to grab it.

I decided to walk to the country club’s restaurant since it was the closest to the house—and they had really good fish and chips.

At the country club, I sat at a table overlooking the golf course while waiting for our food. Leiah had brought a little fairy doll with her and had been wobbling around, playing with it.

Then, out of nowhere, she rushed behind me.

And that’s when I locked eyes with a familiar pair of blue eyes in front of me.

"Rafe."

Rafe

I was heading to my car when, out of nowhere, a tiny doll bumped against my leg. I glanced down, bending to pick it up, and spotted a little girl with pigtails standing a few feet away.

Must be hers, I thought.

"Here you go, little one," I said, offering the doll back with a small smile.

She didn’t say anything, just grabbed it and ran away. Must’ve gotten scared, I thought, entertained by her shyness.

But then I saw her run straight to a woman sitting nearby, clinging to her chair. That’s when I finally looked up—

And everything stopped.

"El."

It was like the world had suddenly gone silent, the air knocked from my lungs. Sitting less than five feet away was the love of my life—the woman I hadn’t seen in almost four years.

Before I could even process it, my legs moved on their own.

"Elena?"

She turned to me, eyes widening slightly. "Rafe, hi." She stood up, and for the second time in minutes, I forgot how to breathe. If only she knew how much I missed hearing her say my name.

"I—wha—how—how are you?" I stammered, still struggling to believe she was real and standing right in front of me. I never thought I’d see her again, not after she vanished from my life that day.

"Yeah, I’m good. What about you?" she replied with a soft smile, one that made my chest tighten.

"Nice… yeah, I’m doing fine too," I nodded, trying to gather my thoughts. I was about to ask how New York had been when a waitress approached our table.

"Here’s your food and your card, Mrs. Tomsky."

I froze.

Mrs. Tomsky?

Then, my eyes flickered to her left hand. A ring.

"You’re married?" The words came out before I could stop them.

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah… I got married two years ago."

Okay, who pulled the trigger?

Two years ago. That meant she got married barely a year after she left. I swallowed the lump in my throat, but my eyes drifted to the little girl still hiding behind her.

"So, I’m guessing she’s your daughter?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay steady.

Elena glanced down with a soft smile. "Oh yeah, this is Leiah. Leiah, say hi to Rafe."

Leiah. A beautiful name.

I crouched slightly, waving. "Hi, Leiah."

She peeked out at me but quickly hid behind her mother again. Maybe she didn’t like strangers. I chuckled at her shyness.

"She’s really cute," I told Elena, looking back up at her.

"Thank you," she said, grabbing the takeout bags from the table. "I’d love to catch up more, but I need to bring these back home."

"Yeah, of course. I was about to head out too. Let me walk you outside," I offered.

As we stepped outside, I glanced at her. "So, you’re staying at your old house?"

"Yeah… what about you?"

"Still at Tannyhill,” I replied. "But I live alone now. My dad, Rose, and Wheezie decided to settled down in Bahamas."

"Ahh, I see… What about Sarah? How’s she doing?"

"She’s doing fine, I guess. We talk sometimes. She’s still living at John B’s chateau."

"That’s good to hear."

Before I could say anything else, Leiah suddenly took off toward the fountain near the entrance, leaving us alone for a brief moment. I let out a small laugh, watching her run.

"How old is she?” I asked.

"Two, going on three."

I nodded, letting the silence settle between us. Then, I looked at her again, my voice quieter this time.

"I can’t believe you’re married."

“Wha- i mean, it’s been three years. A lot has changed Rafe."

"It’s not that long." My eyebrows furrowed.

"It is."

I shook my head. "Not for me, El. Not for me."

Her jaw tightened. "Don’t ‘El’ me."

I swallowed hard, hesitating before speaking again. "You really got married a year after we broke up?" My voice was louder now, frustration seeping through.

"Yes! And so what, Rafe? Why are you mad?"

"We were together for six years, Elena! Not to mention how I almost got a heart attack after finding out that you left. No explanation, no goodbye—just a text from Sarah saying you were fine in New York? Do you know what that did to me?"

She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Nope. Nope, I can’t do this. I’m sorry."

And just like that, she turned away, taking Leiah’s hand and walking off—leaving me standing there, watching the only person I ever loved slip away again.

A/N: @issabellec7 im sorry to keep you waiting pookie🙏🏻 I’ll try to find as much time as possible to write this series since I’m also hooked by it now😋

[scribbledghost]

The Visitor - Part V

Pairing: Vessel x Fem!Reader (Vessel the character, not the real man behind the mask)

Rating: G

Word count: 1,736

Summary: Vessel introduces his visitor to the other three vessels, and has some discussions along the way.

Notes: 3rd person POV, use of she/her pronouns for reader. Features more of the TMBTE creatures. Part four can be found here.

Vessel introduces his charge to II first. II is the longest resident of the domain, apart from himself, and as such is well-accustomed to gently acclimating guests. Granted, it is rare for visitors to meet more than one vessel during their stay, but it is not unheard of.

At first she is apprehensive, holding onto Vessel's arm and allowing him to do most of the speaking. But when he gives her II's name, she reacts.

"Two?" she asks. "Like... like the number?"

"That is correct," II says. "There are four of us in total, but Vessel is the only one with an unnumbered name."

The woman looks to Vessel, a sense of confusion in her eyes. In response, he tilts his head slightly, encouraging her to voice her thoughts on the matter.

"So do you..." she begins carefully, clearly afraid of saying something to offend either of them. "Do you not remember your human names? You were human once, right?"

"We were," Vessel replies. "Many, many eons ago. We willingly gave our names to sleep when we converted to be its vessels."

Some more willingly than others, II interjects by thought, earning a warning glance from Vessel. His visitor cannot hear their thoughts, but he is still wary of possibly sharing too much.

A short conversation ensues, II and his visitor cordially discussing how her time here has been so far (despite II knowing the answer to that already), and why he and the other vessels hadn't been seen thus far into her stay.

"Vessel is the one who found you first," II explains. "He was guided to you based on what Sleep felt you needed when you arrived. As such, the rest of us keep our distance so as to not be overbearing."

She seems to understand, but Vessel senses there are more questions just under the surface. He does not pry, nor does he acknowledge that he knows there is more that she wants to ask, he simply allows the conversation between her and II to run its course before leading her away to III.

He finds III on a perch, overlooking the seemingly daily battle between some of the creatures of Sleep's domain.

"One of these days Chokehold is gonna realize not to mess with The Summoning's fuckoff-big gun," III chuckles before turning to see Vessel arrive with his guest. "Oh, hey. Been wondering when you'd introduce me."

III has been in the domain for a shorter time than Vessel or II, but for a longer period than IV. He tends to forego most decorum, instead choosing to march to the beat of his own bass guitar that he's rarely seen without. However, this also means III is more apt to discuss certain things out loud or through unguarded thoughts.

Vessel's charge flinches at the ongoing battle below, shifting slightly to hide behind him.

"Do they do this a lot?" she asks over the din.

"Almost every day," III answers. "Well, not always these two. Sometimes it's others. But they sure do love their squabbles."

"They don't kill each other? It looks really violent..."

"Oh, they do sometimes. But they always pop back the next day like nothing happened. None of the Realm's residents can truly die."

Vessel can tell the woman is now staring at him, clearly wondering if this extends to himself as well.

He doesn't answer. He simply allows III to introduce himself, drawing the woman from her place behind Vessel as the fighting below dies down. This is something III has always had a talent for - drawing others out of their shells and getting them to divulge more information. Vessel carefully guards his thoughts and wonders if Sleep would have had an easier time forcing her to convert if she'd been III's charge instead.

After some time, III stretches and turns to leave, mentioning something about "wanting to practice for the next ritual".

"What did he mean by ritual?" the woman asks Vessel as he guides her through the domain in search of IV.

"We have musical rituals in worship of Sleep every so often," Vessel says. "Two plays the drums, Three is bass guitar, and Four is lead guitar."

"So does that mean you're on vocals? Or do your songs not have words?"

"They have words. Some may say too many, in fact. There are times where I also play guitar, but it is mostly vocals."

"Can I... I mean, would I be allowed to listen? Or is it private? I assume that must be where you go sometimes when you have to leave me alone," she asks softly.

Vessel turns to gaze upon her, a gentle smile adorning his features.

"I would be honored to have you attend."

She gives him an almost shy smile before gripping his arm ever so slightly tighter.

The pair find IV resting beneath the red ribbon tree, though Vessel knows he is not asleep. Just as he expected, IV opens one eye to watch them as they approach.

"There you are," IV says as he stands and brushes off his pants. "I figured I'd be next up."

His tone is one of amusement, not malice, and he offers his hand to the woman as he introduces himself. As she takes it, he brings the back of it to the lips of his mask in a pseudo-kiss to her hand.

Conversation flows just as easily with IV as it had the rest of the vessels, though IV is more prone to gruffness than the others by a very slim margin. He means no ill-will, it is simply his default state.

"Vessel treating you well?" he asks, giving Vessel a knowing look.

"Uh, yes," she stutters, as if she's unsure of how to answer. "Very."

Vessel watches as IV's eyes crinkle behind his mask in a smile. Then, IV's gaze finds Vessel's.

You kiss her yet? He asks telepathically in amusement. Vessel does his best to ignore the rapid increase in his heartrate and the feeling of heat rising to his cheeks.

Hush.

Didn't say a word, Vess.

The topic of rituals comes up, and Vessel divulges that you will be attending the next one.

"Yeah?" IV says. "It'll be different performing for a live audience. Usually we just scream into the void and hope Sleep hears us."

"I can assure you that Sleep hears each ritual."

"Oh right," IV teases, "forgot you were the favorite."

His visitor laughs slightly at the bickering exchange between the two, a beautiful sound Vessel will never tire of. IV gives him another knowing look, something that happens a handful more times before the conversation concludes and Vessel guides his visitor along to other locations.

As the two of them wander, Vessel carefully considers IV's words.

You kiss her yet?

Even now, the thought alone is enough to make his heart race. He wants to - of course he does. He wants to court his visitor like the proper gentleman he never got the chance to be when he was still human.

But such wants come with risks of their own.

I trust your... infatuation will not hinder your ability to ensure her conversion.

Sleep's voice reverberates through his skull, a deceptively gentle purr that, to anyone else, would perfectly hide the malignancy beneath. But Vessel has belonged to Sleep for too long to not notice it.

It will not.

Sleep does not respond.

Vessel continues to guide the woman along until he finds what he's searching for: a small grove, unlike any he's sure she's ever seen. The trees' bark is as pitch black as Vessel's own skin, the leaves a deep navy blue interspersed with sparkling diamonds. It is as close to the night sky as one can get in Sleep's world.

The pair only get to the first tree when the woman collapses to the ground.

Shocked by the sudden display, Vessel kneels and immediately creeps into her mind, only to be almost instantly pulled back from it. The sheer pain and fear reverberating from her begins to billow out, the same acrid smoke surrounding the pair that can only mean one thing.

It seems that Sleep has chosen now to bestow another vision upon Vessel's charge.

His heart breaks at the sight of her curled in upon herself, clutching her head as if it will burst apart. The smoke thickens, and Vessel does the only thing he can think of: he kneels beside her, placing a gentle hand atop her own.

"I am here," he says, praying that she hears his words through the pain.

All he can do in this moment is stay with her as she attempts to withstand the waves. It is something he has done before, and this is not the first vision Sleep has forced her to endure, but this feels different. Maliciously timed, as if Sleep itself is reminding Vessel of the power it wields over her should Vessel disobey.

As time wears on and her pain continues, Vessel again tries to siphon away some of her pain. He is wholly unsuccessful, and something tells him that Sleep is preventing him from connecting with her mind. At a loss and with a growing feeling of helplessness, Vessel lies on the ground next to her, curling her into him as he holds her.

"I am here," he repeats, still unsure if she can even hear him in her state. "I will not leave you."

It isn't until he feels her hand move to grip at his cloak that he allows himself to breathe again.

Slowly, the pungent, dark smoke surrounding them dissipates as she emerges from her episode. The tears begin shortly thereafter.

Vessel continues to hold her, murmuring soft words of comfort every so often. She cries until her voice runs hoarse, keeping her head buried in his chest long after she goes quiet.

He does not move.

He does not ask about her visions, does not ask if she is alright. He knows she isn't. Instead, he presses small kisses to the crown of her head every so often, trying his best to project peace and calm to her mind. His previous apprehension of overstepping his bounds seems to fall to the priority of comforting her.

Her breathing evens, the exhaustion of her experience driving her to dream. Vessel quickly adjusts the two of them closer to the nearby tree, leaning against it as he pulls her head to his chest before following her. As the world shifts around him, he quietly hopes that he finds her back in Eden once more.

[cherryblossomfairyy]

Clean

Pairing : Spencer Reid x reader

Summary : The new case causes Spencer’s addiction to resurvice. Whats gonna happen to Spencer's life now? Along the lyrics of the song "Clean" by Taylor Swift.

Masterlist

a/n: she's a big one 5,7k WC. Also TW: addiction

⚠️NOT PROOFREAD⚠️

The cold rain fell steadily outside the police station, casting a somber hue over the building as the team gathered around the conference table. The latest case had been a particularly difficult one—it wasn’t just the victims that were haunting them—five missing women, all seemingly unrelated, all from different walks of life—but something about the way the unsub operated, the way he manipulated and controlled, struck a nerve with Spencer.

The team had been working the case for days, but the more they uncovered, the more unsettling it became. The women, all in their twenties, had no obvious connection. Their backgrounds were different—some had strong family ties, others had been estranged for years. But the unsub’s signature was clear: he didn’t just abduct them. He isolated them first, broke them down emotionally, until they were so detached from their lives that they slipped into his world without resistance.

When the victims were found, they were disoriented, empty—like shells of the people they used to be. The sight scared Spencer more than he expected it would. Maybe it was because the victims were still alive but never would be truly themselves again. If they had died, the suffering would be over.

Spencer hasn’t talked to any of the victims, too scared to get too close. If he could just read the reports about what happened, he could try to take a step back and look at it more professionally, he thought. He knew he had to read the reports; he had to.

The fear that was coursing through him was almost paralyzing, but at the same time, it made him hyperaware of everything around him. It was like his body didn't know what to do.

Spencer thought he was stronger than the past version of himself, the one that had seen the gruesome things mankind did to others, the one that got kidnapped, the one that fell into the trap of addiction. The way he had struggled in the past with his own demons—how he'd tried to bury his pain in addiction. Now he knows it doesn't work like that. But logic doesn't seem to matter now. If logic was the leader, then why were people hurting others? Ever since he got clean, he’s been cautious. Trying to work through his problems the right way, not with drugs. But with therapy and surrounding himself with positive things in his life.

Like her, the one that was waiting for him to come home and cuddle on the couch. She would kiss him as soon as he walked through the door. He never had someone that waited for him and was so happy to see him. She was the best thing that could ever happen to him. The love and support he received was almost enough for him to completely let his guard down and talk with her about what was happening. Almost. She wasn't around when he got addicted the first time. She knew that something had happened when one day she was kissing his hands and arms and found the tiny scars left behind by the many needles he had used.

He thought he had buried his need for Dilaudid, only for it to come rushing back when he didn’t expect it. He thought he could just ignore it and keep going. His fingers drummed absentmindedly on the table, and his thoughts drifted back to a time he wished he could forget. Back to a time where nothing could hurt him, because he couldn't feel anything.

After hearing a loud noise from outside, he snapped back to his work. Spencer found himself staring blankly at the photo's on the whiteboard, trying to make sense of the patterns, but his thoughts kept drifting elsewhere. There was something about the case that triggered a deep, unsettling memory—one that he had tried for years to bury.

He couldn’t help but remember the dark time in his life when he had been emotionally suffocated, controlled by his own demons and insecurities.

As the team gathered around to debrief, Hotch’s voice cut through Spencer’s fog.

“We’ve found a pattern in the unsub’s behavior. The emotional manipulation is key. He isolates them, cuts them off from their families, their friends. He breaks them down until they no longer know who they are." The words struck Spencer hard. He had been there before. Not physically, but emotionally. The haunting feeling of being alone in a room full of people, of suffocating under the weight of your own mind—he knew that darkness. He knew the despair that came with the feeling of being trapped in your own life, unable to escape. Hotch continued, but Spencer's thoughts drifted.

Spencer had often thought about running away from his past, from the weight of his own thoughts, but instead, he had stayed. He had stayed for the people he loved. For the ones who believed in him, even when he couldn’t believe in himself. But sometimes, it wasn’t enough. His fingers tapped nervously against the table as the rest of the team discussed next steps. He could feel the pressure building, the suffocating feeling creeping back in.

Spencer’s thoughts were interrupted when JJ placed a hand on his shoulder, a subtle gesture of support. She had noticed the far-off look in his eyes, the way his usually steady demeanor had cracked. “Spencer, you okay?” she asked softly. He blinked, pulling himself back to the present. He smiled, though it was faint and far from convincing. “I’m fine,” he replied, his voice hoarse, but the weight of the case and the craving to feel numb again lingered.

But Spencer didn’t turn back to the case files. Instead, he pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at it for a long moment. He had avoided contact with certain people—his mother, his past relationships—because, somewhere inside, he had known it would all unravel. He had chosen to distance himself, just as the unsub’s victims had been forced to. He had been running from his own vulnerability for so long that the idea of confronting it felt like drowning.

Of course Spencer had deleted the phone number of his old dealer, but having an eidetic memory also comes with downsides. Without giving it a second thought, he sent a text to the now-renamed number in his phone. The case wasn't getting solved tonight, so he had time to meet up.

--- NEXT DAY ---

Spencer never went to bed. He just kept staring at the three vials of Dilaudid he had in his hands. His “rest” got interrupted by his ringtone. It was JJ; they have a new victim.

The rain was falling as the team drove to the latest crime scene, the storm outside reflecting the storm inside Spencer’s mind. He had lived through this kind of emotional devastation before, but it was different now. He had survived. And he was still here. The storm had passed. By the time they reached the scene, Spencer had regained his composure. The craving for the high got pushed aside; he had a job to do now. He had learned to push past the pain, but that didn’t mean the scars didn’t remain.

The key to solving the case, he knew, was understanding the pain the unsub had inflicted, the suffocating isolation. He had been there before, and now, he could help end it for someone else. In that moment, Spencer felt a sliver of clarity, a brief glimpse of peace. It wasn’t just about solving the case—it was about confronting the storm within himself. He had faced it before, and he could face it again. If he would just get through the day without thinking of getting high. He could solve the case and act like it never happened.

Sadly, he was wrong. The kidnapping snd victims stopped, and the trail has gone cold. They hadn't found the unsub. And with no body, they had nothing to go on. The case got put on the backburner for now. If any suspicious things were to happen, they could get right back and complete the profile.

For now, Spencer got to go home and was ordered by Hotch to take a couple of days off. The others had noticed Spencer was completely unfocused, and they could see in his eyes something was wrong.

He just didn't want to tell them. Besides the shame he felt, the risk of losing his job scared him even more. Even if they promised he could keep his job, Spencer had always been someone who tried to bury his emotions deep. The brokenness of his past, the pain from his failed relationships, and his constant battle with his insecurities—they were all wrapped up in a neat little package he’d locked away. But the case was digging things up, forcing him to confront those old ghosts. He had spent so long pushing the pain of his past to the back of his mind, but now, with this case, everything felt too close, too personal. The only answer he could think about was to numb himself instead of fighting against it.

As soon as they landed and were allowed to leave, he sneaked to the office bathroom. He knew if anyone saw him, they would try to talk to him, and he knew he was a bad liar. His body was screaming for the drugs. Like he was in physical pain without it. He tried to tell himself that it would be just this one time. As soon as he got home, he would throw the remaining vials away. His hands trembled as he finally gave himself what he had been craving for days. The second he started feeling the effects, it was like his mind could finally relax.

The ride home felt like a blur. He was happy his body knew what to do because his mind wouldn't try to help. He could only think about the vials in his bag. Maybe he should throw them away; that is the right thing to do. Even if he knew it was the right thing to do, he knew all the statistics about addiction; he just couldn't. The need was overwhelming. The second Spencer got home, she stood up from the couch and hugged him. She had gotten a call from Garcia, telling her something was going on with Spencer, and they didn't know how to help. So it didn't surprise her he didn’t hug her back. Normally they would hug and kiss, and she would start the kettle for some tea. Instead, Spencer pushed past her and murmured something about needing to be alone in the bathroom.

Spencer sat in the corner of his small, dimly lit bathroom, his back pressed against the cold, cracked wall. The air felt heavy, thick with the weight of his decisions. It had been 3 hours since his last hit, but the craving still gnawed at him, relentless and insistent. His body trembled slightly, not from the cold but from the withdrawal that was starting to set in. He rubbed his hands together nervously, the skin on his fingers raw. He tried to remember a time before the drugs, before the haze of smoke and the numbness that had slowly overtaken every part of his life again. There was a time, wasn't there? A time when he had dreams—dreams of a future, a family, of something better than this broken shell of a man sitting in a dark room, wasting away. But those dreams had long been buried under layers of lies, the terrible things he saw every day at his work, bad decisions, and moments where the drugs had promised an escape, a way out from the pain he couldn't bear to face.

He thought he was secretive about it all, but the drugs made him less focused, and she had found the vials in his sock drawer. After a screaming match, one-sided, his temper had gotten really bad; he pushed her out of the apartment. She didn't have a key to get back in, and frankly, she was really hurt by the things he yelled at her. Somewhere she knew that it was the drugs talking, but when the words are coming out of the person she loves and trusts the most, it's difficult to remember. She had spent the night at a friend's place and tried to call him. After the seventh attempt, he finally picked up. They agreed to speak with each other and try to work their way forward with the situation.

Every time he'd promised her, "This is the last one," it was never the last one. There was always a reason to come back. Always another moment that seemed to justify it, like a light at the end of a tunnel that never quite got any closer. His phone buzzed, the screen lighting up in the gloom. A text message. His heart skipped, but when he saw her name, he froze. It had been days since he had heard from her. He once again blamed her for all his problems and told her to leave him alone. She was one of the few people who still cared, still believed in him when he couldn’t even believe in himself. She had begged him to listen to her, to go see a therapist, to get clean. She had promised she would be with him every step of the way, that things would get better, that they could start over, but he had pushed her away. It was easier that way—keeping her at arm's length so she wouldn’t see the darkness that had taken root in him. It also enabled him to keep going with his terrible habit. Every time something small, as simple as him running out of coffee, was an excuse to use.

He opened the message. "Spencer, I know you’re struggling, but I haven’t given up on you. Please, reach out. I miss you. I want to help you.” The words felt like a punch to the gut. He could almost hear her voice in his head, that familiar, pleading tone she always used when she wanted him to do better. When she still believed in him. For a moment, Spencer’s eyes welled with tears. He wanted to call her. He wanted to reach out, to tell her he was sorry, that he had messed up again, but the thought of disappointing her—of failing her, yet again—was too much to bear.

The phone buzzed again. A second message from her. "I know you're scared. I know it's hard. But I'm here. You’re not alone." Spencer closed his eyes, trying to block the tears, the guilt, the weight of all that had passed. He had promised her he would stay clean. He had promised her so many things, but each time, he had failed. And now, here he was, on the brink of falling again, the craving overwhelming him, calling his name like an old lover, sweet and familiar.

He could almost feel the substance in his veins, the rush of relief that would come with just one more hit. His mind begged for it; his body screamed for it. But then, as if in a distant echo, he heard her voice again, not the soft, pleading one from the message, but the one from before. The one full of hope. "I’m here. You’re not alone." Spencer opened his eyes and looked around the room, his gaze settling on the needle lying on the floor, the remnants of his last fix still fresh in his memory. He felt a cold sweat forming on the back of his neck. He knew, deep down, that this was the moment. The moment that would decide everything

He reached for his phone, his fingers trembling. Slowly, he typed a response. "I’m sorry. I’ve messed up. I don’t know if I can do this anymore...".

---READERS POV---

She never thought there was an ‘after Spencer.’. Her life was divided into two simple categories: before and during Spencer. ‘’The drought was the very worst.’’ She didn't truly know how deep her love for Spencer was. When all of it suddenly fell away, she was left with this feeling of emptiness. Actually, her love for Spencer wasn’t gone; it was pushed away because of the drugs. If it wasn’t for the dilaudid, she would never have felt this way.

She stood in the middle of the room, her new bedroom. After the breakup, she needed a new place to live. It had been weird living alone after so long. All of her stuff was still in moving boxes. As she had the day off, she started to make her way through the ‘photo and memorabilia' box. She picked up the first thing that drew her attention; it was a bunch of photos of her and Spencer. As hurt and angry as she was, she didn’t want to throw them away. Staring at the faded photographs scattered across the floor. Each one, a snapshot of a time she couldn’t quite bring herself to forget. ”When the flowers that we'd grown together"—both literal and metaphorical—"died of thirst" , suffocated by the drought.

“It was months and months of back and forth.” For months, they’d danced around the real problem. Pushing and pulling each other, like the ebb and flow of a tide that could never quite settle. But now, in the silence of her apartment, the air was thick with the memories of him. They lingered, “You're still all over me. Like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore”, no matter how hard she tried. His scent was still on her skin, even though he’d been gone for what felt like an eternity. The argument that had broken them was a storm in itself, full of vicious words and unsaid things, leaving them both drowning in the wreckage.

His words were clear: “I can’t do this anymore…”. She never thought he would rather push her away than try to fight it with her. She had stayed longer than she should have, trying to salvage something that was already decided. He wasn’t going to budge; no matter what she said, he had already made up his mind. “Hung my head as I lost the war.” The slow, suffocating realization that there was no way out; they couldn’t keep doing this, the constant fighting. They were both slowly withering under the weight of what they’d become.

“And the sky turned black like a perfect storm.” She sighed, her fingers brushing the edges of the photographs. He was everywhere—his laughter, his touch, the promises they had made in the quiet of the night. With every passing day. The weight of it all was crushing her, suffocating her. She turned away from the pictures and instead grabbed a shoebox. Filled with dried flowers, ticket stubs, and letters.

She moved to the couch, holding the overflowing shoebox in her lap. She almost forgot she had opened the window, the cold night air rushing in, bringing with it the smell of rain. The rain she had been waiting for—the hurt she needed to wash everything away. Her chest was tight, her breath shallow as she looked away for the items; she couldn’t even look at him. All she saw was the anger on his face. She started to feel suffocated; she needed air. As she leaned out of the window, into the dark, the floodgates opened. “Rain came pouring down.” It felt like everything inside her was being pulled out into the storm of emotion she couldn’t name yet. “When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe.”

“And by morning, gone was any trace of you.” After crying the entire night, she felt a little bit better. Not enough to go outside and do something productive, but like take a shower and watch TV. Letting all her anger and sadness out helped for a little while. The space in the room felt empty, but for the first time in a long time, it was quiet. She was no longer suffocating on the echoing words he yelled at her. She looked around, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she could breathe.

“There was nothing left to do.” All she could do was wait, wait for him to reach out or to hear from his team. She didn't know where she stood on his list of priorities. Of course getting sober was number one, but her place? Over a couple of days, the anger came back. Hearing absolutely nothing about what is happening drove her crazy. It was like the walls were closing in on her after a week of silence.

“So I punched a hole in the roof” the force of the hit rattling her bones. The hole in the drywall seemed to echo her internal chaos.

“The water filled my lungs; I screamed so loud.” Her cries for help could be heard everywhere she went. Work, the grocery store, even as she walked past their favorite coffee shop. It was clear to anyone who saw or spoke with her that she was in pain.

“But no one heard a thing.” No one said anything, not her friends, family, or coworkers. Maybe they really didn’t see what kind of internal battle she’s fighting. It still hurts, losing not only the love of her life but also having to go through the grieving process of her own, the five stages on repeat.

Denial, it wasn’t a real breakup, right? He was as high as a kite when he told her. Anger, how dare he decide what’s best for them? He had no right shoving her away. Bargaining, maybe if she was better at noticing the signs, she could have helped him on time. It was all her fault; she should bet she's the one that’s addicted. Not him, not sweet and caring Spencer. Depression, maybe their time was simply over. Fate had decided that they couldn’t stay together, no matter how much they loved each other. Acceptance, maybe this all is for the better. Spencer was right; they couldn’t do this anymore. There were too many problems, and they needed help to solve them. Just not each other's.

Three months had passed since she’d walked away from him, from everything they had built. Or better said, pushed away. Three months of crying and worrying about Spencer. She knew he had good friends, that they were going to help him when she couldn’t. But it still hurts. Sometimes when she’s feeling really depressed, she starts blaming herself. She should have noticed something was going on with Spencer if only she had recognized the signs. Maybe if she had alerted his friends earlier, it wouldn’t have gotten this bad.

After almost 10 months of heartbreak, she got the good news. Spencer is back from rehab. She didn’t know what to do; would he want to see her? Maybe not; she’s the one that sent him to rehab. Maybe deep down he had meant it when he said he couldn’t do it anymore. There still was a sliver of hope he did want to see her, maybe talk about everything. She waited another three months to take time for herself. Yes, she wasn’t the one that got addicted and was sent to rehab; it still took a toll on her. The constant fighting, sleepless nights, and the constant dread that he was going to die. Three months of rebuilding herself, of facing the parts of her that she had neglected while caring for him. Needs that she had buried for so long. But she knew that just because he was clean didn’t mean it was going to be easy.

She had no idea where to start; did they reconnect and pick right up before everything went down? When she missed him, did she miss clean, sober Spencer? Or what he had become? She had promised him that she would love every version of him, and she did. But it was hard. There were days when she missed him, when the ache of his absence felt like a void in her chest.

But she wasn’t going back right the second he came back from rehab. She wasn’t going to risk it again, too soon. She had fought too hard to get here, to this place of peace, to let it all slip away again.

--- 1 YEAR AFTER THE BREAK UP ---

As he sat at his desk, wrapping up the last of his work for the evening, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the message, his heart stuttering at the sight of a name he hadn’t expected.

It was a text from her. “I’m here if you ever want to talk. I’ve missed you.”

Spencer stared at the message for a long time, his fingers hovering over the screen. It felt like a lifeline, an invitation to something he had been avoiding for so long—connection, vulnerability, truth. He could feel his heart racing, the familiar anxiety creeping up his spine. He had pushed her away before, convinced her that he didn't need her. He told himself that he wasn’t worthy of her love or support.

Nobody told him, but he knew it was her that signed him up for rehab. The memory of the moment he got picked up will haunt him forever. He was lying on his couch, the apartment completely silent. He awoke by a loud knock on his door. His entire body felt numb. It was almost too much for him to walk a straight line to answer the door. He didn't remember to check through the peephole. Behind the door stood Morgan, JJ, and two men he didn't recognize. They tried to tell him they were worried and were here to take him to a rehab center outside of Virginia. The second he realized what it meant, he started to protest. “You can’t make me leave!”. But it fell on deaf ears. Looking back on it, it was probably the same way his mother felt when he told her she had to get institutionalized.

After his flashback, he looked back at his phone. Reading the words, he realized that maybe it was time to stop running. Maybe it was time to clean up the mess he had made of his life. With a shaky breath, he typed his response. “I miss you too. I’m sorry. I think I’m ready to talk.” He hit send, and for the first time in a long while, Spencer felt like he had finally taken the first step toward healing. He knew that physically, he was fine again. But mentally he didn't know where to start. For a second he worried that he would hurt you all over again, but you missed him and wanted to see him. He could also apologize and thank her for saving him. He wasn’t sure where this path would lead, but it was a start. And in that moment, with the rain still falling softly outside, Spencer Reid finally felt like he could breathe again.

By the time he got home, Spencer felt a shift within himself. Yes, he was no longer an official agent; he was a consultant now. The team had successfully closed another case. It gave him a good feeling; he felt useful again after letting the team down when he was high out of his mind.

Looking in his bathroom mirror, it was a reflection of him he slowly started to recognize again. He had gone through the worst moments of his life. Blaming everyone and everything, and yet, he realized he had always been his own jailer. It wasn’t just the cases, drugs, or his relationships. It was him, the way he tried to work through his problems.

He was anxious to see her again after so long. He knew she wouldn't hold him to too high expectations; still, he felt like he wasn't good enough to see her. But the need for her touch, her comfort, was bigger, and with the new motivation, he went to try and sleep a full night.

He found out that the idea of seeing her again made him so happy; his mind and body finally relaxed enough, and he could sleep. It was Saturday, and he knew he wouldn't get called in and agreed to meet up around one pm, so for the first time in months, he took the time to get himself ready. He wanted to make sure he was the best version of himself when he saw her again. It took him almost two hours to shower, get dressed, and eat. On his way to the small cafe around the corner, he reminded himself that he should bring something for her. He wanted it to be something special but not too much, so a bouquet of her favorite flowers would do it, of course with a handwritten note.

Before he entered the cafe, he saw her sitting through the windows. She looked nervous; he could see it in the way she would play with her hands, something to distract her. He took a deep breath and walked in. The bell above the door rang, and she looked up from her notebook. There he was; he looked healthier and happier than she remembered. It made her tear up a bit. That all the pain and suffering she went through was not for nothing.

She looked at him with big eyes, trying to take him all in. The way he had styled his hair, his awkward smile, and his mismatched socks. He looked like him again. And for the first time in a long while, he felt like him again. He knew he would never bet the same again, but he didn’t feel the crushing weight of the world on his shoulders right now. Instead, there was a small flicker of something—hope, maybe. He wasn’t sure yet if it was enough, but for the first time in what felt like forever, he had reached out.

The conversation started awkward and difficult. Neither of them knew how to start. So Spencer did the thing he did best, and what she loved about him; he started reciting some statistics about recovery. It made her give a small smile, the knowledge that deep down he still was her Spencer. They talked about what had happened during the breakup, how Spencer got sent to rehab, what happened to his job, his therapy, and what he wants to do now. He told her what his therapist recommended to him: to tell yourself every day a fact about your recovery. "Ten months sober, I must admit. Just because you're clean, don't mean you don't miss it." The whole accepting part that he still was an addict was difficult. But he knew he couldn’t go back. “Ten months older, I won't give in. Now that I'm clean, I'm never going to risk it.” The most important thing for him to tell her was how sorry he was for everything that had happened. How grateful he is for her, how she saved his life. He got silent for a second, gathered all his thoughts, and asked her. “What do you want to do about us now?”

A few seconds passed before her reply came. "I’m here. We’ll get through this together." And for the first time in so long, Spencer felt something he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years. A flicker of light in the dark, he felt the start of getting clean. They both cried a bit and laughed about it. Happy tears that their love was so strong, it could even survive whatever happened, as long as they have each other.

The second those words left her lips, she knew she wasn’t angry anymore. Not at him or the words he yelled. The confirmation that he wanted to keep talking with her released the anger, doubt, and sadness that followed her around. It was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. “Said, I think I am finally clean.”

He walked her that evening. It reminded him of their first date. All the nerves and excitement coursing through him. Now he still felt those, but now they were added with a heavy layer of doubt. Doubt that everything would be good again. Those feelings were better to discuss another time. Both had had enough emotions for one day; maybe they could have dinner next time.

Maybe he wasn’t entirely clean yet. But he was on the road. And for the first time in a long while, that was enough.

Spencer walked out of the office, stepping into the night air, feeling the cool breeze on his face. He had made a promise to himself—to be better, to let go of the past. The road ahead wasn’t going to be easy. But for the first time in a long while, he felt like he wasn’t alone.

And as he glanced at his phone one more time, a message from her flashing on the screen, he knew he wasn’t. “You’re not alone, Spencer. We’ll get through this. Together. I’ll see you at 7.” He smiled to himself; the words kept repeating in his mind. The storm within him was subsiding. And maybe, just maybe, “Think I'm finally clean.”

[violetjedisylveon]

For the grinning shadow au, do you think Mac's fate is common knowledge? Like during the amnesia episode jttw!Wukong mentions how he can't wait to reunite with Mihou after the journey and everyone else just cringes and refuses to meet his eyes. I can see someone bringing Mac up to try and rile Wukong up and then Everyone freaking out a bit when doing so makes him go feral.

How do you think Mac would react to seeing the circlet in action in S5 considering he can actually fully process everything that's going on and act however he wants now?

I loved your Au btw. It was so well written and heart wrenching 😭😭❤️. Sucked me into your blog and your other aus too. Incredibly in love with your LMK Epic au and can't wait for Wukong to be crushed when he figures out how he missed. Reading the cracked family au now !

Well first off that's so nice of you! I'm glad you like my writing and my other aus, it made my day to see this ask, thank you so much!

As for your questions, Macaque's fate was widely known, it was known that Wukong was going on the journey to free his mate (and get enlightenment) when he was on the journey. A lot of enemies would make snide comments about it on the journey, especially the former celestial demons they faced

In modern times, the truth behind what happened to the six eared Macaque is much less known because in Jttw, he died during the failed rebellion and Wukong's journey is reframed as enlightenment and a grief journey, the end of it has him coming to terms with Macaque's death rather than asking for his revival.

Only older demons who had been around at the time of the journey know what was up with that.

In the amnesia episode Wukong would be talking about getting his mate back, much to the sadness of Tang because it's well known that the six eared macaque never gets revived. He's so happy at the thought of getting his mate back, he's definitely not the depressed, sad old man they know.

Tang fills Pigsy in on the situation and Pigsy is a lot kinder towards Wukong after that.

Wukong does still get very riled up at any enemies mentioning his mate, amnesia or not, Scorpion Queen doesn't because she's not an asshole, LBD is an asshole and uses his failure to save his mate against him several times.

I had a very evil idea for season 5

Li Jing puts the pain crown on Wukong to keep him neutralized, but then he also threatens to take Macaque's mind again if he acts further out of line.

Macaque doesn't have the full context of the circlet, he definitely doesn't like that it hurts his mate and he can actually do stuff to fight back this time, though 1700+ years of being out of practice have made his fighting skills a little rusty, and the fear of if he fights Li Jing, he'll just take his mind again is very powerful.

So when Li Jing comes for them after they escape, Macaque nope everyone out of there with a big shadow portal, no pagoda jail for him, he gets to be in on the action!

Father-son bonding time!

Thank you for asking, I really enjoyed answering this!

I hope you enjoy the rest of my aus!

Grinning Shadow AU Masterpost

[lululeighsworld]

person who just watch the last episode of S1 of once upon a time and is soooooooooooo fucking normal over everything about the rumplestiltskin/belle reunion

[nami-moittli]

I think you like Leah

…A little

[frobby]

i love madoka magica however i dont think we as a fandom talk enough about how tragic madoka herself is. probably because the narrative itself steers you away from thinking about her personally. shes not a character shes a desire that homura has, shes a force of good, shes homura's foil. but those are all madoka's narrative roles but madoka herself as a person is not really looked at because we are viewing this world from an unreliable narrator(homura) who only sees madoka as those things. The best thing homura could have done for madoka was give up on her, to let her go. because every time we go back in time the image of madoka is distorted, she loses more of herself every regression of homura's as she tries harder and harder to save her. We don't even know what madoka originally wished for to become a magical girl in the original timeline. and she actually acts quite differently than the madoka we meet. shes a lot more honest and caring and bold. by the time homura's has reached the actual anime madoka has been reduced by the sands of time to a figment of herself. she has no wants or desires of her own beyond wanting to do good and help her friends and when all her humanity is stripped away is when she finally acends to godhood because thats all thats left of her. an ideal and a faith in her. madoka kaname died a long time ago and all that is left is her ghost.